CloseUp: Race Relations in New Hampshire
Head of Governor's Diversity Council Addresses President's Alleged Remarks
CloseUp: Race Relations in New Hampshire
Head of Governor's Diversity Council Addresses President's Alleged Remarks
WEBVTT GOOD MORNING.I'M ADAM SEXTON.THE EARLY AMERICAN LEADERS WHOSETTLED ON "E PLURIBUS UNUM" FORTHE MOTTO OF THE UNITED STATESPROBABLY HAD NO IDEA JUST HOWMANY DIFFERENT KINDS OF PEOPLEWOULD BECOME A PART OF THISNATION.BUT RIGHT NOW, THE CONCEPT OF"OUT OF MANY, ONE" IN OUR MODERNSOCIETY CAN FEEL A LITTLEANTIQUATED.AS WE HONOR THE WORK AND LEGACYOF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.,WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT OURINCREASINGLY DIVIDED POLITICSFROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF RACE.JOINING US THIS MORNING ARE DR.DOTTIE MORRIS, ASSOCIATE VICEPRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONALEQUITY AND DIVERSITY AT KEENESTATE, AND ROGERS JOHNSON, THETHE PRESIDENT OF THE SEACOASTNAACP AND ALSO THE NEW HEAD OFTHE GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL ONDIVERSITY AND INCLUSION.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERETODAY.THE NEWS TOWARDS THE END OF THEWEEK IS THAT THE PRESIDENT MADESOME COMMENTS HE IS DISPUTINGNOW USING ABLE GUARANTY TO REFERTO COUNTRIES FROM WHICH WE ARERECEIVING IMMIGRANTS OF LATE ANDALSO WONDERING WHY WE CANNOTHAVE MORE PEOPLE COMING FROM ACOUNTRY LIKE NORWAY.WE TALK ABOUT DOG WHISTLESSOMETIMES.DR. MORRIS, WHAT IS YOURREACTION TO THE ALLEGEDSTATEMENTS?DR. MORRIS: I WAS SURPRISED BUTNOT SHOCKED.I THINK THAT HAS BEEN PRETTYCLEAR, THE MENTALITY WE HAVE HADIN THE UNITED STATES FOR QUITE AWHILE, THAT CERTAIN GROUPS OFPEOPLE ARE MORE ACCEPTABLEBECAUSE THEY FIT WITHIN WHAT WETHOUGHT AMERICA SHOULD BE.THAT WAS BASED ON WHAT THEYTHOUGHT THE FOUNDING FATHERSWANTED.THE SECOND REACTION I HAD IS THELACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THEHISTORY AND HERITAGE THATINDIVIDUALS FROM THE COUNTRIESHE WAS REFERRING TO, THAT THEYCOULD BRING.THE MULTIPLE THINGS THAT HAVEALREADY CONTRIBUTED TO NOT ONLYTHE UNITED STATES AND THE WORLDAT LARGE.THE FIRST THING I THOUGHT AS ANEDUCATOR IS WE HAVE TO TEACHMORE THAN WE ARE.ADAM: MR. JOHNSON, THIS IS ANALLEGED STATEMENT AND INDISPUTE.THE CONSEQUENCES OF PEOPLETHINKING THESE ARE THEPRESIDENT'S WORDS?MR. JOHNSON: YOU MAY BESURPRISED AT WHAT I AM ABOUT TOSAY.I REALLY DON'T HAVE THAT MUCHCONCERN ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ONIN WASHINGTON FOR ONE MAINREASON.IT IS OUT OF MY SPHERE OFINFLUENCE.I AM MORE CONCERNED ABOUT WHATGOES ON IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.OUTSIDE OF VOTING AND PROBABLYGIVING MONEY TO A CANDIDATE ORNOT, MY REAL CONCERN IS WHAT ICAN CONTROL WITHIN MY SPHERE.MY SPHERE IS RIGHT HERE IN NEWHAMPSHIRE.I CANNOT REALLY HAVE AN IMPACTON THE PEOPLE IN WASHINGTON.LET THEM DO WHAT THEY ARE GOINGTO DO, AND WE WILL BE CONCERNEDABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PEOPLEOF THIS STATE.ADAM: WHEN YOU WERE INTRODUCEDAS THE NEW HEAD OF THEGOVERNOR'S COUNSEL DIVERSITY ANDINCLUSION, YOU ARE ASKED ABOUTTHE STATEMENTS BY PRESIDENTTRUMP AND YOU SAID I WILL WORKAROUND THOSE THINGS.DISCUSS THAT MORE, THE IDEA OFWHEN IT IS TIME TO CONFRONTSOMETHING LIKE THAT AND WHEN ITIS TIME TO CONTINUE THEDIALOGUE.MR. JOHNSON: ESSENTIALLY, WHATWE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT IS HOW WEGET ALONG HERE AND HOW WE MAKETHIS STATE BETTER, HOW WEADDRESS THOSE ISSUES AMONGST THEPOPULATION HERE.BECAUSE IF WE DO THOSE THINGSHERE, WE MAKE THE STA MOREACCESSIBLE, INCLUSIVE, BETTERFROM AN ECONOMIC STANDPOINT,BETTER FROM AN EDUCATIONSTANDPOINT.WE MAKE IT MORE APPEALING TOTHOSE INDIVIDUALS OUTSIDE OF THESTATE TO WANT TO RELOCATE HERE,TO BRING THEIR BUSINESSES HERE.THAT IS MY MAIN GOAL.I CANNOT CONTROL WHAT GOES ON INWASHINGTON, D.C.LET OTHER PEOPLE WORRY ABOUTTHAT.I WORRIED ABOUT US.ADAM: DR. MORRIS, WHAT DO YOUTHINK ABOUT THE IDEA THAT THEPRESIDENT'S WORDS CAN CAUSE ALOT OF CONSTERNATION FOR PEOPLE.THE NEED TO CONFRONT VERSUS THENEED TO WORK AROUNDDR. MORRIS: AGAIN, I GO BACK TOMY ROLE AS AN EDUCATOR.I WANT TO PROVIDE MANYOPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE THESECONVERSATIONS AND TALK ABOUT THEIMPLICATIONS OF HAVING THAT TYPEOF MENTALITY OUT THERE BECAUSE ALOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE I WORK WITHWILL BE FUTURE LEADERS IN MAKINGDECISIONS THAT COULD ROLL BACKSOME OF THE DECISIONS WECURRENTLY HAVE.I TOTALLY AGREE, THIS WHOLE IDEAABOUT HOW TO HAVE AN IMPACT ONMY SPHERE OF INFLUENCE.I THINK THROUGH THE WORK WE DOWITH YOUNG PEOPLE IN THIS STATE,AND BECAUSE IT IS A SMALL STATEAND WE CAN HAVE AN IMPACT, ITHINK WE WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ASA RESULT OF SOME OF THE WORK WEPLAN TO DO.ADAM: SPEAKING OF IMPACT, MR.JOHNSON, WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FORTHE NEW COUNCIL?MR. JOHNSON: THEY ARE AMBITIOUS.MORE IMPORTANTLY, DAUNTING IFYOU THINK ABOUT IT BECAUSE WHATWE ARE TALKING ABOUT IS NOTHINGLESS THAN HISTORIC FROM WHAT ISHAPPENING.IN MANY WAYS, WE ARE HOPING TOSTART THE PROCESS OF DOINGDIVERSITY INVOLVEMENT FOR PEOPLESO THEY UNDERSTAND HOW THEY AREGOING TO IMPACT THE CHANGINGDEMOGRAPHICS OF THE STATE, NOTJUST WIT POLICE OR ELECTEDOFFICIALS OR EVEN OUR EDUCATORS,BUT FOR EVERYONE WHO TOUCHES THEPUBLIC.I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THATFOR A BRIEF MOMENT.HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE WE REALLYTALKING ABOUT THROUGHOUT THEENTIRE STATE TO DO THIS IN AFASHION WITH A METRIC WE CAN SEETHE THINGS WE ARE DOING HAVE ANIMPACT ON HOW THEY INTERACT.IN THIS STATE, WE ARE BEGINNINGTO SEE SOMETHING THAT HAS NEVERHAPPENED BEFORE.INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN THE NORTHCOUNTRY FIGHTING WITH HERNEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR.TO THE DEGREE WE BEGIN TOPREPARE THE STATE FOR THATCHANGE IS THE DEGREE WE AREGOING TO BE MORE DIVERSE ANDINCLUSIVE AND ADVANCEECONOMICALLY AND EDUCATIONALLY.ADAM: DR. MORRIS, YOU MENTIONEDTHE EDUCATION ASPECT.WITH NEW HAMPSHIRE LACKING INDIVERSITY, IS THAT ONE OF THEFIRST AND FOREMOST GOALS?YOU HAVE BEEN BREAKING DOWN THEBARRIERS OF PEOPLE NOT KNOWING APERSON OF COLOR.DR. MORRIS: FOR ME, IT GOESBEYOND KNOWING BUT UNDERSTANDINGHOW WE ARE ALL INTERRELATED ANDINTERCONNECTED.AND ALSO, THE GREAT THING ABOUTHOW DIVERSITY IS FOR ME THEMOTHER OF INTERVENTION.IF YOU CONTINUE