Slight thread drift here, but it makes a point by comparison.

If you want to see real racism at work, then seek out comedians performing in working men's clubs, British Legions and similar venues. I played in hundreds of these places over many years - often in a 'cabaret' style night with several acts on the bill - and most of the comedians were in the Jim Davidson/Bernard Manning league, except not as clever. Dull, predictable comics with unoriginal routines, making weak jokes about black people for cheap laughs from predominantly white audiences.

We (a rock'n roll trio) had a bellyful of this over the years, culminating at one club where we got so pissed off with the comic's racist jokes that we started heckling him severely - so severely that he abandoned his act to a chorus of boos from the audience. We never played there again. In another incident, I was playing with a Jewish bass player and a Jamaican drummer at a works social club in East Sussex. The club secretary came up to us as we were waiting to go on and said, "Hmmm... quite the League of Nations here tonight...". We told him quite pointedly what we thought of his remark - in no uncertain terms - played, demanded our money and cleared off.

Now, compared with that scene, the folk club world as I've seen it over a similar period of time, has always been unfailingly welcoming, tolerant and decent. Institutionally racist? Compared with other music scenes - absolutely not.

Just my experience.