Rising Star

by David J. Garrow

  37. NYTBR, 6 August 1995, pp. 21, 17; “Off the Shelf Memories,” Bergen Record, 21 May 1995, p. E3; Booklist, July 1995, p. 1844; “One Man’s Story of Race and Inheritance,” California Voice, 23 July 1995, p. S5 (which also appears under the byline Don Thomas in the New York Beacon, 9 October 1995, p. 29, which indicates that it earlier may also have appeared in the Big Red News); “Young Writer Chronicles His Search for Better Meaning in His Life,” Sacramento Observer, 2 August 1995, p. E2; Michael Harris, “Man on a Mission Comes to Terms with His African Roots,” LAT, 7 August 1995, p. E4; Susan Bickelhaupt and Maureen Dezell, “Living,” BG, 8 August 1995, p. 62; Malaika Brown, “Mid-Summer Reading Primer,” Los Angeles Sentinel, 9 August 1995, p. C4; “August at Barnes & Noble,” New York Magazine, 7 August 1995, p. 7; Obama on Bill Thompson’s Eye on Books, 9 August 1995, on Chicago Tonight with Phil Ponce, WTTW, 22 January 2003, on Connie Martinson Talks Books, [11] August 1995, and on Book Channel with Marc Strassman, 11 August 1995; Robert Draper’s 2009 interviews with Connie Martinson, James Fugate, and Capril Bonner Thomas (whose signed copy, “To Capril: Thanks for your welcoming spirit. Best wishes for the future” is dated 11 August 1995); Draper, “Barack Obama’s Work in Progress,” GQ, November 2009; DJG interview with Pete Vayda and Hasan Chandoo (whose inscribed copy of Dreams is dated 8 August 1995).

  38. “Kup’s Column,” CST, 11 August 1995, p. 46; Sher in Jonathan Van Meter, “Barack’s Rock,” Vogue, October 2008, pp. 336ff.; Dorothy Collin, “For Ex-Council Wars General Vrdolyak, Talk’s a Good Game,” CT, 6 February 1995; Hermene D. Hartman, “Magic Is in the Air,” N’Digo Profiles, December 2008, p. 4; Robert Draper’s 2009 interviews with Susan Sher, Valerie Jarrett, and Eric Whitaker; Draper, “Barack Obama’s Work in Progess,” GQ, November 2009; Hartman in Janny Scott, “Obama’s Story, Written by Obama,” NYT, 18 May 2008, p. A1; Monice Mitchell, “Son Finds Inspiration in the Dreams of His Father,” HPH, 23 August 1995, pp. 10, 14; Yvonne Dennis, “Mixed Emotions over Dual Heritage,” Philadelphia Daily News, 14 August 1995, p. 36; Zachary R. Dowdy, “Across 3 Continents, He Explores Who He Is,” BG, 14 August 1995, p. 31; Paul Ruffins, “Racism or Attitude?,” WPBW, 20 August 1995, p. 6; “At Lincoln Library,” State Journal-Register, 20 August 1995, p. M1; Nich Charles, “Continental Divide,” Emerge, September 1995, p. 74; Benjamin D. Berry, “Search for Racial Identity Speaks to Many,” Virginian Pilot, 6 September 1995, p. E3; Eric Clark, “Author Barack Obama Comes to Grips with His Mixed-Race Heritage,” Crisis, October 1995, pp. 6ff.; Ida Peters, “Books for Christmas Giving and Pleasure,” Baltimore Afro-American, 23–30 December 1995, p. B4; Kevin Shawn Sealey, The Black Book Review, 31 December 1995, p. 9; Dori J. Maynard in About . . . Time [Rochester, NY], 28 February 1996, p. 33; Orme in Kirsten Scharnberg and Kim Barker, “The Not-So-Simple Story of Barack Obama’s Youth,” CT, 25 March 2007; Titcomb in Emme Tomimbang, “Barack Obama: Hawaii Roots,” 8 February 2008; Furushima in Richard A. Serrano, “Obama Classmates Saw a Smile, but No Racial Turmoil,” LAT, 11 March 2007, and in Hans Nichols, “In