Found this on his Facebook page. Someone called his interview “obscene.” His response is interesting.
Kimberly Williams Your interview was obscene I had the unfortunate pleasure of teaching my son the things that he needs to do to stay alive when it comes to his interactions with police. If you don’t have anything constructive to say about the advancement of our race then just keep your mouth closed please!
Like · Reply · July 14 at 10:42am
Benjamin Watson
Benjamin Watson Kimberly. I’m sorry my interview offended you. Rest assured that was not my intention. Please understand that all the things you probably teach your son are all the same things I have learned and will teach my sons. Since you seem to question how I advance our race let me enlighten you. I have been married to the same woman for 11 years. I do my best to demonstrate to my daughters and my sons what a man, husband and father should be. I am a college graduate, and work hard at my job every day. I have never been arrested. I care about those I disagree with and consider it a privilege to be involved in my local community. I love truth, justice and righteousness and although I fall short I hold others to the same standards I hold myself. I love being black and all that it entails. We are a people with an experience like non other in the land yet have collectively and individually accomplished great things. I know that racism exist by those who have the power to be such and I also know that prejudice and bias resides in all of us. I know our struggle. I’ve been pulled over for cause and without cause. I’ve lived in a neighborhood where I heard gunshots. I’ve had friends and family go to jail and i.e. Had friends and family become lawyers and doctors, mothers, father’s, pastors and teachers. Our race needs a lot of things right now. We need truth, we need empathy, we need to be challenged, we need to forgive, we need justice, we need identity, we need pride, we need to opportunities and education, and most of all we need eternal life for the present as, important as it is, is temporal.
If you don’t think I’m being constructive than I honestly question your understanding of the word. I thank you for commenting. I feel the weight of the fine line I am trying to walk. My goal is not to diminish our struggle or appease the majority. I want more than anything for both sides to be able to hear each other, and in some small way, experience each others pain, misunderstanding and passion in hopes that we bridge this gap and we can at some point treat each other as equals.
Some of us are ready for this transformation. Others of us are not.
My message is not for everyone.”
Clearly Watson is an intelligent, thoughtful and well-spoken man.