A More Perfect Union : Obama, Race, And The Necessity Of Unite Essay

In Barack Obama’s speech, “A More Perfect Union,” Obama made an effort to educate the American people on the history and importance of race in America. He explained how our nations founding fathers developed our Constitution based on the idea that all men are created equal, without actually practicing this idea themselves. He used the words of the Constitution to discuss the current racial issues and to state his concern of our imperfect nation. This was all in response to the very controversial remarks Barack Obama’s pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright had previously stated, which created much unease among Americans. Obama felt the need to address our nation about this specific problem, since he identifies as a black man himself, and offer a solution to end this built up anger and discrimination between the American people. In his speech, “A More Perfect Union,” Obama is able to clearly convey the specific racial problem at hand that created the exigency for this speech, as well as effectively share his own personal connection with this issue, in order to help fix our country and work together to find a beneficial solution.

In response to the controversial sermon given by his pastor and the racial remarks that followed him during his 2008 campaign, then Senator Barack Obama, was inherently forced into delivering a speech that would address the comments and prove to the American people that he did in fact shared their “American Dream” and was not an Anti-America charity case. Obama gave his famous “A More Perfect Union” speech in Philadelphia, where he seized the opportunity to address the controversy as an indication of a much larger issue, race relations in America and introduce his mission of moving the country toward “a more perfect union.” His speech often coined, “the Race Speech”, had several factors play into its success, one factor being the way the speech was delivered, his speech incorporated the jeremiad form and constitutive form of rhetoric, the use of those two forms helped Obama address the issue while at the same time creating an identity that would encompass all Americans who would then come together in this identity and work toward the solution of the race issue and providing the “American Dream” for everyone.

In Obama’s speech “A More Perfect Union”, he emphasizes the importance of unity among Americans. He wants people to overlook their ethnic backgrounds and join together as one. This speech brought out many points that Americans should take into consideration. That even though we are all from different backgrounds, we should overlook our differences to make us a stronger nation. Obama’s speech was inspiring in some aspects, but in a way his speech also is controversial.

Obama’s speech on race was a part of his campaign while he was running for the presidential election in 2009. He speaks to the American people with the purpose to gather them and with spirit of fellowship to creates a unity and patriotism. A unity where everyone stands together and in jointly could make the world a better place for everyone, no matter

President Obama’s, “A More Perfect Union”, speech conveyed many of his beliefs concerning racism. Obama is the son of a white woman and a Kenyan man, and just because of his race people are either with or against him. He begins his speech by talking about the founding fathers and the Declaration of Independence by saying that ‘all men are created equal’. His former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright brought up some of his observations about racism which caused some unease. He continues his speech by saying that the solution to ending this unease of racism is to come together and forgive each other for all the wrongs they have done in the past. He ends his speech by saying that both races need to become united in order for a more perfect union. Barack Obama buttresses his argument about slavery and unification by using ethos, pathos, allusion, as well as repetition.

Throughout our history race, religion, and culture have split the U.S. ever since our framers defined our constitution. Since then we can find many examples which break us apart but also characterizes us as Americans. Even in today’s society, sometimes individuals tend to look at others who do not look similar to themselves as an inferior species. Due to these acts of racism and other prejudices against those individuals, many people have raised their voices and agreed that it is time to stop these immoral acts which only break us apart. In March 28, 2008 Senator Barack Obama addressed the nation with one of the greatest speeches ever given; it was not only a wake up call for America

From the beginning of time , race has seem to be a topic of discussion. There has always been reoccurrences in history about race problems and skin tone issues. Many thought the Civil Rights era would bring a end to race issues in America but that was just a pseudo. By reading , Dreams from my Father , one can get the sense of the struggle for identity and finding a place of belonging. The United States can not escape the historical legacy that it has built over the years when dealing with race. Obama’s famous quote in the book proclaims , “My identity might begin with the fact of my race, but it didn’t, couldn’t, end there (Obama 111). This famous quote signifies Obama need to know more about him; he is proclaiming that although race and ethnicity is just a slight image of who you are , there are many externalities that influence ones identity and how they are formed as a person. Race is something that might always be apart of your identity , but just knowing your race isn’t critically thinking deep enough . One must search deep into their roots in order to understand their true indeitiy and where they belong in this tangled world. During this book, Obama searched sin Kenya for faith, hope , and inspiration through his African ancestry.

