Is America ready to examine its history regarding race and discuss the future of race relations?
With U.S. senator Barack Obama’s run for the Democratic presidential nomination, the issue of race and politics in America has reemerged as a hot topic among politicians, pollsters, pundits, and the public. During a speech last week in Philadelphia, Obama drew added attention to the issue of race and politics when he addressed questions about his longtime association with his church’s pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, whose inflammatory statements from the pulpit on America and race, according to Obama, were “a profoundly distorted view of this country.” As he refuted Wright’s views, Obama used the opportunity for what many in the media labeled “a teaching moment.” Obama’s speech has prompted media figures, politicians, and academics to revisit questions such as the viability of minority candidates and the future of racial relations in America. Historical differences Divisions between economic classes, religious factions, and ethnic groups have existed since America’s beginning. Al
