Transcripts For CSPAN Congressional Black Caucus Holds Town

Ancestors were first brought to shores of america in shackles, we now that while we a long way in this country, we still have a long way to go. We are living with the legacy of slavery and jim crow and racial continued to t permeate every aspect of american life. Seen that over the last a stark onths in such and striking fashion. Covid19 pandemic, a twin crisis, both a Public Health risis and an economic crisis, its impacted everyone, but disproportionately impacted in adverse fashion the community. Rican in terms of pain, in terms of suffering, in terms of economic in terms of nd death. Nd then, of course, were dealing with the continued epidemic at the same time of violence, police abuse all police impacting every lives. Of our black, george floyd. Sleeping while black, Breonna Taylor. Jogging while black, Armaud Arbery. The names are too numerous to mention, but those tragedies are of what we cosm confront in our communities on a daily basis. Want to have a discussion about where we go from here. Is ressional black caucus working hard to put forth the egislative package to respond andhe moment that we are in to finally bring some accountability and change to the which our communities and every other community is police america. N this is a phenomenon that has been with us year after year, century ter decade, after century. I was struck by the fact and i opening observations that i talked to my youngest son the other day who brought me the video of george floyd being on a minneapolis out and d wanted to go protest, which as a concerned had hesitations about but knew it was the right thing o allow him to do, this young teenage africanamerican boy. I had to remind him of certain things, make sure he has his he is harassed or mishandled in an inappropriate fashion use restraint, even if its disrespectful because it could escalate in a manner that he his life. Being n if he is questioned, they put a document in front of him, dont say anything, dont sign anything. Why should i have to have a conversation with being questioned, they put a document in front of a young teenage africanamerican boy and fathers and s and grandmothers nd are having that conversation. Its a difficult thing i have to say. The words i had to say to him, why . When he was growing up in 1980s and the 1990s, my father said the exact to me. Ing and my grandfather said the father me thing to my when he was a teenage boy in 1950s. In the so this time will be different people who he young have taken to the streets. We see you, we are make a were going to change. To yield to the gentle lady of the great state of texas, a leading member of the Judiciary Committee and Homeland Security and a champion for justice, Sheila Jacksonlee. Mr. Chairman, thank you. I will remove my mask because i o it when im in the midst of ur staff and to indicate, mr. Chairman, of where we are in calamities, these catastrophic incidences in our lives. Our mighty chair, congresswoman karen bass and my with me, my o are ister, my brother and very important guest that we have with us. Let me just thank to hold up a v. I. P. Badge that i wish i never to see in my life. That is the document used yesterday when we joined the in minneapolis and when i say that, the rothers and the sisters and extended family members in to be able to mourn as they go from their to North Carolina and to houston, because as chairman jeffries indicated, it follows insults that we have in our most recent series of months. Ut it also is compounded by the 00 dead from covid19, fact that the administration prepare both know and created a heavy burden on those access ady didnt have to healthcare, africanamericans. Rush to people Emergency Rooms from the nations Public Housing and from nner city neighborhoods or rural america, they were turned away. They were given an aspirin and die, black people who did not have the right care, edical care that the government, the federal government should have been in. Aged so when we talk about living there is a rica, compounding of things, not only did we have the circumstances were recounted and breonna Armaud Arbery and now, of heinous killing, floyd, slaughter of mr. Ut we cant even bird watch in central park because when we bird watch in central park, omeone is going to say, im going to call the police and tell them a black man is us. Acking in the United States congress, there is a Congress Black caucus is working every day to throw up and to stop between our in appropriations, our work on the judiciary ommittee and just introduced George Floyd Law enforcement trust and integrity act that is going to deeply its new form into deep changes in the psyche of let me just close, we are working very hard and commentary on h. R. 40 to understand that the very basis of this nation is backs of slaves as kinghat built cotton and we cant seem get rid of the covid19 and ism, racism. I close with these words, i hope h. R. 40 engage on this, reparations, which if there ever now, the catastrophic reconstructing of how are treated, ans educationally, economically and beyond. To these words from a white host on a radio show, are people supposed to be embarrassed because of how we are born, speaking to white privilege. Are we embarrassed if our parents got married before we stayed together with the family through good and bad times as well. Are we embarrassed because our overtime so we would have enough, are we supposed to be embarrassed that we dont our the streets because parents didnt let us. Is this something to be ashamed family, a g Nuclear Strong work ethic something to privilege, is working hard out of poverty to and pass it on to your children. With resupposed to be embarrassed, do we have a nation a nation, are these others ccupiers and occupied, are we talking about that in 2020 . If we do not stand solidly with and other and face goodwill good hearted americans that this to save america, i believe that we will as well our opportunity. So i thank you and im delighted to be part of this and im now even more so to yield to my sister congresswoman representative presley for opening remarks. Thank you. First before i begin, i just Breonna Taylor who was shot eight times and murdered, a front line essential worker whose birthday would have been today. 27 years have turned old. No more hashtags. Breonna taylor, Armaud Arbery, they should be based upon their contributions to community, to forworld discovering a cure cancer, we learned today from George Floyds second grade that he had written in a school essay and asked what did to be when he grew up, he said a Supreme Court justice. Just returning from minneapolis where i was humble family and floyd many members of the Congressional Black Caucus my dear sister, representative jackson lee who ust spoke, and, of course, my sister in service in her city previously for Congressional Black Caucus the black brilliance of the twin cities. Trip ieply wish that the took yesterday i did not have to take. So deeply wish this man was still alive. He should still be alive. A more just america, george floyd would be alive. All be alive. I spent time with organizers who have dedicated their lives to pursuit of Racial Justice nd as im looking up our organizers, i want to just have been a point i making recently clarifying for some that just the fact of the who is or everyone participating in this town hall, organizers, our activists epresent a long line of organizing and activism and peaceful ing and protesting demonstration all space for our righteous rage and demanding radical change. Organizers, our Community Builders are not destroyer. They coopt the narrative and to happen. Low it it always feels good to travel from massachusetts to i wish iis,al although did not have to do it on this reason. N and for this my time spent there in community visiting thriving black something eat blackowned restaurants reminds me that until we fully dismantle systems of oppression, all of our lives are at risk. So what do we call them for, the rotesting and the demonstrating, the blueprint of the Civil Rights Movement which end, istill in, no book to mobilize and legislate. Will be unrest in our streets for as long as there is lives. In our o we are calling for deep lasting structural legislated change. Death, destruction, denial of black people and our humanity new. T our lives have been devalued and delegitimized en for fag too long. Offer more historical moment, izing to this century s the near masser. Destroying the countrys wealthiest black community and obbing it of at least 300 lives. The massacre was one of the worst incidence of racist and one in our history of the government denied for decades. Always does, the abuses that we as black folks suffer. Document these abuses has changed, but the instinct to experiences remains. Was the governments response to represent ration to guaranteed hat greenwoods permanent demise. E are experiencing a crisis within a crisis that is decimating our communities and e must respond and act accordingly. As a black woman married to a raising a black child, i will very much would like to 11yearold y aughter generational wisdom, generational wealth, of rational joy instead generational debt, trauma and fear. Would love for her to live a fear, now, i understand the pain of people streets. O the n texas, in minnesota, in massachusetts, folks want to be seen. Hey want to be heard because for too long black and brown bodies have been profiled, lynched, policeed, choked, brutalized and murdered at the hands of Police Officers disregard, with mpugnity and without any retribution or consequences. We cannot allow these fatal unchecked any o longer. Congress needs to send a clear now, there can be truly no justice for george Breonna Taylor or any other human beings who have been for inby Law Enforcement a just world, they would still be here. They would still be alive. There, however, must be and that means enacting uniform standards and restrictions on the use of oversight and transparency and the elimination f special protections like qualified immunity that allow he police to use a badge as a shield from accountability in abuse. Of brutality and we cannot give into false safety and ing our freedoms against one another, unlawful traffic stop, search, or assault, every single abuse must be aaccounted for. So in the same way that