Healing Race

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 conversation, our guests share their motivations for joining Healing Race to talk about race, and they discuss their experiences living in diverse or non-diverse places and interacting with other Americans across the racial divide. They tell stories of segregation, of being called out as "racist," and of finding a way to engage meaningfully across race, to embrace America's diversity, and to learn from each other. 

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 more trust and less threatened by each other if we didn't give so much power to our President or the federal government, and instead reinforced the checks and balances of our political system? Our guests talk about what is dividing America, and what can bring us together as Americans, across our political and racial differences. Are we too closed off in our own ideological bubbles? Are we sorting ourselves into ideologically pure communities? Are we too afraid of what's different? The guests also discuss the possible dangers that AI might bring in how we relate to each other, how we experience the world and what is "real," and how we are treated as Americans?

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 money interests? Do wealthy families have an unfair advantage of extra resources and time? And is there 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 succeed?    

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 affirmative action and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion)? Is there 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 succeed? Our guests talk about whether factors such as race and class should play a role in giving America more opportunity and reducing inequality.. They also discuss whether the push for greater diversity in companies, schools and governments has put white men at a disadvantage and has led to the political backlash we see in American society. Does race 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)? And how should we respond to economic inequality and social alienation in American society, regardless of one's race?

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 succeed? And have White Americans, in particular white men, been blocked from success with policies like affirmative action and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion)?  Our guests talk about whether the U.S. is truly a meritocracy, or if factors such as race, class and geography strongly influence the outcomes of most Americans. They also discuss whether the push for greater diversity in companies, schools and governments has put white men at a disadvantage and has led to the political backlash we see in American society today.

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, division and animosity where there’s nothing to fear? And how do our biases about each other affect the policies that Americans support and legislators enact? Our guests talk about the biases they carry about other social groups and even about their own social groups. They also discuss the cultural differences that fuel the stereotypes that separate us and the cultural similarities that can often be overlooked.

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 the black community? Our guests share their views on police relations and behavior. Is the police force driven by racial profiling and racial bias, or does the media simply spin a heightened racial injustice narrative? Are we destined to a cycle of crime, violence and brutality, or is there is a path that can ease tensions and improve relations? To be a guest on Healing Race, email us at guests@HealingRaceShow.com To suggest a topic for Healing Race, email topics@HealingRaceShow.com 

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? Our guests discuss these questions and also explore their views on police relations and behavior. Is the police force driven by racial profiling and racial bias, or does the media simply spin a heightened racial injustice narrative? Is police violence toward Black Americans a product of challenges within the black community or a product of racialization of Black Americans? To be a guest on Healing Race, email us at guests@HealingRaceShow.com To suggest a topic for Healing Race, email us at topics@HealingRaceShow.com 

Our guests discuss whether early White Americans truly believed that black people weren’t fully human, or if they simply rationalized that belief to themselves to justify maintaining the institution of slavery and the power and prosperity it gave them.  Marin, Susan, Marcus and Landon also discuss if we should prioritize or minimize learning American history through a racial lens, covering the racial prejudice, discrimination and persecution that Black Americans have endured? More generally, can we teach U.S. history in a way that captures the unique experiences and perspectives of diverse Americans but that doesn’t breed defensiveness and racial and ethnic divisions among Americans?  To be a guest on Healing Race, email us at guests@HealingRaceShow.com To suggest a topic for Healing Race, email us at topics@HealingRaceShow.com 

How can our country teach the good and the bad of our history in a way that confronts the racial challenges we've had while also highlighting the good that we've brought to our country and the world? Can we teach our racial history in a way that isn’t watered down - covering the range of discrimination, persecution, and prejudice that has existed - but that also doesn’t create defensiveness with Americans who feel proud of what our country has accomplished? And can using race as a way to frame our education go too far, as expressed by opponents of "critical race theory" and "anti-racism" approaches?  To be a guest on Healing Race, email us at guests@HealingRaceShow.com To suggest a topic for Healing Race, email us at topics@HealingRaceShow.com 

