[Rembrandt_fan]

You wrote, "...what black political leaders are successful?"

No dodging here, just a healthy suspicion of seemingly loaded questions. MadIvan, the FReeper who initially posted this article, is evidently the go-to guy for particulars on all things African; he writes with authority on the state of African affairs. However, even a quick google search--which I just conducted--furnishes GDP listings by country. Without doing extensive research, I'd guess the most successful African leaders are those who have cast off the socialist/command economy model and transitioned to free enterprise/capitalism.

Bottom line, though: it isn't about race, it's about history and culture. Folks without rule of law, honest institutions, and democratic/free enterprise traditions do badly economically regardless of skin color. Look at Russia.