Denzel Washington: The Only Hollywood Star Telling the Truth About Race | Larry Elder

This is about Denzel Washington, not about his acting, which is great. No, this is about his perspective. He's probably the only person in Hollywood speaking the truth about so-called race relations. Now, don't get me wrong. He's nobody. He's Republican. You probably wouldn't have voted for Donald Trump if you paid him. But... For black people in particular, do you think that we can truly make change as things are right now? Well, it starts in the home, you know. If the father's not in the home, the boy will find the father in the streets. Yeah. I saw it in my generation and every generation before me and everyone since. It starts in the home, you know. If the streets raise you, then the judge becomes your mother and, you know, and prison becomes your home. This interviewer was determined, determined to get Denzel Washington to go BMW. For those of you new to the El Dorado Nation, BMW stands for bitch, moan, and whine, and Denzel Washington wasn't having it. I want to just ask you, though, about the issue of race relations, because the film touches upon that. Right now, under President Obama, over the last eight years, in your mind, have race relations improved under his leadership? Race relationships have to do with race relationships. You're white or whatever you are. I'm black or whatever I am. We're standing here talking now. That's how we get things done. You can't legislate love. The President of the United States can't legislate us into liking each other. We have to step forward and ask questions about each other and engage. There's no law that says, oh, because I'm president, you all got to get along now. So it's up to us. He tried again. Denzel, talk to me about systemic, institutional, structural, foundational, endemic racism. And Denzel Washington wasn't going with it. There's been so many protests in America, especially during the election. Black Lives Matter movement, for example, and those issues. Has that movement in particular, the Black Lives Matter movement, helped race relations or not in America? Listen, we live in America. And in America, we have the freedom to express ourselves. We shouldn't take that for granted. So whatever the movements are, whether you agree with them or don't, they have the right to express themselves. So that's one of the great things about being in this country, that you do have the right to protest. You see, here's the deal. Denzel Washington is not a victocrat. He knows damn well why so many blacks are involved in the criminal justice system. There was something I read where you talked about your people from Mount Vernon saying that they've done like 40 years in a penitentiary together. And incarceration rates in America has been a problem, especially as opposed to minorities. And Roman delves into this, the issues around the legal system. Do you think we've made any headway? I think it's more important to make headway in our own house. By the time the system comes into play, the damage is done. They're not locking up seven-year-olds. I was in Chicago a couple of three, four weeks ago. And we saw these little kids on bikes with masks on the side of their head, like five or six of them. And the driver said, yeah, they're Little Yummies. I said, who? He said, Little Yummies. Look up. Google Little Yummy. Little Yummy was an 11-year-old murderer. And you look at his picture, you'll see the head shot up, and he's like this. And he got murdered at 11 by a 14-year-old who's doing life now, and a 16-year-old. It makes no sense. You blame the system? Where was his father? It starts in the house. It starts in the home. And yeah, well, my father got locked up. But where was his father? Yeah. And Mr. Washington talked about the friends he grew up with. And what happened to them? I did talk about my three closest friends. And they did 15 to 25. One did 28, this and that. I was the only one of the three that had a father in my life, even though my parents were together. But I still had a father who was a gentle man and a good example. And they didn't. We can blame the system if we want. But they didn't lock any of us up at seven. We were all doing enough to get locked up at 13. My parents sent me in another direction. They didn't have anybody to help them. And they kept doing what they was doing. The formula for success? Hard work, focus, commitment, persistence, perseverance, sacrifice, and believing in yourself. But remember, dreams without goals are just dreams. And they ultimately fuel disappointment. So have dreams, but have goals, life goals, yearly goals, monthly goals, daily goals. I try to give myself a goal every day. Sometimes it's just to not curse somebody out. Simple goals, but have goals. And understand that to achieve these goals, you must apply discipline and consistency. In order to achieve your goals, you must apply discipline, which you've already done, and consistency every day. Not just one Tuesday and miss a few days. You have to work at it every day. You have to plan every day. You've heard the saying, we don't plan to fail, we fail to plan. Hard work works. Working really hard is what successful people do. And in this text, tweet, twerk world that you've grown up in, remember, just because you're doing a lot more, doesn't mean you're getting a lot more done. Remember that just because you're doing a lot more, doesn't mean you're getting a lot more done. Don't confuse movement with progress. My mother told me, she said, yeah, because you've been running plates all the time and never get anywhere. So continue to strive, continue to have goals, continue to progress. Quite a contrast from this. Being a black man in America isn't easy. The hunt is on and you're the prey. All I'm saying is, all I'm saying is survive. To this, we all have different talents. Some of you will be doctors, some lawyers, some scientists, some educators, some nurses, some teachers. Yeah. Okay. Some preachers. The most selfish thing you can do in this world is help someone else. Why is it selfish? Because the gratification, the goodness that comes to you, the good feeling, the good feeling that I get from helping others, nothing's better than that. Not, not jewelry, not big house I have, not the cars, but it's the joy. That's where the joy is in helping others. That's where the success is. And at the top of Denzel Washington's list of things to do to become successful, put God first in helping others. Finally, I pray that you put your slippers way under the bed tonight so that when you wake up in the morning, you have to get on your knees to reach them. And while you're down there, say thank you for grace. Thank you for mercy. Thank you for understanding. Thank you for wisdom. Thank you for parents. Thank you for love. Thank you for kindness. Thank you for humility. Thank you for peace. Thank you for prosperity. Say thank you in advance for what's already yours. It's how I live my life. That's where I am. One of the reasons why I am today. Say thank you in advance for what is already yours. True desire in the heart for anything good is God's proof to you sent beforehand to indicate that it's yours already. I'll say it again. True desire in the heart, that itch that you have, whatever it is you want to do, that thing that you want to do to help others and to grow and to make money, that desire, that itch, that's God's proof to you sent beforehand already to indicate that it's yours. And anything you want good, you can have. So claim it. Work hard to get it. When you get it, reach back. Pull someone else up. Each one, teach one. Don't just aspire to make a living. Aspire to make a difference. Now, because this dastardly Black conservative said good things about Denzel Washington, I hope he doesn't get canceled. I don't think he will. I'm Larry Elder and we've got a country to save. I'll see you next time.