I will be distributing in class today, our first meeting, a copy of Barack Obama's speech on race which he delivered last March. After reading and pondering his speech, I want you to address the following:
(1) What do you think of his speech in terms of his depiction of the current state of race relations in America, particularly between Blacks and Whites?
(2) Quote any portion of the speech which you believe is especially insightful and tell why you thought it was insightful.
I am looking for roughly TWO paragraphs or so (I may give you a chance to comment on it again later in the semester, at which time I may ask for a bit more.)
Post your comments NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, SEPT. 12TH.
You will receive 5 activity points for this exercise.
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13 comments:
1) I completely agree with Barack Obama's views of black and white relations. They way he puts it, blacks are still behind in the race of equality. On page five of Obama's speech, he basically says the black areas are lacking. They don't have parks for kids, police to protect, garbage services, etc. Areas like this "create a cycle of violence," he also says, which is true. There is no structure for people to live within and no safe haven for kids and families to retreat.
Obama also makes it known in his speech that he's aware there are problems for whites and other races as well. But whites never faced the "humiliation," or have the "anger and the bitterness" from years of slavery and inequality left in them (page 5).
2) On page one Obama states, "...we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction- towards a better future for our children and our grandchildren." I really like this quote because it is so true, or should be. The people of America, regardless of race and backgrounds, need to put aside our differences to work towards a common, very important, goal: the future.
1) The further I dove into the speech the more I felt like Obama was controdicting himself on the matter of which race he belonged too and was speaking about. He begins by explaining his vast heritage, with his father from Kenya and his mother from Kansas. He appeals to his listeners using logos to convice us that "we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems." This is true, and I absolutely agree that our nation desperately needs unity, however, in Obama's attempt to not take sides, he took a side in his speech. He spends the better portion of the address portaying the black community, "the black experience in America," and it's conditions and fails to adequetely include the conditions of the growing Latino population and those of other minorities. Obama in this speech is still,yet again, only seeing in black and white. And, Obama makes an excuse for Reverand Wright's comments (although I'm not 100% knowledgable as to what he said)saying, "his generation grew in the late fifties and early sixties, a time when segregation was still the law of the land."
2) Granted, the entire address was not a flop. I believe he is correct when stating the "anger (from racism) distracts attention from solving real problems... it prevents communities from forging alliances to bring about real change." That's absolutely right. If white folks continue to shrug it off as someone else's problem then there is a lack of interest and involvement to spur change. And if we are all pointing fingers then of course nothing is going to get done!
Barack Obama's speech on race was a very well written speech and helped shed some light on part of his campaign. He impressed me by not trying to say how he was going to change the problem but help guide the country to working together to change the situation we are in. His speech adresses the issues in a way that doesn't pit whites vs. blacks but in a way to show a hope that we may take small steps down a long road for change.
At one point in his speech he calls the racial situation we are in a "racial stalemate." This part of his speech impressed me because he did not claim to change the current dilemma we are in but rather he said it would take more than 1 election for a real change to occur. I believe that sometime in the future there will be a time where racism will not be such a predominant issue, but it is going to take a long time. Racism is an issue that will have to be dealt with forever. I believe it is only human nature to be attracted to people who are similar to you, but the hope is that in the end people will not consider race or ethnicity as a similarity or a difference but as a attribute that does not determine who a person is. If this is achieved, the "union" that Barack Obama talks about may be a tangible goal.
Barack Obama’s speech depicts the current state race relations almost perfectly. Barack, himself, has a black father from Kenya and a white mother from Kansas, which can only be considered common in the United States of America. The fact that a man who is running for the position of the President of the United States can have an interracial family shows that our country can be united. He states that “this nation is more than the sum of its parts- that out of many, we are truly one,” which is echoed in his own family (2). To me, Barack’s personal story exemplifies the potential this nation has. We can truly unite and grow as a nation. Although we have the potential to be great and united, it is still true that we have a long way to go.