Hawaii, Media Surfs Obama’s Past,” Politico, 14 March 2007; Larissa MacFarquhar, “The Conciliator: Where Is Barack Obama Coming From?,” New Yorker, 7 May 2007, pp. 48ff.; Obama in Bernard Schoenberg, “Don’t Expect Many Niceties in Keyes-Obama Contest,” SJ-R, 22 August 2004, p. 15, and on News & Notes, NPR, 8 February 2005; Glauberman and Burris, The Dream Begins, p. 105; Naftali Bendavid, ed., Obama: The Essential Guide to the Democratic Nominee (Triumph Books, 2008), p. 32; Kevin Drum, “Getting to Know Obama,” Washington Monthly, 5 May 2007; Jonathan Raban, “All the President’s Literature,” WSJ, 10 January 2009; David Greenberg, “Hope, Change, Nietzsche,” TNR, 26 May 2011; David Mendell, “Obama Lets Opponent Do Talking,” CT, 24 June 2004; Dan Armstrong, “Barack Obama Embellishes His Resume,” AnalyzeThis.net, 9 July 2005, and subsequent comment by Jeanne [Reynolds Schmidt]; John Drew, “My White Girlfriend Inspired Obama’s Big, Dark Regina in Dreams From My Father,” American Thinker, 17 July 2012; Gary Kamiya, “Biracial, but Not Like Me,” Salon, 5 February 2008; Peter Wallsten, “Obama Defined by Contrasts,” LAT, 24 March 2008, p. A1; Obama on Off Topic with Carlos Watson, CNN, 24 October 2004; DJG interviews with Judd Miner, Gwen LaRoche, Barbara Holt, Craig Huffman, Richard Steele, Barack Echols, Ty Wansley, Monice Mitchell Simms, Hermene Hartman, Mike Ramos, Tom Topolinski, Alan Lum, Kelli Furushima, Pal Eldredge, Dan Hale, Cassandra Butts, Cathy Lazere, Susan Arterian Chang, and Greg Galluzzo. See also Raban, “Diary,” London Review of Books, 20 March 2008, pp. 46–47.

  39. Michael Lipkin, “The Professor and the President,” Chicago Maroon, 7 November 2008; Maurice Possley and Peter Kendall, “Reynolds’ Defense Facing Key Decisions,” CT, 11 August 1995; Bruce Bentley, “Chicago DSA Executive Committee Meeting Minutes,” 12 August 1995, DSA Papers Box 116; Thomas Hardy, “Palmer Gains Endorsements in Bid for Reynolds’ Seat,” CT, 14 August 1995; Chinta Strausberg, “Palmer Earns Support for Reynolds’ Seat,” CD, 15 August 1995, p. 7; Possley and Kendall, “Reynolds: ‘I Am Not Guilty,’” CT, 15 August 1995; Gabriel Kahn, “Reynolds Sticks with ‘Phone Sex’ Defense,” Roll Call, 17 August 1995; Possley and Kendall, “Reynolds’ Fury Erupts on Stand,” CT, 17 August 1995; Steve Neal, “Jesse Jackson Jr. in Bid for Congress,” CST, 21 August 1995, p. 25; Possley and Kendall, “War of Words a Fitting End to Reynolds Trial,” CT, 22 August 1995; Possley and Kendall, “Reynolds Guilty on All Counts,” Nancy Ryan and Laurie Cohen, “Constituents Feel Sad Over Destroyed Career,” and Hardy, “Candidates Line Up for Reynolds’ Spot,” CT, 23 August 1995; “Congressman Convicted of Sexual Assault,” NYT, 23 August 1995; “Hubris, Nemesis and Mel Reynolds,” CT, 24 August 1995; R. Bruce Dold, “Shattered Dreams: First Gus, Then Mel,” CT, 25 August 1995; Strausberg, “Reynolds Foes Raring to Go,” CD, 24 August 1995, p. 3; Dirk Johnson, “In Congressman’s District, Conviction Evokes Regret,” NYT, 24 August 1995; Edward Walsh, “Moseley-Braun Urges Reynolds to Quit,” WP, 24 August 1995, p. A4; Scott Fornek, “Crush of Candidates Keeps the 2nd Hopping,” CST, 27 August 1995, p. 20; Steven R. Strahler, “Young and Restless: Meet GOP’s Fab 5,” CCB, 20 May 1995; Strausberg, “2nd