When I first heard the uproar over Whoopi Goldberg’s comments about the Holocaust, it felt like just one more excuse for public outrage. But then I had the opportunity to talk with Robyn Autry, a Black sociologist at Wesleyan who studies racial identity. Autry told me she couldn’t stop thinking and talking about what Goldberg said – how she tried and mostly failed to apologize, and how the public was reacting.

Autry agreed to put her thoughts into an article for us.

In her piece, Autry describes how America is often forced into an uncomfortable discussion about race only in reaction to violence or scandal. “In the absence of sustained national dialogue, shows like ‘The View’ and comedians like Goldberg can easily become lightning rods,” Autry writes. “The American public often overestimates their ability to unpack complicated social issues. Are they public intellectuals or entertainers?”

Autry’s analysis has me thinking about what more meaningful dialogue would look like, and if it is happening somewhere more appropriate than on daytime TV. Hit reply to send me your thoughts and suggestions.

Also today:

Emily Costello

Managing Editor

Whoopi Goldberg awkwardly demonstrates how the idea of race varies by place and changes over time

Robyn Autry, Wesleyan University

In the absence of meaningful national dialogue about race, the American public often turns to entertainers to unpack complicated social issues.

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Today's graphic

A year-by-year breakdown of forest clearing in Brazil's southern Amazonas State by the size of each patch of land deforested and legality reflects the rise of large land 
grabs in recent years.

From the story, The great Amazon land grab – how Brazil’s government is turning public land private, clearing the way for deforestation

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