#RolandMartinUnfiltered - DeSantis puts prayer back in school; GA clergy press for voting rights; Juneteenth 'Freedom Ride'

Episode Date: June 17, 2021

6.16.21 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: DeSantis signs bill requiring students to 'reflect' and 'pray as they see fit' before class; GA clergy advocate for voting rights in D.C.; Juneteenth Legacy Project Historian Sam Collins will join us; Black Voters Matter to launch Juneteenth Freedom Ride; Update on Brennan Walker, the young man who was shot at while trying to get directions to school; Crazy a$$ win loses it in a clothing store. Support #RolandMartinUnfiltered via the Cash App ☛ https://cash.app/$rmunfiltered or via PayPal ☛ https://www.paypal.me/rmartinunfiltered#RolandMartinUnfiltered 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. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Today is Wednesday, June 16th, 2021. Coming up on Roland Martin Unfiltered, nearly 50 years after school prayer was banned, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is changing that for Florida students. Georgia pastors are here in D.C. advocating for voting rights. We'll talk with one of the organizers. Also, Texas Democrats are still on Capitol Hill trying to get Senate Democrats to move on the For the People Act. Also, the Juneteenth Legacy Project historian Sam Collins will join us to talk about Juneteenth,

one step closer to becoming a national holiday. We'll also tell you about Black Voters Matter and their Juneteenth Freedom Ride from Mississippi to the nation's capital. Plus, an update on Brennan Walker, the young man who was shot while trying to get directions at the school in Florida. Plus we'll show you today's crazy-ass white woman losing her mind in the clothing store. It's time to bring the funk 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.

It's rolling, Martin. Yeah. Rolling with Roland now. He's funky, he's fresh, he's real the best. You know he's Roland Martin now. Martin. All right, folks, glad to have you here. What is going on with all of a sudden the fascination of Republicans and critical race theory?

Hmm. What about the attacks on the 1619 Project? What about everything dealing with the issue of race? Well, the real deal is this here. The Republican Party, white conservatives, yeah, you can throw in a few black people with them, their real issue is that they don't want to deal with anything with race. That's really not the strategy here. The real strategy here is 2022. So you see, what Republicans understand is that in order for their folks to turn out,

they've got to push the racial button of hatred. They've got to be advocating and creating the culture wars. They've got to get their white base, their white, uneducated, barely with a high school degree base, hyped and excited about the election. So what better way than to all of a sudden have this focus on critical race theory and race and 1619 and this is not the America. So you say, I've been telling y'all about white fear. I've been telling y'all what white fear looks like. And what it is, is this whole notion of, oh my goodness, they're taking our country. That is really the basis of everything

that they focus on. They are taking our country. See, they don't consider us, African Americans and others, to be a part of the hour. It's really about them. That's really what the insurrection was all about. Just to give you an understanding of what I'm talking about here. Now they're fashioning this whole thing, and this is a pretty good one here, that the insurrection that took place, you know what, that really was something the FBI made up. No, seriously. It really was the FBI making this thing up. This literally is Tucker Carlson making this point. Watch this. Every IS A PART OF THE CASE. THIS IS A PART OF THE CASE. THIS IS TULKA CARLSON MAKING THIS POINT.

WATCH THIS. EVERY SINGLE CASE THEY WERE FBI OPERATIVES. REALLY IN THE CAPITOL ON JANUARY 6TH. FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THOSE UNINDICTED CO-CONSPIRATORS IS SOMEONE GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS

IDENTIFY ONLY AS PERSON TWO. ACCORDING TO THOSE DOCUMENTS PERSON TWO STAYED IN THE SAME Person two stayed in the same hotel room as a man called Thomas Caldwell, an insurrectionist, a man alleged to be a member of the group the Oath Keepers. Person two also, quote, stormed the barricades at the Capitol on January 6th alongside Thomas Caldwell. The government's indictments further indicate that Caldwell, who, by the way, is a 65-year-old man, this dangerous insurrectionist, was led to believe there would be a, quote, quick reaction force also participating on January 6th. That quick reaction force, Caldwell was told, would be led by someone called Person 3, who had a hotel room and an accomplice with him.

But wait, here's the interesting thing. Person 2 and Person 3 were organizers of the riot. The government knows who they are, but the government has not charged them. Why is that? You know why. They were almost certainly working for the FBI. So FBI operatives were organizing the attack on the Capitol

on January 6th, according to government documents. And those two are not alone. In all, Revolver News reported there are, quote, upwards of 20 unindicted co-conspirators in the Oathkeeper indictments, all playing various roles in the conspiracy, who have not been charged for virtually the exact same activities, and in some cases, much, much more severe activities, as those named IN THEIR INDICTMENTS. THEY WERE ALSO NAMED FOR INDICTMENTS OF INDICTMENTS OF INDICTMENTS OF INCIDENTAL INCIDENTAL ACTIVITIES. IN SOME CASES, MUCH MORE SEVERE

ACTIVITIES AS THOSE NAMED ALONGSIDE THEM IN THE INDICTMENTS. HUH? SO IT TURNS OUT THAT THIS WHITE SUPREMACIST INSURRECTION WAS, AGAIN, BY THE GOVERNMENT'S OWN ADMISSION IN THESE DOCUMENTS

ORGANIZED AT LEAST IN PART BY GOVERNMENT AGENTS. ARE YOU SHOCKED? WE'RE SHOCKED. WE SHOULDN'T BE SHOCKED. WE'RE SHOCKED. WE SHOULDN'T BE SHOCKED. BECAUSE IN MARCH, THE FBI DIRECTOR ADMITTED THAT THE BUREAU WAS INFLUCTUATING AS MANY DISSENTING GROUPS THAT OPPOSE THE REGIME AS IT POSSIBLY CAN. OKAY. OKAY. SO I JUST WANT Y'ALL TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU JUST HEARD. WE'LL TALK TO CARLSON. OH, MY GOODNESS.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS INFORMANTS? YEAH. INFORMANTS AND WHITE SUPREMACIST GROUP? YEAH. Yeah. Informants and white supremacist group? Yeah. Remember, the reason we know, the reason we know the people who killed Viola Iuzzo,

a white woman from Michigan, who was traveling from Montgomery back to Selma, after the Selma to Montgomery march, when her head was blown off, it's because there was an FBI informant who was in the truck with two KKK members who fired the gunshots. That's why you have informants. But I want you to understand.

So Tucker is, oh, no, this is not white supremacists. These are FBI agents. Is that really how y'all do that? So y'all have to understand what's going on here. Okay. Watch this here. And we're going to discuss this more because I need y'all to understand. The folks at Media Matters put this chart together.

And let's drop the, here we go. So here you go. fox news's mentions of critical race theory every week from february 1st through june 13 2021. you see how it was very, very, very low in February. Then it went up in March, it dipped in April. Then all of a sudden, oh my goodness, April, May, June, shot through the roof. You might be asking, well, Roland, that makes no sense. What's going on here? What's going on here, folks, is the 2022 election. The reason Florida, Arkansas, Oklahoma, they're trying to introduce a bill in Alabama, Texas, the reason they're doing all of these things is because they need to drive their white conservative base to the polls.

I was talking to a friend of mine today about this issue, a fellow media cohort, and this is what I said to him. I said, don't make the mistake of trying to defend critical race theory. Because this is not about critical race theory in order to get their base hyped and excited. That's what they do. I'm laying this out to you because this was a screenshot that conservative radio talk show host out of Wisconsin, Charlie Sykes, shared.

We discussed this before. Y'all, this guy here, Christopher Ruffo, a radio talk show host out of Wisconsin, Charlie Sykes shared. We discussed this before. Y'all, this guy here, Christopher Rufo, he literally laid out their strategy. Look, look what he said. We have successfully frozen their brand, critical race theory, into the public conversation and are steadily driving up negative perceptions.

We will eventually turn it toxic as we put all of the various cultural insanities under that brand category. Here's the key. The goal is to have the public read something crazy in the newspaper and immediately think critical race theory. We have decodified the term and will recodify it to annex the entire range of cultural constructions that are unpopular with Americans. Now, allow me to deconstruct what he just said.

Go back to it. The goal is to have the public read something crazy in the newspaper and immediately think critical race theory. What does that mean? People who watch Fox News, OAN, Newsmax, listen to conservative talk radio, they really are dumb. They really are low

information people. They really are clueless. So whatever they're told, they'll believe. That's why you had 121 idiots who signed up to speak against critical race theory at the lowton county school board even though the principal said we don't teach it that's why

you've had other educators say the exact same thing in school districts all around the country that's why when i was debating uh that crazy sister from florida yesterday who could not even identify critical race theory oh let's let's ban it across the state! Because one teacher said something to your child. See, again, her deal was, oh, that's critical race theory. So when white conservatives hear race, what Rufo is saying, we want them to think, bad, bad, bad, critical race theory.

That's why when AL.com, and you heard Doug Jones on yesterday talking about an Alabama state rep who was introducing a ban on critical race theory when he was asked the question by AL.com to find it, he couldn't because they're clueless. See, I need y'all to understand why you have to study the competition

I do Roger Ailes was sadistic crazy and demented but he was brilliant he was because he understood how gullible

white conservatives are he knew if we just keep telling them over and over and over again, they'll believe it. Please show the Fox News chart again. See, Ailes is dead, but this is the Ailes strategy. If you keep repeating it over and over and over, you're driving it into the consciousness. Now go to the Christopher Rufo tweet right here.

You see it right here. The goal is to have the public read something crazy in the newspaper and immediately think critical race theory. Now, Steve Bannon, Steve Bannon, actually articulated this. See, this is why you have to listen to what people say. You have to literally listen to what they say. Steve Bannon said himself, this is our strategy. We're going to do something on the right.

We're going to talk about it, hype it up. Then we're going to then challenge mainstream media. Why they aren't covering it. And they know how scared and skittish the white executives in mainstream media are. And what they'll then do is they'll then cover it. Well, that was never their intention. And so essentially what white, what, what white and yes, and I'm going to be very clear what white right wing media does is what they do is they gin up an issue, force mainstream to follow them with the issue. And what they then do is they then go, why aren't you covering it? And so mainstream then starts covering it and they stand back and go,

mission accomplished. See, the way mainstream media should respond to this is we're not covering that BS. Next. But see, they're scared of tweets. They're scared of being criticized. Oh,

we've got to cover this. That's really what they do. That's how they operate. So what I keep saying to people is you have to learn to go on the offensive, not the defensive. So all these people out here, this is exactly what they should do.

