ASK A WASHINGTON WATCH GUEST: MELODY BARNES
Melody Barnes, President Barack Obama’s Domestic Policy Adviser and the Director of the Domestic Policy Council, will be sitting with Roland this week on Washington Watch and we want to ask her some of your questions.
Barnes has extensive experience in civil rights and voting rights, women’s health, religious liberties, and commercial law.
Fill out the form below to ask her question. Be sure to add your location (city/state).
Learn more about Ms. Barnes by watching her on C-SPAN.
photo courtesy of blackandwhiteprogram.com
I am an advocate of small schools. The work of many school reformers points to the need for smaller schools, but effectively run schools. Is your guest aware of the growing influence of schools that focus on computer-assisted instruction, which frees the teacher to spend more time as a motivator and mentor to students, since the principal activity of “delivery of information” is handled by the computer? Blogs like http://www.edreformer.com and http://www.TheStudentistheclass.com advocate more investment in computers and training for teachers to move into this important new role. What is the administration’s position on using more computers in classrooms? my phone number is 954 646 8246 and I hope the guest will pass on these educational blogs to the First Lady. Also http://www.chadphila.org, http://www.hightechhigh.org and bigpicture.org, metcenter.org Thank you
This comment is directed towards the show which aired on October 4, 2009 when Roland Martin spoke about the incident in Chicago where the young black scholar was beaten to death by his black brothers. As an educator of African and African-American History, it has been my experience that what motivates some black people to participate in what happened in Chicago is rooted in self-hatred. Yes, we can blame it on the parents, the police, or our so-called ‘black leaders’ all we want, but the bottom line is until we begin to educate our young black minds about thier history in Africa and these U.S., how black people are the original people, and that EVERYTHING came from Black people, we will continue to see incidences, atrocities and violence perpetuated for years to come. Moreover, as long as our black kids continue to see themselves relagated to second-class citizens on television, in magazines, newspapers and on the interent, they will invaribly vent their frustration on each other, instead of the ‘real’ enemy. Man, KNOW THYSELF! This is my perspective…Shemhotep! (go in peace)
As to Ms. Barnes, I found her remarks to be scripted, not from her necessarily. True, she works for the President and she let it be widely known. I found most of her replys beginning with “the President has said, etc, etc,etc. As a director in the White House exactly what does she as an individual say? She left a lot to be desired as to concrete and formulative answers to questions directed at her as a manager. Next time Melody, LEAVE THE NOTES IN THE WHITE HOUSE. Welcome to the real world where the rubber meets the road in no uncertain terms.
Ms. Melody Barnes,
Please tell me who to contact or where to find out about grants. I am interested in those pertaining to small business, childcare, hiring personell, minority business, ect. For the last seven years, I have been licensed to care for not more than ten children (at any one time). I am looking to increase enrollment.
I have favorable results in my work with preschoolers. Most of my students are either on the honor roll or being looked at for the gifted program.
I would like to add, most of my success with children can be contributed to knowing that formal learning along with nurturing is crucial before school age.
Thank You for your immediate response.
Granna
Dear President Obama in c/or Melody Barne in c/o Roland Martin:
What can be done to redress the injustice of draconianly long prison sentences imposed on millions of non-violent “War On Drug” offenders from 1969-1/20/2009 now that Congress has refused to address the plight of those prisoners and their suffering families?
This question I’ve already posed to V.P. Biden, but it bears repeating:
What can Mr. Obama / the White House Department of Urban Affairs do to relieve the “Digital Divide” restraining the scientific and technological competitiveness of inner city youngsters, ESPECIALLY those bused to affluent suburban communities where a home computer is the norm? Can you add something to the Health Care Reform legislation that would provide access to computers and internet access to poor people: 1) A computer with a full range of Microsoft programs in every home; and 2) Internet access 24 hours a day is the greatest educational tool that I personally have ever had (because research driven by my individual interests has been much more rewarding that the curricula I had to digest to earn my college degree). Since chronic major disease (resulting to a very large extent from depression born of institutionalized racism, sexism and color bar) is a major concern of health care reform, why not provide these free rewards students and especially working as an incentive to lose weight, exercise, stop smoking & drinking & otherwise increase their workplace competitiveness? Free public libraries offering access to computers / the internet NEED HELP TOO!!
