The March has been billed by organisers is a day of atonement at reconciliation a time for black American man to join together to deal with the many problems facing African Americans in Washington. Today is 34 year old Kevin young a carpenter who specializes in Housing Finance and Rehabilitation will be checking in with that. Mr. Young this hour to get a first-hand report on the March. Also joining us here in the studio to discuss the Million Man March had to take your questions Saint Paul city council member Jerry Blakey and Kwame McDonald who is the executive director of the inner-city youth league gentleman. Thanks for coming by today. Appreciate it Kevin young. What's your sense? How many people have actually showing up for the March? I'm coming from the Washington Monument.What does what is taking place today in just really remarkable the event started out at 5:30 this morning. There was a prayer which over 300,000 men showed up. It was really a time for us to get together and introducing healing spiritually for ourselves. It was also excellent for us to get an opportunity to come together and make decisions about our community and a future if I used my family. What is the all of the general tenor of the crowd pretty mellow and committed is there was some talk by some people who were going out to Washington that this could turn out to be a kind of a dangerous thing. Robert the Temple of the crowd is very very joyful. People are glad to see each other the circumstances which was coming together under our very good circumstances. So I think people are a lot more relaxed. There's no tension and their anticipation is in the area. You can really feel it. Why did you personally go Kevin? I was born in the 60s and sing the things that happened during the 60s black people really matter transition, but over the last 25 years, we haven't been able to capitalize on those transitions because we haven't had that yet and also the structure and a plan to actually to make our communities better to make a community safer. So I thought it was very important to come hear the message. Not just because Louis Farrakhan was speaking because there's other leaders to her. Great things to say. I have talked to you last week earlier about you know, some of the institute's on mr. Farrakhan and I think what people found out today, he didn't get a chance to tell her it's bigger than mr. Farrakhan. This is about people coming together. This is about people who are under economic pressure need to change things for themselves and change them for their family if you could wave a wand and what would you hope will be accomplished by today's event? I think the Run has been accomplished one. We know that we can come together and we can start putting a program together are going to help us. This is not an anti-American type thing and it's not at all what this is an opportunity for us to take a look at myself and to take responsibility in a community or take responsibility with our family and to also set of economic agenda for ourselves in the future. If you could please and then join our conversation through the our okay. Joining us here in the studio as we said before Jerry Blakey and Kwame McDonald's. Thanks for coming by Jonah support the March. What's your position on this? I do support in this is cost Mercury Blake. I do support the March. I think overall the principals are sound and that this is not in my opinion should be viewed as any anti anything but I do have some concerns about some of the views that Minister Farrakhan has but I think it's the March is going to be looked upon as being successful. Then there has to be an agenda that comes out of there. Not only for I think the African American Community but for the community-at-large, but also, who do we hold accountable for that agenda? Connie McDonald, yes. I'm a hundred percent them behind the March and I recall I was there must have been in my Late thirties, when the 63 March came about and we had the same kind of opposition from the same kind of people against the march in 1963 the March on Washington and Martin Luther King through his leadership. I've turned a lot of it around there a lot of people believe it or not had the same view of Martin Luther King that now have this view of them Louis Farrakhan. I personally support Louis Farrakhan like anyone you don't agree with anybody not even your wife or your son 100% but by and large, I believe that was Farrakhan is a young man of integrity and dumb he voices of the feeling of a lot of black people in America. That's why his popularity is so high Cuz they can relate too many of the things that he says he gone around the bend though. I mean it seems like what you hear there is not a true anti-semitic Andy White message that he continually propagates. Well, I question whether it's really that or whether he speaks more symbolically than factual one of his closest allies is a white Christian minister in the southside of Chicago who helped him. I get a delegation of 20000 black men from Chicago. The other thing is if you listen closely to Minister Farrakhan, he says the same things about people of African descent. He said the same things about Christians. He said the same things about Muslim That he says about Jews. He says that book. Basically we have not kept our our commitment to God and that is what he is saying about people basically it all goes back for him to God. What My Views are such that I guess I'm being a Christian. My spiritual faith is such that we have to have a moral consistency. Which I mean is that no matter what race no matter what gender you have to have a certain amount of sense of morality and when we deal with issues and I think in particularly with mr. Farrakhan, I think when he talks about how at the African American Community must look inward to solve our problems, I would