In President Barack Obama’s A More Perfect Union speech, he addressed racial tension among the nation on March 18, 2008 at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His speech was a response to his former pastor, Jeremiah. Wright, the pastor Emeritus of Trinity United Church of Christ, in Chicago, on the controversial comments he made about racial segregation in America. Obama used various rhetorical strategies while applying historical facts and logical reasoning to support his argument. His use of personal experiences held a sympathetic form of ethos, which helped establish himself as an authority to reach the diverse perspectives on race within the members of his audience. Obama took advantage of this situation not

He acknowledges that the resentments of the black and white communities “aren’t always expressed in polite company,” but these resentments are manifested within our society in destructive ways, like racism (Obama, par. 31). The audience feels that he is knowledgeable and credible on the immediate topics affecting our future and our daily lives.

One of the first things Obama addressed in his speech was why he was running at this time. He believed that the only way to overcoming America’s challenges are to come together. We must realize that we all have the same common goal to create a better life for future generations. Obama said, “And this belief comes from my unyielding faith in the decency and generosity of the American people. But it also comes from my own story.” He begins to share his personal story of family background so that the audience can get a deeper understanding of his strong beliefs. He was a child of a

Obama uses historical context at the beginning of his speech to engulf his audience into an emotional understanding of his political campaign. Obama speaks of how he is “the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas”(377) and he is talking about the racial differences in his family and how nowhere else on earth this is possible therefore making him not the most “conventional” or candidates. But he believes he is a prime example of the true America, of freedom and diversity and he does so by using historical context of his own past. Obama uses a bit of cultural context as well in his speech when he talks of “South Carolina, where the Confederate flag still flies”(378) and how they have “built a powerful coalition of African Americans and white Americans”(378). He is referring to the U.S.’s past, during the civil war era, when blacks and whites came together and worked together to build a better nation. He believes the U.S. should strive for that once more to overcome our common enemies such as poverty, terrorism, and other U.S. crises.

The election of President Obama marks the most noteworthy political accomplishment for African Americans in the United States during the post-civil rights revolution, thus bringing about a change in the country’s social and political landscape that was steeped in racial discrimination since the founding of this great nation. Because social and political conditions are subject to constant change, President Obama’s

The speaker, Obama states “This was one of the tasks we set forth at the beginning of this campaign---to continue the long march of those who came before us, a march for a more just, more equal, more free, more caring and more prosperous America.” Obama didn’t forget where he came from so he remembering what was his life like in the past. He want America to come together as one because in the past there were slaves, racism and people who murdered others for hatred.

Senator Barack Obama had many issues throughout his campaign. Obama’s speech, “A More Perfect Union”, delivered on March 18, 2008, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, conveyed many issues concerning racism throughout the United States, but it starts out stating how the founders of this nation constructed the Declaration of Independence, creating all men equal. Obama then begins to talk about his pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, and his racial remarks against America and Israel, as it is “divisive at a time when we need unity”, referring to the “ two wars, a terrorist threat, a falling economy, a chronic health care crisis” going on at the time. (Obama 2) Obama remarks “I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas,” (Obama 1) because there is much criticism in his campaign due to his race. Obama argues that race is paralyzing our nation, and that it is still a major issue due to white privilege, and racial inequality. In the end, Obama hopes to move past the “racial stalemate we’ve been stuck in for years,” (Obama 6) and wishes to improve health care, jobs, schools, and other social issues for the United States.

On top of that big fat slab of equality and togetherness, President Obama also begins to usher in a sense of endless possibilities and hope through the audience. He juxtaposes the “ending of war” to the beginning of economic recovery (Isn’t that a lie in the state we’re in?). This solidifies hope and the use parallelism, “ we are made for this moment, and we will seize it – so long as we seize it together". He begins again, this time using a parallelism that is used throughout the rest of the speech, “we, the people,” to even further establish togetherness and also builds Obama’s presidential