Managing editor of the beat in d. C. , and author of the book, say it louder black voters, white narratives, and saving our democracy. Welcome to washington journal. Guest great to be with you this morning. Host tell us about your new book. What is it about . In media anded politics for almost 20 years now. Feel free to gasp. I have been in this space for two decades. What i discovered in my time and working in different capacities at cnn, as a field producer and executive producer running the d. C. Bureau is black voters have an inordinate amount of power, as does the media. Sometimes these powerful entities are running parallel, but frequently they are running contrary. Recently every political conversation we had in the media has been about why people. As the demographics change and we are in a cultural shift i wanted to write something that highlighted the unique black experience in the unique black patriotism that exists in this country. I was writing this before ahmaud arbery, before george floyd, before beyond the taylor. Breonna taylor. Feministmodernday movement to the unrest we are seeing in the streets. Black peoplecommon have been historically brutalized in this country and how it continues today. At any moment this book could have been relevant to what was happening, whether the media covered it or not. Putting this body of work out there i have gotten a lot of whoespondence from readers consumed it to do not work in media or politics but found it relatable and relevant to their experience. I want to be clear, while the book was written i love letters. The super and patriots we are. This is not a book exclusively for black people. We are in a moment whether it is a lot of intellectual curiosity about the black experience. I think this book is something that can help walk people through and disrupt some of the false narratives people have believed for a long time. Host the subtitle of your book, white narrative. Give us your experience of the white narratives the media is playing that misses the mark in terms of what is going on with black voters, the black community. Guest i will give you two examples. 2016. After 2016, the media take away was black voters did not show up. Hence we have donald trump as president. Said nothing of the fact that the gopled voter suppression, that for election interference that targeted black voters, and black voters did show up. I break down the data. In detroit, michigan, the largest number of africanamericans, 75,000 people have their votes for president completely discounted. Because of the huge black population, i will assume the majority did not vote for donald trump. Counted, votes been Hillary Clinton would have carried the state and thus won the presidency. The data does not add up. Another thing i find in media is when the media goes to talk to voters of the heartland and they go to all these diners in iowa and New Hampshire were no black or brown people eat, it gives the impression this is how voters feel. This is what the voters are thinking. Quite frankly it is out of step and is becoming increasingly an acronym stick as the anachronistic as the landscape changes. Going to Golden Corral in birmingham, they would be people that reflect a strongly powerful democracy. You go to ohio, a dennys or a state, do as swing they not reflect of the voting landscape thanks . Hearill read or noncollegeeducated white women feel this way, but when you get to voters of color, it is the black vote. We dont get the benefit of these colloquial terms. We are never considered soccer moms or nascar dads even though we have a very diverse experience. We go differently. The term white economic anxiety is something the media termed in this is what helped get donald trump elected. I break down the data in my book but that is all. Do we not think black people take their economic exide he into the voting booth with them . Anxiety and the voting booth with them . The media is run by a very nondiverse landscape. Mostly white males overrepresented in newsrooms. I write this book to the lens of a black voter. The same can be applied from the Latin Community, asian, pacific islanders, native americans. They have shaped fellow races in north dakota in different areas of the country they have been the deciding vote. As long as the landscape caters to a viewer that is over 60 and largely white men, they have to know those viewers are not we have to force this landscape to be more inclusive in its coverage or they will lose and make the voting electorate a lot less intellectually curious. Host Tiffany Cross is our guest. The is say it louder black voters, white narratives, and saving our democracy. We welcome your calls and questions. 202 7488000 free democrats. For democrats. 