Race matters america inis cr a pbs newshour special. Woodrf good evening, im judy woodruff. Welcome to this pbs newshour special, race matters america in crisis. The death of george floyd at th hands of pol minnesota has ignited outrage across the world and on again exposed the deep wounds ofthacism here in u. S. Protesters have filled the streets in cities large and small, demanding justice and change. The vast majority have been violence and looting, andeen thereve been aggressive tactics from Law Enforcement. How americans see all this is filtered part through the lens of race, according to ourw ll, one we do with n. P. R. And marist. 62 of americans say they believe the demonstrations are legitimate protests. 77 of black americans feel that way, but among White Americans, its 58 . 28 of all americans say they believe the demonstrations are people acting unwfully. We want to examine how we got to this moment and where we go from here. That is a long cversation, and we think its important to start by listening to black aricans. In days to come, all of us will decide what if anything will change. Tonight, we will ask questions about policing, ineality and what it means to simply live while black in the u. S. But we begin with two influential voices who hav thought long and hard about black history and americas future. Filmmaker and oducer Ava Duvernays work has focused on the black experience including the film selma, the documentary 13th, and the series when they see us. Her media company, array, has a new online educational platform about these issues. Darren walker is the president of the ford foundation, which works to reduce poverty, improve equality and socl justice. For the record, the foundation is a funder of the newshour. Sreenivasan darren walker, let me start with y. Why do you think what happened to george floyd and the reaction to it hasthe hold on us that it seems to have, these massive day across this country . Judy, i think the moment of reckoning for this country on race has come. Geloge f has captured our hearts, our broken hearts. Because for African Americans, his murder was but an extension and a long list of names over many, many years. We actually as a community were not surprised. I think for ite america, White America was deeply wounded and shocked by thl e visof his murder over eight and a half minutes. And i think for whitemerica, deniability of racism in our policing and inour nation is no longer an option. And that is w it has gripped us and resonates eesoy in the american psyche. A duvernay, is it something that is a repeat of what oweve ser and over again or is it Something Different of what happened to him in this moment . Certainly, the act of black death is not new. Thats, you know i think there was something about the tape testifying that was unusual. As someone who unfortunately watches this material a lot r my work. And that was the very clear framingf both people looking directly to the camera you know, in other instances of murder by police on tape, we may see the victim through a body cam, which obsecures the offictr wearinghe camera. We may see it from a distance on a security camera. Its very rare th weve seen both parties in the frame looking directly toward th lens. For me, thats what was startling. I really had tinterrogate for myself, why is this bringing me to mknees . Pecially when im so used to watchinwatching this stuff. That i could see that whiten officers face, i could see his disdain, i could see his intention, in my view. I could see the callous diegard for human life. Woodruff and, darren walker, theres a gutlevel demand for justice right now. What okwould justice ike . We need to reform the systems that produce too much injustice, omicting with our ec system. We have to look at fundal systems in our economy, like the basic question of how much capital do we allocate for works so that we dont have an economy that poduces too much prospairt for people like me, and too little prosperity for people like george floy we have to look at our criminal Justice System and ask why is ie lock up so many black and brown men and women inhis country . Educational systemd ask why is it that we have scho districts side by si, one affluent with the rich tax base and great schools; next door, a poor district without school books. This is america. The question is ll we go back to the playbook that we always do, which is to have leaders make statements, to have corporations issue platitudes, make some contributions to black then go back a to business as usual . That playbook will not work on this occasion. Woodruff well, when it comes to thefoplaybook the future, at first, it seems to me, people need to talk about and need to have come to some duvernay, on o is at fault here . We know the policemen are involved. Is generations ofWhite Americans . Is it the Police Across the country . Is it politicians . Who is at fault . All of the problems that were seeing nowtheir foundations lie in our racis history as a country thats never been reconciled. Who believ in justice andle dignity of all nlors ad kinds, can we digest that and start to let it nourish us as we really try to dismantle sythestems . Well have to get out of the framework, the way of thinking that any of this is salvageable, because its truly ltnot. Its bon a Rotten Foundation i would just say, judy, to this point, we have to also acknowledge that what has happened in this country inthe last two decades is a context of growing inequality in america. And we have d many white people who feelleft behind. Inequality is so pernicious in a democracy. Because inequality asphyxiates hope, and hope is the ygen of democracy. And so we have too many hopeless people, black and white. BuAfrican Americans have a historic reckoning that this country has never come to terms ath. We ha generation of downwardly mobile white people so this country. E have today a confluence of o realities the reality of black. Which is