Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory was panned when it was released in 1971 but has since become a much-loved classic. One of the best moments in the movie, of course, is when the abysmally spoiled, demanding Veruca Salt sings her anthem, “I Want It Now!” only to be destroyed by her impatient greed. Back then, audiences nodded approvingly. Today, if Salt were portrayed as a black activist, she’d be wildly applauded for putting her boot on the neck of white privilege. However, if you look back on America a century or more ago, most whites had no privilege and lived horrific lives. It was the patience of generations that raised them up.