When Barack comments that throughout his campaign people have stated he is “either ‘too black’ or ‘not black enough,’” it shows the tainted perception of race we have (2). Sadly, I think that has become a terrible stereotype of the race made by white Americans. There is a broad range of what a person can become and it is unfair to access that according to how accurately one thinks that person relates to their own race. In Dr. Ginnocchio’s basic definitions handout, it states that races have become merely “socially defined groupings and are meaningful only to the extent that people make them so,” which shows the poor perception of those individuals that, during Barack’s campaign, decided that he was “‘too black’ or ‘not black enough’”. Lastly, I think that Barack was right to address many of the issues that Americans choose to ignore, such as segregated schools being inferior, legalized discrimination, and a lack of services for black communities. These are the small issues of our society that will continue to be ignored, building all the while, if we do not start addressing them now.
(1) I believe that Obama spoke very correctly and insightfully about the current state of race relations in America. It is a sensitive topic, and one which is often precarious to bring up, but Obama characterizes the frustrations on both sides, which distract the populous from working together. Obama sums up the current race climate best in these two lines: “Just as black anger often proved counterproductive, so have these white resentments. This is where we are right now. It's a racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years”. When the grievances of the blacks and whites are not discussed openly, as they often are not, they began to fester and become more divisive and harmful. Instead of uniting to make change, people turn against those they believe to be the problem, and their anger is often misplaced.
(2) “In the white community, the path to a more perfect union means acknowledging that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination - and current incidents of discrimination, while less overt than in the past - are real and must be addressed … It requires all Americans to realize that your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams; that investing in the health, welfare, and education of black and brown and white children will ultimately help all of America prosper”.
Obama is able to both point out the injustices that have been (and still are) committed against the African-American community, while insisting that the reparations (however inadequate) will benefit all Americans. It is important to acknowledge that discrimination is not just in the minds of African Americans because when this is not affirmed, it can easily contibute to misattributed feelings of self-blame, defeat, and humiliation. These feelings cannot be remedied because, although self-reliance is important, it cannot be accomplished on such an uneven playing field. Obama calls attention to the fact that for one group to benefit another does not need to suffer, but instead both can unite and channel their combined energy into improving the lives of all. One way this can happen is by providing everyone with solid educations and opportunities to succeed. When this is done we reduce the number of people left on the streets to deal with poverty and feelings of hopelessness, which contribute to drug use and crime, harming all members of the community.
1.Reading Barack Obama’s speech on race had a very different affect on me than when I first listened to it. After reading it, I found it to be even more outstanding. Senator Obama painted a great picture on the current state of race relations in America today. As I look around this campus, I believe it fairly illustrates how race is still played out in America, which coincides with the image he painted in his speech. Yes, African Americans have a little more advantages in recent years than in the past; however, there are still disadvantages in the world for people of color. When Obama stated that the anger does not come out in public when race is mentioned he was right. As an African American I can attest that our angry views are often times more heavily expressed, just as Obama mentioned, in the beauty/barber shops and at our kitchen tables rather than in the public eye. Race relations is an issue that needs to be addressed more and not just when a presidential election comes around. Obama states, “The young people whose attitudes and beliefs and openness to change have already made history in this election”. I believe that my generation is the generation that will take race issues to the next level by addressing it more and coming up with a solution.
2.Obama states, “As such, Reverend Wright's comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity; racially charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems - two wars, a terrorist threat, a falling economy, a chronic health care crisis and potentially devastating climate change; problems that are neither black or white or Latino or Asian, but rather problems that confront us all”.
I agree with this statement wholeheartedly because now is the time for unity. It is the time for change. As Americans we need to come together not only when disaster strikes but always; it is time for us to set a better example for other countries. If we were to come together and stop making everything a black/white issue many things could be addressed and solved in this country we call home. A failing economy and health care crisis should be something we should work together to fix. Just as Obama stated these are problems that have no race and they affect us all; so why not come together to be the change this nation needs.
