Posted BY: John Green
I’ve been interviewed several times by a podcaster who contacted me after reading one of my articles. We always have lively and respectful conversations — about even the most sensitive topics. She is a woman “of color.” I on the other hand am so pale that I could sunburn from sitting too close to a bright table lamp. According to the CRT consultants, she and I should have diametrically opposed worldviews and couldn’t possibly trust each other enough to have candid conversations. Our talks should be limited to her demanding an apology from me, for the slaves my ancestors never owned. And yet, we can talk about anything without taking offense — even things like racism, LGBT issues, morality, and civil rights.
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We have found that our beliefs are more common than diverse. Our skin tones do not define us. The way we understand the world defines who we are — and as it happens, we’re not very different at all.
It makes me wonder: what if our candid conversations were the national norm? How different would the country be if we could talk about racism without referring to privilege, trigger words, microaggressions, hate speech, and systemic racism?