202 7488001, republicans. Independents and others, 202 7488002. I heard you use the term patriot or patriotism. Is this an area where the white narrative, media or otherwise, gets it wrong in terms of black votes . Guest yeah, i think on a significant level. We have seen multiple instances of donald trump exercising behavior that is traitorous and not very patriotic. When you look at historically by black people have been through in this country, what does it say that black voters can be bigger patriots than those who helped elect a traitor to the highest office of the land . I know there are a lot of Trump Supporters watching. I would encourage those people have a little bit of intellectual curiosity. What you read and what you consume outside of propaganda, outside of fox news tv. Read a newspaper cover to cover everyday. Something that does not serve as an echo chamber to your own thoughts. The facts cannot be defeated disputed. There are policies he has enacted that have been harmful to the military. He made it easier for armed forces to be victims of predatory lending. When you look at his relationship with the foreign reasonable people should have questions about this. Those who claim to love this country but still love someone who does not serve this country, i have to question their patriotism. The people who were the majority of this country. Because ofs country the promise of what she could be. Buying into these false narratives that america was built on peace and prosperity. It was built on the backs of the kidnapped and enslaved. America was not built on peace and prosperity, not on equality. He was taken with blood and fury. Sometimes there is a disconnect with people who do not understand why are patriotism may look different. Thus people dont necessarily know their history, the brutality, the wealth that black people created for this country. The cotton industry was a powerful industry. Sugar. The power of industry. The steel industry. Black people were never paid for that work. Never probably acknowledged for that work. Win andople around us then the narrative becomes donald trump kim on the scene and said you were losing because those people are winning is not but demonstrably false plays continuous racial hostility this country has always been plagued by. Host i want to go back to your comment, the issue of newsroom diversity. You mentioned it a moment ago. You write about it in your book. In may 2017, trump tweeted there might be recordings of his private conversations with former fbi director james comey, whom he had just fired. It was a clear attempt to caution, he to lead to the press because mainstream outlets were in a tizzy over if you recorded conversations. That same day Jeff Sessions rescinded an obama era rule telling federal prosecutors to avoid charges for lowlevel drug offenders that could only that could trigger lengthy mandatory minimums. Just like that mandatory minimums were back. Where was the breaking news banner for this devastating policy that would impact black and brown people . I dont recall any network giving it coverage. Newsroom diversity literally impacts democracy. Guest i think that is a great example. Class of the belly of washington, d. C. Sometimes gets talking to and about each other. This impacted black and brown people and was completely ignored. The only place you heard about it was on msnbc. I wrote about it. At the time i had a news platform. It was not this big sweeping story. You are seeing the same thing happening with voter suppression. Of people headlines waiting along lines for hours in the rain, this is nothing new for black voters. It has been a black communities. Polling stations are frequently shut down. Not become a story until it started impacting white people, when donald trump talked ballots,ling mailin which he himself uses, then its a story. In 2018,port was leading up to the midterm election, across all three Major Networks there were less than 10 stories on voter suppression. It does not overly impact white people. As long as the media landscape feeds into a shrinking demographic and ignores the growing demographic of the country it will and does have a direct impact on our democracy and no one should want that. There is space for everyone to be inclusive. There needs to be more diverse editorial decisionmaking power. That is what i am driving at in this book. If you dont work in media or politics, it does warrant and inspire an intellectual exchange about the state of where we are in the country and how we got here. Int we go first to al watertown, tennessee on the independent line. You are on with Tiffany Cross. Caller thank you for taking my call. Lets just say i agree with your point. The black vote has been determinative in national elections. If you look back 50 years, what power you have wasted. Look at your horrible schools, were demolished families. Lets fast forward 10 years. Black votes will not be determinative anymore. The hispanic votes will be determinative in the black will not matter as much. If you look at the history of what you have voted for and the results that have happened, it has been a total waste and a very sad thing. The hispanic vote will be the number one. The black birthrate is going down. Hispanics are going down. Whites are flat. You talk about data. That is the fact and that is the future. Host are you referring to in general black support for democrats . Caller absolutely. They have a 95 to 99 history of voting for democrats. Host we will hear from our guest. Guest i will not dignify any ignorant comments about horrible schools. It to give my dignity will not give my dignity to illinformed people. 