DeepSummary
Ali Velshi, the chief correspondent for MSNBC, shares the remarkable family history recounted in his new memoir, 'Small Acts of Courage.' The memoir chronicles his ancestors' migration from a village in India to South Africa, where his grandfather lived in Mahatma Gandhi's ashram as a child. His family later moved to Kenya, Canada, and eventually the United States.
In South Africa, Velshi's family built a successful baking business but faced increasing persecution under apartheid laws. After his grandfather's bakery was destroyed, the family left for Kenya in 1961. Velshi's father later helped resettle Ugandan refugees expelled by Idi Amin when they arrived in Canada.
Velshi discusses how his family's experiences, including his grandfather's time with Gandhi, instilled values of civic engagement and fighting for justice that influenced him, even if he initially took them for granted. He also reflects on being shot with a rubber bullet while covering protests after George Floyd's murder.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Ali Velshi's family history is deeply intertwined with major historical events and figures, profoundly shaping their values and outlook.
- Velshi's grandfather lived at Mahatma Gandhi's ashram as a child, instilling Gandhian principles that influenced subsequent generations of his family.
- Velshi's family faced significant persecution and oppression in South Africa under apartheid, eventually leading them to migrate first to Kenya and later Canada.
- In Canada, Velshi's father helped resettle Ugandan refugees expelled by Idi Amin, reflecting the family's commitment to justice and human rights.
- Covering events like the George Floyd protests reshaped Velshi's perspective on his role as a journalist and the importance of accurately portraying reality over official narratives.
- Velshi emphasizes the value of being a critical consumer of information by seeking out multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
- Despite initially taking his family's civic-minded values for granted, Velshi came to deeply appreciate and embody them through his journalism career.
- Velshi's memoir provides a powerful account of the Indian diaspora experience across multiple generations and continents.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “I'm not sure you could have achieved what you've achieved. You could have gotten to the point that you reached as a journalist without having taken that break, without having left CNN for a few years to sort of sharpen my skills.“ by Ali Velshi's boss at MSNBC
- “It was a remarkably eye opening event. It made me understand that there was a narrative that was coming out, particularly after Donald Trump made his comments. That just wasn't true.“ by Ali Velshi
- “They expelled all the Asians. And these Asians, just like Kenyans, had been british subjects. So they thought with their colonial passports, they could get into the United Kingdom. Turns out that when you were a nonwhite holder of a british passport. In a colony, your passport was coded differently. So the UK was not all that welcoming to you.“ by Ali Velshi
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Episode Information
Fresh Air
NPR
6/4/24
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