On tonight’s premiere episode of United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell, his focus is on immigrants — but he also interviews the man who coined the term “alt-right”, Richard Spencer.
In the jarring teaser interview posted below, Spencer talks to Kamau bluntly about his xenophobic and racist party platform in an episode that also deals with refugees and immigrants living in the USA. He tells Kamau he wants to “bathe” in his white privilege.
Spencer is a white supremacist who believes that white privilege is an “amazing” thing and has supported America being a country for white people only.
He loses Kamau fast when he expresses horror at the idea of Idris Elba being cast in the role of James Bond, a character that Spencer views as white.
Not just limiting his bigotry to race, Spencer tells Kamau, who appears to be less and less enamored of their conversation, that he also believes that a woman’s place is in the home.
In a recent interview on CNN, Kamau explained why he spoke to Spencer and said of him: “I’m not afraid of these people or Richard Spencer’s ideas, because I know my ideas will win. My ideas are better.”
United Shades of America is back for a second season of eight episodes and follows socio-political comedian Kamau as he dives deep into subcultures using his secret weapon, comedy, to elicit a conversation about race and how our differences unite and divide us.
Tonight, aside from Spencer, Kamau also covers some positive and encouraging stories as he speaks with I/O Spaces, an incubator for African immigrant businesses in Silver Spring, Maryland.
He also talks to Ruby Corado, a refugee and LGBT activist who specializes in helping refugees who need help and advocacy, and who are also in need of shelter.
And he interviews Sarah Zullo, a woman who came to America from Ethiopia and dedicated her life to welcoming people who have arrived from war-ravaged countries and have no one to help them.
Other stories will be told by Syrian-refugee Mohammad, and Williams Guevara, a refugee whose court testimony changed a law and in doing so saved his sister’s life.
United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell returns for Season 2 tonight, April 30, at 10pm ET/PT on CNN.