Can You Hear Us Now? Virtual Discussion on Race | NBC News NOW
Tear. Gas and rubber bullets and Minneapolis, days, of fury after 46, year old George Floyd died while, officer Derek sha'ban was seen kneeling on his neck for almost nine minutes taking the life of George Floyd, with his hands, in his pockets, looking. Out in that way it was apparent, to me that he did not think anything, would happen to him and that is a failure of law. That. We are seeing on our streets, we need to understand, it the way to, stop that is. To address the root cause which. Is the over-policing and racism that, is levied. On black, Americans. Hey. Everyone I'm Tremaine, Lea black. Death, at the hands, of police and white vigilantes, dates, back long before cell. Phone videos, and, social, media feeds delivered, hash tags of black pain but. The recent killings of Ahmad are burry in Georgia Brianna, Taylor in Kentucky, and George, Floyd in Minnesota have, ignited old kindling, it's, a fire that's been burning, slowly, in black America, while, much of the rest of society has. Closed their eyes and, covered, their ears but. Now we're. At a crossroads, anger. Rage and grief are spilling, across the country, with, black people once again demanding. Equality. Demanding. Justice and demanding. To be heard the. Deaths senseless. And violent, and the uprising, reminders. Of just how far we have to go how, much healing, we have to do and how alone the, struggle, for justice often feels, this. Is can, you hear us now a conversation. About race, justice. And a way forward to. Unpack this moment, I'm joined, by Brittany. Peck net Cunningham, activists. And co-founder, of campaign, zero. Nicole. Hannah Jones Pulitzer. Prize winner and staff writer at the New York Times Magazine and. Lieutenant. Governor of, Wisconsin, Mandela, Barnes. Nicole. I want to start with you it's been, a really, rough really, heavy week for, many of us especially. Those. Who are on the ground or from the black community but, I want to ask you why does this time feel, different, why does this time feel, so personal, I. Think. There are a few things and hate remain. One. It was the the shared. Nature of this, particular. Police. Killing, to see. A man. Laying. On face down on the concrete as, a white, law enforcement, officer kneels on him for eight minutes and, 46 seconds, until the life literally seeps out of him and the look on that officers, face as he, knows is being recorded, showing. That he had no concern either, for, George Floyd's. Life or that there would be any consequences so, just, the, nature of this particular killing and, then you have to stack that on top of the fact that it's coming on.
Hills Of mod armory, on the heels of Brianna Taylor, and. In, the midst of three. Years of a, president, who ran on a white nationalist campaign. Who has spent the last three years stoking. Racial, tensions, and divides that, we're in the middle of a pandemic where, black people have been dying at the highest race but also are. Facing the highest rates of unemployment in, the country. There's. Just so much suffering, and, anguish and anger right now and it all came together in, a very combustible, way. I think, you know what you're calling is special. Is critical. Can you see us now black people are tired of having to invisibly, bear this pain. Britty. As an activists, you've been on the ground city by city we actually met on the streets of Ferguson during. That uprising, I want, to ask you there is great pain on one side but, also great, rage and anger and we've seen that spill across the country in a way we haven't seen in Prior cases why. Now, what about this, latest case of George Floyd sparked. This way. Well. I think we have to recognize the, poorni, impact, of black, activism, black, organizing. Black scholarship. Like writing black, art black. Content, creation in. All forms, to bring us to this point back, in 2014, we, did not have the data we did not have the research we do not have the policy, set, up in such a way that it can be easily accessed and, socialized, on not, just how systemic, violence, impacts, black people but specifically, how, police violence, impacts black people when. We look at Nicole's, project, the 16:19. Project, there has been a continual. Awakening, of America. And a depth. Of understanding that, people have and, I want to be really clear the work that black activists, like myself have done over the last six years is not you just, like these challenges, are not new black people have been writing and talking and working and organizing, for this since we have been in this country and, yet I do believe, that there is an intentional. Dragging. That black people have been doing in all, of our various fields, to bring people to a point where they are more clear more ready have better understanding and, most. Importantly, see their own behavior. As complicit. In systems that they benefit, from and therefore it's, their behavior, that has to change in order to shift this. Mandela. You are the Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, but. You're also a black man after. These last two weeks that we've seen and the protests we've seen what.
