Speaking of subconscious racism, in my younger days I used to tell people I hated rap. I told myself I hated rap because I had good musical taste, admitting I was probably something of a cultural snob.

That last part was quite true.

But I never admitted the full truth to myself, that I hated rap because of a deeply internalized sense of white supremacy and unconscious racism.

It took a Black friend getting in my face about it to snap me out of racist attitudes. His hurt and anger got through to me where introspection had failed to make a difference.

It’s easy to see myself now cheering on Lil Nas X and Black francophone rap artists like Pasi, and forget I would once have dismissed them out of hand — because of racism.

This is all small potatoes in the grand scheme of things. Nothing like giving a pass to Thomas Jefferson’s racism or pretending contemporary systemic racism doesn’t exist.

But isn’t it all rooted in the same kind of denial? The same kind of closing our eyes to unpleasant truths that are easier not to see?