--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think with President Obama there's…" description: "\"I think with President Obama there's going to be a discussion, because he himself is multiracial, because we have for the first time a non-white presid..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd0/michael-emerson-4622_discussion_i-think-with-president-obama-there-s-goi_3088266.jpg" --- # I think with President Obama there's going to be a… ![“I think with President Obama there's going to be a discussion, because he himself is multiracial, because we have for the first time a non-white president. There's going to be talk about what does this mean? What is it? Are we in a new era?” quote by Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd0/michael-emerson-4622_discussion_i-think-with-president-obama-there-s-goi_3088266.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd0/michael-emerson-4622_discussion_i-think-with-president-obama-there-s-goi_3088266.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fd0/michael-emerson-4622_discussion_i-think-with-president-obama-there-s-goi_3088266.jpg) > “I think with President Obama there's going to be a discussion, because he himself is multiracial, because we have for the first time a non-white president. There's going to be talk about what does this mean? What is it? Are we in a new era?” [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He reflects on Obama’s historic presidency prompting discussions about race and a new era. **In simple terms:** Obama’s presidency sparks talk on race and change. Key Takeaway Acknowledge and discuss societal shifts. Themes politics race history Mood reflective analytical Type political sociological When to use this quote - elections - community forums - educational curricula Key Concepts identity representation social change Questions to Reflect On - How does representation affect public perception? - What defines a “new era” in politics? A Different Perspective Discussion may oversimplify complex societal dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Discussion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discussion/) [Discussion Multiracial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discussion-multiracial-5298846/) [Doe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doe/) [Eras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eras/) [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Going Discussion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/going-discussion-4982559/) [Mean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mean/) [Multiracial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/multiracial/) [Multiracial Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/multiracial-time-5298847/) [New era](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-era/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [President obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-obama/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trump/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) ## Related quotes > [Malcolm Gladwell was on TV talking about wanting to have college football banned. It's interesting just because of him even bringing the topic up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donte-stallworth/malcolm-gladwell-was-on-tv-talking-about-wanting-to-have-college/) [Donte Stallworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donte-stallworth/) > [So these are the kind of things that now when people are trying to move towards multiracial congregations that they're stressing. They're talking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/so-these-are-the-kind-of-things-that-now-when-people-are-trying-to/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [Downsides, yeah, and when there are more downsides when churches first start - they go through stages of transforming to becoming multiracial. So in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/downsides-yeah-and-when-there-are-more-downsides-when-churches-first/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [There's one denomination in particular, though, that has pushed very hard to be multiracial in its denomination - not only its denomination but, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/there-s-one-denomination-in-particular-though-that-has-pushed-very/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [What's happening is that Asian and Latino and other groups without that history are more likely to end up in either black churches or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/what-s-happening-is-that-asian-and-latino-and-other-groups-without/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [President Obama, right after the Gabby Gifford shooting said we need to usher in a new era of civil discourse in politics. But not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bolling/president-obama-right-after-the-gabby-gifford-shooting-said-we-need/) [Eric Bolling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bolling/) > [“When there is a gap—between your face and your race, between the baby and the mother, between your body and yourself—you are expected, everywhere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danzy-senna/when-there-is-a-gap-between-your-face-and-your-race-between-the-baby/) [Danzy Senna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danzy-senna/) > [Australia has embraced migrants from all different races, making us one of the most multiracial nations on earth. Most have assimilated and are proud…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-hanson/australia-has-embraced-migrants-from-all-different-races-making-us/) [Pauline Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-hanson/) > [One of the things that Americans, as a multiracial society, feel is a tremendous sensitivity to racial comments of all kinds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/one-of-the-things-that-americans-as-a-multiracial-society-feel-is-a/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [There is no doubt that the issue of race is always present in American politics and in the politics of any multiracial society. There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-gore/there-is-no-doubt-that-the-issue-of-race-is-always-present-in/) [Al Gore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-gore/) > [Colonization was the idea that once slavery ended African-Americans should be encouraged - or required, in some people's view - required to leave the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-foner/colonization-was-the-idea-that-once-slavery-ended-african-americans/) [Eric Foner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-foner/) > [A fully functional multiracial society cannot be achieved without a sense of history and open, honest dialogue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/a-fully-functional-multiracial-society-cannot-be-achieved-without-a/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [The challenge for America is: can we become a multicultural, multiracial democracy? It would be historic. It would be America's greatest contribution to human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ro-khanna/the-challenge-for-america-is-can-we-become-a-multicultural/) [Ro Khanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ro-khanna/) > [The historical problem of the United States is to admit that it is a multiracial and multi-ethnic nation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-fuentes/the-historical-problem-of-the-united-states-is-to-admit-that-it-is-a/) [Carlos Fuentes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-fuentes/) > [What is accurately portrayed is the rich humanity not just of Martin Luther King but of the movement, which was a multiracial movement. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/what-is-accurately-portrayed-is-the-rich-humanity-not-just-of-martin/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) ## More by Michael Emerson > [It may be changing, but still it's the one place, that total control of an institution, that African Americans have. So sometimes, you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/it-may-be-changing-but-still-it-s-the-one-place-that-total-control-of/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [Call-and-response style, yes, exactly. So whenever different groups get together then there has to be this long period of negotiation. How will we worship?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/call-and-response-style-yes-exactly-so-whenever-different-groups-get/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [I think people respond to villains because people in general are more villainous than heroic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/i-think-people-respond-to-villains-because-people-in-general-are-more/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [So you find a lot of these sixth Americans congregate in these interracial congregations. They hang out together at work, at school, wherever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/so-you-find-a-lot-of-these-sixth-americans-congregate-in-these/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [There are roles that are terrifying because they're large or you may feel that they're out of your line, but I'm never terrified once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/there-are-roles-that-are-terrifying-because-they-re-large-or-you-may/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [We do not have an American culture. We have a white American culture and a black American culture. So when those two groups try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/we-do-not-have-an-american-culture-we-have-a-white-american-culture/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [I think of myself as a problem-solver. I want to go in and help the director and the writer to get the best they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/i-think-of-myself-as-a-problem-solver-i-want-to-go-in-and-help-the/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [But what we found in the study is that churches are ten times less diverse than the neighborhoods they sit in. So there's something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/but-what-we-found-in-the-study-is-that-churches-are-ten-times-less/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [And different traditions stress different - so then there's that. I talked to an African American who says before she goes into an interracial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/and-different-traditions-stress-different-so-then-there-s-that-i/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [I think it's easier, I really do, because of not having that similar history, so that's why I think two-thirds of these mixed congregations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/i-think-it-s-easier-i-really-do-because-of-not-having-that-similar/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [There are three things, and it depends on the group that we're talking about, but there's history, there's culture, and then there's social networks.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/there-are-three-things-and-it-depends-on-the-group-that-we-re-talking/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [I ask the clergy why don't I see myself represented in leadership? And I'm told, and this happens quite a bit, "We don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/i-ask-the-clergy-why-don-t-i-see-myself-represented-in-leadership-and/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [I was a magazine illustrator for many years before I became an actor, and I used to think, 'Oh, God, all those wasted years!'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/i-was-a-magazine-illustrator-for-many-years-before-i-became-an-actor/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [We go where our family goes. We go where our friends are, and because our social networks are so segregated by race, we end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/we-go-where-our-family-goes-we-go-where-our-friends-are-and-because/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) > [This is this thing I harp on: Sometimes acting can be a self-defeating psychological enterprise if we feel like we're desperate, if we feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-emerson/this-is-this-thing-i-harp-on-sometimes-acting-can-be-a-self-defeating/) [Michael Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) [Explore all 108 Michael Emerson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-emerson/) ## More Discussion quotes > [There's always that discussion about fiction about how do you market it - these are books for boys, these are books for girls, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-a-weatherly/there-s-always-that-discussion-about-fiction-about-how-do-you-market/) [L.A. 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It has a long discussion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-s-an-interesting-book-about-that-called-the-third-reich-and-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [ \[Kathleen Blackshear\] just said, "Have you thought of looking at this?" and so on and so on and so on. And it was a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-mackenzie/kathleen-blackshear-just-said-have-you-thought-of-looking-at-this-and/) [Warren MacKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-mackenzie/) > [There needs to be some regime that is overseeing access to broadband to make sure we have openess; otherwise, there is a risk it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/there-needs-to-be-some-regime-that-is-overseeing-access-to-broadband/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [There are two famous labyrinths where our reason very often goes astray. 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