Artwork for podcast TonyTidbit: A Black Executive Perspective
Need To Know-Understanding Black Lived Experiences: Insights from Pew Research - Dr. Nsenga Burton
Episode 149 • 27th June 2024 • TonyTidbit: A Black Executive Perspective • TonyTidbit ™
00:00:00 00:15:00

Share Episode

Shownotes

Episode Title:

Episode Audio Link: https://podcast.ablackexec.com/episode/Understanding Black Lived Experiences-Insights from Pew Research

Episode Video Link:

In this episode of 'Need to Know' on BEP, Dr. Nsenga Burton discusses a recent Pew Research Center study on Black Americans' beliefs around conspiracy theories related to racial progress. Dr. Burton critiques the initial presentation of the survey, which labeled these beliefs as 'racial conspiracy theories,' and highlights the complex realities faced by Black communities. She explores how systemic racism affects Black individuals' lives personally and professionally and emphasizes the importance of empathy and action in supporting marginalized groups. Dr. Burton calls for a deeper understanding and validation of Black Americans' lived experiences.

▶︎ In This Episode

  1. 00:00: Introduction and Welcome
  2. 00:18: Pew Research Center Study Overview
  3. 00:48: Black Americans and Conspiracy Theories
  4. 01:48: Critique of the Study's Presentation
  5. 02:11: Systemic Racism and Real-Life Impacts
  6. 04:09: Personal Experiences and Examples
  7. 05:39: Living with Daily Realities
  8. 11:00: Empathy and Support
  9. 13:11 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

🔗 Resources

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:


🔔 Listen and Subscribe

Listen to this episode and subscribe for future updates

subscribe to A Black Executive Perspective podcast on

if you like what we're doing and would like to support us, here's some ways you can help us continue the uncomfortable conversations that drive change

  1. subscribe to our newsletter
  2. give us up to a 5 star review on Apple Podcasts
  3. share an episode with a friend, family member or colleague


🗣️ Follow @ablackexec

follow us across social media @aBlackExec


⭐️ Follow @TonyTidbit

follow Tony across social media @TonyTidbit


This episode was produced by TonyTidbit ™ . Copyright © 2024 A BLACK EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this podcast may be reproduced without prior written permission. For permissions, email podcast@ablackexec.com .

Transcripts

BEP Narrator:

A black executive perspective now presents need to know

2

:

with the award winning hyphenated Dr.

3

:

Nsenga Burton.

4

:

Dr.

5

:

Burton, what do we need to know?

6

:

Dr. Nsenga Burton: Good morning.

7

:

Welcome to need to know by Dr.

8

:

Nsenga on BEP.

9

:

Today, we'll be discussing a study

that was released by the Pew Research

10

:

Center this week that talked about

black Americans and their beliefs

11

:

around conspiracy theories as

it relates to racial progress.

12

:

Right.

13

:

So they were called it initially

racial conspiracy theories, and then

14

:

they went back and corrected it and

got really negative feedback from

15

:

readers users, uh, based on the way

that the information was presented.

16

:

So they've gone back and

reworked the information.

17

:

But today I want to talk about this

idea of black people and these ideas

18

:

that we are conspiracy theorists

as it relates to our real and live

19

:

conditions that really do impact.

20

:

All aspects of our life.

21

:

Um, and when I say really do

impact all aspects of our life.

22

:

Um, I do mean not only personally,

but also professionally.

23

:

So when we think about the black

executive perspective or the black

24

:

executive podcast and the work that is

being done in this particular space.

25

:

Yeah, I think it is interesting that

we do have to consider constantly.

26

:

People's ideas and beliefs about us,

one of which is one of which is that,

27

:

you know, we're basically too sensitive.

28

:

We are conspiratorial in our beliefs

and we believe that, um, we are

29

:

being worked against and that it is a

conspiracy and not actually based or

30

:

rooted in fact, when, in fact, it's

actually rooted in fact, and data.

31

:

So I really like, let me just go ahead

and say about the Pew Research Center.

32

:

They do excellent work.

33

:

Most of the time, I think that the

data in this particular report, and

34

:

I read it, because I heard so much

backlash about it is interesting.

