FRAMING
Because participants may have differing opinions of Barack Obama, explain that we use this video because he models public narrative very well and that’s not by chance
– this is a craft he learned and we are here to learn the same craft.
Give context about the speech
– Obama was junior senator, first national appearance, Kerry presidential campaign. Warn participants that there is a lot of cheering and a few cultural references that non-Americans people may struggle with.
Ask participants to try to ignore them and see this as a learning tool.
Using your worksheet, look for:

The Story of Self, the Story of US, the Story of Now

Challenges, choices, outcomes
There is a worksheet on page ## in your workbook to help you.
DEBRIEF KICK-OFF

How do you feel after hearing that? Would it have had the same impact if he had said “My name is Barack Obama, I went to Harvard Law school where I learned x and y. Then I was ran for Illinois State Senate, and won. I really support John
Kerry because of x,y,z and you should too
?”
STORY OF SELF
Did you hear a story of self? Did you hear a choice? Why did he choose to tell us about that choice?

Challenge, choice, outcome - focus on choice points:
– His grandfather’s decision to send his son to America to study
– His parent’s “improbable” decision to marry
– His parent’s decision to name him Barack, blessing, an expression of faith in a tolerant and generous America.

Each choice communicates courage, hope, and caring. He tells us nothing of his resume.

Nothing about John Kerry, just about where Barack came from, and who made him the person that he is, so that we might have an idea of where he is going.


Choice of coming to America  He could have stood up there and said
“America is a great country to which people come to have a gr eat education.” Instead he told us the story of his father.
 Choice of name (“tolerant America”) and improbable love and marriage  gives an idea of what America can be, but also of the values he holds.

What do you remember about the grandfather? He made the decision to tell you that he was a cook for the British in Africa – he made a choice to tell you these details. In so little words, he told us about imperialism, opened a window into that world.
When did he move from story of self to story of us?
 “My story is part of the larger American story”
STORY OF US
Where’s the story of us? When did he show us – rather than tell us about – American values?

Lifts values of the American he shares with his listeners – the people in the room, the people watching on television, the people who will read about it the next day

Begins by going back to the beginning, to choices made by the founders to begin this nation, a beginning that he locates in the Declaration of Independence, a repository of the value of equality (Founding story, Declaration of Independence)

Then cites a series of moments that evoke values shared by his audience – workers, health care, knock in the night etc.
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Knock on door, tuck up our children safe in their bed, start business without paying a bribe, faith in simple dreams, getting vote counted. He could have said
“in America we have freedom of belief”.
When did he move from story of us to story of now?
 “We have more work to do”
STORY OF NOW

Contrasts values we share with reality of what is
– creates urgency.

He then tells stories of specific people in specific places with specific problems – not statistics. Do you remember who they were / their names / where they lives etc.?

Not statistics, but stories, no 10-point plans.
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HOPE: reminds us, all this could change. Provides a way to make the change, if we choose to take it.