Barack Obama to African American community: Your lives and dreams matter

(Patria) – Former US President Barack Obama addressed via live video link, demanding that every American mayor, in consultation with the local community, revise the rules on the use of force by police.    

The first US President of African American descent, Obama publicly acknowledged the anger and despair behind the protests sparked by the brutal murder of unarmed George Floyd by a police officer.   

– As tragic, difficult, and frightening as the past few weeks have been, they have also, in a way, represented an incredible opportunity for people to wake up to some inherent problems, Obama said, among other things, addressing from his home in Washington.

He added that the new situation 'provides an opportunity to work together to solve problems, to change America to live up to its highest ideals'.

The former president directly addressed the younger generation of the African American population: 'I want you to know... that you matter, your lives matter, your dreams matter'.

Former US Presidents George W. Bush (Republican) and Jimmy Carter (Democrat) also issued statements the day before, with a more measured and milder tone than that practiced by current President Trump in managing the new crisis.

In his address, Obama did not mention Trump, but he has criticized him on several occasions recently in the context of managing the coronavirus epidemic.

The address by former President Barack Obama is a continuation of his engagement in the My Brother's Keeper program, which he founded in 2014 after police killed young African American Michael Brown in Missouri. The panel, which aims to address the problems of racism in the US, also includes former Attorney General Eric Holder and other prominent leaders of the African American community.

Obama, who himself faced police violence against Black Americans during his presidency, said that everyone must choose between 'voting versus protesting' or 'participation versus civil disobedience'.

He also emphasized that the focus of the problem is not on the protests.

– For everyone talking about protests, remember: this country was founded on protests. It's called the American Revolution, former President Barack Obama told the American nation.