How The Obama Administration Talks to Black America

[CACtain Planet]

Not to toot my own horn or shyt on anybody but have u nikkas ever graduated...? Let alone frm college? The context of readin his speech on a message board scratching ur unwashed nuts versus hearing it live as a motivational reinforcement after 4-5 years of school finally being over is prolly a big difference.

:fckup: Im in a PhD program

 

[theworldismine13]

Not to toot my own horn or shyt on anybody but have u nikkas ever graduated...? Let alone frm college? The context of readin his speech on a message board scratching ur unwashed nuts versus hearing it live as a motivational reinforcement after 4-5 years of school finally being over is prolly a big difference.

most people are just reading the thread title and just see this thread as a way to vent

 

[The Real]

That's a poor comparison. Hillary Clinton could give that speech to the girls at Barnard, Obama couldn't. Certain people have to be the ones to deliver certain messages or it comes across as someone from outside of group feeling they can preach to them. You know that.

@NZA is right. This whole message is just played out, and not because the content lacks any truth- I similarly don't disagree with all of it. It's not that Obama can't say it anywhere else- it's that he wouldn't, and that white politicians say the same things to and about Black people all the time. I don't think it's really a debatable point that Black people represent an exception or limit case in politics. No one is interested in actually doing anything focused on empowering the Black population- Obama represents someone who had more opportunity and reason to do so than others, even if it's just acknowledging certain racial realities in a frank and empirical way, which makes it all the more disappointing that he chooses the cowardly route.

Notice that in my post, I used his own quote, and not out of context.
The callous and even racist elements are all there- you don't need exaggeration or decontextualization to see them.

 

[Earnings]

Didnt realize this was HigherLearning im on tapatalk brehs.. (Phone app)

Thought this was The Locker Room lol... Proceed

(Pleas copped )

 

[No1]

the thing is, i dont believe this stuff is helping, and though i said i could choose to interpret his tendency to do this in a more charitable way, i actually will not. i think it is cynical. he has about 3 low-grade scandals going on, and now he's choosing to give conservative messages to already high acheiving black people. i dont think his audience was really the people near him. i suspect he is nurturing his sister souljah credentials again, and the act is getting tired.

so really, the point of my grievence with this is not the messenger, it is the message, because i dont want the president saying this, not from him, a white guy, an eskimo, or a transgendered dwarf. his legacy is going to be weak if he doesnt start handling race issues with some courage and honesty. the point is not that he is too much of an outsider to comment on women's issues, but that there is no real beneficial poltical impulse to put women in their place in current american politics. (as various tea party candidates learned in 2012). unfortunately, i think dog whistling, especially when done by democrats (re sister souljah) is still a "thing".

You're arguing numerous things at once, all of which I think are wrong, but at least be consistent. For one, you tried to use a women and example and then I pointed out why that would be a horrible comparison. Then you said, there's no benefit to putting them in their place, but that's an entirely different argument. I won't even get into how pointless it is for Obama to have a sista Souljah moment when he is going to get 90% of the black vote regardless and there are no white males for him to gain back with such a moment, they've given up on the Dems and I can go on forever about how that is a terrible comparison to make. Quite frankly, I think you're trying entirely to hard to read into something just because you don't like what he said. I can't sit here and argue with you about what you believe he is projecting out and who his "real" audience is because all you're stating is merely conjecture with very little to actually back up your statements. You have to give me something more than that.

So let me say this as a recent college graduate before I address the rest of your post, which is also incorrect. College students are entitled and many think the degree is enough. It was for the group before us. The idea that "these are already high-achieving kids so they don't need to hear this" is nonsense on those grounds alone. That message to ANY group of college graduates will never get old. Particularly to a group of AAs males at Morehouse college where only 36% of the students graduate in 4 years and 57% in 6. That's medicine that needs to be heard. Then this crazy connection you make between scandals an this "low-grade conservative" message when getting people to speak at these things happen months, if not an entire year, in advance. But yes, he re-worked this speech at the last minute and after being elected twice to appease middle America He's literally given variations of these speeches for about 8 years.

He's giving a speech that every black father worth a damn gives to their son. A speech that every successful black man with a father figure in their life has heard from their father, but to you it's "low-grade conservative." Go look at what @Serious quoted and tell me what is wrong with that statement. The problem is that you're looking for a political angle in these statements and you went found the one you wanted. This is not a Bill Cosby moment. (I can't believe I typed this much). His legacy on race will be weak if Office of African-American education never gets funding, if his education programs never get funding, if his jobs programs never get passed, and if never addresses sentencing disparities (as fruitless as that may be). It won't have shyt to do with him any of what you're implying.