No, we're not going to discuss critical race theory because y'all can go to hell. Because the whole premise of this whole discussion is BS. Next. No, 1619 project is not critical race theory, so shut the hell up. Next. So you have to be very cognizant

of what the game is. And see, part of the thing is, too many people respond emotionally to things that go on. They respond emotionally. They don't listen and pay attention and then try to understand. What was the quote that I gave you from Bill Duke in the movie High Flying Bird? They invented a game on top of a game.

And that's what all of this is. My panel, A. Scott Bolin, former chair of National Bar Association Political Action Committee. Robert Petillo, executive director, Rainbow Push, Coalition Peach Tree Street Project, Monique Presley, legal analyst and crisis manager. Robert, I keep trying to explain to people,

you have to be smart and understand how do you counter the racial bigotry of the right. Donald Trump's entire election, him descending those stairs and coming out, lashing out the Mexicans and they send their criminals over here and they're raping people. It was creating this thing in the mind that was of these white voters, that's right, that's right, finally somebody who's speaking for me. They had to listen to the language. So then you take a Fox News, who's all about how do we maintain dominance

in terms of making money. They know how utterly gullible and dumb these people are. And they will just lead them astray wherever they want them. And see, Democrats and progressives have to learn not to take the bait. And then you now are allowing them to define your conversation, your discussion, your narrative. No, you got to learn not to chase them down the rabbit hole, Robert. Well, you know, this is what Republicans have been doing for decades now. This is the weaponization of the Dunning-Kruger effect. You take something that people know very little about

and the less they know, the more confident they get in it, the more they believe they have an expertise in it. And they will argue you down to the down to the mat because they are in a fat free environment. They do not have to actually make any sense. And we see this every couple of years. Remember two years ago, Republicans were claiming the Common Core was what was going to destroy public education and indoctrinate children. Before that, Michelle Obama was going to give all the kids salad, and that was going to ruin the kids.

Before that, it was Sharia law was going to be infesting our kids and creeping Sharia law. Before that, they were going to be teaching creationism, or they were going to be teaching creationism, or they were going to be teaching evolution in school, and that was the problem. And as you said with DeSantis, prior in school was the big wedge issue they were on before that. It's always going to be something

because they want to cover up for the fact the Republican Party ran in 2020 on no platform, no education platform, no financial platform, no foreign policy platform, no platform at all. So if you can take all these conversations about public education and turn them into critical race theory, instead of talking about the fact that Republicans have been trying to defund public schools for a generation now, or bust teachers unions, or bring, or the Santas bring prayer back into school, or get rid of all mentions of race and racism in education,

well, then now they have won. Because any minute that you're talking about a fake problem that isn't even taught on anything besides the graduate and law school level, well, now we're not talking about the disparity in funding between white schools and black schools in given school districts. We're not talking about the digital divide where black students during coronavirus often do not have access to the same levels of wireless connectivity and technology so they can keep up. We're not talking about the way that students regress during the course of the pandemic so they're coming back to school in the next fall at a lower reading level than they left at.

They don't want to talk about any of those actually important issues. So these same people who are out here raiding these school board meetings, and I say the people, not parents, because we talked to some of the people at the Cobb County School Board meeting where they raided last week. Of the 10 people we talked to, not a single one actually had a child in the school, in the school district. And of the 10, six of them were from outside of the county. And they just kind of come in to these meetings to divert attention away to what they want to talk about. So the best thing to do, you can't logic with them

because their arguments aren't based on logic. You can't present facts to them because it's a fact-free conversation. The best thing you can do is ignore them and change the subject to something which is actually germane to the conversation on education, which they have demonstrated they don't care about because they have no because they put forward no platform in 2020. And see, Monique, again, you always have to follow the money.

So perfect example. There's a site called The Federalist. Ben Dominick, that's his site. You know, I think he got busted for plagiarism somewhere else, and then he left to go create his own. This is the guy who's married to Meghan McCain. I'm connecting the dots here. So this is a piece here by the Center for Media and Democracy

where the Federalist Foundation's tax records. And what do they reveal? That a lot of their money are coming from far right-wing Republicans, including billionaires. And that's who fund. Now, guess what? What people don't understand is these are the folks, they fund the Federalist. They fund the Daily Caller. They fund the Daily Wire. They fund the Heritage Foundation, which has their own media outlet called The Daily Signal.

They fund all of these. That's why when you look at the top 10 stories that are on Facebook, it's Ben Shapiro's outfit. See, they have this whole ecosystem where they share. So here's what they say in this story right here. They say in here, the Center for Democracy has obtained So here's what they say in this story right here. They say in here, the Center for Democracy has obtained the first 990 tax filing of a new nonprofit linked to the right-wing digital publication, The Federalist,

as well as the most recent filing from the Real Clear Foundation, another media nonprofit that has ties to The Federalist. For years, many have wondered who funds The Federalist, which publishes far-right content including vigorous defenses of Donald Trump, coronavirus conspiracy theories, and racist posts that previously fell under a black crime tag. And so then you go through this here and you see right here money coming from the Ed Uline Family Foundation, the Conservative Funding Vehicle Donors Trust, and the Thomas W. Smith Foundation. Now, you might say, Fred Uline Family Foundation, the Conservative Funding Vehicle Donors Trust, and the Thomas W. Smith Foundation. Now, you might say, Fred, Uline, hmm, you ever seen the shipping company Uline?

Well, that's him. So when you use Uline, you're funding his pockets. So look at the amount of money that they've given, $500,000, $850,000. So it says right here, CMD previously reported that he took Real Clear Foundation and received $5.1 million from the Delmas Trust, $850,000 from the Ed Uline Foundation, and $450,000 from the Thomas W. Smith Foundation. Now, Real Clear Foundation is the site Real Clear Politics,

which a lot of media people go to. So the reason I'm laying all this stuff out, because people need to understand, Monique, the sophisticated strategy of far right donors and what they've done. In fact, what this story shows right here, the DeVos family as well. You can go down here. Ed Uline says right here, Uline is one of the Republican Party's most prolific political donors, having given 6565 million to conservative outside spending groups, including the pro-Trump America First Action. Now, for the people who are watching this show, and they might go, okay, Roland, fine. Real Clear Foundation gets $5.1 million. Here's what I need people to understand. And I've said this before. Let's say I was given $5 million by someone. If I decide, I could then say,

I'm going to, now listen to everybody. Y'all, I need y'all to hear something. This was the Federalist Foundation, the Real Clear Foundation. So these are non-profits. So they're getting tax write-offs for these donors. If I was given $5 million, I could go hire 20 reporters and pay them $100,000 each. That's $2 million. I could then hire me five editors at $150,000 each to oversee the 20 reporters. And so right there now at $750,000. So now I could hire 25 staffers from $100,000 to $150,000 and spend $2.75 million, and I still have $2.25 million left over, what kind of damage

or what kind of positive things I could do with that? This is what this infrastructure is doing, and so this is who is driving the whole critical race theory discussion, the whole 1619 project attack, because their whole deal is, if we can ramp up anti-white fear, white grievance, they're going to come out to the polls. And I guarantee you, write it down, every Democrat running next year is going to get asked,

do you support critical race theory? Do you defund the police? Watch it happen. One of your thoughts on this whole ecosystem that we're actually up against? Well, I was going right for the point that you last made, which is when we see the tactics and the methods that are being used, then it really isn't just, oh, that's terrible. The people the power to do the same thing or more. So then the issues become, do we know that we have it and are we willing to use it and wield it? Because we have individual donors in our community and also people who are true allies of our community who can do the same thing. And then we have collectively the same dollars that we are putting out in the economy and other areas and in other industries. We have it to do this. And I'm hoping that the people who are listening and watching understand that those

criticisms that they throw all the time, whether it's you, Roel, or anyone else who's asking for money to fund our freedom and to fund our information and to fund our cultural advancement, that no, CNN may not be asking directly for money. ABC might not be asking directly for money. Fox might not be asking directly for money. But look at what these dwellers, these underbelly organizations of the far right are doing. They're the ones that are getting the tax-free dollars, mind you, and creating the stories way in the sewers.

And the next thing you know, we've got people on mainstream media who are over and over again saying CRT and critical race theory and not even bothering to define it or to challenge the people who are challenging it. So I'm hoping that people will understand. Yeah, the media that you watch, if you turn on your TV, you pay a cable bill for that. You pay electricity, whatever you have,

Wi-Fi, you have to pay to get that. But it is also funded elsewhere because those stories are coming up through a pipeline. Isn't it worth it, y'all, for us to fund righteousness the same way these people are funding evil? Scott, I'm going to go back to this article. Scott, I'm going to read this to you. In 2019, Donors Trust. Donors Trust is called the dark money ATM

of the conservative movement. This is a donor advised fund sponsor that Republican billionaires such as Charles Koch, Robert Mercer and the DeVos family used to donate millions of dollars to conservative causes. When they contribute through Donors Trust, their identities are shielded from the public. In 2019, Donors Trust gave $1.5 million to the foundation behind white nationalist hate group VDARE, the largest known donation to a white nationalist group in the U.S. It also gave $10,500 to the New Century Foundation, which funds Jared Taylor's white nationalist magazine, American Renaissance. In addition, Donors Trust regularly funds anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ hate groups, having poured

over $3 million into these organizations in 2018, as CMD reported. See? So, at Donors Trust, its board of directors determines the nonprofits that are eligible for its charity, so the group's leaders approve these extremist groups. So, what you're dealing with here, what you're dealing with here,

Scott, and these people have ties to ALEC, and so what you're dealing with here, what you're dealing with here, Scott, and these people have ties to ALEC. And so what you have is just this web that these Republican billionaires are funding. And so I need people to understand when you see these stories crop up, when you see how they sort of germinate, okay? They don't start at Fox News. They start among these sites here. See, Scott, they love attacking Facebook, but the Facebook algorithm actually rewards them, and so

they're attacking what they love. That's why they always say, the media! The media! It's too liberal! I said if CNN went out and hired 1,000 conservatives tomorrow, they would still say the next day, you're still liberal. Understand the strategy.

Everything that you're seeing, what you're seeing, is all tied to ginning up white people to get them angry and upset to turn out in large numbers in 2022. No question about it. Go back to your Donors Trust article if you can, because the most important thing you said about Donors Trust

is that they hide the donations from others. Super important. They don't even have the courage to stand up and say, I'm supporting white nationalist groups who commit violence and are insurrectionists against the Capitol. That's the first thing. The other thing they do, Roland, which is really, really important, is that when George Soros or LeBron James does the same thing for democratic progressive causes, if you will, they're highly critical of them. Or if, whether it's Bezos or whether it's Bloomberg, they're highly critical of those money, those monies that are given to truth-seeking

organizations, to progressive causes, to causes to eliminate police brutality or eliminate discrimination in this country. And so what we need our supporters, just intelligent people to do, is to use their intelligence, if you will, and to reject any dumbass ideas when they read this stuff and outright reject it. And then lastly, I can tell you that those conservative news programs, all the ones that are in the green room at conservative news agencies, all the ones that are on the air who get paid millions of dollars. I can tell you I've been part of discussions where these conservative media folks know exactly what they're doing and often insult their own followers who support conservative news programs. They know how ignorant they are. They know how uneducated they are. They know how ignorant they are. They know how uneducated they are. They know how dumb they are.

And they make snide comments about them. I've been part of those conversations. And then you go on the air and then they go to entertainment. Part of it's news. Part of it's entertainment. But they know the ignorance of those who give them the ratings

and give life and breath to these negative stories that are rooted in ignorance. Why? Critical race theory is about telling the truth about America. And we got, like, 30 states who want to bar critical race theory, undefined by them, of course, but telling the truth about systemic racism

and the history of slavery. You don't want to teach young kids in public schools the truth where you've got a fundamental problem with the basis and foundation for that type of legislation. So it's overwhelming. Democrats got to get smart, and we need some Democratic political

gangsters to fight back against the Republican gangsterism that you've been discussing the last 10 or 15 minutes of this show? Well, I think part of the problem is you have billionaire Democrats who don't know how to fight, don't want to fight, and then they want to be so hoity-toity without realizing,

no, you got to sit here and get down and dirty. Hold on one second. I'll give you an example. One second, one second. Hold on one second. So for instance, the Center for American Progress had a very large news operation called Think Progress. They allowed it to go out of business.

They were like, well, it wasn't making money. Guess what? These Republican billionaires, they don't give a damn about the Daily Caller or the Federalist making money because they set it up as a nonprofit and they're going to say, don't worry about it. We're going to give you $5 million next year. Last point, PragerU, folks, read the New York Times story. They got $22 million in

their first year, $7 million from two Texas billionaires. They raised $28 million the next year. That's how they can get a billion views because they can buy the traffic. So I just want people to understand we're going to keep covering this. I just want people to understand what's going on here and learn not to chase things that they bring up. Be very mindful of where these controversies originate from so we're not playing their game. All right, folks, let's talk Juneteenth. Juneteenth, of course, is the date that Texas slaves found out they were actually free. It's celebrated every June 19th, of course, which is this Saturday. Now, we are one step closer to Juneteenth becoming a national holiday.

And in Galveston, they have the Juneteenth Legacy Project. Their mission is to properly explain the story's origins while preserving its historical and contemporary relevance. Joining me now is Juneteenth Legacy Project historian Sam Collins III. Sam, I had a brother on yesterday who talked about how the story has gotten wrong, how people say, oh, Juneteenth, actually that ended slavery.

And he said yesterday, no, it didn't. It was really in December. Juneteenth is specifically tied to when slaves in Texas were told. Yes or no? Yes. When Gordon Granger arrived here on June 19, 1865 and issued General Order Number 3, the important part of the story that we rarely talk about

is that 75% of the soldiers that came into Texas were USCT, United States Colored Troops, that brought the message of freedom to Texas. So what do you want to make sure gets told? And so exactly what is your goal with this? To expand the narrative with this 5,000-square-foot mural that's on the side of the old Galveston Square building, painted by artist Reginald Adams and his team, the creatives, K'davion Baylor, Dantrell Boone, Joshua Bennett,

Cherry Meekins, and Samson Adenube. We want to expand this Juneteenth story and tell it in a way that is more complete, to tell the full American story, because too many people don't know that the USCT were walking the streets of Galveston and spreading the message of freedom? First of all,

into Texas. One of the things that I'm already seeing and people are talking about, obviously all of a sudden, you know, the Congress embracing Juneteenth. And yesterday, what Karl Mack said yesterday, and I agree with, is that what we have to do is, we've got

to make sure that we control the narrative. I've always said my issue with around MLK days, when these folks, especially these Republicans, all of a sudden start dropping their MLK quotes and things along those lines, they turn MLK into this sort of civil rights bobblehead, as opposed to showing how he was a strong, moral, courageous freedom fighter. And so how do we ensure that we are controlling the narrative and Juneteenth is not turned into, let's just be real clear, an opportunity for businesses to make money, to sell mattresses, to sell shirts, and to sell all kinds of different things because you're already seeing, even in mainstream media, all of a sudden embracing Juneteenth with Juneteenth specials in prime time,

things along those lines. Yeah, absolutely we have to control the narrative. This is a struggle here in Galveston I'm having with telling the true history of Juneteenth. The painting in the mural represents icing on the cake. On the building, you see the icing, but as a historian, it's my job to tell you what else is in the cake. See, behind the paint and plaster are the bricks that make my heart ache. And these are the bricks that laid the foundation of this economic system in America that we call capitalism.

And you don't always see the bricks, but you always know that the influence of the enslaved people are there. So Saturday at four o'clock, we're going to dive deep into this conversation with Dr. David McNally from the University of Houston and Joe McGill from South Carolina and myself. We're going to have a deep conversation. Everybody wants to come to the party and the celebration Saturday, and we welcome going to have a deep conversation. Everybody wants to come to the party and the celebration Saturday, and we welcome you to Galveston. But we want to dive deeper into this conversation, to your point, so that we can control the narrative.

And so while these things are happening on the national level, what is your advice to folks who are watching to ensure the exact same thing doesn't happen, where it becomes whitewashed and all of a sudden you really don't have the full story being told? Well, I think it's very important for those that have been telling this story for decades in our communities. In most communities, there's a local historian that may not have been an academic person or teaching in the school, but there's an organization here like the Neocultural Center.

They've been working in this community to tell this history story for 30 years, and it's important that we support organizations in our community that have been doing the work. Last year, Juneteenth became popular, and all of the money is flowing into all of these new organizations, and we need to make sure that our existing organizations that have been on the road, the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation has been in existence since 1994. Like I said, NIA has been here for almost 30 years, started in 1992. We need to make sure that this money has been funneled into these organizations so that they could tell their stories and not have this paternalistic relationship in which when funding comes in, they tell us what we can and cannot say.

We have to create our own platforms and tell our own stories, stand flat-footed and tell the truth. I would rather fast on my feet than eat steak on my knees. So be careful taking funding that is going to require you to be quiet. Remember that you must speak up and speak truth to power in this moment. All right. Sam Collins, we appreciate it, man. Thanks a lot.

Thank you. Monique, I want to go to you on that particular point when I talk about, again, controlling the narrative. You're from Galveston, so other than me, you're the other Texan here. And again, we can already see the wheels turning. We can already see. I'll give an example.

There was a major bank that was going to want to do this big Juneteenth initiative, and it was really unclear what the hell it was. And so we laid out really an informational piece, a number of different things. They was like, nah, we're just going to sponsor an event. And I just start laughing. I'm going, I guess y'all ain't really serious about this whole deal. That's the whole other piece, making sure that this doesn't turn, oh, I got a day off. No, no, no, no, no, no. What the hell this is about.

That's critical. Sure. Well, first, I hope Sam is still listening. Thank you so much, Sam. I was texting back and forth with my mom yesterday and today, and she sent pictures from in front of the mural. by not just by Sam, but by Representative Al Edwards from Texas State Legislature, who died just last year, did not live to see this. But this is certainly the fruit of his labor and so many others. And so what I want to give space for, and it's what I texted, tweeted earlier today in response to one of your frequent panelists who was saying, you know, that this is looking like gaslighting. And I'm like, yeah, okay, okay. But one, can we celebrate the fact that honoring

Juneteenth is righteous? It is something that should be done. And then if you are an educator, educate. So if they want to give me money for an event, great. I know how to use my mouth. I know how to bring people in who know the real education of the moment. As Sam said, don't agree to not say things or to not tell the truth. But if they want to support and encourage, I don't have any problem with the Juneteenth t-shirts. I want to tell the story as many times as I possibly can, because, especially for me, you know, I mean, these are my ancestors. This is my great-grandfather, who was right there at Ashton Villa when this announcement was made by Gordon Granger. He

became an emancipated former slave. So that is my life and legacy and every opportunity we have for people to understand that even once the freedom was declared on the East Coast, it took almost two years for people who lived in the South to have those same freedoms. They were free in law, but not free in body. And that is what we are dealing with right now in this country. So, I mean, y'all, keep the main thing the main thing. Yeah, people are going to try to do what they're going to try to do with it. Same as Fourth of July. Same as MLK. Same as Christmas, for that matter.

Commercialization is what it is. The money train don't stop. But we have an opportunity and I am thankful for everyone who banded together in order to make this possible. Go G-Town. Robert, the thing for me is real simple on this. I can be supportive and thankful for Juneteenth, the national holiday, and demand an anti-lynching bill and demand the george floyd justice act and demand the for the people act and demand the john lewis act so i don't have to sit here and go people like oh they just want us to forget no i ain't forgot a damn thing i want all of it i want

the whole damn menu well i think that's what's important that we we now have an opportunity as a community and we have to take advantage of that and make sure we keep control of this. We do not want Juneteenth to turn into Black Cinco de Mayo. You know, the first time we see a little white girl named Megan dressed up as a sojourner truth to get free shots, I think all of us will realize that we've messed up somewhere. So we're going to have to keep this in line, keep this where it needs to be. And even in Atlanta, recently we started seeing pop- pop up Martin Luther King Day day parties and twerk fest and strip clubs giving away free giveaways to celebrate Martin Luther King. The community has to come together and keep these things in line

and make sure we're educating people and that they understand the true impact of it. And declaring it a national holiday is step one, because what it leads to is America acknowledging the damage of slavery, acknowledging and spending a day to realize that, yes, millions of African Africans were kidnapped from their homes, enslaved for hundreds of years in chattel slavery, genetic slavery. Based upon the blood in your arms, you are owned by another person for hundreds of years and then released with no recourse, no land, no property, no money. They've been tended those same fields, those same houses for decades thereafter. Deep into the 20th century, there were still people sharecropping. Many of us grew up knowing that in conditions not much different than slavery

themselves. So as we have this conversation and understand where we come from, now is where we can take it and move the ball forward. It is step one. So now that you recognize what happened, now that you declared a national holiday for the release, now we have to start talking about the reparative measures that were never made and how we move that forward towards reparations for our people.

That is the first step, the precipice. That doesn't mean you quit and go to the tort party. That means you keep fighting, moving forward, and change the narrative until we can actually get the type of reparative actions that are needed to repair the damage done to our community after 400 years. I'm going to bring in, Father Scott, I'm going to bring in a former CEO of DeKalb County, Georgia, and Pastor Lee Mayo, Transforming Faith Church. And the reason I'm bringing him in, because we're going to talk about this issue and voting as well,

and all these things go together. Lee, I think some people need to understand that we can actually fight for four or five different things at one time and can be appreciative of one of them. So, look, we fully expect the House to pass this, to make Juneteenth a national holiday. This also means that while all of these white folks are running around trying to pass these laws, not wanting to teach American history, guess what? You make Juneteenth a national holiday, you're going to have to talk about why you even had Juneteenth in the first place. What created it? What caused it?

Were the slaves actually freed on June 19th? As Carl Mack said yesterday, the answer is no. So my whole deal is, now we can sit here and say, national holiday, now, y'all can't act like you can't teach it, because it's actually now the national holidays. Let's talk about it.

Yeah, man, we can walk and chew gum at the same time, man. We can deal with issues of the reality of the history of this nation. We can deal with issues of the reality of the history of this nation. We can deal with things like reparations. We can deal with voting rights. We can deal with just things that are connected to the black and brown experience in this nation. So, you know, all this stuff that's going on, we don't want people to get it twisted.

We still need to be fighting for all the issues that's going on, we don't want people to get it twisted. We still need to be fighting for all the issues that affect our community. That's why, you know, I've been here in Washington, D.C., fighting for free and fair elections in our country. You know, I'm from Georgia, and we led, unfortunately, this voter suppression. And I say we loosely because I didn't have anything to do it. We were trying to fight against it. But all of these voter suppression. And I say we loosely because I didn't have anything to do it. We were trying to fight against it. But all of these voter suppression laws, and we know what the cure is, the cure is federal legislation that will protect our vote and expand opportunities for people to access the ballot box. So, man, we've been here pushing. We've been here fighting. Yeah, we were here when

they voted for that Juneteenth resolution and all that. And that's good. That's fine. But isn't that ironic that at the same time the Southern Baptists are dealing with the resolution to fight against the teaching of critical race theory. Man, it's just every time we take some steps forward, we see that there are steps to push us back. But we have to keep fighting. We have to be proactive with our approach. And that's why we've been here in Washington, D.C. Pastors, man, pastors from Georgia

and also from around the country, making our voice heard and taking it to those decision makers who can really make a difference, man. Scott, the reason I put all these things together, I think about this very issue in terms of what's going on in the country right now. And I think about how folks don't want certain things to happen, how they don't necessarily want us to deal with all of these issues that are going on. And my point is just very simple.

Look, you can't sit here and ignore it. And that's why Republicans, I think, were really so angry when folks in Georgia were calling this, they were calling this, they were calling this Jim Crow 2.0. They were really upset because of that very thing. While Scott's going to answer this, y'all go to my computer screen. The House is actually voting on the Juneteenth bill as we speak. Scott, go ahead. Well, you know, let me tell you a problem with everything that's being said. I can't tell whether you are bragging or complaining about the passage of this bill. I'm sorry. Well, that means you can't pay attention. No one is sitting here. No, not one person is complaining. Black people. Not one person is complaining. On this panel, barring the pastor, is you have a national holiday for Juneteenth.

You're complaining about commercialism. Hold on, stop. What the hell are you talking about? Did you not hear what Monique had to say? Stay committed to the cause, yes, but you're about to have a national holiday. You're in a capitalistic society. You're going to have commercialism. Well, guess what?

No, no, no, no, Scott. No, hell no. No, hell no, Scott. No, Scott. Actually, no, actually, Scott. No, actually, Scott, you're not paying attention. Actually, so, no, actually, actually, the problem, Scott, is you fell asleep.

Actually, Scott. My goodness, you confused me. Scott, you probably, no. Are you bragging or complaining, Rowan? Scott, you're confused because you fell asleep. You're confused because you fell asleep. No, I didn My goodness, you confused me. Scott, you probably didn't know. Are you bragging or complaining, Rowan? Scott, you're confused because you fell asleep. You're confused because you fell asleep. What I said is, what I said is, we must control the narrative.

We must control the narrative. And I was confused. I couldn't tell whether you liked Juneteenth or didn't like Juneteenth. Well, that's pretty stupid. Because it came with all these other issues that you want to complain about. Well, that's pretty stupid if Because it came with all these other issues that you want to complain about. Well, that's pretty stupid if you couldn't figure out.

It must be pretty stupid if you couldn't figure out if I support Juneteenth being from Texas. That's about the dumbest thing in the world. I mean, I know you're a capital, but damn, don't be that dumb. I'm from Texas and support it. What I'm saying is, Pastor, what I'm saying is here, Pastor. What I'm saying, Pastor, is here. What we have to do is control the narrative. Because, again, if we allow other folks to define,

and I'm using MLK as a reason, we go to these events, and I even tell black people, stop just quoting two MLK speeches. He was deeper than that. So my deal is, when you lose the essence of the event, you let somebody else control the narrative. It ain't hard to say control the narrative. Pastor, go ahead. Well, can we stop and have a word of prayer first?

I said pastor. Scott, you're not a pastor. Can we stop and have a word of prayer? That's not fair. Scott, Scott, Scott, let me help you out. When I say pastor, I'm referring to somebody who's actually a pastor. Uh-oh. Your ass ain't a pastor.

You ain't even a deacon. Pastor, go right ahead. You ain't even an elder. I'm a Christian, so I'm going to let the pastor go. No, no, you're not going to let the pastor go. I'm going to let him. He's going to talk because I gave the directive. Pastor, go ahead. I agree with your directive. I agree with it. Yeah, of, you're not going to let the pastor go. I'm going to let him. He's going to talk because I gave the directive. Pastor, go ahead.

I agree with your directive. I agree with it. Yeah, of course you do. Pastor, go ahead. One, I think y'all need a resident chaplain to be the referee between y'all, number one. But I believe here, here's what I think, y'all. Inevitably, this happens with human nature, period. It definitely happens in our community.

We take issues, we take things that have this pure kind of thing around it, and inevitably human nature is to commercialize it, is to pivot away from its original meaning and all of that. And with the passage of this, if this does become this federal holiday, I think we have to be focused on what it really is about, man. We can't veer off and go down this commercialization kind of road, this monetization of it as well.

We need to hold it as an opportunity to discuss for this nation what this really means. Man, this nation has a history that goes counter to what we like to communicate publicly. You know, we like to tell the good, sweet nothings about this nation's origins, about how we were founded and all that. And this nation, particularly its leadership, likes to skip over the fact that we stand on stolen land, that we used forced and violent labor to build this nation and have not done

what the Bible calls for us to do, which is to offer restitution for our sins. You know, and we have to, this thing, this whole federal holiday, honestly, y'all, I don't think one way or another about it. It's what, if it passes, which it looks like. Oh, it's going to pass. It's going to pass. It's going to pass. If it passes or when it passes,

we, those who understand the background, the history of this nation, man, we have to make sure that we continue to educate. Look, in the Bible, in the Old Testament, I think it was in the Book of Judges, it says there arose a generation that knew not the God of their fathers. What does that mean?

That means that when this new generation, the millennials, the Generation Z and all of that, when they enroll, somehow they didn't know the God that took our forefathers and foremothers from Jim Crow, slavery and all of that. We have to do a good job of passing down the story of how we've come to this point in our nation's history, the good, the bad, and the ugly. We can't be afraid to teach the truth to all the power structure who don't want to acknowledge this and whatever.

And we have to embrace the real meaning of what we are, quote, unquote, going to be celebrating. See, Monique and Robert... May I? Yeah, Monique, the reason I'm pulling all these things together is because they're all being discussed in real time. While this is happening in the House, there's a negotiation still happening in the Senate over the George Floyd Justice Act. You now have today, we'll talk about it a little bit later, this framework of a new voting proposal that Senator Joe Manchin has put together

that could actually put into federal law voter ID and stop, no excuse, absentee balloting. We could talk about all of these things together. And that's the point I was making. You probably got it. Robert probably got it. I don't understand why Scott couldn't understand it. But, Monique, go ahead. Monique, go ahead. Monique, go ahead.

Yes. So, Scott did. I want to try to assist because he did text me at the beginning of the show and say he was having problems with his audio. And I have to believe that it's those problems that prevented him from hearing me say, congratulations to Sam Collins. Did you, okay, don't interrupt me. And the reason I can confirm,

the reason I can confirm what you said, Monique, because Monique sent me a text at 617, Scott can't hear the show. Monique, continue, please. Monique, because Monique sent me a text at 617. Scott can't hear the show. Monique, continue, please. Monique, continue, please. What I know now is that it wasn't technical issues. It was auditory issues.

So I said being from Galveston that my parents yesterday on the anniversary of 63 years of marriage were able to go, because I'm adding to the story now because you can get it the first time, Scott, were able to go to the spot where my mother's grandfather heard of his emancipation, right? Right there in Galveston, Texas. And I said, thank you, Sam. Thank you to the decades of work of other people.

Thank you to Representative Al Edwards, who isn't here to celebrate it, but died a year ago after all of his hard work. And I said, let's be mindful to take this win and that this is a teachable moment. We don't need to be concerned about commercialization. They commercialized July 4th, Scott. Exactly. You should have amen the first time instead of saying that I didn't

say something, Scott. They commercialized Christmas for the pastor who's here on the panel. We're not saying get rid of high holy days because they are all opportunities for those of us who know how to teach to teach. It's opportunities for the elders to teach the youngers. It's opportunities for those of us who have information to teach those who are ignorant. That's why I said I don't mind the T-shirts. I don't mind any of it.

First of all, if it brings commercial industry to my hometown who has suffered and rebuilt and rebuilt and rebuilt after hurricane, after hurricane, after hurricane, stop talking, Scott. I for real am still talking. If it does that, then I am in favor of it. But, Scott, you agree, but you missed it. All I'm trying to do, because if you missed it, then maybe somebody else missed it like you, is say, guys, don't allow our cynical nature where any time we get anything good, we know that something else bad is around it and they're gaslighting and et cetera. We have the power to control what is done with this. June 19th was the day my grandparents

got married. And before one of them went home to be with the Lord, they had celebrated 62 years of marriage right there in Galveston, Texas. They moved the property from where my grandfather was a sharecropper down to a block from where my parents still live. So listen to me. I haven't been in every Juneteenth parade. I've twirled batons. I've been in the band until I went back three years ago and spoke at the inaugural social justice luncheon for the Juneteenth Emancipation Committee. So hear me when I say this is our moment and it matters. It's more important to me than July 4th will ever be. So those of y'all out there who are saying, oh, we're being gaslit, but you're going to break out your barbecue

on July 4th? Start a couple of weeks early, bro. But you're going to break out your barbecue on July 4th? Start a couple of weeks early, bro. But that's not what I said. Start when we actually got free. Pastor Lee, Pastor Lee, Pastor Lee, after Monique just laid that out, why don't you just go ahead and give the benediction? Amen, y'all, amen.

But let me say this one thing. Something that's super dope for me right now is my mom and dad, Reverend Lee May Sr. and my mom, Diane May, will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on Juneteenth. I think that's cool. So, you know, I just had to say that to make me a good son. But, y'all, we got to, look, let me tell you something. Let's not fight about this.

I think this could be a good thing. If it's commercialized, you know, it is what it is. But let's keep it as a teachable moment. Lee, Lee, Lee, Lee, Lee, Lee. Pass, pass. Lee, Lee, ain't nobody fighting. Ain't nobody fighting. Every Wednesday, every Wednesday,

there are three sensible people who are on this show. There's always that ignorant, wild, crazy uncle. There's always that one. There's always that ignorant, wild, crazy uncle. There's always that one. There's always that one who is that far from being committed. And so that's what we got to deal with. Pastor, continue to press the folks on Capitol Hill

when it comes to voting rights. We certainly need it. Thanks a lot. Appreciate you, man. Thank you for having me on. Going to a break. We come back it. Thanks a lot. Appreciate you, man. Thank you for having me on. Going to a break. We come back. We're going to talk about Senator Joe Manchin. This voting proposal he has?

I don't know. That's next on Roller Barton Unfiltered. I believe that people our age have lost the ability to focus the discipline on the art of organizing. The challenges, there's so many of them, and they're complex. And we need to be moving to address them. But I'm able to say, watch out, Tiffany. I know this road.

That is so freaking dope. Racial injustice is a scourge on this nation, and the black community has felt it for generations. We have an obligation to do something about it. Whether it's canceling student debt, increasing the minimum wage, or investing in Black-owned businesses, the Black community deserves so much better. I'm Nina Turner, and I'm running for Congress to do something about it. George Floyd's death hopefully put another nail in the coffin of racism. You talk about awakening America, it led to a historic summer of protest.

I hope our younger generation don't ever forget that nonviolence is soul force. Right? Hey, y'all. Join the blackest bus in America and hundreds of organizations on a freedom ride for voting rights. From June 18th to June 26th, join our caravan for rallies in cities and states from Louisiana to Virginia.

And on June 26th, you can join us in Washington, D.C. or host a voting rights event in your own city. To learn how to get involved, text FREEDOMRIGHT to 797979. CC! Yes. What's happening? Good to see you. I'm good. Likewise. I'm good. Down here, all this black love. Yes, yes. What's happening? Good to see you. I'm good.

Likewise. Likewise. Down here, all this black love. Yes, yes. It's amazing. I'm glad to be here. Glad to be here. I tell people all the time, if they have never actually experienced, this is my ninth consecutive

Essence Festival. Wow. I'm sorry, it used to be Essence Music Festival. That's right. Now it's just Essence Festival. That's true. A ninth consecutive. And I really tell people it is just something unique about black love and how we are received

by our people here. Yes. Pretty amazing. Pretty amazing. I would agree. Whenever you're received by your own people, your own cultures. I don't think there's anything that compares to that. And to see us all doing something together in unity, having fun, enjoying the weather, enjoying the different gifts and talents that come out of what God has given us,

it's a great thing to experience. And they also all think they're your cousins. Oh, of course, David. Yes, that's what I love about it. There's no strangers. Uh-uh, at all. At all. And I know they know you.

I know you are their best friend. They'll be like, hey, Uncle Roro, how you doing? How you doing? Well, here's what I know people watch. Because you know, I end my show every day with holler. Somebody walk up to me, they'll be like, holler. Like, OK, you watch. You watch.

It's always a seasoned saint, too. I always. She woke up by 75. She'd be like, holla. That's got to make you feel pretty great. Oh, yeah. So it's always good. So what you working on?

What you got? Well, just finished a new record. So I have a new record now. Let Them Fall In Love is the name of it. I'm on tour, Fall In Love tour. Just performed here in New Orleans a few weeks ago. It was really great, had a great time. Who you touring with, just you?

Yeah, just me. OK. Just me. Got a new record, and I'm pretty excited about it. And then tonight, or should I say tomorrow, I'm here for a surprise guest for one of the people that they're honoring. OK.

All right then. So I better keep that a surprise, I guess. for one of the people that they're honoring. Okay. All right I'm gonna keep that a surprise in case they're watching No, this this is gonna add when it's all over. Oh Say okay She'll know so honored to be here you gonna test girl where you at? Oh, I'm in New Jersey It's gonna be your I'm honored to be here. You're going to get a text, girl, where you at? Oh, I'm in New Jersey. I'm in Nashville. If not, you're going to get it. It's going to be your fault.

That means you can't take no pictures on social media. That's right. I'm sitting in front of the camera. I'm doing all that. Right, exactly. I'm hiding. Now, what I need to know is, has Bebe finally learned the name of y'all's songs? When we were at the Tom and Jonah family reunion,

when Grace came out, remember doing a concert? He was just making up words, and we were backstage, and you were like, what were you doing? He was like, I forgot the words. And you were looking like, what is he singing? You know what is always hard when you come out with something new, it's like you better go in there and practice. Right. And, you know, B.B., he doesn't think he has to practice.

He was sitting there just making up words. It comes easy for him. Most of the time, I have to work at it. He does it. It was too funny because you, like. You saw it. Oh, no, because remember back afterwards, I saw it. And then afterwards, you were like, what were you doing?

He's like, I just forgot the words. So I just started making up stuff. He wrote it so he can just start writing something new. And you said, like, so when am I supposed to come in? Because I don't know what you're saying. I mean, it's not like acting where you just going on, like, OK, I'll just wait until you finish and I go. Exactly.

No, no, no. You have to be inside the music. So when you mess up, then you're in trouble. One of the things that I think is interesting that I tell people and and television is also i think the same there is something about um what i give lots of speeches and so i don't write speeches you know i don't write them so i literally allow for the discernment in the room where i get a sense of the feeling in the room wow so i mean literally i mean i let the room speak to me. Wow.

So there are times when, before I speak, if the room ain't right, like, I'm not saying much. You know, I speak to everybody. I'll be sitting there, and people are like, are you okay? I'm like, no, I'm fine. Wow. Because I'm about to kill y'all when I get up there, because I got something to say to y'all,

because there are some issues in this room. So when you sing, have you ever been on that stage where you felt something in that room where you said you know what I need to switch up what I'm doing because I'm I'm I'm picking up something definitely I need to shift what my plan was definitely and even even speaking you feel that but I didn't realize this is the first time I heard that somebody doesn't prepare at all and kind of walk in well you kind of know what you're going to do. But you let the room tell you. I just don't tell you how much time I got.

Wow. Seriously, I've written one speech in my life. Unbelievable. But literally, I can give a 15, a 20, 30, 45 hour and a half. Just by filling in the room. Yeah. Wow. But yeah, definitely that happens to me a lot.

You know, you have a program, but then you get there and it's like, no, I sense I need to go this direction. Or even speaking, you know. So, yeah, I totally understand what you're saying, but I've never went out and just said, okay, let me just feel what's happening. I've literally changed my speech going, like I said, okay, I'm going to settle on this while I'm sitting down. I've literally changed it walking to the podium. Wow. Yeah. And that's the beauty of it.

I'm not writing it because, you know, I can just flip it. Yeah. But literally. And see, now my wife, so she gets so mad at me. So she's ordained. So she's probably nervous. She's been ordained 23 years. Oh, my God.

Like when she preaches. She goes in this cocoon. Yeah. She like goes in a corner. She's been ordained 23 years. Oh, my God. Like when she preaches, she goes in this cocoon. Yeah. She like goes in a corner. That's me. I have to work so hard at it. She got books. You know, she's just all in this.

You know, you can't really talk to her. I'm like, I'm sorry. So I did three services at the church. That's not fair. And we were going in. She goes, what are you going to talk about? I said, I don't know. I hadn't decided. I'm literally sitting in the pulpit That's not fair. And we were going, and she goes, what are you going to talk about? I said, I don't know. I hadn't decided.

I'm literally sitting in the pulpit, choir singing. I'm talking, they singing like right before I go up. Like the last song. And I literally open the Bible up, go, I find a scripture, I take a half of a scripture,

come up with my title, know what my points are, and boom. Oh, you know what? I'm not even speaking to you anymore. I'm with your wife. I'm on her side. I said, baby, don't hate the gift.

Don't hate the gift. Don't hate the gift? I said, don't hate the gift. That would be tempting not to hate the gift in that circumstance. Because she's in this hole. That's me, too. I call it a hole. I have to go into a cave.

Oh, you know what? Is this interview over? Because I'm done talking to you. I am totally done. Are you serious? Yeah, no, seriously. Wow. No, seriously.

I tell you, don't hate to give. Well, too much is given. Much is required. I'm not lying. Say somebody got to give. So you're on tour. Where are you going next? Let me see.

I'm going to Grand Rapids, then Detroit. I get to go home. OK. Detroit, and then Cincinnati, Ohio. Those you going next? Let me see. I'm going to Grand Rapids, then Detroit. I get to go home. Okay. Detroit and then Cincinnati, Ohio. Those are my next three stops. Okay. Well, it was always good to see you. Well, good to see you, too.

Even though I don't like you anymore. Because of the gift. Don't hate the gift. But it's good to see you. Thanks for having me. Good having you. I'm happy. All right, y'all. That, that. All right, folks, that was great. So every day here on Rolling Martin on the Filter, we're gonna have a Coca-Cola Essence Festival throwback where we're gonna show you some of our greatest moments from previous Essence festivals.

Don't forget, Essence this year is a virtual festival on June 26th, 27th. That's a Saturday and Sunday. They're going to actually have the panels beginning around 2 p.m. And then, of course, they're going to actually have the concerts beginning at 6 p.m., and then, of course, they're going to actually have the concerts beginning at 6 p.m., and so June 26th, June 27th, and again, the following weekend, July 3rd and July 4th,

and so this year's Essence Festival is virtual, and so every day we're going to have, again, throwback interviews, and if you go to our social media, you're going to see photos that we posted of previous Essence Festivals as well, and so we appreciate partnering photos that we posted of previous Essence festivals as well. And so we appreciate partnering with Coca-Cola on bringing some of y'all. We've had some great stuff, y'all, some great photos and great interviews.

And so we want to share some of that stuff with y'all. And so we certainly appreciate it. Thanks a bunch. If you go, let's go right here to the floor of the U.S. House. This is a live look on the floor right now. I don't think everyone has voted. First of all, you can see only 14 Republicans, 14 Republicans are on record voting against making Juneteenth a federal holiday on June 19th. And so in just a moment, we expect Texas Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

No, she is going to make the announcement of the bill's passage. And so obviously it is fitting to have a member from Texas, a black woman from Texas. Of course, the first African-American from the south who was elected to Congress was Barbara Jordan. Barbara, the seat that Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is in, that is the seat of Congresswoman Barbara Jordan. She, of course, was followed by Congressman Mickey Leland, the late Congressman Mickey Leland, who was a great man despite going to Phillis Wheatley High

School. That was our rivals at Jack Yates. Then he was followed by, of course, Congressman Craig Washington. And then followed by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. And so, when they finish tabulating the votes, then we will go live to the floor of the U.S. House and talk about this issue.

Robert, before we went to the break, I talked about this new proposal that's been floated around where Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia has been negotiating with some other Republicans. And one of the things they're talking about is actually making voter ID federal law, but also providing for some other alternatives to be able to show your ID, such as utility bill. But they also are going to, as a part of this being discussed, also not allow for no excuse absentee balloting. And there are a lot of Democrats who say, no, forget that. And so he sort of lists the things that he doesn't like in the For the People Act and grabbing some of the stuff that he does, like putting it all in

the John Lewis Act. And the discussion being held is that, hey, he thinks he can get the more than 10 votes necessary from the Republican side to break the filibuster. Your thoughts on this so-called workable solution. Well, one, just going back to the last segment with Pastor May, do you see how calm us Clark Atlanta University people are? Do you see how we don't do a whole lot of yelling and hollering and screaming? The Clark Atlanta alumni are very... We're cool cats when it comes to things like that.

So what you're saying, Howard University will reel out? Is that what you're saying? I'm saying you had two folks from Clark, two folks from Howard. That's all that I'm saying. That is a very factual observation. Robert, is that really what you want to do today?

We're good. I don't make the rules. The people saw what happened. Let's go get him. Let's go get him now. See, already. If that's what you want to do today, the way that I am with you,

I mean, I never leave you. And this is what you want to do? We here, we here. We on it. But that's your mansion. Are we? I think the mansion is hopeful. I it. But that's Joe Manchin. I think the Manchin proposal... I wouldn't take that if I were you.

Look, I think the Manchin proposal... You're so messy. Scott, you are so messy. I wouldn't take that. He's a Kappa. Robert, go ahead. I think the Manchin proposal is dead on the arrival of the Democratic caucus.

Let's understand something. He's trying to bring 10 Republicans over. It doesn't matter what they put in the bill. You're not getting 10 Republicans, as long as it has Democrat on it. They could actually bring, Joe Manchin could sponsor a bill to bring back Jim Crow and slavery every third Saturday, and Republicans would not support it just because it has Democrat on it. Mitch McConnell has already said the era of bipartisanship is over. Their only goal is to make sure that Joe Biden has no legislative victories, nothing to campaign on in 2022 and 2024. So this idea you're going to negotiate with them, then somehow get these 10 Republicans, what 10 is he going to get? Where's the math at on this? And at the point

that you pass a bill that is so Republican, it betrays the actual soul of the original legislation. That's not a compromise that is selling out. So I think it's a ridiculous conversation. If you don't want to pass it, then let's start over and rebuild a bill from the bottom up after we get a bigger majority in 2022. But this idea of selling out to the Republicans in the name of bipartisanship, I don't think will float with the Democratic base. Scott? We talked about... Monique, hold on. Monique, hold on. Scott.

Robert? He needs to watch the 24-hour news. Okay. Scott, go ahead. Yeah, I think my colleague from Clark, Atlanta, is absolutely right about this. Let me tell you why voter ID is really dumb from a legal standpoint. In most jurisdictions, if you don't have ID or you're in the wrong precinct, it's a challenge ballot, basically.

They let you vote. And then when they go back to tally, they put challenge ballots in another bucket. And they, at some point in the next 24, 48 hours, confirm, cross-reference, and what have you. And your vote may count. Or if they can't make the match, then it gets thrown out as a challenge ballot, if you will. So up front, voter ID, especially when you, as long as you're not registering, if you will, but you're just trying to vote, voter ID laws simply don't work. They're worse than a poll tax, if you will. And these other things that are in this bill are just contrary to what the Democratic reforms are. Because remember, the Democrats want as many people to vote as possible under our democracy and Constitution. The Republicans, because their views are not popular and they don't help America, Democrats historically, at least over the last 20, 30, 40 years-

Allow me, Scott, one second. Let's go to the floor of the House of Representatives. Go. On this vote, the yeas are 415 and the nays are 14. The bill is passed. Without objection, a motion to reconsider

is laid on the table. Well, there you go. A vote of 400, and you heard the vote totals that were given by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. 414 House members. 414 House members voted yay, 14 voted no. Those 14 are all

Republicans who voted no. I'm going to show you all this here. Actually, if you go back, you see, go to the chamber, please. You see House members there congratulating Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee for that. This was a long day in the making. Folks like Opal Lee, who's almost 100 years old. She's been walking all over America, wanting to make Juneteenth a national holiday. Y'all might remember, this also was when that

bullshit Trump platinum plan, even though he didn't say nothing about it last year. And remember, last year, it was Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson who stood up and blocked it because they wanted to pass it by unanimous consent. All the other Republicans agreed with it. He wanted to be a butthole about it,

and that's exactly what happened. And then this year, he finally realized, you know what, let me just sit my behind down because it don't make any sense. I do want to show y'all this here. I saw this tweet. I thought it was pretty damn funny, even for a Republican. So one of the Republicans said something really stupid. Comment. Let me pull this up for y'all so y'all can laugh. I know you don't think Texas Senator John Cornyn has a sense of humor, but y'all watch this here. So read this here.

Representative Rosendale issued the following statement opposing a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Let's call an ace an ace. This is an effort by the left to create a day out of whole cloth to celebrate identity politics as part of its larger efforts to make critical race theory the reigning ideology of our country. Since I believe in treating everyone equally regardless of race and that we should be focused on what unites us rather than our differences, I will vote no. Okay, let me just show y'all, this was the response of Republican Senator John Cornyn. Kooky.

Which is, you know, I'm just saying, he's a fellow Republican, but even he was like, yo ass ignorant. Oh, gosh. But you notice that. You remember what I said at the top of the show? You notice there how he worked the critical race theory in? Right, exactly.

I told you, anything, here's what's going to happen. Somebody going to be discussing blackened salmon or blackened catfish, and a Republican is going to say, that's critical race theory. All they're going to hear is the black part. That's all they're going to hear. And they're going to yell critical race theory part. That's all they're going to hear. And they're going to yell critical race theory. That's just what we're dealing with. So, all right, y'all.

So, Juneteenth is a federal, now goes to President Joe Biden to sign making a federal holiday. And so, yeah, now you're going to have people yelling. I can't wait to see the Republicans who are probably going to try to say, can we make Jefferson Davis a federal... I'm going to sit down. Because you know they still get time off in Alabama, Mississippi, and I think Tennessee as well, and I think South Carolina

too. So it's amazing. So, Roland, what are they going to teach in the schools about Juneteenth if they... No, you can't. ...pass a law off the block? No, you can't. No, you can't. Huh?

You can't. You can't. Not going to do it. You can't. Right. Not going to do it. Not going to do it. So there's going to be a federal holiday,

but you can't talk about it. Right. Exactly. Exactly. You know, the Republicans' view on this is the denial of the truth again. They just have a problem with the truth and facts, whether it's slavery or structural racism in this country.

They can't explain it, so they just don't want to talk about it. Bottom line. Oh, yeah. No, that's the real game. That's the real game. Maybe they want to talk about this. Y'all know what time it is? No charcoal grills are allowed. Maybe they want to talk about this. Y'all know what time it is? All right, you know, when you go shopping, you're really not trying to deal with really choosy, crazy, outlandish people. Well, at this, Ross, Dress for Less, let's just say,

it got to look crazy. You're a no-good motherfucking bitch is what you are. Please leave. Oh, I'm leaving. Please leave. You're going to be leaving soon, too. I promise you that, you fucking are. Please leave. Oh, I'm leaving. Please leave. I'm asking you to leave soon. You're going to be leaving soon too, I promise you that, you fucking no good bitch. Okay, that's fine.

You guys want to call racism? Bitch, you're more racist than your fucking wife or whatever it is. Fuck you, you fucking black bitch. Okay, that doesn't bother me. Fuck you. Okay, have a good day. Don't dance around on your porch like a fucking monkey, whore. Get out.

White woman called her monkey. Sister's kind of like, mm, yeah, okay. All right. Let me, did y'all find her name? Did y'all find her name? All right, let me, let me go ahead and read her name. That's her right there. Carrie's owner. That's the one who acted

a damn fool in the store. And like I keep saying, Monique, hey, hey, just keep the cameras rolling, and every time one of these fools act a fool and then they get fired, I'm telling you, we should have a lot of black people apply for their jobs. But Roland, what was she so mad about?

I think she was mad about the mask or something. Yeah, that didn't come out in the video, but she's madder than a month. She's mad as hell. Scott, did you hear him say Monique? Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that. Forgive sorry. I didn't know that. Forgive me. Because your ass don't listen.

I got a technical difficulty. Because your ass don't listen. I told you, you don't listen. You going off today. You don't listen. That's the problem. Monique, go ahead. Well, let me just say this.

Monique, go ahead. I hate y'all. Okay. So here's my issue. We know everything about, you know, race is going racist, white supremacist is going white supremacist. And I'm always trying to give the people who don't fit in these boxes and these baskets the benefit of the doubt. But what is clear to me in this video, and this is one of those things that if critical race theory was actually taught in schools, which it's not ignoramuses, this is one of the things that they would teach. She goes from being mad to being rude to being racist. Her racism was always, like, right under the surface.

And when she realized she couldn't yell and get her point across, then she couldn't call the employee a bitch and get her point across, she had to go for Black bitch. Because Black, in her mind, was an insult. Like, that was a derogatory term. And then when she was still unfazed,

she went for porches and monkeys and everything that she could think of. Hear me. If there is a single white person in America watching me right now, that doesn't come from anywhere, from nowhere, boo. That's in your spirit. That's your default setting. That's, that's your default

setting. So you think that you just generically mad and insulted, but hear me, the people who are not racist, porch monkey doesn't just spill out. Black bitch doesn't so look at this as a case study in your empirical class your fictional class crt 101 because this is where you learn how white supremacy intersects with social construct because that's what critical race theory is actually about. Yeah. Scott, go ahead. You got something to say? I just want to know what you're so mad about. I'm not the host, though. Who gets mad that mad? Did her child get attacked? Was her life threatened? But she went right there, as Monique said,

with the social construct and racial theory. I just don't know why people get so mad about it. Where she work, Roland? Where does she work? Well, here's the deal. So first of all, you've got a couple things out here. So there's some pieces I see that her name is Lisa Zoner. Then there's a Carrie Zoner in St. Louis.

I don't know if they're the right same person. I keep seeing both names. Carrie Zoner actually ran for the school board. Earlier this year, the NAACP chapter demanded she enter campaign for the Salem-Kaiser school board zone one after she called, after she had some awful things to say about George Floyd. But clearly... That's her Lisa Carey's owner.

Well, clearly, the Zoner name is trash. But, Robert, I just, again, all I keep saying is, again, y'all, just roll. I love the sister. Okay, boo.

Yeah, okay. They I love the sister. Okay, boo. Mm-hmm. Yeah, okay. Don't hurt me. Mm-hmm. Don't. She was about to slap her at the end. But that's the thing. But no, the deal, though,

that actually is what drives them crazy. It drives them crazier when you go, okay, boo. Mm-hmm, you done. Right, right. It drives them crazy. Robert, go ahead. Well, T, one of the interesting things is as I wrote my senior thesis at Clark University on racial slurs.

And part of what struck me is porch monkey is one of the older terms from the post-Reconstruction era. So that doesn't just pop into your head. That is one you heard. That's one from your childhood. That is a deep-down generation where you don't just slip and say porch monkey. You can claim you slipped and said the N-words sometimes. You know, you were quoting a rap song, but you don't just slip and say porch monkey.

That is some deep-down intergenerational racism. And as I always say, this is exactly why I always have a gun with me, because when a woman goes that crazy and starts calling black folks porch monkey in the store, I know last time with the city council, when I say you need a nice 7.62, in that case, you need yourself a

10 millimeter. A pistol, no, a Glock, Glock 20, something along those lines. You're advocating violence, Robert. It also needs to be concealable. Is there a 10 millimeter gun? Yeah, a 10 millimeter right here. Oh, shit. Oh, my God.

And so, you need the 10 millimeter. You need the 10 millimeter right here. Oh, my God. And so you need the 10 millimeter. You need the 10 millimeter for bigger targets. So this is why I use my wild hogs down on the property, mountain lions, those kinds of things. But you want to make sure that you got something more concealable than you would with the AR pistol, just to make sure. So look, these folks got to know. Did you just brandish a weapon?

Show it again! Show it again! Go on, show it again. It's illegal. What is happening? Show it again. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! So, look, I keep telling these people... Roland, you can't be showing that shit, man! You asked me!

Look, this is the thing. These people start running around here and crazy on you. They need to know you. You don't never know who you calling a porch monkey. And so you might want to keep that to yourself. Oh, shit. Hey, who are you going to war with? Huh?

The person calling people porch monkeys. You're going to war with them? Look, I'm just saying those same people just... Look, look, look, Scott, those people just stormed the Capitol and tried to lynch the Vice President. Ammo has been sold out for two years. You can't even buy a gun

in the store. You think it all evaporated? You think it all just disappeared into the heavens or something? Where do you carry those guns? Like in a satchel? It's not all the same people. It's not like you're trying to infringe upon my constitutional rights.

It's not the same people, Robert. I'm putting you under watch care. I'm putting you under watch care. I'm not having any arguments with you anymore. Don't worry about me. In case anything happens, you can come to my house. I got extra rooms. You can live like that, Pat. Robert, he can brand you.

He's pulling his shit out. I dare you, Robert. No, that ain't got nothing to do with me. Me and Robert are cool and we not. Don't start none, won't be none. I'm your huckleberry. Oh, he pulled his shit out. Right on national TV. He pulled his shit out. Right on national TV, he pulled his shit out.

Look, I told you, Roland knows I always have a gun on me at all times. But the reason is he's never known one of these people. I demonstrated it. So the whole point is when these people go on these wild attacks, we saw the city councilwoman outside the Ku Klux Klan statue they had taken down. These people are disconnected from reality. These people are they still believe the election was stolen from them. The Western civilization is under attack.

You know, they send letters and mail and all sorts of things. So I highly encourage black people to exercise your Second Amendment right, because when they come after you, you're not going to be throwing your feet high. I'm bringing my shit to the next show. Scott, you know, lawyers in Atlanta, I do. I saw Robert posted

something the other day because some racist was threatening him, and he was basically like, come over here with that if you want to, and I'm like, I don't know what's going on. What are you saying? I got something for you, playboy. No, he literally said it.

And then he posted it. I think I said yippee-ki-yay. So all of us could see it. Yippee-ki-yay. Roland, where are you? 100%. Where are you? No, Roland knows that we can handle this. All I'm saying is, I'm your Huckleberry.

Everybody remembers that Tombstone reference, right? There he is. I knew he was doing what he was doing. So my point is, Robert, you at least, you could have just stayed with the 10 millimeter, wherever that was. I don't know why you felt that way. God asked what the 10 millimeter was. So. I don't know why you felt that.

What was that second gun you pulled out? The second six two, that's the other one. I can go get the other ones. What was that stupid big ass gun? Roland posted a picture of your guns or somebody did. We already know. No, no, those were the ones I put on TV. Oh, black man, I don't want to have to

go to the FBI and tell them that you're not their guy. Look, the FBI should go get all them crazy people, storm in the Capitol and burn down buildings all over the country. That's what they need to be worried about. You see, they won't. Look, we have to understand. Look, black folks got to stop being afraid of the Second Amendment.

It applies to us just like it applies to them. And the same way these people walk around with.50 caliber sniper rifle, Barrett M1s, they got fully automatic tax-stamped weapons, they're ready to roll. So we're sitting here scared to exercise our Second Amendment rights as if we're doing something illegal simply by legally owning a firearm that is registered, that is identified, that is within every single federal parameter. But we've been taught to be afraid of our actual rights, just like many folks are taught to be afraid of their first-member rights.

Don't speak out like that. I think all of us have probably heard that from friends and family. Don't be out there talking to people like that. You're going to scare the white people, and they're going to come after you. Don't have your second-member rights. They're going to get mad at you. They're going to come after you. We've got to stop running scared as black people in this country.

You make progress when you're bold, when you are unapologetic, and letting people know, look, my rights are exactly the same as yours. Scott, clear your calendar. Clear your calendar, Scott. Clear your calendar, Scott. I'm sorry, go right ahead. I said clear your calendar.

Yeah, really? Our brother's going to need you in Atlanta. I was... I never owned a gun in my life until I heard about the Proud Boys, so I have plenty of them. I haven't brought them on the show yet, but next week, I'm bringing them,

and maybe we can compare notes, because I'm a beginner. My equipment's not as sophisticated as yours, but I'm sure you know how to work my Mossberg shotguns, long and short, and the sawed-off one, and the subcompact 9, and the Beretta 9 millimeter. So let's talk about that, black people in the Second Amendment

on the next show. Maybe Roland ought to just let us freestyle, and we can hold our shit up, and you can tell me all about it. Look, I'm down. Rolla, let's do a gun show. I'm against guns. Can I speak for a moment, please? I am against guns

and Roland is now a member of Guy. Because... You know what? You know what Robert reminded me of? Tupac used to say, throw him up. Throw him up, right? Throw him up, right? Throw him up, right?

He threw up his shit, his guns. But I was only throwing up my fingers because I was so naive. Right now, I am against guns. I'm not against guns. I will debate it at a later time because... Yeah, I'm not against guns. We're going to get you a little 9 millimeter subcompact.

Give peace a chance. His die sheet. That's how you give peace a chance. You get yourself a nice subcompact 9 millimeter. With a piece? With a piece? Like Medea? Where?

Like Medea. Give peace a chance when you have a piece. Come with you, and we're going to pick out your little Beretta or your little Smith and Wesson and we're going to get it in your hands. We're going to load it and we're going to take it to the range in Virginia. And I'm going to tell you right now. Monique, my wife is exactly

the same way. As upset as I get with you on this program, does this seem like it makes sense to give me a gun? Yes. Look, Monique, you found out. I had this exact same conversation with my wife when we first met, back when we first

started dating. She had moved from New York down to Atlanta, and the first thing I ever bought her wasn't no flowers or purse or shoes. Got her a Mossberg M500 with a pistol grip shotgun, like Scott was just saying. In Mossberg. She, as a New Yorker, looked at it and was scared of it.

She had been taught this pathology her whole life, that guns are associated with crime, associated with evil, associated with killing, until people started breaking into her apartment complex, stealing catalytic converters, and dragging women off. At that point, we were right at the shooting range, and she knows how to use it proficiently. And I got her her subcompact 9 for her, because we have a house in Atlanta. We have a house in Baltimore. I don't know if you noticed. Yeah. I got it.

You know what, Robert? How long you been married, Robert? What year is it? Six years. What? Six years in. So look, I'm just saying, you have to understand they have to be protected. Robert.

Dude, by year 10, by year 10, you either get rid of those weapons or you exit the premises. No, she helped me build weapons now. We got to get Erica right. I was cleaning my shotguns, and I had my two nines out in Maryland on the fence and she like turned around and left and said, tell me when you're done with that.

It's a pathology. I've had guns around since I was two years old and none of them have ever hopped up and shot anybody on their own. None of them have ever just magically went on a crime spree and shot up a school or anything. They're tools like any other tool. And that's why I said to you,

you haven't had a black woman around as a wife for 10 years since you were two years old. So when you get to the decade mark, you call me. Yeah, Erica don't want no part of my guns, man. But I got to socialize it, just like you said. And for that, you should be thankful. Just be thankful. But I keep coming to save you.

Somebody come knock on that door in the middle of the night. You'll be you should be thankful. Just be thankful. But I keep coming to safe. You won't even go in the safe with the guns in there. My girl don't need no gun. If she trying to get rid of it, she can do it other way. Okay, well, she going there when that money's in there, though. I bet you she knows when that money's in that safe with those guns. She say, take the guns out. I got to get something out the safe.

Y'all done? Yeah, I think we done. Because y'all, not now one of y'all can ever open your damn mouth and say and never let your asses talk. No, we talked tonight. Thank you, Ro. Can't ever, you can't ever, ever,

you can't ever say that again. Never, not, not now, ever. But, Roman, did you see his guns? Yeah, I saw his guns. Did you see his car weight? Yeah, stop talking. I got to pay some bills. I'll be back.

Before Till's murder, we saw struggle for civil rights as something grown-ups did. I feel that the generations before us have offered a lot of instruction. -♪ Organizing is really one of the only things that gives me the sanity and makes me feel purposeful.

When Emmett Till was murdered... Yeah. ...that's what attracted our attention. -♪ Hello, I'm Nina Turner. My grandmother used to say, all you need in life are three bones. The wishbone to keep you dreaming, the jawbone to help you speak truth to power,

and the backbone to keep you standing through it all. I'm running for Congress because you deserve a leader who will stand up fearlessly on your behalf. Together, we will deliver Medicare for all. Good jobs that pay a living wage and bold justice reform. I'm Nina Turner, and I approve this message. Hey, y'all. Join the blackest bus in America and hundreds of organizations on a freedom ride for voting rights. From June 18th to June 26th, join our caravan for rallies in cities and states from Louisiana to Virginia.

And on June 26th, you can join us in Washington, D.C. or host a voting rights event in your own city. To learn how to get involved, text FREEDOMRIGHT to 797979. Hey. All right. Gospel star Anthony Brown was one of the folks that we talked to at a previous Essence Festival, and so here is this Essence Festival throwback presented by Coca-Cola. Anthony, how you doing? I'm doing amazing, man.

Now, it's your first Essence. This is my third Essence. Your third Essence. Yes, I've done Essence at least two more times, performing as well and then just hanging out. It's the best conference, man, for a lot of black people. Right. Whole bunch of black people.

Well, and that's why. So I want to start with that question, because it's always a different reaction for people who are new versus those who are vets, who have been here multiple times. Absolutely. So what are all the things that you do, other events that you do, other major events,

what separates this from any of those? Man, you know what? Black culture is so diverse. When you come to Essence, you get to see a little bit of everything. I mean, we come in every shade. We act every kind of way. To me, that's beautiful.

You walk through the conventions in here, the Gray Hall here, you see everything, man. But I love it. I love my people. So it's just, that's what makes it different to me. But also, I think what's important, and my staff will tell you, I do this. Yes, sir. I cannot stand

coming here in seclusion. Wow. Meaning, you're in VIP areas, you're here in the interview room. Absolutely. Meaning you're in VIP areas, you're here in the interview room. Absolutely. I tell them, no, every year we're walking the stage, walking the floor.

I love it. We're going to be with people, seeing people, touching people, taking photos. I hop on different stages. Like, I'll hop on the fourth stage. Just for no reason. Yesterday, they were DJing in Coca-Cola. I jumped right in the middle of their floor. I'll just roll up on the AARP stage.

See, you like me. I mean, I don't want to just be confined somewhere. No, I want to be out there with the people on Bourbon Street, walking them down, and they throwing beads and all of that. Man, I love it. It's crazy. Absolutely. It's crazy. So what music you got, folks, jumping up and down with right now?

Man, you know what? We are excited. Next month, July 28th, we drop a new project called Long Way From Sunday. Probably my most introspective work. You know, you've always, and News 1 has always, you've always made sure that gospel music had a place. You know what I mean? We appreciate that, that you allow us to shine the way you do. I've been on your show there in D.C.

You right in my backyard. You done preached at my church, First Baptist Church of Glendale, shout out Pastor Jenkins. You know what I mean? So you always make sure that we have a place. And so I think that it's important to have that and to do that music so that people can have their inspiration. I mean, everybody else is doing what they feel like,

inspires them. What I do is talk about Jesus because that's what inspires me. So July 28th, A Long Way From Sunday, that's what we got going on. Brand new project. So what is a long way from Sunday? Glad you asked. A long way from Sunday to me is what most people who don't know our black church culture, that's what they feel. Sunday symbolizes the day that we all come together. You know,

we fellowship, we know the culture, we do it every week. But there are a lot of people out there who don't know our culture, who don't understand what it's like, and so they feel a long way from Sunday. And then there are others who, like myself, go to church every Sunday, are very familiar, but you know better than I do, you know, as soon as you get in the car from church on Sunday night, as soon as you wake up on Monday morning,

you are already a long way from getting back to that feeling again. So the songs on this project really are about trying to inspire those who do it all the time and those who may not understand it at all, that we really need to bridge that gap and show that everybody's out here struggling, just trying to find a way to make it. That's what this project is all about. A long way from Sunday. A long way from Sunday.

July 28th. July 28th. All right, man. Always good to see you. I see you representing the Washington Nationals. Absolutely, man. I got you. Washington Nationals on my hat and actually my clothing line on my shirt, man.

Well, see, if I wasn't suited and booted, I would have my best got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. I got you. Only hometown. We're going to get your Nationals hat anyway, just to make sure you have it. It ain't going to happen. It ain't going to happen unless it's blue and orange with an H and a star. All right, fine. Rolling this Houston all day.

When we were in the National League, I went to the Nationals Park in my Astros gear. Did you really? You bold. Yes, I did. I ain't scurred. You real bold. I ain't scurred. Y'all rolling bold, man.

But we still going to get him a little red. He need a little Washington Nationals. He right in our backyard. Don't mean nothing. Houston Astros. Best record in Major League Baseball. Oh, my man. But we still gonna get him a little red. He need a little Washington Nationals. He right in our backyard. Don't mean nothing. Houston Astros. Best record in Major League Baseball. Oh, my goodness. Here we go.

First place. I'm just saying. Appreciate it, man. I always good seeing you. Yes, sir. I appreciate it. Yes, sir. All right, folks, don't forget the Essence Virtual Festival, June 26th, June 27th.

Panels beginning at 2 p.m., concerts beginning at 6 p.m. All right, last question from my panels. Has all three of y'all been to Essence Festival? Yes, sir. Well, Robert, you couldn't bring them damn guns, but you did come. Scott, you been? Yes. Oh, I was about to say, because, you know, you bougie.

You ain't taking my black card. I didn't know if you actually want to be around the regular black people. There's some people who are elevated. How about this here? How many Essence Festivals have you been to, Scott? Say what? How many have you been to? I've been to five.

I went to the one last year as well. That was my most recent. It was great to walk around last year and everything. Robert, how many have you been to? I've been to two. It wasn't the damn Essence Festival last year. Somebody needs to say that. I know.

I was just joking. I was just trying to test you and Roland. Robert, how many you been to? I've been to two. You said you've been to two? The drunk aunties were a lot. So yeah, I can only handle two. You can only handle two.

What, too much blackness for you? No, them drunk unties get aggressive. Monique? Monique? I can't even count. I'm from Galveston. It's a short drive to New Orleans. I've been when Prince performed.

I've been when Janet performed. That was 2014. I've been up close enough to hear Gladys say love overboard, and I felt like they were spitting on me. When Anthony Hamilton wasn't a thing, I've presented and moderated at Essence. I was there when Michael Aaron Dyson, nobody knew what the three names was.

Listen, I was there before you were with News 1. So check me, boo, on some Essence Fest. That's all I'm saying. And I still stay at my same two places. And I wish I could stay there this year. But it's virtual. But I love it. I love everything about it.

Sure do. OK, so let's see who's authentic. Robert, your favorite Essence Festival moment or memory? Roland, I'm going to make a confession. I get drunk at Essence whenever I go. I have very few memories. I have to look at the pictures. All right, Scott.

He lying. He lying. I'm not lying at all. He lying. He lying. Scott? not lying at all. He lying. He lying. Scott. My favorite essence, I get drunk too,

but my favorite essence moment was Beyonce. Which one? Whatever year that was. Which one? She performed more than once. Well, the one I was at. Monique. So one of my very favorite moments,

and I've already mentioned the night because Gladys was performing on the main stage, as was Frankie Beverly. And Roland, I don't know if you remember this or not, but somebody in Frankie Beverly's band took sick, and they thought he was having a heart attack, and Frankie ran off and left off the stage. But everything ended up okay. But that same night, they had these rooms,

like they had these smaller rooms that you could go into while the main stage was going on or afterward. Yeah, they're called super lounges. They're called super lounges. And Anthony was in one of those rooms singing new music. And let's just say, is everything you think now is old music? Well, we know that was a long-ass time ago if Anthony Hamilton was singing the super lounge.

He was singing new music in the Super Lounge. That's one of my favorite memories. But my other favorite memories are things like, let me get in a whole lot of trouble, sitting with Omarosa and having a crab cobb salad. You know, I got food memories. Café Du Monde with my cousin Shannon. I relish

in going for shrimp and grits. I enjoy everything. The verticals that you've done, that Mike and Marcia have done, all of it. I love all of it. I love the entire experience. Well, I certainly have been to a number

of Essence festivals, and the first one I went to was awesome, and that was where, and it was crazy because I was, that one I was up in somebody's suite, and it was wild to actually see Frankie Beverly Mays performing and black folks doing line dances in the seats on the floor yeah on the stage and Scott you don't have this experience but that first SS Festival I was in the suites the next

year I was actually staged right when I was on the stage I was actually on the stage I know you don't know that experience. But it was interesting. So it was interesting to see the whole stadium doing the line dance from the suite of High. And then the next year to see them doing the same line dance from the stage. I got video of both.

Won't he do it? I got video of both of them. And when she both. Won't he do it? I got video of both of them. And when she said, won't he do it, she's not talking about Scott Boulder. Y'all got way classier experiences than mine were. Well, that's what happens when you don't drink. Yeah, y'all just felt classy, refined, sophisticated. When you don't drink, you remember there was a concert at night.

I passed out in that Popeye's over there. Hey, I got to go. You know the Popeye's on Canal Street? I passed out in there one time. You at 8 o'clock. Can I go? Scott. As long as I can come back next week.

Scott, you could have left an hour ago. Well, I don't want to be rude to you, you know? Yeah, but your computer wasn't working earlier, so we had to drop you and bring you back. But anyway, y'all, don't forget Virtual Festival, June 26th, 27th. And so please check it out. We're going to be online. And then, of course,

on June 28th, we're going to do a recap of the first weekend of Essence Virtual Festival. And then we'll be back on July 5th for another recap. So y'all know how we do. If y'all want to support what we do here at Roland Martin Unfiltered, please join our Bring the Funk fan club.

Every dollar you give, go support what we do. Cash app, dollar sign, RM Unfiltered, paypal.me, forward slash rmartinunfiltered, venmo.com, it's forward slash rmunfiltered.

Zale is Roland at rolandsmartin.com, Roland at rolandmartinunfiltered.com. All right, y'all, just a couple more weeks and we're in this space right here. We're moving. And so you can – let me tell you how – no, normally we switch cameras. Y'all, we took the other three cameras out.

We only got one camera in here. So we're packing up in the office, moving to our new location. I showed y'all what it looks like. It's fantastic. I cannot wait to tell y'all what we got next. And so y'all know how we do. We keep it real, keep it honest. And plus, y'all know Can't Nobody on MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, ABC, CBS,

none of them, rock some aviators. That's how we do it on Bring the Funk. I'm just saying. I'm just saying. That's how we roll. All right, y'all. I'm going to see y'all tomorrow right here at Rolling Martin Unfiltered. All my Texans, yo, not the rest of the country know how we feel.

Juneteenth, big national holiday. The bill passes the U.S. House for 14 to 14. Now goes to the desk of President Joe Biden to sign into law. I'm going to see y'all tomorrow. Holla! this is an iHeart podcast