>>> SAY HER NAME.
SAY HER NAME.
>> THAT WAS THE MOTHER OF
BREONNA TAYLOR IN LOUISVILLE,
KENTUCKY, YESTERDAY AFTER THE
CITY COUNCIL VOTED UNANIMOUSLY
TO BAN THE NO-KNOCK WARRANT THAT
ULTIMATELY CAUSED TAYLOR HER
LIFE.
BREONNA’S LAW WAS PASSED AFTER
DAYS OF PROTESTERS CALLING FOR
AN END OF THE PRACTICE OF POLICE
BREAKING INTO A HOME TO MAKE AN
ARREST.
AS CONGRESS CONSIDERS FEDERAL
POLICE REFORM MEASURES, THERE
HAVE BEEN SOME CHANGES IN OTHER
CITIES AND STATES, AS WELL.
IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, THE
CITY COUNCIL AMENDED RULES
GOVERNING THE USE OF FORCE AND
NOW REQUIRES THE RELEASE OF THE
NAMES OF OFFICERS INVOLVED IN
DEADLY INCIDENTS AND THEIR BODY
CAM FOOTAGE FROM THOSE
INCIDENTS.
NEW YORK REVOKED A SECTION OF
THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS LAW THAT
EXEMPTEDEL POLICE RECORDS FROM
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACTS.
THE ERIC GARNER ANTI-CHOKE HOLD
ACT WAS PASSED AS PART OF A
SLATE OF POLICE REFORM BILLS AND
IS NAMED FOR GARNER WHO DIED IN
2014 AS AN NYPD COP HELD HIM IN
THE POSITION.
CHOKE HOLDS WERE ALREADY BARRED
BY THE DEPARTMENT, BUT THE LAW
GOES FURTHER BY ESTABLISHING THE
CRIME OF AGGRAVATED
STRANGULATION AS A FELONY AND IS
PUNISHABLE BY UP TO 15 YEARS IN
PRISON.
ACCORDING TO THE NEW YORK STATE
ASSEMBLY, 996 PEOPLE HAVE
REPORTED BEING PUT IN CHOKE
HOLDS BY NYPD OFFICERS SINCE
GARNER’S DEATH.
AND OUT IN CALIFORNIA, GOVERNOR
GAVIN NEWSOM HAS ORDERED STATE
POLICE TO STOP USING THE CHOKE
HOLD OR TEACHING THE TECHNIQUE.
JOINING US NOW, ORGANIZER
ACTIVIST CO-FOUNDER OF BLACK
LIVES MATTER, ELESIA GARZA.
ALSO WITH US, REVEREND WILLIAM
BARBER, PRESIDENT OF REPAIRERS
OF THE BREACH AND COCHAIR OF THE
CAMPAIGN.
HE’S OUT WITH A NEW BOOK
ENTITLED "WE ARE CALL TO BE A
MOVEMENT."
>> REVEREND, THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR BEING WITH US.
AND ALICIA, THANK YOU SO MUCH AS
WELL.
I’M CURIOUS, AND I’LL ASK BOTH
OF YOU THIS QUESTION, AFTER 400
YEARS OF SLAVERY AND SEGREGATION
AND RACISM, I AM WONDERING, ARE
WE NOW AT AN INFLECTION POINT AS
WE WERE IN 1963, 1964, 1965 IN
THIS SLOW MARCH FORWARD TO
RACIAL JUSTICE?
>> I THINK WE ARE CERTAINLY
APPROACHING A TIPPING POINT, AND
WE ARE SEEING SOME REALLY
INCREDIBLE SHIFTS CULTURALLY IN
OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT RACISM
IS AND ISN’T.
I THINK WE ARE APPROACHING SOME
IMPORTANT SHIFTS CULTURALLY IN
TERMS OF WHAT HAS BEEN THE
IMPACT OF RACISM ON EVERY SYSTEM
IN OUR SOCIETY.
AND I THINK THAT IN ORDER FOR US
TO ACTUALLY MEET THIS MOMENT, WE
HAVE TO BE MINDFUL THIS MOMENT
REQUIRES US TO HAVE A LEVEL OF
COURAGE, AND IT ALSO REQUIRES US
TO BE BOLD.
