#RolandMartinUnfiltered - AL Passes Major Gun Law, Police Help Proud Boys Viral Video, Black Women Leave Corporate America

Episode Date: January 3, 2023

1.2.2023 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: AL Passes Major Gun Law, Police Help Proud Boys Viral Video, Black Women Leave Corporate America Gun laws just got more relaxed, with more than 20 states allowing people to carry handguns without permits. We will speak with the National African American Gun Association President to explain what this means for Gun Safety in America. I'll also talk to a South Carolina lawmaker who says these new laws are great for women.  The Columbus, Ohio, District Attorney's Office releases a public statement explaining why charges were against the man who fatally shot 13-year-old Sinzae Reed. A State's Attorney will join us to describe the legal process of charging potential suspects. Late civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis will be honored with a monument. We will give you all the details about when and where you can see it.  Black women are leaving corporate America in record-breaking numbers. We will discuss why black women have opted for a new path of success and what can be done to fix continued barriers for black women with 9-5's. The year has just begun, and we have lost two music icons. We will reflect on their lives and show you some of their best moments.  Support RolandMartinUnfiltered and #BlackStarNetwork via the Cash App ☛ https://cash.app/$rmunfiltered PayPal ☛ https://www.paypal.me/rmartinunfiltered Venmo ☛https://venmo.com/rmunfiltered Zelle ☛ [e-mail] Annual or monthly recurring #BringTheFunk Fan Club membership via paypal ☛ https://rolandsmartin.com/rmu-paypal/ Download the #BlackStarNetwork app on iOS, AppleTV, Android, Android TV, Roku, FireTV, SamsungTV and XBox 👉🏾 http://www.blackstarnetwork.com #RolandMartinUnfiltered and the #BlackStarNetwork are news reporting platforms covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Here's what's coming up on Roland Martin Unfiltered, streaming live on the Black Star Network. Gun laws just got more relaxed with more than 20 states allocating, allowing people to carry handguns without permits. We will speak with the National African American Gun Association president to explain what this means for gun safety in America. I also talked to a South Carolina lawmaker who says that these new laws are great for women. The Columbus, Ohio District Attorney's Office released a public statement explaining why charges were against the man who fatally shot 13-year-old Cincy Reed. A state's attorney will join us to describe the legal process of charging charges pending, charging the potential suspects. Late civil rights icon Representative John Lewis will be honored with a monument. We will give you all the details about when and where so you can see it.

Black women are leaving corporate America in record-breaking numbers. We will discuss why black women have opted for a new path of success and what can be done to fix continued barriers for black women with nine-to-fives. This year has just begun and we have lost two music icons. We will reflect on the lives and show some of their best moments.

It's time to bring the funk on Roland Martin Unfiltered, streaming live on the Black Star Network. Let's go. He's got it. Whatever the miss, he's on it. Whatever it is, he's got the scoop, the fact, the fine. And when it breaks, he's right on time. And it's Roland.

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You know he's rolling, Martin. Yeah. Martin. In 2023, more than 20 states will allow people to carry handguns without a permit. On January 1st, Alabama became the most recent state allowed to carry without a state permit gun legislation. Gun legislation progressed dramatically. 11 states passed permitless carry laws in the last three years. gun legislation. Gun legislation progressed dramatically. Eleven states passed permitless carry laws in the last three years. Gun control activists are pushing back on the least restrictive gun rights as they believe

it will increase gun violence. Gun permit systems require applicants to demonstrate safe gun handling and knowledge of complicated gun laws. Adam Skaggs, chief law center, a nonpartisan reform group, said this about the changes in gun laws. The opinion made clear that nothing in the Constitution requires permitless carry. Constitutional carry may sound good with its alliteration and the way it rolls off the tongue, but it's fundamentally untrue and misleading. Guns in public have always been significantly regulated. By the end of the year, states with permitless carry could be the majority.

Joining us to break down what this means for black America is Philip Smith, the president of the National African-American Gun Association. Hello there, Mr. Smith. Hello, hello. Glad to be here and honored to be on my fraternity brothers show. All right. Great to have you. So I guess the biggest question to you is, what does all of this mean for black Americans? Does this make us more safe or does it put us in greater danger? It allows us for the first, not the first time, but it's allowing us to take control of our own destiny. Prior to constitutional carry, you had to pay for a

license, fingerprint it, and then possibly get denied. With constitutional carry, you can now go into the store, pass the background check, and then you can denied. With constitutional carry, you can now go into the store, pass the background check, and then you can start protecting yourself instantly. And for a lot of folks out there, particularly women that are going through domestic abuse, being attacked by their ex-lovers, et cetera, et cetera, this is a very good thing because you want to have the ability to protect yourself instantaneously. And the constitutional carry allows you to do that. So how would you suggest that African-Americans who do want to take advantage of this opportunity, as you've laid out, what is the best way for them to be able to safely navigate society? I mean,

we have examples of law-abiding African-American gun owners who have been killed by police because they were carrying their guns legally. What needs to happen so that those individuals who do want to take advantage of the Second Amendment in this way are able to do so in the most safe manner possible? That's a great question. And I'll say this. It's our Second Amendment, too. African-Americans, we're not a discounted American. We're not a sub-American. We are full-fledged Americans. We fought it a rogue police officer or someone in the private sector that's pushing us away from

firearms. But it's our right. Our ancestors died for us to have that right of the Second Amendment, and we should not back down in any way, shape, or form based on that history. I definitely hear you right there. Also, I'm interested in what do you see as the future of this constitutional carry movement, if you want to call it a movement? Do you think this is something that is really going to gain momentum in other states across the nation? And to what degree, if any, is your organization active in making that happen? For one, it makes sense. In essence, what we're saying is that if you're a law-abiding citizen, black, white, Asian, Latino, whatever, and you want to protect yourself, you have the right to go into a local store with an approved and a FFL, federal firearm license dealer or a gun owner, and purchase a gun, pass a background check and I want to make sure everyone's clear on that because you have to pass a background check before you're allowed to buy the gun in a legal purchase. Once you pass the background check you are then allowed to carry that gun out the store and begin protecting yourself, your family, your loved ones, your wife, your kids, your property instantly. That's the advantage and

that's why so many people across the country understand constitutional care for what it is. It allows law-abiding citizens to protect themselves. And there's nothing wrong with that. I want to also add in that if you are someone who's concerned that it's going to give folks access to guns, you're right. It is going to give us access to guns. And if you are a law-abiding citizen, that's a good thing because you're not trying to rob anybody. You're not trying to rob anybody. You're not trying to hurt anybody.

You're trying to protect yourself. And I think those are all good attributes of this particular feature of constitutional care. It allows normal folks like you and I to go into the store and begin protecting ourselves without any obstacles to exercising our Second Amendment rights. AMY GOODMAN- Absolutely. And, you know, I have to say that I completely agree with your argument that more than just as much, if not more than anyone else, the Second Amendment is ours as well. When you look at the statistics in recent years, though,

we have seen that there has been a huge increase, for example, in the purchase of guns by, for example, white supremacists. And we're seeing the increasing violence with white supremacist organizations across this country, record-breaking growth in that area. I'm wondering, do you see this as something that they might also take advantage of? And does that overall sort of make us in more peril? Or do you see this as something that we need for self-defense in all circumstances? I think if you look at the history of African Americans in this country, too many times, too often from Tulsa massacre to Topps Market, which was the recent massacre of African Americans specifically, we have not been able to protect ourselves.

So the constitutional carry and the ability and awareness that we are now seeing in the African American community, and it is a surge, particularly among African-American women, it's a good thing. It's time for us to start protecting ourselves as a people, as a community, and individually. We have to understand that when you can protect yourself, that's the greatest statement that you can tell yourself, your wife, your kids, that you have the ability and you have the right because your life means something. Your community means something. And there's nothing, absolutely nothing wrong with that. Absolutely. So I want to bring our panel into this discussion. We have with us tonight the incredible Dr. Julianne Malveaux, the Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies, California State University. Also, Teresa Lunde, principal

founder of TML Communications, and Dr. Jason Nichols, senior lecturer of African American Studies Department at the University of Maryland College Park, one of my old alma maters. By the way, I wanted to get a start off with Dr. Malveaux. Do you have a question around this particular issue? Absolutely, I do, Avis. Thank you, and Happy New Year to everyone. My brother, I'm very interested in your arguments, but at the same time, I'm also interested in having you address the subjective nature of perception around self-protection. Those men who called the FedEx driver in Mississippi, that he was not bothering them. They followed him with guns. Our people all too often are under siege.

And so there is something subjective. And when you take this to a jury, which is not often made up of us, the outcomes are not favorable for us. What would you say to that, about that, and how we protect ourselves under those circumstances? And, first of all, it's a great question. And I understand your concern. And it's a concern of mine. What would you say to that, about that, and how we protect ourselves under those circumstances? First of all, it's a great question, and I understand your concern. And it's a concern of mine because I have kids, I have a wife, I have sisters, I have brothers. I have members in my organization that go through that same process that you're talking about.

The worst thing that we can do, the worst thing that we can do is to shutter down and allow someone to impose their will and say, you know what, you, for whatever reason, you folks over there, you black folks, you don't deserve to have a gun. There's something about your DNA that's something a little bit different from everyone else in society. I said it after Trayvon Martin got shot, and I'll say it again tonight. Make sure that you carry to protect yourself. It's your right. If you have a rogue police officer, and I don't want to paint all police officers in a negative light because they do a hell of a job, 99.9 cents of them, but that little percentage that's out there doing things that they should not do, such as shooting us on sight when you don't have cause to and things of that nature,

we have the right to protect ourselves. And we should never back down from that for anyone. Everyone in the African-American community should have a gun, it's up to me. And I think we should stay on that route and make sure that is the mindset of our people. For too long, we've been a sheep and we've been up for slaughter. And we have to stop that mindset.

We have to stop it right now. Ms. Lundy, what are your perspectives? Yeah, well, thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. See, I live in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and these laws are very strict. So right now in Philadelphia, we have a high percentage rating of gun violence, probably the second highest in the country next to Chicago. And so I'm a little concerned, you know, with the idea and the theory that, you know, everyone deserves a gun without the permitting process. For me, I just need you to explain a little bit more. If people don't have to go to their police department and actually go and register for a gun, how do we know that this gun has been, you know, fully background checked?

