1. Wait, wait.
You're listening...Copy !req
2. - Okay?
- All right.Copy !req
3. - Okay?
- All right.Copy !req
4. - You're listening...
- Listening...Copy !req
5. to Radiolab.Copy !req
6. Radiolab.
- From...Copy !req
7. - WNYC.
- C.Copy !req
8. - C?
- Yup.Copy !req
9. And NPR.Copy !req
10. I've learned...
How would you describe this on?Copy !req
11. My sense is
that you walk into a wild plac.Copy !req
12. Then you hear the wind
and the trees,Copy !req
13. and you hear these chirps
and sounds and calls,Copy !req
14. and they're just part of the...
they're part of the wild.Copy !req
15. They're wildlife, but there's
now a group of scientistsCopy !req
16. - who listen much more closelyCopy !req
17. and who are reducing wildlife
to wild talk.Copy !req
18. - It's-it's, uh...
Yeah.Copy !req
19. There are words in there.Copy !req
20. When you find the words,
as the people we will meet doCopy !req
21. in these stories, you end up
not just understandingCopy !req
22. but actually entering that
wild space in a very cool way.Copy !req
23. - Right.
- Yes.Copy !req
24. Or as a dolphin might say...Copy !req
25. How would a dolphin say it?Copy !req
26. I don't know.Copy !req
27. Well, then, then you know what?Copy !req
28. That is exactly kind of the
question of this next segment.Copy !req
29. I mean, the dream
that a human beingCopy !req
30. can talk to a dolphin
or any animal...Copy !req
31. - Sorry?
- Your order.Copy !req
32. Sir, you can get back in line.Copy !req
33. Bae, whatever.Copy !req
34. It's all right.
You could go, or...Copy !req
35. Nah, it's whatever.Copy !req
36. Go ahead.Copy !req
37. Could I get a large coffee,
please?Copy !req
38. Mm-hmm. Is that all?Copy !req
39. Yeah. Thanks.Copy !req
40. Katie, he's here.Copy !req
41. - She's coming.
- Great. Thanks.Copy !req
42. Are you using the, um,Copy !req
43. the standing lamp?Copy !req
44. The-the shaker beige one
in the guest room?Copy !req
45. No, not really.Copy !req
46. Uh, any chance
I could borrow it?Copy !req
47. I-I could use a little bit
more light in my place, and...Copy !req
48. - Hey, Dad.
- Hey, kiddo.Copy !req
49. All right.
I'll-I'll just grab it later?Copy !req
50. - Sure, that's fine.
- Okay.Copy !req
51. All right, let's do it.
How you doing?Copy !req
52. - I'm good.
- That's nice.Copy !req
53. substantially impact
racial mattersCopy !req
54. - in modern day society.
Well, yes.Copy !req
55. In the case of the Tesla trial,Copy !req
56. you have a Black man suing
Josh Beckford,Copy !req
57. an early investor at Tesla,
due to the factCopy !req
58. that his ancestors were enslavdCopy !req
59. by relatives of Mr. Beckford's.Copy !req
60. That human capital and profit
can be directly linkedCopy !req
61. to the financials
of the company,Copy !req
62. so I do think there's merit,
and he could win the lawsuit.Copy !req
63. Not could win. Did win.Copy !req
64. Mr. Mbaye did win the lawsuit,Copy !req
65. a scenario that seemed
impossible to many beforehand.Copy !req
66. And you have to think
this decision will haveCopy !req
67. very far-reaching consequences
all around the world...Copy !req
68. - Dad?
