March 2, 2026 • 59 mins
This week on The Black Perspective, we celebrate the life and enduring legacy of civil rights activist and minister Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., featuring a powerful tribute segment from Andrea Coleman.
Alexandria Ikamoni sits down with Georgia Attorney General and Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Carr as we begin hearing from key candidates in battleground states ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
Esther Dillard breaks down the latest State of the Union Address with South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn, offering insight into what it means for Black America and the road ahead.
And Roland S. Martin joins us for commentary.
Listen Now!
Alexandria Ikamoni sits down with Georgia Attorney General and Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Carr as we begin hearing from key candidates in battleground states ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
Esther Dillard breaks down the latest State of the Union Address with South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn, offering insight into what it means for Black America and the road ahead.
And Roland S. Martin joins us for commentary.
Listen Now!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's Sunday, March first, the first Sunday of the month,
and on today's show, we continue to celebrate and remember
the life and legacy of civil rights activist and Reverend
Jesse Jackson. And it's worth replaying our tribute segment from
Andrea Coleman. The Black Information Networks. Alexandria Ikimoni talks to
Georgia's Attorney General and Republican governor candidate Chris Carr. As
(00:23):
we start to hear from candidates and key battleground states
across the country for election twenty twenty six. Esther Dillar
recaps the State of the Union address with South Carolina
Congressman Jim Clyburn, and we get this week's commentary from
Roland S.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Martin.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
These stories are coming your way. On today's program, Welcome
to the Black Perspective.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
I'm your host, Mike Island.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Welcome to the Black Perspective, a weekly community affairs program
on the Black Information Network featuring interviews and discussions on
issues important to the Black community.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Good Sunday, and welcome to the Black Perspective. In this
era of increasing political contention and threat of social regression
for Black America and the passing of the Reverend Jesse Jackson,
it's reminding us of the brave men and women who
helped America become more inclusive and accepting some diversity indifference.
While many of those battles took place on the political front,
(01:18):
the Black Information that works, Andrea Coleman found out, for
the Reverend Jesse Jackson, the fight for unity went much deeper.
Speaker 5 (01:26):
Mica Cummon theme among the many tributes being shared in
honor of the late Reverend Jesse Jackson is a dignity
he brought to people's lives, and not just Black Americans,
but everyone, especially those who didn't see their own beauty,
value and worth. It is the underlying message of a
poem he adapted and titled I Am Somebody, originally penned
by Reverend William Holmes Border Senior, a civil rights activist
(01:49):
and pastor at the Greater Wheat Street Baptist Church in Atlanta,
Georgia in the early nineteen forties. Jackson introduced his version
of that poem during an appearance on PBS A Sesame
Street in nineteen seventy two. He went on to make
that point into a song before it became a mantra.
He used throughout his political career and humanitarian advocacy work.
But for Reverend Jackson, the phrase was more than a
(02:11):
political message. It was the guiding principle of his life
as a minister of faith and champion of human rights,
and his commitment to it made a difference in the
lives of a lot of people. For some young black
leaders coming up behind him, his sincere care for others
is a distinguishing mark they looked to emulate.
Speaker 6 (02:29):
When I look out at this convention, I see the
faith of America, red, yellow, brown, black and white. We're
all precious in God's sight, the real Rainbow Coalition.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
This speech by Reverend Jesse Jackson, delivered at the Democratic
National Convention at Atlanta, Georgia, in nineteen eighty eight, is
said to be one of his greatest and most influential ever.
Jackson giving voice and defense to the common man and
woman of every race and creed.
Speaker 6 (03:01):
Most poor people are not lazy. They are not black,
they're not round. They're most of white and female and young.
But we the white, black and brown a hungry babies
fail to turn inside out. Is the same color colored pain,
(03:25):
color it hurt. Call it agony.
Speaker 7 (03:29):
Most poor people.
Speaker 6 (03:32):
Are not on welfare. Some of them are illiterate and
can't read the want add sections. When they can't, they
can't find a job that matches their address.
Speaker 7 (03:42):
They work hard every day.
Speaker 6 (03:44):
I know I live amongst them. I'm one of them.
I know they were.
Speaker 5 (03:49):
Throughout the speech, Jackson, who is vying to be the
Democratic Party's nominee that year, urges America in the world
to find common ground, to embrace difference and diversity, not
reject them. It is a speech born out of personal
hardship and testimony.
Speaker 6 (04:05):
Jess Jackson, you don't understand my situation. You'll be on television.
You don't understand. I see you with the big people.
You don't understand my situation. I understand you'll see me
(04:28):
on TV, But you don't know the mean that makes
me mean. They wonder why does jest They're run because
they see me running.
Speaker 7 (04:38):
For the White House.
Speaker 6 (04:40):
They don't see the house I'm running from. I have
a story.
Speaker 5 (04:45):
Born to a single mother in Greenville, South Carolina, on
October eighth, nineteen forty one. Poverty and the sting of
rejection that often accompanies it were Jackson's teachers giving understanding
of the concepts of shame, isolation, and disregard of others.
But unlike many of us who run from the truth
of deprivation, Jackson embraced it, studied it, and used the
(05:06):
knowledge of its lessons to confront it, becoming one of
the world's most powerful warriors for those experiencing the same
Your thoughts, Representative Pearson on the late Reverend Jesse Jackson.
Speaker 8 (05:19):
I believe Reverend Jackson is a lion in the civil
rights community and for Black Americans who have sought to
pursue civil rights and justice in so many different regards.
You know, there's an old phrase that we always say
is that we stand on the shoulders of giants, And
the truth is, he's a giant whose shoulders I've been
(05:40):
privileged and fortunate to stand on. Whether it be his
work in the political world has constant pursuit of civil
rights and justice for people who are marginalized, advancing the
issues of the poor and those who have been downtrodden
because of systems of oppression.
Speaker 5 (05:56):
For Tennessee State Representative Justin Pearson, who is currently running
for a seat in the US House of Representatives, Jackson's
words are foundational to his political aspirations Pearson, a thirty
one year old Black millennial who is some fifty years
younger than the late Minister of Hope, says he feels
an imperative his generation carry on Jackson's work. Have you
(06:17):
ever met him personally and had a conversation with him.
Speaker 8 (06:21):
I've been very fortunate to meet him on a couple
of different occasions in Memphis when he was at the
April fourth commemoration for doctor Martin Luther King Junior, and
I watched him lay the wreath that we do annually
and was able to meet him when he was downstairs.
But he also gave me a personal phone call after
(06:41):
I was expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives and
shared how proud he was of our advocacy, of our
standing up, of our speaking up and fighting for democracy,
these beliefs and these values, and you know, just the
importance of keeping the faith. And I was able to
introduce him to my wife, plus he was my fey
at the time over the phone, which was also extremely
(07:03):
in extraordinarily special for me.
Speaker 9 (07:05):
Very good.
Speaker 5 (07:06):
What do you think you, as a leader of today,
of this generation, will take from his leadership and his legacy.
Speaker 8 (07:16):
I think what I will take from Reverend Jackson's leadership
is that you cannot only lead people as relates to
policies and issues. You have to reaffirm their humanity. And
for years now I've actually been paying homage to him
when I speak at elementary, middle and high schools, using
(07:36):
the phrase towards the end of all my speeches, I
am somebody, because that sense of somebodyness is so important
that if our young people in particular don't understand that,
none of the rest matters. If we're talking about jobs
and workforce development and education and all those things, that's
nice and well. But if people's sense of self isn't
(07:58):
being affirmed by those who lead them, by those who
want to see them excel and to succeed, then it
truly is for naught. There's no need to increase the
minimum wage, of people's value for themselves is not being increased.
Speaker 5 (08:11):
That's so interesting that your leadership is emerging as this
class of black leaders are finding their way into periods
of transition. I think now we have probably Ambassador Andrew Young,
who is the last surviving member of doctor King's inner circle.
Considering that point, right, do you find it coincidental that
(08:35):
as we are experiencing some of what seems to be
a resurgence of the same kind of issues they overcame.
This transition is taking place.
Speaker 8 (08:46):
You know, it's really emotional thinking about it because you know,
I grew up fortunately at a church in spaces where
Joseph Lowry was preaching, right where people like Reverend Jackson
would be speaking, Ambassador Young would be engaged like those things.
(09:10):
You can't remake those moments and remake these types of
kinds of people. And so there's sort of a weight
to that recognition and reality right now, these ancestor angels
who from their labour's rest right like they did all
the marching, they did all the protesting. Uh, they did
(09:32):
all that that work and labor for us to be
elected representatives, to run for Congress, and to do the
things that we are doing. So there's a way to
it as a sadness. And also I think there's a
responsibility and an obligation that I feel, and I know
a lot of my peers feel, to carry the baton further. Right,
(09:55):
Like when people run I used to run track. If
you run your leg of the race, right, you got
to pass up a ton. And I had the literal
privilege and an honor of my life. When I was
in LA a couple of years ago and had the
chance to meet I guess I mean one of our
(10:16):
heroes in the civil rights movement who is a pastor
here in Memphis. He was a centenary church and you know,
literally doing the passing of the torch right like I
think in this moment is like a holy opportunity for
us to realize people like James Lawson, Reverend James Lawson,
(10:40):
like passing the torch to us to speak up, passing
the church to us, to stand up for a democracy,
passing the torch to us to fight for freedom and
justice and liberty as they did. Because this is our time, like,
this is our moment, and we have to do this
if we are to preserve this project that they've been
(11:01):
working on for such a long time.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
I love that so many of the answers that you
have provided us today have been riddled with faith mentions
of church and so forth. And so many of these
legendary civil rights leaders were ministers, They were ordained ministers.
They came out of the church and banned it together
from their various denominations and so forth, and they formed
(11:26):
a miny mighty movement. How important is faith in moving
us forward?
Speaker 8 (11:31):
There's no way we're going to go forward without faith.
I mean, whether you believe in Jesus Loving Christ of
the Christian faith, or you have faith and other things.
I think with what we are up against, is so
important that you have something that you realize is bigger
and more powerful than you. And we're up against some goliaths.
(11:53):
We're up against some giants, billionaires who are exploiting people
in our communities for their own profits. We want to
be dictator white supremacists as president of the United States,
wielding the influence of government to his will, killing American
citizens in city streets. This is a terrifying time that
(12:15):
we have to recognize the only way we're going to
get through this is together and believing in something greater
than ourselves is on our side. And I subscribe to
Black liberation Christian theology of Reverend doctor James Cohne that
God is on the side of the oppressed, and that
is where you will always find me marching, always find
(12:36):
me speaking up, always find me protesting. And I believe
that is what Reverend Jesse Jackson and the people who
we admire of our past. Ifanny low Hamer's the Dorothy Heights,
they said, where are the people who are being oppressed?
And that's where we must stand, and that's where we
must advocate, that's where we must fight. We can never
be so comfortable in our positionality and in our titles
(12:59):
and our prestige and our pedigree, so we stopped doing
the work of actually changing and moving the needle for
the people who needed the most.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Well. I had a front row seat to the life
and legacy of Jesse Jackson because he started A and
T in Greensboro and from Raleigh, so I followed his
career literally from the time he was a student there,
a part of the civil rights demonstrations at the lunch
(13:30):
counters in Greensboro in nineteen fifty, all the way through
his entire life.
Speaker 5 (13:36):
For Bill Campbell, the connection to Jackson's life and legacy
is a bit more intimate.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
I had the opportunity to spend time with him, to
watch his incredible transformation from a student to being a
leader to being a worldwide respected freedom fighter. And I
think his legacy would be one that has helped to
transform America into what we hope it would be. Rather
(14:03):
than what we thought it was, and the world has
lost a great leader.
