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NUMBER THREE, THIS IS A
LONG-TERM PROJECT.
WE NEED TO SPEND SOME TIME IN
THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE BOLSTER
AND REINFORCE OUR
AFRICAN-AMERICAN BOYS?
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT
MICHELLE AND I TALK A LOT ABOUT.
THERE ARE A LOT OF KIDS OUT
THERE WHO NEED HELP WHO ARE
GETTING A LOT OF NEGATIVE
REINFORCEMENT, AND IS THERE MORE
THAT WE CAN DO TO GIVE THEM A
SENSE THAT THEIR COUNTRY CARES
ABOUT THEM AND VALUES THEM AND
IS WILLING TO INVEST IN THEM?
I'M NOT NAIVE ABOUT THE
PROSPECTS OF SOME BRAND NEW
FEDERAL PROGRAM.
I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT'S WHAT
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, BUT I
DO RECOGNIZE THAT AS PRESIDENT
I'VE GOT SOME CONVENING POWER,
AND THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD
PROGRAMS THAT ARE BEING DONE
ACROSS THE COUNTRY ON THIS
FRONT.
AND FOR US TO BE ABLE TO GATHER
TOGETHER, BUSINESS LEADERS AND
LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS AND
CLERGY AND CELEBRITIES AND
ATHLETES AND FIGURE OUT HOW ARE
WE DOING A BETTER JOB HELPING
YOUNG AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN FEEL
THAT THEY'RE A FULL PART OF THIS
SOCIETY AND THAT THEY'VE GOT
PATHWAYS AND AVENUES TO SUCCEED?
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WOULD BE
A PRETTY GOOD OUTCOME FROM WHAT
WAS OBVIOUSLY A TRAGIC
SITUATION, AND WE'RE GOING TO
SPEND SOME TIME WORKING ON THAT
AND THINKING ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN FINALLY, I THINK IT'S
GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF
US TO DO SOME SOUL SEARCHING.
YOU KNOW, THERE HAS BEEN TALK
ABOUT SHOULD WE CONVENE A
CONVERSATION ON RACE?
I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT BE
PARTICULARLY PRODUCTIVE.
WHEN POLITICIANS TRY TO ORGANIZE
CONVERSATIONS.
THEY END UP BEING STILTED AND
POLITICIZED AND FOLKS ARE LOCKED
INTO THE POSITIONS THEY ALREADY
HAVE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, FAMILIES AND
CHURCHES AND WORKPLACES, THERE'S
A POSSIBILITY THAT PEOPLE ARE A
LITTLE BIT MORE ON HONEST AND A
LEAST YOU ASK YOURSELF YOUR OWN
QUESTIONS ABOUT AM I BRINGING AS
MUCH BIAS OUT OF MYSELF AS I
CAN?
AM I JUDGING PEOPLE NOT BASED ON
THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN BUT THE