HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP?

HOW ARE YOU DOING?

IT IS SO NICE TO SEE YOU.

>> IT IS SO GOOD TO SEE YOU.

YOU KNOW IT WAS SO FUNNY LISTENING TO THE MUSIC AT THE

TOP THERE, I WAS LIKE AH, MUSIC.

FORGOT ABOUT THAT JRS I KNOW, YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN PART ONE,

WE PLAYED SOME HILARIOUS MUSIC.

(LAUGHTER) HOW IS EVERYTHING, ARE YOU DOING

WELL?

YOU LOOK LIKE YOU ARE DOING WELL.

YOU LOOK LIKE YOU ARE COPING THROUGH THIS.

>> IT'S ALL LIGHTING.

IT SMOKE AND MIRRORS BUT NO, I'M DOING OKAY, I'M MAKING

ADJUSTMENTS LIKE EVERYBODY.

I'M FINDING MY WAY.

WE ARE ACTUALLY BACK IN PRODUCTION WHICH IS CRAZY.

WE'RE BACK AT WORK ON BLACK-ISH, SO FINDING MY WAY WITH THAT AS

WELL.

>> James: WELL, WE'RE ALL FINDING OUR WAY WITH SO MANY

THINGS.

I MEAN IT WAS JUST ANNOUNCED MOMENTS AGO THAT THE NBA PLAYERS

ARE MADE A DECISION TO BOYCOTT ALL PLAYOFF GAMES TODAY IN

PROTEST OF THE JACOB BLAKE SHOOTING WHICH IS, MY FIRST

THOUGHT IS IT IS AN INCREDIBLE USE OF THEIR PLATFORM.

WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU HEARD THIS NEWS.

>> I REALLY HEARD IT LIT REALLILY AS I WAS COMING ON

HERE.

AND I SAY BRAVO.

I THINK THIS IS A MOMENT TO TAKE A STAND AND THE TRUTH IS IT IS

NOT JUST IN RESPONSE TO JACOB.

>> James: ABSOLUTELY.

>> IT IS TO THE HISTORY OF THIS AND THE FACT THAT IT IS ENOUGH

AND I STHI IT IS ONE OF THE MOST AMERICAN THINGS YOU CAN DO, USE

YOUR VOICE, TAKE A STAND AND I THINK ALL OF US NEED TO.

THIS IS A MOMENT FOR THE COLLECTIVE VOICE FOR OFF US

SAYING IT IS ENOUGH, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK WE HAVE TO BE HONEST

AND CLEAR ABOUT WHAT IT IS, AND NOT NORMALIZE IT AND THAT'S ONE

OF THE REASONS I THINK THE NBA USING THEIR VOICE IN THAT WAY,

LIKE YES, BRAVO, WE MUST CONTINUE TO DO THIS BECAUSE WE

REFUSE TO GO BACK AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE PURSUING JUSTICE AND

SAFE SOCIETY AND A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN BE AT HOME IN YOUR BED

AND YOU ARE SAFE, WHERE JAY SOB-- JACOB FROM WHAT I

UNDERSTAND PULLED OVER TO BREAK UP A FIGHT BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE.

AND WHEN THE POLICE CAME IT WAS LIKE OH, GOOD, I CAN GET BACK IN

THE CAR WITH MY CHILDREN.

SO EVERYTHING ABOUT IT AND THIS IDEA TO ME THAT EVEN IF SOMEONE

IS A CRIMINAL, YOU DO NOT DESERVE TO DIE.

THAT IS NOT HOW THIS WORKS.

>> James: THAT IS THE THING.

I HAVE IN OVERWHELMING FEELING OF LIKE WELL, IF THIS HADN'T

BEEN CAUGHT ON VIDEO, THIS IS A STATISTIC THAT I DON'T EVEN KNOW

ABOUT.

GEORGE FLOYD IS A STATISTIC THAT I DON'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT.

THERE ARE TOO MANY.

THERE IS JUST TOO MANY.

AND TALKING WITH MY FRIENDS AND TALKING ABOUT WHAT LIFE IS LIKE

IN THAT WAY OF INTERACTION WITH THE POLICE, THAT IT JUST

SHOULDN'T BE ANYTHING TO BE REMOTELY SCARED OR FRIGHTENED

OF.

