Existing comment:
"There was no more grievous sin at our household than a racial slur or other evidence of racial intolerance."
-- Ronald Reagan
A Family's Heritage: Foundations of a Leader:
Ronald Reagan's family roots reach back to England, Scotland, and Ireland. The values handed down to him -- commitment, fairness, and forgiveness -- were significant gifts from his predecessors.
His father, Jack, passed along a fierce conviction that all people were created equal. On one sales trip, he was told he would like a hotel because it did not accept Jews. Jack Reagan was so offended that he slept in the car. Years later, when a local hotel barred two African American teammates on his college football team, young Ronald Reagan brought them to his parents' house, where he knew they would be welcome. |