
<p>A culture is a set of values—and how we express them. While America has many foundational traditions and values, many changes over time.  ;Cultures are in constant flux—and none more than the American culture.</p>



<p>I have long contended that the American people are not racist. While remnants of racism exist on the periphery, America is not a racist culture today &#8212; as I have written on many occasions in recent years.</p>



<p>One of the best ways to understand our culture is to study commercials and advertising. They reflect the culture as it exists at the time. The reasons are obvious. Successful advertising depends on meeting the people where they are. Ads are created to elicit a positive reaction. Potential customers need to see themselves in the promotional content.</p>



<p>So, what can we deduce from the array of advertisements we see on the telly, hear on the radio, popping up on social media, and read in newspapers and magazines (for those who still read newspapers and magazines)?</p>



<p>One of the most notable insights we can discover aligns with my belief that America is not a racist nation. If we were a racist White supremacist population, we would not see so many Black individuals in television commercials. In fact, Black characters in television ads outpace their 14 percent share of the American population. No advertiser would do that if 74 percent of the White population (including White Hispanics were being offended or angered.</p>



<p>To understand the dynamic, consider that in the 1950s—when Democrat institutional racism was raging in the South and major cities, and the general population was more racist—you never saw a Black person depicted in general advertising. It was limited to narrowcasting radio and billboards in segregated Black communities—and confined mostly to Black-only products, such as hair relaxers.</p>



<p>What we have seen over the past 75 years is a major cultural change as reflected in commercial advertising. That change is also documented by other means—studies, employment records, and more.</p>



<p>If you look closely, you will also notice another cultural change. Many ads feature Black and White couples—as friends, lovers, and integrated families. This is another major cultural shift from days of yore. ; And another example of public acceptance.</p>



<p>What we see in terms of Black characters and images in advertising is also true for Hispanics and Asians. In advertisements with groups of people, you will inevitably see an across-the-board diversity.</p>



<p>Yet another cultural change reflected in advertising is the depiction of gay marriages and partnerships. These are most apparent in ads for HIV pharmaceuticals. More importantly, portrayals of gay couples can be found across a broad range of products and services.</p>



<p>Advertising reflects the current general culture, even though institutional or systemic racism and race-baiting among the ruling class still exist. Some of the alleged racism is real, but much is concocted as political narrative to create division for political purposes.</p>



<p>As a society, we must continue to push back against the remnants of the largely marginalized White hate groups, such as the Neo-Nazis and Skinheads. While they still garner attention, their numbers and influence are minimal compared to their cultural ancestors, such as the Ku Klux Klan, the White Citizens’ Councils, the Knights of the White Camellia, the Red Shirts, and other paramilitary terrorist groups that once thrived in the old solid Democrat South.</p>



<p>In addition, we must still address the institutional and systemic racism that keeps Black Americans—and to a lesser degree, Hispanic Americans—segregated and oppressed in our major Democrat-controlled cities. This leaves millions of minority Americans deprived of education, housing, jobs, safe streets, social mobility, and access to America’s opportunity society. It is a pernicious racism rooted in political power and opportunism.</p>



<p>But &#8230; we the people are not as racist or homophobic as the political narratives suggest. The diversity in advertising is a very good thing. It provides strong evidence that the American people—of all backgrounds—are much more accepting and much more tolerant than the politicians, the media, and race-baiting so-called civil rights leaders would have us believe.</p>



<p>So, there ‘tis.</p>

Watch commercials and see America’s diversity culture
