1. Regardless of the color of the skin (black or white), the argument of Wendy Walters regarding acknowledgment of slavery would not change. The gap between the generations (the present day free people and the 19th-century slaves) interferes with Ms. Walters’ comprehension of slavery. She is unfamiliar with any relevant evidence of the hardships of being a black woman and a slave. If she was white, her comprehension of slavery would presumably be the same: condemnation and rejection of contempt of humanity, self-respect, and individualism of the human nature. For a white person, slavery is easier to grasp from the perspective of a descendant of a slave-owner. On a day-to-day basis, it is easier to acknowledge slavery from the point of mutual respect in all people, recognition of every individual as equal, and compliance with the regulations on equality of all people in their rights and freedoms. Slavery deprives people of their culture, identity, and self-recognition. Thus, modern people should try to avoid such attitude and follow the generally accepted norms of total equality. All people are similar regardless of their color of skin, a form of the eyes, weight, height, or ancestry. In the modern world, slavery stands for exploitation and labor without consideration to the fundamental individual rights.
2. Within the latest months in the history of the U.S., the issues of racism and poverty could be indicated as the most relevant and deserving the attention of the civic activists. The current policy of the American government and course chosen by the U.S. President suggest struggle with immigrants. It consequently brings up the issue of racism because the most vulnerable categories are illegal immigrants from Mexico, Central and Southern Americas, African and Asian countries. They differ from the white American population in their appearance, which therefore results in blaming them in various problems and incidents. The issue of racism is currently one of the most crucial, especially in the Southern states of the U.S., where conservative approach to slavery is kept by some of the population groups. Another issue requiring immediate attention is poverty in the lowest levels of the American society. Among people who are exposed to poverty the most part is Black and Hispanic, etc. non-white population. Their representatives are from the lowest socioeconomic class and exist with the support of the government (welfare programs, food stamps, and other programs). Each generation has its problems but some of them do not dissolve and are constantly occurring. The reviewed incidents of poverty and racism are among those most frequently occurring regardless of the changes in the executive branch of power.

3. Empathy is one of the hardest emotions to turn on in humans. People feel frightened to reveal their inner sensations and true colors, and thus, real empathy is rather hard to find. Americans prefer to remain reserved in the everyday life. Luckily, the collective empathy as a form of response to the most provocative and high-profile events or incidents can be provoked in the society. Among the events that are most likely to trigger the community are mass murders (such as shootings or terror attacks, and so on), law enforcement brutality especially if combined with exposure to discrimination, and children-related crimes. Rankine’s limits of empathy correlate with racial tolerance and discrimination. She assumes that non-white population lives under constant stress of being different from the white majority and in fear to be killed for that reason. People tend to be guided by biases and racial stereotypes. Black population is often associated with criminals, and that is why they have a higher chance of being exposed to racial profiling and violence. Rankine and Walters define empathy in a somewhat similar manner, making it effective in the times of need, such as natural disasters, but limited in case of race-related incidents. In the latter case, efficacy of the empathy is rather limited because people prefer to protect those who are similar to them.