Has The U.S. Really Changed As Far As Race Relations?

I would say no.

In fact, the backlash from the older white generations in this country might have become worse after Barack Obama became president for eight years.

Initially… I thought the opposite would happen, but for certain in the South from Oklahoma moving east I would have to say I don’t think really much has changed.

Sadly…we didn’t cross the bridge and stay there.

Race is still a big deal. People might not use the word ‘nigger’ openly, but it’s still there in some people’s minds and inner core beliefs as to how they view the world. Oh, it’s there for sure.

In places like Oklahoma and Alabama it’s okay for your quarterback or your point guard to be black, but not your president, not your governor, or not your U.S. Senator with Tim Scott from South Carolina being an exception.

The world around us has changed rapidly at a dizzying pace, but in the Solid South…not so much.

The scene above is made from the iconic movie Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? The story revolves around a black man and a white woman who fall in love and want to get married in the year 1967. Just after LBJ passed all of Kennedy’s civil rights legislation.

Just so we’re clear, that’s when the Solid South became Republican and has stayed there ever since.

To me…this particular scene is one of the truly great movie scenes of all-time. It’s puts a lump in my throat every time I play it for some inner inspiration.

I’m basically brown and always have been. I don’t think of myself as white. I attended a high school which was half and half racially. I played baseball, football, and basketball with black guys. Skin color was never a deal with me.

That’s truly one of the great things about sports in that it crosses racial barriers because whether black or white you want to win.

Everybody is equal in that regard, unless you want to become a president, a governor, or a U.S. Senator in the South.

That’s apparently when winning in the South with certain white people takes a backseat.

2 thoughts on “Has The U.S. Really Changed As Far As Race Relations?”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *