>>> TODAY IS JUNETEENTH WHEN BLACK AMERICANS IN TEXAS LEARNED
THEY WERE FREED.
MANY INVOKE THIS DAY FOR CIVIL
RIGHTS CAUSES FROM EDUCATION TO
ANTI-POVERTY PROGRAMS TO LARGER
IDEAS LIKE PREPARATIONS FOR
SAVORY LONG CONSIDERED RADICAL
BY BOTH POLITICAL PARTIES IN
AMERICA.
AMERICA. BARACK OBAMA CONSISTENTLY ARGUED
AGAINST PREPARATIONS FOR SLAVERY
IN PREFERENCE FOR BROADER
REFORMS.
REFORMS. >> WHEN IT COMES TO REPRESENTARA
WOULD YOU APOLOGIZE OR OFFER
REPARATIONS TO VARIOUS GROUPS.
>> I HAVE SAID IN THE PAST AND
I’LL REPEAT AGAIN THE BEST
REPARATIONS WE CAN PROVIDE ARE
GOOD SCHOOLS IN THE INNER CITY
AND JOBS FOR PEOPLE UNEMPLOYED.
>> BUT SOMETHING’S CLEARLY
SHIFTING.
SHIFTING. CONGRESS HELD ITS FIRST HEARING
ON REPARATIONS IN 12 YEARS.
MANY BLACK LEADERS HAVE BEEN
PUSHING THIS LIKE JOHN CONYERS
WHO PROPOSED A BILL EVERY
SESSION FOR 30 YEARS.
HE WAS BACK IN THAT ROOM TODAY
AND SO WAS TON NA COATS.
AND HERE FIVE YEARS LATER, HE
WENT FROM BANGING ON THE DOOR TO
SERVING AS A STAR WITNESS AND
REBUTTING McCONNELL’S ARGUMENT
TODAY THAT REPARATIONS AREN’T
NECESSARY FOR SOMETHING THAT HE
ARGUES DOESN’T RELATE TO ANYONE
CURRENTLY ALIVE.
CURRENTLY ALIVE. >> BLACK PEOPLE WERE SUBJECTED
TO A RELENTLESS CAMPAIGN OF
TERROR.
TERROR. A CAMPAIGN THAT EXTENDED WELL
INTO THE LIFETIME OF MAJORITY
LEADER McCONNELL.
LEADER McCONNELL. WE GRANT THAT THE MR. McCONNELL
WAS NOT ALIVE FOR APPOMATTOX BUT
HE WAS ALIVE FOR THE
ELECTROCUTION OF GEORGE STINNEY
AND THE RED LINING OF CHICAGO
AND THE LOOTING OF BLACK
HOMEOWNERS OF SOME $4 BILLION.
VICTIMS OF THAT PLUNDER ARE VERY
MUCH ALIVE TODAY.
I AM SURE THEY’D LOVE A WORD
WITH THE MAJORITY LEADER.
>> POWERFUL.
>> POWERFUL. AND IN ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT THAT
THE FIRST WITNESS OF THE DAY WAS
A SITTING IS SENATOR, A
COSPONSOR OF THIS REPARATIONS
BILL WHO SPOKE ABOUT THE STAKES.
>> IT IS A CANCER ON THE SOUL OF
OUR COUNTRY AND HURTS THE WHOLE
BODY POLITIC.
BODY POLITIC. I AM BROKENHEARTED AND ANGRY
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. DECADES OF LIVING IN A COMMUNITY
WHERE YOU SEE HOW DEEPLY UNFAIR
THEIR NATION IS STILL TO SO MANY
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. THIS IDEA THAT IT’S JUST ABOUT
WRITING A CHECK FROM ONE
AMERICAN TO ANOTHER FALLS FAR
SHORT OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS
IS CONVERSATION AND WHAT I
BELIEVE WE WILL TRULY TALK
ABOUT.
