Ferguson activist DeRay Mckesson was in the driver’s seat when he appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earlier this week.
Mckesson, who has gained popularity through his work with the Black Lives Matter movement, sat down to engage in a frank and honest convo about race, police brutality and privilege with Colbert.
“I think that people are uncomfortable talking about the racist history in this country and what we need to do to undo the impact of racism,” Mckesson said. “People would just like to act like we don’t have a legacy of racism here, so I think people get really uncomfortable with it. But we know we can’t change it unless we address it.”
At one point during the segment, Colbert inquires about how he can check his undeniable White privilege and offers to switch seats with Mckesson so that the activist can teach him a thing or two.
“You have a lot of privilege,” Mckesson states. “You have a show, you have money, a lot of access. You know, it’s about role, it’s about access and what you can do is extend that privilege so that you can dismantle it. You can create opportunity for people, you can amplify issues in a way that other people can’t, and you can use your resources to create space for people.”
Check out the entire segment above. Do you agree with Mckesson’s advice on how White Americans can “check their privilege”?