Was this a time when race did not matter?

It mattered a hell of a lot less than it does now. Democrats created and maintained segregation up to the 1960s, and now they're bringing it all back.

Ehh, sort of.

It was a lot more grounded in its depiction of race than today's films. Meaning, they showed blacks in bad neighbourhoods were criminals and that White guys could be the heroes and overcome the stereotypes that blacks had of them (viz., Woody's character actually clearing the dunk).

I haven't watched this film in ages, but from what I remember there was no virtue signaling, wokeness, and Woody's character certainly wasn't depicted as evil, nor lectured upon for his race like in today's movies. He was lectured to about other things but it had to do with his character traits, which were, quite frankly, awful.... especially his gambling addiction (so yeah, in some ways the movie was more about character than race).

In 2023 the movie poster would be deemed extremely racist as the white man is more visible than the black dude! It would be considered “disgusting”

oh look another brand new hard right extremist white-is-right account

babbling about race and perceived woke threat

So are you new here , or just a sock account?

Is word of moviechat's easygoing attitudes to free speech and tolerence of extremist bigots getting round to the other hives of racist propaganda ,
like Donald's truth thing , or stormfront or whatever

Not really. It wasn't as extreme then as it is now, but the pattern was already in place. Even the title of this film speaks volumes. I still remember what my friend said on the way out of the theater after we saw it. He's non-white, by the way. He said the title of the film seemed a little offensive, and commented "it's not like someone could get away with making a film called Black Men Can't Think."

The notion was already well in place that whites were inferior in most every way, and this film was but another step on the racist path that led to where we are today.

No, there were still racial issues/stereotypes involved with respect to basketball. Think back to the movie "Airplane" that came out in 1980 and the basketball scene there. More seriously, back in the late 80s, I remember Isiah Thomas and Dennis Rodman causing controversy regarding their comments about Larry Bird (what a series that was...part of the "glory days" of the NBA).

I'm not going to pretend that everything was all rosy back then, because it wasn't. But you didn't have the division back then that you do today. As a "white guy who couldn't jump," you'd think I'd have been a Celtics' fan...but I loved the Lakers and their "Showtime." And no one accused me of "cultural appropriation" or questioned why I rooted for the Lakers. Finally, I will say that I do agree with your line, "A time when you saw the person and not their genetic makeup." I do think that, in general, that was truer then than it is today.

I think Die Hard with a Vengeance did a better job tackling the black/white issue honestly without wokeness.

Race will always matter to some people, but yes. It seemed like 80s/90s movies were headed in a better direction in regards to race and diversity. That isn't to say there was also a lot of room for improvement. Even up into the 2000s, there were racist stereotypes portrayed in films and the white savior trope really was a big thing. It really didn't seem to matter as much and people weren't as worried as they are now. It went crazy in the 2010s and just went very downhill. The 80s and 90s were a good time to handle racial issues and have diversity because you have to remember it wasn't long after segregation had ended (wasn't it still legal in some states?) I'm not saying now isn't a good time either, but specifically it was a time to make up for those years and show that different races can get along. Of course, looking back, the messages became a bit overdone with the "beep bop racism bad" and that's it.... but it's still a very good message. Even in the 70s when black people started to be featured in films more, it was very shortly after The Civil Rights Movement.

The most annoying thing is that now when they have good opportunism to present diversity and racial issues, they don't put it in those films but instead shove it where it isn't needed (fantasy films/children's movies) instead of drama/romance/comedy/teen films. Not that it should be featured in all those genres either, but the social messaging pushed into all these shows/movies where it isn't needed is so tiring. Nowadays it's like everyone has to point out race. Back then both sides could make fun of each other, and now it's the dumb white guy getting picked on because he's "bad."