joining us now is michael eric dyson, author of "tears we cannot stop" which addresses the plague oflice brutality against black americans and tim weiss, author of "white like me: reflections on race from a privileged son." it's great to get both of your perspectives. i've been looking forward to this conversation. michael, where are we? what are we supposed to think this week and what's next? >> we're in the devastating aftermath of the denial of race in america, the denial that black humanity is not acknowledged, the fact that it spills over into the streets is an indication that we haven't learned the lesson and furthermore, not to indict those who are out there trying to make an argument that was not heard in other places, that was not heard in corporate america, that wasn't heard in professional circles, that wasn't heard even in the academy, and now it is to the shame of america that we have not heard until bloodshed, we have not heard until yet another black person dies, until the proverbial knee of white america is constantly lodged against the neck of vulnerable black people

i'm pleased to report that michael eric dyson is seated in front of all the books he's written. those are all dr. dyson's books behind him. thank you. thank you, both. l >>> let us go to houston, texas, now. in houston, the public visitation is going to start in a few hours for george floyd. it is, of course, his hometown. hundreds of friends, former teammates, teachers, all expected to pay their respects. floyd will be laid to rest tomorrow. nbc's priscilla thompson is live in houston. priscilla, what are you hearing from folks there who are waiting to pay tribute to george floyd? >> reporter: well, craig, 90 degree weather has not stopped folks from showing up here early. already, the line is wrapping around the church. we've seen the shuttle buses dropping folks off, and they've come with their lawn chairs and coolers to sit and wait for a chance to get inside and view george floyd's body and pay their respects to him. you ask what folks are saying. i'm actually here with brady bob. he grew up with george floyd, played football and basketball with him, at yates high school. br

what i want them to help lead this and i want one of the greatest thinkers of our time, doctor michael eric dysonhave asked him to speak was that we need to break down. the auto know what time it is. you're operating like it is yesterday. the reason you are late catching up to what these protest means is because you did not turn your clocks forward. talking about make america great. great for who and great when? where are you going to make america great again for everybody for the first time. —— we are going to make. never it was great for blacks, never was great for latinos, it was never great for others. nothing was great for woman. no woman had to march to get the right to vote. but lastly, just the religious side. —— those women. i was reading and kept thinking about how i was a little embarrassed because when i heard that george, at this point of suffering and brutal attack, called for mama. i said to the attorney crump, i want to talk to his mother. he said his mother had passed. isaid his to his mother. he said his mother had passed. i said his mother passed? but had passed. i said his mot

joining us is michael eric dyson, professor of sociologist at georgetown university. and author of "tears we cannot stop." a sermon to white america. michael, it is really great to have you. i know you're one of the people that has said that you need to get loud. you need to get angry. you need to get disruptive in order for people to pay attention. >> -- >> unfortunately -- michael, your audio is just not working for us right now. we're going to try and re-establish and make it so that we can hear you more clearly because this is an important topic. and, chuck, it is one that a lot of people have brought up. there have been so many incidents over the years and there have been peaceful protests. we've seen, you know, knees taken at the nfl. we've seen knees taken across the country. peacefully protesting violence. the death of black men or -- at the hands of cops and it's still happening. >> we're going to sneak in a break a little bit earlier. get it quicker and get michael eric dyson back with us on the other side. >>> plus, we'll check in on minneapolis and an updat

why i want them to help lead this and i want think one of greatest thinkers of our time dr michael eric dyson of x. come and speak we need to break down because we all know what time it is ya'll are operate like is yesterday and the reason you are late catching up to what these protests means is because you didn't turn your clock forward taliban make america great great for who and great when we go make america great for everybody for the 1st time. never was great for blacks not always great for latino wouldn't never agree for others what great for women you know women had too much to get the right the pope but lastly is the religious that. i was reading in kept thinking about how. i was a little embarrassed because when i heard that george bush at this point of suffering this brutal attack called his mom i said to turn to crap i said well i appreciate talking to his brothers and him on the phone but i want to talk to his mother he said it is not the past i say it is more the past but he was calling for his mother. and i thought about because i was raised by a single mother and sometimes the

michael eric dyson from georgetown university and author of "tears we cannot stop, a sermon to white america." professor, good to see you as well. >> great. good to see you as well. >> there's a shift in momentum. surging sales, banning the confederate flag. how do you see what's happening here right now? >> i think it's a salutary vempt. it's tragic it took this kind of horror and terror that black america has shared for it finally to be home that we are suffering and enduring issues. there seems to be a significant and substantial shift in understanding about race and an eagerness in the curiosity that is genuine so those developments are good. >> torii hunter said i've been called the "n" word 100 times from little kids and grownups next to them. if you doubt him, take it from us, it happens. last year there were seven reported incidents at fenway park where fans used racial slurs. those are just the ones we know about. it's easy to take one or two altitudes. the first is why wasn't something done before now? you can look at this as what is the start of a difficult reckoning for p

and michael eric dyson you all know what time it is you are operating like it yesterday.e because you didn't turn your clocks forward. talk about make america great. great for who and when? we want to make america great for everybody for the first time. [applause] thing was great for blacks or latinos or others are women. women had to march to get the right to vote.e but then the religious side. and then thinking how i was a little embarrassed if at this point a the suffering this brutal attack but he said his mother passed. but he was calling for his mother. i thought about it because i was raised by a single mother. osometimes the only thing between us and our condition was our mother the only thing that we would take danger away the only one to make sure the food was on the table was our mother i know why he was calling for mama. but then i got that own place in my mind i realized i was calling and my mother died eight years ago but i still try to talk to her. just dial the cell phone to hear the voicemail. i still want to reach out to mama. one of his five children qu

