President Barack Obama has proclaimed February 2010 National African American History Month, saying:
This month, we recognize the courage and tenacity of so many hard-working Americans whose legacies are woven into the fabric of our Nation. We are heirs to their extraordinary progress. Racial prejudice is no longer the steepest barrier to opportunity for most African Americans, yet substantial obstacles remain in the remnants of past discrimination. Structural inequalities -- from disparities in education and health care to the vicious cycle of poverty -- still pose enormous hurdles for black communities across America.
As the presidential proclamation makes clear, we’ve come a long way.
At the same time, TV One is taking us “Way Black When” Flip Wilson’s Geraldine Jones rocked the airwaves.
And “The Richard Pryor Show” introduced America to the “40th President of the United States.”
