White Allergies? w/Matthew McConaughey - Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man - Ep. 2
Summary
TLDRIn this episode of 'Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man,' Emmanuel Acho is joined by Academy Award winner Matthew McConaughey. They engage in an open, reflective dialogue about race, systemic injustice, and biases, exploring topics like implicit bias, white privilege, and the ongoing impact of slavery. McConaughey asks how he can improve as a white man, and Acho emphasizes the importance of acknowledging biases and taking active steps toward being anti-racist. The conversation aims to inspire others to reflect on their own roles in societal issues and promote constructive change.
Takeaways
- 😀 The conversation aims to promote dialogue and understanding between individuals of different backgrounds, focusing on common ground and acknowledging differences.
- 🎓 Matthew McConaughey emphasizes the importance of learning, sharing, listening, and understanding to foster constructive change in society.
- 🗣️ The dialogue highlights the need for individuals to acknowledge implicit biases and take ownership of their role in societal issues.
- 👥 The conversation underscores the significance of addressing systemic injustices such as voter suppression and poor school systems that disproportionately affect African Americans.
- 📈 Studies show that individuals with white-sounding names are more likely to receive callbacks for job opportunities, indicating systemic bias in recruitment processes.
- 🏆 McConaughey discusses the concept of 'white allergies,' or unconscious prejudices that even well-intentioned white individuals may hold.
- 🌐 The conversation compares the current focus on racial injustice to addressing a pandemic, suggesting that while all issues matter, some require immediate attention.
- 📚 The dialogue touches on the historical weight of slavery and its ongoing impact on the African American community, likening it to the wake left by a boat.
- 🤝 The conversation encourages individuals to be proactive in addressing their biases and working towards being anti-racist, not just non-racist.
- 📖 The reading of Langston Hughes' poem 'Let America Be America Again' serves as a call to action for a more inclusive and equitable America.
Q & A
What is the purpose of the series 'Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man'?
-The series is designed to facilitate dialogues about racial issues, encourage personal reflection, and promote constructive conversations about social justice and change.
Why did Matthew McConaughey join the conversation with Emmanuel Acho?
-Matthew McConaughey joined to learn, share, listen, and understand, with the goal of finding common ground and promoting conversations that can lead to righteous and justifiable change.
What does Emmanuel Acho say about the terms 'Black people' versus 'African-American'?
-Acho explains that 'Black' is the preferred term because it is most accurate and least offensive, noting that not all Black people in America are of African descent, and some may not identify as African due to the legacy of slavery.
What is implicit bias, according to Emmanuel Acho?
-Implicit bias refers to the subconscious attitudes or stereotypes that people hold, such as viewing a Black person as more of a threat than a white person due to societal conditioning.
How does Emmanuel Acho explain systemic injustice using the analogy of a 'wake' from a boat?
-Acho compares the legacy of slavery to the wake left by a boat, which continues to affect African Americans today through systemic injustices like poor school systems and voter suppression, even though the 'boat' of slavery has passed.
What is 'white allergy,' according to the conversation?
-Matthew McConaughey introduces the term 'white allergy' as a metaphor for the ingrained prejudices that white people might not realize they have, due to how they were raised or conditioned by society.
What is an example of a 'backhanded compliment' as described by Emmanuel Acho?
-A backhanded compliment is when someone says things like, 'You don't even talk like you're Black,' implying that Black people are not expected to be educated or well-spoken, which is offensive and rooted in racial bias.
How does Emmanuel Acho relate the current focus on the Black Lives Matter movement to the coronavirus pandemic?
-Acho compares the Black Lives Matter movement to the focus on curing COVID-19. Just as the virus needs to be addressed first, the injustices against Black lives need to be tackled before focusing on other issues.
What does Emmanuel Acho mean by being 'anti-racist'?
-Being anti-racist goes beyond not being racist; it means actively working to dismantle racial inequalities and fighting for a level playing field where all people are treated equally.
How does the Langston Hughes poem 'Let America Be America Again' relate to the conversation?
-The poem reflects the idea that America has not yet achieved its ideal of freedom and equality for all but still has the potential to become that land through efforts like the discussions in the series and broader social change.
