Race matters america in crisis,a pbs newshour special. Woodruff good evening, im judy woodruff. Welcome this pbs newshour special, race matters america e crisis. The death of geooyd at the hands of police in minnesota has ignited outrage across t world and once again exposed the deep wounds of racism here in the u. S. Protesters have filled the s in cities large and small, demanding justice and change. The vast majority have bn peaceful, but there has been violence and looting, anag thereve beeessive tactics from Law Enforcement. How americans see all this is filtered in part through the new poll, one we d n. P. R. O our and marist. 62 of americans say they believe the demonstrations areat legitiprotests. 77 of black americansthat way, but among White Americans, its 58 . 28 of all americans say they lieve the demonstrations are people acting unlawfully. We want to examine how we got to this moment and where we go from here. That is a long conversation, and we think itsmportant to start by listening to black americans. 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 have thought long and hard about black history and americas future. Filmmaker and producer Ava Duvernays work has focused on the black experience, including the film selma, the documentaryse13th, and the es when they see us. Her media y, array, has a new online educational platform about these issues. Ke darren wis t president on, whicord foundati works to reduce poverty, improve equality and social justice. For the record, the foundation is a funder of the newshour. Sreenivasan Darren Walker let me stawith you. Why do you think what happenedto eorge floyd and the reaction to it has the hold on us that io seemave, these massive protests that go on day osafter day a this country . Judy, i think the moment of reckoning for this country on race has co. George floyd 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 communityre not surprised. I think for White America, White America was deeply wounded and shocked by the visual of his murder over eight and a half minutes. And i think for White America, deniability of racism in our policing and in our nation is longer an option. And that is why it hs gripped us and resonates so deeply in the american psyche. Ava duvernay, is it sometng that is repeat of what weve seen over and over again or is it something ditfferent of w 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 pe testifying that was unusual. As someone who unfortunately watches this material a lot for my work. And that was the very clear framing oboth people looking directly to the cmera. You know, in other instances of murder by police on tape, may cam, which obsecures the officer wearing the camera. We may see it from a distance on a security camera. Its very rare that weve en both parties in the frame looking directly toward the lens for me, thats what was startling. I real had to interrogate fo myself, why is this bringing me to my knees . Especially when im so used t watchinwatching this stuff. And i came to the conclusion that i could see at white officers face, i could see his disdain, i could see his intention, in my view. I could see the callous disregard for human life. Woodruff and, Darren Walker, theres a gutlevel demand for justice right now. What would justice look like . We need to reform the systems that produce too much injustice, starting with our economic we hav look at fundamental tostem. Systems in our economy, like the basic questio of how much capital do we allocate for workers so th we dont have an economy that produces too osmuch irt for people like me, and too little prosperity for people like george floyd. We have to look at our criminal Justice System and ask why is it we lock up so many black and brown men and women inhis country . We have to look at our educationasystem and ask why is it that we have School Districts side by side, one affluent with the richax base and great schools; next door, a poor district without school books. This is america. The question is will we go back to the playbook that we alys do, which is to have leaders make statements, to have corporations issue pl satitudes, maome contributions to black organizations and then go bac b iness as usual . That playbook will not workon this occasion. Woodruff well, when it comes to the playbook for the future, at first, it seems to me, people need to talk about and need to have come to some kind of an agreement, ava duvernay, on who is at fault here . We know the polen are involved. Is it generations of White Americans . Is it the Police Across the country . Is it politicians . Who is at fault . Alhe problems that were seeing now, their foundations lie in our racist story as a country thats never been reconciled. The question now is do people who believin justice and dignity of all corsd annds, can we digest that and start to let it nouri us as we really try to dismantle these systems . Thll have to get out of framework, the way of thinking that any of this is salvageable, because its truly not. Its built on a rotten foundation. I would just say, judy, to this point, we have to also acknowledge that what has happened in this country in the last two decades is a context of growing inequality in america. And we have had many white people who el left behind. Inequality is so pernicious in a democracy. Because inequality asphyxiates hope, and hope is the oxygen of democracy. And so we have too many hopeles people, black and white. But African Americans have a historic reckoning that this country has never come t terms with. We have a generation of downwardly mobile