Some news this morning, u. S. District judge yesterday temporary halted the president immigration executive order and his how the ap is reporting. On monday district judge in texas issued a temporary injunction giving a coalition of 26 states time to pursue a lawsuit that aims to probably stop the order to that will go to the president orders that could spare more than 4 million 4 Million People who were in the u. S. Illegally from deportation to the statement the white house said mondays ruling wrongly prevents the presence of lawful commonsense policies from taking effect at the Justice Department will appeal a federal judges ruling according to the white house. Some reaction from capitol hill. John boehner released a statement that reads in part hopefully Senate Democrats who claim to oppose this executive overreach will not let the senate began debate on the bill to fund the Homeland Security department. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi has another take on the judges decision saying in part the president s actions fall well within the clear constitutional and Legal Authority of his office and the well established precedents set by previous president including republican president s ronald reagan, george h. W. Bush and george w. Bush. In fact, every president since eisenhowers used his authority to refine our immigration system in service of our National Interest but clearly the Legal Authority and precedents that previous president s seem not to appoint in the eyes of a texas judge. February is black History Month and the cspan bus is on the road visiting the top historically black colleges and universities to speak with the faculty and discuss Public Policy issues. Tomorrow morning at 9 15 a. M. Eastern washington journal, we will meet with ryan johnson in tuskegee, alabama, and then on friday we will visit Xavier University of louisiana and talk with its provost. The Political Landscape has changed with the 114th congress to not only are the 43 new republicans and 50 new democrats in the house and 12 republicans and one new democrat innocent results 108 women in congress including the first africanamerican republican in the house and the first woman veteran in the senate. Keep track of the members of congress using congressional chronicle on cspan. Org. The congressional chronicle page has lots of useful information including Voting Results and statistics about each session of congress, new congress best access on cspan cspan2 cspan radio and cspan. Org. A recent Justice Department report on the Cleveland Police departments use of force policies is one of the topics in a discussion on the issues of racism in america. Panelists included police chief, a law professor, a radio show host and an American Civil Liberties union manager speaking with an audience of mostly High School Students from northern ohio. The city club of cleveland host the hourlong event. Good afternoon and welcome to the city club of cleveland. My name is phillip hedayatnia, im a junior at Hawken School and im a proud member of the City Club Youth Forum council. And thank you very much for coming to see our panelists today. Our goal at the youth Forum Council is will the identical to that of the city club. Its to host conversations debates and discussions that empower us to engage in further understanding of the world around us and the people who comprise the. Its for that reason it is my pleasure to introduce our forum today entitled a conversation on race. Poet Langston Hughes wrote in his piece democracy that freedom is a strong seed planted in a great need. I live here too i want freedom just as you. It may be safe to say that in the age we live in today in many ways freedom has been granted teresa people have been subjected to oppression throughout our nation since you. But theres a difference between in some cases freedom and liberty. Freedom of being a state of being, that the being able to make decisions without external control, perhaps guaranteed by government. While liberty can be something totally different altogether. It regards the freedom granted by society and the world around us. In light of the recent deaths of Michael Brown, eric garner and tamir rice kemeny questions have emerged, even as we have come far, how far have we actually . Even as many blatant racist laws have been erased from the books since the rise of the civil rights movement, what liberties are afforded to those of racial minorities within our community and within our country but with todays discussion we seek to answer those questions as well as many more and develop a clear picture of race in america. Join us for our conversation today is shakyra diaz, policy manager for the ohio chapter of the American Civil Liberties union. As policy manager shes worked on policy campaigns regarding political activism, Reproductive Health care for latinos in gain initiative. Idriss themselves is the chief of police for the tie among to match up onto Housing Authority to join us as a panel member turned the tide of sexual assaults in october. We are very glad to have him back. Jonathan secord is a professor of law and skills at Case Western Reserve University teaching legal analysis riding dj distance and International Law students in cases. He was also at the inaugural mentors and before joining casey was a Trial Attorney for the u. S. Equal implement Opportunity Mission where he handled many cases including cases involving racial this commission to and Basheer Jones is a political and Community Activist radio host spoken word poet writer and public speaker who hosts a variety of great shows on radio in the cleveland area and turn the 2012 president ial campaign he was the regional field director for organizing for america. Without further ado i will see to succeed the stage to the moderator Anthony Price Shaw High School. Thank you very much. [applause] thank you and good afternoon. My name is Anthony Price, im a Council Member at the city club. I did want to thank you all for coming out to this very special forum, and for teachers and administrators that are here today it would also have a second