>> THERE IS A HUGE DEBATE ON ONE COLLEGE CAMPUS IN CALIFORNIA
WHERE THREE ROOMMATES PUT OUT AN AD LOOKING FOR A FOURTH
ROOMMATE. THEY WERE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT HOW THEY DID NOT
WANT A WHITE PERSON AS THE ROOMMATE. SO THESE ARE THREE
WOMEN THAT FEEL THAT THEY WOULD
BE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH SOMEONE OF A PERSON OF COLOR. I DON'T
KNOW, I DON'T LIKE THAT, BUT I UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY ARE COMING
FROM. I DON'T LIKE SELF-SEGREGATION. I THINK IT IS
IMPORTANT TO BE INCLUSIVE. THIS KIND OF STARTS OFF WITH THE
ASSUMPTION THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE WHITE YOU ARE NOT GOING TO
BE SENSITIVE TO THEIR
EXPERIENCES, AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO LIKE THEM OR TREAT THEM
FAIRLY. I THINK THAT IS AN UNFAIR OUTLOOK. I THINK IT'S
REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOT SELF
SEGREGATE AND BE OPEN TO A DIVERSE ENVIRONMENT, BUT AT THE
SAME TIME THESE COLLEGES HAVE GONE THROUGH A LOT OF RACIAL
TENSION. THEY FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE, THEY FEEL THAT
THEY ARE NOT BEING UNDERSTOOD, THEY FEEL LIKE THE
ADMINISTRATION AT THE SCHOOL HASN'T REALLY HEARD THEIR
GRIEVANCES. I UNDERSTAND THAT PERSPECTIVE AS WELL.
IT'S A DIFFICULT SITUATION.
>> HAVING PLAYED AGAINST THESE COLLEGES, I CAN SPEAK FIRSTHAND
THAT THE TEAMS I PLAYED AGAINST
WEREN'T THE MOST DIVERSE. I CAN UNDERSTAND IF THERE IS THE SENSE
OF A LACK OF DIVERSITY. I AGREE WITH YOU, I THINK THAT IN
TODAY'S DAY AND AGE I AM ALL FOR
INCLUSIVITY. THAT IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE KEYS GOING FORWARD TO
TRY TO BRIDGE THE GAP THAT SOME PEOPLE IN POWER ARE TRYING TO
ENFORCE. THAT BEING SAID, I WOULD NEVER IN MY WILDEST DREAMS
THINK ABOUT CALLING THIS RACIST OR REVERSE RACISM BECAUSE THERE
ARE A FEW THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION. PEOPLE
OF COLOR HAVE BEEN IN VOLUNTARY SEGREGATED IN THE PAST. THEY
HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN THE CHOICE TO CHOOSE WHERE THEY WOULD LIKE
TO ñ OR THE PEOPLE THEY WOULD LIKE TO SURROUND THEMSELVES
WITH. EVEN IF I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT, I WOULD NEVER TURN IT
AROUND TO MAKE IT SEEM LIKE
WHITE PEOPLE IN THE SITUATION ARE BEING EXCLUDED IN A NEGATIVE
TERM, OR VICTIMIZED BECAUSE WE ARE NOT AT ANY LIBERTY TO MAKE
THAT CALL BECAUSE IN THIS DAY AND AGE THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO
CHOOSE. I'M NOT SAYING YOU HAVE TO AGREE WITH IT, BUT TO CALL IT
REVERSE RACISM NEEDS TO STOP
BECAUSE IT'S NOT.
>>IT'S ALSO INTERESTING BECAUSE THIS IS AN OFF-CAMPUS APARTMENT,
IT'S NOT A DORM. WE ALL GET TO DECIDE WHO WE LIVE WITH. I
WOULDN'T PUT OUT AN AD SAYING I AM LOOKING FOR A MALE ROOMMATE,
ONLY LATINOS APPLY, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S WHAT I REALLY WANT. BUT
NONETHELESS WHAT WE WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING IS TO GO HOME TO A
PLACE THAT WE FEEL COMFORTABLE. I WANT EVERYONE TO HAVE THAT
ADVANTAGE, THAT PRIVILEGE. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I WOULD ASK
THAT WE ALL STAY OPEN-MINDED.
WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE HAD BAD EXPERIENCES WITH A SPECIFIC
GROUP OF PEOPLE, THAT GROUP DOES NOT DEFINE EVERYONE IN THAT
RACE. I WOULD HATE TO THINK THAT BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE TERRIBLE
ACTIONS OF WHITE INDIVIDUALS IN THIS COUNTRY THAT SOMEONE WOULD
LOOK AT ME AND THINK THAT WHITE GIRL DOESN'T UNDERSTAND ME, OR
SHE
PROBABLY DOESN'T LIKE ME. IT'S JUST NOT TRUE. I JUST WANT
PEOPLE TO BE MORE OPEN-MINDED. I THINK DIALOGUE AND HAVING CALM
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS IS VERY
IMPORTANT.
>> WE HAVE ALL HAD ROOMMATES. I FEEL LIKE BEN YOU HAVE NEVER HAD
A ROOMMATE IN YOUR LIFE.
>> I'VE HAD MORE ROOMMATES THAN ANY OF YOU PROBABLY.
>> I USED TO MOVE EVERY TWO YEARS IN LA AND I HAVE GONE
THROUGH THE ROOMMATE SITUATION. I KNOW WHEN I HAVE BEEN TURNED
DOWN BECAUSE I AM A GUY OR I AM A BLACK GUY. I KNOW THAT HAS
HAPPENED. IF YOU DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH ME THERE, I
DON'T WANT TO BE THERE EITHER. THE ONLY THING IS HAVE YOUR
MAKEUP THAT YOU WANT, BUT DON'T GO ADVERTISING IT. IT'S JUST
GOING TO MAKE YOU LOOK A CERTAIN
WAY. I HAD A ROOMMATE, AND WE HAD A FEMALE ROOMMATE COME IN.
SHE THOUGHT HE WAS GAY, SO SHE SAID I AM MOVING, AND IT IS A
GAY GUY. ONCE SHE MOVED IN SHE FIGURED OUT HE WAS STRAIGHT. SHE
DID WANT TO LIVE WITH A STRAIGHT
GUY. SHE MISPLAYED HER CARD, BUT IT WAS FINE. IT WAS A
COMFORT LEVEL I GUESS. THAT WAS HER THING. DON'T ADVERTISE IT,
GO AHEAD AND HAVE PEOPLE COME IN.
>> JUST DO WHAT HAPPENS IN THE HOUSING MARKET IN GENERAL
ANYWAY.
>> I HAVE TO SAY, I DISAGREE. I THINK 99.7% OF ALL CLAIMS OF
REVERSE DISCRIMINATION ARE
NONSENSE. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S OFFICIAL, THERE IS NO REAL
WRONG. WE DON'T HAVE A POOR WHITE GIRL WHO WAS DENIED
HOUSING AND NOW CAN'T STAY ANYWHERE. THERE IS NO REAL
VICTIM IN THE EYES OF THE LAW
HERE. THE DEGREE TO WHICH THIS IS UNCOOL GETS TO ME. IF YOU
WANT TO DO THAT, THEN YOU ARE
ALLOWED. BUT YOU HAVE ONLY ONE SOLUTION, WAIT UNTIL A BLACK OR
LATINO GIRL SHOWS UP, AND THEN
TAKE HER. YOU PUT OUT AN AD, THAT IS AN UGLINESS THAT HARKENS
BACK TO WHAT WENT ON IN THE 50S, 60S, 70S, AND THE 80S OF
REDLINING AND KEEPING PEOPLE OUT
OF NEIGHBORHOODS. THE LAW HAS ADDRESSED IT, CONGRESS HAS
ADDRESSED IT. IT IS NOW AGAINST THE LAW. TO ME IT JUST STRIKES
ME AS MASSIVELY UNCOOL.
>>IT'S NOT WHETHER YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE. I DON'T THINK THIS IS
A GOOD MESSAGE TO PUT FORWARD. MY ONLY QUALMS WITH THE TERM IS
REVERSE RACISM. I TRIED TO FIND SOME SORT OF CONTEXT AS WHAT
PEOPLE WERE DOING TO RESPOND TO THIS, AND IT WAS REVERSE RACISM
OR RACISM TOWARDS WHITE PEOPLE. I ALWAYS POSE THE SAME QUESTION
WHO SOMEONE WHO COMES AT ME WITH THAT. YOU ARE NOT IN THAT
SITUATION, YOU NEVER HAD TO SECOND-GUESS WHETHER OR NOT THE
PERSON YOU ARE COMING TO TALK TO
OR NOT HAS YOUR RIGHT INTENTIONS. JUST BECAUSE
HISTORICALLY ñ.
