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Former US president Barack Obama has called out cancel culture on the Internet, saying that it is not an effective form of activism .
On Tuesday, Obama attended the third annual Obama Foundation Summit in Illinois, Chicago, an event that featured a range of high-profile speakers including former US first lady Michelle Obama , director Ava Duvernay and Pose Billy Porter .
While in conversation with actor and activist Yara Shahidi for a segment titled: “What can I do where I am?”, Obama spoke about the detrimental impact judging people too rashly on social media can have.
“This idea of purity, and you’re never compromised, and you’re always politically woke and all that stuff, you should get over that quickly,” he said.
“The world is messy. There are ambiguities. People who do really good stuff have flaws.”
Former US president Barack Obama speaks with actor and activist Yara Shahidi during the Obama Foundation Summit (29 October 2019) (AP) Obama stated that the danger of being too “judgemental” of people on social media is something he sees “particularly on college campuses”, and has been “accelerated by social media”.
“There is this sense sometimes of, ‘The way of me making change is to be as judgemental as possible about other people.’ And that’s enough,” the 58-year-old said.
“Like if I tweet or hashtag about how you didn’t do something right or used the wrong verb, then I can sit back and feel pretty good about myself. ‘Cause, ‘Man, you see how woke I was? I called you out’.”
Obama added that in his opinion, the form of behaviour described is not effective when a person is trying to make a positive difference.
Show all 9 1 /99 of Barack Obama's best feminist quotes 9 of Barack Obama's best feminist quotes On shifting sexist attitudes 'We need to keep changing the attitude that raises our girls to be demure and our boys to be assertive, that criticises our daughters for speaking out and our sons for shedding a tear. We need to keep changing the attitude that punishes women for their sexuality and rewards men for theirs.' (Glamour magazine, August 2016)
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9 of Barack Obama's best feminist quotes On fair workplace policies 'Today, women make up about half our workforce. But they still make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. That is wrong, and in 2014, it’s an embarrassment. A woman deserves equal pay for equal work. She deserves to have a baby without sacrificing her job. A mother deserves a day off to care for a sick child or sick parent without running into hardship – and you know what, a father does, too. It’s time to do away with workplace policies that belong in a Mad Men episode.' (State of the Union speech, January 2014)
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9 of Barack Obama's best feminist quotes On the importance of feminist role models 'Michelle and I have raised our daughters to speak up when they see a double standard or feel unfairly judged based on their gender or race – or when they notice that happening to someone else. It’s important for them to see role models out in the world who climb to the highest levels of whatever field they choose. And yes, it’s important that their dad is a feminist, because now that’s what they expect of all men.' (Glamour magazine, August 2016)
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9 of Barack Obama's best feminist quotes On breaking glass ceilings 'As we prepare to write the next chapter of women's history, let us resolve to build on the progress won by the trailblazers of the past. We must carry forward the work of the women who came before us and ensure our daughters have no limits on their dreams, no obstacles to their achievements, and no remaining ceilings to shatter.' (Presidential Proclamation for Women's History Month, February 2011)
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9 of Barack Obama's best feminist quotes On granting women equal opportunities 'Around the world there is a tradition of oppressing women and treating them differently and not giving them the same opportunities, and husbands beating their wives, and children not being sent to school. Those are traditions. Treating women and girls as second-class citizens. Those are bad traditions. They need to change.' (During speech in Nairobi, Kenya in July 2015)
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9 of Barack Obama's best feminist quotes On gender stereotypes 'We know that these stereotypes affect how girls see themselves starting at a very young age, making them feel that if they don’t look or act a certain way, they are somehow less worthy. In fact, gender stereotypes affect all of us, regardless of our gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation.' (Glamour magazine, August 2016)
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9 of Barack Obama's best feminist quotes On gender pay inequality 'It is now our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began. For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts.' (Inaugural Address, January 2013)
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9 of Barack Obama's best feminist quotes On the true meaning of masculinity 'It’s easy to absorb all kinds of messages from society about masculinity and come to believe that there’s a right way and a wrong way to be a man. But as I got older, I realised that my ideas about being a tough guy or cool guy just weren’t me. They were a manifestation of my youth and insecurity. Life became a lot easier when I simply started being myself.' (Glamour magazine, August 2016)
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9 of Barack Obama's best feminist quotes On what a feminist looks like 'I did want to stop by and make one thing very clear: I may be a little greyer than I was eight years ago – but this is what a feminist looks like. Of course, in my household there’s no choice.' (United States of Women Summit, June 2016)
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“That’s not activism. That’s not bringing about change,” he said.
“If all you’re doing is casting stones, you’re probably not going to get that far. That’s easy to do.”
Several Twitter users praised Obama for his stance on the subject.
“Wise words from former President Barack Obama on the cancel culture vibe,” one person wrote .
“It’s so important to remember that we can be good people AND we can make mistakes.”
Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events “I am glad to hear Obama explain so clearly how cancel culture and wokeness is not productive for bringing about change,” another stated .
A number of people also remarked that Obama seemingly ”cancelled cancel culture”.
“Obama attempting to cancel cancel culture is a very 2019 thing,” a Twitter user said .
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