>>> LET ME START BY JUST
>>> 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 THAT I’VE SEEN IN MY
LIFETIME.
>> THERE IS ONE WAY TO MEASURE
IT.
FORMER PRESIDENT OBAMA
DISCUSSING THE EPIC CHANGES AND
SAYING THEY RIVAL ANYTHING HE’S
EVER SEEN.
THAT’S SAYING SOMETHING.
I WANT TO GET RIGHT INTO THIS
RIGHT NOW AND GO MORE IN DEPTH
ON WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE
PRESIDENT WITH CONTEXT FROM LEAH
WRIGHT RIGUEUR, LONG-TIME FRIEND
OF "THE BEAT."
IT’S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> IT’S GREAT TO SEE YOU, ARI.
HOW YOU?
>> I’M ALL RIGHT.
AS YOU KNOW.
WE ALL KNOW.
WE’RE ALL GOING THROUGH A LOT.
WE WANTED TO REALLY LISTEN TO
DEEPER PARTS OF THIS AND GET
YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHICH WE
VALUE.
HERE IS BARACK OBAMA CONTRASTING
THIS FROM THE ’60s.
>> I HAVE TO TELL YOU, ALTHOUGH
I WAS VERY YOUNG WHEN YOU HAD
RIOTS AND PROTESTS AND
ASSASSINATIONS AND DISCORD BACK
THIS 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 THEN THE
1960s.
THAT KIND OF BROAD COALITION.
>> PROFESSOR, IT’S NO SURPRISE
THAT BARACK OBAMA IS KEEPING
TRACK AND WELL INFORMED AND
ECHOES SOMETHING WE’VE SEEN FROM
OUR OWN REPORTERS ON THE GROUND,
THAT ONE OF THE DISTINCTION HERE
IS, INCLUDING IN RECENT DAYS IN
MINNEAPOLIS, REPORTERS ON THIS
CHANNEL MADE THE POINT THAT THEY
WERE SEEING AT TIMES MAJORITY
WHITE PROTESTS STAYING OUT,
TAKING RISKS.
WE KNOW ALL THE RISK, AS WELL AS
OBVIOUSLY MANY OF THE COMMUNITY
LEADERS, BLACK LIVES MATTER
PROTESTERS WHO HAVE BEEN IN THIS
AND DOING THIS FOR A VERY LONG
TIME.
WHAT DID YOU THINK OF HIS
HISTORICAL POINT?
>> SO I THINK THERE ARE A COUPLE
OF THINGS TO PULL OUT ABOUT THAT
OBAMA MOMENT.
ONE, THE NATION IS EAGER TO HEAR
FROM A PRESIDENT, A FORMER
PRESIDENT WHO ACTUALLY IS GOING
TOE ADDRESS THE ISSUE RATHER
THAN SPEAKING IN RHETORIC OR
HYPERBOLE.
SO THIS IS THAT MOMENT.
AND SECOND, I THINK IT’S
IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT WE
HAD THESE KIND OF PROTESTS UNDER
OBAMA.
WE JUST DIDN’T HAVE THEM TO THIS
EXTENT.
SO WE HAD AN OCCUPY WALL STREET.
WE HAD VARIOUS BLACK LIVES
MATTER MATTERS MOVEMENTS
PROTESTS REALLY WELL INTO 2017,
AND INTO TRUMP’S FIRST TERM.
BUT ALSO UNDER OBAMA.
SO THERE IS A WAY IN WHICH THERE
IS A PRECEDENT FOR ALL THAT’S
HAPPENING.
SO THE MOVEMENTS THAT WE’RE
SEEING RIGHT NOW ARE COMPLETELY
AND UTTERLY BUILT ON THESE PAST
MOVEMENTS AND REALLY SEEING
THESE MOVEMENTS COME TO
FRUITION.
BECAUSE ANTI-BLACK
DISCRIMINATION HAS GONE ON FOR
TOO LONG, BUT TOO HAS THIS
LARGER STRUCTURAL, SYSTEMIC
INEQUALITY GONE ON FOR TOO LONG,
AND NOW PEOPLE ARE REACTING.
>> HE ALSO SPOKE ABOUT THE POWER
OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING
TO TAKE MORE RISK, AND THAT
ACTUALLY MAKES HIM OPTIMISTIC.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> 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 THAT WE’VE MADE IN
OUR SOCIETY HAS BEEN BECAUSE OF
YOUNG PEOPLE.
DR. KING WAS AING YOU MAN WHEN
HE GOT INVOLVED.
CESAR CHAVEZ WAS A YOUNG MAN.
MALCOLM X WAS A YOUNG MAN.
AND SOMETIMES I FEEL DESPAIR.
I JUST 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.
>> PROFESSOR?
>> SO THESE MOMENTS ARE
ABSOLUTELY MOVEMENTS THAT ARE
PROPELLED BY YOUNG PEOPLE.
THAT’S BEEN HISTORICALLY TRUE.
WE SAW IT WITH CIVIL RIGHTS.
WE SAW WIT BLACK POWER.
WE’VE SEEN WIT LABOR MOVEMENTS.
WE’VE SEEN IT WITH ALL KINDS OF
MOVEMENTS.
SO YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LEADING THE
FORCE ON THIS MOVEMENT.
AND PART OF IT TOO IS BECAUSE
YOUNG PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED BY A
NUMBER OF THESE ISSUES IN WAYS
THAT REALLY SPEAK TO THEIR
GENERATION.
SO IF WE THINK ABOUT
UNDEREMPLOYMENT AND
UNEMPLOYMENT, BLACK PEOPLE,
YOUNG PEOPLE ARE AFFECTED BY AND
LARGE THE WORST OF ALL OF THE
INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PROTESTING.
SO OF COURSE THEY’RE GOING TO BE
OUT THERE.
BUT I DO ALSO WANT TO CALL
ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT ONE
OF THE REMARKABLE THINGS ABOUT
THIS IS WE’VE ALSO SEEN OLDER
GENERATIONS PARTICIPATING IN THE
PROTEST.
YOUNG PEOPLE MAY BE LEADING
THIS, BUT IN FACT WE’RE SEEING
AN INTERGENERATIONAL
COLLABORATION AND ALLIANCE WHERE
YOU’RE SEEING OLDER PEOPLE,
MIDDLE AGED PEOPLE, EVEN ELDERLY
PEOPLE OUT ON THE STREETS
PROTESTING AND PARTICIPATING IN
