President Obama's First Big Move: Making People Care

Barack Obama's been in office less than a week and already people are bitching he hasn't done anything. But he's achieved something that the older generation in power hasn't been able to do since I've been alive: make the younger generation give a shit. That's big!

If you need proof all you had to do was flick on CNN and look at the streets of DC on Inauguration Day. I was there. It was bone crushing cold, but to me and about two million other people it didn't matter. There was a strong wind blowing that had nothing to do with the weather. We witnessed a new beginning. And it felt good.

Yeah, some people thought it was too much show biz. Maybe so. I know they gotta sell it for the cameras. But looking beyond all the hype I saw something I ain't ever seen before.
Barack Obama has done what none of the other Presidents has been able to do. Not Clinton. Not Reagan. Not no one. He instilled caring into the bodies of people like me who used to think it didn't matter either way who was in charge.

I think that's why y'all reacted so strongly to my last blog. I get it now. People are so politically engaged with this new president we have a nation of backstreet drivers and it's always gonna be that way. They've got something to say every time Obama does something. They still need to let him have his lane, but I guess it's healthy to make some noise if it comes from a place of caring. I've never heard so much conversation about a president in my lifetime. Haa! Least of all from me!

Ima keep it real with you - I never even watched an inauguration before, much less got on a plane to attend one. And it wasn't just me. TI, Wyclef Jean and Bow Wow were all excited to be there. I raised Bow Wow for most of his life and he never so much as thought to watch something dealing with politics, but there he was, the only rapper to perform at the kids inaugural concert. He had on an Obama tee shirt and he couldn't wait to meet the First Lady and her daughters! He was genuinely touched!

Beyonce is another one who was never very political. She voted, but she never cared until now. But she was dying to be part of this whole scene. You could see in her face how much that moment in history meant to her when she sang for first dance at the Inaugural Ball. Etta James' "At Last."

On the streets, you could feel the vibe. It was like the Superbowl, the NBA Allstar Weekend and Disneyworld all rolled into one. I wasn't interested in going to all the events. I already met the President when he was campaigning so I wasn't all gaa gaa to get in a glimpse of him. I just wanted to be in the crowds, watching the reaction of the people. Everybody was buying all the Obama paraphernalia: skull caps, sweaters and scarves. I never saw a black person in a George Bush tee shirt!

But it wasn't just a look. They were also talking about bringing the troops home, closing Gitmo and fixing the economy. I was walking along Pennsylvania Avenue taking pictures and you could really feel the intensity. Of course, I was all covered up like Saddam with a hood and scarf so people wouldn't recognize me, but I was right there in the crowds of millions watching and listening to people. The streets were going crazy. You can check it out on YouTube under JD1472.

What gets me is that I think this is going to change the way all future Presidents are seen. They're going to have to do more than make promises. They're going to have to get the same people involved who Barack caught. I'm sure both teams are already getting their consultants and advisors and speech writers together to try to find the right buzz words and slogans to reach the right demographics. But it ain't gonna work unless the message is real and they show the next generation of voters they care about what they think. Barack spoke the language of the young. He seemed genuinely interested. You can't fake that.

Rappers have been tellin' it for a long time. No one paid attention back then. Now they're listening. Even Bill O'Reilly had something to say about Jay-Z's rhyme, "No more white lies, my president is black now." Young, old, black, white, people are listening to each other now and caring about the same things. It's like Obama finally connected America. He's the bridge.

We needed a man who could understand the young community. But it wasn't going to come from someone who spoke ONLY for the black community. It needed someone with great communication skills - someone who could cross boundaries. That's what I was saying in my last blog. The President's no fool. He knows you need people from all sides to get things done. He's not gonna follow one group's agenda. But at least we know that he knows how we feel.

So when y'all start asking what Obama's gonna do next, remember, he's already tackled one of the hardest jobs yet. He made people care. And because they're paying attention, the kids are gonna be a part of the process.

I saw this change in action when I went to the D.C. mayor's party the night before Inauguration Day. This guy is black and 38 years old - just two years older than me. It's already happening. Young people of America are now running America and feels like it's gonna make a better America.

And the rest is history... in the making.

Jermaine Dupri, who was named the most successful R&B producer of all time by the Guinness World Records 2007, is a Grammy-award winning music producer, president of Island Urban Records and author of Young, Rich and Dangerous: The Making of a Music Mogul (Atria, October 2007). For more information about this blogger, click here.

Comments

[Balzac]

"People are so politically engaged with this new president we have a nation of backstreet drivers and it's always gonna be that way."

Not to contradict your central theme which is true for a large number of people, but it isn't true for me.

I'm another of the "back seat" drivers you refer to, but I've been quite politically engaged in trying to get Bush impeached. Now that Barack Obama is president, I can focus on business and career a lot more. He's done something else important by making people care - making it so other of us can take care of our own careers instead of just blogging against Bush, year after year.

[TruthAndTheory]

Very well said! People collectively caring about something is not something we Americans are used to, as we have been encouraged to be selfish and consumeristic for much of our lives. This is a welcome change.

[kutkreata]

Jermaine! It's like you take my thoughts & put them into writing. I made the pilgrmage from TN to DC and stood in the freezing cold for hours for two days. One for the We Are One Concert and the other for the Inauguration. I have NEVER been this engaged b4. You are so on point with your blogs. Keep them coming. Change is definetely here! One. :-)

[ceasespin]

Jermaine, excellent post - take a look at this media reform site - we need your support - Obama needs to get fair representation in the media and our democracy deserves healthy journalism
http://FixNewsNow.org aka http://CeaseSPIN.org

[MaryC3]

Hi Jermaine,

Thanks for your heartfelt blog. I saw and felt something a little like this when I was 13 and John Kennedy was elected. Throughout the sixties, even after his assassination, the young were involved and into political issues, especially civil rights and the Vietnam War. After Bobby, Martin, and Vietnam, things changed. Over time, many people became apathetic and felt they had no stake or place in the political process anymore.

