#RolandMartinUnfiltered - Black Star Network Presents: Juneteenth & the Future of the Black Economics sponsored by McDonald's

Episode Date: June 20, 2023

Black Star Network Presents: Juneteenth & the Future of the Black Economics Freedom sponsored by McDonald's Download the #BlackStarNetwork app on iOS, AppleTV, Android, Android TV, Roku, FireTV, SamsungTV and XBox  http://www.blackstarnetwork.com The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platforms covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Last year, a lot of the problems of the drug war. This year, a lot of the biggest names in music and sports. This kind of star-studded a little bit, man.

We met them at their homes. We met them at their recording studios. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Here's the deal. We got to set ourselves up. See, retirement is the long game. We got to make moves and make them early. Set up goals. Don't worry about a setback. Just save up and stack up to reach them. Let's put ourselves in the right position.

Pre-game to greater them. Let's put ourselves in the right position, pregame to greater things. Start building your retirement plan at thisispretirement.org, brought to you by AARP and the Ad Council. Today is Monday, June 19th, 2023, also known as Juneteenth. Coming up on Roland Martin Unfiltered, streaming live on the Black Star Network. I am here at the Navy Memorial. The folks at Apple Plus are going to be screening their Season 2 episode of the show Swagger, created by Kevin Durant as well as Reggie Rock Bythewood.

Later, I'm going to be live streaming a pound discussion that I will be leading with some cast members as well as Reggie Rock. So we look forward to that right here on the Black Star Network. As I said, today is Juneteenth and all across the country today, there have been celebrations commemorating this particular day in the nation's capital. They were right outside our building on Black Lives Matter Plaza with a variety of concerts. I also spoke there as well, and I also will show you what I had to say as well as meet and greet a lot of our different folks. EU performed.

We'll show you some of their performance as well. Folks, over the weekend, we were in Houston for our Economic Empowerment panel sponsored by McDonald's in Houston, where Mayor Sylvester Turner and I announced Black Star Network will be holding a national Juneteenth Freedom Festival in Houston beginning next year. I'll show you that particular announcement as well. Also on today's show, we'll tell you about a $45 million lawsuit being filed by the family of a black man who was shot in Ohio. Folks, it is a shocking and stunning story. But again, the show shows you what we continue to deal with, and that is the fight for black lives. The shooting, of course, took place in Akron, Ohio.

And Jalen Walker, 94 shots were fired at him. Also, we talk about a major issue, folks, human trafficking. That's right. Summer's upon us, and typically, that's a dramatic increase among human trafficking that greatly impacts black women. Plus, in our Fit Live Wednesday, we'll talk about how we can prevent three critical diseases that impact African-Americans. So we'll look forward to that. And so we've got a jam-packed show on this Juneteenth. It is time to bring the funk and Roland Martin unfiltered on the Black Star Network. Let's go. He's on it, whatever it is, he's got the scoop, the fact, the fine. And when it blips, he's right on time. And it's rolling, best belief he's knowing.

Putting it down from sports to news to politics. With entertainment just for kicks, he's rolling. It's Uncle Gro-Gro-Yah. It's rolling, y'all. Yeah, yeah. It's Roland Martin. Yeah, yeah. Rolling with Roland now. Yeah, yeah. He's funky, he's fresh, he's real the best.

You know he's Roland Martin now. Martin. folks today is juneteenth all across America. Those of us in Texas, born and raised there, we've celebrated Juneteenth as a state holiday since 1980, an official state holiday. Of course, it was the freed people of African descent, the freed slaves of African descent, who began to celebrate June 19th when General Granger arrived on the shores of Galveston and actually read the Emancipation Proclamation, letting folks know in Texas two years after it was actually signed that they were indeed free. Folks who were slaves in Confederate states were free. Remember, it wasn't until December 1865 when the 13th Amendment was ratified, ending slavery,

except in prison all across the country. So celebrations have been taking place the past weekend and today all across the country. We'll show you a lot of that in just a moment. We want to begin, though, on today's show with the story out of Akron, Ohio, where two months after officers were involved in the shooting and killing of Jalen Walker, firing 94 shots at him, his family is now filing a $45 million lawsuit, $1 million per bullet that struck Jalen Walker. The eight officers tried to pull Jalen over for an alleged traffic violation,

which was a darkened license plate on June 27th of last year. Again, the eight officers fired 94 shots at Walker in about 6.7 seconds. Police claim Walker fired a shot in their direction from his car during the chase. A three-man and six-woman jury believe the officers were legally justified in using lethal force. Bobby DiCello, the Walker family attorney, he joins me right now from Cleveland, Ohio. Bobby, exactly about the family filing this lawsuit. What do you hope to do? You hope to depose these officers and put them on the record since they were not indicted?

Absolutely. Roland, thank you for having us today. And thank you for covering this story. It's an extremely important story for the family. And it's extremely important that America knows that when grand juries are directed, yes, directed the way they were by the state of Ohio in this case, there's still justice available for folks. And we are seeking justice for Jalen's family, his mother and his sister. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun?

Sometimes the answer is yes, but there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and three on May 21st

and episodes four, five, and six on June 4th. Ad free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way.

Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug thing is. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown.

We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working, and we need to change things. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does.

It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. We asked parents who adopted teens to share their journey. We just kind of knew from the beginning that we were family. They showcased a sense of love that I never had before.

I mean, he's not only my parent, like, he's like my best friend. At the end of the day, it's all been worth it. I wouldn't change a thing about our lives. Learn about adopting a teen from foster care. Visit AdoptUSKids.org to learn more. Brought to you by AdoptUSKids, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Ad Council. We are very committed to getting to the bottom of it. And yes, we will be questioning those officers as well as the supervisors and especially the mayor and the chief for running a department that has been, to say the least, not a model of policing in America. When you say not a model, I take it there have been other incidents that have happened there in

Akron? Yeah, we actually showed in the lawsuit that we filed a handful of other extremely violent, extraordinarily violent cases where either lawsuits ensued or officers were involved in excessive force scenarios, and they did not have to lose their jobs. They've never been really disciplined in the way that we would expect or that the public, I know, wants to see. So there's a pattern that we've laid out in that lawsuit. There's a series of allegations that we make, and I can't comment too much about those given the fact that it's a filed matter. But suffice it to say, there's some great concerns out there

that it's never been this, that Jalen Walker, that's been the problem, although the way the city put it out there, that's exactly what they wanted everyone to believe, that it was his fault, that he, this young man who's never had a crime committed in his life, who's never been anything but a coach and a high school graduate and had his own little business doing DoorDash, this young man was blamed for his own death. And that's been the narrative that we're striking against. And we're saying, look, pay attention to the facts. We're going to let the court sort it out.

And we're looking forward to that day in court. It is certainly a tragic story that we've covered from day one. And I take it folks in Akron continue to be angry about this, continue to have protests demanding accountability from this police department. They do. They not only continue to be angry, but we've learned over the year and a half or so that we've been covering and working every day on this case that there is a genuine concern for police reform in Akron asked for police, I mean, excuse me, civilian oversight of their police department was 1968. I'm, I was born in 1968. Martin Luther King died in 1968. That's how long they've been wanting just civilian oversight. And it was because of Jalen's case this year that issue 10 was finally ratified and voted by the people into existence. And now they've begun that experience of civilian oversight of their police department. So we know there's a hunger for that. We know there's a need for that. And we're looking forward to being the driving force behind that.

All right, Bob DiCello, we certainly appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Keep us updated on what happens next in this case. Thank you, Roland. All right. I want to bring my panel now to Dr. Julianne Malveaux. She, of course, is the dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at California State University, Los Angeles. Dr. Amakongo Dabinga, senior, professorial lecturer, School of International Service at American University. He's out of Washington, D.C. Renita Shannon, she's a former Georgia state representative out of Atlanta.

Renita, I'll start with you. When we talk about accountability, what people are saying in so many of these particular cases is that even when a grand jury does not indict, what they expect to see are changes in a police department. Unfortunately, a lot of times we don't see that. We don't see cities properly respond, changing policy, if you will, to fix the problem. Right. Well, first, let me say I'm happy to be here on this Juneteenth with the Roland Martin family. There's no other place I'd want to be. Secondly, I want to say hi to Ms. Hopper from Huntsville, who I met last week, who said that she absolutely loves the show. As it relates to Jaylen Walker, the thing is this.

As a former elected official, it's really astonishing to me that folks would continue to vote for elected officials who have lazy solutions when it comes to the policing problem. As the attorney said, the black community has been talking about the policing issues for decades now, and we still have to see settlements being handed out to families. Not that these families don't deserve these settlements, but when you think about what these settlements are doing to local city and county budgets, you know, this stuff, you get too much of it. It's enough to bankrupt a city or county. And so the answer is not to stop families from getting the financial justice that they can get, which is, you know, ultimate justice would be bringing their relatives still being alive, which we know is not possible. But the solution is to actually think about how we run

policing in this country. We need to make sure that our system is not just incarcerating everyone. We need to make sure that police officers are being held accountable. And there are also parts of our system that do just need to completely go away. And so this is one issue that, like I said before, astonishes me, because any other issue you think about, that when people go to vote, they are upset if their tax money is being spent in areas where they see no sort of return. And this is one issue where people are happy to just continue to vote for people who are going to have solutions that are going to lead to more and more of these types of settlements,

which ultimately raises everyone's taxes. The public has really just got to break up. Well, on the Congo, what also has to happen is the public at large is going to have to be more aggressive in saying, why are our taxpayers going to waste? Well, Renita talked about there. That was a remember there was a they were in Michigan. They were in Michigan. And there was a city where these cops beat this brother, planted drugs. They had to raise their taxes to pay the settlement.

Yes, you're absolutely right when it comes to the public awareness. And if the public is more vocal about this, people are going to start seeing changes. And one of the challenges that we have with these situations is that too often people look at these issues as a black problem. What I mean by that is, of course, we as black people are suffering disproportionately from this. But within those communities where white people live and Latino people live and Asian people live, they all need to realize that, at the very least, financially, they are also suffering. And I believe it was the late Johnny Cochran who had a habit of going after cities, you know, when situations happen. He said, if you hit people in their pocketbooks, their hearts and minds will follow.

And it's really unfortunate, Roland, that that's what it will have to take for people to start seeing the changes that we're talking about, because people just don't care that much about Black life. But when people start to see that as more of a financial incentive for them to start seeing changes in the behaviors in their communities, they are going to start acting up and start demanding more change. And so, unfortunately, it falls to us to make sure that we're elevating these conversations in the way that we are and continually taking it to those communities who should, on the basis of humanity alone, give more of a damn about our experiences and our lives. But unfortunately, it's only going to be hitting them in the tax base that's going

to make a change. And Julianne, I'm at this point all the time. It's amazing how these fiscal conservatives get real quiet when we start talking about police settlements and the cost to taxpayers. Exactly. I mean, they keep talking about fiscal conservatism. But when you have a forty five million dollar lawsuit, when you have these multimillion dollar lawsuits, this is the taxpayers where they live. But they don't want to deal with it because they know they're culpable, Roland. At the end of the day, they know they're culpable. Before I continue, let me just commend you for this Juneteenth celebration, celebration, commemoration, whatever we're doing. You're in Texas, which is a home, the home of Juneteenth. And what we know is going on in Galveston is that the predatory capitalists are taking over Galveston and that historic community is being washed away. And so we need

to be mindful of that, even as we're mindful of what's happening right now with these settlements. Taxpayers are going to have to pay because they've empowered police officers to do whatever you know what they want to do to people. So you decide that you think it's okay to beat a black man, to shoot a black man or woman, and that it's going to be okay. The economics of this are that taxpayers are going to be taxed out of their situations. They're going to have to pay more property taxes. They're going to have to pay more sales taxes because they do not believe that fat meat is greasy. In other words, they do not believe that these are violations. But we see these violations time and time again. And Dr. King often said, he said, the law would not make you love me, but it will keep you from lynching me. And that's very potent right up in here. In other words, you don't have to love us,

but do not shoot us 45 times behind nonsense. So taxpayers will pay. And one of these days, they'll wake up and say, we don't want to pay all that money. We can go community to community to community. And what are people paying? Lots of money because their police officers have screwed up. Indeed. All right, folks, hold tight one second. I've got to go to break. We come back.

We'll be talking about Juneteenth, the focus all across the country. And, of course, we'll talk about making sure we stay on point about what Juneteenth has always been about and what it should be about. It's also driving these conservatives crazy. They are posting nonsense, all kind of stuff, all over social media. We'll show you some of the most egregious. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes, but there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.

From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1. Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug man. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown.

We got B-Real from Cypress Hill, NHL enforcer Riley Cote, Marine Corvette, MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working and we need to change things. Stories matter and it brings a face to them. It makes it real.

It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I always had to be so good no one could ignore me. Carve my path with data and drive.

But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersilling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council.

Stupid stuff that people are posting because they're a little upset that there's actually a federal holiday where they are actually forced to talk about slavery. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network on this June 10th. Do not forget, folks, we need you to support us in what we do. First and foremost, download the Black Star Network app.

Apple Phone, Android Phone, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV. Also, please join our Brain the Funk fan club. Your dollars make it possible for us to do what we do. When we were at our event Saturday in Houston, a couple of our people came up to me, handed me their money. When I was out on the Black Lives Matter Plaza today in D.C., a couple of folks gave me their money. We actually shot a video. One brother, he wanted to put his $50 in my hands. So we're going to show you that as well.

And so your dollars, folks, help sustain us. I cannot tell you how important that is. So senior check and money orders to PO Box 57196, Washington, D.C., 20037-0196. Cash App, Dollar Sign, RM Unfiltered, PayPal, or Martin Unfiltered. Venmo is RM Unfiltered, PayPal, or Martin Unfiltered. Venmo is RM Unfiltered. Sale rolling at rollinsmartin.com. Rolling at rollinmartinunfiltered.com. And be sure to get a copy of my book, White Fear,

How the Brownie of America is Making White Folks Lose Their Minds. Available at bookstores nationwide. Amazon, Barnes & Noble. Download your copy on Audible. We'll be right back. Thank you. called white minority resistance. We have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting. I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of violent denial. This is part of American history.

Every time that people of color have made progress, whether real or symbolic, there has been what Carol Anderson at Emory University calls white rage as a backlash. This is the rise of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys. America, there's going to be more of this. Here's all the Proud Boys, guys. This country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes

because of the fear of white people. The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're taking our women. This is white people. I have a couple. Black Star Network is here. Oh, no punch. A real revolutionary right now.

Thank you for being the voice of Black America. All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going. The video looks phenomenal. See, there's a difference between Black Star Network and Black-owned media and something like CNN. You can't be Black-owned media and be scared. It's time to be smart. Bring your eyeballs home. You dig?

This is Essence Atkins. Mr. Love, King of R&B, Raheem Devon. Me, Sherri Shebron, and you know what you watch. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. All right, folks, welcome back on this June Teeth. I'm here at the Navy Memorial where the folks at Apple Plus are going to be having a screening of the season two opening episode of their show Swagger. And so I'm going to be moderating the panel. So we're going to be showing you that later. This will be starting in a few minutes, the reception. And then, of course, they'll have the screening. So I look forward to having that conversation and showing it with you. And we appreciate Apple Plus with us uh on this is the the first

thing we've done for them and hopefully we're going to have a lots more of events uh with the folks at apple plus um as i said it is uh inauguration day excuse me juneteenth day juneteenth day and we are um we've been of course uh busy i was in houston over the weekend attending a variety of events that emancipation park uh Park on Saturday, 10 acres of land that was purchased by folks freed, freed slaves of African descent. And it was a great time there. We had our forum at the Power Center, Black-owned Power Center, taking place there on Saturday as well. And today events have been taking place all over, really, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday. So it's not really Juneteenth. It's really Juneteenth weekend.

And one of the things that I keep trying to say to people, and this is critically important, typically when you hear us talk about, people talk about the time to join a fantastic voyage cruise or essence festival, they call it a party with a purpose. Well, we're talking about this is about having a purpose with a party. And I've said that we must keep the focus on what this day is about. Reverend Dr. William J. Barber actually said that today is a somber day. It's not a celebratory day. Some people have said, don't say happy Juneteenth. They say we should be commemorating this day as well. And so you have different perspectives on it.

But the important thing is for us to understand that this is a historical day. And it's not a day where we solely talk about folks who were slaves in those who were enslaved in Texas being freed. Juneteenth represent an acknowledgement of this day, but also the continual quest for freedom. Joining me now along with my pound, Dr. Padil Joseph, a doc that touched for a long time. Now he is the inaugural associate dean for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion at that little school in Austin. They call it the University of Texas. But those of us who are Texas A&M graduates, we call it TU. So, yeah, we don't give it that much credit, Padil.

Just want to let you know that. So that's, yeah, being a native Texan, a Texas A&M graduate, I long to say black and burnt orange do not go together. But congratulations on your job. Yeah, no, no, no. We don't, so you throwing that little hook them horns. No, this is called saw horns off. That's what that is. Saw horns off. That's how we don't. So you throwing a little hook them horns. No, this is called a saw horns off. That's what that is.