legislated andve codified our hurt and harm for now codify we must our healing and our justice and our law making. Now look to enact systemic reforms that match the of these scope systemic injustices that we have faced for centuries. I s will not be easy, but know that with your partnership, justice for all. The chant from our 10,000 strong black lives matter boston that was organized by one of our freedom monica, she runs an in nization called violence boston and said all my life i and we gonna be all right. I yield to my omar. Representative congresswoman presley, thank you all for this for us to tunity wonderful our chairwoman for calling on us to come together to have this conversation, this really to rtant conversation and Sheila Jackson lee and all of of the Congressional Black Caucus who joined us our community emorialized the life and the hurt, thatns and the the death of george floyd has minneapolis nly to but to our nation. Minneapolis, om and it is just beginning the process of healing. And yesterday, we held a town hall conversation with our Community Organizers. Clearfolks, young, queer, as we joined in a conversation where we had our mayors, our governors, the truth senators that represent minnesota federally, the state representative, city council members. And where we all sat and listened to the voices of the community, to tell us what Police Brutality the devastation Police Brutality has caused in our community. What social and economic neglect has done to the black lives in minneapolis and in minnesota. And what we should be doing as leaders who are interested to an act laws that ultimately uplift all of us. It has been 11 days since we lost george floyd due to another senseless act of racism by the hands of our Police Officers. The latest example of Police Brutality and Excessive Force has caused deep but not unfamiliar pain. From slavery, to lynching, to jim crow, black people in this country have been subjected to dehumanization since before this countrys founding. Id as a black immigrant, center myself in those voices and in that history, as i move in this space of actively fighting for justice, for all of us. Right now, we are facing two pandemics, the coronavirus and injustice. Both pandemics are disproportionately killing bella killing black americans. We know that being black in america makes you live by a different set of rules. Times, weve seen black men and black women be brutalized and killed by Law Enforcement with no consequences. You are almost 30 years route from the rodney king incident and yet black people are still facing these injustices. Thate tired and frustrated we keep finding ourselves in these positions. Let this be the first step to healing. We all have a responsibility to systematic, and tangible criminal justice reforms on a National Level. But that work also needs to get down on a municipal and state level. My colleagues on the Congressional Black Caucus are taking the lead as we push for bold action that will create Police Accountability, and that will rid us of the social and economic neglect that many of our communities have faced. Dismantle the systematic racism that exists within our criminal Justice System israel. Is real. So, today, we not only demonstrate and organize, but we also have a mandate to legislate. That in thisad moment of hurt, in this moment joining that there is a of many voices across our country, that finally are recognizing that if we not only make the kind of real lasting changes we need to make, then we returned to the same place. But we also have to be vigilant in the policies that we implement. Because we know that a few years back, when the movement for black lives began, across state houses, there were policies that were popping up to criminalize our right to protest. So as we fight for justice, we have to make sure that we are also systematically fighting policies that will be proposed to set us back. With that, i would like to recognize and introduce a young man who has been on the front lines in our Community Organizing for justice. Tony williams is a black Community Organizer from minneapolis, minnesota. Over the past five years, he has been working with local groups, mpb 150 and reclaim the block, in the twin cities. Hes a graduate of santa clara university, and he is also a broadcasterician, and insulation artist. Tony and i have spent many nights in an encampment that was set as a fourth precinct over north minneapolis, when the death of jamar clark in the hands of Police Officers, who need,alled to respond a and in return, took the life of a community member. Hearingk forward to what he will share with us about the life of lives of black lives in minnesota, minneapolis. Tony . Tony thank you so much, representative omar. Todayeaking to you all from minneapolis where we are subsuming subsumed with grief and righteous rage. And understanding that this moment needs to be the moment that we turn away from the systems of domination that have constrained us as black americans for so long. I want to tell you a story to start off. Day, andwarm july there were a group of black students gathering on the north side of our city. They were attacked by a group of Police Officers and brutally beaten. Later that same night, a black youth was in the district of our was attacked and beaten by Police Officer, who tried to pull his gun on the youth and shoot him. The youth was able to wrestle the officers gun away, and rather than choosing to kill the officer, he threw the gun on the ground and ran away. The words from the Minneapolis Police department was that the youth had started the incident. And that was the story in the press the next day, that a group of multiracial minneapolis citizens had seen the truth, had seen that the officer who was the one who instigated the instinct instigated the situation. The naacp gathered that night, the next night, and advocated for true Police Reform in minneapolis. They said we need more diversity in our Police Officers, we need more black women at the front of our Police Officers office, and deescalation practices. The changes never came about. The story im telling you took in 1922. End of atting at the long arc of history of a long and deep failure to secure Police Reform. Minneapolis, we just passed the 150th anniversary of the Minneapolis Police departments establishment, a group of Community Members put together this report, enough is enough on 150 three Performance Review of the Public Health<\/a> risis and an economic crisis, its impacted everyone, but disproportionately impacted in adverse fashion the community. Rican in terms of pain, in terms of suffering, in terms of economic in terms of nd death. Nd then, of course, were dealing with the continued epidemic at the same time of violence, police abuse all police impacting every lives. Of our black, george floyd. Sleeping while black, Breonna Taylor<\/a>. Jogging while black, Armaud Arbery<\/a>. The names are too numerous to mention, but those tragedies are of what we cosm confront in our communities on a daily basis. Want to have a discussion about where we go from here. Is ressional black caucus working hard to put forth the egislative package to respond andhe moment that we are in to finally bring some accountability and change to the which our communities and every other community is police america. N this is a phenomenon that has been with us year after year, century ter decade, after century. I was struck by the fact and i opening observations that i talked to my youngest son the other day who brought me the video of george floyd being on a minneapolis out and d wanted to go protest, which as a concerned had hesitations about but knew it was the right thing o allow him to do, this young teenage africanamerican boy. I had to remind him of certain things, make sure he has his he is harassed or mishandled in an inappropriate fashion use restraint, even if its disrespectful because it could escalate in a manner that he his life. Being n if he is questioned, they put a document in front of him, dont say anything, dont sign anything. Why should i have to have a conversation with being questioned, they put a document in front of a young teenage africanamerican boy and fathers and s and grandmothers nd are having that conversation. Its a difficult thing i have to say. The words i had to say to him, why . When he was growing up in 1980s and the 1990s, my father said the exact to me. Ing and my grandfather said the father me thing to my when he was a teenage boy in 1950s. In the so this time will be different people who he young have taken to the streets. We see you, we are make a were going to change. To yield to the gentle lady of the great state of texas, a leading member of the Judiciary Committee<\/a> and Homeland Security<\/a> and a champion for justice, Sheila Jackson<\/a>lee. Mr. Chairman, thank you. I will remove my mask because i o it when im in the midst of ur staff and to indicate, mr. Chairman, of where we are in calamities, these catastrophic incidences in our lives. Our mighty chair, congresswoman karen bass and my with me, my o are ister, my brother and very important guest that we have with us. Let me just thank to hold up a v. I. P. Badge that i wish i never to see in my life. That is the document used yesterday when we joined the in minneapolis and when i say that, the rothers and the sisters and extended family members in to be able to mourn as they go from their to North Carolina<\/a> and to houston, because as chairman jeffries indicated, it follows insults that we have in our most recent series of months. Ut it also is compounded by the 00 dead from covid19, fact that the administration prepare both know and created a heavy burden on those access ady didnt have to healthcare, africanamericans. Rush to people Emergency Rooms<\/a> from the nations Public Housing<\/a> and from nner city neighborhoods or rural america, they were turned away. They were given an aspirin and die, black people who did not have the right care, edical care that the government, the federal government should have been in. Aged so when we talk about living there is a rica, compounding of things, not only did we have the circumstances were recounted and breonna Armaud Arbery<\/a> and now, of heinous killing, floyd, slaughter of mr. Ut we cant even bird watch in central park because when we bird watch in central park, omeone is going to say, im going to call the police and tell them a black man is us. Acking in the United States<\/a> congress, there is a Congress Black<\/a> caucus is working every day to throw up and to stop between our in appropriations, our work on the judiciary ommittee and just introduced George Floyd Law<\/a> enforcement trust and integrity act that is going to deeply its new form into deep changes in the psyche of let me just close, we are working very hard and commentary on h. R. 40 to understand that the very basis of this nation is backs of slaves as kinghat built cotton and we cant seem get rid of the covid19 and ism, racism. I close with these words, i hope h. R. 40 engage on this, reparations, which if there ever now, the catastrophic reconstructing of how are treated, ans educationally, economically and beyond. To these words from a white host on a radio show, are people supposed to be embarrassed because of how we are born, speaking to white privilege. Are we embarrassed if our parents got married before we stayed together with the family through good and bad times as well. Are we embarrassed because our overtime so we would have enough, are we supposed to be embarrassed that we dont our the streets because parents didnt let us. Is this something to be ashamed family, a g Nuclear Strong<\/a> work ethic something to privilege, is working hard out of poverty to and pass it on to your children. With resupposed to be embarrassed, do we have a nation a nation, are these others ccupiers and occupied, are we talking about that in 2020 . If we do not stand solidly with and other and face goodwill good hearted americans that this to save america, i believe that we will as well our opportunity. So i thank you and im delighted to be part of this and im now even more so to yield to my sister congresswoman representative presley for opening remarks. Thank you. First before i begin, i just Breonna Taylor<\/a> who was shot eight times and murdered, a front line essential worker whose birthday would have been today. 27 years have turned old. No more hashtags. Breonna taylor, Armaud Arbery<\/a>, they should be based upon their contributions to community, to forworld discovering a cure cancer, we learned today from George Floyds<\/a> second grade that he had written in a school essay and asked what did to be when he grew up, he said a Supreme Court<\/a> justice. Just returning from minneapolis where i was humble family and floyd many members of the Congressional Black Caucus<\/a> my dear sister, representative jackson lee who ust spoke, and, of course, my sister in service in her city previously for Congressional Black Caucus<\/a> the black brilliance of the twin cities. Trip ieply wish that the took yesterday i did not have to take. So deeply wish this man was still alive. He should still be alive. A more just america, george floyd would be alive. All be alive. I spent time with organizers who have dedicated their lives to pursuit of Racial Justice<\/a> nd as im looking up our organizers, i want to just have been a point i making recently clarifying for some that just the fact of the who is or everyone participating in this town hall, organizers, our activists epresent a long line of organizing and activism and peaceful ing and protesting demonstration all space for our righteous rage and demanding radical change. Organizers, our Community Builders<\/a> are not destroyer. They coopt the narrative and to happen. Low it it always feels good to travel from massachusetts to i wish iis,al although did not have to do it on this reason. N and for this my time spent there in community visiting thriving black something eat blackowned restaurants reminds me that until we fully dismantle systems of oppression, all of our lives are at risk. So what do we call them for, the rotesting and the demonstrating, the blueprint of the Civil Rights Movement<\/a> which end, istill in, no book to mobilize and legislate. Will be unrest in our streets for as long as there is lives. In our o we are calling for deep lasting structural legislated change. Death, destruction, denial of black people and our humanity new. T our lives have been devalued and delegitimized en for fag too long. Offer more historical moment, izing to this century s the near masser. Destroying the countrys wealthiest black community and obbing it of at least 300 lives. The massacre was one of the worst incidence of racist and one in our history of the government denied for decades. Always does, the abuses that we as black folks suffer. Document these abuses has changed, but the instinct to experiences remains. Was the governments response to represent ration to guaranteed hat greenwoods permanent demise. E are experiencing a crisis within a crisis that is decimating our communities and e must respond and act accordingly. As a black woman married to a raising a black child, i will very much would like to 11yearold y aughter generational wisdom, generational wealth, of rational joy instead generational debt, trauma and fear. Would love for her to live a fear, now, i understand the pain of people streets. O the n texas, in minnesota, in massachusetts, folks want to be seen. Hey want to be heard because for too long black and brown bodies have been profiled, lynched, policeed, choked, brutalized and murdered at the hands of Police Officers<\/a> disregard, with mpugnity and without any retribution or consequences. We cannot allow these fatal unchecked any o longer. Congress needs to send a clear now, there can be truly no justice for george Breonna Taylor<\/a> or any other human beings who have been for inby Law Enforcement<\/a> a just world, they would still be here. They would still be alive. There, however, must be and that means enacting uniform standards and restrictions on the use of oversight and transparency and the elimination f special protections like qualified immunity that allow he police to use a badge as a shield from accountability in abuse. Of brutality and we cannot give into false safety and ing our freedoms against one another, unlawful traffic stop, search, or assault, every single abuse must be aaccounted for. So in the same way that legislated andve codified our hurt and harm for now codify we must our healing and our justice and our law making. Now look to enact systemic reforms that match the of these scope systemic injustices that we have faced for centuries. I s will not be easy, but know that with your partnership, justice for all. The chant from our 10,000 strong black lives matter boston that was organized by one of our freedom monica, she runs an in nization called violence boston and said all my life i and we gonna be all right. I yield to my omar. Representative congresswoman presley, thank you all for this for us to tunity wonderful our chairwoman for calling on us to come together to have this conversation, this really to rtant conversation and Sheila Jackson<\/a> lee and all of of the Congressional Black Caucus<\/a> who joined us our community emorialized the life and the hurt, thatns and the the death of george floyd has minneapolis nly to but to our nation. Minneapolis, om and it is just beginning the process of healing. And yesterday, we held a town hall conversation with our Community Organizer<\/a>s. Clearfolks, young, queer, as we joined in a conversation where we had our mayors, our governors, the truth senators that represent minnesota federally, the state representative, city council members. And where we all sat and listened to the voices of the community, to tell us what Police Brutality<\/a> the devastation Police Brutality<\/a> has caused in our community. What social and economic neglect has done to the black lives in minneapolis and in minnesota. And what we should be doing as leaders who are interested to an act laws that ultimately uplift all of us. It has been 11 days since we lost george floyd due to another senseless act of racism by the hands of our Police Officers<\/a>. The latest example of Police Brutality<\/a> and Excessive Force<\/a> has caused deep but not unfamiliar pain. From slavery, to lynching, to jim crow, black people in this country have been subjected to dehumanization since before this countrys founding. Id as a black immigrant, center myself in those voices and in that history, as i move in this space of actively fighting for justice, for all of us. Right now, we are facing two pandemics, the coronavirus and injustice. Both pandemics are disproportionately killing bella killing black americans. We know that being black in america makes you live by a different set of rules. Times, weve seen black men and black women be brutalized and killed by Law Enforcement<\/a> with no consequences. You are almost 30 years route from the rodney king incident and yet black people are still facing these injustices. Thate tired and frustrated we keep finding ourselves in these positions. Let this be the first step to healing. We all have a responsibility to systematic, and tangible criminal justice reforms on a National Level<\/a>. But that work also needs to get down on a municipal and state level. My colleagues on the Congressional Black Caucus<\/a> are taking the lead as we push for bold action that will create Police Accountability<\/a>, and that will rid us of the social and economic neglect that many of our communities have faced. Dismantle the systematic racism that exists within our criminal Justice System<\/a> israel. Is real. So, today, we not only demonstrate and organize, but we also have a mandate to legislate. That in thisad moment of hurt, in this moment joining that there is a of many voices across our country, that finally are recognizing that if we not only make the kind of real lasting changes we need to make, then we returned to the same place. But we also have to be vigilant in the policies that we implement. Because we know that a few years back, when the movement for black lives began, across state houses, there were policies that were popping up to criminalize our right to protest. So as we fight for justice, we have to make sure that we are also systematically fighting policies that will be proposed to set us back. With that, i would like to recognize and introduce a young man who has been on the front lines in our Community Organizing<\/a> for justice. Tony williams is a black Community Organizer<\/a> from minneapolis, minnesota. Over the past five years, he has been