Americans have long been resigned to the fact that our country is imperfect. There has always been a lot to love about it, as well as a lot to hate. African Americans, in particular, are descendants of men and women who suffered some of the most egregious evils imaginable under the shelter of a misguided democracy. Our ancestors’ blood runs through our veins, and at times the ancestral pain strikes so deep that we scream out in pain. But black people’s stake in America’s success is no greater than anyone else’s.