Concerns You more as a black man the state of race relations and where we are right now or, as a politician, who. Cares for the well-being of your states and your state and your constituents. I'm. Mostly, concerned about the people that still don't get it we've still got a whole lot of comfortable politicians. A whole lot of people, in elected office who, aren't ready to move yet weren't ready to take on this challenge and, as we said before this this didn't just pop about it know where this is like, volcanic activity, it took a long while for us to get to this point but, people have been being able to get away with. Running for office now I'm in Wisconsin, we're at six and a half percent black state these, are still issues that I carry because they impact everybody, and for those who thought that we could ignore this for so long are seeing firsthand that that's not the case. And it, comes it means we have to develop a plan I mean it's getting out in front and like, the, coal mentioned early we have a president, who's just exacerbated. These racial, racial tensions, making, people feel unwelcome, making people feel. Like they don't have a shot in this society so as long as that goes on these things are gonna continue to get worse but we have a we, are in a pivotal moment where we can address this head-on or, we can say no more not again and as, elected leaders it's, up to us to do that it's imperative for us to do that no matter where you reside you could be bold in any state in the country can be bold in any city in America but, if you don't, act you see the result of it and that's. Not what we want I. Want. To bring in actor, Don Cheadle, Don. There's. No, doubt that we have a society that's largely, cleaved along race and class lines and. I'm gonna ask you personally, when, did you first really understand, that there's often a difference in the way that black, and white people live, and die in America. Well. You know unfortunately these. Are things that asked, black people we learn very early, from. Our parents. How. To come, home safe the, way to comport yourself when you deal with law enforcement, the, things that you have to do, so. That you, can just return home in. One piece so, this is something that was you know put into my, psyche, personally, and all of my friends psyche better black men and women from. Childhood, and. It, is continued. Throughout my. Adulthood, you know I lived. In LA during, the riots. Here. In 1982. And. I. Have. Seen every. Aspect, of this come. Along, and. I have personally you know I know a lot of dudes a lot of a lot of people that are in the streets a lot of people that are in neighborhoods a lot of Beng affiliated, folk I've never, had guns pulled on me by any of them but I've had guns pulled on me by the LAPD, under. The Daryl gates camera program. Countless. Times have my life threatened countless, times for, doing, nothing, walking. Down the street. This. Is a systemic, institutionalized, problem. That, we are all now fully aware of some of us have known for many many years, and. We, are seeing the, watershed, moment, once, again, I mean we should not have these names that we can just repeat by, a row we should not be able to know all the Fernando, Castillo Brianna, Taylor I might are we these, things should not be burned, into our consciousness but. Thankfully. Now, that we, have film. And we. Have cell, phones and we have pictures, that are you, know speaking, a thousand, words. Something. That can no longer be hidden, this can't be swept under a rug and my, urban prayer, and hope is that this, energy, in this outrage, that we feel right now, we. Can use to follow, those who have been organizing, in these faces for many many years and we can you, know glean, some understanding, on how to bring whatever we have to bear on this issue to. The throne right now. Nicole. The. Experience that Dawn's talking about of.
