When the President and First Lady deliver commencement speeches, it’s a very big deal for obvious reasons. But when the First Couple is African-American–and the venues are historically black universities–these are unique, powerful-message moments.
The President recently went to Atlanta, where he spoke at Morehouse College, the nation’s only historically black, all-male college. He told them–as only the nation’s consummate black role model can–that they needed to be “responsible family men” and that the time was past for using color as a crutch. Indeed, “there’s no longer any room for excuses.” Nor was there room, he added, for the rationale that forces were conspiring to “keep a black man down.”
Imagine Mitt Romney delivering that message?
As for the First Lady, she pulled no punches at Bowie State University, Maryland’s oldest historically black university. She lamented the educational gap plaguing the black community.
“Right now, one in three African-American students are dropping out of high school,” she pointed out. … “Instead of dreaming of being a teacher or a lawyer or a business leader, they’re fantasizing about being a baller or a rapper. … And as my husband has said often, please stand up and reject the slander that says a black child with a book is trying to act white. Reject that.”
Imagine Ann Romney making that case–without coming off as condescending or racist?
Nice Opinion Blog and I could not agree more that black men need to be “responsible family men” and that the time has past for using color as a crutch. and I concur when the president said, “there’s no longer any room for excuses.” Nor was there room, he added, for the rationale that forces were conspiring to “keep a black man down.”; and it is true that any White President or First Lady saying this would have caused quite a stir.
However, don’t think for a moment that neither the president nor the first lady did not receive blow back. For example several “Black” Leaders like Dr. Cornell West, Travis Smiley and Dr. Boyce Watkins heavily criticized the President regarding his remarks; see Your Black World, May 22, 2013 and others saying asking to Imagine President Obama making this statement to a group of women:
“Nobody cares if you were molested by your dad. Nobody cares if you were raped by your boyfriend. Women have been getting raped and beaten for centuries and they endured. If they can overcome their assaults, then you can overcome yours too.”.
The double standard that I find is if you follow their records they have been saying the same thing for years but because our President skin tone shows his 50% black side more than his 50% white side ..5% of a population which makes up 13% of the American experience feel obligated to feint anger. Then we have another 15% of a populace which consist of the 60% of the majority of the American experience hailing the President’s remarks as innovative and long overdue; Well, I see both viewpoints but here is a third viewpoint that would not be labeled as an excuse or blame but fact..
Take for instance, in Philadelphia no arts and athletic programs. No assistant principals, counselors and nurses. Some 3,000 school employees could lose their jobs now that the Philadelphia School Reform Commission voted to approve the so-called 2.39 billion “Doomsday budget” dissolving dedicated teachers, up-to-date books and so much more..Under-staffing in our schools will increase the problems that the President has addressed in Historically Black colleges whereas he should have been giving the address at a high school when “right now, one in three African-American students are dropping out of high school,” “Instead of dreaming of being a teacher or a lawyer or a business leader, they’re fantasizing about being a baller or a rapper. Why not when there are not going to be dedicated teachers …