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It was making me uncomfortable to be with C, because she would just slip into conversation casual racism, casual stereotypes about black male violence. She is the most casually racist person I speak to but I see her less than once a year so I let things pass.

Today she told me she was brought up in the segregated Southern USA - and I was blown away. I absolutely forget that it was that recent. She went to Elementary School in the 1950s. I realise why we are still friends. She has come a long way. She has been brought up with the full vitriol of hardened extreme violent racism. More than the usual levels of racism have entered her bloodstream... I guess a bit like a white South African - though I am much less sympathetic with them.

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