xb```b``n @Addq{"' )N93s8d HT~)Y What follows, of course, is King's great litany of iconic topography that carries listeners across the American landscape: "Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!", In this tradition, Obama begins with "We the people, in order to form a more perfect union," a quote from the Constitution that becomes a recurring refrain linking the parts of the speech. I celebrate such a day. We knowyou're not a fan of rhetorical questions. startxref One ever feels his two-ness, an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.". ", Parallelism At the risk of calling to mind the worst memories of grammar class, I invoke the wisdom that parallel constructions help authors and orators make meaning memorable. But it does find voice in the barbershop or the beauty shop or around the kitchen table. His major methods of development are narration and logical analysis. It was the spring of 2008 and Barack Obama was running for president. And yet, it has only been in the last couple of weeks that the discussion of race in this campaign has taken a particularly divisive turn. Understanding this reality requires a reminder of how we arrived at this point. Not once in my conversations with him have I heard him talk about any ethnic group in derogatory terms, or treat whites with whom he interacted with anything but courtesy and respect. Under Americas first governing document, the Articles of Confederation, the national government was weak and states operated like independent countries. The specific powers and responsibilities of each branch were also laid out. By continuing, well assume you agree with our Cookies policy. He gave it during the 2008 Democratic Party primary contest for the presidential But the anger is real; it is powerful. A More Perfect Union is a speech given on March 18, 2008, by Barack Obama, at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As satirist Stephen Colbert once noted of presidential candidates, it is not enough to be an average millionaire. He contains within him the contradictions the good and the bad of the community that he has served diligently for so many years. WebWe the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Obamas speech that day, titled A More Perfect Union, had to address that. Three major aspects of Obamas ethos stand out in this speech: sagacity of wisdom as shown by his mixed heritage, sagacity of knowledge, and good moral character and good will towards the audience as expressed through his religious background and morals. In 1786, Alexander Hamilton, a lawyer and politician from New York, called for a constitutional convention to discuss the matter. 1206 Words5 Pages. And as so many generations have come to realize over the course of the 221 years since a band of patriots signed that document right here in Philadelphia, that is where the perfection begins. He starts off explaining how the 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. In order for the Constitution to become law, it then had to be ratified by nine of the 13 states. Classically, to establish ethos, you can display sagacity (knowledge of the issue, wisdom, or expertise), moral character, or good will toward the audience (Strang 1). "I'm here because of Ashley." And in that single note hope! Yes. Lets review what he said, and, more important, how and why he said it. He is a skilled orator. 0000003671 00000 n Essay, Racial Police Brutality in Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson Essay, Great Leaders Use Rhetoric to Instil Hope as Seen in the King's Speech Essay. 2. I heard something else: At the foot of that cross, inside the thousands of churches across the city, I imagined the stories of ordinary black people merging with the stories of David and Goliath, Moses and Pharaoh, the Christians in the lion's den, Ezekiel's field of dry bones. The issue was resolved by the Connecticut Compromise, which proposed a bicameral legislature with proportional representation of the states in the lower house (House of Representatives) and equal representation in the upper house (Senate). Those stories of survival and freedom and hope became our stories, my story. It's a racial stalemate we've been stuck in for years. ", "embracing the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past. We can accept a politics that breeds division and conflict and cynicism. At the 1787 convention, delegates devised a plan for a stronger federal government with three branchesexecutive, legislative and judicialalong with a system of checks and balances to ensure no single branch would have too much power. Although I will admit, America was great, and many of these key values people had about America were true, A leader is defined as a person who leads or influence people to achieve the desired goals of an organization or country willingly and enthusiastically. We want to talk about how to bring them home from a war that should have never been authorized and should have never been waged. Anyway, Ashley finishes her story and then goes around the room and asks everyone else why they're supporting the campaign. It was signed on September 17, 1787, by delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. He does not say education or the war. We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! This is where we are right now. And finally they come to this elderly black man who's been sitting there quietly the entire time. We have no way of knowing if that was true of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, but it is certainly true of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Then Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama delivers his speech 'A More Perfect Union,' in Philadelphia on March 18, 2008. If you need this sample, insert an email and we'll deliver it to you. Ooops. The purpose of this essay is to unpack reasons why the speech was Expand 20 From the Parlor to the Barnyard: Obama and Holder on Race Jeanine Miller Sociology 2013 In chronicling our journey, the stories and songs gave us a meaning to reclaim memories that we didn't need to feel shame about memories that all people might study and cherish, and with which we could start to rebuild.". |&\\2HH0.|3xr48,hff0Xths7@B[T=xz60;o5Oz\imZ9GG-wY'*- But it also means binding our particular grievances for better health care and better schools and better jobs to the larger aspirations of all Americans: the white woman struggling to break the glass ceiling, the white man who has been laid off, the immigrant trying to feed his family. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. It feels like the perfect time for a restart on a conversation about race. And then another one. And they are part of America, this country that I love. Web"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the However, only 17 amendments have been ratified in addition to the Bill of Rights because the process isnt easyafter a proposed amendment makes it through Congress, it must be ratified by three-fourths of the states. At that time, the Presidential campaign was still in the primary phasethe phase in which candidates inside each party compete to become the official party nominee for Presidential elections. All articles are regularly reviewed and updated by the HISTORY.com team. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this post incorrectly attributed the phrase, "We the people, in order to form a more perfect union" to the Declaration of Independence. 0000006178 00000 n There were 55 delegates in attendance, representing all 13 states except Rhode Island, which refused to send representatives because it did not want a powerful central government interfering in its economic business. Second, the audience is wary of politicians as they are standardly depicted as two-faced, saying one thing while doing something else. Soon after America won its independence from Great Britain with its 1783 victory in the American Revolution, it became increasingly evident that the young republic needed a stronger central government in order to remain stable. Ironically, this quintessentially American and yes, conservative notion of self-help found frequent expression in Reverend Wright's sermons. James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, with assistance from John Jay, wrote a series of essays to persuade people to ratify the Constitution. Thus, Obama has aligned himself with both God and country, so Obama seems untouchable from a moral/religious level. 0000000016 00000 n Why not join another church? He presents a history of events and lists some problems before presenting logical solutions to each one. But it was also an urgent call for racial harmony. There is no mention of DuBois or two-ness, but it is all there in the texture. Although he saw the need for a stronger national government, he was busy managing his estate at Mount Vernon, suffering from rheumatism and worried that the convention wouldn't be successful in achieving its goals. This is not to say that race has not been an issue in this campaign. When Maggie Mitchell and her family decided to buy a historic 1961 ranch style home at 16 Bellows Lane in Woodstock, they saw the opportunity to continue a But it also comes from my own story. Beginning on December 7, 1787, five statesDelaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia and Connecticutratified the Constitution in quick succession. And Ashley said that when she was 9 years old, her mother got cancer. He does not say that he was there because of Barack Obama. He strengthened my faith, officiated my wedding, and baptized my children. These questions matter for us today as there are always situations, especially political ones, where we need to defend our own credibility in a competent manner. We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote To dispel the fears of some white Americans and to advance his chances for election, Obama delivered a major address on race in America, a speech that was praised even by some of his adversaries. WebIn choosing "A More Perfect Union" as the title for his speech, Obama was reminding us of what we set out to do: create a nation where everyone has the same rights, the same But the truth is, that isn't all that I know of the man. His ability to include himself as a character in a narrative about race. I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. She sought out allies in her fight against injustice. Or, at this moment, in this election, we can come together and say, "Not this time." He supports this claim with three reasons: while Reverend Wrights comments are deplorable, they consist of an amalgam of the worst statements he has ever made and do not reflect Reverend Wright as a person; that these types of situations reflect on America as a whole, with individuals all contributing different backgrounds; and that America needs to set aside history, and overcome and push forward in unity. The "two-ness" of the texture, to use DuBois's useful term. The Preamble outlines the Constitution's purpose and guiding principles. Reporters and other visitors were barred from the convention sessions, which were held in secret to avoid outside pressures. However, Virginias James Madison (1751-1836) kept a detailed account of what transpired behind closed doors. This time, we want to talk about the shuttered mills that once provided a decent life for men and women of every race, and the homes for sale that once belonged to Americans from every religion, every region, every walk of life. Anger over welfare and affirmative action helped forge the Reagan Coalition. They came of age in the late '50s and early '60s, a time when segregation was still the law of the land and opportunity was systematically constricted. In 1789, Madison, then a member of the newly established U.S. House of Representatives, introduced 19 amendments to the Constitution. Let's focus on haircuts! 0000009107 00000 n Candidate Obama emphasized that both white and black communities had valid arguments about their place in America. By September 1787, the conventions five-member Committee of Style (Hamilton, Madison, William Samuel Johnson of Connecticut, Gouverneur Morris of New York, Rufus King of Massachusetts) had drafted the final text of the Constitution, which consisted of some 4,200 words. Not this time. Absolutely just as I'm sure many of you have heard remarks from your pastors, priests, or rabbis with which you strongly disagreed. What does Lincoln mean when he says "no Statecan lawfully get out of the Union"? Near the start of his speech, Obama states I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas[,] was raised with the help of a white grandfather who serve[d] in World War II and a white grandmother who worked while he was overseas (Obama P8). Since announcing his candidacy, Obama sought to maintain a "race-neutral" cam-paign. WebA More Perfect Union Summary BACK NEXT Brief Summary The Setup Barack Obama believed we could persevere and overcome hundreds of years of racial tensions and inequalities. By itself, that single moment of recognition between that young white girl and that old black man is not enough. To date, there are 27 constitutional amendments. Journalists