Obama Refers to Unrest as ‘Great Awakening’
by Joel B. Pollak
Former President Barack Obama referred to the ongoing unrest around the country, associated with the Black Lives Matter protests, as a “Great Awakening” in his remarks to a fundraiser for former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday.
NEW: Obama, speaking at a Biden fundraiser, comes out swinging against the Trump admin, GOP, right-wing pundits and AG Barr’s Justice Department (per pool report) pic.twitter.com/7rYBNb1IuF
— John Kruzel (@johnkruzel) June 23, 2020
Obama said:
And the good news, what make me optimistic is, the fact that there is a Great Awakening going on around the country particularly among younger people who are saying not only are they fed up with the shambolic disorganized mean spirited approach to governance that we’ve seen over the last couple of years but more than that are eager to take on some of the core challenges that have been facing this country for centuries.
The original “Great Awakening” was a religious revival in colonial American society several decades prior to the Revolution.
As History.com notes:
The Great Awakening was a religious revival that impacted the English colonies in America during the 1730s and 1740s. The movement came at a time when the idea of secular rationalism was being emphasized, and passion for religion had grown stale. Christian leaders often traveled from town to town, preaching about the gospel, emphasizing salvation from sins and promoting enthusiasm for Christianity. The result was a renewed dedication toward religion. Many historians believe the Great Awakening had a lasting impact on various Christian denominations and American culture at large.