In this installment of the Illipsis, Jay Smooth speaks out publicly about his much-publicized appearance last week on MSNBC’S “All in with Chris Hayes,” blackness, self-identity and how corporations like Starbucks can actually make a difference to the cause of racial justice. “Apparently it turns out that when a visually ambiguous black person feels compelled to explain their blackness, that is America’s favorite thing to watch in the world,” Smooth says. “It’s just a weird experience to be on national TV while what is a deeply personal moment plays out of feeling to feel like you need to defend your self-identity.”