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Donna Brazile grew up black in the Deep South, coming face to face with racism every day.
So when she found herself on stage during the inauguration of the first black president of the United States, she could hardly believe it.
"Let this go on record," she said Tuesday night to more than 100 in Kutztown University's Schaeffer Auditorium. "I never thought I'd see this happen."
Brazile spoke as part of the university's Diversity Speaker Series.
A Democratic National Committee official and nationally known political commentator, she left no question about her politics when she greeted the crowd.
"Let me say again, you look good in blue," she said, a reference to Democratic states being colored blue on political maps.
Most of the topics in her hour-long speech had to do with the young tenure of President Barack Obama.
Brazile appealed for patience.
"It's not easy being president of these United States," she said. "It's March Madness in Washington right now."
Despite the hardships of the current economic crisis, opportunity also is in the air, Brazile said. She said citizens should ask their government, and themselves, to do more, not less.
"This is our moment, this is our time," she said. "We need to prepare and do battle for change."
Brazile said she is mostly pleased with the direction Obama is taking and talked excitedly about subjects he was expected to bring up in his press conference Tuesday night.
The first was renewable energy, which Brazile said could create thousands of jobs. She cited a Pennsylvania factory that is to get $300 million from the federal stimulus bill to build energy-efficient doors and windows.
She also touted new funding for food stamps, early education, and college grants and loans.
Brazile said she believes Obama will cut the federal deficit in half by the end of his first term and encouraged people to let him put everything on the table before they judge him.
But Brazile said she won't blindly follow Obama's lead and will continue to look critically at policies and point out when they don't make sense.
And she encouraged the crowd to do the same, stressing that people need to stay engaged in the political process and be willing to sacrifice for change.
"What kind of world do we want our kids to inherit?" she asked. "The world will not wait for us ... to get our act together."
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