The man Speaks, will he be heard ?

''The man speaks, will he be heard?''

This speech was delivered by Barrack Obama on March 18, 2008, in Philadelphia, PA. He was speaking about race and politics. It is very important for Obama to touch this subject of race many more times than his running mate John McCain because he is the first African American to get this far as a presidential candidate. Part of the reason why he speaks about racial issues is because that is what his campaign is about ''change''. A new way of looking at things.

At the beginning of the speech, Obama goes into details of the past by mentioning the declaration of independence. He is doing this in order to introduce the issue of slavery and racism. He is very clear from the beginning on his thoughts about the subject. His delivery is an attempt at reaching out to all types of people. He says that the founding fathers work and documents produced were ''ultimately unfinished and stained with the sin of slavery''. Referring to slavery as a sin, it makes the public more aware of how bad it was enslaving people; it was a sin that America committed that later on became one of the biggest mistakes in history. Slavery could have been stopped but the power at the time did not agree, this would have a bigger effect on America. The people should continue to strive higher and fight for a more just more equal America. The point he is making here is that all Americans should come together as one and fight for this.

The Obama Campaign took a different turn on the issue of race. The Public are now claiming that his candidacy, ''is now an exercise of affirmative action'', there is no way that Senator Obama can avoid this because for some the only reason they are voting for him is that he African American and are hoping this will bring change to their communities. But what the senator is really trying to get across is that we all have different stories, beliefs, skin color but we all hold ''common hopes''. But this does not mean that Race is not an issue in the campaign.

If the ideas presented in this speech are acted on, America will be affected positively. It would be a great accomplishment not only for Obama but for the whole United states. He promises to better the economical institute, equal pay role and universal health care. This would also give other people outside the United States hope and respect to the US. The next generation would aim higher than before because of the examples that were set before them. This also ties into what is said on how one must ''embrace their past but not become victims of their past ''. For the past 50 years or so people have become the victims of their past instead and have blamed their misfortunes, if this continues there will be no hope for the generations to come.

People of different generations see this in different perspectives, the older generation of African Americans views the issue of racism as something they grew up around a lost cause but they have hope that their children lead a better life than they did. The younger generation of African Americans have become victims of their past, most are angry and resentful. The older generations of Caucasians are not comfortable with this change, whereas the younger generations are fighting more for this change. This is not to say that all African Americans are resentful or bitter and neither that the older generation is against change and the younger generation is, it is the way most people see it.

At the beginning Obama begins with the problems of race before and now. Then he starts to talk about how to better the American economy. Which is crucial now that the American economy is at a melting point? The American economy in the last few years has been going down the drain because of the Iraq war and corrupt companies. He ends with a very strong point saying ,that ''This union may never be perfect but generation after generation has shown that it can be perfected'' this true in more ways than one. No one can ever be perfect but they can always seek perfection and by doing that they make the place a better place.

The example given about the young white Caucasian who campaigned for him and her mother had cancer and she had to eat mustered and relish sandwiches because it was the cheapest food. She asked was later on asked why she had joined the campaign and said that ''the reason she joined the campaign was so she could help the millions of other children in the country who want and need to help their parents too''. This young lady did not blame anything for her misfortune but she wanted to make a difference for other people going through the same thing as her, after that a black man that was their also was asked why he was there and he said he was there because of Ashley. By telling this story Barrack Obama is not saying that this will change everything but it is an example of people taking a step forward to a more perfect union.

Obama Dreams

Senator Barrack Obama delivered this speech on March, 18, 2008 with a title of '' A more perfect union''. To begin with what is a perfect union? I do not think there is a correct answer to this; it varies depending on the person. The senator does not go on to address this at the beginning of his speech. The Title could have been more specific, a more perfect union is a very big generalization.

Obama is campaigning to be the next president of the United States not to teach a history class. The audience looses focus when the person giving the speech is saying everything they already know. The senator begins his speech with the founding fathers and all the general history that most Americans know especially his audience at that particular time. The audience present was journalists; the people who work in the national constitutional center, all of people mentioned are well educated. This makes people not focus on the subject that is being presented.


When speaking the senator speaks with confidence. He talks as though he was addressing people who all agree with him, the speech is very dull, it’s not very lively it sounds much practiced. Someone else in could have delivered exactly the same way because he does not put emotion into it.

One purpose of this speech was to respond to the controversial comments that his former pastor Reverend Jeremiah Wright had made previously. Obama talks about anger that African Americans have and how it cannot be wished away, this is true but what can be done? This is where the senator's opinion is needed because by giving his opinion it will the world will know where he stands on the issue of race in American. But then again he makes a very important remark by mentioning how the other people/races in America feel. Some may ask themselves is this the purpose of this speech to explain why most African Americans act they do? It is a theory rather than an explanation.


The speech is very long and could be summarized into very few words, because it itself is almost a repetition of what people prior to him have said in different circumstances. Although it was a historic moment because it was the most direct attention paid to the issue of racial issues in the US by a presidential candidate. This affected his campaign positively, he was very courageous because of this he got a lot more respect in the public eye. He always earns points for being the bigger man, although this does not justify racism. He responds to his opposition in a very intelligent but provoking manner but in this speech he did not speak that way because this is not only a political issue but also a moral issue.

Obama’s idea of change is very radical there needs to be a stepping stone between the America we live in and that the candidate and many Americans hope for. It is change day by day not over night because then all of would be defeating the purpose, the idea is for it to last. The fact that he is a half black, half white makes him seem less biased. In this speech Senator Obama is not campaigning himself but he is tried to make history, his ideas are revolutionary.This being an audio file makes it even more boring because then you do not see the facial expressions as his making his point. Also the senator’s voice drags if I nay say, so you lose interest very fast. The one thing a person listening to the speech you would wonder if the senator is no secluding himself from his black back ground and leaning on the white one. The reason I say this is because when he is explaining the reasons to why his former pastor had acted the way he did, he talked as if he had never been there (been angry). But the speech in is well written if some humor and emotions would be added it would be a very powerful speech.

When concluding he mentions the Iraq war and how it should have never started, I completely agree with him on this but it happened we do not have to dwell on the past because then we are not moving forward, now that there is a war they should concentrate more on how to get them out not complain about why they went there. What is done is done, Obama has a dream but we are living in reality, if he becomes president let us hope he will act on his dream ,our dreams and hopes for us and those that will come after us .For more information about this speech or to listen to it click here.