ABOUT. >> JOINING ME NOW IS THAT
SENATOR AND PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATE, CORY BOOKER.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
YOU SOUNDED QUITE STRONG IN WHAT
YOU HAD TO SAY THERE IN YOUR
TESTIMONY.
TESTIMONY. WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS AND WHY
NOW?
NOW? >> LOOK, I’VE LIVED AND WORKED
MOST OF MY LIFE IN LOW INCOME
COMMUNITIES, BLACK AND BROWN
COMMUNITIES.
COMMUNITIES. AND HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH
HISTORICAL HEADWINDS OF
SEGREGATION, OF RED LINING OF
HEALTH DISPARITIES OF PUBLIC
POLICIES BEING STEMMED FROM
WASHINGTON LIKE THE GI BILL AND
SOCIAL SECURITY THAT WERE
DESIGNED TO EXCLUDE
AFRICAN-AMERICANS FROM THE
TERRORISM THAT REIGNED IN OUR
COUNTRY FOR GENERATIONS ALL THE
WAY BACK TO SLAVERY.
THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT WE
HAVE NOT FULLY HAD IN THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA AND HOW THE
ROOTS OF SAVAGE INEQUALITIES ARE
STILL BEING MANIFESTED IS TODAY
BECAUSE OF THE STRUCTURAL
INEQUITIES BAKED INTO OUR SYSTEM
AND DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE AND
FINDING PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS TO
ADDRESS THOSE DISPARITIES BAKED
FROM OUR HISTORY IS SOMETHING
THAT WE MUST DO AND NOW IS THE
MOMENT.
MOMENT. >> YOU’RE LEADING ON THERE BILL,
SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS OPPOSED
REPARATIONS THE LAST TIME HE
RAN.
RAN. HE NOW SUPPORTS THIS BILL BUT
ALSO SAID HE’S NOT SURE THAT
WRITING A CHECK IS THE ANSWER.
MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, ONE, DO
YOU TWO HAVE THE SAME VISION ON
THERE RIGHT NOW AND TWO, SHOULD
THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE, SHOULD
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM IN 2020
BE FOR SLAVERY REPARATIONS.
>> THAT’S WHAT’S BECOME.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T LIKE THE
WORD BECAUSE IT EVOKES THIS
IMAGINATION PEOPLE HAVE WHIPPED
UP BY OPPONENTS WHO THINK THIS
IS ABOUT ONE PERSON WRITING A
CHECK TO ANOTHER PERSON.
THAT’S NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
IT’S ABOUT HOW CAN WE CONTINUE
AS A NATION TO HAVE THE KIND YOU
HAVE DEEP SYSTEMIC INEQUALITIES
THAT WE HAVE THAT STEM FROM
INCOME TO HEALTH DISPARITIES TO
OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
THIS IS ABOUT ACTUALLY LEVELING
THE PLAYING FIELD.
IT’S NOT ABOUT PAYING SOMEBODY
OFF.
OFF. AND TO REDUCE THIS TO SOME IDEA
WE’RE GOING TO WRITE SOME CHECK
AND BE DONE IS SO WRONG.
>> YOUR BILL BASICALLY WOULD PUT
A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY INTO
CREATE A COMMISSION TO STUDY
THIS.
THIS. IF YOU ARE RUNNING FOR
PRESIDENT, IF YOU HAVE THESE
IDEAS, IS THAT ENOUGH OR IS IT
TIME TO PUT THE MONEY DIRECTLY
INTO THE PROGRAM?
WHY STILL STUDY IT AT THIS
POINT.
POINT. >> WELL, DEMINIMUS AMOUNT OF
RESOURCES TO STUDY IT AND HAVE
WHICH WILL BE HISTORICALLY THE
FIRST CONVERSATION LITERALLY THE
FIRST COMMISSION WE’VE CREATED
TO SEE HOW TO ADDRESS THESE
ISSUES.
