When I think of how I could be able to relate to "Master Harold and the Boys" by Athol Fugard very little seems to come to mind. In my life I have not experienced any of the racist experiences that were exhibited in the play. When I was young my parents instilled in me the idea of accepting people for their personal characteristics and not their physical ones. With this way of thinking, I was oblivious to racism for a good portion of my life. In my life, the only time I personally remember racism affecting me, even indirectly, was when my Cub Scout den was looking around to see which Boy Scout troop we should join.
             My mother, talking to the scoutmaster told him that there were two white boys and two black boys in her den. Upon hearing this, the scoutmaster told my mother that he did not want any "monkeys" in his troop and continued on to insult their intelligence level. When my mother complained to the officials at the scout office about this incident she was told that she would have to come to a meeting with the person she was accusing and confront him there. In spite of how difficult it was for my mother to confront someone she followed through with the plan and within a few months, the troop was disbanded. Later on my friends and I joined the troop that I am currently with which gladly accepted them as members.
             From what I have learned in school about American history, racism in the 1950s was commonplace in this country. Segregation at this time was spread through everything from drinking fountains and park benches to restaurants and hotels. Black children were forced to go to separate schools of lower quality, even some lynching and cross burnings were taking place in certain towns. Despite numerous contributions to society, such as inventions and the creation of million-dollar companies, blacks were still treated as second-class citizens.
             Currently, in this country, we won't even admit that racism is a problem. Ou...