Transcripts For WABC Here And Now 20151129

Here and now. Recently, tens of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in washington, d. C. , to mark the 20th anniversary of the million man march the theme this time, justice or else, a call for an end to Police Brutality in communities of color. Joining us today is lawrence hamm, founder and chairman of the Peoples Organization for progress, the northeast regional director of the National Action network, minister kirsten john foy, along with michael hardy, executive Vice President and general counsel for nan. Thank you all for being here again. Nice to see you. Great to be here. Good to see you. First question i asked myself was, has it been 20 years . 20 years. It was hard for me to believe that time had passed, and i know, mr. Hamm, that you attended the first march. Yes, yes. And this time, you took a couple of busloads of folks. What was the big difference, i think, between not only the mood, but also the makeup of the crowd was slightly different this time. Right. Well, the most obvious differences were the theme. In 1995, the theme was atonement, reconciliation, and responsibility. The general call went primarily to black men in 1995, and estimates were that there were as many as 1. 8 Million People there in 1995. In 2015, for the 20th anniversary, the theme, as you said, was justice or else with the emphasis upon, one, the problem of Police Brutality and the murder of unarmed folks in our community, and also the violence in our own community, and also the call went out to a much broader audience this time. So, i would say, i was there, and we took two busloads the Peoples Organization for progress took two busloads with family members of four Police Brutality victims jerame reid, kashad ashford, abdul kamal, and radazz hearns, and, in fact, sheila reid, jerames mother, was on the bus with us, and family members of the others, and i would say that there were nearly a Million People there this time, and both events were very successful, and for another generation, this was an important event. My own daughter, she wanted to come, but something happened with her job, and she had to work, and she was in tears because she couldnt be there. So this event was for this generation as 95 was for us. And minister foy, i know that you spoke to the crowd in washington. Your feeling that it answered the call for this generation, as mr. Hamm said, in a way maybe in a different way, but similar to the first one 20 years ago . Well, i think that this call was timely. We are now in an era of real political unrest in this country, social unrest in this country on the backs of eric garner and Michael Brown and freddie gray and scott and so many others across the country. It was a timely call. The opportunity for us, who are coming on the heels of the leaders who fought immediately before us, to be able to address that call and to be able to answer the call and to be able to participate in this historic event was both personally satisfying, but it was also, i think, politically expedient. What we saw at this march was a whole new generation of leaders not folks that have just sprung up overnight, but people who, like myself, have been in the streets working for years and years, who have been laying the groundwork alongside people like mr. Hamm and attorney hardy, but who are now maturing and coming to a point where we are ready an opportunity for us to lay the groundwork for the future. And i want to ask you two, since you were there and i am gonna get to mr. Hardy. How important do you think that is . I think you make an interesting point. Its a new generation of leaders, and im familiar with you, but there are people from all over the country doing the same kinds of work in their communities. How important was it, do you think, for all of them to have that opportunity to see each other, to talk to each other, in a sense break bread with each other and say, you know, with one voice, these are the issues that were facing, and, i guess, get that energy from each other that youre not alone in that struggle whatever your struggle is in your community . Well, one of the things that impressed me about saturdays event was the number of young people that were there. There were a lot of young people, and that certainly was heartening. Because events like this help must take the idea of unity out of the abstract and into reality. Whenever an opportunity presents itself so that we can stand together actually stand together in unity we have to take it. So events like this also help to bring the spotlight on the work that were doing locally. Look, were sitting here now because of the event in washington, and were not only talking about washington, but talking about the issues that were dealing with in our local community. So ill bring you to the conversation, mr. Hardy, because that work does continue. It didnt just start with this rally. Talk to me a little bit about what nan is doing in the present. I know that recently you met with the Justice Department in connection with the eric garner case. Well, you know, the theme of the march this past saturday was justice. That was a big part of the theme, and that is something National Action network has been building down through the decades. We will be celebrating our 25th anniversary as we turn the new year, and, of course, these issues are in the forefront right now because not only what happened with eric garner, but eric garner, in particular, in terms of this latest stream of cases that happen eric garner, and then Michael Brown and then tamir rice and then sandra bland and so on has begun a whole new situation where policing is front and center, particularly policing in urban communities, and we have been on top of that. We have been in front of the calls for cameras on policing, and, of course, cameras make a difference because people that may used to