I had a friend in elementary school who would often mention, "I'm 1/16 Cherokee." She was proud of that and it came across like she was bragging. It didn't occur to me that percentages of blood had anything to do with the government or that it was tied to entitlements. The only other time we hear about that is with horses and dogs. I share the feelings with the white man who expressed hesitation in talking about racial differences with his children because even bringing it up acknowledges that differences exist, when we're trying to teach the next generation that racial differences do not matter. Seeing BLM events in our town is giving me a less awkward opportunity to start the important conversation.