wealthsay the gap in between white and black america persists. he says that it is not an excuse for black folk, but he also said "they have started behind a lot of times in the race. get early help them childhood education, graduate high school, and afford college." the president and his family headed to hawaii tonight for his vacation. they with us. another check of the markets on the other side of the break. " on bloomberg television continues in just a moment. ♪ >> get the latest headlines at the top of the hour on bloomberg radio and streaming on your tablet on bloomberg.com. that does it for "bottom line." on the markets is next. have a great weekend. i will see you monday. >> let's show you how these stocks are moving today. we are on the markets. let's get you caught up. you can see the s&p up 7/10 of 1%. we are at the highs of the day. the markets continued to rise. they really did shoot upwards. let's look at the picture for oil. that is important, too. oil rebounding from a five-year low. it's as after saudi arabia's oil minister says th

is black america better off than before the first black president took office? >>> and flying the bumpy skies. it has been a week of frightening rides for airline passengers. as this video shows just as americans are about to hit the road on the busiest travel season of the year. we'll be right back. ♪ music ...the getaway vehicle! for all the confidence you need. td ameritrade. you got this. ♪ my baby drove up in a brand new cadillac. ♪ ♪ my baby drove up in a brand new cadillac. ♪ ♪ look here, daddy, i'm never coming back... ♪ discover the new spirit of cadillac and the best offers of the season. lease this 2015 standard collection ats for around $329 a month. sea captain: there's a narratorstorm cominhe storm narrator: that whipped through the turbine which poured... surplus energy into the plant which generously lowered its price and tipped off the house which used all that energy to stay warm through the storm. chipmunk: there's a bad storm comin! narrator: the internet of everything is changing how energy works. is your network ready?" and our big idaho po

cosby's views about black america more broadly. >> do you think that bill cosby has within doing the america a disservice for years? >> i think he has. as a comedian, he's a jennious, one of the best, along with richard pryor and renney bruce and george karlin. there's no question that his insight as an american entertainer has been extraordinary and his pioneering career. however, that doesn't translate into the social analysis realm. he's used his enormous wealth and his philanthropy to, i think, undermine and sub vert the very practices of decency and respect to ordinary black people. he's used his bully pulpit to rain down thunder upon them. we were all gathered in new orleans after katrina and reverend jesse jackson and reverend al sharpton and i were leading a march. and we spoke. mr. cosby spoke as well. the rest of us were saying, let's defend these people who were dispersed. mr. cosby said, you were messed up before the storm came. you were having murders before the storm came. you were having babies out of wed lock before the storm came. he got a roll of attacking defenseles

president obama was asked about the state of black america. and he didn't hesitate to defend his records. like the rest of america black america is better in the aggregate than it was when i came into office. the jobs that have been created. the people who have gotten health insurance. the housing equity that's been recovered. the 401 pensions that have been recovered. a lot of those folks are african-americans. they are better off than they were. >> that's open for debate. what definitely is true. is that tension between black america ampted law enforcement in our country appears better than today than it was is president obama joint toyably to blame for that my co-host on the five who is slightly shorter than i am. dana perino. let's talk about what's been happening this weekend. what shut president be doing right now? is he being too quiet or is he holding back and is it good for him to hold back? >> on friday afternoon. the president left for two and a half week vacation for hawaii, fine, right? you don't have any public appearances except

lou: president obama today claiming that black america is better off since he has been in office. t the issues to persist in part because of our troubled racial past and the president of you. >> like the rest of america, black america in the aggregate is better now than it was when i came into office. the gap between income and wealth of white and black america process. and we have moral work to do on the front. i have been consistent in saying that this is a legacy of a troubled racial past of jim crow and slavery. lou: the next guest says that pointing to jim crow divides the races rather than answers the questions. the president and founder of the brotherhood organization joins us now. it's great to have you with us. i noticed that the president, as he reiterated that statement, he labored as to what is a very simple thought, blaming everything, it seemed to me, on jim crow and 150 years ago slavery. >> very christmas to you and yours that and your family members. thank you for having me on as well. and you know, i write a weekly column and when this situation happens, and barac

