Last night, I was on the phone with a friend discussing the evening I saw Barack Obama speak on my college campus. This was almost two years ago, in September 2007 when our current president was barely registering as a blip on my radar. Then, more of my support for presidential candidacy was thrown behind our now Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton. I recall thinking back then that Barack Obama was undoubtedly an eloquent and energetic speaker but questioned whether or not he could he handle being the Commander in Chief. He seemed to be full of hope. He seemed to have his head too high in the clouds and his feet not firmly grounded in reality.

Critics of our President will still say these things about him. Or hurl words like “Marxist” and “socialist” at him and his supporters as derogatory attacks on their political philosophies, or sometimes their personal and private lives. Ever since Obama’s introduction to the public consciousness, fear mongers have tried to paint him as foreign, exotic, and dangerous. While I would not have counted myself among the likes of these fanatic Obama loathers, I was not yet an Obama supporter.

Two years later, I’ve done a complete 180. I now count myself as a loud and proud member of Generation O. President Obama’s catapult into the homes, hearts, and minds of people everywhere in the world coincided with my own personal politicization. This coincidence marks him as a symbol of a very crucial moment in my individual life. His presidency will serve as a reference point for the instance where my civic engagement was swept up in a movement that compelled people everywhere to reinvest in America, and consequently themselves and each other.

Now it’s time to assess what this collective energy has meant. Have Generation O’s support and belief in President Obama been in vain? Have our expectations of the Obama administration have been met.

It’s a bit difficult for me to grade the Obama administration. The best perspective comes with time and barely seven months into one’s presidency hardly gives one the filter necessary to properly assess how legislation and policy affects the lived experiences of Americans. With that acknowledgement that the following grades will be doled out using my premature perspective, I give you my personal report card for President Obama’s performance on the following issues:

Womyn’s Rights: A

Soon after his inauguration, Barack Obama enacted the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to ensure that womyn receive equal pay for equal work. He rescinded the Mexico City Policy to help ensure reproductive rights for womyn on the international stage. With an executive order, Barack Obama created the White House Council on Women and Girls. The Obama Administration’s policies work to create a political framework where womyn do not suffer at the hands of discrimination simply beause of their sex and can begin to regain ownership of their individual bodies.

Healthcare: C+

President Obama would have received a C- for this had it not been for his unrelenting efforts to push reform through. As mentioned in my last post, the United States occupies a moment filled with great opportunity to ensure that every citizen is entitled to healthcare. It’s unfortunate that so many individuals are one job loss or one disease away from bankrupting herself or losing his life’s hard work to medical bills. No concrete accomplishments deserves a subpar grade.

Education: B

In my California bubble, I often lose sight as to what is playing out on the national landscape. It’s important for me to check myself and remember that what is going on in California is not necessarily what is going on in the world. Despite the education system crisis occuring here, there are still spots of brightness in the discussion of national education reform. Since his presidency has begun, Barack Obama has increased funding for Pell Grants to assist students enroll in college. He has also alloted 12 billion dollars in funding for the community college system. This system is often used by students to help prepare themselves for a four-year university down the road. In addition, many working adults turn to community college to learn new skills to boost their careers. Community colleges are a gateway to better jobs and higher education for many indivduals. In addition to increasing access to higher education, Barack Obama has acknowledged the importance of early childhood learning by increasing funding to Head Start programs.

Environment: B+

The Cash for Clunkers program has been gaining a lot of national attention. In the wake of the auto industry decline, this program has helped revitalize companies in the industry while simultaneously working to ensure more efficient energy use and consequently cleaner air. By taking inefficient cars off the road and replacing them with higher performing vehicles and providing consumers with financial incentives to do so, the American public reaps benefits on multiple fronts. Barack Obama has claimed since his campaign that energy reform was going to be one of his top priorities. With programs such as the Cash for Clunkers, and the Interior Department’s promise to begin leasing federal waters for offshore production of electricity in order to harness and expend renewable energy, President Obama’s promises are being honored.

These are the issues that I have found to be most pertinent to my life and as such are the ones I watch most closely, am more inclined to engage in discussion on, and work towards making gains on. As a recent college grad, I am involved in a process to re-root my life in California, where I was born and raised. Spending my undergrad years in Manhattan granted me a unique college experience and served as a vibrant background for my politicization to begin and foster. Back on the Left Coast, I am excited to find my niche in the professional world where my labor can contribute to the empowerment of others.

