The Baltimore Sun from Baltimore, Maryland • Page A4

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going to be eradicated just because a black man is said Winston English, 17, of East Baltimore a break from final exams with several classmates, all of whom were neatly dressed in the uniform of collared shirts and khaki bottoms. In fact, said YasmineColes, 17, Obama as president just might make life harder for the next generation. She suspects many business owners will make a point not to hire black applicants, to spite Obama and his supporters. will be people who say, long as in that chair, no black man or no black woman is going to be a part of my busi- people will be cruel for no The Freedom Academy, which houses 280 students in unused space at Lombard Middle School in East Baltimore, sits in a neighborhood of rowhouses a walk from an adult movie theater and a bustling strip of trendy Latin American restaurants. Nearby, the growing Harbor East neighborhood attracts WholeFoods shoppers and wine enthusiasts.

Students come to the Freedom Academy from all over the year, administrators compile a waiting list of hundreds. One draw is the success rate. For the last two years, 100 percent of the seniors have been accepted to college. The students discussing victoryall have college on the horizon and impressive career goals. Coleswants to open a law firm; Englishsees himself as a psychologist.

Because of Obama, Breanna Johnson, 16, a sophomore at the academy, envisions a day when more of her peers will aim for high-profile careers maybe, in politics. years from now, going to be a lot of black males that run for president, or black females who want to do something in she said. And if not, at the very least, it could keep some young people in school, said English. probably get a lot of black men to stay out of he said. kids in general, looks up to these rappers and these basketball players.

Maybe this will make them say, me run something, let me run a of want to be a TafariMills, 15, thinks unfortunate that his peers believe Oba- ma has the power to eradicate racism or fan the flames of it, simply by being president. think people might have too many expectations for said Mills, a sophomore. should just see him as a black man trying to make a change in this country. People seem to understand not just about black people. He has a whole country to run.

And just a man. a symbol in some ways, maybe for the older generation, but to me, just a man as much of a symbol as people Coles would have voted for Clinton, had she been old enough with that point. have a whole country of black people looking at him like a god or like another re-creation of Martin Luther she said. look at him like But some young people just help themselves. The idea that an African-American could become president is exhilarating.

For Farmer, the nomination means change is in the air that his older relatives never believed would happen. great-grandmother said that she believe that a white woman and a black man ran for president of the United States. She still believe said Farmer. believe it at first, but as time went on, I could tell it was going to happen. And I think that if it happen this time, happen before I Adults who follow youth culture say they, too, have seen an impact from candidacy, though some fear his inspirational story will not resonate with poor people in the inner city.

Chantel Clea, who is chairwoman of the Baltimore City Youth Commission, which advises the City Council on youth issues, has seen candidacy motivate even younger Baltimoreans, particularly her cousins, ages 7, 11 and 14. is something our genera- tioncan say we have been a part Clea said. "Our parents and grandparents, they can say they were a part of the civil rights movement or the March on Washington. We can actually donated money to the campaign for the first black president of the United He has given my generation and the generation behind me a sense of hope and something we can tangibly belong to. if he does not win, for a lot of people about being engaged in the process and knowing that I can make a she said.

know that not that far fetched that as an African-American in Baltimore city, or anywhere, I can actually hold the seat of highest office and I can actually be taken Such a statement marks a real change in American society, said FarajiiMuhammad, president of the Towson-based New Light Leadership coalition, which trains youth to be political activists. if for some reason he make it to the presidency, know for sure, there is some young black person who is saying right now, has paved the way thus far; if not this time, next time, we can do Muhammad, 29, who hosts a radio show on WEAA called Listen Up discusses politics, education and economics aimed at a young urban audience, said he hopes message can empower youth, particularly those confronting issues of poverty and violence. Baltimore school officials certainly hope the enthusiastic predictions prove true. think it will be tremendous for all children in the country, not simply African-American said city schools chief Andres Alonso. it will mean most to African-American children and to immigrant children.

What a life But other experts think influence will be uneven at best especially in high-poverty, high- crime areas such as Baltimore. am wondering if the novelty will rub off, particularly among those youth who have economic struggles as it relates to living in poor Fred- rickC. Harris, a political science professor at Columbia University and director of the Center on African American Politics and Society. question is: Is an African- American elected to the highest office going to alter their economic circumstances? They still have tocontend with the drug dealers in their communities, the crumbling public schools and just making it day to Back at the Baltimore Freedom Academy, Johnson agrees. see him making that much of a change that all people are going to say, Barack Oba- ma is president.

Let me go to she said. are still going to do what they want to said Jasmine Cooper, 15, a sophomore. But English still is hopeful, and waiting to see if that hope will become Obama promises real change. Just last week he was talking to a grandmother who got teary-eyed when discussing her discrimination-filled childhood and, consequently, what possible nomination meant to her. stuff she went through was English said.

to go from there to this point, amazing. Now I just want to see what type of changes going to make for black people, for Hispanic people, for all nationalities. Because still hard out here. Even now, hard to get a job. So I just want to see what changes are going to get tanika.white@baltsun.com kelly.brewington@baltsun.com Sun reporter Sara Neufeld contributed to this article.

Students reflect on victory YOUTH Page ONLINE More campaign news at balti- moresun.com/election2008 Winston English, Cooper, Tafari Mills, 15, share their thoughts about Sen. Barack Obama. KIM HAIRSTON.