Lonnie Chavis Learned What The Word 'Racist' Meant After 'This Is Us' Scene

Jul 13 2020

Acting Conversation Power

Twelve-year-old Lonnie Chavis, who plays young Randall on "This Is Us," is getting major attention for his powerful People essay on his experiences with racism. Lonnie told Scott Evans what inspired him to write the letter and recalled the day on the "This Is Us" set that led to an important conversation with his parents. "There was a scene where I had a grandma who was acting racist towards me, and I didn't even know what the word 'racist' meant. I didn't know what racism even was at the time. So my parents had to sit me down, have a talk about me about what it meant be black and what racism was. And they told me that people would just hate me just 'cause of the color my skin," he said.