Time	Speaker	Text
00:00:41	>>	GOOD MORNING. TAKE A DEEP BREATH, EVERYBODY. FATHER, WE COME TO THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE GIVEN US. WE COME TO THANK YOU THAT WE CAN GET IT TOGETHER WITH EARS THAT REALLY HERE AND VOICES THAT SPEAK THE TRUTH. FATHER, WE GIVE PRAISE TO YOU. WE KNOW HOW HONORED WE ARE THAT YOU LOVE US SO MUCH. WE ASK YOU TO TEACH US HERE, TO TELL US. BLESS THESE PEOPLE WHO HAVE COME TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING ON HOW TO SERVE YOU BETTER. THANK, GOD, THANKS, GOD.
00:01:36	Smiley, Tavis	YOU MAY BE SEATED. IT IS MY HONOR TO BRING TO THE PODIUM THE PERSON WHO WILL ON BEHALF OF THIS GREAT CITY AND ON BEHALF OF THIS GREAT CANADA OF LOS ANGELES WELCOMED THESE PROCEEDINGS. WE ARE IN BLACK HISTORY MONTH, AND HE IS BLACK HISTORY HIMSELF, HAVING BEEN ELECTED AS THE FIRST BLACK MAN TO BE ELECTED TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. PLEASE WELCOME OUR SUPERVISOR, MARK, RIDLEY-THOMAS.
00:02:25	Ridley-Thomas, Mark	THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND I AM PLEASED TO WELCOME ALL OF YOU TO LOS ANGELES AND TO JOIN YOU FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE 10TH CONVENING OF WHAT IS THIS NATION'S FOR MOST FORM ON THE DISCUSSION OF MATTERS THAT PERTAINED TO AFRICAN-AMERICANS. WE CELEBRATE THIS EVENT BECAUSE OF ITS SIGNIFICANCE, AND JUST THINK FOR A MOMENT WHAT IT HAS TOUCHED. WE HAVE SEEN THIS NATION OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS CHOOSE TO EMBARK ON THE IMPEACHMENT OF A PRESIDENT. WE HAVE SEEN THE DAWNING OF A NEW MILLENNIUM. WE HAVE SEEN 9/11, WE HAVE SEEN WARS AND AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ. WE HAVE SEEN HURRICANE KATRINA. AND THIS FORM, THE STATE OF THE BLACK UNION, HAS TOUCHED ALL OF THOSE ISSUES AND MORE. WE HAVE SEEN TWO SUPER BOWL VICTORIES LED BY AFRICAN- AMERICANS, AND THIS FORM HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN ALL OF THOSE RELEVANT ISSUES. WE HAVE SEEN THE ELECTION OF THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN PRESIDENT. [APPLAUSE] WE SALUTE THE STATE OF THE BLACK UNION AND WELCOME IT BACK TO LOS ANGELES, THE MOST POPULOUS REGION IN THE NATION OF THE MOST POPULOUS POPULATION, DIVERSE POPULATION. THIS IS LOS ANGELES, THIS IS WHERE IT HAPPENS. WE'RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU. WELCOME AGAIN TO LOS ANGELES. [APPLAUSE]
00:04:25	Smiley, Tavis	10 YEARS AGO, WE STARTED AN AMAZING JOURNEY RIGHT HERE IN LOS ANGELES. IT WAS THE YEAR 2000, A NEW MILLENNIUM. THE NATION WAS TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT. AL GORE AND GEORGE BUSH BATTLING FOR THE WHITE HOUSE. MANY OF US IN BLACK AMERICA WERE TRYING TO BE SURE MANY OTHER CRITICAL ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITY WERE ADDRESSED BY THE CANDIDATES. IT WAS THEN WE DECIDED TO BRING TOGETHER AN EXTRAORDINARY GROUP OF PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT THESE ISSUES AND WAYS TO ENSURE THAT THEY WERE A PROMINENT PART OF THE NATIONAL AGENDA. OUR THEME IN THAT FIRST YEAR WAS ADVOCACY IN THE NEXT MILLENNIUM. NEW PARADIGM FOR PROGRESS. MANY OF YOU TODAY RECEIVED AN ORIGINAL COPY OF THAT REPORT SO YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE EXCERPTS OF THAT, AND WHILE WE REALIZE THE CONVERSATION CAN NOT AND THERE. WHAT WE THOUGHT WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION HAS GROWN INTO AN ANNUAL EVENT, TAKING US TO A DIFFERENT CITY WITH A DIFFERENT TOPIC EACH YEAR. THE NEXT YEAR, WE MET IN WASHINGTON, D.C., TO TALK NOT ABOUT THEM, BUT ABOUT US. IN 2002, WE GATHERED IN PHILADELPHIA AND ASK THE QUESTION, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? YES OR COMMUNITY? IN 2003, WE WENT TO DETROIT AND HAD A DIALOGUE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND THE BLACK CHURCH AND WHETHER IT IS RELEVANT, REPRESSIVE, OR REBORN. IN MIAMI IN 2004, WE TALK ABOUT STRENGTHENING THE BLACK FAMILY. THE NEXT YEAR IN ATLANTA WE TALKED ABOUT THE TOPIC OF HEALTH. WE WANTED TO FORMULATE AND AFRICAN AMERICAN AGENDA. IN 2006 IN HOUSTON, WE DISCUSSED ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT AND DEFINING THE AGENDA, PART 2. IN 2007, WE MEANT IN JAMESTOWN, VA., TO COMMEMORATE THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THIS COUNTRY IN THE ROLE AFRICANS PLAYED IN CREATING IT, AN EXTRAORDINARY ROLE THAT AFRICAN-AMERICANS HAVE PLAYED IN HELPING AMERICA EVOLVED AS THE COUNTRY SHE IS TODAY. THREE YEARS AFTER HURRICANE KATRINA, WE MET IN NEW ORLEANS TO TALK ABOUT RECLAIMING DEMOCRACY AND RE-TESTING OUR FUTURE. AND NOW, 10 YEARS LATER, I AM PLEASED ABOUT WHAT IS YET TO DO. I AM PLEASED THAT WE ALSO CELEBRATE THE HISTORIC ELECTION OF BARACK OBAMA, OUR NATION'S FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN PRESIDENT. [APPLAUSE] THE PRESIDENT REACHED OUT AND REGRETTED THAT HE COULD NOT BE BE WITH US TODAY, BUT LAST NIGHT FROM THE WHITE HOUSE, SENT US THIS MESSAGE. PLEASE WELCOME, VIA THE MONITOR, THE PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES, BARACK OBAMA.
00:07:57	>>	THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. I AM HONORED TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY AND AM SORRY I CANNOT JOIN YOU IN PERSON. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR THE CHANCE TO ADDRESS THIS FORUM. YOU HAVE AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT NOT ONLY THE CHALLENGES FACING THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO THE WAYS THAT MEN AND WOMEN ARE WORKING TO MAKE THEM MAD. YOU ADDRESS OUR TOUGHEST PROBLEMS, RATHER THAN LEAVING THEM FOR ANOTHER DAY OR YEAR OR GENERATION. I HAVE SEEN THAT HUNGER AMONG AMERICANS UNITED NOT BY THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN BUT BY A DETERMINATION TO BUILD A MORE PERFECT UNION. TO NOT ONLY REVIVE THE ECONOMY BUT TO TRANSFORM OUR COUNTRY. THAT IS WHAT THE PEOPLE DEMANDED AT THE POLLS IN NOVEMBER, AND THAT IS THE WORK THAT MY ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE. WE HAVE DONE MORE IN THE PAST 30 DAYS TO BRING ABOUT PROGRESS OF CHANGE THEN WE HAVE IN THE PAST MANY YEARS. WE ARE CLOSING THE HEALTH-CARE GAP WITH A LONG-DELAYED EXPANSION OF THE CHILDREN'S PROGRAM TO AN ADDITIONAL 4 MILLION CHILDREN. MY RECOVERY PLAN ALSO PROVIDES COVERAGE FOR MILLIONS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR INSURANCE ALONG WITH THEIR JOBS. AND THE BUDGET I PROPOSED ON THURSDAY CONTAINS A STORE COMMITMENT TO COMPREHENSIVE, HEALTH CARE REFORM, A DOWN PAYMENT ON QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE. WE ARE CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP WITH THE LARGEST INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION IN OUR HISTORY. WE WILL RENOVATE SCHOOLS, TRAIN TEACHERS, AND MAKE HIGHER EDUCATION MORE AFFORDABLE FOR NEARLY 7 MILLION STUDENTS WITH A 2500 TAX CREDIT FOR EVERY YEAR OF COLLEGE. AND WE ARE CLOSING THE GAP BETWEEN THE NATION WE ARE AND THE NATION WE CAN BE, BY IMPLEMENTING POLICIES THAT WILL SPEED RECOVERY AND BUILD A FOUNDATION FOR LASTING PROSPERITY AND OPPORTUNITY. WE'RE MODERNIZING ROADS AND THE TRANSIT SYSTEM, RENOVATING SCHOOLS, AND MAKING GROUNDBREAKING INVESTMENTS IN RESEARCH AND CLEAN ENERGY. WE HAVE ALSO PROVIDED THE MOST PROGRESSIVE TAX CUT IN HISTORY. 95% OF WORKING PEOPLE WILL BENEFIT. WE WILL CREED OR SAVED 3.5 MILLION JOBS AND LEFT MORE THAN 2 MILLION PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY. THESE ARE POLICIES THAT WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. YOU KNOW THAT TOUGH TIMES AMERICA MEAN TOUGHER TIMES FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS. THIS RECESSION HAS BEEN NO EXCEPTION. THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AMONG BLACK AMERICANS IS FIVE POINTS HIGHER THAN AMERICANS AS A WHOLE. AT THE SAME TIME, THE GOVERNMENT CANNOT AND WILL MUST SUCCEED ALONE. WILL TAKE ALL OF A STEPPING UP AND DOING OUR PART. IT WILL TAKE THE COMMITMENT OF PARENTS AND TEACHERS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS. IT WILL TAKE RENEWED FAITH IN OUR PURPOSE AND VALUES. THAT BEGINS GATHERINGS LIKE THIS AND CONCERNED CITIZENS LIKE ALL OF YOU. THAT IS THE STORY OF PROGRESS IN AMERICA. ORDINARY FOLKS WOULD NOT REST, WOULD NOT GIVE UP, SO LONG AS THERE WERE CHILDREN TO TEACH AND JOBS TO CREATE, GAPS TO BE CLOSED AND WANTS TO BE RIGHTED. THAT IS HOW WE ALL MAKE AMERICA AS GOOD AS IT IS PROMISED. WE NEED EVERYBODY TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES, AND COUNTRIES. I THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF A NOBLE EFFORT IN THIS DEFINING MOMENT IN OUR HISTORY TRADE [APPLAUSE]
00:11:32	Smiley, Tavis	I KNOW YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT FOR THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. [APPLAUSE] WE THANK THE PRESIDENT FOR SALUTING THIS GATHERING ON ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY. AS YOU KNOW, MUCH OF THE CONVERSATION WE HAVE HAD HAS BEEN ABOUT PLANS AND POLICIES, AND OUR PRESIDENT IS EXECUTING THEM OUT TO HELP IMPROVE BLACK AMERICA. YOU'LL RECALL THE COVENANT WITH BLACK AMERICA. WE STARTED THINKING ABOUT THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WELL IN ADVANCE AND DECIDED TO CREATE NATIONAL ACTION PLAN TO PROVIDE TO ALL OF THESE CANDIDATES IN ADVANCE. WE WANTED THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF THE BLACK VOTE AND THE VALUE OF ADDRESSING OUR CONCERNS IN ABEYANCE. SOME OF YOU MAY RECALL THAT INITIALLY IT WAS SUGGESTED WE CALL THE DOCUMENT A CONTRACT WITH BLACK AMERICA. BUT AS THE BRILLIANT SCHOLAR ON PANEL TO TODAY, CORNELL WEST, NOTED, A CONTRACT IS TO SELFISH, AND THE COMPACT IS TO SEASONAL. WITH THE REV. DR. JOSEPH LOWERY, WE DECIDED TO CALL A COVENANT, ANOTHER WORD FOR PROMISE, WHICH SYMBOLIZES THE ESSENTIAL SPIRITUAL NATURE OF THE BLACK STRUGGLE FOR PROGRESS IN AMERICA. IT WAS CREATED WITH THE HELP OF MANY INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS LIKE POLICY. IT OFFERS A ROAD MAP AND REMINDER THAT IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS A COMMUNITY TO INSURE THAT NO MOTHER, NO FATHER, NO CHILD BE LEFT BEHIND, POLITICALLY, SOCIALLY, OR ECONOMICALLY. WE ALL HAVE OUR ROLE TO PLAY IN CREATING THE WORLD WE WANT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. AS YOU KNOW, THAT MISSION RESONATED ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND THE COVENANT BECAME A NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLER. WE PUT THE COVENANT AND ACTION CARRIED THIS DEMONSTRATES HOW PEOPLE, EVERYDAY PEOPLE, MADE A COVENANT A LIVING, BREATHING DOCUMENT, BY WORKING FOR CHANGE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, THEIR SCHOOLS, THEIR CHURCHES, AND ALL OVER THEIR COMMUNITIES. THIS YEAR, WE ARE FREE TO RELEASE THE THIRD AND FINAL BOOK IN THE COVENANT TRILOGY, MAKING AMERICA AS GOOD AS IT IS PROMISED. [APPLAUSE] ACCOUNTABLE IS THE LOGICAL SUCCESSOR TO THE OTHER TEXTS, IT IS THE WHAT, THE HOWL, AND ACCOUNTABLE IS THE WEATHER, THE YARDSTICK FOR MEASURING WHETHER OR NOT LEADERS AND CITIZENS HAVE FULFILLED OR ART FULFILLING OUR DEMOCRACY. EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF THE BOOK. WITH IT AT ME. EVERYBODY HAS A COPY. HE SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED ONE OF THESE BOOKS. IF YOU DID IN, MAKE SURE YOU GET ONE. I SEE A LOT OF FOLKS WITHOUT A BOOK. EVERYBODY HAS GOT A BOOK. ALL RIGHT. EVERYBODY HAS GOT A COPY OF THE BOOK. FOR THOSE ON MY STAFF, PLEASE GET THEM BOOKS AND START TO BRING THEM DOWN TO THIS SECTION IN THE MIDDLE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAS A COMPLEMENTARY COPY OF THIS NEW AND IMPORTANT VOLUME, "CAMPBELL -- "ACCOUNTABLE." FOR THOSE OF YOU WITH BOOK IN HAND, I WANT TO SHOW YOU HOW IT IS LAID OUT IN JUST THREE MINUTES. EVERY CHAPTER HAS THE SAME FRAMEWORK WE HAVE DONE FOR THE FIRST BOOKS. THIS BOOK IS A HANDBOOK TO MAKE SURE OUR PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND GOVERNORS AND MAYORS AT THE FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL LEVEL, THIS BOOK IS A PLAYBOOK. IT IS A REPORT CARD. IT IS A CHECKLIST. IT IS ALL THAT AND THEN SOME, TO MAKE SURE WE'RE FINALLY GOING TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT HOLDING PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE TO MAKING AMERICA AS GOOD AS IT IS PROMISED. FOR THOSE WHO HAVE THE BOOK, YOU NOTICE ON THE COVER A PICTURE OF OUR NEW PRESIDENT, BARACK OBAMA. YOU WILL NOTICE THAT AT FACE IS MADE UP OF HUNDREDS OF OTHER SMALLER PICTURES. THESE PICTURES ARE THE ACTUAL FACES OF ACTUAL ELECTED OFFICIALS OF EVERY COLOR, RACE, ETHNIC ORIGIN, IDEOLOGY, AND IT IS MADE UP OF HUNDREDS OF ELECTORATE -- ELECTED OFFICIALS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. IT IS REALLY ABOUT A ROLE OF EACH OF US. THE PRESIDENT, ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND ENGAGED CITIZENS, THE ROLE WE HAVE TO PLAY IN HELPING TO MAKE AMERICA AS GOOD AS IS PROMISED. JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE ARE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT BARACK OBAMA. IF ANY OTHER CANDIDATES HAD WON,, THEIR FACE WOULD BE ON THE COVER, AND I KNOW THEY ARE MAD AT THEIR FACE IS NOT ON THE COVER OF THIS BOOKER IT ONE MORE TIME FOR BARACK OBAMA. [APPLAUSE] LAST YEAR, WE SAW EXTRAORDINARY NUMBERS OF PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS, MANY FOR THE FIRST TIME. HOW TO BE ENGAGED TO DIVIDENDS THAT WE HAVE REALIZED? WE WORK FOR ACCOUNTABILITY CRUDE WE WORK FOR ACCOUNTABILITY. THAT IS A WORD WE HAVE BEEN HEARING FROM THE PRESIDENT'S MOUTH A LOT. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH "TIME" HE SAID, "TWO YEARS FROM NOW, I WANT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO SAY I FEEL LIKE GOVERNMENT IS TRANSPARENT, LIKE I AM WELL INFORMED ABOUT WHAT GOVERNMENT ACTIONS ARE BEING TAKEN. OUR PRESIDENT IS ASKING US TO HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE. OUR PRESIDENT IS SAYING TO US, YOU CANNOT DO IT ALONE. OUR PRESIDENT IS SAYING, WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. I BELIEVE WE ALL WANT TO FEEL THAT WAY. IN TWO YEARS, FOR YEARS, 10 YEARS, FOR THAT MATTER. FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES. I WANT OBAMA TO BE A GREAT PRESIDENT. I BELIEVE BARACK OBAMA CAN BE A GREAT PRESIDENT. BUT ONLY WE HELPED MAKE HIM A GREAT PRESIDENT. BY BEING THE KIND OF ACTIVE CITIZENS DEMOCRACY DEMANDS. HIS ACCOUNTABILITY IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY. I WANT TO WALK YOU THROUGH WHAT THIS BOOK LOOKS LIKE. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE THE BOOK, TURN TO PAGE NUMBER NINE. I WANT TO GIVE YOU A QUICK WAY OUT OF HOW BOOK WORKS. EVERY CHAPTER HAS THE SAME FRAMEWORK. I JUST HAVE TO WALK THROUGH ONE CHAPTER AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THIS WORKS. PAGE NINE, CHAPTER ONE. HEALTH CARE AND WELL-BEING. FOLLOW ALONG. EACH CHAPTER BEGINS WITH STORIES OF REAL PEOPLE UNDERSCORING THE NEED OF ISSUES AND THE COVENANT. PAGE 20, SAME FOR EVERY CHAPTER, YOU WILL SEE THE FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSMENTS. THAT LEAVES YOU THEN TO SOLUTION AND GOVERNMENT REFORM, AND SOLUTIONS FOR GOVERNMENTS ENFORCEMENT. SOLUTIONS FOR PRIVATE EMPLOYERS, FOR INSURANCE PROVIDERS CURRENT SOLUTIONS FOR DOCTORS, HOSPITALS, AND PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES. SOLUTIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS. AND GO TO PAGE 33. ON PAGE 33, YOU WILL SEE THE ACCOUNTABLE ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST. AS YOU SEE, THERE IS AN OUTLINE OF WHAT THE CANDIDATE HAS PROMISED TO DO. AND THEN WE HAVE TO EVALUATE HOW EACH OF US IS DEALING WITH THE ISSUE OF HEALTH CARE TOGETHER WITH THE PRESIDENT. IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT BARACK OBAMA. WE GOT A CHECKLIST FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. WHAT ARE THEY DOING? GOVERNORS AND LEGISLATORS, WHAT ARE THEY DOING? COMMUNITY LEADERS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU AND I. YOU AND I. PRESIDENTS ALONE DO NOT SHAKE OUR FUTURES. PROGRESS -- CONGRESS AND THE COURTS CAN PASS LAWS AND HAND DOWN DECISIONS. NONETHELESS, CITIZENS MUST ALWAYS BE PREPARED TO HOLD THE PRESIDENT ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT HE PROMISED HE WOULD FIGHT FOR. NEVER FORGET THAT WE THE PEOPLE ARE ACCOUNTABLE FOR MAKING SURE THAT PROMISES MADE OUR PROMISES KEPT. WE TURN TO PAGE 172, ALWAYS TO THE BACK. WE WILL FIND AN ACCOUNTABLE REPORT CARD. PAGE 172. AND ACCOUNTABLE REPORT CARD TO HELP TRACK THE PROGRESS ON THOSE PROMISES. THAT WAS A VERY QUICK TUTORIAL ON HOW THE BOOK IS LAID OUT. EACH CHAPTER IS LIKE A WORKBOOK ON THE ISSUES IN THE COVENANT. THE BOOK IS A TOOL, THEN, TO HELP MAKE DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA MORE REAL. FOR THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE WITH US TODAY, I INVITE YOU TO JOIN US ON THE ROLE. WE WILL DO A TOWN HALL TOWARD STARTING IN NEW YORK CITY ON MONDAY. WE START OUR NEW YORK MONDAY NIGHT. ON TUESDAY, WE'RE IN PHILADELPHIA. WEDNESDAY, WASHINGTON D.C., THURSDAY, BALTIMORE, FRIDAY, WE ARE IN CHICAGO. ON SATURDAY, WE GO TO NEW ORLEANS. MARCH 10, WE ARE IN OAKLAND. THE 11TH, I AM BACK HOME IN LOS ANGELES. ON MARCH 7, WE GO UP TO SEATTLE. ON MARCH 12, RATHER, IN SEATTLE, AND WE CONCLUDE ON THE 13TH IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. FOR ALL THE CITIES, PLACES AND TIMES, GO TO THE WEBSITES FOR THE DETAILS. TAVISTALKS.COM. IN ADDITION TO THE PAST YEARS, THE USE FOR LEADERS PROGRAM HAS WORKED OVER THE YEARS TO IDENTIFY THE BEST YOUNG LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY. MY GOAL WAS TO FACILITATE OVER THESE 10 YEARS ALONE WITH THE SYMPOSIUM. A YOUNG MALCOLM MEETING A YOUNG MARK THE -- MARTIN. YESTERDAY, ALMOST 2000 PEOPLE, YOUNG STUDENTS, YOUNG SCHOLARS FROM HIGH SCHOOL ALL AROUND THE REGION, JOIN US AT USC FOR A CONVERSATION PROMPTED BY THE NAVY, AND I WOULD LIKE TO ABOLISH THOSE USED IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY. GIVE THESE FOLKS SOME LOVE. [APPLAUSE] THERE ARE TWO YOUNG PERSONS HERE I WANT TO IDENTIFY. JORDAN, COME ON OUT. GIVE SOME LOVE TO JORDAN HARRIS. AND LAETITIA CAMPBELL. [APPLAUSE] I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU TWO EXAMPLES OF THE KIND OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO COME THROUGH THIS PROGRAM AND I'M SURE OF ONE POINT, HE REMEMBERED JORDAN WAS A PANELIST AT ONE OF THESE CONVERSATIONS. JORDAN I MEANT WHEN HE WAS A KID AT AGE 14. HE RECEIVED OUR FOUNDATION'S EMERGING LEADERS WERE WORK, FOUNDED A NONPROFIT IN PHILADELPHIA. HE NOW HAS A MASTER'S DEGREE AND TEACHES SCHOOL TWO OTHER YOUNG STUDENTS OF COLOR IN PHILADELPHIA. THAT IS JORDAN HERE. LAETITIA