Home > Opinion > With the Inauguration of President Barack Obama, How Far Has the U.S. Come in Achieving Racial Equality?

With the Inauguration of President Barack Obama, How Far Has the U.S. Come in Achieving Racial Equality?

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look.!
you needa raise the minimum wage for teenagers because now our parents are starting to mae us pay for all of our clothes shoes and other things.
we got other things that we want to spend our money on.
so we are asking for you to raise the minimum wage.
another thing is we are fourteen years old and i, amishia, works at sonic on richmond road. i am not aloud to work on school nights and i think that i bull crap.
i barely get enough hours in. i want to be able to leave school on some days and go to work.
you need to help us teenagers out pleaseeeeeee.!!!!!!

Amishia and Nick of KY 12:43PM August 17, 2009

Obama understand how to strike a balance between the white/black issue which accordingly has not been really yet fully addressed. He also knows what alienates the conservatives from the liberals, the anti-gay and the gays, Christians and the atheist, Christians and non-Christians. And hope he won't compromise but stand for what is fare without forcing the truth and morally right. But if the perverts have a right to be what they prefer, the straight people; the Christians who made America great must never be put aside. Equal rights to all - however the majority will always be a dominant voice and that is the conservatives who must just stand to their beliefs without burning anyone at stake.

cyrus 8:14PM January 30, 2009

This letter is to inform you of how apperciative i am having you as your new president. I think it was time for a change. This change must be for the best.I want you to know that I believe that oyu are going to help us with our economic crisisand make it that one day we are in peace.What i mean by that is thatour loved one's are dying for us and we are just sitting back and doing nothing about it. There needs to be a way we can thank them for their many sacrifies. For example we could take a day off and fulfill their dreams. These people have dreams too. They chose to fight for our lives rather than fight for theirs.Maybe we can send them some fundings or something to show them that they are loved and respected for their hard work and citizenship

Christina Aleen Jones of CA 3:25PM January 26, 2009

Before all the liberals start pointing out my spelling errors above (soul and believe)...I transpose key strokes all the time. But Liberal's have no excuse for their particular mental condition, that aims to subjugate all who disagree and take what is not theirs, all in the name of "progressivism".

Stephen Douglas of MA 4:52AM January 22, 2009

There is a reason MLK was a registered Republican. Democrats are bigots and racists. They have kept blacks down for years. For Liberals, it's about groups not people. For Republicans, it's about the human sole and the individual liberty that is God given. For liberals, they beleive not in God so they beleive that rights and priveleges eminate from...them.
Black America, it wasn't you who put Obama in the White House, it was millions of liberal voters. Please look to Martin Luther King and his reasoning for Republican membership. There has been no "Switch" and now the Democrats of today were the Republicans of yesterday. Liberals are bigots of the mind. They know they have you so you won't think about it and you beleive it's Republicans who have held you back. Keep believing that and you keep yourself from success.

Stephen Douglas of MA 4:39AM January 22, 2009

I have noticed a real sea change in the last few years among my better educated friends, but most especially in young people; and Thank God for it!
I am a 60 year old Boomer grandmother who has always been pretty color blind, thanks to loving and unbigoted parents. I fell in love (onscreen) with Sidney Poitier at an early age. I do think that actors, artists, statesmen like Nelson Mandela, Dr King and General Colin Powell have all played a part in increasing the common humanity, worth and beauty we see in one another. Unfortunately, some on either side of the divide will never see the beauty. They can only experience fear, distrust, resentment and alienation. More's the pity for them. They miss the richness and diversity of life.I'm glad they are a dwindling breed.
America is opening a bright new chapter. It's about time!

Phoenician lady of AZ 10:20PM January 21, 2009

If he is black mainly because he looks black, then we are being encouraged to judge the book by the cover, precisely I think what the civil rights movement has been against for all these years. So who won here? If you are 1/8 black but look like Barack Obama, are you still African American, period? Who gets to decide this?
By the way, I have two biracial grandkids, and I love them every bit as much as my five white grandkids. The bigger picture is that race is not supposed to matter, either way, in our society. No celebration that he is President because he is black OR not because he is black. It does not matter. If that defines him in anyone's mind for any reason, their view of life is pretty narrow and petty, at best.
He won't be a better or worse man OR president because he is black OR white, in other words.

D Martin of CA 6:01PM January 21, 2009

The struggle towards racial equality has taken a big step with the election of President Obama, but the path to true equality for all U. S. Citizens still has many twist and turns ahead. The 'haters' are still pushing racism under the guise of patriotism, fears of communism and conservative radio entertainment, which unfortunately, too many people applaud. I don't think it could be anymore blatant than was said by Rush Limbaugh "I HOPE HE FAILS".
I believe those who got rich and gained power by preaching hate will not let go of their ill gotten gains easily. It is by fear mongering that they can subdivide the people of this nation, then continue to exploit each smaller group, thereby maintaining their power and control. A good examples: 'Trickle Down Economics', elimination of welfare and the Wall street Bailout. What do these issues have in common, simple they have pit various groups in our society against each other. Instead of policies that are geared to help everybody, they serve only to help those on top. With unemployment high, the haters blame illegal immigrants. After 911 the haters blamed the Muslims. What's that famous cliche' "divide and concur"
well that's what we will have to overcome before we complete our journey to full quality for all citizens of this Great Nation.
Granted we have reached a milestone on the path to 'racial quality' but it
is too easy for the powerful to find other ways to segregate us. The moment of Obama's swearing in was just that, a moment. Today we face our future and the 'haters' have a new central target. I believe in Obama,his values and his desire for change, but I'm ever mindful of the haters, because they fear what he stands for.

Karen R. of OH 5:49PM January 21, 2009

Peter of KS--
Yet it is the blacks and whites and yellows and reds who are optimistic about the future.
Did you not listen to any of the inauguration? Did you not see races intermingling? I've seen and heard people forge friendships with people of different backgrounds. Either you cannot see this, which is one concern of mine, or you yourself have to come to terms with what has just happened and let go of your own racial prejudices. It seems to me you still need to let go of your own perceptions of blacks.
This NEEDS to be celebrated. It SHOULD be. It seems to me that the GOP is in as much denial about their racial prejudices as they are with why they lost the election.

Mia of WI 1:18PM January 21, 2009

The US has shown that it has matured as a nation in a relatively short time. It is also remarkable that attitudes have changed so much over the last two generations. This change no doubt has arisen from the foresight of leaders like LBJ on one side and King on the other. On all sides of the racial divide, reason,good sense, pragmatism and wisdom have prevailed over basic fears. Obama is the right president not because of his ethnicity but because of his skill as a leader. This demonstrates the wisdom of both white America and of non white America.More important it sends a signal to minorities that barriers are steadily coming down and the old excuses for the slow progress of some groups no longer have much currency. Will prejudice disappear in the US? Clearly not.This will take time but in the meantime one must always remember that call of Obama that there can be only one America namely "The United States of America.With this attitude the Union will certainly become more and more perfect over time.

Dr. Dhanayshar Mahabir 11:47AM January 21, 2009