- especially in America due...Copy !req
69. Yeah, sweetie?Copy !req
70. Mom sprayed herself
with that flower perfumeCopy !req
71. before you picked me up.Copy !req
72. I think she wants you
to come home.Copy !req
73. Did she say that?Copy !req
74. No. I just think so.Copy !req
75. Okay. Got it.Copy !req
76. All right, have a good day
at school, sweetie.Copy !req
77. The Marvin Gaye
versus Robin Thicke...Copy !req
78. Hey, Dad?Copy !req
79. Yeah.Copy !req
80. Can you stay over
at Mom's soon?Copy !req
81. You know what?
I'll talk to her about it.Copy !req
82. Don't you think this might
actually heighten tensionsCopy !req
83. between Black and white people?Copy !req
84. - It feels divisive...Copy !req
85. The Tesla investor
was the ownerCopy !req
86. of this Black man's ancestor.Copy !req
87. So, also the owner
of that man's future.Copy !req
88. You're right. It's-it's never
gonna be solved easily.Copy !req
89. Can you believe this guy?Copy !req
90. Now this Tesla exec owes him
a ton of money.Copy !req
91. He'll be set for life.Copy !req
92. This whole thing is crazy.Copy !req
93. Do you even care? It's unfair.Copy !req
94. Uh, whatever.Copy !req
95. I mean, it's not like he's even
gonna notice. He's rich.Copy !req
96. We're meeting.Copy !req
97. Uh, what for?Copy !req
98. Come on in.Copy !req
99. All right, I think
that's everybody.Copy !req
100. As some of you might have heard,Copy !req
101. I did get word from the CEO
and head executivesCopy !req
102. that we'll be having
some layoffs.Copy !req
103. How soon?Copy !req
104. We'll get into that later today.Copy !req
105. I've been told that HR will...Copy !req
106. This is ridiculous!Copy !req
107. Now, I know a lot of you
will have many questions,Copy !req
108. and we want to be sure
and answer all of 'em,Copy !req
109. but at this point in time,
that's allCopy !req
110. the information I have.Copy !req
111. There's a rumor they're being
sued with the same clauseCopy !req
112. that got the Tesla guy.Copy !req
113. This shit's bonkers, right?Copy !req
114. Bonkers.Copy !req
115. Well, and it's cleared the way
for personal litigation now.Copy !req
116. They can just look you up
and force you to pay.Copy !req
117. What? No.Copy !req
118. - Really?
- Yeah.Copy !req
119. It's scary. I'm looking
at my family tree right nowCopy !req
120. to make sure I'm in the clear.Copy !req
121. Everybody else is, too.Copy !req
122. - Lucky them.Copy !req
123. Not a care in the world.Copy !req
124. Aren't you worried?Copy !req
125. Nah. I don't yell "fire"
unless I see flames.Copy !req
126. There's no smoke on my end.Copy !req
127. You gonna check your background?Copy !req
128. Nah. I never signed up
for that stuff.Copy !req
129. Oh, you don't have to.Copy !req
130. One of your relatives
could have signed up.Copy !req
131. I can show you how to look.Copy !req
132. I'm fine.Copy !req
133. All... good.Copy !req
134. Mm, shout-out to his lawyer.Copy !req
135. - This is crazy, right?
It's crazy.Copy !req
136. He's got to put his money
where his mouth is now.Copy !req
137. - So what you gonna doCopy !req
138. - with your apolo-cheese?
Oh.Copy !req
139. No more apologies,
just apolo-cheese.Copy !req
140. Apolo-cheese! I like that.Copy !req
141. I'm gonna hit the mall and sped
some of this apolo-cheese!Copy !req
142. Yeah. Uh, you better get
some Nike stock, though, right?Copy !req
143. Okay? I'm about to go hire
that same lawyer.Copy !req
144. I'm sure somebody owes me
about $50 million.Copy !req
145. Mm-hmm, this is se...Copy !req
146. You got a lot of homework today?Copy !req
147. No, not too much.Copy !req
148. Well, that's good.Copy !req
149. You tired?Copy !req
150. No, not really.Copy !req
151. I'm thinking spaghetti
for dinner tonight.Copy !req
152. Huh? Maybe a little
of my famous garlic bread?Copy !req
153. Are we racist?Copy !req
154. What?Copy !req
155. A kid at school said
we're racist.Copy !req
156. That's not true, Katie.
That's...Copy !req
157. Right now,
Black people are just...Copy !req
158. Don't listen to that kid
at school, okay?Copy !req
159. You are not racist.Copy !req
160. Were we slave owners?Copy !req
161. No, we... Do you see any slaves
in our backyard?Copy !req
162. Mr. Pedro.Copy !req
163. Mr. Pe...?
No, I pay Mr. Pedro.Copy !req
164. You...Copy !req
165. Listen, that stuff happened
a long, long time ago.Copy !req
166. All right?
We-We're Austro-Hungarian.Copy !req
167. We were enslaved
during the Byzantine Empire.Copy !req
168. Uh, what? Should I fly
to Hungary and demand money now?Copy !req
169. That would be ridiculous, right?Copy !req
170. Right?Copy !req
171. Sweetie, dinner's ready.Copy !req
172. Hey.Copy !req
173. All right. Let's do it.Copy !req
174. Want cheese?Copy !req
175. Tell me when to stop.Copy !req
176. Mm-hmm.Copy !req
177. Ugh.Copy !req
178. Dig in.Copy !req
179. Eat.Copy !req
180. Marshall Johnson?Copy !req
181. Yes?Copy !req
182. You've been served.Copy !req
183. - I'm sorry. What is this about?Copy !req
184. My name is Sheniqua Johnson
of the St. Louis Johnsons.Copy !req
185. Your family owned
my great-great-grandmotherCopy !req
186. and father for 12 years.Copy !req
187. You owe me money.Copy !req
188. Uh... I...Copy !req
189. There... there-there must be
some kind of mistake.Copy !req
190. Uh, you know, can we just
talk about this outside?Copy !req
191. - Uh-uh. There ain't been
no mistake.
