9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I was on a long road trip this summer, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I was having[br]a wonderful time listening 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to the amazing Isabel Wilkerson's[br]"Warmth of Other Suns." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It documents six million black folks 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 fleeing the South from 1915 to 1970 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 looking for a respite[br]from all the brutality 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and trying to get to a better[br]opportunity up North, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and it was filled with stories[br]of the resilience and the brilliance 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 of African-Americans, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and it was also really hard to hear 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 all the stories of the horrors[br]and the humility, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and all the humiliations. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It was especially hard to hear[br]about the beatings and the burnings 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and the lynchings of black men. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And I said, "You know,[br]this is a little deep. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I need a break. I'm going[br]to turn on the radio." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I turned it on, and there it was: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Ferguson, Missouri. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Michael Brown, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 18-year old black man, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 unarmed, shot by a white police officer, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 laid on the ground dead, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 blood running for four hours 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 while his grandmother and little children 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and his neighbors watched in horror, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I thought, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 here it is again, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 This violence, this brutality[br]against black men 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 has been going on for centuries. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I mean, it's the same story. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's just different names. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It could have been Amadou Diallo. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It could have been Sean Bell. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It could have been Oscar Grant. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It could have been Trayvon Martin. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 This violence, this brutality, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is really something that's part[br]of our national psyche. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's part of our collective history. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What are we going to do about it? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You know that part of us that still 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 crosses the street, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 locks the doors, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 clutches the purses, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 when we see young black men? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That part. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I mean, I know we're not[br]shooting people down in the street, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but I'm saying that the same[br]stereotypes and prejudices 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that fuel those kinds of tragic incidents 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 are in us. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We've been schooled in them as well. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I believe that we can stop[br]these types of incidents, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 these Fergusons from happening, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 by looking within 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and being willing to change ourselves. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So I have a call to action for you. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 There are three things that I want[br]to offer us today to think about 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 as ways to stop Ferguson[br]from happening again; 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 three things that I think will help us 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 reform our images of young black men; 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 three things that I'm hoping 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 will not only protect them 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but will open the world[br]so that they can thrive. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Can you imagine that? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Can you imagine our country[br]embracing young black men, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 seeing them as part of our future, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 giving them that kind of openness, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that kind of grace we give[br]to people we love? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 How much better would our lives be?[br]How much better would our country be? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Let me just start with number one. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We gotta get out of denial. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Stop trying to be good people. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We need real people. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You know, I do a lot of diversity work, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and people will come up to me[br]at the beginning of the workshop. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They're like, "Oh, Ms. Diversity Lady,[br]we're so glad you're here" 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 -- (Laughter) -- 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "but we don't have a biased bone in our body." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And I'm like, "Really? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Because I do this work every day,[br]and I see all my biases." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I mean, not too long ago, I was on a plane 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I heard the voice of a woman[br]coming over the P.A. system, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I was just so excited, so thrilled. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I was like, "Yes, women,[br]we are rocking it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We are now in the stratosphere." You know? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It was all good, and then it started[br]getting turbulent and bumpy, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I was like, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "I hope she can drive." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I know. Right. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But it's not even like[br]I knew that was a bias 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 until I was coming back on the other leg[br]and there's always a guy driving 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and it's often turbulent and bumpy, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I've never questioned[br]the confidence of the male driver. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The pilot is good. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Now, here's the problem. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's like if you ask me explicitly, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I would say "Female pilot awesome." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But it appears that when things get funky[br]and a little troublesome, a little risky, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I lean on a bias that I didn't[br]even know thatI had. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You know, fast-moving planes in the sky, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I want a guy. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That's my default. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Men are my default. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Who is your default? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Who do you trust? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Who are you afraid of? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Who do you implicitly feel connected to? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Who do you run away from? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'm going to tell you[br]what we have learned. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The implicit association test, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 which measures unconscious bias, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 you can go online and take it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Five million people have taken it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Turns out, our default is white. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We like white people. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We prefer white. What do I mean by that? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 When people are shown images of black men 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and white men, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we are more quickly able to associate 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that picture with a positive word,[br]that white person with a positive word, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 when we are trying to associate[br]positive with a black face, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and vice versa. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 When we see a black face, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it is easier for us to connect 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 black with negative 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 than it is white with negative. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Seventy percent of white people[br]taking that test prefer white. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Fifty percent of black people[br]taking that test prefer white. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You see, we were all outside[br]when the contamination came down. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 What do we do about the fact[br]that our brain automatically associates? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You know, one of the things 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that you probably are thinking about, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and you're probably like, you know what, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'm just going to double down[br]on my color-blindness. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Yes, I'm going to recommit to that. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'm going to suggest to you no. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We've gone about as far as we can go[br]trying to make a difference 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 trying to not see color. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The problem was never that we saw color. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It was what we did when we saw the color. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's a false ideal. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And while we're busy pretending not to see 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we are not being aware of the ways[br]in which racial difference 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is changing people's possibilities, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that's keeping them from thriving, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and sometimes it's causing them 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 an early death. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So in fact, what the scientists[br]are telling us is no way. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Don't even think about color blindness. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 In fact, what they're suggesting is, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 stare at awesome black people. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Look at them directly in their faces 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and memorize them, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because when we look[br]at awesome folks who are black, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 it helps to dissociate 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the association that happens[br]automatically in our brain. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Why do you think I'm showing you[br]these beautiful black men behind me? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 There were so many, I had to cut them. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Okay, so here's the thing: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'm trying to reset your automatic[br]associations about who black men are. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'm trying to remind you 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that young black men 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 grow up to be amazing human beings 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 who have changed our lives 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and made them better. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So here's the thing. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The other possibility in science, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and it's only temporarily changing[br]our automatic assumptions, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but one thing we know 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 is that if you take a white person[br]who is, like, odious, that you know, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and stick it up next to a person of color, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 a black person, who is fabulous, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 than that sometimes actually[br]causes us to disassociate too. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So think, like, Jeffrey Dahmer[br]and Colin Powell. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Like, just stare at them, right? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But these are the things.[br]So go looking for your bias. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Please, please, just get out of denial 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and go looking for disconfirming data[br]that will prove that in fact 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 your old stereotypes are wrong. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Okay, so that's number one: number two, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 what I'm going to say is move toward[br]young black men instead of away from them. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And, you know, it's not[br]the hardest thing to do, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but it's one of these things where 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 you have to be conscious[br]and intentional about it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You know, I was on[br]a Wall Street area one time, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 several years ago when[br]I was with a colleague of mine, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and she's really wonderful[br]and she does diversity work with me 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and she's a woman of color, she's Korean. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And we were outside,[br]it was late at night, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and we were sort of wondering where[br]we were going, we were lost. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And I saw this person across the street,[br]and I was thinking, "Oh great, black guy." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You know, I was going toward him[br]without even thinking about it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And she was like,[br]"Oh, that's interesting." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 The guy across the street, you know,[br]he was a black guy. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I think black guys generally[br]know where they're going. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I don't know why exactly I think that,[br]but that's what I think. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So she was saying, "Oh, you[br]were going, 'Yay, a black guy'?" 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 She said, "I was going,[br]'Ooh, a black guy.'" 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Other direction. Same need,[br]same guy, same clothes,[br] 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 same time, same street,[br]different reaction. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And she said, "I feel so bad.[br]I'm a diversity consultant. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I did the black guy thing.[br]I'm a woman of color. Oh my God!" 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And I said, "You know what? Please.[br]We really need to relax about this." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I mean, you gotta realize[br]I go way back with black guys. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 My dad is a black guy.[br]You see what I'm saying? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I've got a 6'5" black guy son.[br]I was married to a black guy. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 My black guy thing[br]is so wide and so deep 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that I can pretty much sort[br]and figure out who that black guy is, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and he was my black guy. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 He said, "Yes ladies, I know[br]where you're going. I'll take you there." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You know, biases are the stories[br]we make up about people 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 before we know who they actually are. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But how are we going to know who they are 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 when we've been told to avoid 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and be afraid of them? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So I'm going to tell you[br]to walk toward your discomfort. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And I'm not asking you[br]to take any crazy risks. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'm saying, just do an inventory, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 expand your social[br]and professional circles. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Who's in your circle? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Who's missing? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 How many authentic relationships 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 do you have with young black people, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 folks, men, women? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Or any other major difference[br]from who you are 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and how you roll, so to speak? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Because you know what?[br]Just look around your periphery. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 There may be somebody at work,[br]in your classroom, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in your house of worship, somewhere,[br]there's some black young guy there. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And you're nice. You say hi. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'm saying go deeper, closer, further, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and build the kinds of relationships,[br]that actually cause you to see 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 the holistic person 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and to really go against the stereotypes. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I know some of you are out there, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 [br]I know because I have some white[br]friends in particular that will say, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "You have no idea how awkward I am. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Like, I don't think this[br]is going to work for me. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I'm sure I'm going to blow this." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Okay, maybe, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but this thing is not about perfection. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 It's about connection. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And you're not going to get comfortable 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 before you get uncomfortable. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 I mean, you just have to do it. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And young black men,[br]what I'm saying is 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 if someone comes your way genuine[br]and authentically, take the invitation. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Not everyone is out to get you. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Go looking for those people[br]who can see your humanity. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You know, it's the empathy[br]and the compassion 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that comes out of having relationships 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with people who are different from you. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Something really powerful[br]and beautiful happens: 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 you start to realize that they are you, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that they are part of you, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that they are you in your family, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and then we cease to be bystanders 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and we become actors,[br]we become advocates, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and we become allies. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So go away from your comfort[br]into a bigger, brighter thing, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because that is how we will stop[br]another Ferguson from happening. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 That's how we create a community 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 where everybody, especially[br]young black men, can thrive. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So this last thing is going to be harder, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and I know it, but I'm just going[br]to put it out there anyway. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 When we see something, we have to have[br]the courage to say something, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 even to the people we love. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You know, it's holidays[br]and it's going to be a time 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 when we're sitting around the table 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and having a good time. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Many of us, anyways, will be in holidays, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and you go to listen to[br]the conversations around the table. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 You start to say things like,[br]"Grandma's a bigot." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Laughter) 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "Uncle Joe is racist." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And you know, we love Grandma[br]and we love Uncle Joe. We do. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 But what they're saying is wrong, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and we need to be able to say something, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 because you know who else is at the table? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Children are at the table. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And we wonder why these biases don't die 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and move from generation to generation? 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Because we're not saying anything. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We gotta be willing to say, "Grandma,[br]we don't call people that anymore." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 "Uncle Joe, it isn't true[br]that he deserved that. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 No one deserves that." 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 And we've got to be willing 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to not shelter our children[br]from the ugliness of racism 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 when black parents don't[br]have the luxury to do so, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 especially those who have 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 young black sons. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We gotta take our lovely darlings, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 our future, and we've got to tell them 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 we have an amazing country 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with incredible ideals. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We have worked incredibly hard,[br]and we have made some progress, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but we are not done. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We still have in us this old stuff 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 about superiority and it is causing us 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to embed those further[br]into our institutions 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and our society and generations, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and it is making for despair 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and disparities and a devastating[br]devaluing of young black men. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 We still struggle, you have to tell them, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with seeing both the color 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and the character of young black men, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 but that you, and you expect them 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to be part of the forces of change 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 in this society 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 that will stand against injustice 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and is really above all other things 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 to make a society where 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 young black men can be seen[br]for all of who they are. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 So many amazing black men, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 those who are the most amazing[br]statesmen that have ever lived, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 brave soldiers, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 awesome, hardworking laborers. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 These are people who[br]are powerful preachers. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They are incredible scientists[br]and artists and writers. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They are dynamic comedians. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They are doting grandpas, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 caring sons. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 They are strong fathers, 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 and they are young men 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 with dreams of their own. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 Thank you. 9:59:59.000,9:59:59.000 (Applause)