amy: from pacifica, this is democracy now! 08/15/16 08/15/16 [captioning made possible by democracy now!] amy: from pacifica, this is democracy now! >> unlike anything i have ever seen. unlike anything that the police department had seen in their career. every member of the fire department, it was fun -- unlike anything they had seen in their entire career. milwaukee, two days after an african-american man named sylville smith ignited .ires to police cars

17 people were arrested, four police officers were reportedly injured. wisconsin governor scott walker -- we will go to milwaukee to speak with muhibb dyer. then to the olympic games. whole bunch of people came before me and have been an inspiration. all of the people after me who in't believe they can't just just want to be a demonstration that you can do it. amy: simone manuel has become the first african-american to win a gold medal in an individual swimming event and a prior nearing african-american gymnast simone biles has just won her third gold. we will speak with sports writer jesse washington and gold medal winning swimmer anthony ervin. all of that and more, coming up.

welcome to democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. continuing in milwaukee two days after police shot dead a 23-year-old african american man named sylville smith. activated the national guard after local residents have fires to police cars and several local businesses, including a gas station saturday night. 17 people were arrested, four police officers were reportedly injured. last night, two police officers were reportedly injured and one person was hospitalized after being shot by an unknown assailant. this is a man who said he is the brother of sylville smith, speaking about the uprising. >> right now we have a city riot going on.

[no audio] if you don't have anyone to protect us, this is what you get. you have riots. you people going crazy. amy: the milwaukee police department is defending its use of force in the case. police say he was shot while trying to flee from an officer who stopped his car. police chief edward flynn said he viewed video and it showed smith had turned toward him with a gun in his hand after the traffic stop. milwaukee is considered to be one of the most segregated cities in the country. meanwhile, in baltimore, 12 people were arrested in a protest at the opening of maryland's fraternal order of police conference sunday afternoon.

members of the group bmore bloc locked themselves together using pvc pipes and chained themselves to a railing to block the escalator leading to the conference at the hyatt. it's the latest in a series of protests in recent weeks against police unions, which activists say defend officers accused of brutality. in news from the campaign trail, hillary clinton released her latest tax returns on friday, showing she and her husband bill clinton earning $10.6 million in 2015. more than half the income came from speeches. they paid an effective tax rate of 35%. between 2007 to 2015, the clintons have made $150 million. clinton's running mate, virginia senator tim kaine, also released his returns friday. he and his wife made $313,000 in 2015. this comes as donald trump continues to refuse to release his tax returns, citing an audit.

a series of tax experts quoted in a recent "new york times" piece say its possible trump pays no income taxes at all, given the vast array of tax loopholes available to real estate developers. trump's running mate, indiana governor mike pence, suggested in an interview saturday he may soon release his own returns -- in what would be the latest point of disagreement between the two men. meanwhile, divisions are widening between the republican party and donald trump. politico is reporting that republican party leaders are privately talking about cutting off financial support to trump by october, if not earlier. in an editorial published this week, the "wall street journal" called on the republican party to write off the nominee if he doesn't change his behavior by labor day, which is less than three weeks away. a number of his associates who spoke to the "new york times"

have painted trump as being exhausted, you will third, sullen, and erratic. trump has blasted the article, calling the "new york times" a failing newspaper a fiction. reportedly, trump is not asked for retractions. a recent reuters poll shows nearly one-fifth of registered republicans want trump to drop out of the race. in public, however, the republican party is continuing attempts to project unity. on friday, republican national committee chairman reince priebus made a surprise appearance at a trump rally in erie, pennsylvania, where he introduced and hugged trump. at this rally, trump attempted to walk back his recent comments calling president obama the founder of isis. instead, trump said his comments had been sarcastic. "but not that sarcastic." this comes as trump is slated to release his proposals for fighting isis during a speech in ohio today. he's also expected to further explain his plans to significantly limit immigration,

which at times have included calls for a complete ban on all muslims. his campaign is now also suggesting a test intended to vet immigrants' views on issues, such as women's and gay rights. meanwhile, the "new york times" has revealed new details about trump's campaign manager paul manafort's political consulting work in ukraine. the "times" reports that handwritten ledgers unearthed by ukraine's newly formed national anti-corruption bureau show $12.7 million of cash payments slated to go to manafort. it is not known whether manafort actually received the money. he spent years consulting for former president viktor yanukovych. in the 1980's, manafort also did political consulting work for former philippine dictator ferdinand marcos. the olympics are continuing in rio de janeiro, where stanford swimmer simone manuel has made history, becoming the first african-american female swimmer to win an olympic medal in an

individual event. she won the gold. manuel tied canadian swimmer penny oleksiak in the 100-meter freestyle. both women won gold medals and set a new olympic record. after winning, manuel said -- "it means a lot, especially with what is going on in the world today, some of the issues of police brutality. this win hopefully brings hope and change to some of the issues that are going on. my color just comes with the territory." manuel's win was only one of a number of historic olympic events over the last week. usain bolt of jamaica won the 100-meter dash in 9.81 seconds, making him the only person to ever win the 100-meter race three times. he is jamaican. american swimmer michael phelps scored his 23 gold medal when the u.s. won the men's 4x100-meter medley relay. phelps is now the most decorated olympian in all of history. african-american gymnast simone

biles has scored her third gold medal when she became the first american woman to win the olympic vault individual. and tennis player monica puig won puerto rico's first gold medal in olympic history. she's the first person representing puerto rico to ever win an olympic medal. this is puig speaking after her victory. thet is a huge achievement, biggest goal i have for my life and it is something historic for puerto rico that is never happened in puerto rico's history. have more on the olympics later in the broadcast. we will be going to rio. meanwhile, the u.s. declared a public health emergency in puerto rico friday after the island reported nearly 2000 new cases of zika in the last week. more than cases of zika 10,000 infection have been reported in puerto rico since december. in new york city, police say they've arrested a suspect in the killing of a revered imam and his friend in queens on

saturday. mosque leader maulama akonjee and friend thara uddin were walking home from prayers at the al-furqan jame mosque just before 2:00 p.m. when a man approached them from behind, and shot them each in the back of the head at point-blank range. akonjee was a father of three from bangladesh. on saturday, hundreds of people protested the killings. this is zead ramadan, the president of the council on american islamic relations of new york. >> viewed as an assassination. someone came from behind two ima ms and shot them in the head, both of them. they both passed away this afternoon. onedoa and 15 for his life, unsuccessfully, unfortunate. -- one doa and one fought for his life, unsuccessfully, unfortunately. amy: meanwhile, in chicago, a

muslim mother and daughter report being spit on and yelled at as they were walking to their car on thursday wearing hijabs. they say their harasser yelled repeatedly, "you're isis." siham zahdan blamed the attack on donald trump, saying her message to trump was "to leave the muslim people in america alone, leave us alone." in international news, u.s.-backed saudi-led airstrikes killed at least 19 people on saturday in yemen after the bombs struck a residential area and a school. witnesses say the majority of the victims were children. this is one of the fathers of one of the children killed. >> this is a crime. my son is dead. he is now with god. we will head to the front lines and take revenge for our sons. amy: this comes less than a week after the u.s. approved a possible $1 billion weapons deal to saudi arabia. meanwhile, in syria, activists say hundreds of civilians have been killed in fighting across the country in recent days. the local coordination committees say nearly 200

civilians have been killed since friday alone. the majority of the deaths have occurred in and around the city of aleppo. back in the united states in louisiana at least five people , have died and 20,000 people have been rescued amid unprecedented flooding. louisiana governor john bel edwards declared a state of emergency over the weekend, calling the flooding historic. water levels are expected to continue rising. meanwhile, in northern california, more than 1000 people were forced to flee a fast-moving wildfire in the town of lower lake over the weekend. authorities said the california's fire season has been worsened by the historic climate-fueled drought. and in columbus, ohio, police are investigating the death of 28-year-old rae'lynn thomas, a black transgender woman who was fatally shot by her mother's ex-boyfriend. family members say the shooter, james allen byrd, frequently made transphobic comments to

