Georgia State University News & Events

University Relations Tip Sheet - January 15, 2009

Georgia State students heading to the inauguration
Sophomore Ashley Woolard wrote letters to family and friends to raise money to go to Washington D.C. for President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration. She’ll observe the historic event as part of the University Presidential Inaugural Conference, a program that also includes seminars with high-profile speakers such as Al Gore and Colin Powell. Woolard is one of several Georgia State students heading to the inauguration. To hear their stories and see their pictures, contact Liz Babiarz at lbabiarz@gsu.edu or 404-413-1356.

Obama’s inauguration and King’s legacy
This year’s Martin Luther King Jr. day holds a special significance for many Americans. President-elect Barack Obama will be inaugurated as the nation’s first African-American president one day after the holiday commemorating King’s life. “Here is a true example of what King asked for in his historic speech in 1963, when he said we should judge people by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin,” said Charles Jones, founding chair of Georgia State’s Department of African-American Studies. “We’re seeing this at its pinnacle, and I think King would be very pleased with that.” To speak with Jones, contact Liz Babiarz at lbabiarz@gsu.edu or 404-413-1356.

Prayer at the inauguration
Whether the Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim voices that will join Barack Obama in prayer at the inauguration form a harmony or a cacophony will be a test of the president elect’s message of unification, both on religious issues and more broadly, said Vincent Lloyd, a religion and politics expert at Georgia State. “The mounting conflicts over prayer at the Inauguration expose the paradoxes inherent in the "religious Left" Obama has cultivated. While the religious Right is well-practiced at presenting a unified front, putting religious figures on center stage is relatively new for Democrats. And we should not forget the atheist community that has launched a lawsuit against all prayer at the inauguration, a reminder, perhaps, that even the appearance that all voices are being heard can still exclude some.” To speak with Lloyd, contact Leah Harris at 404-413-1354 or lvh@gsu.edu.

Black professionals face greater scrutiny, and Obama is no exception
Research shows that black professionals often face greater scrutiny on the job than their white counterparts. And with a multitude of challenges facing a President-elect not seen since the Great Depression, a Georgia State University sociologist says that President-elect Obama will also be under a similar, highly focused lens of public opinion. Public expectations of Obama and his new administration are “positively stratospheric,” owing in part due to the incredible level of dissatisfaction with the state of the nation, says Adia Harvey Wingfield, an assistant professor of sociology who explores race and executive leadership. “But it also suggests that he will be very carefully watched an analyzed, probably more so than other recent presidents,” she said. “Research on the experiences of black professionals suggests that as an African-American man, some of the heightened scrutiny Obama will face is because people will want to see if he challenges, exceeds or meets the pre-existing ideas they have about black Americans, particularly given that his is the first one to hold this office.” To speak with Harvey Wingfield, contact Jeremy Craig at 404-413-1357 or jcraig@gsu.edu.

Expectations high for Obama among people of color worldwide
All eyes will turn to Washington, D.C., for the inauguration of the United States’ first African-American president, and it’s not just U.S. citizens who have high hopes for Barack Obama, says Akinyele Umoja, associate professor of African-American studies at Georgia State. “The campaign, election and inauguration of Barack Obama have sparked rising expectations of African-Americans, the African Diaspora and people of color worldwide,” he says. To speak with Umoja, contact Lisa Spires at 404-413-1353 or lspires@gsu.edu.

Foreign leaders prepare for shift of power
On the world stage, key foreign leaders are preparing to deal with the shift of power that will come when Barack Obama is sworn in as the United States’ 44th president. “While the U.S. has many detractors abroad, there are also large numbers of governments and ordinary citizens who earnestly want to believe again in America and its presumed ideals,” says William Downs, chair of the Department of Political Science at Georgia State. “As popular as Obama is domestically and as hungry as Americans have been for change, that popularity and hunger may be even greater outside the U.S. I’ll be watching to see how long a honeymoon period key foreign actors give Obama and his fledgling administration.” To speak with Downs, contact Lisa Spires at 404-413-1353 or lspires@gsu.edu.

Happenings at Georgia State University

Celebrating the inauguration at Georgia State
Although they couldn’t make it to D.C., Georgia State students will be coming together to watch the inauguration. The Georgia State Student Government Association is hosting a viewing of the U.S. Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Jan. 20 in the Student Center Ballroom. Faculty, students, staff and the public are invited to experience the historic moment together. For more information, contact Liz Babiarz at lbabiarz@gsu.edu or 404-413-1356.

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