forum on the 29th which you will hear, which is called so that should be good as well which will be moderated by megan rutherford. I just want to thank all of our panelists. I just want to thank you, guys for taking time to come and talk about this topic. So thank you. [applause] in so when you hear the word race, what comes to mind . How has that impacted you personally voucher life . Anyone can start. Well first, im thankful to be here to see so many wonderful faces and for you all to put this event on the you are moderately to can i be truthful . You should. If i lie it may feel good at first but in the long run its going to hurt. Everybody, is that all right . All right. We had a conversation about race, and i look in the room and i see majority at the americans. Thats a problem. Because we have to bring to the table blacks whites latinos, asians, all groups of people to have this discussion. But when were having a discussion with those who are receiving the most oppression who are receiving the hurt more than any other group, they were not having the full conversation or full dialogue. We have to have those from hawken and have those are from University Schools and have those were from other schools across northeast ohio and have an equal conversation, but what were doing right now shes talking to the people who are being brutalized and do a receiving the most pain. We know we understand the pain it has we deal with it every single day. Recently the u. S. Department of justice came out with a study that showed that the Cleveland Police department engages in excessive force. Now, many of us didnt need no department of justice to come out with a study to tell us that Police Department has been excessive. Because we have been eating with this on a daytoday basis. So i appreciate the conversation and hope and pray that we all can learn and occasional is appreciate city club but for future reference is we have to have an array of different people in order to have a true conversation. So with regard to what i think of when i hear the word race, i feel that there is another word that needs to come with it, and its racism. In order to really change Structural Racism we have to talk about race and how it manifests itself in very different systems. In many ways what we do not have laws and policies or legislations that specifically outline ways to marginalize specific groups of people as we did in the past what we do that today our policies and legislation that are specifically enforced in the way that just barely impact people are traditionally marginalized. I will give you a good example. There were laws at one point in this country that prevented black people negroes people of african descent from standing outside. Youre not going to find those laws anymore. Those laws do not exist. However, with this country being so very secretary, cleveland being the fifth most segregated city in this nation laws are often enforced in black communities. Who lives in black communities . Black people. And everyone who raised their hands [laughter] and i call that you can get the same outcome even if youre not explicitly articulating that. So i think about race i also recognize that we have to talk about racism. Anybody else like to add to that . When i think of race, of course you know, i think about differences. I think about diversity. I think about different backgrounds, different experiences. And it is a word that i learned when i was young. Its called paradigm. The best way for me to describe paradigm is looking at other people or trying to understand other people through their glasses, through their lenses. And so what i try to do in my role as chief of police, what i try to do is impress upon my staff and those men and women that go out every day to provide a service to be accepting of those diversities of those different cultures. Because we should not be treating everyone the same. However, everyone has a right to be treated equal under the law. And so when i think about race thats what im thinking about. Also, im also thinking about myself, my family, my heritage and where i come from. Because its no secret that if it were not for equal opportunity, i would not be here representing my career, my profession as police chief being the first Hispanic Police chief in Cuyahoga County and so race is very important, something that we should not take lightly but something that needs to be respected, appreciated and accepted. I cannot speak as an africanamerican but i am acutely aware in our society that discrimination still exists. I think there are many people today who think were in a postracial world where it doesnt exist, and that the law does treat people equally. I just dont think thats the reality. I think especially wellintentioned people may not be aware of the implicit biases but im not a social scientist either but there are all sorts of studies that detail, well sending out people with the identical resume but perhaps a name that is more typically africanamerican and another name that is more typically white. And a greater percentage of the white resumes, even though identical information, will get callbacks or offers, job offers. I even read a recent study about ebay, cell phones being sold on ebay. In the pictures, you can see a black and in some pictures versus a white hand. Purchases were made of the Person Holding the same cell phone but with a white hand. There are also some other social science, casts that have come up with similar results. Its really shocking the percentage differences in some of those. We have to understand that the police, acting in those innercity communities that are predominately africanamerican people of color, police are human. They have implicit biases, too. And even if there is a quality supposed under the law people have these implicit biases that come out in different ways. Somebody can be theres great discretion especially when were talking about minor, petty crimes, stealing cigarettes jaywalking ferguson or selling cigarettes to avoid taxation. Batten island. Theres a great deal of discussion is how people are going to be treated in