I can see how some of the postings here would be likely to make the community seem unwelcoming to very many people of colour. Some people have a hide like a rhinoceros and are oblivious to any lack of welcome. You only have to read this thread to see. One of my own, due to lack of care in my wording, could have seemed to belittle the historical suffering of many African-Americans.

Walk a mile (etc).

Put it another way round. If this community is equally welcoming, why are so few African Americans, native Americans, Africans, West Indians, Asians, Orientals, indigenous Australasians, etc, posting here (or known to be posting here)? Can it simply be that our music is largely Anglocentric and that that is no attraction? If that were so, should we not see an increase in the number of non-anglos posting in BS, particualrly given the importance of race and gender issues in the Democratic primaries?