Evening Exchange; Minister Louis Farrakhan

Welcome to evening exchange and also welcome to Minister Farrakhan we are very pleased that you are here with us. Tell us why are you here why are you in Washington D.C.. First it's the nation's capital and it is the place where on October 14th 15th and 16th we will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the historic Million Man March. We are interested in mobilizing and gathering as many as we can on the Mall but we're not so interested in a march. We're interested in creating a movement that places on our shoulders the responsibility to change the reality of black life in America. And so I've just come back from Africa where I represented the diaspora at the fifth meeting of the African Union with 53 African heads of state have come together to move

Africa toward the United States of Africa. And after I finished my tour in the United States I'm going down into the Caribbean because there we need to tie Africa the Caribbean Central South America to North America and create a dynamic movement that involves the mobilization of poor people. And the last thing I would say on that is even the boys talked about the talented tenth. We have some of the best educated black people anywhere in the world. But the more educated we are we get moved away from the condition of our people into corporate America in into other areas that create a disconnect between the gifts skills and

talents of those natural leaders of our people. So everywhere that I've gone and talked to our brilliant young men and women they are pained where they are and they want to help the masses rise from where we are. So what is needed is a pro grammatic thrust that will link the talent of our learned to the condition of the mass poor that our people can be lifted from where they are because there is a saying that my teacher Elijah Muhammad taught me that no one man can rise above the condition of his people. So if our people are down and we can ride a nice car live in a nice neighborhood well that might give us some feeling that we are better maybe we have arrived. But then in Chicago just two weeks

ago one of our greatest young pastors a man by the name of Reverend Dr. James Meeks he just built a 50 million dollar enterprise. And he's also a state senator and the leader of the Black Legislative Illinois caucus and he was coming from his newly built edifice from bible study with his wife and his son. And as he was driving he pulled around a squad car and this squad car stopped his car. He got out of his car to go to the office to say Officer I am state senator Reverend Meeks. And it was a sergeant in the side and said I don't know who the f you are. Get back in your car. And Reverend Meeks started to say

something again to the men and he pulled his gun put it to the reverend's head and said I told you get back in your excuse me your F in car. The wife was hysterical. His son in there pleading Daddy. Come on. It's not that deep. But the next day Reverend Meeks said if they would do this to me. What are they doing to my little brother or sister who doesn't have the position that I hold in society that drives the point home no matter how great Oprah is. She's in Paris she goes to the store a little after the hour to get some perfume or something. And Miss Oprah was denied entrance because she was 15 minutes after the store had closed. So these are

reminders that no matter how high you go if your people are down we down. So it behooves us all to think for the masses of our people to concern ourselves with the plight of the masses of our people. And that's why the millions more movement is so important because it has brought together for the first time the total spectrum of black thought from black civil rights leaders to black academicians to nationalists to pan-Africanist to socialists to activists and to revolutionaries and then to fraternal organizations and masons and elks and whatnot all of us have agreed that the condition of our people is so bad that no one leader no one organization can solve it is going to take all of us

coming together to think and plan and act on behalf of the whole. And certainly I'm sure that one of the things that you all are going to be deeply concerned with AS are virtually all black people at this point in the world is the condition of our brothers and sisters in the south. As a result of Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath. Speaking of poor black people what do you think of the kinds of conditions that our people faced in New Orleans and the other areas so hard hit and the government response or lack thereof. Well I think that Katrina was merciful because Katrina started hitting the coast of the United States in southern Florida when she was a hurricane one.

She did tremendous damage in the southern part of Florida then moved into the Gulf and as she was in the Gulf she was moving very slowly picking up strength from a 1 2 2 2 3. And if you watch the news as I watch the news they were saying at a certain point that it is directing toward New Orleans and the Gulf. And it seemed to me that if Femen knew that it was building up that kind of power and the weather people were saying it's headed directly for New Orleans. And what a number four and number five hurricane would do to that area. And then they talked about it was in a bowl that was under sea level. And if water came over that the Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi and whatnot that bowl would fill up and they were talking this giving