35

:

I think it does give you some insight.

36

:

It is introspective for

particularly the participants.

37

:

Um, but I do think that the way that

they presented initially underscore.

38

:

Undermine what the data or what the

study was really trying to do, which

39

:

is to say that despite the fact that

black people are labeled as conspiracy

40

:

theorists as it relates to our real

and live experiences with systemic

41

:

racism and things of that nature.

42

:

Um, we are, um, in fact, um, having

to deal with these ideas that we

43

:

are conspiracy theorists, at least

that's what I'm taking from the study.

44

:

I know there are other things

that are coming out of the study.

45

:

Um, so I wanted to just kind of

go over a little bit about it.

46

:

Um, um, so.

47

:

Let me read a little bit of, let me

read the editorial note to readers.

48

:

1st, a version of the study was

originally published on June.

49

:

10th.

50

:

we previously use the term racial

conspiracy theories, quote, racial

51

:

conspiracy theories as an editorial

shorthand to describe a complex and

52

:

mixed set of findings by using these

words are reporting distorted rather than

53

:

clarify the point of the study changes

to this version, including updated

54

:

headline, new explainer, paragraphs,

some additional context and direct

55

:

quotes from focus group participants.

56

:

It's.

57

:

One of the infographs that they

included, um, talks about the

58

:

majority of black adults say U.

59

:

S.

60

:

institutions were designed to hold black

people back and then they do percentages.

61

:

So, for example, they have a list prison

system, 74 percent courts and judicial

62

:

process, 70 percent policing, 68%.

63

:

Political system, 67 percent economic

system, 65 percent news media, 52

64

:

percent healthcare system, 51%.

65

:

So I say all that to say that we

do have this information, um, and

66

:

this data, but the way that it was

initially presented without the context.

67

:

Is the problem and this is what

black people, black and brown people,

68

:

anybody who's really part of a

historically disenfranchised group who

69

:

is, uh, not empowered, um, to add the

context and to give the background.

70

:

The reason we have these ideas is because

we are intimately intimately connected

71

:

to the prison industrial complex.

72

:

We know what mass incarceration is because

we've seen lots of people go to jail.

73

:

Um, we've had, you know,

false, um, accusations.

74

:

We've seen, um, you know,

like the Central Park Five.

75

:

We've seen people who just basically

are railroaded teenagers, railroaded,

76

:

things of that nature, and then

to be found guilty, I mean, found

77

:

innocence years later, and to

find that people were withholding

78

:

evidence and all of those things.

79

:

So we've had that happen, um, and we've

seen that happen on a large scale.

80

:

Uh, we've also seen police brutality,

you know, uh, Amadou Diallo Diallo,

81

:

anybody, you know, there's, there's

so many people that we can talk about

82

:

even currently that we can talk about.

83

:

Um, and so this idea that black people

are basically stuck in their heads.

84

:

About these real experiences

is really fascinating to me.

85

:

The fact that someone would even do a

study about that, like, you know, what's

86

:

real and, you know, what's imagine and

that we will be labeled or thought of

87

:

as conspiracy conspiracy theorists as

it relates to our lived experiences.

88

:

So, 1 of the things I wanted to talk

about today is the fact that these

89

:

experiences can be up for discussion,

but they are not up for debate.

90

:

So you can have all of the

studies that you want to have.

91

:

You can interview, I think it

was 4, 700, uh, black folks,

92

:

um, for this particular study.

93

:

Uh, but to me, the end

result is what does it mean?

94

:

What does it mean?

95

:

And what it means is that black people

have to live with their reality every day.

96

:

Right.

97

:

So, whether it's getting from

home to work alive, right?

98

:

Praying that you don't get

pulled over by the police for a

99

:

small infraction, Sandra Bland.

100

:

Um, whether it's being on the

job and not being microaggressed,

101

:

microaggressed upon or against.

102

:

Whether it's being treated differently

or being excluded because you don't

103

:

match the culture of your company.

104

:

Whether it's ignoring the 87 percent of

white men who get most of the funding

105

:

for tech companies while you prosecute

black women, sue, sue, prosecute is not

106

:

the word I wanted, but sue black women

like those of the fearless fund who

107

:

are giving out twenty thousand dollars.

