New book spotlights black America in Obama era

* New book looks beneath euphoria surrounding Obama win

* African-American contributors examine lives, families

* Contributors include actors, singers, business leaders

By Matthew Bigg

ATLANTA, June 30 (Reuters Life!) - A new book attempts to dig beneath the euphoria that swept black America when Barack Obama became president to ask the question: what, if anything, actually changed?

"Family Affair: What it Means to be African American Today" is a collection of short, autobiographical essays in which 76 black professionals detail how their families played a role in their success, either as springboards, or barriers to be overcome.

It's one of a slew of books published since the November election in which authors examine the changes in U.S. society that allowed Obama, the first African American president, to run successfully.

In essay after essay in "Family Affair", the short answer to the 'what changed?' question comes through: everything and nothing.

Many of the contributors argue that Obama's election -- and their own success -- reflect changes brought about by the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s.