THIS MOTION' EDITION OF CONNECT THIS MOTION' EDITION OF CONNECT NEW YORK, WE ARE GOING TO CONSIDER HOW A NEW GENERATION OF NEW PEOPLE OF COLOR HAVE TAKEN OVER THE HELM OF THE MODERN CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND CONSIDER WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE GOALS, STRATEGIES AND SUCCESS OF THE CAMPAIGN DON'T GO ANYWHERE.

WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK.

♪ ♪ >> SO WAS WE ARE GOING TO DO, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BACK OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.

BACK OUR YOUNG PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY ARE THE LEADERS OF TODAY NOT OF TOMORROW, NOT OF YESTERDAY THEY'RE THE LEADERS OF TODAY!

COME ON, SYRACUSE, WE CAN MAKE MORE NOISE THAN THAT!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] >> I'M STILL HERE BUT MY I'M FOCUSED BUT DISTRACTED.

WORKING OVERNIGHT TO FEED MY FAMILY.

>> I TAKE A DEEP BREATH BEFORE TELLING MY SIBLINGS, LISTEN.

I WON'T ALWAYS BE AROUND TO PROTECT YOU.

PUT YOUR HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM I KNOW YOU BETTER WHEN YOU'RE SCARED I HIVE IT'S JUST LEAK, FOR MY SAKE, JUST DROP IT.

>> IF THEY ASK WHY, WHY, WHAT DID HE DO?

YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.

THEY'RE JUST SCARED.

SCARED OF WHAT YOU CAN BECOME!

WE ARE THE NEXT GENERATION SAYING ENOUGH!

I AFFIRM THESE INJUSTICES.

IT WILL NOT GO UNCHECKED.

BLACK LIVES MATTER!

IMLEART!

BLACK LIVES MATTER!

>> WE ARE OUT HERE FOR A PURPOSE AND AS THEY HAVE CALLED US OUT HERE FOR A PURPOSE, WE ARE HERE TO TELL THEM WE HEAR THEIR VOICES, WE STAND WITH THEM IN A TIME SUCH AS THIS, A TIME WHERE FOLKS ARE TELLING THEM THEY HAVE NO VOICE BUT LOOK AROUND SYRACUSE, THE YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE A VOICE IN SYRACUSE, NEW YORK!

[CHEERS AND APPLAUSE] DID Y'ALL HEAR THE NEWS!

THAT'S RIGHT.

BLACK LIVES MATTER!

WELCOME TO CONNECT NEW YORK, I'M DAVID LOMBARDO - HOST OF WCNY'S THE CAPITOL PRESSROOM, A DAILY PUBLIC RADIO SHOW BROADCASTING FROM THE STATE CAPITOL.

ON TODAY'S SHOW WE'RE EXAMINING THE ROLE YOUNG PEOPLE OF COLOR HAVE ASSUMED, IN THE PUSH FOR RACIAL EQUALITY ACROSS THE COUNTRY - FOLLOWING THE KILLING OF TRAYVON MARTIN AND THE ACQUITAL OF GEORGE ZIMMERMAN - WHICH HAS BEEN THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT.

BUT FIRST, WE'RE GOING TO CHECK IN WITH STATE SENATOR JABARI BRISPORT - A BROOKLYN DEMOCRAT - WHO WILL TALK WITH US ABOUT HIS ROOTS IN SOCIAL ACTIVISM, WHY HE WAS DRAWN TO POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT AND MUCH MORE.

THE SENATOR JOINED US RECENTLY FROM HIS GOVERNMENT OFFICE.

>> WE ARE JOINED BY SENATE SENATOR JABARI BRISPORT, THANKS FOR MAKING THE TIME, SENATOR.

>> THANK YOU, DAVE.

ALWAYS GREAT TO BE HERE.

>> I APPRECIATE YOUR SAYING THAT.

I BELIEVE YOU WERE THE RIPE OLD AGE OF 33 WHEN YOU GOT ELECTED TO THE STATE SENATE BACK IN 2020 BUT YOUR ENGAGEMENT IN POLITICS BEGAN AT A YOUNGSER AGE, PURSUING A CITY COUNCIL BID IN BROOKLYN IN 2017 AND WORKING ON THE CAMPAIGN TO LEGALIZE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IN NEW YORK WHEN WERE YOU IN YOUR EARLY 20s.

WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO GET IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS AT AN AGE WHEN MANY OF OUR PEERS ARE NOT ENGAGED LET ALONE RUNNING FOR ELECTED OFFICE.

>> I WOULD SAY GOING BACK TO THE FIGHT FOR SAME-SEX MARRIAGE, I WAS A COLLEGE STUDENT AND I SAW MYSELF THREATENED BY THE POLITICAL SYSTEM.

I SAW THAT WE HAVE A SOCIETY IN WHICH I WAS A SECOND CLASS CITIZEN AS A GAY MAN AND THAT I WAS BEING DENIED RIGHTS THAT WOULD BE BECAUSE OF THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION I THREW MYSELF HEAD ON INTO THE FIGHT FOR MARRIAGEY QA ULT IN NEW YORK AND THAT WAS MY FIRST BIG POLITICAL LOSS BECAUSE IN 2009, THE LEGISLATURE VOTED DOWN THE STATE SENATE VOTED DOWN AND GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT DETERMINATION AND CONSISTENCY IN POLITICS BECAUSE DOUBLE DOWN KEPT FIGHTING HARDER AND IN 2011, WE WON.

>> WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO DOUBLE DOWN AS OPPOSED TO WALK AWAY OR TRY TO FIND OTHER AVENUES TO FIGHT FOR THIS CAUSE?

>> I THINK THE PEOPLE IN THE MOVEMENTS.

THAT'S THE GENERAL THING OF SOLIDARITY.

WHEN YOU ARE FIGHTING YOU MUST FIGHT WITH OTHERS BECAUSE THEY HELP HOLD TO YOU THE VISION.

WHEN WE FIRST LOST I TOOK A STEP BACK AND I WONDERED IF MARRIAGE EQUALITY WOULD EVER HAPPEN IN NEW YORK AND I THOUGHT MAYBE WE SHOULD FOCUS INSTEAD ON SIMPLE UNIONS.

MAYBE THAT WAS A REASONABLE COMCOMPROMISE BUT BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE FIGHT FOR MAJORITY EQUALITY WERE SAYING FULL EQUALITY AND NOTHING LESS, THAT GAVE ME THE COURAGE AND ABILITY TO FIGHT FOR IT AND SEE REALLY, WHEN YOU DO FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT THING AND KEEP GOING AT IT, EVENTUALLY YOU WIN REALLY SINCE 2016 WE HAVE HAD A GROWING NUMBER OF FRESHMAN CLASSES OF STATE LAWMAKERS AT THE CAPITOL THAT HAVE FEATURED PROGRESSIVE MEMBERS IN THEIR 20s AND 30S AND PEOPLE OF COLOR AND COMING INTO POWER IN OPPOSITION OF THE DEMOCRATIC ESTABLISHMENT.

ARE THESE UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS IN UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES OR ARE THERE LARGER TRENDS AT WORK HERE THAT PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF ARE A PART OF.

>> I THINK THAT POST 2016 A LOT MORE PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THE POLITICAL PROCESS OF POWER THAT'S IN POLITICS AND SEEING WHAT HAPPENS WHETHER PEOPLE SIT BACK AND DON'T ACTIVELY ENGAGE WITH IT.

I THINK A LOT MORE PEOPLE ARE AWAKE NOW AND PARTICIPATING AND WHEN YOU GET MORE PEOPLE PARTICIPATING IN POLITICS, IT LEADS TO MORE PROGRESSIVE POLL SIGNIFICANTSES GETTING ELECTED BECAUSE THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, MORE PEOPLE WATCHING AND ENGAGING IN THE PROCESS AND PROGRESSIVE POLITICIANS ARE SERVING THE PEOPLE.

>> IT'S ONE THING TO GET INVOLVED IN POLITICS, LOOK AROUND AND SAY I DON'T LIKE WHAT I'M SEEING I'M A PROGRESSIVE AND I DON'T THINK THE LEGISLATURE IS PROGRESSIVE ENOUGH.

IT'S ANOTHER THING TO SAY I'M GOING TO BE THE PERSON WHO IS THE VOICE FOR THAT PROGRESSIVE CAUSE IN THE STATE ASSEMBLY IN THE STATE SENATE.

SO WHY IS IT THAT YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN THAT CENTER STAGE POSITION OPPOSED TO SAY WAITING THEIR QUOTE UNQUOTE TURN OR FINDING PEOPLE WHO ARE MORE SENIOR TO RALLY BEHIND?

