Harry Belafonte on Obama, and more

Photo: Victoria Will/AP
Melinda Newman (Hitfix):

Give me your assessment of Obama and where you feel we are right now.

I’m very proud that he’s in office, but that’s about it. What I now understand is without us being completely active and engaged and taking charge, he will not move. This happened before. John Kennedy became John Kennedy because of the Civil Rights Movement. History made John Kennedy more than John Kennedy made history with the peace movement of the time, the civil rights movement, what young people did. When we got active, the president stepped into the space and did what he had to do. So did Johnson and I think the same thing is necessary for Barack Obama.

If he doesn’t have an active society, if he doesn’t have an active Black community, if he doesn’t have an active Native American community, if he doesn’t have an active women’s community, he doesn’t have to do anything but duck bullets from the opposition. And he should stop ducking and we should start rallying around him and give him things to work with. If I gave him things to work with and he failed, I can attack him. MORE...

Howie P.S.: For those readers unfamiliar with Mr. Belafonte, check this out.