How love can help repair social inequality | Chloé Valdary

TED
17 Aug 202017:47

Summary

TLDRChloe Valderry introduces her Theory of Enchantment, a social emotional learning program aimed at fostering character development, resilience, and self-love. Using pop culture references like Disney and hip-hop, she teaches tools to face life's challenges and encourages empathy. Valderry developed this concept during her time at the Wall Street Journal, focusing on teaching love rather than conflict. She outlines three principles: treating people as humans, criticizing to uplift, and rooting actions in love and compassion. These principles, she believes, can advance social justice and heal the nation by promoting understanding and personal growth.

Takeaways

  • 🌟 Chloe Valderry introduced the 'Theory of Enchantment', a social emotional learning program aimed at developing character, resilience, and self-love using pop culture references.
  • 🎓 The program was developed after Chloe moved to New York and worked on a thesis at the Wall Street Journal, focusing on teaching love rather than conflict.
  • 🤝 The Theory of Enchantment uses pop culture, including Disney, hip-hop, and pop music, to engage learners and teach them valuable life lessons.
  • 🔍 Chloe's research involved studying companies and influencers like Nike, Disney, and Beyoncé to understand why people are drawn to them, finding that they reflect audience potential.
  • 💡 She defined 'enchantment' as the process of delighting someone with a concept or idea, inspired by Guy Kawasaki's description, which is key to loving oneself and others.
  • 📚 After writing her thesis, Chloe refined her concept through non-profit work, college lectures, and developed a system for teaching the Theory of Enchantment.
  • 🤝 The theory is built on three principles: treating people as human beings, criticizing to uplift, and rooting actions in love and compassion.
  • 🌱 These principles are seen as essential for healing the nation, especially in the context of racism, police brutality, and the pursuit of social justice.
  • 🎬 Examples from pop culture, such as Kendrick Lamar's lyrics and the movie 'Moana', are used to illustrate the principles and teach about human complexity and the importance of love.
  • 💬 Chloe critiques the concept of 'white fragility' for treating white people as a monolithic entity, which goes against the first principle of her theory.
  • 🌈 She expresses hope in the current diverse coalitions protesting for racial justice, particularly the involvement of millennials, as a sign of positive change.

Q & A

  • What is the Theory of Enchantment according to Chloe Valderry?

    -The Theory of Enchantment is a social emotional learning program developed by Chloe Valderry that teaches individuals how to develop character, tools for resilience, and self-love, using pop culture as a medium to convey these lessons.

  • How did Chloe Valderry come up with the concept of the Theory of Enchantment?

    -Chloe Valderry developed the concept of the Theory of Enchantment after moving to New York and working at the Wall Street Journal. Her background in international studies and diplomacy led her to explore teaching people how to love rather than just combat conflict, which led her to study pop culture as a source of inspiration.

  • Why does Chloe use pop culture in the Theory of Enchantment?

    -Chloe uses pop culture in the Theory of Enchantment because it is a significant part of what people are already in love with and engaged with. She believes that pop culture can serve as a conduit to teach important life lessons by reflecting the audience's potential and desires back to them.

  • What are the three principles of the Theory of Enchantment?

    -The three principles of the Theory of Enchantment are: 1) Treat people like human beings, not like political abstractions; 2) If you want to criticize, do it to uplift and empower, never to tear down or destroy; 3) Root everything you do in love and compassion.

  • How does Chloe Valderry define 'enchantment' in the context of her theory?

    -In the context of her theory, Chloe Valderry defines 'enchantment' as the process by which you delight someone with a concept, an idea, a personality, or a thing, drawing from Guy Kawasaki's description. It's about becoming enchanted by one another and being full of wonder when encountering others.

  • How does Chloe relate the concept of self-love to the Theory of Enchantment?

    -Chloe relates self-love to the Theory of Enchantment by emphasizing that learning to love oneself is a crucial step in being able to love others. She believes that self-love is foundational for fostering better conversations and healing the nation.

