Expressing how he believes that people are able to move forward and sustain the momentum to bring change through speaking up, former United States President Barack Obama addressed the ongoing protests that followed the death of George Floyd, Monday.
In a report by ABC News, Obama's statement came in a piece that was published on Medium. In the piece, he said that it ultimately depends on a new generation of activists to bring up with strategies that would best fit the situation. However, he also stated that there are lessons that should be drawn from past efforts that should be remembered.
The message of Obama's statement emphasized the importance of people's participation in politics and voting especially at the local level since he said that many decisions on police practices and "ground-level criminal justice" happen.
People Should Engage in Both Protests and Politics
He also stressed that the bottom line of it all is that in order for real change to happen, people should not choose between politics and protests, instead they should engage in both. He noted that in the goal to raise awareness, mobility is needed and also people should choose the legislators and leaders who will act on the reforms.
Being the first and only African American to become president of the US, Obama acknowledged that the protests that have started symbolize the genuine frustration of people over the long failure to reform the criminal justice system in the US.
Moreover, Obama also plead to thepeople to never rationalize the need for violence nor find excuses nor participate in it.
With this, Obama emphasized how important voting in every election is saying that the people who get to sit in office through people exercising their right of suffrage are those who will be able to reform the justice system.
In his letter, Obama also acknowledges what the country is currently going on after the protests, chaos, and riots have started, all amid the health care crisis brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition, Business Insider also reported that Obama recognized how it could have dampened the spirits of people that the sorrow, uncertainty, and fear of the pandemic have been heightened by the incidents that served as a reminder that injustice and inequality still thrive in America.
However, he stated that the heightened activism and involvement of the youth that he has witnessed in the past few weeks and days have given him hope. He also added that a real turning point and defining moment in American history may soon happen if the justifiable anger of the people can be channeled unto effective and peaceful action.
The piece however is not the first time that Obama has written and spoke out on the unrest that was caused by the death of Floyd.
According to FOX 6, on Friday Obama posted a statement on Twitter that said the brutality and injustice that surrounded the death of Floyd and its aftermath should not be viewed as normal in the US.
He noted that the country's children should be able to grow up in a country that lives up to its ideals.