the gap between income and wealth of white and black america persists.at this is a legacy of a troubled racial past of jim crow and slavery. that's not an excuse for black folks. and i think the overall majority of black people understand it's not an excuse. they're working hard. they're out there hustling and trying to get an education, trying to send their kids to college. but they're starting behind oftentimes in the race. what's true for all americans is we should be willing to provide people a hand up. not a hand up but help folks get that good, early childhood education. help them graduate from high school. help them afford college. if they do, they'll be able to succeed and that's going to be good for all of us. >> that's "hardball" this week. i'll see you monday as we head toward christmas eve. "all in with chris hayes" starts right now. >>> tonight on "all in". >> president obama says sony was wrong to pull the plug on the interview. >> i wish they had spoken to me first. >> an "all in exclusive" tonight. a former sony executive responds to the

the gap between income and wealth of white and black america persists and we have more work to do on that front. i have been consistent in saying this is a legacy of a troubled racial past of jim crowe and slavery. that's not an excuse for black folks. and i think the overwhelming majority of black people understand it's not an excuse. they're working hard and hustling and trying to getten education and send their kids to college but they're starting behind often times in the race and we should be willing to provide people a hand up. not a handout but help folks get that good early childhood education. help them graduate from high school. help them afford college. if they do they'll be able to succeed and that's going to be good for all of us. we have the highest high school graduation we have seen in a very long time. we are seeing record numbers of young people attending college. many states that initiated reforms you're seeing progress in math scores and reading scores for african american and latino students as well as the broader population but we still have more work to go. now

ending 2014, what is the state of black america as we talk about those issues as well as race relations? >> like the rest of america, black america in the aggregate is better off now than it was when i came into office. the jobs that have been created, the people who have gotten health insurance, the housing equity that's been recovered, the 401 pensions that have been recovered. a lot of those folks are african-american. they're better off than they were. the gap between income and wealth of white and black america persists, and we have got more work to do on that front. now, obviously, how we're thinking about race relations right now has been colored by ferguson, the garner case in new york, a growing awareness in the broader population of what many communities of color have understood for some time, and that is that there are specific instances at least where law enforcement doesn't feel as if it's being applied in a color blind fashion. the task force that i formed is supposed to report back to me in 90 days, not with a bunch of abstract musings about race relations but really conc

the gap betwee in the wealth between white and black america persists, and we need to continue working on that front. i've been consistent in saying that this is a legacy of a troubled racial past of jim crow, slavery. that's not an excuse for black folks, and i think the overall majority of black people understand that it's not an excuse. they're out there working hard, hustling, trying to get an education, sending their kids in college, but they're starting behind often times in the race. what is true for all americans is we should be willing to provide people a hand up, not a hand out, help folks get early education, graduate from colle high school and go into college. the education reforms we've initiated are showing measurable results. we have the highest high school graduation that we've seen in a very long time. we're seeing record numbers of young people tending college. many states that have initiated reforms you're seeing progress in math scores and reading scores for african-american and latino students as well as the broader population, but we still have got more work to go

the gap between income and wealth of white and black america persists. we have more work to do on that front. this is a legacy of a troubled racial past. it's not an excuse for black folks. they are out there trying to get an education sending their kids to college but they are starting behind often times in the race. and what's true for all americans is we should be willing to provide people a hand up and not a handout. help folks get that good early childhood education. help them graduate from high school. help them afford college. if they do, they'll be able to succeed and that's good for all of us. we've seen some progress. the education reforms that we've initiated are showing measurable results. we have the highest high school graduation that we've seen in a very long time. we are seeing record numbers of young people attending college. in many states that initiated reforms you see progress in math scores and reading scores for african-american and latino students as well as the broader population. but we've still got more work to go. now, obviously

the gap between income and wealth of white and black america persists. and we've got more work to do on that front. i've been consistent in saying that, you know, this is a legacy of a troubled racial past of jim crow and slavery. that's not an excuse for black folks. and i think the overwhelming majority of black people understand it's not an excuse. they're working hard. they're out there hustling and trying to get an education, trying to send their kids to college. they're starting behind often times in the race. and what's true for all americans is we should be willing to provide people a hand up, not a hand out, but help folks get that good early childhood education. help them graduate from high school. help them afford college. if they do, they're going to be able to succeed, and that's going to be good for all of us. and we've seen some progress. the education reforms that we've initiated are showing measurable results. we have the highest high school graduation that we've seen in a very long time. we are seeing record numbers of young people atte

the gap between the income and wealth of white and black america persist, and we have more work to do on that. i have been consistent in saying this is a legacy of troubled racial past, jim crow, slavery. that is not an excuse for black and i think the overwhelming majority of black people understand it is not an excuse. toy are working hard, trying get an education, trying to send their kids to college, but they start out pretty far behind in the race. we should be willing to provide people a hand up, not a handout, but help folks get a good juror -- get a good early childhood education. graduate from high school and afford college. if they do, they will be better able to succeed and that is going to be good for all of us. we have seen some progress with the education reforms we have initiated. they're showing measurable results. we have the highest high school graduation we have seen in a long time. we're seeing record numbers of .oung people attending college in many states that have initiated reforms, we are seeing progress in math and reading are african-american and latino stude

. >> there weren't many black reality tv shows but today we have many and we also know that most of america the opportunity to see or understand another ethnicity through tv. so what do you think the impact of these black reality tv shows has been on the perception of black america? >> it's been both negative and positive, okay? i feel like when our show first started we were positive. i thought people really liked it. even though we got in your face it was never a fistfight. it was mouthing. our first physical fight on our show was last season. they really took it there. it's just been negative. it's been negative the type of shows that have come on and i always say when i meet all of these reality stars because they all contact me at some point or another and i said i can't believe you did all that for $1.50. they are not that serious. you cannot go all the way left and feel like you're going to have a career after that. i don't think you can have one. >> so what positive has come from this for black america? >> it definitely shows other black girls who are watching the tv, i can be an au

we did our first "black in america" documentary, we talked to families, tell me about the conversation which is, the conversation they had with their 11 or 12-year-old son not about how to deal with the police. white people would say, i tell my children they should be respectful of the police. black people say i teach my son how to survive an interaction with the police regardless of socioeconomic status. that is problematic. that i think is at the core of the marchs and anger that we've seen. >> schieffer: soledad o'brien. nice to have you with us. we'll be back in a minute. >> schieffer: these days there's no shortage of things to analyze. to do some of that we'll are are to welcome "new york times" columnist charles blow to the broadcast, joined by david ignatious, jean cummings, senior ed or of bloomberg politics and gerry seib the washington bureau chief. i want to start interest this business of race. jean, bloomberg has a when asked if race relations have gotten better or worse under barack obama the first black president. 53% of those polls said they have gotten worse. when you

the gap between income and wealth of white and black america persists. and we've got more work to do on that front. i've been consistent in saying that, you know, this is a legacy of a troubled racial past, of jim crow and slavery. that's not an excuse. for black folks. and i think the overall majority of black people understand it's not an excuse. they're working hard. they're out there hustling and trying to get an education, trying to send their kids to college. but they're starting behind oftentimes in the race. and what's true for all americans is we should be willing to provide people a hand up, not a handout, but help folks get that good, early childhood education. help them graduate from high school. help them afford college. if they do, they'll be able to succeed and that's going to be good for all of us. we've seen some progress. the education reforms we initiated are showing measurable results. we have the highest high school graduation that we've seen in a very long time. we are seeing record numbers of young people attending college. you kno

six years ago this month i asked you what's the state of black america, and you said it was the best of times and worst of times. you said it was the best of times in the sense that there was -- has never been more opportunity for african-americans who have received an education, and the worst of times for unemployment and a lack of opportunity. well, ending 2014, what is the state of black america as we've talk about those issues, as well as race relations in this country? >>. >> the jobs that have been created, the people that have gotten health insurance, the housing equity that's been recovered, the 401 pension that is have been recovered. a lot of those folks are african-american. they're better off than they were. the gap between income and wealth of white and black america persists and we've got more work to do on that front. i've been consistent in saying that, you know, this is a legacy of a troubled racial past of jim crow and slavery. that's not an excuse for black folks, and i think the majority of people know that's not an excuse. they're working hard and trying to get a

america in black and white, a o'reilly, thank you right now. for watching "america in black and white." for the next hour, we'll examine race relations in the usa from many different angles. you may have noticed that i do more reporting and analysis on black/white relations than anyone else on television. i do so because i feel terrible about the issue being exploited by people who are not looking out for the folks. these people are race hustlers, exploiters. they have businesses built on people disliking each other. so i think that i with this mel aphone, the factor, should counter that. and that's why we're doing this special this evening. we begin with my recent talking points about why grand juries give police the benefit of the doubt. back in 1993, jesse jackson was quoted by "the new york times" as saying this. "there is nothing more painful to me at this stage in my life than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start thinking about robbery, look around and see somebody white and feel relieved." reverend jackson was just being h

