This is wonderful, and I think it’s reverberated with me more than almost anything else I’ve read recently — and I’ve been doing a lot of reading! My white father and white stepmother adopted a mixed baby boy when I was 12 years old. His experiences with racism rolled out very similar to the way yours did. One of the problems I’ve been having recently is people telling me that I am racist simply because I’m white, and I accepted that on faith for a couple years, but when I examine my heart, I know it’s not true. I have heard shockingly racist stories and I know that I would never behave the way those racists do, yet when I say that, people seem to think I just haven’t been pushed far enough yet.

I’m not offended when people call me racist. I understand it’s pervasive in the society, I understand that I benefit from racism and white privilege even when I do not perpetuate it. But when people assume that all white people have a deep-seated distrust and hatred of Black people, how is there a path forward from there? Why are so many white people shocked and dismayed at seeing video of police brutality towards Black people, if they deeply are themselves racist? I guess people would say that’s just performative, eh?

Anyway, I appreciate your perspective and I hope you keep thinking independently and sharing from your heart. I think many people in this comment section have been reading so much that they don’t really know what they think or believe anymore.