I read a comment on the Adams mess a month ago (can't find the reference now, IOW) that "It's OK to be white" is a popular slogan with some white supremacist groups. So it's not (as I first assumed) just a very poorly phrased question, it's also a dog whistle and a "can't lose" question — either Black respondents agree ("See, those people say it's okay!") or don't, in which case people like Adams can go on rants.