Just, again, explain that process a little bit more. Sure. I'll walk you through. It's very, very simplistic, but it's very thorough in the same breath. Let's take myself as an example or you as an example. You want to buy a gun. You go into a law-abiding, legally established gun store. When you have selected a gun, they're going to run what is called the NICS. That's

the National Instant Criminal Background Check System with the FBI. At that particular time, we'll tell the owner of the store if you have a felony or not or something on your background that is going to prevent you from getting a gun. When you pass that, you are then allowed, because you're a law-abiding citizen. They've just checked, and you don't have any felonies, you don't have any criminal background, you don't have anything violent, and you are then allowed, because you're a law-abiding citizen. They've just checked, and you don't have any felonies, you don't have any criminal background, you don't have anything violent. And you are now allowed to carry that gun out the store because it is yours. That is the process. to buy a gun, particularly for black women who are oftentimes subject to domestic violence and being robbed and attacked in public settings, you are now allowed to protect yourself instantly when

you walk out that door. It doesn't guarantee anything, but it certainly puts you in a better position to protect yourself. Now, I want to address the second question, or I think the underlining question of all these black folks with guns out here. Everyone else has guns. Why can't we have guns to protect our community? Why can I not have a gun to protect my child, my daughter, my wife, my son? I'm a law-abiding citizen, so what is it in my DNA that is so troubling to some folks out in society for me to have a gun? I have a problem with that, and I think it's a double standard, and I think it's the underlining of racism if you have a problem with us having guns and other folks being allowed to have it. Before Dr. Nichols steps in, I just have a quick question, just a quick follow-up. I know

that your organization historically has provided classes to help people be able to get to register for the guns and get the older sort of more, a little bit more laborious way of getting access to guns. And now with this shift, a person would just need to pass the background check, as I understand. What do we lose by losing that interim step? Like what happens in terms of filtering folk that you have been preparing people to be responsible gun owners by providing those classes with your organization? Now that you no longer have to do that as an organization, you know, what do we lose as a society with regards to keeping everyone a

little bit more safe? I don't think, and I look at it a little bit differently, and I respect what you're saying, but I look at it totally different. I think we gained something. I think we gained the ability to protect ourselves quicker. I think those women or men that are purchasing guns, particularly black folks, and let's just be really candid with it, black folks are buying guns in record numbers, particularly African American women in our organization. There is a huge upswing in millions and millions of black women are coming together. When those women are out there buying those guns and those men are out there buying those guns, that's a gain for our community. That's a gain for that community because they can protect themselves. I don't see anything

negative in that. I understand your concern, but I think people oftentimes get mixed up between gun rights and gun violence. And those are two separate conversations. No, I completely get it. I'm just wondering what is the difference? Like, is there, for example, can you give us a quick example of what you would be training people otherwise, like prior to this happening, what type of training would people get? Sure. When, when I'll give example, what we do at the National African Gun Association, which is by the way, the largest African gun group in the history of the U.S. with over 50,000 members, we have over 130 chapters. We are growing in leaps and bounds. The, what we do at our organization is the following. When someone comes into one of our chapters

for basic information, we assess that person first. You just don't run out into the range and start shooting a gun aimlessly. We have certified instructors, black certified instructors, male and female, that put you through the steps that help you become a better shooter. We work on muscle memory.

We work on stances. We work on hand management. We work on low ready, high ready, all those things that are basic to fundamentals. Those still, those things still happen. We don't skip over those because you have constitutional carry and you now have a gun. We still go through the same process. And for me, to me, it speeds up the process because you now can become trained quicker. You now can start your process to learn how to protect yourself and your family quicker. And I think those are all good attributes based on the law as it presently is constructed. Understood. Dr. Nichols. So firstly, let me say, I 100% believe that in the second

amendment that black people have that right. I'm a gun owner myself, but I'm also a believer in gun control. I don't think those two things are mutually exclusive. So I guess my first statement before I pose my question is, kind of piggybacks off what Dr. Malveaux was saying, and that is that a lot of women, I think the thing about women having guns, we also need to recognize that a lot of women are sitting in prison. A lot of black women are sitting in prison sometimes for shooting their abusers, even when they had the legal right. So I think that's also something that we need to consider, that, you know, that's also a fact. Now, my question is, you know, you said that people have, that our people have the right to carry guns because other people have guns. I agree 100 percent, but those other people went through the, presumably went through the permitting process.

What do you think is keeping black people from going through the permitting process, and why does the permitting process necessarily need to be removed? That's a great question, and I think I have an even better answer for you. The permitting process, very simply, allows that particular person to be registered in that particular state. Constitutional carry speeds up that process in that particular state for that person. They're not a rogue person having a gun without passing a background check. And I really want to emphasize that. You have to go through the NICS system, which is an FBI database on individuals in this country. If you come up with a felony, you're not going to be allowed to have a gun.

So I don't think it's negative at all based on how I understand your question regarding the law itself. Can I ask one follow-up? And that is, one of the things that we've seen, of course, with a lot of the mass shootings that have happened around the country is that we see young men, 18 and 19, getting firearms legally. And a lot of times when they're getting them legally, it's long guns because of the process of getting a long gun is the one that you're kind of referring to that's basically going to happen with the handguns. So does it worry you that these same individuals will be able to get handguns, which can be concealed and carry them into public spaces and make people more susceptible to violence from young, impulsive people?

It bothers me, and I appreciate your question. I respect your question, but I think this is my response. It bothers me when I look at the history of our folks in this country, and we are constantly just out there pretty much naked. And when I say naked in this symbolic sense, that we don't have a gun, we don't have training, our community, our families, we're just sitting there and letting people go through us and kill us just because. And we never have anything to push back.

This allows us a fighting chance. And I want people to understand that. For too long, the mindset of African Americans in this country has been to, well, you don't need a gun because that's a bad thing. You know, we don't need that. That's for those folks over there. And we are constantly being attacked, hung, murdered, massacred. It just goes on and on. I'm out of that mindset. I just really look at it from a totally different perspective. And I respect what you're saying, but I think guns is the answer for a lot of the problems and the ills that we've seen in our communities. All right. Well, Mr. Smith, I want to thank you for joining us today.

I definitely agree that we deserve to be able to protect ourselves, even though this is a very complex and not an easy issue, as are many issues, right? Thank you so much for joining us today. Thanks for having me. Absolutely. Bless you, too. This is Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network, and we'll be right back.

I'm Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach, and my new show, Get Wealthy, focuses on the things that your financial advisor and bank isn't telling you, but you absolutely need to know. So watch Get Wealthy on the Black is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company

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You say you'd never put a pacifier in your mouth to clean it and never let them run wild through the grocery store. So when you say you'd never let them get into a car without you there, no, it can happen. One in four hot car deaths happen when a kid gets into an unlocked car and can't get out. Never happens. Before you leave the car, always stop, look, lock.

Brought to you by NHitsa and the ad council i do believe that the 30 years i was acting was to prepare me for what i'm supposed to be doing and that what i'm really i'm good at but when you were acting were you even thinking about directing were you so what the hell you had asked me 15 years ago i probably would have said, no, I don't know. I was doing Ava DuVernay's first film, I Will Follow. And during that process, I think because it was her first film, maybe I- Did she self-taught? Absolutely. I probably gave too many suggestions.

And at some point, Ava said to me, I think you're a director and you don't know it. We're all impacted by the culture, whether we know it or not. From politics to music and entertainment, it's a huge part of our lives. And we're going to talk about it every day right here on The Culture with me, Faraji Muhammad, only on the Black Star Network. Next on The Black Table with me, Greg Carr. The Supreme Court is back in session. God help us all. It is no exaggeration to say that this current session could completely reshape this country and redirect our future for generations to come. And not in a good way. We invite Dr. Valetia Watkins and Professor Angela Porter, our legal roundtable, back to the show to put it all in perspective. That's on the next Black Table. Please don't

miss it right here on the Black Star Network. I'm Angie Stone. Hi, I'm Teresa Griffin. Oh, Roland. Hey, Roland. I am so disappointed that you are not here, first of all. Where's our dance? It's like we get a dance in every time I see you. And so now you're not here for me to dance with, sir. You and your ascot. I need it. I need that in my life right now.

Okay. I love you, Roland. What's up? I'm Lance Gross, and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. We have been discussing permitless carry in the U.S. with Philip Smith, the president of the National African-American Gun Association. Now we'll speak with South Carolina State Congressman Cesar McKnight to discuss what this change means and how this will impact Black America. Representative McKnight, how are you this evening? Good evening. How are you doing? I am doing wonderfully. So we just engaged in a very robust conversation with Mr. Smith about the dynamics of this change in the Black community. Where do you stand on how this will help or perhaps hurt, one might ask, the Black community?

I think it could potentially be a good thing, particularly for African-American women. And here's why I say that. I think it's once every five hours in this country an African-American woman is murdered. And my mother, my father passed away in 2021 to COVID. My mother lives alone. So I don't, I won't advocate a position where my mother will not be able to protect herself. And my mother owns a gun. She's always owned a gun. And I think it's

necessary that sometimes our community, in particular our women, have to sometimes protect themselves. And that's not to impugn law enforcement or not to say there aren't good police out there. They are. However, when the police is on the phone, they're not there while the violence is being committed. So I want to provide our community with an opportunity to protect themselves.

I know that sort of goes against the grain because our community has gun violence, but I think the African-American community can have and should have responsible gun and legal gun ownership, and they should avail themselves to the protections that they can provide themselves. That's how I see it. Yeah, I mean, it really kind of makes sense to me in the sense of the scenario that you're giving where, you know, really black women are disproportionately likely in America, period, to be single. Either they are single, never married, divorced, widowed. I mean, we're more likely to have to navigate this world by ourselves.

