Speech for the nation: Obama addresses the NAACP

Obama delivered an incredibly insightful and inspiring speech at the 100-year anniversary convention of the NAACP this past Thursday night in New York (July 16, 2009).

Find his speech here: http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/07/obamas_naacp_speech.html

The New York Times gave a brief synopsis of Obama’s speech, but I think they reviewed it quite short-sightedly. At one point the author – Sheryl Gay Stolberg – states:
“But there was no mistaking Thursday night that Mr. Obama was speaking directly to black America. In part, it was a policy speech.
Mr. Obama told his audience what it wanted to hear on housing, the criminal justice system, education, health care, and jobs — all issues central to the N.A.A.C.P.’s agenda.”

President Obama addressed issues not only affecting African Americans, but America in general. The issues with health care, the prison system, the education system, HIV/AIDS, and the economic crisis that President Obama mentioned are not African American problems or people of color problems. These are issues that must be confronted, discussed, and dealt with on an American level, by all Americans – white, black, Hispanic, Asian, gay, straight, Christian, Muslim, Atheist – or change will be slow in coming.

If American politics and media label and address these issues as “black” or “white” or “rich” or “poor” then change, growth, and progress will continue to be stinted for many years as it has for many of this country’s citizens. It is not just the African Americans of Harlem or Chicago’s Southside or Raleigh’s Chavis Heights who are to “deal with” the contemporary issues of today, it is all of America’s responsibility.

What President Obama REALLY said was:

“That's why my administration is working so hard not only to create and save jobs in the short-term, not only to extend unemployment insurance and help for people who have lost their health care in this crisis, not just to stem the immediate economic wreckage, but to lay a new foundation for growth and prosperity that will put opportunity within the reach of not just African Americans, but all Americans. All Americans. (Applause.) Of every race. Of every creed. From every region of the country. (Applause.) We want everybody to participate in the American Dream. That's what the NAACP is all about. (Applause.)”

THAT’S MY PRESIDENT!!!