ABSOLUTELY WATCHING WHAT IS
HAPPENING HERE IN THE U.S.
ALICIA?
>> THANK YOU, MOLLY.
>>> AMID THE WIDESPREAD PROTESTS
IS A SINGULAR CALL FOR JUSTICE
FOR GEORGE FLOYD.
IN A NUMBER OF OTHER
AFRICAN-AMERICANS WHO HAVE
NEEDLESSLY LOST THEIR LIVES.
IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE
PRESENT, IT HELPS TO LOOK
TOWARDS THE PAST.
IN A 1967 SPEECH, CIVIL RIGHTS
REVOLUTIONARY MARTIN LUTHER KING
JR. ONCE SAID "BUT IN THE
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS A RIOT IS THE
LANGUAGE OF THE UNHEARD.
AND WHAT IS IT THAT AMERICA HAS
FAILED TO HEAR"?
OVER 50 YEARS LATER, WHAT IS
AMERICA STILL NOT HEARING?
WITH ME NOW IS REVEREND BERNICE
A. KING, THE DAUGHTER OF DR.
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. AND CEO
OF THE KING SENTER IN ATLANTA.CE
YOU TWEETED ABOUT PEOPLE QUOTING
YOUR FATHER SAYING MANY WHO
QUOTE HIM NOW AND EVOKE HIM TO
DETER JUSTICE TODAY WOULD LIKELY
HATE AND MAY ALREADY HATE THE
AUTHENTIC KING.
WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING
LOOKING AT ALL OF THESE PROTESTS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY ABOUT THEIR
OBJECTIVES AND HOW YOUR FATHER
WOULD FEEL ABOUT THEM TODAY?
>> LOOK, I THINK THE OBJECTIVES
ARE THOSE WHO ARE TRULY
PROTESTING OR DIRECTLY
CONNECTING TO THE ISSUES THAT MY
FATHER WAS ADDRESS EGG.
THE ISSUE IS THERE IS STILL TWO
AMERICAS.
THE THERE IS AMERICA FOR BLACK
PEOPLE AND THERE IS AMERICA FOR
WHITE PEOPLE.
I WOULD SAY IT IS AMERICA FOR
WHITE SUPREMACISTS THINKING AND
PRIVILEGE AND AS AMERICA FOR
EVERYBODY ELSE.
THAT IS PROBLEMATIC.
AND SO PEOPLE WHO ARE PROTESTING
LEGITIMATELY PROTESTING ARE
TRYING TO RAISE THAT ISSUE.
WE’RE TIRED AND FED UP WITH THE
TALK.
IT’S TIME TO DO THE WORK.
DISMANTLING WHITE SUPREMACY AND
CREATING ANOTHER AMERICA, A TRUE
AMERICA.
>> WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT
WORK, WHAT DOES THAT WORK LOOK
LIKE TO YOU?
>> WELL, I THINK WE HAVE TO
START WHERE THE HOT BUTTON IS
RIGHT NOW.
WE’VE GOT TO DEAL WITH POLICE
REFORM IN THIS SYSTEM.
WE HAVE TO DECONSTRUCT THE
POLICING.
IT WAS ALWAYS BASED IN KEEPING
BLACK PEOPLE, NEGROES, COLORED
AND SLAVES IN CHECK.
AND SO WE’VE GOT TO DISMANTLE
ALL OF THAT AND COME UP WITH
SOMETHING NEW.
THE 21st CENTURY TASK FORCE ON
POLICING WAS A VERY GOOD START.
I AM ENCOURAGING THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES TO, THE
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT, TO PICK THAT
BACK UP.
BECAUSE INCREDIBLE WORK WAS DONE
AT THAT TIME.
IT DEALS WITH LOOKING AT HIRING.
IT DEALS WITH THIS POLICE
BRUTALITY AND H.R. 4408 WE NEED TO REVISE IT, GARNER EXCESSIVE
TO REVISE IT, GARNER EXCESSIVE
USE OF FORCE, PREVENTION ACT.
