the race card

[Peterkin]

I do know one instance where someone "played the race card" in its most blatant form. In a Toronto hospital (staff in such places is always diverse; ethnic conflict, relatively rare) we had two West Indian colleagues.
Cecil, skin the shade of weak tea, garrulous and handsome, outranked dark chocolate, homely, shy Charles - who was by far the more popular man.
When Cecil, after several warnings, made yet another improper advance to one of my students - a girl of seventeen! - and i finally slated him for a formal reprimand - he had the temerity to say i picked on him because of his colour. (His complaint was not taken seriously: his reputation was well established by then.)

At that time - the mid-70's - this was sometimes a legitimate complaint, and sometimes used to gain unfair advantage, or get away with reprehensible behaviour.
I know that there has been a good deal of controversy over legal, official and employment policies regarding ethnicity and race. The problem of cultural difference and the desire of some people for ascendency doesn't just go away: it has to be addressed.
We have to grow up to mutual tolerance, then understanding, then amity - and that takes time as well as good will.