And if it is so we have the courts to tell what it means and that is fine on the other branches. Lives as well as he spent too. A discussion about race hosted by the Aspen Institute at the newseum. This is in downtown washington, d. C. Right between the capital and the white house along pennsylvania avenue. They will focus on new attitudes, opportunities, challenge for people of color in the United States in the 21st century. This is expected to run into the afternoon and we will be hearing from several panels of speakers. We will hear first from some the people involved in putting this together at the Aspen Institute as well as the Senior Vice President of diversity at comcast corporation. Later, the state of race in an election cycle, and raised in universities and urban settings. There will be a short break around 11 30 a. M. Eastern followed by discussion with Juan Williams on some of the possible next steps and recommendations for the challenges faced by people of color. We will wrap things up around 2 00 eastern time. If everyone will take their seats, please. Good morning. Welcome to the 2016 Aspen Institute symposium on the state of race in america. Im Kiahna Cassell, project director in the Aspen Institute communications and Society Program. The Aspen Institute, neutral nonprofit aims to foster leadership based on enduring values and provide and nonpartisan venue for being with critical issues. We are delighted you joined us for our sixth annual symposium in partnership with our friends at comcast corporation. This symposium happens to be one of my personal favorites come an Incredible Group of speakers, a great dialogue. Does it get any better than that . I dont think so. We started it with an opening presentation followed by to panel session. Immediately following the panel will then go into our tow town l conversations come at a town hall will be a chance for all of the participants and attendees to dig deeper into the topics discussed throughout the day. For those who are joining the conversation at home we encourage you to join the discussion on social media. Hashtag for the event is state of race. I like to turn the microphone over to our executive director of the communications and Society Program at the Aspen Institute, charlie firestone. [applause] thank you, kiahna. This symposium will explore the opportunities and challenges for people of color in the 21st century. This year we will look particularly at questions of race on campus and on changing demographics and cities, have the effect minorities quality of life. So while we will consider the country has made progress on the racial front we will also examine why race related problems persist. In fact, intensified in the past year, and try to identify kernels of hope that can emerge from our new multiracial reality. The issues of race as we all know played this country since its colonial times, for over 300 years. We have struggled at the time of the adoption of the constitution, during the civil war, jim crow, Civil Rights Era and on to today. Theres been progress all along the way of course, but we still face significant racial issues today and most deal effectively with these issues if our democracy is to survive. Today the dialogue will touch on individual cultural institutional and structural causes of racial problems, looking towards new and Viable Solutions in the context of our panel topics. We will be defining these problems with the purpose of finding solutions, what you, we, and institutions can do to remove racial tensions are in other words, the purpose of this convenient is to do what the Aspen Institute does best, which is divide a safe, nonideological space to have an informed and educator dialogue of the toughest issues of the day. Before we get into our session we want of a few thank you. Worst of all Kiahna CassellLeslie Shepherd this project for all six years of it and who has really shepherded the hard work of putting it together. Will want to thank Juan Williams who was the instigator of this session more than six years ago, the idea and its been aute with mainstay of this symposium every year. We also want to thank as kiahna started comp has done in our partners in this venture without him would not have been possible with at all and thats the wonderful folks at comcast including brett, johnny, jackie, antonio, and gretchen. All these folks work under the capable leadership of a man who triggered a huge civic portfolio as well as this is one, when he believes in true Racial Equity and puts his name and resources behind that. Please welcome to the stage comcast executive Vice President david cohen. [applause] so thanks very much, charlie. Good morning, everyone. Its a delight to see everyone here today. This annual conversation on race always provides new perspectives and new insights, and its something i truly look forward to every year. Thats a credit to charlie and kiahna and holding the its a credit to juan who asked charlie said had the idea to have this program, and typical of juan come with me as an idea and he pursues it, doesnt just disappear. Hes been an active part of this every year for all six years. I really appreciate your engagement and what youve done to bring this conversation to life every year. And at comcast we are very proud to partner with aspen since the first symposium in 2011. So at the time americas first africanamerican president was gearing up for what turned out to be a historic reelection victory. Now as president obama moves through his final year in office, we are slogging through a brutal and bizarre primary season. And