Ms. Melody Barnes, I would like to know how Obama is going to solve the job crisis when the money spent on the stimulus is being not used for job growth. Is it going to Obama cronies in Chicago & Springfield, Labor unions & into his own bank account. Also, how is working for you Ms. Barnes and the white”demon”house as it relates to the “black messiah” depraved socialist agenda.
To The Honorable Melody Barnes first and foremost I would like to commend your accomplishment’s.Your interview was impacable and trully recieved.The Freeman family of Halifax Va is also from Virginia.I am the great great grandaughter to Emanuel Freeman SR a freeman owner of a estimated and in question 6-800 acres now 400 to be taken. Our question as a family we would like to ask now that we have such a well equipped presidential team that includes the entire staff we commend all of you for your progress.Virginia still has some deep rooted challenges that we as a family personally have been experienceing.African American land is being lost at the rate of 90% Virginia being no#2.The Freeman Family is set up for a quick land grab case this staged convoluted case pending in court with the good old boys system. This includes our 2 family graveyards,3 fires have been set on 3 seperate parcels,illegal ,our constitutional right’s ,civil right’s and evry kind of disrepect is being used thru ambiguoty and asembalance of impropriority.Disenfranchising,to take our family property and to hide fact’s of family ties to a local judge because of pass diferences.County officials are alledgely using thier leverage to dismantel our family farm.Our family is aware of the new law waiting for lesgislation to approve that Professor Thomas Mitchelle has eloquently form a coalition of attorney’s .Is this something that your office can assit us or can another office recommend intervention?We think Halifax Va needs a change and visions we would like to be the poster family to help to stop the deep rooted racial enslavement that continues to be in place .The state of Virginia has nothing in place to protect private land owners.And Va is number 2 in the country for land loss.Please let us know what can be done to help Mr.Thomas Mitchelle’s positive approach to change this tactic of PARTITIONS and end this oppression.Thank You In Advance The Emanuel Freeman Estate,Halifax Va
you can look in her eyes and tell she will not be real!how can anybody in the 21st century with the position she has not know what to do first!i think she is here only to make it seem they are concern for black america!!leaders don’t need a reason they act!why ask her for help when she should have a bold view!too say she’s here to hear our view is nonsense!those who were born under segregation don’t think for themselves they check in first and see if white america will be on board!we were sheep to these people and wolves are taking controll of our actions political,emotional,economical,and the growth of our community!!we need bold action not let me see what they want and entertain with no action!!!!!boldness is needed not cowardness to the issue!!!!!
Please explain the process of applying for stimulus funds. We need to apply for funds in our communities to stimulate economic growth. Can only for profit businesses apply???? We need funds to open entrepreneaurial/job traning centers in our communities.
We would love to see this rural area Halifax Va and other counties in Va,Where our ancestors left us as a family to develop 2 farms.To be educated ourselves and to educate new and up comeing entreprenuers in the state of Virginia.We would also like to start a roundtable to stop Land Loss through iilegal staged partition suits with no remedy for retention.And create programs to help the elderly when they can’t attend to thier legal responsibilties.With some guidance from the proper officials.We need assistance in those areas.Wash Dc is my location thank you in advance.
This world we llive in is very divided. It is not like we say” united we stand, united we fall!” When will we work on the united in the white house. The republicans being very mean and ugly not trying hard enough.Showing alot of racism now I see the true colors of a divided white house. The law markers have us and the children who will be looking for jobs in there hands. I think when making all of these laws there need to be people in the white
house that has integrity but able to show respect and able to get alone with
all there fellow law makers there shouldn’t be any division any were. There shouldn’t to me be democratics nor republicans. there should be a united front of wise and intellegent law makers making attenting to this country business if we can spend money on everyone else and wars we can certainly spend it on ourselves!!
I would like to know when will folks stop playing the race card. I know that racism is always going to be there, but that isn’t the reason we as a people can’t progress. It seems to me if there is a such thing as being on the the same terms as whites, we will wind up doing the same mistakes as whites when it comes to this issue. I believe that racism will continue to be a merry go round in society because you can’t control what is done in the household.