The "birthers" include some at the highest level of society, many South Boston "Democrats" and the like, continue to abhor the president. When have we seen people shouting epithets at press conferences? Usually from southern states. I have queried Obama haters in discussions, to find out they really can't outline specific objections to policy, but they know they don't like him. I say predjudice is still out there.

Mr. Jacoby likes social window dressing. Something shows up in the vitrine and ipso factor problem solved. We are also looking for social ease here where there is reasonable sharing of spaces. Has not happened. A brief check of the congregations and who stands at the pulpit will tell you not much has changed. Already in the comments today the distrust from each side and the lack of understanding of what it means to be a minority in this country is abundantly clear.

Racism today is more of a political tactic, than an actual grievance. The races baiters like Al Sharpton and Jess Jackson will not just go home, now that all the progress Jeff has listed is upon us. They will use their might to seek redress for things like disparities in sentencing between powdered and crack cocaine convictions (this is the civil rights issue of our time), and the Trayvon Martin murder case. It is all about political power. NEW PARAGRAPH: I would love to see the race baiters turn their efforts inward, and look to improve the lives of blacks by changing the biggest obstacle they have to full success in our society. Single parenthood is the norm in the black culture, as some 70% of black children are born to single mothers. Leaders like Sharpton and Jackson should work to reverse this. If they can reduce or eliminate the rate of illegitimacy in the black culture, they will help the cause far more than by claiming victimhood every turn.

Is this a joke. Racism fading? Wow. You are so out of touch with reality, it's dangerous. And in regards to electing a black President -- Has there ever been this much vitriol and disdain surrounding a President? No. Of course racism isn't as bad as it was, but judgng by the narrative in the country it's inching backwards. The truth is we have along way to go before it really fades.

Mr. Jacoby. This is one of your feeblist assertions to date. I'm not even going to take the time enumerate the prodidious amount of counterfactuals available.

It may not be as overt, but its presence is still highly significant. And denying this is ludicrous.

The stain of racism is not fading, you are just closing your eyes tighter.

Has there ever been this much vitriol and disdain surrounding a President? Yes, George bush. He got hammered.

Your're kidding, right? This is some kind of joke? Just a few months back racism reared its ugly head in Boston. A Black player on the Washington Capitals scored the winning goal against the Bruins and there was a flood of racist comments throughout the area. I think you should stop daydreaming

I am not sure who Jeff is talking about. Is he speaking about the educated, institutions, progressives or liberals or whatever label you want to stick on people. If he is talking about the vast swath of white working class American's here in the South or large portions of the Mid-West or any other part of the country you choose, He is living in la-la land. Here in the South one hears it every day from one's neighbors and acquaintances. The N word still reverberates throughout the area except in most instances in hush tones. (NP) Certainly it is no longer socially acceptable to be racist, but my generation the so called boomers are still knee deep in racist attitudes. I even hear it from fellow Vietnam veterans which I find absolutely amazing. Brothers in war, brothers in combat and all of that now seemingly forgotten. Except perhaps, "well those guys were different" as if it was some plantation. My blacks. (NP) Luckily the younger generation is doing better and I have hope for the future on this issue. But as long as it is passed down from father to son it will be a difficult bias to overcome.

...as are the constant thread of thinly veiled aspersions by stealth Republican operatives like TheSystemWorked.

Your examples are certainly the exceptions not the rules.

As a veteran of the civil rights movement, I have to say that things are better than fifty years ago. We now have lots of elected black officials. Interracial marriages have become much more common. There is a growing black middle class in Atlanta, Charlotte, NYC, etc. That said, there is still work to be done. There are too many black males in prison and too many black children living in poverty. What to do? Affirmative action for the President's daughters is not the answer nor is a job-killing increase in the minimum wage. Charter schools and school vouchers could help. So might the election of Mitt Romney because no group needs job creation more than African-Americans.

"Ozark" I too am a veteran of that movement and there have been institutional improvements. But underneath that the old biases still exist for many, way too many and these won't disappear for a long time. Hopefully following generations will do better than ours in attacking the psychological underpinnings of racism.

Racism disappeared from American politics?!?! Really? did that happen while I was sleeping last night? Tell it to the tens of thousands of African Americans being systematically expunged from the voting rolls in Florida and elsewhere. Tell it to Latinos in places like Arizona and Alabama. Mr. Jacoby lives in an imginary world of his own creating. How does he keep his job?

Oh, don't be silly Jeff. Even the GOP knows too well the power of their presidential campaign for the Great White Hope. Racism is alive and well in America and you know it. And your examples of individual triumphs simply make the point that they are extraordinary achievements against a troublesome backdrop.

It's pretty easy for a white man (lookin' at you, Jacoby) to say racism is easing in America. The overt racism may be less evident, but the covert racism is just as strong as ever. This is not an excuse, merely an observation. It's hard for people to change the way they think and act. It takes time, hard work, good will, and patience -- from everyone.

Racism IS alive -- one need look more further than the Globe comment section. TheSystemWorked: "I think the racist members of the Congressional Black Caucus are an argument against your column." Ozark: "Affirmative action for the President's daughters is not the answer nor is a job-killing increase in the minimum wage." Richmond12: "Single parenthood is the norm in the black culture, as some 70% of black children are born to single mothers. And that's just from this column. Don't forget WestSubrbanDad and profox's anti-Indian rants against Elizabeth Warren (Liawatha, indeed). Or the endless anti-Latino diatribes from that same group. Or the anti-gay diatribes that come out everytime you right one of your patented "I'm not a homophobe, but" attacks on gay rights.

Wow - tough crowd. OK, Jeff's overly enthusiastic in his proclamations about racism fading in America. But this is truly good news he's writing about. Can't you people at least acknowledge that?

@FredBil: yes, it is good news. But Jacoby has made a career of race-baiting. For him to declare racism dead is a bitter irony.

the more apt analogy is that our First Constitution enshrined, coddled and enforced slavery and our Second, Reconstructed Constitution abolished slavery, created national citizenship and ultimately resulted in two African Americans being appointed to the Supreme Court. Jacoby's injection of 'The Church' analogy based on a hypothetical when there is a real problem with misogyny is telling about his problems with logic and writing. progress is not linear. that second, Justice Clarence Thomas ... well, him and the driving-while-black crime and the last 40 years of the Republican "Southern Strategy" ... well, let's say this is all more 'complicated' than the suddenly dreamy-eyed, faux historian Jacoby would have you believe ... of course, there has been progress but while most see a glass half empty, this treacle portrays the glass as flowing over ... Jacoby's announcement of the death of racism is premature. one has to wonder what motivated such an over the top reaction. or, not bother.

Uh, OK. It is racist to write about the FACT of illegitimacy among blacks. This is what what once called the "soft bigotry of low expectations". It is racist, according to you, to ask black to be accountable for their own behavior. Now I know why there is a permanent underclass.

Wanna kill racism? Stop implementing policies to correct the actions of American slave owners...they are all dead, as are their slaves. White people shouldn't be told to feel guilty about it and black people shouldn't be told to feel owed because of it. Also, when every black rapper screams the N word, you can hardly complain about it still being prevalent. You can help the new generation by not having white straight A students get denied from college so C black students who never took an honors class or played a sport can get full rides to the same ivy league that turned down the white kid (true story that I have seen play out multiple times). Barring that the parents need to stop pointing out o their toddlers that their skin color will make their lives harder .