ah, the first episode of united shades of america. such an innocent time. i know many of you remember it, because i heard about it all the time. you re the kkk guy. why would you film with the kkk? america doesn t even have that type of racism anymore. hmm. you re right. it s gotten way worse. jews will not replace us! and that was all before covid-19 and before four cops in minneapolis killed george floyd. rather than just treat him like a human. before protests, a police station burning to the ground. i m in trouble, there s an african american man threatening my life. before too many karens, before flattening the curve. and through it all a president incapable of handling any of it at all. oh, look, baby s first bible! america is finally ready to get real about white supremacy. so, let s start super easy and basic. these are white supremacists. 44 white presidents out of 45 in a land originally 100% native american is white supremacy. white supremacy is a big c
suburbanization had largely moved the white population of braddock up the hill and out of the valley. while black folks remained. along with discriminatory home lending, all legal until 1968. but in the more than 50 years since, it is clear that changing the law has not changed the reality. the jobless rate is over 15% in pittsburgh. and when the united states steel industry collapsed in the 80s, braddock, the town that had lived and died for steel, was left with the problems and little else, except consistently some of the worst air quality in the u.s. of a. when we look at wages, when we look at environmental issues, when we look at education, when we look at the school to prison pipeline, mass incarceration, we see those as issues in and of themselves. in reality, they re all part of the cycle of racism. a perfect example. take my town. black folks, most of them live there because at some point they were red lined. government policies, predatory lending. those things all coll
you know, existing while black in pittsburgh is like starving to death while in the supermarket aisle. okay, i didn t come up with that. a friends of mine who is a great writer and a pittsburgh native did. what section of town is this? we re on the south side. if you ever hear about a pittsburgh steeler getting arrested, it happened here. it always happens here. that s funny. damon young is a writer and a cofounder of one of my favorite websites very smart brothers. he was born and raised here. and most importantly, after he made it, he stayed here. i feel like pittsburgh is the market cause of america. in a sense that i think that we believe our own hype. just as america kind of believes its own hype, believes its lofty missions that were written by slave owners. and there s a reason why white people in pittsburgh seem to be thriving and black people are not.
[coughing] guys, that is some good stuff right there. it s like donuts and cereal. no burn or anything. this is so good. a lot of nicotine in here. studies show if you have between a 104-degree or 108-degree nasal tip rotation, those are the ones considered the most beautiful. i have a tv show, and even i know that still overall, black folks and people of color don t always get a fair shot on television. don t believe me? imagine being this reporter. if you think you see the man in this sketch, they want to you call the police. 816-474-tips. a good illustration. thank you, larry. in 2020, the pittsburgh-based heinz endowment released a study
pittsburgh is a paradox. it s known as steel town, usa, but the factories that gave it that name are mostly gone. it s a progressive liberal city, but in the heart of deep red western p.a. it s an industrial city, but also a booming intellectual and technology hub. it s america s most liveable city. one of the safest and most affordable cities. and the worst city in america for black people. wait, what? what in the name of pittsburgh s mr. rogers is going on? the paradox of a seven times higher infant mortality rate for black babies over white babies, or a safe, livable city versus the deadliest attack on jewish people in our nation s history at the tree of life synagogue means that in pittsburgh, like in america, the history and structure of white supremacy has us living two totally separate realities.