District Storm,” CD, 28 August 1995, pp. 1, 10; Strausberg, “Streeter Weighs Run for Reynolds Seat,” CD, 29 August 1995, p. 3; Neal, “Palmer Might Have the Right Salve for 2nd District Wounds,” CST, 30 August 1995, p. 33; Russ Stewart, “Winter Election Makes Jones the Favorite in 2nd District,” Illinois Politics, September 1995, pp. 8–9; Neal, “Gardner to Help Jones’ Bid for Reynolds’ Seat,” CST, 1 September 1995, p. 35; Patricia Callahan and V. Dion Haynes, “Line to Succeed Reynolds Is Running Out the Door,” CT, 3 September 1995; Strausberg, “Jackson Jr. Wants to Aid Reynolds Family,” CD, 5 September 1995, p. 5; “Jesse Jackson Jr. Announces Bid for 2nd District Congressional Seat,” South Street Journal, 7 September–4 October 1995, p. 4; Hardy, “Reynolds Gets Around to Making Resignation Official,” CT, 9 September 1995; Cornelia Grumman, “Jackson Wears Name Proudly,” CT, 10 September 1995; “Jesse Jackson’s Son to Run for House Seat,” NYT, 10 September 1995; Strausberg, “Jesse Jr. Throws Hat in Ring,” CD, 11 September 1995, p. 4; Rick Pearson and Mitchell Locin, “Voting Set on Successor to Reynolds,” CT, 12 September 1995; Michael Gillis and Fornek, “Primary and Election Dates Set to Fill 2nd District Seat,” CST, 12 September 1995, p. 18; Strausberg, “Date Set for 2nd District Race,” CD, 12 September 1995, p. 3; Friends of Alice Palmer, “FEC Form 3, 1 July 1995–8 November 1995,” 28 June 1996; Dold, “Paying a Visit to Mel Reynolds—Both of Them,” CT, 20 December 1996; DJG interviews with Jesse Ruiz, Alice Palmer, Steve Rauschenberger, William McNary, and Tim Wright. Joe Gardner died at age fifty on 16 May 1996. See Jacquelyn Heard and Andrew Fegelman, “Gardner Loses Fight with Cancer,” CT, 17 May 1996, Kevin Knapp, “Committeeman’s Spot Remains Up for Grabs,” HPH, 22 May 1996, pp. 1–2, and Art Golab, “Admirers Pay Tribute to Joseph Gardner,” CST, 24 May 1996.

  40. Kevin Knapp, “Politicians Scramble in Wake of Reynolds Resignation,” HPH, 13 September 1995, pp. 1–2;
Strausberg, “Group Set to Tab Jones for Reynolds’ Seat,” CD, 13 September 1995, p. 3; Agenda, Chicago New Party Progressive Candidate Forum, 14 September 1995, IAP Box 12 Fld. 13; Obama on The Oprah Winfrey Show, 19 January 2005; Palmer in David Jackson and Ray Long, “Obama Knows His Way Around a Ballot,” CT, 4 April 2007; Obama, DFMF, pp. 123–25; Bron Solyom in Dinesh Sharma, Barack Obama in Hawaii and Indonesia (Praeger, 2011), pp. 36–37; Robin Toner, “An Issue That Hits Home on the Campaign Trail,” NYT, 6 July 2007; John McCormick, “Obama’s Mother in New Ad,” CT, 21 September 2007; Ceci Connolly, “President Gets Personal at Forum on Health Care,” WP, 20 July 2009; Obama, “Remarks at Opening Session of Bipartisan Meeting on Health Care Reform,” 25 February 2010, Public Papers Vol. 1, p. 256; Scott, A Singular Woman, pp. 231, 333–41; Kevin Sack, “Book Challenges Obama on Mother’s Deathbed Fight,” NYT, 13 July 2011; Jane Hall, “Moyers Named President of Two Funding Groups,” LAT, 8 March 1990; “Florence F. Schumann, A Philanthropist, 99,” NYT, 26 February 1991; DJG interviews with Carol Harwell, Alice Palmer, Andrew “Pete” Veyda, and Bill Moyers. Barack one week later would call Moyers to decline the board membership, citing his just-launched state Senate candidacy.

