Even forty years after civil rights pioneers like Dr King opened up the political landscape for black America, racial injustice is a subject that is mostly taboo. Most modern campaigns, nervously watching each new poll, steer candidates clear of this sort of political tangle, fearing that the grievances involved are too widespread and complex, the opposed viewpoints irreconcilable. Until very recently, the Obama camp seemed to have accepted the conventional wisdom and avoided references to the senator’s unusual biography, focusing instead on “meat and potatoes” issues like universal healthcare, withdrawal from Iraq, the oncoming recession or the fine-print of NAFTA.