have questioned these situations really now cant question basics cause they see it. Its really hard to not believe that constitutional policing has to happen when you watch a video of eric garner being choked to death and saying, i cant breathe 11 times. So, you know, that work is continuing, and i think the good thing about it is you do have young people coming in. I think minister foy represents part of that next generation and those younger that are bringing their energy to this, and thats always important and why these gatherings are important because it does just provide another opportunity for people to get energized, to do this work of justice, and, of course, were seeing reforms across the nation. And to keep the spotlight on the issue. Absolutely. Because sometimes we have a tendency you know, its quiet for a minute, and people have a tendency to get complacent. I guess i would suppose a rally like this, in addition to the work that nan does, makes people continue to stand up. Absolutely. Its incumbent upon us, and let me say this before i say anything else. Let me say thank you publicly to minister farrakhan and the nation of islam for calling and providing the opportunity for those of us who are doing the work to participate and also helping to bring attention to what were doing. That being said, now that the march is over, the onus is on us to go back to our communities, and, really, we need to go back home and turn things upside down with the amount of injustice thats being heaped on our people. We have abdul kamal from irvington, new jersey, shot 10 times. He had a cellphone in his hand. Jerame reid had his hands up and open, shot at pointblank range in bridgeton, new jersey. Kashad ashford shot 7 times 4 times in the head, and radazz hearns, a 14yearold boy, shot 7 times in the back, and because he survived, now theyre trying to charge him and make him into a criminal. These things are happening in every Community Across this country, and not to mention the astronomical rates of unemployment, the rates of homelessness. Theres just so theres so many issues that confront us. We have to build the movement to transform this social system that produces problems like this. If i can just add to that. Its important that we build out the infrastructure to be able to confront these issues when they come up. National Action Network has spent its 25 years trying to connect the dots nationally, and now weve been able to latch on to this moment and be able to elevate this to a National Level so were being discussed in president ial debates. And to have victories. I mean, we stopped stop and frisk. We now have an Inspector General for the police department. We have changes with regard to use of force across the country. We have cameras on police officers. Special prosecutors. Special prosecutors. So victories are important because that also is what keeps people motivated because they see that their work is having real results. The fruits of your labor. And id also like to ive got to cut you off there cause theyre gonna kick me out of the building with you. All right. But you know that you are all welcome back cause this is obviously an issue that we need to continue discussing. Absolutely. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. When we come back, Michael Strahan and his new book. Stay with us. Meet the moores were the moore family, and were always looking for ways to enjoy more. So we called Time Warner Cable and got even more than we expected. Call now to get more. More speed. Like, 300 meg. More tv shows and movies on demand. More places to make more unlimited calls. Call now. For 89. 99 a month, youll get 100 meg ultra fast internet, hundreds of hd channels, and unlimited calling to international destinations. We find more good things every day more ways to watch more shows. On more wifi connected devices in our house. Time warner cable made switching easy with a one hour arrival window. They even made sure all of our connections were up and running before they left. Why settle for less, when you can get more call now. For a limited time, get a free trial of showtime for one year, and ask how you could get a 300 reward card. Hes an overachiever by just about any standard, but the long list of accomplishments super bowl champ, nfl hall of famer, and Emmy Awardwinning talkshow host id say he knows a thing or two about dreaming and winning big, and he is sharing some of that knowledge in his new book, wake up happy, the dream big, win big guide to transforming your life. Joining us this afternoon, Michael Strahan. Thank you so much for being with us, michael. Thank you for having me and thank you for thats a lot of words to read for that title. Yeah, but youre a big man, so i think its quite appropriate. Wake up happy you know, every time i see you, you do always seem happy. Kind of a mantra for your life . Yeah. I think its something i had to learn something i had to learn. Even when i was successful as a football player, i did not always wake up happy. I was not always even happy in success, but i just realized that i wasnt feeling good about my life. There are so many things that just my attitude was affecting, and i figured out a way to change my attitude to wake up truly feeling happy and to approach everything that i do now with that type of happiness, and the formula for that has worked for me, so thats why i wrote the book as a formula. It brings to mind a really popular phrase attitude affects your altitude. Mmhmm. That sounds like exactly what youre saying. Why did you decide this was the time to share what youve learned and put into practice in a book . I get asked that question you know, especially from someone who is not just in sports, but someone whos gone from one business to another, how were you able to go from sports to television and entertainment and do all these things . , and i dont know if theres any