I Discovered I Am a Black Man at 19 | Rick Hightower

Rick Hightower grew up in an all-Black neighborhood in Atlanta, arrived at TCU (a university in Ft Worth, TX) at 19, and discovered for the first time what it meant to be a Black man in a predominantly white world. That discovery shaped his entire career. In this conversation, Beth and Rick explore the survival patterns that navigating race creates, Rick introduces the concept of aversive racism, and Beth shares her own unconscious bias story and asks whether it crossed into how she led. Today’s lesson: conscious living.Chapters:00:00 Cold open00:10 Intro00:45 Meet Rick Hightower03:25 Two heart attacks and a wake-up call05:20 The courage to speak up before retirement12:00 Right under your nose but you don’t see13:15 “I haven’t had any major trauma”14:48 I discovered I was Black at 1916:32 The calculus class that changed everything20:00 Working harder and watching others get more22:05 The false arrest at TCU24:00 Black professionals and the exceptional standard27:45 Conscious living and picking your battles29:50 Prepare to be wrong32:05 What navigating race costs your relationships35:03 Seeking joy and setting boundaries35:35 Beth’s unconscious bias story39:56 Aversive racism explained43:13 The mask, the pandemic, and conscious living47:10 CloseConnect with Rick Hightower: LinkedIn:   / rick-hightower-3405bb179 Instagram: instagram.com/hightower_rickFacebook: facebook.com/rick.hightower.7Website: therickhightower.comConnect with Beth: [email protected]