If there’s any concept I want white people to fully embrace, it’s that most, if not all of you are racist to some extent and it doesn’t mean you’re the worst person, or even a bad person. Because no one is immune to their socialization. Racism is not binary.

Lots of smart, kind, thoughtful and well meaning people are racist via their own action and ignorance, or complicit in racism through their inaction, and benefit from racism despite not asking to. I want everyone to wrap their heads around how ubiquitous it is.

As it stands, racism is so taboo that people clamor for their exclusion from it. It’s the most terrible thing to be called. It’s why the conversation is often derailed to focus on individual anecdotes and interpersonal relationships. Which are least important.

And by least important, I mean the fact that you’re nice to your Black coworker because your parents taught you “not to see color” doesn’t have any tangible impact on systemic racism, the wealth gap, healthcare disparities, education disparities etc.

I say all this to say, watching two old white men stand on a stage debating who among the two of them is or isn’t racist is a meaningless conversation because both are guilty and largely illiterate on the subject matter.

There is no single act or accomplishment that permanently disqualifies you from being racist.