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Mitt Romney Delivered his Foreign Policy Speech in Israel; All Eyes Now on Team USA Olympic Swimmers; Couple's Wedding Cancelled by the Church

Aired July 29, 2012 - 22:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This was -- had not -- had never been done here before.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN HOST (voice-over): What he's referring to is this, a black couple getting married in their church.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He had people in the sanctuary that was pitching a fit.

FEYERICK: Just 48 hours before saying "I do," the church bans the wedding. The couple joins us live tonight.

And laughter in the midst of pain, an emotional interview with the parents of a Colorado shooting victim.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're already moving into celebration mode for Alex Sullivan, and nobody's ever going to forget him.

FEYERICK: Then a first for the U.S. and the Olympics.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Hello. I'm Deborah Feyerick in the CNN World headquarters, in tonight for don Lemon. Let's get you up to speed on some of the day's headlines.

The Colorado suspect linked to that massed shooting spree back in court in just a couple of hours. James Holmes expected to be formally charged with 12 counts of first-degree murder, 58 others were injured. Court documents filed Friday showed Holmes was a patient of University of Colorado's psychiatrist before the attack. A live report from the courthouse is just ahead.

This is Jerusalem, the old city Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney praying at the holy site. Romney met some Israeli leaders today and raised eyebrows when he said Israel's capital is Jerusalem and that if elected, he would support moving the American embassy there. Romney also left no guessing where he stands on Israel's defense against Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We recognize Israel's right to defend itself and that it is right for America to stand with you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Full details on Romney's day in Jerusalem coming up in a moment.

Defense secretary Leon Panetta says the battle for Aleppo will be another nail in President Bashar Al-Assad's coffin. Government troops are battling the free Syrian army in the country's biggest city. The U.N. says some 200,000 people have fled Aleppo and surrounding areas in just the past two days.

Another busy action-packed day for athletes at the London Olympics. The U.S. men's swim team took silver, losing out to France in the 4 by 100 meter relay. In basketball, the U.S. men beat France, 98-71. And American swimmer Dana Vollmer set a world record. She became the first woman to swim the 100 meter butterfly in under 56 seconds.

Seven people were killed today in Arizona when a tractor trailer crossed over a median and slammed into a van. All the victims were in the van. The truck's driver and his wife are both hospitalized in serious condition. The accident happened on interstate 10 near phoenix.

A missing 12-year-old Arkansas girl has been found safe after police discovered the bodies of the couple she lived with. Amber Withlow (ph) was found with her 33-year-old brother, now a suspect in her abduction as well as a double homicide. The girl is believed to be either the daughter or granddaughter of the deceased couple.

And if you feel like you're paying more at the pump, well, it is not your imagination. The price of a gallon of gas has gone up by a dime past two weeks to $3.51 a gallon. That's according to the Lundberg survey and reversed it three months slide. The highest average measured price was on Long Island, New York, at $3.83 a gallon.

Well, we're telling a love story tonight here on CNN. A man and a woman, they met, they fell in love, and before you knew it, they're going to the chapel, just like the way it's supposed to happen, except one thing.

Here's the bride and groom two Saturdays ago, the day they walked down the aisle. But at the very last minute, Charles and Te'Andrea Wilson had to change venues. They want to get married at their home church. First Baptist church of Crystal Springs, Mississippi. Well, that turned out to be a problem for some people. Charles and T'Andrea are live with me now from Jackson, Mississippi.

First of all, congratulations. Didn't exactly happen the way you expected it to. You did eventually get married, but not where you wanted to.

Charles, take over the story from here. You're two days from your wedding in your home church. What happens?

CHARLES WILSON, DENIED WEDDING BECAUSE OF HIS RACE: Well, basically we were told that my wife was called and said because of the fact that we were black, so many members of the congregation got upset and decided no black couple would ever be married at that church. And as she informed me, I decided to come home and comfort her.

FEYERICK: In all your time in this church and I know that your wife had been a member there for more than a year. Her father, her uncle, also members. In all that time at the church, did you or she ever feel unwelcome?

CHARLES WILSON: Ma'am, honestly, I felt at home. I can honestly say that. I felt that I was in the right place serving the Lord with the right people. I felt that I couldn't wait to join the church. I couldn't wait to come back to Sunday school. I would talk about the church everywhere I go and tell people how much I enjoyed the people, the pastor, and the whole congregation. And I was devastated.

