“To my dear friend and former professor, It's been over 4 years since I've seen you, and I've often…”

To my dear friend and former professor, It's been over 4 years since I've seen you, and I've often thought about the impression you placed upon me. I've never been so vulnerable with anyone about my race, and pacify any walls I may have, especially concerning fears of being too arrogant, privileged or naive to grasp the suffering of American minorities and especially those who are burdened with being an African American man in a time in the world and even more specifically this country which is rife with deep emotional repression. This incredible and persistent ignorance and general resistance towards other skin colors is palpably real to see among other white men such as me. While it is obvious and incredibly candid in the South of America's states (I felt this first-hand a bit as I visited Tennessee with my girlfriend recently), it is even more apparent where I have grown up, simply in that I can personally relate to needing to transform within myself. The form of nothern discrimination feels more like white men (including I) often are incomfortable simply speaking about race, and this apathy to really dive deeply into the winerabilities and possible implications involved. While I used to feel shameful, gritty and reticent concerning the honesty I must work towards in terms of my own privilege, and the ways I'm taking many things for granted. So thank you. You helped generate new discussions. You helped me realize that to not see color, you counter-intuitively must see how race fits into things - but so much so that the unconditional human dignity within it all shines forth spectacularly. Our diversity is chiefly what makes humanity amazing. I realize that understanding racism isn't owning up to white guilt, it's actually owning up to a deeper freedom and magnificence in life by trimming away as much race related delusions, subeonscious apathy and other perceptual clouds which block lite from showing its deep abundance. Love,