Karamo Brown: Pandemic Has Been 'A Real Moment Of Growth And Reflection'
- By
- On Top Magazine Staff
- | August 07, 2020
In a podcast released Friday, Karamo Brown, Queer Eye's culture guy, talks about being Black in America and the pressures he felt in quarantine.
Brown, who turns 40 on November 2, appeared on Wondery's The Daily Smile podcast with host Nikki Boyer.
When asked about the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests, Brown said that the movement had shaken up White America.
“For me as a Black man, I mean, these are the conversations and things I've been aware of since I was two, I would say,” Brown said. “I think that's the first time I ever had the conversation with an uncle. And then it just continues on. And then raising two black boys in America, it's something that I've always talked about. I think what the Black Lives movement and the unfortunate death of these beautiful individuals. What has happened is that it has woken people up, particularly white Americans who never had to talk about race and who never had to face these realities.”
Brown also said that the coronavirus lockdown had been “a real moment of growth and reflection” for him.
“I think for me, this lockdown has been a real moment of growth and reflection,” he said. “And also some progression.”
“So, the reflection and growth have come more emotionally and mentally, because I've literally been evaluating things that I had not had an opportunity to focus on in my busy day-to-day life.”
“I'm turning 40 this year and things are like, I think that I have been doing a majority of my actions for other people and have not been focusing on what I want. What I realized is that I was making decisions based on what everyone told me I was supposed to do and what the culture said is acceptable at this stage in my life.”
“True happiness starts when you focus on your own happiness and then when you're able to feel complete and you feel solid, and then you have the love to give to your partner and your kids and your co-workers and everyone else.”
“So, that's what I learned over quarantine. Okay, I got to get this together,” he added.