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CNN Live At Daybreak

U.N. Racism Conference in South Africa

Aired August 29, 2001 - 08:08   ET

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

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The United Nations hopes to start the world talking about racism and solutions -- how it starts, why it persists and how to end it.

The conference begins this weekend in Durbin, South Africa, but not every country is attending.

Charlayne Hunter-Gault explains why the United States is now at the center of some diplomatic squabbling.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHARLAYNE HUNTER-GAULT (voice-over): The unofficial delegation, made up of victims of color, caste and gender discrimination, of xenophobia and lost homelands, descendants of slaves and colonized people, meeting days ahead of the official conference that will bring representatives of governments from all over the world together.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, you must give a voice to victims. We must break the silence of those who have suffered.

HUNTER-GAULT: It was a welcome that belied the conflict that has dogged preparations for the conference approved by the United Nations General Assembly four years ago. Two issues in particular linger as diplomatic time bombs and caused Israel and the United States to threaten a boycott.

Trading Zionism with racism didn't make it to the official agenda, but efforts by Arab states to put it there was enough to downgrade the U.S. delegation once set to be led by Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Likewise, the issue of reparations for slavery and colonialism met the same condemnation from the U.S. and other western powers. But unofficial delegates are pressing the demand, arguing that slavery was a crime against humanity never resolved.

Conference sources told CNN that the United States will send a delegation led by an assistant secretary. But widespread criticism of the U.S. continued from both African government officials and others.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's quite ironic, and maybe even not ironic, that the United States will continue to be in denial about the need for them to be at the table with the top-level delegations to address racism and the continuing racism that exists in this -- in the United States itself.

HUNTER-GAULT (on camera): Despite this and other unresolved issues, U.N. officials remain upbeat that this conference will be able to overcome the rancor and produce a declaration and a plan of action that recognizes the damage caused by past expressions of racism and modern forms of racism and xenophobia. They hope to do that in a week starting Friday.

Charlayne Hunter-Gault, CNN, Durban, South Africa.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: The Reverend Jesse Jackson is going to South Africa as an unofficial representative of the United States. But before he leaves, he is joining us this morning on the set. Of course, you remember the CNN family as well.

Good to see you, Reverend.

REV. JESSE JACKSON, RAINBOW PUSH COALITION: Well, it's a historic conference. Yesterday was the march on Washington in 1963. We have done so much in our own country bringing racist practices in the last 38 years. We have a story to tell. That's why it's unfortunate that President Bush is not going and will not allow Secretary Powell to go.

For at least in these last 38 years, we have made racism illegal. Slavery was legal, segregation was legal. But by making it illegal and having an infrastructure: EOC, contract compliance, affirmative action, bringing down barriers.

We now have Colin Powell, our secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, the security counsel. We now have Tiger Woods on the golf course. It's Williams sisters on the tennis courts. We now have black and brown mayors and legislators.

America has a story to tell, and unfortunately we choose to self- isolate and to disengage. And that is really the kind of international disgrace.

LIN: But, Reverend, there is a delegation going. So, for example -- a corporate example in America, not every IBM conference is going to have the president of the company attending necessarily. But business does get done.

JACKSON: The U.S. is much...

LIN: So isn't it significant...

JACKSON: ... the U.S. is much too bound in legal or racist practices not to lead the world on this question. After all, we were founded on a legal race supremacy as an ideology. There are black graves on Wall Street. And why? Because we opened Wall Street on the shipping industry, importing Africans and exporting cotton. It's deep into the bowels of our culture. And we had to fight a war to end slavery in our own country. And so, to the extent that we have been in it and fighting to overcome it, even help the anti-apartheid in South Africa; we have too much story to tell, and too much history, and too much unfinished business not to be a leader in a global conference on racism.

LIN: But isn't it a matter of time and place? For example, there is some accusations that the United Nations by holding this conference is really allowing countries like Iran to use it as a platform to -- to use it as a propaganda stand that it's not about finding solutions to racism around the world. It's really giving a microphone to special interest groups.

JACKSON: But in democracy, you engage -- you know, we do not change the world by disengagement to be sure. You do not, not go to Congress because you disagree with a bill, vote against it. You don't not attend the U.N. because you disagree with a certain resolution, you vote against it.

Democracy does not guarantee success. It guarantees opportunity to participate. So, by refusing to participate, we can't even enforce the propagandas. Our disengagement represents no leadership, and we deserve to have leadership in a conference like this.

LIN: Well, you, yourself, will be witnessing the conference itself. And we'll check back with you when you get back from South Africa...

JACKSON: Indeed.

LIN: ... to see what, if anything, was done and discussed.

JACKSON: Much will happen. If nothing more than to illuminate and be on the move towards making life safer, more secure, and removing racism as a cultural stigma. The conference will succeed in the very idea of making this matter global and seek out global solutions.

LIN: Thank you very much, Reverend Jesse Jackson.

JACKSON: Thank you.

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