Obama Gives Major Speech on Race

Obama gave a historic speech on race relations in the United States and the future of the country yesterday.

The intention was to dampen the uproar over remarks by Obama's preacher, Jeremiah Wright. The speech has gained an uproar of praise all its own.

The speech was written by Obama and only shown to a handful of his advisers before it was given.

The following portion of the speech offers a good summary.

I can no more disown [Jeremiah Wright] than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother - a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe. These people are a part of me. And they are a part of America, this country that I love.

Obama gave an enlightening interview to ABC News after the speech.

An MSNBC review and analysis of the speech show the overwhelming reactions of media outlets and the public.