william barber's homily at the official inaugural prayer service last thursday. s campaign has launched a platform of 14 policy priorities for biden's first 100 days in office. reverend barber joins us now , for more from north carolina. welcome back to democracy now! we will continue on the theme of why you chose this issue of unity to take on. you take a very critical look at it. what do you want to see accomplished? rev. barber: thank you so much, amy for having me on this morning. i was asked by the administration to preach this once every four year inaugural service that was streamed out from the national cathedral. interestingly enough, they chose the scripture, isaiah 58, which is recognized by christians, jews and muslims. it says there is a way to repair the breach, repair the gaps and inequities of society. it says we have to end the first step is you have to repent of the sin of how we got here. that scripture was written in a time of greedy leadership, but then it says you can repair the breach if you stop unfair practices. if you lift from the bottom.

william barber, $31,000 a year. that's crazy radical, isn't it? >> exactly.ent-elect talked about raising minimum wage, you have now another republican using that word radical. the same kind of language used in dividing the country, that fuels the kind of violence that we see. i don't want to get into all of that but on the march of washington, people must not forget that dr. king and -- it was a white/black march. there was two items on the agenda civil rights act. a comprehensive civil rights ability that would address which had been undone in 1883 when an administration came in with the decision to deconstruct the reconstruction and a $2 minimum wage. today it would be $15 minimum wage. basically a living wage. >> yeah. >> the wages kept pace with inflation, you know it would be almost $20. and we're talking about -- we're up to $15 an hour. 39 million families could be lifted and there are 62 million people in this country who make less than a living wage. less than a living wage. this is the right thing the government to do. if anything is radical -- >>

parts of the left for example people often overlook voices like reverend al sharpton or reverend william barber the head of the poor people's campaign they're constantly talking about the interests of working people as is president joe biden which i think is very clear from his 1st week or so in office so as i say there is a critique of the left that part of it has become kind of elitist and focused on these important issues i would say important issues like equity but they are kind of a luxury for people who are struggling to get not have to work equity years are going to john here i mean maybe equity translate translates politically into oppressor and victim ok and that's the buy. mary that keeps being played and for me that's just a political cudgel ok because you know they white working class is not necessary for the democratic coalition right now that's why they don't care about ok because if they show they're not part of their coalition so why invest resources and them and again you know when we go down this this equity thing which i am and i am i'm pretty much a free quality because that

the reverend october william barber is a senior protestant pastor in north carolina and hejoins is aou've tojoe biden's inaugural address, you've been listening to him over the course day or two as he came to washington as well. is there a shift in owl america's more disadvantage now withjoe biden coming in to office? i now with joe biden coming in to office? ~ , �* office? ithink there is. i'm scheduled _ office? ithink there is. i'm scheduled to _ office? ithink there is. i'm scheduled to give - office? ithink there is. i'm scheduled to give the - office? i think there is. i'm - scheduled to give the inaugural homily at the interfaith service at the cathedral tomorrow and we will be talking about what our deepest religious and constitutional values say about how we will be healed and it must start with building up from the bottom. you know, the name joseph is from the hebrew and when joseph is from the hebrew and when joseph biden came to us in september overi million people, he said ending poverty would notjust be an aspiration but a theory of change. to be building a new economy

. >> joining me, bishop william barber, co-chair of the people's campaign, and michael eric dyson, authoroning with race in america. dr. dyson, i have to make you refer to the bishop. he ranks higher this instance. i will defer further, go first to the bishop. bishop barber, we have to defer. so bernice king had a tweet i thought was perfect because all of the republicans are out here, let me quote the 1963 march on washington speech. i have a dream. they all are quoting it. she said please don't act like everyone loved my father. he was assassinated. 1967 poll found he was one of the most hated in america. many that quote him now and evoke him to deter justice may already hate the authentic king. it annoys me that he is used. what are your thoughts? >> notice they never quote the agenda of march on washington, $2 minimum wage, $15 today, and complete and full civil rights act. we must be honest, can't deal with innocence. what we saw happen at the capitol two weeks ago is the result of a long history, many corporate leaders, republican politicians and religious nationalists have sewn pol

leaders and also celebrated artists, including patti labelle, civil rights activist the reverend william barber, deliver the homily. the interfaith serviwood heavyweights are rushing to support this. biden, president. the last night's inauguration celebration featured a fireworks display as well as messages and performances by many celebrities. president biden went to the lincoln memorial to address the nation and said he wants us to overcome the challenges ahead. will we meet the moment like our forebears have? i believe we must and i believe we will you. the american people are the reason why i've never been more optimistic about america than i am this very day. there isn't anything we can't do if we do it together, americans actor tom hanks was the host of last night's celebration. now to california's covid-19 crisis as we continue to monitor the latest numbers here in our state in just the past 24 hours, there have been more than 19,600 new covid-19 cases and 571 deaths. this according to new numbers, just released by the state right now, the bay area has 7% icu availability. that means we

reverend william barber is standing by live.is new message for the president. ♪ >>> you're looking at the white house where in just a few moments, white house press secretary will be giving her first press briefing. before that, i want to bring in reverend william barber delivering the homily at the presidential inaugural prayer service tomorrow morning. i appreciate your time, reverend. what message will you send tomorrow morning? >> well, first of all, i'm humbled to be asked to join the clergy. you know it's amazing how relevant scripture can be. there's a scripture in the old testament, isaiah 58 that is honored by muslims, jews, and christians. that talks about when you come out of a time of lies and greed and narcissistic leadership? it says the first thing you have to repent and own it and own it's the history of it and then the scripture said there's a way for repairing and rebuilding and revival and renewal, if we lift from the bottom. if we end the words of injustice, we can become what the bible calls --. what i want

