This dramatic passage opens a speech given by then-Senator Barack Obama at a crucial moment in his first campaign for the US presidency. Obama’s pastor and long-time friend, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, had made a series of remarks, in sermons and interviews, which were construed by many who heard them as unpatriotic. (A notable example occurred in a sermon critical of government policies and actions, in which Reverend Wright quoted the patriotic song, “God bless America,” then substituted “God damn America.”) The furor over Reverend Wright’s harshly worded criticisms of US policies threatened to undermine Obama’s support among moderate and independent voters, key constituencies in his election campaign. The immediate purpose of the speech was to defuse this controversy before it derailed the entire campaign.

The broader issue Obama faced was the role of “race” in the election. He had to address the issue of race relations in a way that would prevent it from becoming the central theme of his campaign. In this opening passage, Obama began with a reference to a defining event in US history, and then quickly narrowed the focus to a particular aspect of that event. The language in this passage set the stage for much of what follows, including a detailed discussion of the more recent history of the civil rights struggle in the United States, his own campaign, and the controversy over Reverend Wright’s remarks.