And you're saying that it makes sense to have this extra bit of protection there, particularly for that demographic who's more likely than perhaps others to have to be in situations where they can't rely on somebody else. They have to be able to protect themselves with or without police intervention. Absolutely. I mean, there's an old saying, and I hate to say it, but it says a gun in the hand beats a cop on the phone. And I think that when it comes to our community, when it comes to African-American women, they shouldn't shy away from gun ownership. I think if they take the time to take a class and familiarize themselves with firearms, they can find that it provides them a mode of protection

other than an alarm system or other than dialing 911. I just, I don't like what, I don't like the trends that I see every day. I'm on social media and I see an African-American woman, be it a young woman or an older African-American woman that's murdered at the hands of someone else. So I think it's time for us not necessarily to say, oh, all guns are bad. No, all guns are not bad. I think that if you've got a law-abiding citizen and he or she wants to arm themselves, if they take the necessary time to go out and familiarize themselves with a gun and they're responsible, they should have that opportunity. You know, one last question, Al, just actually about the cultural dynamics and just to bring in a little pop culture in here.

We've seen all of the sort of brouhaha over what happened with Megan Thee Stallion, right, in terms of her getting shot by an acquaintance. And in essence, seeing public opinion, a lot of it going towards her shooter versus her than she, even though she was the victim. You know, I do believe to sort of quote a different saying, it's better to be judged by 12 than buried by six. But I would have to ask you, just in terms of dynamics of misogynoir in this nation, even if a black woman protects herself, isn't it likely that she'll still be considered guilty in a lot of people's eyes? I think that what happened with Megan's instance is that you had a lot of people.

We didn't have access to the trial, like the cameras there. So you had people coming out giving secondhand information and poisoning the minds of everyone to think that, OK, all of these things happened and Megan's absolutely lying. I think that the jury spoke, they answered, and the verdict is clear that Tory Lanez or whatever his name is perpetrated a heinous crime on a woman. And my heart goes out to her. I hope that never happens to anybody else. And I hope that any woman that finds herself in the company of somebody that's going to do her harm like that with a gun should be able to protect herself. I know we're on social media. What I really want to say is that's some sucker stuff, and I'm going to leave that alone. But no, listen, at the end of the day, I've got a mom. I have a daughter.

My daughter's six. And when she's old enough, because I already take her out and familiarize her with firearms now, I'm going to make certain that she has the ability to protect herself because daddy can't always be there. But I want her to know that she has the right and the option to protect herself. Well, thank you so much for joining that, for joining us this evening, Representative. And I know that your daughters should feel very very proud to have you uh as their dad thanks for joining us today bye absolutely and we'll be right back to roland martin unfiltered after this message you're watching the black star network We'll be right back. All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going. The video looks phenomenal. See, there's a difference between Black Star Network

and Black-owned media and something like CNN. You can't be Black-owned media and be scary. It's time to be smart. Bring your eyeballs home. You dig? Next on The Black Table with me, Greg Carr. The Supreme Court is back in session. God help us all. It is no exaggeration to say that this current session could completely reshape this country and redirect our future for generations to come.

And not in a good way. We invite Dr. Valetia Watkins and Professor Angela Porter, our legal roundtable, back to the show to put it all in perspective. That's on the next Black Table. Please don't miss it. Right here on the next Black Table. Please don't miss it right here on the Black Star Network.

Hi, I'm Dr. Jackie Hood-Martin, and I have a question for you. Ever feel as if your life is teetering and the weight and pressure of the world is consistently on your shoulders? Well, let me tell you, living a balanced life isn't easy. Join me each Tuesday on Black Star Network

for Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie. We'll laugh together, cry together, pull ourselves together, and cheer each other on. So join me for new shows each Tuesday on Black Star Network, A Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie. Hey, what's up, everybody? It's Godfrey, the funniest dude on the planet.

I'm Israel Houghton. Apparently the other message I did was not fun enough. So this is fun. You are watching... Roland Martin, my man, unfiltered. Columbus, Ohio District Attorney's Office has released a public statement about the shooting death of 13-year-old Sensei Reed. Sensei was shot and killed in October of last year by a 36-year-old neighbor, Craig A. Butler,

Sr. Butler was initially arrested. A week later, the felony murder charged against Butler was dismissed in Franklin County Municipal Court. The decision has sparked outrage in the community as records show Butler was not supposed to have a firearm. The Franklin County Prosecutor's Office released the statement on Friday. The case remains under review for potential presentation to the grand jury as evidence is gathered and reviewed. So far, no new charges have been filed. So what is needed for a district attorney to secure an indictment from a grand jury?

To give us some insights is Aisha Braveboy, the state's attorney in Prince George's County. Ms. Braveboy, how are you? I'm wonderful. How are you? Happy New Year. Happy New Year to you, too. So I would have to say, as the mother of sons, this is very, very disturbing to me. And I'm sure that every parent out there would feel the same. You know, what is the holdup? How come we haven't seen more swift action in terms of charges that actually stick for this tragic event? Well, in this case, it appeared that the police did charge the suspect in this case. However, the prosecutors dismissed the charges at the municipal court level. Now, I'm in Maryland, so I think it's akin to our district court, which is the court that all cases start out in. So every case that is charged is charged

in the district court here. I'm assuming the same thing applies there, that it's charged in the municipal court. For those cases that are felony cases and that should be indicted or criminal information, which is another kind of a strategy we use here, those cases have to go through a process in order to get to circuit court or felony court. And so the prosecutors then have to determine whether or not they have proof beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime has been committed. See, the police charge based on probable cause. We indict based on proof beyond a reasonable doubt. And if the prosecutors don't believe that they have enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime was committed, then they will not submit that to a grand jury. Because once a grand jury indicts a

case, or if the grand jury indicts a case, the clock starts ticking. We have something called the right to a speedy trial guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. And so if a defendant is charged, informally charged, indicted for a specific crime, then they have a right to be tried within a certain amount of time. And so oftentimes, prosecutors will want to avoid charging if they don't feel like they have the evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the individual who is charged or suspected of committing a crime actually committed that offense. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time,

have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops call this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that Taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission.

This is Absolute Season One, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glod.

And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves.

Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug ban is. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Karamush.

What we're doing now isn't working, and we need to change things. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. You say you'd never give in to a meltdown and never fill your feed with kid photos. You say you'd never put a pacifier in your mouth to clean it and never let them run wild through the grocery store. So when you say you'd never let them get into a car without you there, no, it can happen. One in four hot car deaths happen when a kid gets into an unlocked car and can't get out.

Never happens. Before you leave the car, always stop, look, lock. Brought to you by NHTSA and the Ad Council. Yeah, I definitely get that, that if they're going to bring a case before a grand jury, they actually want the charges to hold so they can go to trial, and they don't want to sort of gum up the system with bringing things in front of a grand jury that they don't think will ultimately result in charges. But, you know, I think that most of, you know, black America will be thinking about other

cases in which people in the community had to fight in order to get prosecutors to bring things to grand jury that seemed like pretty obvious illegal acts, oftentimes permitted by done by actual policemen. But this is a citizen who, it seems, should not have had the firearm in the first place. You know, to what degree should the citizens be worried that, you know, their kids can just be shot dead? And because, and even if the police do their part of the bargain in terms of initially arresting and charging this person, that somehow the prosecutor can, in essence, pull the rug out from under the whole system and say, oh, wait a minute, even though your child is dead forever, we don't see a crime here or even

think that it's close enough to be in a crime where we want to even bring this in front of a grand jury for them to make the decision. Can you see how this can be a little bit disconcerting for people? Absolutely. Let me tell you, I mean, we make tough decisions every single day, and sometimes we do delay in moving forward with charges because, again, we only get one shot. If the individual is brought to trial and we don't have sufficient evidence and they are determined or adjudicated not guilty, then that means that we are never able to bring charges again. And so if you look at it from that perspective, you'll understand why prosecutors really have to take their time and ensure

that they have enough evidence moving forward. In this case, it appears that there may be, and I'm not saying it's a valid claim, but that there's likely going to be a claim of self-defense. And so the prosecutors then have to look at all of the factors in the case and determine whether or not self-defense would be a viable or, you know, a good claim in this case. And they have to really look at that because if they bring this case to trial, not only do we have to, as prosecutors, be concerned about juries determining that we didn't prove our case beyond a reasonable doubt, but even before the case goes to a jury, there are motions that get filed, a motion to dismiss a case gets filed if the prosecutor has not met its burden. And so a judge could actually dismiss a case that a prosecutor brings if they find that we didn't meet our burden. So it is really a big deal when and how cases are indicted. And so while I don't

know all the facts of this case, and I certainly, my heart goes out to this family, I think it's just unconscionable that any parent, you know, loses a child in this way. So it is very disconcerting. But I think the worst thing would be to bring a case that's not ready, have to try a case that's not ready, and get a really bad outcome for the family. So my hope is that the prosecutor's office is working diligently to determine whether or not charges can and should be refiled and charged and indicted, and this case should be presented

to a grand jury. Or if they decide something else, they need to be transparent with the public. But I think the biggest hurdle right now for the prosecutors is making the decision and they need to be working diligently in order to bring resolution to at least whether or not they're going to pursue an indictment. Right. So it sounds like, are you saying then that there might be an option or an opportunity for charges at a different level to be bought? Is that what you're saying? Yes. So what happens is when a case is charged, and again, I'm in Maryland, but I think it works this way across the country, it's broad and typically every case starts out

in what's called district court or municipal court or the lower level court where all charges are filed. Then for those felony cases, those cases get elevated to a felony court. And so you don't try, let's say, a homicide in a municipal court or a district court. That doesn't happen. You try that in a felony court with felony judges. And so even if a case gets dismissed, and the reason oftentimes that a case gets dismissed at the municipal or district court level in my case is because the prosecutor is not ready yet to present the case to a grand jury, but the clock is ticking. And so when an individual is charged, they have a right to a speedy trial.