white people h this country. So wee today a confluence of two realities the reality of black. Which is right, and the reality of growing white economic vulnerability. That is what we are seeing on our street woodruff given that, ava duvernay, how do you begin to make a difference . Its reinly abouviting people, particularly caucasian people, to put their Heads Together and think about strategies and tactics that onl white people can really do. Agine white folk got together who were well meaning people who believed in justice and dignity for all, packed together wih strategies along those lines, very muscular,very demonstrative, beyond statements, beyond social med hashtags, but thought of strategies to actually work to dismantlein these actively, i think it would be a game ufanger. Woo Darren Walker, Civil Rights Movement, there was dr. Martin luther king and other leaders from the white community, from the black community, leading the way. Who were thade s of today . Willing to raise their hands, to roll upheir sleeve. We have to be the leaders we need. We need our Corporate Leaders to throw out their playbook and startfresh, to get over, put a il in the coffin of the Milton Friedman ideology that corporations only purpose is to make money for shareholders we he to have our policymakers and our political system respond to the people who are in the streets. I am inspired by the protesters. The Peaceful Protesters who simply want to live in fair society. That is not too much to ask. And the time has come for america to save itself,to save our democracy. Woodruff ava duvernay, what would you ousay this question of who do we look to for leadershir and the otestion i have for you is what do you say to the Young African arican b or girl who is sitting there right now, maybe maybe with a white friend, both of them fearful about the fture . Weve learned from our American History that leadership with one leader put on a every black leader that has risen through the American Media apparatus has been killed or exiled, and a distributed leadership m is the most healthy and most productive in that there is no one place to pinpoint the scorn of the system. I would tell young people that ese are not our darkest days. That our dark est daare when voices were being suppressed. When black people were not allowed it write or read by the white power structure. Where we were not able to walk into municipal buildings, having to go through the back. There have been gains made. This new era and ke developing our systems and our strategies to defend ourselves, and so thats what i would invite the next generation to start thinking about now. Edlot of white people called me and text me, great friends of mine, people they love dearly,e, asking what do i do . And my answer is educate yourself. There have been white allies throughout the history of america who have gotten together and come up with muscur strategies for change. And many of them have worked. And so, feel liheres kind of this what do i do . What do i do . Which really is asking for black labor in this moment to help you think through what to do. Trust metheres something to do right where you are. F woodrufnd that brings us to the last question i had, Darren Walker, which is how do you give people hope . What is e message of hope that you have right now for everyone tching . I am 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 on the streets across this country reasons forho young, black, and brown an queer, and people in wheelchairs, people old and young in the streets. They are in the streets because they, too, erlove amica. They want america to be america. I believe that we can do better, and thats where hope lies. I believe that this might be a tipping point. Its hard to say. You know, but im hopeful that it is. And ill be working to engage with that hope actively. D thats what i i invite 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 fromsomeone who knows firsthand about Law Enforcement and its intersection with blk americans. Four yearscr ago, terenccher was shot and killed by a Police Officer in tulsa, oklahoma. With his sister, tfany. Ly spoke and a warning some of the images will be difficult to watch. My name is dr. Terence crutcher, twin sier of Terrence Crutcher who was killed in tulsa, oklahoma, in 2016 by a of betty joe shelby. By the name terrence, they called him anytime big crutch. He was a gentle giant. He was just a beautiful, beautiful soul. sire service with my mom and dad, and 15 minutes later, he was dead. O, and his vehicle stalled in the middle of the road. From the testimony of betty shelby, sheaid she thought he was high, and that he may have been having a mental hea alth breakdow she wanted to help him. And then saw terrance not communicating, not looking well, and she callefor backup. Next thing we know, if you look at the video, theres Police Officers fleeing in,there are helicopters loomin i think he may have just been tasered. Shots fired and then the video jst stops, and terrence is gone. And we found out that he was tased and shot simultaneously, and i know he ans unarmed. I know he didnt see the bullet coming. And the next thing that i remember and that i see evt ery nien i lay down is his bodyn the ground with bloodhe ever. What was your reaction to watching the death of george floyd on video . George on video, i felt like terrance was shot all over again. This time, it was difuferent. Know, hearing george cry out for his mom, andatching the officer notven care or mov elicited a stress reaction physically. And i couldnt sleep for at least three