God's in His Heaven, and All's Right With the World. Well, sort of!

Tonight, Major League Baseball opened season! Yes, near the end of July, with no fans in the stands, canned crowd noise, and some restrictions like no sunflower seeds.  The league will do regular testing, and the travel schedules will be truncated, and announced tonight, they will have an extended play off season that will not extend the season, but add more playoff games. Other changes include "a universal designated hitter" i.e. both the National League and the American League will be using the designated hitter. 

The New York Yankees played the Washington Nationals in Washington, D.C, aired on ESPN.  Before the game, the players took a knee, and connected with each other by holding a black ribbon or rope, for a moment of silence, then stood for the national anthem.  Behind the mound, the MLB logo was displayed in the dirt above the letters BLM (Black Lives Matter.)  

Dr. Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, threw out the "ceremonial" first pitch.  

The Yankees and Nationals played beyond the 5th inning, when the Heavens opened up, and the skies lit up.  A very heavy thunderstorm delayed the game, and eventually, caused it to be called, with the Yankees winning.

This was a doubleheader night on  ESPN, the next game was the San Francisco Giants playing against the Los Angeles Dodgers.  The opening ceremonies were similar to those at the Yankee - National game.  Only, some players chose to continue to kneel, with the blessings of their team leadership.  

I learned some things tonight:   

Mookie Betts, who had performed so well for the Boston Red Sox, signed a 13 year, $392 million dollar deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Mike Yastrezmski plays for the San Francisco Giants.  Yes, Mike Yastrezmski is related to Carl Yastrezmski.  He is Carl's grandson.  He wears number 5, and supposedly, when asked why not wearing number 8, he said there was enough pressure on him, he did not need to add to it by wearing number 8.  Wise young man. 

Also, the Boston Red Sox unveiled a 250 foot billboard along the Massachusetts Turnpike, near Fenway Park, that says Black Lives Matter. 



Baseball really is America's game, and Major League Baseball has stepped up to promote racial equality.  

I like baseball.  I am sorry that baseball was segregated until the late 1940s. I like that baseball sponsored a women's league during World War II.  I like that many of our presidents throw out the first pitch on opening day.  And baseball is important enough in our society, that many baseball terms have been appropriated for non-baseball situations.  

One thing I am not sure of is the runner-on-second rule for overtime games.  I understand, especially this year, it is a way to prevent very, very long overtime games, but how is this justified?  Why does the person who made the last out of the previous inning get to be on base?  It makes no sense, other than "time management."  Sorry, our world is full of time management ideas that make no sense, promote stress, and do not allow for quality or pure performance.  

Oh well, there is always good and bad in changes.  We will have to see what survives and what does not. 

Green Book

This afternoon, I went to see the movie Green Book.  It was a very good movie, on many different levels.  I would highly recommend it.  If you are not familiar with the story it is about Don Shirley, a Black pianist who takes his trio South on tour in 1962.  The rest of his trio is Anglo, and he hires an Anglo driver Tony Vallelonga.  The story is about the transformation of Shirley and Vallelonga.   

I have not yet been a Nike customer.  I am a 65 year old Anglo woman who likes football, civil rights, and comfortable shoes, among other things.  I am so pleased to learn the Nike has included  Colin Kaepernick in their latest ad campaign.  I believe in the US Constitution, however imperfect a document it is.  I believe in the Bill of Rights, with the First Amendment in place where it should be:  First, protecting freedom of speech.  I believe that Colin Kaepernick was well within his right to freedom of speech in calling attention to racism, social injustice and police brutality to people of color. His kneeling during the "Star Spangled Banner"  was a respectful act of protest, and whether you are for or against his actions, he propelled this nation to a much needed dialogue about how we treat people in this country who are different from "the white privileged."  I applaud Mr. Kaepernick for his courage, and now I applaud Nike for their courage, and their awareness that Freedom of Speech, is still alive and well in the United States.

Hidden Figures

I am reading the book Hidden Figures, the book about the women who worked for NACA and later NASA ,  computing equations about aircraft, and later spacecraft and flight trajectories and what have you. In fact the women who were doing the work were called computers, before that referred to electronic computers. 

Who would think that a story about women doing math could be interesting, but Margot Lee Shetterly was able to accomplish that.  

You may not have heard of the book, but this may sound familiar, because it was made into a movie of the same name:  Hidden Figures.  I really enjoyed the movie, so of course, I wanted to read the book!

