If someone has said something racist, that is not good. If they dressed in blackface or in a KKK costume at some point, that was a racist act. Yet, past racism does not necessarily mean someone is still a racist. What’s more, racism is not the same as discrimination, a distinction that seems to have gotten lost in the mix recently. Don’t get me wrong: racism is wrong. Under no circumstances is anything I say here intended to excuse, condone, or downplay racist statements, racist jokes, racist costumes, or anything that starts with “racist” instead of “anti-racist.” Racism is a scourge. I hope that by honestly calling out racism when we see it or hear it, we can begin an honest conversation about this plague that’s endangered our species for millennia. Click here to read more…