You know that feeling when your child discovers you’ve been lying to them about something? Some lies we tell are pretty harmless. But others–like those surrounding privilege–contribute to the stubborn inequality in our world.

Colin was performing in a long-running off-Broadway show when his daughter was born. “I was singing and telling jokes for the delegates of the 2004 Republican Convention. There was such an intense conversation going on about values and the direction of the country. But as an actor my job was to distract from that. It dawned on me that there was more I could contribute.”

Fatherhood then showed him how little he knew. Leaving Broadway behind, the family moved to Brookline. Colin found a new career in non-profit marketing and launched into fatherhood, a role that continues to challenge his curiosity.

The fact is that in my country, the distribution of wealth, income, educational attainment, health, imprisonment, representation in entertainment, and business leadership… overwhelmingly favor white people… including me. This is really hard for me to get my brain around.