Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire

The Great Debate in Harlem
Bill Quigley
24 Jun 2009
🖨️ Print Article

another debate

Last December 14, with Barack Obama's inauguration more than a month away, CEMOTAP and the Friends of Dr. Mtulu Shakur presented a debate at Harlem's Salem United Methodist Church, centered on the question: "Was the election of Barack Obama good for Black People? Yes or No?" The church was packed and the exchanges were heated, although the 8-minute limit on presentations proved woefully insufficient, and created as many problems as it was designed prevent.

On Sunday, June 28, the question will be posed: "After six months, is President Obama good for Black people?" We have been assured that the "roundtable discussion" will provide a more effective and fair format for debate. We at BAR believe our side made the better case ("NO") back in December, and are confident we will do so again, on June 28. See you there!

Do you need and appreciate Black Agenda Report articles? Please click on the DONATE icon, and help us out, if you can.


More Stories


  • Sara Flounders
    U.S. Government Terrorists Weaponize Subpoenas vs. the Left
    29 Jul 2026
    The House Ways and Means subpoenas against peace and justice organizations, paired with the State Department's designation of Cuba as the center of global terrorism, represent a coordinated…
  • BAR Radio Logo
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Agenda Radio July 24, 2026
    24 Jul 2026
    In this week’s segment, we discuss sportswashing and the rationale of the calls to boycott the U.S. and the recent World Cup. But we begin with the Trump administration’s domestic repression and…
  • Joint terrorism task force
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    NSPM-7: The New Rationale for Domestic and Global Fascism
    24 Jul 2026
    The Trump administration has accelerated its attacks on leftist organizations and individuals while also justifying its genocidal siege of Cuba with the release of the document "Cuba: The Capital of…
  • Boycott USA
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Sportswashing, the 2026 World Cup, and the Movement to Boycott the U.S.
    24 Jul 2026
    Austin Cole is a Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) National Co-Coordinator. BAP and other organizations called on the international community to boycott the 2026 World Cup, which was held in the United…
  • Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    Building Black Self-Determination and Ending the Politics of Fear
    22 Jul 2026
    Black political self-determination is always tenuous, even when Black people hold office. Now that DSA and other leftists are winning elections, the contradictions of Black politics are becoming more…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us