agree. I agree with him 100% And I believe that and that's one of the issues that we we we need to have that but if we're going to attack people the Jewish faith or for an attack whites or women or any other types of groups, that's where I have to thoroughly disagree with him because I believe the strength and the key of a good leader a great leader is one that can bring all people together. We're talking to me about the mill. Man March underway in Washington Kevin, yon who is going out to Washington for the March has been good enough to join us through the hour. He is near the White House at this hour here in the studio. We have Saint Paul city council member Jerry Blakey and quani McDonald who is the executive director at inner city Youth League recalled her is from Minneapolis Martin. Go ahead place to question for the first semester break into mr. McDonald. I'm after surf rock on speaks later today. I'm assuming that he's going to have some very controversial things to say and do you feel that his and his opinions these controversial opinions will overshadow the better elements of the marsh. That's my first question to my second question is to mr. Young was at the March. I wish I could be there with you, but I'm wondering if you could tell me what other things are going on to help Empower and give black men these tools to take back their communities to rebuild them. I'll hang up at the thank you. Well, I think unfortunately we've already seen that in some respects with mr. Our Minister Farrakhan with some of his his views that he hold his almost has dominated this and that I think is is unfortunate because I believe the coming together of all these men from all parts of the United States is a very positive and symbolic moment that I think we should be able to kind of put in stone in our history. But I hope that the Minister Farrakhan is going to be able to bring a message of unity of a message of atonement and not let it get down or t to degrade to personal attacks. I had heard earlier. Someone had made a speech this morning about a number of things and they brought out. Supreme Court, Justice Clarence Thomas. I am not a fan of a Clarence Thomas. I think was probably one of the worst decisions that was made of getting him on there. But I think if you're in a if you're having this March far is atonement taking it at the personal tax degrades from I think this powerful movement when you hear Minister Farrakhan speak today, he will bring all of us to tasks and there's no stronger or greater way than to bring black men to tasks then to invite them all to Washington DC from all over the country and have a day of atonement and by that many you means many things but among them is the treatment of our women and that at the hands of black men that have been sold lately publicized and he's trying to straighten that out and in and get To atone for our sins against our women and also against God and go ahead place. Lindsay Lohan and I need believe that black men need to learn to heal themselves because Society in it large is not really interested. It's a very unfortunate I'll decide he is interested in making economic process for themselves and to get ourselves a hit and somewhat like America has been lost in that I think that people need to stop spending so much time talking about Farrakhan and to spend time on the healing process because of black men are not successful in America America itself is not successful. And I think perhaps is going to happen for maybe a couple years. I have an annual meeting and then just go ahead and do we have the annual meeting and then perhaps we're going to have to start working together and we're going to have to get past this racism because we are all Brothers but we just aren't smart enough to realize it and I think it's holding us back as a nation and that's really all I have to say. I'm curious most African American man bad people of course of all Races, but I mean you fellows are doing fine. What what do you have to atone for? Well, I I think that's kind of raises one of the concerns that I have and I'm not downgrading the the the march at all but probably majority of the people that really need to be there at owning are not going to be there. So in a way we're kind of preaching to the choir, but still the symbolic Gathering. I think it's important but I think it's a it's a collective atonement or Collective reflection about what is going on in our community. Our the last I think 10 years. We've had fourteen thousand African Americans killed by African Americans the drug epidemic in our community crack cocaine has devastated families. The African American family has ruined family relationships are when you look at that domestic violence when you look at the amount of money that if you if it's over, I forget what the number is billions of dollars. That's just in from the African-American can And we do not use it wisely and I think we have to understand also that we live in a market-driven society. And we as African-American Community. I don't think we have really understood how to utilize it. I think we're starting to get there but we haven't picked up on that and I think we need to be able to pass on those skills to our children. I think that's what we need to atone for performing. Well just personally I can talk about my need to atone, and I've taken this day. I'm to pray and too fast and also to celebrate my wife's birthday. That's why I'm not there because today she 60 years old and when you get to be 60, you don't have too many more promised after that, but there's a lot of atonement that I need to join my own life in terms of things that I have done in the past time that I have wasted when I should have been perhaps either working with my family or working with some young people the Next Generation that follows me or we've been working with my