Tyler Merritt is a Nashville-based actor, comedian, vocalist, and creator of The Tyler Merritt Project. He believes empathy is a powerful tool to fight injustice and encourages people to step out of the anonymity of social media and engage in face-to-face conversations. Using his creativity, Tyler Merritt challenges racism and promotes empathy. 

In 2018, Tyler's viral video "Before You Call The Cops" (released by The Tyler Merritt Project) was viewed by over 18 million people worldwide and voted one of the Top 20 videos of the year by NowThisPolitics. In 2020, “Before You Call the Cops” recirculated and has since been viewed by over 60 million people and has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, MSNBC Live, and Access Hollywood. 

Jay and Tyler discuss the idea of activism through storytelling, the way cancer impacted Tyler’s activist journey, and much more.

Learn more about the Tyler Merritt Project here.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Intro

(02:05) Tyler’s new book, “This Changes Everything”

(08:50) How does religion influence Tyler’s activism?

(12:14) Tyler’s “Strong Black Man Mode”

(14:37) Navigating criticism 

(18:01) Growing into activism

(21:05 ) Pathways to leadership for future generations 

(24:26) The state of communication in America

(26:02) What should we focus on now?

(28:13 ) Goodbye and outro

For video episodes, watch on www.youtube.com/@therudermanfamilyfoundation

Stay in touch:

X: @JayRuderman | @RudermanFdn

LinkedIn: Jay Ruderman | Ruderman Family Foundation

Instagram: All About Change Podcast | Ruderman Family Foundation

To learn more about the podcast, visit https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/

Looking for more insights into the world of activism? Be sure to check out Jay’s brand new book, Find Your Fight, in which Jay teaches the next generation of activists and advocates how to step up and bring about lasting change. You can find Find Your Fight wherever you buy your books, and you can learn more about it at www.jayruderman.com.