New South's Carl Crane doesn't prejudge people
EASLEY, S.C. -- Like many South Carolinians, Carl Crane is a political conservative, with strong views about faith and limited government. He also considers himself a New South man who relates to people as individuals, not as members of a particular race.
Crane, 60, a father with two sons in college, is owner of an auto repair shop in this town of 20,000. Many of his most loyal customers are African American. His roots in the car business go back to his youth, when he started working in the Chevrolet-Cadillac dealership his grandfather founded in 1923. His father ran the dealership later and Crane was in charge until it closed in 2006.
Crane is a member of Easley First Baptist Church and graduated from Baptist College, now Charleston Southern University, with a degree in business management.
Among his classmates at Easley High School was Stanley Morgan, an African-American football star who led the school to a state championship and went on to play 12 years with the New England Patriots.
Q. When did you first become aware of your race?
A. Gosh, I wouldn't know. I really don't. As far as being aware of different races, that's so long ago I couldn't tell you when that happened.
Q. What has been your best experience and/or worst experience with someone of another race?
A. We had a black body shop manager 45 years ago, and he was really good, a very likable person, Frank Gamble. But as far as worst and best, I can't really narrow it down as far as race. It would be an experience, but it wouldn't really be based on race. I've not had any bad race issues. I mean, you've got good and bad people of every race. It's hard to narrow it down to that.
Q. How did your experience of race change you?
A. I've had mostly good experiences. So I guess it's changed me to be more accepting of all races.
Q. How are your feelings about people of different races, and your experiences with them, different from those of your parents?
A. My father was the one that hired Frank Gamble as a manager. They were accepting of other races, and I feel like I'm even more so… I just remember (Gamble) interacting with all the managers, him being one of them… But there was nothing special because he was black. He was just another manager.
Q. What has been your generation's biggest challenge as it pertains to race?
A. I think it's the same challenge that maybe every generation has, and that is to be, however tolerant we are at the time, to be even more so. In fact, it shouldn't even be about white, black, yellow or whatever. It should just be about individuals. Until it gets to that point, we have work to do.
Q. What do we need to do, as a country and as individuals, to move past race as a way to divide and define us?
A. As an individual and a country we need to do the same thing, and that is to get to the point to where race is not the issue. You go about doing it one person at a time. You've just got to be more accepting and don't prejudge people based on race. Everybody is an individual, either good individuals or bad, but race should not have anything to do with it.
Barnett also reports for The Greenville (S.C.) News.