In Obama's victory, America comes to terms with past  McClatchy
NewspapersNovember 5, 2008   BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — When President-
elect Barack Obama takes the oath of office on the steps of the
U.S. Capitol in January, he'll be standing on stone that was
laid by more than 400 African slaves who helped build the
structure from 1792 to 1800.  While few modern Americans are
aware of the role that slaves played in the early days of the
nation, Obama's inauguration will be a pivotal moment in the
nation's centuries-old struggle to purge itself of the sins of
slavery.  As the world digests the significance of the election
of the nation's first African-American president, black
historians are likewise trying to put Obama's accomplishment in
the proper perspective.  In the 400-plus years since the first
Africans were brought to Jamestown, Va., in 1619, many seminal
events have shaped the black experience in this country.  Few,
however, have the symbolic power of Obama's triumph.  "This is
one of the most historic moment