Depending on who you talk to and the political lens through which they view the world, Barack Obama will go down as a highly polarizing figure, a transformative President or a combination of both – and these definitions will be said either with admiration or contempt. But here is one certainty:
In years to come, one piece of video will be included in any biographies of Barack Obama. It’ll be the moment when he led the crowd at Rev. Clementa Pinckney’s funeral in a stirring rendition of “Amazing Grace”. Pinckney was one of 9 African-American church goers massacred at Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. It was yet another moment that could have been private, but television turned a service in a geographically fixed place into a service throughout the American land. And many Americans across the country did grieve over the merciless and race-motivated act that snuffed out nine lives and created such terrifying last moments for the victims.
Obama had met Pinckney and — like most Americans — was battered by the brutality used and hate that motivated self-avowed 21-year-old racist Dylann Roof to butcher people with whom he had sat in the church for an hour, telling them in their last moments on earth that they had to die due to their skin color.
Because we live in a political culture where hate is the motivating factor, there will be indeed some who will say it was “staged” for political reasons with the same degree of actual proof as the Twilight Zoners who are now suggesting Obamacare was approved by the Supreme Court because Obama was blackmailing Chief Justice John Roberts.
But for the bulk of Americans of either or no party — and most assuredly for future historians — Obama’s response will be seen as saying something positive about his non-political, inner core. I sent this video to someone who nailed it: “I was very moved by this and posted it on my fb, even. This is a real man. Regardless of political tastes, one has to respect his courage and ability to show his heartfelt self. I expect great and greater things from him after his presidency.”
Watch the clip that will be shown for years in any non-print biography of Obama — a moment that transcends politics:
Quibbles aside, I think Obama summoned the best of our traditions. He did an amazing job. And he reminded me that "grace is sufficient."
— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) June 27, 2015
When the president starts singin Amazing Grace you put politics aside for 50 secs and sing Amazing Grace http://t.co/JLi8TuaCUy
— Adam Tucker (@Adam16Tucker) June 27, 2015
Obama is the reason there's is so much violence. With the help of Sharpton he's reanimated racism. Amazing Grace pic.twitter.com/SShmX26XST
— Dennis Williams (@wanttruth) June 27, 2015
OBAMA ENDS CHARLESTON SERVICE WITH SONG WRITTEN BY A SLAVE TRADER. Shouldn't we ban "Amazing Grace," along with the Confederate flag?
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) June 26, 2015
Obama breaks into 'Amazing Grace," and everyone follows, standing and swaying. It will be on history's highlight reel.
— Michael Muskal (@latimesmuskal) June 26, 2015
Wait….he's singing Amazing Grace!!! Pres. Obama has gone FULL ON BLACK for #ClementaPinckney's eulogy.
OMG.
— britni danielle (@BritniDWrites) June 26, 2015
Obama singing Amazing Grace will go down in history as one of the realest moments in a US presidency
— YeaYouRite (@YeaYouRite) June 27, 2015
Obama singing Amazing Grace gave me huge goosebumps. The hugest.
— Rosianna Halse Rojas (@papertimelady) June 26, 2015
Obama only sang "Amazing Grace" because he doesn't have the chops to do a muezzin call to prayer.
— Fector (@Fector) June 27, 2015
Never have I been so proud of Obama or as humbled as today when he sang Amazing Grace. Love the heart of @POTUS and thankful that he is ours
— Cindy (@ChfraserCindy) June 27, 2015
Because Obama sang it, conservative nimrods are now going to hate one of the greatest songs ever composed. https://t.co/rhCNfE6USs
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) June 26, 2015
Obama just preached a sermonette and sang "Amazing Grace" on TV. I don't even know how to digest it. I'm crying all over the place, bruh.
— Regular Black (@tdouble_u) June 26, 2015
LAWD HAMMERCY????????????!!! Yessss Obama SANG???????????????????? this is about to make me cry!
— biggieshorty. (@x_OvO_jAzZ) June 26, 2015
Hey, so how many "Obama is a Muslim" conspiracy theorists do you think will forward an email of him singing "Amazing Grace" in church today?
— Karyn Bosnak (@karynbosnak) June 27, 2015
I gotta say, for a secret Muslim Kenyan Marxist, Obama sure did a nice job with Amazing Grace yesterday.
— Schmutzie (@Schmutzie_) June 27, 2015
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.