days. And broke out in hives from the stress. And its just been i would stiay traung. What dont people understand about families whose loved ones are killed on video . Whats not shown about your experience . Whs not shown is that its impacting us in a severe way, from a Mental Health standpoint. For example, i got pulled over afte terrence was killed, and i took his little boy, terrence jr. , and some of his cousins to the movies. Ce turned oe poli the lights and just sped up behind us, we pulled over, but the kids were screaming historicallhistorichystericallye going to be shot. Were going to be killed. I had calm him down. Terrences kids are still in counseling. They go twice a month. And right now, his daughters are saying, i wish that people uld have protested for my dad like theyre doing for george,y or like t doing for ahmaud, and theyre dealing with the situation every single day, every time that happens on national tv. Woodruff weve seen that same exhaustion, anger and frustration in the thousands and thousands of protesters out ache country. For many, George Floyds death was just the latest example of decades of mistreatment by Law Enforcement. Beyond the individual cases, like floyd and terence crutchers, and rodney king before them, statistics show africanamicans bear a disproportionate toll at the hands of police. A 2019 study found that black men and boys are almost 2. 5 by police than white men anded boys. But the di isparities manifest ways beyond fatal encounters and,ts we will hear, the eff on many black americans from all walks of life runsceep. Yamiche ndor will have a conversation on all this, but first, we hear more voices of those affected. You have a daily fear of your life for no reason. I want to be able to outside, do whatever i want t do, stop worrying about someone trying to call the cops on me because standing in front of their store, or someone calling the cops on me because im walki across the street or i want to walk in their store with a hoodiei n. Thats howant to walk. Its normal. For it to be 2020 and this is still happening, its heartbreaking and nothing is being done. Its happening so much, they expect a black mans life each be taken bying t the police. I have been stopped by the police when i had a white girlfriend, and he asked how we knew each other and i told him. He said, i guess thats permitted now. I have four children, and ive worked so hard to cultivate their lives and their beingness. And so the idea that they ca have a random encounter with a end their life, ty get to endto their future. My plans were to actually be a Police Officer, but then i realized that one good apple a bad batch really doesnt make a difference, because once you sign your life over badge, you have to be loyal to who you work for. That the injustices that continue to happen over and over agn, that they can be learned from and used as a lesson in 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. Shis also a former Denver Police captain and a former of equity and inclusion. Issioner and tef poe. Hes an activist and rapper who arted hands up united, in reaction to the killing of Michael Brown in ferguson, missouri. The Group Advocates for more accountability policing. Thank you so much for both of you for being here. Im going to start with you, tef. What was your reaction to seng 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 watched it and i think that speaks a lot about the state of our country today. When you saw that white police floyds neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds . For me its not justwhy, why are you doing is that thaad . It is one of ich why is everybody standing around and i think like most, i was almost physically sick to my stomach. N agnflicted. I have been in uniform. I have certainly been in spaces where i had to use force. Buthe Immediate Reaction to me is why again . Why are we here. Tef talk to me about your experience as a black n and interactions with police. I try to keep my interactions withaw enforcement as minimalistic as possible. It can go any type of way in it usuallyourses and distribute go in my favor. On someone that could bepolice attacking me or breaking into my home. It could still result in me ending up the person thats dead. Y soirst memory of the police in a real sense as a young ack boy is my father pulling into a driveway to back out because we had drove into a neighborhood and got lost. Driveway and pulled us over, pulled him out the car, questioned him, threatened to take him to jail because they said that they knew we didnt live at that house. And i just remember that. And that that left a lasting impression to me about interacting with the Police Almost for the rest of my life, even to being a younger adult myself whos had pistols dai at me by the police, shot at by the police. Reporter tracy, what do you make of what tef is saying . Wherhave you seen bias play out in policing, and what reforms do you think need to take place . So, i mean, tef doesnt need me to validate his voice. I think he said it perfectly. That is the experience of many black m in america that he so aptly described. And when we talk about where do you see bias . I mean, you see bias in all areas. K but i th what weve got to do is back up and understand the system of criminal justices itself wasigned to do exactly what its designed to do. And so 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 policing. And whats happening hday is not a reform movement. This is a movement teqts gog tore something absolutely different than what is happening. Coordinated effort t