I'm triggered.  After more than six decades of experience, I finally decided it is time to speak about the twin curses of racism: the real and the fake. For years, I have learned to avoid the subject whenever I was in the company of black people.  When I did try to discuss the matter, it was at best awkward and oftentimes worse than that.  A single careless word could cause offense when none was intended. But now, change is in the air.  Recently, I have become aware that more than a few white people have begun to actually speak frankly, with black people, about racism.  Moreover, people are beginning to listen to each other.  Best of all, they are doing so in a non-political, non-academic setting.  That is key.  When the conversation is one on one, person to person, with no news coverage, no partisan advocacy, then cordial honesty can prevail.  People are genuinely curious about...(Read Full Post)