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Whole Tape, Whole Truth; Critical Tests Extended; Storms Abating, But Heat Still a Problem Across the Country; Movie Inspires Actor to Reach Out to Real-Life Kids at Risk; Customs Officials Facing Trouble; Turbulence on United Airline Jetliner Injures Passengers; Blagojevich Backs Out of Testifying
Aired July 21, 2010 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: And good morning, everybody. I'm Kyra Phillips.
Contest counts. A USDA ouster over racially charged comments. We've got Shirley Sherrod. This time unedited and without bias.
Talk about tinkering with the truth. This time inside the BP command center. Bustling, urgent, fake. The doctored photos that's dropping jaws.
Rod Blagojevich keeping his lips sealed. That's a first. The outspoken ex-governor promises to testify but now he's backing out.
It's 9:00 a.m. on the East Coast, 6:00 a.m. out west. I'm Krya Phillips. And you're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.
All right, the big question about Shirley Sherrod today is, will she get her job back assuming she wants it? How about it, Mr. Vilsack?
Well, the agriculture secretary seems willing to consider it. The White House agrees this is a case that needs a second look. And here's a statement that he actually made this morning.
"I am, of course, willing and will conduct a thorough review and consider additional facts to ensure to the American people we're providing services in a fair and equitable manner."
Those additional facts are the context of the speech that Sherrod gave in March. Not just the blurb that started this whole mess.
Here's Sherrod's response. "They finally realized it. This is what I've been asking for this entire time because I know what's fair and equitable manner means because of my history.
"I know it more than the secretary because I've worked on the other side of it at the USDA. Rural development included. There's not anyone really as dedicated to it as I am. That's what my life has been. Ensuring that there's fairness and I wouldn't have changed my actions."
This is a story of misunderstanding at best. Manipulation at worst. With elements of racism, knee-jerk reactions, and a CYA attitude mixed in. The truth buried or ignored in all of it.
CNN's Joe Johns walks us through and shows us how we even got to this point.
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: This is a story about race and politics in America's history in the south. The story of the personal journey of Shirley Sherrod.
A top ranking Agriculture Department official in the state of Georgia who gave a speech to the NAACP a few months back and made some personal disclosures about whether she was going to help a white farmer who came to her for help decades ago.
Excerpts of the speech got posted on a conservative Web site and the whole thing went viral. Before you know it Shirley Sherrod's boss, the agriculture secretary, had asked for her resignation.
Sherrod's tale is that excerpt of the tape was taken out of context. That she's not a racist. That she treated the white farmer in the story fairly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHIRLEY SHERROD, FORMER USDA RURAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR: I did not discriminate against him. And in fact, I went all out. I had to -- I had to frantically look for a lawyer at the last minute because the first lawyer we went to was not doing anything to really help him.
In fact, that lawyer suggested they should just let the farm go. All of that process, that's why I tell it because everything that happened in dealing with him -- he was the first white farmer who had come to me for help.
Everything that I did working with him helped me to see that it wasn't about race. It's about those who have and those who don't.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: As it turns out the farmer and his wife, Roger and Eloise Spooner, are on Sherrod's side and became good friends with her, telling CNN that Shirley Sherrod was just like she said, a big help to them when they were in financial trouble.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELOISE SPOONER, FARM OWNER: She put us in touch with a lawyer that knew what to do and he helped us save our farm.
ROGER SPOONER, FARM OWNER: She went with us. She went with us in our car. She asked us, did we want her to go? We definitely wanted her to go. And I don't know what brought up the racist mess.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: And perhaps a thing that added fuel to the fire in this case was Sherrod's assertion that the White House run by the first black president was somehow involved in asking for her resignation.
It's pretty evident that this case could become a political problem for Democrats in an election year if someone hadn't tried to act decisively to put it to rest.
When the Department of Agriculture called for her resignation she says they told her the White House itself wanted it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERROD: They asked me to resign. And in fact, they harassed me as I was driving back to the state office from West Point, Georgia yesterday. I had at least three calls telling me the White House wanted me to resign.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: The agriculture secretary, Tom Vilsack, however, told us that just wasn't the case. And it didn't matter whether Shirley Sherrod felt she'd been taken out of context. What mattered was what she was captured on videotape saying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM VILSACK, AGRICULTURE SECRETARY: I didn't speak to anybody at the White House. When I saw the statements and the context of the statements it -- I determined that it would make it difficult for her to do her job as a real development director and that it would potentially compromise our capacity to close the chapter on civil rights cases.
