EVERYTHING IN PERSPECTIVE, PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW,
DR. MICHAEL ERIC DYSON!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) HOW ARE YOU, MICHAEL?
ARE YOU WELL?
>> I'M DOING FINE, BROTHER JAMES.
ALWAYS GREAT TO SEE YOU AND HANG OUT WITH YOU A BIT, MY MAN.
>> James: IT'S ALWAYS LOVELY TO SEE YOU AND I'VE LOVED OUR
TEXT AND EXCHANGES THE FIRST TIME YOU WERE BACK ON THE SHOW
AND WE WERE SO KEEN TO GET YOU HERE BECAUSE IT'S BEEN AN
INCREDIBLE WEEK, WITH MANY TWISTS AND TURNS IN THIS
ELECTION.
WHAT'S IT BEEN LIKE FOR YOU WATCHING EVERYTHING UNFOLD THIS
WEEK?
>> YEAH, I DON'T HAVE ANY NAILS LEFT BUT I'M TRYING TO EAT WHAT
I HAVE LEFT.
IT'S BEEN AN EXTRAORDINARY LESSON -- CIVICS LESSON FOR SO
MANY PEOPLE WHO DON'T REALIZE THIS IS HOW IT ALL GOES DOWN
BECAUSE WE ARE HYPERFOCUSED RIGHT NOW, WE'RE VERY NERVOUS.
THERE'S A LOT AT STAKE, THERE'S A CIVIL WAR GOING ON, THE
BATTLEFIELD IS THE SOUL OF AMERICA.
THE POLITICS ARE HIGHLY PITCHED.
THE IDEOLOGIES ARE HIGHLY CONTESTED, AND PEOPLE ARE
FEELING VERY SANCTION AND YET, AT THE SAME TIME, FOR THE MOST
PART, THIS IS WHAT GOES ON EVERY TIME.
IT TAKES SEVERAL DAYS TO A WEEK TO STEAMS TWO WEEKS -- SOMETIMES
TWO WEEKS, PEOPLE FIGURING THE VOTES OUT, BUT USUALLY SOMEBODY
HAS CONCEDED, SOMEBODY HAS CLAIMED VICTORY AND WE CAN MOVE
ON.
NOW BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH AT STAKE, PEOPLE ARE RATHER MORE
ANXIOUS ABOUT THE OUTCOME AND INVESTED IN A WAY WE'RE NOT
USUSUALLY SEEING AT LEAST OVER T LAST 20 YEARS.
>> James: YOU TWEETED YESTERDAY A BRILLIENT TWEET ON
BEHALF OF BLACK PEOPLE EVERYWHERE, YOU'RE WELCOME,
AMERICA, WHICH I LOVE.
>> YEAH.
>> James: EXPLAIN TO ME HOW IMPORTANT THE BLACK VOTE HAS
BEEN IN THIS ELECTION.
>> OH, IT'S BEEN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
THE BLACK VOTE HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THROUGH SO
MANY ELECTIONS BUT RARELY ACKNOWLEDGED, BARELY RECOGNIZED,
EVEN AMONG, QUITE FRANKLY, THE DEMOCRATS, TO WHOM BLACK PEOPLE
ARE RELIABLY COMMITTED AND LOYAL.
BUT THERE'S BEEN A NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF THE REPUBLICANS AND
A KIND OF TAKING FOR GRANTED ON THE PARTS TO HAVE THE DEMOCRATS,
BUT THIS ELECTION SHOWED US, LOOK AT THE BIG STATES.
YOU HAD MICHIGAN, DETROIT'S POPULATION IS 79% BLACK.
THEY WERE THE KEY VOTER THERE.
LOOK AT GEORGIA, ATLANTA IS 52% BLACK.
LOOK AT PENNSYLVANIA, PHILADELPHIA IS 42% BLACK.
AND LOOK AT WISCONSIN, MILWAUKEE IS 39% BLACK.
WHEN YOU PUT THAT IN AGGREGATE ALONG WITH THE FACT BLACK WOMEN
BLEW IT OUT OF THE WATER VOTING IN THE HIGH 90s FOR THIS
TICKET AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN PEOPLE IN GENERAL WERE DEEPLY
COMMITTED TO IT DESPITE THE VOTER SUPPRESSION, THE ATTEMPTS
TO HAVE ROBO CALLS TO DISSUADE THEM OR MISINFORMATION AND THE
ATTEMPTS BY MANY GOVERNORS OF SOUTHERN CITIES TO SUPPRESS THE
VOTE AND THROW PEOPLE OFF THE ROLLS, DESPITE ALL THAT, WE
SHOWED UP AND SHOWED OUT AND DID AN EXTRAORDINARY JOB.
