welcome to this edition of "amanpour" on pbs tonight. the upset heard around the world. a democrat wins in alabama for the first time in a quarter of a century. was this about president from temperature the me too movement or race? a warrior for social justice joins me from montgomery his hometown. also ahead, california governor jerry brown on the alabama results. and he joins us from the paris climate summit. notable for one glaring absence, an official u.s. delegation. ♪ ♪

>> announcer: "amanpour" on pbs was made possible by the general support of rosalynn p. walter. good evening, everyone. welcome to the program. i'm cristiane amanpour with the global view. ryan stevenson is america's acclaimed judicial advocate. fighting for the poor, courthou, state house and in the voting booth. as someone who lives and works in alabama he has a ringside seat to the truly extraordinary senate race in the heart of southern republican country. between roy moore and doug jones. now, europeans are reading a lot into the results, on this continent which is deeply skeptical of donald trump's agenda. media outsets from left off to right, le mond in france,

britain and germany's papers, framing results of the miracle of alabama. seeing in it a sign that america has n hasn't lost its marbles. brian stevenson joined me earlier from montgomery, abama. brian, welcome to the program. so i just framed it in all of those, possibility teeies. what just happened in your state? i don't think is any way, no democrat has won an election in the state for many decades. it is significant. i do think we need to remember roy moore was a compromised political candidate. some one thrown off the alabama -- there were a lot of republicans in the state who do not like him. and i don't think we should read

too much into this. it is a very significant development. i don't want to under estimate its importance because the it has the national implications for our very divided country and the senate. but you can't ignore the fact that roy moore was a compromised candidate. people here think that any other republican would have likely won this race easily. which means there is still a very serious issue, that we have to talk about in this country how we think about political identity. and the american identity. >> you know, yes it is a complicated and gets special, whole new meaning in terms of special election. because of who've the canned date was. but something that you are incredibly focussed on, you work hard for all of your life. you know, the, the dispossessed, underprivileged. downright poor. the black vote in alabama this time was incredibly important, right? i understand, they came out even in larger numbers than for barack obama in both elections. >> yeah. >> well, i do think it has been

a long time since african-americans in the state have been able to participate in a statewide election where their votes are going to matter. even when you had record level turnout for barack obama here in 2008, 2012, there was no illusion that obama would win the state of alabama. it was more of of a political statement. and i do think that the candidacy of roy moore which has terrified black people to be honest, i mean roy moore is a canned date wlt candidate who wants to turn back the clock. quoted as saying we created rights in 1965. now we have problems. gave voice to the idea that america was last great during the time of slavery. he criticized the amendments after the tenth amendment. when you are in the place. trying to turn back the clock. for african-americans that's terrifying. nothing abut pl aing about the e that appeals to black people and certainly nothing abut the life in this country before 1865 that

appeals. so i think it is a threat to the people of color and to many women. because there is this problem that emerged in this candidacy that, that, mr. moore was very scum for the bu comfortable. women shouldn't be in elected office or corporate powers. i think that spectacle,inini en. that doesn't resonate. >> the women's side. incredibly unfortunate, he with accusations was the candidate. black women, african-american women, kind of put doug jones over the top. >> yes, no question that you can't win a statewide race in the state of alabama without substantial support in the

african-american community. it is just not going to happen. real retreat from the democratic party here by the white people. white democrats fled the party. it was interesting, that, richard shelby, ultraconservative republican senator from alabama. people forget, when we was elected to the senate. he was elected as a democrat. it wasn't that long ago where the democratic party was vibrant, come president tifpeti dominant. that has changed in 20 years. the african-american vote is critical for anyone trying to win the statewide election. which is why, these issues of voter suppression, barriers to voting have been so problematic. you know, and, and certainly at the local level where you have, the black vote emerging, some very substantial ways, there is a real fight going on here in