FEYERICK: Te'Andrea, do you know who complained about your wedding? Do you know any of these people personally?

T'ANDREA WILSON, DENIED WEDDING BECAUSE OF HER RACE: No, ma'am. I actually do not, but I do know Dr. Stan personally, the pastor of the church, but none of the members.

FEYERICK: Were you surprised that the pastor did not stand up to really what amounted to a handful of congregants saying you shouldn't be married in that church?

T'ANDREA WILSON: Yes, ma'am, I was. I was very devastated. It really hurt me very badly because I had dreams of having my wedding the way I wanted it, and I also dreamed of having it at the church. And unfortunately, it didn't happen. So I was very devastated and in turmoil and just very hurt.

FEYERICK: I want you to listen to this reaction from members of your church today in Crystal Springs. Let's take a quick listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm hoping the church body will address this, but myself personally, I would like to apologize to the Wilsons, to their family and friends and the entire black community because this has happened.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These are some great people and a great church. I don't see nothing. You know, what they saying are true. I love these people. They love me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have basically been betrayed as a racist church. We're not. We welcome anybody that wants to come through those doors.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would say I'm sorry this happened. And would you forgive the people who caused it because we're going to try to.

(END VIDEO CLIP) FEYERICK: So Mr. And Mrs. Wilson, let me ask you, can you forgive these people? I mean, clearly, Mrs. Wilson, you had an idea of how you wanted your wedding to be, and then just days before you're supposed to be walking down the aisle, you must have been crushed.

T'ANDREA WILSON: Yes, ma'am, I was, very crushed. I couldn't think straight. I mean, I couldn't even sleep right that night.

FEYERICK: It seems like you had a lot of support from other members of the congregation, those who you just heard who said this never should have happened, that it's not a racist congregation. That was just a small group of people who made a terrible decision by having the reverend do this. What is it you want? Do you plan to go back to that church?

CHARLES WILSON: Well, me, myself, ma'am, let me say this. I'm sorry to interrupt my wife, but I have to say that I listened to what you said about the congregation and all those people that was sorry.

We're God fearing people. We love Jesus. We are Christians. And my thing -- what I would say to those people and everyone else that's listening to what we're talking about is that why didn't though people stand up in the beginning? If it was such a minority of people, why didn't the majority stand up and say, in God's house, we don't do this?

So it's easy to come back now when the news has focused on this and say -- secondhand guess what you would have done or what you would have said. But that was the time to say it was the day before we get married. That was the time to step up and be Christ like.

FEYERICK: And we were seeing some pictures of you and your wife there getting married. It was not the church you originally chose. It was the pastor. The pastor did do the ceremony. Do you have any legal recourse here? Is it against the law to deny somebody a wedding ceremony, certainly at a church where they thought they were welcome?

CHARLES WILSON: Well, honestly, we can't talk about the legal recourse. I mean, we just can't do that. I just know that morally it was wrong. It was completely wrong. And a lot of people can say right now today that they don't understand why we're going after them, what we're doing.

But, what if it was your daughter, your niece, your aunt, your mother? What if it was your husband, your nephew, your cousin? All we wanted to do in the eyes of God was be man and wife in a church that we thought we felt loved. What was wrong with that?

We have a 3-year-old son and a 9 -year-old daughter. And I have to explain to my 9-year-old, who's very much aware of what goes on. She went to church there. What happened? So tell me, why are we so wrong for pushing what was right?

FEYERICK: All right. Well, Charles and T'Andrea, thank you very, very much. We appreciate hearing what happened. Well, congratulations on the wedding that did happen. Thank you very joining us tonight.

T'ANDREA WILSON: Thank you.

CHARLES WILSON: Thank you.

FEYERICK: Up next, a side of Mitt Romney few of us have seen.

Plus, this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All these people thought -- we're already moving into celebration mode for Alex Sullivan, and nobody's ever going to forget him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: The fight for the White House goes overseas. Republican Mitt Romney was in Jerusalem today touring holy sites and plunging head first into one of the most divisive issues of the Middle East conflict.

CNN's Jim Acosta is there.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Mitt Romney stuck to his pledge not to criticize the president here in Jerusalem, but he did draw some big contrast with Mr. Obama.

The main headline from the speech his call for Jerusalem to be the undisputed capital of Israel. That's something no other U.S. president has ever called for. It's also a position that could enflame tensions in this region should Romney become president.

