[Note: Anyone who has followed this blog for a while is surely aware that one of my constant themes is the significance of race in the history of the United States. Here is an early example of that dictum, from the Spring of 2013, a post entitled “Race–and History–Matter.” The theme of the post is that when folks deny the significance of race in this nation’s past, they’re wandering off into the weeds of historical misunderstanding.
This is one of my favorite posts, and it also has attracted many readers of “Retired But Note Shy” over the past decade or so. “Race–and History–Matters” is, thus, an obvious candidate for inclusion among my “retro-posts,” that hardy band of (mostly early) essays intended to inform visitors to the blog of, um, “where I was coming from.” [Please excuse the “1960s-ism.”]
I hope that you’ll enjoy it!]
Retired But Not Shy 
George: I like your phrase … “in the weeds of historical misunderstanding” đŸ™‚ –annie williams (in sunny Kansas)
Thanks, Annie! Said phrase came to me in a flash of inspiration as I was putting the post together–glad you liked it!
One of my favorites, George. History matters. And we Americans know far too little of the history of race from the beginning through now.
Thanks for your comment, Lasley. The “oldies but goodies” among my blog posts tend to stick with me, as this post shows. I liked this one when I wrote it, and I still stand by it a decade later!