An awkward and (hopefully unintentionally) offensive interaction I, a white twentysomething, had with an elderly white gentleman today, the day celebrating the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Me: Hi, what can I get for you?

Elderly White Gentleman: Tall coffee. Black.

Me: That'll be a dollar fifty, unless there's anything else.

EWG: No, that'll do it. Pretty quiet around here, huh?

Me: Yeah, a lot of people have the holiday off.

EWG: I guess just us slaves have to work today.

Me: ...

EWG: Have a good day.

Me: ...Uh, you too.