I WANT YOU EACH TO GO DOWN.
I’LL START WITH YOU DR. KENDI.
EXPLAIN TO EVERY ONE WHAT
CRITICAL RACE THEORY IS.
>> SURE.
IT’S ALWAYS GREAT TO BE ON THE
SHOW.
CRITICAL RACE THEORY EMERGED IN
THE 1970s AND ESPECIALLY 1980s
AND 19990 PRIMARILY AMONG
LAWYERS AND ACTIVISTS AND LEGAL
SKO LORS WHO RECOGNIZED THAT
MANY WAYS THE PROGRESS OF THE
CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT HAD
STALLED.
RACIAL DISPARITIES AND
INEQUITIES WERE STILL
WIDESPREAD.
IT WAS BEING IMAGINED THAT
RACISM WAS AN INDIVIDUAL
INTERPERSONAL MATTER, AND THESE
SKO LORCHOLARS
SCHOLARS, THESE LEGAL SCHOLARS
CREATED A THEORY THAT
DEMONSTRATED THAT WITHIN THE
LAW, WITHIN POLICIES RACISM WAS
STILL SERPERSISTING AT A STRUCTU
LEVEL.
THAT EMPHASIS ON STRUCTURE AND
SYSTEMS AND LAWS HAS ONLY
INSPIRED SCHOLARS AND OTHER
DISCIPLINES LIKE MINE IN
HISTORY.
>> EXPLAIN WHY FOLKS LIKE LEADER
McCARTHY AND TUCKER CARLSON ARE
DOING THE NATION -- WHAT’S THE
WORD I’M LOOKING FOR?
A DISSERVICE.
THAT TO NOT FACE UP TO OUR
HISTORY IS NOT HELPING THIS
COUNTRY AT ALL.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
ONE OF THE THINGS NEED TO DO,
IT’S TIME TO STUDY AMERICAN
HISTORY AND UNEDERSTANDING INGIN
TRUE AMERICAN HISTORY WAS.
THAT INVOLVES AFRICAN-AMERICANS,
ASIAN AMERICANS.
I THINK WE NEED TO TELL THE
WHOLE HISTORY AND NOT PARTS OF
IT.
PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO HEAR THE
WHOLE STORY BECAUSE THE WHOLE STORY DOES NOT MAKE EVERY ONE
STORY DOES NOT MAKE EVERY ONE
LOOK LIKE SUCH GREAT VICTORS.
>> HE SAID YOU MUST READ THIS
BOOK POCK,
BOOK, ROBERT E. LEE AND ME.
IT’S FANTASTIC.
WHAT MAKES IT FANTASTIC IS YOU
ARE A WHITE SOUTHERNER WRITING
ABOUT YOUR COMING TO TERMS WITH
YOUR HISTORY, WITH OUR HISTORY
AS AMERICANS.
TALK ABOUT WHY YOU FELT IT WAS
IMPORTANT TO GO ON THE RECORD IN
THE MOST BLUNT LANGUAGE I’VE
EVER SEEN FROM A WHITE
SOUTHERNER WHEN TALKING ABOUT
AMERICAN HISTORY.
>> HISTORY IS DANGEROUS.
IT GOES AFTER OUR MYTHS AND
IDENTITIES.
WHEN SOMEONE CHALLENGES, THE
REACTION CAN BE FEROCIOUS.
I THINK WHAT’S WHAT WE’RE SEEING
NOW.
GROWING UP AS A WHITE SOUTHERNER
INFUSED WITH THE LOST CAUSE MYTH
THAT THE CIVIL WAR WASN’T ABOUT
SLAVERY, LEE WAS THE GREATEST
HUMAN, RECONSTRUCTION WAS A
FAILURE AND ENSLAVED PEOPLE WERE
LAEP
HAPPY.
THESE ARE WHITE LIES THAT FORMED
A VIOLENT, WHITE RACIST SOCIETY.
I REALIZED I COULDN’T CONVINCE
PEOPLE THERE WAS ANOTHER STORY
UNLESS YIEZI USED MY OWN STORY T
THAT.
I KEPT RUNNING INTO PROBLEMS TO
CONVINCE PEOPLE THAT THE WAR WAS
ABOUT SLAVERY.
I WAS MORE SUCCESSFUL WHEN I
MADE MYSELF VULNERABLE AND SAID,
I GREW UP WITH THESE LIES TOO.
THESE LIES INFECT AMERICAN
HISTORY.
THEY INFECT OUR SOCIETY AND THE
ONLY WAY WE CAN GET PAST THIS,
THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN CON
FRONT AND HAVE BETTER FUTURE IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTAND
TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTAND
OUR RACIST PAST.
>> WHAT I LOVE ABOUT YOUR BOOK
IS YOU DON’T JUST OPEN YOURSELF
UP AND SAY HERE IS WHAT I
LEARNED AND HERE IS WHY IT’S
WRONG.