Saw horns off. That's how we do it. All right. Let's, let's get right into it. Um, you, you wrote a piece where, where you said that now that you are in Texas and based upon additional knowledge and information and research, uh, you now have a much greater, deeper and broader understanding of what Juneteenth was and is. Yeah, absolutely. You know, one thing we can agree on, Brother

Roland, is that, you know, we are supporting Juneteenth. And I think the biggest thing that I've learned about Juneteenth is that Juneteenth really gives us an aspiration for freedom beyond emancipation. And so what I mean by that is that when we think about Black folks, the story we tell ourselves or we've been told is that there were these 250,000 Black folks in Texas who didn't realize freedom had come, right? So they were sort of late to the party. And the real story is much deeper and more complicated. One, there were many Black Texans who knew about liberation. They knew about freedom, emancipation. But they were caught within the belly of a dying Confederacy in Texas, where there were battles being fought after the surrender of Robert E. Lee in April in May and parts of June in Texas. So what you get in the Port of Galveston is Gordon Granger

arrives with 2,000 troops to not just spread that news, but to provide reinforcements to protect Black people who were self-emancipating all across the South, right? So when we think about the Emancipation Proclamation, it only liberates folks in parts of the United States where the Union no longer has any control. Black people from jump starting in 1863, and even earlier, of course, self-emancipated, they became the biggest resource for the Union Army, in addition to the 200,000 black folks who fought in the Civil War. So I think what I've discovered when you think about- Actually, Peniel, one second. When we talked to Gerald Horne, when he did his book on the Texas Revolution, he discovered that most of those troops who were with Granger

were black soldiers. Absolutely. They were part of the colored regiments. And so when people think about Juneteenth, they are part of the colored regiments who come to liberate black people. But even before they showed up in the port of Galveston on June 17th, black folks had known that there were colored troops because they had heard that there were colored troops. So in a lot of ways, when we think about the way in which Juneteenth unfolds in Galveston, it unfolds in multiple ways. Black people are hearing the news. Some are leaving plantations.

Remember the three orders, when you think about general order number three, one, absolute equality. Number two is stay on the plantations and somehow do labor contracts with the people who presume to be your owners. And number three is stay away from military headquarters and don't participate in any idleness. Well, the military headquarters and the contract— In fact, when— I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes.

But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that Taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated

itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1. Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated,

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

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

King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote unquote drug thing is. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corps vet.

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

And to hear episodes one week early and ad free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. We asked parents who adopted teens to share their journey. We just kind of knew from the beginning that we were family. They showcased a sense of love that I never had before. I mean, he's not only my parent, like, he's like my best friend. At the end of the day, it's all been worth it. I wouldn't change a thing about our lives. Learn about adopting a teen from foster care.

Visit AdoptUSKids.org to learn more. Brought to you by AdoptUSKids, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Ad Council. Hold on one second. I want to actually just read what he actually said when he issued order number three. He said, the people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a proclamation from the executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves. And the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired

labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quiet. Listen, folks, he actually, this is the order which people don't actually talk about. The Freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere. Now, Peniel, explain why that, frankly, was nuts. Yeah, so that's an outrageous order in its totality. And it's a testament to black people that they really just move on number one and ignore number two and three, because the idea that you're going to

do labor contracts with those who defined you as a species of property is incredulous. The idea that you're not going to go to military headquarters and military encampments filled with colored soldiers who can give you news, who can give you resources, food, so many different things. People are trying to reunite with family. People are trying to do so many different things. And they're trying to escape from this vengeful, dying white Confederacy, which again, as late as May in Brownsville, Palmito Ranch, there were all these different battles being fought. So in a lot of ways, even in Juneteenth, that very first Juneteenth, before we start getting formal commemorations the next year, you see two things are happening at the

same time. There is freedom, and then there's also backlash that's happening at the same time. And it's really, I think one of the things we see, you said you were just at Emancipation Park. I've been there too, and I went there to do the story for Texas Monthly. And one of the things you see about the four founders, Reverend Dibble and Jack Yates and Richard Allen and Richard Brock, they were all ministers. They were all surrounded by a strong Black community, including Black women, who helped organize thriving church congregations so they could buy the 10 acres. So they were organized.

And they were also black Republicans. When Republicans were the party of abolition and anti-slavery during Reconstruction, they went to Republican national conventions. They were electors. They were state delegates. Some of them served on the city council. So you see that coming out of Juneteenth is this responsibility, not burden, to organize, to educate. When you think about so many different schools are created in that ferment in Texas. So

I think the deeper, more inspiring story of Juneteenth is the way in which black people responded with radical political self-determination, even as there was a huge backlash from jump. I mean, you can see in that order, that order is crazy once you get away from the absolute equality. They should have quit while they were ahead with that order. Two, and three, anybody who's got any self-respect has no business listening to. Hold tight one second.

Go on to a break. We're going to pick this up. We come back. We're going to pull our panel in as well. Because to all the folks who are watching and listening, the reason this is important, and understand when you're in media, you understand the setting of the narrative. The setting of the narrative. And I want to talk about that when we come back,

because you already see folk who don't believe in civil rights, who don't believe in stuff for black folks, now trying to redefine the Juneteenth narrative. And we only in the second year as a federal holiday. And I fundamentally believe that we as African-Americans, for me, someone in black on media, as someone who's a native Texan, I cannot and will not allow people to try to redefine the meaning of Juneteenth.

Just like they told us a lie when it came to the meaning, the true meaning of July 4th. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Blackstar Network. It was a pivotal, pivotal time. I remember Kevin Hart telling me that. He's like, man, what you doing, man? You got to stay on stage. And I was like, yeah, well, I'm like, I don't know. You know, y'all think I'm there. I'm good. And he was absolutely, yeah, well, I'm like, I don't know. You know, I'm thinking, I'm good.

And he was absolutely right. What show was the other time? This was one-on-one. Got it. During that time. And I was so you're doing one-on-one. Going great. Yeah.

You're making money. You're like, I'm like, I don't need to leave. I don't need to leave from, you know, Wednesday, Thursday to Sunday. You know, I just didn't want to do that. You know, it was just like, I'm going to stay here. Oh, I didn't want to finish work Friday, fly out, go do a gig Saturday, Sunday.

I was like, I don't have to do that. And I lost a little bit of that hunger that I had in New York. I would hit all the clubs and run around. You know, sometimes me and Chappelle or me and this one or that one, we'd go to the Comedy Cellar at one in the morning. I mean, that was our life. We loved it.

You do two shows in Manhattan, go to Brooklyn, leave Brooklyn, go to Queens, go to Jersey. And I kinda just, I got complacent. I was like, I got this money, I'm good. I don't need to go chase that, because that money wasn't at the same level that I was making making but what I was missing was that training yes was that was that and it wasn't the money it was the money you know

it was that that's what I needed on the next a balanced life with me dr jackie people can't live with them can't live without them our relationships often have more ups and downs than a boardwalk roller coaster but it doesn't have to be that way trust your gut whenever your gut is like this isn't healthy this isn't right i don't like the way that I'm being treated, this goes for males and females. Trust your gut, and then whenever that gut feeling comes, have a conversation. Knowing how to grow or when to go, a step-by-step guide on the next A Balanced Life on Blackstar Network. Hey, it's John Murray, the executive producer of the new Sherry Shepard Talk Show.

This is your boy, Herb Quay. And you're tuned in to... Roland Martin, unfiltered. All right, folks, welcome back. Dr. Joseph had to leave us to head off to a fundraiser there. We appreciate him joining us on the show. Of course, we have Julianne Renita as well as Makongo here. Glad to have you here. This is the thing that is just so critically important.

To the control room, do me a favor. I want you all to pull up Senator Josh Hawley's tweet. Go to also Twitter and look up the tweets of Charlie Kirk. That idiot Candace Owens, she tweeted something. I'm not even going to waste my time showing what that dumbass had to say because it's a true waste of my time because she is truly one of the most ill-informed, ignorant people I've ever met. And she really needs to also get her split in straight.

But this is the thing that is really important here, Omokongo, narrative. And what I've always said is that since the federal holiday of Dr. King, he has been stripped of his radicalness. Folks don't want to deal with him beyond two speeches. They don't want to talk about what he actually fought for. They don't want to challenge policymakers on the things that King advocated for and whether they support those things today. And in fact, one of the things that we also have done with Dr. King today when it comes to what he stood for, what he advocated for, is that even on his birthday, folk have decided to call for a day of service, of volunteering to do goodwill in the community when that's not what he was actually about his birthday should actually be a day of protest if you truly want to celebrate his birthday and so what i want us to do and i've said this to especially my folks in Houston, my folks in Texas, is that we cannot allow not just white Americans.

We can't let African-Americans redefine what Juneteenth really is about. It is the annual commemoration of the end of slavery. It is the annual commemoration celebrated by Texans on the end of slavery in the state. It is the only holiday that acknowledges the end of slavery in the United States, even though there's some nuances there. It was only in the Confederate States, but it wasn't really the end of slavery. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun?

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

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

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

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

MMA fighter Liz Caramouch. What we're doing now isn't working and we need to change things stories matter and it brings a face to them it makes it real it really does it makes it real

listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season 2 on the iHeartRadio app Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts and to hear episodes one week early

and ad free with exclusive content subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I always had to be so good no one could ignore me. Carve my path with data and drive. But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling, the limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes

rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersceiling.org, brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. That was 13th Amendment. We must make sure that we are caretakers of the true narrative and not let America do what America will do when it comes to our stuff. And that is mainstream it, water it down, and then all of a sudden turn it into something that it wasn't actually about. No, you're absolutely right.

And you brought up the example of Dr. King, and we can throw how many other examples in there. We can talk about Kwanzaa and what they've done as it relates to that. And really, when it comes down to it, I think last year for Juneteenth, was it Walmart or one of these stores was having like the watermelon thing going on?

This is a prime opportunity for us with a new holiday to really make sure that we are controlling the narrative, especially as I just tweeted out, as I was retweeting Renita's tweet about the show, especially with Black-owned media like the Black Star Network. There's no other place I'd rather be in terms of talking about this, because if we don't, it's one thing to just claim the narrative in our own community, but also to make sure that we're projecting it out to all the other places and spaces because this is about us. And we can also talk about when you talked about Selma and how people have just turned that into, you know, just watching, going down to the bridge and not doing much to build the community down there. This is, again, an opportunity to reclaim that narrative. And if we don't take advantage of that, we are going to be at the will and the whim of the Josh Hollies of the world and all the other people out

there who want to add this to some type of, quote unquote, ghettoization or ghetto celebration. And just to make it clear, we have been honoring Juneteenth for decades. This is not new to the Black community. Trump didn't make it popular for Black people to claim. He brought it to our attention. But this is what we have to do. This is our job. So not only do we need to talk about it tonight, Roland, and have your panelists on and your guests and everything, but also we have to make sure that your listeners are resharing this, reposting this today, tomorrow, a month from now. So when people are looking at what Juneteenth really means to us, this should be the first place they go and not some end of news segment on MSNBC or CNN with like 90 seconds to go where they talk about this is that day. This is the place for us.

We are the representation of what our people wanted when they got their freedom and everybody needs to start with us first. And the thing here, Julian, again, I am all about not letting folk pimp something. Here's a perfect example. This is a tweet that this idiot, this absolute idiot, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley sent out today. This is what he said. I want you to go ahead and pull up his tweet. This fool actually tweeted, Today is a good day to remember.

Christianity is the faith in America is the place slavery came to die. The fact that this fool would actually tweet that, knowing full well that what followed slavery was slavery without shackles. We saw what was happening with penal systems. We saw what happened, how those same folks were being used and abused 92 years of jim crow so stop it then of course you have truly one of the dumbest people it's no shock candace owens used to work for charlie kirk Point, USA, here is what this lightweight actually tweeted. Again, I'm trying to explain to folk what these fools try to do when they want to redefine certain things. So this fool said, if Juneteenth was really about emancipation, why not September 22nd, 1862, when Lincoln Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation or January 1st, 1863 summertime race-based competitor two weeks before July 4th,

which should be the most unifying civic holiday on the calendar. The reason why this fool is just so dumb, Julian, is because, but you know what, though? He's white. And the reality is he, like many of us, were taught that BS that July 4th was about freedom. When it was July 4th, it wasn't freedom to us. And what did Frederick Douglass say about July 4th in his famous speech. So again, so his tweet there and others, that's a perfect example of how they're trying

to change the narrative to fit it for them. Can't let that happen. Roland, first of all, I don't even know why you amplify that fool Candace Owens' name. That is just a piece of excrement at the bottom of somebody's shoe.

That's all that is. That woman needs to get a grip and a life. That's all I have to say about that. Juneteenth is about the last enslaved people in Galveston who were told that they were no longer enslaved. That is something for all of us to celebrate. As Dr. King always said, if one of us is oppressed, all of us are oppressed. And so that is a significant day. Opal Lee, the sister, you know her, you've interviewed her.

She is amazing. She wanted this holiday. There's a Juneteenth committee out of Houston that's been working on this for a long time. They were very elated when President Biden signed the holiday. But she talked about what this meant, not just for black people, but for America. That sister needs to be lifted up again and again and again. But these day-sayers and these idiots and these intellectually challenged people who do not understand history—see, because, Roland, now in 22 states, they can't even teach Juneteenth. They can't teach race-based education. And so

while we have a national holiday, how do we begin to talk about it when teachers are being fined because they talk about the truth? This is an anti-truth campaign, and we have to keep lifting it up. And so we're here on Roland Martin Unfiltered. It's really important. What's even more important is to make sure that a true Juneteenth story is told. It started in Galveston. It moved to Houston. In Houston, I remember going one year and seeing the brothers with their odd horses reenacting. And that, I mean, it was just so cool.

But it's beyond the celebrations and what does it mean. And both Michelle and Barack Obama have issued statements that have talked about it means next steps. Even President Biden, when he said nations who are troubled, nations who are troubled grapple with their problems. And that's where we're stuck, because we don't want to grapple because there are stupid people who don't believe that fat mate is greasy. They don't believe the truth. They don't believe that enslavement occurred. Nobody is trying to put stripes on your back, white people, because enslavement occurred. We want you to acknowledge. We want reparations.

We want to be whole. That's all it is. So this opportunity. Well, here's the thing. I'm going to get to it if I go to break here again. What this does is and this is really why they're upset. You can't get to be real clear here. Listen to me. You can't get around what Juneteenth is about because you have to mention slavery. You got no choice. And that's what's driving them crazy, Renita, because you can celebrate July 4th and not talk about the fact that we were still slaves for July 4, 1776. It's a little hard to get around what Juneteenth is actually about. And now to have a federal holiday where you are forced to

actually do it, oh, they can't handle that. Absolutely. And you're so right about Juneteenth being an opportunity for black folks to commemorate Juneteenth, but also use it as a point of education for us. So I hope that on this federal holiday, those who have the day off are using this opportunity to educate the young ones about our history. When I think about Juneteenth, I think about it being the first time that I'm aware of the federal government having to step in and to reinforce our progress as black people. And so I'm not saying that the federal government is the savior for black people by any means. What I am saying is when you look through our history, every time black people have made major progress, the federal government has had to come in and reinforce. When you think

about schools integrating, the federal government had to come in and reinforce. When you think about stopping lynchings, the federal government had to come into the South and reinforce that. And so some people say, hey, why do we have to keep going over slavery, Juneteenth, all this stuff? This stuff is still relative because the mindsets that created the conditions for Juneteenth to even need to be a federal holiday are still present today. You still see this tenant of people who are asking for your vote when it comes to running for elected office, who are talking all about state rights, states' rights, and how everything that the federal government should just leave states to be on their own. Black folks have got to realize what our history has been because it

still affects us today. Even when you look at who has access to healthcare, just the ability to be able to use Obamacare, even the healthcare marketplace, all of that is still backed and solidified by the federal government, where you still have conservatives, white people, talking about holding back the marketplace and restricting access to health care for the majority of the uninsured population, which is black people. So Juneteenth is one of these holidays that we need to tune out the idiots that you just mentioned

and really lean into teaching our history so that we are clear on the narrative of this holiday and that we are clear on our history to understand the political tricks that we still see happening today. I'll take one second. I want to pick up on that when we come back from this break. We'll be back in a moment, folks, right here

on Roller Martin Unfiltered on the Blackstar Network on this Juneteenth 2023. Don't forget, if you're watching on YouTube, hit the like button. If you, of course, also watching, we're almost at about 1.1 million YouTube subscribers. Yo, I want us to be at a million and one folks who have downloaded our app. Download the Blackstar Network app, Apple phone, Android phone, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox One, Samsung, Smart TV. Also, join our Bring the Funk fan club. Send your chicken money orders to PO Box 57196, Washington, D.C., 20037-0196.

