rochester said, in november 2020 voters will have a real choice. i believe they will choose compassion over indifference and hope over fear by electing joe biden president of the united states. several democratic presidential candidates were in houston this week for a forum hosted by the andp "she the people" focused on immigration and higher education costs. this portion includes new jersey senator cory booker, former housing secretary julian castro and hawaii representative kelsey gabbard -- hawaii representative tulsi gabbard. [crowd cheering]

amy: my name is amy ellis. i am a founder of "she the people." "reel america." -- is a nationale" network to uphold the voices of women in color. we have four fundamental values, first, to love our own and each other. to seek justice for all. belongs. that everyone and finally, to make sure that this american democracy lives up to its greatest promise. [applause] aimee: we are making history in houston here today. this is the first-ever presidential form focused on

women of color. [applause] i want to thank you all for coming in on planes and buses and cars from across the country, 28 states in all. [applause] our amazing,nk beautiful women of color, our partners in texas, we are a powerful room. we return tor, houston, texas, where the term women of color was born at the national women's convention in 1977. [applause] but i want to tell you something. our lineage runs further back than that. it goes back to harriet tubman, sojourner truth, ida b wells, alla baker, grace lee boggs,

the cherokee chief and exemplified by houston's own great congresswoman barbara jordan. [applause] at theght right here great texas southern university. [applause] and "she the people" resounds with our hero shirley chisholm, who began her historic run for congress 51 years ago. these are our godmothers. we walk in their footsteps to this moment. with this forum, we women of color, black, indigenous, asian american, pacific islander, inex anti-muslim, today we are kicking off the presidential season -- --

muslim, today we are kicking off the presidential season would advance a national conversation to help voters distinguish which candidates stand with and for women of color in our communities. [applause] does thatate that best and most consistently will win the nomination and the white house in 2020. [applause] "she the people" is about a politics we have not yet seen. we want a people were people can live with dignity. we insist that whoever receives our votes will govern with our deepest values and full humanity in view. remember, we are a powerful

voting bloc, one of five voters in primaries are women of color, and we are 25% of the voters in key, swing states, texas, south carolina, georgia, florida, but in case people think electability starts in the south, let's remind the country we are also the strongest democratic party voters in virginia, pennsylvania, ohio, michigan and california. [applause] the stakes could not be higher. for the highest office -- from the highest often -- from the highest office in the land, we have come under relentless attacks against muslims, immigrants, black women, asylum-seekers, the poor, students and transgender

servicemembers. [applause] in all our communities we have been deeply affected and harmed by the cruel policies and practices of this country, especially in the last two years. but we are not going back to 2016 or any other year, we are taking the country forward. [applause] i believe women of color are the saving graces of our democracy. moral holding up standards for the rest of the nation, and we do this not just for women of color, we do this for all of america. [applause] please, i want you to tweet and post early and often with #

shethepeople. we are going to have a conversation with the country's most intelligent and brilliant progressives, and that is you, so we need to hear from you. if we are ready to get going, take a deep breath, shoulders back, hearts open. we are together in this, and with that let's get started by asking joann reed of msnbc to come on stage, our moderator. [applause]

information. get welcome. this is going to be great. let's welcome new jersey senator cory booker. [applause] joanne: no pressure. sen. booker: no pressure. alphabetical order has always got me since grade school. >> all the questions we have are from committed and brilliant activists in the audience. one of them that i think is very important is, a u.n. report shows we have 12 years to dramatically reduce emissions re we reach irrevocable

environmental catastrophe. we sell parts of california burned to the ground, hurricanes and flooding here in houston. from the lack of infrastructure protecting sea rise levels to increased proximity and our communities to polluting facilities and busy roads, people of color are more likely to get asthma, pollution-related diseases, et cetera. as president, how will you address pollution and poverty? sen. booker: thank you very much. it is good to be here before this incredible audience of powerful americans who will determine the next nominee from our party and the next president and the and i did states of america. the united states of america. black andm a brown community in newark, new jersey. and for climate change we have 12 years but the reality is, if you live in communities like mine, the environmental urgency,