  • Can you provide an example of how Chloe uses pop culture icons like Beyoncé in her teaching?

    -Chloe uses Beyoncé as an example to illustrate how pop culture icons reflect the audience's potential back to them. She cites Beyoncé's empowering lyrics, such as 'Who run the world? Girls,' to show how individuals can see their potential in the content created by these icons.

  • How does Chloe Valderry connect the Theory of Enchantment to resolving conflict?

    -Chloe connects the Theory of Enchantment to resolving conflict by teaching the principles that foster empathy, understanding, and love. She believes that by treating each other as human beings and approaching criticism with the intent to uplift, individuals can engage in better conversations that help resolve conflicts.

  • What is Chloe's perspective on the concept of 'white fragility' in relation to the Theory of Enchantment?

    -Chloe views the concept of 'white fragility' as contrary to the first principle of her theory, which is to treat people as human beings and not as political abstractions. She believes that labeling white people as a monolithic entity goes against the idea of treating individuals as complex and multifaceted.

  • How does Chloe Valderry see the role of self-love in dismantling systemic issues?

    -Chloe believes that self-love is a prerequisite for tackling systemic issues. She asserts that individuals must first learn to love themselves to be able to love others and address systemic inequalities in a sustainable way.

  • What does Chloe suggest about the role of pop culture in teaching the principles of the Theory of Enchantment?

    -Chloe suggests that pop culture, with its broad appeal and relatability, can be an effective tool for teaching the principles of the Theory of Enchantment. By using examples from movies, music, and other pop culture references, she aims to make these principles more accessible and engaging.

  • How does Chloe Valderry use Disney movies in her teaching to illustrate the principles of the Theory of Enchantment?

    -Chloe uses Disney movies like 'Moana' to illustrate the principles of the Theory of Enchantment. She points out that 'Moana' is about restoring love and compassion, which aligns with the third principle of her theory. The movie's narrative also reflects the human condition's capacity for both love and rage, emphasizing the importance of nurturing love to prevent descending into rage.

  • What is Chloe's view on the importance of individual renewal in creating social change?

    -Chloe believes that individual renewal is crucial for creating social change. She asserts that people must first develop a strong sense of self-worth and inner contentment to be able to love others and contribute positively to society.

  • How does Chloe address the challenge of valuing others who have tried to suppress you?

    -Chloe addresses this challenge by teaching the importance of treating all individuals with grace and empathy, as demonstrated by individuals like Daryl Davis. She believes that a strong sense of character allows one to de-personalize insults and meet others with love, even when they have tried to suppress you.

  • What does Chloe believe about the current diverse coalitions protesting for racial justice?

    -Chloe feels hopeful about the diverse coalitions protesting for racial justice, as they represent a broad and inclusive movement that cuts across color, socioeconomic backgrounds, and political spectrums. She sees this as a testament to the power of the idea of justice and a sign of positive change.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Introduction to the Theory of Enchantment

Chloe Valderry introduces her concept called the 'Theory of Enchantment,' a social emotional learning program aimed at developing character, resilience, and self-love as a means to foster love for others. She explains the program's unique approach of using pop culture, including Disney, hip-hop, and pop music, to engage and teach these values. The development of this theory was inspired by her move to New York and her work at the Wall Street Journal, where she began exploring how to teach love as a means to combat conflict. She studied pop culture to understand what people love and found a commonality in how companies and influencers create content that reflects audience's potential back to them, which she terms 'enchantment.'

05:02

🛡️ Healing the Nation Through Three Principles

Chloe discusses the application of the Theory of Enchantment to address current societal issues such as racism and police brutality. She outlines three principles: treating people as human beings rather than political abstractions, criticizing to uplift rather than to destroy, and rooting actions in love and compassion. She emphasizes the importance of these principles in fostering better conversations and healing the nation. Chloe also provides examples from pop culture, such as Kendrick Lamar's song 'DNA' and the movie 'Moana,' to illustrate how these principles can be understood and implemented. She believes that individual self-love and understanding are prerequisites for dismantling systemic issues.

10:03

🤝 Overcoming Challenges with Empathy and Self-Worth

Chloe explores the importance of self-love and character in overcoming challenges and changing societal norms. She cites the example of Daryl Davis, who through empathy and grace, helped numerous KKK members to leave the organization. Chloe argues against the concept of 'white fragility,' stating that it contradicts the Theory of Enchantment by treating white people as a monolithic entity rather than as individuals. She stresses the need to treat each other as family and to build a 'beloved community' with compassion and understanding.

15:04

🎭 The Role of Villains in Teaching Principles

Chloe discusses the role of villains in the Theory of Enchantment, using Disney villains as examples to illustrate how those who reject the principles can become 'bad actors.' She specifically mentions Ursula from 'The Little Mermaid' and her song 'Poor Unfortunate Souls' as a way to exploit insecurities, which is a common trait among villains. Chloe suggests that without practicing self-love and love for others, individuals are more likely to descend into rage and contribute to systemic injustice.

🌈 Hope for the Future Through Diversity and Unity

Chloe expresses hope in the current diverse coalitions protesting for racial justice, highlighting the unity of people from different backgrounds coming together, which she finds unprecedented. She is particularly encouraged by the involvement of millennials in advancing social justice and believes that this unity and momentum are indicative of a positive movement towards change.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Enchantment

Enchantment, in the context of this video, is a phenomenon where individuals see themselves and their potential reflected in content, leading to a strong connection and attraction. It is defined by Guy Kawasaki as the process of delighting someone with a concept, idea, personality, or thing. Chloe Valderry uses this term to describe the core of her theory, which aims to foster self-love and love for others, using pop culture as a medium to teach these values.

💡Social Emotional Learning

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is an educational approach that teaches individuals how to manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. In the video, Chloe Valderry's Theory of Enchantment is a form of SEL that uses pop culture to develop character and resilience.

💡Pop Culture

Pop culture refers to the popular cultural elements that are prevalent in a society at a given time, such as music, movies, and fashion. Chloe Valderry leverages pop culture in her Theory of Enchantment to make the learning process engaging and relatable. She uses examples from Disney, hip-hop, and pop music to illustrate her points and connect with the audience.

💡Character Development

Character development is the process of building moral and ethical qualities that define an individual's character. In Chloe's theory, it is one of the key aspects she aims to teach through her program, emphasizing the importance of self-love as a foundation for developing a strong character.

💡Resilience

Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties and is a key tool taught in the Theory of Enchantment. It is about equipping individuals with the ability to face life's hardships head-on and adapt to challenging situations, which is crucial for personal growth and emotional well-being.

💡Self-Love

Self-love is the act of valuing and appreciating oneself, which is central to Chloe's Theory of Enchantment. It is the foundation upon which one can love others and is considered necessary for healing and personal growth. The video emphasizes that learning to love oneself is a prerequisite for being able to love others genuinely.

💡Human Condition

The human condition refers to the shared experiences, emotions, and characteristics that all humans possess. In the context of the video, Chloe uses Disney movies as metaphors for the human condition, illustrating the flawed hero who overcomes obstacles and emerges transformed, which reflects the struggles and growth that all individuals face.

💡Systemic Inequality

Systemic inequality refers to the unequal treatment and opportunities that are deeply embedded in societal systems and structures. Chloe discusses the importance of addressing these issues but emphasizes that it starts with individuals learning to love themselves and others, which can lead to sustainable change.

💡White Fragility

White fragility is a concept that describes the defensive reactions that some white people have when confronted with racial issues. Chloe critiques this concept, arguing that it breaks the first principle of her theory by treating white people as a monolithic entity rather than as complex individuals.

💡Beloved Community

The beloved community is a term coined by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to describe a society where people are treated with dignity and respect, and where justice and equality prevail. Chloe refers to this concept as the ultimate goal of treating each other with compassion and love, which aligns with the principles of her Theory of Enchantment.

💡Privilege

Privilege refers to the unearned advantages or special rights that some individuals have in society, often based on factors like race, class, or gender. Chloe discusses the multifaceted nature of privilege and emphasizes the need to treat all individuals with compassion and love, regardless of the privileges they may or may not possess.

Highlights

Chloe Valderry introduces the Theory of Enchantment, a social emotional learning program aimed at developing character and resilience.

The program is unique in its use of pop culture, including Disney, hip-hop, and pop music, to teach its principles.

Valderry's background in international studies and diplomacy influenced her shift towards teaching love as a means to combat conflict.

The concept of enchantment is defined as the process of delighting someone with a concept, idea, personality, or thing.

Enchantment in pop culture is identified through content where the audience sees themselves and their potential reflected.

Three principles guide the Theory of Enchantment: treating people like human beings, criticizing to uplift, and rooting actions in love and compassion.

The Theory of Enchantment is positioned as a tool to heal the nation amidst issues like racism and police brutality.

Kendrick Lamar's music is used to teach the complexity of the human condition and the first principle of the theory.

Moana is highlighted as a contemporary Disney movie that embodies the principles of the Theory of Enchantment, particularly restoration and love.

Valderry argues that addressing systemic issues requires individuals to first learn self-love and inner contentment.

The story of Daryl Davis, who helped hundreds of KKK members leave the organization through empathy and grace, is cited as an example of the theory's principles in action.

Valderry critiques the concept of 'white fragility' for treating white people as a monolithic entity, which contradicts the first principle of her theory.

The importance of viewing privilege as multifaceted and treating all individuals with compassion is emphasized.

Disney villains are analyzed to illustrate how insecurities can be exploited and the consequences of rejecting the Theory of Enchantment's principles.

Valderry expresses hope in the diverse coalitions protesting for racial justice and the active role of millennials in advancing social justice.

Transcripts

play00:12

my name

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is chloe valderry and i'm going to be

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talking to you today

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about a concept i created called the

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theory of enchantment

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i'm going to tell you what it is how i

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came to develop it

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and why i think it's necessary to help

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us in this moment

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as a country and to help heal our nation

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so the theory of enchantment is really a

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social emotional learning program

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that teaches individuals how to develop

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character

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develop tools for resiliency to meet the

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hardship of life

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head on but more importantly to learn

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how to love

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oneself so that one can be able to love

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others

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in the process and the unique aspect of

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the theory of enchantment is that it

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uses

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pop culture to teach a lot of these

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ideas

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so i use disney hip-hop pop music

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broadly speaking and other

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really fun and cool aspects found in pop

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culture to teach it

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but more on that later first i'm going

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to tell you

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how i developed this concept called the

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theory of enchantment

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so about five years ago i moved to new

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york

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from new orleans and i got a job at the

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wall street journal

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now my background is in international

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studies

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and diplomacy and i was really always

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interested

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in this concept of you know teaching

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people how to combat conflict this is

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what we study

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within international relations but

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once i got to the wall street journal i

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decided to work on a thesis

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that tackled the topic that was slightly

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different not teaching people how to

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combat conflict

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but rather instead teaching people how

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to love

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now these two things are actually two

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totally different things they are

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interrelated but they are not the same

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thing

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so i wanted to teach people or figure

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out how to teach people

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how to love and in order to do this i

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asked myself

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well if i want to teach people how to

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love maybe i have to ask

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what are people already in love with and

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how can i use that as a conduit to work

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backwards

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to get people to learn how to love and

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the biggest source of content for me

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that shows us what we love as a species

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as a society

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is pop culture so all of a sudden in the

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middle of this

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thesis paper that i was working on i

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started studying pop culture

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this means that i started studying

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companies like nike

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companies like disney singer-songwriters

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like beyonce

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i wanted to see if there was a common

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denominator across

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all these influencers and across all

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these companies

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that really demonstrated why we

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gravitate toward them in the first place

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and it turns out there is a common

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denominator and it's

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very very simple these companies and

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these influencers

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create content where we as the audience

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see ourselves and our potential

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reflected in the content

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and that's why we gravitate toward it so

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for example nike

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nike puts out sports apparel and

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attaches to it the brand

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just do it and the idea that we have in

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our minds is that once we put on this

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apparel

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we will be able to accomplish and

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overcome any obstacle

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that we have to meet very similarly

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disney every almost every single disney

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movie is a motif

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is a metaphor for the human condition it

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entails

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a human being a flawed hero who is

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imperfect

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who's met with some obstacle who has to

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meet that obstacle head-on

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and in doing so becomes transformed by

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that obstacle

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and emerges heroic and finally of course

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there's beyonce so i don't know about

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you but for me

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and many other women around the world we

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see ourselves and our potential

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reflected in beyonce's content so for

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example when she says things like

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who run the world girls we see our

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potential reflected in that

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so this is really the common denominator

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of a lot of pop culture that we

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gravitate towards

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and i decided to call this phenomenon

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enchantment

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and i called it enchantment because guy

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kawasaki the former marketing director

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of apple

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describes enchantment as the process by

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which you

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delight someone with a concept an idea

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a personality or a thing and it dawned

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on me that that's really what we're

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trying to get at we're really trying to

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become

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enchanted by one another to be full of

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wonder when we encounter one another

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and this is really the step the key to

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learning how to love ourselves

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and to love one another in the process

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so after i wrote this thesis

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at the wall street journal i worked for

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a non-profit for two years

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lectured on it refined it in colleges

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across the united states

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and around the world and came up with a

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whole system

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for teaching this now there are three

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principles

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that are really the guideposts for the

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theory of enchantment

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and it's important to understand them

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because i think that they will be useful

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in helping us heal our nation in this

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moment that we're dealing with racism

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and police brutality and really needing

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to advance towards social justice and

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social change

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so the three principles are very simple

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and they are as follows

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number one treat people like human

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beings

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not like political abstractions number

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two

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if you want to criticize criticize to

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uplift and empower

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never to tear down never to destroy and

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number three

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try to root everything you do in love

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and compassion

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now you can imagine even if we as a

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nation were to implement the first

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principle to try to live

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out that practice in our everyday lives

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we would

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come so far but we're not doing that at

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the moment at the moment we are

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prejudging people and treating people

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not like human beings

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but instead like abstractions we're

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caricaturing one another

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we're stereotyping and reducing one

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another and in the process we're

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stereotyping

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and reducing ourselves so i think that

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if we were

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able to internalize and implement all

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three principles

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of the theory of enchantment we could

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foster better conversations

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that can help heal our nation and help

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us move forward

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thanks so much

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thank you so much for that chloe um

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let's dig in

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and uh talk about an example so

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as you said you use pop culture as a way

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to connect to your audience with your

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principles but it's there's a larger

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message as you said

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within those references um can you sort

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of

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share a thread with us from a movie like

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moana or a kendrick lamar lyric

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and link that to you know how we resolve

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conflict

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sure absolutely so i teach both kendrick

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lamar

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and moana in the theory of enchantment

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uh course

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i teach kendrick lamar in the context of

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really

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teaching people the first principle

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treat people like human beings not like

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political abstractions

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and the first question that comes to the

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to the front of that

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of that principle is well what does it

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actually mean to be a human being

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and one of the things that i teach is

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that well to be a human being is to be

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imperfect and complex and multifaceted

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and multi-dimensional

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and in kendrick lamar's song dna he says

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i got power poison pain and joy inside

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my dna

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and when he says that he's really

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articulating a capacity to be self-aware

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to understand that he's capable of

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producing good

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and of produce and of producing harm he

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understands that he's capable of both of

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these things as a human being

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so i use that song and that lyric

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specifically to introduce students

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to this concept of the complexity of the

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human condition

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when it comes to moana i think that