FEMA and the president time. To get things in place so that when it struck they could have moved trucks into areas to get the people out. The poor people couldn't leave. They wanted to leave but there was no transportation. They had none. So the television focused on the looters. Well if you don't have food and you don't have water you don't talk about Thou shalt not steal. When the first law of nature is in force which is the law of self-preservation. So they broke open the stores and they took food and they took water. Of course some took TVs I guess they they needed a TV. But there was no electricity they couldn't plug it in anywhere. Well and and some did some silly things but to focus on that rather than on the sick and dying and the

devastation of the poor. So what I have asked the sister Renay. You know as a Muslim Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said If you have a bowl of soup and your brother has none. Half of your bowl belongs to your brother. So I've asked all of the Muslims in the nation of Islam we're going to go to the Astrodome to the Superdome to where ever people are housed and bring them out and bring them home sit them at our table feed them clothe them shelter them open our schools to them. And I'm challenging not really in a in a negative way but saying to Christian America look. Pat Robertson you made a big mistake calling for the murder of Hugo

Chavez OK let's put that aside. You say you're a good Christian. I won't believe you. But Jesus said The thing that he would use to judge nations there's a yardstick and that yardstick is this When the disciples said to Jesus Master when were you hungry and we fed you not when were you naked and we clothed you not when were you out of doors. And we gave you not shelter. And when were you sick and imprisoned and we ministered not unto you. And Jesus said to the disciples in as much as you have not done these things unto the least of these my brethren you have not done at all. So to me it's time now for true Christian love to manifest itself. True muslim love to manifest

itself. It's one thing to send some money down. It's another thing to send some watered down. All of that is needed. Clothing is needed but what is really needed come out of there into my home and lay in a bed with a roof over your head. Whatever. Eating God will make space at that table. Come on if you are from the south you know that no matter what happens in the South they would open their door and there was always something in the pot for an extra person to come and sit down at our table. How beautiful it would be if all of those brothers and sisters found a home and the churches opened their doors the mosques the synagogues all of black organizations came together and encouraged our people. Let's go get a family and bring them home and I guarantee

you this self-hatred self-doubt the self negation that is in our people when they see us doing that then love will begin to build in our community respect and gratitude and we might produce out of a tragedy a triumph that those who died and those who lost their homes shall not have suffered in vain. But it gave not only the government a trial but it presents us with a trial. Let's do what God would be pleased that we do and save the suffering people of those three areas. Some critics have said that they felt that the lack of government response or the slowness of the government response had to do with the fact that these were primarily poor black people. Do you agree with that scenario or no.

I really don't know but I know that racism is real and I know that it reaches its ugly head and it's never absent from decisions that bankers make in loaning money. It's never absent from positions that are offered to black intelligent people who are qualified. It's never absent from promoting black people in the police force of firemen or where ever we are. Racism is always there. So I don't doubt that racism is present. I'm wondering as to Rene that look at all the money that we've given to the Red Cross to United Way. I'm talking about black men and women coming to the plate spending their money and giving sometimes into the millions of dollars. Now when I call for the Million Man

March and you saw all those black men with those dollars in their hands the white press said what are you doing with the money. Fair can and Farrah can said I'll give you an audit of every nickel every dime and every dollar. And we had three CPA firms and within three months we came to Washington held a press conference and laid the audit signed off on by three reputable CPA firms and the press never let our people know that the minister gave his word and lived up to his word because distrust fear and envy are control factors that are former slave masters and their children use to keep us in line. If they had told black people Farrakhan did what we didn't do in

1963 then nobody asked for an audit of the people in 1963. Where did the money go to in 1983. Where did the money go to. But when Farrakhan a Muslim said I will give you an audit. I. Offer this to the people and I've fulfilled my word. Now I want to see the books of the Red Cross open. I want to see United Way's books open since you are getting money from people all over the country for those who are suffering most. Then I want to make sure that every nickel and dime is not spent somewhere where it doesn't need. But the people that need it must get it. And I'm going to find a legal way to open those books to make sure that what we give goes where it belongs. I have had calls from little mayors in Mississippi whose cities and towns

were devastated. They have not seen FEMA. They have not seen the Red Cross. They are under the radar. Since you've raised over two hundred million dollars. OK. And the government of the United States is signing a bill for 10 billion dollars. Good. Then where is the money going. We want to know since it really is our money anyway. You're not giving your money. It's the taxpayers money. The 10 billion and it's people's money that's in the Red Cross and every charity. And I'm not maligning the Red Cross. But racism is there as well. So we want to make sure that all those black people that you saw down there suffering that when it's time for them to get insurance when it's time for the insurance companies to pay up when it's time for them to get what they justly deserve that they get what they deserve.

