Does President Obama Address Hispanic and Black Audiences Differently? Let’s Take a Look at the Transcripts

by Dr. Boyce Watkins – Scholarship in Action

This week, there was controversy about President Obama’s speech at the Congressional Black Caucus Convention.  Some have accused the president of being condescending and paternalistic.   The White House has said, however, that the speech was simply a call to arms, and nothing else.  Rep. Maxine Waters claims that President Obama speaks to black audiences differently from other groups, typically in a manner that even chastises the audience for “complaining” about the highest unemployment rate that any group of American citizens has experienced in the last 30 years.

I can’t say for sure if this was President Obama’s intention, but I did notice that there was very little discussion of policy (other than the American Jobs Act) in the CBC speech, but quite a bit of language that referenced 200 year-old lines about being patient, marching on in spite of hard times, and leaning on your bible to give you faith in things not yet seen (Translation:  “I haven’t done much yet, but just hold on….I'll get to you eventually").   Not only is the “please be patient” line given regularly by politicians who use delay as a way to evade responsibility, but it is what black people have been hearing since we landed on this continent.  You can read the transcript of President Obama’s CBC speech by clicking at this link.

When I read the president’s speech to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus just two weeks ago (which you can find here), I noticed some similarities, as well as glaring differences.  Of course the president promoted the American Jobs Act, as any president would.  But rather than droning on and on about not giving up on him, continuing to march even when times are tough, etc, there was a broader discussion of DIRECT, TARGETED, POLICY that affects the Hispanic community. 

For the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the president spoke at length about Immigration Reform (“We need an immigration policy that works, one that meets the needs of our families and our businesses while honoring our tradition as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws.”).  He also spoke about the DREAM Act, which is very important to the Latino community. 

In comparison, at the point in the Hispanic Caucus speech where the president discusses relevant policy, he spends this period of time telling the Congressional Black Caucus audience that they should remain patient, have faith and continue to march (“Even when folks are hitting you over the head, you can't stop marching. Even when they're turning the hoses on you, you can't stop”).  This part of the CBC speech is the president’s way of saying that those who give up on him are weak in faith…he is able to appeal to those who see his presidency as a fulfillment of Dr. King’s dream, when the reality is that Dr. King’s dream is one built on having the courage necessary to directly confront racial inequality, to promote world peace and to advocate for poor Americans.  Unfortunately, the Obama Administration cannot claim to have done any of these things, for the President of the United States is, in some ways, the most powerful slave on the planet.  Those fulfilling Dr. King’s dream are forced to do so on the outside of the White House fence.

What the president’s speech writers have (accurately) determined is that the black community is an audience that tends to rely much more on faith and emotion than logic when it comes to evaluating our political leaders (especially the Obamas – President Obama mentioned Michelle in the CBC speech and her background growing up on the South Side of Chicago, likely leaning on her popularity in the black community).  Rather than objectively ascertaining the leader’s ability to support agenda items that are relevant to our community, we allow others to manipulate us emotionally with words that are heavy with style, but light on substance.

I am not here to say that the president doesn’t know what he’s doing – most politicians would likely try to do the same thing.   I can say, however, that Obama’s speech writers need to do a bit more research and realize that Africans are not as simple and unsophisticated as they might think.  President Obama is not a Baptist Minister and he’s not a Civil Rights leader.  He is President of the United States and a president should give speeches that deliver policy.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and founder of the Your Black World Coalition.  To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.