HOW ARE YOU, TRACEE?
HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP?
HOW ARE YOU DOING?
IT IS SO NICE TO SEE YOU.
>> IT IS SO GOOD TO SEE YOU.
YOU KNOW IT WAS SO FUNNY LISTENING TO THE MUSIC AT THE
TOP THERE, I WAS LIKE AH, MUSIC.
FORGOT ABOUT THAT JRS I KNOW, YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN PART ONE,
WE PLAYED SOME HILARIOUS MUSIC.
(LAUGHTER) HOW IS EVERYTHING, ARE YOU DOING
WELL?
YOU LOOK LIKE YOU ARE DOING WELL.
YOU LOOK LIKE YOU ARE COPING THROUGH THIS.
>> IT'S ALL LIGHTING.
IT SMOKE AND MIRRORS BUT NO, I'M DOING OKAY, I'M MAKING
ADJUSTMENTS LIKE EVERYBODY.
I'M FINDING MY WAY.
WE ARE ACTUALLY BACK IN PRODUCTION WHICH IS CRAZY.
WE'RE BACK AT WORK ON BLACK-ISH, SO FINDING MY WAY WITH THAT AS
WELL.
>> James: WELL, WE'RE ALL FINDING OUR WAY WITH SO MANY
THINGS.
I MEAN IT WAS JUST ANNOUNCED MOMENTS AGO THAT THE NBA PLAYERS
ARE MADE A DECISION TO BOYCOTT ALL PLAYOFF GAMES TODAY IN
PROTEST OF THE JACOB BLAKE SHOOTING WHICH IS, MY FIRST
THOUGHT IS IT IS AN INCREDIBLE USE OF THEIR PLATFORM.
WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU HEARD THIS NEWS.
>> I REALLY HEARD IT LIT REALLILY AS I WAS COMING ON
HERE.
AND I SAY BRAVO.
I THINK THIS IS A MOMENT TO TAKE A STAND AND THE TRUTH IS IT IS
NOT JUST IN RESPONSE TO JACOB.
>> James: ABSOLUTELY.
>> IT IS TO THE HISTORY OF THIS AND THE FACT THAT IT IS ENOUGH
AND I STHI IT IS ONE OF THE MOST AMERICAN THINGS YOU CAN DO, USE
YOUR VOICE, TAKE A STAND AND I THINK ALL OF US NEED TO.
THIS IS A MOMENT FOR THE COLLECTIVE VOICE FOR OFF US
SAYING IT IS ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO BE HONEST
AND CLEAR ABOUT WHAT IT IS, AND NOT NORMALIZE IT AND THAT'S ONE
OF THE REASONS I THINK THE NBA USING THEIR VOICE IN THAT WAY,
LIKE YES, BRAVO, WE MUST CONTINUE TO DO THIS BECAUSE WE
REFUSE TO GO BACK AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE PURSUING JUSTICE AND
SAFE SOCIETY AND A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN BE AT HOME IN YOUR BED
AND YOU ARE SAFE, WHERE JAY SOB-- JACOB FROM WHAT I
UNDERSTAND PULLED OVER TO BREAK UP A FIGHT BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE.
AND WHEN THE POLICE CAME IT WAS LIKE OH, GOOD, I CAN GET BACK IN
THE CAR WITH MY CHILDREN.
SO EVERYTHING ABOUT IT AND THIS IDEA TO ME THAT EVEN IF SOMEONE
IS A CRIMINAL, YOU DO NOT DESERVE TO DIE.
THAT IS NOT HOW THIS WORKS.
>> James: THAT IS THE THING.
I HAVE IN OVERWHELMING FEELING OF LIKE WELL, IF THIS HADN'T
BEEN CAUGHT ON VIDEO, THIS IS A STATISTIC THAT I DON'T EVEN KNOW
ABOUT.
GEORGE FLOYD IS A STATISTIC THAT I DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT.
THERE ARE TOO MANY.
THERE IS JUST TOO MANY.
AND TALKING WITH MY FRIENDS AND TALKING ABOUT WHAT LIFE IS LIKE
IN THAT WAY OF INTERACTION WITH THE POLICE, THAT IT JUST
SHOULDN'T BE ANYTHING TO BE REMOTELY SCARED OR FRIGHTENED
OF.
