Transcripts For CSPAN Key Capitol Hill Hearings 20240622

Ability, we have the ability within the black community to do enormous things on our own. We dont have to wait for somebody else. We dont have to be at the mercy of anybody else. We dont have to be at the mercy of anybody else. People who have tried to convince us that we need to be subservient to them and that there, there, i will take care of you. We can take care of ourselves but we have to learn how to utilize our resources in the right way. The other thing that is vitally important is we need to be able to Work Together and stop listening to the purveyors of division who tell you just because you think differently about something then this person they are your enemy. Divide and conquer and control. We dont need people who divide and conquer and control. We need the people who learn how to use their various talents and energies together in an effective way. That is what is going to work. For our young people, we need to begin to put out the appropriate types of models. When you look at the light there, dont just talk about thomas edison. Talk about his righthand man who was a black man who came up with the filament that made that lightbulb work more than two or three days, who invented the electric lamp, who diagrammed the telephone for Alexander Graham bell. Had so many inventions when someone would come up, they would say is that the real mccoy . You can go on and on talking about the tremendous contributions of black people to this nation. We need to give those young men a very different vision of what success is for them and we need to hold up the right kinds of models. We need to talk to them about how to conduct themselves. You know is there injustice out there . Of course, but if you conduct yourself in certain ways, you are going to run into trouble. Not only with lawenforcement but with the other guy down the block. You run into somebody who was better than you are and all of a sudden guns start flaring we dont need that. Lastly im wrapping up, let me say how important it is for us to think about the fact that the thing that got us through slavery, and jim crowism segregation and all the prejudices is that we have faith in god. There are so many people who want to throw god out of our society. They want to throw that relationship out. There is such a thing as right and wrong. There are morals. There are values. There are principles. If we hold on to those things, it will make all the difference in the world because if god before you, who can be against you . Thank you, god bless you. [applause] marc one question. Dr. Carson ok. Marc lets give dr. Carson a big round of applause. Thank you. This is the beginning of the process and i wanted to pose this, the National Urban league, plans to share the candidates a short questionnaire that we will ask you for your position on issues that are contained in our 21st century agenda. The crowd is very interested in in knowing if you could commit to respond to the questionnaire on a timely basis. Dr. Carson i would be extremely happy to. As i travel around the country im doing lots of town halls and i dont screen any questions. Im very happy to answer any questions there is. The things you have outlined as important, i would love to have gotten into but i cannot do it in 15 minutes. I will be happy to get into them in some detail. Marc we appreciate it. Lets give dr. Carson a big round of applause. Thank you for your work and thank you for being here with us today. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, we will stand at ease for five minutes as we prepare for our next candidate. With thank god for our talents. Our anointed abilities and to sing its praises. [applause] marc thank you very much. Ladies and gentlemen, please resume return to your seat. Please return to your seat. Ladies and gentlemen our next candidate absolutely need no introduction. She is the only person in history to upheld the position of first lady in the united rates states, u. S. Senator and u. S. Secretary of state. The National Urban league is proud to welcome back secretary Hillary Rodham clinton. [applause] mrs. Clinton good morning. Good morning. [applause] mrs. Clinton wow. This is a great way to start my day. Im delighted to be here with you. I want to thank marc for not only the introduction, but all of his work over the years. I have been a fan of marc since he was mayor of new orleans. He did great work there and it he is doing great work at the National Urban league. Thank you. We are all thinking, as i hope we do every year, about new orleans as we near the 10th anniversary of katrina. Something like that should never be allowed to happen in the United States of america again. We have to keep learning the lessons and repledging our commitment. I want to thank everyone for welcoming me here today. I want to give a shout out to your National Chairman of the board, michael neidorff. Also backstage, i saw a longtime friend of mine congressman hastings. And Alexis Herman who served in my Husbands Administration and tony west who served in president obamas administration. A veritable hall of fame for this event. I can never come to a National Urban league gathering without mentioning my lifelong friend vernon jordan. He may not be here today, but he is with us in spirit because of his deep love and commitment to this organization. It is also close to my heart. Over the years i have gotten a chance to work with you, learn from you. I have poured over your state of black america report. I have spoken at your conferences. Most importantly, i have seen how you change peoples lives. The theme of this conference saving our cities, education jobs and justice speaks to the important work you have been doing for decades. I know that you help black entrepreneurs get start up capital. I know you help people find jobs. I know you give families financial counseling so they could achieve their dream of buying a home or sending their kids to college. And you make sure parents have the tools to take care of their kids health. That is the kind of daytoday commitment that makes such a difference. As you help prepare young people for college and work in a world that can sometimes make them feel that they are not very important, you make sure they know just how precious and powerful they really are. This vital work has been my work too. My first job out of law school was not at some big law firm it was with the Childrens Defense Fund. That first summer after i graduated, i went door to door for kids shut out of school and denied the education they deserve. I also began a lifelong concern by working with the cdf to figure out what we did with kids caught up in the juvenile and adult prison systems. As first lady, i helped create the Childrens Health care program. As senator i champion Small Businesses owned i women and people of color and that is where a lot of the jobs from america come from. I thought to raise the minimum wage he does no one who works hard in america should raise their kids in poverty. These issues, your issues are deeply personal to me. So, im here early on this morning, first and foremost, to say thank you. Im also here to talk about the future, because the work you have been doing is more important than ever. And im going to keep doing that work right alongside you. I would love nothing more than to stay and have a conversation for hours, going into depth about every single issue we are worried about, but you have a full slate of speakers that will follow me. So, let me make three points about the work we need to do together. First, the opportunity gap that america is facing is not just about economic inequality. It is about racial inequality. [applause] that may seem obvious to you but it bears underscoring because some of the evidence that backs it up would come as a shock to Many Americans. Like how africanamericans are nearly three times as likely as whites to be denied a mortgage. Or how in 2013, the median wealth for white families was more than 134,000 but for africanamerican families, it was just 11,000. A lot of people dont realize that our schools are more segregated today than they were in 1968. [applause] or even that africanamericans are sentenced to longer prison terms than why people for the same crime than white people for the same