The world of politics is so full of spin and poll-inspired blather that it’s rare to hear a politician take on a risky topic such as race with uncommon candor.
One of those moments came Tuesday as presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama gave a moving, 37-minute speech on the complexities of race in America and, in particular, addressed the incendiary comments of his former pastor.
Political reality dictated that he explain his association with the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. But he did more than that.
His speech was a frank condemnation of prejudices that people of all backgrounds harbor and an eloquent call to move beyond the cynicism of racial politics. It came about as a response to the furor being stirred by repeated airings of excerpts from Wright’s sermons. In these caustic snippets, Wright denounces government, which he says is controlled by rich whites, as prejudiced and corrupt.
Wright and Obama have been close for 20 years, and Obama even took the title of his book, “The Audacity of Hope,” from one of Wright’s sermons. Obama’s speech, given in Philadelphia, was an effort to explain his ties to the pastor but also to denounce Wright’s radical views.
There is more to Wright than the video snippets, Obama said. He spoke of the good Wright has done in housing the homeless, ministering to the needy, providing scholarships, day care services and prison ministries.
Obama made clear he had separated the man’s politics from his ministry. It may not be a perfect explanation, but it rang of truth. However, that’s not to say it won’t damage him politically.
Obama went on to talk about other contradictions, such as how his white grandmother confessed to being scared of passing black men on the street.
People of all backgrounds harbor resentments they might not express in polite company. This country, Obama said, can’t afford to simplify, stereotype and let divisions overwhelm its problems.
Obama provided a detailed explanation of his association with Wright. But he also raised the level of discourse in the presidential campaign by taking on some of the thorniest political issues of our time with soul-bearing honesty and sophistication.