 

[No1]

@NZA is right. This whole message is just played out, and not because the content lacks any truth- I similarly don't disagree with all of it. It's not that Obama can't say it anywhere else- it's that he wouldn't, and that white politicians say the same things to and about Black people all the time. I don't think it's really a debatable point that Black people represent an exception or limit case in politics. No one is interested in actually doing anything focused on empowering the Black population- Obama represents someone who had more opportunity and reason to do so than others, even if it's just acknowledging certain racial realities in a frank and empirical way, which makes it all the more disappointing that he chooses the cowardly route.

Notice that in my post, I used his own quote, and not out of context.
The callous and even racist elements are all there- you don't need exaggeration or decontextualization to see them.

No, he's not right and neither are you. This is just another example of people reading to deep except as a means to vent their frustrations. Like you said, this message is "played out." That's really all you have going for you in this discussion. You're tired of hearing it. You want him to "go deeper" and talk about race in a deeper manner. But that has nothing to do with your original post.

The difference between what Obama said and what conservatives say is clear. They would say what he said and then everything surrounding it would imply racism and "pick yourself up by your own boot straps."

What he said to surround those statements was

"We've got no time for excuses — not because the bitter legacies of slavery and segregation have vanished entirely; they haven't," "It's just that in today's hyperconnected, hypercompetitive world, with a billion young people from China and India and Brazil entering the global workforce alongside you, nobody is going to give you anything you haven't earned."

Translation: I know that the entire legacy of slavery and segregation isn't over. But you're now competing on a global scale and no one cares. No one is going to do anything for you to atone for this past mistakes. You will be judged on merit alone. Companies want the most productive worker, end of story.


Now, that's not entirely true because obviously people are racially biased against you many times in the hiring process. shyt, to keep it thorough, in law school we were straight up told by advisers to act "less black" in our interviews . I suggest you go watch that speech on youtube and come back. Given the fact that it's you, I was very surprised at your post. You're usually more on point than that.

 

[NZA]

You're arguing numerous things at once, all of which I think are wrong, but at least be consistent. For one, you tried to use a women and example and then I pointed out why that would be a horrible comparison. Then you said, there's no benefit to putting them in their place, but that's an entirely different argument. I won't even get into how pointless it is for Obama to have a sista Souljah moment when he is going to get 90% of the black vote regardless and there are no white males for him to gain back with such a moment, they've given up on the Dems and I can go on forever about how that is a terrible comparison to make. Quite frankly, I think you're trying entirely to hard to read into something just because you don't like what he said. I can't sit here and argue with you about what you believe he is projecting out and who his "real" audience is because all you're stating is merely conjecture with very little to actually back up your statements. You have to give me something more than that.

So let me say this as a recent college graduate before I address the rest of your post, which is also incorrect. College students are entitled and many think the degree is enough. It was for the group before us. The idea that "these are already high-achieving kids so they don't need to hear this" is nonsense on those grounds alone. That message to ANY group of college graduates will never get old. Particularly to a group of AAs males at Morehouse college where only 36% of the students graduate in 4 years and 57% in 6. That's medicine that needs to be heard. Then this crazy connection you make between scandals an this "low-grade conservative" message when getting people to speak at these things happen months, if not an entire year, in advance. But yes, he re-worked this speech at the last minute and after being elected twice to appease middle America He's literally given variations of these speeches for about 8 years.

He's giving a speech that every black father worth a damn gives to their son. A speech that every successful black man with a father figure in their life has heard from their father, but to you it's "low-grade conservative." Go look at what @Serious quoted and tell me what is wrong with that statement. The problem is that you're looking for a political angle in these statements and you went found the one you wanted. This is not a Bill Cosby moment. (I can't believe I typed this much). His legacy on race will be weak if Office of African-American education never gets funding, if his education programs never get funding, if his jobs programs never get passed, and if never addresses sentencing disparities (as fruitless as that may be). It won't have shyt to do with him any of what you're implying.

i am being consistent. i have made an accusation about obama and and supported that with other statements.

i dont have to give you anything. you chose to quote me, i did not start this conversation with you.

maybe you need this message, i wont dispute that. the point you make about his speeches is basically moot. anybody that has successfully campained twice can pull off any kind of speech they want on short notice, even easier for a president praised for his speechifying. speeches of this type are not that hard, and the fact that he has been giving these kinds of speeches for years actually supports my cynicism about him. this is why i characterized this as tapdancing in my first post.i didnt merely say i dont like this one speech, i said that i have grown tired of this tendency. i actually used to react less harshly to it in the past.

he is not everbody's father. he is a poltiician giving one demographic lectures instead of policies. it's gotten ridiculous now. if you paid attention to my first post, i already said i dont disagree with the actual values expressed, just the fact that those values are given to us instead of policy. it never happens to any other demographic. this is a problem. his legacy on race is going to invlove everything having to do with race, including the optics of him speaking to black audiences like this consistently, and only black audiences.

