Sozi Tulante is a close friend of mine from college and law school. He’s a Congolese refugee, married to a British woman, and lives in Philadelphia. In short, he’s an American, and I’d like to post his response to Senator Obama’s speech from Tuesday:
I am writing to ask for your support. Yesterday morning, I was fortunate to be in the audience for Senator Barack Obama’s speech – really a discourse – about the role of race in American culture, history, and politics. Quite a heavy topic. Yet Senator Obama managed to pull it off, with nuance, grace, honesty, and balance, and in doing so gave a speech that will define a generation. Listen to or read the speech yourself, more than once if you have to.
The speech was hastily arranged, and invitations sent out with less than a day’s notice. So we expected, like any politician would, that Senator Obama would carefully jettison Reverend Wright, issue some safe bromides, then cross his fingers and pray that the issue would be considered settled. That is not what happened. Rather, he explored in the most personal and direct way possible the centrality of race, the quintessential American dilemma, and both the challenges that it poses to us all – Black, White, Asian, Latino – as well as the opportunity it gives us to start healing our racial divisions in honest – and sometimes painful – ways, beyond Benetton ads or videos of the Black Eyed Peas. I know his speech may not settle every skeptic, but, as someone else said, “Agree or disagree with Obama, I ask people who are less inspired by him than I am to at least acknowledge that in this presidential candidate, we have a man of honor–and an honest man.”
Here in Philadelphia we have started taking up the challenge that Senator Obama issued and started having these discussions about race. And over the last weeks, after work and on weekends, rain or shine, Meriel – an Oxford-born professor and linguist — and I – an Ivy-League educated, North-Philly raised Congolese refugee and cab-driver’s son –have asked hundreds of people to embrace Senator’s Obama’s vision for change and register to vote. Despite efforts by hundreds of volunteers like us, there is still much to do as the polls show Senator Obama trailing. Although we can always work harder, to close the deal the campaign needs funds for the next five weeks of canvassing and get-out-the-vote efforts. Please contribute by clicking on the following link or if you cannot contribute kindly pass this e-mail along to someone you think would contribute:
Contribute to the Obama campaign
Anyone will tell you that listening to Senator Obama is a singular experience. Yesterday, though, there wasn’t the celebratory, whoopin’ and hollerin’ or the speech-interrupting-applause you find at the typical Obama event. It was more solemn, though no less inspiring. It is as though the 160 members of the audience – of all races – and the those watching on television or on youtube knew that on this occasion Senator Obama was only asking that we lend him our ears and attention for 40 minutes.
As Senator Obama pointed out, the history of race in America contains some of this nation’s most powerful moments, but also its most profound failures. Both these strands form the core of America. It’s true that “The past isn’t dead. It isn’t even past.” Yet, yesterday morning he showed how he would handle a crisis: directly, calmly, and confidently, and in a way that addresses all Americans. He also signaled that we no longer have to wait for a while yet, maybe a long while yet, because the time is now, the place here, the people us. Please join us!
Best,
Sozi
Co-Chair Young Lawyers for Obama – Philadelphia Chapter
P.S: Below are my immediate thoughts on the speech:
Sozi is, by the way, the guy holding the Obama sign in my earlier post about PA.