Now, the other headline from this speech, Romney issued a stern warning to Iran should that country continue to develop nuclear weapons. Here's a portion from Romney's speech.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMNEY: Make no mistake. The ayatollahs in Tehran are testing our moral defenses. They want to know who will object and who will look the other way. My message to the people of Israel and the leaders of Iran is one in the same. We will not look away, nor will my country ever look away from our passion and commitment to Israel.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: After a bruising week for Romney in Britain, his campaign offered up a new optic to voters back home. That was of Romney and his wife visiting the western wall here in Jerusalem. That is one of the Jewish religion's most sacred sites. Romney paused to pray and then left a note in one of the wall's cracks. Now next up for Romney, he holds a fundraiser here in Jerusalem before he heads off to the last leg of his trip, Poland.

Jim Acosta, CNN. Jerusalem.

FEYERICK: And also traveling this weekend, the secretary of defense, Leon Panetta.

CNN's pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr is in North Africa.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Defense secretary Leon Panetta made it clear on this trip to North Africa and the Middle East, he is not stepping into presidential politics, telling reporters he won't talk about Mitt Romney's views on the possibility of Israel attacking Iran. But Panetta, of course, has an opinion.

LEON PANETTA, DEFENSE SECRETARY: I'm not going to comment on what political candidates say or don't say. But with regards to, you know, where Israel is right now, my view is that they have not made any decisions with regards to Iran.

STARR: Panetta now believes Israel is less likely to bomb Iranian nuclear sites in the near future. He will again reassure the Israelis on this trip that the U.S. is doing everything it can on the diplomatic front. But Panetta also made it clear that the U.S./Israeli partnership also means no options are off the table.

PANETTA: My goal, frankly, is to strengthen that partnership so that, you know, we can -- we can be fully prepared to deal with any contingency that may happen.

STARR: But overshadowing the secretary's entire trip, urgent worries about the security of Syria's chemical weapons. And Panetta acknowledged that the U.S. is using other countries in the region to gather the latest intelligence on the security at those Syrian weapons sites.

PANETTA: I don't want to go into, you know, particulars with regards to you know, some of the more specific steps that we're taking. But I think it's fair to say that we have been in very close consultation with Jordanians, with Turkey, with other allies in the region to ensure that we are closely monitoring the situation.

STARR: As defense secretary Leon Panetta arrived here in North Africa at his first stop in Tunisia, he said the fighting in Aleppo, Syria, is now so bad that he believes in his words it will become the nail in Assad's coffin and the Assad regime is coming to an end.

Barbara Starr, CNN. Tunis.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Thank you, Barbara. Well, the man accused in the Colorado Theater shooting is in court tomorrow. A live report on what's expected coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: The Colorado suspect linked to a shooting rampage at a movie theater is due in court tomorrow. James Holmes is expected to be formally charged in the case. Twelve people died, 58 others were injured.

Dave Mattingly joins us live outside the courthouse.

And Dave, what are we expecting tomorrow?

DAVID MATTINGLY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Deborah, tomorrow the prosecution is going to set the tone with how this case is going to be heading through the courts here in Colorado.

What we're expecting to hear with 12 people killed, that's 12 potential premeditated murder charges we could hear tomorrow. Fifty eight wounded in that theater could mean dozens of potential attempted of murder charges.

We're also going to be watching closely to see if there's any sort of decision made about the mysterious package the alleged killer sent to his psychiatrist at the University of Colorado. That package now in the possession of authorities. The defense says that could contain privileged communication between a patient and his doctor and may not be released into evidence. So, we are going to see if the judge is going to rule on this if he allows the contents of that package into evidence, and if so, how.

FEYERICK: And, David, police say Holmes had rigged his apartment. We saw that dramatic video of them going in there, searching for explosives. What types of charges could that bring because that also was designed to hurt people?

MATTINGLY: That's right. Not just hurt people, but according to authorities who actually went in there, that was a room that was rigged to kill people, anyone who came through that door. Remember, he had multiple improvised explosive devices inside, trip wires all over the place. And he had a device set up so that it was playing very loud music, almost trying to entice people or to bait people to come knock on that door and possibly try to gain entry to see what was going on.

It seemed like he was setting that up to not only give someone some serious injuries but possibly kill them as well. So there could be state, possibly federal charges coming out of that as well.

