In this season when the Presidential election is almost here and the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the lives of so many including many connected to the White House, there are some people raising the question, “Why do we still have to talk about race?” A recent poll showed that among white evangelical Christians, the level of concern about racial tensions in our country has actually decreased since the murder of Georg Floyd that was the catalyst for so many protests and calls for racial justice. This tendency to downplay the role of race as a major factor contributing to injustice and inequity is nothing new. The first video posted below features an appearance of the famous Black author James Baldwin on the Dick Cavett show over 50 years ago. He responds powerfully to a white professor who maintains that people need to emphasize what they have in common rather than lifting up differences based on race. Take a few minutes to watch the video to see a passionate response based on Baldwin’s own experience of being Black in America. Even with the progress made in the last fifty years, the past several months have highlighted the ongoing reality of systemic racism especially related to disparities in health care, police brutality, and voter suppression. The second video posted below is by a nineteen year old white woman from suburban Richmond, VA. It is her own simple yet profound response to that question, “Why do we still need to talk about race?” Instead of voicing her own opinion, she decided to center the voices of Black friends and peers. The result is insights that reveal both the humanity of these Black young adults and the reality of living with ongoing racism that calls that humanity into question. As long as any vestiges of dehumanizing racism challenge the authentic humanity of any person made in the image of God, we still need to talk about race.