President Barack Obama underscored the persistence of racism in the United States, pointing out, for example, that just because it’s no longer considered polite to say the n-word in public, that doesn’t mean the country is not still suffering the after effects of systemic discrimination, the Associated Press reports.
“Racism, we are not cured of it,” Obama said. “And it’s not just a matter of it not being polite to say nigger in public. That’s not the measure of whether racism still exists or not.
[quote_box_center]”It’s not just a matter of overt discrimination,” Obama added. “Societies don’t overnight completely erase everything that happened 200 to 300 years prior.”[/quote_box_center]
Obama did acknowledge that race relations have improved but said that slavery’s legacy “casts a long shadow and that’s still part of our DNA that’s passed on.”
The president’s musings are in an interview that was shared Monday on comedian Marc Maron’s podcast WTF, in which uncensored language is often a part of the talk, according to the AP.
In the interview, the president spoke about the racially charged massacre at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal in Charleston, S.C., as well as gun laws.
The president also voiced frustration that “the grip of the NRA on Congress is extremely strong,” with gun control measures’ being stalled in Congress even after a 2012 shooting massacre that claimed the lives of 20 children and six educators at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Conn. Read Full via The Root