>> I AGREE. I WOULDN'T CALL IT REVERSE DISCRIMINATION, I WOULD
JUST CALL IT DISCRIMINATION. RACISM, THAT BELONGS TO Y'ALL.
THIS SEEMS UNEMOTIONAL TO ME, LIKE AN EMOTIONAL MOVEMENT. AS A
COMEDIAN, A LOT OF COMEDIANS DON'T WANT TO PERFORM FOR
COLLEGES BECAUSE THERE IS A HEIGHTENED SENSE OF SENSITIVITY
RIGHT NOW THAT IS REALLY MORE VISIBLE THAN EVER BECAUSE OF
SOCIAL MEDIA. I DON'T EXCUSE DISCRIMINATION OR BEHAVIOR THAT
IS ROOTED IN PAIN. WHEN YOU ARE ON A COLLEGE CAMPUS, I WENT TO
FLORIDA STATE, A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE SCHOOL IN THE SOUTH, YOU
ALWAYS FEEL LIKE EVERYTHING
BELONGS TO WHITE PEOPLE. AND YOU ARE ALWAYS THE ODD MAN OUT.
PEOPLE DON'T SEE YOU FOR A PERSON, THEY SEE YOU AS A PERSON
OF COLOR. I REMEMBER THE WOMAN AT THE FINANCIAL AID OFFICE
ARGUING WITH ME AND REFUSING TO GIVE ME MY CHECK BECAUSE MY
BIRTH CERTIFICATE HAD A W ON IT. SHE WAS SO BOTHERED BY IT. I WAS
BORN IN BOSTON, AND IN BOSTON THEY ROUNDED OFF TO THE NEAREST
COLOR YOU ARE WHEN YOU ARE BORN. SHE SAID THAT MY BIRTH
CERTIFICATE WAS FRAUDULENT. WHAT I DO BELIEVE NOW IS THAT THIS
MOVEMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE OF COLOR ON THESE COLLEGE CAMPUSES
TRYING TO FIND THEIR POWER, THEY PUT THESE BLACK LIVES MATTER
SIGNS UP AND SOMEBODY GOES AND ERACES THE BLACK AND PUTS ALL
OVER IT. ANY OPPORTUNITY WHERE THEY FEEL THAT THEY HAVE POWER,
AND I'M NOT GOING TO LET A WHITE
GIRL MOVING HERE, BECAUSE UNDER OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES I WOULDN'T
HAVE A CHOICE. I WOULDN'T SAY IT IS EXCUSABLE BEHAVIOR, BUT I
UNDERSTAND. I SALUTE YOU SO MUCH FOR UNDERSTANDING THAT RACISM IS
SOMETHING THAT WE CANNOT EMPLOY. IF I WAS A RACIST, THEN WHITE
MEN
WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO READ UNTIL
THEY ARE 40. THAT IS RACISM, BEING ABLE TO HOLD A GROUP OF
PEOPLE BACK. I THINK THIS IS THEM OWNING A LITTLE BIT OF
POWER THAT THEY MAYBE HAVE. I'M NOT SAYING THAT IT IS OKAY.
THREE WOMAN OF COLOR IN A HOUSE, Y'ALL CAN LET A WHITE GIRL IN.
>> I'M NOT SAYING IT IS OKAY OR IT SHOULD BE APPLAUDED BY ALL
MEANS, BUT I AM JUST NOT GOING TO CONDEMN IT WHEN I DON'T
UNDERSTAND ñ
I UNDERSTAND WHAT COULD'VE WENT INTO THIS DECISION.
>> I THINK THERE IS DENYING THEMSELVES AN OPPORTUNITY TO
GROW.
>> JUST DON'T ADVERTISE IT.
>>IT'S HARD WHEN IT IS A COLLEGE BECAUSE THAT IS AN ENVIRONMENT
THAT YOU WANT TO SEE INCLUSIVITY
POSED AT ITS HIGHEST LEVEL. THAT IS WHAT I DID GROWING UP. THAT
IS WHY I IDENTIFIED, OR TRY TO IDENTIFY WITH MANY DIFFERENT
CULTURES. I BELIEVE IT IS AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WAS A LEARNING
EXPERIENCE. IT IS HEARTBREAKING
THAT IT IS IN THAT ENVIRONMENT. IT IS TO TRY AND INCLUDE PEOPLE.