Bill Clinton on Being Called ‘The First Black President’: ‘I Took it as a Great Compliment’

EXCERPT:

CLINTON: "You know, when my Toni Morrison said that -- "

BOOKER: "I mean, if Toni Morrison said it, it is true."

(Laughter)

CLINTON: "I mentioned he said it. You know, it was about — it was halfway serious and halfway making fun of me. We'll talk and kind of [inaudible] around. But I took it as a great compliment. It wasn't that I owe it to my ancestors because I grew up in a white, southern, working-class family where my grandfather owned a country store and all of his customers were black, and he loved them and they loved him.”