right, and the reality of growing white that is what we aeing on our streets. Woodruff given that, ava duvernay, how do begin to make a difference . Its really about inviting people, particularly caucasian people, to put their Heads Together and think about strategies and tacticsthat only white people can really do. It imagine folk got together who were well meaning people who believed ijustice and dignity for all, packed together with strategies along those lines, very muscular, very demonstratbevend statements, beyond social media hashtags, but thought of strategies to actually work to dismantle these things actively, e think it would be a g changer. Woodruff darren wal, Civil Rights Movement, there was dr. Martin luther king and oer leaders from the white community, from the black community, leading the way. Who were the leaders of today . There are courageous leaders willing to raise their hands, to roll up their sleeve. We have to be the leaders we need. We need our Corporate Leaders to throw out their playbook and start afresh, to get over, put a nail in the coffin of the milt y iedman ideology that corporations orpose is to make money for shareholders. We have to have oury polmakers and our political system respond to the people who are in the streets. I am inspired by these protesters. The Peaceful Protesters who society. Anto live in a that is not too mh to ask. And the time has come for america to save itself, to save our democracy. Woodruff ava duvernay, what would yyou about this question of who do we look to for leadership . And the other question i have for you is what do you say to the Young African american boy orirl who is sitting there right now, maybe maybe with a white friend, both ofhem fearful about the future . Weve learned from r American History that leadership with one leader put on a pedestal is derangerous. Y black leader that has risen through the American Media apparatus has been killed or exiled, and a distributed leadership model is the most healthy and most productive in that there is no one ace to pinpoint the scorn of the system. I would tell young people that these are not our darkest days. That our darkt days are when voices were being ppressed. When black people were not white power structure. Ad by the where we were not able to walk into municipal buildings, having to go through the back. There have been gains made. We have to use those as tools in this new era and keep developing our systems and our strategies to def ourselves, and so thats what i would invite the next generation to start thinking a now. A lot of white people called ane texted me, great friends of asking me, what do i do . And my answer is educate yourself. There have been white allies throughout the history of amoica who have gottengether and come up with muscular strategies for change. And manyv of them e worked. And so, i feel like theres kind of this what do i do what do i do . Which really is asking for black labor in is moment to help you think through what to do. Trust me, theres something to woodruff and that brings us to the last question i had, darren walker, which is how udo ive people hope . What is the message of hope that you have right now for everyone i watching . Very hopeful, judy. There are so many reasonfor hope. First, because we live in a democracy, and every american needs to vote. We can see ons the streetross this country reasons for hope r,g, black, and brown and qund people in wheelchairs, people old and young in the streets. They are in the stres because they, too, love america. They wnt america to be america. I believe that we can do better, and thats where hope lies. Inbelieve that this might be a tipoint. Its hard to say. You know, but im hopeful that it is. And ill be working to engage with that hope actively. And thats what i i vite others to do alongside us. Woodruff ava duvernay, darren walker, we thank you both so much. Thank you. Thank you. Woodruff we turn now to the issue of policing and start by hearing from someone who knows firsthand about law forcement and its intersection with black americans. Four years ago, Terence Crutcher was shot and killed by a Police Officer in tulsa, oklaha. Yamiche alcindor recely spoke with his sister, tfany. And a warning se of the images will be difficult to watch. My name is dr. Terence crutcher, twin sister of Terrence Crutcher who was killed in tulsa, oklama, in 2016 by a white police ofcer by the na of betty joe shelby. Birrence, they called him anytimcrutch. He was a gentle giant. He was just a beautiful, beautiful soul. sirens he was leaving to go to a Church Service with my mom and daand, 15 minutes later, he was dead. And so, his vehicle stalled in the middle of th road. From the testimony of betty elby, she said she thought he was high, and that he may have been having a mental hea breakdown, and she wanted to help him. And then saw terrance nt communicating, not looking well, and she lled for backup. Next thing we know, if you look at the video, theres police ceoffi fleeing in, there are hecopters looming. I think he may have just been tasered. Shots fired and then the video just stops, and terrence is gone. And we found out that he tawas d and shot simultaneously, and i know he arwas und. And i know he didnt see the bullet coming. And the next thing that i remember and that i see ery night when i lay down is dyhis n the ground with blood everywhere. What was your reaction to watcng the death of george floyd on video . George on video, i felt like terrance was shot all over again. This time, it ntwas diffe you know, hearing george cry out for his mom, nd watching the officer not even care orove, elicited a stress reaction physically. And i couldnt sleep for at least three days. And broke out inhives from the stress. And its just been i would s traumatizing. What dont people understand are killed on video . Loved ones whats not shown about your experience . Whats not shown is that its impacting us in a severe