Well take you live now to charlotte, north carolina, where joe biden is holding a Campaign Stop today. Its being called a biden for president black economic summit. Its just getting underway. Live coverage is here, cspan3. Mr. President , i was kidding. Hardest thing, only thing harder than being president of a union is being a mayor of a beautiful city. Folks, thanks for taking the time to be here today. I really appreciate i. And we even have an astronaut in the house and thats pretty cool. Look, first of all, i want thank chris and the mayor for being here and all of you for being here. And you know, these are tough times. Over 200,000 americans have passed away. 200,000. And the numbers still rising and impact on communities is bad across the board, particularly bad for africanamerican communities. Almost four times as likely to, three times as likely to catch the disease, covid. And when its caught, twice as likely to die as White Americans. Its the sort of emblemmatic of the inequality that exists and the sishz that exist. And one of the things that really matters to me is we could do, didnt have to be this bad. You have 30 Million People on unemployment. You have 20 Million People figuring whether or not they can pay their mortgage payment this month. And what theyre going to be able to do or not do as a consequence of that. Then youve got millions of people who are worried that theyre going to be thrown out in the street because they cant pay the rent. Although when given a prooef for three months, but have to pay double the next three months. How are people going to do that . And the way in fact the Democratic House and the Senate Passed it stepped up and passed the significant amount of money to help people get through the process including keeping businesses open and the like. Well, guess what. They insisted there be a thing called inspector general. Somebody watching where every dollar went. The first thing the president of the United States did was fire that inspector general. There is no inspector. Hes fired. Fired. So youve got 40 , only 40 of the money intended for Small Businesses going to Small Businesses. Only 40 of it. 60 has gone to the maralago crowd. In addition to that, we find ourselves in a circumstance where the idea that were going to continue to provide for Unemployment Insurance for people is very much in doubt. Although the house just passed a package today. My generic point is that the university of columbia pointed out that if in fact the president acted, even though we know now, he knew exactly how bad the pandemic was back in february. Hes on tape with bob woodward saying he knew how bad it was. And he didnt say a thing. He didnt say a thing. And if he had spoken, as i said, i said at columbia, one week earlier, 37,000 more people would be alive today and were going to have another influx of cases. This between now and january. Its expected that were going to have somewhere between 138,000 and 178,000 more deaths and if people just do what were doing here, take a mask off when youre social distancing, but wear a mask. Estimate that would save close to 89, 90,000 people. And so its about being responsible. Its about being responsible. And were not being very responsible. But what i want talk to you about today is you know, we have to break a cycle. The cycle is that the Africanamerican Community by and large finds itself at the bottom of the economic heap when businesses and others when things are good. When things get bad, theyre the first ones in the hole and when things get better, theyre the last ones out. In addition to that, we have a criminal Justice System that needs significant repair and were just only beginning slightly to make some progress now. And thirdly, if youre a business person, let me put it this way. Every person out there wants an opportunity to make it for their family. My dad used to have an expression. Everybodys entitled to be treated with dignity and he said joey, a job is a lot more than a paycheck. Its about dignity, respect, your place in the community. About being able to hold your head up and look your kid in the eye and say honey, everythings going to be okay. For too many people, particularly those in the Africanamerican Community, not able to be done. So one of the things i want to talk to you about today is how do we build wealth. Ultimately, the Africanamerican Community is going to have its place equally to everyone else when theyre in a position to build wealth and that goes from everything to access to being able to purchase a home. Access to jobs. Access to just being able to have an even shot. And thats what i hope were going to talk a little bit about today and it depogoes to educat as well as access to education, access beyond everything from a lot of poor whites and africanamericans, poor africanamericans and hispanic live in title one districts. Meaning they live in School Districts that have low tax space. Right now, we spend 15 billion a year to compensate for that low tax space. I increase that to 45 billion, it keeps teachers in schools because were short teachers significantly. 