Did you ever wonder how it is that it became the 'dreaded N' word? Who made it the word that can't be spoken and why? Everybody once used the N word because it was the only word that described people of a certain characteristic in a way that was easily identifiable by all. Ask anyone who lived in the pre-50s era to see what other word was used. So how did that then make the transition from acceptable to being unacceptable? I've read the story before as there have been a few threads on this subject here on FR. Of course there have been intermediate steps too - blacks, coloured people ..... and now to the totally ridiculous African American. Frankly, I don't see anything wrong with the N word - don't use it myself because I don't like people looking at me funny but at the end of the day, it's just a word. Rest assured, we will likely live to see the day when the next faux pas will be to use the African American word - referred to as the 'dreaded AA' word and of course it will be replaced by something else and all previously used words will be held in disdain. It's actions and attitudes that count, not some flippant and changing definition that we stick on a word.
As for the other point about where attitudes akin to racism do exists, I think the biggest offender is actually liberalism where the word tolerance (for them) has taken on the meaning of acceptance. Thus the only thing these 'tolerant' people are intolerant about is those that carry principles that won't tolerate certain things. For example, I'm labeled an intolerant individual because of my belief in one God, one truth, one salvation, an inerrant scripture, hell for the unbelievers, truth not being relative, homosexuality is a sin etc. Attitudes against me aren't racism (because there is no race involved) but it has the same tone to it. And Christians across America had better get used to it because it is breathing down our necks daily.
He was black, by-the-way...