Racism has been like a plague that America has lived with since the existence of this Great Nation. A lot has been spoken on the matter, opinions given by the most influential people in the world, and even accusations made, but racism has just refused to go away. The election of Barack Obama, an African-American to the highest seat in the nation is one big leap of a lifetime, an advancement that has not been even in the wildest dream of the world. The struggle began with the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with his “I have a dream” speech. As at then, the possibility of Black Americans being fully integrated with the pure white society was still a tall order; but he believed that “Someday” it surely will come to pass…this was proved when the Americans rose above the racial barriers and elected Barack Obama (Dinesh D’Souza, 12).
The advancement is a clear indication that a clear path has been opened towards a resounding resolution to the racism issue. With Obama on the presidential seat after the swearing-in ceremony on 20th January 2009, Americans will have surely confirmed that the fight against racism is at the point of completion and that they no longer judge anyone by the color of their skin but by the content of his/her character. The NAAWP (National Association for the Advancement of White People), which is the modern equivalent of the KKK (Ku-Klux-Klan) and their policies can be fought successfully with a number of blacks as well as non-racial and liberal whites in the top government positions (Sentient Cenerd, 13-17).
No single nation in the entire world holds racism a greater horror more than the U.S. It surpasses all social evils, and it is believed to be more reprehensible [national obsession]. That is why any individual who advocates in public for its abolishment in most cases becomes a hero instantly…churches preach it and newspapers and politicians denounce it. It is explained that the non-white Americans have been forced into violence and in some extreme cases into drug abuse as a form of self-defense because of centuries of white oppression. But thanks to the previous polls that resulted in the election of Barack Obama that has seemingly put to rest our worries. And since he fell victim to the white oppression, it will be a lot easier for him to understand the logic involved in the struggle to completely put an end to racism in America.
Basing our argument on the speech he gave on racism in Philadelphia, if he goes by his own words then Mr. Obama will really make racism a part of our history. He stated that the US government has previously failed to address the racial issue by failing to deliver the lofty promises due to the constitution’s shortcomings. The number of African-Americans languishing in jails for varied offenses surpasses that in school, reports indicate that this has been fueled by the previous administrations: For instance, in the 1900s the Pennsylvania Authorities constructed eleven new prisons and only one public high school. The government statistics show that a good number of those in these prisons are uneducated and unemployed individuals (Sentient Cenerd, 22)…Obama’s other speeches have also been centered on the need for Americans to rise above racial acts. The American society is sure that the bail-out fund, which Obama wholly supports will be channeled into the needed infrastructure renovations which will sufficiently address the poverty and prejudice underlying the U.S perennial “race” problem…Americans have the way out of this now, so we should never lose the will.