Hmm, not quite.

Don't get me wrong, I completely see that the way some people talk to white people about race is accusatory and often downright nasty, but telling a child that the colour of their skin doesn't count against them isn't an example of their skin counting against them.

All things being equal, a white kid will have an easier ride through life than a black kid, there's nothing wrong with recognising this, and there shouldn't be any implication of guilt.

The problem, of course, is that "all things" never are equal. So if you want to point out that this kid's skin won't count against him, it's only logical to point out the other things that might, or the things that won't count against his classmates.

That's what's missing from these conversations.