1) I agreed with Obama's speech in numerous ways even though he really only focused on Black and White race which is probably the biggest problem. He started off letting us know he really isn't on sides because his mother is a white american from Kansas while his father, a Kenyan man. After this fact, I was more into his speech because I have a black father and white mother and I associate with both sides often so I understand. The biggest issue Obama hit I believe was clear cut and said we need to basically come together and build unity because this isn't helping the cause of solving these monumental problems. I think Obama is saying we can't just run from the situation and we have to face it because everyone in the world knows it happens and many experience it everday. So addressing it and then solving is the way to go and a multi-race as well as a woman running for president this year are examples of moving in a positive directions.
2) "Unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction." This whole quote is what everyone should be striving for, because no matter what we are all different but we can have the same goal and accomplish it together. This quote is my favorite and the most powerful, and someone coming from both spectrums of the stick should be our president if we want to move in that direction, it would help out a great deal.
I feel that in describing his lineage and the subsequent harassment that he has gotten for his race, Barack Obama hit the nail on the head for race. The fact that he is considered black by many due to his father being from Kenya and how many do not consider him black due to his mother being a white Kansas woman depicts the problem with race in the United States today. We have such a strangle-hold upon what we define as white or black that we are unable to simply look at our similarities; and Obama points this out. As Obama stated: "this nation is more than the sum of its parts- that out of many, we are truly one." I agree that we have a long way to go, but Obama's highlighting of the duality of our own lives makes it so that we have gone that much further.
For me, the most insightful piece is that where Obama states that he "can no more disown him [Wright] than [he] can disown the black community" nor his "white grandmother – a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for [him], a woman who loves [him] as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made [him] cringe". The juxtaposition of the two races and their inability to fully let go of their race shows that everybody has a long way to go. Moreover, the way he ends this section: "These people are a part of me. And they are a part of America, this country that I love," provides hope for tomorrow; that despite what is wrong with America and Americans, this is still our home and our people. Him highlighting that all of us have a ways to go, shows that we aren't in this alone and that we can help each other.
Barack Obama's speech on race was absolutely unbelievable. I believe he hit the nail right on the head when he said, "...I believe deeply that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together--unless we perfect our union by understanding that we may have different stories, but we hold common hopes; that we may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction--towards a better future for our children and our grandchildren." No matter what color we are, we are all Americans; and quite frankly we are all people. Everyone deserves an opportunity to be their best, but how can one be his or her best when there is so much anger?
Anger is an issue that I thought he discussed flawlessly: "That anger is not always productive...But the anger is real; it is powerful; and to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races." People aren't angry because they feel like it-they are angry because what was actual reality. However, being angry does not fix anything-it only intensifies the problem. If people continue to hold grudges then there will always be bitterness between races even centuries from now. We must all come together as fellow Americans and stop the anger that may not be rightfully directed towards each other.
Unfortunately, I felt that this speech was largely a mere defense of Barack Obama's pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright. However, Obama makes some very valid points concerning race and how it affects modern American society. I think he is honest about the state of many black people when he uses the word "bitterness" to describe the "black experience in America." Many white politicians would be slandered for accusing someone of being bitter, but I think that because Obama is black he is able to more clearly and without repercussion discuss how African Americans feel. Not only does he describe the bitterness within his own black community but also the "shocking ignorance." I found that particularly insightful, because Obama is able to admit that there is ignorance among his people and in so doing, admit that there are problems and major discrepancies between the races of this country. So, he is not turning a blind eye, and that is one of the more important facts of his speech; that we need to deal with the issues of race to get over them so that we may in turn stand as a united front of America.
There was one section of his speech that I noticed particular stereotypes being addressed, but in all honesty, I was not quite sure how I felt about what he had to say in response to them. Firstly, when he was talking about the campaign in South Carolina "where the Confederate Flag still flies," I felt this was a typical stereotype portrayed of the South. I happen to believe that the Confederate Flag is a symbol history, just like the first flag of the United States represents our nation's early beginnings. The flag is not a representation of deep seated racism in the South as Obama seemed to use it in his speech. Finally, I thought he did address the stereotype of what a black man should be very well. As I can imagine, his tone would have suggested sarcasm when referring to how commentators have called him "too black" or "not black enough." Who decides what is black and what is not? How does one determine a level of "blackness?" Obama does a good job in essentially dismissing the notion that his own level of blackness has anything to do with his candidacy for president.
