JOINING ME TONIGHT IS A SPORTS ANALYST AND FORMER N.F.L.
ATHLETE WHO NOW HOSTS A SHOW CALLED "UNCOMFORTABLE
CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK MAN."
PLEASE WELCOME EMMANUEL ACHO!
EMANUEL, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> OF COURSE, HOW ARE YOU MY FRIEND.
>> Stephen: I'M DOING WELL.
LET'S HAVE THE MOST COMFORTABLE UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATION RIGHT
NOW.
THE FIRST UNSTAWMENT OF "UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS
WITH A BLACK MAN" CAME OUT LAST WEEK.
OVER 20 MILLION VIEWS SO FAR.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S THE AIM OF YOUR SHOW?
AND WHY IS DISCOMFORT AN IMPORTANT PART OF IT?
>> I THINK THAT MY GOAL IS TO BREATHE CONVERSATION BETWEEN
BLACK PEOPLE AND WHITE PEOPLE.
WE'RE FACING ONE OF OUR BIGGEST RACIAL DIVIDES, AND WE HAVE TO
EDUCATE OURSELVES, AND WHITE PEOPLE MIGHT MY BECKON TO MY
WHITE BROTHERS AND SISTERS WAS TO EXPOSE THEMSELVES.
MY GOAL WAS TO BREAK THAT AWKWARD BARRIER BETWEEN BLACK
AND WHITE PEOPLE, TALK ABOUT THOSE UNCOMFORTABLE THINGS.
BECAUSE I BELIEVE SOME OF OUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS, SOME
OF OUR GREATEST THINGS IN LIVE ARE BIRTHED THROUGH DISCOMFORT.
LOOK AT NEWBORN BABIES.
THAT'S THROUGH NINE MONTHS OF INTENSIVE LABOR, AND THAT'S MOST
BEAUTIFUL GIFT ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH.
I WAS LIKE IF WE HAVE AN ISSUE BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE PEOPLE
RIGHT NOW, THE BEST WAY TO OVERCOME IT IS THROUGH
UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATION.
>> Stephen: I WATCHED YOUR FIRST VIDEO AND I REALLY ENJOYED
IT IN A MILDLY UNCOMFORTABLE WAY.
YOU ANSWERED QUESTIONS YOU OFTEN HEAR FROM YOUR WHITE FRIENDS.
THE SECOND EPISODE COMES OUT TONIGHT FEATURING A CONVERSATION
WITH MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY.
WHAT QUESTIONS ARE YOU ANSWERING THIS TIME?
>> YEAH, I WANTED TO ANSWER-- THE BIGGEST ONE DO I CALL BLACK
PEOPLE 'BLACK' OR 'AFRICAN AMERICAN'."
THE MOST SIMPLE AND SAFE ANSWER IS CALLING BLACK PEOPLE BLACK
BECAUSE IT'S ACCURATE.
THERE ARE JAMAICANS IN AMERICA AND CUBANS IN AMERICA, THEY'RE
NOT AFRICANS.
>> Stephen: IN THE NEW EPISODE YOU ALSO TALK ABOUT THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NOT RACIST AND ANTIRACIST.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: YOU CAN DIFFERENTIATE THAT FOR ME?
>> YES.
IT'S NOT ENOUGH IN 2020 TO BE NOT RACIST, NOT RACIST MEANING I
AM PASSIVE WHEN IT COMES TO RACISM.
I AM NOT GOING TO USE THE "N" WORD, BUT, LIKE, IF MY FRIEND
USING IT, NAH, IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL.
WE HAVE TO NOW BE ANTIRACIST.
OBVIOUSLY, BLACK PEOPLE WE KNOW WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN, BUT ALSO
WHITE PEOPLE AS WELL BECAUSE MY WHITE FRIENDS THEY INFILTRATE
SPACES I CAN NEVER INFILTRATE AS A BLACK MAN SO THEY HAVE TO CALL
OUT RACISM.
THAT'S WHAT I MEAN BY BEING ANTIRACIST, STEPHEN.
IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE OKAY JUST BECAUSE I DON'T SAY THE "N" WORD
OR I'M NOT SCARED OF BLACK PEOPLE, IF YOU SEE IT YOU HAVE
TO SPEAK ON IT AND CALL IT OUT.
>> Stephen: ALSO, I WOULD SAY, LOOK-- I WOULD NEVER SAY-- I'M
NOT GOING TO SAY PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES WE HAVE RIGHT NOW ARE RACIST, BUT GIVEN THE RACIST
THINGS HE HAS DONE THEY ARE WILLING TO OVERLOOK IT.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: AND THAT ITSELF SAY TASSIST FORM OF-- OF-- THAT
GIVES THE, BASICALLY, A SPACE FOR RACISM TO FLOURISH.
