how the coven 19 pandemic struck the nice. it's continuing impact and the lessons learned for the future. join me favor those are for context india analyses either all the the hero, the world news washer. for hello, i'm barbara sarah london. these are the top stories on al jazeera, the u. s. and french presidents have met in person for the 1st time since there are countries most the serious diplomatic dispute in years, jo, by the acknowledge the handling of a recent security agreement with australia and the u. k was clumsy, he says he was under the mistaken belief that france had been informed about the deal before it was announced. the agreement forced the cancellation of australia's

multi $1000000000.00 deal to buy french submarines. we have your own for no more and more. now why it's been with us in the beginning reason in part we did was club was working with a lot of grace. i was under the impression, certain things that happened that hadn't been to clear france 3, no less important precisely to be sure that such a situation will not be possible for all future hunger coordination of pongo cooperation. but for me, what's important is that we build during the past week, some very concrete actions in order to strengthen the partnership from the hill.

this clarification between what european defense means and how this is completely compatible with nato. what's your urban sovereignty means and how it's important for goals? security our white house correspondent, kimberly how kit has more from rome. this was really long anticipated meeting, given the fact that just weeks ago, the united states announced the creation of the security alliance between the united kingdom, australia. and of course the us and in part this arrangement included the sale of nuclear technology at least to power submarines to australia. will this cause quite a rift between the united states and france for a number of reasons. number one, because france was left in the dark about this deal and it cost the money. they had their own deal in place with australia to supply diesel powered submarines. so this

was certainly an embarrassment domestically for a manual macro, and also an outrage that he had not been notified about this nor had he been informed that this security partnership or was taking place. so as a result, he pulled his ambassadors from not only australia, but also the united states. they had since been restored. and now this was the 1st face to face meeting for these leaders. although they did have a very brief phone call to discuss the issue, and as you heard there the u. s. president, once again, underscoring that it was a clumsy error on the part of the united states to really insulted ally as such as france an important ally. and you heard there from emanuel macro, the sort of moving forward. and acknowledging that there is an important relationship despite these mistakes and what matters is what happens in the coming weeks, months and years before meeting president micron. joe biden had an audience with pope frances, their discussions included the climate emergency, which will also be

a key talking point in the to day g. 20 summit being held in room world leaders will also debate the global distribution of coven vaccines before heading to glasgow for the cult $26.00 conference. in other news, poland, the senate has voted to build a wall along as border was bella roost. to prevent migrants from entering illegally in the past 2 months, thousands of people have attempted to cross the border to enter the european union . the block has accused men scope providing safe passage to the e u. in retaliation against sanctions. and there thousands of people are, again, walking through mexico, wanting to cross into the united states. unlike previous migrant, caravan's mexican authorities aren't stopping them, hoping the walk becomes too much and the migrants just give up and go back. the bottom line is next talking about racism in the us and i'll have one use for you in

half an hour. ah hi, i'm steve clements and i have a question. why is white supremacy growing in the united states? let's get to the bottom line. ah, this year's started with a big bang literally. when supporters of former president donald trump decided that they had to save america and stopped the steel of last year's election, people from all over the country descended on the capital. and overtime it became clear that many of the writers have ties the white nationalists and right wing extremist groups. a couple of weeks later, joe biden became the 1st u. s. president in history to call at white supremacy as terrorism in integration speech that was historic. but what has his administration done since then to stem the tide of fear and hate? that brings these groups together? what's the future of america's right wing militias?

the bugler boys, the proud boys, the oath keepers the 3 per centres, and all the rest and whether their neo fascist, or their neo nazi or their anti muslim or anti jewish k k, k, neo confederate or all of the above is the network that makes up white nationalism in america getting stronger. today we're talking with catherine blue, who teaches us history at the university of chicago, and has written several books on the white power movement. most recently, she co edited a field guide to white supremacy which has just come out and west bellamy, former vice mayor of charlottesville, virginia, and co chair of our black party. he's the author of when white supremacy knox fight back how white people can use their privilege. and how black people can use their power. listen, it's so great to be with you. kathleen. congratulations on the release of this edited volume in this book is very powerful essays. and let me just start with you and just ask the question is i also know it comes packed with the issue of how we in the media should be looking at this question and defining white supremacist. what are you hoping to achieve with the release of this book?

