The problem is still here.

[netmouse]

From yesterday's news: Summer camp kids get expelled from a private club their camp paid for membership in because club members and owners concerned minority kids will "change the complexion … and the atmosphere of the club."

"When the minority children got in the pool all of the Caucasian children immediately exited the pool," Horace Gibson, parent of a day camp child, wrote in an email. "The pool attendants came and told the black children that they did not allow minorities in the club and needed the children to leave immediately."

The next day the club told the camp director that the camp's membership was being suspended and their money would be refunded.

"I said, 'The parents don't want the refund. They want a place for their children to swim,'" camp director Aetha Wright said.

Go to the article and watch the video linked to on the left. Those kids are so articulate, and so bewildered at the same time, by comments made by club members.

Then consider watching this video here:

Happily another place stepped up and offered the campers a place to swim. The club is now claiming the reason was really that the pool couldn't accommodate so many children in addition to the private members. That's obviously not the whole story, and in any case that doesn't take away the experience of these kids hearing racist comments and being told they had to leave.

Comments

[novapsyche.livejournal.com]

I beg to differ. It might have been seen as progress in 1990. Not so much in the wake of electing a black president.

I also wouldn't say that the club is "falling all over itself". Its initial statement was revealing in itself as to how sensitive the club is to how words and actions reflect racism. Change the freaking complexion? Also, the best it could do was refund the money? Not specifically allow the daycare to come back, perhaps with reserved hours? Not even apologize for what a patron might have said, in order to distance the club from said remarks?

My heart goes out to the students, some of whom suffered a deep psychological scar due to this stupid and entirely unnecessary incident.

[custardfairy.livejournal.com]

This. Yes.

It's ridiculous that the behind the scenes process seems to have been something like, "What? You mean this isn't OK anymore? Great, I guess we have to apologize now so we don't look like assholes."

Not because what they did wasn't right and they recognize that, or because they just really hurt a bunch of kids. That's not progress - it's getting caught being an asshole.