Slavery may have ended in 1865, but the pains, prejudices, and traditions of four hundred years of slavery have continued through the generations and are ingrained in our modern psyches. Present-day America is still a breeding ground for hate crimes and racism because passed-down hatred is just as potent as firsthand hatred.

We are not at fault-we were never slaves or masters, ourselves-but this is our problem all the same. And we must make it our mission to break the cycle of abuse, cope with our legacy of hatred and mistrust, and heal ourselves with the kind of understanding and...

Slavery may have ended in 1865, but the pains, prejudices, and traditions of four hundred years of slavery have continued through the generations and are ingrained in our modern psyches. Present-day America is still a breeding ground for hate crimes and racism because passed-down hatred is just as potent as firsthand hatred.

We are not at fault-we were never slaves or masters, ourselves-but this is our problem all the same. And we must make it our mission to break the cycle of abuse, cope with our legacy of hatred and mistrust, and heal ourselves with the kind of understanding and...