FEYERICK: And David, another heartbreaking tragedy today. Ashley Mosier, who had a miscarriage just today, we are learning, after surgery. Remember, her 6-year-old daughter veronica, she was the youngest person killed in the theater attack. Could this death also affect what happens and how Holmes is charged potentially? MATTINGLY: Well, this shows just how this tragedy continues to get worse for some families affected by this. But Colorado law does provide for charges to be filed in cases like this, possible murder charges. We don't know what degree prosecutors might seek in this case. There are a lot of questions to be answered. It's a lot more complicated than just shooting at someone in that theater. So we're going to see what the prosecution plans to do with that. We could see another possible murder charge of some type coming out of this case.

FEYERICK: All right, David Mattingly, thank you so much.

It will also be interesting to see the demeanor, obviously, of Holmes, who was just so strange during his last court appearance. We are going to be taking a look at all the legal issues that James Holmes is facing next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Well, the man accused of turning a midnight movie into a theater of chaos is due in court in just a matter of hours. James Holmes set to be formally charge 12 people died and 58 others were injured.

Meanwhile, a shooting survivor is facing even more tragedy. She first lost her 6-year-old daughter, who was fatally shot in that theater. Today, we learned she had a miscarriage after surgery this weekend. She was just eight weeks pregnant, but had been shot in the abdomen.

Trial attorney Karen Conti joins us live from Chicago.

And Karen, could James Holmes be charged in connection with this woman's miscarriage, given that she was shot in the abdomen, also the neck?

KAREN CONTI, TRIAL ATTORNEY: Well, there are things called fetal homicide laws and 38 states have them. Colorado has one, but interestingly, all it does is increase the penalty for someone who commits a crime against a pregnant woman. It does not allow for a charge of murder in the case of a fetus.

So, the only way that it could have happened would be if the child was born and then died, then that child would have been a person under Colorado law, and therefore a murder charge could have been brought. But because it was a miscarriage, died inside of her, there is no such crime in Colorado.

FEYERICK: So what crimes are we going to see him charged with in connection with the 58 people who were shot? Clearly, you've got the 12 murders. But there's a range of charges he's likely to face. What is your experience telling you?

CONTI: I mean you're going to have arms charges. You're going to have some sort of mayhem charge. You're going to have, you know, attempted murder. You're going to have assault. You're going to have a lot of charges. And listen, I feel terrible for this victim, but there's enough to charge this guy with enough to give him six death penalties. So Colorado has the death penalty, but it hasn't been used in a long time. But you would think that if there's a case for the death penalty, this would be it.

FEYERICK: And do you think prosecutors will actually go for that, and how equally hard will defense try to go after, you know, an insanity defense?

CONTI: Well, you know, the death penalty, again, has not been used at all in Colorado. I think one time in the last century, really. So they don't like the death penalty, but again, there's going to be huge public pressure. And that's what happens in these cases. I think they're going to go for it, maybe set a precedent that this isn't going to be allowed, to the extent it's some deterrent.

But you know, I think that, you know, the insanity defense is very difficult. You have to show the person doesn't appreciate what's wrong or what's right. And that's a really hard case to prove. John Wayne Gacey (ph) knew what was wrong and right. He covered up the bodies. You know, Jeffrey Dammer (ph) knew what was wrong and right. And those people are crazy under our definition, but a legal definition, not so much.

FEYERICK: All right. Karen Conti, thank you so much.

What's fascinating also is there's such a tight gag order in place. Everyone is so eager to know what kind of information authorities have, but right now we're not going to be getting a whole heck of a lot of it. It will be interesting to see the changes. Thank you so much.

Well, let's get you up to speed now. Syrians are fleeing the country's biggest city, Aleppo. Take a listen.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

FEYERICK: And the Arab league is warning of war crimes there. The U.N. estimates 200,000 have fled in the past two days. The free Syrian army, meantime, is taking the fight to the government fighters at an army base.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IVAN WATSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I've been watching a rebel attack on a Syrian army base located just outside the northern limits of that city of Aleppo. It started around sunset with a great deal of rocket fire and mortar fire and machine gunfire. And we've basically been watching constant tracer fire at night focused on this Syrian army base and emerging from this Syrian army base.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Syrian activists say 114 people were killed in today's violence. Seven people were killed today in Arizona when a tractor trailer crossed over a median and slammed into a van. All the victims were in that van. The truck's driver and his wife are both hospitalized in serious condition. The accident happened on Interstate 10 near phoenix.

