It wasn't much of a stretch from accusing me of coming from a family of anti-black bigots . . . Other things happened that recalled the Deep South of the 1950s and 1960s. There were threatening phone calls, obscene graffiti, windows shot out by slingshots and pellet guns, stalkings by gangs of thugs. Part of this had a political purpose to warn off other black dissidents. But it also seems clear the defenders of preferences have an emotional stake that goes far beyond reason.
Liberal whites have a large investment in their claim to moral enlightenment.
Liberal blacks, especially those who remember the days when the civil rights movement fought for something worthwhile, cannot let go of the view of themselves as standing on the front lines of freedom. But as integration gained ground with the public, the search for noble, unpopular causes has become more difficult. He has lost his privacy and much of his peace, and has unwillingly become a symbol to millions. He is now arguably more famous than his mentor, Pete Wilson, and surely a great deal more hated. He has also become the leader, not of a state or city, but of a state of mind.