Can the book be considered rascist?

[Baran]

I consider the LOTR and silmarillio a masterpiece, and I love the books.
The only thing I find a bit disturbing is when Tolkien describes non-white people. They are always evil, and he even describes men from the far south of Harad to be "Terrible, with black skin, white eyes and red tuonges, like half-trolls" (in the ROTK, quote translated from Norwegian book).
And several other places he described black people in a very non flattering way. Did he consider non-white people lesser than white?
And all this about the pure bloodlines, people being of pure blood, it reminds me of the Nazi ideals.

So please people, convinse me Tolkien was no rascist!

*** BW'S EDITING NOTE ***
I changed the title. I couldn't stand seeing the word 'racistic' any more! The gross misspelling was driving me crazy!

[ May 26, 2002: Message edited by: The Barrow-Wight ]