This entry was a comment that was too long to leave under the original entry from Feb 13, 2006 "racism...equality" [the link broke]
Please read that entry first if you haven't done so already. If you have read it, you may want to read it again.
Since I wrote that entry, there has been an election. In November of 2006, the American public overwhelmingly overhauled the government by voting in many Democrats to replace the Republican incumbents.
Although that entry was not focused on the politics of elected offices, I started the entry explaining that Massachusetts had a Republican governor in a state that is mostly Democratic. In this election a black Democratic governor was elected in Massachusetts (only the second black governor elected ever in the country, first in Massachusetts) to replace Mormon Republican incumbent Mitt Romney.
I only recently learned that Romney was a Mormon, which surprised me. But that's beside the point. I am proud that Massachusetts has seemingly shaken a certain portion of its racist roots by electing a black leader.
Also to note is the death of Red Auerbach, legend of the Boston Celtics. Although I was not blind to much of his legacy I did not realize that he was the first coach in the NBA to start five black players. Some critics have accused the Celtics of being racist because of the glory years when Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and sometimes Danny Ainge were part of the core starting players. Red Auerbach was the general manager that brought those players to the team.
Red did not see color. He did not start 5 black players to be a pioneer or to be politically correct. He saw 5 great players that he wanted on the court at the same time. Same holds true for Larry Bird. He didn't choose Larry Bird because he wanted a white superstar, he chose Bird because he recognized the incredible talent Bird possessed.
Maybe I was a little too hard on Massachusetts in the original entry, but I will leave youwith this. I was much like Red growing up. Living on an Air Force Base much of my life I cannot begin to tell you how many of my friends were black. I remember two or three for sure because they were my best buddies in high school. It wasn't until I moved to Massachusetts that I noticed the rift between black and whites. Not all of them, but it was noticeable. The way white people react to blacks has been deeply rooted in the black population, and that is something that even I can't seem to transcend.
Yes, I am friendly with a few people that are black, but now when I see blacks out and about I have to wonder what they probably assume about me. If they assume that I am much like most of the other native whites here, then how am I to feel comfortable? They don't know me, and I don't know them. All I can hope is that they will view and judge me by their interaction with ME, and not with anyone else.
