Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay - Chris Harrison's Latest Apology and Angela Rye on the Biden Administration So Far

Episode Date: March 5, 2021

Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay discuss Chris Harrison’s interview with Michael Strahan on 'Good Morning America' (9:00) and then are joined by Angela Rye to discuss the Biden administration, how we can all work toward a common goal, and why Rye is bad at twerking (21:00). Then Van and Rachel talk about Greg McDermott’s tone-deaf remarks to the Creighton men’s basketball team (52:00), Texas reopening (59:00), and Dr. Seuss having six books “canceled” (1:07:00) before answering mailbag questions (1:18:00). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yo, yo, yo, thought warriors. What is up? Higher learning is on. It is I, Van Lathen. And it's me, Rachel Lindsay. Rachel Lindsay. How has your week been? My week has been good, you know?

I'm still on my Instagram break. How's that going? I love it. I mean, I'm eventually having to come back because, you know, as I'm lovingly called here, QVC Rach and those ads are calling. So eventually I'll have to come back. But mentally for me,

I love it. I love not being on Instagram. It's great. You hate Instagram now. Now you're over. I have a question. How does not being on Instagram figure in with QVC. Rach and the many bags that she gets?

I've had to push some things back because my mental health is priceless. Right? So I needed this break. I needed it for me. So don't you, don't you worry, guys. I'll be back in full effect.

And Van, man, you've been, you've been QVC in it up as well. I've seen you with a couple of hashtag ads. It's just AT&T. It's like, it's a dream of black partnership. It's like nothing. It's not like a product.

It's just, hey, these are black future makers. Did you get paid? No. I did. Of course. I did. You think I work for AT&T for free? I love to see it.

I love to see it. Unlike you, though, I didn't write anything snarky under your post. That's just it's funny. But listen, it's one thing to do it one time. It's like you were. Oh, you'll do it again. You'll do it again. Oh, I've done it before.

Yeah. But you're like, it's like, see that cup that you have right there? You use that cup. And then all of a sudden it'll be like, I love the cups from Crate and Burrow. No. They make my hands feel so soft as the warm liquid. with it's inside. Okay, don't you ever imitate my voice with the,

what's that, that's the bedside? What's it? That's a, putting on the ass, about to, put it up, put it on that.

I thought that is. You know what I did yesterday, Rachel? Rachel, you want to hear what I did yesterday? Sure, man, what did you do yesterday? I went on Reddit and I was like in

the bachelor. You went to the bachelor subreddit. I went to the bachelor subreddit. I was going back and forth. Wait, you, wait. How did I? You were arguing with people to subred.

Yeah, I was. So people hit me up on Instagram and they were like, just let you know some people in The Bachelor of Subradit didn't like what you and Rachel had to say about Taylor. That doesn't surprise me. It doesn't surprise me either. And by the way, I think that their criticisms of it, when I look back at the totality of everything that went on,

I think a lot of their criticisms on it are fair. And so I'm not going to be perfect on the show. But, you know, I'm not going to be flogged either. I think their criticisms of it are absolutely fair. You know, we live in an era where people want accountability and people want to make sure that they're in safe spaces with people. And the fact that the matter is the Taylor lady said she was one thing. And at some other point, she was something completely different.

And people have a right to ask what's what and to demand more for people who are true. I get it. I get it. It would have been better. if she would have said this is how I used to be. Look, my thoughts on that remain what they are, but I understand the criticism and I accepted no problem.

But then there was the there was the other side of it. There's another bachelor's subreddit where people took, you know, the story I told about the Blackberry farm thing and one, about the tray. About the tray and then the

ancestors and stuff like that. Well, there was they made a thread about that. They were like, Van Lathen says that you should, that he wants to smack the tray out of a white server's hand to get revenge for things against his ancestor. And look. And no context. That's just the title of it.

No context. That was basically, I'll read it right now. Hold on. I'll read it right now. Hold on. While you're looking that up, I will say, I will say in regards to the Taylor thing that I,

I'm not on Instagram, so I understand that I don't know the totality of everything that was said or however she apologized or however many times or what was said within him. So, you know, like that, I guess that would be my error that, you know, I don't know. I'm not fully versed on the whole situation. But, you know, I get it. People were disappointed. That's fine. I really do understand it. And they're entitled to be disappointing this.

Anyway, I'm not going to go. I'm not going to go. You can find it? I can find it, but I don't feel like going through all of this. So basically people just put up, like, as if you're saying that you want to knock trays out of white people's hands. Right. And as if I was like, yo, I'm going down to Blackberry Farm and, you know, knock trays out of white people's hands. It was a joke, right?

So then I responded. Yes, it was a joke. So then I responded. I responded. it and I really expected to have a laugh with the people on the subreddit after this. Well, why? They posted it

and took it out of context. But it wasn't even about it being taken out of context. It wasn't even so much about that. I thought so this is what it says. The name of the post is Van Lathen says that at restaurants he sometimes wants to knock the fucking tray over of the white servers because his ancestors were slaves. That's what it says.

Just like that. And it has a link to the podcast. I thought that maybe there was some glitch in our communication, or maybe people were taking me seriously or whatever. I thought that there was something off. Because I'm talking to people thinking that it's such an obvious joke and a send-up that everyone would have a laugh. Fuck no.

It only got worse. You're in the wrong subreddit. I was in the Bachelor Nation subred. And not The Bachelor, where the people did like what we said, but are generally lovely people. And I'm not saying that the people on Bachelor Nation aren't lovely people either. I don't know them. They just get you more. Yeah, I'm just saying, I'm saying that like, you know, this is people, that people are upset.

So they got the sores out. So we went back and forth all night until I was just like, yo, I can't, Van's likable, cuddly fun. Hey, it's me, Van. It's not going to work. they're not fucking with it. So I had to just like leave it. But I was going back and forth on the subreddit. And I found it.

It was a lot of fun for a little while. Yeah, you like that kind of stuff. You don't like it. No, I do at times. Like, I like to go back and forth, right? I'm not in the courtroom anymore. So, you know, you're always looking for that courtroom moment in real life. I'm not doing it all Reddit.

Now I'm curious. Now I want to go see this back and forth. Did it was it one? Were you going at it with one person or is it just like the whole sub? It was no, there was one person. And look, they, this is why I think, and this is the most interesting thing. But I don't try to make snap judgments about people.

I judge what they've done and how they've reacted to it, right? But like I don't, the canceling thing is funny to me because I believe it's almost in a weird way. Like, I don't disagree with the sentiment of what Chris Harrison was saying. when he was in an interview with you. The sentiment is a very basic one. The sentiment is, hey, this is somebody who made the mistake. Should we cast him away for the rest of life forever? Sure. Because they made that mistake.

I don't disagree with that at all. Right. I vehemently disagree with people being able to do whatever they want and then just say, hey, fuck you. That was a long time ago. I don't have to say, I don't have to apologize for it or reconcile it or do anything like that. I think that is a symptom of white supremacy.

Just I never have to say I'm sorry, you know. So. So then what does you think about today? For adults with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms, every choice matters. Tramphia offers self-injection or intravenous infusion from the start. Trimfaya is administered as injections under the skin or infusions through a vein every four weeks, followed by injections under the skin every four or eight weeks. If your doctor decides that you can self-inject Tramphia, proper training is required.

