Emmanuel Acho on Uncomfortable Conversations

In the wake of George Floyd's murder in 2020, Emmanuel Acho recognized that Black and White people simply do not understand each other in America and he wanted to use his voice to do something about it. So he launched a video series, Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man. His goal? Open a dialog on topics we've been afraid to talk about: racism, privilege, cultural appropriation, and more. That show exploded with over 70 millions views, widespread media coverage, and led to his must-read NYT best-selling book by the same name. Emmanuel studied sports management and was drafted into the NFL while earning his masters in Sports Psychology in the off-season. Not long after retiring from the NFL, Emmanuel started his broadcasting career at ESPN where he was the youngest national football analyst, and named a 2018 Forbes Under 30 selection. In this episode we get into: Emmanuel's upbringing from growing up as a first generation American to Nigerian immigrant parents, to attending an all white affluent grade school, to his career as a pro NFL football player to today. How to start with what you have Building and developing an idea through exploration How conversation leads to understanding, and understanding can break down barriers between cultural differences Insights from his conversations so far, including answers to tough questions that stuck with him Enjoy! Today's episode is brought to you by CreativeLive. CreativeLive is the world's largest hub for online creative education in photo/video, art/design, music/audio, craft/maker and the ability to make a living in any of those disciplines. They are high quality, highly curated classes taught by the world's top experts -- Pulitzer, Oscar, Grammy Award winners, New York Times best selling authors and the best entrepreneurs of our times.