Black Americans still face significant challenges, but President Obama can provide a model for wider social and electoral success

Almost half a century ago, Norman Bonney arrived from the UK for graduate study in sociology at the University of Chicago. The picture of the deeply embedded African-American disadvantage in US society that he developed then has only been confirmed by the passage of time. While systemic issues show little prospect of changing, Barack Obama could be a very important role model for black Americans seeking to achieve more involvement in the wider American society.