HAKEEM JEFFRIES, THANK YOU FOR
BEING ON THE SHOW THIS MORNING.
WE’LL BE FOLLOWING ALL OF THIS,
OF COURSE.
>>> NOW TO A MASTER CLASS IN
CIVIL ENGAGEMENT.
IN A VIRAL VIDEO, BATON ROUGE
ACTIVIST GARY CHAMBERS JR.
SHARPLY CRITICIZED A SCHOOL
BOARD MEMBER WHO DEFENDED THE
NAMING OF A SCHOOL AFTER
CONFEDERATE LEADER ROBERT E.
LEE.
THE BOARD MEMBER ALSO APPEARED
TO BE ONLINE SHOPPING WHILE
DISCUSSING THE TOPIC AT A
HEARING LAST WEEK.
AND HERE IS WHAT ENSUED.
>> SO I HAD INTENDED TO GET UP
HERE AND TALK ABOUT HOW RACIST
ROBERT E. LEE WAS.
I’M TALKING ABOUT YOU COTTON,
SHOPPING WHILE WE TALKING ABOUT
ROBERT E. LEE.
THIS IS A PICTURE OF YOU
SHOPPING WHILE WE TALKING ABOUT
RACISM IN THE COUNTRY.
YOU DON’T GIVE A DAMN AND IT’S
CLEAR.
I’LL TELL YOU WHAT MY ANCESTORS
SAID ABOUT ROBERT E. LEE.
AFTER HE GOT OFF THE FIELD AT
GETTYSBURG, ROBERT E. LEE WAS A
BRUTAL SLAVE MASTER.
WHEN HE WHOOPED THE SLAVES HE
SAID LAY IT ON THEM HARD. AFTER HE SAID LAY IT ON THEM
AFTER HE SAID LAY IT ON THEM
HARD, HE SAID PUT BRIANNE ON THE
SO IT’LL BURN THEM.
AND YOU SIT HERE SHOPPING WHILE
THE PAIN OF THIS COMMUNITY IS ON
DISPLAY.
YOU DON’T GIVE A DAMN, AND YOU
SHOULD RESIGN.
YOU SHOULD HAVE RESIGNED TWO
WEEKS AGO WHEN YOU GOT ON TV AND
SAID FOOLISHNESS.
YOU SHOULD RESIGN AND NEVER COME
BACK YOU’RE THE EXAMPLE OF
RACISM IN THIS COMMUNITY.
YOU’RE HORRIBLE.
NOW TO THE REST OF THE BOARD.
YOU HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO THE
PEOPLE OF THIS COMMUNITY AND 81%
OF THEM ARE BLACK.
DO YOU NEED A KLAN RALLY OUTSIDE
BEFORE ENDING IT BECAUSE HOLDING
IT UP MEANS YOU PUT THAT
BUILDING IN JEOPARDY, YOU DO,
SIR.
ALL OVER THE COUNTRY THEY
BURNING STUFF DOWN AND BLACK
FOLKS IN THIS CITY HAS STOOD
WITH PROTESTERS.
I HAVEN’T SEEN YOU OUT THERE
WITH THEM.
IT’S BEEN FOLKS IN THIS
COMMUNITY WHO GIVE ADAMN, NOT
JUST WHEN IT’S COMFORTABLE BUT
EVERY TIME.
MR. DRAKE THEY SAY YOU A GOOD
MAN, BE A GOOD MAN.
BLACK FOLKS SAY YOU A GOOD MAN.
WHITE FOLKS SAY YOU A GOOD MAN.
YOUR LEGACY IS ATTACHED TO
TONIGHT, BROTHER.
YOUR LEGACY.
LET ME SAY TO THE BLACK MENS OF
THE BOARD.
THIS IS THE MOST SOLIDARITY I’VE
SEEN OUT OF Y’ALL IN FOREVER.
LET’S STAY ON THAT MOVING
FORWARD.
WE DON’T NEEDS TO APOLOGIZE FOR
CONNIE.
SHE SHOWED YOU WHO SHE WAS WHEN
SHE WAS SITTING NEXT TO YOU.
YOU DON’T NEED ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
WHEN DO WE AS BATON ROUGE STOP
BEING IN 1856, IF YOU WANT TO
NAME THE BUILDING AFTER
SOMEBODY, HOW ABOUT AFTER THE
FIRST BLACK STATEGOVERNOR OF THE
STATE OF LOUISIANA.
OR HOW ABOUT OSCAR DUNN, WHO
GAVE RIGHTS TO GET HERE.
YOU WANT TO NAME IT AFTER
SOMEBODY FROM RECONSTRUCTION,
NAME IT AFTER THE PEOPLE WHO
FOUGHT.
