#RolandMartinUnfiltered - Arbery Murderers Guilty - Again, Black Farmers & Foreclosure Notices, Black Women & Fitness Apparel

Episode Date: February 23, 2022

2.22.2022 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Arbery Murderers Guilty - Again, Black Farmers & Foreclosure Notices, Black Women & Fitness Apparel  The three white men in Georgia convicted of killing black jogger Ahmaud Arbery have been convicted on federal hate crime charges.  A Minnesota federal jury is deciding if three officers violated George Floyd's civil rights as Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd down for over nine minutes, causing his death.Two Louisiana deputies face manslaughter charges for fatal shooting an unarmed man sitting in a parked car.The black kid who was arrested for fighting in a New Jersey mall has been told he may pay for the table that got broken while police physically detained the 13-year-old.Black farmers who were promised debt relief are getting collection notices. We'll explain why the U.S. Department of Agriculture says the notices are just a formality.An Atlanta public health research scientist creates fitness apparel that empowers women to live their healthiest lives. We'll talk to her in our Marketplace segment.#RolandMartinUnfiltered partner: Nissan | Check out the ALL NEW 2022 Nissan Frontier! As Efficient As It Is Powerful! 👉🏾 https://bit.ly/3FqR7bPSupport #RolandMartinUnfiltered and #BlackStarNetwork via the Cash App ☛ https://cash.app/$rmunfiltered or via PayPal ☛ https://www.paypal.me/rmartinunfilteredDownload 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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Our network is deep. Hold no punches! A real revolutionary right back. 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 scape. It's time to be smart. Bring your eyeballs home. You dig? It's Tuesday, 2-22-22, and I'm Dr. Avis, and for Roland, who is still in the friendly skies heading home.

Here's what's coming up on Roland Martin Unfiltered, streaming live on the Black Star Network. The three white men in Georgia convicted of killing black jogger Ahmaud Arbery have been convicted on federal hate crime charges. A Minnesota federal jury is deciding if three officers violated George Floyd's civil rights

when Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd down for over nine minutes, causing his death. Two Louisiana deputies faced manslaughter charges for fatally shooting an unarmed man sitting in a parked car. And the black kid who was arrested for fighting in a New Jersey mall has been told he may have to pay for the table that got broken while police physically detained the 13-year-old. Black farmers who were promised debt relief are getting collection

notices. We'll explain why the U.S. Department of Agriculture says the notices are just a formality. An Atlanta public health research scientist creates fitness apparel that empowers women to live their healthiest lives. We'll talk to her in our Marketplace segment. 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 piss, 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. Best belief he's knowing. Putting it down from sports to news to politics.

With entertainment just for kicks He's rollin' It's Uncle Roro, y'all It's Rollin' Martin, yeah Rollin' with Rollin' now He's funky, he's fresh, he's real the best You know he's rolling, Martel Martel A federal jury in Georgia found three white men guilty of hate crimes and attempted kidnapping for the 2020 murder of Ahmaud Arbery

after agreeing the men targeted him because he was black. I now want to address the members of the DOJ. I'm very thankful that you guys bought these charges of hate crime. But back on January the 31st, you guys accepted a plea deal with these three murderers who took my son's life. Marcus and two of Amad's aunties stood before the courts and begged the judge not to take a plea deal that the DOJ went before the judge and asked them to take a plea deal with these guys. Attorney Ben Crump just called these women, just called her name Christian Clark. As I traveled to Brunswick on that Sunday afternoon, I spoke to Christian Clark and the lead attorney, Tara Lyons, begging them to please not take this plea deal.

They ignored my cry. I begged them. Even after the family stood before the judge and asked them, asked the judge to not take this plea deal. The lead prosecutor, Tara Lyons, stood up and asked the judge to ignore the family's cry. Justice. That's not justice for Ahmaud. What we got today, we would have gotten today if it wasn't for the fight that the family put up

on January the 31st. What the DOJ did today, they was made to do today. It wasn't because of what they wanted to do. They were made to do their job today. So as you heard, Ahmad's family literally spoke truth to power in front of the courthouse after the jury's decision today. Ahmaud Arbery's mother, Wanda Copper-Jones one count each of interference with the rights and attempted kidnapping of Aubrey. Father and son duo Gregory and Travis McMichael were also found guilty of carrying and brandishing a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. Travis McMichael was also found guilty of discharging a firearm in relation to crime of violence.

The three are currently serving life sentences for the murder of Ahmaud. They are facing another life sentence now. Joining us now from Georgia are Marcus Arbery, Ahmaud's father, and Ahmaud's aunt, Diane Arbery Jackson. We also have Barbara Arnwine and Chair Daryl Johnson from the Transformative Justice Coalition. We are happy to have you all here today. Well, you know, this was justice delayed, not justice denied, but I'm so happy to hear Ahmaud's mother speak truth to power as she did today. I would love to know from the father, what does it make you feel now that

we've finally gotten this decision? Do you feel finally that justice has been served? Yes, justice has been served, but of course, you know, we still don't have a mob with us, so it's still a hurt thing. Absolutely. That's the part that hurt me real bad,

but we did get justice. I completely understand. Now, were you feeling frustrated as well that the Justice Department really attempted to plead this out without taking this case to the mat in which they were ultimately forced to do once the plea deal was not accepted. Are you still holding a little bit of, I guess, saltiness around that and wondering, you know, why did you even have to fight to get them to do, quite frankly, what they should have been doing from the first place? Because one thing with African-American people, so you know how that justice thing has been working for them.

African-American people for so many years. When I'm just thanking God that my family was strong, they see what's wrong, that they won't sit back and do nothing. We was fighting family. And so that helped us out a lot. We just stayed in their face and let them know that we want 100% justice for them all. Mm-hmm. Mm hmm. And Diane, I'm sure that you, too, are relieved in a sense that justice was served to some degree here. But, you know, is this a little bit of a bittersweet moment, particularly given the context of everything that your family has gone through fighting for justice every step of the way,

even to get these charges brought up in the first place and then having to fight again in order to take it all the way to the finish line with regards to federal hate crime charges. One thing I learned through all of this, when you put God first and God put people in your life, that'll show you how to fight. And that's what we did with Ms.bara on one and daryl jones if they wouldn't have stepped in and showed us what to do we would have still been trying to fight my goodness so i thank god for what they came and did because we was on the stumbling block some of us was getting sick until they came in and showed us what we needed to do. And we did. And now nothing can stop us now. Everybody's going to pay for what they did. I'm all right. Wonderful to hear that, as they should. And so it's so wonderful to see you here, Barbara Arwine.

Wonderful to see my sister here. Hey. And I have to say, you know, kudos to you and your organization for stepping in the breach, per se, and making sure that justice was done here. Can you get us up to speed as to what you had to do to make sure that the Justice Department did what they should have been doing from the first place? Well, let me start by thanking you for doing this segment. And let me be very clear to everyone. Nothing would have ever happened in this case but for the Arbery family. They were extraordinary from day one. They made all the difference in the world.

I can't even begin to tell you how much they fought. Remember that the district attorney here told Greg McMichael to go home and take a bath. And told the police not to arrest him. And told the Arbery family a lie. They said Ahmaud had been killed inside a house while he was trying to commit a burglary. When his body, the Arbery family found out when they drove down the Satilla Shores, had been in the streets.

They found they had to unravel, not only lie after lie, but they had to go down there every day, Marcus and his brothers, and he would take his sisters sometimes, and they would say to the district attorney, you better bring charges. And they wouldn't. Until that video was released, they even demanded the video because they had heard of it. But until that video was released, nobody was prosecuting this case. That's why when you heard the first case, you noticed all the evidence stopped after two days, because that's when they stopped investigating, because Jackie Johnson was doing everything she

could to make sure that Travis and Greg McMichael and Brian were protected. Now, that hasn't been a subject of any of these cases, but it will be when her indictment, because she's been indicted for abuse of losses when that comes up. So I just want people to be clear that had it not been for the advocacy of Marcus Arbery and his family, had it not been for Wanda Cooper Jones using her influence, none of this, not a bit of this would be talked about today. The Justice Department, they traditionally do not like to bring hate crime cases. We have all had to deal with that. They've lost their share of them. But this case was such a clear case that they had to bring.

And I was glad that they started the case. Now, one thing Marcus is definitely making a strong point on, understand that on the 31st, one of the reasons why the family did not want that plea agreement accepted is that it would have kept every bit of that evidence that you heard about racism, about racial monkeys and bootlips and all this nonsense, this hate, this murderous hate, not just hate, but murderous hate that was in their hearts and that they were determined to act on. Every bit of that would have been kept under seal, right there on. And I just wanted to, you know, really make that point that it was important to the family, it was important to transform it to justice coalition, that the nation knew not only was Ahmaud an innocent man, not only should he be alive now, But we wanted people to know precisely the utterances, the ugliness that was in the hearts and minds and what's left of any soul that these people ever had.