crime. Or political operatives are trying every trick in the book to prevent africanamericans from voting. [applause] listen to this one because as somebody who started with the Childrens Defense Fund and who now is the proud and delighted grandmother of a 10 month old granddaughter, africanamerican children are 500 500 more likely to die from asthma than white kids. I studied and advocated and introduced legislation to close health disparities. I knew how severe they were, but 500 . All of this points to an on avoidable conclusion race. Race still plays a significant role in in determining who gets ahead in america and who gets left behind. Yes, while that is partly a legacy of discrimination that stretches back to the start of our nation, it is also because of discrimination that is still ongoing. Im not saying anything you dont already know. You understand this better than i do, better than anyone. But, i want to say it anyway because im planning to be president and anyone who seeks that office has a responsibility to say it. [applause] and more than that to grapple with the systemic inequities that so Many Americans face. Anyone who asks for your vote should try their hardest to see things as they actually are not just as we want them to be. So, i want you to know i hear you and the Racial Disparity you work hard every day to overcome go against everything i believe in and everything i want to help america achieve. The second point is this this is not just about statistics, as damning as they can be. This is about americans doing some soulsearching and holding ourselves to account. This is about all of us looking into our hearts, examining our assumptions and fears and asking ourselves what more can i do in my life to counter hate and injustice . How can i make our country a better fairer place . Let me be clear i think all of us need to do that kind of introspection, but those of us who have not experienced systemic racial inequities, we have an extra obligation. We need to do a better job of listening when people talk about the seen and unseen barriers they face every day. We need to practice humility rather than assume our experiences are everyones experiences. [applause] and yes, we need to try as best we can to walk in one anothers shoes to imagine what it would be like to sit our son down and have the talk. Or if people followed us around stores or locked their car doors when we walked past. That empathy that is what makes it possible for people from every background, every race, every religion to come together as one nation. That is the kind of generosity of spirit that makes a country like america endure. And given what we have seen and experienced over the last two years, this is an urgent call for people to search their own hearts and minds. Here is my third point we have arrived at a moment when all these challenges are in sharp relief. We have to seize it. Too many times, americans have come together in shock and horror to process a violent senseless tragedy. Like Trayvon Martin shot to death not in some empty desolate street somewhere that in a gated community. He was not a stranger. He had family there. Or sandra bland a collegeeducated young woman who knew her rights, who did not do anything wrong, but still ended up dying in a jail cell. Together, we mourned tamir rice, eric garner, freddie gray. These names are emblazoned on our hearts. We have seen their faces, heard their grieving families. We have seen a massacre in charleston. And black churches set on fire today in 2015. Thankfully, tragedy is not all we have seen. Yes, the confederate battle flag came down finally in south carolina. [applause] families of the charleston victims reached out with extraordinary grace to the man who killed their loved ones. And president obama delivered a eulogy that sounded as though it had come straight from angels, ending with amazing grace. [applause] young people have taken to the streets dignified and determined, urging us to affirm the basic fact that black lives matter. [applause] and because of people across this country sharing their stories with courage and strength a growing number of americans are realizing what many of you have been saying for a long time. We cannot go on like this. We are better than this. Things must change. Now, it is up to us to build on that momentum and we all have to do our part, by those of us who strive to lead have a special responsibility. Im very pleased that many president ial candidates will be here today to address you. It is a signal that the work you have been doing, laboring in the vineyards for decades, is getting the political attention it deserves. But the real test of a candidates commitment is not whether we come to speak at your national conference, as important as that is. It is whether we are still around after the cameras are gone and the votes are counted. [applause] it is whether our physicians live up to our rhetoric positions live up to our rhetoric. Too often, we see a mismatch of what candidates say at venues like this and what they actually do when they are elected. I dont think you can credibly say everyone has the right to rise and then say you are for phasing out medicare or repealing medicare. People cannot rise if they cannot afford health care. [applause] they cannot rise of the minimum wage is too low to live on. They cannot rise if their governor makes it harder for them to get a college education. You cannot seriously talk about the right to rise and support laws that denied the right to vote. [applause] yes, what people say matters but what they do matters more. Americans, especially today deserve leaders who will face in equity raise and justice issues in all their complexity head on. Who will not just concede there are Barriers Holding people back. Will do instead what it takes to tear those barriers down once and for all. I will never stop working on issues of equality and opportunity, race and justice. That is a promise. I have done it my entire adult life. I will always be in your corner because issues like these are why im running for president. They are why i got involved in Public Service in the first place. To tear down the barriers that hold people back from developing their talents and achieving their dreams. Im asking you to hold me accountable. Im asking you to hold me accountable. To hold all of us accountable. You deserve leaders who will work hard every day to make our country a better lace. To make it live up to its potential and to provide the opportunities for every single child in this country to live up to his or her godgiven potential. Yes i do have a 10monthold grandchild now. There is nothing like it to focus you on the present. When bill and i are with charlotte doing our best to babysit, the phones are off and the tv is off. We are just focused on this miracle of life. And were the kind of grandparents. We give her a standing ovation. You see its not just about our granddaughter. We of course will do everything we can to make sure she has all of the opportunities she should as a citizen of this country. As a child of god, as a person who has the rights to go as far as her hard work and talent will take her. Thats not enough. I dont want the just for my granddaughter. Im the granddaughter of a factory worker. I know how blessed i been. An opportunity that i had been others with just as much talent did not. Let us tear down the barriers. So the matter whose child you are or grandchild you are, you to will have the same chance. I am proud to be your ally. Im committing committed to being your partner. I will keep fighting right alongside you today and always to make the United States of america a country where all men and women and all boys and girls are treated as they deserve to be. As equals. I know we can do this. I know the path ahead is not easy. But i am absolutely convinced that we will once again joined hands and make a difference for those young people who not only need a pass, but need the love and embrace of a grateful nation. Thank you and god bless you. I want to know few can commit to respond to that questionnaire. We will make it public. Yes. The second question is we have within the urban League Movements, and exciting generation of new Generation Leaders who are coming of age. Could you talk to them a little bit about the role