needless to say that did not happen. what did they think about us. >> to tell you the truth, i don't know what they thought. i lived in a bubble. it was the time of segregation. my school, my doctor, my dentist, they were all black. >> some made the argument that america was better off in segregation. >> well, i understand, and i understand where he's coming from but i wanted to take an advance history course. it was listed on course options but i learned that the same course options were printed for the same school system, the black schools and white schools. white schools had advance history, mine didn't. i made up for it by reading on my own. but there were difficult things that we couldn't do because of color. i don't really know--i didn't

have a lot of interaction with whites except the guy who owned the grocery store down the street, and the people i worked for during the summer months. those people, i must say the ones i worked for treated me just fine. >> les payne alabama? >> same. we did not see white people. they were across town and i was across town. but one story when i was a six years old a telegram boy came to deliver a telegram to our house. he was white he must have been a teenager. i noticed that my grandmother answered him sir. it confused me because in our etiquette you answer sir to adults. this was clearly a kid. and my grandmother answered to him as sir. later on in that same year i was in a shoe store. and i refused to answer him sir because he was--he was a

teenager. and i wouldn't answer him--my mother slapped me because i wouldn't--i refused. like i said, i'm the rebel but i just--you didn't answer kids, sir. but you answered white people, all of them, sir. that was one of the things that struck me. that was a part of the state terror that imposeed upon african-americans a sense of inferiority from the date of birth. parents did it to keep their kids out of harm's way. we're looking at selma alabama the scene of bloody sunday, 50 years ago. the president is set to address that crowd. we have reporters on the ground. tony harris as is robert ray. robert your thoughts. you've been listening to this discussion, weigh in.

>> yes there are now tens of thousands of people lined up on these small streets in selma waiting for the president to talk. listening to you guys talk. you look at selma as a microcosm, 50 years later. it's still a very poor town. over 40% poverty rate, a 10% unemployment rate in this town, and if you ask a lot of people here, even though they're trying to make strides they're concerned that selma is just a stomping ground at this point for a moment in time, that that's just sort of what they're caught into, and that the economy really is not going forward. people really don't have a ton of opportunity. there is still in this small town a place--almost a dividing line an inadvise an invisible dividing line where the whites live and the blacks live. it's things like that that a lot of civil rights leaders we talk to and youth we talk to would

like open discussion on. how do we stop these divided lines. how do we get these economies to be better and more open for the youth, and frankly, help them get more educated, del. >> i'm curious to something that you said early on in your coverage. you said in today in selma alabama s a celebration of what happened there 50 years ago. why do they choose that word as opposed to say looking back on a grim day in american history. why turn the page on history from the standpoint of people in selma? >> well, that is a great observation, and from the word of the mouth of the people here it is a celebration. although it was a horrible, bloody day at the time what happens waswhat happened was a great outcome. voting rights acts signed by lbj. that was almost a defining

moment to move forward as many americans, and frankly people across the world saw those black and white images on television, and were appalled when they saw that, that that could happen in america, that people could be tear gassed and beaten down, men and women on a bridge trying to be peaceful. so i think it was a victorious day in hindsight for all the civil rights leaders people on the ground here. specifically andrew young who we spoke to in atlanta a week ago, he looks at it like that. jesse jackson i'm sure he'll tell that you. the president when he talks here very soon will likely go into that as well. it was a horrible moment, but yet victory came out of it, but not enough has been done according to these civil rights leaders. that's a theme we're going to hear in president barack obama's voice today. we have the transcription of his speech which looks to be a 25-

25-,30-minute speech. it looks to be very lengthy. we'll see how the people on the streets here react. >> robert, thank you very much. randall pinkston with me in studio les pine as well. this is the reverend jesse jackson speaking right now. i want to take a listen--no, he's not live, but i want to ask the question right now which barack obama will we hear, randall pinkston? the barack obama of the first few years of his term, or the barack obama who some say is a lame duck, who was once thorny in the administration. >> i think i'll wait to hear what the president has to say. but he has been, as we all know,

been criticized for being reticent to address race in a very forceful and consistent manner. but let us not forget now that he has spoken out on that issue at times in the course of the past six years. so maybe that will be something that he'll address again in the context of voting rights, and what needs to be done to be sure that we don't move backwards. >> in fact, before we talk i want you to listen to the president and the attorney general, by the way on an issue that is more in the headlines this day. both of them promising change in ferguson. they're responding to the justice department investigation that shows a long history of racial discrimination against african-americans. today we learn two police officers have resigned. a clerk was fired for sending racist e-mails about the president himself. and the president spoke about

the police officers not being charged with the hate crime in the death of michael brown. >> if there is uncertainty about what happened, you can't just charge him any way because what happened was tragic. that was the decision that was made and i have believe confidence, and stand fully behind the decision made by the justice department on that issue. >> les payne, how do you be the president of the united states and the first african-american-elected president at the same time without being criticized by both sides? >> i'm not so sure about that, how one does it. we talked with him earlier on. when i say we, i took a group of african-american college students, a charter group and we talked to him early in 2011. the question came up of jackie robinson, and him being the jackie robinson of presidential politics. he said, you know, when jackie robinson was the first black

player, he spent his time trying to get hits, stolen bases and driving in runs. this is what i'm doing. i'm not one of those that think that he has not addressed the issue. i happen to think that he has been tactical. this man is a brilliant tactician. if you don't believe it, look at people in the landscape who under estimated him starting with the clinton, mitt romney, putin and even netanyahu is on the ropes. so this guy is a brilliant tactician. so he has spoken out on race, for instance, during jeremiah wright. he spoke out on the address. he addressed it again when his friend skip gates was arrested up in boston. he addressed it again with trayvon martin. he said that trayvon martin could have been one of my kids. that could have been me 35 years ago. my observation about some of those--not all--particularly of

african-americans, those who look and say who say that he has not addressed race, i think that the tactic with what he has done i think it is a problem--and this is an inside story, unfortunately, but i'll air our laundry. >> whisper it in my ear. >> just between you and me, this well-kept secret is we have people unfortunately who like speakers and leaders who stand up and give speeches that bring people to their feet. this man attempts to bring them to their senses. we want people to bring them to their feet, and that an is it. this man is a deliberate tactician. >> we spend time talking about things that went wrong after what happened in selma but is there one thing that may have happened yesterday that went right?

randall pinkston, i bring it up this way. here we have the african-american attorney general saying there will be no charges brought against darren wilson. this is the presidential motorcade crossing the edmund pettus bridge, the symbolism not lost on anybody in the crowd. i'll pause so you can hear the applause. [ cheers and applause ] >> i'm going to ask a question on the back end but randall, i want to get your thoughts on the significance and history of this moment. >> you know, del i spent a few minutes as a white house correspondent for president bush. and in some of those vehicles are members of the president. i don't care if you're a member

of the press, secret service or motorcycle cop, when you're in a presidential motorcade, it's a very huge big deal, to be in it and look at the reaction of the people as you drive by, and also if you're standing, and i've also watched it as someone on the sidelines just a pedestrian president barack obama, three years old in 1965, living in hawai'i. >> and look at the complexion of the crowd 50 years later. >> yes. he has now become the beneficiary of the sacrifice the hard work that took place in selma, and selmas all over the country a half century ago. it's amazing. >> the symbolism of this moment.

>> after martin luther king gave a speech on the steps of lincoln memorial, he saved give us a moment. a speech little known these days. now we have a book end between 50 years ago when selma happened and now. african-americans have the vote. they've used that vote in terms of presidential politics what this moment represents right now in terms of presidential politics in this country, which is the beat of the free world one of the most powerful nations in the world, and this first african-american president one of the most powerful people on earth, as he said in his earlier talk dr. king gave a speech as our moses saying i may not get there with you. he's saying that he's joshua, who has in terms of presidential politics, gotten over to see the other side. >> now we'll go to the question that i was going to ask you

before the president arrives as we await his appearance on the stage. that being the issue of ferguson. you have an african-american attorney general and an after american president saying there will be no charges filed against officer dinner wilson in the shooting death of michael brown. his parents say that they were disappointed in the decision but there was not the unrest that we saw back in the summer, does that speak to a way had the president not been an african-american and the attorney general not been an african-american. >> possibly but they were not asking for a conviction. they were asking for the ability to be heard. when you didn't make an arrest, when nothing was done, that sparked the anger. compare that to what happened in

florida to trayvon martin. there was not the same kind of outburst because it went through the system. the result, george zimmerman walked but it saw some process some due process some semblance of justice was done. >> please stand by, you're looking at the presidential motorcade that just arrived in selma, alabama just a brief moment ago to cheers from a racially diverse crowd waiting to hear the president speak. the atmosphere described by robert ray on the ground as a celebration and not a somber memory. our coverage of "race in america: selma" continues after this break.

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[music] >> welcome back to our special live continuing coverage of race in america: selma. that is the famous or infamous edmund pettus bridge. pettus a general in the civil war who was elected to the senate in alabama. there were reports that he may have been part of the kkk. but today there is a different situation taking place than 50 years ago when it became known as bloody sunday when alabama state troopers attacked members of the civil rights movement who were trying to cross that bridge. now infamous in history our tony harris is there in selma right now. tony as you stand there on this

moment a short while ago the president of the united states arrive. describe to me what happened next. >> yes, it was a terrific moment moment. can you imagine this president who has walked over that bridge last time i believe in 2007, when avenues candidate he drives over this bridge as the first african-american president of the united states. it's the infamous edmund pettus bridge a name that conjures up so many images of very dark days in this country. so think about that. i think the video is rolling now. the president of the united states the 44th president, driving over that infamous bridge and when he crossed the bridge, i don't know that you can see it in the video but he waved to the assembled crowd and it was a huge war that went

up. the president is in a bit of a holding area in a tent not far from our location right now. i imagine there is a meet and greet going on and the program will begin shortly del. >> your reaction to a question that i asked robert ray a short while ago they're calling this a celebration not a somber anniversary. describe the atmosphere. >> well, the atmosphere is terrific here. i got to tell you i rode down on the fly with a young man charles atkins who served in the carter administration. he was on geraldine geraldo's team with walter mondel. this is a man who at 62 years old, remembers when the trains were desegregated, and he

described a picture of himself in the arms of his father on the day that the icc the interstate commerce committee desegregateed the trains in this nation. for him to be back here. he watched bloody sunday on television with his family, but for him to be here and so many others to be here they brought with them the spirit of enthusiasm and hope. they understand the path that has been traveled, but they're living firmly in the moment. they're talking about it, as we had our discussion with kerry kennedy a short time ago they're talking about moving the civil rights agenda forward and getting the voting rights act section 4 strengthened. there is a moment of what happened here, but with an eye clearly on this moment, and an eye to the future. >> i want you to take a moment to reflect personally what this moment is for you.

when i integrated the airwaves in my hometown of west virginia, there were no african-americans on the airwaves. there were no tony harris, randall pinkstons or les paynes. when you reflect on this moment, what does this mean to you? >> i'm struck by the fact that in this country today you can go through primary school and you can go through secondary school and certainly graduate or get a diploma from high school, and not know the details of the timeline of the civil rights movement. you may know about bloody sunday but do you know about dr. lafayette and how he organized it, and selma was not even on the board because sheriff clark was thought to be so vicious. sure the movement wanted to

provoke a confrontation, but jim clark was thought to be so vicious they didn't dream of coming here at that time. and how the events--snick was on the ground mobilizing the community. this was alabama 1% of the population that was of legal voting edge was register age was registered to vote. you can grow up in the country today and not know the intimate details. for example, you may not know the pivotal roles of john seigenthaler and his work in the kennedy administration the justice department. we have the pleasure of working with his son, john seigenthaler. but senior, the work that he did on behalf of black folks who were trying and struggling for the right to vote in this