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followed by injections under the skin every four or eight weeks. If your doctor decides that you can self-inject Tramphia, proper training is required. Tramphia is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease and adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. Serious allergic reactions, increased risk of infections or lower ability to fight them, and liver problems may occur. Before treatment, get checked for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, or need to be.

a vaccine. Explore what's possible. Ask your doctor about Tramphia today. Call 1-800-526-7736 to learn more or visit Tramphiara.com. Oh, Chris Harris. So this is what I think about today. No what I think about today. No, no, no. No one's listening to this right now to hear what I think thought about today. Obviously you guys know Chris Harrison went on Good Morning America and talked to Michael Strayhan earlier. Before we get to what I thought about today, what did you think about today? I mean, I talked about it on Extra. I Listen, I saw the interview. I have a lot of thoughts. But I think for me to move on, for me to move forward, because like we're staying in this place and

it just keeps stirring and stirring and stirring. And I've been stirring. in it for almost a month at this point. It's crazy to think that interview was almost a month ago. You know, Chris apologized again. This is the first time we've seen him apologize. We've seen it, right? There have been statements. He apologized. I accept the apology. Like, let's move forward. I'm not going to give any opinion on what I think should happen with the franchise, what I think his role should be moving forward. I think something is getting lost here. And that is I'm not on the show anymore. Right?

I've been on Bachelor, Bachelorette. I found my husband. I moved on. I think we need to be hearing from the people who are currently in the franchise and for the future people who are coming on the show. What Chris did has a trickle-down effect

for all people of color who are affiliated with the franchise and who will be. be in the future, assuming it continues. We need to be asking them how they feel, what they think about this, what their feelings are about how the franchise should be moving forward. And nobody is. Everybody wants to ask me, everybody's making this Chris versus Rachel instead of looking at what he said and the impact that it is having on people of color in this franchise and beyond, the people who watched that interview and were offended by it. It's not what does Rachel think about.

about what Chris said. Chris said it. What he said had... What he said was problematic, which we've all recognized. So how do the people feel who were impacted by that? And I think that's the question we need to be asking. I'm curious, though, what you thought about. But I had to accept it because, like, for me, do you know what I'm saying?

Like, because I'm stuck in a place and I just need to, accept it so we can move on. You know, sometimes when you forgive and you accept, it's not necessarily for the person, it's for you. And I needed that for me. Right. So I'm not in any position to, to like demand an apology from Chris Harrison. Like he didn't do me nothing. So like it, I don't know. He apologizes. That's, I think that's obviously the appropriate thing to do for myriad reasons, right? It's the appropriate thing to do in order to let people know that their grievances with you matter. I think it's the appropriate thing to do for Chris

Harrison's career. Okay? Now, the situation is, do I think that fundamentally Chris Harris is a different guy now that he was when he was on extra with you? No. No. Right. And so for me,

that because the thing about that is and it's like you're going to go out, you're going to hire a racial diversity guy and you're going to work with them and you're... Throughout Michael Eric Dyson. Were you surprised by that?

I love Dr. Dyson. So Dr. Dyson is always trying to help. Yeah. I do too. Dr. Dyson is always trying to help. So I, you know, that's one of the right guys to go to. I don't feel any differently about Chris Harrison, the man now than I did before. But I don't have to.

Like, I don't, it doesn't, it doesn't really mean anything. I think now that consequence has probably, put Chris Harrison in a place where he's less likely to do harm like this in the future. He was less likely to do that. And that actually has to be worth it to people. Yeah. I don't really need purity out of people. I just need an understanding of the basic societal contract,

which is that we're here too. Yeah. And so that's the bottom line. It's that it doesn't, I don't need you to, I don't need you to never have had a racist thought in your life. I don't need you to never have had a racist thought in your life. I don't need you to never have had a racist tweet in your life. I don't need you to never have thought anything wrong or done anything wrong or gone to any party.

That's impossible. I wouldn't want you to be that person because I'm not that person. That's impossible. What I would, I think what anyone would hope for is the moment that you've done something to where people have said, hey, this is doing harm and I'm affected. for you to be like, my bad. I get that. I might not understand it, but right now I'm going to give you a space to be a human being.

Because I've done something, and that's just basically that has nothing to do with race or gender or anything like that. It has to do with what kind of world you're trying to live in. And the thing about Chris Harrison's initial deal is there's something sometimes in America that stops white people. people from doing that. Rather than them saying, hey, I hurt you, I'm going to try to understand or even talk to you

about it, they say, how dare you be hurt by me? Yeah. And the transgression is not the big deal. That attitude is because that attitude chokes progress. That attitude means that if I can't even express to somebody, think about any relationship in your life. any relationship in your life, your relationship with your significant other,

the relationship with your mother. The reason why you have those specific relationships with people is because they give you space to be you. Yeah. It's like, what's the point of having friends if you have somebody that steps all over your feelings and that you can't talk to or whatever? So that's the only thing about it.

I'm sitting there watching somebody saying, hey, yeah, who are you to tell this person that what they did was wrong? Who are you to do that? That we have to discuss. As far as anything else that he might think, as long as he's not hurting anybody with it, I couldn't fucking care less.

I really, look, if I'm in a room with you and you think I'm not as smart as you are because I'm black and that's in your head, I don't give a shit. I give a shit if that makes you stop me from giving a job, getting a job. Like, I give a shit about the, about the harm. I'm over in my life

trying to legislate people's emotions. They're going to feel the way that they feel and hopefully we'll do enough work in this life that their kids won't feel the same way. But I don't... I don't give a shit. But... And to that point, I'm like, all right, cool. Like, it's like, do I think that there was very much sincerity in apology? Not really. Well, Shrayhan said that as well. Yeah, I mean, but... But I think he knows he has to do it. I think it's very unlikely that Chris Harrison

will trip up in that way again. And more than anything, I'm going to be honest with you. I want everybody to have their show back. I like it, look. What do you mean have their show back? Look, man, I got to be real with you. What does that mean?

I want, I want, I want, I want, I want what Bachelor of Nations wants, which is just to be able to watch their show and have some fun again. I do. So that means like, so you like, you want it back

to how it used to be? I don't know. I don't even, but she's, like, Rachel, here's the thing. I don't even know

the way it used to look because I ain't ever watched it. Well, since you've been watching it, you've seen people of color be the leads. Right. But my,

my thing is this, it's like, it's hard. So I'm having a little fun and I'm talking to people and I'm meeting so many people that are in Bachelor of Nation, but the thing is,

I don't give a fuck. They know. I don't, I promise you guys. I want nothing more than for you to have fun watching your show. Now, I don't want people to have to, I don't want, I want them to have fun watching their show. I don't give a fuck about this shit. I don't. I feel you.

I just, you know, because I come from it, I want people to be able to enjoy the show too. It's a form of entertainment. And I get it. Housewives is mine. But for the people I know, I'm so connected to it, obviously. So it's a little different for me. But can I just talk about the silver lining

in the whole segment on Chris Harris? Blackberry Farm. Blackberry Farm. What's up? It's not Blackberry Farm. It was that Higher Learning made it to GMA. Y'all, we were on boarding TV, Higher Learning Podcast,

had our colors, had our symbol. Van and I, we were on that. I was shocked. They used a clip from our podcast. Higher learning. Y'all, we're moving up. Thought warriors. Don't, don't marginalize us.

We, we, we out. We made it. We out of you. Question. Before we move on. Hmm. Right now, Chris Harrison called you up, texted you up.

I said, Rachel, let's meet up somewhere, have drinks and talk. Would you be willing to go sit down with him? and talk about this. I think I have to say yes. Why do you have to say yes? All right, enough. No more. This is it, guys.

Right, this is it. I can't. I accepted so we can move on. I can't. We ain't going to talk about this again unless it's dealing with the franchise making a decision because we obviously have to. I don't.

I cannot. I can't. And I think Chris would agree, which is why he would never call me or text me up to say, let's have a drink and talk. Y'all should, man. No, listen, if

Chris, honestly, if Chris called me up and said, hey, I want to talk, I would talk to him. I would, like, I would, of course, go and talk to him, but he's not going to call me up. They asked him that. Once last, have you talked to Rachel? Initially. Initially.

Initially, I talked to her. Initially. Yeah, but then you kick that man back in. Stop. I'm just joking. I'm just joking, guys. No, you can't anymore. Here comes Reddit.

Here comes the subreddit. The subreddit. Damn, the subreddit was on my ass. I can't believe you were playing with them. I cannot believe you spent time and energy until you fell asleep. No, I'd be honest with you. I give them credit. They stuck to their guns.

I had people telling me that I made fun of Uber drivers and Best Buy workers. And I was like, Jesus. Oh, wow. They stuck to their guns. No sense of humor in that subreddit. No, no, no. I'm not saying I don't have a sense of humor. I'm saying they weren't fucking what I was saying.

It was two different things. But you were joking. I'm saying that they didn't like, I can't talk about them people's sense of humor. I don't know them people. What I'm saying, what I'm saying is that after that I was like, all right, cool. But shout out to them.

Shout out to everybody. We're going to keep it moving. Because once again, guys, I'm just fucking around because I don't give a fuck. All right, I don't. I don't. And you enjoy this kind of stuff. All right, it's just, this is funny, funny stuff. All right, let's take a break.

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Everyone knows the face. Everyone knows, I feel like knows the energy. A lawyer, political commentator, principal and CEO of Impact Strategies, our good sister, Angela Rye, is on. higher learning with us. Angela, how you doing? I am great. I'm so grateful to be here with you both.

Definitely a fan of the show. It's so thrilled to be invited on. Thank you for having me. Yeah, we're excited to have you. I'm actually surprised Van didn't come with the shade because usually when it's another woman, specifically a black woman who says she's an attorney,

Van will be like, oh, I'm so glad we have a real lawyer on the show. Yeah, an actual attorney. Because apparently that just disappears after a while. I mean, I'm not saying it disappears. What I'm saying is that every single day of her blessed life, Angela uses her skill set from being in attorney. I was going to say, Rachel, maybe he thinks I'm not a real one either because he's like, well, last time he was in. You know, but that's okay, since we earn that.

We paid that. Some of us are still paying for that, right? Word up. I know I am. Now, Angela, as we have you here, we are in the early day. of a brand new political administration in terms of there in Washington, D.C. When I ask you a question that I feel like has been lobbed around in the community in some of the conversations that I've been in, for black people, what is it fair to expect from the Biden administration in the first 100 days and over the course of the time that they're here?

What's fair to expect from them? Everything. every damn thing. Like if at the end of the day, then you can mathematically, I'm not a mathematician, but mathematically you can prove that without the black vote,

I hate saying the black vote because it's not monolithic, right? Without black voters, them casting their votes, their ballots for Joe Biden, he would not be there in the primary and in the general. Then logic,

that whatever it is that we ask, that can be done either with executive action, executive order, or with his urging that the House and the Senate consider a measure because he will sign it into law, the answer, sir, is everything. I do also think it was a frustrating moment in the Obama president, during the Obama presidency, but it was an honest one when he said that he did not just represent black America. He represented the whole of America. And in a meeting that I was in, he said that activists, that the Congressional Black Caucus needed to push him on issues that we thought were important for us. And I think that the same still holds true here, whether Joe Biden was an associate member of the Congressional Black Caucus, when that was a thing, it was a thing.

whether he, you know, was cool with a ton of Delaware activists and a longtime supporter of the Delaware NAACP, whether he has, you know, 35 black friends, whatever it is, we still need to push him on an agenda that we can all embrace. And I do want to shout out our dear sister, Alicia Garza, for doing a hell of a job on pulling together the blacks of the future agenda that is a Black Agenda 2020 that could still very much be embraced now. And she's still doing that work now pushing the administration.

So we should get on board. Piggybacking off of that with the House just now naming it the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act. And that that is going to or did pass through the House. It passed the House yesterday. What's your take on that? That, you know, if we were expecting everything from the Biden administration, this is happening? What's your take on it? And do you see it moving forward through the Senate? Yeah. So great question. First, I want to commend, again, the Congressional Black Caucus for

its work on introducing the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act right after he was killed, right after Amon Arbery, right after Breonna Taylor all lost their lives. That was work that was championed by the chair of the caucus, Karen Bass, at the time, led by her. at the time and then led also by Kamala Harris and Corey Booker in the Senate. That bill has already passed the House once. What is different about this time is Joe Biden, who during the campaign said that he did not support ending qualified immunity. He supported reining it in actually tweeted yesterday that the House has now passed

the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act. Now it's time for the Senate to do its job, which was huge, fan, to your point earlier. we are starting to see some of those changes based on pressure applied by the community and activists who are doing this work every day. If you had it your way and there was a list of issues that you feel like specifically in the black community, we should zero in on to have this administration work on on our behalf. What would those issues be?

You know, one thing that I absolutely love that Congressman Charles Rangel said before he retired, he's one of the founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus. And also shout out to the CBC because it's their 50th anniversary this year. He said that he sometimes wonders if the CBC put too much emphasis on social justice policy and not enough emphasis on economic advancement for black people. Interesting. He said that, and this is someone who was the chair of the Ways and Means Committee, which of course is responsible for taxation and overseeing all types.

of economic empowerment zones, right? All of that policy ran through, or runs through so to the stay, the Ways and Means Committee. So it's a really, really interesting bent. If I had my dreaders, I wouldn't pick, right? Like, we know that there's a dangerous cycle in our community that violence begets unemployment,

begets, you know, poor education, begets poor economic opportunity. And so, you know, the question remains that if we had ever gotten what we were supposed to with 40 acres at a mule if Andrew Johnson didn't come in after Lincoln was assassinated and say hell with that, we ain't got to get him that

what would have happened. And so something in me says if I had to place an emphasis on something it would be our economic advancement because we've never got to see where we would be if there was an equitable and an equal existence for black people in this country.

Does that be reparations? Absolutely. Of course. Absolutely. Whoa, whoa. Why y'all jumped them? I don't know why you felt jumped on. I know. A hit dog a hollivan.

Be careful. I was just asking. Yeah, but yeah, I think, you know, whether we're talking about the HR 40 bill that Congressman Conyers introduced every Congress since the late 80s, which only calls for the study of reparations, a commission. Like, it's not even sufficient. Yeah. Absolutely. This is something that CBC members have long championed. My dad actually always calls for it. I've had it in speeches now for 10 years, but he's always called for a federal designation for a descendants of United States slaves before there was ever any entity that proclaims that they own this work, right? There are black people that have been championing this for years. And with that, I said, well, Daddy, why don't we have a state and local designation too that would give us, you know, access to education without.

you know, going beyond affirmative action, which we know traditionally doesn't benefit us, whether it's ensuring that we have real access to federal, state, and local contracts with the government, ensuring that we have first priority on jobs, real access to capital, that venture funds would have certain set-asides for us in developing businesses. There's a gazillion ways we could do it. And let me tell you some about white folks in government. They figure it out what is for them. So now it's time for them to take that same innovation and ingenuity and use it on us.

We have seen what happens when we come together and we go to the polls, right? We talk about black voters and we saw what happened in Georgia specifically. Now we see what's happening in Georgia right now with the House passing the bill that limits the absentee voting and early voting. What is your take on that? And we see this happen all the time where we take a step forward and then we take five steps back. Like, what can we do to not be discouraged? what can we do to keep moving forward so that we continue to fight

for the things that we want and that we deserve? I am listening to you but pulling up at the same time our sister Latasha Brown who runs and is co-founder of Black Voters Matter. You all may know that they just took out a full-page ad calling on companies in Georgia to stand with them

to push back against these voter suppressive measures. What we know is every single thing that the GOP historically does to make voting more difficult, it has a direct impact on our voters. And they're trying to do a lot, including making it a misdemeanor to feed people or give people water while they're standing in line waiting to vote. Right. Like these kinds of things are ridiculous. So she's calling on Delta Airlines, Coca-Cola, Southern Company, Home Depot, UPS, Aflac, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, Metro, and Georgia.

black chamber of commerce to stand with them and protecting voting rights. I'm naming them because sometimes you've got to name names and I understand that they said, well, that's going to set us back, but it's not because you have to be accountable in using your economic prowess in that community to ensure that black voters are protected.

