[Avox]

I'm going to a state university that is predominately white (like 95%, seriously). Both of my roommates are white, but I'm mixed. The other day, one of my roommates was on the phone with her dad while taking an online quiz. I was sitting quietly on the other side of the room (the room isn't very big, so we weren't far from each other). She starts talking about democracy and tells her dad that we're a democracy. Then she says, no, we're not, it's a dictatorship, and whispers "because our president is black." He didn't hear what she said, so she repeats it and adds "and everyone listens to him." Then she kinda turns, realizes I'm there(?), says it sounds racist and she takes it back (to her dad, not to me).

I started laughing because it was such an awkward situation and I'm used to my white siblings joking about stuff like that. But I'm from a very diverse area where white is the minority. It didn't hit me until later that it's possible she actually meant it in a racist way and wasn't simply joking. She could have also been afraid of offending me. I'm not sure which.

I'm not saying she's racist. But in an area predominately white, I found it odd. If any of you are from areas that are predominately white, do people normally make comments like this? Keep in mind this is my first year of college and my first year away from home, sooo, yeah.

tl;dr - My roommate whispered to her dad that we're a dictatorship because our president is black.

Discuss!
What makes a comment racist?
When should such comments be taken seriously?
Would you have been offended? Regardless of your race/ethnicity.