AND, FRANKLY IT IS SO IMPORTANT
THAT SOME OF THESE LAWS ARE
BEING CHANGED AND STRENGTHENS
AROUND THE COUNTRY.
AND WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT
WHAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO
DO RIGHT NOW IS REDIRECT
RESOURCES TO THE PLACES IN OUR
SOCIETY THAT NEED IT THE MOST.
FRANKLY, WE ARE APPROACHING A
RECESSION.
BLACK UNEMPLOYMENT IS
APPROACHING 40%.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT BUDGETS --
CITY BUDGETS, ALL THE WAY UP TO
THE BUDGETS OF CONGRESS, WHAT WE
KNOW IS THAT OUR BUDGETS ARE NOT
REFLECTING OUR MORALS.
AND, FRANKLY, WE ARE SPENDING A
LOT OF MONEY ON PUNISHMENT AND
NOT ENOUGH MONEY ON PROMISE.
AND WE HAVE TO SHIFT THE WAYS IN
WHICH WE ARE DISTRIBUTING OUR
RESOURCES TO MAKE SURE THAT
EVERYBODY IN AMERICA HAS AN
OPPORTUNITY TO THRIVE.
>> REVEREND, IT’S 2020, IS IT AN
INFLECTION POINT?
>> I AGREE WITH MY DEAR SISTER.
IT CAN BE.
TODAY IS THE 57th ANNIVERSARY OF
THE MURDER OF MAGGIE EVERS AND
IT CAME ONE DAY AFTER JOHN F.
KENNEDY ANNOUNCED HE’D PUSH FOR
THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT.
WHEN WE HEAR THE "I CAN’T
BREATHE" OF OUR DEAR BROTHER
FLOYD, IT IS A DANGER IF WE
ISOLATE THIS MOMENT JUST TO
POLICE VIOLENCE AS THE FORM OF
DEATH CALLED BY RACISM.
THAT "I CAN’T BREATHE" REALLY IS
A SHORTHAND FOR ALL THE WAYS IN
WHICH PEOPLE CAN’T BREATHE.
EVEN BEFORE THE DEATH OF BROTHER
FLOYD, 700 PEOPLE WERE DYING A
DAY FROM POVERTY, 250,000 A YEAR
AND 61% OF ALL AFRICAN-AMERICANS
WERE POOR AND LOW WEALTH.
WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THAT.
WE HAD 80 MILLION PEOPLE
UNINSURED OR UNDERINSURED AND
THERE’S A LEVEL OF RACISM IN
THAT, JOE, IN TERMS OF HOW THE
REFUSAL OF THIS COUNTRY TO
PROVIDE INSURANCE FOR ALL OF ITS
PEOPLE CONNECTED TO OUR BODIES
AND NOT TO OUR JOB HAS A
DISPROPORTIONATE RACIALIZED
IMPACT ON BLACK PEOPLE.
EVEN RACIST VOTER SUPPRESSION
HAS WHAT I CALL A DEATH
MEASUREMENT.
WHEN YOU SUPPRESS THE VOTE, YOU
ALLOW PEOPLE TO GET ELECTED WHO
ONCE THEY GET ELECTED, THEY
BLOCK HEALTH CARE, POLICE
REFORM, REFORMS IN THE CLIMATE
AND ALL OF THOSE BLOCKS CAUSE
DEATH.
SO WHAT WE REALLY HAVE TO HAVE,
I’M GOING TO DO A SERMON AT THE
NATIONAL CATHEDRAL THIS SUNDAY,
AND IT SAYS AMERICA ACCEPTING
DEATH IS NOT AN OPTION ANYMORE.
AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT HOW DEATH
HAPPENED BECAUSE RACISM --
EVERYTHING RACISM AND CLASSISM
TOUCHES, IT CAUSES A FORM OF
DEATH AND A FORM OF
STRANGULATION AND A FORM OF
SUFFOCATION TO OUR DEMOCRACY.
SO THIS CAN BE A POINT BUT IT
WON’T BE A POINT THE NEW WORLD
THAT WE SEE TRYING TO BE BIRTHED
IN THE STREET WILL NOT BE
BIRTHED IF WE JUST ISOLATE IT TO
ONE FORM OF DEATH AND ISOLATE IT
TO A FEW REFORMS IN POLICING
RATHER THAN A FULL REFORM
THROUGHOUT OUR SOCIETY.
