This week marks the ninth week of protests across the country as demonstrators demand tangible changes to the racial divides that have plagued the U.S. since its inception. Along with calls for equality have been calls to defund police, who are often seen as enforcing laws unequally.
However, Pastor Miles McPherson said accepting people's differences needs to be the goal, rather than choosing sides, like pro- or anti-police.
The NFL player-turned-pastor's 2018 book The Third Option: Hope For a Racially Divided Nation has regained national attention as people look for ways to sort through ethnic, racial, and other cultural differences that are tearing at the seams of America's social stability.
"The third option, which is what the book is about: how do we honor and give value to what we have in common? We have more similarities than differences," McPherson told Cheddar.
McPherson, the pastor of Rock Church in San Diego, California, said that there are ways for people to avoid offensive "blind spots" they may have in order to improve relations among people with varying backgrounds.
"If we can come to the table and talk about the things that we agree on, start with those things versus focusing on the differences we have, we can make more headway," he explained.
Racial division in America is practically embedded in the genetic makeup of the country, but for McPherson, the path to understanding isn't in avoiding differences but embracing and respecting them.
"If you have people in your life that are of a different ethnicity than you, different culture, the best thing to do is to sit down and ask if there are things about you that are offensive that you don't know about," he said.
For McPherson, the father and son of police officers, improving relationships between communities and police departments is also important because he understands how mischaracterizations based on job association or racial makeup can cause even more division.
"I think it's very important for us to not categorize a group of people as all bad or all good," he said. "There are good cops and bad cops."
Perhaps the most critical point for social progression in America, according to McPherson, is allowing people to "make mistakes" as we're "all on a journey" to understanding and accepting our differences.
"If we can give each other that grace, we can get further down the road," he said.
John Coffee, Law Professor at Columbia University, joined Closing Bell to discuss the latest obstacle in Elon Musk's attempted Twitter takeover, as the billionaire claims the company is hiding accurate information about the number of fake accounts on the platform.
Bill Nye the Science Guy is back but on an even smaller screen. America’s favorite science teacher has racked up more than eight million followers on TikTok, and he joined Cheddar News to talk about his success on the platform, having fun but also being serious about scientific topics like tackling climate change, and his newest hosting project "The End is Nye," a streaming show on Peacock that examines disasters — both natural and manmade. "There are six episodes. We have big disasters. Things go terribly wrong, and then we show you how things could have gone right," he explained.
With the temperature heating up and summer around the corner, we're all enjoying the great outdoors once again. As much as you love a day at the beach, it's important to remember that the beautiful weather can take a toll on your skin if you aren't careful. Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Michelle Henry joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Catching you up on today's entertainment headlines with "Top Gun: Maverick" hitting $500 million at the box office, Queen Elizabeth II celebrating her Platinum Jubilee — with Paddington Bear, Mariah Carey being sued over her hit “All I Want For Christmas Is You," coverage from the MTV Music and Video Awards, and more.
The labor market continues to be hot, with job openings at record highs and jobless claims dropping by the thousands. While that's good news for workers, experts say it can add to inflation risks and make the Fed's job even harder when it comes to cooling inflation. José Torres, Senior Economist at Interactive Brokers, breaks down what a tight labor market means for the economy.
The labor market continues to be strong. The U.S. added 390,000 jobs in May, while the unemployment rate held steady at 3.6%. Julia Pollak, Chief Economist for ZipRecruiter, breaks down the latest data and what it means for the economy.
On today's Biz Breakdown, Musk invites more in-office mandates, you can now pay with Bitcoins for burritos at Chipotle, and 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' faces a new lawsuit.
Another incredibly deadly weekend with more gun violence breaking out across the U.S. and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces a confidence vote today. Here is everything you Need2Know for Monday, June 6, 2022.
U.S. stocks closed Friday's session near session to cap off the week in the red. The disappointing end to the day and week follows a lukewarm May jobs report from the Labor Department and comes as investors continue to eye future rate hikes from the Federal Reserve. Callie Cox, U.S. Investment Analyst for eToro, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
