I created this cover for an alternative newspaper, KC Jones, in Kansas City in 1998. It was during the Clinton presidency and I was raising my family in the inner city at the time. Kinda creeps me out now.
Why for white people only? Because it’s time for me to listen. Because black commentators are saying things like:
You’ve had the microphone for 300 years. It’s time for you to stop talking and listen.
We are tired of explaining it to you.
You can’t understand what it’s like to be black in America, or how much you benefit from white privilege.
So I’m listening. I believe I’ve been listening for about 4 decades.
I’m grieved over the brutal and senseless killing of George Floyd. Over the past several days I’ve been wrestling with the question of how to be an ally with the black community. But I get the sense that this is not the right time to reach out and have a dialogue about race relations with people of color.
So I figured I could write a post to white people.
In the wake of the George Floyd incident I think I see white America dividing even further along ideological lines. This comes on the heels of America dividing bitterly and politically over the Covid-19 pandemic – something which I had thought might bring people together. This is tragic to me because I think both sides have important points to make.
It’s almost always the case. There is almost always something true, good, and important about both perspectives of any passionate political divide.
A refusal to accept this is why so many people suck at conflict resolution in relationships.
I think it is worth allowing ourselves to understand – truly understand – an opposing point of view. Doing so doesn’t mean you have to agree.
Test yourself.
In my next 3 posts I’m going to present 3 different emotional and divisive questions around the issue of racism in America. I’ll attempt to fairly present two opposing sides in answer to each question. See if you are able to listen, understand, and agree with them both. If you can’t, I’d like to hear why in the comment section.
Question #1: Who was George Floyd?
Before going any further I hope we can all agree that this question does not matter in the face of what happened to Mr. Floyd. The point of the peaceful protests after Mr. Floyd’s murder is that Americans must not allow law enforcement to be handled in the way Derek Chauvin handled it in the case of Mr. Floyd.
Having said that, a divide has been widening due in part to a video message by Candace Owens, a black conservative commentator, activist, and founder of the Blexit movement. The video came out while the protests and rioting following Floyd’s death were in full swing. It is entitled, I Do Not Support George Floyd. Owens is on fire in the 18 minute video, powerfully articulating a message to black America.
She makes several points, but the thrust of her message is to assert that the black community is the only one that “caters to the bottom denominator of our society…it has become fashionable for us to turn criminals into heroes overnight”. She goes on to point out Mr. Floyd’s criminal record and history of incarceration, facts which I hadn’t heard in any media accounts that I saw, whether liberal or conservative. She declares that George Floyd was not an amazing person…not a hero…not a martyr, but a criminal.
She goes on to discuss numbers, noting that a total of 9 unarmed blacks men were killed by police last year, and states that it is not the police who are killing off black men – it is other black men. She makes an appeal for personal responsibility, saying of the black community, “Our biggest problem is us…we don’t DO personal responsibility in our community – we blame white people.” She ends with examples of remarkable black people like Condoleeza Rice, Larry Elder, and Ben Carson, noting that they are generally not held in high esteem by blacks.
Underneath this and other of Owens’s videos lies her belief that the Democratic “plantation” uses black people and takes their vote for granted, keeping them dependent on the party. At the same time, the Democratic party worsens the plight of black America by encouraging and reinforcing a “victimhood” narrative that keeps black America looking to the government for solutions. She asserts that the BLM movement is a shining example of this by promoting the idea that racism in America is what’s keeping black people down.
A lot of this resonates with white conservatives as conservatism tends to emphasize personal responsibility and content of character.
On the other hand…
But there is more to George Floyd than this. I believe it is wrong to call Mr. Floyd a criminal and leave it at that. I read an article from Christianity Today (CT) titled, George Floyd Left a Gospel Legacy in Houston. It tells a different story, describing Floyd as a “person of peace”.
Pastors and black ministry partners who knew Mr. Floyd say he “spoke of breaking the cycle of violence he saw among young people and used his influence to bring outside ministries to the area to do discipleship and outreach, particularly in the Cuney Homes housing project,..”
Christian hip-hop artist, Corey Paul Davis, quotes Floyd as saying, “I love what you’re doing. The neighborhood need it, the community need it, and if y’all about God’s business, then that’s my business…” After getting out of prison in 2014, Floyd moved from Houston to Minneapolis for a fresh start under a Christian work program, according to the CT story.