Because it was vicious and absolutely inexcusable. And I'm so glad that now they got a double sentence. They're about to have a double sentence. Exactly. And Attorney General Garland came out and made a statement about this today. Let's take a listen to that, and then I'd love to get your reaction to that, Chair Jones. Modern federal hate crime laws have enhanced the Justice Department's authority to prosecute violent acts motivated by bias. Throughout our history and to this day, hate crimes have a singular impact

because of the terror and fear that they inflict on entire communities. The Justice Department does not investigate or prosecute people because of their ideology or the views they hold, no matter how vile. But the Justice Department does have the authority and will not hesitate to act when individuals commit violent acts that are motivated by bias or hate. No one in this country should have to fear the threat of hate-fueled violence. No one should fear being attacked or threatened because of what they look like, where they are from, whom they love, or how they worship.

And no one should fear that if they go out for a run, they will be targeted and killed because of the color of their skin. The Justice Department has a legal obligation to prosecute hate crimes. And as Americans, all of us have a moral obligation to combat the hatred and bigotry that motivates those crimes. Well, those were very eloquent words about how horrible hate crimes are and how the Justice Department has a moral obligation to prosecute.

But I'm curious, Mr. Jones, chair of the Transformative Justice Center, you know, does his word actually jive with the actions of the Justice Department? Because he didn't even mention the criticisms of Mr. Arbery's mother today, which were totally based in fact. And that's an excellent question. And as everyone here knows, I am not a huge fan of Merrick Garland

in terms of the strength that generally the Justice Department should show. We know, as Marcus laid out, as Wanda Cooper-Jones laid out, that they really forced the process to work in this case. It wasn't where the process was working for the family. It didn't work in the state court. The only reason they had the state court prosecution was because Marcus, our very own family family forced them to go forward. And similarly, on the federal side here, you know, while the federal prosecutors, the government did an excellent job of trying the case.

They did just a yeoman's work of trying that case. However, as Marcus and Wanda Cooper-Jones point out, but they were forced to try the case, and that was the downside of it. So while the words of Merrick Garland are really wonderful and well-sounding, they ring on some hollow ears with regards to what was forced

upon them to try this case. Again, that doesn't take away from the quality of the prosecutors and what they did in trial. But the problem becomes, particularly for Black folk, African American, we don't want to be in a position where every time that we have a hate crime, we need an all-very family that's going to fight to get to the point of having a hate crime prosecuted. That's what we want to be certain becomes the norm rather than the exception. So, yeah, while the words are great, we need to be certain that we hold him accountable to those words. We know that this won't be the last one, but we do want it to be the last time we need to have an all buried family that's forcing the federal government to go forward with the trial. Absolutely. And I'd love to bring in our panel here to get their perspectives on it. Joining us tonight are Michael Imhotep, host of the African History Network show, and Demario Solomon-Simmons, civil rights attorney and founder of the Justice for Greenwood, of Justice for Greenwood. First of all, starting with you, Mustafa, Michael, sorry, starting with you, Michael.

We have Mustafa late on the show. I kind of skipped forward a little bit. If you could let us know, what are your thoughts about how this case ended up and juxtaposed against Merrick Garland, who said all the right things today? He says the right things, but is he doing the right things? Well, you know, I pretty much figured that they would be found guilty on these hate crime charges. We know in the case in Brunswick, Georgia, which was handled by the state, we know race wasn't brought up by the prosecution. And in looking at this case from the beginning, looking at a lot of

the social media messages and things like this, especially from Travis McMichael, using the N-word. And you have William Bryan, who called his daughter's boyfriend an N-word, and his daughter responded to him on that. So I had a pretty good idea that they were going to be found guilty. With Merrick Garland, he said the right things, but I think they should have pursued this case. And I think we should also get to the bottom of, okay, what actually happened? Because I read the January 31st, 2022 statement that's on justice.gov from Kristen Clark, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clark. And I'm looking at it right now. It's at justice.gov. So I think we should also

get to the bottom. Okay, so what happened? Because according to Kristen Clark, now we know that apparently this is not what happened, but according to Kristen Clark, she said that the attorneys for the family accepted the plea deal. So if that's not the case and apparently it's not, then what's really going on? I think we should get to the bottom of that as well. Absolutely. And your thoughts to Mario? Well, it's good to be here. It's so good to see my good people, Barbara Arwine and Daryl Jones. These are people that I get an opportunity to work with a lot. I know how powerful they are. Obviously,

we got to give a lot of credit to the Arbery family and his mother and father, but we also got to give credit to Barbara and Daryl because they showed up each and every day and they stood with that family. They fought with that family, along with my frat brothers, good friends, Lee Merritt and attorney Ben Crump. So it takes all of us to come together and fight. And I think that's what Daryl is saying. We don't want to have a scenario where it takes fully a national effort to bring these type of cases to bear. One of the things I think we need to focus on here is the reform to the actual hate crimes law, which says you have to prove that race is the only factor. We need to be able to prove

that race is a motivating factor, right? That race is involved, because it makes it so difficult to even bring these cases, and that's an issue that we must deal with. Secondly, I think we wanna make sure that we keep our eye on the ball and make sure that those prosecutors are prosecuted.

Those people who conspired to take this particular murder and put it underneath the rug, as Barbara stated, told him to go home and take a shower, take a bath, in other words, conceal evidence. This guy was obstruction of justice. He should be brought, those prosecutors should be looking at federal crimes along with civil litigation. So I'm excited that there's some form of accountability for Ahmaud Arbery,

but real justice is that a black man can run down the street without being assaulted, killed, and then treated like an animal. Absolutely. Absolutely. And I'm wondering about, I would love to bring this conversation back to Ahmaud's dad, because as was pointed out by Barbara,

we wouldn't be here had it not been for your family and for your family's strength, your persistence, your fight to make sure that you got justice for your son no matter what. Can you explain to us what was going through your mind initially when you were hitting all the roadblocks, when you were getting all the no's, when you were getting the lies from the police department about what actually happened to your son? What made you keep going?

Number one, I know they were lying. But when you raise your children, you've been around your children day one, you know what they'll do. I know what Ahmaud's doing, I know what he wouldn't do. That stealing Ahmaud ain't gonna do that. Because guess what, he's a baby. He always got everything he wanted from all of us.

So I know that was a baby. He always got everything he wanted from all of us. So I know that was a lie. That's what motivated me to keep fighting because I know they were lying on me and wanted a baby. I hear you. And I'm a baby too, so I know what it's like to be spoiled. Okay, so I truly believe what you're saying. And Aunt Diane, I'm also very intrigued with the beauty of this family, that it's more than just the nuclear family. It's also the aunts. I'm sure it was also

uncles. It was an extended family effort. Can you talk a little bit about your role and how this broad family tree just said, I'm not going anywhere until we get justice for our baby. And we did this.

And every day, I'm going to tell you how it started. I was supposed to vote, and I went to Selden Park. I had been crying all day. And when I got to Selden Park, they told me I couldn't vote, and I was coming back out. And I saw Ms. Barber on the side of the road. I stopped.

And she said, the girl said, that's the Mod Arbor's auntie. And Ms. Barber looked at me and I looked at her and she said, they told us they don't need us in Brumsey. I said, who told you that? I'm the aunt. I went and told the sheriff,

wherever they want to go at in Brumsey, I'm going to follow you, and we're going to take them everywhere they need to go through Brumsey. And I got behind the sheriff's car, and we drove all through all the little areas to tell people about voting and about fighting for what's right. And from that day one, she said,

Diane, I promise you and your family, me and Dara are going to be with y'all until this is over with. And let me tell you something. That's what kept us out there on the battlefield because it was getting finna be dangerous if they wouldn't have did nothing dangerous if they wouldn't have did nothing. If they wouldn't have did nothing

and let us know what was going to go down about a mile, it was finna be ugly around here. But see, one thing I learned, wait on God. He kept telling me, wait on God. Last night, I couldn't sleep, and I woke up by 12 o'clock

when he got in the recliner. Queers came to me and said, Auntie, y'all gonna have a virgin by 12 o'clock tomorrow. And I know God was in, that's why I went to court and had her this morning. Because I already saw it. But what

our people got to do as black people, y'all better stop being against each other. And when stuff like this happen, you got to stand with your people. Because if you don't, they're going to keep on doing this and taking our kids' lives, our family's lives. It don't matter if you're black or white. Let this be an example to all y'all who got hate and racism in your heart because somebody running by your house, don't go in the house and get no gun.

If you feel like they're doing something wrong, call 911. If they would have did this, Quez would have been here today. It's still not over with. At the end of the day, when all this is over with, where's me and my family going to go at?

We ain't got queers no more. Mm-hmm. Yes. Absolutely. Absolutely. And that is the precious nature of life. No matter what happens with his murderers, unfortunately, his life can't be replaced.

But Barbara, you know, I'm hearing that you forged a special bond with this family, both you and Darrell forged a very special bond with this family. And it's almost like, it does sound like it was almost divine intervention, right? You just happened to be there and someone said, hey, that's the aunt right here. Can you talk a little bit about just the human connection that you made with this family and what that meant to you

in terms of doing all the things that you had to do to make sure that we got to today. Wow. You know, tomorrow, talking about divine intervention, everyone, tomorrow is the second anniversary of the slaying of Ahmaud Arbery. Tomorrow, 2-23-22, marks two years since he was killed. And we are going out to Satilla Shores tomorrow. And we're going to take a knee.

