President Obama's 'A More Perfect Union' Speech
President Obama delivered the ‘A more perfect Union’ speech on March 18, 2008. It was a conversation about the issues of race in America and how it affected different generations. President Obama’s primary focus was the worldview of different races in the United States towards others. For instance, the fear of the White people expressed in their interaction with Black individuals, which he admits witnessing from his grandmother. Also, he illuminates the perception of the middle and low-class White families in the country and the commonality of their struggle as citizens. He observes that contrary to the wider view, these white families struggle for healthcare and opportunities because they did not receive inheritance or privilege due to their race. The speech is about the unification of people behind goals for a bigger and better economy that could accommodate all Americans and provide better jobs and security.
Audience
At the time he made this speech, Barack Obama was a candidate for the presidency of the United States, vying against Senator John McCain. He specifically mentions Reverend Jeremiah Wright and his sermons, which had been reviewed by the ABC television channel during the 2008 campaign period (Ross and El-Buri). Obama’s focus on the historical and sociological contextualization of the Wright controversy and how he proposed a way forward, giving options to the audience indicates that he was speaking to the American electorate. In this speech, Obama narrates how the historical injustices in the United States hampered the growth of wealth and education among the Black communities in the United States. According to him, the Constitution emphasized the unity and equality of all citizens. However, the Declaration of Independence did not underscore the need to provide opportunities for every resident of the nation. Slavery and the denial of the rights to own property as well as the segregation of the Black communities created the income and wealth inequality among the Black and White families in America. The recent history has enjoined the immigrants from Hispanic and Asian nations in the struggle for the equitable share of resources. Obama points out that regardless of race or creed, all Americans faced the same enemy, which was the lack of adequate healthcare and educational resources, uneven distribution of opportunities (Obama, A More Perfect Union).
Rhetorical Strategies with Respect to Structure and Audience
‘A More Perfect Union’ address expressed Obama’s intent to unify the American people behind common societal problems in an attempt to push the nation towards greater heights. The speech is structured chronologically. He begins with an explanation of his heritage and the ‘imperfect candidature’ that he represented, being a person of mixed race with relatives spread across three continents. He admits to having been segregated for being Black in some cases and not being Black enough in others. He places himself in the middle of the controversy of America’s dark history in which the Black men had no access to opportunities. He also talks about being raised by a White grandmother who loved him immensely but still held the fear of the Black race. He places these two realities as the anchor of his political ambition to run for the presidency in the hope of bringing an understanding among Americans despite their races or religions. Barack states that the White middle class and lower class families struggled as much as the Blacks did and felt a sense of injustice whenever Black people are given considerations over them, which creates resentment (Obama, A More Perfect Union).
His reference to Revered Wright is done cautiously with the aim of contextualizing his sermons that may have been interpreted as causes for racial divide. Obama says that the pastor was born in the darkest years of history for the Black people and that his reality was not the same as everyone else’s in the country. He rejected the message but did not condemn him as a person, talking about Wright’s close relationship with Obama’s family. He cautions the audience that the “nation is more than the sum of its parts -- that out of many, we are truly one” and that its people may have different stories and looks but possessed the same hope and wants for their children (Obama, Obama's 'A More Perfect Union' speech, annotated).
Obama pointed out that America was a ‘work in progress’ and that every generation in the past had contributed to its present state, and more needs to be done. He stated that ‘This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected’ (Obama, A More Perfect Union). The journey to perfection began on the eve of independence when the Declaration of Independence was signed and despite the imperfections, Obama stated that there was hope in the continuous improvement of the state of the citizens. He cautioned that the electorate could continue replaying Wright’s controversial videos and give the same excuses that have been repeated through previous generations or choose a path to stability and improvement of the perfect union.
Conclusion
The strategies mentioned above are persuasive with regards to reason. They indicate Obama’s level of understanding of his audience as well as his vision. They were effective as mechanisms to endear to the electorate through his message of national unity.
Works Cited
Obama, Barack. A More Perfect Union. 18 March 2008. Online. 20 November 2018. .
Obama's 'A More Perfect Union' speech, annotated. Dir. Barack Obama. Perf. Barack Obama. The Washington Post, 2008. Video. .
Ross, Brian and Rehab El-Buri. Obama's Pastor: God Damn America, U.S. to Blame for 9/11. 13 March 2008. Online. 20 November 2018. .
