The high school that I went to in Atlanta was very diverse racially. In fact in 8th and 9th grade I was the only white guy at my lunch table. I didn't think much of it; they were just the guys I hung out with.

I do recall one episode in particular in high school that heightened my awareness of race. There was a black guy one grade ahead of me that I knew fairly well. We had a few classes together. Unfortunately this guy often was the butt of jokes from other black guys at our school who said that he "acted white". By this guy's senior year he was sick of the taunts. So at the start of the school year, he showed up one day at school with a gun. Not to shoot anyone. But because in his mind (and based on those who had taunted him for "acting white") "acting black" meant acting like a thug.

I am reminded of this sad story today as I watch this video of former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young talking about Barack Obama. When asked about Obama running for president this year, Young commented that he wanted Obama to be president but not until 2016. In contrast, he was vocal about his support for Hillary Clinton because of Bill Clinton who "is every bit as black as Barack." He also mentioned that Bill Clinton has "probably gone with more black women than Barack".

It appears to me that Andrew Young is making the case that being black is mostly defined by one's actions. I'm not trying to bash Bill Clinton here, but what exactly does Clinton do to "act black"? This whole concept is highly insulting and someone like Andrew Young, whom I am long respected for his Civil Rights work, should know better.