Could this be the final victory for civil rights, or the first of many to come?

When Henry Louis Gates spoke out about his ridiculous arrest, he stated a truth few Americansincluding President Obamaare eager to discuss: there is no such thing as a post-racial America. When it comes to race, the United States has come a long way, but not far enough and not fast enough. Every day, we cope with casual racism, myriad indignities, institutional obstacles, post-racial nonsense, and peers bent on self-destruction. The powers that be, meanwhile, always seem to arrive with their apologies and redress a day late and a dollar short.

This book takes a close look at the lives of African-Americans from diverse backgrounds as Obamas victory comes to play a personal role in each of their lives. Every tale delves into the complex issues we will have to deal with going forward:

• The many challenges young black men face, such as subtle persistent racism
• The stagnation of blacks vis à vis whites
• Widespread black participation in the military despite widespread anti-war sentiments
• The decline of unions even as organized labor becomes the primary vehicle for black progress
• The challenges of interracial families
• The lack of good schools or healthcare for the poor
• The inability of well-off blacks to lift up others

Barack Obama will deliver his first official State of the Union address in January 2010, and A Day Late and a Dollar Short will deliver an altogether different picture of the way things really under the first black president.