where does white supremacy stand in this nation as you see it? so this book is aimed at a particular problem, which is that most of our focus on racial violence treats only one part of the complex system of white supremacy. this book outlines the relationship between racial violence, the ingrained legal systems that make it difficult to convict people of racial violence and the remaining individual racist belief that still permeates or political mainstream. all of those are interrelated that distinct. so when we talk about white nationalism, that the different thing than what we might think of as by power or white supremacy, but they're all part of the same social problem. and this book sets that out where you have a chapter in this book saying, there are no loan wolves, the white power movement in war. and as you define white power, and as we have because we do in the, in the media, we do talk about loan wools. what are we getting most wrong when, when people in my seat are, are trying to frame this discussion,

trying to bridge to folks watching this to understand it? i just be, it's in your insights and try to kind of frame this for folks. so lone wolf is a category partially invented by the white power and is meant to direct our attention away from what it is, which is an organized social movement that brought together neo nazis plans, meaning skinheads militiamen and others, beginning right after the vietnam were. and i'm steadily building up to the present moment. this is the same thing we have been dealing with for decades is not generations. and what we get when we think about this as a problem, the loan wolves are stories about the pittsburgh tree of life shooting as being about anti semitic violence. the charleston shooting, being about anti black violence, that a passive shooting, being about anti latino violence. christ church being about anti islamic violence and certainly they are those things. but all of those acts were carried out by white power, ideologically driven gunmen who write the same language in their manifestos,

who sometimes share social ties anywhere, c, e to accomplish the same thing with their violence. when we connect those stories, we find that these coalitions that coalitions can arise between these communities who have something in common, who might not have known that otherwise, wes bellamy. you and i have spoken about this before you were. you were right there in charlottesville and i want to remind people and hope you can share with them the, the emotion of that time in this week. the civil trial for some of those involved with unite the right arm. this, this, a white nationalists and friends gathering the charlottesville, the violence of death that occurred, i just be interested charlottesville was the up a center for, for, you know, was one of the epa centers. but it really mattered in terms of a discussion of race and justice. and inequality and history in this country and i just love for our audience to understand from you. you are vice mayor. you know what, what is what went on then and i'm just ask you bali,

have we accomplish much since then? well, one thank you so much for having me. i really appreciate the opportunity to join you are and i think there's a couple of things which we have to keep in mind. america is rooted in white supremacy. there's a lot of us that like to pretend as if that is not the case. we like to pretend as if we're the grand those country that doesn't have these fundamental values. well, that's just the fact of the matter. my grandmother would always say, you can't get to the truth of something if you're not willing to face the truth. and the truth is that our country is founded in based off of one group of people believing that they are superior to other groups of persons. and because of that, you see the manifestation of a wide variety of ideologies are meeting throughout our country initially, or excuse me, substantially speeding speaking to people, trying to maintain power. so once we understand and we are truth about that, tell the truth about that, then we could move forward. our country has made some strides. however, we have a long way to go. as you saw in charlottesville, people being very articulate and very distinct and blood. what their belief that

they were coming back to take, what was there? i was the only black person on the council at the time. and because many of them believe that i was leading this efforts of a book of better statues and changing the fabric of what they believed to be one of the true american cities, the home of thomas jefferson. they wanted to come and take back what was theirs subsequently since then we've seen white people across the country truly come to face and understand that we have a lot of work to do. i hope that white people are now starting to understand the part of black people and people of color and other marginalized groups. when we say that these races, things both over and covertly have been happening now. there's a belief in a push to believe in such but now what we have to do is do exactly what you're doing and as you just described as well as no kathleen, we need white people and our allies and accomplishes to use their privilege and speak out about these things, and then people of color have to use our power to say that we're going to not shut up. we're not going to be quiet. we're going to use our voice. and we're going to rally with those who want to fight with us to bring forth a more equitable not that now speaking specifically about equality, but from a more equitable perspective to our country. states are localities. and so thank

