Hi, my name is John Coaxum,
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and welcome to my
barbershop "Cuttin' Loose."
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You know, the barbershop
is one of the last places
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where a guy can
come, keep it real,
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and talk about
his issues freely.
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Today, our topic is an important
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but a sensitive one as
well, Black Lives Matter.
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Stay tuned.
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Keeping it thick
these days, aren't you, man?
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Yes, sir. The
solid way, brother.
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How does that look,
man? How does that look?
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Oh, that's good,
man. That's good, yeah.
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Oh, Jeston, nice
shirt, man. Thanks, man.
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I figured I'd
represent for the diaspora.
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The diaspora? Yeah, brother.
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Coming to
America. Is that right?
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Nice shirt, man,
nice shirt. Thanks, man.
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So you represent for
black lives matter, man,
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or is that it?
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Yeah, man. Definitely. Yeah?
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That's interesting, man
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'cause I've seen a lot
of it in social media, guys,
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I don't know if you've seen it,
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but people there,
you know, this thing
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is like exploding everywhere,
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#BlackLivesMatter,
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and I've always
kind of wondered exactly
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where they're going with it,
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what is it about,
anybody got a feel on it?
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It's kind of weird to me
to tell you the truth, man,
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because some things I
read on really good, like, man,
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let's get together,
raise consciousness,
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but another things I
read on are really bad,
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you know, that sounds like
maybe a little too pro black,
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you know, almost cultish
that we ought to just raise up
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and take over
America kind of things.
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So honestly, I
can't even really tell you
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what it's about, man.
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Y'all gonna have to help me out.
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Wow, does anybody
have social media like that
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what is black
lives matter about?
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Just want to know you on that.
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Well, it's not to say
the other lives don't matter,
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but to highlight the
fact that certain lives
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are being
attacked, under-valued,
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so it's raising
awareness of the fact
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that black lives
are being targeted.
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And so we
matter, our lives matter.
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What is the
value of a black life?
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Right. Good question.
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And as this book is out,
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it just came out
not too long ago.
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It's called
Between the World and Me,
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and it's by Ta-Nehisi Coates.
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And, man, let me tell you,
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this man is making an
argument that the true struggle
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for black people in America
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is the protection
of their own bodies.
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That's what he's talking about
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unlike few ethnic
groups in our nation's history,
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it has been a plight
and a challenge for blacks
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to protect their own bodies.
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But I mean, I hear
what you are saying, man.
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But how can that be?
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We see so many people
on TV, man, in the media,
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who are saying that we
live in a post racial society.
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We are over
that, we're beyond it.
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I mean, what's the
case? I disagree. I disagree.
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I mean, maybe you can
make rules and regulations
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of passing laws that make it,
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you know, bad for people
to practice openly racism,
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but a law doesn't change
the way people feel, man.
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If somebody who hates you,
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they're gonna
hate you regardless.
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And maybe the unfortunate thing
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is that most hate that we are
experiencing in this country,
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even in this world, is
usually founded on things that,
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you know, have
not been experienced
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or bad experiences.
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This happened to
more than one person
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that usually
turn into stereotypes,
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you know, that kind
of fuel their racism.
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But racism, man, is
definitely alive and well.
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Well, let's stay
there for a minute, man.
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What is racism?
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I'm hearing so many
different definitions about it.
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What is it?
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I think, in my opinion,
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racism something like
not only they don't like you,
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they don't know you.
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So they draw a
conclusion about you,
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maybe because how
you look, you know.
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In prejudice. Exactly.
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And so they perpetuate this
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by constantly
telling on your face that,
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you know, you
really don't matter.
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You know, I was here before you,
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which is a lie and
so they tell you this.
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But I think also in my advocacy
of against this racism is this.
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People don't just do this
because they just did it today.
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It is deep down in the roots
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of their hearts and their minds,
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and they cover it up,
but it's been perpetuated
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'cause we see
what's going on in reality,
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especially someone of my age,
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they grew up with real strong...
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And they put it in your face,
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now they putting it
behind closed doors to mask it.
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But the reality is
they're not masking it now.
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Wow.
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Okay, well, let me throw
this out there to you, guys.
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Please be honest
with me, be transparent,
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let me know how you feel.
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When we see so many
people who say that,
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you know, "The black society
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should get over
the issues of slavery,
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you know, they
should just move on."
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They keep talking
about it so on and so forth.
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I mean, is that really the case
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or does it still have
effects on our society,
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in our communities today
that maybe prompt racism?
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Listen, history is history, man.
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And I'm not I'm not a
huge pro black person,
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but I am fan of the truth.
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You know, if you
write a history book,
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just write what happened.
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If you want me to
get rid of black history,
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you got to get rid
of everybody's history.
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And even with that, you know,
even the black history that,
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you know, we're left
to present to ourselves,
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it's sometimes incomplete.
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My thing is just
tell the whole story,
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and then allow for
people to draw their conclusion,
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but you can't say
you got to get over it.
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You know, how are you
gonna know where you're going
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if you don't know
where you're coming from?
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Wow, that's just great, man.
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You know, I was
watching the news the other day,
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and there was this
woman on there, who was,
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you know, just upset
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because her son
brought home a history book
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which said that black people
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came over to
America as immigrants,
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you know, it didn't
mention the name slaves.
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It didn't tell the truth
as you were talking about.
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It will definitely
impact the Ellis Island.
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And it just made it, you know,
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Cindy, she was very upset,
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and she linked it
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to the Black
Lives Matter movement.
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How do you feel about that?
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I think that the
dehumanization of blacks
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here on this continent,
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that is an
inheritance of this nation.
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It has been passed
down not only amongst blacks
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but also amongst
other ethnic groups.
