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Last updated on Tuesday, January 20, 2009
(MUNCIE) - The inauguration of Barack Obama holds the potential to mark a turning point in the way black and white Americans perceive race.
Ball State Sociology Professor Melinda Messineo says research shows young African-Americans overestimate their chance of hitting it big as athletes or musicians, a trend she attributes to the fact that's where the most widely-known potential black role models have made their reputations.
While Obama has shattered one glass ceiling, there are only two black governors. And only four African-Americans have served in the U.S. Senate, with only one there now.
But Messineo says the symbolic weight of an African-American winning the highest office in the land conveys the message that there are no limits.
Messineo cautions Obama's election does not mean racial discrimination is extinct. She says there's a risk people will conclude those battles are over.
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