clear, direct answer to it, but i do know that one thing that has helped me tremendously has been my attitude towards it. You know, i look at everything with an enjoyment. I look at everything with the attitude that it can be done, and its not a question like, one story in my book is when not if. My dad always said when. So for me, it was never if. If makes it seem like theres doubt, and i dont know if he doing. My dad always said when, which made me feel like nothing is impossible. Everything is possible, and to this day, i approach things as if you know, if i want something to happen, its only a matter of time that its going to happen. It takes that hard work. You talked about that one of Michael Strahans rules what rule . What is that . Grit. . Mmhmm. Yeah, it takes a lot of grit, determination, and work ethic. I mean, those are things that you need. You need those things to be successful. We all have these ideas of being happy, and success is on a different level. Success is not necessarily doing what ive done. Success is on Different Levels for everybody, but the true thing about any success or any happiness that you have is that it requires work. Yeah. You know, we all want great things, but you got to be able to go out there and work for them. How easy was it for you to share some of the personal things in this book . Because it really is its a personal story, and you are very honest about what you see as some of your failures. Yeah. How difficult was that to share that . That was a little difficult. You know, it was a little difficult, and especially when youre reading a book, and i did the audio book, as well, and im reading it going, oh, boy. [laughs] i really did put that in here. It sounds like you. Marriages, failed marriages, relationships, kids, and but those are all things that i learned from, and the only way that you can write Something Like this and to tell people, you know, wake up happy, wake up and change your attitude about life is to show that, no, my life is not perfect. My life had many faults, and i have many faults, but i just choose to go in a positive direction now, which everything is not always gonna work out the way that you want it to work out. Every situation changes and is different, but if you have the right attitude towards it, things that usually would be big problems to you become so small in the grand scheme of things, and i think thats you know, one of the things that you talked about in the book, that relationship with your former coach. Mmhmm. There. Yeah, we hated each other. Well, i hated him. I dont know if he hated me. Him. Thats surprised me. Yeah. I mean, we didnt get along, and hes won two super bowls for the giants, i won a super bowl with him, but by the end of our relationship, i loved the guy. I loved tom coughlin, and i would play for him to this day if i physically could still do it, but one thing i learned with him was, we all wanted the same goal, we just didnt know how to we wanted the same thing, we just had to figure out a way to Work Together to get it, and thats when we had to change our attitudes towards each other. Yeah, one of your rules, in fact, is that you may not be able to change the other person, but you can change the way you deal with that person. Exactly. And thats exactly what i had to do with him. I had to go from learning to be a part of the solution, not continue to be a part of the problem because of my attitude, and once i did both had this coming together of positivity to win, because we both truly wanted the same thing, and once i changed my attitude and the way i dealt towards him, it felt like as if he changed his attitude in the way he dealt not towards me, but to the entire team, and success was not too far from that. You know, if somebody had asked you, lets say, 15, 20 years ago about what youd be 15, 20 years down the road, could you ever imagine all youve been able to accomplish . Absolutely not. 15, 20 years ago, i was just hoping to not have to move back in with my parents. [ both laugh ] werent we all . That was my whole goal, but, no. I could not imagine to still live in new york. I thought i would come to new york, play a few years, and eventually end up somewhere else to kind of be that retired athlete whos kind of riding out the rest of my life. But i love what i do now, prefer what i do now keeps me stimulated, keeps me motivated, and i just love it, and i love working. Like, i do love working because it keeps me and you have a lot of jobs. And i have a lot of jobs. But the thing i love about it, it keeps me around people, and i love people and i love conversation, and i love joking, and i love and how can i tell my kids to work hard if they dont see me working hard, because if i would have retired from football, they were young, and all you know is the father whos at home every day, and, so, for me, its very important for my kids to see that. But i love the people i work with. Thats why i can wake up happy every morning and go to work and feel good about it. I want to ask you. Anybody picking up this book, theyre gonna still think, even with your issues, even with your ups and downs, youre a pretty special person, a very talented person, and they think, i still couldnt be Michael Strahan. I dont know that i could do that. What would you say youre hoping the message is that this book imparts to them . If you would have asked me 15, 20 years ago, i didnt think i could be where i am now, but i think the biggest reason that people dont achieve everything because we doubt ourselves more than anybody else is gonna doubt us. We tell ourselves what we cant do, but yet well tell our kids what they can do. Tell ourselves what we can do and stop doubting yourself. Because there are a lot of other people out there who doubt you enough. Believe in yourself. Go after it and just go out there with the right attitude and think about when its gonna happen, not if its gonna happen. Michael strahan. The book is wake up happy. Thank you so much for being with us this afternoon. Up next, comedian kier junior spates from the steve harvey morning show. He gets serious about sickle cell. Who coined the term side bread . Because theres nothing side about this bread. It may look like the moon. But its the star of the show. Unleash the power of dough. Give it a pop. That sound. Like nails on a chalkboard. But listen to this family talking thats a different kind of sound. The sound of the weekend. Unleash the power of dough. Give it a pop. Its the holidays. Which means a house full of people who all want to get online. So its the perfect time for verizon fios. It has the Fastest Internet and wifi available. With speeds from 50 to 500 megs. And right now, youll get 50 meg fios internet, tv and phone for 79. 99 a month online for your first year. And with a 2 year agreement, well give you all the premium movie channels for a year. Plus, 400 dollars back. So go online or call now. Laughter is the perfect wakeup call for comedian kier junior spates on the steve harvey morning show, but the talented funny man gets serious about living with sickle cell. As the National Celebrity ambassador for the Sickle Cell Disease association of america, he is spreading the word about this disease that disproportionately affects africanamericans. Kier junior spates is here today to talk about this important cause. So nice to meet you. Welcome to here and now. [ southern accent ] well, thank you all for having me on here and now. We found out that were in common. Fellow texans. Texans. Yes, we are. Great people, if i may say so myself. Yes, i hear that little southern accent there. [ laughs ] i try to pretend mine is not there. I see you working on it, but its coming out between words. I hear it. Yeah, it comes out. I hear it. Okay. Shut up. [ both laugh ] all right, kier. When were you diagnosed with sickle cell . How old were you . I was 7 years old. 7. 7 years old when i found out that i had sickle cell, and, you know, for any parent that has sickle cell, a baby with sickle cell, 7 years old is a long time. Thats really far too long. Mmhmm. To not know whats wrong with your child for 7 years. You know, im in school. You got to think about the nights that the baby is hollering uncontrollably, just at periods of time, you know, through the year. You take him to a doctor, they tell you hes allergic to milk, hes allergic to youre trying to figure out that balance of treatment and get you to a point where you can live with the disease, and youre not in chronic pain, how long did it take for things to sort of level off . I think it didnt level off until maybe probably about 17, 18. Thats still a decade. Its like 10 years later i really started having a decline in my crisis. You know, i was in the hospital for sometime. I mean, you start looking at then maybe about four times a year, then down to maybe two, you know, by the time i was 18 years old. Yeah. Why dont you tell folks what sickle cell is . Sickle cell is the it affects the blood, and what it is, it is where the blood cells like, you have circular blood cells. They carry oxygen and they bend around corners. They flow through your bloodstream. Whereas, as i have some red blood cells that are whole, but then i have some that are sickle, that are shaped like a half crescent moon. And these guys get together, and they cause a blockade maybe in your shoulder or in your chest or in your back, and it carries oxygen, but the stop of blood flow is what causes the pain. Mmhmm. And your bone marrow keeps producing these, and thats what the problem is with sickle. Thats what it is. Its a blood disorder. And, of course, we talk about the fact that it disproportionately affects africanamericans, but its not just black people. Its not just us. People from the middle east, asia, the dominican republic, mexico, india. If you look at it on a global scale, it affects 500 Million People worldwide, and we just like to say its just disproportionately here in america towards africanamericans, when its actually a global problem. And we keep trying to localize it here in america when its really affecting people around the world. Now, how important for what does it mean to you to be named the celebrity ambassador to educate people about this disease that youve lived with . Its a great responsibility. Its a humbling feeling that you have the responsibility to go out and carry this flag for individuals who have no outlet to speak for themselves, you know, and thats why what are you hoping you bring to the table that maybe somebody else wouldnt be, besides the fact that you live with it . You know, i try to display the proper attitude living with sickle cell. You know, we really, really fight through a lot, but its the attitude that you have to you know, cause theyll be quick to tell you what you cannot do with sickle cell. Thats the first thing theyll do. They even tell families dont even plan for college because hes not gonna live past 11. Mmhmm. I mean, that was my number. They like to give us a number. I dont know why. I dont know where they get these numbers from. I dont know where they pull the number from, but the number they gave me was 11 years old. I was not going to be here at 11. I took number 11 and wore it as my football number. [ laughs ] but its just about because theres some people that just dont have any hope. They dont see an outlet. Theyre defeated. They dont have a mindset of i can overcome. And im just here to show them that, hey, man. You really can live and live a full life with sickle cell. Theres some steps and things that youre gonna have to do, and youre gonna have to do that, but its possible. Do you think delivering i mean, comedy is your game. Is it delivering it with that you know, that comic flair, does that help, you know, ease the message for a lot of people