 

[Rekkapryde]

. IMO the biggest difference between young blacks and young whites is that we can't be average or lazy. A white person can get by doing average, if he has the proper connections and network support. Most of us brothers don't have that network support, or that good old boys system of helping each other, or having a parent who can get you a decent job that you can build off of.

That's where the challenge is. Once we get more people into those high place positions we can build our own networks.

Bingo.

*daps*

 

[No1]

For the record, before I go to bed let me put his ACTUAL comments here so people can read them for themselves and see what I mean about this not being something to be getting all upset about. I mean shyt, criticize Obama for that weak ass original stimulus or something, but THIS is just nonsense. Read the statement in CONTEXT:

We know that too many young men in our community continue to make bad choices. Growing up, I made a few myself. And I have to confess, sometimes I wrote off my own failings as just another example of the world trying to keep a black man down. But one of the things you’ve learned over the last four years is that there’s no longer any room for excuses. I understand that there’s a common fraternity creed here at Morehouse: “excuses are tools of the incompetent, used to build bridges to nowhere and monuments of nothingness.” We’ve got no time for excuses – not because the bitter legacies of slavery and segregation have vanished entirely; they haven’t. Not because racism and discrimination no longer exist; that’s still out there. It’s just that in today’s hyperconnected, hypercompetitive world, with a billion young people from China and India and Brazil entering the global workforce alongside you, nobody is going to give you anything you haven’t earned. And whatever hardships you may experience because of your race, they pale in comparison to the hardships previous generations endured – and overcame.

You now hail from a lineage and legacy of immeasurably strong men – men who bore tremendous burdens and still laid the stones for the path on which we now walk. You wear the mantle of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington, Ralph Bunche and Langston Hughes, George Washington Carver and Ralph Abernathy, Thurgood Marshall and yes, Dr. King. These men were many things to many people. They knew full well the role that racism played in their lives. But when it came to their own accomplishments and sense of purpose, they had no time for excuses.

I’m sure every one of you has a grandma, an uncle, or a parent who’s told you at some point in life that, as an African-American, you have to work twice as hard as anyone else if you want to get by. I think President Mays put it even better: “Whatever you do, strive to do it so well that no man living and no man dead, and no man yet to be born can do it any better.” I promise you, what was needed in Dr. Mays’ time, that spirit of excellence, and hard work, and dedication, is needed now more than ever. If you think you can get over in this economy, just because you have a Morehouse degree, you are in for a rude awakening. But if you stay hungry, keep hustling, keep on your grind and get other folks to do the same – nobody can stop you.

As to his "personality responsibility comments:

Be a good role model and set a good example for that young brother coming up. If you know someone who isn’t on point, go back and bring that brother along. The brothers who have been left behind – who haven’t had the same opportunities we have – they need to hear from us.

Finally, as you do these things, do them not just for yourself or for the African-American community.... It is not just the African-American community that needs you. The country needs you. The world needs you. See, as Morehouse Men, many of you know what it’s like to be an outsider; to be marginalized; to feel the sting of discrimination. That’s an experience that so many other Americans share. Hispanic Americans know that feeling when someone asks where they come from or tells them to go back. Gay and lesbian Americans feel it when a stranger passes judgment on their parenting skills or the love they share. Muslim Americans feel it when they’re stared at with suspicion because of their faith. Any woman who knows the injustice of earning less pay for doing the same work – she sure feels it.

So your experiences give you special insight that today’s leaders need. If you tap into that experience, it should endow you with empathy – the understanding of what it’s like to walk in somebody else’s shoes. It should give you an ability to connect. It should give you a sense of what it means to overcome barriers.

Whatever success I achieved...been due to that sense of empathy and connection – the special obligation I felt, as a black man like you, to help those who needed it most; people who didn’t have the opportunities that I had,......To make sure that everyone – no matter what they look like or where they come from, or who they love – gets a chance to walk through those doors of opportunity if they want it bad enough.

