It’s easy to shake our heads at blatant racism even as we ignore the impact of our personal choices on the shape and color of our society.

This essay was published on AlterNet.org on June 23, 2003 and republished on the website of TeachingTolerance.org and in several curriculum text books about racism in America, including “Race, Class, and Gender in the United States” by Paula S. Rothenberg (2007). Read the essay online.