and help you to deliver it . For me, it has always been laughter. You know, let me put it like this. Once you have almost died seven times, theres really not a lot of stuff thats scary no more. Okay. You know. If the light bill come late, and its pink, i really am not worried, you know, and its that attitude of putting life in perspective. It just really gives you a good perspective. I think people that have sickle cell, if you find an individual with sickle cell, youre gonna find a very humble person because they understand their value. And i do want to ask you sorry to interrupt you. cause you mention the fact that you werent actually diagnosed until you were 7. So one of the parts of your campaign here is to educate people about the importance of testing. Can you explain to folks whats involved in that testing . Well, testing when you get a blood test done, theyre gonna find out if you have the trait. Mmhmm. Okay. Thats important to know. Because if you plan on starting a family, and you have the trait, you have a very high chance of your child coming out with Sickle Cell Disease or if you marry someone else with the trait. If you marry someone well, it doesnt have to be a trait. They can just have a matching hemoglobin. Okay. Well, the hemoglobin and that trait get together, if that matches it, they unlock the key. Its like unlocking a key. Mmhmm. You know, somebody could have the hemoglobin for somebody elses sickle cell trait. You know, but they get together, and you unlock that trait that give the child sickle cell. Now, from there, that child has the same issues goes on from the disease, and its ongoing and ongoing and ongoing. Now, most babies do get tested now. Its the law now. Yes, it is the law. Thats good. It is the law now. Back then, it wasnt mandatory. So, that means that perhaps you may not have been tested as a prospective parent. No, no. So you may need to. Yes, you may need to check into that, but that is very important if youre starting a family because some people are like, well, that doesnt apply to me. Im not worried about it. But, see, it doesnt hit you yeah. And thats the thing we want to prevent is that you start getting a longterm care plan together for that child as soon as he gets here. You know. It doesnt have to be that long. Its better to have the diagnosed early. Early. Yes, it is. And tell me a little bit about your own foundation, kiers hope. Yes. Thats something im so proud of. You know, kiers hope is i named it kiers hope for a purpose. I didnt want it be called junior, you know, cause im on the radio as junior on the steve harvey morning show, but i wanted it to be something personal to me, which is my name and my hope and my vision for sickle cell. I didnt want it to be junior sickle cell, juniors hope, because junior doesnt go in a hospital. Kier goes in the hospital. Kier has sickle cell. And so im a patient, too, and it is my hope to one day that we eradicate this disease from the face of the earth. That is really my true hope. Thats why i named it kiers hope. And were an organization that is about raising awareness, helping families, and raising money for research. Those are the things that we desperately need in the sickle cell community. It is such a pleasure to meet you, kier junior spates. Well, thank you. Best of luck with everything. The foundation, kiershope. Org. Yes. Folks can go on that website, donate money, and find out more about the work you do. Yes, they can. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for having me. Still ahead on here and now. The misconceptions that prevent africanamericans from taking advantage of the lifeextending despite evidence that hospice care can greatly extend and save lives, studies show that few africanamericans and latinos take advantage of it. But the family of 92yearold hannabelle waith put aside their fears and allowed the visiting Nurse Service of new york hospice and Palliative Care to care for miss waith after she decided to get surgery and now call it an extension of their family that has made a world of difference. They have made life so much easier for us. Theyre always right here for me. I tell you, its just describe how i feel, how they make me feel. Its just so wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Its a real joy. Oh, my goodness gracious. As johnny cash says, youve been everywhere. [ laughs ] im gonna let it shine let it shine one of the things that as a registered nurse i do, i evaluate here her vital signs. We ensure that if she is experiencing some symptoms, maybe some shortness of breath or pain, we are available to her and to the family to ensure that we can provide the teaching thats necessary to ensure that shes kept comfortable here. Im gonna let it shine let it shine let it shine shes a perfect example of somebody who is able to maintain a quality of life through Hospice Services being in place at the correct time, you know, so that shes able to enjoy her time with her family and her friends and the holidays and things of this nature. [ loud smooch ] the issue of hospice care in minority communities is rosemary baughn, the senior Vice President of the visiting Nurse Service of new york hospice and Palliative Care, and amealya blake, a registered nurse and quality manager with the visiting Nurse Service of new york. Welcome to both of you. Thank you. Reading about this subject, i, quite frankly, was stunned that there seems to be such a disconnect with between what hospice care really is and what people think it is. Youve been doing this for a couple of decades. Yes. Has it gotten better and why does there seem to be the sort of suspicion among some communities . Yes. Yes. To answer, it has gotten better, but over the many decades, were still not there. Only 82 of hospice enrollees are caucasian, where only 8 africanamerican. Theres good evidence and support from the National Hospice and Palliative Care