Barack Obama Says Community Activism Sparked By George Floyd Protests Gave Him Hope

Former President Barack Obama told youth and community leaders from around the U.S. on Wednesday that their work this past year has given him hope of improving racial and social equality.

Obama spoke during a virtual forum for his My Brother’s Keeper advocacy group. The group was launched in 2014 with the mission “to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world.”

The forum was scheduled to be held near the one-year anniversary of George Floyd’s murder, a turning point in the U.S. that sparked global protests throughout 2020.

The virtual event featured panel discussions focused on ways communities can combat social and racial injustices.

“We are here in part to commemorate the anniversary of one of the most heartbreaking and vivid reminders of the injustices that are occurring in this country every single day,” Obama stated during his opening address.

Obama also participated in discussions with leaders from around the country during the forum including Newark, New Jersey Mayor Ras Baraka and Alicia Garza, who is the founder of the Black Futures Lab.

“When I saw the mobilization primarily led by young people over the last year, it gave me hope,” Obama said. “What’s given me even more hope is the way in which it wasn’t a one-off, but that hope has now been translated into action,” he continued.