alabama. and i do thing it's important, it is significant, that black people in this state said we there not going to case peer, ock or go away because we are a minority or disfavored. made it clear last night. led my black women. an important statement knot not just for alabama but the nation as a whole. i think nationally minimized th. >> you have spent a huge amount of your professional life on social justice, exploring the depths of racism. how this can be rectified. quickly talk about voter suppression. how specifically hard has it been for the african-american population in alabama to vote. >> well, we have gotten multiple challenges. this is a state where people are disenfran choose disenfranchised. we have high rates of incarceration. we have nearly, sort of 28% of

the black males population disenfrdisen fr franchised, all the things have created a hostile political environment for many people of color. people, frequently don't have the opportunity to cast a vote that is going to be decisive. it has the been challenging to maintain, a political enthusiasm for participating in elections. but this is a place where no one foregets t f forgets the legacy. people voted to ratify language. we have a state constitution that makes it unconstitution name. not enforcible under federal law. but says something to voters of color. we have a state that celebrates confederate memorial day as a state holiday. jefferson davis' birthday, a state holiday.

surrounded by the iconography, 59 markers, and monuments to the confederacy in the city. and, dr. king, we don't talk about, the racial bias. and that i think motivates people of color and many others to keep fighting to create an honest consciousness about what we need to do to create real equality, real opportunity in this state. >> to that end, you all, i think in the spring are going to be opening memorial to peace and justice. >> we are celebrating a period in history when we did horrific things to others. america was last great during the time of slavery reveals ate profound misunderstanding of the horrors of slavery. to ignore decades of lynching and terrorism that we have lived through in the region, i think

ignores the, the challenges that we face. and so i think that is a challenge. we have to face. a lot of cultural bigotry in the country. i think the more campaigns reflected that. and we are not going to overcome the bigotry. by giving into the politics of fear and anger. and we want to deal with the legacy of slavery. it is necessary. in states like alabama, smog in the air, created by racial inequality. contaminates and affects everyone. creates barriers. so much division. true all over the country. not going to address that if we dent deal h don't deal honestly. we need truth, reconciliation, across the country. i believe it is sequential. do the truth work first. opening this memorial in 2018, the first national memorial dedicated to, thousands of african-american victims of lynching. and the era of racial terror,

that we live through in this country. we talk a lot about terrorism, and america today. and we ignore the fact that, for millions of black people who live through terrorism, we said not a word. so, lifting that up, creating a conversation about that, for me is vital. to how we tar goiare going to m forward. >> don't mean to interrupt you. pick up on racial terror. that sort of leads me straight into who is doug jones. because he actually -- has been combatting that. hasn't he? not just, the anti-moore candidate. he was well known for his civil rights activism and defense there. >> well i think that is right. in many ways, doug jones was, was a very sort of attractive candidate for people of color because before he was running for office, before it was politically expedient here, took a stand. on the side of racial justice. and it was kind of, to have him labeled as not tough on crime by

president trump and many others when, when the most heinous crime that took place in the state, took place in the 1963, when, when, a bomb was detonated at a dbaptist church. can't identify a crime, more horrific or devastating to the consciousness of the state. for decades state prosecutors refused to hold anyone accountable. doug jones as a federal prosecutor took that case up. and i think that earned him a good bit of credibility. good bit of respect in the african-american community. certainly didn't earn him the moniker of some one not tough on crime. reveals about the way people think down here. you know, president trump was 0-2 in alabama, despite his, statement that he loves alabama. he came here. and campaigned heavily, for luther strange and the primary. and alabama republicans rejected his choice. and voted for roy moore.

came, supported roy moore. again, majority of people voted for the democrats. so i think there is some -- hope, that you are going to have to do more than just say i want to turn back the clock. do more than simply label people. as not tough on crime. or tough on borders. and to get voters to follow, your, political choices. but there is no question that doug jones' history made him a much more attractive candidate than he might have otherwise been. >> in 30 seconds. just tell me you said it is t f difficult. could this be the start of a conversation, at least in your state. >> i do. i think this has the national implications. if this was, election about, do we want to turn the clock back to the good old days when women don't have a voice. people of color were disenfran choose itted. g

