Obama and the Question(s) of American Progress: The Triumph of Tokenism

Does a biracial Black person who grew up around whites have the same experiences as an African American?

Does Blacks voting nearly unanimously for the Black candidate vs. virtually no votes for White Democrats and White Republicans mean anything?

Does a person being the son of an African PhD. Harvard grad have the same significance as having a person that grows up in a Black-American family with a more average or typical educational, and socio-economic background?

Does it mean that racial equality is reached when we have a Black president or gender equality when we have a female president?

Should any background in ethnicity, family background, religion, economics, etc. matter?

If one group divorces itself of "group ethos" and other groups do not, does that lead to equality?

Are economic and educational conditions (opportunities) more important than racial considerations?

If a Black president has the same political agenda and associations as a White candidate or vice versa do either constituent a different option for voters?

Should there be any question of proportional representation in any level and any environment?

If there is a Black President but increased segregation in schools, housing, etc.; a decline in relative income and net worth for Blacks; a relative decrease in educational spending for Blacks pupils; a relative decrease in educational attainment rates; an increase in poverty; an increase in incarceration rates; an increase in economic disparity: does this mean that there is progress for Blacks?