They also have a right to determine whether or not they're actually going to be formally charged by a grand jury in the case of felonies, whether or not that's going to move forward. And so there's a certain period of time. Typically, it's days, that prosecutors have to determine whether or not they're going to indict a case. If they don't indict the case, then they're going to dismiss those felonies. That doesn't mean that the case goes away. That just means that they need more time. And so oftentimes they are working with law enforcement, doing their research, preparing themselves to make that ultimate decision on whether or not this case will go to a grand jury. And so I would not say that all hope is lost and that justice hasn't been served. Sometimes it is delayed based on the facts and the evidence. But that doesn't mean that the prosecutor won't bring this case to a grand jury and that there won't be an indictment.

It just meant that they wanted to take their time with it. I think there are a lot of us that I hear you, but I think there are a lot of us who are having like Trayvon Martin flashbacks where we know, for example, that what was required was a movement to get the minimal movement, literally, in the legal realm. And at the end of the day, you know, there are people like me who kind of believe that decisions about whether or not self-defense is accurate belongs in the jury's hands, especially when a 13-year-old is dead. But, you know, I hear that you might be coming up with a different court. Really quickly, I do want to let my panel have a quick second to ask any questions that they might have before we move on. I'm going to start with Dr. Nichols. So thank you. Thank you for coming on, Attorney Brave Boy.

My question is, is there any recourse after a grand jury, if a grand jury decides not to bring charges? Does that mean that trying to bring charges later would be double jeopardy? Double jeopardy doesn't really attach at the grand jury level, but it is more challenging for a prosecutor to bring charges if a grand jury doesn't vote to indict. Now, it could be that additional information is made available, additional evidence is made available after, let's say, the initial presentation to the grand jury. And so there may be then a reason to bring the case back before a grand jury. But remember, the grand jury is made up of residents, citizens, voters, those who have a vested interest in the community. And so it is tough if the grand jury votes not to indict to

then bring a case back before them. But if the prosecutor believes that there was additional evidence or perhaps the evidence wasn't presented the right way to the grand jury, then of course prosecutors always have that discretion to present a case more than once to a grand jury. But the fact that an initial grand jury voted not to indict would be a part of the record. And so that, again, would present challenges at trial. However, I think, again, I think the goal, though, of every prosecutor's office is to make really good, smart decisions as quickly as possible. But in some cases, I'm not talking about this case, but in some cases, it does take time in order to collect all of the evidence, weigh the law, and make a decision on whether or not and how, and really how to present some cases to a grand jury, especially when there

may be a claim of self-defense. And again, I'm not making any judgments in this case. This case was horrible. You know, I certainly hope that the family does get justice. Absolutely. But I'm just kind of going through the process of what prosecutors think when they're evaluating a case. Teresa. This case is obviously a little bit more difficult for me as, you know, I'm always thinking about a younger generation and from the scene, and yet he claimed self-defense. Can you maybe elaborate how is that even possible and how self-defense is still even part of the prosecution's notion for not going to the grand jury? So the self-defense claim or the defense of self-defense really looks at the time that the act was made. Did the person reasonably believe that their life was in danger or a life of another was in danger? And that's typically what we're looking at, what we're evaluating. And sometimes it is unreasonable, which means that

you might think it's self-defense, but it really isn't because you acted unreasonably. And in some cases, an individual may have acted reasonably under the circumstances. The fact that the individual ran away could show consciousness of guilt. And so should this case move forward to a trial and that issue comes up of whether or not self-defense was a viable claim in this case, the fact that the individual fled maybe shows what that individual was thinking at the time. Again, I don't know all of the facts of this case. I think probably none of us in the public know everything about this case. But what I can say is that as a prosecutor, my number one job right now would be to make a decision. And I have to stand behind whatever decision I make.

But the public needs to have confidence in their prosecutor's office. They have to believe that the prosecutor's office is there for everyone and that the prosecutor will be fair and impartial and courageous and take cases that may not please everyone, but is pleasing to the cause of justice. And so my hope is that the prosecutor will make a decision as quickly as possible so that the community at least knows what direction this case is moving in. And Dr. Malveaux. Aisha, good to see you. Happy New Year. All of this is prosecutorial discretion. In other words, had the roles been reversed, and of course this is all speculative, but had roles been reversed and this was a black man who had shot a white child and a white

prosecutor, I don't think we'd be having this conversation. I think the case would just have been dismissed. They don't, you know, no, would not have been dismissed, but rather would have been charged. The race, the current racial climate, in my opinion, gives prosecutors way too much discretion. You're a prosecutor. Tell me about that and how, what can we do to police the prosecutors? Well, we, you have to hold your prosecutors accountable. But again, let me just say this. The burden of the prosecutor is to prove a case beyond a reasonable doubt. So when you say that the prosecutor dismissed the case, the prosecutor determined in this case, at least at this time, it appears that

they've determined that they don't have enough to move forward beyond a reasonable doubt and get past that hurdle. And remember, not only do they have to get past a jury ultimately, but they have to get past motions that are going to be filed by the defense counsel. So when you do indict a case like this, where there may be a self-defense claim, you really have to do, you know, significant evaluation, really weigh the evidence, and then make a decision, make a decision. And so the fact that a case was dismissed really happens when a prosecutor decides not to indict within a certain window. Usually it's 30 days. So if a case is not indicted within the 30-day window, then the case will be dismissed, the felonies will be dismissed because the municipal court in this case or

district court in the case of, you know, Maryland is not the suitable court to adjudicate such a case. And so you can't adjudicate, excuse me, adjudicate a felony murder case in district court or in municipal court. It has to go to the circuit court, which means it has to be indicted. Or in the case of Maryland, we can send cases by criminal information. And so that is, again, the burden of the prosecutor to say, OK, I feel like I have enough to present to a grand jury and I can prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt. That's an awesome burden. So I don't believe that we've heard the last of this case. I believe that the prosecutor must be held accountable.

I believe that the prosecutor must understand the urgency, the fierce urgency of now, but the prosecutor also has to be diligent. The prosecutor also can't be swayed by public opinion. They have to do the work. But my recommendation to my colleague there is to do the work. But my recommendation to my colleague there is to do the work as quickly as possible. Yes. Well, we hope that that person does. But you're exactly right also, Dr. Malveaux. This

is a clear example of discretion because two people can look at the very same evidence and come up with different interpretations of that evidence, which then would relate to whether or not one decides to move forward with the belief that they can prove a case without, you know, with reasonable doubt, standard met. So I think that's really what she's, and if in this county district attorneys are elected, that's one way in which they can be held accountable. With that said, thank you so much for joining us, Attorney Brayboy. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. So we'll be right back on Roland Martin Unfiltered right after this message. Thanks for joining us. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops call this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to

one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season One. Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glod. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way.

Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne.

We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug ban is. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Karamush.

What we're doing now isn't working and we need to change things. Stories matter and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content,

subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. You say you'd never give in to a meltdown and never fill your feed with kid photos. You say you'd never put a pacifier in your mouth to clean it. And never let them run wild through the grocery store. So when you say you'd never let them get into a car without you there, know it can happen. One in four hot car deaths happen when a kid gets into an unlocked car

and can't get out. Never happens. Before you leave the car, always stop, look, lock. Brought to you by NHTSA and the Ad Council. Never happens before you leave the car. Always stop, look, lock. Brought to you by NHTSA and the Ad Council. There's an angry pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol. We're about to see the rise of what I call white minority resistance. We have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting. I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of violent denial. This is part of American history.

Every time that people of color have made progress, whether real or symbolic, there has been what Carol Anderson at Emory University calls white rage as a backlash. This is the wrath of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys. America, there's going to be more of this. This country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because of the fear of white people. The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're taking our women. This is white fear.

Hi, I'm Dr. Jackie Hood-Martin, and I have a question for you. Ever feel as if your life is teetering and the weight and pressure of the world is consistently on your shoulders? Well, let me tell you, living a balanced life isn't easy. Join me each Tuesday on Blackstar Network for Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie. We'll laugh together, cry together, pull ourselves together, and cheer each other on. So join me for new shows each Tuesday on Black Star Network, A Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie.

This is Judge Matthews. What's going on, everybody? It's your boy, Mack Wiles, and you are watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. Jamiah Birch disappeared from her Alexandria, Virginia home on New Year's Day. The 15-year-old is 4'11", weighs 68 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen on January 1, 2023, wearing a black coat and black sweatpants. Anyone with information about Jamiah Birch is urged to call the Alexandria, Virginia Police Department at 703-746-4444. A viral video out of New York shows police allowing Proud Boys to enter the subway without paying while counter

protesters are stopped. Take a look at this video. You pay for the fare? Proud Boys don't have to pay for the fare? We're special. Thank you. You don't have to pay for the fare? Appreciate it.

From your tax credit. Proud Boys don't have to pay for the fare? No, thank you. That is insane. Proud Boys don't have to pay for the fare? Three dollars. Three dollars. I'm sorry?

I just need you to go out there. Oh, I have to pay for the fare, but they don't? Right. Is that the situation? been saved. Proud Boys don't have to pay for the fare. $3. I'm sorry, I just need you to go out. Oh, I have to pay for the fare, but they don't. Is that the situation you're saying? That's correct. Well, if you ever want to wonder what happened on January 6th, you might want to look at the relationship between those two entities. But the police department has not released any public statement about that incident. Okay. In Georgia, a statue of the late civil rights icon, Representative John Lewis, will be erected in his former Georgia congressional district where a monument to the Confederacy once stood.

Sculptor Basil Watson will design and create a monument to be placed at the historic Decatur House Courthouse in the District Lewis served for 17 consecutive terms. The statue will honor Lewis's legacy and provide a symbol of inclusivity, equality, and justice, where the Confederate monument stood for more than 100 years. Lewis was the son of sharecroppers, survived a brutal beating by police during the landmark 1965 march in Selma, Alabama, and went on to become an icon of the civil rights movement. Lewis died in July 2020 at the age of 80. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network, and we'll be right back.

I love directing. It's a different kind of piece. I do believe that the 30 years I was acting was to prepare me for what I'm supposed to be doing, and that what I'm really am good at. But when you were acting, were you even thinking about directing? Nope. So what the hell happened? You had asked me 15 years ago, I probably would have said,

no, I don't know. I was doing Ava's, Ava DuVernay's first film, I Will Follow. And during that process, I think because it was her first film, maybe I... Did she self-taught? Absolutely. I probably gave too many suggestions and at some point, Ava said to me, I think

you're a director and you don't know it. When you talk about blackness and what happens in black culture, we're about covering these things that matter to us, speaking to our issues and concerns. This is a genuine people-powered movement. There's a lot of stuff that we're not getting. You get it. And you spread the word. We wish to plead our own cause to long have others spoken for us. We cannot tell our own story if we can't pay for it.

