in britain before president obama was elected, but most african american people are not pure african. many have indian blood, white blood. we know about, for example, thomas jefferson and sally hemming, which is an interesting story because some people choose to say they were in love. i don't can. it is kind of an unequal relationship. what do you say when you're having a meeting? not tonight. i don't think so. it is an unequal situation. oftentimes, race or properly. you don't have the right to decline. the bottom line is, however it happened you end up with people who have an array of skin color. for people, of one drop rule, in louisiana if you have one drop of one you are of african descent. multiracial. been that way since we have been year, 1619. toby davis of multiracial, by racial is something that just happened the other day. when you look at many, many african-american people you will find the product african descent, but also the notion that there are others that contributed to how we get here. >> host: you're watching book tv on c-span2. this is our monthly "in-depth" prog

president obama the african-american community occupy l.a. activists quantity and chroma i spoke to him a short while ago i first asked him whether or not obama has done enough to help the african american community. personally i'm not particularly satisfied with with what has been produced by president obama's administration most of the statistics on the reality of day to day life in the african-american community tell us that conditions have been growing steadily worse this is not simply a phenomenon limited to the obama administration the general decline in conditions in african-american communities has been the national trend at least since one thousand nine hundred sixty eight and we have yet to find any administration which has truly done any of anything effective to reverse those trends for those who are on the bottom of the economic and political rungs of the ladder and we have some to six here to illustrate this this downward trend that you speak of if we can pull it up there black americans in during the u.s. recession well plunged

i have often heard it said african problems need african solutions. i am here to save it some of our global problems need african solutions too. [applause] >> few nations on this continent can carry as much weight or be as effective partners and leaders as south africa. [applause] >> you are a democratic power with the opportunity to influence africana and the world. you have red on non-proliferation at the international atomic energy agency and on climate change at the durbin conference. you have led a on economic cooperation-the g 20. you have lead on women's participation in politics. a south african woman wilson becomes share of the african union commission. a first in the history of that organization. all of this is good news for the people of south africa. this continent and the world but respectfully i say that we and hugh can, should and must do more. two days ago i had the honor of visiting president mandela and his wife at their home. the man who did so much to shape the history of a free south africa has never stopped thinking about the fut

and i think anyone whether african-american or not who cares about african-american education ought to invest in an hbc by giving. it could be as little as $100 a month or year, but every dollar really makes a difference. >> host: in this e-mail from edwin greene, why do you think the president doesn't say more about the black community? >> guest: president obama is the president of the united states of america. he's not the president of black america, asian america, latino america. i think that he has to always balance what he says. i would prefer that he say more about the african-american community, certainly. when he was at the national urban league convention a week ago, he established a commission on african-american education, and from my personal perspective, i wish he'd established it two years before he did. i mean, it seems a little cynical to establish something, you know, four months before the election? african-american leaders have been clamoring for our president to do more, to say more about the african-american community. after all, you can really see other communitie

i have often heard it said that african problems need african solutions. i am here to say that some of our global problems need african solutions, too. [applause] and few nations on this continent can carry as much weight or be as effective partners and leaders as south africa. [applause] you are a democratic power with the opportunity to influence africa and the world. you have led on nonproliferation at the international atomic energy agency and on climate change at the dick durbin conference. you have a lead on economic cooperation. you have a lead on women's participation in politics. the south african woman will soon become chair of the commission union, a first in the history of that organization. [applause] all of this is good news for the people of south africa. respectfully, i say, that we and you can, should, and must do more. two days ago i had the honor of visiting president mandela and his wife at their home. the man who did so much to shape the history of a free south africa has never stop thinking -- stopped thinking about the future of sout

wasn't as rare to have african-american landlords but they were a distinct minority in side of the african-american neighborhoods. he promised an apartment. what they got was this one room hubble on the fourth floor in the attic that they can find six people to. it was a common practice among landlords both white and black because of the enormous migration of blacks to the north and the small number of available apartments to cut these apartments up into smaller and smaller ones like i was saying and they would do this when people go to work. they go to work can come home and find out you were kicked out of your apartment or your apartment was cut in half and made worse by the return of black war veterans who couldn't find housing. when you try to move outside black neighborhoods, you face this incredible racist mob violence. this is one of the most shameful parts of chicago history because particularly for black veterans who fight from the pacific or italy and all they wanted was a small apartment in these new housing states that were built after the war. they would find mobs of 3,000 or 5,000 peo

