Fifteen years ago, I considered myself a conservative Republican, and I genuinely believed that America’s long struggle for civil rights had largely succeeded.
When the Supreme Court decided Shelby County v. Holder in 2013, I agreed with the decision. I believed racism, religious intolerance, sexism, and anti-LGBTQ prejudice still existed, but I thought they had been pushed to the margins of American society.
I was wrong.
In this episode, I reflect on how the last decade changed my understanding of the country, why I underestimated the persistence of bigotry, and why intellectual honesty requires us to change our views when the facts change.
Being wrong is not the problem.
Refusing to learn is.
As we begin Pride Month, I discuss why civil rights victories are never self-executing, why progress requires constant vigilance, and why none of us gets to hide behind ignorance once reality has made itself clear.
I used to believe America’s civil rights battles had largely been won. I was wrong. This episode is an apology, a reflection on what changed my mind, and a challenge to all of us: once you’ve learned better, you have an obligation to do better.
