YOU’RE GOING TO BE DOING IN THE
FUTURE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY.
ALL THE PANELISTS AND
PARTICIPANTS.
LET ME START BY ACKNOWLEDGING
THAT WE HAVE SEEN IN THE LAST
SEVERAL WEEKS, FEW MONTHS, THE
KINDS OF EPIC CHANGES AND EVENTS
IN OUR COUNTRY THAT ARE AS
PROFOUND AS ANYTHING I’VE SEEN
IN MY LIFETIME AND I’M NOT A LOT OLDER THAN -- GOING TO BE 59
OLDER THAN -- GOING TO BE 59
SOON.
ALTHOUGH ALL OF US HAVE BEEN
FEELING PAIN, UNCERTAINTY,
DISRUPG, SOME FOLKS HAVE BEEN
FEELING IT MORE THAN OTHERS.
MOST OF ALL, THE PAIN THAT’S
BEEN EXPERIENCED BY THE
FAMILIES.
GEORGE, BREONNA, AHMAD, TONY AND
OTHERS, TOO MANY TO MENTION.
THOSE WE THOUGHT ABOUT DURING
THAT MOMENT OF SILENCE.
AND TO THOSE FAMILIES WHO HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY
BEEN DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY
TRAGEDY.
PLEASE KNOW THAT MICHELLE AND I
GRIEVE WITH YOU, HOL YOU IN OUR
PRAYERS, ARE COMMITTED TO THE
FIGHT OF A MORE JUST NATION
BECAUSE OF YOUR SONS AND
DAUGHTERS AND WE CAN’T FORGET
THAT EVEN AS WE’RE CONFRONTING THE FAMILIARPARTICULAR ACTS OF V
THE FAMILIARPARTICULAR ACTS OF V
THAT LED TO THOSE LOSSES, OUR
NATION IS STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF
A GLOBAL PANDEMIC THAT’S EXPOSED
VULNERABILITIES OF THE HEALTH
CARE SYSTEM, BUT ALSO THE
DISPARATE TREATMENT AS A CONSEQUENCE THAT EXISTS IN OUR
CONSEQUENCE THAT EXISTS IN OUR
HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
THAT LED TO NUMBER OF LOSS OF
LIFE IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
SO IN A LOT OF WAYS, WHAT HAS HAPPENED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL
HAPPENED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL
WEEKS IS CHALLENGES AND
STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN
THROWN INTO HIGH RELIEF.
THEY’RE THE OUTCOMES NOT JUST OF
THE IMMEDIATE MOMENTS IN TIME,
BUT THEY’RE THE RESULT OF A LONG
HISTORY.
OF SLAVERY AND JIM CROW AND RED
LINING AND INSTITUTIONALIZED
RACISM THAT TOO OFTEN HAVE BEEN
THE PLAGUE, THE ORIGINAL SIN, F O
OF OUR SOCIETY AND AS DIFFICULT
AS THESE TWO WEEKS HAVE BEEN,
THEY’VE ALSO BEEN AN INCREDIBLE
OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO BE
AWAKENED.
TO SOME OF THESE UNDERLYING
TRENDS. AND THEY OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY
AND THEY OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR US TO ALL WORK TOGETHER TO
TACKLE THEM, TO AMERICA AND MAKE
IT LIVE UP TO ITS HIGHEST
IDEALS.
PART OF WHAT’S MADE ME SO
HOPEFUL IS THE FACT SO MANY
YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MOTIVATED
AND MOBILIZED.
BECAUSE HISTORICALLY, SO MUCH OF
THE PROGRESS WE’VE MADE IN OUR
SOCIETY HAS BEEN BECAUSE OF
YOUNG PEOPLE.
DR. KING WAS A YOUNG MAN.
WHEN HE GOT INVOLVED.
CAESAR CHAVEZ WAS A YOUNG MAN.
MALCOLM X WAS A YOUNG MAN.
THE MEMBERS OF THE FEMINIST
MOVEMENT WERE YOUNG PEOPLE.