TO DO THINGS THESAME WAY, YOU HAVE THE SAMERESULTS.WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT MULTIPLEPEOPLE COMING WITH MULTIPLEPERSPECTIVES AND WAYS OF SEEINGTHE WORLD AND WAYS OF DOINGTHINGS, I THINK THAT IS THE PARTTHAT IS SO POWERFUL.EVEN IF WE LACK DIVERSITY IN THESTATE, I THINK THERE ARE WAYS WECAN INFUSE IT IN EVERYTHING WEDO, INCLUDING SOME OF THEDECISIONS WE MAKE ABOUT WHO WENEED IN TH STATE, WHO COMESINTO THE STATE, HOW WE EMPLOYPEOPLE.I AM EXCITED ABOUT THEOPPORTUNITY TO DO MORE.ADAM: IS RACISM A PROBLEM IN NEWHAMPSHIRE?DR. MORRIS THAT IS A HARDANSWER BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON SOMANY THINGS.WHEN PEOPLE THINK ABOUT RACISM,THEY THINK ABOUT OVERT ACTIONSPEOPLE ENGAGE IN.CROSS BURNINGS WERE SCREAMINGRACIAL SLURS.I THINK ABOUT IT THAT WAY, BUT IALSO THINK ABOUT SOME OF THEINSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS PUT INFRONT OF PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARENOT ALLOWED TO REACH THEIR FULLPOTENTIAL AS IT RELATES TO THEIRRACE.WE HAVE SOME SITUATIONS ANDSTRUCTURES IN PLACE.AGAIN, I AM NOT SAYING IT ISINTENTIONAL.THERE IS THE IDEA OF IMPLICITBIAS.THE DOES NOT MATTER IF IT ISINTENTIONAL OR NOT, IT ISINTERRUPTING THE PROCESS FOR ALOT OF PEOPLE OF DIFFERENTRACIAL BACKGROUNDS.ADAM: WHAT IS YOUR PERSPECTIVEON RACISM IN NEW HAMPSHIRE?MR. JOHNSON: WHAT DR. MORRISJUST SAID IS ESSENTIALLY THEREALITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE INTHE STATE DO NOT REALIZE THEYARE RACIST.WHAT WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO DO ISTO BRING THAT AWARENESS BUT ALSOTO DO SOMETHING ELSE WHICH ISVERY IMPORTANT.NOT TO PROMOTE THE CONCEPT OFTOLERANCE.BECAUSE I CAN TOLERATE YOU ANDSTILL HATE YOU.BUT I WANT TO BRING THE CONCEPTOF ACCEPTANCE.I NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE ACCEPT THEOTHER INDIVIDUAL WHO MAY BEDIFFERENT FROM THEM.ACCEPTING MEANS WALK AROUND INTHEIR SHOES A LITTLE BIT,UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEIRPERSPECTIVE MAY BE.WHEN YOU HAVE A LEVEL OFACCEPTANCE, IT BECOMES VERYDIFFICULT TO BECOME RACISTBECAUSE YOU SEE WHAT THAT PERSONIS SAYING AND YOU UNDERSTAND WHYTHEY WOULD REACT TO SOMETHINGDIFFERENTLY THAN YOU.WHEN WE BRING THAT LEVEL OFEDUCATION THROUGHOUT THE STATE,WE ARE GOING TO BE MUCH BETTEROFF IN THE FUTURE.ADAM: THE CONCEPT OF IMPLICITBIAS IS A HARD ONE TO CONFRONT,ESPECIALLY A TERM LIKE "WHITEPRIVILEGE."SOMETHING THAT IS REAL, BUTSOMEONE IMPOVERISHED WILL REACTDIFFERENTLY BECAUSE THEY DO NOTSEE THAT.IT IS A DIFFICULT SUBJECT TOBROACH.DR. MORRIS: IT IS VERY COMPLEX.THAT IS WHY WE HAVE TO FINDMULTIPLE WAYS TO APPROACH, TOHAVE THE SAME END.WE CANNOT JUST SAY WE WILL DO ITTHROUGH DIALOGUE.WE HAVE TO DO IT THROUGH AVARIETY OF MODALITIES.YOU ARE RIGHT.IT IS KIND OF LIKE CARBONMONOXIDE.IT IS THERE, IT IS HAVING ANIMPACT, BUT YOU ARE NOT AWARE OFIT.PART OF WHAT WE HAVE TO DO ISMAKE THE UNCONSCIOUS, CONSCIOUS.IT IS NOT ABOUT BEATING PEOPLEUP OR INFLICTING ANY TYPE OFONE'S ON OTHER PEOPLE.IT IS ABOUT HAVING PEOPLEUNDERSTAND T IMPACT THEIRBEHAVIOR MOTIVATED BY SOMETHINGUNCONSCIOUS IS STILL HAVING ANIMPACT ON OTHER PEOPLE.AND THEREFORE, BECAUSE WE AREINTERRELATED, IS HAVING ANIMPACT ON