This is about covering us. Invest in Black-owned media. Your dollars matter. We don't have to keep asking them to cover our stuff. So please support us in what we do, folks. We want to hit 2,000 people. $50 this month. Waits $100, folks. We want to hit 2,000 people. $50 this month.

Waits $100,000. We're behind $100,000. So we want to hit that. Y'all money makes this possible. Checks and money orders go to P.O. Box 57196. Washington, D.C. 20037-0196. The Cash App is $RM Unfiltered. PayPal is R. Martin Unfiltered.

Venmo is R.M. Unfiltered. Zelle is Roland at Rolandsmartin.com. Hey, I'm Deon Cole from Blackist. What's up? I'm Lance Gross, and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. President Joe Biden is set to commemorate the 160th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. To mark the 160th anniversary of the proclamation, which was issued on January 1st, 1863, Biden will use the week to highlight the progress and the need to push for more change. Biden is moving following a push among push for more change. Biden is moving following a push among conservative groups to change how slavery is taught in American schools.

Today, the United States government has not officially apologized for the enslavement of African Americans. H.R. 40 of the Commission to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans Act is set to be introduced to the new 118th Congress this year. So I'd like to sort of toss to the panel to see your thoughts on this specific commemoration of the Emancipation Proclamation and with the context of once again bringing up this issue of reparations, which unfortunately seems to be brought up annually or with every new Congress, only to go absolutely nowhere. Dr. Malveaux, your thoughts on this commemoration?

Well, first of all, thank you for touching on the subject. As you know, I am a member of the National African-American Reparations Commission, and we've been pushing very hard for President Biden to issue an executive order. When we found the last Congress, we knew we didn't have the votes in the Senate. And we knew that it would be very close to the Congress. Sheila Jackson Lee has been, I can't say enough about how amazing she's been in pushing this issue. You know, Congressman Conyers began to introduce the issue of reparations, H.R. 40, in 19, I want to say 89, I could be off a couple years, 19, and introduced it every session of Congress since then. But people do not want to deal with this issue, and we must. We hear, I don't know how many times we talk about the wealth gap.

The wealth gap is a function of enslavement. You just got finished talking about guns. A lot of what happens to our people is a function of enslavement. It's got finished talking about guns. A lot of what happens to our people is a function of enslavement. It's not just apologizing. Of course, we'd like the apology, but once you apologize, you have to do something about it. And what we really want to be done about it is reparations. And H.R. 40 has evolved since Congressman Conyers introduced it. It lays out a process for studying what should happen. There's a lot of debate here in California, of course. I'm not in California now, but whatever. In California, there's a reparations commission that Dr. Cheryl Grylls is on, and they're doing some work. They produced a 500-page report that's voluminous, that really talks about the wrong that happened

in California. This has to happen all over the nation. We have to have what belongs to us, and we have to have it boldly, not apologetically. And, Avis, let me just say, to talk about how to reteach enslavement, you have these, I say this is the caucasity of ignorance, where you have people who say enslavement was not that bad. Well, hell yeah, it was bad. Not only was it bad, but if not for enslaved people, there would be no United States. There'd be no White House. There'd be no capital. There would be no industry. There would be no stock market. There would be no bond market. Don't get me started, Junior. You would be no stock market. There would be no bond market. Don't get me started.

You got me on my subject. All you got to do is wind me up. But it's time. It's not time. It is overtime for us to have ours. Folks, write your congressperson. Tell them. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time,

have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley

comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1. Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated,

on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott.

And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner.

It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug thing is. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote.

Marine Cor vet. MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working, and we need to change things. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two

on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad free with exclusive content, subscribe to lava for good plus on Apple podcast. You say you'd never give into a meltdown and never fill your feed with kid photos. You say you'd never put a pacifier in your mouth to clean it. And never let them run wild through the grocery store. So when you say you'd never let them get into a car without you there,

know it can happen. One in four hot car deaths happen when a kid gets into an unlocked car and can't get out. Never happens. Before you leave the car, always stop, look, lock. Brought to you by NHTSA and the Ad Council. Please support H.R. 40. Dr. Nichols, this seems like a particularly interesting moment in history to have this anniversary arrive because sort of contextualizing of critical race theory as this big bad boogeyman, really as a ruse for them to be able to push through legislation and other things

to basically take truth telling out of history in schools all across this nation. What are your thoughts around really where are we in this space right now? Because I don't see a counter to the whole critical race theory, right wing taking over school boards, doing all that they're doing. And at the same time, we're also still not seeing movement with regards, even studying, even studying the possibilities of reparations, much less issuing an apology. Well, I think you're definitely not going to get an apology, certainly not out of this Congress. If we look at the fact that, you know, you may have Kevin McCarthy as speaker, you've got Republicans taking over the House. They can't even decide whether they believe in democracy and elections. So you're not going to get an apology because an apology, of course, is the precursor States has given reparations to people whom the United States

itself did not harm. If you want to look at 9-11, we didn't perpetrate 9-11, but we still paid reparations to the victims. If you look at the Iranian hostages, We still paid reparations to those people, not Iran, the United States. So, and big money at that. I think there's no question this is one of the reasons why the United States has avoided the subject of reparations for a long time, and they're going to continue to avoid it. All those Democrats who got up there and got on the stage and said, oh, I support H.R. 40, where are they now? We don't hear them. We don't hear their voices. And that includes, to a certain extent, unless Professor Malveaux has heard something that I haven't, that includes Joe Biden, That includes Pete Buttigieg and all of

these people up there and even Vice President Harris. We haven't heard their voices come forward on this. And I'm hoping that this time around that they actually do step up and say, we can at least study the issue. That's what H.R. 40 is. It's not reparations. It's calling for the study of reparations. But again, when you know that you're guilty or you know that you know what the outcome is, of course you don't want to study. Of course you don't want to look into more depth. You already know what the answer is. So we're not going to—I think, again, this is going to be another Congress where we where nothing happens. I'm hoping, you know, for Professor Malveaux and her and that group to be able to get President Biden to issue an executive order. But I'm not even holding my breath for that. I think in terms of education, I'll just say this.

First of all, that's not critical race theory that they're talking about. It's just like you said, it's just talking about truth and truthful accounts of history. let it be overrun with misinformed people and people who want to cause trouble and want to take true history out of our education system. If you look, actually, there was an article recently that said that complaints of discrimination in schools is up in 2022. And I think there's a direct correlation to the fact that there's been all this pushback to teaching history after the so-called racial reckoning we had in 2020. So I think we need to start showing up and making our voices heard about this. you know, that you cannot allow, I'm sorry, I'm blanking, but the main thing is educating your children is incredibly important. It certainly is. Only the poor would allow his children to be educated by his enemy. I apologize. No, worth the wait. Absolutely. Teresa, what are your thoughts on this? I mean,

is this just, in essence, it's good to have him have this week where he's going to acknowledge. And, you know, I'm not going to disparage that. It's definitely worth acknowledgement. But what do you think that we can do as a community to make sure that we get some traction around really getting some true acknowledgement and protection of our history, not just on the federal level with whatever is going to happen this week, but literally at that state and local level where we know that our history is under attack? Well, yeah, congratulations to the Biden-Harris administration on, again, acknowledgement. I think half the battle is when we looked at Trump's administration, we got no acknowledgement.

We received no interest in figuring out how to unify. And so I think, you know, as we look towards our state and local communities and some of the elected officials therein that are making some of these local laws and these adjustments, as we particularly talk about what freedom actually looks like and how we actually think about, you know, the 1960s and what enslaved moments that our parents and grandparents have had, I think we need to start looking at some of those current policies and procedures that are currently guiding the next generation. I'm all for reparations, but it just has to make sense. We're currently in a country that is in a deficit. We barely have resources here on a state or local level. Federal government is not matriculating the amount of funds when it even came to American Rescue Act that it was supposed

to in some of these states. So we're not seeing it in communities. But I do think there is a broader and a more sensible plan that could be done. There are elections that are taking place every year in some of the counties. Well, every two years, but more so in some of these neighborhoods and counties where I think we need to bring upon these type of suggestions and these types of interested issues that are interesting to our communities in order for us to flourish. And so half the battle is making sure when these people are running for public office is that they have our full intent and they have, you know, this in mind. So when we're talking about what the next budget looks like, when we talk about where

resources need to be allocated, look at some of these committees and some of these individuals. Because, you know, again, recognizing is half the battle. But one, when we start to look at what action actually looks like to make a new win for a new generation, that's when we need to start looking at ourselves. Absolutely. On other news, President Joe Biden pardons six people while vacationing in St. Croix. The pardons were granted to Beverly Ann Iben Tamez, Charles Burns Jackson, John Dix Nock III, Gary Parks Davis, Edward Lincoln DeColto III, and Vincenti Ray Flores all have helped their communities after serving sentences of murder, drug or alcohol related crimes. Biden is taking a stance on low level crime and its negative impact on families.

A few months earlier, Biden pardoned thousands of people convicted of simple marijuana possession and commuted the sentences of 75. Biden supported the 1994 crime bill and said people are right to question his past stance on crime, but urged people to look at what he's doing now. Going back to you, Teresa, what are your thoughts about that? We know that during the election, he got a lot of heat from the black community and many of those on the left with regards to his authoring of the crime bill and the implications of that. But now that he's in office, he does seem to be quite active with these pardons, specifically as it relates to things like the marijuana possession, commuting of sentences, huge in terms of partnering thousands of people at a time.

