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Modern racism is a much more subtle, nuanced, slippery beast than its father or grandfather were. It has ways of making itself seem to not exist, which can drive you crazy trying to prove its existence sometimes. You’re in Target. Is the security guard following you? You’re not sure. You think he is but you can’t be certain. Maybe the guard is black, so if you tried to explain it to a white friend they might not understand it as racist, but the guard’s boss isn’t black. Or maybe he is. Maybe what you’re feeling are his ashamed vibes as if he’s sending you a silent signal of apology for following you. Or maybe … now you’re looking for the Tylenol for migraines when you all you needed was toothpaste.

—Touré explained just one of many ways structural racism functions, before a buncha white people decided to explain to Melissa Harris-Perry that they were, like, totally not personally racist in their lack of support for President Obama in response to her piece arguing that structural racism could well doom him to being a one-term president. (via drunkengenius)

(via drunkengenius-deactivated201305)