need to pay closer attention to political language than ever before. Since Obama uses such a diversity of techniques to establish his ethos, I dont think theres much he could have improved on. She did this for a year until her mom got better. Among the more contentious issues was the question of state representation in the national legislature. Remember? As such, Reverend Wright's comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity; racially charged at a time when we need to come together to solve a set of monumental problems two wars, a terrorist threat, a falling economy, a chronic health care crisis and potentially devastating climate change problems that are neither black or white or Latino or Asian, but rather problems that confront us all. Deadline from 3 hours. Explore our new 15-unit high school curriculum. I would not be running for President if I didn't believe with all my heart that this is what the vast majority of Americans want for this country. But it is a story that has seared into my genetic makeup the idea that this nation is more than the sum of its parts that out of many, we are truly one. We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, There has also been attention to the immediate purpose of the speech, which was to reassure white voters that they had nothing to fear from the congregant of a Barak Obamas speech under analysis is called A More Perfect Union; the central issue is considered to be the problem of racial discrimination in the USA. Many northern delegates believed that without agreeing to this, the South wouldnt join the Union. The word "story" is revealing one, for it is always the candidate's job (as both responsibility and ploy) to describe himself or herself as a character in a story of his or her own making. And today, whenever I find myself feeling doubtful or cynical about this possibility, what gives me the most hope is the next generation the young people whose attitudes and beliefs and openness to change have already made history in this election. In his most famous speech, Obama elicited debates "We the people, in order to form a more perfect union " 221 years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with these simple words, launched America's improbable experiment in democracy. DuBois wrote a single paragraph about how race is experienced in America. Obamas purpose is twofold: he wants to make it clear that he doesnt support his pastors racial comments, but he also wants to convince the audience to unite together in order to create a better America in the future. They are anxious about their futures, and they feel their dreams slipping away. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. In the white community, the path to a more perfect union means acknowledging that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination and current incidents of discrimination, while less overt than in the past are real and must be addressed, not just with words, but with deeds, by investing in our schools and our communities; by enforcing our civil rights laws and ensuring fairness in our criminal justice system; by providing this generation with ladders of opportunity that were unavailable for previous generations. And he does not bring up a specific issue. Introduction. 771 0 obj <>stream Many bring up a specific issue. Jeremiah Wright. That anger may not get expressed in public, in front of white co-workers or white friends. And because she had to miss days of work, she was let go and lost her health care. 0000001950 00000 n Did I know him to be an occasionally fierce critic of American domestic and foreign policy? And to simply wish it away, to condemn it without understanding its roots, only serves to widen the chasm of misunderstanding that exists between the races. 0000003931 00000 n The Confederation Congress, which in February 1787 endorsed the idea, invited all 13 states to send delegates to a meeting in Philadelphia. Theodor Horydczak Collection, Prints and Photographs Division. Clark makes references and comparisons to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and W.EB. Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States who was still a presidential candidate at the time, faced a major challenge as he delivered his A More Perfect Union at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 0000003168 00000 n But what we know what we have seen is that America can change. For all those who scratched and clawed their way to get a piece of the American Dream, there were many who didn't make it those who were ultimately defeated, in one way or another, by discrimination. The delegates (who also became known as the framers of the Constitution) were a well-educated group that included merchants, farmers, bankers and lawyers. And I confess that if all that I knew of Reverend Wright were the snippets of those sermons that have run in an endless loop on the television sets and YouTube, or if Trinity United Church of Christ conformed to the caricatures being peddled by some commentators, there is no doubt that I would react in much the same way. This time we want to talk about how the lines in the emergency room are filled with whites and blacks and Hispanics who do not have health care, who don't have the power on their own to overcome the special interests in Washington, but who can take them on if we do it together. On one end of the spectrum, we've heard the implication that my candidacy is somehow an exercise in affirmative action; that it's based solely on the desire of wide-eyed liberals to purchase racial reconciliation on the cheap. She knew that food was one of their most expensive costs, and so Ashley convinced her mother that what she really liked and really wanted to eat more than anything else was mustard and relish sandwiches because that was the cheapest way to eat. WebOrder to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. On the other end, we've heard my former pastor, Jeremiah Wright, use incendiary language to express views that have the potential not only to widen the racial divide, but views that denigrate both the greatness and the goodness of our nation, and that rightly offend white and black alike. A More Perfect Union is the slogan of a speech by then-senator Barack Obama. I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community. Would you like to have an original essay? Although political platforms might not be applicable to the general population, countering from many directions is a skill that can be transferred over to any rhetorical problem in general. Wright has made inflammatory remarks about the United States and has accused the country of bringing on the Sept. 11 attacks by spreading terrorism. 