125,000 teachers short right now. Half a million by 2023. In addition to that, we find ourselves in a circumstance where we used to have in our schools in the old days, used to have one, right now, we dont have any, we virtually have no School Psychologists in our schools, so teachers come in to school and they are expected to solve every problem. Well, theres one School Psychologist for every 1,507 kids in school. Should be closer to one in 500. We can do that by increasing the money i just talked about from 15 to 45 and send every single child thats 3 years old, 4 years old, 5 years old, not to day care, but to school. Studies have pointed out that will increase by 58 their chance of going all the way through school no matter the zip code. And be able to do it without getting themselves in trouble and then were going to talk about, i think a big issue here is access to apprenticeships and Community Colleges and college. And the student debt requirements that are there. Hope we can talk about that, but i want to talk about basically one big important thing. How do we change the dynamic . This is a gigantic opportunity. As bad as things have gotten, the blinders have sort been taken off the American People now. They look out there. We have a pandemic, unemployment. Race registration relations that have been drawn into focus and everything from Police Brutal thety to lack of access, but the American People have all of a sudden, average people, have gone, my lord, holy mackerel, i didnt know it was this bad. A lot of them didnt know. A lot did. A lot did know it was this bad. And you know, talking to, talking too much now, my opening statement, but heres the point. I believe we have a gigantic opportunity. A gigantic opportunity to fundamentally change the systemic racism and problems that exist in our system and i think we have to do it, but only one way to do it. We got to show up and vote, but i believe the American People arent going to be turned off. B i believe no matter what the administration does to try to make it hard to vote, for everyone, not just people of color, but everyone. No matter what. I think theyre going to vote. You see whats happened. In virginia, early voting, fourhour lines on the first day and were over 40 days out. People are going to show up and vote. They wont be dissuaded. So thats why im optimistic mioptimistic. I was asked by a foreign leader when i was overseas, can you define american. Yes, in one word. Possibilities. Possibilities. Only country that believes anythings possible. About time we make it possible for everybody. Thats what this is all about. Weve got a gigantic opportunity in the year 2020 to make these changes and with that, im going to hush up and take any questions yall have and im foipg to get out of the way here. Appreciate it. My first question, you sort of spoke about education and for me, im the only person in my family to go to an hvcu. Right down the street from johnson c. Smith. North carolina is known for having a lot. So my question would be as not properly funding sort of going under, so what would you sort of like to see or do for the historically black colleges and universities . I was kidding chris inside, as long as i can say that the best is in america, Delaware State University, but thats another issue. Thats a joke. But its not a joke. Theyre great. Thats how i got my start, by the way. I we want to university of delaware, but the reason i got involved in politics is because of what was going on in my state in terms of segregation and in terms of dr. King being asass hated. Part of the major part of our city was burned to the ground. Thats how i got engaged and a lot of my support came out of that. Look, right now, one thing data shows is that given an equal opportunity, theres not a single thing that an africanamerican cant do that a White American cant do that a hispanic america and asian american. Not a single thing. And so whats happened. Its about access to opportunity. Access to good jobs. Now, a lot of universities like Great University like unc or wake forest, a lot of schools, they have endowments. And the endowment allows them to provide for the circumstance to bid for these major federal initiatives that allow them to bring into the school a technology or a program that is able to bring in outside sponsors as well as government sponso sponsors. For example, cybersecurity. Its a big deal, and in the future, theres going to be millions of, over time, good paying jobs in the area of cybersecurity. But because the hpcus for example, most of them, dont have the economic, they dont have the endowment to be able to build a facilities that can attract the environment, the government funding as well as private endowment, they dont get to set these up. So for example, when i was Vice President , we went down near roanoke and provided funding for one to have a cybersecurity proposal. They did it. They got the contract. And now what theyre doing, theyre training young women and men who get out and good starting jobs. Jobs where you can maybe get paid more than 100 grand a year and theyre totally capable. So what ive done so is proposed a program for 70 billi 70 billi. It will be available to the hbcus based on their competition to get access to it, but everyone will quality. Every hbcu, and theyll be able to do the kinds of things that other universities do. For example, Delaware State University is a Great University. The president is a young man, he used to work for me. My Senate Office now. Brilliant guy. Doctorate. End result of it is though when the university of delaware makes an application for solar energy because it has a significant base, it gets significant injection of technological capability or light metals. They took over an old facility, used to be a ford facility long time ago, they took over a facility, used to be a chrysler facility, got shut down, and now, they have people in that facility that are now doing metallurgy that relate to making lightweight aluminum and metal decks for aircraft carriers. Its a multimillion dollar and will end up being billion dollar projects. So the people who get to work on that, the very students in that University Get to work on, theyre the ones who are going to go out and get these great jobs. So thats the first thing im going to do for hvcus. Secondly, we have to look at and have been looking at, the idea that we have to bring in hvcus to engage in more of what we are doing in terms of our national dialogue. For example, i two of the guys i spons sponsor, im a morgan man. A lot of great units, including right here, but we have an opportunity to provide for you able to get the those universities. How can you do it . Well, im going to see to it that any family, anyone who comes from a fmly that makes a total income of less than 125,000 