>> "washington journal" continues. host: us of this morning from jackson, mississippi is naacp president and ceo derrick johnson. thank you for your time this morning k let's talk about a recent cbs poll based on exit polls from 2020 that showed based on the

poll that show biden share ofoting groups. for blackg voters his support was 87% and now at 76%, why do you think that is? >> first of all, you have to believe the validity of the polls.f we have seen polls have not been accurate for african-americans. polls showed that romney was winning the election for the outcome to be different in terms of president obama. the■) naacp moves away from the polls because they are■g unreliable. we care about african-americans participating in the

election cycle that's what we focus on. >> when you talk to black voters or minimum bers of your group. what do they tellgr you about the support ofre the president. >> as a nonpartisan organize we are less concerned which candidates voters chose. theyconcerned with insuring that we protect the democracy.hi everyy, voter can have an effective bal choices that voters make. it's not about the top of the ticket but down about it ass well as concern. families could have gainful employment. cancellation thatst

impacted public workers and others that went to school and saddled with debt. they might become military veterans relieved of medical bill debt. we need solutions. we need individuals that care about democracy and future of america. >> who who is the bestr candidate? >> a choice for individual voters. these are the options. in many cases we look att the difference between. a function in democracy or something lesse than democracy. we will air on the sideover democracy. the nature we see the climate in.

valued as citizens. how much money will the naacp spend on 2024 and how will you spend it. >> those are , individuals registered toen vote but don't always vote. we are concerned if americans sit out this election, particularlyly african-americans, we won't gett the outcomes we want. we will invest in oregons including so our local branches that are more effective on, how to turnout their neighbors and empower them as we drill down on a message to talk about pr advance in policy impacting all citizens. >> for african-americans in those infrequent voters. is it that the people areic telling

you they won't vote because of a headline like this from politico. biden's black voter troubles are setting off alarm bells. the presidents parties are real and trying to fix them. >> well, i think publications like politico, let's focus on o issues americans chiroabout. move away from the headlines for click bate or generate ad revenue. focus on the policy choses that black america needs to make. we have to confront the reality we are in the mist of a mentala health crisis resulting in 250 many individuals that are unhoused. we are in the mist of a crisis behind the futuref work and artificial intelligence and retoolol our workers and train our young people. we are in the mist of the rise ofateed to

address and hold people accountability w a 1950s america to be honest with you an america that must compete in a global economy. those are the conversations we need to have a as a community and society so we are competitive globally and move away from the level of tribalism we have seen emerge over the last several >> what do you think is the appeal of former president trump for some african-american voters. >> i don't know what his appeal is because he is a bottom feeder in terms of divisiveness andth proven to be untruth worthy. we have a convicted felon on top of the ticket of one of americas leading parties. that's proven not to be honest with american voters and

not to be honest aboutbo the true nature of what he's doing. that has less to do about thehe citizens of the country and more to do with the egotistal behavior that needs to be displayed. he cheated on his pregnant wife with a porn star andit tried to cover it up in a financenc law. why is this a conversation as the junction of being a relevant country in a global economy. look at the conflict we need to resocialism. it's unfortunately the citizens of the country are forced to make these types of decisions and i hope in the future we won't be here every again. will the naacp be campaigning against the former president. >> again, wet are nonpartisan. we don't campaign against or for any candidate.e.

we will raise issues and hold our members and african-americans will make the right choices when they see what's in the best interest. their families best interest, the communitiesty best interest. >> thiss is south carolina republican scott on sunday talking about what he believes sets set former president apart. >> the issues that drive thislt november 5th election is can donald trump close the southern border. the answer is he can. the answer is it% when he left office. can he create jobs for the americans. he created more than 7 million jobs with the highest percentage going to women, african-americans, hispanics, an

asians. what we know about the four years under donald trump we had low employment high intuesday autism and we had the biden. incredibly crushing inflation. crime in the poorest co and devastating single mothers like that raised me and the greatest american invasion across the southern border lest wide open and unsafe because joe biden, on day one, started unraveling border security. >> derrick johnson, your response? >> i'm not really for sure what set facts the senator is speaking of. th reality is, in many casespe the complete opposite. we had an unfortunately scenario wit t children

from parents there is a wall along the border that was never built. we have a track record of the prior administrationec having the worst record ing job creation in the history of any president. i keep it on and on. unfortunately the doctors of to conservative movement. most of that won't holdup. its sounds great for sound bites. factually, it's inaccurate. >> let's go to nathaniel. good morning to. you. >> goodna morning, thankal you so much. first of all, i'd like to thank the naacp. they have been a bed rook for years and years. thank you for your service. i think coming from the black big

disconnect where we had so many membersme saying they won't vote. iy don't think they realize the implications of voting. when you don't vote you vote foror the opposite side. if we allow these maga people to get backck in office we see what they are doing. they want to push back ourur rights and get us to a level of indentured servitude. we don't understand the gravity of staying home and not voting.. ourr forefathers fought for the right to vote and people died. power of voting. ind wish mr. johnson could speak more about that.

one of the young guys, i spoke with he's 28 years old doubting whether or not he should i have to really understand their pointnd of reference. we come from different points of reference. when he finished i asked a few questions. his mother is chairman of the hparol board. not much changed burr you mother is sitting in a seat waived because individuals participated and we got representation and demanded exty in sermons of reputation. you i are living in a householdhowing the progress. it's not a two party system. this is throwing

away a vote. we have a two party system.. that's thee reality of what we have. if the you don't par tit pate and cast a ballot, then that means you are throwing your opportunity away. your voice and null and void. it's not a choice between candidate a or b but an opportunity for us to really demonstrate, not only the power of our clittive vote but our ability to understand divisions are not made in one transaction. decisions are madee over an ark of time. the more we engage and participate the more we enforce the decision.. you might not like everything. the one time you vote you arery sure to be listened to and get what you need overti engagement and participation. we must vote as american citizens because that's what

examinecy is built >> let's hear from ken. >> thank you. thank you mr. johnson.n. i'd like to say i'm also nonpartisan. the previous caller was from the same region thatr i grew up.at a i'm white but does be then't matter. he spoke the truth. i have one question for you just to lighten it up and make you smile. there was a song that came out in the■= 80s called self destruction." i have been texting everybody and e-mailing everybody they shouldz redo the song because too many black people are dying. >> thank you. you know, thank you for that comment.t. i remember this and i grew up in the 80s as well. too many americans are dying. think about, we have drills for young

people. latino, asian., we had rome on the gun policy. i am a hunt beer. i enjoy hunting. i don't need a automaticom machine gun to deer or bird home. we need to look at how we look at our criminal justice system and treat things in terms of rights. r it's a decision between do we want to keep young people sa communities and all economic levels or have individual rights that are disproportion nate. >> a repubcan, ed, welcome to the conversation. >> yeah, i have a question for you.

we havee been asking for reparations for many f years. okay, now, the illegals come over and we get billions of dollars. why can't theyol give that to the black man for what he did years ago. any black man vote for a democrat and know what they are doing with the money and they could be doing with them. you should preach about that. >> thank you for your comments. let's been honest. human beings are not illegals, they are human being ancestors came from another part of the globe you.u. we can never succeed in that paradigm.

what's equitable and important and how we live-in peace and grow. many industries recognize we are running out of a work force. so,fo individuals that individus migrate are seeking a cheep labor force. immigrants that came here from european countries in the 18 nthundreds and early 20s. african-americans that were forced here fromwh the africa. we came to be a chie lt who is profitting and why allow the divisiveness of race and ethnic gender differences create a profit mgin for the billionaire class. we should look atg

what's at stake here. what's at stake is who is getting taxed. who is not getting taxed?ed what are the tax dollars being spent shon? that's what we should talk about anyio time you have a state sponsored injury there should beea a repairing of th a ways, monetary repairing but also policy repairing it should be what's the moral construction we want to have. >> president biden set to announce an anexecutive order on seek to sight tighten the border hay head of

november elections. it will take effect, if the daily average of border jumpers reach 2,500.25 cj. >> hello, good morning, mr. johnson and get ta. i'd like to break the i issues out our ttrue heart, our american heart. it sounds poet tick. you know, my■3 activism days goes back to dr.benjamin hooks time when in

college in upstate newes york. >> cj,ur can you get to your point. weta have others waiting. >> does mr. johnson think that pinpointing, like the so-called black issues that to me are like, you know, when people say the abortion issue. it's like, you know, it's not an abortion issuee but economi issue or social issue. nothing to do with morality with what women are up against or black people against. >> echo, mr. johnson, are you following. >> ini'm following. i can respond. >> go ahead.

>> i agree, our issues effect all americans. one basic difference. our racial used as a force against our communities to be treated with equal r protection under the law. which are advocating for equal protection under the law. started a member of the naacp. grew up in segregated america. we grew up id america. he became a lawyer, a judge, the first black chairman of the fcc, he was active with the republican party, headed up the naacp -- one of his most favorite speeches was talking about who will go and really address the issues that america is confronted with? thoseconstruct that has used our

racial identity to prevent equal protection under the law. those issues that african-americans are confronted with our american issues. it is whether or not there is opportunity to ensure our children are future, a future world that is different from the past. it's whether or not our racial identity would benefit in terms of not being confronted with discriminatory practices around housing or discriminatory practices around policing. but those issues are also american issues. in terms of the heart of who we are, as a nation, we must accept we have both a prosperous past but also an ugly history we must learn from, so we do not repeat the ugly history of the past as we move to a globareality of

host: let's go to john, ohio, republican. caller: i would like derrick johnson to address this problem. 200 years ago, slave owners broke up families and forced illiteracy. today,■ these two problems still exist. would he explain why? guest:■r those still exist because, once we abolished slavery as a system support our economy, there were years of what was called reconstruction. after those 10 years, major corporate interests from both political parties cut a deal to usher back into a system of segregation. in that system, industry maintained domination of control over the education of african-americans. they minimized the] support for

school districts as a result of a supreme court decision of separate but equal and forced states to treat the level and quality of education of then the majority white children and poor white children to have a lesser education. that continues to persist. most leaders of the nation recognize the important -- they transformed the education some 30 years ago. that is why they have some of the highest literacy rates, because they see education as a ■i■&national interest. in this country, we are trying to outsource our education system through vouchers and charter schools as opposed to understanding it is within our

national interest or train all young people to a prosperous you look at the city of seattle, where you have major fortune 500 tech companies, they will settle with■■ ringing in individuals around the globe under a special visa as opposed to in in the seattle public school district and train up all of those talented young people to serve that economy of the future around tech. that is unfortunate. until we see the delivery of education, public education for all children as a national interest, we will continue to have the same problem. it is not just whites, latinos, asians. unfortunately, it is something that will create a lasting problem for this nation. host: we will go to yvonne, independent. caller: good morning.

hi, mr. derrick. i have three quick questions i need you to speak about. one, how is it that this government finds money to give to the immigrants that are crossing the border? and we still here, in this country -- i am a product of slavery, family who was enslaved. why is the hr 40 bill still sitting on the table? why are we, as black people in thisblack votes away, and we get absolutely nothing to catch up the economics in this country? thank you so much, sir. please speak on that. guest: thank you for the question. first of all, we should look at what is the priority of this nation and its spending. quite frankly, we give more

money away to foreign nations than we do to try to■ ensure tht we re-tool the workforce for the future. status for everyone. secondly, we should never fall into the lowest common denominator of why o that them and not us when there is more at the table for everyone. we give more corporate tax breaks than we do to any single community. that is unfortunate. we watch as company after company benefit from a re than their fair share in taxes, only for those corporations to have tax breaks therican citizens are not even aware of. for the naacp, and for all of us, that comparative conversation that is a distraction and really look at what is the funding priority of this nation?

how do we write a funding priority to benefit all citizens, particularly african americans citizens, to ensure we are competitive? that is the real conversation we need to have, and that is a coer can only have if we actively engage in ourwho un, not fall to the destruction of race and gender and other morality arguments. host:our viewers, one can go to the naacp website to learn more. the president■w