2020, therst time in latin vote surpassed the black vote in terms of eligible voters. Not registered voters. The black vote remains the biggest voting block in terms of people of color. Something the media should focus y the Latin Community is not registering at a faster rate. They are often not in conversations. We have to make the electorate and the media landscape more diverse to make people feel included. Democracy says everyone has a voice, even people who call in and make ignorant comments. There vote counts as much is mine and that should frighten people. That should frighten people into making sure their voices are heard at the ballot box. Host cornelius in alexandria, louisiana. Caller good morning. Cspan, i have an idea for you. Do a thing on federal parole. Thats an idea for you, cspan. Thank you for taking my call. Ms. Tiffany cross, god bless you, baby. Im africanamerican but ever republican. Martin luther king junior and senior were republicans. Those people that killed black folks after the civil war on, i just cant explain why blacks joined the Democratic Party. We were lynched by them. The klan was started in the Democratic Party. I just dont understand. I was a democrat for a long time. I am 60 years old. I win resegregation and integration. I have been on both sides of that. Said, i first caller said, iderstand, like i am prolife, progod, progun and stuff like that. I dont believe in abortion. God says we are not to kill. Host we will let you go. Tiffany cross . Guest everything you said is factually inaccurate. Drop a like for you to picture to confirm your africanamerican. Martin luther king was not a republican. I go through specific policies and how the parties actually split. You can see how powerful republican policies have been to the black community. Host r mckim, alabama. Olivia on the democrats line. Caller good morning, tiffany. I love you. I love to see you on saturday and sunday mornings. Keep doing what you are doing. Let me say this. We had two ignorant callers calling in. Stop being ignorant. You have to open your intellectual mind. You have to really search your heart. The only way racism is going to be defeated in america is in your heart. Heart. Judge her im sick of that. Comparing the Democratic Party 2000s. American,e, african lgbtq. Im from alabama. If we can have civil rights in birmingham, alabama, we can have them anywhere. This is the heartbeat of racism. I want to make my point this morning. Some people come on here and talk and talk. Look at what these republicans have done to your people. They have the most outdated hospitals. . 10, 20, 30 miles to go to a hospital. We dont have hospitals to go to in an emergency. Host i will let you go. Appreciate your call. Tiffany cross . Guest i thank the caller for her warm thoughts. Even if people disagree with certain political points, i hope people can dig deep and find a modicum of intellectual curiosity to at least learn a little bit about the country they purport to love so much. Host in your book you write that many candidates, particularly at the federal level, have a bad habit of talking about black people but few have engaged in meaningful discourse. Since the media Landscape Centers on clinical conversations around the needs and desires of white people there was a lack of understanding about how to engage black voters. This tale and dated efforts to appeal to the constituency included an obligatory stop of the campaign trails to break bread with al sharpton in harlem, visit churches, sit with pastors in south carolina, and meet with small groups of ts, and the mandatory program for declaration pro preparations arationsion prerep declaration. Guest there is this effort to appeal to swing voters. I have my doubts those people exist. I think early on and the democratic process we saw a lot of candidates saying i can win trump voters and in red states. Hey, you are running as a democrat. Talk about how you can win some blue states. There is a disproportionate focus on folks who have not really elevated the Democratic Party. The Democratic Party has not won the majority of white votes since 1964. The last time, i think it was 1976, the voting electorate was 89 white. That changed drastically. As long as people operate from yesteryear you will see the erosion of democracy. You will see on intellectual voices elevated over people who do focus on policy. You saw that after trump got elected. This was this desire, a false take away that we did not pay enough attention to these voices. Imagine the slap in the face that was to the communities of color. Lets pay more attention to the racists. You have panels of Trump Supporters attempting to talk policy and did not understand a lot of what was happening on the global stage. Thats ok because its on both sides of the divide. A lot of people dont understand the complex with the government functions. We have to at least acknowledge a lot of what people saw rooted in racism, xenophobia, misogyny. You navigate a space to make the electorate more informed and you have to talk to different constituency groups. 2008the obama voters in and 2012. I dont recall seeing panels of black voters being asked to break down their story, what they did before obama the way you saw with trump voters. As long as people are not people on thethe street screaming black lives matter, black people in the executive office, black enterprise, as long as they are overlooked the black voter has the leapfrog over the media landscape and over the Political Landscape to make the voices and concerns heard. That does have a direct impact that our democracy as we are seeing right now. Host in the 2020 race are you supporting joe biden . Where would you rate the importance of him naming an africanamerican, particularly a woman, a black woman as his running mate . Guest i always said i was support the democratic nominee. I think any rational adult would do it at this point. Im very concerned about the direction this country is going in. We are clearly on the precipice of something. We will have to see what november brings. Yes. I pinned an oped with some of my colleagues. It said we do believe that joe biden should select a black woman as his running mate. I want to be i want to be clear. Are you to t adopt an