President Barack Obama brought forth a nostalgic juxtaposition in his

hour-long farewell to the head of the White House. His words were a

combination of a thank you card, motivational speech, State of the Union,

and an embedded instructor’s manual for leaders of the next generation. He

confidently denounced every bit of hatred and alienation encouraged by his

opposition without mention of names. However, maintained his dignity and

respect for his most vocal naysayers. The 44 th President of the United States

brought forth comforting optimism through historical

context, but with a wealth of wisdom that challenged the comfort

zone of every American.

Yes, we did.

Standing with pride in the accomplishments of his administration,

POTUS reflected on historical moves such as the 2009 General Motors

Investment/Bail-Out, the Affordable Care Act, Marriage Equality, ending

the threat that was Osama Bin Laden, and strengthening US-Cuban relations.

He did not attribute those accomplishments to himself nor any particular

politician, “but that’s what we did. That’s what you did. You were the

change. The answer to people’s hopes and, because of you, by almost every

measure, America is a better, stronger place than it was when we started.”

Obama was determined to affirm the collective power of “ordinary people”

throughout his address.

But for all the real progress that we’ve made, we know it’s not enough.

Though surreal in its essence, the address was not short on its

sobering moments. The simple mention of the upcoming administration

sparked uniform booing towards the 2017 president-elect. Obama quickly

denounced the booing, and acknowledged “the peaceful transfer of power

from one freely-elected President to the next.” He spoke on the struggle of

economic justice, tying it to the frustrations of poor Americans, especially in

rural areas. Nevertheless he made it clear that we cannot use the case of poor

whites to push the fallacy of a “post-racial” society despite significant strides

in civil rights. Within the same moment, he asserted his support of all

marginalized people, including Muslims and immigrants. He encompassed

these ideas as he emphasized the importance of education, science, and fact-

based independent press sources. President Obama made a nationwide case

for the intellect in a society that is facing a pattern of glorified falsehoods.

Having given praises to his family, Vice President Joe Biden, and his

staff…President Obama turned to empower the American people…

I am asking you to believe. Not in my ability to bring about change — but in

yours.

I am asking you to hold fast to that faith written into our founding

documents; that idea whispered by slaves and abolitionists; that spirit sung

by immigrants and homesteaders and those who marched for justice; that

creed reaffirmed by those who planted flags from foreign battlefields to the

surface of the moon; a creed at the core of every American whose story is

not yet written:

Yes, we can.

Watch the full address here…

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