I think my boss is racist. What should I do?

In an era when corporates are obsessed with ‘diversity and inclusion’ it can be hard to speak directly about the fact that racism isn’t just about hurt feelings, writes Sisonke Msimang. Composite: ediebloom/Guardian Design

Dear Ms Understanding,

I have a boss I think may be racist. He’s close to most of the people who work in our team – men and women – frequently joking with them and openly congratulating them on their work. He has weekly catchups with them to discuss their progress. With me it’s the opposite. He barely interacts with me and we have only met four times in the eight months I have been working under him. Last time we met, admittedly, I cried because I felt overwhelmed and anxious because he started the meeting by asking me what I think my weaknesses are. He acknowledged that as a white older male he may have started off the meeting on the wrong foot and he was nice for a while after, but then things went back to normal.