rae'lynn and sometimes called her the devil. human rights watch says at least 17 transgender people have been killed so far this year in the united states. and those are some of the headlines. this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. protests are continuing in milwaukee two days after police shot dead a 23-year-old african american man named sylville smith. on sunday, wisconsin governor scott walker activated the national guard after local residents set fire to police cars and several local businesses, including a gas station, saturday night. were arrested, four police officers reportedly injured. last night, to police work reportedly injured -- teedo police were reportedly injured. milwaukee mayor tom barrett spoke out on sunday. >> last night was the worst i've seen him i don't live in the

city. i hope i never see it again. for every member of this police department, it was unlike anything they had seen in their career. for every member of the fire department, it was unlike anything they had seen in their career. amy: the milwaukee police department is defending its use of force in the case of sylville smith. police say he was shot while trying to flee from an officer who had stopped his car. police chief edward flynn said he viewed video from the officer's body camera that has not been released, showing smith had turned toward him with a gun in his hand after the traffic stop, he said. many local residents say the tension between a community and the police have an rising for years. milwaukee is considered to be one of the most segregated cities in the country. on saturday, a man identifying himself as the brother of sylville smith spoke to the local milwaukee station cbs58. >> right now you have a city riot going on. once again, the police have

failed to protect us like they say they was going to do. they failed to be here to the people like they sworn in to do. us as a community, we not going to protect ourselves, but if we don't have anyone to protect us, then this is what you get. you know? you get riots. you got people going crazy. we losing loved ones everyday to the people sworn in to protect us. it is other stuff that is going on out here, you wonder why -- it is isis in america. >> we have got innocent business owners who are now going up in flames. what does it take for you guys to be ok and stop this chaos? >> it ate me. it's not me. it's not as guys, neither. i'm glad to all set up. it is the police. it is the madness debt. this is what they encourage. this is what they provoke. this is what you get. either you take a loved one from someone -- this is what you get.

you get a lot of people that is heard. the right way. we can't depend on the police to be are to protect us like they say they going to do. so this is what you get. no, it is not going toend today or tomorrow. i don't know when it is going to end, but it is for y'all to start. we're not the ones -- dollar lling us. we can't make a change if you all don't change. 's t was sylville brother, the 23 old man killed by milwaukee police on saturday. for more we go to milwaukee where we are joined by muhibb dyer, a community activist, a poet, cofounder of the organization "flood the hood with dreams." welcome to democracy now! talk is through what happened saturday night and about the community response. >> it is a pleasure to be on democracy now! today.

see, onmean, as you can -- surface level, and i will i had the opportunity to be out there last night, you see what appears to be chaos. buildings burned. you see individuals riding around hanging out of cars. in some cases, gunshots everywhere. police, in some cases, provocative stances, provoking certain instances amongst peaceful demonstrators at times. seeon the other hand, you anger [no audio] atrocities.

beenhas never seemingly held accountable for taking lives [no audio] it is a powder keg. it is an explosion, metaphorically, you get that is going on in milwaukee today. amy: talk about what you understand took place on saturday night with the police killing of sylville smith. >> what i understand now, i mean, there many vantage points, various stories. the police are saying, what you reported, is that a stopped in a

routine traffic stop, i suppose, and he fled. he fled from an officer. somehat happened was, at point, he turned his pistol toward the officer in the officers say they justifiably shot him. the reports coming out of the the exactis that is opposite. some are saying the young man was unarmed, no gun on him at all. some are saying -- he hopped over a fence and the gun fell and he picked up the gun to throw it over the fence and the officers shot him in the back. in a nutshell, we don't know. we're going to have to wait for the videotape to be released so everything now is speculation and it is the police word against the community's word. amy: why haven't the police released the video cam of the

officer and the officers who were involved in this killing? >> i don't know, ma'am. they say this is their procedure. that it takes time for them to be able to sort through things while they're doing their own investigation. the reality of the situation in milwaukee and all over the united states of america it is that the community is very frustrated and very upset in terms of what is going on because you always have situation where african-american males are being killed and then you have the police department taking their time, releasing their facts. and whether you catch something

