>> The 2020 presidential election is coinciding with one of the most polarizing times in modern
American. >> But how come they're growing up in such
different worlds? The answer has to do with America's history of systemic racism. I'm
speaking as a black man from America, which is a racist society.
No matter how much you hear it talk about democracy, it's as racist as South Africa.
>> Or as racist as Portugal, or as racist as any other racialist society on this earth.
>> You crazy, twisted man. >> My four little children will one day live
in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin.
>> But by the content of their character. >> I will I teach my grandkids to hate you
all. >> Is not getting worse, it's getting filmed.
>> If you ask most white people, how often do you think about race? They would say I
don't. So if you ask black people, how often do you think about race?
I think most will say, every day. >> The concept of race is hard for many. It
is not enough to say racism is bad. It is on us to correct the wrongs through our country'
bigoted past and bigoted minds. From Columbus discovering land to its modern day form.
It is also upon us to dispel the sayings, phrases and mantras of folks who put on a
front, or just don't know any better. >> I probably would not be in favor of it.
>> Which leads us to Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons, cofounder of the Home
Depot.
>> I think others heard it differently in the room.
>> And this was Blank after Late Texans owner Bob McNair said if they allowed protests like
Colin Kaepernick's in the NFL. It would be like, quote, inmates running the prison. The
National Football League, in a condensed way of putting it.
Has lagged behind in diversifying their hires of coaching staff and front offices. At the
beginning of the year there were only four minority head coaches in a league that is,
give or take, 70% black. The Falcons recently fired head coach Dan Quinn and replaced him
with defensive coordinator Raheem Morris who serves in the interim.
Blank joked that he would hire Morris full-time if he went 11- 0. Respected NFL reporter,
Jim Trotter, asked Blank about it and here was his answer. The reality is, in all of
our businesses, and me personally, I am colorblind, Blank said, which is an unacceptable answer.
Here's why, or this one.
>> I don't see color, and when some woman says to me, I don't see color, I say I knew
that. If you saw a color, you wouldn't dye your hair that way. Or I say,if you saw a
color you wouldn't wear that shirt with those pants. I believe that you don't see color,
it's an attempt to deny skin color.
>> Color blind racism, color blindness in general tends to distract our attention. It's
to create ignorance regarding these inequalities, so it's masking the problem that exists.
>> We have a president who says, I think what we need is a color blind society. Now folks,
when you hear somebody say that, you know you're listening to a racist.
Because what he is saying is there's something wrong with this person's color. So we just
will pretend that he isn't this color. >> In short, there is no tolerance for talk
of color blindness, no coddling of so called white fragility. There is only understanding
how it feels to be mistreated based on meaningless standards.
You know who else invoked the color blind argument? Tomi Lahren, Fox News Blowhard and
Megyn Kelly in training. And when she did say this on The Daily Show, host Trevor Noah
eloquently responded. So what do you do at a traffic light? You know who else use I am
colorblind as a means of deflection?
>> If you can't respect our national anthem, get the hell out of the country. This Trump
supporter, former Chicago Bears head coac, Mike Ditka. You have to be color blind in
this country. You have to look at a person for what he is and what he stands for and
how he produces, not by the color of his skin, said Ditka.
What he's doing and what Blank is doing is denying someone who they are. Color blind
statements insist that people do not see race or if they see it, it has no meaning to them.
As Trotter noted, Arthur Blank is a good man who's created numerous opportunities for people
of color in an around Atlanta.
The truth is when there is a wrong, we call it out and correct it. As good as he may be,
as Kobe said, job's not finished.