We got the promised snow Wednesday night, about 4 inches of heavy wet stuff that stuck to the shovel. Ah well, it pretty much melted off the streets and sidewalks by yesterday afternoon.
I was recently commenting on a story (via Incertus) about the Florida Senate issuing an apology for slavery, and it occurred to me that I really don't have any experience with the emotions involved. According to the last census, there are 4685 black/African American people in South Dakota, putting them as a minority group in a virtual tie for third with Asians,well behind Native Americans and Hispanics. It is still quite possible to grow up here and never meet a live black person. When you talk race relations here, it almost always involves Native Americans.
I've been fortunate to have gotten to know African Americans through college, and my step-daughter is currently involved with a black man, but overall the historical baggage just isn't here. After all, South Dakota didn't exist until 1886, and my family didn't settle here until 1890 after coming from Europe.
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