Why Obama Matters To Black America (High School Graduation Edition)
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Barack Obama matters to black America for many reasons, but his most symbolic role is that he’s a living role model for black children. As I’ve noted many times before, you can tell someone that they can make it with hard work and studying, but it’s a whole other notion to show black Americans that you really can go as high as the highest office in the country.
Here’s Obama at a high school graduation for Booker T. Washington High School, and the reaction of the students.
There isn’t anyway to quantify what this does for black Americans.
47 Responses to “Why Obama Matters To Black America (High School Graduation Edition)”
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Excellent photo!
Raw emotion. I’m crying along with them. What a guy.
This impromptu drop-in on chicago kids right after the election was cool:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuBb88ga19U
I’ve been saying it for years, he represents the re-realization of Afro-Americans that we can achieve The American Dream is through educations and excellence. We used to know this….
Unemployment Rate, African Americans:
age 16-19, 2008: 31.2%
age 16-19, April 2011: 37.5%
age 20-24, 2008: 17.9%
age 20-24, April 2011: 24.8%
age 25-54, 2008: 8.2%
age 25-54, April 2011: 14.6%
What a guy, indeed!
Yeah, its like there was a crap ass president who left office in Jan 2009 that created that situation.
You’re lazy and poorly educated, SF. Sociology 101 should help you improve your self serving predicament.
Suck ours too, Save. Every last one of us. Until 2016.
Sociology 101 should help you improve your self serving predicament.
But to get that far you’ve gotta be able to graduate high school. SaveFarris’ jealousy of the people in the pictures is showing.
@SaveFarris
Only the most determined jerk would throw his bullshit on a moment like that.
w/r/t the unemployment numbers, imagine what Obama could accomplish if only people like you would get out of his way.
SF:
Looks like every race has felt the pain.
http://equityblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Unemployment-by-Race-1974-2010.jpg
Whether the situation was of his own creation or not, it’s inarguable to deny that things have gotten worse on his watch.
Obama 2012: Because ‘More of the Same’ is What This Country Needs Now More Than Ever!!!
[...] Willis puts it quite succinctly: Barack Obama matters to black America for many reasons, but his most symbolic role is that he’s [...]
Yeah, going from losing 800,000 jobs a month to adding 250,000 per was a real step back.
“Whether the situation was of his own creation or not…”
It’s really not a question little SF.
Suicidal, that graph can’t be right: it shows unemployment decreasing from 2002 to 2007. And as we all know, it was George Bush’s 2001 tax cuts that led to this decrepict economy and it’s increased unemployment. (At least, according to you & Oliver).
Jokes aside, your graph STILL shows that Obama’s stewardship has been especially tough on blacks and hispanics. While the gap between black/white used to be less than 5% in 2007, it’s now around 8%.
Thanks for proving me right.
It’s always been tough on Blacks and Hispanics, especially in economic downturns. It’s always worked that way. What universe occupies you?
Maybe in the magical world of SaveFarris, if it wasn’t for Affirmative Action none of those non-white kids would be sitting in the front row. And Obama wouldn’t have gotten his Harvard law review magna cum laude to be teaching kids how to wreck an economy which is better run by well-connected white plutocrats who cannot speak publicly without making fools of themselves.
“his most symbolic role is that he’s a living role model for black children.” =
So any of you blacks out there whining about how Barry has done little to nothing in 2 1/2 years for a base in which 9 out of 10 members voted him into office….stfu.
And we all know that a living symbolic role model for black children is bad …
“And we all know that a living symbolic role model for black children is bad …”
No what’s really “bad” is black unemployment still remains double that of the national rate and black males are graduating high school at a 48% clip and while Barry remains mum on both OW serves up the “but we got a Black president” card to remind black Dems to shut up, stay in their place and vote Barry in 2012.
Because institutional racism as exemplified by MrGreyGhost and SaveFarris has NOTHING to do with it!! And if it does have something to do with it, liberals are the REAL racists for pointing that out!!
And we also all know that seeing a black role model who has excelled in school and has become the POTUS, against all odds, is responsible for the national drop out rate among black males …
Am I getting it yet?
IMHO, it should not have taken Pres Obama’s election to convince young Afro-Americans that America is a land of unlimited opportunity. I don’t think you’re saying, “If I can’t be President, America sucks,” are you?
If you’re a Republican, you believe that anyone and everyone can be successful with some ingenuity and hard work. If you’re a Democrat, not so much…
Luv says “We used to know this…” But has he, along with millions of other Afro-Americans thought why “they used to”? When did it change, how and why?
“If you’re a Republican, you believe that anyone and everyone can be successful with some ingenuity and hard work.”
You STILL believe this folly about Republicans? Amazing.
