If there’s any criticism I can offer of Obama’s highly anticipated speech on race relations this morning, it’s that it requires a full listen (or read); without that, the full context will be lost — and there’s a LOT of context there. Because I have a relatively low opinion of the Average American’s ability to manage complex information (sorry…), the electorate will be at the mercy of the pundits and bloggers as they lift, and distort / spin to suit their personal world views.
Here’s the full text. When somebody gets the YouTube up, I’ll put it here , but in the meantime, go read it all. [Here’s the video, in one part]
He had a lot to say.
I realize that many folks are only interested in how he responded to the Jeremiah Wright issue, but to me, the essence of his speech is right here:
Understanding this reality requires a reminder of how we arrived at this point. As William Faulkner once wrote, “The past isn’t dead and buried. In fact, it isn’t even past.” We do not need to recite here the history of racial injustice in this country. But we do need to remind ourselves that so many of the disparities that exist in the African-American community today can be directly traced to inequalities passed on from an earlier generation that suffered under the brutal legacy of slavery and Jim Crow. […]
In fact, a similar anger exists within segments of the white community. Most working- and middle-class white Americans don’t feel that they have been particularly privileged by their race. Their experience is the immigrant experience – as far as they’re concerned, no one’s handed them anything, they’ve built it from scratch. They’ve worked hard all their lives, many times only to see their jobs shipped overseas or their pension dumped after a lifetime of labor. They are anxious about their futures, and feel their dreams slipping away; in an era of stagnant wages and global competition, opportunity comes to be seen as a zero sum game, in which your dreams come at my expense. So when they are told to bus their children to a school across town; when they hear that an African American is getting an advantage in landing a good job or a spot in a good college because of an injustice that they themselves never committed; when they’re told that their fears about crime in urban neighborhoods are somehow prejudiced, resentment builds over time. […]
Just as black anger often proved counterproductive, so have these white resentments distracted attention from the real culprits of the middle class squeeze – a corporate culture rife with inside dealing, questionable accounting practices, and short-term greed; a Washington dominated by lobbyists and special interests; economic policies that favor the few over the many. And yet, to wish away the resentments of white Americans, to label them as misguided or even racist, without recognizing they are grounded in legitimate concerns – this too widens the racial divide, and blocks the path to understanding.
I can’t even imagine a speech like this delivered at the national level prior to this moment in time.
For most of my lifetime, we’ve been forbidden to talk about any of those long-standing resentments in polite company. Instead, people seethe and nurse grievances. The longer this has continued, the farther apart some segments of society have grown. While I don’t think racism is held by more than a fringe few at any edge of the spectrum, society in general has suffered from unaddressed misunderstandings, and the resentment of dismissed concerns.
Whether Barack Obama wins the presidency or not, I think this speech alone shows that his candidacy has broken down some walls.
About danged time.
Added: Lots of folks are going to hear different things in the speech. Here are a couple of takes that I found interesting:
Pete Abel at TMV, struck by the words “Not this time”:
Better than most, those words capture, I think, why so many people from so many corners of the country — from different races, income levels, genders, and ideologies — have rallied to his candidacy: because they believe their vote for him is a vote against the past and for a different approach, a different future. Will we be divided along artificial lines of race and income and party? Not this time. Will we succumb to smear campaigns? Not this time. Will we stumble through the world blind to the fears and hopes of others? Not this time.
Justin Gardner has a media spin outtake at Donklephant (it’s an interesting early look):
So to sum up, MSNBC and CNN once again prove to be as objective as a news organization can be. And FOX, well, is FOX.
And for a truly horrifying example of the degree by which somebody can miss the whole point, here’s Charlotte Hays at The Corner:
Obama is no longer a post-racial candidate. In his speech (it’s still going on, but I’ve heard enough) today, he has embraced the politics of grievance.
Much more can be found here at memeorandum.
Barack Obama wants to both eat his cake and have it. He wants voters to rise above race and religion, while appearing religious himself. He is in deep trouble if a spotlight is placed on the non-racial aspects of his own THEOLOGY. See:
http://miraclesdaily.blogspot.com
I haven’t heard or read the speech yet, but remember, when you’re leading or teaching people, you have to start from where they are, not from where you wish they were.
What’s really striking about the Charlotte Hays comment is that she says, “Obama could have said he loved the man, but he’s wrong in his hatred of America. But that is not what Obama said.”
And, um, that IS what Obama said: “As such, Reverend Wright’s comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity;”
English are hard for understanding!
Interesting how CNN glossed over and buried remarks about white views and reconciliation in favor of the explaining the Rev. Angle. Another reason I can’t seem to get into the Obama enthusiasm space, or any other candidates space. Perhaps Obama is our last chance. Or else its too late. I am struggling not to fall into the latter view.I am encouraged by your thoughtful support of Obama. “People of goodwill” and all that. Perhaps it is not too late for Americam
Apologies for sloppy b-berry typing
Enrico, you’re quite right. Unfortunately, it’s hard to find the lowest common denominator on this issue.