those circumstances, and we have to have better rules and policies that prevent the abuse of that discretion and abusive treatment to people of color. So where do you think, and since were talking about race you know theres many stipulations as far as the word race, a catchy word when we talk about race. Where do you think that in order to have a greater understanding and accepting race where do you think it starts . Embracing the race and cultural would you think it starts from in the schools . At home . Where do you think it starts . It starts, continues, and has to persist throughout society. It has to be involved in conversations until. It has to involve these great systems whether its education social service, criminal justice, health care. All these systems have to be held accountable to ensuring that equity is something that all of us realize, that all of us know, that all of us live and breathe. And even to that extent we have to have some conversations about how we recognize injustice. And i would like to add the name of a niche anderson to the names that were recently raised the people who died at the hands of pleased as we mentioned tamir rice. We mentioned eric carter. We mentioned Michael Brown but we also have to uplift the names of women who have experienced by women and girls who have experienced disproportionate abuse or have died at the hands of policeof the police and experts injustice. So its a conversation that has to happen every day in every state in order for us to move past our past as a country and our presence. I think ive heard people say we just have to get over it slavery over with. But we have iterations of disproportionately and racism today. So these are constant conversations that happen in a number of different sexes and a number of different system to we all have to collectively be a part of that in the same way that we have many people of very is races and ethnicities and ages, uplifting a black lives matters movement. He was a in pictures that social media and protest. You see black and white people and latino people and people of asian descent, young and old all participating in uplifting the valley of black lives. Again and its another example that we all bear a responsibly to have these conversations and push in demand for more. I think it begins in the home and the begins at school, it begins therefore in our community. We all have that responsibility to discuss these issues. I am deeply saddened by the events in ferguson and york here in cleveland and in paris last week. Such a tragic events. In the black lives matter mantra that has followed, i dont think, i think people need to understand that. That goes back to our schools and educational system and understanding that there is this entire history where people didnt value black lives. Slaves were not full human beings or were not deemed to be full human beings even under the law. Even after emancipation we had jim crow laws. Today, Michele Alexander is written about the new jim crow. We have mass incarceration with very disproportionate numbers of africanamerican men in our prison system. Mass incarceration, the numbers are staggering in the sense that i think there are more men who are subject to our prison system or who are on parole or on probation having been in the criminal Justice System, not necessary all in prison. Those numbers are greater than the number of slaves prior to the emancipation. We cant ignore that disproportionately. We cant ignore that history. Bears i think the police have coopted and Blue Lives Matter go to the Police Service and affordable pesticide and they take great risk in a job. Many, if not most are dedicated to being Public Servants and upholding the law and observing the constitutional protections. But there are bad apples out there and they need to be weeded out. We need to understand that through education and, to answer your question, i think we will i hope, be able to address these problems. There are programs like facing history that i think some of the students here are part of. And i think serve that purpose. I know i see people from the high school with a Student Group on Race Relations has been serving the community for a quarter of a century. Doing wonderful work i think to fight intolerance and hatred. I think thats really where it starts before we can expect the criminal Justice System just to change on its own spent so there are two sides of it real quick. Of course theres whether we can do as a community, and for the students that showed up here today, i see some of you with notebooks and others with no notebooks. Like anytime you come to events like this you should come prepared to write down things. Because theres no way possible you going to remember everything. For the adults that are here anytime you go to events like this major students bring their weaponry. That an african proverb that says did not build your shield on the battlefield began to come to bestow the places, youre going to meet different people, it cards contacts, network. Thats how you are going to be successful. So of course we know that theresthereis a sense of hatred that exists in the world but the real question is how do you feel about you . How do you feel about you . Do you love yourself . And you look in the mirror to see a beautiful person or do you see a hateful person . There is a Committee Responsibility that we have. But on the flipside of it the media plays a strong part in the procession of how we are viewed. For example, everyone heard about france, and we are very sad about what happened in france, very sad but he was talking about nigeria and what happened in nigeria i was going on a place like somalia and west africa and east africa for a long time . I was driving them when i was driving her i was driving through little italy, you know . Anybodys money with little its a beautiful place, you know . Unlike, look at the history that issue. And no one feels offended when you hear little italy. He said this is a beautiful place. When you go to a jewish neighborhood you dont feel offended when, to the museum and you say this is a beautiful