Special to The Flash
“We the people, that’s all of us,” Donna Brazile explained in a speech at Jackson State University on the Constitution of the United States as it relates to freedom of speech, voting rights, the right to bear arms and other current political issues.
“This is a good time to talk about the Constitution, an opportunity for us to relive those words and to reawaken what they mean in our own lives,” the New Orleans native said.
Brazile was engaging, informative and funny, and captivated the audience for nearly an hour with insight, personal stories and a lesson in constitutional law in celebration of Constitution Day, Sept. 17. The CNN political contributor, Democratic strategist and first African American to lead a presidential campaign also talked about the gridlock in the United States Congress that frustrates the president and the American people.
For those concerned about President Barack Obama, Brazile said: “he’s like a quarterback, he gets harassed, he gets hit and that’s part of the job description. He has broad shoulders, he can take it. He stands on the firm principle that this country cannot recover with half the people feeling good. He’s going to continue to fight so that everybody who looking for a job, finds a job.”
In answer to a question from an 8-year old in the audience, Brazile related how at the age of nine, she helped get a playground in her neighborhood, while her parents and others got improved city services. This began her life-long interest in the political process.
In a brief interview, Brazile said she wanted to leave students at Jackson State with the idea that they have a legacy to honor as students at an HBCU. “I want them to know that they are obligated to give back, that they must carry on the legacy and that when they hear the call to serve, they will serve,” she stated. ‘We have to continue to fight for equal rights. If you don’t vote, you don’t count.”
Brazile’s message was welcomed by students like Martha Taplin, a JSU graduate student studying biology. “I was really appreciative of Ms. Brazile’s insight and her willingness to share wisdom from her lengthy career. I learned things about the Constitution that I didn’t know.”
JSU Adjunct Professor Bonita Harris required her Learning to Learn Class to attend the event and to write an essay about the message.
“I made Constitution Day a class assignment because I wanted the students to interact more with campus activities and what Student Life brings to the students,” said Harris.
Constitution Day replaces what used to be called “Citizenship Day” via a law passed in 2004, which mandates that all publicly funded educational institutions and any school receiving federal funds provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution. The Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion in the JSU Division of Student Life, sponsored the program.
This event kicks of The ROCK THE MIC – Vol. 1 Motivational Speakers Series at JSU, which features lectures and presentations from a broad spectrum of national and international speakers on critical and contemporary topics such as education, politics, civic engagement, social awareness, and other topics relevant to the diverse University community.
Crystal Killingsworth and Gaston Douglas contributed to this story