We're going to pray. And we're going to release Doves, right, Daryl, in his honor, because we want people to understand what it took was our determination. When I told Diane and Marcus that we were going to come and that we would be there, I was talking about myself and Daryl. But we ended up being blessed with funding and resources to bring 175 people over weeks there. We were able to,

and I'll let Daryl talk more about how we awakened the Brownswick community, because they had people scared. People didn't even want to march. They didn't want to show up. And I know people are saying, but wait a minute, Barbara, didn't thousands march in 2020? Yes, but that ended. And all of a sudden, the family was isolated. And they were abandoned. And we said, there's no way that's going to happen because this story

is a story about black love, about black perseverance, but it's also about God's will for justice and that we weren't going to sit back for one second and abandon this family. So we brought in all those folks, but also we built up so that people understood the pressure, the real treasure, I should say, that they had in Brownswick in the Arbery family. That family is remarkable. It's a gift to mankind, to humanity. They have leaders like Marcus Arbery. Oh, when I met Marcus, I was blown away. Now, Diane already had me going,

because I knew her strength. But Marcus just took it to another level because he's not only a father, he's also, his heart is the heart of a leader. And I just cannot begin to tell you how sacrificial this family has been. Do people think it was any fun for this family to sit through two trials where they had to see vicious, ugly graphic pictures of the murder of Ahmaud? To see the weapon, that big old rifle that's bigger than me almost?

I mean, this was very difficult. But Marcus has that kind of a heart that he knew that that kind of sacrifice was necessary to get true justice. And he wanted the world to know the truth about what happened here and that he didn't want there to be any cover up, any more cover up. He didn't want to be any quote deals made where this evidence would never see the light of the day. He was determined that the world, just like, I'm going to let Daryl talk about it, about a certain historical figure in the 1950s. I see. Yeah, so, thank you, Barbara. So a large part of what the Arbery story is, it's really a story of voting rights.

And people don't sometimes miss that point. It's a thing of voting rights. Because in the beginning with Jackie Johnson, the state's attorney that was then in place, she was up for election when Ahmaud was slain. And she was the one that was trying to cover everything up, to push it away so that there would not be a prosecution. She would, at arm's length, would hold the Arbery family, tell them, we got your back, that she had their back.

You know, that was a large part of what made this a voting rights situation. And it was the Arbery family that then got involved, that had to actually get petitions of signatures to get a name on the ballot because Jackie Johnson was up for re-election and ultimately able to get the name on the ballot and get that person elected. But I'll tell you the bigger piece to this. You know, in 1955 in Money, Mississippi, there was a similar situation that kind of sort of happened with a young man that was 14 years old named Emmett Till. And Mamie Till, in that situation, wanted to be certain that all the world saw what these white folks in Mississippi did to her baby, did to her child. And so she was going to have an open casket so everybody could

see it. What we do is we draw an analogy from then to now, Because what the Aubury family did in demanding that the Department of Justice have a federal hate crime in this case, they were demanding that the casket in this case be opened up for all the world to see all the vicious hatred that went into the killing of their son. And the strength that it took Emmett Till's mom, Mamie Till, to watch and see him in that casket laying like that is the same strength and character that it took this Albury family to sit through this federal hate crimes trial.

That's why we draw the analogy. That's the reason that we stand by the Albury family. We appreciate what they've done and what it took of them to do it. You know, when we initially met Marcus, he's very close. You know, very close. They want to talk. They want to talk. He's now gotten to the point where he's open. He's ready to talk.

He's taking, how do they say, he's taking the gloves off. He's going bare-knuckle. He wants you to know that he's not going to back down. That's not who they are. Know the facts. Know what happened. And own up to what you did. That's all that he's ever said for those defendants.

Own up to what you did and let all the world know. And that's what they've done in standing up in this federal heat trial. And the third part of this is going to be the trial of Jackie Johnson, that state's attorney. And we hope everybody comes down for that trial. And again, I know that the Aubrey family will not be wanting them to have any pleas. They want that open. They want everything admitted as to what she

did so everybody can understand what a bad prosecutor, a corrupt prosecutor looks like. Absolutely. And do we know when that trial is scheduled to take place, roughly? Not yet. That's the scary part, is that we know that that trial is scheduled to take place, roughly? Not yet. That's the scary part, is that we know that she was indicted in November, and that ordinarily if you're indicted in November, by December,

you have some type of initial appearance of Raymond and trial dates. There's no trial date that's been out, that's been publicized for this Jackie Johnson case. But you can rest assured that, you know that they're not playing with bumblebees here. We're lost. We stink. We're coming in. We're going to find out what's going on and be certain. Michelle, come on now. I hear you. They're about to get stung

again, it sounds like. Hey, that's right. Michael, I'm... 100% faster. Exactly. Exactly. So, you know, Darrell brought in a historical lens into this discussion. And I would be able to tap into your expertise in that area. You know, what's really sad to me is it almost seems like we haven't progressed at all since the days of Emmett Till. I mean, we do at least have this case brought through to conclusion where we do have convictions here.

But there are so many similarities. And as was the case previously, as was rightly pointed out, you really had to have a family that was determined to make sure that the world knew what happened to their child. You know, what can we learn from history in terms of not only this case, but future cases, unfortunately, because we know this isn't gonna be the last one, around how important it is

for strong black families like Ahmaud to be able and to have the strength in the midst of their grief to stand up and fight for what's right and to see it through to the end. Well, I think there's a few things here. Number one, when I first heard about this case, I thought immediately of Emmett Till. And it's important to note that, you know, when J.W. Mellom and Roy Bryant were put on trial, they were acquitted by an all-white jury. And then a few months later, they admitted to killing Emmett Till in an interview, and Look Magazine were paid $4,000 for that interview also. So in some ways, we have progressed because at least even though it was a monumental effort,

and it should not take this much to get justice, or any type of justice. It should not take this much, and people outside the courthouse having to rally and protest things like this, but we did get two convictions in two trials. So one of the things, like in this hate crime trial, and reading the coverage from the Washington Post, because I've been watching this from day one and talking about this on the African History Network show. One of the things that is really important, and this takes us back to Dr. Carter G. Woodson and why he created Negro History Week the second week in February 1926. He said that the history of African Americans need to be taught in all schools across the country, not just the schools that we're in. He said everybody needs to understand our history because he thought that race prejudice largely was the result of people being ignorant of the contributions of African-Americans to the society.

And when you read some of the statements, especially from somebody like Travis McMichael, who's 36 years old, it causes you to understand. I know they're in Georgia. I know Georgia has the largest Confederate monument of anywhere in the country. It's called Stone Mountain. I've climbed to the top of Stone Mountain. I know that the citizens arrest law that they said they were trying to arrest him on after the fact. I know that started in 1863 when George was part of the Confederacy, and it was targeting fugitive runaway slaves running behind Union lines. But you also have to ask the question,

where does this type of hatred come from? That these men will harbor this type of hatred. And then you look at the statement that William Bryan's daughter said in response to William Bryan calling her boyfriend the N-word. She said, yes, he's black, but honestly, it's just a color. She said it doesn't define him or make me love him any less.

So this is why the history of African-Americans has to be taught in schools all across the country. Because when it's not, it allows this type of hatred to manifest itself. That's right. Well, you know, we're joined now by Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali. We're glad to have you with us. And you're joining the panel. And I would love to sort of carry that thought through because, you know, Michael is absolutely right

in terms of the importance of Black history and making sure that everyone understands not only our struggles, but our victories and our contributions to this nation and the world, quite frankly. Yet, here we are, ironically, at a time where you're, in essence, we're engaged in a modern-day book-burning era, right? We're engaged in an era where you're in essence, we're engaged in a modern day book burning era.

Right. We're engaged in an era where you have laws passed, like in Florida, where basically you're saying if you say if you teach anything that makes white people uncomfortable, we will come and get you. OK, we will stop you. You know, so when we think about this, you know, very hateful and hurtful act that led to this loss of life. You know, do you find yourself somehow pessimistic about our ability to be more proactive in stopping the next Ahmads who might be stalked and murdered in the future? Because we have a nation that is basically saying we don't want to call white people out on anything. We're just going to allow you to continue to have your ignorant rantings and beliefs and ultimately those beliefs

don't go without cost. In the worst instances, they cost people their lives. You said it then. We've got to check, folks, at all times. You know, our Jewish brothers and sisters don't play with folks. Right. So if you do anything that's considered anti-Semitic, they automatically put you in check, as they should.

And we have to be the exact same way. One, we have to be fearless. We understand that our lives are placed in danger when we do speak out, when we do get engaged, when we do push back, but we also understand that we have a debt to be paid, right? Because we know that so many of our ancestors were willing to do that. Um, they were willing to stand up. They were willing to know that they were, in the dark of night, gonna get pulled over

and they might not make it home. Um, we hope that we get to a moment where we no longer have to pay such a heavy cost. But we also understand, because much has been given to us in all kinds of different ways, maybe not just monetarily, but in cultural and spiritual aspects, that we understand that we have to continue to step up.