These The seeds of this going back to childhood that, you're raised not, necessarily. In fear of your neighbor but, your neighborhood police, that, there is concern from the very early age that you know somehow things, are different that. Maybe you are different similarly the world sees you in a different way talk, to me about growing, up was there a moment when, you realize, that, things were, literally different different, literally, in black and white. Yeah. I almost can't remember out of time where I didn't know that. I started. Getting bused, from my, black neighborhood. In my neighborhood, school to white schools starting in the second grade my. Parents thought that was the best thing to do for me to get a proper. Education and. You. Could see the landscape, change through the school bus window once. We started leaving the black side of town all of a sudden the housing, got nicer, the roads were. Fixed. There were parts, there were nice. Restaurants. And places to shop and so even, as a kid I recognized. That there was a very big difference between how. People lived on the black side of town versus the white side of town but, I also saw the narrative. Why that was was it true because, the, folks in my neighborhood were, some of the hardest-working people that I knew they worked the type of jobs that people, on the other side wouldn't. Even last in so I I've, noticed, these differences, and thought about these differences really, almost as long as I could remember. It's. Almost in many ways as if we oscillate, in completely, separate, universes, and Brittany I want to ask you there, are probably many, white people watching, right now we. Want to better understand, the, nature of injustice, in America the nature of inequality. In this country and quite, frankly the nature of black pain to tap into it just a little bit but. Talk, to me when explaining black trauma to white people does that exacerbate. The very trauma that you're trying to explain in the first place is it a necessary step, to push for change. Of. Course it exacerbates, the trauma that we face this unfortunately. Is precisely, how, oppression. Functions and, so often, the people who are the most affected, by the oppression, are the ones who bear the greatest, responsibility. And the heaviest burden to actually correcting, that oppression this, is precisely why we can't waste this moment I see a lot of black folks who are rightfully, looking at not black people and say this, is not just my job and, primarily, it is your job if you benefit. From the systems, of white supremacy, on white privilege, if you benefit, from systems, of anti blackness, benita your primary, responsibility to. Dismantle in you have to remove your ataxic approval you, have to remove the the, willingness, to allow these systems, to persist simply because they keep you comfortable the, fact of the matter is we're all sitting here having this conversation while. We're dealing with a mountain of emotions, we are trying to pan through this we, are trying to love our spouse sister, for this we are trying to heal, our own trauma, through this we, are trying to manage how much we, do and don't tell other people, because every single time you have to tell you scream there is an additional, rise in emotion, and we're, dealing with all of this in the, midst of other crises, we are also trying to keep our people safe from coronavirus.
Which Is killing us more disproportionately. And why because, the. Justice is that black people have always experienced. Are exacerbated. In this moment so bad housing bad education. Technology. Gaps bad, medical, outcomes, health disparities. Low. Wages all of those things are, are, all, of those things are increasing. Right now and in. Our lives and in our experience so, we're having this conversation right, now to make sure yes, that people can see and hear us now to recognize that. For all of us talking and for all of the black people watching, this, is an additional, exercise, in that trauma so, you have to ask yourself, if you are not black, how will you continue to keep your stuff on this, work and in this work without us having to continue, to expend our energy, and our precious resources. Yeah. If I could add to that Brittany I would I would, love to see a, panel. At NBC. Host a panel of white Americans, talking, about what, they plan to do to address the. Issues that are meeting black, folks to be in the streets right now. 100%. And, and I imagine, that everybody on this path probably, gotten calls from their white, friends, and white allies who are asking these very questions and, haven't, done the research themselves, they're. Coming to us like we're supposed to be you know the encyclopedia, iranica and. Insights win it but if you've done what, if you looked into have, you done any stock in your own life where do you have it you know any influence, in your community, at your job in your church at, your school there are multiple, places that you guys can be starting this conversation and, not as you're saying to coal once, again bringing, this trauma to us to, please expect, us to somehow to swage this it's, like get on these frontlines with this get down with this let's go you did this I think, it's 100 percent. In. Front. Of us. Going. Through childhood, school a professional, life and have never had to worry about this it has show no concern and. Now as, adults, ask us what, can we do to help that's not it's not a me question is a you question, yeah. Britany, I want to thank you for your time my friend you, always putting out putting out that work and you're also on TV we know you're busy so thank you very much thank you, Mandela. There have been two, distinct scenes playing out all across the country, one, is of peaceful, protesters, with chants, and signs demanding, justice for George Floyd and others the, other is of broken. Glass and, flames, and fire and damaged, buildings I want to ask you this Mandela is what, we're seeing in whole is it a riot or is it rebellion. It's. Frustration, it's, frustration, people, you, can't you can't tell people how to be frustrated. And go. Back to the same point over and over again this didn't come out of nowhere folks, didn't just wake up and decide that we're gonna break some glass they're gonna set some things on fire so, on, one hand you have the protests, that are sending the messages directly, to leadership. Making demands very specific, demands you have people were. Doing. Damage however. The. Question always comes up well, when are the protesters. When are the activists, and organizers gonna hold other people that are doing damage accountable, well the fact is the organizers. Are just, pushing for accountability, as well because, that goes to the good bad, cop argument. Whether good cops are gonna hold bad cops accountable, we're all looking for the same thing so I have, more than more than damage.
