I mean, Obama was not perfect by any means
And he did use some executive orders, as they all do
But it certainly wouldn't have been realistic, in either term, to sign an executive order specifically for black people. Whether reparations or anything else. These people hated him for the affordable care act and that was actually enacted by congress. I can't get with the girls that come out during every election season to say unless you give us reparations or stimulus checks, we're not voting for democrats. It's pure ignorance.
But yeah, moving forward i do think democrats should do more to set the scene with executive orders. The country is a lot more divided and hyper partisan now than during Obama's terms and it should be expected that what's cool for one side should be done by the other. Enough with respectability and "precedent". But I will say that tea party/republicans/maga single handedly created this hostile environment focused on culture wars and social issues. Meanwhile they are still robbing you and creating the economic conditions that keep you at each other's throats