Little did I know, but one of the main characters to this story, Katherine Johnson, turned 100 years old yesterday, August 26, 2018!  Hers is quite a story, and she deserves the recognition and accolades afforded to her by this book, and by this country!

Lack of Apology to President Trump

President Trump was distressed by the phone call to apologize that ABC made to Valerie Jarrett who was racially profiled by Roseanne Barr.  He wondered why he received no apology from ABC when negative things were said about him.

Can he not make the distinction?  Actually, he is smart enough to do so, but he is so egocentric he would not admit he could do so.  If the news media make factual negative statements about the President, whoever the president is, they are doing their job. If the media is supporting a staff member (star or not) who makes opinionated, biased statements not supported by facts or reality, the media needs to take responsibility for supporting bias and prejudice and decry that support. 

Sorry Mr. Trump you lose this time around. 

Racist Tweet

So, Roseann Barr, a TV star and comedienne, had resurrected her TV show, about a blue collar family and their trials and tribulations.  On 5/29/2018, however, she made a racist tweet, which resulted in her being fired by ABC, owned by the Disney corporation Roseann Barr tweet and response.

I say yeah! to Disney.  Where that tweet came from who knows.  Ms. Barr claimed to be Ambien Tweeting but as the Ambien manufacturers so aptly noted, racism is not noted to be a side effect of Ambien.

Sometimes, comediennes  cross boundaries in political correctness and societal norms.  This was one of those times. Sometimes, an apology with an acknowledgement of wrong doing is acceptable,   This time, it was not.  

I applaud ABC and Disney.

Hate vs. Peace

I condemn the violence that occurred last weekend in Charlottesville, Va. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/local/charlottesville-timeline/?utm_term=.53126ef6d1a7 when white supremacists and nationalists gathered and march, and were met by counter protesters, and violence ensued, including death. 

In the mix was the discussion of taking down a statue of Robert E. Lee.  I understand the honoring Confederate leaders is repugnant to people of color.  It commemorates the War Between the North and South which, as we know was very much about the issue of slavery. Many of these monuments were erected during the Jim Crow era in the early part of the 20th Century. 

I think that these statues and monuments should be kept in a historically appropriate place, not as decoration for public places including parks.  There should be historical context for keeping the statues and monuments, because we cannot change history, and we need to learn from it. I think of a movement in Germany by white supremacists who denied that the Holocaust over occurred. We can never deny the history of  racism and bigotry in our country.

We have to keep our history alive and teach it because that is the only way we can learn from our past, and frankly, we have a lot to learn.

I think one of the good things that has come out of this is that the dialogue about racism in this country is more open and realistic, and many people who did not realize that racism is still out there are becoming more aware. 

I grew up with "White Privilege" and could not begin to know what someone of color or minority experienced in their lives.  But I do know that we have an obligation to speak out against hate and violence. 

Today, the white supremacists and nationalists had a "Free Speech Rally" in Boston, and the counter protesters came out  in huge numbers http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/thousands-march-boston-counter-protest-free-speech-rally-n794156.  There was some tension and a few problems leading to arrests, but not the massive violence that occurred in Charlottesville, Va.  I think that the authorities in Boston learned from Charlotteville and took the possibilities seriously and prepared appropriately.  

I think we will see more marches and protests and rallies, because people are being energized to be more active.  Sadly, a lot of that is coming from the controversial comments by President Trump http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/19/politics/trump-remarks-alt-right/index.html.  He has just inflamed the people of this country who believe in peace, not violence, and want to work on improving conditions for all.  

Hmmm, an interesting commentary from the star of "The Free State of Jones."  http://www.mystatesman.com/news/entertainment/movies/matthew-mcconaughey-talks-getting-into-free-state-/nrmRR/?ecmp=newspaper_email/.

This movie was not uplifting or a feel good movie, but it was sad and depressing. My problem with the reaction to the movie is some folks I know have said "I was not a part of what happened back then, why are you reacting this way now." These people do not get it. I was trying to explain to a coworker that this same kind of segregation and discrimination continues today. She did not see it.  She has no idea what white privilege is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_privilege. I challenged her:  Is there one bank in East Lubbock, yet look at the development in Southwest Lubbock. She could not answer.

I have lived in Lubboc since 1977k, and realize I have not done what I need to do to advance equality (gender, sexual, racial) during that time.  Pope Francis says, first we pray, then we act.  Hmmm.

