I'm from a small no-name town in southern VA and it's crazy that just moving to the DMV area how much people turn their noses at my county in comparison to their more "progressive" stances. But, as you said, people have the tendency to just associate racism with old White country folk when it is, in fact, any and everywhere. People act like Klansman and racists are just these random people in society, but more often than not they hold some sort of important position (lawyers, doctors, mechanics, etc.). A lot of times when these type of people are nice to you it's because they believe you to be "one of the good ones" and not because they actually view you as an equal. Racism isn't always racial slurs and lynchings, sometimes (a lot of times) it's more passive and that's why it can thrive the way it has.

I appreciate you sharing this!