on videotape -- this is the sentiment of the community -- where there is videotape or eyewitnesses, we never get our day in court. we never get our day in court. police officers are never held accountable for the murders of african-american males. it is always justifiable homicide. they release these reports talking about the character of an individual, which really i fork creates the condition public opinion. ok, yes, he deserved it. police wreck -- yet a lengthy police record. he was a thug, a criminal. he deserved it. so i think they build public wheren to such an extent homicide, like i said before, the homicide of police officers on african-american males always

seems to be justified. it doesn't really talk about what happened in that actual event. they don't separate the actual event from the person's character, i guess. amy: milwaukee has been described as the most segregated city in america. you grew up there. can you talk about your city? can.s, i i was born and raised in milwaukee, wisconsin. in know, we lead the nation many of what they say the most critical statistics in this country. we have the fourth highest rate of poverty amongst all cities in america. one particular poll said. we also are said to have the second highest segregation rate in this country. we have one of the highest incarceration rates amongst

african-americans in this country. the school dropout rate is off the charts. but with all of this going on and the factories are closed and the economic plight of the city has gone down, growing up in like thisalways felt .as a place of extreme despair some good people, very talented individuals who are striving to make a difference, but that is --taposed with the reality accomplishment or prosperity or the sense of upward mobility amongst the people is -- it is a very difficult place. come a going on, i think being played out in the streets

today, is that you have these young people who feel the hopelessness and will feel the despair, and they want something different. luther kingtin junior said, the language of the he said that america is not listening to the yearning of freedom and justice, the desire freedom and justice. and what is america not paying attention to? dr. martin luther king said that white people, for the most part, are so preoccupied with tranquility and status quo, that they are missing the point that freedom and justice and equality are not being met out. and this is milwaukee. amy: milwaukee's police department has a long history of distrust by the black community.

tensions flared in 1991 as milwaukee police were accused of turning a blind eye as serial killer jeffrey dahmer targeted primarily african-american, latino, and asian boys. he was ultimately convicted of 15 murders in wisconsin. his story chronicled in the documentary, "the jeffrey dahmer files." this is dahmer's former neighbor, pamela bass, talking about the outcry. >> my sister called my mother. she said, look at tv. isn't this family is building in milwaukee? >she saw the swarm of people around me, so she knew i can't get to her. i remember, i finally got through to her on the phone. she said come a don't watch tv, pamela, don't read none of this. >> as chief, both i and the entire department must accept responsibility for the inept -- >> it was just -- i don't know.

i don't even know what to say about these things. the city of milwaukee, to me, they care nothing about the black community as a whole. they were not showing up at ends up amy: that was pamela bass, the neighbor of jeffrey dahmer, speaking in the documentary "the , jeffrey dahmer files." muhibb dyer, how does it happen with jeffrey dahmer affect the way people see what happens in milwaukee? then of course, 1981, there was earnestly seek who was put in a -- ernest lazy put in a police car, cruising downtown and he ends up dead in the back of the police car. >> like i said, it just contributes to what we saw saturday night and last night, sunday night. you have a history, like you , daniel bellacy come all the way up to a couple of years ago withdontre

hamilton. you have all of these names of individuals who haven't murdered by the police. to my knowledge, they have never been convicted or held accountable for their actions. all acrossargument america every time a police officer murders and african-american is, well, you all kill each other every night. there's black on black crime every night, like that is the scapegoat argument. ultimately, when black people ,ill black people accountability happens. black people go to jail. whyknow, the thing is, there is a more writing one violence happens in the african-american community? because black people go to jail. like people are held accountable. like people are given sentences

of homicide where they have to be held accountable for their actions that they take. but when you have individuals, like the young man said, who are supposed to protect and serve and they come in and they kill you and there is never any convictions, then the sentiment is is that we can't get justice. we can't get justice. amy: can you tell us what your t-shirt says? >> is says the i will not die young campaign. amy: i want for you to end, because i know you have to go teach, with your poem. you're not only timidity activists, cofounder of the organization "flood the hood with streams," but you're also a poet. ith us today -- poem with us today?

