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Michigan Matters: Has Obama's Leadership Helped Or Hindered Nation's Race Relations?

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson mixed it up with Cliff Russell, longtime journalist and pundit, about President Barack Obama's impact on the nation's racial climate in a heated exchange on CBS62's "Michigan Matters."

Michigan Matters Roundtable 7-17-16
L. Brooks Patterson, Charlie Beckham, Cliff Russell with CBS 62 "Michigan Matters" Senior Producer/Host Carol Cain talk about the presidential race, impact of recent police shootings and more. (credit: Zuri Cheathem/CBS 62)
Michigan Matters Roundtable 7-17-16
Jimmy Settles, Vice President, UAW-Ford, with Carol Cain appears on "Michigan Matters " and discusses the union, the Motor City and more. He also shares thoughts about Mark Fields. (credit: Zuri Cheathem/CBS 62)

Charlie Beckham, Group Executive in charge of Neighborhoods for the City of Detroit, was also part of the panel moderated by Senior Producer/Host Carol Cain.

The conversation included fallout of recent police shootings of black men, and the shootings of Dallas Police Officers last week.
Patterson said that conditions have deteriorated under Obama's watch, while Russell, host of a show heard 2-4 p.m. weekdays on 910 AM, disagreed.

Also appearing was Jimmy Settles, Vice President of the UAW-Ford for 10 years, who shared insights into the UAW and its growing ranks.

He talked about the controversial Right To Work legislation in Michigan which was adopted a few years ago and its impact.
Settles joined UAW in the 1960s and compared the plight of the city and unions then vs. today.

He also talked about Ford's leadership and Mark Fields.

You can hear the conversation by watching "Michigan Matters" 11:30 a.m. Sunday on CBS 62.

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