"Interesting. So why do you think this is? Why are they having so much trouble admitting to what’s right in front of them?

One of the more positive byproducts of existing while Black in America is that it forces you to be multilingual. Ebonics, the King’s English, code-switching, Cardi B — we’re well-versed in several different dialects and means of communication. We’re also more in tune to the language of race and racism. We know what’s really being said when Chicago is seemingly randomly name-dropped by a conservative; we immediately knew what “Make America Great Again” meant to convey. It’s a linguistic sensitivity taught to and learned by us; perfected and fine-tuned to the point of virtuosity.

Anyway, maybe this isn’t actually right in front of them. They’ve never had to be as aware of it as we’ve had to be. And maybe they just don’t see or get it because they’ve never had to. White men — by virtue of being White and male — just don’t need to develop the same defense mechanisms everyone else has to.

Also, maybe they do see it, but they just don’t want to admit that the country is as flawed as we’ve been saying it is. Perhaps they’re Neo immediately after he’s taken the red pill; the shock of the real world too much for them to comprehend. And there’s no Trinity available to myrrh for their hot foreheads; just selfies with Ann Coulter.

Those, of course, are optimistic answers to that question. A less optimistic answer would be that they too have a critical stake in the preservation of White supremacy, and their obliviousness is an intentional ploy to retain that status. How do you feel about that?