a year gets free college education. They dont get in if they get in and qualify, they pay nothing to go to college. Secondly, there are also programs that exist now that if you provide for, work that you will volunteer to do something in the Public Interest and you do it for five years or more, you can deduct 10,000 a year, up to 50,000, off of that debt you have and you have an awful lot of young africanamericans who have graduated. Average debt is about 19,000 a year. T hard to get started when you have that debt hanging over your head. The average debt is even higher. Up to 28,000 a year. Someone graduated from a four year school. Thats why the economists had predicted prior to and with this, im telling you too much, but the, pretty passionate about this. Before the covid crisis, were going to have an economic slowdown because an entire generation from 9 11 generation through the generation now and coming out of this god awful circumstance were in, they, in fact, are not going to have the where with all because of student debt, to be able to borrow the money to buy a home. A new vehicle. Spend the money in capital. And a significant portion of our economy is driven by consumption and this generation, this whole new generation from 9 11 on, that in fact, is, theyre not in a position to be able to do it. So a whole lot of reasons economic will benefit. This is just draining money. By the way, i pay for every one of these things by the way i deal with the tax structure. Thats another story. Thats a piece of what we can and should be doing with hbcus. Secondly, i will, in my administration, elevate the standing of hbcus by the people in my administration as well. The Vice President would like to hear from you, so id like to recognize someone that might have a question for this forum. Yes. Theres a microphone right there and one on the side. Hi, im here to vote in part. I was just like wondering, what are you going to do about minimum wage . Were going to raise it to 15 an hour. Nationally. I am deeply involved in raising it. As ive gone around the country working with cities and counties that in fact have raised it including new york city and out on the west coast as well. Heres the deal. If youre working 30 hours a week, youre making a wage under poverty level. No one in america should be working for 40 hour week job and still be living poverty. It should not exist. Number one. Number two, it also demonstrated that if we pay people 15 an hour as minimum wage, you grow the economy. The idea that this somehow puts people out of business, theres no evidence of that. What happens is you have people, if youre making 15 bucks an hour instead of 7 an hour, youre able to buy more things, pay more bills. Able to do more and ends up increasing the gdp. The growth of the whole economy. Is its not only good for the person who is going to be making a decent wage from the beginning, but for the economy as a whole. Question, yes, please. Im andrea brown. Second grade teacher. Mother would say god love you, dear. Its been difficult. But thank you. Thank you, chris, for bringing up education and hbcus, but as far as k12 education, how codo you plan to push access to education alec wiity. Its a simple proposition for me. Xanexaggerated as a second grad teacher why youre so important. If i had only one dollar to spend on education and i can spend it post graduation or prekindergart prekindergarten, id spend it prekinder grarten because you know as well as i do based on your education background, that 60 of a childs brain is already developed by the time theyre 3, 4, 5 years old. Right. And so what happens is people start off based on their zip code and their family background. They may start off way behind the curve. You know you have a lot of students, they come into school, if they come from a very poor background in a community raised by a single mom or dad through no fault of their own, theyll have probably heard one million fewer words spoken by the time they get to first grade. That is an impediment. Nobodys forced that on anybody, but weve got to change it. So the way to change it is threefold. One as i said, provide for early education. Starting at 3 years of age. And its not, this is the, you think well, my lord, why do we have a 3yearold go to school . They learn as rapidly as a 6yearold, 12yearold, a 14yearold and they just suck it all up. They just suck it all up, number one. Number two, to make sure that we pay teachers enough money to stay in the business of teaching. My wifes a full time teacher. My wife has never stopped. As first lady, second lady, she taught 15 credits every semester. At a community college. Before that, she taught juniors and seniors in high school for 25 years. I think it was 25. But my point is a long time. Al though im not allowed to tell the exact number because my wife is 30 years younger than i am. I started off not quite that much. No woman in the entire biden family thats as old as any biden man. Thats another issue. All kidding aside. It is the life blood. Look, people, they say these children, theyre all our children. Theyre the kite strings that lift our National Ambitions aloft and its bizarre, crazy for us, in every single imperical study ado done, the m money you spend and better you educate a child throughout the process, the better the community as a whole is. Everybody. Across the board. Thats why we have to make sure we provide for more direct funding for specific programs in schools. Federal funding. As you know better than most will know, the bulk of all funding for schools is local funding. Local. Its not national funding. Not federal. But federal funding can focus on particular needs within schools. One is to deal with early access to education in the early grades and that requires us to spend more money on schools and teachers. Not going to ask you what you make, but teachers, one of the things that all the studies have shown is that when youre, when youre in a studen