"The next time you ask me why Black people or me in particular are so obsessed with race, the answer is, I'll stop when y'all stop." theGrio Daily continues a series of episodes that answer listener's frequently asked questions. Michael Harriot starts with addressing the amount of attention and focus that's put on racial labels in American society.
"We ain't gonna give this country away after we built it." As Michael Harriot answers one of the questions he's asked most often, he explains that America would be unrecognizable if Black people returned to Africa. Insisting, if Black people leave, they should take with them all the knowledge they've been forced to give America for free.
"If white people cared they'd figure it out but white people don't care, they feel bad." Michael Harriot breaks down key issues like police brutality, school shootings and reparations to show that while some white people say they support change they don't take the necessary steps to actually make it happen. Supporting his opinion that white people may feel bad but they don't really care.
"I done told you 100 times!" It's a celebration as theGrio Daily reaches 100 episodes! Michael Harriot gives some insight into what it takes to sustain a successful podcast and shares advice for those who are looking to start their own.
"They'd rather stop you from being on the team than for them to lose." Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have recently become a flashpoint for conservatives but do you understand why? Michael Harriot explains that these policies are just another way for white Americans to push minorities out of the room. So instead of working with minorities and tapping into their skills and knowledge, they'd rather not have them on the team at all. Michael claims fear of being out performed is behind the racist tactics.
"They hate law and order because we are fighting for law and order." The concept of law and order is a rallying cry for conservatives but Michael Harriot goes back in history to identify moments when Black people were the ones following the law yet they were the group to be punished.
"I don't have any evidence that good cops exist." Michael Harriot takes a bold stance with his theory that there is no such thing as a good cop and he uses occupational research and data to back it up.
"The first step to solving crimes, enforcing laws, and keeping people safe is to abolish the police." What if we've got it all wrong and our policing systems are actually doing more harm than good? Michael Harriot explains why Americans, especially Black Americans, would be safer if we abolished the police and started over with more intentional and targeted programs.
"We don't know how many people are killed by the police each year." Michael Harriot argues that it's about time the government starts tracking police violence and more importantly killings. There are no national, state-level, or local databases that house those numbers and there are no laws or policies that require police departments to report the information, which Michael believes gives them free rein to continue deadly over-policing.
"Racism takes not just a mental toll, not just a societal toll, not just an economic toll on the citizens of America but we have to bear a physical burden, it's an actual weight that we have to carry." The idea that racism is a disease is no longer just a metaphorical concept but instead now proven by medical science. Michael Harriot explains the research that began in the 1970's that led to this conclusion.
"A lot of our parents were involved in the civil rights movement and we don't even know it." There are many untold stories of the Civil Rights Movement and Michael Harriot is here to tell you about twins Bessie and Ike Williams who were part of a group that gave us our right to agree to disagree.
"If you were at the front of the bus, the back of the bus, all of the seats belonged to white people." Before Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycotts a woman in South Carolina took the issue of segregated city buses all the way to the United States Supreme Court. In this episode of theGrio Daily, Michael Harriot tells the story of Sarah Mae Flemming. TheGrio Daily is an original podcast by theGrio Black Podcast Network. #BlackCultureAmplified
"There is no such thing as soul food, it's all Black food, we are the ones who feed your soul." As our Black History Month conversations continue, Michael Harriot examines Black people's contributions to cuisine. TheGrio Daily is an original podcast by theGrio Black Podcast Network. #BlackCultureAmplified
"Black taxpayers were funding the educational opportunities for whites, that was theft." Reparations are often discussed only in terms of slavery and Micahel Harriot explains that Black people being compensated for their contributions to America goes far beyond slavery.
"In a state that had been decimated economically by the Civil War, they found a cash cow, the mass incarceration system." The United States incarcerates more people than any other nation in the world and Black and Latino people are disproportionately affected by mass incarceration. Michael Harriot explains why that reality is intentional and began with "Black codes" following the Civil War.
"Why not teach them from children's books with characters that look like them?" Michael Harriot teaches us about a former school superintendent whose legal battle with the state of South Carolina led to an anti-CRT campaign and an overhaul of school district personnel across the state.
"When you make the education system equal, it might be predominantly or disproportionately Black." Before historically Black colleges were recognized, The University of South Carolina was an institution with a 90% Black student body. Today, the university is predominantly white and Michael Harriot explains how it got that way.
"It is absolutely a lie to say that Black people do not want or value education." The power of education was not lost on American slaves and despite the threat of death, they taught themselves to read and write. As Michael Harriot continues to share Black history you're likely not familiar with, he explains the crucial role Black people played in creating America's public school system. TheGrio Daily is an original podcast by theGrio Black Podcast Network. #BlackCultureAmplified
"If you ever attended a public school you can thank South Carolina's Black voters." The Anti-CRT movement is popular with conservative circles, but it did not start with former President Donald Trump or Governor Ron DeSantis. Thankfully we have Michael Harriot to explain where the hate for "wokeness" began. TheGrio Daily is an original podcast by theGrio Black Podcast Network. #BlackCultureAmplified
"If there is such a thing as Black America, then South Carolina is the Capital of Black America." We hear the term "Black America" all the time. Whether it's on the news or just in regular conversation. Have you ever thought to yourself what is the capitol of Black America? Well, Michael Harriot has and he's here to tell you where you can find it. TheGrio Daily is an original podcast by theGrio Black Podcast Network. #BlackCultureAmplified