We might rid ourselves in the US of racism, but if we are talking about it now and black Americans are feeling prejudiced against now, almost five hundred years after the first slave foot on the continental US in Florida, then it looks like we may still have a few hundred more to go. Instead, it’s still systemically rampant. The guns at the ballot boxes in Arizona are meant to intimidate blacks and Hispanics. That’s how I see it at least. The six-hour line in Georgia I saw in the 2020 election was polar opposite to my fairly well-off suburb where I sailed in and out in literally under five minutes from when I parked the car. The illiteracy laws on the book in Georgia still prevent 20 percent of black Americans from voting, over 140 years after they were enacted.

Once all primary and secondary schools are equally funded across the U.S., then I would say racism is still firmly on the books and solidly systemic. Until then, I’ll continue to enjoy professor Spivey’s insights, as will the next generation far behind us.