"Race is one of those topics that makes people extraordinarily uncomfortable. You bring it up at a dinner party or in a workplace environment, it is literally the conversational equivalent of touching the third rail."

"Even though white men make up just 30 percent of the U.S. population, they hold 70 percent of all corporate board seats. Of the Fortune 250, there are only seven CEOs that are minorities, and of the thousands of publicly traded companies today, thousands, only two are chaired by black women, and you're looking at one of them."

Mellody Hobson

"I'm asking you to show courage. I'm asking you to be bold. As business leaders, I'm asking you not to leave anything on the table. As citizens, I'm asking you not to leave any child behind. I'm asking you not to be color blind, but to be color brave, so that every child knows that their future matters and their dreams are possible."

Mellody Hobson

CEO Ariel Investments

Chairwoman of Starbucks

former

Chairwoman of Dreamworks Animation

Why you should view

https://www.ted.com/speakers/mellody_hobson

For the People-You Belong Here

Rege-Jean Page portrays federal prosecutor Leonard Knox in this episode where Knox is at a distinct disadvantage in the courtroom because his parents never discussed race and how it affects daily lives.

Knox is smart. He educates himself and in spite of acknowledging his privileged upbringing he uses his newly acquired knowledge against a billionaire defendant.

"Leonard gives a brilliant closing argument pointing out that yes, sometimes you need to look at the greater social context around a case, but this is not one of those times. Isaiah West isn't Rosa Parks — he's a real estate developer who broke the law in order to make money. Leonard is clear, concise, and he is standing up for the law."

Shonda Rhimes

Scandal, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice