Massachusetts is a weird place, politically, because it's (by American standards) extraordinarily liberal (it's one of the few states where the majority of white men voted for Clinton, I believe), but it has this huge blind spot when it comes to race issues. As someone who's lived here all my life, it's weird how defensive people can get about the state's reputation in that area, and how that defensiveness can so easily turn ugly.
Having said that, I do think the city is getting better, and I think a lot of the people in power are at least reasonable about the history and what needs to be fixed. The police have actually done very well with community policing, and the commissioner at least sounds reasonable about issues like body cameras, community interaction, and terrorism (and let's be clear, I'm talking relative here, I'm not absolving the police of all sins). The Mayor and the Governor have both been similarly reasonable, even if I don't agree with them on all issues.
Still, Boston remains weirdly provincial, insular, and defensive, and until that stops it's going to be hard to change attitudes. It's frustrating, because there's a lot I love about the city, but the racism hangs over it.
Edit: Just so we're clear, I'm saying that "provincial, insular, and defensive" are barriers to stamping out the racism, not that they're the whole problem.
