I met Richard while I was in Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. He was the first African-American I could call a friend. Until we moved to Richmond, I had spent most of my life in West Coast suburbia with little opportunity to experience much by way of racial or ethnic diversity.

I certainly would never have considered myself a racist if by racist you mean race-based hatred or fear. But Richard helped me to see that Americans, white and black, are racists in that we notice race, we notice differences, make assumptions and jump to conclusions. (Many of us who have traveled to Brazil have commented how wonderful it is to be in an environment where we don’t notice race.) (more…)