Inside the historic Obama campaign: a message from the president & CEO

In this year's historic presidential campaign, Sen. Barack Obama has taken things to a new level, generating positive vibrations and a new degree of hope while, at the same time, changing the minds of thousands of people who are now beginning to believe that the country might be ready to elect an African-American to occupy the White House.

Whether he wins or not, the Illinois senator, beginning with his convincing victory in the Iowa caucuses, has made resounding breakthroughs that will serve as encouragement for future Black presidential hopefuls. In this issue, we take a look at Obama's campaign, identify the Black people who are playing significant roles in that campaign, and we analyze the importance and power of the Black vote, particularly in this election season.

Aside from politics, for the 13th consecutive year, EBONY has teamed with the American Diabetes Association to focus on the disease's affect on millions of African-Americans who are living with the condition. Statistics indicate that 1 in 7 Blacks has the disease, and African-Americans are twice as likely as Whites to be victimized. Further, an estimated 5 million people in the U.S. (many of them Black) have the disease and don't know it, which means that diabetes, left unchecked, is causing serious problems that could be prevented, or at least managed, with treatment.

The special section on diabetes not only includes the focus on the disease in children, there's also a message to diabetics from singer/songwriter/diabetic Angie Stone, the 10 biggest diabetes myths and an at-risk test to see how likely you are to become diabetic.

Although several new classes of drugs are being developed to help control diabetes, medical experts and researchers strongly recommend certain lifestyle changes to decrease the ravages of the disease in the Black community among children and adults.

On a celebratory note, in recognition of the 80th anniversary of the Academy Awards, we have, in an extensive presentation, put the spotlight on African-Americans whom the Academy has recognized for their exceptional contributions to the movie industry. There are surprises in name and, perhaps, in number. As we pay tribute to Oscar winners--including Hattie McDaniel, Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry and Jamie Foxx--we also focus on the list of Academy Award nominees, some of whom received recognition for their creativity behind the scenes and some for their musical expertise.

For years, controversy has swirled around the Academy because African-Americans, in particular, have accused it of being slow to recognize Black talent. Although there has been an increase in nominations--and winners--in recent years, for many Blacks, the undying question remains: Has Hollywood really changed? While we examine the question and try to determine what an Oscar really means (or doesn't mean) for a Black actor's career, many in the industry continue to remain optimistic and are holding on to the hope that talent and perseverance will win in the end.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO LINDA JOHNSON RICE

COPYRIGHT 2008 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning