REDUCE THE SYSTEMIC BARRIERS 
THAT STAND IN THEIR WAY AND MAKE
SURE EVERY YOUNG PERSON HAS 
EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO REACH THEIR
DREAMS.
TODAY THE WORK CONTINUES AT THE 
OBAMA FOUNDATION WHERE WE LEAD A
NETWORK OF MORE THAN 250 
COMMUNITIES AND A MASSIVE CALL 
TO ACTION TO BUSINESSES, MAYORS,
AND OTHER FOLKS AND COMMUNITIES 
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
OUR AIM IS TO BUILD SAFE SUPPORT
COMMUNITIES WHERE VOICES OF 
COLOR ARE VALUED AND HAVE CLEAR 
PATHWAYS TO OPPORTUNITY.
WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE PRESIDENT 
OBAMA SHARING HIS VIEWPOINTS 
TODAY.
ALSO A PANEL OF LOCAL AND 
NATIONAL EXPERTS WHO ARE 
FIGHTING ON THE GROUND AND HAVE 
BEEN FIGHTING THIS FIGHT FOR 
MANY YEARS.
BEFORE WE START OUR PROGRAM 
TODAY, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE
LIVES OF GEORGE, BREONNA, 
AHMAUD, AND MANY OTHERS, BY 
TAKING A 30-SECOND MOMENT OF 
SILENCE IN ORDER TO REMEMBER 
THOSE LIVES AND REFLECT.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF 
SILENCE.
THANK YOU.
WE SPEAK THEIR NAMES, WE HOLD 
THEM IN OUR HEART, AND IT IS 
WITH THEIR PEOPLE REESE THAT WE 
MOVE INTO ACTION.
WE START WHERE WE SHOULD ALWAYS 
START, WITH THE FUTURE.
WITH A YOUNG MAN I HAD THE 
PLEASURE TO MEET WHEN WE WERE AT
THE MY BROTHERS KEEPER OHIO 
CONFERENCE WHERE THERE WAS AN 
INCREDIBLE STATEWIDE NETWORK OF 
MY BROTHER'S KEEPER IN OHIO.
THIS MAN BLEW US AWAY.
PLAYON GRADUATED FROM FT. HAYES 
COLUMBUS HIGH SCHOOL IN MAY, 
CLASS OF 2020, STRAIGHT A 
STUDENT, MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL 
HONORS SOCIETY, STUDENT COUNCIL.
PATRICK WILL ATTEND THE OHIO 
STATE UNIVERSITY IN THE FALL AND
PLANS TO MAJOR IN CRIMINAL 
JUSTICE AND CRIMINOLOGY.
IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE 
THIS BRILLIANT BRIGHT YOUNG MAN,
OUR FUTURE, PLAYON PATRICK.
>> HELLO, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.
MY NAME IS PLAYON PATRICK.
A.M. I AM 18 YEARS OLD AND PLAN 
TO ATTEND THE OHIO UNIVERSITY.
THIS IS 2020 QUARANTINE 
KILLINGS.
AND THEY ASK, HOW DO BLACK BOYS 
WRITE ABOUT THEIR CITY?
HOW DO WE KNOW STREET IF WE 
DON'T KNOW UNCRACKED SIDEWALK?
THEY ASK, HOW DO THESE BLACK 
BOYS KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THEIR 
CITY?
HOW THE BUILDINGS ARE SITTING ON
CORNERS, WHERE BROTHERS' BODIES 
ARE STILL LEARNING HOW TO ROT.
THERE ARE SMALL CROSSES PLACED 
IN THE GRASS WHERE FAMILIES 
CANNOT AFFORD TO BURY THEIR 
LOVED ONES, REMINDS MY BROTHERS 
AND I ARE THAT ARE EARLY GRAVES 
BEFORE WE ARE ANYTHING ELSE.
WE CALL THOSE CORNERS 
PLAYGROUNDS.
WE CALL THOSE CORNERS THE 
KILLING FIELDS.
WE CALL OUR BODIES BULLETS.
EVEN IF WE WERE NEVER AIMED IN 
THE RIGHT DIRECTION, WE CALL THE
REMNANTS OF OUR MOTHER'S FAMILY 
AND DIASPORA TREE.
WE MAKE A CATALOG OF PRAYERS OUT
OF BROKEN HANDS.
WE PRAY FOR OUR FAMILY TREE TO 
MAKE ITS WAY BACK HOME TO THIS 
SOIL.
WE USE OUR HANDS TO DIG THE 
GRAVES WE CANNOT AFFORD.
WE ARE FARMERS OF BROKEN BLACK 
BODIES.
WE HAVE NEVER KNOWN CITY, NEVER 
KNOWN COMFORT, NEVER KNOWN SAFE 
STREET IN ANY CITY.
WE USE OUR FEET TO WALK STREETS 
PAVED BY SUNLIGHT AND ASK OUR 
SHADOWS IF THEY MEANT TO CHOOSE 
THIS SKIN.
WE MAKE A CATALYST OF BODIES OUR
DINNER MENU, AND WE EAT WITH OUR
EYES CLOSED.
WE ARE FED LIES SO EASILY IT 
TASTES LIKE MEDICINE.
ALWAYS CONFLICTED BETWEEN BEING 
BLACK AND BEING PEOPLE.
I WISH GOD COULD HAVE GIVEN US A
CHOICE.
FOR YEARS WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT
THERE IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO 
SCRUB OFF THIS BODY, AS IF THIS 
DIRT COULD GO AWAY, WORKING IN 
THE FIELD, MAKING ME REALIZE HOW
EASILY BLACK CAN COOK IN THE 
SON.
HOW EASILY WE TURN ON EACH OTHER
FOR A LITTLE SLICE OF THE PIE.
WE DON'T KNOW THIS CITY.
HOW IT WAS BUILT WITH OUR 
BRETHREN.
HOW WE COULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN A 
BED WHEN IT WAS FIRST BUILT WIDE
RECEIVER.
WE DON'T KNOW HOME.
GENERATIONS OF OUR PEOPLE COULD 
USE THESE LEGS.
COULD RUN MILES INTO THE NIGHT.
OUR FACES BEDAZZLED WITH THE 
RECOMMEND NABS OF THE STARS.
WE WILL FOREVER SEARCH FOR OUR 
FOREFATHERS' FOOTSTEPS.
WE DON'T KNOW HOME, WE KNOW RUN.
THEY KNOW THIS LAND HAS NEVER 
BEEN OURS.
WE KNOW HOW TO FOLD OURSELVES 
INTO NOTHING.
WE KNOW OUR SWEAT AND TEARS 
TENDERIZE THIS SOIL.
SOMEHOW WE MAKE FERTILIZER FOR 
THE SOIL.
WE KNOW HOW TO MAKE THESE HANDS 
BE USEFUL.
WE ARE THE FARMERS OF EVERY 
REVOLUTION.
NO COUNTRY WAS BUILT WITHOUT THE
PILING UP OF DEAD BODIES.
THIS PREJUDICE HAPPENS TO BE OUR
DEAD, WE'RE DRAGGED AND HUNG UP.
AMERICA.
THE LAND OF THE FREE AND HOME OF
THE BRAVE.
WE FOUGHT AND DIED FOR THAT 
SLOGAN.
RIGHT BESIDE OUR WHITE BROTHERS.
AND DOESN'T THAT MAKE US WORTH 
SOMETHING?
TONIGHT A RIOT IS THE LANGUAGE 
OF THE UNHEARD.
I WANT TO THANK THE OBAMA 
FOUNDATION FOR GIVING ME A GREAT
OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO 
SPREAD THE MESSAGE.
NOW IT IS MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE 
TO YOU A MAN WHO NEEDS NO 
INTRODUCTION.
HE IS THE FOUNDER OF THE MY 
BROTHERS' KEEPERS PROGRAM.
FATHER, LAWYER, LECTURE, 
COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS, AND SO 
MUCH MORE.
BORN AND RAISED IN HONOLULU, 
HAWAII, HE IS THE MAN WHO 
CHANGED AMERICA FOREVER.
IT IS NONE OTHER THAN THE 44th 
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES 
OF AMERICA, PRESIDENT BARACK 
OBAMA.
>> MAN, THANK YOU.
MAN, THAT WAS UNBELIEVABLE.
AND WE COULD NOT BE PROUDER.
AND YOU ARE A HARD ACT TO 
FOLLOW.
SO I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE ALL THE 
GREAT THINGS THAT YOU'RE GOING 
TO BE DOING IN THE FUTURE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY.
ALL THE PARTICIPANTS, ALL THE 
PANELISTS.
LET ME START BY JUST 
ACKNOWLEDGING THAT WE HAVE SEEN 
IN THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, LAST 
FEW MONTHS, THE KINDS OF EPIC 
CHANGES AND EVENTS IN OUR 
COUNTRY THAT ARE AS PROFOUND AS 
ANYTHING I'VE SEEN IN MY 
LIFETIME, AND I'M NOW A LOT 
OLDER THAN PLAYON, I'M GOING TO 
BE 59 SOON.
AND LET ME BEGIN BY 
ACKNOWLEDGING THAT ALTHOUGH ALL 
OF US HAVE BEEN FEELING PAIN, 
UNCERTAINTY, DISRUPTION, SOME 
FOLKS HAVE BEEN FEELING IT MORE 
THAN OTHERS.
MOST OF ALL THE PAIN THAT'S BEEN
EXPERIENCED BY THE FAMILIES OF 
GEORGE AND BREONNA AND AHMAUD 
AND TONY AND SEAN AND TOO MANY 
OTHERS TO MENTION.
THOSE THAT WE THOUGHT ABOUT 
DURING THAT MOMENT OF SILENCE.
AND TO THOSE FAMILIES WHO HAVE 
BEEN DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY 
TRAGEDY, PLEASE KNOW THAT 
MICHELLE AND I AND THE NATION 
GRIEVE WITH YOU.
HOLD YOU IN OUR PRAYERS.
WE'RE COMMITTED TO THE FIGHT OF 
CREATING A MORE JUST NATION IN 
MEMORY OF YOUR SONS AND 
DAUGHTERS.
AND WE CAN'T FORGET THAT EVEN AS
WE'RE CONFRONTING THE PARTICULAR
ACTS OF VIOLENCE THAT LED TO 
THOSE LOSSES, OUR NATION AND THE
WORLD IS STILL IN THE MIDST OF A
GLOBAL PANDEMIC THAT'S EXPOSED 
THE VULNERABILITIES OF OUR 
HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, BUT ALSO THE
DISPARATE TREATMENT, AND AS A 
CONSEQUENCE, THE DISPARATE 
IMPACT THAT EXISTS IN OUR HEALTH
CARE SYSTEM, THE UNEQUAL 
INVESTMENT, THE BIASES THAT HAVE
LED TO A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER
OF INFECTIONS AND LOSS OF LIFE 
IN COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
SO IN A LOT OF WAYS WHAT HAS 
HAPPENED OVER THE LAST SEVERAL 
WEEKS IS CHALLENGES AND 
STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS HERE IN THE 
UNITED STATES HAVE BEEN THROWN 
INTO HIGH RELIEF.
THERE HAVE BEEN OUTCOMES NOT 
JUST OF THE IMMEDIATE MOMENTS IN
TIME, BUT THEY'RE THE RESULT OF 
A LONG HISTORY OF SLAVERY AND 
JIM CROW AND REDLINING AND 
INSTITUTIONALIZED RACISM THAT 
TOO OFTEN HAVE BEEN THE PLAGUE 
OF THIS ORIGINAL SIN OF OUR 
SOCIETY.
AND IN SOME WAYS, AS TRAGIC AS 
THESE PAST FEW WEEKS HAVE BEEN, 
AS DIFFICULT AND SCARY AND 
UNCERTAIN AS THEY'VE BEEN, 
THEY'VE ALSO BEEN AN INCREDIBLE 
OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO BE 
AWAKENED TO SOME OF THESE 
UNDERLYING TRENDS.
AND THEY OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY 
FOR US TO ALL WORK TOGETHER TO 
TACKLE THEM.
TO TAKE THEM ON.
TO CHANGE AMERICA AND MAKE IT 
LIVE UP TO ITS HIGHEST IDEALS.
AND PART OF WHAT'S MADE ME SO 
HOPEFUL IS THE FACT THAT SO MANY
YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE BEEN 
GALVANIZED AND ACTIVATED AND 
MOTIVATED AND MOBILIZED.
BECAUSE HISTORICALLY SO MUCH OF 
THE PROGRESS WE'VE MADE IN OUR 
SOCIETY HAS BEEN BECAUSE OF 
YOUNG PEOPLE.
DR. KING WAS A YOUNG MAN WHEN HE
GOT INVOLVED.
CESAR CHAVEZ WAS A YOUNG MAN.
MALCOLM X WAS A YOUNG MAN.
THE LEADERS OF THE FEMINIST 
MOVEMENT WERE YOUNG PEOPLE.
LEADERS OF UNION MOVEMENTS WERE 
YOUNG PEOPLE.
LEADERS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL 
MOVEMENT IN THIS COUNTRY AND THE
MOVEMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE 
LGBT COMMUNITY FINALLY HAD A 
VOICE AND WAS REPRESENT 
WEDNESDAY YOUNG PEOPLE.
WHEN SOMETIMES I SEE DESPAIR, I 
SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOUNG 
PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, 
AND THE TALENT AND THE VOICE AND
THE SOPHISTICATION THAT THEY'RE 
DISPLAYING, AND IT MAKES ME FEEL
OPTIMISTIC.
IT MAKES ME FEEL AS IF THIS 
COUNTRY'S GOING TO GET BETTER.
NOW I WANT TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO 
THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN OF COLOR
IN THIS COUNTRY.
WHO AS PLAYON SO ELOQUENTLY 
DESCRIBED HAVE WITNESSED TOO 
MUCH VIOLENT AND TOO MUCH DEATH.
AND TOO OFTEN SOME OF THAT 
VIOLENCE HAS COME FROM FOLKS WHO
WERE SUPPOSED TO BE SERVING AND 
PROTECTING YOU.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOU 
MATTER.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOUR 
LIVES MATTER, THAT YOUR DREAMS 
MATTER.