Or else we will have to do something to make sure that that never happens again. And we have with us in the studio young people from Howard University for the most part who are a critical part of that never happening again. And making sure that the racism that you have eloquently described is fought against and minimized generation after generation. And so we now turn to some of them to get their questions and thoughts. Yes. Good afternoon Minister Farrakhan I would assume my brother. My name is Ray Baker I'm from Baltimore Maryland. I'm a senior. My question to you is earlier this year you attended Tavis Smiley symposium on the state of black America. There you and other black leaders made a vow to have a contract with America. I want to know where's the progress with that contract and has there been any follow up monks you talking with other black leaders

such as Dr. Dyson and Dr. Cornel West on that man. Thank you my brother it was not a contract with America. That is what Tavis put before us. But the Reverend Dr. Joseph Lowery changed it from a contract to Covenant. And my words were that I don't think we can make a covenant with America before we make a covenant with God a covenant with each other as leaders and a covenant with our people. And if you remember the scripture that reads If my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven forgive their sins and heal their land. God is talking to us and he does not lie. So

why would we trust those who have lied and not trust him who has never lied in fact he said before one jot or tittle of my word will fail. The heavens and the earth would pass away. So I'm comfortable making a covenant with God first and we have agreed to that second a covenant among the leaders the reason that black folk are divided is because the leaders have been divided and we stand up in public speeches and speak against each other not to each other. We don't get in the same room with one another. So it's like an incestuous kind of thing. The civil rights groups there over here the nationalists they're all in this group the the those who fight for reparations in the Pan African is in another group the revolutionaries are in another group the academicians are in another group. The politicians in another group and we are

scared to get in a room together like we can give each other spiritual AIDS or something. So now through the millions more movement all of us are coming in to a room and we recognize no one leader no one organization can solve the many problems of our people. It must be a united front. Brother Tavis is working on that covenant. He has put up money they have gotten scholars together to write the covenant. And when that covenant is ready all of us as so-called leaders are going to come into a room to sign that covenant in the presence of our people so that you will know that any one of us that failed to live up to the two the words in that covenant will go right before the American people are people and say This person is no longer fit to stand in front of black

people get on here. And that's the way it's got to be. If we're going to make progress we in leadership have to be accountable to the people that we say we desire to lead. Thank you for your question. Next question. Afternoon. My name is Shani Harris from California and I'm also a senior. My question to you is the issue of the black community and self-sufficiency especially with recent comments from Bill Cosby. I would like to know your response to that especially with the Hurricane Katrina and the lack of government participation and efficiency and timeliness on that. And furthermore where does that place on the agenda and the millions more movement. Oh that's a wonderful question. Well you know Bill Cosby has paid his dues to this society and to us. He's a man in his late 60s we don't know how long bill is going to be

with us. He has many more years behind him than he has in front of him. He was talking to a black audience and he was talking about our young people not learning to master language he was well he was giving us a spanking. OK. I think he's earned the right to say what he earnestly feels but in that black audience the media took it and brought it into the broad mainstream and it looked like Bill Cosby was talking down to us and not mentioning what white folks had done to put us in the condition that were in all of us know where it started. But the question is we can't keep looking to them. It's our responsibility to get out of the condition that 400 years of slavery and mistreatment put us

in. OK. Now the second part of your question self-sufficiency we have been too dependent on others to do for us what we could unite and do for ourselves. So those of you that are here. You don't want to leave Howard going out begging your former slave masters children for a job. You then you would be no better then the slaves because the slaves were looking to their grandfather to stay on the plantation to pick the cotton. No no no. We're past that now. We get three quarters of a trillion dollars out of this economy. We're not poor. The Bible says My people are destroyed not because the black they destroyed for the lack of knowledge. So once the knowledge comes then we learn how to pool those resources and become self-sufficient. One more thing on that. And then our clothes.

Have you ever noticed how many people are in our community providing us with goods and services that we are not in their community providing them with nothing. How do you think they think about us. If everything that we need somebody else is providing it this is not only in America. If you go in the Caribbean if you go to Africa who other businesspeople in the Caribbean is the Indians the Arabs the Chinese and some blacks in Jamaica all throughout the Caribbean. If you go to Africa the same people are doing business and we are the consumers. Its not that we are in Farea but slavery and colonialism destroyed a very important part in our human makeup. And in this institution how would when this institution was

formed they got up in Congress and said there are three things that they will never teach black people even though this college was set up for black people. They said they are not going to teach us the science of business. And I dont care what you learn. You don't have the real science of it because if you had the science of it you would never come out and look for a job. You come out here and create a job for yourself and your people. They said they not going to teach us the science of warfare because business is a form of warfare and if you got business and dont have the science of how to protect what you have somebody would take it from you as it has been done. So a self-sufficiency must be a part of this. And the last thing you ask what is the million more movement going to do about all of this. Well you know if its on our own in our

