Themes from I Take My Coffee BlackWednesday, September 7th, 2022
7 p.m. - Fine Arts Center Main Theater
This lecture is part of the Viterbo University Common Read and will be live streamed on Facebook.
Tyler Merritt is an actor, comedian, viral sensation, activist, founder of The Tyler Merritt Project, and author of the memoir, I Take My Coffee Black: Reflections on Tupac, Musical Theater, Faith, and Being Black in America. As a 6’2” dreadlocked black man living in the South, Merritt is well aware of stereotypes and their potentially dangerous consequences. In response, Merritt has devoted his creativity to bringing his ethos of “Love. Learn. Create.” to life through his words and videos as part of The Tyler Merritt Project. His viral videos, “Before You Call the Cops” and “Walking While Black” have been viewed by millions and caught the attention of The New York Times, Jimmy Kimmel, and Sports Illustrated.
Merritt takes his audiences along with him on a journey of contradictions: at turns both funny and sad, mysterious, and relatable, commonplace, and dangerous, he shines a light on “full-spectrum humanity” (The New York Times) that makes an impactful and relevant message. Merritt’s emphasis on humility and connection provides an urgent roadmap during turbulent times, challenging audiences to see our differences as a unifying force for humankind and to “get to know me before you call the cops,” as he says in his video. In his talks and lectures, Merritt infuses his core beliefs of unity, empathy, compassion, and inclusion with humor, making his message relatable and accessible to wide-ranging audiences from corporations, non-profits, community groups, colleges and universities, and youth audiences worldwide
I Take My Coffee Black
Based on his memoir of the same name, Merritt shares stories from his life and paints a portrait of black manhood in America with a unique blend of humor and gravitas. From growing up in Las Vegas in a multi-cultural community and realizing that he wasn't always welcome, attending a small Bible college in Santa Cruz because he thought they had a great theater program (they didn't), to his career as an actor, author, and activist, Merritt gives audiences a glimpse into his world, at turns laugh-out-loud funny, at turns unexpectedly candid. Throughout his talk, he seamlessly weaves in lessons about privilege, the legacy of lynching and sharecropping, and the history of encoded racism that still undergirds our society today while also taking a kind-hearted approach to examining ourselves through the lens of humor.