George Floyd protests: Barack Obama comes out swinging in iconic address to young people of color
Many have weighed in on the increased racial tensions across the US in the wake of George Floyd’s death. From actors to journalists to musicians to politicians and even former presidents. The latest one in the last department is Barack Obama, the 44th US President and the first African-American one.
“As tragic as these past few weeks have been, as difficult, scary and uncertain as they've been, they have also been an incredible opportunity for people to be awakened,” said Obama in his first on-camera statement on Floyd’s death, at a virtual event hosted by My Brother's Keeper Alliance on Wednesday, June 3. It is, he said, a moment to “change America and make it live up to its highest ideals.”
“What has happened over the last several weeks is -- challenges and structural problems here in the United States have been thrown into high relief. They are the outcomes not just of the immediate moments in time, but they're the result of a long history of slavery and Jim Crow and redlining and institutionalized racism that too often have been the plague, the original sin of our society.”
“It is very important for us to take the momentum that has been created, as a society, as a country and say, 'Let’s use this to finally have an impact',” said Obama, talking about the myriad protests that have sprung up across the country since Floyd’s death.
“You look at those protests, and that was a far more representative cross-section of America out on the streets peacefully protesting who felt moved to do something because of the injustices that they had seen,” said Obama. “That didn’t exist back in the 1960s, that kind of broad coalition.”
He then directed his words to those in charge. Obama said, “I am urging every mayor in this country to review your use of force policies for members of your community and commit to report on planned reforms. We need Mayors, County Executives and others who are in positions of power to say, this is a priority, this is a specific response.”
“I want to speak directly to the young men and women of color in this country, who have witnessed too much violence & death. Too often, that violence has come from folks who were supposed to be serving and protecting you. Your lives matter and your dreams matter,” he said. “I hope you also feel hopeful even as you feel angry because you have the power to make things better -- you’ve communicated a sense of urgency.”
Obama’s speech is similar to the essay he published on Medium on Monday, June 1. Titled, ‘How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change’, Obama spoke about structural racism and police reform.
He wrote, “The waves of protests across the country represent a genuine and legitimate frustration over a decades-long failure to reform police practices and the broader criminal justice system in the United States. The overwhelming majority of participants have been peaceful, courageous, responsible, and inspiring. They deserve our respect and support, not condemnation.”