We may never see the end of bigotry. But I'm hoping the next four (and--just speaking for myself--I hope eight) years will help some in changing attitudes. I say that knowing full well that some people are just not likely to change their thinking. But I'm from Chicago and was around when Harold Washington started his primary and then general-election campaign to become our first black mayor, and you should have heard some of the things that were said in the city's more conservative white neighborhoods. Actually, I guess you can imagine. Well, Harold was elected--twice (sadly, he didn't live to complete his second term); and the sky didn't fall, the city wasn't overrun with unqualified cronies, the CTA and police and fire departments and the trash pickup didn't grind to a halt, and not least important, he made it clear from the start by his actions (as he had said all along) that he was everyone's mayor, not just the mayor for those who shared his skin color or had voted for him. And that was evident whether you had supported him or not, and whether you agreed with everything he did or not.

There is still racism and racial tension in Chicago. There is still de facto discrimination. But I think we crossed a crucial line and put some of the more virulent attitudes to rest. At least this old white guy hopes so and hopes one of the effects of Obama's presidency will be to move us further along the road to where we'll be seen "not ... by the color of [our] skin but by the content of [our] character," as Dr. King said.

~Rich