agenda that faces issues that black people face . A lot of issues on the issues that poor white people face and other communities of color face. Disenfranchised communities could unite and make this a more equal country. Hooley and castro has an amazing ian castro had an amazing platform. Elizabeth warren addressed a lot of the issues in the black community. I would say in the time where obamas presidency was the floor, and of the ceiling for a lot of the Younger Voters coming into the electorate now. In this moment we are reimagining america they are visiting the impossible envisioning impossible. Impossible. Ng the it would just make sense. We are fooling ourselves if we think it is a choice between joe biden and donald trump. This is joe biden versus staying home. Having a historic candidate immediately ready to take office, he will be the oldest president to enter office at 78, and he will take someone to excite a voting base that is largely ignored. Host lets go to scott in thomasville, georgia on the republican like. Caller good morning. I like some of the things you were saying. I disagree on some of your thoughts. One thing i would like to point like any other human thought, is an individual thing. It is in our hearts, as the prior caller said. I dont believe government, especially from the federal level, can remedy that problem. It has to come from the individual. We are trying that in our town and trying to engage. We are trying to get along with each other. The way to do that is to do things together. Not make some policy where i have to give away something and then i still going to my beach house by myself. The idea of connecting with people. To learn through education, the churches. That is not coming from the government. Government is not the answer and is part of the problem because it stirs up the vitriol. When im talking to people i have to say, do you mind me talking to you . As a white man, age 55, where i am called names like white supremacist, redneck, but i have to approach people almost apology would apologetically for being who i am. I will do it because i want to bridge the gap. I want to connect with people but i will still be a republican. I will support people in my community. Host thanks, scott. Guest i would say as a white you feel uncomfortable because people make certain assumptions about you imagine how blackman feel when those assumptions can cost them their lives. We do need to make an effort to get along. We all have to share this space and we are moving into a place for people of color comprise the majority of the population, as soon as 2044. The government is part of the problem. The government does have to be a part of the solution. When we talk about systemic racism, the take away for some people is that everyone is racist. We are saying the system is a part of the problem that differentarage outcomes are people of color. The system is built on White Supremacy and it has to be taken apart with unity in mind, with equality in mind. Willnnot just trust people spend time together and have sunday dinner and think it will be ok. As long as black and brown people are ensnared in the criminal justice system, as long as black and brown bodies are being shot dead in the streets, why people are rolling up on black people and asking them why they are here. As long as black and brown people are overlooked for opportunity, as long as the wealth gap continues to get wider between black and white families. I encourage you to not look at life or your myopic lens and your view of your lifetime, but look at it through people who have tried to navigate this space despite oppression. What it takes for some people to get to a place in life that is different. The path is different for communities of color. Perhaps because you have not lived that it is challenging for you to understand. Why dont you buy my book and take a read and look at some of the history and the ways black people have sacrificed for this country and still continue to be oppressed. Just because you dont experience it does not mean it does not exist. Host de soto, texas. Anna. Discussi want to something with the gentleman that talked about the democrats. Black people im 72 years old. I went through jim crow segregation, poll tax receipt, all of that. What he does not get is the Democratic Party was the dixiecrat. Dixiecrats. After the Republican Party helped pass the civil rights bill, the dixiecrats were enraged. They took over the Republican Party. What you have in a Republican Party is you have the old dixiecrats that are over there. People have to understand their history. They dont know it. When people talk about poor letident obama did not do, me tell you something what president obama did not do, the dow jones was at 6400 when he took over. When he left it was at 19,000. He created more jobs than anyone. My grandson, a College Graduate and so was his wife, both working other masters degree, he is a black policeman. The reason he became a black policeman is because of my nephew he was killed in iraq and saved a lot of lives and who is a goldstar recipient. They dont mention black people and young black people that are goldstar recipient. Could fight in iraq. Nd save lives, his goal was was to save lives here. When every policeman and america is not the policeman in minnesota. Host Tiffany Cross . Write a lot about what she talked about. When the republican and Democratic Party shifted and the other part of the last century. I also write about the black soldiers who lined up to join the army during world war i