Wow.
Now I know why so many intelligent, considered and honest folks told me to not blog about race.
Over the last 24 hours I've been savaged by folks calling me clueless, "the problem" and a racist.
I've also had 100+ emails from minorities telling me I was 100% right and that they were happy I had joined the discussion.
In other words, the feedback has been polarized -- but not along racial lines. Some of the most brutal commentary has come from white males in the media business. Some of the most supportive emails have come from African Americans, Latinos, Indians and Asian-Americans.
Man did I
try to write a balanced piece. I really did. I've never had so many folks tell me I got it so right and so wrong at the same time.
My friend Anil Dash pointed out to me why some responded so passionately: my experience and views do not give enough focus to the fact that many people have actually experienced horrible bias in their lives.
He says I'm denying folks their own experience.
I never intended to deny anyone's individual experience. Sorry if that's the way it came across.
My main premise is that we're shifting from a world in which race drives people's behavior to a "post-race" world. Not that there is no racism or that we have reached the post-race world.
I also was super clear that I was only speaking only about the tech industry and tech blogs -- not all of society. I'm an expert on the former and a neophyte on the later.
