Rupert Nacoste served in the U.S. Navy during military race riots in the 1970s.
His commanding officers chose him to facilitate conversations about race relations among his fellow sailors. The experience prompted him to pursue a career as a social psychologist.
Nacoste argues that an unwillingness to have challenging conversations about race stunts the ability to accept people who look or act differently. His new book, Taking on Diversity (Prometheus Books/2015), uses the stories of his students at N.C. State University to illustrate how we might "move from anxiety to respect."
Host Frank Stasio talks with Nacoste about Taking on Diversity.