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.
Haley Taylor Schlitz graduated from her Texas homeschooling high school program at just 13 years old. At age 19, she became the youngest black woman ever to graduate from law school. Schlitz joins Cheddar News to share how she did it all.
As AAPI Heritage Month comes to a close, Azia Celestino caught up with the stars at Gold House’s inaugural gala. Attendees shared their hopes for Asian and Pacific Islander representation beyond May.
With the baby formula in the United States surging to an out-of-stock rate of 70 percent, the FDA has given Abbott permission to reopen its Michigan plant amid the crisis and authorized foreign imports. Professor Peter Pitts, a former FDA associate commissioner and current president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, joined Cheddar News to discuss the ongoing shortage and its wide impact. “As difficult as things is in urban areas, they’re even worse in small communities and tribal areas where parents can't just go to the next store on the corner," he said. Pitts also noted that the Abbott factory was a "disaster" prior to its shutdown and that it would have been "regulatory malpractice" to have left it open.
Modeled after traditional Taiwanese night markets that founder John Wang experienced growing up, the market showcases the borough it calls home and the diversity Queens is known for.
New real estate data shows that mortgage applications are slipping but home listings are increasing 9 percent from a week ago. It comes as sellers worry they might miss out on the hot housing market before it's too late. Skylar Olsen, Senior Director, Principal Economist, at Tomo joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss.
Gas prices are at record highs just as many Americans are getting ready to hit the road for memorial day weekend. The average price for a gallon of gas is now $4.59, with all 50 states above $4 per gallon. Dan Eberhart, CEO of Canary, has tips on how to save money and ease some of the pain at the pump.
While many Americans of South Asian descent hold prominent positions in America, they are rarely seen in mainstream media. Simi Shah tells Cheddar News that’s why she decided to start her own podcast featuring prominent South Asian Americans highlighting their professional journey.
Sad new details emerge after this week's school shooting in Uvalde, Texas and former President Trump and two of his children have been told to testify. Here is everything you Need2Know for Friday, May 27, 2022.