Movie Day

I went to see the movie, "The Free State of Jones" http://stxmovies.com/freestateofjones/ today. It was a good story, but it was a sad story, because in the end, Newt Knight could only help a few people to freedom.  And he did not really impact racism in a big way. But he did impact it.  But it was a noble story, because he was  a man that had principles and stuck to them.

As I was driving, after having seen the movie, I heard the NPR interview with the writer and director Gary Ross http://www.npr.org/2016/06/25/483537325/telling-the-story-of-a-confederate-deserter-in-free-state-of-jones.  I thought it interesting that he said he could have ended the story when they raised the American flag, but the story of conditions and Newt Knight's fight after the war were not so "feel good."  But noble.


This link will lead you to the "true story." An interesting story.  Based on fact.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/true-story-free-state-jones-180958111/?no-ist

Jackie Robinson Day

Friday, April 15 is Jackie Robinson Day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Robinson_Day. http://web.mlbcommunity.org/index.jsp?content=programs&program=jackie_robinson_foundation

I am a Jackie Robinson fan.  I saw the movie 42 http://www.warnerbros.com/42 twice in the movie theater (I rarely see a movie once in the theater.)  That inspired me to read that book Jackie Robinson: A Biography by Arnold Rampersad. The movie really followed the first part of the book very closely.  I was impressed.

Monday and Tuesday of this week, I watched Jackie Robinson on PBS, produced by Ken Burns.  It very much reiterated what the movie 42 and the book Jackie Robinson: A Biography depicted, but it added some parts that were not in either. And having first person comments from Mrs. Rachel Robinson, and the two surviving Robinson children, Sharon and David made it that much more interesting.

I wish I had thought to order a Jackie Robinson shirt to wear to work this Friday, but it was too late when I thought about it.  I can go around wishing people a Happy Jackie Robinson Day!  Maybe you can, too.

Veteran's Day

At work today, I saw a co-worker who wore a red white and blue flag motif tie. It was in honor of Veterans Day.  We chatted briefly: he was not a veteran, but had uncles who had been in World War II.  I shared that I had a paternal uncle who was in the Navy during World War II. When we asked my uncle what he did in the war, his stock answer was that he went to England. If you pressed him further, he would also say he went to San Diego. After this uncle died, in his effects, was a letter from Admiral Nimitz regarding his participation in D Day. My uncle never said anything about that.

I remember that I had maternal uncles who were in the military.  My recollection was that they served in Korea, but I could be wrong about this.  I know that one or more of my maternal uncles were in the military. Somewhere.

My father had polio as a child so had a medical deferment during World War II. He also worked in the electric power generation industry during World War II so would have probably had a deferment based on is profession.

My oldest brother was not drafted during the Vietnam War.  My younger brother's life was in between conflicts or war.

None of my female relatives were in the military, except the wife of one of my maternal uncles either during World War II or the Korean Conflict.

My first ex-husband was in the Marines.  His brother was in the Army, and served in Viet Nam. My first ex-husband said he was beaten and generally castigated because he did not go to Viet Nam. At first, I did not believe him, but years later, I do. 

I think the military services in the United States have some very barbaric and out-dated training and induction rituals that serve no purpose. I believe things have improved, and the racial discrimination has diminished but is not gone. I think the sexual harassment culture has decreased but has not been eliminated.

I think the reality is that women may not be able to do all of the physical things that men can do.  I also believe that women can do many things that they are believed not able to do, if they are only given a chance.

I recently watched a movie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men_of_Honor  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0203019/   about Carl Brashear https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Brashear who became the first African-American Master Diver in the United States Navy.  The movie depicts the great odds and horrible discrimination he had to overcome to become a Navy diver, and to continue to be a Navy diver after he was seriously injured in service to his country. 

This movie is an eye opener about how racial integration in the military did not occur smoothly. It is a compelling story, and the racial factor adds to it.

I live in hope that we have moved beyond those racial discrimination lines, but I am not always sure about that.

But I can hope.

Reading "Hanging Curve"

I am now reading Hanging Curve, by Troy Soos. The East St. Louis race riots of 1917 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_St._Louis_riot   http://www.blackpast.org/aah/east-st-louis-race-riot-july-2-1917  were neglected in my education about American history.  In general, I have known about the racial violence between Afro Americans and Northern and Mid-Western whites, and about Jim Crow laws. The acute awareness of race riots 100 years ago certainly gives an additional perspective on the events in St. Louis the past year or more. Personalizing it makes it so much more horrific.

It is sad that I have to say thank you to Troy Soos for increasing my awareness and giving me much more sensitivity to the history of race relations in St. Louis.

I am enjoying the book for its entertainment value, but appreciate the social value.

Reactionary: Is it Right?

Is this what we have become and who we are as a nation?  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/17/us/texas-student-is-under-police-investigation-for-building-a-clock.html?emc=edit_th_20150917&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=40853516&_r=0

Ahmed Mohamed worked on what was a science project, and when he brought it to school, he was detained and suspended.

Do you think the same thing would have happened if he was Anglo? I do not care what the authorities say, I do not think an Anglo student would have been treated the same way.  His family had a cool response. I am glad the President Obama invited him to the White House.

I know people are afraid of Muslim fanatics. But can we afford to live in fear of every law abiding Muslim who lives in this country?  Why would we want to?

Let's think about it.  We have a lot of other fanatics in the country, whose fanaticism is based on Christianity:  The Ku Klux Klan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan for one.  I chose the Wikipedia article over a first source article because I did not want the source article on my computer.

Another group is the Fundamentalist Ladder Day Saints.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamentalist_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-Day_Saints  Again, I chose the Wikipedia article because I did not want the source article on my computer.

Yet another group is the Skinheads https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinhead.

What about the Aryan Brotherhood https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryan_Brotherhood or the Aryan Circle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryan_Circle?

How would we treat members of these groups in a situation similar to Ahmed Mohamed's?  The sad reality is that the members of some of these other groups that I have mentioned would probably get a pass.

Is that what you want the United States of America to stand for?  We have finally shut down the Jim Crow laws that discriminated against Afro-Americans.  Our civil rights laws and equal opportunity laws should protect other minorities.  But is that happening? There is still discrimination in this country.  It is subtle. It is not sanctioned by formal government. But it still occurs.

We are getting better. But we are not there yet.

Yeah! For South Carolina

Today, the State of South Carolina showed itself as a state looking to the future. After emotional and somewhat heated debate, the bill was passed that allowed for the Confederate Flag "Stars and Bars" to be taken down from the capitol property in Columbia,  SC, and placed in a museum on the capitol property http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/south-carolina-confederate-flag_559e0307e4b05b1d028fb690?ir=Politics&section=politics&utm_campaign=070915&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Alert-politics&utm_content=FullStory&ncid=newsltushpmg00000003.  Governor Nikki Haley had promised to sign the bill quickly.  And, she did.  http://www.kcbd.com/story/29510871/south-carolina-governor-confederate-flag-comes-down-friday.  The best thing, in my mind, that although the flag is going to be relegated to a Civil War "relic room," there will be a ceremony that will treat the flag with dignity and honor. 

Why is this good?  Because although the flag's symbolism is mixed: "hatred vs. heritage" a ceremony to lay it to rest honors all:  It honors those for whom the flag symbolizes the heritage and the history of their family.  A ceremony also can be a rite of passage for those who view the flag as a symbol of hatred: A rite of passage ending an era of hate and racism, and starting a new era of forward thinking, future looking, respect and dignity embracing, inclusive and accepting people. 

It is symbolic that South Carolina leads the way: it lead the way into the Civil War.  It can now lead the way into a new era of compassion, acceptance and unity.  South Carolina has a burden to bear: to continue to move forward with inclusion, acceptance, equality, dignity, respect. 

What an outcome from an act of hate.

Candlelight Ceremony

 
I went to the Candlelight Vigil for Victims of the South Carolina Church Shooting sponsored by the Division of Institutional Diversity, Equity, & Community Engagement at Texas Tech. It was organized by students, but open to the faculty, staff and community.  I sent the announcement out to the social work network.  I saw 2 other social workers there.
The organizers told me they started planning Tuesday. The crowd was small: I thought it would be very large.  I am sorry more people did not turn out. I cry easily at situations like this, and when I spoke, I was sometimes near tears.

The wind was stout, so the candles did not stay lit. It was not dark, anyway.

It was a brief ceremony, with a variety of tones:  education, anger, and reconciliation.  I think it is time in my life to somehow get more involved in community development and improvement in equality in Lubbock.  I am not sure how.  But I am sure God will lead me on the way.



