when the u. S. Realized their Standing Army of 126,000 men would not be enough. Black soldiers lined up to help defeat germany. When they did that they were treated horribly in the army. They were spat upon. They were victims of racial hostility. These black soldiers could not sleep inside the warm barracks. They were left to sleep in tents. They went for months without having a change of clothes. The wightman they were serving ngside the right men the white men they were serving alongside were incredibly disrespectful. When they got back to the United States in 1919, how do you think americans welcomed these black patriots that sacrificed and shed blood for this country . Was it with open arms and a salute and a thank you for your service . America responded by beating them, lynching them, shooting them, burning them. They were so enraged these black men had the audacity to wear the uniform. They would have to salute if they claimed to love this country. They were so married to the White Supremacy they would rather cause harm to the brethren, their countrymen vented their look at them as their fellow americans. When i say there is a unique black patriotism, these are the things im referencing. I would put money on hammy people at these maga rallies know that history. Have any people that are cheering on a man that has been disrespectful to goldstar families, said the most ridiculous and heinous things ut american heroes, people the Republican Party claimed to love john mccain. These people cheer on a president who disrespected him and continues to disrespect so many aspects of the Core Principles of this democracy. Continue long as we this dumbing down of the american electorate we will all suffer. We will all get hurt behind it. You have people willing to show provea maga rally just to in committed they are this cultlike following tway white supremacist. Not havecallers may that historica backed up. Maybe they will at least read the book and learn something new today. I think italy benefits america on the all are at least coming at this from an informed point of view. Host the book is say it louder black voters, white narratives, and saving our democracy. Our guest is Tiffany Cross. Joining us until 10 00 each and this morning. Democrats. 000 for 202 7488001 for republicans. Independents and others, 202 7488002. You touched on some voting issues in the 2016 election. President trump tweeting this morning about his concerns over mailin ballot fraud. You, sue in new jersey says, good morning. Can you explain again how saudi 5000 votes were not counted how 75,000 votes were not counted . You mentioned this in terms of the 2016 election. Guest i write extensively about it. Chapter five. I will say the gop ran the state legislature in michigan. They defunded a lot of the voting procedures. There were 75,000 ballots that for whatever reason there down the votees counted but for president did not count. Jill stein sued to have the results reviewed. This is when the story escalated. If you consider if 75,000 people in any other capacity had anything happen to them, their data was stolen at target, they have their flights grounded, this would be huge breaking news. At this time it was not breaking news because the media was too busy unpacking white economic anxiety and chasing around Donald Trumps tweets. I dont to get too much in the weeds but i do in my book and break down exactly how White Supremacy erodes this democracy. How the media ignoring the black experience erodes this democracy. I encourage you to read the book because this is not the only agreed to dismiss step this democracy has made when it comes to black voters. Egregiust missed ous misstep this democracy has made when it comes to black voters. I hope you will buy the book and read it. I would love to hear your thoughts. You can email me at my website or tweet me. Drop a note, instagram. On my instagram. Host jacqueline up next. Caller tiffany, thank you for always thinking and using logic and sticking to the facts. I really appreciate that. Too many to not. Dont be deterred. Im a proud obama democrat and im so proud of the leadership and how together they really pulled this country back on the precipice. People forget how big of a hole they dug us out of. It was phenomenal. So proud of it every day. As a black woman i am part of the demographic that is solidly democratic. Have been my entire life. Well continue to be because they are for really the character of america. Black americans, black patriotism, to me we are patriots. We built america and we built it for free. We built it for free. The contributions we have made to this country is well documented, even though a lot of it is coming out now with the Hidden Figures and people we did not know about. We touched every aspect of this country. We love america. Meanwhile we have the politics and grievance of constant pity parties from the oval office and a demographic that is institutional and structured privilege. Privilege. Yet it is grievance after grievance after grievance. We have survived and thrived and we dont have any privilege. We do love america. We have our faith and tenacity and we are the strongest people on gods green earth. Host thanks for the call. Tiffany cross, any comments . Guest i appreciate her comments. She made the point i have been trying to make that black patriotism is certainly unique in this space and time. I am happy the country is at time verythe first curious about it. Experience. G the i think despite some of the collars you have had on all callers, ilers