Are racial attitudes changing in America?

Question

Yesterday I saw two things happen that impressed me.

1) Lots of customers were at the home improvement store on Labor Day. A grey-haired white man got out of his pickup and walked down the row in the parking lot to help a Mexican-American man load a heavy door into his truck. They smiled at each other and went on their separate ways.

2) There was a long checkout line at the grocery store. A black man didn't have enough money on his debit card to pay for his groceries and was holding up the checkout line. He was getting upset and getting pretty loud. It was obvious that he was mentally disabled and the checker didn't seem to be able to explain it to him. The next person in line was a young mother holding a toddler in her arms. She quietly paid for the man's purchases. The man really got loud then and told her "thank you" about a dozen times.

Answer 1

I believe its happening but very slowly but there is always going to be some kind of discrimination going on because most people don't like change that were brought up with and keeps getting passed down to a new generation.You know its got to come from both sides not just white people, black people dont always like white people either, they blaime white people for all that the past have done to there ansestors so its a matter of going on because I dont know any body that was wealthy enough to own a black person and Iam from the north so its just handed down from both sides. God help us.

Answer 2

Just when I think that racial attitudes are changing for the better in America, I have a conversation with my 81 year old grandmother. She tells me about a second cousin of mine that had to get married to a black man (she says with her eyes as big as quarters) because she got pregnant by him. Scandal on top of scandal. So I ask my grandmother if that's what she thinks about me. I'm 7 months pregnant and my baby is a quarter Asian. (My boyfriend is white and Filipino) She says no, that's different. And asked why? Because he looks white? And she said no! It's just different!

Whatever. As much as I wish things would change there are always going to be people like my grandmother who aren't going to change their ways.  

Answer 3

Cant be changing that much if this is something unusual.

Answer 4

It has nothing to do with race.Two people wanted to help two other people.  why do some of you need to put a racial spin on EVERYTHING?  But I will say this, I happen to think racial attitudes are getting more militant.  I have never been either sensitive or insensitive to a persons race, or heritage, or religion. but thanks to a certain politician who plays the race card continuously, I am beginning to look at his race rather critically.  Neither Geraldine Ferraro, nor Bill Clinton, nor Hillary Clinton made a racist remark, but they were accused of it.  And thanks to this same politician I now realize that he might become the first black on US currency.  

Answer 5

You saw jesus at work..i wish it could be that way every where..my church went around and invited businesses to a meeting we were getting grants and scholarships for our hispanic students whose parents weren't documented..one floral shop i went to said no thanls they weren't helping "those"people..needless to say i have a new flower shop..

Answer 6

I certainly hope so. And it is about time, We are all created equal , we all have the same heart, we all bleed, we all hurt, we all love. Its fun to listen about the Democrat's  and the Republican, But when all is said and done we are all Americans

Answer 7

This is a good question and I am struggling with this now. I think on  person to person basis that it is improving but I was just sent the most disgusting and racist email from a so called good Christian woman that I care about and if she is passing this stuff then maybe we are not all that far along.

Answer 8

i like to hear those kinds of things about people . it really does my heart good. its not changing its just being reconize a lot more . the good people of america was alway there.

Answer 9

Yes, and I'm glad!!  That's why we stay among our own. But, believe it or not during our dances people come out of curiosity!!!  So, I think it's getting better!!!!

Answer 10

Thank you for the heartening stories. Your local paper should publish these for all to read.

Answer 11

I think they're changing,  but I wish they'd move along faster.  There's so much in that area that still needs to be improved in our society.

Answer 12

I wish they would change more. But we will always have predjudices against other races. And it doesn't help when a half-black presidential candidate refers to his black-fearing mother as a "typical white woman."

Answer 13

that is so nice to hear

i hope this would happen all the time

Answer 14

I grew up in the 50's, we had no black families in our northern town,  or even in the state at that time so I didn't know what "it " was all about. As I grew older I started to see things and I didn't and still don't understand how one race  could treat another so poorly .There were never any pictures of black s on their record albums and things like that.  After all  we brought the blackman here, he didn't come of his own free will. Attitudes ( which I have never had ) have changed  and it's for the better.

Answer 15

It seems so among the younger people, but there will always be some who can't let go of hate.

Answer 16

I have have lived in the deep South for all of my 62 years and I know it is changing.  I see things everyday that just would have been when I was a girl or a teenager.  I have changed.  Back then, I would have never considered voting for for a black man as President of the United States; but, come next November, I am very sure that is what I am going to do.

Answer 17

I think the more diverse we are in our Country we can go either way..

We can circle the wagons and exclude people.....or we can open our arms and realize we're all pretty much the same.

Your examples show that maybe we're doing the latter....and to me that's wonderful.

Answer 18

I think affirmative action did as much to set back attitudes as it did to foster better relations.

In the military back in the 60's saw black solders without qualification promoted to SGT, working in the trades, heavy construction, we had blacks who didn't know the trade, didn't care to learn or even do the work promoted to forman.

I am a Obama fan, see no affirmative action about him at all and think it's a shame allot of whites will not vote for him just because he's black.  

Answer 19

Great examples. I don't think we'll ever get rid of racism or sexism or ageism but if we all follow the examples given in the question we can make it a lot better. As they say, one step at a time. The Golden Rule is probably more relevant today than any other time in our history. I had the good fortune to grow up in and go to school in a very tough "mixed" neighborhood. It was certainly never perfect and there were racial tensions including any and all things you read about in the newspapers today, but nevertheless, I still feel fortunate. King's "the content of their character . . .not the color of their skin" actually means something to me.