History in all of it's ugliness

Rating: 9/10 (27 July 2013)

Growing up in the 50s, racial prejudice was all around us. It was the way we saw things ~ a separation between black and white. It felt uncomfortable to this little girl but I couldn't put my finger on why.
Watching this with my 16 year old foster son, half Australian, half Asian ~ I am reminded of how much things have changed. I got that same old nauseous feeling when Robinson was singled out to be humiliated and taunted. I realize how far we have come. Not far enough yet, but it takes a long time to change a human practice.
When I grew up, it would have been inconceivable for me to have opened my home to an 8 year old brown skinned child. Now he's one of my own. I know what love is, where it comes from and that love and respect are colourblind. So totally different than respecting a black man in 1947. I am so, so sorry for sitting in silence when I was a child. I am proud of the progress we have made. I am grateful for this ugly reminder and even more grateful for the personal strength of a team leader, a team who overcame their fears ~ and a powerful, decent man.