Tyler Merritt

"As a 6'2" dreadlocked black man, Tyler Merritt knows that getting too close to the wrong person can get him killed. But he also believes that proximity can be a cure for racism. Tyler Merritt's video "Before You Call the Cops" has been viewed more than 59 million times. He's appeared on Jimmy Kimmel and Sports Illustrated and has been profiled in the New York Times. The viral video's main point--that the more you know someone, the more empathy, understanding,...

Tyler Merritt tells hilarious stories of life as a black man in America, seamlessly weaving in lessons about privilege, the legacy of lynching, and why you don't cross black mamas. Merritt paints a portrait that enlightens, illuminates, and builds the kind of empathy that just might be the antidote against the racial injustice in our society.