I didn't want anything to jeopardize her job in terms of getting the job done and getting people work in Georgia. And I certainly didn't want us to have a controversy making it more difficult to turn the page.
So I made this decision, it's my decision. Nobody from the White House contacted me about this at all.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNS: Last night a White House official confirmed to CNN that after Vilsack made his decision Monday President Obama was briefed on it and fully supported the secretary's demand for Sherrod's resignation. And early this morning Secretary Vilsack released a statement indicating he may reconsider Sherrod's resignation.
So we'll look to see how that develops.
Joe Johns, CNN, Washington.
PHILLIPS: So who was among the first and fastest to throw Shirley Sherrod under the bus? The NAACP. The group that you would think would have at least wanted her side of the story first.
Funny how a little context can change everything. Here's what the group's president said last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN JEALOUS, PRES. AND CEO, NAACP: We saw a statement that we believed was a condensed version of the truth. That was, you know, shorter than the actual statement. But true. We responded quickly because -- as we do, in this line of work where we're called to respond to video evidence all the time, that very quick judgments, we -- made a quick set of calls. It was late at night.
As you may recall, our statement came out at 1:00 a.m. that we were dealing with this. We woke up some people in Georgia. We tried to figure out what was going on. We looked at it and we said you know what, there's just no way to condone this.
What we didn't realize is that they had been sliced and diced six ways from Sunday as to completely hide this beautiful story of transformation that you see if you go to our Web site and you look at the full video.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: And here's a little bit more about Shirley Sherrod. More of that context sacrificed for the sake of a sound bite.
This is someone who survived the civil rights movement in the rural south whose life was forever changed by prejudice. Sherrod says white racist killed her father in 1965. Those killers never prosecuted.
She says she decided to stay in South Georgia during that volatile time and work for change. Sherrod and her family were part of a class action lawsuit filed in 1997 against the Agriculture Department. In this claim the department discriminated against black farmers by denying them timely loans or debt help. The suit was settled in 1999.
Shirley Sherrod will be here in studio in just a few minutes with me to talk more about what happened to her in the last few days. Her life has been a whirlwind and a rollercoaster rolled into one.
We're also going to ask her what could be next for her. And we're going to have an unedited talk about race.
That's coming up in about 20 minutes.
It's day 93 and there appears to be a new casualty. The "Times of London" reporting that beleaguered chief executive Tony Hayward will step down within the next 10 weeks. The newspaper sites sources close to the company.
BP strongly denies that report. Hayward has been -- has faced blistering criticism for his early handling of the oil crisis and comments that he made about the disaster monopolizing his life.
Meanwhile at the site of the leak critical tests have been extended and the experts are still weighing their options on how to shut off the gusher permanently. CNN's Rob Marciano joining us live from Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Hey, Rob.
ROB MARCIANO, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Kyra. Yes, so far so good. We're into day six now with that well being capped successfully. There are some minor leaks around some of the gaskets and some seepage outside and away from the well. But at this point the experts and the scientists think that that's not an issue.
So they're going at this on a day-by-day basis. So today being day six, where they're going to keep that cap on, continue to monitor the pressure. It is creeping up slowly. About one pound per square inch per hour. And that's a good sign. I'm told.
There is still some plans in the works to do that top kill or static kill, which is the same thing as a top kill except that now we don't have the oil gushing out. That is still a possibility, although as of calling BP just a few minutes ago, they say they have still no firm plans of that happening today or tomorrow.
But when they do begin to move forward with that, it shouldn't take too long. What they do want to do is put the casing in of the relief well. So that is set to go if this static kill doesn't work.
If they do the static kill, and -- and it works, that's going to actually -- that will help the end relief well sealing or kill there. If it doesn't work, and they notice some leakage, well, that will give some valuable data when they go about doing the actual relief well sealing which still is slated for mid August.
So as far as that is concerned, Kyra, status quo here. We're looking for another briefing from Thad Allen later in the day which may shed some light on when and if they do that static kill later this week.
PHILLIPS: All right, Rob Marciano, live from Gulf Shores there. Appreciate it, Rob.
Well, your money, the president's signature. Later this morning, hopefully we'll see both of them combined. President Obama signing into law the biggest financial reforms in decades.
The Senate passed the massive 2300-page bill by a vote of 60-39. President Obama says it will end taxpayer bailouts.
Republicans disagree saying this will grow big government. But one thing is for sure. This will mean changes to the way you spend money.
First off, putting that $2 cup of coffee on your credit card may be a thing of the past. Stores will be required to require minimum purchases when you use plastic. The rules also clamp down on so- called swipe fees, the fee that banks charge stores when customers use debit cards.
Fewer fees mean less revenue for banks and that could translate to fewer perks like free checking and cash-back rewards. Next up your loans. Banks will really be making sure you can afford it especially when it comes to mortgages. You'll also have annual access to your credit score.
More than 2.5 million out-of-work Americans are one step closer to getting their unemployment benefits restored. Senators voted 60-40 to restart benefits that began running out at the end of May.
It broke a Republican roadblock minutes after swearing in the new senator from West Virginia. The Senate could put its final stamp of approval on that bill today sending it on to the House.
Impeached and on trial for corruption. Illinois ex-governor Rod Blagojevich keeping quiet in the courtroom for now. But we all want to know, will he take the witness stand or not?
JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Plus I'm meteorologist Jacqui Jeras. We're tracking a disturbance in the tropics. What kind of an impact could it have on the United States?
Plus, flooding across parts of the Midwest and the southwest. We'll have the pictures.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Going cross country. Ousted Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich may not take the witness stand after all. For months he's been promising to testify on charges that he tried to sell or trade President Obama's old Senate seat.
But we're heading into day two of the defense. Presenting its case in the trial and that pledge has been cast in doubt by his lawyers. Final decision is expected later this morning.
In Denver, ambulances swarm a tarmac after a United jetliner hit severe turbulence, jolting passengers and crew members, injuring at least 30 people. Fire department says at least one person is seriously hurt but released. No other details. Flight 967 from Washington, DC, to LA was carrying more than 200 people when it hit rough skies, prompting the pilots to divert to Denver
Trying to profit off the astronaut who made one small step for man may prove to be one giant misstep for an airport worker in Boston. A customs official and his friend are facing charges that they failed to file Neil Armstrong's travel documents, then tried to sell them online. The two men could face up to ten years in prison and a quarter million dollar fine.
Some pretty nasty weather developing in the tropics. Jacqui Jeras is checking that for us. Hi, Jacqui.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Kyra.
PHILLIPS: You're so close to me today.
JERAS: I known it is nice. We can talk, right? You know, we are keeping an eye. We've been talking about this since Monday probably at least, what's been going on here. And we've seen some changes. The overnight hours, all of the hours and thunderstorms really diminished and had dry air, which has been moving into the system. So the chances of this developing today, at least over the next 24 hours, has dropped a lot. And the National Hurricane Center has decided they're not going put the hurricane hunters out in it today. They're going to postpone that to tomorrow, when things start to look a little bit more favorable.
But we remain in the high category. A 60 percent chance or better that this could become a tropical depression or maybe in the next tropical storm. Of course, everybody wants know, where is this thing going? Here is the computer model forecast. Every model really brings it up towards the north and west and heading up towards the Bahamas.
There's a lot of wind shear ahead of the system, so it's going to make it difficult for it to develop as it moves through this area. But the further northwest it goes, the conditions become more favorable. That's why we have to keep a very close eye on this system because it could potentially get into the Gulf of Mexico. While at this time it doesn't appear like it's going to become a major system. Of course, as we learned from Alex, though, we could see some problems, perhaps with the oil skimming efforts and things like that.
Now, want to talk about some flooding conditions. We have seen it across parts of the Appalachians last night and in Arizona yesterday. Check out these pictures from the Flagstaff area. It's the monsoon season now in Arizona, so we get heavy thunderstorms, and that falls over dry desert areas and wildfire burn areas. And that brings water on the rise very quickly. Unfortunately a 12-year-old girl was killed in the floodwaters here yesterday. You can see all the homes as well as all the mud across the area.
