Chip and Joanna Gaines Bring Their Kids on Emmanuel Acho's 'Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man'
For many parents, conversations around racial injustice can be tough. Chip and Joanna Gaines are no different. The couple has shared their struggle to talk to their kids about the current protests happening across the country, brought on by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and more. The Gaineses wanted to instill values of acceptance in their children, but it also made Chip and Joanna realize that they had a lot to learn, too. So, they decided to have this conversation as a family, thanks to former Philadelphia Eagles player and ESPN football analyst Emmanuel Acho.
2) So to our black brothers and sisters, from deep in the heart of the Gaines family that dates back 100’s of years, WE ARE SORRY, and we stand with you ready to change.
— Chip Gaines (@chipgaines) June 1, 2020
Earlier this month, Acho launched a mini-series titled Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man. The first episode, which featured Acho solo, caught the attention of millions of users on Instagram. However, Acho wanted his show to not just be a monologue, but a dialogue between him and White people eager to learn more. "I want to remove the barriers for why we’ve never had these conversations," he writes on his website. He adds that his show is "a free space for curious white people" to get answers to the questions they’ve been too nervous to ask.
During the third episode, all seven members of the Gaines family met with Acho for a powerful and informative conversation. Acho's natural ability to break down the concept of race using simple analogies made it easy to comprehend not just for white people, but for young kids. Joanna pops the first question and asks Acho his thoughts on raising children to be colorblind. Acho explains that it’s important that kids are aware of the differences. "I think it's best that we raise our kids to see color because there's a beauty in color and there's a beauty in culture," he says.
Acho continues to share a story about how he was assisting an elderly woman who needed glasses. She believed that she did not need them, despite the fact that she was constantly bumping into things. But after she was fitted for frames, the woman cracked a huge smile, as was able to see all this depth and color that she didn’t know existed before. "My white brothers and sisters, until they put their glasses on, they can't see all the dimensions of life," Acho says. He presents the case of how a white person might not even realize how uncomfortable it is for a Black person to attend a school named after a Confederate—until they have that uncomfortable conversation that changes their perspective.
Acho also allows the kids to be a part of the important dialogue. “Are you afraid of white people?,” Emmie Gaines, 10, asks Acho. After a good laugh, Acho says he's "not afraid, but cautious." He gives an example of how both water and electricity are necessary for life, but there are times that the two can come together and have a negative interaction.
While I don't want to give the episode away, you can catch episode three of Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man, featuring the Gaines’ family, below—it's well worth a watch. You can also check out actor Matthew McConaughey’s conversation with Acho in episode two.
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