I grew up in a house that regularly degraded Martin Luther King as an

[WCGreen]

Uppity N*****.

My dad wouldn't let us watch Julia on the color TV saying he didn't buy a color tv so we could watch coloreds...

It was shocking how differently I felt about race than my parents and grandparents.

Now that I am old enough to have grandchildren, I find it so cool that race doesn't seem to matter as much, if at all to the children from my generation and their children as well.

I didn't vote for Obama in the primary. It wasn't because of his skin tone, I say tone because I believe we are ALL part of the human race, it was because I thought Edwards had a more populist message and that is what attracts me to the democratic party.

Still, Obama has come out swinging with good policy and a cool bearing that makes me feel comfortable that he would react just fine to any 3:00 AM phone call.

Every day I see evidence from people that skin tone is still a deal breaker, even if it means voting against their own interests.

thankfully, I believe these people are concentrated in the red states and that people in the blue or purple states have enough sense to get passed the skin tone issue.

But what really makes me think we are in for a sea change is that there are simply more people who were raised in a culture that is increasingly color blind. And I think those folks will join us old fogies who aren't bothered by someones skin tone and bring it on home on election day.

A side note. When I was a page in the Ohio State House way back in the late 70's, I was working with people of different skin tone for the first time. The first day I went up to this really suave looking dude and stuck my hand out and asked him, in a Bill Murray kind of voice if "he would be my friend so I could add to my liberal college experience." He laughed out loud and said, "Man, I'm a republican." and I countered, "Well, I won't hold that against you..." We got a long famously.

[bushisanidiot]

1. good post.

thanks, I enjoyed reading it. :)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Great story, as always...

K&R

:patriot:

[rsmith6621]

3. What Reflection Of My Dad I Had about MLK

was the night MLK died in Memphis....we were at the dinner table when I think Conkrite announced his death.....my Dad 's reply....N***** had it coming to him....as an eight year old I had the knowledge that his thoughts were wrong and I replied saying" Daddy no deserves to be killed".....I didn't sit at the dinner table for two nights by my Dads decession.

Yes we have come a long way and still have along ways to go.


Thanks you for the post.....BTW I now reside within 20 minutes of of where MLK gave his life for theses steps that have been made.

[WCGreen]

4. I bet a lot of people our age have that experience

There was a lot of hatred in those days.

And people in this day and age don't realize just how dangerous and violent the 60's were.

[1corona4u]

5. Ya know, I gotta tell you....

I have never in my life heard the word "uppity" used in that way. I was surprised when they said that about Obama a while back.

[WCGreen]

6. It was pretty much part of the slur back in my day....

[EffieBlack]

7. "Uppity" is code - of course, it's not intended for you because you don't think that way

people of a certain age and era - not that long ago, know just what it means. To racists, it's a modifier for the n-word and applies to any black person who doesn't seem to know their place. And for it was a clear warning to get back in our place before we get what's coming to us. Most lynchings of blacks followed some extra-judicial determination that they were far too "uppity" for anyone's good.

It's a clear code.

[WCGreen]

8. That's so true...