Dear Editor:
I appreciate Bert Dirschell's earnest inquiry regarding white privilege. While those of us who descended from people who enslaved others are not responsible for the indefensible behavior of our ancestors, we do have a responsibility to acknowledge that we still benefit from living in a white supremacist society, and further, to work to dismantle persistent roadblocks to equality.
It is tempting to avoid the recognition of white advantage when the horrors of our heritage cause us to reflexively flinch and want to look away, but regardless of our individual direct lineage, people are suffering today due to the broken promise of equality.
Our moral calling is to work through the guilt so that we can feel compassion and empathy, and roll up our sleeves and get to work.
I recommend reading Tim Wise, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Letty Russell, Phillip Rubio and Janet Helms to start.