you so powerful me as ask you both and you know kathleen lee would lead with you. you know, i'm sort of interested in what models are out there if there are any, you know, to go to west point that, that, you know, given the founding of this country, given we're at a lot of folks see a change in the framing of this country a change in the basic understanding or even education and history about that i have to tell you, i did not know about the tulsa 1921 really genocide in tulsa, oklahoma, even though my parents were from that area. and so we kind of look at that and they're sort of historical realization, and we have to come in that i'm just wondering how can we, with people who felt they weren't there, that wasn't them? why are we talking about something about the legacy and founding this country? how can we actually get models where there is what west talked about, understanding appreciation with this matter. but yet people can still work together and move forward. i know kathleen, do have insights on that. absolutely, i think,

you know, the united states is not unique in its history of racial inequality and racial violence. many nations have struggled with the problem that the united states is quite unique and how little we have done by way of public conversation and truth and reconciliation with that history. we've had no national peers the process. we've had very little in the way of museum building in memorial ization. and one thing that folk might want to remember is that when we think about, you know, the radical promise of the united states life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. that was never meant for all of us that was made out for white property owning free men at the beginning and only through coalition building organization and working together. have people come together to demand the extension of that product promise to more and more groups. the women 1st to non property, only white men, then to people of color than to women. this is a gradual process. it has not happened through mad vanity. it's happened because

people have come together and organized for their own inclusion in that project. and they can do that again. well, what are your thoughts on that? yeah, please. so i think that there are specific examples across the country which we've seen, municipalities be able to move the needle for specifically what we think about what's what's transpired to charlottesville and i was on council. we wrote, i wrote something called the equity package, which was nearly 4 and a half $1000000.00 in resources provided to underserved communities. when you look at places like evanston, illinois, which they have their reparations bill, you have your places like asheville, north carolina, talking about moving forward with the quote unquote reparations package and think that those major things of that nature. we have to look at those specific localities. let's use the models on the local level. when you have very targeted specific budget allocations and the resource allocations. the disadvantage groups and folks will have the where the of the, just the malice, specifically white people and people who have led this country so long then that's

how we move the needle for. but in addition to that, when we develop something like our by party, which isn't quote unquote, a 3rd party, it's essentially a platform to help me understand that there's nothing wrong with the filtering ourselves. busy in the political landscape, just as you see, the jewish folks doing the irish folks doing that might be no community doing white people and people as a whole need to support these efforts. the mobile is ation of marginalized groups in order to bring forth tangible outcomes and things that we're looking for in the policy side, as well as a budgetary side is what's needed in the immediate. furthermore, when you hear black vocal, when you hear the latino community or you hear marginalized group speaking about the experience, we need white people to be willing to listen to them 1st and foremost, and then use their privilege to bring forth tangible solutions. we can't do this, a lot is going to take all of us to be able to work together and we are doing so. so let's not just believe that nothing is transpired, and that there's nothing has happened because nothing in this community or this country will change with that mindset. we have examples,

obviously there's more work to be done and i believe that we're going to do it. so let's keep getting to work or thank you kathleen. i guess my question is, this is the united states of america. how can these groups thrive? so part of the reason that we have struggled so much to face down the power of movement. and here again, i'm talking about specifically organized over recessed violence against the state and against people on the ground. that is partly because of lack of resources, lack of understanding at the surveillance community, lack of legislative instruments, lack of appropriate jerk instruction. and this narrative of the note lone wolf that gets repeated in the media that has not directed public attention at this problem. i think that the grain of hope here is that since charlottesville, a lot of people have been paying attention, and that's exactly what this movement does not want. so although we see this movement dramatically increasing in size and in its reach into the mainstream. as

we came to grips with on january 6th, i hope we also see a turn towards solving the problem. and i think that this is happening across many levels of our society, ranging from the amazing grassroots work and local political work. and that was just talking about up to things like the d h as in the f, b i directing surveillance resources towards this problem, which this has never happened before in the long history of this movement. and so there are reasons to be optimistic. i think that the thing that people have to understand is that this is bigger than simply a problem of individual belief systems. we may think of white supremacy as a fence and racial violence and white power. activism is one point in the fence. an individual racism was involved in the construction of the fence, but in people still come along,

