LOOK FORWARD TO FULFILL THE
DREAM AND THE PROMISE.
JOINING ME, HOST OF THE FAULKNER
FOCUS, FOX NEWS’S HARRIS
FAULKNER.
WHAT DOES TODAY MEAN TO YOU?
>> I DO LOOK AT THE PAST,
CHARLES, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU
FOR HAVING ME ON THIS PARTICULAR
DAY.
IT IS ALSO THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY
OF THE "THE FAULKNER FOCUS."
WE STARTED ON MLK DAY LAST YEAR.
I FEEL DOUBLY BLESSED TO TALK
ABOUT THE PAST AND FUTURE WITH
YOU.
WHEN WE LOOK BACK MLK DAY MEANS
THIS TO ME, ALL THINGS ARE
POSSIBLE WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER.
THAT AMERICA SURING CHANGE IS A
PART OF HOW TO GO FORWARD.
AND BROOKINGS HAS AN INTERESTING
LOOK AT THIS.
IT REALLY DOES ENCOMPASS LOOKING
AT THE JOURNEY AND THE CHANGE
AND TAKING IT ALL IN.
NOT FORGETTING AS YOU MENTIONED
THE JOURNEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN , IT
WAS CHIPPY, IT WAS ALL THE
TROUBLE AND ALL THE PAIN AND
HEART ACHE HISTORY BOOKS TELL
US.
THAT OUR HISTORY BOOKS TELL US.
AS YOU DO WITH YOUR FAMILY, READ
IT AS A TRADITION BEFORE YOU
WERE EMPTY NESTERS.
WHAT PROGRESS HAVE WE MADE?
I WANT TO POINT TO ONE THING
FROM THE BROOKINGS ARTICLE
BECAUSE I DO THINK IT IS
IMPORTANT.
IN 19640, 60% OF EMMODE BLACK
WOMEN SERVED AS DOMESTIC
SERVANTS.
THE NUMBER IS 2.2%.
60% HOLD WHITE-COLLAR JOBS.
IN 1958, ALL OF THAT BEFORE YOU
AND I WERE BORN, 44% OF WHITES
SAID THEY WOULD MOVE IF A BLACK
FAMILY MOVED NEXT DOOR TO THEM.
TODAY THE FIGURE IS 1%.
IN 1964, THE YEAR BEFORE I WAS
BORN, THE YEAR THE GREAT CIVIL
RIGHTS WAS PASSED, ONLY 18% OF
WHITES PROCLAIMED TO HAVE A
FRIEND THAT WAS BLACK. 86% THEY DO.
86% THEY DO.
7% OF -- 87% ASSERT THEY HAVE
WHITE FRIEND.
THAT TELLS ME ANYTHING POSSIBLE.
MY FATHER SERVED IN THE
MILITARY.
YOU’RE A FORMER MILITARY SERVICE
MEMBER TOO, CHARLES.
HE TALKED TO PEOPLE WHY HE LOVED
COUNTRY SO MUCH BECAUSE OF ITS
POTENTIAL.
CHARLES: YEAH.
>> THOSE SIGNS WERE STILL UP
ACROSS THE SOUTH.
I WAS BORN IN THE SOUTH.
WHERE WE COULD DRINK, WHERE WE
COULD GO TO THE BATHROOM.
MY PARENTS WOULD REMIND ME, IN
YOUR LIFETIME, IN MY LIFETIME
LOOK HOW MUCH CHANGE HAS COME
ABOUT.
YOU AND I HANDED THE MAN TELL
NOW FOR MORE CHANGE.
AND I JUST DON’T MEAN AS PEOPLE
OF COLOR, AS PEOPLE IN THE
MEDIA.
FOR THE PLATFORMS THAT WE HAVE.
IT IS INHERENT UPON US AND
INCUMBENT UPON US TO REMIND
PEOPLE DIVERSITY IS MORE THAN
THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN AND
TEXTURE OF OUR HAIR.
IT IS OUR DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT,
PERSPECTIVE, ORIGIN OF CULTURE,
WHERE OUR PEOPLE CAME FROM IN
THIS COUNTRY.
