I think it is my responsibility, and this responsibility will be less challenging now that I have read your article. I will admit that I do feel a bit of fear when I see a large powerful Black man. I know this fear is irrational, like the fear of ghosts I experience while walking past a graveyard, but I still feel it. But from now on, anytime I see a large powerful Black man, I will remember your words, and see him very differently. Thank you for helping me take one small step towards becoming a better person.

A few years ago, I got into a spirited discussion with a Black college professor at an academic conference. This fear got triggered at one point and I tried to make a joke about it—a joke the professor did not find funny, for obvious reasons I was too clueless to see at the time. I could tell I had upset him, however, so I apologized, saying I meant no disrespect. My apology, however, made him even angrier. “Do you think I’m going let myself be bothered by something like that? ”, he said. Apparently this was something he had to deal with all the time, and he prided himself on not letting it get to him. I hope I didn’t ruin his entire day.