i use that word intentionally. Where there have been too many Company Think one of the more uncomfortable aspects of the campaign has been there have been far too many reminders about the role of race in american politics and in American Society. Sometimes not with the most intelligent discourse around them. Of course, this Long Campaign season has already produced one major winner, the polling industry. Never have so many people been told so many times with so few enlightening results. At the are two in lightning polls that stick in my mind. First, neither of them is very much connection to the president ial campaign. Im thinking of two cbs New York Times polls on Race Relations in america. One taken by some and the other early in 2009 just after president obama took office. In 2009, it reflected the optimism many of us felt at the time. It reported that twothirds of americans believe that Race Relations were generally good. But that message was turned inside out in july of last year when six in 10 americans, according to the st. Paul, including heavy majorities of both blacks and whites felt Race Relations were generally bad. Almost 40 felt the situation was getting worse and not better. I think most of you would agree that the search of pessimism was fed by the number of racial incidents ive talked about last year in my comments at this symposium. Reminding ust am thaica has still not stamped out a chronic disease of racism. Its symptoms can be settled or tragically fatal come and weve learned that people and institutions can be infected without even realizing it. We dont have a cure yet but weve come a long way, including through programs like this one, putting a spotlight on these issues in a fearless come in a fearless way and in a safe environment. I believe that the more critical attention we focus on a different aspects of race in america, the better equipped will be to eradicate this disease completely. So charlie has as you put together a rich and full agenda which is going to get underway as soon as i get off this stage, so going to rush to do that. And we start with richard lou providing an overview of the racially connected events and issues that have gained traction during this election cycle. I know richard will give us some perspective and richard, your presentations have become a highlight of this symposium at im not just saying that because richard is a fallible member of the abc news and msnbc family, and a friend, but because you spent real time in the trenches on all these issues and speaks with an almost unique sense of perspective around the state of race in american politics. We are also looking forward to the First Panel Discussion which is on a timely theme of race and the university or and as chair of the trustees of the university of pennsylvania, its a topic that is a personal interest to me. Because its interesting that while american colleges and universities have made gains in general in enrolling more minority students, but incidents on different campuses have shown us that gains in diversity on campus have not necessarily been matched by gains in inclusion on campus. Black students especially have made clear that they often feel unwelcome and even actively discriminated against. Their complaint supported an observation by sean harper who is an education professor and director of the center for the study of race. He said and i quote simply having more students of color on a College Campus does not ensure that theyre going to deal included and respected. Thats a challenge for Higher Education, and i suspect its a challenge for companies in america and for society as a whole. Our second panel will take up the important issue of shifting urban demographics. The continued revival of americas cities is one of the Great Success stories of the past 30 years, but now weve reached a chapter were met to decide whether this urban renaissance will be inclusive with its benefits touching all people in all neighborhoods. And i think thats the important topic of discussion for our second panel today. I do know that everyone here today is committed to doing whatever you can to correct the inequalities that still compromise Race Relations in america, and keep the virus of race as a. In innovation we want everyones participation in this dialogue today. So for the first time weve scheduled a Town Hall Session for open discussion which is going to be hosted by Juan Williams, and i warn everyone, juan is a host but also an instigator. So if youre in the room youre likely to be called on. And i think thats the goal to really create a dialogue and theres no one better at doing that than Juan Williams. So your participation today can help Bring Solutions to the problem that has for so long stood in between this great country of ours and its ability to realize its full potential. So i want to thank you for being here today and hope that you enjoy the symposium. I begin thanks to charlie and kiahna for the leadership and hard work to put together such a great program. Thanks. [applause] okay, lets get started. Our opening presentation will be from richard lui, who as david mentioned and we all know is an american journalist and news anchor for msnbc and nbc news. He before this was the anchor five years at cnn worldwide, 2007 he became the first Asian American male to anchor a daily cable news show. He has spanned 25 years of Community Leadership and appearances at community events. He has worked with the u. N. Foundation, the state department, various universities. Hes an ambassador for plan international, the epilepsy foundation. He