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So you've come down really, really
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hard on all the violent protests and the looting that's
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going on.
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But you do acknowledge that they're just angry
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and they don't know how to channel that anger?
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Yeah, absolutely right.
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And Atlanta is the home of the civil rights movement.
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That's no secret.
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So we're used to protests and to gatherings
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and true organization.
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But what we saw happening in our city on Friday
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was not in that spirit at all.
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I understand the anger and the frustration.
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Because I'm feeling it.
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I'm watching my children feel it, too.
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But we also saw that there was just
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a need for disruption from some.
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And I went back today.
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And I pulled the "Appeal for Human Rights."
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It was a document that was drafted by some students
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from the Atlanta University Center.
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Roslyn Pope was a Spelman student.
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And it was a very succinct document that was put together
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during the Civil Rights Movement that
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outlined exactly what their grievances were
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and the resolution that they were seeking.
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And I think that is a conversation that we
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have to move towards now.
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We have articulated our grievances.
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We're angry.
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But now, we've got to formalize it
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so we'll know what the point of satisfaction
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is in this country.
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And there's so much work to be done.
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Yes.
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But I think a lot of-- and especially a lot
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of the young people-- are saying the peaceful protests didn't
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work because we're still in a situation like this.
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So the peaceful protest don't work.
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I feel like there has to be--
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and I've spoken with Tyler Perry about this
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and a lot of people--
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there has to be a plan.
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Even today when I call the "Appeal for Human Rights"
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that the student is drafted in the 1960s,
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I sent it over to Killer Mike.
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And what I said to him is, we've got to lead this conversation
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and create a true framework.
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Our young people don't have any direction.
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And there is no clear leadership.
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But we've been through this before.
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And I often quote Audre Lorde.
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"Revolution is not a one time event."
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Peaceful protests in this country got results.
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We got through the Civil Rights Movement.
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And we have been moving forward in this country
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for a very, very long time.
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But it didn't happen in an instant.
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In the same way one protest is not
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going to make everything suddenly go away and change,
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it's got to be a framework for us to know exactly what it
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is that we want.
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We know that we want black men and women not
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to be killed on our streets.
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That's a very easy answer.
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But the reality is, if we don't change our policies,
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and if we don't acknowledge and address
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the systematic issues that have gotten us to this point today,
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then we're going to be in this state of chaos
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for a very long time.
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And I think that is such an important point.
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Because as a white father, I have never
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had to say to my kids, be careful when you go out there.
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Be careful for the police.
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And when you are a black child in this country--
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and I've explained this to my 13-year-old twins--
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this is something you go through every day.
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You wake up every morning and know you are black.
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And you know that you are going out there.
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And you are going to be in a level of potential danger
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that my two sons will never have to understand.
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And I appreciate your saying that.
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And I was even thinking back to after Ferguson,
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having a conversation with my son, and him saying to me, mom,
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you have no idea how hard it is to be a black boy in America.
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And I remember his anguish and his pain.
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And what struck me today as I was thinking about Ferguson
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is that for his entire life he's had
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to deal with this anguish and this pain
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because he's seen it on television day in and day out.
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And he feels helpless.
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And the reality is, it doesn't matter how many conversations I
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have of my kids and my sons, if you aren't having them
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with your kids, then we all got to have this conversation.
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But I do think there has been a monumental shift
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in this country this week.
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And I know it's true.
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Because I'm seeing white police officers
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take a knee next to black protesters.
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So the fact that they are articulating
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very boldly and very publicly, saying
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I don't have all of the answers, but I recognize that you're
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hurting, I think is a step that we
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hadn't seen taken in this country at least
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in my lifetime.
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Yeah, yeah.
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And then you have the sheriff in Flint, Michigan,
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who is fantastic, who took off his uniform, his badge,
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and marched with the peaceful protesters, and took a knee.
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I think we have to take a break.
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Because I want to get all this in.
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So I'm going to take a break.
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But that just broke my heart, just hearing your son say,
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you have no idea how hard it is to be a black boy.
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And it's like, I can't imagine growing up
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with that kind of anxiety and fear.
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And of course that creates anger.
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Of course it goes somewhere when you're--
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but we're going to take a break.
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And we'll be back.