108

:

Occasionally to black women to help them

stay in the game, to get in the game.

109

:

Right.

110

:

Um, that is not paranoia.

111

:

It's not conspiracy.

112

:

The numbers of, uh, people who are

incarcerated relative to our, uh, the

113

:

number of us who are, uh, who relative

to the number that we, uh, represent

114

:

in society, it's called proportion,

um, it's disproportionate, um, The lack

115

:

of representation is so many of these

different spaces, uh, relative to the

116

:

fact that we are the most educated

group, especially black women, um, in

117

:

particular are the most educated group.

118

:

That is factual.

119

:

It's, it's real data.

120

:

So yeah, we may be a

little bit distracted.

121

:

Um, we may, uh, be focused

on making sure that we are

122

:

getting our fair, a fair shake.

123

:

Um, when we rarely do, uh, you know, You

know, we're four times as likely to go to

124

:

jail for the same crime as a white person.

125

:

I mean, that's just, that's a fact.

126

:

Like, it's, it's statistically

proven over and over again.

127

:

That number is not changing.

128

:

Um, and if you talk about black women in

terms of incarceration rates, they're,

129

:

they're, they're, they're higher.

130

:

Significantly higher and usually,

um, attached to some type of

131

:

violence from a man, right?

132

:

So it could be self defense

or something of that matter.

133

:

Um, so even a lack of resources or help.

134

:

I mean, just recently, this is not

the same as a false equivalency.

135

:

So I'm not trying to equate, uh,

domestic violence with my laptop

136

:

getting stolen at the airport.

137

:

But what I'm saying is, um, I really

feel That, uh, and this is feel, right?

138

:

So this is the conspiracy piece.

139

:

Cause it's like, we're supposed

to not go with our gut.

140

:

We're not supposed to know what's

happening at the time, but how this

141

:

officer who actually was a Brown man,

his last name was D S D I A S came over

142

:

and talked to me the way I would not

talk to my dog and I was the victim.

143

:

My laptop was stolen out

of Atlanta Hartsfield.

144

:

Um, but having said that, even

the way in which I was treated.

145

:

Um, the way in which people did not

care about my, my personal property

146

:

being stolen, the way I was talked to

as if I was uneducated or as if I was

147

:

the problem, I never raised my voice.

148

:

These are things that we

just deal with all the time.

149

:

This is harder being black and brown.

150

:

That's what it is.

151

:

It's, you know, paying 150 for a

private car when you go somewhere, you

152

:

know, go out of town on business and

then having the driver microaggress

153

:

against you the whole time, the whole

way and then you have to decide, am

154

:

I going to raise a stink about this?

155

:

What am I going to do about this?

156

:

I guess I'm just gonna have to

take it because I know if I call

157

:

the police, I'll be the villain

or I can just go on about my day.

158

:

And I just chose to go on about my day.

159

:

Cause I was there for my family and my

business, um, and not for this fool.

160

:

But my point is I'm just.

161

:

Appalled that, um, people are

actually conducting surveys and

162

:

especially Pew, because they

really do really good surveys.

163

:

Like, they give you information.

164

:

You really want and you

need and it's very good.

165

:

And it's legitimate.

166

:

They have social sciences and people

who really understand doing this work.

167

:

But to have that type of.

168

:

Study just really rubs me the

wrong way, but that is emotional.

169

:

What is factual is that the things

that black people talk about,

170

:

and this is systemic racism.

171

:

Um, you know, if you want, if you're

a woman, sexism, uh, if you're

172

:

gay, you know, LGBTQ, all of those

issues that we have, um, classism,

173

:

elitism, all the things that we

have to face, um, in the world.

174

:

It's not made up.

175

:

This is a collective experience.

176

:

It is, um, Something that we

experience, we observe it.

177

:

That's called empirical data.

178

:

Uh, we experience ourselves

as experiential data.

179

:

Um, you can, uh, do

studies, um, such as PEW.

180

:

Uh, we can do quantitative analysis.

181

:

You can do focus groups.

182

:

That's qualitative analysis.

