Visit http://TED.com to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more. To understand and eradicate racist thinking, start at the beginning. That's what journalist and documentarian John Biewen did, leading to a trove of surprising and thought-provoking information on the "origins" of race. He shares his findings, supplying answers to fundamental questions about racism -- and lays out an exemplary path for practicing effective allyship. The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You're welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know. Follow TED on Twitter: http://twitter.com/TEDTalks Like TED on Facebook: http://facebook.com/TED Subscribe to our channel: http://youtube.com/TED TED's videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy https://www.ted.com/about/our-organization/our-policies-terms/ted-talks-usage-policy. For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at https://media-requests.ted.com
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When I took American History in college, it was the first time I had a black teacher teach me history. He taught us things that I never learned in highschool. He also taught us that racism continued to be perpetrated by those in power and with money, not because they necessarily believed in white superiority but because it kept the lower classes from trying to improve their situation by demanding things like better pay by causing a divide between them over one race taking the jobs away from another race. Everytime I have tried to repeat this to others they told me I was stupid and that money had nothing to do with racism. I believe if we follow the money and political practices for power, we will see it does.
"racism did not start with a misunderstanding, it started with a lie"!! Truer words were never spoken 👌
My family has known that ‘follow the money’ is the best way to find the origins of evil for generations. It doesn’t surprise me that racism is one of those evils.
I'm African -American, and this is the most real conversation I've heard yet. Well done!
"If you can convinced the lowest white man that he is better than the best colored man, he won't even notice your're picking his pocket." "In fact give him someone to look down on and he'll gladly give you his money." Lyndon B. Johnson-
"The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." George Orwell. God bless you and your family you're a realest.
This speaker articulates very well how damaging and destructive lies can be.
“ don’t be angry with the truth that makes you uncomfortable but rather the lie that made you comfortable “. “ could be worse at least I’m white “ , hit the nail on its head !
“… this power that we did not earn” was the most powerful statement I heard. Thank you, Sir, for your courage and insight. 🗣💯
Watching this in 2025 with the destruction of the advances made by DEI and weeping
It makes me even more sad that racism wasn't even meant to be an ideological thing but a economical one. Why are humans like this?
I greatly appreciate the clear explanation of what racism actually really is from history accountability for change. I have never heard it defined the way you did, a lie that was made up for profit. I wish racism would've been defined and explained like this when I was in middle school and high school.
Beautiful that for once we having a real conversation about the cause of racism and not primarily focusing on the effects which have lead to no actual change. This is how one can truly understand that racism was a lie and exposing this will lead to real change. Sadly the people in power want to stay in power so systematic racism shall continue to prevail however as they say change starts within and this talk shines the light.Please do share with more people
"It is not your fault that the world is the way it is, it would only be your fault if it stays that way" "Es ist nicht deine schuld, dass die Welt ist wie sie ist, Es wär nur deine Schuld, wenn sie so bleibt" Die Ärtzte - deine Schuld (german punk band)
I usually don't listen to these types of programs as I find them "uncomfortable", but I am slowly learning I need to be uncomfortable to change. Thank you.
“…History isn’t my fault or yours.” I love this man’s statements.
I grew up in a small Virginia town in a white family of five. Both of my parents and my two siblings were racists and bigots. How I dodged that is still a mystery to me, but I have always known that there is only one race - the Human race. No one taught me that. Not my parents. Not my siblings. Not my southern school teachers. Not our preacher. So how did I know it? It still baffles me. I love all the people on this planet, regardless of the color of their skin, their culture, their sexual orientation, their religion or lack thereof, or their political views. I love them because they are all my sisters and brothers. Until we all realize that we are one Human family, nothing will ever change.
Come to India to see all sorts of discrimination, with their extensive applications. In here, children are deliberately trained to resort to discriminatory behavior at their homes.
As a white woman (raised largely the same as the man in the video), I’ve grown to realize I AM racist. I don’t want to be. I try not to be. I am appalled at blatant and thinly veiled racism, But, the culture and society I grew up in, has it systematically built in. There are things I do, and privileges I enjoy - without even realizing it. THAT racism is deadly. It’s quiet, and allows us to go around crowing like we are equals, when we clearly are not being treated as such. Too many of us stop fighting racism at the low hanging fruit. It’s important that we listen to the experiences of others, and not dismiss it just because it isn’t OUR experience. We all have so much to learn ❤
As a south Asian, I have grown up and taught to never speak out about it especially if it’s happening to us. Recently I have started to question that.