Obama: ‘I Move Back and Forth Between the Racial Divides’

CROWLEY Do you think ░░░░░░░░ you look at race ░░░░░░░░ somewhat differently because yes ░░░░░░░░ re the first African ░░░░░░░░ president but your mother ░░░░░░░░ white OBAMA Right CROWLEY ░░░░░░░░ were raised by your ░░░░░░░░ and your white grandparents ░░░░░░░░ Yes CROWLEY Does that ░░░░░░░░ you a different perspective ░░░░░░░░ you think OBAMA I ░░░░░░░░ it probably does I ░░░░░░░░ know I wrote a ░░░░░░░░ book about this and ░░░░░░░░ s no doubt that ░░░░░░░░ know I move back ░░░░░░░░ forth between the racial ░░░░░░░░ not just black white ░░░░░░░░ Asian and Latino and ░░░░░░░░ know I ve got ░░░░░░░░ lot of cultural influences ░░░░░░░░ I think what it ░░░░░░░░ do for me is ░░░░░░░░ recognize that most Americans ░░░░░░░░ good intentions I said ░░░░░░░░ little bit about this ░░░░░░░░ the press conference earlier ░░░░░░░░ I assume the best ░░░░░░░░ than the worst in ░░░░░░░░ But it also makes ░░░░░░░░ mindful of the fact ░░░░░░░░ there s misunderstanding there ░░░░░░░░ mistrust and there are ░░░░░░░░ both overt and sometimes ░░░░░░░░ that operate in ways ░░░░░░░░ disadvantage minority communities And ░░░░░░░░ s a carryover There ░░░░░░░░ a long legacy in ░░░░░░░░ country that has gotten ░░░░░░░░ better but is still ░░░░░░░░ And when you look ░░░░░░░░ what s happened in ░░░░░░░░ enforcement across the country ░░░░░░░░ the last several years ░░░░░░░░ s not news to ░░░░░░░░ Americans What s different ░░░░░░░░ simply that some of ░░░░░░░░ s now videotaped and ░░░░░░░░ see it and the ░░░░░░░░ then becomes you know ░░░░░░░░ practical steps can we ░░░░░░░░ to solve this problem ░░░░░░░░ I believe that the ░░░░░░░░ majority of white Americans ░░░░░░░░ well as African Americans ░░░░░░░░ to see this problem ░░░░░░░░ So I have confidence ░░░░░░░░ by surfacing these issues ░░░░░░░░ re going to be ░░░░░░░░ to make progress on ░░░░░░░░ CROWLEY I asked because ░░░░░░░░ I listened to Tavis ░░░░░░░░ talk about your BET ░░░░░░░░ and he said The ░░░░░░░░ should stop telling black ░░░░░░░░ to wait He should ░░░░░░░░ telling us that it ░░░░░░░░ time He should stop ░░░░░░░░ it s different from ░░░░░░░░ years ago Go tell ░░░░░░░░ to the parents of ░░░░░░░░ dead children And I ░░░░░░░░ does that come in ░░░░░░░░ you does that hurt ░░░░░░░░ you think They don ░░░░░░░░ get me I mean ░░░░░░░░ I feel like this ░░░░░░░░ difficult to be president ░░░░░░░░ all the United States ░░░░░░░░ yet have so much ░░░░░░░░ of you OBAMA No ░░░░░░░░ you know if I ░░░░░░░░ too much time worrying ░░░░░░░░ my critics I d ░░░░░░░░ not getting a lot ░░░░░░░░ stuff done here You ░░░░░░░░ there s no reason ░░░░░░░░ folks to be patient ░░░░░░░░ m impatient That s ░░░░░░░░ in the wake of ░░░░░░░░ happened in Ferguson and ░░░░░░░░ happened in New York ░░░░░░░░ ve initiated task forces ░░░░░░░░ in 90 days are ░░░░░░░░ to be providing very ░░░░░░░░ recommendations On the other ░░░░░░░░ I think an unwillingness ░░░░░░░░ acknowledge that progress has ░░░░░░░░ made cuts off the ░░░░░░░░ of further progress If ░░░░░░░░ critics want to suggest ░░░░░░░░ America is inherently and ░░░░░░░░ racist then why bother ░░░░░░░░ working on it I ░░░░░░░░ seen change in my ░░░░░░░░ life So has this ░░░░░░░░ And those who would ░░░░░░░░ that I think actually ░░░░░░░░ the possibility of further ░░░░░░░░ rather than advancing it.”