african-americans overwhelmingly supported president obama four years ago but since then blacks in the u.s. have also been disproportionately affected by the economic downturn i've been living around here my whole life and i've just seen the structures crumble well the u.s. unemployment rate remains write a book eight percent the jobless rate for blacks is near great depression levels in places like los angeles one in five african americans is without work was born and i'm content. we don't know what the study. we don't know why on the strip anything here that i say that i'm not proud of we don't know that things are so bad the congressional black caucus and some black activists are demanding president obama take an oppressive move in earmarking programs and initiatives aimed at poor black communities while the obama's race campaign money in swank yellow neighborhoods but a new report shows the foreclosure crisis is now starting to wipe out much of the wealth black families work for over generations meantime grassroot activists report that black voter enthusiasm is down but experts say

for more on president obama and the african-american community peddling their presidential candidate from the party for socialism and liberation joined us earlier i first asked her whether or not obama has done enough to help the african-american community. absolutely not you know i think the election of a black president meant a great deal to a lot of people it showed how far the struggle against racism is come and offered new hope the needs of the people of poor and working people and african-americans and finally be a priority of our government and obama himself campaign of the banner of hope and change beacon people who held precisely this belief but it was a lie you know for obama to really affect the kind of change that poor people and african-americans need you have to have a fundamentally different orientation policy you have to affect all of the institutions of the very foundations initial structure of the country and more than that the capitalist system is a system that relies on the accumulation of misery and poverty of the for the masses on one and by the excessive wealth

are you targeting and african-american audience. >> i wasn't targeting african-americans alone, but i thought since all of these people came from the african-american community, i would focus on that. it is crucial that we reach minority kids. so many minority kids today, if you ask them who they wanted to be, they would name you are an athlete or an entertainer. they only see themselves as being able to succeed in those two realms. athletes, athletics, and entertainment. there is such a wide variety of things that young people can do today to make a significant contribution to american life and to earn a great living and be recognized as doing something meaningful. >> you spend a lot of time talking to kids about this message, especially african-american kids. there are many other avenues besides entertainment and sports. forgive me, it sounds ironic coming from someone with a claim to fame on sports. have you got a message to the young people? >> it doesn't last forever. the crew doesn't last forever. the fact that i'm able to be an author and a public speaker has to do with what i

but when it comes to the african america -- planned parenthood, etc., but when it comes to the africanmerican agenda, there is resistance. i do not want to say resistance, but a reluctance precaution -- , but a reluctance. the one time that president obama stepped out, he got hammered. the step he took that day when he was talking about being a black man in america and driving while light, he got hammered. he is really like a turtle with his head in his shell since then. i do think the administration addresses african-american issues. to your question, i just think they are less vocal about it, because of the fear about the black that is possible. these are my words. but for whatever reason, the black issue in america is still that great demarcation, the dividing line, as condoleezza rice says. it is our great birth defect and that we were born with in this country. until we get it right, we will be met with resistance whenever african-american issues are raised as opposed to other groups issues, fair or not fair. host: we talked a little of ago about a column that you written trying t

. >> it was a time in peru when the africans were prohibited from playing or making instruments. >> (speaking spanish). >> so they were forced to make their own instruments. >> (speaking spanish). >> so they use the surroundings and big jars and they used to have water or other type was drinks. >> (speaking spanish). >> covered with leather skin. >> (speaking spanish). >> and they make the drums. >>. >> (speaking spanish). (drums). (applause). >> (speaking spanish). >> this instrument is called dungo. >> spr (speaking spanish). >> we have two but only one was used. >> (speaking spanish). >> this is one that was used north of the capital. >> (speaking spanish). >> in the cities of the country >> (speaking spanish). >> when he was a child he was able to see those instruments and on extension today. (drums). (applause) . >> this is a donkey's jaw. it could be a horse or a donkey. >> donkey's jaw. >> and it's played by spiking it and to make the rattle sound and also creates this. (applause). >> (speaking spanish) sorry. (speaking spanish). >> this is the kahita and it is created as the -