1-2.) Barack Obama's speech on race in America and the inherent issues of race relations between not only whites and blacks, but among persons of all ethnic backgrounds was certainly the most concise and informative oration of its type. In his address, Obama begins with a quote that I find to be more pertinent to our current-day nation than ever before. The very first line of the speech starts with: "We the people, in order to for a more perfect union," an obvious reference to a passage from the Constitution of the United States. I felt that this opening line epitomizes the overall message that we, as a nation,have been recalcitrant to comprehend. Throughout the ages, since America's birth we have not addressed the issue of racial discrimination and race relations in the US. Immigrants, black-folk, and foreigners have always been viewed as somewhat inferior or ruthlessly uncivilized in comparison to the exceeding majority of white, European people whom themselves were once non-natives to what we now call our home soil. Obama's speech emphasizes the fact that we must strive to create a common medium for racial equilibrium in a society that has historically manufactured social, racial, and socio-economic divisions as a means of identifying with those whom we call our own race, whether that be "white;" whatever that may be, "black;" define that as you wish, or "yellow."
As the speech continues forward, Obama addresses what most would reference as a form of "The State of the Union Address;" he talks about such issues as the "chronic health care crisis," "a falling economy," and a "terrorist threat." Immediately following these assertions he opens up to the overall theme of his speech which, most obviously, is that of race. These national issues which he assesses are truthfully not just those of the white majority in America, the black minority, or any other various ethnic groups that comprise the remaining American populous; rather, these aforementioned issues are national problems, problems that neither black nor white, hispanic, latino, nor Muslim should have to confront alone. We, as Obama charges, must confront these problems as one, one country, one ethnic group, and one people. The racial prejudices which have formed barriers between persons of all color in America must be discarded and a brighter, "more prosperous" America must be the goal in sight. Obama's desensitization of the issue on race relations in America is key to pushing forward and past the presuppositions that one person is more socially accepted than another simply due to his or her skin-color.
He started this speech with the contradiction in the Constitution, a set of rights which hails freedom for all, yet permitted such an abomination as slavery, even upon its ratification. Talking about his own diverse heritage to the experiences facing all Americans, white or black, rich or poor, Obama effectively has exposed issues some feel would be better off left untouched. It is no wonder issues of this nature have not been expressed for as long as they have, but the problem of racial prejudice still remains and we all know that something needs to be done about it in order to "move forward" as a nation. The President, The House of Representatives, and Congress, all of the tertiary branches that make up our unique republic, are not the ones that have the decision to change the way in which we perceive one another; instead, the change and the way that we view one another,person-to-person must come from within our own society and our own people. For generations we have been the sounding board for many of these problems and have yet to say anything about them as a whole, racially indiscriminate people. Perhaps the divisions that have for so long torn us from accepting one another as one will never fully be recognized or fully reconciled, but Obama and his speech on race in America is just one more step towards America rallying to become one, one people, and one united.
(1) Upon reading Barack Obama's speech on race, I must confess that his depiction of the current state of race relations between Black and Whites rings true to me. His speech starts off with some of the history between Black and Whites and I found it particularly noteworthy that he pointed out that it is necessary for each American to do their part to narrow the gap between the promise of the Constitution and the reality of our past and present. Obama points out both similarities and differences between Whites and Blacks and I think that was the right and only way he could have presented the current state of affairs. In saying that, I am also glad he focused the most on what should bring us together. Our common hopes for a better future, should be enough to overcome the fact that we do not look the same and haven't grown up in the same places.
(2) I found his views on the racial divide and its contiued widening particularly insightful. I am glad that he places resposibility for this on both Whites and Blacks. I think he did a great job incorporating many of the injustices all Americans face and not just Whites and Blacks. The quote, "And [the path to a more perfect union] means taking full responsibility for own lives-by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges adn discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write thier own destiny." Towards the end of his speech he talks about his hope in the next generation and I personally agree with and support his hope. While change can start now and is occuring now, the youth, the younger generation, are the ones that will see and help this change come to its fruition
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