The Real Stakes of the American Story | The Ezra Klein Show

So, I grew up on the ocean. So, I grew up on the ocean. The Atlantic Ocean was the beach. It was The Atlantic Ocean was the beach. It was The Atlantic Ocean was the beach. It was a place to go. And then I went to Africa a place to go. And then I went to Africa a place to go. And then I went to Africa for the first time. for the first time. for the first time. Um misconnect. I was supposed to give a Um misconnect. I was supposed to give a Um misconnect. I was supposed to give a speech in Abuja, in Nigeria, and I got speech in Abuja, in Nigeria, and I got speech in Abuja, in Nigeria, and I got there too late. And so, they sent there too late. And so, they sent there too late. And so, they sent somebody somebody somebody uh to meet me at the airport in Lagos, uh to meet me at the airport in Lagos, uh to meet me at the airport in Lagos, who was supposed to take care of me. And who was supposed to take care of me. And who was supposed to take care of me. And this young lawyer met me at the airport, this young lawyer met me at the airport, this young lawyer met me at the airport, and he was very nice. And first thing he and he was very nice. And first thing he and he was very nice. And first thing he said was, "I have to show you Lagos." It said was, "I have to show you Lagos." It said was, "I have to show you Lagos." It was like 11:00 at night. And he took me was like 11:00 at night. And he took me was like 11:00 at night. And he took me all around the city. And we would all around the city. And we would all around the city. And we would literally go into neighborhoods, and he literally go into neighborhoods, and he literally go into neighborhoods, and he would start shouting, "Hey, everybody, would start shouting, "Hey, everybody, would start shouting, "Hey, everybody, come out and meet this black American come out and meet this black American come out and meet this black American lawyer." And he took me all around the lawyer." And he took me all around the lawyer." And he took me all around the city. And I finally said, "Man, I got to city. And I finally said, "Man, I got to city. And I finally said, "Man, I got to get a little rest. Can we can we just go get a little rest. Can we can we just go get a little rest. Can we can we just go home and get a little I got to get up home and get a little I got to get up home and get a little I got to get up early." He said, "Okay, one more place." early." He said, "Okay, one more place." early." He said, "Okay, one more place." And uh And uh And uh he took me to the beach. It was dark. he took me to the beach. It was dark. he took me to the beach. It was dark. You could see the moon shining across You could see the moon shining across You could see the moon shining across the ocean. the ocean. the ocean. And this guy had been so gregarious and And this guy had been so gregarious and And this guy had been so gregarious and so talkative, all of a sudden got so so talkative, all of a sudden got so so talkative, all of a sudden got so quiet. And I was standing there, quiet. And I was standing there, quiet. And I was standing there, and I looked over at him, and he was and I looked over at him, and he was and I looked over at him, and he was crying. He had a tear running down his crying. He had a tear running down his crying. He had a tear running down his face. face. face. And then he looked at me, and he said, And then he looked at me, and he said, And then he looked at me, and he said, "I brought you here "I brought you here "I brought you here because I wanted to tell you I'm sorry.

because I wanted to tell you I'm sorry. because I wanted to tell you I'm sorry. This is where we lost you." This is where we lost you." This is where we lost you." >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> And for the first time in my life, I >> And for the first time in my life, I >> And for the first time in my life, I realized I was standing on the other realized I was standing on the other realized I was standing on the other side of this ocean that separated me side of this ocean that separated me side of this ocean that separated me from everything that's important about from everything that's important about from everything that's important about me. My identity, my culture, my history me. My identity, my culture, my history me. My identity, my culture, my history was all taken from me by the Atlantic was all taken from me by the Atlantic was all taken from me by the Atlantic Ocean. If I take a DNA test, I show up Ocean. If I take a DNA test, I show up Ocean. If I take a DNA test, I show up in 24 different countries. in 24 different countries. in 24 different countries. And it it hit me hard. And it it hit me hard. And it it hit me hard. First time. First time. First time. And it changed my relationship to the And it changed my relationship to the And it changed my relationship to the Atlantic Ocean. When I got back here, Atlantic Ocean. When I got back here, Atlantic Ocean. When I got back here, I realized that that body of water I realized that that body of water I realized that that body of water needed to be understood more honestly. needed to be understood more honestly. needed to be understood more honestly. We've spent millions of dollars looking We've spent millions of dollars looking We've spent millions of dollars looking for trinkets from the Titanic in the for trinkets from the Titanic in the for trinkets from the Titanic in the Atlantic. And we haven't spent hardly Atlantic. And we haven't spent hardly Atlantic. And we haven't spent hardly anything to reckon with the 2 million anything to reckon with the 2 million anything to reckon with the 2 million bodies that are buried in the bottom of bodies that are buried in the bottom of bodies that are buried in the bottom of that ocean. And so, a A can help us that ocean. And so, a A can help us that ocean. And so, a A can help us understand things about who we are, our understand things about who we are, our understand things about who we are, our relationship to the things around us relationship to the things around us relationship to the things around us that are important. I still love the that are important. I still love the that are important. I still love the beach. I still see it as a place of beach. I still see it as a place of beach. I still see it as a place of beauty, beauty, beauty, but I also see this need to help others but I also see this need to help others but I also see this need to help others understand the harm that was caused understand the harm that was caused understand the harm that was caused by moving millions of people by moving millions of people by moving millions of people off of their land, their place, their off of their land, their place, their off of their land, their place, their space. It's really unprecedented in space. It's really unprecedented in space. It's really unprecedented in human history.