Cash app, dollar sign, RM Unfiltered. PayPal, RM Martin Unfiltered. Venmo is RM Unfiltered. Zelle, Roland at RolandSMartin.com. Roland at RolandMartinUnfiltered.com. We'll be right back. We talk about blackness and what happens in black culture. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun?

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

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

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

Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working, and we need to change things. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real.

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Zelle is Roland at RolandSMartin.com. On the next Get Wealthy with me, Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach, I'm sure you've heard that saying that the only thing guaranteed is debt and taxes. The truth is that the wealthy get wealthier by understanding tax strategy. And that's exactly the conversation that we're going to have on the next Get Wealthy, where you're going to learn wealth hacks that help you turn your wages into wealth. Taxes is one of the largest expenses you ever have. You really got to know how to manage that thing and get that under control so that you can do well.

That's right here on Get Wealthy, only on Blackstar Network. Hello, I'm Paula J. Parker. Trudy Proud on The Proud Family. Louder and Prouder on Disney+. And you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered here on the Black Star Network. I'm here at the Navy Memorial where Apple Plus is going to be having the screening of their season two opening episode of the show Swagger. And so Wanda Durant, the mother of Kevin Durant, is one of the creators of the show. She's here just to my left. Olympian John Carlos is here as well. We're going to grab him

in a second. We're going to grab him in a second and chat with him. But first, here's a video the White House put out today used to sign Juneteenth into law. From the pulpit of Ebenezer, from the bridge of Selma, in front of the graduating class at Howard, we've prayed, we've marched, we've celebrated. Folks, my message on these occasions and on this Juneteenth day is we've got to go forward. We have to move forward together. When we choose to protect the freedoms we all deserve, when they are attacked, that's when we cannot remain silent. Silence is complicity to heal the wounds of division so racism no longer tears us apart. We have to choose to be believers in a dream, doers of the world. Juneteenth, as a federal holiday, is meant to breathe a new life

in the very essence of America, to make sure all Americans feel the power of this day and the progress we can make as a country, to choose love over hate, unity over disunion, and progress over retreat, choosing to disunion, and progress over retreat. Choosing to remember history, not erase it. It's a reminder that the promised America is we all are created equal in the image of God,

and we deserve to be treated equally throughout our entire lives. One of the things, Julian, that I want us to do, again, we're establishing the narrative. I want us to understand that the celebration of Juneteenth by black Texans was a continual fight for freedom. That the order number three was specific as related to them not being property. But when we talk about freedom, we have to continue to define that.

We must be talking about Juneteenth, economic freedom. We must be talking about the fact that the federal government, $560 billion in contracts, only 1.67% goes to black-owned businesses. $322 billion being spent every single year in advertising, only 0.5% to 1% going to black-owned media. We talk about how much money is being in the private equity space and what little money black owned private equity firms get.

If we don't keep the focus on the continual fight for freedom, then what happens is this just becomes a party without the purpose. Precisely, Roland. In fact, you know, the Article 3 that was nailed to the church in Galveston talked about absolute equality. And in the recess of that, black folks got, black men particularly, got the right to vote, ran for public office. A number of things occurred. And one of the stories that I love to tell is about by Soror, who basically—Jesse McGuire Dent, who became a citizen through Juneteenth and eventually matriculated at Howard University and sued in Galveston for equal pay for black teachers.

Now, Galveston was well ahead of the curve. In 1969, when I matriculated in Mississippi fact that Biden's proclamation, it was a wonderful proclamation. We all revel in it. But he also said there must be action. There is action that President Biden could take right here, right now. H.R. 40 has been languishing. We didn't get it through in the last Congress. You know we ain't going to get through this one. He could pass an executive order to create a commission on reparations, not just reparations, but remedies. And that's what we at the Institute of the Black World, at NARC, National African American Reparations, have been calling for. And so while we have all this pomp and circumstance, which I appreciate,

we have to go beyond pomp and circumstance. We have to say that it is time to take action. I just moderated a panel at the Smithsonian about Juneteenth and farms that actually found a cousin who is a farmer in New Iberia, Louisiana. But they had 5,000 acres rowing, and now they have 200 acres because of white folks' chicanery taking their land away. That's not the whole story. The whole story is this. If you will celebrate Juneteenth, you must also celebrate the reasons why Juneteenth is important and why our people have been exploited. But the thing here, Oma Kongo, is I don't want people, again, I don't want us, this is a mistake, if you only focus on what happened in 1865 and not what has happened from 1866 to present day, then what you're doing is you're just having a celebration, but it's not serving as a reminder that the fight continues.

And my point is money has to be a part of this. We must be talking about economic freedom. That's right. That's right. And it really, really, I mean, I said this in the last segment, but it really connects to what you keep saying about Selma as well. When you look at Galveston, right, in that particular area, that should be the example of where we're going and progressing as it relates to how we look at Juneteenth and Black America overall. We saw in 2008, Galveston got ravaged by Hurricane Ike, and then it got double

ravaged by the pandemic as well. The Black community there has been decimated in that area. And so when we're talking about Juneteenth and the spirit of it and the essence, we need to connect the spirit and the essence with the economics and the empowerment. And we have an administration with the Biden administration that as we continually push, the results don't come fast enough. But given what could possibly come on the Republican side, we have to keep working with and challenging this president to make sure that, you know, when he talks about the HBCUs and the like, we have an administration that is open to the conversations about making sure that the dollars match the rhetoric, not to the level that we want so far. But if we keep pushing, it's going to happen. We can't just keep having these celebratory messages, just walking around saying happy this and happy that without fully understanding. which is also important, is this idea that Black people, you know, in Galveston and in Texas overall, you know, weren't just sitting around saying, oh, we, you know, we're still enslaved. We're still slaves. We're still slaves. They were fighting at every juncture. They weren't just settled with

the situation of being enslaved, which is why you both mentioned how the 2,000 soldiers had to come in there to enforce, to help the Black people there who were enslaved and what they were already doing at every step in our junction in our journey in america we have been fighting for this freedom and like dr malvo said as soon as we got that freedom what got into public office went and bought property everything to get an a a part of this american dream and so we if we refuse to tie the economic plight of the Black community with these celebrations, and like you said, Roland, it will just be a party with no purpose. We cannot let that happen now and ever again. Renita, I got about 60 seconds if I go to break. Rita, go ahead.

Yeah, I was just going to say, I maintain that Juneteenth really should be a day of education for black families about our history. You know, because everything that we've talked about on this panel, but also, like you said, Roland, to push back against those who are trying to reset the narrative. You're hearing all about how America ended slavery and these people who are hating on Juneteenth, but they don't talk about how chattel. There was slavery in many more countries than America in the world. But America did it the worst. We had the most brutal form of slavery in chattel slavery than anyone else. And so this would have been a perfect day for Biden to come out for reparations. This would have been a perfect day to really talk about a next step, specific next steps that he could commit to for black folks, because we really have got to take the next step in advancing progress for us.

All right, folks, hold tight one second. I got to go to break. We come back. We're going to chat with Wanda Durant, the mother of Kevin Durant. We also talked to Olympia John Carlos as well. They're here. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes, but there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about

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

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

podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means

to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug thing is. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill.

NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working, and we need to change things. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real.

Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. We asked parents who adopted teens to share their journey. We just kind of knew from the beginning that we were family. They showcased a sense of love that I never had before.

I mean, he's not only my parent, like he's like my best friend. At the end of the day, it's all been worth it. I wouldn't change a thing about our lives. Learn about adopting a teen from foster care. Visit AdoptUSKids.org to learn more. Brought to you by AdoptUSKids, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Ad Council. For the screening of the Apple Plus show Swagger, you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered right here on the Blackstar Network. Up next on The Frequency with me, Dee Barnes. She's known as the Angela Davis of hip hop. Monáe Smith, better known as Medusa the Gangsta Goddess,

the undisputed queen of West Coast underground hip hop. Pop locking is really what indoctrinated me in hip hop. Mm. I don't even think I realized it was hip hop at that time. Right. You know, it was a happening. It was a moment of release. We're going to be getting into her career,

knowing her whole story, and breaking down all the elements of hip hop. This week on The Frequency, only on the Black Star Network. Next on The Black Table with me, Greg Carr, a very different take on Juneteenth with the one and only Dr. Senada Ahmed. We'll explore the amazing foods, remedies, and rituals that are a part of our history and the Juneteenth holiday. So it's our responsibility to return the healthier version to our folks instead of just the red liqueurs marketed to us,

the red sodas, and the other things. I mean, why does the Kool-Aid man have to sound like Louis Armstrong? He's like, oh, yeah! Yeah, right. An enlightening and tasty hour of The Black Table, only on the Black Star Network. Hi, I'm Joe Marie Payton, voice of

Sugar Mama on Disney's Louder and Prouder Disney+. And I'm with Roland Martin on Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. On this June 10th, we're here at the Navy Memorial where Apple Plus is actually going to be screening episode one of season two of their hit show, Swagger. It was created by Kevin Durant and Reggie Rock Bythewood and one of the folks you making your acting debut in this episode is Kevin's mother Wanda Durant how you doing yes yeah this is a debut for me so I'm excited about it we were just talking about the robe it was amazing because I didn't think the words

meant much. And then I talked to the acting coach, Tanya, who was on set, and talked to Reggie. And then once I got it, what she said is that it's not always in the words that you say. It's in the words in the background. And I said, okay, and then I got it. And then Jenna's character, she helped me to kind of get into it. And so it was really exciting. This obviously is a story about a young basketball phenom

having to go through all of the drama and the rigors of life. How much of it is infused with your son's story and your story? Because this is a character where he is very close tied to his mom. And so were you making Kevin do push-ups and all that stuff that the character in the show is doing? Of course. That was all me, really. So actually, it closely resembles our lives, but it also resembles the lives of so many

student athletes, especially single parents, and how much we go through to sacrifice for our children to get where they want to be, to help them to stay focused. And so, yes. And we grew up in communities just like he is, right? And so I know what it is and how hard it is for them to stay focused and for as a mother to stay focused. And even stay focused on my son's journey because a lot of people were telling me that he could go to the NBA, he could go to the NBA, and I didn't allow myself to believe it until the time came for him to decide to go into the draft. So, yeah. Just made one mistake letting him go to the University of Texas. Oh, my God.

I'm a Texas A&M graduate, and, you know, black and burnt orange just don't go together. But, you know, there's a whole story behind it. See, Texas A&M had juniors, and I remember juniors and seniors during the time Kevin went to college. But Texas, Austin, there was only freshmen. So he had to start and play. So, of course, that's what you want for your child to play on the big stage. Gotcha.

Yeah. Gotcha. But we hate longhorns. We hate longhorns. But we love you, though. I appreciate it. I appreciate it. I appreciate it. So we're going to get started screening.

I'll be, of course, moderating afterwards. So it's always good to see you. Good to see you. All right. Take care. I look forward to it. All right. Thanks a lot.

All right, folks. Right now I want to grab, where is he? If y'all could grab John Carlos for me. Of course, Olympian John Carlos, he's also here. And so I want to grab him and get a couple of words with him about one. I would love to get his thoughts about, of course, Juneteenth being now a federal holiday. We'll also talk to him about swagger as well. As I said, folks, we were celebrating a little bit earlier. That was a Juneteenth

celebration on the plaza just outside our offices there, Black Lives Matter Plaza here in Washington, D.C. I went out there, had a little fun talking to people, taking pictures, all the good stuff. I spoke from the stage as well, reminding them, reminding them about really what this holiday is about, reminding them of what the focus should be about as well. And so in terms of how we need to keep its focus on the issues and not allowing the narrative to be rewritten. And so it was a good time there. This was put on by Washington, D.C., Mayor Amir Bouser's office. The thing that we've seen, Renita, Omicongo, Julian,

there have been a ton of stuff happening all over. I saw a schedule of eight or ten different events happening there in Atlanta. And, again, as a result of this now being a federal holiday, we're seeing really a lot of folks putting time and effort in, in cities and states across the country. There are other parts of the world where black folks are, where they also understand the importance of Juneteenth emancipation. When you talk about, of course, Haiti becoming the first really successful slavery revolt in the world. We know that folks there understand that as well. And, again, you've had speakers and presentations and all that stuff all across the country when it came to Juneteenth.

And, again, I just really hope that what folks do is keep the focus on exactly what it is about. A little bit later, we're going to show you what took place in Houston. We had an opportunity to sit down with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner at our forum in Houston, talking about what he has accomplished in his eight years as mayor, what he has done for African-Americans, especially when it comes to economics. And we also announced the Black Star Network is going to be having an annual event in Houston every year, the National Juneteenth Freedom Festival, because I believe that Houston and Texas should remain as the epicenter of Juneteenth celebrations because, again, where things actually started. And, of course, they're in Galveston, but then coming to Houston.

And then there's literally Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is actually working on what is called a Juneteenth trail, creating these sort of this trail for people to follow the storyline from one point to the other. And so because a lot of people, and I think that's really one of the points there. People have to understand that if you're coming to that area, you need to understand what is happening and not just, okay, here's Galveston, but exactly where it happened there. Sam Collins is a brother. He's a Texas A&M graduate. Sam has really been involved in Juneteenth events for a long time,

but really trying to get people to understand because initially folks said, oh, General Granger came on the shores of Galveston and read the proclamation, but that wasn't the case. They've actually focused on exactly where it took place as an actual monument to mark that particular spot. Then as they travel from Galveston, then coming towards Houston, again, there are places all along there. The congresswoman, Sheila Jackson Lee, wants to create these markers and create this Juneteenth trail that happens there. Again, by having this national festival, there were a ton of events all over Houston this weekend.

But one of the things that I would say to the people in Houston is that now that it's a federal holiday, you can't just sleep on this and you have to create something that's of a national importance to make sure that it's still, you know, people understand really what the history is about. And so that's what we're going to be doing. And so it's going to be a two to three day event. I can guarantee you it's not just going to be just about concerts. It's going to be a number of different things that we're going to be a two- to three-day event, I can guarantee you. It's not just going to be just about concerts. It's going to be a number of different things that we're going to be doing. We're already talking to major sponsors about this.

And so we really want to make this a national event. Of course, we'll be broadcasting, live streaming, doing all those things that we do. And so we really want to make this really one of the most important festivals in the country, one of the largest as well. And so we'll start next year, that Juneteenth weekend in Houston. So I'll be giving you a lot more details about that as they come forward. Right now, I want to talk to somebody who understands the importance of emancipation and liberation, someone who, of course, was involved in the protest in Mexico City in 1968 when they stood on that podium with their shoes off and their raised fist.

That generated lots of attention. They actually really transformed their lives because America was not happy at all about what they did. And that, of course, is John Carlos, always good. How you doing, Doc? Step right on over. How you doing? Good to see you. Good to see you, brother.

Good to see you. First of all, I just want to get your thoughts about the celebrations now across the country of Juneteenth. I'm from Houston, so we've been known about this here. But just your thoughts now about it being federal and being national. Well, it's great that it's being national and being federal, but we have to put some teeth in there. We have to have some bite to it. To give us a day and not really give us our freedom,

we still have a great fight ahead of us. Many people are celebrating, and really we haven't gotten our independence yet. Well, that's why earlier what I said is we've got to make sure that we control the narrative and that we're still in a quest for full freedom. Absolutely, absolutely. And the only way we're going to accomplish that is when we come together as one. You know, we stated in Mexico City that we need unification. We're better, we're strong, we're wiser when we come together as one.

Absolutely, absolutely. And the other thing is that, again, when people talk about, even talk about. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time. Have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed

everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts.

I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man.

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

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

on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Here's the deal. We got to set ourselves up. See, retirement is the long game.

We got to make moves and make them early. Set up goals. Don't worry about a setback. Just save up and stack up to reach them. Let's put ourselves in the right position. Pre-game to greater things. Start building your retirement plan at thisispretirement.org. Brought to you by AARP and the Ad Council.

That, there was actually a lot behind that. That wasn't just take shoes off, raise your fist. That was a purpose behind it. It wasn't just an act. Well, I think the purpose behind it was to squash what's happening right now in the state of Florida with the governor, with all his dissent, the conflicts that we have within the United States government right now versus Trump versus society, you might say. We talked about all of those things.

We had a concern at that particular time. We had closed ears and closed minds. Now they see it live in front in their face. Now it's opportunity time for them to step up to save the world for their kids. Absolutely. Absolutely. And I think one of the things that is is important for us when we talk about what is going on in this country is it's going to require us to be involved, to be active and involved. And and you can't just tweet about it. You've got to actually fight for it, which also means organizing and mobilizing. Absolutely. Organize, mobilize and move forward. We have to realize that we set the pace for our kids. If we don't move today, there's no future for our kids. Anything that our parents suffered,

worked, was in bondage to give us these days and then to sit back and think that we're going to sit down on our laurels and think that we have overcome everything we're mistaken we're fooling ourselves we need to roll up our sleeves and get busy and fight for equality and justice and god knows black people need justice and equality if we miss it now our kids will suffer down the line all right then john always good to see you uh keep fighting a good fight and we'll keep doing the same thing do the same bro you take what you're saying, bro. Yes, sir. You take care.

