FOR
FOR MANY
FOR MANY WHITE PEOPLE, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THEY'RE HAVING
ANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RACE.
>> HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO
FRIENDS OF COLOR TO TALK ABOUT
RACE AND RACISM?
>> I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW, LIKE
TOO MANY PEOPLE OF COLOR.
OUR SCHOOL IS MAINLY WHITE.
>> IT'S MOST CERTAINLY, A PART
OF THE PROBLEM, IF NOT THE
PROBLEM, IT NEEDS TO STOP.
PEOPLE NEED TO SEE WITH THEIR
OWN EYES, AND EXPERIENCE OTHER
PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIFFERENT
EXPERIENCES WITH RACE AND
RACISM.
RACISM.
RACISM. >> THERE'S BUILT IN BIASES.
SOME THINGS THAT NEED TO CHANGE
AND WE TALK ABOUT CHANGING IT
TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITIES.
>> WE SENT MARK WRIGHT OUT WITH
CAPRICE HOLLANDS TO CHAT WITH
WHITE PEOPLE ABOUT THEIR
UNDERSTANDING OF RACISM IN
AMERICA.
AMERICA.
AMERICA. YOU'RE ABOUT TO HEAR FRANK
CONVERSATIONS WITH TWO PEOPLE
WHO SEE RACISM THROUGH TWO VERY
DIFFERENT LENSES.
DIFFERENT LENSES. >> Reporter: WE SET UP OUR
MICROPHONE AT JUANITA BEACH
PARK IN KIRKLAND.
WE'RE HERE TO ASK PEOPLE IF IN
THEIR DAY-TO-DAY LIVES, THEY'RE
TALKING ABOUT RACE.
WHY?
WHY?
WHY? BECAUSE DR. CAPRICE HOLLAND
SAYS IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE
PROGRESS ON RACISM, EVERY
SINGLE ONE OF US NEEDS TO DO
OUR PART, AND THAT STARTS BY
TALKING ABOUT IT.
>> THERE'S NO EXCUSE FOR NOT
LEARNING.
LEARNING.
LEARNING. >> Reporter: THOMAS GIBSON
STEPPED UP.
STEPPED UP. HE'S A FIRST YEAR ARMY SCOUT
FROM JOINT BASED LEWIS McCOURT.
>> I DEAL WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF
GROUPS OF NATIONALITIES, ALL OF
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. >>
THAT. >> Reporter: THOMAS SAYS HE'S
THE FIRST TO CALL OUT RACISM.
HE CAN'T STAND IT.
>> I WILL LITERALLY KICK
SOMEBODY'S ASS IF IT OFFENDS
ANOTHER PERSON.
ANOTHER PERSON. BECAUSE THERE'S NO POINT IN IT.
KEEP IT TO YOURSELF.
WALK AWAY.
WALK AWAY. >> Reporter: LIKE MANY
AMERICANS, HE DOESN'T TALK
ABOUT RACE A LOT, AND HE
DOESN'T BELIEVE WHITE PRIVILEGE
EXISTS.
EXISTS.
EXISTS. >> DO YOU THINK YOU WILL HAVE
MORE OPPORTUNITIES AS A WHITE
PERSON THAN A PERSON OF COLOR?
>> NEVER.
>> NEVER.
>> NEVER. NEVER.
NEVER.
NEVER. I
NEVER. I THINK I WILL ABSOLUTELY HAVE
THE SAME OPPORTUNITY AS ANY
PERSON THAT'S STANDING NEXT TO
ME.
ME.
ME. >>
ME. >> BUT NO MORE OPPORTUNITIES
THAN A PERSON OF COLOR?
>> NO, NO MORE OPPORTUNITIES
THAN ANY PERSON OF COLOR.
>> SO OBVIOUSLY, THOMAS, THELE
MILITARY IS A DIVERSE POOL OF
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. YET AT THE VERY, VERY TOP.
MOSTLY WHITE, MOSTLY MEN.
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT'S THE
CASE?
CASE?
CASE? >>
CASE? >> MOST OF THE TIME, OFFICERS
ARE GOING TO BE WHITE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
>> DO YOU THINK IT COULD BE
RACISM?
RACISM?
RACISM? >> IT COULD EITHER, I CAN'T SAY
IT WOULD BE RACISM, HONESTLY.
>> Reporter: THAT'S WHEN
CAPRICE HOLLAND STEPS IN.
>> HAVE YOU EVER TALKED WITH
ANY OF YOUR PEERS IN THE
MILITARY ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT
THEY THINK THAT RACISM EXISTS
IN THE MILITARY?
>> I THINK THERE WAS ONE.
THERE WAS ONLY ONE.
>> ONE CONVERSATION?
>> YEAH, ONE CONVERSATION.
I CAN'T FOR THE LIFE OF ME.
>> Reporter: I ASKED DR.
HOLLANDS TO WEIGH IN ON
THOMAS'S PERCEPTION.
THOMAS'S PERCEPTION. HER THOUGHTS?
