A Study On The Impact Of The Obama Presidency On American Race Relations

Barack Obama's historic rise to presidency has often been interpreted as having epoch-making significance, especially in terms of race relations. While some assert that Obama's successful election is nothing but symbolic, some others are hailing it as the harbinger of a"post-racial"era, which means race doesn't matter any more in the country. Does Obama's election to the presidency of the United States indicate that the country has become one free of racial inequality? Or if not, will the Obama presidency herald a sweeping transformation of America's race relations?This thesis is an attempt to find answers to these questions. By employing the methodology of historical analysis, the author has examined the factors contributing to the three previous major transformations of American race relations, compared the racial context then with that of today, especially that pertaining to the status of blacks, and explored possibilities for another reconstruction of race relations in the Obama era. The analysis has revealed that the complicated and subtle nature of the contemporary race issue has reduced the chance for an interracial consensus on race, the effects of the economic crisis have hampered efforts to address racial inequality, and that President Obama's race-neutral attitude and approaches will be unlikely to result in effective race-targeted programs or legislations. The thesis therefore concludes that a fourth reconstruction of race relations will probably not materialize under the Obama administration.