-- disenfranchised. to the extent that that become is a microcosm of what happens across the country. you may see different political outcomes in some of the close races that will take place in 2018. >> thank you for joining us from montgomery. now the democratic victory in alabama of course, has implications for politics nationwide. california governor jerry brown has been taking on president trump, not with a storm of tweets, but on the issues. he its armed for that fight. by running the most populist state in america. and the sixth largest economy in the world. nowhere is that clearer than in fighting climate change. with wildfires in southern california, still raging, governor brown its in paris at a climate summit hosted by the rising world star. macron. for pulling them out of the accord, president trump was not

invited. governor jerry brown, welcome to the program from paris. >> thank you. good, good to be speaking with you again. >> what is your, analysis of what happened in alabama? it was a special election. but does it have bigger implications for your party? >> i think the big implication is we have a democratic senator from alabama, and that senator can express, very, very far reaching message. based on -- common sense, decency, and advancing the interest of the people of alabama and by extension the people of america. the democrat doesn't get bogged down in what i would call sectarian issues and to win, win abroad, in these, in these, red states, is going to take -- getting down to the basics. how did we protect the american family, am can jobs, and the face -- of a global -- market, that its eroding the wage pace.

and technological innovation which is eliminating jobs. so that, that, that is basic democratic message, the forgotten american, that roosevelt talked about, that its, i think, was the key, to voting democrat, not republican. in the state of alabama yesterday. >> i wonder if you can answer what one of your fellow governors has written, complained about and urged democrats to do. this is the governor of washington state. we need to talk about results. people will figure out for themselves that they have to stand up to donald trump. in other words, he is basically saying democrat should not focus on president trump, when the next election cycle comes around. >> well, i think that is a good recommendation. tell you why. trump is not our major problem. gh paying american jobs in a ve low paying global market place. how to maintain, a level of full employment, when, when,

innovation and technological change is reducing traditional jobs. how to maintain the, openness, to cultural change, with a respect for tradition. and those are obstacles that we're facing as a party. and more profoundly as a country. whether we have trump or not, those are still, still, big obstacles and big, big hurdles for democrats still to come. >> let's get down to nitty-gritty of, of the big issue. the-- the reason you are in paris, cleveland heights mimate celebrate since the global accord was signed. of course you were there. 50 other world leaders were there. but no president trump. no official american delegation. the only country to be out of this group of -- of this coalition. what was the atmosphere there? >> well the atmosphere was one of enthusiasm for president macron because he gave -- a, a

real articulate statement of the climate change threat and the cause that we now have to embark upon. i have not heard world leaders describe dine tain detail, the f president of france gave. the existential threat in the next several years. with or without trump we have to decarbonize our economy. got to go from the old, combustion engine to electric cars. we have to go to zero carbon. zero emission structures. we have to go to 100% renewable energy. we have to get there soon. otherwise we will have mass migration. we will have diseases. extreme weather events. the fires. and the floods. that well are seeing, particularly in california. humanity is threatened. the political stability of the civilized world is at risk here.

ee got we got to get off the dime. got off to get doing things. california has the to go much further than we have reached at this point. this is a good point of, of acknowledgement. of recognition where we are, encouragement to do more. back to california, back to america. wake up the country to wake up the world, that, that, time is running out. action has to be now. >> going to got to what california is doing and ntd dointd -- california is doing and not doing in a second. something you are doing. something that sent chills down my spine. president macron said good we are here, we are losing the battle. don't think i heard a world leader, say it like that. two years into the climate accord. >> yeah, the honesty that i heard. we are losing the battle. the emissions are going up. emissions are rising in germany. they're rising throughout lthe world. in california with the fires. our emissions went up not in the