repairing the fence and propping up the fence. but this fence is here now and we could think of incarceration rates. maternal maternal health outcomes are disparate by res, wealth acquisition. and is this for if i raise property ownership? oh, these are playing in the fence. if we walk away from it, nobody else is still constructing it. that this is still standing. that's not enough. we have to take the fence down. that's a step beyond simply not believing in white supremacy anymore. people have to take action if they'd like to confront this problem. and there is no way to deal with something like a tax wage by way, power activists, without looking at this whole system. and it just add that in greensboro, north carolina, which is one great example of a local community taking on a t r c. process. the truth and reconciliation commission right there for you, then that there was an issue there that was so big that the local community was, was impacted for generations has to do with not only the racial shooting that happened. there are the races shooting that happened today. the filter,

a legal system multiple times to bring those people to justice. and that's because of white supremacy me into those other systems out west, you know, one of the worries that some people feel i have this, this notion of white white replacement theory. that if it, that if you're going to diversify them, you know, to 0 sum game between races. now i gotta tell you, i've interviewed ceos all around this country, all of whom are that i've talked to are trying to basically say we need to commit to education of black and brown communities. we need them in our, our corporate leadership. we need them on our board and we need them work in our company. we need to broaden the aperture and bring those folks in. and i have to tell you, none of them talk about it in this white replacement theory way, but people have the sphere. when you go into a community, you go in to talk to them about how we get this right. what i, what, how do you bring them along so that they understand that at the end of the day we're going to be a much healthier nation. ah, with real diversity out and, and it's going to be every one wins. how do you do that? well, well, initially it's

a perspective and thought that you're going to go into this understanding that this is quote, unquote merit. this is not a sport. you don't change the perspective of individuals, nor do you get people to truly understand this in just a day or week or, or even a couple of months for that matter. this is something that requires a great deal of patients. i truly believe that we have to be patient with people, but in patient progress and consistent in regards to how we could things and consistently try to move the needle for day by day. some folks are going to get faster than others and that's ok. we just have to be consistent in the mentors on which we continue to push. so intangible examples of how even on a local level, whether it be a school systems, what does that be? what health disparities was economic disparity in housing disparities? and so what, how loss of benefit at one particular group of persons and how they've essentially banished and derived and derailed other groups of people with tangible examples that helps people. but again, i think within all of this. ready we have to be willing to use one of 2 things.

people who are quote unquote, in positions of power. more times than not white people, they have to be willing to use that power to bring forth financial change. and those who are marginal law, or excuse me, use a privilege to bring in for tangible change. and those who are marginalized have to understand that we still have a level of power. when you look at local elections, statewide elections, federal elections for that matter. it's important for us to pay attention, let the right people bring forth policy intent, excuse me, tangible policy examples with our demand, and then speak to it that they're thought through. when you're educating people, know how to do those things. again, it takes time, i'll talk about that in my book. white supremacy, not that this is a marathon i got looted to and because this is going to take so long, we need people who are willing to get in shape and do the work. and i hope that you all will join us in doing so. when you hear vice, when you hear president trump's voice, kathleen and was saying, there are very fine people on both sides. very fine people on both sides. i'm

interested in, in, in that framing and caffeine just from your perspective. what damage was done in that framing, and is it fixed now that biden has a different take, or is there just so much more that, that you're waiting to see done after biden's inauguration remarks? so trump's remarks about very fine people on both sides, when i'm quote, after charlottesville had been a little bit misinterpreted, i think he meant that to be, there were regular protesters, and then there were nazis and clansman. and he was trying to distinguish between sort of the far, all right and the regular protesters. the problem is, as we saw in january 6th, that those groups come together to make violent action happen. and also in charl in, in charlottesville, that was a dramatic mis characterization of an organized rally by the all right, with the intent of violent action and violence outcomes um

it seems was never released. so i think that the whole of trumps record here though is deeply problematic. i'm from things like the comment as a 2nd debate about to the proud way as things stand, stand back stand by, which was understood by them to be a whole, to our, to the sort of a speech that set up the strike on the capital on january 6th, so you know, there are many people who have devoted their entire professional mind to understanding the former president and his words and actions. i'm not one of those experts, but i can tell you that they are received. those statements are received by white power groups as green lights for action and violent organizing. and we also know that if it's late, january 6, the historical record tells us are not one off events. that is understood as a act of kind of performative public activism and we see these groups immediately