>> I THINK A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE ARE SEEING THAT YOU KNOW, MORE TRADITIONAL METHODS, RELYING ONLY ON TRADITIONAL METHODS OF PRESSURING POLL SIGNIFICANTSES ARE NOT WORKING.

AND THAT SOME POLITICIANS NEED TO BE REPLACED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE MORE RESPONSIBLE A MORE PROGRESSIVE CONSTITUENCY AND YOU ARE SEEING THAT WITH MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE IN BOTH HOUSES GETTING PRIMARY CHALLENGES, FROM THE LEFT AND A LOT OF THE TIMES THEY'RE WINNING.

THE WHOLE THING WITH THE I.D.C.

IS THAT PEOPLE WERE FED UP AND DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD BE WORTH IT TO TRY TO CONVINCE THE I.D.C.

MEMBERS TO CHANGE THEIR WAYS BY, YOU KNOW, WRITING THEM EMAILS.

THEY THOUGHT YOU HAVE TO REPLACE THEM.

AND WE REPLACED MOST OF THEM.

>> SO THERE IS AN IDEA THAT A YOUNG GENERATION OF PEOPLE OF COLOR, 60 YEARS AGO, WERE SPURRED TO ACTION BY THE DEATH OF EMMITT TILL.

DO YOU THINK THE DEATH OF TRAYVON MARTIN AND SUBSEQUENT ACQUITTAL OF GEORGE ZIMMERMAN HAD A SIMILAR EFFECT, CREATING A NEW GENERATION OF YOUNG ACTIVISTS IN THE BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITY?

>> I WOULD SAY SO AND I ALSO THINK THERE HAS BEEN CONTINUOUS INVOLVEMENT OF YOUNG BLACK PEOPLE AND PEOPLE OF COLOR THROUGHOUT POLITICS.

ONE OF MY POLITICAL HEROES, FRED HAMPTON, REALLY CAME INTO HIS OWN IN HIS EARLY 20s.

HE IS KNOWN FROM HIS EARLY 20s.

BUT I WOULD SAY THERE WAS DEFINITELY A RESURGENCE WITH THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT AND THE AMOUNT OF YOUTH INVOLVEMENT AND THAT MYSELF, I REMEMBER GETTING VERY INVOLVED WITH A NEW GROUP CALLED ARTISTS FOR CHANGE, NO LONG AREA ROUND BUT JUST WORKING TO ORGANIZE AROUND POLICE REFORM IN THE EARLY 2010s AND I'M HAPPY TO BE REPRESENTED BY MY COUNCIL MEMBER IN NEW YORK CITY WHO WAS PART OF THE YOUTH LED GROUP TO FIGHT POLICE VIOLENCE WARRIORS IN THE GARDEN THAT STARTED AFTER THE GEORGE FLOYD PROTEST.

WHEN THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT EMERGED IN 2013, WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION?

DID YOU FEEL LIKE THIS WAS FILLING A VOID THAT EXISTED?

DID YOU FEEL SKEPTICAL OF IT?

WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION.

>> I WAS-- I FELT-- IT FELT REVOLUTIONARY TO MES DAVE.

IT FELT LIKE PEOPLE WERE COMING TOGETHER TO SAY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH AND WE WOULD STAND UP AGAINST RAMPANT RACISM ALLOWED IN STATE SANCTIONED POLICE VIOLENCE AND IT WAS REALLY INVIGORATING TO ME IN A WAY THAT I HADN'T HAD BEFORE.

BECAUSE I DON'T THINK I EVER HAD SEEN PEOPLE TAKE TO THE STREETS IN THE WAY THAT THEY HAVE FOR THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT AT THAT POINT.

>> THE HALL HALLMARK OF THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT SEEMS TO BE BY PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THEIR 20s AND 30S AND EVEN YOUNGER AS OPPOSED TO HAVING OLDER ACTIVISTS AT THE FOREFRONT WHETHER IT'S PEOPLE WHO ARE SURVIVORS OF CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTS OF PAST YEARS.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE RAMIFICATION OF THIS?

DO IS IT DIFFERENT STRATEGIES OR DIFFERENT GOALS OR DIFFERENT TIMELINES FOR GOALS.

>> I THINK THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY A MOVEMENT IS GOING TO BE WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE IN IT.

I THINK THAT WHAT IT HAS DONE IS WILL BE ABLE TO GIVE A FRESH FACE TO A DECADES LONG STRUGGLE BECAUSE THE BLACK PANTHERS WERE MARCHING AGAINST POLICE VIOLENCE LONG BEFORE I WAS EVEN BORN AND I THINK IT HELPS BRING A FRESHLY NEEDED URGENCY TO THE SITUATION AND THE WAY IT ALLOW IS NEW LEADERS WHO CAN BRING NEW IDEAS AND NEW TACTICS TO THE MOVEMENT.

THE NOTION OF SHUTTING DOWN A HIGHWAY WITH A PROTEST WAS NEW TO MY KNOWLEDGE FROM THESE PROTESTS.

WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE STRATEGIES THAT EXIST TODAY.

I'M REMINDED BACK TO WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT YOUR OWN THOUGHTS ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE AND THE RESULTED OF THE AFTERMATH THAT DIDN'T GO YOUR WAY AND THINKING ABOUT INCREMENTAL CHANGE, THINKING ABOUT CIVIL UNIONS.

IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE IS A LOT OF INTEREST IN INCREMENTAL CHANGE AMONG THE BLM MOVEMENT OR CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTS IN GENERAL THESE DAYS THAT ARE LED BY YOUNG PEOPLE.

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?

>> I THINK BECAUSE INCREASINGLY PEOPLE REALIZE THAT INCREMENTAL CHANGE IS A DELAY TACTIC AND RADICAL CHANGE FOR GOOD.

I THINK EVEN MORE SO THROUGHOUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, PEOPLE HAVE SAW THAT WHEN THERE IS POLITICAL WILL, YOU CAN COMPLETELY RESTRUCTURE SOCIETY THE WAY OUR ENTIRE COUNTRY SHIFTED FROM MARCH 2020 TO APRI, WITH GOVERNMENT INVESTMENTS AND DEDICATION, WE CAN COMPLETELY ALTER SOCIETY AND SO WHY NOT DO THAT WITH THE GOAL OF BLACK LIBERATION AND STATE SANCTIONED POLICE VIOLENCE.

>> WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE WORK OF THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS AND PUSH FOR EXPANDED CIVIL RIGHTS MORE BROADLY, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THERE HAS BEEN PROGRESS?

DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE MOVEMENT HAS BEEN A SUCCESS IN?

>> I THINK THAT THE MOVEMENT HAS REALLY BUSHED THE CONVERSATION VERY, VERY FAR YOU KNOW, I HAD A CHANCE TO ATTEND ACTIONS AND DEMONSTRATIONS WITH BLACK LIVES MATTER OF GREATER NEW YORK.

I THINK THEY BROUGHT THE CONVERSATION OF POLICE BUDGETS OVERBLOATED POLICE BUDGETS AND HOW DEFUND POLICE MOVEMENTS WE ARE SEEING WHERE PEOPLE ARE REALLY CALLING ATTENTION TO WHETHER IT MAKES SENSE TO FUND POLICE TO ADDRESS THINGS LIKE HOMELESSNESS WHEN WE COULD BE USING SOCIAL WORKERS OR PEOPLE WHO ARE EQUIPPED TO REALLY DELIVER THE QUALITY OF SERVICE THAT THE COMMUNITY NEEDS.

AND I THINK PUTTING A MICROSCOPE TO WHAT POLICE ACTUALLY DO OR FAIL TO DO IS GOOD AND HAS NOT BEEN DONE BEFORE THIS MOVEMENT.

>> AS A STATE SENATOR WHO NOW HAS TO SPEND SOME OF YOUR TIME IN ALBANY AND NOT NECESSARILY WITH YOUR COMMUNITY, DO YOU FEEL ATTACHED STILL TO THE GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT THAT YOU GOT YOUR START IN AND HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT TRYING TO MAINTAIN THAT ATTACHMENT?

>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND IT'S HARD TO DO BUT NECESSARY TO DO.

ESPECIALLY THIS TIME OF YEAR, I SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN ALBANY.

WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS MAKE SURE WE COORDINATE WITH LOCAL MOMENTS ON THE GROUND SO FOR EXAMPLE, MY OFFICE CO-HOSTED A COMMUNITY CONVERSATION AROUND POLICING AND THE POLICE BUDGET INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE DEFUNDING THE NYPD AND RESIDENTS WHO WERE THERE TO LEARN AND WE HAD A REALLY PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION.

AND HONESTLY THINGS LIKE THAT KEEP ME FEELING LIKE I'M ATTACHED TO WHAT IS GOING ON ON THE GROUND.