organization around that work, and so a lot of mistrust in the community, lack of education, lack of awareness, spiritual care needs and mess get in the way. Many folks are seeking miracles and see that hospice gets in the way of that, where it really can become an extension of the care. So an Important Message for us to communicate. And how are you guys trying to sort of bridge that gap . And a lot of times you have to sometimes they say speak to people where they are to try to get through to. So, we at the vnsny have developed a hope project thats rooted in harlem. Hope stands for our hospice outreach provider and patient education effort, and were working with community stakeholders, religious leaders, the harlem hospital staff and many in the community to really get out there in the trenches and get the word out. Mmhmm. These people, they know who to connect with and how to connect with them. Thats right. Now, amealya, you are really right. We provide the education and some of the care to the patients at home. What is it you do every day . Home care. We provide registered nurses, physical therapists, Occupational Therapists that go into the home and assess that home environment for that patient. We help to transition patients from various healthcare settings, such as hospitals or nursing homes, and help them adjust to that home environment with their new illness. You know, a lot of people, when they think about hospice, they say, well, oh, i thought they take you somewhere. So what youre thats a big difference from what a lot of people, their perception is. Its not just if i say i enter hospice care, that means theyre gonna come to the house and get me and youre never gonna see you, me, or my loved one again. Right. Quite the difference. The difference is that we bring the care to your home, and youre in charge, and so its different from hospital and other medical settings where physicians and other care staff are in charge. When we are in your home, you develop the plan of care with your family and with your care team, and that, i think, having done this work for so many years, is really the magical difference. So when we step into someones home, its their ability to make things the way they want, to have the food they want and get up in the morning when they want, and we help them from the hospice team by providing the full care team. So the hospice team the nurses and the social workers, chaplains, volunteers sort of a difference and an extension from the home care is the real interdisciplinary team. And i like to call it medicare. So its a rich benefit that folks dont take advantage of because theyre afraid of the word, and, really, by us calling this effort hope, were seeing people that wouldnt listen before, listening, and so using words properly and in a way that mean things to individuals, looking at Health Literacy and how people hear about Health Information is another really important part of our hope project. And i think the thing is, too, is that when you have someone at home, you think, im giving them care, but if especially with certain sort of illnesses, you do need a level of expertise that hospice care can provide in addition to all that love that the person is getting with their loved ones. Our clinicians are skilled in pain and symptom management, and Pain Management is such an important part of how people worry that theyre gonna be in pain. If you ask people to describe how they want to live their final days, they first say they dont want to be in pain. So our trained experts in Pain Management help people become comfortable with the pain and physical symptoms so that they can then go on to address spiritual and psychosocial issues that are important. And we should mention that hannabelle waith, the woman you saw at the top of this show, that her family is taking advantage of the hospice care, she died just a few days ago. And, again, her family says that hospice care made the last few days more bearable for them and for her. We want to thank you both for being with us this afternoon. Now, if folks want to find out more about what you guys do, hospice care and other visiting Nurse Service of new york programs, they can go to vnsny. Org . That is correct. All right. Thank you both. You know what . This is a conversation im sure that we should have again because it really is an important benefit that more people should take advantage of. Thank you both. Thank you. Thank you. Up next. What you need to know about the new s. A. T. College entrance exam. Meet the moores were the moore family, and as you can see, we need an internet that can do more. We do more games, and more streaming. So we need more speed. Thats why we switched to Time Warner Cable. You can too. Call now. Now we can connect more devices, at the same time. The wifi in this house is amazing. So is my guacamole. Hi grandma and grandpa ha, look at that [laughs] Time Warner Cable even has an internet plan for us. Get the Internet Speed thats right for you. From 3 megs to ultra fast 300 megs they even made it easy to switch with a onehour arrival window. Why settle for less, when you can get more get 50 meg internet for 39. 