#RolandMartinUnfiltered - Harris' Economic Tour, Pizza Hut Driver Sued for Racial Slur, ABC's Kim Godwin Resigns

Episode Date: May 7, 2024

5.6.2024: #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Harris' Economic Tour, Pizza Hut Driver Sued for Racial Slur, ABC's Kim Godwin Resigns Vice President Kamala Harris continues her Economic Opportunity Tour in Detroit. We'll have complete coverage of what happened there.  #BlackStarNetwork partner:Fanbase 👉🏾 https://www.startengine.com/offering/fanbase A black Mississippi man is suing Pizza Hut because he says the white delivery driver called him a racial slur.  We'll talk to Carlos Moore, who filed a lawsuit. The white Ole Miss student who mocked a black woman during a pro-Palestinian protest is under investigation and gets kicked out of his fraternity.  A New York judge threatens Donald Trump with jail for another gag order violation.  And ABC's Kim Godwin steps down.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. I wouldn't change a thing about our lives. Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Last year, a lot of the problems of the drug war.

This year, a lot of the biggest names in music and sports. This kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We met them at their homes. We met them at their recording studios. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real.

Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you. We'll be right back. He makes sure that our stories are told. I 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 scared. It's time to be smart. Bring your eyeballs home. You dig? It's Monday, May 6, 2024. I'm Dr. Ome Kongo Dabenga sitting in for Roland, who's on his way back from Detroit. He was traveling with Vice President Kamala Harris as she continued her economic opportunity tour. We'll have complete coverage of what happened there, but here's what's coming up on Roland Martin Unfiltered,

streaming live on the Black Star Network. A black Mississippi man is suing Pizza Hut because he says the white delivery driver called him a racial slur. We'll talk to Carlos Moore, who filed a lawsuit. The white Ole Miss student who mocked a black woman during a pro-Palestinian protest is under investigation and gets kicked out of his fraternity. A New York judge threatens Donald Trump with jail for another gag order violation. And ABC's Kim Godwin steps down.

It's time to bring the funk on Roland Martin Unfiltered, streaming live on the Blackstar Network. Let's go. He's got whatever the piss he's on it Whatever it is he's got The scoop, the fact, the fine And when it breaks, he's right on time And it's Roland, breaks, he's right on time And it's rolling

Best belief he's knowing Putting it down from sports to news to politics With entertainment just for kicks He's rolling It's on go-go-royale It's rolling, Martin Rolling with rolling now It's Rollin' Martin. Yeah. Rollin' with Rollin' now.

He's funky, he's fresh, he's real the best. You know he's Rollin' Martin. Now. Martin. Vice President Kamala Harris is on her way back from Detroit. She was in the Motor City as part of her Economic Opportunity Tour, the Biden campaign's effort to strengthen the economy for black Americans. Roland traveled with the vice president and will join us in the next hour to highlight today's event. But first, a Mississippi man says he got more than a pizza from his Oxford Pizza Hut delivery driver on June 25th, 2023. Jamarius Archie opened his door to receive his order when the white driver called him a racial slur. Take a listen. Pizza Hut, how you doing?

Good, man. Here we go, appreciate you. Let me just grab a signature if you don't mind. I'll pay it up. In case you missed it, we will play it again. Pizza Hut, how you doing? Good, man. Here we go. Appreciate you. And let me just grab a signature, if you don't mind.

I'll pay you up. Joining me from Jackson, Mississippi, is attorney Carlos Moore. Mr. Moore, thank you so much for being here tonight. I just got to start with, what in the world? I almost wanted to play it a third time. Can you please tell us and help us process what we just saw? Was that real? It was real. And like you, I could not believe my ears. I mean, this happened in 2023 in Oxford, Mississippi. This young African-American man ordered a pizza in a nice neighborhood and it was just a normal day and he never could have expected to be called the N-word just for ordering a pizza. And what was, you know, we read the statement that you posted, but, you know, knowing your client, what was his reaction after the fact? Because it seems like such a natural transaction, but it just seems like kind

of after the fact, it seems like, whoa, wait a minute. What just happened? Like, how did he process what he experienced? Yes, it was very difficult to process. He's undergoing counseling now for what he endured. But it caught him off guard. I mean, most people, had they had any kind of forewarning, knew exactly what he said when he said it and processed it immediately, they probably would have stolen the pizza driver. But, I mean, he was so shocked, he ran to his video surveillance to run it back. He had to run it back again to make sure he had heard what he heard. He showed it to his wife, and they agreed.

There was nothing wrong with his ears. He had been called N-word. Yeah, I had to double-check my ears a couple of times as well. And has there been a response? I want to bring my panel in shortly, but has there been a response from Pizza Hut about how they're looking at handling this situation to date since this happened last summer?

Evidently, Pizza Hut has ratified this comment. The man is still a delivery driver in Oxford, Mississippi, and he is still free to roam the streets and deliver pizzas and call people the N-word at will. And so this is very disappointing. Still, wow, that was not something I was expecting to hear.

I have so many other questions, but I want to bring in my panel to share some of their thoughts on this as well. I'm going to bring in Dr. Julianne Malveaux, economist and author out of Washington, D.C., as well as Gavin Reynolds, contributor to The Root and former speechwriter to Vice President Kamala Harris. Dr. Malveaux, I want to turn the first question over to you. Oh, I don't even know what to say. You know, my mom was the first one of two. Ole Miss hired two African-Americans in 1974. And my mom was one of the two in the School of Social Work. And I had occasion to visit Oxford where the racism is just, it's casual. I mean, while that is egregious,

it's not unexpected. My Oxford story is I went to see my mom, I flew in, took the putt-putt from Memphis to Oxford, and the driver would not take me. This was 1975 because I had a daishiki on. And he called me in and da-da, da-da, da-da. And I called my mom saying, Mommy, the guy will not give me a ride. She said, I'll send somebody to get you. She said, what do you have on?

I said, a daishiki. What do I wear every day? And she said, I should have told you get you. She said, what do you have on? I said, a dashiki. What do I wear every day? And she said, I should have told you to put a T-shirt on. She said, the racism here is crazy. So apparently a lot has not changed. The casual use of the N-word is Mississippi. You know, in Wakanda, I'm doing this research on lynching. Mississippi had, I don't know if they're number one or number two in the number of lynchings. But I want to ask Brother Attorney, this seems so casual. What are you actually suing for dollar wise? And what kind of statute will protect your client? We did not name a monetary amount.

My client continues to treat and we just want justice. And so we believe that a reasonable jury will come up with an amount should we get to trial. And it's just so outrageous. And he did it so nonchalantly. I guess he does it often. But he just casually called him the N-word and thought it was acceptable. And I'm just shocked that Peacefulhood has basically ratified his action and still employs this young man, the delivery driver. Thank you. Gavin, your question. Yeah, brother, thank you for joining us, and thank you for what you're doing on behalf of your client. Omokongo, I'm like you.

I had to run that back like three, four, five times. I played it with one of my friends, and I was like, are you hearing this? So I guess my question for you, sir, is, you know, I imagine, and you might not be able to answer this question, but I'm just so curious, like, what went down right after this took place? Was the rest of the conversation, was there any additional conversing between the two? And again, I understand you might not be able to answer that, you know, directly, but just help us contextualize sort of what happened immediately after we heard that comment, because the video

sort of cuts off rather abruptly. Yes, my client stayed cool. He is a law-abiding citizen of Mississippi. He really couldn't believe his ears, and so he wanted to double-check, and so he let the man go ahead and leave after he signed the receipt, and then he went to share what just happened with his wife, and they went to the video doorbell system and watched the video and listened to it, and they confirmed he had heard what he heard. And so that's when he contacted me, and we have tried to settle this out of court with Peacefulhood, but they have been nonresponsive until we filed the lawsuit, and they still have not taken the appropriate action to resolve this matter. And so that leads me to my next question, Mr. Moore, because we're talking June. We're coming up. It's almost a year now,

and you filed this lawsuit. And I know there's so much you can say publicly to everybody, but has Pizza Hut been in any communication with you whatsoever about this incident? Are they just thinking that you're going to go away? I've spoken with the attorney for the institution for Pizza Hut, but they have not done anything still to resolve this matter. And so we are continuing to fight and we will take it all the way to trial. This is unacceptable and you cannot just go around calling people the N-word, even in Mississippi. I am just appalled. My client is appalled. And we are appalled that Pizza Hut has not has done nothing. But we do believe a good citizen jury will give us justice. And my last question for you, just in terms of the climate that we're living into now and today with so much going on,

it just seems like there's a certain level of comfort that people have just addressing us in a particular way. Has that added to the level of concern and fear that your clients have experienced after this incident? Yes, my client has a young family, a wife and a child that he's afraid to even give interviews. He's in Oxford, Mississippi. He does not want his business jeopardized. He fears for his safety. I mean, this is the same city where last week they were turning a Black woman, calling her Lizzo and making monkey noises. This is in Oxford, Mississippi. Oxford continues to burn. Mississippi is still on fire. Yes, and that's definitely a story that we're getting to actually later today as well.

Well, I thank you for your courage and. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time. Have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes, but there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated

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

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

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

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

I mean, he's not only my parent, like he's like my best friend. At the end of the day, it's all been worth it. I wouldn't change a thing about our lives. Learn about adopting a teen from foster care. Visit AdoptUSKids.org to learn more. Brought to you by AdoptUSKids, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Ad Council. Your client and his family for their coverage as well. And please continue to keep us updated on what's going on with this trial. Will do. Thank you. Thank you.

This is Roland Martin, Unfiltered, on the Black Star Network. We'll be right back. 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. There's a lot of stuff that we're not getting. You get it.

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RolandSMartin.com. First, President Barack Obama's road to the White House. We got about 500 copies of the book available. And so this actually is all of the coverage of the 2008 election. But the other thing is, is here. I talked to folks like Malik Yoba, Hill Harper, Eric Alexander, Kevin Lowe, Spike Lee, Tatiana Ali. There's a lot of behind the scenes stuff in here as well, where I talked about some of the stuff that went down at CNN. Also, when you go through here, a lot of the photos that you see in here are photos that I actually shot, photos that were my time at CNN. And so what I decided to do, because one, I published the book and I own it myself, is that so I said, you know what, I'm going to slash

the price to $10. And so we're going to have shipping and handling $5.99. I'm going to personally autograph every copy. I'm not reprinting the book. So once we are sold out of these 500, that's it. They're gone. So you can go to RolandSMartin.com forward slash the first to get a copy of this book. Everybody who orders this book through the website, not on Amazon, only through RolandSMartin.com, I will personally autograph and mail you a copy

of this book. It's all of the coverage, the actual interviews that I did with him and just to show you of course when it came out, there's actually even in here the interviews that I did with him and Michelle Obama, which won TV One Cable Network

its first two NAACP Image Awards and so all of that for $10. Shipping and handling is $5.99. So go to RolandSmartin.com the first and order your copy today. Bruce Smith, creator and executive producer of The Proud Family, Louder and Prouder. You're watching Roland Martin Unkilled. The University of Mississippi is investigating a student who has gone viral for mimicking a monkey toward a black woman participating in a pro-Palestinian protest. The university has opened a student conduct investigation after the protesters were met last week by actions that appear to convey hostility and racist overtones. The student, identified as James J.P. Staples,

was caught on video making the sounds and gestures has also been removed from his fraternity. Phi Delta Theta General Headquarters released this statement. The past few weeks have been challenging for many colleges and universities across the United States as they struggle to balance the protection of free speech with maintaining appropriate and respectful discourse among demonstrators and others within the campus community. As part of that community, Phi Delta Theta recognizes that freedom of expression is part of the collegiate experience. However, the fraternity is committed to upholding its principles as a private membership organization. After reviewing the incident, it was determined that the individual's behavior was unacceptable. The action in question was offensive, outside the bounds of this discourse, and contradictory to our values. In partnership with local alumni, undergraduate leadership, and the university, disciplinary due process was initiated,

which resulted in the removal of membership. The situation will continue to be monitored in cooperation with any further investigation. Palestinian protesters were demonstrating in a barricaded zone Thursday when an estimated 200 counter protesters surrounded them. Some held American flags, Donald Trump flags, and others dressed in red, white, and blue. Gavin, man, wow. Staying in Mississippi, here we are, right? You see this every day with what