>> IN THE WAKE OF TRAGEDIES, WE SEE REAL ENGAGEMENT, SPIKES.

IN PARTICIPATION FOR EARPTION OF THE PRESIDENT-- IN ANTICIPATION OF THE POLITICALLY ELECTION LAST YEAR WE SAW POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT.

RIGHT NOW WE ARE HEADING INTO A MID TERM ELECTION.

THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IS STILL A COUPLE YEARS AWAY.

DO YOU FEEL LIKE THERE IS A BIT OF A DOLDRUMS RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF ACTIVISM AND IF YOU DO, HOW DO YOU THINK THAT WE CAN ENSURE THE PEOPLE ARE ENGAGED IN THESE TYPES OF CAUSES ALL THE TIME?

>> I THINK, YOU KNOW, COMING FROM MY VANTAGE POINT PEOPLE ARE STRETCHED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING FROM.

I FIND PEOPLE ACTIVE ON A LOT OF ISSUES, PEOPLE MOVING RACIST POLICE VIOLENCE AND CLIMATE, THE HOUSING, THE CARE ECONOMY, CHILD CARE, IN PARTICULAR.

AND I THINK THE BEST WAY FOR THINGS TO LEVEL UP IS FOR PEOPLE TO KEEP ENSURING THAT THEY ARE PUTTING POLITICIANS LIKE MYSELF INTO THE LIME LIGHT AND DEMANDING THAT THE CHANGE THEY WANT HAPPEN AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

GOING AGAINST THE MID TERMS, I WOULD DEFINITELY SAY ON LIKE MY END, ON THE POLITICIAN-- NOT THE MOVEMENT END, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE ACTUALLY MAKE CONCRETE-- WE DELIVER CONCRETE WINS FOR EVERYDAY PEOPLE.

AND SPEAKING TO THE FEDERAL LEVEL BECAUSE REALLY I KNOW A LOT OF US HOPING FOR THE BEST IN NOVEMBER, I THINK IT'S CRITICAL THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FIGURES OUT BUILD BACK BETTER AND HOW TO MOVE IT THROUGH BECAUSE WITHOUT TANGIBLE VICTORIES AND THINGS THAT PEOPLE CAN FEEL WE ARE GOING TO SEE A SHIFT IN THE MAKEUP OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

>> WITHOUT THOSE TANGIBLE VICTORIES I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE PUSH IS THESE THINGS COULD BECOME REALLY DISENCHANTED WITH THE POLITICAL PROCESS AND MIGHT LEAN MORE TOWARDS PROTESTS AND OTHER SORT OF SYMBOLIC GESTURES.

DO YOU FEEL THAT IS A MISTAKE YOU KNOW, TO LOSE ONE BATTLE AND TO TURN THAT WAY OR SHOULD PEOPLE KIND OF KEEP THE FOCUS THAT YOU HAD WITH THE FIGHT FOR SAME-SEX MARRIAGE AND TAKE YOUR LUMPS AND BE PREPARED FOR A LONG FIGHT.

>> PEOPLE SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR A LONG FIGHT EVEN WHEN DEMANDING FOR IMMEDIATE CHANGES.

AND I WOULD SAY HONESTLY, WHAT I'VE SEEN WHETHER PEOPLE WHEN THE WINS ARE NOT DELIVERS, I'VE SEEN PEOPLE DISENGAGE THERE IS A STEREOTYPE OF THE NON-VOTER AS THIS YOUNG 20 SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE POLITICS AND YOU KNOW, DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE RAMIFICATIONS OF NOT VOTING BUT MANY TIMES WHEN I HAVE BEEN KNOCKING AT DOORS, THE PEOPLE ARE LIKE I'M DONE WITH THE DEMOCRATS, I'M DONE WITH THE REPUBLICANS NOTHING EVER CHANGES.

IT'S OLDER PEOPLE, OFTEN TIMES MIDDLE AGES OR OLDER WOMEN SAYING THEY KEEP NOT GETTING THE RESULTS OR THE CHANGES THAT THEY'RE HOPING FOR AND I THINK THAT SAID SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, WHY DO WE HAVE SUCH LOW VOTER TURNOUT?

AND IT SPEAKS TO ME AS A POLITICIAN TO THINK WE NEED TO DO BETTER IN ORDER TO, WHEN WE GET IN OFFICE, TO MAKE SERIOUS CHANGES.

>> WELL, UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE.

WE HAVE BEEN SPEAKING WITH STATE SENATOR JABARI BRISPORT, A BROOKLYN DEMOCRAT.

HOW MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME.

>> THANKS, DAVE.

PLEASURE.

>> AND NOW FOR OUR PANEL DISCUSSION, WE'RE JOINED BY INDIA WALTON - THE 2021 DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR BUFFALO MAYOR, AND NOW A SENIOR ADVISER TO THE NEW YORK WORKING FAMILIES PARTY DR. JENN JACKSON - AN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN THE POLITICAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY AND SHUKRI MOHAMED - AN ACTIVISIT IN THE CITY OF SYRACUSE, WHO IS PURSUING A MASTER'S DEGREE IN PAN AFRICAN STUDIES.

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR JOINING ME.

I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

SO I WANT TO START OUR CONVERSATION BY TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WE TALKED WITH SENATOR BRISPORT ABOUT, THE IDEA THAT THERE IS A RESURGENCE IN THE YOUNG PEOPLE'S INVOLVEMENT IN CIVIL RIGHTS, FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF TRAYVON MARTIN AND SUBSEQUENT ACQUITTAL OF GEORGE ZIMMERMAN.

AS THE YOUNGEST PANELIST, WHY DON'T WE START OFF AND HAVE YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU REMEMBER, IF ANYTHING FROM THAT TIME PERIOD AND HOW MAYBE YOUR MEMORIES OF THAT HAVE CHANGED OR EVOLVED IN THE SUBSEQUENT EIGHT YEARS.

>> YEAH, SO I THINK GOING BACK TO THE DEATH OF TRAYVON MARTIN, I WAS ABOUT MAYBE 14 OR 15 AND SO SEEING A YOUNG PERSON LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEIR DEATH ON SCREEN AND THEM BEING A PERSON WHO WAS VERY SIMILAR TO MYSELF, IT WAS VERY JARRING.

BUT AT THAT TIME, IT FELT AS THOUGH I REALLY COULDN'T DO MUCH BECAUSE OF MY YOUNG AGE.

AND SO FAST FORWARD TO 2020 WITH THE GEORGE FLOYD DEATH OR MURDER.

IT FELT LIKE, YOU KNOW NOW THAT I'M HOLDER, THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE I CAN DO BUT I THINK SEEING KID 14, 15 ALONGSIDE MYSELF IN THE FIRST CLIP, A BUNCH OF YOUNG STUDENTS, MYSELF INCLUDED ABOUT THAT TOGETHER AND OVER A THOUSAND PEOPLE SHOW UP DOWNTOWN IS AN EVOLUTION BUT IT ALSO SEEMS MORE LIKE A CONTINUATION OF WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FROM GEORGE FLOYD AND TRAYVON MARTIN EVEN GOING BACK TO THE BLACK PANTHERS, A CONTINUATION OF YOUTH COMING FORWARD EVERY TIME SOMETHING HAPPENS BUT ALSO IT'S NOT JUST EVERY TIME SOMETHING HAPPENS.

THERE ARE THINGS GOING ON BEHIND THE SCREENS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T RECOGNIZE.

THE MEETINGS THAT GO ON THE PHONE CALLS THE FACETIME CALLS, MESSAGES THAT HAPPEN BEHIND THE SCREEN SO IT FEELS LIKE WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS, THAT'S WHEN THE YOUTH COME OUT BUT IN REALITY, WE ARE DOING A LOT MORE BEHIND THE SCENES THAN WHAT PEOPLE SEE ON THE SCREENS.

>> ONE OF THE REASONS GEORGE FLOYD MURDER REALLY GRABBED NATIONAL ATTENTION IS BECAUSE OF THE VIDEO THAT EXISTED AND WITH THE DEATH OF TRAYVON MARTIN, YOU HAD A 911 AUDIO CALL AND Dr. JACKSON, YOU TWEETED RECENTLY ABOUT HOW THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT HAS ALWAYS STOOD WITH YOU, 10 YEARS LATER.

IS THAT WHAT MADE THE TRAYVON MARTIN KILLING STAND OUT, THE FACT THAT THERE WAS THAT AUDIO OR WAS IT MORE TO THAT AND MORE TO IT THAT MADE IT RESONATE WITH SO MANY PEOPLE?

>> YEAH, I THINK IT'S REALLY COMPLEX, RIGHT?

