Perfect. Alright. Perfect.
So are we both at the same time?
Yeah, we... I'm not doing it solo, bro. Alright.
Look at you?
Yeah.
So the question is...
What would the world look like without black people?
Whoa.
That's a hard question.
Oh wow. Without black people? Ummm...
Well, first of all, I wouldn't be here.
We wouldn't have a President.
It would look all white.
The world would look like...
Hollywood, I think.
It would be kind of bland, kind of vanilla.
Music, as we know, would not exist.
I don't know what my soul would be like without Brian McKnight.
There would be no hip hop. Oh crap! That would suck!
That would suck a lot because I love hip hop.
Listen, if the people love black people as much as they love black culture,
everything would be fine.
Everyone loves black culture.
They love black culture.
But when it comes to black people, they're kind of...
let me... let me grab my kids...
let me clutch my purse a little tighter.
Yeah.
Growing up, there was a white kid who told me that
he didn't want to play with me because of my skin was dirty.
And I came home and I told my mom,
"Mom, wash my skin so I could play with all the other kids."
I can tell you how many times I've been asked,
"Oh, you know, deliver this or wheel this around."
That I'm a delivery person. I'm, you know, the patient transfer person.
I'm not a medical student who's there to serve care for patients.
You've been put inside of this box that we can only be ignorant,
that we can only come from single parent homes,
that we can only participate in gangs
The truth is that being black in America is like
walking through the store and people are scared of you or
Being stopped by law enforcement for no real good reason.
When we have dreadlocks or braids
Or if a black guy has a hoodie on
They see "thug." No matter what. So...
We have a 14-year-old,
and we've had to have some really difficult conversations with him.
I think it was the first time I got my driver's license. Right.
You're taught... your mom will sit you down and tell you, "Look...
If a police officer stops you,
this is what you're supposed to say.
Don't reach into your glove compartment
to try to get your license and registration because, you know,
if they think you have a weapon, you know, you can get shot.
Because, at the end of the day, I really don't care.
I just want you to come home to me. Right.
I do work with a lot of young black men.
I mean...
These young men are beautiful
in every sense of the way I think.
When I work with them, you know, it's emotional because...
because the way that I experienced them is completely different
than the way people portray them.
As hard as it is to have conversations about racial tensions,
I think that it's needed.
Do you feel like you have racist thoughts?
Yes. Yeah, definitely.
Yeah... it's in me.
Ummm... I know it. And as much as I want to say the right answer
and I know it's wrong... it's there.
We know 'em, and we have sort of these snap judgements about people,
and I have them too. I can't really help it.
Ummm... I do my best to recognize when that's happening
and try and fight it and try and talk about it.
I think it can get better than this.
I think we can do better.
Not all cops are bad. Not all black people are thugs.
Get to know somebody that doesn't look like you.
You know, worship next to somebody who doesn't look like you.
Ummm... Share a meal with someone who doesn't look like you
and come with no expectations.
Then you'll see who we are.
That's all it is.
In December 2014, thousands of people of every race, age, and religion gathered across the country to fight for love and justice.
Will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character
So what would the world look like without black people?
That's the question that I don't... I really don't know
because I feel like in order for the world to function,
we need all types of people. Not only just black people.
Just all types of people to come together and make a difference.
I'm a teacher, and I tell my kids all the time is
we're just a unique beauty...
the beauty that God created and
if we embrace each other knowing that we're really all brothers and sisters
and I mean this world can be so different. It really could.
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
#WeCanDoBetterBy
Created, Directed, and Edited by Eric I. Lu
Produced and Edited by Elaine Zhou
Edited and Shot by Jean Rheem
Additional Sound and Camera by Dru Chen, Albert Chen, Jackie Hsieh, and June-Ho Kim
Special thanks to Jason Y. Lee
Special thanks to everyone who shared their stories with us.