2008 Democratic National Convention: Remarks As Prepared For Delivery by Jerry Kellman,...

2008 Democratic National Convention: Remarks As Prepared For Delivery by Jerry
Kellman, Hired & Supervised Sen. Obama At Developing Communities Project -
Chicago, Illinois

DENVER, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a transcript of a
speech, as prepared for delivery, by Jerry Kellman, at the Democratic National
Convention on Monday, August 25, 2008:

Scheduled for delivery: August 25, 2008 - 5:00-6:00 p.m. MT

EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080331/DNCCLOGO )

In 1985, I needed to hire a community organizer. I found myself in New York
City, across from a 25-year-old recent college graduate. I wanted to convince
him to give up a comfortable life and a bright future to come to Chicago to
take up the toughest of challenges for a salary of just $10,000 a year.

It was not difficult to convince Barack to take the job. All I had to do was
describe what had happened to people on the south side of Chicago. The region
had once been the largest producer of steel in the entire world, but the mills
had shut down one by one. Other industries began to close, then stores and
offices. Without jobs, neighborhoods unraveled and kids became easy prey for
gangs and drugs.

Two weeks later, using $2,000 we gave him to buy a car, Barack arrived in
Chicago. Many before had quit in frustration at the challenges of organizing.
Not Barack. If something didn't work, he'd stay up all night long until he
figured out what went wrong and how to fix it. With his help, people who had
been shut out of decisions and robbed of dignity all their lives found their
voice and found one another.

He was their teacher. He stayed out of the limelight so they could shine. He
earned their trust. He listened to the stories of their lives and helped them
write a new story. He became one of the family. Single mothers, much like his
own mom, fed him and tried to fatten him up. Obviously, that didn't work.

Barack took people who had all but given up and gave them hope. Barack took
people who often disagreed with one another, who sometimes disliked one
another, and taught them to work together.

His hero was Martin Luther King Jr., and Barack embraced Dr. King's vision of
the beloved community, a community in which all human beings could discover
that they indeed were the beloved sons and daughters of God.

When he told me he had decided to leave organizing to attend law school, this
is what he said: We need significant change if we are to remain a nation of
fairness, dignity and hope. He wanted to be in a place where he could help
others to bring about that change. Neither of us could have imagined on that
night 20 years ago that the place would be the White House. But this is
America. This is the place where dreams come true. Barack Obama offers the
change we need.

SOURCE 2008 Democratic National Convention Committee

Democratic National Convention Press Office, +1-720-362-2006