#RolandMartinUnfiltered - GOP Student Voting Attack Plan, TN GOP Leader Guilty of Sexual Harassment, Big George Foreman Movie

Episode Date: April 21, 2023

4.20.2023 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: GOP Student Voting Attack Plan, TN GOP Leader Guilty of Sexual Harassment, Big George Foreman Movie A top Republican legal strategist was caught on an audio recording saying that college students voting is a big problem for the GOP, urging them to combat Gen Z's voting rights. We will show you the full audio and how the GOP plans to take your voting rights. Just Weeks After A Tennessee State Representative voted to oust Tennessee Justin Pearson and Jones for misconduct, he was found guilty of sexually harassing interns. We will break down the story and explain how the state knew he violated ethics policies and allowed him to stay on all his committee assignments and vote to remove the Tennessee three.   For the past several years, Moms for Liberty. have slowly taken over County School boards in South Carolina, pushing black superintendents out of fear of Critical Race Theory. We will speak with a Charleston County, South Carolina, School District Superintendent about what is being done to protect education in the state. McDonald's is laying off hundreds of corporate staff. We will speak with HR Business Partner about what this means for fast food workers and how to prepare yourself if faced with layoffs. Two-time world heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medalist, entrepreneur, minister, and author George Foreman will join me to discuss a brand new film of his life \ Big George Foreman. We will discuss the film and how his boxing career took him from gold to retirement to reinvention. Download the #BlackStarNetwork app on iOS, AppleTV, Android, Android TV, Roku, FireTV, SamsungTV and XBox  http://www.blackstarnetwork.com The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platforms covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. College student voting is a big problem for the GOP and urging them to combat Gen Z's voting rights. We'll play for you the audio. And also, talk about this with Damon Hewitt, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, as well as Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter. Just weeks after a Tennessee state representative

voted to oust two black Tennessee lawmakers for misconduct, he was found guilty of sexually harassing interns and nothing happened to him. For the past several years, Moms for Liberty has slowly taken over school boards across the country pushing black superintendents out of their jobs out of fear of critical race theory. We'll speak with the Charleston County South Carolina School District Superintendent about what is being done to protect education in that state. McDonald's laying off hundreds of corporate staff.

Also, a CEO gets mad at her staff who didn't get their bonuses, but she got a million dollar bonus. We'll talk with an HR business expert about all of these workplace issues. Plus, two-time world heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist, entrepreneur, minister, author, George Foreman,

will join me to discuss the brand new biopic film about him called Big George Foreman. Folks, it's time to bring the funk. I'm Roland Martin, Unfiltered, on the Black Star Network, let's time to bring the funk. I'm Roland Martin, unfiltered, on the Black Star Network. Let's go. He's got it. Whatever the piss, he's on it. Whatever it is, he's got the scoop, the fact, the fine.

And when it breaks, he's right on time. And it's rolling. Best belief he's knowing. Putting it down from sports to news to politics. With entertainment just for kicks, he's rolling. Yeah,'s rolling It's Uncle Roro, y'all It's Roland Martin Rolling with Roland now He's funky, he's fresh, he's real

The best you know, he's fresh, he's real the best You know he's rolling, Martel Martel Memo to these white students I told y'all they coming after you Hashtag we tried to tell ya Cleta Mitchell, a top Republican legal strategist, told a room full of GOP donors over the weekend

that they must band together to limit voting on college campuses, end same-day voting registration, and automatic mailing of ballots to registered voters. The Washington Post got a copy of her presentation. Listen. I think that we can fix

a few things in North Carolina because I think we have, we now have a legislature controlled by the Republicans. If we can persuade the new Republican member to vote with us. But these are statutory changes that we could get done in North Carolina to protect against any of this private money. Because I promise you, Stacey Abrams get done in North Carolina to protect against any of this private money because I promise you Stacey Abrams has been in North Carolina and we need to make sure that money is not flowing into Mecklenburg-Durham and Wake Counties. So we need we need to be looking at what are these college campus locations in polling? What is this young people effort that they do? They basically put the polling place next to the student dorms so they just had to roll out of bed and go back to bed. And we need to build strong election integrity task forces in those counties. Virginia, we

have a great task force in every county in Virginia and we have a great statewide coalition. The governor just signed a bill yesterday that does away with signatures on absentee ballot applications and ballots. And now it has to be the last four digits of the Social Security number and a birth year. And we need to make sure that there's transparency and people are watching and verifying. That makes Virginia back in play, frankly, to be able to have some authentication. And again, having first-day in-person voting campaigns. Wisconsin is a big problem because of the polling locations on college campuses. There are five 1-C-3s.

Their goal for the Supreme Court race was to turn out 240,000 college students in that Supreme Court race. And we don't have anything like that, and we need to figure out how to do that and how to combat that. So, yes. If we do not control the statehouse as the governorship, aren't we just out of luck? No, no, I don't think so. Because the thing is, in the states where we can make changes in the law, like North Carolina, I hope that we will be able to plug some vulnerabilities there.

But most of these are just taking what, you know, we're kind of stuck with the hold hand. And we'll see what happens in Virginia this fall. If the Republicans are able to hold the statehouse and reclaim the state senate, then maybe it's possible to get rid of 45 days of early voting in Virginia. 45 days. Do you know how hard it is to have observers be able to watch for that long period? I mean, there are several things that they can do. They can get rid of same-day registration, but they can't do that now

because the Democrats still hold the state Senate. But I just remind everybody that having people involved, engaged, and overseeing all of that in 2021 in Virginia made all the difference, even though it was still controlled by Democrats in every office. Folks, again, I've been telling y'all what these folks have been doing. Joining us right now is Damon Hewitt, president, executive director of the Lawrence Committee for Civil Rights

Under Law, my alpha brother, and also Cliff Albright, co-founder of Black Voters Matter, joining us from Atlanta. I could go back, and this probably was 2012. Maybe it was 2012. I can't remember. It was Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, ALC. And there was a panel, and it was then-Secretary of State Kristen Clark, who preceded you, Sherrilyn Eiffel, and other representatives, Terry Stuhlpons. It was her panel. And I said to them, I said, y other representatives, Terry Stewart Ponce, was her panel.

And I said to them, I said, y'all, we keep talking about black and brown voters. I said, we need to be talking about, to these white college students, I said, because the numbers are trending, and the Republicans are about to go after them. And I said, this thing about voter suppression, I said, it can't just be seen as a black brown thing. They coming after

these white kids, and that's exactly what that woman just laid out. Well, look, what the clip said, and what they said is right. The Republicans are right. The youth vote is a threat to the party because of polarized voting, not just racially, but also politically polarized voting. We know the youth turnout for the

2022 midterm was the highest for a midterm, second highest for a midterm in the last 30 years. And that's not only black voters and brown voters. That's white young people as well who are more enlightened, more progressive and more willing to stand with black lives and what our causes. You know, Cliff, I'm a graduate of Texas A&M University And overwhelmingly white, overwhelmingly conservative. They removed an early voting location off of the Texas A&M campus, the Brazos County folks did. That benefits Republicans.

Then they were like, oh, it's too early to put back on, and so I think it's going to be back on the campus by 24. But this is happening all over. Republicans put forth a bill in the Texas legislature to not have early voting locations on any Texas campus. Eight thousand students or higher. And so I'm like, yo, y'all don't understand. They're coming after you as well. So y'all better be in this fight with us black folks because we ain't alone.

Yeah, you're exactly right, Roland. And add on top of that, in your state of Texas, your home state of Texas, that in addition to closing these polling places, it's also in Texas where you can use a gun permit to vote, but you can't use a student ID to vote. They don't like young folks. They don't like anybody. They don't like young folks. They don't like older folks.

They don't like black folks. They don't like brown folks. They don't like women. They don't like LGBT. I'm actually in Tallahassee right now where I was at the Capitol where they passed those horrendous bills yesterday. But my point being this, right, that are tactics that are designed to direct Black communities, young and old, it's only a matter of time before they start to expand them and they impact the entire population. They try to do that with absentee voting,

targeting Black folks. You remember the cases in Alabama where they try to prosecute Black activists for absentee, and then years later it becomes something where they're trying to get rid of all absentee voting, then years later, it becomes something where they're trying to get rid of all absentee voting, right? College campuses, they attack Black students first, then they come after all college students. So it really highlights that what starts in anti-Blackness goes to the rest of the population in just a matter of time.

But the other thing that this highlights is the point that you're making about the power of young people. At the end of the day, it was two young black men, the two Justins, the Tennessee two, that got expelled. But it was a lot of young folks that were marching on that Tennessee Capitol that was the impetus of that protest, right? And a lot of that was young white folks. They don't like the energy that students across the board are having. That's because it's young folks that are concerned with the gun violence. It's young folks that are concerned with climate change because they know that it's going to impact them in their lifetime, right? It's young folks that are

concerned, most concerned with police violence that were in the streets during the racial reckoning of 2020. Young folks are having, and it's young folks that have been impacting these elections. You heard her in the tape talk about, yeah, these young folks, we think that they influenced this recent Wisconsin election with that very important Supreme Court race. It was young folks in places like Georgia and in other states in 2020 and more recently in 22, that it was young folks that were oftentimes one of the deciding factors in some of these razor-thin margins. And so they are trying to squash that by any means necessary. And they continue to show us that all they care about is not the integrity, not election fraud.

All they care about is winning elections. And that's all that this is about. She said in that video, oh, imagine in some of these places these students are able to roll out of bed and go vote and then go right back to their dorms. Like, Cluster Pearls, Evans to Betsy. You mean it's easy for them to leave their dorms, go vote, and then go back to their dorms?

Like, oh, this must be the apocalypse. But this is what it's all... It's not about election integrity or voter fraud. It's only about a sheer use of power. Damon, I made it clear in my book, White Fear, that this is driving all of this here. The Republican Party is largely a white conservative party. And I keep warning black folks.

I did a video last week, and I got all the people, oh, man, you ain't nothing but a... You a shield and all people trying to call people operative. No, I understand policies, and I understand where people stand. And the fact of the matter is this here. The Republican Party ain't trying to advance. You can't show me. If you put a list together of the top 20 issues for black Americans,

I don't think you can find two where Republicans are going to be supporting us. And so what they're doing, they are going to have an all out assault in 24 on black voters, on Latino voters, on voters who do not support them. And that's going to be closing

of places. They are absolutely going after ballot drop boxes. They want to do, Look, this Supreme Court, if they gut Section 2, they could try to go back and deal with and gerrymander the districts of black caucus members. People need to understand how the dots are connected with what they are doing.

