King’s combined experiences in Indiana and New York sharpened her thinking about the nuances of race, critical thinking and public discourse in our current cultural environment and she recently decided to begin speaking publicly on the subject. She describes herself as being on a journey, her views evolving and deepening as she engages with people from all walks of life.

King brings a refreshingly nuanced perspective to the national conversation about race, drawing from a diverse pantheon of Black writers like W.E.B. Dubois, Booker T. Washington, James Baldwin and Ta-Nehisis Coates, but also Thomas Sowell, Shelby Steele, Glenn Loury and Coleman Hughes. When attending NYU, she attended Coates’ graduate seminar, and tells an endearing story of showing up early for the first class to ensure a seat immediately next to Mr. Coates. She also talks about her introduction to Jordan Peterson and how he shaped her thinking, prompting her to reexamine some of her closely held beliefs.

Our conversation was a riveting three-hour marathon, with everyone deeply invested in approaching a difficult topic with mutual respect and good faith. A particularly interesting segment came about an hour in, when King, who grew up in a city where she was often the only Black student in class, engaged with D’Harius, who in contrast grew up in what he describes as the most incarcerated zip code in America, where many of his friends ended up in prison. Their discussion extended beyond an hour of thoughtful consideration about the implications of individual versus systemic racism. Both perspectives were illuminating and a genuine privilege to witness.