Barack Obama changed that for us, even those like myself who are white and only young at heart. He will indeed change the way future presidents are seen and future campaigns conducted.

It is wonderful to see young people and such a wonderful cross -section of people involved and caring again.

[TallyLass]

I've always cared, protested through my high school and college days in the 70's. Most of us cared then. It is nice to see people of your generation caring. There have always been a network of people who fought even when it was not popular or pleasant. It should be rewarding for you to learn that bling, nice STUFF and lots of women is not what makes a productive.

[hoosier96]

I don't care if our President is a young, suave black guy or an old, grumpy white guy. I just want someone who understands that the best thing the government can do for it's country is stay out of the way.

Mark my words. This guy is not going to change the discussion of race relations in this country. You're still going to see both sides crying foul based on racism or reverse racisim. Until we stop looking at people based on their color, from either a negative point of view or a positive one, things will never change. Don't vote against someone because he/she is black, but don't vote for someone for the same reason.

[madinirose]

I believe in less government too, but I'm also pragmatic. Less government does not always work. Besides, why would an institution try to minimize itself?

Also, neither the Democratic nor the Republican party believe in less government. They just believe in increasing certain areas of government.

And Obama's election will change the discussion of race relations in America. In which way, I'm not sure, but it's inevitable. And the best way to address racism is to recognize that its does exist and yes, understanding how we look at people based on color. Just saying that we should stop this is an empty and futile solution to a very real, yet complex problem.

[7granny]

What a breath of fresh air your post is hoosier96. I could not have said it better. It's a shame so many people never took an interest in what was happening in their country until a multiracial person was in the running. Jermaine's headline about Obama making people care is sort of weird since you either care or you do not & nobody is going to be able to "make" you do either. Ok, so now all these people for the first time care about what is happening in the country so how are they going to make things better. In what way are they going to volunteer to make things better for people that are less fortunate than them? Will they be willing to delivery meals on wheels to the elderly that can not get out, are they going to go to a hospital & read to children suffering some horrible condition , how about finding an elderly person who needs their home painted or their yard mowed. You can talk about how good President Obama has made you feel & care but until I see unselfish acts from these people towards their neighbors, no matter their color, I will still have my doubts. Oh yeah, doing any of these things mentioned above without being paid is the true meaning of caring.

[AnnfromCA]

I've always cared. I've been involved in volunteer community work for over 20 years.

It's rewarding, and if Obama gets people hooked on it, great.

However, there's a creepy side to this. My AA apartment manager is now putting out memos about Obama's agenda.

*blech*

I'm not going to complain. The motive is good.

But it's pretty creepy.

[hellifiknow]

Just posing the question...if you've been a community organizer for twenty years, why is it creepy that your AA apartment manager is putting out memos about President Obama's agenda? Why wouldn't that be a confirmation of all the work you've done?

[TLV]

In my county, there has always been a very strong community effort by the black community to improve the neighborhoods and to provide recreation and opportunities of service for young people. However, until recently, it has been more as if the black population took care of "their" part of town, if you will, and the rest was taken care of by others. I always thought that as not fair. After all - we are ONE community!

In the 70s there was a community dinner started that took place once a month. Somewhere along the way, it stopped. Recently, the tradition was revived. It has been a great way to tie all people of the community together for a shared meal, to talk with one another, and to find out what is happening with different segments of the population.

While there is still the old "black" part of town with its poverty issues and such, the dinners have served to erase some of the divisions we once un-purposely put in place over the years. We are even going to another town to share meal at a mosque at a later date, although we do have small mosque here in this town as well.

[sueno]

As an "older G" I thank you for using you influence to educate.
We all still have a long way to go, but with people like you
showing that caring about your country and community is cool,
helps us all. Most important is that you're helping young folk
take control of their future and that is priceless-
Again thanks.

[thinkb4uleapII]

Jermaine,

Keep up the good work. Your commentaries are interesting and insightful.

[ninjarabbi]

oh yeah he's an important voice in america today.
he told me himself.

[Dupree]

I have always liked politics but this is the first time I was affected by it at this degree of consciousness. I am proud of my country for NOT voting for a president one would "like to have a beer" and recognized that we needed a president that we could have an intelligent conversation with...which is much more indicative of the job he is applying for. Brains over Beer. Now, I know as an adult that I am not always going to agree with every decision that Obama makes. I recognize that he is privilege to information that we the regular Joe and Jane do not get briefed on and we will challenge him and ask questions on subject of interest down the line....but for the most part....I seek a president that exudes integrity and that outweighs whether or not we agree one hundred percent of the time. I am a grown up and recognize that I can not always have my own way and balance that with the accountability clause of his responsibility to we the people. But I am so proud of our new president and the First Family.

[carrieanna]

President Obama was the first person I voted *for*. In the past I had always been voting *against* the person I didn't want in office....you know, the typical voting for the less of two evils.

And I've certainly never cried for joy for an elected official before President Obama.

[Sandy56]

Thanks so much for this article. Yes, I do believe that showing compassion and caring for each other, be that in the USA, here in Zurich or the rest of the world is very much on the increase. Without a doubt, your President Barak Obama has brought about this change which has been - far too long - overdue.

[JZ735]

It wasn't about caring, and no matter who it was, I wouldn't be standing in that big of a crowd...not happening...I don't do potential mob scenes where people could be trampled...been there, done it, and will never allow it to happen again.