[Vigilanteman]

the inferior education they provided, then and now, helps explain the pervasive achievement gap between today's black and white students . . .

Obama needs to explain how some of the greatest black minds in the history of this nation overcame vastly greater hardships. Booker T. Washington founded Tuskegee Institute, which has educated several generations. George Washington Carver discovered scores of uses for the peanut which pulled generations of southern farmers out of the poverty cycle. Garrett A. Morgan invented the gas mask which saved countless lives during World War I. Thomas Sowell is arguably the most brilliant economist alive today. He educated Clarence Thomas, one of the brightest minds on today's supreme court.

Not one of these five is held out as a role model for young blacks today. Not one was given a pass because of affirmative action or quotas. Not one was a protest leader. And not one of this group blamed "whitey" for the adverse circumstances in which they were educated.

Most likely all five on this list (certainly the two still living) would propose a solution for inferior black schools which Obama would quickly dismiss-- vouchers and free market solutions rather than continuing to pump more and more tax money into the NEA sinkhole.

[TheBattman]

I nominate your post as the best one on the thread (so far)... So much truth that is overlooked today.

Thank you for the reminder.

[Eagle of Liberty]

Not one of these five is held out as a role model for young blacks today. Not one was given a pass because of affirmative action or quotas. Not one was a protest leader. And not one of this group blamed "whitey" for the adverse circumstances in which they were educated.

They are seen as "not being down with the struggle". That is why they are not held out as role models. Even Bill Cosby got slammed when he tried to say basically the same thing that Obama said in his speech, but Cosby has views consistent with Sowell and Thomas for solutions.

Race will continue to be an issue until the black leaders can be seen as ending the issue by formally demanding that "white America" confesses publicly to their sin. People like JWright see every white American as a racist, but ironically do not see themselves as bitterly racist.