ABSTRACT
Th e historic election of Barack Obama on November 4th, 2008, signifi ed to the nation that something had truly changed since the days when whites legally limited the opportunities of people of color. In small towns and big cities around the country, people of all colors gathered to celebrate this historic milestone for civil rights. In the authors’ own town of Laramie, Wyoming, some people gathered at the local sports bar, Th e Library, to celebrate. Th e mostly white crowd displayed deep emotions, emotions that went beyond the fact that their side had won. It appeared as if their fellow Americans had put aside racist perceptions to elect an arguably brilliant young black man to the highest offi ce in the country. Green, blue, and brown tear-dampened eyes watched the screens that lined the local pub.