you're doing with The Root in all of your other work. Talk to me about how you people have talked so much about the pro-Palestinian protesters are losing the message by taking this action or that action. But few people have shared stories about what the counter protesters have been doing, which this story highlights. How are you processing what we just watched and the statement made by the fraternity as well? Well, look, Omokongo, anyone from the South like I am, I'm from Georgia, we unfortunately know how a lot of these white fraternities operate. So I can't say that I'm surprised to learn about what happened,

to see this video, to see the photos, not only at Ole Miss, but at universities across the country, not only in the South, by the way, nor am I surprised that you had Republicans, by the way, out there, like Representative Mike Collins from my home state and the governor of Mississippi, Tate Reeves, who took to social media to voice their support for what we saw from these counterprotesters. And I could go on and on, obviously, about the racism that we see in this video and, by the way, the unchecked racism that unfortunately transpires so oftentimes outside of the view of the camera, which by the

way, imagine the vile things that this student has done and said behind closed doors. It's only now that he was caught being a racist on camera that his frat actually kicked him out. So, you know, and I haven't seen the results of this disciplinary action that the school is taking. I hope that it results in some strong action, because we're already seeing at other universities the pro-Palestinian students being suspended for their protest. And I also want to use this opportunity to remind all of our viewers that as the election approaches, Donald Trump actually posted videos from the counter-protesters

and said, quote, thank you, Ole Miss, MAGA. So for all those out there who think Trump cares about Black people, I know there's some Black folks out there who do think that. Make no mistake, he does not. At the same time, I also want to speak to some of our young people who are out there speaking their truth to power and protesting. Continue to do that, but at the same time, I also want to speak to some of our young people who are out there speaking their truth to power and protesting. Continue to do that, but at the same time, know your legal rights and be smart with your protest. Because we, in our community, oftentimes we don't have the same institutional support and backing that some of those counter-protesters do.

We don't have daddy or mommies or granddaddies or grandmommies or great-granddaddy or great-grandmommies money to fall back on. And so I salute the young people who are peacefully protesting out there, unlike the counter-protesters who are doing anything but peaceful protest. But to our students, to our young people, make sure you know your legal rights and make sure that you don't sacrifice your educational journey along the way. Absolutely. And Dr. Malvo, as former school, you know, university president, Bennett College, how would you have handled what you've seen? Well, students have a right to protest and I support that fully. You're going to have the countervailing. It has to be respectful. I would have thrown all those little you-know-whats, those Ole Miss brothers off the campus. They were reprehensible. They

were not respectful. They were racist. But, you know, Gavin said something to the students. I want to say something to all of them as well. When you go out here, make sure and take a page out of Roland Martin's book, have your camera, take their pictures, identify them, call them out, make sure people know. And then mamas and daddies know that they are racist little fools who are now in Mississippi. That's not alarming. I mean, like I said, some of y'all know my story, but I spent a year. I got put out of high schools in San Francisco, so I had to go to high school in Mississippi. It transformed me in some ways. It taught me a lot. But I had never experienced, you know, I'm like 15, 16.

I had never experienced that kind of racism. But people would just, just like the video we saw casually call you the n-word or and if you're a woman it wasn't just an n it was nb you know and just like someone would say hi julianne it would be hey nb and no you know just like no filter so that behavior is not um unanticipated but the leadership at old miss Miss, frankly, has tolerated it. Again, I told you my mom taught at Ole Miss. I've been to Ole Miss. The casual racism there is just amazing. I respect and admire the Black students who go there. I mean, it's theoretically the best college in Mississippi. So people want to go there for that, for the networking, if they're going to be a lawyer.

I mean, the law school is supposed to be, again, the best in the state. And so people want to go there for the contacts and all of that. They might want to look down the road to Tougaloo or Jackson State for a more compatible environment. But folks want to go there, but they're always under siege. When my mom was there, her house became like a refuge. The students would just go and hang out at her house because, you know, they needed a refuge. Young ladies had attacks on them in the dormitories.

Sexual, racial, sexual slurs were used. And you saw that. You saw the little, never mind, I'm not going to go there. I'm on television. But you saw the little man grabbing his non-crotch. And so I didn't go there halfway. His non-crotch. And I do not understand why people feel like I need to do that.

You see the cameras, fool. What are you doing? You have a mama and daddy and sisters and brothers. What is wrong with you? But as I said, back to, you know, I think that university presidents have kind of wussed out at some level because you have to support the right to protest and you have to insist on civil protest. I think when some of these Jewish students are saying, oh, gee, I feel so threatened, why? But I saw a young woman on television this morning. She said whenever she heard the words from the river to the sea,

she felt threatened. And my response in my head was, well, then you want to feel threatened because contextually that does not mean eliminate Jewish people. It means that Palestinians want their rights, too, from the river to the sea. They want to be recognized. That's what this is all about. So I think university leadership, many presidents are bowing to donors. And of course, your number-one job as a college president is to raise money.

So they're bowing to donors who are saying, insisting on action. I think that many are afraid that when you embrace Palestinian rights, you're automatically considered anti-Semitic, which is not the case. But that is what many people are claiming. And so I think that university presidents are stuck between a rock and a hard place, but they must stand up for justice. They must stand up for the First Amendment. One of the things that I haven't seen a lot of is probably happening, and I don't know about it, but there need to be teach-ins. I mean, this is commencement time, so there's not going to be a lot of time for that. But people need—when the first October 7th started, it would have been beautiful to have seen campus after campus doing teachings, teaching the history. People

don't know the history. They think Hamas just dropped out of the sky and decided to start attacking Israel. Let's tell the whole story. Let's go back to 1948. Let's look at a map of Palestine in 1948 and then in 1968 and see about how much territory has been taken. That does not justify, but it does say universities have a right, universities have a responsibility to educate their students. And they have a right to demand that students be respectful, but also that students be educated. Students have First Amendment rights.

Absolutely. And, Gevin, lastly to you again, wanted to come back to you because, you know, you're from Georgia. We've seen what's happening in Mississippi. When I was looking at those protesters, I saw a lot of—I saw nothing that had to do with Palestine, Israel, Hamas, or anything. I saw the monkey demonstrations and also, you know, the sister, you know, plus-size sister as well, the references to Lizzo. It seems like they were taking every opportunity to throw out pretty much any type of racial, fatphobic and misogynistic slurs that they can they can spout towards her. Should we be expecting more of this as we're going into the 2024 election,

given that they were also putting off these MAGA and Trump supporting signs as well? And do we need to just brace up for it? I think we absolutely do. And I'm glad you mentioned the MAGA and Trump supporting signs as well? And do we need to just brace up for it? I think we absolutely do. And I'm glad you mentioned the MAGA signs, because we've been seeing a lot of those at these counter protests as well. I mean, this is how the MAGA mob mentality operates, right? And this is not new in our country. We've had the modern day MAGA mob mentality here since the very founding of our country. And it's looked differently throughout time. It's looked differently during slavery. It's looked differently during Reconstruction and Jim Crow and the civil rights era and in the present. It's looked differently throughout history. But you notice a lot of the same characteristics. And it's why Donald Trump

rose to power in the first place. It's because he's been able, on the heels of the election of our nation's first black president, to tap into a lot of racial animus and a lot of racial fear. That's why Donald Trump and a lot of his MAGA cronies talk so much about immigration. They talk now about wanting to crack down on anti-white racism. Those sorts of topics, those sorts of policies that Donald Trump and his allies and his cronies are ready to reenact in a second term are what's motivating a lot of these folks that you're seeing. A lot of these people who showed up with the Trump flags and who are taunting the protesters

and all of that, they don't care about what's going on in the Middle East. They don't care about these issues. This is all just hate. And it's what Donald Trump has fueled. And so as we get closer and closer to the election, because I think a lot of people for now are still very checked out of the election. So as we get closer to the election, we certainly should expect to see more of this. We should recognize, again, that when we're looking at these counter-protests happen,

we're looking at these attitudes throughout our country, that they go back to one man. Right now, at least, it's Donald Trump. But even if Donald Trump is to lose, those attitudes and those feelings will not go anywhere. So this goes far beyond the election. This goes to a lot of feelings and hatred that people have and are harboring right now that Donald Trump can tap into, but they're not going to go away even after he loses. So we should brace ourselves. No, absolutely. Thank you for that. And, you know, Nina Simone wrote a song about this at the end of the day, and we know what that joint was called.

And so it just keeps roaring its head. We're going to keep talking. 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. It's really, really, really bad. Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glod. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. We are back. In a big way.

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

unquote drug thing is. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. Got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Caramouch. What we're doing now isn't working and we need to change things. Stories NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, NPR, Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts.

I always had to be so good no one could ignore me. Carve my path with data and drive. But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree.

It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersceiling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. Because that's what we do. This is Roland Martin, Unfiltered. We will be right back after this break. You are watching the Black Star Network. A lot of y'all have been asking me about the pocket squares that we have available on our website.

You see me rocking the Chibori pocket square right here. It's all about looking different. And look, summertime is coming up. Y'all know, I keep trying to tell fellas, change your look, please. You can't wear athletic shoes every damn wear. So if you're putting on linen suits, if you're putting on some summer suits, have a whole different look. The reason I like this particular pocket square, these shiboris, because it's sort of like a flower and looks pretty cool here versus the traditional boring silk pocket squares. But also, I like them

a little different as well. So this is why we have these custom-made feather pocket squares on the website as well. My sister actually designed these after a few years ago. I was in this battle with Steve Harvey at Essence, and I saw this at a St. Jude fundraiser. I saw this feather pocket square, and I said, well, I got some ideas. So I hit her, and she sent me about 30 different ones. And so this completely changes your look. Now, some of you men out there, I had some dudes say, oh, man, I can't wear that. Well, if you ain't got swagger, that's not my problem.

But if you're looking for something different to spruce up your look, fellas, ladies, if y'all looking to get your man a good gift, I've run into brothers all across the country with the feather pocket squares saying, see, check mine out. And so it's always good to see them. And so this is what you do. Go to RollersMartin.com forward slash pocket squares. You can order Shibori pocket squares or the custom made pocket squares. Now for the Shiboris, we're out of a lot of the different colors and I think we're down to about two or three hundred. So you want to get your order in as soon as you can, because here's what happened. I got these several years ago and the Japanese company signed the deal with another

company and I bought them before they signed that deal. And so I can't get access to any more from the company in Japan that makes them. And so get yours now. So come summertime when I see y'all at Essence, y'all could be looking fly with the Chibori pocket square or the custom-made pocket square. Again, RolandSMartin.com forward slash pocket squares. Go there now. Farquhar, executive producer of Proud Family. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. For the second time, a New York judge holds Donald Trump in contempt of court.

Judge Juan Marchand personally rebuked Trump from the bench, saying that if there were further violations, he might bypass financial penalties and place the former president behind bars. Marchand acknowledged that jailing Mr. Trump was, quote unquote, the last thing he wanted to do, but said that it was his responsibility to, quote, protect the dignity of the justice system, unquote. Dr. Malveaux, it seems to me as if former president is kind of in the you about to mess around and find out stage. Well, I think, you know, he continues to violate the judge's orders. He's disrespecting the judge. I mean, just systematically. And it's like he doesn't care. But nobody wants to see him in jail because, first of all, if he's in jail, where's the Secret Service going to be? Do they have to go to jail, too? Yes. Secondly, you know, and he needs protection.

And I mean, you know, they said the Rikers. I'm not so sure about that. You know, the brothers Rikers are interesting. Let me just put it that way. We've gotten Rikers stories in the past. So he's really put, I mean, the judge is going to maybe have to be creative and not put him in Rikers, but maybe put him in some kind of lockdown where he goes someplace and he can't, no email, no this, no that. But no, he is tempting this judge. And why is he doing that? Because it serves his purpose. Because if anything happens to him, going to jail, whatever, his base is going to be energized. Oh, look at how unfair they are. Look at what they did to him. So, you know, but this is vintage Trump. We have never seen him,

you know, color inside the lines, follow the rules. He doesn't think rules were made for him. He has violated every human principle, cheating people that he works with, shorting small businesses money that he owes them. And it would take a small business more money than they have to try to sue him for the money that they owe. So they just go out of business. And then this has happened time and time and time again. But this judge is going to be time enough for him. I see that. This judge may just do something for him. I would just implore the judge to be creative. I mean, there's a way, you know, my mom used to, if you're on punishment, she would lock you in your room. Well, my room actually happened to have a library in it.