they would play. You plan for them to play both in your campaign, but also in the issues in your administration. Some people refer to them as the millennials. They are part of our young professionals. Some have emerged as leaders of our affiliates. They are represented in large numbers here. I have been so blessed over the years to have had a lot of wonderful people working for me. Now i have the next generation. Themselves have been successful. And i see a difference between this generation and maybe some prior generations where africanamericans, women, others who felt like they had to struggle to be successful emma there was a, there was a sense that they goodness i made it. I will do the best i can. I will make contributions. But the days of activism are behind me. This new generation is in a very important way combining personal success with continuing activism. And even education. I think we need that. I not only welcome it, i hope we can together harness it. Because like i said about my granddaughter, it is not enough that some of us are successful. It is not enough when we see growing inequality economic, racial, social. I enlist and ask for the help of this active, committed generation. You know, there is that great old saying, what are you to do . You can comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. That is part of your role. Even though i sometimes may be on the receiving end, that is ok. As i said in my remarks, i want you to hold me accountable. Particularly by young people who know the kind of future they want to help us create. Thank you very much. My final question, in the discussion around income inequality, the racial wealth gap, one part of the conversation that has been missing and not really addressed is the role of Small Businesses africanamericanowned businesses. Many of them face closing credit markets, difficulty in building the business. What would you say to the entrepreneurs about how you would address those concerns . They are indeed job creators many of them are womenowned. We serve 12,000 Small Businesses across the nation, about 70 are womenowned. They are so crucial to closing the racial wealth gap. How would you address their concerns . Ms. Clinton we could be here all day. Let me quickly say i want to be the smallbusiness president. My dad was a Small Businessman. I saw how hard he worked, how he provided a life for my family. Mark is right 60 of the net jobs created in america are created by Small Businesses. Right now, we have tax burdens, regulatory burdens and other barriers that are starting to limit growth and expansion. It is particularly a problem of people of color and women of color especially. Part of what i want to do, and im starting to talk about this all across the country, is to really zero in on tearing down those barriers. One of the problems as mark said is a lack of credit for i have worked on how you get more credit. I helped to start a Development Bank in arkansas, it is still funding Small Businesses. Someone here from arkansas . Thank you. I want to expand the Small Business administration, make sure we have online lending that is especially attuned to the needs of Small Business. I have a whole agenda because this is one of the keys to not only creating wealth and creating jobs, but getting our economy back moving as quickly and fast as it can to get back to where we were before the big crash. There is a lot more to talk about, to put points. Towo quick points, in my economic plan, i talk about strong, fair, and longterm growth. We cannot have any of that unless we do more to get women into the workforce and have them paid fairly and take into account their particular challenges. Secondly, we have to get off the load of student debt. That is stopping young businesses. And so, this is about the whole economy. But in particular, what do we need to do to clear the way for Small Businesses to start and grow . I will be the Small Business resident. Mark secretary Hillary Rodham clinton. Makes for being at the urban league. Thanks for being at the urban league. We are fighting for our lives been through a war, put up a fight i can see it in your eyes i feel the fire, burning inside you i can see it in your eyes raise up, dont forget we were born to be fighters we are survivors they cannot you down, but we will get back up we are born to be fighters and we are fighting for our lives dont forget, erased the fear we were born to be fighters we soar with survivors they cannot you down, we will get back up we were born to be fighters we were born to be fighters we soar with survivors they cannot you knock you down, we will get back up we were born to be fighters and we are fighting for our lives we are fighting for our lives yeah, we are fighting for our lives i used to bite my tongue and hold my breath make a mess i sit quietly breeze politely i let you push me past the breaking point i fell for everything you held me down, but i got up you hear my voice you held me down but i got up, get ready because ive had enough i have seen it all i have the eye of the tiger the fire dancing through the fire the eye of the champion you are going to hear me roar im the am the champion you are going to hear me roar you are going to hear me roar now i am floating like a butterfly stinging like of a bee i went from zero to hero you held me down, but i got up like thunder, i am going to shake the ground you held me down, but i got up i see it all, i see it now ive got the eye of the tiger dancing through the fire i am a champion you are going to hear me roar louder than a lion i am a champion you are going to hear me roar you are going to hear me roar you are going to hear me roar i got the eye of the tiger dancing through the fire the eye of the champion, you are going to hear me roar ladies and gentlemen, we are about to resume with our program. Once again, please take your seats. Ladies and gentlemen, please we are running slightly behind. We want to catch up. Those of you who are in the aisle, if you will help us by taking your seats. Ladies and gentlemen, please move as quickly as possible. Ladies and gentlemen our next speaker is a former colleague of mine as a member of the United States conference of mayors. He is a former mayor of baltimore, former governor of maryland. And the front man for the celtic rock band, omalleys march. I have heard he can rock. Please welcome governor Martin Omalley. Martin omalley good morning. It is wonderful to be here with all of you. I want to thank the urban league and mark, your ceo. Lets give it up for the mayor. [applause] the highest title in the land mayor. I want to thank your ceo for inviting me to be here with all of you today. My name is Martin Omalley. I am the former mayor of baltimore, former governor of maryland. Im a democrat, and i am running for president of the United States. [applause] the mayor and i will always share a certain bond of having served as mayors together of two of americas oldest and greatest cities new orleans and baltimore. The mayor and i have discussed many issues over the years. Some people are called to work. And the gap between justice and injustice how do we rebuild our cities . Baltimore is growing, rather than trading. How to improve schools . In the middle of recession, we invested more to make our schools number one in america five years in a row. And to make college more affordable by freezing tuition four years in a row. How to create jobs and opportunity for all . In our state, we had the secondhighest percentage of africanamericanowned business. The secondhighest Median Income of africanamericans. And the topics i would like to speak to you about today, how can we save lives . How can we improve and reform our criminal Justice System . And how can we together make real the promise of equal protection under the law . When i ran for mayor of baltimore as a longshot candidate way back in 1999, it was not because our city was doing well. Despite many well intentioned efforts, our city had become the most violent addicted, most abandoned city in america. And every year we buried 300 young, black men who died violent deaths on our streets and black lives matter. [applause] i would like to share with you a true story. From my time in service in those turnaround years in baltimore. Difficult but important years, it was