  41. John Kass and L. Linn Allen, “Daley’s Development Chief Leaving to Become Housing Firm Executive,” CT, 15 September 1995; Larry Hartstein, “Jarrett to Get Nod as CTA Chairman,” CT, 18 September 1995; Jodi Kantor, The Obamas (Little, Brown, 2012), p. 18; Scott Fornek, “Sen. Jones Is Joining the Pack,” CST, 15 September 1995, p. 6; Veronica Anderson et al., “Who’ll Be Standing When the Music Stops Playing?,” CCB, 18 September 1995, p. 8; Chinta Strausberg, “Barrow Lobbies for Jesse Jr.,” and “Harvard Lawyer Eyes Palmer Seat,” CD, 19 September 1995, p. 3; Monice Mitchell, “Hyde Parker Announces Run for State Senate Seat,” HPH, 4 October 1995, p. 3; Kennedy Communications, “State Senator Barack Obama, Candidate for U.S. Senate: Background Report,” April 2003, RRP; Will Burns’s 2008 interview with Jim Gilmore; Adam Doster, “A Thoughtful Politician,” CR, 16 February 2011; Carol Felsenthal, “Barack Obama Protege Will Burns Begins His Ascent,” CM, May 2011; DJG interviews with Carol Harwell, Kevin Thompson, Alice Palmer, Alan and Lois Dobry, Toni Preckwinkle, Barbara Holt, David Kindler, John Rogers, Kathy Stell, and Will Burns.

  CHAPTER SEVEN: INTO THE ARENA

  1. Robert E. Mitchell to Jessica Reighard, 8 May 1995, Concord Festival of Authors Brochure, 21–23 September 1995, Rob Mitchell Papers; Robert Taylor, “Bookmaking,” BG, 17 September 1995, p. B42; Matthew Brelis, “Colin Powell Book Tour Hits Hub,” BG, 20 September 1995, p. 32; Obama, remarks at the Cambridge Public Library, 20 September 1995, Cambridge Municipal Television; Joseph P. Kahn, “Powell Fever Grips Hub; Book Signing Draws 2,000,” BG, 21 September 1995, p. 63; Kennedy Communications, “State Senator Barack Obama, Candidate for the U.S. Senate: Background Report,” April 2003, RRP; Steve Neal, “Jones May Deal His Way into Win,” CST, 20 September 1995, p. 41; Ethan Michaeli, “Palmer States Case for 2nd Dist.,” CD, 20 September 1995, p. 3; “2nd District Hopefuls,” CD, 21 September 1995, p. 3; “Candidates for the 2nd Congressional District Speak,” Chicago Weekend, 24 September 1995, p. 1; Barbara Holt, “New School System Responds to Community’s Needs,” HPH, 27 September 1995, p. 4; Maurice Possley and Peter Kendall, “Congressman Gets 5 Years,” CT, 29 September 1995: “Candidates for the 2nd Congressional District Speak: Part II,” CW, 1 October 1995, p. 1; Janita Poe and Thomas Hardy, “Jones Sets Sights on Congress,” CT, 1 October 1995; Hardy, “Electing Replacement for Reynolds May Touch Off Tussle in Springfield,” CT, 1 