Whoopi Goldberg offers first steps in systemic-racism fight

Whoopi Goldberg lays out the first steps in the fight against systemic racism

June 15, 2020 12:52 PM PT

Whoopi Goldberg has laid out the initial steps she believes need to happen to combat racism in the United States.

Speaking to Andy Cohen on Sunday night’s episode of “Watch What Happens Live,” the co-host of “The View” said racism is “in the heart of the country,” with children being taught it “without realizing that’s what they’re learning.”

The first priority, Goldberg said, is a simple one.

“People have to first look at people and see them for who they are, not for who they fear they are, but for who they actually are,” she said.

At the same time, she said, police officers need to be retrained.

“The good cops have to call out bad behavior so we can get rid of the bad cops and reteach police departments around the country how to police again,” Goldberg said. “Because now they’re soldiers, and we’re not in a war. We’re not in wars in our towns and neighborhoods. So they must relearn how to police, and that is going to take the action of the federal government.”

As for how those two action items might come to fruition, she agreed with fellow guest Rita Moreno when Moreno said that change seems to be happening.

“It is seeming to be happening, and I’m excited about it,” Goldberg said. “Whenever we’ve watched stuff happen on television or on our computers, things changed.”

She compared current events to the civil rights movement in the 1960s, when securing voting rights for Black Americans was a central focus and the networks trained their cameras on demonstrators.

“They saw the protests, peaceful protests, and people saw it every night,” she said, “and things started to change.”