working with local groups, mpb 150 and reclaim the block, in the twin cities. Hes a graduate of santa clara university, and he is also a broadcasterician, and insulation artist. Tony and i have spent many nights in an encampment that was set as a fourth precinct over north minneapolis, when the death of jamar clark in the hands of Police Officers<\/a>, who need,alled to respond a and in return, took the life of a community member. Hearingk forward to what he will share with us about the life of lives of black lives in minnesota, minneapolis. Tony . Tony thank you so much, representative omar. Todayeaking to you all from minneapolis where we are subsuming subsumed with grief and righteous rage. And understanding that this moment needs to be the moment that we turn away from the systems of domination that have constrained us as black americans for so long. I want to tell you a story to start off. Day, andwarm july there were a group of black students gathering on the north side of our city. They were attacked by a group of Police Officers<\/a> and brutally beaten. Later that same night, a black youth was in the district of our was attacked and beaten by Police Officer<\/a>, who tried to pull his gun on the youth and shoot him. The youth was able to wrestle the officers gun away, and rather than choosing to kill the officer, he threw the gun on the ground and ran away. The words from the Minneapolis Police<\/a> department was that the youth had started the incident. And that was the story in the press the next day, that a group of multiracial minneapolis citizens had seen the truth, had seen that the officer who was the one who instigated the instinct instigated the situation. The naacp gathered that night, the next night, and advocated for true Police Reform<\/a> in minneapolis. They said we need more diversity in our Police Officers<\/a>, we need more black women at the front of our Police Officers<\/a> office, and deescalation practices. The changes never came about. The story im telling you took in 1922. End of atting at the long arc of history of a long and deep failure to secure Police Reform<\/a>. Minneapolis, we just passed the 150th anniversary of the Minneapolis Police<\/a> departments establishment, a group of Community Members<\/a> put together this report, enough is enough on 150 three Performance Review<\/a> of the Police Department<\/a>. In order to take a look at the history of our department, the presence of our department, and where we are going. 50. Com. Find it on npd1 i highly recommend everyone check it out. When you look at the history of the Police Department<\/a>, especially in minneapolis, there is a very clear pattern that begins to emerge. In that pattern is one of protest, one of brutality, one of protest, one of reform, and one of stagnation and backsliding. In almost every incident of Police Brutality<\/a> in minnesotas history, of which there are hundreds, it starts out where a system of racism and domination allows a Police Officer<\/a> to take the life of a person, and usually a black or native person. The Community Rises<\/a> up in righteous outrage and response, sometimes peacefully, sometimes not. Local, state,als, and National Proposed<\/a> reform and demand for justice to be taken. These reforms can look like diversity initiatives, deescalation initiatives, Mental Health<\/a> training, body camera, you name it. Universally, we see that it becomes completely ineffective or are undone by the very Police Department<\/a>s who were supposed to be constrained by them. The cycle repeats, the pace of change slackens, and everything goes back to business as usual, until the next atrocity occurs. Myself, i myself have been involved in a movement for black lives in minneapolis for the last five years. Just in that time, ive seen five highprofile Police Murders<\/a> innercity. The murder of jamar clark by the Minneapolis Police<\/a> department. The murder of another in neighboring falcon heights. The murder of travis jordan, and thurman blendon, and Justine Damond<\/a> in minneapolis. Im here to say that we are tired. We have tried reform. We have tried having conversations with officers. President obamas department of justice instituted a 21st Century Policing<\/a> program in minneapolis and propped it up as a model of Effective Community<\/a> policing the whole country could follow. It didnt work. Our firstice chiefs, clear chief woman of color and our first black chief of all time over the last five years, in and say they were capable of reforming the system. They have failed. And thats why i think for the first time in our citys history, we are seeing Community Members<\/a> on the ground say no more reform, no more deescalation, no more Critical Incident<\/a> training, no more body cameras, no more use of force policies. Its time for us to abolish the police. Our communities have gone systemically this invested in 401e our arrival in america years ago. And we know that the reasons are dontity is because we have the resources we need to thrive. There is no reason we should basis should be responding to Mental Health<\/a> crises in our Community Driven<\/a> by under resourcing and generations of trauma by responding with paramilitary white militarized enforcers from outside of our communities. We understand here in minneapolis, and protesters have been calling for the last week, that we need a Better Safety<\/a> model here. And our elected officials are finally starting to listen. And timesked time again, we have advocated peacefully, we have gone to the ballot box, we have gone to city council meetings. Weve gone to town halls. And weve said that the time is coming for us to find a new way of creating safety for our communities and our city. And now, we are saying the time has come. It is time for us to reexamine what Public Safety<\/a> looks like in america, and create a future that is truly safe for all americans, including black americans. Black lives matter. Thank you so much. Thank you so much for sharing with us, your experiences, your perspective, and your passion. It is now my honor and privilege to introduce someone who is no stranger to all of us, she is an awardwinning journalist, she has been a White House Correspondent<\/a> since the clinton administration, and she frequently speaks truth to power, questions power, and reports on it in an authentic and distinguished and intellectually robust fashion. Baltimore. Tive of well,presents that city represents us as africanamericans incredibly well. And now she will speak on the importance of black journalism during this moment of pandemic, this moment of pain, this moment of physical distancing, and this moment of Police Violence<\/a> and injustice. I yield now to april ryan. April thank you. It is an honor to be with you all here today. In this moment. In this historic moment in this discussion is so very important. One of the main reasons i believe that this is an important moment for those on the call and those watching, is we need the conversation to happen. And we need action. We have been talking for over 401 years. And our voices have not been heard. Now we are bringing in the mix of the media. And as a black woman from baltimore, who happens to be a journalist, i can no longer sit on the sidelines and just write the story. We are now part of the story. And we must be heard and we must speak up. At this moment in time, it is hard to watch my colleagues being taken into custody, on national television, threatened unbeaten, on the streets of not only minneapolis, minnesota, but across the nation. It is hard to watch black reporters being talked down to like dogs at the white house. During covid as well as this moment, that we are facing. We face this we faced this moment before. In the last 10 to 15 years, the accountability of these videos starting with erica garner, freddie gray, walter scott, Trayvon Martin<\/a> and more. We heard Trayvon Martin<\/a>. Going to ferguson, we had the tanks in the teargas. And we are back at this moment. This moment, we are seeing reporters teargas. We are seeing reporters beaten. We are the first line of reporting, whether we are lacked, brown, jew, gentile. We are the first line of reporting to make sure the story is told for accountability. And now that is taken away from us. It reminds me of something said by president Donald John Trump<\/a> at the beginning of this administration, when he had Police Officers<\/a> flanked behind him, talking about, dont be so nice. He was talking about dont be so nice when you are bringing into custody immigrants, and those from the gang ms 13. That dont be so nice reverberates now in the streets of minneapolis, in the streets of chicago, in the streets of new york. It reverberates everywhere. As weve talked to so many people across the nation, our sources, many people are saying in the civil rights community, from the naacp, to the urban league, to reverend al sharpton, it starts from the top. The embers have been stoked against the press. This president has considered us the enemy of the people. We are the first line of accountability. We were there when he held his bible backwards at st. Johns. Church. Ohns episcopal and moved a peaceful crowd, teargas to them so he could stand to take a picture. We were there to not only account what he did, but to see what the National Guard<\/a> was protesters, peaceful protesters, as well as reporters. I dont want to dwell on this so much because i want to go back to history, everyone is going to. Inant to go back to document the 1960s, 1968, because of violence in the streets after dr. Kings death. Because people were trying to understand why was this happening, how can we fix this issue . Aboutue, i want to talk the coming the Current Commission<\/a>. The Current Commission<\/a> report, that panel came up with this report that seems to not make any difference at this moment. People have forgotten one piece of the report. Chapter 15. The news media and the disorders. And if you bear with me for one moment. , in hiser starts off charge to the commission, the president asked what effect to the mat does the mass media riots . The the commission determined the answer to the president s question did not lie solely in the performance of the press and broadcasters reporting the riots. Our analysis had to consider also the overall treatment by the media of the negro ghettos, Racial