Friday, November 07, 2008

Just How Important Is Obama's Victory in African-American History?

Watching Inside City Hall on NY1 tonight, I was struck by one (African-American) commentator's comments. He declared that Obama's victory is the most important thing to happen in African-American history since 1865 and the end of the Civil War/abolition.

Really?

Obama's victory is more important than Brown v. Board? More important than the Civil Rights Act? More important than Birmingham, or Selma, or (in the negative column) Plessy v. Ferguson?

I'm not saying this just to be contrarian - maybe the commentator was right. And in no way am I trying to diminish even one iota the importance of Obama's election. But is it really more important than anything since the end of the Civil War?