 

 

 

 

 

I Have a Dream

I recently heard someone say that Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream became a reality when Barak Obama became President of the United States of America.  I do not think that is true.

President Obama has not used his office as a bully pulpit, except when he talked about
remembering what it felt like to be a young Afro-American, and having to always look over your shoulder and be aware where you were and what was going on, and what might happen, even though you were not doing anything wrong.

I think, in the last couple of years, the recognition that this is still an issue for Afro-American males has risen.  High profile cases have made this obvious: The killing of Trayvon Martin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Trayvon_Martin  The shooting of Michael Brown http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Ferguson_unrest. The death of Eric Garner http://www.cnn.com/2014/07/20/justice/ny-chokehold-death/index.html

These are just a few examples of incidents involving Afro-American men who are in situations that may have been handled differently, had their race been different.  It is a reality. A sad but true reality.

I think that Martin Luther King's dream will become a reality when these incidents are treated fairly, openly, transparently, and without questionable circumstances that might be colored by race.

Wheel of Fortune: America's Game

 Do you watch Wheel of Fortune http://www.wheeloffortune.com/? I have, off and on over the many years this TV show has been on television.  At this point in my life, I do not usually watch game shows in their entirety and on purpose.  I frequently watch game shows as "fillers;"  in other words the show is on the same channel as the next TV program I want to watch, or is on the same channel as the TV program I just watched, and I do not want to watch something else, until the next awaited show airs. So, I may or may not be paying close attention to the show.  The same is true for Jeopardy http://www.jeopardy.com/.

One thing about Wheel of Fortune is how the role of Vanna White http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanna_White has evolved.  In the beginning she was just the letter turner.  The letters could have been turned mechanically, like the blocks were turned on Concentration.  But some genius recognized the value of having a dazzling beauty perform this chore. I suspect that about 50% of the viewing public are as interested in watching Ms. White turn letters as they are in what the puzzle is. Ms. White has gone from being a mostly silent letter turner to an integral part of the speaking show. 

Her job could have gone long ago:  TV has the digital capabilities of turning or lighting up letters with no help from a person. But Vanna White is as much a part of Wheel of Fortune as is Pat Sajak http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Sajak, the host.

So recently, and I cannot tell you when, I have noticed something on "America's Game." that I found very exciting and positive.  When the game's winner is decided, the winner is asked who is cheering for them in the live audience. Contestants bring anybody and everybody:  parents, siblings, children, spouses, aunts, uncles, cousins, best friends, coworkers, for example.  Recently, I have noticed contestants introducing same sex supporters as "my special friend," "my partner," "my life partner," and most recently, a male contestant introduced his husband. 

I think this is so positive that people are willing to acknowledge their relationships in public and on national TV.  The Wikipedia information on Pat Sajak indicates he is a conservative, so I have to wonder how he feels about this. But it is what it is.  30 states now recognize same sex marriage.  We have to deal with the reality that sexual preference is a right.  And should be accorded the benefits, privileges and freedoms accorded to that right.

I think this is a good thing for the American Public. People with same sex "special friends" have been in my life as long as I can remember.  I learned about homosexuality in high school, and got to know many homosexuals in college.  As my life has evolved, I have gotten to know many more people who are homosexual, who are in various degrees of acknowledgement of their sexuality. And my relationships with them are in various degrees from acquaintance or co-worker, to good friend.

Years ago, I was in a break room at work, and my co-workers were disparaging homosexuals.  Uncharacteristically for me, I was brave enough to say they should be careful how they talk about homosexuals, because they do not know who in the room might be one. I embarrassed some people that day, and made enemies of others.

Some people in my life have accusingly told me that my friends are homosexuals.  My response has been "so."  I did not care if the accusation was right or wrong. It makes no difference.  Those people are right.  I do have friends who are homosexuals, but not all of my friends are homosexuals.  I make friends based on the character of the person, not their sexual preference.  I have very few close friends, and I cherish those I have.  Their religion, ethnic origin, or sexual preference is of no consequence to me.  Their character and interaction with me is.

Isn't this "America's Game?"  Not our race, religion, gender preference, sexual preference, creed, national origin, ethnicity, age, or physical and mental capability, or socioeconomic status? Are we not all created equal under the law? True we are all individuals with individuals talents and capabilities, but should we not all be offered similar, equal or consistent opportunities under the law?  Sure our personal circumstances do not necessarily offer us equal economic, educational or social advantages.   But shouldn't we have the opportunity to those if we can access those? And shouldn't our government be working towards making those opportunities more universally accessible to all citizens? Isn't this "America's Game?"

