NASW Endorses Barack Obama for President in 2008

The National Association of Social Workers enthusiastically endorses Barack Obama for President in 2008. Mr. Obama holds the ideals of the profession in high regard as evidenced by his support of important legislation such as the Mental Health Parity Act, End Racial Profiling Act, and Healthy Families Act.

Mr. Obama attended Columbia University and moved to Chicago after graduation to become a community organizer in the tradition of Saul Alinksy and in the hometown of legendary social worker Jane Addams. He spent several years working to transform the South Side of Chicago and once noted, “It’s as a consequence of working with this organization and this community that I found my calling. There was something more than making money and getting a fancy degree. The measure of my life would be public service.”

In order to help find solutions to the problems Mr. Obama saw as a community organizer, he went on to pursue his law degree from Harvard Law School and was elected the first African American President of the Harvard Law Review. He served in the Illinois Senate for seven years before becoming a United States Senator.

Barack Obama is an ally to social workers and the clients we serve including women, children, and people of color. He has vowed to promote equal opportunity and end discrimination, empowering people to make positive changes in their communities and in their lives. He is a strong supporter of civil rights legislation aimed at closing the pay equity gap, ending racial profiling, and reducing hate crimes across the country. Mr. Obama has promised to make health care affordable for all Americans and has pledged to protect a woman’s right to choose.

During his term as President, Mr. Obama vows to strengthen the Medicare system that many of our clients depend on and is opposed to the privatization of our Social Security system. He pledges to reform No Child Left Behind, solve the current school dropout crisis, and make higher education affordable.

Barack Obama is an ally to the profession and it is our responsibility to ensure that social work issues stay primary in his campaign. As president, Mr. Obama will be making important appointments that affect the social work profession such as Secretary of Health and Human Services and Director of the National Institutes of Health. These key decisions will have an impact not only on the profession but the entire nation.

There are several ways to ensure that social work plays a prominent role in the next administration. One of those ways is to volunteer with the Obama campaign. You can make phone calls, attend campaign events, or work in campaign offices across the country. Find out how to volunteer for his campaign by visiting http://www.barackobama.com.

For more information contact naswpace@naswdc.org.

*Mr. Obama is not accepting contributions from lobbyists or political action groups, however he will be accepting contributions from individuals.