'Your lives matter': Obama offers words of hope in contrast to Trump's division | US ne... - 0 views
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Barack Obama has told young people of colour “your lives matter” in public remarks that supporters welcomed as an antidote to Donald Trump’s racially-charged and divisive threats to crack down on civil dissent.
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America’s first black president on Tuesday expressed faith in young people in the US and said he remains “optimistic” about the future despite the police killing of George Floyd and mounting crises that Trump’s critics say leave the country crying out for leadership.
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In striking contrast to the White House incumbent, whose expressions of sympathy for Floyd have been overshadowed by harsh warnings that the US military could be deployed to impose law and order, Obama at one point spoke directly to young men and women of color.
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“And you should be able to learn and make mistakes and live a life of joy without having to worry about what’s going to happen when you walk to the store, or go for a jog, or are driving down the street, or looking at some bird in a park.”
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Trump’s strongman response, which contrasts with his support for armed white demonstrations against pandemic lockdowns in Michigan and elsewhere, has drawn fierce condemnation from Obama’s former vice-president, Joe Biden, and other Democrats.
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He also noted that many comparisons have been made with the turmoil of riots, assassinations and anti-war protests in the 1960s.
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He added: “There is a change in mindset that’s taking place, a greater recognition that we can do better.