What has been impact of the Obama presidency on Black politics and the movement against racial inequality in the United States? This talk explores how Obama and the more general rise of Black elected officials have consolidated around the politics of the Democratic Party, including greater privatization of public services, exhortation of “culture of poverty” politics, and a general embrace of the status quo in American society. This political shift highlights the growing economic divide in Black America as well as demonstrating the need for an independent political agenda. This talk evaluates the prospects of such a project.