A Letter to My White Friends and Colleagues

Acknowledgments

AFTER I RETIRED in 2019, I never expected to write another book. Then, on June 23, 2020, my retirement plans changed. An editor from the publishing company John Wiley & Sons reached out to me, about a month after George Floyd was murdered. The country was exploding with protests and civil unrest in response to the murder of Floyd and several other Black people by the police. Blacks across the country were stating emphatically that we have had enough of this terroristic mistreatment. And, for the first time in my 63-year-life, a significant portion of the country's White population was showing empathy that went beyond words. Many were asking, “What can I do to help Black people?”

I suspect that is the question that led the Wiley editor to me, with an invitation to write this book. After saying yes to the offer, I assembled a trio of brilliant people to work with me. As a result of their phenomenal work ethic and commitment, I believe we have produced something special. Accordingly, I would like to give them special acknowledgment. They are Kevin Ozenne, the husband of Susan and the father of Ava; Garry Hutchinson, the husband of Bernice and the father of Alexandra; and Darlene Le, the daughter of Trang and Vuong.

I would also like to give thanks to the two women who are the most important people in my life, my daughters Akilah Naeem and Ariel Naillah, two bright, beautiful, selfless, and kind women.

My brother Johnnie and my Uncle Ray are the two most important ...