think the bulk of the American People have a desire to have some level of understanding and create a better landscape. Host many people are calling this moment after the george floyd clearly killing a reckoning. Why do you think it is happening now . So many incidents in the recent past. The racist slaughter at the mother manual church. The many incidents of Police Brutality that have been caught on video. The George Floyd Killing in particular pushed it over the edge . Guest iguest think there was a convergence of a lot of issues. I think covid19 highlighted some of the longtime inequality that five people in other communities of color have experienced. I think there is a new, younger voter. A lot of young white people are just discovering their country. The process we go through when we are developing political opinions. This new voting electorate, the white voters were shocked that they lived in a country that allowed this. It doesnt take white allies to move this fight. This is nothing new to black people. This is nothing new to older white people. I find it disingenuous when someone over 30 or 40 or 50 says i did not know this was bad it was this bad. You just chose to look away. We are here now. Be a part of the solution if you were previously part of the problem. Hello you may expect oppressed people to continue to be killed and shot and beaten and harassed and degraded and denied . I think there are some things people saw coming from donald trump. When i first started doing television and i would say donald trump is a bigot and white supremacist, that was controversial. Everyone else has eventually come along. Let black people be the first point of reference. We recognize it immediately. Footageat i think the which we have seen in 2016 leading up to 2016, black tragedy decorating the Television Screens and people were upset then. Kingw a 1991 the running incident rodney king. We saw john lewis get his skull fractured. Invited a movement then. At this moment it sparked a global movement. I think a part of that is because of technology and social anda and spreading the word activism that leads to actual policy change. It helped move this moment. I hope for the first time that people have developed some empathy. I dont know any decent human aings who could look at Police Officer casually kneeling on a mans neck for almost nine minutes. His hands were in his pockets, something. L when people have this rage and take that to the streets i stand with them. I understand it because how far you get locking arms and singing kumbaya . What will it take for people to say we will not tolerate this anymore. We are making demands that our lives matter. We will not tolerate the harm coming to our children, our daughters, our sons, our brothers, our sisters. I am thrilled, this has been a diverse multicultural, Multigenerational Movement of people saying enough is enough. Except for a tiny group of people who are a part of this following ia believe in the goodness of the people in this country and the majority wants these things and im proud of the people who have taken to the streets to fight. Host ralph from augusta, georgia. Caller good morning. My name is ralph. A couple of points i went to bring up. I marched for the right to vote. I devote. Hi i do vote. When republicans switch to democrats, that think i want to i escorted amber body home from vietnam, hey soldier a soldier for his burial. Back toeft i had to go the bus terminal to get a ticket to go home. Opportunity. Qual i worked in the igs office in the luke perry fielding complaints. A young lady said under proper leadership, guidance, and counseling she could become a mature and productive soldier. I wanted to know why. Then i was in trouble. The question i would like for ou to answer for me, white is why should a black man be concerned about russias interference in our election when georgia we having all kinds of problems getting her votes counted . Why is it this ratification of the votes has not taken place . Thank you. I will read your book. Host thank you for your call. Guest i think we have to find space to be concerned about both. Certainly russia continues to interfere with our election process. It has been confirmed since 2016 attempted to interfere in the election process. We cant assume china will sit this one out this go around. There is foreign election interference that warrants attention. Yes, we should talk about gopled voter suppression. In georgia, you have brian kemp who is a suppressor of the vote. I have an entire chapter in there about the republican governor. Has literally jailed people for trying to register voters. He literally jailed people for getting elected in a school board in clinton, georgia. I write about that happening. This is 2020 and the stories mostly went unreported and unheard. These are jim crow tactics that are being employed by this republican governor in georgia. To acknowledges that white women outpaced white men in voting for brian kemp. We have to have tough conversations about why people are supporting people who are suppressing and oppressing people of color. If these are people that dont agree with that but you have people in your family who do or friends that do, its incumbent upon you to address those people and confront those people. Black people are held responsible for our community all the time and why people have to be held responsible for members of their community. Host our guest is a graduate of clark atlantic university. Are you a georgia native . Guest i was born in ohio. Ive moved to atlanta