The flood threat remains high across the Appalachians, Ohio valley as storm systems continue to move this way. And we could also see some of these thunderstorms become severe as it moves through the area as well.
Heat continues, Kyra. I know I sound like a broken record. We've been talking about this for weeks now. But no big changes, unfortunately. When you talk about heat for that long of a period of time, it really becomes troublesome for so many people.
PHILLIPS: Yes. We'll track it. Thanks, Jacqui
The government and even the NAACP ran with a half truth, then threw Shirley Sherrod under the proverbial bus. She will be here with us in the studio in a few minutes to talk about what happened to her over the last couple of days. And we'll have an unedited talk about race. Context included.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: Let's check our top stories. Ex-USDA official Shirley Sherrod says she doesn't know whether she'll go back to her old job. The agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack is giving her ouster a second look after reviewing the full video of Sherrod speaking. The firestorm erupted after a clip appeared to show Sherrod saying that she didn't fully support a poor farmer because he was white.
Day 93 of the Gulf oil disaster. BP's ruptured well is capped, but officials have now found five small leaks. None are believed to pose a significant problem.
President Obama to sign Wall Street reform bill into law today. It will change the way big financial firms do business, and it could change the way you spend money. That includes minimums for credit card purchases and free annual access to your credit score.
Hardships, heartbreak, and the transforming power of love. All the right ingredients for a hit movie, right?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE BLIND SIDE")
LEIGH ANNE: Bike Mike. Why were you going to the gym?
MICHAEL: Because it's warm.
LEIGH ANNE: Do you have any place to stay tonight? Don't you dare lie to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP, "THE BLIND SIDE")
PHILLIPS: That was Hollywood, but this is reality, and actor Quinton Aaron is now playing a real-life role in helping at-risk kids. Hear his story in our AM Extra, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE BLIND SIDE" TRAILER)
STUDENT: Who's the big guy eating with your little brother?
COLLINS: His big brother.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE SPEAKER: I think what you're doing is so great.
ANNOUNCER: Sandra Bullock.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE SPEAKER: You're changing that boy's life.
(END VIDEO CLIP, "THE BLIND SIDE" TRAILER)
PHILLIPS: Transforming lives and transcending hardships. Those are the messages of the hit movie, "The Blind Side." And now, they're the mission of the actor who played the homeless teenager.
For Quinton Aaron, the theme hits close to home, too. He overcame long odds and hard struggles. Now he's hoping to inspire others. He's promoting the nonprofit group Children Uniting Nations, which pairs mentors with at-risk kids and foster children.
John Roberts joins us for our AM Extra. John, you got to speak to the actor and also one of the program's mentees. And I had no idea that Quinton had lost his mother right around the time that he was auditioning for that movie.
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It's a terrible story. His mother had encouraged him to go out for the movie, thought that he would play the part very well. And in fact, he played the part so well, I mean, we saw movie together, Kyra. He has become Michael Oher for me, and at one point in the interview, I accidentally called him Michael instead of Quinton.
After he auditioned for the movie, his mother got very sick and passed away, leaving him to become somewhat of a father figure to his siblings. There was a point where he thought that they couldn't put food on the table, that they were going to get thrown out in the street. Then just when the time seemed most desperate, along came the call saying, "You've got the part in 'The Blind Side.'" Of course, the rest is all history for this once unemployed security guard.
But he discovered as a result of that movie and seeing the way one person, one family, the Tuohys, can change a life so much as they did with Michael Oher, that he said, "Wow, there's real importance here in giving back."
And the young woman that we talked to as well, Beatrice Franklin, said she cried through the entire movie when she saw it. It had a lot of resonance for her and her life story, being kicked around from various relatives to foster homes, eventually into a group home before she found a more permanent place.
But I asked Michael about the impact of losing his mother right at that very sensitive time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUINTON AARON, ACTOR: My mom was my rock. She was with me every step of the way. She's the one that found the role for me in the movie "The Blind Side." She's my biggest supporter, biggest fan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: You know what's interesting, John, listening to Quinton talking about how he did have a great relationship with his mom. But then, looking at Beatrice sitting next to him, who is a foster child, kind of nodding her head and smile. I kind of wonder what was going through her mind. Obviously this program has filled that loss for her.