183

:

Any type of study that has ever been done.

184

:

Supports the fact that black people

are discriminated against in the United

185

:

States, regardless of whether they

are qualified, regardless of whether

186

:

they are middle class or upwardly

mobile, regardless of whether they

187

:

are corporate America, self employed,

that it's just part of our existence.

188

:

So I would like for people to, what I

want, what I need you to know is there's

189

:

a reason, um, why sometimes when you

encounter black folks, um, you are

190

:

met with suspicion, um, because we.

191

:

Are often stigmatized,

villainized, and dehumanized.

192

:

Like that is the status quo.

193

:

That's the everyday for us.

194

:

That's not a exception,

especially black Americans.

195

:

You know, that is our every day.

196

:

So, and it doesn't matter.

197

:

I have four degrees.

198

:

I'm an Ivy leaguer, all the things.

199

:

It doesn't matter.

200

:

You can, you can live in

the right neighborhood.

201

:

You can send your kids

to the right school.

202

:

It doesn't matter.

203

:

You're still going every day.

204

:

You know, um, my mother always

says that every day someone will

205

:

remind you that you're black.

206

:

So you might as well be black.

207

:

And that is true.

208

:

Every day, somebody says something or does

something that reminds you that you are

209

:

different, um, and that you are less than.

210

:

So, you gotta have a strong constitution.

211

:

You know, we get that.

212

:

We gotta be, you know,

you've heard it twice.

213

:

We gotta work twice as hard to get

half the part, you know, half as far.

214

:

All the things, you know.

215

:

Um, but sometimes we don't.

216

:

Sometimes we get angry

and sometimes we give up.

217

:

And sometimes we let, you

know, people get to us.

218

:

Cause we're not perfect.

219

:

We are human beings.

220

:

I know people don't think

we're human beings, right?

221

:

That's one of the ways

that you enslave people.

222

:

You say they don't have any souls, right?

223

:

So that's how you get to the enslavement.

224

:

You're like, how does someone do that?

225

:

When you dehumanize people,

that's what happens, but we do.

226

:

And this is not everyone.

227

:

Of course, we have very

varied experiences.

228

:

Um, and we, uh, you know, we love people

who are of different races or other races.

229

:

We love people, uh, marry, partner,

build businesses, all the things.

230

:

So it's not always the case, but

most of the time this is happening.

231

:

Um, even to those people.

232

:

Um, you know, if you want to hear about

some crazy discrimination, talk to a

233

:

mixed race couple in 2024, in 2024.

234

:

And, uh, they'll tell you, they'll

tell you what they're experiencing.

235

:

Um, so anyway, my point

is, and I want to end here.

236

:

Um, is that when it comes to black

Americans, I would just encourage you,

237

:

whether it's the workplace, whether it's

your place of worship, whether it's in

238

:

your household to start with empathy,

um, and to lead with empathy, um, and to

239

:

understand that one way of

being supportive is to not

240

:

dismiss people's experiences.

241

:

Um, another way of being supportive is to

not, um, come in with your own experience.

242

:

It's just to listen, you

know, is to listen and to see.

243

:

And then another thing, which I

think people did do, wasn't just

244

:

black folks who spoke up, um, and

out to the Pew, um, Institute.

245

:

When you see something

wrong, it doesn't feel right.

246

:

It doesn't look right.

247

:

Um, how it's presented is

just disrespectful at best

248

:

and dehumanizing at worst.

249

:

Say something.

250

:

You know, don't wait till

after the meeting is over.

251

:

This always happens to me.

252

:

Don't wait till after the

meeting is over to say something.

253

:

Don't wait till after I've left.

254

:

I'm at some, uh, some other

institution or, or whatever.

255

:

I'm at some other meeting or whatever.

256

:

And then say something.

257

:

Say something in that moment.

258

:

Um, be an ally for real.

259

:

And we'll talk about that too.

260

:

How to be an ally, how to be a great ally.

261

:

We'll talk about that.

262

:

So anyway, this is need to know with Dr.

263

:

Nsenga.

264

:

I will see you next week.

265

:

BEP Narrator: A black

executive perspective.

Chapters

Video

More from YouTube