Over the course of the 2008 election cycle, Sara Haile-Mariam was one of those young people that you kept hearing about. An undergraduate Senior at New York University who became politically active as a result of Barack Obama's candidacy. Sara worked as a grassroots organizer, surrogate and out of state coordinator for the New York Obama campaign. She has appeared on cable, local and international outlets and contributes political blogs for Russell Simmons' Global Grind.

She was recently named one of City Hall News' 2009 40 Under 40.


Sara can be reached at contact@sarahailemariam.com

Blog Entries by Sara Haile-Mariam

We Are the Obama Effect

Posted October 7, 2009 | 01:34 PM (EST)


Many have criticized President Obama for his lack of action on inner city violence. I find us all to be guilty.

Perhaps looking back might help us move forward. Below is a statement made by Maime Till-Mobley in the documentary The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till.

Emmett was...
Read Post

Vote Every Time, NYC: Join Russell, Vote Yassky Tomorrow

Posted September 14, 2009 | 11:51 AM (EST)


Updated from my original posting on Global Grind.

Last Thursday, Russell Simmons announced his support of David Yassky for New York City Comptroller.

His endorsement made me think of something Barack Obama said in his Iowa victory speech ...

I know you didn't do this for me....
Read Post

Live At The Apollo: The Question of Limitation

1 Comments | Posted July 1, 2009 | 03:43 PM (EST)


Ushers hustled down the isles, urging attendees to move their moon walking to their seats. Hundreds of people were packed in the room, lifting peace signs into the air and singing along to each song in a unified, thundering, voice. Many were crying, many more clung to photographs, and everyone...

Read Post

We Stand With You: Open Letter to Iran's Youth

2 Comments | Posted June 16, 2009 | 11:56 AM (EST)


To the Young People of Iran,

When I first saw the images of Moussavi rallies, I couldn't help but feel nostalgic. The marches, the green clothes and rhetoric--they were all very reminiscent of what we did here when we too found a Presidential candidate that inspired more of us. I...

Read Post

The Big Game Pitcher vs. the GOP

Posted March 17, 2009 | 04:50 PM (EST)


Feeling a little overwhelmed earlier this week I asked my friend Chas for advice who responded with an unexpected question; "Do you know the difference between a great pitcher and a big game pitcher?" I didn't. "A great pitcher, when the pressure is on, lets the game affect him and...

Read Post

Young and Black in the Age of Obama

Posted March 2, 2009 | 12:40 PM (EST)


My President is black. It didn't hit me until election night, when states like Virginia and Indiana were lined up in the Obama column. On that night, I realized that upon his election although some prejudices still persisted, they were in the minority and for a moment, we had overcome.

...
Read Post

How New York State Could Decide This Election

Posted November 2, 2008 | 03:09 AM (EST)


I'm currently working out of the NY campaign office and while every day comes and goes as a blur of ups and downs, the tight knot in my stomach is fixed. In the back of my mind I am constantly anticipating the possible emotions that might come with an Obama...

Read Post

High School Students Paying Close Attention (Video)

Posted October 21, 2008 | 08:47 AM (EST)


You've heard a lot about young people over the course of this election. Despite the energy seen on the ground, media reports continue to greet us with skepticism as the pundits wring their hands and wonder, "will they show up at the polls". Before this little bit of speculation gains...

Read Post

The Irony of The Late Show

Posted September 25, 2008 | 04:39 PM (EST)


One of the things I haven't seen mentioned regarding The Late Show is that Senator McCain actually used the show on February 28, 2007 to announce his Presidential ambitions. Below is an excerpt from the New York Times article describing his announcement.

Mr. McCain is known as something...
Read Post

Thanks But No Thanks Russ Smith; I'll Stick With The Audacity Of Hope

Posted September 16, 2008 | 10:22 PM (EST)


Russ Smith recently penned an OpEd entitled "The Audacity of Defeat" (h/t Ben Smith) that provided a glimpse into what an Obama defeat might mean for America. I thought I'd take a stab at painting a picture of what victory might entail...

It's 7 am on October 31st, the...

Read Post

Open Letter to Sarah Palin: No, You Cannot Ride Clinton's Coattails

Posted August 30, 2008 | 08:49 PM (EST)


Dear Governor Sarah Palin,

I didn't have to support Senator Clinton in the primaries to admire her. I didn't have to volunteer for her to know that her accomplishments were making a difference in my own life. I didn't have to cheer for her during the debates to not appreciate...

Read Post

Clinton Showdown: After Hardball, What I Still Have to Say

Posted August 26, 2008 | 06:33 AM (EST)


"Unity is the great need of the hour- the great need of the hour. Not because it sounds pleasant or because it makes us feel good, but because it's the only way we can overcome the essential deficit that exists in this country. I'm not talking about a budget deficit....
Read Post

McCain's Mad Mockery

Posted August 5, 2008 | 04:57 PM (EST)


"We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics who will only grow louder and more dissonant".

Senator Obama spoke these words in New Hampshire last January, it seemed appropriate to revisit them given that over the past two weeks this chorus of cynics has grown...

Read Post

Obama Hasn't Flip Flopped, We Have

Posted July 18, 2008 | 12:36 PM (EST)


Out of breath, full of hope, we marched on the crowded sidewalks of Broadway and in one voice pleaded "New York State, Obama 0-8!" Two weeks left until the New York primary and a few hundred people gathered in Union Square for a march to Columbus Circle. A few hundred...

Read Post