The massive wave of protests in hundreds of towns and cities across America and in many other countries were sparked by outrage, pain and grief over the killing of George Floyd, and countless incidents of racism against African-Americans.

We've all been surprised by the events of the past few weeks. They've forced many of us to question our core beliefs about the political system, public morality, and the distribution of power. For this episode, we looked for someone who could talk about race from a personal, practical, and original viewpoint 

Our guest is writer and podcaster, Coleman Hughes, a recent graduate of Columbia University, who has testified before Congress, and written articles for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Quillette, and other outlets. Coleman was recently named as a Manhattan Institute fellow.

"If we are just going to live in what's comfortable you might as well not think at all", says Coleman, in response to chants, demands and slogans at Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

"When your pride becomes tied up in identity the temptation becomes irresistible to lie about any fact that doesn't paint your group in a positive light, and then we lose touch with enormous issues."

In this episode, we discuss police corruption, crime and punishment, and racist attacks in communities of color.

Recommendation: Richard is following The Fulcrum, a digital news organization, focused on efforts to reverse dysfunctions in American democracy.