Prelude To Redemption. I'm a racist!

My editor sent me an email that points out that the teller of my level is so a racist. Simply because on page six I use descriptors such as "dark" and "jet" to impersonate one of the characters in my story. Apparently it's a no-no to use words other than "african american" to identify that race. This bothers me. The whole spirit of my tale is true up "street".

There's going to be things in it that shake the reader's emotions, and I apologize ahead of sentence if anyone is offended. I'm not nigh to brand all of my characters white middle class america in order to not offend people. There's already a superfluity of zombie stories portraying that section of society. I'm representing a whole different group of people who pass to also inhabit earth. It's a pity that some people think everything should be so PC and packaged in a nice sterile box in rank to delight everyone, because guess what? Not everyone is into perfectly white and shiny happy stories. Some people enjoy true grit, getting down into the dirty underbelly of the interior city. It is not racist to actually portray some of the masses who inhabit that region, to describe the way they look, act, speak, or live. I'm sad but you can overlay your eyes all you want, but that doesn't stop real living from happening! I also honor the sensitiveness to racism, but to be so overly concerned that you *might* offend someone? This is strong for me. I'm no Archie Bunker, who proclaims that it's ok for me to say the things I say because one of my best friends happens to be black.well, my husband IS black, but that's beside the point. I suppose it stems from me actually interacting in the neighbourhood described in my story, and keep amongst mostly blacks and latinos who bid each other black, or brown, or whatever describes the colour of their skin. No offence is meant or taken in any case. It seems that whites are hyper sensitive to coming across as offensive or looked upon as racist, and run to be more decisive of their statements and how it might get across. I see that my publisher might not wish to be looked upon as potentially racist. I read the sensitivity. I'm just concerned about how far things will go in changing the whole vibe of the book. Am I really being a racist, using the term "black"? This is really bothering me now.