Yeah, I mean, if the people down there to support your businesses, you should support their rights as Americans. Period. Period. You know what I mean? Like, what I'm watching the other, you know what I mean? That's it. So Rachel and I have a difference of opinion on one thing. And I think we talked about this earlier. Just one?

Several things. Several things. But the roles of allies in this entire struggle of ours as Black Americans. It's not even specifically as Black Americans as Americans. I got to be honest with you. I am over the Allies. I'm over it. I'm over it.

Like not that I'm not that. I don't accept and welcome allies into this, but at this point, I want people more to stay out of the way of progress than to grab a shovel because I just don't have any faith that that many people will grab the shovel and help us do the digging or the heavy lifting.

I'll ask you this, because you're in these rooms, you are someone who works for change. For the black community to see the ceiling that we want to see, to see our representation in America as we want to see it, do we need white people to help? Do we need white people to help? Yes, we do. It's hard, Van, because I understand the frustration,

but I think if you sit with where the frustration comes from, and I even heard it in your remarks, it really comes from not wanting to be hurt anymore. You know, right? Like, it's like, you know, you put this expectation out there because somebody made a commitment. They don't honor that commitment. That doesn't feel good.

So I understand that. But I also have to acknowledge, speaking of paparai, being raised around someone who was all the way and always about a Rainbow Coalition, right? Like what Reverend Jackson talks about, like what we know, the chairman of the Party and of the Black Panther Party in Chicago talked about, the Rainbow Coalition, like really standing shoulder to shoulder

with folks who just get it. I don't think that there are a lot of folks who just get it, but I don't think that we're in a position to turn people away who want to. I do think that the responsibility and the onus should not be on us to bring you up to speed. I think you need to figure out

who the wokeest white person among you is and get educated there because what I am tired of is you picking my brain for free. I am tired of trying to conform and contort to make you comfortable for my discomfort. I am over that and I agree with you there, but I think it would be a sad day for us to say we don't need allies

when, for example, we started this podcast talking about progress vis-a-visa-law and legislation has to be passed and Congress is mostly white. In fact, there are only three black senators right now, right? And in the House, while we now have, I think it's 60 black CBC members, I don't know. I think about around 40 Latinx members, and I don't know how many Asian members. I'm sorry, y'all am I do better.

But the vast majority of Congress is white. So we do need white allies to make some things happen in this country. You know what song I just heard playing as Angela was talking about the Rainbow Coalition? In sync. Bye, bye, bye, bye. We are the world.

I knew you're going to say. We talked about this last time. He made fun of me. He made fun of me about this. He talks about this. I loved We Are the World. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Angela. I want to ask you this because I'm personally going through this right now, like my own struggle, but you're constantly in the media. You're always outspoken. People like Van said when he introed you, people recognize you. So therefore you're subjected to hate and criticism and harassment. Like I said, I'm personally going through that now. So for you, how do you take care of yourself to where you can keep going.

no matter what? Man, you know what? My truth is I have such a good tribe of folks. The first thing that comes to mind is no matter what my dad always like intuitively knows when to call me. So that's one thing. I have a family thread that cracks me up partially because some people do not know what they're doing on the text thread, partially because it's all type of randomness that comes

in on the thread. And then I have a group thread of black women and media and we keep each other cracking up or, you know, doing activist work like Natasha got us out here now. Like, make sure y'all post this about this ad. So I just, I feel grounded mostly by my village, by my people. My godson just came over and stay with me this past weekend. And we like, we're up watching movies like this. And that's, you know, that's an amazing thing. but mostly it's family and my friends who, you know,

the people who don't care, you know, who you are or what you do. Like, they're like, you're just regular. And it's good to be grounded that way. It's very true. I agree. Within the community, how do we? Because there's one thing, you know, after the Kanye moment, I started getting involved, invited to the woke barbecues.

You know, everybody was just like, hey, Van. everybody. And what I realized is when I got into the middle of these spaces is that, why these people don't get along. There's a lot of peace. There's a lot of things. There's a lot of things that are going on. How can we inside of the community do a better job of putting our personal differences aside to work for one common goal? Like, why do you feel like there is, and you know that it goes on, that there's back by it, there's second guessing, and then it sometimes bubbles over. I've been guilty of it myself, of course. So like what, what is that about and how do we get on code as a group of people who want better for each other?

We got to heal. Like, that's the most, like, it's like, oh, that's simple, but it's so hard. It's like, you know, intense work. And when you're a people that has, you know, our very existence in this country is built upon our abuse. abuse and is built upon people not seeing our humanity. And so, Van, some of those faces where you were invited into, you were witnessing people who were probably screaming over each other because they never felt hurt or seen. So so much of it has to do with that. There's, you know, misogyny issues in our community.

There are many places where I've been where it's like they wanted you there, but they wanted you there as a figurehead not to open your mouth and speak. Little did they know, I was raised, being outspoken. so that's the only thing I know. You know, and so I think a lot of it has to do with that. And to your point, I really do hope that we can get to a place where we're like, okay, a common goal matters. We are a year away from the 50th anniversary of the 1972 black political convention

in Gary, Indiana. And when you think about that, how far have we really come? How much do we really accomplish since they gathered? There are people who attended that convention who were like, it was terrible, it was away. the time. And there are others who were like, it was the best thing. My former boss, Congressman Thompson, says, but I still have my t-shirt. I was like, let me hold that shirt, though. Right? Like, it's like, it's legendary. But the thing that I want us to get to is like, can we just get in a room and can we just

talk about what our goals are? You know, can we lay it aside your organization's mission or mine and figure out what that thing would be? And there are so many. But ultimately, I think if we're honest, we all really want freedom, you know? And so what is, and what does that look like? How do we define that? And can we give each other the honor and the respect and the time to express that? And maybe even unpack what that looks like in front of each other for a little bit. I hope we can do that for I die. For real. That would be a dream come true. It's women's history month. And I was going to ask you who it is that you look at. up to and you can't answer that. But I'm curious, if you could go to dinner with three women,

dead or alive, who would they be and why? Well, I love that question. So first would be Sister Harriet. She's right here on my neck. I have that necklace. Oh, yeah. This is, this is this. I this. I do. This keeps me like, yeah, you know, I don't have it so rough. Anytime I want to complain about, you know, somebody hating on me or whatever, I'm like, sis went back. 19 times to get 300 people. I'm good. So definitely Harriet Tubman. I would love to sit there

with her and Congresswoman Waters, who is my mentor and first political boss. Who else? I think I would want to share that moment with my mom. I want to share that moment with my mom. That's good.

Somewhere, somewhere Beyonce going, damn, I didn't make the cut again. She ain't studying me out. Beyonce can probably have a dinner with dead and a lot of people. She could probably conjure them all up. Then you just get them and be like, girl,

we're coming for you. Bring me some icy park though. So in this movement of black political and economic solidarity, what role do conservatives play? I am pretty, I am pretty left of left as far as it is. But not everybody is.

Do you feel like conservatives have a seat at the table in this movement? Or are they just the ones that we shall not name? Oh, I hope so. I hope that they have a seat at the table and a role to play because I don't believe that racism is a partisan issue. You know, it's one that has been pervasive in both political parties. And I think the challenge that we have now is how we define conservatism, right, man? Like right now, having been a Capitol Hill staffer for six years and being on the other side of the January 6th attack, calling members of Congress crying, worried that I don't know if they're going to make it out alive, couldn't find one of my friends for four hours on the hill.

