On Wednesday, September 18, 2024, award-winning author Terry Lee Watson hosted a live broadcast about his book, white supremacy, and deconstructed racism. The live broadcast consisted of two parts: Watson giving his insight and thought process on how he wrote his book and how his book ties mental health with race, his experiences dealing with racism as an African American man, and his second part of the broadcast was the live Q&A session. 

In this live broadcast, Watson brought up many thought-provoking analogies. He explained detail by detail why we see a current pattern of white supremacy and why people tend to avoid these hard conversations of racism against marginalized groups. He stated that the first thing we have to take into consideration is the sickness of white supremacy, which he described as the “passed down curse.” The reason he described this term as a “passed down curse” is because a lot of the time hurt, bias, and propaganda are taught.

Watson stated that no one is ever really born as a spiteful and hateful person, but rather what they are taught leads them to being desensitized into ignorance. In a way, he described it as a generational curse and that “hurt people, hurt people.” Oftentimes heavy subjects of race and propagandas of race against a specific group are ignored because people are trying to “avoid pain and avoid hurt” at the same time. People hate to feel uncomfortable and since these topics are known to be very diverse with many psychological layers to them, people would rather ignore it altogether.

While sharing some of these thoughts, he gave examples of uncomfortable situations he has been in where instead of reacting on impulse, he processed his thoughts and what he has been through. He explained that he does this because “he isn’t naive to think that he’s the only one that thinks about things from a different perspective.” He then takes the following into consideration: “why did this person say what they say? Why did this person cause hate in their speech? How can he process and assert that boundary without being painted as the bad guy?” All of these thoughts are part of the process of deconstructing racism and white supremacy, as well as opening up conversations and safe spaces for marginalized groups. Watson ended with the sentiment that he wants to help empower the future and assert safe spaces for people who feel belittled and depreciated because of their race and background. 

There are many readers raving about his book, as some critics say it “a bravely written book by a brilliant man,” “this is a must-read for all Black Men and the people who love them,” “undeniable excellence in packing a powerful message while taking you on a soul-searching journey of deconstructing racism and white supremacy,” and “bringing back health to our minds.” There are plenty of great reviews about this book, further asserting that messages of racism and white supremacy should be hosted in safe spaces more. 

If you would like to check out Watson’s website, go to strategiesjustice.com. Here, one can read about his goal to “Empower the Future with Untold Stories,” as well as purchase a copy of his book, whether it’s the audible version or a signed copy.