A Colorblind World featured Barack Obama’s 2009 address to NAACP

Introduction:

Racial conflicts are often uncomfortable to discuss due to the controversy and turmoil sparked between two or more parties. Because of this, here in the 21st century racism still exists. Discrimination, segregation, and biases towards particular ethnic groups are evident among many crowds. There are many ideas that have been constructed to address the issues on race relations here in the United States. Major figures such as Colin Kaepernick, Toni Morrison, and President Barack Obama have all made public addresses towards issues on race relations. The newest tactic of relations between members or communities of different races within relies on colorblindness. Colorblindness, is a noun that has several meanings that vary based of it contexts. It could mean a vision deficiency, which is the decreased ability to see color or differences in color. This definition refers to the complete inability to distinguish colors of the spectrum. To the naked eye, objects only appear as shades of gray, black, and white, while the shades may vary depending on lightness and darkness. Colorblindness, in a cultural context, can also be referred to as race blindness. This is a sociological term indicates the disregard of racial characteristics when making a conscious or unconscious decision. Typically, colorblind operations such employment, including: hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, trainings or benefits use no racial data or profiling and make no classifications, categorizations, or distinctions based upon race. It was because of those that chose to be colorblind, the Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution granted African American men the right to vote by declaring that the “right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude” (library of Congress). Although the amendment was ratified in 1870, it still took decades for all states to recognize and obey the law.

Today, we see issues of colorblindness surrounding the most recent NFL protest that sparked due to Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers starting quarter back, sitting three games in a row during the National Anthem in August 2016. Prior to the fourth game, Kaepernick agreed to meet with Army Veteran, Nate Boyer, to discuss his position on the issue. From there, the two agreed that it would be best if Kaepernick kneeled during this time, which would be seen as less offensive towards the military and the country and a whole. Kaepernick released a statement saying, this movement is not to disrespect the military or the flag, it’s to bring awareness to racial inequality African American are face in the United States. “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder” (NFL.com). One year later, the movement has grasped the attention of millions with the trending hashtag #TakeAKnee. Many NFL teams have joined together in solidarity to take a knee together. The Dallas Cowboys, led by owner Jerry Jones, took a knee prior to the national anthem on September 25, 2017. These, along with many others from various ethnic backgrounds like Brandon Marshall (Miami Dolphins), Seth DeValve (Cleveland Browns), and Michael Thomas (Denver Broncos) have banded together to take a knee. These men are the modern day example of reformers that are united, not by color but cause (Du Bois).

One reaction to confronting racism is to deny it by using colorblindness. The idea of “not seeing color” or not recognizing when an outcome or a situation is handled differently due to the color of a person’s skin is because colorblindness is in effect.

At face value, colorblindness may seem like it is a good thing, however, it is the very thing that is limiting our attention from problematic situations. Colorblindness stands as a harmful mythology that impacts our judgement and decision making.

We know that colorblindness exist because of the reactions to the election of President Barack Obama in 2008. The Democratic senator from Illinois became the first sitting senator since John Kennedy in 1960 to be elected. Headlines captured the historic moment all over the world. The New York Times even mentions, “Sweeping away the last racial barrier in American politics with ease as the country chose him as its first black chief executive” (Nagourney). By doing this they openly acknowledged that there are racial barriers in America and President Obama has dismembered the last standing one. This just so happen to not be the case. Racial barriers exist on all economic levels and all characteristics. From politics, to religion, and ethnicity, President Obama being elected did not change the racial divide in the country. Some may even argue that his election further divided the country because of his race.

President Obama knew the risks involved in running for office. He knew he would be faced with a mission that many people thought impossible. The likelihood of an African American man becoming president of the United States seemed far out of reach, history has shown us that. However, President Obama confronted racism by seeking to end less visible ways racism is practiced. January 2009, President Barack Obama signed his first piece of legislation into law, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. This legislative fix allowed individuals who are subjected to unlawful pay discrimination are able to effectively assert their rights. As a result, employers must have a strong incentive to eliminate any discriminatory compensation practices, individuals are able to challenge continuing pay discrimination, and employees are allowed to assess the validity of their claims (NWLC). This bill on wage discrimination had been on the NAACP’s priority list since 2007 when the US Supreme Court handed down the case of Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. President Obama also confronted racism head on by speaking to the NAACP about colorblindness. On 16 July 2009 President Obama addressed the NAACP for their 100th anniversary centennial convention in New York City. With many notable figures present, NAACP leaders from across the country journeyed to New York – a city filled with historical civil rights moments beginning with the foundation of the NAACP. This speech signified: the presence and impact the NAACP has made over the last 100 years, the difference made when those with power hold themselves to a higher standard to fight for things that may often be controversial or cause turmoil, and the work that we as Americans must continue to do.

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, also known as the NAACP, was formed to ensure the “political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination” (NAACP.org). The NAACP stands today as the nation’s oldest, largest and most widely recognized civil rights organization. The NAACP takes the approach on being color conscious. They do this by ensuring “the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination” as stated in their mission statement (NAACP.org). In the early 1900’s “white liberals that included Mary White Ovington and Oswald Garrison Villard, both the descendants of abolitionists, William English Walling and Dr. Henry Moscowitz issued a call for a meeting to discuss racial justice” (NAACP.org). They chose to be color conscious by familiarizing themselves with the racial injustices African Americans faced. They used their platform and voice along with many other prominent black figures such as W. E. B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Mary Church Terrel to foster growth while eliminating race prejudice. Many of these figures are discussed in Obamas address to the NAACP where he says, people like W. E. B Du Bois and those mentioned are “reformers united, not by color but cause”.

Obama’s speech 2009 speech to the NAACP is significant because it opened up the conversation on race relations and colorblindness here in the United States. Having been in the office a little over eight months, Obama has seen all sides of the spectrum from what it means to be colorblind. This speech provides the depth and clarity of the location, time and audience. This marked the 100th anniversary of the convention. Given right in the heart of New York City where the NAACP was formed, many protesters marched those same streets side-by-side to demand equal treatment under the law. This speech serves as symbol for the gratitude and success made by those that came before. It is also the shift towards inclusiveness, one that we all as Americans seek regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. Colorblindness is another way to politely turn a blind eye to a situation that needs you at the front and center. Difference such as economic or political ones may very well be the source of how to you can shape the conversation.

The President begins his speech by saying, “what we celebrate tonight is not simply the journey the NAACP has traveled, but the journey that we as Americans have traveled over the past one hundred years”. By acknowledging that the speech was not entirely for those that are part of NAACP or have any affiliations with the organization, the President allowed the conversation to open to all Americans. He does this knowing that those in that room alone cannot fix the conversation on colorblindness. Obama’s call to action rhetoric speaks to every minority and majority by providing steps on how to acquire effective change in the world. He reminds us that change only comes from the people. 50 to 90 years ago, change came from those that protested lynching, walked instead of riding the bus, and rallied against violence (Obama). This use of the three rhetorical appeals sparks some persuasion in the hearts and minds of those in the audience.

He calls on black parents by saying, change starts with them. Change starts at home by “putting away the Xbox and putting the kids to bed at a reasonable hour”. He also tells black children that growing up poor is no reason to get bad grades. By explicitly spelling out what needs to be done, Obama is effectively able to connect with both the young and older generations. Here in America, change derives from its people, the very citizens he says “that protested lynching, rallied against violence, and walked instead of taking the bus”. These are the people that must have the same drive and sense of urgency and recognize that many conflicts are dealt with differently due to a person’s race, color, or ethnicity. It’s being “color conscious” that will help not only help strengthen the conversation on race but it will also help bridge the barriers that still remain. Obama says we are already on the road to tearing down obstacles by making housing more affordable and even giving ex-offenders a second chance.

“What is required to overcome today’s barriers is the same as was needed then. The same commitment. The same sense of urgency. The same sense of sacrifice” (Obama). To look past what you see in front of you is Obama’s call to action. To see and understand that there is a problem and to use your platform to address it and what he calling us to do, just as Kaepernick does a few years later.

Added:

In his speech, President Obama redefines discrimination through the concept of colorblindness. In doing so, he promotes the acceptance of differences and proposes alternative pathways to achieve equality in ways that benefit everyone.

President Obama tries to re-frame this discussion by attempting to achieve equity by adopting a philosophy of “color-blindness”. He does this by characterizing problems of inequalities such as gender, race, religion, and sexual orientation here in America as one that the government and each individual citizen are responsible for working to address.

