Originally Posted by 6er

It isn't actually that simple. In one interview....maybe the one on the "Captain's Log" box set, You will find this is actually a race based episode, at the very least to him, and he played the role that way. Avery Brooks is very deeply emotional when it comes to the history of Blacks in America, and this episode absolutely is out of the norm for Trek.....why?

First, get in the head of someone living in this mythical show, and its time and circumstances.

It's deep in the 23rd Century, and in "Trek Universe", race hasn't been any kind of issue for Black humans for 400 years.

Look at TOS. Uhura is on the bridge. Her race NEVER comes up in the story of the show. WHY?

BECAUSE EVERYONE IS PAST IT! IT DOESNT MAKE A FRIGGIN DIFFERENCE TO ANYONE! EVERYONE IS PERFECTLY EQUAL!! People no longer dwell on the dark past. They remember it to prevent it from happening again, but it doesn't haunt their dreams. On several occasions in DS9, Sisko talks about how hard they worked, "our people's history" in reference to slavery and civil rights movement. IF we were talking about a VERY early Star Trek where the utopia is starting, after The Vulcans landed, you might have an episode.

The entire premise of Star Trek as a show is to show what could theoritically be possible(but I doubt humans will EVER achieve, we like conflict too much), if ever one puts aside all their differences and works together. Brooks, is a great actor(and very odd in real life like all the best ones), but should have left Trek to be Trek.