Speaker 5 (14:09):
The former two term mayor of Atlanta says Reverend Jackson's
clarion call for unity and inclusion helped shape his approach
to leadership.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
I believe that Jesse's name will go down as one
of the great freedom fighters of the twentieth century, along
with Nelson Mandela and Doctor King, Reverend Abernathy, John Lewis, CG.
Vivian Osea Williams, and these are people that changed the world,
and his remarkable advocacy on behalf of four people will
(14:39):
also stand the test of time. He grew up in
abject poverty in South Carolina, overcame that and always advocated
for helping people to move from poverty to prosperity.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
One of his leadership style in the way that he
engaged politics can we take for today.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
I believe his style was one that is very unique
to our community because he was engaging on a personal level.
He didn't talk down to people, and I believe it's
because of his very humble roots. He connected with people,
He energized people. They saw in him what they thought
(15:23):
they could be. And I think that style is one
that has resonated and really helped to transform the political landscape.
There was no longer sort of a political elite. He
made politics personal and that is what it should be.
And his advocacy on behalf of poor people, on behalf
(15:44):
of people of color, women, those who were left out
has really, I think changed the way that we work
in politics today, and that's for the better. He made
politics more more of an inclusion rather than a top
down sport. And what he did during his life I
(16:09):
think challenges all of us to, no matter where we
come from, no matter what our date of life, that
we always understand that we can make the world better
if we self a fight for the principles of equity.
Speaker 5 (16:22):
I love that you know here in Atlanta people would
say some of the same things about you, that you
were a leader for the people. Was there anything that
you took from him personally in your leadership style when
you were mayor of the city here.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
I had a front row seat for the life of
Jesse Jackson. The Democratic National Convention was in Atlanta in
nineteen eighty eight, and I had a chance to go
and hear his speech, and I was always touched by
his amazing ability to connect with people on a very
personal level, and I think that helped me and it
(17:00):
made me a better politician and made me a person
who appreciated how the needs and the wants and the
desires of the people are more important than any policy.
It's really about what we can do to make people
lift them up from where they are to where they
want to be. And that's what I was aboul to
(17:21):
learn from Jesse Jackson.
Speaker 5 (17:23):
Yeah, well, you know, I think it's worth mentioning too
that you're your own history maker. I mean, you integrated
the schools of Raleigh, North Carolina. Your father was actually
an elected official, so you grew up in the midst
of this, and today you are actually still very much
surrounded by civil rights leaders or at least ambassador young
(17:45):
and in touch with the likes of the Reverend Jesse Jackson,
who just passed away. What of their era can you
speak to that would have bearing on today? I mean,
when you look at it, we saw that era, we're
seeing it kind of pass away, and we saw the
leaders that it groomed. You and the likes of Mark
(18:06):
Morriell and so many others who came and were able
to lead these urban centers. Why is that so very important.
How did that leadership set you guys up for the
success that you enjoyed.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
I believe fervently that watching doctor King and Reverend Abernathy
and Andy Young and John Lewis, j K Vivian and
they transformed being freedom fighters and civil rights heroes into
running for office and then making public policy that was
(18:39):
able to make tremendous changes in the lives of people
of color and people that had been left out and
left behind. And I think when you look at the
careers of myself and Mark Muriel and Tom Bradley and
a host of others mayors across the nation, as well
as congressmen and congresswomen, I think what it has instilled
(19:02):
in us is that the fight never dones whatever it
is that we believe, we have to put that belief
into advocacy. And that's what I learned from these great
freedom fighters. And we are privileged in Atlanta to have
had a coalition that's never been a symbol anywhere in
the world. When you imagine that Andy Young and Evan
(19:24):
Abernaffi and John Lewis and Andy Yale, Jessic Jackson and
the Usvivian Jose Williams, and these are people that made
the Declaration of Independence. The words there come to life.
And that's what I'm so proud of that we were
able to see and work with and actually have relationships
with these great leaders. And now the mailfolds on us
(19:47):
to mix. Third, if we pass that on to the
next generation of leaders who will do the same thing
and even better. You know, there's an old Biblical proverb thatsist.
We live in cities we did not build means our
obligation to give our children a better world than what
we inherited. And that's what is represented in the lack
of Jeffrey Jackson.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
He really did walk his faith. I mean, he was
an ordained minister, but he wasn't behind the pulpit. It
seems as though he preached through his life.
Speaker 10 (20:20):
Yeah, he was, you know, a person that brought the
message to the neighborhoods, to the community centers, to the
public housing developments. He brought it to rural America, he
brought it to urban America. He brought the message to
American boardrooms.
Speaker 5 (20:36):
Mark Moriol, president and CEO of the National Urban League, agrees.
Speaker 10 (20:40):
So a mighty oak is smalland a giant of a man,
a generational difference maker, someone that spanned the h I think,
the bridge from civil rights to American politics, someone who
forty years ago, I think was far ahead of his
(21:03):
time and outlining a vision for the future of America.
He called it the Rainbow Coalition. It was an America,
a multi racial and multi ethnic democracy, and therefore his
relevance and what he stood for and what he represented
(21:24):
is important today. He indeed paid the way, I believe
for the Clinton presidency because he registered and energized African
American voters who were important to Clinton's election and reelection.
Speaker 5 (21:39):
For Moriel, who also served two terms as mayor of
New Orleans from nineteen ninety four to two thousand and two.
Jackson's uncanny ability to represent and uplift the average person
put him in a class few others have been courageous.
Speaker 9 (21:53):
Enough to be a part of.
Speaker 10 (21:55):
I think that, you know, Jesse Jackson brought the message
of economic opportunity and rights, and in that respect, you know,
I think he became one of many who worked hard
to continue the work of the nineteen sixties and the
work of doctor Martin Luther King.
Speaker 5 (22:13):
If you will talk a little bit of him being
really a voice for the voiceless, a representative of the
average man, average person.
Speaker 10 (22:20):
I think what's important to remember about Jesse Jackson is
he was grounded in the Christian faith tradition, and he
was grounded in the tradition of the New Testament, in
the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which was a gospel that
centered itself around the poor, the hungry, the ill, the afflicted,
(22:46):
the locked out, and the left out. And that if
you will foundation was so critical to the civil rights
movement of the sixties and I think helped to center
the political philosophy and the activist philosophy of Jesse Jackson
and many others. It had a moral grounding, and the
(23:09):
moral grounding was New Testament Christianity, and that should not
be forgotten. And I think that meant that in all politics,
for him and for many, including myself, it's about the purpose.
It's not about the quest for power or influence or
(23:29):
the stage for the sake of it. It's that all
of that is a means and a method to accomplish goals,
to make life better, to make America a more open society,
to create opportunity for all.
Speaker 5 (23:44):
What of his leadership can we take away for today.
Speaker 10 (23:48):
So I think what we can take away from his
leadership is that he was wireless. Reverend Jesse Jackson was tireless.
He worked. You know, probably eighty percent of his days
was spent on the road, traveling the nation, going into
communities to support, to assist in many, many important ways.
(24:12):
I think secondly, Jesse in many respects was a philosopher
and a bit of a historian and an intellectual because
he was always thinking, I think about how to communicate.
I think he was always thinking about how to continue
and strategize. I think he was always thinking about the
right tactics to further the aims of the civil rights
(24:34):
movement of the nineteen sixties. And to some extent, many
may have seen the Jesse who made great oratorical speeches.
Many may have seen the Jesse who led marches, but
many didn't get an opportunity like I did, to see
the Jesse behind closed doors, the Jesse Jackson, the diplomat
(24:57):
of the Jesse Jackson the negotiat creator. And I think
that's an important part of understanding the complete picture of who.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
This man was.
Speaker 5 (25:07):
Did he have a personal impression on you.
Speaker 10 (25:09):
Chirsty Jackson was a younger man when he ran for president,
he was in his forties, so for people like me
who were in our twenties, you know, he was reachable
and relatable. You know, he was cool, and he had swag.
You know, he didn't have this sort of simply this
buttoned up style, and that was relatable in those days.
(25:32):
And I think it helped us to see that in
elected politics you could bring the philosophy and the objectives
of civil rights and equal opportunity to the table, unapologetic,
and I think that that is a great extent what
he meant for me. It was one of the great
(25:54):
honors of my life young life, to be able to
be a Jackson delegate to the nineteen eighty four nineteen
eighty Democratic National Convention and to be one of the many,
many legions of young people who at the time were
challenging the orthodoxy and the establishment in Louisiana. We were
challenging the Democratic establishment. The Democratic establishment was not comfortable
(26:18):
with Jesse Jackson. They tried to cancel the presidential primary.
We had to file a complaint with the Justice Department,
and the Justice Department reversed and reinstated the presidential primiery
so we were challenging, and Jesse Jackson taught us how
to challenge, you know, orthodox thinking. And he was challenging
(26:41):
in the nineteen eighties the establishment of the Democratic Party
while at the same time challenging the philosophy of Ronald Reagan,
who was defunding so many important urban programs at the time.
Speaker 5 (26:56):
Wow, sounds like it's mimicking today or were having that.
Speaker 10 (27:00):
In some ways, history comes full circle and there's no
doubt that those who won't to lead this country in
the future do themselves well by studying the work of
Regen Genes attacks.
Speaker 5 (27:14):
Reverend Jackson first came on the national civil rights scene
in the nineteen fifties and sixties as he marched and
worked alongside doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Becoming a member
of the then emerging civil rights leaders in her circle.
Speaker 11 (27:27):
Yes, it was a really handsome guy, and he was
as physically a fit. I mean when I met Jesse,
he was just out of Illinois and ant and he
was he'd played quarterback, and he had a football and
(27:51):
I remember holding it up, holding my hand up like that,
thinking he'd just shovel it to me, and he reached
back and he slammed that ball into my hands, and
if I had caught it tight, it would have hit me.
It would have knocked my teeth out.
Speaker 5 (28:09):
And a brief interview with Ambassador Andrew Young, the elder
Black Statesman, shared memories of when he first met Reverend
Jackson in nineteen sixty five as a young man in Selma, Alabama.
Speaker 11 (28:20):
We'd had the march and got beat up and pushed back,
and I was standing there trying to you know, when
people get in a demonstration to get what we call
freedom high. And they knew the police were down there
or beat them up, but they wanted to go back,
(28:42):
and they wanted to continue confronting the police. Well, that
wasn't the way we did business. We didn't want to
get anybody hurt. If we could avoid it, we avoided it,
but keep them from getting out of hand and getting hurt.
I was standing there sort of manning a barricade, and
(29:03):
he came up and said, you've been here a long time.
He said, I'm Jesse Jackson from Chicago. I came down
with the Chicago Divinity School group. And he said, I
slept all the way down and you look like you exhausted.
(29:24):
He said, you can trust me. I can stay here
and I can keep the crowd back and keep it safe.
And you go get a napp And I simply said
thank you and walked away, and I knew I was
leaving things in good hands.
Speaker 5 (29:42):
Over the years after doctor King's death in nineteen sixty eight,
Jesse Jackson became his own civil rights wonder and political
history maker, adding millions of voters to the electoral process
when running for president in nineteen eighty four and nineteen
eighty eight. I'm in many today credit for making their
lives better. A man who saw a dignity and value
in the life of every man, every woman, and every child.
(30:05):
Even after being recognized as a leader on an international level,
Jackson apparently never forgot his humble beginnings and the many
people who are yet living in similar conditions. According to
Jackson's daughter, sent Tita and his son, Congressman Jonathan Jackson,
his family won't either.
