The most gaping wound in the heart of America in the minds of American cultural elites was the historic divide between black and white Americans — the failure of America to fulfill the promises of liberty and equality presented by the Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

In the 1990s, Black Americans were still the avatar for "minority," and the message provided by cultural elites at this time was not the eradication of "whiteness" or the death of Western civilization, but rather the integration of black Americans into the social fabric of the United States.

Television shows such as The Fresh Prince of Bel Air as well as Family Matters — featuring the humorous and lovable nerd, Steve Urkel — and The Cosby Show showcased black families achieving middle-class or upper-middle-class status in America while maintaining an authentic grounding in their identity as black Americans.

The (ultimately hollow) growth of the economy, as well as the feel-good atmosphere created by such saccharine songs such as Smash Mouth's 1996 hit "Walking on the Sun" and Sugar Ray's 1997 dreamy hit "Fly," everything seemed just fine in what was shaping up to be the world's sole remaining superpower: The United States of America.

In regard to race relations, on the surface, everything seemed to be getting better.