heart when we come together like this were coming together to change that paradigm into a paradigm of self-sufficiency and only then will others respect us as we want to be respected because we are not begging somebody else were doing it for ourselves. Thank you for your question. Thanks. Peace Minister Farrakhan and peace to you my brother. My name is Messiah Ramkissoon. I'm a senior public relations major originally from Trinidad West Indies. And my question is what major focus is being placed on youth involvement as well as the enhancement of the upliftment of youth culture and the Millions More Movement. And also what is the process for youth artists to be able to voice themselves at the march. Thank you so much. I will be on my way to Trinidad. God willing I hope to speak at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad do a lot of radio and television. I will be in Barbados.

Hopefully I'll be in Venezuela and in Brazil and in St. Martin as well as Haiti and Jamaica and the Bahamas and the Virgin Islands. Brother from the Caribbean let me say to you and to my brother introduced himself to me earlier from Jamaica. The West Indies is being marginalized and when you come and get a fine education when you go back if you go back to Jamaica or Trinidad what you want to know is is there an opportunity for you to use what you have learned to lift that island nation and make it successful in serving the needs of the people and what you will find

is that the sugarcane industry is gone. The banana industry is gone. And really what most of the islands are depending on is tourism. So if you want to continue to be waiters cooks cleaners for those that got money to spend it on a little liming of vacation in the West Indies. Then the West Indies is going to be marginalized and that's why I'm going to plead with the leaders as there is an African Union. There must be a union of the islands of the Caribbean because none of those nations can stand independently on their own. They can only stand collectively with Cuba in the mix and Venezuela and Guyana and those on the northern part of South America that

go into the Caribbean. Nuff said on that. Your question is you but I had to put a little in there for Trinidad and give me a command I want or you know you've got work to do don't they. Now. You know I'm from my parents are from there and I was a calypso singer long before I became a Muslim. And I had a big hit on the Calypso. They call it Hit Parade but it Calypso. No the charm the armor the armor as me. But anyway if you are not involved in this we need to quit it. You are the thrust of what we're doing. Youth involvement is there. Youth have to be at every table every time we sit down to plan the voice of youth will be there. Now at the at

the march there has to be youth expression. Somebody from the hip hop genre is going to express to us to the world where we are the hip hop brothers and sisters are really world leaders. They don't know it but the whole world is vibrating and pulsating to hip hop and even in countries where the culture of America is not wanted. In Iran. When I was in Iran those young people were vibrating the Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube and whatnot. So you are natural leaders what you must do now. Young brothers and sisters accept the responsibility don't say I don't want to be a role model. Nobody asking you to be a role model. People are asking you to

step up to the plate and accept the baton of leadership and those of us who are your elders. Some of the young people say oh man nobody you know 35 all who tell me nothing I'm old people you know. Well nobody older than God talked to me about that. And he's fresh in every generation. So let's not confuse stupidity with age and irrelevance. The Bible says all men for counsel. Young men for war. Closing that question Harry Belafonte this past week called for a council of elders on the first of September. In Atlanta Georgia or some of the greatest civil rights activists academicians men women and men

were there. The elders they brought young people along with them. The bottom line they realize or we realize we've made mistakes and even errors. But in a scientific experiment failure is not fair because every failure in experimentation leads you closer to the truth. These elders now are looking at what they have done and what they have not done what they've tried to do and where we failed and where we've had successes. And what I saw and heard in that room was that the elders said we are ready to lay our life on the line for you all that you will have a foundation from what we have learned. So now that meeting is going to be seconded with a second

meeting that's coming up right after the millions more movement in. I think it's Eppes Alabama and we're bringing all of the young people to that meeting where we're going to sit and listen to you. And then the elders are going away with what their youth share with them and come back with the youth to plan the future development of our people. That's why we call it a millions more movement not a march because there must be plans in place that you can act on when we are dead and gone. As we all are dying whether we want to go or not we get up at 8 0 so we might as well. It's hard you know. I mean you know but when I look at these beautiful young people it ain't bad. We got to go cause time don't

allow none of us to stay. And time won't allow you to stay. But if a plan for spiritual and moral development educational development political development economic development social and cultural development and health development is put on the table with your help. Then we can die as Willy Lynch is dead. But Willy Lynch's madness is still being carried on by us. So somebody is working the plan among their people. So we have to develop a plan and work that plan until the movement takes us to where Martin Luther King said Free at last free at last. That's where we're going with the help of God and with your help as well. Thank you for your question. And just before we get to the next question I am very happy to hear