AND I HOPE ALL OF THESE THINGS BRING ABOUT CHANGE.

I HOPE IT ALL BRINGS ABOUT CHANGE.

I REALLY, REALLY DO.

>> LET ME SAY THIS.

I THINK THAT THAT CHANGE REQUIRES ALL OF US.

>> YEAH.

>> IT REQUIRES ALL OF US COLLECTIVELY TO USE OUR VOICES,

OUR HANDS, VOTING IS A PART OF IT, PROTESTING IS A PART OF IT.

BEING CLEAR ABOUT THE SYSTEMIC PAINS THAT WE WANT TO OCCUR IS

PART OF IT.

WE ALL HAVE A PART IN THIS.

AND IT CAN'T JUST BE ONE PERSON OR THE OTHER.

JACOB IS YOUR BROTHER AS HE IS MY BROTHER.

WE CANNOT, DISREGARD FOR HUMAN LIFE OR BLACK HUMANITY, BLACK

BODIES, BLACK LIFE TO BE BRUTALIZED AND VIOLENTLY

DISREGARDED IN THAT WAY.

AND IF WE ALL DON'T STAND UP IT WON'T CHANGE.

AND I THIS I THIS ELECTION IS AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT PART OF IT.

I THINK WE REALLY TALK ABOUT I THINK EVERY ELECTION IS URGENT

FOR THOSE THAT ARE UPSET AND MARGINALIZED AND THOSE THAT ARE

THE MOST VULLER INABLE.

EVERY ONE IS, BECAUSE WE ARE STILL IN PURSUIT OF A SAFE AND

JUST SOCIETY.

BUT THIS ELECTION IS URGENT IN A WAY THAT THEY ALL ARE BUT ON TOP

OF THAT.

THERE IS SOMETHING VERY REAL GOING ON LIGHT NOW AND WE MUST

PARTICIPATE AND I THINK WE HAVE TO GET INFORMED SO THAT YOU KNOW

HOW TO PARTICIPATE AND WHICH WAY YOU ABOUT USE YOUR HANDS BECAUSE

I THINK THE ONLY WAY THAT THIS CHANGES, IS IF, EACH OF US

UNDERSTAND THAT WE SHAPE OUR FUTURE.

WE EACH DO THAT.

OUR FUTURE, WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER AND IF WE DON'T GET

INVOLVED, NONE OF IT CHANGES.

IF WE ARE NOT APPALLED BY WHAT IS HAPPENING, WHAT DOES THAT SAY

ABOUT WHO WE ARE.

>> James: YEAH.

>> YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S THE THING THAT BLOWS MY MIND.

LIKE IT'S APPALLING TRK IS HEARTBREAKING T IS INFURIATING,

IT IS EXHAUSTING.

IT IS TERRIFYING.

ST ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

SO HOW DO WE CONTINUE.

AND I PERSONALLY AM LOOKING FOR THOSE THAT THIS IS THE WITHOUT,

THAT THEY DO.

THERE ARE ORGANIZERS, THEY HAVE THE LANGUAGE, THEY HAVE THE ACT

OF WHAT IT IS THAT WE NEED TO DO.

TO CHANGE WHERE WE ARE AT.

AND SO I RECENTLY TOWARDS THOSE PEOPLE, THERE ARE PEOPLE, ANGELA

DAVIS HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS STUFF FOREVER.

THERE IS PATRICE COLORS, TAMIKA MALLORY, THERE IS ALL OF THESE

PEOPLE THAT REALLY, THAT I SAY LIKE TELL US WHERE TO GO AND HOW

TO DO BUT HONESTLY, RIGHT NOW VOTE, VOTE.

>> James: ON THAT, LAST WEEK YOU GUIDED THE VIEWERS ON, WAS

IT, I THINK NIGHT TWO OF THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

AND-- YOU DID A WONDERFUL JOB (APPLAUSE).

>> James: YOU REALLY DISP.

TALK TO ME ABOUT THAT EXPERIENCE OF TAKING PART IN THE

CONVENTION, WERE YOU NERVOUS?

>> I WAS NERVOUS.

I WAS NERVOUS FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS.