This is not about elections. This is about power. And what we've seen is all we need is two data points. One is all the voter suppression bills the last few years, even the ones that didn't pass, but the ones that were proposed, to make it harder for people to vote. But the other data point is the people who participated in, plotted, or apologized for the insurrection on January 6th. It is a one-sided party deal, right?

Now, I represent a non-partisan organization, but even we had to sue Trump and Stone and a number of other alleged co-conspirators because of their role, and they continued apologizing for this insurrection. They're willing to tear down the entire democratic system, hurt their own voters in order to gain power, and that is just sick. Damon, Cliff, hold tight one second. I'm gonna bring my panel in when we come back from this break.

Folks, I have been warning y'all in the four and a half years we have done this show where we are now, and I am telling you, this is a cold red for 2024. They absolutely want the White House back. They want the Senate back. They want to control all of it, Y'all had better understand this is war. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them.

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

and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Why fear? This is about power. You're watching Rolandin unfiltered on the black star network hatred on the streets a horrific scene white nationalist rally that descended into deadly violence white people are losing their damn minds. There's an angry pro-Trump mob storm to the U.S. Capitol. We're about to see the rise of what I call white minority resistance. We have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting.

I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of violent denial. This is part of American history. Every time that people of color have made progress, whether real or symbolic, there has been what Carol Anderson at Emory University calls white rage as a backlash. This is the wrath of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys. America, there's going to be more of this.

There's all the Proud Boys, guys. This country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because of the fear of white people. The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're taking our women. This is white fear. We're all impacted by the culture, whether we know it or not. From politics to music and entertainment, it's a huge part of our lives. And we're going to talk about it every day right here on The Culture with me, Faraji Muhammad, only on the Black Star Network. What's going on? This is Tobias Trevelyan.

Hey, I'm Amber Stephens-West. Yo, what up, y'all? This is J. Ellis, and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. Thank you. I'm Greg Carr, Department of Afro-American Studies at Howard University. Reesey Colbert, founder of Black Women Views, host of the Reesey Colbert Show on Sirius XM Radio. Tamia Booker, founder and managing director of the Black Women's News Network. I'm Greg Carr, Department of Afro-American Studies at Howard University.

Reesey Colbert, founder of Black Women Views, host of the Reesey Colbert Show on Sirius XM Radio. Tamia Booker, founder and managing director of the Black Women's News Network. I'm Greg Carr, Department of Afro-American Studies at Howard University. Reesey Colbert, founder of Black Women Views, host of the Black Women's News Network. I'm Greg Carr, Department of Afro-American Studies at Howard University. Recy Colbert, founder of Black Women Views, host of the Recy Colbert Show on Sirius XM Radio.

Tamia Booker, founder and managing director. T. Booker Shraders. Glad to have all three of you along with Cliff Albright as well as Damon. Glad to have everybody here. The thing I'm just, I'm telling you, Recy, I'm trying to tell these black folks, these folk are playing for keeps.

And it's not just Congress. It's Texas, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Iowa, New Hampshire, Maine. I mean, we can go on because they see their numbers are dwindling and they will say it. If fewer people vote, we got a better chance at winning. If you expand the voting populace,

we got no shot at winning. Yeah, so shouldn't that tell you that your vote has value? If people are fighting tooth and nail who are against your interest to take your vote away? What's not clicking with people? I don't understand why we have to keep emphasizing the power of the vote. And to your point, Roland, I mean, we've seen what the Republicans are capable of doing to the detriment of society

when they have a trifecta in Georgia, in Texas, in Florida. Ron DeSantis is losing his everlasting mind down there. And even in Tennessee, we see what they have the power to do. And I will raise you another issue. They aren't just trying to take the power at the state level, but even where you have these Democratic strongholds within a red state, they're trying to take over power in those states. And so the reality is, we know that that's what the Republicans are after. And so when you know a given is part of the equation, then you can at least solve for the unknown part. And so we unfortunately are going to have to fight that much harder to exercise our

right to vote, but we know that. And so we can make provisions for it and hopefully get these Republicans out of a position to where they can continue to disenfranchise us with absolutely no consequences. To me, I always say on the show, connect the dots, connect the dots, connect the dots. And so this is everything. This is public policy. This is economics. This is all of this sort of stuff.

And when I listen to the people who say, well, the Democratic Party, they ain't done this, they haven't done anything specific for black people. Again, let me just be clear to all the folk who are out there, the simple Simons. The Supreme Court just this week voted six to three to allow a black man on death row in Texas to have some DNA tested on a belt

that was recovered at the crime scene. Three justices voted against that. Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, all appointed by Republican presidents. So for all y'all super Negroes

out there, especially all y'all brothers, that could be you or your cousin or your uncle, and you will be sitting on death row, potentially with something that could actually prove you didn't do it, because those are the kind of federal judges they want all across the country

to be on the court for the next 50 years. That's why they are trying to narrow those who can vote. Absolutely. And this is why it's important. We keep talking about this. Recy said that we keep drilling a hole that you have to vote every time. But what's important is, it's not just voting for the president, it's voting at every single level of office.

When you're appointing a federal judge, that's appointed by a Senate. If you don't have a Senate majority, you cannot be the committee over the committee that appoints federal judges. When we had, when Trump was in power and the Senate was led by Republicans, during that time when I was in the Senate and we were in the minority, I was in the Democrat, on the Democratic side, I just wanted to make that clear, they went through and pushed through

so many judges, an unprecedented amount. And those federal appointments were made at a high number. And it's dangerous. And like you said, with policy, these policies are dangerous. So, yes, when you step back and say, oh, Democrats don't do anything, well, at the time, we weren't in the majority, right? And they're pushing around these judgeships and our hands are tied. So we come back years later, and now we're seeing, you know, six years from 2017 start to the Trump administration and a Senate Republican-led majority in the House and Senate. We're now dealing with those ramifications. We're dealing with that with the Supreme Court. I was also, my senator sat on the Judiciary Committee when the Supreme Court justices were pushed through very quickly.

So it's important to remember that this affects us in all levels. And like you said, they are going after everything on the state level now because they can. And if we don't vote and we're not motivated, everything we've seen in this last year should just barely four months in

should be motivation enough. I can't say that enough. You know, Greg, I had a brother who, uh, who was, uh, tweeting me, he was like, uh, man, uh, you always care about government, you know, they're talking about that-that-that's it, that should be our daddy. We gotta do for self, do for self, do for self.

And I literally said, fool, there ain't no aspect about your black-ass life that government does not play a role. Now, I said, there's a difference between government can solve all your problems. I said, but literally,

I said, from not even the cradle, prenatal, it has an impact when you look at black maternal health and what is happening in this country. And then, even when you talk about when one becomes an ancestor.

So my whole deal is, the other folk, they know the game. They know exactly what's going on. We're the fools. We're playing ourselves. We're literally checking out of a system that is going to have an impact on every facet of our life.

Absolutely. I mean, and to me, I'm sure as you could educate us, you know the saying around politicians, particularly the Congressional Black Caucus back in the day, no permanent friends, only permanent interests. And we have to operate that way. I mean, Cleta, Cleta Bate,

Cleta Deathridge, Cleta Deathridge Mitchell. It's like they get these people out of cartoon boxes or something. That's her full name, Cleta Deathridge Mitchell. Cleta Deathridge Mitchell was a Democrat back in the 70s when she was in the Oklahoma Statehouse. She switched to the Republican Party in the mid

1990s. Cleta Deathridge Mitchell knows that her way of life is dying. So it doesn't matter. The D or the R is just a means to an end. Aricia said it. I mean, it's about power. How do you maintain power? And as she laid out that talk to Republican donors in Nashville, believe it or not, as

you say, she is rolling out a playbook that she is representing a group that has become increasingly desperate. Cleta Detheridge Mitchell was on the call, the call in Georgia, where Donald Trump asked Raffensperger for 11,780 votes. She was on that call. That's one of the reasons she had to leave her law firm, her white-shoe law firm, Foley & Gardner, because she was on that call in January 2021. Cleta Deathridge Mitchell was talking about Milwaukee because she was part of that crew trying to stop Janet Persidowitz from becoming a Supreme Court justice. And so everything everyone has said, everything that has been talked about and you framed at the beginning comes down to this. They can't win fairly.

Finally, we just interviewed a guy, David Pepper, who was the chair of the Ohio Democratic Party a while back. He's written a book called Laboratories of Autocracy. And he's making the point that you've been making all along. We need to contest every election, every time. If you think you can interfere in Virginia and in North Carolina with your 1984 Orwellian election integrity clan adjacent units, then we need to run somebody in every district, every race. Because as she said, we can't cover all this ground. You have that much early voting, it wears us out. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time,

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

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

Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Guess what? We're going to wear you the hell out now. I love it. I love it. Clean it, baby. Keep talking, baby. You're our best weapon. Damon, explain to the people watching and listening the literal dogfights y'all are in in courtrooms across this country when it comes to voting. Well, look, at every front,

we don't have the prophylactic effect, to use the term of art. We don't have Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act to stop the bad things from happening before they take effect. So we have to use Section 2 and art. We don't have Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act to stop the bad things from happening before they take effect, so we have to use Section 2 and anything else we can. And it's not just us who work with our partners on the ground, but we're filing lawsuits over voter ID challenges.

We're filing lawsuits over... We filed in Tennessee a few years ago about a plan to criminalize voter registration activities. You know, even almost 10 years ago, Justin Jones testified at a field hearing we held for our National Commission on Voting Rights because, as I think Cliff Albright said earlier, he held up in a picture, he said,

here's a gun registration card, you can use this to vote, to register, but you can't use a student ID. At a state university. At a state university. At a state university. And so it's from every step of the way. So put it in terms people can understand. You know in the criminal justice system,

at every step of the process, there's racial discrimination, whether it be police brutality, whether it be racial profiling, whether it be sentencing, incarceration, death penalty. You see the same thing in the voting process, from registration to the quote-unquote canvas canvas who gets purged from the rolls to what are the eligibility criteria to who can actually vote absentee or by mail. And you can't even vote drive through back in Houston where you're from anymore, which was a nice innovation for during the pandemic.

