White Dad, Black Daughter, and Conversations About Race

Continuing our latest conversation about race, this week wraps up our interview with L’aigner. In part two of our discussion, we talk about how she navigates difficult conversations about institutional racism and the experiences of black people living in America with her white father.

We shift the topic for a bit to discuss history’s perception of black people in the media. Then, L’aigner touches on her father’s experiences with face-to-face prejudice as a white man who likes dating black women and whether or not she should feel empathy for him. 

You’ll also hear our viewpoints on parents struggling to come to terms with raising their kids to be independent thinkers. In addition, L’aigner shares some key takeaways from this discussion to consider if you’re bi-racial or have close relationships with white people.

We hope you enjoy what you hear today. If you do, let other people know by writing us a review and rating our podcast on Apple with five stars. And if you haven’t already, make sure you hit the subscribe button so you won’t miss a single episode!

In this episode:

[02:05] – Through conversations, Brittney knows non-black people, especially immigrants and their families, find it challenging to empathize with the black experience.

[04:32] – Brittney mentions reading an article recently suggesting black people shouldn’t watch viral videos of police brutality.

[05:37] – The news has a major impact on shaping perception and is part of the institution. Pops makes a point of how we rarely see good news about black people.

[07:15] – Bad news for black people has been around forever, and police patrolling goes back to slavery.

[09:51] – When L’aigner has these types of conversations with her dad, he always asks why he as a white male is blamed for American society’s problems.

[12:23] – When interacting with her mother’s side of the family, L’aigner’s dad dealt with incidences of mistrust based on his race.

[14:25] – Pops points out the major difference between the mistreatment black people face and what L’aigner’s dad experiences.

[17:02] – Looking at race issues faced by groups of people instead of one-to-one makes the problem easier to see and exposes the systemic nature of it.

[18:13] – Brittney wonders how receptive L’aigner’s dad has been to anything she’s shared with him regarding racial issues.

[19:45] – On some things, like George Floyd’s murder, L’aigner and her dad are on the same side but come at it from a different point-of-view.

[22:00] – L’aigner asks Pops if he’s ever felt defensive by his daughter’s perspective on something.

[23:24] – Pops has had to step back sometimes and be reminded that Brittney’s a grown woman now, with her own opinions.

[24:41] – Pops had to learn to share his opinions while respecting other’s viewpoints.

[26:17] – Sometimes parents get carried away with trying to get their kids to do things the same way they do.

[29:10] – Before wrapping up the show, L’aigner has some final thoughts and takeaways.

[30:47] – Pops wants to know what kind of music L’aigner’s dad plays as a DJ.

[32:01] – L’aigner shares her dad’s favorite song which will possibly play during the father-daughter dance at her future wedding.

 

Links and Resources:

Season 2 episode 13: Unprecedented times: protests, uprising, and racism

@laignerlmassey on Instagram

Girl Talk With Pops

@GirlTalkWithPops on Instagram

Girl Talk With Pops on Facebook

Girl Talk With Pops on Apple Podcasts

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