Destruction. And rebellion, it is frustration, and it. Didn't, get this way out of nowhere the, onliest falls on. All. Elected leadership all decision, makers who fail to address the crisis, when, before, it got to this point. Thank. You so, we've, been getting submissions, from black people all around the country and they've, been telling us why they're out there protesting protesting. For George Floyd this, is what guy Barnes, from Washington, DC had to say he, said being, black gay. And active, duty I've seen my fair share of and justices our, beauty, is in our diversity, but, our power is in our unity, I marched, so that the death of George Floyd and countless. Others known, and unknown will. Not be in vain Nicole. We've, had many conversations, about. Black, death and struggle. And protest, and we've. Had this conversation many times before but, in this moment with all the passion and the pain do, you believe that any of this the demonstrations, the, protests, the panels, with esteemed black panelists, will actually, push, us any closer to meaningful. Change. I. Hate. To try to, predict. What's going to happen in the future because I think it's hard to tell what, I will say is. The. Last time we've, had this, many uprisings, in this mini city for the sustained period of time would, have probably been around, 1968. With the assassination. Of Martin Luther King and what. Actually came from that was a passage, of the Fair Housing Act, the, Fair Housing Act, had been on life support had been filibustered for several years and everyone, thought it was going to go down in flames again, and it, was, these. Uprisings, with. The Capitol building being guarded by the National, Guard that forced Congress to pass that fair housing legislation that, it had refused to pass prior so, I guess what I'm saying is people, say that these types of uprisings, are only destructive, and can never lead to positive, change, but it is possible that, when you've seen this type of property damage when you've seen this type of sustained. Protests, going on in all of these cities across the country that, elected officials will be forced to pay attention and actually do something as, a whole police accountable. For the way that they treat citizens what this really is about those, people who want to be respected, to be treated with dignity and, to, have equal, protection before. The law. Done. You, said you have experience, going, through LA, and we've. Seen Ferguson, and we've seen Mike Brown and we've seen Freddie gray we've seen it all pushed. And pushed and pushed and a lot of hue and cry but, little seems to change do, you expect this time to be different are we had a pivot point where, we're maybe this time meaningful. Change might be on the horizon. I. Think. I have to piggyback on all, said and and, say. It is possible. But I know that all the forces struggling, to protect, the institutionalized. Racism and, the systematic, injustice that, is goddess here so. It's not going it's not going to be easy especially especially. With this leadership, and I use that word incredibly, loosely that we have at. The top that, is just, fomenting, the unrest, and you, know taking the opportunity, to seduce, photo-ops, with. The Bible in his hand. After, he's tear gassed in rubber bullet at people out of the way so he can look strong I mean this the most Craven, sort. Of leadership that we have when you have George, Will talking. About. Being. A verse that, allowing. This to continue that gamble, around the president's, feet like a pack, of dogs, hungry. For petting I mean, when you have George Will saying that then, we're talking about a 360.