I MEAN I FELT LIKE IT WAS AN ORGANK AND NATURAL SORT OF STEP

FOR ME.

I'M VERY SOCIALLY ACTIVE, PHYSICALLY ENGAGED BUT I DON'T

NORMALLY PARTICIPATE IN THE POLITICAL ARENA IN THAT WAY AND

IT IS A BIG CASE, PEOPLE THAT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING

ABOUT.

>> FOR SURE.

>> YOU KNOW, AND I'M COMFORTABLE HOSTING.

I LOVE HOSTING BUT I FELT LIKE IT WAS MY JOB TO BE THE CON

DUITY, THE FACILITATOR FOR A CONVERSATION ABOUT ENGAGEMENT

AND PARTICIPATION.

AND THAT IS ONE I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE HAVING.

I TBELT HONORED TO BE IN THAT POSITION.

I TOOK IT SERIOUSLY, WRITING MY WORDS WAS LIKE-- IT WAS LIKE

REALLY, I BE ONLY HAD 275 WORDS AND TRYING TO GET IN WHAT I

WANTED TO SAY.

>> James: IS THAT WHAT THEY TELL YOU, YOU HAVE ONLY GOT 275

WORDS.

>> ME, HI 275 WORDS BECAUSE MY NIGHT HAD THE ROLE CALL IN IT

AND THAT TAKES UP A VERY LARGE PORTION.

SO AT THE BEGINNING IN ORDER TO SET UP MY VOICE, WHO I AM,

WHATEVER.

I HAD 275 WORDS, I THINK I TALKED FOR 285.

SO TRYING TO GET THE WORDS RIGHT FELT SO IMPORTANT TO ME AND THEN

ALSO THE COVID SAFETY OF IT.

BECAUSE I HADN'T BEEN OUT OF HOUSE QUITE YET SO GETTING ALL

OF THAT IN ORDER.

SO I WAS NERVOUS BUT ALSO MY ARMS WERE LINKED TO THE OTHER

WOMEN. AND I FELT LIKE WE STARTED A TEXT THREAD AND WE

WOULD PAT EACH OTHER'S BAG.

BUT THIS IS A MOMENT TO SHOW UP AND TAKE RISKY BEHAVIOR IN THE

DIRECTION OF BEING OF SERVICE TO THE LARGER GOOD.

I JUST FEEL LIKE THIS IS A MOMENT FOR THAT.

AND YOU KNOW DISCOMFORT RIGHT NOW SAY PLIF LIGE CONSIDERING

WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHAT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING.

>> James: THAT IS A GREAT WAY, I HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT OF IT,

THAT IS A WONDERFUL WAY TO DESCRIBE IT, THAT YES, IT IS

UNCOMFORTABLE.

BUT THAT'S THE PRIVILEGE IN THIS.

YEAH.

>> THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE GENUINELY, THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE

AND HOW IT IS DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTING PEOPLE OF COLOR AND

WOMEN OF COLOR.

YOU KNOW, COVID AND THE REALITY OF WHAT THAT IS STILL LIKE FOR

HEALTH CARE WORKERS AND FAMILIES AND THE PEOPLE, AND STAYING SAFE

FROM THAT.

THERE IS SO MUCH TO WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS MOMENT STVMENT

ALL CONVERGING.

IT IS CRAZY, AND LIKE THE GROUND BENEATH US IS MOVING BUT PERHAPS

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED.

I THINK YOU TALK ABOUT SYSTEMIC RACISM AND THE SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS

IN THIS COUNTRY, AND I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO

ASK ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY ARE THERE AND CONTINUE PURSUING

TOWARDS WHAT WE WANT THIS TO BE IN A COLLECTIVE WAY.

AND IF YOU ARE GOING TO BREAK DOWN THE SYSTEM THAN THE GROUND

IS GOING TO FEEL UNSTABLE BECAUSE YOU NEED TO GET RID OF

SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE NOT WORKING, NOT FOR ALL OF US

AND NOT FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE.

>> James: HOW GREAT HAVING TRACEE ELLIS ROSS ON THE SHOW

TONIGHT.

OH MAN, ARE YOU THE PHONIC-- TONIC THAT WE ALL

NEEDED TODAY.