president obama took in his last press conference of the year today was simply, what's the state of black americand racial issues in this country? >> like the rest of america, black america in the aggregate is better now than it was when i came into office. the gap between income and wealth of white and black america persists. and we got more work to do on that front. we've seen some progress. the education reforms that we've initiated are showing measurable results. we have the highest high school graduation that we've seen in a very long time. now, obviously how we're thinking about race relations right now has been colored by ferguson, the garner case in new york, a growing awareness in the broader population of what many communities of color have understood for some time. and that is that there are specific instances, at least, where -- where law enforcement doesn't feel as if it's being applied in a color-blind fashion. >> there is new evidence that law enforcement was not applied in the normal fashion in ferguson. today, the prosecutor in that case spoke out for the very first time since th

against the country's largest and most diverse police >>> president obama today claiming that black america is better off since he's been in office, but issues do persist in part because of our troubled racial past in the president's view. >> like the rest of america, black america in the aggregate is better off now than when i came into office. we have more work to do on that front. i have been consistent in saying that this is a legacy of a troubled racial past jim crow and slavery. >> our next guest says pointing to jim crow is an excuse that divides the races rather than answers the questions. reverend jesse lee peterson the president and founder of the organization, a new destiny. i noticed the president reiterated that statement. he labored mindedly over a very simple thought. he's blaming everything it seemed to me at least, on jim crow and slavery. your thoughts? >> yeah. first i want to say, merry christmas to you and your staff and your family members. thanks for having me on as well. merry christmas. >> and to you as well. >> thank you. i write a weekly column. when the ferguson

and sharpton in those from the naacp have taken the money under the pretense that it will help black america. linda hanson -- ends up in the pockets in the hands of jesse jackson and al sharpton and others. but they will give the money to the preacher or the leader in the black community. so it does not trigger down to them at all. maybe we would see a better change america. neil: beginning with reverend jackson back with the rainbow coalition getting companies to pay up but the fact is this is happening through democratic and republican presidents alike and it is pretty much a way it has been for the user community. so what will it take to change that? is it is the head of sony getting themselves covered or like al sharpton off their back? >> a good question the only way it will change is white americans have to overcome the fear to be called racist. as long as they have that power over. then black americans have to overcome the idea that they need a leader. i grew up in alabama under jim crow. i left all that 80 years of age i did not have the leader over me telling me how to think or who

racism is an all-purpose explanation for what ails black america, can explain all of these bad blackmes. that's the narrative that the left likes to push with the help of the media, and that's what they do. whether it's president obama, president clinton, eric holder, they see this as a political opportunity to continue that narrative. i mean, if you think of all the good that a president obama or eric holder could do if they wanted to make this an excuse to talk about black responsibility, why do so many young black men end up like eric garner, end up like michael brown, why do they turn to these lives of -- eric garner had a rap sheet going back 30 years. michael brown assaulted a police officer after robbing a store this his own neighborhood. why are so many young black men turning out this way? i think eric holder and barack obama are uniquely qualified to lead that conversation. they have no interest in having it. lou: no interest in having it, and i struggle to comprehend why i think so many of us in this country actually believe -- you and i have never talked about it, but i a

and there's black america. a. >> "america tonight" sarah hoye with tough talk. >>> and on the heels of a break through with cuba, a look back to a harsher time and the tough kids. >> i travelled with my 5-year-old sister. and it was very painful, because she asked my mom, why do i have to leave? i mean how could you explain to a 5-year-old child that she had to leave her mother and you know? >> the children of operation pedro pan. >> television icon norman lear >> we hoped we were delivering real characters... >> creator of "all in the family" "the jeffersons" and "good times" talks race, comedy and american culture today... >> you're taking me to a place in this interview, i haven't been before... >> i told you this would be your best interview >> ...and it is... it's the current one... >> every monday, join us for exclusive... revealing... and surprising talks with the most interesting people of our time... talk to al jazeera, only on al jazeera america ♪ >> that big thaw in u.s. relations with cuba, meeting a