WHEN I GO HOME AND I LOOK AT THE
FACES OF MY DAUGHTERS, SASHA AND
MALIA, AND I LOOK AT MY NEPHEWS 
AND NIECES, I SEE LIMITLESS 
POTENTIAL THAT DESERVES TO 
FLOURISH AND THRIVE.
AND YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO LEARN 
AND MAKE MISTAKES AND LIVE A 
LIFE OF JOY WITHOUT HAVING TO 
WORRY ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO 
HAPPEN WHEN YOU WALK TO THE 
STORE OR GO FOR A JOG OR ARE 
DRIVING DOWN THE STREET OR 
LOOKING AT SOME BIRDS IN A PARK.
AND SO I HOPE THAT YOU ALSO FEEL
HOPEFUL EVEN AS YOU MAY FEEL 
ANGRY.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE POWER TO 
MAKE THINGS BETTER, AND YOU HAVE
HELPED TO MAKE THE ENTIRE 
COUNTRY FEEL AS IF THIS IS 
SOMETHING THAT'S GOT TO CHANGE.
YOU'VE COMMUNICATED A SENSE OF 
URGENCY THAT IS AS POWERFUL AND 
AS TRANSFORMATIVE AS ANYTHING 
THAT I'VE SEEN IN RECENT YEARS.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FOLKS 
IN LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT SHARE 
THE GOALS OF REIMAGINING 
POLICING.
BECAUSE THERE ARE FOLKS OUT 
THERE WHO TOOK THEIR OATH TO 
SERVE YOUR COMMUNITIES AND YOUR 
COUNTRY.
HAVE A TOUGH JOB, AND I KNOW 
YOU'RE JUST AS OUTRAGED ABOUT 
THE TRAGEDIES IN RECENT WEEKS AS
ARE MANY OF THE PROTESTERS.
SO WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE VAST 
MAJORITY OF YOU WHO PROTECT AND 
SEARCH.
I'VE BEEN HEARTENED TO SEE THOSE
IN LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO HAVE 
RECOGNIZED, LET ME MARCH ALONG 
WITH THESE PROTESTERS.
LET ME STAND SIDE BY SIDE AND 
RECOGNIZE THAT I WANT TO BE PART
OF THE SOLUTION.
AND WHO HAVE SHOWN RESTRAINT AND
VOLUNTEERED AND ENGAGED AND 
LISTENED.
BECAUSE YOU'RE A VITAL PART OF 
THE CONVERSATION.
AND CHANGE IS GOING TO REQUIRE 
EVERYBODY'S PARTICIPATION.
NOW WHEN I WAS IN OFFICE, AS WAS
MENTIONED, I CREATED A TASK 
FORCE ON 21st CENTURY POLICING 
IN THE WAKE OF THE TRAGIC 
KILLING OF MICHAEL BROWN.
THAT TASK FORCE, WHICH INCLUDED 
LAW ENFORCEMENT AND COMMUNITY 
LEADERS AND ACTIVISTS WAS 
CHARGED TO DEVELOP A VERY 
SPECIFIC SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS 
TO STRENGTHEN PUBLIC TRUST AND 
FOSTER BETTER WORKING 
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN LAW 
ENFORCEMENT AND COMMUNITIES THAT
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT, 
EVEN AS THEY'RE CONTINUING TO 
PROMOTE EFFECTIVE CRIME 
REDUCTION.
AND THAT REPORT SHOWCASED A 
RANGE OF SOLUTIONS AND 
STRATEGIES THAT WERE PROVEN AND 
THAT WERE BASED ON DATA AND 
RESEARCH TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY 
POLICING AND COLLECT BETTER DATA
AND REPORTING AND IDENTIFY AND 
DO SOMETHING ABOUT IMPLICIT BIAS
AND HOW POLICE WERE TRAINED AND 
REFORMS TO USE THE FORCE THAT 
POLICE DEPLOY IN WAYS THAT 
INCREASE SAFETY RATHER THAN 
PRECIPITATE TRAGEDY.
THAT REPORT DEMONSTRATES 
SOMETHING THAT IS CRITICAL 
TODAY.
MOST OF THE REFORMS NEEDED TO 
PREVENT THE TYPE OF VIOLENCE AND
INJUSTICES WE'VE SEEN TAKE PLACE
AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
REFORM HAS TO TAKE PLACE IN MORE
THAN 19,000 AMERICAN 
MUNICIPALITIES.
MORE THAN 18,000 LOCAL 
ENFORCEMENT JURISDICTIONS.
AND SO AS ACTIVISTS AND EVERYDAY
CITIZENS RAISE THEIR VOICES, WE 
NEED TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHERE 
CHANGE IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
AND HOW WE CAN BRING ABOUT THAT 
CHANGE.
IT IS MAYORS AND COUNTY 
EXECUTIVES THAT APPOINT MOST 
POLICE CHIEFS AND NEGOTIATE 
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS
WITH POLICE UNITS.
AND THAT DETERMINES POLICE 
PRACTICES IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
IT'S DISTRICT ATTORNEYS AND 
STATE'S ATTORNEYS THAT DECIDE 
WHETHER OR NOT TO INVESTIGATE 
AND ULTIMATELY CHARGE THOSE 
INVOLVED IN POLICE MISCONDUCT.
THOSE ARE ALL ELECTED POSITIONS.
IN SOME PLACES THEY'RE POLICE 
COMMUNITY REVIEW BOARDS WHICH 
MONITOR POLICE CONDUCT.
THOSE OFTENTIMES MAY BE ELECTED 
AS WELL.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS, I'VE BEEN 
HEARING A LITTLE BIT OF CHATTER 
IN THE INTERNET ABOUT VOTING 
VERSUS PROTEST.
POLITICS AND PARTICIPATION 
VERSUS CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE AND 
DIRECT ACTION.
THIS IS NOT AN EITHER/OR, THIS 
IS A BOTH/AND.
TO BRING ABOUT REAL CHANGE, WE 
BOTH HAVE TO HIGHLIGHT A PROBLEM
AND MAKE PEOPLE IN POWER 
UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE 
TO TRANSLATE THAT INTO PRACTICAL
SOLUTIONS AND LAWS THAT CAN BE 
IMPLEMENTED AND WE CAN MONITOR 
AND MAKE SURE WE'RE FOLLOWING UP
ON.
SO VERY QUICKLY, LET ME JUST 
CLOSE WITH A COUPLE OF SPECIFIC 
THINGS.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
NUMBER ONE, WE KNOW THERE ARE 
SPECIFIC EVIDENCE-BASED REFORMS 
THAT IF WE PUT IN PLACE TODAY 
WOULD BUILD TRUST, SAVE LIVES, 
WOULD NOT SHOW AN INCREASE IN 
CRIME.
THOSE ARE INCLUDED IN THE 21st 
CENTURY POLICING TASK FORCE 
REPORT.
YOU CAN FIND IT ON OBAMA.ORG.
NUMBER TWO, A LOT OF MAYORS AND 
LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS READ AND
SUPPORTED THE TASK FORCE REPORT,
BUT THEN THERE WASN'T ENOUGH 
FOLLOW-THROUGH.
SO TODAY I AM URGING EVERY MAYOR
IN THIS COUNTRY TO REVIEW YOUR 
USE OF FORCE POLICIES WITH 
MEMBERS OF YOUR COMMUNITY AND 
COMMIT TO REPORT ON PLANNED 
REFORMS.
WHAT ARE THE SPECIFIC STEPS YOU 
CAN TAKE?
I SHOULD ADD, BY THE WAY, THAT 
THE ORIGINAL TASK FORCE REPORT 
WAS DONE SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE ACTUALLY 
COLLECTED DATA, IN PART BECAUSE 
WE IMPLEMENTED SOME OF THESE 
REFORM IDEAS.
SO WE NOW HAVE MORE INFORMATION 
AND MORE DATA AS TO WHAT WORKS.
AND THERE ARE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE
CAMPAIGN ZERO AND COLOR OF 
CHANGE AND OTHERS THAT ARE OUT 
THERE HIGHLIGHTING WHAT THE DATA
SHOWS, WHAT WORKS, WHAT DOESN'T,
IN TERMS OF REDUCING INCIDENTS 
OF POLICE MISCONDUCT AND 
VIOLENCE.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND START 
IMPLEMENTING THOSE.
SO WE NEED MAYORS, COUNTY 
EXECUTIVES, OTHERS WHO ARE IN 
POSITIONS OF POWER TO SAY, THIS 
IS A PRIORITY.
THIS IS A SPECIFIC RESPONSE.
NUMBER THREE, EVERY CITY IN THIS
COUNTRY SHOULD BE A MY BROTHER'S
KEEPER COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE 250 CITIES, COUNTIES, 
TRIBAL NATIONS WHO ARE WORKING 
TO REDUCE THE BARRIERS AND 
EXPAND OPPORTUNITY FOR BOYS AND 
YOUNG MEN OF COLOR THROUGH 
PROGRAMS AND POLICY REFORMS AND 
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.
GO TO OUR WEBSITE, GET WORKING 
WITH THEM.
BECAUSE IT CAN MAKE A 
DIFFERENCE.
AND LET ME JUST CLOSE BY SAYING 
THIS.
I'VE HEARD SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT 
YOU HAVE A PANDEMIC, THEN YOU 
HAVE THESE PROTESTS, THIS 
REMINDS PEOPLE OF THE '60s AND 
THE CHAOS AND THE DISCORD AND 
DISTRUST THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
I HAVE TO TELL YOU, ALTHOUGH I 
WAS VERY YOUNG WHEN YOU HAD 
RIOTS AND PROTESTS AND 
ASSASSINATIONS AND DISCORD BACK 
IN THE '60s -- I KNOW ENOUGH 
ABOUT THAT HISTORY TO SAY, THERE
IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT HERE.
YOU LOOK AT THOSE PROTESTS, AND 
THAT WAS A FAR MORE 
REPRESENTATIVE CROSS-SECTION OF 
AMERICA OUT ON THE STREETS 
PEACEFULLY PROTESTING AND WHO 
FELT MOVED TO DO SOMETHING 
BECAUSE OF THE INJUSTICES THAT 
THEY HAD SEEN.
THAT DIDN'T EXIST BACK IN THE 
1960s, THAT KIND OF BROAD 
COALITION.
THE FACT THAT RECENT SURVEYS 
HAVE SHOWED THAT DESPITE SOME 
PROTESTS HAVING BEEN MARRED BY 
THE ACTIONS OF SOME, A TINY 
MINORITY THAT ENGAGED IN 
VIOLENCE, THAT DESPITE, AS 
USUAL, THAT LOT A LOT OF 
ATTENTION, A LOT OF FOCUS -- 
DESPITE ALL THAT, A MAJORITY OF 
AMERICANS STILL THINK THOSE 
PROTESTS WERE JUSTIFIED.
THAT WOULDN'T HAVE EXISTED 30, 
40, 50 YEARS AGO.
THERE IS A CHANGE IN MINDSET 
THAT'S TAKING PLACE.
A GREATER RECOGNITION THAT WE 
CAN DO BETTER.
AND THAT IS NOT AS A CONSEQUENCE
OF SPEECHES BY POLITICIANS.
THAT'S NOT THE RESULT OF 
SPOTLIGHTS IN NEWS ARTICLES.
THAT'S A DIRECT RESULT OF THE 
ACTIVITIES AND ORGANIZING AND 
MOBILIZATION AND ENGAGEMENT OF 
SO MANY YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS THE 
COUNTRY WHO PUT THEMSELVES OUT 
ON THE LINE TO MAKE A 
DIFFERENCE.
AND SO I JUST HAVE TO SAY THANK 
YOU TO THEM FOR HELPING TO BRING
ABOUT THIS MOMENT, AND JUST MAKE
SURE THAT WE NOW FOLLOW THROUGH.
BECAUSE AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW,
ATTENTION MOVES AWAY.
AT SOME POINT, PROTESTS START TO
DWINDLE IN SIZE.
AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US 
TO TAKE THE MOMENTUM THAT HAS 
BEEN CREATED, AS A SOCIETY, AS A
COUNTRY, AND SAY, LET'S USE THIS
TO FINALLY HAVE AN IMPACT.
ALL RIGHT?
THANK YOU, EVERYBODY.
PROUD OF YOU GUYS.
AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO 
BE HEARING FROM A BUNCH OF 
PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ON THE 
FRONT LINES ON THIS AND KNOW A 
LOT MORE THAN I DO ABOUT IT.
PROUD OF YOU.
>> THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
FOR EVERYONE THAT'S WATCHING, 
THE PRESIDENT DECIDED HE WANTED 
TO STAY AND BE A PART OF THE 
CONVERSATION THAT'S GOING TO BE 
LED BY BRITNEY PACKNET 
CUNNINGHAM WITH THE ATTORNEY 
GENERAL AND OTHER LEADERS.
BEFORE WE GO INTO THAT SECTION, 
I WANT TO REITERATE THE PLEDGE 
THE PRESIDENT MENTIONED FOR 
MAYORS.
GO TO OBAMA.ORG AND TAKE THIS 
PLEDGE.
I WANT TO ANNOUNCE SEVERAL 
MAYORS HAVE SAID, SIGN ME UP 
FIRST.
THEY HAVE ALREADY TAKEN THE 
PLEDGE.
MAYOR DE BLASIO OF NEW YORK, 
MAYOR LIGHTFOOT OF CHICAGO, 
MAYOR FREY, MAYOR BREED, MAYOR 
KEISHA LONS BOTTOMS, ALL MY 
BROTHER'S KEEPER COMMUNITIES AS 
WELL.
GO TO THAT PAGE, TAKE THE 
PLEDGE, WE WILL BE HOSTING ALL 
THE CITIES AND MAYORS THAT TAKE 
THE PLEDGE.
IN 90 DAYS WE ARE GOING TO 
PUBLICLY REPORT OUT WHO HAS 
TAKEN THE PLEDGE AND THE WORK 
THAT'S HAPPENING TO CREATE REAL,
LASTING CHANGE IN COMMUNITIES.
SO IT IS NOW MY PLEASURE TO 
INTRODUCE A FRIEND, AN ACTIVIST,
AN EDUCATOR, A WRITER, AN NBC 
AND MSNBC NEWS CONTRIBUTOR, A 
LIFELONG ACTIVIST AND MEMBER OF 
THE FERGUSON UPRISING, COFOUNDER
OF CAMPAIGN ZERO, A POLICY 
PLATFORM TO END POLICE VIOLENCE,
AND COPOST OF POD SAVE THE 
PEOPLE.