>> yes, ma'am. i hope this gives the listeners and understanding of the feeling of the despair of a young person that exists in milwaukee. beyond theto see anger and see a young man on his hands and knees looking up to the heavens, not knowing of god exists on a street in milwaukee and he says, it is like i'm sitting in a jail cell, lord, listen to me it is like i'm sitting in a jail cell, god, listen to me sitting in a jail cell, lord, with invisible bars waiting on death wrote counting down the days because i know they coming i know they're coming in police and do's and chicks from all coming it was not supposed to be like this lord, they never told me you were in may they never told me your always there

so in times i believe what i saw and what i saw was a daddy that was never around in a mama that was always crying because we were always broke when there was money outside rats and roaches and pissy mattresses my brother and i slept on teachers tell me i had to wait 12 years to get paid by teachers, had to wait to -- 12 years to get paid while all of them got paid off a me right now whether a learned or not, when there is money outside what else was i supposed to do? they never told me you were in me, god they never told me you were always there how was i supposed to know being created in your image and your likeness meant that if you made the earth, lord, i can make my own business and if you made the sun, i could make more than just babies ut buildings and networks and shaking these dudes down on the block for this help money was that the only way to get access to your power, lord

how was i supposed to know? how was i supposed to know that downing shots of hennessy and smoking weed wasn't the only way to accept and get to heaven, that i could have gotten down on all fours and talk to, lord they never told me you are in me they never told me you are always there how was i supposed to know every time mama was a mistake in school, baby, stay off the streets, that was you, lord? and every misdemeanor charge ever beat, that was you me when those bullets missed when i was on the block doing wrong, that was you, lord when my boy laid in that casket cold and lifeless, that was like you are try to tell me, he would be me if i did not change my time is up i know they coming i don't even if you know you listen to kids like us, lord do you even care about kids like us, lord? i know now what i should of known then it took me to fall to see the light. you're always in me. you are always there.

forgive me, lord, for i knew not what i was doing to myself please, send me somebody. a voice, maybe from across the nation, a sympathetic voice that understands that i need to be taught something that i had never been taught before please, send me someone come anybody, and humidity that can teach me to love me, teach me to love me teach me to love me. thank you. amy: muhibb dyer, thank you for being with us, community activist, poet, and co-founder of the organization "flood the hood with dreams." speaking to us from his hometown that went up in flames this weekend after police killed and african-american man on saturday night. speaking to us from milwaukee, one of the most segregated cities in the country. when we come back, we go to rio de janeiro, brazil. there are remarkable first that have taken place and the last week, and we're going to talk

with two guest about them. stay with us. ♪ [music break]

amy: this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. we had to brazil. [no audio]

it was one of the historic events over the last week. usain bolt won the 100-meter dash in 9.81 seconds, making him the only person to ever win the 100-meter race three times. he was jamaican. american swimmer michael phelps scored his 23 gold medal when the u.s. won the men's 4x100-meter medley relay. phelps is now the most decorated olympian in all of history. african-american gymnast simone biles has scored her third gold medal when she became the first american woman to win the olympic vault individual. and tennis player monica puig won puerto rico's first gold medal in olympic history. joining us now is jesse washington senior writer for the , undefeated and is covering the olympic from rio. thank you so much for being with us. wins.bout the significant why don't you begin with --

begi with simone biles. >> well, she's the greatest gymnast of all-time by popular claim, by the testimony of the gymnasts who have come before her. there's a lot of pride in the black community about that, just the a young black woman excelling on the world stage. it has a lot of significance for community that still can feel marginalized and forgotten and not appreciated. amy: and she has an amazing life story, simone biles, born in columbus, ohio, is that right? with her connection, both her family being raised by her grandmother and her connection to the lease, which is also celebrating. -- belize, which is also celebrating. >> she has an amazing story, overcome a lot of adversity. she has a tough relationship with her mom, even to this day. so that creates more of an underdog spirit.

