The historic election of Barack Obama to the office of President in 2008 left many wondering how it would transform the nation.
Now at the end of his 8-year term, we look back to see universal healthcare, the auto industry bailout and marriage equality as just a few key moments in one of our country’s most defining eras.
—When It Comes to Subtly Shading President Obama, Bill Clinton Just Can’t Help Himself—
But what is Obama’s true legacy after the White House? And what do people of color, who overwhelmingly turned out at the polls in 2008 and 2012, have to show for helping elect the country’s first black president?
–Chicago Voter Jokes to President Obama: ‘Don’t Touch My Girlfriend’–
Professor and author Dr. Michael Eric Dyson says in his new book “The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race” that Obama will go down as one of the greatest presidents of all time — but one who avoided engaging the topic of race to the detriment of black people.
Dyson was in New York City this month being honored by The National Black Writers Conference at Medgar Evers College for his contributions to black literary culture and stopped by theGrio to talk about his best-selling book.
–President Obama: ‘Folks Wanna Pop Off’ about ISIS Without Specifics–
In our two-part interview, theGrio’s Deputy Editor Natasha Alford sits with Dr. Dyson to see how far we’ve come since 2008 and what’s next after Barack Obama is no longer commander-in-chief.
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