Yes, it can perceived as a racist remark in this day and age. Please look at the date when it was published and it will help you understand. Also, look at many other publications from other religious/political/etc. organizations and you will find writings alike this one. However, society has evolved.
Let us think and use common sense.
I completely agree with you DY. My gripe wasn't with the percieved racism of the WTS back then, they can be excused, that was the thinking of the day. What cannot be excused is the R&F JWs believing their claim to be God's channel.
Did God suddenly change his view on blacks along with the rest of the world? Did "new light" suddenly tell them that it was ok for black "brothers" to sit next to white "brothers" at the conventions?
For a group that claims to be "no part of this world" they sure went along with a lot of its harmful precepts. I would have thought God would have caused them to have a key role in winning court battles upholding the liberties and opportunities of all races, instead of just stupid crap like "freedom to knock on doors without a permit" and "freedom not to salute the flag". Bunch of bigheads if you ask me, lol
The issue of white and black is still very much alive in the states I guess.
I think in a lot of european countries the issue has hardly been raised. In France for example, the consitution doesn't recognise different races, even though they have a very high population of blacks, arabs and chinese, everybody is just "French". Its illegal to ask questions about race in the National Census. Their ideology is that since race cannot be measured, it doesn't exist... even some of the white french may have some other races mixed with them 1 or even 10 generations ago race is immaterial and immeasurable.
I tend to agree with them in that respect... but the non-recognition of race there, has led to races other than whites being shown less and less on the television and in other places of prominence (except sport and music). Since there is officially no such thing as race according to their constitution, there is no need to measure and control the quantity of blacks, arabs, asians etc. in the media by means of positive discrimination.