MINUTE
MINUTE COMMUTE ON 76 WEST, NOW WE ARE DOWN TO 14 MINUTES.
YOU'VE GOT THE GREEN LIGHT.
>> THANK YOU.
>>> 7:15 RIGHT NOW.
FOR MANY PEOPLE OF COLOR, THE
FIRST TIME THEY EXPERIENCED
RACISM HAPPENED WHEN THEY ARE
TOO YOUNG TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S
GOING ON.
GOING ON.
GOING ON. BYRON REED TALKED TO SEVEN
COLORADANS ABOUT THE FIRST
ENCOUNTERS.
ENCOUNTERS. HERE ARE SOME OF THOSE STORIES.
>> WOW.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. SEVEN.
SEVEN.
SEVEN. >>
SEVEN. >> MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH
RACISM DEFINITELY HAPPENED
BEFORE I COULD POSSIBLY
REMEMBER IT.
REMEMBER IT. IT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS YOUNGER
THAN 2.
THAN 2.
THAN 2. >> I THINK WHEN I KIND OF
TURNED 5 AND WENT INTO
KINDERGARTEN AND ME AND MY
OLDER SIBLING WERE IN THE SAME
SCHOOL, IT WAS VERY APPARENT AT
THAT POINT.
THAT POINT. IT WAS ALWAYS KIND OF LIKE
THESE MICRO AGGRESSIONS THAT I
WOULD EXPERIENCE.
WOULD EXPERIENCE. >> I WAS ON A SOFTBALL TEAM, A
REC LEAGUE SOFTBALL TEAM AND WE
WOULD HAVE SLEEPOVERS AND ONE
OF THE SLEEPOVERS THE COACH --
TO DROP ME OFF AND WE WERE
DRIVING THROUGH A WALMART
PARKING LOT AND SHE AND HER
FRIEND WERE IN THE FRONT SEAT
AND I WAS IN THE BACK SEAT
PLAYING ON MY GAME BOY, AND ALL
OF A SUDDEN SHE SLAMS ON HER
BRAKES AND SHE SAYS, LIKE,
STUPID --
STUPID --
STUPID -- >> JUST GETTING CALLED THAT
WORD FROM A BUNCH OF NONCOLORED
PEOPLE, IT KIND OF THREW ME.
IT THREW ME BECAUSE I LOOK AT
PEOPLE ALL THE SAME.
I MEAN, THAT'S BEEN ME, THAT'S
BEEN MY WHOLE LIFE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING MY MOM
TAUGHT ME.
TAUGHT ME. >> I COME FROM A BI-RACIAL
FAMILY AND WAS BROUGHT UP
MAINLY ON MY MOTHER'S SIDE,
WHICH IS ALL IMMIGRANTS FROM
CENTRAL AMERICA, AND I AM
ACTUALLY THE ONLY AFRICAN-
AMERICAN CHILD IN THE FIRST
GENERATION.
GENERATION. IT WAS NOT UNCOMMON FOR ME TO
BE CALLED EL NEGRIOT WHICH IS
LIKE THE LITTLE BLACK ONE IN
SPANISH.
SPANISH.
SPANISH. IN MY HEAD, IT'S LIKE, WELL, MY
UNCLES SAY IT ALL THE TIME,
IT'S NO BIG DEAL.
AND THEY LAUGHED.
I DIDN'T GET THAT, I DIDN'T GET
IT FOR A LONG TIME.
I WAS A KID.
IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS
BROUGHT UP.
BROUGHT UP. >> IT'S A STORY THAT MY PARENTS
ALWAYS TELL.
ALWAYS TELL. THEY WERE TOGETHER WITH ME AND
I WAS IN MY STROLLER AND THEY
WERE SHOPPING AT DILLARD'S IN
THE SOUTHWEST PLAZA MALL HERE
IN DENVER, AND SO THEY HAD GONE
FOR SOME SPECIFIC ITEMS AND
ENDED UP NOT FINDING WHAT THEY
NEEDED.
NEEDED.
NEEDED. SO AS THEY WERE LEAVING,
BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T BUY
ANYTHING AND THEY DIDN'T GET
WHAT THEY NEEDED, SECURITY
APPROACHED THEM AND STOPPED
THEM AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED
THROWING THE BLANKETS OFF OF MY
STROLLER, OFF OF ME IN MY
STROLLER AND GOING THROUGH TO
SEE IF THEY HAD STOLEN
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING. >> SO WENT HOME, ASKED MY MOM
ABOUT IT AND SHE TOLD ME MORE
ABOUT IT AND IT WAS ONE OF
THOSE THINGS LIKE, SO IT'S A
DEROGATORY THING?
DEROGATORY THING? OKAY.
OKAY.
OKAY. HOW
OKAY. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO REACT TO
IT?
IT?
IT? SHE
IT? SHE IS LIKE, DON'T, BECAUSE IF
YOU DO, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO
LOOK AT YOU LIKE YOU ARE THE
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM. >> GOING THROUGH A CHILD'S
STROLLER, YOU KNOW, AND
THROWING BLANKETS OFF OF AN
INFANT IS -- IT'S A HARD STORY
TO HEAR, YOU KNOW.
BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE AS
PEOPLE OF COLOR HAVE TO STOMACH
EVERY DAY.
EVERY DAY. WE DON'T JUST HAVE TO HEAR
THESE STORIES, WE HAVE TO LIVE
THESE STORIES.
THESE STORIES. >> THAT KIND OF CONDITIONING
GROWING UP IS REALLY THE NUMBER
ONE THING THAT STICKS OUT TO
ME, IS THAT EVEN KIND OF WITHIN
THE FAMILY AREA WHERE YOU
WOULDN'T ANTICIPATE THAT BEING
A THING, IT WAS.
>>
>> PEOPLE
>> PEOPLE ARE GOING TO PICK ON YOU FOR BEING DIFFERENT.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO FIND THE
PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT YOU FOR
BEING YOU, FOR BEING THE UNIQUE
PERSON YOU ARE.
THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO
BUILD YOU UP AND BUILD UP THE
STRENGTHS YOU HAVE.
>> CONTINUE DOING WHAT YOU WERE
DOING.
DOING.
DOING. DON'T BE TRIGGERED BY IT.
>> ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU
THINK ARE GREAT ABOUT YOURSELF,
THEY ARE.
THEY ARE.
THEY ARE. >> KEEP YOUR CHIN UP.
NEVER LOOK DOWN.
USE THAT EXPERIENCE, TAKE IT IN
AND LEARN FROM IT AND THEN