. >> speaker, author and georgetown professor michael eric dyson speaking with me a short time ago. >>> reaction from the nfl has been quick and emotional. listen to malcolm jenkins, he's a teammate of brees. >> unfortunately somebody who doesn't understand that privile privilege, you don't understand the potential you have to be an advocate. you don't understand the history and why people like me, my skin color, whose grandfather fought and served, i protest against what is happening in america, if you don't understand that other people experience something totally different than you. when you talk about the brotherhood and all this other [ bleep ], it's only on the field. when i take my helmet off, i'm a black man walking around the streets and your response to me is, don't talk about that here, this is not the place, drew, where is the place, drew? i'm disappointed. i'm hurt. because while the world tells you that you're not worthy, that your life doesn't matter, the last place you want to hear it from are the guys that you go to war with and that you consider to be allies and to b

michael eric dyson is sociology professor at georgetown university and author of "tears we cannot stop" a sermon to white america. he is with us this hour from washington. thanks for joining us, professor. >> thanks for having me. >> so hasn't this country been down this road before? we've seen an african-american man, usually unarmed, killed by police. there's a public outcry. occasionally, charges are brought against the officers involved. and those in power sigh with relief, pat each other on the back and say, see, the system works. but if the system worked, jgeore floyd wouldn't be dead. >> that's right. the system is broken. we have been down this road before. but there seems to be something different here. we won't be able to tell until a little while later, but it does seem different. there was a bus boycott in louisiana, before martin luther king jr., led a bus boycott in montgomery. another young woman, who was 15 years old, attempted to achieve the same thing, elsewhere. but it was rosa parks, who rose in our memory, because she sat on that bus and refused to get up. and it s

joining us is michael eric dyson, professor of sociology and author of "tears we cannot stop, a sermono white america." michael, i'm so happy we can have you back on. apologies again for the audio issues we had the other day. i just want you to tell me how you're feeling and what you're thinking today. >> it's devastating to be a black person in america, james baldwin said, is to be in a nearly unending state of rage to paraphrase him. and the rage grows from the inability of many of our white brothers and sisters to understand where we are. to put themselves in our existential shoes and to understand how time and again with the murder of black people, with the hunting down of black people by white vigilantes, with policemen disregarding the pleas of a black man to breathe, treating him like an animal. why we feel, and it is not hyperbollic, that this country not only does not care but treats us less than human as a matter of fact. and so when we hear these statements, the f'ing "n" word that was allegedly, supposedly uttered after the death of arbery. when we see a policeman look into

with that brief bit of context, we are joined by a scholar, a thinker, author, michael eric dyson, professor at georgetown university. your thoughts, sir? >> well, you have eloquently articulated the broad sweep of history with a majestic arc rooted in first the acknowledgement that black suffering in american society has been so deeply entrenched, that it's taken for granted. it is the very predicate for american progress. the plantation, then jim crow and sharecropping, then separation of society, separation of education, has been the very basis for propelling america forward, white america that is, while black america is held in captivity. and so the deeply resistive strains of blackness in this culture that put forth arguments, ideas, to impose the hurtful intensity of white supremacy, are seen as exceptions to and not continuations of american democracy. so when black bodies are alienated from the american scene, black traditions of resistance are seen as exceptional, and black life and black death are seen in a vicious give and take in a cycle of trading back and forth. so what we have

and that is why i wanted them to help lead this and one of the greatest of our time, doctor michael eric dysonou know you are operating like it's yesterday and the reason that you are late catching up to what these protests mean is because you didn't turn your clocks forward. talking about making america great. great for whom and agreed when? we will make it great for everybody for the first time. [applause] it never was great for blacks or latinos or others. women had to march to get the right to vote. but last, the religious side. i was reading and kept thinking about how i was a little embarrassed because when i heard george at this point in this brutal attack called for his mama. i appreciate talking to his brothers and him on the phone, but he said his mother passed. i said his mother passed, but he was calling for his mother. and i thought about it because i was raised by a single mother and sometimes the only thing between us and our condition is our mother. sometimes the only thing we have that would take danger away is our mother. the only ones that would make sure the food is on the

. >> joining me now is georgetown professor michael eric dyson, the author of many books including "tearsnnot stop a sermon to white america." good day, sir. >> good afternoon, my friend. good to see you as always. >> we thought of you for this, because as with so many issues in america, especially on race, we need to hold more than one idea in our head. i will start by saying to you, this is a step in the right direction. but it is also late and embarrassing, i think, my view, to have a symbol of treason from the civil war and racism, and it took until 2020 to do this. and yet it is still a step. and we cannot be so upset that we don't ever welcome any steps forward. with those thoughts in the air, i'm views, sir. >> no, absolutely, i agree. the treasonous rejection of american citizenship that flag betokens is highly striking. colin kaepernick, an american citizen, kneeling on holy ground of the gridiron on a sunday was seen as an unamericans citizen who had cast aspersion against the very reputation of the nation when indeed, in the official flag of mississippi, we are flowing in the a

eric michael dyson. we need to break down. y'all want to know what time is. y'all are operating like it's yesterday. and the reason y'all late catching up to what these protest means is because you didn't turn your clock forward. talk about make america great. great for who and great when? we're going to make america great for everybody for the first time. [ applause ] never was great for blacks. never was great for latinos. it wasn't ever great for others. it wasn't great for women. your women had to march to get the right to vote. but lastly is the religious side. i was reading and kept thinking about how i was a little embarrassed because when i heard that george, at this point of suffering this brutal attack called for his momma. i said to attorney crump, i said i appreciate -- but i want to talk to his mother. he said his mother passed. i said his mother passed? but he was calling for his mother. and i thought about it, because i was raised by a single mother. sometimes the only thing between us and our conditions was our mothers. sometimes the only thin