99 per month. Call now. You could get free installation, no data cap, and access to over 400,000 twc wifi hotspots with select plans. Next year, High School Students will be taking the new s. A. T. Exam. Its the College Boards biggest changes in decades, including no penalty for wrong answers. Joining us today to tell us more about these changes and to offer some tips and collegeprep advice, jae gardner, founder and c. E. O. Of the ivy key, which specializes in getting students into prestigious schools. Jae, its nice to see you again. Oh, always, sandra. Thank you. You know, my producer, others theyve got me all ratcheted up, and i dont even have kids. [ laughs ] anybody thats gonna be taking this test, what is so scary about these coming changes . Well, one of the biggest changes, sandra, is the fact that the old s. A. T. Is changing over to the new s. A. T. Come march of next year. So you can still take the current s. A. T. Up till january exam date, which is the end of january. But whats making it so difficult is that typically, you know, students 10, 20 years ago, all they had to worry about was just the s. A. T. But now you have the current s. A. T. , the new s. A. T. To think about, and also the a. C. T. So you have three different tests to really think about which is the best for me to really excel at and make sure im putting forth the best image for myself when it comes to colleges, and for students already in your junior year, you have a lot of anxiety around what courses should i take, what tests should i take. Now you have so many options, you want to have proper guides when it comes to that. Okay. So, two questions come to mind. The first one, i want to deal with the changes. Any idea what kinds of changes these are gonna be . I mean, what some of them are . Sure, and you hit on one of them. Theres no penalties anymore for wrong answers. I think that a lot of times students get disillusioned to think that, oh, great. Now im never gonna get penalized for a wrong answer, but, again, you start, again, at zero, and you have to work up your way with getting correct points. Thats the biggest thing. Another thing that youre gonna see is, again, you have an optional essay now. Yeah. Versus, obviously, with the current s. A. T. , you have to do your essay, but depending on what schools youre gonna be applying to, again, that might not be an option for you, especially your highertier schools. Okay. In terms of the math, you see a really big difference there. On the old s. A. T. , you saw a lot of different topics, a lot of geometry you know, ratios, algebra, but now theyve really, really ramped up the algebra section. They really made a much bigger focus, where in the past, you might have seen about 30 to 40 of algebra. Now its more like 60 to 70 . Why that shift toward algebra . Because they want to make it more in line what students see in school. Because algebra, what they say, it really underpins your high school experience. They want to make sure that foundation is very strong, especially when you go off to the next level of academia. Okay. And another change theres also free test prep . All right. So theres khan academy, and theyve created a partnership with college board. Go on khan academys website and receive free test prep, but, again, its selfguided test prep. So its not as though youre gonna have an instructor leading you. You have to go there obviously, for highly selfmotivated students, which, again, its a great resource just because, again, there are limited resources now for the new s. A. T. And i think some of that is aimed at students who, perhaps, dont have the money to pay for families dont have the money to pay for. Theyre trying to marketize, obviously, the testprep world to make sure that more students have access to it. Okay. Now, the other question that came to mind how does a parent and a student decide which of these tests is the best for them, which test, i guess, will play to their strengths . Of course. Of course. And im thinking well, some of that may be guided by the schools you want to apply to, huh . Not so much. More so the student. All about the student. So, again, the current s. A. T. , as i said before, is gonna be administered all the way up to january end of january. Now, if youre a junior and this is really important for junior students. If youre a junior, and you know youre a gungho student, youre proactive, i advise you take the s. A. T. Right now. Reason being is you have a lot of resources that are out there, many course books you know, a lot of triedandtrue programs that know exactly the type of strategies that you need to utilize to excel in the exam. Mmhmm. Now, if youre unable to do that, and you feel like, you know what, junior years really packed in. I really want to focus on my academics first and then think about my standardized test come spring, then i would advise the a. C. T. Reason again is because its a test thats been around for a while. It has not changed. And, again, schools already know what to expect from that student who gets, for instance, a 34 or a 30, especially when it comes to applying to college next year. Mmhmm. Now, if you know youre not an a. C. T. Student, you know you dont feel like you want to take the s. A. T. Right now because you have too much on your plate, then, again, wait until the end of the Spring Semester you know, may or june, to take the new s. A. T. And the real big difference, again, between the current s. A. T. And i would say the new s. A. T. Or a. C. T. Is that, again, the new s. A. T. And a. C. T. Are more in line what theyre gonna have more text that you would see in school, especially when it comes to reading comprehension. The math is gonna be more similar, and many students will say its a more straightforward exam versus the current s. A. T. Where they would say sometimes its tricky, a little too much critical thinking. But, again, i always advise, go to barnes noble, pick up a book, try a test on your own, and see which one you feel more comfortable with. Yeah. Have a look at what youre likely to be looking at. Exactly. And one more thing you mentioned as far as this new test. I know that theres a shift in the vocabulary. Yes. Im glad you hit on that point. So, again, the oldstyle s. A. T. , everyone knows about the s. A. T. Words, right . The big 10 words that you only should know for the s. A. T. They got rid of that section. Now, one thing that students should be aware of that, yes, they may have gotten rid of that sentencecompletion section as its own, but you still have that in the reading comprehension, where you might have a word in a passage where they may say, whats