And if you feel like you're paying more at the pump, it is not your imagination. The price of a gallon of gas has now gone up by a dime the past two weeks to $3.51 a gallon. That's according to the Lundberg survey and reverses a three-month slide. The highest average measured price was on Long Island, New York. That was at $3.83 a gallon.

And this man and this woman tried to get married in their own church. The answer they got, no. The reason they got it, because they're black. It happened in Mississippi. They're angry and doing something about it. Stay with CNN. We talked to them earlier. They're going to be back.

And another busy action-packed day for athletes at the London Olympics. The U.S. men's swim team took silver, losing out to France in the four by 100 meter relay. In basketball, the U.S. men beat France 98-71. And American swimmer Dana Vollmer set a world record. She became the first woman to swim the 100 meter butterfly in under 56 seconds.

Well, Mitt Romney's campaign goes global. How's he going? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Mitt Romney visits Israel. And just four minutes into his speech, he brought up Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROMNEY: Make no mistake. The Ayatollahs in Tehran are testing our moral defenses. They want to know who will object and who will look the other way. My message to the people of Israel and the leaders of Iran is one in the same. We will not look away, nor will my country ever look away from our passion and commitment to Israel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FEYERICK: Well, some have criticized Romney for not taking a stand on issues, but today he came out strong and unambiguous on Israel saying quote, "whenever the security of Israel is most endowed, America's commitment to Israel must be most secure."

Earlier, I spoke with Republican strategist Ana Navarro and Lz Granderson, a CNN contributors and senior ESPN writer and asked them if this is the new Mitt Romney.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LZ GRANDERSON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: For the most part, he just went out and said what President Obama has been saying for the last three years. There hasn't been much difference from his stance than the stance that W. had, the stance that Clinton had before him. And that is, you know, we will be there for Israel and we will do everything we can to keep nuclear arms out of Iran. That's the only thing he said. That's something all the other presidents have said.

The thing about Jerusalem, that's the thing that kind raising eyebrows is because essentially, you know, as we were talking during the break is that, that sort of sets up a conversation that could lead towards war. And the last thing we need is some want-to-be going overseas and talking about war, especially someone who, when given the opportunity to fight in a war for his country, opted to go to France. That's the thing that raises eyebrows and that's the thing that kind really ticks me off about his visit.

FEYERICK: And Lz, let me just clarify for everybody out who are listening. When Mitt Romney was there in Israel, he said that he believed Jerusalem should be the capital of Israel. It has long been Tel Aviv because Jerusalem obviously is such a main point of contention between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

Ana, what do you think? Do you think that was deliberate? Do you think defensive a gaffe saying Jerusalem to be the capital?

ANA NAVARRO, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Absolutely not. I think it makes all the sense in the world. What he basically said, is look. Countries get to choose what their capitals are. And if I were to move it, I would do it in consultation with the Israelis. I would have the Israelis, do you want this? Is this something that's important to you? And if so, then make the decision.

So I think it's a very logical thing that he's saying. And I also would beg to differ with my friend Lz in what he says that it's the same position as Barack Obama's. One of the things Mitt Romney made clear today is he's not going to look the other way when it comes to Iran. I would tell you that as somebody that lives in Miami, I'm painfully aware of all the efforts and outreach and cooperation that's been going on for the last 3 1/2 years between Iran and Latin America.

Our neighbors, our neighbors just, you know, across the border. We've seen him establish operations in Cuba, establish operations in Venezuela. And yes, we have a president who has looked the other way, who says it's not a national security threat. As somebody that lives 90 miles away from Cuba, it's a threat to me.

GRANDERSON: I don't understand how someone --

FEYERICK: Here's the point. And that is that basically, President Obama has said he would not support an Israeli strike against Tehran. He says he will not support that. He asked Israel to stand down. A lot of people didn't think that was the correct thing to do because it is their national security.

But then when Mitt Romney's foreign policy adviser suggested that, in fact, he would back an Israeli strike against Tehran, Mitt Romney, then Mitt Romney sort of backed away from that. So what are we really talking about here? Are these just words?

GRANDERSON: We're talking about no one wants a war. And I think that's the responsible thing to do, to continue to push toward peace. I don't think you can call a president who has a kill list as someone who looks away when it comes to foreign policy, when it comes to national security, when it comes to foreign relations and foreign policy. I don't think that's a fair assessment.