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE MACABRE MURDER OF YOUNG BLACK FOLKS AND WHEN WE SEE THEM AND HEAR THEM, IT IS A VISCERAL EFFECT AND DRAW NATIONAL ATTENTION FOR VARIOUS REASONS.

SO, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE GENDER MATTERS.

THE FACT THAT THESE ARE HETERONORMATIVE SIS GENDER MALE FOLKS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.

WE KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN KILLINGS, POLICE RELATED OF YOUNG BLACK WOMEN.

THERE HAVE BEEN QUEER AND TRANSFOLKS KILLED BY POLICE WHO HAVE ALSO BEEN KILLED IN VERY VIOLENT AND PUBLIC WAYS THAT DO NOT ATTRACT THE SAME NATIONAL ATTENTION.

WHY?

BECAUSE WE FEEL A DIFFERENT WAY ABOUT THE DEATH OF MEN THAN WE DO ABOUT THE DEATH OF WOMEN.

>> WHEN YOU SAY WE?

>> WE AS AMERICANS.

OBVIOUSLY EVERYONE HAS TO SPEAK ABOUT THESE THINGS BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE TRAYVON MARTIN SITUATION AND HIS DEATH WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS AS A NEW MOMENT.

THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF A LONG BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT.

WE CAN SAY IT STARTED POST RECONSTRUCTION.

THIS DID NOT START IN 2013 OR WITH THE BLACK PANTHERS.

IT'S NOT EVEN SOMETHING THAT STARTED WITH MARTIN LUTHER KING, WHO, BY THE WAY, ABOUT MOST OF HIS ACTIVISM IN HIS LATE 20s AND EARLY 30S.

THIS WAS A YOUNG MAN.

DIED AT 39 YEARS OLD.

THE HALLMARK OF THE MOMENT IS IN FACT LED BY YOUNG PEOPLE.

I WOULDN'T SAY MOST MOVEMENTS ARE LED BY YOUNG PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES WITH THE MOST ENERGY, BUT WHAT THE HALLMARK IS IS THAT THIS MOVEMENT AS WE KNOW IT WAS STARTED BY THREE THREE BLACK QUEER WOMEN AND MEANT TO BE AN INTERSECTIONAL FEMINIST MOVEMENT THAT CARED FOR AND CENTERED THE EXPERIENCE OF TRANSAND QUEER PEOPLE AND PEOPLE NOT INCLUDED IN THE MOVEMENT, UNDOOMENTED FOLKS, BLACK IMMIGRANTS, PEOPLE WHO ARE DISABLED.

THIS IS WHERE WE SAW A MOVEMENT THAT CONSIDERED AND CENTERED THOSE EXPERIENCES AS WELL.

>> BUILDING ON WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR., IN THE VIDEO HE MENTIONED FRED HAMPTON.

WHAT IS LEFT UNSAID THERE IS A LOT OF THE STUFF IN THE EARLY 20s IS BECAUSE HE WAS MURDERED IN HIS EARLY 20s SO WE NEVER KNOW WHAT HE WOULD DO IN HIS 30S AND 40S.

THE INCLUSIVE NATURE OF THE BLM MOVEMENT.

WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF THAT?

DOES IT MAKE MORE CHALLENGING TO AK ACCOMPLISH GOALS?

DOES IT MEAN THAT IT IS MORE BENEFICIAL?

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?

>> OH MY GOSH, SO MANY BUT I'LL KEEP THEM CONCISE.

SO, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AN INCLUSIVE MOVEMENT IS THAT MOST MOVEMENTS ARE PRETTY MUCH ONE DIMENSIONAL IN NATURE FOR A REASON.

POLITICALLY, WE KNOW THAT POLL TUGSES LIKE ONE DIMENSIONAL THINGS.

WE LIKE THINGS THAT MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE HAVE AN AGENDA TO SET.

WE KNOW HOW TO ADDRESS POLICY.

WE KNOW WHO THE STAKEHOLDERS ARE, INTEREST GROUPS ARE, LOBBYISTS, WE KNOW WHO TO TALK TO.

WITH A MULTIDIMENSIONAL AND INCLUSIVE INTERSECTIONAL MOVEMENT, A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE FELT THAT THIS MOVEMENT WAS LEADERLESS BECAUSE THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE WHO WERE INVOLVED.

THEY FELT THERE WAS NO CLEAR POLITICAL AGENDA.

THEY WANTED TO SAY IT WAS JUST ABOUT POLICE BRUTALITY AND FOLKS IN THE MOVEMENT SAY NO, IT'S ALSO ABOUT HOUSELESSNESS AND HEALTHCARE AND BEING ABLE TO BE BLACK IN PUBLIC AND SIMPLY JUST EXIST.

SO WHAT I'M SUGGESTING HERE IS THAT RATHER THAN ATTEMPTING TO PUT THE MOVEMENT IN ANY FORM OF CONTAINER, RIGHT, TO SAY THAT IT FITS THIS MOLD JUST LIKE THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT OR JUST LIKE THE BLACK PANTHERS, RIGHT, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT RATHER WHAT THIS MOVEMENT HAS ASKED US TO DO IS TO STOP DOING THAT VERY THING AND CONSIDER THAT BLACKNESS IS EXPANSIVE AND DIE SPORE BIC AND WHEN WE DO WORK ON BEHALF OF BLACK PEOPLE, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT BLACK PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS LATINX, THAT BLACK PEOPLE ARE ALSO UNDOCUMENTED, THAT BLACK PEOPLE ARE ALSO DISABLED AND ALSO QUEER AND ALSO TRANS SIMULTANEOUSLY.

AND TRAYVON'S MURDER SHOWED US IS THAT WE COULD ALL BE CATEGORIZED BY A NAM VIOLENCE, THAT FOR A LOT OF BLACK FOLKS WHEN WE HEARD THE VIDEO, WHEN I REMEMBERED THE RECORDING I HAVE TWO BLACK SONS AND THE FIRST THING I DID WAS LOOK OVER AT MY CHILDREN.

AND SO FOR A LOT OF US THAT, THE INTIMACY OF THE VIOLENCE AGAINST BLACK FOLKS CATALYZED US AND WITH SEAN BELL AND IONA STANLEY JONES, WITH SANDRA BLAND, RIGHT, WITH CORE REFUGEE GAINS.

THERE ARE COUNTLESS OTHERS THAT LOCALLY IN MINNESOTA, BALTIMORE, OAKLAND, LOS ANGELES, WITH A MERE LOCK, ACTIVISTS RIGHT NOW, A YOUNG MAN WAS KILLED IN MINNEAPOLIS AND THERE ARE MOVEMENTS BURGEONING IN LOS ANGELES BECAUSE BLACKNESS IS NOT A GEOGRAPHICALLY CENTERED OR LOCATED AND WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA HAS ALLOWED US TO DO IS TO SEE THAT THERE ARE OTHER FOX WHO LOOK LIKE US AND LIVE LIKE US WHO ARE SUFFERING IN THE SAME WAYS AND SO WHEN WE START TO SEE OURSELVES NOT AS ISLANDS OR ISOLATED, THAT'S WHEN WE CAN MOBILIZE ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND CREATE A LARGER VOICE AND LARGER ACTION.

>> TO YOUR POINT, RIGHT, TRAYVON MARTIN WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME I KNEW A BLACK BOY KILLED BY POLICE IT HAPPENED IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD GROWING UP BUT NOT PLAYED IN THE NEWS CYCLE OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

IT WAS SOMETHING BARELY COVERED BY LOCAL NEWS.

IT WAS SOMETHING THAT A HANDFUL OF FOLKS WENT OUT AND PROTESTED AND NOTHING HAPPENED AND IT'S LIKE WHAT CAN DO YOU, RIGHT?

BUT TO HAVE THAT PLAYED OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND TO SEE IT ON TELEVISION AND TO HAVE PEOPLE IN OTHER PLACES BE OUTRAGED ON YOUR BEHALF, I THINK THERE IS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF POWER IN THAT, AND ALSO THE DECENTRALIZED NATURE OF BLM IS WHAT MAKES IT SO POWERFUL.

THERE IS NOT ONE PERSON YOU CAN TARGET AND BUY OFF, RIGHT?

BECAUSE THERE ARE 50 OTHERS READY AND WILLING TO REPLACE WHATEVER ENERGY YOU ARE ABLE TO DIFFUSE WITH YOUR TV SHOW OR CONTRACT OR FELLOWSHIP OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT.

>> YEP, AND THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT, TOO.

THE BLACK LIVES MATTER NETWORK IS A CONGLOMERATE OF EXISTING ORGANIZATIONS.

SO BEFORE 2013, MOST OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE CONSIDER PART OF BLACK LIVES MATTER ALREADY EXISTED.

