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CNN journalist Anderson Cooper visits ASU, discusses American democracy, race

Cooper headlined the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy's 2nd annual Delivering Democracy lecture on Saturday.

CNN Anchor and Jornalist Anderson Cooper (L) interacts with the
CNN Anchor and Jornalist Anderson Cooper (L) interacts with the Founding Director of Center for the Study of Race and Democracy (CSRD) Dr. Matthew C. Whitaker (R) during his lecture on "Delivering Democracy' at the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church in Phoenix on Apr 25, 2015.

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper told ASU students about the current state of democracy and race relations in America during an event hosted Saturday by the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy.

Cooper began the discussion by sharing the reasons he decided to pursue journalism and the stories he covered during his career.

“When I was in school, I studied communism under my political science degree; so when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, it was, well, the word I want to say isn’t appropriate to say in church, but I was in bad shape,” Cooper said.

Cooper candidly talked about the recent shootings of unarmed black men, including Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Walter Scott in North Charleston, South Carolina, and said the discussion of race in America should be explored more often, not just when these kinds of killings occur.

“The only way change occurs is if we discuss,” Cooper said. “It needs to be openly discussed more often.”

Cooper discussed his role in the media and how much media has dramatically impacted the way America sees race today.

“We now have all of this information at our fingertips,” Cooper said. “Someone with a phone can make a change and start a movement.”

Matthew Whitaker, founder and director of CSRD, talked with Cooper about race and the media.

“CNN has major initiatives to make newsrooms diverse," Cooper said. “(Diversity) doesn't just have to be race, but with gender, sexuality, politics and geography. Diversity is incredibly important.”

The discussion then went on to a Q&A led by local community officials, where audience members asked about issues such as police brutality, the imprisonment of black men and privilege in America. In response to the question about black male imprisonment, Cooper said that there are increasing major flaws in the system.

“The system is clearly not working,” Cooper said. "The issue of incarceration is becoming more of a bipartisan issue and not just one-sided.”

Whitaker said he was glad he and his team were able to get Cooper to speak at the event after the success of actor Forest Whitaker speaking in 2014.

“I had a journalist in mind when planning the event,” Whitaker said. "(Cooper) is trusted by so many and I admired his work. I hope people leave today's event with a renewed sense of urgency with democracy."

Political science major Emily Marsch said she had been looking forward to the event and was very excited when she heard that Anderson Cooper would be speaking about race and democracy.

“I think it was really cool that he attended ASU to give an incredible lecture," Marsch said. "I think ASU students could learn a lot about diversity from this lecture and I'm glad I got to witness it firsthand.”

Reach the reporter at sgreene6@asu.edu or follow @thesydneygreene on Twitter.

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