ABSTRACT
This chapter examines various issues through the lens of President William J. Clinton's Initiative on Race. It explains some of the issues that arose as that effort unfolded that compromised its integrity and effectiveness. The chapter emphasizes the word "prove" because other "protected groups" were presumed to have met this criteria regardless of the author personal experiences or economic circumstances. There were also issues of budget and cost connected with any major new initiatives and issues of political support. The rise of "New Democrats" and "Compassionate Conservatives" are either artful mixes of political categories designed to escape hard choice, or a truly new categorical blend designed to build on a real vision, with its own hard choices. One of the characteristics of contemporary American politics is that leaders with both real convictions and the courage to enact them have been in short supply. The chapter concludes with some observations on courage and leadership capital and its implications.