CAMPBELL, OF YPSILANTI, MICH., WAS A DELEGATE AT OUR 2007 LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE. SHE WAS NAMED OUTSTANDING YOUNG AND CITIZEN BY THE END BARBER TIMES. SHE WROTE HER COLLEGE ESSAY ON FOUNDATION LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES, AND THAT ESSAY WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO GET HER INTO YALE UNIVERSITY. ON BEHALF OF ALL THE YOUNG PEOPLE, PLEASE CONGRATULATE JORDAN, LETICIA, AND ALL THE FOLKS TO COME THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. [APPLAUSE] FOR MORE ABOUT THE WORK OF THE FOUNDATION, PLEASE GO TO OUR WEBSITE. FOR THOSE OF YOU AND LOS ANGELES TO HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO FIND THESE TICKETS, I WANT TO THANK OUR DEAR FRIEND AND ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC ARTISTS EVER GOING, AND ONE OF MY PERSONAL FAVORITES, HE WATCHES THE SYMPOSIUM EVERY YEAR AND CALLS ME AFTER, AND TONIGHT, IN CELEBRATION OF THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY, HE WILL TURN THIS CITY UPSIDE DOWN. FOR THOSE OF YOU LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE A TICKET, PLEASE THANK THE ARTIST KNOWN AS PRINCE. FOR THOSE OF YOU IN LOS ANGELES, YOU PROBABLY SAW THE PANEL TO CELEBRATE THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THIS OCCASION. WE WILL BE AT THE HOUSE OF BLUES FOR A LUNCH FEATURING CORNELL WEST. ALL THE DETAILS ARE AT OUR WEBSITE AT BEFORE -- TAVISTALKS.COM. I'M JUST TRYING TO GIVE YOU THE STORY OF WHAT THIS CONVERSATION, WHAT THIS GATHERING HAS UNLEASHED OVER THESE 10 YEARS. I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW THRILLED WE WERE WEEKS AGO TO LAUNCH THE EXHIBIT THAT I TOLD YOU THREE YEARS AGO ON THIS DATE WE HAVE BEEN WANTING TO DO CALL AMERICA, I AM. THE AFRICAN AMERICAN INFLUENCE. YOU HEARD ME TALK ABOUT THE EXHIBITION. THE IDEA WE GOT WHEN WE WENT TO JAMESTOWN TO SEE WHERE OUR ANCESTORS ARRIVED. IT IS AT THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER, BROUGHT TO YOU BY WAL-MART. THE SPRAWLING 15,000 SQUARE FEET, 12 CALORIES, 4 FEATURE EXHIBITS, AND 300 RARE ARTIFACTS. IT TELLS THE STORY OF OUR 500- YEAR JOURNEY IN THIS COUNTRY. W. E. B. DU BOIS ONCE SAID, WOULD AMERICA HAVE BEEN AMERICA WITHOUT BLACK PEOPLE? I'M REMINDED THEM AT THE ANSWER IS NO. AMERICA I AM WILL STAY AT THE CONSTITUTION CENTER THROUGH THE THIRD AND BEGAN ITS JOURNEY AROUND THE COUNTRY. WE COME IN TO ATLANTA WITH THIS EXHIBIT ON JUNE 7 AND THEN COME BACK TO LOS ANGELES AND INTO NEW YORK CITY NEXT YEAR. ALL THE DETAILS ABOUT THE EXHIBIT ARE NOW IN PHILADELPHIA AT AMERICAIAM.ORG. YOU'LL ALSO FIND DETAILS ABOUT A CONTEST WE'RE STARTING FOR A PUBLICATION THAT WILL BE DONE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS EXHIBIT. ALL OF THE DETAILS ABOUT THAT CONTEST, AS WELL, WILL BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE. ONE THING WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT IS, TO SHOW HOW WE WILL GROW, WE HAVE GONE GREEN. WE HAVE CUT CARBON BY MORE THAN 30%, MEANING WE HAVE MADE IN PORT AND CHOICES AS WE ALL BECOME MORE CONSCIOUS OF HOW WE AS CITIZENS CAN USE THESE RESOURCES IN OUR EFFORT TO SUSTAIN THE PLANET WE LIVE ON. LET ME ASK YOU TO HOLD YOUR APPLAUSE, BUT WE HAVE GOT RESPONSES. THE PRICE IS RIGHT EVERY YEAR. IT IS FREE. FOR 10 CONSECUTIVE YEARS, FOR THE THOUSANDS OF VIEW IN THIS ROOM, TO THE THOUSANDS THAT HAVE SEEN IT, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN FREE. THIS YEAR, PLEASE THANK OUR TITLE SPONSOR, WELLS FARGO. PLEASE THANK OUR NATIONAL SPONSOR, EXXONMOBIL AND NATIONWIDE INSURANCE. AND PLEASE THANK OUR LOCAL MEDIA SPONSORS, "THE SENTINEL" AND THE ALLEY-WATCHED- -- "L.A. WATCH- TIMES." AND I ASK YOU TO SHOW YOUR LOVE IN THE MOST EUPHORIC WHEN YOU POSSIBLY CAN FOR 10 CONSECUTIVE YEARS, THIS CONVERSATION HAS BEEN SEEN IN THIS COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD, AND THERE IS ONLY ONE NETWORK THAT WOULD GIVE UP PROGRAMMING ALL DAY LONG AND REPEATED OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, LAND ON YOUR FEET, AND TELL C-SPAN HOW MUCH WE LOVE THEM. [APPLAUSE] C-SPAN, WE APPRECIATE YOU. WE THANK YOU FOR 10 YEARS. WE THANK C-SPAN FOR 10 YEARS OF LETTING THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST MINDS IN BLACK AMERICA BE SHOWCASED. OUR THOUGHT PEOPLE, OUR INFLUENCE MAKERS. WE THANK C-SPAN FOR 10 YEARS OF THEIR SUPPORT. THIS YEAR, THERE WAS A SPECIAL DESIGN OF THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY GIFT BY PAROLEPARADISE.COM. WE THANK PEARL-PARADISE.COM. NOW TO THE QUESTION AND ANSWER. WE WILL TAKE QUESTIONS LATER IN THE SESSION THIS MORNING. YOU CAN SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO TAVISTALKS.COM. FOR PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, PUT YOUR QUESTION ON A NOTE CARD, OFFERS WILL COLLECT THEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE IN HEARING THOSE REMARKS. IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL THAT HAS BEEN DONE AS A RESULT OF THESE CONVERSATIONS AT THE TABLES, AND WE THANK ALL OF YOU IN THIS ROOM TODAY AND ALL THE THOUSANDS OF OUR FRIENDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO HAVE SHOWN UP FOR STANDING- ROOM-ONLY AUDIENCES. WE THANK YOU FOR 10 YEARS OF SUPPORTING THIS CONVERSATION, AND WE COULD NOT BE MORE DELIGHTED TO BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF A NEW PRESIDENT, BARACK OBAMA. IT IS MY PLEASURE TO WELCOME TO THE STAGE THE PERSON WITH WHOM WHEN I WAS ON HIS RADIO SHOW FOR 12 YEARS, I WAS ON HIS PROGRAM, WE TOGETHER STARTED IT, AND FOR 10 YEARS HE WENT TO EVERYONE OF THE SYMPOSIUMS, HELPING ME TO INTRODUCE THE PANEL. PLEASE THANK HIM FOR BEING HERE TODAY, TOM JOYNER. [APPLAUSE]
00:33:09	Joyner, Tom	GOOD MORNING. I AM TOM JOYNER, AND I'M HERE TO CONGRATULATE HAVE LESS AND THE STATE OF THE BLACK UNION ON ITS 10TH YEAR. 10 YEARS, AND I'VE BEEN HERE FOR EVERY ONE OF THEM. IT STARTED RIGHT HERE, BACK IN THE DAY. 10 YEARS, WHEN SHAQ AND KOBE WERE STILL TOGETHER. THAT IS A LONG TIME IN BLACK AMERICA. SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED. MY GOODNESS, SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED. WE HAVE HAD SORROW NOT HAPPINESS, AND YET WE STILL STAND TALL. THROUGH IT ALL, THE MERKEL NEVER CEASED. THAT IS WHAT MAKES BLACK AMERICA STRONG. THE MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, NO MATTER HOW LOW WE GO, SOMETHING OR SOMEONE ALWAYS COMES ALONG TO REMIND US THAT WE CAN GO LITTLE FURTHER. WE STRUGGLE TO LOOSEN THE CHANGE OF POVERTY IT THE TIME WHEN THE COUNTRY IS STRAPPED WITH THE BIGGEST DEFICIT, THE HEALTH-CARE SYSTEM IS SICK, AND AS WE STRIVE TO EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT ARE FAILING TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, WE STAND TALL AND MOVE FORWARD. THAT IS WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT. TO HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE STATE THAT WE ARE IN AND REMIND OURSELVES AND THE REST OF AMERICA THAT WE CAN AND WILL DO BETTER. WHAT BETTER BOOST IN EMPOWERMENT COULD WE HAVE GOTTEN AND TO HAVE WITNESSED A MIRACLE AND BE LIVING IN A MOMENT AND BE ABLE TO SAY WE WERE THERE WHEN ONE OF THE BIGGEST MIRACLES IN BLACK AMERICA TOOK PLACE. "EARTH WIND AND FIRE" PLAY THE WHITE HOUSE ON FRIDAY. NO, BUT SERIOUSLY, THE INAUGURATION OF OUR 44TH PRESIDENT, BARACK OBAMA. BRINGS THE STATE OF AMERICA FULL CIRCLE. THERE IS STILL A LOT MORE WORK TO BE DONE, BUT IT IS GIVING US A REMINDER THAT THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN NOT DO. ONCE AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS ON 10 YEARS OF LOVING BLACK AMERICA. WE LOVE YOU, TAVIS SMILEY. [APPLAUSE] LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED. YOU'RE A CONGRESSMAN FROM RIGHT HERE, MAXINE GORDON, REPRESENTING THE 35TH DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA. THE FOUNDER OF THE CHARLES HAMILTON INSTITUTE FOR JUSTICE. PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE JAMES BROWN PROJECT AND POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, ONE OF TWO ON MY SHOW, PLEASE WELCOME STEPHANIE ROBINSON. HE IS THE IMMEDIATE PAST ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF NEW JERSEY AND FORMER PROSECUTOR, PLEASE WELCOME PETER HARVEY. PERSONAL FINANCE GROUP WHO WRITES THE COLOR OF MONEY FOR "THE WASHINGTON POST." HE IS THE EIGHTH PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE. WELCOME MARK ROIL. A PROFESSOR AT GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY, DR. MICHAEL ERIC DYSON. SHE IS AN ORDAINED MINISTER AND A HUGE NEW YORK TIMES PERENNIAL BEST-SELLING AUTHOR. SHE IS BACK. MISS VAN SANT. A HIGH PRIESTESS. THE NOTED AUTHOR, THE SPEAKER, THE MOTIVATOR, THE CEO, LOUIS BROWN. [APPLAUSE] THE FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF THE RAINBOW FISH COALITION, THE REV. JESSE LOUIS JACKSON. AND A PROFESSOR AFRICANA STUDIES AT BROWN UNIVERSITY, DR. KERR ROSE. I SHOULD MENTION THAT MANY OF THESE PANELISTS WERE WITH US FOR THE FIRST CONVERSATION 10 YEARS AGO, AND WE RECOGNIZE THEIR FACES AND INVITE THEM BACK, IN PART TO MAKE A CONVERSATION RICH, BUT IN PART ALSO TO UNDERSCORE HOW FAR WE HAVE, AND TO SEE WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY, ABOUT THESE CONVERSATIONS, AND FOR MOST OF THESE YEARS I HAVE BEEN HONORED TO SHARE MODERATING DUTIES. I WILL MODERATE A PANEL THIS AFTERNOON AS WE WRAP UP THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY. OUR MODERATOR, SETON HALL PROF., ATTORNEY, OUR FRIEND, RAYMOND BROWN.
00:39:49	>>	GOOD MORNING. A FAMOUS AFRICAN AMERICAN CALLED HAMILTON HOUSTON, THE FATHER OF "BROWN VERSUS BOARD OF EDUCATION" SAID THAT A LAWYER WHO IS NOT A SOCIAL ENGINEER IS A PARASITE. IF YOU ARE NOT A SOCIAL ENGINEER AND YOU ARE BLACK, THERE ARE BAD NAMES THAT OUGHT TO BE APPLIED TO YOU. AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE PEOPLE DESCRIBE MY FRIEND TAVIS SMILEY AS A HOST, BUT I THINK OF HIM AS A SOCIAL ENGINEER. BECAUSE HE HAS BILLED AS THIS PLATFORM, AND BECAUSE OUR PRESIDENT JUST SAID, BOY, THAT IS THE FIRST TIME I COULD FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT, OUR PRESIDENT SAID THAT IF YOU COULD PLAY A ROLE IN TRANSFORMING AMERICA, THIS IS A WAY FOR US TO MOVE AHEAD. I WANTED TO BRING BACK INTO WORK MEMORY A PHRASE THAT SOME OF YOU HAD FORGOTTEN AND PERHAPS NEVER KNEW. THE PHRASE IS YET AT THE HANDS OF PARTY SON KNOWN. IT IS A PHRASE USED BY JURIES WHEN THEY WANT TO SAY THAT NOBODY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A LYNCHING, FOR AN ANSWER, FOR AN ACT TO TERROR. GOVERNMENT ITSELF WILL CONNIVE THE NOTION THAT THERE IS NO SOLUTION. OUR STRUGGLE HAS BEEN AMONG OTHER THINGS ABOUT REDIRECTING THE ENERGIES OF GOVERNMENT AWAY FROM BEING AN INSTITUTION THAT GIVES US A HELPING HAND ALONG THE WAY AND INSURES SOME KIND OF JUSTICE. SO WE OUGHT NOT TO FORGET THAT PHRASE, DEATH AT THE HANDS OF PARTY IS UNKNOWN. WE OUGHT NOT TO FORGET THE NEED TO MAKE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE. IT IS WHY LAST NOVEMBER WAS IMPORTANT. THERE ARE PROBABLY TWICE AS MANY OPINIONS IN THIS ROOM AS THERE ARE BEATING HEARTS ON ISSUES OF SOCIAL POLICY AND INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY. BUT MY SUSPICION IS THAT EVERY ONE OF THESE BEATING HEARTS IS MOVING A LITTLE FASTER. MY SON DRAG US TO THE POLE AT 5:30 AND IT DID NOT OPEN UNTIL 6. AND ALL THAT DAY, UNTIL SOMEBODY SAID OHIO HAD GONE TO THE DEMOCRATS. THAT WAS A MAGICAL DEMOCRATIC MOMENT, AND MOST OF US HAD BEEN LUXURIOUS IN THE SYMBOLISM OF THIS ICONIC BLOW TO THE NOTION OF WHITE SUPREMACY. AND MY INTENTION FROM NOVEMBER UNTIL LAST WEEK HAS BEEN TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CONVERSATION MOVED AWAY FROM SYMBOLISM AND BUILT ENTIRELY WITH POLICY QUESTIONS. WE ARE GOING TO SPEND MOST OF OUR TIME ON POLICY. WHEN I HEAR THE TERM POST-RACE SO, I HEAR THEM SAYING RACE IS NOT IMPORTANT WHEN IT COMES TO SOCIAL POLICY AND INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY. LET'S EXPLORE IT. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES SAID THAT THOUGH THIS NATION HAS THOUGHT OF ITSELF AS AN ETHNIC MELTING PART, WE HAVE ALWAYS CONTINUE TO BE A NATION OF COWARDS. AND THE CONVERSATION CONTINUED ON UNTIL MAUREEN DOWD HAD A COLUMN THIS WEEK IN WHICH SHE SUGGESTED THAT ERIC HOLDER AND JESSE JACKSON WERE LIVING IN SOME OF THE PAST, AND THE ELECTION OF BARACK OBAMA SHOULD BRING THE END TO OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT RACE. GUESS WHAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN TODAY. [APPLAUSE] SO ALTHOUGH WE ARE GOING TO SPEND MOST OF OUR TIME ON HARD, COLD SUBSTANCE, I CANNOT LET THIS POST-RACIAL THING SLIDE BY. THOSE OF YOU HAVE HAVE BEEN WITH US FOR YEARS NOTE THAT THERE ARE SO MANY FERTILE MINDS HERE. I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE TASK OF BRINGING THEM IN AND CHALLENGING THEM, AND PERHAPS THE MOST DIFFICULT FOR THE MONTH TO CHANNEL IS THAT OF MY GOOD FRIEND, BROTHER JACKSON. I AM GOING TO TAKE A BIG CHANCE ON ROMANCE THIS MORNING AND ASKED HIM TO TELL US WHY THERE SEEMS TO BE THIS NOTION THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TAKEN THIS STEP AT STRIKING A BLOW AT WHITE SUPREMACY, WE'RE FACED WITH THE INCREASING DRUMBEAT OF THE SUGGESTION THAT WE'RE PAST THE NEED TO LOOK AT POLICY AND OTHER QUESTIONS TO THE PRISON OF RACE. I AM HONORED TO BE HERE TODAY. I WANT TO THANK TAVIS FOR A WILLING SPIRIT TO ENGAGE THESE ISSUES. I THINK THAT, LOOK, WE DO NOT WANT TO LIVE IN A POST RACIAL SOCIETY. IT IS A MYTHOLOGY, IN ALLUSION, AND NOT A DESIRABLE GOAL. I DO NOT WANT TO BE POST RATIO. I WANT TO BE POSED RACIST. POST RACIAL ASSUMES THAT WE DELETE CRITICAL STRANDS OF BLACK IDENTITY. IN THIS CASE, TO OVERCOME THE HIDEOUS TENSIONS GENERATED AS A RESULT OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AND RACISM, AND THE TERM THAT BROTHER BROWN HAS BEEN USING, WHITE SUPREMACY. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT WHITE PEOPLE ORGANIZED TOGETHER TO OFFEND THE PURPOSES OF BLACK WOMEN. IT IS THE CONSCIOUS OR UNCONSCIOUS BELIEF THAT ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE ARE INHERENTLY SUPERIOR OVER THE GROUP OF OTHER PEOPLE. THE INGENUITY IS THAT IT DOES NOT DEMAND AN INDIVIDUAL ATTEMPT TO A PARTICULAR GOAL BECAUSE THE SYSTEM ITSELF IS HEADING SOMEWHERE AND FLOODS IN PEOPLE, PURPOSES, AND PRESENTATIONS. RACE IS TO RACISM GENDER IS TO SEXISM. I DO NOT WANT TO BE POST-GENDER. TRUST ME. THE PROBLEM IS NOT GENDER. THE PROBLEM IS THE LENS THROUGH WHICH WE VIEW GENDER. WE WANT TO ERADICATE, DESTROY, AND NULLIFY THE EDIFYING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE SEXES THAT FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE HETEROSEXUAL, FIND IT PLEASING. PREPARATION IS A NECESSITY FOR THE PERPETUATION OF THE SPECIES, SO WE UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR DIFFERENT GENDERS TO EXIST. I DO NOT WANT WOMEN TO STOP BEING WOMEN, WE JUST WANT THE PATRIARCHAL LENS THROUGH WHICH WOMEN ARE VIEWED TO BE REMOVED. I DO NOT WANT TO STOP BEING BLACK. [APPLAUSE] AND I DO NOT HAVE TO STOP BEING BLACK TO BE HUMAN. THEY ARE SIMULTANEOUS. THEY CONVERGE. I DO WANT TO BE POSED RACIST. RACISM PROPOSES THAT THE IDEOLOGY OF DIFFERENCE THAT HAS BEEN PERPETUATED LIKE A HOAX IN THE WEST BUT MORE BROADLY ON THE WORLD, THE BELIEF THAT SOMEBODY 'S SKIN COLOR COULD DENOTE THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEY HAVE AS A HUMAN BEING MUST BE DESTROYED. THE REASON AMERICA IS SO ADDICTED TO THE NOTION OF POST RATIO IS THAT WE ALL WANT OUR HANDS RID OF THE BLOOD IMMEDIATELY. BUT I HAVE WORKED HARD FOR BARACK OBAMA TO BE PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I HAVE NO ILLUSIONS THAT BARACK OBAMA'S OCCUPATION OF THE WHITE HOUSE WAS IN ANY WAY GOING TO BEGIN TO ERADICATE THE LEGACY OF WHITE SUPREMACY, OR DESTROY IT BY ITSELF. IT IS A PROFOUND GESTURE TO THE EXTRAORDINARY CAPACITY OF BLACK PEOPLE. HE IS A SIGNIFICANT MAN WHO REPRESENTS A GESTURES TOWARDS THE GROUND ASPIRATIONS OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS WHEN THEY BROKE ON PARCHMENT THE NOTION THAT HUMAN BEINGS WOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIBERTY AND HAPPINESS. BUT OSCAR GRANT IS BEING MURDERED IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA. WHILE BARACK OBAMA AS PRESIDENT, A BLACK MAN WITH THIRD WORLD CONDITIONS, THE INABILITY FOR BLACK PEOPLE TO GIVE AND GET LOANS, THE SUBPRIME MORTGAGE SCANDAL, SUGGEST TO US THAT WE'RE NOT LIVING IN A POST- RACIAL SOCIETY, AND THOSE WHO INVEST IN THE AMNESIA ABOUT RACE WILL PAY THE BIGGEST PRICE. ERIC HOLDER WAS RIGHT. HE HAS BEEN DEMONIZED. HE SAID WE ARE COWARDS. THEY DID NOT GET THE COMPLEMENT. THE IMPLICIT ASSUMPTION OF HIS COMMENT WAS THAT AMERICA HAS BEEN COURAGEOUS ON MANY OTHER FRONTS. EMBRACING THE NOTION THAT WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE THE DEMOCRATIC EXPERIMENT CONTAGIOUS SILICON SPREAD AROUND THE WORLD. BUT HE SAID ON THIS AREA, I GIVE A D MINUS. YOU HAVE FLOPPED. YOU HAVE BEEN COWARDLY. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO CONFRONT THE MAY SHALL -- RACIAL MALAISE. WE DO NOT WANT TO GIVE UP. WE WANT TO GIVE UP SARAH VAUGHN? DO YOU WANT TO GIVE UP STEVIE WONDER? WE DO NOT WANT TO GIVE THAT UP. WE WANT THE SPECIFICITY OF BEAUTIFUL, LUMINOUS INTELLIGENCE THAT GOD GAVE TO REPRESENT US. NOT ANYBODY, BUT A 2000 YEAR-OLD JEW HAD THE SPIRIT OF GOD REST UPON HIM AND TRANSFORMED THE WORLD. WE RECOGNIZE THAT JESUS IS THE CONTENT OF OUR FATE AND THE ASPIRATION TOWARDS WHICH WE POINT. I DO NOT WANT TO STOP BEING BLACK. I AM TOO OLD TO MAJOR IN ANYTHING ELSE. I IS WHAT I IS, I DO WHAT I DO, AND I'M STILL AMERICAN, AND I LOVE THAT. [APPLAUSE]
00:51:01	>>	THANK YOU FOR SETTING THE BAR SO HIGH.
00:51:05	>>	NOW THAT BROTHER DYSON HAS GIVEN US A THEORETICAL FOUNDATION FOR OUR LONGING TO REMAIN BLACK, LET ME TURN TO CONGRESSWOMAN WILLIAMS, WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST SPEAKER, BUT WE HAD TO DEAL WITH THAT OTHER ISSUE. THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF ISSUES AND INITIATIVES. IT HAS NOT ALL BEEN SYMBOLISM. ONE OF THE ACRONYMS WE HEAR A LOT IS SOMETHING CALLED THE TROUBLED ASSETS RELIEF PROGRAM. I THINK OF IT IS JUST $700 BILLION, A LOT OF MONEY. AND IS SUPPOSED TO BE ORIENTED ON A STREAM TOWARDS POWERFUL FINANCIAL A INSTITUTIONS. AT THE SAME TIME, THERE IS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT WHAT IS HAPPENING, THE HOUSING MARKET, AFFECTS AN AWFUL LOT OF ORDINARY FOLKS. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS TO US, WHETHER IT IS A MECHANISM THAT WILL HELP THOSE FOLKS, OR IT IS ONLY DESIGNED TO LET PEOPLE HAVE MILLION-DOLLAR TOILETS?
