I don’t completely agree with Lavar’s phrasing of “because we live in America.” Go to any country where you’re the minority race and you’re going to experience that kind of prejudice. In Japan if you didn’t look Asian and you owned a bike you had to carry your proof of ownership on you at all times because “only foreigners steal bikes” was the cop’s mentality. I got stared at a lot (not in a friendly way) because I was a tall white girl. But that’s not all Japanese showing me prejudice, that’s a few individuals showing me prejudice.
What Lavar says may be a prevailing mentality of the South (haven’t lived there, so I can’t say either way) but most of us Western peeps could give a crud what color your skin is. The environment I was raised in was to judge people individually, not as groups. I’ve met good and bad people of all colors.
I don’t like how Levar and the others (including the ‘white’ guest) lumps race together as groups and refuses to see individuals. White people this. Black people that. How about Levar this, Don that, etc.?
You make some good points. I too think we should judge the individual. However, I’ve definitely seen a lot of racism both in Chicago were I lived and here in Texas. It does exist unfortunately. I think it has a lot to do with power, what people think they should have versus what they think they do have, added to which the power they actually have. Definitely it’s a complicated issue and this video a small segment, a talking point, along the way.
Absurdly Nerdly 
I don’t completely agree with Lavar’s phrasing of “because we live in America.” Go to any country where you’re the minority race and you’re going to experience that kind of prejudice. In Japan if you didn’t look Asian and you owned a bike you had to carry your proof of ownership on you at all times because “only foreigners steal bikes” was the cop’s mentality. I got stared at a lot (not in a friendly way) because I was a tall white girl. But that’s not all Japanese showing me prejudice, that’s a few individuals showing me prejudice.
What Lavar says may be a prevailing mentality of the South (haven’t lived there, so I can’t say either way) but most of us Western peeps could give a crud what color your skin is. The environment I was raised in was to judge people individually, not as groups. I’ve met good and bad people of all colors.
I don’t like how Levar and the others (including the ‘white’ guest) lumps race together as groups and refuses to see individuals. White people this. Black people that. How about Levar this, Don that, etc.?
Okay, rant over, I promise. 😉
You make some good points. I too think we should judge the individual. However, I’ve definitely seen a lot of racism both in Chicago were I lived and here in Texas. It does exist unfortunately. I think it has a lot to do with power, what people think they should have versus what they think they do have, added to which the power they actually have. Definitely it’s a complicated issue and this video a small segment, a talking point, along the way.