This program is part of the Commonwealth Club virtual series. We like to thank our members and sponsors and supporters for making this and all of the other programs possible. We are grateful for your support and hope that others will follow examples to support the club during these uncertain times. Today im excited to be talking with Tiffani Cross longtime analyst and author of a brand new book, say it louder tiffani has spent years in politics and the media where she has witnessed the ways in which black voters are minimized and suppressed through both policy and media coverage. Say it louder builds on the work and explains the ways in which black voters have been crucial in the same political system that were often dismissed from and although Voter Suppression is not new, Tiffani Cross asserts that the changes coming by way of political activism in this country and a demographic shift. If you are watching along with this and have a question you would like to ask tiffani later in the program please put in the chat box and youtube are the comments on facebook. And the question will get to me to it post a tiffani a little bit later. I want to thank you, Tiffani Cross for joining us today. Guest thank you amy for being in this conversation with me im especially excited to have it with you and looking forward to this. Host totally and i wanted to congratulate you also on your role on an ms nbc was on her show and you stepped into that role very happy to have you there. Whats it like to have a regular outlet like the saturday shows on ns nbc to address some of the issues . Guest let me say im just a guest hosting the official announcement is made. You will see some other people in the host chair for the next month or so. Ill be the house this weekend and a few other times this month. I enjoy, i enjoy contributing my thoughts to ns nbc. And then enjoyed creating such an amazing platform. A lot of what i write about is the lack of diversity in broadcast journalism at all levels pretty want to take this opportunity to say what we went to get a primetime spot and having supporters elevate her and cheer her on. And what msnbc platform, what she gave them was 2. 6 million viewers. So i just think diversity wins. And it feels like an era of black women taking the helm in so many areas. The work you are doing it she the people, even in the executive ranks they recently promoted a woman, to lead all weekend in daytime programming. It is our time. I feel very excited to be a part of this and live at this moment. See what yes. Its our time and its your time. I think about your book, coming out in the midst of a pandemic in which black and brown communities are disproportionately affected with covid19 and hospitalize in dying at higher rates. Unemployment is hitting our committees hard. Based of historic protests in every state across the country demanding more from that america deal with this racism, not the past but the racist president. What is the journey that started you writing the book and the first place . And what does it mean for it to come out in this moment . Guest first to come come out right now is really interesting amy. I wrote the book before brown and taylor, before george floyd. It really shows you how timeless brutality against black people is in this country. Its historic and american tradition at this point. The fact that a detail some of the historic murders dating back to the last century, even the last president ial election cycle i see this wrinkle in time. The time that thats timeless really shows how black people have always been in spectacular fashion for the white narrative of what happens to us. As we sit at this time a racial reckoning as they say from very excited about the cultural shift, amy. Ensuring that on for sure. But i wont be satisfied until it accompanies a cultural shift. He think as long as the narrative is that white people should allow black People Freedom the white nfl owners should allow black players. And the narrative is so oppressed that the power rests solely with white decisionmakers. I dont support that. I think we have to disrupt power at every level. To the powerbrokers look like america. Literally look at your book. You got this on the cover. But it talks about black voters and white narratives. Give us some examples from your book about the white narratives that have limited the political power invoices of black people. Guest and the media landscape thats pretty much run by white men. Every political conversation is about white peoples history white peoples finances people white peoples employment prejust talked about the unemployment inequality is a Global Pandemic. Really it will meet at labor stats they typically have white americans desperately look at black american theyre often very much higher. You dont hear a lot of that in the immediate landscape. He always heard terms like nascar dads, soccer moms, these cute nicknames for voters and especially to white voters. Black voters get that same when you hear white women or nondedicated men. The same thing can apply to black voters. But you dont hear that. What you hear people on broadcast news people go to diners. Or apparently no black or brown people ever eat. But these are the voters of the heartland. This is meant to represent with the Political Landscape once what the landscape looks like. And i know that if you go to birmingham, alabama, and go to corral after Baptist Church lets out those are certainly boaters of the heartland to pretty go to ohio firmly those are voters from the heartland. But you dont often see that. One example i talked about in the book, amy, there was a segment that a network did. It was meant to be a feelgood segment. There were a bunch of groomsmen dancing in a parking lot. Summary the hotel called the police were there making noise. Cop shows up on this at ohe were in a wedding tomorrow were practicing our routine all black guys. The coxes had kind like to see that. The guys. Internetwork shows us like this is the good stuff look at