ISSUES. WE HAVE COMMISSIONS IN
WASHINGTON AND YOU KNOW THIS
ARI, TO STUDY ALL KIND OF STUFF.
WHICH I THINK A LOT OF IT IS
LESS AURTH THAN WHAT WE’RE
TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
THERE ARE PRACTICAL THINGS.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU TALK
ABOUT PUTTING RESOURCES INTO
THINGS.
THINGS. MY BABY BONDS LEGISLATION ABOUT
HAVING EVERY CHILD BORN IN
AMERICA HAVING AGINTERESTING
BEARING ACCOUNT FOR THEM AND
MONEY PLACED IN EVERY SINGLE
YEAR DEPENDING UPON THE WEALTH
OF YOUR FAMILY WOULD GIVE THE
LOWEST AMERICAN KIDS KDS UPWARDS
OF $50,000 TO DO THINGS THAT
CREATE WEALTH.
CREATE WEALTH. >> YOUR BABY BOND PROPOSAL IS
NOT BASED ON A SLAVERY
REPARATIONS MODEL, RIGHT?
THAT’S FOR POTENTIALLY EVERYONE.
AS YOU KNOW, PRESIDENT OBAMA
SAID THAT IDEA LIKE WHAT YOU
JUST MENTIONED IS EXACTLY WHAT
SHOULD BE DONE BUT NOT SOMETHING
THAT IS SOMEHOW SPECIFICALLY
TIED TO RACE OR SLAVERY.
WALK US THROUGH WHY ESSENTIALLY
YOU BREAK WITH OBAMA THERE.
>> ARI TWO THINGS.
ONE THING IS, WE’RE BRINGING
THIS COMMISSION TOGETHER TO
STUDY EXACTLY WHAT IT WOULD
MEAN.
MEAN. I THINK FOR YOU OR I TO PREJUDGE
WHAT SOME OF THE BEST MINDS IN
AMERICA WOULD TALK TO AT THE END
OF THIS PROCESS IS FOLLY.
LET’S SEE WHAT PRACTICAL THINGS
PEOPLE COME UP WITH.
MAYBE IT WILL LOOK LIKE THINGS
LIKE MY BABY BOND LEGISLATION.
RIGHT NOW, I DON’T HAVE TOO TIME
TO WAIT.
TO WAIT. I’M PUTTING FORWARD LEGISLATION
THAT IS VERY CONSCIOUS OF RACE
AND THE IMPACT IT WILL HAVE AS
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY SAID, IT
WOULD VIRTUALLY ELIMINATE THE
RACIAL WEALTH GAP AND DESIGNED
SO EVERY LOW INCOME CHILD WOULD
HAVE IT.
HAVE IT. AFRICAN-AMERICANS ARE
AFRICAN-AMERICANS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY LOW INCOME.
PEOPLE WANT TO CAST THIS IN SOME
DIVISIVE WAY ERODE THE
UNDERSTANDING WE HAVE COMMON
CAUSE IN THIS AND THAT THERE IS
AN URGENCY IN AMERICA BECAUSE
WHEN AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN KID
BORN IN A SEGREGATED COMMUNITY
DEFACTO DOESN’T HAVE WEALTH IS,
BELOW THE POVERTY LINE THAT,
ACTUALLY AFFECTS THE WELL-BEING
OF ALL AMERICANS BECAUSE NINE
OUT OF 100 POOR KIDS IN AMERICA
WILL GO ON TO CHALLENGE.
WE’RE ALL BEREFT OF THE
POSSIBILITY AND POTENTIAL THAT
HAVE CHILD.
HAVE CHILD. THIS IS HURTING ALL OF AMERICA.
THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
WHICH YOU AND I BOTH KNOW IS
DEEPLY RACIALLY DISPRART IN ITS
IMPACT, AS VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY
SAYS IF WE HAD INCARCERATION
RATES THE SAME AS OUR INDUSTRIAL
PEERS WE WOULD HAVE 20% LESS
POVERTY IN AMERICA.
