theGrio Daily, Michael Harriot

"Black people are the roots of American style comedy." As comedy month at theGrio comes to a close, Michael Harriot explains the history of comedy and the roles enslaved people played in making it what it is today. The Greeks are credited with creating the art form, but their version of humor is not what we enjoy today. Instead, that style was developed by enslaved people who used laughter to cope with their oppression.

"When someone asks you why Black people don't talk about Black-on-Black crime, it's because we're doing something about it." Michael Harriot debunks several myths often used against Black people to prove a point even though none of them are rooted in fact. Things like "Black on Black crime," or the assumption that Black people don't value education or refuse to comply with police. 

"If you're just more racist out loud without hiding it, you can gain a more loyal group of supporters." With the election of former President Donald Trump came the death of the racist dog whistle, meaning being racist behind closed doors is no longer the norm. Instead, politicians and white nationalists now take pride in sharing their racist ideologies in public

"Most churches didn't split because of ideological or theological reasons; they split because of racial reasons." The history of religion and its relationship with race is examined. Michael Harriot explains that nine out of America's ten largest Protestant denominations split because of conflicting views regarding race and slavery. 

"We live in a country where slavery is still legal. Every American is a slave catcher." Michael Harriot takes a deep dive into the fugitive slave clause in the U.S. Constitution that instructed white Americans to become slave catchers whether they owned slaves or not.

"Nobody wants policing to work correctly more than Black people." Data has proven time and time again that America's policing system is broken, but Michael Harriot believes the blame doesn't fall on individual officers. Instead, he explains that until racism, education, and economic disparities are dealt with, police can't successfully stop or solve crime fairly.

"Not all heroes wear capes." Daryl Atkinson has been crowned the winner of theGrio's inaugural Heroes Initiative meant to highlight everyday leaders who support, uplift and move Black communities forward. The attorney and activist from North Carolina has dedicated his life to legal advocacy, fair public policy, and inmate rights. Atkinson joins Michael Harriot to discuss some of the biggest hurdles facing his non-profit organization Forward Justice and highlight their recent legal wins. The pair also share statistics about the disparities plaguing the American justice system and discuss what the public can do to help.

"If you say what Black people need to do is just focus on crime, who do they think we are, Batman?" Michael Harriot explains why it's ignorant and racist to blame Black people for the violence in their communities and not keep that same energy when other demographics commit the same crimes. He explains that there are several issues like education, policing, and equal pay that have to be addressed by white America before real change can be achieved. 

"If you really want to learn about white history, you have to start with the history of slavery." As America celebrates it's independence, Michael Harriot shares a history lesson that is left out of the July 4th discussion. He details how slavery was used to make the United States an economic superpower and explains why enslaving Africans was different from any form of slavery we've seen in history. Original airdate: 12/7/22

"The idea of a colorblind society or what they call race neutral society ignores the whole history of this country." Michael Harriot welcomes educator and fellow podcast host at theGrio Black Podcast Network, Dr. Christina Greer to discuss "race neutral" admissions following The Supreme Court's decision to effectively outlaw affirmative action. The pair agree the concept of race neutrality is absurd and not realistic and claim that Asian Americans are being used as pawns by conservative Americans. They also discuss the importance of diverse classrooms and point out that eliminating policies meant to level the playing field is rooted in white supremacy.