♪♪♪
>> STEPHEN: WELCOME BACK.
AS YOU KNOW, IT'S BLACK HISTORY MONTH, AND THIS LAST YEAR HAS
CERTAINLY BEEN FILLED WITH BLACK HISTORY.
THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT AND PROTESTS AGAINST POLICE
VIOLENCE HAVE MADE A PUSH FOR MEANINGFUL CHANGE.
AND THEY'VE ALSO MADE MANY WHITE AMERICANS REALIZE HOW MUCH OF
THE BLACK EXPERIENCE THEY STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND.
AND, THANKFULLY, WE HERE AT "THE LATE SHOW" HAVE AN EXPERT IN NOT
UNDERSTANDING THINGS.
HER NAME IS BOOTSIE PLUNKETT.
SHE'S THE WONDERFUL MOTHER OF ONE OF MY FIELD PRODUCERS
JAKE PLUNKETT, AND SHE IS ALSO "THE LATE SHOW'S" OFFICIAL
"UNINFORMED CORRESPONDENT."
BOOTSIE HAS USED HER UNIQUE AND UNINFORMED PERSPECTIVE TO COVER
EVERYTHING FROM INTERNATIONAL TRADE WARS TO THE SPREAD OF THE
CORONAVIRUS.
AND RECENTLY, BOOTSIE WANTED TO GET LESS-UNINFORMED ABOUT
SYSTEMIC RACISM.
SO JAKE TOOK HER TO MEET WITH CONGRESSMAN JAMAAL BOWMAN, WHO
REPRESENTS NEW YORK'S 16TH DISTRICT, IN THE BRONX.
♪♪♪ >> AFTER A TUMULTUOUS YEAR OF
RACIAL UNREST, I WANTED MY MOM TO GET MORE INFORMED ON RACISM
IN AMERICA.
SO I TOOK HER TO THE BRONX TO TALK WITH NEWLY ELECTED
CONGRESSMAN AND OFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE SQUAD JAMAAL BOWMAN.
>> SO YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF THINGS YOU WANT TO ASK MR. BOWMAN.
>> OH, YEAH.
I SAID, ALL LIVES MATTER ONCE, AND I GOT IN SO MUCH TROUBLE FOR
SAYING THAT.
>> YES.
SOMEONE SCREAMED AT ME.
YOU SHOULD TALK TO HIM ABOUT IT.
>> ALL RIGHT.
DO YOU WANT TO DO YOUR STANDUP NOW?
>> SURE.
FIRST TAKE.
OKAY.
HI -- >> WAIT, I'M NOT OUT OF THE SHOT
YET.
>> GET OUT THEN.
THREE, TWO -- HI, THIS IS BOOTSIE.
I'M HERE WITH "A LATE SHOW" WITH STEPHEN COLBERT TO INTERVIEW
JA -- NO.
>> ( BLEEP ).
AAAHHH!
MY LIFE.
>> YOU'RE DOING A BEAUTIFUL JOB.
HI, STEPHEN COLBERT.
>> HI!
YOU GOT A FAN!
I GOT A FAN!
[ APPLAUSE ] ALL RIGHT.
SHOULD WE GO AGAIN?
>> YEAH, IS YOUR HEAD GOING TO BE ABLE TO FIT WILL YOU THAT
DOOR?
>> SHUT THE ( BLEEP ) UP.
THIS IS BOOTSIE.
I'M HERE ON "A LATE SHOW" WITH STEPHEN COLBERT TO INTERVIEW
JAMAAL BOWMAN ABOUT BLACK LIVES MATTER AND TO FIND OUT IF I'M
RACIST.
♪♪♪ HI, JAMAAL, IT'S BOOTSIE.
>> HI, BOOTSIE.
NICE TO MEET YOU.
PLEASURE TO MEET YOU, ALSO.
I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO BE HAPPY AND SAFE AND ALL THAT AND
I SAID ALL LIVES MATTER AND I WAS TOLD NO, NO, NO, NO.
>> HUH-OH.
AND I REALLY DIDN'T THINK I SAID ANYTHING TERRIBLE.
EXPLAIN TO ME SOMETHING WRONG.
>> SO ALL LIVES CAN'T MATTER UNTIL "BLACK LIVES MATTER," AND
THE REASON WHY WE HAVE TO SAY BLACK LIVES MATTER IS BECAUSE
BLACK PEOPLE CONTINUE TO BE KILLED DISPROPORTIONATELY AT THE
HANDS OF THE POLICE WHO ARE SPOARDZ TO SERVE AND PROTECT US.
POLICE ARE NOT ABOVE THE LAW, RIGHT?
SO IF THEY BREAK THE LAW, THRASHED BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
>> SO I'LL TELL YOU MY EXPERIENCE.
SOMEBODY BACKED INTO MY CAR AND SMASHED THE DOOR.
SO I CALL THE COPS BECAUSE I HAD TO MAKE AN INSURANCE, YOU KNOW,
THING TO GET IT FIXED.
>> MM-HMM.
SO WHEN THE COMES GOT THERE, WE CHANGED THIS UP, YOU KNOW,
THE THINGS, AND THEY SAID, YOUR CAR AIN'T REGISTERED.
>> MMM.
THEY SAID, GET ALL YOUR STUFF OUT OF THE CAR, WE'RE GOING TO
IMPOUND YOUR CAR.