AND I HOPE ALL OF THESE THINGS BRING ABOUT CHANGE.
I HOPE IT ALL BRINGS ABOUT CHANGE.
I REALLY, REALLY DO.
>> LET ME SAY THIS.
I THINK THAT THAT CHANGE REQUIRES ALL OF US.
>> YEAH.
>> IT REQUIRES ALL OF US COLLECTIVELY TO USE OUR VOICES,
OUR HANDS, VOTING IS A PART OF IT, PROTESTING IS A PART OF IT.
BEING CLEAR ABOUT THE SYSTEMIC PAINS THAT WE WANT TO OCCUR IS
PART OF IT.
WE ALL HAVE A PART IN THIS.
AND IT CAN'T JUST BE ONE PERSON OR THE OTHER.
JACOB IS YOUR BROTHER AS HE IS MY BROTHER.
WE CANNOT, DISREGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE OR BLACK HUMANITY, BLACK
BODIES, BLACK LIFE TO BE BRUTALIZED AND VIOLENTLY
DISREGARDED IN THAT WAY.
AND IF WE ALL DON'T STAND UP IT WON'T CHANGE.
AND I THIS I THIS ELECTION IS AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT PART OF IT.
I THINK WE REALLY TALK ABOUT I THINK EVERY ELECTION IS URGENT
FOR THOSE THAT ARE UPSET AND MARGINALIZED AND THOSE THAT ARE
THE MOST VULLER INABLE.
EVERY ONE IS, BECAUSE WE ARE STILL IN PURSUIT OF A SAFE AND
JUST SOCIETY.
BUT THIS ELECTION IS URGENT IN A WAY THAT THEY ALL ARE BUT ON TOP
OF THAT.
THERE IS SOMETHING VERY REAL GOING ON LIGHT NOW AND WE MUST
PARTICIPATE AND I THINK WE HAVE TO GET INFORMED SO THAT YOU KNOW
HOW TO PARTICIPATE AND WHICH WAY YOU ABOUT USE YOUR HANDS BECAUSE
I THINK THE ONLY WAY THAT THIS CHANGES, IS IF, EACH OF US
UNDERSTAND THAT WE SHAPE OUR FUTURE.
WE EACH DO THAT.
OUR FUTURE, WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER AND IF WE DON'T GET
INVOLVED, NONE OF IT CHANGES.
IF WE ARE NOT APPALLED BY WHAT IS HAPPENING, WHAT DOES THAT SAY
ABOUT WHO WE ARE.
>> James: YEAH.
>> YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S THE THING THAT BLOWS MY MIND.
LIKE IT'S APPALLING TRK IS HEARTBREAKING T IS INFURIATING,
IT IS EXHAUSTING.
IT IS TERRIFYING.
ST ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO HOW DO WE CONTINUE.
AND I PERSONALLY AM LOOKING FOR THOSE THAT THIS IS THE WITHOUT,
THAT THEY DO.
THERE ARE ORGANIZERS, THEY HAVE THE LANGUAGE, THEY HAVE THE ACT
OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE NEED TO DO.
TO CHANGE WHERE WE ARE AT.
AND SO I RECENTLY TOWARDS THOSE PEOPLE, THERE ARE PEOPLE, ANGELA
DAVIS HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS STUFF FOREVER.
THERE IS PATRICE COLORS, TAMIKA MALLORY, THERE IS ALL OF THESE
PEOPLE THAT REALLY, THAT I SAY LIKE TELL US WHERE TO GO AND HOW
TO DO BUT HONESTLY, RIGHT NOW VOTE, VOTE.
>> James: ON THAT, LAST WEEK YOU GUIDED THE VIEWERS ON, WAS
IT, I THINK NIGHT TWO OF THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
AND-- YOU DID A WONDERFUL JOB (APPLAUSE).
>> James: YOU REALLY DISP.
TALK TO ME ABOUT THAT EXPERIENCE OF TAKING PART IN THE
CONVENTION, WERE YOU NERVOUS?
>> I WAS NERVOUS.
I WAS NERVOUS FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.
