I hear you. I think a good bit of the problem stems from the use of the words "racist" and "prejudiced."

We are all "prejudiced" towards someone. I will admit to being "prejudiced," now, towards Republicans, for example. I know some people whose affiliation with that party is more rooted in what they believe it used to stand for - primarily, fiscal conservatism, which they see as economic stability. Never mind that the U.S. economy has, almost without exception, done better under a Democratic administration - they believe that's what the GOP stands for. I know these people, and I don't believe they have any ill will towards Blacks, per se.

But I will admit - at this point, I see a MAGA hat and I judged the wearer. I don't even apologize for it, anymore, as all of my experiences (and I'm a WHITE WOMAN) have been negative or downright ugly. They are rude, selfish, entitled bigots - for the most part. I can think of a couple of exceptions, and they fall into the single-issue voter category. They can't see past the word "abortion." Never mind that the Republicans don't give a rat's patoot about children once they're born - I mean, if they're OTHER PEOPLE'S children.

That's prejudice.

Racism has to do with who's in power and how the whole system of government and society is set up to benefit them without any rhyme or reason but for the color of their skin. And it's a passive - not necessarily UNwillingness, but lack of will to change that structure, because somewhere, deep down, you know that you ARE benefitting from it and worry that change might make you a little worse off, that is "racist."

Too many people confuse the two. To be Black and racist would require you to live in a predominately Black nation, where the power rested in Black hands. So it's definitely possible to have a Black racist - but NOT IN THE UNITED STATES. Can you be a Black bigot? Absolutely. But ask yourself who has BETTER reason for racial "prejudice"? Blacks or whites?

Again, Black people have tried the civil approach. As someone who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s, in neighborhoods and schools where kids were actively taught that stereotyping, labeling, and treating people differently based on the color of their skin was WRONG - you know, we genuinely did think, for a while, that racism wasn't an issue anymore. We didn't SEE it. It wasn't our lived experience. But with so much evidence, we can't deny that it IS, for too many people. And lives are at stake - they shouldn't have to wait for slow and incremental changes. They've waited long enough.