So I didn't mind. Lock me in a room if you want to. When it was time for me to go out the room i said oh no ma'am i'm reading it would drive her crazy and she finally figured out you locked me in a room that had no books and no stimulation oh then i would shoot i'm like i didn't get out of here yeah um so figure out a way to punish him without making it a spectacle because that's what he wants a spectacle serves him well it's. And it energizes his base. There's some things, take his internet away from him for 30 days.

Ooh, and that would really hurt. You know, make him wear a purple wig. That's not nice. But, you know, the judge is going to have to be creative because if he creates a spectacle, it's going to serve Trump. Yeah, I hear you. And, Gavin, people have talked so much about, oh, my gosh, the fact that Trump is going through this trial. That means that, oh, you know, black people are going to identify with him. And then, you know, you add the sneakers and you add these other things.

And the fact of the matter is, Gavin, that when it comes, Trump talks so much about, oh, the system is rigged. It's a two tier system. But he always talks about himself as if he's at the bottom of the system. But you know, and Dr. Malvo knows, and everybody watching knows, that if a black man did a single thing, even close to anything Trump has done with this judge and this court and this trial, he would have been in jail the first time. Under the jail. Oh, that's right. And that's what makes this so insulting, honestly. It's the audacity that he thinks that we're going to buy the argument that what he's going through is at all comparable in any way, shape, or form or realm to what Black folks are going

through on a daily basis in our justice system. But let me just say this, right? This is more vintage Donald Trump. It's par for the course. Again, reminding us, by the way, of the hypocrisy in the Republican Party, which claims to be about law and order. Meanwhile, their leader is facing 91 criminal indictments in more than one jurisdictions. And the contempt warning that he got today, I believe that was his 10th one. That's $10,000 in fines so far. And you guys have both hit on the fact that if he does end up being jailed for this, he's going to spin it for his political benefit. But with all that being

said, I do think that this trial, as important and as necessary as it is, puts us at risk of not taking Donald Trump as seriously as we should. He is leading in a number of polls, including in some very important swing state polls. Recent data also is showing us that Americans' attitudes towards Trump is sweetening, not souring. But the thing is, is we know exactly what Donald Trump is hoping to achieve in a second term. When he was president the first time, we saw what he was capable of, and he has not been shy about reminding us of what he's hoping to do if he's elected again. And a few of those things, right, we know he wants to be a dictator, but only on day one. Only on day one.

He's looking to pardon the January, right, only on day one. He's considering pardoning the January 6th insurrectionists, who he believes are patriots. He's planning the largest domestic deportation operation, that's a quote, in history, which he would enlist the military, the National Guard, to help him with. He would grant immunity to cops for wrongdoings that they commit while they're on the job. He wants to fight anti-white racism. And by the way, these are all things that he said as recently as an interview that was released in Time magazine last week. He's comfortable sitting by and letting the states chip away at basic rights and freedoms, including reproductive rights and, of course, voting rights, I'm very sure. He's ready to remake the federal government

by purging career staff, anyone who's not loyal to him, while on the other hand, we see the president and the vice president. They're running to continue a lot of the work that they've done so far. I know we'll talk probably a little bit later about some of the economic work that the vice president was in Detroit today touting. But we've seen this ticket create good-paying jobs, lower prescription drugs for seniors, fight to end the climate crisis, defend the rights of women to make their own choices about their own bodies, make communities safer from gun violence and police misconduct, and actually, actually defend the rule of law.

And so as we're seeing all this play out, I just want to remind us to take Donald Trump as seriously as we ought to and remind ourselves that this November we will be faced with a choice between two radically different visions for the future of our country. And I certainly know which one that I want to come true. Well, let's follow up on that, Dr. Malveaux.

I want to just ask you, because given what Gavin was saying and kind of going off of your point as well, it's almost as if there are some people who said they they wish that Trump was out on the campaign trail so he can continue to get out there and make these statements that the Biden camp can use against him. But then there are other people who are saying he's his campaign is the courtroom. And so on some levels, it's actually helping him. So is that part of the reason why Gavin's talking about there being a tie because of, you know, the court is giving him more attention or a different type of attention? How do you see that? How do you see us going into this election and this idea of court

as campaigning and also going off of what Gavin was talking about, referring to this? Well, I want to thank Gavin for running down all the things and encourage people to read Project 2025. I mean, if you read Project 2025, you will be horrified. Gavin just hit the tip of the iceberg. There's so much more. I think I'm about halfway through it, and I had to throw it down a couple times. And once I actually up-chucked in the middle of it. As a baby economist, I worked for the Council of Economic Advisors under Jimmy Carter.

And CEA is one of the organizations he talks about. Ordinarily at CEA, college professors work an academic year on leave. The three members, only three members, are appointed by the president, but the staff is academics. They say, oh, we're going to change that. We want people to work the calendar year to coincide with the president's term. So basically, they're talking about firing people. You've taken leave from your job, and now they're talking about firing people. I mean, that's the least of it.

You know, the environmental piece, they're talking about reversing environmental regulations. Project 2025 is something that any black person who cares about what's going on needs to read. And if, you know, you've got this myth that black men are supporting the orange man, that myth, I don't believe that these numbers, I mean, I just think we're too far out. But I think if you are thoughtful and you read this, he wants to eliminate anything that has to do with race in terms of minority business and everything else. This is unacceptable. It's utterly unacceptable. But, you know, he's, but it's the spectacle that he's creating that takes us away from the issues. So, and the media is partially at fault. I mean, all of the major networks and the major cable networks, they have endless panels talking about his antics. Well, what they really need to talk about is policies.

I mean, his antics are interesting, but it's just like you go to the circus. The antics are interesting, but the policies are what we really need to be drilling down on. And I just don't see that. I wish that I was watching something in the middle of the night because I'm an insomniac. So I watch it. They got seven people on this panel on CNN talking smack about, you know, well, you know, maybe he should do this. Maybe he should do it. Why not talk about what Biden has done for employment? Why not talk about inflation from a different context? They do their surface on the issues and deep on the orange man.

And it ought to be the other way around. No, absolutely. Well, you know, that's what we're going to continue to do here on the Black Star Network. We don't know how to do it any other way. So we're going to continue to monitor this and continue to call out Trump and call out a lot of these media outlets who aren't doing what they're supposed to be doing. But you all know if you need the real news, you got to come right here to the Black Star Network. This is Roland Martin, Unfiltered. We will 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 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 Clayton English. I'm Greg Glod. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. We are back.

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

from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug man. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Karamush.

What we're doing now isn't working, and we need to change things. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content,

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

rather than a bachelor's degree it's time for skills to speak for themselves find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersceiling.org brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. Hatred on the streets, a horrific scene, a white nationalist rally that descended into deadly violence. You will not regret that. White people are losing their damn lives.

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. 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 Jackie of A Balanced Life. Think about the men in your life and ask yourself these questions. Who are their male role models? Who can they turn to for advice to learn about what manhood is all about? On our next show, we talk about why male mentoring is so important to men of all ages. Actor Dondre Whitfield leads an all-star cast and panel to answer these and many other probing questions.

A woman can't teach you how to be something that she's not. That's on the next A Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie on Blackstar Network. Me Sherri Sheppard and you know what you're watching, Roland Martin unfiltered. Devon Bell has been missing from Lewisburg, Tennessee, since February 12th, 2024. The 17 year old is six feet, one inches tall, weighs 141 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information about Devin Bell should call the Lewisburg, Tennessee police at 959-4044. Kim Godwin. Kim Godwin, the first black woman to run a broadcast TV news division, is leaving ABC News after three years. The Walt Disney co-owned network announced Godwin's departure Sunday, Godwin joined ABC in May 2021 from CBS News, where she was an executive vice president and oversaw its diversity efforts.

Here's a part of Godwin's statement about her retirement from broadcast news. Quote, I understand and appreciated the profound significance of being the first black woman to lead a national broadcast news network when I accepted the role as president of ABC News a little over three years ago. It's both a privilege and a debt to those who chipped away before me to lead a team whose brand is synonymous with trust, integrity, and a dogged determination to be the best in the business, unquote. Godwin's sudden exit came after reports that Deborah O'Connell, the Disney veteran hired in February to oversee ABC News, was conducting a review of Godwin's performance

and had voiced dissatisfaction in private conversations with the network's state of affairs. Kevin. Something, something, something feels. So when I read Godwin's statement. I feel like she could have said anything about her time there, but she specifically mentioned being a black woman. And then, you know, we're talking about three years ago, we're still in kind of the quote unquote summer of racial reckoning or the summer after the summer of racial reckoning. And people are talking about all of these, you know, diversity things we're going to do. We're going to pledge this. We're going to pledge that. And now we're in 2024 and we're experiencing what

many of us are calling diversity fatigue. And so I don't,, Ms. Godwin, but I kind of feel like her putting that out there was saying that there's another there there and another layer that she wasn't going through. How did you read that statement? Yeah, I'm with you. It does seem like there might be something else going on beneath the surface. Like you said, I don't know Kim Godwin. I don't, you know, have no affiliation with ABC. I've never spoken to anyone as far as I know about Kim Godwin. So, you know, I can't comment on the specifics of what actually happened under her tenure or the circumstances that led to this. I read a statement from the National Association of Black Journalists, the NABJ, that accused a lot of Godwin's detractors of leveling racially motivated attacks and whatnot.

And so I encourage everyone to read that statement because I think it makes a lot of good points. Other than that, I mean, I don't have a ton to say about Kim Godwin in particular, other than that she's a trailblazer and no one can take that away from her. I do want to say one thing. I want to talk a little bit about sort of the importance of power and ownership in corporate America. I think a lot of times we celebrate when we see black faces get appointed to high places. Oftentimes, those are within existing institutions. I think that's great. I may have posted about Kim Godwin when she was named the head of ABC News. I'm sure a lot of folks in our community celebrated that. But we

know that many times, and you pointed to the historical piece, when she was appointed to her position, a lot of companies might put us in high places without giving us the support that we need. And so I'm reminded of a universal truth, which to me is that there is no true comfort without control. And when I say control, I mean ownership or equity. Take sports, for example, because this is, I mean, entertainment, sports, news, it's all sort of the same realm. We talk a lot about we need more black coaches. We need more black team presidents. We need more black general managers.

And we do. I'm all for that. What I think we don't talk enough about, for example, is that we need more black owners. Why? Because owners can hire and fire. Art Rooney of the Steelers can wake up tomorrow and fire Mike Tomlin, black coach, if he wants to. But nobody's going to fire Art Rooney. They can't. You can be the most senior person in a company or a business, but if you don't have that controlling status, if you're not the controlling board

member or share person, your head could roll tomorrow. And in fact, some of the same people who celebrated you on your rise will be the very first to celebrate tomorrow, your fall. And so I applaud Roland and his whole team for what they've built at the Black Star Network because ain't nobody can take that away from him. So I want to say to the young people, right, who are out there, aspire to own, aspire to produce, aspire to hire. And that way you can never be fired. Oh, absolutely. And I'm so glad you mentioned NABJ is pulling up their statement right now. NABJ stands firmly behind ABC News president Kim Godwin. We are concerned over recent media reports that seem to be written with the intention of undermining the leadership of the first black woman to take the helm of a global news organization.

