African Amreican Literary Agents Association

The United States now has its first African-American president in Barack Obama. But racism, prejudice, and segregation are not entirely things of the past. it was not so long ago that racism made achieving the American Dream all but impossible for African-Americans in this country.
The election of Barack Obama to the presidency of the United States signaled a new era in race relations.  Race or minority status is no longer an insuperable barrier to holding higher office—or achieving other kinds of success—in American society.  However, it is important that this country’s pride in its first African-American president does not obscure the long, tortured history of racism and minority oppression that marred much of the twentieth century.  Although Obama’s election is an incredible achievement, for himself, for African-Americans, and for the nation in general, it was not long ago that racial minorities were effectively shut out of the American dream.  One need only look at the history of housing segregation in this country to understand how far we have come in such a short time.