By Carla Homstad, Stevensville
As a comfortable white person living in one of the most beautiful places on the planet, how can I say that racism is embedded in our culture? To answer this, I only have to ask this further question: what problem or challenge have I faced in my life because of the color of my skin? None.
Police brutality against people of color is only the awful tip of the iceberg. Racism poisons education, housing, employment, opportunities of all kinds, and its stresses imperil people of color throughout this country. White “superiority” was the caustic excuse for enslaving other people and continues to mar our chances of ever achieving the ideals we say are foundational to this country.
Just look at Derek Chauvin’s facial expression. See that his hands are in his pockets as he snuffs the life out of a person for 8 minutes and 46 seconds–over $20.
It is not a matter of only bad or mean people being racist. We must all understand how we are complicit in it and do whatever we can to dismantle it.