Having a willingness to change the status quo and actually changing it are two different concepts. I'm a reformist, not an idealist.

In my hometown of New Orleans, where the Brown paper bag test was created, dark skinned women are the least likely to be hired for positions. I experienced discrimination and so have my friends and family members.

Being at the bottom of the social hierarchy is what lines up with socioeconomic data. Black people in New Orleans make the least amount of money even when compared to their white peers who have the same level of education.

I cannot speak for every person's experience. But, I can speak for mine, and using the tools I have available, I do view Black people still at the bottom rung of the social hierarchy. That does not mean anyone should dislike themselves. But you cannot change the world without understanding and acknowledging problems.

When we stop getting pulled over for being Black, stop getting discriminated against, get properly funded schools, then I will not consider us at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Until then, that's how I see things.

I'm glad Generation Z is not accepting the status quo. However, if you got to know me then you would understand that my goal is not to accept the status quo. I'm only 32 years old so I'm not far off from their perspective.

However, my parents' generation wrongly treated America as a post racial society and that left many people to be discriminated against and their experiences ignored. I'm more interested in actually implementing policies that protect people and produce true equality, not a desire to be equal or a reimagining of the reality.

I'm not waiting on white people to give us anything. But I do want to wake up my fellow people to empower them to fight against discriminatory policies -- that's not a handout, that's just what we and our kids deserve.

There are still people every day that tell me that racism is not real and that is why I write the way I do. For someone like you who already understands the concept of white supremacy, this is probably all redundant. But I'm educating the people who don't really understand racism, or are in complete denial of it.

Thanks for making me think. I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season.