Hmm, a clever response but one that truly misses the mark, which not only stokes the fiery assertions made by Ezinne Ukoha, but reinforces her stances surrounding this issue. And your kudos offered to her for being able to write so well…

..huh. Subtle. Snarky.

This is not some defense of Ms. Ukoha’s opinions by the way, because as far as my awareness takes me she is an esteemed essayist on Medium who can surely hold her own.

But Mary, your retort suggests that human equality as you prescribe for Blacks in particular should be a gradual transition, which is in stark contrast to the more historically white-oriented social revolutions that emerge victorious rather abruptly or eventually by comparison and with our assistance ironically. American history is marked with substantial social change occurring more instantly for those who are racially white and rather slow to a crawl for Blacks. The social ramifications of which does have rather huge impacts over time. It is privilege-packed in this regard.

Your appeasement to gradual social change being a natural phenomena of human nature is a fallacy and is even more troubling as it is offensively suggestive of substantiating there being a hierarchy of humans and their development in the world existentially (by race)— which is not a real thing. The reality is that there are those who have captured power, those who have been been made to have power (social capital) and those who are made to remain powerless. The excuse of a collective (tribe) of humans not being able to “morph overnight” for their own betterment in conjunction for the betterment of everyone else lends itself to the sunken cost fallacy — that white privilege is way to vital to just easily give up on after so many generations. Especially when so much has been invested in maintaining and sustaining this fraudulent social construct. This is not anger that I am expressing here either, this is merely me being perplexed by your statements.

Presumably if not in bad faith as you stated, “we all need to work together to achieve the change we all want and believe in”, then there are genuine ways to bridge and empathize with instances of inequality and to make this a priority instead of merely resorting to rhetorical tactics to lull others into thinking lazily that social change can only occur gradually. Then when would the time permit for racial equality? 10, 50, 0r 100 more years from now?!

I’m down now, are you?

Let us unlearn together all the non-progressive thoughts and behaviors that hold us all back and seek to resolve together. Change generally happens due to a build up of resistance from oppressive actions, attitudes and beliefs. We don’t necessarily have to wait till it actually threatens the U.S. economy or the republic itself. The reason why such resistance seems “old” to you (an insensitive belief) is that these oppressive actions, attitudes and beliefs continue to persist and has been for generations.

While it is telling and of no real consequence for you personally (an aspect of motivated ignorance), to listen to what policies and initiatives being both introduced into and tossed out from under the Trump Administration, we — as in minorities simply can’t afford to not pay attention for this would be an endangering proposition. If we were to allow insensitive beliefs to just go unchallenged then this country would be far more dangerous to live in than it is now. Less than 100 days in, the effects of a Trump Administration has already dealt out both psychologically and physically damaging repercussions to the psyche. There has been a (psychological) civil war going on and it continues unabated.