Many of the latest articles surrounding her leadership fail to demonstrate basic journalism by providing alternative viewpoints. There seems to be an intentionality to cite anonymous sources as Godwin's detractors, coupled with the use of derogatory or stereotypical terms to describe her. Meanwhile, these reports are totally ignoring sources and facts that speak to Godwin having significant support inside the organization. Those supporters have told NABJ that they see the attacks perpetrated through media reports as quote-unquote racially motivated or in reaction to her not being in what some in the industry call the quote-unquote good old boy network of players. NABJ is extremely

disappointed to see such a reckless, unbalanced and unfair style of reporting as demonstrated in other stories that do not have alternative viewpoints and in some cases have racially insensitive language. Unlike a recent Wall Street Journal article, the journal provided differing viewpoints with more perspective and fairness regarding Godwin's performance and relationship with staff. Because of Godwin's demonstrated and long commitment to NABJ, its membership, and the journalism industry as a whole, NABJ will not be silent about what we believe is unfair treatment, nor will we stand idly by and watch the violation of basic journalism principles used to diminish such an historic moment for black women in news leadership. We will be meeting with ABC News and Disney executives to talk about a path forward. Dr. Malveaux, my mom is watching Dr. Ngalela Wakabongo. Shout out to you, mom. And just watching her trajectory in the spaces that she was in, being at Harvard, Boston College, all of these different spaces, my siblings and I came to pick up on certain language in terms of how people would talk about her.

When I'm reading the statements about Ms. Godwin, again, someone I don't know, I see the triggers that make me think she's being treated like how I saw my mom, like how I've heard so many stories talked about you, you talking about your life, and even what's talking about hearing this NABJ statement. It's almost like she's being looked at as an angry black woman who they felt like they needed to rein in. How do you see this? Well, obviously she called out being a black woman. And we know that the amount of misogynoir that black women are experiencing these days is just extreme. I mean, literally extreme. We see it with the vice president, who, you know, one of those little, you know, airheaded white women wrote an article in The Post talking about she needs to step down so Biden can win. That's nonsense. And I mean, hell, we had Dan Quayle, who didn't have two

brains, two brain cells in his head. And no one ever said that about him. But Kamala Harris, and I can call her Kamala. I know her from San Francisco. She's good people. She's brilliant. Why is she getting this kind of hate? Marilyn Mosby did something not too bright, but everybody does it. She lied on a mortgage application. She's faced up to 40 years in jail for lying on a mortgage. If everybody who lied on a mortgage application, I can say I did because the statute of limitations is over. If everybody who did that had to go to jail, there would be no room in jail. And we can go down the list. We can talk about Dawn Staley, the sister who coached an amazing team, but little Becky gets all the attention,

not the people who won. Give me who won. And so when we look at this, just by nature, Omicongo, and you know this, by nature, nobody wants to report to a black woman. Their race and their sexism collide and they just mad. And then, you know, the white boys who have to report to the black woman, they meant to fight. They're like, uh-uh. And so they drop these things, angry black woman. And then the ultimate insult was they put this woman over her in charge of news operations. So that's effectively a demotion. And she wasn't having it, and she should not have had it. It should not have happened. So the NABJ statement is a very important statement, and it

really says it all in terms of calling out all these anonymous sources. You know, anonymous source means you made it up. That's what it really means. You took your biases and you put them in an anonymous person's mouth who we could never find because they don't exist. And I mean, right on to the sister. She held it up as long as she could. And her exit was very dignified, but when you read between the lines, she ain't happy. Um, they messed with her. Um, and, and she, you know, I'm sure she got

paid and I'm happy for that. I'm sure there was some kind of NDA that she had to sign and that's how it goes. Uh, but you know, she you know, she is a trailblazer. She did important work. And the fact is that as these walls come tumbling down, you have devils who want to build them back up. So, you know, we saw it. We just talked about Ole Miss. We talk about, you know, when we're, you know,

you and I are usually the Monday crew. You know, we see're—you know, you and I are usually the Monday crew. You know, we see stuff after stuff after stuff. And it's like, uh-huh, this is how it is. So what—you know, we applaud the sister. But we—this just lets us know that the struggle continues. And you know, for all its so-called liberalism, journalism is not liberal at all. Journalism is about maintaining the status quo.

So will you ever put someone who's a part of a marginalized population in a power position, the status quo is going to be threatened. And unless you dot all the I's, cross all the T's, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, and you and I have talked, you and I have lived it, unless you do all that and, you know, kiss an appropriate amount of butt, a bunch of things are going to happen. And here we see it. Unless you do all that and, you know, kiss an appropriate amount of butt, a bunch of things are going to happen. And here we see it. And so it's a tragedy on one hand, it's a lesson on the other, and it is a call to action. And speaking of a call to action, Gevin, in your experience in journalism and these types of statements that are coming out, do you feel, and of course, with also the DEI backlash and some people saying now DEI stands for didn't earn it.

And they're like, do you see more situations like this coming down the pike where you're going to see either more black people and trailblazers let go or some saying basically I've had enough based on what they're dealing with? What do you see is going to be going down as the trend? So I think definitely, you know, it'll be different for every individual person. I wouldn't be surprised if these trends continue. I want to build off something that Dr. Malvo said, which is that she referenced back, she hearkened back to what we talked about at Ole Miss, right? And I think I talked earlier about how, you know, we see this sort of old miss the maga mob mentality the thing is those people that we saw the counter protesters holding up their trump flags and being racist uh doing their racist thing on camera those same people are going to go fill

those very same jobs in corporate america in newsrooms, in boardrooms, in sports locker rooms, you name it. And we've seen time and time again on both sides of the aisle, folks who are in power, we learned that they wore blackface or they did something else very racist back in their past. And we're like, oh, no way. How could this have happened? But I think every time it serves to remind us that we might see those people in that video and associate them with a certain type of Charlottesville, good people on both sides kind of situation, while forgetting that those same people hold power in spaces that are white collar, that are professional, spaces that we all work in. And so it should come as no surprise when we hear stories come out about the races or when we

experience ourselves, the racism in these very different spaces across corporate America. It's because those very same people are able to skirt by, avoid any sort of sanction, avoid any sort of disciplinary action, and end up in positions where they can make life hell for Black people. That is so powerful. That is so powerful. And I'm so glad that you both brought up the comments that you did. And I'm also glad that we have the Black Star Network here, as well as such a reputable organization like NABJ that's going to stand with our family in the industry who are dealing with this

so that people can know that they're not alone. And also that call to basic journalistic practices, which is something that is also lacking today. So this is also something that we are going to be keeping an eye on here on the Black Star Network. You are watching Roland Martin unfiltered on the Black Star Network, and we will be right back. Hi, I'm Dr. Jackie of A Balanced Life. Think about the men in your life and ask yourself these questions.

Who are their male role models? Who can they turn to for advice to learn about what manhood is all about? On our next show, we talk about why male mentoring is so important to men of all ages. Actor Dondre Whitfield leads an all-star cast and panel to answer these and many other probing questions. A woman can't teach you how to be something that she's not. That's on the next A Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie on Blackstar Network. I'm Dr. Greg Carr and coming up on the next Black Table, thinking about the Black Freedom Movement in a global way.

Dr. John Monroe joins us to discuss his book, The Anti-Colonial Front, which maps the social justice movement in the United States and its impact internationally from Asia to Africa and how movements like anti-communism were used to slow down racial equality, like critical race theory today. Critical race theory today, communism back then, it's essentially mobilized to shut down any challenges to a given system of power. Connecting the civil rights movement to colonialism on the next Black Table, exclusively here on the Black Star Network. A lot of y'all have been asking me about the pocket squares that we have available on our website. You see me rocking the Chibori pocket square right here.

It's all about looking different. And look, summertime is coming up. Y'all know, I keep trying to tell fellas, change your look, please. You can't wear athletic shoes every damn where. So if you're putting on linen suits, if you're putting on some summer suits, have a whole different look. The reason I like this particular pocket square, these shiboris, because it's sort of like a flower and looks pretty cool here, versus the traditional boring silk pocket squares. But also, I like them a little different as well.

So this is why we have these custom-made feather pocket squares on the website as well. My sister actually designed these after a few years ago. I was in this battle with Steve Harvey at Essence, and I saw this at a St. Jude fundraiser. I saw this Fella Pocket Square, and I said, well, I got some ideas. So I hit her, and she sent me about 30 different ones. And so this completely changes your look. Now, some of you men out there, I had some dudes say,

oh, man, I can't wear that. Well, if you ain't got swagger, that's not my problem. But if you're looking for something different to spruce up your look, fellas, ladies, if y'all looking to get your man a good gift, I've run into brothers all across the country with the feather pocket squares saying, see, check mine out.

And so it's always good to see them. And so this is what you do. Go to RollersMartin.com forward slash pocket squares. You can order Shibori pocket squares or the custom-made pocket squares. Now, for the Shiboris, we're out of a lot of the different colors. And I think we're down to about 200 or 300. So you want to get your order in as soon as you can because here's what happened. I got these several years ago.

And the Japanese company signed a deal with another company, and I bought them before they signed that deal. And so I can't get access to any more from the company in Japan that makes them. And so get yours now. So come summertime when I see y'all at Essence, y'all can be looking fly with the Shibori Pocket Square or the custom-made Pocket Square. Again, rollinglessmartin.com forward slash pocket squares. Go there now. Hey, it's John Murray, the executive producer of the new Sherry Shepard Talk Show.

And you're watching Rolling Mark. Until tomorrow. Vice President Kamala Harris was in Detroit for her second stop on the Economic Opportunity Tour. She was there to promote the Biden administration's economic agenda. She made a huge economic announcement that will boost small black business owners. But before Harris took to the stage, several people, including Michigan's Lieutenant Governor Garland Gil. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time. Have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes, but there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution.

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

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

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

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

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

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. We asked parents who adopted teens to share their journey. We just kind of knew from the beginning that we were family. They showcased a sense of love that I never had before. I mean, he's not only my parent,

like he's like my best friend. At the end of the day, it's all been worth it. I wouldn't change a thing about our lives. Learn about adopting a teen from foster care. Visit AdoptUSKids.org to learn more. Brought to you by AdoptUSKids, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Ad Council. Chris took the time to brag about the opportunities Detroit offers. On behalf of my partner in public service,

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, I am so proud to welcome all of you to the historic Charles H. Wright Museum and to welcome the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, here to Detroit, Michigan. Now, she's joined here on this visit and this important set of conversations around the country about economic opportunity and agenda that works for everyone. That's something that we understand here in Michigan, especially in the city of Detroit,

a city that has historically defined wealth creation for the black community here in America. You see, there are so many people around the country who, when they came to Detroit for the first time, it was the first time they saw black folks or people of color who had money. Y'all know I'm right, please don't know yourself. We know how to show ours off a little differently than everybody else. But what underlies that is the fact that people saw a path to progress here in Detroit, Michigan. Whether you were families who came as part of the Great

Migration like my own, or whether you were entrepreneurs who were so enterprising that discrimination couldn't keep you out of your dreams, whether you were people who were part of the labor movement born here in the state of Michigan that worked to provide a future for their family the way that they could see fit, where they were respected and protected in the workplace. They knew that Detroit and Michigan was a land of opportunity. Dr. Malveaux, as the economist, as somebody who's been putting in this work for so long, dealing with these issues, can you share your thoughts, number one, about this economic opportunity program that Vice President Harris is leading and just the overall message

that people are not getting as it relates to the Biden agenda, as it relates to economic policy overall? You know, the Biden-Harris administration has done really a brilliant job in drilling down on what is needed in the African-American community. They focus on entrepreneurship. They focus on employment. They focus on HBCUs. All of these things are pivotal. And the brother—I just adore him—the lieutenant governor from Michigan, who talks about Detroit,

talks about what Biden talks about, the role that unions play. See, you did not have to have a college degree or even a high school diploma to be middle class in Detroit. You had to have a good union job. People 20 years ago with overtime were making over $100K as an auto worker. You know know they had seniority and this and this and this. But basically, those were basic jobs. And those are the kind of jobs with the infrastructure program that President Biden is trying to encourage. If we're able to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge over there in Baltimore,

those are union jobs. You know, Open Congo, you know this as well as I do, the minimum wage at $7.25 an hour is an insult. That's right. Now, it's not, you know, half of the states don't have it. Many states, D.C., you know, we're 17 and change, California, 20. But by and large, if you're in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Colorado, those old Confederate states, they're making very little money. So I do not understand. And then you look at the program, it's a brilliant program, and it speaks to us. This is really what the vice president is doing is really good, because my basic criticism of the Biden-Harris administration is they don't toot

their own horn. They don't say enough about what they're doing. And if they don't say enough about what they're doing, people don't know. So then you get these MAGA heads and these disaffected Negroes who run the MAGA head game. Listen, listen to what your HBCU got. Listen to what minority business are getting. Listen, pay attention. So I'm excited about the tour. I'm happy that she's out there. I hope she continues this as long as she can. I hear you. But but Gavin, you know, I'm up this morning. I like all of us here consuming news all day, 6, 7 a.m., taking in the news hour after hour, getting reports. I didn't see this. Hour after hour, back to back, Trump stuff, trials, ceasefire, this and other conversations. Sometimes, Gavin, I am watching the news and I am forgetting who was the president of the United States. How are you seeing the fact that this

type of story is not getting the type of coverage it deserves? So you hit the nail on the head. I think right now we're in this media climate in which the controversy, the juicy, the salacious, that's what sells. So you take the former president, a hush money trial involving a sex scandal, and that same person is running for president again, that's the perfect storm of what the news media, of what cable media wants to cover. We also know, though, that the way we consume media, especially young people, is changing. A lot of people are going onto social media more these days, getting their news from Snapchat, I think, if that's still a thing.

