Why I became a Community Organizer — Blog — Barack Obama

Why I became a Community Organizer — Blog — Barack Obama

By Felesia M., Community Organizer and Obama for America National Campaign Co-Chair on February 22, 2012

Every day I get to meet new people and hear their personal stories. It is one of the biggest privileges of being a community organizer in the city of Milwaukee. Since the beginning of his campaign, President Obama has focused on the stories we have and the stories we share with each other.

My personal journey began when then-Senator Obama began running for President in 2007. From that moment, I’ve been volunteering with the campaign and am now a community organizer to help build our teams on the Northside of Milwaukee.

Simply put, on November 4, 2008, Barack Obama issued me an invitation to join him on a journey to restore America. He said during his victory speech at Grant Park in Chicago:

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep.... There will be setbacks and false starts... But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand."

He issued me an invitation to become more active and more involved than I ever had before. He was willing to stand up for change, and asked me to be part of that change. As President Obama has said many times, I was the one I'd been waiting for to effect change.

That change can be seen in our local Milwaukee neighborhoods every day, as our teams continue to talk to our friends and neighbors about registering and being prepared to vote on Election Day. Every person in Wisconsin needs to own their vote.

The teams I work with every day share the same vision and work together to make sure we’re sharing this important information with everyone we know. We are going door to door, reaching out to local businesses and starting a conversation about the importance of their voice and their vote. Together, we are part of that change to better the future for our communities and our state.

President Obama has inspired me with his courage and conviction. I’ve been moved to action to help move our state, and our nation—forward.

Join community organizers like Felesia and be part of our organizing team today - be the change in your local neighborhood and join African Americans for Obama. In addition to her work as a community organizer, Felesia was recently announced as an Obama for America National Campaign Co-Chair, joining a diverse group of leaders from around the country who are committed to re-electing President Obama.