place, and talk about the history of jewish people. You dont feel offended by but you dont feel offended when you go to chinatown and seed history. But what is it that you would feel offended or people feel offended if we were to call our Community Little africa . Why would that be offensive . More importantly what is it that even some who are africanamericans who be even offended to call little after come at some you get offended when someone says you look like an african . Why would you be offended . We are some of the most Beautiful People come from the greatest civilization. Media portray of it as a place that is extremely impoverished the anytime these africans you see the skinny somalians, no one any . The skinny nigerians or nigerians are all crooks. You dont even want to do yourself in that light. So theres a sense of selfhatred that the media plays a part in that you were there, there was a media panel all of the media people here in cleveland. The majority of stories that come out in the media about africanamericans are not positive but i appreciate cspan being here but why isnt channel three, why isnt channel five your . You dont cause no problems, no one shows up but if something happened to all the need is there. You know what im talking about. [laughter] why is all the media there . So you have to understand if the media plays a part as well, so why is it that people are offended, and i was in australia and we are very colored colleges here in america. I was in a strong and the young lady was talking to be. She said why is everything so black and white with you guys . Everything is so black and white in america. But at the same time she said, she was talking about atlanta hiphop wise, know what im saying . [laughter] the media since this perception of who we are, and some people point into the perception but the majority dont majority dont. It happens is before they even get a chance to open your mouth people already have a perception of who they think you are. So before you open your mouth, young ladies shes got an attitude problem. As soon as you walk in, you know what any . If we were to right now pass around a survey of how you feel about iranians or north koreans or iraqis or afghans if you were to put out a survey, many of us would say very negative things about them. You may not even know them and you may not have even met somebody like that but yet you already have a perception of who you think that are. So what i want to say to us is that theres a Community Responsibility and every person in your must speak to the children and say, and talk about humanity. That we all deserve to be treated fairly. Why are you mad at me because i am saying i deserve just as . Why are you upset that i am marching for justice . Why does that thank you so much . Why are you so and when i said i am a proud black man . Why does that i think you . Why are you so angry that im proud to be who i am . Why does that that make you afraid of me that when i walk up and when you walk up to my car, you already have your hand on a gun . What message has been sent you to make you feel that i am dangerous . I could be in a tailormade suit and walking into an elevator and summary will hold their purses close. So this is an issue that we are dealing with. But, in closing but [laughter] but as young people you have a responsibility as well. I was talking to my guys down here, raise your hand. Right there. If young people are here today discriminatory as your grandparents were, as your great grandparents were come but that time is now. That time is now or if not this issue of race come these these raise issues were dealing with in america, they will be the downfall of our country without a doubt. [applause] and mr. Gonzalez. I want to Say Something. Let me be the first to say because i notice as a Police Officer im trained to look at people and try to gauge responses. Its true. And as my colleagues were speaking, i just couldnt help but see everybody looking, and then looking at me. [laughter] so you know, let me acknowledge a couple of things. First of all, in this conversation, you know cops we dont always get it right. Thats the truth. We dont always get it right. And, unfortunately, because were Police Officers and because we took that oath of office and because we made a commitment that no matter what can we are going to let our lives down if we have to. That just puts an additional factor into how we make decisions. Now, because we dont always get it right, the challenge for us is to work to get it right. When we sit back if we as officers, if we as enforcers, if we just sit back and do nothing then you need to get rid of us. You need to get rid of that police chief, you need to get rid of that Police Department because they are not serving you in the way that you need to be served. The truth is this folks. A Police Department is only a strong as the community allows it to be. And when the community loses confidence in its Police Department then that is almost the beginning of the end. I would say to you, all of the young people in this room, you know we asked about where does this start, doesnt start in the family, doesnt start at home, in the community . I would say it starts with you. Im not going to be a police chief forever. Someone has to step up and step into my roll. Someone has to be a Police Officer in the future. Someone has to be an attorney, judge, and all those professions you hear about. The issue is getting to a point where youre going to start making a contribution a positive contribution regardless of your background, regardless of your race regardless of what you believe in. At the end of the day, are you making a positive contribution to your community, to your school, to your family, and to your total environment . So for me its about you. Its about what commitment what decisions are each the going to make that is going to lend yourself to be a productive citizen in the future, and eventually a more productive community. Thank you for listening. [applause] i just want to add after chief gonzalez and mr. Jones, i just want to echo the defense the difference. You