I mean, these are great. These are what some of these national organizations like Reform Alliance happen to be talking about. They wanted, you know, our administration to do something for these people since now it seems like we're legalizing some of these issues, i.e. marijuana and cannabis, and now selling it on the black market and in retail stores and calling it TBD. So, I mean, so I'm very happy that this is happening. I'm sure they're doing their due diligence to figure out the best ways. But let's also remember in the last administration, towards the last days, everybody was getting a pardon. And, you know, individuals was getting out that we were trying to figure out how was this even possible. So I'm glad that they're doing it in this administration. I'm sure they're going through it with a fine tooth comb.

But, you know, we have to use the power of the pen. If we say we believe in second chances, let's give second chances and allow these people to have it. I don't think something should be a life sentence, but I do think, you know, with the right due diligence, then, you know, it'll make sense. Absolutely. And when you think about it, oftentimes we see this volume of Partins, as you mentioned, like towards the end of an administration, the fact that this has happened so early in his administration makes you wonder what might be to come. What are your thoughts on that, Dr. Malvo? Well, I'm excited about these pardons and it suggests to me that the Justice Department is doing their thing.

People just don't get pardons like here's a pardon. Usually there's a process that they get people, they look at their records, look at their incarceration records, they do all of that. So it seems to me that there's somebody in the Justice Department, some division of the law, that's going to be able to do that. And I think that's what we're going to see. a process that they vote people, they get their records, get their incarceration records, they do all of that. So it seems to me that there's somebody in the justice department, some division of the justice department, taking this seriously. This is important. There are people who have been in jail for decades behind a joint. Well, not a joint, but maybe a whole

bunch of them. But they have been in jail for decades for that kind of thing, and it's unjust. And so I'm happy to see the Biden administration doing it. I wish, however, they would turn. I'm happy that they're doing it. There's so much that needs to be done. I would lean back for just one second to reparations, to your stuff that local reparations need to do. The fact that many towns and cities are basically looking into doing reparations locally before they have the space to have these mass graves. A lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes.

But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad.

It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast.

Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne.

We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug thing is. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working, and we need to change things.

Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. You say you'd never give in to a meltdown

and never fill your feed with kid photos. You say you'd never put a pacifier in your mouth to clean it and never let them run wild through the grocery store. So when you say you'd never let them get into a car without you there, no, it can happen. One in four hot car deaths happen when a kid gets into an unlocked car and can't get out. Never happens.

Before you leave the car, always stop, look, lock. Brought to you by NHTSA and the Ad Council. This is a cast of post-local legislation that this is the internet. Dr. Malveaux, unfortunately, we are having some sort of problem with your audio and it's hard for us to hear you. Hopefully, we can come back to you in a minute. But Dr. Nichols, in the meantime, would you like to share your thoughts on this issue? Yeah, so first, I want to say something about Joe Biden's

past. I think, first of all, in all fairness, the 94 crime bill is sometimes misunderstood. It was not the primary driver of mass incarceration that many people think it was. And it was very politically difficult to vote against it because it was a huge omnibus bill. And it included things like the Violence Against Women Act. So you can imagine voting against the Violence Against Women Act. Now, it did have really problematic parts of it, but a lot of those actually were things that Joe Biden didn't push for. So three strikes, that was Bill Clinton who pushed for three strikes. Joe Biden actually called that, quote, wacko. So it wasn't necessarily Joe Biden. Now, Joe Biden's voting record is not great, particularly when you talk about the thing that did cause mass incarceration, which

is the 1986 Anti-Drug Abuse Act, which he also voted for. He didn't author it, but he voted for it. So he has a mixed past, but I think he also deserves, you know, a little bit of the benefit of the doubt. And we see that he is making good decisions in terms of his pardons, not just pardoning his friends or famous people, but actual, you know, people who have, you know, who deserve pardons, who have paid debts to society if there was one, and are actually making good in society. I'll also just say one thing about going back to the reparations issue

is, you know, there are experts that say that $20 billion will end homelessness. And we know, talking about California, we know that they have a homelessness issue. And there are experts that say literally just $20 billion. And, you know, our government oftentimes says we don't have the money. We don't have the money. We don't have the money. And then Russia attacked Ukraine. And I'm not against funding Ukraine. Don't get me wrong. I understand the need for it. But hundreds of billions of dollars have fallen from the sky, and we all of a sudden have the money. And there were a lot of states who didn't spend money on the American—didn't spend the money that they were given from the American Rescue

Act. So I think that to say that we don't have the money, I think America's always going to make that excuse. I'm not convinced. When things shut down, trillions of dollars appeared. I think America has the money certainly to investigate what it would take to look at reparations. Not necessarily, you know, it may come down to not being feasible, but it should certainly at the very least be investigated. And Dr. Malveaux, I think we have your audio issue repaired. Would you like to take up that point? Absolutely. I appreciate the point that was just made about money. I really, Teresa was going to jump in and debate you about there's not enough money because I think that's utter nonsense. But let's just be clear. H.R. 40 is not a bill that's only going to study

reparations. H.R. 40 is also a remedy bill. The commission that is assembled will study the harm that was done to black people and then make suggestions about remedies to that harm. So it's not just going to be a bunch of eggheads sitting in a room studying. We will be looking at, and I say we because the commission will be presidentially appointed and congressionally appointed if the legislation passes as it is. If it does not pass as it is, we want President Biden to do an executive order. And he can do that with a stroke of a pen. Now, he may find it politically risky, but it is only right.

And as Jason said, you know, people always say we don't have enough money. Well, folks find money when they want to. And let's not talk about the money that was just authorized for military spending. Let's not talk about that, Teresa, when you talk about all the money that we have. We do not need all that money for our military. Absolutely. One would say oftentimes that budgets are just the articulation of priorities. And this is an example of that, I would argue. But thanks for your perspectives. You are watching Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network, whether we know it or not. From politics to music and entertainment, it's a huge part of our lives.

And we're going to talk about it every day right here on The Culture with me, Faraji Muhammad, only on the Black Star Network. I'm Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach, and my new show, Get Wealthy, focuses on the things that your financial advisor and bank isn't telling you, but you absolutely need to know. So watch Get Wealthy on the Black Star Network. Next on The Black Table with me, Greg Carr. The Supreme Court is back in session. God help us all. It is no exaggeration to say that this current session could completely reshape this country and redirect our future for generations to come. And not in a good way.

We invite Dr. Valetia Watkins, Professor Angela Porter, our legal round table, back to the show to put it all in perspective. That's on the next Black Table. Please don't miss it. Right here on the Black Star Network. Hi, I'm Dr. Jackie Hood-Martin

and I have a question for you. Ever feel as if your life is teetering and the weight and pressure of the world is consistently on your shoulders? Well, let me tell you, living a balanced life isn't easy. Join me each Tuesday on Black Star Network for a balanced life with Dr. Jackie. We'll laugh together, cry together, pull ourselves together, and cheer each other on. So join me for new shows each Tuesday on black star network, a balanced life with doctor Jack.

Hey, I'm Amber Stevens West every sunshine. So this is Roger I got a message for Roland mascot. I'm sorry Scott Ascot Martin. Buddy, you're supposed to be hooking me up with some of these mascots. I'm sorry, ascots that you claim to wear. Where's mine, buddy? Where's mine? That's all I got to say to you, okay?

Mascot, goodbye. Hi, this is Essence Atkins, and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. A former Minneapolis police officer is charged with assaulting a man during a George Floyd protest. Former officer Justin Stetson is accused of repeatedly punching, kicking, and kneeing Jalil Stallings in the head and face while on the ground. Stalling suffered a fractured eye socket. Stetson could face up to five years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both penalties if convicted. Democrats are adding another midterm election victory in Arizona. After a tense election recount, Arizona Democrat Trump backed election denier Republican Abraham Hamadei as Arizona's next attorney general. He was defeated, right? The recount results were announced Thursday in Maricopa County Superior Court and were one of the state's

closest elections. A Charlotte, North Carolina woman is among the 26 who died in last week's major snowstorm. And Dale Taylor was trapped in her car for 18 hours after getting caught in the historic 50-inch blizzard. Taylor called 911, but first responders were unable to reach her. She contacted 911 again when they lost all communication with her. Emergency responders made two failed attempts to find Taylor. After a third attempt, they discovered her still in her car. The family asks for answers about the city's response to the winter storm. In a news conference yesterday, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz

called the City of Buffalo's response embarrassing. Take a look at this. The county has come in and taken over operations. I know the mayor's not going to be happy to hear it, response embarrassing. Take a look at this. County have come in and taken over operations. I know the mayor's not going to be happy to hear it, but we took over an entire segment, one third of the city of Buffalo, because we knew that we could get in there and clean it very quickly. The state is basically doing the same thing with equipment from other areas. I've already had discussions with my staff about what it would take for the county to take over all snow cleaning operations in the future. And now I've

had that discussion with New York State as well, because I think it's apparent that it's time for it to happen, or at least a discussion on the future. Mayor's not going to be happy to hear about it, but storm after storm after storm after storm, the city, unfortunately, is the last one to be opened, and that shouldn't be the case. It's embarrassing, to tell you the truth. New GOP-controlled Congress is set to convene tomorrow as uncertainty looms over the House speaker. The House and Senate met this afternoon to mark the start of the 118th Congress. Republican leader Kevin McCarthy is vying for the speaker's gavel after winning the nomination in a GOP closed-door vote in November. His party

challenged McCarthy with nine House Republicans drafting a letter opposing his leadership. Late in the afternoon of New Year's Eve, Kevin McCarthy gave his first comprehensive written response to proposals offered in good faith on December 8th to articulate key values we believe must be championed and led by any candidate for Speaker of the House. Mr. McCarthy's title, Restoring the People's House and Ending Business as Usual, is a welcome and telling admission of the longstanding and deep dysfunction of the House of Representatives and statement of aspiration to begin to set it right in the 118th Congress. Regrettably, however, despite some progress achieved, Mr. McCarthy's statement

comes almost impossibly late to address continued deficiencies ahead of the opening of the 118th Congress of January 3rd. At this stage, it cannot be a surprise that expressions of vague hopes regarding and reflected in far too many of the crucial points still under debate are insufficient. This is especially true with respect to Mr. McCarthy's candidacy for speaker because the times call for radical departure from the status quo, not a continuation of past and ongoing Republican failures. For someone with a 14-year presence in senior House Republican leadership, Mr. McCarthy bears squarely the burden to correct the dysfunction

he now explicitly admits across a long tenure. Thus far, there continue to be missing specific commitments with respect to virtually every component of our entrees and thus no means to measure whether promises are kept or broken. Moreover, some in the Republican conference have expressed that absent universal support for Mr. McCarthy, they will reject even the progress made to date regarding rules and changes to build text availability, single subject and Germanus requirements and other structural changes for the good of the body and every member. Mr. McCarthy statement also continues to propose to restrict the availability of the traditional motion to

vacate the chair as a means of holding leadership accountable to its promises. We have from the beginning made clear that we will not accept following Nancy Pelosi's examples by insulting leadership this way. We also note that the statement fails to completely address the issue of leadership working to defeat conservatives in open primaries. The progress made thus far has been helpful and should guide our thinking forward. With 47 new members of Congress getting sworn in on Tuesday, it is unclear if McCarthy will have the 218 votes needed to win Tuesday's House vote, floor vote.

