The wave of civil unrest across the country comes at a fragile time for the economy, which is just starting to reopen. Corporate leaders are weighing in on what happens next and the need for solutions. Ken Frazier, chairman and CEO of Merck, joins “Squawk Box” to discuss.
Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier told CNBC on Monday that George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died at the hands of Minneapolis police, could have been him.
“What the African American community sees in that videotape is that this African American man, who could be me or any other African American man, is being treated as less than human,” Frazier said in a “Squawk Box” interview.
Protests have erupted across the United States over the death of Floyd. Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis police officer was filmed kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes before Floyd died as other officers stood by. He was fired by the department and later arrested on charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter charges.
“What the community saw was, until they went out into the streets, this officer — much less even the other officers — was not even going to be arrested for what was clearly inhumane treatment of a citizen,” Frazier said.
He noted racial inequities across U.S. society, from education to health care to the criminal justice system.
“Even though we don’t have laws that separate people on the basis of race anymore, we still have customs, we still have beliefs, we still have policies and practices that lead to inequities,” Frazier said.
As a child growing up in Philadelphia in the 1960s, Frazier, 65, was among inner-city African Americans bused out to schools more than an hour away.
“I know for sure that what put my life on a different trajectory was that someone intervened to give me an opportunity, to close that opportunity gap,” he said. “And that opportunity gap is still there.”
Frazier said that leaders in the business community can be a “unifying force” and have the ability to create jobs and new opportunities. More than 41 million Americans have lost their jobs since mid-March as the coronavirus pandemic upends the U.S. economy.
“Joblessness leads to hopelessness,” he said. “Hopelessness leads to what we see in the streets.”
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Before Frazier was interviewed, Black Entertainment Television founder Robert Johnson told “Squawk Box” the U.S. government should provide $14 trillion of reparations for slavery to help reduce racial inequality.
“Now is the time to go big,” the 74-year-old Johnson said.
To Frazier, change through the “polarized” U.S. political system is more difficult.
“I don’t believe that we’ll be able to get anything like that through our political system,” he said.
As the country also grapples with the pandemic, Frazier also urged unity after the civil unrest and health crisis both pass.
“The fact of the matter is no one of us can rebuild this great country, and the good news is none of us has to do it our own,” he said. “Together, we can actually make this the country that stands for the ideals that have always been behind it.”
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No Ken, ur not George Floyd. U did not and would not put a gun to a pregnant woman s belly,. U would not ravage ur body with drugs and try to pass counterfeit dollar. U would not let urself be incarcerated multiple times. Ur so much more and make much better choices
Coud be me after 10 white cops supporting him …. another sick
Is this the SAME merck company that has #childlabor (That they choose to ignore because of profits) hauling raw materials from #india?
Do you have 5 felonies, and attempted to.murder a woman and her child?
Then it cannot be you.
Why wasn't the entire interview uploaded? The portion with him talking about the opportunity he received to go to a decent school changed his life and is an important lesson about one of the most structurally damaging issues in the US
Really? It could be you Ken? Are you on fentanyl passing counterfeit bills?
#It could be me
Very brilliant man, with the anointing of his blessing to speak up… his people will be free and his voice will ring in history🙏🏾
Well said. I always appreciate when Ken Frazier is on CNBC
When you lack the right to breathe you die.
And i Guess i could be like Ben
Get out of MRK as fast as you can.
Civil injustice is all over many third world countries, so nothing to see here.
He wouldnt treat an animal like that
5 000 Up Votes from Germany! We had those Volunteers in the SS Einsatzgruppen 1942 in Germany – enjoying torture and killing! It is NOT racism! It is Human Psychopathy! A serial Killer becoming a state official, Police, Military – President…
Civil Dis Obedience – the courage to go as Innocent! to JAIL – is the ONLY way to Stop Tyranny! All those who did not protest – where slaughtered later. All! The Tyrants have Insurance and
Protection…
like the Catholic Church breeds and protects well trained Pedophile Priests – Police and Military breeds Sadists and Psychopaths – abusing POWER to torture the weak and innoncent. A Breeding
Process! Can never be stopped…
The officers should be held accountable to the full extent of the law. What was done was inhumane. However this could not happen to Ken Frazier because he would not try to pass a counterfeit bill then resist arrest. There are bad officers that are out there that must be weeded out, just get in the car don't risk your life.
"I can't breath" said the man dying from Corona virus. These riots are mass Corona virus spreading events. Thank you idiots! The media is complicit!
US lectures the whole world on human rights but only China has the guts to give it back. No other country has issued statements on US human rights violations.
correction. he did say 'of course we don't let them in the the laboratories, but it was in context of HS or young person internships. so it makes sense. sorry Mr. Frazier, my bad, great interview. please keep up the great work. sorry for the misinterpretation, and sorry for what happened in Minneapolis. lets hope justice is served and these actions by police stop.
I wish people could see it isn't only race! It is inequality and police brutality! OJ Simpson and Rodney king, what's the difference between the two? Not race, but MONEY!
USA is a third world country
pls play whole interview, i heard it and thought i heard him say (i may be wrong), we hire African Americans in several types of job (paraphrasing) but we don't let them in the LABS. Did he say that? If so, maybe he is part of the problem. If he said that, let me ask, who works in the LABS Mr. Frazier and why can't African Americans work in them?
PHARMA. EVIL. GODDAMN THE PUSHER MAN.
A failed leader definitely leads to a failed country.. read the history of others nations.. four more years of Trump's presidency will lead to American's distraction.
agreed…please post full interview!
Sold all my merks stock today no time sorry ass losers go sell medicine
The US Federal Reserve counterfeits trillions of dollars, bails out banks who turn ordinary peoples' lives into speculative financial assets to be traded without regard, bails out scandalously managed businesses to the benefit of their rapacious executives and shareholders, inflates an enormous asset value bubble that drives historic divisive wealth inequality. Nothing happens. George Floyd allegedly passes a counterfeit $20 bill. Dead at the hands of four police officers.
I agreed with the cause of the protestors until I saw them burning, raping, and destroying our communities. This is their justice?!?!
Idiot! Riot ,Looting etc for what?
put the whole interiew of Ken Frazier; a brilliant man
End police brutality
End immunity
Enough is enough
Time for a change!