A fascinating early use of the eschewing of & #39;racist bones& #39; came when the 12 African American players on the Denver Broncos boycotted the team& #39;s annual dinner-dance in 1966. 1/
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Mike Freeman, the president of the organization which sponsored the event, said, "There is not a racist bone in the whole Quarterback Club," making the "bone" a collective property not possessed by any of the club& #39;s members. 2/

1966 seems to have been an important year in the employment of this "not a racist bone," which seems closely tied to the backlash against the Civil Rights movement. It& #39;s the first year I find a reference to the phrase in the newspapers. 3/