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Even when...
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My wife is of
Panamanian descent,
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born and raised in Panama,
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and her family is very clear
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that when they
came to this country,
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they had two choices whether
to side with the majority
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or whether to
champion the minority
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that they most looked like.
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What did they choose?
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To side with the majority. Why?
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Because they
saw how the minority
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that looks like them is
treated here in this country.
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And so for immigrants to be
able to come to this country
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and see the disparity,
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but then people within
this country say get over it
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'cause things have changed.
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I'm saying, no,
things have not changed.
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But what has happened is
you've been so conditioned
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by this post racial
rhetoric that you've bought it,
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you know, hook,
line, and sinker,
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and now what they're doing
is glossing over the atrocities
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still being committed
against the black community.
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Wow.
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And I don't understand it,
you know, for the life of me.
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The Holocaust happened,
you know, what I'm saying?
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We built museums to
it, we talk about it,
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they don't let you forget it.
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And there's not one
person of that kind of descent
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that's going to let you forget
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that they went
through that during that time.
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And if it's
important for them to think,
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and their thinking
is if we talk about it,
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it will not happen to us again.
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You know, I look at my community
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and the fact that
families are still broken,
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homes are broken,
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young men aren't
going out too much,
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and you know, if you
really want to be real,
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people are still
going through slavery,
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you know, maybe we
ought to teach them,
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and you got to talk
about exactly what's happening.
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Just tell the truth, you know.
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Maybe the problem is we're not
having as many conversations,
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the real
conversations about these issues
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as we should be, right?
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With that, man, I'm gonna
pose this question to you.
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I mean, you're a counselor,
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I know, you're
probably more in tune
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with your inner
feelings than anybody else.
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Man, how do you feel knowing
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that we do not live
in a post racial society,
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as a black man, how do you feel?
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Well, I feel very
sad because the things
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that I thought were
right are getting better,
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hasn't gotten better.
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You know, I've served
25 years in the military,
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and I can tell you that
it didn't get better there.
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I'm serving beside these people
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and understanding
that we're together.
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But in reality, when we get out,
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the bedrooms are the
ones that are treated less.
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And so we deal with that
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and say, you know, I'm very sad.
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Not only sad but I
want to say that I'm angry,
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not against anyone,
but against the system.
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It's a systematic brainwashing,
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and that's what they want to do.
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They want to brainwash us,
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and they won't tell us it is
not happening under this post
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so they can
condition us mentally
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to put us back in slavery.
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Well, what do you guys
say to the people who say,
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"You know what, we
have black men and women
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who are moving up in society,
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they're going into
Congress, and to Senate,
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the Presidency, all
these different positions.
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Doesn't that mean
that racism is over?"
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What do you guys say to that?
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I think they pick and choose.
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Yeah? I think it's a scale.
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You know, they say they want
to get the bright and the best.
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But they're not...
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Think about the ones
that made me not have that,
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all that
education that should be in
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because they have
a stronger advocacy.
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Whenever you have a voice,
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that's when the threat
comes to this post-racism,
00:08:40.85\00:08:44.09
and so when you have that
voice and you want to speak out,
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you want to get blackballed.
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You are gonna get
labeled some kind of way.
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We don't want that person
in a high place in Congress
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or higher place
in some other place
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because they know
that their voice...
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Don't shut your voice,
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you know, so that's
what I think about it.
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We have to talk more about
it with a sense of passion,
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not aggressive negative,
00:09:03.94\00:09:05.57
but let you know I'm
going to talk about this thing.
00:09:05.61\00:09:08.31
You're not
going to shut my mouth
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because this is what
you want me to do, be quiet.
00:09:09.71\00:09:11.65
And I will say...
00:09:11.68\00:09:13.28
To kind of jump on top
of Doc Magnum's commentary.
00:09:13.31\00:09:18.85
I think that blacks
who have been allowed
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into these higher echelons
00:09:21.36\00:09:23.12
or status have always had to go
00:09:23.16\00:09:26.56
through this
initiation of selling out
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and forgetting their
brother who has not made it.
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It's all through history,
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we can go right back to
the plantation that for you
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to become this
house negro figure,
00:09:36.14\00:09:38.84
it is an individual
who the master says,
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"I will give you more privileges
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as long as you serve me,
00:09:44.41\00:09:47.28
giving me total
and complete loyalty."
00:09:47.32\00:09:50.05
And so these
individuals in the big house,
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as it is called,
now they become the ones
00:09:53.66\00:09:56.69
who tell the master when
there is a plan for escaping.
00:09:56.73\00:10:00.26
Now they become the ones
00:10:00.30\00:10:01.93
who even oppress their
own brothers and sisters,
00:10:01.96\00:10:04.97
and I think that's what you
see still in today's society
00:10:05.00\00:10:07.77
that individuals are
getting these promotions
00:10:07.80\00:10:10.61
and instead of being liberators,
00:10:10.64\00:10:12.47
they become the slave masters.
00:10:12.51\00:10:14.38
They become the overseers
00:10:14.41\00:10:16.38
of those who didn't
get that same opportunity.
00:10:16.41\00:10:19.11
I almost feel like
that's why the conversation
00:10:19.15\00:10:21.08
has to be bigger
than Black Lives Matter.
00:10:21.12\00:10:23.45
I think it has to be
all lives matter, man.
00:10:23.49\00:10:25.05
I think that when once you...
00:10:25.09\00:10:27.36
somebody said this a while
ago, at the end of the day,
00:10:27.39\00:10:29.32
when people unite,
there's no stopping them.
00:10:29.36\00:10:31.43
You know, and I believe
00:10:31.46\00:10:32.79
that even some of the
words going on around today
00:10:32.83\00:10:34.76
are things that have been
made up to keep people divided.
