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CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE OF REENTERING COMMUNITIES AFTER SERVING TIME IN PRISONS AND JAILS. BUT FIRST UP, BREE NEWSOME BASS, IT BUT RIGHTS ACTIVIST WHO ENTERED THE SPOTLIGHT WHEN SHE CLIMBED A FLAG PE OLTHE SOUTH CAROLINA CAPITOL ON JUNE 27, 2015 TO REMOVE A CONFEDERATE FL.AG THE SUPPORTERS OF THE FLAG SAY IT HONORS SOUTHERN HERITAGE AND SOLDIERS. BUT AS A SYMBOL OF THE CONFEDERACY, IT IS A REMINDER OF SYSTEMIC OPPRESSION AND RACIAL SUBROGATION. REMOVING THE FLAG CHANGED THE POWER PARADIGM. HER ACTION WAS A CLEAR STATEMENT THAT SYMBOLS OF OPPRESSION HAVE NO PLACE IN A 21ST-CENTURY AMERICA. >> MY NAME IS BREE NEWSOME BASS, AND I AM AN ARTIST AND ACTIVIST. I FEEL LIKE TENSIONS WERE BUILDING OVER THE COURSE OF A COUPLE OF YEARS. BY THE TIME WE REACHED JUNE OF, 2015, THE TRAYVON MARTIN CASE IN PARTICULAR WAS VERY PIVOTAL. THEN WE HAD BACK-TO-BACK CASES OF UNARMED BLACK PEOPLE BEING KILLED BY POLICE. THEN DYLAN ROOF WALKED INTO EMMANUEL AMEHU CRCH IN CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, SAT DOWN AT A PRAYER MEETING, AND SHOT AND KILLED NENI BLACK PARISHIONERS DURING THE PRAYER MEETING. AND ITAS W SHOCKING IN ITS VIOLENCE,N I ITS BRUTALITY AND SHEER RACISM. SO IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE KILLINGS AT CHARLESTON, WE HAD THIS HORRIFIC VISUAL WHERE THE U.S. FLAG WAS LOWERED TO HALF STAFF IN THE CAPITOL, ABOUT THE CONFEDERATE FLAG WAS STILL AT THE TOP OF THE POLE. SO WHEN I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER ACTIVISTS ON THE WAY TO TAKE THE FLAG DOWN, I SAID, YES, THIS IS SOMETHING I DEFINITELY WANT TO DO. [SHOUTING] GET OFF THE POLE! BREE: I OUTHGHT I WOULD BE ABLE TO WAIT IN SILENCE, BUT ONCE THE POLICE SHOWED UP AND THEY WERE YELLING AT ME TO COME DOWN. I COULD NOBET SILENT. AND SO I SAID TO THEM "THIS IS IN NONVIOLENT ACTION. I AM PREPARED TO BE ARRESTED." BUT I ALSO STARTED TO PRAY OUT LOUD. OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN HALLOWED BE THY NAME -- I WAS MOTIVATED IN PART BY THE PRAYERS OF MY GRE,AT GREAT, GREAT GRANDMOTHER WHO WAS ENSLAVED IN SOHUT CAROLINA. I WAS TOLD HOW SHE PRAYED FOR HER CHILDREN TO BE FREE. I THINK EVERY GENERATION HAS TWO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TIME THAT IT HOLDS. A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THINGS LIKE RACISM, THERE’S A LOT OF POINTING TO THE PAST, BUT IT IS NOT JUST SOMETHING TO HELP IN THE PAST, IT IS HAPPENING EVERYDAY. SOMETHING THAT IS ONLY HELD UP BY COLLECTIVE DECISIONS AND CHOICES. IT’S ONE THING TO SAY, LOOK AT THE ME WESS INHERITED, BOTH THEN WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? ARE YOU GOING TO HANDLITE NOW, OR PASS IT TO THE GENERATION AFTER YOU? PARTF O WHAT DRIVES ME TO CONTINUE TAKING A STAND IS THAT I LYON HAVE THE FREEDOMS AND RIGHTS THAT I HAVE BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLE TOOK A STAND THAT COST THEM SO MUCH MORE THAN IT HAS COST ME. AND I AMPLY DON’T BELIEVE YOU CAN GO WRONG IF YOU DO THE RIGHT THING. IN THE END, HISTORY WILL REDEEM ME. [APPLAUS