Barack Obama pens essay on how to bring about real change

Not all political leaders can be described as a calming voice of reason, but former U.S. president Barack Obama often falls into that category, especially these days when a unifying voice and perspective is needed. Obama recently penned a moving essay that offers people everywhere a bit of hope in the wake of George Floyd’s killing, and all of the subsequent rallies and protests the tragedy has inspired.Obama shared his words in an essay on Medium, reminding everyone that the protests represent “a genuine and legitimate frustration over decades-long failure to reform police practices and the broader criminal justice system in the United States.” The 58-year-old points out the question isn’t whether these protests are warranted, it’s how to sustain this movement in the “ongoing problem of unequal justice.”

I wrote out some thoughts on how to make this moment a real turning point to bring about real change––and pulled together some resources to help young activists sustain the momentum by channeling their energy into concrete action. https://t.co/jEczrOeFdv

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 1, 2020

The former POTUS, who also won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009, points out that real change will come from a younger generation of activists, but he believes there are some good lessons for everyone to remember right now. Those include recalling that protests and civil disobedience has been the only way to get the political system to pay "attention to marginalized communities" and that most of the protesters are actually peaceful. “They deserve our respect and support, not condemnation—something that police in cities like Camden and Flint have commendably understood,” he wrote, before addressing the “small minority” of folks who have resorted to violence. “Let’s not excuse violence, or rationalize it, or participate in it. If we want our criminal justice system, and American society at large, to operate on a higher ethical code, then we have to model that code ourselves,” he added.[video_embed id='1969253']RELATED: Canadian writer Kathleen Newman-Bremang breaks down how you can be an effective ally[/video_embed]Obama then goes on to note the importance of voting and in having elected government officials in office who can represent the needs and demands of the public, rather than mocking or ignoring them. And that includes representatives at all levels, especially the mayors and county executives that appoint police chiefs and bargain with unions. “So the bottom line is this: if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn’t between protest and politics,” he writes. “We have to do both. We have to mobilize to raise awareness, and we have to organize and cast our ballots to make sure that we elect candidates who will act on reform.”

"Let’s do this another way. Let's stop thinking our voice don’t matter and vote. Not just for the president...educate yourself and know who you’re voting for. And that’s how we're going to hit 'em." https://t.co/WX6oLNRtI2

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 1, 2020

Towards the end of his essay, Obama also provides a link to a report and toolkit that the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights developed based on a task force Obama formed while he was still in the White House. He describes it as a “starting point” for those who want to take concrete action and foster actual change.[video_embed id='1968224']RELATED: Tyrone reflects on his emotional appearance on 'The Social'[/video_embed]