In the weeks leading up to the World Conference Against Racism, the US Government has tried to dodge their complicity and leadership in upholding entrenched systems of racism in the United States and around the world. While NGOs and anti-racist activists are gearing up to grill the United States on criminal justice racism, the United States has threatened to withdraw from the conference.

The international community has responded with outrage. "We are disappointed that the former colonial powers - and we should emphasize that some still are colonial powers - are so reluctant to acknowledge the indisputable facts of history and to come up with concrete solutions," said David Commissiong, a Barbadian official.

The United States Government has shown how its true colors by trying to run away from issues of institutionalized racism, racial profiling, criminal justice system racism and slavery reparations. While much momentum has been put into reparations talks and working groups for the conference, Secretary of State Colin Powell insists that these topics are not relevant to dialogue about racism. Powell insists that "it has nothing to do with the Administration being racist" in an interview with CNN.