e_louise - you should have been out west. The Black family my child and I were very good friends with always raved how they were treated like royalty because they were the minority in this city. Same in so cal - they had left their loving, protestant, church, for the "truth!" The wife told me they rolled out the red carpet treatment for she and sister/mother. She raised a nice young lady and son - good people, honor students. She was quite outspoken and didn't take much crazy - she opened my eyes to a lot of dynamics inside those hall walls and clicks.
Maybe it's the city - I've been told by more than one black they love it here and appreciate they've great jobs/ins benefits -- capitalism at it's best -- or was! The state wasn't a welfare state until about 10 yrs. ago.