What the what??? That’s right. I asked the question. Is America no longer a racist society?

Now just hold on, people. Breathe. Exhale. And read on.

Do racists still exist in America? Of course. Are there groups and institutions and geographical pockets of the country that still foment and nurture racism? Certainly. Do racial stereotypes still linger in the collective unconscious and cloud our perceptions? Most definitely. Was the United States of America originally a racist society? Yes.

But is our society now, today, an endemically, systematically, racist society? I don’t think so. Not anymore. And it’s been coming on for a long time now, folks. I mean, did everyone miss the first black Supreme Court Justice, Clarence Thomas? Or the first black Secretary of State, Colin Powell? Or the first black FEMALE secretary of state, Condoleeza Rice? Oh, that’s right, they’re CONSERVATIVES, so they don’t count.

It didn’t just change on Nov. 4th, folks. Mine was the first generation where race and sexual orientation began to mean almost nothing. And now the younger generation? It means absolutely nothing in judging a person’s character. As a matter of fact, I would argue that we are the LEAST racist society on the planet. We are the first white majority country to elect a black person leader of their country.

It was our orginal sin. Slavery. And the election of Barack Obama was our final baptism. No longer will blacks be allowed to say that the “man” is keeping them down, no longer will blacks be allowed to use the excuse that they are “second class citizens” and that they will always be relegated to the sidelines by the “system”. Personal responsibility will now have its day. Across the spectrum. The rule of the victim is over. The Jesse Jackson’s and Al Sharpton’s and Louis Farrakhan’s are out of fucking business! And I say, “Amen”!

Okay. Gasp. Got that out of my system.

So what does this mean for American Theatre?

I have no fucking clue.

All I know is that a very good black friend of mine told me the other day, that now, when he tells his kids that they can be anything they want to be – he just smiles. Because he knows it’s finally true. And so do they.

In the end, given time, America usually gets it right. Hang on my gay brothers and sisters, hang on.

Peace.