“Now that we’ve elected a black president, all people have access to opportunity.” I wish I could tell you how many times I’ve heard variations of this sentence spoken by classmates.

The most recent time, during a class last week, led me to write this article.

I’ll be honest. Upon President Barack Obama’s election, my initial reaction was not, “Finally, we all have access to the nation’s opportunity structure.” My reaction, in fact, was, “What took so long?”

We cannot deny the fact that prejudice has been infused into our social institutions and organizations.

For example, when I walk into Wal-Mart’s cosmetics aisle in search of my shade of make-up foundation, I will not find it because they do not sell it.

Why is it acceptable that when walking into one of the most widely recognized supermarket chains in the nation, I find that my needs are not accommodated but the needs of those with skin several shades lighter than mine are?

This is my reality.

When I open a book to find caucasians who have made notable contributions to America, that book is called American History.

However, if I want to find the contributions of blacks to America, that book is called Black History.

This perpetuates the idea that we reside in two separate Americas, one for the privileged and one for the oppressed and the contributions of one are somehow more important than those of the other class.

This is my reality.

Academically, I never could have excelled in this world – never could have matriculated to college – without having learned about George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Edison or Franklin D. Roosevelt.

However, anyone could have excelled academically without having learned about Gwendolyn Brooks, Shirley Chisholm, or Madame CJ Walker. This is my reality.

I acknowledge the success of President Barack Obama, however, in all honesty, he won the presidency.

I didn’t.

He shattered racial boundaries in the White House.

That doesn’t mean that those boundaries still don’t exist in your house or my house.

The election of the first black president, after having seen 43 white presidents before him, does not compensate for stratification, oppression or racial inequity.

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