00:10:34.80\00:10:37.23
Like what?
00:10:37.27\00:10:38.60
You know, I mean, even the
concept of black and white,
00:10:38.63\00:10:40.84
you know, and I've
shared this before.
00:10:40.87\00:10:43.00
We just have a little girl
00:10:43.04\00:10:44.47
and I'm in the
hospital filling out the form,
00:10:44.51\00:10:47.24
you know, her
birth certificate stuff,
00:10:47.28\00:10:48.78
and it tells me to
select her race, all right?
00:10:48.81\00:10:51.71
And then it says black,
00:10:51.75\00:10:53.08
you know, it says
white first, it says black.
00:10:53.11\00:10:55.32
Then after that it
says, Filipino, Guam,
00:10:55.35\00:10:57.62
Native American,
Indian, you know, Hawaiian,
00:10:57.65\00:11:01.12
and I'm thinking to
myself, how come I get...
00:11:01.16\00:11:02.82
I have to choose
between you know black and white
00:11:02.86\00:11:05.49
or we have to
choose between these two,
00:11:05.53\00:11:07.20
and everybody else
is choosing a location
00:11:07.23\00:11:09.40
or choosing an ethnicity,
00:11:09.43\00:11:11.37
you know, why don't
we all have ethnicities.
00:11:11.40\00:11:13.44
And I believe that at
the end of the day, there is
00:11:13.47\00:11:16.00
and, you know, I don't
know how it's gonna sound,
00:11:16.04\00:11:17.54
but I believe that if you
can just keep people divided,
00:11:17.57\00:11:20.28
you know that nobody
will be able to advance.
00:11:20.31\00:11:23.65
So even if we can
keep the conversation
00:11:23.68\00:11:25.68
only about blacks,
00:11:25.71\00:11:27.25
we will never stand
of our Latino brothers,
00:11:27.28\00:11:29.45
who are also being put down,
00:11:29.48\00:11:30.82
we will never
stand up for people
00:11:30.85\00:11:32.19
who are being trafficked,
you know, and sex trafficking
00:11:32.22\00:11:34.72
because we're so
focused on our own little niche,
00:11:34.76\00:11:37.43
our own little...
00:11:37.46\00:11:39.53
I guess color, whatever it is.
00:11:39.56\00:11:40.93
But I think, man, that
if we can just get together,
00:11:40.96\00:11:43.20
you know, and I think
00:11:43.23\00:11:44.57
that's what it's
about Black Lives Matter.
00:11:44.60\00:11:45.93
It's about
building solidarity, right?
00:11:45.97\00:11:47.90
Well, here's a thing,
00:11:47.94\00:11:49.27
and I hear what
you're saying, very profound,
00:11:49.30\00:11:50.71
and I understand
that all lives matter
00:11:50.74\00:11:53.01
and I agree with you as well,
00:11:53.04\00:11:54.58
but I kind of
want to get back to
00:11:54.61\00:11:55.94
what Black Lives
Matter is all about.
00:11:55.98\00:11:57.75
Can somebody share with me,
00:11:57.78\00:11:59.11
how did it start
where did it come from
00:11:59.15\00:12:00.98
and really what is the purpose
00:12:01.02\00:12:03.18
because there's so
many people in society
00:12:03.22\00:12:05.05
who have no idea what it's about
00:12:05.09\00:12:06.86
or they're thinking the
exact the exact opposite
00:12:06.89\00:12:09.46
of what Black Lives
Matter is supposed to be.
00:12:09.49\00:12:11.49
How did it start?
00:12:11.53\00:12:12.86
I think I'm not sure
00:12:12.89\00:12:14.23
if it's exactly the
date that it started,
00:12:14.26\00:12:15.60
but one thing I drew
from it was that it was about
00:12:15.63\00:12:18.60
the advocacy of unifying
and making a conscious decision
00:12:18.63\00:12:23.00
to focus on a
strategy, to do something about
00:12:23.04\00:12:25.34
what's going on,
00:12:25.37\00:12:26.71
instead of staying
inside your classrooms
00:12:26.74\00:12:28.31
or staying inside your homes
00:12:28.34\00:12:29.98
and looking at the television
or being on social media
00:12:30.01\00:12:32.81
and really not
really saying anything
00:12:32.85\00:12:34.48
because the real voice comes
when we strategize and say,
00:12:34.52\00:12:38.09
"You know what, this
is divide and conquer.
00:12:38.12\00:12:40.49
This is destroying
and dehumanizing someone
00:12:40.52\00:12:43.63
or group of people
that really don't need
00:12:43.66\00:12:46.29
to have this
continue to happen."
00:12:46.33\00:12:47.73
So that's what my opinion
00:12:47.76\00:12:49.30
is because when I
look at this thing, man,
00:12:49.33\00:12:51.33
it's a
strategy, it's systematic.
00:12:51.37\00:12:53.80
And so we have to
be a strong advocate,
00:12:53.84\00:12:55.67
not just a few of
us in the barbershop
00:12:55.70\00:12:58.21
but we have to allow this thing
that go from cover to cover,
00:12:58.24\00:13:02.48
from coast to coast,
from religious organization
00:13:02.51\00:13:05.51
to educational organization
so that we become alive.
00:13:05.55\00:13:08.75
The thing that I'm
so passionate about
00:13:08.78\00:13:10.29
is we're not alive, we
aren't one little spark
00:13:10.32\00:13:13.25
and then it dies down.
00:13:13.29\00:13:14.62
That's what I'm concerned about.
00:13:14.66\00:13:15.99
Don't let it die down
because we all do matter,
00:13:16.02\00:13:19.13
especially as black lives.
