As timelys. A huge professor of the studies and faculty associate at Princeton University. The author of prospects of the 3rd politics of poetics and hiphop, and we are beautiful and be up terrible for racial inequality in the United States. Its. [applause] i am going to begin by introducing my fellow panelists briefly and then we will just get right into it so. To my immediate right is senor calton roberts director of the institute for research and africanamerican studies and associate professor of history and associate professor osos your medical sciences at the school of Public Health at columbia university. He writes teachers and lecturers widely on africanAmerican History urban history, had a history of social movement. His book was published by the university of North Carolina press in 2,009s. The political economy urban geography and race between a late 19th century and the mid20th century a time which encompasses the jim crow era and the bacterial pollution to the advent of antimicrobial therapies. Professor chris lebron Yale University and received his phd from mit in 2009 and is the author of the awardwinning book the color of our shame and justice in justice in our time and has also written a peace about race in america. To his right his professor now irvin painter who currently lives in western newark new jersey author and historian the edwards professor of American History america at Princeton University author seven books including the history of white people creating black americans, africanAmerican History in the committee and sojourner truth. She is also a professional painter works digitally and manually on artists books most recently on our history by no painter. 27. And ancestral arts. Professor painter received her phd at harvard and her msn painting from the Rhode Island School of design. Please join me in welcoming our panelists. [applause] we are hear to talk about politics and a time of crisis. And i was thinking we could begin by thinking about the current state of affairs. And we just think about the last week we have a pretty dramatic way whence were thinking about this moment. In the past week we have encountered the deaths of two black women in police custodys. Shortly before the mass murder at Emanuel Church in charleston. We celebrated that is probably the wrong word but remember the anniversary of there garner deaths command so much has happened betwixt and between these moments. We have the data came out. 40 percent of black children live in poverty. The absolute number of black children living in poverty. We have black unemployment remaining twice the rate of white americans etc. And so i want to begin by asking the question of all of you for the question that doctor king asked in 1967 where do we go from here . All right. Ill start. I think there are some people in the audience who share with me having lived through the 1960s. And having gone through the 60s and then coming back around it gives you a real sense if you want to be pessimistic about it how things have not changed that much. Things have changed a lot but still as you mentioned a lot to look fors. What i would like to do is not to focus solely on what we have to the poor because if you were here for the earlier session please bear with me. Going to repeat something i said. I almost feel as if there is a conspiracy to keep us from doing our work by engaging us constantly with atrocities. As. As a historian and as a person who has lived many decades now, i dont feel that somehow more black people are being murdered. I think were simply hearing about it. And in a very sad and perverse way a stuff for i suppose. But my real topic is that we have to find means of coming to terms with the atrocities tomb of finding steps to counter them whether its going into the street whether its joining an organization its giving money probably have to be able to take a step. To do something already gives you some space. And then to continue on your own. So two things on my mind. A lot of people look around and see black men a couple rappers who are worth half a billion dollars are approaching that. Lebron james being called king james. See, look, things are different. There was correct, and theyre has been a lot of change from the change and progress are two very different things. Things can change, but that does not mean they look betters. Things can look different. That does not mean you have moved forward. You change the scenery. Actually had some progress. Think your right about change, but theyre has been progress. Sure. That doesnt mean that everything is okay. My comment, the people who say what things are changed therefore were done. I beg to differ a bit because by definition a crisis is a puncture or disruption of normal. Usually whoever is the subject but this has been the normal for a long time, for centuries. The only difference now is that maybe its some folks are listening. For the 1st couple years it was a crisis for . Technology made it possible for us to hear about it more the statistics. Please join more black people. About the same. About the same. This kind of thing has been a story of black america. Soso the question is, who is the coverage really for . This reversal the crisis is white americans without even realizing its the moral depravity that regulates how black americans are governed, police surveilled, controlled. So maybe well we are getting is possibly a moment of genuine where we have the nations attention. The question is worth a change from here. I think theres something to be said about the pressure. And not letting ups. One of these atrocities happens. Every time we say look, this is specific. More time to talk about history which is one of James Baldwins famous and most important themes folks like to forget the history what that means. Please. I know you care. I knew him when he was a tiny chat. I think it is a crisis for us. Again, i speak psychologically because ive heard so many people say oh my god. I cant take it anymore. The constant drumbeat of victimization really is something that makes people feel badly not just where people. And i agree. The crisis is really for democracy for what has passed democracy which is clearly