Now, you might not be happy with the measure he's taken, but to say that he's looking away and ignoring Iran, I think is highly inaccurate way of characterizing the way he has handled this.

No one wants a war. And no one can afford a war, which is another part of the conversation that we're not having. We can't afford to fight. And so, we're hoping that sanctions and diplomacy would be first. What we don't need, as I said earlier, is someone who is saying words that would incite a war.

FEYERICK: Sure. OK.

(CROSSTALK)

NAVARRO: I agree with you, nobody wants a war. Nobody wants a war. Nobody wants a nuclear Iran. Nobody wants an Iran that thinks we are a weak United States.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: Lz Granderson and Ana Navarro. Thank you.

Then a first for the U.S. and the Olympics.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: All eyes are focused on the U.S. swim team at the Olympics. Our Fredricka Whitfield caught up with some of them and asked them about diversity on the team and what it means to people watching back home.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 2008 Olympic gold medalist Cullen Jones relishes the idea of being a role model.

CULLEN JONES, TEAM USA SWIMMER: I think that's huge. I can't tell you how many family members I knew pulled up, picked up a driver because they saw Tiger Woods doing it. So, I think that the beacon of seeing someone that looks like you that is excelling in a sport, like I said, getting out of a bad situation, those are the glimpse of hope people see.

WHITFIELD: Jones is part of something historically different about USA swimming. He's one of three athletes with African-American heritage who will compete for the U.S. the first time there's ever been more than one. Growing up in New Jersey, Jones learned to swim at age five after nearly drowning at a water park. Now he helps teach other minority kids to swim through USA swimming foundation make a splash program. He knows it will take time before those efforts create more minority swimmers with Olympic dreams.

JONES: Good job. All right.

I don't know if it's going to be necessarily in my lifetime or not, but I just think the ball is rolling. Make a splash initiative is an amazing step in the right direction. I think there are going to be other programs that are going to be just like them.

WHITFIELD: 17-year-old Lia Neal, a native of Brooklyn, New York, is just the second African-American woman to swim for team USA following Maritza Correia who won silver at 2004 games in Athens. Correia inspired Neal who saw firsthand the effect she had on other African- American after qualifying for the London Olympics last month.

LIA NEAL, TEAM USA SIMMER: That day I was taking a nap. And when I woke up from a nap, I saw I gained like 30 new twitter followers. I was like, something must have happened. So, I looked at my mentions. And I saw Alicia Keys tweeted me, I was like well, that's kind of a big deal. That's cool. Spike Lee also tweeted me. So, that was really cool.

WHITFIELD: Anthony Ervin blazed a trail as the first U.S. Olympic swimmer with African-American heritage at the 2000 games in Sidney. He won gold and silver. After retiring from swimming nine years ago, he made a remarkable comeback to qualify for the London games. Despite the progress in the makeup of the U.S. swim team, though, Ervin thinks it'll be a while before the sport gets so diverse that race won't be a topic anymore.

ANTHONY ERVIN, TEAM USA SWIMMER: I mean, the race question is always going to be involved one way or another. If it's -- it might not be the same exact race question that it was ten years ago, but there's always going to be a race question.

WHITFIELD: Fredricka Whitfield, CNN, Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: And of course, we want you to stay connected to us here at CNN, even when you're not at home, when you're on the go. So, grab your mobile phone. Go to CNN.com/TV. If you're on a desk top or laptop, well, you can also watch CNN live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FEYERICK: Nearly a quarter of women in American that is almost one in four experience severe violence at the hands of someone close to them. This week's CNN hero, Jo Crawford, is helping survivors fulfill their ultimate dreams.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JO CRAWFORD, COMMUNITY CRUSADER: When I was 13, my dad was very violent and attempted to murder my mom. It wasn't until I was 55 that I came to work in a shelter and met a woman who had fled Chicago with two young children. She had no documentation. She did not legally exist.

She said, can you help me? I need $40 to get all the documentation. It is totally forbidden, but I gave her the two $20 bills. And I'm thinking, I just changed three lives with $40. I had no idea I had actually changed my life as well.

My name is Jo Crawford. And I ask women survivors of domestic violence to dream their best life, and I give them the means to accomplish the first step.

This is what you want. And this is what you deserve.

The women are all out of a relationship for at least six months. They have to be free of alcohol and drugs, and they have got to have a dream.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I want to go back to school to do social services, to be a social worker.