october 16, 2002. And the phone by our bed rang at 3 00 a. M. It was loud and insistent. And i suppose one can get phone calls with good news. At 3 a. M. , but as a mayor calls at that hour never have good news. The deputy mayor had the rotating duty of screening emergency calls. She said there has been a fire, are really bad fire. In a house with a mother, and we think five children. And the father is real bad, too. He is in intensive care. There he badly burned. Although, i said. But there was something in her wish that night that only the story was not over. She said police and fire are here. And they believe it was intentional. And they are very shaken up. I am here, neighbors are here they are very angry. They say it was retaliation. I said, retaliation . By whom, for what . She said for calling the police about drug dealers. This is so terrible. And indeed, it was. 23 years of service two terms as governor, two terms as mayor the tragic events of the Early Morning are forever seared into my memory. The reality was this when Angela Dawson lived in east baltimore, mom and dad both work. They love their children, provided for them. I reveled in their individual talents. Like so many families in our city, in those days, they were threatened harassed, and they had life made miserable by open air drug dealing. They would call the police to complain. Miss dawson would go to court to testify. Two weeks later two weeks earlier to this incident someone had thrown a molotov cocktail through their living room window. The bottle failed to explode. Lisa responded, no witnesses. States attorneys offered to move the family, but they refused to leave. Eastern district gave extra tension, this morning, the major road by. Like many families and humble neighborhoods have a hard time making ends meet, the dawsons were keeping their home he did by leaving the gas of an open and on. At 2 20 a. M. , a 21yearold man from the neighborhood more the lookout than a dealer. He lit the wrag that caught the gasoline, kicked in the door, and tossed the bottle inside where it smashed on the stairs. The old rowhouse was engulfed in seconds, everyone died quickly and painfully, except for mr. Dawson. Who clung to life for two more days. I stood in a line a couple of days later as we filed past the caskets. The kidss School Portraits on top. Angela dawsons mother and relatives make clear to the prosecutor that they did not want to see the Death Penalty pursued. They did not want to see these deaths lead to one more death. And life without parole was imposed. To this day, it is impossible for me to think about the dawsons without becoming very sad and emotional. And i suppose it always will be. Their little house became our alamo. It would be the beginning. They are buried together at delaney valley cemetery, the resting place of so many fallen who have given their lives in the line of duty. And every time i visit that cemetery on Fallen Heroes day or other occasions, i walk just over the hill to the good dawsons grade. And i still wait and hope for love, peace, justice to have the final word. You and i are part of a living, self creating mystery. Called the United States of america, our country was not born in perfection, or without original sin. Because of the sacrifices and perseverance of so many in generation after generation, we have moved toward a full respect. We have moved toward more equal justice, equal protection under the law. But we are not there yet. Every headline or video of official abuse injustice indifference reminds us of how far we have to go. Every story reminds us that americans of color must in your a constant must enduirere a constant state. How many individuals like sandra bland have been subject to abuse of arrest when the cameras were not rolling . How many names will we never know . How many Walter Scotts have been savagely shot down and set up to take the blame when cameras and Cell Phone Technology were not in the on position . How many names do we not know . There are certain beliefs we share as americans. I believe in the dignity of every individual, a belief to advance the common good, understanding we are all in this together. In our idea of country, there is no such thing as a spare american. We believe you do not surrender your Human Dignity when you change lanes without signaling. As americans, we believe you do not surrender your Human Dignity when your taillight on your car happens to burnout. And no american surrenders their dignity whatever the emergency because of the color of their skin. [applause] and if you do not believe that, you are not qualified to run a city. And if you do not believe that, you are not qualified to wear a badge or carry a gun. [applause] leading my own city and state forward to achieve the largest reductions in Violent Crime in modern history, we strived and search every day to become smarter about Public Safety and the actions that actually work to save lives and to redeem lives. The constant search for this better way to shape our approach to courts, prisons, drug treatment, policing, policing the police and Everything Else we did. 1999 forward, 1000 fewer black man died thanks to the biggest improvement in any big city in america. I closed the largest and most violent prison in the state of maryland the maryland house of corrections. By the time i left office in january, we had not only reduced Violent Crime to a 35 year low we took actions to reduce recidivism by 15 . We reduced incarceration rate to a 20 year low, and we reduced new prison admissions by 19 compared to 10 years before. [applause] how . By doing the things that work, like expanding reentry programs, not cutting them. By dramatically increasing drug and Mental Health treatment expanding education and workforce training inside the wall, by giving access vendors and identification card before they are released so they can apply for jobs, housing benefits afterwards. We did this by doing away with the things that clearly do not work. And that clearly do not serve. For example, we decriminalized small amounts of marijuana. We restored Voting Rights to 52,000 citizens with old felony records. [applause] and not our first try, not on the second, but with perseverance. And on the third try, we repeal the Death Penalty in the state of maryland. [applause] in our party, we have lots of good candidates who will make progressive promises lots of people that can talk about criminal justice reform. I have actually done it. Today, i want to talk to you about a new agenda for an entire nation. Policing will always be locally controlled and locally directed. But there is a vital role the federal government must fulfill in setting standards, funding programs that serve justice, and the common good we share. We can reduce racial disparities, we can reduce and redirect dollars that we are currently spending on incarceration, and we can get more of our people opportunities to turn their lives around. First, our laws must allow punishments to suit the crime. And congress appears to be making progress to reducing mandatory minimums for nonViolent Crimes, and i support this important bipartisan and longoverdue effort at the federal level. [applause] as president , i will root out the sentencing disparities like crack and powder cocaine. I will work with a consensus that leads to the repeal of the Death Penalty in america and removes the United States from that small group of nations responsible for the worlds public execution. Second, i will take action to put the work of rehabilitation at the center of our justice agenda for the sake of employment. There is no progress without a job. Our nation currently has the highest incarceration rate of any nation in the free world. We must recognize that investments we make for reentry pay for themselves by reducing recidivism. Our federal government must expand investments and reentry programs job training, we must support Community Services that help people return to their families and make the transition back to productive lives. To that end, our federal government must lead by example in banning the fact that a past criminal record does not prevent someone from gaining employment. [applause] third, we must recognize that many people who fall into our criminal Justice System would be far more effectively helped by our Public