Attitudes<\/a> and poverty day by day, and month by month, year in and year out. Im going to go further down. Basically, the recommendation at that time, bear with me, if i can scroll down a little bit more, from this report. Of the reportn talked about improving the coordinated and with police and reporting riot news through advanced planning and cooperate with the police in the designation of Police Officers<\/a>,n establishment of f of Information Centers<\/a> and the development of mutually acceptable guidelines for riot reporting, and the conduct of media personnel. It also talked about accelerating efforts to ensure accurate and responsible and racial news through adaptation by all newsgathering organizations of stringent internal staff guidelines. There are guidelines that were put forth over 50 years ago. There were guidelines put forth over 50 years ago. Why arent they being followed now . It is a roughandtumble game, and this is not a game. We see minority media there to report what is happening in our community. And thats one thing also that the Current Commission<\/a> report talks about, that we are needed in these spaces. These unique purchases, high purchase, to be able to report on what is happening in our community. And now we are being thwarted. We are being beaten. We are not allowed to do our job. And the framework, the blueprint is there. And it is not being followed. With that said, it hurts my heart to watch my fellow, journalists my colleagues, who are members of the state, my colleagues who are white Founding Fathers<\/a> put into the constitution, and the first amendment, not knowing we would be here, not knowing there would be a riot or all of the other reporters that have been brutalized during this critical moment in history. That we are part of the fourth amendment, and we thank you so much for allowing me to have a voice for the voiceless, who are out on the front lines right now trying to cover the story for us, to hold accountable this president , and all that need to deal with Police Brutality<\/a> and beyond in this nation. Thank you for my time. Thank you so much so very much, april, for really focusing on the burdens and the challenges that you have faced and others in a very important, valuable voice for the africanamerican and black community. The descendents of slaves who have carried this burden for so very long. For a thank tony as well very powerful i guess saying the word powerful sometimes falls flat when peoples lives have been lost, to be able say that someones words are powerful. That all we want is to be free with peace and dignity in this theon, and treated with dignity that is deserve and of someone who has literally built this country. Dr. Alexander, i know that you are well aware of this journey. We have taken it together. We have worked together. You have appeared before the Judiciary Committee<\/a> on these very crucial issues. I dont know why we are in the deja vu, were still going around circle, but im very grateful that you have continued to be engaged in the issues of policing and Police Reform<\/a>, systemic changes needed. Catastrophic change is needed. As i introduce you, let me reinforce the fact that they are young men and women like tony, who have said to this nation, nothing less than what dr. King said, why they cant wait. Dr. Alexander, we are glad to have you, serving as the transportation security administration. You have served as a Deputy Commissioner<\/a> of the new york state division, criminal Justice Service<\/a> chief of police in the rochester Police Department<\/a> and held several leadership roles at the University Psychiatry<\/a> in new york. Dr. Alexander began his career in 1977, and was a Law Enforcement<\/a> officer in florida for 15 years. Beat. Een a man on the and he is the former National President<\/a> of the National Organization<\/a> of black Law Enforcement<\/a> executives. And i have met him through those activities. And as well, he is now a Law Enforcement<\/a> analyst for cnn. Dr. Alexander, i want to welcome you. It is good to see a friend. And we thank you very much for participating with us here today. Thank you again. Welcome. This is a tough time. Dr. Alexander it is a very difficult time. Thank you for having me, to the entire Congressional Black Caucus<\/a>. It is great to see you as well, too, congresswoman jackson lee. Historically, when we think about policing in this country, we really have to go back to the beginning of policing. It has always been a challenge, right from the beginning, at the inception of police in this country. Communities of color, Police Department<\/a>s across this country, have had its challenges over the years. This is not a new phenomenon that we are in. This is a continuation of history in which we are still yet to come out of. Let me say this. History andbout the relationships between police and communities across this country. But for all of those who are out there listening and watching, you have your own stories to tell. You have your own history to tell. But it is where we are right now, in this present moment, and where we are going, over the last 40 years, ive held a number of positions, then to a number of cities in this country. Led a lot of people through hard times, rough times, Police Involved<\/a> shootings, you name it, ive been in the ive been there and in charge of it. As time goes on, it it appears, even over 40 years of my career, but nothing seems to get better. If we go to more recent history, more recent history, that led up to the culmination of the most recent death and murder of mr. Floyd, we just go back to just a few weeks ago. Just a few weeks ago when in modern history, today, south georgia, we saw a young black man jogging through a neighborhood which he has the right to do as a citizen in this country, who was chased down by two men in a pickup truck, into turned out to be three that were involved, shot and killed in front of us, on a video. And that murder would have been coming up by the incestuous relationships that people were having with their das office there in nye county. That is not new either. We have seen that many times before. And if that was not enough, Breonna Taylor<\/a>, a search warrant, no knock warrant, that should never have been issued, she loses her life in the middle of the night. And then, theres the case in central park. A black man birdwatching, harvard graduate, and a woman who decides that she did not want to take any direction from him in regards to tying up her dog. We have seen that before. Andhe gets on her phone, she dials 911 in saiz, theres an africanamerican man that is attacking me. We all watch that very vividly, in color. And that is reminiscent of our too, because we can take that back to emmett till in the thousands of others of black men in this country over a period of time who have lost their lives because someone said,or a white woman that they were being eyeballed or sexually assaulted, and all it took was an allegation. From nypdas someone would show up and arrest him. But what really would have isn funny, as opposed to if africanamerican Police Officers<\/a> would have showed up. What would have been her response then . In her mind, she weaponized who she was. She weaponized her whiteness, she weaponized her being female, and she attempted to do harm to him. So much a part of our history weve seen so many times before. If that wasnt enough, on may 25, we watched a man murdered right in front of us who had surrendered to authorities, who laid on his stomach handcuffed, and his neck was crushed, and he died right in front of us. So we dont have to go back 100 years in history. We can stay in prison history and see the need for Police Reform<\/a> in this country is long overdue. Tenure, and i know the tenure of many chiefs across this country, black, white, blue, green, and women, we have made all the efforts we could and we continue to make those efforts, to make a change in this country. And there must be Police Reform<\/a>. It must come from a federal level. And must come from a state and local level as well. But it is going to take communities across this country to stand up. Because what i think is very different about where we are in this particular movement, because this is not just a protest. This is a global movement. A stand for righteousness. Because those four men who murdered and killed this to floyd, they had no soul, they had no respect for humanity, they had no compassion. Me, i wonderand to how they ever made it on the Police Department<\/a>. It also suggested of a larger systemic problem that they have within the Minneapolis Police<\/a> department. Because if they can be that wretched and not bold, that unkind and that mean and evil and hateful, than what do they do in the heart of darkness when there are no cameras . What do they do then . What insight what system inside the Police Department<\/a> that holds and what is inside the Minneapolis Police<\/a> department that holds those personalities in place . That minneapolis is not the only Police Department<\/a>. Police chiefs and sheriffs across this country should take a moment. Look inside your own organization. Find your own blind spots. Have thent compassion, if you dont have an understanding of our sincere if youon for humanity, dont love people, if you are full of hate, i cannot train that into you. Either you come with compassion when you come into Public Service<\/a> or you dont. That is not training. I cannot teach that. What we have to do is go back through the history of policing in this country and look at where we need to do better, not just at where we are improving, but how we are improving. I need to know if they have a sense of compassion and love for people, if they are in a mindset of being guardians and not warriors. Because the Community Wants<\/a> guardians doesnt want guardians. They want people who have a relationship of being in service to them. We know there are dangerous people out there and they have need confronted, but we the Community Working<\/a> together. Historically, we have made some gains, but recently, we have been set back 100 years, all of us. ,o when we try to move forward i would encourage you to do one. Hing the 21st force report, president , after theat time death in ferguson, he employed 11 persons from this country, and i was privileged to be one , but after ferguson, we were tasked that in 60 days, we had to produce a document tot would become a roadmap guiding this country into developing relationships between the police and the community. Because we had none. There was no documentation. There was no roadmap. There was no gps system. , after the death of Michael Brown<\/a>, we had to come up with something, and we were given 90 days to do it. Country andss this we talked to thousands of people and we delivered that document at the white house to president obama, which he incorporated, adopted, and it had been utilized across this country. Body cameras as you see today that most Police Department<\/a>s across the country employ became popular as a result of that document, along with many other recommendations. Administration came into play. When that administration came into play, they took that document and threw it in a garbage can. Later, with no gps, as todance, no roadmap how to heal those relationships, what we need to do is take that document back off the shelf, dusted off, and put it back into play, because it was useful. It did prove to be of benefit, and there are hundreds of Police Across<\/a> this country that would tell you that. They still to this day attempt to move forward would say that. We have a lot of work ahead of us. I am in this fight. I am bringing 40 years of experience, and i am a black man every day i wake up. Employed in that profession, those i know who are out there at this moment giving their 100 best of everything they can do, they have to come in behind what we just saw. Because i can tell you, a thousand men and women out there who are employed as Police Officers<\/a>, their husbands, wives, relatives, friends, neighbors, they believe in what is constitutionally right. We are going to support them and help them by reforming the cultures in which they have to work in and sometimes in which they may not be able to have as much influence as they would like. Look you very much and i forward to questions you may have. Thank you for your thoughtful articulation of some of the things that need to be considered as we move forward. It is now my honor and privilege to introduce our final panelist, and then we will have an opportunity to proceed to a eriod, andnd answer p i thank everyone who has joined onfor this town hall meeting the state of black america since the covid19 pandemic struck, under the great leadership of our chair, karen bass. That the Movement Across<\/a> the country, across the world, the Civil Rights Movement<\/a> in the United States<\/a>, the antiapartment movement that liberated south africa, it was young people at the forefront, just as we now see young people in communities across america at the forefront, raising their voices in such a profound, meaningful way, demanding racial, social, economic justice. It is my honor to introduce Tiffany Lawson<\/a>, the youth director of the naacp. In that capacity, she works closely with over 700 different youth councils, high school naacp affiliated groups as well as college affiliated groups, young people interested in making america a better place as tiffany is doing. It is now my honor to yield to Tiffany Lawson<\/a> for her thoughts. Congress member jeffries. I want to first thank everyone of the speakers who spoke before me, but especially the Congressional Black Caucus<\/a> members who every day are on the fighting for the protection, liberation, and safety for our people. I know there is often a binary between elected officials and Community Members<\/a>, but i know you all personally enough to know that this work is difficult, but it is better when we work together, so i appreciate not only the opportunity to address everyone here, but i also want to acknowledge the hard dedication of our elected officials, especially our black elected officials, who care deeply about us and are facing the challenges of dealing with an administration that doesnt care about us. Your work and bravery is inspirational. Being on a call like this friday evening when its a beautiful , if you are in my community, it might cause you to fall into a depression, applause, and upset. And i want to first, before i begin my remarks, say to you i see you, i hear you, and you are not alone. Globalin the middle of a pandemic. We are dealing with racism and White Supremacy<\/a> on steroids. I have been watching videos on. Nn and instagram all day long living in the violence on steroids is not easy. So please make sure you are taking care of yourselves. Make sure you are reaching out and asking for help in this moment. We continue the important work of freedom fighting, and it is a marathon, not a race. Take care of yourselves. Simple. S i want to give you three quick things we need to do. They are not the things that orl solve White Supremacy<\/a>, they would have done that already, but they are three important things. There has been some Incredible Movement<\/a> building over the last couple of days, and i think the reminder right now for these essentialon items are to making sure we dont make mistakes in trends we see when we have lost Community Members<\/a> to Police Violence<\/a> or other violence. I was three years old when rodney king was murdered in 1991. , and we have31 uplifted a lot of things on todays panel discussion, but i also want to uplift tony in floyd, who, janel was killed in a Brooklyn Jail<\/a> yesterday, if you have seen the video of the sevenyearold first grader, miss winter, thats why she was at the protest. I did not get into activism until i got into college, and we , who arees, children forced to live in this moment of trauma and create an analysis early when they should be watching cartoons and celebrating summer break. Nephews, eight and nine, and they are having tough discussions with their peers about Police Violence<\/a> and black lives matter. Thats not fair for any of us, and it has a longterm, traumatic impact on our community. To acknowledge what we watching we saw the entire country and flames in 2014 after the murder of Michael Brown<\/a>. The first take away is for everybody to make sure that after you build community, after you go outside for a protest i went to a protest on friday. After you return home, make sure you wash your clothes and take a shower. Make sure you find a political home you belong to. A political home is a space where you are able to strengthen your organizing skills and leadership, a place where you are able to work with likeminded people on an agenda to support your community. The naacp,t join joined black lives matter, joined truth defenders, joined movement for black lives, join the new york gathering for the Community Coalition<\/a> created by karen bass. There are hundreds of organizations you can choose from. I need you to choose a political home in this moment because you cannot do this work alone. We cannot destroy political systems that oppress our people by ourselves. We can continue the pressure and sustain the work is by being part of a political organization. I hope you will do that and that will give you the space to work with other people toward this strategy. That is the first take away. If you are not part of an organization, you have work to do. Take action. I do not mean donate, attend a memorial service, tweet or change your avatar to a blackout square for a day. The naacp worked with the student body president at the university of minneapolis, the first black student body president at the university of minneapolis. She wrote a letter to her chancellor and her regent asking them to break their relationship with the police to keep students on campus safe. Students are paying for Police Officers<\/a> to come onto campus, and when that happens, whether it is a Sexual Assault<\/a> case, a hate crime, or a protest, police show up and they dont have to listen to the university. In terms of protocol, they are able to do whatever the Police Department<\/a> tells them to do. They dont have accountability. The chancellor agreed that was a problem, made a change, and wrote a responding letter saying they are going to break the relationship between the department of police and the school. , the superintendent of portland Public Schools<\/a> tweeted the time is now. I am discontinuing the regular presence of School Resource<\/a> officers. Reexamine our relationship with ppv. Pb. P university of colorado, boulder. Alvin he university. A Florida University<\/a> periods Albany University<\/a>. A Florida University<\/a>. Schools across the country are taking action so that another george floyd does not happen in our own community. We all know school is coming back in the fall. Needit does come back, we to make sure it is safe for black Community Members<\/a>. If you are interested in how to write that letter or petition, the naacp has created a toolkit you can find on our website. We are making sure you have what you need to do the Proper Research<\/a> and ask yourself the Smart Questions<\/a> of what exists and what doesnt exist, and what you need to do to regulate the use of force. There is another action we need to take. Voting. On tuesday, i made sure i voted. Voting is necessary. It is not sufficient. But it is necessary. The reason we were able to get such quick arrests in minneapolis is because minneapolis arrested strong leaders. Across the country, i dont want us to wait for what the white house will tell us to do, for what the next president might tell us to do. I want us to make sure we have relationships with people in the midterm elections and down ballot races, the district attorney, mayor, governor, city council members, school board members, representatives. That is necessary for us. We cannot have a strategy that wins without knowing and understanding the relationship we have to our political power read so make sure you vote. Once we vote, we have to hold folks accountable. The protests last for a few days. The election day on november 3 will last for a few hours. Active obligation to be at every level is a 365 day a year job. We cannot do it once a year. We have to remain engaged. The naacp in minneapolis had a meeting with police because they had a relationship. They worked on making sure they were part of the political process. That got the officers arrested and ultimately charged. We need to make sure we hold people accountable. You are right to be outraged over george floyd, but