LEADERS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL
MOVEMENT IN THIS COUNTRY AND THE
MOVEMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE
LGBT COMMUNITY FINALLY HAD A
VOICE AND WAS REPRESENTED WERE
YOUNG PEOPLE AND SO WHEN I
WALKED, WHEN SOMETIMES I FEEL
DESPAIR, I JUST SEE WHAT’S
HAPPENING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND THE TALENT AND THE VOICE AND SOPHISTICATION THEY’RE
SOPHISTICATION THEY’RE
DISPLAYING AND IT MAKES ME FEEL OPTIMISTIC.
AS IF YOU KNOW THIS COUNTRY IS
GOING TO GET BETTER.
NOW I WANT TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO
THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN OF COLOR
IN THIS COUNTRY WHO HAVE
WITNESSED TOO MUCH VIOLENCE AND DEATH.
AND TOO OFTEN, THE IT’S COME
FROM FOLKS WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO
BE SERVEING AND PROTECTING.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW YOUR MATTER.
YOUR HIVES MATTER AND YOUR
DREAMS MATTER AND WHEN I LOOK AT
THE FACES OF MY DAUGHTERS, AND
NEPHEWS AND NIECES, I SEE
LIMITLESS POTENTIAL THAT
DESERVES TO FLOURISH AND THRIV J
DOWN THE STREET.
OR HOOKING AT LOOKING AT BIRDS
IN A PARK.
SO I HOPE YOU ALSO FEEL HOPEFUL
EVEN AS YOU MAY FEEL ANGRY.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE POWER TO
MAKE THINGS BETTER AND YOU HAVE
HELPED TO MAKE THE ENTIRE
COUNTRY FEEL AS IF THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT’S GOT TO CHANGE.
YOU’VE COMMUNICATED A SENSE OF
URGENCY.
THAT IS AS POWERFUL AND AS
TRANSFORMTIVE AS ANYTHING THAT
I’VE SEEN IN RECENT YEARS.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FOERKS
IN LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT SHARE
THE GOALS OF REIMAGINING POLICE
BECAUSE THERE ARE FOLKS OUT
THERE WHO TOOK THEIR OATH TO
SERVE YOUR COMMUNITIES AND
COUNTRIES, HAD A TOUGH JOB AND I
KNOW YOU’RE JUST AS OUTRAGED
ABOUT THE TRAGEDIES AS ARE MANY
OF THE PROTESTORS SO WE’RE
GRATEFUL FOR THE VAST MAJORITY
OF YOU WHO PROTECT AND SERVE.
I HAVE BEEN HEARTENED TO SEE
THOSE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO
HAVE RECOGNIZED LET ME MARCH
ALONG WITH THESE PROTESTORS.
LET ME AND SIDE BY SIDE AND
RECOGNIZE THAT I WANT TO BE PART
OF THE SOLUTION.
AND SHOW RESTRAINT AND
VOLUNTEER.
AND LISTEN.
BECAUSE YOU’RE A VITAL PART OF
THE CONVERSATION.
AND CHANGE IS GOING TO REQUIRE
EVERYBODY’S PARTICIPATION.
WHEN I WAS IN OFFICE, I CREATED
A TASK FORCE ON 21st CENTURY
POLICING IN THE WAKE OF THE
TRAGIC KILLING OF MICHAEL BROWN.
THAT TASK FORCE WHICH INCLUDED
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COMMUNITY
LEADERS AND ACTIVISTS WAS
CHARGED TWO DEVELOP A SPECIFIC
SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS TO STRENT
STRENGTHEN TRUST AND FOSTER
BETTER WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND
COMMUNITIES THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO
PROTECT EVEN AS THEY PROMOTE
EFFECTIVE CRIME REDUCTION AND
THAT REPORT SHOWCASED A RANGE OF
SOLUTIONS.
AND AND STRATEGIES THAT WERE
PROVEN AND BASED ON DATA AND
RESEARCH.
TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY POLICING
AND COLLECT BETTER DATA AND
IDENTIFY AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT
BIAS AND HOW POLICE WERE
TRAINED. AND REFORMS TO USE THE FORCE
AND REFORMS TO USE THE FORCE
THAT POLICE DEPLOY IN WAYS THAT
INCREASE SAFETY.
MOST OF THE REFORMS NEEDED TO
PREVENT THE TYPE OF VIOLENCE AND
INJUSTICES THAT WE’VE SEEN TAKE
PLACE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
REFORM HAS TO TAKE PLACE IN MORE
THAN 19,000 AMERICAN MUNICIPAL
MUNICIPALITYIES
MUNICIPALITIES.
MORE THAN 18,000 ENFORCEMENT
JURISDICTIONS AND SO AS
ACTIVISTS AND EVERY DAY CITIZENS
RAISE THEIR VOICES, WE NEED TO
BE CLEAR ABOUT WHERE CHANGE IS
GOING TO HAPPEN AND HOW WE CAN
BRING ABOUT THAT CHANGE.
IT IS MAYORS AND COUNTY
EXECUTORS THAT APPOINT MOST
POLICE CHIEFS AND NEGOTIATE
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS
WITH POLICE UNIONS AND THAT
DETERMINES POLICE PRACTICES IN
LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
IT’S DISTRICT AND STATES
ATTORNEYS THAT DECIDE TYPICALLY
WHETHER OR NOT TO INVESTIGATE
AND CHARGE THOSE INVOLVED IN
POLICE MISCONDUCT AND THOSE ARE
ALL ELECTED POSITIONS AND IN
SOME PLACES, THEY’RERE ARE REVIE
BOARDS WITH THE POWER TO MONITOR
CONDUCT.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS I’VE BEEN
HEARING A LITTLE BIT OF CHATTER
IN THE INTERNET ABOUT VOTING
VERSUS PROTESTS.
POLITICS AND PARTICIPATION
VERSUS CIVIL DISOBESE YENS AND
DIRECT ACTION.
THIS IS NOT A EITHER/OR.
THIS IS A BOTH AND.
TO BRING ABOUT REAL CHANGE, WE
BOTH HAVE TO HIGHLIGHT A PROBLEM
AND MAKE A POWER UNCOMFORTABLE
BUT WE HAVE TO TRANSFORM THAT
INTO PRACTICE KL SOLUTIONS TO
LAWS THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED AND
WE CAN MONOITOR AND MAKE SURE
WE’RE FOLLOWING UP ON THEM.
SO VERY QUICKLY, LET ME JUST
CLOSE WITH A COUPLE OF SPECIFIC
THINGS.
WE CAN WE DO?
NUMBER ONE, WE KNOW THERE ARE
SPECIFIC EVIDENCE BASED REFORMS
THAT IF WE PUT IN PLACE TODAY,
WOULD BUILD TRUST, SAVE LIVES,
WOULD NOT SHOW AN INCREASE IN
CRIME.
THOSE ARE INCLUDED IN THE 21st
CENTURY POLICING TASK FORCE
REPORT.
YOU CAN FIND IT ON OBAMA.ORG.
NUMBER TWO, A LOT OF MAYORS AND
LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS
SUPPORTED THE TASK FORCE REPORT
BUT THEN THERE WASN’T ENOUGH
FOLLOW THROUGH.
SO TODAY, I’M URGING EVERY MAYOR
IN THIS COUNTRY.
TO REVIEW YOUR USE OF FORCE
POLICIES WITH MEMBERS OF YOUR
COMMUNITY AND COMMIT TO REPORT
ON PLANNED REFORMS.