when i was 11 and moved to d. C. For 20 years now. Host looking at the election again, you write about black economic anxiety. Given the history of this country, when it comes to the economics broken down by race, ever wonder why the term black economic anxiety was never quite . Black voters certainly take this into the voting booth. We have certainly impacted elections with measurable results. I have never seen any such phrase attached to our financial stress, even though that stress is everywhere. Black economic anxiety is not limited to the rust belt over deep south or noncollegeeducated voters or single moms or coal miners, factory workers, farmers, cops or bikers. It transcends geography, education level, homeownership, marital status and occupation. The economic anxiety is both hereditary and airborne. What is the airborne part of that economic anxiety . Because myough opportunities that awaited my mother were limited. That impacted the opportunities that awaited me. If she was able to pursue a career path and build wealth, that would have given me a launching pad. That part is hereditary. The way White Supremacy ripples through generations and depresses the Economic Opportunities is one thing. Incidentsne part is that happened that impacted our money. You look at the great recession. Black people were overwhelmingly impacted by that. It knocked out over 90 of the black wealth created in that time. Despite all the odds you have leapfrogged over challenges, hurdled obstacles, but there is something that can come and knock your Economic Prosperity out of whack. Covid19 has done this for everybody. When White America catches a cold, black america catches the flu. It is the same with economics. During the Great Depression it was horrible for everybody, but for black people it was devastatingly bad. Unemployment was over 50 during the Great Depression. The social programs offered to everybody excluded black people. Food kitchens excluded black people. We learned clearly that misery does not love company. Now that we are in this time, even my own personal circumstances where i attempted to build businesses and platforms have been impacted by systems of White Supremacy because im going into a place for there are mostly white men who are deciding what to find, what to grow, what to invest in. Sometimes it can seem inescapable. Running on a been treadmill at the speed of 8, 9, 10 at an incline and im out of breath but i dont have the opportunity to catch my breath. I have to keep running if i am to grasp what i want in life. While we are running on the incline, other people are sitting back telling, getting a ride to the finish line. Feel isomic anxiety we hereditary and airborne. Some levelwho have of success and can take care of our children and parents at the same time, our financial responsibilities are overbearing when it comes to Student Loan Debt and the wealth gap and the pay gap between black women and white women. That are so many issues are like ankle weights. Despite these things we fight, we win, we wake up a so there are so many issues that are like ankle weights. And despite these things we , fight, we win, we wake up and put one foot in front of the next, trying to make it. And to have people dismiss our journey and say i work hard, they should work hard. We cannot conflate race and class. Yes, there is classism, but we but racism, we are impacted by both these things. I am personally exhausted from my own journey, which i write about in the book. But i am also just exhausted for and who have tried to make it as well, and who have encountered a world that is denied them time and time again. In illinois says in , my opinion, black patriotism has never been a question. The question is why america never felt black americans deserved to be treated as patriotic . Any reaction to that . Tiffany thats a great question. Something i write about in the book is when the internet rush agency, the people responsible for interfering with our electoral process, they sent spies over here to get a lay of the land. These operatives from the internet rush agency spent too much of the country and went back. And the take away was they treat , black people really messed up over there. That should definitely be our in, in interfering with the election. When i was doing research for this and discover that, it was they were here for two months and there take away and the take away was black people are oppressed . We should totally capitalize on that. If they can see that in two months, why is it so hard for people who have lived here to acknowledge that their entire lives . So i do think black patriotism has been in question. I think there are misguided, illinformed people who do not believe black people love this country, who did not believe black people can be patriots. Again, those people have to do the work on their own and get informed. But i think america, because we have bought into so many false narratives about our founding fathers, about what the confederacy meant, about every president that has occupied the white house. There are some people who think donald trump is the first white supremacist occupy the white house. We know better than that. You know how many devils black people had to vote for because they would cause the least harm to the community, relative to the opponent . So those things, confronting these truths about this country and this history can be uncomfortable. Host let me see if we can get a call. Several are waiting. Speakinglbert next up, of illinois, he is calling from chicago. Caller