But autopsies report that George Floyd had fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cannabinoids in his system, when he died. He appears to have been high upon his arrest. So what’s the truth? What about the “fresh start”?
I don’t see a contradiction between the 2 stories because this looks sadly familiar to me. I have several friends who are believers in Jesus, but who also struggle with addictions. Several of Mr. Floyd’s earlier arrests and prison stints were drug related. If he was a recovering addict, then the CT story makes perfect sense to me. I have no inside knowledge of George Floyd, but it looks to me like he was a guy trying to get his life together and do the right thing, but who was relapsing at the time of his arrest. This makes his death all the more tragic.
It also strikes me as relevant that Mr. Floyd’s family was pleading for people to stop the rioting during the worst of the unrest.
I believe that what black America needs to see from white America in this moment is compassion, empathy, and prayer. Black America does not need a bunch of white Christians posting the Candace Owens video all over social media right now. It looks pretty cold to make that your statement as a white person right now, even if it is true. Owens’s video was a message to the black community, not to you. She has a platform from which to speak hard truth because she is part of that community.
Within the space of just a few weeks the black community has suffered the violent and unjust killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. So, if you’re a white conservative, you know that “content of character” thing that conservatives believe in? Now would be a good time to put that into practice toward your fellow human beings who are hurting and angry.
— Scott Freeman, 6/2020
“Big Floyd” – Instagram photo by Nijalon Du’Boi.
Art & Life Notes 
I will read all you have to write on this. Their is a lot of stupidity out their, I could use some clarity. Thanks, Scott.
Thanks for the support, Greg. I think clarity around this issue is very hard to come by, especially in an election year. Perhaps with this election in particular!
Hi Scott, nicely written post. A couple additional observations that might show up in your other posts on the subject. So much of this is rooted in the identity politics of the left to divide and set American against American. The media, of course, is the megaphone for the left and will amplify and fan the flames of dissent. Leftist groups like Antifa are encouraged by operatives to infiltrate the protests with looting, destruction, and violence. In my view, none of this is the majority view. It’s an illusion.
When you watch a football game, what do you see? About 40,000 Americans all gathered in one stadium cheering on their team. They are of every creed and station in life; male, female, gay, young, old, Christian, pagan, Mormons, bikers, and, yes, black, white, Asian, Hispanic – you name it. Unless the wrong team scores a touchdown or gets a holding call, everyone gets along and has a good time. That’s the melting pot and America.
What we are witnessing is the product of leftist politics of division and hatred and has been amped up since the 2016 election of president Trump. Trump is everything they hate. He has systematically purged the highest levels of law enforcement – the CIA, NSA, FBI, Department of Justice, etc. of the bad actors carefully put in place by globalists and the left to provide cover for their political criminals. He is rapidly replacing judges with Constitutionalists. Trump is also for the common folks, the kind of folks that join together at football stadiums. My point is that we must stay alert to the manipulation and propaganda of the left.
Apparently George Floyd was a man with a criminal background. If indeed he was a lost soul struggling with his addictions and looking to Jesus for the solution, then his demise is all the more tragic. Jesus is all about the lost sheep among us. What happened to Floyd was far too much punishment for whatever crime he was accused of committing. Like getting 50 years for stealing a TV – which was common during the Civil Rights era.
Candice Owens is correct about the plantation. About 630,000 white Americans lost their life in the Civil War to set Blacks free. A fact that is too often ignored. In short order, they fell back into slavery by becoming dependent on government at the hands of the left. As Alan Keyes states in his book Masters of the Dream, blacks exchanged their freedom for economic and cultural slavery. By the way, there’s a larger issue at work: people don’t want to take responsibility for their freedom. A high percentage of blacks, after being liberated, remained on plantations because it was familiar and, though miserable, they still had a place to live and have basic needs met.
Under Trump, these dynamics are changing. In the coming election cycle the percentage of black voters that are leaving the democrat party is growing. It’s not surprising that the left wants to instill social unrest and division and prevent Trump from delivering his message at his rallies. The media won’t report honestly.