my cohorts and and people of my age and so forth so that the atonement I took to mean that for all those sins whether they be against God or whether they be against man or woman. We're trying to now come out of that and change our behavior and put more time on Fruitville. things that would help our people Muhammad is on the line now joining us with a question or comment go ahead place and the meaning of the definition behind the Million Man March when he when he makes comments towards Jewish people or towards white people and then puts a title Islam on top of it. It really construes the idea or he's really he's misappropriating what the belief of Islam is because Islam is meant to bring people together from All Nations. There's Muslims, you know, as you know in Bosnia in Indonesia and Malaysia and Thailand and Saudi and for him to say what he says, it's really Blast for me and it's I don't know what you're reading, sir. Do you think the do you think the message here that the the March can be separated from the messenger? So because you know everyone, you know, there's a lot of problems in America and a lot of people need to face up to what's going on in the Mist just you know, people not taking care of business like they're supposed to in the justice system being abused and people being hurt by that, you know, but Well, I mean that's that's a tough. That's a tough question because a lot of people are going in there with their own ideas. And unity to me Unity is to come together under one idea, you know, if you have a busload of people and everyone has different ideas and doing different things and different concerns. That's not that's not a group a group is a set of people with the same goals and ambition. Thanks for your call. I think that The effort of this March is to get black men to take responsibility that we have not been known for in the past. And other than that to say all black men because they're most black men do take responsibility for themselves their families and so forth 70% of black men across the country can be found at work and can be found doing many good things. There's the age between 16 and 30 that's very difficult. And I think that a part of the atonement, of course, it may well be a move a little bit on the rhetoric that mr. Mohammed. I mean, mr. Farrakhan has practice think that may well be part of the atonement. I was going to respond to the caller's comment about the far as the message and the messenger. I hope because this is an ecumenical movement. There are a number of people that are out in Washington my pastor and number of friends and some family that I know that are out there that are not followers up Farrakhan who are there because it's so it's a larger issue but we do live in a society where we categorize people where we label people and like in the political realm if someone's Republican we know where they're coming from if someone's Democratic and so forth and we really do label people to Christian Coalition, whatever and I'm hopeful that Minister Farrakhan will seize the moment in that there is a higher Spirit working that will use him as a tool that will be more positive and really set the stage for Country. Let's assume that that doesn't happen that day that he gives a fairly fiery speech today. Frankly will scare some people in this country and if his followers many of whom I have said, this is a referendum on Louis Farrakhan. You can't separate the message and the messenger people in Washington to come to support Louis Farrakhan and what he believes in what do you say then to the people who are kind of frightened by his rhetoric because there are apparently hundreds of thousands of people in Washington DC right now. Well, I think we have to realize it. First of all Minister Farrakhan is just one individual and that were monolithic people. And so I have my own beliefs. I am an independent thinker and I think there's a lot of people in our communities are independent folks and we just have to ask people to be realistic and the bee I guess humanistic in a way that says how does your next-door neighbor if he is he or she is a African-American or another another race. How do they treat you? And I think that's what we have to get back to his how do we treat one another and not because one individual is ass a Minister Farrakhan cuz up there and then perhaps and I hope he doesn't but gives a negative speech does that mean that these speaks for me and I don't have to say no not when you're going to be anti-white or anti-jewish her anti anything else. It has to be parole. American Pro black whatever it is and then hopefully that he won't have you know the anti speech going today. I guess the people have is the number of people who do listen to Farrakhan and who cheer him on and part of the reason is that is because those people feel what Farrakhan talks about these are you know, who to suggest anything else has to suggest it black people across the country are are dupes and our followers and don't have minds of their own and I think that you'll find to the last person that there are people who will take some of what he says in terms, especially when we talk about self help with talk about building your own businesses when we talked about loving each other when we talked about supporting families when we talked about educating children and things like So all of us take from him those things that make sense to us and then we kind of can't decide other things and I think everybody does that and so I think that there is probably an overemphasis on Farrakhan has influence as such and it almost makes it sound like we don't have minds of our own and we don't know when to turn off the road and I think that that's what you're going to find but the fact that there is still discrimination the legacy of of slavery the whole history of African people in in America Rings true and fire chondrocytes these historical fact, this is why he gets cheered. This is why he could support is because people feel these things that he saying now if they were lies if Farrakhan Speaks a lie, then people will turn away but too much of what he says is the truth Kevin young you agree with that. I had a trouble here in the last few things. He said. Well, what's going on out there now? As I said before the atmosphere is very million. people.com everything is very proud. That would be two out of every 10 black Americans and Washington. 