Yes, it's not all the bucolic Andy Griffith Mayberry kinda towns. sadly...
I have an ugly story, but I will try with a good story to balance it out...
When I was in 6th grade, my best friend was a black girl named Marguerite. I invited her over to spend the night and go rollerskating some weekend; when her mother spoke with my mother to sort out the details, and realized we were white, her mom wouldn't let her come
. I was too young to comprehend wtf was going on - the concept of reverse discrimination - and blamed myself for some imagined transgressons.
Good story: My high school was small enough that all of the classes important to me (physics, chemistry, adv math, calculus, etc...) were all taught by an Episcopal priest, whose tireless support and encouragement inspired me to do undergrad at the same university he attended for his DDivinity degree...so it's proof positive that one good role model providing encouragement and support can make a huge difference in a young person's life. Not that the same sort of thing doesn't happen in larger communities, but I think people get busy and that one-on-one connection is more rare.