My point is that what we are seeing is mostly a well orchestrated illusion. The electoral map from the 2016 election shows a sea of red with little islands of blue that represent the democrat controlled city strongholds of the left. They are also the sites of misery, violence, poverty, black on black crime, oppression, graft, and corruption. These cities don’t speak for regular Americans, especially black Americans that are starting to throw off the shackles of generational enslavement to the left. Trump asked black voters to give him a try; “what do you have to lose?” Essentially, you have a small minority of hard left democrats with a loud mouth (the media) wanting to divide Americans in the hope of retaining power. Everyone said race relations would improve under Obama and they, in fact, got worse.
As calls for dismantling law enforcement grow, rioting in the streets, and even the unconstitutional lockdowns supposedly justified by COVID, let us keep in mind that Americans are only divided to the degree they hold the mistaken belief that the media reports truth. Come November, when a record number of black voters side with white voters, you will witness a whole new level of rioting and violence in the streets as Trump is reelected, congress flips, the senate increases their republican numbers, and the left sees their wicked plans exposed. Around 10 p.m. on election night you will hear wailing and gnashing of teeth as despondent reporters have no choice but to say “This is the worst electoral defeat in the history of the United States.” And blacks will taste freedom.
Thanks Mark – We shall see. So far it looks to me like the vast majority of black America continues to buy into the “progressive” narrative. But who knows what’s really going on out there? I think Trump has missed an incredible opportunity to be a bridge builder, and to woo black Americans over these past 4 years. The idea of going around the Press through Twitter is a brilliant idea, but he’s kind of squandered the opportunity by being petty and divisive, imo. But we shall see.
No disagreement. Thanks for speaking hard truths. They will know we are Christians by our love and not by our righteousness.
Thanks Melissa! Yes, sometimes it’s hard to remember what comes first and what comes second.
You’re quite correct that Floyd’s moral lapse could be consistent with his being a Christian. Which of us hasn’t failed since we became a follower of Jesus?
One point of disagreement is the suggestion that Candice’s video is only to the black community. Truth and facts are universal and it’s just as important that non-whites understand Candice’s views because there’s a widely held false impression that black people represent some monolithic hive-mind, and it’s important to know that they are as diverse in their thoughts as anyone else.
On another note, I agree with many others who’ve well noted that the BLM message is implicitly prejudiced, and it’s difficult empathizing with a false view that has no rational basis (and many are not shy about making that implicit message explicitly known). I’m not referring to empathizing over anger about Floyd’s death (of course we can all empathize AND sympathize about that). I’m referring to, as I said, the implicit prejudice of the BLM message. Everyone already agrees that black lives matter, so to whom are they preaching unless they assume that many of us do not, in fact, agree that black lives matter (with the exception of the usual culprits like neo-nazis and the KKK, groups who will not be persuaded by protests anyway)? The very accusation that we all have some hidden racism is deeply insulting and false (nor do I have patience with the cavalier way people use the term, since most people these days don’t even use the term correctly; too many conflate anything racial with racist, but the two are not equivalent).
Finally, I fear that these protestors are wanting something that has never been and never will be (until God brings history to its end goal), i.e., they want a world without sin (specifically, in this case, a world without sinful cops). But just like no amount of laws has eliminated crime, no amount of police reform will eliminate instances where a bad person in a police uniform does something like what we saw with Floyd. Bad people will always exist, and there will always be a bad person in a police uniform somewhere, and it’s only a matter of time until our video-at-all-times culture witnesses another police misbehaving. You see, this is not a police problem. It’s a sin problem. It’s only that police are far more high-profile than most others. We don’t see all the preachers and teachers who molest children. We don’t see all the doctors that harm patients. We don’t see all the lawyers that unjustly ruin people’s lives. Only the victims know about those crimes, but the rest of society rarely hears about it. But we certainly know when a cop misbehaves because it’s front-page news and everyone acts like it’s some strange thing that needs to be addressed, failing to understand that it’s not really a police problem at all. I don’t care how much they reform police practices, these type of altercations will always occur, and when it does, we’ll be told that it’s proof of systemic racism, which in turn will lead many to accuse non-blacks of being secretly racist (and the Left will use it as political fodder and use the MSM to convince the black community that it’s conservative’s fault). This merry-go-round is a ride that simply will not stop by any act of legislation.
Frank, you have spoken my thoughts..we’re not sharing a brain, you’d get the raw end of that deal. To Scott: this is the importance behind the “systemic” premise. There is a big difference between SOME bad cops,and the whole thing is rotten.
