Hillary Clinton Brings Message of Unity to BET’s Leading Women Defined Summit
Despite being in the thick of primary season, with numerous campaign stops on her schedule for Super Tuesday, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton carved time out for America’s leading Black businesswomen. The former U.S. Secretary of State made a surprise appearance during the opening night reception of BET’s Leading Women Defined Summit in Miami. Sitting alongside BET Networks Chairman and CEO Debra L. Lee, Clinton reiterated her desire to “elevate” the political dialogue “away from the insults and the mean-spirited language” and restore optimism once again.
“As I said on the night of the South Carolina primary, I mean, it might sound, perhaps, a little odd, but I do think we need more love and kindness in our country. I think we have big barriers to knock down, big challenges to meet. Not only to set a different tone, but to create a sense of confidence and optimism again. Where people who feel left out and left behind believe that they can do better, that they can get ahead and stay ahead, that their kids can have a better life,” she said.
The former first lady also explained how she’s been inspired by women like Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, and others “who lost children to either police action or senseless, terrible gun violence.”
“I’m always in awe of how they have been able to channel their grief into action,” she told the crowd. “And as one said while we were together in South Carolina, there were five of the moms, [they turned] their sorrow into strategy and their mourning into a movement to try to reform police practices to get more accountability and also to do what we can to try to prevent gun violence in our country.”
Watch the video below for a closer look at the Leading Women Defined opening reception, and for complete coverage of Leading Women Defined, visit http://www.centrictv.com.
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