- Excuse me.Copy !req
192. - Ooh, look what we got here.
- Excuse me!Copy !req
193. - Who is it, Dad?
- Uh, ma'am?
- Now, we gotCopy !req
194. - one, two, three bedrooms.
- Uh...Copy !req
195. - Look at this bathroom.
- Uh, ma'am, could you...
could youCopy !req
196. - please get out of my house?
- They got that good stuff
in here.Copy !req
197. - Oh.
- Excuse me!Copy !req
198. You know what?
You owe me about $3 million.Copy !req
199. Ma'am, hey, hey, hey,
hey, stop it!Copy !req
200. Get out of my house!Copy !req
201. Uh-uh. This is my house,Copy !req
202. and I'm livestreaming
the entire thing.Copy !req
203. I want what's owed
to me, Marshall.Copy !req
204. You know what?Copy !req
205. - If you don't get out right now,
I'm calling the police.
- Hmm.Copy !req
206. - I'm calling the police
right now!
- You know what?Copy !req
207. Your family's got blood
on its hands.Copy !req
208. And don't bother
calling the policeCopy !req
209. because I already been there.Copy !req
210. Ooh! Now,
Jamal's gonna love this spot.Copy !req
211. And don't slam my door!Copy !req
212. Uh-oh.Copy !req
213. Maybe...Copy !req
214. don't tell your mother
about this.Copy !req
215. Okay, let's do it.Copy !req
216. Here we go. Hold on. W-Wait...Copy !req
217. Just wait for me.Copy !req
218. Okay.Copy !req
219. Okay. All right, come on.Copy !req
220. Let's do it.Copy !req
221. Let's go.Copy !req
222. Hey.Copy !req
223. - Where's...?
- All the Black people?Copy !req
224. Besides Willy and Lester,
they didn't come in today.Copy !req
225. Did... did you get
your results back?Copy !req
226. 69% Ashkenazi Jew, baby.Copy !req
227. You're Jew...?
Uh, you're Jewish?Copy !req
228. The world can finally know.Copy !req
229. We were slaves, too.Copy !req
230. Austro-Hungarians were slaves
as well.Copy !req
231. Come on, Marshall.Copy !req
232. That was like
a million years ago.Copy !req
233. Hey, um, the guy, uh,
with the shirt, uh...?Copy !req
234. - Oh,
Tim in Accounting?
- He... yeah.Copy !req
235. Yeah, the, um,
Black family suing him decidedCopy !req
236. that they just wanted him
to acknowledge it,Copy !req
237. so he's got to wear that shirt
twice a week.Copy !req
238. One of them has to be Sunday.Copy !req
239. I don't know. Personally,Copy !req
240. I-I think he got off
kind of easy.Copy !req
241. Marshall Johnson,Copy !req
242. - you owe me money.
- No.Copy !req
243. - No.
- $3 million,
and you have to pay up.Copy !req
244. What do we want?
Compensation.Copy !req
245. - No.
- When do we want it? Now.Copy !req
246. Marshall Johnson's
great-great-granddaddy enslavedCopy !req
247. my great-great-granddaddy, and
he owes me a lifetime of pay!Copy !req
248. - No.Copy !req
249. No, no, no, no. No. No. No. No.Copy !req
250. Pay up!Copy !req
251. - Marshall Johnson.Copy !req
252. - Hey, excuse me.
- Paging Marshall Johnson.Copy !req
253. - Hey, excuse me. Excuse me.
- Marshall.Copy !req
254. All right, all right,
listen, I work here.Copy !req
255. All right? You can't come
to my place of work.Copy !req
256. Marshall Johnson,
you owe me money.Copy !req
257. I-I'm not the Tesla guy.Copy !req
258. Okay? I don't have
that kind of money.Copy !req
259. How much money
do you make a year?Copy !req
260. What? Uh...Copy !req
261. - How much moneyCopy !req
262. do you people in there
make a year?Copy !req
263. - I bet you it's more than I do.
- Could you please—Copy !req
264. I'm begging you— could you
please just leave me alone?Copy !req
265. That's exactly what
my great-great-grandmother said.Copy !req
266. - Marshall Johnson's
great-great-granddaddyCopy !req
267. - was a slave owner.
