What Has Obama Meant For Black America?

100 Days Into The President's Term, CBSNews.com Looks At What, If Anything, Has Changed For African-Americans

(CBS)  Back in November, after it became clear that he would become president of the United States, Barack Obama stood before thousands of supporters and spoke these words: "Because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America."

The point was undeniable: Mr. Obama's election heralded not just a fundamental shift in U.S. policy, but a change in the way Americans saw themselves. Yet questions linger about the meaning of President Obama's victory, particularly for African-Americans. Yes, America had its first black president. But on a day-to-day basis, how much has really changed?

As Mr. Obama's presidency's hits the 100 days mark, CBSNews.com sought out some preliminary answers.

"He was elected at a time of a profound downturn in the economy," noted Alvin F. Poussaint, Professor of Psychiatry at Judge Baker Children's Center and Harvard Medical School and co-author with Bill Cosby of Come On People. Poussaint argues that the economic downturn is to some degree offsetting the positive impact of Mr. Obama's victory for African-Americans.

"The unemployment rate was already high among black people - twice the white rate," he said. "And now it's way up. That means that there are more economic hard times in the black community - more black families are drifting into poverty, despite Obama."

Poussaint pointed out that an economic downturn is correlated with increases in domestic violence, crime and family instability, and that tough economic times mean a reduction in the social services upon which many black families depend.

Mr. Obama's election "may spur [African-American young people] to achieve at a higher level," he said. "The problem is you need more than the inspiration. If the schools are no good, and you can't build on the inspiration and get them to levels of high achievement, if it can't turn around a high school dropout rate of about 50 percent in urban areas for black youth, then these new dreams are not going to be realizable."

And yet the new president has spurred an outpouring of optimism among African-Americans. A CBS News/New York Times poll released Monday found that the percentage of blacks who say that both races have equal opportunities has risen by twelve points since last July. And seventy percent of blacks now say the country is headed in the right direction, up from 21 percent in January.

"There's a new sense of optimism, and a breaking down of many of the stereotypes that have been so profound in this country against African-American males," said Hilary O. Shelton, vice president for Advocacy at the NAACP. Shelton said his organization has generally been happy with the president's policy initiatives, in which, he suggested, "issues of racial diversity are … incorporated into the overall policy agenda."

"I think for many of our students, the morning following the election, they were reenergized," added Charles Adams, the principal of the SEED Charter School in southeast Washington, D.C., where Mr. Obama recently signed Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.

Mr. Obama's victory, he argued, changed students' perceptions of what they could achieve. "It's something you were told you could do, but you never really believed it," he said. "I can tell you that from personal experience."

Yet according to Charles Nyantakyi, a junior at New York City's High School of Environmental Studies, the symbolic value of Mr. Obama's victory has its limits.

"Maybe we have more inspiration because we have an African-American president, that shows us that we could do anything, the sky's the limit," he said. "But I feel like it really doesn't change things [on a daily basis]. It's still high school."

At this early point in the president's term, much of the evidence of the social impact of Mr. Obama's presidency is anecdotal, notes Richard Prince, who writes the "Journal-isms" column on diversity issues in the media.

"People have talked about how schoolteachers have told children, 'You wouldn't see Sasha And Malia behaving like this,' or saying 'Barack paid attention in his studies, you should too,'" he said. "It's hugely important having Michelle Obama as a role model, and having the kids as a role model."

The president has addressed black family life directly: Last Father's Day, he gave a speech suggesting too many fathers are "missing from too many lives and too many homes. They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men."

Mr. Obama stated "how true this is in the African-American community" and talked about the responsibilities that fathers must embrace.

Poussaint suggests that cultural representations of African-Americans have begun to change under the new president. He said he has noticed more black newscasters on television and a "diminishing of some of the buffoonish types of black sit-coms."

Mike Chapman, the editor of Adweek, said he has not seen a noticeable change in the portrayals of blacks in advertising during the president's first 100 days - though he said a recent trend toward more and better African-American representation, which began before the new president took office, has continued.

"Representation of minorities has increased and improved and is closer to the breakdown of the population, but it's still way off," he said. Chapman noted that a class action suit is being threatened against the ad industry because it employs relatively few minority employees - something that could lead to more jobs at ad agencies for minorities and, presumably, better representation.

