We Count! part 12

sit the Dorothea right quick here again this is stuff we've all been reading over the last couple of weeks a number of stories have come out about the tension that exists between the Congressional Black Caucus and the White House google these stories they're everywhere about the tension between the CBC folk who we have elected for years many of them to represent our interest in Congress tension between the CBC and the White House there are a number of there are a number of persons who have suggested from the New York Times or The Washington Post and LA Times folk who have suggested that as long as and the president has echoed this himself in his own interviews the argument goes like this as long as he knows that he is beloved by the masses of black people am i right about this it has an approval rating in the 86 90 percentile as long as he knows he's beloved by black people he can circumvent elected officials appointed officials when and if he chooses to because he knows he can come right to us through Steve Harvey through Tom joiner through Michael Baisden through russ par through Doug banks all friends of mine he picks up the phone he calls into these black radio shows he makes his case but the tension on a legislative agenda that focuses on black people hangs in the balance this tension between him and the CBC is real talk to me about this notion that he can circumvent that tension and come right to the people and get cover well first of all I think it is real I was in Washington two weeks ago and I was talking to some of the black leadership and they were really telling me about consumer concerns they had and they said when they bring their concern it just kind of gets slapped back there's no really respect if you notice when the black when black when Black Caucus came up and then we begin to talk about jobs he just dismissed them Gutierrez one Latino guy fans start talking about what he wanted he got embraced he's not fearful other black caucus I think that black people have to understand that we have really in terms of black little empowerment since President Obama billion have been diminished because black people now embracing them and saying don't do nothing but on the local level then I voted because they think if they put somebody in they're gonna do the same thing black political empowerment has really been diminished because what's gonna happen what's gonna happen here in Illinois there's a very tight Senate race as we well know a type Senate race here in Illinois for the seat that Senator Obama President Obama used to have in the Illinois State Senate he had the seat run for the White House and wins Roland burrs gets appointed by the former governor of the ROI which he has announced roland Burris and he's not going to run a game there's a very tight race neck-and-neck nobody black in the race two white men running against each other so there's gonna be no black diversity at the moment in the United States Senate but two black men out of Illinois Republican Democrat running against each other two major parties at least two black to white men running against each other what would happen how would it shake up the body politic if that see were lost by Democrats that's see let me first say it doesn't matter what you get in the Republican under Democrat black folks have lost because black people don't feel and we have a right to have someone in the Senate you can be Democrat and Republican as long as we've been in this country we don't have representation in the Senate and when we get one we still celebrating the first of the only so it really doesn't matter but I want to tell you about the politics in Illinois right now black people in Illinois and in Chicago we're very angry we're angry for several reasons we have an opportunity now to appoint a lieutenant governor the black person who was next in line should have that seat but because we don't count because people take us for granted they just would pass them and gonna reach over and get somebody else black people are really you Chicago is gonna surprise a lot of people because right now is not the party it's the person who's for the people dr. West BSU one second Jessie I'm sorry brother West let me let me ask you about the fact that let me let me rephrase this there are some who believe that the critique leveled against President Obama when we have conversations like the ones we're having today where there are certain viewpoints expressed that are challenging to the president that that but that kind of commentary makes his job more difficult it it gives solace to and energy to a right-wing movement these are already up against everyday what about that notion that this kind of critique this kind of commentary this kind of challenge makes his job more difficult and gives give gives give some some heft to the right-wing argument against him already I'm glad you can you hear me no I'm glad you raised that because that's very real there are a number of highly misguided right-wing what white brothers and sisters who are engaged in assault and attack and could even attempt to kill him so we have to protect our brother there's no doubt about that and we had to keep track of those forces that will lie degree in the same way that we concern with anybody he is our brother he needs to be protected he needs to be respected but love also leads us to say he needs to be called rented corrected winning side with the strong against the weak and that's why this gathering is not just significant but I think the world can see the truth-telling that has taken place around this table already with tears flowing in our eyes precisely because we know the level of suffering that's taking place this very moment I want to just say a quick word though about what my dear brother I was talking about in terms of the forces around brother Barack Obama people might recall three years ago in Jamestown we told folk anybody who makes it to the Oval Office is going to in some way be predicated on various interests that historically have been indifferent to black people poor people and working people it is not just white brothers and sisters in the abstract we're talking about corporate interests we're talking about Wall Street oligarchs we're talking about those at the top that has been making billions and billions and billions of dollars when 21% of all America's children live in poverty and 38% of black children live in poverty this is not just black versus white we're talking about corporate elites at the highest level well when you look at the folk around brother Barack Obama Tim Geithner Larry Summers Goolsbee all of them come out of the Wall Street context so already it was clear that they have no history of being concerned with poor and working people where were the progressive voices trade union voices black voices brown voices red voices who got him in now he could say well brother West I needed to reassure the establishment and therefore I had to bring in the folk who helped create the crisis and the mess in the first place I'll say my brother I love you is plausible but it's not persuasive it's not persuasive same is true on international scene America is an empire in relative decline because of corporate greed because of military overstretch war in Afghanistan war in Iraq drones in Pakistan and steel siding with right-wing forces in Latin America it's in the cultures in relative decay because if we can put the greed and the lust and keep people so obsessed with their immediate pleasure you can pacify them keep them fearful and never stand up for justice you can't have a movement for freedom if everybody's obsessed with lust for pleasure that's why the young generation is hungry for more than the love but all they are getting every day is orgiastic FreePlay obsession with stimulation generation are concerned with broader struggles for freedom that's why our attempt here is really an act of ancestor appreciation we are here because of Marcus Garvey and Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X and old person who love black folk enough so in that particular tradition wanting to tell the truth we here because of Frederick Douglass and I to be Wells Barnett and Martin King and you know what we're here because of nameless anonymous grandmothers and grandfathers who loved us enough because we are who we are that people loved us and we're gonna love folks on the bottom and spill over even when they're corporate forces around our dear brother that tilts them toward investment bankers if Jamal and latisha can be treated with the privilege then investment bankers on Wall Street are we could be breakdancing right now we wouldn't have that adult

Channel: WYCC PBS Chicago

Views: 718,363

Keywords: Tavis, Smiley, Wayne, Watson, Chicago, State, University, Father, Phleger, St., Sabina, Jesse, Jackson, Julianne, Malveaux, Louis, Farrakhan, Tom, Burrell, obama, black, agenda

Id: c4EDZSPAhPo

Length: 9min 17sec (557 seconds)

Published: Thu Mar 25 2010