Obama tackles racism in NAACP speech

Obama tackles racism in NAACP speech
By Alan Rappeport in New York
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009
Published: July 17 2009 01:30 | Last updated: July 17 2009 01:30
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a8b073a8-723d-11de-ba94-00144feabdc0.html


Barack Obama, US president, told the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People on Thursday that Americans must keep fighting to eradicate bigotry, racism and discrimination and acknowledged civil rights pioneers for making his own election possible.

In his first speech as president to the largest civil rights group in the US, Mr Obama traced the country’s stubborn legacy of racism and called on families to work harder to overcome “structural inequalities”.

“Make no mistake, the pain of discrimination is still felt in America,” Mr Obama told a crowd at the NAACP’s 100th convention in Manhattan. “

Mr Obama’s rousing speech was his first major foray into the sensitive issue of race since taking office in January. He said that although there has probably never been less discrimination in the US, blacks still experience higher rates of joblessness, reach lower levels of education and are more likely to end up in jail than their white peers.

“We need a new mindset, a new set of attitudes – because one of the most durable and destructive legacies of discrimination is the way that we have internalised a sense of limitation,” he said.

Mr Obama said that the economic downturn is highlighting inequalities and used the opportunity to push some of the pillars of his administration’s agenda such as healthcare reform, an energy overhaul and tougher consumer protection.

The US president also continued his “tough love” approach toward the black community, calling on parents to take greater responsibility for their children and asking young people to have ambitions beyond becoming athletes and rap stars.

For those that attended, Mr Obama’s visit was both a homecoming and a celebration among a group that takes pride in helping him become the first black US president.

“Tonight is an opportunity to welcome home your son,” said Dennis Watson, chairman of the National Youth and Gang Violence taskforce. “A lot of the people here never thought they would see the day that a black person would be president.”

Thomas White, Jr, a New York City councilman, said that Mr Obama probably would not be president if it were not for the work of the NAACP, but said that the country needed to move beyond its racial divisions to tackle problems facing everyone, such as the economy.

“He’s honouring his roots,” Diane Gonzalez of New York said before the speech.

Mr Obama reminded his audience of his personal history, pointing to the importance of his mother pushing him, his work as a community organiser and the power of education for breaking racial barriers.

“There is no stronger weapon against inequality and no better path to opportunity than an education that can unlock a child’s God-given potential,” Mr Obama said.