2008 Woodie Awards
Sooner than later, America should reexamine the issue of race
Andrew Zaleski
Issue date: 4/8/08 Section: Opinion
"…Race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. We would be making the same mistake that Reverend Wright made in his offending sermons about America-to simplify and stereotype and amplify the negative to the point that it distorts reality."
Three weeks ago, Sen. Obama uttered these remarks in a speech which has since been compared to the great orations of the likes of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and President John F. Kennedy. Responding to public criticisms and outcries about his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright (who achieved Internet infamy after videos of his sermons aired on YouTube), Sen. Obama used his speech in Philadelphia to focus on an issue he has largely steered clear of since the beginning of his campaign.
Since I was old enough (and, I hope, intelligent enough) to begin maturely processing and understanding the more complex matters plaguing this country, I had not heard any other public figure put forth a more candid depiction of the racial issue before the depiction Sen. Obama offered three weeks ago. Using Rev. Wright's remarks as the jumping-off point, Sen. Obama used his speech as an opportunity to examine the breadth of the problems of race America still deals with; these are problems which, according to Sen. Obama, "reflect the complexities of race in this country that we've never really worked through."
"It's a racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years," Sen. Obama said.
I couldn't agree more.
In the wake of Sen. Obama's speech, a myriad of positive and negative extremes emerged. Some individuals in the media, absolutely in love with the speech he made, drew parallels between Sen. Obama and Dr. King. Others thought the speech should have been more apologetic; the speech should have focused less on the overarching question of race and more on the direct remarks of Rev. Wright. Although I'm not prepared to call Sen. Obama another Dr. King, I have to disagree with individuals who thought Sen. Obama's speech did too much in analyzing racial matters.
Three weeks ago, Sen. Obama uttered these remarks in a speech which has since been compared to the great orations of the likes of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. and President John F. Kennedy. Responding to public criticisms and outcries about his former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright (who achieved Internet infamy after videos of his sermons aired on YouTube), Sen. Obama used his speech in Philadelphia to focus on an issue he has largely steered clear of since the beginning of his campaign.
Since I was old enough (and, I hope, intelligent enough) to begin maturely processing and understanding the more complex matters plaguing this country, I had not heard any other public figure put forth a more candid depiction of the racial issue before the depiction Sen. Obama offered three weeks ago. Using Rev. Wright's remarks as the jumping-off point, Sen. Obama used his speech as an opportunity to examine the breadth of the problems of race America still deals with; these are problems which, according to Sen. Obama, "reflect the complexities of race in this country that we've never really worked through."
"It's a racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years," Sen. Obama said.
I couldn't agree more.
In the wake of Sen. Obama's speech, a myriad of positive and negative extremes emerged. Some individuals in the media, absolutely in love with the speech he made, drew parallels between Sen. Obama and Dr. King. Others thought the speech should have been more apologetic; the speech should have focused less on the overarching question of race and more on the direct remarks of Rev. Wright. Although I'm not prepared to call Sen. Obama another Dr. King, I have to disagree with individuals who thought Sen. Obama's speech did too much in analyzing racial matters.
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