October 1995; Maudlyne Ihejirika, “Senate Leader Runs in 2nd District,” CST, 1 October 1995, p. 7; Chinta Strausberg, “Jones Officially Enters into 2nd District Race,” CD, 2 October 1995, p. 5; Neal, “GOP May Give Covert Aid to Jones,” CST, 3 October 1995, p. 31; Possley and Kendall, “Reynolds Starts Prison Term,” CT, 6 October 1995; Sunya Walls, “Sen. Emil Jones Announces Run for Congress,” CW, 8 October 1995, p. 2; Strausberg, “Ghost of Politics Past,” CD, 9 October 1995, p. 1; Rick Pearson, “14 Candidates Petition to Run for Seat Reynolds Vacated,” CT, 10 October 1995; Michaeli, “Dead Presidents,” CD, 11 October 1995, p. 1; Michaeli, “Jones Runs on Record,” CD, 12 October 1995, p. 3; “The Illinois New Party Is Proud to Endorse Alice Palmer and Willie Delgado,” n.d. (“at the October 12 meeting”), IAP Box 12 Fld. 14; “Candidates for the Second Congressional District Speak,” CW, 15 October 1995, p. 1; Kevin Knapp, “Local Senate Race Heats Up,” HPH, 25 October 1995, pp. 1, 2; Strausberg, “Palmer: Keep AMA Out of Campaign,” CD, 25 October 1995, p. 5; Neal, “Palmer Drops to 3rd in 2nd District Race,” CST, 27 October 1995, p. 37; Neal, “Jones and Jackson Tied for Lead in 2nd District,” CST, 30 October 1995, p. 27; Strausberg, “Jackson Jr. Claims Registration Drive Netted 5,000 New Voters,” CD, 31 October 1995, p. 4; Fornek, “Palmer Says She’s Not Worried About Polls,” CST, 1 November 1995, p. 6; Michaeli, “Palmer Gets Boost in 2nd Dist.,” CD, 1 November 1995, p. 3; Bonnie Miller Rubin, “Jackson’s Name, Age Stand Out,” CT, 3 November 1995; Neal, “Is Jones Making Right Move in 2nd District?,” CST, 6 November 1995, p. 29; Vladimire Herard, “Candidates Hit the Issues,” CD, 7 November 1995, p. 3; “IVI-IPO Endorses Palmer for 2nd District Seat,” HPH, 8 November 1995, p. 3; Salim Muwakkil, “Palmer’s Thoughtful Vision Is Salve for Wounds in 2nd,” CST, 8 November 1995, p. 49; Francis X. Clines, “Black Men Fill Capital’s Mall in Display of Unity and Pride,” NYT, 17 October 1995, p. A1; Clark McPhail and John McCarthy, “Who Counts and How: Estimating the Size of Protests,” Contexts 3 (August 2004): 12–18; Obama’s 19 March 2008 interview with ABC News’ Terry Moran; DJG interviews with Rob Mitchell, Jesse Jackson Jr., Marty King, Malik Nevels, Mike Lieteau, Don Rose, Alan and Lois Dobry, Lou Viverito, Hal Baron, Sue Purrington, Kitty Kurth, Paul Williams, Willie Delgado, Janis Robinson, and Carol Harwell. On Don Rose, see Dennis L. Breo, “Confessions of a Political Gadfly,” CT Magazine, 13 December 1987.