Outlines
🗣️ Initiating Dialogue for Change
Emmanuel Acho introduces the episode and explains the purpose of the conversation: fostering dialogue about uncomfortable topics to encourage similar discussions in the audience. He is joined by actor Matthew McConaughey, who states his intention to learn, share, and promote meaningful change. Acho addresses a common question regarding whether to say 'Black' or 'African-American,' advocating for 'Black' as more inclusive and least offensive. They also begin to explore McConaughey's thoughts on privilege, biases, and societal norms.
🤔 Addressing Implicit Bias and Inequality
Acho challenges McConaughey to confront implicit biases, noting how Black individuals are often perceived as threats or less qualified based on racial prejudices. Studies reveal that people with 'white-sounding' names are more likely to be hired than those with 'Black-sounding' names, highlighting systemic racism. They discuss the importance of individual responsibility in addressing these biases and how societal changes can ripple outward to affect cities, states, and nations. McConaughey expresses a desire to improve personally as a man and a white person, aiming to contribute to this change.
🌍 The 'Wake' of Slavery: Systemic Injustice
Acho uses the metaphor of a boat's 'wake' to explain how the legacy of slavery continues to affect African Americans today through systemic injustices like poor education and voter suppression. McConaughey introduces the concept of 'white allergies,' referring to unconscious biases that white people may not realize they have. He reflects on his own experiences and past assumptions, acknowledging that even those with diverse backgrounds and relationships with Black people can still harbor these biases.
🧠 Learning from Blind Spots and White Allergies
McConaughey opens up about his realization of 'white allergies'—prejudices and blind spots he didn't previously recognize. They discuss how even seemingly innocuous comments, like complimenting a Black person for not fitting stereotypes, can perpetuate harmful assumptions. Acho shares personal experiences from high school where he was complimented for 'not talking or dressing Black,' illustrating how these subtle biases manifest as backhanded compliments. Both men reflect on the deeper learning and understanding that come from recognizing and addressing these hidden prejudices.
📚 Addressing Ignorance and the Ongoing Legacy of Racism
Acho recounts a shocking statement from a white woman who claimed that George Floyd's death wouldn't have happened if slavery hadn't been abolished, revealing how ignorance still persists in some parts of society. They discuss the idea that we are not far removed from slavery and Jim Crow laws, and the ongoing effects of systemic racism. McConaughey and Acho emphasize that racism won't 'die off' with previous generations because much of it is learned and passed down, but they express hope that conversations like this can inspire change.
💬 Responsibility and Proactive Change
McConaughey asks what he can do to help bring about change. Acho stresses the importance of being actively anti-racist, not just passively 'not racist.' He urges people to take responsibility for leveling the playing field. Acho then references a Langston Hughes poem, 'Let America Be America Again,' highlighting its message that America has not yet lived up to its ideals, but it can still strive to do so through open hearts, listening, and meaningful action. The episode ends with a call to action for viewers to engage in these conversations.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Dialogue
💡Implicit Bias
💡Black Lives Matter
💡Systemic Injustice
💡Equality
💡White Allergies
💡Backhanded Compliments
💡Anti-Racism
💡Unilateral Calling
💡Langston Hughes
Highlights
The goal of the conversation is to encourage dialogue and promote change.
Matthew McConaughey joins to discuss common grounds and expose differences.
The importance of acknowledging problems to take ownership and promote change.
The conversation addresses the issue of implicit bias and its societal influences.
Studies show that resumes with white-sounding names get more callbacks.
Individuals must acknowledge and fix their biases to affect systemic change.
The conversation explores the concept of 'white allergies' and hidden prejudices.
Matthew McConaughey shares personal experiences and the realization of his own biases.
The dialogue discusses the historical weight of slavery and its ongoing impact on African Americans.
The conversation addresses the concept of equality and its evolving definition in America.
Emmanuel Acho explains the term 'white allergies' and its implications.
Matthew McConaughey discusses the importance of being anti-racist and leveling the playing field.
The conversation highlights the need for proactive responsibility in addressing racial issues.
Langston Hughes' poem 'Let America Be America Again' is read as a call for the aspirational America.
The conversation concludes with a call to action for open hearts, listening, learning, and doing.
