@BriA,

No, I have commited none of the atrocious behaviors to which you refer in the first paragraph, but I apparently do have a lot to learn.

Your comments and those of @WillAlexander shed new light for me on how my apology came across, and I regret my choice of words. The horrific news events of the past few years opened my eyes to injustices, of which I previously had no understanding and had indeed naively thought were long ago stamped out.

I think I have begun to make strides in the steps you outlined: "recognize it, get uncomfortable," as I have reached a point where I truly am uncomfortable with how things are. In fact, when I learned Feb 1 was designated as "National Freedom Day" it seemed to me hypocritical to celebrate, and that it led me to publish an article with my thoughts on this topic. (Now, I'm wondering what blunders I made in that post!)

Clearly, I need to educate myself better if I am going to be a part of a conversation to bring about change. I have begun the self-examination recommended in "Me and White Supremacy" but I know that is only a start.

Thank you for sharing your viewpoint with me. I'd appreciate any other suggestions you would like to share.