the life-and-death issues are happening right now. so whether it is toxic water, where we have a nation where millions of children find it easier to find unleaded gasoline than unleaded water. just knowing that in communities like ours, even we have in your soil, an urgency to deal with these issues. it is not something i focused on just as a presidential candidate. we have been fighting battles for environmental justice since i was a mayor. and there is common pain, because whether it is low-lying areas of north carolina where these massive pig farms are polluting areas, or the mountains of alabama where you have uniontown where they have toxic dumps placed there, all these things demand urgency. as a u.s. senator i lead the bill for environmental justice, bringing together activists from around the country so that

environmental activists have the power to change the communities and control their own destinies. as president i will make sure we do what is necessary for environmental justice, access to clean air, clean water, and deal with the urgencies of climate change by making sure we rejoin the paris climate accords, re-up our commitments to clean energy standards and make sure we are dealing aggressively with a bold, green future. change we have 10 years to deal with it, but vulnerable communities are going to feel the impact first. this cannot be something where we don't act with a sense of urgency. we have got to be creative in the way we are going about it, making sure we are investing in green technologies, giving tax breaks that we have given to oil companies and coal companies now to green energy and renewable

energy companies. and we have to lead in the globe. we produce 14 percent of the we deal withunless developing countries to make sure they are dealing with climate change as well, we will not be successful. >> we know climate change drives migration. you talked about reaching out and helping struggling communities outside the united states where migration might be driven because of the change of climate. we just saw the president declare a national emergency on the issue of immigration at the southern border. would u.s. president use national emergency powers regarding climate change, is it that serious of a threat that you would use national emergency power? sen. booker: national emergency power is a legal issue as well as triggering certain actions. i'm talking about, it's a national emergency now would we have to act with that sense of emergency. u.s. military reports are

showing exactly what you are saying. the climate crisis is going to cause the refugee crisis. famines are going to cause instability on planet earth like nothing we have ever seen in the next decade or two decades. we need to make sure we are dealing with that same sense of urgency and started use the levers we have to make sure we are empowering people to move from coal to renewable energy and making sure we are dealing with stability in countries, doing things that will empower nations to have self-determination and deal with their own issues. through the normal process and not a national emergency? sen. booker: through the normal process. >> we have audience members who want to ask questions. let's have one,. >> how are you doing? i'm right here.

sen. booker: oh, right here. [laughter] fellow with the electoral justice project with the movement for black lives. taxing the wealthy and corporations a racial justice issue? and if so, what is your commitment to fighting for both racial justice and economic justice? [applause] sen. booker: the way we have been doing it right now is taking our national treasure on this theory that it is going to help all the people by giving trillions of dollars of tax breaks to the wealthiest in our country and the wealthiest corporations. corporationsiggest are paying effectively zero in taxes.

this is absolutely a racial justice issue and any economic justice issue. at an 85 profits are your high-end wages already 60 year low. and browna black inner-city community that is below the poverty line. i watch my neighbors who work full-time jobs and catch extra shifts where they can and when they go to my local bodega, they still have to use food stamps to meet the basic needs of their family. because itustice and disproportionally affects latinos andicans, other minorities, it's a racial justice issue as well. more bank shots, the idea that if we send it up it will come down. that's why i supported the act that takes the earned income tax

credit and blows it up to twice the size. my rise credit would give families $8,000 back and lift 150 million working american salaries, cut poverty rates by one third in our nation and change the definition of work, because there are so many people who have to stay home and take care of a spouse with dementia or a special-needs child. and theyork too, should qualify for a work credit. >> we have another question in the back. come on down. >> hello, senator booker. my name is charisma darden. i am a student at the illustrious and notable texas southern university. [applause] [laughter] about a recent critic of the outside influence of aipac in determining u.s.

