As South Carolina lawmakers are currently debating on whether to remove the Confederate flag from government grounds, I am concerned by our nation’s still immature discussion of race as a whole.

Discussions of the Confederate flag were sparked by the Charleston Massacre, where one domestic terrorist took the lives of nine churchgoers: Cynthia Marie Graham Hurd (54), Susie Jackson (87), Ethel Lee Lance (70), Depayne Middleton-Doctor (49), Clementa C. Pinckney (41), Tywanza Sanders (26), Daniel Simmons (74), Sharonda Coleman-Singleton (45) and Myra Thompson (59). I am saddened that such tragedy was required to begin discussions on race, but unfortunately, I’ve come to expect it.

Our country does not like discussing race. Fact. Though the construction of race has had, arguably, the most profound effect on our country’s history, it is a point of contention and controversy. Even with a growing amount of evidence, people still argue that racial disparities are not and should not be a main concern for the country.

Dylan Roof, the Charleston terrorist, set out to start a race war. Later, news pundits applauded the city of Charleston for not responding with hatred and violence. Instead, you saw pictures and video of people coming together in mourning. Soon after the shooting, victims’ family members publicly forgave Dylan Roof, an act applauded by many.

Growing up within the Church, I know that forgiveness is highly valued and is a gift to yourself moreso than it is a gift to another. Yet seeing this public act did not sit well with me as a Black person. I saw this as another form of respectability politics being performed in which Black people have to go above and beyond to be seen in a positive light by mainstream America (aka White America and mainstream media). It was infuriating to see people having to perform even after such devastating loss.

Dylan Roof wanted to start a race war. In my opinion, he has marginally succeeded. Since June 17^th, a total of 8 church fires, targeting predominantly Black churches have been started. The causes of these fires have been said to be a host of causes, from lightning to arson. Yet despite the rising number of church fires, the mainstream media was slow to pick up the story, as is usually the case with matters of race.

Even after seeing these fires, some Christians (Black included) argue that race has no meaning in the Church. They argue that when is comes to God we are a colorless people. Though I want to respect the opinions and ideas of everyone, this is ridiculous and this mentality has to stop.

Race doesn’t stop. It is a social construct, yes. As a social construct, it can be deconstructed, yes. But it cannot simply stop existing because you don’t think it matters. This notion that race doesn’t matter or can matter less by simply willing it away is what I define as colorblindness and at this moment in time, it is deadly.

Though we may not like discussing race, there are differences—even within the Church—among the experiences of Black and White individuals. More research has been conducted and there is a cornucopia of compelling evidence that shows racial bias does not stop at the conscious level; rather, it is subconscious, Even if you don’t want to accept that, there are differences in rhetorical devices used, the narratives told, prominent hymns, and even how Church proceedings are performed that mark differences between predominantly and historically Black churches from others. To accept colorblindness is nothing short of ignorance.

The fact of the matter is that, as a society, we are far from colorblind. Race is everywhere. We were raised understanding race. Though no one may have said it explicitly, we were all conditioned to comprehend that different races are treated differently. In order to fight racism, we must not ignore race consciously, but observe it and be conscious of our own actions and subconscious biases. That is how we move forward.