guys will make all the difference. I am saddened by those recent events, these tragedies, but im also extremely hopeful, hopeful because you guys are here and you care. I think there are communities in france, communities in africa, communities all over the United States now that because of these tragedies i hope will come together. Its not just the Public Discourse which this fine institution stands for and has for so many years but action needs to be taken. The Cleveland Police department is going to need to make changes. That department of justice report is scathing in terms of the abuses whether many of us in the community have known about those abusive practices for years and the doj report on it over a decade ago not enough has been done. And perhaps through our actions, to our collective efforts come through our concerns, all of us can help make a difference. But we have to make sure those actions are taken to a Public Discourse and education are not enough by themselves. We need to take action. So we are in a room full of teenagers, and it may be a few leaders or and maybe we are all leaders in the way. But some dont have, you know that particular push to do something in their community. So what can we as teenagers or Young Leaders or game changer can however you want to call the, what can we do as teenagers to ensure justice in our community . Well first i want to start answering that the question by asking all of you a question. Raise your hand if you know anyone with a criminal conviction. Does anybody have a cousin . [laughter] its important for us to recognize that this country is the number one and kars rater of adults and children in the world. Incarcerated to its board recommended that ohio is the fifth largest prison state in this nation that we rank fourth in the nation with regard to incarceration of women. So we talked about contributions can we have to be mindful that when people are saddled unfairly unnecessarily with a criminal conviction, we are preventing them from country bidding in some way. We have to be real about that. We have to be real about the collateral consequences of criminal convictions and not on how to impact us as individuals but our families and our communities. To answer your question, i would say that we all have to tell our stories. We have to tell ours. Whether he you have been treated unfairly whether you have witnessed some of those being treated unfairly he had to speak to that. Because there is value and validating experiences. There is value in demanding that our systems change. Anthony, you and i were having a conversation before the program began, and i shared with you that i worked with a student once and i asked her what her professions were the Cuyahoga County juvenile detention center. And her response to me was, i wish my school looked that nice. The fact is that we get our return on investment and this country has prioritized investing in incarceration of people, which is why we are the number one incarcerator of all people in the world. And his we invest in education and valued it the way that we value in incarceration, things would be very different. [applause]. That policies are not made in that way. But just, they are not allocated that way we have to call it out basheer, you and i were at a program a few years ago and a young man from Martin Luther King High School, said his biology project consisted of dissecting a cookie. I will never forget that. I will never forget how that child was violated. He was prevented in many ways from pursuing a career in medicine. You know why . Because he was not properly educated. This city was a city that spent 23 years 23 years testing crack pipes to charge people in the city of cleveland with felony cocaine possession, instead of misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia. 23 years. Approximately 35,000 africanamericans have a felony conviction they should not have because cleveland was the only city in the entire state of ohio that had that policy some of these people went to prison of the they can not get Financial Aid to go to college. You know what cleveland did not test . Rape kits. The city of cleveland did not test rape kits dating back to 1950. It is all about priorities. We evaluate the priorities that we have given to the war on drugs over other more important issues. We have to really look at ourselves. We have to look at ourselves. The choice has been made in our name. The truth is that we all pay taxes, whether we make a little bit of money or a lot of money, we all pay taxes. This is our system. We have to take control of it. And i ask all of you to take control of it, because, 10 20 years from now, your children and grandchildren will look to you, and ask you what did you do for me, to save me . We have to demand better. We can not allow these choices that are made in our names to continue to drive wedges and to give us a distinction that we should not have. The land of the free can not be the land of the lockdown. [applause] well, i just want to thank you, miss diaz, thank you, mr. Gordon, thank you, mr. Jones, thank you mr. Gonzalez. This will conclude our moderated portion of the forum. And i will lead it over to kenia for forum announcements. Hello everyone, im kenia heal. I attend the city club of cleaved land Youth Council forum. Were enjoying a panel on discussion on racism in America Today featuring an draw yes, sir Gonzalez Shakir i cant diaz and Jonathan Gordon and Basheer Jones. Lately as im sure you guys know racism in america has been sparking a lot of conversation and controversy across the country. I believe it is our duty to stay informed on such a controversial topic. Not only a great conversation starter, it is a very important for the future of our country as a whole. Our moderator today is another youth Forum Councilmember, Anthony Price of Shaw High School. Please formulate questions now. Please formulate questions for our panelists now. I remind you that your questions should be brief and to the point. On thursday, january 29th the City Club Youth Forum council will host a Panel Discussion entitled, the cleveland