Thread by @LarryGlickman

A fascinating early use of the eschewing of 'racist bones' came when the 12 African American players on the Denver Broncos boycotted the team's annual dinner-dance in 1966. 1/
newspapers.com/clip/28999313/ via @_newspapers

Mike Freeman, the president of the organization which sponsored the event, said, "There is not a racist bone in the whole Quarterback Club," making the "bone" a collective property not possessed by any of the club's members. 2/

1966 seems to have been an important year in the employment of this "not a racist bone," which seems closely tied to the backlash against the Civil Rights movement. It's the first year I find a reference to the phrase in the newspapers. 3/

Here's CA Gov Pat Brown explaining in October of that year that "there isn't a racist bone" in his 84-year old mother's body but adding that even she is "frightened." The article notes that "there is white backlash in the air." 4/
newspapers.com/clip/28999469/

Princeton football coach, Dick Colman was charged with racial discrimination in 1969 but his supporters assured that "he hasn't got a racist bone in his body," and gave a bill of particulars, including that he had recently traveled to Africa. /5
newspapers.com/clip/28999681/

In 1968, the Minneapolis Civil Rights activist, Josie Johnson expressed frustration about this language of lacking racist bones. 6/
newspapers.com/clip/28999792/

Add Oliver North (1993) to the pantheon of people who lack racist bones. /7
newspapers.com/clip/29004330/

A Garry Trudeau Doonesbury comic strip from 1982 mocked the idea, already a cliche, that Reagan lacked "a racist bone in his body." /8

newspapers.com/clip/29006321/

This one's for @TimLombard0 on George H.W. Bush seeking support from Mayor Frank Rizzo in 1988 & also being a ''guy [that] doesn't have a racist bone in his body, & truly cares about minorities.'' /9
nytimes.com/1988/04/26/us/…

It's not just men accused of racist acts who lack racist bones. Women lack them too. 10/
newspapers.com/clip/29009431/