Awareness. Of what, it is that we're pushing. Upstream. Against so yes. It's possible and from, you, know the ashes of this conflict can, come great change but it's not going to happen if we rest it's not going to happen if we don't get behind the people that have been doing, the work thus. Far and, learn. How to take this energy and organize, learn, how to take this energy and put. It into voting to. Put it into you know filling, out your census, to put it into making sure that you are seen and heard in ways that we, can't make ourselves seen and heard that we don't always take, advantage of we have to take advantage of all the ways that all the levers of power right now and not let this momentum, die because, another. Thing that we know as being human beings in this thing and we've seen it through 92 seem like you said in 68, it's. A cyclical, thing and, it can lose steam we can only continue, and hold this for, so long we, get weary we, get tired we get broken down our immune systems, can't take it not to mention we're in the middle of a pandemic, work. We don't have endless. Stores, of energy, to do this we have to do this now while it is still fresh while, we're still passionate while, we're still out, there in the streets we have to do it right now coming. Up we're on the ground in Minneapolis, with, a look at what protesters, on the ground are, for stay, with us. Here. Because this is this is our life we. Gotta fight for it nobody, else will we have to we, will not fall for anything. No. No. You can't walk there fear is if we want to fear you're not gonna be here. Today. The World Health Organization, officially, calling it a pandemic, none, of us is unaffected, by its impact. We're, gonna try everything that we can to keep, life as normal, as possible for, everybody if, you get into an environment like, this it's going to spread like rabbit fire we're, gonna build this economy, back stronger. Than ever before, there's a number of things I'd be doing they're not being done right now. Coming. In November people. Are going to be voting not for a person, but for stability I have to plan a funeral and how is this gonna work you don't prepare for giving. Birth on a pandemic the importance of music is to keep our spirits up I'm, sure mainly join, me as we go into America, to hear from everyday people grappling. With the most pressing issues of our time. Among. The chaos that. Found the fog trying, to teach his son about, peace. Retaliate. Were anger we, were telling the able love that's why we're down this, always. Another, way so that's all I wanted to say. These. Would be the images, that will archive, this moment, in our history but let these two the, quiet peacemakers. Picking, up the pieces I'm Lester, Holt please take care of yourself and, each other, are you excited definitely, am Faridah yeah. Let's, get into some trouble. Welcome. To Jimmy breaking. News tonight. Must be my lucky day. You guys gonna do great. To, go to there. We. Wouldn't need to stop being, distracted, stop. With the hamster, wheel a, police. Kill an unarmed black guy we. Protest, we, get distracted we. Go back to normal and then six months later happens, again this.
Is The, last, straw, but now it is time to act we need investment in, affordable housing we, need to make sure that there's a living we need to, make sure that, police. Are held accountable. We. Need to stop with the band-aid, solutions, we, need to fix the systemic problems. That, are happening in this country. We. Want to take you to Minneapolis. NBC. BLK, reporter Janelle Ross is there, Janelle. It's, been a, heck of a week of protests, in Minneapolis, and they've turned dangerous, and violent over, many nights what, is the feeling on the ground right now today, is, there a sense of what, people are going through I. Think. That the, climate. Here is quite different than perhaps it might seem on TV to, be frank it's very, very calm and, I'd. Say almost. Warm. And. I. Guess. Inviting, to those who would like to join the. Cause of. Calling. For increased police, accountability. That. Being said of course Minneapolis. Has been through a lot in this one week and. Whatever, America. Feels I think Minneapolis. Is probably feeling two to threefold. However. I think one of the things that I keep hearing from people on the ground here is a real desire, for people to take this, situation. Seriously. I heard, your earlier guests talking about the hamster wheel the sort of recurrent, cycle, of someone. Dying there. Being some public outrage some public outcry and, then the cycle starts all over again once, we've forgotten about it what, I'm hearing from a lot of people on the ground here is a lot of concern, about how seriously, their. Sense, that there may be some, outside. And. Extremist. Forces. That have sort of infiltrated, protests, there since that that's not being taken seriously and then, secondly, that, there is a lot of attention being paid to the health and welfare of. Designer. Stores, and, businesses and. Perhaps not enough attention being paid here. And elsewhere, to the actual policies, that