Yes, sir. Appreciate it. Folks, got to go to break. We come back. We're going to talk to an expert about what's happening with human trafficking. Summer is upon us. Black women are at a great risk for human trafficking. We'll discuss that next right here on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Blackstar Network.

I'm Faraiji Muhammad, live from L.A. And this is The Culture. The Culture is a two-way conversation. You and me, we talk about the stories, politics, the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. So join our community every day at 3 p.m. Eastern and let your voice be heard. Hey, we're all in this together.

So let's talk about it and see what kind of trouble we can get into. It's The Culture. Weekdays at at three only on the Black Star Network. Hatred on the streets, a horrific scene, white nationalist rally that descended into deadly violence. White people are losing their damn minds. There's an angry pro-Trump mob storm to the U.S. Capitol. We're about to see the rise of what I call white minority resistance. We have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting.

I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of violent denial. This is part of American history. Every time that people of color have made progress, whether real or symbolic, there has been what Carol Anderson at Emory University calls white rage as a backlash. This is the wrath of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys. America, there's going to be more of this. This country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because of the fear of white people. The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're'm from Opelousas, Louisiana. Yes, that is Zydeco capital of the world.

My name is Margaret Chappelle. I'm from Dallas, Texas, representing the Urban Trivia Games. It's me, Sherri Shepherd, and you know what you're watching. Roland Martin on Unfiltered. The Milwaukee Police Department is sure to help finding a critical missing person. Shamari T. Garden was last seen on June 16th. The 30-year-old is 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs 208 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Shamari was last seen wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt with gray sides, black leggings and multicolored Nike shoes. Anyone with information about Shamari T.

Garden is urged to call the Milwaukee Police Department's Sensitive Crimes Division at 414-218-7405. 414-218-7405. 414-218-7405. Some good news about one of our black and missing features, folks. Nevaeh Ashley Bell has been found and returned to her home in Gwinnett County, Georgia. The 14-year-old left Lilburn's Parkview High School on May 24th. She was located about 45 miles away in Morrow, Georgia. Police arrested 41-year-old Russell Cheaves, charging him with enticing a child for indecent purposes and interfering with custody.

Neville's father told an Atlanta affiliate that his daughter is quiet, a bit antisocial, and a gamer who spends a significant amount of time online. He also believes his daughter might have been talking to someone on an app, becoming friends, and that person lured her out. And folks, this is one of the ways that human traffickers target young girls, especially black girls. In 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received more than 19,000 reports of child sex trafficking in 500 cities.

Shereen Mitchell is a social analyst and diversity strategist. She's a journalist right now. Shereen, is a social analyst and diversity strategist. She's a journalist right now. Shereen, this really is important. And what happens is a lot of parents, they don't know what their kids are doing. They're in their rooms. They're in a basement. They're playing games. They have no idea who they're communicating with. media people able to follow folks and really target them and befriend folks.

Next thing you know, your daughter is missing and never to be found because she's being human traffic somewhere. Not just in the country, but literally around the world. This does happen and it happens quite a bit. And the challenge that we have is the fact that at the end of the day, when it comes to black little black girls, there is an assumption that they're asking for or they're promiscuous and they're just going out to go do this. And that's not what's happening. They are being learned. They're all being tricked. The other piece of this is that the father believes that she was on an app. They don't know if it's a dating app or anything like that. And I really do

like strongly try to get parents to understand you have to be able to have monitoring on your child's phone if that is where one of the places are. If she's a gamer and she keeps to herself and you're realizing that she's kind of keeping to herself too much, she may be engaging with people that she doesn't know who their real ages are. They're not talking to each other exactly. Because if you hear voices, you can tell if you're speaking to a child or not, unless the voice is modified, which is another thing that can happen. And you have to make sure that in those moments, you are also having some form of tracking on your child's phones. I think that sometimes parents don't realize that when they are using the phones to give to children because they feel like they're keeping their child safe,

they're not doing all the other front-loaded steps, which are make sure you have the apps on there. iPhone has, like, a family unit where, as a parent, you can look at the apps that are being used the most. Those are the kinds of things you need to know. You have the ability to do that, but you have to do that on the front loading. For those people who have already given your children phones, understand you can still go back and have this conversation. But I do know during the summer, one of the biggest things that we're worried about, if children aren't actively engaged, they will probably engage more online. And since COVID,

which is the biggest part, so many were in virtual spaces that they will relegate to that space and have probably already engaged with people who may not be their age. And this feels like one of that situations that ended up turning out well, but that at the end of the day, the fact that she had a book bag underneath her sister's car, her debit card, like there was something more going on there. And we need to make sure that like when that story finally comes out to the details, that we have some sense of like how often this is happening and what, whether the lures that are allowing children to kind of say, well, I'll just go with this strange person, or maybe she showed up at that doorstep.

I don't know, 45 miles away is a long way to go without someone actually having to transport her. Well, look, I'll tell you, I'm a firm believer that if you have a child who's under 18, and I don't care, okay, I don't believe that that child should have, let's say it's an iPhone. I do not believe that child should have their own Apple ID. I believe that a parent should, first of all, completely share location. There's an app called Mama Bear.

I think that's what it is. My wife put that on all my nieces' phones. That way, if they were actually in the car with somebody, that app shows you how fast that car is driving. It shows you where they're going. We can track their movements at any time. And by you controlling that Apple ID, you control what gets deleted off of that phone. Yes. deleted off of that phone. And so I just believe parents have to be far more aggressive in making it clear to their kids that I'm paying for that phone.

You're not just going to do whatever you want to because, again, that phone, if it's used properly, you can be sure to be constantly tracking your child because we do way too many of these stories where a young girl comes up missing was on her way from school on her way from work on her way from church or whatever and then she's vanished and there's no way to actually track her whereabouts yeah i think that sometimes people misunderstand the use of the phone i think that i think initially the way even I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time,

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

dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on

June 4th. Ad free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glod. And this is season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit man we

got uh ricky williams nfl player hasman trophy winner it's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves music stars marcus king john osborne from brothers osborne we have this misunderstanding of what this quote- drug man, Benny the butcher, Brent Smith from shine down. Got be real from Cypress Hill, NHL enforcer, Riley Cote, Marine Corvette,

MMA fighter, Liz Caramouch. What we're doing now isn't working and we need to change things. Stories matter. And it brings a face to it. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real.

Listen to new episodes of the war on drugs podcast podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Sometimes as dads, I think we're too hard on ourselves. We get down on ourselves on not being able to, you know, we're the providers. But we also have to learn to take care of ourselves. A wrap-away, you got to pray for yourself as well as for everybody else.

But never forget yourself. Self-love made me a better dad because I realized my worth. Never stop being a dad. That's dedication. Find out more at fatherhood.gov. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council. The thing that was happening with the phone was that this was just a way for you to stay in contact with your child. There's way more to that, especially now with all the different apps that they can have access to, like Discord and the gaming software. There's so many different ones where you would still need to be able to see what's happening in that regard. I do think that parents need to rethink about how they are approaching having the conversation about why you're giving your child a phone and making sure

that they understand that there's not only rules, but that you are watching. Because if they realize or believe that their parents are constantly watching, even their behavior will change a little bit in terms of what they participate in and what they don't. I also think that when it comes to the sort of experience about after school, sometimes the cyberbullying happens. So it's not just about them being, you know, taken by a predator. It's also trying to engage in some of the things that's happening to your child while at school. If there's cyberbullying or anything like that going on,

you want to know about that because most schools don't actually take any actions if any of that stuff happens while you're at home. So you need to know what the rules are even at the school, because she left school, and there's something important to be understood about the amount of time that you know where your child is at school and then what they need to do afterwards as they're getting home.

So I really do think that there's a combination. I do not think the schools have helped in this direction as much as I would like, but there are schools that do have rules that allows people to understand what should be done or not done with the phones while at school, but then what should be done afterwards. I do think parents are struggling in many ways about all the different apps and understanding the technology. I understand that tension. That's why you need to know what those apps are yourself.

It's really important to have a sense of what games they're playing, what apps they're using, and you use them too so you know how they work. That is important. Questions from our panel. Atlanta is a huge area for human trafficking. Renita, you first. Yeah, thanks, Roland. Thanks, Charlene, for your work. I was going to say the same about Atlanta being a hub for sex trafficking due to our airport. So we actually get a lot of education and messaging around what sex trafficking looks like. And so I'd like for you to talk about two things, Charlene. One, that we also need to watch, talk about the risk for little boys as well, even though we know girls are sex trafficked more often.

But then secondly, also more examples of what sex trafficking looks like, because there's still far too many people who think that it's always going to be somebody gets snatched off the street and put into an unmarked white van. And that's not really how it's happening. It is not. You know, it's very thank you for saying that. And it's also not always stranger danger, even though this scenario that we just talked about was stranger danger. Sometimes it is people that know your children. And on average, for missing and exploited children, they've said that a lot of times these are actually people that you know. I think in the story with this young woman, a neighbor said she had no idea. She wasn't even paying attention to what might be going on across the street. Like, you have to pay attention to that.

If you're seeing your neighbor doing something kind of, you know, weird with children, like, that's another example. And it isn't just, like, being snatched and ripped away. It is a constant method of being lured into thinking you're in a relationship or in a friendship with someone that they're garnering their trust before anything happens at the moment that they choose to come for your child. And, yes, it does also happen to boys. I just want to make sure that that's clear. It's just that the numbers for girls are higher. And the same thing does happen in the terms of, and please be clear,

I'm not just laying at the feet of gaming, but that is how a lot of the interactions begin, because they're playing games together, because they're getting to know each other. They're learning to trust each other through the games. But they're also experiencing other things. They're doing, like, online chats and video chats. And that is also happening. And sometimes those video chats are not actually their profiles.

And I don't think children always know that. I think that they assume that everyone is being authentic and they're not always the case. And I really do think it's really important to realize that it's not just stranger danger. It is a racket as well. Like, it is a practice. Also, we've had situations where even there have been, you know, human trafficking rings with the police department. Like, we have to make sure that we're paying attention to all the places in between. So thank you for asking that question.

Omar Congo. So one of the questions that I had is, in addition to what you're talking about, what we need to do, and thank you for all of your work and dedication on this. Seriously, as a parent of three, you're saying things that are having me be mindful of, checking to make sure I'm doing things right in terms of the device work. I've been working with screen time and all of that, but I definitely am thinking of more things to be done. I never heard of Mama Bear, so that's getting downloaded tonight. But the question I had is, what are some of the things that we as parents should be doing before the tech space, right? You know, the things that we should be doing with our children to make them even feel comfortable to possibly talk about interactions that we're having? Because I know that's something we also struggle with as parents, just being able to communicate with our

child. Yeah, I think that's one of the things I find is that parents are struggling over. It's like what to talk about with your child, when to talk about it. We're watching different aspects because if you wait too long to have those conversations, then all of a sudden there's something happening and now you have to course correct. You want to be more preventative than reactionary. Let's just make sure that that's clear. That's why the process of like making sure they know that you're paying attention, that you hear them in certain conversations that they're having. If they come home and they, they, they, they're, you know, they're not, you could tell that they're had a bad they come home and they're, you know, they're not,

you could tell that they had a bad day, like start asking more questions. Make sure you know who their friends are because, you know, the exchanges that are happening, it happens to do with other children. Sometimes other children are being used to lure your children. So like just understand, like sometimes it's not an adult. Sometimes the initial lure is another child who's already been trafficked, right? There's that to pay attention to as well. So I do think that like making sure you have this conversation, not just about like your body, the autonomies kind of thing, which I think is really important, but to understand like when you feel like you're not in a safe space, make sure like you feel comfortable enough to come to one of your parents, whichever one. Or there's another adult in the family that you may feel like you can trust to at least give some information.

But I think sometimes parents are avoiding the conversation to even know who their friends are and having a good sense of like the people they're surrounded by in order to sort of just let them be comfortable with not to intervene. You should make sure that you're at least intervening in some way in some of those conversations, even if they're minor, that your child knows that you are paying attention to them. That's important even before the tech. Julianne? Shereen, I appreciate you. You know, we go back and you do great work. So I just appreciate you so much. And I think this is so important. There are a couple of things that I want to just kind of drill down on. First of all, we're seeing young people committing suicide more frequently. And I'm wondering what the interaction with that and the online presence,

some are being cyber bullied, others don't know how to talk to people. I mean, I think that's really a huge issue. But the second piece of this is what parents, you've spoken to it, but speaking, what can parents do? How can parents really create firewalls between their young people and this predatory intrusion into their lives? But the suicides first, please. Yes. Hey, Julianne. Good to see you. It's been a long time. So that's what I was talking about with the cyberbullying, because a lot of it happens at school. And you as a parent, you need to understand what the protocols areying, because a lot of it happens at school. And you, as a parent, you need to understand what the protocols are at the school. I think it's really important

because sometimes I think there's more going on that meets the eye. And there's assumptions that children are getting along when they're not necessarily. There's bullying in a way that comes from school and then goes through the phone later on in the evening. The fact that we're having more of this is a combination of the isolation, which is what we went through because of COVID, that story about the young girl that was just found, she was quiet, silent, alone.

Those are alarm bells. As a parent, you need to be paying attention, like something's going on. Does she have friends? If you're saying she was always alone, that means that she was having conversations with someone to make her even decide to go do this. So you have to, as a parent,

I know our jobs are difficult as it is, but you do need to make sure you're understanding what the school protocols are. And if there is students that they're having problems with. Sometimes children don't want to tell you because they don't want to get other children in trouble. They don't want to tell you because they don't want to look like a snitch. You know how that goes. And they don't want to tell you because they think that if you show up, you'll make it worse. So you have to be able to have a combination of ways to approach what's happening with them and to

ensure that you're able to speak to them because that isolation feeling as if they have no one to protect them, no one around them, can happen at different points. A lot of it because of the constant mis- and disinformation that are also being sent as children and they're trying to navigate a world now that has a lot more voices than just a few of their classmates and their immediate family. And that has changed the dynamic for us. And then the last part, it's not necessarily a firewall. It's that you need to be able to, if you need to cut the phone off at some point because you need to know what's actually going on on that phone, take the phone and figure out what's happening. One of the most important things

that you always make sure you let your child know, I think Roland was talking about having the IDs, you need to let them know you have passwords. The passwords have to go through you. They cannot change those passwords without you. Those are good ways to make sure that notifications come to you. Make sure they're coming to your email. Make sure they're coming to you via text. Those are good ways to have a way to like have a little bit of a firewall where you see something alarming that you can come to your child and say, hey, I see something wrong. Let's make sure that we're like addressing where this is going. The external predator piece is, you know, we have moved into a place where they have learned which games the children are playing that they can go into and not be seen, like Roblox, things like that. Like, you need to, if your child is playing on

Roblox, understand some of the people they're playing with, because there's no voice, are not actually children. So you need to make sure, like, where they're going and making sure you have certain protocols in place that make sure that they can't play with people who aren't above 13. Now, here's the kicker to that. Although I said that, the adult can claim to be 13. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes.

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

Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glod. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. I'm Greg Glod. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. We are back.

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

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

Stories matter and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Set up goals. Don't worry about a setback. Just save up and stack up to reach them.

Let's put ourselves in the right position. Pre-game to greater things. Start building your retirement plan at thisispreetirement.org. Brought to you by AARP and the Ad Council. Right. So that's where you have to make sure you're paying attention to what's happening so uh real quick before i gotta go to break here and so here's why for everybody who's listening why i'm making the point about uh the passwords first and foremost let me be perfectly clear to every parent who's out there your child cannot have an encrypted app. Let me be perfectly clear. You should not allow your child to have WhatsApp. You should not allow your child to have a wire. You should not allow them to have signal because, one, you can't track the communications.

That's one. The reason I also believe parents should control the Apple ID and the password is that if you have the Apple ID and the password is that if you have the Apple ID and the password, you can ensure that those text messages are actually shared via iCloud. Now, you're only going to be able to see, again, which one of those come in. But now, again, somebody's watching. They probably say, man, Roland, that's just too much. No, it's not.

Because maybe when they turn 16, you want to let up. But I'm telling you right now, you don't want to experience that child comes up missing. You don't want to experience that the child gets abducted. And so you make clear to your child, when your ass grown, then you can do what you want to do. But as long as you reside under this house, you abide by my rules and my phone, you're using my Wi-Fi, I'm setting all rules. Because again, folks,

we do these stories every day. And the reality is, black girls are coming up missing. They're not being found like white girls. The story we did earlier, yeah, that was great, but it does not happen a hell of a whole lot when it comes to folks being found safe. And so we want to protect our children.

