Trevor Noah: A Joke About History

**Trevor Noah** (0:04)
Whenever I'm in Washington, DC., I like to go and visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture. And if you've never been, let me tell you, it is one of the most profound experiences you will ever have in your life. It is a museum unlike any other I've ever been to, for a few reasons, you know. One is, it is as complete a telling as is possible of black history in America, which is history. But it's a history that's often not told, right? And you go to this building, and unlike other museums, you can't just choose your own adventure. You know, normally you walk in a museum, and then it's like, what do you want to do, dinosaurs or space? You pick. There, they curate your moving through time. And so when you get to the museum, you start at the very beginning of black people in America, and then it moves all the way through to the present day, right? And so it starts underground, literally. You go underground, and then it starts with slavery. Spoiler alert.
And then they move you, move you, move you through time, and then you get to the end, and then there's Oprah.
That museum truly, like, it'll make you ask every question of yourself. I was there on my most recent trip, and I was walking through the beginning level, and it's underground, and it's chattel slavery, the transatlantic slave trade, and then the underground railroad. And so it's an emotional riot as well. You know, it's painful, it's oppression, and then there's this moment where you can see people rising up and fighting for what they believe in, and overcoming.
And because it's so engaging, you see people experiencing it in a different way. There were these two kids next to me, maybe 14 years old, and they were having a conversation that I was eavesdropping on, and the one turns to the other one, he's like, he's like, yo man, he's like, what would you have done if you was around back there, man? He's like, would you have been a slave?

**SPEAKER_3** (2:06)
He's like, yeah, well, yo, what?

**Trevor Noah** (2:08)
He's like, nah, they would have had the wrong one, man.

**SPEAKER_3** (2:09)
They would have had the wrong one. Yo, I would have cooked theirs.

**Trevor Noah** (2:13)
Man, you trying to make me a stare?

**SPEAKER_3** (2:14)
I would have cooked theirs.

**Trevor Noah** (2:15)
And he's like, nah, you can't be, you can't be.

**SPEAKER_3** (2:16)
He's like, nah, for real, I want to cook theirs. I want to cook theirs.

**SPEAKER_2** (2:18)
And they're laughing and they're engaging it.

**Trevor Noah** (2:20)
And I was like, either this is the delusion of youth, which is necessary for a revolution, or that's who they would be. Either way, it didn't matter.

**SPEAKER_3** (2:27)
What I loved is that they were asking the question.

**Trevor Noah** (2:32)
Who will you be when history calls?
Because of them, I found myself asking the question. And honestly, I think I need to work on my self-esteem, because I came up with nothing as heroic.

**SPEAKER_2** (2:51)
Like, if you asked me, Trevor, what would you do during slavery? I'd be like, I would have worked really hard and seen what happened.

**Trevor Noah** (3:01)
I don't think I would have been a hero. I don't have it. I'm impressed by people who say those things. If I was around back then, oh, if I was in the store when they robbed it, I don't have that in me. I would be in the field, and I'd just be working hard, and I'd be minding my own business. You know, and the guy on the horse would come, he'd be like, you better work hard, boy.

**SPEAKER_3** (3:18)
You better pick that goddamn cotton.

**Trevor Noah** (3:19)
I'd be like, yes, master. How's the picking of cotton, master?

**SPEAKER_2** (3:22)
How's the picking of cotton, master?

**Trevor Noah** (3:23)
Oh, but as soon as he rides away, oh, I'd light his ass up.

**SPEAKER_3** (3:26)
Oh, I would roast him to bits.

**SPEAKER_2** (3:28)
I'd be like, that dumbass.

**SPEAKER_3** (3:32)
Is he back?

**Trevor Noah** (3:32)
No.

**SPEAKER_2** (3:37)
But I don't think I would have been a hero.

**Trevor Noah** (3:40)
Yeah, like a real hero would have showed up.

**SPEAKER_2** (3:42)
Like Harriet Tubman would show up.

**SPEAKER_3** (3:43)
She'd be like, psst. Yo, Trev.
Oh, hi, Harriet. How you doing? I'm doing shit. Oh no, what happened? Slavery happened. What you mean what happened, boy?

**Trevor Noah** (3:59)
Too stupid or something?

**SPEAKER_3** (4:00)
Oh yeah, of course.

**Trevor Noah** (4:01)
I shouldn't have asked. Anyway, what's going on, Harriet?