Lisa Jack: the Woman Who Didn't Go for the Bling by Selling Out Barack Obama

Lisa Jack did the right thing, when it came to her photos of Barack Obama.

At a time in American history and culture when money rules and bling was king, Lisa decided not to auction her precious photos of Barack Obama to the highest bidder.

The LATimes writes, and I agree, Obama can thank Jack for keeping the roll of photographs she took of him in 1980 out of circulation until he was elected.

Those photos, first circulated in Time magazine's December "Person of the Year" issue, probably would have cost Obama the election.

"I'm sure Hillary would have paid a fortune for them: 'Is this who you want picking up the phone at 3 a.m.?' " Jack said from Minneapolis, her discourse earthy, humorous and freewheeling, sometimes salty. "I could have made a boatload of money, probably, but I wanted to do it right."

I doubt that Barack and Michelle Obama ever thought about Lisa Jack's long-lost photos, as they worked late into the night with advisers, plotting the next day's campaign strategy.

Who knew that long-lost photos of our very relaxed, chilled-out future president enjoying his L.A. Occidental College days, threatened to undermine the buttoned-up Mister President image Barack Obama projects today?

Jack speculates about what the Clintons would have paid for those photos. Whatever the price, the Republicans and hate groups would have doubled it.

Lisa Jack's actions in not 'selling out' are a reminder that "Yes We Can" is a big movement that crosses racial lines.

For every 'sassy' ( a positive word to Third Wave feminists) or 'watermelon' affront that serves to reinforce beliefs among African Americans that nothing much has changed in American race relations, we have the really, really big actions of a person like Lisa Jack.

Her willingness to not take the bling bling generated no headlines and no fanfare in the blogosphere. She's just another Minnesota girl.

As I recall, the movement to change race relations in America and to desegregate the South crossed racial lines. Jack's actions remind us that 50 years later, that commitment is still alive.

21 of the 36 Lisa Jack photos, plus a blow-up of her original contact sheet, make up "Barack Obama: The Freshman," an exhibition opening Thursday at M+B Gallery in West Hollywood.

Anne