Tag: US Presidents

My Life, My Love, My Legacy – Loretta Scott King

Posted on by alexesguerra

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My Life, My Love, My Legacy Hardcover by Loretta Scott King and Barbara Reynolds Hardcover hits the stores on January 17, 2017.

ISBN:9781627795982   Publisher:Henry Holt & Co

On Monday, January 16 we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King’s fight for racial equality, justice and freedom for all. This book will be released the next day as we go back from the Martin Luther King M<Monday holiday.

The life story of Coretta Scott King—wife of Martin Luther King Jr., founder of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, and singular twentieth-century American civil rights activist—as told fully for the first time, toward the end of her life, to one of her closest friends

As a widow and single mother of four, while butting heads with the all-male African American leadership of the times, she championed gay rights and AIDS awareness, founded the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, lobbied for fifteen years to help pass a bill establishing the US national holiday in honor of her slain husband, and was a powerful international presence, serving as a UN ambassador and playing a key role in Nelson Mandela’s election.

Coretta’s is a love story, a family saga, and the memoir of an independent-minded black woman in twentieth-century America, a brave leader who stood committed, proud, forgiving, nonviolent, and hopeful in the face of terrorism and violent hatred every single day of her life.

Born in 1927 to daringly enterprising black parents in the Deep South, Coretta Scott had always felt called to a special purpose. One of the first black scholarship students recruited to Antioch College, a committed pacifist, and a civil rights activist, she was an avowed feminist—a graduate student determined to pursue her own career—when she met Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister insistent that his wife stay home with the children. But in love and devoted to shared Christian beliefs and racial justice goals, she married King, and events promptly thrust her into a maelstrom of history throughout which she was a strategic partner, a standard bearer, a marcher, a negotiator, and a crucial fundraiser in support of world-changing achievements.

The book comes out just in time for the January 20, 2017 Presidential inauguration of the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump. It will be the historical farewell of the first African American President Barack Obama as he officially starts being Citizen Obama. The racial divide in America has still a long way to go yet Obama had set the progressive leadership initiatives following Martin Luther King. Obama while in office showcase racial equality in spite of the detractors he face notwithstanding the question of American citizenship.

Being a minority in the United States has it’s challenges yet the opportunities therein exemplifies that minorities are the best hard working employees and citizens as an asset to the land of the free. As we remember, Dr. King’s fight for racial justice and equality, let us focus as a nation what we have learned for the past 2 elections of 2008 and 2016. There’s so much work still needed in America that entails income equality as well as fighting for the individual rights of people living with disabling illness and pre-existing conditions towards Affordable Health Care. The AID’s initiatives for example way back during Coretta Scott King’s lifetime to this day still has a lot of open opportunities. During Obama’s presidency the National Aids Awareness Initiatives and Council were formed and assembled in Pennsylvania Avenue in response to the growing battle of the AIDS/HIV stigma.

Although today.HIV and AIDS are no longer as life threatening as in the 1980’s when it started, access to preventive, sustaining cure and research are still some of the biggest challenges faced in the health care industry. As we continue on the Washington politicking on the Affordable Care Act, a lot of patients needing access to medical care awaits their plight.

Coretta Scott King was an American civil rights activist, international human rights champion, author, the wife of Martin Luther King Jr., and the mother of four. Born in 1927 in Heiberger, Alabama, she died in 2006 in Rosarito Beach, Mexico.

Alex Esguerra

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The Life and Rise of Barack Obama by David Remnick, A Review

Posted on by alexesguerra

bridgePulitzer Prize Winning Author, David Remnick writes on the experiences on the first African-American President in 2011, a First Vintage Book Edition by Random House.

This book talks about Obama’s background, his Kenyan roots, the makings of a politico, the presidential campaign, his work as Senator from illinois including his votes during the Bush presidency. It ends in 2009 and beyond after getting elected as President. As we know one of the first things Obama had to work in his transition which eventually pave the way of history writing about one of his best accomplishments was the depth of the economic crisis and recession in modern time. He narrates David Axelrod telling him that “Things was plummeting” and “The skies were darkening” meaning it was a deep, deep recession. History will write what Obama achieved by not allowing the worst case scenario to happen when government stepped in with interventions to the banking, stock market and of course when the automotive industry almost collapsed instantly.

The “Affordable Care Act” which is one of the last signatures of the Obama presidency is currently a long discussion with different groups and the like. Health care and lack of insurance has been a constant issue in the United States and has been a long campaign with the various past administrations and politicians including First Ladies like Clinton. The fact is that there are so many people although still paying a hefty co-pay and dues who benefits from the Affordable Care Act. Hence, trying to read on Obama’s mind, it might be devastating for a signature achievement simply to be abolished after his departure in office. But it is the same reality how it started as there are so many uninsured

It began in March 4, 2007 when then junior senator from Illinois Obama was going to Selma Alabama for a speech. Obama had just launched his bid for the president in a few days enroute to confront his democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.

It was a discovery time for the world as Senator Obama tells about himself, his background, his beliefs and his vision as President. It was a also a time “Race” played a big part being the first African American to run in the highest office. What was interesting was the polls capitulated on the African American community behind the candidacy of then Senator and Former First Lady, Hillary Clinton. A big fact was that a lot of that community was not familiar who Obama was. Hillary’s husband the former President as i remember during my time  with the APEC Youth spotlight had surrounded himself with so many african americans, friends, writers and the like. African Americans showed trust in Clinton’s campaign three times over Obama.

Americans. I believe as any politico does it, the word is “repeal” but the true action is “remake” so it will show credit to the new enactors.

Like Obama and past presidents, on the first days after being sworn as president, you start implementing the programs you promised during the campaign, the other party pushes back very hard. Over the years, the reality on the administration, the US Congress and the other parties pushing back causes a lot of consternation and drama in Washington as David Remnick wrote in the book. As people say, “This is the same mess traditional of Washington politics”.

I ended the blog this way in reference to newly elected President Donald Trump’s swearing to become the 45th American President in January 20, 2017. The promises on the campaign, the repealing of signature policies, enactment of new policies as well as the traditional scenarios and politics in Washington. It is too early to judge an incoming administration but it is also fair to say both an advantage and disadvantage for a non traditional politician and businessman to succeed the presidency of the United States.

In God We Trust, God Bless America.

Alex Esguerra

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