Barack Obama and the History of Fusion Politics

[freshwest]

Are we going through the 3rd Reconstruction?

Published on Jan 28, 2013

Rev. Dr. William Barber provides a seven minute reframing of American history that is surprisingly, even shockingly timely in the context of America's present-day battle over voting rights.

In his view, we are currently going through the third reconstruction. The first Reconstruction took place after the Civil War. Fusion politics — a governing coalition including Lincoln Republicans, freedmen and former slaves, and populists — made it possible for former slaves to become business, community, and political leaders. But fusion politics was snuffed out by a violent backlash, and replaced by Jim Crow laws that blocked African Americans from voting through poll taxes, impossible "tests," and terrorism.

In the 1960s, there was another attempt at reconstruction, better known as the Civil Rights Movement. The progress we made was met with another violent backlash, culminating in the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy in 1968.

Dr. Barber identifies the possibility of a third reconstruction, one that could actually succeed, with the launch of Barack Obama's campaign for president in 2008. Once again, this attempt at fusion politics has been met with a hateful backlash. The backlash against integration, equality, and trans-racial governing coalitions has, in all three instances, included attacks on voting rights of African Americans and other minorities. Rev. Barber believes that change is inevitable because of demographic shifts in America and the effectiveness of fusion politics.

Help us continue our work:

http://www.storyofamerica.org/reconstruction3

https://storyofamerica.nationbuilder.com/donate

Video by Eric Byler & Annabel Park
Music by Jason Shaw
Special Thanks: Devin Burghart

I found this going through links from DUer Egberto Willies (I think he's in Texas) who has a blog and does a call-in talk radio show Coffee Party Radio (versus the Tea Party).

http://egbertowillies.com/2013/04/27/coffee-party-radio-politics-done-right-wegberto-willies-bombing-fraudulent-economists-sequester-sat-122pm-cst/

I hope we can help him spread the work of Fusion Politics for the 3rd Reconstruction we know is building behind the media curtain in the USA. I found this through his OP:

Coffee Party Radio: Politics Done Right w/Egberto Willies– Bombing, Fraudulent Economists, Sequester

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251302059

I have been listening to his show through iTunes, which you can find described as well as the links to listen to here:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/coffeepartyusa/2013/04/27/politics-done-right-with-egberto-willies

I get DUer Steven Leser's podcasts through iTunes automatically updated, you can catch the links here:

Making Sense with Steve Leser

http://steveleser.blogspot.com/

We need to transform American politics and bring back the progressivism discussed in this video and learn the true history of the South and America. This is the quiet revolution that will not be touted in major media. It is much needed and the positive solution to our dilemmas.