2 million people you said there's over a million in Washington alone this morning at 5. The count of three hundred thousand men on the White House lawn. Okay. And I everybody the speeches continue, right? Okay, what's this? What's the current schedule? When how long do you expect the the the rally will actually continue? The signal is possible? Let's get another caller on the line. Meanwhile Joe your next to speak about The Kinks. I'm dr. King. He was a wonderful man who preached inclusivity who preached integration who welcomed to all people white black men women and at the March that he was part of in 63 was that to integrate to make everyone work together and it seems that mr. Farrakhan it admittedly preaches segregation. He preaches a separation of white and black a separation of Muslim and non-muslim and he has said things that the doctor king would never have said would never have even thought of and I find it. I find it distressing that the two of those men. Would be compared because dr. King was was someone who is totally unique and it was well respected. And in the March that he was part of in 63 did not have the tones that it's a fair coin is placed on this March. I think it's a very good idea for African-American males to get together and unify, but I just find a problematic that mr. Farrakhan has had such a major part in this if he did not want himself to be a major part in this he should have worked with other groups and has taken a backseat. You'll have supplied maybe some resources and Manpower some money but then distance himself from it and I don't see that happening. I just like a discussion on that. Thanks call me McDonald's. I think you brought up a comparison between the two talked about them black boys in and white girls walking hand-in-hand or something of that nature and that was his way. It's 33 years are 32 years later that has not happened. The strategy of Martin Luther King has not really been successful. In fact at that time. We were about our income was about 58% of the average income of white people. It's probably a Ministry. It is about the same still in this 33 years. So that while we talk about progress are there a lot of people who have fallen behind our education system Now does not educate black boys very well. In fact at the age of 3rd grade they begin to get disinterested in school. I I believe That in the end and and I I believe that what Louis Farrakhan talks about today is more a strategy than an end. It's a means as opposed to an end. I think even he and all of us eventually want all people to get together and recognize that we are all one under God Ronnie Roughnecks. Go ahead. Please stay home today at the stand in solidarity with the Marchers. However, I did not attend the March because I do disagree with Louis Kahn's principles and I think that I'm afraid that maybe the black men there have been duped into supporting and giving legitimacy to Farrakhan and his 10-point plan. And I'm afraid that will like this morning during the march rev a Christian rev one of his followers stood up and said that he asked that Reverend Farrakhan be the leader of African Americans here and of blacks all over the world. So I think that he's co-opting this March and it looks like there's a gloss just all around on his homophobia is anti-Semitism and the sexism and it seems that that if we are to be the conscience of America like Doctor Martin Luther King Junior said that we can't go to Lowell Road and go and participate with the snakes the snake oil salesman. And I have a question. And that question is how can you how can you legitimizes of this March? How can you be a part of this much health. Do you support this morning when you know farrakhan's want to call this about adult life he published books like a secret relationship of blacks and Jews and the stuff about him speaking in metaphor. I mean, we're just legitimizing just hate is hate. Speech. How can you do that when this man is so evil and he is the answer to what we want to accomplish in America is black people in January Blakey and comments. One of the things that I have a good friend of mine pointed out to me. If you take the issue of race out of what Minister Farrakhan says and you look at his views and the views of the Christian Coalition the basically the same there in only anti-abortion anti-homosexual and there's a lot of issues that What is it? So they're both of them are somewhat conservative movement tonight. I think that someone interesting that I don't know if the media has really picked up on but his is not the answers question about how do you support this? I think that that's one of the reasons why I didn't go out tomorrow in Washington because I feel that I can do more work positive work by my being here by being involved in my community. I volunteer at my church and help young people with their schoolwork. There's a lot of things that I give back to my community and I feel that I'm going to show my solidarity on my support for the men that want to go out there and I don't think they've been duped. It's just that they want to be a part of this up this moment and I don't have any fault with anyone that wants to do that. But I think what the key is when when the man go back to the respective States is for the excuses to be