Health system. And yet, police are often First Responders to people in crisis. I will invest in training and equipping Law Enforcement to better prepare officers with encounters with the mentally ill. I will expand Community Health services. Fourth and finally we must improve policing and the way we police our police. In order to rebuild trust. [applause] when i ran for mayor of baltimore in 1999, i was not endorsed by the fraternal order of police. In that election, i promised for the protection of both our neighbors and Police Officers, that we together as a people could do a much better job at policing our police with better training and pay. That is exactly what we did. There are things every Police Department should do, every day to improve the trust necessary between citizens and the officers sworn to serve and protect us all. All of us. Among those things, and adequately staffed internal Affairs Division and independently staffed civilian review boards, to safeguard professional integrity of every police force. And our federal government can play a vital role in lifting of these practices and investing Adoption Across the country. Today, everyone reports murder, rape, robbery. And in a public and open way, as president , i will require every Police Department to recall all custodial deaths, legal force, complaints regarding discourtesy and excessive force. [applause] it is a fact of human nature. We cannot understand what we do not see. We cannot improve what we do not measure. But once we measure, once we see, and once we understand, we can certainly improve. The reality is, Racial Injustice in Law Enforcement in america has been painfully intertwined since the very first day of our nation. And if we are to have any hope of improving Police Community relations for our own sakes and the sakes of our children and grandchildren, these measures of professional policing must be open and visible for all to see. We must also advance new Technology Like body cameras cruiser cameras that promise openness and transparency. Technology will not fix everything, but it is a vital step forward to achieving professional policing. We must free ourselves from the tyranny of that is the way we have always done it. Every Police Department must pass the test of whether it saves lives and every policy we adopt and Public Safety must pass the same test are we saving or redeeming lives . This is ongoing work we share as a nation. To do more of what works, less of what does not. To create an america where there is truly Liberty Justice for us all. Final thoughts, the great Barbara Jordan once said, the gap between the promise and the reality of america can one day be finally close. We believe that. Barbara jordan grew up amidst some of the harshest segregation in our country. Denied everything from the use of a water fountain to admission to her state university. But she never stop believing that we can make the promise of america reality. To begin the first African American in the texas senate since the days of reconstruction, the first africanamerican from texas ever sent to congress. And there, she fought for Voting Rights. For human rights, what was right. One of her various bills was to strengthen prairie view and m. Which happened to be the school where sandra bland was to work. She never made it to work. On july 10. Barbara jordan was fond of saying, that when it came to justice, people who are right must do battle with people who have the might. And Barbara Jordan passed away, not yet even 60 years old, the headline read a voice for justice dies. I dont believe that is true. Voices of justice never die. Voices of justice will always resonate. Sandra bland told a Police Officer she cannot wait to get to court so her voice would be heard. And we are hearing her voice right now. We can make ourselves a more just nation. A more compassionate nation, a more just people. We can teach all of our children a more generous, compassionate caring way forward. There is more that unites us than divides us. We must help each other if we are to succeed. And love, piece justice will have a final word. Thank you all very, very much. [applause] Mark Governor Martin Omalley. Governor, very quickly the same three questions. I will ask you all three, you can respond at once. We will be sending you a questionnaire, and i want you to commit to responding to the questionnaire in a timely basis. Second, talk about the role of Young Leaders emerging generations what role they would play in your campaign, administration . And the third is an element of income inequality and the racial wealth gap what happens with a frozen markets of Small Businesses . And africanamerican businesses, what you have done to expand opportunity there . Martin omalley first of all, i will absolutely with zeal and speed fell of the questionnaire. I look forward to having a larger discussion about the new agenda for americas cities, investments, mass transit, as well as making cities leaders and ain in a green, clean future. Our headquarters in baltimore are packed with young men and women representing great strength of diversity. They keep me going. As ive traveled around the country, and you talk to Young Americans, i rarely meet people under 30 who deny the Climate Change is real or think we should do something about it. I rarely ever meet people under 30 who want to discriminate against gay couples or bash immigrants. That tells me we are moving to a much better place in the country. I am going to speak to that better america, i think you will see a tremendous response. A lot of leaders will come forward in the campaign. And the final point, as mayor as soon as i was elected, they struck down the case. I had to put it back into place right away. And i did it with an executive order that actually raise it higher, while we do the study. He put in place a way to measure our outcomes. As governor, we raised the goal a legacy. Marilyn has the highest goal in the country maryland has the highest goal in the country. We exceeded it. We have to walk the walk when it comes to understanding the genius is we take actions to include more people more fully in the economic, social, and political life of our nation. When we make opportunities, loans our state as the secondbiggest black owned percentage in america. We have to take actions if we want Economic Growth that liftoff. Mark thank you for being here. We will see you. Governor Martin Omalley thank you. I am finding it strange when you see it in your suitcase when it is rolling down the track but you dont know where you are going now but you know you wont come back well darling we will take what we can carry big reels roll throughwheels roll through fields hand me the latter of broken adder of broken dreams here i will provide for you i will stand by your side to be a good friend now leave me in sorrow tomorrow there will be sunshine and all the darkness dad as wheels roll through fields give me the land of open dreams dreams will not be thwarted they will be rewarded steel wheels letting freedom ring this trains carries losers and lovers this train carries gamblers a carries ourit carries our soul this train dreams will not be forthwarted they will be rewarded steel wheels mark let me ask you again to take your seats. Move very quickly, we thank governor Martin Omalley again. Lets give them a round of applause. Thank you for being at the National Urban league. Very quickly ladies and gentlemen, i would like you to get seated. As i briefly introduce our next speaker. Our next speaker has been active in the Civil Rights Movement as a student. At the university of chicago in the early 1960s, there he was arrested for protesting segregated student housing. He participated in the 1963 march on washington. Having served as mayor of burlington vermont in the 1980s, he went on to congress and now serves in the United States senate. Lets hear from him now. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the urban league senator Bernie Sanders. [applause] senator Bernie Sanders thank you all very much. For inviting me, im looking at the teleprompter. Unfortunately, there is nothing there. [laughter] i am not the teleprompter guy. Let me congratulate the National Urban league, all of you for the enormous role you are playing in this country. Of fighting for social justice not only the ideas you are bringing forth, but the daytoday work you are doing. In terms of job training, helping Small Businesses secure financing and contracts. And help providing families with counseling when theyre trying to realize the American Dream of home ownership. Notthose are the few areas you have excelled in. My views are little bit different than others. I am the longestserving independent in the history of United States congress. And i am running for president of the United States today within the democratic primary and caucus process. It is my belief from the bottom of my heart, and i would not be running for president if i thought otherwise, that given the enormous crises that this country faces today crises that may be more severe than at any time since the Great Depression of the 1930s, that frankly it is too late for establishment policies. It is too late for establishment politics. It is too late for establishment economics. We need some new thinking, some bold thinking. [applause] and most importantly, this may make some people nervous, that is the way it is. [laughter] i think when we have a nation today where a handful of billionaires have unbelievable influence over the economic and political life of this country there is nothing significant that we will accomplish unless we have the current to take them on. That is what this campaign is about. [applause] the themes that you have outlined for this conference are exactly right. Save our cities, education jobs, and justice. As i get into those themes, the first point i want to make, is perhaps the most important. I do understand that for some people, this is uncomfortable. But i believe it has to be addressed. And that is that the United States of America Today is the wealthiest country in the history of the world. But most people do not know that because much of that wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few. Today, in america, we have more wealth and income inequality then in any other major country on earth. It is worse today than at any time since 1928. To me, it is not acceptable that the top 1. 10 10 of 1 owns almost as much wealth as the bottom 90 . It is not acceptable that one family family that owns walmart, owns more than the bottom 40 . It is not acceptable that in the last two years, the 14 wealthiest people solve their wealth increase more wealth that is owned by the bottom 130 million americans. The truth of the matter is, that we cannot run away from that reality. Income and wealth inequality is the great moral issue of our time. It is the great economic issue of our time. It is the great social and political issue of our time. And together we must address that issue. [applause] let me talk to you on another issue before i get to your theme of equal consequence. Some of you may have heard maybe you didnt. It didnt get a whole lot of press. A few days ago, former president jimmy carter described the american political system as corrupt. He described the United States as an oligarchy with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nomination for president or to elect the president. What he was talking about is the Disastrous Supreme Court decision on Citizens United. [applause] a decision which said to the wealthiest people in this country, you already own much of the economy. Now, we are going to give you the opportunity to buy the United States government. That decision is undermining the very foundations of american democracy. What manyen and women have fought to defend. You tell me, what it means when one family the Koch Brothers family they will spend more money on this election cycle than either the democratic or republican party. They spend almost 1 billion to buy candidates will make the rich richer and everyone else poorer. That to me is not democracy. That is oligarchy, that is why we have to overturn this disastrous Citizens United decision. [applause] and i guarantee you, that all of the issues that candidates have talked about that you believe in will not take place when a handful of wealthy people are able to control our political system. Now when we talk about education i trust that all of you know as you do, that we live in a highly competitive, global economy. To my mind, it is insane and i use that word wisely. That we have hundreds of thousands of bright, young people, often minorities who have the desire, who have the ability to get a Higher Education and go to college. But they cannot go to college for the simple reason that their family cannot afford tuition. That is absurd. We need to have the best educated workforce in the world and not tell hundreds of thousands of bright young people that they cannot make it into the middle class, that they cannot contribute as engineers, doctors, scientists. And that is why i have introduced legislation and will fight for it as president. To make every Public College and university in america tuitionfree. [applause] and what that means, is that kids in the fourth grade and in the sixth grade will know that if they study hard, pay attention, do their school work, even if their parents like my parents, they did not go to college. Even if the kids in the neighborhood did not go to college, they will be able to go to college because the income of their families will not be a determining factor. This will revolutionize education. We talk about education, what we have to understand and be frank the world has changed since the 1940s and 1950s. Mom is in the workplace. Dad is in the workplace. We need a firstclass childcare prek system in this country. [applause] in my state and all over the country, workingclass families struggling to find affordable, Quality Childcare childcare workers are paid minimum wage. That is not how we should treat the most Vulnerable Children in america. Universal prek wellpaid teachers. Let me say a word about jobs. You read every month that unemployment is 5. 3 . That is a statistic. Please know that that statistic is only one of many statistics the government releases on jobs. That statistic does not include those people who have given up looking for work, those people working part millions who want to work fulltime. Real unemployment is 10. 5 . It is a crisis. And now let me tell you what very few people are talking about, which is an even greater crisis. And that is youth unemployment, which we do not talk about at all. I ask last month for a study from the Economic Policy institute. They came up with results the nobody is questioning. Listen to this. If you are a white kid between 7020 who graduates high school you have a 33 unemployment rate. If you are an and hispanic kid you have a 36 unemployment rate. If you are an africanamerican kid, 1720 high school graduate, you have a 51 unemployment rate. That is unacceptable. That is turning our backs on an entire generation. And we must not allow that to continue. [applause] now when people talk about the tragedy of the United States having more people in jail than any other country, including china, one of the contributing factors is that we have 5. 5 million young people in my state, your state without jobs, without education, hanging around on street corners doing bad things. It is my very strong opinion that it makes a lot more sense for us to be investing in jobs, education you rather than jails and incarceration. Sen. Sanders i introduced legislation that would create one million jobs for kids. I have introduced legislation that would call for a trillion dollar investment to create 13 million decent paying jobs rebuilding our infrastructure. When we talk about income, let me be clear. The 7. 25 minimum wage is a starvation wage. That is why last week alongside young people in the fast Food Industry fighting for dignity i introduced the legislation that will move us to 15 an hour minimum wage over the next few years. I strongly supported the Affordable Care act. It has done a lot of good things. We should understand that the United States today remains the only major country on earth that does not guarantee health care to all people as a right, and that is why i will continue fighting and introduce legislation for a medicare for all singlepayer program guaranteeing health care to every man, woman, and child. When we talk about justice. When we talk about the need for all people in america to be treated equally and with dignity , we have got to deal with hard realities. Those realities include the fact today if you can believe it, and i know you can one in four black males can expect to spend time in prison during their lifetime unless we change that dynamic. This is an unspeakable tragedy and this country can no longer ignore that. Blacks are in prison at six times the great of whites. In the report by the department of justice, blacks were three times more likely to be searched during a traffic stop than white motorists. Africanamericans are twice as likely to be arrested and almost four times as likely to experience the use of force during encounters with police. 