New research suggests that President Obama's influence on America may extend well beyond the political sphere. A study of black and white college students found that the performance gap in test scores that typically exists between them all but disappeared right after two historical moments in Obama's campaign: his Democratic National Convention acceptance speech and his victory in the national elections. These victories seem to have countered something that black students may otherwise experience: the stereotype threat -- low self-esteem suffered by those who are part of a group perceived to underachieve, which results in lowered performance levels. Other studies have shown that when educators help raise the self-esteem of black students, those students show marked improvement on tests. But is Obama's role-model status as a high-achieving, powerful black man enough to counter the socioeconomic concerns, home-life challenges, and underfunded schools that also contribute to the racial-performance gap? Tell us what you think!
