>>> AS AMERICA FACES THIS TENTH
NIGHT OF PROTESTS, THESE NOW
FAMILIAR SCENES STILL DO OFFER,
THINK ABOUT IT, SEVERAL
CONTRASTS TO SEVERAL PERIODS OF
RACIAL STRIFE.
THERE’S MORE PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR
THE PROTESTS THAN IN RECENT
HISTORY.
MANY CROWDS ARE DIVERSE IN AGE
AND RACE THAN PREVIOUS OTHER
EFFORTS, AND ONE OF THE SHARPEST
CONTRASTS COMES FROM THE TOP.
UNLIKE ALL MODERN EXAMPLES,
DONALD TRUMP IS NOT EVEN GOING
THROUGH ANY MOTIONS OF URGING
CALM OR SUPPORTING PEACE AND
DIVERSITY RIGHT NOW, WHICH PAST
PRESIDENTS IN BOTH PARTIES HAVE
STRIVED TO DO.
>> AND WE SHALL OVERCOME.
>> AMERICA CAN BE PROUD OF THE
PROGRESS WE’VE MADE TOWARD
EQUALITY, BUT WE ALL MUST
RECOGNIZE WE HAVE MORE TO DO.
>> AS AMERICANS WE’VE GOT TO USE
THIS MOMENT TO SEEK OUT OUR
HUMANITY THAT’S BEEN LAID BARE
BY THIS MOMENT.
>> IF WE ARE TO REMAIN A HOPEFUL
NATION ON EARTH, WE MUST ALLOW
OUR DIVERSITY TO BRING US
TOGETHER, NOT DRIVE US APART.
WE MUST BUILD A FUTURE WHERE IN
EVERY CITY ACROSS THIS COUNTRY
EMPTY RAGE GIVES WAY TO HOPE,
FOR POVERTY AND DESPAIR GIVE WAY
TO OPPORTUNITY.
>> THAT LAST REMARK WAS
PRESIDENT BUSH TOUTING DIVERSITY
AFTER THE LAPD BEATING OF RODNEY
KING, AN INCIDENT CAUGHT ON TAPE
AT A TIME BEFORE CELL PHONES
WHEN PERSONAL VIDEO RECORDING
WAS VERY RARE.
BUSH’S RESPONSE SHOWS ONE
STANDARD TRUMP IS FAILING.
AND THERE ARE MANY OTHER
EXAMPLES SET BY REGULAR CITIZENS
OUTSIDE OF POLITICS.
IN FACT, IN THE SAME YEAR BUSH
WAS SPEAKING, 1991, ANOTHER
YOUNG MAN RAISED BY A BLACK
PANTHER LEADER CAME FORWARD
SAYING LAPD OFFICERS CONFRONTED
HIM AFTER HE CROSSED THE STREET
AND ATTACKED HIM CHOOSING A
CHOKE HOLD AND KNOCKED HIM
UNCONSCIOUS.
HE FILED A LAWSUIT AND STRESSED
THIS WAS A ROUTINE PRACTICE
AGAINST BLACK MEN.
HE SHARED PICTURES OF HIS
WOUNDS.
HE SAID HE HOPED TO DRAW MORE
SCRUTINY TO THIS, BECAUSE WHILE
HE WAS FAMOUS FOR HIS MUSIC,
OTHERS COULDN’T GET THE SAME
ATTENTION.
THIS WAS A THEN 20-YEAR-OLD
ARTIST NAMED TUPAC.
>> I WAS RIFFING, AND ARGUING
ABOUT WHY WOULD THEY CHARGE ME
WITH JAY WALKING, SO I KEPT
YELLING, ASKING THEM TO GIVE ME
MY CITATION AND LET ME GO ABOUT
MY BUSINESS.
NEXT THING I KNOW, MY FACE WAS
BURIED INTO THE CONCRETE AND I
WAS FACE DOWN IN THE GUTTER,
WAKING UP FROM BEING UNCONSCIOUS
IN CUFFS.
>> WAKING UP FROM BEING
UNCONSCIOUS.
TODAY, PEOPLE ARE MARCHING ABOUT
MORE THAN THAT SINGLE CASE IN
MINNESOTA.
IN FACT, WE HEAR FROM SO MANY
SAYING THEY ARE FED UP THAT THIS
IS ENDLESS.
WE NEED TO LISTEN TO THESE
STATEMENTS.
AND AS WITH ANY CLAIM, WE NEED
TO THEN LISTEN AND SEE IF IT’S
TRUE.
SO WE LOOK AT THE FACTS AND THE
HISTORY, WHICH FEATURES THESE
MANY ACCOUNTS OF THIS SAME
PATTERN OF BRUTALITY.
>> FOR EVERYBODY WHO DON’T KNOW,
AS IF IT DOESN’T HAPPEN EVERY
DAY, EVERYWHERE: I, AN INNOCENT
YOUNG BLACK MALE WAS WALKING
DOWN THE STREETS OF OAKLAND
MINDING MY OWN BUSINESS AND THE
POLICE DEPARTMENT, NEXT THING I
KNEW I WAS IN A CHOKEHOLD,
PASSING OUT.
>> YOU CAN SEE THIS, MR. CAM
MR. CAMERAMAN, THESE ARE SCARS
I’LL GO TO MY GRAVE WITH.
OAKLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT, ALL
ABOVE MY EYE, ALL OF THAT.
>> YOU’RE SUING THEM?
>> 10 MIL.
YOU KNOW HOW THAT GO.
RODNEY KING IS STILL FIGHTING
FOR HIS AND THEY GOT IT ON TAPE.
