The NAACP’s Annual Convention which convened at the Hilton
Hotel in New York from July 11th-16th was marked by many
inspirational and uplifting speeches delivered by left-leaning
luminaries like Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, N.Y. Governor
David Patterson, N.Y.C. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Harlem
Congressman Charles Rangel, Former Congressman Kweisi Mfume,
N.Y.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, N.J.
Governor Jon Corzine, N.Y. Congressman Gregory Meeks, Michigan
Congressman John Conyers, President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal
and Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack. Yes, there was even a
token Republican in attendance, Party Chairman
Michael Steele, who joked with the crowd that he had only
been invited “to protect your tax-exempt status.”
But the highlight of the 100 year-old civil rights
organization’s centennial celebration came on Thursday evening
when
Barack Obama arrived to address the appreciative audience.
And the President did not disappoint, adopting more of a
minister’s than a politician’s air during his half-hour sermon,
eliciting such an enthusiastic response that at one point he
departed from his prepared remarks to acknowledge that, “I got
an ‘Amen Corner’ back there.”
He began by paying tribute to the trailblazers who had paved the
way for him, conceding “I stand here on the shoulders of
giants,” adding “I’m here to say thank you to those pioneers and
thank you to the NAACP.” He then reaffirmed that “Prejudice has
no place in the U.S.” before shifting to a self-help tone which
sounded more like Booker T. Washington than the NAACP’s founder
W.E.B. Du Bois. For he said, “There’s never been less
discrimination in the United States than at any time in our
history,” as he focused on a good education as the means of
making it in America.
“Our kids can’t all aspire to be Lebron or Lil’ Wayne,” he
warned. “They can’t all be ballers and rappers.” He said that
their horizons should be limitless, offering as alternatives the
hope that they might see themselves as growing up to become a
doctor, a lawyer, or even the President of the United States.
Obama further pointed out that there’s “no better weapon than an
education which can unlock a child’s God-given potential.”
Bemoaning the fact that “over one-half of African-American
children are dropping out of school,” he proceeded to build
momentum via such familiar catchphrases as “No one has written
your destiny for you” and “No excuses!” before closing with the
ever-reliable “Yes we can!” which the satisfied congregation
continued to chant in unison long after he had left the stage.
Perhaps American society has arrived at a post-racial juncture
in our history, if we have a black President getting a standing
ovation from members of the leading black civil rights
organization for a fairly conservative speech essentially
calling for the black community to pull itself up by its own
bootstraps.
_______________________________________________ Watch an excerpt of Obama’s speech
