[INSPRATIONAL MUSIC STING] - We're joined by Carl McCall, who is the author of this book, "Truly Blessed and Highly Favored."

Former New York State comptroller and former state senator in New York.

First executive director of the Schumann Fund from New Jersey.

He joined us on a previous segment.

Go on our website and check that out.

But I wanted to continue the conversation with Mr. McCall because he had so many important things to say.

I had cut you off, Mr. McCall, when you were talking about the work that was done in Newark with Newark Mayor Kenneth Gibson after the riots and rebellion in 1967 when you were the head of the Schumann Fund for New Jersey.

Talk about that work again, please, Carl.

- Well, what happened is Ken Gibson admitted that he had a very complex job.

It was new, he didn't have a lot of ideas about, you know, what he had to do to really begin to get to the root causes of why there had been an uprising in New Jersey as well as in other cities.

And so we established something called the Office of Newark Studies.

- The Office of Newark Studies.

- That's right.

- Was that headed up by Gus Heningburg?

- No, Gus Heningburg then was head of the Urban Coalition.

- Got it.

- But Gus Heningburg and Steve Adubato Sr. and the others came together to form this office and to pick a leadership of that office.

And that program continued for 10 more years, helping the city administration really do the kind of research and study and develop real meaningful issues, policy issues to address the social inequalities in Newark.

- Can we talk higher ed for a second?

You were the chairman of the SUNY, State University of New York Board of Trustees from 2011 to 2019.

Let me ask you this, Mr. McCall.

The world has changed for colleges and universities across this campus.

The job of being a college president, university president changed forever.

What do you believe the most significant lesson should be for all university and college presidents as it relates to peaceful protest on any issue while protecting the rights of other students not engaged in those protests to go to class and for the campus to move forward?

Please, not an easy question.

- Very tough question.

All universities are dealing with it, and you just have to have the right balance.

People have a right to protest, people that have a right to exercise their free speech, and we need to listen to them.

But they can't disrupt the operation of institutions.

They can't take over buildings, they can't do encampments, they can't have a negative impact on other students who are simply there to learn and they do not want to participate in this kind of activity.

And I think that some people just didn't understand that and I think they went in different ways.

Some people were very rigid and just shut down protests altogether.

Other people allowed the protests to grow and to become more disruptive.

So they just, and you know, many people, I don't wanna be critical of all of them, but a lot of people have grown up and only served in this academic bubble that you get in colleges.

And they hadn't had a lot of outside activity and political understanding of the politics behind these things.

And they just behave very badly.

So we just have to strike the balance.

Free speech, tell us how you feel, we've gotta listen to you, but you can't disrupt the ongoing operations, you can't take over buildings, you can't do encampments.

You have to have some restraint on your advocacy.

- How about another really tough one?

Carl McCall, who I'll just disclose, was also a very close friend of my late dad, Steve Adubato Sr., and they worked together at Newark when Carl McCall was the head of the Schumann Fund for New Jersey, my dad created the North Ward Center, a community organization in Newark.

But it causes me to ask this question.

You and my dad worked closely together.

You understand race relations better than most.

You are a pastor, a minister, part of your illustrious career.

Where are we with race relations in 2025 and where do we need to go?

- Well, first of all, we've gotta be honest about the fact that we have made some progress, but not enough, that there is still systemic racism.

People are still being discriminated against, people are still being denied opportunity, and that has to do with race.

People who might be doing well today have to recognize the heritage, how things were in the past, and that we're still affected by the attitudes that came out of that era.

And we just have to be honest and willing to be open and to discuss this issue and to work together to find common ground.

I think there are more things that really, you know, that we believe in together than things that divide us.

And we have to really focus on what are those values and principles that are enduring, that have made America the country of opportunity.

But how do we make sure those opportunities are available to everyone?

And people now don't feel assured that those opportunities are going to be equal.

- So I mentioned this in the first segment we did with Carl McCall, given your experience, your expertise, your accomplishments at 89 years young, Carl McCall, the reason you're still hopeful is?

- The reason I'm still hopeful is because there are a lot of people who have benefited as I have from the opportunities in America.

And those of us who have had those opportunities have to play a leadership role.

We have to go forward and we have to challenge negative assumptions.

We've gotta challenge this idea that all immigrants are terrible and they haven't made any contribution to this country.

This is a country of immigrants and this is a country that's been successful because they've welcomed everyone and they're provided training and education and assistance to people, particularly those people who are in need.

We've gotta really get out and talk about this and be advocates for the continuation of America as a place of opportunity.

And we've gotta point out, if we don't do that, we're gonna be in decline.

We're not gonna be the great country that we've been in the past.

- The honorable Carl McCall, H. Carl McCall, he, as I said, not only the former, the first New York State comptroller, state senator, first executive director of the Schumann Fund for New Jersey, head of the SUNY Board of Trustees, the president of the New York City Board of Education.

So many things that he's done.

And it's featured in this extraordinary book, "Truly Blessed and Highly Favored, A Memoir" by Carl McCall- - Which is available on Amazon.

- Look at you.

Very effective promotion.

- Okay.

- That's McCall, and we are honored to have him with you, Mr. McCall.

- It's been my pleasure, Steve, and thank you for your leadership and your family's leadership.

It has made a difference in New Jersey.

So thank you for that.

- Very kind of you.

That's H. Carl McCall and we are honored to have him be with us.

All the best to all you watching.

Be positive and optimistic because that's what Carl McCall is.

See you next time.

- [Narrator] State of Affairs with Steve Adubato is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Celebrating 30 years in public broadcasting.

Funding has been provided by PSE&G, New Jersey’s Clean Energy program.

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Community FoodBank of New Jersey.

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The North Ward Center continues to expand their services and outreach in Newark, from the childhood years to the golden years, Offering programs like preschool, youth leadership development, Casa Israel Adult Medical Day program our Family Success center, as well as a gymnasium.

And most recently Hope House, a permanent home for adults with autism, supporting and nurturing our autism community with Hope House 2 coming soon.

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