The American Medical Association has issued an apology for its long tradition of racial inequality toward black physicians and for accepting segregation within the medical profession.

Institutional racism such as that fostered by the powerful AMA is one of the insidious forces that has contributed to America’s shameful history of white privilege.

I suspect that the rise of Barack Obama as a presidential candidate is forcing many institutions to realize that, within a few months, a black man may become the most powerful person in the world. Funny how power shifts like that.

A new bus is pulling out of the station, and it’s time for every American institution to get on board.