Transcripts For ALJAZAM Inside Story 20150923

And it issued its report. What does it recommend, and will anyone listen. Fixing ferguson is inside story. Welcome to inside story, im ray suarez. The killing of a black teenager Michael Brown by a ferguson, missouri policeman, Darren Wilson, set off a quake whose rumbles were felt far past ferguson, missouri to the big cities, to hear in washington d. C. Peck u latteries began to be understood. A black majority led by a white mayor, almost entirely White Council and schoolboard, streets department. Depending on your point of view ferguson was representative or an outlier with little to teach the rest of the country. Erica pitzi looks back at a time out use year in the life of ferguson. Reporter make no mistake, this is about race, the result of a report of a pan ep after the shooting of Michael Brown, by a white Police Officer Darren Wilson last year. It include law enforcement. Protest movements and the clergy, and concludes that the county is farreaching its racial surprise. Divide. We present the report knowing that it reveals uncomfortable truths about the region called home. As we understand national and international response, making clear that the problem is not unique, its the reality. Among the findings, in mississippi, black drivers are 75 more likely to be stopped and black and hispanic res tents are 90 more likely to be arrested and searched. Its touch. If we are clear about accountability and racial equity. If we resume for all, replacing youth at the center and do want all to have an opportunity to thrive. It gets tough. Its worth it. In blunt language the panel makes 189 recommendations, among them the creation of a statewide database, racing the minimum wage to 16, and expand the availability of medicaid. Instituting the changes is kepted call. Our journey will continue. Through the sheer force of our will, and the personal acceptance of responsibility for the community safety, well move Forward Together joining me now, a cochair of the Ferguson Commission, the reverend wilson. Organization. What was the brief, assignment . What did you get together to do . Now that the process is over, do you feel that you accomplished what you set out to . Conversation. The assignment was to study issues exposed by the death of Michael Brown on august 9th, 2014. The underlying issues and social conditions that led to that incident here in our region. And to recognise that it had to do with immediate issues of lawen force racial equity, but it had to do with other issues, including inequities in transportation, education, urban and community stability, all of these things had to be assessed at some level. We accepted the charge, not just on what was in executive order, that created the commission, but the communitys charge to have a deliberative and transparent process to make sure they were included in every step, and produce a report that this specific policy recommendations that were unflinching, transformative, and that have if instituted, would put us on a path closer to racial equity. We have done that with the document, with the process which we believe was part of the product as well. And now we can see the work towards implementation and translation into community policy, and partnership with all of the neighbours. You say that you began with the notion that you had to talk about the circumstances that led to the death of Michael Brown. Was it necessary for everyone sitting around the table to agree on what the circumstances were. Did you all start from the same place, that is the grand jurys finding that Michael Brown was involved in the circumstances that led to his own death . None of us started in the same place, our experiences informed how we came to the table, and clearly the group, the group of commission including folks that stood across the protest lines, police, protesters and clergy. When we think about the circumstances, we take a wide lens, suggesting its not just about the encounter of two young men in the streets, but the reality that on the same geography, where we see the Michael Brown and Darren Wilson, we see a dividing line between a credited and unaccredited School District that Michael Brown grew up from, which is the third in this factor. We see the history that just about every 10 years we have racial conflagration and an uprising that begins with an africanamerican shot by the police. We begin with an understanding that there has been an increase of poverty. In the suburbs. Of 53 . Between 2000 and 2013, its connected to the wider trend. That the Brooklyn Institution finds for the suburban poverty in america. All come together in one narrative. When we say the conditions that led to the shooting, we are not just talking about who did what went on one day. We talk about social conditions leading to the interactions and ultimately the uprising. Ill take your point at face value up. Its youthful for a community to look forward and measure things that you have been talking about. Have people that have seen the results been surprised to learn how unlikely a black resident of the county is to have a white neighbour, how unlikely a black child is to go to a high achieving school. By putting it down, measured, quantified and in black and white. Did you wake people up in the st. Louis region . I think people have been awakened by the reading of the report. I must give credit to members and citizens of the region, this is a 10month trial. And more than 13 months since the shooting of Michael Brown, and we have mitigated the issue. I saw people wake up when we take Commission Meetings to suburbs that are predominantly white. When they sit with us, and interact and hear the narratives and stories, the waking up that is happening at that point the rest of the world has the benefit of this final produced document in the website