APPOINTED MEMBER OF THE FERGUSON
COMMISSION AND PRESIDENT OBAMA'S
TASK FORCE ON 21st CENTURY 
POLICING.
TODAY CAMPAIGN ZERO OF WHICH 
BRITNEY IS A COFOUNDER LAUNCHED 
THE CAMPAIGN #EIGHTCAN'TWAIT, TO
PUSH MAYORS TO ADOPT EIGHT USE 
OF FORCE POLICIES THAT TOGETHER 
CAN REDUCE USE OF FORCE PO
POLICIES.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, MICHAEL.
THANK YOU, PRESIDENT OBAMA, FOR 
GATHERING THIS CONVERSATION IN 
THIS MOMENT OF INTENSE GRIEF, 
BUT HOPEFULLY INTENSE PURPOSE.
WE ARE HERE TOGETHER TO TALK, TO
HAVE A FAMILY CONVERSATION.
YOU MAY BE WATCHING THIS AND 
HAVE COME HERE BECAUSE YOU ARE 
EXPERIENCING THAT GRIEF AND YOU 
NEED SOME COMMUNITY IN WHICH TO 
DO THAT AND YOU'RE HOPING THAT 
WE CAN HOLD YOU UP TO THE LIGHT.
YOU MAY BE HERE BECAUSE, LIKE 
ME, YOU ARE GIRDED IN THE 
STRENGTH OF YOUR ANCESTRY AND 
YOU KNOW YOU COME FROM PEOPLE 
JUST LIKE I DO WHO DID FAR MORE 
WITH FAR LESS AND ARE SURE THAT 
WE CAN WIN IN THIS MOMENT AND 
EVERY ONE AFTER IT.
HOWEVER YOU HAVE COME HERE, WHY 
YOU HAVE COME HERE, WE'RE GLAD 
THAT YOU'RE HERE.
BECAUSE WE'RE HERE TO GET 
HONEST, TO GET CLEAR.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, TO GET TO 
WORK.
SO THAT EVEN THE HEARTENING 
MOMENTS OF SEEING PEOPLE RAISE 
THEIR VOICES, EVEN IN THE 
MOMENTS WHERE A POLICE OFFICER 
MIGHT TAKE A KNEE, THAT THAT 
MOMENTARY ACTION MIGHT TURN INTO
TRUE SYSTEMIC AND LASTING 
CHANGE.
WE HAVE SO MANY BRILLIANT VOICES
THAT HAVE BEEN GATHERED.
AS WE LISTEN TO THESE GUESTS, 
WE'LL BE ABLE TO BETTER 
UNDERSTAND HOW WE GOT TO THIS 
MOMENT, HOW WE SEIZE OUR OWN 
POWER TO GET THROUGH IT.
I WANT TO LIFT UP THE NAMES OF 
THE PEOPLE THAT BROUGHT US HERE.
IT WASN'T JUST THE FORMER 
PRESIDENT, THOUGH WE'RE DEEPLY 
GRATEFUL.
IT WAS GEORGE FLOYD, A FATHER IN
MINNEAPOLIS.
BREONNA TAYLOR, A LIFE-SAVING 
EMT ON THE FRONT LINES IN 
LOUISVILLE.
SEAN REID, A FRIEND AND BROTHER 
IN INDIANAPOLIS.
TONY McDANIEL, A BLACK TRANS MAN
WHO LOVED LIFE IN TALLAHASSEE, 
FLORIDA.
THOUGH IT WASN'T FROM AN 
OFFICER'S BULLET, WE ARE HAVING 
THIS CONVERSATION IN THE SHADOW 
OF AHMAUD ARBERY, NINA POPP, 
IANNA DIOR, TWO BLACK TRANS 
WOMEN WHO WERE KILLED AS A 
RESULT OF HATRED THAT COMES 
AGAINST INTERSECTIONALLY 
MARGINALIZED PEOPLE IN THIS 
COUNTRY EVERY DAY.
THERE ARE TOO MANY NAMES TO 
LIST, BECAUSE AS THE PRESIDENT 
HAS SAID, WE HAVE BEEN AT THIS, 
UNFORTUNATELY, FOR A LONG TIME.
SO THAT MEANS THERE ARE, INDEED,
WORK TO DO.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO GET TO DO IT.
SO ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER, I 
WANT TO START WITH YOU.
I WAS RAISED ALWAYS TO BE AN 
ACTIVIST.
IF YOU ASK MY MOM, THIS IS THE 
ONLY LIVIVE EVER KNOWN.
I CAME INTO THE WORK 
SPECIFICALLY FIGHTING AGAINST 
THE SURGE OF POLICE VIOLENCE AS 
IT RELATES ESPECIALLY TO 
SYSTEMIC RACISM IN 2014 WHEN 
MIKE BROWN WAS KILLED IN 
FERGUSON, MISSOURI, JUST A FEW 
MINUTES FROM MY OWN HOME.
YOU CAME TO FERGUSON.
AS YOU KNOW, THERE WERE 
THOUSANDS, LITERALLY THOUSANDS, 
OF BRAVE AND MIGHTY PROTESTERS 
JUST LIKE IS ONES WE'RE SEEING 
OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW.
THOSE PROTESTERS AND ORGANIZERS 
WERE ON THE GROUND AND MAKING 
THE ENTIRE WORLD PAY ATTENTION.
I WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU LEARNED 
FROM THOSE GRASSROOTS ACTIVISTS.
WHAT HAVE YOU CARRIED FROM THOSE
CONVERSATIONS IN FERGUSON WITH 
YOU THROUGH TO THE WORK THAT 
THEN AND THAT YOU'RE DOING NOW?
>> GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
AND THANK YOU, PRESIDENT OBAMA, 
FOR CONVENING US HERE TODAY.
YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER BACK IN 
2014, I REMEMBER MEETING WITH 
THE PRESIDENT.
WE WERE ON VACATION.
TALKING ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT I 
SHOULD GO TO FERGUSON.
IT WAS A RISKY THING.
DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW PEOPLE 
WOULD REACT TO MY PRESENCE.
BUT WE MADE THE DETERMINATION 
THAT I WOULD GO.
AND I THINK THE THING THAT 
STRUCK ME THE MOST WAS, A FEW 
THINGS THAT REALLY GOT ME.
THERE WERE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WERE
THERE AND WHO WERE UNBELIEVABLY 
IMPRESSIVE.
WHO WERE, IN A LOT OF WAYS, 
DIRECTING THE ACTIONS THAT YOU 
SAW ON THE STREETS.
YOU SAW A COMMUNITY THAT WAS IN 
ANGUISH, AND THERE WAS A 
COMMONALITY WITH REGARD TO THE 
THINGS THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED 
ABOUT.
I WAS REALLY STRUCK BY THE FACT 
THAT PEOPLE CONSISTENTLY TALK 
ABOUT THE WAY IN WHICH PEOPLE OF
COLOR WERE UNFAIRLY TREATED BY 
THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
AND THERE WAS A GENUINE DESIRE 
BY PEOPLE WHO MAKE THINGS 
BETTER.
IT WASN'T ALL ABOUT JUST 
COMPLAINING.
THERE WAS A GENUINE DESIRE TO 
WORK, TO MAKE THINGS BETTER.
AND I LEFT THERE ACTUALLY 
HEARTENED BY WHAT I SAW.
BOTH IN TERMS OF THE REACTION 
THAT I GOT, PEOPLE WERE 
EXTREMELY RESPECTFUL, AND I 
THOUGHT WE HAD GOOD DIALOGUE 
WHILE I WAS THERE.
BUT ALSO LEFT WITH THE NOTION 
THAT IF WE INVESTED SOME TIME, 
IF WE INVESTED SOME FEDERAL 
RESOURCES, THAT WE WOULD BE IN A
POSITION, USING THE LEADERS THAT
WE MET, THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE WE 
MET THERE, TO MAKE LIFE IN 
FERGUSON BETTER.
THEN USE THAT AS AN EXAMPLE OF 
WHAT WAS POSSIBLE IN THE REST OF
THE COUNTRY.
>> SO AS THE PRESIDENT REMINDED 
US, THIS IS NOT ABOUT AN 
EITHER/OR QUESTION, RIGHT?
ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TO 
REMIND PEOPLE, AS PRESIDENT 
OBAMA HAS ALREADY DONE, THIS IS 
NOT ABOUT POLICY OR PROTEST.
THIS IS ABOUT POLICY AND 
PROTEST.
WE KNOW AS DR. KING AND SO MANY 
OTHERS THROUGHOUT HISTORY TAUGHT
US, THAT PROTEST IS ACTUALLY 
WHAT CREATES THE PRESSURE SO 
THAT THE POLICY CAN GET PAST.
SIMILARLY, WE ARE IN A LONG-TERM
GAME AND A SHORT-TERM GAME HERE.
THAT WHILE WE ARE DEALING WITH 
RADICAL IMAGINATION AND 
REIMAGINING WHAT PUBLIC SAFETY 
CAN LOOK LIKE EVEN BEYOND POLICE
AND OUR COMMUNITIES, WE HAVE TO 
MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE SAFE NOW.
IN YOUR ROLE AS ATTORNEY 
GENERAL, YOU DID A LOT OF THAT 
WORK IN ADDRESSING PEOPLE'S 
SAFETY RIGHT NOW.
SO CAN YOU TELL US WHAT YOU 
LEARNED THAT WAS INSTRUCTIVE FOR
THIS MOMENT, PARTICULARLY AS YOU
ENGAGED IN PATTERN AND PRACTICE 
INVESTIGATIONS AND CONSENT 
DECREES, ONCE SITUATIONS LIKE 
THIS HAPPENED IN COMMUNITIES, 
ONCE WE SAW THE KIND OF 
UPRISINGS THAT WE DID ALL OVER 
THE COUNTRY WHILE YOU WERE STILL
IN OFFICE?
>> I THINK ONE OF THE KEY THINGS
THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND 
IS THERE'S NOT A TENSION BETWEEN
JUSTICE AND HAVING FAIR 
TREATMENT, AND PUBLIC SAFETY.
YOU CAN KEEP PEOPLE SAFE AND 
ALSO HAVE A BETTER, MORE 
EQUITABLE CRIMINAL JUSTICE 
SYSTEM.
I'M NOT GOING TO GET TOO 
BOASTFUL HERE, BUT FOR THE FIRST
TIME IN 40 YEARS, DURING THE 
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, WE REDUCED
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WERE 
INCARCERATED IN THE FEDERAL 
SYSTEM, AND ALSO LOWERED THE 
CRIME RATE.
AGAIN, THERE IS NOT THAT 
TENSION.
YOU CAN MAKE THINGS BETTER IN 
TERMS OF COMMUNITY AND POLICE 
RELATIONSHIPS AND KEEP PEOPLE 
SAFE AT THE SAME TIME.
AND SO WHAT WE TRIED TO DO IS 
COME UP WITH WAYS IN WHICH WE 
COULD LOOK AT WHAT WE THOUGHT 
WERE THE PROBLEMS IN THE 
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND WITH
REGARD TO HOW POLICING WAS DONE,
ADDRESS THOSE, INVOLVE THE 
COMMUNITY IN THOSE EFFORTS, 
ENGAGE LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THOSE 
EFFORTS, BRING THEM TOGETHER IN 
FORUMS SO THAT THEY COULD GET TO
KNOW EACH OTHER, UNDERSTAND HOW 
DIFFICULT IT IS TO BE A POLICE 
OFFICER, UNDERSTAND HOW 
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR HAVE HAD TO
DEAL WITH UNFAIR LAW ENFORCEMENT
PRACTICES OVER THE YEARS.
BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER.
IT WAS THROUGH THAT -- THROUGH 
THOSE KINDS OF MEETINGS THAT WE 
WERE ABLE TO FORMULATE THE 
POLICIES THAT ULTIMATELY LED TO 
THE 21st CENTURY PROPOSALS.
AND THEN THE OTHER THINGS THAT 
WE DID.
BRINGING PATTERN AND PRACTICE 
INVESTIGATIONS ARE USING THE 
POWER THAT WE HAD UNDER THE 
CIVIL RIGHTS STATUTES THAT WE 
WERE ABLE TO ENFORCE.
IT WAS FOR ME THE HIGHLIGHT OF 
MY TIME AS ATTORNEY GENERAL.
IT WAS TO GIVE ME THE 
OPPORTUNITY TO GET INTO 
COMMUNITIES, TO EFFECT POSITIVE 
CHANGE, TO BRING AND ESTABLISH 
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PEOPLE IN 
LAW ENFORCEMENT, PEOPLE IN 
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
THAT WAS I THINK IN SOME WAYS 
WHAT I'M MOST PROUD OF.
AND IT LAID I THINK THE 
FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE WORK.
BUT I WILL ALWAYS EMPHASIZE 
THIS, THAT YOUNG PEOPLE, THAT'S 
OUR AUDIENCE HERE TODAY, YOUNG 
PEOPLE WERE CRITICALLY INVOLVED 
IN ALL OF THE WORK THAT WE DID.
STARTING AT FERGUSON AND OTHER 
PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.
>> I WANT TO ASK YOU ONE MORE 
QUESTION BEFORE I MOVE ON TO OUR
NEXT SPEAKER.
AT CAMPAIGN ZERO, WE BELIEVE WE 
CAN LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE THE 
POLICE DON'T KILL PEOPLE.
SO MANY OF US ARE REALLY TRYING 
TO ENGAGE IMAGINATION, TO 
IMAGINE WHAT COMMUNITIES LOOK 
LIKE BEYOND POLICE, EVEN LOOKING
AT A MOMENT WHERE WE DON'T HAVE 
TRADITIONAL SYSTEMS BECAUSE 
URCOMMUNITIES ARE SO HEALTHY 
FROM THE GROUND UP.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR MOST 
RADICAL DREAM FOR WHAT IS 
POSSIBLE, YOUR MOST RADICAL 
IMAGINATION FOR WHERE WE CAN GET
TO AS A COMMUNITY AND A PEOPLE, 
WHAT IS THAT DREAM?