been in a state of decay for the past several decades. Its a crisis for governance i mean, i think that is where the church angel happen. And i agree while we look for a moment they can prevent us from the real work which is also thinking about the structural which is often quite more dispersed, much more pervasive and insidious. And i. And i think to the question of where do we go from here we have been saying very creatively what were doing to us all these structures. Just for example i dont know why were surprised. I heard that present was the 1st sitting president to visit a prison. And then to my surprise, why would i be surprised. We do not live in a democracy where people a lot of people who are not in prison but have been imprisoned can go. They do not represent the constituency. So why would you you might go to the small town in iowa hoping to pick up a delegate why would you ever go to the super max. We have to rethink a lot of our assumptions. The level of disenfranchisement that happens. And all the way down. Just to go back briefly about digital circulation. Because part of this is not just that we have become increasingly aware of these atrocities before responding s. Im interested in to what extent are you optimistic is the word, but are you hardened response is suggestive of the possibility for transformation, or does it strike you simply mobilization but not . What is your perspective on what has happened . If i may i think this moment of globalization is incredibly impressive. I think some of it is technological and the sense that im not sure that Human History we have had such a Pervasive Network of communication spread, and it came in a time when we really before twitter or for the internet i mean, you no from what were the three channels you get your news from . I mean, we have the kind of citizen journalism. You remember what they said about the new york times. Thats it. But that was in the newspaper. I do agree. The contrast the history of black newspapers, robust and diminished will arise. I mightve misspoke. Digital media. But we are at a moment but it certainly is intense organization and intense awareness. We were speaking in the green room before. I was just kind of joking around. I went to the bureau of justice statistics which keeps all the data on criminal justice. We have very little data of a police killings, for example. What we do do have in the case that theyre has not been much change over the past ten years which means were seeing now is always been going on. The differences we dont have an epidemic of police killings. We have an epidemic of people paying attention for being fearless enough to film. The technology you still have to have a human body of the recording and knowing that theyre can be repercussions. That is where it is. We are realizing the power does not cede anything. It is not insurmountable. This is a lot of hopeful ii think. I dont want to be probably has sure naive particularly after the news of the past week. One wonders looking at the statistics how many other people died in the cells that we never knew about. On the one hand i think there is. That was pointing out the black newspapers historically have been on the front part but theres Something Different about this moment. Ironically technology has a very democratizing factor. Anybody in this room right now that is Something Else happened you could begin surveilling right away. Not even have to get home and be able of the rest of the world no like that. That is knew and different and powerful and something that i think its, but i guess i will play level. It is something that we have to be a little cautious of. One surveillance and always be reversed, especially when you have the powers. Everyone is clamoring for Police Officers to have a camera as a black it is already over surveilled the 1st place. Thats what people need to think hard about. Walking through neighborhood and you being just you dont have to be doing anything. Police officers we dont record them as a matter of course. Theyre catching them in the act or something. Possibly to be recorded just crossing the street, walking in front of the bodega known for other kind of activities. What is a mean . This is Something Else. Not to go back to september 11. A very peculiar thing happened. The solitude towers come down. And is played it over and over and over. The 1st ten times house horrified. The 50th time i started the kind of detached fascination. Look at the building is going down. After you see it on loop 50 times the visceral reaction begins to get the old. There is something, we have to be cautious that just because these videos are hitting the web that by itself cannot do the work we needed to do. This begins to dull the senses. I am on leave currently in a notnot going to do this frequently. Come back every few days and there somebody new. I have not heard of us under blend. Now its kind of like every five or six days. Theres no video. The guys getting shot. Its when that happens over and over again we have to take care that we simply dont say were seeing it. Has to have the effect of motivating people. And that is the danger of being so pervasive that it becomes a part of the regular new strain. Cautiously pessimistic. I think those images, and i agree we can easily become inured. We speak is relevant that constant loop also been us often the one not just for the general public and seven of this audience 12 for the general public in the looping quickly became frenzied fire antiarab sentiment for the patriot act kemal most of things that looping the background from thes. You dont have to be entirely pessimistic understand that. I agree 100 percent. On the other hand, i think having this awareness command is the painful thing we all have to go through. We have to make sure people are saying it that you cannot run from these images. They will not be relegated to an obscure blog. The Mainstream Media will take a look at this. From the pres. s fabled bucketpresident s fabled bucket list, im not sure was on his agenda that is a prison in 2015 when he was 1st elected or even a 2nd time is elected. Remove the tape that much further. Im not particularly disparaging, but im not