another synonym for this word . Again, but not a strict section thats based on that. Always nice to talk to you. Always a pleasure talking to you. You always know what youre talking about. Jae gardner, theivykey. Com. Exactly. You guys are really one of the best at what you do. Oh, thank you so much, sandra. So take a look at the website. Definitely so. You definitely offer a lot of guidance to students and their parents. S. A. T. , a. C. T. , College Admissions anything you may need help on definitely give us a call and well make sure to guide you along. All right. Thank you so much for joining us. Oh, thank you, sandra. Still to come. In White America a 50th anniversary production its one of the signature documentary plays of the civil rights era. In White America traces the africanamericans struggle for racial equality with actual recordings of former slaves and dialogue from personal journals. This 50th anniversary production has been updated to include some contemporary moments in american history, like the words of president barack obama and the recent black lives matter movement. Joining us this afternoon is the playwright Martin Duberman and actress joanna rhinehart. Thank you both for stopping by this afternoon. Thank you for having us. 50 years. Surprised that people honestly, it feels as if it could have been written yesterday. Unfortunately, i think thats true. [ laughs ] the play i was hoping by this time would no longer be quite so relevant, but though there has been change, there clearly hasnt been enough change. Mmhmm. And i was just reading, i think, today in the paper about how the schools are more segregated in some areas of the country today than they were 50 years ago. Mm. Which is a sad commentary. Indeed. Why do you think weve been so slow as a country . I mean, look. Lots has happened. Lets face it. A whole lot has happened, but a lot that seems a nobrainer hasnt. Why do you think weve been so slow to embrace that change and also slow sort of to acknowledge the continuing issues we have about the subject of race . I think the simple answer is probably the real one, unfortunately, and that is that racism is so deeply embedded in our culture that to have made even the amount of progress we have over the last few decades is more than one might have expected. I mean, im writing currently in a period in the early 20th century, the 1920s and the 30s, and the things that were being said about and done to black americans are astonishing, and thats in the 20th century. Yeah. So it makes it, as we said, as relevant today as it was when you first wrote it. A chance to speak these words i understand one of the characters you play is Sojourner Truth . Yes. As an actor, what does that mean to you . Its like a blood memory. I dont know how else to say it. I feel honored to be able to represent this woman in this way. I mean, i really feel that i dont know. Its like all women, its like all black women, all africanamerican women speak through her voice. You know, at the end of the day its so funny. [ laughs ] she has a wonderful sense of humor, you know, in the piece the way martin has written it that shes making her point very clearly, but shes also coloring it in such a way that everyone will listen, you know, and its just i dont know what to say other than its a dream. Its a dream to be able to say these incredible words that this woman said at that time, and think that particular speech was 1871 . Was it 1871 . Sounds right. And for her to have the wherewithal to speak with such clarity, and she was, you know, basically illiterate, but for her to be able to have the confidence to get up and speak her mind so clearly and embrace all women, not just africanamerican women, and, you know, obviously aligning their goals and their need to have their voice heard, i think was part of her magic, you know, so that it wasnt just an africanamerican woman speaking, but a woman who is, unfortunately, oppressed like the rest at that particular time, speaking. And one of the reasons we remember her today, we know her name today. And i guess this is kind of a question for both of you and you touched on it. The fact that this piece of work is composed of real words from real people, you know, and so put in a larger context, that does as an actor, it must give you an extra measure of feeling, i suppose, and as a playwright, does it allow you i dont know a way to communicate more deeply with your audience, do you think . Because youve sort of not conjured up these words out of the air. They were spoken and they carry a certain amount of weight. Does that make sense . Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Well, it allows me to communicate what i think the viewing audience is most in need of. Not to sound too patronizing, but americans are notoriously ahistorical, and if youre going to understand the problems relating to race that we all deal with today, you simply must know the kinds of experiences that black americans have been forced to live through in the past, and if it isnt happening now in this country, it never happened. It doesnt exist or it doesnt matter. Unfortunately, that is the standard attitude toward history, and so my job even 50 years ago when i first wrote it, i felt was to let the country know what it is that black americans have really been through. Only then can they understand the depth of the suffering and the pain that continues today. Theyre telling me im out of time. In White America newfederaltheatre. Com. Also castillo. Org. And we can get tickets there. Yes. And find out more information about the performers and the playwright. Thank you both for being with us this afternoon. Thank you. Thanks. Thanks for joining us on here and now. If you missed any portion of todays show, you can watch at abc7ny, and if youd like to comment or share your story, email us at abc7ny or follow us on facebook and twitter