Zach Braff on BFF Donald Faison: Saying ‘I have a black friend’ is not enough

“Scrubs” co-stars Zach Braff and Donald Faison opened up about their close friendship during heightened racial tensions throughout the US, saying that white people should put more effort into understanding issues that plague minority communities.

Braff, 45, said on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” on Monday that while he feels he had a “leg up in a sense of loving” due to being raised in diverse neighborhoods within New Jersey and New Yorkm, he still realizes that he has a long way to go in terms of educating himself.

“I think this conversation is new for me in a sense, because as I’m listening to everyone who’s speaking, I know that I, too, have lots to learn,” Braff conceded. “It’s not enough to just to say, ‘Oh, my best friend is a black man.’ It’s not enough to say, ‘Oh, I grew up with a diverse population.’

“I can’t just sit back and go, ‘Oh no, I’m cool, I have a black best friend.’ That’s BS,” he continued. “There’s plenty of ways that I haven’t been proactive in my own life and my own privilege, and I’m really learning that now. I’m taking this opportunity to really listen and to really learn and to see how I can improve my way of being as well.”

Faison then shared a bit about navigating life as a black man in America, both pre- and post-fame.

“It’s very, very scary to be judged by the color of your skin. It’s happened to me quite a bit my whole life,” Faison, also 45, said. “Even how people describe me on ‘Scrubs.’ I’m the black guy from ‘Scrubs.’ You know, I’m not even one of the actors, I’m the black guy from ‘Scrubs.’”

He went on to remind viewers that hate is taught, not inherent.

“When you’re a kid, you don’t look at color. Your friends are your friends. It’s not until your parents get into your head or outside influences get into your head and tell you that people are different than you are.”

The “Clueless” actor added that the death of George Floyd has sparked conversations that reach far beyond police brutality.

“It’s not just about police brutality. It’s also about equal rights. It’s about everyone being able to live in America the way everyone else does. Walking into a store and getting your bag checked? That doesn’t even faze me anymore because I’m used to it.”

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