Emmanuel Acho

Black Vs. Black Culture

Now onto the uncomfortable part of the interview. During our conversation, I was excited but also nervous. I know that Emmanuel and I are similar in a lot of ways — we both have experience playing football, and we both love having incredible and inspiring conversations — but I also knew that I needed to challenge and humble myself as a White man. Thankfully, Emmanuel had a ton of amazing wisdom to share, and while our discussion was definitely challenging and uncomfortable, we were never unkind.

One of the things we focused on first was the difference between Black and Black culture. There’s a key distinction between them, and Emmanuel did a really good job of explaining it:

“I’m getting all the time, ‘Emmanuel, you don’t even talk like you’re Black,’ right? ‘Emmanuel you don’t even dress like you’re Black,’ or, I mean, … ‘You’re like an Oreo — Black on the outside, White on the inside, right?’ … There’s a difference … between color and culture. You can be Black and be White-cultured. … I finally realized when people would say, ‘Emmanuel, you’re not even Black,’ what they were saying is, ‘Emmanuel, you’re not Black-culture[d],’ right? And we need to do a better job delineating between the two. A Black person is Black — it don’t matter if I’m White cultured or not.” – Emmanuel Acho

Emmanuel attended a White private school from fifth grade through high school, and as a result, he became a Black person who is White-cultured. He learned to dress and talk like a White kid. However, when he got to college and then the NFL — which is primarily Black- cultured — he experienced a shift. Suddenly he felt he could be more himself because he was in the same space as a lot of other Black people.

Emmanuel talked a lot about this tension in regards to adoption: Is it right for White parents to adopt Black children or vice versa? How should parents handle raising a child of a different racial and cultural background? Emmanuel’s answer? Make sure they know who they really are:

“I would say adopt who you want, bro. What we know is needed in this world is more … love. … That’s what we need. So if someone is willing and has the ability and empathy to look beyond their skin color and love someone who doesn’t look like them, I will never, ever, ever, ever try to put a rule, restriction, or boundary on love. … Now what I will say is: … It is imperative [that you] do not remove your kid’s culture.” – Emmanuel Acho

To any White parents out there raising an adopted Black child — help your kids celebrate their culture! Allow them to experience it — look for ways for them to experience the Black community where you live, and help them experience the joys of both your culture and theirs — they’ll be better off for it.

The Three Questions White People Need to Ask Themselves

Now we get to the meat of our interview: In a society where Black people face negative stereotypes and even violence, how can White people respond? What conversations do we need to be having with ourselves? Emmanuel had several great suggestions:

#1: “Do I understand White privilege?”

The first question White people need to be asking themselves right now is, “Do I understand White privilege? And does my White privilege make me feel uncomfortable?” 

So what is White privilege? It’s easy to get confused, but White privilege actually has nothing to do with money. Privilege might have to do with your economic status, but White privilege doesn’t. Here’s how Emmanuel describes it:

“All privilege is immunity from certain punishment or access to certain things based upon something. … Let’s talk White privilege. White privilege is not saying your life hasn’t been hard. It’s saying your skin color hasn’t contributed to the difficulty of your life.” – Emmanuel Acho

Let’s face it: As a White man, my skin color really has not contributed to the difficulties I’ve faced in life. That doesn’t mean my life hasn’t been difficult or I haven’t struggled, but my skin color has not been a factor in those difficulties. I don’t find myself watched extra closely when I walk into a store, and people don’t automatically assume that I can’t afford a Rolex. I don’t have to make eye contact with a White person when I walk into a room so that we can have each other’s backs in case anything bad happens, but according to Emmanuel, these are things Black people experience all the time.

And here’s the thing: While not all White people have privilege in the economic sense, all White people have White privilege. Just by having a lighter skin color, we have an advantage over the Black people in our communities because of the way our society is — and that’s pretty messed up.

So what can we do about it? If you’re uncomfortable with your White privilege, how can you come to terms with it in a way that helps Black people? Let’s take a look at Emmanuel’s second question:

#2: “When’s the last time I spoke to a Black person?”

In our society, it’s very easy for White people to flow through life without often coming into contact with Black people. Unfortunately, our spaces tend to be very segregated even though segregation was outlawed in the mid-60s, and as a result, we just don’t talk to one another enough.

“It wasn’t enough to outlaw segregation. We should have mandated integration. … We gravitate toward things we are familiar with. My coach would always tell me, … ‘Don’t be like water. Water takes the easiest route. If I were to pour water on the ground, … it would just navigate the path of least resistance, and that is what we do.’” – Emmanuel Acho

Think about the places you go every week — they’re probably filled with people who look like you. Have you ever heard the expression, “birds of a feather flock together?” It happens all the time. And as a result, White people and Black people don’t come together to communicate, be friends, and celebrate their common humanity nearly often enough. So what’s the solution? Start intentionally seeking conversations.

“Until you have these conversations, until you get out of your box, you don’t realize — wait a second, we actually are more alike than we are different. Not to say that we don’t have differences, but we actually have a lot in common. So while the birds of a feather may flock together, imagine what they can do [if] they really started to speak and talk and understand other people.” – Emmanuel Acho

Start seeking ways to interact with Black people in your community. Emmanuel recommended attending a Black church — that’s an easy way to find yourself in a space with a lot of Black people where you can actually have a conversation. Start looking for your common humanity — you may be surprised to find that you have more in common with your Black neighbors than you thought.

#3: “How am I using my White privilege to benefit those around me?”

That’s the final question Emmanuel recommended that White people ask themselves. We have this White privilege, and it’s unjust that our society gives us an advantage because of something we can’t control. But the good news is that we can use our privilege to help our Black friends and neighbors.

“America is not a meritocracy. … It’s not based on how hard you work [to] achieve your success. It’s based on nepotism — people hire their family — and cronyism — people hire their friends. … How are you using that privilege to change the matrix?” – Emmanuel Acho

All of us who are White can use our White privilege to benefit those around us. It could be as simple as sticking up for your Black friends and neighbors when other White people make racist comments intentionally or unintentionally. Call out racism when you see it! In that way, you use your authority and privilege as a White person to support the Black people around you.

Why You Should Listen to This Emmanuel Acho Podcast Episode Right Now…

This conversation was uncomfortable and so, so powerful. I learned a lot from my brother Emmanuel. I want to acknowledge him for constantly showing up, following his calling, and having these uncomfortable conversations. He has already changed millions of lives, and I have no doubt he’ll change millions more. He’s opened up conversations between Black and White people that might never have happened, and he’s helping White people to become educated and start understanding and using their White privilege to benefit minorities around them. Emmanuel is doing incredible work in the world, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.

Before I sign off on this one, I want to share Emmanuel’s definition of greatness:

“My definition of greatness would be: How great can you get those around you to become? When you think about the great Michael Jordan — those around him, too, became great. Tom Brady, football player — those around him, too, became great. [With] ‘Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man” — I’m hoping that those around me, too, become great in the sense of humanity.” – Emmanuel Acho

Emmanuel definitely lives up to that definition. He’s helping all of us to become a little greater every day.

Thank you so much for joining me today, friends! If you loved this episode, please screenshot it and post it to Instagram. And make sure to tag Emmanuel, @emmanuelacho, and me, @lewishowes, so that we can hear about your greatest takeaways!

Also, don’t forget to pick up a copy of Emmanuel’s new book, Uncomfortable Conversations with Black Man. We’re coming up on the holidays, and this is a perfect gift to get a friend, family member, or even yourself!

Until next time — keep opening up those lines of communication. The more we come to understand our brothers and sisters who may have a different skin color, the greater we become.

To Greatness,