govern police, conduct. Janelle, let me ask you this when we see images, from minneapolis in minnesota which is a very white state and we see kind of a dividing, line here we have a black community that say they've, been beleaguered. And beat upon by the police on the other hand we see more, kumbaya, kind of moments the day after the, fires black, and white coming together to clean up the streets in that push. For that kumbaya, unity, moment are, we losing any, of the steam and energy do activists, and people on the ground feel, that the rage and anger that they feel from. The death of George Floyd is being, lost in its desire to already, move forward. Absolutely. You hit it on the head, I have had multiple, people, say to me that, as much as every human being maybe strive, for peace and enjoy the, calm of going about their daily lives the problem is that normal, really. Was a condition, in which people, were being killed all, the time right and there, are basic, questions about justice, and accountability that, are not being answered, I certainly. Have had several activists, say to me that the sort. Of focus on let's. Get together and hold hands and have unity, seems to be misplaced. I, think, they would prefer to see people asking questions and, their communities, about what local, use of force policies, are whether. Or not choke holes are allowed by their police forces what, are the policies, and procedures for, just missing a problem officer. What are the union contracts, in their cities I think the list goes on and, on and on but, at a very bare, minimum I think that there is a lot of concern, that in the sort of focus on let's, come together and hold hands which is sort of a reflexive, perhaps. Deep human need that. More important, things might be lost. Janelle. Ross thank, you so very much to keep up the work we. Are back with our panel now, I'm. Gonna ask you man della as a wise man once told me there's, no way to separate, the roots of a tree from, its leaves there's.
No Doubt that this country, was, founded on, racist, ideals, and while, great progress has been made the. Roots remained the same, Mandela. Our white supremacist, ideals, and ingrained, anti, blackness the kind baked into every, American, institution, including policing. Breakable. Can we actually snap, out of the systemic nature of racism or is this just who. And what, we are. We. Have to snap out of it if we don't snap out and we're gonna be completely destroyed, this, nation will implode if we don't snap how to the. Lifestream is this ideology that got us to the point of where we are I want to remind people that these can actually get worse it. Is my hope that they don't it is my hope that people step up and recognize the moment and see the need for change and we use the true root and tree analogy, I also want to want to point out for. Those who still subscribe, to be a bad apple theory but they're just in a handful, oh we. Have to think about the, growing, conditions that led to those bad apples and that is the white supremacist, ideology that. You talk about so if. We don't snap out of it it will only be to our own peril. Nicole. The nature of what we're dealing with here it's not just, policing, it's healthcare it's, education, its, environment. We're, segregated, by our bodies but the air that we breathe is also segregated do. You believe. In your heart of hearts given all your experience, and everything you understand, about how this system works do, you think we can break out of it is there any way to move past it move through it change, society, in any real meaningful way I. Would. Say that can and will are, two different things yes. We absolutely can. We know how to do it we know all of the resources, that went into creating the. Inequalities. That we see in experience, but, do we have the will you know James Baldwin, said that white people have to be willing to give up their whiteness and I don't think then we have seen enough. White Americans, and power willing, to do that you. Know we think about this, police violence, police are the, agents, of the state who work most intimately, in black communities but, they are the face of a much larger system of oppression that you just talked about they. Are you. Know black, people are the most segregated people. In terms of housing, in terms of school we, have the worst health effects we have the highest poverty, rates we have the highest unemployment rates, and anything that you name we. Suffer from the worst and that's because we are the descendants, of those who were enslaved in this country, so do we have the will to, actually. Do what's what, is necessary I don't think so but we certainly can if we choose we. Just send somebody to the moon again we wanted to do, something better we could. Done. What do you what do you what do you think about that and I also want to add how, much of that that intimacy between police, and the people and all the the ways, in which were segregated but, how much of what we experienced day to day do you think is the result of of unconscious. Bias people. Meandering, through