E-mail a friendJack Kemp
airdate November 13, 2006
Jack Kemp's diverse career encompasses pro football, politics and business. He played 13 years in the AFL and was recognized by Sporting News as one of the Top 50 Quarterbacks of All Time. Transitioning into public service, he represented New York in Congress for 18 years, served as HUD Secretary and was tapped as the VP candidate on the '96 GOP ticket. The L.A. native is founder and chair of Kemp Partners, chairs Habitat for Humanity's "More than Houses" campaign and serves on the Howard University Board.
Jack Kemp
Tavis: Jack Kemp, so many former things. Former NFL quarterback, former congressman, (laugh) former vice presidential running mate, vice presidential candidate, former Cabinet member, and today, a member of this King Committee. Thank you for making this happen.
Jack Kemp: Well, thank you, Tavis, and let me introduce you to a King kid. My grandson, Jonah Paul Kemp.
Tavis: Hey, Jonah, nice to meet you.
Kemp: His daddy played in the Canadian Football League, and thanks for having me.
Tavis: And I'm glad to have you. Speaking of young men and women, young boys and girls like Jonah, what does this day say to them? What's the message for Jonah?
Kemp: Well, the message is that Dr. King not only helped liberate African Americans; he liberated all Americans, White and Black. He gave us back our dignity by passing a civil rights, human rights legislation that not only enabled and empowered Black folks, but White, as well. Because we removed the stain of treating people of color less than human. And that's over. We've come a long way. And as Andy Young just said, we got a long way to go. But we're coming a long way.
Tavis: You and I have not always respectfully agreed on policy, but the one thing I've always said consistently about you is that, in part, because of your experience in the NFL, with a line of Black guys blocking for you, you understood and have gotten race relations better than most Americans. Tell me what you think that experience meant to you, in terms of being able to shake it up with people of color.
Kemp: Well, you're absolutely right. You can't play quarterback in pro football (laugh) and not treat people...
Tavis: Especially your line.
Kemp: Yes, absolutely.
Tavis: Especially your line, yeah.
Kemp: I was president of the Football Players Union for five years. I take pride in the fact that when I went to Congress, and particularly as a Republican, a Lincoln Republican, I wanted to make sure that there was a voice for African Americans in the Republican Party. It's weak, unfortunately. I was the national campaign chairman for Michael Steele.
Sorry he didn't make it to the U.S. Senate. But nonetheless, I think the party of Lincoln has to welcome home the African American and people of color, because we will not be whole, W-H-O-L-E, until people feel comfortable in a party of civil, human, equal and voting rights.
Tavis: Finally, what's your sense of the progress, or lack thereof, that we are making on race relations as King looks down on this event today.
Kemp: Wow. Well, he's here, no doubt, looking down on us. As I said earlier, we've come a long way. I watch your show.
Tavis: Thank you.
Kemp: And what a great book you wrote. But we've got a long way to go. You want people to be judged, as Dr. King said, not by the color of their skin, but the content of their character. I want him to know what it's like to be in a country of heterogeneity, of people of color, of people who care about the same things that my mama and papa believed in.
The chance to own a home; chance to own an education; chance to get access to capital. This is the real civil rights battle of the twenty-first century, which you wrote about.
Tavis: Yeah, I thank you. Jonah, nice to meet you. Glad to have you on the program. And Mr. Kemp, pleasure to see you.
Kemp: Tavis, thank you for all you do.
Tavis: Thank you, sir.
Kemp: Godspeed, man. Wish you well.
Tavis: Thank you.
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