Well done, Jennifer. It is indeed hard to imagine your friend’s situation — needing to discuss with her son ways to minimize his chances of being attacked because of his skin color — is still a reality in 21st century America, but recent recent events have proven it most certainly is. I also believe our discomfort needs to be extended further, as populations mix and move and we increasingly find ourselves in contact with people of diverse ethnicity whose backgrounds and customs we are often poorly equipped to understand.