SO MANY QUESTIONS, PERHAPS THIS
TIME, THIS DEATH, LEADS TO
ANSWERS.
THE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN WELL
DOCUMENTED.
WHAT ABOUT THE SOLUTIONS?
THAT’S WHERE I STARTED OUR
CONVERSATION EARLIER WITH AUTHOR
AND HOST OF A POPULAR RADIO
SHOW, CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD.
CHARLAMAGNE, THIS MOMENT WE ARE
IN, DAYS OF PROTESTS IN EVERY
STATE IN THIS COUNTRY IN THE
WAKE OF GEORGE FLOYD’S DEATH,
HOW DOES THIS MOMENT BECOME A
MOVEMENT?
HOW DO WE GET THERE?
>> I THINK IT’S A MOVEMENT NOW.
IT’S A MOVEMENT BECAUSE I FEEL
LIKE GOD HAS GIVEN AMERICA A
CHANCE TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
EVERYTHING THAT’S HAPPENING
RIGHT NOW IS A REMINDER TO
AMERICA AND THE WORLD TO DO
RIGHT BY BLACK PEOPLE.
THERE’S NO GOOD THAT’S GOING TO
COME TO AMERICA UNTIL THEY DO
RIGHT BY BLACK PEOPLE.
IT’S TIME FOR AMERICA TO ATONE
FOR ITS ORIGINAL SIN, SLAVERY.
THAT’S ONLY GOING TO HAPPEN
THROUGH LEGISLATION AND
REPARATION.
IT’S DIVINE IT’S HAPPENING
DURING AN ELECTION YEAR.
AMERICA HAS TO MAKE AMENDS FOR
THE WRONGS.
IT’S NOT AMERICA CAN’T HANDLE
IT’S EXPERIENCING.
PAY ATTENTION TO EVERYTHING
HAPPENING IN 2020.
IF YOU THINK THIS YEAR HAS BEEN
HELL, YOU HAVEN’T SEEN NOTHING
YET IF AMERICA DOESN’T ATONE FOR
THE SINS OF ITS PAST WHEN IT
COMES TO THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN
COMMUNITY.
>> YOU TALKED ABOUT ECONOMIC
JUSTICE AS WELL-BEING A PART OF
THIS.
WHAT DOES THAT ECONOMIC JUSTICE
LOOK LIKE BEYOND REPARATIONS?
>> WHEN I SAY REPARATIONS, IT
CAN’T LOOK LIKE ANYTHING BEYOND
MONEY.
YOU KNOW?
I THINK AS LONG AS WE LIVE UNDER
A MECHANISM OF WHITE SUR
PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP
SUPREMACY, WE WILL BE OPPRESSED.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT
INSTITUTIONAL RACISM, THAT’S
GOING TO EXIST BECAUSE YOU GOING
TO HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE
PREJUDICED IN POSITIONS OF
POWER.
IT’S GOING TO EXIST BECAUSE YOU
HAVE POLICIES AND PRACTICES THAT
RUN DEEP IN THE SOCIETY.
UNTIL YOU HAVE MORE OF US IN
THESE INSTITUTIONS OF POWER OR
MORE OF WHAT’S CREATING OUR
INSTITUTIONS, UNTIL YOU HAVE
MORE BLACK PEOPLE GETTING RICH
AND CREATING THEIR OWN SYSTEM,
UNTIL YOU HAVE WHITE PEOPLE WHO
WANT TO USE THEIR PRIVILEGE TO
COMBAT PREJUDICE AND, THINGS ARE
GOING TO CHANGE.
FINANCIAL FREEDOM IS OUR ONLY
HOPE.
DO FOR SELF AND BUILD
YOURSELVES.
IT WILL GIVE US THE RESOURCES TO
PUSH THE WHITE FOLKS TO DESTROY
THE INSTITUTION THAT’S RACISM.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE MONEY.
WHEN I SAY REPARATIONS, THAT’S
WHAT I MEAN.
ECONOMIC JUSTICE PLAN.
SOME ECONOMIC EQUITY PLAN.
INVESTMENT HAS TO BE MADE INTO
THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
IT HAS TO.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT’S
REALLY STRUCK ME OVER THE PAST
WEEK OR SO, YOU LOOK AT THE
PROTESTS AROUND AMERICA.
WE HAVE BEEN HERE BEFORE.
WE HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE WHERE
SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAPPENS AND
MARCHES AND RALLIES AND
PROTESTS.
A LOT OF TIMES, IN THE PAST IT
WOULD SEEM AS IF MOST OF THE
FOLKS LOOKED LIKE ME, LOOKED
LIKE YOU.
THIS TIME, I HAVE BEEN BLOWN
AWAY BY THE DIVERSITY OF THE
DEMONSTRATIONS, IF YOU WILL.
A LOT OF PEOPLE MARCHING AND
CHANTING, THEY DON’T LOOK LIKE
US.
IT’S NOT JUST YOUNG WHITE
PEOPLE.
IT’S OLDER WHITE PEOPLE.
IT’S THE RAINBOW OF AMERICA.
WHAT DOES THAT SAY TO YOU?
>> IT SAYS TO ME THAT YOU KNOW
PEOPLE DON’T JUST NECESSARILY
LOVE BLACK CULTURE, THEY LOVE
BLACK PEOPLE.
I THINK THAT’S A WHITE
SUPREMACIST’S WORST NIGHTMARE TO
SEE YOUNG WHITE KIDS OUT THERE
SCREAMING BLACK LIVES MATTER.
TO SEE YOUNG WHITE KIDS OUT
THERE PROTECTING BLACK MEN AND
BLACK WOMEN FROM THE POLICE.
I THINK THAT’S A BEAUTIFUL
THING.
THE REALITY OF BEING A BLACK
PERSON IN AMERICA IS AMERICA
PROMISES US -- THEY ONLY APPLY
TO YOU WHETHER THEY WANT IT TO.
WE DON’T EXPERIENCE FREEDOM OR
EQUALITY OR JUSTICE.
THAT’S NOT THE WAY THE WHITE
SUPREMACIST SYSTEM HAS BEEN
DESIGNED.
THIS COUNTRY WAS BUILT FOR WHITE
PEOPLE BY BLACK PEOPLE.
EVEN IF YOU ACHIEVED SOME LEVEL
OF SUCCESS, IF YOU COME FROM A
DISINFRANCHISED AREA, OR A DIRT
ROAD DOWN SOUTH LIKE I DO, YOU
NEVER FEEL COMFORTABLE.
YOU KNOW THE WHITE MAN’S HEAVEN
IS THE MAJORITY OF BLACK
PEOPLE’S HELL.
FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO FEEL THAT
AND FINALLY BE SAYING, THIS IS
THE REASON THEY STREAMCREAM BLAC
LIVES MATTER, THAT’S A BEAUTIFUL
THING.
THAT’S GAME CHANGING.
THAT’S WHAT LETS ME KNOW THERE’S