FEEN THE OFFICER DID
EVEN IF THE POLICE OFFICER DID
IT, HE WOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY
BEEN ARRESTED.
>> THE WAY BLACK COMMUNITY GET
WHAT THEY WANT IS NONVIOLENCE
AND PEACE.
WHERE DO YOU BELIEVE THE
COMMUNITY’S FOCUS SHOULD BE IN
THIS MOMENT?
>> YOU KNOW, MY FATHER GAVE US
SOME WORDS BACK IN ’67 IN HIS
BOOK "WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE."
HE SAID THE TASK, SPEAKING OF
GOING FORWARD, IS TO ORGANIZE
OUR STRENGTH INTO COMPELLING
POWER.
NOW IS THE TIME LIKE NEVER
BEFORE TO ORGANIZE THE STRENGTH
OF ALL OF THESE INDIVIDUALS, ALL
OF US WHO ARE FOCUSED ON
BRINGING TRUE EQUITY AND JUSTICE
IN THIS COUNTRY TO WORK
TOGETHER, TO MOVE OUR NATION
FORWARD.
IT’S NOT ABOUT THE RIOTS RIGHT
NOW.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT.
THAT IS THE LANGUAGE OF THE
UNHEARD.
IT’S REALLY ABOUT WHAT DO WE DO
TO CORRECT THE SYSTEMS AND THE
STRUCTURES THAT HAVE BEEN IN
PLACE FOR MORE THAN 400 YEARS
THAT CONTINUE TO OPPRESS PEOPLE,
THAT CONTINUE TO TREAT PEOPLE
LIKE THEY’RE ALMOST ANIMALS?
THAT’S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO THE
WORK OF.
I’M CALLING ON WHITE PEOPLE IN
THIS NATION TO START CHALLENGING
OTHER WHITE PEOPLE.
BECAUSE THAT IS A FUNDAMENTAL
PROBLEM.
>> I SPOKE YESTERDAY WITH JOHN
LEWIS, ANOTHER ICON OF THE CIVIL
RIGHTS MOVEMENT WHEN I ASKED HIM
HOW HE FELT WATCHING THESE
IMAGES GOING THROUGH THE MOMENT.
HE SAID HE FELT EXTREMELY SAD
THIS IS THE CONVERSATION WE’RE
HAVING 55 YEARS LATER.
AND SO I WONDER TO YOU, AS YOU
WATCH COAST TO COAST THESE
PROTESTS, AS IT IS ALL SET
AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF A VIRUS
THAT HAS RAVAGED BLACK AND BROWN
COMMUNITIES, UNEMPLOYMENT RATES
IN THOSE COMMUNITIES, DO YOU
THINK THIS MOMENT IS ANY
DIFFERENT THAN MOMENT THAT’S
HAVE COME BEFORE IT?
>> I DO THINK IT’S DIFFERENT.
I THINK IT’S DIFFERENT BECAUSE
THERE ARE CIRCLES OF PEOPLE NOW
IN THE WHITE COMMUNITY WHO ARE
REALLY SERIOUSLY LOOKING AT THE
ISSUE OF WHITE SUPREMACY.
LOOKING IN THEIR HEARTS.
LOOKING IN THEIR SOULS.
SPEAKING SOME OF THE LANGUAGE
BUT RECOGNIZING THAT THIS HAS TO
CHANGE AND IT CANNOT GO BACK TO
BUSINESS AS USUAL.
THIS IS A MOMENT OF OPPORTUNITY.
THERE IS A CLEANSING GOING
FORWARD IN THIS NATION.
PEOPLE ARE CRYING OUT AND THIS
CRY IS BEING HEARD ALL OVER THIS
LAND AND ALL OVER THIS WORLD. AND WE WILL SEE FUNDAMENTAL
AND WE WILL SEE FUNDAMENTAL
CHANGE ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
THERE IS A SOLID FOUNDATION OF
LOVE AND NONVIOLENCE AND CHANGE
AND JUSTICE FOR ALL PEOPLE.