TheGrio.com hosts Facebook Q&A with Hillary Clinton

Fresh off a win in Nevada, Hillary Clinton is gearing up for the South Carolina Democratic Primary February 27....

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Fresh off a win in Nevada, Hillary Clinton is gearing up for the South Carolina Democratic Primary February 27.

The former Secretary of State conducted a live Q&A on theGrio.com’s Facebook page Monday afternoon. Clinton fielded questions about racial justice, gun control and police brutality.

Historically, Clinton has enjoyed strong support from black voters. The 2016 election season has been no different.

Check out some of Hillary Clinton’s replies here:

Grio fam, submit your questions for Hillary Clinton right now! The former Sec. of State will start to reply to questions around 3:45 pm ET.Be sure to like our page TheGrio for more news and discussion.

Posted by TheGrio on Monday, February 22, 2016

Read through the exchanges below:

Jamil Smith, Senior National Correspondent at MTV News wrote:

With South Carolina coming up, a lot of attention is being paid to the fight for black votes. But during your Harlem speech last week, you made a special note to call upon white Americans to be more humble and attentive to black concerns. How will you be continuing to engage white voters, specifically, on issues involving racial justice?

Secretary Clinton responded:

Very important question. As I said in Harlem the other day, ending systemic racism requires contributions from all of us – especially those of us who haven’t experienced it ourselves. White Americans need to do a better job of listening when African Americans talk about the seen and unseen barriers that you face every day. We need to recognize our privilege and practice humility, rather than assume that our experiences are everyone’s experiences. So I’m going to keep spreading this message – and not just in front of African American audiences. I’m going to keep talking to every kind of audience about this. Because it’s a vital national challenge and all of us have to step up. And I’m also going to keep pushing our “breaking every barrier” agenda across the country to make major new investments in communities of color that have been left out and left behind. As Cornell Brooks, the new head of the NAACP said the other day, none of this is a ‘they’ problem, it’s a ‘we’ problem. -H

Sarah Hopper Procope asked about policing in America:

Madame Secretary, what, if anything, do you plan to do regarding the amount of police brutality facing black and brown communities? As the mother of three boys and wife to one very large black man, my concerns regarding this particular subject are very realistic.

The candidate wrote a detailed reply:

Thank you, Sara. I can’t imagine what it must feel like for you every time your three boys and your husband go out the door. I want white Americans to try to understand the concerns that you’re expressing. It’s a kind of fear that many of us have never felt.

It’s outrageous that African American men are far more likely to be stopped and searched by police, charged with crimes, and sentenced to longer prison terms than white men found guilty of the same offenses. Can you imagine if the situation was reversed and white people faced that kind of injustice? Things would change very fast! 

…We need to strengthen bonds of trust between communities and police by banning racial profiling, investing more resources in officer training, making body cameras available to every police department, and strengthening the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division that holds police departments accountable. And there are so many police departments out there who are doing this right, with officers who put their lives on the line everyday to keep us all safe – we should build on those best practices and apply them everywhere. -H”

Liz Noel Grevesen wrote:

Hillary I’m a supporter of you my question is, Now of days you need experience with jobs and jobs won’t hire you without it and people go to college but some jobs won’t hire you even with college background what would you do to change it? 

Clinton replied:

That’s a great question, Liz. If you can’t find work, or if you’re stuck in a dead-end job, it can be really hard to imagine the future you want. So we need to work together to create more jobs, especially in communities that have been left out and left behind. We should focus on major new investments to create jobs for young people. We can support local small businesses and entrepreneurship – because that’s where most of the good new jobs of the future are going to come from – and those opportunities shouldn’t be limited by zip code. We can also invest more in infrastructure and transportation to connect people to where jobs actually are, and create even more jobs in the process.

And as we create new opportunities, we can do more to make sure that young people have the skills they need to succeed – like expanding job training and apprenticeships. We have to make government at every level a more effective partner in bringing together workers, labor, employers and training providers to prepare workers for good jobs. We need to make sure that incomes are rising again so that people can get ahead and stay ahead. That will be the centerpiece of my economic agenda.

