The real story is, the Romneys have distinguished themselves as passionate and stalwart supporters of civil rights for blacks—long before it was popular.
You want the moderators on you?
George Romney was passionate alright. He tried to implement affirmative action plans in the area of housing early in the Nixon administration. Nixon signed on to the Philadelphia Plan to promote race quotas in employment and schooling, but refused to ratify Romney’s proposal to require racial quotas in suburban neighborhoods:
http://hnn.us/articles/29900.html