Organizing Fellows: Andy in Columbus, Ohio

July 2, 2008

Throughout the next six weeks, we will be following Obama Organizing Fellows as they share their stories and their experiences. They’ll talk about the people they meet, the hardships of organizing, what the campaign means to them, and how this summer is potentially changing their life.

Andy is an Organizing Fellow in Columbus, Ohio. He’ll share a re-cap of his week every Wednesday.

I was raised by a mother from Flint and a father from Redford, Michigan. Their childhood homes have been hit hardest by the economic woes facing this country. My parents worked hard in the public education system to give me a better opportunity than they had as children. Because of them, I have learned that the promise of the American Dream is to use the resources we have to create opportunities for others. It is a Dream that I will always cherish. But I have learned it is also a Dream that must be defended. I learned this lesson from many places in my life, but I learned it best from my stepfather. He was a hard working electrician for about forty years of his life. Unfortunately, he contracted lung cancer from the asbestos he was exposed to on the job.

As my family gathered around his deathbed just before last Thanksgiving we gave our final thanks for the moments we shared. I was most thankful for the loving way my mom and him took care of each other. But I will always wish that the health care companies took care of him as well. I often wonder if he had better preventive health care if he would still be here today. I will never know the answer to that question, but what I do know is that we need a health care system that takes care of every American and not just the wealthy. That is what brought me to this historic movement for change.

It has been an honor to be part of the organizing fellowship with the campaign. Never in my life have I seen such a talented group of people from all backgrounds come together in defense of the American Dream.

I have met amazing organizing fellows like Michael. Michael’s father escaped from forced labor, swam for 10 hours through shark infested waters and then chartered his way to the U.S.A. to live the American Dream. Michael wants to create change to insure that America continues to be the land of opportunity that his father arrived in many years ago.

I have met wonderful grassroots volunteers like Carlotta. She works in preventive health care and smoking cessation and has seen health care plans become increasingly out of reach for Americans like my stepfather. She knows she must take action in order to protect the values of this country.

Organizing can be incredibly uplifting but also difficult at times. However, I know no matter what happens that my family and my friends like Michael and Carlotta will be there to help me through it.

The most important thing I have learned through them and this campaign is that it takes hard work to create the change this country needs. That is why I will be working all day on my birthday this July 4th. I would be honored if you would celebrate this country’s (and coincidentally, my own) birthday this July 4th by helping us with our Voter Registration Drive. I can think of no greater way to defend the American Dream this July 4th than by working to empower fellow citizens with the right to vote.