CRAWFORD: It's not a gift. She agrees to pay it forward to three other survivors.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to be helping three other ladies get their GED.

CRAWFORD: These women need to know that they deserve to dream and have the power to create it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got so much help, which enabled me to buy a sewing machine. That made me realize I should be a person who not only receives help but also gives help.

CRAWFORD: I am so proud of you. One woman can make a difference, but women working together can change the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: And CNN heroes are all chosen from people you tell us about. To nominate someone who you know is making a difference, go to CNNheros.com.

Well, it was his 27th birthday, and his first wedding anniversary. But Alex Sullivan's life was cut short in the Colorado theater massacre. An emotional interview with his family next.

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FEYERICK: It was his 27th birthday, a fun-filled weekend. Alex Sullivan plan to celebrate with close friends at a special midnight showing of "the Dark Night Rises." The next day, he was to celebrate his first wedding anniversary. His life was cut short when a gunman open fired in that Colorado Movie Theater.

Our Don Lemon sat down with his father and sister.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: People said he was - he was a big guy but he was a gentle giant.

TOM SULLIVAN, ALEX SULLIVAN'S FATHER: He was big and that's always people always thought he was older, you know, than he was. And what you had to do then is when you got up to him and you looked in his eyes, there was the child.

MEGAN SULLIVAN. ALEX SULLIVAN'S SISTER: We, I mean, did so much fun together. We, you know, like climb trees. We, you know, climb to see words when we were exposed to. And we got in trouble and you know, had so much fun together.

LEMON: He really wanted to go to that movie. And I understand, one of the last things he did was he tweeted, the movie is about to start in hour. I can't wait. I can't wait.

TOM SULLIVAN: Best birthday ever is what I think it's said. I mean, that was his thing was, we went to the movies, you know, on his birthday.

LEMON: He is in the movie. Can you imagine what they went through?

TOM SULLIVAN: From what I heard, it was instantaneous for Alex. Alex - it was instantaneous death and when we went to - when I went to the coroner's office on Saturday and saw him, and got the coroner's report, it was a relief. That was our worry that it was going to be, you know, some kind of gruesome thing. And it was going to be tough. But, he took a single shot and it ended up going through his heart and he died instantaneously. So, there's no screaming. There was no anguish. He hit the ground and then he was gone.

And so, I have a lot of relief from that.

LEMON: Who told you?

MEGAN SULLIVAN: Sarah was her victim advocate and she - we all moved over to the Aurora ourselves. Cathy was admitted into hospital for anxiety attack and we wanted to be close to her.

And so, we all sat there and they put us in like in a huge room and everyone that was with us, that gateway followed us. And even though they said, you know, like it was family, they said, no, no, no. They are all coming with us. And we just got us out in that room and, you know, once this door opens, they walked in. Then, we kind knew.

TOM SULLIVAN: When she came through the door deathly silence, everything stopped. And she came over and got me and my wife Terry, and we sat down. She sat in front of us, and she said, it's confirmed. Alex is one of the ten in the movie theater. And we, you know, grabbed each other, held each other. They told us people might be outside, and so the security guard there from Swedish (ph) was just a wonderful man.

The two guys might be around and somebody might be running through. And he came out, and he said, you know, how sorry he was. And I told him and I said, today was my son's birthday. And it staggered the man. I mean, he actually staggered back when I told him that. And he told me, he said, I've been in the prison system working in corrections for 26 years. He said, and I will tell you, he said, maximum security prison is hell on earth. That man will be feeling it for the rest of his days. He says you don't have to worry about that. And I said I'm not worried. I said, we're already moving into celebration mode for Alex Sullivan, and nobody's ever going to forget him.

We've already forgotten about whoever else took care of this. And then we went home, got the Jamison out, you know, got a cigar, put some Van Morrison on and began to celebrate our son.

LEMON: Amen, brother.

TOM SULLIVAN: That's it.

LEMON: Right.

TOM SULLIVAN: Into the mystic.

LEMON: Good for you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FEYERICK: And you're going to hear a lot more stories like the Sullivans, the survivors of this tragedy, and the heroes that emerged.

I'm Deborah Feyerick at the CNN World headquarters in Atlanta. Have a good night and a great week.

Next, a CNN Special Report with Don Lemon and Drew Griffin, "Madness at Midnight, the search for answers in Aurora" starts right now.