Oops, I Didn't Mean to be Racist

Dimension: Race

Around 1965 the Starlings decided to move to Beachwood, Ohio. Mrs. Starling, my godmother, is what we used to call "light and bright and almost white." In fact, her physical characteristics were whiter than most whites. Mrs. Starling worked with the realtor alone until she narrowed it down the the house she thought would be perfect for the family and then brought coffee-complexion Dr. Starling to see the house. That is when everything changed...no more excited realtor, no more welcoming neighborhood. I believe it took legal action to get the house.

That was 1965, yet this past week a surburban Philadelphia swim club denied access to a group of black and hispanic children from a summer camp that had signed a contract to use the pool. Suddenly the pool could not accommmodate the large numbers (around 65 kids). I will wait for more facts because the club denies the cries of racism. Dr. and Mrs. Starling are now citizens of heaven and from their thrones I am sure they are looking down at the swim club and thinking, "this sounds so familiar."