Great work, Elliot Nichols. This is an honest and brave piece of writing, as well as a hauntingly accurate portrayal of the interactions between many white people when they think no one else is looking or they are among similar opinion.

First let me make it clear this is not a criticism, but more of an observation. I have to say that initially, I had some uncomfortable feelings around the racial epitaphs used, though I do think your positioning of the overall message of the piece squarely on the anti racist side of the fence gives your use of the language some legitimacy. I also feel that from an impact perspective, “the N word” just doesn’t have the same resonance. It would be interesting to know how individual POC would experience the word used the way it is in your piece.

At any rate, thanks for this, I enjoyed it.