The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Bakari Sellers - "Who Are Your People?"

Episode Date: February 25, 2022

Civil rights attorney and CNN commentator Bakari Sellers discusses his culturally conscious children's book "Who Are Your People?" and weighs in on what Black History Month should be about. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. Akari Sellers, welcome to the Daily Show. Thank you for having me. I'm glad to be here in person. Yeah, in person, right? There's a lot of people I'm meeting now for the first time and I go like, I've met you. I've met you.

You look much more handsome in person than virtually. Thank you very much. Thank you. Okay. Fair enough. You know what I mean? It feels, then it feels like I'm recycling. So I was trying to think of another thing I noticed about you that wasn't looks related. Welcome to the show. I'm glad to be here. You, you've, you've lived a really interesting life, you know, because there was a moment in your, thuuu, thu, thu, thu, thu, thu, thinin, thin, thin, thin, the thin, thin, thin, You know, you served for I think it was eight years in the state legislature and people

were just like, oh, this guy's going all the way. We see what he's doing. You know, he's from a civil rights family. He's really in tune of what's happening. And then you're like, no, I've realized are my two most important jobs. And then being able to utilize my platform to lift people up and write books now, this is my second book. It's my second opportunity to be on the New York Times bestsellers list. There's just so much that I can do. And when that opportunity presents itself, you know, when Jim Clyburn retires maybe, well I get back in that political, to to to to, to, to, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, thin, the, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, thi, the, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, th, and th, and th, and thin, thin, and thin, thin, thin, thin, and thin, and thin, and thin, and thin, and thin, and thin, and thin, and thin, and thin, thin, thin, thin, but I mean, Trevor, would you want to go to Congress and serve and have less seniority than Marjorie Taylor

Green or Matt Gates or Madison Cawthorn? Like this is not an appetizing thing when you think about the American political system we have today. So I think I may get back out there, but right now I just want to take care of my kids and my wife. Let's talk about the book. Who are your people? A wonderful title that could be interpreters the wrong way. You know, because in America at least it's very uncomfortable when people say like, where you from? Who are your people?

Because people have used it as, you know. Down South is a colloquialism you want to know where their family is from, what type of stock they come from. And so who are your people is just trying to get people to understand where you come from? And I wrote this book because I wanted, personally, I was sick and to be able to see people that look like them, like the movie in Conto, for example. And in this book, they're able to see them and their people and have a sense of pride. And I think when young black and brown kids read it, they'll get a sense of pride. When white kids read it, they'll get a sense of empathy. And to your point, earlier in the conversation, we live in a country where we have have have have have have have have have have have have have have have have have have have have have have have have have have have have a thape. their, th. th. their, th. their, th. their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, and their, their, their. their, their, their. their. their. their, their. their. their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their their care about the struggles and plight of others. Maybe this is some utopia that I'm living in or youthful

naivete but I firmly believe there's more that brings us together than divides us but we have to embrace those differences. But we have to the book. In the book you know when they said okay. Bacari's coming on with a book. I was like, okay, the book. the book. the book. the book. the book. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. th. thoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. th. th. th. I th. I th. I's is is is th. I's is th. I's is th. I's is th. I's is th. I's is th. I's is th. I's. I's. I's. I's. I's. I's. I's t. I's t. I'm t. I'm t. I'm t. I'm tooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. I'm they were like there's pictures now. I was like oh it's a kids book and then I I started reading through it and then I was like wow it's a kids book but I mean there's parts of the book where you know black people are sitting at like the lunch counter and they're just getting shouted at and the signs that say no negroes except and I was like wow this what you want to teach kids? And the other people might go, you know this book's gonna get banned in a bunch of places soon, right? Well, that image that you're talking about

is one of my two favorite images. It's actually a real image from February 1st, 1st, 1960, at the book and maybe if you're an adult reading it It refreshes your memory you can teach more about it But yeah, I mean people are they're banning Michelle Obama's books in Texas right now I mean, you know people are talking about this book a picture book being critical race theory. It's absolutely not Critical race theory, but is getting caught up in all of this this utter anti-intellectual BS is the best way that I can phrase it? Because what's wrong with kids learning about who they are?