THEM.MR. JOHNSON: THIS IS NOT AZERO-SUM GAME.THAT DOES NOT MEAN BECAUSE WEARE DOING SOMETHING WE ARETAKING SOMETHING AWAY FROMSOMEONE ELSE.THIS IS A PROCESS WHERE EVERYONEBENEFITS.WE DO NOT WANT ANYONE TO THINKWHEN WE GO THROUGH THE STEPS,INDIVIDUALS GAIN AND LOSE.IN THIS ISSUE, EVERYBODY GAINS.THAT MUST BE THE MOST IMPORTANTTHING WE GET ACROSS BECAUSE THEPUSHBACK WE ARE GOING TO GET ISFROM THAT FEAR THAT BECAUSE WEDO THIS, SOMEONE IS GOING TOLOSE.THAT IS NOT GOING TO BE THECASE.ADAM LAST YEAR, WHAT HAPPENEDIN CHARLOTTESVILLE, ANDCERTAINLY A LOT OF CONVERSATIONSWERE THAT MAYBE THIS HAS BEENHERE ALL ALONG AND WE ARE SEEINGIT AS A CULTURE FOR THE FIRSTTIME.ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THEFUTURE, MR. JOHNSON?MR. JOHNSON: THIS CURRENTGENERATION OF YOUNG PEOPLE MORETHAN ANY OTHER GENERATION THATHAS EXISTED IN THIS COUNTRY, IAM SO VERY OPTIMISTIC, MAINLYBECAUSE THEY DO NOT HAVE THESAME FEARS AND BIASES WE HADGROWING UP.THEY ARE MUCH MORE INCLUSIVE.THEY ARE MUCH MOREUNDERSTANDING.THEIR LEVEL OF ACCEPTANCE OFOTHER INDIVIDUALS WHETHER BYRACE, GENDER, SEXUALORIENTATION, IS SO MUCH MOREDEVELOPED AT THIS EARLY AGE.I AM OPTIMISTIC BECAUSE THISGENERATI WILL BECOME THEFUTURE LEADERS OF THIS COUNTRY.BECAUSE OF THAT, MY OPTIMISM ISBEYOND THE ROOF.IT IS JUST TREMENDOUS.I HOPE IN THE INTERIM WE HAVE ANOPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THISDISCUSSION WITH THE BROAD NAPOLIPEOPLE IN THE STATE TO BRINGTHEM TO THAT LEVEL.THAT IS THE CHALLENGE.ADAM: DR. MORRIS, OPTIMISTICABOUT THE FUTURE?DR. MORRIS: VERY OPTIMISTIC.I GET TO SEE IT EVERY DAY.IT FEELS LIKE A GIFT EVERY DAYTO SEE THE WAY AND PEOPLE AREWILLING TO ENGAGE IN VERYDIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT --BECAUSE THEY SEE IT AS THEIRFUTURE.I THINK THEY REALLY UNDERSTANDHOW WE ARE SO INTERRELATED, ANDTHEY UNDERSTAND THEY CANNOT BEWHO THEY NEED TO BE UNLESSEVERYONE ELSE IS WHO THEY NEEDTO BE.THAT IS KIND OF A PARAPHRASE OFSOMETHING DR. KING SAID.I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT WEKEEP IMPRESSING BACK ON EACHOTHER, THAT WE SEE EACH OTHER'SHUMANITY WHEN WE LOOK INTO EACHOTHER'S EYES AND HEARTS.I THINK WE ARE ON A GOOD ROLLHERE.THE OTHER THING IS FAILURE ISNOT AN OPTION IN MY MIND.
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CloseUp: Race Relations in New Hampshire
Head of Governor's Diversity Council Addresses President's Alleged Remarks
Early American leaders who settled on "E Pluribus Unum" as the US motto likely didn't know how diverse the U.S. would become. But today, the concept of "out of many, one" in our modern society can feel antiquated.We take a closer look at our increasingly divided politics from the perspective of race as we honor the work and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Early American leaders who settled on "E Pluribus Unum" as the US motto likely didn't know how diverse the U.S. would become.
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But today, the concept of "out of many, one" in our modern society can feel antiquated.
We take a closer look at our increasingly divided politics from the perspective of race as we honor the work and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.