ONE
ONE THAT
ONE THAT SOME PEOPLE STRUGGLE WITH.
WITH.
WITH. FOR
WITH. FOR MANY PEOPLE OF COLOR,
INCLUDING ME, AND BRINGS BACK
PAINFUL MEMORIES.
PAINFUL MEMORIES. >> THIS IS A JOURNEY.
>> Reporter: DR. CAPRICE
HOLLINS HAS BEEN TEACHING
PEOPLE HOW TO TALK ABOUT
RACISM, BUT IN THE MONTHS
SINCE THE POLICE OFFICER
KILLED GEORGE FLOYD, IT'S BEEN
HARDER THAN EVER FOR HER TO
KEEP UP.
KEEP UP.
KEEP UP. >> CALLING, E-MAILING.
>> Reporter: DOZENS OF
BUSINESS AND NONPROFIT LEADERS
HAVE REQUESTED RACIAL
AWARENESS TRAINING.
AWARENESS TRAINING. SHE EVEN LED A FEW FOR OUR
STAFF AT KING 5.
>> THIS IS ABOUT WHAT YOU DO
WHEN PEOPLE SHARE WITH YOU HOW
RACISM IS IMPACTING THEIR
LIVES.
LIVES.
LIVES. >>
LIVES. >> Reporter: THE PEOPLE WHO
ATTEND COME FROM ALL DIFFERENT
BACKGROUNDS BUT IN EACH
SESSION, SHE ASKS EVERYONE THE
SAME QUESTION --
>> WHEN DID YOU FIRST REALIZE
THAT YOUR RACE MATTERED?
>> WHEN WE SAT DOWN TOGETHER
THIS SUMMER, CAPRICE EVEN
ASKED ME.
ASKED ME.
ASKED ME. >> I REMEMBER WHEN I REALIZED
MY RACE MATTERED.
I WAS VERY YOUNG.
PROBABLY FIVE OR SIX.
WITH MY PARENTS OUT CAMPING
WITH MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS
ALL FIVE OF US, WE JUMPED INTO
THE SWIMMING POOL AND ALL OF
THE WHITE KIDS GOT OUT OF THE
SWIMMING POOL, AND IT WAS
CONFUSING BECAUSE WE CAME TO
PLAY.
PLAY.
PLAY. AND
PLAY. AND MY FATHER WAS THERE WITH
US.
US.
US. AND
US. AND I
US. AND I REMEMBER HIM BOUNCING ME
AROUND IN THE WATER AND ASKING
HIM, DADDY, WHY DON'T THE KIDS
WANT TO PLAY WITH US?
WHY ARE THE KIDS GETTING OUT
OF THE POOL?
AND HE HAD TO EXPLAIN IT TO
ME.
ME.
ME. THEY'RE GETTING OUT OF THE
POOL BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS
DON'T WANT THEIR WHITE
CHILDREN IN THE POOL WITH
BLACK KIDS.
BLACK KIDS. >> Reporter: IT TOOK HER ONLY
SECONDS TO RECALL HER OWN
STORY IN OREGON.
>> I'M IN THE FOURTH GRADE AND
MY SISTER IS IN SECOND GRADE.
EVERY DAY, WE WALK ONTO THAT
SCHOOL GROUNDS, WE ARE THE
ONLY KIDS OF COLOR.
THESE KIDS WOULD SURROUND US.
AND SPEW THE N WORD AT US.
AND I NEVER TOLD ANYBODY HOW
BEING CALLED THE N WORD FELT.
I NEVER TALKED WITH ANYBODY
ABOUT HOW I TRY TO BE THIS
GOOD PERSON, MAYBE IF I WAS
NICE, IF I MADE MYSELF
PERSONABLE, MAYBE PEOPLE,
WHITE PEOPLE WOULD GIVE ME A
CHANCE.
CHANCE.
CHANCE. >> Reporter: CAPRICE SAYS THAT
IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE FOR OUR
NATIONS PEOPLE OF COLOR.
