[Whitfield:] South Carolina Governor, Nikki Haley, says it is a new day in her state. This is why. The confederate flag was removed from the South Carolina state capitol grounds on Friday triggering a roaring, emotional reaction from the thousands of people that turned out to witness this historic moment. This after state lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to remove the confederate flag from the state grounds. It is now in the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum. The call to remove the flag was sparked by the killing of nine people at a historic African-American church in Charleston. The confessed shooter, Dylann Roof, was photographed with the confederate flag. Joining me right now is Bakari Sellers. He is a former representative of South Carolina State House and was born and raised in the state. Good to see you, Bakari. So the FBI, before I ask you about the confederate flag and what that means to you, particularly as a native son of South Carolina, let's talk about the FBI and its response saying that the background check of Dylan Roof, the confessed killer, was not thoroughly completed. He should have never been able to purchase that gun. What's your reaction to that?
[Bakari Sellers, Former South Carolina House Representative:] Well, an apology is not enough. We had a travesty, a failure in our bureaucracy that allowed this to happen. I saw the FBI director stand up and say that he apologized and it tears his heart up, but we need more than that. We need more action than that. This cannot happen again. We had a failure by our government that allowed nine people to die and I think anyone with common sense can tell you that someone out on bond who previously admitted to a drug offense should not be allowed to get a gun. That's common sense. So the fact that the system failed, it didn't just fail me or those nine families, but they failed the entire country. We were on the brink of something very, very bad in South Carolina and Charleston. But as a community, we were able to turn it around. That mistake should have never happened and we are going to make sure that mistake doesn't happen again.
[Whitfield:] And in turning history around, the flag would be removed from the state grounds. As someone who is born and has been raised in South Carolina, you have seen that flag, you know, throughout your lifetime on state grounds there. What did it mean to you to witness it being brought down?
[Sellers:] Well, when the flag came down, tears came down. In my 30 years of being on this great earth, I have never lived in South Carolina when that flag has not flown. For me, it is a personal my father was shot February 8, 1968 and imprisoned after the massacre. I knew Clementa Pinckney very well serving with him for eight years in the General Assembly. So I'm very familiar with the blood that runs through the soil of the state and I know what it means when that flag came down. It was one of relief, it was one of joy, and my tears were tears of optimism as well. And so I look forward to a new day in South Carolina, beginning of a new healthy conversation, and not just in this state but throughout the country.
[Whitfield:] What does it mean to you that the catalyst of this change, there have been so many debates over the years. There have been other votes prior to last week. But the catalyst of change of bringing down the flag would be the deaths of nine people, including your friend, Mr. Pinckney? So how do you process that?
[Sellers:] Well, for me it goes back even further to be completely honest. For me it goes back, and I think about the sheroes like Sarah May Fleming who sat down on a bus before Rosa Parks. Jessica Simkins and the three young men killed in the Orange Road massacre. I think about 40 years ago when Jean Tul and Kate Patterson filed a bill to remove it. It does bring you great sadness that Clemen and eight others had to die for this flag to be brought down. But I know those nine are joining hands in heaven today looking down upon us and saying job well done.
[Whitfield:] Bakari Sellers, thanks so much for your time today.
[Sellers:] Thank you for the opportunity. Have a great day.
[Whitfield:] You, too. All right, still ahead, outrage over a doctor who got rich by treating hundreds of patients for cancer, even though they didn't even have the disease. Details on the doctor sentenced, next.