And if you've got to be that hard-ass parent, well, suck it up, because I'd rather them have a life as an adult than you burying somebody or you never see your child again. And that's the case for a whole lot of parents. Shereen, we appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Thank you. Folks, going to break. We come back. We've got some headlines. We'veereen, we appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Thank you. Folks, going to break. We come back. We got some headlines.

We got Fit, Live, Win. We also will hear from Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner about our National Juneteenth Freedom Festival beginning next year. And Reverend William Barber preached his last sermon yesterday at Greenleaf. And in that sermon, he talked about why Juneteenth should be a sober occasion. We'll share with you what he also said, and we'll segue from that into the post-screening pound discussion of Apple Plus' swagger here at the Naval Memorial in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C.

You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered right here on the Black Star Network. black star network a real uh revolutionary right now thank you for being the voice of black america all momentum we have now we have to keep this going the video looks phenomenal see this difference between black star network and black owned media and something like cnn you can't be black owned media and be scared it's time to be smart bring your eyeballs home you You dig? That was a pivotal, pivotal time. I remember Kevin Hart telling me that. He's like, man, what you doing, man? You gotta stay on stage.

And I was like, ah, well, I'm like, ah, I ain't gonna, you know, y'all think I'm there, I'm good. And he was absolutely right. What show did you have at that? This was one-on-one. Got it. During that time. And I was at that? This was one-on-one. Got it. During that time. So you're doing one-on-one, going great.

Yeah. You making money. You like... I'm like, I don't need to leave. I don't need to leave from Wednesday, Thursday to Sunday. I just didn't want to do that. You know, it was just like, I'm gonna stay here. Oh, I didn't want to finish work Friday, fly out,

go do a gig Saturday, Sunday. I was like, I don't have to do that. And I lost a little bit of that hunger that I had in New York. I would hit all the clubs and run around. Sometimes me and Chappelle or me and this one or that one, go to the Comedy Cellar at 1 in the morning. I mean, that was our life. We loved it.

You do two shows in Manhattan, go to Brooklyn, leave Brooklyn, go to Queens, go to Jersey, and I kinda just, I got complacent. I was like, I got this money, I'm good, I don't need to go, I don't need to go chase that, because that money wasn't at the same level that I was making, but what I was missing was that training. Yes. Was that, was that.

And it wasn't the money. It was the money, you know, it was that, that's what I needed. Hello, I'm Jameah Pugh. I am from Coatesville, Pennsylvania, just an hour right outside of Philadelphia. My name is Jasmine Pugh.. I am from Coatesville, Pennsylvania, just an hour right outside of Philadelphia. My name is Jasmine Pugh. I'm also from Coatesville, Pennsylvania.

You are watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. Stay right here. All right, folks, health issues are vital. And, of course, we are impacted greatly by a number of health issues. And so what can we actually do to prevent some of really a lot of these things, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer, all kind of important for us to actually fight against. It hurts us in a huge way. Joining us right now, now folks is Jesse Thompson, nutritionist, founder of the DetoxNow.com in Atlanta, Dr. Amon Benjamin, a certified

master herbalist and naturopathic specialist. We talk about these three diseases and they are quite significant and so how do we get folks to begin to understand that they're just simply they're not just guaranteed that we have to actually get them? Well, first, you know, let me start by saying happy Juneteenth. OK, and health is real wealth. This is why we got to tackle it. Right. As always. So, number one, as we celebrate our true liberation, let's talk about the fact that we need to take preventable health issues. It's about education, Roland, that are actually causing people of color to suffer and die more frequently than any other demographic. You listed them. They were actually, there are fibroids, there are more that are actually contributed to by

three preventable health issues. And we want to focus on what we call the preventable three, which are vitamin D deficiency, inflammation, and hormonal imbalance. The African-American community is in a health crisis. We are suffering and we are dying more frequently than any other demographic from these preventable health issues. Issues that we can fix with supplementation, issues that we can fix simply, such as high blood pressure. We've got 55% of African Americans have high blood pressure as compared to 27% of whites. Diabetes, we have 77% of African Americans are diagnosed more, all right? 77% more are diagnosed versus white Americans. And then when you look at type two diabetes, we're talking about blacks and Latinos making up 40 to 60% of those who are

diagnosed with the disease. And we've talked about fibroids many a time, right? Fibroids, up to 26 million people are affected. Black women, up to 90% of them are black women. And when it comes to cancer, black people actually have the highest death rate and the shortest survival rate. So for us, what we want to do is educate them about the three preventable things that they can tackle that will make a huge difference specifically in all of these outcomes. And they are, as I mentioned, vitamin D deficiency, inflammation, and hormonal bounds. Doc, if we would, and so how do we break through? Because so many people are naturally about, well, let's go to pharmaceuticals as opposed to going natural. Right. So those numbers that Coach Jesse just gave

is pretty frightening, right, Roland? And I'd just like to say on a side note, I love the dashiki. I should have worn mine today myself. But no, seriously, those numbers are frightening. And what we see is a combination of Big Pharma and the food industry working together and collaborating together

to push their own personal agenda over. Now, when we look at our urban or our black communities, what do we see? We see food deserts. We see lack of resources for health care and health providing. We see lack of education. We don't have any form of access to natural foods. But we still can do some things that doesn't cost a lot of money and make some smart choices when it comes to our health. For instance, we can, there's no benefits in drinking alcohol, not even socially. We can cut down on smoking narcotics. We can cut down on smoking hookahs, going to the club, eating fast food, processed food, fried food, refined sugars, you know, dairy, gluten, wheat, we can

cut down on these things. And if we just cooked more, if we just cooked a healthy meal, and it doesn't even necessarily have to be organic, right? But it can just be cooked with, you know, extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil, some natural spices, we will resolve 80% of those statistics that Coach Jesse just read out from high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, obesity, just to name a few. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution.

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

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

of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams,

NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug ban. Benny the Butcher.

Brent Smith from Shinedown. Got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Caramouch. What we're doing now isn't working and we need to change things. Stories matter and it brings a face to them. It makes it real.

It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts.

We asked parents who adopted teens to share their journey. We just kind of knew from the beginning that we were family. They showcased a sense of love that I never had before. I mean, he's not only my parent, like he's like my best friend. At the end of the day, it's all been worth it. I wouldn't change a thing about our lives. Learn about adopting a teen from foster care. Visit AdoptUSKids.org to learn more. Brought to you by AdoptUSKids, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Ad Council. We could actually cut those statistics down by 80% by just eating,

cook food, getting some rest, getting exposed to daylight, sunshine, doing some exercise. And I don't mean like cross fitness or whatever, but just simply walking in the park, doing some exercise, and I don't mean like cross fitness or whatever, but just simply walking in the park, doing some running or jogging now and again. If you've got access to a gym, you know, working out with weights for like 20 to 30 minutes, things like that, things that are affordable and accessible for us in our community. If we just started to implement some of those things there, I'm telling you, Roland, we would see a massive, massive decrease on those statistics where we're at the top of every health or chronic health disease that's going in the United States. Black people are at the top, followed by our Latin or Latino brothers and sisters. Yeah. Questions from the panel. I'll first start with you, Julianne. So y'all talked about inflammation.

How do people know that they have inflammation and what does inflammation mean and what do we do about it? I mean, I hear a lot about you have inflammation. So what does that mean and what do people do about it? Excellent question. So we have two forms of inflammation.

You've got acute inflammation and chronic inflammation. Acute inflammation is something that's a long term. It can be caused by injury, abuse. You know, if you bounce into something, you get a bruise or damage to a ligament or a tissue. And that usually clears up after a couple of weeks. But when we're dealing with chronic inflammation, that's known as like long-term inflammation. It has a longer process.

Now, you get exposed to free radicals, cytokines, and these chemicals start damaging your cells and your tissues. Now, that leads to some critical or devastating health conditions. How do we get a buildup of this? Well, with chronic inflammation is that it's abusing the body. It's eating things that cause high levels of inflammation in the body, inflammatory response, what we call it. So like refined sugars, refined and processed food, junk food, Wendy's, Popeyes, things like that, of that nature, et cetera. Drinking carbonated beverages, Coca-Cola, right? Eating potato chips, eating late at night, eating too much, not exercising enough. All of

these things are ingredients to build up inflammatory and inflammation inside the body. Omar Congo. One of the questions I have is about our schools. I speak a lot in schools, public, private, and charter schools. And I noticed two things. One, the diet at the cafeteria is a lot different in our poorer schools versus the wealthier schools. But another thing I noticed two things. One, the diet at the cafeteria is a lot different in our poorer schools versus the wealthier schools. But another thing I noticed is that it's often the same company providing the foods to both all types of schools. So there's a priority that's been made there. What can we do to challenge what's happening with our kids as it relates to the diets they're getting in their schools? You want to answer that one, Coach Jesse, or you want me to take it?

Well, I think the biggest thing is education. When it comes to what's going on in our children's schools, we have to be present, right, as parents. We have to fight for that. We actually have to communicate. Like, I went into my daughter's school. I said, wait a minute, why aren't the apples organic when we know that apples are part of the dirty dozen, right? And point out the inequities and fight the inequities. They are true. You know, and again, I want to tackle because food is one thing. And we know, you know, we've had a million of the

fitness live win sessions by now. Right. And everybody knows they need to eat better, but guess what? They still don't eat better all the time. Right. And everybody knows they need to eat better. But guess what? They still don't eat better all the time. Right. And I think that's a key thing, because for us, that's why our thing is helping people to supplement to prevent, because the truth is too many people may not make all the right decisions. But however, there are things that you can change with the proper supplementation. For instance, let me take vitamin D deficiency. All right. Vitamin D deficiency is a huge thing. Up to 76% of African-Americans are actually vitamin D deficient. And why is that important? Well, it's because people that are of color, if you have melanin, you are most likely vitamin D deficient because our melanin actually blocks the sun.

Okay. And the sun is? And the sun is the number one source of the UVB rays that our body uses to convert and create the vitamin D hormone. Now, what does that mean? It leads to many, many conditions, which include, for my sisters, hair loss, insomnia. It can lead to many, many health issues, serious health issues, cancers, autoimmune concerns, cardiovascular diseases. So guess what? We as black people need to be supplementing every day to prevent these kind of health conditions. Because in other words, when you go to get the midday sun that you need, you're usually at work when the midday sun is available and your melanin blocks the sun. That's why we created this kit called the Prevention

Daily Kit that has vitamin D for your vitamin D deficiency. It has a hormonal balance supplement, strength for men, balance for women, for them specifically to address the hormonal imbalance. And then it has our mass supplement to address the inflammation that they deal with, because we need support and help where we're in with things that I can fix that in a 30 second solution. I can take the supplement to support my body so that I have what I need. Even when I know I still need to work on my nutrition, I still need to work on all these. There's the stress. Roland, listening to that segment that was before us, black and missing. That's one of the reasons black people have inflammation, chronic inflammation, because our stress levels are so high. Right. Well, vitamin D hormone actually helps your body regulate your stress response.

So when black people are vitamin D deficient, the stress has an even greater impact on their bodies. So and also it fights fibroids. Understand it helps your body. It's the number one hormone in your body that helps your body fight and shrink fibroids. So black people vitamin deficient is huge. I just wanted to also answer that brother's question about what we can do with the school systems. And it kind of overlaps to what was the earlier discussion. As parents, we need to get more involved.

We need to get on those committees, those councils, sit on those panels of the Board of Education so we can now push our objectives and agenders forward. So when we're talking about nutrition, right, we can bring the education forward to the educational board to say, listen, do you know that these types of food are leading to these personality disorders that we're seeing our children have every day? So that's how we get involved in the schools. We need to be proactive. We need to get on these boards. We need to get on these committees. We need to get on these

committees. We need to have a voice and we need to just educate. And it starts from home. The same way when on the previous show, when you're saying the parents have to monitor what's going on, on these children's phones, what apps they've got, et cetera. Well, we also have to monitor what they're putting inside their body. We also have to monitor what they're exposed to on a day-to-day basis, whether eating or what they're drinking, because body. We also have to monitor what they're exposed to on a day-to-day basis, whether eating or what they're drinking, because that is just as important. It leads us to the other topic about hormone and imbalance. Hormones are chemicals that flow through the body, through the bloodstream. If there is a tip of a hormone going out of whack. It's like a cascade.

I almost class hormones like when you go to the opera and you see the musicals and you see all of these different instruments playing. If one instrument, a violin or trombone, is out of tune, it throws the whole orchestra off. That's how our hormones are. So if we've got too much estrogen or we have too much testosterone

or too little of these things, it throws off our hormones. And then we call or we look at a condition of hormone imbalance. And we know what that does with women. And we know what it does with men. Now, when we're looking at our children and in our communities,

what are we exposed to? Well, we're using all of these chemicals, all of these deodorants, cosmetics, plastics. These are endocrine disruptors and they cause or they produce a chemical that is called xenoestrogen, which is it's a Mickey Mouse hormone to the natural hormone called estrogen, okay? So, xenoestrogen now, when that enters into the body, into the bloodstream, what that does, it elevates or accelerates your natural estrogen receptors, which then, in turn, starts producing more estrogen, and then you become estrogen dominant. With women, when they're suffering from estrogen dominance, they can experience much more heavier periods, cramps,

blood flow, et cetera, but it also can lead to breast cancer, endometriosis, uterine fibroids. When it comes to men, because men, we can suffer from endocrine disruptors as well, and it affects our hormones just like it does with women so when men become estrogen dominant we can now start experiencing erectile dysfunction low sperm count um prostatitis prostate man boobs weight gain um hair loss um irritation or mood swings and even insomnia ourselves so these are serious chemicals that we are exposed to and our children from a young age that are exposed to every day so we need to be mindful we need to clean up our acts and we need to clean up our community and we have to do it with education and we have to do it as a collective because we are

dying we are dropping like flies um that's why when the panic i don't have much time left sorry i i gotta go to i gotta go to renita for a question we need to go um obviously prevention is going to be the best but what are your top three tips for reversing let's just say high blood pressure and diabetes, for example, top three tips. Okay. So one of the first things I would say is remove or dairy, remove or refined carbohydrates, processed food, junk food from your diet. Start getting some good sleep, exercise, and sunlight. Those will be some of the basic things that you do. Cook, food, exercise, and sunlight, as well as getting our prevention free.

Definitely. All right, folks. I certainly appreciate both of y'all being on the show. Thank you so very much. Thank you. Thank you for having us, Roland. All right, going to break. We'll be right back.

Roland Martin, Unfiltered on the Blackstone Network. On the next A Balanced Life with me, Dr. Jackie, people can't live with them, can't live without them. Our relationships often have more ups and downs than a boardwalk roller coaster, but it doesn't have to be that way. Trust your gut. Whenever your gut is like, this isn't healthy, this isn't right, I don't like the way that I'm being treated, this goes for males and females.

Trust your gut, and then whenever that gut feeling comes, have a conversation. Knowing how to grow or when to go. A step-by-step guide on the next A Balanced Life on Blackstar Network. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops call this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.

Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1. Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and

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

Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug thing is. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown.

We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corps vet. MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working, and we need to change things. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real.

It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Sometimes as dads, I think we're too hard on ourselves. We get down on ourselves on not being able to, you know, we're the providers, but we also have to learn to take care of ourselves.

A wrap-away, you've got to pray for yourself as well as for everybody else, but never forget yourself. Self-love made me a better dad because I realized my worth. Never stop being a dad. That's dedication. Find out more at fatherhood.gov. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council. About blackness and what happens in black culture.

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$50 this month. Waits $100,000. We're behind $100,000. So we want to hit that. Your money makes this possible. Checks and money orders go to P.O. Box 57196, Washington, D.C., 20037-0196. The Cash App is $RM Unfiltered.

PayPal is RMartin Unfiltered. Venmo Sign RM Unfiltered. PayPal is RMartin Unfiltered. Venmo is RM Unfiltered. Zelle is Roland at RolandSMartin.com. Hello, I'm Marissa Mitchell, a news anchor at Fox 5 DC. Hey, what's up? It's Sami Roman and you are watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. Folks, Saturday in Houston, we talked to a variety of folks for our economic empowerment session. One of them was the mayor of Houston, Sylvester Turner, where we also discussed our plans,

the Black Star Network, in partnership with the Urban Age Network, to launch the National Juneteenth Freedom Festival in Houston next year. Here's that announcement. I had this idea and then reached out to my brother, reached out to different people in Houston. I said, Mayor, we've got to make sure. And so we began to meet with different folks, met with the folks over at Houston First. And so I am proud to announce with the mayor that beginning next year,

we're going to be holding the National Juneteenth Freedom Festival here in Houston. Black Star Network, my partners with Urban Edge Network. Our goal is to have our exhibits, have concerts, bring our tourists in, but really make Houston the centerpiece of Juneteenth celebrations because that's the way it should be and everything coming from here. And, look, let me thank you, Roland. You reached out. We want to be fully supportive.