Speaker 12 (30:22):
There is no one who's been more faithful to the
mission of Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King than Reverend Jesse
Lewis Jackson, Senior. And so it is today, while we
have heavy hearts, we have buoyant spirits because we do
know where our father is. We do know that he
(30:43):
took one deep breath and left into the arms of Jesus,
who carried him to the throne of God, to the grace.
There is no more yes or boss. There is no
more shaming, there is no more blame. There is no
one looking down on him anymore. There is no one
(31:04):
who has The criticisms don't matter now, because now he
is with God. I can see Doctor King welcoming him
in and saying, son, I told you you were going
to do it. I can see Reverend Bevil. I can
see jose Williams. I can see my Mama Tivy, my
great Grandmama Tivy. I can see Grandma Helene. I can
(31:27):
see my grandmother Gertrude. I can see Noah Robinson, his father.
I can see his stepfather, Charles Henry Jackson. I can
see so many people. I can see Mabel, I can
see Major I can see the Moral family. I can
see so many people who are saying you kept that charge,
you were faithful servant.
Speaker 5 (31:48):
Well done.
Speaker 12 (31:50):
May he rest in peace, but may his spirit live forever,
and let us continue the work everyone that is what
he would want us to do.
Speaker 13 (31:59):
Amen, I am so proud that it's our loss is
Heaven's game and the legacy that my father leaves behind.
And I want every child that's listening and watching this
that Reverend Jesse Jackson didn't start in this house.
Speaker 7 (32:20):
Take your turn.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
Jackson.
Speaker 7 (32:22):
Sorry that.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
He would tell you.
Speaker 7 (32:29):
Jesse Jackson's his third name.
Speaker 5 (32:32):
My mind.
Speaker 7 (32:32):
Now for the children that.
Speaker 13 (32:36):
Have to be adopted and stepfathers and lives have to
be transformed. We come from that lineage.
Speaker 7 (32:45):
We've been in the food.
Speaker 13 (32:46):
Pantry, and that's our calling, that's our mission, and that's
what we're gonna fight.
Speaker 5 (32:50):
For, and what a blessing that will be for a
lot of people. On behalf of the entire bi n family,
we thank Reverend Jackson for the many contributions he has
made in America, including his push to get more black
journalists and black media executives prominently positioned in newsrooms across
the country. We will forever be indebted to him for
(33:11):
being a voice for the voiceless and a guide for
helping us see ourselves and others as equals, no matter
our differences. May his memory and his dedication to humanity
forever be cherished and in as many ways as possible.
May his leadership be emulated. I'm Andrea Coleman on the
Black Information Network.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
Thank you, Andrea. The Black Information That Works. Coverage of
the life and legacy of Reverend Jesse Jackson will continue
with updates from Chicago, Washington, DC, and his home state
of South Carolina. For more details on the celebration of
life services for Reverend Jackson, please visit Jesse Jackson Legacy
dot com. Now we get commentary from Roland S.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Martin.
Speaker 14 (33:54):
The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed in this commentary are
those of the author and do not necessarily represent those
of b I N and its founding partners and employees.
Now it's time to bring the funk with Roland S.
Speaker 11 (34:09):
Martin.
Speaker 15 (34:10):
I'm explaining to you why mayors, county commissioners, county judges,
governors are loathed to lead to lose a sports team
because the fans will be so angry they think they're
going to lose their positions. But more importantly, none of
these politicians wants their obituary written. They said sports team
(34:36):
left on their watch. So the sports leagues, they know
how emotional fans are. We can't lose our team. What
are you talking about lose our team? Oh, they can't
leave the city. Really, Let's see here, San Francisco forty
(34:56):
nine Ers play in Santa Clara, Dallas cayl Boys play
in Arlington. I can go around the NFL and I
can show you numerous teams that actually don't play in
the city. So what are we talking about here? Same
fans would be angry if city hall or county commissioners
(35:22):
or state government decided to spend a billion dollars on
the people. Instead, we will defend building a one two,
three billion dollars stadium for a billionaire sports franchise owner
because it's for us. And see then the owners then go, oh,
(35:43):
we're building the stadium for the fans to improve the
fan experience. Now they're not. They're building it so they
can get more of the money for the luxury suites.
And it has nothing to do with the fans. And so
fans need to stop this nonsense. Fans need to stop
defending corporate welfare. But it keeps happening. Kancity Chiefs they
(36:05):
don't play in Kansas City. They send the deal to
play their games now in Kansas y'all, this is the
madness where fans will defend billionaires getting big checks. It's stupid,
but the leagues know it because they know fans are emotional.
I'm Roland Martin on the Black Information Network.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
Thanks Roland, and tune in for daily commentary from Roland
Martin and James T. Harrison right here on the Black
Information Network. Georgia's Attorney General continues to campaign to become
the governor of Georgia. With the November election just months away,
he continues to campaign across the state. The Black Information
Networks Alexandria Ekimonia sat down with Chris Carr.
Speaker 16 (36:46):
This is Alexandria Ikimoni with the Black Information Network here
with Attorney General Chris Carr.
Speaker 9 (36:51):
How are you today?
Speaker 3 (36:52):
I'm doing great. How are you doing?
Speaker 9 (36:54):
I'm doing well.
Speaker 16 (36:54):
Here to talk about, you know, everything you have going
on also the run for governor here in the state
of Georgiana.
Speaker 9 (37:00):
First of all, how has it been. We're only days
away at this point.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
It's great, it's exciting, and that's what you know. This
is a big state. We have an important open election
for governor and for other offices, and I'm just honored
to be running.
Speaker 9 (37:13):
Absolutely.
Speaker 16 (37:13):
Now, quick question, I mean you have been a known
name in Georgia for a very long time. Why did
you decide to run for governor now?
Speaker 3 (37:20):
Well, because Governor Camp's terms expired. And I think that
we truly are the model for the nation as it
relates to job creation and safety. But it doesn't just happen,
you know, it takes work, and I think that this
state has really done a lot both from the private
sector and the public sector coming together to solve problems.
One is, I just believe in the transformative nature of
a job, and that's not Republican or Democrat or independent.
(37:44):
A good job is a good job. It's just on
a human level. Same with safety. I don't think it's
Republican or Democrat or Independent to make sure that people
are safe no matter their race, or their gender, or
their religion, sexual orientation, political party, or where they live
or where they're from. That's what we're supposed to do
in government. And so I'm very proud that we have
become a very effective criminal practice making sure we protect
(38:06):
vulnerable populations in our state.
Speaker 16 (38:08):
What other big focuses you want to really push out
to the community about what you plan on really doing
when you if you get into office, if you win
the election.
Speaker 3 (38:19):
Yeah, everything I think goes really comes back to a job.
So you're going to look at literacy rates, educational opportunities,
workforce investment. You know, we've got the portions of Anton runs,
we have Heartsfield. We should be the logistics capital of
the world. Good legal and regulatory and tax environment. I
want us to have the lowest tax environment of any
(38:41):
state in the nation. That means lower income tax, lower
property tax, but keeping people safe. We have a human
trafficking prosecution unit, a gain unit, organize retail theft. But
I also want to focus on mental health because the
root cause of poverty and homelessness is mental health challenges.
You know, mentally healthy people don't up schools or office
(39:02):
buildings or military bases. And we know that our jails,
the vast majority of them have people that are struggling
with addiction or mental health challenges. And so we've got
to be able to focus on that, I think from
a regional approach. And then my wife has said if
she becomes first Lady, she wants to focus on the
foster care system. She was a product of the foster
(39:22):
care system. So those are the issues that we think
are really important We've got to be able to win
this race in order to be able to work on
those absolutely.
Speaker 16 (39:28):
Now, tell me more about how being the attorney general
prepared you for this role in this position.
Speaker 3 (39:34):
Yeah, I think Actually the three jobs I've had, I
was achieve a staff to a US Senator, So we
dealt with the issues out of Washington, and unfortunately, when
Congress doesn't get things done, the states have to deal
with them. And so we've dealt with issues of immigration
or environmental issues, business issues, national security. You know, I
will say this state's been built on agriculture, manufacturing, trade,
(39:55):
the military, hospitality, and constructions of the backbone. Every commune,
unity in this state is impacted by one or more
of those issues. Dealt with it in Washington. Then Commissioner
of Economic Development, bringing jobs to the state, helping companies
expand and grow, focus on tourism opportunities like we have
in Atlanta and Savannah and around the state. And then
(40:17):
as attorney General, we've been the lawyer for every agency
and authority and board that this state has. So I
know what those issues are. But again, most importantly, what
is government supposed to do keep people safe? And being
able to focus on that from human trafficking and gang
and organize retail front. I think makes me uniquely suited
to be governor.
Speaker 11 (40:37):
In the state.
Speaker 16 (40:38):
Absolutely, and you mentioned this, but I do want to
touch on it issues within the state, within the country
right now, Immigration is a big one. What are your
thoughts on how things have been going across the country
but also here in Georgia with immigration.
Speaker 3 (40:52):
Yeah, the one thing the federal government supposed to do
is keep the nation safe, and so President Trump has
done an outstanding job of securing the border. And look,
we've had to deal with violent issues when the border
is not secure. We see human trafficking, we've seen fentanyl,
and we've seen gang activity coming across the border. And
people don't like to hear it, but it's true. When
(41:13):
the border is not secure, every state ends up being
a border state. So we've had to deal with that.
But again, our state's built on agriculture, manufacturing, trade, in
the military. I think I want Georgians to have first
DIBs on every job, but I don't want Georgia businesses
to suffer if there isn't a job. So I think
now is a great opportunity for the President and Congress
(41:34):
to be able to modernize the system so that there
is a guest worker program that makes sense for those
that are in manufacturing and in agriculture are number one
industry in the state. We have some great, smart students
that have come from around the world, and instead of
giving them a diploma and sending them home to compete
against us, we should find ways to help bring them
(41:55):
into American companies and live the American dream. And I
just think there has to be a human way to
deal with children who came here through no choice of
their own, that are going to college, that are going
to the technical schools, that are in the military, and
make sure we deal with it. So again, keep the
border has to be secure, but we also got to
make sure that Georgians have first DIBs on jobs. But
(42:15):
Georgia companies can't suffer.
Speaker 9 (42:17):
Absolutely.
Speaker 16 (42:17):
Another big thing that we love to talk about here
in Georgia that's also a problem is affordability. What are
your plans in order to really help people here in
the metro also cross the state in order to comfortably
afford even just groceries or not need a roommate in
order to run an.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
Apartment a huge issue, and it's a big issue around
the state of Georgia. Number one is a good paying job.
Things are really unaffordable if you don't have a good
paying job. So that's the number one issue. Secondly taxes
and for those that are looking for housing, and we
need to have options all across the board. But yes,
income tax is a big issue. I think we can
(42:53):
actually lower the income tax reasonably and responsibly, not shifting
the burden to business as some have suggested we should do,
but maybe buy down on it, like North Carolina has
a taxpayer or relief fund where you responsibly use surpluses
to buy. But the big issue really is property taxes.
So whether you are that first time homeowner or you
are on a fixed income or lower income, you know
(43:16):
to be able to afford that house, but then assessments
go up fifty or seventy five or one hundred and
fifty percent, it prices you out of that home. That
that is crazy. And some that are running in the race,
like the Lieutenant governor, want to do away with the
affordable housing tax credit. I say we should double down
on that. How do we incentivize the private sector to
provide the full array of options for people to live,
(43:40):
how they want to live and where they want to live.
So those are the things you got to be able
to focus on.
Speaker 9 (43:44):
Yeah, and you touched on this.
Speaker 16 (43:45):
There are multiple candidates that are running for governor, especially
on the Democratic side, very crowded for those who honestly
aren't doing due diligence to understand what each candidate's platform are.
From your perspective, how do you feel like you are
different from the other candidates that are running on both
Democratic and Republican side.
Speaker 3 (44:03):
Yeah, One is I have the experience to actually do
the job. Now I'm going to have to figure out
how to do it today I get elected. And secondly,
I can get elected. And in Georgia, you have to
be able to appeal to the independent and persuadable voter.
You can't just we're at best a forty eight forty
six Republican state. The way you win is appeal to
independent voters that care about jobs, safety, education, affordability, don't
(44:28):
really want to talk about social issues the way the
right or the left typically has. But candidate quality matters,
and there is only one candidate running for governor as
a Republican that can do that, and that's me.
Speaker 5 (44:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 16 (44:41):
Twenty twenty election was still a hot topic today from
people just from different perspectives. I wanted to get your
thoughts on how everything transpired and how do we move
forward with the upcoming elections that we have and leaving
twenty twenty in the past.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
Yeah, I tend to subscribe to Governor Kemp's theory that
if you're going to win in twenty twenty six, you
got to focus on issues of twenty twenty six that
people really care about, particularly the persuadable voter, and that's
job safety again, affordability, education and those types of things.
As I have said before, if there is any wrongdoing
in an election, then if the evidence is presented to me,
(45:20):
I would be more than happy and will prosecute somebody.
As far as voter fraud goes, we didn't see widespread
voter fraud such that it will overturn the election in
twenty twenty in the same way we didn't see voter
suppression in twenty eighteen when the Democratic gubernatorial candidate said
that was the reason. So at the end of the day,
we have to have safe, secure, transparent elections. I want
(45:41):
my vote to count, I want my vote to be safe,
I want my vote to be transparent just like everybody else's.
That's how we do it. That's what separates our country
from so many others. And we got to make sure
that we do it. And I'm going to make sure
that our elections are safe, secure and accessible.
Speaker 9 (45:55):
And focusing on this election.
Speaker 16 (45:57):
I know you're running, but talk to us more about
why this election is so important.
Speaker 3 (46:02):
Yeah, Georgia is really a battleground state. You know this
truly from again from my perspective. If you're a Republican,
if you don't have the right candidate for governor, it
may not just be about the gubernatory election. It could
be about the Senate race, could be about all the
down ballast statewide officers if you care about who the
attorney general or who the insurance commissioner or public safety
commissioner is. But really, this state has been built on good,
(46:25):
solid leadership going back decades and again Zell Miller was
a Thankfully Zell Miller had the Hope scholarship helped me
go to college. You know, then Sonny Purdue and Nathan
Deal and Brian Kemp. We've had good leaders that know
what it takes to be the governor, that have been
their own independent people that have built the state based
(46:48):
on jobs and safety. I want to continue in that
mold Okay, I love that.
Speaker 16 (46:51):
And just one last thing here, anything you wanted to
share with the listeners that I might not have touched
on yet.
Speaker 3 (46:57):
Well, if you want to support us, we can go
to car Forgeorgia dot com. We're on Instagram, we are
on Facebook, we are on TikTok. Please find us and
we'd love to I don't want to earn the vote
and support of every one of your listeners.
Speaker 9 (47:11):
Perfect. Thank you so much Chris Carr for coming in.
Speaker 3 (47:13):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (47:14):
Thanks.
Speaker 1 (47:14):
Alexandria and Chris followed the Black Information Network as we
continue to cover major races around the country ahead of
this year's elections.
Speaker 9 (47:23):
Next week we hear.
Speaker 1 (47:24):
From Andrea Coleman and two of the Democratic candidates in Georgia,
Keisha Lance Bottoms and Mike Thurmond. This past week, we
heard from President Trump in his State of the Union address.
Many Democratic congress members did not attend. One of them
was South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn.
Speaker 9 (47:42):
He said one of.
Speaker 1 (47:43):
The reasons was his concern about the erasure of history,
something he is passionate about since he used to be
a high school history teacher. This week, he shares with
the Black Information Networks Aster Dillard how his passion fueled
his latest book, called The First Eight.
Speaker 7 (47:59):
And I think if people really realize this, they would
know how important one vote is and they would never
say again, my one vote won't count because the three
most consequent of things that happen to black people in
this country were each decided by a single vote.
Speaker 4 (48:22):
What if I told you that Reconstruction didn't fall apart
because the country agreed it collapsed because of one vote. Today,
Congressman Jim Clyburn explains how three single votes reshaped American
history and why he believes it can happen again. We
talk about the impeachment of Andrew Johnson, the eighteen seventy
six election, the end of Reconstruction, and the ninety five
(48:46):
year gap before another black lawmaker from South Carolina returned
to Congress. It's all part of his new book called
The First Eight, a personal history of the pioneering Black
congressman who helped shape a name. I'm Ester Dillard, and
this is the color between the lines. Let's listen in
to the conversation. I have to move to Reconstruction because
(49:08):
it's really so pivotal to the book and how little
Americans really know about Reconstruction. Do you think that that
lack of understanding really makes it harder for people today
to connect the dots between what happened in the past
and what we're seeing now in politics and public policy.
Speaker 7 (49:28):
Absolutely, I think that the people really knew the story
of reconstruction, how it came about, and most importantly, how
it came to an end. The three most consequential things
that happened after the Civil War or each decided by
(49:51):
a single vote. The first one happened to be the
impeachment of Mandrew Johnson, and they've had Lincolns Murica. Andrew
Johnson became President of the United States, and Andrew Johnson
sent out to undo everything nacol had done and and
in doing so, he even ignored all of the laws
(50:16):
passed by Congress, and the House of Representatives got so
upset with him they impeached him. And when they did
intent the impeachment to the Senate, the Senate failed to
convict him by a single vote. One vote, they failed
(50:39):
to impeach him. Now that allowed this dismantling of Mancin's
legacy to continue, and it culminated in eighteen seventy six
when we had the president of an election. In that
president's election, as you know, you don't get elected really
(51:03):
by the popular vote. You get elected by the electoral college.
And at the time of the eighteen seventy six election,
you needed one hundred and eighty five electoral votes in
order to get elected. President. Samuel Chilton had one hundred
and eighty four and Brother Behaves, his opponent, a Republican
(51:28):
at one hundred and sixty five children, was one vote show.
Brother Behaves was twenty vote show. Now, as the constitution requires,
if nobody gets a majority electoral college vote, the election
(51:50):
gets thrown into the House of Representatives and the House
will make the decision. So the House of Representatives, not
knowing what to do, appoint of the fifteen person commission
to go out and study this issue, meet me the candidates,
and make a recommendation to the House as to what
to do. That committee met and it by a vote
(52:15):
of eight to seven give the spined votes, which was
twenty coming from three stages Florida, South Carolina, and Louisiana.
They gave those twenty votes to Hayes because Hayes promised them,
(52:37):
you give me these twenty votes, I would get to
the magic number one eighty five, I'll bring it into reconstruction.
So by a vote of eight to seven, reconstruction came
to an end. By a vote of one eighty five
to one eighty four, Jim became the law of the land.
(53:03):
And I think it's important for people to realize a
lot of people who seemed to feel that all of
us happened by some big wave coming over the country. No,
the country was as closely divided then as it is now,
maybe even closer then, because these three events were each
(53:28):
decided by a single vote. And I think if people
really realize this, then they would know how important one
vote is and they would never say again, my one
vote won't count.
Speaker 4 (53:47):
That wasn't a landslide. It was a razor thin decision.
One vote allowed reconstruction to collapse and usher it in
nearly one hundred years of Jim Crow and Congressman Jim
Clyburn made it clear, if we misunderstand that history, we
misunderstand the present.
Speaker 7 (54:05):
But in the middle of writing this book, the twenty
twenty election came about, and I'm sitting there watching television
and the results coming in and the reaction to it.
And I remember that night, people banging on those windows
and doors up in Detroit, trying to break into the
(54:25):
where they were counting the votes, trying to set up
a second seven of electalls. I was sitting on the
floor on January sixth, twenty twenty one, when they tried
to stop the electoral vote count so that they could
get some off turn into elect tolls like so many
(54:49):
other people. Heard the President of the United States on
the phone talking to the Secretary of State down there
in Georgia. Find me eleven thousand, seven hundred and eight
votes so I can get those electoral votes coming out
of Georgia. And that's when I got in touch with
Mine Publishing. That says, we got to change the direction
(55:14):
of this book. This book can't just be about these
eight people. It's got to be about the events that
brought these eight people's careers to an end. It's got
to be about five. There is ninety five years between
number eight on this list and yours, truly number nine,
ninety five years between George Watching and Murray and Jim Pober.
(55:39):
And that's why we changed the book so that people
can see the parallels between what's going on right now
and what happened then, And I say in this book
in the epilogue, I wrote the book became a cautionary
tea the stay of people like I used to say,
(56:03):
those students I used to take anything that's happened before.
Jan Hatenberget.
Speaker 4 (56:09):
Congressman Jim Clyburn explains why there was a ninety five
year gap between the first black members of Congress during
reconstruction and his own election and shares the remarkable story
of Robert Small's, a formerly enslaved black man who reshaped
South Carolina and American history. To hear the rest of
this powerful conversation, listen to The Color between the Lines
(56:32):
on iHeartRadio, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm
Aster Dillard for the Black Information Network.
Speaker 1 (56:41):
Thanks Ester and Congressman Clyburn. The book is called The
First Eight, a personal history of the pioneering Black Congressman
who shaped a nation. You can find out wherever books
are sold. And that's our show for this week. For
more on these stories, listen to the Black Information Network
on the free iHeartRadio app or log on to binnews
(57:02):
dot com for all of the latest news impacting the
Black community. We would love to hear from you about
the Black Perspective. Log on to the Black Information Networks
Talkback Live feature on the iHeartRadio app to share your feedback. Also,
be sure to follow us on social media at Black
Information Network and on X and Blue Sky at black
Info net. Make the Black Information Network first on your
(57:25):
car radio and iHeartRadio app presets. I'm Mike Island. Have
a great Sunday, and we'll see you next week with
a new episode of The Black Perspective right here on
the Black Information Network.
Speaker 14 (57:37):
The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed in this commentary are
those of the author and do not necessarily represent those
of BIN and its founding partners and employees.
Speaker 17 (57:49):
I'm jmc harris and I have something to say. Democrat
Congresswoman Lamonica mcguiver wants your sympathy today. Why because she's
being prosecuted after allegedly assaulting a federal immigration officer. She
says she was just doing her job.
Speaker 18 (58:05):
I am Lamonica mac iver. You may not know my name,
but you may have heard my story. I am the
congresswoman that Donald Trump is trying to put in prison
for seventeen years. Trump's Department of Justice is going after me,
trying to silence me and scare other people out of
(58:26):
standing for what's right, all because I was doing my job.
Speaker 17 (58:32):
Let's be clear, members of Congress absolutely have the legal
authority to conduct oversight business and ice attention facilities. What
they don't have the authority to do is physically interfere
with the lawful arrest. According to federal prosecutors, during a
confrontation outside the Delaney Hall ice facility in Newark, the
guiver wrapped her arms around Newark's mayor in an attempt
(58:54):
to stop federal agents from taking him into custody, and
then struck an officer with forearmed That's not oversight, that's obstruction.
And a federal judge has already ruled that interfering with
an arrest exceeds anything protected by legislative immunity. Translation, you
don't get to hide behind your congressional pen after you
(59:15):
put hands on law enforcement. And here's what's the most telling.
Democrats are now framing this prosecution as political intimidation, not accountability,
based on what recently happened in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Democrat Representative
Lamonica macgiver should consider herself lucky. Macguiver is an elected
official who.
Speaker 2 (59:35):
Thought that the long arm of the law could.
Speaker 17 (59:38):
Not reached her the powerful. Looks like from this press
conference she's been proven wrong. I'm James Erris for the
Black Information Network.
It's Sunday, March first, the first Sunday of the month,
and on today's show, we continue to celebrate and remember
the life and legacy of civil rights activist and Reverend
Jesse Jackson. And it's worth replaying our tribute segment from
Andrea Coleman. The Black Information Networks. Alexandria Ikimoni talks to
Georgia's Attorney General and Republican governor candidate Chris Carr. As
(00:23):
we start to hear from candidates and key battleground states
across the country for election twenty twenty six. Esther Dillar
recaps the State of the Union address with South Carolina
Congressman Jim Clyburn, and we get this week's commentary from
Roland S.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Martin.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
These stories are coming your way. On today's program, Welcome
to the Black Perspective.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
I'm your host, Mike Island.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Welcome to the Black Perspective, a weekly community affairs program
on the Black Information Network featuring interviews and discussions on
issues important to the Black community.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Good Sunday, and welcome to the Black Perspective. In this
era of increasing political contention and threat of social regression
for Black America and the passing of the Reverend Jesse Jackson,
it's reminding us of the brave men and women who
helped America become more inclusive and accepting some diversity indifference.
While many of those battles took place on the political front,
(01:18):
the Black Information that works, Andrea Coleman found out, for
the Reverend Jesse Jackson, the fight for unity went much deeper.
Speaker 5 (01:26):
Mica Cummon theme among the many tributes being shared in
honor of the late Reverend Jesse Jackson is a dignity
he brought to people's lives, and not just Black Americans,
but everyone, especially those who didn't see their own beauty,
value and worth. It is the underlying message of a
poem he adapted and titled I Am Somebody, originally penned
by Reverend William Holmes Border Senior, a civil rights activist
(01:49):
and pastor at the Greater Wheat Street Baptist Church in Atlanta,
Georgia in the early nineteen forties. Jackson introduced his version
of that poem during an appearance on PBS A Sesame
Street in nineteen seventy two. He went on to make
that point into a song before it became a mantra.
He used throughout his political career and humanitarian advocacy work.
But for Reverend Jackson, the phrase was more than a
(02:11):
political message. It was the guiding principle of his life
as a minister of faith and champion of human rights,
and his commitment to it made a difference in the
lives of a lot of people. For some young black
leaders coming up behind him, his sincere care for others
is a distinguishing mark they looked to emulate.
Speaker 6 (02:29):
When I look out at this convention, I see the
faith of America, red, yellow, brown, black and white. We're
all precious in God's sight, the real Rainbow Coalition.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
This speech by Reverend Jesse Jackson, delivered at the Democratic
National Convention at Atlanta, Georgia, in nineteen eighty eight, is
said to be one of his greatest and most influential ever.
Jackson giving voice and defense to the common man and
woman of every race and creed.
Speaker 6 (03:01):
Most poor people are not lazy. They are not black,
they're not round. They're most of white and female and young.
But we the white, black and brown a hungry babies
fail to turn inside out. Is the same color colored pain,
(03:25):
color it hurt. Call it agony.
Speaker 7 (03:29):
Most poor people.
Speaker 6 (03:32):
Are not on welfare. Some of them are illiterate and
can't read the want add sections. When they can't, they
can't find a job that matches their address.
Speaker 7 (03:42):
They work hard every day.
Speaker 6 (03:44):
I know I live amongst them. I'm one of them.
I know they were.
Speaker 5 (03:49):
Throughout the speech, Jackson, who is vying to be the
Democratic Party's nominee that year, urges America in the world
to find common ground, to embrace difference and diversity, not
reject them. It is a speech born out of personal
hardship and testimony.
Speaker 6 (04:05):
Jess Jackson, you don't understand my situation. You'll be on television.
You don't understand. I see you with the big people.
You don't understand my situation. I understand you'll see me
(04:28):
on TV, But you don't know the mean that makes
me mean. They wonder why does jest They're run because
they see me running.
Speaker 7 (04:38):
For the White House.
Speaker 6 (04:40):
They don't see the house I'm running from. I have
a story.
Speaker 5 (04:45):
Born to a single mother in Greenville, South Carolina, on
October eighth, nineteen forty one. Poverty and the sting of
rejection that often accompanies it were Jackson's teachers giving understanding
of the concepts of shame, isolation, and disregard of others.
But unlike many of us who run from the truth
of deprivation, Jackson embraced it, studied it, and used the
(05:06):
knowledge of its lessons to confront it, becoming one of
the world's most powerful warriors for those experiencing the same
Your thoughts, Representative Pearson on the late Reverend Jesse Jackson.
Speaker 8 (05:19):
I believe Reverend Jackson is a lion in the civil
rights community and for Black Americans who have sought to
pursue civil rights and justice in so many different regards.
You know, there's an old phrase that we always say
is that we stand on the shoulders of giants, And
the truth is, he's a giant whose shoulders I've been
(05:40):
privileged and fortunate to stand on. Whether it be his
work in the political world has constant pursuit of civil
rights and justice for people who are marginalized, advancing the
issues of the poor and those who have been downtrodden
because of systems of oppression.
Speaker 5 (05:56):
For Tennessee State Representative Justin Pearson, who is currently running
for a seat in the US House of Representatives, Jackson's
words are foundational to his political aspirations Pearson, a thirty
one year old Black millennial who is some fifty years
younger than the late Minister of Hope, says he feels
an imperative his generation carry on Jackson's work. Have you
(06:17):
ever met him personally and had a conversation with him.
Speaker 8 (06:21):
I've been very fortunate to meet him on a couple
of different occasions in Memphis when he was at the
April fourth commemoration for doctor Martin Luther King Junior, and
I watched him lay the wreath that we do annually
and was able to meet him when he was downstairs.
But he also gave me a personal phone call after
(06:41):
I was expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives and
shared how proud he was of our advocacy, of our
standing up, of our speaking up and fighting for democracy,
these beliefs and these values, and you know, just the
importance of keeping the faith. And I was able to
introduce him to my wife, plus he was my fey
at the time over the phone, which was also extremely
(07:03):
in extraordinarily special for me.
Speaker 9 (07:05):
Very good.
Speaker 5 (07:06):
What do you think you, as a leader of today,
of this generation, will take from his leadership and his legacy.
Speaker 8 (07:16):
I think what I will take from Reverend Jackson's leadership
is that you cannot only lead people as relates to
policies and issues. You have to reaffirm their humanity. And
for years now I've actually been paying homage to him
when I speak at elementary, middle and high schools, using
(07:36):
the phrase towards the end of all my speeches, I
am somebody, because that sense of somebodyness is so important
that if our young people in particular don't understand that,
none of the rest matters. If we're talking about jobs
and workforce development and education and all those things, that's
nice and well. But if people's sense of self isn't
(07:58):
being affirmed by those who lead them, by those who
want to see them excel and to succeed, then it
truly is for naught. There's no need to increase the
minimum wage, of people's value for themselves is not being increased.
Speaker 5 (08:11):
That's so interesting that your leadership is emerging as this
class of black leaders are finding their way into periods
of transition. I think now we have probably Ambassador Andrew Young,
who is the last surviving member of doctor King's inner circle.
Considering that point, right, do you find it coincidental that
(08:35):
as we are experiencing some of what seems to be
a resurgence of the same kind of issues they overcame.
This transition is taking place.
Speaker 8 (08:46):
You know, it's really emotional thinking about it because you know,
I grew up fortunately at a church in spaces where
Joseph Lowry was preaching, right where people like Reverend Jackson
would be speaking, Ambassador Young would be engaged like those things.
(09:10):
You can't remake those moments and remake these types of
kinds of people. And so there's sort of a weight
to that recognition and reality right now, these ancestor angels
who from their labour's rest right like they did all
the marching, they did all the protesting. Uh, they did
(09:32):
all that that work and labor for us to be
elected representatives, to run for Congress, and to do the
things that we are doing. So there's a way to
it as a sadness. And also I think there's a
responsibility and an obligation that I feel, and I know
a lot of my peers feel, to carry the baton further. Right,
(09:55):
Like when people run I used to run track. If
you run your leg of the race, right, you got
to pass up a ton. And I had the literal
privilege and an honor of my life. When I was
in LA a couple of years ago and had the
chance to meet I guess I mean one of our
(10:16):
heroes in the civil rights movement who is a pastor
here in Memphis. He was a centenary church and you know,
literally doing the passing of the torch right like I
think in this moment is like a holy opportunity for
us to realize people like James Lawson, Reverend James Lawson,
(10:40):
like passing the torch to us to speak up, passing
the church to us, to stand up for a democracy,
passing the torch to us to fight for freedom and
justice and liberty as they did. Because this is our time, like,
this is our moment, and we have to do this
if we are to preserve this project that they've been
(11:01):
working on for such a long time.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
I love that so many of the answers that you
have provided us today have been riddled with faith mentions
of church and so forth. And so many of these
legendary civil rights leaders were ministers, They were ordained ministers.
They came out of the church and banned it together
from their various denominations and so forth, and they formed
(11:26):
a miny mighty movement. How important is faith in moving
us forward?
Speaker 8 (11:31):
There's no way we're going to go forward without faith.
I mean, whether you believe in Jesus Loving Christ of
the Christian faith, or you have faith and other things.
I think with what we are up against, is so
important that you have something that you realize is bigger
and more powerful than you. And we're up against some goliaths.
(11:53):
We're up against some giants, billionaires who are exploiting people
in our communities for their own profits. We want to
be dictator white supremacists as president of the United States,
wielding the influence of government to his will, killing American
citizens in city streets. This is a terrifying time that
(12:15):
we have to recognize the only way we're going to
get through this is together and believing in something greater
than ourselves is on our side. And I subscribe to
Black liberation Christian theology of Reverend doctor James Cohne that
God is on the side of the oppressed, and that
is where you will always find me marching, always find
(12:36):
me speaking up, always find me protesting. And I believe
that is what Reverend Jesse Jackson and the people who
we admire of our past. Ifanny low Hamer's the Dorothy Heights,
they said, where are the people who are being oppressed?
And that's where we must stand, and that's where we
must advocate, that's where we must fight. We can never
be so comfortable in our positionality and in our titles
(12:59):
and our prestige and our pedigree, so we stopped doing
the work of actually changing and moving the needle for
the people who needed the most.
Speaker 2 (13:09):
Well. I had a front row seat to the life
and legacy of Jesse Jackson because he started A and
T in Greensboro and from Raleigh, so I followed his
career literally from the time he was a student there,
a part of the civil rights demonstrations at the lunch
(13:30):
counters in Greensboro in nineteen fifty, all the way through
his entire life.
Speaker 5 (13:36):
For Bill Campbell, the connection to Jackson's life and legacy
is a bit more intimate.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
I had the opportunity to spend time with him, to
watch his incredible transformation from a student to being a
leader to being a worldwide respected freedom fighter. And I
think his legacy would be one that has helped to
transform America into what we hope it would be. Rather
(14:03):
than what we thought it was, and the world has
lost a great leader.
Speaker 5 (14:09):
The former two term mayor of Atlanta says Reverend Jackson's
clarion call for unity and inclusion helped shape his approach
to leadership.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
I believe that Jesse's name will go down as one
of the great freedom fighters of the twentieth century, along
with Nelson Mandela and Doctor King, Reverend Abernathy, John Lewis, CG.
Vivian Osea Williams, and these are people that changed the world,
and his remarkable advocacy on behalf of four people will
(14:39):
also stand the test of time. He grew up in
abject poverty in South Carolina, overcame that and always advocated
for helping people to move from poverty to prosperity.