ROBERTS: Yes. It's had a tremendous impact on her. And I did it again. I called Quinton Michael. As I said, for me, he played such great part in the movie he has become Michael.
When you look at the statistics with foster children, and there are half million of them as of 2006 in this country, only 54 percent of them achieve a high school diploma. Only two percent of them, Kyra, go on to receive a bachelor's degree or higher.
For Beatrice, who struggled while she was in high school, this really was a lifesaver for her, because she improved her grades, she improved her outlook on life. She is now enrolled in Guilford College in Greensboro, South Carolina. And she also realizes, too, as Quinton did -- finally got the name right -- the importance of giving it back. And already, she's paying it forward, and she plans to become a mentor as well. Here's what she told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEATRICE FRANKLIN, MENTEE, CHILDREN UNITING NATIONS PROGRAM: I think that a lot of these kids don't feel like they're worth an education, and I think that just spending five minutes with them, letting them know that their abilities is good and that their talents are good, and that they're worth an education and everything that education can and will provide them with.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTS: And here's how it changed for her and easily it changed for her. She was at one of these mentoring events, and she was sort of just sitting in the corner not doing anything. A couple came along, the ones who eventually took her under their wing, and said, "Come on, come on out of your shell, let's talk about all of this." And it had a tremendously profound influence on her life and really helped to change things for her and, in some ways, turn it around.
PHILLIPS: Not only was the movie inspiring but it's even more inspiring to see Quinton giving back like this and seeing the impact that he's making on foster kids. Thanks, John.
ROBERTS: Absolutely. You bet.
PHILLIPS: A story of misunderstanding at best. Manipulation at worst. With elements of racism, knee-jerk reactions, and a CYA attitude mixed in, the truth buried or ignored in all of it. Coming up, we are talking to the woman at the center of the whole story. Shirley Sherrod. Unedited, right here in Studio Seven.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
PHILLIPS: It's a big day on Wall Street. Big banks say that they're making money, billions of dollars, in fact. And Apple reported its best quarter ever. The fed chief, it's going to get the latest assessment on the economy.
And Carter Evans is following all of that for us at the New York Stock Exchange.
Hey, Carter.
CARTER EVANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra. We're going to hear from Ben Bernanke later this afternoon. In the meantime, earnings of the focus and the results are actually pretty good. Big banks are making big money again. Wells Fargo made more than $3 billion last quarter. Credit losses are easing over at Morgan Stanley as well. We're seeing quarterly profits there of nearly $1.5 billion. And that's a whole lot better than the loss it posted last year. Morgan says the market environment is still very tough, but the Wall Street reform bill that the president is going to sign later this morning will help restore some trust in the industry.
Wells Fargo shares right now are up about 5.5 percent. Morgan Stanley shares are up 8 percent. And it's not just the banks. Apple posted its best quarter ever, as you said. Sales hit a record of, get this, nearly $16 billion in just three months. Apple sold more than 3 million iPads and another 3 million Mac computers. IPhone sales actually disappointing, sold more than 8 million of those, but only because Apple can't make the smart phone fast enough to beat demand with the iPhone 4. Apple's shares right now are up about 5 percent.
Roll that all together and it's a much needed reminder that even though the economy is still facing very strong head winds, some major companies are doing very well. And here's how it all looks in the early going. The Dow is currently up about 30 points. The Nasdaq is up about 11 points. Hopefully, we can keep those gains throughout the day. I'll check back in with you a little later -- Kyra.
PHILLIPS: Sounds good, Carter. Thanks so much.
