Obama's declaration of independence

Obama’s unapologetic celebration of Washington and the Founders of the original imperfect union was a declaration of his own emancipation from — or better, transcendence of — the civil rights movement. The old warrior Joseph Lowery prayed for the day when “white will embrace what is right.” Not Obama. By connecting himself in this historic address to Washington rather than Lincoln the liberator, Obama was legitimizing the full sweep of American history without annotation or mental reservation. If we ever have a post-racial future, this moment will mark its beginning.