We have not seen as much progress as we thought

I few nights ago I watched the movie "Selma" on TV.  I originally saw it when it came out in theatres a few years ago but this second watching made realize something.

In the movie the open depiction of racism and bigotry is prevalent, as it was in many parts of the United States in the 1960s.  So it seemed to accurately depict that period in time.

Since then it has been accepted wisdom that the level of racism and bigotry that we saw during that period has been greatly reduced.  We have come along way from then and only a few pockets of the US still hold those views and most of them are in the most backward parts of the South.  The rest of the people in the US have become much more tolerant of people of colour.

Watching the US, and Canada for that matter, it would seem that the accepted wisdom is wrong.  Racism and bigotry has raised its ugly head again with a vengeance.  For almost 50 years social convention has forced those who are racist and bigoted to keep their opinions to themselves.  However, with an openly racist and bigoted President these people have been released to spout their hate and vitriol again.  As well, if you look where this is coming from it is much more widespread than just a few pockets in the most backward parts of the South.

Although the situation in Canada is not a extreme is in the US the same forces are at work.  If anybody thinks that the general acceptance of Faith Goldy running for mayor of Toronto, using an opening racist election platform, is not similar to what we are seeing in the US they are not paying attention.

Fifty years ago governments made great efforts to suppress the black vote and blacks were in great danger of being killed because of the colour of their skin.  Fast forward to 2018 and several state governments in the US enacted harsh election laws which were designed to suppress the black vote and it is almost a weekly occurrence that a black man is killed by a white police officer.

The so called progress that we have seen since the 1960s, with regard to race relations in North America, is a mirage, a fantasy.  It does not exist.  The same attitudes that plagued that sad decade never went away.  They were just hidden and they are now coming out of hiding.