Transcripts
welcome to another episode of
uncomfortable conversations with the
black man now the goal of this was never
to be a monologue but rather a dialogue
can encourage you to have dialogues of
your own
so I'm privileged to be joined by
Academy Award winner but more
importantly father of three Matthew
McConaughey but but Matthew why are you
here
Taylor I'm here Emmanuel I'm here to
learn share listen understand here to
discuss some common grounds between us
but also expose differences between us
you have a conversation yeah hopefully
promote more conversations and with the
end goal being that we take the time
we're in now and constructively turn a
page in history through some righteous
and justifiable change that is always my
goal before we get to our own dialogue I
have to address something for y'all
because so many have asked do I say
black people or african-american and the
simple and shortest answer is black
because it's not only most accurate it's
also least offensive keep in mind not
all black people in America are African
there are Jamaicans there are Cubans but
also there's some black people that
don't identify as African because that
heritage got stripped from them during
slavery so just a quick short answer I
know so many of y'all asked that
question but Matthew let's talk well
this is another reason why I'm here like
your last episode of uncomfortable
conversations with black man I watched
that and it gave me new context it gave
me some new insight it made me think of
the why not the how which i think is a
while a lot of what you're unpacking and
hopefully we cannot back today with the
why individually
and I'm so telling you I'm big on values
and I feel I'm deteriorating across the
board how someone like me how can I do
better as a human how can I do better as
a man how can I do better as a white man
that's powerful that's how you put me on
the spot I'm gonna be honest with you
cuz that's what we're here for
they have uncomfortable conversations
you have to acknowledge that there's a
problem yes so that you can take more
ownership for the problem the first step
to acknowledging it is sitting in this
chair right here across from a black man
and being like okay I may not be talking
about you Emanuel Acho but I may be
talking about people who look like you
individually you have to acknowledge
implicit bias you have to acknowledge
that you'll see a black man and for
whatever reason you will view them more
of a threat then you will a white man
probably because society told you you
have to acknowledge that if there are
two people with equal resumes studies
show that the person with the white
sounding name is twice as likely to get
a call back as a person with a black
sounding name you're a very successful
man who probably has several people
under you are you a part of that
statistical problem are you looking at a
resume saying and they sound a little
too hood for me you know something I
think individually we must each fix the
problem because I believe that the
individuals they affect the houses and
the houses they affect the cities and
the cities affect the states and the
states affect the nation of the nation
yes exactly so individually you have to
acknowledge maybe I do have a bias and
fix it is black lives matter a banner
for now yes but is it a banner that is a
bridge do you think to take us to O when
we see black lives matter and we
understand that it's all agreed on and
we can relay it wave the flame till I
think it's not until for example right
now we were facing the world's greatest
pandemic since the Spanish flu we all
know that coronavirus Cove at 19
right now we're focused on finding a
remedy for that illness we're focused on
finding a remedy for that strain in the
flu that's not to say that cancer
doesn't matter it's not to say that HIV
doesn't matter it's not to say that ALS
doesn't matter all those things still
matter but right now the corona virus is
killing people and stay and so on the
same token Matthew that's what I propose
is that once we get these black lives
that are being ended unjustly handled by
the grace of God if we can get those
handled through conversations like these
and I hope that y'all at home right at
home are having then we can be at a
point to focus on everything else but
remember you walked in here with the
mask you walked in here with Clorox why
because there's a virus going on is to
sit this Pacific virus that is
imminently ending lives and that's the
same thing going on in the world there's
a virus it's just of the mind it is not
of the body heard equality the
definition of equality what equality is
and what is equality not it's been an
American issue forever and we continue
to work and grow and evolve and debate
what the definition of equality should
be unilateral calling there's diverse
equality it's it's it's a topic that I
don't know that we can answer right now
but I'd love to hear your opinion on I
do not think that there is such a thing
as equality in America the weight of
slavery is still hitting African
Americans when you get on a boat whether
you're in Lake Austin here 10 minutes
from here or anywhere in the ocean if
you get on a boat there is a wake that
follows the boat and although you might
not still be driving the boat there are
African Americans getting smacked by the
wake left of slavery well I shall what
is that wake and that's what we talked
about systemic injustice poor school
systems voter suppression there is a
wake and so that's why
things aren't evil only because there's
still awake from slavery don't feel
guilty Justin I've heard heard I heard
this term the other day and I'd never
heard it I went what talk to this person