at forwardferguson. Org. But the citizens, 2000 that engaged in the process had the opportunity to do a bit of awakening over the course of months, its less shocking when you do it in relationship and face to face, but its nonetheless just as much as call to action. Reverend wilson stay with us, the commission and report have detractors. A journalist covered ferguson and its problems closely say the commissions work will not lead to the change ferguson and places like it need. Fixing ferguson its inside story. He was so ahead of his time. Father Junipero Serra was so devastating to native american cultures. We have suffered greatly, what kind of saint would allow that . And youre gonna let the pope know . Absolutely. Where we are standing right now will be the panama canal. This will be flooded. We have upgraded for bigger ships. Now we go for weeks without water. Techknows team of experts show you how the miracles of science. This is what innovation looks like. Can affect and surprise us. I feel like were making an impact. Awesome techknow where Technology Meets humanity. Youre watching inside story. Im ray suarez. Fixing ferguson, we are looking at the work of the Ferguson Commission and a recently released report. Commission cochair reverend wilson is with me and joined by monique dixon. The Deputy Director of race and Community Reform and steven this rasher writer for guardian. Is it important to have a report like this so everyone starts at the same place. Its extremely important. The commission has done a great job, it has everything in it the history, context and questions asked. I dont think we should be inrealistic about spect ght the commissions report to instigate change by itself, which they bluntly take up. They write about five previous commissions called after racial violence, and response to police actions, and they say this was sort of an opportunity to use it as a pressure valve for allowing it to happen, and naming what happened alone will not change the status quo. Turning that report, rather than something that is filed in a draw or put on a shelf into a set of programs is sounds like you are kept cam, that that is where the ball gets dropped. Im skeptical that that alone will make the change, partially because the report is ambitious about the things it lays out. It writes that there are ports of the county where the average life is 56 years, and other places where its 91 years, and you can seep a racial divide between the white people in the wightest neighbourhoods. That life discrepancy is not something easy to fix. It was laid out on a number of front. It is all a huge part of the country, and shows that ferguson is not an outlier. I think its practical that they laid out a number of things to do. 1 end they lane out law enforcement. Which we are not going to address. And the things like Early Childhood education. They are hundreds of years in the making and will not disagree in the future. I have a positive take on the board. I use a different frame. Im thinking about how culture is a big shift. What we are seeing with the ferguson Commission Report is a shift in cultural thinking. It took a certain culture to have the kinds of people on the commission to create it. Its name, race and a report. If we see it as a reaction to the broader cultural movement, its very encouraging. If we hang our hats on it, saying we put out a report, and this would fix everything, it would be naive. Is this, as you heard, suggested only really a valid exercise if it turns into something . Well, you know, we appreciate this report and how comprehensive it is, because since last year any community that has endured Police Violence will continue to learn lessons. And this report offers a continuation of the lessons learnt. First of all, to dre appreciate the way the focus is on race, something that a year ago we wouldnt be talking about. Then we appreciate the way that theres an acknowledgment, not just in ferguson, but over the country that racially bias the policing is nothing new. We saw if in new york. And baltimore with freddy gray. Its a pervasive problem. What we appreciate is the way the report connects policing to other aspects of every day life, including education and housing, and how racial inequities in those systems became the underlying reason and may have led to the deady interaction that we saw mike broken and the officer of the Police Department, of what occurred on november the ninth. Its ambitious, but it offers an opportunity for every segment of government and community to play a role. Theres something for someone in the community to do in that report. It will require the community to take it and one are it. Whether you go to the state capital, whether you go to agencies, or, you know, whether we take it and push for legislative reform in d. C. Some of the recommendation, such as Data Collection is something pushed on capitol hill. We dont know the extent of the problem, because we are not collecting the data in a way that is reliable. We think its comprehensive but valuable. Reverent. How do you make sure theres a next step. You heard the work endorsed, but in a conditional way, that it needs to turn into action. Programs, responses. Well, im appreciative of monique and stevens input mere and endorsement of elements of the report. Its helpful to keep the process in mind. What we were able to do was to connect, not to distinguish from the movement of black lives, movements for Police Accountability and reform. And to say in a particular community in the st. Louis region, that wed connect it into a process of civic engagement. We wouldnt be a panel with former officials, we would engage in the process, wed be fully transparent. This would be the peoples report. Over the course of 10 months we would a sustained a conversation. A conversation about race, accountability, that could