This is gonna sound silly but since I revolted against this from an early age before I encountered diversity, I am guessing that it was Sidney Poitier who affected me the most. I don't remember ever actually feeling this way myself, but he may have reinforced my thinking. I just loved the guy growing up, lol.

When he said, "They call me Mr. Tibbs!" I was pretty young, and it really grabbed me.

Thanks for sharing your experience. It can be pretty jarring to hear these kinds of remarks when we move from less diverse places. I tend to live in urban areas, so I'm lucky in that regard.