re: Why did racism suddenly flare up in the past few years?

Everyone says Obama but I think it correlates with the rise of social media. Now racists and extremists on both sides can spew their vitriol and people, sadly, listen. Social media is where most of this crap starts before spilling over into real life.

Part of it too, I think, is we are more integrated than ever. I am about OPs age and I remember the 80's. I feel like even as recent as the 80's and 90's that black people were still segregated for the most part. Even though civil rights was passed in 64, let's be real, blacks are just now integrating which means whites and blacks are having more interaction than ever. Racial problems were bound to happen as a result.