WU President Floyd Flake Comments On Democratic Race

Dear Wilberforce Family:

As you know, the current presidential election is among the most important in the nation's history.  There are two very fine candidates at the top of Democratic balloting who are substantively and symbolically important to the fate of the nation and our people. One of them, Hillary Clinton, was our commencement speaker last year.  The other, Barrack Obama, is a rising star in politics, hails from Chicago (many of you are likewise from his hometown), and stands a good chance of becoming the first African-American nominee of a major party in a presidential campaign.

I encourage you to read my op-ed that was published today in the New York Daily News.  The Daily News is among the nation's largest and most important newspapers.  I was invited by their editorial page to lend my voice to the recent verbal dispute between the campaigns of Senators Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton.  I would like to share my thoughts with you. 

I believe these thoughts are relevant to us as we celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and as we forge a workable political agenda and identity in an ever-changing global economy.  We cannot afford to sit idly by as others engage the world and the future.  Now is the time for us to make a difference in the world and our community by our actions, not just through romantic reflections. 

Traditionally, college campuses and universities are hotbeds of student activism, political imagination, and national renewal.  I trust that in this all-important election year, you will take time to think about the nation, its priorities, its place in a global context, and the unique candidates that are this year vying for the presidency on all sides.  We owe it to ourselves and our community to be civic minded and involved in the life our nation.

I trust that my thoughts will pique your interest in the debates, primaries, and the coming general presidential election.  More than anything, I encourage you to vote and be involved in these important national issues.

Best,

Reverend Dr. Floyd H. Flake

President