Tonight President Barack Obama addresses the NAACP. The organization is celebrating its 100th anniversary. It is so refreshing to see and hear him thank those that brought him to this point. Far too often the President has taken the opportunity to lecture black audiences instead of embracing them. Tonight he admitted that he stands on the shoulders of giants. He says on the 45th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act prejudice can not stand. He encouraged the listeners to live out the mission of the orgainzation to “eradicate bigotry, prejudice and discrimination in the United States. He stressed the importance of education and that is something that the NAACP has always encouraged. It was good to see him come to a group that has embraced him unconditionally. when he was running for president they were there if only working in the foreground, but today it is good to see him and them in the spotlight.
I hear what your saying when you say you are happy Obama has thanked those who have come before him rather than lecturing crowds of blk people. However the NAACP may not be the right org to speak of when you talk about giving the man unconditional love. If you remember it was the NAACP who was fighting for Clinton during the 2008 primaries and went to great lengths to seat the Michigan delegates, all in favor of Hillary Clinton. It was those same Civil Rights leaders who told Obama to wait his turn.
Comment by native — July 17, 2009 @ 8:28 am
You make a valid point. When I spoke of thanking the ones that supported him I meant black people. During the election the president spent alot of time trying to appeal to all and in some cases there seemed to be deliberate distance between him and black people. We as a race were his supporters. Some like the NAACP might not have been fully invested initally but after Iowa i think black people strated to think this guy might actually have a shot. Last night it was good to see him in the gratitude mode and not in the lecturing mode that in the past he has reserved for his black audiences.
Comment by musesofamom — July 17, 2009 @ 8:43 am
President Obama is the President of the United States of America, not the President of Black America. That said, I think he has been as accommodating as he can be to Black America. His work for us is through the appropriate political channels and through the tough love speeches. Someone needs to tell it like it is. He paid homage to those who paved the way in his acceptance speech and in his inaugural address. What was most interesting about the speech last night was that he articulated the legacy of structural inequities that exists in this country. I don’t believe there’s ever been that kind of acknowledgement on the national stage ever. Talking about the structural inequities builds his case for improvements in education, healthcare and practically everything else on his agenda, which is why we supported him. Afterall, we didn’t support him just because he’s black did we?
Comment by jennifer — July 17, 2009 @ 1:33 pm
We agree he is the president of all of the country. It was still fitting for him to thank the black community. During the campaign the President went out of his way to show he was not the “black” candidate. So last night it was gratifying to hear him speak to a group that was solidly in his corner, and to truly speak to them not merely lecture them on the ills that are in the community. No, he was not supported just because he was black but for me it was a factor, but I would not have voted for him simply for that reason. He was more than qualified and again i say it was good to hear him say thanks.
Comment by musesofamom — July 17, 2009 @ 1:55 pm