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Attorney General Eric Holder got himself virtually muzzled early in President Obamas first term, when he called the U.S. a nation of cowards for our inability to deal frankly with issues of race. On his way out the door, hes not worried about his critics. He told MSNBCs Joy Reid that ongoing troubles in limiting police violence mean we, as a nation, have failed. Its as simple as that. We have failed.

Its a grim verdict, but its hard to quarrel. Holder was a deputy U.S. attorney back in 2001, when the Justice Department announced it would not prosecute the New York police officers who famously fired 41 shots at unarmed immigrant Amadou Diallo, hitting him 19 times. Though Justice concluded it couldnt make a civil rights case against the officers, Holder warned at the time: We must learn from this deeply troubling incident. Mr. Diallo, an unarmed individual who committed no crime and no act of aggression, unnecessarily lost his life.

Now, 13 years later, similar deeply troubling incidents still occur regularly, and theyve touched off a new movement for reform. While Holder speaks in measured ways, throughout the interview, about the mutual distrust between police and communities of color, and the work the Justice Department is doing to bridge those gaps, he places himself within the national reform movement. For a while he uses they when talking about protesters, but then he shifts significantly to we.

Thats all were asking for just make the nation better, he tells Reid. And the interview wraps.

On the same day the president opened up to People and said Theres no black male my age, whos a professional who hasnt been mistaken for a parking valet, Holders exit interview shows a new comfort with candor about race in Obamas second term. It may make heads on the right explode, but so be it. Michelle Malkin is already howling about first lady Michelle Obamas story of being mistaken for a store clerk by a Target shopper on her incognito trip there in 2011.

In the interview with Reid which is running in New York magazine and airing on The Reid Report Holder talks passionately about voting rights setbacks in recent years, calling out the Republican Party for its support of voter suppression measures, while praising GOP Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner for his work to restore the Voting Rights Act.

This is a gut check for the Republican Party. Where do you stand? Are you gonna be true to the values and the history of a great party? Or are you gonna do something that, in the short term, is politically expedient but that, ultimately, you will find historically shameful?

He says he trusts his chosen successor, deputy U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch, to continue his pursuit of voting rights violations though at least one Republican, Sen. David Vitter, has vowed to block Lynch because of the presidents moves on immigration.

While Holder uses his elbows when it comes to issues, hes diplomatic on the topic of whether race has been a factor in his tough relationship with the House GOP.

Hard to say. I mean, the attorney general seems to be, lately, the person, whether you are white, black, Republican, Democrat, who catches a lot of grief. So theres that thats just a part of the position.

Originally posted here:
Eric Holders parting shot: Police abuse scandals mean the nation has failed

Attorney General Eric Holder spoke out on the current wave of police protests in a new interview this week with New York Magazine, conducted by MSNBC host Joy Reid. And right off the bat, Holder said he doesnt believe young minorities have anything to fear from the police.

That being said, there is a lot of distrust and people demonizing each other, Holder said. And he doesnt feel that at this point were at a stage yet where I can honestly say that if youre a person of color, you should not be concerned about any interaction that you have with the police.

When asked about the progress Americas made on race and dealing with that mistrust, Holder simply said, We, as a nation, have failed.

He deferred a bit on the statistics of police confrontations with minorities and touted DOJ work during his tenure as taking on some very important race issues, in spite of what liberal critics might say. Meanwhile, on the other side, Holder didnt bite when asked if conservative criticism of him and Obama is because of race.

You can read the full interview here.

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Eric Holder: We, as a Nation, Have Failed to Deal with Race, Police Distrust

FILE - In this Dec. 8, 2014, file photo, Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center in New York. Dozens of athletes in recent weeks have responded ... more >

Attorney General Eric Holder had nothing but praise for the many NBA stars whove come out in recent days wearing I Cant Breathe t-shirts, saying the political messaging serves the public well and shows a depth to the players that many didnt expect.

Its a good thing they wear them during pre-game warmups, Mr. Holder told the Chicago Sun-Times. For them to get out there and to express in that way a social conscience, I think goes back to maybe people that these guys dont even know or my son has a vague awareness of, to Jackie Robinson, who is seen as not only a great athlete but, as an involved, thinking, caring black man.

Mr. Holder specifically referred to LeBron James and Derrick Rose, and praised their public shows of support for Eric Garner, the black suspect who was killed about an hour after he was placed in a chokehold by a New York police officer.

To have LeBron, Derrick Rose and others who wore those I Cant Breathe shirts, that shows a level of involvement, Mr. Holder said, The Hill reported. It shows a depth to them beyond just being great ballplayers.

Mr. Holder has vowed a federal civil rights investigation will go forth in the Garner death, despite the fact a grand jury ruled no evidence existed to charge officer Daniel Pantaleo with any crime.

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Eric Holder cheers NBA stars for 'I Can't Breathe' shirts: 'Shows a depth to them'

December 15, 2014 06:17 PM EST

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Last week, Attorney General Eric Holder traveled to Memphis and held a roundtable discussion on improving the relationship between the city's people of color and local law enforcement.

In the wake of the recent police-involved deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and others, the President has called for an increased effort to help rebuild communities' trust in local law enforcement and the justice system. In that vein, the Attorney General will be holding similar discussions in a number of other cities across the country.

-- Attorney General Eric Holder

Attorney General Holder also noted the inefficiency of policing on the basis of stereotypes, saying that this kind of policing will "draw you to places where you shouldn't be, and take you away from places where you, in fact, should be."

The discussion was held at the Lorraine Motel the site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination in 1968, and now the home of the National Civil Rights Museum. Attorney General Holder said the museum was the "perfect place" for this meeting, as "it's an indication of how far we've come, but it's also a reminder of how far we have to go."He also linked protesters across the country today to those who are memorialized in the museum "people who made noise, who disrupted things, all with the hope, with the aim of making our great nation better," he said.

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In Memphis, Attorney General Holder Talks About Building Trust Between Communities and Law Enforcement

Attorney General Eric Holder Addresses a My Brother #39;s Keeper Community Challenge Event
Attorney General Eric Holder delivers remarks at the My Brother #39;s Keeper Communities Challenge event at the Hattiloo Theatre, where he discusses the need to ...

By: The White House

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Attorney General Eric Holder Addresses a My Brother's Keeper Community Challenge Event - Video