I have lost dear friends from racism.

Barack Obama addresses the third rail of American society. How to talk about race honestly, without having the discussion become a whitewash or a bloodbath.

If anyone ever again tells me Barack Obama is all suit and no substance, I will shove this speech in their face. His speech is a primer on the history of the races in the United States.

As W.E.B. Dubois said, the problem of America is the problem of the color line. Barack Obama so obviously and massively keyed into W.E.B. Dubois in this speech. He did it in a way that I think MLK was moving toward, and certainly Malcolm X was moving toward, until they had lead injected into their heads.

This man rocks. This was a profoundly difficult speech for him to give. It was hard for me to listen to, in parts. But I can see where he is trying to go. As usual, William Faulkner nails it. The past is not even the past.

This is what Barack is trying to exorcise. I think he has done it.