Speaker 5 (14:52):
One of his leadership style in the way that he
engaged politics can we take for today.
Speaker 2 (14:59):
I believe his style was one that is very unique
to our community because he was engaging on a personal level.
He didn't talk down to people, and I believe it's
because of his very humble roots. He connected with people,
He energized people. They saw in him what they thought
(15:23):
they could be. And I think that style is one
that has resonated and really helped to transform the political landscape.
There was no longer sort of a political elite. He
made politics personal and that is what it should be.
And his advocacy on behalf of poor people, on behalf
(15:44):
of people of color, women, those who were left out
has really, I think changed the way that we work
in politics today, and that's for the better. He made
politics more more of an inclusion rather than a top
down sport. And what he did during his life I
(16:09):
think challenges all of us to, no matter where we
come from, no matter what our date of life, that
we always understand that we can make the world better
if we self a fight for the principles of equity.
Speaker 5 (16:22):
I love that you know here in Atlanta people would
say some of the same things about you, that you
were a leader for the people. Was there anything that
you took from him personally in your leadership style when
you were mayor of the city here.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
I had a front row seat for the life of
Jesse Jackson. The Democratic National Convention was in Atlanta in
nineteen eighty eight, and I had a chance to go
and hear his speech, and I was always touched by
his amazing ability to connect with people on a very
personal level, and I think that helped me and it
(17:00):
made me a better politician and made me a person
who appreciated how the needs and the wants and the
desires of the people are more important than any policy.
It's really about what we can do to make people
lift them up from where they are to where they
want to be. And that's what I was aboul to
(17:21):
learn from Jesse Jackson.
Speaker 5 (17:23):
Yeah, well, you know, I think it's worth mentioning too
that you're your own history maker. I mean, you integrated
the schools of Raleigh, North Carolina. Your father was actually
an elected official, so you grew up in the midst
of this, and today you are actually still very much
surrounded by civil rights leaders or at least ambassador young
(17:45):
and in touch with the likes of the Reverend Jesse Jackson,
who just passed away. What of their era can you
speak to that would have bearing on today? I mean,
when you look at it, we saw that era, we're
seeing it kind of pass away, and we saw the
leaders that it groomed. You and the likes of Mark
(18:06):
Morriell and so many others who came and were able
to lead these urban centers. Why is that so very important.
How did that leadership set you guys up for the
success that you enjoyed.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
I believe fervently that watching doctor King and Reverend Abernathy
and Andy Young and John Lewis, j K Vivian and
they transformed being freedom fighters and civil rights heroes into
running for office and then making public policy that was
(18:39):
able to make tremendous changes in the lives of people
of color and people that had been left out and
left behind. And I think when you look at the
careers of myself and Mark Muriel and Tom Bradley and
a host of others mayors across the nation, as well
as congressmen and congresswomen, I think what it has instilled
(19:02):
in us is that the fight never dones whatever it
is that we believe, we have to put that belief
into advocacy. And that's what I learned from these great
freedom fighters. And we are privileged in Atlanta to have
had a coalition that's never been a symbol anywhere in
the world. When you imagine that Andy Young and Evan
(19:24):
Abernaffi and John Lewis and Andy Yale, Jessic Jackson and
the Usvivian Jose Williams, and these are people that made
the Declaration of Independence. The words there come to life.
And that's what I'm so proud of that we were
able to see and work with and actually have relationships
with these great leaders. And now the mailfolds on us
(19:47):
to mix. Third, if we pass that on to the
next generation of leaders who will do the same thing
and even better. You know, there's an old Biblical proverb thatsist.
We live in cities we did not build means our
obligation to give our children a better world than what
we inherited. And that's what is represented in the lack
of Jeffrey Jackson.
Speaker 5 (20:10):
He really did walk his faith. I mean, he was
an ordained minister, but he wasn't behind the pulpit. It
seems as though he preached through his life.
Speaker 10 (20:20):
Yeah, he was, you know, a person that brought the
message to the neighborhoods, to the community centers, to the
public housing developments. He brought it to rural America, he
brought it to urban America. He brought the message to
American boardrooms.
Speaker 5 (20:36):
Mark Moriol, president and CEO of the National Urban League, agrees.
Speaker 10 (20:40):
So a mighty oak is smalland a giant of a man,
a generational difference maker, someone that spanned the h I think,
the bridge from civil rights to American politics, someone who
forty years ago, I think was far ahead of his
(21:03):
time and outlining a vision for the future of America.
He called it the Rainbow Coalition. It was an America,
a multi racial and multi ethnic democracy, and therefore his
relevance and what he stood for and what he represented
(21:24):
is important today. He indeed paid the way, I believe
for the Clinton presidency because he registered and energized African
American voters who were important to Clinton's election and reelection.
Speaker 5 (21:39):
For Moriel, who also served two terms as mayor of
New Orleans from nineteen ninety four to two thousand and two.
Jackson's uncanny ability to represent and uplift the average person
put him in a class few others have been courageous.
Speaker 9 (21:53):
Enough to be a part of.
Speaker 10 (21:55):
I think that, you know, Jesse Jackson brought the message
of economic opportunity and rights, and in that respect, you know,
I think he became one of many who worked hard
to continue the work of the nineteen sixties and the
work of doctor Martin Luther King.
Speaker 5 (22:13):
If you will talk a little bit of him being
really a voice for the voiceless, a representative of the
average man, average person.
Speaker 10 (22:20):
I think what's important to remember about Jesse Jackson is
he was grounded in the Christian faith tradition, and he
was grounded in the tradition of the New Testament, in
the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which was a gospel that
centered itself around the poor, the hungry, the ill, the afflicted,
(22:46):
the locked out, and the left out. And that if
you will foundation was so critical to the civil rights
movement of the sixties and I think helped to center
the political philosophy and the activist philosophy of Jesse Jackson
and many others. It had a moral grounding, and the
(23:09):
moral grounding was New Testament Christianity, and that should not
be forgotten. And I think that meant that in all politics,
for him and for many, including myself, it's about the purpose.
It's not about the quest for power or influence or
(23:29):
the stage for the sake of it. It's that all
of that is a means and a method to accomplish goals,
to make life better, to make America a more open society,
to create opportunity for all.
Speaker 5 (23:44):
What of his leadership can we take away for today.
Speaker 10 (23:48):
So I think what we can take away from his
leadership is that he was wireless. Reverend Jesse Jackson was tireless.
He worked. You know, probably eighty percent of his days
was spent on the road, traveling the nation, going into
communities to support, to assist in many, many important ways.
(24:12):
I think secondly, Jesse in many respects was a philosopher
and a bit of a historian and an intellectual because
he was always thinking, I think about how to communicate.
I think he was always thinking about how to continue
and strategize. I think he was always thinking about the
right tactics to further the aims of the civil rights
(24:34):
movement of the nineteen sixties. And to some extent, many
may have seen the Jesse who made great oratorical speeches.
Many may have seen the Jesse who led marches, but
many didn't get an opportunity like I did, to see
the Jesse behind closed doors, the Jesse Jackson, the diplomat
(24:57):
of the Jesse Jackson the negotiat creator. And I think
that's an important part of understanding the complete picture of who.
Speaker 2 (25:05):
This man was.
Speaker 5 (25:07):
Did he have a personal impression on you.
Speaker 10 (25:09):
Chirsty Jackson was a younger man when he ran for president,
he was in his forties, so for people like me
who were in our twenties, you know, he was reachable
and relatable. You know, he was cool, and he had swag.
You know, he didn't have this sort of simply this
buttoned up style, and that was relatable in those days.
(25:32):
And I think it helped us to see that in
elected politics you could bring the philosophy and the objectives
of civil rights and equal opportunity to the table, unapologetic,
and I think that that is a great extent what
he meant for me. It was one of the great
(25:54):
honors of my life young life, to be able to
be a Jackson delegate to the nineteen eighty four nineteen
eighty Democratic National Convention and to be one of the many,
many legions of young people who at the time were
challenging the orthodoxy and the establishment in Louisiana. We were
challenging the Democratic establishment. The Democratic establishment was not comfortable
(26:18):
with Jesse Jackson. They tried to cancel the presidential primary.
We had to file a complaint with the Justice Department,
and the Justice Department reversed and reinstated the presidential primiery
so we were challenging, and Jesse Jackson taught us how
to challenge, you know, orthodox thinking. And he was challenging
(26:41):
in the nineteen eighties the establishment of the Democratic Party
while at the same time challenging the philosophy of Ronald Reagan,
who was defunding so many important urban programs at the time.
Speaker 5 (26:56):
Wow, sounds like it's mimicking today or were having that.
Speaker 10 (27:00):
In some ways, history comes full circle and there's no
doubt that those who won't to lead this country in
the future do themselves well by studying the work of
Regen Genes attacks.
Speaker 5 (27:14):
Reverend Jackson first came on the national civil rights scene
in the nineteen fifties and sixties as he marched and
worked alongside doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Becoming a member
of the then emerging civil rights leaders in her circle.
Speaker 11 (27:27):
Yes, it was a really handsome guy, and he was
as physically a fit. I mean when I met Jesse,
he was just out of Illinois and ant and he
was he'd played quarterback, and he had a football and
(27:51):
I remember holding it up, holding my hand up like that,
thinking he'd just shovel it to me, and he reached
back and he slammed that ball into my hands, and
if I had caught it tight, it would have hit me.
It would have knocked my teeth out.
Speaker 5 (28:09):
And a brief interview with Ambassador Andrew Young, the elder
Black Statesman, shared memories of when he first met Reverend
Jackson in nineteen sixty five as a young man in Selma, Alabama.
Speaker 11 (28:20):
We'd had the march and got beat up and pushed back,
and I was standing there trying to you know, when
people get in a demonstration to get what we call
freedom high. And they knew the police were down there
or beat them up, but they wanted to go back,
(28:42):
and they wanted to continue confronting the police. Well, that
wasn't the way we did business. We didn't want to
get anybody hurt. If we could avoid it, we avoided it,
but keep them from getting out of hand and getting hurt.
I was standing there sort of manning a barricade, and
(29:03):
he came up and said, you've been here a long time.
He said, I'm Jesse Jackson from Chicago. I came down
with the Chicago Divinity School group. And he said, I
slept all the way down and you look like you exhausted.
(29:24):
He said, you can trust me. I can stay here
and I can keep the crowd back and keep it safe.
And you go get a napp And I simply said
thank you and walked away, and I knew I was
leaving things in good hands.
Speaker 5 (29:42):
Over the years after doctor King's death in nineteen sixty eight,
Jesse Jackson became his own civil rights wonder and political
history maker, adding millions of voters to the electoral process
when running for president in nineteen eighty four and nineteen
eighty eight. I'm in many today credit for making their
lives better. A man who saw a dignity and value
in the life of every man, every woman, and every child.
(30:05):
Even after being recognized as a leader on an international level,
Jackson apparently never forgot his humble beginnings and the many
people who are yet living in similar conditions. According to
Jackson's daughter, sent Tita and his son, Congressman Jonathan Jackson,
his family won't either.
Speaker 12 (30:22):
There is no one who's been more faithful to the
mission of Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King than Reverend Jesse
Lewis Jackson, Senior. And so it is today, while we
have heavy hearts, we have buoyant spirits because we do
know where our father is. We do know that he
(30:43):
took one deep breath and left into the arms of Jesus,
who carried him to the throne of God, to the grace.
