“Here’s my question. Slavery was a long time ago. It was one hundred percent wrong, and I’m glad it’s over.”

Aw, me too, Sage!

“But I didn’t take part in it. Why do I have to walk around feeling bad because something happened that I had nothing to do with?” she asks.

That opens the door. There are four or five white students nodding slightly. And two others raise their hands because they too want to ask questions about race. The three of us Black students do not speak. We know this isn’t the end of it. We have to listen to all five classic tracks from the “Ballad of the White Folks” playlist.

Track #1—“I never oppressed anyone!”

Track #2—“Slavery was a long time ago, let it go!”

Track #3—“Black people are proud to be Black, so why can’t I be proud to be white?”

Track #4—“They commit a lot of crimes, that’s why so many of them are in prison.”

Track #5—“Racism is rare in America now.”

With a bonus track, featuring the cool stylings of Sly News:

Bonus track—“Why are innocent white people always being targeted?”

The first person to give up her silence is Denise. She gives in to temptation and rolls her eyes. That invites Mr. Cutler to say, “Denise, you have something to say? We’d love to hear it. This is a safe space.”

When he says that, it’s all I can do not to roll my eyes too. Milton, on the other side of the room, has decided to mentally go somewhere else.

“I’m sick of hearing people say racism isn’t a thing in this country. How the hell would you know?” Denise asks.

“I treat everyone the same,” Sage counters confidently. “Ask Milton. Don’t I treat you just like everyone else?”

Milton ignores her. I think his gauge might be lower than mine.

“See, right there! It’s not Milton’s job to put a ‘not racist’ stamp on your forehead. And if you are sitting up at night trying to figure out if you are or aren’t racist, let me save you some time, Sage—yes, you’re racist.”

Sage bursts into tears. Her friend comes over to her desk and comforts Sage. Denise looks very close to slapping the hell out of Sage for using her nuclear weapon, and so soon.

“See, this is why I don’t like talking about this stuff,” Ashton, the guy sitting behind me, adds. “We can’t agree on anything. All I know is that I haven’t done anything to anyone. And I’m tired of Black people trying to make me feel bad for my skin color.”