How to Talk with a White Supremacist | Simon Tam | TEDxUCR 

why is no one talking about how smooth his voice is omg

he's a natural at Non-violent Communication. very admirable

I come to these videos for the comments. Who's with me?

You beautiful BRAVE young man. Your voice is as soothing as you are! THANK YOU! We are ALL guilty of assumptions and judgments at some point in our lives! Those of you who commented on him playing for a Prison. I too volunteered with my parents and brother in singing in the Prisons. The Inmates looked so forward to our coming. It boosts morale, not just for them, but also the guards, just remember some are criminals, some have made just one mistake, some are innocent! Hope he becomes the NEXT PRESIDENT!! ☺️

I think he's right. I work in a government position that requires me to talk to a lot of people. When people said ridiculous things that I knew were misinformed, I used to fight fire with fire. But I realised that this approach rarely worked as it seemed that both me and them would just become more entrenched in our positions. My colleagues have found that if you take abuse but not response to it strongly, and let people get it out of their system, a space opens up for more reasonable discussion

This should be called how to talk to any human being.

This is quite an interesting approach. As a woman of color, it can be exhausting to have to constantly have to present evidence for our humanity, plead for others to understand that we deserve empathy, and ultimately to stay alive. But I do see the value in being a good listener, because it first requires to fill your heart with love and understanding in order to have a healthy exchange. And really it can be good for both parties in that you may leave the conversation with a lighter heart, and not broken and angry from the animosity. Still though, does this help in addressing the pressing issues of deaths from anti blackness? Is this ultimately productive in that battle? I'm still figuring it out

Perhaps a more accurate title might have been: How To Talk To Human Beings: Asking questions before drawing conclusions?

If someone thinks my family is more prone to crime because of skin color I’m not exactly feeling enticed to listen to them tell me about my biological inferiority. Sorry, but I enjoy talking to intelligent and aware people, not cretons from another time. Thank you for doing what I’m not willing or capable of. You’re twice the person I am.

Thumbs up for a thought provoking video! Thanks for sharing!

The funny thing about all of the responses to the hate comments is that they are going against the video too. The whole point was to ask questions and understand why they are that way, but all of the responses are just retaliation against them without caring why they feel that way.

he's a good man

I've been taking this approach for decades. It takes more effort and energy to engage in this form. It also puts a toll on your body, and my family members call me foolish to waste my time/ energy with my methodology. The speaker and I are the ones who are called idealists. But without people like us, the world would be a worst place than it is.

Very inspiring talk! Thank you Simon for doing what you do!

There is ALWAYS the question, when speaking with another person, "Are you going to simply attack them, or are you going to encourage real, considerate communication with someone else?"

I just don't talk, if I don't have to. And if I have to bark back then I do so. Plain & Simple, regardless who it is.

When I first heard he played at a prison, my first reaction was irritation. Why should prisoners get live entertainment? Why should they get so many of the things which law abiding people sometimes can't even afford? Towards the end, I started to question my position on this issue. Maybe that white supremacist and many others at that prison really needed this life experience.

Step 1. Don't label people nazi's because you don't agree with them.

Very articulate man!!

I'm disappointed reading most (not all) of the top comments. A lot of assumptions instead of questions :/

OH MY GOD HIS VOICE IS SO SOOTHING!

love this talk.

I think an important distinction to make is WHO is initiating conversation, questions, and listening? WHO is meeting who where they are? How does one respond when they are being asked the questions?

We're not confusing ideologies with people. We're noticing a trend.

If he tells sleeping story, I would love to listen to him more. Smooth and sound.

This is a liberating yet countercultural stance. This is the only way we'll be saved. This is Christ like love.

Destiny got destroyed in this debate.

Beautiful peace work. Thank you.

People don't act without reasons. Get to those root reasons. Uproot them (gently), and then you will change them.

2015 was my first time working in Jefferson Indiana , I meet several people we talked and I meet a real kkk member who told me Indiana was were the kkk began. We have are different points of view and I was able to get him to practice aikido in Kentucky. He is changing one day at a time. I am from Downey California

Bravo! Thank you, Simon, for enlightening us with your perspective.

Thank you!

Very powerful

The audio on this Ted must be set on "bedroom voice".

'as long as we treat debates as one side wins and one side loses, people will never be interested in conceding their position.'

This is truly hilarious. Go to China or Japan and talk to normal everyday people and you will be shocked by their blatant prejudice which to them is normal. You won't see this character doing that. No he thinks its a good idea to do it in the most PC controlled country on earth. Asians are hugely successful in America so where is the prejudice?

Well I found his views interesting. As a Jehovah witness, we meet so many different people and cultures. And it's always a blessing when we can meet someone and find good and commons things. Whether an atheist, or devout spiritual person, or anyone else I love talking to people, finding out about their views and what they are concerned about. And they find a little bit out about me too. And hopefully I can leave them with a smile knowing someone cared about them without trying to convert them.

Communication is key. Period.

Thank you Sir

Realise this can go both ways...

working hard and living in a country with opportunities is not a direct line to success, and for blacks in america it's not necessarily the land of opportunities like it is for white but obviously their is always exceptions to the rule I'm talking in general. to say America is the best country in the world for opportunities is ridiculous just because it's a believed cultural sentiment does not make it factual but what ever makes you sleep better at night and makes you feel prouder about your nationality.

Whose up for making a video titled: How to Talk with Liberals about how Racially Aware Whites are not Supremacists

"Race is a social construct." Wow I bet that really challenged his preconceived notions what a great argument

So important & very true.

This could be a reasonable approach if you are trying to “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”

Awesome!

