Conundrum Explanation

I wrote this poem when I was around eighteen and although I've edited it somewhat over the years, it represents my thoughts when I was confronted with blatant racism for the first time living in the dorm of a conservative Christian university located far from civilization on the flat Michigan landscape. These sentiments still ring true for me today. What about you--when did you first experience racism and what was your response?

Conundrum

Conundrum

I can’t understand it:
White = purity
Black = evil
Yet white bakes, roasts, and perms to diminish
Porcelain clean and its accompanying factors
And black creams, bleaches and straightens to hide
Earth browns and their accompanying factors
Someone should point out that with these physical changes:
White = evil
Black = purity
This doesn’t compute with current social ideologies.
Something’s wrong,
Balances are thrown askew.
If things continue in this ludicrous manner it will mean:
White/Black = Potential for evil and purity in both.
And everybody knows that’s not possible…
Right?