I read something online recently to the effect that, if Barack Obama prevails and becomes America's First Black President, this would somehow prove that race is no longer an issue in the United States.

I think a lot of Americans are uncomfortable having an authentic conversation about race and would like to "move on" without necessarily facing the complex mix of unexpressed emotions and viewpoints inherent in the legacy of racism. Maybe, instead of an Obama presidency being a chance to skip over the tricky parts and stop talking about race, it could be an opportunity to take the conversation to the next level.

I grew up in Pittsburgh in the 1970s and '80s. To go to school, I would take the bus from my house in the mostly-white Highland Park neighborhood, through the mostly-black East Liberty and arrive at Sacred Heart Elementary in the mostly-white Shadyside. It was a 10-minute ride. It was as if we lived on little islands (I would later write a song called "Islands," about this phenomenon).

As a child it always struck me as so odd that almost all of the white people lived in one neighborhood and then, right next door, almost all of the black people lived together. I could not understand why. Unfortunately, it has not changed much since then. Legal racial segregation ended decades ago but you can wander through so many American cities and see that they remain very segregated.

There is a "disconnect" in this country when it comes to race. What happens when we try to talk about it? Why does poll after poll reflect a huge difference in how white people and non-white people feel about it?

I believe that most Americans want to live in a nation that is truly a meritocracy, but a far greater percentage of white people than non-white people believe that things already are equal and that, with hard work and determination, everyone has the same shot at success.

For example, a statement like, "A black person has to work twice as hard to achieve the same career success as a white person" is greeted with very different responses by large majorities of African Americans and European Americans. But whatever your position on the matter, we can agree that, as a nation, we do not agree on the degree of racial equality we have achieved.

What happens when we try to talk about race? And what doesn't happen?

Often, when the topic comes up, a white person may not be entirely candid so as not to appear insensitive, un-cool or prejudiced. There is a bracing that occurs, a sense of "I am about to be blamed for something or made to feel guilty for just being me."

So, on the surface, white people may say the politically correct thing but what remains unspoken is a certain resentment or agitation, coupled with a vague sense of guilt. This sense of guilt becomes an obstacle to communication and understanding. But the good news is that, while feelings of guilt can lead one to support change, you don't have to feel bad about being white to confront the reality of inequality in America.

White people can, and should be encouraged to, talk about race in a clear and candid way. They should consider it a matter of equality for all people. It's not just a "black issue" for African Americans to discuss or an "Indian issue" for indigenous people to discuss or an "Hispanic issue" for Hispanics to discuss, and so on. White people should not let guilt, discomfort, fatigue, disinterest, impatience or a lack of awareness keep us from listening to the voices of our fellow Americans.

What if white people had a doorway into a conversation about race that felt like an invitation and not an indictment? What if people of color across the country felt as though their voices could be heard on a new and different channel?

This brings me back to the notion of a Barack Obama presidency. What if, instead of collectively saying, "Great, we have a black president, this proves race is no longer an issue in our country," we said, "Great, we have an inspirational president who happens to be black/bi-racial. Now maybe we can let go of some of the burden and baggage of race, and feel more free to start really coming together as a nation, and to do the work that remains to be done"?