Our senior year 1955 Byron Bradfute and his long time neighbor sat in the locker room before first football practice. The coach had a special talk for the team that year. Beeville, Texas had closed black Lott Canada H.S. and folded the students into A.C. Jones H.S. The guys all listened and probably heard the waa waa waa of Charlie Brown’s teacher until Coach said players were to make the new classmates feel welcome and that there was to be no fighting. Byron looked at his black childhood friend and said, “Coach, we’ve been fighting all our lives. You mean we can’t fight anymore?” For the racially deaf among you; it was playful fighting.
I can’t help but think of this story when I look around and see what is happening to race relations since Obama was elected. I don’t vote Democrat, so he wasn’t my choice, but I was soothed by the thought that race relations would get even better, that we had crossed the bar. How very, very naive I was. Only eight months have passed since inauguration, and I cannot remember this much acrimony in a long time.
Our family is at a place where dear friends are black or bi-racial, we have nieces who are bi-racial, my son finally found a church he feels at home in, and it is an African American church. We saw him baptized there last year and can see how the pastors and congregation have embraced him. When my husband passed and there was a delay in the memorial, it was my son’s deacons who piled out of a van and conducted a small prayer service for us one evening in our living room when we needed it most, complete with jubilee music.
Was this all for nothing? There seem to be factions, both black and white, which would tear apart all that has begun to be repaired – and I don’t like it. Not one bit. I pray cooler heads will prevail.
A N H I N G A 
Obama’s election just let people think America had come a long way. It hasn’t. There has been racial discrimination in the United States that would make people ashamed of their fellow man if they only knew how some of us are being treated.
If anything, I think race relations will get worse before they get better. Having a Black president doesn’t mean a damn thing, unfortunately.
And yes, I agree with you. It’s not pretty. I don’t like it either. Thing have got to get better.
Just read your blog on racial relationships and the damage Obama is doing …or trying to do. Great job! I highly approve.
I have been on the black people side ever since I called a taxi back in 1957 in Savannah Ga. and was mistaken for a black woman. I have never heard such hate and ignorance in my life!
The ignorant cracker called me a whore just because he thought I was black!
When the taxi arrived, the driver apologized profusely. I was too young and scared to tell him who he really should have been apologizing to…………but I am saying it now!
Etta
Thanks. I don’t mean to suggest though that Obama is the cause of the decline. I think his presidency ignited hopes and fears on all sides, which have become warped and exaggerated. I also think there is a portion of the electorate who have something to gain by keeping the racial tension stirred up. My own humble opinion.
https://anhinga.wordpress.com/
I think you’re very right about a portion of the electorate that has something to gain by keeping the racial tension stirred up. It’s very true. I don’t see that changing soon, unfortunately.
I think one of the reasons the Dems played the race card so strongly (was it orchestrated?) this past week is that they are starting to realize that Obama is not going to get a free ride. It looks like they thought people, even Republicans, would hold back from openly opposing his policies because he is the first black president. I think they are shocked that he is being treated just like any other Democrat advocating big government politics. Finding themselves in trouble they are now hitting below the belt.
When parties (or kids) result to name calling they are out of reasonable arguments.
I totally agree with you about Dems pulling the race card. If those opposing Obama’s policies were truly racially biased, in today’s PC climate, they might think twice. That they haven’t demonstrates to me they see a level playing field. And that is as it should be.