The Presidential election. No matter where you go, you’re going to hear people discussing it, and Barack Obama is usually the subject at hand. Whether you agree or disagree with his politics, you are probably talking about him. You can’t even go to the bars without seeing some kid wearing a trendy Obama T-shirt that has his one-word slogan, “change.”

Change is the horse the Illinois Senator is trying to ride to victory. Change for the economy, change in foreign policy and the underlying implication, change in America’s racial environment. But how much will America’s racial tolerance and environment really change?

When people talk about this topic, they usually bring up two extremes . One side says once Obama is elected, programs like affirmative action won’t be necessary, the Ku Klux Klan will put out their burning crosses and there will be complete racial tolerance throughout the country. The other extreme is that Obama’s victory will bring whites together in hate, race wars will erupt and we will destroy each other. Both those sides are completely wrong. Obama’s entrance to the White House will not bring about some sort of race-blind Utopia or the apocalypse.

I will admit that people supporting Barack Obama is a testament to our progress. However, just because Americans are supporting an African American, that does not mean they are becoming more tolerant of other races. Even during the most racist of times, like the 1930s-50’s, Americans rallied around great black men, like Joe Lewis and Muhammad Ali.

We should not forgot that the era of Jim Crowe and racial discrimination are not that far in the past. There are people still alive today who, back in the 1960s, were protesting against de-segregated schools, verbally and physically beating peaceful protestors and throwing bricks at great leaders like Martin Luther King. But realizing how recent that was only compounds the notion that we have made huge strides in just four decades.

We have come so far in such a short time that many blacks are still in disbelief. Many African Americans believe the polls showing Obama ahead will be trumped by whites’ last minute choice not to vote Obama because he is black. Clinical Psychologist and university Professor Mikhail Lyubansky, who studies race and ethnicity says “the likelihood of changing their vote last minute solely because of race is unlikely. Psychologically speaking, people do not like to think of themselves as being racist. Switching one’s vote last minute solely because of race will confirm that. If the polls are wrong and Senator Obama does not win, it will be because people lie to the pre-polls, which occurs frequently.”

So if Barack Obama does win the presidency, what does that mean for America? A lot, but just not as much as people are making it out to be. It will mean a lot for the economy. Obama’s economic plan has been praised as being much more concrete than Senator McCain’s, whose economic policy has already changed twice during the race. Obama’s win will mean a lot for our foreign policy. Most other nations see America and Americans as rich and more importantly, white. A President Obama will allow other nations to relate to another person of color. However, I do not think it will mean a lot is America’s racial environment.

As I said before, we have come a long way and by no means are we in a bad spot, racially speaking. But civil rights progress does not come overnight. It will not instantly change after Obama’s election; it won’t even gradually change during his presidency. It will occur naturally as more people become experienced with other cultures, government programs like affirmative action level the playing field and private companies strive for racial and gender diversity.

It won’t be Barack Obama who marginalizes racism and intolerance, it will be us. It will be the actions we take in our lifetime, the experiences we have, and furthermore, the values we teach our children. That is what will eventually rid racism from our country. So don’t ask what Barack Obama can do to rid our country on intolerance, rather do what you can to ensure that intolerance does not survive into the next generation.

Paul is a senior in computer and political science and still doesn’t have his trendy Barack Obama T-shirt.