Healing Race

Is racial bias & prejudice still a regular occurrence for black people in today’s America? Do Black Americans show prejudice in reverse against white people? Does all racial bias give white people a white privilege? And if there is indeed a white privilege, what are potential solutions? Is there a double standard when it comes to how White & Black Americans are expected to react to bias ag...

Our guests discuss white privilege, touch on frustrations of being judged based on race, and talk about how society addresses racial inequality and institutional racism. Do all white people have white privilege? What is it, and how does it show up in people’s lives? Is white privilege a major reason for racial inequality? And how do references to “white privilege” impact relationships across racia...

Should we get rid of our racial identities and see ourselves as “human” first? Do our racial identities prevent us from getting past racial issues in America, and does the construct of race also hurt white people? Does calling ourselves “black” and “white” keep us from seeing each other’s humanity and perpetuate the racial divisions and inequities that we aspire to resolve? Is there a way to own o...

Is Black single motherhood a factor in racial inequalities? If so, are Black women themselves at fault? Is it black men? Is it a public policy issue related to welfare programs or mass incarceration? Is it the imbalance between the number of black men and black women? And what should be done to reduce the prevalence of single-parent households if they are indeed a key factor in economic issues? In...

Our guests discuss the merits and drawbacks of capitalism, the promise and challenges of relying on government to solve social and economic problems, and what kind of changes in American morality would be required to rise above materialism and find a sustainable shared humanity. Are Americans too capitalist or not capitalist enough? Do Americans value the greater good, or are they too focused on t...

Should we keep affirmative action and other DEI diversity efforts to reduce racial inequality? Is the striking down of affirmative action in colleges an example of a wider trend of rolling back progress for - and targeting of - historically disadvantaged communities? And should we focus more on resolving inequalities in early education than on affirmative action policies? Our guests discuss recent...

This episode covers identity politics, critical race theory, and the idea that the U.S is somehow immune to succumbing to a dictatorship. It touches on freedom, racial inequalities and DEI efforts, questioning how we address US history. Is the advancement of Black Americans still held back by White Americans with power? Is the attack on DEI a necessary corrective or an attempt to hold back Black p...

What do Americans - white, black or otherwise - all share when it comes to what matters most in life? And if there are racial inequalities in the opportunity to achieve the good life, what is the responsibility of White Americans, of Black Americans - and of all Americans - in rectifying unfair barriers where they exist? In this conversation, our guests discuss what defines success in life and whe...

How do you know when someone is acting with racial prejudice or bias when you can’t see inside their mind and heart to know their intention? How can we rise above our stereotypes to come together as people? What kind of experiences indicate to Black Americans that someone is acting with racial bias?  In this conversation, our guests discuss the barriers that can block our ability as Americans - an...

Why do some Black Americans sometimes react dismissively to White attempts to show support for the Black community? Are White Americans too defensive of criticisms of how they approach race in America? How do our egos block our ability to understand and accept each other across racial lines and our ability to heal race relations? In this conversation, our guests share personal experiences that dem...

Who is responsible for improving racial disparities, and why? Do White Americans today bear any responsibility for rectifying the sins that White Americans committed in the past? If they don’t, is there any moral duty to do something to help improve racial inequality anyways? And is there any benefit that White Americans still receive today for the legacy of racial discrimination and abuse from th...

Should racial issues and racial history be taught to American kids in schools? If yes, how should it be taught at different ages? Is critical race theory being taught in schools, or is it a made-up boogie man used to oppose teach about race in history? Are white children made to feel responsible and guilty for America’s racial wrongs, or are they simply being taught the realities of our racial his...

Do our racial identities prevent us from getting past racial issues in America? Does calling ourselves “black” and “white” keep us from seeing each other’s humanity and perpetuate the racial divisions and inequities that we aspire to resolve? Should we get rid of the “boxes” we use to categorize ourselves, or is there a way to own those identities and appreciate them all without conflict and divis...

How do Black Americans balance their experiences of prejudice with their experiences of inclusion when it comes to how they interact with White Americans? Do their negative experiences hold more sway and create caution and wariness, or do their positive experiences lead them to trust others until proven otherwise?  In this conversation, our guests discuss how racial stereotypes can create misunder...

What happened when a black girl’s school was integrated, and she was moved from gifted and talented classes to basic classes? What happened when a black girl was bused to a faraway all-white school after attending a more mixed school the year before? What happened when a high school black girl was turned down because she was black when she asked out the white boy who was her close friend? How have...

What happened when white grandparents told their daughter they had a problem with her son having a black girlfriend? What happened when a black girl wasn’t allowed to go to her best friend’s church because she was black? Are these stories from a bygone era of discrimination? Or are they remnants of our prejudicial history that still remain with us today? In this conversation, our guests share exam...

What happens when a black woman in the military has her white friend’s mother ask to touch her black curly hair? Are such experiences based in racism or simply based in ignorance and curiosity? Is White American curiosity about Black people based in a failure to see their humanity, or is it more often just a genuine desire to connect with them as people? Is it understandable for Black Americans to...

Are Black & White Americans socialized to fear each other? Are we taught to segregate from each other because of the stereotypes we learn growing up? Does cancel culture play a role in preventing Americans from engaging more deeply with one another? Do white Americans hold back because they're too afraid to be called "racist?" What keeps Americans from integrating more across race?  In this co...

Should Americans keep focusing on race to resolve inequalities and injustices, or should we focus more on what unites us as humans and Americans? Should we be ashamed of America, have pride in America, or some mix of both? Are we too politically and racially tribal? Does focusing on race make us overly tribal? How can we individually take steps to ease the divisions in our country? Would we feel m...

Do Americans care about the race of their political leaders? Or is political ideology a bigger driver of how Americans view their leaders? How should we resolve our vast America's economic & racial inequalities? Is it government action? community action? repairing the family structure? Is government action problematic because it is captured by corrupt special interests and the influence of big...

Is affirmative action based on race still needed in America, or was the Supreme Court right to remove race as a consideration in college admissions? Are affirmative action and other diversity initiatives fair and important to achieving racial justice, or do they unfairly disadvantage some Americans? Have White Americans, white men in particular, been blocked from success with policies like affirma...

Is success in America driven more by hard work or circumstances? Do racial biases still play a major role in economic inequalities? Or has “woke” culture led us to see racial biases and racial inequities where there are none (or at least relatively few)? Is their a victimhood culture in Black and poor America, or do some Americans really have a leg up when it comes to how they are supported to suc...

Do racial biases still play a major role in American society? Or has “woke” culture led us to see racial biases where there is none? How do we know what’s in our minds and hearts when we judge and interact with people in our everyday lives? Do most of us carry biases about fellow Americans who are racially and politically different?  Do our racial, political & cultural biases create caution, d...

How does a black cop deal with the tension between police and the black community? How does he view the state of the police profession, and how do tensions with American communities affect police morale? And what are the hopes and worries of conservatives and liberals from different parts of America when it comes to police killings of black civilians and the heightened conflict between police and...

Is over-policing a racial issue in America? How do we resolve the long-standing problems between police and the Black community? And how does a black cop deal with these tensions? Do police use more force against Black Americans; if so, why does it happen; and what should America do about it? Would having a more diverse police force help? Would investing more in communities plagued by crime help?...