Racist, prejudice, out of touch, and just 24 hours, Shirley Sherrod has been viciously attacked from every end of the political and ethnic spectrum. Unfair and outrageous accusations against an African-American woman who says she's been fighting for civil rights her entire life. You probably heard her story. You've probably seen the video clips. Key word here. If you watched the former USDA official address members of the NAACP this way, you probably would think she was a racist.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHIRLEY SHERROD, FMR. GA DIR., RURAL DEVELOPMENT, USDA: I was struggling with the fact that so many black people had lost their livelihoods. And here I was faced with having to help a white person save their land. So, I didn't give him the full force of what I could do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: OK. It sounds offensive, right? Well, here's the problem. That's what happens when you manipulate the message. Tinker with the truth and twist it. How about we tell you what Shirley Sherrod really meant. It's kind of funny because this part of the speech never made the conservative blog the first time around.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERROD: Twenty-five years ago, I couldn't stand here and say what I'm saying, what I will say to you tonight. Like I told you, God helped me to see that it's not just about black people. It's about poor people. And I've come a long way. I knew that I couldn't do it with hate, you know. As my mother has said to so many, if we had tried to live with hate in our hearts, we'd probably be dead now. But I come to realize that we have to work together, and, you know, sad that we don't have room for the white and blacks here tonight because we have to overcome the divisions that we have.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: That's right. Shirley Sherrod was actually preaching not living with hate, overcoming divisions among races, and that's exactly we're going to talk about this morning. Shirley's non-edited message. Great to see you.
SHERROD: Good to see you.
PHILLIPS: Boy, your life has changed in 24 hours.
SHERROD: It certainly has.
PHILLIPS: But it's going to end up being a good thing, wouldn't you say?
SHERROD: I think so. You know, when we look at all -- what's happened in the last 24 hours, the truth is out there. And people are beginning to see just what happened, how they were manipulated and to thinking one thing when it was really something else. I think it will make us all conscious of how quick we come to judge.
PHILLIPS: Let's have -- let's do this right, OK? Your speech. It was actually a story about redemption.
SHERROD: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Decades ago, you did have these racist feelings?
SHERROD: Yes.
PHILLIPS: But you had a revelation, and you wanted to tell members of the NAACP about that revelation. Let me ask you, why did you feel you needed to tell those members this story?
SHERROD: I tried to use my life because that's what -- you know, when you look at where I've come from, you know, it's just not telling them this is what you need to do. It's really showing them where I have come to to get to a place where I don't need to look at the color of a person's skin to determine whether or not I can help them or will help them.
PHILLIPS: And you know, that's bold to be able to say this is how I did feel. And this is what I did when I felt that way, but hold on, I did change. You talked so much about your past. Let's go back once again a few decades, OK? And your father allegedly killed by racist farmers. That farmer never indicted, we should point out. But that hate crime triggered a huge movement in Baker County.
SHERROD: Yes, it did.
PHILLIPS: Tell me about the murder of your father, and how that impacted you and your thought process.
SHERROD: You know, that was a time in my life just like these last two days when it just seemed so unreal to have our father there, you know, my mother was not much older than I am. She is about 16 years older. You know, he had six girls. There were five daughters. And our mother during the -- during the -- during his lifetime. He was just the perfect father. So compassionate. So much there for his girls. To have his life taken away from us was so tragic at the time. And I'm the oldest of -- there are six. You know, my father always wanted a son. He had -- kept having all these girls.
So, there were five of us. They stopped. And then during my senior year of high school, he convinced my mother just one more time for this son. And that's -- I found out she kept getting sick. And my best friend told me one day at school -- she asked, she said, how's your mom? I said she's not getting any better. She said, girl, your mother is pregnant. Your daddy was at the store yesterday giving out cigars. He told everyone this was his son and, in fact, it was, but he didn't live to see him. The son was -- I mean, my father was murdered two months before my brother was born.
And my brother was actually born on the day I graduated from high school. And then during that month, we started with the help of the student on violent coordinating committee being led by the person who later became my husband, Charles Sherrod. We started the Baker County Movement. And Baker County had a particularly bad sheriff during those years. They --
PHILLIPS: Not surprising.
SHERROD: Yes. They called him the gator. He liked being called the gator. We had to actually face the gator during the summer of 1965. There was bloody Saturday. People don't hear about that. But there was bloody Saturday in Baker County where when the march went to the courthouse, there were all of these white men with chains and ax handles, and the person who murdered my daddy was one of them. You know, beating the people who were there to march.
And there were many, many times when we had some very, very scary times as we worked to bring change in Baker County during the summer. And then in September of that year, I went away. I didn't go far. My intent was to go to, you know, to the north, to college. But after what happened, I didn't know whether I would get to go to college at all but ended up going to Ft. Valley. And calling home in September and found that a group of white men, the Klan, that included the sheriff, were burning a cross in front of our home. You know, in the house was my mother, my four sisters and my little baby brother.
