- Former President Barack Obama spoke for the first time on camera Wednesday about the death of George Floyd and subsequent protests.
- Obama tried to encourage protesters, saying that their efforts are not in vain, and juxtaposing the George Floyd protests with the unrest that unfolded nationwide the late 1960s.
- "This reminds people of the '60s, and the chaos, and the discord and distrust throughout the country," Obama said. "I have to tell you — although I was very young when you had riots and protests and assassinations and discord back in the '60s — I know enough about that history to say, there is something different here."
- "You look at those protests, and that was a far more representative cross-section of America out on the streets, peacefully protesting, and who felt moved to do something because of the injustices that they had seen. That didn't exist back in the 1960s, that kind of broad coalition."
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Former President Barack Obama offered some reassurance Wednesday to Americans who may feel as if their protests are in vain.
"This reminds people of the '60s, and the chaos, and the discord and distrust throughout the country," Obama said. "I have to tell you — although I was very young when you had riots and protests and assassinations and discord back in the '60s — I know enough about that history to say there is something different here."
In his first televised address since the death of George Floyd — a rarity for Obama since leaving the White House — the former president pointed to broader and more diverse support for civil rights among young Americans today.
"You look at those protests, and that was a far more representative cross-section of America out on the streets, peacefully protesting, and who felt moved to do something because of the injustices that they had seen," he said. "That didn't exist back in the 1960s, that kind of broad coalition."
Obama also pointed to polling on how well-supported the protests are despite looting and rioting in several cities.
"And that is not as a consequence of speeches by politicians," Obama noted. "That's not the result of, you know, spotlights in news articles.
"That's a direct result of the activities and organizing and mobilization and engagement of so many young people across the country, who put themselves out on the line to make a difference," Obama continued.
"So I just have to say thank you to them for helping bring about this moment, and just make sure that we now follow through, because at some point, attention moves away."
Obama reiterated his urge for young people to vote in greater numbers during local elections, which he prescribed as more consequential in issues of criminal justice and police reform because of the influence of mayors and district attorneys.
In addressing the nation's young people of color, Obama also expressed how proud he is of their activism.
"And so I hope that you also feel hopeful, even as you may feel angry, because you have the power to make things better, and you have helped to make the entire country feel as if this is something that's gotta change," Obama said. "You've communicated a sense of urgency that is as powerful as anything that I've seen in recent years."
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