A strong crowd of attendess arrived early to hear from the knowledgable panel members, anticipating a thought-provoking discussion on Monday evening at Suffolk University's Law School. If you were unable to attend the very informative “Obama and race” event presented by Community Change, be sure visit their website to learn about this initial discussion.

1. Can we talk about Obama and Race?
Presented by
Community Change, Inc.,
Suffolk Black Law Students Association, and
Suffolk Rappaport Center for Law & Public Service

2. Racism: Our Definition
Racism = Racial Prejudice
+
Systemic Power

3. INTERNAL INTERPERSONAL
Individual’s inner Interactions
process between individuals
DIMENSIONS OF A
SYSTEM
INSTITUTIONAL CULTURAL
Individuals’ Interwoven
negotiation of roles, pattern defining
resources, who individuals are
responsibilities and how they are
within given to do things
system

11. What happened to Obama’s passion?
In similar circumstances, Franklin
D. Roosevelt offered Americans a
promise to use the power of his
office to make their lives better and
to keep trying until he got it
right. Westen

12. I wish I didn’t
agree with this
searing analysis
of President
Obama’s failings Dear Mr. Obama, please hire this man! You’ve
– but do. lost the hearts and minds of the American
Completely. public and they are looking for new leadership
in places like the Tea Party. Take back the
power – a little confrontation is good
sometimes.
Obama had every opportunity to set the stage
for a Progressive movement that could last for
decades and forge a new direction for this “I wish these guys could
country. He has failed miserably. coach Obama on speaking. I
voted for him, and I’m
totally at odds with the GOP,
but I am hugely
disappointed and frustrated
with the President.”

13. What happened to Obama’s passion?
In similar circumstances, Franklin
D. Roosevelt offered Americans a
promise to use the power of his
office to make their lives better and
to keep trying until he got it
right. Westen

17. Reflections…
1. How have you experienced discussions about
President Obama?
2. Can we critique President Obama without
falling into racial pitfalls?
3. Come up with one or more insights and
questions you have gained from the speakers
and your discussions at your tables.

18. Questions and Insights
from the Audience
• Can you critique President Obama without falling
into racial pitfalls?
• Can President Obama get angry without
irreparable damage?
• Is the “angry black man” strategy the one Obama
should apply? Or will that course backlash?
• How do we have a conversation about this topic
with individuals and groups who only see
race/racism as internal and interpersonal instead
of systemic?

19. Questions and Insights
from the Audience cont.
• What strategies are required to raise the race
issue in a national manner?
• Obama is attacked in the media already so
how would the media portray an “angry”
Obama? How could this strategy work?
• How much of what we are observing (and
criticizing) about Obama is due to his relative
inexperience in Washington politics?

20. Questions and Insights
from the Audience cont.
• What are some techniques that we can use to
break into this conversation of Obama in the
context of a racialized society while properly
dividing the political and racial reality?
• Is there a difference between the Republican
Party and Tea Party relative to racism?
• How can I talk to peace activists about
Obama?

21. Questions and Insights
from the Audience cont.
• How do we reconcile Obama’s responsibilities as
POTUS and his responsibility as a black leader? If he
has a responsibility has he lived up to those
expectations? Can he?
• Do you think the economic progress of Washington
would have been different over the past four years
had a different personal been elected in 2008?
• One problem is the uninformed and underinformed
viewer/vote. These will say they are not racist
because they don’t call or use racial epithets.

22. Questions and Insights
from the Audience cont.
• Can we all please grant the appropriate
respect and not disrespect the office of the
President and always into the future address
Mr. Obama as President Obama? Thank you.
• Professor Stevens seemed to be critical of
people who say Obama hasn’t done enough.
Professor Cooper said Obama should get
angry. Please reconcile the two statements.

23. Questions and Insights
from the Audience cont.
• The image of President Obama with a white
woman pointing at him is upsetting and
disrespectful. Why is this stream, you lie, of
disrespect tolerated in a veil of standing up for
America?
• Was Obama embraced because he is half-white?
Should he ignore his white half?
• As whites become more and more a minority
with the majority of power and wealth do you
think racial tensions and racist legislation like the
laws in Arizona will increase?

24. Questions and Insights
from the Audience cont.
• Racial discussions are still taboo: whites feel shame,
people of color blame and the discussion is lame.
• If race is mentioned, then Obama is playing the “race
card.” If it is not mentioned, then Obama is perceived
as weak and bending to the white populace. Because
races is so institutionalized in our society, most
conversations cannot be had without sometimes
falling into racial pitfalls. Whites tend to blame blacks
for their social conditions and hardly ever recognize
or discuss their privilege.

25. Questions and Insights
from the Audience cont.
• Is President Obama a president who happens to
be black or a Black President? He’s repeatedly
told use he is the president for all Americans.
Reaction: white people don’t believe it , and black
people feel betrayed.
• Remember the 2008 campaign at a John Edwards
Town Hall meeting a woman asked Edwards, “Do
you think if Obama gets elected he will try to
settle the score with whites for all the racial
injustices that came before him?”

26. Questions and Insights
from the Audience cont.
• How do you promote discussion about race in
college or law school without coming across as
racist or claiming race?
• It seems that white supremacists are hiding in
plain sight within the Tea Party. Why aren’t
people talking about these racist infiltrations?
The media drives the rhetoric with soundbites
that inflame the “isms” but never present a
forum to discuss these issues.

27. Thank you!
For more resources, please check out the back
of your program or
visit us at Community Change, Inc:
www.communitychangeinc.org