if you dont know who your mayor is, your city councilmember, your state attorney, or your chief of police, then you have a different problem than what we are talking about on the National Level<\/a>. And inspiredraged by all of the young people i am seeing across the country. I am inspired by the language we are using. I am glad we are not silencing black women in this conversation, who also suffer violence at the hands of police, also trans folks. Pay attention to the language we use. In folks on social media, our schools, and at the dinner table are leading the way in making sure america goes in the direction it needs to go. I am honored to be part of this movement and thankful to be part of this conversation. I look forward to the questions you might have. Thank you. Thank you very much, tiffany, for laying that out. We have an opportunity now for a few questions in the time we have remaining. I will turn it over to the moderator to begin the questionandanswer section. Youk each and every one of who has joined us for this town hall on living while black in america. Thank you. We have many questions on policy and a host have come in. Ast do you suggest we do future steps to ensure the tragic death of george floyd and others turns into a movement and not just a moment . That movement that question is open to the panel. I will briefly respond by saying i think it was ron the great Political Science<\/a> professor and director for the Science Department<\/a> at Howard University<\/a> who said the difference between a movement in a moments sacrifice. And a moment is sacrifice. Able tosomething to be translate into a movement that results in change, sacrifices required. I think what we have seen from the young people in america and others who have taken to the streets is that they recognize that sacrifice, in terms of their day to day lives and what they are giving up to raise their voices is important. To make sure those voices are heard at every level of government, city, state, federal, as tiffany laid out. The Congressional Black Caucus<\/a> to act. Red we have heard your cries. We are crafting legislation at record speed. We have spoken to nancy pelosi on this issue. That legislation to address Police Accountability<\/a> and violence will be revealed ink, will be comprehensive nature, and will be brought before the house of representatives for a vote before the end of the month. What will be the next steps by leaders in the black caucus to make sure a change takes place among Law Enforcement<\/a> and the powers that be . Let me yield to Sheila Jackson<\/a> lee, who has been a leader on this issue. Thank you very much. We have clearly been at the forefront of these issues. The house should house Judiciary Committee<\/a> has been at the forefront of these issues. Chairman jeffries and myself served with john conyers. We now serve with chairman nadler. The committee under democratic leadership knows we have serious concerns. Our goal is to have legislation marked up and presented before the house by the end of the month. Canednesday, june 10, you log on to the house judiciary hearing on Police Reform<\/a>, Police Accountability<\/a> is the term i would like to use. Be the gamut, the empire state building, the , whichmountain of needs includes prohibiting on the National Level<\/a> choke holds, ensuring the body cams are universal and national in ensuring a new protocol for policing through ,efinitions for Excessive Force<\/a> of as well, the lack punishment of individuals just because they are black. We have a number of other legislative initiatives. I want to make it very clear. I think the Africanamerican Community<\/a> is one of the most lawabiding communities in the nation. We are law and order folk. We call 911 to be saved, not to be killed. The idea that anything being proposed does anything to diminish the life of an officer is not true. We want officers to go home to their families. We want citizens on the street to go home to their families. We want Breonna Taylor<\/a> to have lived. We want Michael Brown<\/a> to have lived. We want george floyd to have lived. We will be looking at 21st Century Policing<\/a>. I think its very important to have a front end solution and a backend solution, which is a punishment solution. Speaking to Police Accountability<\/a> and what dr. Isxander said, temperament crucial, passion for service. ,olice officers, firefighters sanitation workers are Public Servants<\/a> and they do their best when they have a sense of duty in their work. How painful was it for us to hear that a black grandmother was shot in protest in california . How painful was it, as i conclude, to see a 75yearold did not happen to be from the Africanamerican Community<\/a> in buffalo, new york, pushed to the ground, bleeding for the head anm the head, and when officer attempted to render aid, that person was pushed away. When you are injured, aid may be a matter of seconds. Just as it was with floyd. So, we are going to look at every aspect of policing. I want to listen to tony. I want to listen to the valuable work of tiffany and the naacp, voting in action. The legislation will be comprehensive. Where willn will be, be the body politic to tell block mcconnell he cannot this legislation anymore . Where will be that body politic, and i hope it is gathering as we speak. Thank you, congresswoman. We have a specific question about police shootings. What role do they play between in the problems between police and the community . You are on mute. A specific question about police unions. What role do they play in the problems between the police and the community . Make sureare there to that members of the union have an opportunity to have good salaries, good benefits, safe working conditions, etc. Countrynions in this have one responsibility and one responsibility solely, to take care of membership, just like any other union. Oftentimes we see departments and sheriffs who want to build relationships with communities, but you have an event occur in which an officer has been involved in an incident that has come to everyones attention. , we see unions stand up for officers that many people. Eel they should not serve oftentimes, many officers are dismayed by the fact that membership is being protected in garden by unions and guarded by unions after they have committed egregious acts. A unions goal is to protect membership, at all costs, sometimes. We have to begin to look at within your state, particularly if you live in a unionized state as many states in the northeast , a lot of laws and policies are written into state law as far as a bill of rights, and that becomes even more challenging. That becomes a challenging piece. Unions dont necessarily work in the interests of the community. They work in the interests of their membership. But i want to add one other thing in regards to the initiatives i know the Congressional Black Caucus<\/a> is going to move forward in terms of trying to create reform throughout Police Department<\/a>s. , couple of things i could add chairman jeffries and congresswoman jackson lee, we have to look at police certification. Officers have been fired from one jurisdiction. They need to be decertified. So they dont go to another agency and get a job. We saw this case in cleveland with tamir rice. The officer who shot and killed had been problematic in another department outside of cleveland and probably, maybe, should not have been hired. Cant allow officers being passed around from one department to another, being problematic in one place and still able to maintain certification. That is not right. It doesnt promote good policing in any community. Those men and women who work in departments who are out there doing their very best, they dont want them around either. I would be glad to work with you all because i think there are other things we need to explore. Be we hire is going to hugely important. Who we hire. We need to look at how they are being trained. Weand then we need to look at how they are being supervised and what are the Accountability Measures<\/a> utilized to show officers progressing in their careers in terms of behavior, etc. There are a lot of things internally in organizations, police union organizations, that need to be challenged. Thank you. Question ande last then well go to Closing Remarks<\/a>. This question is to tiffany. Suggestion with replacing the Police Presence<\/a> in schools . I support you and i am in full agreement. Tiffany i do not know if the person who asked is going to be excited about my answer because my job as a National Organizer<\/a> is to support folks on the ground in every School Across<\/a>. The country is different. So the decision from the superintendent in portland, oregon, decided they wanted to break the relationship with Campus Safety<\/a> officers. I trust the people on the ground are able to make the smartest decision to keep their Community Safe<\/a> and come up with create of ways to support the implementation creative ways to support the implantation. To support the implementation. Universitys Albany University<\/a> is writing to say there have been Police Officers<\/a> who have done terrible things and they want to hold them accountable including student voices. There system now is done without Student Input<\/a> and they want shared governance. So our toolkit is not calling for one solution, and the relationship with school boards, districts high schools or colleges. They are to be different. When i could to jackson, mississippi, at an elementary school, and students have to walk through a metal detector and have their backpacks and have security on campus walking in the hallways and off campus police, that is a different experience from what kids get a new york citys im Walking Around<\/a> and students do not have to go through a metal detector. Or when im in southeast washington, d. C. And they do have to go through a metal detector, or my school and high score we had lockdowns every day because one student brought gone to campus. So there is not one solution we are calling for but we are asking people to do the hard work of answering questions we have in our toolkit. Folks, esource for 8cantwait. Org my friends at Campaign Zero<\/a> have launched a campaign we are sharing with audience and theers to understand responsibility of protecting students at schools and protecting the community