his relationship to african americans will not be what my relationship is. and my relationship certainly isn't what my parents' was. nevertheless, we're all very much influenced, you know, by how we come up, who we grow up with. >> hinojosa: so does your son talk to your dad about the fact that he was a black panther? >> yes. in fact, my son is reading the autobiography of malcolm x right now, over the summer. >> hinojosa: and your son is 11? >> yes. >> hinojosa: now, you talk about the fact that in your family, mom and dad-- you know, there could have been all kinds of crazy stuff going on out on the street, in terms of guns and drugs and police and all that. and you were inside your home, being forced to read ishmael reed. >> yes. >> hinojosa: i love that image. so are you doing that to your son? are you, like, "no, no, no, no, no, you have to stay home and read the autobiography of malcolm x? >> yeah, but you know what? he's a lot more adept than i was and he's quicker. he's actually... he's a much quicker reader and, you know, he comprehends things a lot

however, they disproportionally impact african-americans. when the unemployment rate is 7%, for example, blacks' is usually 14% or 15%. if you break down demographics. the foreclosure crisis hit all americans, but the african-american community in atlanta, newark, chicago, los angeles, or here in prince george's county maryland was hit hard, devastated loss of wealth. the wealth gap in america for blacks in the country is something like 5,000 aggregate welfare blacks and 135,000 for whites and la tee knows are ding better. there's a problem in the african-american community, although we made enormous progress, evident by the residents at 1600 pennsylvania avenue, we have a long way to go when it comes to the middle and working class in this country, and that disproportionally impacts black people. >> host: a dallas caller, up dependent caller, welcome to the show, go ahead. >> caller: i'd like to ask what do you suggest for the youth of america, particularly people who are transitioning from families who are not interested in politics. how d

i've been asked why i've focused on african-american children. and the answer to that is i have one -- [laughter] that's the first answer. but who, as you'll see if you get the book in the acknowledgments, believes she has taught me everything i know about other people's children. [laughter] but it's also because i think this is the conversation that is never held. this is -- we all talk about the achievement gap, and we talk about all the reforms that you all are i would say familiar with, but i should say afflicted by. [laughter] that people are trying to maybe address this. but nobody ever talks about race. and nobody ever talks about -- within these reforms -- about the fact that a black child and black education is not just a dumb white child. there are issues that affect african-american children and their teachers that don't affect other people. i was just -- since the trayvon martin horror there's, i don't know if you heard about it, there was a poll that was recently conducted. i just heard the results today. 85% of african-americans bel

as a result they started to think about how to protect the rights of african american workers, so the civil rights section during the 1940's takes a whole bunch of cases in which the rights of the workers are at stake and prosecute all kinds of employers for violations of the civil rights law. >> was it formed by an executive order or legislation? >> formed by a executive order, formed by franklin roosevelt, and at the request of frank murphy, the terrie nei general -- attorney general, he was from michigan, she was a very big supporter of the labor unions, and he was also -- he goes on to become attorney general of supreme court justice, sees a big component of individual rights as well. >> what kind of plus degette when it was formed? was it controversy? >> there wasn't much controversy about it. it didn't get that much cost. was small. about seven people. in fact a lot of what it does over the course of world war ii i think it can do because it is small and falls below the radar screen. >> does it still exist? >> it became the civil rights division of the department of justice in 1

, although not specifically targeted african-americans. and you pointed out that the democratic national committee -- the justice department was helping to overcome the white primaries in the south with what has to be seen as a spectacular lack of success. [inaudible] >> come up here. or go to a microphone. so people can hear you. >> the justice department in the roosevelt administration offered limited help to the naacp when they were fighting the white primary in what became the decision of the supreme court. >> thank you. i could never have done that. yes, sir. >> maybe this follows up a bit on the gentleman's question. it seems that a very prominent middle-class spring forward after the roosevelt administration, and a lot of people could argue that his policies and attitudes contributed to that. and it has become a part of our national identity since then. and i'm wondering if that was intentional on his part? was his vision to create the great middle-class, and ended up coming forward? >> you know, i don't know that he would have unde