PHILLIPS: And can I ask you, was it the murder of your father, was it the cross burning, was it the Klan members that you saw walking through the town with those chains, is that what created that hatred? Is that what led to that moment you talked about in that speech?
SHERROD: That was all part of it, and some things that happened even before. I can remember being in high school and back in those days, they have they called a visiting teacher. You know, segregated school there in Baker County. And I can see it just like it was yesterday. The visiting teacher who was white coming in and taking over the classroom from the teacher and putting words up on the board and making us pronounce them until we pronounced them like she did as if we were not being taught. And as if we couldn't talk. You know, unless, we talked the way she did. I can think of many, many other incidents.
PHILLIPS: So, it's interesting listening to this background, listening to what happened to your family, I could understand. I think anyone could understand where that just the frustration, the hatred, would build. Yet, you ended up working for the same organization that at that time had the same racist views. Black farmers were being treated so unfairly, totally being thrown under the bus, but your whole attitude changed about white people and even this organization, you ended up working for this organization. I mean, what -- that's so ironic. How did that happen? How did that turn around?
SHERROD: When you look at the fact that I spent years helping farmers and others trying to access programs through the very agency I ended up working for and having to manage some of the very people who actually did some of those acts, you know, in the early years. You know, but I felt that I worked on the issues from where I was, outside of the agency, and I felt being in the agency, this gave me a chance to try to bring some of the changes I felt needed to happen from that level.
I needed to make sure the staff and everyone else knew that this was an agency where everyone had equal access. I don't think that was -- most people don't even know what Rural Development in Georgia does. This is one agency that could build a whole city, you know, because we deal with all -- you know, hospitals, homes, you know, just -- getting people into decent and affordable homes, you know. So much can happen from that agency with the right person being at the head of it. And I felt because of what I've been through, I was the -- I was a person who was right for the time.
PHILLIPS: That could make that difference. You mentioned that you manage -- ended up managing people that had treated you and your family unfairly years back which leads me to the question, the farmer, Cal Hall, who was accused of killing your father. Did you ever end up talking to him, his family, having interaction? Did you ever find peace with that family?
SHERROD: No. We didn't. Not at all. I was told, as I remember, he died of cancer some years later. And I think when he was near his death bed, I think he wanted to try to talk to my mother's brother or someone. I don't think that ever happened.
PHILLIPS: I'm just having visions of Emmet Till and what that family went through. So, your father, (INAUDIBLE) because I want to bring it back to that, he would be so proud of you.
SHERROD: Yes, he would.
PHILLIPS: Today. What do you -- I mean, I'm sure that everything that you've been through and how you got to this point is so much in his honor and his death had -- really breathed new life into you and now look at how this has all come. Do you even think that if it got to this point that you'd even be able to make the difference that you're making now? I mean, you're on your way. You have a national audience now to tell your message.
SHERROD: Yes.
PHILLIPS: And to talk about his life and what happened in your past.
SHERROD: This is something I've always -- to talk about his life and what happened to him was one of my goals from way back when I made the decision.
PHILLIPS: I love the picture that we have of him as well. Got here. We probably have been looking at it. There it is, right there. I love this picture. It's just -- you can just tell that -- the love in his face. Continue. You've been wanting to tell his story. You've been wanting to write a book.
SHERROD: Yes. You know, because he -- he was a person who looked out for the entire community. They are individuals who would tell you back in that day a lot of people didn't have vehicles to ride in and the kids' activities at school, my father would go around with the truck, picking up in our community, taking people to school.
He was very active in the community. And he was just great, you know, a great person for us and all of these girls. We all had boys' nicknames because he wanted a son so bad.
PHILLIPS: Boy he really did, what was your nickname?
SHERROD: My name was Bill.
PHILLIPS: OK. OK, Bill.
So as we wrap up here, I have to ask you this, would you go back and work for the USDA if -- if Secretary Vilsack said, "Shirley I'm sorry, we want you back"?
SHERROD: You know, my first reaction was I'm just not so sure, I don't know. I have been receiving calls. I received a call this morning from the President of the NAACP in Douglas, Georgia, where I made that speech.