So every step of the process going all the way to redistricting. And look, here's one of the through lines. These folks want to make voting hard. There is an infection of our politics. Look, the law is infected, too. We know how the Supreme Court has been going hard on Section 5, Section 2, every part of the Voting Rights Act. But there's an undercurrent that people don't talk about enough. There's a case where the court introduced a concept called the usual burdens of voting. Translation, voting should be hard. You should have to jump through hoops. Translation, well,

maybe you could have a poll tax or literacy test or a grandfather clause. Voting should be hard or harder for certain people. That is the piece. So every state law and policy we're seeing erected to make it harder to vote, harder to register, harder to mail in a ballot, harder to have alternative means of voting, is designed to make it harder and to preserve power. Cliff, folks will go, well, look at the numbers, the increase in voting among black voters and others. Just because we had to jump over hurdles don't mean that, hell, we feel like jumping and running. I mean, that's

part of the problem. So this idea that, oh, y'all was successful at jumping over hurdles, so therefore let's have more hurdles. How about no hurdles? Exactly. And that rationale has been used at all levels, right? It's used in daily conversations with people that don't know

any better or should know better. The scary thing, though, is that that rationale has also been used at the Supreme Court. That's essentially the argument that Chief Justice Roberts, as my brother Damon could tell all of us, that Chief Justice Roberts basically, in gutting the Voting Rights Act the first time, basically said in the Shelby decision,

basically was like, well, y'all got a black president. And so it must be working. The system must be working. There can still be voters crushing. Clearly, we've moved past the point where a Voting Rights Act is really even necessary, or at least where Section 5 is necessary. And so I now soon see whether or not Section 2 is going to be necessary. So oftentimes, our own success at overcoming the obstacles is then used as part of the rationale to add even more obstacles in our path to allow for the voter suppression to take place. And so that's the kind of thing that we're fighting. And just like Daniel was talking about, we're in about four or five different litigations right now against states

like Georgia, against states like Florida. We've beaten DeSantis in court twice already, right? In places like Louisiana and Mississippi and Texas. And so we've got to be willing to use all of those mechanisms, taking it to the street, taking it to the courts, and taking it to the state legislature. Like I said, I'm here in Tallahassee because we had BBM Day at the Capitol yesterday. And one of the things that I believe is that if we could just get more of our people to actually, and it's difficult, but to get more of our people to attend some of these legislative sessions, to see the way that they talk about us, to see the way that they pat themselves on the back as they're taking away black rights and brown rights and trans rights, as we see the way that they insult people that come and give public comment, I often say we could just get more people at some of these sessions, then we will be creating a whole new tier of activists.

Because once you've seen it up front, it's one thing to know it at the policy level and to see some of the reports on the news, right? But when you can see the level of disdain, the level of disrespect, the level of hatred that takes place in these state capitals, then I believe that you become an activist for life. And last thing I'm going to say on that point is we've got to pay real attention, as we've all

said, the state that she was talking about in that audio and the election she was talking about, those weren't congressional races. She is talking about taking over state legislatures because what they know is that once they get control of those legislatures, they can put things in place that once as their numbers continue to dwindle, that it won't even matter because they will basically institute a form of apartheid. They will basically institute a form of minority rule that will keep them in power even at the point as they continue to lose popularity. Cliff, Damon,

keep up the great work. We appreciate y'all. Warriors on the battlefield. Thanks a bunch. Folks, we come back. We'll tell you what's happening in South Carolina. Did not, not warn y'all about Moms for Liberty. How long I've been telling y'all don't ignore school board races. What they are doing in South Carolina,

they want to do all across the country. And it will have devastating impact on black superintendents and black school officials. I'll explain next. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time. Have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution.

But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-ibillion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. on the black star network on a next a balanced life with me dr jackie we talked about a hard cold fact not all health care is created equal in this country especially if you're a person of color so many of us black

families we rely upon each other heavily a lot of us aren't necessarily sure how to best communicate with our health care providers. How to take charge and balance the scales. Your life may depend on it. That's next on A Balanced Life on Blackstar Network. On the next Get Wealthy with me, Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach, Dexter Jenkins, is a faith-based financial mentor with more than 20 years in the financial services industry. He's passionate about helping families build generational wealth. Even though I'm talking about things like prayer, I'm talking about things about reading the word. I'm talking about things like fellowship. I'm talking to members who are dealing with losing their houses, or I'm talking to members who, because of a lack of the handling of finances, they're working two or three jobs.

And so what I'm finding is that they're not coming to church because they don't have a handle on their finances. We're talking how to get wealthy through faith and our finances on the next Get Wealthy right here, only on Blackstar Network. Hi, my name is LaToya Luckett. Yo, it's your man Deon Cole from Black-ish, and you're watching...

Roland Martin, Unfiltered. Stay woke. All right, folks. School boarded races. Crucially important. A lot of these races decided by two, three, four hundred votes. Conservatives, they use critical race theory, diversity, equity, inclusion, multiculturalism to rile up all of these white folks.

They were coming out to those school board meetings in 2020 and 21 and 2022, and what ended up happening? They started winning. All across South Carolina. Last I checked, I believe it's 10 out of the 14 largest school boards. Guess what?

They now control. Last month, the Thomasville City School Board in Georgia fired its first black superintendent, Raymond Bryant, in North Carolina. Takita LeGrand was unanimously removed from her post as superintendent of Scotland County Schools. There are reports of a black Pennsylvania superintendent

being escorted from his office in a district middle school and placed on leave. I've been telling y'all this whole deal. Donald Kennedy is the Charleston County, South Carolina School District Superintendent. He joins me now to discuss this. And Donald, again, these folks, they won. And when you take over the school board, you're in control.

You get to hire and fire. And we are seeing superintendents of the year, multiple winners in South Carolina, booted. That's correct. Thank you very much for having me this evening to talk about this important issue. Here in the state of South Carolina, the Moms for Liberty group that you mentioned, that group has been the board that was elected back in November, that majority was endorsed by the Moms for Liberty. And what I'm seeing here in the state, and probably across the country, there's this pattern of Black superintendents coming into a district, identifying where the disparities exist between minority students, Black students,

and white students, and then doing something about it because Black superintendents have a tremendous amount of passion to improve the educational outcomes of minority students. And so they come in, they identify the disparities, they begin to do something about it very effectively, and then all of a sudden they are pushed out. So this is not a new phenomenon here in Charleston. It happened for the first time in 20, about 20 years ago. The first black and female superintendent, Dr. Maria Goodloe Johnson, was hired. She came in and did just that, identified all these disparities,

began to make progress for the first time, academic progress for African-American kids. And she lasted about three years before she was pushed out by groups that might be today called Moms for Liberty type conservative groups. And here's the thing. They're winning in places where it's a ton of black people. You just got folks not showing up. That's correct. So here in Charleston County School District, 35% of our students are African-Americans. Another 12% are Hispanic students. So that means that parents, we have a number, enough parents here. If we were to go, they were to go to the polls and vote, we would be very, very competitive. So we have to be like my parents were, probably your parents, this idea of being active and making sure that we are engaged in our kids'

education. And today, unlike when I was a child here in South Carolina, my parents didn't have the vote. They didn't have the vote until about 1965. And so now parents have the option to vote, and we should make sure that we avail ourselves of that option. And Donald, this is not just superintendents. We're talking about curriculum. We're talking about hiring and firing of teachers. Again, when you control the school board, you control everything. That's correct. So you mentioned the curriculum. One of the problems that we had around 2012, 2013, when the school district had a standard,

what we call a standard curriculum across all elementary schools, we went away from that. And when we went away from that, we ended up seeing scores for minority students decline. And so currently, about a year and a half ago, we implemented a new curriculum. And this curriculum, by the way, is one that has, it's very diverse. So minority students for the first time in this school district are able to see themselves and people like them in the educational material that they're studying from. And when I talk with students, minority students, that is making a huge difference in their motivation to learn. And so that that curriculum across the state of South Carolina is under attack. And the school districts and boards are pushing to push that curriculum out. Indeed. And again, I'm just trying to explain to people this agenda.

It is East Coast. It is Southeast. It is Southwest. It is Midwest. They're not going anywhere. They have to be countered by us running for school board and more importantly, us turning out to ensure that our folks are not being run out and we're losing power and control. Donald Kennedy, we appreciate it. Thank you so very much. And again, we're just going to keep sounding the alarm

to get people to understand what's happening. Thank you very much. Appreciate the opportunity. We'll talk about this next with my panel after this break. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. YouTube folks, hit that like button. We should easily go over 1,000 likes by now. Download our app, Apple Phone, Android Phone, Apple TV,

Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV. Also, support us with your dollars to bring the Funk Fan Club. Check in money orders. PO Box 57196, Washington, D.C. 20037-0196. Our goal is to get 20,000 of our fans contributing on average 50 bucks each. That's $4.19 a month, 13 cents a day. That raises a million dollars and allows us to defray our cost

to what we deliver to you every night with this show in addition to the five other shows on the Black Star Network. Cash App, Dollar Sign, RM Unfiltered, PayPal, R Martin Unfiltered, Venmo is RM Unfiltered, PayPal, R. Martin Unfiltered, Venmo is RM Unfiltered, Zale, Roland at RolandSMartin.com, Roland at RolandMartinUnfiltered.com. We'll be right back. Next on The Black Table with me, Greg Carr.

We look at the history of emancipation around the world, including right here in the United States, the so-called end of slavery. Trust me, it's a history lesson that bears no resemblance to what you learned in school. Professor Chris Mangiapra, author, scholar, amazing teacher, joins us to talk about his latest book, Black Ghost of Empire, The Death of Slavery and the Failure of Emancipation. He explains why the end of slavery was no end at all, but instead a collection of laws and policies designed to preserve the status quo of racial oppression.

The real problem is that the problems that slavery invented have continued over time, and what reparations are really about is saying, how do we really transform society, right? And stop racial violence, which is so endemic. What we need to do about it on the next installment of The Black Table, right here on the Black Star Network. Black Star Network is here.

Oh, no punches! I'm real revolutionary right now. Thank you for being the voice of Black America. All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going. The video looks phenomenal. See, there's a difference between Black Star Network and Black-owned media. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun?

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

Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm like CNN. You can't be black on media and be scared. It's time to be smart. Bring your eyeballs home. You dig? I'm Shantae Moore.

