>> CATHY: THE NAACP IS CURRENTLY SUING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OVER THE PRESIDENT'S EXECUTIVE ORDER IN MARCH TO DISMANTLE THE U.S. EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

THIS FOLLOWS CONTINUED ULTIMATUMS OVER FEDERAL FUNDING AND DEI INITIATIVES ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES.

JOINING US TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL CHAPTER OF THE NAACP, HERE IN ROCHESTER, WALÉ ELEGBEDE.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> IT'S SO NICE TO BE HERE.

THANKS FOR HAVING US.

>> Cathy: I TELL YOU WHAT, WE MIGHT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE MICROPHONE THERE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, TECHNOLOGY THE WAY IT IS.

THREW GO, GIVE IT ANOTHER TRY.

>> CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME NOW?

>> Cathy: WE SURE CAN.

>> SO NICE TO BE HERE.

REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.

>> Cathy: IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Cathy: LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS SUIT.

IT IS, OF COURSE, THE NATIONAL NAACP IS SUING OVER THE EXECUTIVE ORDER TO DISMANTLE THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

WHAT'S THE LOCAL BRANCH'S TAKE ON THIS?

>> WELL, WE ARE FULLY SUPPORTIVE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT JUST THE IMPACT THIS HAS ON EDUCATION, NOT JUST TO BLACK COMMUNITY MEMBERS BUT TO ALL, AND THERE ARE REALLY TWO SUITS.

SO THE FIRST SUIT CAME OUT IN MARCH, AND, REALLY, THIS WAS ABOUT CHALLENGING THE DISMANTLING OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND OUR MAIN PREMISE IS THAT CONGRESS WAS THE ONE THAT ENACTED HAT AND ONLY CONGRESS CAN DISMANTLE IT, NOT THE PRESIDENT, NOT THE SECRETARY OF EDUCATION.

AND, SO, THAT SUIT CONTINUES.

AND THE OTHER IS REALLY ONE THAT WE HAD A WEEK AGO, ACTUALLY, AND THAT WAS ABOUT ATTACKS AGAINST DEI, YOU KNOW.

AND JUST YESTERDAY WE GOT THE FEDERAL JUDGE TO REALLY BLOCK THAT.

SO, OBVIOUSLY THE WORK CONTINUES.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO FIGHT FORWARD AND NOT BACKWARDS.

BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING THIS BECAUSE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

>> Eric: I WAS DOING SOME RESEARCH DURING THE WEEK, READING ABOUT YOU, LISTENING TO SOME INDIVIDUAL YOIS.

VIDEOS.

YOU HAVE AN INTERESTING FOCUS ON ADULT EDUCATION AND PERSONAL FINANCE AND LITERACY.

WHY THAT FOCUS?

>> YEAH, IT'S ACTUALLY MORE THAN THAT.

SO I'LL JUST SHARE THAT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT JUST, YOU KNOW, SYSTEMIC ISSUES WHEN IT COMES TO JUST WEALTH BUILDING AND EDUCATION IN GENERAL, YOU KNOW, FROM AN NAACP, WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT ARE WE GIVING THE TOOLS TO PEOPLE TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL, WHETHER IT'S TO THE TRADE SCHOOLS, OR WHETHER THAT'S TO COLLEGE, IN TERMS OF ALSO HOW TO MANAGE THEIR WEALTH, BUT WE DO A LOT MORE THAN THAT, THAT'S JUST ONE ASPECT.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.

YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF HOW DO WE TEACH PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, AND THE YOUTH, YOU KNOW, SELF-EFFICACY.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.

AND, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A WAY THAT WE FIGHT THESE SYSTEMIC ISSUES.

THIS IS A WAY THAT WE BRING ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TOGETHER.

AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE ALL OF US BEING IN THIS TO REALLY CHANGE THIS.

>> Cathy: YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE AN IMMIGRANT STORY.

AND I WONDER, HOW DIFFICULT IS IT FOR YOU TO WATCH WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON HERE THE PAST 100 DAYS?

>> YEAH.

SO, FOR BACKGROUND, I'M ORIGINALLY FROM NIGERIA.

I'M AN AMERICAN CITIZEN.

AND WHEN I CAME TO THIS COUNTRY, THE REASON WHY I CAME HERE AND THE REASON WHY I CHOSE AMERICA, AND THE REASON WHY A LOT OF IMMIGRANTS CHOOSE AMERICA IS BECAUSE OF THAT AMERICAN DREAM.

YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS WORTH FIGHTING FOR, IT'S SOMETHING THAT IT'S WORTH ATTAINING.

WE'RE NOT THERE YET.

BUT THAT'S WHY PEOPLE CHOOSE AMERICA.

A LOT OF WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING REALLY IS CHAL CHALLENGING, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT AMERICAN DREAM IS.

YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE STUDENTS THAT ARE BEING DETAINED FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE FAMILIES THAT ARE -- NOW WE HAVE A JUDGE THAT WAS ARRESTED, YOU NOW, AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT REALLY JUST TAKE ME BACK TO NIGERIA.

SO, I MEAN, I GREW UP UNDER MILITARY DICTATORSHIPS AND TOTALITARIAN REGIMES WHERE THE RULE WAS REALLY RULING BY DECREES.

AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE REALLY RULING BY EXECUTIVE ORDERS.

RIGHT.

SO I SEE A LOT OF PARALLELS.

BUT I DO KNOW THIS, THAT THERE IS STRENGTH IN COMMUNITY, THERE'S STRENGTH IN PEOPLE.

AND WE JUST NEED TO LET PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE POWER THEY HAVE.

AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE.

BUT, I MEAN, THAT'S WHY A TED TALK, IT TAKES A COMMUNITY TO ERADICATE HATE.

HOW DO WE GO FROM NOT MY BUSINESS, IT'S THE OTHER, THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM, TO EVERYONE'S BUSINESS.

AND WE NEED EVERYONE'S BUSINESS A LOT MORE THESE DAYS.

>> Cathy: AND DO YOU THINK THE MESSAGE IS RESONATING HERE IN ROCHESTER?

>> OH, ABSOLUTELY.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOUR NEIGHBOR, IF YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE BEING ARRESTED OR IF YOUR NEIGHBORS, YOU KNOW, DON'T HAVE FOOD TO AT, YOU KNOW, THOSE TEND TO AFFECT ALL OF SOCIETY.

AND, SO, YES, I MEAN, THAT'S THE REASON WHY I DID THE TED TALK, THAT'S THE REASON HY, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU'RE BASICALLY SHARING MESSAGES TO MAKE IT PEOPLE'S BUSINESS.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, THOUGH, PEOPLE HAVE TO STAND UP AND PEOPLE HAVE TO TAKE ACTION.

AND MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, THE SOCIETY WE WANT TO SEE.

>> Eric: APPRECIATE YOU COMING ON TONIGHT.

THANKS VERY MUCH.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> Cathy: GOOD TO SEE YOU.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU.