Bakari Sellers - "Who Are Your People?"

to you fair enough, you know what I mean. It feels then it feels like I'm recycling. So I was trying to think of another thing I noticed about you that wasn't looks related. Um, welcome to the show. I'm glad to be here. You've You've lived a really interesting life, you know, because there was a moment in your career where people genuinely thought you were going to be one of the next new faces of the Democratic Party in

this country. You know, you served for I think it was eight years in the state legislature and people were just like, oh, this guy's going all the way. We see what he's doing. You know, he's from a civil rights family. He's really in tuneing what's happening. And then you were like, no, I'm done with this. What happened? I don't know if it was, I'm done with it.

But I think that having an opportunity right now to be a father and be a husband I've realized are my two most important jobs, and then being able to utilize my platform to lift people up and write books. Now this is my second book. It's my second opportunity to be on the New York Times bestseller's list. Um, There's just so much that I can do. And when that opportunity presents itself, Um, you know, when Jim Claiburn retires, maybe will I get back in that political scrum? Maybe?

But I mean, Trevor, would you want to go to Congress and serve and have less seniority than Marjorie Taylor Green or Matt Gates or Madison Cawthorne, Like, this is not an appetizing thing when you think about the American political system we have today. So I think I may get back out there, but right now, I just want to take care of my kids and my wife. Let's

talk about the book, Who Are Your People? Wonderful title, that could be um interpreted is the wrong way, you know, because because because in America at least, it's very uncomfortable when people say, like, where are you from? Who are your people? Can people have used it as you know, as you know down South as a colloquial is them that when you meet people for the first time, like when I met my my daughter's boyfriend s sixteen, you're like,

who are your people? Because you get to know you want to know where their family is from, um, where they what type of stock they come from? And so who are your people is is just trying to get people to understand where you come from. And I wrote this book because I wanted personally, I was sick and tired of my twins having to see purple people are

blue people on TV. I wanted them to be able to see people that look like them, like the movie and Conto for example, and and and in this book, they're able to see them and their people and have a sense of pride. And I think when young black and brown kids read it, they'll get a sense of pride. When white kids read it, they'll get a sense of empathy.

And to your point earlier in the conversation, we live in a country where we have an empathy deficit, where people no longer care about the struggles and plight of others. And maybe this is some utopia that I'm living in or youth when I even say, but I firmly believe there's more that brings us together than divides us. But we have to embrace those differences in the book. You you know, when they said, okay, but Car's coming on with the book, I was like, okay, right, I love

his previous pictures for you. And then they were like, there's pictures. And I was like, oh, it's a kid's book. And then I and then I started reading through it and then I was like, wow, it's a kid's book. But I mean there's parts of the book where you know, black people are sitting at like the lunch counter and they're just getting shout to that in the science that say no negroes. Except I was like, wow, this is one hell of a children's book. And then I started thinking.

I was like two things. One, I was like, you know some people who won't be like, oh, man, is this what you want to teach kids? And the other people might go, h you know, this book is gonna get banned in a bunch of places soon. Right. Well, that image that you're talking about is is one of my two favorite images. It's it's actually a real image from February one, nineteen sixty at the World Worce lunch counter, where students from North Carolina anti state universities kicked off

the sit in movement. And I wanted to have that history and that those lessons in the book, and maybe if you're an adult reading it, it refreshes your memory, you can teach more about it. But yeah, I mean people are they're banning Michelle Obama's books in Texas right now. I mean, you know, people are talking about this book, a picture book being critical race theory. It's absolutely not to coreace theory, but it is getting caught up in all of this this utter anti intellectual bs is the

best way that I can phrase it. Because what's wrong with kids learning about who they are? What's wrong with kids learning about where other kids came from and being proud of that. I don't see anything wrong and it and hopefully it teaches a new generation to dream. It feels like it comes out at a at a perfect time as well, not just because of what's happening in

the conversation around books. But because of Black History Months, you know, Black History Month is is one of the most interesting times to observe, especially when you come from outside of America, you know, because where I'm from, it's always Black History Month. You know, I want to come there. You're welcome. Welcome. Every day's Black History Month used to be. It needs to be your your slogan. You need to

work on that. And it really is an interesting interesting thing to understand as somebody who has worked with some of the most devastated families in this country, as they've dealt with civil rights abuses, as they've dealt with hate crimes. You know, what do you think Black History should be about? I think we need to understand when Carter G. Woodson found it Negro History Week and Shows February. He did it because of the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass,

two of his heroes at the time. And that's how we ended up in Black in February for Black History, Negro History Week, and Black History Month. For me, it's about the richness of a culture, the perseverance and overcoming you're talking about slavery, and oppression four hundred years Jim Crow. My father literally went to segregated schools. My mother was a part of the herd desegregating class in high school.

This isn't generations ago. We're talking about pain, but we're also talking about the triumph of overcoming and so there's a lot to be proud of. But if people don't recognize that pain, then they can never understand the struggle of what it is to be black in America. There seems to be um a paradox for some people in understanding the the duality of being black. You know, like some people think black people can only exist in the state of pain and suffering. Those people just, oh, I'm

so sorry that you're black. It must be so hard all the time. And then there are some people who exist almost in a state of being like, oh, get over, nothing happened. And I always trying to experence people. I go, like, no, it's about understanding all of them, the who, the whole person, and and like, you know that, I think the most perverse phrase we have in politics right now. And I hate when people teach young people to be color blind.

I don't want you to be color blind. I mean, I want you to be able to see the richness of my culture, everything I bring. I want you to see the fact that, yes, I've cried tears when Trayvon Martin was killed, or or when George Floyd was murdered, but I've also recognized that we have a great history of overcoming in this country. And a lot of people disagree me, disagree with me on this premise, but I

fundamentally don't think there's anything irredeemable about this country. I fundamentally believe we have to reimagine what she looks like to being more inclusive America than includes all of us. But what's interesting is how many times black people fought for their progress in the treat because of the rules that it had written for nothing that you know what I mean, It's it's an interesting paradox. It's a bounced check.

And I think King said it best. I mean, it's a someone wrote down a promise to give people this and then it bounced. They knew it was insufficient funds, and so here we are, we're trying to we're trying to reclaim what you promised us in that check. And so what you're saying is you're hopeful. You believe that there's a chance that America could be able to pay

the amount on that check. I believe so. I believe America right now is an unfulfilled, broken promise to so many people, whether or not your Muslim, immigrants, gay black woman in this country. It's a It is a bounced check and an unfulfilled promise. However, I still have faith in tomorrow. Wow, look at that. I can run for office with that. You should, man, I still have faith intomorrow. But car Sellers, I stillft faith in tomorrow. South Africa,

every day is black history. You know what I'm talking about. I love if this. We're running campaigns right here, marketing you let me know when you're going back into politics, and I will be right behind. And you're not following you, but just cheering you. Appreciate you. Who are your People? Is available wherever books are sold. What's the Daily Show weeknights at eleven tenth Central or on Comedy Central and

stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central podcast