In 1930, 40 million Americans indulged in a national obsession nightly - they eagerly tuned to Amos 'n' Andy, a radio serial created and acted by two white men about the adventures of two Southern blacks making a new life in a Northern city. Today, Amos 'n' Andy survives in the American language mainly as a synonym for racist stereotyping. But that verdict may not wholly explain why both black and white Americans made Amos 'n' Andy the most popular radio show of all time.