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TELL US WHAT YOU'VE SEEN THAT
HAS SURPRISED YOU.
>> Reporter: WELL, I'M ACTUALLY
GLAD THE PRESIDENT FINALLY SAID
IT.
AS YOU SAID, I'VE BEEN COVERING
THESE ISSUES AND I GET EMOTIONAL
ABOUT THEM BECAUSE IT'S
IMPORTANT TO ME AS A YOUNG,
BLACK MAN.
AND I TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS,
GET A LOT OF CRITICISM FOR THEM
BUT THE PRESIDENT FINALLY,
FINALLY SAID SOMETHING THAT HAS
BEEN THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
FOR A LONG TIME.
AND ESPECIALLY AMONG
AFRICAN-AMERICANS.
YES, WE KNOW THERE'S
INSTITUTIONAL RACISM.
WE KNOW THERE IS SYSTEMATIC
RACISM AND WE NEED TO DO
SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.
BUT THERE IS ALSO PERSONAL
RESPONSIBILITY.
THAT HE TALKED ABOUT WITH THESE
YOUNG MEN SAYING, ULTIMATELY, I
CAN GET ALL OF THE PHILANTHROPIC
HELP FOR YOU, ALL OF THE MONEY
IN THE WORLD FOR YOU BUT NONE OF
IT MATTERS UNLESS, UNLESS YOU DO
IT.
YOU CANNOT MAKE ANY MORE
EXCUSES.
YOU HAVE TO DO WHAT THE YOUNG
MAN MO DID THAT HE INTRODUCED AT
THE END -- JUST BEFORE HE SIGNED
THIS MEMORANDUM.
YOU HAVE TO GET ON THAT BUS
EVERY DAY, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR
CIRCUMSTANCES.
IF YOU LIVE IN THE BRONX, YOU
MAY LIVE IN COMPTON, WHATEVER IT
IS, YOU HAVE TO DO IT.
BUT I'M GLAD HE SAID AS WELL
THAT YOUNG BLACK MEN, OR YOUNG
MEN OF COLOR END UP AT THE
BOTTOM OF THE WRUNG, FOR
WHATEVER REASON, RACISM, THE DAD
MAY NOT BE IN THE HOME, THEY MAY
NOT HAVE MONEY.
WHATEVER IT IS, IT MAY BE THEIR
OWN FAULT BECAUSE THEY DON'T DO
THE WORK.
BUT WHATEVER IT IS, THAT IT
NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND HE IS ADDRESSING IT.
AND FINALLY, I THINK THAT HE IS
PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR
ISSUE.
HE MENTIONED TRAYVON MARTIN.
HIS PARENTS ARE IN THE ROOM.
JORDAN DAVIS' PARENTS ARE IN THE
ROOM.
HE'S PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS AND
BY TAKING THIS ON AS AN
INITIATIVE, AS HE HAS PROMISED
TO DO, EVEN BEYOND HIS
PRESIDENCY, HE CAN TAKE THE
POLITICS OUT OF IT AND DOESN'T
HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SOME
CONSERVATIVE OR A BIGOT OR
RACIST SAYING, HEY, WHY DON'T
YOU DO THINGS FOR WHITE PEOPLE?
YOU ARE THE PRESIDENT OF
EVERYBODY.
WE GET THAT.
HE'S THE PRESIDENT OF EVERYBODY
BUT HE ALSO HAS A RESPONSIBILITY
AS A BLACK MAN TO HELP THAT FROM
WHICH HE CAME AND THAT'S THE
BLACK COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE
WHO HELPED GET HIM IN THE OFFICE
AND WHO STOOD BY HIM THE MOST
AND THE PEOPLE WHO WILL LOSE THE
MOST IF HE DOESN'T DO THAT, IF
HE DOESN'T HELP YOUNG, BLACK
MEN, THEY WILL LOSE THE MOST
BECAUSE WHO KNOWS WHEN WE WILL
HAVE SOMEONE LIKE A PRESIDENT
OBAMA, ANOTHER MAN OF KOL COLOR
THE WHITE HOUSE WHO UNDERSTANDS
THE PLIGHT OF BEING BLACK AND IN
AMERICA.
IT WAS THE MOST CANDID I'VE SEEN
THE PRESIDENT FOR A WHILE,
EXCEPT FOR BACK IN JULY WHEN HE
SPOKE DURING THE WHOLE ORDEAL
WITH TRAYVON MARTIN AND WITH
GEORGE ZIMMERMAN.
I HAVE TO SAY, THOUGH, I THINK
THAT CHANGED HIM AND I ALSO
THINK THAT MEETING WITH THESE
YOUNG MEN IN CHICAGO CHANGED HIM
AS WELL.
BECAUSE HE SAID, I SAT THERE AND
I SAW MYSELF IN THEM.
AND YOU HEARD HIM IN THE PRESS
CONFERENCE NOW SAYING, AND I
TOLD THEM, I GOT HIGH.
I WOULD GET HIGH AND I DIDN'T --
REGARDLESS OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES,
I DIDN'T KNOW THE CIRCUMSTANCES
OF HOW IT WOULD BE A DETRIMENT
TO ME.
I DIDN'T ALWAYS TAKE MY
SCHOOLWORK, YOU KNOW, AS
SERIOUSLY AS I SHOULD HAVE.
AND I THINK WHAT STRUCK HIM IS
THAT HE HAD NEVER REALLY SPENT
ANY TIME WITH HIS FATHER.
AND WHEN THOSE KIDS FROM B.A.M.,
THAT ORGANIZATION IN CHICAGO,
THE ONE THAT CHRISTIAN IS FROM,
THE ONE WHO INTRODUCED HIM,
THOSE MEN CAME TO THE WHITE
HOUSE.
HE MET WITH THEM IN FEBRUARY IN
CHICAGO.
THEY CAME BACK AROUND FATHER'S
DAY.
AND THE KIDS WENT OUT AND BOUGHT
THE PRESIDENT A FATHER'S DAY
CARD.
AND THEY SIGNED IT.
AND THEY SAID -- ONE OF THEM
SAID TO THEM -- OR MANY OF THEM
SAID, I HAD NEVER SIGNED A