Barack Obama on Race and Forming a More Perfect Union

Yesterday, March 18, 2008, was a seminal moment in this presidential campaign, and in the history of American politics. Speaking at the National Constitution Center, Senator Barack Obama engaged the nation in a powerful examination of race in the United States, offering an emotional, intellectually sophisticated, and brutally honest perspective on the role of racism in our history, the still influential role it plays in our contemporary society, and, perhaps most importantly, on the role he hopes racial reconciliation will play in our nation's future as we pour our best efforts into making real progress on the social and economic concerns that affect all Americans.

As the son of an African father and white Kansan mother, Obama has lived his life as a bridge between two segments of society that are far too divided, and often very mistrustful of the other. His life experience has uniquely enabled him to speak with authority and conviction about how we might begin to move forward as one America, and it has uniquely enabled him to be a leader that can help guide us down that new path.

The New York Times editorial board justifiably described Obama's effort and performance as nothing less than a "Profile in Courage." I indeed believe that Senator Obama's actions merit inclusion in with those historical American political figures who were described in John F. Kennedy's Pulitzer-Prize winning book of the same name.

When Barack Obama gave his now famous keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, I was amazed, inspired, and hopeful about his vision for the future of the United States. I've watched him speak many times since then, and consistently, I have been inspired and proud of where he could take our country. Nonetheless, I believe his address yesterday was the best, most powerful speech he has given since his call to action at the 2004 convention.

I strongly recommend that readers watch this speech for themselves in its entirety, if you have not already done so. It is approximately 37 minutes in length, but I believe it is well worth it. Just follow this link: <http://my.barackobama.com/page/m/f16fa04507a57ff5/faVeqi/VEsE/>.

In closing, I want to note a truly remarkable historical parallel between the March 18 speech and that given by another Presidential candidate during the 1980 campaign.

During that cycle, Ronald Reagan chose to give a major speech, in which he extolled the virtues of "states' rights" in an unmistakable, racially polarizing effort to inflame the bigotry of whites againsts blacks. The rallying cry of "states' rights" was the calling card of Southern states in the U.S. who stood against the federal government "meddling" in the issue of slavery. These states, and the supporters of slavery, held the view that slavery was a matter that, as to its practice, ought to be left to the judgement of each individual state, under the pretense of "sovereignty."

This speech by Reagan was given in a city where there occurred a well-known, gruesome lynching of several black people during the dark days of the Civil Rights movement in the South. Reagan's 1980 campaign was one that perfected the politics of exploiting race and racism for electoral benefit, but to the manifest detriment of our social fabric.

Ronald Reagan's divisive electoral appeal was issued in Philadelphia, Mississippi.

In the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama chose to give a major speech, in which he held forth on the lingering anger, bittnerness, and resentment over race in the United States, and issued a powerful call to action. That Americans of all races embrace the essence of change that has enriched our nation in so many ways, recongnize our shared humanity, and genuninely embrace our shared hopes and dreams, so that we might actually start making some of them a reality.

Obama's challenge for all Americans to take that first unifying step was issued in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

We may yet be a distance away from where we want and need to be as a nation. But in order to get there, we must start the journey here and now.

<http://my.barackobama.com/page/m/f16fa04507a57ff5/faVeqi/VEsE/>