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moana is the best

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uh contemporary disney movie ever made

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and what's brilliant about moana is that

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it's actually incredibly restorative

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moana is all about a young warrior

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princess

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who lives on this island who's dying and

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the reason why the island is dying is

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because it used to be ruled over by a

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good goddess named te fiti

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and then her heart was taken from her

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and then it was replaced by an evil

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rageful goddess named taka

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and i'm going to give it away but i

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think we're we're at that point uh

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right now but um the aha moment that

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moana has

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in the end is that te fiti and taka are

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actually the same being

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and once the heart was removed from te

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fiti she descended into rage

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and became taka which again as i said

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earlier every disney movie is a motif

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for the human condition

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i mean this is reflective of how we are

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as a species

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if you remove love if you remove nurture

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from us we tend to descend

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into rage so really that film um i think

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teaches

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both the first principle remember that

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we are human beings and capable of

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love and rage but also the third

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principle the importance of rooting

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everything we do in love and compassion

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so that we can restore

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each other and ourselves to our higher

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selves

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it makes so much sense to to use these

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examples to recognize value in ourselves

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and

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others but how do you see it fitting in

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with dismantling

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structural and systemic issues

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so i don't think that one can really

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tackle systemic issues

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without centering the individual without

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understanding that the individual has to

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first

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be able to love themselves right and it

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takes a lot to teach a person to love

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themselves it's not something that's

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necessarily

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uh true for a lot of people we deal with

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emotional baggage we deal with

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insecurities

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this is true of every human being and we

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don't have the skill set

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to love ourselves we're not going to be

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able to love each other

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if we don't have the skill set to

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develop a sense of inner contentment

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and a sense of self-worth then what

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we're going to end up doing is we're

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going to project

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that insecurity onto other people and

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then the

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systemic inequality that we're seeing

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today

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will continue to exist so in order to

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change that in a long-term

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fashion and in a sustainable way we have

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to first renew ourselves and make sure

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that we're healthy

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and we come into the place in society in

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a healthy way

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it seems hard to value another person

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who has tried to suppress you

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um at a larger level how do you think

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about that

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so that's a great question and i teach a

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lot of uh

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influential and inspiring work from

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individuals who

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have been hosted in the ted community

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folks like daryl davis for example who

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has

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successfully i mean talk about treating

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people who treat you badly with grace

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um daryl davis is someone whose claim to

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fame in addition to being a famous

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musician

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he actually has gotten hundreds of

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former kkk members to leave the kkk to

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give up their roads in the process

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and he did this simply by showing um

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grace and empathy to these individuals

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and showing them where they were wrong

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of course but not treating them like

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they were less than

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and not treating them like they were

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abstractions but still treating them

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as human beings and we saw that he was

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able to change

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the lives of these individuals in the

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process and i asked him once you know

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did you not get insulted or offended

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when these guys were saying really

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insulting things

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to you when you were speaking to them

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and he said to me something i'll never

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forget he said

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well actually what i thought to myself

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was what does that have to do with me

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i know who i am i know that my

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self-worth

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i understand what they're saying is

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absolutely absurd

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so i was able to de-personalize it and

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not take it personally and as a result

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it didn't bother me and i thought to

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myself yeah well that takes a very

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strong composition and a strong sense of

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character to be able to do that

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and that's really what i'm trying to

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help teach like how can we develop that

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strong sense of character

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so that when someone comes at us in an

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insulting way

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we can de-personalize it and still meet

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them with grace and with love

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um one of the things you've critiqued in

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the current anti-racism discussions is

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the idea

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of white fragility you feel it can be

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harmful to our progress

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why do you think that why do you feel

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that way sure so i think that the

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concept of white fragility

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basically breaks the first rule of the

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principle of the theory of enchantment

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it treats

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white people as though they were a

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monolithic being or entity

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um it treats white people sort of like a

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conglomerate instead of treating white

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people as people as complex

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individuals who are multifaceted um and

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if we treat any human being or any group