AND BLACK WOMEN IN PARTICULAR HAVE BEEN USED TO SAVING THIS
DEMOCRACY AND THE BLACK VOTE DID IT AGAIN.
>> James: AS FROM THE MOMENT WE'RE TAPING,
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN IS WINNING IN GEORGIA, A STATE THAT HASN'T
VOTED BLUE SINCE I THINK 1992.
>> RIGHT.
>> James: IT FEELS INCREDIBLY SIGNIFICANT TO ME.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE ROLE STACEY ABAMS HAS PLAYED.
>> STACEY ABRAMS HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE.
EVEN THOUGH SHE DEFLECTS ATTENTION UPON HERSELF, SHE HAS
BEEN EXTRAORDINARY.
SHE HAN FOR GOVERNOR LAST TIME AROUND, THE SITTING SECRETARY OF
STATE IN AN UNCONSCIONABLE SITUATION, PURGED SOMETHING LIKE
500,000 PEOPLE OFF THE GEORGIA VOTING ROLES, A DISPROPORTION
THAT NUMBER OF WHOM ARE BLACK, AND STACEY ABRAMS, WHEN SHE LOST
BY A RAZOR MARGIN, SAID I'M NOT GOING TO CRY IN MY BEER OR CRY
OVER SPILLED MILK, I'M GOING TO ACTIVATE, I'M GOING TO BECOME AN
ORGANIZER.
NOT ONLY DID SHE RESTORE 500,000 PEOPLE, SHE ADDED ANOTHER
300,000 IN TERMS OF REGISTERING TO VOTE FOR AN AGGREGATE OF
800,000 PEOPLE.
SHE DID THIS IN A COUPLE OF YEARS.
THE GROUND GAME WAS EXTRAORDINARY AND SHE WAS
WORKING DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
THIS IS NOT THE SEXY STUFF.
THIS IS NOT APPEARING ON TELEVISION.
THIS IS NOT MAKING SPEECHES.
THIS IS NOT ORGANIZING PEOPLE IN THE SPOTLIGHT.
THIS IS THE UNSEXY, EVERYDAY WORK OF TRYING TO GET PEOPLE
TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN GET REGISTERED TO VOTE.
SO IN THAT SENSE SHE WAS CARRYING FORWARD ANOTHER PERSON
IN HER STATE THE GREAT JOHN LEWIS WHO DIED THIS YEAR, AND
ISN'T IT INTERESTING AND WOULDN'T IT BE REMARKABLE THAT
IT WOULD BECOME GEORGIA, AND IT'S NOW ABOUT WHAT, 4,000
SOME -- 4,000 VOTES THAT MR. BIDEN IS AHEAD, WOULDN'T IT
BE INTERESTING THAT GEORGIA WOULD PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE
WITH THE DEATH OF JOHN LEWIS WHO LITERALLY GOT BEATEN AND NEARLY
BEAT TO DEATH FOR TRYING TO VOTE, SACRIFICING HIS BODY LIMB
BY LIMB TO MAKE SURE THAT BLACK PEOPLE COULD VOTE AND NOW THIS
OUTCOME IS ESPECIALLY DELICIOUS AND EXTRAORDINARILY UPLIFTING.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> James: IT REALLY IS.
I MEAN, IN AMONGST THIS WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON WITH TRUMP
AND THE VOTE COUNTS AND WHEN WILL IT BE CALLED AND ALL THESE
THINGS, IT FEELS SOMEHOW THAT -- THAT WE'RE MISSING THE FACT THAT
WE MIGHT HAVE THE FIRST FEMALE AND PERSON OF COLOR
VICE PRESIDENT EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE COUNTRY.
IS THIS -- DID YOU EVER EXPECT TO SEE THIS HAPPEN IN YOUR
LIFETIME?
>> I MEAN, FIRST, WE HAD BARACK OBAMA.
WE NEVER EXPECTED THAT.
BUT TO SEE A BLACK WOMAN IN A POSITION OF SUCH EXTRAORDINARY
AUTHORITY -- NOW, JAMES CORDEN, I'M A BLACK MAN.
THAT MEANS BLACK WOMEN ALREADY RUN MY LIFE.
SO I'M USED TO WHAT AMERICA IS GOING TO GET USED TO, THAT BLACK
WOMEN WITH POISE, DECENCY AND EXCELLENCE AND SPIRIT WILL
EXERCISE A LEVEL OF AUTHORITY.
