Is Obama a post-racial president?

Nytimes.com's "Room for Debate" section has an interesting feature on President Obama's administration and its impact on policies associated with race.  So many people were hopeful that his administration would lead to some significant changes for the poor and marginalized in this country.  Now that his first term passed the halfway point, some of these same groups are feeling a little disillusioned with the results.  Do you think we live in a post-racial society in the United States, or does race still play a significant role in determining one's social and economic status?

After watching parts of Professor Gate's Black on Latin America, how do you think our country compares to Mexico and Brazil when it comes to the issue of race relations?  Do our histories share any common characteristics or, in your opinion, do the differences far outweigh any similarities?