Tim Wise: To understand white denial about American history, consider two photos.

[Lonestarblue]

38. I do not remember my parents watching Leave It to Beaver.

They actually didn’t watch much television at all, and we did homework after dinner, so no TV. I do clearly remember my father watching the evening news every night for what was happening with the Vietnam War since my older brother was serving there. Fortunately, he came home okay. Many others didn’t. My high school was integrated peacefully when I was a Junior, and I think that was a reflection of a pragmatic people who saw the need for change. I can never appreciate enough that my parents provided an example for treating all people just as people—not as a skin color.

Somehow it seems that we have come full circle, and there are those in the country who are determined to undermine the idea that we are a country of many races, and all with the same rights of citizenship. I so wish we could honor MLK’s words to judge people by their characters rather than the color of their skin.