Liz Halloran, NPR
- From President Obama to prominent mayors and legislators across the country, a new wave of “post-black leaders” has been gaining prominence, in part by avoiding the identity politics of their predecessors.
But that inclusive outlook has translated into a painful reality for many in the black community who feel that a historic opportunity to address urban issues is slipping away, a victim to the changing political landscape, shifting demographics and a dreadful economy.
It was against that backdrop that members of the restive Congressional Black Caucus met privately Thursday with the president, who invited them to the White House to talk about his finish-line push to get health care legislation passed.
The leaders emerged from the one-hour meeting pledging to work together on an agenda that includes health care, education and the economy. But the nation’s first black president no doubt got a private message from caucus members who are increasingly frustrated by what they see as Obama’s lack of focus on poverty and unemployment in the African-American community.
