He Asked How to Confront His Racial Bias. She Responded With a Powerful Gesture.
Garry Civitello called into C-SPAN with his heart and insecurities on his sleeve.
Civitello, a white man from Asheville, North Carolina, wanted to speak with Heather McGhee, a black woman and president of Demos, a public policy group working to promote democracy for all. But his question wasn't specifically about public policy. It was about what he could do to be a better person.
"I'm a white male, and I'm prejudiced. What can I do to change, you know, to be a better American?"
McGhee was initially caught off guard by the question but took an opportunity to respond from the heart[.]
"I told him thank you, and I just came up with some thoughts about how he could integrate his life and learn to have more empathy and compassion."
For Civitello and others looking to make a change, McGhee offered a few places to start. From getting to know black families to asking tough questions of himself and others.[...]