has worked on the board of ngos including on homeless housing, and human trafficking. Hes an active columnist and many publications that you read, including both local newspapers and National Papers such as the usa today and politico. Richard received his bachelors from berkeley and his mba from the university of michigan. And weve invited him to lead us off today with a presentation on the year in race and looking particularly at this election cycle and some other issues that will lead into our panel. So please welcome richard lui. [applause] good morning to all of you here and thank you so much, charlie firestone, Kiahna Cassell, as well as david cohen who has always put together a fantastic event here. And thank you to my good friend, Juan Williams, from the networks ratings are always have to buy the competition. Or kind of get that backwards but that was my not so in situ you joke, wasnt it . Thank you as always. I learned so much watching you every day, as you did great work that you do. It is an honor to be back at this important discussion that we are about to have this year and the past five years as well. Thank you again all. This java to start with a story that im working on right now, and in uncommon still fashion obligation with you before actually as. Just dont tell anybody. Dont tell david. I fielded wednesday and friday. And my editor and i were in the dark booth yesterday coming monday for many hours. It will air on msnbc in the coming weeks. So without obligation or without first, with you. In the lead up to 1964, birmingham, new york, chicago, crackle over racial inequality spent bricks and bottles were thrown spirit that drove that voter turnout to century long eyes. 94 of nonwhite voters giving Lyndon Johnson four more years. In 1992 the reginald stamey beating 55 died in the los angeles riots. That after four officers were acquitted in the rodney king verdict. Voter turnout rose five percentage points. We must not permit this country to drift apart further. 77 of nonwhite voters choosing bill clinton for the white house. He said i didnt know i was the candidate. Might of the same forces be at work in 2016 . With recent prices including the Trayvon Martin shooting, ferguson falling come and eric garner killed on camera. We are getting less traction in the president ial conversation. And thats where we would like to see it more intensified. Luis gutierrez hears about the topic. He works six days a week to get up to vote for Latino American groups and clr. Today at a pork toledo restaurant in atlanta by puerto rican restaurant. Black people and latinos and all of that stuff, thats always a conversation got subject. And another swing state of nevada, Police Brutality concerns not a common topic she has about. New republican registered after skipping 2012. I want to get into like ferguson, stuff that happened in the past that racism. People need to open their eyes and see the big picture. This is very much at the top of their agenda and weve done a number of research and polls on this come and it still ranks always in the top three. The top three of new voters is registering 14 each day. Each registration is like gold to whoever i smiled when she reaches 20 each day. Regardless of party they know its these new voters, they are the ones who decide in places like ferguson will be remembered on election day. Richard lui, msnbc, las vegas, nevada. So as you can see from that report the state of race this year is pretty hard to describe than it was last year. And when we look at the headline leading at the 2015 the overflow of the things the state of race as has been said by david and charlie so for. When it all sat together last you on the mark on some of the stories ive been fortunate i had to report on. Unnamed Trayvon Martin and eric garner, freddie gray and Michael Brown come to some of them. I started lester. I started lifting this is as welcome center, new york, baltimore and ferguson. One moment stood out for me from that year even to do as i reflected on how we which are todays hours together are president of the United States, two years after his reelection in 2014, having to stand in front of the cameras, americans watching his picture on the right side of the screen, they are killweight mud in front of them, on screen left, cars and communities on fire. You remember the. He pleaded for calm that evening hour it was the first africanamerican president watching africanamerican communities that looked like 1964 in 2014. It was a flashback of unfortunate irony. Everybody wanted only to be just a flashback. This year id like to start with what journalists are asked to do, that is to give him a bit of context and it is difficult given the limited experience ive had. That context asks if this election were remember those difficult times, those recent figures of Race Relations that we were just seeing on the screen. While simultaneously those years being a period of the most historic advances in race. Context tells us we must look as much, look forward and look back together. So looking back is were i will start at the completion of two administrations of the countrys first minority president. Record voter turnout and representations of minorities that we have seen so far, not only in places of politics but also ports, business and in communities. That gaps on College Campuses almost 70 are saying Race Relations are the same or better than five years ago. But students disagree. 58 say theyve witnessed an active discrimination. The numbers according to 538 get worse on campuses with less diversity. So also looking back, the e