Dear Cassie,

I, like many others, could hardly even entertain the very idea of Mr. "You're Fired" becoming our next commander-in-chief. In the days following the bombshell of a presidential election, that line of thinking seems rather naive in hindsight, doesn't it? Perhaps the most naive observers were the media outlets and pollsters who, time and again, scoffed at the idea of a President Trump. They pointed to exit polls that showed Clinton taking a wide margin in most battleground states and cited the hateful vitriolic rhetoric of both Trump and his supporters. Yet, as it is now clear to see, no amount of racial fear-mongering, religious intolerance, and sexual assault condoning was enough to dissuade a number of White, college-educated voters from supporting now President-elect Donald Trump. Voters just like you.

I'm not sure about you, but I have spent the last couple of days sifting through thinkpiece after thinkpiece about what this election does (or does not) mean for people of all walks of life. As a queer mixed-race man, I have had to grapple with several of my own real fears in response to the number of people of color who have shared stories of being assaulted and harassed. I've seen countless images of the word nigger being tagged on vehicles and walls across the country. Asian-Americans have been called "chink" and told to go back to Asia. Muslim women have had their hijabs forcibly removed. Latinx children have been threatened with deportation by their white peers. I could go on-and-on, but honestly, all it takes is one quick Google search of "election-related hate crime" to find more than enough examples of the xenophobic bigotry that has been encouraged by the results of the election just this week.

I write to you because I find it my duty as your fellow American to let you know: Racism is alive and well in this country. As a white person, you benefit from the institution whether you like it or not. Your fear of being seen as racist is a privilege in and of itself, while people of color fear violence, deportation, and even death.

Oh Cassie, where do I start? Perhaps I should start with this particular gem:

"On November 9th, I went to class and in every single one there was a somber attitude. Pre-lecture discussions were filled with phrases like “I am scared for our future”, “I am scared to be gay”, “How did this happen?”, and, by far the most bothersome, “People that voted for Trump are racist, sexist, misogynistic, homophobic selfish red necks [sic].”

Your response to your peers' genuine concerns about their safety reveals your lack of empathy. It takes a special lack of self-awareness to proclaim that you are not racist or homophobic, yet you find their expressions of fear "bothersome" at best. If a friend told you they were scared, is that how you would really respond?

I found the title of your piece, "I Am," rather interesting considering that you start off by listing every type of prejudiced that you are not. You see, when you start off from a position of defense, it tells me that you're already looking for ways to deny the very real possibility that you could in any way perpetuate racism. I want to let you know that as a white person, by attempting to distance yourself from other, far more xenophobic, vitriolic and aggressive white Trump supporters, you are doing absolutely NOTHING to combat and dismantle racism.

Your greatest concern is how you might be lumped with the small but vocal minority of bigots among supporters of Trump. Meanwhile, my concerns following the election were more along the lines of "Will someone see my dark brown skin and figure I'm an easy target for some pro-Trump harassment?"

I can tell that this fear of yours is quite new, as you stated that you felt that you and your fellow Republican-voting compatriots had to "hide [your] satisfaction." While I can imagine that might be quite stressful, I'd be the first to tell you that being a minority anything can be intimidating. I have had a lifetime of being Black to develop the fear and anxiety surrounding the color of my skin. You can vote in secrecy, keep your pro-Trump opinions hush-hush, and stow your "Make America Great Again" hat out of sight. Unfortunately, I am not offered the same privilege when it comes to my blackness.

As you ended your piece on a high note, I too, shall end it in a similar way: I know you care. I know you are not heartless. What I want you to know is that by casting a vote for Donald Trump, you have committed yourself to holding our President-elect and his fellow supporters accountable.

Will you ensure that our Republican-led House and Senate do not infringe upon the rights of your black, brown, and LGBTQ+ peers? It is easy to claim that you are not racist or homophobic. Now that you have talked the talk, will you take the next step offline and walk the walk?

Sincerely,

Will M.