Our guests talk about whether it’s time to let go of thinking about race relations through the prism of our difficult racial history. Have times changed enough when it comes to the role of race in society and the impact of skin color on Americans’ lives to think differently about the way race does or does not divide us today? Marin, Susan, Marcus and Landon also discuss the difficulty that exists in trying to offer constructive feedback to the country in a way that doesn’t come across as antagonistic toward or ungrateful for the opportunities our country provides.  Finally, they talk about the tricky terrain of Black Americans being proud of their unique history and culture when some take it as us not being proud to be Americans as well. To be a guest on Healing Race, email us at guests@HealingRaceShow.com To suggest a topic for Healing Race, email us at topics@HealingRaceShow.com 

In this episode, Marin asks Susan how her perceptions and beliefs around race have evolved given her upbringing in a Southern community where open racial bigotry was commonplace and racial segregation was the norm. What kind of life experiences can shape and re-shape our views about race, and how do we handle new information that contradicts what we’ve been socialized to believe about each other? What can lead us to rely less on racial stereotypes and toward greater racial reconciliation? Landon also shares his evolution having grown up as a Mormon in conservative Utah. How does media, popular music (like rap), and what we learn about history impact how Black Americans are viewed? And what happens when someone like Marin doesn’t fit those racial stereotypes? To be a guest on Healing Race, email us at guests@HealingRaceShow.com To suggest a topic for Healing Race, email us at topics@HealingRaceShow.com 

In this episode, Landon asks how we can make progress in putting our racial past behind us and focus more on our future together. Would resolving racial inequalities make a difference Are America's racial disparities still a product of racial injustice? Should economic reparations be part of the solution? What do our guests think about intensely debated ideas like affirmative action and reparations? And is there any role for conversations like the ones we have on Healing Race that are focused on building greater understanding and healing racial divides? Susan asks how we can even have these sensitive conversations about race when there is such a strong threat of being called out, be judged as a racist, and maligned for one’s views. Let’s get to those conversations now. Enjoy To be a guest on Healing Race, email us at guests@HealingRaceShow.com To suggest a topic for Healing Race, email us at topics@HealingRaceShow.com 

Thank you for tuning into Healing Race. In this episode, our four guests - Marin, Susan, Landon and Marcus - continue to discuss their feelings about policing and the way that police are viewed and treated in America today. Marcus pointedly asks why he, as a black police officer, is outcast from his black community because of his choice to be a cop. Should black cops be seen as Uncle Toms and race traitors or be a source of Black pride and police reform? Are black cops a target or racialization in the same way that black civilians might? Marcus is also asked how he balances the support and pride he feels for the police force with the racial bias or racial profiling that he also knows can exist within the force? Should police officers be held to a higher standard in how biases influence their behavior than the community members they are paid to protect? How should we understand policing and racial justice in the midst of the Black Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter narratives? Let’s get to those conversations now. Enjoy… To be a guest on Healing Race, email us at guests@HealingRaceShow.com To suggest a topic for Healing Race, email us at topics@HealingRaceShow.com 

In this episode, our four guests discuss racial protests and policing. Why have some of today’s protests become more violent or destructive than the silent, nonviolent marches that have taken place in decades past? Is this more forceful approach necessary to create social change? Our guests also explore their feelings about police and the idea of defunding the police. What’s changed in the relationship between police and the black community in recent decades, and what are the motivations and challenges for the defund-the-police idea? Is the police force driven by racial profiling and racial bias, or does the media simply spin a racial injustice narrative? Is police violence toward Black Americans a product of racialization or a product of challenges within the black community? Let’s get to those conversations now. Enjoy… To be a guest on Healing Race, email us at guests@HealingRaceShow.com To suggest a topic for Healing Race, email us at topics@HealingRaceShow.com 