I need for conservatives to really condemn that, including the black ones. not just in word, but indeed, and to create some separation. And I don't know that we're there right now. There are people like Michael Steele, who I've had the black conversations with, who I definitely think should be in the room. There are people like my father's mentor, Dr. Arthur Fletcher, who was the father and the architect of affirmative action, who's no longer with us.

But if there's an Arthur Fletcher, black Republican out there, please, my brother, assistant, come to the table, right? Like, I'd love to see them and sit with them. And then there are others who have been defenders of the worst kind of action and rhetoric from this past administration with Donald Trump that I don't want to see. There are some who identifies progressive that I also don't want to see in that room because what they've demonstrated is that access to power means more than them than black people liberal, black people's liberation and that I have a problem with. You know, you're very regal. You have a queen's essence. You know what I mean?

Oh, good. Thank you. Yeah. Thanks, Mom. There you go. This is my last question. I expect a full-throated answer here. What's the most ratchett thing about Angela Rye?

Oh, you know, what's ratchet? This is really going to be more raggedy than ratchet. My twerk. I cannot twerk. Wow. Like at all. It's so unfortunate. Have you really worked on it?

I've tried. I took like a whole like master class with Paul Wall's wife with Crystal. I'm like, teach me how to do this. I can't figure this out. It is so sad. I'll be honest with you. I'll be honest with you.

At least you're honest. That's like a major demerit. But see, that's the Seattle. No, no, no, no, no. That's the Seattle. That's the Seattle. No, I'm serious. That's the Seattle in your idea.

It wasn't much going on it. That's not it. I think it's, you know what? I really think it is, man, this might be too spiritual for you. But I really think it is about, I'm serious. I really think it's about like, like really from church. I love church. I love black church.

But church also has some repression things. So like there's some repression stuff I started working on over the summer. And I think that meant like a confining of my hips. So it's like you got loosening them suckers up. You got to, you know. Are you telling me? Do you tell me that Jesus had control of your hips? Yeah.

I am. I'm saying like, I'm saying like the fear. Not really, not really Jesus. Not so much Jesus, but like, like the,

what the church does in terms of fear, right? You know, you can't, if you move your hips too much, that's two sex. I bind that devil in the name of Jesus, right? Like, there's that kind of,

like, that Jesus. That's the best answer. I've ever heard. No, really. Like, and y'all, for real, for real?

like not being able to be free and more fluid in your hip space also restricts your creativity. So if there are a number, yeah, absolutely. For women in particular, our womb space, in our womb space, this is our seat of power. This is our creativity center. And yeah, I really, I do believe that. So holl at me in about three months, I might be working better than all of them in about three more months. I'm just still working through it. Now, when you do, when you, when you get the twerk down,

will you put it on the gram? I don't know. Do a master class. What's your, because you have a story behind your twerk. You have a story so people can, you know what I mean? They can relate to you. I get that good.

I'm going to be like, Crystal. Crystal Wall, come with me so the people could see the evolution. It's like, I'll tell you all straight up, this is the perfect twerk caption. Because you know how a girl will put a cap that she'll like be showing her butt and she'll be like, when I was back in the sixth grade, nobody paid attention to me. And this is why I'm sharing my sexual...

That's the, this is the twerk, perfect twerk caption here. Yeah. You put the twerk up, but then you put the classiest caption ever. So that people are like, I'm glad she found her freedom of her hips and her womb and her creativity and all that stuff like that. I'm trying to tell you, it's something to that.

I'm trying to tell you all. All right, Angela, I actually, I actually won't... I want to see... one day I want to be able to vote for Angela Rye for something. I'm not going to lie. You don't want to do that, man. I'm telling you. You don't want to do that.

I want to vote for Angela or something. You would run for something? No, I would not. He does not want to vote for me and I do not want to run because we would embarrass each other. I would embarrass me. I'm really, I think that I am, I think I have other strengths. I think that I'm the person that helps to run the campaign, that helps to, you know, move the people.

of the strategy on the board for the candidate. I'm not the candidate. Y'all, I'm too rebellious and disobedient. You do not want me as a candidate. There you heard it right there first. Our sister Angela Rye, she's behind the scenes working on her twerking. Thank you so much for joining us.

And I am hopeful for this administration. I am not passive. I'm not passive, though. Good, man. I'm not passive. I'm hopeful, but I have pledged allegiance to nothing except for policy. Well, who are you going to work with?

He pulled us up. What you mean? Because you got to have a rainbow coalition. No, this is what I'm going to do. Let them know. Seriously, this is what I'm going to do. This is what I'm going to do. What I'm going to do and all allies are invited to the tent.

Good. Nobody, that's what I've always said that. But I'm just not going to ask for any more help. I'm not going to ask, I'm not going to ask anybody. I'm not going to get mad for somebody if they don't post something. I'm not going to get mad if someone I can't anymore. The only people who I can be concerned. So in addition to posting, what else are you going to do?

How are you going to advocate for the agenda you want? Well, I'm going to advocate through my vote, number one. I'm going to advocate through grassroots political organizations that I can support that reflect my views and my interests and make sure that the people, more than anything, I feel like my, my purpose. is to make sure that I platform people who have the same politics as me or who are reaching out to members of the community

that have been left behind. And specifically where I come from in Baton Rouge, there are people who have ideas and people who want freedom economically and socially that don't have access to it. And the one thing that I can do for them is provide them with the oxygen they need to go out and be full Americans.

Yeah. And so, you know, I don't want to run for anything either. You sound ready. I don't. I don't. But like my man, well, like my man Gary Chambers down there,

he's running. So I do something with, do something with him or Ted James. Shout out Ted James, my man. Yeah. So make sure that those guys have what they need from my media platform. That's what I do.

Yeah. Well, you will note that, and Ted can tell you this firsthand, that there is a whole ass Republican legislature that he has to get things to do with. And so them allies, you're going to find you going to need them everywhere. And even if Gary, you know, Gary, I wish you the best in your race, that's a seriously contentious primary.

But whomever comes out of that, that special election, rather, will have to go in the Congress and work with allies. To work with them, that's fine. We're interdependent, Van. Hold on to the Truth with the Rainbow Coalition. Uh-huh. I'll try. Black Lives Matter for them. Oh, Black Lives Matter.

Angela. Thank you so much for joining us. Oh, by the way, before we make sure listen to On One, which is your podcast on Apple, and then you have a show on title as well. Just tell people what you got going on so they know where to go get more Angela Rao. There's so many things going on. But yes, so the main thing on title, I have one episode left. On One with Angela Rye is my podcast, and that is a lot of fun.

We have some good ones coming up, including a pretty contentious one, Carl Hart. Wow. I like Dr. Carl. I like Dr. Carl. Oh, okay. Yeah. Well, that makes one of us.

And then we also have coming up with Kirk Franklin. It's amazing. So, yes. All right. All right. Thank you so much for joining us. Yes.

Thank you for being here. It's my pleasure. It's my pleasure. Have a good one. You too. Bye-bye. This episode is brought to by Paramount Plus. Beth and Ripper back

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limited edition perfume mist collection only at Sephora Okay You think that we would get a break from people messing up, but not really. Greg McDermott, who is the, you know, got to do it. Got to do it, Rachel. These are the topics, Rachel, these are the topics.

They're the topics. And this is what's happening in the world. Go ahead. Greg McDermott, who is the coach of the Creightons and men's basketball team, apologized for a statement he made in the post game. He was addressing the team. This is what Greg M. Dermott said. It's just a good old Gregie.

This is what Gregi did they say, Gregor. So listen, just real quick, all the thought warriors, just I want you guys to listen right now. Everybody who's listening to the podcast, I want you to listen. I want you to listen and tell me, everybody just take off your rage for a second. Just think with your comedy brain, okay? Tell me if this, it should have been thought of as a problem,

statement. This is what Grant Medermott said to his team. Guys? I'm sorry. I don't know what the fuck Greg was thinking. Greg was wilded. What did they be Greg was wilded? All you guys were remembered. Hold for a second.

