Professor Fredrick Harris and Professor Manning Marable recently shared observations of Barack Obama's presidential candidacy with the media.
Professor Harris spoke to MTV Online, observing that "Senator Barack Obama's work is just beginning. Though he was able to beat rival Senator Hillary Clinton in a pitched battle that made for one of the closest, most widely followed primaries in a generation, Obama must now turn his attention to mending fences with Clinton, while wooing the tens of millions of voters who typically don't start paying attention until the general election. . . . In addition to building bridges with Clinton and independents, Obama must reach out to the constituencies that helped the former first lady keep the race as tight as it was." The full article is available here.
Speaking to Reuters, Professor Marable reflected that Obama's candidacy enables the country to "reimagine American democracy in ways that can fulfill its full promise. Without getting too carried away with it, that's a wonderful thing." The full article is available here.
Professor Harris is Director of Columbia's recently launched Center on African American Politics and Society.
Professor Marable directs the university's Center for Contemporary Black History.