THEY WERE ALREADY ORGANIZING IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES AND THEY JUST CAME TOGETHER UNDER A LARGER UMBRELLA.

NOW WHILE THERE ARE CHARTER ORGANIZATIONS SOBERED WITH BLEAT SPECIFICALLY, THOSE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN DEEPLY EMBEDDED AND DEEPLY ADVOCATED THE THINGS THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT IN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES WHETHER IT BE SCHOOL CLOSURES OR LEAD IN THE WATER.

WHATEVER THE ISSUES ARE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, IT HAS BEEN ADVOCATING SO THE PEOPLE POWER THAT WE SAW POST 2013, WASN'T JUST AN OVERNIGHT THING, RIGHT?

IT WAS ACTUALLY THE CULMINATION OF WORK, RIGHT, TO YOUR POINT; THAT HAD BEEN HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITIES AND CONTINUE TO HAPPEN AWAY FROM THE LINE OF SIGHT OF THE NATIONAL MEDIA, RIGHT, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW IT WORKS.

THE MEDIA TURNS IT'S EYE WHEN IT'S SALIENT BUT THE WORK HAS BEEN HAPPENING IN BLACK, BROWN AND IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

>> AND I THINK THAT'S WHY THE YOUTH HAVE BEEN SO VOCAL ABOUT IT, TOO, BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS BACKING FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND DOING THE KIND OF WORK THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO ALREADY.

AND SO TO HAVE THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE THINGS GOING ON IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, WHAT CAN BE CHANGED AND HOW IT CAN BE CHANGED, THAT GAVE US THE AMMO TO PUSH FORWARD AND TO DO THE THINGS WE WANTED TO DO AND THEN ADDING TO IT SOCIAL MEDIA, THAT'S OW WE HAVE GONE INTO IT AS YOUTH BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE EVERY DAY.

INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, SNAPCHAT.

SO TO HAVE THAT AS WELL AS THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR PREDECESSORS, IT'S LIKE WE WANT TO MAKE CHANGE SO IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WHETHER ANYBODY LIKES IT OR NOT.

>> YOU MENTIONED SOCIAL MEDIA AND THAT'S WAS I WANT TO TALK ABOUT BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE HAVE YOU PEOPLE POWER, BUT IF IT IS CORDONED OFF OR SILOED, IT CAN ONLY GO SO FAR BUT HAVING SOCIAL MEDIA CAN AMPLIFY IT, CONNECT PEOPLE, GIVE STRENGTH THAT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE FELT OTHER WIDES.

I DON'T WANT TO DATE YOU INDIA IN TERMS OF HOW LONG YOU HAVE BEEN DOING POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT BUT I READ YOU HAVE BEEN DOING IT SINCE YOU WERE 12 GOING PLACES WITH YOUR MOTHER.

DID YOU SEE AN EVOLUTION IN THIS PROCESS ONCE SOCIAL MEDIA CAME ONLINE BECAUSE WE THINK OF BLACK LIVES MATTER, AT LEAST I DO, AS A #.

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE.

>> I THINK YOU CAN GET MESSAGES OUT MUCH FASTER.

I REMEMBER DOING LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGNS WITH MY MOTHER AND SENDING FAXES TO STATE LEGISLATURE.

>>S DO YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN WHAT A FAX IS?

>> AT THE TIME MY MOTHER WAS FIGHTING WITH FAMILIES TO REPEAL THE DRUG LAWS.

NOW YOU PUT OUT A CALL TO ACTION AND IN A MATTER OF MOMENTS, SHARED THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS, SOMETIMES MILLIONS OF TIMES SO I THINK THAT SOCIAL MEDIA DOES PLAY A ROLE, RIGHT IN GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT BUT THERE HAS TO BE, THERE STILL HAS TO BE ENOUGH ORGANIZING AND RELATIONSHIP BUILDING IN ORDER TO MOVE PEOPLE TO, RIGHT BECAUSE LIKING A SOCIAL MEDIA POST IS NOT A CAUSE TO A LEGISLATOR.

LIKE LIKING A TWEET IS NOT A VOTE.

SO THERE IS STILL SOCIAL MEDIA IN AND OF ITSELF IS NOT ORGANIZING.

IT IS A TOOL.

IT IS A TOOL THAT IS USEFUL BUT WE HAVE TO BE BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND MAKING SURE WE ARE MOVING PEOPLE TO MEANINGFUL ACTION.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

AND I WANT TO ADD TO THIS, TOO, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE SLEEP ON THE FACT THAT BEFORE SOCIAL MEDIA FOLKS MADE A WAY, RIGHT?

I ALWAYS TALK ABOUT IN THE SOUTH, THE WORK THAT FOLKS LIKE ELLA BAKER WERE DOING AND THE ST LC THE LATE JOHN LEWIS WAS A MEMBER OF, YOUTH-LED MOVEMENTS.

THEY HAD THE FIRST UBER, RIGHT?

THAT'S HOW THEY MANAGED BOYCOTTS OF BUS SYSTEMS.

THEY FIGURED OUT WHO WHO EFFECTS, WHO HAD CARS AND WHO COULD GET THEM TO AND FROM WORK AND TO SCHOOL AND TO THEIR VARIOUS CHURCH AFFILIATED EVENTS.

AND THEY DID SO WITHOUT EVER STEPPING FOOT ON A BUS.

HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY HAVE DONE THAT WITHOUT SOME FORM OF COMMUNICATION AND SOME FORM OF CONTACT AND ORGANIZING WITH YOUR COMMUNITY, RIGHT?

THIS WAS A VERY COMPLEX UBER SOCIAL MEDIA SYSTEM BEFORE WE HAD THE TECHNOLOGY TO DO IT.

SO I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO TWITTER AND NO FACEBOOK OR INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK AND ALL OF THAT, THE KNOW HOW AND EXPERTISE WAS THERE AND THE RESOURCES WITHIN THESE COMMUNITIES HAS ALWAYS EXISTED SO FOLKS WILL FIND A WAY AND WE CANNOT DISCOUNT THAT WORK SIMPLY BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE JACK OR WHOEVER RUNS TWITTER TO TELL US HOW TO DO IT IN 30 SECONDS.

>> LET'S CONTINUE TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT THE MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT WAS NOT A DAY.

IT WAS A YEAR WE TALK ABOUT HAVING THE STAMINA TO SEE THINGS THROUGH, THE FIGHT CONTINUES, IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL AND REQUIRES SACRIFICE AND FORTITUDE AND A LOT OF TIMES IT REQUIRES SPACIOUS AND A LOT OF IT.

>> I THINK THOUGH JUST TO ADD TO IT, SOCIAL MEDIA IS A POWERFUL TOOL AND IT ALLOWS US TO REACH SO MANY PEOPLE IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.

IT MAY HAVE TAKEN MONTHS TO DO WHAT WE CAN DO NOW IN LESS THAN FIVE SECONDS.

BUT I THINK ALSO, THERE IS THINGS THAT GO ON BEHIND THE SCENES AS I MENTIONED BEFORE THAT PEOPLE DON'T TEND TO SEE IF YOU DON'T SEE IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR FIVE SECONDS, IT'S LIKE IT MUST NOT BE HAPPENING AND PEOPLE FORGET THE MEETINGS ARE HAPPENING AND THERE ARE ZOOM CALLS BECAUSE WE ARE IN THE VIRTUAL ERA OR HAPPENING IN PERSON ATTENDING SOMETHING WE LIKE TO PUSH ARE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS BECAUSE SOME OF THE ISSUES WE DEAL WITH AND THE OTHER YOUTH WE DEAL WITH, OFTEN IN THE EDUCATIONAL REALM AND IF YOU ARE NOT THERE AT THE BOARD MEETINGS MAKE ING IT KNOWN WHAT IS GOING ON, SOMETIMES THAT STUFF GOES UNNOTICED WHETHER IT'S BY NEWSPAPERS OR MAGAZINES SO YOU FIND A SPACE ON INSTAGRAM BUT YOU HAVE TO BE THERE IN PERSON AS WELL SO THERE IS A DICHOTOMY THERE THAT HAS TO EXIST WITHIN 2022 BECAUSE IT CANNOT JUST BE SOCIAL MEDIA OR ON THE GROUND.

>> DO YOU THINK IT CAN BREED COMPLACENCY BECAUSE IT'S LIKE I'VE LIKED THIS POST.

I'VE POSTED A BLACK SQUARE ON INSTAGRAM SO I'VE DONE MY PART FOR THE DAY.

AND DO YOU THINK THAT IS A POTENTIAL DOWNSIDE OR IS THAT JUST POTENTIAL DOWNSIDE FOR, YOU KNOW, WHITE ALLIES WHO MIGHT FEEL LIKE I'VE DONE MY JOB FOR THE DAY AND I CAN JUST GO ABOUT MY LIFE BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THE REST OF THIS ISN'T GOING TO IMPACT ME.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK THERE IS DEFINITELY COMPLACENCY THERE.

