Black politicians are making gains in state legislatures throughout the country, including districts that are predominantly white, according to The New York Times. About 30 percent of the nation's 622 Black state legislators represented mostly white districts in 2007, according to The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a research group that has kept statistics on Black elected officials for almost 40 years. The number is up from about 16 percent in 2001.

In the last 10 years, 200 Blacks have won seats traditionally held by whites in states such as New Hampshire, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina and Tennessee. Political analysts say these Black politicians are changing the attitudes of white voters by making them feel more comfortable with Black leaders. Most Black elected officials, however, still represent predominantly Black districts or communities.

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