taken away for people to get involved in their Community to get involved. Young people teaching them how to grow up to be positive citizen marching on the street where we have violence in Minneapolis. And st. Paul. We we have a problem of of shootings are drug open air drug dealing there's a lot of issues that we need to resolve and atone for and to take responsibility for we also have abandoned in many of our families children. I am in our women and so that's how I'm showing my my support for the margin for this Movement by by being a door and not more so upset just words. How do you get people who aren't participating in this March archers come home or are you fellows continue your work? How do you get people who don't care about any of this to pay attention because they seem to be at the root of the problem the people doing the shooting in the and the rest of it grabbed by the Scruff of the neck when you do this March, Close all of us to rededicate ourselves and intensify the effort sent many of us are already engaged in I think discussions about Farrakhan and I hope this the last time I have to mention it in our diversionary. It's it diverted divert our attention from the real issue. And I think that's one of the problems in in even in America. We key on individuals as opposed to a systems or groups or or the wave of a number of people that can move things. No one ever does is or has done anything by themselves. It has been people cooperating together and working together so that I look at this way Beyond any one person including mr. Farrakhan. This is a great movement. This is a great number of people and if his capture the imagination of people all over the country and I think When the Smoke Clears, I think we're going to see a closer and America if I can just respond to this one way of how to get attention of some of the folks. I probably should be there that aren't in there causing slow usually 5% of the people that are causing problems in our community earlier in the summer. We had some problems on Selby Avenue, which is an area that I represent. I had called the clergy the summit University of the clergy an African American clergy to come out and walk the streets and that's what they did from primarily Monday through Friday 9 to 11:30 midnight and I walked with them and it really did change the atmosphere the sense of respect. We spoke to people that wasn't enough more of a police light enforcement March or walk, but it was more of saying we're here this is our community and we're not going to be be afraid to be out at night and I think those are the types of things that we can continue to get people to get. Those folks that are causing a problem in our community get their attention. The community also needs a step forward when we do have violent acts and be able to turn people in. I think that's probably one of the biggest problems that we have in our community is there's a sense of our a Code of Silence if someone does a drive-by shooting and someone sees it they don't they don't tell the authorities and we need to change that sort of what I think is up foolish thinking so it's all of those I think kind of to me more actions and Common Sense type attitudes. She part of the problem and the Dilemma that people in the black community have is that sometimes they were we hesitate to turn our young over to people who we perceive as a mark Fuhrman for instance of Furman is not an aberration. He's not news to us and he didn't excite us because How many people in the black community have had experience with people who are like-minded as with Mark Fuhrman? I were talking today about the Million Man March underway in Washington DC some wildly different estimates as to how many people have actually showed up for the March but the fact of the matter is there a lot of people gathered in Washington and we thought it would be worthwhile today to spend the hour talking about what are the Marchers hope to accomplish what the what to realistically we can expect to happen after the March is over joining us here in the studio climbing McDonald who is the head of the executive director the inner-city youth league and Jerry Blake he is with us. He is a Saint Paul city council member earlier in the hour Kevin young. I'm going to sell it not at the March was with us and we're trying to re-establish contact. We lost a contact with Kevin. He was right in the middle of things and not sure what happened. But anyway, maybe we'll be able to get back to him before the hour is over. Y-yeah, I wanted to just say something, you know, where was controversy about the lack of women in in the women were not invited but the already have witnessed 5 black women who have spoken from the podium Betty Shabazz Malcolm X's wife is spoken this morning Cora Masters Barry. The mayor's wife has spoken this morning Queen Mother Moore and icon in Harlem as Folk in this morning in fire by kid today wake the mvt MTV rather news editors broken and Maya Angelou just finished speaking there. So that while it was not a keep the women out it was include the man in and I think that gets misinterpreted a lot of times that when we say we want to unite around the men that were saying that women should stay home and that I just want to point out that way. Are there what they were told to stay home though part of the message at one point all the women should stay home. They were encouraged to stay home. They were not commanded nor was there demand to stay home? And if that were the case that would not have been at least these five women speaking before this throng of however many estimated between 102 too many Robert Europe next go ahead place. I've been reading the newspapers and watching the media coverage and I guess we really disturbs me is when the media tends to construct an issue about a person to distract from the main