So, you know, what's interesting to me, Dr. Malveaux, is that Kevin McCarthy has longed, longed to be speaker of the House for years and years and years. And just when it's within his grasp, all hell is breaking loose in his party. And he doesn't even know if he's going to be able to finally get it. In fact, the most craziest of wackos in the party are still coalescing against him. You know, what do you think of his chances of actually becoming speaker of the House? Well, Avis, I think that if this man cannot become speaker, it's very likely that our Congress will be ungovernable, because you have the spectrum of Republicans for the crazy crazies, the Marjorie Taylor

Greene's, the Lauren Boebart's of the world, that they take crazy juice for breakfast and then just spout out. But they're very conservative and they're very powerful, and they have a base. So McCarthy seems to be losing his base with 10 of them saying they won't vote for him. What are they going to do? And he can't seem to, I mean, I won't say he can't seem to, what else can he compromise? He's already agreed to some kind of vote that if they, in the middle of his term, say you got to go, that you didn't have to go. I mean, that does not make any sense to me at all, but that's what,

that's what he's compromised on. So he's wanted this position, as you said, he's wanted it so bad he could taste it, put ketchup on it and just enjoy it. So he's wanted this position, as you said, he's wanted it so bad he could taste it, put ketchup on it and just enjoy it. He has really wanted this thing. And it does not, it looks like it's unraveling in front of him. The one person they keep saying is a possible alternative, equally conservative, a little more popular, Stephen Scalise from Louisiana, we'll remember him from having been shot with the congressional

baseball game. But I'm not sure that at this point, I'm just begging moderate Republicans, can y'all just take your party back? Can you please just take your party back? Because literally, we won't get any legislation out of Congress if those fools continue to do what they're doing. Oh, my goodness. Teresa, so, you know, what the hell is going on in the house right now? I mean, it is absolutely crazy. As Dr. Malvo laid out, you have the you really have the crazies running the insane asylum. It looks like right now. And the moment that, you know, Steve Scalise looks like a reasonable person, you know, that stuff has gone way too far. So, you know, what do you think is happening right now in terms of what's on tap for the speaker position? And I'm wondering, you know, because this is something that the entire House votes on, do the Democrats have

any power in choosing which Republican is going to be the next speaker of the House? And if so, how should they wield it? These are all really good questions. And as we look at an episode of one of these college parties that's happening right in Congress, it is chaos. And I think there is an opportunity for Kevin McCarthy to still rail these people in. I think he's been doing a whole bunch of backdoor conversations, even though the radical right is doing, they're just due on social. But, you know, I think Democrats do, you know, have an opportunity if they, you know, want to get things passed is to figure out how to, you know, consult with some of their Republican and bipartisan colleagues and really figure out how do we keep Kevin McCarthy at his House speaker.

Yes, when we have Scalise, as an even name mentioned, name drop, it just kind of tells you where the Republican Party is. And it's really just showing that they really don't have another option. So Kevin McCarthy is likely to be the next Speaker of the House. But it is an opportunity for Democrats to really work across the aisle and say, listen, we don't want to turn back. We have been listening to the Biden-Harris administration when we talk about unification and really building that bridge. And part of it is making sure that Kevin is in and making sure that they can actually have conversation and real dialogues.

Not sure if it's going to produce much, but it'll at least produce as much as we can for the American people today. Well, Dr. Nichols, you know, say that McCarthy makes it in. Is he going to have any power? I mean, at this point, he has promised everything but his firstborn to these folks to get in that position. He definitely has already sort of stripped away

some power in terms of the fool's bargain that he's making in order to get there. What's the point of having a position if you really don't have the power that's necessary to wield the full breadth of it once you're in the seat. Well, first of all, I agree with Teresa that he's going to get in eventually. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time. Have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution.

But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1,

Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man.

We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug man. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. Got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote.

Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working and we need to change things. Stories matter and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. You say you'd never give in to a meltdown and never fill your feed with kid photos. You say you'd never put a pacifier in your mouth to clean it and never let them run wild through the grocery store. So when you say you'd never let them get into a car without you there, no, it can happen. One in four hot car deaths happen when a kid gets into an unlocked car and can't get out. Never happens before you leave the car. Always stop. Look.

Lock. Brought to you by NHTSA and the Ad Council. You may not get in on the first vote, and some of the crazies have already come over, like Marjorie Taylor Greene. This is one of the reasons why he's been so quiet on the George Santos debacle that's been going on is because he knows George Santos has already said

that he will support him, so of course, he won't call him out on all his lies about Pulse nightclub and the Holocaust, his relatives surviving the Holocaust and all the ridiculous lies that he's told. I think, you know, Kevin McCarthy is going to get in. And I think this is kind of funny because I used to go on a couple of conservative networks and they would always bring it up. The fact that Democrats can't get their caucus in order. They're, you know, they're disagreeing all the time. They would talk

about Nancy Pelosi versus the squad. And it was never this bad for Democrats who are supposedly the big tent party as it is right now for Republicans. I think he'll be able to get Republicans in on a few things. They're going to, you know, talk about the origins of COVID, which we'll never find out because the Chinese are not going to cooperate, but they're going to berate Dr. Fauci, you know, all of the crazy investigations that they're going to go into with Hunter Biden and Hunter Biden's laptop. He'll be able to get them all together on that. But as far as passing meaningful legislation, I don't think he's going to do that. And I'm not so sure that these Republicans actually are concerned with meaningful legislation.

They're concerned only with, you know, a crap show on social media and that they can put on Fox News and talk about Hunter Biden and showing Hunter Biden naked in his nudes. That's pretty much what they're concerned with. I think that this is like, I think somebody said it was a clown show or a clown car, and that's exactly what it is. And they've got a very slim margin. So I think Democrats and Hakeem Jeffries, they have a really good opportunity if the Republicans are in disarray

to kind of sway a couple of those moderates over to pass a few things that could get through. That's an excellent point. Excellent point, because, you know, if the Republicans are in disarray, they in disarray. OK, they are fully in disarray. And, you know, the point that you made a minute ago was right on point as well with regards to how oftentimes historically people would talk about how the Democratic Party was, you know, couldn't get their act together.

You know why it was never this bad? Because former Speaker Pelosi was a leader and she understood how to lead and she understood how to get people in line. When you look at McCarthy, he is honestly, for lack of a better term, a punk, right? And he's allowing the crazies to lead him. And so I'm just sitting here ready for the bag of popcorn because this is going to be very, very interesting looking at them trying to do anything in terms of running the country in the House. Because just beyond what you just mentioned in terms of the sort of the pseudo investigations that they want to have, the illicit discussions that they want to have around Hunter Biden in terms of actual substance. I think what we can expect is next to nothing, unfortunately. So looking at this issue of the Black women in

the workplace, another story that came up this week that I'd love your perspectives on, you know, it's interesting to see that as the year begins, most people are, you know, obviously reevaluating their careers. They're thinking about what they want to do next, new year, new you, that sort of situation. Well, black women have been making strides in the entrepreneurial space, as we know, as the fastest growing subset of business owners for years, actually. However, in corporate America, black women continue to struggle. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, black women comprise nearly 7% of the workforce, but are severely underrepresented in leadership positions. Despite black women comprise nearly 7% of the workforce, but are severely underrepresented in leadership positions. Despite black women enrolling in college at higher rates

than men, only two are Fortune 500 CEOs. LinkedIn released research that sheds lights on why black women are leaving the corporate workforce, and the majority left because of the lack of mobility, discrimination, and mental health. Wow. Not surprised at all, unfortunately. There have been a few notable deaths. Oh, I'm sorry. Before I move on, let me ask you guys, what do you think we need to do? Because, you know, this is not a new issue. Literally. I wrote a book on this a few years ago. What can we do to make sure that whatever is happening in the workforce that has kept and continues to hold black women back despite their qualifications, despite their abilities, despite their ambition, still there

seems to be a toxic work environment there which is causing many of them to leave the workforce altogether. What can be done about organizations who like to claim or feign this idea of, you know, wanting to move towards inclusivity, diversity, equity, inclusion? But when it comes to putting the rubber to the road with regards to creating really inclusive environments specifically for black women, they seem to still not be getting it right. Dr. Malveaux, what are your suggestions to companies who are really serious about making, about being more fair to black women in the workplace? First of all, I don't think that many of them actually are interested in being more fair. It's probably not fair for me to say, but I'm looking at our racial environment right now. I'm looking at the backlash we've seen post-George Floyd. And then I'm looking at what's going on right now in the corporate workplace. Several of our largest corporations have said they're going to do thousands, if not tens of thousands, of layoffs.

I won't call the role of the companies, but remember who's most vulnerable when those kind of layoffs take place. Even if a sister has seniority, you know, the toxic corporate workplace, and you studied it, I've studied it, it is very toxic, it's cliquish. There are just so many words we can use. It's anti-feminist. It's misogynistic. Some of the things that corporate sisters are experiencing, even today, I mean, we're talking about 2022.