way, from a Mental Health standpoint. R example, i got pulled over after terrence was killed, and i took his little boye, tence jr. , and some of his cousins to the movies. And nen the police ted on the lights and just sped up behind us, we pulled over, but the kids were screaminghi ng, weistorichysterically, sai going to be shot. Were going to be killed. I had to calm him down. Terrences kids are still in counseling. They go twice a month. And right now, his daughters are saying, i wish that ople would have protested for my dad like theyre doing for george, like theyre doing for ahmaud, and theye dealing with the situation every single day, every time that happens on national tv. Woodruff sewev that same exhaustion, anger and frustration in the thousands aro thousands ofsters out across the country. For many, George Floyds death was just the latest exa omp decades of mistreatment by Law Enforcement. Like floyds and tual cases, crutchers, and rodney king before the statistics show africanamericans bear a disproportionate toll at the hands of police. A 2019 study found that black men and boys are almost 2. 5 times more likely to be kille by police than white men and boys. Arbut the diies manifest in ways beyond fatal encountersl and, as we war, the effect on many black americans from all walks of life runs Yamiche Alcindor will have a conversation on all this, but first, we hear more voices of those affected. Y life for no reason of your i want to be able to outside, do whatever i nt to do, stop worrying about somtrying to call the cops on me because im standing in front of their store, or someone calling the cops on usme beim walking across the street or i want to walk in their store with a hoodie on. Thats how i want to walk. For it to be 2020 and this is still happening, its heartbreaking and nothg is being done. Its happening so much, they expect a black mans life each n month is going to be taby the police. I have been stopped by the police when i had a whfrite gind, and he asked how we knew each other and i told him. He said, i guess thats permitted now. Have four children, and ive worked so hard to cultivate their lis and their beingness. And so the idea that they can have a random encounter with a Police Officer, and they get d o eir life, they get to end their future. F my plans were to actually be a police oficer, but then i realized that one good apple in a bad batch really doesntmake a difference, because once you sign your life over to that badge, youave to be loyal to who you work for. My hope for the future is that the injustices that continue to happen over and ovet again, thy can be learned from and used as a lessonn order to create change. For a closer look at these concerns and fears im joined by tracie keesee, cofounder for the center of policing and equity. She is also a former denver lice captain and a former n. Y. P. D. Discipline commissioner of equity and inclusion. And tef poe. Hes an activist anrper who arted hands up united, in reaction to the killing of Michael Brown in ferguson, missouri. The Group Advocates for moacre untability in policing. Thank you so much for both of you for being here. Im going to start with you, tef. Whayour reaction to seeing the video of george floyd i felt very disturbed that a Law Enforcement officer could murder somebody like that in cold blood. And i was even more disturbed by the fact that the other officers stood around and wated it and i think that speaks a lot about the state of oucountry today. Tracie, what did you think when you saw that white Police Officer kneeling on George Floyds neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds . For me its not just why, why are you doing is that thaad . It is one of which why is everybody standing around and why isnt anybody intervening . I think like most, i was almost physically sick to my stomach. Again conflicted. I have been in unifor i hartainly been in spaces where i had to userce. But the Immediate Reaction to me is why agn . Y are we here. Tef talk to me about your experience asa black man and interactions with police. I try to keep my interaction with law enfcement as minimalistic as possible. It can go any type iof way those discourses and it usually distribute go in my vor. Even if im calling the police on someone that could be attacking me or breaking intoy home. It could still result in me ending up the person thats dead. So my first memory of the police in a rl sense as a young black boy is my father pulling into a had drove into a neighborhoodw and got lost. And the police pulled into the driveway and pulled us over, pulled him t the car, questioned him, threatened to take him to jail because they said that they kn we didnt live at that house. Nd i just remember that. And thats thleft a lasting impression to me about interacting with the Police Almost for the rest of my life, even to beinunger adult myself whos had pistols aimed at me by the police, shot at by the police. Reporty,er trhat do you make of what tef is saying . Where have yoseen bias play out in policing, foand what s do you think need to take place . N, so, i mef doesnt need me to validate his voice. I think he said it perfectly. Icat is the experience of many black men in amthat he so aptly described. And when we talk about where do you see bias . I mean, you see bias in all areas. But i think what weve got to do is back up and understand the system of criminal justice itself was designed to do exactly what its designedo do. And so, when we talk about structural racism, we talk about how it plays out and what it looks like. We know theres disparities in the outcomes of poling and happening here today movement. Eform thisgs a movement thats go to require something absolutely different than what is happenin and unless there is a ordinated efrt to look at what we are calling policing today, and if were not taking into account about howmm ities believe that Public Safety should be served and we can talk about