we need to really focus on education and she's educated african-americans. the stock this organization at traffic impact and ethical standards. >>> some forces working against education back in the day. this is for its weight to economic store in the way that we had to split jim-crow racism and had to fight. it's better to come together. i know the organization as gone on to a lustrous history. toss more about how it developed and were you up to? >>> it's still high scholastic said ethical standards. and today we still focus as our president has a global leadership >>> global leadership to turn the service. at and we focus really on our number one program which is the program for young women and really helping them in terms of their leadership to tell the. this character building and civic engagement and helping them understand the education and really focusing on promoting them not to understand it to do whatever they want life >>> i love that because and we see the field a possibility that this would begin to say that is possible for me. it's like in the o

why would an african-american be republican?t 100 years of black citizenship in america, most black folk were republican, for one really compelling reason. that guy. put today, the reasons are more complicated. among many african-americans, there is a strong ethic of economic self-reliance and a long history of distrusting government. for some, this translates to support for republicans, and black americans, especially those older and living in the south report high levels of religiosity and social conservatism. for some, these beliefs translate to support for the republicans, and another reason, an ambitious, young, african-american who wants to seek office, well, the line is much shorter in the republican party, and when it comes to seeking office, republicanism is not a bad professional strategy. let's not overstate the point. the democratic party enjoys the robust support of african-american voters, because the policies supported by the national party are demon strabs leah better for african-americans. even that's up for deb

you had african-americans here, but you also had a number of african-americans who were sold off every year down the river. that's where the term comes from. and on this street roughly from second street all the way down to eighth street, main and market, you had roughly eight to ten slave pens during the 1830s and 1840s. this is where the slave african-americans would be kept for shipping down the river to the cotton states, and this is one of the ways that kentucky -- and especially louisville -- maintained the profitability of slavery during the latter parts of the antebellum period. kentucky was divided during the civil war. louisville was probably as divided as any part of kentucky. because louisville was the major population center on the river, it became a major installation for the union army. at one time or another, you might have had over 100,000 union troops here. william tecumseh sherman was commander here for a while. he and grant met to discuss strategy for the end of the war. this was a very, very important place. african-americans played many different roles during the

those early voters were mostly african-americans.republicans are stealing almost half of the vote by changing the polling hours. it's social engineering of the votes. it's very clear what they're doing. but when reporters asked the ohio secretary of state about it, he insists, hey, it's fair. >> you may not like the hours of operation. you may think they're too long, you may think they're too short. but they're fair for everybody. everyone you talk to believes that's fair, easy, and accessible. >> everyone you talk to? no. more on ohio in a moment, and a new development in pennsylvania where they're fighting that controversial voter id law. the state supreme court says it will hear the appeal on september 13th. republicans wanted them to hold off until october. that would leave voters weeks before the election. right now, 758,000 voters might not have valid ids that they will need to cast their vote on november 6th. in pennsylvania and ohio, organizers are going to have to step up the effort to fight these laws and help people get to

. >> but for the african and any instrument that create a rhythm or a sound will become an instrument. (speaking spanish) (applause). >> (speaking spanish). >> these are the spanish influences. >> (speaking spanish). >> they adapted to the style of this type of music (applause). >> (speaking spanish). >> these are just simple spoons, kitchen spoons. (applause). >> (speaking spanish). >> and here we have our principle instrument. >> (speaking spanish). >> the name of this instrument is called cajon. >> (speaking spanish). >> in certain places in africa this instrumentality existed. >> (speaking spanish). >> and the percussionist will play with their hands and their feet. >> (speaking spanish). >> with the african slave trade he used to be in the ports. this type of boxes. >> (speaking spanish). >> so they were sit over these big boxes and play over them. >> (speaking spanish). >> but for the blacks these type of instruments were not allowed to be played because they were too loud and for the church they will provoke movement that was not appropriate. >> (speaking spanish). >> they coul

