Trevor Noah: 'You can be pro-cop and pro-black'

In this Sept. 29, 2015, file photo, Trevor Noah tapes "The Daily Show With Trevor Noah" in New York. Noah on Thursday night called for acknowledgment of the systemic racism within law enforcement.

By Libby Hill

July 8, 2016 10:16 AM PT

Comedy Central’s Trevor Noah gave an impassioned speech on Thursday night’s episode of “The Daily Show” in the wake of the police-involved killings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile.

In the seven-minute monologue, the South African comedian opined that it often seems that you can’t speak about an issue without being forced onto a particular side.

“It always feels like, in America, if you take a stand for something, you automatically are against something else,” Noah said, going on to detail how people choose between dogs or cats, the Yankees or the Red Sox.

“You can be pro-cop and pro-black,” Noah said. “It’s what we should all be. It’s what we should be aiming for. You shouldn’t have to choose between the police and the citizens they are sworn to protect.”

Noah also addressed how when it comes to police violence in America, video isn’t enough and some will always feel that individuals killed by officers did something to bring such brutality on themselves.

“When it comes to videos of police killings, seeing isn’t believing.”

Taped earlier in the day, Noah’s words became particularly prescient as the events of Thursday night unfolded, when a peaceful protest in downtown Dallas regarding police violence ended in gunfire, resulting in the killing of five police officers.

In light of the breaking news, Noah took to Twitter to offer thoughts about the latest bloodshed between police and the general public.