also wholeheartedly in favor of everything he says. I think we very much have given him the credit for taking the initiative to visit the present. I think hes genuinely wanted to do it, but i think his awareness was raised about the work that people have been doing before he was elected. And now power is actually starting to acknowledge some of this. We will we see through the internet, through interconnectivity is very important. But i really was stress of a psychological side and the political side of the importance of action doing something. And that doing something can be in a street and it can be giving money and it can be part of an organization. It can be riding. There are many ways of doing something but speaking as someone who has been through this and knows how long the struggle less we have to 1st have meetings of doing something and then stepping away and returning to our work. When i say our work for me your work and your work and your work. I dont just mean the political work. For some people it will be political work. For some people it will be running for office. For some people it will be running reports that will get to the fbi or to the bureau of labor statistics. There are so many ways of doing it. We each have our own work and if we only talk to each other or talk to the world, to the web about our english we impede our homeworks and we are not simply black people in english or in anger. Were also writers, scholars, artists whatever else that you do. You need to do that as well. Yeah. And the. That you make about the psychological wages resonates with respect to talking about september 11. One of the consequences people talked about after the fact is that those who watched the footage over and over again for more likely to have poster manage stress than those who actually on the ground. There is a way that the witnessing can become a deep wounding if we do not have the resources to do something in response. That is shifting gears a little bit for one of the critiques that has happened that has emerged about who around the mobilize with respect to gender, with respect to gender identity sexual orientation. I mean, do you see in the primary critique being it has been much more common for people to mobilize around this gender heterosexual black men that all other categories people who are subject to Police Violence or any kind of deadly violence. But about thats the shifting. This is a prime example of the privileging or gender privileging of a male stance you feels strange saying that knowing especially as i grew up in the 1980s with things like the extension of the blackmail command entire political discourse. But nonetheless that is still what is. There is a privileging there. And that is a can of worms it really becomes ultimately unproductive. When you start favoring heteronormativity think usually companies. You end up finding yourself close and uncomfortable with critiques make sure black families which has come down since well before the moynihan reports. The whole line of thought. I think the other thing about as well as that it quickly puts us up where we can talk about my brothers keeper. We have supporters, detractors. I am very skeptical. I think it puts us in a mindset of gender segregation cognitively which translates in the problems which is also an appropriate as well. As a tactic its completely i dont think were being productives. [applause] your brothers keeper. I also agree you know, i think whatever has happened is an awful thing. Strike that it has made the news as it has. But i would like to think our fields. One things that we think about is what is happening the opening up of the idea. What has happened locally American Families to look ever used to look. I am hopeful that they can change but it is one of those things, american we have to be readys. Im not sure without being fully attentive. Part of it has to do with a certain kind of gender norm. That is not the right way think that i think. We have to be especially sensitive to whom we speak. I have been guilty. Spoken of the issue for privileging black blackmail victims. We have to be more protective and police ourselves better. A very basica very basic idea that all black lives matter. Is not a catchphrase. And thats we will result the mobilization in early may to put that back on agenda which is why is important we have the don elmores of the world for theorizing helping sdis our way out of this. Ultimatelyultimately is about politics, action and doing, but we have to think very closely with the fear is actually goes theyre. There is a discussion that has to be offered. The support to have those voices has leaders of the movement. And in some ways it distinguishes at least for me about this moment that there are clear black activists are at the forefronts and refusing to set aside issues of gender and sexuality for the sake of some amorphous solidarity that just happens to be an integral part of the work. Argue that they are inseparable. Right. Right. Newark we have a knew issue there. No longer new. Mary baraka son. Before that we had a charismatic who is now a us senator. Cory booker has a much higher profile nationally. Cory booker was just a regular. He did not walk on water by any means. He had a very highprofile. What has happened in newark which is a city that does not have much money at alls is that the administration has been able to tap existing sources of money, support he and his administration agreed to federal oversight of the newer police which cory booker had his administration far off. So we can have important changes for instance, 2,000 young people have jobs in the city this summer simply because the administration has been active reaching for the use of existing resources. So what i want to say is 1st of all, i think we will we talk about the importance of pushing on a per standard pushing on a cabinet are pushing on the administration that push starts on the local level. And part of what can be our action to keep our sanity can be acted at the local level. In fact, to say that it is more useful command it feels better at the local level because your working with your neighbors. Ultimately the hashtag is only the beginning part. T