King Collection Research Project
Maximilian Sanders
Dr. Platt
1/22/16
Introduction
During President Barack Obama’s second term as President of the United States, the nation has
been plagued by egregious incidents of police brutality and calls for extensive criminal justice reform.
The aforementioned issues have disproportionately affected African Americans for centuries, however,
African Americans are currently in a unique political position. The presence of Barack Obama enables
African Americans to grapple with police brutality and seek extensive criminal justice reform with the
assistance and support of traditionally apathetic political entities.
Body
In this aspect of Obamas responses to highly publicized incidents, he differs from King. King
explicitly condemned the behavior of right-wing northern republicans and Dixiecrats. In Showdown for
Nonviolence, King states that the “government does not correct a race problem until it is confronted
directly and dramatically”, which implies that King believed a unified government is necessary to
eradicate these issues, not just Obama, Congress, or the Supreme Court alone, but in tandem (65). In this
regard, Obama has made valiant efforts to coarse Congress to address these issues, but his efforts have
been to little or no avail. In 2010, Obama was able to push the Fair Sentencing Act through congress,
which reduced the disparity between sentences for crack and cocaine possession. But, Obamas’ other
actions have been the result of executive orders.
A Black president has proven to be a two edged sword. He possess a unique perspective on issues
that disproportionately impact African Americans, but his blackness is also a root cause of the current
climate of unprecedented political polarization. The back lash from the election of Barack Obama was the
catalyst for the current climate of unprecedented political polarization, and the last time Congress was this
dysfunctional was during the climax of the civil rights movement in the mid-1960’s, when Martin Luther
King was in his prime. Subsequently, Obama has been reluctant to directly confront police brutality and
the need for criminal justice reform. He resorted to performing subtle actions using his executive powers
in an effort to make small improvements, while avoiding the prospect of further political polarization.
President Obama created the Second Chance Pell Pilot Program to enable incarcerated individuals to earn
pell grants, with the intention of reducing recidivism among ex-convicts. President Obama also
established the National Clean Slate Clearinghouse to provide assistance with record cleaning,
expungement, and other necessary legal services (WhiteHouse.gov). Both programs have a positive
impact on African Americans because African Americans represent a disproportionate percentage of the
prison population, however, neither were created to target recidivism within African American
communities specifically. The looming prospect of exacerbating political polarization is certainly
frightening, but Martin Luther King would criticize Obama for allowing political drivel and angst to deter
him from maximizing his role as a black president in an effort to confront police brutality and criminal
justice.
President Barack Obama has been especially reluctant to utilize turbulence created by the
multitude of police killings involving unarmed young black men. King would argue that failure to harness
blatant injustices against African Americans to encourage policing and criminal justice reform is criminal.
Also, President Obama has utilized mass shootings, such as the Sandy Hook massacre, to encourage
Congress to act on gun control. Why should he deliberately avoid police killings involving unarmed
young black men to further his policy agenda? The answer is the massacre of 20 white kindergartners is
not as politically controversial as the murder of an unarmed young black man by police. In Kings speech
at the funeral for the four young girls murdered in the Birmingham bombing and his speech at the funeral
of pastor James Reed, his disdain for the obstinance of politicians following blatant acts of violence
against African Americans is apparent. In both speeches, King distributes blame for the tragedies,
specifically targeting the members of American society who create systems which perpetuate and ignore
injustice. At Pastor James Reeds funeral, King states that he was “murdered by the irresponsibility of
every politician who has moved down the path of demagoguery”, instead of putting aside fears of political
consequences and performing their jobs as government officials (A Witness to the Truth, King). Kings
King Collection Research Project
Maximilian Sanders
Dr. Platt
1/22/16
characterization of the ‘demagogue politician’ applies to President Obama’s strategy for dealing with
instances of police brutality and calls for criminal justice reform.
Conclusion
In President Obama’s last State of the Union address, he failed to mention criminal justice reform
and police brutality, opting for a banal, yet comprehensive, address. However this does not mean he is
oblivious to the significance of his presidency. As President Obama exited the congressional chamber, he
stopped and pointed to Senator John Lewis, a freedom rider and outspoken civil rights activist. President
Obama said to John Lewis, “I love you”. Although this gesture appears insignificant, it reveals that
Obama certainly comprehends his role in a legacy of black leaders who have fought for and defended the
universal freedoms of minorities, particularly African Americans. Although he may not have been able to
propose comprehensive criminal justice reform, or spearheaded a national overhaul to improve policing,
he has established a solid foundation the nation requires to begin to reform policing and the U.S. criminal
justice system through traditional political entities.
King Collection Research Project
Maximilian Sanders
Dr. Platt
1/22/16
Bibliography
King, M. L. (n.d.). Showdown for non-violence.
The White House. (n.d.). Retrieved January 22, 2016, from http://www.whitehouse.gov/
7.0.0.400 "Statement by the President of the Montgomery Improvement Association, the Rev. M. L.
King, Jr." 1956 December 20 typed manuscript unsigned with annotation in unknown hand, 1p
Martin Luther King, Jr. - New York City, Riverside Church - April 4 1967