renaissance, featuring alonzo mitchell, Marianne Crosby and tom hynan. For more information about our upcoming and past forums please visit us online at cityclub. Org. Now we would like to return to our speakers for our traditional city club question and answer period. We welcome questions from everyone. Holding the microphones today are tall yaw. First question please. I will ask the first question even though ive been asking questions the whole time. The but firstly, what do you think this, like, to what extent does reverse racism exist . And is reverse racism an issue . Anyone can answer that. Yeah, i hear people talking about that and i dont think there is such a thing as reverse racism. I dont think that black people or brown people have the power to be racist. And in a sense. What i mean by that is, is that, if you slap me, and im upset that you slapped me, and i slapped you back, im not encouraging anybody to slap anybody but if i am reacting to what you have done to me, that is a exactly what is going on here. So we dont have the power. You see, what, what shakai i cant is talking about, talking about institutionalized racism. Power to create and enact laws. Power to do something or allowing them to do it. There is discrimination across the entire globe. Look what is happening in nigeria in this moment. Look what is happening in places in europe and parts of asia and so forth, so on. All types of people. Not just, what we see is across the globe there is hatred that exist, selfhatred and hatred for other people. Not just going on here in america. And it has, it didnt just start, we talk about racism kind of just like starting in the civil rights, but it started, i mean it started with native americans. We cant forget about all the people who have been impacted by the idea that i am better than you. That is what it really boils down to. I am better than you, and you dont deto be in the same space. You are beneath me. It doesnt happen with race t happens with men and women. It happens with religions. It happens with all types of cultures. You can go in places of africa and pakistan and other where there are tribal issues. My tribe is better than your tribe. So once we understand it and look at it from a global perspective well be successful. I want to Say Something if you dont mind particularly when it comes to maybe imskipping but i want to talk about ferguson for one second, if you dont mind. We had a chance to go down to ferguson. We had a chance, took 30 people sat down in ferguson missouri where even today mike browns blood is on the ground stains the pavement. Theyre trying to repave the streets. The place where mike brown was killed is a housing complex. Theyre trying to, theyre telling people they cant move back in. They cant renew their lease. Theyre moving everybody out. So ferguson, is a different situation from cleveland. Ferguson, City Council Majority white. The mayor white. Police department, majority white. In a majority africanamerican city. But cleveland is different. Cleveland, even though, racism may be in the fold somewhere but cleveland got a black mayor. Cleveland has a black chief of police. Cleveland has many africanamericans who are city council. So it is not just a situation where just a black or white situation here in cleveland. I would say this. To the adults who are here. We must truly look at you will not like it, i will say it anyway. We must truly look at how the democrats have been treating africanamericans here in this city. We have to bring them to the table. Bring different parties to the table. And ask ourselves the question were not just a onenightstand. That is how weve been treated in this city for years and years and years. So what we have a black mayor . What does that truly mean if were continue to go through the same situations that weve been dealing with for years . What does it truly mean if we have a black mayor, if our City School District has been one of the Worst School Districts for years, for years . Upon years . What does it truly mean we have majority africanamerican city council but the money dont leave downtown and dont go to the east side . Tremont, they beat Cuyahoga County convention center, so quickly, i went downtown one time. It was like still the foundation. Came back. All the way up. Oh snap. Weve been trying to build league parks for 10 years. Trying to build league park. The question is, why is the money going to the east side . Why glenville have the same issues glenville have and connell wood. I do a class at connellwood high school. Look at glenville. Look at these schools and go to the casinos. Look how that look. Look at taj mahal, aka, juvenile detention center, know what i mean. The question is, the question is in this city, not just a black and white issue in this city. Its a little bit deeper in this city. And i think as adults we must bring to the table republicans democrats, and independents whoever does the best for us, that is our choice, not just go with a Certain Party because weve been going with it. [applause] the question . Morgan freeman once did an interview, one of his questions was, how do we stop racism . He said, we stop talking about it. Do you think this is rational . If not how would you have ends ad the question . Anyone like to respond . So ill start. That confused me. So i think it is irrational. What i would say is that we need to spend more time walking in each others shoes. Basheer mentioned the issue about schools. Before i started doing work i do now i used to work in schools and i often found it fascinating that we were able to find money for metal detectors but not toilet paper and soap in the bact rooms. Bathrooms. Come on. [applause] again it gets to issue of priorities and how do we message to young people about the value of their worth. When you dont allow young people, to have access to toilet paper or soap and cant figure out a way to do that youre telling them, you are not worthy. You dont deserve it. So when we treat people like less than human from the time they are children, that we con them to walkthrough metal detectors before they can get