  2. Friends of Barack Obama, Report of Campaign Contributions and Expenditures, Form D-2, 1 July–31 December 1995, 2 February 1996; Robert Davis, “Bit Subdued, Radical Re-emerges,” CT, 12 August 1988; Patricia Lear, “Rebel Without a Pause,” CM, May 1993, pp. 65–69, 96–100; Susan Chira, “At Home with Bernardine Dohrn,” NYT, 18 November 1993; Tom Johnson to Obama, 27 October 1995, TEJP; Scott Fornek, “Foot Soldiers for the ’96 Elections,” CST, 29 October 1995, p. 14; Chinta Strausberg, “Palmer Challenger Says He Won’t Step Aside in Race,” CD, 21 December 1995, p. 3; Obama’s 2001 interview with Julieanna Richardson; Maria Warren, “Get to Know Barack Obama,” WarrenPeaceMuse.blogspot.com, 27 January 2005; David Jackson and Ray Long, “Obama Knows His Way Around a Ballot,” CT, 4 April 2007; Deanna Bellandi (AP), “Obama’s Neighborhood Rich in Diversity,” 23 July 2007; Ben Smith, “Obama Once Visited ’60s Radicals,” Politico, 22 February 2008; Peter Slevin, “Former ’60s Radical Is Now Considered Mainstream in Chicago,” WP, 18 April 2008; Joanna Weiss, “How Obama and the Radical Became News,” BG, 18 April 2008; Christopher Wills (AP), “Obama Faced Tough Choice in First Legislative Race,” 24 April 2008; Ron Grossman, “Family Ties Proved Ayers’ Point,” CT, 18 May 2008; Andrew Ferguson, “Mr. Obama’s Neighborhood,” Weekly Standard, 16 June 2008; Carol Felsenthal, “Barack Obambi?,” Huffington Post, 1 July 2008; Ryan Lizza, “Making It: How Chicago Shaped Obama,” New Yorker, 21 July 2008; Norman Kelley, “The ‘2 A.M. Booty Call’: Q&A with Adolph Reed Re Obama and American Politics,” DevilsAdvocateDivision.blogspot.com, 9 August 2008; Tim Harper, “Civil Rights Elders Aided Obama’s Political Rise,” Toronto Star, 18 August 2008, p. A1; Pauline Yearwood, “Obama and the Jews,” Chicago Jewish News, 12 September 2008; Drew Griffin and Kathleen Johnston, “Ayers and Obama Crossed Paths on Boards, Records Show,” CNN.com, 7 October 2008; Lynn Sweet, “McCain Misleading Public on Role Ayers Played in Obama Political Career,” CST, 15 October 2008; Hilary Leila Krieger, “Mr. Obama’s Neighborhood,” Jerusalem Post, 23 October 2008; “William Ayers Sets the Record Straight,” Good Morning Am
erica, ABC, 14 November 2008; Margalit Fox, “Arnold Jacob Wolf, a Leading Reform Rabbi, Is Dead at 84,” NYT, 29 December 2008; Marc S. Allen, “From Adversary to Longtime Ally,” BlackVoices.com, 19 January 2009; Dick Lovell, “Obama Is ‘An Extraordinary Person,’ Friend Jeffrey Cummings Tells Rotarians,” Madison Rotary News #44, 1 May 2009, p. 1; Ayers in Remnick, The Bridge, p. 280–81; McClelland, Young Mr. Obama, pp. 114–16; Bernardine Dohrn, “Seize the Little Moment: Justice for the Child—20 Years at the Children and Family Justice Center,” Northwestern Journal of Law and Social Policy 6 (Spring 2011): 334–57; Carol Felsenthal, “Obama Protege Will Burns Begins His Ascent,” CM, May 2011; Will Burns’s 2008 interview with Jim Gilmore; DJG interviews with Bernard Loyd, Carol Harwell, Janis Robinson, Sunny Fischer, Ellen Benjamin, Jesse Ruiz, Jeanne Gills, Brett Hart, Eric Pelander, Jeff Cummings, John Belcaster, Greg Dingens, Steve Derks, Michael Parham, Alice Palmer, Allison Davis, Tim Evans, Kitty Kurth, Bill Ayers, Bernardine Dohrn, Rosellen Brown, Mona Khalidi, Carole Travis, Quentin Young, Ken Warren, Judd Miner, Tom Johnson, George Galland, Will Burns, Kathy Stell, Barbara Holt, Al Kindle, Tim Black, and Adolph Reed. On Leon Finney and Lincoln South Central Real Estate, see Angela Caputo, “Following Finney,” Chicago Reporter, January 2012; also see Antonio Olivo, “Questions Raised About Leon Finley’s Woodlawn Organization,” CT, 6 January 2012.