I MEAN I FELT LIKE IT WAS AN ORGANK AND NATURAL SORT OF STEP
FOR ME.
I'M VERY SOCIALLY ACTIVE, PHYSICALLY ENGAGED BUT I DON'T
NORMALLY PARTICIPATE IN THE POLITICAL ARENA IN THAT WAY AND
IT IS A BIG CASE, PEOPLE THAT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING
ABOUT.
>> FOR SURE.
>> YOU KNOW, AND I'M COMFORTABLE HOSTING.
I LOVE HOSTING BUT I FELT LIKE IT WAS MY JOB TO BE THE CON
DUITY, THE FACILITATOR FOR A CONVERSATION ABOUT ENGAGEMENT
AND PARTICIPATION.
AND THAT IS ONE I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE HAVING.
I TBELT HONORED TO BE IN THAT POSITION.
I TOOK IT SERIOUSLY, WRITING MY WORDS WAS LIKE-- IT WAS LIKE
REALLY, I BE ONLY HAD 275 WORDS AND TRYING TO GET IN WHAT I
WANTED TO SAY.
>> James: IS THAT WHAT THEY TELL YOU, YOU HAVE ONLY GOT 275
WORDS.
>> ME, HI 275 WORDS BECAUSE MY NIGHT HAD THE ROLE CALL IN IT
AND THAT TAKES UP A VERY LARGE PORTION.
SO AT THE BEGINNING IN ORDER TO SET UP MY VOICE, WHO I AM,
WHATEVER.
I HAD 275 WORDS, I THINK I TALKED FOR 285.
SO TRYING TO GET THE WORDS RIGHT FELT SO IMPORTANT TO ME AND THEN
ALSO THE COVID SAFETY OF IT.
BECAUSE I HADN'T BEEN OUT OF HOUSE QUITE YET SO GETTING ALL
OF THAT IN ORDER.
SO I WAS NERVOUS BUT ALSO MY ARMS WERE LINKED TO THE OTHER
WOMEN. AND I FELT LIKE WE STARTED A TEXT THREAD AND WE
WOULD PAT EACH OTHER'S BAG.
BUT THIS IS A MOMENT TO SHOW UP AND TAKE RISKY BEHAVIOR IN THE
DIRECTION OF BEING OF SERVICE TO THE LARGER GOOD.
I JUST FEEL LIKE THIS IS A MOMENT FOR THAT.
AND YOU KNOW DISCOMFORT RIGHT NOW SAY PLIF LIGE CONSIDERING
WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHAT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING.
>> James: THAT IS A GREAT WAY, I HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT OF IT,
THAT IS A WONDERFUL WAY TO DESCRIBE IT, THAT YES, IT IS
UNCOMFORTABLE.
BUT THAT'S THE PRIVILEGE IN THIS.
YEAH.
>> THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE GENUINELY, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
AND HOW IT IS DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTING PEOPLE OF COLOR AND
WOMEN OF COLOR.
YOU KNOW, COVID AND THE REALITY OF WHAT THAT IS STILL LIKE FOR
HEALTH CARE WORKERS AND FAMILIES AND THE PEOPLE, AND STAYING SAFE
FROM THAT.
THERE IS SO MUCH TO WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS MOMENT STVMENT
ALL CONVERGING.
IT IS CRAZY, AND LIKE THE GROUND BENEATH US IS MOVING BUT PERHAPS
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED.
I THINK YOU TALK ABOUT SYSTEMIC RACISM AND THE SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS
IN THIS COUNTRY, AND I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO
ASK ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY ARE THERE AND CONTINUE PURSUING
TOWARDS WHAT WE WANT THIS TO BE IN A COLLECTIVE WAY.
AND IF YOU ARE GOING TO BREAK DOWN THE SYSTEM THAN THE GROUND
IS GOING TO FEEL UNSTABLE BECAUSE YOU NEED TO GET RID OF
SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE NOT WORKING, NOT FOR ALL OF US
AND NOT FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE.
>> James: HOW GREAT HAVING TRACEE ELLIS ROSS ON THE SHOW
TONIGHT.
OH MAN, ARE YOU THE PHONIC-- TONIC THAT WE ALL
NEEDED TODAY.