You know, I saw that last year. You know, you try not to be jealous or envious or whatever. But, you know, I said CNN, going to L.A., talking about Juneteenth. I mean, I was at my home and I said, what the hell? I mean, that's fine. But you can't ignore the fact that General Granger came to Galveston and on that veranda read Article 3. And you can't ignore the fact that after he read it, and quite frankly, before he got to the last line, those slaves, some of them already taken off, you know, heading down to Freedman's town to move forward. And then when he finished it, the others, well, there were some, because even when they were told that they were free, you know, just the words don't set you free.

Right. You got to set your mind free. Right. So there were some who were still standing still after the man said y'all were free. So many of them stayed at Galveston. But the rest of them took off. So how can you ignore that? I've got to give my brother, good friend, former state representative Al Edwards. Yes, sir. former state representative al edwards yes sir i gotta give him a lot a lot of credit because al took a lot of crap in the legislature well i was in dc tuesday for the juneteenth concert of the white house his son was there uh and and and uh saw opal lee there gave gave her

respect i told a whole bunch of people there, I said, let me be real clear. I said, first of all, y'all, this was a state holiday in Texas first. I said, and it was my Alfred brother, Representative Edward, and I said, let's not lose sight that it was a whole bunch of folk for years and decades who were saying it should be a federal holiday. Right. So, you know, I certainly want to acknowledge you, Al Edwards, because if we are not careful, we will rewrite our own history. And that's precisely why I said, no, we've got to do this thing, National Festival in Houston, multi-event.

And we want it done big. Oh, yeah. multi-event. And we want it done big. I won't be the mayor next year when it happens, but I can certainly help feed the success of the program while I'm here. I don't know who the next mayor will be, but I know that I'm the mayor right now. So we're already planning to assist for next year. Yes, sir. And so when I was in D.C. and I pulled Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Leah aside, I mentioned this. She goes, now, you know, I'm sponsoring this Juneteenth trail. They got all this stuff.

Don't leave me out. I was like, Congresswoman, I got you. Breathe. I said, breathe. I'm not going to leave you out. I was like, breathe. Breathe. So I told her, I said, don't worry. Breathe. I said, breathe. I'm not going to leave you out. I was like, breathe. Breathe. So I told her, I said, don't worry about it.

I said, it's all good. Take your time. But thank you, Ro. Thank you for what you're doing. But the whole point of this is absolutely to make it big, make it national, and make sure those morning shows are broadcasting from here and being where we're telling the story. But not just telling the story, getting people to understand the locations freedman's town right uh emancipation park all of all that history there because you're right my fear and i've been telling everybody don't just be

having concerts right because normally we say it's a party with a purpose we're flipping this purpose with a party and economic freedom is going to be a part of that. And that's why we definitely want to do it here and keep it here. So I appreciate your support for it. And we're looking forward to doing it up. Well, you know, you're placing your name on it. And you know, you've got that national name you know you know you start the defender you know and now you you know you got that national brand so we want to take advantage of that national brand to now redirect the attention oh yeah to this particular region you know there are a number of national brands that are very interested in being sponsors as well.

So we definitely, I mean, we're talking about exhibits. We're talking about having different, all that stuff happening on Friday and Saturday, in addition to having the concerts, in addition to having empowerment panels and discussions, lectures, things along those lines.

And we wanted to really be centered. And as we talk about here, a major part, it would be utilizing African-American vendors and companies and wanting them out to showcase their wares. Because that's, for me, and I keep telling everybody, Juneteenth for us was not about just barbecue. We had voter registration taking place at Juneteenth events.

We had economic discussions. So when we talk about freedom, we're talking about freedom. And all of those issues are as pertinent today as they were 100 years ago. And in many, many ways, they're even more relevant and more pertinent. And information is empowerment. Yep. And if people, if we don't make sure that we educate ourselves and those that are coming after us, then we are shortchanging our future.

And you don't want to do that. So that's party. But at the same time, information is highly important and it's relevant today. So we want to make sure that we are working with you and providing the necessary support because you know I did go big or you go home and if you can't do it on a Houston style, Houston scale and I think that may be one of the reasons why they went to L.A. You know, maybe people felt, you know,

the Hollywood, you know, that imagery and, you know, maybe entertainers and stuff. And so they're looking at it from the Hollywood perspective. And then they say, well, you know, yeah, General Granger, Galveston, Houston. See, for me, that's always the problem. If you only want to focus on the Hollywood angle,

but you want to leave the history out, then... I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley

comes a story about what happened when a multibillion-dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated It's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

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

Brent Smith from Shinedown. Got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working, and we need to change things. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real.

It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Sometimes as dads, I think we're too hard on ourselves. We get down on ourselves on not being able to, you know, we're the providers, but we also have to learn to take care of ourselves.

A wrap-away, you got to pray for yourself as well as for everybody else, but never forget yourself. Self-love made me a better dad because I realized my worth. Never stop being a dad. That's dedication. Find out more at fatherhood.gov. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council. All it ends up being is just a concert. But we can do the history and we can give you Houston, Hollywood.

Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Let me, let me, just so folks know, I've already been, I've already put out my calls to connect with Beyonce Megan Thee Stallion Lizzo Bun B Yolanda Adams and so part of the goal is going to be to absolutely bring all of our musical influences together to support this and then be able to go from there. And let me tell you, that's one of the things that I wanted to do before I left. And it was a salute to many of our artists that roots are in Houston and they're acknowledged all over the world.

And as an African-American mayor, what I wanted to do is to take the time to love on them and to say thank you, thank you. Your hometown recognizes you. It hasn't been easy to pull them, you know, to kind of get them. We're having this, what we call Houston Arts in September. That will be announced real, real soon. But it's been hard to get them. And especially, Beyonce, she's on a concert tour. So when you're going every day, every day, every day, it's hard. But I do think it's important for this city to acknowledge the tremendous amount of talent that have come through this city, really in this city to acknowledge the tremendous amount of talent that have come through this city, reared in this city, and now they're all over the place.

And that's one of the reasons when talking to Houston First, when you brought up the idea, I mean, you know, you're Houston. So we need to be supportive of those whose roots are right here in this city, and partner with them. So that's one of the things I wanted to do. You know, Beyonce, I mean, she's Houston. When I first ran for mayor, she was on the runway as a fundraiser. She probably was about five or six, you know. And so it is important to acknowledge people

who have come through this city, and not just artists, but I think it's important for us to remember and acknowledge our own. Because otherwise, you know, if you want to be blessed, you have to be grateful. And in order to be grateful, you've got to remember. And if you don't do that, we shall change who we are and our future. So that's something that's, you know, we've got six months left,

and we'll see what we can make happen over the next six months. Well, absolutely. We're looking forward to it, and the planning absolutely begins now. Mayor Sylvester Turner, we appreciate it, my brother. Thanks a lot. It's always good to be with you, man. Yes,. Thank you. Thank you all. Happy Juneteenth, everybody. All right, Renita, you ready? I'm ready. So that was a great interview. Of a Congo. I'm sorry. Oh, no, no. You need to see the rest of

it because we talked about what he did for black businesses in the city. We talked to them, some black entrepreneurs and also the owners of the Turkey Leg Hut. Well, they gave we talked about how they built that whole brand really using social media. So we're going to be restreaming the whole conversation. People definitely got absolutely check it out. And I want to thank McDonald's for also being the sponsor of that Saturday event. Renita, go ahead. Yeah, I was just going to say that was a really important conversation. And I'm just loving two things. I'm loving the fact how both you and the mayor keep reinforcing that we got to make sure that the narrative stays straight on Juneteenth. The other thing is you all talking about how it should be centered in Houston,

centered in Texas as pretty much the universe for where things will originate to commemorate Juneteenth. And so I think that that's really important. I mean, you can't say it enough. As you've all said tonight so many times, we have got to make sure that we are laying the proper foundation for what Juneteenth will look like to commemorate it in this country so that it doesn't turn into what so many of the other federal holidays have turned into, where it's a lot of performative corporations putting out support and not really rooted in anything. So I really enjoyed that conversation. Omokongo.

One of the things that I really appreciated about the conversation is the connection that you're making with the artists, you know, the Megan Thee Stallions and the Lizzo's and everyone, because it's so crucial that, number one, they don't just end up in spaces like CNN or whatever celebration where they're out there performing for that, but also, you know, connecting with our community on a deeper level. I know that Megan and others do a lot of great, and Beyonce do a lot of great things in Texas and beyond. But I think it's important that we also connect them as vehicles

to help share this history out to their followers because they're reaching so many different people who aren't maybe watching us and are more interested in listening to things like The Breakfast Club and the like or whoever, it's very important that we continue to make those connections with our artists and our activists and our journalists and our political leadership so that we can really have a holistic approach to making sure that this history gets told and passed on as the mayor was talking about it. Because if we can do that, then we can really start to make a real progress

in terms of what's going forward with future generations. Julianne. I think it was a very impactful conversation. Mayor Turner has done really great work in his tenure. And I think you pulled out a lot from him about where he's coming from. I think it's also really important to look at Houston and Texas as the genesis of Juneteenth and to understand how Texas, Sheila Jackson Lee, Mickey Leland, his name isn't mentioned enough,

and others were so very important in lifting up Texas in terms of not only Juneteenth, but the crucible of Black liberation. So, Roland, congratulations. And Mayor Turner, we just appreciate you. And the entertainers are important, but I think also the scholars are. My basic takeaway was the interview you had with the brother Collins in Galveston. That's so important in terms of what's happened in Galveston and what's happened in terms of the way that amazing community has been washed away. So we just have to be still for a moment and then be ready to fight. Nothing is going to happen unless we fight.

All right. I want to thank all three of you for joining us on this Juneteenth. Renita Omokongo, Juliana, I really appreciate it. Thank you so very much. Folks, when we come back, I'm going to play for you the clip from Reverend Barbara's final sermon at Greenleaf on yesterday. Of course, he's heading over to Yale where he talked about Juneteenth. We'll also play a big part of his sermon there before we head into the theater for our Q&A with the cast and the creators of the Apple Plus show, Swagger. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Blackstar Network. network. On the next Get Wealthy with me, Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach,

I'm sure you've heard that saying that the only thing guaranteed is death and taxes. The truth is that the wealthy get wealthier by understanding tax strategy. And that's exactly the conversation that we're going to have on the next Get Wealthy, where you're going to learn wealth hacks that help you turn your wages into wealth. Taxes is one of the largest expenses you ever have. You really got to know how to manage that thing and get that under control so that you can do well. That's right here on Get Wealthy, only on Blackstar Network. Up next on The Frequency with me, Dee Barnes. She's known as the Angela Davis of hip hop.

Monet Smith, better known as Medusa the Gangsta Goddess, the undisputed queen of West Coast underground hip hop. Pop locking is really what indoctrinated me in hip-hop. I don't even think I realized it was hip-hop at that time. Right. You know, it was a happening. It was a moment of release. We're going to be getting into her career,

knowing her whole story, and breaking down all the elements of hip-hop. This week on The Frequency, only on the Black Star Network. Early in the show, we told you what Reverend William Barber had to say about Juneteenth in his final sermon yesterday at Greenleaf. Well, here it is in his own words. That is not a day really of celebration, but it's a day when the lie was undone. Y'all be careful now. Y'all be real careful. I'm talking Bishop Melvin.

They're trying to make this what it's not. They want you jumping around and drinking. That's not what Juneteenth is. It was a terrible day. For it was a day that folk found out they had been lied to. They got two extra years of bondage. And when they found out they were not happy,

they were, they decided to, now we got to fight sure enough for full citizenship. Don't let this world and this society take you and make another celebration. They already done that with King Holiday. They done turned that into something that ain't even like Dr. King. And now they're trying to make the same thing with Juneteenth. Juneteenth should be a time that you really ask the question, how much more will you fight for truth when people have lied to you and stolen from you? And so in that light. As I said, folks, Reverend Barber gave his final sermon as the pastor there at his church in North Carolina before he's heading over to Yale to lead a critical social change initiative there. And so we're going to play some of you of his final sermon there. And then we're going to segue.

We're going to break down outside here. We're going to go inside because I'll be moderating the panel with the cast and creators of Apple Plus' show Swagger created by Kevin Durant and Reggie Rock Bythewood. We want to thank partner with Apple Plus. I'm going to see y'all in about 12 or 15 minutes. Here is

my frat brother, Reverend Barbara, doing what he does, preaching that thing. Touch somebody and say, it's word time. Say, forget Barbara, forget Barbara. And say, sir, turn to them and say, sir, we would see Jesus. When I saw the matriarch stand up over there, because Jesus' name will mess her up, I've seen my mama be right down and then holler Jesus. And she ain't the same woman no more.

Any of y'all ever had that experience? You can be right down and then holler Jesus, and you ain't the same person. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes, but there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley

comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season One, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season One, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English.

I'm Greg Lott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner.

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

NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working and we need to change things. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real.

Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Here's the deal. We got to set ourselves up. See, retirement is the long game. We got to make moves and make them early. Set up goals. Don't worry about a setback. Just save up and stack up to reach them. Let's put ourselves in the right position.

Pre-game to greater things. Start building your retirement plan at thisispreetirement.org. Brought to you by AARP and the Ad Council. And so, the nurse was running and she dropped Mephibosheth. And he became crippled in both legs. Later, David said,

is there anyone in both legs. Later, David said, is there anyone still in Jonathan's house, the son of Saul, whom I may show kindness to? And he said, Mephibosheth, for the rest of your days, you shall now sit at the king's table. And the family of Ziba will serve you. I want this morning to try to teach and preach from the subject.

And ask you, would you consider the testimony of a cripple? Would you consider the testimony of a cripple about the grace and glory of God?

There is a common thread in the scriptures you heard read, and with Rick here today, a bona fide biblical scholar, I would suggest that there's a thread throughout the scriptures that God does his best work with cripples. Every main character that you heard read from second Corinthians to Isaiah to Matthew to Samuel is crippled, broken, handicapped. Is that your story too?

Somewhere in this room, there's not a person in here that does not have some crippling reality, some brokenness, some handicap. And yet, when you read the text, in some ways, their stories testify to the glory of God. I don't think we have yet got it in the church. He said, when you are weak. We work so hard to present how strong we are, and we think that's faith. But the Holy Ghost said through Paul,

when you are weak, therefore I rejoice in insults and sufferings and tribulations and when I have messed up. For when I'm weak, God is strong. Because where sin abounds, grace abounds even more. In Corinthians, the great apostle is crippled by design.

Took me 10 years preaching here to accept that. Because I had all these folk telling me something must be wrong with you, you must have done something. Took me 10 years preaching here to accept that. Because I had all these folk telling me something must be wrong with you. You must have done something. But Paul is crippled by design. He's crippled by the need for a spiritual governor. He has seen so much. And has been forwarded by God so many revelations in the Holy Ghost that he can't afford to walk around in good health because he'd be

too arrogant I got some witness in here Terry hoarder ones ain't gonna tell you but she's got some design crippledness you know how arrogant this woman could be? Bishop Melvin's got some design crippledness. The enemy might bring it, but God allows it. That's why the enemy can't ultimately use it to destroy you. The text says that God allowed Satan to restrict him in some ways. His crippledness revealed God's power. It was designed to reveal to the church and the world that God's grace and God's glory is most evident when we are weak.

So if we're going to boast about our faith, boast about spiritual and impulsive, you're going to boast in your weaknesses. Don't tell everybody how good you are. Tell them how you've fallen. And yet a good man falleth seven times, but the Lord lives. Tell them how you're hurt.

And yet in spite of your hurt, God keeps you. Tell them how you cry. In spite of how you cry. Point to God. And not to yourself. Then in the 12th chapter, Matthew, Jesus meets a man with a withered hand. The religious people wouldn't touch him because it was on a Sunday. It's amazing how folk will act on Sunday. I know folk that say they won't cuss in the church on Sunday.

I know folk who leave the communion table and then won't even speak to your waitress at McCall's. Touching them, it's just amazing what folk won't do on Sunday. McCall's. Such a name. It's amazing what folk won't do on Sunday. The man was crippled, been crippled, been disabled, so Jesus teaches to heal him. And it's interesting that the text says, and they decide

to kill him. I have learned in my life, particularly in social justice, people want to kill you for the least, the most foolish stuff. I got folk that have said they want to kill you for the least, the most foolish stuff. I got folk that have said they want to kill me because I fight for health care. I've had death threats standing up for a living wage. I was with Bishop Melvin one day.

We were at BB&T Bank before it became Truist, and a lightning bolt hit a tree, and it said, bang! And I didn't flinch. And she looked at me, and the first time, she's like my sister. She started, she kind of teared up. And I said, what's wrong with you? She said, for the first time, I realized that you really are prepared to die. You remember that? prepared to die. I said, because it's amazing, for goodness, folk will kill you. The Bible says,

when he healed a man's hand, the Pharisees, the church folk, the religious folk, the folk that think they better than everybody else plotted to kill him. But it was there that Jesus began to open up the text in Isaiah and said the reason they want to kill him is because they don't understand. That's how God works. A bruised reed, he doesn't break it. Now, if you go around religious folk and you bruise, they will break the hell out of you.

