Obama was careful, perhaps too careful, to avoid the appearance of  being particularly concerned with the problems of the Afro-American community in the first 2 years after 2008.  However, the main reason why America did not make enough progress in resolving the legacy of slavery was Republican obstruction of anything Obama tried to do, especially after the 2010 mid-term elections.  Your blaming the black community for "not taking personal responsibility" echoes the stereotype that Blacks "have  a chip on their shoulder." Many Blacks actually do believe in the American myth that all social problems can be magically resolved by acts of personal responsibility and will. That myth may motivate some individuals to become successful but it cannot resolve deep-seated patterns of destructive attitudes and behaviour transmitted through generations, not only in the Black community but also in white hillbilly culture.