- No, no, no. Not true.Copy !req
268. He owned
my great-great-granddaddy.Copy !req
269. - Not true.
- You need to pay up!Copy !req
270. $3 million.
$3 million.Copy !req
271. What do we want? Compensation!Copy !req
272. When do we want it? Now!Copy !req
273. Marshall Johnson's
great-great-granddaddyCopy !req
274. enslaved
my great-great-granddaddy...Copy !req
275. Get me a new car,
get Sierra a new car.Copy !req
276. You gonna get a Cadillac
or one of them, uh,Copy !req
277. - those Cybertrucks?
- I don't know.Copy !req
278. You know,
Jamal can get a new phone.Copy !req
279. Get Tangy and Sierra's mom
a new place,Copy !req
280. 'cause Lord knows I can't be
dealing with that anymore.Copy !req
281. - Her mama?
- You already...Copy !req
282. - Hey, Lester?Copy !req
283. Could I... could I talk
to you for a sec?Copy !req
284. - Yeah. What's up?Copy !req
285. Hey, man. How you doing?Copy !req
286. - Pretty good.
- Ain't no such thingCopy !req
287. as free labor, Marshall.Copy !req
288. Pay up!Copy !req
289. Uh... look,Copy !req
290. I know this is a crazy time
and everything,Copy !req
291. and, uh, I-I really don't
know what to do.Copy !req
292. Uh, no, thanks. Thank you.Copy !req
293. Um, I'm just a guy,Copy !req
294. you know, trying to get by.Copy !req
295. And I feel like this woman
is harassing me, you know?Copy !req
296. She's kind of ruining my life.Copy !req
297. Uh, so...Copy !req
298. I-I just don't know what to do.Copy !req
299. You honestly want my advice?Copy !req
300. Uh, yes.Copy !req
301. Look, man,
I grew up with Black women.Copy !req
302. Right. I figured.Copy !req
303. The only thing you can do is
say you were wrongCopy !req
304. and give her as much money
as you can.Copy !req
305. She'll probably want to meet
with you one-on-one,Copy !req
306. cut you down a bit...Copy !req
307. I just don't know what to do.Copy !req
308. - Hmm.
- Honestly, my advice?Copy !req
309. You got to fight that shit, man.Copy !req
310. Come in as hard as her.Copy !req
311. - It's the principle.Copy !req
312. I looked her up on Instagram.Copy !req
313. All she's talking
about is the factCopy !req
314. - that you owe her a lot
of money.Copy !req
315. 100% Nordic?Copy !req
316. How is that even
fucking possible?Copy !req
317. This concerns all of us,
Willy.Copy !req
318. No, it don't, Ashley.Copy !req
319. No, it don't.Copy !req
320. What?Copy !req
321. Uh, I was supposed
to pick her up.Copy !req
322. What's going on?Copy !req
323. Is it true?Copy !req
324. Is wh...?Copy !req
325. Oh, my God.
Was Sheniqua here?Copy !req
326. Did, did she talk to you?Copy !req
327. - Marshall, I can't believe you.
- Okay.Copy !req
328. Let's just go inside
and discuss this.Copy !req
329. Look, you can't come in here.Copy !req
330. Seriously, Natalie?Copy !req
331. Have you checked
your background?Copy !req
332. This could have
easily happened to you.Copy !req
333. - I'm Peruvian.
This would never happen to me.
- Per...Copy !req
334. You were white yesterday!Copy !req
335. Okay, look, Natalie,Copy !req
336. please, can we just...
c-can we just go insideCopy !req
337. and just sit down
and-and just talk about...?Copy !req
338. Can I... can I say good night
to Katie?Copy !req
339. Marshall...Copy !req
340. I can't have my finances
take a hit.Copy !req
341. We have
to make the divorce official.Copy !req
342. Wait. What?Copy !req
343. This is not happening.Copy !req
344. What the...?Copy !req
345. - There he is!Copy !req
346. That's the guy right there.Copy !req
347. Oh.Copy !req
348. Go get him, Jason!Copy !req
349. No, no, no, no.Copy !req
350. Oh, shit, shit, shit, shit,
shit, shit, shit.Copy !req
351. Oh, my God.Copy !req
352. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit.Copy !req
353. Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck. Oh.Copy !req
354. Well, sir, you know,
my time was wasted, too...Copy !req
355. We didn't do it, but we can
help you get your money.Copy !req
356. Don't know if you owe
restitution taxes?Copy !req
357. We can help you with that.Copy !req
358. Hi. Would you like something
to drink?Copy !req
359. Uh, uh, I'll just have
what he's having.Copy !req
360. Okay.Copy !req
361. How long are you here for?Copy !req
362. Honestly,
I am not quite even sure.Copy !req
363. Just checked in today.Copy !req
364. Yeah, I flew in a few days ago.Copy !req
365. Looking for a new place.Copy !req
366. They can't find my bag, though,
so I look like hell.Copy !req
367. Name's Earnest.
Friends call me "E."Copy !req
368. Marshall.Copy !req
369. I have a feeling we're
in the same boat, Marshall.Copy !req
370. You owe a lot?Copy !req
371. This woman— she...Copy !req
372. follows me everywhere,Copy !req
373. won't leave me alone.Copy !req
374. - Thanks.
