Slide Show: Race in the Obama Era

Despite the historic and inspirational election of America's first president of color, 2009 has been a year filled with racial turmoil. The economic crisis has taken a disproportionately severe toll on African-Americans and the healthcare debate has inspired overtly racist rhetoric directed at the president.

Still, there is proof of progress as well, from the emergence of Michelle Obama as an American icon to the confirmations of Eric Holder and Sonia Sotomayor as the nation's first African-American Attorney General and the first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice respectively. Through it all The Nation has offered its unique brand of progressive coverage and analysis.

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