I voiced my anger because white Madisonians did not seem to understand the depth of the racial disparities in this city, how they affected even a middle-aged pastor and nonprofit leader who happened to be black. The article was called “Justified Anger,†and I was not sure what the reaction would be, among either whites or blacks, in our community. People can get uncomfortable with anger, particularly when it comes from a black man.
The article set off a tidal wave of reaction, particularly in the white community, as people came face-to-face with the racial realities of Madison in the early 21st century.