A lot of them aren’t even pretending to be in charge: Obama attacks Trump administration
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'We see it when a black man goes for a jog and some folks feel like they can stop and question and shoot him, if he doesn’t submit to their questioning,' said Obama.
Former US President Barack Obama attacked the Trump administration’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, stating that many of the country’s leaders “aren’t even pretending to be in charge”, media reports said.
Speaking during an online commencement address to graduates of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Obama came down heavily on his successor this breaking tradition of refraining from criticism of successor.
''Let’s be honest, a disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to deal with in this country. We see it in the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on our communities,'' Obama was quoted as saying.
''More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain that so many of the folks in charge know what they’re doing. A lot of them aren’t even pretending to be in charge,'' he said.
Talking about the injustice faced by the communities of colour, he also talked about the recent killing of Ahmaud Arbery. Ahmaud was an unarmed black jogger who was shot by a white former police officer and his son after they chased him in a neighbourhood in Georgia.
“We see it when a black man goes for a jog and some folks feel like they can stop and question and shoot him, if he doesn’t submit to their questioning,” said Obama.
Talking to the recent graduates, he motivated them to fight for a better future. “If the world’s going to get better, it’s going to be up to you.”
The live video event also saw presence of Steve Harvey, Anthony Hamilton, Doug E Fresh, Wyclef Jean, Common, Kevin Hart, Wendy Raquel Robinson and Vivica A Fox.
The two-hour event was broadcasted live on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.