00:13:19.16\00:13:20.80
It's an SOS Signal.
00:13:20.83\00:13:22.36
It's a distress call
from urban black communities,
00:13:22.40\00:13:25.73
it's really
coming out of the wake
00:13:25.77\00:13:27.34
of the Ferguson aftermath,
00:13:27.37\00:13:30.34
and then it gains more steam
00:13:30.37\00:13:32.51
when it comes to Eric
Garner and Tamir Rice.
00:13:32.54\00:13:36.24
To black lives being killed,
black people being killed,
00:13:36.28\00:13:39.31
black men, really.
00:13:39.35\00:13:40.68
Yes, it's really
black people are not getting
00:13:40.72\00:13:43.92
the same opportunity to
give or to defend themselves.
00:13:43.95\00:13:49.69
They are not being
given the benefit of the doubt
00:13:49.72\00:13:52.19
in these situations,
that a matter of fact,
00:13:52.23\00:13:54.40
they're so
devalued that individuals
00:13:54.43\00:13:57.37
feel very
liberated to take their life
00:13:57.40\00:14:00.27
without probable cause.
00:14:00.30\00:14:01.77
Right.
00:14:01.80\00:14:03.14
And this is why I'm feeling
where Corey's coming from
00:14:03.17\00:14:05.41
with his desires to see
everyone kind of come together
00:14:05.44\00:14:08.14
in a more holistic fashion,
00:14:08.18\00:14:10.95
but I don't think
the time for that is now.
00:14:10.98\00:14:12.88
Black Lives
Matter, needs to be stated.
00:14:12.91\00:14:15.65
It needs to be championed.
00:14:15.68\00:14:17.22
It is a concession that
there are certain individuals
00:14:17.25\00:14:20.76
in our society that are targeted
00:14:20.79\00:14:23.16
at a level that
other individuals
00:14:23.19\00:14:25.19
are never targeted.
00:14:25.23\00:14:26.56
I agree.
00:14:26.59\00:14:27.93
So you don't think Black
Lives Matter is a hate group?
00:14:27.96\00:14:29.73
Nobody thinks that at all? No.
00:14:29.76\00:14:32.13
Even what I was saying about
equality and getting together,
00:14:32.17\00:14:34.97
I have to admit the
struggle is real, man.
00:14:35.00\00:14:36.81
You know, I'm not, you
know, dude from around the way,
00:14:36.84\00:14:39.64
I'm not dressing like, you know,
00:14:39.67\00:14:41.28
a gangster, nothing like that.
00:14:41.31\00:14:42.64
My hat is
backwards, but, you know,
00:14:42.68\00:14:44.78
I'm a preacher, man, you know.
00:14:44.81\00:14:46.15
And even with that,
00:14:46.18\00:14:47.52
when I see a cop car
on the side of the road,
00:14:47.55\00:14:49.48
man, everything changes for me,
00:14:49.52\00:14:51.39
I'm telling you right
now, afraid for my life.
00:14:51.42\00:14:54.42
That's just the way
it is, that's the truth.
00:14:54.46\00:14:56.59
I'm afraid to pass a cop car,
00:14:56.62\00:14:58.13
you know, I'm going 10
miles under the speed limit,
00:14:58.16\00:15:00.60
not even trying
to make eye contact
00:15:00.63\00:15:01.96
or looking in his direction
00:15:02.00\00:15:03.33
because I don't
know what will happen,
00:15:03.37\00:15:04.73
you know, should I
offend this person, you know.
00:15:04.77\00:15:07.30
This is real, you
know, I got pulled over
00:15:07.34\00:15:09.07
just the other day,
and a police officer
00:15:09.10\00:15:11.11
came to the window
00:15:11.14\00:15:12.47
and was telling
me all the stuff,
00:15:12.51\00:15:13.84
asking me for my
license and registration,
00:15:13.88\00:15:15.21
and when he
went back to the car,
00:15:15.24\00:15:16.85
you know, to fill something out,
00:15:16.88\00:15:18.21
and when right
before he came back,
00:15:18.25\00:15:19.88
I put on my phone
and I began to record,
00:15:19.91\00:15:22.95
you know, I've
never done that before.
00:15:22.98\00:15:25.02
But in light of
so many situations
00:15:25.05\00:15:26.59
that are going on in
our society right now,
00:15:26.62\00:15:28.62
with young black unarmed teens,
00:15:28.66\00:15:31.73
being killed and shot
unfairly by police officers,
00:15:31.76\00:15:36.03
I have to be
honest, even as a grown man,
00:15:36.06\00:15:37.50
I'm afraid for my life.
00:15:37.53\00:15:38.87
Anybody feel me on that?
00:15:38.90\00:15:40.40
I really feel you.
00:15:40.44\00:15:41.77
I have two sons, my
wife and I have two sons,
00:15:41.80\00:15:43.87
young adults.
00:15:43.91\00:15:45.31
And every time
I read a news clip
00:15:45.34\00:15:48.01
or get something on my phone
00:15:48.04\00:15:49.61
that a young African-American
male has been killed,
00:15:49.64\00:15:53.72
my heart skips a beat
because our sons are out there,
00:15:53.75\00:15:57.85
you know, and so it's
the fear factor though.
00:15:57.89\00:16:00.72
I think when we make a voice,
00:16:00.76\00:16:04.09
we make the other
groups of mindsets afraid,
00:16:04.13\00:16:08.03
and that's why I'm
passionate about it.
00:16:08.06\00:16:09.40
We ought to make a voice,
00:16:09.43\00:16:10.77
and say we are no longer going
to be caught up in this fear.
00:16:10.80\00:16:14.64
When you're afraid,
you change how you operate,
00:16:14.67\00:16:18.14
how you think when
you get pulled over.