WHAT IS IT CALLED, PERFORMANCE ACTIVISM.

GOSH, HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I HAD TO DISCUSS THAT TOPIC?

BUT IT'S JARRING HOW PEOPLE CAN POST ONE SQUARE AND/OR A PICTURE ON THEIR PROFILE PICTURE AND JUST GO, WELL I PUT IT UP.

EVERYBODY MUST KNOW I SUPPORT BLACK LIVES MATTER AND IT'S LIKE THEN YOU HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THESE SAME PEOPLE ABOUT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED AT A SCHOOL WITH A SECURITY GUARD OR SOMETHING AND THEY'RE LIKE WELL, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THIS IS THE CASE OR THIS IS THE CASE AND IT'S LIKE WELL DO BLACK LIVES MATTER ACTUALLY TO YOU?

JUST BECAUSE YOU PUT A SQUARE UP THERE, YOU THINK YOU ARE SAFE FROM WHATEVER CONVERSATIONS THAT NEED TO BE HAPPENING?

THAT YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE GETTING COMFORTABLE WITH THE KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS THAT WE ALL ENGAGE IN ALL THE TIME AND IT'S LIKE, WELL, YOU'VE PUT IT UP, RIGHT?

YOU WANT TO ENGAGE IN THE CONVERSATION.

FOR ME THAT'S WHAT I SEE IT AS.

IF I SEE A PROFILE PICTURE WITH BLACK LIVES MATTER ON THERE, I'M GOING TO D.M.

YOU.

LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE SCHOOLS.

AND IF YOU ARE NOT READY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION MAYBE YOU ARE NOT READY TO REALLY SAY BLACK LIVES MATTER AND YOU NEED TO RETHINK HOW YOU ARE APPROACHING THIS CONVERSATION.

>> I LOVE THAT.

>> YOU HAD THAT EXPERIENCE AS AN ACTIVIST AND IN 2021 YOU WERE A VERY HIGH PROFILE POLITICAL CANDIDATE.

WHY WAS THAT THE RIGHT PLATFORM FOR YOU TO BE ENGAGED AND DO YOU THINK THAT IS NECESSARILY SOMETHING MORE PEOPLE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING.

>> I THINK IT'S SOMETHING ABSOLUTELY MORE PEOPLE SHOULD CONSIDER.

JUST LIKE IN SYRACUSE AND ALBANY AND ROCHESTER WE WERE OUT IN THE STREETS IN 2020 AND THE PEOPLE WE COUNT ON FOR LEADERSHIP DID NOTHING, THEY LAUGHED IN OUR FACES AND I KNEW THAT WE COULD TAKE THOSE SAME YOUNG PEOPLE OUT PROTESTING AND TRAIN THEM TO PUT THEM ON DOORS, TO TALK TO VOTERS AND REALLY POSE A THREAT TO THE STATUS QUO AND I WANT TO SEE-- I WANT TO SEE MORE OF THAT WHAT IS IT THAT MIGHT HELP SOMEONE TRANSFORM FROM BEING COMFORTABLE KNOCKING ON DOORS OR DMING PEOPLE OR BEING IN THE LIME LIGHT AND TAKING POTENTIALLY A LOT OF CONTROVERSIAL FIRE?

>> YOU KNOW, I THINK WE HAVE TO HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT WE MEAN BY POLITICAL PARTICIPATION.

A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE LONG PARTICIPATED IN POLITICS IN WAYS THAT ARE NOT TRADITIONALLY RECOGNIZED BY INSTITUTIONS OF POWER, RIGHT?

SO WHILE VOTING CRITICALLY IMPORTANT AND I'M A POLITICAL SCIENTIST AND I'M SUPPOSED TO SAY IT AND I WILL ALWAYS SAY IT BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT, I ALSO KNOW IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT FOLKS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES FEEL EMBEDDED IN THE COMMUNITIES AND FEEL THEY LONG SO THE WORK THAT A LOT OF FOLKS WHO STARTED OFF AS ORGANIZERS HAVE DONE, IS ROOTED IN BUILDING COMMUNITY.

BUILDING SCAFFOLDING AND SERVICES THAT WE DON'T HAVE LIVING IN FOOD DESERTS WHERE MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES HAVE BEEN CLOSED WHERE SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN CLOSED AND NOW PEOPLE ARE TRAVELING LONGER TO GET TO WORK AND TO SCHOOL.

THERE ARE COMMUNITY BASED POLITICS THAT HAPPEN AND SO I THINK WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN FOR FOLKS TO BE MORE INTERESTED IN ELECTORAL POLITICS IS ADVOCACY.

I TALK TO YOUNG PEOPLE EVERY DAY AS A PROFESSOR AND IN MY RESEARCH.

I HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING TO SEE HOW MY VOTE ACTUALLY MATTERS WHEN I HAVE ALL THESE OTHER PLACES WHEN I ACTUALLY SEE THAT MY WORK MATTERS I ACTUALLY SEE CHANGE WHEN I GO TO THE MEETING AND I INTERRUPT AND I'M ON THE FREEWAY AND I KEEP EVERYTHING FROM MOVING, RIGHT?

I SEE CHANGE HAPPENS.

WHEN I STEP ON THAT STAGE AND I TELL BERNIE SANDERS HE IS NOT DOING ENOUGH WORK, BERNIE SANDERS IS NOT GETTING ELECTED, RIGHT?

THAT'S WHERE PEOPLE ARE SEEING THEIR EFFICACY AND SO WE WANT TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT YOUNG BLACK FOLKS, BROWN FOLKS, QUEER FOLKS, IMMIGRANTS FOLKS ENGAGING IN ELECTORAL POLITICS.

WE HAVE TO HAVE A VERY SERIOUS AND TRANSPARENT CONVERSATION ABOUT THE FACT THAT OVERWHELMINGLY, ONCE FOLKS GET INTO AN ARENA, THEY'RE WATERED DOWN, ASKED TO CHANGE WHO THEY ARE.

ASKED TO CHANGE THEIR POLITICS, ASKED TO NOT BE EXPANSIVE AND INTERSECTIONAL, NO THE TO TALK ABOUT QUEER AND TRANSISSUES, ONLY REDUCE IT TO SAME-SEX MARRIAGE WHICH A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE ARE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT.

YOUNG BLACK TRANS FOLKS ARE THE MOST UNHOUSED POPULATION IN THE COUNTRY.

THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE LEAST SECURITY ON THEIR JOBS, WHO GET PAID THE LEAST AND ARE MOST LIKELY TO GET FIRED BECAUSE PEOPLE FIND OUT WHO THEY ARE.

THEY'RE NOT CONCERNED ABOUT GETTING MARRIED.

I PROMISE.

>> DO YOU AGREE, PEOPLE YOUR AGE, POLITICAL OFFICE, IS IT APPEALING TO YOU?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

I DON'T KNOW HOW COMFORTABLE I AM TO SPEAK ABOUT THAT PERSONALLY.

BUT I DO SEE MY PEERS AND MAYBE MYSELF AS WELL-BEING INTERESTED IN POLITICAL OFTION.

I SEE, YOU KNOW MY OWN PEERS 18 AND EVEN YOUNGER LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO DO WHAT I NEED DO AND I'M GOING TO GET ELECTED TO CONGRESS BECAUSE CLEARLY THOSE WHO ARE IN OFFICE ARE NOT DOING THE KIND OF WORK THEY NEED TO BE DOING.

AND YOU KNOW, WE ENGAGE WITH OUR ALLIES WHICH IS AN INTERESTING WORD.

I RECENTLY HEARD THE WORD CO-CONSPIRATOR INSTEAD OF ALLYSHIP WHICH I THINK IS SOMETHING I'M GOING TO ADOPT MYSELF BECAUSE YOU KNOW, THE WORST THAT WE DO IS CONSIDERED RADICAL IF YOU WANT TO CONSIDER IT RADICAL, BE READY TO BE A CO-CONSPIRATOR BECAUSE THIS IS A CONSPIRACY.

ALONGSIDE THE RADICAL CHANGE WE WANT TO DO THAT RADICAL CHANGE IS GOING TO HAPPEN AT THE POLITICAL REALM AS WELL SO MY PEERS AND MYSELF AS WELL ARE RECONSIDERING IT YES.

>> YOU DON'T WANT TO MAKE A CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCEMENT RIGHT NOW?

>> YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE PREMATURE IF I SAY SOMETHING RIGHT NOW BUT YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS.

>> SHE USED THE PHRASE RADICAL CHANGE, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE OWNERSHIP OVER OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WHO OF COURSE PUSHING FOR RADICAL CHANGE IN PREVIOUS GENERATIONS CAN STILL BE ADVOCATES FOR IN THE LARGE DEGREE?

>> NO ONE HAS OWNERSHIP OF RADICAL CHANGE.

BUT I'M AN ABOLITIONIST.

I DON'T BELIEVE THE INSTITUTIONS ARE GOING TO BE OPEN TO RADICAL CHANGE.

I MEAN I'M A PESSIMIST: WHAT MAKES ME EXCITED ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE AND NOT INCLUDING MYSELF IN THAT ANYMORE BECAUSE I'M 37, APPARENTLY.

TWO YEARS OUT.

>> I'M 34.

>> YOU'RE ALWAYS YOUNG AT HEART BUT I THINK THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE TIRED AND WHEN I'VE ASKED THIS VERY QUESTION.

I GOT DONE INTERVIEWING PEOPLE SINCE 2018 ACROSS THE COUNTRY, CHICAGO, ATLANTA, HOUSTON, D.C., PHILLY, ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND WHEN I ASK THIS QUESTION, THEY SAY I'M SO TIRED.

SO TIRED THEY'VE WATCHED THEIR MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER, THE CHURCH DEACONS, I'VE WATCHED MY COMMUNITY ALDERMENS ALL FIGHTING FOR THE SAME THING AND I'VE NOT SEEN ANYTHING HAPPEN SO NOW I'M DONE WITH THAT I'M DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND THAT'S WHAT RADICAL POLITICS ARE, RIGHT THE IDEA THAT INCREMENTAL WITHIN INSTITUTIONAL CHANGES ARE SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH WE SAW THIS THROUGHOUT COVID AND WE SAW EVEN WHEN PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE NUMBER OF BETHS ASSOCIATED WITH COVID, THEY SAY WELL IT'S LESS THAN PREVIOUSLY.

AND WE WANT NONE.

RIGHT?

WE WANT ACCESS FOR EVERYONE.

WE WANT EVERYONE TO BE TAKEN CARE OF.

THAT IS A RADICAL-- IT SHOULDN'T BE BUT THAT'S A RADICAL POLITIC.

I DON'T USE THE TERM ALLY OR CO-CONSPIRATOR BUT I DO THINK THAT EVERY DAY IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT FOLKS BELIEVE IN, EVERYONE DESERVES A RIGHT TO LIBERTY, JUSTICE AND FREEDOM.

THEY HAVE TO MAKE THE CHOICE EVERY SINGLE DAY AND A FEW YEARS AGO IT WAS THE SAFETY PIN MOVEMENT.

THEY WANTED TO WEAR A SAFETY PIN AND THAT MEANT YOU WERE AN ALLY, RIGHT IF YOU HAVE A SAFETY PIN ON THE TRAIN, WE LOCK EYES AND MAGICALLY I'M THERE FOR YOU OR WHATEVER THAT MEANS, RIGHT.

WE CAN'T KEEP DOING THESE PERFORMATIVE JUSTICE POLITICS THING THAT MAKE US FEEL GOOD ABOUT OURSELVES WITHOUT TAKING ON THE RISK.

SO WHATEVER THE TERM IS FOR THAT, RIGHT?

FOR I AM GOING TO PUT MY NECK OUT, RIGHT?

A FEW YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS ORGANIZING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, THERE WERE WHITE SCHOLARS, WHITE PROFESSORS, TENURED PROFESSORS AND ME BEING UNTENURED JUST GRADUATED, THEY CREATED A CIRCLE AROUND US, THEY HELD HANDS AND SAID ALL THE BLACK, BROWN QUEER, DISABLED FOLKS, Y'ALL GET IN THE MIDDLE SO WHEN THE POLICE TAKE PICTURES OF US, WHEN THE POLICE RUN UP TO US, THEY HAVE TO RUN THROUGH US FIRST.

THAT IS THE TYPE OF POLITICS THAT PEOPLE NEED TO ESPOUSE IF WE ARE GOING TO DO THIS WORK TOGETHER, YOU HAVE TO TAKE ON THE RISK.

PUTTING UP A BLACK PICTURE ON YOUR PROFILE FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH IS NOT TAKING ON THE RISK.

ALL IT DOES IS MAKE YOU UNCOMFORTABLE IF SOMEONE SAYS YOU LIKE BLACK LIVES MATTER?

THAT'S NOT MATTER.

I NEED YOU TO TAKE ON THE RISK I'M TAKING.

SOMETIMES I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GOING TO HAVE A PAYCHECK OR IF MY KIDS ARE GOING TO COME HOME, RIGHT I NEED TO YOU SIT WITH ME AND EMPATHIZE WITH THAT AND WHEN WE ARE ALL EXPERIENCING THAT, THEN WE CAN ALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR RADICAL POLITIC AND I HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET?

>> I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING THAT YOU HAD SAID ABOUT RADICAL THINKING AND SOMETHING THAT MY PEERS AND I ENGAGE IN.

RADICAL TO WHOM.

WHY IS THIS RADICAL ME ASKING FOR THE POLICE TO BE DEFUNDED SO MY COMMUNITY HAS WHAT IT NEEDS TO BE A PROPERTY COMMUNITY?

IF THAT'S RADICAL TO YOU, THEN I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT NORMAL LOOKS LIKE SO THAT'S THE KIND OF CONVERSATION THAT WE AND MY PEERS ARE HAVING AND IF I CAN'T HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE WITH A BLACK SQUARE ON THERE I SOCIAL MEDIA, THEN YOU NEED TO ALSO ASK YOURSELF WHY IS THIS RADICAL?

>> INDIA IN THE WAKE OF WINNING YOUR PRIMARY LAST YEAR YOU WERE THEN RUNNING IN A GENERAL ELECTION WHERE YOU TRIED TO EXPAND YOUR BASE OF SUPPORT AND IN DOING SO, I IMAGINE YOU ARE ENGAGING WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE DIALOGUE THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE HAD WITH YOUR PRIMARY VOTERS IN LIGHT OF THAT EXPERIENCE, DO YOU FEEL THERE IS A WAY TO TRANSLATE THE MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN BYRON BROWN VOTERS OR THE PEOPLE WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN JUST REALLY RECEPTIVE TO THE MESSAGE YOU HAVE AND YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE BUT HAVE NEVER HEARD IT BEFORE AND DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE HEARING?

>> YOU KNOW WHAT IS INTERESTING IS THAT IN THE PRIMARY I DID BEST AMONG YOUNG WHITE COLLEGE EDUCATED MIDDLE INCOME FOLKS, RIGHT AND IN THE GENERAL ELECTION, I DID BEST AMONG RENTERS, BLACK FOLKS, WOMEN AND MIDDLE AGED PEOPLE PARTICULARLY IN THE SECTION OF BUFFALO, CLOSEST TO MAIN STREET WHERE THE LOW MODERATE INCOME FOLKS LIVE SO I THINK THAT THE MESSAGE DID RESONATE BUT WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE DEFENSE MOUNTED AGAINST ME PAINTED ME AS A DANGEROUS PERSON WHO WAS INEXPERIENCED AND WHO WAS TOO POOR AND UNEDUCATED TO BE A LEADER, RIGHT, SO I SKILL I WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR IN THE GENERAL ELECTION, I STILL WON THE DEMOCRATIC VOTE.

BUT WHERE I LOST WAS IN AREAS OF THE CITY THAT WERE WEALTHIER, THAT HAD A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF HOARLS, THAT HAD A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF WHITE FOLKS, WHO MOST OF THEIR INCOME WAS DEPENDENT ON BEING CIVIL SERVANTS OR POLICE OFFICERS.

AND MY OPPONENT ACTIVELY COLLUDED AND ACCEPTED MONEY FROM REPUBLICANS IN THE G.O.P.

AND KNOWN MEMBERS OF THE FAR WHITE AND SUPREMACIST ORGANIZATIONS.

THIS IS A BLACK MAN.

SO I THINK IN THE MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACK, LIKE THEY'RE SHE SHOULD HAVE RAN A SCORCHED EARTH CAMPAIGN AND STAYED TRUE TO HER VALUES AND NOT APPEAL TO MODERATE VOTERS, RIGHT?

BUT LET'S NOT MISS THE FACT THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE MONEY AND CORPORATE INTERESTS IS REALLY WHAT WON OUT AT THE END OF THE DAY.

IT HAD LESS TO DO OUR MESSAGING, RIGHT AND OUR PLATFORM AS IT DID WITH THE ANTI--INDIAS OF THE WORLD, A.O.C.s OF THE WORLD, JABARI BRISPORT'S THE WORLD.

