Barack Obama: 'Just remember, this country was founded on protest ... every step of progress in this country, every expansion of freedom, every expression of our deepest ideals has been won through efforts that made the status quo uncomfortable.'
Sitting in shirtsleeves with sparsely filled bookshelves as a backdrop, the 44th president declared that despite the tragedy of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the disproportionate toll on communities of color taken by the coronavirus pandemic, he remained optimistic because so many young people are getting galvanized and motivated.
The upcoming presidential election, in which Obama's former running mate Joe Biden is poised to challenge Trump, got nary a mention in the 90-minute session. "I've been hearing a little bit of chatter in the Internet about voting versus protest, politics and participation versus civil disobedience and direct action," he recounted."This is not an 'either or' — this is a 'both and' — to bring about real change we both have to highlight a problem and make people in power uncomfortable."
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Obama Tells Young Activists To Seize George Floyd Momentum, Get Involved In Local GovernmentHe also praised the George Floyd protests as a “more representative cross-section of America” than civil rights protests in the ‘60s
Read more »
Obama Promises Young Black Americans He'll Fight for Them: 'Your Lives Matter, Your Dreams Matter'The former president convened a town hall to 'use the momentum' of national protests to press mayors, police chiefs and other local office to act now on practical changes to use-of-force policies.
Read more »
Obama urges young black people to 'feel hopeful even as you may feel angry' after George Floyd's deathFormer President Barack Obama on Wednesday personally thanked protesters in the streets across the nation following the death of George Floyd, and urged young African Americans to 'feel hopeful even as you may feel angry' because he feels change is coming.
Read more »
Biden, Obama take steps to fill glaring leadership vacuumOver the last 24 hours, Barack Obama and Joe Biden practically took turns trying to fill the nation's leadership vacuum.
Read more »
Barack Obama Weighs In on How To Bring About Real Change After George Floyd’s DeathBarack Obama Weighs In on How To Bring About Real Change After George Floyd's Death! (via JustJared)
Read more »