Press Release

Media Invited to Press Conference With An Obama Campaigner!

The American Cultural Center invited the media to a press conference with Mr. Eric Casher at 11h00 on February 23, 2009 in the American Cultural Center Auditorium, Third Floor, Sanlam Building.  He is an attorney and also a campaign volunteer for President Barack Obama during the recent U.S. elections.  Eric was visiting Namibia as part of the U.S. Embassy’s celebration of Black History Month.  He looked forward to disusing African American political progress, the civil rights movement, and his recent experiences on the campaign trail with the media.  

“It is a real honor to host Mr. Casher, as he has a wealth of experience and knowledge of the civil rights movement in the U.S.   All of us are looking forward to hearing about his experience on the campaign trail.

“There will be a public lecture in Auditorium 1 at the Polytechnic of Namibia on Thursday, February 26, from 18h00 for 18h30.  We look forward to a large crowd and I especially encourage Namibian youth to attend.  Eric has a lot of information about impact that young Americans have had on the recent elections, and this is the first year that Namibians born after independence will be able to vote.  He has a lot to say to this group,” said Ray Castillo, Director of the American Cultural Center Director. 

In April of 2007, Eric began work on Barack Obama’s presidential campaign serving initially as a fundraiser and later as a field organizer.  In September of 2007, Eric accepted a position as the Northern California Coordinator for Young Lawyers for Obama (“YLFO”) where he created and managed a network of over 500 attorneys in Northern California.  In August of 2008, Eric was appointed to the National Finance Committee for the Obama campaign where he currently serves as an active member.

Throughout the Presidential election Eric participated in, and coordinated, a number of activities and efforts to assist the Obama campaign.  Eric hosted, and helped plan, over 30 fundraisers and events for the campaign, many of which were attended by President Elect Obama.  In addition, Eric traveled to Iowa, Texas, Nevada, and New Mexico where he organized teams of attorneys to conduct field work, as well as, voter protection and voter education activities.  Eric grew the Northern California Chapter of Young Lawyers for Obama from 50 members to 500, and inspired many of his members to take an active role in fundraising and grass roots organizing.  Eric also provided legal assistance to the campaign researching election laws for National Finance Committee members. 

Eric has been interviewed by multiple media outlets regarding his work on the Obama campaign including National Public Radio (“NPR”), the UC Berkeley School of Journalism, New America Media, and was mentioned in the New York Times as an “Obama bundler.”  Eric has also served as a public speaker and surrogate for the campaign speaking at numerous fundraisers and events throughout the presidential primary and general election.  

Eric is currently the Vice Chair for the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Construction Barristers Group, and the Mentor Committee Chair for the Hastings BLSA Alumni Mentorship Program.  In addition, Eric currently serves as an Advisory Board Member for the New Leaders Council, a non-profit organization focused on political leadership training. 

For more information, please contact Public Affairs Officer, Ray Castillo, at 0811280816, or Information Specialist, Roger Lyners, at 229-801 [ext. 226].