Congratulations to our selection for IMPACT Leader of the Month, Michael Alexander Blake! Mr. Blake is a man of God whose family says went from no house to the White House.
His family is from Jamaica, West Indies has overcome remarkable adversity to get to where they at now – only thanks to the grace and mercy of The Lord.
Michael’s family history and journey is powerful.
He was born on Christmas Day of 1982 with a heart murmur and was named after his father’s respect of former Prime Minister Michael Manley and labor national hero Alexander Bustamante.
Michael survived four car accidents, his mother is a breast cancer survivor who also is an occasional in home nurses aide, his father just retired after 29 years of cleaning emergency rooms in Saint Barnabas Hospital and his oldest brother is a 21-year Army veteran who just returned from service in Iraq.
Michael’s elementary school in The Bronx (P.S. 79) is featured in “Savage Inequalities of Public Education” by Jonathan Kozol. But, Michael’s circumstances did not define him. He and his family continued to press on towards higher goals.
His mother, who for a time slept on church pews in Jamaica gives God thanks that the journey has led Michael to becoming the African-American outreach director for the 44th President of the United States Barack Obama.
The Bronx, New York native is an Associate Director for the White House Office of Public Engagement.
He nationally directs outreach to the African-American and minority business community.
He previously coordinated outreach to county officials, state attorneys general, secretaries of state and financial officers.
Blake worked on the Obama for America campaign, first as Iowa’s Deputy Political Director and Constituency Outreach Director and concluded as the Michigan State Deputy Director and Political Director.
Blake worked in 8 states over a 20 month period specializing in political and constituency outreach, especially to African American and faith communities.
Prior to the campaign, Michael was the Director of External Affairs for the Michigan House of Representatives serving in Michigan Speaker of the House Andy Dillon’s cabinet where he engaged with all constituencies to promote the Speaker’s agenda. Before that appointment, Blake successfully co-organized three state house of representative campaigns in the 2006 election cycle.
Before his career in public service, Michael was an Associate Producer for Comcast Sportsnet Chicago where he wrote highlights and collaborated on features for the daily sportscasts.
Michael Blake is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism from Northwestern University. He is also an alumnus of the Yes We Can political training program in Washington, D.C. He started his political career as an intern for Illinois State Senator Jeff Schoenberg.
He is a proud member of Allen Chapel A.M.E. church in Washington, D.C. where he is a steward board member and co-chair of the 2010 Men’s Day season.
Back in New York, Michael was a Certified Lay Speaker in the United Methodist denomination and has preached around the country since the age of 13.
He is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and resides in Washington, D.C.
Recently, he was selected as one of Grio’s Top 100 History Makers in the Making. He was also named as one of MSNBC’s 10 Black Politicians on the Rise.
Michael goes by the motto – Dear God, may today be a great day. Greater than the great day I had a day before. But, my goal has not been met unless tomorrow is the greatest of them all.
INTERVIEW | Getting to know Mike Blake
What inspired you pursue a career in politics and to join the Obama campaign?
With all that I have been given and the multitude of blessings, I felt indebted to our people to give back.
When I was working for a TV station, I felt that I wasn’t helping people, and it was a time for a change.
I feel that the most comprehensive way to help people is through public policy providing changes in their lives.
So, when I was working in Michigan after the President began his run for the presidency and after going through then Senator Obama’s Yes We Can training and feeling a sense of duty to help the person who gave me a chance, I had no choice but to work on the campaign.
I did not see the campaign as just a historical opportunity. I felt it was a moment to bring transformational change to our people.
There’s nothing like the Iowa caucus. There’s nothing like seeing lines of people participating in the political process. There’s nothing like being apart of history.
What have you learned about the President through your White House or Campaign experience that you did not know before you met him personally? What is the key to balancing a your professional, philanthropic and social commitments?
I learned to not just be an organizer but be one who can organize, activate and mobilize people.
You can have a remarkable story to tell but need storytellers who continue to tell it even when you’re not around.
A validation of leadership and influential impact is can you mobilize the masses even when you’re physically not there.
It’s a skill I never thought about before embarking on this journey.
But, I also learned how to understand the concerns of stakeholders, feel their passion and see how much they belief but yet stay focused on realizing that I serve the President and the country.
You must remember who you work for and why. That sense of commitment and loyalty helps you balance your emotion with your purpose.
It is easy to get pulled into the emotion of the moment even if you may feel that your heart is taking you that direction.
But, it’s important to balance your beliefs with the execution of the mission.
Convey how we are helping our people & empower them, even in the moments of disagreement.
What is the biggest mistake young professionals make?
We focus on the immediate opportunity too often rather than what is the long lasting change we want to deliver.
We will get many remarkable opportunities presented to us – that is inevitable when you’re gifted.
But, we need to focus on the end goals and then create a plan where we work backwards from there.
Our impatience mixed with a dose of ability can lead to a combination that disrupts our pre-ordained position of favor.
We can get in our way because we think we are supposed to have it now.
The time will come for it – whatever the it may be.
We just need to be ready.
What advice would you give other young professionals who desire to excel in the nation’s capitol?
In an environment that is very transactional and there can be wavering focus on our purpose – which is to help people, plain and simple – do not become discouraged rather find a specialty, find your ability and stay committed to the end goal.
I understand that you think that we should be able to find ways to get through the haze of it all.
But, people are people.
So, let us not focus on why it is so hard and why people make it hard on us purely because of our age and perception that we don’t know as well as they do.
Let us focus on the reality that in this world with these remarkable challenges, we are here now for this moment and regardless of our age, our ability will shine through the clouds of disbelief and disenchantment.
Public policy is about people.
Let us not focus on how others make it difficult for us.
Let us focus on the difficulties that our people continue to face and that we are the new faces of hope, change and game changing solutions.
What’s been the best experience of your career thus far (or the most rewarding)?
By far, being on the campaign was my most rewarding experience.
Especially, the beginning & end shall forever stay with me.
Being in Iowa and seeing the momentum build over a ten month period and then ending in Michigan, the state where I started my career in public service, I felt that I was able to start something special and leave a lasting impact in communities in need.
The moment when tears flowed from my eyes on January 3rd, 2008 when realizing that we were going to win the caucus, the moment of watching on a TV screen that the President was the nominee or even sharing with the President that Senator McCain pulled out of Michigan and realizing that we were on our way, it solidified my decision to believe in change.
When I was on the bus heading to the inauguration with Dr. King’s family, it embarked in my heart the words of Jim Wallis, we are the ones we’ve been waiting for.
I’ve been given this surreal opportunity to be the national director of African American outreach for the 1st African American President.
Jena Roscoe – a remarkable woman who held my job under President Clinton once told me – for some reason, God decided that of all the African Americans who have lived on this earth and all those who follow, that he chose you to direct African American outreach for the first African American president.
It is far bigger than me. It’s about our people.
What’s next for you in your career? What should we look out for?
I honestly don’t know what specifically is next but do know it will achieve two goals: helping to provide transformative policy, communication and outreach change for African Americans and ensuring that the President gets more time to help our people win the future.
Down the line, I’d like to get a JD/MBA to enhance my critical thinking skills and abilities to consider legal, business and economic solutions for our communities.
Whether it’s in one of those fields or through public office, I wish to be apart of the coalition to provide global economic development and parity.
Lastly, give me three words to sum up Michael.
Not About Me