Snapchat and TikTok, all these other news sources, right? And even more so on social media are those juicy rumors, the, you know, Drake, Kendrick, like all of that, that feud. That's what people are talking about. I think it's a darn shame that the real substance of the issues are getting lost in all of that, right? And what's interesting is that when I talk to people, I mentioned to them that I used to work for the vice president. A lot of them,

and the media seems to think that there's a lot of negativity around the VP. And that might be true for some people. But what I hear from most people is that they like the VP. They just feel like they don't really see her enough. They feel like they don't really know her. And what I hear from a lot of them is that they want to see more of the VP. That's why I think I'm so excited that the vice president is hitting the road. She is such an effective messenger on the issue of reproductive freedom. We've seen her travel this country on her Fight for Reproductive Freedom's tour, speaking truth to power on that issue. And now on this economic opportunity tour, and I was extremely happy that she started this tour in my hometown of Atlanta, and I'm excited

for this tour to continue to progress, but I think it's on the media to make sure that they lift up this work because the whole point of this tour, the whole point when it comes to connecting with black folks on the ground is so that they can that we can close the knowledge gap that exists between the amazing work, the historic work that this administration is doing, investing in small businesses and bringing the rate of small business growth among the Black community to its fastest rate in decades, adding a record number of jobs, bringing Black unemployment down to record lows, raising wages, lowering the cost of insulin and prescription drugs for seniors, lowering the cost of child care, taking historic actions to forgive student loans. This is incredible, incredible, life-changing, generational altering

work. But the unfortunate thing is that there are a lot of people on the ground who just aren't tracking. And so it really, I urge in the strongest terms, the media to cover this work, right? I think a lot of people, like I said earlier, are still very checked out on these issues, are checked out on the election. It's still a little bit a ways away. People are going to wake up soon. But it's important that between now and then that the campaign, that the administration continues to deploy their strongest messengers. And to me, that includes the vice president to lift up so much of this work, to connect with, first of all, connect with, especially our Black voters, and then educate them on this work and convey to them that they want to build on that

work. They want to build on the work I just mentioned. They want to work at issues like making housing more affordable, right, continuing to lower costs. And so I think this is a kind of meaningful engagement, education, activation that a lot of us were looking for from the ticket. And I'm excited for them to continue on with it. And I'm excited for the VP to continue traveling this country to lift up this really amazing work. Absolutely. And Don Graves, Jr., Deputy Secretary of Commerce, Economic Opportunities also spoke. Yes. Economic empowerment, economic opportunity is personal for me, not only as a fellow Midwesterner, but as someone who's been on the ground in this city helping to turn despair and disaster into hope and healing. During the Obama-Biden administration, after years of underinvestment

and disinvestment, and after the Great Recession had swept through Detroit and the rest of the country, leaving the city in bankruptcy, I was asked by President Obama and then Vice President Biden to be their point person on the recovery of Detroit. It was some of the hardest but most rewarding work I've ever done in my life. And I don't need to remind folks in this community of the challenges that you faced. But together with the mayor, with local elected leaders, with the community, with stakeholders all across this region, we worked together. The community came together, focused on rebuilding the city infrastructure, city services,

creating a new economic development strategy, focused on creating quality jobs, investment opportunities, all across this community, even where Wall Street wasn't able to find them. And even during such a challenging period, Detroiters never buckled. Together, you all, with our support, drew up a roadmap to recovery, a recovery I think we can all now confidently call the Detroit Renaissance. Today, we're in the middle of an increasingly competitive global economic environment with ever more aggressive competitors and adversaries. And under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, we're making historic investments in Detroit, in Michigan, and all across the country that aren't just righting this ship, righting our economy, but they're

positioning this country for generational economic opportunities for all Americans, not just some, but all Americans. Dr. Malveaux, as Graves was speaking, I wrote down something he said. He said, hope and healing. And when I heard that, it made me think about the fact that they are starting this program, they're launching it, as Gavin said, in this hometown of Atlanta,

and going to cities with large black populations, populations that have felt that they have not really been part of the economic system in America. As they kick off this tour and go to these different cities, do you feel like there's real potential to reach people on the ground kind of where they are to really help them understand the aspects of the Biden agenda that we've been talking about and that they've been talking about in Detroit today? Well, Obe-Kongo, I think they have to be very vigorous in connecting the dots because here's what's going on with folks at the bottom. You've got this thing called macroeconomic ecstasy. You keep hearing about the numbers and the numbers are good. Unemployment rate, less than 4%, been that way for almost a year. You keep hearing about the numbers and the numbers are good. Unemployment rate, less than 4 percent, been that way for almost a year.

You keep hearing that good stuff, but you're sitting here down in here on the ground. You know, you don't you're not seeing that. So you've got to connect the dots. Now, some of the things that the Biden-Harris administration are doing are great, especially for entrepreneurs. But connect the dots in your talk, and I'm sure Gavin, as a speechwriter, can do this better than me, but connect the dots so that you're talking about what entrepreneurship trickles down. So, you know, only 3% of our nation's businesses are owned by Black people. Fewer than 10% of us are entrepreneurs. So while this is good, it's great, frankly,

at the same time, you're a pookie who's delivering pizza. It doesn't make a difference in your life. So what has happened is they've got to connect the dots. They've got to connect the dots in a way that people get excited. They have to see stuff. So you've got to program. Great program. You've gone to Atlanta, gone to Detroit, where there are enormous needs in Detroit, a city that's on the brink. It's coming back in some areas. In some areas, it's not. What needs to happen really quickly, I hope, is don't just talk about the program you're bringing, show the people some results. So in other words, we brought this program in now,

John Jones business has all this stuff that it didn't have a year ago. That's the kind of thing that people can get excited about. I think that, um, the administration, as I say, I give them a B, I wouldn't give them an A, but then I don't give anybody an A. I'd give them a B, but I'd give them a C on communications. Now, this tour that the vice president is on gives them a possibility of an upgrade. But it has to be more—and this, you know, with Mr. Graves, who is amazing, he's fantastic, he's done really great work, with the lieutenant governor, with so many other people surrounding her, this is good for us. We're the, you know, commentariat. What does it mean to Pookie?

Yeah. What does it mean to Nisha? And that's the question that they've got to answer, because this doesn't translate for the voter, unfortunately. Well, we'll answer the question, Gavin. You're in communications. You're a speechwriter. You're in Atlanta. You saw the kickoff. What do you feel needs to be happening after the VP leaves Atlanta, after she leaves Detroit? Is it on us to put the message out? Is it the Biden needs to do, the administration needs to do more? Is it a combination of both? You're in the communications business. How do you see the way this should unfold? So I definitely think there's a role for each segment to play. I think let's start with the administration slash the campaign. They're sort of, I guess, associated together at this point in time. I think it's important that they make clear that this tour, that these stops along the

tour are not just whether it's a VP or the president coming in, you know, making a speech and then coming out, right? The sort of in and out. I think it's important that the campaign makes clear that that's not what these engagements are about. These engagements are about actual, intentional, authentic, genuine touch points with communities that have really been left behind, that have not been engaged by political leadership over the decades. I think right now there is a lot of distrust between folks on the ground in communities like Atlanta or North Detroit or you name it, and sort of the political ruling class, let's say. I think a lot of folks on the ground just don't feel like, whether you're a Democrat, whether you're a Republican as president,

they don't really feel like the political machine is really like working for them or working to their benefit. I think that's why Donald Trump has been able to tap into sort of that populist political movement right now and sort of posturing and pitching himself as being for the people and, you know, let's just burn the whole thing down. I don't think that's the right approach. And I, in fact, think that this campaign, that the administration is showing the intentionality in their approach that they ought to. But I think it's important. And what you're seeing is that the administration is showing the intentionality in their approach that they ought to. But I think it's important. And what you're seeing is that the campaign, if you're looking, of course, I keep very

close tabs on this. I was grabbing, I was connecting with the vice president's head of coalitions on the campaign recently, who's actually from Chris Scott, who is from Detroit, I believe. And so we were talking strategy, you know, throughout the course of our meeting. But what you're seeing is that you're seeing states across the country, the campaign is building out a very robust on-the-ground states operation. That means that although we're looking at the vice president making a speech, you know, in Atlanta, and then we're seeing her make a speech in Detroit, the work goes on

after she leaves. You have really robust state teams who are doing the work in each and every one of these states to make sure that communities on the ground feel that engagement, even when a principal, whether it's a president or VP, even when they're not there. But what you're seeing on the other side, by contrast, you know, Donald Trump claims through all of his insulting pandering to the black community that he wants to win the black vote. Well, actually, what you're seeing is that his RNC and I say his RNC because he handpicked the leaders of the RNC, including his daughter in law. What you're seeing is the Republican

National Committee closing down the minority outreach centers. No, you're absolutely right. That they claimed were going to be, you know, reaching black and Hispanic and whatever voters. And along with doing that, they're firing the people of color who are working there. No, you're absolutely right. And I feel like as, as, as we get to, you know, hop into this break, you know, you're talking about these plans.

We still have yet to see a Trump economic plan. And so we're looking forward to talking more about Biden's plan. We're going to talk a little bit more about that shortly. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. We'll be right back. Fanbase is pioneering a new era of social media for the creator economy. This next generation social media app with over 600,000 users is raising $17 million. And now is your chance to invest. For details on how to invest, visit startengine.com slash fanbase or scan the QR code. 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. Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves.

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

What we're doing now isn't working, and we need to change things. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content,

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

Visit AdoptUSKids.org to learn more. Brought to you by AdoptUSKids, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Ad Council. Another way we're giving you the freedom to be you without limits. Me, Sherri Shebritt. I'm Sammy Roman. I'm Dr. Robin B., pharmacist and fitness coach, and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. And family, now we are going to toss it over to Roland Martin,

who has been traveling with the vice president talking about this economic opportunity tour. What's up, Roland? Hey, folks, how you doing? We literally just got off Air Force Two, returning back from Detroit with Vice President Kamala Harris, where she spoke at the Charles Wright Museum of African American History, focusing on economic empowerment, but speaking specifically of what the administration has done as it relates to African-Americans. The Small Business Administration, the Commerce Department,

have all been involved with that. Joining me here is the Deputy Administrator, Dilawar Saeed, who's with the Small Business Administration. Glad to have you here, Roland Martin. I'm filtered. One of the things that we talked about on the plane, I asked you the question about building capacity. Because it's one thing to talk about small businesses.

It's one thing to talk about small businesses, but it's another thing to build capacity, to be able to grow those businesses. How is SBA really focused on that? Absolutely, Warren. First of all, thanks for having me. Thanks for joining us. I'm an entrepreneur. So I can tell you firsthand, having built companies, it's one thing to start a business. It takes a lot of effort and capacity building to grow the business and then eventually be able to get jobs. So we are very focused on making sure that we have access to capital, access to resources.

For the second year in a row, we crossed $1.5 billion in SDA-backed loans to absolute businesses. That's our record. We still have long ways to go because we have systemic barriers that we have overcome that we didn't essentially face in the past. But when it comes to access to finance, we are on the right path. Second, when it comes to building capacity, there are 68 district offices SPF has across the nation, including in Wayne County, Detroit. Today, you saw our people on the ground in this resource field.