their education, we are really conditioning young people for prison. So by the time they get there they have lost ownership of their minds and their bodies. So i think it is important to walk in one anothers shoes. If children who are not in schools then have to experience these type of conditions do not know that is not normal for everybody they think that everyone has this experience. If children, who do have access to toilet paper and soap in their classroom, dont realize that there are other kids who dont, they think that their experience is normal and its not. We have to trade places. We have to just for a moment, take some time, to walk in another, in one anothers shoes to have the conversations, the tough conversations. I also find it very enlightening to talk to young people. Say you are experts in your experience. It has been a minute since ive been in high school. Im not going to say how long but it has been a minute. So for me it is important to understand what the world looks like to you. How are we failing you . What is it that were not giving you . And i think that is how we can start because the truth is that there are some people who do not want to talk about racism at all because slavery ended. Then there are others who just want to talk and dont want to do nothing. Come on, now. Okay . So we have to have conversations, walk in one anothers shoes and take the responsibility of doing something. [applause] recognize that this table has shaw High School Students and welcome. Were grad youre here. I am a big fan of Morgan Freeman but i cant completely agree with him. Maybe he you just cant talk about it but i think that is where we start. Thats what were doing today and that is why i said i was hopeful but we do need to take more action. Those folks that system is leading them to prison this mass incarceration and then, they get out of prison, cant get jobs and cant vote in some states. They cant participate in our society. But going back to the schools theyre underfunded. Here in cleveland, we need to be devoting our resources to that. So we can talk about but we also have to make those policy decisions and choices. Money will speak. Weve are concerned about police brutality. The Police Department, we could be spending millions on investigations. We need to be spending money and resources on training on good hiring practices, on, proper investigations with accountability. All that takes resources and rededication of our efforts. So it is we do need to talk about. But as i said before we need to take action too. Right. Some of those actions can include things like body cameras. The president spoke about that. Things like that, that cost money. But, they can make a difference. I think im excited by the fact we have these videos out there. People cant deny today that these incidents happened. We have them on video. They still get free. Tell gordon unfortunately. Civil actions may bring some remedy to that situation. I dont think it is over. But, we dont know what is going to happen here in cleveland. You know, it is terrible watching those videos over and over again but, we, know what happened now. It cant be denied. We cant pretend this doesnt happy anymore. Thats true. Bringing together the community, i think we can make a difference now and make the necessary changes Going Forward so i have some hope about that. Next question . As a young person in my experience from people of different ethnic background and socioeconomic statuses i hear a lot of, i dont see color. Can you explain why to people here that may want to understand, that is something that moves us back in this fight to understand and combat racism . I think that is simple. I think that is a lie. If you can see you see color. And seeing color doesnt mean that you are proactively racist. It means that you are acknowledging, we can acknowledge differences. What we shouldnt do and can not do is deny human dignity. Plain and simple right there. Next question . I know someone mentioned that cleveland is the fourth most segregated city in this country and i know with the rebranding of cleveland, like with uptown, which is ten minutes away from some of the worst parts of our city, and theyre rebranding it as really wealthy community im just asking how can we as youth combat the segregation in the city in the future because clearly having a black mayor has not helped . Clearly having a democratic merrill cabinet has not helped. So what well, democratic party, yes. What can we do in the future to sort of combat the segregation that contributes to the racism in cleveland. First, we have to combat the segregation even amongst ourselves, you know . You have young people who what school do you go to . I go to Hathaway Brown. You go to Hathaway Brown. You have a young lady from Hathaway Brown who wont spend time with a young lady from laurel or a young person from east tech who may not be happy with a person from glenville. There is a segregation amongst even the, let me go deep real quick, if you dont mind. Watch it now. Even within the Africanamerican Community there is a segregation. So young ladies she is from Hathaway Brown. She must think she is this, that. Im from east tech. I think like this. So there is, we helped create a program at laurel called, i believe it was called guiding star or i forget the name of the program. They go and make a connection between that school and a school within quote unquote, innercity. There have to be more dialogue with solon and Martin Luther King High School or Shaw High School and university. So forth, so on. There has to be that. But i want to go even deeper and say, that, when we talk about racism the worst part about racism is that, it creates selfhatred. It creates selfhatred. Where some of you truly look into the mirror, and you dont like what you see. Because you have been told for so long that you are too dark, youre too light youre too slim too this or too that. It has begun to affect you. And some people play into the perception that people have about us. Like like our generation has some chumps, man like scared. Youre not afraid to fight from what street