In 1989, Airey decided to conduct his own research on the topic of racism. Armed with a tape recorder, he approached African-Americans from every walk of life and asked them about their experiences. Surprised at people's willingness to talk, he was even more surprised by what they said. They shared this fear of, if they walked into a restaurant or the lobby of a building, how white folks would perceive them. They were always conscious of who they were.
Racism remains one of the most troubling and deep-seated problems in our society.
Policies designed to alleviate racial injustices, from the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 to affirmative action programs to laws punishing racially motivated crimes, have been put in place. Yet the problem persists. With racism so entrenched, the prospect of overcoming it, no matter how much we confront it, seems dim indeed. We've tried raising awareness. We've introduced the idea of politically correct language and expanded school curricula to include African-American history.