HER THOUGHTS? HE'S A GOOD GUY.
HE DOESN'T TOLERATE OVERT
RACISM, BUT HE JUST TOLD US,
HE'S NOT TALKING ABOUT RACISM.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM.
>> HE HAS THE SENSE OF FAIRNESS
THAT HE'S WILLING TO ENGAGE
SOMEONE TO SAY THIS IS NOT
OKAY, THAT FOR EXAMPLE, BLACK
PEOPLE ARE TREATED THIS WAY.
BUT HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND HOW
RACISM MANIFESTS ITSELF IN MORE
SUBTLE WAYS.
SUBTLE WAYS. >> Reporter: SUBTLE WAYS LIKE
MISSING OUT ON A PROMOTION.
GETTING PAID LESS, OR BEING
FOLLOWED IN A STORE BECAUSE
SOMEONE ASSUMES YOU'RE A
SHOPLIFTER.
SHOPLIFTER. THE WAY WE UNDERSTAND THE DEEP
SEEDED SUBTLETY OF RACISM IN
AMERICA, WE'VE GOT TO START
HAVING THOSE DIFFICULT
CONVERSATIONS.
CONVERSATIONS. >> DISMANTLING RACISM IS NOT
EASY.
EASY.
EASY. AND
EASY. AND WHITE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO
HAVE TO GIVE SOME THINGS UP.
THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE
RACEKS AND NOT HAVE ALL THE
ANSWER.S.
ANSWER.S.
ANSWER.S. >> Reporter: THAT'S DAYS, SHE'S
HAVING A LOT OF TOUGH TALKS
ABOUT RACISM.
ABOUT RACISM. >> I'VE ACTUALLY MADE AN
INTENTIONAL CHOICE WHEN I MAKE
FRIENDS TO MAKE FRIENDS OF
DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.
DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS. THESE ARE CONVERSATIONS I'M
HAVING ALL THE TIME.
>> SHE'S READING.
SHE'S TRYING TO LEARN AND
EDUCATE HERSELF.
EDUCATE HERSELF. >> YOU CAN'T INTERRUPT RACISM
IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND IT,
RIGHT?
RIGHT?
RIGHT? SO
RIGHT? SO A PART OF WHAT I LOVE THAT
YOU'RE DOING IS YOU'RE NOT
ASKING PEOPLE OF COLOR TO TELL
YOU WHAT TO DO.
YOU'RE DEVELOPING A LENS SO
THAT YOU CAN BEGIN TO SEE
THINGS WHERE THEY NEED TO BE
INTERRUPTED.
INTERRUPTED. >> Reporter: HAVE THERE BEEN
MOMENTS WHEN MEREDITH GOT IT
WRONG?
WRONG?
WRONG? SHE SAYS YES.
>> I MESSED UP WITH A FRIEND,
AND I OVERSTEPPED AND TOOK AWAY
HER VOICE WHEN DISCUSSING
SOMETHING ABOUT RACE AT WORK.
SHE HAD TO TALK TO ME ABOUT WHY
THAT WAS WRONG AS A WHITE WOMAN
DOING THAT.
DOING THAT. AND IT'S A HEALTHY CONVERSATION
BECAUSE AS MUCH PRIVILEGE AS I
HAVE, I'M BLIND IN A LOT OF
WAYS STILL TO THE IMPACT THAT I
HAVE, EVEN WHILE I'M WELL
INTENTIONED.
INTENTIONED. >> SO I ALSO APPRECIATE YOUR
OPENNESS AND YOUR HUMILITY
AROUND THAT, SO THAT WHEN
PEOPLE OF COLOR DO GIVE WHITE
PEOPLE FEED BECOME, MARK, THAT
THEY DON'T SEE IT AS, YOU KNOW,
WE'RE SAYING YOU'RE RACIST, OR
WE'RE SAYING YOU'RE A BAD
PERSON, BUT JUST BE OPEN TO
HEARING HOW THIS IMPACTED ME.
>> Reporter: MEREDITH SAYS
SHE'LL KEEP TALKING.
SHE FEELS SHE HAS TO.
IF YOU'RE WATCHING, AND YOU'RE
NOT TALKING YET, THAT'S OKAY.
IT'S NOT TOO LATE.
THERE'S A LONG WAY TO GO.
>> I'M SORRY, THAT MAKES ME A
LITTLE EMOTIONAL.
LITTLE EMOTIONAL. IT'S UNFAIR.
IT'S UNFAIR. >> WHAT IS THE EMOTION LIKE FOR
YOU?
YOU?
YOU? >>
YOU? >> I
YOU? >> I JUST FEEL LIKE PEOPLE OF
COLOR, AND BLACK PEOPLE HAVE
GOTTEN THE SHORT END OF THE
STICK, AND IT'S UNFAIR.
THERE'S JUST SO MUCH MORE WE
CAN DO, AND I HOPE THAT BY THE
TIME MY SON IS AN ADULT, THIS