How can I deal with noisy upstairs neighbors?

First off why did you feel the need to reference the color of his/their skin it really is irrelevant. Hey/they could have been blue, pink... it wouldn't have mattered. Obviously these guys were just uneducated, low life punks looking to start trouble.

You did the right thing to look away and not acknowledge them. That is not being cowardly that is being mature and taking the higher road. That punk obviously was looking for trouble and was more then likely a racist.

You did the right thing. You would have been no better off and gained nothing from engaging him/them.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.