If you’re a Republican, you believe that anyone and everyone can be successful with some ingenuity and hard work
And then you vote for people who put as many obstacles in the way as possible.
while Barry remains mum on both
Yes, Obama never discusses education, at all. No sir.
The problem you guys have is that black people are smart enough to know who got us in the mess (hint: not Obama).
it was George Bush’s 2001 tax cuts that led to this decrepict economy and it’s increased unemployment. (At least, according to you & Oliver).
Actually it was tax cuts plus Bush appointing cronies who shielded their eyes as the store was robbed.
You STILL believe this folly about Republicans?
And then you vote for people who put as many obstacles in the way as possible.
Yes, isms, despite the dazzling array of evidence you put forth to dispute what I said, I still believe it’s true. And, Oliver, if anyone has created obstacles to growth for all citizens, it is the Democrats.
I can only assume by Ol Froth’s comments that he WANTS as many young unemployed African-Americans as possible.
Obama’s NLRB told Boeing they had to build planes in Washington (5% black) instead of North Charleston (49% black).
..Guess Oliver does too.
The reality of the unemployment rate under Bush (as opposed to the spin Farris is, as usual, desperately applying) is that at this point in Bush’s term the unemployment rate had risen from 4.2% when Bush took office to 6.0%.
I love the mindset of getting up in the morning and thinking, “President Obama is inspiring black teenagers? I’d better tell the Internet why that’s a bad thing!”
And by “love”, I mean “wish our mental health system was up to today’s challenges”.
There is really no good reason I can think of for anyone to argue this point, except, I suppose, black Americans that disagree for whatever reason. Unemployment, nor any other quantitative social measure has any relevance to Oliver’s opinion.
I am not black, so all I can say is I sure hope he is right. This is pretty much a no-lose proposition.
“Yes, isms, despite the dazzling array of evidence you put forth to dispute what I said …”
Not worth disputing a religious belief.
That’s just it: While Obama’s presidency does have some extrensic value towards the self-worth of young blacks, it’s being far outweighed by actual measurables showing Obama’s presidency has punished blacks and minorities especially hard.
Increased self-esteem doesn’t pay the water bill. A job does. And Obama’s doing everything in his power to prevent African Americans from obtaining one.
That’s just it. That is the entirety of Oliver’s point, and you agree. Unemployment and policy is another argument for another post.
“Increased self-esteem doesn’t pay the water bill. A job does. And Obama’s doing everything in his power to prevent African Americans from obtaining one.”
New lows … every single post.
Have you tried paying your bills with low self-esteem? Have you tried looking for work with low self-esteem? Have you tried getting an education with low self esteem? Do you know anything about struggling to overcome hundreds of years of state-sanctioned indentured abuse? Do you know the benefits accrued from a positive role model when you’ve been kicked in the teeth since first being dragged over here on dilapidated ships.
Do you know what an inner world is, you tin can of a man. Grow the fuck up you scarecrow.
And Obama’s doing everything in his power to prevent African Americans from obtaining one.
I was going to post a response to Farris’s latest inanity, but instead I’ll just ditto what isms wrote, just above.
If you’re a Republican, you believe that anyone and everyone can be successful with some ingenuity and hard work.
So why have you failed so much in life? Is it because you’re stupid or lazy?
I know it’s comforting to believe that everything that happens to people is because of God either rewarding or punishing them for something they did, but real life isn’t that cut and dry. Sometimes shit happens to people through no fault of their own. Why do you believe that these people should be shunned by society?
The opposite also happens (bad people succeeding with no punishment), but that’s a topic for another time.
I still believe it’s true.
That’s not helping your case.
So, I guess if the unemployment rate for African Americans had amazingly dropped, ferom 2009 onward, to the same as that for Caucasians, all the Republicans would be cool with that…?
“Yes, Obama never discusses education, at all. No sir.
The problem you guys have is that black people are smart enough to know who got us in the mess (hint: not Obama).”
Actually, the previous president and his wife made education a top priority during his 8 years as President and Blacks were doing far better under Bush than Barry–people who don’t identify as “liberals” could acknowledge that:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/01/black-unemployment-rises-overall-drops_n_843891.html
As for your other point, forgive me for thinking black people expected more from than symbolic gestures from a guy 95% of ‘em went to the ballot for.
Question –
What’s the difference between 2.5 years and 8 years?
Hint – it’s not a liberal trick.
Isn’t that cute, con trolls pretending they give a damn about African-Americans.
Frank, what color are your government issued bootstraps that you pulled yourself up with?
I can only assume by Ol Froth’s comments that he WANTS as many young unemployed African-Americans as possible.
Holy crap are you dim.
“Isn’t that cute, con trolls pretending they give a damn about African-Americans.”
If black unemployment is high, they don’t get to accuse the colored of stealing jobs from white people.