Hi, I'm B.B. Winans. Hey, I'm Dolly Simpson. What's up? I'm Lance Gross, and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. The thing here, Tamia, when we talk about these school board races, again, this is about control. This is about what is going to be taught to our children and the whole framing and the narrative.

And what you are seeing are hardcore right-wing conservatives who want to control the education of black children. First of all, majority of the kids in public schools in America today are black and Latino, okay? They are people of color. And places like South Carolina, there are places where you have overwhelming, you know, black

people, they're not controlling those school boards because we're not turning out. I think it was about 300, it was a study, the number that showed I think South Carolina had a drop-off of like 380,000 or something black voters, something like that, in

the 2022 midterms. That is insane. And so if we keep focusing on top of the ticket, we lose sight, all that down ballot stuff, that's where we are really most affected. Correct. Down ballot is so critical. And as you were saying earlier, we talked about how every facet of government impacts our lives.

And what people don't realize is the local elections impact your daily lives. And it's very important, even though it's not as exciting sometimes and as flashy as the presidential elections. Your local elections are super important. The controlling of education of children in this generation is about control and fear. We saw it recently with the Black Lives Matter movement. They're afraid of any type of anything that is activism educated based with the book bands. They're afraid of any naming it radicalism or wokeness, say with air quotes, and trying to keep us from moving past and moving forward. It goes back to these are the same children who will one day run for office, one day be in

Congress, one day be running this country. And it continues the same mantra of being denying to act, denying to move forward and progress our country. And so if we start, the mindset now to me seems like if we start now with them young, to me, seems like if we start now with them young, we keep them uneducated, ignorant to what has happened in the past, don't teach them any history. They grow up and not know and can deny it because it wasn't taught in my school. That didn't happen. So I don't need to do anything about it when I'm working in this corporation and you're telling me that there are issues with race and diversity, when I am in Congress and you're telling me that there are issues with race and diversity when I am in Congress and you're

telling me that I need to draft legislation to do this when I'm in the media and I see bias here. I don't know anything about that. I haven't seen that. You haven't been taught it. So this all, this agenda is designed to keep us down. And again, this is about protecting, as we know, this country is trending majority minority. So we are in a different space when we're talking about political minority rule, and that's where we're headed. So, okay, maybe we are not going to win as many presidential elections, but if we continue to infiltrate in the cities, in the school boards, in the towns, in the states, then we'll maintain our power that way. So you all just vote every four years. But then all those other years will just keep disrupting you and your homes.

And at some point, we have got to get tired of that and vote every single time. And if you got to roll out of bed, I laughed when she said that. I was like, I don't understand why that's a problem. Do what you have to do to vote, because it is actually life-changing. Greg, this is about a tremendous rollback of Black progress

that was hard fought over the last 50 years. Absolutely. Absolutely. I'm sorry. A little delayed. I'm in a library now. I'm actually up at Hunter College. They just dedicated me to John M. McClart Study Lounge, and so I couldn't get back to D.C. in time for it. But it's a perfect, actually, point of entry for this conversation. Education is at the center. You know, John Clark was one of the founders of what we call Black Studies. That was a fight all over this country in places like here in New York and all the HBCUs.

I mean, you name it, San Francisco State. And what we see with Miles for Liberty, a Klan group, and I embrace them fully. Again, I love this kind of stuff. Why? Because, you see, we have to fight these white folks. See, we don't have a common framework. A lot of people labor under the silly assumption that somehow we all live in a country that we all want the same thing, we have values.

Well, these are white nationalists and white supremacists. And these white people, who don't have children in public schools declared war on the public schools when we integrated the public schools. There in South Carolina, Bowling v. Sharp, 1954, one of the cases that made up Brown v. Board of Education. What we see is they made a decision, all of these racists, the women you're showing here, they're mothers and grandmothers and great-grandmothers, the daughters of the American Confederacy. They made a decision. They said, you might be able to

now send your black children to these schools, but we will not have black teachers teaching them, and we will not have black superintendents supervising them or our children. So as they left the schools and formed their military academies and their clan-adjacent private schools, and then engaged in a strategy to use public dollars to send school vouchers so they could subsidize these private clan academies, they then turned and said, we're going to stop you from dictating everything from curriculum to discipline, from dictating everything from who gets the contracts for light bulbs and toilet papers in those schools to who actually gets to craft what is taught and learned. They don't give a damn about our children, and they don't

give a damn about theirs. But we need to break their damn backs right now. If you've got a child in school, and even if you don't, you need to run over them like the ocean. These are not our friends. They are not our fellow citizens. They are open enemies of our common humanity, and there's no sense

in trying to talk to them, break their backs. You know, Reesey, I do get a kick out of so many people who love to get caught up in this whole, well, they ain't done nothing for us. Well, first of all, if you just even remotely use your brain, you can actually look at policies that have had a tremendous impact. And I also get people who are frustrated because they think things are not changing as fast as they should. But here's what I can guarantee.

If we allow these folks to further, become further entrenched, they're going from gaining a foothold to being further entrenched. And then if you look at political gerrymandering and the allowing of that, that means that they will, we could be deep into 2050, 2060, 2070, and they are increasingly in the minority, but they are having and controlling power. People, a lot of younger people, and younger can be anybody, you know,

earlier than the civil rights, or born after the civil rights movement, there's a lot of complacency. And there are a lot of people who feel like government can't do anything for you. But guess what? Government can sure as fuck do a whole lot against you. And we're seeing the way that it's being weaponized by Republicans to disenfranchise and to oppress people around this country. Now, do these people know that they're oppressed because of the leaders that they have or so-called leaders they have? No. They just think that it's working how it's always worked. Well, that's not accurate, because you look at how it is in certain states versus other states, and the kind of leadership and the demographics of those states is completely different. But people are going to sleepwalk and zombie walk their way into no longer having what we consider to be citizenship. And they aren't fighting tooth and nail to hold on to what they

have. They are handing it away on a silver platter. The reality is that these moms for liberty, these Klan people, they want to miseducate our children. They want to demoralize our children. That's why they are loud and aggressive. And that's why they are publicly going so hard against anything that might make somebody feel included and empowered that's not white. And then they want to turn around and look at the results of disengaged, disempowered, and miseducated, mostly black and brown children and say, look, see what the government does?

They don't know what they're doing. So put all the money, as Dr. Carr pointed out, in these private schools, these voucher schools, and this, that, and the other, when they have created the crisis. And we are just not doing enough to stop what is in

front of our face. I know people want to see black, black, black, and neon light, black shit. This is the black shit you're getting today. This is the black shit that you're doing today. Well, how the hell is it that you're not seeing white nationalists, white nationalists, danger, danger, danger. Hello? I still

don't understand what's not clicking with people. Well, I think it's because, one, they are operating and listening to grossly ill-informed people, but also not understanding all of this stuff.

I mean, that audio we played at the top of the show, this is about a well-executed strategy. Yeah. And if you say, well, I'm going to check out, what did Donald Trump do? He thanked black people for not voting. He thanked, not thanking them voting for him. He thanked them for not voting. And that's all you need to understand

because they're sitting here saying our strategy is working. We want to frustrate you. We want to make you think that nothing is working. So you stay at home so their people will turn out. Folk better understand the game. Got to go to a break. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time. Have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes, but there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.

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

Binge episodes one, two, and three on May 21st and episodes four, five, and six on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. We'll be right back for the second hour of Roland Martin Unfiltered right here on the Black Star Network. I lost my daughter. I didn't know where she was. So I had to figure out how to survive, how to eat, how to live. I don't want to go into the details because she's here, first of all.

She may not want me telling that story. But possession of her, the family broke down fell apart i was homeless uh i had to figure out i didn't have a manager or an agent or anybody anymore and i'm the talent so i gotta figure out how to be the agent i have to figure out how does business work. We're all impacted by the culture, whether we know it or not. From politics to music and entertainment, it's a huge part of our lives. And we're going to talk about it every day right here on The Culture with me, Faraji Muhammad, only on the Black Star Network. Hi, I'm Dr. Jackie Hood-Martin, and I have a question for you. Ever feel as if your life is teetering and the weight and pressure of the world is consistently on your shoulders well let me tell you living a balanced life isn't easy join me each tuesday

on black star network for a balanced life with dr jackie we'll laugh together cry together pull ourselves together and cheer each other on so join me for new shows each tuesday on black star network a balanced life with dr jackie each Tuesday on Black Star Network, A Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie. I'm Bill Duke. This is De'Alla Riddle. What's up, y'all? I'm Will Packer. I'm Chrisette Michelle. Hi, I'm Chaley Rose,

and you're watching Roland stay with lower pay. McDonald's has reported closing field offices for restructuring. Reports say the company's letting go of at least 1,000 employees for the number of positions affected. Is it clear? Now, before the reduction, McDonald's had about 150,000 employees across its corporate teams and company-owned restaurants. Now, but the interesting thing about what they did here was

they literally had people take off for like three days and then said how they were going to inform them if they were going to get laid off. Joining us from St. Louis is Laren Wagner, HR business partner with Advice Preparing. So, Laren, let's talk about this here because, one, when I saw this story, I can't remember. I can't remember ever hearing a company say, I don't know about to come to work for three

days like everybody stay at home and then we'll then begin to notify folks whether they're going to still be with the company. You said that this is really being talked about in the H.R. circles. Yes. So, first of all, thanks again for having me, Roland. But yes, so we have different companies that have been doing all types of layoffs and they're going about it in different ways. So how is this different? We have some people who have been notified by an email in the middle of the night and some come into work just to find out that their badges don't work, things like that. In this case, McDonald's has asked their employees to stay at home and then they will notify the employees, lay them off there. So the question that I've been hearing

is, is this strategic? You know, what made them do it like this? Is it convenience? So yeah, so what I have come to understand is that strategy-wise, okay, it's not that it's any better than any other method that a company has used to lay anyone off. I can sort of see how they are trying to do this with integrity and dignity, but at the same time, you have to read between the lines. Employees are disassociated from each other when they're at home. So you can't just, and a lot of times also your access is cut oftentimes right before they tell you that they're about to lay you off. So with that being said, you can't just, when you're at home, you just can't get to the next person, see what the next person is doing, if

they're still there or even tap in to see, hey, is Joe from finance still here? Is he still with the company? You can't do that because you're so disassociated from the next person. The other piece to that, too, is you're at home. What state are you in when you're receiving the news about this? You know, what time do you have for questions? Things like that. It does save face because, yeah, you don't have to walk out with a box in front of everybody with security. But still, is this the method that we should go about it?