If you go around religious folks, if they see your fire about to go out and they halfway don't like you nowhere, they won't put a cloth on it. They'll get a wet cloth. But that's not how God is. That may be how you are. And you can live like that if that's not how God is that may be how you are and you can live like that if that's what you want to do but don't claim then to be Christian when you do that

because if you Christian a bruised reed you will not break and a smoldering flesh you will not put out people will break you when you're at your lawyers the ring flags. You will not put out. People will break you when you're at your lawyers and think they're doing

the will of God. In fact, Isaiah goes on to say, Jesus said, actually he says, I bring justice in the earth through the broken. I bring justice in the earth through the bruised I bring justice into earth through the bruised reeds.

Really, if y'all know why we have a drug, have a drug redemption conference here, it's because I got broken enough to know what it was like to be addicted. See how quiet it got in here? And that's after 30 years, and they still surprised. I was so sick and hurting so much, I took so much pain medicine and it was on my pain bed that I said, now I understand. You can hurt so bad that if somebody gives you some heroin, it had nothing to do with a bad person. A lot of stuff can become your drug.

Opioid, sex, heroin, cocaine. Get enough pain in your life. You don't know what you will do but for the grace of God. I wish I had a witness. Somebody wouldn't let me hang out here. And so if you're struggling this morning

with drugs, we still welcome you because of bruised reeds. God says, I got to synthesize some people because... I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun?

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

Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir.

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

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

Stories matter and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Here's the deal. We got to set ourselves up. See, retirement is the long game. We got to

make moves and make them early. Set up goals. Don't worry about a setback. Just save up and stack up to reach them. Let's put ourselves in the right position. Pre-game to greater things. Start building your retirement plan at thisispreetirement.org. Brought to you by AARP and the Ad Council. That's only how I can raise up prophets. There's got to be some person in the earth

who know what it's like and know the hurt of injustice in order to challenge injustice. Look at the Bible and how God has worked through bruised reeds and smoldering flask, the crippled and the cracked. Moses took on Pharaoh, but he was crippled.

Had a case for murder and he was a stutterer. You know Moses, I didn't do that. And yet all he needed to say was, let my people go. Jeremiah was crippled with depression. Don't ever misread that. Oh, that my head was a fountain of water. Rick will tell you as an Old Testament scholar, those Hebrew words, they point to deep mental problems, hurt, depression.

And yet it was Jeremiah who said, I thought I wasn't gonna talk no more in his name. But his word was like fire. It's Jeremiah that teaches us about the potter's house because he knows about it. He knows what it's like to be broken and need to be put back together again. Esther was crippled

because she lost both her parents before she was 12. Anybody lost a parent before you were even born? Or when you were young? Won't that cripple you in some way that folk don't understand? They don't even understand you.

They only understand why sometimes you don't even want to see days like Mother's Day or Father's Day because you don't even understand you. They only understand why sometimes you don't even want to see days like Mother's Day or Father's Day because you don't know whether to cry or shout or cuss or what. And yet God used Esther. Job came to see God clear when he was the sickest. After his children were dead, after he was sick, He said, I've heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eyes see thee with a new light. John the revelator was crippled because they threw him in exile. And if he wasn't crippled before they put him on Pat Moss.

See being on the island of Pat Moss is like being put in prison, in the worst prison and you got curly hair and you cute and you got to try to hear a word from the law in the shower talk Talk to me, somebody. ...in England that the church built an office study behind the pulpit, so he only had to take ten steps to the pulpit.

Alexander McLaren, they said, Mr. Patricia McLaren, you've got your flaws and faults, but the word of God is in you. And he preached to thousands. Isaac Watts wrote joy to the world, but hurt all of his life. Knew no personal joy.

Martin Luther King struggled with breathing from a stab wound from a black woman. First person to try to take Martin Luther King's life was not white folk, wasn't a K a stab wound from a black woman. First person to try to take Martin Luther King's life was not white folk, wasn't a Klan, it was a black woman. And later on, he had an anxiety. He really needed to be in some form of professional help. But what do you do when you're so dependent on by the people that you can't even hardly stop for a minute? Harriet Tubman was crippled with epilepsy. Fannie Lou Hamer, polio.

Fannie Crosby said, at the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light, and she could not see. Franklin Delano Roosevelt led the country for four terms in a wheelchair. Lord, if we had a Franklin Delano Roosevelt led the country for four terms in a wheelchair. Lord, if we had a Franklin Delano Roosevelt today. I mean, people talking about is Biden old enough? Franklin Delano Roosevelt was toti-totally crippled. He was the best president, some say, we've ever had. Led us through the Great Depression. Led us through the Great Depression. Led us through World War II.

And all of this leads me to say that when we talk about God, make sure in your understanding about God, you take time to consider the testimony of the cripple. Which is who I want to preach about for a little while this morning, a cripple named Mephibosheth. He was the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul. He was the son of the Jonathan who saved David's life from Saul, who meant to kill David. Oh, help me here.

Take some of this echo out. Saved him from his daddy Saul. Brother Melvin, I need you. He was the son of Jonathan. The grandson of Saul. Mephibosheth was just five years old when news arrived that his father and his grandfather had just been killed. In other words, Saul got his own son killed. What kind of parenting is that?

And both of them ended up being killed. And the nurse grabbed Mephibosheth, trying to run him away so that he too might not be killed. And she dropped him. Trying to help him, she dropped him. Trying to help him, she dropped him. And she injured his feet. And for the rest of his life, he did not have use of his legs. Despite the fact that he could have claimed the throne for himself.

He was in line for the throne. Mephibosheth ends up becoming a loyal member of David's house. But before all of that, he was dropped by a nurse. The violence of politics caused him to be dropped. I wonder how many people are being dropped right now in America. With all this craziness going on with all this back and forth with all these cultural wars

with people wanting to hurt gay people and hurt trans people and hurt immigrants and while we're doing that more people are dying from poverty than from homicide being dropped poverty than from homicide. Being dropped. Fear had him dropped. The truth is in life sometimes we all get

dropped. Touch your neighbor said I've been dropped in my life. Sometimes a bad job will drop you. Sometimes a bad job will drop you. Sometimes a bad marriage will drop you. Sometimes troubled families, because all of us didn't come from a two-parent family with two dogs and a half a house, oh no, no, will drop us. Sometimes when you be sexually abused like I was at a young age, it'll drop you. Situations come and they leave us dropped, and when we get dropped, we end up crippled in some way.

A doctor's report can drop you. Death of parents can drop you. Failure of parents can drop you. Abuse can drop you. Do I have a witness? Being raped can drop you. Economic hard times can drop you. Poverty can drop you. Political meanness and greed can drop you. Economic hard times can drop you. Poverty can drop you.

Political meanness and greed can drop you. People around you that don't mean well for you can drop you. Right now in this country, we're dropping people off Medicaid. Millions. What are they going to do? We hardly got out of the pandemic and we dropped young folk off of child tax credit and dropped them right back into poverty. We have people trying to make it on 725.

They've been dropped into low-wage jobs. In this text, the nurse is in a political bad time, and she was sincerely trying to help Mephibosheth, but in her rush and in her fear, she dropped him. I want you to take a moment and forgive folk who dropped you. I want you to forgive folk that you tried to make God and you thought they would hold you forever. But even people in their best can drop you.

And then I want you to ask God to forgive you for when you drop somebody. Being dropped, he became a cripple, an emotional cripple, a physical cripple, became a cripple an emotional cripple a physical cripple a financial cripple but before we go too far the first testimony is

even if you get dropped and find yourself crippled you're still here oh Lord have mercy can we take a moment right there I mean there's some more but tell your neighbor I'm still here.

There we have Tristan Mack Wilds. Fourth we have coming down Orlando Jones. Corriginal Wallace. And sixth we have Isaiah Hill. And last but certainly not least, Dr. Wesley, John Wesley Carlos. And your moderator for today is none other than Dean Roland Martin. Make some noise, guys. All right, got this one right here.

We good? Can you hear? All right, then, just making sure. Glad to be here. I can tell y'all Swagger, that first episode of season two. We want to start with you. A lot of people probably are shocked to actually see the absolute drop in attention that 12 and 13 and 14 year olds are not having to deal with when it comes to sports. Talk about developing this show and really honing in on that because it's not just about games. It's about big business now in America.

Sure. By the way, hi, Roland. What's up, Doc? Okay. We go back, y'all. We go back. Just a clarification. This is the fifth hour of season two.

Not the first. Okay, got it. And so in season one, we leaned a lot into 14 year olds um and and while it was really about sports and um just really wanting to be as authentic as possible and what we look at sports you know so we're very cognizant that there's a very famous 14 year old in American history who, um, life did not turn out the way we would have hoped, you know?

And so as Hill was always like sort of haunting in the background, and that's the thing about this series is that it, it is about, um, the game and what happens on the court, but beneath the surface, it's always about holding the mirror up to society and just really leaning into the characters. And Roland, if I may, just before we just go forth, can I just give a couple of quick

shout outs, please? Absolutely. Okay, cool. Just your show, go ahead. First off, to the audience, thank you very much for receiving the work that we did today. I do want to acknowledge someone who's helped me out with Swagger season one and season two, who is my right-hand man on set, assistant director Austin Devereaux. And if he's in the house, I'm not sure, but is our cinematographer Cliff Charles in the house?

No. He's not here? Okay, you can just give him a shout-out anyway, Cliff Charles. And then I just really need to shout out so many of the women that have really made me look good in the show. Someone who consulted and met with the writers, my cousin Allison Curry.

We have an amazing editor on this show, and you're going to have to stand, Angela. Angela Latimer, please stand. Imonique, you're such a great producer. It's easy to take it for granted. Imonique Lloyd. And the co-writer of what you just saw, my collaborator on the script, her first time seeing her work on a big screen. Happy Juneteenth, Raquel Baker. Stand up. Stand up. Stand up.

Yeah. And Isaiah, you just have a quick shout out? Yes. We want to thank CBS Studios. We want to thank Imagine Entertainment. We want to thank Kevin Durant and Boardroom. And last, we want to thank Apple TV+. All right. Reggie got more shouts than a Black Baptist preacher on first Sunday.

Wow. Isaiah. Yeah, I said it. I said it. And absolutely right. Happy Juneteenth from a native Texan. Now said it. And absolutely right. Happy Juneteenth from a native Texan. Now y'all get to celebrate. Y'all get to participate in what we've been doing my whole life.

So we're trying to show folk that, one, it's not a party with a purpose. It's a purpose with a party. So don't get caught up in the concerts. Never lose what the original intent of this day really was about. That's the continual quest for freedom. Isaiah, I want to go to you. It's hard for a lot of people to fathom a generation that's actually born into social media.

And one of the things that I think is a strong part of this is literally those constant daily pressures with social media brings a lot of these young athletes. How was that dealing with that, playing this role, and how that was integrated into the show? It sort of was another character, if you will, the social media in the show. Hold it a little bit higher so we can hear you. So social media is a character in all of our lives now. And, you know, I'm just blessed to be able to play Jace Carson. Thank you, Randy.

Thank you, Steve DeVal. I think, you know, there's a lot of comparisons out there constantly you know one of the biggest lessons jace learns in the first season is to control what he can't the struggle is the only part of life that you can't control. We see that once in a while too. And this year, Jace takes it on with an iron fist and wants to be poised

and just responsible at all times. So, you know, he kind of overcomes that mountain, but we all can overcome that mountain just by taking control in our lives of what we can and moving forward that way. that mountain but we all can overcome that mountain just by you know taking control in our lives of what we can and moving forward that way Chanel for a

long time when we talk about sports that was sort of this storyline that parents didn't quite understand all the different pieces now you talk about 70s 80s once you get to the 90s and 2000s, you have parents who are a lot more savvy. Today, they understand the business of the business. Speak to your character saying, no, you're not going to play me. You're making business decisions that will impact the character 10, 20, 30 years down the line. This can go along with like the previous thing you said, social media.

I do this. I know to ask these questions. He was like, hmm, that's a good one right there. This ain't my first rodeo. Go ahead. Yeah, to the previous question alluding to like the social media we now are exposed to it and we see it and we see uh michael jordan his his whole thing with the shoes i just saw air i know a little bit gotcha gotcha but uh um yeah we're talking now and we

are we're doing our research and for jenna she's a hustler. I believe our people are natural hustlers. She has Mary Kay, and she's a single mom. And so she just like Jason. She's not a hustler. She's an aggressive entrepreneur. Hey, that's what you got. I love that. I love it.

I love it. I got to use that. Yeah. An aggressive entrepreneur. There you go. Yeah, the Carson household. We're aggressive. There you go. Yeah, the Carson household. We're aggressive. Thank you.

I want to go to John because, John, you get this as a world-class athlete. You see I have a different perspective here. When you look at athletics today, it ain't sport. It ain't the love of sport. Absolute business. And so just weigh in terms of when you see this show, in terms of the storyline that it tells compared to when you were a high school athlete coming up, going to, of course, Mexico City 1968 at the Olympics.

Roland, you just said a mouthful. I hope I can put it in perspective. I told you this ain't my first time. Let me just say, first of all, thanks to Reggie and the crew, Swagger family, Kevin Garnett's family, uh, Kevin Durant's family. Thanks for giving me this opportunity.

This is a new phase of my life. Thanks to this young man here... and others that was able to really make me look good when I thought I would look so bad. I thank each and every one of you. You ain't going to look bad in that trim gray beard. Don't eat in front. You a zaddy.

Go ahead. I'm sorry. In 1968, from 1968 to the current day, they told me I earned this white hair. Well, first of all, let me just say, I love Swagger because Swagger, first of all, was a strong educational tool

to reach so many of our kids. Not just kids here in the United States, but kids on a worldwide level that will hear about Swagger through the education that they received from Swagger, through the emotion that was involved in Swagger, through the emotion that was involved in Swagger, through the passion that the individual actors displayed

in this particular segment here. It's just an honor for me to be a part of it, to know that this is something that's going to grow and is going to spread through America in terms of people talking about what they've experienced on this show, because we go through life a lot of times. We don't realize some of the things that we see on TV, as horrible as it may be, we have lived that life.

But we've lived it so long until we're immune to it. This will give us a perspective to see ourselves from the outside in, in terms of what our responsibility as young individuals, as well as our responsibilities as adults and parents. And to give us the opportunity to look at ourselves and say we can do better. We must do better. We will

do better. So once again, I'm just honored to be here. Commissioner, first of all, good to see you. Have not seen you since we talked about Annie, so that's been a while ago. Yeah, a long time ago. That's 10 years. Yes, indeed, indeed.

I love the inclusion of the fact that you play ball because what we've seen over the last year, literally the explosion of women's basketball. Record ratings this year, NCAA was happening, WNBA as well. And so from your

perspective, how critical is having that inclusion in the storyline on full well in real world, just the number of young women who are now playing sports and who are doing very well all across this country and the globe? I think it's very important. Sports has always been around me. I've been surrounded by it my whole life. So it was really important to me with this role to make sure I was the best I could be. I spent a lot of time training and working hard to make sure that I'm representing my young black women out here

that are athletes, that love the sport, that love to play, that love to represent. So this was really really important to me and i'm glad that i executed it the best that i could um yeah it's it's it's important to have that role model that person that young black women can look up to um And I hope that I achieve that as well. Cool, cool. Oh, what's happening? You play this educator. And the reason I think that role is quite interesting, again, just like when I say how

moms and parents have totally changed in terms of how they view it, it used to be a world where if you were the principal, you were the counselor, look, you play ball on the high school team. Now with basketball and baseball and other sports, they're just ignoring what's happening to the actual schools, and now they're essentially playing professional ball with AAU as well. From your perspective, again, trying to bridge the gap between essentially these many professionals, but still how important academics is.

Look, educating young people is a job unto itself. All right. Do we have another microphone? Yeah, go ahead. Check, check. That's better. Is that all right? Because we're also live streaming this on my Blackstar network. So I need to talk. Yes, there you go. There you go. See, when you own it, you can just do that.

I understood. Respect. Respect. Yes. Impressive entrepreneur. Precisely. Impressive entrepreneur. Precisely.

Look, I think what's beautifully written about it, when you talk about characters in the show, one of the characters in the show is obviously the music. So shout out to IDK. Shout out to Reggie and the way he's used the music in the show. It's so prevalent. Look, from my point of view, Emery's focus is on a much larger picture. His focus is not on the individual aspects of what's going on as much as it is transforming Cedar Cove into a more egalitarian, equitable place

for people who look like him to learn, right? So these four kids... Egalitarian, equitable, look it up later. I'm just messing with you. I'm going to do what I can. I'm just messing with you. I'm talking to Roland Martin, you know. Persnickety, you know. I'm just messing. I'm going to do what I can. I'm just messing. I'm talking to Roland Martin, you know. Persnickety, you know. I brought my Scrabble words up in here today. Respecting my Scrabble word game. I don't care what y'all say.