way, underward that we wanted. so, yeah, a transformation needed. we need, this is executives, business executives to step up. need the politicians to get off the immediate -- exciting issues. transform how we move about. how our houses are constrektd. how we package. what we do with our lives. devoting to mobilizing political will not just in california but in the entire americas and in the western hem ills fear. >> and this is mention obviously put this in perspective. you are a democrat. but there were obviously republican americans there too. former governor, arnold schwarzenegger. former mayor of new york. michael bloomberg. this is to an extent, a bipartisan issue. but i do want to ask you, are you about to have a further, further, you know, on the road

to damascus kind of conversion. because you are passionate. saying all those things. but you yourself are not if mine from criticism. you were booed over an issue when you want off to the, climate conference where we spoke a month ago. people have criticized you, for not taking on the issue of fracking, and other such things in your old, own state. are you still haven't walked away from the fossil fuel industry. are you going to do it witness and for all? >> wait a minute. political life its not a , we have many points of view. it produce 30z% of the oil it uses. cut that become to 20%. then importing 80%. north dakota weaker, and, by train, dangerous, accidents.

by ship from venezuela, saudi arabia, some where else. what we have to do is get the consumption of oil, going down. we are a net importer. whatever weave don't produce. we import from some where else. we have off to stop using the stuff. and be on the glide path. we are starting. pretty good place. we have to up our game. redufs the oil consumption. getting our, our, climate action right. and reducing our carbon footprint. has to do with, dairies, and the cement industry. bottling industry. how houses are built. how flat screen televisions are made. what generates the electricity. we have so much to do. and, certainly open to people's. i want to know, got a cap and trade with eight republican

votes. not sure i could have gotten that if i followed all of the, most, most, exciting and extreme proposals. by the environmental advocate. we were talking about the california wildfires. and they are huge and only 20% contained. and bigger than an area of new york city. huge. what is your -- expectation, how long before, before, you know they get contained. when can the people of your, of your state feel safe? >> things are getting better. the wind are kauai efforting down. but, this is not the time to declare victory yet. all of the -- all of the reports i'm getting is that -- that the fires, assets are, in place, the fire fighters are there. doing their best to protect people. but there are, still dangers. and people have to listen to the authorities. so we need some, very wise investments on how we manage the basis of, of these fires. what causes them in the first

place. that will be a top priority of mine as i go through, my last year. here in southern california. >> well you, do mention that you, you are just one more year out. you made a lot of promises. and i want to bring up one of the reasons why you are in paris. not just for the important climate conference. but also because you have been awarded an honorary doctorate from one of the major, schools there. in pair ills. and one of the citations there its thi this is for your extraordinary human and intellectual endeavors itch you don't mind i will read some of what you have done over your career. served as governor once before in the 70s. run for president three times. you spent months studying buddhist meditation in japan. and you studied to be a jez wpr. and dated a rock star. what have all these different incredibly, experiences done to make you the person, the governor that you are today? >> well, one thing it tells you

that diversity of experience in kleins me to be more open -- in kleins me to be more open to differences. and to listen to people who at first blush don't agree with me at all. so i see a world where the belief systems are so contrasting and dip vvergent we have to summon the common links that can bind us together. that's what is pulling apart, california, pulling apart america and pulling apart the world. and problems like the climate change threat, or the growing nuclear danger. these are things that, that can pull us together. if we are open to dialogue, if we respect it, all human beings come with an essential humanity. and while they may look different. they may have different religion. we can find that common core, that makes us human. that is something that, that, i want to see more in our national leaders. there is too much partisan, too much, too much, we, we, them. it does mobilize electorates.

bumt very dangerous. and a great jesh wiltd, sa-- je things that rise. emerge. if they can raise consciousness, awareness what we are threatened by and what we can do together the world will be safer and a lot better off. >> well you are ser fcertainly walking the walk and talking the bach. governor jerry brown, thank you for joining us from paris tonight. thank you. >> that's it for our conversation tonight. thank you for watching this edition of "amanpour" on pbs. good night from london. and join us again tomorrow might. and join us again tomorrow night. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> announcer: "amanpour" on pbs was made possible by the generous support of rosalynn p. walter.