The most important component of Mr. Obama's social impact during his first hundred days may be the fact that, amid all the discussion of his policies and priorities, his race has been little discussed.

Mr. Obama is indeed "obviously black," as the NAACP's Shelton puts it, but that fact has not much been dwelled upon. The president himself acknowledged as much last month when asked if his presidency had marked a "relatively color-blind time."

"You know, obviously, at the inauguration, I think that there was justifiable pride on the part of the country that we had taken a step to move us beyond some of the searing legacies of racial discrimination in this country, but that lasted about a day," said the president. "And, you know, right now, the American people are judging me exactly the way I should be judged. And that is: Are we taking the steps to improve liquidity in the financial markets, create jobs, get businesses to re-open, keep America safe? And that's what I've been spending my time thinking about."

[pbr90king]

What Obama can and should do for education is America's best hope, despite the mundane things he must do, that the office calls for.

Many Presidents have claimed to be "education Presidents;" few have succeeded.

Helping to put black America on the map of political consequence is what the nation would expect him to do, and the method for that has always been through education - because the old saying of "giving a man fish is not nearly as good as teaching him how to fish."

It would be sad for President Obama to squander such a valuable opportunity for America to do otherwise, and ignore the potential of education to help to fulfill his vision.

[fzy1hc]

Mrs. Obama is scaring me when she makes statements like.

This Is the People's House.

It's almost like saying this is The People House of China. Or The Republic of Vietnam

[Sandy_Weisenberg]

As president, Obama is in a position where he has to appease everyone, no matter what race they are, and if he were to suddenly start spending more time dwelling on the issues of black America, people would begin to think that he has a hidden agenda. Unemployment, crime and poverty in urban black communities usually stem from having low self-esteem, limited education, lack of a support group (family and friends), in addition to having limited positive role models. He is aware of these unfortunate circumstances existing in black communities, but he is also an advocate of self-help. I believe that when Obama became the first black president, he, along with many others, proved that the walls of racial inequality can be brought down through will, personal responsibility, hard work and self-determination. I read that some of his plans to improve black communities are to provide more job training programs, to provide more federal school aid, etc... Instead of hand outs, he wants to encourage blacks to seek education and fend for themselves.

[CLoverNYC1]

President Obama has done something remarkable for black people.

He is taking the credit for legislation that will effectively put black crack dealers in the jail for the same amount of time as white cocaine dealers.

Now that's equality!

[CLoverNYC1]

President Obama ran as a white man, kept trotting out his white grandmother etc.

With all that help from his media cronies he was able to squelch release of Michelle's black separatist thesis while she was at Princeton. He successfully distanced himself from his friend of 20 years, the Rev. Wright, while sidling up to religious black people with viral videos and email screenshots of him on his knees praying.

The man is a genius. He has given black people what they really need... the audacity of hope with no chance of a return.

Yes, Virginia, there is a black President but you won't be getting those 40 acres and a mule this time around either.

[ktgilb1]

Black or not, Obama is the blackest president we've had so far.

So now that he's the president, does this mean we can end Affirmative Action?

Or will white people get protection from racial discrimination?

If Obama can be elected president, can we really say that blacks are at that much of a disadvantage?

He's still half black, isn't he? Doesn't that count?
Posted by weedapeapl at 3:13 AM : Apr 29, 2009


Please explain how White people are racialy discriminated against? in order to discriminate you have to be in a postion of power? Black people in this country aren't in control of anything? so how are we discriminating against white america? what are we keeping you from doing? How are we oppressing white america?

[TPS2]

tj217-2009, I only can say that our ancestors went through all they had to go through to make our futures better. Not dwell in the past but to give us the opportunity to make our lives better. Over the many, many years I've seen great improvements of those fights. I refuse to fail my ancestors by dwelling in the past and living in hostility. And that goes for my children and grandchildren also.
Posted by onesword
The same can be said of all our ancestors

[impeachbhb]

He convinced black people that he is black. This despite the fact he was raised as a white by a white family, runs in white social circles, and surronds himself with white people.

He is not in this office to help anyone but himself. All he desires is to tear the capitalist system down and go down in history as the man who led the move to a socialist regime.