Of Course They Meant It

A coworker told me she purchased the movie "The Butler" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1327773/.  She told me she was disappointed about the way Anglos were portrayed because not everyone was racist and tried to discriminate against Blacks.  I will give her that.  But then she used the example of her uncle who used "the N word" because that was the way he was raised, and even Black people referred to themselves that way, and he really did not mean it.  I countered.  I said people really did mean it, or why did they pass Jim Crow laws http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Crow_laws.  If someone is discerning, they may have been raised a way to treat people, but they have a choice in what they do as adults.

Jim Crow laws were a deliberate, institutionalized, legalized, systematized way of discriminating against Afro-Americans. They were demeaning and dehumanizing laws.  There was no intent to have "separate but equal."  The intent was domination of one race by another.

We lived through the era of fighting for integration which was the law of the land long before it was practiced. How can anyone say that Anglos did not mean it. They fought tooth and nail to keep White Male Dominance.  And even today, there are still undertones of White Male Dominance in our world.  Things have become better, and we do have an Afro-American man elected as the President.  But he is very aware he is one step away from being treated like other Afro-Americans who do not have his face and name recognition, power and influence. To my knowledge, he has only referred to that once, but he is aware of it.

White washing our past serves no purpose.  This is what our country did. We cannot deny it.  We must face facts and deal with what was and what is.

The Butler

Once again, I will say that I do not watch Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show" a lot. But I was watching tonight.  Robin Williams was one of the guests, and he is in the movie "The Butler http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1327773/." As I understand it, this is a true story of a Black butler who served the Presidents in the White House. I am going to try to watch for this movie in Lubbock.  I want to see it.

The Impact of Sports on Our Lives

There are very many impacts of sports on our lives.  I cannot begin to address all of those impacts, but there is one area of our lives that I want to address.  And I want to address it by talking about two movies that specifically highlight this aspect of our lives.

The United States fought a War Between the North and the South http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/civil-war-overview/northandsouth.html over economic issues, specifically, but not only, the issue of slavery. By war's end, the black slaves of all states in the United States were declared emancipated http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/emancipation_proclamation/transcript.html.

However, Blacks were not treated well, nor as equals, nor allowed to integrate into our society for close to a hundred years after the war's end.  Segregation was promulgated by "The Jim Crow Laws" http://www.nps.gov/malu/forteachers/jim_crow_laws.htm, not withstanding the fact that Integration technically became the law of the land in 1866 http://www.withylaw.com/history.htm.  There are still racial problems in the United States, not with just the Blacks, but that is one of the areas of racism the United States still faces.

Although there have been Black soldiers in wars fought by the United States, beginning with the War for Independence http://www.army.mil/africanamericans/timeline.html,  the United States military did not officially integrate until 1946 http://www.withylaw.com/history.htm.  Even then, integration was not widely nor uniformly implemented. However, the integration of the United States military opened the door for other types of integrations.

Sports in the United States was a venue which saw integration after World War II.  Yesterday, I went to watch the movie 42 http://42movie.warnerbros.com/,  which is based on the story of Branch Rickey, Brooklyn Dodger executive, choosing Jackie Robinson as the first Negro player in Major League Baseball. I do not usually go to the movies.  I went to see this movie the weekend it was released.  A friend of mine wanted to see it, and invited me to join her.  I enjoyed the movie more the second time, than I did the first, and saw things in it the second time that I missed the first time. And, I can tell you, I will see this movie many more times.

I have seen the movie Glory Road http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385726/ multiple times on TV or DVD.  The story is about the 1966 NCAA Championship team, the Texas Western Miners, http://gloryroad.utep.edu/home.aspx, which started 5 black players in the championship game, the first such team to win a championship. Did Coach Don Haskins set out to integrate NCAA basketball on a grand scale? From watching the movie, he just set out to win.  And win he did. But that championship game is considered one of, if not the most important basketball games in NCAA history. 

These two stories are a prime example of how sports impacts our lives.  Integration was a long, emotional, hard fought, and bloody battle.  It did not go smoothly in sports any more than it went in many other aspect of our lives.  But sports has had a major impact on integration.