The passion with which you tell your story is attractive. While I am unsure of your judgments, I respect your right to come to them because they seem, as you do, so incredibly authentic.

It is that quality, along with your spirit that will serve you well in the future, if it hasn’t already.

If there is one thing that my family history has taught me, it’s that I do not need a black card — or an imaginary anything — to make something of myself.

I am an older white male and I own that I am part of the problem of the patriarchal society that contributed to much of our current dilemma. I also own that I am contributing to a greater understanding among us. I remain open, malleable, and committed to change.

In that, I teach and mentor people and one of the things that I encourage them to do is to choose for themselves, not necessarily about the quality of their circumstances, but absolutely about everything that goes on inside their mind.

Thank you for modeling that.