0000003708 00000 n The Constitution of the United States established Americas national government and fundamental laws, and guaranteed certain basic rights for its citizens. For the men and women of Reverend Wright's generation, the memories of humiliation and doubt and fear have not gone away; nor has the anger and the bitterness of those years. Without dwelling on it, Obama reminds us that his father was black and his mother white, that he came from Kenya, but she came from Kansas: "I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slave and slave owners an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters. The focus has been on the orator's willingness to say things in public about race that are rarely spoken at all, even in private, and his expressed desire to move the country to a new and better place. However, as Benjamin Franklin said on the closing day of the convention in 1787: I agree to this Constitution with all its faults, if they are such, because I think a central government is necessary for us I doubt too whether any other Convention we can obtain may be able to make a better Constitution. Today, the original Constitution is on display at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Constitution Day is observed on September 17, to commemorate the date the document was signed. Please note! And occasionally it finds voice in the church on Sunday morning, in the pulpit and in the pews. WebFrom Obamas establishment of ethos in his speech A More Perfect Union we see that trying to approach the problem of protecting your reputation from many directions and Eight delegates were signers of the Declaration of Independence, while six had signed the Articles of Confederation. And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care or education or the need to find good jobs for every American. President Obamas A More Perfect Union speech that he delivered conveyed many messages about his beliefs concerning racism. Just a week earlier, the national media had picked up on a series of comments that Obamas pastor, Jeremiah Wright Jr. , had made during sermons that were racially charged and targeted many different racial groups. 755 0 obj <> endobj What's remarkable is not how many failed in the face of discrimination, but how many men and women overcame the odds; how many were able to make a way out of no way, for those like me who would come after them. 2023 National Constitution Center. To neutralize that advantage,his opponents including Hillary Clinton at one point would characterize Obamas words as empty rhetoric an elaborate trick of language. To prepare us, lets take another look at the words of Barack Obama before he was president. He has served the Institute as its first full-time faculty, Using Data to Find the Story: Covering Race, Politics and More in Chicago, Uncovering the Untold Stories: How to Do Better Journalism in Chicago, All Rights Reserved Poynter Institute 2023, The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)3. 0000002139 00000 n 0000005667 00000 n In 1774, Great Britain's North American Proficient in: Presidents of The United States, Political Science & Theory, Federal Government. It is where our union grows stronger. My X-ray analysis of that speech is meant not as a final word on that historical moment, but as an invitation, a doorway to a room where we can all reflect on American history and the American language. Segregated schools were and are inferior schools; we still haven't fixed them, 50 years after Brown v. Board of Education. WebAnd finally, in 1787, one of the declared objects for ordaining and establishing the Constitution, was "to form a more perfect Union." Political leaders not in attendance at the convention included Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) and John Adams (1735-1826), who were serving as U.S. ambassadors in Europe. The effectiveness of Obamas speech rests upon four related rhetorical strategies: 1. hide caption. And it means taking full responsibility for our own lives by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny. Like other predominantly black churches across the country, Trinity embodies the black community in its entirety the doctor and the welfare mom, the model student and the former gang-banger. Even for those blacks who did make it, questions of race and racism continue to define their worldview in fundamental ways. Titled "A More Perfect Union," it addressed his thoughts about how Americans experience race and racism, and about how he understands both, as the son of black and white parents with relatives of many ethnicities. Many bring up a specific issue. It means continuing to insist on a full measure of justice in every aspect of American life. Choose your writer among 300 professionals! Of course, the answer to the slavery question was already embedded within our Constitution a Constitution that had at its very core the ideal of equal citizenship under the law; a Constitution that promised its people liberty and justice and a union that could be and should be perfected over time. Like most memorable pieces of oratory, Obama's speech sounds better than it reads. And the lack of basic services in so many urban black neighborhoods parks for kids to play in, police walking the beat, regular garbage pickup, building code enforcement all helped create a cycle of violence, blight and neglect that continues to haunt us. We probably don't need to tell you how rare it is Ten of these amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, were ratified and became part of the Constitution on December 10, 1791. Obama's patriotic lexicon is meant to comfort white ears and soothe white fears. (People who supported the Constitution became known as Federalists, while those opposed it because they thought it gave too much power to the national government were called Anti-Federalists.). These people are a part of me. That legacy of defeat was passed on to future generations those young men and, increasingly, young women who we see standing on street corners or languishing in our prisons, without hope or prospects for the future. Sitara Nieves, Jennifer Orsi will work to strengthen Poynter's core teaching mission, broaden audience and influence. 0 Born in Maasin, he is from a Nowadays, Trends have dominated the world. Also featured is Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter and principal at Black Futures Lab, discussing why Obama's words do not fully address the depth of racial discrimination.