can say black or african americans, or african americans and latinos as well. >> [inaudible] the other main consideration was really not so much what i mean, i was riding through multiculturalism and african-american life, word we use one and the other and we pick one and run with it. because the fulcrum of the book comes in this era -- a preference with the desegregation area. i thought those are two very clear terms. in the '90s we started talking about african-americans, caucasian americans, and sort of a more euphemistic tone on it that made it more digestible. people from the more modern times for purchase a african-american. and i said okay, i'm just going use black or white. >> another word about terminology. you use the word immigration and desegregation interchangeably at times in the book. sometimes the way people interpret desegregation and the way they use the word is to reference the fact that they have integration that never really happened, but desegregation -- separating everybody happen. everybody was separated and categorizing everybody. bringing them together again w

so that's clearly disrespectful to the african-american community.y to reach out to them. and i think to your point, the romney campaign has made a cold political calculation that they don't need any african-american support. and i would add to that, i think they have made a cold political calculation that they don't need any latino support. because he's kind of in the gutter on latino support as well. and that's very dangerous if he really wants to win the white house in november. >> will cain, will it be white guys who elect mitt romney for president? >> you know, i don't know. and i even find the nature of this conversation disturbing, carol, because the truth is when maria talks about when mitt romney went to the naacp and gave his message regarding obama care, would the idea would be that you present your principles and you don't tailor it to the audience in front of you, you don't pander to them and tell them what you want them to hear. you tell them your principles, what you stand for, and you're judged on those merits. and that should be appl

attacking or not attacking many african-american pastors against gay marriage. you don't hear calls to boycott those churches, do you? more than fascism. the regimes communist, oppressive is to shut down the opposition, silence them, punish them. that's what the mayor's of chicago, san francisco want to do punish chick-fil-a. talking points believes the fast vort of americans condemn that stance. again, there are good people on both sides of the gay marriage issue. and we must protect their sincerely held beliefs. it is not wrong to believe american society is stronger and the family unit is better served when mample is between a man and woman. it is not wrong for homosexual americans to want to get as much parody as they can. robust debate a good thing. threats and intimidation unamerican. that's the memo. >> reaction. joining us from washington fox news analyst kirsten powers and here in the studio jeanine pirro author of the big new book sly fox. all right janine, let's deal with the constitutional issue first, because you are a judge, all right? you understa

africans did not produce what they didn't need. there was no idea compound accumulations are beginning to capitalism. we know many quakers got very wealthy, but she produced which you need and he believes the africans did that. so they had time of leisure, but they also worked. he saw something in us by sitting africa and assuring they were indeed human beings. in the end he wrote, we must ask ourselves who are the greatest of the country dancer, it european duet with powder to take the people from the continent. so he had that tremendous idea of bringing all these trains of thoughts this study and corresponding with patrick henry and he sent patrick henry, give me liberty or give me death, so patrick henry wrote him back. he said thank you, this is revealing. i agree with everything you say. but how would my children survive? said this was another message. even some people against slavery could not do it because of the self benefit. and of course from and its influence on benjamin franklin. benjamin franklin is probably the greate

feels like everybody forgot about us all to is one of a growing number of african south africans living a hop skip and a jump from sleeping on the streets who will be positions amount to a bed and some clothes the race to hand out some charities and churches sometimes she goes without food for days. there are always prizes was the. drawer since stuff like that it's now just walk into a place there's no got forwards when south africa held its first democratic elections eighteen years ago it marked the end of apartheid separation between whites and blacks but what was once it was black people in this country who were discriminated against today it's white south africans who falling through the cracks. in the days of apartheid impoverished white afrikaners were cradled by the state the national party came to power in one nine hundred forty eight on a wave of afrikaner nationalism one of its election promises was to guarantee afrikaans beacon south africans employment subsidized housing education jobs and state benefits it left the black population out in the cold there used to be a big mon

but african-american support for the gop continues to be low. joining me now, it is good to see you. it is good to look at the optics of this convention. it certainly is a show case for diverse cases, women, minorities, but many african-american women consider themselves to be conservative, when we look at social issues. however, it doesn't necessarily transfer to gop support. >> yeah, thomas, good to see you, too. and that is absolutely right. there are polls that show a significant percentage of african-american women show themselves to be conservative on a lot of issues. there was a gallop poll in 2009 that showed a third of african-american women showed themselves to be conservative. when you look at gop party support, there is a little bit of disconnect, because only about 3% of african-american women are republican. a little more progressive on issues like jobs, education and health care. so it seems to be not so much the issue of the message, as the messenger, and what a lot of people in the community will tell you is that there is a perc

