It is impressive, though, that Democrats have provided a platform for a diverse field of candidates to take a shot at the presidency. It gives the illusion that everyone has a fair chance to make it to the top of the ticket, regardless of his or her race, ethnic background, gender or sexual orientation.

But it really is just an illusion.

Perhaps we are at a place now where the only person who has a real chance of defeating the old white man in the White House is another old white man. Though most of us abhor that notion, we can’t deny the fact that an African American, a woman or a gay man at the top of the Democratic ticket at a time when the nation is so divided would be risky. A black woman leading the ticket would have been fatal.

This is a nation that sees black women as second-class citizens and treats them accordingly. Black women are at the bottom of the barrel on everything that matters. The unemployment rate for them is nearly double that of white women. When black women do find jobs, they earn significantly less than everybody else.