Obama was right to call for national conversation on race - Essay Example

The situation is openly apparent, but it is manifested in sections of society and governance structures that are bias towards some races and ethnicities. The most apparent cases of racial discrimination are exhibited by systems within existing governance structures and the implementation of policy. An example is during the hurricane Katrina incident where government intervention and response was criticized for being below par. This is attributed to the fact that the area that was adversely affected by the devastating hurricane comprised of minority African Americans thus; the governments illustrated prejudice in its reaction to the plight of these affected people.

This paper seeks to present an analysis on whether Americans need a national conversation on race. The race issue in the US is exacerbated by the fact that slavery was an already established societal norm that permeated the American culture and traditions. Racism in the US is manifested through various aspects, and it is an apparent phenomenon that those who suffer racism belong to a certain racial background. African Americans have suffered the most severe manifestation of racism because they represent the foundation upon which the issue of race is founded in the US.

Majority of slaves in the slavery days were of African origin who were considered second class human beings wherever they went in almost every part of the world where slavery was practiced. Advocacy and campaigning for an end to slavery was met with a lot of resistance because the white enslavers saw this as a threat to their source of cheap labor. African Americans have carried this adage of being second class citizens into the 21st century albeit a bit subdued, but the existence of these should not be ignored.

The accomplishments of the Civil Rights Movement have worked to establish African Americans as equal members of the US society. Open racism against African Americans is rarely seen or experienced, but it still does exist in various aspects of American society and life. The recent Trayvon Martin incident and case in an American court serves to depict that racism is still an emotive issue in American society. This issue comes to the fore every time an African American is involved in an altercation of the law alongside an individual of another race especially a white person.

The ruling on Trayvon Martin’s case brought the race issue to the fore especially after president Obama commented on the issue. Obama’s direct reference to the race issue with regard to the Trayvon Martin case illustrated his unique position as bi-racial president to address the race issue and introduce a dialogue in America concerning race. Obama’s prose about race in America elicited diverse views with some citing it as an appropriate moment in his presidency for him to address the issue.

Other people saw Obama’s foray into the race during Trayvon Martin’s murder trial as an attempt to boost his approval ratings amongst the minority groups. The negative criticism Obama received for introducing the race angel in the case should not been. This is because it is his place as an African American president to address the race issue which is in his docket as other before him addressed issues that had affected them personally. According to Gerson, previous presidents had addressed issues t