>> ALICIA, IT’S WILLIE GEIST.
I’M CURIOUS ON YOUR TAKE ABOUT
WHY THIS TIME FEELS DIFFERENT,
IF YOU BELIEVE IT DOES.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THIS POLLING
WHICH IS EXTRAORDINARY THAT
SHOWS THREE-QUARTERS OF
AMERICANS.
THAT CROSSES OBVIOUSLY
PROGRESSIVES AND CONSERVATIVES,
REPUBLICANS NVD DEM SS AND DEMOC
AND BLACK.
YOU HAVE SOMETHING LIKE 70%
BELIEVE WHAT WE SAW WITH THE
KNEE ON THE NECK THAT KILLED
GEORGE FLOYD WAS REPRESENTATIVE
OF A LARGER PROBLEM WITH
POLICING IN THIS COUNTRY.
A NEW POLL YESTERDAY FROM YAHOO!
NOW SHOW A MAJORITY OF AMERICANS
SUPPORT ATHLETES’ RIGHT TO KNEEL
DURING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM.
CONFEDERATE FLAG COMING DOWN
FROM NASCAR.
COUNTRY MUSIC ARTISTS CHANGING
THE NAMES OF THEIR BANDS.
CONFEDERATE STATUES FALLING
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WHY DO YOU FEEL LIKE THIS TIME
HAS SO CATALYZED THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE?
IT’S NOT LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING
NEW AS YOU’VE BEEN POINTING OUT
FOR YEARS.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS MOMENT?
>> WELL, I MEAN, I WILL HONESTLY
SAY THAT THE LAST FOUR YEARS
HAVE BECOME SO POLARIZED UNDER A
PRESIDENT AND UNDER LEADERSHIP
THAT REFUSES TO LEAD.
AND AS A RESULT, WHAT WE’RE
SEEING IS POVERTY AT
UNIMAGINABLE LEVELS.
IN THE COMMUNITY THAT I LIVE IN,
I CAN TELL YOU THAT TENT CITIES
HAVE GROWN IN A WAY I HAVEN’T
SEEN IN MY COMMUNITY IN MY
ENTIRE LIFE.
WE HAVE A LEADERSHIP THAT WON’T
LEAD AND AS A RESULT WHAT WE’RE
SEEING IS ONGOING MURDERS OF
PEOPLE ON CAMERA FOR EVERYONE TO
WATCH BY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE
SUPPOSED TO PROTECT AND SERVE
OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND SO -- AND THEN IN THE MIDST
OF THAT, RIGHT, IN THE MIDST OF
THAT, BECAUSE WE LACK LEADERSHIP
IN THIS COUNTRY FROM A PRESIDENT
WHO WON’T LEAD, WE ACTUALLY
FOUND OURSELVES IN THE MIDST OF
A GLOBAL PANDEMIC THAT HAS BEEN
RAVAGING AND ATTACKING BLACK
COMMUNITIES INCREDIBLY SAVAGELY
BECAUSE THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN
APPROPRIATE RESPONSE.
SO THAT’S THE INTERSECTION WE’RE
AT RIGHT NOW.
AND I THINK PART OF THE REASON
THIS IS EXPLODING IS BECAUSE
PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING.
AND I THINK PART OF THE REASON
THIS MOVEMENT IS SPREADING IS
BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE FINDING
CONNECTION THROUGH THEIR HOPE
AND ALSO FINDING CONNECTION
THROUGH A NEW VISION FOR WHAT
THIS COUNTRY CAN LOOK LIKE.
I THINK IT’S INCREDIBLY POWERFUL
TO SAY THAT WE WANT TO
REDISTRIBUTE RESOURCES AWAY FROM
PUNISHMENT, THAT WE WANT TO
REDISTRIBUTE RESOURCES AWAY FROM
THINGS IN OUR COMMUNITIES THAT
ARE NOT ACTUALLY CLOSING THE
GAPS THAT WE EXPERIENCE IN
HEALTH CARE AND HOUSING AND
EMPLOYMENT AND EDUCATION, IN
STANDARDS FOR WORKERS.
