0:00:14.500,0:00:16.970
My father's conversation[br]with me was daily.

0:00:16.970,0:00:22.780
My grandfather talked to me as [br]a black man from Augusta, Georgia,

0:00:22.820,0:00:24.050
growing up[br]in the deep south.

0:00:24.050,0:00:25.490
It's probably right[br]my older brother

0:00:25.490,0:00:26.620
had this conversation

0:00:26.620,0:00:28.260
but then it's more[br]of like...

0:00:28.980,0:00:30.540
you know...

0:00:30.540,0:00:32.780
wear a condom, do this--

0:00:32.780,0:00:35.360
you know, it's like[br]little man lessons.

0:00:35.360,0:00:36.920
When a cop[br]pulls you over.

0:00:36.920,0:00:38.760
When you get pulled over,

0:00:38.760,0:00:40.630
not if[br]you get pulled over.

0:00:40.630,0:00:43.130
At some point you[br]will get pulled over.

0:00:43.130,0:00:44.910
And here is how you act.

0:00:44.910,0:00:46.670
As a young black man

0:00:46.670,0:00:47.850
growing up in New York

0:00:47.850,0:00:49.660
I've had, you know,

0:00:49.660,0:00:51.160
a few run-ins with the police

0:00:51.160,0:00:52.600
and being completely innocent.

0:00:52.600,0:00:54.390
Some people pull us out of the car,

0:00:54.390,0:00:56.130
throw us on the floor, it's in February,

0:00:56.130,0:00:57.190
so it's snow

0:00:57.190,0:00:58.750
and slush and stuff on the ground.

0:00:59.420,0:01:00.680
Put their knees on our back,

0:01:00.680,0:01:01.830
put their guns to our head.

0:01:01.830,0:01:03.110
As I'm putting my hands

0:01:03.110,0:01:04.450
on the steering wheel,

0:01:04.450,0:01:09.360
so I don't make the police nervous,

0:01:09.360,0:01:11.420
I realize how nervous I was.

0:01:11.920,0:01:14.510
and then I realize my[br]children were nervous.

0:01:14.510,0:01:16.690
The thing that people say is

0:01:16.690,0:01:17.790
you have to talk to him

0:01:17.790,0:01:20.360
before he

0:01:20.360,0:01:23.180
experience racism himself.

0:01:23.180,0:01:24.360
But when is that?

0:01:24.360,0:01:26.420
He is going to turn into

0:01:26.420,0:01:28.860
a large scary black man.

0:01:29.920,0:01:32.690
And that is not who he is

0:01:32.690,0:01:34.570
but that's how he will be perceived.

0:01:34.570,0:01:36.360
And I know what this kid is going to

0:01:36.360,0:01:37.210
he's going to look like him.

0:01:37.210,0:01:40.100
You know, I know what[br]he is going to look like.

0:01:40.100,0:01:41.610
I'm a large scary[br]black man?

0:01:41.610,0:01:44.270
You are a large[br]scary black man, okay?

0:01:44.270,0:01:46.250
That's a problem in and of itself.

0:01:46.250,0:01:48.400
I am not large. Nor scary.

0:01:48.400,0:01:50.210
I can't do anything[br]with that.

0:01:50.210,0:01:52.250
I'm sure, anyway, go ahead.

0:01:52.250,0:01:54.880
It's frightening.

0:01:54.880,0:01:56.640
And I'm being very light

0:01:56.640,0:01:57.980
when I use the word frightening.

0:01:57.980,0:01:59.660
If something goes wrong

0:01:59.660,0:02:01.910
your first line[br]of defense,

0:02:02.530,0:02:03.600
you know, the parents

0:02:03.600,0:02:05.820
not being there, is[br]to go to the police.

0:02:05.820,0:02:07.090
If you're Caucasian.

0:02:07.630,0:02:09.900
That's what you[br]teach your children.

0:02:09.900,0:02:12.090
Unfortunately it can't[br]work for black children.

0:02:12.090,0:02:13.470
It doesn't mean[br]that every

0:02:13.470,0:02:16.940
police officer is[br]inherently a bad person.

0:02:16.940,0:02:18.090
But what it does mean is

0:02:18.090,0:02:21.810
that the police force,[br]that institution,

0:02:21.810,0:02:25.490
does not look out[br]for your best interest.