Thank you for tuning into Healing Race. In this episode, our four guests - Marin, Susan, Landon and Marcus - talk about how they view our racial history. Landon wonders how the other guests process the good, the bad and the ugly of our history, particularly as it relates to race - do we feel bitterness or espouse a victim narrative? Do we idealize our nation and its history and focus too much on our human triumphs rather than our moral failings? Or do we feel something in between or more nuanced? Our guests also begin discussing how we should think about responsibility for the racial wrongs done in our nation’s history. Does tolerance of a racial wrong - even when not committing that actual wrong - morally implicate someone in the wrong? Do our ancestors’ racial wrongs implicate us now? For racial reconciliation do we need a racial reckoning? Let’s get to those conversations now. Enjoy… To be a guest on Healing Race, email us at guests@HealingRaceShow.com To suggest a topic for Healing Race, email us at topics@HealingRaceShow.com 

Thank you for tuning into Healing Race. In this episode, our four guests continue to discuss how their upbringings shaped their views about race. Marin and Marcus share what they learned as Black Americans growing up about what it means to be black or white in our country. The conversation touches on the role of race in standards of beauty, in how we see - or don’t see - ourselves represented in books and media, and in what it takes to succeed in our country. What kind of effect can race have on how we see ourselves, who we want to be, and what others expect us to be as we grow up? This conversation opens up an emotional window into the ways race can seep into our upbringings, and it provided a chance for our guests to find some common experiences and outlooks, while also showing that having the same racial identity does not always mean that you have the same kind of life experiences. So let’s get to that conversation now. Enjoy…  To be a guest on Healing Race, email us at guests@HealingRaceShow.com To suggest a topic for Healing Race, email us at topics@HealingRaceShow.com  

Over the course of the next few episodes, you will see our first ever group of guests - four Americans, two black, two white - have their first conversation about race together. They start by sharing how their backgrounds have uniquely shaped their approach to race and why they wanted to take part in a Healing Race conversation. Marin then asks the white guests what they learned about black people growing up. Landon and Susan candidly share what they learned and experienced within their communities, schools, colleges, and through moving to new cities; they share how they feel about those experiences looking back; and they also reflect on how their experiences shaped their views about black people over time and about the role of race in our country and in their lives. So let’s get to that conversation now. Enjoy… To be a guest on Healing Race, email us at guests@HealingRaceShow.com To suggest a topic for Healing Race, email us at topics@HealingRaceShow.com 

What happens when four Americans - two black and two white - meet each other and have their first conversation about race together? For this next season of Healing Race, Andre and Todd will be bringing guests from across America together onto the show to ask the questions that they most want to discuss, or that they think our society should be talking about, when it comes to race. In the first episode of Season 2, we start this new Healing Race journey with Marin, Susan, Landon and Marcus - who grew up in Georgia, Texas and Utah and bring a range of backgrounds and beliefs to the conversation. Their conversations were meaningful, impactful, and show what can happen when people bring curiosity, openness, and grace to a topic as charged as race is in our country. Andre and Todd had the privilege to talk with each guest before they met. So before we get to their conversations, let’s meet them first. The video starts with Andre introducing the Healing Race show to the guests and then we learn a bit about their motivations and background. If you want to get right to their conversation with each other, you can skip this video and go right to the next Season 2 episode. If you’d like to meet them first, stay with us here and enjoy… To be a guest on Healing Race, email us at guests@HealingRaceShow.com To suggest a topic for Healing Race, email us at topics@HealingRaceShow.com 

Andre and Todd talk more about political correctness and what some call “cancel culture” - where people who say or do something that’s seen as politically incorrect are punished in some way. Should we just grow a thick skin that makes us resilient at times we might feel disrespected? Or should we also change the ways that we treat each other to bring more respect and inclusiveness to our interactions? Andre and Todd connect the discussion to racial history as well as to the word “racist” itself, exploring what is and is not racist and the role the word plays as a tool for social punishment. So let’s get to that conversation now. Enjoy… To be a guest on Healing Race, email us at guests@HealingRaceShow.com To suggest a topic for Healing Race, email us at topics@HealingRaceShow.com