Obviously these conditions [violence, poverty] predate the [Barack] Obama presidency and the president has limited ways to dent this violence. But funding war weapons in cities, as opposed to more community policing, is not the solution.

I especially appreciated hearing the President [Barack Obama] affirm that "black lives matter" and that it means that some citizens are feeling more pain, and experiencing more negative effects than others, and he offered up the stats. He also indicated that black lives matter does not negate the fact that blue lives matter. He ably walked the tightrope, here, between affirming both black life and police life.

Interesting statistic: In every economic recovery until 1982, working people captured more than 80 percent of the value of the recovery. Since 1982, the top 10 percent has captured 90 percent of the value of the economic recovery.

People will be talking about the [Barack] Obama legacy for decades, and I wanted to include my voice in the analysis of this presidency.

While the banks got big bailouts, a sizeable chunk of African-American wealth evaporated because so many people lost homes.

We have a very large military community - veterans and others - who basically do believe in the militarism.

If the Muslim community in Michigan comes out strongly, I think they will make a difference.