WE I DO THE CRACK COCAINE
DISPARITY ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE
REFORM, 96% OF THE PEOPLE THAT
ARE BEING LIBERATED FROM PRISON
BECAUSE OF THAT BUSINESS A PART
ARE BLACK AND LATINO.
I’M VERY CONSCIOUS ABOUT THE
IMPACT IT WILL HAVE ON
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND
COMMUNITIES LIKE THE ONE IN
WHICH I LIVE.
WE NEED TO START HAVING A MAKEUP
MORE NUANCES CONVERSATION ABOUT
THIS THAN JUST SAYING THIS IS
ABOUT ONE PERSON WRITING A CHECK
TO ANOTHER PERSON AND WIPING OUR
HANDS OF THAT COLLECTIVE
RESPONSIBILITY WE HAVE TO MAKE
OUR NATION MORE JUST AND FAIR.
>> WRITING A CHECK REFERENCE IS
TO HOW SENATOR SANDERS RECENTLY
DESCRIBED
DESCRIBED IT’S STRIKING TO HEAR YOU LAY IT
OUT LIKE THAT AS YOU MENTIONED
PARTICULARLY SOME OF THE
DISTURBING STATISTICS AND TO
WATCH U.S. GOVERNMENT HEARING
TODAY DISCUSS REPARATIONS WITH
YOU AND THESE OTHER WITNESSES.
THAT ITSELF IS SOMEWHAT GROUND
BREAKING.
BREAKING. AS YOU KNOW, THE SENATE IS IN
THIS FIGHT OVER 9/11 FUNDING.
I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO
RESPOND TO WHAT SENATOR MITCH
McCONNELL JUST SAID IN RESPONSE
TO JUNE STEWART.
>> WE’VE NEVER FAILED TO ADDRESS
THIS ISSUE.
THIS ISSUE. AND WE WILL ADDRESS THIS AGAIN.
I DON’T KNOW WHY HE’S ALL BENT
OUT OF SHAPE BUT WE WILL TAKE
CARE OF THE 9/11 VICTIMS
COMPENSATION FUND.
COMPENSATION FUND. MEMBERS HAVE A LOT OF THINGS
GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME, AND
IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE HE’S
LOOKING FOR SOME WAY TO TAKE
OFFENSE.
OFFENSE. THERE’S NO WAY WE WON’T ADDRESS
THERE IS PROBLEM APPROPRIATELY.
WE HAVE IN THE PAST AND WE WILL
AGAIN.
AGAIN. >> YOUR VIEW?
>> THAT IF YOU WERE ONE OF THOSE
FAMILIES, THAT IS STRUGGLING
RIGHT NOW, WHERE YOU HAD A
FAMILY MEMBER HOB DID SOMETHING
HEROIC AS AN ONE OF THOSE GUYS
THAT LIVED JUST MILES AWAY FROM
9/11 THAT KNOWS FOLKS THAT WERE
IN THOSE BUILDINGS, THAT KNOWS
SOME OF THE HEROES THAT STORMED
INTO THOSE BUILDINGS AND WERE
THERE TO PROTECT AMERICA TO
DEFEND THIS COUNTRY TO SAVE
LIVES, THERE MUST BE A SENSE OF
URGENCY TO SAY TO THIS NATION
WHEN YOU ARE A HERO, WE HAVE
YOUR BACK.
YOUR BACK. AND SO TO ACT IN A BLASE AN
FASHION THAT THIS SHOULD BE
NORMAL FUNCTIONINGS OF
WASHINGTON AND NOT SEE THAT THIS
IS MAKING A STATEMENT TO ALL OF
AMERICA ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IN
TIMES OF NATIONAL CRISIS WHEN
WES ARE ATTACKED AND WHETHER HE
THOSE PEOPLE STAND UP, WE SHOULD
MAKE A CLARIAN STATEMENT RIGHT
NOW THAT WE GOT YOUR BACK.