you talk about the intergenerational part which is so necessary to our future and that's one of the reasons that I along with Camille Cosby had started the National visionary leadership project which is about elders and young people coming together as a matter of fact a number of Howard students are part of that. And every opportunity that there is to bring elders together with young people and have the to have the different generations really strategizing about the future is an exciting thing a tremendously exciting thing his life to us. Absolutely. And when you get to my age which is 16. 72 going on 73 but when you get to my age you realize your mortality and you realize that you must leave something for the young. You can't say you love your people and don't leave

something for them to stand on. That they can grow beyond you and you all are not supposed to be what we are you're supposed to stand on our shoulders and go beyond where we are. And you know what has happened. The disconnect between the young and the elders. You keep repeating the same mistakes that the elders have made because we're not counseling where we can guide you in a way that you don't make the same mistakes that we have made. We don't have to reinvent the wheel. We've done a lot of things that can help spring you into your future with wings. And then when we lay down and take that big sleep we can do it with a smile because what's coming after us is better than we are.

Next question. Good afternoon minister. Good afternoon sir. My name is Mark as you seem. I'm a senior legal communications major from Brooklyn New York the last million march outline several goals that it would like to achieve by addressing issues like economics politics and inequality. Over the past 10 years to what extent do you believe that these goals have been achieved. I'm going to answer your question with a a law in physics for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Every gain that we have made has been negated by that opposite force. Quick example. Brown versus the Board of Education Thurgood Marshall the great victory ending

segregation in public schools. Separate but equal. Well 50 years later we still segregated. Why. Because there was a trick in what they proposed. Jesse Jackson just had a march in Atlanta on the 6th of I think it was August August 6th because even though they gave us voting rights it was a little clause there that he focused on that if we're not careful what will come out of that would be the protection of our right to vote. So he focused on that in the 13th Amendment which gave the slaves citizenship is another little clause that says you can

have citizenship. Just don't get hooked in the criminal justice system because the moment you are charged with a crime you lose your citizenship status. And so blacks are being herded now starting from the little 5 year old girl that had a bad day in school and they shackled a baby and put her in handcuffs and then put her in leg irons and put that girl in the back of that police vehicle and the mother came and they would not give that child to her mother. So they're being sued. But the point is they started arresting your grandparents then your parents then young adults now is gone all the way down to the babies at some point.

We've got to stop this. And so your question about what happened. We had 25000 orphans they found homes 1.7 million black males voted in the next election. The crime rate and the murder rate went down in the inner cities prisons were adopted as many of those black men that lived there became entrepeneur. And if you listen to my speech I asked them to join a church a mosque a synagogue of their choice wherever spiritual values were being taught. And I asked them to join an organization that was working for the uplift of our people more black men went to church after that than before. More black men

join organizations than before. But what was the equal and opposite reaction. In the last 10 years. Look how many factories have closed in the inner cities sending job opportunities overseas into cheap labor markets. Look at the deterioration in the school system where today. Last year 44 percent of the young people black brown red yellow and white that graduated from high school graduated without being able to read at a high school level. Now if 44 percent of the children that graduated last year are considered functionally illiterate and there's no more manufacturing that's overseas and this is a

service oriented economy and even those kind of jobs are going to India and Malaysia and other places. What is the future for you all. Unless we come together to begin to produce some of the things that we consume. So all the efforts that we did to stop the violence stop the killing. Now look at what is happening in every funeral parlor in a major or minor city. You go to where we live and you find those that are dead from 18 to 45. And the number one killer is AIDS the number two killer gunshot wounds the number three killer among us suicide. What has happened in those last 10 years. No jobs. OK. You either join the army

and be all that you can never be or you become a salesman and you're not selling for Amway you're not selling for no way. So here's a little rock for you to sell. Here's some reefer for you to sell. Here's some territory for you to sell it in. And here is some guns to protect what's your territory. Now your brothers over there selling to see. So now we've become gangs now and we're filled now with the lost for the material thing. And we've been deprived of our humanity and that's why it's so easy for us to put a cap. That means shoot one of your brothers or sisters and and go home and eat not on dinner but go to a Wendy's or go to Burger

King or go to McDonald's and eat after you've killed your own brother and sister the loss of our humanity has taken place. Brother and sister and the young sisters you beautiful young sisters today the black woman is the number one conveyor of the AIDS virus. That's what they're telling us. How did you get it where did it come from. People been having sex for millions and millions of years in all kinds of ways and they never come up with this. How come now addresses them wrong. How come. Now we are filled with this virus. Well look at the young boys that are being herded into prison now when they go to prison.