MAYBE THEY’RE FROM THE NORTH.
MAYBE THEY’RE FROM THE SOUTH.
ALL OF THAT MATTERS.
WHEN YOU HEAR CERTAIN
POLITICIANS SAY THE BLACK
COMMUNITY, WHO DO THEY MEAN?
THERE ARE 47 PLUS MILLION OF US.
CHARLES: YEAH.
>> THERE ARE MANY COMMUNITIES OF
COLOR.
THAT IS PART OF THE CHANGE AND
SUCCESS WE BRING ABOUT GOING
FORWARD.
I’M REALLY EXCITED ON THIS DAY,
VERY OPTIMISTIC.
CHARLES: SO AM I.
I WAS GOING TO SAY, THOSE ARE
AMAZING BEAUTIFUL WORDS.
MY FATHER WAS ALSO, HE FOUGHT IN
VIETNAM.
HE WAS A GREAT PRIDE TO BE A
U.S. VET AND YOU KNOW, HIS
FUNERAL WITH THE 21-BUN SALUTE,
FOLDING OF THE FLAG, WAS
PROBABLY MOST POWERFUL THING I
EVER WITNESSED.
JUST TELLS YOU WHO GREAT THIS
COUNTRY IS WHICH MAKES ME
WONDER, TODAY, A LOT OF PEOPLE
IN THE MEDIA, SOME OTHERS ARE
SAYING WE SHOULDN’T BE
CELEBRATING IT BECAUSE THE
SENATE WON’T PASS OR CHANGE ITS
FILIBUSTER.
I WANT TO LET FOLKS OUT THERE
UNDERSTAND WHAT THE REAL DEAL
IS.
THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965
WAS EXTENDED IN 2006 FOR 25
YEARS.
THE SUPREME COURT SAID PART OF
IT, ASSUMED THAT THE NINE
SOUTHERN STATES WERE ANTIQUATED.
THAT WAS SHELBY DECISION IN
2013.
PRESIDENT OBAMA WAS IN OFFICE.
SO THEY COULD HAVE DONE
SOMETHING ABOUT IT NOW.
JOE BIDEN IS IN THE OVAL OFFICE
NOW.
THIS OF COURSE AFTER BLACK
VOTERS SAVED HIS CANDIDACY.
I JUST THINK IT IS NUTS TO SAY,
AS HARD AS WE FOUGHT FOR THE
DAY, MAKE IT A POLITICAL PAWN
TODAY.
YOUR THOUGHTS?
>> YEAH.
PLAYING POLITICS IS WHAT
POLITICIANS DO.
THAT IS REALLY UNFORTUNATE.
AND THEY PLAYED POLITICS DURING
THE TIME OF ALL OF THOSE RIOTS
AFTER THE DEATH OF GEORGE
EMPLOYED AS WELL.
PICKING UP THE MANTLE OF OF
STREETS.
PEOPLE WHO HAVE IDEA INSURGENTS
WOULD COMMIT CRIMES ALL DAY
LONG, LEAVING THEIR STROLLERS
AND SIGNS.
TALKING ABOUT INJUSTICE, ALL OF
THEIR GOALS.
THEIR WHOLE MESSAGING WAS TAKEN
OVER WITH HATE AND RIOTING.
WE DON’T EVEN TALK ABOUT THAT
AND WE SHOULD.
WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT THAT.
WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT THE CRIMES
THAT WERE COMMITTED AMONG ALL
THAT PEACEFUL PROTESTING.
WHY?
BECAUSE THIS COUNTRY WAS BASED
ON THE ABILITY TO GET THAT
MESSAGING OUT THERE, FOR
WHATEVER YOUR CAUSE WAS.
MLK DIDN’T, HE WASN’T UP UNTIL
3:00 IN THE MORNING PROTESTING.
THAT WASN’T HIS SWAM.
HE WANTED PEOPLE TO SEE THE
MESSAGE.
YOU KNOW THINGS GOT MORPHED.
WE’RE NOT HONEST ABOUT ALL THAT.