00:16:18.17\00:16:21.31
It's not anything else but fear,
00:16:21.34\00:16:24.65
and fear causes you to
react sometimes not healthily,
00:16:24.68\00:16:28.78
sometimes it can get
you killed or get you shot.
00:16:28.82\00:16:31.79
And so we got to
look at this thing
00:16:31.82\00:16:33.46
from a real vanish point
00:16:33.49\00:16:34.92
that we no longer
are going to be afraid,
00:16:34.96\00:16:36.76
we're going to advocate
that Black Lives Matter.
00:16:36.79\00:16:41.00
Dr. Mangum, man, that
was a powerful perspective
00:16:41.03\00:16:43.33
that you just brought.
00:16:43.37\00:16:44.70
Man, I want to pose
something to you, man.
00:16:44.73\00:16:47.37
One thing that people say
00:16:47.40\00:16:48.74
in response to the
Black Lives Matter movement
00:16:48.77\00:16:50.94
is that really what we probably
should be focusing on more
00:16:50.97\00:16:53.74
is black on black crime.
00:16:53.78\00:16:55.71
Do we have issues
within our own society
00:16:55.74\00:16:57.71
that maybe we
should be focusing on more?
00:16:57.75\00:17:00.02
Yeah, I think
that's a great question.
00:17:00.05\00:17:01.45
And I will
respond with the focus
00:17:01.48\00:17:06.02
on internal issues is important.
00:17:06.05\00:17:08.02
Sure.
00:17:08.06\00:17:09.39
This should not be a distraction
00:17:09.42\00:17:10.76
on the external
pressure that creates
00:17:10.79\00:17:12.93
these phenomena
within our community.
00:17:12.96\00:17:15.76
The black community
now is a pressure cooker
00:17:15.80\00:17:18.67
and because there is so much
build up within these ghettos,
00:17:18.70\00:17:24.11
within these projects,
within the systematic process
00:17:24.14\00:17:28.18
that has herded
all of us to a corner
00:17:28.21\00:17:31.31
and then told us to fight
over the meager breadcrumbs
00:17:31.35\00:17:34.68
that are thrown
into that corner.
00:17:34.72\00:17:36.58
I mean, that's why
you get the violence
00:17:36.62\00:17:39.52
and the black on black crime.
00:17:39.55\00:17:41.26
So I think sometimes
the focus on black on black
00:17:41.29\00:17:45.29
violence is a distraction
from the systematic external,
00:17:45.33\00:17:50.83
I'll call it, properties
that lead to our infighting.
00:17:50.87\00:17:54.77
Chap, that's your opinion,
00:17:54.80\00:17:56.14
and a lot of people
would disagree with you.
00:17:56.17\00:17:57.51
What do you guys feel
about what he just said?
00:17:57.54\00:18:01.61
Man, you know,
I'm gonna be real.
00:18:01.64\00:18:03.91
I used to be the kind of
person that would say, man,
00:18:03.95\00:18:05.85
you know, just
pull your pants up,
00:18:05.88\00:18:07.62
you know, groom
yourself, get an education,
00:18:07.65\00:18:10.42
do what you got to do,
00:18:10.45\00:18:11.79
and things will
be better, you know.
00:18:11.82\00:18:13.15
But the truth is, man,
we are all the targets, man.
00:18:13.19\00:18:15.76
That's just the truth.
00:18:15.79\00:18:17.13
You know, we can
we can talk about
00:18:17.16\00:18:18.49
what's going on
our own community,
00:18:18.53\00:18:19.86
you know, we can pass out food,
00:18:19.89\00:18:21.30
we can make sure
everybody is fed,
00:18:21.33\00:18:22.66
we can make sure,
we take the guns out
00:18:22.70\00:18:24.03
the black community,
00:18:24.07\00:18:25.40
that's not going to
stop you from outside
00:18:25.43\00:18:26.77
from targeting
us as individuals.
00:18:26.80\00:18:28.20
That's just not gonna happen.
00:18:28.24\00:18:29.87
I hear you, man. I hear you.
00:18:29.90\00:18:31.24
Let me ask you guys this, man.
00:18:31.27\00:18:32.61
This is for real,
like I'm in the barbershop,
00:18:32.64\00:18:34.01
I'm on my phone, and, you know,
00:18:34.04\00:18:35.81
I tweet or I post something
with hashtag Black Lives Matter
00:18:35.84\00:18:40.38
is that enough or
is it okay for me to,
00:18:40.42\00:18:43.42
you know, go outside the
shop every once in a while,
00:18:43.45\00:18:45.52
support some of the rallies
that are going on in protests.
00:18:45.55\00:18:48.42
Are they incendiary,
00:18:48.46\00:18:49.79
am I moving in
the right direction?
00:18:49.82\00:18:51.89
Yeah, I think you're
moving in the right direction.
00:18:51.93\00:18:53.50
I think that,
again, people are afraid
00:18:53.53\00:18:56.70
because when we
galvanize the communities
00:18:56.73\00:18:59.17
with a strategy and a purpose,
00:18:59.20\00:19:02.34
and so when you
think about that,
00:19:02.37\00:19:04.57
the people that
are systematically
00:19:04.61\00:19:06.01
putting us in the
dehumanizing situation,
00:19:06.04\00:19:09.71
they become afraid,
and they want to reduce it.
00:19:09.74\00:19:12.01
And so I get excited
when you trying to reduce
00:19:12.05\00:19:13.95
where I'm trying to go,
00:19:13.98\00:19:15.38
to make something
happen that's positive
00:19:15.42\00:19:17.69
and allow people to join
in till we can be constructive
00:19:17.72\00:19:20.32
so we can put that stuff
00:19:20.36\00:19:21.69
to quiet that stuff down rather.