We also understand, let's be very clear, that in this country, you get just as much justice as you can afford. And we continue to pay for justice in all kinds of ways that other communities don't have to. It is not just about being able to reach down into your pocketbook or into your wallet and be able to go out and get a top attorney.

We understand that families have to... continually have to continue to give. They give in the moment of trying to, one, protect their children. They give in the moment of trying to then be able to justify when their children are taken from them. And then they continue to give after life has been taken, and then they are left behind to continue the fight. So that is a part of that cost that we should not have to bear.

But we understand that, once again, you only get just as much justice in this country as you can afford. Absolutely true. And I would love to have some final thoughts from the family. Mr. Arbery, Aunt Diane, what sort of words would you like to leave us with? What support do you need from us? What lasting message would you like to give us with regards to the fight that you have already said is still going to go on? I just want us to, as black people, because you know it's always been rough on us

with the justice system. Yes. I want us black people to stick together and keep on fighting. You know, we still got a long fight to go. You know, it ain't done yet. It ain't gonna keep going on, but we can stop it, though, if we stick together.

We stick together and keep fighting like how McBurr and the Dyer done and the Attorney done and all the people ride together to get justice for a month. That's how we got to do it. More people got to start stepping up to more African-American people. Got to start stepping up.

Stop sitting back looking. If you got churn and stuff in your load, you turn, get involved. Because one day it might knock on your door and you're going to need somebody to help you. So you better get involved before it happens again. I love it. Very, very wise words. Thank you so much for joining us this evening. We are so thankful that you took the time to speak with us today. Thank you. Absolutely. This is Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. And we'll be right back. ТРЕВОЖНАЯ МУЗЫКА Don't you think it's time to get wealthy?

I'm Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach, and my new show on the Black Star Network focuses on the things your financial advisor or bank isn't telling you. So watch Get Wealthy on the Black Star Network. Pull up a chair. Take your seat at the Black Tape. With me, Dr. Greg Carr, here on the Black Star Network. Every week, we'll take a deeper dive into the world we're living in.

Join the conversation only on the Black Star Network. I'm coming out 100% real. I ain't compromising anything. Rapper Tupac Shakur. Brina Jackson was last seen on February 11th, 2022 in Natchitoches, Louisiana. The 15-year-old five feet, two inches tall, weighs 135 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Breanna has a butterfly tattoo on her chest and a tattoo above her right eye.

Anyone with information about Breanna Jackson should call the Natchitoches Police Department at 318-352-8101. Y'all remember the black teen from New Jersey who police officers handcuffed after a fight with a white teen at a mall that they like gently sat down on the couch, right? Well, the mall says Zaki Hussein's family is responsible for paying for the broken table. Mind you, that's the table that got damaged when the officers arrived and slammed Zaki down. OK, so Zaki's attorney, Ben Crump, posted this on Twitter about the incident.

It has been it has just been discovered that the mother of Zaki, the black teenager involved, was told by the head of mall security when she went to pick him up that she would be responsible for the cost of a broken table that law enforcement knocked over as they used explicit bias and excessive force, slamming her 13-year-old son to the ground face first and putting a knee in his back. This offensive and unacceptable demand of payment continues to exemplify the desperate treatment of white families and black families in America. The only people who should be asked to pay for the damaged table are those who engaged in biased policing and caused it to be damaged, the Bridgewater Police Department. Zaki and his family believe the police mistreated him because of his race. I would love to go, first of all, to Mustafa around this issue. You know, we all saw the video.

We all saw this ridiculous sort of zoning in on the black kid, pulling the white kid off the black kid. And all of a sudden it's the black kid that gets handcuffed, that gets roughed around. And now it looks like it's going to be stuck with the bill. I mean, if that doesn't show you that we are in America, I don't know what will, right? Without a doubt. But once again, we have power in this situation. So every person of color, every person who says that they are an ally to the Black community, because remember we had a whole bunch of people

jumping out before and then they kind of went back into the shadows. They should all be holding the mall accountable by saying we will no longer shop in these stores that exist in this mall when you have these types of situations or you have these types of actions where you're asking families who have been the victims to actually be the ones that are carrying the cost. So that's one side

of the equation, because we got to understand that our dollar has power and we need to stop giving it to those individuals who are playing, you know, a significant role in the impacts that are happening in our thing. Of course, the other part of it is the law enforcement. We all saw, you know, it goes far beyond egregious. These were racist acts. You saw a child who was so much smaller than the other one. You also saw that they sat the lighter-skinned one

down on the couch and where and then they roughed up the young brother. So there has to be cost for both the law enforcement side and the mall side for acting so silly and stupid and asking the mother for, you know, for restitution. So we know how to get restitution from the folks who need to give up restitution. We sure do. DeMario, as a civil rights attorney, how would you be advising the family right now? I mean, not only with regards to this ridiculous sort of bill collection attempt, but also with regards to getting some justice

for their son in this specific incident that the whole world saw and, quite frankly, was appalled by. Yeah, as a civil rights attorney who deal with these type of cases on a daily basis, what I would be advising the family who find yourself in a situation where there's explicit bias and discrimination, number one, hire you a very good attorney, which they've done, my fraternity brother, Ben Crump, one of the best in the nation, and make sure that you are being very, very diligent in getting the witness statements outside of what we have as with the police video, because we want to understand how did this fight actually start? Who actually called the police? What did they actually state? Because

other people may be liable. My brother Mustafa just said that we may have to hold the shopping mall accountable based upon not shopping there, but they may hold some liability because of the 911 calls. What if they call in and say, to cause the police to come and do what they did? And then these police officers should be sued, what's in a 1983 civil rights claim.

Unfortunately, we have to deal with qualified immunity. So this is the opportunity that we got to continue to talk about the monster of qualified immunity that we need to get reformed through the George Floyd Policing Act. And I would want to understand from these police officers, just in a deposition, I just want to know, how can you show up, see two people fighting, you tackle one, you handcuff one, and you leave the other one sitting on the couch. Don't even talk to that kid. Don't even see what's going on. There is no defense

here. It is clear racism, as Mustafa already stated. There should be a clear lawsuit, and these people must pay. They must be held accountable. And that's what I will be advising this family and any family that's dealing with overt discrimination that we see on this screen. I completely agree with you.

Would you guys mind re-showing that video? Because when I look at this video, what really, really gets me is not just the fact that they attacked the brother and they put the light-skinned or white boy on the couch.

But if you noticed, as the police officer came, it was the female police officer that basically grabbed the white guy off of the 13-year-old child, let's make that clear, that was being attacked at that moment. And look at her. What she does is as she puts him down there, she gently, it's like, like taps him on the shoulder, like, it's okay, baby. Like, it's okay. That was like an action that a mother does when you're trying to console a child that may in some way be sad or upset about something.

You know, it's these little actions that I really noticed as a mother. And from day one, from the not even day one, from second one that they came in there and saw this interaction, they already had it made up in their mind that the aggressor was actually the child that was on the floor, right, that was being attacked and the one that was on top doing the attacking was somehow the victim. I mean, what is going

on with that logic? They didn't see the young brother as a child. They saw him as a dangerous, dangerous criminal felon because that's how they see black men and they saw the white boy as a child. So she treated him like a child should be treated. And she treated the young 13-year-old kid as a criminal. And I have a case right now where a 13-year-old kid was walking down the street, minding his own business, and he gets pulled over by police, charged bogusly with jaywalking, assaulted, and then they put criminal resisting arrest

and criminal assault and battery on a police officer on this 13-year-old kid who they try to say is a criminal and a felon and someone they were afraid of. And that's what we're seeing in this video. They do not see us as children. They do not see us as innocent. They see us as dangerous. Our skin color is a dangerous weapon

in the mind of too many white people here in America, unfortunately. Absolutely. And we'll get with you after the break, Michael, I promise, but I have to tell you what's so infuriating to me about this is actually the white kid was 16. The black

child that was attacked was 13. And he got attacked as he was standing up for someone else who was being bullied by that person who was being comforted in that moment. You know, this stench of racism that runs through our nation to its core is something that is dangerous.

It's dangerous for adults. It's dangerous for children. And until we get serious about attacking it, it's something that unfortunately is gonna always be here. Roland Martin Unfiltered will be right back after this break. ТРЕВОЕННАЯ МУЗЫКА 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. 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. We need a revolution inside our own minds. Historian John Henry Clark. Black farmers across the nation face further challenges as some say they are dealing with collection notices instead of the promised debt relief offered by the federal government. In January of 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said there would be a temporary suspension of past due debt collection and foreclosures for distressed direct loan borrowers due to the economic hardship imposed by the pandemic.

However, Black farmers say they are still receiving notices for foreclosure. Earlier this month, USDA released a two-minute video addressing the notices. And I wanted to take a little time to talk to you about your direct FSA loans. In the last few weeks, you may have received some fairly ominous looking notices from us that have created some confusion in light of the fact that we're under a suspension on adverse actions. I want first to stress that there is still a suspension on adverse actions and the FSA doesn't intend to take any action that's indicated in the notices you may have received. And then explain why you're receiving those notices anyway. In the farm financial crisis of the 1980s, the FSA, then the Farmers Home Administration,

fell way short of adequately servicing the loans of our direct loan borrowers. Oftentimes borrowers were foreclosed on without even being made aware of the loan servicing options that were available to them that frankly could have kept them on the farm. As a result of this, the very clearly delineated the processes that we must undertake to notify borrowers of primary loan servicing options. That's why you received those notices today.

