After having watched the speech that our president delivered yesterday addressing terrorism and his plans for fighting ISIS, all I can do is ask myself if Barack Obama really loves Black people as much as I once thought he did. I have yet to see him speak as poignantly and pointedly about the racism and terrorism that has been directed at Black folks in the beautiful way that he did for Muslims last night.
Where is the love?
Where is the urgency for his own people?
What will it take for Barack Obama to utter the phrase “Black Lives Matter” with the rest of us?
Before I continue explaining the thoughts and frustration lurking behind this statement, I have to make myself really clear: I sympathize with all victims of terrorist attacks, regardless of their race, religion, creed, class, gender, sexual orientation.
I’m in full solidarity with those in the Muslim community who feel that their religion has become corrupt and misrepresented by radicals who are intent in causing pain and destruction.
Most importantly, I am incredibly grateful that we have had Obama as our nation’s president for the past eight years. His two terms in the Oval Office has been historic and incredibly exciting to watch, whether you agreed with his policies or not.
He made some extremely important gains in our nation’s healthcare system as it affects marginalized men, women and children of color. He crafted a nuclear deal that restored international relations with Iran that have been on the rocks for years. He caught and killed Bin Laden. He got gay marriage passed in the Supreme Court. And just by occupying his role as Commander In Chief day in and day out, he’s shown everyone—particularly our children—that Black and Brown people are just as worthy of success, influence and political representation as White people are.
In last night’s speech, President Obama said all the things he was supposed to say to shut down the hatred and intolerance that has been projected onto Muslim in a Western world that constantly conflates the intentions of Islamic extremists with the teachings of the Quran and the Nation of Islam at large. I empathize with my fellow Muslim citizens because the xenophobia that we’ve all seen projected onto them is reminiscent of the discrimination and annihilation African Americans have been suffering from in this country for years.
But the very words that Obama preached yesterday about loving our fellow Americans and recognizing Muslims’ humanity is exactly what I needed to hear when I saw Ferguson and Baltimore become torn apart by protests and vandals. Or when Charleston was reeling in the pain of losing nine innocent churchgoers. Or when the deaths of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray and all of the other Black Lives Matter victims we’ve learned of were killed by the very civil servants that were supposed to be protecting them.
I need Obama to validate my pain. I need Obama to speak to my pain. I need Obama to acknowledge the things that I and so many of my fellow Black people are traumatized by. That is how he will show the bigots of this country that he takes our feelings, our humanity and our pain seriously. It is how he can show that our emotions, our perspectives and our lives really do matter. If this president won’t do it, I don’t know who the hell will.
RELATED LINKS:
#ObamaSpeech On Terrorism: This Is Not A War Between America And Islam
Republicans React To Obama’s Speech On Terrorism
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