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>> FOLLOWING THE NOT GUILTY VERDICT PRESIDENT OBAMA ADDRESSED THE ISSUE OF RACE IN AMERICA
IN A SPEECH ON FRIDAY. HERE ARE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS.
>> THERE ARE VERY FEW AFRICAN/AMERICAN MEN IN THIS COUNTRY WHO HAVE NOT HAD THE EXPERIENCE
OF BEING FOLLOWED WHEN THEY WERE SHOPPING IN A DEPARTMENT STORE.
THAT INCLUDES ME. THERE ARE VERY FEW AFRICAN/AMERICAN MEN WHO
HAVE NOT HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF WALKING ACROSS THE STREET AND HEARING THE LOCKS CLICK ON
THE DOORS OF CARS. EACH GENERATION SEEMS TO BE MAKING PROGRESS
IN CHANGING ATTITUDES WHEN IT COMES TO RACE. DOESN'T MEAN WE ARE IN A POST RACIAL SOCIETY
AND DOESN'T MEAN THAT RACISM IS ELIMINATED. >> AND JOINING ME WITH A CLOSER LOOK AT THE
ISSUE ARE PRESIDENT OF SAN DIEGO'S NAACP, WILSON AND COMMUNITY ACTIVIST BRIAN AND WELCOME.
>> THANK YOU. >> HOW ARE PEOPLE HERE REACTING TO THE OUTCOME
OF THE TRAYVON MARTIN CASE? >> WELL, WE HAVE SEEN MARCHES.
WE HAVE ALSO SEEN VIGILS. I KNOW I BELIEVE THAT SUNDAY NIGHT THERE WAS
ONE AT NORTH PARK FOLLOWED BY ONE AT THE BILBO PARK BY THE FOUNTAIN AND NAACP WAS INVOLVED
IN THAT. AND ON SATURDAY, BECAUSE WELL AL SHARPTON
CALLED 100 CITY PROTEST OR MARCH OR, RALLY. >> YES.
>> DID IT SURPRISE YOU THE RESPONSE OF SAN DIEGANSS JOINS IN ON THIS?
>> IT WAS EXPECTED AND I WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED IF THEY DID NOT.
EVERY ONE IS WATCHING THE TRIAL AND STRONG FEELINGS BOTH WAYS AND I THINK IT'S NICE AS
LONG AS THEY WANT ‑‑ I DON'T THINK THEY LIKE TO USE THE WORD PROTEST AND IF THEY WANT
A MARCH AND VIGIL SHOWING DISPLEASURE WITH THE VERDICT AND ASKING FOR THE DEPARTMENT
OF JUSTICE TO LOOK INTO FILING PENALTIES. >> AND PROGRESSING THE CASE FORWARD.
THE PRESIDENT TALKED ABOUT WE SAW IN THE CLIP THAT HE HIMSELF HAS EXPERIENCED PEOPLE LOCKING
THE DOORS, CROSSING THE STREET AND BASICALLY FEAR AS HE WALKS DOWN THE STREET AS A BLACK
MAN BEFORE HE WAS PRESIDENT. HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THAT?
>> ABSOLUTELY. GROWING UP HERE IN SAN DIEGO AS WELL AS GOING
TO COLLEGE IN LOUISIANA, CERTAINLY EXPERIENCED IT.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE EXPERIENCES IN LOUISIANA AND WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE WAS IT
WAS MORE OVERT. AND WHAT I'VE EXPERIENCED HERE IN SAN DIEGO
AND AGAIN NATIVE SAN DIEGO, AND HAVE GONE TO A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SCHOOLS BOTH BLACK
AND WHITE, IT'S MORE OF A SUBTLE SORT OF RACISM BUT I EXPERIENCED THE ELEVATOR SCENARIO WHEN
HE BROUGHT THAT UP. IN FACT, I STILL DO FROM TIME TO TIME IS WHEN
I GET INTO AN ELEVATOR AND THERE HAPPENS TO BE A LADY THAT IS THERE THE CLINCHING OF THE
PURSE, THE ONE STEP AWAY FROM ME AND THE ANTICIPATION SHALL I SAY FOR THE DOOR TO OPEN UP WHEN IT'S
JUST SHE AND I IN THERE, YES, I HAVE EXPERIENCED THAT.
>> I WAS GOING TO FOLLOW‑UP, DOES THIS STILL HAPPEN, DOES I HAPPEN OFTEN?
>> FOR ME, NOW I'M A LITTLE OLDER MAYBE I'M MORE OF A LESS OF A THREAT, PERCEIVED THREAT.
BUT I'VE SEEN IT WITH KIDS IN FASHION VALLEY AND WHEN THERE IS MORE THAN ONE OR TWO AFRICAN/AMERICANS
OR LATINOS I NOTICED JUST IN OBSERVING THE REACTIONS OF CERTAIN PEOPLE, YES.
>> WELL, CERTAINLY SAN DIEGO IS DIVERSE, WE HAVE A MIXED POPULATION AND ALSO VERY TRANSIENT
WITH THE NAVY. HOW DO YOU THINK THAT INFLUENCES RACIAL ATTITUDES
HERE? >> I THINK DIVERSITY WILL SCARE PEOPLE MOVING
FORWARD AND I THINK THE CONVERSATION I HAVE HEARD IS THERE IS A SHIFT IN THE DEMOGRAPHICS.
CAUCASIANS SEEM TO BE THE LESSER OF THE POPULATION THESE DAYS AND EVEN IN DISTRICT FOUR, OUR
DISTRICT, AFRICAN/AMERICANS ARE NOT THE QUOTE, UNQUOTE PREDOMINANT RACIAL ENTITY ANY LONGER.
>> OKAY, WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK SOME OF THE OBSTACLES ARE ON MOVING FORWARD, ON PROGRESSING
OR FINDING SOLUTIONS AGAINST RACISM? >> I THINK SOME OF IT HAS TO DO WITH POLITICS
AND YOU KNOW HOW THEY SAY POWER PROCEEDS NOTHING AND THAT IS THE OBSTACLE IS PEOPLE DON'T WANT
TO GIVE UP POWER AND UNTIL WE GET PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS AND PEOPLE UNDERSTAND
WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER THEN I THINK THAT WOULD HELP.
BUT PEOPLE ARE IN FEAR AND THEY DON'T WANT TO GIVE UP THEIR POWER BASE.
>> WELL THERE IS A LOT MORE ON OUR WEBSITE ABOUT THIS AND SOME POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS AND
MOVING FORWARD. MRS. WILSON AND BRIAN POLER THANK YOU FOR
COMING IN AND TALKING WITH US TODAY. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
>> THANK YOU