Reaction to Obama's Speech to America's Schoolchildren

President Barack Obama spoke to America's schoolchildren at Wakefield High School in Arlington County, Virginia on Tuesday September 8, 2009. High school senior Timothy Spicer-- athlete, AP student, and class president--had the honor of introducing the President to his school. Spicer was introduced before he got on stage. The fact that he is a successful African-American student made his role in the event even more significant.

The speech only lasted for twenty minutes, which was just enough time to make the point. Just about everything that Obama said was what a parent who values education would have said to their child. And more. This is because Obama had a similar childhood as many poor kids from single-parent homes. He knew every excuse that a kid could make for not succeeding in school, and he was on to all of them.

Some quotes from Obama's speech:

"We can have the best teachers, the best schools, the best parents--but it won't make a difference unless you put in the work."

"You have a responsibility to yourself to find out what you are good at."

"If you quit school, you're not just quitting on yourself--you are quitting on your country."

"Some of the most successful people in the world have had the most failures."

He encouraged students to study hard, to set their own goals for their education, and to use failure as a teacher, not as an identifier. He encouraged students to ask adults whom they trusted to help them stay on track of their educational goals. He told students that right now, school is their job.

I heard a lot of these things from my own parents. I am sure that a lot of Republicans heard this from their parents as well. I hope they feel good and silly making all of that fuss about this speech. If they are still mad, well...they will have to attend an anti-racism workshop or two.

Obama's Speech to America's Schoolchildren

The concept of children writing essays about the President, or what they could do for their country, or what they could do to help the President, is not new. Only now, people getting bent out of shape because a president actually provided lesson plans to accompany his speech to schoolchildren. You can access these lesson plans for K-6 and 7-12 here.

No one said that the assignments were mandatory. In fact, no one said that listening to the speech was mandatory. Actually listening to the speech would be a good idea, though, simply to overcome one's fears, or to have something tangible to critique. Maybe this speech would encourage kids to become more engaged in civics and public affairs, and make them realize that they are not too small to make a difference. Where is the harm in this?

Everyday Racism

The Advocate posted a telling story about prominent Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Gates got locked out of his house, and tried to get back in. A "local woman" called the police, because all she saw was an African-American man attempting to get into a house on the Harvard University campus. The police went into this situation also with the assumption that this was a break-in. Of course Gates would be indignant and outraged, especially since some police offers like to play up their authority and act like bullies. Gates was arrested for "disorderly conduct" and released on a $40 bail.

I was born and raised in the Northeast, where racism and segregation is still a part of everyday life. If you are a person of color in a predominantly white neighborhood, the residents will call the police if they do not know you, or if a neighbor cannot "speak for" you. If you are a person of color driving through a predominantly white neighborhood in a nice car, the police will come to check you out. This is what happened to my Foundations of Education professor Dr. George Fouron.

Dr. Fouron happened to work at a university on the North Shore of Long Island, New York, where now and then he would take a shortcut through one of the whitey white old money neighborhoods while driving his Mercedes Benz. One day he was late for class, and he told us that the reason he was late was because a policeman stopped him simply because he was a person of color driving through a white neighborhood in a Mercedes Benz. I was shocked. But I was even more shocked when a young man raised his hand and said, "Dr. Fouron, don't worry. I work for the police department and can get you a pass that will tell the police that you are OK."

No one said a word. I don't know if it was because they were as stunned as I was with this drama that played out before us on the stage of our lecture hall, or because they agreed with this system. I just didn't know what to say. How degrading this all must have been for Dr. Fouron.

Anyway, the responses to the article about Henry Louis Gates Jr. sickened me. You can read the article and the comments here.

This story reached President Obama's ear, and he had something to say about it:

Obama Criticizes Police Handling of Professor Henry Louis Gates

Please understand that when these incidents are brought to light, and when everyone speaks out against the bad behavior of police, it actually improves how the police treat everyone.

For the record, I am watching a lot of documentaries these days about racism in Russia. The Russian police do not provide security for anyone, especially if those people are not ethnic Eastern Orthodox Russians. In fact, many of the Russian police who are sent to arrest some of the most outspoken leaders of ultra right wing xenophobic groups tell those dudes, "Sorry man, I am just doing my job...if I wasn't a policeman I would be marching with you."

The United States has come a LONG WAY. Always remember that the police are PUBLIC SERVANTS, hired to KEEP THE PEACE and TO MAKE EVERY INDIVIDUAL FEEL SECURE.

They are not hired thugs, they are not skinheads, they are not vigilantes, they are not Klansmen. There is no reason why any innocent person should feel threatened or intimidated of a blue uniform, or be put on the defensive when approached by someone in a blue uniform.