six years ago, i asked you about black america in the oval office.you said it was the best of times and the worst of times. the best of times in a sense there has never been more opportunities. the worst of times for unemployment as a lack of opportunity. >> black america is better off now than when it was when i came to office. housing equity that has been recovered. for a one pension. a lot of those folks are african-american. better off than they were. the gap between income and wealth of white and latin america persists. we have more work to do on that front. i have been persisted in saying that this is a legacy of a troubled past. it is not an excuse. i think the majority of black people understand that it is not an excuse. what is true for all americans is we should be willing to provide the handout. hope folks get that good, early childhood education. help them graduate from high school. help them afford college. some progress and education forms that we have initiated are showing measurable results. we have the highest high school graduation

but do even the allies not completely understand what it means to be black in america in in 2014? >> i don't think that's actually the question. i think the question is whether or not they can get behind this issue that people are rallying around right now, which is the death of innocent black civilians at the hands of those who are supposed to protect and service us. anyone who can see an issue with that, and be real about it and address the fact that it is happening disproportionately to black americans can be an ally in this fight. there is no reason for police to be jury, judge and executioner. there is no reason that people who are gunned down should be demonized through the media police statements to justify unjust killings. anybody who can syrah problem with that, can definitely be an ally and speak up. the allies we've gained in this movement typically they definitely refer to black leadership, which is really important, making sure that the voices at the forefront are affected by this. the people most affected. and as long as they're able to do that, you know, the more th

black students. what was so striking about the picture was, you had a bust of martin luther king, a portrait ,f abraham lincoln on the wall and america'sirst african-american president talking to these black students. >> one of the things i'm cognizant of when i'm photographing at the white house is trying to incorporate the historical elements that are on the walls into my photographs. this was actually a group of young civil rights leaders, any of them who had protested in ferguson, many had protested in the sea. he invited these young civil rights leaders to the oval was anfor i think it hour-long meeting. this was when the meeting had just broken up. throughout the meeting, i was trying to get martin luther king into my photographs, the bus, and it just wasn't working the way where the focus was. i thought about that ahead of time. then at the very end when they were getting ready to leave, the president stopped momentarily to stay -- to say last few words to them and that was the moment i made sure that i positioned myself to get in front of the that as ad used crucial part of the photograph. >> with lincoln on the wall. do you ev

patrick patrick, deval patrick and a panel to discuss the issue. >> there is not a latino america or black america, there is a united states of america. >> reporter: the president who cast the vision of hope saw it splinter this week by a splint screen reality. >> we are a nation built on the rule of law, and so we need to accept that this decision was the grand jury's to make. >> on one side the images of tear gas and protests, and on the other, the cautious commander in chief who is running out of time in office. the president e's resonance aft the verdict of the grand jury in the kill iing of mike brown he d this to say -- >> if i had a son, he would have lo looked like trayvon martin and if u u with were younger i could have been trayvon martin and there are very few african-american men who have not had the experience of being followed while slopping, ahoppi that includes me. >> reporter: six years ago, then candidate obama gave what was a risky speech about his experience as a black man in america, and his hand force ed by the controversy of jeremiah wright. >> i cannot disown him as i can m

there's a whitewash double standard, sweeping generalizations about black america and black crime wipe away countless black lives from a real conversation. black lives do not matter in the conservative media, and plus they are highly hypocritical. thomas jefferson had sex with an underage woman 14 years old and against her will because he owned her. do we consider the president a pedophile and a rapist? i certainly don't. but by their logic this is what they are suggesting. alexander hamilton died in a gun battle with aaron burr. was she a gangster and a thug? i don't believe so. congressional staffers walked off their jobs on thursday afternoon to show support for families of michael brown and eric garner. they're pushing the conversation on the hill. now we need the president to lead. president obama commented on the concerns of protesters but he hasn't stood with them. throughout president obama's six years in office, we stood behind him. when he was interrupted during the state of the union, "you lie," when he had a finger wagged in his face when he received vicious assaults and at

you asked about the state of black america and what was the state of race relations in the country.ght that you have asked him this before? >> not in a press conference, but i had an oval office interview in 2009. it was a one-on-one in the oval office. and i was talking to the president about various issues and it was just a couple of weeks away from his state of the union address to the nation. and i asked him as he was getting ready to give the state of the union, what was the state of black america because this president was someone that everybody was wondering what did he feel about race. many in the white house said they don't want to talk about race because it would amplify it more. they kept saying he was the president of the united states who happened to be black and he also felt that race and politics would always followed him and wanted to make sure he wouldn't get bogged down with that because that sometimes tends to take the conversation in another direction. so this president answered the question in 2009, in december of 2009, six years ago this month, and he harkened