Barack Obama came into a presidency burdened with issues labeled as insurmountable. While many of his promises have not yet realized fruition, Barack Obama refuses to back down from the challenge. He recognizes his responsibility to his constituents and is fully dedicated to improving the lives of every one, every where regardless of socioeconomic status, race, gender, or other social marker. In my book, he gets an A+ for effort.

It has been a pleasure and a privilege to participate in this project with my fellow Gen O bloggers. Thank you for making the time to visit our blog and to contribute to our discussion.

-Emerald Maravilla

Up until recently, I didn’t really give healthcare much of a thought. I took for granted that healthcare in this country was a privilege. But this past November, when my mother lost her job and consequently medical coverage for our family, it weighed heavily on my mind. A runny nose or cough caused great worry for me. I did not want to incur unnecessary costs for doctors visits or treatments. I became scared to seek out professional medical help, even in cases when I knew it was necessary. Once when I fell ill, I grabbed leftover antibiotics from my roommate. To me, it just seemed the more practical and cost effective option.

In May, upon graduating from college, I lost my student insurance. So now, instead of just having expensive insurance, I have none at all. It’s a bit terrifying for me. Even when studying abroad in London my second year of college, I was guaranteed medical coverage in the event that I needed it. Now in a country where I am a citizen, I have no means of preventative health care and no safety net if serious illness befalls me.

It’s difficult for me to understand all the jargon surrounding the healthcare debate that is currently taking place. But from my elementary understanding, I agree with the idea of government-supported healthcare coverage. The government already provides Medicare for adults over 65 years of age. Further regulation of the system would help keep costs down for most Americans. It would ensure that the industry is not one driven solely by profit.

In a nation as wealthy and technologically advanced as ours, it’s a shame that our life expectancy falls #30th on the list. We are a nation filled with the ability to promise better livelihoods for our citizens. This current moment is filled with opportunity. People all around the country should not be using the emergency room as the last resort for medical attention. It is important that opportunities for preventative care are made available. Americans do not deserve to live in fear of runny noses.

-Emerald Maravilla

Earlier today, a meeting between two highly influential heads of state shared a 25 minute meeting. After making his debut in the G8 summit, President Barack Obama met for the first time with Pope Benedict XVI. After speaking and being loudly booed at Notre Dame’s commencement last May, many perceived Obama’s relationship with Catholicism as one tarnished by his pro-choice stance and his efforts to further embryonic stem cell research. Many looked to this meeting as an opportunity to heal the relationship.

From a personal viewpoint, I find the booing of our nation’s president as extreme. Though I suppose my experience with Catholicism has been somewhat skewed. Born and raised in the Bay Area, the liberal culture inevitably bleeds into other traditions and lifestyles. While I was also born and raised in a Catholic household, attended Catholic school for the first 13 years of my schooling, most of my interactions with the religion have been filtered with leftist leanings.

It was with surprise that I read many of the pre-pontiff and president meeting articles. Many portrayed the moment as one where President Obama could regain lost ground in his relationship with the religion. Much of the focus was on the gift he would present to the pope, an act surely given more attention after the criticism that followed his offering of an iPod to Queen Elizabeth II. Rarely was there discussion about the good that the convergence of these two powers could achieve.

My interest is not invested in the gift our president gave the pope (but fyi, he gave him a stole). Instead it’s how these two influential leaders can garner their power to cure many of the international ills plaguing the world today. Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his most recent encyclical that he hoped that leaders of the business world could restructure their practices away from personal gain and refocus them on assistance in developing economies of impoverished nations. Unquestionably, one of Barack Obama’s main initiatives is to refuel the economy, but with social responsibility spearheading its revival.

While the characterization of President Obama’s relationship with the Catholic faith is that it is one of tenuousness, what is rarely being discussed are the values that are shared between the two. True, on issues of reproduction, the Vatican and President Obama diverge, where for the past eight years the White House and the Vatican used their shared views on abortion and birth control as the crux of their cooperative relationship. Aside from the opposing views on reproductive practices, the Vatican and President Obama both center their work around improving the lives of those who suffer. Most supporters of both men look to these leaders to cultivate cross-cultural and inter-faith respect, understanding, and to assist in creating opportunities for people to work together. Behind closed doors, I hope the president and pope can hide away from the media’s work to create controversy and combine their efforts to continue to serve those who are in most need of it.

