Just a few weeks ago, actor Danny Glover weighed in heavy on Barack Obama's work as president of the United States, effectively claiming that Obama is no different from former President George W. Bush in many critical areas, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. When asked what he thought about Obama's policies, Glover had this to say:

"I think the Obama administration has followed the same playbook, to a large extent, almost verbatim, as the Bush administration. I don't see anything different," the activist and actor said. "On the domestic side, look here: What's so clear is that this country from the outset is projecting the interests of wealth and property. Look at the bailout of Wall Street. Why not the bailout of Main Street?"

Elliot Millner, legal adviser of the Your Black World Coalition, had a take on the situation, arguing that both men may be correct in their approaches. "This is a fair criticism, for a couple of reasons: Despite the conservative media's protests to the contrary, Obama ran as a moderate, and that is basically what he is on most issues (if you don't think so, compare Obama's campaign platform to that of Dennis Kucinich or John Edwards). Former President Bush, although a Republican, was also considered a moderate (too moderate for many Republicans) on many issues. So it is no surprise that President Obama may look similar to President Bush in his views and actions on some issues (most obviously in his war policy)."

I am not going to take sides on the debate between President Obama and Danny Glover, but I can say that strong voices in the black community are necessary when attempting to hold the president accountable. It doesn't mean that we should undermine Obama's progress, but we should certainly ensure that he actually is making progress. The great challenge of American politics is that there is always the temptation to think about career preservation over serving the collective constituency you represent. President Obama appears to be an ethical man, but we must be sure to remember that only squeaky wheels get oiled, so the black community's decision to silence all voices that disagree with Obama may ultimately backfire.

Here are three things the president can do to make things better when it comes to his black critics:

1) Deal with mass incarceration: Too many black families are being destroyed by the prison systems. Some kind of radical change is necessary to make this right, and the pursuit of such radical change may end some careers, but given that millions of lives are at stake, someone must be brave enough to make the sacrifice.

2) Work to address the unemployment gap: I am not sure how anyone expects black men to remain silent about the 50 percent unemployment rate in major cities, such as New York. If the rest of America can moan about 9 percent unemployment rates, then I want to scream about 50 percent. In fact, we should all be screaming right now.

3) Please educate our children: Radical reform is called for in the education system. Our nation is losing billions each year in potential productivity by not teaching our children how to read. This has got to change right now, and the problem must be addressed with the same urgency as the War on Terror.

African Americans pay taxes like everyone else, so it is absolutely unacceptable to presume that we are somehow weak for asking for government support to solve critical problems. The rest of America lines up to ask for government bailouts when times are tough, so, as an American, I expect to line up with the rest of them.

President Obama deserves our support, but so does Danny Glover. Real action must be forthcoming, not just from the president, but from all of us. Courage will be required.



Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce's commentary delivered to your e-mail, please click here.