And he said I just called you to say I wish you would consider if they offer going back. He said, I think you can do even more for us at this point. I hadn't looked at it in that light.
PHILLIPS: NAACP, is it still relevant? I mean, they were the first ones not to have your back. And this is the organization that is supposed to have your back. You would think they would have looked at the whole tape.
SHERROD: Yes. You know, and maybe for those at the national level, it doesn't mean to them what it does for those at the local level. And I know for some of them it means so much to have the NAACP as an organization in their community.
PHILLIPS: Well, it has been a pleasure talking with you this morning.
And by the way I do want to mention this is now giving you a platform to write about your father. And I know a lot of people are going to be eager. Have you -- have you gotten a publisher yet?
SHERROD: No, I don't. But I would love to be able to do that.
PHILLIPS: Well --
SHERROD: People have been asking me for years, knowing my story, when are you going to write your book? And I have always said I don't have time.
PHILLIPS: Well, I tell you what, we have a blog, CNN.com/Kyra. And we have all kinds of fascinating people that write in to our blog.
SHERROD: Yes.
PHILLIPS: I'm sure there are many publishers out there. So I'm going to go ahead and plug it right now. Shall we? Let's -- let's just say --
SHERROD: Ok.
PHILLIPS: -- are there any publishers out there? How about any fantastic organizations that would love to have Shirley come head your group?
What the heck, let's go for it, let's see who writes in. Let's see -- let's see -- what -- what kind of feedback we get.
But -- but what a pleasure to talk with you. And what a pleasure to see something so nasty and so awful turn into such a beautiful thing.
SHERROD: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Because now you have a forum to really get your message out there.
SHERROD: Yes.
PHILLIPS: And your background is amazing. And it's sweet justice, wouldn't you say?
SHERROD: Yes, it is. And thank you. Thank you. You are the one to help get it started. So thank you.
PHILLIPS: Well it's -- it is my honor. And it's something that -- that me -- my team and I believe strongly in. And that's civil rights. SHERROD: Yes.
PHILLIPS: Thanks, Shirley.
SHERROD: Thank you.
PHILLIPS: Very, very much.
SHERROD: Ok.
PHILLIPS: All right.
We'll be back in a moment.
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PHILLIPS: Checking top stories: day 93 of the Gulf oil disaster. BP's ruptured well capped but officials have now found five small leaks. None are believed to pose any significant problems at this point.
President Obama to sign Wall Street Reform Bill into law today, it'll change the way big financial firms do business and it could change the way you spend money, that includes minimums for credit card purchases and pre annual access to your credit scores.
Ousted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich may not take the witness stand after all. For months he's been promising to testify on charges that he tried to sell or trade President Obama's old senate seat. But we're heading into day of the defense presenting its case on the trial and that pledge that's casting doubts by his lawyers. A final decision is expected later this morning.
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PHILLIPS: Flash back, 1873, where had you to keep an eye out for an ambush, at least the notorious Jesse James and his gang were hanging around. On this day, they outlaw staged the world's first robbery of a moving train. It happened near Adair, Iowa, and the story goes like this.
Early in July, the gang learned that $75,000 in gold was to come through Adair, but somehow the gold shipment got delayed, so the bandits only got away with $3,000, $2,000 from the train's safe and the rest taken from the passengers.
Still a lot going on with CNN NEWSROOM, here's what we're working on to the next hour. Let's go ahead and begin with Patricia Wu in New York. Hey Patricia.
PATRICIA WU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi Kyra.
President Obama is scheduled to sign the landmark financial reform bill in less than two hours. What does it mean for you? From credit cards to mortgages, big changes are coming.
And we'll break them down in the next hour.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, Kyra. We've been watching that tropical disturbance for a couple of days now and it's really weakened since the overnight hour. However, don't write it off just yet. We'll have the latest on what's expected and where it's going coming up in your forecast.
PHILLIPS: Understood. Thanks Jacqui.
The man convicted of a terror attack on Pan Am flight 103, killing 270 people in Lockerbie, Scotland released. Remember the scene? Outraged people around the world. Now, U.S. senators are investigating what happened.
We're going to talk to one senator leading that charge in our next hour.
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