by Hazel Trice Edney
NNPA News Service

WASHINGTON – As America’s first African-American president prepares to mark his 100th day in office on Wednesday, spin doctors from around the globe already have begun weighing in.

President Barack Obama’s initial accomplishments have covered a lot of territory:

Barack Obama took the oath of office on Jan. 20 with the world watching the inauguration of the nation’s first African-American president. (Photo by Worsom Robinson/Real Times News Service)

• Development of a plan to address the housing crisis and nation’s failing economy, amidst which he now sees “glimmers of hope”;

• The reversal of a string of executive orders by the Bush Administration viewed as anti-union;

• The establishment of the Middle Class Working Families Task Force;

• An executive order providing for the closure of the Guantanamo Bay lockup for terrorism suspects within a year;

• His tour of Europe with First Lady Michelle Obama, which generated good will for America abroad during the G-20 economic conference;

• His trip to Mexico for discussions regarding the violent drug cartels and immigration issues.

• His efforts to improve the relationship with Cuba, supported by the Congressional Black Caucus.

• A new commitment to pour millions of dollars into the prevention and awareness of HIV/AIDS in America.
But, specifically, how is the new president doing on issues pertaining to civil rights? Though many leaders caution that 100 days is a very short time period, those interviewed gave him an “A” so far; however,  most awarded him ‘incompletes‘ on the grassroots economy.

“There are some A’s and a couple of incompletes,” says the Rev. Jesse Jackson in a phone interview from Thailand. “I think the position against torture, an A; the G-20 conference, putting a credible face on America’s foreign policy where he has trust capital and Bush had trust deficit disorder.”

Jackson also listed Obama’s reaching out to Cuba, Venezuela and the overture toward Iran as all A’s along with his dealing with the student loan industry, which Jackson described as a “$95 billion a year rip off.”

But, the incompletes – mainly in the area of economics - are clear, he says.

“There’s an incomplete on the stimulus because it must be more targeted to get to the bottom. As the states get it, they’re using the term shovel ready. But, shovel-ready for those who don’t have a shovel because of the lack of capital and lack of credit means they may not be ready. That could be seen as boot straps without the boots.

“We have to be certain that it gets down to the most unemployed the most in need of training, the most in need of business development. That’s an ongoing struggle there.”

With the Black unemployment surging above an average of 14 percent, National Urban League President Marc Morial agrees.

On a scale of 1-10, Morial said the President scores a 9 for his first 100 days. In the Black community Morial cited a need for greater civil rights enforcement and the need for help with job development.

“The creation of an agency taskforce to assist African-Americans in securing construction jobs and green jobs; and the hiring of African-Americans in subcabinet positions at Education, HUD, Labor and Health & Human Services,” Morial says.

Like Jackson, he says African-Americans must press local and state government to do right by stimulus money.

“We need to remain engaged and hold mayors, governors and local school districts accountable for the stimulus dollars to ensure that African-Americans are included in its benefits,” Morial says.

Morial also praises Obama for  the expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and the appointment of Attorney General Eric Holder.

Harvard law professor Charles Ogletree is another who applauds the appointment of Holder, America’s first Black attorney general. He believes that Obama has made a favorable impression within the first 100 days, including “his symbolic and substantive decisions evince a level of maturity and calm judgment rarely seen by someone so early in their term as President.”

He gave Obama a 10 for adopting a stringent ethics code and for suspending the prosecution of suspected terrorists who have been detained, but not charged, with offenses for nearly seven years; for outlawing water boarding as an interrogation tactic and for appointing former rival and new York Senator Hillary Clinton as the Secretary of State.

Ogletree emphasized, however, additional actions are needed to direct help to those in the greatest need.

“I would like the President to do a tour of America and ascertain the extent and the causes of poverty in America and seek a bipartisan set of proposals, comparable to a modern day American Marshall Plan to rebuild America and energize its people from the bottom up,” Ogletree says. “Furthermore, I would hope that President Obama will continue to work with (historically black colleges and universities) to create our next generation of leaders in business and industry.”

While civil rights leaders across the board applaud the new president, they almost consistently stopped short of awarding the highest rating, noting that the African American community still remains at a disadvantaged in many arenas.

“President Obama has tackled some of the critical issues affecting this country, reversed some of the wrongs of the previous administration and has offered hope for all Americans,” says NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. But, he quickly notes criminal justice issues that need work.

“Forty percent of the prison population is African-American while African-American’s only make up 13 percent of the country’s population,” Jealous says. “We would like to see the President pass a series of laws that would do away with racial profiling, eliminate the excessive use of force by law enforcement and enforce strict guidelines on prisoner treatment.”

Like other leaders, Jealous also strongly points out economic deficiencies in the Black community.

“Our citizens are losing their homes at a rate we have never seen before, small businesses are folding and more Americans are losing their jobs every day. President Obama needs to address these issues and address them fast,” Jealous says. “The housing crisis is crippling our country and the administration needs to call for a moratorium on foreclosures on homes. Further, President Obama needs to implement smart policies to stop the exponential job losses and put an end to the hemorrhaging in the small business community.”

Jealous concludes, “We cannot mortgage the lower class to invest in the middle class. With millions of African-American’s out of work, the President needs to address the issue of poverty. A large number of American’s live on Main Street, however a large number of African-American’s live on Back Street, and the President must continue to offer hope to those aspiring to be in the middle class.”

The best way to support the administration is to remain patient, according to  Wade Henderson, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights.

“I don’t think you can judge someone after only 100 days. That said, he’s accomplished more in his first quarter than most presidents achieve in their entire first term. He’s focused on creating jobs where we need them and has signed into law a number of backlogged civil rights bills,” says Henderson. “We didn’t get in the morass we’re in today overnight and we’re not going to get out of it in 100 days or 200 days or even in a year.”

Perhaps Jackson summarized it best: “We’re better off than we were before he was inaugurated.”

(Hazel Trice Edney is NNPA Editor-in-Chief.)