00:52:18	Waters, Maxine	LET ME THANK HAVE THIS -- TAVIS SMILE BEFOREY GETTING US TOGETHER AND DOING THIS EVERY YEAR SO WE CAN FOCUS ON WHAT IS HAPPENING IN BLACK AMERICA AND TALK ABOUT WHAT OUR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO ADVANCE THE CAUSE OF OUR PEOPLE AND HELP THEM TO BECOME TRULY PARTICIPANTS IN THIS SOCIETY AND ECONOMY. TARP IS THE TROUBLED ASSETS RELIEF PROGRAM, AND IT HAS BEEN BORNE OUT OF THE FACT THAT WE ARE IN CRISIS BECAUSE WE HAVE A SUBPRIME MELTDOWN. THAT SIMPLY MEANS THIS. A LOT OF GREEDY FOLKS FOUND WAYS TO EXPLOIT AND MAKE MONEY AND GOT INVOLVED IN WHAT IS KNOWN AS SUBPRIME LENDING. THEY LENT TO AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN MANY CASES WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE PRIME MARKET BUT WERE THROWN INTO THE SUBPRIME MARKET BECAUSE THEY COULD MAKE MORE MONEY THROWING THEM INTO THE SUBPRIME MARKET. YOU'LL HEAR A LOT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT FACT THAT FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN HARMED OUR MIDDLE-CLASS AMERICANS WERE WORKING, WHO HAD 30-YEAR LOANS, LOST THEIR JOBS, HAD GOOD CREDIT, AND SHOULD BE ASSISTED WITH REFINANCING. BUT THAT IS NOT A PROFILE THAT MANY OF US HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND. WHAT WE KNOW IS THIS. WE HAVE MANY, MANY AMERICANS, MANY OF THEM AFRICAN-AMERICANS, MANY OF THEM LATINOS WHO WOULD SOLICIT IT INTO THE SUBPRIME MARKET. THEY WERE SUCKED IN BY SAYING YOU DO NOT NEED ANY MONEY DOWN, YOU NEED JUST LITTLE MONEY DOWN IN ORDER TO GET A MORTGAGE, AND THEY GOT SUCKED INTO SOMETHING CALLED ADJUSTABLE RATE MORTGAGES AN OPTION R. AND WHAT THEY DID WAS CAUGHT IN VERY EASILY. BUT THEN, WHEN THESE LOANS RESET, MEANING THIS MORTGAGE WAS DESIGNED SO THAT IN SIX MONTHS OR YEAR IN TWO YEARS, IT WOULD RESET, AND WHEN IT RESET, IT RESET WITH A MARGIN OF 3, 4, 5% IN SOME CASES ABOVE THE INTEREST RATE THAT YOU WERE PAYING, WHICH MEANS THAT NOW YOU HAVE A MORTGAGE THAT YOU CANNOT AFFORD. BECAUSE THAT MORTGAGE HAS DOUBLED, TRIPLED, QUADRUPLED IN SOME CASES. AND SO, WHEN YOU TRY TO FIND THAT LOAN INITIATOR WHO GOT YOU INTO THAT SUBPRIME LOAN, INTO THIS EXOTIC PRODUCTS, YOU CANNOT FIND THEM, AND THEY FORECLOSE ON YOU. THERE ARE THOUSANDS UPON THOUSANDS OF THESE NASTY SUBPRIME LOANS THAT COST NOT ONLY THE MELTDOWN BUT CREATED THE ECONOMIC CRISIS THEY CAN INITIATE THESE LOANS AND PACKAGE THEM, SECURITIZED AND, AND SELL THEM OFF ON WALL STREET. WALL STREET INVESTED IN THEM. THEY WERE RATED TRIPLE A WHEN THEY WERE BASICALLY WORTHLESS BECAUSE THEY WERE LOANS THAT PEOPLE COULD NOT AFFORD. THEY WERE ALSO SOLD OFF ALL OVER THE WORLD BY OTHER COUNTRIES. AND NOW IT HAS COME DUE, AND THE PEOPLE CANNOT AFFORD THEM, THEY ARE BEING FORECLOSED ON, THEY ARE RUINING WHOLE COMMUNITIES. YOU HAVE FORECLOSED PROPERTIES THAT ARE BOARDED UP, THAT ARE NOT TAKEN CARE OF, ANIMALS HAVE TAKEN THEM OVER, THE WEEDS HAVE GROWN UP, AND IT IS DRIVING DOWN THE VALUE OF ALL THE PROPERTIES IN THAT COMMUNITY. SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF PROPERTIES THAT ARE NOW UNDER WATER. THAT MEANS THEY ARE NOT WORTH THE MORTGAGE THAT THEY NEGOTIATED FOR, AND SOME PEOPLE ARE WALKING AWAY FROM THEM. THIS WAS. OR -- PURE AND SIMPLE GREED, CREATED BY THE MAJOR BANKING INTERESTS OF THIS COUNTRY. A LOT OF PEOPLE OUGHT TO BE EMBARRASSED, BECAUSE BANK OF AMERICA, WELLS FARGO, J.P. MORGAN, ALL OF THEM WERE INVOLVED IN THESE SUBPRIME LOANS, AND NOW, WE ARE TRYING TO FIND A WAY TO GET MODERATION ON THESE, TO GET THEM CHANGED, AND GUESS WHAT? WHEN YOU CALL THE SERVICER, YOU CAN NOT FIND ANYBODY. I'VE WAITED ON THE PHONE FOR HOURS TRYING TO FIND THE SERVICER. MANY OF THESE SERVICES ARE OWNED BY THE BANKS. WELLS FARGO OWNS ITS SERVICING COMPANY. I'VE GOT ROUND AND ROUND WITH THEM, TRYING TO GET THESE LOANS MODIFIED. SO NOW WE HAVE A TARP, AND IT HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO BAIL OUT ALL OF THESE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS WHO ARE NOW WELL FED BANKERS WHO HAVE COME TO US AND SAY DON'T LET ME FAIL. CONVENTIONAL WISDOM IS THAT THEY CANNOT FAIL BECAUSE IF THEY DO, WE GO INTO A DEPRESSION. THE SMALL BANKS ARE STANDING HERE, AND THEY ARE NOT GETTING THEIR ALLOCATIONS FROM THE TOP. THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS WE'RE GIVEN THESE MONEYS TO THE BIG BANKS. THEY ARE UNDERWRITING THEIR OWN OPPORTUNITIES AND OUR ASSET MANAGERS DO NOT HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO THEM. THE PROBLEM IS, IF THE AUTOMOBILE COMPANIES FAIL, THEN ALL OF THE BLACK DEALERSHIPS WILL. ALL 200 OF THEM. THE PROBLEM IS, THOSE SERVICES WILL FAIL. SO WE DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THE BANKS, THE SUPPLIERS, THE AUTOMOBILE DEALERSHIPS, ARE NOT BYPASSING ALL OF THIS. MANY WILL SAY DO NOT GIVE THE BANKS A DIME. . BUT LET ME ADVISE YOU HERE TODAY, ALL OF THE SPECULATION ABOUT HOW TO GET THIS ECONOMY GOING IS NOTHING BUT SPECULATION. NOBODY KNOWS FOR SURE. WE ARE HOPING WE DON'T ALLOW THE DEPRESSION TO SET IN. YOU MUST BE AWARE THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS CRISIS. I AM THANKFUL THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IS SMART. HE IS EXERTING A LOT OF CONFIDENCE AND PROVIDING THE KIND OF LEADERSHIP THAT MAY MAKE THIS WORK. DON'T THINK BECAUSE YOU'RE THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY OF THE UNITED STATES OR ANY OF THESE MAJOR WALL STREET FIRMS TALKING ABOUT IF YOU JUST GIVE ME SOME MORE MONEY IT WILL WORK, THEY DON'T KNOW. THEY ARE ROLLING THE DICE. THAT IS WHAT THE TARP IS ALL ABOUT. [APPLAUSE]
01:01:12	>>	I KNOW BETTER THAN TO STEP BETWEEN THE CONGRESS WOMAN AND HER ADMIRERS. IF WE MOVE PAST THE TARP, THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE ITEM IS THE STIMULUS PACKAGE. THE THEORY IS DESIGNED TO STIMULATE JOBS AND ECONOMY. WHAT IS YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THE STIMULUS PACKAGE AND ITS LIKELY IMPACT ON THE AT MINORITY COMMUNITY? CONGRESSWOMAN WATERS AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS ARE ONE OF THE PRIMARY REASONS WHY THERE ARE THINGS IN THE STIMULUS, I HAVE READ 920 PAGES -- CONGRESSWOMAN WATERS AND THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS MANAGE IN THEIR ADVOCACY ON THE STIMULUS TO INCLUDE A NUMBER OF THINGS IN THE STIMULUS. IT REALLY IS MORE THAN A STIMULUS. IT IS AN ECONOMIC RECONSTRUCTION PLAN THAT CAN BENEFIT A WERE COMPUTED -- COMMUNITY. LET ME CITE THREE OF THEM. FIRST OF ALL, THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL 4 BILLION PLUS DOLLARS FOR JOBS TRAINING. THAT MONEY WILL BE DEPLOYED BY STATE, LOCAL WORK FORCE BOARDS, AND BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR. FOR BILLION-PLUS DOLLARS FOR JOB TRAINING, WHICH SHOULD BE, AND THIS IS WHERE THE ACCOUNTABLE, TO ENSURE THAT WHEN DOLLARS ARE SPENT THAT IT IS SPENT IN A WAY THAT DISADVANTAGED WORKERS, AFRICAN AMERICAN WORKERS CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, AND CONSTRUCTION JOBS IN A WAY WE ARE NOT TODAY. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THERE IS NO GREEN DIVIDE LIKE THERE WAS A DIGITAL DIVIDE. THE SECOND PLACE WHERE THERE IS MONEY, THERE IS A HISTORIC INVESTMENT IN AT -- IN EDUCATION, INCLUDING IN EFFECT A DOUBLING OF THE BUDGET OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. MOST OF THIS MONEY IS TO BE SPENT IN THE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ARENA. TO HELP DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN. HERE IS WHAT I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW. IF YOU LISTEN TO CABLE TV AND YOU READ THE NEWSPAPERS, YOU WILL NOT LEARN ANY OF THIS. THEY WILL HAVE A DEBATE AROUND SUPERFICIAL SIDE ISSUES ABOUT WHETHER IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE TAXES OR SPENDING. THE FACT IS, OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS HAVE TO EDUCATE THEMSELVES ABOUT WHAT IS IN THIS STIMULUS PLAN SO YOU CAN HOLD MAYORS, GOVERNORS, COUNTY OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE, SO THAT THE MONEY DOES NOT BYPASS OUR COMMUNITY. THE THIRD AREA AND THIS IS A SIGNATURE ISSUE FOR CONGRESS. THIS IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THESE DOLLARS THAT CLIPPED AND THE SENATE. THAT IS MONEY THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO EMPOWER COMMUNITY- BASED ORGANIZATIONS, TO REHAB SOME OF THE FORECLOSED PROPERTY. THE FORCES THAT WERE SEEKING TO CLIP THOSE WERE THE THIS MODERATE COALITION AND THE SENATE, AND THE MONEY WAS CLIPPED IN THE SENATE. CONGRESSMAN WATERS AND THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS WENT TO THE MATS IN THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE AND GOT THESE FUNDS RESTORED. [APPLAUSE]
01:05:27	Morial, Marc H.	YOU NOT READ ABOUT THAT IN THE NEWSPAPER. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO READ AND GET THE FULL PICTURE OF THE BATTLES THAT WERE WAGED AROUND SHAVING THIS STIMULUS. THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE STIMULUS, BUT THERE ARE NO HARD AND FAST GUARANTEES IN THE STIMULUS. WE HAVE TO, FOR EXAMPLE, CALL ON OUR HISTORIC ALLIES IN THE LABOR UNIONS TO OPEN SOME OF THOSE JOBS FOR PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN HAVE JOBS THAT BUILD ROADS.
01:06:13	>>	SOME OF US WOULD SAY LABOR HAS BEEN A MERCURIAL ALLY.
01:06:17	Morial, Marc H.	IT IS FAIR TO SAY THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A NEW COVENANT IF YOU WILL, NEGOTIATED WITH THE LABOR UNIONS IN THIS COUNTRY. AND NOW IS THE TIME. I WANT TO PUT THIS IN THIS PERSPECTIVE. THE STIMULUS IS THE THIRD " BAILOUT INITIATIVE. " IT DID NOT DO MUCH. THEN THERE WAS THE TARP AND I WOULD LIKE TO COME BACK TO THAT BECAUSE I HAVE THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT ALSO. AND NOW WE HAVE THE STIMULUS PLAN. " WE HAVE TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS IS THE IDEA OF HOLDING OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE. CABINET OFFICERS, GOVERNORS, MAYORS, LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE FUNDS DO NOT BYPASS OUR COMMUNITY. THIS IS NOT SERENDIPITOUS. IT IS NOT JUST GOING TO HAPPEN. LEGISLATION HAS BEEN DESIGNED -- THE BOTTOM LINE IS, THE STIMULUS CAN HAVE AN EFFECT, BUT I THINK IT IS LIKE ANYTHING ELSE BEING DONE NOW, IT IS A SHOT IN THE DARK BECAUSE NOBODY HAS HAD TO CONFRONT THIS KIND OF ECONOMIC DECLINE. OUR VOICES AND OUR ADVOCACY IN THIS ERA CANNOT BE LOWERED AND LESSENED, MUST BE MORE FORCEFUL. IN THE URBAN LEAGUE, WE ARE VERY ACTIVE WITH THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS. MY POINT ABOUT ALL OF THIS IS THAT THESE ARE THINGS THAT YOU ARE NOT GOING TO NECESSARILY SEE ON TELEVISION AND READ IN THE NEWSPAPER. THESE BATTLES ARE BEING WAGED BEHIND THE SCENES BY MAXINE WATERS AND OTHERS, TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS INCLUDED.
01:08:24	>>	LET ME ASK REVEREND JACKSON A QUESTION, RELATED TO THE POLITICS CONCERNING THE STIMULUS. RIGHT NOW THE TWO VOICES OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY ARE MICHAEL STEELE, AND BOBBY JINDAL, GOVERNOR OF LOUISIANA. THE PRESIDENT HAS TALKED ABOUT BIPARTISANSHIP, THE NUMBERS ARE AMBIVALENT. TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU -- THERE SEEMS TO BE A FAIR AMOUNT OF CRITICISM IN TERMS OF THE STIMULUS AND WHO WILL TAKE WHAT DOLLARS AS IT RELATES TO UNEMPLOYMENT AND OTHER AREAS, WHAT IS THAT DYNAMIC ABOUT? IS THERE A STRONG CONSENSUS ABOUT GOING FORWARD IN TERMS OF ITS ATTACK ON THE ECONOMIC COMMISSION -- CONDITION? WILL THIS DIFFUSE THE ABILITY OF THIS ADMINISTRATION TO MOVE AHEAD?
01:09:20	Jackson, Jesse	THANK YOU. THERE IS THE NOTION NOW THAT WE SHOULD BE TRYING FOR BIPARTISAN SHEPHERD WE SHOULD TRY FOR CIVILITY AND BIPARTISANSHIP. WHEN YOU HAVE THE SOUTHERN MANIFESTO, IN BLOCKING MONEY TO POOR PEOPLE IN THE SOUTH, THAT IS ON SOBEL. -- THAT IS ON CIVIL. THE PRESIDENT WHEN -- WENT TO THE SELF. THAT IS IN CIVILITY. THEY REMAIN OBSTRUCTIONIST. THEY TRY TO OBSTRUCT WOMEN'S RIGHTS TO VOTE, WORKER'S RIGHT TO ORGANIZE, SUPREME COURT DECISIONS, THEY ARE NOT GIVING UP ON THE IDEOLOGY OVER COMMON GROUND. THE NEXT DEBT IS THAT THE MONEY CANNOT BASED UPON PRESIDENT'S LEADERSHIP IS GETTING OUT OF WASHINGTON. WILL IT GET DOWN TO THE BOTTOM? I THINK THOSE SEVEN GOVERNORS ARE FAKING THAT THEY DON'T WANT THE MONEY. IT IS LIKE GEORGE WALLACE SAY, WE DON'T I AM GOING TO LOCK THE SCHOOL DOOR, AND HE IS ORGANIZING HIS CROWD AND THEN SAYING, I GOT OUT BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING TO KILL ME. THEY ARE MOBILIZING SAYING, I DON'T WANT THE MONEY. HOW CAN YOU LOOK AT PEOPLE -- THE SOUTH IS THE BIGGEST AND POOREST REGION, THE MOST WORKING POOR PEOPLE THE MOST AND -- UNINSURED PEOPLE, THE SHORTEST LIFE EXPECTANCY, HOW CAN THOSE MILLIONAIRE EDUCATED GOVERNOR'S SAY THIS TO THE PEOPLE ACROSS THE SOUTH? IT IS NOT JUST BLACK.
01:12:01	>>	WHAT ARE THEY POSTURING IN A MANNER CONTRARY?
01:12:06	Jackson, Jesse	ARE POSITIONING THEMSELVES ON THE POLITICS OF FEAR INSTEAD OF HOPE. GEORGE WALLACE ALWAYS STOOD IN THE DOOR, BUT NOT VERY LONG. LET'S GO A STEP FURTHER. WHILE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY, I THINK IT IS A GREAT THING. IN THE CONVERSATION, THE ANALYSIS AND ACTION MUST NOT MEAN ATTACK. EVERY ASPECT OF THE GOVERNMENTAL PROCESS SAYS THAT CONGRESS, JUDGES, WHAT ARE WE NO. 1 IN FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, BASEBALL, TRACK, TENNIS? IT IS HARD TO BE THE BEST IN THE WORLD IN THOSE SPORTS. THAT IS WHY WE ARE NUMBER ONE IN INFANT MORTALITY, A SHORT LIFE EXPECTANCY, PREDATORY LENDING, TWO 0.3 MILLION AMERICANS, WHY ARE WE SO HIGH FROM PRESIDENT, TWO SOLO IN LIFE? THE RULES ARE PUBLIC, AND THE GOALS ARE CLEAR, THEN WE WIN. ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION AND JOBS AND HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WE DO NOT HAVE AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD. TALKING ABOUT A MISSION IT SEEMS TO ME IS TO RAISE A QUESTION AND NOT TO RAISE THEM, THE STIMULUS DOES IT CORRESPOND TO THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEM? YOU CANNOT DISCUSS THESE QUESTIONS WITHOUT DISCUSSING GLOBALIZATION, WHERE WE LOSE JOBS BECAUSE WE MOBILIZE CAPITAL AND NOT HUMAN LIFE. WOMEN'S RIGHTS, HUMAN RIGHTS, RIGHTS, AND THE ENVIRONMENT. WE STIMULATE THE ECONOMY, PLANTS CLOSE, JOBS LEAVE, AS THE LAST ONE IS WE HAVE TO REASSESS -- RAISE THE RIGHT ISSUES. I AM CONCERNED THAT WE ARE SENDING A SPECIAL ON BY -- ENVOY TO THE GOSSIP. WE LOST 3000 IN ZIMBABWE TO COLOR REAL -- CHOLERA. AND WE NEED IN ON A VOID THERE. -- WE NEED AN ENVOY THERE. WE LOST 6 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE SUDAN AND IN THE CONDO. 6 MILLION PEOPLE. THEY DESERVE AND ON VOIGT ALSO. -- AN ENVOY. WE HAVE BEEN BLESSED, WITH THIS COMING SUNDAY, THE FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MARCH, ALABAMA. -- IN SELMA, ALABAMA. WE ARE CHANGING AMERICA. WHITE AMERICA IS MATURING. WE ARE NOT CHANGING, WE ARE CHALLENGING. WALLS COME DOWN WHEN WE CHALLENGE. WE TORE DOWN THE WALLS AND 63. -- IN AT 63. I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT THOSE OF YOU ARE HERE TODAY WILL TAKE A BIGGER MISSION BACK HOME. I AM AFRAID THAT BANKS ARE GETTING THE 0-1% TARGET OF MONEY. STUDENTS THAT THE SAME BILL THEY ARE GETTING. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS BORROWING MONEY AT 3% SELLING IT TO STUDENTS AT 3%. EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN, TAKE OFF THE BURDEN AND EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN NOW. EDUCATE THEM NOW. WHEN THE STUDENTS, MANY OF YOU ARE IN DEBT RIGHT NOW? IN DEBT? ALL IN DEBT. tTHESE CHILDREN ARE LEAVING SCHOOLS $60,000 IN DEBT. THEY'RE GOING TO GRAD SCHOOL WITH $150,000 IN DEBT. THEN THEY MARRY SOMEONE WHO IS A HUNDRED $50,000 IN DEBT. GUESS WHAT? THIS IS VERMONT, MAINE, MISSISSIPPI. AMERICA MUST HAVE MORE GRANTS AND LESS LOANS. THAT IS THE MESS -- MOST IMPORTANT INVESTMENT WE CAN MAKE NOW. THE PRESIDENT AND HIS WIFE PAID OFF THEIR STUDENT LOANS TWO YEARS AGO. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE TARP MONEY MUST STOP JOB HEMORRHAGING, IT MUST CREATE SMALL BUSINESSES, IT MUST PROVIDE A COMMITMENT TO GIVE STUDENTS -- HELPS THE STUDENTS, THE PARENTS, THE CITY. WE ALL WIN WHEN WE INVEST IN CHILDREN AND DO IT NOW. [APPLAUSE]
01:19:42	>>	IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES WE WILL TALK TO -- BEFORE WE GET THERE, I WANT TO TRY SOMETHING I HAVE NOT TRIED BEFORE, WHICH IS TO ADD ONE QUESTION -- ASK ONE QUESTION TO TWO PEOPLE. IT CONCERNS AN AREA THAT IS CLOSE TO MY WORK. HOW BLACKS ARE AFFECTED BY GOVERNMENT AND BY THE LARGER SOCIETY AND IN PARTICULAR THE PERCEPTION THAT OUR KIDS ARE PRIMARILY CRIMINALS, WHICH IS REFLECTED IN PART IN THE STAGGERING PERCENTAGES OF OUR KIDS WHO ARE IN THE HANDS OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, OFTEN CONTRASTING WITH THOSE RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF BLACK MALES IN HIGHER EDUCATION AS WELL AS A LARGER PERCEPTION THAT OUR KIDS ARE IMMERSED IN SUBCULTURE. I KNOW YOU ARE AN EARLY SUPPORTER OF PRESIDENT OBAMA. VERY EARLY. IT IS EASY TO SAY I THINK THERE WAS LITTLE IN THE CAMPAIGN ABOUT INCARCERATION RATES. SOME OF THAT MAY HAVE BEEN DRIVEN OUT OF THE DEBATE BY STRATEGY. BUT HAVING PASSED THE CAMPAIGN, WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE IN TERMS OF INITIATIVES FROM THIS ADMINISTRATION, AND REACTION FROM CONGRESS, AS WELL AS THE LARGER BODY POLITICK? I HAVE SPENT TIME IN PRISONS. SOME OF THE BRIGHTEST MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY ARE SITTING IN PRISON.