0:02:25.490,0:02:30.270
There's this unspoken code[br]of racism

0:02:30.270,0:02:31.670
and white supremacy

0:02:31.670,0:02:35.330
that says that my life[br]does not matter.

0:02:35.330,0:02:36.750
You can put your hands up

0:02:36.750,0:02:38.650
and cooperate

0:02:38.650,0:02:40.760
and say that I'm choking[br]and still be killed

0:02:40.760,0:02:41.970
and then there is[br]no repercussions.

0:02:41.970,0:02:43.910
It's maddening.[br]I get so frustrated

0:02:43.910,0:02:45.090
and angry

0:02:45.090,0:02:49.830
about having[br]to prepare my kids

0:02:49.830,0:02:53.100
for something that

0:02:54.630,0:02:56.210
that they're[br]not responsible for.

0:02:56.210,0:02:58.470
I mean these are[br]conversations that

0:02:58.470,0:02:59.800
people of other races[br]do not

0:02:59.800,0:03:01.210
have to have[br]with their children.

0:03:01.210,0:03:02.940
The conversation with[br]him was really just:

0:03:02.940,0:03:04.320
"Look,

0:03:04.320,0:03:06.350
you are a beautiful young boy..."

0:03:06.350,0:03:08.250
Being an African American

0:03:08.790,0:03:09.900
is a wonderful thing,

0:03:09.900,0:03:11.180
it's a wonderful blessing.

0:03:11.180,0:03:13.300
You have come[br]from great people.

0:03:13.890,0:03:15.480
But it's also a hard thing.

0:03:15.480,0:03:16.730
In America

0:03:17.580,0:03:19.500
because of your skin color

0:03:19.500,0:03:20.780
as a black boy

0:03:20.780,0:03:22.150
and as a black man

0:03:22.910,0:03:24.260
we are going to be dealing

0:03:24.260,0:03:25.420
with a lot of danger.

0:03:25.420,0:03:27.800
Under no circumstance

0:03:27.800,0:03:30.820
are you to talk[br]to the police

0:03:30.820,0:03:33.670
if you're arrested[br]until I get there.

0:03:33.670,0:03:35.350
Do what they say.

0:03:35.350,0:03:36.830
Don't get into any arguments.

0:03:36.830,0:03:37.810
Make sure your hands are out

0:03:37.810,0:03:39.640
of your pockets[br]so they can see.

0:03:39.640,0:03:41.370
These are the questions[br]you can ask.

0:03:41.370,0:03:42.930
This is who to call.

0:03:42.930,0:03:44.600
This is what happens

0:03:44.600,0:03:46.600
if this bad thing is done.

0:03:46.600,0:03:48.800
"Please master[br]don't whip me" No!

0:03:48.800,0:03:50.180
It like: "Excuse me sir,

0:03:50.180,0:03:51.310
what is your batch[br]number?

0:03:51.310,0:03:52.430
I'm going to film this."

0:03:52.430,0:03:54.690
If you want police[br]brutality to stop.

0:03:54.690,0:03:56.470
If you want police

0:03:56.470,0:03:58.450
to treat you like a human being

0:03:58.450,0:04:00.950
you have to see yourself[br]as a human being.

0:04:00.950,0:04:02.630
You have every right[br]in this world

0:04:02.630,0:04:04.100
that anyone else does.

0:04:04.100,0:04:09.260
What I love about you[br]as my son

0:04:09.260,0:04:12.360
is I remember

0:04:13.230,0:04:16.200
when we thought[br]about having you

0:04:16.200,0:04:18.700
and, you know, knowing[br]that we wanted you.

0:04:19.480,0:04:21.089
And watching you grow.

0:04:21.089,0:04:22.630
You are Muhammad Ali,

0:04:22.630,0:04:23.940
you are Malcolm X,

0:04:23.940,0:04:25.520
you are Martin Luther[br]King.

0:04:25.520,0:04:28.030
You are an amazing[br]young man

0:04:28.030,0:04:29.750
and the future is yours.

0:04:29.750,0:04:32.350
and I will do my best[br]to make sure you're safe.

0:04:34.350,0:04:37.520
That's it.[br]I love you.