YOU GO THROUGH AND WRITE ABOUT,
FOR INSTANCE, ALEXANDRIA,
VIRGINIA.
YOU WRITE ABOUT THE HISTORY AS
YOU WERE TAUGHT IT AND THEN YOU
WRITE ABOUT THE FULLER PICTURE
OF THE HISTORY AND ALL OF ITS
DISTURBING FLAVOR TO SORT OF
SHOW HOW YOUR EYES WERE OPENED
IN EACH TOWN YOU LIVED IN BUT
ALL THE ARMY BASES AROUND THE
COUNTRY WHERE YOU WERE STATIONED
AND HOW GALLING IT WAS TO
SUDDENLY REALIZE THAT PEOPLE WHO
WERE TRAITORS TO THE NATION WERE
BEING HONORED IN THE WAY THEY
WERE BEING HONORED BY PUTTING
THEIR NAMES ON FORTS.
COULD YOU TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT
THAT.
WHAT WAS THE MOTIVATING FACTOR
IN THAT?
>> WHY DID I BELIEVE THESE LIES?
I FELT THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE
BECAUSE I DIDN’T KNOW THIS
EARLIER AND THEN I JUST WANTED
TO FIGURE IT OUT.
EVERY PLACE I LIVED HAD THESE
TERRIBLE STORIES ABOUT IT.
ALEXANDRIA, I HAD NO IDEA IT WAS
ONCE PART OF THE DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA AND LEFT IN 1847.
IT WAS PART OF THE DISTRICT
BECAUSE GEORGE WASHINGTON DEMAND
DEMANDED IT BE PART OF IT.
IT LEFT IN 1847 TO PROTECT THE
SLAVE TRADE.
I DIDN’T KNOW THAT MONROE,
GEORGIA WAS THE SITE OF THE LAST
MASS LYNCHING IN AMERICA.
I GREW UP THERE.
FOR THE BASES, I HAD NO IDEA WE
NAMED THESE FOR THE ENEMY.
PEOPLE THAT KILLED U.S. ARMY
SOLDIERS, FOUGHT TO DESTROY
AMERICA FOR THE WORST POSSIBLE
REASON TO CREATE SLAVE REPUBLIC.
FORT GORDON IS NAMED FOR SOMEONE
WHO NEVER SERVED IN THE ARMY.
HE KILLED U.S. ARMY SOLDIERS AND
HE GAVE A SPEECH TO BLACK
BOSTONIANS.
HE SAID IF YOU’RE TO DEMAND
EQUALITY, THE 40 MILLION OF US
WHITE PEOPLE WILL EXTERMINATE
THE 40 MILLION OF YOU IN RACE WAR.
HE FOUNDED THE KU KLUX KLAN AND
BECAME THE GRAND GRAGDRAGON.
IT’S WRONG MORALLY.
>> YOU USED A GREAT PHRASE
THERE.
THAT’S MONSTROUS LIE.
I WANT TO PLAY SOME FOUND THAT
CAME OUT OF TENNESSEE ON
TUESDAY.
TALK ABOUT MONOSTROUS LIES.
HAVE A LISTEN SDPLP.
>> THE THREE FIST COMPROMISE WAS
A DIRECT EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT
SOUTHERN STATES NEVER GOT THE
POPULATION NECESSARY TO CONTINUE
THE PRACTICE OF SLAVERY
EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY.
BY LIMITING THE NUMBER
POPULATION IN THE COUNT, THEY
SPECIFICALLY LIMITED THE NUMBER
OF REPRESENTATIVES THAT WOULD BE
AVAILABLE IN THE SLAVE HOLDING
STATES AND THEY DID IT FOR THE
PURPOSE OF ENDING SLAVERY.
>> DR. KENDI SDPLP.
>> IT’S A MONSTROUS LIE.
AS IT RELATES TO HISTORY AND
RACE AND SLAVERY, WHAT TOO MANY
GOP STATE LEGISLATURES AND
OBVIOUSLY SENATORS LIKE MITCH
McCONNELL, THEY ARE SAYING
WHAT’S UP IS DOWN.
WHAT’S RIGHT IS LEFT.
THEY ARE COMPLETELY TURNING ON
ITS HEAD THE TRUTH AND LEADING
WITH LIES AND PRESENTING THEM AS
A TRUTH.
IT’S THE CASE THAT THE THREE
FIFTHS COMPROMISE WAS INTENDED
TO UPHOLDS AND STRENGTHEN AND
EMPOWER SLAVERY WHICH IS WHY YOU
LOOK AT THE FIRST SERIES OF PRESIDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES,
PRESIDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES,
THEY WERE ALL SLAVE HOLDERS.
>> WE WERE TALKING ABOUT YOUR
BOOK ABOUT SLAVERY.
REMIND THE NAME OF THAT BOOK.