foreign policy, including the funding of israel. subsequently she has received condemnation from the president and members of her own party, as well as death threats. what will you do as president to protect the rights of courageous women of color to criticize u.s. policy, even when directed at allies? sen. booker: thank you for your question, charisma. the criticisms of congresswoman omar, what donald trump has been saying about her is representable -- reprehensible, trafficking in islamophobia and should be condemned by everyone. there should be a chorus of people condemning this. and the kind of language our president uses, especially about black women in power, the kind of language this president uses, it is toxic, it fuels the hate we see in our communities,

manifesting itself in the kind mostrrorism that has been seen in our nation since 9/11. most of the terror attacks since 9/11 in our nation have been right-wing terrorist attacks and the majority have been white supremacist attacks. -- aen you have president president uttering bigotry and racial attacks and talking about nations where black and brown people have come from as "shi thole" countries gives a license to hate and violence that we should not be tolerating. as one of our great black women said in the past, it's not enough to say i am not a racist. antiracist,be because if we are not dealing with this issue in our country we will continue to see these kinds of attacks, and continue to see the vicious violence that has been affecting our nation, from black churches to synagogues to mosques.

>> thank you. [applause] at "she thefolks people" are asking a fundamental question of the 20 of you running for president on the democratic side. the question would be fundamentally for women of color. with all those options and choices, why should women of color choose you? sen. booker: that's a great question. as a man that was raised by a strong, black woman who understood and taught me from my very earliest of ages the debt till towed, from may me fannie lou hamer, from barbara all the way to people who lead us in the abolitionist movement. we in america 08 debt to the championship and leadership and -- ohsm of women of color

0 -- debt to the championship and leadership and activism of women of color. i live in that same neighborhood today. i'm a big believer you can't lead the people if you don't love the people. and as brother dr. west says, what does love look like in public? it looks like justice. so women of color can trust me as someone who for my entire career has been rooted in the communities that have empowered me to be who i am today. and all of my fights, even in the united states senate -- when i got there there was not diversity, i thought to make sure chuck schumer changed the rules to show our diversity statistics, or democratic senators moved to get a lot more diversity there, from taking on issues important to my communities that are not talked about enough, like why sickle cell research gets so much less

funding than other diseases that affect less people? why can't we be a nation that has maternal mortality for black women that is three or four times higher than white women? so my fights have been fights that show who imho my loyalty. when i am president of the united states, these will be the kind of fights i will take on and i will make sure that this nation is finally who we say we are, a nation of liberty and justice for all. >> would you consider a woman running mate? sen. booker: the question is what i pledge to have a woman running mate. i will have a woman running mate. to me, it is clear that we do that. >> thank you, senator. days, how first 100 will women of color know that you are a president for us? sen. booker: this is something me, is so apparent when

you look at leaders, who they surround themselves with, who they put in positions of power, because inclusion is not an adornment, it is not something that just looks good for the cameras. we know from all the research that having inclusive teams around any leader is essential for having great teams that are effective and get great things done. so in my first 100 days, you will see teams that i have had since i was mayor of the city of newark, since i got to the senate and didn't just have diverse teams in my office but make sure we had more diverse teams in the senate, to fight for things like i am on my campaign, not just for diversity and inclusion, you can't campaign wrong and govern right. so we talked about the issues that were legitimate and needed to be talked about in our community. so by the team i format the

actions i taken my first 100 days, it will send a clear signal to my mom and all the people into work, new jersey who put me in the game, that i have not forgotten who i am, where i have come from and the people that got me to where i am today. >> senator booker, thank you so much for joining us at "she the people." thank you so much. [applause] music -- as we gueste music for our next -- there.le all the way up castro, welcome.

if you for joining us. sec. castro: thank you. >> i did not know it in my own music. everybody waits to get the right walk on music. >> we were going to have a homecoming video, but it was taking too long. on thestro: the picture program is actually my brother. prevent -- prevent -- prove it. sec. castro: he would say that is a good thing because he's better looking than i am. you are in your home state of texas. that's right.

good to be here in texas. question, many people across the country is -- it is about gentrification. it has forced many further and further from jobs am a driving long distances. what would be your plan to address the social and environmental issue that affects young and working people? sec. castro: thank you for the question and thank you for having me. it is great to be here in texas. i imagine a lot of folks in the audience have grappled with this reality which is that today, we see throughout the country in many neighborhoods throughout the united states, especially communities of color a lot of

