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'The most uncomfortable talk': Trevor Noah discusses lessons Black families teach about police

Trevor Noah is weighing in on "the talk" Black families often have with their children about police encounters.

Calls from families, activists and politicians demanding justice and accountability have increased as the number of Black people killed and harassed at the hands of police continues to grow. Most recently: 20-year-old Daunte Wright, who died at the hands of police officer Kim Potter after a traffic stop. Potter has been charged with second-degree manslaughter and made her first court appearance Thursday.

Noah addressed the "danger" Black families caution each other about when coming across law enforcement in a Thursday segment of "The Daily Show."

"Every encounter between a police officer and a Black person is fraught with danger," Noah said.

The comedian and TV host explained how Black parents uniquely warn their children about these encounters with what is called "the talk." Similar to how parents discuss the birds and the bees with their kids, Noah noted that Black parents often have to add into the routine lectures how to behave during a traffic stop.

More: Trevor Noah details covering the pandemic, police brutality on 'The Daily Show'

'Another senseless tragedy': Barack and Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, more speak out on Daunte Wright

Trevor Noah speaks on "the talk" Black families have about staying safe during police stops.
Trevor Noah speaks on "the talk" Black families have about staying safe during police stops.

"I know that all parents talk to their kids about how to stay safe," Noah said. "But for Black people it's specifically about staying safe from the police, the people whose job is supposedly to keep them safe."

These talks are not new, Noah said, noting they have occurred for years without much change in how Black people are treated by police. The "Daily Show" host said maybe it's not Black people who need to have a talk.

"The talk still hasn't been able to prevent violence against Black people," Noah said. "So, maybe it's not black people who need a talk about how to act around the police. Maybe, just maybe, police need a talk about how to act around Black people."

More: Ex-Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter appears in court as Daunte Wright's family demands accountability

Wright's death has sparked protests across the nation, including in areas around Minneapolis, an already tense area as the trial of former officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd is in its third week.

At a news conference Thursday, Wright's mother, Katie, said she feels like she will never get justice for her son. "Justice would be bringing our son home to us," she said.

Contributing: Ryan W. Miller, Dennis Wagner, Eric Ferkenhoff, Charles Trepany

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Daunte Wright shooting: Trevor Noah on 'the talk' Black families have