Anguish and Action
At the Obama Foundation, we work to help leaders change their world—and the world needs changing. The killings of young Black men like Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, Tamir Rice, and too many others at the hands of their fellow citizens—in addition to Black lives like Breonna Taylor’s and George Floyd’s being cut short by police—have left many of us anguished and outraged. While now is a time for grief and anger, it is also a time for resolve. Find resources below to learn what you can do to create a more just and equitable world.
When President Obama was in office, he urged Americans to find ways to confront our country’s original sin of racism and slavery in their own communities, while advancing equality in the face of injustice.
In the wake of Trayvon Martin’s death in 2012, President Obama and his administration created the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance to break down barriers and expand opportunity for boys and young men of color, while around the world, a mass movement in defense and support of Black lives took to the streets to demand change. That movement continues today, as evidenced by the activism and protests in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in 2020. But far more progress needs to be made.
If you’re looking for additional ways to create change, below you’ll find resources to learn about racism in the United States, police violence, and antiracism. You’ll also find actions you can take to encourage reform from organizations who have been working on the issues of racism and policing at the local and national level for years.
Watch
President Obama Speaks at the My Brother's Keeper Alliance Reimagining Policing: Spotlighting Reforms and Progress Town Hall
Following the release of the “Reimagining Policing: Progress to Date” report, President Obama offers an encouraging message about recommitting to building communities that are more safe, more equitable, and more just for everyone who lives in them.
My Brother’s Keeper Alliance Leadership Forum: A Conversation with President Obama
As part of the MBK Leadership Forum, President Obama participates in a conversation with youth and community leaders about the unprecedented activism and action that has taken place in the year since George Floyd's tragic murder.
A conversation with President Obama: Reimagining Policing in the Wake of Continued Police Violence
President Obama joins Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, President of Color of Change Rashad Robinson, Minneapolis City Council Representative Phillipe Cunningham, and MBK Columbus Youth Leader Playon Patrick, in a conversation moderated by Campaig
These third party external links are being provided as a convenience and for educational and informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by the Obama Foundation, and the Obama Foundation bears no responsibility for the accuracy or legality of the content of the external site or subsequent links from an external site.
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