Former President Barack Obama returned to the national stage once more, holding a virtual town aimed at young people. The event signaled a continued return to public life following his participation at several virtual graduation events for the Class of 2020 in recent weeks.
During the virtual event, Obama weighed in on the social unrest following Floyd’s death and the nation’s history of protest. He encouraged young people to continue to “make people in power uncomfortable,” but also said that ultimately, protests must be followed up with practical solutions and policies that hold police accountable. Obama implored “every mayor in the country to review your use of force policies” and commit to necessary police reforms.