-Emerald Maravilla

Earlier today, a meeting between two highly influential heads of state shared a 25 minute meeting. After making his debut in the G8 summit, President Barack Obama met for the first time with Pope Benedict XVI. After speaking and being loudly booed at Notre Dame’s commencement last May, many perceived Obama’s relationship with Catholicism as one tarnished by his pro-choice stance and his efforts to further embryonic stem cell research. Many looked to this meeting as an opportunity to heal the relationship.

From a personal viewpoint, I find the booing of our nation’s president as extreme. Though I suppose my experience with Catholicism has been somewhat skewed. Born and raised in the Bay Area, the liberal culture inevitably bleeds into other traditions and lifestyles. While I was also born and raised in a Catholic household, attended Catholic school for the first 13 years of my schooling, most of my interactions with the religion have been filtered with leftist leanings.

It was with surprise that I read many of the pre-pontiff and president meeting articles. Many portrayed the moment as one where President Obama could regain lost ground in his relationship with the religion. Much of the focus was on the gift he would present to the pope, an act surely given more attention after the criticism that followed his offering of an iPod to Queen Elizabeth II. Rarely was there discussion about the good that the convergence of these two powers could achieve.

My interest is not invested in the gift our president gave the pope (but fyi, he gave him a stole). Instead it’s how these two influential leaders can garner their power to cure many of the international ills plaguing the world today. Pope Benedict XVI wrote in his most recent encyclical that he hoped that leaders of the business world could restructure their practices away from personal gain and refocus them on assistance in developing economies of impoverished nations. Unquestionably, one of Barack Obama’s main initiatives is to refuel the economy, but with social responsibility spearheading its revival.

While the characterization of President Obama’s relationship with the Catholic faith is that it is one of tenuousness, what is rarely being discussed are the values that are shared between the two. True, on issues of reproduction, the Vatican and President Obama diverge, where for the past eight years the White House and the Vatican used their shared views on abortion and birth control as the crux of their cooperative relationship. Aside from the opposing views on reproductive practices, the Vatican and President Obama both center their work around improving the lives of those who suffer. Most supporters of both men look to these leaders to cultivate cross-cultural and inter-faith respect, understanding, and to assist in creating opportunities for people to work together. Behind closed doors, I hope the president and pope can hide away from the media’s work to create controversy and combine their efforts to continue to serve those who are in most need of it.

-Emerald Maravilla

This link, in tandem with a night spent bearing witness to the work and brilliance of activist, educator, and spoken word artist Ise Lyfe, inspired my post today.

As a lead off, I should tell you what struck me most about Ise Lyfe’s work - his desire to create a popular culture of consciousness. In his work as an educator, Ise bases his lesson plan around redefining education as provocative and as a powerful mechanism for empowering individuals. He attempts to equip young individuals with the the belief that as individuals they matter.

A quick survey of the current American cultural landscape would easily lead one to conclude that Ise Lyfe’s work is highly relevant and necessary. Take a gander at the current state and debate of the healthcare system of our country. The behavior of leading public health organizations, such as the American Medical Association, are attempting to thwart President Obama’s moves towards a necessary reform of our public health system.

Instead of being driven by a philosophy of the people, many institutions and members of our society find themselves being guided by the philosophy of the pocket. The path that leads to the most money is the one to pursue. It is no longer important to create a space for individuals to pursue lives that are personally fulfilling and keep them healthy and happy.

Many people brush off discussions similar to this as nothing more than hippie fodder. But these ideas do not find their foundation in a distant movement and moment of idealism. They are rooted in a very present reality, in the here and the now. I see members of my community who have played by the rules of society, who have jumped through every hoop that has been put before them by the myriad of bureaucracies, and spend their every waking moment working to build lives for themselves and for their loved ones. These same hard-working, law-abiding neighbors, family members, and community members of mine fall ill, lose their jobs at the hands of the economy and find themselves with little to no options to support their livelihoods.

We as a people have failed each other. When we follow the steps of the American Medical Association and cut off or ignore attempts to create a discussion to find better ways to live our lives, we hurt both each other and ourselves.

While President Obama’s plan may not be the solution, the dialogue he tries to create with the people of this nation, the town halls, the e-mails vying for support of his policy - these are all signals of his attempt to create a culture of consciousness. Despite the many problems plaguing our nation, this signals towards a better tomorrow are certainly encouraging.

-Emerald

I was leaning towards writing my first blog with a cynical undertone. In the draft state, it had made itself to pivot around a notion that we needed to inject the nation’s discourse about Obama with a healthy dose of reality (code for cynicism).