But I think it's a tricky balance, right? Professional sports is the family business. Every male in my family played professional sports. My father is an educator. One of the great lessons I've learned from my father is that each kid learns differently. And the way you reach each kid, there's no system to it, right? And we throw a lot of words and meanings at things, but a lot of times it's just trying to understand what that kid's going through

and giving them the tools they need to survive. So I think that's what Emory's trying to do. But at the same token, he's got a bigger fish to fry. Tristan, when you think about how you grew up, where you grew up, do you identify with various characters, folks, who you saw, and draw from that in terms of what you do? You mean on the show? Yes, in terms of drawing from personal life.

Because many of us who grew up in neighborhoods, we saw cats like Jace. We saw parents in the role that they played. Oh, I think very much so. We all, especially growing up in, you know, for anybody who doesn't know, I'm from Staten Island, New York. I grew up in a project called Stapleton. And when you come up in these neighborhoods like this, of course you see the kids that are like prodigetic of the sports that they could play, the things that they can do, and the parents that are right behind them

because they see it as like, this is our way out of this neighborhood. This is our way out of this neighborhood. This is our way out of this. So, of course, we've seen the Jennas. We've seen the Jaces growing up. I think it's a little more interesting now to see the, you know, nowadays we start to see the Alonzo Powers, you know, the guys who aren't necessarily the best at sports but they have such a aggressive entrepreneurial spirit prodigetic and prodigetic

that they that you're that they uh start to apply that elsewhere in the business and uh you get a chance to kind of really even a lot of times you know they'll they'll they're out for themselves but it's there there's somebody out there in our neighborhoods like that now so i think you see one of these characters and again like i said i'm from new york so you see the you know the jasons of you see you see everybody kind of like one of each character in our neighborhoods. Definitely. Reggie, the O'Shea Jackson character, I think, is so potent because the reality is there are more of him than Jason's. Those individuals who were phenomenal, who were awesome. But for whatever reason, for some, they got injured.

For some, it was academics. For others, it was drugs. For others, it was not handling the mental pressure. And I just think looking at that character, I mean, the guys who I grew up with as well, and they still are having to fight who they were and now have to now cast a new identity for the rest of their lives and then try to live up to what they were supposed to be talk about uh the nuances of writing and developing that character well you know, fatherhood plays a huge role just thematically throughout Swagger. And in particular with O'Shea's character, you know, he's haunted by the disconnect he and his father had.

And so he's always in many ways seeking redemption. And Jace opens up a door for that you know um but what's also fun from you know we talk about o'shea jackson jr fight from season one to where we are now in season two um it was very satisfying to see, like, the level of vulnerability that O'Shea found in season two, along with Isaiah Hill. And by the way, I told Isaiah, you know, when we wrapped season two, he's no longer a basketball player who can act. He's an actor who can play ball you know but um you know it's also amazing roland like the impact that coaches can have on our kids you know and when you have like a really great coach one of the things that we we did in our writers in our writers room we did so much research and one of

the things that came out of research was this this coach talked about this head coach that he was having static with. And he told the coach, it found its way in our storytelling, he told the coach that he has to think about the 22 and 2. There's two hours of practice, but what about the other 22 hours in the kid's life? And so that's really been a big theme. And then, you know, Dr. John Carlos visited our writers room via Zoom. And, you know, when you meet with someone like that, it helps you elevate the storytelling, helps you elevate Ike's character and everyone else's character because you reach it for something else. Now, who thought they were real hoopers before this show?

Who thought they could just ball? Only the guys who was actually hoopers. First of all, we all thought we could ball. It's all ballers. She said she's not a baller. Wait a minute. Because when you responded, she looked like, who the hell is he talking about? Well, you know something, Roland?

Like, here's the deal. What was really interesting about this process, because we audition actors and we audition ballplayers. And in some cases in our narrative, we got some real serious hoopers and gave them a lot of acting training. And we got some real serious actors and gave them a lot of basketball training. Like who? Well, first of all, Isaiah Hill is a baller. I mean,

I want to just, now, look, I love saying that our show is so much beyond basketball. But let's talk about the basketball. I mean, a lot of Durance here kevin durance at x executive producer on this so when you see somebody dunking we didn't lower the rim for the kid she has about that we low we went low most basketball shows and movies is an eight foot goal no no so y'all were 10 feet we we didn't we didn't lower a rim at all i said look like hell

no they didn't lower that. That was me dunking. And in particular, in this one that we just screened for the audience. By the way, I was going to talk to you afterwards, but dog. That shot that y'all seen, the basketball scene, that was one take. Yeah, yeah. So one of the things we're proud of, Roland, is we really feel like we've done things

that cinematically has never been done in cinema before. We have this one basketball game, all in one take, and the fun of it is you might wonder, well, why are some people missing some shots? Because it was real. We had a version of the game where the other team won. You know, I mean, so they just really just balled out.

But Jason Rivera, who plays Nick, and Solomon, I don't know, somewhere had his feet in both. You know, so these are guys that really play ball. But I also want to just say with Quvenzhenay, we auditioned her alongside other ballers. And her acting was great. But I'm going to tell you something. In her audition, she got down on the gymnasium floor, busted out some pushups.

She had a ball in one hand. She was doing it. Rolled the ball. Did it. Rolled the ball. And it was like she was like she stepped into it like this is my role sorry y'all it's mine so so so was so so was that your plan did you was what was that your plan you like yeah i got a secret sauce for him yeah it kind of was my plan. I'm not going to hold you. My brother, he's a professional baller.

So I had to step into his shoes. I had to get that swag. I had to get the confidence. Now that you go to him for like, look, I need you to get me ready. That's like some of the celebrations that I do in the show from my brothers. Like I steal them from him all the time. So before you audition, you were like, look, I'm about to get this role. So you put him to work.

So he was your private trainer. Yeah. Before I did it, I spent a lot of time outside just working out, like just trying to be the best that I could with what I had. And I went to that audition, and at first I was real nervous because I saw the girl before me, and I was like, damn, she can ball. But then you were like, but she can't act. Hold on, no, don't put words in my mouth now.

Don't put words in my mouth. That's my friend. Don't do that like that. But it was a perfect segue. I'm just letting you know it was perfect. But yeah, I went in the gym and I just was like, you know what, I'm Crystal. Like, I'm gonna do this.

Like, this is who I am. This is a part of my job, acting know what, I'm Crystal. Like, I'm going to do this. Like, this is who I am. This is a part of my job, acting. Like, I am her. Isaiah, as you're shooting, are you pulling different cats aside, picking up tips on the acting side? Oh, yes. From every single person you see here, even John Carlos. He's looking at me like, you the pro.

I'm like, man, I'm just as good as you. This is my second year. Benjanae was my best friend this year on set. Got me through a lot. Orlando Jones joined us and just was a huge older brother and literally was just at me every morning to just bring it and just told me, you're here for a reason.

There's a lot of different ideas going on when you're going up against Mack Wiles in the scene. I mean, Mack Wiles is my bigger brother. Chanel Zorro, that's like, it's hard to separate sometimes. When she started going off in that scene, like, I'm still recouping from what I just watched. That was my first time. You got PTSD, huh?

I'm like, my mom's right here. I was like, my mom's right here. My mom's right here. I mean, they mean so much to me these last four years working with this group. Orlando, he said you were going at him. Why? Look, I wish when I was younger in my career that some of the older people in the room reminded me not only where I was, but what my purpose was. It is so easy to get lost in so many aspects of it. And I just wanted to remind him that he could do it. He had the ability to do it.

He just needed to focus his time and energy on both wanting to do it and acknowledging his potential. He did that. His work is extraordinary. He just needed to be reminded. And when you're 18, 19 years old, it ain't his job to think of that it's my job chanel were you uh picking were you uh yeah see i think i was coming to you um were you um sort of

uh grafting off of wanda uh because she went through this for real. She did. I will say, Ms. Wanda, I watched the real MVP, and I just love when your son just, just a few videos of how he gave you that love, and that's always been the core, just that bond that they had. I didn't have a son at the time. Now I do. And then I prayed to God, like, God, I want a son, because just the bond that we shared, like it was I was really rooting for him on this stage.

So, yes, of course, those videos, I hadn't met her then, but now I got to meet her because she did. She does her thing and Mays won. But, yeah, those videos were the core of, like, my performances, to be comfortable with this young man. We took off from there. Reggie, how'd you come up with the name? What'd you say? How'd you come up with the name? Did you toss a bunch of other different names? Or did that one just stand out?

Yeah, I think I tossed around a few names, and then it started off as, like, a temporary name. Give us some of the other names. What would this could have been called? Jenna Carson Show. I think at one point it was like DMV. It was just sort of things. But then, you know, I really wanted a name that would help us define some of our language.

Because when we talk about, we talk that it's not just like bravado, but it's really about having a cause bigger than yourself. And that's what really landed. And by the way, just even in terms of the name, the other thing that was really important, how we illustrated the name and illustrated the main titles. And we had an amazing artist in Lisa Whittington Sorry for another shout out rolling

but she's Lisa Whittington is this here in that house and and just like we really wanted my the concept was that everyone in the cast these characters are masterpieces and so Lisa created a masterpiece with the main title sequence. Last question real quick from each person. That is the funniest, wildest, craziest thing that has happened while I don't care. You are shaking your head. So I'm starting with you, Isaiah. It's a funny as wild as crazy as while shooting the show. Just something that I've been thinking about this a couple times.

First, before I get into that, I got to thank you, Ms. Wanda, because we had a conversation before everything started this year, and I felt like I could feel the earth moving. And I just know the power you have in your heart. And I carry that with me every day on the set. So thank you so much.

That meant a lot to me. Crazy story on set. We had this one scene where the crowd has to rush the court the court the crowd has to rush the court you know jace does something i ain't gonna spoil it too much but i mean it's big and the crowd has to rush the court and jace is getting pulled up off the ground and everybody's surrounding them and it's it's yeah i gotta stand up y'all yeah yeah and yeah, yeah, yeah. And I'm going, woo, woo, woo, woo. And there's, like, so many people around me, my team's around me. And all of a sudden, I feel this dude's head coming through my armpit crease.

Like, he, like, at first I was closing it, like, all right, come on, bro. Like, what you, what you, he nudged in there. And he's, like, carrying me almost. I couldn't believe, you know, all I could do was just embrace him at that point and it was it was just so funny to me because like you know aggressive entrepreneurship you know christian yo um craziest moment on set. Um, craziest moment on set. I think for me, I'll say that they're just the crazy moments happen just watching the games. Uh, again, you guys see our basketball, but a lot of stuff that you guys don't realize is that like some of it is choreographed.

Like, they'll choreograph certain joints. You know, you go here, you do this, whatever, whatever. But then they'll have, like, the free play. Like, they'll just keep the cameras rolling and just get the guys playing ball. Watching them really get extremely competitive, it's wild to see. Like, the games really turn into the craziest games. Like, you know, I'm from New York,

so it turns into Dykeman. It turns into Gersh in, like, 2.2 seconds. Like, Pete, like, the... I mean, Austin, I tell you, they have to rush, like, they have to rush the courts. Like, okay, everybody stop. everybody stop because it'll get really with the mics it'll get crazy really really really quick um but hold on before

before we go i want to say and i and i told him this outside but uh when i was seven years old, my uncle, who used to be a Black Panther, he was very, very, very much pushing into us as young people. Like, yo, you got to understand where you come from. You got to understand the strength that we have as people and whatever, whatever, whatever, everything. And he did it to all of my siblings. But for me, I think I was the only one that kind of caught on to it at a young age. So at seven, my uncle gave me this poster. And I had this poster hung up over my bed since I was seven years old. And it is of John Carlos and Tommy Smith at the 1968 Olympics. And I wanted to, you know, I said it outside, but, sir, I really swear to God,

I thank you for everything that you've done, man. Yes, sir. Janae, your funniest, fun, crazy moment. I have a couple, but I can't say them because I don't want to spoil the show. Like, there was so many... Well, give us one from season one. Okay, hold on. Because I ain't go them because I don't want to spoil the show. Like, there was so many. Well, give us one from season one. Okay, hold on.

Because I ain't go that far back. Okay. I'm so ready. You want me to go while you think of it? Yeah, please. So, we have these gym sequences. Obviously, we're all playing and uh uh young lady comes out of the audience and she says to me you know i really really loved you and joanna man hey mcgill Hey, Miguel!

First of all, I wasn't in Juana Man. I was going to say, I feel like I know you. No, and the fact that y'all are going to laugh and act like I would put on a dress and disrespect the WNBA players like that is shameful. And I tried to explain to her that I was not Miguel Nunez. And she said, are you sure you're not? And I said, no. And she said, oh, my goodness, my bad. You that little boy from Everybody Hates Chris.

Oh! John, your funnest moment? Oh, my funniest moment. Probably when I arrived on the set. Realized the state that I was in. I had to read the script. And I didn't get no prior notice about the script, whatever lines I had or what I had to do.

And I just had me replace it. And a lot of pain involved involved so they gave me this medication. I tell them I like to use my own medication but they said put yours inside and use ours today. John, what kind of medication? On behalf of Mr. Martin's attorney, he doesn't need you to answer that question. Thank you, sir. First of all, we in D.C., it's legal here.

What medication are you talking about? Mr. Martin cannot answer that question. Mr. Martin is broadcasting right now. So in any case, I took the doctor's advice and I took their medication. And then I fly into Virginia. I'm up, I'm psyched up. And they start whipping the lines on me. But I didn't realize that I had a failing memory. The pills just wiped my whole memory out. You know, they talk about you got very long distance memory and

you got short memory. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. My whole memory was gone. I mean, you had a woman there. She was tutoring me. She said, John, you can do this. You can do this. That's why I said in the interim that I'm just so happy that they were able to put the pieces together to make me look as good as I did on the screen. You like praise the Lord for that. Absolutely. Absolutely.

So that was the funniest thing. Go ahead. Hey, um, mine is more embarrassing. That works. The first season, well, I'm always seeing the guys, like, dancing. I always want to get in the middle, so I get close to, like, the circle they're doing. I'm like, yeah, I never get in the middle.

So we're, like, filming something. They on the court. And all of a sudden, get in there, Jenna. You're like, keep rolling, keep rolling. I I get in the middle and I start doing like the tixie roll and all the boys like yo! Jesus Christ. I was like that ain't cool. How cool ma?

Alright, you came up with yours. Okay I got y'all my mom and my brothers are here with me. And the best moments, the most fun moments, is when I can sneak them in and have them in the background. And I was doing ADR for season two. And I was watching. I was like, I know damn well that ain't my mama. And my brother doing the cha-cha in the back.

Like, there's no way. Like, there's no way. Like, there's no way. I'm like, oh, my God, they really are in here right now behind. I think they were behind you. You were having a very serious scene, and they're just doing the cha-cha in the back. I mean, that's the best time for me. When I can sneak them in and then I see it later,

I'm like, oh, my gosh, Mama, I caught you later. Reggie, you're about to shut that down. You're about to shut that down. All right, Reggie, your fun is crazy. You're the last one. Okay. Well, I'm probably going to, you said it was my show,

I'm going to flip it a little bit and it's not going to be the funniest. Okay, it's all good. What it's going to be is, you know, and I'm going to say it apropos to Juneteenth, you know, the one that we just did was Are We Free? And one of the most touching moments for me is season one. We had an actor who was in the cast but didn't have one of the bigger roles. And in season two, as the cast went on, as our characters went on to another school,

it didn't make sense for his character to come in. But it was very satisfying to be able to call on J.V. Lewis and have him come and appear in the one that we just saw. And so shout out to J.V. Lewis. He's in the house somewhere. But why don't you just stand real quick. And really just to see this actor. I was blown. Yeah, Jay! That boy Jay!

But we had so much fun. I sometimes I really I really got worried a lot of times working with O'Shea, working with Orlando because it was like you know, you could just really go into a place and play. And but these guys, you know, the actors are great.

But like Orlando and O'Shea, they're just not fair because they can have a dramatic scene and just ride up until action. They are joking around. Jokes all day. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. First of all, to this day, day, we always have favorite movie lines. And I put it on Twitter all the time. When he did a double take with Eddie Griffin, he was like,

you can't pay me for it. I asked him, but you're about to get elected. You're about to get elected. He was at all times. The number of times my granddaddy said that to me. Absolutely. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for the Swagger team. Thank you.

Thank you. Thanks for coming out. They'll be doing press tomorrow. They'll be on my show, Rolling Mountain, on the filter tomorrow. And I've got to come up with a whole other list of questions to ask tomorrow. So, again, thanks a bunch, Apple+. We appreciate it. Thank you so very much as well, folks.

You have an absolute great night. Don't leave. Don't leave. Don't leave. Don't leave. Don't leave. Everybody, we got to get this picture, okay? We're going to stand like this.

We need a camera this way. Sorry to direct. We need those fists in the air. Let's get that picture before we leave. Yes. On the ground. We got those doggone bright lights back there. We're just going to make a look like silhouettes

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