01:21:28	Ogletree, Charles J. Jr.	THANK YOU. I WAS SO EAGER TO SAY SOMETHING, BUT I COULD NOT AS A MODERATOR. NOW I HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK. I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THE ROLE OF BLACK MALES. THERE WAS A SENSE THAT THE SUBTITLE SAYS, MAKING AMERICA AS GOOD AS PROMISED. WE LEFT IN 2000 THINKING WE WOULD BE MAKING AMERICA BETTER, THEN WE SAW IN 2000 THAT OUR VOTES WERE NOT COUNTED. A LOT OF YOUNG BLACK MALES COULD NOT VOTE. 2004, WE MET AND IT WAS CLEAR WE WOULD HAVE A CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WE VOTED, BUT IN PLACES LIKE OHIO, OUR VOTES WERE NOT COUNTED. 2008, I CALLED BARACK OBAMA AND I SAID I HAVE NOT SLEPT IN 2000 ON ELECTION DAY OR THE SAME IN 2004. I WANT TO BE IN BED AT MIDNIGHT ON 2008. NOW IT ALL CHANGED. THERE ARE MILLIONS OF YOUNG TALENTED AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN WHO BEEN MARGINALIZED EVERY DAY IN EVERY SINGLE WAY. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS PRESIDENT AND THIS CONGRESS AND GOVERNORS IS ACCOUNTABLE TO US AND TO OUR COMMUNITY. THE GREAT THING ABOUT THE STIMULUS PACKAGE, IT IS DESIGNED TO REACH DOWN TO MAKE SURE IT TOUCHES OUR COMMUNITY. I TALK TO ONE OF OUR AFRICAN- AMERICAN GOVERNORS AND HE SAID OF WANT TO MAKE SURE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THIS MONEY GETS DOWN TO THE ON THE SKILLED WORKERS. WHATEVER THE UNION RULES ARE, THE HIRING RULES ARE, THIS TIME THE MONEY WILL GET TO US TO FIX OUR COMMUNITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUNG BLACK MEN WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO DO WHAT THEY CAN DO. AND THIS IS ONE THING THAT OBAMA DID. THE VERY FIRST THING HE DID WAS TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT SAYING, WE ARE GETTING OUT OF GUANTANAMO BAY IN ONE YEAR. THE VERY NEXT THING HE DID IS WE WILL MAKE SURE THERE IS A RECOVERY IN AMERICA. THE FIRST PIECE OF LEGISLATION, HE SIGNED IT, BUT IT TOOK A CONGRESS TO MAKE SURE IT HAPPENED. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE, THE REASON WE'RE HAVING SUCH A PROBLEM IS -- ALL OF US HAD CHALLENGES AS YOUNG PEOPLE. THIS COUNTRY, YOUNG BLACK MEN WHEN TO FOLD IN FLORIDA, NORTH CAROLINA, VIRGINIA, AND OHIO, AND INDIANA. IT CHANGED THE ENTIRE PREMISE OF WHAT HAPPENED. THOSE PEOPLE WHO DID NOT SUPPORT THE STIMULUS, IN 2012, WE'RE GOING TO BE IN LOUISIANA AND GEORGIA, AND MISSISSIPPI AND SOUTH CAROLINA. OR BLACK MEN WILL BE ABLE TO SAY IF YOU DON'T COUNT ME, WE ARE TAKING AWAY THAT POWER FROM ME. THE PARTY IS CONTINUING TO GROW. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT BLACK MALES, READ THIS BOOK. DON'T PUT IT ON THE SHELF TODAY. READ IT. THE STORIES ARE HERE. IT IS BARACK OBAMA LOOKING IN AT ALL THE PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY FOR RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THAT OUR VOICES WERE HEARD. FIND OUT WHO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE IS AND SAY I AM COMING YOUR WAY. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND WE WANT SOMEBODY NEW INTO THE WHITE HOUSE, WE WILL BRING IN -- AT THE SAME TIME COMETARY SEOUL, A STUDENT IS RUNNING FOR CONGRESS. THOSE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUNG, BLACK MEN. BEFORE WE LEAVE HERE LET'S SHAKE THE HAND OF A YOUNG, BLACK BROTHER. YOUR TIME IS COMING IN 2008. WE WILL MAKE SURE IT HAPPENS.
01:26:19	>>	YOU COME AT THE SAME CONSIST -- CONSTITUENCY BUT A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON WHETHER THIS IS A REAL MOVEMENT?
01:26:32	Rose, Tricia	WHAT AN HONOR IT IS TO BE HERE TO BE PART OF THIS DISTINGUISHED PANEL. THIS EVENT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE BEEN INVITED HERE. THIS QUESTION OF HIP-HOP HAS TO BE THOUGHT OF AS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HIS -- ECONOMICS AND CULTURE. WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE SOCIO- ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES IN WHICH PEOPLE LIVE. TO UNDERSTAND THIS NOTION OF PERCEPTION OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN YOUTH, BOTH YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS THAT SHAPE THEIR EXPERIENCE. ALL THE POINTS HERE ARE VERY IMPORTANT. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE CULTURAL RAMIFICATIONS OF THOSE CONDITIONS. THE IRONY OF THIS CRISIS THAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IS THAT THE GHETTO HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ECONOMIC CRISIS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY FOR 60-70 YEARS. THE EFFORT IN POST CIVIL-RIGHTS AS THEY CALL IT IN 1970'S TO REBUILD BLACK GRANITE THESE WERE SOME OF THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE POLICIES THAT DESTROYED THEIR RICH NETWORKS AND AFRICAN AMERICAN URBAN RENEWAL. THIS WAS REALLY NEGRO REMOVAL POLICIES. WHAT THAT DID WAS TAKE COMMUNITIES THAT WERE CALLED SLUMS AND TURN THEM INTO WASTELANDS, TURN THEM INTO NETWORK RICH COMMUNITIES BUT RESEARCH -- RESOURCES THERE. THAT ECONOMIC IMPAIRMENT THAT HIP-HOP EMERGES. IT EMERGENCE IN THE MID '70S. A HIGH POINT OF OUR EXPECTATIONS ABOUT WHAT ALL THESE HEROIC EFFORTS PRODUCED DURING THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT TO CREATE OPPORTUNITY. HIP-HOP BECOMES A CULTURAL VOICE THAT SAYS WE HAVE A STORY TO TELL THAT DON'T SPEAK TO THE IMAGES AND REFLECTIONS OF WHO WE ARE. IT BEGAN AS A WIDE RANGE OF EXPRESSIONS TO VILLE -- VISUALIZE. SOME OF IT LEGAL, SOME OF THAT AID LEGAL, WITH DANCE AND MUSIC, AND STORAGE -- STORYTELLING. ON THE ABILITY TO SPEAK AND TELL STORIES IN WAYS THAT ARE PROFOUNDLY COMPELLING, EMOTIONALLY AND INTELLIGENT AND INTELLECTUALLY INTELLIGENT AT THE SAME TIME. HIP-HOP THOSE OF THIS VOID OF SEEING PEOPLE RECOGNIZE THEMSELVES. AT THAT TIME HIP-HOP WAS DEVELOPED WITH YOUNG WOMEN. WHAT HAPPENS OVER TIME IS THAT HIP-HOP BECOMES A PRODUCT. WHEN IT BECOMES A COMMERCIAL PRODUCT, IT GETS THRUST INTO THE SERVICE OF HISTORY OF AFRICAN- AMERICANS. THE GREATEST IRONY OF WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN COMMERCIAL HIP-HOP IS IT BEGINS TO REFLECT THE PRIME STEREOTYPE ABOUT AFRICAN AMERICANS THAT DROVE JUSTIFICATION OF SLAVERY, JUSTIFICATION OF JIM CROW AND THE IDEA THAT WE'RE NOT A GREAT SOCIETY. THAT IS WHAT I CALL THIS HIP-HOP TRINITY, PROMOTED BY MAINSTREAM CORPORATIONS, PURCHASE -- PERSIAN IT PURCHASED 87% RATE BY NON AFRICAN-AMERICANS. THE GANGSTER-PIMP, HO COMMITTEE. THIS TRINITY, THE GANGSTER CULTURE COMES OUT OF CHRONIC JOBLESSNESS. IT IS AN ALTERNATIVE ECONOMIC SOURCE. SO WAS THE PUBLIC SEX TRADE. THESE THINGS ARE REAL ECONOMIC OPTIONS. THEY BECAME CULTURAL PRODUCTS AS WELL AS ALTERNATE ECONOMIES. STRIPPING DOESN'T JUST BECOME A SIDE JOB UNDER WAY TO COLLEGE A CULTURAL IDEA THAT REFLECTS WHO YOU WANT TO BE. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, WE HAVE A MARKET ECONOMY FOR A SELF DESTRUCTION OF WHO WE ARE. THE REASON WE ARE TRAPPED IS BECAUSE IT IS A HISTORICAL CONDITION. IT IS A RESPONSE TO EXTRAORDINARY LEVELS OF CYPHERING -- SUFFERING, DENIAL AND ECONOMIC DESPAIR. WE CANNOT EXPLAIN THE HIP HOP AND THE STORES OF GREAT SUFFERING AND ANGER AND RAGE AND ALTERNATIVE GOOD TIMES IF WE DON'T HONOR THAT REALITY. AT WHAT POINT DO WE HAVE TO ASK A QUESTION OF THAT PROCESS WHERE THIS SHOULD BE A CRISIS THAT WE TRY TO CHANGE? NOT AN IDEA WE HAVE TO CONSUME. NOT ASKING OURSELVES ABOUT SEEING THIS AS A RED FLAG TELLING US THIS IS A CRISIS. BECAUSE IT HAS BECOME AN ECONOMY, YOU HAVE MORE LEVEL ENTRY JOBS TO BE AT RAPPER THEN IN INDUSTRY IN AN URBAN CENTER IN AMERICA. HOW CAN YOU TELL YOUNG PEOPLE NOT TO BE A FLOOD OR ASPIRE TO A CULTURAL -- WHEN THE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO JAIL. THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN SO AFFIRMATIVE OF THE CRISIS TO MY MIND WE'VE NOT BEEN TRANSFORMATIONAL ENOUGH. THE WAY OUT ON THE CULTURAL REALM IS TO RECOGNIZE EITHER MARKET PRODUCT, AND THEIR PRODUCTS THAT TELL STORIES ABOUT WHO WE ARE, AND WE SHOULD BE. REFLECTIONS PRODUCES REPRESENTATIONS WHICH REPRODUCES WHO WE ARE. IF WE WANT THAT TO CHANGE WE CANNOT JUST EXCEPT WHERE WE ARE. THERE IS A BEAUTY IN REPRESENTING, BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN DENIED. IF YOU MISREPRESENT OR YOU ARE AND IT IS A PRODUCT OF THE NORMAN HEAT -- ENORMOUS HUMAN SACRIFICE AND CRISIS, THEN WHERE ARE YOU GOING? HIP-HOP ASKS ITSELF WHAT IT WANTS. NOT REPRESENT WE'RE IT IS. AND TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WANT YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT YOURSELF OUTSIDE OF WHAT THE MARKET ECONOMY HAS CREATED FOR YOU. YOU ARE THE ORIGINAL COMMODITY IN THE UNITED STATES. WE NEED TO AFFIRM EACH OTHER AND NOT LET GO OF REAL AND IMAGINED GANGSTERS, YOUNG WOMEN WHO FIND THEMSELVES HAVING TO IMAGINE THAT THEIR SUCCESS IS ONLY A SEXUAL PUBLIC SUCCESS, AND THAT THEY ARE ONLY VALID AS YOUNG MEN THINK THEY ARE. WE HAVE TO HOLD ON, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO HAVE SOME PUSHING AND STANDARDS. WE HAVE TO LOVE WITH TRANSFORMATION. SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO TELL SOMEBODY THEY NEED TO DO A LITTLE BETTER. BUT YOU SAY THAT IN THE SPIRIT OF UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THAT PEOPLE LIVE, NOT TO SAY JUST A BETTER CAUSE YOU'RE JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT TO RECOGNIZE WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED AND SAY, I KNOW YOU ARE UNDER ARREST BUT IS NOT WANT TO GET BETTER BY TELLING ME ALL ABOUT YOUR AK-47. TELL ME THAT STORY IN THE SPIRIT OF HOW YOU WANT TO GET SOMEWHERE ELSE. RESTORING THE COMMUNITY IN ITS NETWORK RICH HISTORY TO CREATE SOCIAL OPPORTUNITIES. THE ONLY WAY YOU CHANGED STRUCTURE AND ACTIONS -- IS BY ACTIONS. HIP-HOP IS A BEAUTIFUL PLACE FOR -- HOW DO WE TREAT EACH OTHER AND LOVE EACH OTHER? IF WE DON'T STOP BEING CRIPPLED, WE WILL KEEP LOVING EACH OTHER IN A CRIPPLED AWAY AND WHILE WE WILL PROFIT FROM IT IN THE SHORT RUN, WE WILL NOT IN THE LONG RUN. THIS THUG LIFE WILL AND MATERIALLY BUT INTELLECTUALLY AND EMOTIONALLY AS WELL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [APPLAUSE]
01:36:38	>>	WE JUST HEARD A VERY LEARNED ALLITERATION ON HIP-HOP LIFE. YOU HAD A DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP WHEN YOUR ATTORNEY GENERAL OF NEW JERSEY AND YOU ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF GANGS. IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE NOW AND THE EXTENT TO WHICH IS THERE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY OR THE GOVERNMENT THERE ARE FORCES CREATIVELY ENGAGING US ABOUT WHY THE REALITY OF GAINS AFFECTS US AND THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS INFLUENCING WASTE -- WAYS, ARE YOU PESSIMISTIC?
01:37:27	Harvey, Peter C.	I AM SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE. THANK YOU FOR LABELING THIS PANEL AND DISCUSSION ACCOUNTABILITY, THAT IS REALLY WHAT IT IS ABOUT. IT IS AN ACTION AGENDA. IT ALSO SPEAKS TO THE ISSUE OF THIS. OUR WORK IN THE COMMUNITY WILL NEVER AND. IT DOES NOT START THE DAY AND AND 18 MONTHS FROM NOW. IT NEVER ENDS. IT GOES GENERATION TO GENERATION AND IT IS MULTIFACETED. THE MISTAKE WE MADE IS THINKING THAT THERE IS SOME MAGIC PILL OR FORMULA THAT WILL ERADICATE THE ISSUES THAT INFLECT OUR COMMUNITY. IT IS A MISTAKE TO THINK THAT WAY. THE IDEA IS THAT RIGHT NOW IT WILL TAKE AN UNPRECEDENTED LEVEL OF COMMITMENT AND RESPONSIBILITY IN OUR COMMUNITY, AN ARGUMENT IN OUR COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO CHANGE THE CIRCUMSTANCES. HOW DO WE APPROACH IT? FROM THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SIDE, YOU HAVE TO COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT YOU CANNOT JUST ARREST, PROSECUTE, CONVICT AND INCARCERATE YOUR WAY OUT OF THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE YET TO FIGURE OUT ANY DEVICE OR SOCIAL ILLS THAT HAS BEEN ERADICATED BY AGGRESSIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT. PROSTITUTION, NARCOTICS, GAMBLING, ALCOHOL, DRUGS. YOU CANNOT DO IT THAT WAY. IT HAS TO BE -- YOU HAVE TO OF TWO WINGS OF A MOVEMENT. YOU DO NEED AGGRESSIVE PROSECUTION, BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED TO BE SAFE IN THEIR HOMES. THE REALITY IS THAT UNTIL WE ADDRESS IN A MEANINGFUL WAY THIS QUESTION OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY, YOU CANNOT GET TO BUILDING A HOME, YOU CANNOT GET TO EDUCATION, HEALTH THE RELATIONSHIPS. YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS THE TRIPLE THREAT OF VIOLENCE. VIOLENCE IN THE STREETS THAT INFORMS EVERYTHING WE DO. WE WILL MAKE DECISIONS RIGHT HERE IN LOS ANGELES ABOUT WHERE WE WILL GO BASED UPON PERCEPTIONS OF VIOLENCE. WE WILL MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT WITH WHOM WE ASSOCIATE OURSELVES PURELY ON THE BASIS OF PERCEPTION OF VIOLENCE. THE SECOND PRONG IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. MEN BEAT WOMEN IN THIS SOCIETY AND IT HAS TO STOP NOW. [APPLAUSE] I WANT YOU TO IMAGINE A YOUNG BOY OR GIRL ROSE UP IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE MEN ARE BEATING WOMEN, WHERE HE AND SHE SEES IT. ONE OF THEIR PERCEPTIONS ABOUT HOW PEOPLE WORK OUT ARGUMENTS AND RELATIONSHIPS. THE THIRD PRONG IS SEXUAL ASSAULT. IT IS AN UGLY TRUTH THAT NO FAMILY WANTS TO LAY BARE BECAUSE IT MEANS A REST, INDICTMENTS AND PROBABLY INCARCERATION. WE HAVE TO ADDRESS IT. HOW DO WE DO THIS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF GANGS? YOU NEED LAW ENFORCEMENT WITH GANGS, BUT YOU ALSO NEED PREVENTION. WE CAN TALK UNTIL THE END OF TIME ABOUT HOW TOUGH WE ARE ON CRIME. YOU WILL SEE PEOPLE RUN FOR OFFICE TALKING ABOUT THEY WILL BE TOUGH ON CRIME. VERY FEW OF US TALK ABOUT BEING SMART ON CRIME. FOR THE FEW WHO DO IT, WE DON'T EXPLAIN IT. IF WE CONCLUDED THAT THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM AND PEOPLE WATCHING FROM THEIR HOMES WERE SUFFERING AN EPIDEMIC OF AN ILLNESS, WE WOULD NOT BE SATISFIED WITH INOCULATING SOMEONE WHO GOT SICK. WE WOULD SAY, WHAT ARE THE CAUSES IN WHAT CAN WE DO TO STOP PEOPLE FROM GETTING SICK WHILE WE TREAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE? THE PEOPLE WHO ENGAGE IN STREET AND GUN VIOLENCE BUT ON ANOTHER LEVEL WE HAVE TO PUT INTO AND HERE COMES A SOLUTION PART -- MENTOR PROGRAMS. IN EVERY COMMUNITY, WE HAVE TO HAVE ADULTS -- WE ALSO HAVE TO HAVE AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS, BECAUSE THE MOST DANGEROUS TIME OF DAY FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IS TO 30 P.M. AND 8:00 P.M. AT NIGHT. MOST ADULTS ARE AT WORK. THOSE WHO ARE NOT WORKING ARE TRYING TO FIND A JOB. YOU HAVE TO PEOPLE RUNNING AROUND THE COMMUNITY AND LET'S BE SERIOUS, ALL OF US GET INTO MISCHIEF. MOST OF US WHO ARE SUCCESSFUL TODAY ARE SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE WE HAD PEOPLE WHO LOOK AFTER US, WHO CARED ABOUT US, WHO LOVED US, WHO PICKED US UP WHEN WE GET FELL DOWN AND GAVE LESS WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT, THEY SAW SOMETHING IN US THAT EVEN WE DID NOT SEE IN OURSELVES AND THEY PUSHED US TO BE SUCCESSFUL. WHY DO WE SAY THINGS LIKE, THIS IS A LOST GENERATION? WE HAVE TO HAVE THESE PROGRAMS AND WE HAVE TO START THEM IN OUR COMMUNITIES. THEY DO NOT COST VERY MUCH MONEY. WE NEED A FACILITY, INTERNET, AND COMMITMENT ON THE PART OF ADULTS TO HELP THESE YOUNG PEOPLE THINK THROUGH THE ISSUES. MOST YOUNG PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW HOW TO GET FROM HERE WHERE THEY ARE TO THERE? SOME OF THEM DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IS THERE. THEY DON'T KNOW THAT BEING AN ENGINEER IS THERE, BEING AN ARCHITECT IS THERE. BEING AN ARCHITECT IS THERE. A DOCTOR OR A VETERINARIAN, THEY DON'T KNOW THAT IS THERE. BEING A SOMEBODY, MAYBE YOU SAY I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL. HOW ABOUT A CARPENTER? HOLLYWOOD MAKES OVER 300 MOVIES A YEAR AND A CARPENTER TO BUILD SETS. WE DON'T TEACH THEM HOW TO ENTER THESE ENVIRONMENTS. HERE IS LIKE WHAT WE ARE LEFT WITH. SOMEONE SAYS, ISN'T THERE A GRANT I CAN GET TO IMPLEMENT THIS IDEA? THERE WAS A TIME IN THIS COUNTRY WHEN PEOPLE DECIDED THAT WE WERE TIRED OF LIVING AND A SECOND- RATE EXISTENCE. LAST TIME I CHECKED, THERE WAS NO CITY, COUNTY OR STATE OFFICE THAT YOU WENT TO APPLY FOR A GRANT THAT SAYS GIVE ME DIGNITY. WE SAID, I WILL TAKE FROM MY JOB, I WILL RISK BEING FIRED TO STAND UP, TO PROTECT THIS COMMITTEE SO WE LIVE A BETTER LIFE. OUR CHILDREN ARE WORTH IT NOW. IN LAW ENFORCEMENT IN MOST OF OUR COMMUNITIES WE HAVE TO HAVE A CONTINUOUS FROM CONVERSATION ABOUT EDUCATION. A CONTINUOUS CONVERSATION ABOUT WIDE JAIL IS NOT A BADGE OF HONOR, BUT A BADGE OF SHAME. A CONTINUOUS CONVERSATION -- HERE IS WHAT JAIL DOES -- IT QUALIFIES US -- IT DISQUALIFIES US FROM MANY JOBS. IF YOU HAVE A FELONY CONVICTION YOU CANNOT WORK IN A BANK, YOU CANNOT WORK AROUND ARMAMENT OR SENSITIVE TECHNOLOGY. IF YOU HAVE AGGRESSIVE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE COMMUNITY, YOU WILL EXCLUDE A WHOLE TIER OF YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN. ONE OF THE GROWING AREAS OF GANGS IS YOUNG WOMEN. YOU WILL EXCLUDE THEM FROM THE MARKETPLACE. THERE ARE DIFFERING LEVELS OF RESPONSIBILITY. THERE ARE COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITIES, WORK THAT WE MUST UNDERTAKE RIGHT NOW, GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITIES SO THAT WHEN THOSE OF US WHO ARE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ANNOUNCED POLICIES THAT MAKE SENSE AND IMPLEMENT THEM. FOR EXAMPLE, WE ARE NOT GOING TO REST EVERY SINGLE KID WE FIND A GAGING IN MR.. WE ARE BRINGING THAT KID TO THE STATION AND GET APPARENT THERE AND WE'RE GOING TO WORK IT OUT. WE KEEP THIS KID FROM HAVING A CRIMINAL RECORD SO THAT THIS KID STAYS ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW. WE MUST HAVE PROSECUTED IN NEW JERSEY 150 GANG MEMBERS. SEIZED GUNS, CARS, CASH. SO WHAT? THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, WHAT DID WE DO ON PREVENTION? WE SET UP AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS CALLED PROJECT VISION. WHEN WE PROSECUTED SECURITY VIOLATIONS, WE USE THAT MONEY TO THE STRAIGHT -- STATE TREASURER TO FUND AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS. IT CAN BE DONE. WE HAVE GET TO EDUCATE OURSELVES. WE HAD BETTER KNOW WHAT IS IN THESE LOSS, BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE WILL FALL INTO THE SAME PROBLEM THAT WE FACE RIGHT NOW. WE ARE TOO SMALL AND WE SETTLE SMALLER AND WE DON'T ARGUE FOR WHAT IS AVAILABLE. THE BUREAUCRATS IN OFFICE WHO NOTICE AVAILABLE WILL NOT GIVE IT TO YOU BECAUSE YOU DID NOT ASK THE RIGHT QUESTION, OR SOMETIMES THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IS IN THE BILL THEMSELVES. OUR TASK IS TWO-FOLD, TO MAKE SURE THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT IS SENSITIVE AND FOCUSED AND FLEXIBLE AND CREATIVE, AND THAT IS NOT INCARCERATION-BASED BE. WE KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH THE REALLY TOUGH GUYS. THEY WILL ALWAYS BE A PLACE FOR THE REALLY TOUGH GUYS. MOST OF THE AND MEN AND WOMEN ARE NOT THAT WAY. THE AIR JUST DISILLUSIONED AND ARE FOLLOWERS. WE HAVE TO BEGIN TO SEPARATE AND EXTRACT THEM, AND IMPLEMENT A PREVENTION PROGRAM THAT SAVES THE VERY VALUABLE RESOURCES THAT ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY. MANY OF US WERE SAVED AND LOOK AT HOW WE TURNED OUT. [APPLAUSE]
01:47:59	>>	LET ME TAKE THIS COME -- CONVERSATION TO A LEVEL OF REALITY THAT IS CHALLENGING. MY LIFE AS A LAWYER, ADVOCATE, A JOURNALIST, HAS BROUGHT ME TO ALL KINDS OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS, GOVERNORS, MEMBERS OF CONGRESS'S. WE CAN HAVE THIS CONVERSATION IN SOMEONE'S LIVING ROOM. AT THE END OF THAT CONVERSATION , WE ADVOCATE NEW RESOURCES AWAY FROM INCARCERATION RATES TO OTHER KINDS OF POLICIES? WE LOOK AT DRUGS AND A MORE CREATIVE WAY? THEY SAY WE CAN DO THAT AND GET REELECTED. PUBLIC OFFICIALS ARE LOATH TO EMBRACE SOME OF THIS BECAUSE THEY WILL LOSE AN ELECTION.