.eople being displaced if i had to grade every single community when i was heard secretary, to give them a letter grade and i visited 100 different communities, i would not give a single community and and for what they are doing when it comes to gentrification because usually what happens is there is neighborhood that has not been paid attention to, people have largely been ignored and then it starts getting some improvements in the new people start to come in and fix up some of the houses or apartments and then they start getting some restaurants or grocery stores or therend all of a sudden is this cycle that happens that by the time there is a response, it is passed the tipping point and people are getting displaced. austin over the

last 15 years, they have lost about 50% of their african-american population. that is one example. the question is, what would i do about that? first of all, we need to make there's a greater -- make sure there's a greater supply of affordable housing so people can afford to live in their own neighborhood that they choose to live in and secondly come up we have to find ways to find relief to the people who are there so that they are not as impacted as property taxes go up in the cost of living goes up. there have been a couple here on how you might provide property preventef and displacement. at the national level, i would encourage to invest in communities so people could find affordable housing where they want to live, stay in these

neighborhoods and the buffered against that displacement. the other thing we need to do is enforce our fair housing act. hud, weas secretary of passed the most groundbreaking rule on before the housing which was unfinished business from the 1968 fair housing act and basically said you have to get more serious about people housing opportunities in your jurisdiction. the first plans from the city started to come in october 4 and when dr. carson and the trump administration got in, they put down ice. i wouldhe first things do is bring back equal housing and i believe that will help the

issue of gentrification. obviously you were hud secretary under president obama who came in at the height of the great recession. that was his first task, trying to reverse that damage and a lot of that was families of color whose housing disappeared in the mortgage crisis. he saw printed terry lenders attempted to be reined in. some wall street banker should have gone to prison over their conduct to help bring the great recession? and what would you do to some ofe some of the the predatory lending? sec. castro: [no audio]

also wealth in the latino community. i think there were successes in the obama administration. there are big forces that were taken on, but i believe there should be more accountability for what happened. if i'm president, i will make ,ure that no matter who you are nobody is above the law in this country and that includes people in wall street. for communities out there, the lesson we can learn is that our initiatives and programs need to be focused on making sure people can stay in their home and they can help recoup that wealth because especially for black families and latino families, their house is often times their only source of wealth.

that is it. so, what can we do? you can strengthen the hfa. about 40% of first-time african-american homebuyers get -- hfainsured mortgage in short mortgage -- in short mortgage -- insured mortgage. those are the kinds of things i would like to see. during the campaign, i look forward to releasing my own proposal that would include what we are going to do to make sure everybody can prosper, not just some people. questions and not that much time. since the passage of the

height and limit in 1976, antiabortion [indiscernible] the children's health and program for federal employees and peace corps volunteers, .ilitary service members fans on coverage of abortion have created an insurmountable barrier for women of color. getdo you ensure they will coverage? when you're president in. castro: what i believe is everybody should get health .are, not just health insurance nation, healthr

insurance is getting a denial letter telling you to her three reasons you cannot get the treatment you need. i also believe in a woman's right to choose. it is an issue of reproductive freedom and justice and so i don't think whether a woman has it resources to cover determine whether she is able to get that health care. i would work for the opportunity that everybody has to exercise their choice and i disagree with measures that have been taken to stymie the ability of women to not have that choice. in texas, this is a tremendous example of what happens when people with a right-wing ideology take hold and they are

able to keep some people out. as president, i will do everything i can to ensure everybody has that right. one more question from the audience. >> i'm going to ask my question first in english and then in spanish. .y name is jessica i'm from san antonio, texas. million who liveli in poverty right now. what would you do to address that in your first term? now in spanish. [speaking spanish]

with mytro: i grew up .rother my parents were never married. taste but up when they were eight. i know what it is like to struggle. i also know we need to do many things and connect the dots. first of all, we need to raise the minimum wage. we need to support legislation like the paycheck fairness act so women get paid equal pay for equal work, especially women of

color who are shortchanged the most. have affordable so people can find an affordable place to live, invest in educational opportunities. not only tuition free of freeities -- tuition universities and help families succeed. ensurebelieve we need to there is justice in our justice system. too many people are living in poverty today because they were incarcerated when they should have never been in the first place. for giving people a first chance in life because too often people do not get a first chance in life and i believe if