I always find it illuminating to have a person whose own ethnicity maintains a rigid ethnostate in their country of origin talk about how "white supremacists" are the real racists.

Crying 😢

His voice is very nice. (Not to mention how attractive he is!)

Lovely speech.

Those who are hardest to love, are the ones who need it the most. BTW-I love this guy from The Slants. Rock on Homie!

You dont talk to them at all. That's how you do it.

great job

This is ridiculous

Place the seeds of doubt and if the seeds don't tear apart your assumptions as they grow then your in good shape

Prejudice is human behaviour all over, But with a door wide open if the chance given, to change. Unfortunately Racism is a class of it´s own, hopeless and self destructive

Love the tie.

I am allways right and you are allways wrong, = everyone

I always felt that the John Coltrane Quartet should have ended racism. It encompasses MLK and more.

Check out Colin Flaherty

an all Asian band called the slants..

We're SICK of hearing about this 'racism' Shite!!.... :( - Its Total Bollocks!!..... :(

I loved the talk, and it was great..., but, am I the only one who think this man's voice is very sexy?? 😁

What he doesn’t understand is white people, no matter their station, see America as their land. That prisoner still saw himself as. “True American” while the rest of the “brown world” would just have to live in his beneficence.Sorry don’t want to ruin a good feels moment but as a white person from the south who grew up surrounded by this “white supreme” culture , we could admire non white peoples but we would never dare seen them as on par with us. The autograph moment was touching but don’t be fooled by it. I’ve seen it many times, they were getting the autograph of a person who could do something well but would never be as socially esteemed as they are, even a convicted felon. Just being honest.

I had to skip 8 minutes to listen to the story.

Why doesn't this guy go tackle the much more prevalent Asian supremacy in every east Asian country?

i know how you use your vocal cords in harmony with ur mouth to create vocalisations interpreted as words

6:32 I am so guilty of that. This guy is very erudite without sounding extreme or blaming all white people for racism, and his band rocks too.

I can't believe they recast this guy, he was white in Firefly.

It's not the color is the culture

The only noteworthy talk at this event.

fix the audio.

"Race is a social construct." No its not. You just make race controversial to talk about when you say that. Race shouldn't be viewed as negative to talk about. You liberals would benefit from real conversation on actual diversity rather than using rhetoric to assault whites.

Next up, how to talk to black militants. Oh, wait. Can't do that. Politically incorrect.

This is SO powerful

If this guy went to Portland Oregon he'd realize what racism is. Just ask Andy Ngo

It isn't what you say it's what you mean.

Buuuuuuuuuuut really, you can't have a worthy discussion unless you READ the source material.Would you go a whole semester without reading any of the background material the teacher tells you to?

Hmm. Very informative indeed. However, I'll just pull a Dave Chappelle on em.

Hey, isn't this the "hey... hey... hey... this is library - guy"?

It really comes down to what a people put most of their time into. If you put a lot of time into sports you will tend to perfect it more than someone else. Just like putting a lot of time into gaining knowledge, the martial arts or anything else. Different cultures or nations of people just put more time into doing different things and may have perfected that thing more than another culture or race of people. I'm explaining this in a simple way, but hopefully this is not over someones head to not get, that it is a lot of truth to this observation (analogy). Then also diet may play a part. There are different types of edible vegetation on the planet that some people had access to that other tribes of people didn't have access to. Every tribe depending on where they settled on the planet had more access to something that other people didn't have access to. And this may have played a part that gives groups of people an edge over each other, in some way or another. If your (culture or people) put a lot of time into a particular thing, you will perfect that thing more than someone else or other nations of people. But this doesn't make you superior to other people. Why? Because someone is better than you are with something else. Being superior to other people is really a man made illusion. Only God is the superior one. Until you can create the universe like God, then you can never be superior to anyone on the planet.

When can we expect Mr. Tam to visit 96% ethnic Han Chinese China?

Is this the first firefly reference? Cause otherwise I'm disappointed

I AM ALL WHITE MOTHERS

Hey! I'm a Mormon!

As a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I appreciate your work and how you shared your experience with your friend

You use sign language . I only know two words though. left and right. Over and over again.

Dude thats how i think,did you take my brain...? Or is it what we are supposed to do, in order to UNDERSTAND...

TEDx has managed to become a parody of itself.

just go online, there are forums, lol

Good talk...youth is malleable.

I normally agree with these types of opinions, because they are generally correct. But a part of that is a bit bothering. You're basically saying this person was a White Supremacist because they believed it was Eric (what his last name was, I forget.) who did this. You technically assumed that's what he was (and was right) only based on that information. Or at least that's what I heard. That just seems a bit hypocritical...

White supremacist: race is biological Asian nerd: that is not true Guess we found who is superior.

So this Asian guy is telling how to talk to white supremacists? And he didn't mention LoL players even once? Seems fishy.

Laughing about the cup of tea and drugs conversation with the stranger Mormon visitor context... Nobody seemed to get that.

Why not make decency and respect your strength and your unifying goal? Those virtues transcend race and that's what Jesus is all about. Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom and peace. Tolerating evil is not decent or respectful. What is evil? People who seek to harm, maim, and kill are evil. Live according to the spirit of YAH and His Son and you will be on the right road. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.

Wasn't Eric Garner the guy saleing cigarettes illegally on the corner (agents the law) & refused to comply with the officers? Granted I don't agree with how it went down, but if instead of arguing with the officers. Knowing he was breaking the law, he may be alive today.

Hard to here what's he saying

so he thinks race is a social construct?

His voice is so calming. I would love to hear him say Confucius sayings and quotes