country, it's an amazing story that far too many people in this country aren't getting an opportunity to learn in great detail. i'm just so happy to be living at a time where i was able to witness some of it, and smart enough and curious to go and do a little bit of work of my own. >> tony harris on the ground for us in selma. robert ray on the ground as well. i understand that you have a special guest as well? >> del yes, we have jimmy webb, a confidant of martin luther king. tell us about your background with this. >> i came here in 1965 with the intent to stay two weeks train students the philosophy of mahatma gandhi and two weeks turned into two years and then a

lifetime. >> and you were at the march. >> all three marchs. >> describe the experience out there. were you expecting it to get as violent as it did? >> no, as a matter of fact we were some what surprised. when we marched that first day there were not a lot of cops harassing us. when we came down across the bridge we found out why there were no cops harassing us. they were all at the bottom of the bridge. there was a sea of blue and gray and behind them were the sheriff's posse on horses. >> a lot of hate, it seems that day, from the police. >> yes, as a matter of fact, al lingo, the colonel with the alabama state troopers told us we had five minutes to disperse, and then three minutes they started popping tear gas and driving people back across the bridge. >> if you--from your memory, they just hated african-americans? what was the bottom of it?

>> well, it was the system. what was crazy about the system under which we lived is that i say to people all the time, i never lived in a segregated neighborhood. i lived in a segregateed society. any time i walked two blocks from where i lived there were white people living. there was a system in place. >> do you think that system still exists here? >> in many ways--not in the same way, but the systemic racism does not die that easily. >> yes that's been a topic we've been talking al jazeera america. we talk about the celebration today, it definitely feels like that. >> yes. >> but everybody you talk to feels that there is absolutely no end to this quite yet. >> well, the one thing that you never retire from is struggling for civil rights, because as soon as you have accomplished one right there is always a

challenge to another. >> yes. >> and so instead of this just being a celebration, it will be a convocation where you get marching orders to go back and do more in the next century than we did in the last. >> if you were the president of the united states today what would you tell america about race relation around what we should do j. >> i would say that america has come a long way from where it was, but we have a long way to go. and the greatest racism now is economic racism. we can hang on for economic disparity. we won't have to wait for social disparity. >> here in selma there is a lot of economic disparity here. >> yes, i lived in africa for a long time. the one thing that i learn there had that i'm seeing more and more in america you're either rich or poor. there is no middle class. >> great insight. jimmy webb, appreciate it man. >> i was just watching

al jazeera in cape town wednesday. >> there you go. there you go. impact right? >> that's right. >> take care. take care. del, you heard it from a guy on the ground here, pretty amazing stuff to listen to him. >> robert ray, thank you very much. we thank him for the commercial for al jazeera. i want to go back to tony harris. tony, i want to you set the stage. this was the scene a short while ago as the president crossed the edmund pettus bridge, quite an entrance as they say in speech making as the motorcade crossed the bridge to the cheers of the crowd. but now he has to follow up on that speech that took place 50 years ago. give me an idea of the expectations of the crowd. how tough is it going to be for the president to knock it out of the ballpark? >> well, look, in is a favorable audience. this is an audience that is ready to a applaud and cheer for virtually anything this president has to say.

but to the substance of it, look i think that this speech has to cover a couple of important areas. first of all it is this coming together of events in this country during his presidency that makes this such a wonderful kind of singular moment for him. we've been reporting and talking about the events since august of last year in ferguson, missouri, the death of michael brown. the president has clearly made it a priority and instructed his justice department to take a very close and hard look at police policies in minority communities. the justice department under this attorney general eric holder has launched investigations in cleveland ohio; ferguson missouri; and albuquerque, new mexico.

we're still rattled a bit about the findings and the report on ferguson and we know there are prescriptiontive remedies being offered to the city of ferguson from the justice department department{^l"^^}. will there be reform, or will the president and the attorney general have to shut down that police department and start again. the president gets to talk about those events that have transpired from this presidency. he'll also get the opportunity in this speech to trace the timeline, to talk about where this country has been, and to bring it forward at this moment:of >> we had a bit of a discussion about this just moments ago. people are concerned about the section 54 of the voting