WHAT ARE THE SPECIFIC STEPS YOU
CAN TAKE AND I SHOULD ADD BY THE
WAY THAT ORIGINAL TASK FORCE WAS
DONE SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
SINCE THAT TIME, WE’VE ACTUALLY
COLLECTED DATA IN PART BECAUSE
WE IMPLEMENTED SOME OF THESE
REFORM IDEAS SO WE NOW HAVE MORE
INFORMATION AND DATA AS TO WHAT
WORKS AND THEIR ORGANIZATIONS
LIKE CAMPAIGN ZERO AND COLOR OF
CHANGE AND OTHERS THAT ARE OUT
THERE HIGHLIGHTING WHAT THE DAYT
SHOWS.
WHAT WORKS, WHAT DOESN’T IN
TERMS OF REDUCING INCIDENTS OF
POLICE MISCONDUCT AND VIOLENCE.
LET’S START IMPLEMENTING THOSE.
SO WE NEED MAYORS, COUNTY
EXECUTIVES, WHO ARE IN POSITIONS
OF POWER TO SAY THIS IS A
PRIORITY.
NUMBER THREE.
EVERY CITY IN THIS COUNTRY
SHOULD BE A MY BROTHER’S KEEPER
COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE HAVE 250
CITIES, COUNTIES, TRIBAL NATIONS
WHO ARE WORKING TO REDUCE
BARRIERS AND EXPAND OPPORTUNITY
FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN OF COLOR,
THROUGH PROGRAMS AND POLICY
REFORMS AND PUBLIC PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIPS SO GO TO OUR
WEBSITE.
GET WORKING WITH THAT.
BECAUSE IT CAN MAKE A
DIFFERENCE.
AND LET ME JUST CLOSE BY SAYING
THIS.
I HEARD SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT YOU
HAVE A PANDEMIC THEN YOU HAD
THESE PROTESTS.
THIS REMINDS PEOPLE OF THE ’60s
AND THE CHAOS AND DISCORD AND
DISTRUST THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THOUGH I WAS
VERY YOUNG WHEN YOU HAD RIOTS
AND PROTESTS AND ASSASSINATIONS
AND DISCORD BACK IN THE ’60s, I
KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THAT HISTORY
TO SAY THERE’S SOMETHING
DIFFERENT HERE.
YOU LOOK AT THOSE PROTESTS AND
THAT WAS A FAR MORE
REPRESENTATIVE CROSS SECTION OF
AMERICA OUT ON THE STREETS
PEACEFULLY PROTESTING AND WHO
FELT MOVED TO DO SOMETHING.
BECAUSE OF THE INJUSTICES THEY
HAD SEEN.
THAT DIDN’T EXIST IN THE ’60s.
THAT KIND OF BROAD COALITION.
THE FACT THAT SURVEYS HAVE
SHOWED THAT DESPITE SOME PROTES
HAVING THEN BEEN MARRED BY THE
ACTIONS OF SOME, A TINY
MINORITY, THAT DESPITE AS USUAL
THAT GOT A LOT OF ATTENTION AND
FOCUS, DESPITE ALL THAT, A
MAJORITY OF AMERICANS STILL
THINK THOSE PROTESTS WERE
JUSTIFIED.
WOULDN’T HAVE EXISTED.
30, 40, 50 YEARS AGO.
THERE IS A CHANGE IN MIND SET
THAT THAT’S TAKING PLACE PLACE.
A GREATER RECOGNITION.
THAT WE CAN DO BETTER.
AND THAT IS NOT AS A CONSEQUENCE
OF SPEECHES BY POLITICIANS.
THAT’S NOT THE RESULT OF
SPOTLIGHTS IN NEWS ARTICLES.
THAT’S A DIRECT RESULT OF THE
ACTIVITIES AND ORGANIZING AND
MOBILIZATION AND ENGAGEMENT ON
SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
WHO PUT THEMSELVES ON THE LINE
TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
I HAVE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THEM.
FOR TO BRING ABOUT THIS MOMENT
AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE NOW
FOLLOW THROUGH.
AT SOME POINT, ATTENTION MOVES
AWAY.
AT SOME POINT, PROTESTS START TO
DWINDLE IN SIZE AND IT’S VERY
IMPORTANT FOR US TO TAKE THE
MOMENTUM THAT HAS BEEN CREATED