Yes, Google publicizes that our nation’s unemployment rate at the end of March 2009 stood at 9%. Men, women, and children across the nation cannot afford to pay for basic life insurance. Achievement gaps still plague our educational system. Retirement funds are dwindling. Things look bleak.

These harsh realities flooded my head as I racked my brain for how I wanted to assess President Obama’s first one hundred days in office. These issues plagued our nation before Obama’s election and still cry out for a solution today. It’s difficult to go through a day without hearing about the latest stock market crash, case of swine flu, or some other terrible tragedy. 

Despite all of this, as I re-read my draft, musing over whether it was publishing material, I thought to myself, “You’re only 21. That’s way too young to be jaded.” So I erased it all. And came up with this instead.

Trust me, I know a thing a two about the harsh realities mentioned above. They are not outside of my lived experiences. Some days, the weight of these issues are so heavy upon me I can feel them sitting on my chest.

But I still have hope. Naïve? Perhaps. But it’s precisely that naiveté that drives the Obama adminstration and Generation O. I posit that naiveté need not conform to the definition it carries in formal usage. It need not carry such negative connotation. To me, lack of experience can be a positive as it causes one to be more in tune with his or her own self, his or her own humanity. One is freer from the often times harmful social constructs and insidious ideologies that result in divisive lines amongst members of our communities.  So, yes, I’ll gladly embrace my naivete if it means I can cultivate a deeper understanding of how am connected to others, how I am supported by others, and how my actions can help serve others.

It’s that last sentence more than anything that provides me with the filter for how I look at Barack Obama’s first 100 days in office. In our president, I see a reflection of these values I hold near and dear to me. He understands the power and privilege his position holds, but also understands the responsibilities that come with it. Within his first week in office, President Obama enacted the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and rescinded the Mexico City Policy. In March, our president signed an executive order creating the White House Council on Women and Girls. These actions are significant because they begin to set forth institutional efforts through which womyn’s rights for equality are recognized. Though not a woman himself, our president is a feMANist. He acknowledges the critical roles womyn play in our households, in our workforce, in our every day lives, and has laid down groundwork to give them proper recognition.

Even though our nation’s prospects look bleak, my support cannot waver for a man such as our president. He is a man who understands himself as connected to and accountable to every one of his constituents. Ideological differences aside, he understands that partisanship without pragmatism serves no one. He fights on the side for the every day man and woman. He has reinvigorated marginalized communities who had grown apathetic to the mechanisms of a political process that in their eyes only feigned democracy. Sure he achieves this with his natural charisma, with a little help from the media, and his impressions of Beyonce. But he also does it with his actions, strengthened by his sense of conviction and dedication to serve the people. He is calculated and cautious in his work to bridge gaps that span across our racial, generational, economic, and social divides. He is deliberate in his efforts to unify our nation and to reach out to the nations in the world to create communities.

While President Obama’s first 100 days in office did not solve all of our nation’s trials, they have re-energized our people. Yes, we still have countless issues through which we need to work, but with the way Obama’s administration has tackled a lot of our previous obstacles, I cannot help but be excited for the innovative, thoughtful approaches he still has in store. Call me crazy, but I’ve got hope.

=) Emerald

What is the “Obama Generation,” you ask? We’d like to know, too. The grassroots coalition that helped Barack Obama win the presidency is unique because it defies so many political stereotypes. Generation O isn’t defined by race, or class, or geography. Instead, we’re a diverse group of young, politically active people who care about a range of causes—from the economy to social issues to international politics and beyond—but are dedicated to finding solutions that transcend partisanship and benefit all of us. Newsweek.com is giving the members to this group a chance to talk directly to (and with) the public about what it’s like to work, live and learn in the age of Obama.

Because most of our generation is technologically plugged-in, it made sense to start a project that all of us could contribute to: a multimedia blog. For the next three months, our bloggers (you can meet the group here) will be checking in from all over the country, posting thoughts on the Obama administration as well as photographs, videos and audio clips from our lives. We’ll be introducting ourselves to you over the course of the week, and after that we’ll post regularly to let you know what we’re up to, what we think of local, national and international goings-on, and how Obama’s decisions are affecting our families, friends and communities. You’re invited to participate, too: we’d love to have you comment on the blog, join the Facebook group, and send in your own stories from time to time. We’re starting this blog with the hope that by connecting Obama supporters around the country and giving them the chance to compare stories and experiences, we’ll be able to figure out what it means to be a part of Generation O. We hope you’ll stick around, and enjoy!

-Aku