John — I have to admit that, no matter how hard I try to understand people, Charlotte Hays defied my best attempts today. Confounding.
Mark — since I don’t watch the networks, I haven’t been following their spin. However, the hard right online has also managed to completely miss the rest of the message in the speech. Not sure if it’s a reading comprehension problem (such as I alluded to in the post), or just sheer knee-jerking partisanship (also a possibility). Either way, though, this will take a few days to disseminate more widely if there’s going to be any impact at all.
Christian Prophet seems to be paid today to spam all blogs with that same comment.
Personally I think Americans are sorely lacking in a attention span. I’m almost 50 and instead of actually watching the speech I down loaded the speech closed my eyes and listened. Most Americans would have been too bored or complained it was too long.
I do not have as much hope for the American people as the Senator does.
Obama has not been honest and straight forward on his neo-racism. Wright’s sermons were not somply “angers.”
What Wright is going to “roost” at the TCU on March 29, 2008?
Obama’s neo-racism, you say? Really?
I think you should elaborate, WisconsinDan.
If only people in the public eye had the courage (or the awareness) to acknowledge tht racism is rampant in America today, the only difference is that a sly look or a wink or a furtive search for anybody of the wrong color being around usually prefaces the ugly comments. Thay are all too often to be seen and read here in the Chronicle comments or various blogs. All this attention being raised and the issue being manufactured about Obama’s church is just the latest ‘swift boat’ campaign or ‘gay marriage’ false issue raised by the right-wing to distract and deflect attention from issue sof substance. The only difference here is that they have uncovered a cesspool often of their own making. Most of those making the types of comments to which I referred earlier would never vote Democrat and identify first and foremost as republicans or conservatives. Had but Sen. Obama made that claim and outed the visciousness of their hate.
Personmally Sen. Obama is not my candidate of choice, but should he become the nominee I will enthusiastically cast my vote for him without rancor.
Polimom said: “we’ve been forbidden to talk about any of those long-standing resentments in polite company. Instead, people seethe and nurse grievances. The longer this has continued, the farther apart some segments of society have grown.” Truer words were never spoken and to the extent that the Universities enforce political correctness the silence continues. For my part, I found the speech interesting. I didn’t watch it because I loathe television, but I read the entire transcript of the speech. My observations and reactions to the speech are dificult to put into words. I guess the overall reaction was to the effect that 1) Obama has a tremendous command of the obvious and 2) his understanding of the forces at work in this society are either rather shallow or he’s attempting to address multiple audiences, but not directly. I would refer you to the quote I opened with to explain. Yes, the unspoken resentments have pushed some segments of the society further apart. But I don’t think Obama has any real idea how far apart they have been pushed nor do I think he understands that the object of that resentment has shifted away from any one racial group toward the government itself. Another observation was that Obama talks about people coming together to achieve unity, all of which is very nice, but I don’t think he really understands two things. First, “unity” isn’t an agenda item for many whites in this country. It’s not on their list of things this election should be about. Second, to the extent that is true and because of the distance between the races, there’s little to no conversation going on between the racial camps. You can’t very well hope to achieve unity when it’s not on the radar screen and no one is talking.
Barak was pushed into making this speech, not so much by Wright, but rather by the media sharks who pounced on Wright’s comments and hawked them loudly on the television, radio and internet. What Barak probably doesn’t nor could know is that the mass media influences only a portion of the public. Non of the major outlets has a commanding ranking. For a great many of us in the “white” community Wright’s comments, even when brought forward on the evening news, were largely overlooked, discounted and dismissed as “business as usual” and were never painted onto or linked with Obama. Obama having been forced to address the race issue may well cost him the campaign because on of the most prevelant reactions I’ve observed is that people are now asking the question, “how much do we really know about this guy”? Well, not much, and now that he’s been brought into the racial fray, he’s become the “Black” candidate rather than the transcendent candidate.
I thought it was a good speech, but it did make me realize the extent to which, at least for me personaly, this election has become an empty process I’ll avoid and be glad to see the end of.
Hi Glide — sorry to be slow with comment response. Spring break pulled me away from the computer…
I agree, mostly, with the problems of Political Correctness. Nobody wants to be pounced upon or attacked as racist — and I truly think much of what is labeled that way these days is actually innocent ignorance. Our current state of race relations is more a reflection of prejudice (in the classic definition), and silence has merely deepened it, while fast labels have fostered deep resentment.
Meanwhile — we’re weeks away from the Pennsylvania primary…. which means the MSM is going to be bottom-feeding unabated.
Blech.