and what the police force is allowed to do. There are eight criteria and they have graded every Police Station<\/a> across the country. There are multiple ways to get involved in this campaign. It is not just from a student level. And it is might it is not my job to say what every School Across<\/a> the country should do so im looking to the members are experts in the field to make those calls. Thank you. We will not go to Closing Remarks<\/a> from congresswoman Sheila Jackson<\/a> lee and then chairman hakeem jeffries. Rep. Jackson lee thank you very much. Let me express enormous for thetion Congressional Black Caucus<\/a>, 55 members, and it will continue to grow. Thato acknowledge chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus<\/a> for the vision of dealing with america where america is today which is in crisis. Thank you to congresswoman presley and congresswoman omar in thegresswoman omar moment she is in history and the healing she is engaging in the fight she is engaging with her community for them to know she is standing by them. And to acknowledge april ryan for her visionary pioneering for the work she has to do. Tony whowledging presented a challenging statement that look forward to getting to know him more. Tiffany,ll, thank you, for bringing us together around action items, and leading in the naacp as the director for the youth and colleges division. That is a place of great history , and people i knew in those positions. I hope i said dr. Alexander. From aed out Reading National<\/a> has now gone from houston, texas, who was talk underw hateful the guise of freedom of speech. That really captured what our challenges are going to be. When we speak of white privilege, which is real, and we have the kind of hateful talk coming from a white person, who has no good intentions regarding anyone of color, any immigrant, status and on status, who has brutalized those of us who are africanamerican elected officials, and continues to spew hate on the nations airwaves, and that was the story of saying , are we supposed to be embarrassed because our families work . Our dads worked overtime . Our parents did not tell us to be in the street. We scraped up ourselves and we made a difference. Are we to be embarrassed . This is white person speaking in contrast that our dads do not work, our families do not Stay Together<\/a>. He indicated their family Stay Together<\/a> in good times and bad times. The tragedy of it is, he says anyone reprimanding or speaking from the Broader Community<\/a> in this nation. This is not to say we work every day with the best and most loving and caring members of congress and in our communities are loving and caring people. But by living lack in america we have to look at the many burdens we carry. And we must also engage the Larger Community<\/a> of white americans. Iod of during this per great outpouring of affection and love, as we begin to push legislation that may be controversial, as we look to ensuring and insisting on body cameras and having civilian review bars and establishing standards of ending excessive arce, and ensuring you have duty to intervene at a duty to serve and save, to ensure you do not punish people because of the color of their skin, see going to neighborhoods and just stop African Americans<\/a> for nothing, or you pull black College Students<\/a> from morehouse and spelman out of cars and you tase them or kill a 12 euro boy 12 year old boy. We are going to have to put hard legislation on the table and we are going to need our colleagues from across the nation, the United States<\/a> congress, who are of different backgrounds who are white and who are in the try caucus. Tricaucus. We are going to need to have the people dictate to the United States<\/a> senate, not mitch mcconnell. And we are going to have to have people who do not look like us on this afternoons messaging, to speak against a hateful speech that is coming about, ahmedh the killings of and the Brionna Taylor<\/a> outright murder of george floyd. We are working on an enormous agenda and i look forward to that agenda being propelled. I close my remarks by indicating that it is never easy to go against the wind. The Congressional Black Caucus<\/a> from its founding went against the wind, the storms, we follow the words of my angelo, to show me who you are. That is who you are. For those who show you who they are in the course of wrongness for the Congressional Black Caucus<\/a> who have shown you who we are for decades, never faltering in the time of a storm. It takes the Congressional Black Caucus<\/a> to put forward legislation that immediately horrificis hatefulness, critiquing and dislike. But i am grateful to say that 126 members of the Democratic Caucus<\/a> from all backgrounds, have signed on to hr 40. Hr 40 for 30 years has been the recipient of speech of dislike, and wondering what black people are thinking. Reparation . Is there ever a moment in history if there is ever a moment in history for this constructive legislation to be signed by the president of the United States<\/a> by a president of the United States<\/a> because when congress acts, the nation changes its laws. Heart,not its hard 1964 for the Civil Rights Act<\/a> and in 1955 for the Voting Rights<\/a> act. They made a difference. When congress acts, a different can be made. The systemic response to racism in this nation starts with many legislative initiatives. It starts with reparations to cover the systemic response that we need. So i wish to close on that note. Frederick douglass saying, there is no power without struggle. And Sojourner Truth<\/a> who said, woman . Man aint i a i have borne 13 children and seen almost all sold into slavery. Aint i a woman . Harmony, as family and is a victory for justice for all. I thank you for the opportunity to participate in this town hall meeting this afternoon. Thank you, mr. Chairman, for your leadership. Chair jeffries thank you, congresswoman Sheila Jackson<\/a> lee. I want to thank my other colleagues in government, their presence and their fierceness on the cause of justice has been a breath of fresh air. We are thank full for them. To tony and to tiffany and to dr. Alexander. We appreciate your presence and your thoughtfulness in the way you have laid things out as we move forward through this twin the Public Health<\/a> crisis of covid19 as well as the storm of injustice that continues to engulf our community. I want to think those of you who have joined this town hall meeting. There will be others as we move forward. This is a long march to justice. But we will not abandon course or change course. Until we are able to accomplish the mission. The twin pillars of our democracy are protest on the one hand and voting on the other. Protests, embodied in the constitution, our freedom of the speech, our freedom of assembly and our freedom of expression. The freedom to petition authority, is in the dna of the country. Voting, as part of the printable of government of the people, by the people and for the people. Who you put into office matters. We see that with attorney general keith ellison. We are thankful he is there and will pursue justice on behalf of the family of george floyd, respect to the four officers who have now been charged. Continue to protest. Protest peacefully your voices are being heard. We stand with you. And continue to vote. To legislatebility change on your behalf. Thank you for joining us. God bless you. God bless the Congressional Black Caucus<\/a>. God bless the United States<\/a> of america. Have a safe weekend. Earlier today, washington, d. C. , merrill bowser tweeted video of a new mural on 16th street northwest, leading to the white house grounds that reads, black lives matter. D. C. Employees and local Artists Paint<\/a> in the mirror overnight. The mayor also had a new street sign erected at 16 and eight, renaming block black lives matter plaza. h. Th and q a, peggyight on wallace kennedy, daughter of former alabama governor and president ial candidate george wallace, talks about her fathers controversial career and what inspired her to write her recent book, the broken road. In 1996, we took our youngest son who was nine at the time, to the Martin Luther<\/a> king Museum Historical<\/a> site in atlanta. We went to his church and to his grave and to the museum. It was being newly constructed at that time. Theere going through exhibits and we came to the exhibit, the alabama exhibit. It showed the Edmund Pettus<\/a> bridge and they bombed out 16th street baptist church. Fire hoses and dogs in birmingham. Standing atallace the schoolhouse door. And burns looked up at me he sad, why did pa po do those things to other people . And it broke my heart. Never told mepo what he did those things to other people. But i know that he was wrong. Maybe it would have to be up to you and me to help make things right. Watch sunday night at 8 00 p. M. Eastern on cspan q and a. The house is not in session next week but off the floor we expect house and Senate Democrats<\/a> to announce their Police Reform<\/a> initiative and reaction to nationwide protests following the death of george floyd. Write out the next round of votes for the house are scheduled for june 30 but that could change. Watch the house live on cspan. The Senate Returns<\/a> monday to consider a public lands package that would permanently fund the land and Water Conservation<\/a> fund while establishing a fund for maintenance of National Parks<\/a> and other public lands. A procedural vote has been scheduled for 5 30 p. M. Eastern time. Also possible debate on executive and judicial nominations as well as a motion to meet with the house on fisa reauthorization. Follow the senate live on cspan2. [chanting] with recent protests unfolding across the country, watch our lives, unfiltered coverage of government response with briefings from the white house, congress, governors, and mayors from across the nation updating the situation. Plus, efforts addressing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and campaign 2020. Knowing the conversation every day on our live callin program, washington journal. If you missed any of our live coverage, watch any time, ondemand, at cspan. Org. Or listen on the go with the free cspan radio app. Democraticon lee president ial candidate joe biden spoke about the u. 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