- You're welcome.Copy !req
375. Just... can't believe
this is actually happening.Copy !req
376. Two days ago,
I had a good life,Copy !req
377. and now I'm being fucked by
some shit that I didn't even do.Copy !req
378. I'm losing my wife, my house,Copy !req
379. my daughter.Copy !req
380. I don't know.Copy !req
381. Didn't fucking do anything.Copy !req
382. As I was saying, I don't know.Copy !req
383. What?Copy !req
384. I don't know.Copy !req
385. My grandfather used to tell meCopy !req
386. how his father built everything
we had from the ground up,Copy !req
387. pulled himself up
by his own bootstraps, you know?Copy !req
388. Turns out, he didn't.Copy !req
389. Turns out he had a lot of help.Copy !req
390. And a lot of kids.Copy !req
391. Maybe it's only right.Copy !req
392. E, we don't deserve this.Copy !req
393. Well, what do they deserve?Copy !req
394. We were treating slaveryCopy !req
395. as if it were a mystery
buried in the past,Copy !req
396. something to investigate
if we chose to.Copy !req
397. And now that history has
a monetary value.Copy !req
398. Confession is not absolution.Copy !req
399. And in the case of this
person... What's her name?Copy !req
400. Sheniqua.Copy !req
401. To Sheniqua, to them...Copy !req
402. slavery is not past.Copy !req
403. I mean, it's not a mystery.Copy !req
404. It is not
an historical curiosity.Copy !req
405. It is a cruel,Copy !req
406. unavoidable ghost that haunts
in a way we can't see.Copy !req
407. None of us are perfect.Copy !req
408. So now you're what?
You're separated from your wife?Copy !req
409. She's taking your kid?Copy !req
410. Now she has to be raised
without a father?Copy !req
411. She has to build wealthCopy !req
412. and success
from the ground up, right?Copy !req
413. It's similar
to the position we put them in.Copy !req
414. But we're gonna be okay.Copy !req
415. Your daughter's gonna be okay.Copy !req
416. The curse has been lifted
from her.Copy !req
417. All of us—Copy !req
418. we were running from it,
but now we're free.Copy !req
419. Excuse me.Copy !req
420. Come on! Come on, babies!
Come on!Copy !req
421. You got it!Copy !req
422. Yeah!Copy !req
423. Ooh, I'm so proud
of my babies.Copy !req
424. Holy shit.Copy !req
425. There's more
where that came from.Copy !req
426. All right, guys, uh,Copy !req
427. I got a decent-sized reservation
in the main dining hall,Copy !req
428. so I'm gonna need
all hands on deck for that,Copy !req
429. full hands in, full hands out.
You know the routine.Copy !req
430. Uh, make sure to push
the daily specials, okay?Copy !req
431. I don't want to ask
about that again.Copy !req
432. And if anyone has a portion
of their paycheck goingCopy !req
433. to restitution taxes,
stay after.Copy !req
434. Everyone else, hit the floor.Copy !req
435. Simon, ten percent?Copy !req
436. - One second, please.Copy !req
437. Okay, you're good. Thank you.Copy !req
438. - Hey.Copy !req
439. Uh, name of payee?Copy !req
440. Uh, Sheniqua Johnson.Copy !req
441. - Okay. And percentage?Copy !req
442. - 15%.
- 15%?Copy !req
443. Ouch.Copy !req
444. Well, at least
tips aren't garnished.Copy !req
445. There's that.Copy !req
446. - Uh, you're good.
- Cool. Thanks.Copy !req
447. And you're doing ten again?Copy !req
448. Basura blanca.Copy !req
449. Hey, huevón.Copy !req
450. Get to work.Copy !req
451. Te vi llegar tarde, pendejo.Copy !req
452. Ah!Copy !req
453. Okay. Keep talking like that,
they're gonna make you a busboy.Copy !req
454. All right, good evening,
ladies and gentlemen.Copy !req
455. - All right.Copy !req
456. - Hey.Copy !req
457. Okay.Copy !req
458. Ooh.Copy !req