The VP is bringing the whole of government, if you will, the doorsteps of our communities, right? We're doing this kind of intentional outreach across the country, not just when she shows up, but also when the rest of us travel and also locally with groups. And the third is that, you know, we also could expand our partnerships. You know, we obviously have resource partners, but we also have a partnership with Divine Now,

which has obviously created a great region of the black community. You had Ron Busby. You had Ron Busby. He represents many black chambers across the country. We are partnering with them, making sure that folks know how to get SBA resources, mentoring folks on how to get a contract, how to get a certificate process. Once you get a contract, how to get into the certification process.

Once you get a contract, how do you get to work? And for that, there's a training that we're offering both in SBA resources, but we're also teaming up with the Department of Defense. They operate accelerators around the country. But I've personally spoken to, I'll be in Georgia a couple of weeks, to talk about how you train African-American contractors so that they can

actually get the work and have access to opportunities. One of the things you mentioned with the 8A program, obviously, a number of programs have been under attack. The Supreme Court outlawed it back to the college to administrate admissions. You had a lawsuit in Tennessee. Then you also reported the lawsuit of the judge of the city of Texas, right, of the MBDA. And so talk about the 8A program in terms of is that still the primary avenue for many black-owned businesses? And how is that program—how are you dealing with that federal ruling out of Tennessee. So ADA is one of the most important procurement vehicles, if you will, for socially and economically disadvantaged entrepreneurs. That includes African Americans, that includes Asian Americans,

that includes African Americans, anyone that's a veteran, women and so forth, whoever has had a social disadvantage. And that is something that we know many of the black community has faced. The program is fully open. It's up and running. In fact, it has grown this year, year over year. It is complied with the course induction, and our teams have worked very hard

to make sure that everyone is qualified and that anything the program is doing. This president cares about this community, actually is part of our agenda, that obviously we are following his leadership. So under this president about this community, equities are the heart of it, our agenda, that obviously we are following his leadership. So under this president, this program, we are going to do everything possible to make sure we keep programs like these that help us drive towards more equitable, more inclusive economic growth up and running, if anything we grow.

So this program, I would invite your listeners and viewers to go to certified.spa.gov and see how they get certified to get hit in contract. And we have a team to work with to look into the process. One of the things that we look at what happened during COVID, and Ron Busby spoke to this, and the president spoke to this, excuse me, and the president spoke to this, excuse me, the vice president spoke to this today. 41% of black-owned businesses

that went out of business because of COVID. And part of that's because most black businesses are one employee. And so how has the SBA worked to try to bring back a lot of those businesses and bring them online to help them? So as we all know, COVID impacted African African Americans, you know, frankly, disproportionately. And so that's why we have to be very intentional when we think about when we're seeing growth

in entrepreneurship in the black community. We've seen 30% rise since the president took office in terms of business ownership, that we build that capacity. So it's not a solo entrepreneur, right? You know, frankly, often our numbers of black-owned firms that have employees are often abysmally small in state after state. And so we have to make sure that we build capacity to, you know, where these firms can grow. I'll give you an example.

I was in Salt Lake City and I met an African-American baker. She started a business. We actually gave her a prize. She's doing very well. But she's by herself. And she told me she gets up in the morning at 5 a.m., she cleans the place, she's the baker, she's the CEO. At night, she cleans up. And this is obviously story after story so by making sure those entrepreneurs can access loans that previously what frankly often will not within reach they can probably think about working capital investing in a team so one of the things that we are very proud of for this PA is we have streamlined the process to apply for a small dollar loan not everybody

needs a 400k loan right right you may need $20,000, $30K, $40K, or $10K. You seem to be able to walk into an SBA-backed bank or a regional bank and apply that loan. So we have now seen in the process you only provide 20 pieces of information versus a lot of paperwork to make it simpler for you to apply for a small loan. By making that change that we did last year through our own streamlining process,

we've seen small-dollar lending go up 20% in the first quarter fiscal year. But it is a reminder that when you have an intentional policy that reflects our care for our people, you see the impact. Still a long ways to go. To your point, so many businesses went under. They want to come back. We're seeing the researchers coming in. But we also need to make sure they have the capacity and the stories that I shared with you,

the stories are all across the country. And we need to make sure they have access to resources, access to also assistance or mentorship that they can actually build their businesses and go ahead and have some scale. A couple more questions. One, access to capital is one thing. Access to contracts is another. And I've used this example for myself.

I have a small, small-owned business, started with seven people, spent $350,000 of my own money. We've hit $3 million in revenue in the last three years. And I've been in the black. I've been profitable since million in revenue the last three years. And I've been in the black. I've been profitable since March 2020. I don't need capital. I need contracts. And so that's also a barrier there in terms of being able to access those contracts. And so from a governmental standpoint, how have you been trying to clear some of that? Because under the previous administration, they they bundled lots of contracts

and made it harder for small business folks to apply. Now you're unbundling. But the other thing is how are you encouraging corporations to also understand that, hey, when you provide contracts, that's also capital. Correct. So the United States government is the world's single largest purchaser of goods and services. We spend $700 billion a year on purchasing goods and services, right? And the president made a solemn commitment, as you may know, on the 100th year anniversary of the burning of the Black Wall Street.

Yep, I was there. He said, Tulsa, you were there. I was there. And he said 15% of all of this spend will go to socially disordered businesses, to black contractors. So there's black, Latino, women. 25. Got it. Now, we did north of 12% last year.

This year, the target is 13%. Next year, 15% of all this government spend. To your point, how do we make sure that once you get a contract, or the first you even get a contract, what are the things we're doing? And I'm personally very involved with this, is to make sure that we direct our federal partners to make sure that they're looking at small businesses. The rule of two is a technical term, but if there are

two or more small businesses that qualify for a good and service to provide to the federal government, we should be directing the federal agencies to now give them contracts. That number is up. So, for example, this year it's a record that 28% of the entire federal government spend went towards small businesses because now we are intentionally, intentionally directing

these workers into small businesses. By the way, not just that, also making sure that you actually get the task order. Right. You actually get the work. And that's why we're saying that if you have under 250K, those task orders will go exclusively towards small businesses.

Third, let me also bring up the point of actually performing well with contracts. I've been a business owner myself. Getting a contract

is only the first step. You've got to succeed with it, right? So we have training, we have relaunched a training called Empower to Grow. You now get one-on-one mentorship and advice on how to succeed on a contract, how to make sure that it's a referenceable customer so that you can land more customers,

more contracts in the future. So look, it's all of these things together, and it's something that SBA coordinates across the federal government. We work closely with the Department of Defense, DHS, HHS and others and we'll keep at it. One of the things that I know specifically we talk about black-owned media and Congressman Eleanor Holmes Norton, Congressman Hank Johnson has been really aggressive on this because federal government spends about a billion dollars only one percent goes to black-owned media. And so part of the problem that we have is knowing out of all the agencies what advertising agency controls

the contracts, knowing who to call, knowing who to apply to. So a lot of the problems that we face in the general sector of corporate America, same thing happens because the same agencies control the federal government. And so one of the things that I suggested to Don Craven, who's at MBDA, I said, is if the federal government creating And so one of the things that I suggested to Don Craven, who's at MBDA,

I said is if the federal government is creating essentially what is his own, like a fund. So let small businesses and black-owned media know, hey, here are all of the, this is who controls the ad dollars for every single department. So you know exactly who to communicate with because, frankly, it's hard to actually discover that. And, you know, you're talking's a billion it's a billion dollars spent and only 51 million goes to black all the black on media so that's one of those ideas is helpful because frankly it's hard knowing

who controls what who has what so we don't know who to apply and then all of a sudden when we find out oh money's been spent sorry it's too late, that's why we have to do better outreach, right? And that's why we are doing this accelerated training. That's why we did what we did today in Detroit. We brought this resource fair in Metro Detroit, in downtown Detroit. And, of course, we can't scale with the vice president doing it herself everywhere, but we are doing this at the agency level. I travel, our administrator travels.

We bring these resources to people and say, look, this is how you navigate government. This is how you navigate agencies. Because you're right, it is challenging to navigate, right? It's a bureaucracy. But, you know, when you believe in delivering for the people and you believe in democracy, you want to bring the resources to folks. And let me tell you, there is enough resource in the United States government. The issue is lack of awareness. Right.

And that is in community after community. But we have to make an effort, intentional effort, to see them. So when the president sets up a target of 15% using a bullet-proof weapon against the backdrop of Black Ball State burned down 100 years ago, that means something. That means that you have action plans, agency after agency, that is now required to deliver on it. Like I'm required to deliver on it, right? And so then we will do that outreach. So we're seeing it in numbers. We still have ways to go, just given historic barriers that many in our communities face.

All right. Well, look, we certainly appreciate it. Thank you so much. Glad to have you on the show. So appreciate it. Hold on one second. So folks, give me a second. I'm going to go to break.

We come back. I got to switch positions for a bit. So we come back. We're going to play some of what the vice president had to say in Detroit today. You'll also hear from Congressman Stephen Horsford as well as Quentin James. Of course, with the collector pack, he was there as well. And so you'll understand exactly what took place there in Detroit today. Folks, I'm Roland Martin here at Andrews Air Force Base. Literally just landed with the trip with the Vice President of Detroit.

We'll be right back. We'll be right back. We'll be right back. We'll be right back. We'll be right back. We'll be right back. We'll be right back. We'll be right back.

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We'll be right back. We'll be right back. We'll be right here. It's all about looking different. And look, summertime is coming up. Y'all know, I keep trying to tell fellas, change your look, please. You can't wear athletic shoes every damn where. So if you're putting on linen suits, if you're putting on some summer suits, have a whole different look. The reason I like this particular pocket square, these shiboris, because it's sort of like a flower and looks pretty cool here. Versus the traditional boring silk pocket squares.

But also, I like them a little different as well. So this is why we have these custom-made feather pocket squares on the website as well. My sister actually designed these after a few years ago. I was in this battle with Steve Harvey at Essence, and I saw this at a St. Jude fundraiser. I saw this fella pocket square, and I said, well, I got some ideas. So I hit her, and she sent me about 30 different ones. And so this completely changes your look. Now, some of you men out there, I had some dudes say, oh, man, I can't wear that. Well, if you ain't got swagger, that's not my problem. But if you're looking for something different to spruce up your look, fellas,

ladies, if y'all looking to get your man a good gift, I've run into brothers all across the country with the feather pocket squares saying, see, check mine out. So it's always good to see them. And so this is what you do. Go to RollersMartin.com forward slash pocket squares. You can order Shibori pocket squares or the custom-made pocket squares. Now, for the Shiboris, we're out of a lot of the different colors.

And I think we're down to about 200 or 300. So you want to get your order in as soon as you can because here's what happened. I got these several years ago. And the Japanese company signed a deal with another company, and I bought them before they signed that deal. And so I can't get access to any more from the company in Japan that makes them. And so get yours now. So come summertime when I see y'all at Essence, y'all can be looking fly with the Shibori Pocket Square or the custom-made Pocket Square.

Again, rollingnismartin.com forward slash pocket squares. Go there now. First, President Barack Obama's road to the White House. We got about 500 copies of the book available. And so this actually is all of the coverage of the 2008 election. But the other thing is, is here I talk to folks like Malik Yoba, Hill Harper, Eric Alexander, Kevin Lowe, Spike Lee, Tatiana Ali. There's a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff

in here as well, where I talked about some of the stuff that went down at CNN. Also, when you go through here, a lot of the photos that you see in here are photos that I actually shot, photos that were my time at CNN. And so what I decided to do, because one, I published the book and I own it myself, of photos that I actually shot, photos that were my time at CNN. And so what I decided to do, because one, I published the book and I own it myself,

is that so I said, you know what, I'm going to slash the price to $10. And so we're going to have Shipping and Handling $5.99. I'm going to personally autograph every copy. I'm not reprinting the book. So once we are sold out of these $500, that's it. They're gone. So you can go to rollinglessmartin.com forward slash the first to get a copy of this book. Everybody who orders this book through the website, not on Amazon, only through rollinglessmartin.com, I will personally autograph and mail you a copy of this book.

It's all of the coverage, the actual interviews that I did with him. And just to show you, of course, when it came out, there's actually even in here the interviews that I did with him and Michelle Obama, which won TV One Cable Network's first two NAACP Image Awards. And so all of that. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes, but there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you

Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1. Taser Incorporated.

