Winning the election is only half the battle

PHOENIX — There may be a new, dynamic president in the White House, but that’s not enough to ensure change. Support and advocacy—especially from local communities—are needed.

That’s the message political commentator Donna Brazile conveyed Saturday at the opening session of the 89th annual American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) convention.

“It’s one thing to vote for change, and another thing to fight for change,” said the New Orleans native. Many people prefer to let someone else “stir the pot” and take on the “status quo,” she added.

Brazile, who had three siblings graduate from Delgado Community College (Louisiana), said during times of strife, it is especially critical to have the courage and strength to support change. She said it took Hurricane Katrina, which took the life of her uncle, for her to put aside her political differences with former President George Bush to work together to help the residents of the Gulf region, especially in Louisiana. (Brazile, who managed the Democratic presidential ticket of Al Gore and Joseph Liberman in 2000, joked that it was difficult for her to bottle her feelings about the 2000 election fiasco in Florida and reach out to the Republican president.)

The current spiraling economy—in which about 19,000 Americans lose their jobs each day—is another “storm” that needs to be addressed, Brazile said. She encouraged community college leaders and others at the AACC convention to support the new policies that President Barack Obama is proposing to revitalize the economy. It is especially important to champion the policies locally and for citizens to get more involved in their communities, she added.

“Get involved and get engaged. We cannot just depend on our political leaders in Washington,” Brazile said.

Brazile, who is also an adjunct professor at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., recalled her own path to political and civic engagement. It began with the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., after which she made a commitment to fight for justice and equality. Brazile said the country should take advantage of the momentum of the presidential election and encourage younger Americans to get more involved in their communities and to continue to foster change.