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"Society is still going through the shock stage," says Roy Roberts. "Some people continue to be amazed when they discover ordinary blacks who are hardworking and successful." Three months ago Navistar International used a $400,000 incentive package to lure Roberts from General Motors to become vice president and general manager of its $3 billion truck-manufacturing operation, which accounts for 75% of Navistar's revenues. He is now one of the most powerful black executives in the country. Last year, when Roberts was looking for a house in a wealthy Chicago suburb, the real estate agent asked what he did for a living. Pop singer? Baseball player? "It never occurred to him that I could be a corporate executive," Roberts explains. "But it's not his fault. It just shows that America isn't used to us yet."
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CAPTION: % of black families earning more than $50,000.
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CAPTION: Number of black elected officials
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CAPTION: % of black families living in the suburbs
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CAPTION: Median family income in 1987 dollars
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CAPTION: Number of black managers and professionals in millions
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CAPTION: % of blacks who are college graduates