The first time he redefines the problem he says, “The pain of discrimination is still felt in America. By African-American women paid less . . . [b]y Latinos . . . made to feel unwelcome . . . [b]y Muslim Americans viewed with suspicion . . . [b]y our gay brothers and sisters . . .” (Obama ). Obama identifies several minority groups that have all felt some form of discrimination. By listing them he is able to broaden his area of concentration and reach a larger audience. African American women are paid approximately 63 percent of what non-Hispanic white men were paid in 2016, according to AAUW.org . By closing the gender pay gap would allow more women to work and support their families which would in the end lead to a growing economy.

He begins to build on this theme further throughout the speech. He starts off by saying, “There are overcrowded classrooms, crumbling schools, and corridors of shame in American filled with poor children—black, brown, and white alike” (Obama). Only in a high poverty area, would a person find such things as crumbling schools. Residing here are children of all races and ethnicities, but it is because of their financial dilemmas they are forced to learn in an environment their counterparts are less likely to face . Low-income schools don’t provide students proper resources or educational opportunities. In the end, this affects children’s behavior and academic performances in and outside of the classroom.

Many people will confuse the idea of discrimination being limited to only a race problem. Obama says, “The state of our schools is not an African-American problem; it’s an American problem. And if Al Sharpton, Mike Bloomberg, and Newt Gingrich can agree that we need to solve it, then all of us can agree on that.” There should be a standard for us, that all Americans can understand and recognize the differences and needs within a particular area or community. By removing color-blindness we can more accurately understand those that may come from different walks of life and their experiences.

In the next paragraph, Obama says “That is our responsibility as the United States of America.” With the emphasis on ‘our’, he includes himself in the statement that this responsibility falls to all Americans. This lays the framework for essentially his call to action movement that requires people with various networks and connections.

“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 internalized a sense of limitation; how so many in our community  have come to expect so little of themselves.”

 

Work Cited:

https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/06pdf/05-1074.pdf

Colorblindness vs. Race-Consciousness—An American Ambivalence

Boyer, Nate. “An Open Letter to Colin Kaepernick, from a Green Beret-Turned-Long Snapper.” Army Times, Army Times, 24 Sept. 2017, www.armytimes.com/opinion/2016/08/30/an-open-letter-to-colin-kaepernick-from-a-green-beret-turned-long-snapper/.

DuBOIS , W. E. B. “The Philadelphia Negro A Social Study.” Archive.org, archive.org/stream/philadelphianegr001901mbp/philadelphianegr001901mbp_djvu.txt.

“Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.” NWLC, Women’s Law Center, nwlc.org/resources/lilly-ledbetter-fair-pay-act/.

Nagourney, Adam. “Obama Wins Election.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 4 Nov. 2008, www.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/us/politics/05campaign.html.

Wyche, Steve. “Colin Kaepernick Explains Why He Sat during National Anthem.” NFL.com, 27 Aug. 2017, www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000691077/article/colin-kaepernick-explains-why-he-sat-during-national-anthem.

“Barack Obama Elected as America’s First Black President.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2012, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/barack-obama-elected-as-americas-first-black-president.

Primary Sources:

“President Barack Obama Addresses the 2009 NAACP Convention.” Performance by Barack H Obama, YouTube, NAACP Videos, 16 July 2009, youtu.be/Zv6EAaoFNno.

 

“Full text of President Obama speech to the NAACP Centennial Convention.” People’s World, 6 Oct. 2016, www.peoplesworld.org/article/full-text-of-president-obama-speech-to-the-naacp-centennial-convention/. Accessed 21 Sept. 2017.

 

Secondary Sources:

Hudson, David. President Obama Addresses the NAACP’s 106th National Convention. Performance by Barack Obama, Obamawhitehouse.archives.gov, National Archives and Records Administration, 15 July 2015, obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2015/07/15/president-obama-our-criminal-justice-system-isnt-smart-it-should-be.

Morrison, Toni. Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination. Vintage Books, a Division of Random House, Inc., 2015.

Secretary, Press. “Remarks by the President at the NAACP Conference.” Obamawhitehouse.archives.gov, National Archives and Records Administration, 14 July 2015, obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/07/14/remarks-president-naacp-conference.

 

 

[KG1]How do I properly cite?

 

 

The inclusion of the underrepresented population

 

[KG2]https://www.aauw.org/2015/07/21/black-women-pay-gap/

[KG3]Page 4, second paragraph, last sentence:

[KG4]Page 5, second paragraph, speaking directly to the African-American community and the NAACP to reframe their view of the problem of inequity: