#RolandMartinUnfiltered - Calif. Deputy Kills Black Woman who Called 911, Claudine Gay Resigns, Setting Healthy Resolutions

Episode Date: January 3, 2024

1.2.2023 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Calif. Deputy Kills Black Woman who Called 911, Claudine Gay Resigns, Setting Healthy Resolutions  * #RolandMartinUnfiltered partner: Curl Prep | Visit https://www.curlprep.com/ for natural hair solutions! Us the discount code "ROLAND" at checkout * A black California woman calls 911 for help and ends up dead at the hands of those who were supposed to protect her. We'll show you the bodycam footage of what happened to Niani Finlayson.  Harvard President Claudine Gay resigns. Twenty-two states and 40 cities increase minimum wages to ring in the New Year to at least $15. Two historic icons have died. U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson and one of the last living sanitation workers who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis,Elmore Nickelberry. And we'll talk to Licensed Professional Counselor Robin May about how to set healthy New Year's resolutions.  Download the Black Star Network app at http://www.blackstarnetwork.com! We're on iOS, AppleTV, Android, AndroidTV, Roku, FireTV, XBox and SamsungTV. The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platform 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 starts that a little bit, man.

We met them at their homes. We met them at the recording studios. 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 season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

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 I'm Candace Kelly sitting in for Roland Martin. Today, we're going to be talking about quite a few stories and we're going to be getting to that

as soon as these messages are done. We'll see you back after a break. Whatever the piss, he's on it Whatever it is, he's got the scoop, the fact, the fine And when it breaks, he's right on time And it's 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 Roro, y'all

Yeah, yeah It's Rollin' Martin Yeah, yeah Rollin' with Rollin' now Yeah, yeah He's funky, he's fresh, he's real the best You know he's Rollin' Martin Now It's rolling Martell now.

Martell. Thank you. A California woman called 911 for help, but she ended up getting shot seconds after officers arrived at her home. 27-year-old Niani Finlayson called the police, claiming that her boyfriend would not leave her alone. Now, in the call, you can hear her begging for help, telling the operator that her ex-boyfriend would not keep his hands off of her. When Los Angeles sheriff's deputies arrived, they kicked in the door after they heard screams coming from inside the apartment. It was seconds after entering the home that a deputy fired four shots at Niani, who had a knife in her hand.

All of this took place in front of her 9-year-old daughter. The body cam has been released. And just a warning that what you're about to hear and see is disturbing. I don't know how to answer your question. Yes, hello, I need the police here. This man, he won't get out of my house now. And I already told him to get out of my house a thousand fucking times. Ma'am, okay, stop yelling, stop yelling. So who is he to you?

His name is My, my- He won't leave me alone. Ma'am, my question- Ma'am, my question is who is he to you? Huh? My question is who is he to you? No, that's not what I'm talking about. Hello?

Get the fuck off of me! Get the fuck off of me, man! He's touching me! Hello? He's touching me. Hello? Yeah, me. Hello? Oh damn! Yeah, I need to put him here right now!

No, because he won't get his hands off of me and I already told him a thousand times Ma'am, okay, ma'am, walk away so I can talk to you. I hear yelling. Here we go. Wow. Can you see anything over there, Sheldon? They're in the back room, but they're not answering. Oh, that's funny. Yup. Hey, I out, come out.

Yeah, I'm going to stay out here because he's... Hey! Hey, get the knife! Hey, hey! Hey! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's punching me! He's going to help me!

He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He's going to help me! He pushed me. Deputies performed first aid until paramedics arrived to transport niani to the hospital where she later died the ex-boyfriend was arrested for child abuse and assault on a police officer but he was later released from custody pending further investigation the officer will remain out of the field until the investigation is complete. Niani's family is seeking at least $30 million from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department and Los Angeles County for her death. We're going to take a quick break and I'll be talking to my panel about this case

when we come back.com is an amazing organic line for curls, locks, braids, twists, and even those wigs and extensions. Women, men, and children are loving this line. Look at this video and you be the judge. People line up to see this product in action at hair shows and when they take a seat and try it they don't believe it's their hair. Buy the products at CurlPrep.com. It works on all hair types. Use code ROLAND, that's R-O-L-A-N-D, lowercase letters, to get a 15% discount. Parents, remove the ouch. You will love this system because you can comb the product through your child's hair with your fingers.

Seasoned saints are loving the product. It's all at CurlPrep.com. Use code ROLAND, lowercase letters, to get a 15% discount. You won't believe it's your hair. 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 3, only on the Blackstar Network. Hey, what's up? It's Tammy Roman. Hey, it's John Murray, the executive producer of the new Sherri Shepherd talk show. It's me, Sherri Shepherd, and you know what you're watching, Roland Martin Unfiltered. Welcome back to Roland Martin Unfiltered. I want to bring in my panel to talk about Niani Filesan, the 27-year-old mother gunned down by a Los Angeles

sheriff's deputy in front of her daughter after she called for help. Tonight's panel, Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali. He is the former senior advisor for environmental justice for the EPA in Washington, D.C. Dr. Larry J. Walker. He's an assistant professor from the University of Central Florida, and Nicole Porter. She is the senior director of advocacy at the Sentencing Project in Washington, D.C. Thank you, all of you, for being with me today. You know, um, I want to start with you, Dr. Ali. It seems to me that in this situation,

the police certainly had enough fair warning to know who was in danger and who potentially was not in danger, as she is the one who called for help. Exactly. You know, it's amazing that we continue to see these stories where police, either there seems to be some type of breakdown in communication between the people who are getting the 911 calls and then getting that information out, or police officers just not doing their due diligence and making sure about the situation that they're about to walk into, and to make sure that they are not killing innocent people who are calling and asking for help. We've seen this time and time again. Now, once again, another sister's

life has been taken because of either that breakdown in the system and that by no means takes away the responsibility that those officers had. When they walked into that room, they should have been making sure that the first thing that they're thinking about is not firing, but finding the individual who was supposed to be assaulting this sister. And they didn't do that. So once again, our lives are being taken because of breakdown in the system and also because, you know, officers are not doing their due diligence before they enter into that situation. Nicole, I'm wondering what you immediately saw or what struck you from the video here. I know for me, it was the fact that she seemed as if she was not a threat at all. I'm sure that's what they will be saying, but we just don't know what went on. What was your

takeaway from this video? Just that it's a part of a pattern that's been going on in this country for more than 400 years. She didn't seem like a threat, but the reality is, is that policing is a broken system and there needs to be other options in dealing with domestic violence and helping to mediate conflict. People need other options other than calling the police. So from the beginning with the call made, and it's unfortunate that the victim only relied on calling 911 who called the police and that there's no other options in communities to support people going through domestic violence incidents, going through other conflict, to help mediate against that conflict, because police come in with guns.

I think they fear guns when they enter into incidents like that. There was an escalated incident. She was fearful for her life. She emoted that fear on the phone and in person. And police often express fear when they enter into those conversations and have been abdicated of their responsibility, because Blackness is used as a pretext to justify police fear. It's unjust. That in and of itself is unfair, but that's a reality of us living in a white supremacist country that's predicated on racial caste. It's an extension of policies that have gone on for centuries in this country. And to fix that, we need to build infrastructure outside of policing so that people

like the victim have other options. And thank you for making that point, because the infrastructure outside of the police system, I think, is what's key here. And de-escalation, Dr. Walker, in this situation, I know that there are various counties, cities across the country who have added different people onto their forces

in order to deal with situations like this. And I think that that is what was missing here. And I'm wondering if you agree. Yeah, I think that's a really important point. And listen, these videos, we've seen far too many times, as my colleague just highlighted. And you're right, some jurisdictions, usually because an incident like this occurred, have, various other services, individual social workers, et cetera, to kind of address some of these, de-escalate some of these issues. I want to note that I think it's really important relating to intimate partner violence and Black women, that Black women are more likely victims of intimate partner violence and also likely to be killed as a result of intimate partner violence. So I think that point is critically important for context of the conversation. The other thing is in terms of how Blackness is policed in this country. We have this conversation

on this show numerous times about how Black people aren't given the grace of just having a basic conversation. Listen, if that officer was properly trained, the first thing he would have done is, instead of entering and firing a few shots, he would have contributed to the conversation, trying to figure out overall what was going on. And certainly that she was the victim should have been relayed to him and his colleagues as they entered that building. But he didn't even engage in her own basic conversation about, like I said, de-escalating it, talking it out, talking it through. He shot immediately. And while, you know, this $30 million lawsuit, for a lot of people watching, it seems like a lot of money.

You have a person who was a victim of interpartner violence who was murdered. And then you have a child who is traumatized for the rest of their life. And this is just not an acceptable outcome. And my condolences to the family for the tragedy. You know, that is normally what happens. A police officer goes into a situation like that, de-escalating by separating the two parties. Obviously, she was the one who was scared.

She was the one who actually made the call. What I saw Dr. Ali here was that they didn't believe her. In other words, they got the call. When they came, they looked at the situation. Something must not have clicked to them that it made sense that she was the one that was threatened, which is why she had the knife, right? That would make sense.

But it didn't seem like she was given the benefit of the doubt at all. No conversation, like Dr. Walker said. No de-escalation. Nothing. No assessment. Well,-escalation, nothing, no assessment. What's the continued dehumanization of Black women? 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 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. 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 man. 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 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. 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 tearthepaperceiling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council.

In our country, they did not see her as someone who was in need. They saw her evidently as a threat because they were quick on the trigger. You know, I've worked with law enforcement. You know, I was in the enforcement division of a former agency that I worked at. So we all know what the protocols are in these situations. And they did not follow the proper protocols. If you have, you know, other folks who are with the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives or others who come on and would share, they would tell you, you know, the first thing you're supposed to try and do is deescalate a situation. If you know that there is a domestic violence situation that is happening, then you want to make sure that you're separating folks and that you have the opportunity

to just kind of, you know, bring the temperature down inside the room. To shoot that quickly and to have a child that was also there, that shot could have ricocheted and hit that child. There are so many different things that could have played out. So one, I know folks are going to evaluate, you know, what happened in this situation. Hopefully, you know, the police force there is also going to make sure that they're doing a better job, not just on training, because we always go back to training and training is important. But you also got to, I often ask folks to do, is to make sure that you're also evaluating the psychological analysis of the officers who are out there. And the reason I think that that is important is because someone

literally has people's lives in their hands each day when they go out. So when we look at this situation, we should really unpack all the various parts. Yes, that sister's life is taken. She can never get it back. Yes, her daughter saw her mother being killed by police, so she will probably never, ever trust law enforcement again. So there are a number of different pieces that have to be addressed to make sure that these types of things no longer happen. Dr. Lee, I wanted to stay with you for a moment because you mentioned certainly your experience with police officers. Where right in this video do you think specifically things went wrong? What struck you? Certainly we know the shooting, that was wrong.

But at what point they came to the home, what should have happened? Well, they should have made sure that, one, they surveyed the room. The other thing they should have did right at the beginning is, you know, they should have made sure that they got her out. But I understand her going back in because she wanted to make sure that her child was protected. Because, you know, I'm not saying that it was going to happen. But, you know, the person who evidently assaulted her could have, and who assaulted the child based upon what has been shared, could have also, he may have picked her up and used her as a hostage or those types of things.

So the first thing that they should have done is to make sure that they're actually surveilling what's going on there in the room. And then as soon as they saw her, they should have said, ma'am, come here, and make sure that she comes out out so that they could ask the question, is there anybody else in the room? Of course, she would have said who those individuals are. And then the next thing is to do is to make sure that you get that child out of the way of harm also as soon as you go into that room. So the first thing should not have been about taking that shot. It should have been making sure that that child is out of the room. The second part should have been also making sure that the mother was brought outside. And then you enter into and figure out if you have a hostile situation or not.

Nicole, what do you think the takeaway is from all of this? For women across the country, millions who are in domestic violence situations, who count on the police in hopes that they will help them. I know that this video might in some way be an aberration when it comes to domestic violence, but it certainly is representative as to what could happen. What's the takeaway that you are getting from when you see a video like this? I mean, it's disheartening and frustrating, and it's an example of why people distrust the police, particularly those most policed who are overpoliced, those in black and brown communities across this country.

The takeaway is, particularly if you're suffering from domestic violence, is, what other options are there for you? And it's frustrating to know that, if you call the police, you are at risk of succumbing to police violence yourself. And that is literally what's at risk. Anytime somebody calls 911 or the police, it shouldn't be that way. But that's the reality of this country, given incidents like this one and other incidences that we have all been made aware of. I think that the defendant, the one who's now deceased, and her daughter, particularly her daughter,

will have years, if not the rest of her life, to deal and recover from the trauma that she witnessed. And so many people experience trauma when coming in contact with law enforcement. So what are the options? What are the key takeaways? We need more solutions. We need ways to address conflict, particularly between domestic partners, people suffering from domestic violence, other kinds of inter-family violence. There needs to be other options out there other than relying on the police, because literally a call to law enforcement can result in a fatal outcome, if not just the traumatizing experience of arrest and of itself. There's a lot of people who come in contact with law enforcement. They don't end up dead, but they end up traumatized for the rest of their life. And so there's a lot of there's

a spectrum of what can happen to you when you come in contact with law enforcement. And that's why calling the police is often comes at a often comes at risk. Dr. Walker, the family wants to file a $30 million lawsuit. In addition to this, we just have the fact that we have a young girl who is without a mother. And I'm wondering for you what you think about this police officer not exactly being fired or suspended, but he is out of the field is how it was put. And, you know, and yet out of the field, you know, on death's duty, however they describe it. And listen, part of this is also the CBA collective bargaining agreement

that, you know, jurisdictions have a law enforcement and we understand there is a due process. But I don't know if there's a clear case of an officer completely not following the guidelines, the training he's supposed to receive, and traumatizing the victim and her daughter twice. Obviously, the issue we talked about, the intimate partner violence, but the mother being killed, murdered, and then the daughter, as you said, alluded to, having to deal with this trauma for the rest of her life. There was no amount of money that can bring her mother back. Or, you know, obviously, she's needs years of, you know, therapy. But there was no, I mean, you know, how can you ever close that gap, you know, to issues relating to law enforcement mistrust, issues relating to trusting authority figures? We could keep going on and on and on. But the bottom line is, there are other issues, underlining issues relating to trusting authority figures. We could keep going on and on and on. But the bottom line is there are other issues, underlining issues relating to racial bias. And we know that

Black folks, when you call and when they have an interaction with law enforcement, regardless of the circumstances, Black people are far more likely to be killed than whites. All right. Well, it will certainly be interesting to see what this police officer's defense is in this situation. Roland Martin, Unfiltered, we'll be right back after this break. You're watching the Black Star Network. Grow your business or career with Grow with Google's wide range of online courses.

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

Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug ban is. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz 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. Digital training and tools. Gain in-demand job skills with flexible online training programs designed to put you on the fast track to jobs in high growth fields. No experience is necessary.

Learn at your own pace. Complete the online certificate program on your own terms. Stand out to employers. Get on a path to in-demand jobs, and connect with top employers who are currently hiring. Take one professional career certificate program or all six. Earn a Google career certificate to prepare for a job in a high-growth field like data analytics, project management, UX design, cybersecurity, and more. All professional career certificate programs must be completed by

December 31st 2024 scan the QR code to complete the application there are 1,000 scholarships available grow with Google and J-Hood and associates be job ready and qualify for in-demand jobs on a next a balanced life with me Dr., 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 of Balanced Life on Blackstar Network. 007 007 Hey, what's up? Keith Turney in a place to be. Got kicked out your mama's university. Creator and executive producer of Fat Tuesdays, an air hip-hop comedy. But right now, I'm rolling Harvard University creator and executive producer of Fat Tuesdays, an air hip-hop comedy. But right now, I'm rolling with Roland Martin,

unfiltered, uncut, unplugged, and undamn believable. You hear me? University president, Claudine Gay, resigned from her position as leader of the prestigious Ivy League school today following weeks of campus turmoil that included plagiarism accusations and backlash over her anti-Semitism testimony. Gay penned her resignation in a letter to the Harvard community. The Crimson reported that her decision to step down marks the end of the shortest presidency in the university history. And she wrote, "'It is with a heavy heart, but a deep love for Harvard "'that I write to share

"'that I will be stepping down as president. "'This is not a decision that I came to easily. "'It indeed has been difficult beyond words "'because I've looked forward to working with so many of you "'to advance the commitment to academic excellence difficult beyond words because I've looked forward to working with so many of you to advance the commitment to academic excellence that has propelled this great university across centuries. But after consultation with members of the corporation, it has become clear that it is in the best interest of Harvard for me to resign so that our community can navigate this moment

of extraordinary challenge with a focus on the institution rather than the individual. Gay's decision to resign comes amid congressional investigation into plagiarism allegations that have been made against her. In a letter sent to Harvard University, the Republican-led Education and Workforce Committee confirmed that it's looking into Gay's record over 24 years. Well, Nicole, I'm going to start with you. We're the black women on this panel. And I think that it has been an interesting journey that from the day that she testified and even before that,

all eyes have been on her for a number of reasons. And for me, I just see it finally catching up with her on some other things that may have been under, you know, underpin, there's been an underpinning there that's now just coming into fruition with this particular moment. Yeah, I mean, this is extremely unfortunate. I know that she had a great deal of support from professors and other academics,

practitioners at Harvard. And yet, in spite of all of that, the status quo won. They literally targeted President Gaye, not just from the moment of her testimony, but probably were dismissive and questioned even her being hired into that position, given the racist vitriol that she's been subjected to publicly since her testimony, but probably underlied people criticizing and questioning the hiring decision from the beginning. It's incredibly unfortunate. I think, you know, in the chatter that I've experienced today on social media and amongst colleagues. Often people in my position are outreach to for recommendations for people to apply, to

recommend names for positions like these. And now it's going to, I think, offer a chilling effect on Black professionals, Black practitioners in all fields who would recommend friends, recommend colleagues for positions like this who may be subjected to literally the status quo coming in and trying to undermine authority, in addition to, like, just delegitimizing these hires. So it's quite unfortunate. It's a stain on Harvard. It's a stain on academia. And it's a stain on the ability of Black professionals to ascend to the highest levels, given what we may experience, given what we may have to deal with in terms of being undermined publicly and also probably behind closed doors as well. Right. And, Nicole, I actually want to stay with you because often what happens, and you touched upon it a little bit, is that once a Black person is in this position and then they're removed, well, the precedent becomes kind of sticky there

in terms of, well, do we hire another one? And that's generally how it's looked at when we are dealing with African Americans in these high positions such as this one. Such a challenge, right? I mean, she was the first, um, Black woman president elected, or hired, um, to leave Harvard. It was their such celebration when the announcement was made.

And, I mean, this is just such an unfortunate turn of events. And I think doesn't surprise many people who've seen this in other fields, seen this in lower-profile organizations. And it's just a reminder of what people can experience if they do choose to take on positions like this, if they do choose to break those glass ceilings, break down those barriers. I mean, many people have succeeded, but it also comes with risk. I don't even want to think too much about the emotional turmoil that Professor Gay has probably experienced over the last many weeks. And I just hope that she's taking care of herself. I hope that her support network is embracing her and helping to

take care of her, because I'm quite sure that it has been quite a journey for her. And it's unfortunate to see her resignation today. I know that she had a great deal of support and she'll continue to need that support depending on where she goes next. Yes, absolutely. And speaking of support, Dr. Walker, Harvard Corporation, I mean, unanimously, they supported her. But at this point, when we look at those who did testify in front of Congress, what was it, Michigan and UPenn, those I'm sorry, was it Michigan? Yeah. Those particular presidents, none of them fared well. And when they answered that question, let's start there. But I did have a feeling that people were going to begin really looking into her.

And they have. And now it's reached all the way up to Congress. Yeah, so I have some thoughts on this as a Black, as someone who's Black in higher education at a large, predominantly white institution. So let me start that, first of all, that I, as a former congressional staffer who served, who was also a ranking member on the Education Committee, the idea the Education Committee would ever look into something like this is unprecedented. And I know we don't like to use that word, but it would never happen if this was someone who wasn't a Black woman.

Let's be clear about it, at Harvard University. And I got to be honest with you. I didn't feel what I described as righteous anger this evening, which is reflected in many of the Black folks who work in higher education that I've communicated with and also saw on social media. So this is a witch hunt from the very beginning. And I think this highlights a few things for Black people, whether in higher education or in other industries. And first of all, we've been told historically that the goal is American exceptionalism. But no one told you

that when you're Black and exceptional, that you have to deal with scorn and envy. She's the first Black person to ever be selected for president at Harvard University and with 400 years, it is the most recognizable institution in the world. And there were accusations of those who are DEI and affirmative action hire, where her credentials at Stanford and Harvard University are impeccable. But I think this is a this is a a warning sign for for black folks in our society who think that if you stay quiet, that they will they won't they won't mind, you know, being you're in current position. And this is a clear indication that they're coming for all of us. If you are your ideas and beliefs don't align with these kind of right-wing ideologues.

The other thing I want to highlight is that, in my opinion, as an academic and also as a Black man, is that this idea of the United States and this idea of truth, in my opinion, that the truth that we're usually associated with, you know, what's important, is dead in America. And I'll tell you why. What's really happening right now is that we're losing the propaganda war. And so truth does not matter. What matters is who controls the agenda. We know Chris Ruffo is the one who led this fight

and telegraphed several weeks ago on Twitter that he wanted to have her fired from her position. So let me remind those who are watching again today that this is a propaganda war. And if you think that strictly being telling the truth will be enough, they will eventually come for you also. Yes, because the activists, if you will,

that really brought this to the attention of everybody, as you said, they weren't higher-up politicians. They were lower-level people who got on Twitter and made a big deal about this. But I do want to ask you this, Dr. Walker. When you look back at her testimony, could she have done better? Yeah, I think that having an issue with... And so, look, academics are very particular about and being very careful about language, particularly when you're in that, and I've prepped witnesses before for these congressional hearings. So I think the mistake that Dr. Gay and the other individuals

may have made, if you want to offer this as a critique, is that they were doing their job as academics, leaders of post-secondary institutions. But once again, that hearing was a propaganda, was part of an overall propaganda to put out on various platforms to highlight why these institutions aren't welcoming or et cetera. So while they went in and they were properly prepared, what I don't think they understood is that the members of Congress were looking for soundbites. And so once again, this continues as I did when I talk about the defensive propaganda and truth. So I think that they were prepared and taught that when you give responses, be very clear and don't give these long-winded responses, because what happens is

that's able to be chopped up and used later on, which it was, used against them on various platforms. And I think that the way they were prepared didn't have them understand that this is really about soundbites and not really about what's happening at post-secondary institutions. Dr. Ali, tell me why or yes or no did you see this coming? Yes. All right. And why? Well, because she's a high-profile African-American woman at one of the most

prestigious institutions, as Dr. Walker just laid out, in our country. She was all, they also saw her as a sacrificial lamb. You know, we have a double standard that exists inside of our country, especially in relationship to Black women. I mean, she had done everything right to move up the ladder to be able to lead this institution. And, you know, I've also worked on Capitol Hill. I've worked for John Conyers. We chairman of the Judiciary Committee. So I know how these things are going to play out. So, one, folks did not do a good job in prepping her, you know, to make sure that she could navigate this. But we also got to understand, you know, that Republicans were literally

chopping at the bits to be able to have this opportunity, as Dr. Walker laid out, to have a gotcha moment, if you will. Now, I also wrote about this earlier today, and I remember the words of Dr. King when he said, it's not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our. 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 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. We are back.

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

to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug thing is.

Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine 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.

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. Friends, when we have African-American women in these high level positions, we understand that folks are going to come for them. So I also put some responsibility on our community. And when I say our community, I'm saying everyone who says that they stand for making sure that Black women are given every opportunity possible to also understand that there are folks who are going to come for us.

So what are you going to do? What's the strategic plan when folks come for us to make sure that we are surrounding them, not only with love, but also with making sure that we're going to let you know that you come for our community, then we are going to make sure that we fight you tooth and nail to make sure that you don't achieve the goals that you want to, especially if they haven't done anything to the level of you trying to take away all that hard work they did year after year after year. So we understand that this is a game that's going on. And that's why not only in this moment, but moving forward, we need to be very, not just careful, because I don't want folks to not say how they truly feel about something. But we understand the dynamics that we're playing out there. Dr. Walker laid it out for us. Brother, and I appreciate you so much,

because there were forces that were much larger than the folks who were, you know, there in that moment. You know, you've got very wealthy people who are looking to show their power, to show that YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT VERY WEALTHY PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING TO SHOW THEIR POWER, TO SHOW THAT THEY CAN, NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE AND NO MATTER WHAT LEVEL YOU'RE AT, THAT THEY CAN COME FOR YOU AND NOT ONLY COME FOR YOU, BUT THAT THEY CAN GET YOU. AND IF WE DON'T FIGHT BACK, IF WE DON'T PUSH AND THEN MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT THEY'RE NOT JUST AFTER A ONE-HIT TYPE OF THING. THEY ARE LITERALLY TRYING TO DECONSTRUCT, YOU KNOW, STRUCTURES THAT ARE CRITICAL FOR US TO BE ABLE TO EVEN GET IN THE DOOR AND TO COMPETE. to deconstruct structures that are critical for us to be able to even get in the door and to compete. Here's the last point that I'll make. Why is it also a double standard? It's a double

standard also because this system, Madam President, had been there for a very limited amount of time. She hadn't even had time yet to probably review all the policies that were out there in depth and be able to make the modifications that are necessary. Now, Dr. Walker works in higher academics, if you will. I've taught at a number of different universities. I understand how slow things move, and I understand all the various elements that you have to be able to go through to be able to make a policy change. So for them not to give her—she hadn't even been in office, I believe, six months

to be able to say, you know, that she needed to go and not even give her the opportunity to actually make those changes and to go through the process that's necessary tells me right away that you were not serious about seeing real change happen. But what you did is that you were looking for a sacrificial lamb. Dr. Walker, let me go to you. Um, especially because you are at a university. What do you think about the fact that she is going to go back to being a faculty member? Um, and I guess just her existence from this point on, it cannot be an easy path to go from being

the shortest-serving president in the history of Harvard University, to being a member of the faculty? Yeah, it's going to be very difficult. And I hope her support system is there. This is a very difficult transition. Listen, higher education happens frequently if someone's a senior administrator, even a president of a university, a dean, a provost, department chair, et cetera, who's already tenured, who, you know, that appointment is no longer available,

and they go back to teaching. It happens frequently. But this has got international press, and this has consistently been in the news the last couple of years. And once again, we are talking about Harvard University. And so having the shortest tenure of any president at Harvard University in its history, and you being the only first Black person appointed to that position, this is going to be extremely difficult for her to deal with. And so, like I said, I've seen it in not only my current institution, but other institutions. But the last point I want to make is we talk about plagiarism and standards. I want those to take note that those individuals who are really concerned about these alleged plagiarism allegations are the same ones who believe that January 6 people

who were involved in insurrection should not be held accountable for their actions. So the double standard in America is very clear and stark. And so once again, I remind you that if you stay silent, they will still come for you. Very interesting point. Nicole, I wanted to say this to you. They're going to be looking for another president. They have an interim president right now. What are your thoughts about who they should select for all of this to make some kind of sense? Yeah. I mean, I'm sure that they will go through the process of a hire. I'm sure that they'll include Black and brown and other BIPOC candidates amongst their search. I would question even putting my hat in the ring, particularly if I were a Black woman or other candidates of color,

given what President Gay has gone through and given the lack of institutional support, in spite of the rhetoric coming out of Harvard, in spite of the number of faculty and students who signed letters of support for President Gay, and yet and still that support wasn't able to outweigh the vitriol she experienced from so many others who were pressuring her resignation and her firing. So, it's going to be an interesting process to see what Harvard goes through. You know, people are going to be very challenged to follow in President Gay's footsteps and

to face the scrutiny of forces that came for her. And I think, at the end of the day, that it was a trap that she was set up for and succumbed to. And I think anyone else, particularly if they're outside of the status quo, if they're outside of what white elites view as appropriate candidates for that position, gonna be at risk of being targeted, of being overly scrutinized, and being vulnerable to, um, that level of vitriol that President Gay experienced. And, Dr. Ali, what you said earlier in terms of the propaganda machine being at work,

some people would describe the plagiarism as very sloppy attribution. As we talked about, she had the support of staff. She had the support of faculty and students. She had the highest level of support from the corporation at Harvard University. So when we look at this, it seems to me that the politics

and that punting back and forth, it is a serious game and it's not going away. No, it's not going away. It's going to continue to escalate until we start to put checks and balances in relationship to that type of stuff. By no means should we not do background checks when you're hiring someone. But for anybody who's ever been in higher education, whether as a student, grad student, a doctoral student, a professor. Let me say it this way. If we want to actually go take a deep dive into what President Gay did, then there are a whole lot of folks who are running both academic institutions,

nonprofit institutions, corporations who have written on the master or the PhD level, that folks should be taking a look at that as well. Let's make sure that we are being equal in the way that we are approaching these things with everyone. Yeah, I think there's going to be more to come on this, especially now that she's no longer president. It'll be interesting to see what she says when she is interviewed in terms of what was going on behind the scenes when all of this unfolded.

All right, Roland Martin Unfiltered will be right back right here on the Black Star Network. Stay with us. A new year for a new you. Curl Prep Natural Hair Solutions at CurlPrep.com is an amazing organic line for curls, locks, braids, twists, and even those wigs and extensions. Women, men, and children are loving this line.

Look at this video and you be the judge. People line up to see this product in action at hair shows and when they take a seat and try it, they don't believe it's their hair. Buy the products at CurlPrep.com. It works on all hair types. Use code ROLAND, that's R-O-L-A-N-D, lowercase letters, to get a 15% discount. Parents, remove the ouch. You will love this system because you can comb the product through your child's hair with your fingers. Seasoned Saints are loving the product.

It's all at CurlPrep.com. Use code ROLAND, lowercase letters, to get a 15% discount. You won't believe it's your hair. Hey, what's up, y'all? I'm Devon Franklin. I'm Dr. Robin B., pharmacist and fitness coach, and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. Nearly 10 million workers will see boosts in their paychecks this year. As of January 1st, the minimum wage in 22 states and at least 40 cities and counties across the country will be $15 or more.

Maryland, New Jersey and most of New York State, except New York City, Westchester and Long Island, all of which have already had $15 minimum wages in place and where the minimum wage is increasing to $16. The state-level increases come as the federal government held the minimum wage firm at $17.25 despite increased cost of living and rapidly growing housing costs. Over the years, Congress has debated about increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour, all to no avail. Some lawmakers are pushing for the minimum wage to be increased to $17 by 2028. Dr. Ali, well, this is some good news. I mean, will this raise people out of poverty the way

that we are seeing in the headlines? That is supposed to be the goal of this. But a lot of people cannot live still on this particular number when it comes to minimum wage. We know that about 6.9 million people, if we made sure we had a $15 minimum wage, would be lifted out of poverty, 2.9 percent lower sets of folks that would actually be in poverty. But we also got to understand that $15 in New York is not the same thing as $15 in Jackson, Mississippi. So we got to, you know, make sure that we're understanding the sets of dynamics that individuals are dealing with. You know, when you go into the grocery store now, you know, milk's $5, $6 a gallon, bread $4. We can go down the laundry list of things, where families are trying to figure out how to keep the lights on and how to put food on the table.

So this is a step in the right direction, but it has to be the floor. And we have got to continue to understand that there are greater sets of needs. We also got to understand the dynamics of why some folks have voted against this, because they understand that if people have closer to actually having some disposable income, that some of that, there's a bit of freedom that comes with that. You know, you got folks who are trying to make decisions sometimes of being able to vote in some of our most restrictive states or go to work. So they can't take a day off from work because of the limited amount of money that they're making. So we just need to understand the fullness of why people had to fight for 15 and understand that it is much bigger than just the $15. It is about actually

allowing people to have an opportunity to live and to breathe and to get that foot off their chest. And it is all about the freedoms, Nicole, when we talk about an increase of one or two dollars. From what you hear from people in your circles and just from having your feet on the ground, does this type of an increase make a difference for those people who you know who are in most dire need? It certainly can for many. It is certainly a move in the right direction. And yet for many in high income neighborhoods, it's going to still be a challenge, because the cost of living is even higher, and raising the minimum wage to those levels won't meet those needs.

But it is important. These are important campaigns to fight for. These are important gains to experience and achieve, particularly for folks who have been dealing with low incomes. And so it's going to help, but it doesn't go far enough, particularly in cities like New York, cities like D.C., where the cost of living is so high. This is a country that there's such inequity, and it varies from neighborhood. It varies from zip code to zip code. So there's a great deal of work that needs to happen, not just increasing level of income, but also guaranteeing

work, guaranteeing income, and then also supporting quality housing, where people can live and thrive. So there's a great deal of work needed to be done to redistribute resources to make sure that everybody can benefit from the American dream, but certainly increasing the minimum wage is a step in that direction. Dr. Walker, a lot of people are doing the math. Like Dr. Ali said, you know, that extra money goes a lot longer in Mississippi than it does in New York. When we talk about blacks, you know, reverse migration back down to Atlanta and Mississippi, I would imagine that there's some people who are putting pen to paper tonight for this all to make sense.

Yeah, absolutely. And listen, you know, these minimum wage increases are really important, particularly considering how high the cost, as my colleague highlighted, in terms of buying and purchasing food. But I think a couple of things. These states need to go even further. And I know states like Maryland are quite progressive as someone who formerly lived in the state. It's also in terms of we need to connect that with also child care. So increase the minimum wage, increase support as it relates to child care, and also as it relates to issues relating to health care costs and also housing. We need to really make sure all these issues are connected in terms of addressing them, particularly, like I said, you know, someone like myself who lived in D.C. and lived in Maryland, you know, Montgomery and Prince George's County in terms of those costs of living and living, some of our states that, you know, our poorest states, Mississippi,

Alabama, Louisiana, had large pockets of poverty, urban rural poverty. We need to make sure that those individuals, leaders in those states increase their minimum wage to make sure that those states no longer fall at that bottom quarter of all those, you know, those things are important, right? Education, black infant mortality rate, all those other issues, cancer, you know, those things are important, right? Education, Black infant mortality rate, all those other issues, cancer, et cetera, all those other indicators that, you know, impact your, in terms of how long you live. Dr. Ali, I want to wrap with you. When we talk about increasing the minimum wage, we're talking about an overall shift in the economy. Can you explain to our viewers how this can impact just the economy as a whole,

and it might trickle down to a lot of people, even if this minimum wage doesn't affect them? Yeah, well, what it does is it helps to stimulate the economy. Economists have talked about this. 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 One, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes one, two, and three on May 21st and episodes four, five, and six 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. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner.

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

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

Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad free with exclusive content subscribe to lava for good plus on apple podcast 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. Time and time again that if you give folks the ability to have more disposable income, and I hate actually framing it that way because it's not like folks are getting rich off of $15 an hour,

but it does help to have more dollars that are going into. If you're somebody who supports Black business, you know, you have the resources to be able to do that. Or in the larger economy, it helps to continue to stimulate that economy. So it plays a critical role. Here's the other thing that's really, it's amazing. You got folks on Capitol Hill who are against this, who make around $80,000 a year, who are upset that someone might make $32,000 to $35,000 a year.

That's another reason why we need to vote. Absolutely. That is another reason why we need to vote and move the needle. Minimum wage certainly makes a difference to millions of people. All right. You are watching Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. We'll be right back. Grow your business or career with Grow with Google's wide range of online courses, digital training, and tools. Gain in-demand job skills with flexible online training programs designed to put you on the fast track to jobs in high-growth fields. No experience is necessary. Learn at your own pace, complete the online certificate program on your own terms. Stand out to employers, get on a path to in demand jobs

and connect with top employers who are currently hiring. Take one professional career certificate program for all six. Earn a Google Career Certificate to prepare for a job in a high growth field like data analytics, project management, UX design, cybersecurity, and more. All professional career certificate programs must be completed by December 31, 2024. Scan the QR code to complete the application.

There are 1,000 scholarships available. Grow with Google and J. Hood and Associates. Be job-ready and qualify for in-demand jobs. Next on The Black Table with me, Greg Carr. The enigma of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. What really makes him tick? And what forces shaped his view of the world, the country, and Black America? The answer, I'm pretty sure, will shock you.

And he says, you know, people think that I'm anachronistic. I am. I want to go backwards in time in order to move us forward into the future. He's very upfront about this. We'll talk to Corey Robin, the man who wrote the book that reveals it all. That's next on The Black Table, only on the Black Star Network.

Hello, we're the Critter Fixers. I'm Dr. Bernard Hodges. And I'm Dr. Terrence Ferguson. And you're tuned in to... Roland Martin Unfiltered. Archie Brown has been missing since December 30th, 2023 from his Memphis, Tennessee home. The 15-year-old is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds and has black hair and brown eyes. Archerius Brown was last seen wearing a black shirt and black pants. Anyone with information about Archerius Brown is urged to call the Memphis, Tennessee Missing Persons Bureau at 901-636-4443. All right, moving on. A federal appeals court temporarily delays Mississippi officials from creating a state-run court in part of the majority black capital city of Jackson,

which was supposed to start on Monday. The ruling came just before U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate dismissed requests to block the Capitol Complex Improvement District Court in a ruling filed late Sunday. The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals granted a temporary administrative stay, blocking the court's creation until at least January 5th. The Capitol Complex Improvement District Court will have the same power as municipal courts, which handles misdemeanor cases, traffic violations, and initial appearances for some criminal charges. People convicted in most municipal court face time in a local jail. Those convicted in the new court will be held

in a state prison near people convicted of more serious felony crimes. Dr. Ali, I wanted to start with you because here's a situation where the people do not have the power in terms of selecting those people in charge in the court system. We know how important it is to have the right people in power, whether it's the DA, the prosecutor, to make things work for you, especially if you are a person of color? In other cities, you'll find that people's vote is equated with being able to have the individuals that you want, whether they're your judges or a number of the other positions that are a part of the judicial process. So then you have to ask the question, well, why not in Jackson? Why is it that in Jackson you feel that you have the right to then put a

different system in place to be able to choose? You'll have someone there from the state government, from the governor's folks, who will be choosing the individuals who will sit, like you said, there on the courts. And what's the difference between there and some of the other locations? Well, of course, it's because Jackson has one of the largest Black populations that are there. So we have to understand the game that is being played in Mississippi. But you also have to understand that this is a game that has been going on in Mississippi for a couple hundred years. And that's why, when you have a state that has the highest level of Black folks who are able to be able to vote, why they have all the

restrictions that they have in place. So this is just another one of those restrictions that is tied to a long set of systemic sets of actions and racism that's been going on in Mississippi for quite a while. Nicole, make this make sense to me and the viewers as to why this would take place. It's halted for now because a lot of eyes are on it. But how does this make sense, especially for some place like Jackson? I mean, it is part of a long game around the status quo

trying to overtake Black-led communities. I mean, not only does Jackson have a large, one of the largest Black communities, one of the largest Black populations, but there's been intentional work since the 70s of Black folks moving to Jackson, working to assume political power in the locality as part of a utopia, if you will, around Black governance, around Black leadership. So, in the heart of Mississippi. So, Mississippi white elites taking over Jackson as part of their effort to counter that, to recounter the Black power movement in Jackson in amongst the Black residents of the state. And it's not just present in Mississippi, but

what they try in Mississippi might come to another state, might come to my home state of Texas, might come to other states throughout the South, if not other localities and jurisdictions around the country. I mean, there's also experiences around this in states like Michigan. If you look at Flynn, if you look at the interest of state lawmakers to overtake localities, particularly Black-run localities in the Midwest. So it's not just about Mississippi. These examples, these incidents might be trial runs, might be examples of white governance trying to overtake Black-led communities around the country. And I will agree with you on one point, all your points, but mainly the point that, yeah,

Texas would be in line for something like this. Dr. Walker, what do you think is the setup that we're looking at here? Because this seems to be like a setup for something else, precedent for other states, maybe like Nicole said, but in your estimation, how are you seeing it? Yeah, you see states like Florida's ground zero for a lot of these changes you see in other jurisdictions, Texas, et cetera. And so what Mississippi has done is created a template that will be adopted, whether it's Texas or other large or mid-sized states throughout the United States. But I want us to pull back a little bit about what's really going on here. And we can go back actually a few decades. This is an attack on Black political power. More importantly, in my opinion, this is a direct result of the Great Society programs in 1960s, particularly the Voting Rights Act. And once again, this is connected to diminishing

Black political power in one of the Blackest states in the country. And so, and particularly like Jackson, you say Jackson, which is a predominantly Black city. This is a tech. Governor Reeves, we just talked about a few minutes ago. Instead of addressing issues relating to clean water or, once again, as I mentioned earlier, the Black infant mortality rate or the rate in which Black women die from pregnancy or addresses issues relating to supporting the education system, this is what they come up with. And once again, if you pull it back, this is really, this is another way to attack black political power in the United States. Dr. Ali, this is something that certainly people are going to be fighting for. How do you suggest people fight something like this?

Because it might be coming to a city near them. This really is just the beginning. It's just been halted, uh, for now, but this is something that states are working on. Well, the thing that we can always do is to make sure that we are supporting the organizations that are on the ground, uh, both locally and those nationally, um, that are pushing

back against these types of things, those who are strategizing. This is incredibly important also. When you look at what's going on right there in Jackson, understanding the dynamics in Mississippi with the felony disenfranchisement set of actions that they've had, this is also tied to limiting the amount of folks who can vote. So we need to make sure that there is a fair judicial system. And we do that by, one, supporting the groups that are on the ground, two, making sure that we are actually going out and voting, understanding the difficulties that exist in that space, so that we have the right folks who are in place, not just on the local and the county level, but also on the state and the federal

level, and then also making sure that we continue to talk about it, highlight it, and write about it. I wish more folks would pick up their cell phone and make a video when they see these kinds of injustices and share how you feel. I never tell anybody how they should feel, but share with folks what you're thinking about this. So we have so much more power than sometimes we actually utilize. And Nicole, this certainly doesn't translate very well for someone who has committed some type of a misdemeanor. And then there are alongside people who have felony charges. How will this change if this does go through and other states do follow in this particular, in these footsteps? How will this change the system in terms of

how you're regarded and how crimes are regarded? Well, I mean, it expands the court system to have authority over people's real lives. And if they choose to disappear people for even minor offenses to state prison, then it expands the prison system in the state of Mississippi, which is already under scrutiny because of its constitutional violations of the Eighth Amendment. I mean, Mississippi's prison system is one of the most outrageous in the country, has one of the highest incarceration rates, not just in the United States, but in the world. And yet here, if this court is allowed to be established, it would expand the ability to send and disappear people to prison for even minor offenses. So that is definitely a step

in the wrong direction. It is an attack on Black political power and Black agency, Black thriving, not just in Jackson, but in Mississippi. And I also suggest it could be a template for other Southern states, but also across the country. So there is no need to expand the level of courts to disappear people to prison, given the highest rate of incarceration that the United States currently has. In fact, we need to be moving in the opposite direction to help readjust, recalibrate what

can send people to prison many times for too long sentences, and really take prison off the table for a range of experiences that people get sent to prison and jail for in the United States that they just don't simply get sent to prison and jail for in other parts of the world. Yeah, and Dr. Walker, I think one thing that's interesting here is that you have people who they said they would be serving alongside those who committed more serious felonies, even though their crimes

might have been a misdemeanor. Seems like a setup for those people who might be in a situation. I'm not sure how it will play out, but it could play out where your record looks a little differently when you go out into the world, if you go through this particular system and how your record is reflected in the world. Yeah, that's certainly true. I think the other issue to keep in mind is, considering some of the challenges and conditions not only in Mississippi but other states, is how some of these individuals for these minor offenses who brought in contact with individuals with more serious offenses could be victimized. That's not discussed enough in terms of the criminal justice system in terms of how individuals

are victimized, and then they become out and they victimize other individuals because they've been traumatized. But I think that your point about the stigma associated with this new system, I think the other thing I want to add is about the idea of, you know, obviously this was signed into law and it's going through the courts, is that

we have to keep in mind that I thought it's all about states' rights. I mean's all about states' rights. I mean, not just states' rights, but individual control at the local level. So if it's about control at the local level, then you wouldn't need this new court system. But this proves that it's not about that. This is about, once again, diminishing Black political power and also putting Black folks in positions where they're more likely to be victimized and come out and maybe reoffend and, you know, impact other individuals in their community and continue a cycle. So once again,

this is, it's not needed, but once again, it's not really about local control as we always hear about. This is about maintaining a system where Black folks continue to be oppressed. And Dr. Ali, I'm going to close with you. What does it mean? How does it translate when someone does not have that local control and it goes into the state? What does that do to a community? 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 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. 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 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, 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. What can its reverberating effects be on the people who live there? As soon as you start losing power, you know, it often grows and metastasize. You know, it strips hope away from folks who live there that they no longer have autonomy over the decision making that's going on. It tells somebody, does my vote really matter if someone can just come in and do

these types of things? You also see resources moving to those who have power and supporting the things that they say are important. So we've seen it, as was raised earlier. You saw it in Flint, Michigan. You saw it in Washington, D.C., when Congress took over the city at one time. There are a number of locations across our country where we've seen that when you start to take away black power, that it also follows that resources are going to begin to wane also, even when there's very few and many instances already there. All right. Let's go on to some other news that has to do with migrants being dropped off. Hundreds of migrants were dropped off in New Jersey over the weekend to evade New York restrictions aimed at curbing the surge of arrivals in the state.

Officials in New Jersey say that at least 13 buses from Texas and Louisiana have arrived in the state since Saturday, ferrying about 450 migrants. This comes just one week after New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued an order requiring charter bus companies carrying migrants to provide manifests of their passengers to New York officials at least 32 hours before their arrival. New York City officials say they have received over 14,700 new arrivals within the last month. If you recall, Texas Governor Greg Abbott sent migrants to his state to Democrat-led, from his state to Democrat-led cities in a protest against President Joe Biden's immigration policies.

Listen, Nicole, you know, when we look at what is going on with the migrants, it seems as if we are running out of options here. Now we've got, you know, different people skirting the rules to try to get migrants into New York. We have heard so many reports about what is going on in Midtown and the hotels and where the migrants are being held and how they are impacting the city. What do you make of this kind of circumvention of the law that happened in New Jersey? DR. You know, this is an issue just full of hypocrisy and contradictions, like many of the other issues that we've already touched on today. The reality is, in red states like my home state of Texas, I already mentioned that

once today, this is an ongoing issue, because people in that state benefit from the migrant crisis. They benefit from people crossing the border, seeking employment, and willing to take lower wages. Texas is a state that has not raised its minimum wage, bringing it back to an issue we touched on earlier today. Yet many of these folks are bused to states that have higher wages, that have higher minimum wages, that have but also have higher cost of living, and also have more robust social services. There are reasons why New York is required to house people who meet certain conditions. And so those services attract people who are in need of services, particularly border crossers. The same can be said of other

blue states with better services, better social service infrastructure, as a counter to states like Florida and Texas and Arizona, who have not built out their social service infrastructure to welcome border crossers and to also embrace residents of those states who suffer from low incomes and who suffer from other economic insecurity. So this is a morass of issues that needs to be dealt with nationally. The Biden administration does need to lead from a federal level, does need to influence the leadership within states like Texas, Florida, other states that are busing these border crossers to blue states like New Jersey

and up north. It needs to really get a hold of the issue, because people are suffering who are crossing the border. They're living in tent cities and makeshift communities. They're seeking resources. And this country needs to deal with an effort. They need to handle this, starting with leadership from the Biden administration and working with the leaders of states, not just New Jersey, but also Texas and other border states to address this. Dr. Walker, the Biden administration, we're talking about one month, 14,700 migrants. What could a plan be that could possibly deal with these migrants? Yeah, so this is a difficult situation. You know, you heard Mayor Adams in New York City and some other—New Mayor in Chicago highlight what a strain this is having on resources.

But this is about, you know, really hypocrisy. Governor Abbott is using these people as pawns and cares little for their long-term benefit. We have a broken immigration system. And just listen, as a former congressional staff, this is a bipartisan issue. The problem is, particularly Republicans, is that they're not really—any policies that they want to implement, they want to make sure that the individuals who want to come to this country don't look like the current demographics in states like Texas and Florida. Let's just keep it—let's be clear about what this is about. And so if you really are interested in comprehensive immigration reform, now look, we may, before the break, we heard that the Biden administration may be willing to give up on certain policies in terms of addressing the challenges at the border. But this is not really about, you know, making sure these individuals have an opportunity to go for a judge and have

the right to become U.S. citizens. I want to also add, when it comes to our agricultural industry, that the majority of those individuals often are migrants. And so if you like having a variety of products at the supermarket and things you have on your dinner table that we like, that we think are fresh, I will remind you that this country cannot operate economically without those individuals, these migrants that, you know, Governor Abbott is treating like pawns in a political game. Dr. Ali, would you echo that point that when we look at this, I mean, you have the migrants, but they are part of the economy now.

So we really have to find a balance that makes sense or people will really be shifted when they try, when they make a decision that they think is right, then all of a sudden it really does affect them. Yeah, this is a political game. Dr. Walker laid it out once again. For over the last 30-plus years, we haven't had serious discussions and sets of actions about making sure that we really have the law that's in place that's necessary. So until folks get serious, because people get mad at the migrants, right, and they focus on that instead of focusing on the lack of action on Capitol Hill.

You know, if Governor DeSantis and Governor Abbott were serious about making sure that there was real reform, then they would be talking to the folks who come from their respective states and saying, hey, we've got to make sure that there's real reform that's here and there's reform that's actually equitable. And we've seen what happened in Florida when the governor there put some of his actions in place. And now the economy is taking significant hits, not by millions of dollars, but by billions of dollars. So we need immigration. But we need immigration that is legal. We need immigration that is equitable and that is fair and that doesn't reflect the sins of the past when it came to immigration sets of laws and actions.

So if we're serious about addressing the issue, folks can sit down and actually do it, to make sure that, as we move forward, that we have what we need for our country to continue to move forward on an economic level at a high rate, and that we can also make sure that as we move forward, that we have what we need for our country to continue to move forward on an economic level at a high rate, and that we can also make sure that we are embracing humanity. And Dr. Ali, I'll stay with you for one moment. We also need people on the ground. If people look up the video of the migrants in Midtown Manhattan, for example, there is a reason why that is, some people would see it as out of control, the way that they are living. No one is there to actually manage. It's just as if they were dropped off, given a place to live. You cannot do that with thousands of people and expect

everything to go well when they're living on top of each other. More oversight, more people need to be involved in the process. JOHN BARRON- They do. I mean, from the enforcement side of the equation, but also from the humanity side of the equation, to make sure that there's a real comprehensive plan and set of actions. I have worked in over 1,000 communities across our country. I have been from border to border. I have worked on the border. I know that there are communities across our country who are literally trying to get people to come there because their communities are dying because, and when I say they're dying, it's because, you know, the populations have continued

to shrink and shrink and shrink. So if we actually had a true comprehensive strategy, we would make sure that folks are going to the places and spaces where folks actually need them. I mean, we'd make sure that we put the safety net in place. That doesn't have to take away from all the hard work that so many folks have been in this country have been doing, you know, decade upon decade, sometimes century upon century. We have enough room. We have enough know-how to make sure that we made this work. But folks don't want to get the politics out of it because it helps people to be able to raise money. It helps folks to be able to keep a spotlight so that they can create these chaotic situations that we see playing out on our TV screens. So once we decide that we truly want to make sure that this is being addressed, there is the know-how to make it possible.

A huge problem, Nicole. What did you see as Joe Biden's role in all of this? What could he possibly do to deal with this situation? Well, I think there's fixes around addressing the immigration system itself, around addressing the asylum system so that people crossing the border have a robust system to go through and to apply through to support comprehensive immigration reform. I think there's leadership that the administration can offer governors in cities to help embrace

the migrants through redistributing resources, to help resource social service infrastructure, and to help address housing and other economic needs of the border crossers. And given that this is a shared issue, clearly there are services that migrants need. Those also need to be a part of robust conversations that can help other residents of cities. So this needs to be an overall conversation that the Biden administration can help anchor to help, again, share in that humanity that can welcome migrants, but also address the needs of longtime residents in cities and in states.

Dr. Walker, one of the things that I see is really problematic here is that, as we heard about, people are circumventing the laws in New York in order to get to New York City through New Jersey, one of the most expensive places you could ever live. And I'm wondering just your thought about the fact that so many of these migrants do ultimately want to get to the city, the economy there, and what the impact of that will be ultimately on a city like New York City of 8 million people. Yeah, yeah. Like I said, you know, you heard Mayor Adams highlight the last several weeks

the strain it's having on resources. You know, New York is not equipped to that, even though it's the largest city in the United States, it is not equipped to handle that large a number of people in a short period of time. And that's the point of what Governor Abbott is doing. I also, I think it's important, we have to recognize that when we talk about individuals coming to this country, taking various paths, a lot of the great individuals in various medicine or other disciplines are these individuals who come to the United States seeking a better life. And so, listen, if Governor Abbott, among others, is going to continue to play this game, it is going to be more difficult to find a comprehensive

immigration plan. Obviously, we have to talk about individuals with DREAMers, other those who came from countries where they're dealing with oppression and in war and all the other challenges. So we need to come up overall, come up with a plan to address all these immigration issues. But at the same time, we have to have governors and mayors and other individuals from various jurisdictions in red and blue states come together collectively to address some of these issues. But as I said earlier, using these individuals, men, women and children as pawns when they can, without a doubt, be productive U.S. citizens is not the way to go. Dr. Ali, do you see this as being an issue that will come up in presidential debates and will be kind of something on the forefront of people's minds? 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 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. 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 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. I think it's one of the, it's definitely one of the top 10 issues. For some people, it's in the top three. Depends often, you know, if you're a Democrat, Republican,

or an Independent, which of these issues that are raised. But it is something that folks should pay attention to. But we should push politicians. You know, we allow politicians to give us these bumper sticker responses instead of in-depth sets of actions that they are going to do. So whether you're a Democrat, Republican or independent, you should push people on these issues that we feel that are priorities. And don't let them off, you know, with just giving us just some generalized stuff. We really want to know how you're going to address this. Who are you going to bring into to make sure that these issues are being, you know, move forward on it in a proper way? And here's one of the other reasons why this is important, because the United States is actually not having enough babies to continue the growth of this nation, whether economically or in

other ways. So if you are not bringing immigrants in, the United States is not going to stay in the position that it currently is. Nicole, hot-button topic during presidential debates, thinking that this is what people will be thinking about as they go to the ballots at all? Well, I definitely think politicians will be bringing it up as part of the election season this year. I know that it's not just about border crossers, but they're going to be connecting it to crime and continuing to surface fear amongst voters, amongst general residents, trying to connect these dots between the migrant crisis and between crime. So there's a lot of issues that will be top of mind. And I definitely think the migrant crisis

will be among them. All right, Dr. Walker, final with you. Will this be a hot topic? Always, because of xenophobia, and connected to crime, but we know we just had the largest crime drop when it comes to homicides in many jurisdictions throughout

the United States, but I'm quite sure people will connect it to individuals coming to this country. All right, let us move on to the Constance Baker Motley stamp. The United States Postal Service honors the first African-American woman to serve as a federal judge and to argue a case before the United States Supreme Court. Constance Baker Motley is featured on the 47th Black Heritage stamp. Motley was the first woman to work at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, working with future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Motley handled about 60 cases that reached the Supreme Court between 1945 and 1965,

no small feat, of which she won nine. In 1966, she was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. She later became the court's chief judge in 1982. The new stamp is available at the U.S. Postal Service's website and retail locations. Listen, we heard a lot about this woman when Ketanji Brown Jackson was nominated, when she was confirmed. For people who hadn't heard of her, that might've been the first time that they heard of her.

But certainly, Nicole, it's about time. Past time. So it's a wonderful tribute to her. It's the least this country could do, is honor her by putting her on a stand. There's so many more things that this nation should do to honor her. And you certainly, through Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation, it was the first opportunity that many got a chance to learn of her. But, um, Ms. Motley, Ms. Baker Motley should be celebrated and should be recognized throughout history books and as a part of the

great, um, you know, Black history heroes and sheroes that are recognized, um, as part of, um, you know, really helping to make Black America better. Yeah. And Nicole, I'll stick with you for a moment. When we talk about history, when we talk about schools, when we talk about African American history being edited out of books across the country. This really is... You can't tell the story of the Civil Rights Movement without Constance Baker Motley.

She was the one, um, who... who wrote, um, decisions, who wrote papers for various civil rights cases and education and... and... and other civil rights issues. Um, it reminds me of what we were going through just across the country and the way that we have to teach our own on our own to make sure that we get history right. Teach our own, create institutions, create opportunities and platforms

that can celebrate Ms. Baker Motley and others who are have been left out of history. So I think this is one opportunity to elevate her, to recognize her as part of the African-American giants who have helped lay the foundation for where we are today. And hopefully it'll educate folks and maybe inspire, lead people to write books, to celebrate her through other platforms. I don't know, television, movies inspired by her story, her life's history, and there's other opportunities, hopefully, to celebrate her going forward.

Oh, absolutely, absolutely. Dr. Walker, I wanna turn to you. I mean, this is someone who was alongside Thurgood Marshall. If you go online and you listen to some of the audio of her arguing, obviously she knows her stuff, but it is just great to hear her during that time talk in front of the Supreme Court, talk and just defend the rights of her people during that time

when she was not only one of the few women, but the few Black woman who was really making a name during those decades? She was a trailblazer, and Judge Baker-Malik finally deserves her flowers. And let's be frank, this happens far too often when it comes to Black women and all the exceptional things they've done throughout U.S. history, and it takes decades to recognize their brilliance.

And you're right in terms of her work, obviously, as a judge in New York State, but going before the court at a time. You talked about early 40s. This is for a Brown v. Board of Education. That's right. So, and, you know, Black women fighting for fairness and opportunity to show how brilliant a brilliant jurist that she was, but also in terms of the role model for other Black women that follow. And this is long overdue. I'm quite sure our families, please. I remember learning about her Black History Month many years ago when I was a student. But this is the first, and I hope, the many steps, including named scholarships, endowed scholarships, and her name at law schools throughout the United States. Right. She actually drew up the paperwork for Brown

versus Boer, that first draft, if you will. Dr. Ali, what strikes you most about the history that she's made and the legacy that she's left behind? Well, as Dr. Walker shared, you know, being able to achieve in the time frame that she did, you know, really from the 40s on up, just, you know, all the various hurdles that were put in the, you know, in front of not only her way, but others who were trying to achieve, especially on the legal side of the equation. You know, I know her universities are proud of her, but when I visit them, I have not seen any programs named after her. So there are opportunities that exist there. You know, folks should also, I have her book, it's over here on the other bookcase, Equal Justice Under the Law. You know, folks will be making sure that they're going out and picking that up and gives a good understanding

of the depth of her knowledge and how connected she was to our communities. Often, we just don't understand the sacrifices that people made so that many of us can, you know, take advantage of, you know, the positions that we have now, the luxuries that we have. So I'm very thankful to her. I'll also add, as we are making sure that she is being honored, wouldn't it be nice if we had finally got that $20 bill right and made sure that Harriet Tubman... Ah, yes. It would have been something. I mean, I don't know if those doors are closed. I mean, it certainly is worth somebody keeping that door open. Certainly, certainly, certainly. Nicole, you know, Dr. Walker brings up a very interesting point in that we do often hear a lot about the Rustins and other people, the Thurgood Marshalls and the Charles Houstons, right, who all existed around that time. But it does seem like when it comes to Black women, it is a very selective process in terms of who we're going to make

an Amazon primetime special of or who Netflix is going to take next to say this is the person that we are going to put out there. Well, hopefully Judge Baker Motley's time will come, given the stamp and given the awareness and acknowledgement and flowers. 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 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. 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.

She's receiving now. I think it speaks to the leadership of Black women, particularly in the civil rights movement and now, that there's more of a collegial aspect to that leadership, more of a collective aspect to that leadership that doesn't necessarily center the individual, but is more community oriented. And frankly, it's how Black women leadership sort of bumps up against misogyny and misogynoir as well. But I think the recognition of Judge Baker Motley, the recognition of other women, Ella Baker, who's a personal shero of mine,

so many others who don't have their flowers, but maybe through this recognition of Judge Baker Motley, it will be an opportunity to elevate the leadership, elevate the trailblazing that so many Black women experienced and led during the civil rights era and continue to today, because there's so much work. We started this conversation with President Gaye's, Harvard President Gaye's resignation. Her leadership hopefully will continue to be celebrated and recognized as will so many other contemporary Black leaders,

Black women leaders today. Absolutely. There are so, so many. I'm going to get that stamp. I always get the Black stamps, but I don't know if anybody out there is like me. I get the stamps, I put them on the cabinet, and then I don't use them. But I'm going to use Constance.

I'm going to use her and put her in rotation. All right. You are watching Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. We're going to be right back. Don't you think it's time to get wealthy? I'm Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach, and my new show on the Black Star Network focuses on the things your financial advisor or bank isn't telling you.

So watch Get Wealthy on the Black Star Network. I'm Dee Barnes, and next on The Frequency, we're talking about the rise in great Black literature and the authors who are writing it. Joining me will be professor and author Donna Hill. Discuss her writing journey and becoming a best-selling author. I always was writing, but I never saw anybody that looked like me in the books that I was reading.

Plus, her work with the Center for Black Literature and next year's National Black Writers Conference. That's right here on The Frequency on the Black Star Network. When you talk about blackness and what happens in black culture, we're about covering these things that matter to us, speaking to our issues and concerns. This is a genuine people-powered movement.

There's a lot of stuff that we're not getting. You get it. And you spread the word. We wish to plead our own cause to long have others spoken for us. We cannot tell our own story if we can't pay for it. This is about covering us. Invest in black-owned media. Your dollars matter. We don't have to keep asking them to cover our stuff. So please support us in what we do, folks. We want to hit 2,000 people, $50 this month,

raise $100,000. We're behind $100,000, so we want to hit that. Your money makes this possible. Checks and money orders go to peel box 57196 washington dc 20037-0196 the cash app is dollar sign rm unfiltered paypal is r martin unfiltered venmo is rm unfiltered zelle is rolling at rolling s martin.com 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. Hello, I'm Paula J. Parker. Trudy Proud on the Proud Family.

I am Tommy Davidson. I play Oscar on Proud Family, Louder and Proud. Hi, I'm Paula J. Parker. Trudy Proud on The Proud Family. I am Tommy Davidson. I play Oscar on Proud Family, Louder and Prouder. Hi, I'm Jo Marie Payton, voice of Sugar Mama on Disney's Louder and Prouder Disney+. And I'm with Roland Martin on Unfiltered. All right, it's the new year and we've all made some resolution or promise to get back in shape, eat right, go after that new job, write a book. But research shows that these resolutions can be hard to maintain as the year progresses. Here to walk us through how to set healthy goals is licensed professional and counselor Robin May. Robin, thank you so much for

being with us. Thank you for having me. Listen, I'm so excited about this conversation. This fuels me. Yes, yes. I see your excitement. Listen, this is the excitement that we all have at the beginning of the year when we're like, we're gonna do it. But then by March, something happens. Listen, is there a right way to make a resolution to really make it stick? Now, listen, so some researchers say that by February, we have fallen off when it comes to these resolutions that we make. And so is there a right way? I definitely believe that there is. As a matter of fact, every year, it's almost like clockwork. I share with my platform that there are five reasons when we create our vision, we create our vision boards, there are five reasons that it doesn't always work. And so I can walk you through that when

you're ready. Oh, yes, absolutely. Let's go. You haven't connected the vision with your values. That's number one. That's number one. So hear me on this. If I could ring, sing this from the rooftops everywhere I go, watch this. When you don't honor your deepest values, you will always live with an undercurrent of life dissatisfaction. Now I know that was a mouthful. Let me say it one more time. It was. I feel like I'm in church. Wait a minute. Watch this. Just watch this.

This is very important because this is a key to creating a vision and having resolutions that stick. When we don't honor what we value the most, there will always be an undercurrent of life dissatisfaction. I'm telling you, if you can pinpoint where you're feeling dissatisfied, you're going to be able to pinpoint where you're not honoring your values. So when we're creating our vision for the year, if your vision is not connected to what you value. So for example, for me, I value family.

I value my relationship with God. I value my friendship. Listen, for me, I value purpose and destiny. When I'm not honoring those things, I feel off. Well, if your vision is not honoring those things, you're going to be disappointed by February. So that's number one. You haven't connected that vision.

I want to lose weight, but how is that connected to your values? I want to start a new job. How is that connected to your values? Otherwise, you are more than likely going to fall off. Let's go to number two. Number two, you haven't created a strategy for the vision. Listen, we will create these beautiful vision boards.

We'll do a manifesto. Won't we not have a vision board party? Girl, we'll do all of that. But watch this. You haven't created a plan or a strategy for how you're going to make sure that that vision comes to pass. What are the steps? Listen, I'm a pastor's wife, so you know I'm going to say this. You can write the vision. You have to write the vision and you have to make it plain. Faith without works is dead. So you create this vision,

but what is the strategy that's going to help make the vision happen? So you want a new job. What is your exact strategy? Who are you calling in your network that's going to help you? Who's helping you with your resume? You want to lose weight. Are you calling a nutritionist? If you want to have healthier friendships and you're having that tough conversation, what is the strategy? And is this something you should write down? A strategy? Is that what you're thinking? Absolutely, because studies have found that something... Listen, not just put it in your tablet, not just put it in your phone. This is what's interesting. Researchers have found when you take pen to paper, it sears it in our memory even more.

So I want you to literally put pen to paper, write the strategy, but it's not just writing it down. It's literally thinking through, this is my goal and this is what I'm going to do to make it happen. Makes sense. All right, number three. This may be my favorite one. If number one isn't my favorite, you haven't curated,

and I use that word intentionally, you haven't curated, and I use that word intentionally, you haven't curated an accountability team for the vision. Listen, if your vision can happen without any help, maybe you're in trouble. I want you to have an accountability team. And it can be two or three people when I say a team. You want to have somebody that is holding you accountable to the vision. Can I tell you something that I did about two years ago? I went on a, maybe last year, I went on a mission to lose weight, right? I really wanted to lose weight. I connected that vision to my

values and my values are my family. I have three daughters. And so it's very important to me at the age that I am. And I have a nine-year-old and I'm 49. So I want to be around and healthy for my grandchildren. And so I wanted to lose weight. So that was connected to my values. But watch this. I know that once I put something out there, that I'm going to stay true to it.

So I put it on social media. That was my accountability. So that's the whole world you're accountable to on social media. So people are like, you know, because my Facebook and Instagram community will say, hey, what about that goal you had? I put it on social media because I knew for me, this may not work for everybody else, but for me, knowing that I put it out there would be accountability for me. For someone else, it may be your spouse. It may be accountability for me. For someone else, it may be your spouse, it may be your best friend, but curating, I use that word intentionally, selecting those people in your life who you can trust with the vision and who are going to hold you accountable to the

vision. All right. Number four. Number four. If you haven't considered the inevitable roadblocks to the vision is going to throw you off. There is going to be dynamic situations, unexpected experiences that come up on your journey. And you want to consider the inevitable roadblocks. What I often find with my clients, whether it is a clinical client in my counseling practice or a coaching client in my coaching practice, what I find is when they hit those roadblocks, they throw in the towel. And so what we start to talk about is what are you going to do when something comes up that could stop you from that goal? What are some things that you can do that help you rebound. I want you to have a list of strategies you use to rebound. What do I use to rebound?

Number one, I'm a woman of faith, so prayer is a part of my rebound strategy. Also, journaling is a part of my rebound strategy. I have a support system that's a part of my rebound strategy. What is your strategy when those road blocks show up on your journey? Right. Because almost inevitably they will show up. So you might as well plan for them. All right. Let's go to number five. Number five. But let me say this. Not only will they show up, they're necessary. The roadblocks are necessary for the journey. Yeah, because it strengthens you. Listen, we need rain and sun.

We need both, right, to strengthen us. There's a strengthening that happens with the roadblocks. So number five, number five, I told you I could eat this up. This is so my passion. Helping people fulfill their destiny is what I was created to do. So number five, you haven't chosen a time to revisit the vision. Can I talk about this for a minute? I encourage my clients to actually, when they create vision boards or whenever you write down the vision, I encourage them to almost create a mobile vision board. Let me tell you what I mean. Sometimes you create these vision boards or you write out your vision and you tuck it away somewhere. Or even if you have it posted somewhere, the way our brains work, it almost becomes just a part of the decor of your office

or the decor of your home. You want to move it around to trick your brain to remembering what you committed to. And so often when you write your vision, if you don't revisit the vision, it is easy for it to fall by the wayside. I truly believe in the 12-week process. Revisit it every 12 weeks. Another strategy that I use is that not only do I create a vision, I write it out, I record it in my phone so that I can hear myself saying it. And I listen back to it several times a month. Wow. Because what I'm doing is revisiting it because studies have shown that the more you hear it, the more you watch it, the more you repeat it, you're creating pathways in your brain. It is almost becoming a part of your subconscious and you start walking it out without even realizing it. So you want to make sure you're revisiting the vision. I like that recording your voice because really the person you have conversations the most with is yourself in any given day, right? It's all in your head. So you're really just saying, we're going to make this audio and it's really going to get in my head.

I just want to know, before we go to break, we're going to bring in our panel after break. What were some of your New Year's resolutions, if you could share? I wish I could pick up this camera and span around my office because I have them all here. But I want to tell you what my number one overarching resolution is. People resist the word resolution. I don't know why, because a resolution is just a firm decision. But my overarching resolution for the year is to have more what matters most moments. That's my goal. I want to have more what matters most moments. What are the things that matter most to me? For example, just sitting on the couch laughing with my three daughters and them knowing that I have time for them. That's what matters most. So

with all the big dreams I have, all the high level goals that I have this year, if I'm not honoring what matters most, none of it's going to matter. So that's my overarching vision. All right. Well, listen, when we come back, we are going to be talking with the panel, speaking more with Robin May and those New Year's resolutions. 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 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 podcast, 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. 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 TaylorPaperCeiling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. And how to keep them going, especially when February hits. We'll be back after a break. A new year for a new you. Curl Prep Natural Hair Solutions at curlprep.com is an amazing organic line for curls, locks, braids, twists, and even those wigs and extensions. Women, men, and children are loving this line. Look at this video and you be the judge. People line up to see this product in action at hair shows, and when they take a seat and try it, they don't believe

it's their hair. Buy the products at CurlPrep.com It works on all hair types. Use code ROLAND, that's R-O-L-A-N-D lowercase letters to get a 15% discount. Parents, remove the ouch. You will love this system because you can comb the product through your

child's hair with your fingers. Seasoned Saints are loving the product. It's all at CurlPrep.com. Use code ROLAND, lowercase letters, to get a 15% discount. You won't believe it's your hair. Don't you think it's time to get wealthy? I'm Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach, and my new show on the Black Star Network focuses on the things your financial advisor or bank isn't telling you. So watch Get Wealthy on the Black Star Network. Hey, what's up, y'all? I'm Devon Franklin.

It is always a pleasure to be in the house. You are watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. Stay right here. All right. We're back with licensed professional counselor Robin May. She is walking us through how to get those New Year's resolutions right. I want to open it up to the panel. And Dr. Ali, I'm going to start with you first. I'm wondering if you made some resolutions and what kind of help do you need? Do you normally fall off? Do you keep on?

Well, sometimes I fall a little bit short. One of the resolutions was to make sure that I get the two books that I wrote published. So I'm curious if I could ask the question, how important are both short-term, mid-term, and long-term sets of actions to the overall goal in the folks that you work with? Well, we know that those are critically important because what we want to do is keep the motivation going. What I said earlier is that I truly believe in the 12-week year. You know, I don't like to boast about being busy because I don't think that's necessarily a badge of honor, but many of us are very busy. And so if we don't pause, one of the things we want to make sure we do is pause and reflect.

And so I think it's very important to have both long-term goals and short-term goals, because what you want is to have some success. People often ask me, how do you build your self-confidence? It's one brick of success at a time. And so the more that you win, the more you continue to win. Winning begets winning, right? And so you want to make sure that you are acknowledging what you've accomplished so that you have the motivation to keep going. Nicole. Listen, I was taking a snapshot so I could help me develop my vision board for 2024.

Last year was the first year I did a vision board. And I tell you, it left me inspired. The whole year, I actually have it as my backdrop on my computer and on my cell phone to remind me of goals to work towards throughout the year. So listen listen, I'm planning, and, um, I thank you for having this segment to inspire me, um, to think about what my vision and what my goals could be for this year. I have some travel on there, visiting family, improving health, um, aspirational vision,

as well as some short-term goals. So I'm looking forward to trying to accomplish them and tackle them this year. You said that you snapshot the-the list. Was there one of the things on her list in particular that really struck a chord with you? So I'm looking forward to trying to accomplish them and tackle them. You said that you snapshot the list. Was there one of the things on her list in particular that really struck a chord with you? That accountability team, you know, and thinking about ways to curate it for myself. Do I want to share it on social media?

I don't know if I'm that brave, but I'll be thinking about ways to curate my own accountability team so that I can make sure to achieve and knock some of those goals, knock some of those resolutions off my list for this year. All right. Dr. Walker. One of the things she said that I thought was really good, two things actually. One, that you have it on the backdrop of your computer and on your phone. That kind of leans into what I was talking about, how it's important to have it in different places so that you can trigger your mind to really pay attention to it. We don't want it to just become decoration on the wall. And then the second thing I would say before we go to our next

panelist, when we're talking about an accountability person, you want to give that person permission to hold you accountable. It's interesting. My husband and I have been married for 21 years, and I asked him the other day to hold me accountable to something. He said, let's pick somebody else. Let's pick somebody else because I don't want us to get into an argument as I'm holding you accountable. You want to give somebody permission to challenge you to make sure that you are honoring what you said your vision was. All right. Dr. Walker, a question for Robin May. Yes. Yeah. Thank you for coming on. And I want to get back to this concept a little bit now, accountability partner, which I believe is really important. And obviously that person helping you

reach your goals. But I want to focus on the challenges with that. And in terms of an accountability partner that may prevent you from achieving your goals. Specifically, we know millions of Americans set these goals every year about going to the gym and losing weight, working out, et cetera. So can you talk to about the importance of selecting someone that doesn't prevent you from meeting those goals that you set for yourself? Yeah. So one of the things, one of the things I kept repeating is that I intentionally use the word curated. I want you to hand select someone who has shown you that they are trustworthy to have that level of access into your world. One of the things about vision I want us to remember is that vision serves as blinders. I like to explain it like a horse in a race. The jockey puts blinders on the horse so that the horse isn't distracted by

what's going on around it. Well, that's what vision does for us. It is a blinder for us. And so when you're choosing someone to hold you accountable, you are hand-selecting someone. Now, I'm going to just tell you my personal deciphering tool when I'm identifying somebody to hold me accountable. I don't invite anyone to hold me accountable in my world who has no accountability in theirs. It's very important to me that I select and operate with people who are doing their own work. No hate to those that are not, but it's hard for you to help me with my work when you haven't done yours. And so when I'm curating those people, they are hand-selected because I am watching them show up in their world. It is best and often amazing when you can have

someone holding you accountable when you all have similar goals, but it's not necessary. I just want to know that you are doing your work while I'm doing mine. And so that's how I decipher who I'm going to select. Now, Robin, so many people have invited me to these vision board parties. I have not been yet. How can you explain to someone like me and people out there who are watching now, why vision boards make a difference. And are there other things that are in the world like a vision board that will also help you throughout the year as you complete your resolutions? Yeah. So I don't believe that a vision board is a necessity. That's

not the only way for you to reach your goals. Vision boards are really good for people who are visual. And if I were to ever show someone my vision board, they would probably laugh because I'm not creative in that way. What actually works for me is, like I said, if I could show you, it works very well for me to have very linear vision written out step by step. That works better for the way my brain works. And so whether it is a vision board, whether it is you're an audio listener that learns better through hearing, or if you need to read it, if you need to, again, have group discussions, the vision board is just one way. It's not the only way. And what's so amazing, you don't only have to do a vision board with an actual

poster and glue and a gun. There are all these apps now that you can create a vision board right on your phone if you want to. So again, it's just one way, whether it is a vision board, whether it is a strategic plan, whether it is a manifesto, those five reasons I shared with you earlier, all of those still need to be implemented. My passion is for people to move from just writing it down, just stating it, to actually accomplishing it. And part of the clinical aspect of it is making sure that you're not motivated by things that create emotional dysfunction for you. You want to be motivated by the things that are aspirational and that lift your soul. Have you ever spoken to someone that you're working with and said to them,

all right, you made a resolution to, I don't know, communicate better with your family or make your marriage work and go the extra mile. And have you ever said to them, you might want to give up that particular resolution because it is not working for your overall mental health or for the world and life that you are living in right now? Absolutely not. Okay. Explain. So when I'm working with a coaching client or a clinical client, it's very important that I have helped them with their own autonomy. So what I would do instead of telling them to give up on the vision, I love those moments when we have created a relationship that fuels curiosity. I would encourage them to be curious about why this particular goal hasn't been accomplished. I would ask probing questions for them to come to that understanding for themselves

because they may find, wait a minute, one of the things I tell people is to not set goals that are motivated by the demands or expectations of others. So as I'm exploring that with them, they may discover, wait a minute, I identified this goal because somebody else wanted me to. So they came up with that realization and they decide to then tweak their goal. And that's where accountability comes in. Accountability comes in having people in your life who can probe and ask questions to fuel your own curiosity about your own life. This concept of the three-month year, talk to me a little bit about that because I like that. I would guess it's a three-month check-in that you treat like a year? Absolutely. And so there's a whole movement about it. There's a whole book, which I love,

that talks about the 12-week year. I think that might even be the title, but it really is. And so there's a whole movement about, there's a whole book, which I love, that talks about the 12-week year. I think that might even be the title, but it really is. And this is how I coach and counsel people to incorporate it. Go ahead and create your vision for the year. In the work I do with couples, I created what's called a strategic plan for couples. It's called the playbook. And what we do is we sit down and we write out, what is your vision for the entire year? Then we stop and say, okay, that's a big vision. What part of that can be done in the first three months of the year? That's what we're going to lean into. But not only that, remember, number five of the five reasons visions don't come to pass or vision boards don't work is that you're not revisiting it. So you had this whole year vision. You recommit to revisiting it after three months to reflect on what is working, what isn't working so that you can tweak where necessary.

When you think about, if I use my life, for example, we have three children, 16, 14, and 9. We pastor a church. I have two businesses. My husband has his own business. And so if you can imagine, we have to incorporate flexibility in our life. Because if we don't, we will live frustrated. So being able to break your year down into three months allows for that flexibility. All right, so this is my final question of the evening.

Off that list that you gave us, what is the one that people fail the most, if you will? I don't like to use the F word, but what is the one that people don't get right off that list that you gave us? Oh my gosh, that's such a tough question. Okay, so if I had to choose, I would probably say that number one, they don't connect their vision with their values. And the reason

I would say that is because of the principle that I shared at the very beginning. Many people haven't slowed their life down long enough to get crystal clear about their values. And again, when you don't know your values, there will always be dissatisfaction. And so what happens is we're moving so fast, we're doing so much, we're juggling so many things. And many of us are living out what others value, what others have named as priority, what others have said is what we should and should not do, which is a cognitive distortion, by the way. And so because we haven't slowed our lives down long enough to say, these are my four to five top values, and I'm going to live my life in a way that honors those, we often find ourselves off track. And so if I had to choose one, it would be number one,

you haven't connected your vision to your values. Robin, this has been excellent advice and I love your energy. It's a great way to bring in the new year with you. I want to thank you so much for being with us today and sharing with us. I like that 12-week year. Very, very nice. Thank you for having me. I enjoyed it. Absolutely. Absolutely. And thank you for being with us. And as I leave, I want to make sure that I thank our panelists as always. Very, very good to see you and bring in the new year with you. Happy New Year to you, by the way. And I will be back tomorrow for my last day of the week as Roland Martin finds his way back from vacation. You have been watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. Have a good night. Folks, Black Star Network is here.

Hold no punches! I'm real revolutionary right now. Black power! Support this man, Black Media. He makes sure that our stories are told. Thank you for being the voice of Black America, Roland. I love y'all. All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going.

The video looks phenomenal. See, there's a difference between Black Star Network and Black-owned media and something like CNN. You can't be Black-owned media and be scary. It's time to be smart. Bring your eyeballs home. You dig? I know a lot of cops. They get asked all the time,

have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. music and sports. This kind of starts that in a little bit, man. We met them at their homes.

We met them at the recording studios. 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 season two on the I heart radio app, Apple podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcast. 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. This is an iHeart Podcast.