>> OH, THAT'S AN INTERESTING 
ONE.
YOU KNOW, I GUESS MY DREAM IS 
THAT WE WOULD GET TO A PLACE 
WHERE PEOPLE ARE JUDGED ON THEIR
INDIVIDUAL DEEDS, THE INDIVIDUAL
CHARACTERISTICS, AND THAT WE 
DON'T STEREOTYPE PEOPLE.
AND THAT IS NOT ONLY WITH REGARD
TO HOW WE DEAL WITH THINGS IN 
THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
I THINK WE MAKE A MISTAKE IF WE 
THINK THAT THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE 
SYSTEM EXISTS SEPARATE AND APART
FROM THE GREATER SOCIETY.
THE ISSUES THAT WE FACE IN THE 
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, 
INAPPROPRIATE USES OF FORCE, 
IMPLICIT BIAS, A WHOLE RANGE OF 
THINGS.
THOSE GROW OUT OF THE SAME KINDS
OF PROBLEMS THAT WE SEE IN THE 
LARGER SOCIETY.
SO WE'VE GOT TO DEAL WITH 
PROBLEMS THAT ARE MORE SYSTEMIC,
MORE SOCIETY-WIDE, IF WE WANT TO
ACTUALLY DEAL AND BE EFFECTIVE 
IN BRINGING ABOUT NEEDED CHANGE 
WITH REGARD TO THE CRIMINAL 
JUSTICE SYSTEM.
SO I WOULD HOPE THAT WE GET TO A
PLACE WHERE DISCRIMINATION IS NO
LONGER A FACTOR IN THE LIVES OF 
PEOPLE OF COLOR.
THAT THEIR TREATMENT WOULD BE 
SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE 
EXPECTED.
STEREOTYPES.
BORN IN SLAVERY, IN THE NOTION 
THAT IN ORDER TO ENSLAVE A 
PEOPLE, YOU HAD TO THINK THAT 
THEY WERE IN SOME WAYS 
DIFFERENT, SOME WAYS INFERIOR.
THOSE ATTITUDES MAY NOT BE AS 
EXPLICIT AS THEY ONCE WERE, BUT 
STILL ARE A PART, I THINK, OF 
THE AMERICAN PSYCHE IMPLICITLY.
RADICAL CHANGE.
I'D LIKE TO ERASE THOSE FEELINGS
AND BASE POLICY ON REAL-WORLD 
EXPERIENCES, ON THE REALITY OF 
THE PEOPLE OF THIS NATION, AS 
OPPOSED TO THE PERCEPTIONS OF 
THEM AS STEREOTYPES OF THEM.
>> WHAT I HEAR YOU SAYING IS 
BEING ABLE TO LIVE, BEING ABLE 
TO BREATHE, NOT HAVING ANYONE 
PUT ON YOUR NECK, IS NOT A 
RADICAL IDEA AT ALL, THAT IT IS 
WHAT EVERYBODY IS OWED.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, ATTORNEY 
GENERAL HOLDER, FOR JOINING US.
I WANT TO MOVE TO FELIPE 
CUNNINGHAM, A COUNCILMAN FROM 
THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS WHERE SO
MUCH OF THIS IS CENTERED.
MINNEAPOLIS IS REALLY GROUND 
ZERO IN SO MANY WAYS, AS IT WAS 
HOME TO GEORGE FLOYD AND HIS 
FAMILY.
FELIPE, I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS
FOR YOU.
BUT FIRST I WANT TO KNOW HOW 
YOU'RE DOING AND WHAT IS 
HAPPENING ON THE GROUND IN 
MINNEAPOLIS?
I SEE HERE ON THE ZOOM CALL MY 
FRIEND DEION JONES WHO IS 
PEACEFULLY PROTESTING IN LOS 
ANGELES, WHEN HE WAS HIT WITH A 
RUBBER BULLET.
WE'VE SEEN SO MANY IMAGES OF 
THAT KIND OF UNNECESSARY 
CONFRONTATION AND A LOT OF THEM,
UNFORTUNATELY, ARE COMING FROM 
MINNEAPOLIS.
SO HOW IS HOME?
HOW IS THE HOME TEAM DOING?
WHAT DO WE OUTSIDE OF 
MINNEAPOLIS NEED TO UNDERSTAND 
ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON ON THE 
GROUND?
>> YES, WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH 
FOR HAVING ME.
THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
I TOO JUST WANT TO START OFF 
WITH SAYING THAT I'M HERE TODAY 
BECAUSE OF THE STRENGTH OF MY 
ANCESTORS AND ELDERS WHO CAME 
BEFORE ME, FIGHTING THE FIGHT TO
MAKE MY EXISTENCE AND WORK AS AN
ELECTED OFFICIAL POSSIBLE.
SO ON THE GROUND IN MINNEAPOLIS,
FOLKS ARE MOBILIZING ON A SCALE 
WE'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE.
AND A DIVERSE COALITION, A VERY 
DIVERSE COALITION OF FOLKS IS 
EMERGING, DEMANDING JUSTICE.
NOT ONLY FOR GEORGE FLOYD, BUT 
JUSTICE IN HOW THE CITY OF 
MINNEAPOLIS PROTECTS ITS 
RESIDENTS.
WHAT WE ARE SEEING RIGHT NOW 
FROM FOLKS ON THE GROUND IN 
MINNEAPOLIS AND ACROSS THE 
COUNTRY IS GENERATIONS OF TRAUMA
AND RAGE AT THE VIOLENCE 
BESTOWED ON THE BLACK COMMUNITY 
AND THE DISINVESTMENT OF THE 
BLACK COMMUNITY BY THE STATE AT 
EVERY SINGLE LEVEL OF 
GOVERNMENT.
I'LL JUST ADD THAT I MYSELF AS A
BLACK WATER WE'RE TRANSGENDER 
MAN, I TOO LIVE FIRSTHAND BOTH 
THE TRAUMA THAT I HAVE TO CARRY 
AROUND EXPERIENCING AND 
WITNESSING STATE-SANCTIONED 
VIOLENCE AS WELL AS THE 
GENERATIONAL TRAUMA OF MY 
ANCESTORS WHO HAVE SURVIVED 
SLAVERY.
SEEING ALL OF THIS, LAYERING IT 
ON.
WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THE 
FACT THAT ALL OF THIS HAS REALLY
BEEN GROUND ZERO IN MINNEAPOLIS 
IS THAT WE ARE AN INCREDIBLY 
PROGRESSIVE CITY.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE ALSO 
THE CITY THAT HAS THE MOST 
SIGNIFICANT RACIAL DISPARITIES 
BETWEEN WHITE AND BLACK FOLKS IN
THE ENTIRE COUNTRY ACROSS EVERY 
INDICATOR OF QUALITY OF LIFE.
SO THIS HAS JUST BEEN BOILING 
UNDER THE SURFACE.
I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE NOW FOR 
2 1/2 YEARS.
AND WITHIN MY FIRST TWO YEARS I 
HAD TO DEAL WITH THREE 
OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING DEATHS
IN MY WARD ALONE, INCLUDING ONE 
THAT WAS A SUICIDE BY COP.
THE TRAUMA FROM THOSE INCIDENTS 
DOESN'T JUST DISSIPATE BECAUSE 
THE LEGAL SYSTEM DEEMS THEIR 
DEATHS JUSTIFIED.
THE EVIDENCE IS CLEAR OVERALL.
PRESIDENT OBAMA SPOKE TO THE 
DATA THAT WE'RE STARTING TO SEE.
OVERPOLICING, CRIMINALIZATION, 
MASS INCARCERATION HAVE NOT KEPT
OUR COMMUNITIES SAFER.
IN FACT, PEOPLE GETTING CAUGHT 
IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM 
FURTHER DISENFRANCHISES BLACK 
AND BROWN FOLKS, PUSHING US 
FURTHER TO THE MARGINS OF 
SOCIETY DUE TO CRIMINAL 
HISTORIES, THUS TRIGGERING A 
CYCLE OF INVOLVEMENT WITH CRIME 
IN THE JUSTICE SYSTEM THAT IS 
OFTEN PASSED 
INTERGENERATIONALLY.
ON THE GROUND IN MINNEAPOLIS, 
FOLKS SAYING ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
OUR SYSTEM IS OBVIOUSLY BROKEN.
AND IT'S TIME FOR A NEW SYSTEM 
OF PUBLIC SAFETY IN OUR CITY.
OVER THE YEARS WE HAVE HEARD 
FROM FOLKS WHO BELIEVE THAT THE 
SOLUTION IS SIMPLY ADDING MORE 
POLICE OFFICERS.
WE HAVE ALSO HEARD FROM FOLKS 
WHO ARE REFORMERS WHO WANT TO 
ADVOCATE FOR INCREMENTAL CHANGE.
EVEN THOSE VOICES RIGHT NOW ARE 
WANING BECAUSE OUR WHOLE CITY 
HAS SEEN THE PAST THREE NIGHTS 
THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO KEEP
OURSELVES SAFE AND OUR 
COMMUNITIES SAFE.
YOU ASK HOW I'M DOING.
I'LL SAY I'M A LITTLE BIT TIRED 
BECAUSE I'VE BEEN UP ALL NIGHT 
WITH MY COMMUNITY, ORGANIZING MY
COMMUNITY, VERY CLOSELY WITH 
FOLKS ON THE GROUND.
SO POST UP PATROL BECAUSE 
MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT 
NOR THE NATIONAL GUARD WERE 
SHOWING UP TO PROTECT OUR HOMES 
AND SMALL BUSINESSES.
WE'RE SEEING LARGE-SCALE 
PROTESTS.
WHAT FOLKS ARE SEEING ON THE 
MEDIA RIGHT NOW, THE PROTESTS 
AND RIOTS IN SOUTH MINNEAPOLIS, 
WE SEE THAT.
BUT IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS, THE 
HISTORICALLY BLACK COMMUNITY IN 
MINNEAPOLIS WHERE I REPRESENT, 
WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH FAR 
RIGHT-WING AND WHITE SUPREMACIST
GROUPS TERRORIZING OUR COMMUNITY
BY BURNING DOWN BLACK-OWNED 
BUSINESSES.
SO WE'VE COME TOGETHER, 
PROTECTED OUR OWN COMMUNITY, AND
NOW IT'S TIME FOR US TO 
SYSTEMATIES COMMUNITIES AND MAKE
THEM SUSTAINABLE. 
>> SO MUCH YOU SAID, AND 
COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE ON 
ALL OF IT.
I WANT TO HOLD SPACE FOR THE 
INTERSECTIONS OF YOUR IDENTITIES
AND THE WAY THE SYSTEMS 
PARTICULARLY IMPACT YOU AND 
OTHER FOLKS IN YOUR COMMUNITY, 
BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A CRITICAL 
PART OF THE CONVERSATION AND WE 
CANNOT ALLOW IT TO BE ERASED.
SECONDLY, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE 
AND AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT 
YOU SAID ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE 
SAVE US, AND WE CAN CONTINUE TO 
SAVE US.
THAT WE CAN IMAGINE THIS BEYOND 
OUR TRADITIONAL SYSTEMS AND 
FIGURE OUT HOW WE PROTECT ONE 
ANOTHER AND HOW WE BUILD UP 
STRONG COMMUNITIES FROM THE 
GROUND UP.
BECAUSE WE ARE MORE THAN 
CAPABLE, NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE 
ELSE SAYS.
SO THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT I WANT 
TO ASK YOU ABOUT.
AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, YOU ARE 
PLAYING A ROLE IN A TRADITIONAL 
SYSTEM, BUT ALSO HAVING RADICAL 
IMAGINATION ABOUT WHAT'S 
POSSIBLE.
WE KNOW BUDGETS ARE MORAL 
DOCUMENTS.
WE KNOW AS WE SEE SOME CITIES 
INVESTING MORE IN POLICING, 
THEY'RE DIVESTING FROM HOUSING 
AND JOBS AND THE THINGS THAT 
KEEP PEOPLE WELL AND KEEP THEIR 
NEEDS MET.
HOW ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT THE 
DEMANDS THAT ARE COMING DIRECTLY
FROM GRASSROOTS ACTIVISTS AND 
ENACTING THE MOST IMAGINATIVE 
AND BOLD, EVEN THOUGH AS WE SAID
EARLIER, THEY SHOULD JUST BE THE
THINGS THAT PEOPLE RECEIVE, HOW 
ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT ENACTING 
THOSE THINGS AND WHERE DOES 
MINNEAPOLIS HAVE TO GO TO ENSURE
THAT EVERYBODY THERE IS NOT JUST
LIVING IN A LIBERAL CITY, BUT 
THAT THEY'RE LIVING IN AN 
EQUITABLE CITY?
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR FRAMING IT THAT 
WAY.
SO WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE WORK 
THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE WHAT WE 
HAVE SEEN IS THAT A LOT OF 
REFORM EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN 
IMPLEMENTED, WE'VE HAD 
TREMENDOUS LEADERSHIP FROM OUR 
FORMER MAYOR, MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR 
BETSY HODGES, WHO CAME INTO 
OFFICE UNABASHEDLY DEMANDING 
MAJOR OVERHAULS IN THE 
MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SHE APPOINTED THE FIRST WOMAN 
CHIEF, POLICE CHIEF, WHO IS ALSO
NATIVE AND THE FIRST OUT LGBT 
POLICE CHIEF.
EVERY OFFICER WAS TRAINED IN 
PROCEDURAL JUSTICE AND ANTI-BIAS
TRAINING.
A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM WAS 
CREATED.
THEN SHE APPOINTED OUR CITY'S 
FIRST BLACK POLICE CHIEF, CHIEF 
ARREDONDO, WHOSE VISION FOR 
WHAT'S POSSIBLE IN POLICING IS 
INSPIRING AND WHAT WE'D ALL LIKE
TO SEE IN POLICING.
EVEN WITH ALL OF THAT WORK, MANY
OFFICERS HAVE BEEN IN ALL BUT 
OPEN REVOLT AGAINST THESE 
EFFORTS WITH THEIR GRIEVANCES 
BEING AIRED BY THE POLICE 
FEDERATION.
WHEN WE TAKE A STEP BACK AND 
LOOK AT THE BIG PICTURE ABOUT 
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO KEEP OUR 
COMMUNITY SAFE, WE HAVE TO BE 
THINKING ABOUT IT FROM A 
DIFFERENT FRAME, A DIFFERENT 
PARADIGM.