Is there a right method? So this is how they chose to do it. Well, I'll tell you this here. I probably would prefer somebody telling me to stay at home for three days than to get my ass up, drive in or take the subway and get to the office and,

eh, my badge don't work. Now, that's foul. When Google did that, that was foul. I understand. We have some... I've been in situations where I have had to lay off people in previous roles, and a lot of times it's done first thing in the morning

because you don't want to have them work all day just to let them go and tell them this is their last day. But a lot of times when you're doing this first thing in the morning, it's like, well, why didn't you guys just call me? Like, why did I have to come to work and do this in front of everybody? You could have just told me and I could have just stayed at home. Especially when it's a layoff on Monday.

Hell, we could have did this on Friday. Absolutely. So, yes, I can totally see the heart of McDonald's leadership behind this. So is this work for people? Before I go to my panel, I got to talk about this here. So got to get your advice on this. So this CEO of Miller Knowles. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time. have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes.

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

I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Yes. Castigates her employees because they were pissed they were not getting bonuses. When her ass got a $6.4 million bonus.

Watch this. Questions came through about how can we stay motivated if we're not going to get a bonus? What can we do? What can we do? Watch this. chain. None of us could have predicted bank failures, but what we can do is stay in front of our customers, provide the best customer service we can, get our orders out our door, treat each other well, be kind, be respectful, focus on the future because it will be bright. It's not good to be in a situation we're in today, but we're not going to be here forever. It is going to get better. So lead, lead by example, treat people well, talk to them, be kind and get after it. Don't ask about what are we going to do if you don't get a bonus? Get the damn $26 million. Spend your time and your effort thinking about the $26 million we need and not thinking about what you're going to do if we don't get a bonus. All right? Can I get some commitment for that? I would appreciate that.

I had an old boss who said to me one time, you can visit Pity City, but you can't live there. So people, leave Pity City. Let's get it done. Thank you. Have a great day. Um, I probably would cuss her ass out knowing full well she got her 6.4 million dollar bonus

and you're going to tell somebody leave your pity whatever the heck she said that's called not reading the room yeah and so what she said was that it's... So, it's easy for her to say all the things that she said

because she got a bonus, okay? She may not have visited Pity City in this situation. However, listen to what she's saying. She's saying, get after it. If you notice, her tone goes up. She starts to become a little more abrupt and maybe a little bit more abrasive, saying, hey, well'll get after it.

Well, they did get after it and they didn't get a bonus. So I do. I won't be able to get behind this one because you're talking, you're saying, be respectful, talk to people in a kind way, but you didn't just do that. You're not leading by example in this case. $26 million, get after it. So what does that impact? How does that impact the bottom line? Did she take, I would want to know, did she take a cut in her bonus

or did she get her full bonus and people got nothing? Got her full bonus? Employees who are motivated by money and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, but that's not a way to motivate employees. I'm going to tell you right now. Let's go to my panel here. I'm going to tell you

right now, Greg, that is not the way you want to do that thing. You're getting your bonus and telling everybody else, what's your damn problem? Not smart. I mean, you can do it if you want. I mean, I would leave Petty City and come to Oz, where she lives, and maybe take her bonus since she wants me to chase some paper.

But in the words of the great cool giraffe, the road ain't yellow and there ain't no witches. In other words, capitalism's cold. There's no yellow brick road and there's no Wizard of Oz. There's only naked capitalism. And one of the things I'm listening, I'm thinking about Chris Kempchinsky, the CEO of McDonald's, who said

when asked about these cuts, they're looking to save $500 million to be more efficient, to innovate, even as they've shown 10% increase in profits in the fourth quarter of last year and are making pretty record profits, even as the franchises are concerned that this downsizing this time might mean that

they're going to push more responsibility off on the franchises. Even as they've done another down, they're doing another downside. They did this in 2018. They went from about 235,000 corporate employees around the world to about 150,000 worldwide. Chris Kinsimsi said, we're not satisfied. That's the motto of McDonald's. And I'm wondering, listening to the conversation, Aaron, if you have any thoughts about how we think about capitalism. In other words, you know, Howard has a program now, they've been in this thing, say, how can we make capitalism more humane? I laugh at it. Capitalism is not humane.

You get run over in the damn street. So if you want people not to go to pity city, they won't go to pity city. They'll come to your house and burn it down. Ultimately, capitalism is unsustainable. I'm wondering if you have any thoughts about helping people understand that ain't none of this about taking care of anybody.

It's all about profit. Yeah. I'm not a fan of systems that any type of system or group or anything that minimizes opportunity

that are against groups trying to excel or underrepresented groups or underprivileged groups. So I think about that when I think of certain levels of capitalism. I will say this, however, I encourage everyone, no matter what place or space you are in, to understand what is going on in the world around you.

Not only how it impacts you, but those around you, how it impacts your lifestyle, your finances, your family, your health. You have to understand that, and you have to understand what it means for your future, strategize your future, and understand what your long-term plans are and how capitalism and finance and other aspects of the world play into that.

Recy? Yeah, I just want to say to these CEOs and people like that, we're not working for charity. We want money. We want to get paid. Okay?

It's not volunteer work. And so anybody who doesn't understand why not getting paid, not getting a funky-ass little 2%, 3%, 5% bonus on a $45,000, $60,000 salary would be a problem for people, need to come back down to planet Earth with the rest of us, please. Because obviously, when you're making millions and millions of dollars on bonuses, irrespective of what your employees get, you have a little bit of a dwarf sense of what people are really dealing with.

So, I just think it's crazy for her to tell people to get out of pity city when she's sitting on her millions. But, as Dr. Carr said, you know, it's no fairy tale in capitalism. It's every man for himself. And that's why a lot of employees are quiet quitting right now.

Yeah. Another thing too, is you have some CEOs these days who, when they, if they learn that they have employees at any level of the organization that are not getting bonuses, they're willing to put back some or not take bonuses at all or even take the bonus that they do get and split it across their team. So I definitely applaud those types of leaders and CEOs that do that. Is that always going to be the case? No, because otherwise everybody would get a bonus.

But it's always nice to hear when you have CEOs that take those types of actions. And they are out there. Tamia? That's exactly what I was going to lean into, which is the unique CEOs that will actually either not take a bonus or take less pay. I think what's always interesting, well, one, when she was saying, I was trying to keep listening to her, but I'm looking at her beautiful background and I'm like, okay, you're sitting in here with, it's very clear where you sit, ma'am. And then you're telling people, it just feels very patronizing to say to staff. And I just think

people, they get to these certain levels and they they're so out of touch, and it's very frustrating, and they wonder why people are quiet quitting. I'd be curious to know from you, too, for people who do work in corporate America, like, what would you say to them in terms of, there are lots of people in the quiet quitting space or who are getting laid off. What would you say to them in terms of how do they keep going, and what's some, like, positive reinforcement that you could give them? Because I've been talking to a lot of people

who seem to be very frustrated at this time and I can't blame them, but I'm just curious to get your thoughts on that as well. Yeah, you have so many people these days who are just afraid to rock the boat just because of the times that we're in. I hear it all the time. I don't want to create waves. I don't want to do this. It is totally okay. And I totally would suggest letting your leader understand and helping them know that, hey, these are my needs. And this is what I need,

being from a mental health perspective or from a financial perspective. Hey, 2% doesn't work for me. It doesn't align with what I feel I've contributed in this space. So let's talk about how we can get in alignment so that I can continue to do great work. I encourage employees to do that and have those conversations. Another thing too, you have to do what's best for you. Companies are going to do what's best for them and their bottom line. And so if you don't feel like you're getting what you need

and you've even communicated that, then I would also suggest and strongly recommend doing an analysis of what it is you need, where you feel you're going, and make decisions from there. And that might not be in the favor of the organization, but do what's best for you. Well, I'll say this here. Any CEO that's getting a massive bonus,

you don't get your bonus unless the employees are doing the work. So you might want to watch your tone. And in fact, she did apologize. Initially, of course, what they said was that, oh, this was taken out of context. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.

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

Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. But then she had to come back out and actually issue an apology. And she sent out an email. I want to be transparent and empathetic. And as I continue to reflect on this instance, I feel terrible that my rallying cry seemed insensitive.

Oh, rallying cry. What I hope would energize the team to meet a challenge we've met many times before landed in a way I did not intend, and for that, I'm sorry. You had your day of mine. You knew exactly what you wanted to say, and you did it, and you just mad because they've been lighting your ass up on social media. That's the real deal. Last point here, Laryn, that's important for companies.

When you do stupid stuff like this here, it's not just your employees. Your customers could say, you know what? I'm not down with supporting a company like yours. Absolutely, because it's also a reflection of what a potential customer or client promotes. And who's promoting that type of behavior? It may work for some. I'm certain there's a population out there where this works. But in this day and age, with us having the financial and mental challenges that we're having as a people, this doesn't work. You could trigger somebody. You have to be very careful. And so you can't lose your dollars. You can lose your work. You can trigger somebody. You have to be very careful. And so you can't lose

your dollars. You can lose your revenue. You might end up losing your position. Indeed. All right, Laryn, if people out there, obviously there are companies or others that got HR issues, concerns, or they look for someone to help, how do they reach you? All right.

I can be reached at laryn.brown at gmail.com or at Laryn Wagner on Indeed, not Indeed, I'm sorry, LinkedIn, so. All right, Laryn, we appreciate it, thanks a bunch. All right, good talking to you guys, thanks. Folks, we come back and we'll tell you about the Virginia grand jury in the case

of a black man shot and killed over some shades that were stolen. Yeah, it's ridiculous. black man shot and killed over some shades that were stolen? Yeah. It's ridiculous. That and more next on Roller Martin Unfiltered right here on the Black Star Network. When you talk about blackness and what happens in black culture, you're about covering these things that matter to us, speaking to our issues and concerns.

This is a genuine people-powered movement. A lot of stuff that we're not getting, you get it. And you spread the word. We wish to plead our own cause to long have others spoken for us. We cannot tell our own story if we can't pay for it. This is about covering us. Invest in black owned media. Your dollars matter. We don't have to keep asking

them to cover our stuff. So please support us in what we do, folks. We want to hit 2,000 people, $50 this month, raise $100,000. We're behind $100,000, so we want to hit that. Your money makes this possible. Checks and money orders go to P.O. Box 57196 Washington,000. So we want to hit that. Y'all money makes this possible. Check some money orders. Go to P.O. Box 57196, Washington, D.C. 20037-0196. The Cash app is Dollar Sign RM Unfiltered. PayPal is R. Martin Unfiltered. Venmo is RM Unfiltered. Zelle is Roland at RolandSMartin.com.

We're all impacted by the culture, whether we know it or not. From politics to music and entertainment, it's a huge part of our lives. And we're going to talk about it every day right here on The Culture with me, Faraji Muhammad, only on the Black Star Network. Hi, I'm Gavin Houston. Hi, I'm Carl Payne. Hey, what's up, y'all? network. Jasmine McReynolds, folks, has been missing from Mobile, Alabama, since February 24th. The 15-year-old is 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighs 215 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information about Jasmine's whereabouts should call the Mobile, Alabama, Police Department

at 251-208-7211, 251-208-7211. All right, folks. Virginia Grand Jury says there was insufficient probable cause to indict a former officer for killing an unarmed black man who they suspected of shoplifting. Wesley Shifflett, a former sergeant of the Fairfax County Police Department, and Officer James Sadler suspected Timothy Johnson stole items from a Tyson's Corner shopping center on February 22nd. The officers gave chase and fired three total shots.

The investigation found Shifflett fired the fatal shot. The prosecution was not allowed to review what authorities presented before the grand jury, leaving some to speculate the police created a scenario to support that the officer followed use-of-force protocols when he fatally shot Timothy McCree Johnson. The Johnson family attorney says the blue wall needs to be dismantled, and Timothy's mother says the fight is not over. Disappointing, disheartening. I feel almost like I'm getting that 1 a.m. phone call all over again. However, we are not quitting. We are not, uh, allowing this to affect the continuation

of what this is, justice for Timothy, and we'll keep going. And that's something that we have to break down, this blue wall of silence. That officers are held accountable. That they are not above the law because you are an officer or a former officer. You still are accountable.

Somebody killed Timothy Johnson, and somebody has to be held to atone for his murder. Now, Shifflett was terminated because he did not meet the expectations of the police department by violating the use of force policies, protocols, and procedures. This is a thing that, to me, I still don't understand. Okay. Again, you suspect somebody of shoplifting.

You chase them and you shoot them. Over some shades? Really? And I keep saying, you can't come back from death. You can replace some damn shades. You can replace some shades. It's excessive use of force. And it's egregious.

So someone died over some sunglasses. I'm going to go back to this again because I worked in Congress. This is where, the frustration is there's no accountability for police officers. And it is, the frustration for all of us, I think, is beyond reproach at this point. Something has to change. People, unfortunately, shoplift all the time. Do they deserve to die for shoplifting? No.

And whether you did it or not, you don't deserve to die. And that's why we have a court system. The issue is, on the other side, with police officers, when they kill someone, we don't see that all the time in each case. And we need to pass legislation to hold officers accountable. We have to pass the Justice and Policing Act. Unfortunately, right now, we have a Republican-led House who could care less. We have a slim majority in the Senate that is, I think, a little skittish, but with some time, I think we could get there.

We also have to address gun violence, right? Like, this is just, this is all egregious and unfortunate. And we've got to figure out how we do this as a country, how we do this as people who are frustrated, how we do this on the state level, local level, and how we do this in Congress. And we keep seeing these cases happen again and again and again. And these legislation was written to help protect police officers. I was there in the Senate when my former boss, Senator Booker, was writing this legislation. And this is a big reason why, because you're killing people over things like this that should never happen.

So when I see this, I'm sorry. I get emotional. I get so frustrated because we all know there is no reason for this. And at some point, at some point, this, we have to have some change. Here's the thing that's interesting here, Reesey. So the attorney for Shifflett said this here, I think it's quite a stretch to bring a charge against a police officer in a situation like this, where he has to make a split second decision when someone is digging into their waistband and is not following commands. He has no cover and no other options.

When officers have reasonable fear of being killed or seriously harmed, their training dictates, and the law clearly justifies, that this type of response is necessary. Let me go back again. He was suspected of stealing some shades from a Nordstrom's. So out of all the policing activities,

that's the one. Let me go chase the dude who allegedly took a... I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes,

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

It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Pay our shades. It's total bullshit. I mean, I'm telling you one thing.

If you take my shades, I'm not taking off running after a damn thing, personally. It's not that serious. Are you loss prevention, or are you the police? Which one is it? And if he want to run, okay, sorry, bye. Nordstrom, y'all got some kind of

write-off that you could do, tax write-off, inventory write-off. It's not the end of the world. Like, this was completely unnecessary and excessive, except for the fact that these cops were clearly, as Dr. Carr would say, hunting. They're hunting. This is how they're getting their mojo up.

They're getting their juices going, going at, running after a Black man who we don't even know if he even has damn glasses. He's just been suspected. People suspect Black people are doing shit they didn't do all the time because they're racist and they're racially profiling. running after a black man who we don't even know if he even had damn glasses. He's just been suspected. People suspect black people are doing shit they didn't do all the time because they're racist and they're racially profiling. But the body camera footage showed that he was on the ground. They shoot him and then they say, stop reaching.

He said, I don't have nothing. I don't have nothing. And now he's dead. And these people are acting completely flabbergasted, like, why would you bring charges? What's the problem with that? The problem is that we should not, in this country, be executing people over stolen sunglasses or any,

anything, any kind of material possession, point blank in the period. This was not a botched bank robbery. It was Nordstrom. Nordstrom's gonna be okay. They're a multi-million or billion dollar company. They will be okay. This man is not coming back from the grave after y'all overzealous actions.

It's appalling. Greg, I'm watching this video. Guy, turn the audio up, please. And I'm just, I'm just, like, trying to understand this. Going into the woods. Through the woods. Get on the ground. Get on the ground.

Stop reaching. Stop reaching. Stop reaching. Shots fired. Shots fired. All right, now I want you to do this here. I want you to roll back to the beginning of this video. And the thing here, Greg, that's crazy. So when the video starts, so do this here.

Roll the video. So the video starts. They're literally in the store. So I just want people to understand how far these folks went here. And, again, the logic to me is unbelievable. So they're in the mall. Now we are running... Turn the audio up.

Okay, okay, no audio. So we're in the mall, Greg. Now we are running through Norwich. He set off sensors, right? Yeah. He gave us the time. We don off sensors, right? Yeah. All right. Running to the walkway to the parking lot. Running down the stairs.

Now we running in the street. We are crossing the street. We got the radio. Urban 2 holding channel 4 off. Bloomingdale plot lot. Blackmail. Going towards 7 from fashion. Running across another street.

Crossing over, guys. Get on the ground. Get on the ground. Going into the woods. Through the woods. Get on the ground. Get on the ground. Stop reaching. Stop reaching!

Stop reaching! All right, come back. So, Greg, here's what's crazy. Stock watch going. It literally was almost a minute and a half from them coming out of the mall, running through the store, running down the steps, running across the street

to go after this man and shoot him. And I'm sitting there going, because a sensor went off. You see the guy. It's not like this dude is sitting here running with, you know, arms full of St. John's suits or something like that. That literally, that literally is what you're doing over some shades. Yeah, well, you know, I'd like to congratulate Sandler

and shift it on their conditioning. Clearly, they work out a lot, probably in the basements of their houses before they retreat to their lonely lives in the dark, fantasizing about whatever they fantasize about when they're not fantasizing about killing black people. I'd like to congratulate them for their rigor and their consistency, because they are indeed hunting, as Risi said. Even as more and more states in this guide for safe and criminal enterprise called United States of America continue to pass open carry laws,

if they truly feared for their lives, they wouldn't have chased that man. Because you see, there would be, in fact, brains blown out all over this damn country when, in fact, people realize, since they're running after me, I might as well kill them. And here is where we have the problem. My question isn't

why they would do that. My question is, why do we expect them to do anything different? Because we got snatched into this thing. This is what blackness is. I mean, Roland, your first book, White Fear, might have to be part of a trilogy. Next might have to be Black Fear. In other words, why are we

scared of calling a spade a damn spade? And maybe the third might have to be fear. Why? Fear like the cowardly grand jury that let these hunters go? Fear like the cowardly grand jury that let these hunters go. Fear like the commonwealth attorney in this case who said, I'm going to look at all

options. Fear like the legislature. And I feel you. I feel you, Tamir. I mean, you know, you do the best you can on Capitol Hill. You do your best you can. You're the judge of the commonwealth. And then you have laws and policies passed where these crackers can show up in a damn grand jury and say where the hell they going, and the prosecutor

ain't allowed there. So maybe part three of the book trilogy might have to be feared. We're scared. It's time to lose that fear, because if you're chasing me and I got something, damn a waistband, I'm going to duck in the woods and when you bring your weightlifting, probably spouse-abusing,

basement fantasy--enance out there in the woods, it will plow now. Because I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by six. We'll see what happens next in this case of Timothy Johnson. Got to go to break. We'll come back. We'll talk with

George Foreman as a new movie out about his life. And he will join us next right here on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. Don't forget to support us in what we do. Download the app, Apple phone, Android phone, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, X-Box One, Samsung Smart TV.

Your dollars make it possible for us to do what we do while we continue to fight these advertisers to support black-owned media. Our goal is to get 20,000 of our fans contributing on average 50 bucks each. That's a million dollars a year. Folks, there is nobody in America that's doing what we're doing, the number of original hours that we do every day

targeting African-Americans. And so, nobody, not Essence, not Black Enterprise, not Blavity, not Byron Adams, the griot. Nobody's doing what we do here at the Black Star Network. Nobody, not Essence, not Black Enterprise, not Blavity, not Byron Allows, the Griot. Nobody's doing, not everybody, what we do here at the Black Star Network. See your check and money orders. The PO Box 57196, Washington, D.C.

2007-0196. Cash App, Dollar Sign, RM Unfiltered, PayPal, R Martin Unfiltered. Venmo is RM Unfiltered. Zelle, Roland S Martin dot com. Roland at RolandMartinUn martin.com rolling that rolling martin unfiltered.com and be sure to get a copy of my book white fear of the brownie of america's making white folks lose their minds available at bookstores nationwide amazon barnes and noble

target download your copy on audible i'll be right back i know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops call this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that Taser told them. From Lava for Good

and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1. Taser Incorporated. I get right back

there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Hatred on the streets, a horrific scene, a white nationalist rally that descended into deadly violence.

On that soil, you will not replace us! White people are losing their damn minds. There's an angry pro-Trump mob storm to the U.S. Capitol. We're about to see the rise of what I call white minority resistance. We have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting. I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of violent denial. This is part of American history. Every time that people of color have made progress, whether real or symbolic, there

has been what Carol Anderson at Emory University calls white rage as a backlash. This is the wrath of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys. America, there's going to be more of this. There's all the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys America, there's going to be more of this. Here's all the Proud Boys guys. This country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because of the fear of white people. The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're taking our women. This is white people. On the next A Balanced Life with me, Dr. Jackie, we talk about a hard, cold fact.

Not all health care is created equal in this country, especially if you're a person of color. So many of us Black families, we rely upon each other heavily. A lot of us aren't necessarily sure how to best communicate with our health care providers. How to take charge and balance the scales. Your life may depend on it. That's next on A Balanced Life on Blackstar Network.

What's up, y'all? I'm Will Packer. Hello, I'm Bishop T.D. James. What up? Lana Wells. And you are watching Rolling Martin Unfiltered. 22 years ago, a movie about Muhammad Ali drops starring Will Smith. Well, next week, next Friday, George Foreman. Of course, a movie about his life would drop. Here is the trailer for the movie Big George Foreman.

Listen to me, George. You got to punch like I've never seen. But in every battle, the greatest foe that we will combat isn't here. That's why I ruled the world. Imagine that. You live one way your whole life.

Heavenly Father, thank you for this food. George should change his name from Foreman to Poor Man. To hurt. Down goes Frazier! What's my name now, fool? Foreman is the new heavyweight champion of the world. Where's all that rage come from? I don't have any rage.

And it becomes all you know. Let's thank God for the food, y'all. I bought the food, Mama. George Foreman ain't no new champ. He is the new chump. We gonna get it on because we don't get it on. Foreman goes down! Who said that?

Nobody said nothing, George. George, George, George, George. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Your heart stopped. George. George. George. George. George. George. George.

George. George. George. George. George. George. George. George.

George. George. George. George. George. George. George. George. George I move the world. How's being a preacher going for you? It's hard.

Harder than getting punched in the face. Sometimes it feels about the same. Hey, Seller. Come on in and enjoy yourself. Power Company said we never paid the bill. Really? There's only two things I know how to do. S-Box will preach, and the preacher won't pay the bills.

If I move the world. You made me something once, Doc. You can do it again. If I move the world. It is my destiny to win the heavyweight championship belt again. If I move the world. Last time they saw me, I looked like Superman.

Now you look like the Michelin Man. This ain't no beauty contest. Let's walk right up to the sun. Michael Moore is 26 and unstoppable. How can you beat that man? Foreman is considered an old man in this young man's game. It's now or it's never. Mr. Foreman, that funny little grill deal you signed Get it, get it, get it, get it. I ruled the world. Mr. Foreman, that funny little grill deal you signed is starting to generate some substantial checks.

Really? Now, I'm just surprised this shows a big old fat guy like me to sell a beer to help people get lean. Well, the pride of Fifth Ward in Houston, Phyllis Wheatley High School, it ain't quite Jack Yates High School, but I'm just saying, George Foreman, welcome to the show. Thank you so much for having me. Well, it's a J.Y. graduate right here, so glad to have you. It was always a good rivalry back in the day when it was Jack Yates and Phyllis Wheatley.

Boy, weren't those the days? You had to be one way or the other. Absolutely. Well, my parents are watching. They're Yates graduates. My dad will be 76 next year. You're 74. So, yeah, it definitely was the case then.

So let's talk about this here. I mean, obviously, you know, when one story is told on the big screen, it's a whole lot you're trying to put into two, two-and-a-half hours. Why did you consent to want your story on the big screen? They told me they had to cut a lot out, and I told them, look,

I wish I could have cut a lot out of my life, too. It's way too rough. But it was the right time for the movie. Now I've been a minister at the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And you go so many years trying to hide your life. Then you realize before you lose it, you better reveal some things that can help others. And again, the movie doesn't shy away from, you know, your story in terms of, again, growing up there, you know, in Fifth Ward.

It was not an easy childhood. No, it was rough. My mom having to play father and mother at the same time and then going without so many things. I didn't even grow up with hope. You'd be surprised at the amount of people that can exist without hope. It didn't like potential and success. Words did not even flow by my mind until later on.

You know, we look at what's happening today. There was a shooting at a Sweet 16 party in Alabama. Four folks were killed. You got five young black men who have been arrested for that. And the reality is so many young brothers have gotten into trouble going through prison systems, spending their lives in prison, throwing it away. I mean, you were one of those young brothers who was on that path. Yeah, you've got to find hope. And most importantly, you've got to find people who believe in you

and who are sincerely believing in you. If you're going to get in trouble, too many people are depending on me. It can happen. It can change and change the world. I never lose hope. And you talk about that hope, and so what's interesting is that for a lot of people,

they think about, okay, again, the fights with Ken Norman, fights with Ali, and then, of course, later regained the heavyweight championship. But a lot of people don't talk about when you went to the Olympics representing the country and winning a gold medal. The only thing that's nothing that I'm more proud of than that moment. I was a 19-year-old boy. I'd never had a dream to come true. Standing on that platform and listening to the national anthem in the background, sometimes

I still wake up and think, did that really happen? It was a dream come true. Wonderful time in my life life winning that gold medal. When you think about even you turning pro and folks calling you a brute and even when they describe boxing style

and how you demolished opponents, does it still pain you to hear folks describe what I call George Foreman 1.0 as opposed to George Foreman 2.0? You know, with life, you got to learn to laugh about everything. It's like reading a good book. Once you turn that page, you go to the next page.

You never will get done with it if you keep rereading the same page. It was a fun part of my life. I wish when I was younger I could have appreciated anything and everything people called me because I was young and had so many things to do. The fight with I. Lee, obviously, is such a pivotal one in terms of what so many people associate you with losing that fight. But let's say prior to that, what would you say, was that your most difficult one? Or would you say another fight was the most difficult for you?

Yeah, I didn't expect to lose that fight with Muhammad Ali. I thought it would be the easiest fight I would have in my career because I had beaten the guy who had beaten him. So I was shocked and surprised and devastated. But making a comeback with Ron Lyle after that fight where I was trying to be number one contender again, that boy beat me up so bad. And I remember lying on the floor thinking, what excuses can I come up with now?

So I had to get up and fight. And eventually I won the fight just because he didn't understand why I kept coming. He had no idea, Ron Lyle. Speaking about that fight, at any point, did you enjoy anything about Africa? Because again, every time I see one of the documentaries

or even the movie Ali, it's as if you were just miserable in the motherland. You know, the people, the government officials came to my home in Livermore, California, and they asked me would I please allow them to

host the championship of the world with Muhammad Ali. It was my decision to go there. They even asked me, hey, whatever you want, George, you can bring your dog, your family. They wanted me to come there. And when I got there, of course, they treated me with a lot of respect

and dignity. But look, Muhammad Ali was a popular guy, not just in the United States, but all over the world. You don't try to compete with popularity. I try to compete with my fist only and lost that too. I'm going to go to break and we come back. We'll pick this up. My panel has got some questions. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time. Have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes.

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

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

your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. We'll chat more with George Foreman right when we come back. I'm Roland Martin. I'm a filter on the Black Star Network. I lost my daughter. I didn't know where she was. So I had to figure out how to survive, how to eat, how to live.

I don't want to go into the details because she's here first of all. She may not want me telling that story. But possession of her. The family broke down, fell apart. I was homeless. I had to figure out, I didn't have a manager or an agent or anybody anymore, and I'm a talent. So I gotta figure out how to be the agent. I had to figure out how does business work.

Next on The Black Table with me, Greg Cawley. We look at the history of emancipation around the world, including right here in the United States, the so-called end of slavery. Trust me, it's a history lesson that bears no resemblance to what you learned in school. Professor Chris Mangiapra, author, scholar, amazing teacher, joins us to talk about his latest book, Black Ghost of Empire, The Death of Slavery and the Failure of Emancipation. He explains why the end of

slavery was no end at all, but instead, a collection of laws and policies designed to preserve the status quo of racial oppression. The real problem is that the problems that slavery invented have continued over time, and what reparations are really about is saying, how do we really transform society, right? And stop racial violence, which is so endemic. What we need to do about it on the next installment of The Black Table right here on the Black Star Network. Peace and love, everybody. I'm Purple Wonderlove.

Hey, I'm Donnie Simpson. What's up? I'm Lance Gross, and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. ¶¶ All right, welcome back. We're joined by George Foreman here on Roland Martin

Unfiltered, the movie about his life. Big George Foreman opens in theaters nationwide next Friday, April 28th. George, when boxing career ends, you then go into the ministry, and that shocked a lot of people,

you trading in boxing gloves for those overalls. No better said. You know, I had this experience after my last boxing match in the 70s in the dressing room while I was dead and alive. In a split second, I had this vision. And then out of nowhere, I had a second chance to live. I said, I don't care if this is death. I still believe that there's a God.

Rescued from nothingness. And for 10 years, I didn't even make a fist. Preaching on the street corners, giving my testimony, and finally becoming a pastor myself at the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's what I've done to this day, still doing it. Was it really about the money why you decided to come back, or were you seeking redemption with how your career ended?

I was out. I'd been preaching a sort of evangelistic work somewhere near Georgia, and the guy invited me for three days, and he said he would help me with my youth center. And after the third day, he took up a collection.

And after the people had given, he said, we can give George more than this. And that was the most embarrassing moment of my life. I said, I'll never ask anyone for anything ever again. I'm going to be heavyweight champion of the world. That's how I'll get money for my youth center. And I didn't say I was coming back just for the money, but I had to be heavyweight champion of the world. That's how I'll get money for my youth center. And I didn't say I was coming back just for the money, but I had to be heavyweight champion of the world again. That did it.

And then, of course, you get back out there and folks called you a brute in George Foreman 1.0. Man, then they said all kind of stuff. Big, fat, slob. He punched like he in slow motion.

I mean, man, they were just dogging him. Yeah, one fellow said, how can George Foreman become the prodigal son of boxing when he looks like a fatty calf? I heard it all. He'll never be champ as long as his training camp is next to a Baskin-Robbins. Oh, man, I had to live through it all.

But the secret was that I knew how to train, and I believed that it was possible. I had my faith, too. I'm still trying to understand why that boy stood in front of you that late in the doggone match. That, that... Man, get...

Be like Ali and get on that... Get on your... Get on your wheels and just... Just move. Yeah. But sometimes we read and hear so many things, we start to believe things about ourselves. And I guess he's forgotten that I've had these knockout punches,

but he was a tough cookie, Michael Moore. He was there, man. I hit him with some good shots, and he hit me back. So it was a competitive fight to the end. Yeah, Michael Moore, but he was no more after that fight. Questions for my panel. Let's see. Tam but he was no more after that fight. Questions from our panel? Let's see. Tamia, you're first.

All right. Well, one, it's a pleasure to be here with you. Congratulations to you on this. What, who inspires you? Who motivated you to get into this? Who was your role model growing up? Well, growing up, I had the great running back, Jimmy Brown.

Boy, I loved that guy. He did a public service commercial, said, if you're looking for a second chance, join the job corps. He, along with Johnny Unitas, a way long quarterback. If they had told me to jump off a bridge, I would have done it. And that's what brought me hope into my life. So I admire Jimmy Brown. I can tell you that.

I admire those guys. I love that. Thank you. Recy? Mr. Foreman, I'm a huge fan. My mom had fight parties, so I saw you in some of your epic battles in the 90s. My question is about the actor who is portraying you in the film, Chris Davis.

This will be his biggest film to date. How did you come to the conclusion? Were you involved at all in his casting, as opposed to maybe a bigger name that has more a box office draw? I'm just wondering how that came about. Yeah, if you're going to do something about your life, the last thing that comes to your mind is box office. That's not a part of it. You want to tell the truth.

A true story, but you need a true actor, a guy who can really act. I remember going to the screening to see Chris Davis. He was Joe Exforman. He did a great job, a lot more see Chris Davis. He was George Foreman. He did a great job, a lot more than I expected. He acted out and became George Foreman.

I'm happy he did it. Good question, by the way. Greg. Thank you, Roland, and thank you, Mr. Foreman. Much respect. Brother, I didn't know that I'd ever get a chance to have a conversation with you or ask a question, so I got to ask you, Roland. And thank you, Mr. Foreman. Much respect. Brother, I didn't know that I'd ever get a chance to have a conversation with you or ask a question. So I got to ask you, brother, perhaps the two most important moments in sports and race history, 1974 Zaire and 1968 Mexico City. You gave an interview to the undefeated, I think it was.

You said you were in the Olympic Village and you couldn't tell difference between you and any other black people who were in the Olympics except by the flag they had. And if you could go back and wave two flags in that ring, you would. Now, you can imagine those of us who will wave no flag ever in our lives were probably thinking, George Fortman

is crazy. But I think it's a lot more than that. Could you talk a little bit about how you think of patriotism and how you think of this country? Because I know Muhammad Ali was your friend and brother. Yes, sir. Yeah. You said it best. I'd go to the Olympic Village, walk up to a guy and, hey, man, how you doing?

And the guy didn't even speak my language. After a while in the Olympic Village, the only way you could tell who was who were the colors we wore. So when I won that Olympic gold medal, I got the Olympic flag, which we all had, out of my robe, and I waved it. I said, they got to know where I'm from. And I wanted to show the world where I was from. And even to this day, if I had to do it again,

I'd wave two flags. That's the truth. I love the country. I love America. And I love all of the food I've been eating. I discovered McDonald's and Jack in the Box. For 10 years, I was out of boxing, and I ballooned up to 315 pounds. Oh, I love the country.

A country that has that many different burgers is the greatest in the world. Well, since we on food, your favorite food spot in Houston? Oh, there are so many. What is that, In-N-Out, huh? Uh-uh, uh-uh. Hold up, George. Oh, this is it. George, thank you. You from Texas, I'm from Texas. out, huh? Hold up, George.

Oh, this is it. George, thank you. You from Texas. I'm from Texas. That's a California restaurant change. You better say Whataburger. Yeah, no, this is it. That's a soul food restaurant on what is it? Third Ward. Third Ward. Man.

Yeah, uh-huh. You talk about it when I'm really feeling good. My oxtails and greens. Oh, yeah. I order them 24-7 when I can afford it. Uh, you been to Turkey Leg Hut? I haven't been to Turkey Leg Hut yet. I've heard about it, and I'm hungry

for it, but I haven't gone there yet. George, trust me. I think you want to go to Turkey Leg Hut. You may never leave. I'll do it. The smoked turkey legs there are no joke. So both of the owners will. And then, of course, my man

Marcus Davis with the Breakfast Club. Their breakfast is... Oh, yeah, the Breakfast Club. Man, the Breakfast Club. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. I love that place. You can get breakfast any time of the day. You more excited about talking about food than the movie coming out. Oh, yeah.

Chicken and waffle. Oh, yeah. The movie. Back to the movie. So I do have to ask you this. Did you ever actually cook something with the George Foreman grill? Oh, that grill became, when I first did the deal with Joint Venture, I didn't expect much out of it.

I just wanted one for my aunt and some for my cousins and things like that, maybe 16. The little bit I know, that thing was still over $120 million when I had all of the interest in it. I didn't expect that. George Farmer Grill really, and it sold because it works. This house is still full of them.

Wow. So I take it you could build, you took care of the youth center stuff with not just the boxing money, but that grill money. Oh, that grill money was good, but the grill money. No, that grill money wasn't good, but the grill and stuff was better than the money. Well, again, so I'll say this here.

What is your thoughts on the current state of boxing, especially the heavyweight division? I mean, that used to dominate. Now you got UFC. Folk don't really pay attention to the sweet science. It's not even remotely as popular as it as it was in the 70s 80s and 90s. Yeah, I think the biggest event that will ever happen even in

the future will be a boxing match that Deontay Wilder Tyson Fury Anthony Joshua these Giants whenever they get in the ring. It's anontay Wilder, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua. These giants, whenever they get in the ring, it's an exciting moment for me. I still love boxing. Then there's Canelo Alvarez and the Light Awakes. All some great fighters. Mayweather has retired, but wasn't he exciting? Well, look, I agree with you. I don't watch UFC fights for one. I ain't support nothing Dana White does, especially him being the Trump supporter. So that ain't happening. So I still

prefer the sweet science of boxing as well. But Deontay Wilder, he better learn some defense. Because you can't punch all day. You better block something. Boy, he can punch though. He can. Well, George, the movie opens up. Big George for him. Oh, he can punch, though. He can. Well, George, the movie opens.

Big George for him. Oh, George, tell your people running your Twitter account they got to unblock me. I don't know why they block me. I don't know about anything like that. Yeah, because you can come on anytime of all people. Love you, man. Oh, man.

But tell them they better unblock a brother so I can tweet you. All right, George, it is great to see you. I'm actually in Houston next Friday. I present an annual scholarship, two scholarships, at Jack Yates High School. So I'll be at JY next Friday at 2 p.m. So I'll hit you up. When I'm in H-Town.

I love coming home and seeing all my family. And my grandmother hated catering business, and so, boy. Matter of fact, my brother's an executive chef, so maybe I'll have... What's your favorite meal? Man, I've never made a meal that I didn't fall in love with.

Ha ha ha! I got some... Anything I can get my hand on is good. All right, well, he's an executive chef, so they make a hell of a bread pudding and some gumbo. My wife is a bread pudding person. I only eat it so that she doesn't eat too much. Well, I'll have to hit my brother Reginald, the executive chef,

to put something together for you. Thank you so very much. Big George Foreman. Drop us a movie theater, y'all. April 28th. Definitely go out and check it. George, we appreciate it. Thanks a bunch.

Thank you. Bye-bye. Folks, that is it for us. Tamir, thanks a bunch. Reesey, we appreciate it. Greg Carr, I appreciate it as well. Folks, I will not be here tomorrow. I'm traveling to South Carolina

tomorrow for an event on Saturday with Denny's. Also, so let me go ahead and shout out now my wife Jackie. Tomorrow's our 22nd wedding anniversary. And so again, I'll be in South Carolina, but I'm back on Saturday. And so we're having their health and wellness event at the University of South Carolina Upstate on Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

And so we're talking mental health and wellness. So looking forward to doing that with Denny's. And so if you're in Spartanburg, come on out to the University of South Carolina Upstate at their Fine Arts Pavilion. Folks, that is it. Hope y'all have been enjoying the restreams of the African American Mayor's Association. We'll have more of that tomorrow morning. Billionaire Robert Smith talks.

And also, there's a panel happening with the mayors of the four largest cities in America. They're all black. Karen Bass, Los Angeles. Sylvester Turner, my alpha brother of Houston. Eric Adams, New York. Lori Lightfoot of Chicago. We'll have that on the Black Star Network tomorrow as well. I'm here with Los Angeles, Sylvester Turner, my alpha brother of Houston, Eric Adams, New York, Lori Lightfoot of Chicago.

We'll have that on the Black Star Network tomorrow as well. So we'll see you then. Y'all take care. Holla! Folks, Black Star Network is here. Hold no punches! I'm real revolutionary right now. Black crowd.

Support this man, Black Media. He makes sure that our stories are told. Thank you for being the voice of Black America, Roland. Be black. I love y'all. All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going. The video looks phenomenal. See, there's a difference between Black Star Network and Black-owned media and something like CNN.

You can't be Black-owned media and be scape. It's time to be smart bring your eyeballs home you dig pull up a chair take your seat at the black table with me dr greg carr here on the black star network every week we'll take a deeper dive into the world we're living in. Join the conversation only on the Black Star Network. Hi, I'm Dr. Jackie Hood-Martin, and I have a question for you. Ever feel as if your life is teetering in the weight and pressure of the world that's consistently on your shoulders?

Well, let me tell you, living a balanced life isn't easy. Join me each Tuesday on Blackstar Network for a balanced life with Dr. Jackie. We're all impacted by the culture, whether we know it or not. From politics to music and entertainment, it's a huge part of our lives, and we're going to talk about it every day right here on The Culture with me, Faraji Muhammad, only on the Black Star Network. I'm Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach, and my new show, Get Wealthy, focuses on the things that your financial advisor and bank isn't telling you, but you absolutely need to know. So watch Get Wealthy on the Blackstar Network.

This is an iHeart Podcast.