I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English.

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

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

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

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

Learn about adopting a teen from foster care. Visit AdoptUSKids.org to learn more. Brought to you by AdoptUSKids, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Ad Council. Ten bucks shipping and handling is $5.99, so go to RollerMessMartin.com to first and order. Fanbase is pioneering a new era of social media for the creator economy. This next generation social media app with over 600,000 users is raising $17 million, and now is your chance to invest. For details on how to invest,

visit startengine.com slash fanbase or scan the QR code. Another way we're giving you the freedom to be you without limits. Hatred on the streets, a horrific 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 capital we've seen 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 every 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 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 jobs, they're taking our resources, they're taking our women. This is white fear. Grow your business or career with Grow with Google's wide range of online courses, digital training and tools. Thank you. complete the online certificate program on your own terms. Stand out to employers, get on a path to in-demand jobs,

and connect with top employers who are currently hiring. Take one professional career certificate program, or all six. Earn a Google Career Certificate to prepare for a job in a high-growth field like data analytics, project management, UX design, cybersecurity, and more. All professional career certificate programs must be completed by December 31st, 2024. Scan the QR code to complete the application. There are 1,000 scholarships available.

Grow with Google and J-Hood and Associates. Be job ready and qualify for in-demand jobs. Game on! State of the Union 2024. Huge night for President Joe Biden. We'll be right back. There's no confusion whatsoever about what they've done and what they plan to do. What Donald Trump is doing is presenting a fallacy. He is convincing them that he's all in it for them when in fact he's all in it for himself. We do not feel Joe Biden. In spite of the success that have taken place during this administration economically,

there are too many things where we do not feel like he's had our back. You should also be investing in the barbershops and the beauty salons and the hookah bars and the folks who are going to the club. And there's a way to actually get them registered because we've done it before. But if you don't have folks who understand that dynamic, then you're missing a big opportunity. So we said we just celebrated. For what? Why don't you go to Selma to celebrate,

rather than recommit yourself to the fight if the bad thing we went to celebrate has been gutted? Republicans did not support a lot of the bills that were necessary to keep the country fluid. You can't only love your country when you win, right? Oh, no. You guys don't want another $2 trillion tax cut? This was absolutely the knockdown, drag out

that we were really waiting for. Black voters are the base. They're the most important base of the Democratic Party. There was very few language in this speech. At the time, we see an attack on black history, attack on DEI. The end of the BLM racial reckoning thing has come to a complete end because there was nothing in this speech for that.

Our movement has never been grounded in two-party politics in this country. All of our movements ultimately get co-opted by a state that is anti-Black. They called the old because they knew the way, and they called the young because they were strong. And I believe there is a good combination of that, but we can have ideas and we can have visions and dreams, but we have to have our young people also working beside us because

they are strong and they will run that race and they will run it to the end. Activist organizers and young people have been pushing this administration to be on the right side of history and to do something about the issues that they care about. While the Ukraine and Palestine are critical issues, they are not the

only global issues. Not a single black person who should ever let it come out their mouth that I'm tired. Because there is somebody else who came before us who didn't stop fighting. I am Tommy Davidson. I play Oscar on Proud Family, Louder and Prouder. Right now, I'm rolling with Roland Martin, unfiltered, uncut, unplugged, and undamned

believable. You hear me? All right, fellas, welcome back to Roland Martin Unfiltered. I had to move here inside off of the tarmac there. It was quite a whirlwind day. We left Washington, D.C. around 11 a.m. flying to Detroit. When we, of course, Vice President Kamala Harris, she greeted several officials, including Angie Secretary, who was a former governor of Michigan. She traveled with her on this trip. In addition to, you also, of course, had the deputy number two

at the Commerce Department. Now, Jennifer Granholm was a former governor. Now, this video here is when we landed in Detroit. She was met there by the U.S. Trade Representative as well as Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, Gilchrist, and his wife as well. And so that's how the day started. Then we traveled to a black-owned restaurant in Detroit, an opportunity for the president, excuse me, the vice president to visit with them. It's Joe Lewis's Southern Kitchen. And so it was great to be there. A lot of Black Star Network fans there as well. And so they, of course, greeted the owners of the restaurant and vice president had the opportunity to chat with several different people, including this little young girl right here. When she walked in, that was a huge skiwee that went out. Her sorority sisters were there as well in the room. And so we had an opportunity

to, of course, see the folks there. And she also had opportunity to speak with the owner of the restaurant to talk about black owned businesses and talk about what some of their issues and concerns are. Let's play some of that. Thank you. You're going to hear some of that conversation between the vice president and the owner of the restaurant. So let me know when we have that. So it should come up in just a second. All right, so what we do is we're actually, what we do is we'll post it on social media, and we'll have that later. Now, after we left there, we then traveled to the Charles Wright Museum of African American History, where a packed room was awaiting the vice president. We already played for you some of the sound bites from various people who spoke before her.

And, of course, we play Lieutenant Governor Gilchrist. Here is the former governor of Michigan, as well as the energy secretary, Jennifer Granholm. Since the president's agenda was passed, the Department of Energy alone has committed more than $6 billion, $6 billion in grants and loans benefiting Michigan. And that just pales in comparison to what the private sector is doing in Michigan between the tax credits and the grants that are happening. So in Michigan, just in the energy space, we have seen 50 companies announce that they have come or are expanding in Michigan to manufacture clean energy products. 50 companies that have said we are going to come and hire people in Michigan, hiring more than 21,000 people, $22 billion in investment, good paying jobs. Good paying jobs.

You know, so as factories go up, as cranes start to appear and people wonder, can I get one of those jobs? So we are, you know, for companies there's no shortage of a desire for talent and for folks out here there is no shortage of talent so we got to connect talent and those who want to hire folks so as of today I just want to say applications are open for a first of its kind fellowship that will help ensure that local workers can get those jobs. The program is called Readiness Accelerator for Major Programs, or RAMP. And what it is is the connective tissue between a job provider who wants to offer a job and a worker who wants to get a job.

And we are asking for folks to apply for these RAMP fellowships. And for those who might be interested, we want you to go to energy.gov RAMP to learn more and apply. All right. So, listen, there are a lot more we're going to play for this. So, Macongo is going to handle this for me. So So I have a slight technical issue that I have to fix. So I'm a Congo. You take it away. We'll play the rest of the sound from the vice president's visit today to Detroit. And hopefully I'll be back in about 15 minutes. No doubt.

Roland, we always got you, Julian, as we were listening to what was mentioned right now. I was taking some notes, as I'm sure we all were. And one of the things that I heard, which I feel like kind of speaks to what you were saying about people who are not always doing the entrepreneurial stuff, was that they were speaking about minimizing things as it relates to paperwork in order to increase access to opportunities to people that are on the ground and not having to go through such rigmarole just to try to get various types of applications, whether it's for various financial assistance or whether it's for some of the economic programs for those who might be entrepreneurs. But what was your general assessment of what you were hearing in that interview with Roland?

Well, first of all, I think he made a really good point about minority business. Most minority businesses, they're solopreneurs, if you will. One person business, about 85 percent. One person's business. We're not very different from majority. Most small businesses are one person. And so he made that point when he spoke to the gentleman he was speaking to outside the plane. And it he made that point when he spoke to the gentleman he was speaking to outside the plane, and it's something we need to pay attention to. But the other thing, and I think Jennifer Grantham

actually brought my point home very clearly, when she talked about how investment turns into jobs. Again, I've spent a large part of my career writing minority business. I think minority business is extremely important. And there's a storied history of how we've been kept out of some entrepreneurial opportunities. So it's an important focus. But most people are not entrepreneurs, and most people are not, regardless of race.

It does not trickle down to the worker. It doesn't trickle down to a number of other things. So again, I appreciated the interview Roland had. I think that guy was with the Minority Business Development Agency. That was a good conversation. I think that I like seeing Kamala in the Brothers restaurant, which I've been to years ago. Great restaurant with food.

And so I liked her having the conversation. Wish we could have heard more of it. But just the interaction ought to, at some level, make people pay attention. Yeah. But we got to it. I know Gavin, again, I'm going to push him on this, if I might, when we kind of go, push Gavin as a speechwriter, as a writer, how do we connect these plans? You talked about it earlier.

You said, well, it's not just that they visited Atlanta or Detroit. Groundwork goes on after that. Yeah, I want to get to that comment. I want to get to Gavin. But before that, I just wanted to let's hear from Julie Su. I wanted to play her comment, the secretary of labor in America for workforce infrastructure. Made in America is not a slogan. It's an economic strategy. And made in America means made by America's workers. We've seen this right here in Detroit. We've seen it in Michigan.

We've seen it with the autoworkers. Last year, through their strength and solidarity, the United Autoworkers not only reached a historic contract with 25% wage increases and improvements to health and retirement benefits, but also showed what it's like when workers have a real seat at the table. And when workers help to define the future of an industry. They show that Made in America is a strategy that benefits both American workers and American businesses, ensures that we can protect our climate while growing good union jobs, and we are here today to support a longtime iconic American industry

and set us up to lead in the future by making sure we have a resilient and strong supply chain that includes small and medium-sized businesses, and we're workers who make profits possible, share in the prosperity. So President Biden's investing in America agenda is about infrastructure. It's about roads and bridges. It's about modernizing airports. It's about manufacturing electric vehicle batteries. Our workforce system is also a form of infrastructure. It's the roads and bridges that connect people to the good jobs they want and need and employers to the people that they want and need. But that infrastructure has some challenges, too.

It's got some cracks. It's got some potholes. It doesn't reach every single community the way that it should. Too often, people hear workforce development, and they just think about training. No. Black workers and other workers have been left out not because they lack the skills, but because we have not built the roads and bridges that connect all communities to the good jobs that we are creating. We have to create a situation where economic opportunity is broadly shared. And so we are going to fix that this time.

We're going to do it right this time. In President Biden's and Vice President Harris's America, we are building a workforce infrastructure that connects all communities, that is the bridge from poverty to prosperity and from racial exclusion to real equity. So, Gavin, kind of going off of what Julianna's asking, and we heard from Sue's comments as well,

talking about these incredible programs, and then Dr. Marveau also talking about the messaging, we've heard in the last half hour since Roland has touched down and has been sharing these stories, so many powerful things. And throughout the show, you've been hitting some of the things that have happened as it relates to Atlanta, where it is kicked off. As it relates to messaging, I have a two-part question for you. Number one, what does the Biden administration need to be doing more to get this message out? But then secondly, what is our role? Because when we see a street and we see a bridge being built, we can do the research and find out who built it. Is it all Biden's fault that we don't know? Like, what's the role of the average citizenry as well in terms of

learning about what's going on as well? Two-part question for you, bro. For sure. So I think on the first part, right, I think the administration should continue to look to partner with influencers on the ground, right? I think influencer right now carries a connotation of being like a social media sort of influencer, someone with a bunch of followers. It doesn't have to be like that. What I'm talking about are trusted voices in communities. I think mayors play a really crucial role. If you look at a lot of polling data, it suggests that Americans really trust their local government officials far more than they do their federal government officials. That means that I think, and I've written about this

before, actually, I believe that if the president, the VP, the other sort of leaders across the administration continue, and I say continue because they've been doing it, if they continue to partner with local trusted voices, be they mayors or nonprofit leaders, private sector leaders in communities across the country, I think that message will really resonate and will register. And then to answer the second part of your question, what can we do? Look, I think it's on us, certainly, to be tuned in as to what our government is doing to deliver for us. But I tend to put more of the onus on the government.

I think it's really their job to come down and connect with voters on the ground. But I think we certainly have a responsibility to stay plugged in as to what's going on, to demand that our news media covers these stories, because the news media will cover certain stories in response to what they feel like their readers want to learn about and know about. And so I think it's on us to read those stories so that the readership and viewership numbers can suggest to the news media companies that we do care about these issues. No, absolutely. And I feel like when we're looking at this, Julian, I feel like there is another aspect of it that needs to be discussed as well. When people are talking so much about the youth vote, right, and we're talking about economic policies that are being put in position right now, do you feel like when it comes to young people

and people that you're encountering that people are even going to be looking at this as something that is, hey, this is great now, but what does this have to do with me in the future? Just kind of this microwave society mindset that we're seeing where people are just growing impatient with what they're not seeing in front of them right now. Do you feel like this is something that can help quell those concerns? I'm not sure. I think the youth vote is a hard nut to crack. There are many young people who are very highly motivated to vote.

