Groups Respond to Obama’s Call for National Discussion About Race

[Pirate Smile]

Source: New York Times


Senator Barack Obama greeted crowds on Wednesday at Fayetteville Technical Community College in Fayetteville, N.C.

The speech Senator Barack Obama delivered Tuesday morning has been viewed more than 1.6 million times on YouTube and is being widely e-mailed. While commentators and politicians debated its political success Wednesday, some around the country were responding to Mr. Obama’s call for a national conversation about race.

Religious groups and academic bodies, already receptive to Mr. Obama’s plea for such a dialogue, seemed especially enthusiastic. Universities were moving to incorporate the issues Mr. Obama raised into classroom discussions and course work, and churches were trying to find ways to do the same in sermons and Bible studies.

The Rev. Joel Hunter, senior pastor of a mostly white evangelical church of about 12,000 in Central Florida, described Mr. Obama’s speech, in which the Democratic presidential candidate discussed his relationship with the former pastor of his home church in Chicago, as a kind of “Rorschach inkblot test” for the nation.

“It calls out of you what is already in you,” Dr. Hunter said, predicting that those desiring to address the topic would regard the speech as a spur, while those indifferent to issues of race might pay it little heed.
Dr. Hunter said the Obama speech led to a series of conversations Wednesday morning with his staff members. “We want for there to be healing and reconciliation, but unless it’s raised in a very public manner, it’s tough for us in our regular conversation to raise it,” he said.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/us/politics/20race.html

[slinkerwink]

1. great article!

[EFerrari]

2. A little light in a dark world. Congrats, Obama.

[Hissyspit]

3. I used to teach at that community college. That's the student union building in the background

I believe.

[babylonsister]

4. I'm so glad, so glad, so glad! Props for thinking people! nt

[Diane R]

5. The mark of a true generational leader. I can't wait for President Barack Obama.

[Tarheel_Dem]

6. What an encouraging article....

While the rightwing media, and Clinton surrogates have tried to dissect and continue to sow dissent, it seems that by and large the speech has ignited something positive. I don't know how this will play out, but I am full of....dare I say...."HOPE"?

Recommended.

[still_one]

7. I hope EVERYONE has the opportunity to listen to the speech with their OWN ears

and not some commentator telling them what it is about

The speech moved me close to tears, and I have been sending the speech to friends and associates

Obama represents what American is all about in the very best sense

[FlaGranny]

8. This is what

inspiration can do. It can call people to action and make them DO SOMETHING about a problem.

Thanks for posting the article.