Jack & Jill Politics

Recently I was invited to the Opportunity Agenda’s 5th anniversary celebration. I happened to be in NYC at the time so I was delighted to be asked. Opportunity Agenda quietly does some amazing work and they are the kind of new African-American-led organization that we need for the times we’re living in now. Carlos Watson, formerly of CNN, emcee’d and said he believes our country is at one of MLK’s inflection points where things could go one way or another. He says it’s time to send in the calvary and I’d like to think that Opportunity Agenda and the people who have become attracted to the organization represent that calvary. Friend of JJP Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry wrote a blog post last week over at the Nation about the effectiveness of Opportunity Agenda’s approach that’s worth a peep.

Alan Jenkins, Executive Director, can be seen below talking more about Opportunity Agenda’s mission. He said during the evening:

“We are at a crossroads and all you need to know that is to turn on the tv – and then turn it off! I believe there is no limit to what we can accomplish…”

I agree.

One of the honorees was CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux. I asked her to give a special shoutout to all the peeps at Jack and Jill Politics (video below).

Something you probably didn’t know: her sister totally used to date Barack’s roommate at Harvard. That literally happened. (gentle eyeroll) Anyhoo….

Malveaux had a special message that I think may resonate particularly with the black upper-middle class which still exists despite a tough battering in these hard economic times. She said:

“The most vulnerable must see themselves in the most powerful…” because this will help to encourage and uplift all in society. The Obama presidency will have lasting impact if it can help build familiarity with a new face of power and inspire the not-so-powerful to aspire to something greater. Chances are, if you’re reading this blog, you might also be able to be that person in someone’s life that you know — or don’t know yet. Mentorship is so critical right now and it can start in your own family with the working class or hot mess cousins some of y’all want to pretend like you don’t know. Or it could just be one of the up-and-coming cats or pink collar single mamas in your office who could use a hand up or an encouraging word.

Malveaux spoke at length about her interview with Donald Trump where she and her team confronted each of his ridiculous birther conspiracy theories with hard evidence forcing him to come up with increasingly far-fetched & desperate stories of how Obama just can’t have been born in the U.S. She (and I) consider it kind of a problem that 30% of Americans can’t seem to accept the legitimacy of the first black presidency. She said she feels it’s her duty to “Call out inaccuracies and misinformation when I see it and get powerful people on the record – it’s as important a job for me as it is for you sitting here.” Yeah, it got all confrontational from the podium like that. We accept that challenge here at JJP — ya feel me?

Disclosure: I’ve been working with Opportunity Agenda for a couple of years now – first as an invited participant & speaker at their 1st Creative Change Retreat, then as a facilitator of the 2nd Creative Change Retreat and now, through Fission Strategy, we’re working on a report tracking opinions in social media on some hot topics. My contact with them has turned me into a believer in what they do and who they are. They’re subversive and effective like that.