Barack Obama’s Presidential speech
“A More Perfect Union”
Senator and President Barack Obama gave a presidential speech on March 18, 2008. The central idea of the speech was to talk about race and how it ties in with healthcare, education, and jobs for the jobless. The speech was from both the white and black side of racism. He spoke of how his mother was white and father was black. And how even from his own family, the people he loved, he heard racial statements, he talks of how racism is a topic we as a nation cannot afford to ignore.
Obama talks about how we will never have a perfect union, but instead he implies that we as a country should continue to perfect our union. To continue in the footsteps of those who came before us, to further a free, caring, equal, and more successful America. To move beyond racial standoff, face our challenges, and act accordingly. At the beginning the central idea held rational and easily understandable information. “The path to a more perfect union” the acknowledgement that afflicts the community does not only exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination is real and must prevail discussion. He spoke equally from both white racism and black racism, and that this problem should be acknowledged before any process could be achieved.
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The editorial “‘Black and More Than Black’: Obama’s Daring and Unique Speech on Race” by David Corn was written March 18, 2008.
Found on the MotherJones website was written about Barack Obama's presidential speech about his views on all racism. The author talks from the perspective of being a supporter to the candidate and his speech. “Obama was not playing the race card. He was shooting the moon.” the author says this about Obama's speech where he declares the racial divide. And talks of forming a coalition to transform america. If the author has a biased opinion it could be due to their political views on the topic or who the running candidate
is. Unlike in the last editorial, the writer of “The Racial Stalemate” published on March 18, 2008 by Kate Sheppard. Compared to the last editorial read this one is more biased. The author starts off by saying they think Obama's speech hit the appropriate tone in many ways. The writer was in the same perspective as the one from the first editorial seeming to be on the same train of thought as Obama, saying that the way he had set the tone of speech was appropriate, by “not embracing bitterness or divisiveness.” The two editorials were from nearly the same perspective, but the second editorial was a more biased and opinionated, unlike the first one which mostly suck to talking of the speech and what it meant. Both the perspectives were from Obama’s side, agreeing with most of what he said and backing up his speech through their own editorial. Viewing or reading this speech could be taken many ways from the perspective it is viewed.
Roy Peter Clark, author of “A More Perfect Union”: Why It Worked, takes a stance on President Barack Obama’s speech while analyzing it. President Barack Obama delivered a speech titled “A More Perfect Union.” His speech focused on the prominent issue of racism in America. In this article, Clark talks about President Obama’s known power and brilliance. Clark makes references and comparisons to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and W.EB. DuBois. “A More Perfect Union” features writing techniques that makes the message more defined and effective. President Obama utilizes four closely related rhetorical strategies. Clark broadly explains the purpose of the rhetorical strategies. Allusion, parallelism, two-ness, and autobiography helped to shape President Obama’s speech that that was meant to create
He talks about how the emancipation is very important to us African Americans, but to other white people it was just a speech because it did not really involve them, so they really just did not care because it was not their history. As Americans, I feel we share the same history because it was just not the blacks that got everything passed for them, but it was also the whites because we all played a separate part with it. When issues like this come up I just look back on the elections of my president Obama. Every one said that us as African Americans we got him into office both times, but if the whole black population would of voted just for Obama he would not have won.... ...
The author states racism is all around us and we should talk about racial discrimination. Throughout her book she explains the hesitation people have about talking about racialism. She argues that people are silent out of fear of being impolite, indiscreet and infringing boundaries.
Martin Luther King believed in integration, he believed that everyone, blacks and whites should live and work together as equals. ‘I have a dream that … one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.' He held hope that one day black and white Americans would be united as one nation. This approach was crucial for engaging the white community. King was best able to expres...
“A More Perfect Union” was delivered by Barack Obama on March 18, 2008. At the time her gave the speech he was senator and running in the president election. Obama responded to his former pastor Jeremiah Wright, and also discussed the issue with race in America. This problem is important to us as a whole, because we went through plenty of racism in the past. He wants the prevent those incidents from according again. He did an excellent job using rhetoric tools to support his beliefs, which led to a successful election.
