by Melissa Harris-Lacewell

It is time for black political leadership to throw their full support behind Barack Obama. No more public questioning of his racial identity. No more accusations that he is disingenuous. No more demanding perfection of him when we watched you stand with O.J. Simpson, Michael Jackson, Mike Tyson, and R. Kelley. No more petty jealousies when we are faced with social, international and ecological crises that threaten our survival. Time to mobilize, inspire and act on Barack's behalf. And here are the reasons why. 1. Obama got it right in Selma
Barack Obama's speech in Selma, Alabama, on March 4, 2007, was one of the most powerful, accurate, and compelling discussions of civil rights and its legacy ever delivered by an American elected official. Barack helped us to remember that the civil rights struggle was not and is not a parochial, domestic effort. It was a broad, international human rights struggle. American segregation was linked with European colonialism in an international system of white supremacist domination. The struggle in the U.S. South was deeply connected to the anti-colonial struggle in Africa and the anti-fascist struggles in Europe. He was audacious, bold, and right when he challenged black leaders, "don't tell me I don't have a claim on Selma." Of course he does. Any black leader, intellectual, or journalist who asserts that he does not is not honoring the fullness of the movement itself, by claiming that it was small, limited, and meant for only a few who had experienced specifically defined forms of oppression. We know better and Obama helped to remind us of that. 2. An Obama surge among black voters is good for democracy and the Democratic Party
If black voters get excited about Barack and existing black leadership throws the full weight of their organizations and inspiration behind Barack it is very good for democracy and for the Democratic Party. It is good for democracy because it demonstrates the capacity of our political system to inaugurate leaders who show courage, talent, and commitment without the benefit of family connections. It is good for the Democratic Party because his candidacy could potentially lead to a massive increase in black voter registration and primary turnout. Jesse Jackson is largely responsible for the fact that the Congress remained Democratic during the Reagan era. Why? Because the enthusiasm of black voters in 1984 and 1988 lead to huge registration and turnout increases. These new voters couldn't turn the tide against Reagan, but their participation in congressional contests and local politics helped balance power in Washington during those tough years. Black leaders need to fall in line so that we can infuse excitement and courage into black voters who will be indispensable for any eventual Democratic nominees for president, congress and local races. Even if he does not win the nomination, the most important thing that we can do as a community is to get behind him now, claim him as our own, and start the registration drives. 3. If you don't fall in line, you will find yourself leading no one at all
Obama got it exactly right when he laid claim to the "Joshua Generation" on Sunday in Selma. It was Moses who lead the people out of bondage, but Joshua who was charged with the completing the task of full liberation. We are the Joshua generation. We grew up at a time of great promise and substantial retrenchment. We have seen the progress and the backlash. We watched the middle class grow and the poverty deepen. The rhythm or our hearts is hip hop but we still know gospel. We are going to claim leadership. We have a right to be excited about Barack. We know he is not perfect, but leaders never are. We know that we will have to hold his feet to the fire of accountability, but that is what the very heart of democracy is and we are up to the challenge. We are going to support Barack and it is time for you to fall in line.