ipl-logo

Barack Obama's Speech: A More Perfect Union

1171 Words5 Pages

Barack Obama delivered a speech on racial relations, people consider it was the one of the greatest speeches ever given on race. The speech, “A More Perfect Union” was delivered on March 18, 2008, at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. Reaction was largely positive, drawing comparisons to Martin Luther King, “I have a dream speech.” On the other hand, in the “Problem we All Live With” and in Elizabeth and Hazel they both have same impact on segregation. A wide-range of context surveying America’s history of racial tension serves to aid understanding of a critical analysis of Obama’s speech. Obama wrote in his speech some bitterness and anger, surely remain among aggrieved communities because, yet he wants this country to be as unified. The citizen of this country should bring all the race, gender or religion …show more content…

Ferguson 's, “separate but equal” racial segregation in the Constitution and in, 1954 Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education, which overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and declared that racial segregation of public schools is unconstitutional. However, in the novel, Elizabeth and Hazel, Supreme Court decision forbidding racially segregated schools, the government of Arkansas sent the National Guard at the main door of the Central High School, to stop the blacks from entering the premises. Racial segregation also occurred in the public schools of Little Rock Nine, with a group of African American students. One of the students from Little Nine was Elizabeth Eckford, Little Nine was a group of nine black kids that were allowed to attend a white school, she became the center of the struggle to desegregate public schools in the United States. During the summer of 1957, the Little Rock Nine enrolled at Central High School. The students ' effort to enroll was supported by the U.S. Supreme Court 's decision in Brown v. Board of Education 1954, which had declared segregated schools to be

Show More
Related

  • How Brown V. Board Of Education Changed America

    779 Words  | 4 Pages

    Separate But Not Equal - How Brown v. Board of Education Changed America Brown v. Board of Education was a court case to desegregate schools. During this time over one-third of states, mostly in the south, segregated their schools by law. Most people don’t know that the lawsuit actually started off as five, in Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, and the District of Columbia. Unfortunately all the lower court cases resulted in defeat (Greenspan 1). The bigger issue was still at hand though, it wasn’t only the schools being segregated, it was everywhere.

    Read More

  • Little Rock Nine

    703 Words  | 3 Pages

    Influence of the Media in 1954-1960 In 1954, Brown v. Board of Education declared segregated schools were against the law. This case said segregation in schools was not permitted, so thirty-nine African American students enrolled into Central HIgh School in Little Rock, Arkansas, but only nine got accepted. These nine students are commonly known as the Little Rock Nine. After being the only African Americans to be accepted into Central High, they began to face so much more than an average teenager could handle.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Melba Beals 'Warriors Don' T Cry

    489 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Melba Pattillo Beals’ Warriors Don’t Cry, she recalls her adolescent years as being one of the nine African American students that chose to attend an all-white high school. In this memoir, she brings to light all of the horrible attacks they underwent. As a young girl, Melba became aware of the separation between whites and blacks, and strived to rise above that. She had a very religious family and black people during this time period learned to accept that they were less-privileged because of their skin color. She went to visit some relatives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and was astonished when white people were nice, or simply even smiled at her.

    Read More

  • Brown V. Board Of Education Case Summary

    446 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Supreme Court case, Brown vs. Board of Education 349 U.S 294, dealt with the segregation of black children into “separate but equal schools.” The Brown vs. Board of Education was not the first case that dealt with the separating of the whites and blacks in schools. This case was actually made up of five separate cases heard in the United States Supreme court concerning the issue of segregation in public schools. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Briggs v. Elliot, Davis v. Board of Education of Prince Edward County (VA.), Boiling v. Sharpe, and Gebhart v. Ethel were the five cases that made up the Brown case. Thurgood, Marshall, and the National Association for the Advance of Colored People (NCAAP) handled these cases.

    Read More

  • How Did Thurgood Marshall Impact The Civil Rights Movement

    456 Words  | 2 Pages

    They argued that segregated schools deprived African American students the equal protection under the 14th amendment of the Constitution. The Supreme Court ruled that segregated schools were inherently unequal and violated the 14 amendment. Brown v. Board of Education brought America one step closer to securing equal rights for

    Read More

  • A Rhetorical Analysis Of Barack Obama's A More Perfect Union

    1507 Words  | 7 Pages

    Introduction While responding to a controversy that endangered his presidential campaign, Barack Obama delivered a speech many consider to be one of the greatest ever given on the topic of race. The speech, titled A More Perfect Union, was delivered during the democratic national convention on March 18, 2008, in Philadelphia. The response was relatively positive. In the speech, Obama illustrates his involvement in and passion towards the racial makeup of America, however the reason for this speech is not shown until he mentions his former pastor, Jeremiah Wright.

