Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire

The Great Debate in Harlem
Bill Quigley
24 Jun 2009
🖨️ Print Article

another debate

Last December 14, with Barack Obama's inauguration more than a month away, CEMOTAP and the Friends of Dr. Mtulu Shakur presented a debate at Harlem's Salem United Methodist Church, centered on the question: "Was the election of Barack Obama good for Black People? Yes or No?" The church was packed and the exchanges were heated, although the 8-minute limit on presentations proved woefully insufficient, and created as many problems as it was designed prevent.

On Sunday, June 28, the question will be posed: "After six months, is President Obama good for Black people?" We have been assured that the "roundtable discussion" will provide a more effective and fair format for debate. We at BAR believe our side made the better case ("NO") back in December, and are confident we will do so again, on June 28. See you there!

Do you need and appreciate Black Agenda Report articles? Please click on the DONATE icon, and help us out, if you can.


More Stories


  • Editors, The Black Agenda Review
    SPEECH: Statement at the 19th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Ernesto “Che” Guevara, 1964
    27 May 2026
    “Cuba ... a free and sovereign state with no chains binding it to anyone...with no proconsuls directing its policy, can speak with its head held high.”
  • Ann Garrison, BAR Contributing Editor , Jamal Abdulahi
    Trump is Not Defeated in Minnesota
    27 May 2026
    Minnesota pushed back against ICE until its visible presence seemed cut in half, but Trump does not forgive or forget, and it’s a time to be organized.
  • Anthony Karefa Rogers-Wright
    Big D Dysfunction: Why The Democrat Party’s Latest Comedy of Errors is a Tragedy of Strategy 
    27 May 2026
    The party that installed its presidential candidate without a primary vote now blames its 2024 loss on everything except its own contempt for its base and allegiance to neo-liberal policies.
  • Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
    SONNY
    27 May 2026
    "SONNY" is the latest from BAR's Poet-in-Residence.
  • Glen Ford, BAR Executive Editor
    Time to Sharpen Our Weapons and Wits
    27 May 2026
    Six years ago, George Floyd was murdered by police. The reaction was swift - the streets erupted and demands to defund the police spread across the country. Yet, the response from Democrats was…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us