WACO, TX — A controversial remark has sparked a conversation about race relations in Waco.
Radio station 94.5 The Beat invited Waco car dealer Ted Teague onto the show for his first public interview following his "hood" comment.
94.5 The Beat has a pulse on the community, and owner Edward Graham says this interview is important.
"I hate that this conversation only gets going when something like this happens," said Graham.
He conducted the interview with Teague so listeners could get their most important questions answered.
"The main question is why? Why? That's what we want to know," said Graham.
"What are some of the steps you feel like you need to take to say, 'Okay, this happened. I'm going to be better. This is what I'm going to do,'" asked Graham in the interview with Teague.
"It's clear that I have much to learn, and I'm committed to doing that. I know my words have hurt a lot of people, and I'm so sorry for that. I can't take that back. I still want to apologize to everybody I offended on your station," Teague responded.
It's personal for the station, because the Allen Samuels Dealership, where Teague is the general manager, said yes to helping with the Juneteenth Family Fun Day when others said no.
"Why does this keep happening? It keeps happening because it never gets addressed, and if you address it, something can be done about it," said Graham.
He suggested reaching beyond the radio but directly to the community impacted.
"My challenge to you, and I'll walk you through it. I think you and I jump in one of these vehicles and we drive to the hood. We see these businesses that these people are targeting, and not only are you there to sell cars but be a liaison. When you touch the people, that's when the healing starts," said Graham in the interview with Teague.
"I screwed up and said something horrendous and now I can't take that back, but I can help people put money in their businesses, make a life and a living and earn money and feed families," pledged Teague.
"This is not the end of it, but it's a start, and if you can get one leader at a time and educate him and show them, hopefully it will be a domino effect to where we can reach more leaders. We're here. We have a voice. We will be heard, and we won't be talked about and done in any kind of way," said Graham.
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