I don’t disagree with most of what you’ve said there, Frank, but I’m trying to walk a line so allow me to clarify.
I don’t think there’s any question that Owens’s rant was a message to black America. That doesn’t mean that no one else can listen in. I’m certainly all in favor of non-whites understanding her views as well. My complaint was that I saw a lot of white conservative Christians posting it right in the middle of the aftermath of Floyd’s killing, and I don’t want that to be seen as “the white Christian response” that blacks remember. It’s cold. It’s bad timing. It’s looks uncaring; even if you want to argue that it’s hard truth/tough love that the black community needs to hear. At this time, I want blacks to understand that everyone condemns what Derek Chauvin did.
Blacks are being fed a constant narrative that widespread, contemporary racism is keeping them down. That narrative requires that there be contemporary racists all over America, (which I don’t believe to be the case). Regardless of how well Owens stated her position, and how many times she condemned Chauvin (which she did several times), white people posting a “George Floyd is a Criminal” video all over social media while blacks are grieving and angry is only going to feed the false narrative that there are “racists everywhere”.
Plus, I think I made my case in the post that it is (or may be) a false judgement to label Floyd “a criminal” and leave it at that. My judgement is based on accounts of people who knew him, and on my personal friendships with addicts. The hard truth and inconvenient facts can wait a while. I’m not saying the discussion should never be had.
We’re not going to heal our grossly divided society with facts and truth. Those things certainly play a necessary part at some point, but unless we have a respectful, human connection with those with whom we disagree, they will not listen. That’s just how the broken human mind and heart work.
Much food for thought, there, Scott. Currently, I dont know that a calm conversation can happen, there seem to be radically different starting points. In an election year, it’s difficult to not see politics, on both sides as a major player, but of course, that’s a conversation killer.
Thanks for your thoughts, I know NONE of this past month surprised the trinity.
I get what you’re saying, and you’re probably right. Maybe it’s a matter of timing. I certainly wouldn’t advocate speaking at someone’s funeral and unloading a laundry list of their faults, which would be poor form and rude (even though public forums as an exchange of ideas aren’t equivalent to a funeral).
I’m assuming when you wrote, “We’re not going to heal our grossly divided society with facts and truth” you were referring to that as a matter of timing as well, because of course facts and truth are ultimately the only way to heal division if we want to get down to the real issues that matter. And even then, being a realist, I know there will be no complete healing until the Prince of Peace brings that healing. I’m not a humanist and I have little faith in autonomous man’s ability to fix the human condition outside of his adherence to Biblical principles in accord with God’s will.
Yes, that is what I meant. Probably poorly stated.
It’s hard to see all this hatred and destruction taking place in our country. The grief is inexpressible. My family has members of several races, and we love each other. I wish all Americans could have that joy. I read a quote that said something like if we could see each others’ souls instead of each others’ faces, how much more understanding we might have. I have dreams where overnight everyone turns brown. We would still disagree, of course, but would we try to destroy each other? I pray that the outcome of this season of turmoil will be greater understanding, greater unity, greater civility, greater balance of opportunity.
Thank you Ruth, I agree with your prayer. My experience has also been one of racial harmony throughout my adult life, at least from my perspective. I don’t believe that half the US population harbors beliefs of racial superiority. My experience is that the vast majority of white people are pulling for black America and want to see them succeed. White supremacy groups are now irrelevant and on the decline, in both numbers and influence.
Speaking of racial harmony: I’m a lifelong SoCal resident and I lived my early years in the literal ghetto where there were maybe four white kids in my grade in school and the rest were black and Mexican. It wasn’t until I started jr. high that we moved and the situation was flipped to being a little more homogenous. However, by that time I was well entrenched in understanding minority culture, both of my parents being immigrants (my mom from Mexico and my dad from Spain) as well and most of my family living in what most would consider ghetto conditions even after we moved. All of that to say, I don’t lack understanding whatsoever, and perhaps that’s why I take offense at the BLM message that contains the hidden assumption of guilt without knowing anything about those to whom they speak. If anything, I’ve managed to live in racial harmony UNTIL these protests. Not to say I’m unable to continue living in racial harmony, but the race agitators make it difficult not to harbor some resentment at prejudiced attitudes toward non-blacks (not resentment toward people, but resentment toward the attitudes themselves). It’s the presumption that non-blacks have to listen with empathy and understanding as if we’re somehow at fault or bear the onus to make things right. That’s simply false. At the end of the day, the MSM, leftists politicians, agitators and ignorant protestors (of all colors) themselves are to blame for not addressing grievances in a manner in accord with law and order. The problem, to reiterate yet again, is that even where we can change laws and policies, there will ALWAYS be instances of bad people in uniform being caught on camera doing wrong. No amount of laws and policies and hand-holding while chanting the praises of racial equality will rid the world of sin. And every time those events go viral on social media and the MSM, we’ll continue to see agitators and riots and people calling for understanding and change, as if man can rid the world of sin by way of legislation. At the end of the day, very little will change. The best we can do is preach and teach God’s truth and hope more hearts can be changed to mitigate the eventual damage when it comes yet again.