good morning. You made a statement a while back that this election is not a choice between biden and trump. It is a choice between biden and stay home. And i take issue with that. Because if you lived the last three years and witnessed his assault on the obamaholder criminal justice and policing reforms, and if you witnessed kidnapping, trump i am talking about, kidnapping Migrant Children at the border and holding them indefinitely in detention, separating them from their parents and classifying them as unaccompanied minors, if you witnessed his assault and reproductive rights, transgender serving in the military, his assault across the board on any american and americans who were didnt voted who for him his election is a , promise of four more years of that. Tiffany let me just be clear. Seen numbers like that since 1965. Is despite am making the fact people feel that way we have to get them something to vote for. Right now a lot of the voters are voting against trump, not necessarily for biden. I talked to black voters a i am not encouraging people to have that choice but we have to acknowledge there are people who feel that way. I am keenly aware of the landscape that donald trump has created. I am not arguing that point, sir. My point is that our people who feel like no matter who i vote for, better what i do, my life will not change. There are people who never voted in their adult lives who voted for obama. We had not seen numbers like that since 1965. The point i am making is despite the fact people feel that way we have to get them something to vote for. Right now a lot of the voters are voting against trump, not necessarily for biden. I talk to black voters all the time. I host a radio show with rev. Al sharpton on siriusxm. Despite how you feel and how i feel, we have to acknowledge there are people in this american body politic who do not feel anyone is speaking for them, they voted before in their lives didnt change, they may not understand the role and the difference between state government, local government, and federal government. And for those people, they are not excited by casting a ballot for this ticket. I am not excusing that. I am not encouraging that, but that is a realistic landscape we face. And given that it is a , candidates responsibility to excite voters. For me as someone who works in media it is my responsibility to inform voters. I hope that excites them to vote. As far as as a person who wants to see this country change, it is your responsibility to make sure your neighbors are voting. Encourage your children and grandchildren. Make sure everybody is going to the ballot box. I am saying, despite how we may feel there are people that think , staying home is not a big deal and it is. Host eddie in los angeles on the independent line. Caller good morning. I think you are wonderful. I am so jealous of you because you get to talk about politics all day long. It is something i dream about. [laughter] white workingclass, but what about the black workingclass . Issues like whites being privileged this president is the , prime example of white privilege. The white senators that support him, how quiet they are about the military being shot. , it is truly unbelievable that can go on and make excuses for this man. It seems to me that this man he , does not care about this country. He truly does not care about this country. I dont know why so many middle class and poor white people vote republican. They need health care and education, they need laws. What does the Republican Party do for them . And one other issue, the issue of purging voters, nobody talks about that, votes being purged. And one more title to add to your title, i am a 62yearold i have anerican male, africanamerican studies degree into physical education degree and one title to add, mayor ambassador. I feel like i am an ambassador. Host final thoughts, Tiffany Cross. Tiffany i think the caller for his thoughts. I do write about the white working class. A majority of the working class in this country will be people of color by 2032. We saw that during the ge strike in michigan, a very Diverse Group of people on the front lines. Amazing, robust discussion. I hope people go out and buy the book. I poured myself into it the author our guest this morning, Tiffany Cross. A, sunday night on q journalist aaron geiger smith talks about the history of voting in the United States and issues around the voting in u. S. Today. County2020 shelby decision had a massive impact on Voting Rights. There isnt any Voting Rights advocate or attorney that doesnt see it as a ground shaking impact. While voting stage while voting laws that are discriminatory are still illegal, there is not the kind of stopgap where states with a history of discrimination need federal approval to make voting changes. Watched sunday night at 8 00 p. M. Eastern on cspans q a. The Republican Democratic parties and the campaigns of President Trump and joe biden are adjusting plans for next months political conventions, already reshaped by the coronavirus pandemic. Democrats will convene for a scaledback convention in milwaukee starting august 17. Republicans begin their question the following week, august 20 four in charlotte, north carolina, before moving onto jacksonville, florida. The democratic and Republican National conventions, live on cspan beginning monday, august 17. And watch any time on cspan. Org, or listen live on the free cspan radio app. Cspan, your unfiltered view of politics. New new Jersey Governor Phil Murphy sat down with the washington