AND THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY, RIGHT, TO SAY, WE
CAN MEET THE PROMISE OF THIS
NATION, BUT WE HAVE TO BE
COURAGEOUS, AND WE HAVE TO BE
BOLD AND WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT
OUR LEADERS ARE ENACTING THE
POLITICAL WILL THAT’S NECESSARY
TO ACTUALLY MAKE THAT A REALITY.
>> REVEREND, THE WORDS "I CAN’T
BREATHE" CAUGHT ON THAT
VIDEOTAPE.
THOSE CHILLING WORDS "I CAN’T
BREATHE," THE WORDS THAT
ACTUALLY WOULD HAVE HEARD AND
SEEN ON VIDEOTAPE DURING A
PANDEMIC THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY
IMPACTED BLACK AMERICANS, IF WE
HAD CAMERAS IN EMERGENCY ROOMS.
HOW MANY BLACK MOTHERS, FATHERS,
GRANDMOTHERS, GRANDFATHERS,
CHILDREN, PEOPLE WITH UNDERLYING
CONDITIONS DIED GASPING FOR
BREATH SAYING THOSE WORDS, "I
CAN’T BREATHE" BECAUSE HEALTH
CARE OUTCOMES ARE DIFFERENT IN
AMERICA BECAUSE WHEN IT COMES TO
HEALTH CARE, LIKE SO MANY OTHER
AREAS, THERE ARE TWO AMERICAS.
AND TALK ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE NOT
SEEN THIS YEAR OF BLACK PEOPLE
DYING DISPURPORTROPORTIONATELY G
FOR BREATH.
>> I CAN’T BREATHE IS A
SHORTHAND FOR WHAT SO MANY
PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING.
AND I BELIEVE THIS, I CAN’T
BREATHE, FIRST OF ALL, THE HERO
IS THIS 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL.
LET’S ALL OF US BE CLEAR THAT
SHE HELD THAT CAMERA UP AND
FILMED IT.
WHEN PEOPLE SAW, I CAN’T
BREATHE" AND SAW THE SUFFOCATION
BY DEATH.
IT IS IN THE MIDDLE OF A
PANDEMIC.
IT’S KILLING DISPROPORTIONATE
BLACK AND POOR PEOPLE.
AND IT DOES -- AND IT’S LIKE THE
STATE IS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT
LIFE, BUT TOO MUCH UNDER TRUMP
AND McCONNELL, IT IS EXPOSING
THAT WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO
IS A RACIST, SOMEONE WHO IS A
NARCISSIST AND A CYNIC TO GO
ALONG WITH THAT, THAT PEOPLE
STOP BREATHING IN SO MANY WAYS.
YOUR ECONOMY STOPS BREATHING.
BECAUSE OF THE DEATH OF HEALTH
CARE PEOPLE STOP BREATHING.
BECAUSE OF THE RISE OF CLIMATE
IN
INJUSTICE, PEOPLE STOP
BREATHING.
IT CAUSES DEATH.
EVERYTHING THAT RACISM AND
CLASSISM TOUCHES, IT SUFFOCATES.
IT DESTROYS.
AND SO I THINK THAT WHAT YOU
HAVE IS A KIND OF PUBLIC
MOURNING.
PEOPLE RADIATED WITH THAT "I
CAN’T BREATHE."
AND, JOE, NONE OF THIS HAS TO
BE -- ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE
TO UNDERSTAND THIS MOMENT THAT
THIS IS BY CHOICE.
WE ARE SUFFOCATING THIS
DEMOCRACY BY CHOICE.
AND THAT’S WHY THE POOR PEOPLE’S
CAMPAIGN, THE NATIONAL CALL FOR
REVIVAL ON JUNE 2020, WE’RE
BRINGING TOGETHER PEOPLE OF
EVERY DIFFERENT RACE, CREASEDED
COLOR SAYING YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS
ALL OF THESE.
ALL OF THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE
TRYING TO SUFFOCATE THE LIFE OUT
OF A DEMOCRACY.
AND THE PEOPLE MARCHING ARE
TRYING TO --
>> THE NEW BOOK IS "WE ARE CALL
TO BE A MOVEMENT."
PROFOUND WORDS BY REVEREND
WILLIAM BARBER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ALICIA GARZA, CO-FOUNDER OF
BLACK LIVES MATTER.
THANK YOU AS WELL FOR EVERYTHING