MITCH McCONNELL SHOULD STEP UP
AND SHOW THE SAME LEVEL OF
COMMITMENT TO OUR HEROES THAT
THEY DESERVE AND WHAT’S
HAPPENING NOW IS JUST SHAMEFUL,
SHAMEFUL THE WAY THAT WE’RE SLOW
WALKING THIS OR NOT DEALING WITH
IT WHEN WE KNOW WE PUT THAT ON
THE FLOOR OF THE SENATE, IT
WOULD GET PROBABLY 100 VOTES IF
NOT SOMETHING CLOSE TO THAT
ABTHOSE FAMILIES WOULD HAVE THE
RESOURCES AND THE SECURITY THEY
DESERVE.
DESERVE. THEY EARNED IT IN AN ACT OF
NATIONAL, IN, A TIME OF NATIONAL
DISASTER.
DISASTER. >> VERY WELL PUT.
SUCH A BIG ISSUE, ONE WE’VE ALL
BEEN WATCHING KIND OF ONE OF
THOSE TIMES WHERE A LOT OF
PEOPLE ARE WONDERING WHAT’S
TAKING SO LONG.
A FIRST RESPONDER THIS WEEK SAID
MITCH McCONNELL IS MAKING IT
TAKE A LONG TIME.
THAT WAS HIS VIEW.
BEFORE I LET YOU GO, I WANT TO
ASK YOU ABOUT THE TRUMP JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT INTERVENING IN PAUL
MANAFORT’S PRISON ASSIGNMENT TO
RIKERS ISLAND BEFORE AWAITING
TRIAL IN NEW YORK.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT IN EITHER
ADMINISTRATION INTERVENE AT THIS
WAY AT THIS HIGH LEVEL AND DOES
IT CONCERN.
IT CONCERN. >> YOU.
>> YOU. >> LOOK, THIS JUSTICE SYSTEM
BRIAN STEVENSON SAYS IT RIGHT.
WE HAVE A CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM THAT TREATS YOU BETTER IF
YOU’RE RICH AND GUILTY THAN IF
YOU’RE POOR AND INNOCENT.
AND THIS IS JUST TO ME YET
ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE
UNFAIRNESS IN THE SYSTEM THAT I
HAVE KIDS FROM COMMUNITIES LIKE
MINE THAT HAVE CRIMINAL
CONVICTIONS FOR DOING THINGS
THAT TWO OF THE LAST THREE
PRESIDENT AT MIDDED TO DOING WHO
CAN’T GET JOBS, LOANS FROM THE
BANK, BUSINESS LICENSES.
HERE IS SOMEBODY WHO HAS
PATENTLY BEEN INVOLVED IN WHAT I
BELIEVE IS TREASONOUS BEHAVIOR
AND IS HAVING A PRESIDENT GO OUT
OF HIS WAY TO TRY TO GIVE HIM AN
EASIER PATH AS OPPOSED TO HIM
BEING LIKE OTHERS IN THE
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
I’M JUST -- IT’S EXHAUSTING, IT
IS FRUSTRATING AND OBVIOUSLY IT
MAKES ME ANGRY.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. WELL, I WAS CURIOUS WHAT YOU
WOULD THINK ABOUT ALL OF THAT
GIVEN YOUR WORK ON IT.
SENATOR CORY BOOKER, I MENTIONED
WITH SOME ADMIRATION YOU SEEM TO
BE BUSY AT BOTH OF YOUR JOBS,
LEGISLATING TODAY IN THE U.S.
SENATE AND OBVIOUSLY KEEPING
BUSY IN YOUR OTHER JOB AS A
PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDER AND WE’LL
BE WATCHING YOU ON THE DEBATE
STAGE.
STAGE. THANKS FOR MAKING SOME TIME FOR