Charlottesville made many people sit up and pay attention given the KKK and Nazis openly marching in the streets in broad daylight.

But I promise you they’re truly the tip of the iceberg. While there are myriad examples of more subtle but still insidious ways racism manifests — in individual behavior and in our institutions — and I try to point them out, let me share some examples of the overt racism I’ve personally witnessed. This is present throughout the country. Don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s contained in the South. NOT AT ALL. (It’s present in other countries too but I focus on the US.)

Please keep in mind that these are people in my generation and the generation before and after me. This sickness isn’t limited to one generation. It’s not going to die out on its own.

Many of you know these same people. They are everyday Americans, people with qualities you admire, people who care about their family and friends…”good people”…people you’d be shocked to know have these views. Because we’re conditioned in our culture to not talk about things that really matter — anything that could be deemed controversial and lead to hard conversations — I guess it shouldn’t be surprising that you don’t realize you know people with these views. (Though Facebook has been a real eye opener, especially over the last two years, huh?)