and the homily is going to come from reverend william barber, one of the great civil rights leader --e said, the key message for us all to be thinking about is the hope is in the morning. the process of morning. he doesn't mean mourning for those who lost. he said mourning for the gaps in our health care. mourning for the need to raise a living wage. mourning for the problems that we can solve. and there is something powerful that unifies essentially the spiritual intent and now it's the functional political moment. how do you get these things done? >> and the thing about it is, one thing i saw online which i think is so beautiful is, you know, that mourning character, the fact that he's had to struggle, biden. they said, in the end america chose the boy who stuttered over the bully. the boy who stuttered over the bully. that's the whole of it right there. s s some times and what we saw is the new president is motivated by empathy. that is so important, reaching out to people. the past president gets his energy from adulation, from vengeance, from grievance. this is completely the opp

pete williams there with quite the visual. ellison barber standing by at the capitol with a very important guest, the commanding general of the d.c. national guard. >> reporter: that's right. this is one of the security checkpoints, many checkpoints throughout d.c. capitol police, secret service, d.c. police, they are part of keeping it safe and secure. i have with me the major general, the commanding officer of the d.c. national guard. there are at least 15,000 national guard members, airmen and soldiers on the ground. that number will go up to at least 25,000 come inauguration. major general, talk to me about the security posture we are seeing right now. we saw just within the last hour there was a fire nearby, unrelated, not necessarily a security threat. but we saw this area shut down. what's the security posture? >> nobody is taking any chances. it's essentially that simple. we are not taking any chances. this is three times of number of guardsmen we would normally have in support of the united states secret service. it's to ensure the

it made me think of a sermon i watched last summer given by reverend william barber at the national cathedral in washington. he spoke about the book of amos, let justice rolls down like water like righteous like a stream. he spoke about how have justice roll down like water, what is required is the three part process, begins with truth, move to lament and move to reconstruction. the sermon was about history of white supremecy in the united states. it starts to truth and we can begin the process reconstruction. as reverend amos brown said here, we need to begin with truth. i think that requires leadership that is based in our values in san francisco. we say we're fearless and student centered. as leaders we need to be fearless and student centered and when students speak the truth, we need to validate that truth and we need to amplify that truth. i think often, i'm speaking now particularly to white people in leadership, whatever that may be, parents, teachers, or any position. i think we sometimes when confronted with issues of white supremacy moves towards defensiveness. it reminds me of dr.

joe william how the new with the barber and the facile victim and the like in the particular side. of the one in the south would face the good of him beforehand then that has a. bad choice. there's it would have been fun. it. was. i. have a little. thank. you very much i had paid. a big. element for darla a month they had to get it so how are you. let me. hold the. i'm a little. you know and fun in the fun just say you. know when they let the measure on her the. young woman that's mr needed a minute to measure how she knew if they make it all. so . you can have them all go on the show you can unfold i. will know when i can be. and all of that a lot this is going to show. if you. will be sold all my stuff. for. fun. you learn. more. from me in the. must tell your mother son will seek on with him for the. cost of the. middle. by the more of a door he in more. so i'm home norman and what are you. not really. getting. 2 the kind of. bad. jim who. got him a bit of drama or had that if they don't know what the book. animal could. be a. good mom. and one of them and that sort of mom with

i want to start with ellison barber and pete williams in washington, also joining us former fbi special agent executive catherine shwite. this huge national guard presence expected to swell by something like 25,000 by inauguration day, right? >> reporter: yeah, it's unbelievable the numbers seem to keep growing every single minute. remember there was supposed to be an inauguration rehearsal on sunday but it was delayed because of security concerns. about 45 minutes or so ago that inauguration rehearal that was delayed seemed to begin and as the orchestra played the national anthem workers started to install razor wire on this barricade. if you look down here with me you can see them still working, installing the razor barricade. i'm not sure if you can hear it right now, but if we can just look at them working right now and just listen with me for a second, you can hear some of the music. this is the 59th presidential inauguration. there are at least 15,000 national guard members, airmen and soldiers on the ground right now. if we look through the gates you can see them standing guard,

barber on the ground at the capitol. there is clearly a dramatically increased security presence. our justice correspondent pete williams tracking the latest on how law enforcement agencies are bracing for more possible violence. we will get to pete in a moment. take us through what you are seeing there in front of the capitol. what's it look like? >> reporter: the u.s. capitol essentially is a fortress. you can see behind me, capitol police are here, secret service agents. armed soldiers patrolling around the capitol. barricades like this nine, ten feet tall surround the capitol complex. they have flat bases which make it difficult for any rioter or protester to push this over. if that's not enough, they have linked each of the spains together. this goes as far as you can see, whichever way you look. when you look a little more around the capitol, you see checkpoints, law enforcement, soldiers blocking off roadways, creating a security perimeter that covers most of capitol hill and downtown d.c. the rehearsal for the inauguration was going to take place sunday. it's postponed until monday because of security concerns.

want to start with my colleague ellison barber, five blocks away from me on the north side of the capitol and also with us nbc's justice correspondent pete williams. ellison, it seems like every day they are putting up more razor wire and bringing in more and more security. talk us through the day. >> reporter: yeah, i mean every day there are more troops arriving to the nation's capitol. you can see right here there are security check points peppered all around downtown d.c. and capitol hill. the security perimeter includes almost all of downtown d.c. when i spoke to the commanding general of the d.c. national guard yesterday, he said as of yesterday afternoon there were 21,000 airmen and soldiers on the ground here. they have been authorized and expect to have at least 25,000 by inauguration day. but he told me they have actually now been approved and given permission to go beyond that. if necessary. yesterday we were inside the capitol security perimeter, and as inauguration rehearsals began and the orchestra started to play the national anthem we watched as workers began to install razor wire on the barricade that was in front of us. it was a