13 and this is an and stored neri an extraordinary figure 13 of africanamerican men have lost the right to vote. Due to felony convictions, cant participate in the Democratic Political process. In my view, we need some major changes in criminal justice in america, and as president of the United States, i promise you my Justice Department will be vigorous and fighting all forms of the scriven nation in every area of our lives, in every area that impacts minority populations. Across our nation, as all of you know, and we seal must every day, too many African Americans and other minorities find themselves subjected to a system that treats citizens who have not committed crimes as if they were criminals. A growing number of communities throughout this country do not trust the police, and police have become disconnected from the communitys they are sworn to protect. When i was mayor of burlington vermont, one of the things we did that i believe in strongly is that we move towards community policing. Community policing means police are part of the community, not seen as oppressors in the community, and that is the direction we have got to move. Sandra bland, Michael Brown walter scott, freddie gray we know their names. Each of them died on armed at the hands of Police Officers or in police custody. Let us all be very clear. Violence and brutality of any kind, particularly at the hands of Law Enforcement sworn to protect and serve their communities is unacceptable and must not be tolerated. [applause] we must reform our criminal Justice System, black life to matter, and we must value black lives. [applause] we must move away from the militarization of police forces. We have all seen this heavyduty equipment. It looks like they are invading the city, going to war, and that is not the signal that the Police Departments should be signaling sending around this country. They should not be an oppressive force. We need a Justice Department which takes the lead and working with states and localities to train Police Officers. Force should be the last resort, not the first resort. For people who have committed crimes that have landed them in jail, there needs to be a path back from prison. The resurfaces in we send them to jail they have no jobs, no money, no housing, and we are shocked when they end up in jail. We must in the over incarceration of nonviolent Young Americans who do not pose a serious threat to our society. It is an International Embarrassment that we have more people in jail than any other country. It is an obscenity that we stigmatize so many Young Americans with a criminal record for smoking marijuana, but oddly enough not one major wall street executive has been prosecuted for causing the near collapse of our entire economy. [applause] does it make a whole lot of sense to me. Doesnt make a whole lot of sense to me. We need to end prisons for profit. [applause] i do not want corporations making money and more money based on how many people we lock up. The measure of serious and effective Law Enforcement should not be how many people go to jail, but how many people we can keep out of jail. We need to invest in drug courts, medical and Mental Health interventions. So many of our people in jail are dealing with Mental Health issues. As a senator, i get calls. Others do as well. Senator, my brother, i am worried what he will do to himself and other people. We searched desperately for affordable Mental Health care and we cant find it. That is a story going on all over america. That is a story that has to change. [applause] furthermore, we have to take a hard look at the tragedy last month in south carolina. It reminds me of that so strongly. There are still those who seek to terrorize, and they are terrorists, the Africanamerican Community with violence and intimidation. Some of us thought that had ended, but it hasnt. We need to make sure that federal resources are available to crack down on the eagle activities the even legal illegal activities of hate groups. That has got to end and the federal government must be active in ending that. Brothers and sisters, thank you very much for allowing me to be a few and share some ideas. Let me conclude in the tone that i began. [laughter] and that is that these are very difficult days. I believe that if we stand together as a people, if we dont let people divide us by race, gender, Sexual Orientation if we stand together, if we have the courage to take on those people today if we do that, there is nothing we cant accomplish and i am confident the urban league will be in the forefront of that struggle. Thank you so much. [applause] senator bernie standards. Three quick questions. We will have a questionnaire that will seek your position on our 21st century agenda. Can you commit to respond to the questioner . Sen. Sanders absolutely. Millennials are an important part of the electorate today any word you would like to say specifically about the role that they will play in your campaign and administration or in the future of the nation . Sen. Sanders just the other day, some of you may know, we did something unprecedented. We had 3700 organizing meetings in every state in this country bringing out more than 100,000 people. Most of them were young people. I believe very strongly, not only in terms of my campaign but in the future of this company that we have got to mobilize the idealism and energy of young people, and my campaign will do everything we can to make that happen. An important part for the Africanamerican Community of the racial wealth gap, income inequality gap, has to do with the fact that our small entrepreneurs, africanamerican owned businesses, are facing frozen credit markets and difficulty to grow. Talk about that in terms of how it fits into your thinking. Sen. Sanders thank you for making that extreme he important point to people can succeed cant succeed in Small Business and leslie have affordable credit. On the broader level unless they have affordable credit. Wall street is an island unto itself, more concerned about their own profits than making affordable loans to Small Business and potential homeowners, and thats why i have called for the breaking up of the major Financial Institutions in this country which will in fact increase credit to small and mediumsized businesses. Senator Bernie Sanders, lets thank him for being here with us. Sen. Sanders thank you very much. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, we will stand at ease. We have one more speaker today. Dont go far. The cars on the street, red, white, and blue people shuffling their feet people sleeping in their shoes there is a warning sign on the road ahead there are a lot of people saying we would be better off dead i dont feel like sitton, but i am to them keep on rocking in the free world keep on rocking in the free world keep on rocking in the free world keep on rocking in the free world i see them walking in the night with a baby in her hands now she puts the kid away and shes going to get ahead she hates the life and what its done to it keep on rocking in the free world keep on rocking in the free world keep on rocking in the free world keep on rocking in the free world weve got a thousand points of light from a homeless man we have a kinder, gentler machine gun hand keep on rocking in the free world keep on rocking in the free world keep on rocking in the free world keep on rocking in the free world the cars on the street red, white, and blue people shuffling their feet, people sleeping in their shoes there is a warning sign on the road ahead if we could return to our seats. Lets give Bernie Sanders another round of applause. I want to thank all of the urban league trustees ceos, young professionals, guilders, board leaders, national and affiliate staff, lets give them a round of applause for all their work. This has been a great morning, a great session. You have been a wonderful crowd. Also, lets give the representatives of the media of the media a big hand for coming out and supporting by letting the American People see this form today. Our final candidate hails from a family that is no stranger to the state of florida, to the white house, or to american politics. Three generations of members of the bush family have served the federal government, and to have held the oval office. Our next speaker is looking to win the trifecta. [laughter] our next speaker served as governor of this state, the Sunshine State of florida. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the National Urban League Governor jeb bush. Jeb thank you very much. I appreciate your hospitality and an excellent choice of the best state in which to hold your conference. I am not biased or anything. The urban League Movement runs deep here. If you were hoping to find the most diverse dynamic forwardlooking site for your conviction convention, you came to the right place. You are always welcome in florida. Mark i thank you and the trustees for this kind invitation. Im honored to be your guest. I am pleased to see other candidates, secretary clinton, governor omalley, senator sanders, and a good man bringing a lot of wisdom to the republican side, dr. Ben carson. By the way, im glad he will make it into the top 10 for next weeks debate. Before that thing is over, we might just need a doctor. [laughter] im just saying. [laughter] for my part, i am working hard every day for the vote. In politics, the best kind of support begins in friendship and fellowship. My florida friends and partners in the urban league include some of the most formidable people that any of us know. Among them, a National Trustee education leader, and great woman, julia johnson. Give her a round of applause. [applause] and a man who basically build this movement from the ground up himself in south florida. [applause] he came to this state for a Job Interview with the miami affiliate. As he tells the story, and i quote, i did not know if they intended to hire me, but i intended to be hired. That was 55 years ago. [laughter] as we have learned, when he intends for something to happen dont be surprised when it does. He is an unstoppable leader and i am proud to call him my friend. After i lost my first election in 1994, i went through self reflection. I referred to it as listening and learning. I converted to my wifes catholic faith. I would give them the courthouses where there were cases of children abused and neglected. Parents, trying but unable to meet their obligations because of barriers, language, skills, or otherwise that held them back. In my next campaign, i visited 250 schools across florida, many of them in low income communities. I also partnered with the urban league greater miami to do something that was totally new to me. We built the liberty city charter school. At that time there were no Charter Schools in florida. We said, lets change the law. Lets go build a charter school. Lets start something new and helpful for people who should not have to wait for a real opportunity. Together, we got it done. That first year, 90 black children in liberty city baig in their journey toward success begin their journey toward success. That was one of the proudest moments of my life. Through listening and learning what i found were children who have the godgiven ability to achieve, yet for reasons out of their hands, structural, historical, economic, they did not have the same chance at success of their peers. I am indebted to manys around florida for giving me that perspective. It made me a better person, candidate in 1998, and a better governor for eight years that followed. That experience still shapes the way i see the deepseated challenges facing people and urban communities today. I know that there are unjust barriers to opportunity and upward mobility in this country. Some we can see, others are unseen, but just as real. So many lives can come to nothing or grief when we ignore problems or failed to meet our own responsibilities, and so many people could do so much better in life if we could come together and get a few big things right and government. I acted on that belief as governor of florida. It is a record i will gladly compare with anyone else in the field. Just for starters, leaders know there are 20 of tough calls, so we should not be wasting time over the easy ones. 14 years ago, when the question was whether to keep the Confederate Flag i said no and put it in a museum where it belongs. [applause] another easy call was reaching out for talent wherever i found it, for my cabinet staff, state agencies, and courts. You will not get good judgment and government when everybody comes from the same life experience. [applause] we increased the number of black for meridians serving by black floridians serving by 33 . I was particularly proud that during my governorship, the state use of minority owned businesses tripled. You cant serve all the people. We did it. [applause] we did it with the most diverse appointments the state has seen, from my first day as governor to the last, respect was the rule and opportunity for all was the goal. In most lives, opportunity is a hollow word unless you have the dignity of a job and a paycheck. It becomes real when people are hiring and the economy is growing, and thats what we accomplished here in florida. We got the state economy growing at 4. 4 a year. Average incomes went up in every group. We made florida the number one job creating state in the whole nation. [applause] we applied conservative principles and apply them fairly, without wavering. We found that with fewer obstacles, more people have the opportunity to achieve our success. We get more people the tools to move up in the world through Adult Education and workforce training. We expanded our Community College system and made it more affordable for low income families. Florida in those years help thousands more firstgeneration College Students make it all the way to graduation. We did not lose sight of the ones who had missed their chance at a better life, or maybe lost their way and landed in jail. In florida, we did not want to fill prisons with nonviolent offenders, so we expanded drug courts. They started in florida and we expanded them all across the state, and we created prevention programs. I took the view, as i would as president , that real justice in america has got to also include restorative justice. [applause] i opened the first faithbased prison in the United States, and signed an executive order to promote the hiring of x offenders. In this country, we should not be writing people off, denying them a Second Chance at a life of meaning. Many only ask for a chance to start again, to get back in again and do it right. As a country, we should say yes when ever we can. [applause] we also went after the real enemy that afflicts our cities, smugglers, drug cartels, violent criminals, that profit from the undoing of so many lies. We passed laws for gun crimes and ensure that dangerous people were caps off of our streets. As a result of all of this, we brought Violent Crime in florida down to a 27 your low and drug abuse way down as well. Social progress is always the story of widening the circle of opportunity. For that reason, i gave the challenge of School Reform everything i had as governor. Because if we fail at that responsibility, it is a bit or loss. I believe in the right to rise in this country, and a child is not reading. [applause] and a child is not rising if he is not reading. [applause] almost half of fourth graders were functionally illiterate, and was half of High School Kids never graduated. We overhauled the whole system, set clear standards, and brought out the best in our great teachers. We insisted on testing and accountability. We created the first date i private School Choice program in america. We expanded High Performance Charter Schools and ended the insidious policy of promotion and third grade, the practice of passing kids along as if we didnt care, because we didnt care, and we should care