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Racism In Obama's Inaugural Speech

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There are few societies in the world’s modern history that have been more invested in the concept of race than the United States. In fact, the first black president, Barack Obama, will end his term in office in 2016 and while this may seem like a respectable accomplishment for the United States in regards to our history with racism and inequality, I only have to speak to my relatives to understand we have a long way to go until Americans see individuals for their accomplishments rather than their race. In President Obama’s inaugural address he made a hint to the end of a racial era. “…because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds …show more content…
It took the Civil War, abolition of slavery, Jim Crow laws, the civil rights movement and decades of lawsuits in the name of equality before President Obama’s election to office could ever be realized. Within this turmoil a new concept started to replace racism called colorblindness. Colorblindness downplays the salience and importance of race by focusing on the commonalities people share (CITE-H). According to Jones (1997), racial colorblindness is simply to “ignore one’s race or skin color”. Another definition by researchers Richerson and Nussbaum (2004) defines colorblindness as a belief that “racial categories do not matter and should not be considered when making decisions such as hiring and school admission” (pg. 417). Some parents feel that teaching their children not to notice, point out or comment on racial differences will help encourage egalitarian attitudes and that color-blindness on the parent's part will serve as a model of non-racist behavior (CITE-?). However, it is my intention to prove that taking on a color blind mindset only perpetuates racism

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