The BreakthroughThe Breakthrough

Veteran journalist Gwen Ifill surveys the American political landscape, shedding new light on the impact of Barack Obama's stunning presidential victory and introducing the emerging young African American politicians forging a bold new path to power. Ifill argues that the black leadership formed during the civil rights movement is giving way to a generation of men and women who are the direct beneficiaries of the struggles of the 1960s: Newark mayor Cory Booker, Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick, San Francisco district attorney Kamala Harris, and Alabama congressman Artur Davis, among others. Drawing on exclusive interviews with President Obama, Colin Powell, and the Reverend Jesse Jackson, as well as Ifill's own razor-sharp analysis of such issues as generational conflict, the race/gender clash, and the 'black enough' conundrum, The Breakthrough captures a pivotal moment in American history.