He discussions about blacks and how it was “the greatest betrayal of the America idea.” The reason why it was the greatest betrayal of the American was because the blacks were treated as slaves and that isn’t what America is thought to be. America is suppose to the the “land of the brave and the home of the free,” but blacks were taken for granted as a low division, under-class peasant. Upon his written article, he tries to persuade the African Americans not to join a multicultural movement that may leave off with what was originally plan. The set goal for what America stands for is to stay unified as one. If the African Americans don’t stay unified then the goal that was set is for no reason. Salins concludes that he hopes that the United States will continue to embrace the welcoming of immigrants from around the world, and that peace with one another, will prosper. Salins then wishes that both native-born and naturalized Americans can join force in facilitating new incoming immigrants to assimilate, and as well that multiculturalism will be
The House Divided Speech was an address given by Abraham Lincoln in 1858 with the goal to make a distinction between himself and Douglas, and to openly talk about a prognostication for time to come. Unlike Douglas, who had long supported popular sovereignty, under which the settlers in each new territory determine their own place as a slave or free state, Lincoln considered that all states had to be the same in order to become a united country. Although Lincoln’s intentions seemed to be pure, the complication with the speech is that it is not absolutely probable because of the fallacies within its wording. This speech may have appeared to be powerful and even authentic in its upholding points, but the fallacies must be recognized. Among these fallacies are false dilemma, ambiguity, appeal to authority, name-calling, and sequential fallacies.
He makes sure his audience connects with him directly by making them feel at his level, and at hiss. This way he connects to the audience, and in exchange, helps his statement of unity. Using various examples of parallelism, anaphora and refrain, Obama brands the theme of equality and togetherness in our country throughout the speech, vital to gaining the respect of his audience. Obama recalls the ‘enduring strength of the constitution’ by delving into the past alluding to America’s allegiance to the Declaration of Independence by quoting “we hold these truths. that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.
The “A More Perfect Union Speech” was rendered by President forty four, then Senator Barack Obama, in Philadelphia, PA. This speech was giving during the 2008 campaign for nomination into a first term of office for President Obama.
We may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction. Barack Obama’s speech “A More Perfect Union” (Nov. 17, 2008) captivates our nation with its thought out structure of the division and inequality in America. Obama successfully used allusion and repetition. Along with personal anecdotes to identify with the audience.
...tain people who think of themselves as the “perfect” race and even if there are still incidents that involve racial discrimination, we have still accomplished a lot as a society as we are now closer to having full racial equality and ethnic acceptance. The pain and suffering of our ancestors through the hands of racism weren’t in vain as we now enjoy our position in a world where prejudice ceases to exist. The never ending battle between the suppressed and the oppressor finally ended—leaving the suppressed victorious. The chains of racism were finally broken and as Martin Luther King Jr. said, “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”
Racism can be considered as a pattern which is used systematically and routinely for treating people of color differently. The famous speech by Martin Luther King Jr., 52 years back has seemed to have very less effect on the racial society. Racial inequality was prevalent 5 decades ago and it is prevalent now. Although America has taken many steps towards racial equality, but racial equality is still being considered as work in progress, and numerous efforts are required to achieve racial equality in society today. It was believed that over time racism will be weakened making way for racial equality (Parks). However, the facts and
According to Ellison, race is a result of people’s personal interests. People are so self interested that they look past the pressing issues of today. “Our unknown history doesn’t stop having consequences each though we ignore them” (133). Because we as Americans ignored such issues as racial inequality- in that the debt Americans owe the black community is not repayable. We think that by instituting laws to make all persons equal is enough, but this equality is never achieved, but looked past as though it is fine.
As we heard back on MLK Sunday from local NAACP president Jason Soul, much of Martin Luther King Jr’s concerns were and still are at the forefront. Yes, there appear to have been strides made, but then again, we thought we had it figured out when Obama was elected president. Sadly, racism continues to rear its ugly head. It is part of white identity, part of our DNA.
The speech “A More Perfect Union,” was addressed to the people of United States given by the senator Barack Obama. In his speech, Obama was responding to the attention made to the controversial remarks made by Reverend Wright, a former pastor of Obama. Obama addressed the subjects of racial tensions, white privilege, and race and inequality in the United States, discussing black "anger", white "resentment", and other issues as he sought to explain and inquire Wright's controversial comments. He responded to denounce his pastor’s statements by “vehemently disagree[ing with] and strongly condemn[ing]... inflammatory and appalling remarks Wright made about our country, our politics, and my political opponents." He wanted to distinguish that Wright