Being Eric Holder
A few years ago, after bebopping onto a Philadelphia stage to address the National Association of Black Journalists, Attorney General Eric Holder reminded the delighted audience that he was "still Ricky from the block." Throughout his rise to the highest position in government to which a young and idealistic attorney can aspire, Holder has indeed stayed true to himself, the son of Sonny Holder, an immigrant from Barbados who raised his sons to achieve in ways he could not dream of for himself.
In part two of BET.com's exit interview with him, Holder discusses the highs and lows of his job, the importance of family and friendship, happiness and heroes.
You and the president were friends before you made history as the first Black attorney general and president. Has this experience changed or strengthened your bond?
Oh, I think it's strengthened it. He's still my guy.
We were fairly close before but given the shared experiences we've had, to see the way in which he's been unfairly attacked, to see the things he's had to take, I think has probably drawn us together. Our wives are very close, so I think that we will leave this whole experience better friends than we were when we began.
Were you surprised by the struggle and criticisms you've endured during your tenure, particularly from congressional Republicans?
Not necessarily. The job of the attorney general, certainly since Janet Reno was attorney general and I was her deputy, has been a difficult job to hold. It's a confluence of policy and the law and you can get people riled up for either. When you have them both operating at the same time, you have to be prepared to have a thick skin.
I think a lot of the criticism that came my way was unfair, unfounded, not factually based, but it's kind of the nature of Washington in the 21st century. So what I've tried to do is not focus on that but to focus on the work. What is it that ultimately is going to matter? What do I want my legacy to be? I don't think people are going to remember 40, 50 years from now the criticism that came my way that, again, is not factually based. What they're going to look at are the accomplishments of the Justice Department while I was attorney general. When it comes to that, I'm very proud about what the men and women in the department have done over the last six years.
Do you think Republican lawmakers were kind of surprised by how thick your skin is and how firmly you stood your ground with them?
I was born and raised in New York City. I was born in 1951, so I came of age in the '60s, when the best thing that a young Black guy could be was cool. That's a very formative time for a young guy, so from my perspective the cooler I could be, the madder I could see they were getting. So it was kind of a dual thing. I'm making them mad while at the same time I'm trying to be how I want to be.
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Being Eric Holder