I want to stress that this is only to make sure that you're aware of your loan servicing options. I further want to stress that you don't need to have missed a payment in order to exercise those primary loan servicing options. I further wanna stress that you don't need to have missed a payment in order to exercise those primary loan servicing options. I highly encourage you to reach out to your local Farm Service Agency loan staff and explore those options and see what we can do

to help you ensure that you've got a bright future in producing the food and fiber that this country needs. The Center for Public Integrity reports in 2021, farmers repaid about $538,000 to the USDA from February to November, despite the suspension. Joining me now is the president of the National Black Farmers Association, John Boyd. Wonderful to see you, Mr. Boyd. Thank you for having me. I can only imagine the heart drop that farmers are feeling, especially Black farmers are feeling, especially given our history of having our lands being snatched out from under us.

What are you dealing with in terms of being able to get accurate information to the black farmers that your organization organizes? Well, first of all, thank you for having me. And I can't help but to jump right in on that video. You know, black farmers don't need, you know, new loan servicing or call for some sort of new option, we got the best deal we're going to get, 120 percent debt relief. And we've been blocked in 12 different lawsuits by white farmers who stopped the $4 billion of debt relief that I personally, myself and others worked on for over three decades to get debt relief. We didn't get it in both of the settlements, the Black Farmers Settlement, which I worked on for a very, very long time. And then after 2016, it was in the Farm Bill. It was taken up. And then it finally passed last

March by the help of Senator Cory Booker and Senator Ralph Walnock from Georgia, put $5 billion for farmers of color. Farmers of color include Black farmers, Native American farmers, Hispanic farmers, Asian farmers. We finally got this little bit of justice because of all of the centuries of discrimination and wrongdoing. And then white farmers have the audacity to sue us and call it reverse discrimination. And we were some sort of way harming their farming operations by black farmers receiving debt relief. You know, shame on white America and shame on white farmers for not understanding this horrific history and didn't take it into consideration.

The whole 30 years I was trying to get debt relief for black farmers, white farmers never called up, never once reached out to me and said it was problematic or reverse discrimination. It was only problematic when it became reality and when it was passed and signed into law. Last July, President Biden said he would sit down with me to talk about next steps to come up with some sort of resolve from the administration. It's Black History Month, and I'm here to remind the president that that meeting still hasn't happened. Wow. So if you can then explain to us. So it sounds like you're in a little bit of legal limbo, right? That you have this law that is saying that you should have, and your farmers and black farmers should have debt relief. But at the same time, they're getting, you know,

not only these collection notices from the Department of Agriculture, you also have the president who is saying that he's going to do something about it, but he's yet to have that sit down with you to figure out some way that they can mitigate the damage that this lawsuit is putting against you with regards to the white farmers' actions. Does it feel like you're in a little bit of a sort of conundrum here? I mean, what are black farmers to do at this point? I think what the administration came out with is some sort of equity commission that they think is going to be helpful. We don't need another commission to talk about these stagnant numbers that I've shared with you and Roland and the panel before. We need action.

We need relief. We need access to credit. We need loans. And when that gentleman was talking about loan servicing, white farmers was getting debt relief. That's what debt relief is. 1951, was receiving loan foreclosure notices in the mail 30 days to pay their balance full. So we were never offered the debt relief. White farmers got it and got it with ease. And if it was up to these federal courts, they'd get it twice and we still haven't gotten it. And that's what the difference here is. One specific race, in this case white men, receiving all of the loans, all the servicing, all of the subsidies, and then you have black and other farmers of color who receive peanuts.

And now that we have a justice, white farmers want to run to the courts for protection. They chose very conservative—it's getting a lot—it's very, very conservative judges that they chose and very, very conservative courts. And they're a well-oiled machine. We need resources to fight this. There's a civil rights gentleman on your panel. He's a firecracker, it sounds like. He needs to take a look at this, too. But we have a summary judgment that we're trying to respond to

in the coming weeks in the state of Florida. We filed amicus briefs. The National Black Farmers Association and the American Farmers Native American Farmers Association has filed amicus briefs in all 12 cases. So we are barely meeting these deadlines, but we need the support of Black community. We need athletes to get involved. These rappers and entertainers, they have to get involved in the Black Farmers Movement. The oldest occupation for Black people in this country is farming,

and we're facing extinction. So we need the involvement, and we need the support, and we need the help. Absolutely. I would love to bring DeMario in to ask a question if he would like. You know, to me, when I hear what you're saying and I'm trying to think about the motivation of these white farmers bringing this lawsuit to try to block your debt relief, in my mind, I believe, and you can definitely feel free, Mr. Boyd, to answer as well. And then DeMario, I'll definitely ask your question. But to me, it seems like they're trying, this is an definitely feel free, Mr. Boyd, to answer as well. And then Demario, I'll definitely ask your question. But to me, it seems like they're trying, this is an attempt at a land grab. That's ultimately what I believe is going on.

When we were losing the land, when we were losing the land through the county committee at USDA, it was white farmers who's dominated these county committees through three member panels. And the country are made up of 99% white men. Those farms that were in federal inventory all went to white farmers, 99% who served on the county committee. So it was a legalized way by the United States Department of Agriculture to take away land from black farmers. After we got the land from Civil War, that 20 million acres of land we owned at the turn of the century, we're down to 4.5 million acres.

We represented 1 million black farm families strong at the turn of the century. We're down to 50,000 black farmers in this country. We're facing extinction, and partly due to the United States Department of Agriculture. So they're going to have to help us fix this. And I believe that Secretary Vilsack was the wrong person to send back to the U.S. when he's had two terms to fix it. He's back there again.

He knows the problem. And we don't need a new equity commission. We need some new equity results. Yes. Yes, we need results. Absolutely. Demario, I would love to bring you in here. What are your thoughts about what Black farmers can do right now?

It's interesting that these white farmers are coming in. And I completely agree. It seems like a delay tactic to say, oh, let's form a commission. No, let's act. Panel studies, that's all just delay tactics and ways to keep us from getting the justice that we deserve. As Brother Boyd stated, we don't need commissions, equity commissions, we need equity results. And I really appreciate him saying that.

You know, this really speaks to me because as an old farmer, old country kid from Oklahoma whose family owned ranches back in the 1820s and 30s that we can trace back to, it really resonates to me to hear how our farmland and our land has been struck and stolen away from us. When you talk about those numbers going from 1 million farm families to down to 50,000, going from 20 million acres of land down to 4,000, going from 20 million acres of land down to four or five million acres of land. It is disheartening. It is something that we definitely want to rally around you,

brother boy. I certainly want to connect with you and your organization, talk about the ways that maybe my organization, Justice for Greenwood, and some of the resources that I can bring with other firms, other firms that do pro bono work. We cannot allow this continue to happen without a fight. We understand what we're up against.

We understand that we have a tall hill to climb, but we must fight for our rights and our dignity at all times. And I will fight with you, brother. I will stand next to you. I will speak for you. I will fight and no surrender, no retreat. Give me a call. We'll get together and we'll try to fight this the best we can for those 50,000 farmers,

black farmers who need relief. Absolutely. Michael, do you have any questions for Mr. Boyd? Hey, brother Boyd, thanks for coming back. Last time you were on, you were talking about Pepsi and how Pepsi was going back on their verbal agreement to provide contracts to grow potatoes and things like that. So, you know, I've been talking about this in the plight of black farmers, even going back to the Stein Seed Company and the lawsuit that black farmers had against the Stein Seed Company over soybeans. So how does how do you all proceed with fighting this?

We know white farmers have sued. We know this is part of the American Rescue Plan. We know no Republicans voted for the American Rescue Plan. We know Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina went on Face the Nation attacking this debt relief. OK. And as well as Lindsey Graham. So how do you fight this and how can we help? What role can African-Americans play as, and also the congressional black caucus also? Well, we have to, we have to fight it one in courts like we're, we're doing now. So we filed the, the, the amicus briefs on every one of the courts and we're looking at different ways that, that we could maybe win.

You know, I'm going to win. I want to win. I want to win. And we have so many challenges, like you spoke about the issue with Pepsi, where they reneged on the potato contract. That's something that we need the support of the general public. And I spoke, I touched on it earlier. We have many successful blacks in this country,

athletes and entertainers. You know, we saw them at the PepsiCo halftime show. Those three, instead of dancing for Pepsi, they need to be dancing for black farmers and rapping for black farmers. They have to have songs about the land and buying land. People, we got to buy some land. If you want to fix this, buy some land.

Buy a building if you're in business. Buy a lot in a subdivision. But you have to buy some land. We have a song out that I would like everybody on this panel to look and circulate. I did it with K.J. Marley, Marley's grandson, about the land. People, this is about

the land. So it's about, of course, it's about access to credit to USDA, the banks, the top ten banks. I didn't talk about them. They wrote to the president and Congress that us receiving the $5 billion would be harmful to them, too.

So we need to hold the agriculture companies, PepsiCo, John Deere, who won't service blacks, service us last after these tractors cut off and we can't start them back up until a technician comes out. There's a laundry list of companies that are dumping on Black farmers. The government dumped on Black farmers. White farmers dumped on Black farmers, made a sharecropper. They stole all the land from the Indians, and they want to steal it all from the Blacks. This is about land. And everybody on this panel, every step you take, every step you make requires land. You can either trespass on somebody else's or take a step on your own. Don't buy those new Cadillacs and Mercedes-Benz. Buy some land. Land is where it's at. Land is going to be the way that we're going to change this. For the young people that are looking at this, start investing in land

ownership. If you only do buying houses, buy some land. I hear you. Mustafa, do you have any questions? Well, Brother Boyd, it's good to see you again. My grandfather was a small farmer. We still have that land that he purchased over 100 years ago now. I'm curious. Um, have you utilized Title VI of the Civil Rights Act yet, which says that folks can't, uh, utilize federal funds to discriminate against folks of color, you know, or-or based on national origin? So I'm-I'm curious if that's been a part, uh,

of the work that's been going on so far. Absolutely. Yes, it is. And, uh, we've looked at've looked at all of the numbers, all of these statistics. Many of the information that I just spoke to you about is all spelled out in our amicus briefs that are filed in these 12 courts. One thing I didn't say is that these 12 complaints that were filed by white farmers were filed in conservative courts, conservative judgeships. They're well-funded. This Sid Miller from Texas, the former agriculture secretary there, is leading the campaign, raising money, and filing these lawsuits around the country, we got

to start doing the same thing. We got to become well-organized. We got to become well-funded so we can defend ourselves. And like I spoke about earlier, 39 years, I never sued a white farmer saying that they shouldn't get something. I filed those complaints in federal court so we can get two words, same as, period. Same as. We want the same servicing.

We want the same contracts, not a word different than white farmers are getting. We want the same loan amounts if we qualify. We want the same amount of subsidies. People, same as. Don't look at me because I'm six foot tall and 240 pounds and darkest skin and deep baritone voice. Judge me on my 39 years as a farmer, a skilled farmer that I learned from my grandfather who slept with his deed underneath his mattress.

And my daddy who taught me how to plow a mule and work all day and tie a Windsor knot in my shirt. These are things that we have teaching ourselves as Black farmers. Go back and reinvent the land and get reconnected with land ownership in this country. That's how we're going to become and beat a whole lot of the barriers that affect us right now by buying land. Well, that is a powerful charge for us all, buy land.

Thank you so much for joining us tonight, Mr. Boyd. Thank you for having me. Absolutely. Two Louisiana deputies have been fired and charged with manslaughter for killing an unarmed man sitting in a car. Authorities in New Orleans arrested two in connection with the fatal shooting last week. Last week, former Jefferson Paris deputies

Isaac Hughes and Jonathan Lewis tried to get Daniel Vallee out of his vehicle. The deputies say Vallee refused to exit and started his engine while the deputies stood in front of the car. Thinking Vallee would run them over, the two fired into the vehicle, striking and killing Vallee. The sheriffs say the force of some sort was justified, but not deadly. Hughes and Louise face up to 40 years in prison.

So going to the panel around this, starting with Mustafa, you know, how many of these stories are we gonna hear, you know? And the first question that always comes to mind for me when these things happen is, we're only hearing the side of the story from the people who are alive. To what degree do we even trust at this point these stories that come out of police departments when there are so many examples of stories that later

are later on are proven to be nothing um, nothing short of pure fiction. You know, first of all, where's the body cam? Where is the, you know, the cam from the police cars, um, so that folks can see firsthand. But even beyond that, why are you trying, either pulling over somebody or asking someone to exit their car? Because they have their own sets of rights. They have a right to know why you are, you know, um, slowing them down, holding them up,

trying to, you know, do all these different types of things. So, for me, you know, I-I go back to the basics, because we often have police officers who will say, well, I feared for my life. Well, one, you need to have better training, evidently, if that, you know, in many of these instances when you keep saying you're-you're fearing for your life and it continues to be this reoccurring narrative that happens again and again. But that's ancillary.

It really goes back to the fact that we continue to dehumanize black and brown folks and that it makes it easier for folks to do these types of, you know, these deadly acts. So, you know, there's so many unanswered questions, but it really goes back to the dehumanization that we continue to see play out, which allows, in people's minds, the justification of their actions. Absolutely. And, Demario, you know, Mustafa makes a good point here. It feels like a broken record, right?

We always hear this excuse, I fear for my life, I fear for my life. I kind of feel like if you're that scared, do you really need to be a police officer? Right. No, like I said, we talk about this every week and I'm just thinking about a case I was looking at right before,

a couple hours before our phone call. I have a client, the police report said that they shot him nine times, point blank range, right through the window. When this video comes out, it's going to be unbelievable for people to see. And in their police report, they said that my client tried to run over the deputy's partner. But on the body cam, you see the deputy on the other side of the vehicle at the back of the vehicle. He's nowhere close to it. So to your question, can you believe

these reports? No. Absolutely not. They lie. Every day, all day. They're taught how to lie. Another thing we need to continue to understand, these people, and I deal with this all the time, when these people are killed by the police, particularly

in something that's public like this, it is traumatic for the families. Regardless of what type of civil or criminal punishment, it is traumatic for the families. So as much as I sue police officers and cities and try to get justice and put them in jail for

doing the wrong thing and being unjust and unconstitutional, I still think the best case scenario for everyone that's listening, you want to leave every police stop on your own. You don't want to leave in a hearse or in an ambulance. That is your goal, and you don't want to go to jail. So yes, you have constitutional rights. You should always remember, never consent to a search, never admit to a crime. Never consent to a search, never admit to a crime. However, do not try to litigate the issue out on the street. You will lose.

Even if you think you're gonna win, and you go to jail, you're gonna lose. If you get beat up, that's a loss for you. And if you get killed, that's a loss for your family. So, do what you need to do to stay alive on the police, when you have police contact. Never consent to a search, never admit to a crime. Anything after that, wait to call your attorney. Call someone like me that can

fight for you, speak for you, stand for you, but you do not want to leave the police contact in a hearse, an ambulance, or in a police car. Well, you know, Michael, I think that's some wonderful advice that we were given there. But at the end of the day, it just almost feels like, you know, some of these police officers, it appears as if they have a specific desire to just kill people and specifically kill black people. You know, as the mother of sons, you know, we all, we give our kids these talks, but can we even be confident that if they do all the right things, that they would leave an interaction like this alive, no matter their actions? Well, you know, we hope for the best, and that was good advice from DeMario, and I've heard Attorney Monique Presley say some similar things. She said, the first thing you have to get in your mind is, this is not my day to die. That's the first.

And then, from there, do whatever you have to do to stay alive and deal with it legally after the fact. But this whole situation must be pretty bad if the Jefferson Parish sheriff said that the use of force was not justified. And these two deputies were arrested as well. But I want to know where's the body camera footage also. But this, once again, is tied to the case dealing with Zeke and Joseph in New Jersey. And this deals with the fear of African Americans, especially the fear of African American men. And this is also tied to the three white men, the McMichaels and William

Bryan, who were convicted on federal hate crime charges, who harbored a hatred of African Americans, especially African American men, and associated them, especially when you look at Travis McMichael, associated them with criminality and things like this and acted upon it. And this goes to something that some research that Dr. Philip Atiba-Goff has done, and he has a study at the American Psychological Association's website that talks about how African-American boys as young as five years old are seen as being less innocent, more dangerous, things like this, and they are treated accordingly as well. So this is the system of white supremacy and racism that we're dealing with, which is why people like Dr. Carter G. Woodson said that the history of our people has to be taught in all schools across the country. You have to reverse this programming

that's taking place, you know. And if you want me to comment on what happened in New Jersey at the mall as well, I can also very quickly. Absolutely, because I think it's connected. Well, it's absolutely connected. So, very interesting. So, Joseph is the other boy's name. He's actually 15 years old.

Joseph was interviewed by NJ.com over the weekend. One, he says he's not white. He says he's Colombian and Pakistani. And he said, quote, he said, I say that he said it was just plain old racism. He said, I say that was just plain old racist. I don't condone that at all. He said he even offered to get arrested, and the police told him he was all right, that he was OK. So then he asked, he said he even asked why they detained Zeke and not me. And he said because because he said the police told him Zeke was resisting. Now,

according to, according to the report, uh, so New York daily news has a, a, a article on this. According to the report, rumors circulated online about a fight between other teens and police were stationed at the mall after learning about the planned fracas. So I know Attorney Benjamin Crump, who is one of the busiest attorneys in the country, oh, my God. But I know he said that the mall security said that Zeke's mother has to pay for the table. But what does...

I want to know what Bridgewater Common Malls, the owners of Bridgewater Common Mall, has to say about this, especially when, as Mustafa said, when African-Americans start having boycotts common malls and the owners of Bridgewater Common Mall has to say about this, especially when, as Mustafa said, when African-Americans start having boycotts against the mall. Because, see, that's what happened in Dearborn, Michigan, probably in the early 1990s, when the police at, when the mall police at Fairlane Mall in Dearborn, Michigan, were racially profiling, were hard on African-Americans, the NAACP led an economic boycott against Fairlane Mall.