IF YOU WANT TO NAME IT AFTER
SOMEBODY HONOR THE RIGHT PEOPLE,
THE PEOPLE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF
HISTORY.
BUT IT’S YOUR ANCESTOR THAT THE
SCHOOL IS NAMED AFTER, SO YOU’RE
HOLDING ONTO YOUR HERITAGE.
BUT WE BUILT THIS JOINT FOR
FREE, AND WE DONE BEGGING YOU TO
DO WHAT’S RIGHT.
THANK YOU, SIR.
>> THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER WHO
GARY CALLED OUT, CONNIE BERNARD,
HAS SAID SHE IS, QUOTE, DEEPLY
SORRY FOR HER ACTIONS.
JOINING US NOW IS THE ACTIVIST
AND BATON ROUGE RESIDENT IN THAT
CHAMBERS JR.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW.
>> THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
I HAVE TO START BY ASKING YOU,
ARE YOU A PREACHER OR ARE YOU
WHAT OUR GOOD FRIEND ELIJAH
CUMMINGS WAS ACCUSED OF BEING, A
COUNTERFEIT PREACHER, BECAUSE
YOU SURE SOUNDED LIKE A PREACHER
UP THERE.
>> THAT WAS A GOOD.
>> SO, I AM A MINISTER.
>> THERE YOU GO.
>> VERY GOOD.
WELL, TELL US, GARY, IF YOU
WILL, OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF PEOPLE
SAW YOUR IMPASSIONED SPEECH.
TELL US WHAT THE CURRENT STATUS
IS RIGHT NOW IN BATON ROUGE
REGARDING THE NAMING AND
RENAMING OF THE SCHOOL.
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU
ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE
WITH YOU.
WE WON THE VOTE THAT NIGHT AND
LEHIGH SCHOOL WILL NO LONGER BE
NAMED LEHIGH SCHOOL.
>> FANTASTIC.
I’VE GOT EDDIE GLAUD JR. HERE
WHO WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU A
QUESTION.
>> IT WAS GREAT TO SEE YOU HOLD
THE COUNCIL ACCOUNTABLE.
TALK TO ME ABOUT THE OVERALL
SENSE OF THE COMMUNITY RIGHT NOW
IN THIS MOMENT.
AS WE ARE PRESSING FOR BROAD
SHIFT IN OUR POLICING, AS REAR
PRESSING FOR A SHIFT IN WHO WE
CELEBRATE IN OUR HISTORY, WHAT
IS YOUR SENSE OF THE PULSE OF
BATON ROUGE.
YOU WERE THE VOICE AT THE
MOMENT.
WHAT’S YOUR SENSE OF THE PULSE
IN BATON ROUGE.
>> I THINK WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
BALANCE ROT ROUGE, IS WHAT IS
HAPPENING FOR BLACK FOLKS ALL
OVER AMERICA.
WE’RE SICK AND TIRED OF BEING
SICK AND TIRED.
SO, THE FRUSTRATIONS EXIST.
YOU SEE FOLKS SHOWING UP,
ADVOCATING AND LEANING IN ON
THEIR LOCAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE
ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL.
>> MIKE BARNICLE IS WITH US AND
HE HAS A QUESTION.
MIKE?
>> REVEREND CHAMBERS, COULD YOU
HELP US OUT, COULD YOU HELP THE
COUNTRY OUT BY TELLING US WHAT
IT’S LIKE FOR YOU, YOUR FAMILY
AND THOUSANDS OF OTHER PEOPLE
WHO YOU KNOW IN YOUR COMMUNITY
TO LIVE THEIR ENTIRE LIVES UNDER
THE BLANKET OF THE CONFEDERACY,
THE LOST CAUSE AND THE HISTORY
OF TREASON THAT SIMPLY WILL NOT
GO AWAY.
>> IN THE WORDS OF THE LATE,
GREAT CHAD BUTLER, THEY’RE
WRAPPING THE BODY WHILE WE’RE
PAYING THE PRICE.
ALL THE STREETS AROUND LEHIGH
SCHOOL ARE NAMED AFTER A
CONFEDERATE GENERAL.
LEWIS, ROSS, EVEN WHITEHAVEN.
WHEN YOU GO INTO A LOCAL SCHOOL
BOARD MEETING, WHAT YOU SAW IN
THAT VIDEO IS REALLY A
REFLECTION OF WHAT BLACK AMERICA
IS DEALING WITH AS IT RELATES TO
WHITE AMERICA.
YOU HAVE BLACK FOLKS SPEAKING UP
PASSIONATELY ABOUT WHAT THEY
FEEL WHILE YOU HAVE A SCHOOL
BOARD MEMBER, A REPRESENTATIVE
OF THE PEOPLE, A REPUBLICAN,
SITTING THERE SCROLLING ON THE
INTERNET WHILE PEOPLE ARE
EXPRESSING THEIR CONCERNS.