WE KNOW THAT THE SYSTEM OF 
POLICING IS ROOTED, IT'S FOUNDED
ON AND ROOTED IN WHITE 
SUPREMACY.
AND A HISTORY OF SLAVE CATCHING.
AND SO AS WE'RE TRYING TO DO 
THIS WORK OF REFORMING POLICE 
CULTURE AND THE INSTITUTION OF 
POLICING OVERALL, WE HAVE TO GET
SERIOUS ABOUT INVESTING IN NEW 
ALTERNATIVE SYSTEMS OF PUBLIC 
SAFETY THAT ARE ROOTED IN 
JUSTICE AND OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE A PARADIGM FOR THIS.
IT'S THE PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH 
TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO THINKING ABOUT VIOLENCE AS A 
DISEASE THAT SPREADS, AS A 
CONTAGIOUS DISEASE.
IT SPREADS INTERPERSONALLY, IT 
SPREADS INTERGENERATIONALLY.
AND SO THERE ARE EVIDENCE-BASED 
STRATEGIES.
WE IN MINNEAPOLIS HAVE BEEN 
WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH JOHN 
JAY COLLEGE, AS WELL AS THEIR 
NATIONAL NETWORK FOR SAFE 
COMMUNITIES, AS WELL AS CITIES 
UNITED.
WE'VE ALL BEEN WORKING TOGETHER 
TO REALLY INSTITUTIONALIZE THIS 
OPPORTUNITY.
I HAVE BEEN A TIRELESS ADVOCATE 
FOR VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND 
INTERVENTION EFFORTS.
WE CREATED IN LATE 2018 THE 
OFFICE OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION 
THROUGH CITY ORDINANCE.
SO NOW IT CAN'T BE TAKEN AWAY.
WE INSTITUTIONALIZED A NEW 
SYSTEM.
BUT THAT ONLY GOES SO FAR.
WE NEED MONEY TO GO INTO THAT 
AND THAT'S WHERE THE BUDGET IS A
MORAL DOCUMENT COMES IN.
THERE'S ALWAYS POLITICAL WILL TO
PUT MORE MONEY INTO THE POLICE 
BUDGET.
THE POLICE BUDGET IN MINNEAPOLIS
IS ALMOST $200 MILLION, AND WE 
HAVE RIGHT NOW -- WE APPROVED 
LAST YEAR A BUDGET OF $1.6 
BILLION.
THEY TAKE UP A HUGE CHUNK.
I HAD TO FIGHT RELENTLESSLY TO 
GET $50,000 FOR A DOMESTIC 
VIOLENCE INTERVENTION PROGRAM 
STRATEGY FOR US TO IMPLEMENT, 
DESPITE THE FACT THAT IN 
MINNEAPOLIS THE NUMBER ONE 
REASON FOR 911-INITIATED POLICE 
CALLS FOR SERVICE IS BECAUSE OF 
DOMESTIC ASSAULT.
WE ARE NOT SUCCESSFULLY GETTING 
TO THE ROOTS OF THESE ISSUES.
SO HAVING A SYSTEMIC, 
INSTITUTIONALIZED, NEW APPROACH 
TO PUBLIC SAFETY THAT IS 
COMMUNITY LED, THAT INVESTS IN 
COMMUNITY WITH THE PREVENTION 
AND INTERVENTION, AS WELL AS 
THINKING BIG EVEN MOVING FURTHER
UPSTREAM, THINKING ABOUT 
HOUSING, JOBS, EMPLOYMENT, 
TRAINING, EDUCATION, THINKING 
ABOUT ALL OF THAT.
THAT IS WHAT TRUE COMPREHENSIVE 
PUBLIC SAFETY IS, AND WE HAVE TO
START THINKING ABOUT WHAT DOES 
IT LOOK LIKE TO HAVE A FUTURE 
WITHOUT POLICE?
WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE FOR US 
TO NOT NEED POLICE AND THEN WORK
BACKWARDS FROM THERE.
>> I USED TO BE A TEACHER, SO 
BACKWARDS PLANNING FROM 
EVERYTHING THAT IS POSSIBLE IS 
MY JAM.
THAT'S MY FAVORITE THING TO DO.
I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU REALLY 
HELPED ROOT US IN THE CONCEPT 
OF, AGAIN, RADICAL IMAGINATION, 
THEN ACTION TOWARD THAT.
SO OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE THINGS 
THAT HIVE TO HAPPEN IN THE 
SHORT-TERM.
THERE ARE POLICIES THAT HAVE TO 
CHANGE.
THERE ARE INVESTMENTS THAT HAVE 
TO BE MADE.
AS YOU MOVE TOWARD THOSE 
BUT I REALLY WANT TO, AS I CLOSE
WITH YOU, ASK YOU WHAT SHOULD WE
ALL BE UNDERSTANDING, THOSE OF 
US WHO DO NOT LIVE IN 
MINNEAPOLIS, ABOUT WHAT THE 
GRASSROOTS DEMANDS ARE, AS WE 
ARE MAKING OUR VOICES HEARD AND 
ATTEMPTING TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF 
WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE GROUND 
THERE?
WHAT SHOULD WE BE LIFTING UP IN 
THE SHORT-TERM, THE LONG-TERM, 
AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN TO GET
TO THAT PLACE OF, AS YOU SAID, 
COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY SAFETY 
THAT HAS TO INCLUDE NOT JUST 
POLICY, BUT CULTURE AND 
INVESTMENT?
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
FIRST I'LL JUST SAY I TOO WAS A 
TEACHER, A SPECIAL EDUCATION 
TEACHER ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF 
CHICAGO.
SO THE BACKWARDS PLANNING IS A 
GOOD THING.
SO WHAT WE REALLY NEED IN TERMS 
OF SUPPORT IN MINNEAPOLIS IS WE 
JUST NEED FOR FOLKS TO KEEP AN 
EYE ON US AND TO BE ABLE TO HOLD
US ACCOUNTABLE.
BECAUSE THERE IS SOME REAL 
MOMENTUM HERE.
LIKE I SAID, WE'VE HEARD -- 
SINCE I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE, I'VE 
HEARD FROM SO MANY FOLKS WHO ARE
JUST LIKE, THE ONLY -- THE WAY 
WE SOLVE THIS PROBLEM IS BY JUST
ADDING MORE POLICE.
?
WE JUST ADD MORE POLICE THAT 
WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
OR IF WE IMPLEMENT THE SPECIFIC 
REFORMS -- BODY CAMS, 
DIVERSIFYING THE POLICE 
DEPARTMENT, ANTI-BIAS TRAINING, 
THAT SORT OF -- THOSE SORT OF 
REFORMS -- THEN WE'LL SEE THE 
OUTCOMES.
BUT WE REALLY NEED TO DIG EVEN 
DEEPER INTO IT.
AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS A 
GROUNDSWELL OF DEMANDS WITH THE 
CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS TO DEFUND 
THE POLICE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT 
NOW.
THESE FOLKS ARE THE ONES WHO ARE
TRANSFORMATION ORIENTED.
AND SO THE -- IN MINNEAPOLIS, 
THE PUBLIC AND POLITICAL WILL 
RIGHT NOW ARE VERY CONCENTRATED 
AT THIS POINT IN 
RANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE.
AND THINGS HAVE ALSO CHANGED IN 
THAT WHO IS IN ELECTED OFFICE 
HERE.
I'M ACTUALLY NOT THE ONLY BLACK 
TRANS PERSON ON MINNEAPOLIS CITY
COUNCIL.
A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T REALIZE 
THAT.
MY SISTER COUNCIL VICE PRESIDENT
ANDREA JENKINS IS ALSO ON THE 
MINNEAPOLIS CITY COUNCIL.
AND SHE'S A POWERHOUSE.
ACTIVIST AND ORGANIZERS HAVE 
ALLIES WITH THE SAME VISION FOR 
EQUITY AND JUSTICE.
WE'RE IN OFFICE NOW.
SO THAT REALLY OPENS THE 
POSSIBILITY WHEN WE ALL WORK 
TOGETHER.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT WE'RE 
STARTING TO DIVE INTO IT, THE 
STATES.
MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN 
RIGHTS HAS OPENED AN 
INVESTIGATION INTO THE POLICE 
DEPARTMENT FOR THE LAST TEN 
YEARS FOR SYSTEMIC RACIAL 
DISCRIMINATION.
SO I WOULD SAY WHAT WE NEED 
RIGHT NOW IS FOR FOLKS OUTSIDE 
OF MINNEAPOLIS TO KEEP AN EYE ON
WHAT'S GOING ON, AND ALSO TO 
INVEST IN THE ORGANIZATIONS ON 
THE GROUND WHO HAVE BEEN DOING 
THIS WORK FOR YEARS AND YEARS.
ALSO PUSH FOLKS ON THE GROUND 
HERE, COMMUNITIES, TO MAKE THEIR
VOICES HEARD.
THAT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST 
THINGS IS THAT I HEAR THE MOST 
FROM THE FOLKS WHO JUST SIMPLY 
WANT MORE POLICE.
I HAVE BEEN LABELED SOFT ON 
CRIME BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT I
ADVOCATE FOR A COMPREHENSIVE 
APPROACH TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO WE NEED FOLKS WHO BELIEVE IN 
TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE AND WHAT
COMMUNITY SAFETY CAN LOOK LIKE 
AND HOW TO GET THERE.
WE NEED FOR FOLKS' VOICES TO BE 
HEARD.
>> WE'VE ALREADY BEGUN TO SEE 
THE SEEDS OF SO MUCH OF THAT 
TRANSFORMATION RIGHT THERE IN 
YOUR HOMETOWN DUE TO LEADERSHIP 
OF YOURS AND SO MANY OTHERS.
WE SAW THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN 
STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT AT THE 
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA GET THEM
TO STOP CONTRACTING WITH THE 
POLICE FORCE THERE.
WE SAW THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS THERE 
FOLLOWED SUIT.
AND FROM FORMER TEACHER, FORMER 
TEACHER, I'M ALWAYS LIKE, YES.
IT'S ABOUT TIME WE ACTUALLY MAKE
SCHOOLS SAFE FOR ALL YOUNG 
PEOPLE, AND THAT DOESN'T NEED TO
INCLUDE POLICE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, NOT JUST FOR 
THIS CONVERSATION BUT FOR YOUR 
CONTINUED COURAGE AND ACTION IN 
THE ROLE THAT YOU'RE PLAYING.
I'M GOING TO COME LASTLY TO MY 
GOOD FRIEND AND PARTNER IN THIS 
WORK, RASHAD ROBINSON, PRESIDENT
OF COLOR OF CHANGE.
RASHAD, WE'VE BEEN ON THE PHONE 
A LOT IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS.
AND YOU ARE ALWAYS THINKING SO 
CRITICALLY ABOUT HOW WE ENSURE 
THAT THE LOCAL CONVERSATIONS 
THAT COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM JUST 
TALKED ABOUT ARE REALLY UPHELD 
AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL, AND THAT 
EVERYONE IS DOING THEIR PART.
AND I ALWAYS SAY, WE DON'T HAVE 
SAVIORS, WE BUILD TEAMS, AND 
THAT'S HOW WE GET THE WORK DONE 
IN COMMUNITIES.
THAT'S EXACTLY THE WORK THAT 
COLOR OF CHANGE DOES.
IT GIVES ALL OF US AN 
OPPORTUNITY TO BE ON THE TEAM.
HOW ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT 
MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE 
UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR ROLE IS ON
THE TEAM?
WHAT ARE THE SPECTRUM OF DEMANDS
THAT YOU ARE SEEING COMING FROM 
YOUR MEMBERS AT COLOR OF CHANGE 
AND THAT YOU ALL ARE EXPLORING 
AND PUSHING AS YOU DO THIS WORK?
>> WELL, THANK YOU, FIRST OF 
ALL.
THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
THANK YOU, PRESIDENT OBAMA, 
ATTORNEY GENERAL HOLDER.
IT'S ACTUALLY GREAT TO BE ON 
THIS CONVERSATION AND TO BE BACK
DOING WORK WITH MY BROTHER'S 
KEEPER.
WHAT I WILL SAY IS A COUPLE OF 
THINGS.
OVER THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS 
ALONE, OVER 5 MILLION PEOPLE 
HAVE TAKEN ACTION WITH COLOR OF 
CHANGE.
RAISING THEIR VOICES ONLINE, 
SIGNING PETITIONS, MAKING PHONE 
CALLS, SHOWING UP TO RALLIES.
AND THAT'S IMPORTANT, BECAUSE 
WHAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO IS
TRANSLATE THE PRESENCE OF THIS 
MOMENT INTO THE ABILITY TO 
ACTUALLY CHANGE THE RULES.
AND SOMETIMES THOSE ARE THE 
WRITTEN RULES OF POLICY, AND 
OTHER TIMES THOSE ARE THE 
UNWRITTEN RULES OF CULTURE.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT BOTH, ABOUT
WHY BOTH OF THOSE THINGS ARE 
CRITICALLY IMPORTANT IN THIS 
MOMENT, WHY WE HAVE TO CHANNEL 
RATEGIC ACTION TO ACTUALLY GET
THINGS DONE.
NO INDIVIDUAL ALONE IS GOING TO 
WORK TO CHANGE SYSTEMIC RACISM 
IN ALL THE WAYS THAT IT IMPACTS 
OUR SOCIETY.
RACISM IS LIKE WATER POURING 
OVER A FLAR WITH HOLES IN IT.
IT WILL FIND THE CRACKS.
AND SO WE CONSTANTLY NEED TO 
FIGURE OUT HOW ARE WE SHORING UP
THE SYSTEMS THAT WILL HAVE 
CRACKS IN THEM AND BUILDING NEW 
SYSTEMS FOR THE FUTURE?
SO ON THE WRITTEN RULE SIDE, WE 
ARE VERY MUCH FOCUSED ON HOW YOU
GET PEOPLE IN THAT MOMENT 
SOMETHING CLEAR TO DO.
PUSHING FOR JUSTICE WHEN JUSTICE
NEEDS TO BE SERVED.
BUT RECOGNIZING THAT WE'VE GOT 
TO MOVE PEOPLE UP A LADDER OF 
ENGAGEMENT.
