Barack Obama is already a legendary figure, inspiring acolytes with a promise of change in Washington. His impressive pedigree includes a youth spent in Hawaii, Indonesia and New York; after serving as a community organizer, his Harvard Law credentials led to positions as constitutional law professor, Illinois state senator, and finally to his election to the U.S. Senate in 2004. Catapulting onto the national political scene with an impressive keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Obama is well known as an orator, and for his proven ability to engage and activate young voters. But many voters still feel that they don’t know the real Barack. Who is this man, poised to become the first African-American president of the United States?
This Link TV special presentation traces Obama’s roots to Africa while examining what kind of change a President Obama would bring to the White House. Joining host Aimee Allison, host and producer of KPFA Radio’s Morning Show in Oakland, California, are guests Nunu Kidane and Colin Finlay. Ms. Kidane is an activist from Eritrea, East Africa, working to promote Africa with education and advocacy; Mr. Finlay is a noted documentary photographer who captured the horrors of the genocide in Darfur on film. Also airing as part of this special is the film Senator Obama Goes to Africa.
About the film: Senator Obama Goes to Africa
Barack Obama returns to his family's roots on an emotional journey to Kisumu, Kenya - land of his father - in this new documentary, Senator Obama Goes to Africa.
Part personal odyssey and part chronicle of diplomacy in action, this timely documentary follows Senator Barack Obama as he travels to the land of his ancestry. From South Africa to Kenya to a Darfur refugee camp in Chad, Obama explores the vast continent that is gaining increasing importance in this age of globalization.
The heart of the film is Obama's emotional homecoming to Kisumu, Kenya - his father's former home - where thousands of people turn out to greet him. In South Africa, we follow Senator Obama on a trip to Robben Island - the infamous prison where Nelson Mandela was jailed for 21 years. At a Darfur refugee camp in Chad, we see, through Obama's eyes, the devastating effects of genocide.
Throughout it all, Senator Obama narrates the film, giving his own perspective on the journey and the significance of Africa to U.S. interests. Additional perspective is included through interviews with experts on African affairs as well as with U.S. political commentators.
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