All you guys are remembered. This is basketball. This is college basketball. I can't. This is college basketball. There's a bunch of black guys on the team. This is what Greg said. I can't.

This is what Greg said. Greg said, guys, we need to stick together. We need both feet in. I need everybody to stay on the plantation. He said, I can't have anybody leave the plantation. We got to stick together. What the fuck is going on, man? What is going on?

Like, seriously. Like, what? I don't understand. Yo, oh, my God, man. What? Oh, shit. Oh, my God. Like, what is white people?

Help me. Seriously. I have to look up where Greg was from. Help me. Help me. Help me, guys. Like, seriously. help me.

I don't understand. Look, I'm not saying I don't know this man. I can't say this man is racist, but why would you ever say I can't say this guy's a racist, but why would you tell a bunch of people,

you know, it's college basketball. Why would you tell these black athletes to stay on the plantation? That's wild. And what did he say? You got to keep your feet. Keep your feet. I need to keep.

both feet in. I need everybody to stay on the plantation. I can't have anybody leave the plantation. I'm sorry. You listen. Greg. There are so many

words that you could have inserted instead of plantation. I like, Van, obviously we all know what a plantation is, but never in my mind does the thought that I would never use that analogy ever

ever I just I don't I don't know if he heard somebody else say it he's from Iowa I had to look at

where he's from Cascade Iowa I don't know if this is just something a phrase from Cascade Iowa I need you know what I also need I need more to the story

does somebody raise their hand and say coach that's not okay he said I immediately recognize my egregious mistake and quickly address my use of such an insensitive words

with the team, this is apology. I've never used that analogy and it's not indicative of who I am as a person or a coach. I'm deeply sorry. I've apologized to our student athletes and to our staff, as well as President Henriksen and

director of our athletics Bruce Rasmussen. So he apologized. Look. Damn. So he called, did he tell himself? tell on himself, do he call the media? I'm confused.

I'm sure one of the players brought it up. I need to hear from the players. I need to hear from the players. I need to hear from somebody else in the room. But here's the thing, though. With most of the players, if you're actually asking me, and I'm not going to speak for them, but you probably have guys on the team that were recruited by the coach, that have a relationship with the coach,

especially in college basketball. These are normally very, I mean, of course, relationships go bad all the time in any sport. These are normally very personal relationships. relationships that these kids have with their coaches. Sure. I would imagine that there are probably some people there who might, might be sympathetic with him or willing to talk it out with him. I just got to, you guys.

But can you imagine looking at a sea of like a room full of black man? And it was almost like, you know what we'll get through to them talking to them about the plantation? Stay on the plantation. It's just. Stay on the plantation. Because you know what that means. You know what it means. It's like, it's like, look, like seriously, guys, seriously.

It's like, remember Jerry McGuire? And what did Jerry McGuire say to Rod Titwell when they were in that bathroom? And Rod Titwell was air drying because he doesn't use a towel. You've never seen Jerry McGuire. I've seen Jerry McGuire. I'm just trying to think of what he said to him. He said to him, he looked at Rod Titwell. He said, help me.

help you. Yes, he did. I'm trying to help you. Help me. Help you. Look, we're not asking for you to come to the Black Lives Matter March.

You ain't even got to do that. Fuck that. You don't even got to do that. But could you just please not bring us back to the plantation? It's just like It's so funny I'm sorry

I know y'all think we bullshit Sometimes you just got to laugh You know when you read it It's guys We got to stick together We need both feet in I need everybody to stay on the plantation Why is this nigga thinking?

What? What? Oh my God He didn't just say it once He doubled down Like bro Okay All right, look, everything's fine

on crazy men's basketball. He offered to resign. They said no, he's back. Oh, he did? He offered to resign. He said in his apology that he offered to resign. All right, but they, I guess there was some internal discussion.

He's not a resign. Look, I'm not advocating for this man who loses job. Sure, yeah. By any means, but I'm just saying, damn. You got to, you got, I need to understand why that thought popped into your head.

So maybe you need to go to, you know, speak to a race educator. That's what they're calling them now. Maybe that's what you need to do. Sometimes you just got to laugh. You do. All right. Texas governor, Greg Abbott,

announced earlier this week, your home state, we all chill. No masks. No mask mandate. 100% open. Your thoughts. I mean, what is there to think?

Should I, I almost feel like the laughter from the last segment should carry into this. What are we thinking? What's happening? I was seeing the crate, Twitter was going wild on this.

Wild on this. Listen, I don't know if Greg Abbott thought that the winter storm that came through, you know, froze COVID and it no longer exists within our state. And it's not just Texas. It's in Mississippi as well. Sure. I'm so sick of them politicizing health care. Like, every time we get some.

some decent, some promising news about the coronavirus. You know, Biden has spoken out and said, hey, we should be able to have a vaccination for everybody by May. That's two months earlier than what the administration thought. We've got Johnson and Johnson out here with a new vaccine that doesn't have. It's not as complicated as the other ones, Moderna. And is Moderna, Moderna and Pfizer? And that is not a cue to then say, you know,

what? Great. Now that we know that help is on the way and it's coming around the corner, we just quit. We just give up on it. It's insane that over half a million people have died. Texas's numbers are still up. I checked them before this podcast. There's been a rise in coronavirus cases since this announcement. And we're coming up on spring break. I just don't understand the logic here other than you're playing into what you think. who's going to be voting for you in the next in the next election. It's just, it's so discouraging the fact that we're rounding a corner and then you're going to set us back by opening up your state and not even caring the effect that it has on your constituents.

It's wild. Meanwhile, you have Beto who's like, you know what? I don't care what they said. I am knocking on doors and I am trying to get people registered to get their vaccination. somebody who should have won as a senator in our state, somebody who is down there for the people, making sure the Texans are okay, while Greg Abbott is just like, you know,

I still hope that you adhere to what medical professionals are saying. But as for me, there are no more rules. So there's a doctor on Twitter that I follow that always gives good information about vaccinations, about timelines, about the COVID numbers, and the way that they're going. His name is Scott Gottlieb. Do you know this guy?

You know what I'm talking about? Yes, Scott Gottlieb. So Scott Gottlieb says something I actually agree with, which is while it's certainly premature for Texas to relax restrictions and get rid of the mass mandate, there's something else that's true. Is that the sort of imaginary or indefinite timetable for the end of the provisions that we're taking right now across the country,

for COVID are simply not going to work. At some point, the American public deserves to know a date where things are going to get back to normal or some semblance of even a new normal.

Did we not just get that? But no, coming from Scott, he, what he's talking about is the fact that this is that it's, I'll turn 41 in the like in another month.

I celebrated my 40th birthday via Zoom, right? And if it means that one person doesn't die, I'd be willing to celebrate my 42nd birthday on Zoom, okay? But I'm not everyone. And the reality is that the longer this draws on, the longer people aren't going to be able to muster the necessary discipline in order to follow of these things. So what we have to think now, and we do this all the time in other ways,

we have to think about a holistic effort to how we're fighting this pandemic. And what I mean is the numbers going down is a good thing. People are doing it. But we can't simply rely on the overwhelming sacrifice of the American people to get us through this, because they're going to stop So when I posted that Governor Abbott opened up Texas and rescinded the mass mandate, I didn't put anything in the caption except for thoughts. Because I really wanted to know what people actually thought about that. Right? Well, like how people actually feel about that.

And while it's something that I think is reckless and it's something that I think is dangerously premature, I'm wondering what's not reckless and what's not dangerously premature. Is the governor vaccinated? I'm not sure. That's what I would want to know. I would imagine that he is.

