Black Evidence w/ Candis Watts Smith

In this powerful episode of Talk Nerdy, host Dr. Cara Santa Maria engages in a profound conversation with Dr. Candice Watts-Smith, a political scientist at Duke University and author of the new book *Black Evidence: A History and a Warning*. The discussion centers on the systemic dismissal of Black voices, experiences, and truths in American society—a phenomenon Watts-Smith traces through historical policies, cultural habits, and cognitive dissonance. She argues that the refusal to believe Black people is not an accident but a deeply embedded pattern reinforced by laws, institutions, and psychological mechanisms that normalize denial and gaslighting. Drawing from her research on racial identity, inequality, and political behavior, Watts-Smith emphasizes how policies have shaped public belief, making it easier to dismiss Black testimony over time. The conversation also explores the emotional toll of being a Black scholar in a society that demands constant proof of existence, the burden of 'teaching' white people about racism, and the importance of anti-racist education. Despite the weight of despair, Watts-Smith finds hope in historical progress and the possibility of collective action, framing the current political moment as both a crisis and a potential turning point in the long arc of justice.