I exaggerate, of course, but...
I write of the "public nation", as opposed to the "real nation". The "public nation" is the nation reflected in the culture, the America which Trump wants to make great again, the America which liberals think is evolving to fulfill the promises of past history. Maybe I'll write more on the concept sometime, but this is mostly based on my personal history:
Take 1946 as an example: blacks (Negroes in the proper parlance of the time) were not seen on television--there wasn't much then. They weren't in sports, not visibly. Not in pro basketball, not in pro baseball, not in pro football, not in horse racing to name the major sports then. They were in evidence in track and field and in boxing (Joe Louis).
Negroes weren't in movies, much, other than as servants. They weren't in national politics, a couple representatives (William Dawson and Clayton Powell). Probably the most powerful Negro was the head of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.
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