01:49:05	Robinson, Stephanie	I WANT TAVIS SMILEY FOR BRINGING ALL OF US HERE. I ALSO WANT TO THANK TOM JOYNER. PEOPLE THINGS THAT WE HAVE THESE WONDERFUL, REALLY, PARTICULATE, PEOPLE SITTING ON THE STAGE AND SOMEHOW THEY JUST MATERIALIZE THAT WAY. BUT THIS STARTED 10 YEARS AGO. FOR THOSE OF US WHO SAY THAT BLACK FOLK DON'T KNOW HOW TO FOLLOW THROUGH, I WANT THEM TO LOOK AT TOM JOYNER AND TAVIS SMILEY TO BE ABLE TO FOLLOW 3 -- FELL THROUGH. IT IS MORE THAN DIALOGUE. IN 2006, -- 2005, WE HAVE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS, BUT HOW DO WE MOVE THAT ON? HOW DO WE MOVE IT FROM THIS DIALOGUE TO ASHLEY BEING SOMETHING? THEY CAME OUT WITH THIS THING CALLED THE COVENANT. THE COVENANT WAS THERE. I WAS ON THE HILL AT THAT TIME. WE WERE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION. THE URBAN LEAGUE DID IT, DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE DID IT. THERE WERE ALSO -- ALWAYS A LIST OF AGENDA ITEMS THAT WE CARED ABOUT. HE SAID HOW DO WE TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE ARE IDENTIFYING WHAT MATTERS IN THEIR LIVES? HOW DO WE PUT IT IN ONE PLACE SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IT EASILY, AND IT WAS BRILLIANT? BECAUSE IT WAS ON THE NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLER LIST. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN JUST BECAUSE IT WAS A COOL BOOK. IT HAPPENED BECAUSE THERE WAS AN APPETITE IN THIS COUNTRY FOR PEOPLE TO SAY THAT THEY CARE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENING -- WHERE IT IS HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY AND FAMILY. EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE SAY TODAY I AM PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN BECAUSE OF BARACK OBAMA. BEFORE THIS HAPPENED, AND TO THAT 5 -- 2005, WE CARE TO PUT HEALTH CARE AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND WORLD ISSUES ON THE TABLE. THEN WE SAID WE JUST HAVE AN AGENDA HERE, WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING WITH THAT. WE WANT TO MOVE THIS FROM THE WHAT TO THE HOW. THIS WAS NOT ONLY IMPORTANT FOR THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY. LET ME BE CLEAR. THIS WAS IMPORTANT FOR THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY. BUT FOLKS SAID AND SOUGHT IS IF THIS COMMUNITY CAN DO IT, MY COMMUNITY CAN DO IT IN ALL OF AMERICAN CAN DO IT. IT ALSO SAID TO THESE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND APPOINTED OFFICIALS I BETTER START PAYING ATTENTION. THAT IS WHEN WE BEGAN TO START SEEING THIS COLONIZATION OF THIS IDEA OF WHAT GRASS-ROOTS ORGANIZING REALLY MEANS. BARACK OBAMA UNDERSTOOD BEFORE WHAT THAT MEANT. THEN THE POWERS OF BEAT STARTED TO UNDERSTAND. SOMETHING IS STARTING TO HAPPEN. IT IS HAPPENING IN WEST VIRGINIA AND NEW YORK CITY. THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT WERE HAPPENING. NOW WE COME FULL CIRCLE. WE SAY THAT WE UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS NEEDED BUT WE ARE NOW SAYING, HOW DO WE TAKE THIS, FOLLOW THROUGH AND AFFORD US, HOW DO WE HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE? THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT AND IT SPEAKS TO THE QUESTION, THIS BOOK AND FRANKLY, WHA ARE TRYING TO DO HERE AS A COUNTRY IS NOW HOLD BARACK OBAMA ACCOUNTABLE. OR HAD IT BEEN JOHN MCCAIN, TO HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE. WE ARE SAYING AS UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, HOW DO WE HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE. THIS COUNTRY HAS CHECKS AND BALANCES. WE NEED TO HOLD ALL BRANCHES ACCOUNTABLE. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE MOST IMPORTANT POLITICAL OFFICE IS THAT OF PRIVATE CITIZEN. THAT OF ORDINARY PRIVATE CITIZENS. IF WE ARE GOING TO BE AFFECTED, THIS IS SOMETHING -- DEMOCRACY IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS DONE, IT IS SOMETHING WE ALWAYS SHOULD BE DOING. IF WE ARE GOING TO BE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT OURSELVES AND SAY ARE WE REALLY HAVING THIS CONVERSATION OPENLY? ARE WE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION WITH OUR CHILDREN? WITH OUR PARENTS? ARE WE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION IN OUR COMMUNITY AND ARE WE ASKING OURSELVES -- THERE ARE A CHECK LIST, EDUCATION, FOR EXAMPLE. ARE WE TURNING OFF THE TELEVISION FOR OUR CHILDREN? MOST IMPORTANTLY, ONCE WE TURN OFF THE TELEVISION, ARE WE PICKING UP A BOOK AND OPENING UP A PAGE AND READING IT? ARE WE MONITORING THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION WE GET FROM THE INTERNET? ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE CONNECTED WITH THE PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS AND THAT THEY KNOW WHO WE ARE? ARE WE DOING THESE THINGS? IF WE'RE DOING THESE THINGS, WE CAN SAY ARE YOU, BOARD OF EDUCATION, MAKING SURE THERE'S ENOUGH MONEY? WE CAN THEN GO TO OUR CONGRESSPERSON AND SAY IS THIS A PRIORITY FOR YOU? ARE YOU MAKING SURE WE ARE MOVING TOWARDS -- THIS IS FROM BIRTH TO GRADUATION FROM COLLEGE. THEN WE HAVE THE RIGHT BECAUSE WE HAVE TAKEN OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO HOLD OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE. THE WAY THAT WE DO THIS AS WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS IS THAT WE HAVE THE INFORMATION. WE TRIED TO PUT THAT INFORMATION IN ONE PLACE FOR YOU TO LOOK AT IT AND GET TO IT EASILY. ARE YOU ABLE TO GO TO THE URBAN LEAGUE? TO THE NAACP'S WEBSITE? SO THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO HOLD ELECTED OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE. I LOOK DOWN HERE AT REVEREND JACKSON AND DR. WEST AND ALL THE OTHERS AND I KNOW WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO AS A PEOPLE, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ORGANIZE. WE KNOW HOW TO PUT TOGETHER A COALITION OF GREAT INTELLECT AND IN SIGHT. IF WE ARE ABLE TO DO THAT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, PUT TOGETHER THESE COALITIONS, AND FIND THE PRESSURE POINTS FOR OUR LOCAL POLITICIANS. IF WE KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS. AND THEY ARE GOING TO THINK MORE THAN ONCE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY WILL TAKE US OFF. WE ULTIMATELY HAVE ONE VERY IMPORTANT THING. THE VOTE. WE SAW HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS, WE SAW HOW POWERFUL IT WAS. I THING IS AS IMPORTANT TO SAY THAT WE CAN GIVE YOU THAT VOTE OR WE CAN TAKE IT AWAY. WE MUST BE CRITICAL THINKERS AND SOPHISTICATED AND MATURED IN THE WAY THAT WE GO ABOUT DOING OUR POLITICS. WE MUST BE EDUCATED AND ACTIVATED. WE HAVE TO REALIZE -- IF WE DO THIS AND WE MAY BLACK AMERICA BETTER, WE MAKE ALL OF AMERICA BETTER. [APPLAUSE] ..
01:59:38	>>	CAN YOU HEAR HER?
01:59:40	>>	COULD YOU MOVE YOUR MICROPHONE?
01:59:43	Vanzant, Iyanla	MY MICROPHONE IS RIGHT HERE. THEY'RE TRYING TO SILENCE ME BECAUSE I'M A WOMAN.
01:59:53	>>	CAN YOU GIVE HER A HAND?
01:59:55	Vanzant, Iyanla	HOW WAS THAT? IS THAT BETTER? JOINING IN THE CONSCIOUSNESS -- HOW IS THAT? WHERE MUST I PUT IT? LET ME SEE IF I PUT IT HERE. IN THE MIDDLE OF WHAT?
02:00:21	Vanzant, Iyanla	JUST HOLD IT. I WILL JUST HAVE TO DO IT LIKE THIS. IS THAT ALL RIGHT? FOUGHT [LAUGHTER] IT GIVES A NEW MEANING TO UNDERWIRE BRAS. I WOULD LIKE TO JOIN IN THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF GRATITUDE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO MY BROTHER, TRAVIS SMILEY. I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED HIM. I ALSO WANT TO ADD GRATITUDE AND MY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO WELLS FARGO, NATIONWIDE INSURANCE, AND EXXONMOBIL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] I DO WANT TO SPEAK TO THE PLACE OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND I WANT TO TAKE A HUGE RISK RIGHT HERE. SO, I AM GOING TO PUT ON MY BIG GIRL PANTIES AND JUST TAKE A HUGE RISK. I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT. I AM AMONG A POPULATION THAT I DO NOT HEAR A LOT OF PEOPLE TALK ABOUT. THAT IS THE SELF-EMPLOYED POPULATION. I AM SELF-EMPLOYED. I CREATE THROUGH VISION AND INTENTION WHAT IS THAT I AM GOING TO DO IN MY LIFE AND HOW IT IS THAT I AM GOING TO SHARE MY GIFTS IN MY LIFE MOMENT BY MOMENT IN CONSULTATION WITH MY CREATOR. I'M SELF-EMPLOYED. LIKE THE PRIVATE COKES AND LIKE THE PHOTOGRAPHERS AND LIKE THE INDEPENDENT, SELF-EMPLOYED PEOPLE. I LOST A HUGE PUBLISHING CONTRACT AND A HUGE TELEVISION CONTRACT. I VIRTUALLY COULD NOT GET UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BECAUSE I DID NOT WORK FOR ANYBODY EXCEPT FOR ME AND GOD. THEN IN 2006, I LOST MY HOME. I LOST MY HOME. IT WAS BECAUSE OF A BAD MORTGAGE DEAL THAT I DID NOT UNDERSTAND WITH A BALLOON PAYMENT THAT I COULD NOT PAY BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE A JOB. IN 2007, I LIVED WITH NO HEALTH INSURANCE. I HAD A MAJOR SURGERY ON MY FOOT AND MY HEALTH INSURANCE WENT FROM $490 A MONTH TO $695 A MONTH. I COULD NOT PAY MY HEALTH INSURANCE. THEN BECAUSE OF SOME LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY ON THE PART OF MY EX SON-IN-LAW, I ENDED UP WITH A 14-YEAR-OLD GRANDDAUGHTER. I HAD NOT MOTHERED IN A LONG TIME. I KNOW HOW TO BE A GRANDMOTHER BECAUSE THEY WENT HOME. I FORGOT THAT A MOTHER WHO WAS COOKING AND LAUNDRY. WHEN I WAS IN WAL-MART BY MY CHEAP SO, PEOPLE WILL WORK -- WERE WONDERING IF THAT WAS MADE. YES, I SHOP AT WAL-MART. MY POINT IS THIS. I HAVE A REAL TASTE OF WHAT HAPPENS EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR SO MANY PEOPLE THAT GOES BEYOND THE STIMULUS PACKAGE. THE SHAME AND THE GUILT I EXPERIENCED AT LOSING MY HOME, THEY COULD NOT STIMULATE THAT IN CONGRESS. [APPLAUSE] WHAT IT TAKES FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE TO HAVE MY VITAMIN C WHICH IS EXPENSIVE. I DO NOT HAVE ANY HEALTH INSURANCE. I CANNOT GET SICK. I HAVE A 14-YEAR-OLD WHOSE FATHER IS NOT TAKING CARE OF HER. HER MOTHER IS DEAD. LIKE THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF US WHO ARE -- OR TAKING CARE OF GRANDCHILDREN BECAUSE OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS OR -- ARE INCARCERATED OR NOT BEING ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR SEXUAL PROWESS AND SO AT 56, I HAVE TO BE MOTHERING AGAIN. [APPLAUSE] I HAVE TO TAKE A BIG RISK HERE. YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU. LOOK AT THIS. HERE WE GO. LOOK AT THIS. HERE I AM 57 YEARS OLD. I AM NOT ASHAMED. [APPLAUSE] I HAD TO GET ON THE TREADMILL TO SAVE MY LIFE. I AM WORKING IT OUT. THAT IS ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY. I WAS ASHAMED. I LOST MY HOME. I HAD NO PLACE TO LIVE. I COULD NOT EVEN GO TO THE UNEMPLOYMENT OFFICE BECAUSE TOO MANY PEOPLE KNEW ME AND I HAD NEVER HAD A JOB ANYHOW. SO, WORK IT OUT. HERE I AM 57 YEARS OLD. I AM RAISING TWO TEENAGERS WITH NO CREDIT BECAUSE I LOST MY HOME. I HAVE TO SEND THEM TO COLLEGE, BUT I HAVE NO CREDIT AND THEY'RE SCALPING THE STUDENT LOANS. WHERE MY GOING TO GET THE MONEY FROM? I DO NOT HAVE ANY HEALTH COVERAGE. I CANNOT CHANGE COMPANIES BECAUSE OF A PRE-EXISTING CONDITION. HOW MANY PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? [APPLAUSE] NO JOB SO WHEN THE STIMULUS PACKAGE IS STIMULATING JOBS, I AM NOT EVEN IN THAT LOOP. UNLESS THEY'RE GOING TO STIMULATE SOMEONE WHO WAS BIDDING COME OUT AND DO SOMETHING. I SAY THAT BECAUSE I WANT TO LOOK EYEBALL TO EYEBALL, FACE TO FACE. THEY ARE AFRAID, ASHAMED, CONFUSED, LOST, NOT BEING COVERED BY ALL OF THIS LEGISLATION AND EXCITEMENT THAT IS GOING ON. I LOVE BARACK OBAMA, BUT I AM NOT COVERED. I AM NOT COVERED IN ANY OF THIS. I CANNOT GET A MORTGAGE. I DO NOT HAVE A CREDIT CARD. CAN YOU HEAR ME? I CANNOT GET COVERED. I WANT TO SPEAK TO THOSE WHO ARE THERE WITH ME. THIS IS WHAT I HAD TO DO. I HAD TO GET UP EVERY MORNING IN GRATITUDE. CAN YOU HEAR ME? MY ECONOMIC SITUATION CHANGED BEFORE CNN REPORTED IT. BEFORE IT WAS REPORTED ON THE NEWS, I WAS IN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT. YOU WERE ASKING ME TO COME OUT AND MOTIVATE YOU. MOTIVATE YOUR OWN SELF. I'M TRYING TO HAVE A PERSONAL CRISIS. A PERSONAL CRISIS OVER HERE. [APPLAUSE] THIS IS WHAT I'M SAYING. FIND THAT ONE THING THAT YOU COULD HOLD ONTO. I DO NOT CARE WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON AROUND YOU. FIND THAT ONE THING DID YOU DO WELL THAT BRINGS YOU TO JOIN IN AND DO THAT. IF IT IS BAKING A COOKIE, MAKE A COOKIE. IF IT IS PAINTING PICTURES OR TAKING PICTURES, FIND THAT ONE THING AND CREATE A VISION AROUND THAT ONE THING. THAT VISION WILL PULL YOU FORWARD. WE KEEP LOOKING AT THE PROBLEM INSTEAD OF GETTING DIVISION. I DO NOT CARE ABOUT THAT. WHAT DID IT LOOK LIKE? I HAD NO CONTRACT, NO JOB AND HOBBLING BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE ANY HEALTH INSURANCE. I HAD A VISION. YOU KNOW WHAT? MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER LATER CHANGED -- LATE CHANGE IN THE BOTTOM OF A SHIP. I HAVE A TV IN EVERY ROOM. YOU ARE GOING TO TELL ME I CANNOT MAKE IT? YOU HAVE GOT TO HAVE A VISION. YOU ARE ACCOUNTABLE FOR CREATING DIVISION NOT BASED ON THE EVIDENCE OF THE PHYSICAL WORLD, BUT BASED ON WHAT IS ON THE ALTAR OF YOUR HEART. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A VISION. I NEVER JUDGED THE CLARITY OF YOUR VISION BASED ON ANYONE ELSE'S EVIDENCE. EVIDENCE THAT YOU WERE ALIVE, EVIDENCE THAT YOU CAN SPEAK IN- BRIEF AND STAND. EVIDENCE THAT YOU CAN PRAY. EVIDENCE THAT YOU HAVE TO ASK PEOPLE TO HELP YOU EVIDENCE THAT YOU CAN DO IT BECAUSE IT IS IN YOUR DNA. THAT DNA WILL NOT BE DESTROYED. YOU HAVE GOT TO HAVE A VISION. YOU HAVE GOT TO HAVE SELF DISCIPLINE. YOU HAVE GOT TO OF SELF DISCIPLINE. WHEN I REALIZE I HAD NO JOB AND NO MONEY, I HAD TO BE DISCIPLINED. I CANNOT JUST GO OUT AND DO CRAZINESS. LOOK AT WHERE YOU ARE ON DISCIPLINE AND BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR CONTROLLING YOUR MIND, CONTROLLING YOUR MOUTH, CONTROLLING YOUR MONEY, AND CONTROLLING YOUR APPETITES. RAT-IF YOU HAVE AN APPETITE THAT IS COSTING YOU SOMETHING, YOU ARE NOT LIVING RIGHT. DO NOT PUT YOUR FACE OF GLEE WITH ME, PLEASE. I LOVE YOU. IF YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU AND YOUR HUSBAND AND YOU AND YOUR PARTNER ARE ON THE POSSIBLE LIST, DO NOT HAVE MORE CHILDREN RIGHT NOW, PLEASE. DO NOT BE RUNNING YOUR CREDIT CARD UP. DO NOT LIVE OFF YOUR CREDIT CARD. WE HAVE TO HAVE DISCIPLINE. YOU HAVE GOT TO HAVE A VISION AND YOU HAVE GOT TO HAVE DISCIPLINE. LET ME TELL YOU WHAT SAVED ME. I DO NOT EVER HAVE TO WRITE ANOTHER BOOK OR TO ANOTHER TV SHOW. LET ME TOLD YOU WHAT SAVE -- LET ME TELL YOU WHAT SAVED ME, PRAYER. IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR WHEN NOBODY KNEW THAT I HAD LOST MY HOME, I WAS ON MY KNEES. DO YOU UNDERSTAND? WHEN I HAD TO GIVE IT UP, I COULD NOT GET IT FROM THE WORLD, I HAD TO GET IT FROM HERE. I HAD TO LOOK IT OF ALL PLACES IN MY SOUL WHERE I HAD BECOME WEAKER AND WISH YOU WASHY AND INCONSISTENT AND OUT OF INTEGRITY AND IRRESPONSIBLE. AND NOT A BANKING CAREER. NOT A "HELP ME." NOT A BEGGING PRAYER, BUT A PRAYER OF GRATITUDE. LETALL SIX OF MY GRANDCHILDREN ARE HEALTHY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU THAT EVEN THOUGH 1 FOOT IS NOT WORKING, THE OTHER ONE IS DOING PRETTY GOOD. THANK YOU FOR THAT. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THOSE PLACES WHERE IT IS WORKING. LOOK IN YOUR LIFE WHERE IT IS WORKING AND AFFIRMED THAT. STAND ON THAT. BE GRATEFUL FOR THAT. I DO NOT CARE HOW MUCH YOU DO NOT HAVE. FIND SOMETHING TO GIVE SOMEBODY. GIVE YOUR TIME, YOUR ENERGY, YOUR LOVE, YOUR CONFIDENCE. I GIVE, GIVE, GIVE. HOUSHALF IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT THE PHYSICAL WORLD LOOKS LIKE, IT IS IN YOUR SPIRIT. I'M GOING TO SHUT UP NOW. [APPLAUSE] ON MY GOSH EMPLOYEE KEE DEBT THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE]
02:13:32	>>	I KNOW THAT YOU WANTED TO GET IN HERE. THIS DIGNITARY IS GOING TO LEAD US OUT.
02:13:44	Singletary, Michelle	I AM FINE.
02:13:45	>>	YES?