life not realizing, at the harbor anti-black, sentiment and how much of it is actual, conscious racism, conscious, anti-black, sentiment I. Think. It's not possible necessarily. To quantify, it in, percentages. I will, say that it's both. Are absolutely, at play, every. Day, people, do not realize that they, that they have these biases, and they're like, I said my friends. Are really. Realizing, it now and it's really coming out now and to really understanding. The. Impact, of inaction. Thinking, that in action thinking. That because they're good people and they do good, things during the day and they're nice to people that that's actually enough to tear down something. That has, been systemic, and has been not, only institutionalized. But it's you know it's codified in the Articles, of creation. Of this country we were never intended to participate, in this with, any sort of just justice. Or any sort of equality. So, it's going to be and, it's going to be a struggle and and. In this, moment, ever in right, now that we got to very honestly, and has. Been this confluence, of all of these things coming together at the same time with, a terrible. President. In. Enabler. Surround him who don't, have the courage to stand, up to him at, a time when you know people want to talk about looting, but, and on. The other hand they don't want to talk about trillion. Dollars tax cut it meant to do richest. One percent in this country let's, kind of the holistic, conversation. About this really be honest, about where. We are and how we got here and if we can't do that and it's things like this like all said if white people aren't willing powerful. White people aren't willing to have these kinds of conversations and. Hold each other accountable to, that and people, who really hold, these, levers of power I don't.
Know How this. Will change but, this is absolutely the moment to impress upon them that it has to or as, Mustafa said I'm sorry as Mandela, said we're we're, looking at we're, looking at a very bad outcome and and the riots happened, in 92, after. The. Trial and the officers, were found like we. Still have three officers who haven't been charged and one, who, may be found, not, guilty they may be acquitted, and that's what it thought in LA in 92 so yes, we may. Not be at the the. Greatest point of this yet and that's terrifying. Mandela. You hold the levers of some power you are the Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin which, includes Milwaukee. Which has among, the highest black, male incarceration rates, in the country I want, to ask you what. Is next where, do we go from here and do you think that white America, wants, to change that, many in black America actually want. And. So, that's the thing I think a lot of people are waking up to a reality that they never had these three so, if I can go back to the question, that you, brought, to done I think folks, just haven't been able to go throughout their entire lives without ever having to worry or, think about it but. On the policy, front there's so many proposals. That have been brought up and but on the political front they, are still like I said in the beginning people, don't, have to worry about it and in, my position I think about. The. Issues that I'm expected to carry the issues I will carry regardless, because they are important, whether it's LGBTQ. Issues whether it's women's, right to choose whether it's environmental, issues I carry those issues they are important, to me, well. Rarely is Rachel just as a part of that conversation and, what. I feel that I can do because we do have elections coming up it's not just the presidential, election we have State Legislative races all. Across Wisconsin, as well you have other races going on and, from. My position I don't have to endorse anybody that doesn't take on racial justice and that's what I plan to do like for people who are running for state representative state, senator they don't talk about racial justice I'm, not endorsing them because we have to build not, just power we have to build the, policy. Infrastructure, to, make sure that these issues get addressed and brought to the table and talked about in a meaningful way. Thanks. So, much to, our guest Don. Cheadle Nicole, Hannah Jones lieutenant. Governor of Mandela Barnes, we. Want to keep hearing your, voices if.
You're. Black in America, please, share with us why, you're out rallying, for George Floyd go, to NBC, News comm, slash, your protest. Thank. You again all for, joining me in this very honest very raw conversation. Somewhere. In America, tonight the. Spark of great change is flickering, it's. Up to each of us to decide whether. We let it burn out or, we nurture that. Burning change, wherever. You are right now we. Hear you thank, you and, good night. Right. Now America, is burning, but as a black journalist, I've covered this before all, this week I'm pushing deep into the racial injustice and violence that was smoldering in this country long before we ever learn George Floyd's, name subscribe. For free wherever, you get your podcast.
2020-06-07 05:16
