Video: Protesters Accuse Obama of Ignoring Black Issues

August 2, 2008 Iron Mill Interactive Media politics 0

Protesters Accuse Obama of Ignoring Black Issues in St. Petersburg, Florida. 

See the Video

 The Tampa bay area is avast of protestors.  Obama is not the only one that has been heckled here.  During the Republican CNN / YouTube  debate the road was lined with protesters and Ron Paul Supporters.  Obama was taken aback ast this is not a normal scene for him.  But as time goes on Black Folk are feeling that there issues are no where to be found on Obama’s Agenda.  NowPublic writers from both sides have been pointing this out in recent weeks.

A day after being accused by the McCain campaign of playing the race card, Barack Obama faced tough questions in Florida about his true commitment to the plight of African Americans and the implicit accusation that he hasn’t been black enough.

Delivering remarks on a new economic stimulus plan in Florida today, Obama was interrupted by a group of three young black men, who held up a sign reading “What About the Black Community, Obama?” and featuring the URL of Uhuru News – a left-wing pro-African organization. The chants of the three men and the subsequent attempts by the pro-Obama crowd to drown them out completely derailed the Illinois Senator, who was railing against special interests.

“Hold on a second, what’s happening?” he said — trying and failing to launch back into the speech as the audience began chanting “Yes We Can” to overpower the hecklers. “Excuse me young man, this is going to be a question and answer session, so you can ask a question later,” Obama told the most vocal of the protesters. “Just be courteous and you’ll have a chance to make your statement. Just relax.”

Calling the St Petersburg crowd “feisty,” Obama picked up where he left off; he later made good on his promise to give the man – Diop Olugbala, 31 – a chance to be heard.

“In the face of the numerous attacks that are made against the African community or the black community by the same US government that you aspire to lead” – such as subprime mortgages that target African Americans, the killing of Sean Bell in New York and the Jena 6 case, Olugbala said, “why is it that you have not had the ability to not one time speak to the interests and even speak on the behalf of the oppressed and exploited African community or Black community in this country?”

Obama seemed momentarily taken aback — as did the crowd, which began to boo. “Hold on a second, everybody. I want everybody to be respectful. That’s why we are having a town hall meeting. That’s democracy at work,” said Obama. “He asked a legitimate question so I want to give him an answer.”

To the heckler, he said “I think you are misinformed about when you say not one time. Every issue you’ve spoken about, I actually did speak out about.”

Protestors Accuse Obama of Ignoring Black Issues

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