we put all those things together , we can ensure that we lift people out of poverty, in addition to tackling the bigger issues like the tax code we need to rewrite and so many other things. asking each of the candidates, there are going to be 20 and counting. why should women of color choose you? >> thank you for the question. up -- i am only here because of two very strong women of color, my grandmother who came from mexico when she was seven. in came across the border 1922. she raced my mom as a single

parent -- raised my mom as a single parent. seeing for the struggle and promise of two strong women of color and i have dedicated my time and public service to making sure that people like my mother and grandmother could do better. time as mayor my and hud secretary on delivering to the communities that are vulnerable, struggling whether it is passing pre-k and san antonio by doing a sales tax initiative. sure it as a key to making people that are often left behind to get ahead. fought were at hud, we to make sure people would not be discriminated against.

we went after wells fargo because they were not giving mortgages to women who were pregnant because they were assuming they may not go back to work. we cracked down on things like that. i also see the intersectionality of all these issues. while we were at hud, we probably did something like that equal access order so if you are part of the lgbtq community, you could show up in a federally funded shelter and the common it is according to your preference because we know people are not one-dimensional. they say -- they face many different struggles in their life. why should women of -- of color choose me? i have a track record for getting things done and that is

exactly what i will do if i'm elected president of the united states. thank you very much. >> thank you for joining. let's introduce our next candidate who is ready to come out, representative told the -- tulsi gabbard. thank you for being here. rep. gabbard: how are you guys

doing? >> this is not your average viewing.ial as president, what would you do to restore transgender rights for those in the military and what is a plan to ensure the rights of transgender americans? rep. gabbard: this is something that hits home. i'm a soldier in the hawaii national guard. i have served for a little over 16 years and the floor twice in the middle east. infirst appointment was iraq and serving in 2008 in a war zone with americans all across the country, including

lgbtq americans, it is something that there is a bond where i if it came down to it, they would give their life to me and i would give my life for them. special, amazing, selfless people who said i will let my life down for this country. that is a special and rare thing and we as a country need to honor that service. -- eed to and the ban end the ban. [no audio] i have a question also touching on your service in the military and of course, your service in congress. a lot of it has been around foreign policy issues.

a lot of us have been reading through the mueller report. wasof the things touched on the ways in which russia specifically targeted communities of color, going after women of color and using that to divide the elector it and discourage african-american voters and literally targeting some of the voting systems in multiple states. do you believe russia is a threat to the voting rights of people of color? russia,bard: i think and in a country that seeks to interfere is unacceptable and it has to be taken seriously. this is a huge vulnerability that threatens our election and so far it has not been addressed

. the fact that there are many states in this country who do not have paper ballots or any kind of paper trail to make sure it is another country or actor comes in and tries to manipulate our vote and change the outcome of the election, our system is vulnerable to those hacks and attacks. i want to introduce legislation that make sure every state use a voter verified backup so that we have a paper trail. >> do think the current ministration is doing enough? rep. gabbard: no. the department of homeland security that has jurisdiction is not doing nearly enough in

congress is not doing enough. legislation inis 2015 -- 2017. up.as not been picked it is essential for us as voters that when we cast that vote, our forces will be heard and that is what congress needs to pass. >> let's have our first audience question. >> my question is what would you do to repeal the muslim man -- ban? rep. gabbard: thank you for your question and for being here. ever since the president put this in place, i have stood in opposition to it.

it is harming somebody people and so many families both here and other countries around the world stop i hear from both constituents of mine and friends in other parts of the country about their family members, siblings, aunts and uncles who would travel to and from the now aretates and completely unable to do so. this is something that is very important and has to be addressed. >> thank you very much. ofi want to say in an era his homophobia, will you do to secure the rights of muslim americans -- what would you do to secure the rights of muslim americans? rep. gabbard: this is such a dangerous time. we just saw the attack of christians in the place of worship interlock on easter

sunday. in theire attack -- place of worship in sri lanka on easter sunday. this is a time where all of us must stand up and condemn this hatred and bitter tree -- bigotry and violence. we have to speak with one voice to condemn this bigotry and make it so that it is not ok, whether it be a slur or act of violence. this is not who we are in this country and that leadership starts at the top. bring, what i would coming from a place like a white where we are the most ethnically -- from a place like hawaii

