TEDxJacksonville: Black Murder is Normal

Michael T. Smith on Black Murder is Normal.

In this Talk, Pastor Michael T. Smith argues that the “normalcy” of black murder is engrained in our American culture. Indeed, the idea that a black American would be involved in a homicide—either as perpetrator or victim—is so broadly accepted as to be largely unnoticed.

Smith exposes the racism that underlies the appalling lack of outrage at high death rates in the black community, and highlights the hypocrisy of a society that glamorizes violence, but ignores its victims. “It doesn’t take action to keep racism going,” Smith observes, “it takes inaction.”

Michael is senior pastor at The Church of Jacksonville. A High School dropout (and later GED recipient), he has devoted his life to advancing the cause of Justice in his generation and beyond, and has received multiple awards and citations for his work in addressing systemic racism, generational poverty, and violence.Michael and his wife, Connie, have two children.


This talk comes from TEDxJacksonville's 2014 conference. Connect with TEDxJacksonville here.