Then I have a huge problem with it. Because once again, you're looking out for yourself instead of for the very people who elected you into the position that you're in. If Governor Abbott and his family is vaccinated, then you live. literally just said you don't give a fuck about Texas. Because you're obviously fearful of this virus because you went ahead and took measures

to protect yourself and your people rather than protecting the people of this state. That I have a huge problem with. I get what you're saying, but my gosh, we just got promising news. I understand. We have a new vaccine that's easier and more accessible to, the American people and Biden is saying that everybody will can get vaccinated by

Maine. Now everybody who wants to who wants to that's what's going to say whether or not people decide to to get vaccinated is up to them but the fact that it is available which used to be the biggest issue we weren't we didn't have enough of it. We didn't have enough supply for the demand but the fact that you're just going to go ahead and jump

ship with without really giving an explanation as to why when we just seen Texas experienced one of the worst disasters to the state. And then you're going to add this on top of it. It's just, I think, and maybe that's what it is too. To be from Texas, to know what people went through, to still see people suffering from the effects of what happened with that winter storm,

which again, the people in Texas were not properly taken care of for. And now weeks later, you're going to announce that the whole state is just open. It's a free-for-all. That it just adds insult to injury. And I don't know what Greg Abbott is thinking. Somebody needs to let me know if that man is vaccinated, though, in his family. So, yo, they didn't done it. They didn't cancel my man, Dr. Seuss.

They canceled them. Whoa, whoa, cancel. Trigger word there, Van. Did they cancel or are they... They canceled my man. Just removing problematic images, messages for the children. They didn't box. They're like,

shack they'd box Dr. Seuss right out the tell us how you really feel I can't believe they did this I can be a big are you a big are you well I was going to ask you I don't remember being a big Dr. Seuss fan as a kid I have the places you will go

somebody gave me that book right I think that's the only one I spoke with to kids one time they gave me a Dr. Seuss book I'm not sure which one it is but I don't remember being honestly those figures creeped me out You didn't like the art of Dr. Seuss.

I don't like the art. I think they're very, very creepy. They all look grinchish. And I don't, I, I'm not a fan of the way that those things look. I fuck with Dr. Seuss. That's great. The message or the imagery or what, what does it for you? Dr. Seuss was just delightful.

And it reminds, yeah, it reminds me of a time when, you know, I was just like learning to read. and I will go into the library and we don't go into the libraries enough anymore. There's like a specific smell that all of these books together have. I love library book smells. Yeah, it's like, and you, I would remember because they didn't have,

it was like the Dewey Decimal System and you have to go and find your book and there was a book cart. And sometimes your book wouldn't be on the shelf and you wouldn't think the book was, you'd think the book was checked out, but all of a sudden you'd see somebody about to put the book back on the card,

just all of these little things about reading. Yes. And stuff like that, that were, like, amazing. When I was going, we are old. When I was, when I was going to University of Terrace,

they, like, University of Terrace Elementary School, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I remember, this is one of the biggest disappointments in my life. Would you like to hear about this? Please. So there was a,

I was in the library one time, our mascot was the Eagles, right? We were in the library one time, and I would stay in the library and read a lot. And I saw that there was, we were just getting our first computer. There was one computer for like the whole fucking school. It was going to be in the library. And there was a promise that there were going to be more computers. Now, when we moved out to California for a little while, there were entire computer labs,

like just a room with nothing but computers. And I would go in there. I would stay after school and just play Oregon Trail. All, you know what I mean? Big fan. So we were getting our first computer in the library. I was thinking I was in the first grade. And there was a contest to name the computer. Okay?

Get the computer a name. And I remember I sat in there for hours on in trying to think up a name for this commuter, this computer, right? And I was like, no, I'm going to do. I was watching a lot of Transformers at the time. I thought I wanted to go for something like the biggest, baddest name. So I was like, we should call it the Megatron.

And then I drew like a fucking little thing of Megatron. And I had a whole little presentation, the Megatron. I remember I gave it to a librarian. She was like, wow, man, this is a little thing. It's like, you just used another name, but it's creative the way you came up with it. I made like a whole little deck, like a treatment for this whole Megatron.

The name that won was the Electric Eagle. And I remember thinking to myself, all of this fucking thinking that I did, all of this, this, like, it's not like Megatron, I drew pictures and I did all of this. There was some dude that went, hey, man, it's electric, and we're the Eagles.

So let's call it the Electric Eagle. I never forget. graduated high school. I went back to UT to work with the kids. And I look over there in the corner. New computer. Would you know what the fucking name was?

The Electric Eagle. A legacy of my shame. Man, you took a name from somewhere else and tried to name at the computer. At least Electric Eagle was original. Excuse me. Electric Eagle is a fucking five times better name than the name that I came up with.

But the fact that it was so simple taught me a life. lesson. Anyway, back to that happened in the library. The Megatron is what I came up. You were drawing treatments. I was drawing treatments. Stop. I was drawing out of that her little thing.

So six of Dr. Seuss's books, since we're talking about libraries, since of Dr. Suss's books, will no longer be published over offensive images. One of the stories used the word, excuse me, Chinaman, and one had two characters from the African island of Yerca that are depicted as shrew. shirtless and monkey-like. Okay. So they're not going to publish these books anymore because there's some offensive images in them.

Your thoughts? I mean, I was unaware that the man behind Dr. Seuss had such a racist and anti-Semitic past. Talk to me about it. Did you know that? Did not. So when I saw the story, I was like, really, Dr. Seuss? again, I'm not a big Dr. Seuss fan.

The imagery creeps me out. But I thought, really, I don't remember things being problematic. That again, I'm not well versed in Dr. Seuss. So I did a deep dive. Apparently, Geisel, I'm not quite sure how to pronounce his last name, was extremely racist. And Drew, before he got into Dr. Seuss was drawing cartoons that depicted that were very racist against black people and Jewish people. He has a history of this. He didn't hide it by any means.

So that transferred or was translated into his imagery with Dr. Seuss. So I am all for removing these books because there are these subtle messages that are placed in these children's stories for children to, you know, digest. And it's in their subconscious. So if we're trying to remove that, if we're trying to make the next generation better, and this man has a public problematic past, then why are we? we fighting so hard to keep these books because they were important to our childhood. We were unaware of the history, the problematic history behind them. So now that we are aware of who the man is

behind Dr. Seuss, why do we have such a problem with removing these six books? Dr. Seuss has hundreds of books. It doesn't take away the legacy of Dr. Seuss. It's not like they said Dr. Seuss should be canceled and all his books should be removed because of the problematic person that was behind them. They didn't do that. They just removed six books. I don't understand what the big Dill is. So it says before he became a giant of children's literature, Mr. Geisel drew political cartoons for New York-based newspaper, PM from 1941 to 1943,

including some that use harmful stereotypes to caricature Japanese, Japanese Americans. Decades later, he said he was embarrassed by those cartoons, which he said were full of snap judgments that every political cartoon has to make. Okay? Random House has said they They publish The Random House publishes Dr. Seuss books

They say they respect The estate and they're not going to do anything about it There's the fact that the guy Apologized later on in life Change anything that you think about him Obviously not because that imagery was still In certain books So which one is he apologizing for?

Was he apologizing for all the things that he did Because as we've seen in these six books They're still problematic. And so I think that maybe it wasn't. The things that he was doing with these political cartoons seemed to be very overt, right? But maybe some of the ways that he feels about

certain types of people were still within his subconscious and he implemented that into his children's stories. What he thinks about stereotypes when it comes to black people or Asian people or Jewish people. Obviously that was still in some of his books. So we're talking about six books here. So six.

