May 16, 2020
Washington- Former president Barack Obama on Saturday criticized some officials overseeing the coronavirus response, telling college graduates in an online commencement address that the pandemic shows many officials aren’t even pretending to be in charge. “
Obama spoke on ” show me your walk, HBCU Edition,’ a two hour live streaming event for historically black colleges and universities broadcast on You tube, Facebook and Twitter.
His remarks were surprisingly political and touched on current events beyond the virus and its social and economic impacts.
‘ More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the fol;s in charge know what they are doing,” he said, ” a lot of the aren’t even pretending to be in charge.”
Obama did not name President Donald Trump or any other Federal or state officials.
As he congratulated graduates and commiserated over the difficult world they face, the former president noted the February shooting death of, Ahmaud Arbery, 25, who was killed while jogging on residential street in Georgia.
” Let’s be honest: A disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communicates have historically had to deal within this country,” Obama said ” we see it in disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on our communities, just as we see it when a black man goes for a jog and some folks feel like they can stop and quastion and shoot him if he doesn’t submmit to thier quastioning.”
Obama will also deliver a televised Prime-time commencement address later Saturday for the high school class of 2020 during an hour long event that will; also feature LEBorn James, Malala Yousafzai and Ben Platt, among others.
By the : Associated Press.
