“The black person’s burden of managing white emotions in the age of Trump”
“Demby: I think one of the things that both Jamelle and Tressie are pointing to is the starting premise of the ask, right? I want to have a conversation with you, but I need to first be assured that the conclusion of that conversation is broadly, unrealistically optimistic.
Bouie: Exactly. Which means it isn’t a conversation as much as it is a request for emotional validation.
McMillan Cottom: Absolution. White readers want absolution. They also want to manage all the risk of interracial contact in a way that minority groups can never do. It is a really privileged ask.”