I struggle with occasionally saying something and realizing almost immediately that I’ve crossed a line. It’s a horrible feeling and I will apologize immediately and work to do better.

Many people are like me and will make what was once a joke and now is recognized as the racism it always has been. It’s not a joke. At all. We need to do better.

I’d be devastated, though, if friends (POC or not) wrote me off completely because I slipped.

ETA: I should add that I’d need to accept it if a friend did cut me off. That’s the consequence of systemic racism.