Obama addresses homophobia among African Americans. Gives historic speech in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s church.

The New York Observer is reporting on Barack Obama’s speech at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. served as pastor.

The Observer states: “Obama’s speech will likely be remembered for his calling on the black community to do its part to fight homophobia, anti-Semitism and xenophobia.”

In his speech Obama said:

“If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King’s vision of a beloved community. We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them. The scourge of anti-Semitism has, at times, revealed itself in our community. For too long, some of us have seen immigrants as competitors for jobs instead of companions in the fight for opportunity.

So let us say that on this day of all days, each of us carries with us the task of changing our hearts and minds. The division, the stereotypes, the scape-goating, the ease with which we blame our plight on others – all of this distracts us from the common challenges we face – war and poverty; injustice and inequality. We can no longer afford to build ourselves up by tearing someone else down. We can no longer afford to traffic in lies or fear or hate. It is the poison that we must purge from our politics; the wall that we must tear down before the hour grows too late.”

Image Source: The New York Observer