>> THEY GOT IT ON TAPE.
YES, THEY DID.
THOSE AS FAR AS WHO BEAT RODNEY
KING WERE ACQUITTED IN THEIR
LOCAL TRIAL.
THE OFFICERS WHO KNOCKED TUPAC
UNCONSCIOUS, THEY ACTUALLY
SETTLED HIS CIVIL SUIT AND HE
WOULD GO ON TO HAVE SEVERAL
PROBLEMS WITH THE LAW.
BUT WHEN WE DO THIS SERIOUSLY,
WHEN WE LISTEN TO PEOPLE TODAY
AND PEOPLE ACROSS HISTORY AND,
YES, PEOPLE WHO ARE NO LONGER
HERE ALLOWED TO TELL THEIR
STORIES, I THINK WE CAN HEAR AND
WE CAN SEE AND IF WE TRY, WE CAN
FEEL HOW OVER ALL THESE YEARS
WHAT I JUST SHOWED YOU IS 25
YEARS OLD, TOO LITTLE HAS
CHANGED.
SO MANY OF THESE OLD STORIES AND
PLEAS, THEY REGISTERED TODAY
BECAUSE THEY APPLY TODAY.
PEOPLE ARE ASKING AMERICA TO GET
THE POLICE TO STOP ABUSING AND
KILLING THEM.
IN 1970, IN 1991, YOU JUST SAW,
AND NOW IN 2020.
WE’RE
THEY’RE ASKING AMERICA TO GET
THE POLICE TO STOP KILLING THEM
UNDER THE COVER OF NIGHT OR IN
BROAD DAYLIGHT.
ON TAPE OR OFF THE GRID.
DURING NORMAL TIMES OR DURING A
PANDEMIC.
IT’S ALL THE TIME PLEA.
AMERICA, CAN YOU GET THE POLICE
TO STOP ABUSING AND KILLING
INNOCENT AND UNARMED PEOPLE.
AND THAT’S NOT ALL.
THERE ARE CORE CONDITIONS THAT
FEED RACISM AND ABUSE AND
INEQUALITY.
THESE ACTIVISTS AND CIVIL RIGHTS
LEADERS WHO HAVE BEEN SPEAKING
ON THIS FOR SO LONG, WE SHOULD
LISTEN TO THAT, TOO.
TUPAC WAS FAMOUS AND APPARENTLY
INFAMOUS AMONG SOME OF THOSE
POLICE OFFICERS PRECISELY
BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN SPEAKING OUT
ON ALL OF THAT.
HE WOULD DO SO UNTIL HE DIED.
SO AS AMERICA REELS RIGHT NOW
AND AS SO MANY PEOPLE TELL US
NIGHT AFTER NIGHT AFTER NIGHT
THAT THIS ISN’T JUST ABOUT RIGHT
NOW, IT’S ABOUT THE HISTORY,
IT’S ABOUT HOW WE GOT HERE AND
CONTINUE TO BE IN THIS PLACE,
LET’S LISTEN.
MUCH OF WHAT HE SAID BACK THEN
DOES SADLY APPLY TODAY.
LET’S REALLY LISTEN TO WA WE’RE
LEARNING FROM PEOPLE AND HEARING
FROM PEOPLE ABOUT THE SYSTEM.
AND OUR FINAL THOUGHT IN
TONIGHT’S BROADCAST, I WANT YOU
TO KEEP IN MIND WHAT YOU’RE
ABOUT TO SEE WAS A YOUNG MAN WHO
WAS 23 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME.
THIS WAS A FEW YEARS AFTER THE
INCIDENT WITH THE CALIFORNIA
POLICE, AND HE SAYS WHEN PEOPLE
ARE HUNGRY AND DESPERATE, WHEN
PEOPLE NEED FOOD, AND WHEN
PEOPLE WATCH THEIR OWN PEACEFUL
LEADERS MURDERED AS THEY ASK FOR
HELP, THOSE CONDITIONS WILL
SHAPE HOW PEOPLE RESPOND.
>> OPEN THE DOOR, LET ME SEE THE
PARTY.
LET ME SEE THEM THROWING SALAME.
THEY’RE TELLING ME THERE WAS NO
FOOD IN THERE.
YOU KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING?
EVERY DAY I’M STANDING OUTSIDE
TRYING TO SING MY WAY IN.
YOU KNOW WHAT I’M SAYING?
WE ARE HUNGRY, PLEASE LET US IN.
AFTER ABOUT A WEEK THAT SONG WAS
GOING TO CHANGE, WE HUNGRY, WE
NEED SOME FOOD.
AFTER TWO, THREE WEEKS, IT’S
LIKE GIVE ME FOOD, KNOCKING ON
THE DOOR.
AFTER A YEAR, YOU KNOW WHAT I’M
SAYING, I’M PICKING THE LOCK AND
COMING THROUGH THE DOOR
BLASTING.
YOU’RE HUNGRY, YOU REACHED THE
LEVEL.
WE ASKED TEN YEARS AGO.
WE WAS ASKING WITH THE PANTHERS.
WE WAS ASKING ABOUT THE CIVIL
RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
THOSE PEOPLE THAT WERE ASKING,
THEY’RE ALL DEAD IN JAIL.
SO NOW WHAT DO YOU THINK WE’RE
GOING TO DO?
>> LET’S KEEP LISTENING.
THAT’S THE SOUND OF A VERY
INFORMED VOICE, NARRATING ABOUT
PEOPLE WERE FED UP.
THAT WAS 25 YEARS AGO.
AMERICA FACES A LARGER RECKONING