WE’RE NOT HONEST ABOUT OUR
CURRENT JOURNEY.
I DON’T KNOW HOW WE GO FORTH
WITHOUT IT BUT IN THIS COUNTRY
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHORE
EACH OTHER UP, TO CREATE MORE
SPACE FOR OURSELVES BY TAKING UP
EVERY SPACE.
I DON’T KNOW IF PEOPLE ASK YOU
THIS, PEOPLE ASK ME THIS ON THE
STREET, AT AIRPORTS, BLACK
PEOPLE, HISPANICS, WHATEVER,
THEY COME UP SAY HOW CAN YOU
WORK AT FOX?
I’M A JOURNALIST.
MY FATHER TOLD ME THAT WE SHOULD
BE AS DIVERSE AMERICANS EVERY
SPACE, EVERY PLACE THERE IS IN
AMERICA THAT ANYBODY COULD
OCCUPY.
CHARLES: RIGHT.
>> THAT IS TRUE PROGRESS.
I LOVE WORKING AT FOX.
I MEAN, OF COURSE I REACH
SEGMENTS OF THE POPULATION WITH
THIS BLACK FACE THAT I MIGHT NOT
REACH ANY PLACE ELSE.
I DON’T KNOW BUT HERE I AM.
I AM PLANTED, AND I’M TRYING TO
NOURISH AND GROW THIS GARDEN
WHERE I WAS PLANTED.
I WAS RAISED THAT WAY.
YOU’RE ONE OF THE POSITIVE
PEOPLE I KNOW, CHARLES.
CHARLES: THANK YOU.
YOU HAD SOMEONE ON YOUR SHOW
TODAY THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING.
I WANT YOU TO SHARE WITH US AND
THE AUDIENCE BECAUSE IT GETS
BACK TO WHAT YOU WERE SAYING.
>> WE HAD A TOUGH CONVERSATION
ON VOTER I.D., PART OF POWER
PANEL ON THE FAULKNER FOCUS.
WE HAD A DEBATE BETWEEN MY GOP
GUEST, THE FOUNDER OF GOPAC,
DAVID AVELLA, CRYSTAL KNIGHT, MY
DEMOCRAT GUEST.
WHEN IT GOT TO THE POINT WE CAN
COME TOGETHER ON VOTER I.D., 80%
OF AMERICANS WANT IT.
SHE SAID, NO WE CAN’T.
HERE IT IS.
>> WE’RE NOT UNITED ON VOTER
I.D., DAVID, IF I’M A STUDENT
ATTENDING A STATE UNIVERSITY,
I’M ISSUED A STUDENT I.D. I
CANNOT GO AND VOTE.
THERE ARE STATES IN THIS COUNTRY
THAT WILL NOT ACCEPT MY VOTER
I.D. BILL.
MY STUDENT I.D.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT VOTER I.D.
>> CAN YOU GET AN I.D. THEY DO
ACCEPT?
>> THAT IS A POSSIBILITY.
>> THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION
IS YES.
CHARLES: SHE IS CONVERSATIONS
ARE TOUGH, HARRIS.
THERE IS A LOT, EARLIER,
POLITICIANS IN THE POLITICAL
CLASS, SEEMS LIKE THEY HAVE
THEIR OWN AGENDA.
I WILL SAY THIS.
I CAME IN WITH THE SONG FROM
STEVIE WONDER.
THERE IS A PART THAT SAYS WE
KNOW THE KEY TO UNITY OF ALL
PEOPLE IS IN THE DREAM THAT YOU
HAD SO LONG AGO, THAT LIVES IN
THE HEART OF ALL OF PEOPLE THAT
BELIEVE IN UNITY.
WE’LL MAKE THE DREAM BECOME A
REALITY.
I KNOW WE WILL BECAUSE OUR
HEARTS TELL US.
HARRIS FAULKNER.
>> I LIKE THAT SONG.
CHARLES: THANK YOU SO MUCH.
APPRECIATE YOU.
APPRECIATE YOU AS A FRIEND,
COLLEAGUE, SOMEONE I LOOK UP TO.