You don’t think of yourself as a racist, either – and please know, I’m not calling you one. How could I be complicit in any kind of racism, and furthermore, why was I being held accountable for it? The cognitive dissonance was strong. I revered the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., I hoped to have the bravery and fortitude of Rosa Parks. The Cosby kids, Gary Coleman… all staples of my youth. I grew up adoring Michael Jackson and Prince. I get it because I used to think like that, too. I mean, since Affirmative Action discriminates against white people, that is reverse racism, right? I hear you saying, “I’ve never personally owned a slave why should I be held responsible for things that happened so long ago?” I also know how much you hate it when people “play the race card” to take away things you deserved, like that job promotion. I know that even hearing the words racism or worse, racist, feels accusatory – offensive, even.
I totally understand your reluctance to discuss racism. Also published on Medium, with audio version available to Medium members.
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