Quote:
Originally Posted by mtdjed
I was raised in a white middle class (Low) neighborhood in a suburb of Erie , Pa..
Went to a school system with a senior class of 133 in 1966 and only one black student. I remember her and recall that her name was Elizabeth XXXX( I vividly recall but don't feel right about revealing). She was there only for our senior year as I recollect.)
I never approached her to introduce myself or say Hi, but at the time I never approached many of the girls. Do not know how the other guys and girls treated her.
Now, if I saw someone outside the norm being unattended, I. would go out of my way to include.
Was I a racist in 1966?
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This IS a broad and complex subject. I grew up in the Pittsburgh, Pa. area in the 50s and 60s. Overall Blacks were somewhat but not 100% socially accepted. They all lived in a small area of town. They had some upward mobility but far less than whites. Most did not go to college. Of these the majority did so because they were exceptional athletes, which was their main method for upward mobility. I grew up in the suburbs and saw only one Black at my elementary school. High school changed that. There were many Blacks there because both the suburbs and the downtown residents attended my high school. Some of the more popular kids in high school were Black. I played sports and about 30% of the sports teams were made up of Blacks. There was a small amount of interracial dating then. I had lots of Black acquaintances but no close friends. In College, it was about the same. Plus many whites went out of their way to express non-racist opinions. Then I joined the Air Force - during my 1st year I had a close Black friend at tech school. We did not keep in touch. During the last 3 years, I ran into many, many VOCAL prejudiced white enlisted men from the deep South. I knew there were some Black Officers, but I never saw any. I was not real happy about the rise of Black Militants and the Fist Salute of the late 60s. Also I was close to many cities burning from race riots. Also, I was a little ticked off at Mohammed Ali for going Muslim. After MLK and their non-violent protests became apparent to me, I could see their point and perspective. I came to understand Mohammed Ali and respect him for his willingness to sacrifice and go to prison for 1 year in the prime of his boxing career - truly impressive! So, basically, I came full circle in my understanding of the minority (all minorities) situation and importance to America.
That's MY story, without any glory, and I am sticking to it......