i think it also plays into some of the stereotypes that a lot of the media likes to see about young black athletes growing up in these troubled areas, drugs, parents, that kind of thing. that has made her story more attractive for a narrative, but at the same time, she had a set of grandparents that to occur in that were prosperous. her grandparents were able to build a million-dollar jim were to train and. that is not something you think about often we see a young black athlete. amy: her mother had drug problems in her four children, simone being one of them, where she was losing them and her grandparents took her and her sibling -- to her and her sibling in and then raised them. the country of belize? >> you know, i don't know much about the country of belize with her. i'm not up on that. >> her grandmother was from

belize. top overall about the significance of the real olympics with the kind of historic wins you have been covering. >> i work for the undefeated, website about racism. we're attuned to a lot of the racial dynamics going on. our audiences are interested in first and and successful black athletes, black athletes of color, black women who overcome all odds to do great things. there been a number of moments like that here needs real olympics. simone manuel being one of the best apples is the first black swimmer to win an individual gold medal. when you start getting into the firsts, sometimes it is the first black woman to win an individual, to when a relay, first left in a black summer to win a medal on a tuesday. it shows there is still a hunger for these firsts to be recognized.

the storkuel, indeed, congressman, is that simone and her teammate who have been asked all of these black swimmer questions, they're ready to just be swimmers. i asked leah when i had a chance to sit down with her, how do you feel about always getting asked leading into these olympics, black swimmer, black swimmer, black swimmer? tough.d it can be simone manuel said, it weighs me down a little bit. when i got into the pool to win a gold, had to get rid of the weight of the whole black community. it is interesting how these narratives can form will step we think we are praising is celebrating these athletes, but it can be tough for them. nevertheless, it is been a big deal here in rio and a black woman won the first u.s. medal and the shotput ever the first gold-medal ever. the shot diva. if you have not been on the shot diva's instagram, you have to go on there. there are a lot of moments like that in rio. it is an awesome. amy: i want to turn to simone

manual, the first african-american woman to win an individual swimming gold medal. she was asked about the significance of her victory immediately after the race. she was speaking to nbc. >> you are the first african-american woman to medal in an individual event in swimming. what does that mean to you, simone? >> it means a lot. this medal is for a whole bunch of people who came before me and have been an inspiration to me. it is for all of the people after me who can't -- still believe they can't do it. i want to say, you can do it amy: after she was awarded the gold medal, she said -- "it means a lot, especially with what is going on in the world today, some of the issues of police brutality. this win hopefully brings hope and change to some of the issues that are going on. my color just comes with the territory." she also said -- "just coming into this race i kind of tried to take the weight of the black community off my shoulders, which is something i carry with me just being in this position. i want to be an inspiration, but i would like there to be a day when it is not 'simone the black

swimmer.'" as you said, jesse washington. >> yes, she did say she would like it to not be simone the black swimmer. that is because i asked her, are you ready to move past this? toen't we got enough firsts say, we can be finished with the race question in swimming? we have had gold medals and world records in all types of swimmers. she is ready to do that. she also said, calling me the first black swimmer makes it seem like i can't swim fast, that i can't like records. dumbest has this sort of affirmative action -- it almost has this sort of affirmative action type feel. i think one of the reasons this narrative -- i was asked after her win, there were at least 100 journalists there from around with 50, 60at were

cameras. i was only black journalist in the room. i checked every phase and behind every camera. to me that said something. so everyone is fixated on this first thing because -- in their minds, justifiably so, they feel like i am praising you, giving you props, recognizing this historic thing. you have to look deeper. you have to look at how these athletes feel, the weight they carry with them. i'm wearing a shirt right now from the 1960 eight olympics, one of the most famous all of the moments where the 200 meter medalist gave the black power salute on the stand. they were kicked out of the olympics. their careers were over because they took a moment to say, their, black folks need right to be respected in the united states. the fact we are still dealing with this all these years later and that we are still looking for a first in the olympics, still looking to black athletes

as a spokesman for black america and the spokeswoman for black americans that of asking, i think it is time to change the narrative. manuel's, after simone the stork win, her mother spoke about simone's role in the sport of swimming. was about 11 years old, she did come to me one day. we were home having casual conversation. she asked me a question about why she did not see many others like her in the sport of swimming. i did not have an answer for her immediately. i said, that is a good question. i don't know. let's look it up. we got on the internet and we looked up information and we kind of old different articles and started reading. i think for her, that was the moment that she realized that she had a bigger role to play in what she was doing in the sport of swimming. amy: so that is the mother of simone manuel. you mention the shotput gold, michelle carter.