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of people

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as though they were a conglomerate we

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run the risk of stereotyping them

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reducing them

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in our words and in our actions and

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turning them into an abstraction

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and that's not going to be very helpful

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or sustainable

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for the long run we have to treat each

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other like family we have to treat each

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other like brothers and sisters

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and only by doing that will we be able

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to create what dr king called the

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beloved community

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um and have compassion for ourselves and

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for each other even as we're trying to

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you know advance reconciliation

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and correct some of the things that

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we're seeing that have been unjust in

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our society

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well speaking of community let's take a

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couple of questions from our community

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sure thing um

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so you believe that privilege exists for

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individuals in different ways but

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isn't society waiting privilege for some

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more than others in in kind of an

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overwhelming way

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i would say yes in general but the way i

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think of privilege is actually

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i think far more multifaceted in the way

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we sort of discuss it in our

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in our common lingo i think that at all

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times there are an existing number of

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infinite privileges that people carry

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with them so

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for example a white person may not be

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followed in a store

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right where as i may be followed in a

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store prejudged because of my skin color

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that's an example of what we call white

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privilege

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but at the same time another white

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person might come

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from a single parent family who may have

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experienced

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uh abuse in the family and maybe

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treated a certain way in society as a

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result of that whereas i come from a

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two-parent family a healthy family

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and i may be treated differently as a

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result of that so there are always at

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all times a different number of

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privileges that we bring to the

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forefront of the

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social spaces that we enter and so the

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question

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is very simply how do we treat each

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other equally at all times

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and actually i think more importantly

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how do we treat

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all of us with compassion and with love

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despite

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the privileges or lack thereof that we

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bring into society

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okay we're gonna take one more question

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from the community

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from jediah i really love these

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principles

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but i'm hoping to hear about bad actors

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aka villains if i understand this

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framework properly

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what happens if and when people reject

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these principles

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yeah that's a great question um and i do

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think that when people

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reject these principles they do sort of

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become bad actors and they do sort of

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become

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villains one of the things that i teach

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in the course which i

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alluded to earlier is disney um and one

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of the things we study when

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studying the disney pantheon is some of

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the villains so we study ursula for

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example

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from the little mermaid and we study a

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couple others

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a lot so bear from the toy story 3 for

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example and there's a common denominator

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amongst many of these villains

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especially for ursula in the little

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mermaid

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through the song poor unfortunate souls

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so if you study that song

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poor unfortunate souls you'll discover

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is actually a textbook example

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of how people villains tend to exploit

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the insecurities

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of folks in order to sort of get them to

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do their bidding that's what the song

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poor unfortunate souls

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is all about and i think that if you

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don't practice these principles and if

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you don't understand

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the importance of loving yourself and

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loving others you're

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more prone to descend into rage and to

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ma

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into madness and become that bad actor

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and to treat people

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unfairly unkindly and as a result that

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will of course contribute

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to a lot of the systemic injustice that

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we're seeing today

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thank you i'm gonna ask one more

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question and then we're gonna hand it

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off to whitney and sandy

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um what makes you oh we have sorry okay

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uh um i'm not sure if we wanna

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anyways okay uh back to us uh what makes

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you feel hopeful right now

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well i think that's i think we're seeing

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the

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one of the most diverse coalitions right

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now

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outside in the streets protesting for

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racial justice

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um you know we're seeing people of all

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colors and from all socioeconomic

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backgrounds and even across the

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political spectrum

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um i certainly can say that for here in

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brooklyn where i am

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um and that's something i've never seen

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before that's not something i've never

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really read of in american history and i

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think it is a testament to

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the just you know notion of this moment

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that just idea that is really

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moving this moment and pushing this

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moment forward

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um and i hope that it's sustained and i

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hope that it keeps going

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and again i'm also really excited that

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it's uh a lot of millennials i'm a

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millennial

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um at the forefront of this movement i'm

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encouraged by seeing my generation step

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up and really try to advance social

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justice

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