00:19:21.72\00:19:23.69
Now for the most
part, all of you guys
00:19:23.73\00:19:25.46
pretty much agree that the
Black Lives Matter movement
00:19:25.49\00:19:27.60
is a good movement, correct?
00:19:27.63\00:19:28.96
Yes. Yeah.
00:19:29.00\00:19:30.33
But of course, with any
movement it has offshoots,
00:19:30.37\00:19:31.80
you know, people
that will be radical,
00:19:31.83\00:19:33.60
people that
will do crazy things.
00:19:33.64\00:19:35.54
And for the most
part, we can agree that
00:19:35.57\00:19:36.91
it's a good movement
that we should support?
00:19:36.94\00:19:39.31
I would definitely say,
00:19:39.34\00:19:40.68
especially with
the supporting rallies
00:19:40.71\00:19:42.14
and, you know,
just getting gatherings,
00:19:42.18\00:19:44.41
I would say to be careful,
man, because in any conflict,
00:19:44.45\00:19:47.22
on either side of any conflict,
00:19:47.25\00:19:49.02
there's always
going to be crazies.
00:19:49.05\00:19:50.42
There's always
going to be people
00:19:50.45\00:19:51.79
who have bad
intentions on either side.
00:19:51.82\00:19:53.79
Even on the...
00:19:53.82\00:19:55.16
I guess the good
side and we saw that
00:19:55.19\00:19:56.73
in recent time with,
00:19:56.76\00:19:59.79
you know, looting and vandalism,
00:19:59.83\00:20:02.20
while other people
are trying to stand up
00:20:02.23\00:20:03.67
for something that matters.
00:20:03.70\00:20:05.03
So I would say if you're
going to go out, be careful.
00:20:05.07\00:20:07.54
Or, you know, don't just attach
yourself to the other events,
00:20:07.57\00:20:10.64
you know, get some
of your own people,
00:20:10.67\00:20:12.17
you know, do your own stuff,
or plan your own functions,
00:20:12.21\00:20:14.94
and you know, lead out you know,
00:20:14.98\00:20:16.31
and take initiative in that way.
00:20:16.34\00:20:17.75
And I want to
offer this analogy,
00:20:17.78\00:20:19.68
when it comes to why
people need to get involved
00:20:19.71\00:20:21.95
with the Black
Lives Matter movement.
00:20:21.98\00:20:24.19
We talk about
harmony, and many people
00:20:24.22\00:20:26.62
who are against the
Black Lives Matter movement,
00:20:26.65\00:20:29.39
feel as if it's doing
more to fracture our society
00:20:29.42\00:20:32.69
than create harmony.
00:20:32.73\00:20:34.26
Well, even the
concept of harmony,
00:20:34.30\00:20:36.23
you need different voices,
00:20:36.26\00:20:39.47
sounding in a different
way for there to be harmony.
00:20:39.50\00:20:43.41
Harmony is not doing
away with differences,
00:20:43.44\00:20:48.21
that's what you call melody,
00:20:48.24\00:20:50.01
harmony is when you
allow different aspects
00:20:50.05\00:20:53.42
to give their own
unique sound at the same time.
00:20:53.45\00:20:56.15
Wow.
00:20:56.18\00:20:57.52
And I think what
Black Lives Matter
00:20:57.55\00:20:58.89
is saying is we
need to play our note.
00:20:58.92\00:21:01.32
When it comes to the music
00:21:01.36\00:21:02.82
of the United States of America,
00:21:02.86\00:21:04.53
the song that is being
played and the propaganda
00:21:04.56\00:21:08.23
that's being
shared to the world,
00:21:08.26\00:21:10.13
it's our time to
have our note, sound.
00:21:10.17\00:21:12.83
That was almost too deep for me
00:21:12.87\00:21:14.20
to even dwell on,
man, to be honest.
00:21:14.24\00:21:16.17
Man, you know,
we're all Christians here,
00:21:16.20\00:21:18.47
you know, we are unashamed.
00:21:18.51\00:21:19.84
This is a Christian barbershop,
a Christian environment.
00:21:19.87\00:21:24.05
Where does God,
where does He come in
00:21:24.08\00:21:26.38
in the Black
Lives Matter movement?
00:21:26.41\00:21:29.28
I mean, this is
a weird question,
00:21:29.32\00:21:31.25
but would God support
such a movement like this?
00:21:31.29\00:21:34.99
I think...
00:21:35.02\00:21:36.36
Go, you go ahead.
00:21:36.39\00:21:37.73
Jesus cares for
the marginalized.
00:21:37.76\00:21:39.09
He cares for
those who are oppressed
00:21:39.13\00:21:40.93
and for those who are targeted.
00:21:40.96\00:21:42.30
I think Jesus
Himself was targeted.
00:21:42.33\00:21:43.67
Wow.
00:21:43.70\00:21:45.03
So I mean, I
think he understands
00:21:45.07\00:21:46.40
the struggle himself.
00:21:46.43\00:21:47.77
And when he was on this
earth, he championed that cause.
00:21:47.80\00:21:50.24
Wow. Okay, I liked it.
00:21:50.27\00:21:52.41
Oh, you got it, man.
00:21:52.44\00:21:53.78
I just like to add to him
because one scripture says that
00:21:53.81\00:21:55.98
when Jesus was called publicly,
he was sent to the poor,
00:21:56.01\00:22:00.38
he was sent to the oppressed.
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He was anointed to go
and deal with the ones
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that nobody else will deal with
because they didn't measure up.
00:22:04.29\00:22:07.52
And so yes, God is
concerned about the ones that
00:22:07.56\00:22:10.33
what society or anybody
may think don't measure up
00:22:10.36\00:22:12.69
or don't have self-worth
based on their ideologies.