you come from, but afraid to fight to better your school . Youre afraid to fight and stand up for your community when they shot down timir wright. Where were you . I didnt want to march. You could have wrote a letter. Not you, so much not your cousins and them [laughter]. Right, right some of your cousins, what are you doing . What are you doing . You know, you can talk about who hates you all day but what are you doing . Some of you are afraid to be different. You are afraid to go back to your schools, youre following the crowd. Going to school dressing how everybody dress, talking how everybody talk, not some of you but too many of us and what happens to the school . Think about what is happening in our community . There are people that need to go to jail. I understand. But some people need to go to jail. We have some cousins or stuff to be locked up for sure. When they get out they will cause a problem, thats for sure. What i say to you and i i think mr. Gordon said this, or someone said this, but what are you doing . What can you do better in your life . Do your Little Brothers know more lyricses than he knows abcs . Do your little cousin know ushers, you know what im saying, dont mind, you know what i mean . You know the crap im talking about. Do they know those lyrics better than they know their multiplication table . There are things you can change within your household and within your community that just because teacher think im stupid does not mean that that is the way that i have to act. The question is how are you going to change yourself and once you say the system is very powerful. He said when i was young i wanted to change the world but as i was older i wanted to change the galaxy within myself. You can change you. When you change you, the world around you will change. [applause] time for one more question. Hi, everyone. My name is danielle. I really have much of a comment. I have a comment but you can just respond right to it. The question you asked before was, how was like how do we lose our race or how do we embrace our race now . But i think the question more should be, how was it lost . It was lost more when we came over on the Middle Passage with all of the males laying next to us, the dead body, the vomit, feces laying next to us, bunched up, we couldnt do anything for it. That is when it was lost. Im not saying there wasnt, any africanamerican race brought over. You know, like in class history, for instance. They teach us, were stuck on industrialization. That is all they teach us in class. Slavery is the last topic in the book. That is only thing, they dont want to get that far, you know, because they have to deal with discipline. We dont get that far in the back of the book. The only thing we know about slavery, there were sharecroppers, emancipation proclamation, just the basics. But last year i gave a speech on the willie lynch letter. Most people dont have any clue what that is. The willie lynch letter, that stated it, he was a slave master and he tried to trade he wanted to turn the black race against each other with age, race gender you know he turned them against each other and he wrote a letter about it. And other other slave owners started to use that method, the willie lynch letter. I spoke on that. So many people dont know about that because were stuck on industrialization and the Progressive Movement and all of that you know. And, one comment about what you said sir you said that there are some bad apples. Honestly i think that there arent any bad apples. The whole system is bad. This whole system is a bad apple. There is systemic problems. Yeah we reflect the system that oppresses us. Thank you. [applause] that was powerful. You got to take that Initiative Like you just did and take it outside of school. But i want to, i want to give you reality for one second and that is, when we were down there marching in ferguson, i was marching with a 90yearold jewish would. A. Woman. A young mechanic canister. The march was diverse. I dont want to you to think for one second this mission to up lift humanity is not a mission that is taken up by everyone. There are people of all races rereligions and cultures who understand the humanity what is going on and fighting for you. There are people in your community who look just like you who are helping with the destruction of it. So we have to keep your minds open. Work with everyone that wants to work with us and stay away from all of us who want to work against us. I want to, first of all i agree we have systemic problem at least talking about the Cleveland Police department and that department of justice report amplifies why that is. But we also need to study history, as you apparently are doing and we also need to recognize all the progress that has happened since slavery. We have a long way to go to recognize, let me ask you all do you know what happened on january 15th, 1929 . Martin luther kings birthday. And we should acknowledge that, because his actual birthday is tomorrow. Im honored to be here celebrating that birthday as well. I hope youre studying the civil rights movement. That was 50 years ago. My students think that was ancient history like slavery and the civil war but it wasnt. That was my lifetime. I grew up during that period. I remember april 4th 1968, when he was killed. And, it has been 50 years since, over 50 years now since the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights act of 1965. We have come a long way. We still have a long way to go. Do people see color or claim they dont see color anymore . That is ridiculous. We all see differences but we need to embrace our differences whether were ablebodied. Whether were lgbtq members of the community. Whether were different religions, ethnicities as well as race. That, i can go back to what i said before about black lives matter. People are offended by that movement as though, that mean other lives dont matter . Of course not. All lives matter. All lives should matter, but historically black lives didnt matter as much. They were considered disposable ungrievable for the
comparemela.com © 2020. All Rights Reserved.