Why is it important that Barack Obama is the first black president?

Answer 1

In a country that has an unfortunate history of racism and segregation, the election of Barack Obama made a very strong statement that America has moved away from much of that legacy of prejudice. Of course, some discrimination and bigotry still exists, and having a black president is not a magical cure for that. But still, the election of Barack Obama in 2008 showed in dramatic fashion that America was now a place where a person of color could run for the highest office in the country and not only win but get large numbers of votes from people of all backgrounds, including many white voters.

Even people who did not choose Mr. Obama in 2008 or who opposed him politically saw the importance of his election as a milestone in America's history, making the words of Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech even more relevant-- he had expressed a hope that one day, a person would be judged by "the content of his character" and not by the color of his skin. President Obama's election, and re-election, exemplifies that Dr. King's dream has been realized.