Fascinating to hear about your background! Thanks for sharing.
So many things to weigh out. Scott, have you noticed the growing number of magazine and newspaper op editors losing their jobs over those ” offended” by their writing ?? N.Y. Times op ed guy dared write a piece along the thought “Property Matters”… out came the idea police, guess there were no movies to condemn that hour… will this be part of your series, or another thread ???
Yeah, I read all about the NYT apologizing for printing that editorial. One underlying theme of this blog is to advocate for a free marketplace of ideas, and for a return to the possibility of respectful and non-hysterical disagreement. Furthermore, for those who claim to follow Jesus I think it is critical to keep caring human connection before politics.
Probably the thing that irks me most about Trump is that he is so freaking divisive. This country needs a bridge-builder. (And that ain’t Joe Biden either). Eric Teetsel once said that the culture war in America is a beauty contest, but that conservatives have made the mistake of thinking it is a boxing match. I think that’s pretty brilliant.
Well, increasingly it’s going from boxing ( which has some rules), to ultimate tough man ( fewer rules), to no rules last man standing…..
It’s more than a little scary to speculate HOW uncivil will this get ???
And yes, 45 is not helping, his Twitter addiction in particular.
Actually, the ability to address the American people directly on the web is actually a great thing. The problem is not THAT he uses Twitter. The problem is HOW he uses it. He seems to squander the opportunity by not being judicious in his comments, and it’s unfortunate.
On the other hand, as God’s word says, to all things there is a season. A time for war, and a time for peace. A time to gather stones, and a time to cast away stones. A time for Kevin Bacon to dance, and a time for him to stop acting. And there IS a time to confront the MSM and beat them at their own game. I, for one, see the President as a tool in God’s hands. Not because he’s perfect or a paragon of virtue. But because he’s fearless, and it seems like he’s the right man for the job at the right time when the country needs someone who is fearless in the face of opposition, despite his warts and any personal peccadillos (God, after all, likes to use the foolish things of the world to confound the worldly who are wise in their own eyes, right?). I don’t agree with every single policy decision he makes, but even so, on policy he’s turned out to be the best president of my lifetime, even better than Reagan (who was obviously a better communicator). When I look at the Bible’s list of heroes of the faith, they were all deeply flawed individuals who were still used by God. Not that this president is a hero of the faith, but insofar as he attempts to do good, I think God will use him. If so-called ‘respectable’ conservatives will not step up and do the right thing, God will use the bull in the china shop. And on the issue of racism, I don’t think he’s been divisive at all. If anything, he’s done more for American minorities than any other president in my lifetime (I’m talking about actual beneficial policies, not feel-good attempts at appeasing agitators which inevitably do more harm than good).
Frank – “…The problem is HOW he uses [twitter]. He seems to squander the opportunity by not being judicious in his comments, and it’s unfortunate.”
Exactly! It’s actually kind of a brilliant idea to go around the media and go directly to the people. Except that he uses it to argue with Meryl Streep and call names. “Squander” is exactly the word I use as well.
I agree with your comments about policy as well. Why didn’t Obama get a criminal justice reform bill passed? His legacy seems to be what he considered to be the next frontier of the civil rights movement – LGBTQ stuff – rather than working on America’s still-messed-up racial stuff.
Obama did not want to touch the messy work needed for a thorny problem (ooops, biracial metaphor..)
He was mister roll up my sleeves, while doing nothing.
He squandered his opportunities to push things in a good direction, but some of his base would have called him a sellout.
