Your Grandmother was very wise. I too believe that it is not the color of a persons' skin, looks or disability that defines them, it is their actions. I believe it is what's inside a person that makes them.

I agree with you Phoenix and will add it's not what's inside them but whats not inside them as well like education and the knowledge and wisdom higher learning produces in each human being.

It was just a couple months ago they held the funeral to bury the N-word but it will not be laid to rest for many more generations to come when the world accepts in their hearts the need for change in their thoughts thru education. Equality still has a ways to go on every front.

For one, women still hasn't gotten their just respect in the workforce much less in the race, national origin and ethnic issues in many countries and America. My gut feeling is the world will never be non-racist for some time to come where we will be judged by the character of our souls instead of the color of our skin.

When you look at our high school drop rate and the prison internship, you will understand why it will take many more years to become non-racist.

Thanks for an interesting Blog!

When I was young, my mother hired a lady to come to our house to help with the cleaning and help with us kids. I remember my mother telling us that the lady was coming and we were to address her as "Mrs. Newton." Mrs. Newton was a highly educated and loving lady to us kids. She was with our family for many years until we moved too far away.

Prejudice was never an issue in our family and, in later years, when I came upon it, I couldn't understand that anyone would feel hatred because someone else had a different skin color. I still don't understand it. I think this was probably the greatest gift my parents passed onto us. I think the reason we were so unaware was because we lived in the suburbs of the boondocks...away from everything.

As to some of the words that are bandied about these days, and the consensus is that everyone says them, well, I don't. Why must language be so rude? No one has the right to denigrate anyone else. I don't understand why we have to be so rude to each other. Take Care. LK

When my kids were little I never used black as the distinguishing point for my kids. I would simply say ask the kid in the green shirt if he wants some chips as if that was the only way I could find to differentiate the kid. Now that they're older they still don't see skin color which was exactly what I wanted. Norman, the kid in the green shirt, is my younger one's best friend and has been since preschool.