At the core of these ideas is a simple concept. Every child in America should be able to live up to his or her God-given potential. An African American child should have the same chance as a white child. Opportunities should be available everywhere – cities, suburbs, and rural areas. -H

Aidyn Ureña chose to keep things a bit lighter:

Secretary Clinton, what is your favorite episode of The Good Wife?

Clinton was ready with her response:

Hi, everyone! So happy to be here today (here’s a photo of my team and me preparing for this chat!). Thank you to TheGrio for hosting.

Great question, Aidyn. I’m a fan but I haven’t been able to see any episodes this season! I have them stacked up for when I get a chance to catch up. I love the show, and I really enjoy watching an accomplished woman lawyer married to a politician navigating life. And I’m very sad that this is the last season! -H

Sunny Kamath asked:

Secretary Clinton, what advice would you give to your younger self in college that you didn’t know then?

Clinton replied:

You never know what’s going to happen in life. Get the best education you can, learn as much as you can about the world around you, and take opportunities as they come. And most of all, do what you love. Don’t take a job just for money – take a job because it’s meaningful. Find time for family. Find time for relationships. All of that adds up to a life that can provide a lot of satisfaction.

One of my favorite lines is, “I’ve loved and been loved. All the rest is background music.” I never would have understood what that meant when I was in college. -H

Krystle Disney was able to ask a three-part question:

1) What specifically would you do to help me and others like me manage the high cost of prescription medication?

2) For those of us who are paying off burdensome student loans already, is there anything you can or would do to help protect our finances under this burden?

3) On a personal level, you are the target both for Bernie supporters and Republicans. How do you stay grounded, focused, and positive when so many exaggerations, untruths, and ugly statements are directed your way?

Sec. Clinton was game for all three parts:

1) The Affordable Care Act has done so much to put health care within reach for millions of Americans – and we have to defend it – but we still have work to do to make it even better. It’s wrong that so many are still paying high out-of-pocket costs to get the health care they need – no one should have to choose between paying rent or paying for medication. We should stand up to the drug companies, cap how much you have to pay each month, go after predatory pricing, and finally, let Medicare negotiate for better prices. That’s just common sense!

2) So many students and graduates are in the spot you’re in. It’s important to remember that there are 40 million Americans holding student debt right now, so – while we absolutely need to make college more affordable, we also need to do more to help people with the debt they’ve already got. We need to help people refinance their student debt – that can save people thousands of dollars. And we should cap student loan repayment as a percentage of your income, so you never have to pay more than you can afford, and cap the number of years you have to pay it back. We’ll stop shady debt collectors from harassing you – even trying to get you arrested. And I’m proud to be the only candidate in this race with a real plan to support historically black colleges and universities.

3) Look, it’s not easy. I’m not going to pretend that all of the attacks and negativity don’t get to me, my friends, and many of my supporters. That’s when yoga – and/or a glass of wine! – come in handy. But I feel so strongly that we have to win this election, build on the progress President Obama has made, and go into the future breaking down all the barriers that are getting in people’s ways. So I learned a long time ago to take criticism seriously – you may learn something from it – but not personally. I’m also so grateful to all of my supporters who help push back against the misinformation online and spread the truth about what we’re trying to accomplish together. -H

Justin Plummer’s question focused on protecting LGBT rights:

Secretary Clinton,
In Oklahoma a historic number of bills were introduced to limit the rights of LGBT Americans. The exact number is 26. This is one of the many problems that will not be solved through wealth redistribution. Will you raise awareness about this on the campaign trail? And what are your plans for taking this on?

Clinton’s response:

Thanks, Justin. You’re right – we aren’t a single-issue country. We need to break down every barrier that holds Americans back, including the barriers of bigotry and discrimination. Marriage equality was an important victory, but lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans are still fighting for full equality – and I’m going to keep fighting alongside you. We need to fight back against attempts to roll back the progress we’ve made. In too many places, people can still be married on Sunday and be fired on Monday because of who they are or who they love. We need to end the harmful practice of so-called “conversion therapy” – LGBT kids don’t need to be “cured” of anything. And we need to take on the crisis of violence against transgender Americans, particular transgender women of color. LGBT Americans (and all Americans!) deserve to live their lives free from discrimination or violence. You can read more here: http://hrc.io/1XIV4Mp

And by the way, don’t forget to vote in the Oklahoma primary on March 1! -H

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