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The symbolic value of having an African-American president has certainly eased some racial tensions in America, but they're not gone.

It's fair to say that white America wouldn't have elected an African-American president without the integrating effect of black music - from Louis Armstrong to hip-hop - and black drama and fiction, commercial as much as 'serious.'

I travel to Chicago a lot. And I've followed Obama through his Senate race and beyond. I found him to be an exceptional candidate who was able to transcend ethnic and racial lines.

After Obama became president, I realized that black people could not have put him in the White House - it had to be a collective effort of everybody in the country.

In my wildest dreams, I never would have thought we'd come to the point where were talking about the re-election of a black president.

I always believed there would be an African-American president. It was something I'd dreamed about, thought about, but certainly did not believe would happen in my lifetime.

I don't think President Obama has been that revolutionary in reaching out to ethnic communities. President Reagan did a lot for the black community that people don't realize.

Being in Harlem on the night of Barack Obama's election was extraordinary. It was the best street party I have ever gone to, and it felt like the period of American history which began with slavery had ended that evening.

Electing a black president was probably the only coup America could pull off.

Much of America rooted for Mr. Obama simply because he is black.