Dave Chappelle Emotionally Speaks out on George Floyd Killing, and Racism by Kristi Turnquist | The Oregonian/Oregon Live
8:46 – Dave Chappelle
Through his comedy, Dave Chappelle has a history of speaking out on politics, race and America’s complicated history. So, it’s not surprising to see him speak out on the killing of George Floyd in Chappelle’s new special, “8:46,” which began streaming on a Netflix YouTube channelearly Friday. The title refers to the eight minutes, 46 seconds during which a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee against Floyd’s neck, even as the African American man was crying out that he couldn’t breathe.
But, as Chappelle says in the special, which runs just short of a half-hour, 8:46 is also the time when Chappelle was born. Throughout this brief, powerful show, Chappelle weaves his personal experiences together with examples of other African Americans who died at the hands of police, the impact young protesters are having, and how none of this is very far removed from the shameful history of slavery.
“This is not funny at all,” Chappelle says at one point, with self-reflection, and awareness that, as the country is forced to confront decades of injustice, this isn’t a time to make jokes. After earlier talking about how he could only recently bring himself to watch the video of Floyd dying, and calling out for his mother, Chappelle mentions his own relatives, adding that they were slaves just a few generations ago.
“These things are not old,” Chappelle says. “This is not a long time ago, it’s today. It’s today.” To learn more go to the link below:
