who is a -- working to restore or obtain their citizenship from the muscogee creek nation. it's good to see you. i understand -- >> good morning. >> good morning. i understand this case has a personal connection for you, as you are a black creek indian. can you tell us about this law suit, and what it's about, and what it means to you? >> absolutely. this is a very, very personal case, because my family came to oklahoma on the trail of tears in the 1830s. by ancestors, by four time great-grandfather, cal thomas, one of five individuals who negotiated and signed the treaty of 1866 that outlawed enslavement and also guarantee the rights of creeks, of african descent, despite if you were enslaved or not. for this to be taken from my family and for the tens of thousands of black creeks throughout this nation it's something that has impacted families. despite of families, and it's devastated families. during the pandemic, the creek nation received funds and medications for shots, and
black creeks were discriminated and were not allowed to receive them. they were dying or other creeks are actually receiving those shots. cast of $45, 000, health care benefits, education benefits, and most importantly, denying us and stripping us of who we are, our birthright, our culture, and our history. >> and what exactly were the reasons the tribe gave for the denial of citizenship? >> very specific anti black discrimination. we have documents from the 1979 constitution that was voted on to actually strip our citizenship. it specifically says, we no longer wanted to have creek friedman or free blacks a part of our nation. this is in writing by the chief at the time. ever since 1979, they have utilized this particular discriminatory practice in tremendous opposition or against the treaty of 1866, article two, which specifically states creeks of african descent will have poor citizenship, rights, and benefits.
1866. specifically, since 1979, the constitution has barred black creeks. i personally have been working on this case for almost 25 years. i actually had a trial in 2005 that i won at that time. the creek nation supreme court overturned that victory in 2007. we've waited 17 years to get back to this point. the nation is actually aware of how the anti-black discrimination impacts black people in the creek nation. the united states, and throughout this. world i feel really good about our chances to be successful on december 1st. >> and tomorrow, is this a unique fight we are seeing that you are working on? are there other similar cases around the country? >> there are similar cases around the country. similar cases here in oklahoma. the cherokee, black cherokee's had to go through this fight. they were successful in 2017. the black seminal indians also gone through this fight. they've had some success they, are actual citizens of the nation now. but they are treated as second class sediments. you have the black choctaws and
i don't think it is a reiteration of something. this is a continuation. and it's a continuation that really began since reconstruction with birth of a nation. i'm going to take it all the way back there. the very first thing was set up a structure of white grievance like they were coming to get you and that message has been used a variety of ways. -- >> this is not new. >> that everything is discriminated against white people and -- this goes back to. -- >> 1865 1866. so, this is jesse helms versus heart mcgahn. the ad where the black hand takes away the white guys paycheck. this is a distillation of white grievance politics we have seen. and i guess kudos to actually distilling it that well but. this is the kind of -- that we see all the time. and it's just racism. >> again, in georgia --
does stephen miller want voters to vote for herschel walker or do they prefer they vote for a white candidate? >> i don't know. i think stephen miller is throwing stuff against the wall to sow what sticks. >> no, i think this is calculated. >> but i will say this. i don't think it is a, you know, a sort of reiteration of something. this is a continuation of something. >> oh, yeah. >> and it's a continuation that really began since reconstruction, with "birth of a nation." i'm going the take it all the way back there. the very first thing they did is set up structure of white grievance. black people are coming. they're coming to get you. and that message has been used over and over again in a variety of different ways. stephen miller is just the latest of the continuation. this is not new. >> white grievance politics and the idea that anything -- everything is discriminate night against white people and giving blacks special rights. this goes back to andrew johnson vetoing the civil rights act in 1865, 1866. this is jesse helms versus harvey gantt, the ad where the black hand takes away the white
amendment, and that report says that the entire point of the amendment was to secure rights of the freed former slaves. the legislator who introduced that amendment said that, quote, unless the constitution should restrain them, those states will all, i fear, keep up this discrimination and crushed to death the hated friedman. that's not a race neutral or race blind idea, in terms of the remedy. and even more than that, i don't think that the historical record establishes that the founders believed that race neutrality, or race blindness, was required. right? they drafted the civil rights act of 1866, which specifically stated that citizens would have the same civil rights as enjoyed by white citizens. that's the point of that act, to make sure that the other
>> just a couple of things. i talk about the education, i talked about the education, we are mobilizing and we certainly are trying to make sure that, number one, our rights are protected. so we really are focusing heavily on voter protection as well. we are partnering with the 1866-hour vote, election protection on. registration. on election day, i'm sorry. but we are also making sure that our members understand what is at stake in terms of voter suppression and taking away our rights. we actually interned to lawsuits with the naacp legal defense fund. one of the state of georgia, and one in the state of texas. to combat the voter suppression laws that have been passed in both those states. we certainly have educated our members on that. educated our members across the country with respect to all of
court east end of september, before that part in terms of autumn, when it comes autumn, the trees just turn, and it's stunning. it's stunning, very atmospheric place. >> as they make their way to the further villages of aberdeen where again, it's at that railway station, the d site, away from 1866 to 1966, and this village is set to be the gateway to both the highlands and the national park, besides it's well within the boundaries of present day aberdeen, it's the first village along the day to be located inside the parking bay as you can see once again. the people on the streets to say goodbye. how important is it to you think that people are being afforded this opportunity to see the cortege like this? >> they have the opportunity, which is important, but they have the space, space has been
>> greg: i speak of the minneapolis school district where white teachers will now be laid off first before teachers of color regardless of experience. of course, that sounds like a violation of the civil rights act of 1866 which passed despite opposition from a young joe biden. it's all part of a new contract between district and the teachers union whose purpose is to redress past discrimination which they say resulted in a lack of diversity. so to fix the past illegality we must break the law now. the goal is to get school staff to mirror the demographics of kids they teach. they better eat more. so now -- [laughter] >> greg: i don't know why i said that. i don't know why i said that. because all the kids are fat these days. that's why i said it. and i'm going to keep saying it. i don't care. they don't watch this show. kids are getting fat.