what is her story? >> michelle carter, the shot diva. she is the daughter of a super bowl winner and a shotput gold medalist michael carter. he won three rings with the 49ers. she is interesting because she says, hey, i'm in a sport here. i asked her questions and his converts and she said, a lot of people don't even look at us as women. which is a tough thing to say. we're athletes getting sweaty. she maintains her beauty at all times. medal, itwon the gold appeared briefly she was crying. she was actually reapplying her lipstick. she embraces her femininity. she also embraces her size. on the official u.s. olympic website, she is listed as five foot nine inch, 200 10. that is that the dimensions of woman in mainstream america would consider beautiful. she is a beautiful woman.

she embraces that and helps other women of all sizes and colors say, hey, be happy with who you are. do you and you will do better. i think that is important thing for women and particularly for black women who have been hit with body image issues over the years. it was inspiring to see her win gold on her final attempt when she defeated was someone called the michael phelps of the shotput who happens to be stephen adams from the okemos big sister.rs' when i say big sister, this woman was a big sister. but michelle took her out on her final attempt. amy: i want to turn to michelle carter, the first american woman to win a shot put medal at the olympics in 56 years. coached by her dad, as you said who won a silver in the 1984 , games in los angeles. the first father-daughter to win medals in the same olympic event. this is michelle on sunday. >> we are to have a place on history, i'm just adding to what

is already there. i think having that kind of mindset takes pressure off because i am not really trying to make my own story, i am adding to a story that is already there. i'm starting a new chapter or the next book or something like that. i can't -- i definitely can't take away anything yes done, because it helped groom me to the athlete i am today. amy: there you are, the shop that winner michelle carter, speaking after the olympics. we're going to go to break. when we come back, we're going to come in addition to being joined by jesse washington, senior writer for the undefeated, we're going to be joined by anthony ervin, who was the oldest swimming champ in olympic history. stay with us.

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amy: this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. we are in rio de janeiro come at least that is where our guests are. we're joined by jesse washington of the undefeated as well as anthony ervin, u.s. swimming champion and four-time olympic medalist. at 35 years old, he is the oldest-ever individual olympic swimming gold medalist. just wrote the book "chasing , water: elegy of an olympian." anthony, welcome to democracy now! congratulations on your remarkable victory. talk about how you feel right now and what it means to you. >> thank you for having me. i feel good. got some life in me and staring

into a vacuum to talk back to you. amy: talk about how you felt when you realized -- when did you realize you had won? with all of those toddlers in the pool, you at 35? >> they are hardly colors. it was a very competitive field of athletes that i raised frequently over the last four years. but i knew right away. right away -- i turned around and looked at the scoreboard and saw the number one next my name. immediately, it was the sense of almost ridiculousness and's or illness that i was on a lithic champion again. i smiled and kind of laughed for a moment. and i knew my brother, my friends who came down were up in the stands. i yielded to them as loud as i could. amy: you're being called the usain bolt of swimming or maybe he will be called the anthony ervin of track.

that you have come to this through a very unusual journey. you gave this all up after the olympics in sydney when you also gold andt, you won auction off the metal to help the people of the tsunami in thailand who suffered. >> the indian ocean tsunami, that's right. yeah, that was a long time ago. i feel like i have come so far, traveled quite a ways to arrive back at this point. the view is quite a bit different. any code that was in the year 2000. why did you give it up then? and talk about your journey, your conversion. you became a buddhist. talk about your life in these 16 years. >> oh, man, that takes a while.

[laughter] i wrote a whole book about it and that seems to have cut it short even. where to begin. let's see. -- the reasonuse i was into it, the reason why i swim is a cousin i enjoy it. -- the reason why swim is because i enjoy it. i had the olympic dream. after and in my gold medal and achieving that dream, to me, that was it. that is all i had really considered. that the idea i could be standing here right now talking to whoever may be listening about it, that wasn't in the cards initially. that was not part of my dream. but that was the reality. i did not want to deal with it. i did not know how to deal with it. i was scared to deal with it. i did not feel like i had education to support coming on here and trying to give in such a manner. so having accomplished my goals in the pool, i wanted to go and

