Reflecting on “The Audacity of Hope”
By: Emma Johnson
The latest podcast episode serves as a reminder of George Floyd’s passing four years ago. In the podcast episode, Donzel and Tiffani Daniels discuss what progress has been made since his tragic murder. Over the past four years, it is obvious that companies have not lived up to their pledges, and organizations that fight to end racism have lost support. As we look back, it can be hard to hold steadfast onto our hope and persevere.
Since I began my internship at the Anti-Racism Commitment Coalition, it has been clear that hope is a key component of our message. We believe that hope is what keeps us motivated and energized. In 2004, President Barack Obama delivered a speech titled “The Audacity of Hope.” In this speech, he starts by reminding Americans that our founding document states that all men are created equal. It is extremely hypocritical for the Founding Fathers to have written those words while enslaving Americans, though I still want to hold our country to those words. I believe that complete equality is an American ideal that has yet to reach its full potential. I hold hope that we will one day be a land of truly free people.
Later in his speech, President Obama reminds the country that we are not divided by political lines, but we are a union of states. When I heard him say this, I wondered how we could ever be truly united. The answer is now clear to me: by eliminating hate. We cannot possibly be a strong union when racism creates such a hateful divide between us. For this reason, it is vital to speak up when that racist joke is said. It is vital to recognize and deconstruct structural racism. Most importantly, it is vital to keep your hope.
In his final line, he says “…a brighter day will come.” It is easy to look back on these four years and see nothing but dark days. I can look back to a recent day when Sonya Massey was brutally murdered and solidify that it was one of our darkest days. The only way we can prevent more harm and loss is by knowing that one day soon, the sun will come out a shade more radiant than the day before it.
