@ahelwer
Oh I read it so long ago I didn't remember. This review is interesting:
https://goingrampant.blogspot.com/2010/06/childhoods-end-flawed-1950s-anti-racism.html
Apparently in the fictional universe apartheid was overthrown and this is supposed to be an anti racist message trying to make it palatable for a white audience. Which is still very flawed but at least makes it less terrible.