it was a difficult period for african-americans in fact. ferguson in 18 4eu had mandated separate but equal which was always separate but very rarely equal. ingreece creasingly jury dictions were passes law separating schools, hotels, playgrounds, parks. not only that, the search of the states were passing legislation restricting voting and african-american who had been voting since they were -- since freedom had come, were being restricted from the ballot box and not able to vote and lynching was -- in my ignorance when i started my research, i thought of it as a random sometime thing. i was shocked to discover how pervasive it was and what a source of fear it was in the african-american community. so in 1911, when washington met rosin walled he had reason to be optimistic but he had a heavy load of responsibility about us key agree and anxiety about what was happening. he was the newly rich president of the serious are buck. his parents were jewish immigrants immigrants from germany. he had been born in spring felled illinois, his father

so that's a very, very long tradition of questioning african-american citizenship. the highest right of any citizen, be he or she, white or black or yellow, red, whatever, is to serve as president. president is a different sort of power. when you're president, you're head of the american military. you're head of enforcement in this country. it's the highest aspect. and the notion that given our particular history that we would have a black president and there would be no blowback, we would take this in stride that it would end in 2008, is ludicrous, and i didn't realize how ludicrous myself until i got into the piece. >> right. and people wished for it so hard. i feel like -- >> we all wished for it. >> we all wished for it. and i feel that's been one of the blockages. every time people bring up race, it's almost treated in the political session like a betrayal, like a betrayal of the lax election. and one of the things you've thought about, you don't get to say explicitly in the piece, but the question you sort of raise is obama arguably needed to say more or at le

research and african-american studies. dr. griffin is the author who sets you flowing the african-american migration mary tariffs coming and if you can't be free, the a mystery in search of billie holiday. [applause] >> if i were to have a central ever attention to any progress but freedom, i think that it would be its elusiveness on its experience in fixing starts which has been the experience of black people in america on their kind of ongoing quest for freedom speaking of freedom as a goal to think about freedom is a process is one that often gives birth to the efforts to counter the freedoms of freedom in some ways gives birth to on freedom, and what do i mean by that? i want to talk about a particular aspect in my own early work on migration on african-american migration as a practice of freedom. sweeting to the period of enslavement, black people running away fucus slaves running to the north we expect there to be all kinds of laws and rules to keep them from having a freedom movement so that there were bill laws tha

i think definitely african-americans think like that. african-americans who don't. i think that's something that we get tripped up into a game and the world is one monolithic group. >> one of the harshest things i heard about you recently is that you are a racist. you are a race baiter. >> they go up and getting garlic bread pizza and perry combo. >> fried chicken and biscuit eating monkey. >> bean eating and dirt in the apartment and dirty shoes and -- [inaudible]. >> what do you say to that? >> my ancestors were enslaved for 40 years. they called martin luther king martin luther coop. i am not trying to put myself on their level. at any time, the quickest way and this is an old trick. the quickest way when they talk about racism is a call to a racist. that is old. >> that's the question i ask you. >> it's old. i am so past that. it's not even funny. i keep it moving. keep it moving. >> really makes you wonder, is there a topic that spike lee doesn't have an opinion about. he feels strongly about a fellow filmmaker. that's for sure. >> everything i need to say abou

he was a co-chairman of the kerry campaign and african- american. don't think he would have allowed the voting machines to deliberately not be placed in african-american communities. but it is this notion that the secretary of state made a determination, therefore getting long lines, frustrated african- american voters, that was not the case. i have not read the book, so i will not comment. >> i'm not asking about the boat. >> i will not comment. >> he asked about smartech. >> i don't know anything about smartech. >> my understanding ohio has a contract with his company. >> let me tell you something. i in fact gave you my time -- >> it's -- >> in ohio in 2004, we had a record turnout of african- american voters. >> that is not my question -- >> my answer is this -- >> you're not answering my question -- >> ohio had a good election, a clean election -- not a perfect election, but a good and fair election -- >> but the question raises -- >> that is my answer progress that is ken blackwell being interviewed on monday by "democracy now!" mike burke here