The Black Pack
Ten to watch in Mr. Obama's Washington.
-
New Black City
Meet Washington's "Black Pack": Baptized by fire during the grueling two-year presidential campaign, they counted delegates, crunched polls, spun the press, worked doors and phones, and brought America its first African-American president.
Click on to see how far they've come.
-
A Guy Who Gets It
Joshua DuBois was largely responsible for the ground Barack Obama made up among religious voters on November 4. He says, of seeing then state senator Obama speak at the 2004 Democratic convention: "When he talked about worshipping an awesome God I said, 'Well, here's a guy who gets it.'"
-
Faith in Action
In Washington, DuBois will lead 70 staffers in 12 government agencies in an effort to remake faith in politics. He told The Root: “There’s so much ground to be made up for a Democrat who’s not afraid to engage on values issues, and trying to reframe what it means to stand up to values and which values are important in political discourse.”
-
Listen Up!
Elizabeth Wilkins, seen here with her staff in South Carolina, says the Obama effect is real: "There are a lot of people who now care about campaigns, care about electoral politics—and have a different way to think about doing field [work]. There are so many more voices in the room, which is incredible."
-
Barack The VoteMichael Blake rallies potential caucus-goers on the day of the Des Moines Register-sponsored Democratic debate in Iowa. The December 2007 meeting featured Obama's memorable exchange with Hillary Clinton: "I'm looking forward to you advising me, Hillary." Zing!
-
Fix Up, Look Sharp
In their new jobs, Michael Blake and Addisu Demissie are both working to make Obama's agenda accessible and popular among local governments and ordinary Americans. The two share a laugh at The Root's White House photo shoot.
-
Democrats 2.0
The first National Political Director of Organizing for America, Demissie says he'll tap a network of campaign veterans. "You'll ask, 'How many states did you do in the primary; where were you on Election Night?' Those people are going to be forever linked and part of the same political network."
-
Do You Want Hope With That?Samantha Tubman criss-crossed the country on the Obama campaign plane. In one state, the press bus broke down in front of a strip club; in another, a flying burrito ruined her outfit. At this stop in Reno, Nevada, the candidate's microphone went out. "You have to be ready for anything," she says.
-
Fired Up
Yohannes Abraham preps a crowd for Michelle Obama at a community center in Des Moines, Iowa in 2007. He says now that, black or white, "There’s not a whole lot that I wouldn’t do for folks that were in Iowa and South Carolina, back when no one thought we could do it."
-
UnConventional Women
Myesha Ward poses with friend Eureka Gilkey, another black campaign veteran and the new White House Liaison for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, during a break in speeches during the Democratic National Convention.
-
Rack 'Em Up
The very convincing Ward banked dozens and dozens of the 478 superdelegates that Obama needed to clinch the Democratic nomination. "I love doing what I do," she says. "Despite the differences, you really learn what issues concern people, and find different ways to bring people under the same umbrella."
-
Made You Look
Black Packer Samantha Tubman encourages all Americans to get involved: "Fifteen years from now, I think a lot of people will look back at this campaign and say, ‘Hey, I can pack up a suitcase and travel the country for two years,’ because a lot of people—black, white young, old—did it.”
-
Yes.We.Can
Plenty of high-profile surrogates would show up with our ten on the campaign trail. Elizabeth Wilkins and Alexander Lofton pose here with one of the best-known celebs: Will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas and the now-famous "Yes We Can" video.
-
Stand and Deliver
Lofton brought a soldier's mentality to political organizing: "I am not one to go overseas and fight, but I am definitely one to fight where I can," he says. "To talk about getting in a car headed to Georgia and being driven by your ancestry and your history is a powerful thing."
-
Always On Call
Jason Green and Marlon Marshall share a laugh during The Root's White House photo shoot. In the distance, Joshua DuBois takes a conference call.
-
The Young and the Restless
Michael Strautmanis, a key White House manager and chief of staff to senior Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, says The Root's Talented Ten "do all the work, get no attention and very soon will run the world." Watch out!
(White House photos by Marvin Joseph for The Root / The Washington Post)



Comments