Sometimes they are gang raped. I'm sure you've heard of this and sometimes a strong brother in prison will take the young man and say you be my B and you get by and that means he has to submit to somebody having sex with him. He has to submit to committing oral sex on men he don't want to be a homosexual but he's in a situation he can't even tell his mother Mommy they gang raped me Mommy they are doing this to me. So when he comes out of prison he comes to you his girlfriend. He hadn't seen in 18 months or two years or three years. You know he wants to be close. And so thank you and so that poor fella.

They test him coming into prison to see if he got AIDS. But in some cases they never test them coming out and then they have intercourse with their girlfriends and they're spreading this germ all over. So I'm saying we're in deep trouble brother because there's an equal and opposite reaction. And if you don't think so watch what is done when all of us come into the room and say we are ready now to think and plan for the whole of our people. There are powers that don't want to see that happen. So Brother remember we have enemies. And so when we plan we have to secure what we do because the enemy is trying to take it away. The minute we have it for one one more questions. Good afternoon. My name is Victoria Kirby. I'm a freshman broadcast journalism major. And my question actually refers to what you just spoke about

concerning the situation of our educational system in America in relation to our youth and what can we do in order to help our younger brothers and sisters succeed an institution that stand up to make us fail. Well you answered your question with your last word. The institutions are set up to make us fail. That's the sad travesty not only to make us feel but it seems to me that there's a purposeful dumbing down of the American people. When I graduated from high school in Boston Massachusetts and I want you to hear what I had in terms of knowledge in mathematics. I had algebra plane geometry solid geometry trigonometry and calculus. In science I had physics I had

biology I had chemistry in language I had four years of Latin two years of German two years of Spanish one year of French in history I had ancient history medieval history modern history. When I graduated from grammar school I knew every country on this earth and what those countries produced and their people. So when I graduated from high school and came south to go to a teacher's college I never bought a book in three years because everything that they were teaching I already knew. So now I look at children the day that can read children today that can write children today that are missing so much is because America is being gradually dumbed down. And if I may put it in a sort of a vile way and I don't mean to be vulgar but your heads are

being put into your crotch because everything is sex everything is shaking your backside Everything is this kind of behavior that makes humans to act like the lower animals. And as long as your head is in your crotch you don't see what's happening to the world around you. So this is purpose Lyd done. So what we in the millions more movement want to do is create a new educational paradigm because this one is leaving all of America's children behind. And we believe we can do a better job a better philosophy than doing a better philosophy than Kant and Hegel a better methodology a better psychology than Freud and young. It's time now for black people to step up to the plate and do something new.

But the Scripture says Behold I make all things new. That's what we're going to do with your help. And on that challenge we thank you for a very fascinating interview and we thank our students for some truly informative and very very interesting questions. This has been a very special one session with the remarkable Minister Farrakhan and we thank you for joining us. Thank you. Sister Renee I think this wonderful institution that John H. Johnson School of Journalism. I think all of the students for what they asked in the beauty of what you presented from your faces from your eyes from your hearts. And I pray that something that I have said has touched your heart and will inspire you to be the

best that you can be. Not just for yourself not just for mommy and daddy who sacrificed to bring you here but for your people who need your scholarship to take us to the next level of struggle. God bless you all. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Wonderful. I was great. That was great as usual. I mean it's sad. It's great to hear young people being informed and provocative in terms of their response. But. You know you point out so many challenges that we continue to have. And

I was very pleased to hear about hairiest calling of this council of elders tell me a little bit more about all what he did. When was it was in Atlanta last Sun what went when did we meet in Atlanta or was it last Monday or the first of September. Harry when he saw that little girl Szakal he said like I'm using a word that he didn't use but it was like an epiphany for him. He knew that he had to do something he had to go to jail he had to do something to challenge the system. So he went to the chief of the Onondaga tribe that has been friendly with him over the years. And the chief said when ever we had a problem that we wanted

to solve. We called a meeting of the elders. And so he took that suggestion from the chief and because he has such currency among so many because he has literally helped so many. I didn't realize that Harry Belafonte was the great humanitarian giant that he is. But I mean he's just marvelous. And so he called everybody that he could call and they all respond. And I