02:13:49	Singletary, Michelle	GOOD AFTERNOON. CAN YOU HEAR ME? I THINK THEY ARE TRYING TO SHUT US UP. GOOD AFTERNOON. HOW'RE YOU DOING? I THINK WE ARE THE LAST ONES TO HAVE A CHANCE TO TALK. I HAVE TO THINK TRAVIS AS WELL. WE HAVE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT MONEY BEFORE THEY OFFICIALLY CALLED THIS A RECESSION. IF YOU WERE BLACK, YOU KNEW IT WAS A RECESSION LONG BEFORE THEY DECLARED IT. I WANT TO THANK HIM. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE UP HERE ON THIS STAGE LIVING IN A HOUSEHOLD RAISED BY YOUR GRANDMOTHER. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT WRITING AROUND TRYING TO FIND HIM IN THE BARS. I AM INCREDIBLY NERVOUS. THERE IS ONE PERSON ON THIS PANEL IN PARTICULAR -- WE ARE SAYING THAT HE IS OLD NEWS. REVEREND JACKSON IS NOT OLD NEWS. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] I WANTED TO PAY HOMAGE TO HIM BECAUSE I WAS RAISED BY A BLACK WOMAN. SHE TAUGHT ME HOW TO SURVIVE AND TAUGHT ME HOW TO HANDLE MY MONEY. SHE TAUGHT ME HOW TO SURVIVE. HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO DREAM. I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS IN GRADE SCHOOL, HE CAME TO MY GRADE SCHOOL IN BALTIMORE AND HE SAID "SAY THIS TO YOURSELF." I AM SOMEBODY. I DID NOT THINK I COULD GET OUT OF THAT SITUATION. MY GRANDMOTHER WORRIED ABOUT PAYING THE BILLS ALL THE TIME. I DID NOT THINK I COULD BE UP ON THIS STAGE. MY GRANDMOTHER'S GRANDPARENTS WERE SLAVES. THERE ARE PEOPLE ACROSS THIS COUNTRY READING WHAT I WRITE BASED ON HER WISDOM. THAT MAN TOLD ME I WAS SOMEBODY. BECAUSE OF THAT, I AM WHERE I AM TODAY. IN ADDITION TO MY GRANDMOTHER, I BELIEVE I WAS SOMEBODY. WHEN PEOPLE LOOKED AT ME -- WHERE YOU HEAR? BECAUSE YOU ARE BLACK? THAT IS RIGHT. I AM HERE TO STAY. I WANT TO THINK REVEREND JACKSON. WE TALKED A LOT TODAY ABOUT BLACK MEN. THERE IS ANOTHER ONE IN THIS AUDIENCE, MY HUSBAND. HELLO. [LAUGHTER] I AM INDEPENDENT. HE IS HEAD OF MY HOUSEHOLD. [APPLAUSE] [LAUGHTER] I KNOW THIS CONVERSATION IS ABOUT RACE AND ALL, BUT I HAVE TO SAY THAT. WE HAVE TO HONOR OUR BLACK MEN. THEY ARE THE HEAD OF OUR HOUSEHOLD. WHEN THEY DO THAT, THEN THEY ARE GOING TO DO RIGHT. HE WILL COME HOME AND MAKE YOU HIS WIFE. THAT GOES TO THE ECONOMICS. IT WAS SO BRAVE FOR HER TO SAY WHAT SHE SAID. IT WAS SO BRAVE FOR HER TO COME. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT TRAVIS IS DOING THIS AFTERNOON -- I AM GIVING A WORKSHOP ON HOW TO GET YOUR MONEY RIGHT. WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS WHAT THE GOVERNMENT TO DO. YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO WITH THE LITTLE MONEY THAT YOU HAVE. THAT IS WHERE I COME IN. YOU HAVE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO YOURSELF. YOU KNOW WHAT? I LOVE WHAT SHE SAID ABOUT PRAYER. EVERYONE IS DOING THIS. EVERYONE IS LOOKING DOWN BECAUSE IT IS SO DEPRESSING. YOU NEED TO LOOK UP. THIS WILL PASS. WE WILL COME OUT OF THIS. THE QUESTION IS, HOW'RE YOU GOING TO COME OUT OF THIS WITH YOUR MONEY? THAT MEANS THAT YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. YOU HAVE TO STOP CONSIDERING YOURSELF -- WHAT DO THEY CALL US TODAY? WHAT THEY CALL YOU? WHO SAID THAT? THEY CALL YOU CONSUMERS. YOU ARE NOT EVEN A CITIZEN. WHEN YOU LOOK UP THE WORD CONSUME, WHAT DOES IT MEAN? IT MEANS TO TAKE AWAY, DESTROY, SQUANDER. THAT IS HOW WE DEFINE OURSELVES AND THAT IS WHY WE'RE IN THE MESS WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW. YOU HAVE TO STOP THIS. YOU ARE HERE TODAY GETTING INFORMATION INSTEAD OF CONSUMING. I WANT TO TELL YOU -- I AM GOING TO GO THERE. I AM A CHRISTIAN. THE FIRST 10% OF MY MONEY GOES TO GOD. I MESSED UP. BOO AND MY MONEY. YOU HAVE TO BUDGET. YOU HAVE TO BUDGET. YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF DEBT. YOU HAVE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO YOUR FINANCES. YOU HAVE TO USE THE DEVIL THAT IS IN YOUR WALLET. -- YOU HAVE TO STOP USING THE DEVIL THAT IS IN YOUR WALLET. IT IS THE CREDIT CARD. IT IS EVIL. YOU KNOW WHAT? WHILE WE'RE WAITING FOR THESE PROGRAMS TO TRICKLE DOWN TO WAS, YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO. YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO STOP GOING OUT TO BE. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GIVE UP A LITTLE BIT OF YOUR CABLE. NOT C-SPAN. KEEP C-SPAN. IF THAT MEANS NOT GIVING YOUR CELLPHONE TO ONE OF YOUR KIDS -- MY KID IS 13 YEARS OLD. NONE OF THEM HAVE A CELL PHONE. SHE DOES NOT HAVE A JOB. MY KIDS WERE HIGH WATERS -- WEAR HIGH WATERS. THEY HAVE NO JOB. YOU HAVE TO STOP THIS WHOLE NOTION THAT THERE IS GOOD DEBT AND BAD DEBT. THE BORROWER IS A SLAVE TO THE LENDER. WE HAVE BEEN SLAVES FOR A LONG TIME WE PASSED SLAVERY. THE WORD MORTGAGE -- THE ROUTE IS DEATH. WE JUST TOOK ON THAT DEBT. THAT STARTS WITH BUDGETING. IT STARTS WITH -- IF YOU ARE MARRIED -- DO NOT HAVE A SEPARATE ACCOUNT. IF YOU WANTED TO DO THAT, YOU SHOULD OF STAYED SINGLE. YOU HAVE TO SAVE. IF YOU MAKE $100, YOU HAVE TO SAVE $10. WHAT I'M TELLING YOU IS, WHILE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THIS STUFF IN THE GOVERNMENT, YOU HAVE TO DO THINGS WITH YOUR OWN BUDGET. I CHALLENGE YOU ALL TO OPEN YOUR CHECKBOOKS AND LOOK AT WHERE YOUR MONEY IS GOING. IS IT GOING TO THE THINGS THAT YOU REALLY VALUE? MOST TIMES, IT IS NOT. IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO GET THIS MONEY TOGETHER. I WORK AT THE MINISTRY IN MY CHURCH. I HAVE SEEN PEOPLE'S LIVES DESTROYED. WE'RE OUT THERE CONSUMING AND LISTENING TO ALL THOSE THINGS. DIGGING -- BUYING BIG SCREEN TVS, CARS. I KNOW HERE IN LOS ANGELES, THAT IS THE BIG THING. YOU ARE DRIVING YOURSELF AWAY. YOU'RE TALKING YOUR WEALTH AWAY. I LOOK AT PEOPLES CELL PHONES AVERAGING $150 A MONTH. ALL THAT MONEY THAT YOU SPEND, YOU DO NOT HAVE. THE GOVERNMENT HAS TO DO SOMETHING TO PROVIDE JOBS, BUT MAKE SURE YOU SAY SOMETHING. MY GRANDMOTHER NEVER MADE MORE THAN $13,000 A YEAR. WHEN SHE RETIRED, SHE HAD MORE MONEY THAN SOME PEOPLE I KNOW WHO HAVE SIX-FIGURE SALARIES. IT CAN BE DONE. IT ABSOLUTELY CAN BE DONE. YOU HAVE TO BE DISCIPLINED. YOU HAVE TO BE INFORMED. IF I ASKED HIS AUDIENCE, HOW MANY OF YOU READ THE BUSINESS SECTION OF YOUR LOCAL PAPER, HOW MANY OF YOU CAN SAY THAT? C'MON NOW. YOU KNOW YOU'RE LYING. [LAUGHTER] IF YOU LOOK AT MY BED, IT IS CONSUMER REPORTS. THAT IS WHAT YOU SHOULD BE CONSUMING. YOU HAVE TO BE INFORMED. YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON WITH YOUR MONEY. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A BUDGET, YOU DO NOT HAVE A ROAD MAP FOR YOUR MONEY. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET WHERE YOU NEED TO GO. I KNOW WE DO NOT HAVE A LOT OF TIME. THERE IS SO MUCH I WANT TO TELL YOU. ITEMS WANT TO TELL YOU, I LOOK TO SCRIPTURE TO HAVE TO HANDLE MY MONEY. WHEN JOSEPH SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE SEVEN YEARS OF PLENTY AND SEVEN YEARS OF FAMINE, HAGUESS HOW MANY YEARS OF FORTUNE WE HAD? 7. I'M GLAD WE'RE IN A RECESSION. ALL OF THESE HARD HITTING PEOPLE WERE DOING CRAZY THINGS WITH THEIR MONEY. THE RECESSION IS GOD'S WAY OF SAYING YOU NEED TO STOP SPENDING CRAZY. THE QUESTION AGAIN THIS IS WHEN THE RECESSION IS OVER, ARE YOU GOING TO GO BACK TO BEING A CONSUMER OR ARE YOU GOING TO BE A CITIZEN? I HAVE ALWAYS CHOSEN TO BE A CITIZEN. I AM NOT RELYING ON MY GOVERNMENT. MY GRANDMOTHER TAUGHT ME THAT. SHE SAID IT IS NOT HOW MUCH MONEY YOU MAKE THAT MATTERS, IT IS HOW YOU MAKE DO WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. I BET SHE CAN TELL THE STORY OF HOW TO HANDLE MONEY BETTER NOW. IF IT CAN HAPPEN TO HER, IT CAN CERTAINLY HAPPEN TO YOU. THE QUESTION IS, ARE YOU GOING TO LEARN FROM IT? I AM GOOD. SO, I HOPE THAT SOME OF YOU READ THE BUSINESS SECTION. I HOPE TO GET YOUR BOSS -- YOUR BUDGET TOGETHER. STOP GIVING YOUR KIDS THINGS THAT THEY DO NOT NEED. STOP TAKING ON THAT DEBT. STOP LISTENING TO THE WORLD ABOUT WHAT DEBT IS. IT IS DEATH. TAKE THOSE CREDIT CARDS OUT OF YOUR WALLET. TAKE THAT DEATH OUT OF YOUR WALLET. VISA TAKING YOU. MASTERCARD IS YOUR MASTER. SCRIPTURE SAYS THAT YOU CANNOT SERVE TWO MASTERS. I JUST ASK YOU TO GET YOUR MONEY STRAIGHT. DO NOT WAIT ON THE GOVERNMENT. WHETHER IT IS A DOLLAR OR $100,000, TAKE A SHARE OF IT AND GIVE SOME OF IT TO THE LORD. GIVE SOME OF IT TO YOUR COMMUNITY. HAVE YOUR MONEY STRAIGHT. [APPLAUSE]
02:26:44	>>	WE HAVE ONE PERSON WHO HAS NOT BEEN HEARD FROM.
02:26:49	>>	THANK YOU, BROTHER BROWN. I JUST WANT TO THINK -- SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING THIS. THANK YOU, C-SPAN FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE AND ALL THE BRILLIANT COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN SHARED HERE. IT HAS BEEN IN LIGHTNING. AS I WAS READING THIS AND AS WE LOOK AT OURSELVES, IT IS OUR TIME. SAY IT AGAIN LIKE YOU MEAN IT. IT IS OUR TIME. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO BEGIN TO ESTABLISH AND TO KNOW AND LOOK AT -- THERE ARE PEOPLE MAKING DECISIONS BETWEEN PRESCRIPTION DRUGS IN GROCERIES. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING FORECLOSED ON. I KNOW WHAT THE EXPERIENCE WAS LIKE WHEN I BOUGHT MY MOTHER'S FIRST HOME IN LIBERTY CITY. SHE WAS A HARD WORKER. SHE WORKED ON MIAMI BEACH. WE ATE FOOD LEFT OVER FROM THE FAMILIES SHE COOKED FOR. WE WERE HANDING DOWN CLOSE OF THE CHILDREN THAT MY MOTHER KEPT. SHE WAS A HARD WORKER. MY MOTHER WAS A PERSON I LEARNED A GREAT DEAL FROM IN TERMS OF WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE IT TODAY. RECESSIONS RESTORE RESOURCEFULNESS. AS WE BEGIN TO LOOK AT OURSELVES, LET US SAY TOGETHER, IT IS POSSIBLE. IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATE OF THE BLACK UNION, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE HAVE TO REMEMBER WHAT WE'RE SPENDING ZERO TIMES AND ZERO MONEY -- IF YOU CAN DETERMINE WHAT A MAN SHOULD THINK, YOU WILL NEVER HAVE TO CONCERN YOURSELF WITH WHAT HE WILL DO. IF YOU CAN MAKE A MAN FEEL INFERIOR, YOU WILL NEVER HAVE TO COMPEL HIM TO SEEK AN INFERIOR STATUS. IF YOU CAN MAKE A MAN FEEL JUSTLY AND OUTCAST, YOU NEVER HAVE TO ORDER HIM TO GO TO THE BACK DOOR. HE WILL GO WITHOUT BEING TOLD. HIS VERY NATURE WILL DEMAND ONE. AS WE BEGIN TO LOOK AT PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, FROM AMONG A PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED 3/5 HUMAN, NOW THE MOST POWERFUL MAN ON A PLANET, WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT WHENEVER OUR GOALS ARE, IT IS POSSIBLE. IF A BLACK MAN CAN BECOME THE MOST POWERFUL MAN ON THE PLANET, WE CAN DO ANYTHING. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. HE HAS RAISED THE BAR. WE HAVE TO BEGIN TO LOOK AT OURSELVES. THE STATE OF THE UNION OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY IS A STATE OF OUR MIND. THE ONLY WAY THIS EVENT IS TAKING PLACE IS THE VISION OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED. WE HAVE TO HAVE A VISION OF WHERE WE'RE GOING. IF WE DO NOT HAVE A VISION OF WHERE WE'RE GOING, WE'RE GOING TO END UP SOMEWHERE ELSE. IT IS NECESSARY THAT WE GET OUT OF THE ENTERTAINMENT MIND-SET. WE HAVE TO STUDY SUCCESS. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA. MANY OF US IN HERE DID NOT BELIEVE HE COULD WIN. THE ONLY REASON HE SAID HE WOULD RUN IS HE HAD TO HAVE THE MIND- SET IT IS POSSIBLE THAT I CAN WIN. THE OTHER THING, IT IS NECESSARY TO PREPARE YOURSELF. WATER OF THE -- HE'S A GREAT ORATOR, BUT WE KNOW THAT HE WAS THE SMARTEST ONE. HE WAS KNOWLEDGEABLE. HE IS BRILLIANT. IT IS NECESSARY THAT WE BEGIN TO START TO SUNDAY CRITIC STUDY SUCCESS. MANY OF US ARE FAILING BECAUSE WE DO NOT KNOW THAT WE DO NOT KNOW AND WE THINK WE KNOW. [LAUGHTER] WE HAVE GOT TO BE WILLING TO INVEST IN OURSELVES, INVEST IN OUR MINDS. YOU GET IN LIFE WHAT YOU ARE. YOU GET PAID FOR THE VALUE THAT YOU BRING TO THE HOUR. AS WE LOOK INTO THE FUTURE, THIS IS WHAT PETER DRUCKER CALLED THE ERA OF THE THREE TREES -- THE THREE C'S. WE HAVE TO BEGIN TALKING ABOUT NOT THE JOURNEY, BUT HOW WE CAN CREATE JOBS. BY THE TIME WE GET TO THE END OF 2012, 67% OF THE JOBS IN THIS COUNTRY WILL BE PERMANENT PART- TIME JOBS WITH NO HEALTH BENEFITS. TODAY YOU EITHER EXPAND OR YOU ARE EXPENDABLE. YOU HAVE TO LOOK IT YOURSELF. IT IS NOT ABOUT WHERE WE ARE. IT IS ABOUT WHO WE ARE. WHO IS IT THAT WE NEED TO BE? WE HAVE TO BE WILLING TO GIVE BIRTH TO WHO WE CAN BECOME. [APPLAUSE] IT IS NECESSARY THAT WE COLLABORATE AND WE WORK TOGETHER. YOU HAVE TO LOOK IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS AS YOU LOOK AT YOUR GOALS AND DREAMS. IF YOU ARE THE SMARTEST ONE IN YOUR GROUP, YOU NEED TO GET A NEW GROUP. [APPLAUSE] IF WE STUDY THE SUCCESS OF PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, HIS GRANDMOTHER HAD ANOTHER CURRICULUM. SHE SPENT TIME, WOKE HIM UP EARLY IN THE MORNING TO DEVELOP. HE IS AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M DOING NOW IS WORKING WITH YOUNG MEN TO TEACH THEM TO DEVELOP THEIR MINDS AND OVERCOME WHAT JOHNNIE MARSHALL CALLS HOOD INFECTED VIRUS. HELP THEM TO BEGIN TO DECREASE THEIR LEVEL OF ONE CONSCIOUS SELF HATRED THAT CAUSES 94% OF BLACK MEN TO KILL OTHER BLACK MEN. NOBODY IS GOING TO SAVE US FROM US BUT US. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO DO OURSELVES. THERE IS A PROVERB THAT SAYS IF THERE IS NO ENEMY WITHIN, THE ENEMY OUTSIDE CAN DO US NO HARM. THE OTHER THING WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING IS TEACHING YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN TO BECOME EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATORS. I WILL NEVER FORGET A GENTLEMAN WHEN I WAS IN MY JUNIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL. I SAID I COULD NOT GO TO THE BLACKBOARD. HE SAID WORK THE PROBLEM OUT ANYHOW. THE STUDENTS STARTED LAUGHING. HE CAME TO ME AND SAID, DO WHAT I'M ASKING. I WAS PUT BACK FROM THE FIFTH GRADE TO THE FOURTH GRADE. I DO NOT HAVE ANY COLLEGE EDUCATION. THERE IS SOMETHING HE SAID THAT I WILL NEVER FORGET. HE LOOKED AT ME AND HE SAID, DO NOT EVER SAY THAT AGAIN. SOMEONES OPINION OF YOU DOES NOT HAVE TO BECOME YOUR REALITY. [APPLAUSE] ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON RIGHT NOW -- HOW PEOPLE LIVE THEIR LIVES AS A RESULT OF THE STORY THEY BELIEVE ABOUT THEMSELVES. RAP MUSIC IS ABOUT MY WORLD IS SCREWED UP, I MESSED UP, AND I AM ANGRY ABOUT IT. WE HAVE TO TEACH OUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND ALL OF US NEED TO DEVELOP THE SKILLS OF BECOMING STRATEGIC COMMUNICATORS. STRATEGICALLY HELP THEM TO BACK AWAY FROM THE POSSIBILITY OF BLINDNESS AND INSPIRE THEM TO BECOME A PENCIL IN THE HAND OF GOD AND START WRITING A NEW CHAPTER IN THEIR LIVES. LET US SAY TOGETHER, IT IS MADE. GEORGE BERNARD SHAW SAID THAT THE PEOPLE IN THIS LIFE LOOK AROUND FOR THE CIRCUMSTANCES THEY WANT AND IF THEY DO NOT FIND THEM, THEY CREATE THEM. JOHN H. JOHNSON SAID THERE IS NO DEFENSE AGAINST AN EXCELLENCE THAT NEEDS A BRIDGE TO MEET A PRESSING PUBLIC NEED. -- TO MEET A PRESSING PUBLIC NEED. THE ONLY REASON I'M SPEAKING FOR CORPORATIONS RIGHT NOW, THE ONLY REASON I EARN MORE THAN THE AVERAGE AMERICAN EARNS WORKING FOR A WHOLE YEAR, THE ONLY REASON THAT I DO THAT -- OF MY BIRTH PARENTS CAME IN HERE, THEY WOULD NOT KNOW EITHER ONE. I WAS BORN IN A POOR SECTION OF MIAMI, FLORIDA. THE ONLY REASON THAT I AM HERE -- I WAS LABELED MENTALLY RETARDED. THE ONLY REASON I'M HERE AND CAN SPEAK FOR CORPORATIONS TEACHING THEM HOW TO DEVELOP THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS IS BECAUSE SOMEBODY TOOK THE TIME TO WORK TO DEVELOP ME. WE BEGIN TO LOOK AT A CORNEL WEST. WE BEGIN TO LOOK AT A REVEREND JESSE JACKSON. THAT POURS INTO OTHER PEOPLE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO ME RECENTLY AFTER HAVING A LIFE THREATENING EXPERIENCE -- I READ THAT MANY TIMES IN LIFE WHEN THE VERY FOUNDATION OF YOUR LIFE IS SHAKEN, YOU RUN TO GOT ONLY TO FIND THAT IT WAS GOD DOING THE SHAKING. I WAS LOOKING AT TELEVISION ONE NIGHT AND A YOUNG MAN WAS ON THEIR THAT WAS AN EMBARRASSMENT TO US. I WAS ABOUT TO CRITICIZE HIM. THEN I HEARD A VOICE THAT SAID THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A STATUE ERECTED TO A CRITIC. THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS GOD EVER ASKED MAN, NUMBER ONE, WHERE ART THOU? THE OTHER QUESTION HE ASKED WAS -- HE WAS THE DAY THAT GOT RAN FROM HIS ENEMIES. HE ASKED ELIJAH WHEN HE WAS RUNNING AND HIDING IN A CAVE WHERE YOU HEAR? WHEN I LOOKED AT THIS YOUNG MAN WHO WAS MISREPRESENTING US AS A PEOPLE IN ALL OF HIS BUFFOONERY AND FILTHY LANGUAGE, THE QUESTION BECAME, WHY ARE YOU HERE? WIRE YOU ON THE COUCH? WHY IS HE NOT ON A COUCH WATCHING YOU ON TELEVISION? WHERE YOU HEAR? HE IS ROBBING THE FUTURE OF MANY YOUNG PEOPLE. YOU HAVE GOT SO MUCH TO SAY, WHY ARE THERE? WHAT ARE YOU DOING? I DO BELIEVE THAT THE ONLY REASON THAT I AM STILL HERE IS THAT MY WORK IS NOT DONE. WE'RE HERE FOR A REASON. 12 YEARS AGO, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH PROSTATE CANCER AND GIVEN A TWO TO THREE YEAR PROGNOSIS. IT IS BETTER TO BE SEEN AND TO BE VIEWED. -- THAN TO BE VIEWED. AND SO, AS WE BEGIN TO LOOK AT OURSELVES, LET US SAY TOGETHER IT IS HARD. IT IS NOT GOING TO BE EASY. IT IS HARD. IT IS GOING TO TAKE SOME WORK. WE HAVE TO BE WILLING TO MAKE A MINIMUM OF SAY FIVE OR 10-YEAR COMMITMENT BEFORE WE LOOK AT ANY CHANGE. HERE'S WHAT I KNOW. A LOT OF WORK HAS GONE INTO PUT THIS TOGETHER. WHEN YOU READ THE BOOK ON ACCOUNTABILITY, IT IS ABOUT THE PROCESS. LET US SAY TOGETHER, THE PROCESS. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA RAISED $1 MILLION A DAY ON THE INTERNET. TIME MAGAZINE SAID THE PERSON OF THE YEAR IS THE INTERNET. COME TO THE PLACE -- WE HAVE COME TREADING A PATH THROUGH THE BLOOD OF THE SLAUGHTERED. YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE. WE'RE THE CHILDREN OF THE ONES WHO WOULD NOT DIE. [APPLAUSE] LET US SAY TOGETHER, IT IS OUR TIME. I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE THIS WITH YOU, SOMETHING THAT MY MOTHER USED TO HEAR ME SAY. IT IS A STAGE OF MY LIFE THAT IS ABOUT WORKING WITH THOSE OF YOU HERE. WE DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH TIME WE HAVE LEFT. IT IS ABOUT STRATEGY AND ABOUT SYNERGY. IT IS ABOUT ASSISTANCE. IT IS ABOUT IMPACTING MANY OF THESE -- MANY OF THESE YOUNG LIVES IN WORKING WITH THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE AND L.F. COMMITTED YOURSELF TO CREATE A BRIGHTER TOMORROW. I SPEAK TO YOU NOW -- TIME CANCER-FREE. I AM TRAUMA-FREEDRAMA-FREE. AT THIS STAGE IN MY LIFE, IT IS ABOUT TRAINING OTHERS HOW TO DISCOVER THEIR POWER VOICE. I HAVE LEARNED OVER $55 MILLION IN THE LAST 28 YEARS DOING WHAT I LOVE TO DO. WE CAN ALL DO IT. WE LEARN, WE LEARN, WE PASS IT ON. KNOWLEDGE IS THE NEW CURRENCY. IF YOU STUDY SUCCESS, PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA -- HE DEVELOPED HIS MIND. HE LEARNED TO BECOME A STRATEGIC COMMUNICATOR. HE PREPARED HIMSELF. HE HAD RELATIONSHIPS BEYOND OUR COMMUNITY. WE DID OUR PART, BUT HE HAD RELATIONSHIPS BEYOND OUR COMMITTEE. THIS IS A GLOBAL WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE. I WANT TO LEAVE THIS WITH YOU. WHATEVER YOUR GOAL IS, WHATEVER YOUR DREAM IS, IT IS POSSIBLE. YOU CAN HAVE IT. IT IS NECESSARY THAT YOU WORK FOR YOURSELF AND YOU EXPAND YOUR VISION. IT IS YOU AND IT IS HARD TO FIND THE THINGS THAT WILL MAKE IT WORTH IT FOR YOU. SAY THAT THING THAT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD. I DEDICATE THIS TO YOU AND THE VISION OF THIS GATHERING. GO OUT AND FIGHT FOR IT. WORK DAY AND NIGHT FOR IT. GIVE UP YOUR TIME IN YOUR PIECE CAN SLEEP FOR IT. WHEN LIFE SEEMS USELESS -- WORTHLESS WITHOUT IT AND HE WOULD GLADLY PINED FOR IT AND LOSE ALL OF YOUR TOUR OF THE OPPOSITION FOR IT, THEY HOPE AND CONFIDENCE AND STERN CAPACITY. WITH THE HELP OF GOD, YOU WILL GET IT. GOD BLESS YOU. GOD BLESS THE DRAIN. -- THE DREAM. HALF THANK YOU. THAT WAS WORTH WAITING FOR. WE'RE ABOUT TO GO TO SOME QUESTIONS. I WANT TO ASK YOU ONE LAST QUESTION. I KNOW THAT HE HAS BEEN BOTH A CONTINUING CRITIC -- WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS TOGETHER FOR 10 YEARS. HE WASIS OPTIMISTIC A ROUTE -- ABOUT BARACK OBAMA. IF YOU WERE TO THINK ABOUT ONE MEASURING IDEA, ONE METRIC BY WHICH YOU WERE GOING TO MEASURE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HIS FOUR YEARS IN OFFICE BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT HERE AND THE PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTABILITY WE HAVE DISCUSSED, WHERE WOULD YOU LOOK?
