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By Chris Jepson WhiteAmerica can no more imagine being kicked around because they’repasty-white than blacks could once imagine walking through the frontdoor of the White House (unescorted by cops I might add). Slaves builtthe White House. Slaves built much of early America. The Civil Warended slavery, per se, but intolerance and persecution continuedthroughout all of America for another hundred-plus years. But for theperseverance and guts of black leaders, we wouldn’t be where we aretoday — with a black man in the White House. Nomore a pasty white man was my father. He was of 100 percent Danishextraction (but who knows one’s “real” genetic woodpile) and he lived aracially sheltered life in Sioux City, Iowa. I grew up in a town of125,000 and we maybe, maybe had 50 black families. I rememberdelivering the Des Moines Register newspaper to a black family thatmoved into a home on my route. I don’t know why (or remember) but Ibecame aware that “they” had crossed some geographical barrier withinthe city, a line. Nothing happened. This was 1963. Inever remember my father uttering a racist remark in his life. But if Iwere to venture a guess today, he was a racist. He would not havewanted either of his daughters to marry a black man. He probably wouldnot have wanted a black family to move in down the block but he neverwould have been rude. I do know my father was capable of change. Aswas/is America.
Scribbler Chris Jepson, fourth from right, white pants
But it’s been us whiteys messing with black America that has theelection of Barack Obama smelling so sweet. I was so very pleased thatin the primaries, white Iowa came out for black Obama. It signaled toAmerica (particularly black America) that a new day was possible —whites would vote a black man president. As “they” say, the rest ishistory.
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