    Read More

  • Breaking Social Norms In To Kill A Mockingbird Essay

    981 Words  | 4 Pages

    The famous Brown v. Board of Education demonstrates the presence of racial segregation in public schools. Prior to 1957, Central High School, in Little Rock, Arkansas, had never had African American students, despite a 1954 ruling from the Supreme Court stating that racial segregation in public schools in unconstitutional. In September of 1957, nine African American students This sparked angry backlash from a mob of 1000 white protestors. The Supreme Court ruled in the Brown v. Board of Education that Central High School must integrate. (History.com staff)

    Read More

  • African American Civil Rights

    502 Words  | 3 Pages

    when it came to their rights as citizens and treatment in society compared to whites. Segregation of blacks from whites in public spaces such as schools was protected under the law. In 1954, the supreme court overruled the Plessy vs. Ferguson decision which allowed for segregation of schools often referred to as “separate but equal”, this decision was called Brown vs. Board of education. It ruled that separation of educational facilities was unconstitutional and put black student at a disadvantage socially and educationally. This decision being made was largely due to the young black student’s fierce protest against the injustice.

    Read More

  • Martin Luther King Plessy Vs Ferguson

    2378 Words  | 10 Pages

    It was not until the ‘Brown versus Board’ case, in 1954, more than half a century later, that this provision was reversed. It was Oliver Brown who addressed the inequality of segregation, especially concerning the “equal” treatment of black schools, as they were clearly being neglected by most states. Alongside the National Association of for the Advancement of Coloured People, (NAACP) Brown won the

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis Of Bush's Inauguration

    170 Words  | 1 Pages

    We are bound by ideals that move us beyond our background, lift us above our interests and teach us what it means to be citizens” , he declared. “ Every child must be taught these principles. Every citizen must uphold them; and every immigrant, by embracing these ideals, make our

    Read More

  • The Segregation Of Schools In The 1950's

    733 Words  | 3 Pages

    The segregation of schools based on a students skin color was in place until 1954. On May 17th of that year, during the Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education, it was declared that separate public schools for black and white students was unconstitutional. However, before this, the segregation of schools was a common practice throughout the country. In the 1950s there were many differences in the way that black public schools and white public schools were treated with very few similarities. The differences between the black and white schools encouraged racism which made the amount of discrimination against blacks even greater.

    Read More

  • The Brown V. Board Of Education Case

    115 Words  | 1 Pages

    Since the late 1950s, when the case for African American rights to receive the same education as their graduates began and ended, or so we thought. Schools today still remain widely segregated throughout the U.S. nation. In 1954 in Topeka, Kansas, the supreme court began to review many cases dealing with segregation in public education. Oliver Brown was one who went against the supreme court for not only his daughter, but for many other African American children to receive equal education in the ray of society. The Brown v. Board of Education case marked the end of racial discrimination in public schools which impacted African Americans to get an equal education in the American society.

    Read More

  • Little Rock Nine Thesis Statement

    512 Words  | 3 Pages

    The equality of black and white people has been a social injustice for many centuries. In 1957, nine black students were involved in the desegregation of Little Rock Central High (Little Rock Nine). The Little Rock Nine were the most influential group of students involved in the civil rights movement which is shown by the great impact they made making their legacy still stand today. The Little Rock Nine story is an inspirational one.

    Read More

  • Roy Peter Clark I Have A Dream Speech Analysis

    804 Words  | 4 Pages

    Racism has been an important issue that plays a huge role in today’s society. In Roy Peter Clark’s article “Why it worked”, he expressed his views on Barack Obama’s speech “A More Perfect Union”. Also comparing it to Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. In Obama’s speech he discussed the constitution and racial segregation in America, and the comments made by Reverend J. Wright, his former pastor. He also tells a little about his racial background.

    Read More

  • A Rhetorical Analysis Of Barack Obama's Inaugural Speech

    978 Words  | 4 Pages

    Barack Obama’s win for President in 2009 was a historical moment for the United States. His inaugural speech was much anticipated, because this was going to set the tone for his presidency. His speech told the American people that improving the economy is one of his priorities, but there were also other areas he would like to improve like healthcare and the education system. This was a speech that was meant to persuade the American public to take action for them to rise as a nation again, and for them to put their trust into him. His message addressed a couple of specific points like his gratefulness to the American people, the different crises America is facing, how America will overcome these crises, replying to his cynics, addressing the world, and then he reminded America again to be brave like they’ve always been to overcome the hard times (5 Speechwriting Lessons from Obama's Inaugural Speech, (n.d.).

    Read More

More about Barack Obama's Speech: A More Perfect Union

Open Document