This is an excellent article. This mechanism of oppression is so complex and "a cold presence devoid of guilt" is such an effective phrase. So much hostility is provoked when you try to point out the flaws of our culture. I wonder if there might be areas of activism that would have a chain reaction effect and eliminate large segments of institutionalized racism. By that, I mean maybe health care reform might actually solve racial issues as well? The more I look at the problems of the United States, the more they all seem to stem from anti-black racism.