00:22:12.73\00:22:15.86
So Jesus loved the ones that
were left out or ostracized.
00:22:15.90\00:22:20.24
So I believe Black Lives Matters
00:22:20.27\00:22:23.00
are going to God.
00:22:23.04\00:22:24.37
And innocent blood has a voice.
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We see it in the first book
of the Bible and the last book.
00:22:26.78\00:22:29.34
The first book,
the ground cries out
00:22:29.38\00:22:31.58
on behalf of
Abel's spilled blood.
00:22:31.61\00:22:33.95
The last book of Revelation,
00:22:33.98\00:22:35.85
it says that the blood
of the saints in the Altar
00:22:35.88\00:22:38.35
cry out to God,
"Where is Your justice?"
00:22:38.39\00:22:40.09
Wow.
00:22:40.12\00:22:41.46
God must respond
00:22:41.49\00:22:43.19
to the
brutalizing of the innocent,
00:22:43.22\00:22:45.93
for Him to be just,
00:22:45.96\00:22:47.43
for Him to be
this universal ruler
00:22:47.46\00:22:50.47
that believes in
this decency and in order,
00:22:50.50\00:22:53.54
concept of holiness,
peacefulness, etcetera.
00:22:53.57\00:22:56.84
I mean, the Fruits of
the Spirit speak to it.
00:22:56.87\00:22:59.07
God must respond to the
voice of the marginalized
00:22:59.11\00:23:03.14
and innocent bloodshed.
00:23:03.18\00:23:04.71
Universal rule,
I loved that, man.
00:23:04.75\00:23:06.51
In my experience
though, for some reason
00:23:06.55\00:23:08.32
because what you
guys say is powerful,
00:23:08.35\00:23:09.75
but for some reason,
man, the church seems to be
00:23:09.78\00:23:12.35
the one group that
is not as passionate
00:23:12.39\00:23:15.06
about joining the fight, man.
00:23:15.09\00:23:17.79
And for me, Black Lives
Matter or even the things
00:23:17.83\00:23:22.10
that are going on our
society are the perfect ground,
00:23:22.13\00:23:25.80
perfect, I mean,
place for the church
00:23:25.83\00:23:28.20
to do their work.
00:23:28.24\00:23:29.57
You know, the Bible
doesn't just tell us Jesus loved
00:23:29.60\00:23:31.21
and just say Jesus
go to the marginalized,
00:23:31.24\00:23:33.07
but what it does
say is that eventually
00:23:33.11\00:23:34.68
a rock hits the statue
and destroys all the systems,
00:23:34.71\00:23:37.85
all the governments of men,
00:23:37.88\00:23:39.55
the ones that
continue to fail us,
00:23:39.58\00:23:41.28
the ones that say
they'll protect and serve,
00:23:41.32\00:23:42.78
but kill.
00:23:42.82\00:23:44.15
The Bible says that eventually,
man, Jesus puts an end to that.
00:23:44.19\00:23:47.76
This is the time where
we ought to let people know
00:23:47.79\00:23:50.29
fight for lives here on earth,
fight for your well-being,
00:23:50.33\00:23:53.19
but know that
there's a better Kingdom
00:23:53.23\00:23:55.26
that's eventually going to come
00:23:55.30\00:23:56.63
in which every
single life matters
00:23:56.67\00:23:58.97
and will matter
for all of eternity.
00:23:59.00\00:24:00.57
May be is it fair to say,
you know, I support the church,
00:24:00.60\00:24:02.90
I love the church,
is it fair to say, man,
00:24:02.94\00:24:05.24
that the church
should be the one
00:24:05.27\00:24:08.01
to champion this movement
and not individual people?
00:24:08.04\00:24:10.88
In other words, why
is this, so to speak,
00:24:10.91\00:24:14.18
a secular movement that
started outside of the church,
00:24:14.22\00:24:16.48
why did not start
within the church?
00:24:16.52\00:24:18.42
Why didn't a
Christian start this movement?
00:24:18.45\00:24:20.89
I do want to say that, I think,
within the black community,
00:24:20.92\00:24:24.06
the church did start it.
00:24:24.09\00:24:25.43
Okay.
00:24:25.46\00:24:26.80
I think the church
was the central core
00:24:26.83\00:24:29.76
of the Civil Rights Movement,
not speaking just of the 60s,
00:24:29.80\00:24:33.17
but even tracking back
into the 20s and the 30s,
00:24:33.20\00:24:36.71
even tracking
back to Reconstruction,
00:24:36.74\00:24:38.74
even tracking
back to slavery itself,
00:24:38.77\00:24:40.88
before the abolition of slavery,
00:24:40.91\00:24:43.41
the church was that core
that was pushing for the people.
00:24:43.45\00:24:47.55
What I believe is happening
00:24:47.58\00:24:49.28
is that privilege
is compromising us.
00:24:49.32\00:24:52.19
Because we now have access
to bathrooms, water fountains,
00:24:52.22\00:24:57.73
the front seat on the
bus because we now can feast
00:24:57.76\00:25:01.76
upon the extravagant things
at the table of the master,
00:25:01.80\00:25:06.63
now we're not so concerned
about those that can't.
00:25:06.67\00:25:09.67
It's really
about the middle class.
00:25:09.70\00:25:12.37
It's really about those
that have received some benefit.
00:25:12.41\00:25:16.01
They need to go back
and give to their community.
00:25:16.04\00:25:19.05
Wow, this is dropping
some wisdom right here, man.
00:25:19.08\00:25:20.58
I agree.
00:25:20.62\00:25:21.95
Some wisdom, I appreciate
what you're saying, man.
