Our latest racial tempest has to do with NBC's black history month meal. For those who don't feel like clicking through, NBC served "Fried Chicken, Collard Greens w/ Smoked Turkey, White Rice/Black Eyed Peas, and Jalapeno Cornbread."

It seems like there were really three options for NBC here: (1) Don't serve a meal in honor of Black History Month at all; (2) Serve traditional soul food for Black History Month; or (3) Have a meal in honor of Black History month, but serve pasta or enchiladas, or something that clearly is not a stereotypical African American meal.

It seems like all of these options were losers for NBC, and it says a lot about how sad our racial discourse in this country is. If we want to stop being, in the words of our Attorney General, "a nation of cowards" on race, we have to stop making so many conversations about race no-win situations for the participants. In the meantime, hats off to NBC. At least the employees got something that is, in the words of the (African American) chef who planned the dinner, "just a good meal."

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