It seems that average Americans focus on race when events in the news conspire to force the topic onto the front page. And so in recent years, Americans have considered how race influences our country in the context of crimes, riots, and controversy. Our breast beating is associated with names like Tawana Brawley, Rodney King, O.J. Simpson, Amadou Diallo, the Jena 6, and Jeremiah Wright. (Oddly, the nation seems blissfully unaware of race qua race when the news is about Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, or Tiger Woods). So as Barack Obama seeks to weather the latest Jeremiah Wright storm, it's worth watching the Sean Bell case. Bell was the African American killed