Wow not one black person in their town

you know you do have a point

they could have put gregory hines in there somewhere!

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I think they wanted to illustrate how "backwards" the townspeople were without bringing race into the picture, which would make the film more controversial and then about something else. If Ren were black, the movie would have caused a HUGE uproar, even in the 80s. And even today, there are small towns like this in midwest America that are completely white. Though they are disappearing.

Personally I appreciate that there was no token black character, because a token isn't really a good thing. It would also be unrealistic considering it takes place in a tiny little town in Utah - a state in which black people made up about one half of one percent of the population in the 80's (these days it's up to a whopping 1%). But hey, when they remade it a few years ago with Julianne Hough they set it in Georgia, which allowed them to make Woody black and Rusty a Latina.

The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those that speak it.

I went to a Washington State small town high school from 2001-2004.

Each graduating class is under a hundred.

The community has a very similar feel to Bomont.

I'm certain there was never more than two black students enrolled there at any given time.

It's possible some black people or students were present, but not involved in the action - just out of frame or in another room.

Maybe it was a Sundown Town. You know these small towns hide dark secrets.

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Realistic. I grew up in small town southern Illinois. No black people.

The church was split over whether going to prom was sinful. ;)

Half the youth group went anyway.

Someone brought an unloaded shotgun to show and tell with the principal's approval. My ... how things have changed. LoL