Civil Rights Book Club: Power in Words: The Stories behind Barack Obama’s Speeches, from the State House to the White House

Barack Obama was an Illinois state senator running for the U.S. Senate when he was tapped by Senator John Kerry’s presidential campaign to deliver the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Although Obama had never before used a teleprompter, his 17-minute speech helped set the stage for one of the most dramatic ascents in U.S. political history. Overnight, Obama went from being an unknown state lawmaker with a funny name to a rising superstar in the Democratic Party.

That address and 17 others provide the framework for “Power in Words: The Stories behind Barack Obama’s Speeches, from the State House to the White House,” by Mary Frances Berry, an acclaimed historian and former chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and Josh Gottheimer, a former presidential speechwriter for Bill Clinton. The 18 speeches, reproduced in full, cover a six-year period beginning with Obama’s 2002 rationale for opposing the war in Iraq to his 2008 presidential victory speech in Hyde Park.

As the title suggests, Berry (a board member of The Leadership
Conference Education Fund board member) and Gottheimer provide readers
with a deeper understanding of how Obama used speeches to introduce his
unusual biography to the public, frame a policy agenda, build political
capital, and persuade a majority of voters to trust him with the most
powerful elected office in the world. The book also provides a revealing
look into the interplay between Obama and his advisors, particulary a
talented group of wordsmiths led by Jon Favreau who helped Obama develop
his ideas and express his values in a way that would resonate with a
nation seeking leadership toward a brighter future.

Obama’s
speeches have been remarkably consistent over time. According to Berry
and Gottheimer, “The themes have been: unity, responsibility, change.”
As a former constitutional law professor and civil rights lawyer, Obama
was at his best when he spoke about how our founding ideals make it
possible for people of all races, religions, and economic backgrounds to
work together to solve the great challenges of the 21st century and “to
form a more perfect union.” In a forward to the book, Ted Sorensen,
President Kennedy’s speechwriter who passed away in October, writes that
Obama “refused to talk down to voters, or to dodge difficult issues, or
to revert to the worn slogans and cliches that often define political
rhetoric.”

Two years into Obama’s presidency — and following a
self-described “shellacking” for his party in the 2010 congressional
elections — it’s worth noting that Obama also clearly cautioned that
the challenges facing the country — and that he would inherit upon
taking the oath of office — would not be solved quickly or easily. As
he said in his Hyde Park victory speech, “The road ahead will be long.
Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one
term, but America — I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight
that we will get there.”

“Power of Words” is a valuable addition
to our understanding of Obama, his improbable rise, and the historic
campaign that carried him to the Oval Office.

The Civil Rights Book Club
to provide context and provoke discussion about today’s top social
justice concerns. Each week, we profile a book, a movie, or other media
that represent the diversity of the contemporary social justice
movement. You can help support The Leadership Conference by purchasing
Book Club selections through the Amazon.com link on our website.