>> EXACTLY.
I BELIEVE IT WAS THE BEN FRANK LEN QUOTE THAT SAYS SOMETHING
ALONG THE LINES-- I'M PARAPHRASING-- WE WON'T SEE
JUSTICE UNTIL THOSE WHO ARE UNAFFECTED ARE AS OUTRAGED IN
THOSE WHO ARE AFFECTED.
THAT'S WHAT I SAID IN MY FIRST VIDEO.
IT'S NOT ENOUGH FOR EMMANUEL ACHO TO BE OUTRAGED WHEN SOMEONE
SAYS SOMETHING OR DOES SOMETHING RACIST.
I NEED MY DEAR WHITE FRIENDS TO BE JUST AS OUTRAGED ABOUT IT.
>> Stephen: MY FAMILY AND I WERE IN A BLACK LIVES MATTER
MARCH ON SUNDAY, AND THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME FOR A FAIR AMOUNT
OF THE MARCH HAD A SIGN UP THAT SAID, "IT'S TIME FOR WHITE
PEOPLE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT RACISM WITH WHITE PEOPLE."
>> YEAH, YEAH.
>> Stephen: GIVE ME-- GIVE ME AN UNCOMFORTABLE START TO THAT
CONVERSATION, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
>> THE CONVERSATION ITSELF IS UNCOMFORTABLE.
LET'S BE HONEST.
WE HAVE PARENTS WHO TALK ABOUT AND EDUCATE THEIR KIDS ON THE
BIRDS AND THE BEES, SEX.
THEY EDUCATE THEM ON FINANCES.
YOU EDUCATE THEM ON RELIGION.
BUT, STEPHEN, WHEN IT COMES TO RACE, NOBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT
IT.
AND I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, LOOK, MAYBE
YOUR PARENTS HAVE BEEN RACIST OR SOME RACIST IDEOLOGIES.
MAYBE YOUR UNCLE OR YOUR COUSIN HAS HAD SOME RACIST IDEOLOGIES
AND IT'S TIME IT SPEAK ON THOSE THINGS.
BUT I'LL SAY THIS.
I'M ENCOURAGED.
BECAUSE I GOT A MESSAGE FROM A GIRL IN ALABAMA AND SHE SAID, "I
DIDN'T REALIZE I WAS RACIST, EMANUEL, UNTIL I SAW YOUR
VIDEO."
I GOT A MESSAGE FROM A YOUNG BOY FROM ARKANSAS AND SAID, "MY DAD
WAS IN THE K.K.K.
AFTER I SAW YOUR VIDEO I SHOWED IT TO HIM.
HE DOESN'T AGREE WITH YOU BUT I KNOW I HAVE BEEN IN THE WRONG."
THE CONVERSATIONS MIGHT NOT GO THE WAY YOU THINK BUT THEY HAVE
TO EXIST.
>> Stephen: DOES THE SCALE OF THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION RIGHT
NOW GIVE YOU SOME HOPE?
>> OH, ABSOLUTE.
IF NO ONE ELSE HAS HOPE RIGHT NOW, I HAVE ENOUGH HOPE FOR
EVERYONE BECAUSE AFTER SEEING MY VIDEO GARNER NOW 22-PLUS MILLION
VIEWS, IT'S NOT ABOUT THAT.
IT'S ABOUT THE MESSAGES I RECEIVED.
I WENT THROUGH EVERY SINGLE EMAIL.
IT WAS ALL HOPEFUL.
THE MOST MEMORABLE ONE WAS A SWEEPT 73-YEAR-OLD WHITE WOMAN
NAMED LINDA.
SHE SAID, "I GREW UP IN THE 40s."
SHE SAID, "I COULDN'T GO TO SCHOOL WITH NEGROES."
SHE SAID, "I BECAME A FLIGHT ATTENDANT, DON'T GIVE UP ON ME
EMANUEL.
AFTER SEEING YOUR VIDEO I REALIZE I NEED TO CHANGE.
LOVE YOU, MY SON AND MY BROTHER."
AND I WAS LIKE, MAN, THERE'S SOME SWEET 73-YEAR-OLD COUNTRY
WHITE WOMAN WHO GREW UP IN SEGREGATED SCHOOLING, AND SHE
SAID, "DON'T GIVE UP ON ME YET."
I'M NOT GIVING UP.
I'M NOT.
>> Stephen: EMANUEL WE HAVE TO TAKE A QUICK BREAK.
STICK AROUND EVERYBODY WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH MORE OF A FAIRLY
COMFORTABLE UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATION WITH A BLACK MAN.
STICK AROUND.