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  • If you're a black person, you're probably buzzing

  • from some great news right now.

  • First, Kendrick Lamar just won a Pulitzer Prize for music.

  • -(cheering, applause) -Yeah.

  • The first time, the first time this award has gone to someone

  • who was not in classical music or jazz.

  • Right? Other great news:

  • Beyoncé tore the roof off Coachella.

  • -(cheering) -Yeah. And... and I know what you're saying:

  • "But it's an outdoor festival." Yeah, that's how badass she is.

  • She brought in a roof just so she could tear it off.

  • That's what she did. That's how big it was.

  • And, guys, this was the blackest performance

  • at the whitest festival.

  • And white people love that stuff,

  • because it makes it feel like they're down, you know?

  • Which is weird, because it never goes the other way around.

  • Like, you could never have, like, the Oak Ridge Boys show up

  • at the club, and then... expect brothers walking out,

  • going like, "Yo, these niggas can strum, B.

  • Yo, they can... they can strum."

  • -(applause) -You never feel that.

  • So... so all in all, it feels like a great couple of days

  • for black America.

  • But of course, unfortunately, if you're a black person

  • who is not on stage, not everything is going your way.

  • There is a firestorm tonight

  • over what happened three days ago

  • at a Starbucks in Philadelphia

  • where the police were called in and two black men were arrested.

  • TV REPORTER: This video, captured by

  • a witness's cell phone, shows police talking,

  • and later handcuffing the men

  • while they were waiting for a friend.

  • The men wanted to use the restroom but the manager said

  • that per store policy, they couldn't,

  • since they didn't buy anything.

  • When they wouldn't leave, she called police.

  • How crazy is this?

  • Two men arrested for waiting

  • to meet someone at Starbucks.

  • You see, this, this here,

  • this is why black people should always show up late.

  • Yeah. If you're early, it's loitering.

  • For our safety, black people,

  • we show up late everywhere we go.

  • In fact, maybe-- this got me thinking--

  • maybe it's not true that black people are never on time.

  • It's just that we only know about the ones who show up late,

  • because all the early ones got taken away.

  • Maybe that's what it is.

  • And I know, I know there are some people saying,

  • "Well, why were these guys

  • in Starbucks doing nothing? Huh? Why?"

  • Well, because that's what Starbucks is for.

  • Everyone is doing nothing.

  • Everyone.

  • Starbucks...

  • Starbucks is basically a bus station

  • with espresso machines; that's all it is.

  • In fact, the only mistake these black guys made

  • was not using the tactics of the white man.

  • That's all they did. Yeah.

  • When the manager accused them of doing nothing,

  • they should have replied, "Uh, actually,

  • I'm writing a screenplay, that's what I'm doing."

  • But, look, if I can get serious

  • for just a minute here, I will say this:

  • Do you have any idea

  • what it does to a person's dignity

  • to be arrested by bike cops?

  • (laughter)

  • Huh?

  • Think about this. Think about this.

  • Someone calls the cops on you,

  • and instead of driving up with sirens wailing all bad-ass,

  • they're like, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.

  • (laughter and applause)

  • And how do they even get you back to the station, huh?

  • (laughter)

  • Do they throw you on the back of a bicycle built for two?

  • (laughter and applause)

  • And now, now you're in custody but you have to help them pedal?

  • You're just there at the back, like, "Man.

  • "This is some bullshit, man.

  • "This is some bullshit.

  • We look adorable, though, we look adorable."

  • (applause)

  • But for real, though, for real, though,

  • America clearly has a problem with policing and black people.

  • On the one hand, you have people calling the police

  • because they see black people as inherently threatening,

  • and then you have police who only know how to respond

  • to a call with an arrest or violence.

  • So the question is, what do we do?

  • Do we fix society or do we try and fix the police?

  • Or maybe, maybe-- got us thinking:

  • maybe all we need to do is change the people

  • who connect civilians to the police.

  • Well, for years 9-1-1's been handling calls that,

  • -turns out, aren't actual emergencies. -(phone ringing)

  • So we came up with with a program

  • to help white people decide if their emergency

  • was an actual emergency.

  • We hired a black operator.

  • 9-1-1, what's your emergency?

  • MALE CALLER: I'm on the train

  • and these black people are talking,

  • and it's loud and I think there could be a fight.

  • Okay, sir. So let me get this straight.

  • You called 9-1-1 because black people were talking loud?

  • Uh, yeah, I-I guess.

  • Okay, good. Here's what I need you to do.

  • Stand up, walk to the window,

  • and throw your bitch-ass off that train.

  • FEMALE CALLER 2: No, they're just walking down the sidewalk

  • but if feels threatening.

  • Girl, bye.

  • Is she a bit unorthodox?

  • Yes, but it's been efficient,

  • and she's almost entirely professional, almost.

  • So you're saying he's a six-four,

  • African American male, broad shoulders,

  • driving a Benz?

  • I need you to look closely at him.

  • Is he wearing a wedding ring?

  • FEMALE CALLER 3: Uh, no.

  • Stay right there. I'm on my way.

  • Hold on, girl.

  • Hello?

  • That's how it should be.

If you're a black person, you're probably buzzing

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