02:43:11	Dyson, Michael Eric	I WAS ONE OF THE FIRST PEOPLE TO ENDORSE BARACK OBAMA. NUMBER ONE, I WAS ONE OF THOSE FOUR NEGROS, TO WHITE PEOPLE, AND A LATINO FELLOW. SINCE I AM A SUBMITTED MAN -- [APPLAUSE] I DO NOT THINK MY WIFE READ THAT PART OF THE BIBLE ABOUT NO WOMEN SUBMITTING TO NO MAN. I AM HOPEFUL THAT SHE WILL READ THE TEXT. SHE HAS HAD ME ON YOUR FOOT FROM DAY ONE. -- UNDERFOOT FROM DAY ONE. MY WIFE INTRODUCED ME TO BARACK OBAMA. WHEN WE WERE AT HAMBURGER UNIVERSITY, ME, BARACK OBAMA, AND ANOTHER -- WE SAID THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT HER MORE THAN WE WERE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. I HAVE BEEN AN EARLIER SUPPORTER. I ENDORSED HIM BEFORE 60,000 PEOPLE IN ESSENCE. ALLOT OF NEGROS DID NOT THINK HE SHOULD BE THE MAN. I SAY TO YOU, WHENEVER I SAY HAVE TO BE -- HAS TO BE PUT IN PERSPECTIVE OF AN ENDORSEMENT OF WHAT THIS MAN REPRESENTS. HIS ABILITY TO HAVE A VISION AND TO MOVE FORWARD TOWARD THAT VISION. WE HAVE TO HAVE A HABITUAL VISION OF GREATNESS. YOU HAVE TO MOVE TOWARD IT. I HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE FIRST BLACK PEOPLE TO ENDORSE HIM AND SUPPORT HIM. IN LIQUOR STORES AND IN VIEW THE SHOPS AND IN BARBERSHOPS, SUPPORTING THIS MAN. I FROM THE VERY BEGINNING HAVE BEEN ON THAT TEAM WHEN MOST BLACK FOLK WERE NOT WITH HIM. I WAS NOW WITH HIM. UNTIL NEGRO'S CUT THE HOLY GHOST OF REVELATION -- GOT THE HOLY GHOST OF REVELATION. THEY INDICATED THAT IT WOULD ALTER THEIR STATUS AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, THE HOLY GHOST SPOKE VERY POWERFULLY. THE MEASURE IS NOT ON BARACK OBAMA. HE HAS HIS JOB. HE IS IN THE WHITE HOUSE. THE QUESTION IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH WHAT HE IS. IT AMAZES ME WHEN PEOPLE SAY, IS IT ME? YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY MORE EXCUSE TO HOLD BLACK PEOPLE DOWN. BARACK OBAMA COMES OUT OF THE VISION OF TRAINING HE IS A BRILLIANT MAN. HE IS NOT THE FIRST BLACK MAN CAPABLE OF BEING PRESIDENT. [APPLAUSE] HE IS THE FIRST MAN WHO HAD A CHANCE TO PROVE HE COULD BE PRESIDENT OR A BLACK WOMAN. WE KNOW MICHELLE OBAMA HAS THE REAL POTENTIAL TO BE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. I PREDICT IN THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF MICHELLE OBAMA'S ADMINISTRATION, SHE WILL FIND OSAMA BIN LADEN. IT IS NOT ABOUT WHETHER WE STEP UP OUR GAME. WE COME OUT OF THE PEOPLE WHO STEPPED OUR GAME UP WHEN THEY WERE STEPPING ON OUR BACKS. WE HAVE ALWAYS SAID BE TWICE AS SMART, GET UP TWICE AS EARLY, GO TO BED TWICE AS LATE SO WEAKENED -- SO WE CAN GET THAT. YOU HAVE NO MORE CHANCE TO KEEP A BLACK MAN DOWN. THERE ARE MANY MORE BARACK OBAMAS OUT THERE THINKING, STRATEGIZING, EDUCATING, ELEVATING, ARTICULATING. THEY'RE DOING THEIR THING. THAT IS YOUR EXCUSE, NOT OURS. IF AFTER HIS SECOND ADMINISTRATION, IF AFTER EIGHT YEARS OF THE FURIOUS INTELLIGENCE AND THE INCREDIBLY POWERFUL ELOQUENCE THAT THIS MAN HAS COMMANDEERED, IF AFTER EIGHT YEARS ALL WE CAN SAY IS THAT BARACK OBAMA WAS A GREAT PRESIDENT AND IT PROVED THAT A BLACK MAN COULD GET IN THE WHITE HOUSE, WE HAVE WASTED THE OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE THE WORLD ABOUT THE TRANSFORMATION OF POSSIBILITIES OF AN INTEGRATED INTELLIGENCE WITH A GLOBAL CONSCIOUSNESS DEPLOYING HIS HIGH SKILLS IN DEFENSE OF THE VULNERABLE. MY BIBLE TELLS ME THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT IS NOT ABOUT THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY. IT IS NOT ABOUT THE MAJESTY OF THOSE WITH POWER. WHEN GOT FIRST GAVE THE MESSAGE, IT WAS THROUGH KATRINA. PEOPLE IN NEW YORK WERE LOOKING DOWN THEIR NOSES AT NIGGERS IN LOUISIANA. YOU ARE ON WELFARE, YOU'RE ADDICTED TO YOUR BABY MONODRAMA. THEN GOD HAD A FINANCIAL TSUNAMI HIT ON WALL STREET. HE SAID, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? [APPLAUSE] I TELL YOU, I TELL YOU AS SURE AS I'M SITTING HERE THAT THOSE WHO LOOK DOWN THEIR NOSES WITH WATER CONDENSATION, WITH OTHE OTTER CONTEMPT FOR THE VULNERABLE PEOPLE OF AMERICA HAVE BEEN BROUGHT LOW. THEY ARE NOW VULNERABLE. THEIR MORTGAGES HAVE GONE UP. THAT MEANS THAT AMERICA HAS SEEN THAT THOSE ON THE BOTTOM HAVE NOW BEEN MADE THOSE AT TOP BECAUSE NOW YOU STEP ON THEM. NOW YOU'RE STEPPING ON THEMSELVES -- STEPPING ON YOURSELF. YOU ARE IN THE SAME BOAT. THAT IS HOW MY GOD WORKS. THOSE WHO ARE HIGH HAVE BEEN BROUGHT LOW. IF AFTER EIGHT YEARS ALL WE CAN SAY IS THAT A BLACK MAN WAS IN THE WHITE HOUSE, WE HAVE FAILED. WE HAVE NEVER THOUGHT IT WAS ABOUT BEING BLOCKED. WE DO NOT VOTE FOR NOBODY BECAUSE THEY ARE BLACK. BARACK OBAMA IS NOT AN EXCEPTIONAL NEGRO. HE IS AN EXCEPTIONAL AMERICAN. 8 MILLION WHITE BOYS ARE GOING TO DO WHAT BARACK OBAMA DOES. THAT IS AN EXTRAORDINARY AMERICAN. THE MEASURE OF HIS SUCCESS WILL BE HOW MANY PEOPLE HE BRINGS WITH HIM. I DO NOT WANT ONE BLACK MAN IN PUBLIC HOUSING. I WANT TO SPEAK TO ALL OF THOSE BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN PUBLIC HOUSING ACROSS AMERICA. IT IS NOT ABOUT ME. IT IS NOT ABOUT THOSE WITH MONEY OR EDUCATION. IT IS ABOUT THOSE WHO HAVE NOT HAD THE ABILITY TO FOSTER THE IMAGINATION TO CREATE A NEW SITUATION BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN DENIED ACCESS TO THE FUNDAMENTAL PROPERTY OF HOPE THAT RESIDES IN IF -- PRESIDES AND THOSE THAT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DREAM. I BELIEVE THAT BARACK OBAMA IS OUR LEADER. HE IS OUR AMERICAN GLOBAL REPRESENTATIVE. WE MUST PUT PRESSURE ON AMERICA TO ALLOW THIS BROTHER TO DO WHAT HE HAS TO DO. WHAT AMAZES ME, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THEY THINK THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT TARZAN, CALLING US A THE APE. YOU WERE WITH THE EVOLUTION TOO. THEY TRY TO MAKE HIM A MONKEY. GOT KNOWS THAT IN THAT BLACK MEN'S SCAN RESIGNS THE SENATE -- THE CELLULAR MEMORY OF THE ENERGY OF OPPRESSION THAT HE WORKED AGAINST WHEN HE GOT HOLD OF A NOTION THAT BLACK PEOPLE COULD BE LOVED. HE WAS NOT BORN WITH THAT. WHEN HE CAME TO CHICAGO, HE GOT A SENSE OF WHAT WAS POSSIBLE. WHEN HE JOINED TRINITY UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST -- IF YOU LOVE BARACK OBAMA, YOU LOVE THE GOT THAT JEREMIAH WRIGHT INTRODUCED BARACK OBAMA 2. HAVE YOU DEALT WITH THE LEAST OF THESE? THOSE WHO ARE UNEDUCATED, THOSE WERE UNDER-EDUCATED, THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN DOZENS -- THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN DEVASTATED, FOR ME MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, I LOVE BARACK OBAMA. I STAND WITH HIM. I STAND WITH HIM WITH THE PRESSURE OF LOVE. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. WAS A PROFIT, THE GREATEST AMERICAN WHO EVER LIVED. WHEN BARACK OBAMA WAS ASKED, TELL US WHY MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. WOULD JOIN -- WOULD SUPPORT HIS CANDIDACY, HE SAID THAT HE WOULD GET THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE. AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE WILL MAKE CHANGE FROM THE BOTTOM OF, NOT THE TOP DOWN. HOLD HIM IN A STEAM. HOLD HIM IN PRAYER. HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE AS HE WANTS TO BE DONE. I WILL TELL YOU WHAT. THIS IS THE KIND OF GOT WE SERVE. THEY CALLED HIM A MARXIST, A SOCIALIST, TOURIST, ON AMERICAN, BUT THEN ON JANUARY 20, THEY CALLED HIM PRESIDENT. [APPLAUSE] [APPLAUSE]
02:54:40	Dyson, Michael Eric	PEOPLE ARE SPEAKING NOW. THIS HAS BEEN A DEEP MOURNING. I KNOW THAT IT IS GOING TO GET DEEPER. I KNOW THAT WE WILL EMBRACE WHAT BROTHER DYSON SAID. I INVITE YOU TO DO SOME Q AND A WITH THE PEOPLE.
02:55:08	Joyner, Tom	I WILL ATTEMPT TO READ SOME QUESTIONS THAT HAVE COME FROM THE AUDIENCE. WE SEE THAT IN MANY CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, MANY MAJOR SIN -- MANY MAJOR CITIES ARE FAILING. HOW CAN WE LEVERAGE THE SIN -- THE STIMULUS MONEY TO GET THE MONEY TO AREAS THAT NEED IT THE MOST TO REBUILD THE MAJOR CITIES AND GET JOBS TO OUR COMMUNITIES?
02:55:41	Jackson, Jesse	ONE ISSUE IS GETTING MONEY OUT OF WASHINGTON. GETTING IT DOWN IS GOING TO BE MORE DIFFICULT THAN GETTING IT OUT. 38% OF THAT MONEY GOES TO STATES THAT WILL USE IT TO SUSTAIN THE PATROLMAN. 24% IN NEW INVESTMENT. BY THE TIME IT GOES TO THE GOVERNORS AND MAYORS, IT WILL BE TOUGH SENDING IT DOWN. THAT WILL BE OUR CHALLENGE. FOLLOW, MONEY CAME TO YOUR STATE AND FOLLOW IT. THERE WILL BE ATTEMPTS TO USE A NEW TERM CULTURAL-READY. -- CALLED SHOVEL-READY. WE WILL GET MONEY TO WOMEN AND MINORITIES INSOFAR THAT IT IS PRACTICAL. WATCH OUT FOR TERMS CALLED SHOVEL-READY. BEGIN TO MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF THOSE PROGRAMS. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA CAME OUT OF THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZING EXPERIENCE. ON THE BUSH/PAULSON FORMULA, THE WATER THE LEAVES AND NOTHING HAPPENED WE MUST NOW FIGHT TO WATER THE ROOTS. OFF I'M GOING TO MAKE MY POINT AGAIN. EDUCATION MUST BE AFFORDABLE. IF WE CAN BEGIN TO FIGHT FOR STUDENTS TO GET THE SAME DEAL THAT BANKS BORROW AT 3% AND A CELL TO STUDENTS AT 6%, WE COULD BREAK THAT UP NOW. I URGE US RIGHT NOW TO PUT STRATEGIC FOCUS ON SAVING THESE STUDENTS. WHEN THEY CANNOT MARRY SOMEONE IN THAT SITUATION -- I AM LOOKING AT TEACHERS WHO ARE IN DEBT. WE'RE PROTECT -- WE ARE PERPETUATING A TYPE OF POVERTY.
02:58:08	Waters, Maxine	I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND ALL ASPECTS OF THE STIMULUS PACKAGE. IT IS A BOLD MOVE BY THIS PRESIDENT, $797 BILLION BECAUSE OF THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY. WE NOW HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MONIES THAT ARE GOING TO BE COMING. FIRST, WE TAKE CARE OF THE MOST VULNERABLE. IF YOU ARE UNEMPLOYED AND YOUR UNEMPLOYMENT RAN OUT, YOU ARE BACK IN THE GAME. WE EXTENDED THE UNEMPLOYMENT THROUGH THE END OF THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE LONG TERM UNEMPLOYMENT AND PEOPLE HAVE THE NEEDS OF THE BASIC BENEFITS. . WE ARE TAKING CARE OF THE MOST VULNERABLE, THE HOMELESS. WE HAVE THE GRANT MONIES. THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE TO GET UP AND USE THIS MONEY, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE TAX CUTS TO 95% OF ALL OF THE WORKERS. NOW, WHEN YOU TRY THE PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS, THAT IS THE JOB THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS AT EVERY BUBBLE MUST DO. I MET WITH THE MAYORS OF ALL OF MY CITIES, ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES. BRING ME YOUR SHOVEL-READY PROJECT. I WANT TO KNOW IF YOU CAN GET THEM ONLINE. OUR JOB AFTER THAT IS -- THESE JOBS ARE CONTRACT ABOUT. MANY OF THE CONTRACTORS WHO GET THESE JOBS DISCRIMINATE IN EMPLOYMENT. WE ARE ABOUT TO BREAK THAT DOWN AND MAKE SURE THAT THE CITIES ARE NOT CONTRACT IN WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE A RECORD OF DISCRIMINATION. ALL I WANT TO SAY IS THIS. THIS IS VERY BOLD. $997 BILLION TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY. WHILE THEY ARE DOING IT, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT JOB TRAINING AND SUPPORT FOR THE LEAST OF THESE BACK INTO THE SYSTEM. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THIS. GET IN TOUCH WITH THE MAYORS. YOU NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT IS ONE OF THE MOST UNPRECEDENTED KIND OF STIMULUS THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. WE MUST KNOW WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT.
03:01:11	Jackson, Jesse	TOM?
03:01:12	Jackson, Jesse	MAY I JUST SAY THIS? THE ARCTIC -- THEY ARE GETTING THE MONEY OUT OF WASHINGTON. WHEN YOU HAVE 13 GOVERNORS TRYING TO BLOCK THE MONEY COMING IN AND CONTROL WHAT IS COMING OUT COME OF THOSE IN THE STATES AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT ARE WATCHING IT WILL HAVE THE BURDEN TO FIGHT STATE BY STATE TO GET THE MONEY DOWN. THOSE STATES ARE TRYING TO STOP SECTION 5 VOTING RIGHTS ACT FROM BEING EXTENDED, TRYING TO GET WAIVERS ON AFFIRMATIVE ACTION. THEY WANT THE MONEY.
03:02:00	Morial, Marc H.	I HAVE A QUESTION.
03:02:04	Morial, Marc H.	IN THESE SESSIONS, IN THESE CONVERSATIONS, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT -- WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO NOT TO LEAVE THE ENERGY AND THE INFORMATION IN THIS ROOM? THERE ARE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WATCHING ON TELEVISION. TWO THINGS. JAMES CLIBURN, THE HOUSE MINORITY WHIP, HEARD THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE SOUTHERN GOVERNORS. HE INSERTED A PROVISION IN THE STIMULUS PACKAGE, THAT ALLOWS A STATE LEGISLATURE TO ACCEPT THE MONEY INDEPENDENT OF THE GOVERNOR'S DESIRE. JAMES CLIBURN, MAXINE WATERS, THEY ARE NOT JUST SITTING THERE. THIS PROVISION ALLOWS IF YOU ARE FROM SOUTH CAROLINA, IF YOU ARE FROM LOUISIANA, ANY OF THESE STATES WERE THESE GOVERNORS ARE TALKING THIS NONSENSE, YOUR STATE LEGISLATURE CAN BUY CONCURRENT RESOLUTION AGREED TO EXCEPT THE MONEY. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IN THE SOUTHERN STATES THAT WE GO TO THE STATE LEGISLATURES. MOBILIZE OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS. TWO, SIMPLE, TWO OF US UP HERE -- SHE IS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL AND I WAS. THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO. IN YOUR CITY, GO TO YOUR MAYOR AND YOUR CITY COUNCIL AND SAY, I WANT YOU TO SAY WHAT YOUR PLAN IS TO SPEND THE STIMULUS MONEY SO IT BENEFITS OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. GO AND ASK THE QUESTION. CALL THE QUESTION. A TWO, GO TO THE GOVERNOR AND YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS AND SAY, WHAT IS YOUR PLAN TO SPEND THE STIMULUS MONEY SO IT BENEFITS MY COMMUNITY AND MY NEIGHBORHOOD? CALL THE QUESTION. SOMETIMES, WE THINK THAT BECAUSE WE PUT PEOPLE IN OFFICE, WE CAN BECOME SPECTATORS. SIT BACK AND WATCH LIKE IT IS A FANCY MOVIE OR DOCUMENTARY. WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE MOVEMENT NOW ON THIS STIMULUS MOVES TO STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT. WHAT WE WILL BE DOING AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, THE BLACK LEADERSHIP FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IS HERE, WE WILL BE MEETING DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT WITH THE SECRETARY OF LABOR, WITH THE SECRETARY OF HUD, WE WILL GO TO THEM AND THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT WE ARE GOING TO ASK. WHAT IS YOUR PLAN? WE WILL SAY, HERE IS SOME OF OUR THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED TO DO. WE HAVE GOT TO ENGAGE THE MOVEMENT. THE MOVEMENT IS NOT TELEVISED. OF THE REVOLUTION IS NOT TELEVISED. WE HAVE GOT TO TAKE THE ENERGY FROM THIS ROOM AND GO BACK TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THERE IS SOME ACCOUNTABILITY WITH RESPECT TO HOW THIS MONEY IS SPENT. THERE IS A LOT OF MONEY THAT WILL BE SPENT BY STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE BOARD, BY TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, BY TRANSIT AUTHORITIES. WE HAVE GOT TO GO GET ENGAGED. IT IS ALSO TIME FOR US TO SAY TO ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT WE SUPPORT, THAT WE VOTE FOR, WHETHER THEY ARE AFRICAN- AMERICAN OR NOT, YOU HAVE GOT TO PUT YOUR PLAN ON THE TABLE SO WE KNOW HOW IT IS SPENT. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS, WE CANNOT LEAVE THE ENERGY THAT HAS BEEN GENERATED IN THIS ROOM IN THIS ROOM. WE HAVE GOT TO TAKE IT BACK TO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
03:06:01	Vanzant, Iyanla	I WANT TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE TABLE BECAUSE -- JUST SUPPORT AND WHAT HE IS SAYING. AS OPPOSED TO ASKING ANYBODY WHAT THEY WANT TO DO, I HAVE SOMETHING I WANT TO ASK. I SEE THIS CYCLICAL THIS FUNCTION THAT I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT. PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR HOMES. HOMES ARE GOING INTO FORECLOSURE, WHICH THEN IMPACTS THEIR CREDIT. THEN, WHEN THEY COME OUT OF WHATEVER IT IS THEY WILL COME OUT OF, THE REPOSSESSION OF CARS, THE BANKS THAT ARE IN TROUBLE AND GETTING MONEY ARE STILL GOING OUT AND REPOSSESSING CARS. SOMEBODY LOSES THE HOUSE AND THE ONLY THING THEY CAN HOLD ONTO IS A JOB, BUT THEN THEY GET THE CAR REPOSSESSED. THERE IS CYCLICAL DYSFUNCTION THAT I DO NOT SEE ANYBODY ADDRESSING. WHY CAN THERE NOT BE A MORATORIUM ON FORECLOSURES OF HOMES? WHY CAN THERE NOT BE A MORATORIUM ON REPOSSESSION OF CARS? NOT ONLY IS IT THE TAKING OF THE CAR, THE TAKING OF THE HOME, IT IS THOSE HARASSING-ASS PHONE CALLS THAT WILL DRIVE YOU CRAZY. REALLY. MAXINE, CHARLES, WHY CAN THAT NOT HAPPEN?
03:07:28	Waters, Maxine	THERE HAS BEEN A MORATORIUM ON FORECLOSURES.
03:07:32	Ogletree, Charles J. Jr.	WE DO NOT KNOW ABOUT IT, BOTH IN TERMS OF HOMES AND THESE OTHERS. THE AUTO INDUSTRY IS COMING BACK TO ASK FOR MORE MONEY AND CONGRESS IS SAYING, BEFORE YOU ASK FOR MORE MONEY, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR THE PEOPLE? THE OTHER THING I THINK WE NEED TO DO VERY SPECIFICALLY AS THIS. WE NEED TO HAVE A LIST OF THE 20 MOST WANTED, POSTERS OF GOVERNORS IN THESE STATES. THEY'RE NOT BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE -- ACCOUNTABLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, LOUISIANA, TENNESSEE, PUT THOSE BASES THERE. THEY'RE UP FOR REELECTION. THEY SAID WE COULD DO IT IN 2000, IN 2004, WE DID IT IN 2008 AND IF THEY DO NOT BECOME ACCOUNTABLE, A LOT OF BLACK VOTERS, LET ME TELL YOU, WE ARE COMING AFTER YOU. WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU DO NOT GET THE MONEY TO THE PEOPLE THAT DESERVE IT, YOU WILL NOT SERVE THIS STATE EVER AGAIN. THAT IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
03:08:32	Jackson, Jesse	SOME OF THESE BANKS ARE NOT HONORING THE MORATORIUM. CONGRESSWOMAN WATERS, IF YOU ORGANIZE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEY START TAKING HOUSES, JUST DO NOT LEAVE.
03:08:52	Joyner, Tom	I AM DOWN WITH THAT.
03:08:58	Jackson, Jesse	THAT IS WHAT IT WAS ABOUT. HAVE THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZED AND JUST REFUSE TO LEAVE. THE WATER MAY BE COMING FROM THE TOP, BUT UNLESS IT SINKS TO THE BOTTOM, IT DOES NOT MATTER. IT IS TIME FOR NONVIOLENT CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE. SAVE YOUR HOUSE. YOU HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO GO. DO NOT LEAVE. UNTIL THE MORNING COMES. JUST DO NOT LEAVE.
03:09:37	Joyner, Tom	THAT WAS ONE QUESTION. DO WE HAVE TIME FOR ANOTHER ONE? PLEASE COMMENT ON THE SAD STATE OF MANY OF THE NATION'S BLACK HOSPITALS. HERE IN THE LOS ANGELES, THERE HAS BEEN A MOVE TO HELP THE MEDICAL CENTER.
03:10:03	Waters, Maxine	SINCE IT IS HERE LOS ANGELES AND JUST OUTSIDE MY DISTRICT, AND I LED THE STRUGGLE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS TO KEEP IT OPEN, I HAVE TO TELL YOU SEVERAL BANKS. ONE, "THE LOS ANGELES TIMES" TARGETED MARTIN LUTHER KING IN THE NAME OF GETTING A PULITZER PRIZE. THEY WORKED IT. NOT ONLY DID THEY GET THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR HAVING TO CLOSE IT DOWN, THEY HAD UNDERCOVER PEOPLE IN THE HOSPITAL THAT WERE REPORTING AND TELLING STORIES ABOUT THE PROBLEMS OF THE HOSPITAL. DID THE HOSPITAL HAVE PROBLEMS? YES IT DID. YOU DO NOT CLOSE DOWN A HOSPITAL IN AN AREA WHERE YOU HAVE THE MOST DISPARITIES, WHERE YOU HAVE THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF HIV, WHERE YOU HAVE THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF ALL KINDS OF DIABETES AND OTHER KINDS OF DISEASE THAT ARE CONFRONTING OUR PEOPLE. I AM CONVINCED, I AM CONVINCED THAT IF WE HAD ENOUGH PEOPLE WHO CARED ENOUGH AND WERE WILLING TO PUT THEIR BODIES ON THE LINE, WHO WERE WILLING TO STAND IN FRONT OF THOSE DOORS, WHO WERE WILLING TO CONFRONT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND THOSE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, WE COULD HAVE KEPT THAT HOSPITAL OPEN. LET ME JUST SAY THIS. WE TALK A LOT ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY. WHAT WE CARE ABOUT. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO POINT OUT TO PEOPLE WHAT ACCOUNTABILITY REALLY IS. YOU HAVE SHOWN THROUGH YOUR WORK THAT YOU CARE ABOUT EDUCATION. YOU GO TO ALL OF THESE BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND YOU LEAVE MONEY THERE FOR KIDS TO HAVE THEIR EDUCATION PAID FOR. TAVIS -- FOR TAVIS LAST NIGHT, ONE LADY INTRODUCED HERSELF. SHE SAID, I AM AT PRINCETON. THE YOUNG BOY FRIEND SAID, I AM AT VANDERBILT. ANOTHER KID CAME UP TO ME AND SAID, I GRADUATED FROM MOREHOUSE. ANOTHER CAME UP AND SAID, WHEN I FIRST MET YOU, I WORKED FOR A BIG, WHITE LAW FIRM. NOW I HAVE MY OWN LAW FIRM IN BEVERLY HILLS. NOW, THAT IS BECAUSE YOU GAVE A HELPING HAND. YOU ARE ON THE FRONT LINE ON EDUCATION. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO SAY THEY CARE ABOUT ALL OF THESE THINGS. IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, JUST LET BLACK MAXINE TAKE CARE OF THAT. SHE IS THERE. NO, IT HAS TO BE A "WE" SITUATION WHERE WHEN MAXINE LOOKS BEHIND HER BACK, A WHOLE LOT OF FOLKS ARE THERE WITH HER IN ORDER TO CREATE CHANGE. IF YOU TALK ABOUT MARTIN LUTHER KING HOSPITAL, NOBODY CAN TAKE ANYTHING AWAY FROM US UNLESS WE ALLOW THEM TO DO IT.
