article_snippet: The swift and angry backlash against Schultz's idea proves once again that not only don't we live in a post-racial America, we live in a hyper-racial one.
article_snippet: In fact, a recent CNN/ORC poll found 40% of Americans believe racial relations have become worse during the six years Barack Obama has been in the White House.
article_snippet: It's strikingly obvious that if we are going to improve this situation, we need to have a candid and brutally honest discussion about the underlying factors contributing to racism, the lack of empathy for people of other races, etc.
article_snippet: "Race Together" stated goal is: "to stimulate conversation, compassion and positive action regarding race in America.
article_snippet: But to be blunt, one of the biggest obstacles in even starting the conversation is that most white Americans don't want to discuss race, as polls have confirmed.
article_snippet: For example, after the grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri, didn't indict police Officer Darren Wilson in the killing of teenager Michael Brown, a poll found that 80% of blacks felt that the shooting raised important issues about race that needed to be discussed.
article_snippet: How many white people agreed?
article_snippet: And personally I have seen some white friends become defensive when race issues are raised.
article_snippet: Because many view it as an accusation that they are somehow racist (or at least complicit in racism) as opposed to a starting point for a productive conversation.
article_snippet: The question is how can we begin that talk about race that our nation desperately needs to have?