(Photo by Bobby Bank/Getty Images)
Comedian D.L. Hughley has never been shy about discussing racism in America and his new book is following in that tradition.
Due June 26, “How Not to Get Shot” is a satire about race relations in the age of Donald Trump and Black Lives Matter. While speaking to Philly.com before filming his new Netflix special, “D.L. Hughley: Contrarian,” the radio host broke down the reason why he gave his third book that title.
“It’s because every time there’s a shooting, there’s some white guy or white girl telling you how it could have been avoided,” Hughley said Wednesday, May 9. “You know, ‘If they wouldn’t have broken the law …’ or, ‘If they would’ve cooperated …’ Because white people are such experts at everything, I decided to take their advice and write a book about it. So it’s called ‘How Not to Get Shot: And Other Advice from White People,’ and it’s the funniest book I’ve ever written.”
At the height of police brutality incidents in 2015, many people espoused that engaging in respectability politics would solve the problem. But as more recent incidents like those in 2016 involving Alton Sterling and Philando Castile along with Stephon Clark in March demonstrated, speaking politely to officers doesn’t work.
Still, Hughley can identify with issues of discrimination and notes it’s not always “about being called [n—-] or being harassed.”
“I remember when I was in the process of selling a house in 1998 or 1999. We remodeled the house and [were] about to sell it,” he explains. “When we got [close] to the appraisal, my Realtor told us to take all of our pictures down. When I asked why, [the Realtor] said, ‘Well, you know, if there are pictures of Black people in the house, it might devalue [the property].’
“I thought, ‘I’m not taking my pictures down,'” he continued. “So, sure enough, when we got to the appraisal, and the bank called and they found out that the guy marked my house that low because I was Black. So he took $75,000 of real money. It’s so expensive to be Black and almost no one can afford to do it.”
