Controversial?
It was the opposite of controversial. Perhaps a bit of a throwback to a music genre popular in earlier times.. like MacArthur’s Park or Dominica by the Singing Nun or any of the other “odd” hits that were not in keeping with current popular styles.
I always thought songs like that were unifying rather than divisive. It showed people with diverse musical tastes and backgrounds could share the stage together and enjoy each other.
In a similar vein, I often think back to those times and consider that the rock bands I was in, the sports I played, and in the service - there was more than likely a few black guys in the band or on the team - or that you served with - or who were stars that you admired…. we really had gotten past the racism back in the 1960s and 1970s..
Then along comes Obama (a uniter not a divider) and look how we are now.
Those days were supposed to be so racially divided but that’s not the way I remember it was in my circles.
I really think the agitators on college campuses and the anti-American fake news did a number on us - convincing everyone there was all this racism.. so sad.