This far, I would give him high marks.

[specialty8]

TJ,
Just like I told you this morning, the obamabucks are not in the mail and never will be. Now go back to bed,put on the Oprah show and wait for when the bill comes due and it will come due. It has already started. Next year when Obam has his energy tax up and runnning at the forcast rate of $3000 a household you will be glad he gave the tax payer that big $13 to spend. Better save it. We have been BS again.

[onesword]

tj217-2009, I only can say that our ancestors went through all they had to go through to make our futures better. Not dwell in the past but to give us the opportunity to make our lives better. Over the many, many years I've seen great improvements of those fights. I refuse to fail my ancestors by dwelling in the past and living in hostility. And that goes for my children and grandchildren also.
Posted by onesword
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHose 'dwelling on the past'? I am aware of it. But in the end, I refuse to be a victim of anyone or anything/ Also, I don't believe in whitewashing the whole episode. I want to see it for what it is. History is ugly, yes, but in the end, it is what it is. Besides, if I were to 'dwell on the past', I'd be a Republican, and buy into this bogus notion that 'Lincoln freed the slaves'. He really did no such thing. One thing that I do love, in case you haven't read some of my posts, is that I love insulting Republicans. It's not about 'dwelling on the past'; it's about holding them accountable for what they did. The very reason why the country is in such bad financial; shape is Republican garbage. The only thing Bush succeeded in doing is proving 'trickle-down economics' doesn't work...
Posted by tj217-2009 at 12:40 PM

It's an attack on republicans. Beg my pardon.

[Ichabod09]

j217-2009 - Trying to get through to you is pointless. You take everything as an attack.
Posted by guyfrompa45 at 11:58 AM : Apr 29, 2009

In reality, TJ is a sick pathological liar with multiple IDs that gets off on name calling and baiting in order to get people to pay him attention.

Simply ignore the troll. He will wait around for hours at a blog in order to bait someone into paying him some attention.

Don't feed this troll-ignore him.

[onesword]

tj217-2009, I only can say that our ancestors went through all they had to go through to make our futures better. Not dwell in the past but to give us the opportunity to make our lives better. Over the many, many years I've seen great improvements of those fights. I refuse to fail my ancestors by dwelling in the past and living in hostility. And that goes for my children and grandchildren also.

[onesword]

What he has meant is this. The blacks now must stand up and take ownership of where they can go from here. Slavery was 150 years ago. Time to stop blaming and move forward.
Posted by guyfrompa45 at 11:09 AM :

I totally agree. This goes for everyone. How can you make anything positive happen for your future if you are constantly living in the past. Learn from it and keep going. Sure there are going to be alot of brick walls blocking your way. But, the way things are today you have more tools to work with to knock them down.

[iDragon13]

Who cares? Isn't it about time they started "doing" for themselves?

[ACHouston]

CBS is so stupid. you should ask what has Obama meant for America.

[Questionews]

I don't see why; they're the party that's standing in the way of you and your true love uniting in unholy matrimony. Then there's me, because I pretty much think that's disgusting, but hey! Whatever floats your boat,...
Posted by tj217-2009 at 10:49 AM : Apr 29, 2009


Isn't using gay references as a form of insult, just as bad as referencing someone's skin color as a form of insult??

[Movn1]

Blacks need to stop expecting someone else to make their lives better. They need to pick themselves up by their bootstraps, go to school, stay in school, stop the drugs, etc. and make something for themselves, like this fine young man who currently has the job of leading this country.

[onesword]

History sometimes distort the future for some people. Especially when they digest the information and can't move on. It seems after that point of getting historical facts their lives are at a standstill. For example: "My ancestor was a slave. Woe is me." I have to live with this grudge for the rest of my life.

For me it does not matter what color you are or how you came about. You were hired and being paid to do a job. Just do it.

[budmag06]

What Has Obama Meant For Black America? Economic enslavement.

[jwind1]

he put that in a sentence of telling how smart he was
Posted by jwind1 at 10:00 AM : Apr 29, 2009

He's far and awar much more intelligent then's you'es are.......LOL
Posted by Joe-NY-4 at 10:04 AM : Apr 29, 2009

than everyone