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Trevor Noah is going viral for his discussion on segregation in American schools with Professor Ruha Benjamin of Princeton.
In the clip, Noah can be seen asking Benjamin if he thinks "integration was the right solution." The latter expressed dissenting views, noting that "when you're being integrated into institutions, into a culture that's a supremacist culture." She also questioned why we are "being integrated into that."
In the video, Noah, who grew up in South Africa, can be heard saying:
"Do you think that integration was the right move? And I'm separating two things. Cause I know in America people are like of course, there was racism and there was segregation, and I go, 'no, no, no, I'm separating them.' Let's separate someone being oppressed and someone not being able to get a job, and someone not being able to get a bank loan. Let's take all of those things, the negative things away."
Read more about what Trevor Noah has to say about segregation:
In the video, Trevor Noah can also be heard giving the example of Finland and Finnish people, noting that they're all headed in the same direction and that they "all know what their actions mean."
"And that's a really powerful thing I've learned in communicating with other people. When I'm in a room with anyone with anyone where we start to tie together multiple things. So, if I'm in a room with Black people, already there's like an implicit trust because we know what certain actions, words, and vibes mean."
Trevor Noah went on, noting that even as a Black person if he were in a room with an African, he would feel a sense of belonging. He asserted that there's a sense of understanding in the same way an Italian would be able to identify with another. He then prefaced his question with a warning, noting that it might be a "loaded" one before he asked Ruha Benjamin about what she thought about segregation.
Ruha then asserted that she thought segregation was a good idea, noting that segregation and integration were not the only options. She also claimed that out of the two, the latter may be more progressive.
"But again, when you're being integrated into institutions, into a culture, that's a supremacist culture. That's a culture that feds off of hierarchy, off of insecurity, anxiety. Why are we being integrated into that?" Ruha can be heard saying in the video.
Trevor Noah's sentiments have since stirred controversy on the internet, with some users noting that he should be prepared for the topic by reading up on works like Franz Fanon. However, others defended his thesis, noting that he seems to have formed a well-structured opinion.
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