-Hey, everybody.
Thank you for tuning in to "The Tonight Show."
As you just saw, our opening sequence had no music.
That was not a mistake.
That was done in solidarity with the music industry
and Blackout Tuesday, which means no music
will be used in our show at all tonight.
Just a way to remind everyone,
hold everyone accountable for their actions
and just recognize the struggle
that black lives have been going through.
We here at "The Tonight Show" do support Black Lives Matter
and we are against any type of police brutality.
For me, as a comedian, to do these shows
that aren't necessarily funny but just a conversation,
you know, we are a comedy show,
so we're going to try to make you laugh.
Tonight we have two very, very funny human beings.
From "2 Dope Queens," Phoebe Robinson
is on the show tonight.
We'll also be talking to W. Kamau Bell
from "United Shades of America."
And they're gonna share their views
of what's going on in the world,
as well as they can't help themselves be very funny.
Last night was a big opportunity.
The president got to address the country
from the Rose Garden, and this is his chance
to really maybe bring us all together as one.
And let's see how he did.
-Our nation has been gripped by professional anarchists,
violent mobs, arsonists, looters, criminals,
rioters, Antifa.
Angry mob.
I will deploy the United States military --
thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers.
We dominate the streets.
You will face severe criminal penalties
and lengthy sentences in jail.
-Is that your Bible?
-It's a Bible.
-Excuse me for one second.
Aaah!
We're gonna start our show tonight with an NBA legend
who's gone on to be a political activist
as well as a great author.
He recently wrote an op-ed piece in the "L.A. Times"
called "Don't Understand the Protest?"
Let's talk to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Kareem, thank you so much for being here.
I appreciate this.
And thank you for talking with me and continuing to talk
about what's going on in the world.
This past weekend you wrote a piece for the "L.A. Times"
that got a lot of pickup. -Yeah.
-Basically about the protests, and the title was,
"Don't Understand the Protests?"
"What you're seeing is people pushed to the edge."
What do you tell people who don't understand
what the protests are?
-Well, you know, the protests are about something that is
very real for black Americans and poor people.
And something needs to be done about it.
You know, we have no way --
There's no way that we can deal with bad cops
that works for everyone.
-One of the lines that stuck in my head
when I was reading your piece was, you said that
"racism is like dust in the air."
-Yeah.
-And I'd never heard that before.
Can you explain that analogy?
-Well, the analogy is, have you ever been in a room,
and it's really dusty, but you can't see it
until you shine a flashlight and see all the dust motes
in the ray of light?
-Yeah.
-They were there the whole time but you didn't notice them
until the light turns on.
I think that's what we're dealing with.
Racism and bias in our criminal justice system
has been there ever since the Founding Fathers.
And something has to be done about it.
-How much of the protests have you seen
in your personal life and been involved with
in your personal life?
-Well, let's see.
The first time I was involved in a protest was
right after Dr. King was assassinated.
I took part in a protest on UCLA.
And people would come up to me...
We stood silently for an hour.
And people during that hour, people would come up to me
and tell me that I was going to get an opportunity
to play in the NBA, so what was I demonstrating about?
-Really? -Yeah.
And, you know, it continues, you know.
People don't get it.
That, you know, the senseless violence
is part and parcel of people, like --
for African-Americans, it's part of their lives.
It has to change.
-How did you -- did you feel like this ever since --
for your whole life? I mean, when you were a kid?
I mean, did your parents talk to you --
-When I was in college
or driving on the New Jersey Turnpike
and getting harassed by the officers
on the Jersey Turnpike
that wanted to make sure I wasn't transporting drugs
or something like that.
You know, based on the color of my skin.
-Wow. -Many times.
It's happened to my children. It's not good.
-How do you talk about this with your kids
when they were growing up?
-Well, I talked to my -- especially my boys.
I told them, you know, the police are suspicious of you
and afraid of you at the same time.
And it's all based on the color of your skin.
And you have to know how to handle that
and not escalate a situation that could end up
with you getting shot for no good reason.
-Did you ever see yourself doing what you're doing now?
Or when you were a kid, just trying to play basketball
and hopefully play for the NBA, did you see yourself
as being politically active or being an author?
-Of course I did, because this hasn't changed.
All right, between my junior and senior year in high school,
I witnessed a riot in New York City.
A young man, James Powell, was killed by a police officer,
Thomas Gilligan, and, you know, Harlem erupted in a riot
for two or three days.
You know, I'd just see the fear --
you know, walk those streets
and run for my life, and it wasn't a pretty thing.
It hasn't changed that much.
It's something to think about, Jimmy.
What was Colin Kaepernick demonstrating about?
He was demonstrating about black people being killed
unnecessarily by police officers.
Now that was a peaceful demonstration.
What did it get him? He was ostracized.
He lost his job. And he was blackballed.
That was a peaceful demonstration.
-Yeah. -So you got to understand
that too many black people have seen any intent by them
to deal with this,
to get this weight off of us,
is -- it's ignored.
People say, "Jeez, I feel sorry about that,"
but they don't do anything about it.
And something has to be done about it.
Something effective that will make sure that bad cops
don't kill black people unnecessarily.
-And it is about keeping the conversation going,
and keep that motivation of, you know,
what we can do, and just don't stop,
and actually, actually change.
And I feel like -- I mean, I'm trying the best I can to --
I am changing.
And going forward, I'm not going to let this conversation stop.
But for those that may not think this affects them,
what do you say to those people?
-I would challenge those people to make a friend
that doesn't look like them.
If they already have that friend,
then the challenge was unnecessary.
But I think there's too many of us that don't have
friends that don't look like us.
That's a shame.
And it's causing a very tragic situation to perpetuate.
-What gives you hope right now?
-What gives me hope is the fact that most Americans can --
are getting it.
I've seen all these demonstrations
across the country.
I didn't expect to see that.
And I think they're starting to see how it happens.
The death of George Floyd was such a horror and a tragedy
and so unnecessary.
And why does that happen?
I think people now are legitimately trying
to understand that and answer that question in a way
that removes all of the pain of it.
-What is one way that we can bring people together,
that you think?
-I'm?-- I really feel that getting to know
and understand the humanity of your fellow Americans
is the way to go.
Figure out how to make a friend that doesn't look like you
and understand their humanity.
If you can do that, we're on our way.
-Kareem, thank you so much for coming on our show.
And I really appreciate it. Always, any time I see you.
Thank you so much for doing this, it means a lot to me.
And I hope you stay safe, and I really want to see you again
in person next time.
-I'll be looking forward to it. You stay safe and stay healthy.
My best to your family. -Thank you, buddy, you too.