Here's my thing. So, you know, you, if what you said is very true. You have a book where it's the African island of Yerka, shirtless, shoeless, resembling monkeys. See, the problem with this, I know that doesn't seem like a big deal to a lot of people. They're thinking, hey, they're trying to take even Dr. Seuss away from us. No, what you're trying to, what you're trying to stop is implanting people's minds, like you said, with images of subhuman black people in other cultures. Now, would you be against reprinting these books with,

different imagery. No, I wouldn't be against that. But yeah, so I wouldn't either. And I don't know these books particularly. I don't think, I think that a lot of times things need updating, right? I mean, and look, I go back and watch old Eddie Murphy movies. And, you know, I watch them and I go, damn. You know what I mean?

Or you watch, you listen to rap that I listened to back in the 90s. And I'm like, wow, we was wilding. You know what I mean? Doesn't mean you throw away the people. It just means that sometimes for something to see. still exist in this current climate with the current consciousness that you have. Sometimes things need a little update, you know, or they remain as relics. But see, but see what you're saying.

That's fair. People want to say, oh, my God, they're canceling Dr. Seuss. Who's next? And it's like, nobody's canceling Dr. Shoes. You're not ripping out all of his works and who he is as a person. You're not taking that away. It's you're taking away certain pieces that are problematic. But if the compromises, hey, let's change it to where we don't represent black people as animals.

You know what I mean? From Africa, then let's change that and reprint it. There's nothing wrong with that. These are the conversations people aren't having. Okay. Mailback time. All right, Jackson, I know you got to run the little video, Mailback time, my little theme song. But I'm not going to sing it again.

Oh, that's right. I forgot we have a theme song now. Mailback time. Time to read your letters and then we'll reply to them. Oh, it's mailback time. Write us with your queries and we'll chime in.

Yeah, Jackson, let's go. Melback time. Hurry up. Okay. From Emilio Tostado, how has dog ownership changed each of you in a way for the better or for worse? Oh, what a great question.

I'll go first since I've had my dog longer. Never grew up with the dog, never was into dogs. Okay, stop. It's not a dig. I'm just saying I'll go first. A fan made of disgusted face, you guys. Listen, I remember I was at a very low point in my life when Copper magically came into it. My sister found him in the streets.

So for me, Copper called me down. He centered me. He gave me responsibility. He gave me something to hold on to. Like I had come out of a bad relationship that I thought was going to last forever. I was like in a place of my career where things I was just plateauing. I felt like I was going through the motions of life and I did not feel fulfilled. And then Copper came in and it just gave me a different purpose.

It gave me something that was like somebody who depended on me. I don't know. It just, it, you know, they say rescue dogs. I know you don't know this, but they say rescue dogs. Yes, they rescue you. And it's, it's so true. It's so true. Copper is, is everything.

And he is. And so, yeah. They also say, what, what? They say dogs from puppy mills make you feel like a puppy again. So maybe you should try that. So you're a dog? They make you, like you're a dog? I'm a little floppy.

crazy puppy. You know what? Bowes is like it's interesting and I don't have any kids so it's interesting watching something grow up and like watching something like need you

and also something that's not concerned with your problems. Like you know Bose is just he's just like a, he's like my little G bro. He's like my little guy. You know, he's like, he's like, that's my little dude.

He's my guy. I like, He needs some food. Sometimes I walk towards him and he gets like scared. I'll crowd him on purpose. Like take away his space and he growls and he barks. And it's just funny. He's like he's a funny little guy.

He's funny. I like it. It's maybe better. It's maybe better. Worse. It just made me super overprotective. Just super overprotective. Like he'll, he'll yawn.

I'll be like, what is that? What does that? What does that mean? All right, Jackson, let's go. Come on. Hurry up. Got keep them coming. Let's go.

From Tess Kittleberger, what's your preferred 5 p.m. after work drink and your preferred, quote, turn up drink. Ooh. Ooh, great question. Man. My after five drink, like, I mean, when I come home from work is wine.

Real wine. Lately I've been in a white wine more than red. My turn up drink has changed, okay? I was all about the crowd and Coke. I used to even carry my belongings in a bag of little crown purse. That's what I'm talking about. That's the shit I'm talking about. Hennessy.

I was, it's all dark liquor. Brian drinks like bought healthier. So I switched for love. So now my turn-up drink is a tequila soda. Actually, I take the back. My turn-up drink is just shots.

Shots. Shots. Shot, shots. Shot, shots. John Julio, 1942. Just shots. My wine down drink. is

my wine down drink is probably like, you know, like some wine. I think you guys the wine McBride sisters will drink to the wine. Did not put you on McBride sisters. You did put me on McBride sisters.

My turn-up drink I like an Armarena sour. That's the drink I like to devour. It's the drink for real. I was like Kool-A. That gives me.

all the power it's an Arboretta sour Jackson make it stop Seriously man That's like the drink you drink Before you're 21

You know what else I know because that's like I got started But I like I like sweet drinks You know what else I like? I like a pinocalada You know what I'm saying I was what I like a pinocalada You know Culikinosa

You like drinks with like the umbrella. Hell yeah. She knows. I like a pinocalata. Okay. A dacry. Louisiana is known for them

drive-through dacry shops. Yeah. They are. Drive-through dacry. Boy, we live in safe down there in the boot. Jackson, one more. Do you want to do that question from Dianra or no?

Sure. Yeah, let's do that one for you, Jackson. You know he loves this. By the way. DeAndre, we love you. You submit questions to mailbag all the time. We love you, Deion. Okay, so the question is, is the most popular question we've ever gotten in mailbag?

All the thought warriors love this question for some reason. I don't know why. But Jackson, what do you think of Van and Rachel the first time to work with them? So the first time I work with both of them is actually before this podcast. Rachel probably doesn't remember, but it's true. With Van, he come into the ringer for a couple of videos. The first time we work with him was this video called NBA Wine Bottle, where they just talked about NBA players and I was like the PA stats researcher.

and Van just like berated me for a while about basketball and about my opinion that graduation is Kanye West's best album. But I liked it. I liked it. I liked it. I like Van right away. We got along really well. Rachel and I actually briefly, briefly worked together. Rachel, do you remember that Hulu show you did for us? Can I steal you for a second? Yes, I did. I worked on a, the ringer did a Hulu thing where we did a Bachelor recap show that Rachel was talent on. and I was working on that. But I didn't really get to know Rachel very well. We just met very briefly. So this podcast was the first time I really got to meet Rachel.

And when I told some of my family and friends that I was doing it, they were all like, oh my gosh, you're going to get to work with Rachel Lindsay. And Rachel has turned out to be as delightful as everyone said she was. Thanks, Jackson. Whatever. Fans jealous. Thanks, Jackson. All right.

Rach, you got an unspited out of the week? No, no. You don't? There's certain weeks where I'm like, no. No. No. I feel it. I feel it.

You're going to love mine. Van. Chris Harrison. Chris Harrison is my unexpected ally of the week because this is the week that Chris Harrison blessed us and graced us with the apology we've all been waiting for. Next. On the bat. You know what Chris Harrison did?

He gave the entire Bachelor nation arose. Joke and I don't have one. I'm just joking. I'm just playing. I'm just joking. I'm going to get my unexpected ally of the week to George Bush. Oh, Oh, wow.

Yeah, man. To George W. Bush. Whoa. The muscles off the hot dog now. Wait, did you watch the Bachelor this week or no? Did you watch the reunion? I did.

I didn't watch it. I watched it next week. Next week is the fuck. No, don't. Just move on. Because we are in for, I'm nervous. I'm nervous for this episode the next week. All right.

We'll see. We'll see what happens. It is Fantasy Sweet Week, though. You've been waiting for it. You've been asking. Daddy. Take me to the Fantasy Sweet Daddy. I want to go.

I want to go to the Fantasy Sweet Daddy. Maddie Daddy. Clip this. Clip this. I would like to repost this when I come back to Instagram. Maddie, daddy. Okay, guys. Take a thing of caps off, but do not stop learning me out.

I'm madly. I'm Rachel Lentie. Bye.