so vernon jordan, in his inimitable way, sat down and said i'm going to in effect prepare myt.ghter] you know. there's always a choice adjective. when a great leader talks. he pulled together a group of scholars, african-american scholars and others, to print mt with analysis, diagnosis, and recommendations on the nation. that was the beginning of the state of black america. today it is an honor to be able to now for almost 50 years later , for me to be able to present to you our thinking on what is the state of black america. so simply america is not on our watch. not on our watch will we allow the progress and against and the essence of the work that■ú]w■!af americans, many generations of civil rights leaders, to be eroded i divisive negative hateful effort, which is designed to erase the last 70 years of american history. so stay with me. the state of black america is strongbecause we are strong. the state of black america is proud ca the state of black america is resilient. we can take bumps and bruises and stumbles and falls and putdowns and keep on working. not just a com

she's now the vernon jordan distinguished professor and civil rights at howard law school. you have said, we've talked about this case before. you have said, quote, section three was enacted for such a time as this and for such a figure as president trump. you have reflected on history, which is so powerful. what was your reaction to the court decision today? >> well, i was not surprised, jim, at the outcome, at the judgment that we had talked about this before as you said at the top of the hour. the court would be looking for an off ramp. i was extremely disappointed in the oral argument, in part because many of the justices seemed unprepared. this was a case in which there were many, many amicus briefs that were filed. there were complicated arguments. this was a case in which we do not have a lot to go on in terms of president because, fortunately, until 2020, we have not experienced a federal insurrection. i expected that the court was going to seek an off ramp. i thought the off-ramp would be kind of what it was, which is that they weren't going to allow one state to r

so vernon jordan sat down and said i'm going to prepare my own report.hter] a choice adjective when our great leaders talk. he pulled together a group of scholars, african-american scholars and others to print what was a report with both analysis, diagnosis and recommendations on the future of the nation and that was the beginning of the state of black america. ando today, it is an honor to be able to now for almost 50 years later for me to be able to present to you our thinking on what is the state of black america. it is not on our watch. not on our watch when allow the progress and the games and the very essence of the work that has been done by many generations of americans, many generations of civil rights leaders and black americans to be ero pernicious divisive, negative, hateful effort which is designed to erase the last 70 years in american history. so stay with me. the state of black america is strong because we are strong. the state is proud because we are proud. the state of black america is resilient because we can take the bumps and bruises

well, in 1976 when the late great legend, vernon jordan held this position and a person on whose shouldersand watched president ford deliver the early 1976 state of the union listened intently an carefully to president ford. president ford's address f paine of america where there were no black people, a picture of america where no poor people, a picture of america that for the most part ignored the trials and locked o communities. no mention of poverty. no mention of civil rights. no mention ofention of urban am whatsoever. no mention of the raging recession that was taking place in the middle 1970's that were battering. president fordfalse, because it was incomplete -- that i'm going to in effect l prepare my own blank report. [laughter] >> you know, you know. that was a choice adjective when our great leader talked, right? and he pulled together a group of scholars, african-american effect print what was a in mimeographed report with both analysis, diagnosis and recommendations on the future of the nation and that was the beginning of the state of black america. and so da to be able to n