Last Thursday, The New York Times published in print and online its twelfth installment in an ongoing report on race relations in America. This latest installment examines the culture of hip-hop through the story of one particularly sincere and knowledgeable white aficionado who has gained an unusual measure of credibility with many black performers and critics. The story explores the tensions inherent in a music created by African-Americans primarily for African-Americans, but which is financed by white-owned corporations and, some argue, co-opted by white, middle-class young men. Like the other eleven installments -- which deal with race in such areas as religion, the army, politics, education, childhood friendship, family, and more -- the article is unusual for its nuanced and affecting presentation of racial tensions in America.