00:25:21.98\00:25:23.32
Anybody have
anything else to add,
00:25:23.35\00:25:24.69
I'm just trying to
soak up as much as I can.
00:25:24.72\00:25:26.05
I just want to say this,
00:25:26.09\00:25:27.42
this is so right
to piggyback on Mike,
00:25:27.46\00:25:29.26
one of the things
that I realized is that
00:25:29.29\00:25:31.49
the church sometime is afraid.
00:25:31.53\00:25:32.86
Yeah.
00:25:32.89\00:25:34.23
And we won't take a voice
00:25:34.26\00:25:35.60
because we really
don't want to get involved.
00:25:35.63\00:25:37.13
We enjoy our
services, our worship hour,
00:25:37.17\00:25:40.54
but we haven't got outside
00:25:40.57\00:25:41.90
to really be a
part of a real ministry.
00:25:41.94\00:25:43.94
No action. No action.
00:25:43.97\00:25:45.31
You know, we can comment
00:25:45.34\00:25:46.68
and make opinions
doing our times down,
00:25:46.71\00:25:48.61
but we don't really go out.
00:25:48.64\00:25:50.21
And we have the power,
00:25:50.25\00:25:51.65
that's what I'm concerned about,
00:25:51.68\00:25:53.01
the church has the
power of Jesus Christ
00:25:53.05\00:25:55.15
to really make a
difference in every community,
00:25:55.18\00:25:57.92
in every
situation if we step up.
00:25:57.95\00:25:59.95
Wow.
00:25:59.99\00:26:01.32
And recognize that
we're the 21st century church.
00:26:01.36\00:26:03.59
Jesus is gonna come back,
00:26:03.63\00:26:04.96
but we have to
step up and step out
00:26:04.99\00:26:07.10
and be that voice for Jesus.
00:26:07.13\00:26:08.90
Man, to summarize everything
that we've talked about, man,
00:26:08.93\00:26:11.33
Black Lives
Matter is a good movement
00:26:11.37\00:26:13.70
or the very least
it has good intentions,
00:26:13.74\00:26:15.77
and it's basically focusing
on what Jesus focused on,
00:26:15.80\00:26:18.17
the left out, the
least and the marginalized,
00:26:18.21\00:26:20.21
am I right about that?
00:26:20.24\00:26:21.71
Listen, brothers, I
got to close the shop,
00:26:21.74\00:26:23.48
but I can't leave today.
00:26:23.51\00:26:24.85
This is such a sensitive topic.
00:26:24.88\00:26:26.21
I just think it's important that
00:26:26.25\00:26:27.58
we all have a word of prayer
as black men, can we do that?
00:26:27.62\00:26:29.55
Yeah. Absolutely, man.
00:26:29.58\00:26:31.22
Father in heaven today,
Lord, I just thank You so much,
00:26:31.25\00:26:34.32
for Your grace, Your
mercy, and Your love.
00:26:34.36\00:26:36.29
I pray right now,
oh, God, not necessarily
00:26:36.32\00:26:38.73
for the Black Lives
Matter movement, O God,
00:26:38.76\00:26:41.16
but for the society of
people that are marginalized,
00:26:41.20\00:26:44.53
that are disenfranchised,
00:26:44.57\00:26:45.90
I pray, O God,
that you would teach us,
00:26:45.93\00:26:47.87
as Christians,
to love one another,
00:26:47.90\00:26:49.84
each and every one of us.
00:26:49.87\00:26:51.21
And, Father, we know today,
at least from your perspective,
00:26:51.24\00:26:53.14
God, all lives matter.
00:26:53.17\00:26:57.41
And so we just ask you, O God,
00:26:57.45\00:26:58.81
to help us to have
compassion on others,
00:26:58.85\00:27:00.82
to support the
agenda of making this world
00:27:00.85\00:27:03.49
a better place until
we can see You again.
00:27:03.52\00:27:05.85
Forgive us of our
sins and our shortcomings,
00:27:05.89\00:27:07.66
and save us when You come.
00:27:07.69\00:27:09.02
In Jesus' name,
we do pray, amen.
00:27:09.06\00:27:10.76
Amen. God bless you, guys.
00:27:10.79\00:27:12.13
Amen.
00:27:12.16\00:27:14.00
The truth is all lives matter,
00:27:14.03\00:27:16.30
and God is
concerned about all lives,
00:27:16.33\00:27:18.33
no matter the color,
the creed, or nationality.
00:27:18.37\00:27:20.90
At the same time, if a
particular subset of lives
00:27:20.94\00:27:23.91
are being subjugated to
unfair and systematic prejudice,
00:27:23.94\00:27:26.94
it is the obligation of
all higher thinking individuals
00:27:26.98\00:27:29.98
to make it known
and endeavor to fix it,
00:27:30.01\00:27:32.15
especially Christians,
00:27:32.18\00:27:33.58
who should be concerned
about all of God's people.
00:27:33.62\00:27:36.42
The slogan hashtag
Black Lives Matter,
00:27:36.45\00:27:38.82
is not meant to be incendiary
00:27:38.85\00:27:40.89
but to simply bring
awareness to an unchecked issue.
00:27:40.92\00:27:43.99
Jesus Himself was primarily
focused on the least, the last,
00:27:44.03\00:27:47.96
and the left
out in His ministry.
00:27:48.00\00:27:49.66
Maybe just maybe
00:27:49.70\00:27:51.03
Christians should be
focused on that as well.
00:27:51.07\00:27:53.70
We're always having
great discussions here
00:27:53.74\00:27:55.50
inside the barbershop.
00:27:55.54\00:27:56.87
Come and join us
sometime soon. Thanks.
00:27:56.91\00:27:59.01