Repackaged Racism

You may notice, this episode has a more somber tone. Please take the time to listen to this episode all the way through. In particular, I (Chris) highly recommend you listen to Andre speak around the (01:23:00) mark in this show. I think it really sums up a lot of things for us and this episode.

NOTE: This episode was recorded on June 2, 2020, which means Chris has officially caught up on episodes!! (P.S. Sorry for the lack of topic changes, it just didn’t feel appropriate this week).

(00:00:24) Intros - The guys can’t believe we’ve already reached out twentieth episode of this podcast! Andre takes a moment to give Chris a shoutout for his podcast editing, Chris talks about how he fell asleep editing the last episode and how he’s finally getting caught up on episodes.

(00:06:25) Life - Chris and Andre both take time to their thoughts on the aftermath of the George Floyd murder. Andre has deleted his social media profiles, Chris is disgusted by people leveraging this as a marketing opportunity, Andre points out that the term “white privilege” is really just a P.C. term for racism and says social media can play a vital role in shedding light on social issues.

(00:18:18) Social Media - Chris is tired of the “Social Media Warriors” who jump on social bandwagons, Andre doesn’t believe the public diversity statements being made, says what’s happening right now in our country is different than anything that’s happened before, and wants effective change that levels the playing field, the guys discuss the potential for building our own private social networks.

(00:31:05) Shoutout to BSI Podcast! Follow them @BSIpodcast on Twitter and be sure to give them a listen. #werockwiththis

(00:31:33) Politics - Surprise, surprise! The guys are talking politics, starting with Donald Trump’s abhorrent behavior cementing his legacy, including using a church and the Bible as a weapon, Andre shares stories from his past around racism in the south and warns of the problems that could arise should the upcoming trial go wrong. The guys discuss the deafening silence coming from the majority of Congress and the disconnect that exists between them and their constituents, chat about the swing voters impact in 2020, Donald Trump’s repeated attempts to overstep his authority with little-to-no pushback from Congress.

(01:04:24) Pop Culture - Andre longs for the days of local print newspapers, the guys talk about the lack of real journalism these days, Andre calls for more boycotts of companies that don’t follow-through on their diversity pledges and says Nike hedged their bets years ago with the Colin Kaepernick deal, Andre highlights two personal examples of blatant racism in corporate culture but cautions against focusing on the symptoms.

(01:17:49) The Train! - A train momentarily derails (wink! wink!) the conversation.

(01:21:15) Update from the Guys - Andre and Chris give their opinions on the value conversations like this can have on the larger picture and how having respect for each other is key.

(01:23:00) Andre Powell - If nothing else, please, please listen to this part of the episode: Andre shares his take on what is happening right now and how it feels different than before, then outlines the three things he believes we need to do to make an actual change in this country. Seriously, this is worth a listen and a register.

(01:32:26) Social Media - The guys get back on the social media rant, this time focusing on marketers and influencers selling their philosophy, talk about the “woke” folks not getting it, slam platforms for marketing unity but selling information, Andre explains how a “cookie” works, the guys talk about the term “people of color,” Andre says he hates saying “white people” and explains why.

(01:43:23) That’s a wrap! - The guys are recording again today, so expect a new episode soon (assuming Chris doesn’t relax now that he’s finally caught up!).