There is no more yes or boss. There is no
more shaming, there is no more blame. There is no
one looking down on him anymore. There is no one
(31:04):
who has The criticisms don't matter now, because now he
is with God. I can see Doctor King welcoming him
in and saying, son, I told you you were going
to do it. I can see Reverend Bevil. I can
see jose Williams. I can see my Mama Tivy, my
great Grandmama Tivy. I can see Grandma Helene. I can
(31:27):
see my grandmother Gertrude. I can see Noah Robinson, his father.
I can see his stepfather, Charles Henry Jackson. I can
see so many people. I can see Mabel, I can
see Major I can see the Moral family. I can
see so many people who are saying you kept that charge,
you were faithful servant.
Speaker 5 (31:48):
Well done.
Speaker 12 (31:50):
May he rest in peace, but may his spirit live forever,
and let us continue the work everyone that is what
he would want us to do.
Speaker 13 (31:59):
Amen, I am so proud that it's our loss is
Heaven's game and the legacy that my father leaves behind.
And I want every child that's listening and watching this
that Reverend Jesse Jackson didn't start in this house.
Speaker 7 (32:20):
Take your turn.
Speaker 2 (32:21):
Jackson.
Speaker 7 (32:22):
Sorry that.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
He would tell you.
Speaker 7 (32:29):
Jesse Jackson's his third name.
Speaker 5 (32:32):
My mind.
Speaker 7 (32:32):
Now for the children that.
Speaker 13 (32:36):
Have to be adopted and stepfathers and lives have to
be transformed. We come from that lineage.
Speaker 7 (32:45):
We've been in the food.
Speaker 13 (32:46):
Pantry, and that's our calling, that's our mission, and that's
what we're gonna fight.
Speaker 5 (32:50):
For, and what a blessing that will be for a
lot of people. On behalf of the entire bi n family,
we thank Reverend Jackson for the many contributions he has
made in America, including his push to get more black
journalists and black media executives prominently positioned in newsrooms across
the country. We will forever be indebted to him for
(33:11):
being a voice for the voiceless and a guide for
helping us see ourselves and others as equals, no matter
our differences. May his memory and his dedication to humanity
forever be cherished and in as many ways as possible.
May his leadership be emulated. I'm Andrea Coleman on the
Black Information Network.
Speaker 1 (33:31):
Thank you, Andrea. The Black Information That Works. Coverage of
the life and legacy of Reverend Jesse Jackson will continue
with updates from Chicago, Washington, DC, and his home state
of South Carolina. For more details on the celebration of
life services for Reverend Jackson, please visit Jesse Jackson Legacy
dot com. Now we get commentary from Roland S.
Speaker 2 (33:53):
Martin.
Speaker 14 (33:54):
The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed in this commentary are
those of the author and do not necessarily represent those
of b I N and its founding partners and employees.
Now it's time to bring the funk with Roland S.
Speaker 11 (34:09):
Martin.
Speaker 15 (34:10):
I'm explaining to you why mayors, county commissioners, county judges,
governors are loathed to lead to lose a sports team
because the fans will be so angry they think they're
going to lose their positions. But more importantly, none of
these politicians wants their obituary written. They said sports team
(34:36):
left on their watch. So the sports leagues, they know
how emotional fans are. We can't lose our team. What
are you talking about lose our team? Oh, they can't
leave the city. Really, Let's see here, San Francisco forty
(34:56):
nine Ers play in Santa Clara, Dallas cayl Boys play
in Arlington. I can go around the NFL and I
can show you numerous teams that actually don't play in
the city. So what are we talking about here? Same
fans would be angry if city hall or county commissioners
(35:22):
or state government decided to spend a billion dollars on
the people. Instead, we will defend building a one two,
three billion dollars stadium for a billionaire sports franchise owner
because it's for us. And see then the owners then go, oh,
(35:43):
we're building the stadium for the fans to improve the
fan experience. Now they're not. They're building it so they
can get more of the money for the luxury suites.
And it has nothing to do with the fans. And so
fans need to stop this nonsense. Fans need to stop
defending corporate welfare. But it keeps happening. Kancity Chiefs they
(36:05):
don't play in Kansas City. They send the deal to
play their games now in Kansas y'all, this is the
madness where fans will defend billionaires getting big checks. It's stupid,
but the leagues know it because they know fans are emotional.
I'm Roland Martin on the Black Information Network.
Speaker 1 (36:23):
Thanks Roland, and tune in for daily commentary from Roland
Martin and James T. Harrison right here on the Black
Information Network. Georgia's Attorney General continues to campaign to become
the governor of Georgia. With the November election just months away,
he continues to campaign across the state. The Black Information
Networks Alexandria Ekimonia sat down with Chris Carr.
Speaker 16 (36:46):
This is Alexandria Ikimoni with the Black Information Network here
with Attorney General Chris Carr.
Speaker 9 (36:51):
How are you today?
Speaker 3 (36:52):
I'm doing great. How are you doing?
Speaker 9 (36:54):
I'm doing well.
Speaker 16 (36:54):
Here to talk about, you know, everything you have going
on also the run for governor here in the state
of Georgiana.
Speaker 9 (37:00):
First of all, how has it been. We're only days
away at this point.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
It's great, it's exciting, and that's what you know. This
is a big state. We have an important open election
for governor and for other offices, and I'm just honored
to be running.
Speaker 9 (37:13):
Absolutely.
Speaker 16 (37:13):
Now, quick question, I mean you have been a known
name in Georgia for a very long time. Why did
you decide to run for governor now?
Speaker 3 (37:20):
Well, because Governor Camp's terms expired. And I think that
we truly are the model for the nation as it
relates to job creation and safety. But it doesn't just happen,
you know, it takes work, and I think that this
state has really done a lot both from the private
sector and the public sector coming together to solve problems.
One is, I just believe in the transformative nature of
a job, and that's not Republican or Democrat or independent.
(37:44):
A good job is a good job. It's just on
a human level. Same with safety. I don't think it's
Republican or Democrat or Independent to make sure that people
are safe no matter their race, or their gender, or
their religion, sexual orientation, political party, or where they live
or where they're from. That's what we're supposed to do
in government. And so I'm very proud that we have
become a very effective criminal practice making sure we protect
(38:06):
vulnerable populations in our state.
Speaker 16 (38:08):
What other big focuses you want to really push out
to the community about what you plan on really doing
when you if you get into office, if you win
the election.
Speaker 3 (38:19):
Yeah, everything I think goes really comes back to a job.
So you're going to look at literacy rates, educational opportunities,
workforce investment. You know, we've got the portions of Anton runs,
we have Heartsfield. We should be the logistics capital of
the world. Good legal and regulatory and tax environment. I
want us to have the lowest tax environment of any
(38:41):
state in the nation. That means lower income tax, lower
property tax, but keeping people safe. We have a human
trafficking prosecution unit, a gain unit, organize retail theft. But
I also want to focus on mental health because the
root cause of poverty and homelessness is mental health challenges.
You know, mentally healthy people don't up schools or office
(39:02):
buildings or military bases. And we know that our jails,
the vast majority of them have people that are struggling
with addiction or mental health challenges. And so we've got
to be able to focus on that, I think from
a regional approach. And then my wife has said if
she becomes first Lady, she wants to focus on the
foster care system. She was a product of the foster
(39:22):
care system. So those are the issues that we think
are really important We've got to be able to win
this race in order to be able to work on
those absolutely.
Speaker 16 (39:28):
Now, tell me more about how being the attorney general
prepared you for this role in this position.
Speaker 3 (39:34):
Yeah, I think Actually the three jobs I've had, I
was achieve a staff to a US Senator, So we
dealt with the issues out of Washington, and unfortunately, when
Congress doesn't get things done, the states have to deal
with them. And so we've dealt with issues of immigration
or environmental issues, business issues, national security. You know, I
will say this state's been built on agriculture, manufacturing, trade,
(39:55):
the military, hospitality, and constructions of the backbone. Every commune,
unity in this state is impacted by one or more
of those issues. Dealt with it in Washington. Then Commissioner
of Economic Development, bringing jobs to the state, helping companies
expand and grow, focus on tourism opportunities like we have
in Atlanta and Savannah and around the state. And then
(40:17):
as attorney General, we've been the lawyer for every agency
and authority and board that this state has. So I
know what those issues are. But again, most importantly, what
is government supposed to do keep people safe? And being
able to focus on that from human trafficking and gang
and organize retail front. I think makes me uniquely suited
to be governor.
Speaker 11 (40:37):
In the state.
Speaker 16 (40:38):
Absolutely, and you mentioned this, but I do want to
touch on it issues within the state, within the country
right now, Immigration is a big one. What are your
thoughts on how things have been going across the country
but also here in Georgia with immigration.
Speaker 3 (40:52):
Yeah, the one thing the federal government supposed to do
is keep the nation safe, and so President Trump has
done an outstanding job of securing the border. And look,
we've had to deal with violent issues when the border
is not secure. We see human trafficking, we've seen fentanyl,
and we've seen gang activity coming across the border. And
people don't like to hear it, but it's true. When
(41:13):
the border is not secure, every state ends up being
a border state. So we've had to deal with that.
But again, our state's built on agriculture, manufacturing, trade, in
the military. I think I want Georgians to have first
DIBs on every job, but I don't want Georgia businesses
to suffer if there isn't a job. So I think
now is a great opportunity for the President and Congress
(41:34):
to be able to modernize the system so that there
is a guest worker program that makes sense for those
that are in manufacturing and in agriculture are number one
industry in the state. We have some great, smart students
that have come from around the world, and instead of
giving them a diploma and sending them home to compete
against us, we should find ways to help bring them
(41:55):
into American companies and live the American dream. And I
just think there has to be a human way to
deal with children who came here through no choice of
their own, that are going to college, that are going
to the technical schools, that are in the military, and
make sure we deal with it. So again, keep the
border has to be secure, but we also got to
make sure that Georgians have first DIBs on jobs. But
(42:15):
Georgia companies can't suffer.
Speaker 9 (42:17):
Absolutely.
Speaker 16 (42:17):
Another big thing that we love to talk about here
in Georgia that's also a problem is affordability. What are
your plans in order to really help people here in
the metro also cross the state in order to comfortably
afford even just groceries or not need a roommate in
order to run an.
Speaker 3 (42:33):
Apartment a huge issue, and it's a big issue around
the state of Georgia. Number one is a good paying job.
Things are really unaffordable if you don't have a good
paying job. So that's the number one issue. Secondly taxes
and for those that are looking for housing, and we
need to have options all across the board. But yes,
income tax is a big issue. I think we can
(42:53):
actually lower the income tax reasonably and responsibly, not shifting
the burden to business as some have suggested we should do,
but maybe buy down on it, like North Carolina has
a taxpayer or relief fund where you responsibly use surpluses
to buy. But the big issue really is property taxes.
So whether you are that first time homeowner or you
are on a fixed income or lower income, you know
(43:16):
to be able to afford that house, but then assessments
go up fifty or seventy five or one hundred and
fifty percent, it prices you out of that home. That
that is crazy. And some that are running in the race,
like the Lieutenant governor, want to do away with the
affordable housing tax credit. I say we should double down
on that. How do we incentivize the private sector to
provide the full array of options for people to live,
(43:40):
how they want to live and where they want to live.
So those are the things you got to be able
to focus on.
Speaker 9 (43:44):
Yeah, and you touched on this.
Speaker 16 (43:45):
There are multiple candidates that are running for governor, especially
on the Democratic side, very crowded for those who honestly
aren't doing due diligence to understand what each candidate's platform are.
From your perspective, how do you feel like you are
different from the other candidates that are running on both
Democratic and Republican side.
