Hi Alice, I just want to share a few thoughts. Firstly, even though I disagree with the purpose of the article, I understand you. I am sorry that so many people rushed to attack you in the responses, but I'm sure you've come around to understand why. It's difficult for some people to see anything other than evil when we've been exposed to it constantly and consistently our entire lives. I can tell you from personal experience that it's very, very difficult to not 'see red' when reading posts like yours. However, I've learned better than to fight fire (or perceived fire) with fire. That said, I wanted to express that I'm happy you chose to leave this post up. Some may disagree with my opinion, but I think it's a crucial insight into how white people view race. Are you a rabid, virulent racist? Absolutely not. But your post here shows how you viewed and understood race at the time. And I think that's extremely valuable. You yourself also got a crucial insight into why this situation was so horrendous to some people; Susan's behavior was out of pocket, ESPECIALLY considering the way you described her. I know your goal was to humanize her, but you only solidified everyone's stance by showing how the facade of a kind woman can still hold the soul of a racist. People were wrong to insult you, but I leave you with this: not every story needs to be told and not every side needs to be understood - ESPECIALLY in situations of unequal power. When someone behaves poorly, it's because they have been shown, at one point or another, that their behavior is acceptable. Racism is not a character trait someone either 'does' or 'does not' have. It's a deeply held value and belief system that affects the socialization of human beings without them even realizing it. Thank you for sharing Alice, and I mean that sincerely. We all inhabit this Earth and country together, and it's easy to forget that sometimes.