Jones was invited to speak at the 2008 Democratic National Convention . On 27 August , she delivered her text , an endorsement of then-Senator Barack Obama . In her speech , she shared her projection of how Obama would serve as commander-in-chief of the military , supporting the common soldier . She said , " He 'll fully fund the VA , so all our returning heroes get the quality care they deserve . And when it comes to the national shame of too many homeless veterans , Barack Obama has one simple policy : Zero tolerance . " On 19 May 2009 , she was among the four American women given the 2009 Spirit of Democracy Award by the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation . The other awardees were California Representative Barbara Lee , actress Sheryl Lee Ralph and magazine editor Susan L. Taylor
2008 Democratic National Convention
2008 Democratic National Convention
Michele S. Jones