where we are the most ethnically diverse state in the nation. it means having respect, love and care for one another as children of god, bridging that defied between us, recognizing each other. we will have our differences, but it is that recognition that we need at the forefront of this country so badly. >> one more question? we do. come on out. of united weber dream action. i was born and raised in texas, but am here to ask about something that affects all of us. last year, puerto rico suffered a devastating hurricane and has only received a fraction of the

promised 19 million -- $19 billion. what is your immediate amendment and the support statehood as a long-term solution? rep. gabbard: thank you for being here and for your engagements and activities and dealing with the continued challenges that we in the country face, but also raising this important issue that puerto ricans are continuing to deal and not getting the immediate response that they should have gotten. this is something that we in congress have been trying hard to push for, recognizing that unlike what you may hear from others, puerto ricans are americans too. >i'm going to get to your second

question. thated to make sure whether it is fema or other disaster response organizations within the federal government, they are providing every single resource we have available to help recovery efforts, not only in the short term, but as we are continuing to see the recovery is continuing. i support the right for self-determination and if that i support it.d, that means >> with so many options on the table, why should women of color choose you? coming from hawaii , i have a unique experience that i've been to the forefront,

an idea that is strongly needed in this country. not only coming from such a diverse state and having these own experiences i bring, but really recognizing that as there are so many different issues and problems and challenges that we need to address in this country, at the heart of all of them, ultimately we have self-serving politicians looking out for their own interests, greedy, corporate interests looking out for their own bottom line and the people get left behind. the vision that our founders had lost,e country has been so we need to change this corrupt culture that is standing in the way of progress, standing in the way of our voices being heard, standing in the way of votes being counted. that needs to change, so as a

soldier, someone who understands what it means to put service above self, those values of putting service above self is what i will bring to the white house, to make sure that mission, the mission of the president in the white house and our nations capital is solely focused on how we can best serve the american people. ura veteran. for people who are serving and want to know what kind of for policy -- foreign policy you have. in the middle east, will be your posture swords yemen, saudi arabia and syria -- towards yemen, saudi arabia and syria? rep. gabbard: i have traveled to the middle east and lost too many friends as our country has

unfortunately continued this wars and regime change other countries around the country. wars that have not only taken a high toll on service members, veterans and military families, but have increased the suffering of andle in those countries their communities, while making our countries less safe, while increasing and strengthening terrorist groups like isis and al qaeda. ass is what i would change president and commander in chief, bringing these experiences to the forefront, in these policies, focus on how we can actually strengthen our national security to end u.s. support for saudi arabia and their genocidal wars that are , u.s. support -- u.s.

wars not authorized by congress. >> do you believe the u.s. syria stop engaging in and what would be your posture sought --soccer -- a assad? deployed to troops forces andhe kurdish go out and if the isis. unfortunately as this has happened since 2011, there is a regime change war that was launched during that time. , ourrt of that war taxpayer dollars were being used to provide direct and indirect groups in syria like al qaeda in order to go in and topple the a

ssad government. i had a chance to go to syria where i heard from religious leaders who pleaded and bagged for the united states to stop the support because they knew whether there were some that supported the government, they knew if the united states and other countries were successful in this regime change war, the most powerful force would feel that and the most powerful force of the terrorist groups like al qaeda, whose sole mission was to wipe out christians and other religious minorities in syria. anyone who did not adhere to ideology, sost this is the reality we face. there are unfortunately a lot of bad people in the world, some of them dictators and leaders in

the country. united states cannot continue to be in a position thinking we can be the policeman of the world, spending trillions of taxpayer dollars to go and watch these wars we have seen in iraq, syria and libya cost so much cost countless lives. we need to end the regime change wars, and the nuclear arms race and invest the trillions of dollars where spending in our community like providing health care for all, making sure we get a quality education for our kids and making sure we are fixing the broken infrastructure in the country, by actually investing in the future of our country. >> thank you.

>> thank you everybody. how are you doing? are you ready for a break? you get one anyway. weevil see you shortly. take a break. next, we will hear from other democratic candidates starting with senators kamala harris and amy klobuchar. over texas age followed by senator bernie sanders and elizabeth warren. >> all right, ok.