"The perception will be that racism is essentially over and done -- and that if you screw up, it's all on you," Fitzhugh said. "It's true in some ways, but naive in a lot more."
Even as all these images come into play, changing as the weeks go by, certainly the most indelible will be those that Obama and his family cast -- starting with their appearance onstage in Chicago's Grant Park last week.
The world will watch intently to see what the Obamas eat and what they read, how they dress and how they decorate the White House, said James Fugate, the co-owner of EsoWon Books in Leimert Park. They'll be the First Family, lighting the national Christmas tree and, inadvertently or not, educating the public about and reshaping perceptions of African Americans.
"They'll be trendsetters nationally and internationally," said Fugate, who had a front-row seat to Obama's rise. In 1995, when Fugate hosted a book-signing for the fledgling writer-politician's "Dreams From My Father," 10 people showed up. In 2006, when Fugate's store co-sponsored a book-signing for Obama's "Audacity of Hope," more than 800 people flocked to the event, held at the California African-American Museum.
"They'll be the American family," Fugate said. "I remember once hearing someone say he didn't know that black people celebrated Thanksgiving. Now the country will find out that black families are just like every other American family."
Some say the greatest effect will be on young black men.
"When Michael Jordan shaved his head, that took off, and now everyone does it," said David L. Evans, an African American and a senior admissions officer for Harvard College. With Obama in office, Evans believes a new tone may be set. For black youngsters who want to be studious "and would like to dress a certain way -- but have been pressured to drop their pants down a few inches -- they will have a kind of a rock to which to hold."
Sanders, the orthopedic surgeon, wonders how long it will take for the effect of an Obama presidency to trickle down to city streets and begin to dispel social stigmas. But he, too, adds a note of hope:
"My nieces and young people who are in the 30-and-under crowd are much more colorblind," he said. "And that generation is beginning to speak."
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carla.hall@latimes.com
marjorie.miller@latimes.com