03:13:17	>>	I THINK WE HAVE TO END THE SESSION.
03:13:21	Ogletree, Charles J. Jr.	EVERYBODY SHOULD GO TO WHITEHOUSE.GOV. WHAT BARACK OBAMA HAS DONE IS WHAT NO PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY HAS EVER DONE. HE SAYS, I AM LOOKING AT THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEMS, HEALTH CARE, UNEMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, AND THE IDEA OF HAVING EDUCATION. IF YOU LOOK AT THIS BILL, THE BUDGET, AND DESPITE ALL OF THIS RECESSION, HE SAYS, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE, A COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM FROM BIRTH THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL, I WILL MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS A JOB. YOU KNOW WHAT? HE IS ACCOUNTABLE. HE HAS PUT IN WRITING, HERE IS WHAT I AM ASKING THE PEOPLE TO HELP ME PASS. IT MEANS CONGRESS AND ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAS TO PASS IT. DO NOT SAY BARACK OBAMA HAS NOT DONE IT. WE HAVE ASKED TO DO SOMETHING OF THE WHITE HOUSE SAYS SAID, HERE I AM, HERE'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DO. IF THE PEOPLE'S WILL BE DONE, WE WILL HAVE UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE. HOSPITALS, YOU CANNOT NAME A MAJOR URBAN AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY WHERE THE HOSPITAL IS NOT OVERWHELMED WITH CLIENTS AND UNDERWHELMED WITH RESOURCES. THE PRESIDENT IS SAYING, I AM RISKING MY ROLE AS PRESIDENT TO REACH OUT TO THE PEOPLE. WE DO NOT WANT TO DEMONIZE HIM. WE WANT TO SAY, BARACK OBAMA, THANK YOU FOR SAYING SOMETHING THAT PRESIDENTS HAVE NEVER SAID, YOU WILL TAKE CARE OF US IF WE TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES.
03:15:02	Jackson, Jesse	IF THIS BOOK BY A BROTHER TAVIS IS ONE OF THE MOST READ -- THERE'S ANOTHER BOOK THAT IS NOT CORRECT. IT TAKES AWAY PERSONAL ANECDOTES AND FEELINGS. YOU CAN MEASURE THE RACIAL FREEDOMS TODAY. THERE IS MULTIRACIAL JOY IN ATHLETIC EVENTS. DISPARITIES ARE MEASURABLE. YOU CAN MEASURE INFANT MORTALITY. YOU CAN MEASURE LACK OF ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE. YOU CAN MEASURE SEVEN YEARS LESS FOR LIFE EXPECTANCY. YOU CAN MEASURE SUB-PRIME LENDING TARGETING. YOU CAN MEASURE WHO DOES NOT HAVE IT. WE MUST MOVE BEYOND JUST FEELINGS. WE CANNOT JUST -- DR. KING SAID, GET OUT OF THE BACK OF THE LOSS. FREEDOM COST NOTHING. WE MUST FIGHT FOR EQUALITY. CLOSING THE GAP FROM DISPARITY TO EQUALITY REQUIRES FINANCIAL INVESTMENT. THAT IS WHY I SAY, I AM ALL FOR RESPONSIBILITY, AND THAT MUST ALWAYS GO WITH RESOURCES. WE MUST ALWAYS DO OUR BEST. THOSE WHO ARE BEHIND MUST RUN FASTER TO CATCH UP, BUT WITH SHOES. I LOOKED AT THE SUPER BOWL GAME THIS YEAR, BLACK KIDS AND WHAT KIDS FUNCTIONING TOGETHER. I COULD NOT HELP BUT THINK ABOUT WHAT MADE IT POSSIBLE. IT WAS THE CONDITIONS. WHAT MADE DR. KING DIFFERENT, IT WAS NOT JUST INSPIRATION. HE CHANGED THE LAW. HE MADE IT ILLEGAL TO PUT US ON THE BACK OF THE BUS. IT WAS ILLEGAL FOR US NOT TO HAVE A RIGHT TO VOTE. AS WE LOOK AT THE PRESIDENT, WE MUST SEE HIM NOT JUST AS A BROTHER, BUT AS THE PRESIDENT. IT IS A CHANGE OF LAW AND OPPORTUNITY. WHEN YOU HAVE GOT PEOPLE TODAY IN WASHINGTON WHO WANT TO RETREAT FROM SECTION 5, THAT IS NOT REMOVING THE TROOPS IN 1877. WE HAVE A BLACK PRESIDENT, WE WILL LEAD EEOC. I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD LEAD WITH A GOOD FEELING, A GOOD SENSE OF LAW. WE LIVE IN OUR FAITH. WE ARE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY. WE HAVE TO HAVE THE CO OP -- = OPPORTUNITY UNDER THE LAW. WE ARE TALKING BY CLOSING THE GAP. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE]
03:17:54	>>	LET ME MOVE REALLY QUICKLY. WE HAVE FOUR MINUTES BEFORE TAVIS COMES BACK TO SAY GOODBYE TO C-SPAN. DO YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS TAVIS TIME WHEN YOU CAN GIVE US
03:18:07	Rose, Tricia	I WILL. WE HAVE TO LOOK OF THE ROLE OF CULTURE IN SHAPING CONSCIOUSNESS AND ABILITY TO ACT AND WILLINGNESS TO ACT. THE LINK BETWEEN SPIRITUAL, CULTURAL, AND ECONOMICS AS PROFOUND. WE HAVE TO NOT SETTLE FOR WHERE WE ARE AND TO PUT IT IN ANOTHER WAY, WE HAVE TO REMEMBER WHAT IS GREAT ABOUT CHITLINS AND WHAT IS NOT. WHAT IS GREAT ABOUT IT IS THAT IT SPOKE TO A GENIUS OF MAKING SOMETHING OUT OF NOTHING. WHAT IS NOT GREAT ABOUT IT IS THAT PEOPLE WERE ASKED TO SURVIVE ON NEARLY NOTHING BECAUSE THEY WERE CONSIDERED NOTHING. WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES TO EXPECT MORE AND DEMAND MORE AND IMAGINE WHAT WE WOULD HAVE DONE WITH OUR CULINARY TALENTS IF WE HAD SO MUCH MORE AVAILABLE TO US. THAT IS WHAT I WANT TO ASK US TO DO. IT FUELS WHO WE ARE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
03:19:06	>>	LES BROWN, CAN YOU GIVE US 30
03:19:09	>>	[UNINTELLIGIBLE]
03:19:22	>>	IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE GET GROUNDED. IT IS VERY TURBULENT, VERY CHALLENGING. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE SPEND TIME WORKING ON OURSELVES. THE NEXT THING IS, WE HAVE TO GET IN POSITION. WE HAVE TO ACQUIRE THE SKILLS NECESSARY TO RETRAIN OURSELVES AND REINVENT OURSELVES SO WE CAN HAVE ACCESS TO THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY. WE HAVE TO GET BUSY. WE HAVE TO GO INTO ACTION. WE HAVE TO IMPLEMENT AND UNDERSTAND WE HAVE TO BE 10 TIMES BETTER IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED AVERAGE TO GAIN ACCESS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [APPLAUSE]
03:19:59	>>	CAN WE TRUST YOU FOR 30? YOU ONLY SPOKE ONCE.
03:20:05	>>	IT IS NOT ON YET.
03:20:09	Singletary, Michelle	WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING. I WENT TO -- I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED TO DO YOURSELF. WE CANNOT LOOK FOR A HANDOUT. WHEN YOU GO AND YOU HAVE YOUR STUFF CORRECT AS WELL. IF YOU'RE HAVING TROUBLE WITH YOUR MORTGAGE, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE DONE ALL YOU CAN SO YOU CAN SHOW THAT YOU CAN PAY THAT MORTGAGE IF THEY REFINANCE IT FOR YOU. YOU HAVE TO SHOW THAT YOU HAVE A BUDGET, THAT YOU HAVE DONE EVERYTHING YOU CAN DO TO MAKE SURE YOU CAN HOLD ONTO YOUR HOUSE. SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED WAS NOT JUST BECAUSE THEY DID SOMETHING TO YOU. YOU DID NOT DO WHAT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO DO. IF YOU HAD A CELL PHONE AND YOU HAD CREDIT CARD DEBT AND YOU WERE NOT DOING THE THINGS YOU COULD DO, THE GOVERNMENT CANNOT TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING. THERE HAS TO BE A LOT OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. WHILE WE'RE LOOKING TO THE GOVERNMENT, LOOK AT YOUR CHECKBOOK. LOOK AT YOUR BUDGET. [APPLAUSE]
03:21:04	Harvey, Peter C.	HAVE YOU GOT 30 SECONDS?
03:21:06	Harvey, Peter C.	VERY SHORT. WE HAVE TO MOVE AWAY FROM A CRISIS MENTALITY. CRISIS MENTALITY PRODUCES AT HOC SOLUTIONS. WE NEED AN ACTION PLAN AND WE NEED TO CLOSE THE GAP BETWEEN SAY AND DO. RIGHT NOW, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE TO SUPPORT INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE REALLY OUR COMMUNITY. TAKE HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES. I GRADUATED FROM MORGAN STATE AND 6.5% OF OUR ALUMNI GIVE ANNUALLY. 93.5% TO NOT. I AM TELLING YOU IT IS NO DIFFERENT THAN A TUSKEGEE, HOWARD, MOREHOUSE. THERE MAY BE VARYING LEVELS, BUT MOST OF US WILL SPEND MORE AT BLOCKBUSTER, MORE AT MCDONALD'S, MORE AT WENDY'S AND WE WILL IN THE INSTITUTIONS THAT HELPED US TURN A LIVING AND BECOME SMARTER. IN ADDITION TO THAT SUPPORT, HERE'S WHAT ELSE WE HAVE TO DO. WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF VIOLENCE. THE EASIEST WAY TO MAKE THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM MORE FAIR, I WILL GIVE YOU A FOOLPROOF WAY. KEEP YOUR KIDS OUT OF IT. [APPLAUSE] HOW DO WE DO THAT? WE DO THAT THROUGH MENTOR SHIP PROGRAMS, THROUGH AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS. EVERY CHURCH IN AMERICA THAT GIVES BACK TO COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS, WE SHOULD ALSO ASK OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO BEGIN THE MENTOR SHIP PROCESS IN EXCHANGE FOR THAT MONEY. WE SHOULD IMPOSE UPON OURSELVES A DISCIPLINE THAT CLOSES THE GAP BETWEEN SAY AND DO. THERE'S A BETTER TOMORROW COMING, BUT IT WILL NOT GET THERE WITHOUT CONSISTENT ACTION ON OUR PART.
03:22:50	>>	SISTER? 30?
03:22:53	Robinson, Stephanie	THERE ARE FEW THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO SAY. ONE IS FROM A SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE. THOSE WHO LISTEN TO ME KNOW THAT I LEAVE MY COMMENTARIES BY SAYING, LOVE AND HOPE. I SAY THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE GOT TO LOVE YOUR FELLOW HUMAN BEING. YOU HAVE TO LOVE YOUR COMMUNITY. THE REASON I DO THE WORK I DO IS BECAUSE I LOVE THIS COUNTRY AND BECAUSE I LOVE MY FELLOW HUMAN BEING. I HOPE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO ALL WE CAN TO BRING THIS COUNTRY BACK TO HELP PRESIDENT OBAMA BRING THIS COUNTRY BACK TO A PEACEFUL AND PROSPEROUS COUNTRY. THAT BEING SAID, ONE OF MY FAVORITE QUOTATIONS IS BY JAMES BALDWIN. HE SAYS THAT BLACK HISTORY TESTIFIES TO NOTHING LESS THAN THE PERPETUAL ACHIEVEMENT OF THE IMPOSSIBLE. WE AS BLACK FOLKS KNOW THAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT WHICH PEOPLE THOUGHT WAS IMPOSSIBLE. IN THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT, WE CANNOT DO WITH AND TRY TO DO EVERYTHING. I WANTED TO SAY WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE STIMULUS AND THE TARGET BILL, I WAS HAPPENING -- THE HAPPY -- I WAS HAPPY THAT HE SAID THE STATES WILL HAVE THE MONEY. THERE ARE SAFEGUARDS FOR THAT. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF MONEY AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A LOT OF MONEY, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT OUR PRIORITIES. PRESIDENT OBAMA NAMED HIS, HEALTH CARE, EDUCATION, ENERGY, AND FIXING THIS ECONOMY. WE CANNOT DO EVERYTHING. AS A COMMUNITY AND AS A PEOPLE, WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE. WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING TO THE. WHILE WE NEED TO STRATEGIZE AND PUT TOGETHER AN ACTION PLAN, IT CANNOT BE AN ACTION PLAN OF PIE IN THE SKY. IT HAS TO BE REALISTIC. IT CANNOT BE EVERYTHING TO EVERYBODY. WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THIS, DO IT RIGHT, DO IT STRONG, AND HOW TO DO IT AS I SAID EARLIER COME IN AS ASSISTANT TO -- SOPHISTICATED AND MATURE WAY. THANK YOU.
03:25:05	Jackson, Jesse	WE WILL REVIVE THE BAN ON ASSAULT WEAPONS. THE AK-47, M-16 IS LEGAL. WE MUST RESENT THAT. I'M CONVINCED OF THE STUDENTS THAT AT THE SAME DEAL, [UNINTELLIGIBLE] CHANGE THE CRACK LAWS. WE HAVE TO. THREE AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN JAIL, 1 MILLION VIRTUALLY BLACK. -- WE HAVE 2.3 MILLION AMERICANS IN JAIL, 1 MILLION VIRTUALLY BLACK. 35 YOUNG MEN WALKED AT MIDNIGHT. THEY WERE CRYING. ONCE SAID TO ME, REVEREND, WE REALLY DO WANT TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL. HE SAID, I AM SICK. I WANT TO GET WELL. THEY HAVE CLOSED DOWN THE DRUG CENTERS. TWO MORE SAID, WE CANNOT GET A JOB. YOU COME OUT OF JAIL IN ILLINOIS, YOU CANNOT HOLD. YOU CANNOT BE A BARBER, A BEAUTICIAN, CANNOT WORK A HOSPITAL, CANNOT WORK IN A RESTAURANT, YOU CANNOT DRIVE A CAB. YOU GET FIVE MEALS A WEEK. GO TO JAIL, YOU GET 21 MEALS A WEEK. HOW SHOULD WE MEASURE SUCCESS? BY HOW WE GET THE BOTTOM BEGAN TO CHANGE THE STRUCTURE OF LAW, THE PROGRAMS IN THE JAIL MAKING IT EASIER TO GO TO WHEN MAKING COLLEGE TOO EXPENSIVE.
03:26:45	>>	I FEEL BLESSED TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO JOIN YOU IN LISTENING TO A CONVERSATION LIKE THIS WITH THESE REMARKABLE HUMAN BEINGS. MAYBE WE SHOULD THANK THEM FOR BEING WITH US TODAY. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
03:27:10	Smiley, Tavis	I KNOW YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT FOR THIS FIRST PANEL. I KNOW YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] LET ME ASK YOU WHILE YOU ARE ON THE FEET TO THANK THE MODERATOR, WHO DUG -- WHO DID SUCH A GREAT JOB. [APPLAUSE] WHILE OUR PANELISTS TAKE A SEAT, I WANT TO SHARE SOME INFORMATION. OUR PANELISTS CAN GO OFF STAGE IN THIS DIRECTION. THEY CAN LEAVE THE STAGE. [APPLAUSE] THEY ALL DID A REMARKABLE JOB. A COUPLE OF BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENT BEFORE WE LOSE THE CSPAN FEED FOR THOSE WATCHING AT HOME AND RUN THE WORLD. AS WE BREAK, WE INVITE YOU TO CALL OR TEXT YOUR FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES. INVITE THEM TO VIEW THE STATE OF THE BLACK UNION LIVE HERE ON C- SPAN OR AT TAVISTALKS.COM. WE HAVE HAD THOUSANDS OF VIEWERS LOGGING IN. YOU WILL BE HAPPY TO KNOW, FROM ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS WELL AS E-MAILS FROM GERMANY, SAUDI ARABIA, FRANCE, THE NETHERLANDS, BERMUDA, ALL AROUND THE WORLD. PEOPLE ARE WATCHING US CELEBRATE THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST MINDS IN BLACK AMERICA. LET ME ASK YOU TO THANK C-SPAN AGAIN FOR COVERING THIS FIRST SESSION LIVE. [APPLAUSE] FOR THOSE WATCHING AROUND THE WORLD OR AT HOME, WHEREVER YOU MAY BE, WE WILL BREAK HERE IN JUST ABOUT TWO MINUTES. I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW WHO WILL BE ON THE SECOND PANEL THAT I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF MODERATING. OUR SECOND PANEL, I AND -- WANT TO INTRODUCE SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY IN THE HOUSE. FOR THOSE WATCHING, WE WILL REJOIN YOU LIVE FOR PANEL TWO AT 1:30 PACIFIC TIME, 4:30 EASTERN. WE WILL REJOIN YOU LIVE HERE ON C-SPAN FOR THE SECOND PANEL, OFF 4:30 EASTERN, 3:30 CENTRAL, 1:30 HERE IN LOS ANGELES. THEY'RE RIGHT -- THERE ARE A FEW SEATS IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM IF YOU WANT TO JOIN US LIVE HERE IN THIS MASSIVE ROOM. COME ON DOWN WITH 6000 OF YOUR CLOSEST FRIENDS. PLEASE THANK C-SPAN AGAIN FOR COVERING THIS FIRST SESSION. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] ON PANEL TWO, THEY CAN STAND UP AND WAVE AT YOU. THEY ARE ALREADY HERE. I SEE DR. CORNELL WEST WHO IS HERE FOR THE SECOND PANEL. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] I SEE] ATBAR -- I SEE DR. ATBAR. IN ADDITION, DR. WEST, THE PUBLISHER OF THE "L.A. SENTINEL" WILL BE HERE. THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TENURED AT THE HARVARD LAW SCHOOL IS HERE. REV. AL SHARPTON IS IN THE BUILDING. THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO BE THE SPEAKER OF ANY STATE HOUSE OR STATE ASSEMBLY IN CALIFORNIA, KAREN BASS IS HERE. THE NEW CHAIRMAN OF THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE MICHAEL STEELE IS HERE. I WERE BRILLIANT YOUNG SISTER YOU WILL MEET NAMED ERIKA WILLIAMS IS HERE. A YALE PROFESSOR IN THE DIVINITY SCHOOL AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF RELIGION, DR. EMILY TOWNS IS HERE. I THINK THE FOREMOST EXPERTS AND SCHOLARS ON THE GREENING THE GHETTO, VAN JONES IS HERE FROM THE BAY AREA. THE PRESIDENT OF BENNETT COLLEGE FOR WOMEN, THE ECONOMIST IS HERE. THE FOUNDER OF TRANSAFRICA, RANDALL ROBINSON, IS HERE. FROM CHICAGO, THAT GREAT SOLDIER IS HERE. I AM HERE. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] STOP, STOP. I AM GOING TO MODERATE. THAT IS MY MAMA. I LOVE MY MAMA. THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO MODERATE THIS SECOND PANEL. NOW THAT WE HAVE LOST C-SPAN, I CAN DO SOME HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS THAT ONLY MATTER TO THOSE OF YOU IN THIS ROOM. DID YOU ENJOY THE FIRST PANEL? DID YOU ENJOY IT? YEAH. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] NOW THAT IT IS JUST FAMILY, I CAN SHARE SOME INFORMATION. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF TICKETS LEFT. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME DETAILS HERE. THERE ARE A FEW TICKETS LEFT FOR THE GOSPEL BREAKFAST TOMORROW. THE HOUSE OF BLUES CHOIR. DID THEY TURN THIS THING OUT TODAY OR WHAT? DR. CORNELL WEST SPEAKING TOMORROW AT THE BRUNCH. A FEW OF THOSE TICKETS LEFT IN THE LOBBY. YOU CAN GET THOSE WHERE THE FOUNDATION IS SET UP. SPEAKING OF THE FOUNDATION, THERE IS A SESSION FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE DURING INTERMISSION. IT IS UNTIL 12:30. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, AND YOUNG PEOPLE WILL TALK ABOUT THE FOUNDATION. ROOM 303 A AND B IS WHERE THAT IS TAKING PLACE. THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF ITEMS LOST AND FOUND. THERE IS A SCREENING CHECKED. IN THE LOBBY. YOU WANT TO GO THERE. THEY MADE A FEW EXTRA SEATS AVAILABLE FOR THE PRESS CONCERT TONIGHT TO CELEBRATE THESE 10 YEARS. THOSE TICKETS ARE IN THE LOBBY AS WELL. THE FOUNDATION IS SET UP. YOU CAN GO TO THE WEB SITE IF YOU ARE WIRED IN HERE. GET THOSE TICKETS FOR THE BENEFIT CONCERT. A FEW OF THOSE SEATS WERE JUST ADDED. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THERE IS A SESSION THAT IS ABOUT TO KICK OFF IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW. THE LINES WILL BE PRETTY LONG. FOR 20, 25 MINUTES, STAY HERE AND BE EMPOWERED BY A SESSION THAT WELLS FARGO IS GOING TO HOST. LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THAT SESSION. WELLS FARGO IS YOUR FINANCIAL ACTION PLANNING GUIDE TO EVERY STAGE OF LIFE. IT IS A SEMINAR THAT THEY WILL HAVE IN THIS ROOM. I HAVE BEEN A PARTNER WITH WELLS FARGO FOR FIVE YEARS. I AM DELIGHTED TO SEE MAXINE WATERS MAKE COMMENTS ABOUT WELLS FARGO BEING NAMED IN DISPUTES ABOUT PREDATORY LENDING. WE STARTED WORKING TOGETHER FIVE YEARS AGO TO CHANGE THOSE ISSUES. WELLS FARGO HAS BEEN A SPONSOR OF THIS EVENT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. I'M ABOUT TO GO TO A PRESS CONFERENCE RIGHT NOW, WHERE THEY ARE ANNOUNCING A BRAND NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH THE URBAN LAKE. -- URBAN LEAGUE. THANK YOU, WELLS FARGO, FOR BEING THE SPONSOR TODAY. [APPLAUSE] WELLS FARGO WILL HOLD A SESSION IN HERE RIGHT NOW. MAXINE WATERS TALKED ABOUT IT. I WANT YOU AND THOSE INTERESTED -- IT IS FREE. WE ARE HERE. THAT WILL HAPPEN ON THE STAGE HERE RIGHT ABOUT NOW. TO INTRODUCE THE PERSONS THAT WILL MAKE UP THAT PANEL, THAT WILL BE HEADED BY MASON. PLEASE WELCOME GAIL PERRY MASON. WE HAVE THE REGIONAL PRESIDENT RESPONSIBLE FOR MORE THAN $3 BILLION IN DEPOSITS IN DOWNTOWN L.A., PASADENA, AND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY. [CAPTIONING PERFORMED BY NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE] [CAPTIONS COPYRIGHT NATIONAL CABLE SATELLITE CORP. 2009]