Obama went on to become the first African-American presidential candidate in American history.

Several African-American candidates at the forum decried her remarks as racist.

"And we make, I think, heroic efforts to reach out, especially to African-American candidates."

Because of this, an African-American candidate cannot rely on the black vote alone to be elected to the Senate.

I was personally offended by the characterization of an African-American candidate in this way.

The women were encouraged to keep campaigning, with the promise that an African-American candidate would be nominated by the party in a coming election.

"It's important that there is an African-American candidate running," Francis said.

You have an African-American candidate running who is new and dynamic.

An underlying message of the campaign is that African-American candidates can symbolically represent the future.

West was one of 32 African-American Republican candidates for Congress in 2010.