The Conspiracy Continues

"Obama gave Bush's education policy a third term."

Obama's People

Obama's People is a photo exhibition of Barack Obama's top 52 advisers. This is probably the most diverse cabinet of presidential advisers in the history of the United States, and it made me ask many questions. My IM 204 class and I did some fact-finding on a few of the advisers:

James E. Clyburn: Majority Whip: The first South Carolinian and second African-American to hold the position of Majority Whip. Clyburn was a major figure in the Civil Rights Movement, and served as Congressman of South Carolina. His career in politics started at 12 years old, when he was elected president of his NAACP youth chapter. In 2005, Nancy Pelosi invited him to serve on the Democrat's Faith Working Group.

Rahm Emanuel: Chief of Staff: Emanuel's Jewish roots and tough, mercurial personality precede him. Now that he is in Obama's Cabinet, he is doing his best to keep a calm demeanor although he will always remain a challenger and instigator. This is the main reason why Obama has selected Emanuel for this position; to have an unwavering Devil's Advocate when discussing important issues, and to serve as the unrelenting front guard for items not up for discussion.

John Favreau: 27 years old: Speechwriting Director: aka "The President's mind reader." Though the young Favreau may be a highly perceptive wordsmith, he did not realize that a photo of him grabbing the breast of a cardboard Hillary Clinton had surfaced on Facebook.

Patrick Gaspard: Political Affairs Director: Born in Haiti. Prior to working with Obama, Gaspard was a community organizer for school reform and labor issues. He had worked on the campaigns for Jesse Jackson, Howard Dean, and New York City Mayor David Dinkins--New York City's first African American mayor. Very little information has been published about Patrick Gaspard, although as field director of Americans Coming Together (ACT), a 527 "Get Out the Vote" group, he was unaware that convicted felons were hired as canvassers, and that ACT also violated some campaign finance laws.

Eugene Kang: 24 years old: "Special Assistant to the President". There is still not yet enough public information available on what exactly Eugene Kang is going to do. Kang has a Facebook page if you want to add him, though. He organized a great deal of information for Obama during his campaign, and mobilized many Asian American communities into voting for Obama.

Valerie Jarrett: Senior Adviser: "the other half of Obama's brain". Jarrett comes from an incredibly prominent African-American family, full of firsts. She has lived all over the world, worked in corporate law, and then headed to the Chicago Mayor's office as chief of staff. As chief of staff to Chicago mayor Richard Daley, she had hired Michelle Obama (then Robinson) as assistant to the mayor. It is uncertain what her political views are, although she is a divorced parent and voted by journalism website muckety.com as one of Chicago's "100 best networked".

Reggie Love: 26 years old: Personal Aide and "kid brother". Love played football and basketball while going for his degree in Political Science at Duke University, tried out for the Green Bay Packers in 2004 and didn't make it, tried out for the Dallas Cowboys in 2005 and didn't make it...so he went to work for Barack Obama!

Desiree Rogers: White House Social Secretary: First African American to be named White House Social Secretary and longtime personal friend of the Obamas. I originally thought that "Social Secretary" had to do with Social Services of some kind, but no...Desiree Rogers is going to be the official event planner and party planner for the White House. This is an important position? What about the White House Chef?

Eric K. Shinseki: Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Retired General Shinseki is a Vietnam war veteran who had seen combat firsthand, and has done some incredible things in his position. Shinseki clashed quite frequently with Donald Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz on the number of US troops needed in Iraq--Shinseki insisted that they would need "something on the order of several hundred thousand soldiers".

Hilda L. Solis: Labor Secretary: Solis has voted NO on major illegal immigration bills, and remains a powerful voice in government for Latinos. The bills she has worked on in the 110th Congress show a commitment to Latino representation, domestic violence, and environmental issues. (For the record, she does not support a constitutional amendment to define marriage as a bond between man and woman, either.)

Mike Strautmanis: Chief of Staff: Long time personal friend of the Obamas who worked for Michelle as a paralegal before getting involved with politics. Strautmanis has a son with autism, and is working on a disability policy that specifically addresses the needs of autistic people.

Cass Sunstein: Information and Regulatory Affairs Commissioner: Law professor who has written some good stuff about why Americans should celebrate paying taxes and how every US citizen who graduates from high school and has no criminal record should get $80,000 to invest in his or her future.

Mona Sutphen: Deputy White House Chief of Staff: Co-wrote the book The Next American Century: How the US Can Thrive as Other Powers Rise.