Obama’s feeble dithering on racism is an American tragedy

The images of Barack Obama urging peace alongside footage of angry protesters shows the yawning gap between substance and symbolism, writes Peniel Joseph

America, not for the first time, stands at a racial crossroads.

The crisis of race and democracy unfolded before a global audience on Monday night as hundreds of demonstrators set police cars on fire and engaged in sporadic looting in the aftermath of the Ferguson grand jury’s decision not to indict police officer Darren Wilson in the death of 18-year-old teenager Michael Brown.