AND WE WONDER WHY BUILDINGS BURN
BECAUSE WHEN WE COME BEFORE YOU,
YOU SCROLL ON THE INTERNET.
THE STATE LIKE LOUISIANA THAT’S
RANKED NUMBER 50 IN THE NATION,
WE’RE RANKED NUMBER 45 IN HEALTH
CARE, WE’RE RANKED NUMBER 48 IN
EDUCATION, NUMBER 49D IN THE
ECONOMY, NUMBER 50 IN
OPPORTUNITY, NUMBER 50 IN CRIME.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT AND THE
REPUBLICAN POLICIES FAILING US
DAY IN AND DAY OUT, AND A
REPUBLICAN SITTING THERE WHILE
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A CRITICAL
ISSUE AND IGNORING US, IT’S
HEARTBREAKING.
I THINK THAT IS WHY IT’S
RESONATED WITH SO MANY PEOPLE.
>> SO, THIS IS EDDIE GLAUDE
AGAIN.
I JUST WANT TO ASK YOU A
QUESTION ABOUT THE FUTURE AND
WHERE YOU LOCATE HOPE.
YOU PREACH THE GOSPEL.
WE’RE IN A MOMENT WHERE IT SEEMS
AS IF THE COUNTRY IS ON A
KNIFE’S EDGE.
WHERE DO YOU FIND HOPE AND WHERE
DO YOU SEE HOPE AND POSSIBILITY
IN YOUR -- IN THE COMMUNITY OF
BATON ROUGE?
>> WELL, YESTERDAY WAS FATHER’S
DAY AND I’M THE FATHER OF A
10-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER.
AND EVERY TIME I LOOK AT MY
DAUGHTER, THAT IS THE HOPE.
WHEN I LOOK AT YOUNG PROTESTERS
SHOWING UP ALL OVER THE COUNTRY
IN THE STREETS OF AMERICA,
COMMERCE AND LEANING IN ON THEIR
GOVERNMENT, THAT GIVES ME HOPE
BECAUSE A DREAM DEFERRED IS NOT
A DREAM DENIED.
THIS IS SIMPLY OUR LEG OF THE
RACE.
>> SIR, TO CLOSE, I’M WONDERING,
THAT MOMENT REALLY CRYSTALIZED
YOUR FRUSTRATION, ESPECIALLY
FRAMING AROUND THE COUNCILMEMBER
WHO IS SHOPPING AS THE COUNCIL
WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LISTENING TO
THE FRUSTRATION THAT REALLY HAS
GRIPPED THE COMMUNITY FOR
DECADES.
WHAT IS YOUR NEXT TANGIBLE FOCUS
IN BATON ROUGE, BECAUSE THE
BOARD HAS UNANIMOUSLY VOTED TO
CHANGE THE SCHOOL’S NAME.
OBVIOUSLY THERE’S SO MUCH MORE
THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO HAVE
MORE GOALS NOW THAT YOU HAVE A
SPOTLIGHT.
>> WELL, OF COURSE.
NOT JUST FOR BATON ROUGE.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE STREETS THAT
ARE NAMED THAT I JUST NAMED, WE
NEED TO -- -- WE LOOK AT THE
STATE OF LOUISIANA, WE HAVE A
UNIVERSITY NAMED AFTER A
CONFEDERATE GENERAL.
WHEN WE LOOK AT -- THERE ARE
SLAVES ETCHED ON THE EXTERIOR OF
THE LOUISIANA STATE CAPITOL
WHILE THERE IS A STATUE OF
FORMER BRIGADIER GENERAL OF
NICHOLS UNIVERSITY.
UNTIL EVERY MONUMENT OF WHITE
SUPREMACY IS REMOVED AND WE LIFT
THE PROPER VOICES, WE HAVE WORK
TO DO.
AND UNTIL CONNIE IS OFF THE
BATON ROUGE SCHOOL BOARD, WE
HAVE WORK TO DO.
>> GARY CHAMBERS JR., THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR COMING ON THE SHOW
THIS MORNING.
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>>> AND COMING UP, THE MAYOR OF
LOS ANGELES, ERIC GARCETTI JOINS
US STRAIGHT AHEAD.
ALSO, STACEY ABRAMS WILL BE OUR
GUEST.
WE’LL HAVE MUCH MORE ON THE
PRESIDENT’S OVERPROMISED AND
UNDERDELIVERED CAMPAIGN KICKOFF
IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA.
A RALLY THAT LOOKED MORE LIKE A