try to reach out to some other goals i had sacrificed along the way. i went and did a bunch of other things. yes, i discovered buddhism at one point. i was still swimming then. i was trying to find some kind of balance and i found the practice and meditation to the quite fulfilling for me. morally, educational. but things changed. it was a long route. a lot of ups and downs. i don't want to get too much into them, but i was invited to new york to teach kids to swim. it was there i rediscovered my love for the water. i think over the course of time and the competition, that sense on the kids. initially, they are afraid of the water -- and for good reason, it can be dangerous. that is white is important everyone learns to swim. -- that is why it is important

everyone learns to swim. then you see them play. they start going under the water. they do't really listen to you anymore. it becomes a challenge to teach because they are immersed in the elements and they are free is suspended and they can do it be whatever they want in those moments. that was what i initially loved about it. i have lost that. but after rediscovering it through them, i knew there was more for me to do. i wanted more for myself, so i went back to school and finished my degree. shortly thereafter, after starting graduate school, actually, i could smoke my last cigarette and take back swimming. i have been in and out of the pool since. amy: anthony, you write and your beautiful book about what it was like about what you will -- after you won in 2000, you won the gold medal, without being promoted as an african-american trailblazer. we felt at that point as a team,

you had not really close -- grown up with a black identity. can you talk about your life in that way, your parents are? >> sure. , she came from new york city. she is a city gal. she even keeps around -- her personal history is a mystery, even to me and the rest of us kids, and my dad came from was virginia. his father was a coal miner. and the question of blackness. it is a question of authenticity. to be viewed in that way -- swimming is a very visual sport. you literally are a body in the water wearing close to nothing, so that body is on display. if we're talking about blackness, it is a color. in the eyes of many, it is a skin tone. but then you see -- you dig into the history of it. makes youf blood

black. it is all very complicated. i did not know about any of this. i was not educated on the history of this. if i was, i was snoozing through it in the classroom. i did not know how to answer to it. i had trouble tackling, trying to argue that. i authentically and this as others say -- am this as others try to pause and identity on me, which i did not trade on myself. it is a question of being able to pursue our personal freedoms huck all forms s of identity in order to do that. amy: your father is african-american native american? >> not native american. he believes it and a bunch of his family believes it, but one of my sisters researched it and apparently it is not true. [laughter] i read it all the time. it's not true. if it is native american, it is

just because there is history andng back to slave days fighting the civil war in a revolutionary war and my family. amy: i want to bring jesse washington back into the conversation. but go to a clip of an african-american muslim woman who became the first u.s. athlete to compete at the olympic games wearing a hijab. she won a bronze medal saturday in women's team saber fencing. >> i remember being a kid and being told there were things i could not do, whether that be because i was a girl or because i was african-american or because i was muslim. so to be able to stand on top of that podium and represent our country and a show, you know, that they canuth accomplish anything. that is ibtihaj muhammad, an african american muslim woman who competed in the olympics in

her hijab. jesse washington, can you talk about her? >> yes. i was really touched by this. but one simple site with this american woman. she is out there competing for her country and on the back of her fencing outfit is her name in big letters, mohammed, and under that, usa. to me that was profound, especially in this moment nationally where we are debating , even letting muslims into the country, here's a woman who has the most muslim name of all time and is says muhammad usa, and she is winning medals for america. to me that is definitive proof that muslims are a part of our nation, a part of this tapestry, just like all of the other religions. founded on the principle of freedom and religious freedom. hijab and thehe j

name and excelled and won a medal. i was touched. that is a powerful lesson that a lot of people should pay attention to. amy: we have to go but we will continue the conversation after. quickly, monica puig, puerto rico's first gold medal winner. she chose to play for puerto rico. she of the choice of u.s. or puerto rico, the significance of this? >> i have a lot of perjury conference from new york city and their puerto rican. i know their citizens in our thing, but they really rep for their island, for the country. a lot of puerto ricans feel they should be independent from the united states. that is a huge moment. amy: we will lead but there but we will continue the conversation with jesse washington, senior writer for the undefeated, and anthony ervin, whose new book is called, "chasing water: elegy of an olympian." the oldest swimmer to win in this year's rio olympics.

this year's rio olympics. [captioning made pos

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