BECAUSE NONE OF THE FAMILIES 
SIMPLY WANT JUSTICE FOR THEIR 
OWN FAMILY, THEY RECOGNIZE THAT 
THE LONG-TERM RULES NEED TO 
CHANGE.
AND WITH CONSTANT POLICING, 
THERE IS SO MUCH THAT HAPPENS AT
THE LOCAL LEVEL THAT WE HAVE TO 
PAY ATTENTION TO.
THE OTHER SPEAKERS TALKED ABOUT 
IT.
SO WE NEED TO BE FOCUSING THAT 
ENERGY ON LOCAL POLICY.
PUSHING TO CHANGE LOCAL PRACTICE
AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 
POLICY AND PRACTICES.
SOMETIMES WE CHANGE THE LAW, WE 
ALSO HAVE TO CHANGE THE PEOPLE 
WHO IMPLEMENT THOSE LAWS.
THEN WE THINK ABOUT THE WORK AT 
THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
AND WE'VE GOT TO CHANGE ALL OF 
THE WAYS IN WHICH MONEY FROM THE
FEDERAL LEVEL INCENTIVIZES AND 
DISINCENTIVIZES CERTAIN TYPES OF
ACTION.
PART WHAT WAS WE TRY TO DO AT 
COLOR OF CHANGE IS POINT PEOPLE 
AT THOSE STRATEGIC THINGS TO DO.
BUILDING THE ENERGY AND HELPING 
DESCRIBE FOR PEOPLE HOW TO DO 
IT.
A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO IN THE 
HEIGHT OF THE WORK TO CHALLENGE 
POLICE VIOLENCE, WE CAME UP 
AGAINST DISTRICT ATTORNEYS AND 
STATE'S ATTORNEYS WE DID NOT 
HAVE THE ABILITY TO MOVE.
DIDN'T MATTER IF WE HAD TEN 
PETITIONS OR 10,000 PETITIONS OR
100,000 PETITIONS.
THEY WERE NOT NERVOUS ABOUT 
DISAPPOINTING OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE RECOGNIZED WE HAD TO 
HELP THE COMMUNITY BETTER 
UNDERSTAND THE ROLE OF DISTRICT 
ATTORNEYS.
WE HAD TO BUILD MORE ENERGY, 
BECAUSE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS COULD
OPERATE WITHOUT PUBLIC PRESSURE.
THESE ARE EXECUTIVE-LEVEL 
POSITIONS THAT CAN HAVE A LARGE 
AMOUNT, SORT OF THE MOST 
POWERFUL ACTORS IN THE CRIMINAL 
JUSTICE STATES.
SO WE BUILT THE ONLY SEARCHABLE 
NATIONAL DATABASE OF PROSECUTORS
IN THE COUNTRY CALLED 
WINNINGJUSTICE.ORG.
WE WORKED WITH FOLKS IN 
HOLLYWOOD LIKE COMMON TO DEVELOP
AN ANIMATED VIDEO THAT DESCRIBES
THE ROLE OF DISTRICT ATTORNEYS 
FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE, SO PEOPLE 
COULD UNDERSTAND HOW DISTRICT 
ATTORNEYS OPERATE.
WE WORKED ACROSS THE MOVEMENT TO
GET FOLKS FROM BIG ORGANIZATIONS
TO LOCAL GRASSROOTS 
ORGANIZATIONS ALIGNED AROUND SIX
CLEAR DEMANDS THAT WE COULD TAKE
TO GET PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT 
TREATING KIDS AS KIDS.
REDUCING AND ENDING THE USE OF 
MONEY BAIL.
CHANGING -- REDUCING -- 
INCREASING TRANSPARENCY.pALL OF 
CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO WINNING 
JUSTICE LONG-TERM.
WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE ROLE OF 
PROSECUTORS.
WE HAVE TO CHANGE WHAT THE 
PUBLIC EXPECTS FROM PROSECUTORS.
WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE WAY THAT 
THE PUBLIC THINKS ABOUT CRIMINAL
JUSTICE.
AND THAT KIND OF LEADS ME TO A 
CULTURAL CONVERSATION.
BECAUSE FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS, 
BASICALLY, WITH A COUPLE OF 
BLIPS HERE AND THERE, VIOLENT 
CRIME HAS STEADILY WENT DOWN IN 
OUR COUNTRY.
ACCORDING TO PEW AND EVERYONE 
ELSE, AMERICANS THINK THAT 
VIOLENT CRIME IS GOING UP.
SO WE HAVE A DEEP GAP BETWEEN 
PERCEPTION AND REALITY.
AND THAT MAKES IT MUCH HARDER 
WHEN WE ARE TRYING TO DO THOSE 
CRITICAL THINGS THAT THE 
COUNCILMAN TALKED ABOUT, IN 
TERMS OF REDUCING POLICE 
BUDGETS, IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY 
ENSURING THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN
EDUCATION AND MENTAL HEALTH AND 
JOBS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE 
KNOW THAT COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE 
REDUCED THE NEED FOR LAW 
ENFORCEMENT, THEY DON'T NEED AS 
MANY POLICE.
SO BECAUSE THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN 
INUNDATED WITH IMAGES THAT MAKES
US BELIEVE THAT VIOLENT CRIME IS
RIGHT AROUND THE WINDOW, RIGHT 
AROUND THE DOOR, WE'VE HAD TO 
BUILD A PROGRAM --
 CHANGE THE CONTENT AND THE 
STORYTELLING.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE LOOKED AT 
IS ALL THESE CRIME TV SHOWS THAT
ARE COVERED IN CITIES LIKE 
CHICAGO, NEW YORK, VERY DIVERSE 
ON AIR, THEN YOU LOOK AT THE 
WRITERS ROOMS, ALL THE WRITERS 
ROOMS ARE ALL WHITE, FOLKS WITH 
NO SORT OF CONNECTION TO THE 
COMMUNITY, NO SKIN IN THE GAME 
ON SORT OF THE IMPACT OF THE 
IMAGES THAT THEY'RE PORTRAYING, 
CONSTANTLY PUTTING BLACK FACES 
ON THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, 
A MAGICAL WORLD WHERE BLACK AND 
BROWN PEOPLE EXIST BUT RACISM 
DOESN'T.
AND WE HAVE TO REALLY WORK TO 
SORT OF CHANGE THAT.
AND PART OF THAT ACTIVISM IS THE
WORK THAT WE HAVE TO DO BECAUSE 
IF WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THE 
PLACE WHERE THE NARRATIVE 
CHANGES ENOUGH FOR US TO ACHIEVE
THE TYPE OF POLICY CHANGES THAT 
ARE NEEDED, WE HAVE TO CHANGE 
THE STORY.
AND I WANT TO SAY THAT FAR TOO 
OFTEN WE TELL A STORY ABOUT 
BLACK COMMUNITIES BEING 
VULNERABLE.
AND WE'LL SAY THINGS LIKE, BLACK
COMMUNITIES ARE VULNERABLE.
BLACK COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN 
UNDER ATTACK.
BLACK COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN 
TARGETED.
BLACK COMMUNITIES HAVE HAD A 
HISTORY OF BEING FLEECED, OF 
BEING UNDERINVESTED.
AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE NOT 
ABOUT BEING VULNERABLE, THOSE 
ARE THINGS ABOUT BEING ON THE 
CHOPPING BLOCK.
WHEN WE WORK TO CHANGE THAT 
STORY, WE CAN ACCOMPLISH SO MUCH
MORE.
>> I HAVE ONE VERY BRIEF 
QUESTION FOR YOU.
BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE TO WRAP 
UP NOW.
PEOPLE KEEP ASKING ME THIS 
QUESTION.
I WANT TO ASK YOU, MAYBE YOU CAN
GIVE ME SOME TIPS.
IS THIS MOMENT A GAME CHANGER?
WE'VE BEEN IN THIS WORK FOR A 
WHILE NOW.
MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN IN IT FOR 
EVEN LONGER THAN US.
IS THIS MOMENT A SEISMIC SHIFT 
IN WHAT'S POSSIBLE, WHERE WE SEE
OURSELVES RIGHT NOW?
>> I THINK IT'S A GREAT 
QUESTION.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE WANT 
FAST FOOD.
WE WANT THINGS THAT ARE QUICK.
WE WANT THINGS THAT ARE EASY.
AND PROGRESS AND JUSTICE IS NOT 
EASY, RIGHT?
THE THING ABOUT INFLECTION 
POINTS IS THAT THEY PRESENT THE 
POSSIBILITY FOR HUGE LEAPS 
FORWARD, OR THEY ACTUALLY 
PRESENT THE REAL THREAT FOR TO 
US GO BACKWARDS.
AND I THINK WHAT WE ALL HAVE TO 
RECOGNIZE IS THAT A LOT OF 
THINGS ACTUALLY HAVE CHANGED 
OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
WHITE PEOPLE IN STARBUCKS TAKE 
OUT THEIR CELL PHONE AND ARE 
FILMING POLICE INTERACTION THAT 
THEY RECOGNIZE IS WRONG BECAUSE 
A MOVEMENT HAS BUILT THE MENTAL 
MODEL TO TRAIN THEM.
A MAJOR FINANCIAL COMPANY, WHEN 
THEY CREATE CONSEQUENCES FOR AN 
EMPLOYEE THAT DOES SOMETHING 
RACIST IN A PARK, USES THE WORD 
RACISM IN THEIR STATEMENT IN A 
WAY THAT WE PROBABLY WOULDN'T 
HAVE IMAGINED THEM DOING.
IT DOESN'T MEAN WE GIVE 
INSTITUTIONS TOO MUCH CREDIT, 
BUT WE RECOGNIZE WHAT WE HAVE 
WON ALONG THE WAY AND THE WAY IN
WHICH WE HAVE SHIFTED WHAT OUR 
DEMANDS CAN BE.
WE'E SHIFTED WHAT CAN BE 
POSSIBLE.
SO I WANT FOLKS TO THINK THAT WE
HAVE BEEN THE GAME CHANGER.
THE GAME HAS CONTINUED TO 
CHANGE.
AND THE DEEP LEVEL OF PUSHBACK 
THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO GET FROM
FORCES IS AN ABSOLUTE RESULT OF 
THE POWER OUR MOVEMENT IS 
BUILDING.
MAKE NO MISTAKE.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT PROGRESS IS
A STRAIGHT LINE.
BUT I WANT FOLKS WHO ARE COMING 
INTO THIS MOVEMENT TO NOT COME 
INTO THIS MOVEMENT THINKING THAT
THEY'VE GOT TO FIX A MOVEMENT, 
BUT THAT THEY'VE GOT TO PUT ON 
THEIR ARMOR AND JOIN US.
THEY'VE GOT TO FOLLOW THE 
INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN 
DRIVING AND MAKING SO MUCH 
CHANGE.
THEN THEY'VE GOT TO ADD THEIR 
CREATIVITY AND THEIR INTERESTS 
TO WHAT WE ARE DOING.
BUT WE HAVE BEEN WINNING.
AND SO MUCH OF THE REACTION TO 
WHAT WE ARE SEEING IS A RESULT 
OF THE PROGRESS THAT I BELIEVE 
WE ARE MAKING.
>> PRECISELY.
THE PUSHBACK WOULDN'T BE SO 
GREAT IF THE PROGRESS WASN'T 
REAL.
WE ARE THE GAME CHANGER.
RASHAD, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD IN THIS 
CONVERSATION THAT SOCIAL CHANGE,
CHANGING OUR COMMUNITIES, HAVING
THE KIND OF WORLD WE DESERVE, 
IT'S HARD WORK BUT IT IS 
ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY WORK.
WE HAVE TO BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO 
IMAGINE WHAT IS POSSIBLE AND 
THEN GO WORK FOR IT AND NOT JUST
DREAM IT.
AND WE ALSO HAVE TO BE INCISIVE 
ENOUGH TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE 
ARE SAFE AND WHOLE AND HEALTHY 
NOW.
BLACK PEOPLE DESERVE TO LIVE 
BECAUSE WE ARE HUMAN, AND BLACK 
PEOPLE DESERVE MUCH MORE FROM 
AMERICA FOR LOTS OF REASONS, BUT
IN PART BECAUSE WE OFTEN SAVE IT
FROM ITSELF.
WE KNOW FOR SURE THAT WE DON'T 
JUST DESERVE TO SURVIVE, WE 
DESERVE TO THRIVE.
THAT MEANS WE NEED JUSTICE.
AS DR. CORNELL WEST SAYS, 
JUSTICE WHAT IS LOVE LOOKS LIKE 
IN PUBLIC.
LET'S GO MAKE SURE THAT LOVE IS 
LIVING OUT LOUD IN PUBLIC.
MR. PRESIDENT, I SEE YOUR FACE, 
I'VE SEEN THAT FACE MANY TIMES 
BEFORE IN OUR MEETINGS, I KNOW 
YOU ARE ITCHING TO ASK THE 
QUESTION.
SO I WILL CLOSE AND HAND IT OFF 
TO YOU.
>> WELL, LISTEN.
I'VE JUST BEEN ENJOYING HEARING 
ALL THE WISDOM THAT'S BEEN 
SPREAD BY SO MANY OTHERS.
I WANT TO FIRST OF ALL GIVE ERIC
HOLDER HIS BRPROPS AS ATTORNEY 
GENERAL.
HE REBUILT A CIVIL RIGHTS 
DIVISION WITHIN THE JUSTICE 
DEPARTMENT.
AND WAS CONSISTENTLY ON THE 
GROUND, WORKING WITH 
COMMUNITIES, LISTENING TO 
COMMUNITIES, COMING UP WITH 
PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS TO TRY TO 
MAKE THINGS BETTER.
AND I COULDN'T BE PROUDER OF 
HIM.
BLOWN AWAY BY FELIPE AND ALL THE
GOOD WORK THAT HE'S DOING.
RASHAD HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT 
WARRIOR FOR CHANGE.
HE WAS PART OF THE CONVERSATIONS
WE HAD AFTER FERGUSON.
AND BRITNEY, YOU KNOW I THINK 
YOU'RE ALL THAT.
SO AS I LISTENED, I AM FEELING 
ONCE AGAIN INSPIRED.
AND WHAT HAS PARTICULARLY 
INSPIRED ME IS THE DEGREE TO 
WHICH FOLKS ARE THINKING 
STRATEGICALLY, PRACTICALLY, AT A
VERY DETAILED LEVEL.
ABOUT WHERE ARE THE PLACES WHERE
YOU CAN MAKE CHANGE?
AND WHAT ARE THE PRACTICAL 
SOLUTIONS, BACKED UP BY 
RESEARCH, BACKED UP BY DATA, 
BACKED UP BY EXPERIENCE THAT 
ALLOWS US TO CREATE A SET OF 
COMMUNITIES THAT ARE SAFE AND 
JUST, SAFE AND FAIR, SAFE AND 
NONDISCRIMINATORY?
AND THAT IS POSSIBLE.
AND I THINK THAT ONE OF THE 
THINGS THAT HAS BEEN RAISE D IS 
THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE 
CAPACITY TO ERADICATE 400 YEARS 
OF RACISM IN ONE FELL SWOOP.
SO IF WE THINK THAT THIS IS A 
SEISMIC SHIFT, I HOPE PEOPLE 
DON'T FEEL LIKE, WELL, NOTHING'S
GOING TO HAPPEN ONCE WE FIGURE 
THIS OUT.
YOU KNOW, AS I'VE BEEN KNOWN TO 
QUOTE DR. KING, I'VE SAID 
FREQUENTLY, THE ARC OF THE MORAL
UNIVERSE IS LONG, BUT IT BENDS 
TOWARD JUSTICE.
WE BEND IT.
ALL OF YOU HAVE BENT IT OVER THE
LAST FOUR, FIVE, SIX, TEN YEARS.
AND WE ARE SEEING THE FRUITS OF 
THOSE LABORS IN THE DEGREE OF 
AWARENESS THAT IS OUT THERE.
LOOK, THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE 
PEOPLE WHO HAVE UNEQUIVOCALLY 
SPOKEN OUT AGAINST WHAT HAPPENED
IN MINNEAPOLIS.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE -- I JUST SAW 
JIM HARBAUGH -- SORRY, I KNOW 
WE'VE GOT THE OHIO STATE 
CONTINGENT HERE.
BUT YOU'VE GOT JIM HARBAUGH, THE
COACH OF MICHIGAN FOOTBALL, 
MARCHING TODAY.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS 
HAPPENING FIVE, SIX YEARS AGO.
ALTHOUGH JIM I KNOW AND HE'S 
BEEN ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS 
ISSUE FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
YOU HAVE UNLIKELY PARTICIPANTS 
BECAUSE ALL OF YOU HAVE WORKED 
SO HARD TO RAISE AWARENESS.
THAT'S THE PROGRESS THAT HAS 
BEEN MADE.
IT DOESN'T MEAN EVERYTHING'S 
BEEN SOLVED.
THE ONLY QUESTION I THINK MAYBE 
MIGHT BE WORTHWHILE FOR ME TO 
THROW OUT THERE, EVEN THOUGH 
I'VE READ ENOUGH OF THE 
LITERATURE TO HAVE A PRETTY GOOD
SENSE OF WHAT THE ANSWER'S GOING
TO BE -- BRITNEY, YOU MENTIONED 
THAT CAMPAIGN ZERO HAS PUT 
FORWARD EIGHT CAN'T WAIT.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE 21st 
CENTURY TASK FORCE REPORT.
IT WOULD BE USEFUL MAYBE TO JUST
TAKE OFF VERY QUICKLY.
WHAT ARE THE EIGHT THINGS THAT 
ARE THE EIGHT?
THAT CAMPAIGN ZERO IS PROMOTING?
BECAUSE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO 
ARE WATCHING, THEY MAY BE 
SURPRISED THAT SOME OF THESE 
THINGS ARE PRACTICAL AND COULD 
BE IMPLEMENTED QUICKLY.
I KNOW TO JUST ONE OFF THE TOP 
OF MY HEAD THAT I KNOW WE CAN 
ALL FOCUS ON, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN 
SO PAINFULLY REAL THESE LAST FEW
WEEKS, CHOKEHOLDS AND 
STRANGLEHOLDS.
JUST SAYING THAT'S NOT WHAT WE 
DO.
YOU DON'T NEED THAT IN ORDER TO 
EFFECTIVELY RESTRAIN SOMEONE.
SO GIVE ME WHAT ARE THE EIGHT IN
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FORM SO PEOPLE
CAN HEAR WHAT THESE SPECIFIC 
THINGS ARE.
>> GOT YOU.
I DIDN'T KNOW THE FIRST QUESTION
WOULD COME TO ME.
THE EIGHT THINGS ARE BANNING 
CHOKEHOLDS AND STRANGLE HOLDS, 
REQUIRING DE-ESCALATION FIRST, 
REQUIRING A WARNING BEFORE 
PULLING OUT A WEAPON, EXHAUSTING
ALL ALTERNATIVES BEFORE THOSE 
ACTIONS, A DUTY OF OTHER 
OFFICERS TO INTERVENE.
SO OFFICERS CAN'T JUST STAND 
THERE AND WATCH INJUSTICE 
HAPPEN.
BANNING SHOOTING AT MOVING 
VEHICLES.
WE KNOW THAT KEEPS POLICE AND 
EVERYDAY CITIZENS SAFE.
ESTABLISHING A USE OF FORCE.
AND REQUIRING ALL FORCE TO BE 
REPORTED.
I WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR.
TOGETHER, THOSE EIGHT THINGS CAN
REDUCE POLICE VIOLENCE, BUT 
UPWARDS OF 70%, THAT DOES NOT 
STAND IN COMPETITION WITH WHAT 
FELIPE JUST WALKED US THROUGH.
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THESE 
THINGS CAN HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY, 
WITHOUT ANY EXECUTIVE ORDER OR 
ACT OF CONGRESS, ALL WE NEED IS 
A MAYOR TO HAVE THE POLITICAL 
WILL AND COURAGE TO STAND UP AND
SAY, THOSE EIGHT CAN'T WAIT, AND
I WILL GO AND CHANGE POLICE OF 
FORCE STANDARDS TONIGHT, LET 
ALONE TOMORROW.
SO DO THAT NOW.
AND THEN CONTINUE TO WORK WITH 
YOUR COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE WE WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP
UP THE PRESSURE, I CAN PROMISE 
YOU THAT, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE 
ARE GETTING THOSE COMPREHENSIVE 
PUBLIC SAFETY SOLUTIONS THAT ARE
COMMUNITY BASED AND COMMUNITY 
ORIENTED AND FAR BEYOND ANYTHING
THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING RIGHT 
NOW THAT FELIPE JUST WALKED US 
THROUGH.
THESE DON'T STAND IN COMPETITION
WITH IMAGINATION, THESE ARE A 
NECESSARY STEP IMMEDIATELY TO 
KEEP PEOPLE SAFE AS WE DO THE 
HARD WORK OF MAKING SURE WE GET 
WHAT'S POSSIBLE. 
>> IN MY OPENING REMARKS I 
MENTIONED SOMETIMES THIS TENSION
IS POSED BETWEEN POLITICAL 
PARTICIPATION AND PROTESTS.
FELIPE'S AN EXAMPLE OF WHY YOU 
HAVE TO PARTICIPATE POLITICALLY.
BECAUSE IF YOU ARE ON THE 
STREETS PROTESTING AND MAKING 
DEMANDS, HAVING SOMEBODY ON THE 
CITY COUNCIL WHO CAN FOLLOW UP 
AND RESPOND AND ADVOCATE AND 
DEAL WITH PUSHBACK AND IS IN THE
ROOM WHEN BUDGETS ARE MADE AND 
IS ADVISING MAYORS ON HOW 
THEY'RE GOING TO NEGOTIATE THE 
NEXT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING 
CONTRACT WITH THE POLICE 
UNION -- YOU NEED THOSE FOLKS IN
ORDER TO ULTIMATELY DELIVER THE 
GOODS.
AND I'M CONSTANTLY MINDFUL OF 
THE FACT THAT THIS IS NOT AN 
EITHER/OR THING.
AND THERE'S SO MANY WAYS, ALL OF
WHICH ARE NECESSARY TO MAKE A 
DIFFERENCE.
WHEN RASHAD TALKED ABOUT THE 
CULTURAL ELEMENT OF THIS, YOU 
KNOW, DR. KING -- THIS MAY BE 
APOCRYPHAL, BUT SOMEBODY 
MENTIONED TO HIM, WELL, YOU 
KNOW, JUST HAVING AN 
ANTI-DISCRIMINATION BILL, 
ANTI-LYNCHING BILL, THAT'S NOT 
GOING TO CHANGE HEARTS AND 
MINDS.
HE SAYS, NO, IT WON'T, BUT IT 
WILL MAYBE STOP ME FROM GETTING 
LYNCHED, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT 
TOO.
SO LAWS ARE IMPORTANT.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THE NARRATIVE
AND THE STORY IS IN TELLING 
PEOPLE, HERE, SEE ME.
I'M HUMAN.
HERE'S MY PAIN.
THIS IS SOMEBODY'S SON.
THIS IS SOMEBODY'S UNCLE.
HERE'S THE STORY THAT YOU NEED 
TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT OUR 
BACKGROUND AND OUR COMMUNITY.
HOW DO WE BREAK DOWN 
STEREOTYPES?
AS ERIC HOLDER ELOQUENTLY TALKED
ABOUT.
THAT'S THE WORK OF A LOT OF 
PEOPLE.
SO SOME ARE GOING TO BE ON THE 
STREETS PROTESTING.
SOME ARE GOING TO BE RUNNING FOR
OFFICE.
SOME ARE GOING TO BE WRITING.
DURING THIS WEEK I PICKED UP AND
REREAD "THE FIRE NEXT TIME."
IT IS FRIGHTENING TO NOTICE HOW 
JAMES BALDWIN CAN LAY OUT A 
REALITY 50 YEARS AGO THAT SOUNDS
LIKE IT WAS WRITTEN YESTERDAY.
AND THAT'S ACTIVISM.
THAT'S WORK.
THAT'S PARTICIPATION.
SO I WORRY SOMETIMES THAT, YOU 
KNOW, AS WE DEBATE STRATEGIES, 
PEOPLE START THINKING THERE'S 
ONE WAY OF DOING THINGS.
WE ALL HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY, WE 
ALL HAVE A PART.
THE MORE SPECIFIC WE ARE 
PRACTICAL IN THE SHORT-TERM, AS 
WELL AS VISIONARY IN THE 
LONG-TERM, THE BETTER OFF WE'RE 
GOING TO BE.
BUT WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO BE 
QUIET.
BECAUSE YOU DON'T NEED TO HEAR 
FROM MORE OLD HEAD STUFF.
I WANT TO SAY HOW MUCH I 
APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU.
MICHAEL, I'M ASSUMING THAT THE 
CONVERSATION IS GOING TO 
CONTINUE. 
>> YES, SIR.
LET ME GO AHEAD AND JUMP IN AND 
THANK BRITNEY FOR THE MASTERFUL 
MOD CASE AND FOR ALL THE WISDOM 
AND HARD WORK THAT WAS ON 
DISPLAY.
I'M NOW GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO
OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR NETWORK 
AND PARTNERSHIP AT MONTH 
BROTHER'S KEEPER ALLIANCE.
NICOLE FIELDS IS GOING TO TAKE A
COUPLE QUESTIONS.
NOT EVERYONE WATCHING HAS AN 
OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS BUT
OUR NBK COMMUNITIES DO.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER REASON YOU 
SHOULD BECOME AN NBK COMMUNITY.
WE WILL GET YOU OUT OF HERE BY 
6:30.
WE REALIZE THAT WE'VE BEEN ON 
FOR A WHILE.
WE WILL BE SENDING RESOURCES 
AFTERWARDS.
WE'VE CREATED A GOOGLE GROUP TO 
CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION THERE
AS WELL.
>> THANK YOU.
WE CAN CONTINUE THIS 
CONVERSATION, SO IF WE DON'T GET
TO YOUR QUESTIONS, DO NOT WORRY,
WE CAN CONTINUE IN OUR GOOGLE 
GROUPS.
I'M GOING TO TAKE THE FIRST 
QUESTION FROM OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
PLAYON PATRICK ASKS, THIS 
QUESTION IS DIRECTED AT 
COUNCILMAN CUNNINGHAM.
HOW HAVE THE MEDIA'S PORTRAYAL 
OF FREQUENT VIOLENT RIOTS IN 
MINNEAPOLIS AFFECTED YOUR 
EFFORTS TO PROMOTE THE WORK OF 
PROTESTERS, ACTIVISTS, AND 
ELECTED OFFICIALS PUSHING 
TOWARDS A SELF-SUSTAINING PUBLIC
SAFETY SYSTEM?
>> YES, THANK YOU FOR THAT 
QUESTION, PLAYON.
SO THE MEDIA'S PORTRAYAL OF 
HYPERFOCUSING ON THE VIOLENT 
PROTESTS -- OR THE VIOLENCE AND 
THE RIOTING HAPPENING DURING THE
PROTESTS REALLY PULLS AWAY FROM 
WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING.
THE REAL STORY OF THE TRAUMA AND
THE PAIN AND THE REASON WHY 
FOLKS ARE OUT ON THE GROUND 
DOING THE WORK, WHY WE'RE 
TRAUMATIZED AS A COMMUNITY, WHY 
WE ARE DOING THIS WORK TOGETHER.
SO THE MEDIA IS LOOKING FOR A 
SENSATIONAL STORY AND TALKING 
ABOUT THE PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH
TO PUBLIC SAFETY IS NOT THAT 
SEXY.
SO IT'S EASIER TO BE ABLE TO 
PICK THE -- WHAT'S HAPPENING 
RIGHT NOW, MAKE THAT NEWSWORTHY.
AND SO WHAT IT DOES IS IT'S 
DISTRACTING.
IT'S DISTRACTING FROM THE VOICE 
OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE ON THE 
COMMUNITY, WHO HAVE DEMANDS, WHO
HAVE A CLEAR VISION.
IT'S DISTRACTING -- IT'S PULLING
AWAY FROM THEIR VOICE AND 
CENTERING THEM, THE FOLKS WHO 
HAVE BEEN ON THE GROUND NONSTOP 
FOR YEARS, SOME FOLKS FOR 
DECADES.
AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE 
THAT -- I'VE BEEN ALL OVER THE 
MEDIA.
I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE THAT FOLKS 
HAVE BEEN REACHING OUT ALL OVER 
THE WORLD.
AND I KEEP HAMMERING HOME -- 
EVERYONE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THE
RIOTS AND THE VIOLENCE AND 
EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING.
BUT I ALWAYS REDIRECT IT BACK 
TO, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR US TO 
BUILD ALTERNATIVE SYSTEMS TO 
PUBLIC SAFETY OUTSIDE OF 
POLICING.
IT REQUIRES POLITICAL WILL.
IT REQUIRES INVESTMENT.
AND WE ARE ALREADY DOING IT, AND
IT WORKS.
SO TRYING TO CONSTANTLY BRING IT
BACK TO THAT IS REALLY WHAT I 
THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE 
HAVE MESSENGERS WHO HAVE THE 
PLATFORMS, THE BULLY PULPITS AS 
WE SAY IN POLITICS, HAVE THOSE 
PLATFORMS TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK 
THAT.
WE HAVE TO KEEP PUSHING IT AND 
NOT LET MEDIA DISTRACT US FROM 
REALLY THE POINT, WHICH IS 
JUSTICE.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER.
GREAT, WELL SAID.
THE NEXT QUESTION ACTUALLY WAS 
ASKED -- A FEW FOLKS ASKED THIS 
SAME EXACT QUESTION.
I THINK ANY ONE OF OUR PANELISTS
CAN TAKE THIS.
WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE TO 
MAYORS TO HONOR PROTESTERS' 
DEMANDS FOR MORE POLICE 
ACCOUNTABILITY AND LESS BRUTAL 
AND RACIST PRACTICES WHILE 
SUPPORTING THEIR POLICE FORCE 
AND MAINTAINING BROAD PUBLIC 
CONFIDENCE?
FOLKS HAVE BEEN ASKING, HOW DO 
WE CHANGE THESE ACCOUNTABILITY 
MEASURES, WHILE ALSO CONFRONTING
POLICE UNIONS WHO HAVE INVESTED 
IN OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS?
>> I'M GOING TO TAKE A STAB AT 
SOMETHING JUST BECAUSE I THINK 
IT'S ILLUSTRATIVE.
IT DOESN'T ANSWER THE ENTIRE 
QUESTION.
WHEN I WAS IN THE STATE 
LEGISLATURE BACK IN ILLINOIS, WE
P
PASSED ONE OF THE FIRST, IF NOT 
THE FIRST, LAWS DEALING WITH 
RACIAL PROFILING AND TRAFFIC 
STOPS.
AND THERE WAS NO WAY TO GET THAT
PASSED WITHOUT SUPPORT OF THE 
FOP, THE PRACTICE PERSON ORDER 
 -- FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE, 
THE PRIMARY ORGANIZATION OF THE 
POLICE UNIONS.
AND THE ARGUMENT I WAS ABLE TO 
MAKE TO THEM WAS THAT, POLICE 
OFFICERS ARE GOING TO BE SAFER 
IF THERE IS GREATER TRUST AND 
LESS TENSION.
THAT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DO 
THEIR JOBS BETTER IF THEY HAVE 
DATA THAT HAS BEEN COLLECTED, 
THAT IS CLEAR.
AND POLICE CHIEFS ARE GOING TO 
BE ABLE TO MANAGE THEIR FORCES 
MORE EFFECTIVELY.
THEY WILL BE LESS DISTRACTED BY 
THINGS THAT DON'T REQUIRE AN 
ARMED RESPONSE.
AND THEY CAN REFOCUS ATTENTION 
IN WAYS THAT ARE GOOD FOR THEM 
AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO MAKE 
THAT ARGUMENT.
AND I'M SURE THAT THERE ARE RANK
AND FILE MEMBERS WHO DIDN'T 
BELIEVE IT.
BUT IN FACT, AFTER WE PASSED IT,
WE STARTED BEING ABLE TO COLLECT
DATA ON THAT ISSUE.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET THEM TO 
GO ALONG.
NOW, HOW RESPONSIVE THE POLICE 
UNION WAS GOING TO BE IN ANY 
CIRCUMSTANCE?
IT'S GOING TO GO CITY BY CITY.
AND IT'S NOT EASY.
BUT I GUESS THE POINT I AM 
MAKING, AND ERIC HOLDER, IF HE'S
STILL ON, MAY WANT TO CHIME IN 
ON THIS.
I DO THINK THERE IS POLICE 
LEADERSHIP THAT RECOGNIZES THE 
NEED FOR CHANGE.
BUT CHANGING CULTURE IS HARD.
AND SOMETIMES THE DYNAMICS 
WITHIN THE UNIONS THEMSELVES ARE
DIFFICULT.
YOU KNOW, AND SOMETIMES THERE'S 
THAT SENSE OF, WE NEED TO CLOSE 
RANKS EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW SOME 
THINGS ARE MESSED UP.
AND SO FINDING WAYS TO LISTEN 
AND RECOGNIZE THAT THEY HAVE A 
TOUGH JOB, BUT ALSO THEN INSIST 
THAT THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO,
WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, WE'LL WORK
WITH YOU TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO
IT.
SO WHEN BRIT THOUGH TALKED ABOUT
THE EIGHT CAN'T WAIT, YOU SHOULD
HAVE A DIALOGUE TO FIND OUT WHAT
SPECIFIC THINGS ARE A PROBLEM 
WITH NOT HAVING TO CHOKE 
SOMEBODY, PARTICULARLY WHEN 
THEY'RE ALREADY IN HANDCUFFS.
WHAT IS IT THAT YOU THINK IS A 
PROBLEM?
WHEN YOU FORCE PEOPLE TO 
ARTICULATE WHAT IT IS THAT THEY 
OBJECT TO WITH REASONABLE 
DEMANDS OF THE SORT THAT HAVE 
BEEN OUTLINED, A LOT OF TIMES 
THEY COME UP EMPTY.
BUT YOU HAVE TO ENGAGE IN THAT 
CONVERSATION.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S POSSIBLE 
TO GET THAT DONE.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, THOUGH, 
IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE POLITICAL 
PRESSURE TO DO IT, THEY WILL 
RESIST.
JUST BECAUSE SOCIAL -- THE 
STATUS QUO ALWAYS RESISTS 
WITHOUT SOME PRESSURE.
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO 
IMPORTANT, BODY FOR THE PROTESTS
AND FOR THE FOLLOW-UP THAT 
PEOPLE LIKE COUNCILMAN 
CUNNINGHAM CAN APPLY.
>> GREAT, THANK YOU, PRESIDENT 
OBAMA.
THE NEXT QUESTION, THIS 
QUESTION'S COMING FROM DR. JIM 
BOSTICK, YONKERS, NEW YORK.
FIRST HE THANKS OUR PANELISTS.
HOW DO WE EFFECTIVELY INTEGRATE 
THE GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN 
AGE AND HISTORY YOU SEE DEVELOP 
BETWEEN OUR YOUNGER GENERATION 
AND THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN IN
THIS FIGHT FOR MANY DECADES IN 
SUCH A WAY THAT WE RESPECT EACH 
OTHER'S IDEAS AND APPROACHES TO 
DEALING WITH INSTITUTIONAL 
RACISM IN OUR RESPECTIVE 
COMMUNITIES AND NOT DIMINISH THE
ROLE AND THE WILL OF EITHER?
>> SO I'M GOING TO HAVE TO CALL 
IT HERE.
THIS WILL HAVE TO BE THE LAST 
QUESTION.
I'M GOING TO ASK ONE OF OUR 
PANELISTS TO TAKE THAT AND TRY 
TO GIVE US A 90-SECOND RESPONSE.
WHILE YOU'RE THINKING OF YOUR 
RESPONSE, I JUST WANT TO SAY HOW
GRATEFUL WE ARE FOR DR. JIM 
BOSTICK.
YONKERS IS ONE OF OUR IMPACT 
COMMUNITIES DOING EXTRAORDINARY 
WORK ON THE GROUND IN YONKERS 
AND THE PRISON SYSTEM IN YONKERS
AS WELL.
SO WHO'D LIKE TO TAKE THAT 
QUESTION WITH A QUICK RESPONSE?
>> I'D SAY THIS.
YOU KNOW, THERE IS THE NEED FOR 
YOUNG PEOPLE TO WORK WITH PEOPLE
LIKE MYSELF WHO HAVE SOME YEARS 
BEHIND THEM.
AND THE ARROGANCE OF YOUTH 
CANNOT BE THE DETERMINANT, THE 
ARROGANCE OF AGE CAN'T BE A 
DETERMINANT.
THERE IS WISDOM THROUGH LIVED 
EXPERIENCE, THERE IS IDEALISM 
THAT YOUNG PEOPLE POSSESS IN 
ABUNDANCE.
IT'S THE COMBINATION OF THAT 
IDEALISM WITH THAT EXPERIENCE 
THAT I THINK MAKES THE MOST 
EFFECTIVE MOVEMENTS.
PEOPLE WHO ARE OLDER HAVE TO 
UNDERSTAND THAT YOUNG PEOPLE 
HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AT THE 
FOREFRONT OF POSITIVE CHANGE IN 
THIS NATION.
THE FOUNDING FATHERS WERE YOUNG 
PEOPLE.
THE OLDEST WAS GEORGE 
WASHINGTON, 44 YEARS OLD.
RICHARD PRYOR USED TO SAY, YOU 
DON'T SEE MANY OLD FOOLS.
I THINK YOUNG PEOPLE NEED TO 
UNDERSTAND THAT AS WELL.
YOU DON'T GET TO BE 60, 70, 80 
YEARS OLD WITHOUT HAVING 
NAVIGATED A WHOLE SERIES OF 
THINGS.
THAT'S WORTHWHILE.
YOU HAVE THINGS AS A YOUNG 
PERSON YOU MIGHT WANT TO TEST, 
THEORIES YOU WANT TO TRY.
OLDER PEOPLE CAN SAY, WELL, I'VE
EXPERIENCED THIS AND THIS IS WHY
THIS THEORY IS NOT GOING TO 
WORK.
SO IT'S A COMBINATION OF THE 
TWO.
A LACK OF ARROGANCE ON THE PART 
OF BOTH THAT ULTIMATELY CAN 
CREATE A COALITION THAT CAN BE 
SUCCESSFUL.
>> THANK YOU, MR. ATTORNEY 
GENERAL.
MR. PRESIDENT, BEFORE WE WRAP 
UP, ANY FINAL WORDS?
>> NO.
JUST -- KEEP WORKING.
AND STAY HOPEFUL.
AS I SAID, THIS IS A MOMENT, AND
WE'VE HAD MOMENTS LIKE THIS 
BEFORE, WHERE PEOPLE ARE PAYING 
ATTENTION.
AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT 
EVERYTHING WILL GET SOLVED.
AND SO DON'T GET DISHEARTENED 
BECAUSE IT'S A MARATHON, NOT A 
SPRINT.
BUT THE FACT THAT PEOPLE ARE 
PAYING ATTENTION PROVIDES AN 
OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE, 
ACTIVATE, MOBILIZE, AND ACT.
AND I HOPE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO 
SEIZE THIS MOMENT.
I HOPE THE MAYORS ACROSS THE 
COUNTRY WHO HAVE EITHER BEEN 
WATCHING OR HEAR ABOUT THIS TAKE
THAT PLEDGE TO START IMMEDIATELY
IMPLEMENTING SOME STEPS THAT CAN
MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
AND I HOPE ALL THE YOUNG PEOPLE 
WHO HAVE BEEN INSPIRED AND 
ENGAGED AND INVOLVED, THEY KEEP 
AT IT.
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT ULTIMATELY 
IS GOING TO CREATE THE KIND OF 
COUNTRY WE WANT.
AND FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN 
TALKING ABOUT PROTESTS, JUST 
REMEMBER, THIS COUNTRY WAS 
FOUNDED ON PROTEST.
IT IS CALLED THE AMERICAN 
REVOLUTION.
AND EVERY STEP OF PROGRESS IN 
THIS COUNTRY, EVERY EXPANSION OF
FREEDOM, EVERY EXPRESSION OF OUR
DEEPEST IDEALS, HAS BEEN WON 
THROUGH EFFORTS THAT MADE THE 
STATUS QUO UNCOMFORTABLE.
AND WE SHOULD ALL BE THANKFUL 
FOR FOLKS WHO ARE WILLING, IN A 
PEACEFUL, DISCIPLINED WAY, TO BE
OUT THERE MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, EVERYBODY.
PROUD OF YOU. 
>> THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
I ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO GO TO 
OBAMA.ORG, IF YOU'RE A MAYOR 
TAKE THE PLEDGE, IF YOU'RE 
LOOKING TO BECOME THE MBK 
COMMUNITY, PLACES TO DONATE, 
RESOURCES, OR JUST JOIN THE 
ALLIANCE, OBAMA.ORG.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE THERE FOR
YOU, WITH YOU.
OUR PARTNERS AT THE LEADERSHIP 
CONFERENCE, MAYORS ARE EXCITED 
TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 
FOR YOU AS YOU THINK ABOUT 
READING THOSE USE OF FORCE 
POLICIES AS WELL OUR BROADER 
PARTNER NETWORK.
THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF A 
CONVERSATION.
WE'LL CONTINUE THIS IN MANY 
DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND ALSO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR 
OUR NEXT TOWN HALL THAT WILL BE 
COMING UP AS WELL AS SOME OTHER 
ACTIONS.
THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT.
THANK YOU, MR. ATTORNEY GENERAL.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN 
CUNNINGHAM.
THANK YOU, BRITNEY.
THANK YOU, RASHAD ROBINSON.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR MBK 
COMMUNITIES FOR THE 
EXTRAORDINARY WORK YOU DO EVERY 
DAY ON BEHALF OF OUR BOYS AND 
YOUNG MEN OF COLOR AND OUR 
SISTERS.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR YOUNG 
MEN AND ALL OF OUR YOUNG WOMEN 
FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
NOT JUST TO BE THE FUTURE, BUT 
TO BE THE CHANGE TODAY.
HAVE A GREAT DAY, EVERYBODY.
