Civil Rights proponents breathed a sigh of relief when Vermont Senator James Jeffords announced that he was leaving the Republican Party to become an Independent, giving control of the US Senate to the Democrats. Pressed by looming disagreements with Republican conservatives on various issues and the practice of retaliation by the Republican Party for not following the party line, the Senator pulled a "one man coup" that will now effectively turn back the onslaught that conservative Republicans were poised to launch against affirmative action. It will also prevent the appointment of more anti-affirmative action lifetime Supreme Court judges like Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia. Jeffords' decision will have far reaching impacts on other issues such as abortion, education, patients' rights, gun control and the environment.

In the San Francisco Bay Area on May 17, 2001 the University of California Regents reversed the University's 1995 ban on affirmative action which had set the stage for Proposition 209, approved by the voters in November, 1996. After the University's ban, African American and Latino enrollment plunged, reaching a low point in 1997 when only one African American enrolled at the UC Berkeley Boalt Hall Law School.

Corporations are also reversing their treatment of African Americans when it comes to pay, promotions, hiring and firing. Coca-Cola has settled the largest racial discrimination suit at a whopping $192.5 million, exceeding the Texaco settlement at $176.1 million.

California may be receiving "blackouts" through the utility companies, PG&E and Southern California Edison, but there are no "blackouts" when it comes to minority contracts. PG&E and Edison lead corporate America with over 20% in minority contracting compared with 3% for the typical Fortune 1000. PG&E was the first corporation to oppose Proposition 209. Now PG&E Chairman, Robert Glenn, co-chairs the California Partnership to increase affirmative action in California corporations.

However, there are other types of "blackouts" in the African American community such as the loss of Lloyd Ward as CEO of Maytag, Barry Rand as CEO of Avis Rent-a-Car and Robert Knowling as CEO of Covad Communications. Of the 1000 largest US publicly traded companies, there had been only six Black CEO's. Now three surviving Black CEO's remain.

In contrast to perception, "Two steps forward, two steps back" often appears to be the dance mantra for the progress of Black America. Since 1945 the Black population has grown from 14 million to 35.5 million in 2000. In 1945, Blacks had 40.7 million farm acres, 5.9% unemployment and 13, 207 inmates in Federal and State penitentiaries. However, in 2000, Blacks had 2.3 million farm acres, 8% unemployment and 597,000 inmates in Federal and State penitentiaries, representing over 50% of the prison population. Progress! Is it perception or reality?