Where Obama's Journey Began

Katie Couric Visits A Chicago Neighborhood Where The Presidential Hopeful Cut His Political Teeth

(CBS)  When Barack Obama arrived on Chicago's South Side, he was on a mission to help. The fires of the once-vibrant steel industry had already died, there were 326,000 people unemployed, and nearly 70 percent of public school children were living below the poverty line.

"It was a lot of poverty there, but a lot of pride," says Loretta Augustine, a community activist.

Chicago was in the midst of a political firestorm. Harold Washington, the city's first black mayor, had taken the reins and racial tensions were running high, CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric reports.

It was at a church, in 1984, where Obama came to work as a community organizer for a faith-based group called the Developing Communities Project. He worked in Altgeld Gardens, a racially segregated housing project on Chicago's far South Side. In a city where political power means everything, the people of Altgeld were invisible.

"To a great extent, we were powerless," Augustine says.

Obama's challenge was to empower the impoverished residents of Altgeld Gardens and turn them into political players. But older members of the group were skeptical of the 23-year-old Columbia University graduate.

"How was this kid gonna be any help to them?" says Gerry Kellman, who hired Obama.

But over time, Obama earned their trust and figured out how to make those voices heard.

"What Barack had to do was instill confidence in those folks," Kellman says.

Then there was a crucial meeting: A representative from the mayor's office tried to take over — and suddenly the South Side activist rose up.

"From the back of the room came Barack's voice, and he says, 'We want to hear from Loretta. Let Loretta talk,'" Augustine recalls. "And in that instant, he changed the meeting and focused right back on our agenda."

Today, still surrounded by 53 toxic waste dumps, Altgeld Gardens is often called "the toxic donut." In 1967, Augustine's 6-year-old daughter died of leukemia — which she's convinced was caused by toxic waste. Yet no one was listening to the people in the neighborhood.

"We found out there was a secret meeting in South Chicago on this issue and we had been excluded," she says.

Obama and 300 community members marched to that secret meeting.

"You cannot leave the community out of the process. It was so powerful," Augustine says.

Most people stayed in that job for four months. Obama continued to fight for four years, cutting his teeth on community activism. — the first measure of his leadership skills that are now being tested on a much larger stage.

"Barack came here very idealistic, and he left much more practical," Kellman says.

"He left, but he didn't leave us," adds Augustine. "We claim him."

[mattcbsmatt]

He is JUST MONKEYING AROUND
And enjoying it

[tbweb]

SharnCedar wrote:

I'm so sick of sorry a*ss ***** society norms - apparently you are supposed to give money to any lazy scrub who refuses to better himself
Posted by SharnCedar at 07:24 PM : Apr 28, 2007

--SharnCedar

I disagree with you! First of all Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., likes to point out how he helped a troubled Chicago neighborhood as an official there, these were total strangers he helped and Ray was his buddy, so why help total strangers struggling with problems and not a friend? Recently Sen. Barack Obama blasted Australian Prime Minister John Howard for suggesting the Democrats should support the troop surge in Iraq. Sen. Barack Obama shot back that Australian Prime Minister John Howard should send 20,000 Australians to Iraq if he supported a troop surge, otherwise Obama continued, the Australian Prime Minister was using empty rhetoric! Good comeback! But in the same context if Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., can help total strangers in a troubled Chicago neighborhood and not a troubled friend he writes about in his book, then I accuse Sen. Barack Obama of empty rhetoric as well! That was the basis of my Post! Walk the talk!

[sharncedar]

"If Barack and Ray were cool like his book states, he should not have blown him off like that! "

I'm so sick of sorry a*ss ***** society norms - apparently you are supposed to give money to any lazy scrub who refuses to better himself, and you are never supposed to "snitch" on brutal thugs who terrorize and ruin neighborhoods. It is a whole system of failure and defeatism. I'm glad Barack blew off some sleazy scrub who tried to hit him up to share the wealth. Maybe there's hope for black America. But y'all can start by "snitching" on some of the murderers wandering around in my neighborhood today, would that be too much to ask. In return for civilization.

[philipmontag]

That last comment was the most completely idiotic thing I've ever heard. At no point during your incoherent ramblings did you ever say anything that resembled a rational thought. We are all dumber having read that.

The fact that you've done nothing but attack Barack's name and refer to his father's Muslim background, a father he met once, is a clear indicator that you can't even form an honest debate on real issues. Blogging should be a privilege, not a right.

[tbweb]

didntinhale wrote:

Barack Obama Bin Laden??

--didntinhale

Why all the name calling and slander against Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.? If you have a legitimate complaint or issue Post it, but you are going too far and in fact it makes all your future Post invalid. You are Posting nothing but hate against the Senator and showing your true colors.

[irishbitch1]

didntinhale doesn't inhale he swallows!!

[tbweb]

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., disappointed me with the sloppy way he handled his childhood friend Ray whose real name is Keith Kakugawa he so glowingly writes about in his autobiography, "Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance,". Sen. Barack Obama's people say they distanced themselves from Ray because Ray was trying to blackmail Sen. Obama with negative information from the past. I saw Rays interview on TV and heard his side of the story and he seemed sincere when saying he asked for money when they asked him what he needed. Ray is going to lose the credibility argument against Sen. Barack Obama because Ray is a convicted felon and drug abuser, but dispite all that, Sen. Obama don't need any bad Press and he should have handled this situation a lot better than it was handled. If Barack and Ray were cool like his book states, he should not have blown him off like that!

[clemenhagen1]

Amazing: Didntinhale reposts the same garbage every three minutes. That must be about how long it takes him to run off and pleasure himself before returning for another inane post.

[kansas1946]

I will gladly give my vote to Barack Obama. How nice it is to have someone that has actually been a political activist since they were young. Someone who cared about issues and not just politics. He is an eloquent speaker, intellegent, compassionate, and seems to represent the best of what the American dream means. He has lived it.

We're fortunate that he has taken the time to do such things. However, my vote is still with Hilary.