lead to the kind of change that we call for. Some said its ambitious, and we use the words unflinching. We were told by the community they wanted recommendations that were transformative. They lead to change and theres organising around the accountability. Thats what will lead to ultimate change. Well continue the conversation in a moment. Are the problems in ferguson and identified by the Commission Report the result of longstanding and persistent economic equality that no amount of meetings or reports can change. Will it lead to less effective schooling, segregated housing, too big for one council to tackle. Fixing ferguson its inside story. Welcome back to inside story, im ray suarez, this time on the programme fixing ferguson. We are assessing the work of the Commission Formed after the tooum utility after the shooting of Michael Brown by a ferguson Police Officer. The refusal to try officer Darren Wilson, a sad litany of other encounters in cities large and small. Eric garner, tamir rice, and others. Setting off passionate debates. My guests are still with me. Monique dixon, you heard Steven Thrasher talked about some. These problems are decades in the make, is it too heavy a list someone. It has to start somewhere. Our founder, marshall, was part of a team that fought racial segregation in school. And developed a plan that led to the board of education lawsuit and decision, separate schools, that they were not equal. Imagine where people would be food if they did not take the risk, and do the work to push for reform in education. You had to start somewhere that is where we are as well. There are lesson we are learn. The intervention of the federal government and the investigation of the Place Department is a tool that others are using. We worked with advocates to urge the government to come in and conduct an investigation of the Baltimore Police department as to the death of freddie gray, and are working with leaders in south carolina, asking the federal government to come in and investigate the North Charlton Police Department after the walter scott shooting. What we are seeing is similar to what we saw in ferguson, where africanamericans were the subject of traffic stops, they were overrepresented. Many of the stats did not result in citations or rest. You have to see how what has happened in ferguson is benefitting other communities around the country, and serving work. We are almost at the end of our time. Is there lowhanging fruit, are some things easier to do maybe as a confidence Building Measure that ferguson could do become quick will . I was clad to see them take on predatory lending and financial reforms. The problems of cross race are difficult. If you have driven around st. Louis, it is rife with tred pri lending and pay day loans. Really getting it at it initially would be difficult. For people to assess jobs, opportunity and work. We have about 40 seconds left. What is the next step. What is going on right now in ferguson and its surrounding areas that we should know about . Right now the commission is working between now and the end of the year to identify an organization that sustained evacuation monitoring and communication around the report. Theres a table some 10 Community Organising entities that vetted the recommendations and looking forward to the election coming next year. They are holding an account imenty meeting turning out thousands of citizens to ask an account to be given for policy recommendations. Theres a report in the context of robust civic engagement. This, we believe will make a difference and guide us town the path to racial equity. And prepare for others. As you hear from other guests, you have people rooting for you for it to work. Monique dixon, senior policy counsel already at the n. A. A. C. P. Defense fund. Steven thrashe rerks writer at large for the guardian, and the reverend and pastor. Ill be back with a final thought on police, the public and minority men. Stay with us, its inside story. Theres a line of police advancing toward the crowd here. Ferguson city under siege. It isnt easy to talk openly on this base. And americas war workers. Its human trafficking. Watch these and other episodes online now at aljazeera. Com faultlines. Ive heard too many people over the years say thing putting my teeth on edge. He has no angel and wrong place at the wrong time. Both have plenty of airings since the spate of death of young men, all unarmed, at the hanth of place. Hands of police. False di cot someies litter the crowned, as if you cant support the police. As if you cant both want suspect custody and enforcement of the law and want police to treat the public properly. Into the National Wrestling match moves the two phrases, when it turns out an unarmed man shot by police was in trouble before or mouth the off to an officer before getting killed. People willing to give them scrutiny cut them a break. A previous juvenile record or a shooting victims manner of death before offering he is no angel. Of the second angel, where you live, where you work and who your neighbours are are privileges not allowed all americans in equal ways. The next time you find yourself about to thor wrong phrase at the wrong side, catch yourself and ask what is the wrong place your front steps, your block, your neighbourhood. If they had the chance Many Americans would tell you they have no choice but to be in the wrong place all the time. Thanks for joining us for inside story. See you next time. Im ray suarez. On america tonight, the first stop. Pope francis begins his visit to the United States here in the nations capital. Hes delivered surprises to the capital. What is the most surprising thing that the pope said or done. Sheila macvicar begins the social coverage of the popes visit. Also, a look ahead at californias saint to be, and why Many Americans knew him as a sinner