A Must Watch "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man"

Recently, in what we call the "sales pit" here at the station, my friend, Shawn Knight from 107.3 KISS FM, held a round table with members of the NAACP, the Tyler police chief, city council members, clergy and other members of the community. Why? To simply talk and find some common ground.

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I sat down at the round table and listened. Sometimes, that's what you gotta do, just listen so you can learn. I needed to learn the prejudices that black people face. I am a white man. In no way have I experienced a prejudice like is given to black men and women, to Hispanic men and women, to anyone of a different skin color or race.

It's easy for us white folks to dismiss it because it just doesn't happen to us. We need to have conversations like in the video above or through the discussion I witnessed at the station to have a better understanding of each other.

I had a really hard time digesting the unrest across the country over the last week. Luckily, we have not seen it in East Texas as everyone has protested the way it should be done. I didn't know how I could help because I am not a person of color. I got a real simple answer, speaking out against racism.

It exists. It is real. It needs to stop.

Here's a piece of advice, too - STOP SEARCHING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR THE ANSWER. All you will get is a bunch of memes about how either there isn't a problem or this is some kind of political ploy or some other wacked out conspiracy theory. Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram or whatever platform you subscribe to does not contain the truth. It doesn't.

It seems you can't even watch the news anymore either without some kind of agenda being thrown at you. Fox News, CNN, NBC, ABC, they all do it and it is making journalism a complete laughing stock.

You have got to stop and think about what is going on right now. No, it's not comfortable but that's the point. If it were comfortable, we wouldn't learn anything. Have an uncomfortable conversation and you WILL come out a better person on the other side.