Hey, it's Guy here. So, generally speaking, deceiving people being deceptive, this is a bad thing,

right? But are there times when deception and lies are kind of a necessary means to an end?

Well, today on the show we're exploring stories of people who went undercover to explore unknown

territory and to find the truth. This episode is called Going Undercover and It Originally aired

in December of 2017. This is the Ted Radio Hour. Each week, groundbreaking Ted Talks.

Ted. Technology. Entertainment. Design. Design. Is that really what's 10 for us? I've never known

that. Delivered at Ted Conferences around the world. We've had to believe in impossible things.

The true nature of reality beckons from just beyond. Those talks, those ideas adapted for radio.

From NPR. I'm Guy Ross. So, back when Theo E.J. Wilson was in his early 20s. Right after graduating

college. He experienced something that would stay with him forever. Yeah, in 2003.

At a fight at a nightclub. It did not involve me. Incidences led to where I was handcuffed to a

chair and beaten by Denver police and I thought I was going to die. And the PTSD from that was pretty

intense. And at the time, I was only 22. I don't know what I'm going to do with that. And literally,

the reaction of my family surprised me. What was the reaction?

Their reaction to that moment, at that moment, was one to the effect of this is what it is to be

black in America, son. You know, we could go down to the precinct and we could fuss and we could

fight, but did you get your lesson? Because you're not going to be able to fight or win every battle.

A few years later, in 2011, Theo lost a childhood friend, Alonzo Ashley, after a struggle with police.

Alonzo's death was ruled a homicide and no one was ever charged. And at that point,

the death of unarmed black men at the hands of police was becoming a national news story.

The death of Alton Sterling. Michael Brown.

To mere rice.

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