this great example. And this is at the height of 2015, 2016 where black men were target practice at this point. I just thought, i know is not their intention to be insensitive, but how utterly ridiculous that the suggestion is all youve got to give the cop show up to not get shot as though your five heartbeats routine in front of the officer to get go home safely that night. Now that maybe if they had a black producer or host of the show someone could have pointed out how offensive the segment was. So we cant be so defensive in the media that we are not willing to say you know what, i just missed that one. So from a very political perspective suggests some very basic humane perspective. Marketing creates a better political and media landscape that directly impacts democracy. And should inform people. Stuart will we talk about your journey and how your Life Experience has taken not only into newsrooms but also political activism, it did that with the beach in d. C. . Where did the journey up to this book start . Guest i started journalism for sure. I got my start in radio then i was hired at cnn i work to the World Headquarters in atlanta and they relocated me to capitol hill as part of the coverage duppercaseletter when bob novak some of our viewers right now could do that themselves as a weekday host 20 years ago he was hosting the sunday talk show that nick now has. In that space a really just felt like the only i was bad i felt very, very ostracized and not very welcomed by my peers preside write about what that was like. Navigating the newsroom and feeling like maybe the space was not for me. Maybe i didnt belong in broadcast news. I put a lot of different times i was a producer i was a field producer i was an executive producer and running the d. C. Bureau. I found my new platform i worked with investors built up investment and navigated the capitalists. I taught a class on diversity in broadcast journalism at harvard. And still to this day people will ask but does she have a newscast . Can she hold her own on an anchor desk . You just wonder man if i were aye woman or aye man, people will be tripping over themselves to give me a platform. I have worked so hard and earned it. It just shows there has to be a more diverse way of decisionmakers. Through the frustration of navigating this 20 year career of news and politics. I worked on campaigns of the federal, state, local level when i get frustrated with journalism and i take a break every couple of years. Unlike a crappy exboyfriend would call me back and i would go running back to the news. It was in that space i was preparing to tell the story. And it was a story that needed to be told. And in 2016 thats when i started doing research. I will tell you 18 months of solid writing. It was torture. I wrote every single word in this book. I wrote every single sentence. And i wrote it in every way could be written. So it flowed. I did that because i was weaned on like Toni Morrison who did the same thing and a member her saying you write a sentence in every form until it sounds righ right. And that is a mental torture. But after 18 months i was finally done. Im really proud of this body of work. See what this is beautifully written book. Im supplies a political powerhouse journalist like yourself is inspired by Toni Morrison. That surprises me. But maybe not. Guest i love your writing. I love the art of the written language. I think at the end of the day we in journalism do is tell storie stories. So he is very much a storyteller. Even though her stories are based infection she drew on real Life Experience. She drew on systems of White Supremacy. She drew on an imagination where there could be some sort of reckoning. I was heartbroken when she passed away with the world would be if she were live to see this. I love writing, i love having written. I hate writing. [laughter] i do love the art of it. And i love reading pretty think if you want to be a great writer you have to first be a great reader. She was definitely someone who i read. I member oprah said you have to read over and over to understan understand. Tony marbury coleman looked at her and said my dear thats called reading. [laughter] she just tell it like it is. Something about the blatant bold straight truth telling. So inspiring part of never forget i saw a video of her in an interview with aye journalist who sang what you think about the racism in the country . And she said thats a good question. I think white people should ask what they are going to do about it, it has nothing to do with m me. Powerful exchanger she did not give an inch. Have the protest in the wake of the killing of george floyd and all of the other black people who lost their lives which built up to this moment, have those protests change the National Narrative . Have they changed the way black people expressed or received . Have they changed the way of the world of journalism shapes the narrative about black people . Guest i think so but not enough. I think we are in this moment or its a cool thing and its trendy to talk about it. At some point, this racial reckoning is going to hit because a lot of people reporting on White Supremacy are essentially unintentionally still practicing it. In areas where they work which directly impacts the narrative. I think one example is you have a lot of reporters get an interview with mike pentz. Or peter navarro. Or even donald trump or bill barr. And they will ask is there systemic racism in the United States . Is there systemic racism in Law Enforcement . The question itself is so disrespectful. Its racist. Yeses disrespectful put we would not ask people if women are. [inaudible] thats an obvious statement. Right we know systemic racism exists hows your your administration going to address it . To the Given Administration out because they posted an asinine question. Some of this in a chattering class is a blanketed in privilege. But for the rising majority of this country, the people of color crosses country we know the answer. As long as youre talking to in about each other we are never having real conversations. That is all we have to continue to fight for power, and taking up space as our full offensive cells bridge showing up in a space we are comfortable at making people uncomfortable. Asking questions were speaking or truth. Until i have tried to do that in my capacity for it and please to be joined by other people who are increasingly more bold and audacious. While they are on air theres a lot older white men and they are appealing to viewers who average between 62 and 65yearold men. You have to keep reminding that beat a mortal. So i speak to the rising and missouri if youre trying to cater to the shrinking missouri the bottom line helps give megaphones to me and other folks who are speaking the bold truth. We wont be the norm anymore. The fact that there used to be a colored water fountain and a Drinking Water fountain. Not that long ago that was the norm. We consider normalcy. Its interesting its not a blackandwhite issue. In the Los Angeles Times a of latin acts people who work for the company in various reporters and roles signed a letter demanding more from that the Los Angeles Times hire more people from the Community Given how many people in california art latin xp are in the community. So i think what youre talking about is how inspiring other people were saying reflection of this in other communities. Guest kai talked talk to about 2020 . Lets get into it. Listen just as were talking we are just over a little more than a hundred days most important election of our lifetime. I will just say we dont even have to argue. Things were not that great for black people before trump took office. Although we put it all in there, the highest educated group in the country and really highest turnout group of voters. Joint economic possibilities and dispiriting things like that. I guess my question 100 days out is how are you assessing the political voice in the political power of black people in this moment . I will just say for the people who are watching so there is no question, black people are 25 of Democratic Party voters. And we are the most loyal as a group, Democratic Party voters. When your introduction starts out with clyburn statement about joe biden that really catapulted the front of the pack becomes the nominee for the Democrat Party ran for president except the political power invoice of black voters in this moment. [inaudible] im the president of her fan club im happy to share with you that so amazing. And we talked about the role that black voters have played. Not just now but throughout democracy. We werent trying to punctuate how we resurrect campaigns highly decide campaigns. To celebrate black people as a superhero they are in this country. So even now what we see a lot of stories about people standing in these long lines in wisconsin. How awful it is, and now all descend people are interested in Voter Suppression even though this has been something something weve been impacted by for years. Until as people are just now starting to Pay Attention to our reality. I think have black voters are with their life and livelihood on the line every civil time we cast a ballot. The wealth that black people have created for this country never been acknowledged. That kind of resentment has rippled in time. And so in this moment we are reimagining america, we are reimagining a government that is not only of the people, by the people, for the people but would for the people includes us. And it baffles me that so many people still maintain loyalty to this president. They look at him as if hes protecting things he can avoid. We say we still show up we are demanding more from Something Better from a country that we have long served. We are going to be facing an unholy trinity this election cycle. We will have election interferes that specifically targets us. Gop Voter Suppression and the follett of covid19. But black voters will seek democracy just as we did during democracy. Just as we did in 2016 despite the political narrative we didnt show up because as you know not only showed up there were a lot of white people who were very excited about the presidency of donald trump who overwhelmed and over indexed at voting booths. They did not have the hurdles that black voters face. Steve let me just ask you right there, one thing that i have heard as part of the narrative that still shapes the way people talk about and understand donald trump. Particularly from white women. Surprised that the majority of white women are republican. Surprise that for decades majority of white voters have been conservative and increasingly so as well as you mention a shrinking part. How does that serve a particular narrative . I am curious about that. As your talk about the loyalty with god understand in the context of race. There isnt another way to understand it with his base being overwhelmingly white. Is an acacia for my book that specifically focus on the role white women have played. White men represent i think a small member of society. The overwhelmingly over indexed. They feel cheated and elected as a ruling class in our politics. White women have been their biggest enablers. So i think we have to have conversations about this. After 2016, a friend of mine sent out an email that all of the white women she knew purchase of ladies the conversation needs to happen. And they all run her back is a great when you want to have this conversation . I said not with me with each other. We do our work. We are accountable for all of our community. So we sank guess we need to respond to each other. Since contributions in trying to be an ally and thats great we do need it takes an effort. However, confront her with that support confront her with the truth, confront her with facts and reality. Dont just ignore your racist uncle at thanksgiving sit were responsive for our communities time for everyone to be accountable for their community. Songs people are looking at this like you are taking something away for me. Th