he explained it to me
white allergies white white allergies
dead that by where we were raised in how
we were raised in our history growing up
there's certain just imported obvious
ways that we're prejudiced some ways
that that's that we don't even
understand we got white allergies they
may not even know it and so I was
sitting there you know looking at my own
life and I say then I go art time me
mm-hmm
Longview high school was over 50% black
I applied to Grambling I was the first
white to ever work at catfish station in
all blues black blues bar on sixth
Street I am married to a non-white
immigrant I have black friends all
through my life and still do mm-hmm
but what prejudices may I have the old
white algie's that I may not even be
aware of have let me ask you this
actually since you brought it up before
I respond has this situation in our
world or my video brought out any white
allergies that you never saw did you
have any white allergies that were in
your blind spots it exposed ways of
looking at things in a way that oh maybe
I didn't see the other side of it the
coin is I started off with some of the
kind of context you put things in even
very simple things that are like obvious
math yeah yes white to blacks can all
have it hard but blacks whites have
never had it harder because of the color
skin yeah that's an obvious thing yeah
now I could I may realize that but I
never I was maybe look never looked at
that side of the coin and - you brought
it up I'm like aha you know and so so
it's a very simple thing so maybe
there's just more that I would say for
me more that I just I'm diving deeper
into how I'm looking at things now I'm
looking at myself how I can how I can
learn
or see things from your side more see
things from the black side more so I can
just understand I can get a
four-dimensional view here cuz
inherently maybe I add to what some
extent I've been living in a way where I
didn't quite see all sides I could have
the greatest white allergy that we se
see played out as black people
practically one of the greatest
backhanded compliments let me tell you
what I mean I wanted to in affluent High
School in Dallas Texas st. Mark's and
when I was a kid they would all say
watch oh you don't even talk like you're
black ah-ah-choo oh you're like an Oreo
black on the outside white on the inside
or you don't even dress like you're
black I didn't realize how offensive
that was at the time it was until I
realized wait a second you were assuming
that black people don't sound educated
you were assuming that to be black I
have to wear a do-rag or a wave cap and
be sagging my pants you are assuming
something about black people and I
contradict that assumption and as a
result I am not black and so I think
white allergies play themselves out
practically in a black handed
compliments get this one you're so
pretty for a black girl so that's to
imply of it being black I should speak
before the black girl yes be cool or a
black man part that becomes the energy
you'd only you don't see what he just
gave me the backhand an indirect
compliment it was good with your so
pretty or you sound so smart but then
you say for this I mean and I think that
the reason McConaughey that it's a white
allergy is because white people don't
recognize those my high school kids they
meant nothing by it
but now all of a sudden it's like no
that's not a compliment at all
heard some people up light flew right
like listen to this quote quote came out
the other day from the white woman that
said none of this stuff would have
happened with George Floyd if we just
wouldn't have abolished slavery what
yeah
what so you hear that and you go our
asinine what what what what decade
century where who are you living where
did that come from
we're not that far removed from slavery
from Jim Crow laws were not so many
people are like is 2020 slavery was such
a long time ago the University of Texas
athletic football program wasn't
integrated until the late 60s I played
at Texas you're one of the most notable
biggest most passionate Texas fans we
are not that far removed it's not as if
so many people have emailed me this week
makan a falling following last week and
said well maybe this will die off with
our ancestors maybe this will it won't
because where do you think you acquire
information more is caught then is
taught more is caught than is taught but
there's hope because all it takes is a
conversation it's heard I look finally I
want to ask you what can I do
what's my responsibility what's your
responsibility
today tomorrow people should take the
responsibility proactively to say you
know what maybe I'm a part of the
problem maybe I can fix this issue not
just by being not racist but by being
anti-racist maybe I can level the
playing field and make it a fair fight
heard I came across this Langston Hughes
poem let America be America again whoo I
just wanted to read it's one piece that
that stuck out to me that seems to halo
a lot of what we're talking about
oh let America be America again the land
that never has been yet and yet must be
the land or every man is free powerful
the land that never has been yet that's
the dream of a man that's the realest
thing that I've truly heard because it's
acknowledging America we've never been
what we've aspired to be we can be but
it's gonna take this and it's gonna take
those watching this to imitate this with
open hearts ready to listen ready to
learn and ready to do
[Music]
thanks for having me thanks for being
here man
thank you all for tuning in to another
episode of uncomfortable conversations
with the black man Matthew McConaughey
Manuel Acho I'll see you all next time
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