Internet catching up with pictures of Aracely Henriquez, Floyd’s pregnant beating/robbery victim.
I didn’t pass the picture on ( yet). Wondering if you think this info helps or hurts.
Candice Owens’ purpose for stating Floyd’s criminal past was to give reason why she would not support him as a pillar of the black community, which seems perfectly legitimate. Otherwise, since his criminal past has no logical relevance to the manner in which he died, it would be arbitrary to mention it without some relevant reason for doing so (and without such a reason, it may appear to some as if it’s being set forth as a way to dismiss Floyd’s death as insignificant or somehow justified).
I concur completely. Again, not what the black community needs from white people right now.
I agree with your observations..BUTT … there will never be a comfortable moment, it seems to address at least 2 of the elephants walking through the room.
Candace mentioned both of them. And they are certifiably epidemic.
The main problem in the black community, fatherless homes, has been addressed time and again since decades ago when Bill Cosby used to address it. No matter how many times prominent figures in the black community raise the issue, nothing changes. While we can’t force people to adjust their behavior, we could at least eliminate the welfare state which encourages the situation. It’s these very policies that purport to help the poor that actually harm them by keeping them dependent on the state, and this is largely by design (I’m assuming we’re all familiar with the LBJ quote about blacks continuing to vote democrat when he ushered in the ‘great society’). What’s worse, even after having been repeatedly told that dependence on the welfare state is harming them, many often dig themselves in deeper by demanding more assistance. At some point, those trapped in that system need to take personal responsibility and stop voting for a political party which knowingly keep them down. If “systemic racism exists” at all, it’s in the democrats’ welfare plans (well, it’s also in the abortion industry which began as a eugenics program against blacks, but that’s another issue).
Cosby was respected by some ( until his personal life became public), but even in his heydey, many ( most ??) blacks did not consider him all that black. Many openly branded him the usual labels. Those more esteemed, Oprah, Batak, LeBron… have said very little on this that I’m aware of. Would stand corrected if wrong on that.
We got to where we are today by ignoring the elephants walking through the room. No stats in this post, most have been repeated out loud a few times this week.
Maybe NOW is not the time to push this, but we got here because there never was the right time, or the right people did not make this a big deal.
I like that response. Saying it has NO relevance might be a little strong depending on what the cops knew, and what happened prior to the knee to the neck.
I like your response, and the pic going out seems to ” feel” like he had it coming, which he certainly did NOT.
Total side bar here: wish they had stayed with 3rd degree, imo ( rank amateur opinion) it will be hard to establish intentionally done.
Theories have been floated suggesting that the charge was intentionally made more difficult to obtain a conviction, with the hope that the defendants would be acquitted and further riots would ensure. While I’m not a conspiracy-theorist, one has to wonder that, if indeed the upped charge would lead to acquittal, why would the prosecution seek a higher charge?
Either it was meat to appease the mob (George is only worth a 3rd degree..really ????)
OR: this is a plan to suffer the aquittal…and burn the rest of the city down. I know folks in the twin city area, who are NOT gun people, NOT NRA, who are shopping, and maybe will again
Frank, I agree that family structure is THE critical factor for black America, (or any group), though, to be just a little picky, I would say it’s not fatherlessness per se, but parents not marrying and/or staying married. The research shows that a kid growing up with married parents does better in every metric. But it’s a rare event that the MSM focuses on this issue. Apparently, that would be “victim blaming”. This state of affairs grieves me, but for the life of me, I don’t know what can be done about it. Change has to come from inside the community, imo.
Greg, You add, “…we got here because there never was the right time, or the right people did not make this a big deal.”
I don’t think that’s why we’re here. I think liberalism/progressivism has the black community by the short hairs and continually assumes and repeats the racism/victimhood narrative. It’s like breathing for them. BLM is part of this. Yet, there is an increasing number of conservative black voices, (Candace’s BLEXIT is a great example), but they have a great deal stacked against them. So long as we have a free press I like to think there is hope.
Maybe you’ve closed the thread, hope this is ok.
Scott, to your reply below: begging the question,WHY is it so hard for a better set of ideas to gain traction and win the day?. Why do so many swallow the victim mentality, and stay there?
Why is something like the community’s role in police interaction seen as dodging the topic, and insensitivity to the matter of race ??
And on we go…
Now Atlanta….