 

[Rekkapryde]

For the record, before I go to bed let me put his ACTUAL comments here so people can read them for themselves and see what I mean about this not being something to be getting all upset about. I mean shyt, criticize Obama for that weak ass original stimulus or something, but THIS is just nonsense. Read the statement in CONTEXT:



As to his "personality responsibility comments:

close thread.

If you are shytting on Obama after this one ....

 

[Dusty Bake Activate]

@USA Today trolling.

 

[El Bombi]

This is my last comment on this subject.

Telling people to do something have little value, but action have greater value.

The whole "Just Say No" campaign was the White House telling people and children to stop using drugs during the 80's crack epidemic. What Ronald and Nancy Reagan was telling people was the truth, just like Barack and Michelle. But like in the 80's, we saw how well telling people to not do drugs didn't work. When there wasn't any legislation pass to help get drugs off the street or cracking down on drugs coming into the U.S. Just as you can tell black children to achieve better careers. But there's was no true legislation to keep drugs out of their communities(There's no cocaine fields in the hood). Which also led to the majority of the crime that happen in the black community. Police department targeting black males more than white males. Closing down schools. Lack of after school programs. Better economy so their parents doesn't have to work 2 or 3 jobs and can spend more time with their kids. Not having a unbalance prejudice justice system, that don't lock up black fathers for 5 to 15 years for non violent crime. When their white friends fathers only get probation with the same non violent crime.

If black women want to look up to a real black women that's telling the truth about their community, then they are listening to the wrong Michelle. They should be listening to Michelle Alexander, who is really telling the truth about the new days of Jim Crow that is causing the black community to fall today.

Telling people to do something have little value. Conservative Christianity tell their children to practice abstinence until marriage. Yeah it sound good and probably morally right, but how well is tell kids to practice abstinence really working.

Talk is cheap, but moving legislation is what has an effect on the community. It was legislation that put black people in this mess, It is legislation that is keeping black in this mess, and will be legislation to get black people out of this mess if you really know how this country work. Yes, black people need to practice group economics, start up black business, and teach our kids to do better. But you're a fool if you think that's the only way to lift the community. Before Jim Crow, there was many thriving black communities. But once white people saw that, they passed legislation to stop that from continuing to happen. And don't think in 2013, that they what do it again. That why it's important that we have politicians on our side to push legislation the benefits us along with us black people building up our community.

See the old heads like Thurgood Marshall understood this concept. You also have to beat these issues on Capital Hill and in the Court Room. It was legislation that abolish slavery. It was legislation that stop Jim Crow. It was legislation that stop segregation, and it was legislation that gave us the right to vote(That's still an unsure one to this day)

I advise you all to watch Dr. Claude Anderson Powernomics.

Done with my rant. I'm out.

 

[MeachTheMonster]

So what was he supposed to tell a bunch of recent graduates?

" you made it. Now Washington is gonna fight to make sure you get what you deserve"

FOH here told them exactly what graduates need to hear

 

[Type Username Here]

So what was he supposed to tell a bunch of recent graduates?

" you made it. Now Washington is gonna fight to make sure you get what you deserve"

FOH here told them exactly what graduates need to hear

Which is exactly what Allen West has been saying. West was my congressman at one time, so I know what he said. You can find a exactly what he said various times to the Black Caucus on this very issue.

It's because it came from Obama. This has been a conservative narrative for about 30 years.

If you admit that you agree with the conservative narrative, I don't see what the problem is. The problem occurs when you accept it from one person, and defend it, but while being on the other side of the debate when Allen West and Tim Scott say the Exact same shyt.

 

[MeachTheMonster]

Which is exactly what Allen West has been saying. West was my congressman at one time, so I know what he said. You can find a exactly what he said various times to the Black Caucus on this very issue.

It's because it came from Obama. This has been a conservative narrative for about 30 years.

If you admit that you agree with the conservative narrative, I don't see what the problem is. The problem occurs when you accept it from one person, and defend it, but while being on the other side of the debate when Allen West and Tim Scott say the Exact same shyt.

To be honest I don't know much about Allen West or Tim Scott or the fact that this is a "conservative narrative". But I will say that the messenger does matter. If you go out and tell young black kids to "try harder", then go back to your day job and fight to preserve and create more barriers to our success. I can't respect your message.

You seem to confuse rhetoric with policy. Politicians SAY a lot of shyt. It's what they DO that matters.