FROM SELMA TO CHARLOTTESVILLE, THE GHOSTS OF OUR PAST

There’s nothing quite like being on vacation halfway around the world and trying to explain American-style racism. As an African American, I am expected by the locals to be an expert on these matters. The backstory of every nation features different players, but the narrative is essentially the same: one group contests the humanity of another group or groups to gain power and privilege.

Part of what makes