And that changed. So we have to take a page out of that history as well. But I want to see what the owners of Bridgewater Commons Mall has to say about Zeke's parents having to pay for that table. Absolutely. And, you know, hopefully if we see people come together and say, we're not going to shop there, I'm sure that they'll find some action really quick to make sure that that

table expense is covered by them. Absolutely. Absolutely. So Roland Martin Unfiltered will be right back and right here with the Black Star Network. I'm sorry. Nå er det en av de fleste stående stående i verden. Don't you think it's time to get wealthy? I'm Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach, and my new show on the Black Star Network focuses on the things your financial advisor or bank isn't telling you. So watch Get Wealthy on the Black Star Network. work. Pull up a chair. Take your seat.

The Black Tape. With me, Dr. Greg Carr, here on the Black Star Network. Every week, we'll take a deeper dive into the world we're living in. Join the conversation only on the Black Star Network. Hello everyone, it's Kiara Sheard. Hey, I'm Taj. I'm Coco.

And I'm Lili. And we're SWB. What's up, y'all? It's Ryan Destiny, and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. In Florida, an amendment that would have forced schools to out students' sexual orientation to parents within six weeks has been withdrawn.

The bill called Don't Say Gay Bill was sponsored by Florida State Representative Joe Harding. Harding added the amendment Friday, but it was removed today after outrage before a House question and answer session began. House Bill 1557 has been subject to statewide and national attention and debate, focusing on the effects

on the students of the LBTQ community. And from there, the future of one of Florida's Fort Lauderdale's historic black communities is in question after Florida officials reveal plans to build a bridge through the town. The 80 foot bridge projected to elevate traffic will cost more than $450 million. The project would cut through Sistrunk, one of Fort Lauderdale's oldest black communities. Residents worry this would be irreversibly harmful to the area that officials have been aiming to develop.

Last month, the city of Fort Lauderdale voted unanimously in favor of a resolution expressing support for a train tunnel rather than a bridge. So I'd love to be able to go to the panel about this, starting out with Dr. Mustafa. You know, it's really interesting. We've just had this conversation with Mr. Boyd here about the importance of land and the importance of holding onto land. And even in this area of just community, right,

a black community, that it looks like there's efforts underway that could end up having it literally cut in half. It shows that in many ways, our land either privately owned or our land that is kind of conjoined together as part of the community, is under attack in this nation in various ways. We know that transportation policy has been infused, you know, with racism, discrimination and biases. We also know, you know, that through those transportation policies, we broke up communities, many times intentional.

I'm sure sometimes it may have also been unintentional. We brought wealth into certain communities and then we dump off pollution in other communities. And I've actually been to this community before. So to actually bring all this additional traffic into that area means that folks are going to be breathing all of this toxic pollution that still comes out of the back of our cars, causing these medical conditions that will exacerbate all kinds of diseases, you know, these cancers, liver and kidney diseases, asthma. So to take away from a community that has been moving forward and trying to be a thriving community and to interject this into it just makes no sense. Absolutely. And, you know, I'm glad to at least see, though, Michael, that the community is it looks like it's fighting back. They're looking to get a tunnel instead of a bridge. Now, what can what can we learn about just the the need to exert power and not just take sorts of things lying down, that we do have the power to fight back?

Absolutely. We always have the power to fight back. But, you know, as I've said numerous times before, the reason why oftentimes many of our people don't fight back is because many times many of our people don't think they're worth fighting for. So at the foundation, you know, you only protect what you respect. So this is why we have to stop referring to ourselves as N-words and Bs and thoughts and things like this, all these dehumanizing terms, because you already start out defeated

because you think you're lesser than. So when we look at the history of transportation in this country, we see racism encoded in it. And this is one of the things that the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill is part of it to start addressing the harm that the U.S. Interstate Highway Acts of 52 and 56 did, driving 41,000 miles of U.S. interstate highways throughout the country. And it ran through our communities, wiping out businesses, wiping out homes. It ran through Tulsa, Oklahoma in the early 1970s also, wiping out more businesses and using eminent domain to take our land, things like this. So all of this is connected, but we have to fight back against when we see injustices like this. But this is also an example of how

elections have consequences also and why you have to put the right people in office and hold them accountable to fight against things like this as well. We sure do. Absolutely. And as we're getting towards the midterm, that's a good time to be reminded of that reality. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network, and we'll be right back. I'm sorry. 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 Dr. Jackie. 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. Hi, this is Essence Atkins. Hey, I'm Deon Cole from Black-est. Hey, everybody, this your man Fred Hammond, and you're watching Roland Martin, my man, Unfiltered. In celebration of Black History Month, Target's Black Beyond Measure campaign amplifies and celebrates Black-owned businesses. One of these businesses is J. Dow Fitness. The founder, Dr. Jacqueline Dow, joins me from Atlanta.

Hi there, Dr. Dow. Hi, how are you? I am wonderful. Thanks for joining us today. Thanks for having me. Absolutely So can you tell us... Thanks for having me. Absolutely. Can you tell us a little bit about your business? Sure.

We are a modern athleisure apparel company based in Atlanta, Georgia. I launched J-Dal Fitness four years ago. And as a public health professional with years of experience in public health, I wanted to create a platform that would use fashion as a tool to talk to women about the importance of their health. I love that. And I'm really sort of fangirling over the beautiful bright colors and everything.

I mean, these are really beautiful designs. And what I love about it is you're bringing together fitness, but in a way that's going to make it fun, right? Because we like to look cute when we're in the gym or whatever we're going to do. We still want to look nice, right? Exactly. So what inspired you to start this collection? So the main thing that launched, that really inspired me to launch this collection was really Black women's health. Again, I have years of experience in public health and I was a program evaluator

as well as a research scientist. I focused my dissertation specifically on black women's health, looking at weight prior to pregnancy and how does that impact pregnancy complications and birth outcomes and things like that. So I was definitely heavily invested in research when it comes to Black women's health.

And I just thought this was the ideal way, you know, like you said, a fun way, right? Something different, something new. It was just a different opportunity just to talk to women about health in a different way that wasn't research or policy or advocacy. You know, it was more so conversational. Absolutely. And I love the fact that you include maternity fitness apparel in that. And as you mentioned, your research around this,

you know better than I, you know, the statistics around black women's maternal mortality and that we're like four times more likely to die through the process of pregnancy and childbirth than our white counterparts. I love the fact that you're saying, hey, this is something that I can do to support perhaps healthier pregnancies that can lead to healthier lives for not only the babies, but also the mamas, yes? Yes, that's definitely the goal. Focusing on preconception health.

Again, trying to get women to be their healthiest selves before they get pregnant, just to ensure that they have a healthy pregnancy, ideal birth outcomes, and a healthy baby. I love it, I love it, I love it. So do you have, like, is this your spring collection that we're seeing behind you right there? So the collection that you see behind me is actually an exclusive collection that was

created just for Target in recognition of Black History Month. So I curated a five-piece collection. There is a crop top, high-waist leggings, a bodysuit, a crop top and biker shorts. So all of these items are available in over twelve hundred Target stores and online in recognition for Black History Month. That is wonderful. Now, I know that you should be super proud as an entrepreneur who is I mean, you're just amazing. Like how many things on your resume, right? You're a doctor, you're a researcher, you're an entrepreneur. You are doing the damn thing in all those various different respects. things on your resume, right? You're a doctor, you're a researcher, you're an entrepreneur, you are doing the damn thing in all those various different respects. But this has got to be really something that you are super especially proud of, and especially the accomplishment of getting it in over 1,200 Target stores. Wow, that's very impressive. This has been honestly a dream come true. I have been soaking up every single moment of February.

I'm telling everyone I'm just like dreading March 1st. Maybe we need to talk to Target about getting you in for Women's History Month too. You can stretch it out a little while longer. Exactly. We need to celebrate this all year long, not just for the month of February. Absolutely. So how can people find you not only in Target, but also outside of Target? How can we grab some of your beautiful designs? Sure. So again, the collection that you see behind me

is exclusively created for Target, and it is in stores in recognition for Black History Month. So definitely shop at your local Target store, and you can also shop on target.com. If you would like to connect with J. Dow Fitness personally, please feel free to visit our website. Here you can see the handle on the screen. It's jdowfitness.com and you can also follow us on all social media platforms at jdowfitness. I love it. Well, thank you, Dr. Dow. We so appreciate

your commitment to our health and we are loving your design sense. So that's where I need to go for my next workout outfit. I definitely see that. Thanks for joining us today. Thank you so much for having me. Absolutely. Howard University received a large donation to help preserve an extensive collection of black newspapers. Howard's Moreland-Springham Research and Center for Journalism and Democracy will get a $2 million grant from the Logan Family Foundation. The money will help digitize the university's black press archives. The collection has newspapers from black publications like the New York, Amsterdam News, Chicago Defender, Washington Informer, and Baltimore Afro.

It also includes international newspapers and those in other languages. So I would love to get your thoughts around this. Michael, you know, it's beautiful to see this support that's been given to Howard to be able to, in essence, preserve our history. Absolutely. And once it's digitized, it really has to be utilized. There's so much rich history here.

And they have this digitization includes U.S. newspapers like the Chicago Defender, New York Amsterdam News, as well as publications in French, COSA or ECi Xhosa, and Kiswahili. Both Isi Xhosa and Kiswahili are Bantu languages, by the way. And people are familiar with the Isi Xhosa language because it's the language spoken in the film Black Panther. OK, that's the language that they're speaking, Isi Xhosa. So something like this, you know, there's more. Michigan State University had a digitization of records also. We know Ancestry.com has it as well. So the technology is allowing so many advances to take

place that gives us access to this history. OK, but what's really important is for us to take advantage of this history and to understand that this African history and culture that gives us our foundation, that gives us our values, our interests, and our principles. It influences our economic empowerment and how we engage in economics and our political empowerment, how we engage in politics as well as two of my teachers, Dr. Leonard Jefferson and Professor Jane Small correctly teach us. So this is something that's important and we need to take advantage of it. Absolutely. So, Demario, I'd love to get your thoughts on this as well. You know, Michael brings up a good point. This is not only a nod to our history. It's also obviously a nod to our culture. Right. So it's a way that we can protect it and preserve it and honor it. You know, your thoughts on how important it is that we do make sure that we have this little bit

of history protected for generations to come. It's extremely important. You know, at our organization, Justice for Greenwood, we have two projects that's along this line. Number one, we have our All History Project, where we are doing the all histories of descendants of those who suffered the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 that are spread out throughout the entire nation.

In fact, we got some descendants in France, and we're going to go over there and get their stories too because we must capture those histories that Brother Hotep has just stated. It's important that we capture those histories and we present them in a manner that's interesting that people want to listen to it. Secondly, there was a newspaper in Tulsa

called the Tulsa Star, owned by attorney A.J. Smitherman. It was the largest, it was the first African-American newspaper in the nation to have a national publication. We have been working, I actually represent the Smitherman family in our lawsuit against the city of Tulsa for reparations. But in addition, through Justice for Greenwood, we are working with digitizing and cataloging the Tulsa Star newspaper and the articles. And what's so powerful about it is we're able to go through these newspapers

and see the ads of Black businesses, see the actual pictures of Black entrepreneurs, see what they were actually selling at the time. And these look like ads that could be right here today. It is so inspiring, so powerful to read and look at someone from 1915, 1918, 1919, 1921, selling their legal services, their medical services, their pharmaceutical services, their tailoring services.

Anything that we can think of, our people has been doing it. So as the brothers stated, it gives us the foundation to know what we have done, what we can do, and what we must continue to fight for. Absolutely. Mustafa, I mean, what can you say to that? That pretty much encapsulates it, but love to have your thoughts on this too. Well, that's why I love being with my brothers because they break it down so well. You know, I'll just take it one step

further, you know, because we have an opportunity now by this information being digitized to really begin to push both our colleges, both in the graduate and undergraduate level, in communications departments and in journalism departments to make sure that we're infusing this into the curricula, because it's literally at folks' fingertips. Then we can also make sure that, and here's my thing, if we got the Biden administration, I want to see transformative change happen on all levels. So the Department of Education should also be looking at this information and looking for opportunities to begin to build it into K through 12, where relevant. You know, you could take pieces out, and it also opportunities to begin to build it into K through 12, where relevant.

You know, you could take pieces out and it also helps to tell our stories, both in history's construct, but also in this moment, tying it into current events as well. So, you know, we've got this amazing set of information. Let's utilize it in all the forms and fashions that actually will help to make change happen. I hear you. That's exactly what needs to happen.

So to commemorate the 82nd birthday of civil rights icon and voting rights champion John Lewis's 82nd birthday, the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation announced that they will officially launch during its inaugural gala in May. The organization established by the late congressman will work with future generations who want to create their own good trouble. The May 17th event in D.C. will serve as the fundraiser for the organization and celebrate the civil rights activist

and longtime political leader, John Lewis. Lewis died from cancer in 2022. So it's wonderful. We're talking about preserving history in one way, gentlemen, with regards to digitization and making sure that those records are there. But to me, this is another way of preserving history, right? Having this foundation, having it sort of carry the legacy of John Lewis forward for several more generations. Michael, your thoughts on the importance of, in essence, having a living, breathing organization also be a carrier of history.

Well, you know, I think this is important to, um, really preserve the legacy of John Lewis and teach his history. John Lewis was a member of my fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, incorporated as a member of his fraternity. And, uh, John Lewis was a member of my fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated. I was a member of his fraternity. And John Lewis was an icon. He was the last living speaker at the march on Washington, August 28th, 1963. He was the disciple of Dr. King as well. And even though there may be certain things that I disagree with John Lewis on. I mean, he was powerful, and

it's at the same time that you have this foundation to preserve his legacy and teach the history, you have the metaphorical lynching of John Lewis that took place in the U.S. Senate when the John Lewis Voting Rights Act was not

passed, okay? Because Republicans blocked the bill, okay? Now, you had Manchin and Sinema who voted for it but didn't vote to change the filibuster. But no Republicans in the House or the Senate voted for the bill. So they talk about how great John Lewis was, but you have a metaphorical lynching of John Lewis, as well as Dr. King in the Senate

and the House of Representatives. So one thing that we have to learn from John Lewis is to persevere. We have to push past these obstructions, push past these obstacles, okay? We can't let these... We can't let Republicans tell us no and then we just go home and pack up.

No, we need to vote these people's asses out of office, period. Absolutely, and you're talking about the metaphorical lynching of John Lewis in the Senate. You know, you could carry that argument out in state after state after state across the nation that have fought to roll back voting rights over the past couple of years. And they're financed. They're financed by organizations like the Heritage for America, which is the sister organization to the Heritage Foundation. And Jessica Anderson, whose executive director was exposed by Mother Jones

back in May 2021, when she was speaking to a group of high-dollar donors in Tucson, Arizona, and she talked about how it was Heritage for America, Heritage Action for America, that was crafting

the voter suppression bills like the one that Senate Bill 202 that passed in Georgia. This organization is crafting these bills and putting pressure on Republicans to pass the bills and then put pressure on the Republican governors to sign the bills and the law right after they're passed. So this is orchestrated. We have to have an equal force to fight back against this as

well. Absolutely. And Damaris, you know, this crafting of bills and pushing it through and having it perforate the country, it's not, it didn't just start with, unfortunately, these attacks against voting rights. You can take that all the way back to stand your ground bills and things like that, where we have seen where there have been right-wing coordinated actions to make changes at the state level. And we need to figure out how do we fight back, like with regards to the voting rights legislation that has literally passed in, you know, well over a dozen states across the nation. What do we do to make sure that our rights are preserved? Well, first of all, we got to realize this goes back beyond standing your ground. This goes back

to the United States Constitution. This is from day one. The voter suppression of our rights, the looting of our powers is the very fabric of America. You know, we have to be truth tellers and be straightforward with what it is. For instance, we cannot have any of our elected leaders, black, white or otherwise, when something like these voting rights bills are passed, voting suppression bills say, oh, it's un-American. It is not un-American. It is American as apple pie for them to stop us from voting or trying to stop us from voting. So we have to first be truthful about what we're dealing with and be truth tellers, number one. We have to understand, depending on where you are in the nation. Look, I'm here in Oklahoma.

This has been Trump territory for the last 25 years. It is red as blood here in Oklahoma. This has been Trump territory for the last 25 years. It is red as blood here in Oklahoma. There's only so much that can be done, but we must organize and fight at every opportunity. And but what we have to remember and what we learned from John Lewis, I think the brother said about perseverance, but also the John Lewis's of the world were willing to put it all on the line. They were willing to suffer what it took to get the type of gains that were necessary for themselves and those coming behind them. That's what we have to learn from the John Lewis's of the world, that sometimes you will be beaten up. Maybe that's physically beaten up, financially beaten up, socially beaten up. That's what good trouble is about. It is not just about

being online, putting hashtags. It is about putting yourself in harm's way in whatever measure that you possibly can to move the thing forward, because that's what happened to us from enslavement to Jim Crow, through the civil rights movement, and to this very day. People put it on the line, and that's what it takes. And we must always fight for our rights and our dignity. Absolutely. Mustafa, any final quick thoughts about how we can honor John Lewis, particularly at this important moment in history? You know, John was a visionary. I was blessed that I was one of his mentees. I mean, he had thousands of them over the years.

I mean, if we truly want to honor him, then that means that, you know, we have to understand the power that exists inside of our vote and really begin to better utilize the civic process, because all the things that we fight for, whether it's housing or transportation or economic justice or a number of other things, comes back to the vote. Um, so we have to really begin to better... We want to honor him. Understand the value that is inside of your vote and utilize it in a way that truly begins

to uplift our communities and also is focused on transformational change. That's what John was about. He was quiet, but he was always focused on transformational change. And if there's ever a time in which we need transformational change, I would argue that time is right now. So with that said, thank you, panel, for being with us this evening. We are so thankful for all of you watching the show tonight.

And we hope you have a good evening. We'll see you next time. Holla! I know a lot of cops. 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.

This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart Podcast.