Discrimination

Image

When we think of Vintage Vegas, we think of neon lights, high rollers, and the Rat Pack. But beneath the glitter of the 1950s sat a ugly reality: Las Vegas was known as the "Mississippi of the West." While Black icons like Sammy Davis Jr. and Nat King Cole were selling out showrooms, they were often forced to enter through hotel kitchens and sleep in segregated boarding houses across town.

In the news this week was word that Kate Smith’s “God Bless America” had been banned by the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Flyers.  The reason for this ban was because it was learned that Ms. Smith had recorded some songs that were considered racist.  The songs pointed out were “That’s Why Darkies Were Born,” and “Pickaninny Heaven. Along with that I sense that people are judging Ms. Smith as being racist for singing these songs, which truthfully do contain wording that is fundamentally racist.