Black comic book characters

This is an interesting article from my hometown paper, the Chicago Tribune.  It explores the recent prominence of black characters in comic books, both mainstream and independent.  I thought it gave a good summary of the difficulties of black representation, not just in comics but in any media.  If it's a non-black artist depicting blacks, does he or she have the right to do that?  Conversely, would it be okay if only black artists took the initiative to depict black people?  Should a black character be specifically focused on helping blacks, or addressing black issues?  If the black hero takes on a more global issue, he or she might be criticized for not addressing black issues.

Anyway, it's a good read.