What's wrong with kids learning about where other kids came from and being proud of that? I don't see anything wrong. And hopefully it teaches a new generation to dream. It feels like it comes out at a perfect time as well, not just because of what's happening in the conversation around books, but because of Black History Months, you know. Black History Month is one of the most interesting times to observe, especially when you come from outside of America, you know, because where I'm from, it's always Black History Month, you know. I want to come there.

You're welcome. Every day is Black History Month. It needs to be your slogan. You need to work on that market. It really is an interesting thing to understand as somebody who has worked with some of the most devastated families in this country as they've dealt with civil rights abuses, as they've dealt with hate crimes. You know, what do you think black history should be about? I think we need to understand when Carter G. Woodson found it Negro History Week and chose February, he did it because of the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas, two of his heroes at the time and that's how we ended up in black in February for black history, Negro History Week and black history month. For me it's

about the richness of a culture, the perseverance and overcoming. You're talking about slavery and oppression. Four hundred years, Jim Crow, my father literally went to segregated schools. My mother was a part of her desegregating class in high school. This isn't generations ago. We're talking about pain, but we're also talking about the triumph of overcoming. And so there's a lot to be proud of, but if people don't recognize that pain, then they can never understand the struggle of what it is to be black in America. There seems to be a paradox for some people in understanding the duality of being black. You know, like some people think black people can only exist in a state of pain and suffering.

You know, those people are just, oh, I'm so sorry that you're black. It must be so hard all the time. And the the the the the the the the the the the their their their their their their their, and th, and th, and th. And th. And th. And th. And th. And th. And th. th. th. th. th. th. thi, thi, thi, thiolome. thiolome, thi, thi, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, their, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, th. And, thi. And, thin, thin, thin, thin, th. It's, th. It's thooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. And,'m so sorry that you're black. It must be so hard all the time. And then there are some people who exist almost in a state of being like, oh, get over it, nothing happened. And I always try and explain to people, I go like, no, it's about understanding all of it. The whole person. Right. And like, you know, I the to be able to see the richness of my culture and everything I bring. I want you to see the fact that yes, I've cried

tears when Trayvon Martin was killed or when George Floyd was murdered. But I've also recognized that we have a great history of overcoming in this country. And a lot of people disagree with me on this premise, but I fundamentally don't think there's anything irredeemable about this country. I fundamentally believe we have to reimagine what she looks like to be in more inclusive America that includes all of us. But what's interesting is how many times black people fought for their progress in the country

because of the rules that it had written for not them. It's an interesting paradox. It's it's it's it's a th, it's a th, it's a then, it's a thi. It's a thi, it's a thi, it's a thi, it's a thi, it's a thi, it's a thi, it's a thiolk, it's a thiolk, it's, it's a thiolomea, thiol-a, thiol-a, thoom, thoom, thoom, the, the, thoomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomomom, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I's, I'm, I's, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, thi. tho, thooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.. theaa, thooooooooooo. thea, thea, thea, there. You know what I mean? It's an interesting paradox. It's a bounce check. And I think King said it best. I mean, it's a, someone wrote down a promise to give people this. Right. And then it bounced. They knew it was insufficient funds. And so here we are. We're trying to reclaim what you promised us in that check.

And so what you're saying is you're hopeful you believe that there's a chance that America could be able to pay the amount on that check. I believe so. I believe America right now is an unfulfilled, broken promise to so many people. Whether or not you're Muslim, immigrants, gay, black, a woman in this country. It is a bounced check and an unfulfilled promise. However, I still have faith in tomorrow. Wow, look at that. I can run for office with that. You should, man. I still have faith in tomorrow. I still have faith in tomorrow. South Africa, every day is black history. You know what I'm talking about? I love it. Look at this. We're running campaigns right here, man.

Marketing. You let me know when you're on the show. I appreciate you. Who are your people is available wherever books are sold. The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Ears Edition. Subscribe to the Daily Show on YouTube for exclusive content and stream full episodes any time on Paramount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central podcast.