In the South, race is an issue with just about everything (for better or worse). I still have relatives there and visit the region from time to time. My hometown of Huntsville isn't too bad because it was built by highly educated people from all over (more Ph.Ds per capita than any city in America according to a Time article several years ago). However, much of the region still has major racial issues like you wouldn't believe. My wife (who isn't white) and I are thankful we got out of there 17 years ago.

Lott couldn't keep getting elected in Mississippi without winning the white vote. He couldn't hold the white vote unless they were comfortable that his views were in line with theirs. The old overt racism of Democrat politicos like George Wallace and Lester Maddox are buried beneath the surface, but not too deep.

Someone called slavery "America's Original Sin" and perhaps they were right. When someone starts off with the view that other races are inferior, then it becomes easy to rationalize all sorts of terrible acts against them.