The existence of a small group of African Americans at the heart of the political establishment and the pinnacle of corporate America is something that seemed unimaginable just two decades ago. How did they get there, and what is the significance of their success? Gates travels to Washington, DC, and New York to ask whether this new black power elite represents genuine progress for black America as a whole.

• Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

• Quincy Jones
• Colin Powell
• Nia Long