AND KAMALA HARRIS I HAVE KNOWN FOR YEARS AND YEARS, AND TO HAVE
THE FIRST BLACK AND SOUTHEAST ASIAN WOMAN AS PART OF OUR
AMERICAN POLITICAL ORDER, THAT SHE HAS ASCENDED THIS HIGH INTO
THE AMERICAN CASTE IS A REMARKABLE THING AND I THINK SHE
WILL PROVIDE, I THINK, INCREDIBLE LEADERSHIP AND PROVE
TO BE A WORTHY SUPPORTER FOR HOPEFULLY AND I THINK WE CAN
PREDICT IT WILL BE THE CASE THAT JOE BIDEN WILL BE THE PRESIDENT
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
( APPLAUSE ) >> James: THERE'S SO MUCH TO
FEEL OPTIMISTIC ABOUT IN EVERYTHING YOU'RE SAYING, AND I
KNOW THAT YOU'VE MET PRESIDENT TRUMP BEFORE, AND I'M
INTERESTED TO KNOW IF YOU COULD GET FIVE MINUTES WITH HIM NOW,
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO HIM IN THIS MOMENT RIGHT NOW?
>> I WOULD SAY, SIR, DESPITE YOUR MANIFEST GIFTS OF
COMMUNICATION, AND WHAT EVERYONE CAN SAY ABOUT DONALD TRUMP, THE
ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE HIS IDEAL AND TO GALVANIZE HIS BASE AND TO
MOTIVE THEM, EVEN IF TO HORRIBLE EFFECT AND DELETERIOUS
CONSEQUENCE, THE POINT IS HE HAS GOT THOSE GIFTS.
I WOULD SAY TO HIM, SIR, YOU WASTED SO MUCH TIME.
YOU WERE A BIRTHER AGAINST PRESIDENT OBAMA.
YOU HAVE SAID HORRIBLE THINGS AGAINST AFRICAN COUNTRIES AND
CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES.
YOU HAVE DEMONIZED THE OTHER.
YOU HAVE TURNED THIS COUNTRY INTO A HORRIBLE CESSPOOL OF
BIGOTRY.
YOU HAVE STOOD UP EVERY MORNING TO EXCRETE THE FECES OF YOUR
MORAL DEPRAVITY.
>>> AT THIS INTO A NATION YOU'VE TURNED INTO YOUR PSYCHIC
COMMODE, AND HOW TRAGIC THAT IS.
YOU HAVE TAKEN THIS GREAT LEGACY OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY AND USED
IT AS A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR PERSONAL ENRICHMENT AND FOR THE
ENLARGEMENT OF YOUR EGO.
THIS IS NOT WHAT GREAT LEADERS DO.
AND THE REASON I STOOD IN PLACE TO SUPPORT JOE BIDEN AND KAMALA
HARRIS BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THEY WILL BRING AND RESTORE TO
AMERICAN DEMOCRACY A DECENCY AND A RESPECT FOR THE OTHER, AND
THEY WON'T USE THEIR BULLY PULPIT TO BEAT UP ON THE TRUMP
SUPPORTERS.
WE ARE DIVIDED AS A NATION.
WE HAVE HORRIBLE CIVIL WARS GOING ON RIGHT WHERE WE ARE.
THE POINT IS NOT TO POINT TO THEM AND SAY, AH-HA, YOU BIGOTS,
YOU WERE STIGMATIZING PEOPLE OF COLOR.
NO, LET'S FIND THE RESOURCES TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
LET'S OVERCOME THE NASTINESS, THE BITTERNESS AND BELLIGERENCE
AND FORM A NATION.
HOW ABOUT THE MODEL OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, OUT OF MANY
ONE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'VE GOT TO DO, AND I THINK WE HAVE A GREAT
OPPORTUNITY WITH JOE BIDEN AS PRESIDENT AND KAMALA HARRIS AS
VICE PRESIDENT TO DO JUST THAT.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> James: IT IS ALWAYS SO
ENLIGHTENING TO TALK TO YOU ANYTIME YOU ARE IN OUR ORBIT,
YOU MAKE ALL OF US FEEL A LITTLE LIGHTER, A LITTLE MORE
OPTIMISTIC.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FINDING THE TIME TO TALK TO US TODAY.
WE LOVE IT EVERY TIME YOU'RE ON THE SHOW, AND I HOPE THAT YOU
WILL KEEP COMING BACK AND KEEP COMING BACK.
PROFESSOR THEISSAN'S NEW BOOK, "LONG TIME COMING: RECKONING
WITH RACE IN AMERICA"," IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER RIGHT
NOW.
IT IS MORE THAN WORTHY OF YOUR TIME.
DR. MICHAEL ERIC DYSON, EVERYBODY.
WHEN WE COME BACK, TALKING TO HENRY GOLDING.
STICK AROUND, EVERYONE!