WE HAVE TO KEEP ALL THAT WE HAVE FOR OURSELVES BECAUSE IF WE LET HER GET IN OFFICE, THEN IT MEANS LESS FOR US AND MORE FOR EVERYONE ELSE AND THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE IN A PLACE LIKE AMERICA APPARENTLY.

>> BASED ON THAT EXPERIENCE, BEING ON THE STUMP AND TALKING TO PEOPLE, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE CONVERSATION WE ARE HAVING TODAY IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ENGAGED IN IT CAN HAVE AND UNDERSTAND OR ARE PEOPLE GOING TO TALK AT EACH OTHER AND NOT ABLE TO HEAR?

IS THERE A WAY TO MAKE THE MESSAGE CONNECT.

>> EVERYONE WANTS SAFE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

EVERYBODY WANTS ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE.

EVERYONE WANTS THEIR CHILD TO HAVE A GOOD EDUCATION.

EVERYONE WANTS CLEAN AIR AND WATER AND HEALTHY FOOD.

LIKE THOSE ARE UNIVERSAL BASIC TRUTHS THAT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO A POINT AS A SOCIETY THAT WE FEEL EVERYONE IS SERVING OF BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T COME TO A COMMON GROUND.

>> THAT'S KITCHEN TABLE TALKING POINTS THAT SOUND DIFFERENT THAN THE ORIGINS OF THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT WHICH IS ABOUT ACHIEVING THOSE THINGS BUT IN TALKING ABOUT IT IN A DIFFERENT TERMINOLOGY.

SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT THAT'S THE WAY TO TALK ABOUT IT AND NOT USE BUZZ WORDS AND OTHER THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SAY THAT'S JUST TERMINOLOGY THAT I'M CLOSED OFF TO HERE IS THE THING.

I THINK THIS IS EXACTLY RIGHT.

EVERYONE WANTS A SPECIFIC LIFE FOR THEMSELVES AND THE PEOPLE THEY LOVE BUT WE HAVE A POLITICS OF STAIRS AT THIS WHERE PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT IF THE RIGHTS ARE SECURE FOR THEMSELVES, THEY'RE SECURED AT THE RISK OF SOMEONE ELSE NOT HAVING THEM AND IF THEY GET MORE RIDES, I LOSE MINE THIS IS AMERICAN INDIVIDUALISM, WE HAVE TO WORK ON THIS THERE ARE ENOUGH RIGHTS TO GO AROUND WE LIT LITERALLY HAVE THE GOVERNMENT PRINT MONEY.

WE HAVE SEEN THE BENEFITS OF LIVING HEDGE MONIC COUNTRY, WE HAVE SEEN THE BENEFITS HAPPEN BEFORE OUR EYES.

THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT IF BOTH INVEST THEMSELVES IN THE WELFARE OF OTHERS WHO DON'T EAT LIKE THEM LOOK LIKE THEM OR PRAY LIKE THEM, WE COULD BE FINE.

BUT I THINK THE UNDERLYING THEME WE DON'T TALK ABOUT ENOUGH THAT I THINK THIS CAME OUT HERE IS THAT THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE GOOD INTENTIONS FOR EVERYONE.

THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE DEEPLY EMBEDDED IN WHITE SUPREMACY WHO REALLY FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT WOMEN SHOULDN'T LEAD, OR THAT POOR FOLKS SHOULDN'T BE IN POLITICS.

OR BELIEVE THAT THESE CONDITIONS OF SOMEONE'S BIRTH, WHERE PEOPLE COME FROM, WHAT LANGUAGE THEY SPEAK MEANS THEY'RE NOT AMERICAN ENOUGH.

THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE CITIZENS, THAT THEY DO NOT BELONG AND THAT THEY SHOULD ABSOLUTELY NOT BE IN THE POLITICAL ARENA.

THAT IS A DIFFERENT SET OF ISSUES, RIGHT, THAT WE CANNOT TALK ABOUT WITH BUZZ WORDS.

AND THIS IS WHY WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME HOW DO WE DO THIS, WHAT DO WE DO?

I SAY START AT HOME.

I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE, THIS IS THE THING THAT STRESSES ME OUT.

WHEN YOU HAVE THE MIDDLE-CLASS YOUNG WHITE COLLEGE STUDENTS AND THEY'RE FANTASTIC.

THOSE ARE MY STUDENTS AT S.U., RIGHT?

THEY'RE PASSIONATE.

THEY READ THE BOOKS.

THEY'RE READY TO GO.

BOOTS ON THE GROUND AND I SAY THE FIRST THING I WANT YOU TO DO IS GO TO HOME, TALK TO YOUR MOTHER, I DON'T ARE BROTHER, YOUR DAD, YOUR AUNT.

THERE IS ALWAYS THE AUNT.

TALK TO YOUR GRANDMOTHER, RIGHT?

TALK TO PEOPLE IN YOUR OWN COMMUNITY FIRST BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT LOOK LIKE THIS.

THEY'RE NOT LISTENING TO US.

WE DON'T LOOK LIKE THEIR TRUSTED CONFIDANTS OR THEIR COMRADES WHICH THE TERM I TYPICALLY USE.

THEY DON'T LOOK LIKE PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND THEM WHO ARE FAMILIAR TO THEM AND SO DON'T GO RUNNING TO MINNEAPOLIS.

DON'T GO RUNNING TO BALTIMORE, DON'T GO RUNNING, UNFORTUNATELY TO THE ORGANIZATION IN SYRACUSE.

DON'T BE OUT THERE RA RA WHEN YOU SIT HOME AT THE DINNER TABLE AND DON'T HAVE THE CONVERSATION WITH THE PEOPLE YOU ARE THE MOST INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH.

THAT'S WHERE YOU SHOULD START.

THE CONVERSATION DOESN'T HAVE TO BE BUZZ WORDS BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR AUNT AND SAY THE THING YOU JUST SAID WAS SUPER RACIST, AND IT REPRODUCES ALL THESE INSTITUTIONAL PROBLEMS THAT EVERYONE OUT IN THE WORLD IS TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW, HEAR THAT FROM YOU IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN SEEING US ON THE TELEVISION SAYING THIS RIGHT NOW.

>> WE HAVE ABOUT 90 SECONDS LEFT.

I'M CURE WHY US IN THIS DISCUSSION AND EVERYTHING YOU HAVE GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE DO YOU FEEL OPTIMISTIC OR PESSIMISTIC AND DESPITE THAT YOU KEEP DOING THIS?

THERE HAS TO BE A MIDDLE GROUND BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM.

THERE ARE DAYS WHEN I FEEL SUPREMELY PESSIMISTIC WHERE IT JUST FEELS LIKE NOTHING IS GOING RIGHT AND NO CHANGE IS POSSIBLE AND THEN THERE ARE SOME DAYS WHEN I WAKE UP WITH THIS PROFOUND ENERGY AND I FEEL LIKE TODAY IS THE THE DAY WE ARE GOING TO CHANGE THINGS.

AND RECENTLY IN RECENT YEARS THERE HAS BEEN 70% MORE OPTIMISM THAN PESSIMISM AND I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE I SEE ALL OF THE NEWS AND ALL OF MY PEERS, I CAN SEE ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER TOWARDS A BETTER FUTURE AND NOT JUST A BETTER FUTURE BUT A BETTER TODAY.

IN ONE OF THE VIDEOS WE WERE WATCHING, HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE YOUTH BEING LEADERS OF TODAY AND TOMORROW.

AND I THINK BEFORE RALLYING AND DOING THE WORK I WAS DOING, I WAS ALWAYS IN THE MIND SET WE ARE THE GOOD LEADERS OF TOMORROW, WE ARE THE LEADERS OF THE FUTURE BUT THIS IS THE LIFE WE ARE LIVING NOW.

IF WE CAN'T CHANGE WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW, HOW DO WE FORESEE OUR FUTURE CHANGING AND SO I THINK THERE IS A MIDDLE GROUND BUT MORE OPTIMISM THAN PESSIMISM.

>> A FEW SECONDS LEFT BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IN LIGHT OF YOU TAKING A JOB WITH THE NEW YORK WORKING FAMILIES PARTY, YOU ARE STILL FIGHTING, STILL ENGAGED.

FAIR TO SAY.

>> VERY FAIR.

I CAN'T HELP IT.

>> GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT.

>> WHAT ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO DO?

>> WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO DO IT FOR THIS EPISODE OF CONNECT NEW YORK.

I WANT TO THANK OUR PANELISTS FOR JOINING US - INDIA WALTON, DR. JENN JACKSON, AND SHUKRI MOHAMED AND TO THE VIEWERS - THANKS FOR I'M DAVID LOMBARDO HOST OF WCNY CAPITOL PRESS ROOM.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH.