It's fascinating how much backlash there can be for supporting big social equality shifts. Almost certainly many of the people that caused so much trouble for Peter Norman for his participation in that protest were not malicious, overt racists. Some of them probably didn't think they were racists at all. So much of the time resistance to advancement comes about because people are afraid to rock the boat, because they are distressed about being called out, because they don't want to be forced to choose a side. They just want everything to be better at no personal cost. As has been said, evil triumphs when good men do nothing. It's amazing how much truth there is in that, and how much depth. If you insist on burying the issue every time it comes up or if you insist on "waiting until the right time" you're not helping.

So many people today think that it's fine to just be neutral. And in a way that's alright, it's certainly better than actively participating in hate, but it doesn't make you a good person. A good person takes a stand, a good person makes an effort to make things better, even if it comes at a cost.