They get it. They're looking at the orange man. They don't feel it. And so there are lots, but there are lots of young people. And again, we've got a great chasm, a great class divide in terms of who is motivated and who is not. And again, I have to keep picking on Pookie. I think he's one of my cousins, but you know, we want to figure out how to get Pookie out to vote. Pookie at this time is either indifferent. He might be kind of leaning in either direction. He's not keeping up with it. And so, Gavin, one of the things you said that I won't say I'll take issue with, but you said it's our responsibility.

But whose responsibility? You know, we know that the newspaper industry is shrinking. We're not getting the news that we used to get. We know that the media space, the Internet space is highly polarized and biased, if you will, one way or another. And so to say we, you know, what should be we, black man? I mean, who we are you talking about? A lot of younger people don't read newspapers. They get their news from Fox or from someplace else.

But I'm not picking on them. I'm just saying we eliminated civics. What I'm saying is I don't know what it takes to get young people involved, but we have to make that our priority. We are going to definitely come back to that because I feel like, Gavin, I know you have a lot to say on that. We want to go to a quick break so we can keep some of this conversation going and see what's more is going on in Detroit. We'll be right back with the Black Star Network and Roland Martin Unfiltered. A lot of y'all have been asking me about the pocket squares that we have available on our website.

You see me rocking the Chibori pocket square right here. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them.

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

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

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

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

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

Carve my path with data and drive. But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves.

Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersceiling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. It's all about looking different. Now look, summertime is coming up. Y'all know, I keep trying to tell fellas, change your look, please.

You can't wear athletic shoes every damn where. So if you're putting on linen suits, if you're putting on some summer suits, have a whole different look. The reason I like this particular pocket square, these shiboris, because it's sort of like a flower and looks pretty cool here versus the traditional boring silk pocket squares.

But also, I like them a little different as well. So this is why we have these custom-made feather pocket squares on the website as well. My sister actually designed these after a few years ago. I was in this battle with Steve Harvey at Essence, and I saw this at a St Harvey at Essence and I saw I saw this at a St. Jude fundraiser I saw this fella pocket square and I said well I got some ideas so I hit her and she sent me about 30 different ones and so this completely changes your look now some of you men out there I had some dudes say oh man I can't wear that well if you ain't

got swagger that's not my problem but if you're looking for something different to spruce up your look, fellas, ladies, if y'all looking to get your man a good gift, I've run into brothers all across the country with the feather pocket squares saying, see, check mine out. And so it's always good to see them. And so this is what you do. Go to RollinThisMartin.com forward slash pocket squares. You can order Shibori pocket squares or the custom-made pocket squares.

Now, for the Shiboris, we're out of a lot of the different colors, and I think we're down to about 200 or 300. So you want to get your order in as soon as you can because here's what happened. I got these several years ago, and the Japanese company signed a deal with another company, and I bought them before they signed that deal. And so I can't get access to any more from the company in Japan that makes them. And so get yours now. So come summertime when I see y'all at Essence, y'all can be looking fly with the Shibori Pocket Square

or the custom-made Pocket Square. Again, rollinglessmartin.com forward slash pocket squares. Go there now. Farquhar, executive producer of Proud Family. Bruce Smith, creator and executive producer of Proud Family. Louder and Prouder. You're watching Roland Martin. Welcome back to Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network.

Let's also hear what Ron Busby, Sr., President and CEO of the U.S. Black Chambers Incorporated, has to say as well. For many of us, the wealth gap has been a conversation that we have had for hundreds of years. Our black families and white families have a huge difference between the financial wherewithal of our communities. The only way you can truly find solutions is through good policies. Policies that are intentional, transparent, and accountable. That's what today is all about. This administration is addressing these major challenges, such as reviving Main Street America post COVID. You see, during the first three months of COVID between the months of February and April of 2020, we lost 41% of all black owned businesses, roughly 442,000 businesses closed. And when we surveyed them, they said it was because of lack of capital and good information. This administration understood those challenges,

and because of the work that they have done, over 75 percent of our businesses have reopened, gaining higher revenue goals than they have received in previous years. But this administration is doing more. They are also working to enhance workers' rights, reduce student loan and health care burdens, and promote affordable housing, all issues that impact the black community at a much higher work. As I travel across America in visiting black chambers and engaging with black business owners, the potential I see is immense, yet often hindered by a lack of necessary resources. That's why today's visit and announcements are so pivotal. They reaffirm the commitment I've always seen in Vice President Harris and this administration to prioritize and uplift those often left behind,

supporting entire communities and business sectors like the auto industry. DE&I, or what we call diversity, equity, and inclusion, are truly under attack. And let me address it in this way. It's not some mythological concept that's going on. When they talk about DE&I, it's you and I that are under attack. This is being seen across the board from private sector, public sector, including corporate America, Main Street, as well as colleges and universities, as well as federal government contracting opportunities. As these attacks continue to rise, we face threats of stifled progress towards an inclusive economy while curtailing critical innovation.

As this year progresses, we are going to hear a lot about making America great again. I can say that. And I will also say that as a black business community, we want America to be great as well. But we say in order for there to be a great America, there must be a great black America. And let's also hear from Vice President Harris, also speaking about economic opportunities. I believe that America's economy is powered by the ambition and the aspiration of her people. The ambition and aspiration to innovate, to create our economy, we must invest in that ambition and those aspirations.

I believe every person in our country, then, must have access to the opportunity to compete, to succeed, and to thrive. The ability to achieve what I call financial freedom, which means having enough not just to get by but to get ahead. To be able to build a business, to own a home, to start a family, and to create intergenerational wealth, which is why over the past three years, the President and I have invested now trillions of dollars in America's infrastructure, in clean energy and a clean energy economy, in manufacturing, and in supply chains. Our work is also guided by the understanding

that there are certain communities that have faced historically and currently profound obstacles to acquire that opportunity. And I'll tell you, over the last three years, both in the White House and at the Vice President's residence, where I live, I have convened black entrepreneurs from around the country to solicit their advice and leverage their expertise as to how we can have the

greatest impact with the billions of dollars that we are investing and to identify the challenges they face in building financial security and wealth, including disparities in access to capital and lending, disparities in homeownership and access to government contracts, to obstacles like student loan debt and medical debt. President Biden and I have invested hundreds of billions of dollars to address these disparities. And I launched then this national tour, the Economic Opportunity Tour, to bring together entrepreneurs, business owners, and community leaders, together with representatives from the United States Departments of Commerce

and Energy and Housing and Labor and Treasury and the Small Business Administration and the Under Secretary of the SBA is with us as well, to make sure founders and families have the information and assistance to access the resources they need. Now, during this time, Vice President Harris was also asked about the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. OK. Well, this morning I was on the call between the president and Prime Minister Netanyahu. We are closely tracking what is happening on the ground, and my team is keeping me up to date.

And I have nothing further at this time, but I'll keep you all posted if I have anything. Thank you. Thank you, Chris. We'll hold right here, guys. No, we'll get back in the van. Totally ignored that spot. She did.

Tiff, I told her to look for you, and she did. So, folks, as you heard earlier, that was a call this morning with his regular Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as President Joe Biden. The effort is trying to, they're trying to keep the ground operation in Rafah from happening. And so they're trying to have a cease-fire. So the question is whether or not Israel and Hamas will actually agree to that cease-fire. So that's what we're following. So I'm going to head back to the van, so fly back to Detroit. So, again, what the effort is, they're trying to actually prevent. This is something we are definitely going to continue to be following. While Vice President

Harris was on her trip, she also had a major economic announcement that she wanted to share as well. I am proud to announce we are investing $100 million in small and medium-sized auto supply companies, many of which... ...many of which are black-owned and based right here in Michigan. These grants will allow businesses to upgrade production and production lines to produce parts for electric vehicles. I am also pleased to announce the launch of a new program and production lines to produce parts for electric vehicles. I am also pleased to announce the launch of a new program

that will match government-backed loans with private equity capital to help small and mid-sized auto suppliers access loans from a quarter million dollars to 10 million dollars. The strength of America's economy is also based on the strength of America's supply chains. We all learned that in the pandemic if we weren't clear before. This investment will help to keep our auto supply chains here in America, which strengthens America's economy overall and keep those jobs here in Detroit. So as we wrap up, we wanted to get some final quick comments from you both as we hear about everything that's been going on today. It's been a jam-packed day. Gavin, what are your final thoughts as it relates to what we talked about today

and what we're seeing from Vice President Harris? Yeah, so I'm just extremely excited again that this tour is happening. I think the fact that we're continuing to see this intentional engagement with Black communities across the country, whether in Atlanta or in Detroit or the cities, we'll see the Vice President continue to travel to, I think it's doing the real work of engaging with communities, of educating them on the work that's going on, and ultimately activating them to get out and vote in November. And one quote that the vice president shared with us today, she said that we all know Black entrepreneurs do not lack for ideas or ambitions, but they

often lack the capital that is necessary to turn an idea into a thriving business. And so I think that perfectly encapsulates we have a vice president, we have a president who gets the problems facing our country, especially for so many Black folks. And Dr. Malvo pointed out, not all Black folks are entrepreneurs, certainly not. And so the work that this administration has done to reduce costs, to create jobs, just the whole nine yards, I'm excited to see this tour continue and to see the campaign, the administration continue to form relationships on the ground with Black folks and to partner with Trusted Voices to get this message out there. Thank you. Dr. Malveaux. I think that Gavin has said something important about trusted voices. I mean, we've seen something that's 30,000 feet up. You're meeting with influencers, you're meeting with the lieutenant governor. I think it's great. I'm very excited

for the administration to see this economic opportunity tour get out there. But at the same time, the issue is, how does the message get down here on the ground? How do we get to young people who are not thinking about entrepreneurship, although many of them are? And I'm very excited about this generation and the fact that they don't need permission. They don't need a pass. They're just going to go do what they do. So I love that. But at the same time, in terms of the upcoming election, just a few months from now, how do we get the word out? There's got to be a all hands on deck kind of conversation. This is indeed exciting. It's exciting. And it's also, you know, the vice president, I watched her come out and they asked her about the possible ceasefire.

And she handled it. She can't say anything. She's the vice president. People have to keep remembering that she's the vice president. She's not the president. That stuff has to come from the top down. This is an exciting moment for the administration. I hope that she hits some other major cities. She's got to get herself to California and to L.A. I know she'll do that. She's a former California citizen. St. Louis, you know, she's got to get to these places. Houston. We're not going to win Texas, but we can make a dent in Texas. And there are a lot of races. That's just

at the top. That's where we have to engage our young people. It's not just at the top. It's also those bottom races from the bottom up. We've got to look at city councilors. We've got to look at mayors. London Breed in San Francisco is in a fight for her life. And there are many others. But this is an exciting moment. I'm not going to, you know, I'm a critic.

I'm a Virgo. So we're always a little critical. But I'm not going to, you know, I'm a critic. I'm a Virgo. So we're always a little critical, but I'm not going to take away from this enthusiasm. There is enthusiasm on this tour and there's very good information getting out there. I'll go back to Gavin, influencers, influential voices, trusted partners who are not the bucketty bucks, but the brother or sister who has a corner store and who can talk about what this means to them. No, absolutely. And Black Star Network is going to be along for every step of the way, as everyone can clearly see with Roland on the trip right now.

And so we appreciate Roland for everything that you're doing. I want to thank you both as well, Gavin, as well as Dr. Malveaux. We really appreciate you joining us tonight. That's going to do it for us here on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Blackstar Network. Roland will be back tomorrow with more news of the day and headlines. Please check us out on all the social platforms.

Watch that video. Make sure you're clicking that like button, and we will see you next time. Holla! Blackstar Network is here. 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 and something like CNN. You can't be Black-owned media and be scared. It's time to be smart. Bring your eyeballs home. You dig? We asked parents who adopted teens to share their journey. We just kind of knew from the beginning that we were family.

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