Fifty years ago, a Republican senator from New York [Jacob Javits] predicted that by the year 2000, America would elect its first black president. Close enough. Read this extraordinary essay from December 1958 to see where we were as a nation -- and how far we’ve come.

[The Essay]

... Fantasy? To be sure, a speculation into the future as we look ahead from 1958. But a speculation based on realistic appraisal of fact for the march of progress and world events make it quite possible that a member of the Negro race will be appointed to a top cabinet post1 or elected to the Presidency or Vice-Presidency by the year 20002<. And by Negro, I am not quibbling here with regard to the vast but undetermined number of Americans who have 1/32 or slightly more of Negro blood. I am dealing here with a person whose skin pigmentation is obviously other than white. I also believe that racial and religious prejudices will be eradicated so thoroughly that minority group persons -- Catholic, Jewish, or other -- will be able to run for high office without any special handicap; they will run on their merits as racial equals with white Protestants....