A Crucial Read Regarding Race

I first read Peggy McIntosh's article, White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, in college in my Women's Studies course and it forever changed my perception of racism in America.  Like Peggy I too was taught and believed that racism was only an individual act and not in fact a systematic problem.  Before starting this blog I questioned how I, a white female, could have the audacity to write about racism.  But I now realize that I am an integral part of the machine of insitutionalized racism.  I (along with every white person) allow racism to continue by being privileged and doing nothing about it.  As long as we stay away from one another we will fear and/or hate one another and continue to live apart and the cycle of white privilege will continue.  So what do we do?  Come together as common human beings?  Open up about the taboo topics of race and privilege until they no longer shock, intimidate, or scare?