>> THE PRICE FOR THEIR POUND OF
FLESH.
>> IT WAS INCREDIBLE TO READ HOW
WE AS BLACK PEOPLE IN THIS
COUNTRY, HOW WE WERE VALUED AND
THAT HOW EVEN IN DEATH OUR VALUE
NEVER ENDED.
TAKE US TO CHURCH HERE ON WHAT
SLAVERY WAS MANY THIS COUNTRY
AND THE LEGACY OF IT THAT WE
STILL FEEL TODAY.
SGLA THE LEGACY OF SLAVERY IS SO
POWERFUL NOW BECAUSE DURING THE
INSTITUTION WHICH LASTED FOR 246
YEARS, AFRICAN-AMERICANS WERE
TREATED AS A PRODUCT, A KMODS
COMMODITY.
THEY WERE PRICE IN VALUE BEFORE
WE WERE BORN.
WOMEN VERY VALUED BASED ON THEIR
LABORS, THE CHILDREN THEY WOULD
GIVE BIRTH TO AND AFTER WE DIED,
SOME OF OUR BODIES WERE SOLD AS
PART OF A KACADAVER TRADE FOR
MEDICAL RESEARCH AT SOME OF THE
TOP INSTITUTIONS.
OUR BODIES WERE USED ON MEDICAL
DOCTORS, THE FIRST MEDICAL
DOCTORS TRAINED IN THE UNITED
STATES AND THE KMODIFICATION OF
BLACK BODIES IS SOMETHING SO
PREVALUE YENT THAT
AFRICAN-AMERICANS HAVE BEEN
FIGHTING AGAINST THAT AND
FIGHTING TO HOLD ON THE THEIR
SOUL VALUES WHERE WE VALUE
OURSELVES AND NOTHING OUTSIDE OF
US CAN BE COMMIDIFIED BASED ON
HOW WE FEEL.
>> TY, YOU’RE THE ONE PERSON ON
THIS PANEL WHO HAS NOT BEEN ON
MY PODCAST.
I’M GOING TO CHANGE THAT.
BE ON THE LOOK OUT FROM AN
E-MAIL FROM ME.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU THE LAST WORD.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY OR DO YOU SAY
TO WHITE SOUTHERNERS WHO LOOK AT
WHAT’S HAPPENING AND LISTEN TO
MITCH McCONNELL AND SAYS, YOU
KNOW WHAT, DAMN RIGHT, LEADER
McCONNELL IS RIGHT.
WE DON’T NEED TO LEARN THIS
QUOTE, DIVISIVE CONTENT.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THEM WHO
AGREE WITH THAT ARGUMENT?
>> WE AMERICANS AREN’T MADE OUT
OF COTTON CANDY.
IT’S NOT AS THOUGH WE CAN’T
HANDLE THE TRUTH.
WE CAN.
WE WILL.
I BELIEVE IN THE COUNTRY’S
ABILITIES TO LEARN FROM THE
PAST.
THE ONLY WAY TO LEARN FROM THE
PAST IS TO UNDERSTAND IT
HONESTLY.
WHITE SOUTHERNERS, PARTICULARLY OF A CERTAIN GENERATION LIKE ME
OF A CERTAIN GENERATION LIKE ME
HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO UNDERSTAND
THE PAST.
THERE’S A REASON THE SOUTHERN
STATES ARE THE BOTTOM OF THE
ECONOMIC LADDER.
IT’S BECAUSE OF THE RACIAL
INJUSTICE OCCURRED THERE.
IT’S NOT ONLY MORALLY WRONG AND
BANKRUPT, IT’S ECONOMICALLY
STUPID.
IF YOU JUST LOOK, THE HISTORIANS
LIKE MY TWO COLLEAGUES HERE HAVE
DONE SUCH A GREAT JOB OF
EXPLAINING THROUGHOUT TIME OF
WHAT -- HOW AWFUL THIS SYSTEM OF
OPPRESSION WHETHER IT’S THE
ENSLAVED ERA OR JIM CROW OR
SEGREGATION OR TODAY.
WE STILL HAVE THE VAST, NOT --
WE STILL HAVE THIS WE’RE DEALING
WITH.
IF WE WANT A BETTER SOCIETY THEN
WE MUST UNDERSTAND WHO WE ARE AS
A PEOPLE AND THIS IS WHO WE ARE.
IT DOESN’T MEAN THAT IT’S WHO WE
HAVE TO BE.
WE CAN BE WHO WE WANT TO BE.
THE FOUNDATION IS OUR HISTORY.
HISTORY IS ALWAYS DANGEROUS.
THEY WERE UPSET ABOUT IT IN THE
EARLY PART OF THE 20th CENTURY
IN THE NEXTTEXTBOOKS.
MY TEXTBOOKS IN THE 6 0S AND
’70S DID THE SAME THING.