>> WHEN I ASK PEOPLE OF COLOR
THIS QUESTION, THEY'LL SAY I
DON'T REMEMBER A TIME WHEN MY
RACE DIDN'T MATTER.
>> Reporter: THAT'S WHAT WE
FOUND WHEN WE SENT A CREW OUT
TO ASK CAPRICE'S FAVORITE
QUESTION.
QUESTION.
QUESTION. >> WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOUR
RACE MATTERED?
RACE MATTERED? >> 1975.
>> 1975.
>> 1975. KINDERGARTEN.
KINDERGARTEN. DALLAS, TEXAS.
DALLAS, TEXAS. >> I'M AN IMMIGRANT.
WHAT KIND OF CHINESE ARE YOU?
I'M ACTUALLY NOT CHINESE.
>> Reporter: WHEN WE ASKED THE
SAME QUESTION OF A NUMBER OF
WHITE PEOPLE --
>> WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOUR
RACE MATTERED?
RACE MATTERED? >> MY RACE WHAT?
>> Reporter: WHEN DID YOU
REALIZE YOUR RACE MATTERED?
>> I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN
ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF I STILL KNOW
MY RACE MATTERS.
>> Reporter: WAS THERE ANY
PARTICULAR THING THAT YOU CAN
THINK OF WHERE YOU REALIZED
THAT YOUR RACE MATTERED?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. ALL, I'M TRYING TO THINK --
ANY PARTICULAR INCIDENT OR --
>> Reporter: IT'S A TOUGH ONE.
THAT QUESTION CREATES
CONFUSION.
CONFUSION. HOW IS IT THAT IN 2021, WHITE
PEOPLE STILL STRUGGLE, OR ARE
CONFUSED BY THAT, WHY ARE WE
NOT FURTHER ALONG?
>> I THINK THAT WHITE PEOPLE
ARE CONFUSED BY IT, BECAUSE
THERE'S NOTHING IN THEIR
EXPERIENCE THAT LEADS THEM TO
THINK THEY SHOULD BE THINKING
OF RACE ANY OTHER WAY THAN TO
NOT THINK ABOUT RACE.
DON'T NOTICE IT, DON'T TALK
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. YOU'RE A GOOD PERSON.
WE ARE ALL THE SAME.
OUR SOCIETY FEEDS THAT MESSAGE
FROM AN EARLY, EARLY AGE.
>> Reporter: IT'S A MESSAGE
THAT OUR DIFFERENCES DON'T
MATTER, BUT CAPRICE'S QUESTION
LEADS MANY TO REALIZE AS THEY
ANSWER.
ANSWER.
ANSWER. >> WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOUR
RACE MATTERED?
RACE MATTERED? >> OH, MAN.
I GUESS I MEAN, BEING WHITE I
THINK I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF
NOT REALLY HAVING TO REALIZE
THAT UNTIL A LITTLE BIT LATER
IN LIFE.
IN LIFE.
IN LIFE. BUT YEAH, THAT'S A TOUGH
QUESTION.
QUESTION.
QUESTION. AND I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE.
I HAVEN'T HAD TO THINK ABOUT
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. AS
THAT. AS MUCH.
AS MUCH.
AS MUCH. >> I KIND OF LOOK AT MYSELF
AND GO, HOW THE HELL DID I NOT
GET THIS BEFORE?
WHY DO I HAVE TO BE 50 YEARS
OLD, LIVING IN SEATTLE IN A
BLUE BUBBLE, AND IT STILL TOOK
ME THIS LONG TO FIGURE OUT?
WITH A LOT OF FRIENDS OF
COLOR.
COLOR.
COLOR. >>
COLOR. >> LIKE A FISH DOESN'T KNOW
IT'S WET, THE THING ABOUT
PRIVILEGE IS IT'S SET UP SO
THAT YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU
HAVE IT.
HAVE IT.
HAVE IT. THAT'S WHY IT'S CALLED
PRIVILEGE.
PRIVILEGE. >> THERE'S GOT TO BE