We're not talking about 1968, when some of the legislation was passed. Some of the things that people have to experience are unspeakable almost. In addition, we have these corporations. More than $50 billion was pledged by corporate America after the death of George Floyd. But that $50 billion did not go to change anything, really. Only about $5 billion went for that. The rest of it, many of the banks offered people mortgages. Well, they're going to make money off the mortgages. So that's not a gift. That's good business. I think that

there are laws. EEOC has laws. I'm not sure. EEOC needs to have teeth, and they need to basically enforce the laws. But that's easier said than done when you have some of these corporate cultures that don't even encourage people to basically shine the light on it. Some people are afraid to speak up about what happens in the workplace because they don't want to be blackballed. And there are brothers and sisters who have been blackballed from corporate America simply because they stood up for themselves. So the report is not surprising nor alarming, but it does raise lots of questions and the sisters who are leaving, you know, I hope that they're going to do entrepreneurship. One of the things I always say about corporate America, you can learn a lot in corporate America now that you've learned it, leave them and use it to help your people. And I'm not saying

everybody should leave. We've had some very impactful black women, but when the environment becomes intolerable, do not stress yourself or kill yourself. Because that is what has happened to so many of our sisters. Absolutely. And Dr. Nichols, when we think about the shift in our society post-George Floyd protests, we've seen a huge pendulum swing where there seems to be this whole backlash that have taken many forms.

We talked about earlier this push against, quote, unquote, critical race theory, which really isn't critical race theory in terms of elementary and secondary education. We know about the reality of the rise in hate crimes and the rise in hate groups. Doesn't it make sense that that type of toxic culture would filter down everywhere, including corporate America? Absolutely. I think there's even a connection you could go to the rise of the so-called manosphere, where black women are constantly berated for being successful. So I think that there's absolutely a connection to the larger

society and the direction that we're headed in terms of race and gender. And I think, you know, if a corporation wants to be inclusive, then they should have woman-friendly policies. They should have child care available. There should be, you know, kind of like a lot of other institutions in America, you move up or you move out. You know, there are a lot of people who would take that deal. But I also think that at the same time, black women moving out, starting their own corporations, their own companies, and going into the entrepreneurial space, I think it's important. That's good for the entire community. So I'm 100 percent if that's what's happening, where women are taking their specialized knowledge and starting

their own things instead of just waiting for someone to say that they're worthy of a promotion or worthy of a leadership role, taking that leadership role I think is really, really a good thing and an important thing. And hopefully, you know, instead of waiting to become the head of some established corporation, creating Fortune 500 companies I think is really important for the future of the community as a whole. So I definitely think there's a connection to the problems that we have societally in terms of, you know, misogynoir and racism and sexism. And I hope that women are finding other ways to be successful outside of a structure that's racist and sexist. Absolutely.

And you mentioned here the manosphere. I'm just interested in you just sort of delving into that a little bit more, because it just does seem like you would hope that black women would have a refuge, right, within our community when we are facing what we face as the study lays out here in the workforce you're hoping that we would have this soft space to

land when we come back to our communities but unfortunately right now there seems to be a much more harsh reality there it was specifically within black culture to me that seems to be rearing its ugly head right now with regards to increased hate, I would argue, towards black women. I mean, what do you think is happening there? Well, first of all, before we even begin this, you know, you put me in a position where I'm going to get 100 emails of people calling me a simp and everything else. But no, I mean, this is, you know, something that's growing in society. I think that there are, you know, a lot of people who realize that, you know, they're looking,

people are looking for a certain kind of content so that those content creators realize that this is, you know, a way to make money and not thinking about how it's damaging for our communities and for the relationship between black men and black women. And if you want to talk about what's caused our community to survive and thrive in the midst of a white supremacist and unforgiving society, it is the unity that we've had between black men and black women. And I think anything that threatens that is not only bad for us economically, it's bad for us spiritually, it's bad for our families. And that's, you know, a real problem that I think we have to start to challenge. And, you know,

when we have a spot in media or somewhere where we can actually speak up and speak up for brothers and sisters. It's not like I'm, you know, for all the people who are emailing me right now or tweeting at me, calling me a simp. Hey, I'm advocating for brothers as well. It's about the unity of black men and black women that's going to drive us forward. Absolutely. And Teresa, you're looking at this data and it's showing us, hey, black women are literally catching hell in the workplace. At the same time, we're seeing increased numbers of black women who are starting their own businesses like you have. Can you talk a little bit about the relationship there? And do you really and do you also believe, as I do, that when we get to the realization that we see it, no matter how hard we work, no matter how good we are, no matter how many degrees we get, we're not going to be treated fairly in those spaces.

And so we decide to take our genius and use it to our own benefit. Is that what you think is happening here? As I listen to the various opinions here, you know, I'm sitting here thinking about seven years ago when I started my business as a black woman, someone who did work in the House of Representatives, work in city council, who also worked in corporate America for 10 years. And so when I started my own business and my own trail, I'm not finding myself going through different situations because I started my own business. I'm still dealing with, you know, the C-suite executives and not being allowed into the room. It's just happening in a different way. It's just now I'm on my own versus another backing of a big global brand behind me. And so I think, you know, some ways that I think, you know, as women in the corporate space, but also in the entrepreneur space can actually try to move beyond it. Because, again, it's not easy being an entrepreneur. Right.

So, you know, sometimes we go to the with thinking about your team, thinking about the work and thinking about some of the results of the client, which is a little bit more of a weight than if you worked on in corporate America. So I try to tell folks, you know, you're going to deal with these type of issues wherever your direction lies. But it's up to you to find a medium space with an individual who sees the work that you've done. One thing I will always tell, especially my women of color, you know, and again, I have members of my family that's black and brown. No people hate when I say that, but black and brown, we go through these same issues. And so when we come to the table, we have to come correct. We have to come with our work product because we have a different type of skill set that no one else really has. If we're talking about DEI and racial equity, we're the ones leading that conversation. And so when we're in the room, we just have to demand it a little bit more, but also call it out if we're in the corporate space.

I did a lot of that in my 10 years in retail. I called it out when I seen it, got some change within it, but then I just got tired of it. But I also learned a lot. I learned a lot of, you want to talk about politics, that's where you learn your politics in retail. So again, I accept all the opinions here, but there's just not really a difference if you go in the entrepreneur space. If anything, it's a bit harder when you're standing alone in that room trying to figure out the best ways that it's not only serving you at this purpose, but you're serving the other members on your team. That's a good point. And if you wouldn't mind, I'd love to delve a little bit more deeply in that because, you know, entrepreneurship is now, you know, it is it gives you a different space for you to aim your genius, but you're exactly right. It doesn't make racism and sexism disappear, right? I mean those dynamics structurally in our society still exist.

So could you sort of, sort of unpack a little bit more thoughts around how black women can help themselves a bit by navigating that a little bit more deftly in the entrepreneurship space. Perhaps it's similar dynamics in the corporate space. Do you find that it was similar or do you think it's just, it's different challenges depending upon where you are? Well, see, being an entrepreneur,

you're able to figure out which client you wanna deal with, right? So there are thousands of companies and individuals within it that you can decide if you see that the racism is literally head on, then you necessarily don't have to take on that client. So I'm actually able to be in a position where I can say yes or no, right? You can tell after the fifth email, somebody wants to be bothered with you or not. You can also tell if your application is actually going to go through or you can actually tell if you're going to be ignored. You can tell that as the CEO of your company and a corporate company, you hear about, you know, your your supervisor and the one above them, you know, trickling down the message versus actually bringing you to the office and actually telling you what it is and what you need to get done. So I think I have a more of a direct approach to figuring out what's best for

me and my team. And so I always say, you know, as a black woman, as an entrepreneur, the best way to seeing yourself through any obstacle, one, pray, two, know who you're dealing with and know how to deal with them. Again, no one can ever stop you from doing what you know you're able to do. You just have to, you know, figure out what's the best approach. And sometimes that best approach is, you know, going around that other person, you know, who you think is the decision maker in order to get it done and just say, listen, I've submitted this proposal, you know, X, Y, and Z is what we can absolutely do and just see what the results is from that. But again, thousands of companies, millions of partnerships that can happen. So just don't feel like, you know, if one opportunity doesn't happen in your favor, that the next one doesn't.

Absolutely. One of my favorite sayings is when they say no, you say next. It's definitely more out there. And we'll continue this discussion right after this break. I'm Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach, and my new show, Get Wealthy, focuses on the things that your financial advisor and bank isn't telling you, but you absolutely need to know. So watch Get Wealthy on the Black Star Network. When you talk about blackness and what happens in black culture, you're about covering these things that matter to us, speaking to our issues and concerns. This is a genuine people-powered movement. There's a lot of stuff that we're not getting.

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There have been a few notable deaths over the weekend. Barbara Walters, the pioneering TV journalist whose interviewing skills made her one of the most prominent figures in broadcasting, has died. Walters passed away peacefully in her in 1961 as a reporter, writer, and a panel member for NBC's Today Show, before being promoted to co-host in 1974. In 1976, Walters joined ABC News as the first female anchor on an evening news program. Barbara Walters died at 93. One of the four singers who earned pop success and critical acclaim as the Pointer Sisters died Saturday. Granny winner Anita Pointer died at the age of 74. Pointer was a founding member of the original Pointer Sisters.

The group's 1973 self-titled debut album included the breakout hit, Yes We Can. They were also known for hits songs like I'm So Excited, Slow Hand, Neutron Dance, and Jump for My Love. The singers gained a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994. Memphis rapper and 3-6 Mafia member Gangsta Boo died on New Year's Day. Gangsta Boo, whose real name was Lola Chantrell Mitchell, was found dead Sunday afternoon. Gangsta Boo rose to fame as the second female rapper of Three 6 Mafia, which featured her on their hit song, Tear Da Club Up 97. She reportedly left the group in the early 2000s. In 1998, her debut solo album, Inquiring Minds, reached number 15 on the Billboard Top R&B Hip Hop Albums chart and featured the hit single, Where Them Dollas At. Gangsta Boo worked with several popular artists, including Eminem, Outkast, Gucci Mane, and Gorilla.

Gangsta Boo died at 43. With that, we want to say thank you for joining us for this evening. And once again, happy New Year's to each and every one of you. Make sure to be right here tomorrow for tomorrow's episode

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