focused the whole Fair contact Farrakhan is want just one of the many African-American male head of help to organize this March. I do not understand why the media choose the focused on the issue of the Jewish community of white females and their gender issue instead of focusing on the issue of black men in America and how we relate black community in with our family. That's the message of this March. It has nothing to do with the Jewish Community weather Farrakhan is that they might have nothing to do with the issue of the smart whether whether he is a sexist that's nothing to do with the issues of the smart and I hear people constantly explaining. I don't want to talk about Farrakhan with anyone. I want to talk about how we're related to each other. That's black man how we are relating this black man to our community and how we're related to our family and that's why the how many people are in Washington DC and I would have been myself if I had a father place to stay. So what about the fact that Farrakhan? Well, he was the primary organizer. Male his relation to the community and to his fam. regardless if Farrakhan did it or if Roy Wilkins if Benjamin hooks did it wouldn't matter. This is a catalyst to bring us together as black Mets where the Farrakhan is an initiator. I think for back end of it. He should be applauded his personal views and his views that he spouts in excess of what the purpose of this March is are on Farrakhan to explain not for America's be American black male to be apologetic for Robert. This is Jerry Blake and I agree with basically what you're saying. My only question to you would be is that for people that have been persecuted that know about discrimination that know about racism and then to have someone I think it was really intelligent as a Minister Farrakhan is too then turn around and spew some of the same things. That's the only concern that I have. I mentioned earlier about having a sense of moral consistency and as a African-American male, I don't feel that by say turning on Jews or turning on whites. Somehow that's going to lift me up. What I'm looking for is more of an inward self-inspection. So to speak to to say how can I as an individual and collectively can we work within our own community and to bring those and on that want to work with us? How can we work together to to better our own State of Affairs as well as the state of America and when you have a think someone like Mister Minister Farrakhan speaking those sort of I think degrading remarks about other people. I think it does hurt his credibility in some respects. If you're trying to say that the messenger, okay, the person brings us together to find some message. I would beg to differ. OK the only problem I see in this and when I see those persons coming out against the organisers Ben Chavis and ducks and Minister Farrakhan in particular. I wonder where was those entities in bringing about this type of catalytic this type of catalytic event. Where would those persons? Where was their input to initiate this okay, but I forget the gentleman's name that we are not a monolithic people. We believe in a lot of different things. We have a lot of different backgrounds. We have a lot of different statuses. We have a lot of different levels of Education in as much as that true. We are gently I believe that we should be intelligent enough to understand that while I may not agree with everything Minister Farrakhan said then don't I also. Didn't agree with everything that Martin Luther King had the fact for that matter. All right. If not to say that these people are not important what they do not have things or issues but it is to say that the bigger issue is that we need to take control of ourselves and then we can Define for a change instead of white races or white liberals what we need and how we accept them. Like we have consensus. Go back to the phone's Hassan from Mohegan is next radio station went and got too intelligent black people to respond to you're listening audience. My first statement. I'm not asking a question. I want to come get your listeners in line with what's happening with the Muslim program him in what is going on in this country historically historically we have to go back to birth or clay Francis Scott Key George Washington Monroe in Jefferson, when they tried to get rid of the free man of color in this country in 1816, so I would I would ask that you are listening audience go back into the history books and examine what the problems were in 1816 and how they sent most the free man of color into Liberia. So there were honorable white man that were trying to solve this. The race problem that we have in America, there are honorable juice. They're honorable white people and they're honorable black people and we are allies and we must work as allies in this country. Now first off you have to understand who Marcus Garvey is do understand who Minister Louis Farrakhan. He is afraid we don't have time for a full full of recitation. He just summarize and 30 seconds your point here, please so we can my point is this is this weekend I get along with these people. We have to go back to what Jefferson Monroe Madison in merthyr the founding fathers. This country want it is after giving them 400 years of our sweat blood and receiving a return some of the worst treatment human beings have ever experienced these people believe that their contributions to this land is suffering forced upon them by White America justifies their demand for complete separation of a state or territory of Their Own. They want freedom for all believers. Are there a religion in and in most of the people in the prison they want them to be let out so they can work with them. And now people that are espousing the hatred in this country all your talk radio show host like Rush Limbaugh. You got some people here like Miss