>> MM-HMM.
I ONLY LIVE TWO BLOCKS AWAY FROM THE BANK.
SO I TURNED AROUND AND I TOLD THEM, YOUR MOTHER DID A REALLY
POOR JOB WITH BOTH OF YOU OFFICERS.
I AM AN OLDER WOMAN, IT'S 105 DEGREES OUT AND NOW YOU'RE
MAKING MEG GET OUT OF MY CAR, AND YOU'RE TELLING ME THERE'S NO
NEED FOR THIS.
>> ONE TIME, I WAS PULLED OVER ON THE GRAND CONCOURSE IN THE
BRONX BECAUSE APPARENTLY I DIDN'T USE MY TURN SIGNAL,
RIGHT.
I WAS PULLED OVER, GAVE THEM LICENSE AND REGISTRATION AND
INSURANCE.
THEY TOLD ME MY INSURANCE WAS EXPIRED.
THEY TOOK ME OUT OF THE CAR, PUT ME IN HANDCUFFS, AND TOOK ME TO
THE LOCAL PRECINCT, THE JAIL IN THE LOCAL PRECINCT, WHERE I
STAYED FOR ABOUT FIVE OR SIX HOURS BEFORE THEY LET ME GO
WITHOUT SEEING A JUDGE OR ANYTHING, RIGHT.
SO YOUR CAR WAS IMPOUNDED, WHICH IS A HUGE HASSLE.
IT'S LIKE A BIG DEAL, IT'S TERRIBLE.
>> RIGHT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU WEREN'T PUT IN HANDCUFFS, YOU WEREN'T
TAKEN TO JAIL.
>> NO, YOU'RE RIGHT.
YOU WERE ALLOWED TO GO FREE, AND IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS LIKE
THAT THAT HAPPEN EACH AND EVERY DAY TO BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE IN
THIS SOCIETY.
IT'S LIKE DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS.
>> YEAH.
AND THE WORST PART ABOUT IT IS WE BEGIN TO INTERNALIZE THIS
INFERIORITY ABOUT OURSELVES AS WE EXIST WITHIN THIS COUNTRY,
YOU KNOW, AND IT'S SO UNFORTUNATE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT
HEALTH CARE, HOUSING EDUCATION, WEALTH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE
DISPARITIES, AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND PEOPLE OF THE LATINO
COMMUNITY ARE ALWAYS AT THE BOTTOM, AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THIS
INSTITUTIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL RACISM THAT LIVES IN THE FIND OF
THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE OUR LAWS AND THE MINDS OF PEOPLE WHO WORK
WITHIN OUR INSTITUTIONS.
>> HAVING LEARNED ABOUT THE THE SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS AFFLICTING
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, MY MOM WANTED TO FIND COMMON GROUND THE
ONLY WAY SHE KNOWS HOW.
>> WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SONG?
OH, I DON'T KNOW.
FAVORITE SONG?
SO I'M A BIG -- I COULD TELL YOU SOME OF MY FAVORITE ARTISTS.
CAN I DO THAT.
>> SURE.
O, UM.
KARIS ONE, ERIC B AND ROCK KIM.
>> I ONLY KNOW SOME SONGS BEING ON THE RADIO, CARDI B.
>> YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
I HATE TO SAY I'M GOING TO BE 62 IN MARCH.
>> OKAY.
I FREAKIN' LOVE THAT SONG.
MY ( BLEEP ).
>> IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE HIP-HOP SONGS OF ALL TIME.
>> YOU LOVE IT, TOO?
I LOVE THAT SONG.
IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE HIP-HOP SONGS OF ALL TIME.
FIRST, I LOVE CARDI B.
>> SHE DOES THAT LITTLE THING, AND THEN -- BACK IT UP!
>> I LOVE THAT SONG.
MY WIFE AND I LOVED THAT SONG.
MY WIFE INTRODUCED ME TO THE SONG, AND I THINK IT'S IMPROVED
OUR LOVE LIFE, AS A MATTER OF FACT.
( LAUGHTER ) >> GOING FORWARD, WHAT CAN I DO
AS A PERSON TO HELP CHANGE THE SITUATION?
>> WHAT WE'RE GOING TO KNEELED IS WHAT WE CALL CO-CONSPIRATORS.
SO IT USED TO BE CALLED WHITE ALLIES OR SPEAKING UP FOR
JUSTICE FOR BLACK PEOPLE AND ALL PEOPLE.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: BUT WE CALL THEM CO-CONSPIRATORS BECAUSE WE NEED
PEOPLE TO STEP UP AND BE ALLIES WITH US AND PUSHING BACK AGAINST
A SYSTEM THAT IS HARMFUL TO US.
>> EXACTLY.
SO WILL YOU BE MY CO-CONSPIRATOR?
>> I SURE WILL.
LET'S DO IT.
369, DAMN YOU'RE FINE, SOCK IT TO ME, SOCK IT TO ME ONE MORE
TIME.
TO THE WINDOW, TO THE WALL!
TILL THE SWEAT RUNS DOWN MY ( BLEEP )
( LAUGHTER ) >> Stephen: THANK YOU,
BOOTSIE, AND THANK YOU TO CONGRESSMAN JAMAAL BOWMAN.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH OSCAR AND EMMY AWARD WINNING ACTOR AND
DIRECTOR REGINA KING.
♪♪♪ ♪