A large part of a race feels that they're superior to another race.

And so... and so not only do they believe that, but they act on it.

Examples will be... in class, sometimes I'll be the only black kid.

And we read a book like... you know Huck Finn.

And there's that uncomfortable moment.

The... "magic word" come up.

And people will look at you and like, "What's his reaction?" Things like that.

I was walking home from school with this one white girl and....

We just gone off the bus and we were about to... we were almost home.

And there's this group of black kids like, had just gone out of school.

And she was like, "Oh let's cross the street. It's a group of black kids. I don't want to run into them."

And, so she told me!

Which I don't even know why she would do that.

I used to a sweat band just to reinforce my wrist.

I had a teacher come up to me and said,

"You should take it off because it looks gang affiliated"

I have been in situations where, you know, I had to cross the street.

Because I didn't want to scare the white lady that was walking.

I would actually... it would get to a point where I would start to count.

How many times a woman would clutch her bag.

When I was 16, I was leaving my mom's house.

In my pajamas which had snowmen on them um...with my brother, and...

We were actually stopped by the police, rather aggressively.

I've been stopped by the cops on my way between classes.

Because we have two separate buildings walking from one building to the other building

As my white students in the same class walk by me.

It's kind of upsetting, because...

We live in a world where my mom has to be afraid when I walk outside

From the people that are like... meant to protect me.

And I just... I don't like when my mother feels like that.

You know, I love my mother.

She should always... I want her to always be happy.

You know I... walk tall. I keep my head up.

Very... you know, try to be very articulate and...and polite.

And so of course, I was like, OK I'm...I'm gonna be fine because I act a certain way, and...

Of course that has absolutely nothing to do with it.

People... the way people perceive you... you know, it's not up to you.

My parents taught me, oh you know...

"Cops are your friends. You're supposed to know they're here to protect you."

But all I'm seeing is the opposite.

So how can I not be afraid when I feel like I'm being hunted?

When I feel like I'm there to fill a quota?

We are in a so called "free society".

And as a black man, we literally don't feel free.

We don't know what "freedom" is.

Every time when we're killed, the first thing you see on the news is...

Oh, criminal record or something like that. So...

From the second... the bullet hits us.

Already we're starting to be dehumanized.

With black people like myself, we don't get as many chances as...as...as they do.

So you have to be aware. You have to watch out.

You can't mess up.

This is an extremely emotionally-taxing process for me in terms of coming in terms with...

Maybe the nature of...of racism in my own life, entered in this country, in this world.

If you wait until somebody's 12, 13, 14 to put that on them...

It's...it's really... it can be really difficult.

My dad... he's just like the honest one, he's like, "Listen, son," like...

"There are things... and this world... like you have to...you kind of have to watch out."

He doesn't want me to live in fear.

But he wants me to be aware.

I want people to know that I'm perfectly fine.

I'm not gonna hurt anybody or do anything bad.

I should be judged about...like...who I...who I am.

And like, what kind of person I am.

My parents would tell me, mostly my mom, she would tell me...

"You have to endure. You have to muscle through it."

And like... this is no different.

It's part of being a person of color in America.

And there is a certain comfortability associated with that.

Because if I know, if something is inevitable, then I know how to deal with it.

Fortunately, I've had parents who have said, "This is what you do."

Mom and dad, I'll be fine because you did a good job raising me.

You gave me all the resources, the time, the blood, sweat and tears.

To make me a good man, an honorable man, and...

The foundation to survive in this country.

I want you to know that, I will act in an appropriate manner.

And do everything that you told me to do.

Because I do love you.

And I know that everything you say is not "for a reason", and not just to talk the talk.

And I love you.