TED Talks Daily (#6) Elise’s Top Ten: Racism has a cost for everyone | Heather C. McGhee
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Sep 20, 2025 AI Snips
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Viral Call Changed Both Perspectives
- Heather McGhee recounts a viral 2016 live TV call where a white man admitted his prejudice and asked how to change.
- Their subsequent friendship taught McGhee that prejudice also causes suffering for the prejudiced person.
Racism Destroys Shared Public Goods
- McGhee shows how racism destroys shared public goods, using Montgomery's drained Oak Park Pool as an example.
- Communities closed parks and pools rather than integrate, which degraded public amenities for everyone.
Toxic Mortgages Targeted Minority Neighborhoods
- McGhee tells the story of homeowners like Glenn who were sold toxic mortgages targeted at black and brown communities.
- Those predatory loans spread into the wider market and helped trigger the 2008 financial crisis that cost trillions.