Kitty and all these other people. These are the people that are separating our races black and white and George. We are all brothers and sisters. We will all have to work together. Are we going to All Fall together and chairs not send her hatred and then and all this other nonsense. I've been hearing across the country is just absolutely crazy understand who Minister Louis Farrakhan. Okay. Thanks. Thanks so much for your call. Appreciate it. Bill Clinton today said it's important that we we eliminate racism in this country, but that we that we have to start working together to to heal the racial divide in this country. He said both blacks and whites have legitimate grievances legitimate fears. We just got to hunker down and do something about this polarization in this country more rhetoric. well Yeah, you know that's interesting that that's something that we've been saying as a people since the first day we got here off to slave ships and I hope the President Clinton isn't just catching up to that message, but we have been working for that all along and now when someone or a group of people again want to get together in Washington to even do it better to even take more responsibility ourselves to do this, then we get criticized in the sense for that and when I say we get criticized the criticism comes in the form of again attacking the messenger and again is Jerry his point out and I agree. This is way bigger than any one individual and we are He was President Clinton, but we have been an advocate of that position from day one. Now. The the the message part of the message today. I think it has to do with the fact that that black Americans specifically African American men need to get together going to get their own house in order isn't that isn't part of that implicit in that a kind of a separatism or is it simply a matter of kind of getting our own house in order before we can we can go out into the larger society. Do you stop once you get your house together or do you what's what's the what's the big plan? And that's a question I had earlier was first of all, what is the agenda coming out of this and who do we hold accountable but as far as this being a separate separate issue, I don't think that's it. What we're saying is that we need to fix our own households first. We need to make sure they were treating the women correctly respectfully and that we're also being good Father's to our children. And in order to do that and it in into and when you do that, then we can reach out outside of our own household into our own blocks our own communities to make our communities safer to make our schools better. But until we do that we can't really point the finger at other people. We can't point the finger at this community are that Community until we do get our own house altogether lot of the violin in our communities is what you call black on black crime. There's nobody making me go out and shoot another African-American. We're doing it out of foolishness, and we're doing it because lack of education and lot of other issues and so we need to get our own household together and from that we can better. I think the rest of society we don't have a lot of time left, but I do have a couple quick questions. I'd like to get in how would the Colin Powell running for president or perhaps even being elected president affect African-Americans people. I don't know because I really don't know what he stands for and we've got mayor's all across the country and we thought that that was going to be a savior and that hasn't happened. So I don't know what I think it'll be positive just in a sense knowing that I think and I think it would show how how far our country has come. I don't know all of his views but can't be any worse than some of the other ones that we've seen their that's far and then just kind of mentioned about what was President Clinton his statement. I was a little disappointed as far as his lack of leadership. I think when it comes to race relations, we had the opportunity for the city Vol 2 happen in St. Paul and that's not going well. So there's almost at certain denial bet even that there are Urban problems and then that's where you have the most people of color living so There's going to be great voter registration of people of African descent all over the country. This is something that the Nation of Islam used to be opposed to they did not want their people voting but I think this getting involved in the political system Bears out with Jerry had said earlier in terms of first, we got to clean up our own house and then we move out in and help others a year from now and we just have a couple of seconds left here a year from now. How could we know whether this is been a successful day? Well, I think it's going to come down to individually people doing work in their Community people not allowing for some of that are younger criminals to or young people to act out in our community not allowing when you're in the presence of young people for example speaking disrespectfully to young women not allowing. People to feel that they can just shoot indiscriminately in our community McDonald have to model better Behavior. The children could not get the guns and other narcotics if it weren't for those of us who are adults so adults have a big job to do so that we can model the behavior. We expect of our children. Thanks so much for coming by. Thank you. I appreciate it, McDonald who is executive director of the inner-city youth leg and also joining us today in the studio Saint Paul city council member Jerry Blakey and we'd like to thank heaven young for joining us from Washington. Wish we could have had him on a little bit more but he is at the March and as you might expect things are a little little chaotic in the midst of all those people and unfortunately weren't able to hear more from him.