Speaker 3 (44:03):
Yeah, One is I have the experience to actually do
the job. Now I'm going to have to figure out
how to do it today I get elected. And secondly,
I can get elected. And in Georgia, you have to
be able to appeal to the independent and persuadable voter.
You can't just we're at best a forty eight forty
six Republican state. The way you win is appeal to
independent voters that care about jobs, safety, education, affordability, don't
(44:28):
really want to talk about social issues the way the
right or the left typically has. But candidate quality matters,
and there is only one candidate running for governor as
a Republican that can do that, and that's me.
Speaker 5 (44:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 16 (44:41):
Twenty twenty election was still a hot topic today from
people just from different perspectives. I wanted to get your
thoughts on how everything transpired and how do we move
forward with the upcoming elections that we have and leaving
twenty twenty in the past.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
Yeah, I tend to subscribe to Governor Kemp's theory that
if you're going to win in twenty twenty six, you
got to focus on issues of twenty twenty six that
people really care about, particularly the persuadable voter, and that's
job safety again, affordability, education and those types of things.
As I have said before, if there is any wrongdoing
in an election, then if the evidence is presented to me,
(45:20):
I would be more than happy and will prosecute somebody.
As far as voter fraud goes, we didn't see widespread
voter fraud such that it will overturn the election in
twenty twenty in the same way we didn't see voter
suppression in twenty eighteen when the Democratic gubernatorial candidate said
that was the reason. So at the end of the day,
we have to have safe, secure, transparent elections. I want
(45:41):
my vote to count, I want my vote to be safe,
I want my vote to be transparent just like everybody else's.
That's how we do it. That's what separates our country
from so many others. And we got to make sure
that we do it. And I'm going to make sure
that our elections are safe, secure and accessible.
Speaker 9 (45:55):
And focusing on this election.
Speaker 16 (45:57):
I know you're running, but talk to us more about
why this election is so important.
Speaker 3 (46:02):
Yeah, Georgia is really a battleground state. You know this
truly from again from my perspective. If you're a Republican,
if you don't have the right candidate for governor, it
may not just be about the gubernatory election. It could
be about the Senate race, could be about all the
down ballast statewide officers if you care about who the
attorney general or who the insurance commissioner or public safety
commissioner is. But really, this state has been built on good,
(46:25):
solid leadership going back decades and again Zell Miller was
a Thankfully Zell Miller had the Hope scholarship helped me
go to college. You know, then Sonny Purdue and Nathan
Deal and Brian Kemp. We've had good leaders that know
what it takes to be the governor, that have been
their own independent people that have built the state based
(46:48):
on jobs and safety. I want to continue in that
mold Okay, I love that.
Speaker 16 (46:51):
And just one last thing here, anything you wanted to
share with the listeners that I might not have touched
on yet.
Speaker 3 (46:57):
Well, if you want to support us, we can go
to car Forgeorgia dot com. We're on Instagram, we are
on Facebook, we are on TikTok. Please find us and
we'd love to I don't want to earn the vote
and support of every one of your listeners.
Speaker 9 (47:11):
Perfect. Thank you so much Chris Carr for coming in.
Speaker 3 (47:13):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (47:14):
Thanks.
Speaker 1 (47:14):
Alexandria and Chris followed the Black Information Network as we
continue to cover major races around the country ahead of
this year's elections.
Speaker 9 (47:23):
Next week we hear.
Speaker 1 (47:24):
From Andrea Coleman and two of the Democratic candidates in Georgia,
Keisha Lance Bottoms and Mike Thurmond. This past week, we
heard from President Trump in his State of the Union address.
Many Democratic congress members did not attend. One of them
was South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn.
Speaker 9 (47:42):
He said one of.
Speaker 1 (47:43):
The reasons was his concern about the erasure of history,
something he is passionate about since he used to be
a high school history teacher. This week, he shares with
the Black Information Networks Aster Dillard how his passion fueled
his latest book, called The First Eight.
Speaker 7 (47:59):
And I think if people really realize this, they would
know how important one vote is and they would never
say again, my one vote won't count because the three
most consequent of things that happen to black people in
this country were each decided by a single vote.
Speaker 4 (48:22):
What if I told you that Reconstruction didn't fall apart
because the country agreed it collapsed because of one vote. Today,
Congressman Jim Clyburn explains how three single votes reshaped American
history and why he believes it can happen again. We
talk about the impeachment of Andrew Johnson, the eighteen seventy
six election, the end of Reconstruction, and the ninety five
(48:46):
year gap before another black lawmaker from South Carolina returned
to Congress. It's all part of his new book called
The First Eight, a personal history of the pioneering Black
congressman who helped shape a name. I'm Ester Dillard, and
this is the color between the lines. Let's listen in
to the conversation. I have to move to Reconstruction because
(49:08):
it's really so pivotal to the book and how little
Americans really know about Reconstruction. Do you think that that
lack of understanding really makes it harder for people today
to connect the dots between what happened in the past
and what we're seeing now in politics and public policy.
Speaker 7 (49:28):
Absolutely, I think that the people really knew the story
of reconstruction, how it came about, and most importantly, how
it came to an end. The three most consequential things
that happened after the Civil War or each decided by
(49:51):
a single vote. The first one happened to be the
impeachment of Mandrew Johnson, and they've had Lincolns Murica. Andrew
Johnson became President of the United States, and Andrew Johnson
sent out to undo everything nacol had done and and
in doing so, he even ignored all of the laws
(50:16):
passed by Congress, and the House of Representatives got so
upset with him they impeached him. And when they did
intent the impeachment to the Senate, the Senate failed to
convict him by a single vote. One vote, they failed
(50:39):
to impeach him. Now that allowed this dismantling of Mancin's
legacy to continue, and it culminated in eighteen seventy six
when we had the president of an election. In that
president's election, as you know, you don't get elected really
(51:03):
by the popular vote. You get elected by the electoral college.
And at the time of the eighteen seventy six election,
you needed one hundred and eighty five electoral votes in
order to get elected. President. Samuel Chilton had one hundred
and eighty four and Brother Behaves, his opponent, a Republican
(51:28):
at one hundred and sixty five children, was one vote show.
Brother Behaves was twenty vote show. Now, as the constitution requires,
if nobody gets a majority electoral college vote, the election
(51:50):
gets thrown into the House of Representatives and the House
will make the decision. So the House of Representatives, not
knowing what to do, appoint of the fifteen person commission
to go out and study this issue, meet me the candidates,
and make a recommendation to the House as to what
to do. That committee met and it by a vote
(52:15):
of eight to seven give the spined votes, which was
twenty coming from three stages Florida, South Carolina, and Louisiana.
They gave those twenty votes to Hayes because Hayes promised them,
(52:37):
you give me these twenty votes, I would get to
the magic number one eighty five, I'll bring it into reconstruction.
So by a vote of eight to seven, reconstruction came
to an end. By a vote of one eighty five
to one eighty four, Jim became the law of the land.
(53:03):
And I think it's important for people to realize a
lot of people who seemed to feel that all of
us happened by some big wave coming over the country. No,
the country was as closely divided then as it is now,
maybe even closer then, because these three events were each
(53:28):
decided by a single vote. And I think if people
really realize this, then they would know how important one
vote is and they would never say again, my one
vote won't count.
Speaker 4 (53:47):
That wasn't a landslide. It was a razor thin decision.
One vote allowed reconstruction to collapse and usher it in
nearly one hundred years of Jim Crow and Congressman Jim
Clyburn made it clear, if we misunderstand that history, we
misunderstand the present.
Speaker 7 (54:05):
But in the middle of writing this book, the twenty
twenty election came about, and I'm sitting there watching television
and the results coming in and the reaction to it.
And I remember that night, people banging on those windows
and doors up in Detroit, trying to break into the
(54:25):
where they were counting the votes, trying to set up
a second seven of electalls. I was sitting on the
floor on January sixth, twenty twenty one, when they tried
to stop the electoral vote count so that they could
get some off turn into elect tolls like so many
(54:49):
other people. Heard the President of the United States on
the phone talking to the Secretary of State down there
in Georgia. Find me eleven thousand, seven hundred and eight
votes so I can get those electoral votes coming out
of Georgia. And that's when I got in touch with
Mine Publishing. That says, we got to change the direction
(55:14):
of this book. This book can't just be about these
eight people. It's got to be about the events that
brought these eight people's careers to an end. It's got
to be about five. There is ninety five years between
number eight on this list and yours, truly number nine,
ninety five years between George Watching and Murray and Jim Pober.
(55:39):
And that's why we changed the book so that people
can see the parallels between what's going on right now
and what happened then, And I say in this book
in the epilogue, I wrote the book became a cautionary
tea the stay of people like I used to say,
(56:03):
those students I used to take anything that's happened before.
Jan Hatenberget.
Speaker 4 (56:09):
Congressman Jim Clyburn explains why there was a ninety five
year gap between the first black members of Congress during
reconstruction and his own election and shares the remarkable story
of Robert Small's, a formerly enslaved black man who reshaped
South Carolina and American history. To hear the rest of
this powerful conversation, listen to The Color between the Lines
(56:32):
on iHeartRadio, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm
Aster Dillard for the Black Information Network.
Speaker 1 (56:41):
Thanks Ester and Congressman Clyburn. The book is called The
First Eight, a personal history of the pioneering Black Congressman
who shaped a nation. You can find out wherever books
are sold. And that's our show for this week. For
more on these stories, listen to the Black Information Network
on the free iHeartRadio app or log on to binnews
(57:02):
dot com for all of the latest news impacting the
Black community. We would love to hear from you about
the Black Perspective. Log on to the Black Information Networks
Talkback Live feature on the iHeartRadio app to share your feedback. Also,
be sure to follow us on social media at Black
Information Network and on X and Blue Sky at black
Info net. Make the Black Information Network first on your
(57:25):
car radio and iHeartRadio app presets. I'm Mike Island. Have
a great Sunday, and we'll see you next week with
a new episode of The Black Perspective right here on
the Black Information Network.
Speaker 14 (57:37):
The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed in this commentary are
those of the author and do not necessarily represent those
of BIN and its founding partners and employees.
Speaker 17 (57:49):
I'm jmc harris and I have something to say. Democrat
Congresswoman Lamonica mcguiver wants your sympathy today. Why because she's
being prosecuted after allegedly assaulting a federal immigration officer. She
says she was just doing her job.
Speaker 18 (58:05):
I am Lamonica mac iver. You may not know my name,
but you may have heard my story. I am the
congresswoman that Donald Trump is trying to put in prison
for seventeen years. Trump's Department of Justice is going after me,
trying to silence me and scare other people out of
(58:26):
standing for what's right, all because I was doing my job.
Speaker 17 (58:32):
Let's be clear, members of Congress absolutely have the legal
authority to conduct oversight business and ice attention facilities. What
they don't have the authority to do is physically interfere
with the lawful arrest. According to federal prosecutors, during a
confrontation outside the Delaney Hall ice facility in Newark, the
guiver wrapped her arms around Newark's mayor in an attempt
(58:54):
to stop federal agents from taking him into custody, and
then struck an officer with forearmed That's not oversight, that's obstruction.
And a federal judge has already ruled that interfering with
an arrest exceeds anything protected by legislative immunity. Translation, you
don't get to hide behind your congressional pen after you
(59:15):
put hands on law enforcement. And here's what's the most telling.
Democrats are now framing this prosecution as political intimidation, not accountability,
based on what recently happened in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Democrat Representative
Lamonica macgiver should consider herself lucky. Macguiver is an elected
official who.
Speaker 2 (59:35):
Thought that the long arm of the law could.
Speaker 17 (59:38):
Not reached her the powerful. Looks like from this press
conference she's been proven wrong. I'm James Erris for the
Black Information Network.
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