To Take An Oath

This is a guest post from the National Council’s Outreach Intern, Courtney Bailey.

After watching President Obama swear to ‘preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States,’ I began to seriously ponder my own duty to this country. I thought back to an oath of loyalty that I had been taught to recite as a young child:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands: One Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

For years, I recited this oath of loyalty and for years I never fully understood the meaning of such a declaration. Written during a time when there was once a thing to consider as the three-fifths compromise, when women were meant to be ‘barefoot and pregnant’, and voting was a privilege, the Pledge of Allegiance was something I had been echoing since elementary school.

Even when I realized that equality was not evenly distributed, I continued to pledge my allegiance.

I remember as early as the age of seven, walking with my grandmother and cousins to “the work place” or “the cone building”- a dust-filled and at times urine-smelling warehouse stacked with boxes. My grandmother and aunts used to play a game with my cousins and me- “Let’s see who can finish the most boxes.” Wanting so much to win, we used a small knife to clean out the inside of plastic cones, then stacked them in boxes. Next, these boxes of cones would be loaded onto a truck and delivered to a branch of one of the world’s leading carpet manufacturers, where spools of thread would then be wound around the cones. And like magic, the beginnings of a new carpet! Both the adults and children would work doubly hard, given that we were only paid by the number of boxes completed. I marveled at my own speed. On a good day, I was able to help my grandmother finish two boxes before sundown.

Eventually, I grew to resent going to the Work Place and often refuse my grandmother’s plea to help her make ends meet. I did not understand that our livelihood depended on those boxes. I was angry at my grandmother for making me work. My grandmother remained a loyal employee of the Work Place until her death in 2008.

With her death came a flood of supressed memories. I was reminded of a more vigilant me, who at 14 years old promised to stand up for the rights of those, like my grandmother and other poor exploited workers, too weary to fight for themselves.

From that moment, I began to recite a new pledge- one that outlines my commitment to uplift, honor, and defend the rights of underserved/ disadvantaged communities and individuals, who face various barriers that deny or limit access to quality resources and services that are suggested for all people by the Constitution of the United States. Through my studies in political science and community development, I seek to develop a holistic and strategic approach to empower these groups and individuals with the skills, capacity and sustainability needed to effect change in their own communities, while simultaneously taking on an active role in policy making decisions.

 Of course, I feel like I can talk a good talk. I throw around a few fancy words like community development as if I have the answer. But how do I compete against rising unemployment rates, uneven distribution of wealth, varying degrees of poverty, failed public education systems, prison growth and, worst of all, institutional biases (racism, classism, sexism, etc…)?

The answer lies in well-organized numbers.

President Obama did not become our 44th President by himself. He first took the initiative by running for office but it was the average citizen who got him elected. They believed in him and took a stand. Young and old people donated their time, money and resources towards campaigning and expressing their support.

Now what? Do we sit and watch for time to reveal what this man is capable of delivering? No, we take even further action by bringing our campaign for change into fruition.

The fact of the matter is, President Obama is one man. Although he has taken on the highest position in government, there remains an institutional elitism that pervades even his authority. Nonetheless, there is power far greater – that of the average citizen. Our numbers are vast and our influences strong.

The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.—President Obama’s Inaugural Address

I may never set foot in the White House, but I will work alongside President Obama to make sure that we make good on the promises of this new administration.