reaching into the mainstream after we're now just to clarify, let me, let me back up to clarify what i'm talking about. january 6th is sort of the collision of white power organized military groups, right? one district q and on which i think nobody understands very well 2nd stream and sort of the trump base. and the chunk base is the biggest group there. it probably has some variation between people who came out for free speech action to people who came out hoping to do something. right. but we do know that the organized way, power, movement and military, right? those are the guys who saw moving through the crowd and tactical desks with radios of plans. and they immediately the day after we're reaching into those trump, stop the seal groups on social media to recruit. it is a recruitment action. so what we have to ask is what comes next? where so i love your perspective on yeah, i want to know what i want to ask you

a question when you answer that question as well. but i want to ask you, if you it organized an hour block party event and it somehow got out of control and you guys had, you know, gone up to the capital, what would happen would have been killed. there's no, there's no ifs, ands or buts about it. black folk if we would have organized in the same manner in which members of this are right, white supremacy, these why supremacy groups. there's no other way to describe them. if we would have went to the capital and breached the capital in ways and manners in which these individuals in, on january 6, would have been massive bloodshed, then there's just no other way to describe that. and that shows the policy of america in some regards. but also want to speak very briefly to show some love to officers who worked at the capital. i've been on the capital in terms of protest. i was a part of a 1st group of the just to go with out the capital, january 6, 4 people, protested manning voting rights. and speaking with those officers, what they went through on january 6 was beyond traumatic. many of them missed their

lives and put their lives on the line, and some of them lost their lives. and i really think we need to support them to show them love for the bravery which they show to defend our democracy. however, make no mistake about it is black would have done what those white in the guard largely white individuals did. we would have been commanded to be shot and killed on the spot. there's no denying that. so let's be clear. i'd like to disagree or just offer a different sentiment in regards to catherine comments were for just a brief moment, specifically as it pertains to 45. so physically stating that there are 5 people on both sides. well, it may, while it may seem or can be debated, he would, it was misinterpreted in terms of him saying that notion, i can just tell you, want to test personally that where he caught the city after you know everything happened. his comments were not about are you all ok, man, there was good people on both sides. his initial concern was why did you keep calling the 45 on television?

right. and i wish you, i would have done something different. he's a very selfish individual. he knew exactly, he's a smart guy. this guy knew exactly what he was saying when he talked about smart or nice people on both. he knew exactly what he was saying when he described. and so the problem was the stand back of standby. he knew exactly what he was doing on january 6th and he was trying to get individuals round up to go and do exactly what they did. he relished and all of them. he relishes in chaos. and he's by and large whites for can i just say one more that really sort of a faster. right. yeah. and yeah, really quickly. i think it is up to us as americans, and i call myself a true american because i love this country and argued like people were here before . argued before anyone else outside of the native american french, we all have an obligation to ensure that our country has made a better place. and because we have that obligation, it's important to understand that we come in different facets just as easy and after we're this shirt paying how much of the black pad, there's probably could misinterpret that people misinterpret what they want, right?

they learn and educate themselves on what they want to. it's time for all of what the, educate ourselves on, what's right and that specifically for fighting for equity. so why do people use your privilege by people marginalize could use your power, like this place a better? well, thank thank us kathleen ballou, professor of us history at the university of chicago and west bellamy, chair of the political science department of virginia state university. thank you so much to both of you for being with us today. thank you. so what's the bottom line for many americans, the rawness and the reality of racial discrimination are in their face. they feel it every single day. for others is the exact opposite. they can spend their lives enjoying the privilege and access that their skin color give them. and some of them have close to 0 awareness of the victims of this equation and still others, they're consciously purposely actively working to promote white supremacy. they want racism to be great again, but being unaware is not an acceptable excuse anymore. silence helps this

underground network of white nationalism grow deeper and deeper. this problem is real folks. the former city council member of charlottesville is right. this will be a marathon, even though it should be a sprint injustice and racism really shouldn't have a place at americas table. and that's the bottom line ah a with

lu hello, i'm barbara sarah london. these are the top stories on al jazeera, the us and french presidents have met in person for the 1st time since the country's most serious diplomatic disputing years. joe biden acknowledge the handling of a recent security agreement with australia and the u. k. that cos, france, a multi $1000000000.00 deal was clumsy. he says he was under the mistaken belief that france had been informed about the deal before it was announced. we have your

own no more loyal.