#RolandMartinUnfiltered - Jackie Robinson Museum Grand Opening , Voter Fraud Canvassing, MP: Africa On My Back

Episode Date: July 26, 2022

7.26.2022 Jackie Robinson Museum Grand Opening , Voter Fraud Canvassing, MP: Africa On My Back Today we witnessed the grand opening of the Jackie Robinson Museum and streamed the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which was jam-packed with legendary voices. We'll share some of what happened today. The country is still really reeling from the effects of Donald Trump's attempt to steal the 2020 elections, and as a result, there is an effort to crack down on voter fraud ahead of the 2022 Midterms general elections. We'll speak with NPR's Miles Parks about what cities like Colorado are doing to ensure a safe and fair election. And for our Marketplace Segment, we'll speak with a designer who wants to give you a taste of Africa with their stylish bookbags. Support RolandMartinUnfiltered and #BlackStarNetwork via the Cash App ☛ https://cash.app/$rmunfiltered PayPal ☛ https://www.paypal.me/rmartinunfiltered Venmo ☛https://venmo.com/rmunfiltered Zelle ☛ [e-mail] Annual or monthly recurring #BringTheFunk Fan Club membership via paypal ☛ https://rolandsmartin.com/rmu-paypal/ Download the #BlackStarNetwork app on iOS, AppleTV, Android, Android TV, Roku, FireTV, SamsungTV and XBox 👉🏾 http://www.blackstarnetwork.com #RolandMartinUnfiltered and the #BlackStarNetwork are news reporting platforms covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Support this man, Black Media. He makes sure that our stories are told. I thank you for being the voice of Black America, Roller. Stay Black. I love y'all. All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going. The video looks phenomenal. See, there's a difference between Black Star Network and Black-owned media and something like CNN. You can't be Black-owned media and be scape. It's time to be smart.

Bring your eyeballs home. You dig? July 26, 2022. Coming up on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network, we are live from the Jackie Robinson Museum here in New York City. The grand opening was today. Robin Roberts of Good Morning America, she hosted the affair. Dementorians from all across the city were here. Spike Lee, CCC Sabathia, New York Mayor Eric Adams, Billie Jean King, and many more.

We'll hear from Billie Jean King as well as Sabathia. Journalist and author Howard Bryant. Sports journalist Bill Roten. Former Attorney General Eric Holder. Officials from the National Urban League and others as they talk about the importance of Jackie Robinson and what this museum is going to mean. So stay right there, folks. We're going to have it all for you. Of course, we have been here. We are the first media outlet to broadcast from this museum. And so we are certainly excited to be here.

Also on today's show, we'll talk about a voter fraud canvassing case. Donald Trump is out there. Keep running his mouth. President Joe Biden, though, and Democrats doing as much as they can to deal with this very issue of voter voter suppression. It's happening all across the country. And so we will talk about that with the correspondent from NPR, folks. Also on today's show, of course, our annual Black and Missing. We focus on that every single day. Hulu has chosen not to run Democratic political ads. Not quite sure.

A Cincinnati cop used the N-word in uniform. Now she blames rap music. Really? Really? That's what's going on? And the entire police force in North Carolina quits when a black woman becomes a city manager. What's going on there, folks? We also have Africa On My Back. That is in our Marketplace segment, a Houston-based business that sells African products. Folks, we've got a jam-packed show for you.

And also, while we are live, the gala is starting. Doug E. Fresh, Sleek Rick will be performing. Folks, we've got a lot to cover here in New York. Live from the Jackie Robinson Museum, it is time to bring the funk. I'm Roland Martin on the filter on the Black Star Network. Let's go. He's got it. Whatever the go. He's got it. Whatever the biz, he's on it.

Whatever it is, he's got the scoop, the fact, the find. And when it breaks, he's right on time. And it's rolling. Best believe 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 Roro, y'all It's Roland Martin

Rolling with Roland now He's bunk, he's fresh, he's real the best You know he's fresh, he's real, the best you know He's rolling Martel Martel Thank you. Folks, we are live here in New York City where today was the grand opening of the Jackie Robinson Museum. This here is the video. This was the moment we've been waiting for. When a show from my iPhone, please.

When Rachel Robinson, 100 years old, when she was wheeled up by her son, David Robinson, to cut the ribbon on this museum. Folks, it was her vision for quite some time. I talked to sports journalist Bill Rote, and he says he remembers sitting in this space in 2009, talking with her about this vision, and she wanted, she thought it was going to be done in three or four years. No, it took 13 years. We were here in 2017 when they had the groundbreaking for this museum. COVID came. That was an issue.

Some $35 million was raised to open this museum dedicated to the first African-American ballplayer to play in the white major leagues. Jackie Robinson, of course, was beyond, he was bigger than that. And this museum clearly shows that, what he was, what he meant, not only when it came to him playing baseball, but his work in civil rights, his fights for equal rights in the military, what he did as a black corporate executive, as a baseball announcer. We could go on and on and on.

But Jackie Robinson was indeed a significant figure in American history. And this museum focuses on that. And so we were so glad to be here to cover this live earlier today. There were so many different folks, of course, who were here, different people who were here, different folks who were here speaking but also attending this event. Various officials were here, again, making it clear that they felt it was necessary to be here because of what Jackie Robinson meant to them personally but also to this country. I want to first start with this folks in terms of what I

want to show again some of what took place today. Before the event started we were live broadcasting broadcasting live. And New York Yankees great CeCe Sabathia was actually here as well. Got just to catch up with him. We shared his thoughts before the ceremony. Man, this is awesome to be able to come here and have the museum opening. I haven't been through it yet, but I'm looking forward to it. Well, I saw your video on the inside.

I got a little preview last night. Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. Well, I saw your video on the inside. I got a little preview last night. Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. I haven't seen anything. So, no, it's just cool to be able to, you know, have this moment for us. You know, I don't think this is a baseball story. I think this is an American history story. So, to be able to have this museum here in New York City,

I think it's really, really cool. And one of the things, you've been very vocal about how important this history is, how important black ballplayers are to this sport. Unfortunately, the numbers have dwindled a lot. And some people are like, hey, CC, why are you talking all that? But your deal is like, no, no, no, no. This is also our sport.

Because I keep telling people the major league players were in the Negro Leagues. It was just called a major league because the white folks had all the money. Yeah, for sure. I mean, I think that's the biggest thing is that people don't understand that the Negro Leagues wasn't like a backyard league. These were like, this is like the LeBron James. And, you know, Satchel Paige was flying around on a plane. What Dizzy Dean said, he said the best players were in the Negro League.

Yeah, I mean, I got a chance to spend a lot of time with Bob Feller. Him and Satchel Paige were really close. And he told me that the best players were in the Negro League. So, you know, to be able to have this museum and have, you know, everything that Jackie stood for be here and be, you know, immortalized is awesome for us. All right, man. Always good to see you, baby. All right. Oh, you know it? Come on now.

Robin Roberts of Good Morning America, she served as the emcee, and she set the tone when she opened it up. From the start, Mrs. Robinson envisioned a museum that was much more than a remembrance of her husband's, yes, baseball Hall of Fame career. Her dream was a museum that would be a celebration of an American hero whose actions opened the floodgates to the modern civil rights movement. The Jackie Robinson Museum will be New York's epicenter for bringing Black history forward into the present. It will serve as a venue for vibrant dialogue on critical social issues, a beacon of hope which we always are in need of. Against the backdrop of US history, from his birth in 1919 to today,

the mission of the museum will be to educate, inspire, and to challenge. Educate visitors about Jackie Robinson, yes the athlete, activist, patriot, entrepreneur, and devoted family man. Inspire those interested in the history of social change and the prescription for greater progress. And finally, challenge. Challenge people of all ages to pursue a life of achievement and purpose, a life committed to impacting others' lives. And that is the motto of the foundation. But I want you to know, make no mistake about it, with over 450 priceless artifacts collected by family and friends, 40,000 historical images, more than 450 hours of amazing video footage, and the voices of dozens of cultural icons and social leaders, museum behind us will always, always be an entertaining experience enhanced by advanced capabilities that will captivate visitors of all ages.

But that was actually at the beginning of today's ceremony. Howard Bryant, who helped write a lot of the text in this museum, he tweeted that Rachel Robinson, she wanted to feel as if she was back in Ebbetsfield where Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers played. And that was a symphony band that played quite the upbeat music. And so they had a little New Orleans flavor that kicked this thing off today. Check this out. Folks, how are Brian?

Audio, audio. I said I'm playing the band. I think you put you down here. So, again, they had a live band out there that kicked things off today. So that was a... Again, folks, again, it was a live band there. I'm trying to tell you all, so I'm talking over the video, folks. And so there was a live band there. I'm trying to tell you all, so I'm talking over the video, folks. And so there was a live band there. It was a great time there. And so, again, so she wanted a throwback moment there. And so that's what she got.

When Richie Robinson wants it, she actually gets it. All right, folks. Also, a number of people actually spoke today, including Della Britton. She's the CEO of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, and she shared a few remarks from the podium today. Almost 18 years now. I mentioned to Len Coleman, who was at the time the board chairman, longtime board chairman of the foundation. He's now chairman emeritus. I said to him, you know, this is such an exciting thing for me as one of six children and the only girl, been a sports fan all my life.

And I said, but I'm thinking, you know, two or three years makes sense for me, and then I'll, you know, step aside and do what the board directed me to do, which was initially to increase the national presence of the foundation, and of course to grow and institutionalize its celebrated career and leadership development program, which next year will be 50 years old. There was talk also, however, about Rachel Robinson adding another goal for the foundation, something for which she had had a long-held vision, and it was to build a museum that not only told the story of her heroic husband, but that encouraged particularly the next generation to carry on his work

and to embrace the values of humanitarianism. And the idea was that the museum would bring people together, forge bonds, and continue the work of changing the social landscape of our country for the better. But it became clear to me after a few months or so that I had not factored into this two-year plan of mine, how compelling and uplifting it would be to be around so many bright, highly motivated young people in our Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholars Program. I was focused on infrastructure, management, systems. But when I realized the depth of the foundation's college mentoring program, and then, perhaps more importantly, the pride and the affinity that Rachel Robinson inspired in these young leaders, I began to realize that this program, 50 years old next year, as I said, as much Rachel's and Jackie's legacy today was very special, and I was hooked.

One of my favorite stories was often told by JRF alumni. Each year when the group convened in the beginning at Rachel Robinson's home in her living room, Rachel would have each Jackie Robinson scholar talk about their experience in college. And at the end of each of those stories, and alumni love to tell this story, she would say, so what have you done to give back? What have you done for the community this year? These are college students making their way. And some of their answers were insufficient.

And she would say, well, I'm not sure that's good enough. So let's hear next year when you come back what else you think you can do for the community. And one of those alumni who told that story is now the chairman of the Jackie Robinson Foundation Board of Directors. His name is Greg Gonsalves. I saw him earlier. Yes. I know Len Coleman mentored him, but Greg, who had a 4.0 at the time... Folks, again, Della Britton, she is the CEO of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. David Robinson is the son of Jackie and Rachel Robinson, and he spoke from the podium today about this day and his father. Thank you very much.

It is truly a great day and truly a great honor. And one of the questions I think my father would have raised was who was being honored. He was a man who used the word we regularly when he spoke in early life, that we was a wife, Rachel Robinson, and himself, that we grew as it became a team and the Brooklyn Dodgers went from segregation to internal conflict to finally integration and finally victory as a baseball team. That we grew when Jackie Robinson stepped out on the baseball field and for the first time there were thousands of African-Americans in the stadium who had a hero to cheer. That we grew when white Americans saw the courage and integrity and skills of a man who could make not only the game better, not only Brooklyn, a championship stadium for baseball, but could impact all of America. So the we began to grow beyond family.

It grew beyond race. It grew beyond sport. And I think today Jackie Robinson would say, I accept this honor, but I accept this honor on behalf of someone far, of something far beyond my individual self, far beyond my family, far beyond even my race. Jackie Robinson would say, don't think of you standing on my shoulders. I think of myself standing on the shoulders of my mother, who was a sharecropper in Georgia, my grandmother, who was born a slave, standing. And as the we has expanded beyond family, each of us can see within our families, within our race, within our religion, great people on whose shoulders we are standing and forging the larger we. Because in fact, the family that Jackie Robinson represents today and the potential that Jackie Robinson represents

and the challenge that this museum makes is to the family of man, which includes all of us. So, I thank you. I know Jackie Robinson would thank you. This moment in history is now a challenge for all of us because the issues in baseball, the issues that Jackie Robinson challenged in 1947, they're still with us. They're still with us in some degree a greater and more complex nature. The signs of white only have been taken down, but the complexity of equal opportunity still exists. And when you look at this museum, look at the greatness of the achievement,

but also the challenge that was faced and the challenge that we face ahead of us. So for all of us here, congratulations. We are part of the we, and we need to keep that we growing if we're going to have an America and a global civilization that embraces and supports and nurtures all human life. Thank you. Eric Adams is the second black mayor of New York City, and he spoke today about being a beat cop in New York, walking past this particular location here that now is the Jackie Robinson Museum. Thank you so much.

It's such a significant moment. Sometimes in the celebratory states that we're in, we miss some of the subtext. Yes, we know Jackie's glory, but sometimes we don't really dig into the crevices and acknowledge his stories. This moment is a moment that not only talk about his greatness on the field but off the field but it's also a story about a love affair it's a story about a man and wife who partnered together and just really personified the experience of love and commitment and I know you're celebrating 100 years of life and throughout my entire life both in public safety and not. You know when you used to do the concerts up in Connecticut our team used to be up there to provide

support. But when I was a police officer I would pass by this space all the time. This was my area of patrol. And I would think about that number 42. And that number began the process of us reflecting on greatness. You could not find Spike Lee without wearing that 42 all the time, talking about Jackie, talking about Jackie. And Jackie meant so much to America in general, but specifically he meant so much to black folks and he meant so much to black men, black men. We understood that not only did we have the challenges of running a baseball field, the challenges of corporate America, the challenges of politics. I used to hear David Dinkins talk about becoming the first black mayor and how inspiring Jackie was to him and so many others and becoming the first black borough president. And so many things we have done.

We did it in the spirit of Jackie Robinson. But it's your partnership. As Jackie transitioned... Eric Adams. Howard Bryan is a journalist, author. As I said earlier, he wrote some of the text here in the museum. And we had a chance to talk about, again, what Jackie Robinson meant and what he felt like being able to participate in this museum. Folks, Howard Bryant, journalist, author, books on Ricky Henderson, Henry Aaron.

We can go on and on and on, all kinds of books. Just your thoughts on this finally opening five years after the groundbreaking. Well, I'm just pleased about it for lots of reasons. I mean, one, to have it open a week after Rachel's birthday and all of the consternation about trying to get it open and not to be morbid, but we wanted her to see it. And after each delay and each delay you were like, are we gonna get there? Are we gonna get there? Are we gonna get there? And also I feel very personal for it as well because they asked me to write some of the museum exhibits, which was an honor.

So to see this space from just concrete to a finished product, it almost feels like writing a book where it starts from nothing and then it ends up as something, and now it's something for everyone to see. It's amazing. Billy Aaron is here, the widow of uh henry aaron um so many people uh who knew him uh who played with him uh but them to also experience this and the beauty of this that was in there yesterday is that it doesn't just talk about him as a baseball player it's him in his totality well there's no question when we were in the in the planning sessions of what this script was going to look like, one of the things that was emphasized

to me over and over again is this is not a baseball museum. There's going to be baseball in it, but this is not going to be defined by baseball. And I remember stepping back going, OK, but how do we know Jackie? We know Jackie is a baseball player. We know what made Jackie famous and what is the strategy and what are the calculations of, do you emphasize the fan service? Why are people coming here? Or do you emphasize something else, which is, okay, here's the totality of the person. And I think that it struck a really great balance of making sure that you come for the baseball, but you stay for the man, or you come for the man and then you get some baseball as well. And going through it, when you look at, first of all, the NAACP work, when you look at, again,

and in fact I was telling one of the folks I really hope that they hit tnt uh to have that that movie andre breyer portray him the court martial jackie robinson because you can't find it anywhere i said because again that's the story very few people know about how this man put it on the line facing a dishonorable discharge uh and he did that before rosa parks i mean this is somebody who said no, I'm not going to the back of the bus in Fort Hood clean. That's right. And I think what's most amazing about Jackie, and it's always been something, especially when you look at the history of who he was as a person, where did that drive come from? Where did that courage come from, the willingness to do this, knowing the price?

And nobody knows who Jackie Robinson is at the time, so everything he did was on principle. There's no grandstand in here. There's nothing performative about what he did. What's right is right. And that's it. He was a great college athlete, but at that time. But even before he was a college athlete, he was doing this stuff. Yeah.

Even before, you know, when he was at pasadena there was always some moment somewhere where jackie robinson was involved in right and wrong and so to me it was just something inherent in him and i just find him to be so you know inspirational is one word, but he's incredible. Yeah. Because when you talk about who he is, who he was as a person, it's not just the baseball. First black man to integrate corporate America. First black man to be on the broadcast and national in the broadcast booth. First black VP in the country. I mean, all of these different firsts. And also, on top of being those firsts, it's the vision that here's what I'm all about. I'm also about making sure that black people had agency in terms of their own money. So in terms of trying to start the Freedom National

Bank, all of these things, they all add up to the same vision, which is I am here for my people. And it just brings you to tears. I mean, the amount of respect that you have for somebody who is so clear that here's what I'm all about. I mean, what do we always say? Don't talk about it. Be about it, right? Here's somebody who is about it at all times. And someone who was very clear in his book where he was, here he is raising monies

on the board of the NAACP, but highly critical of the CEO, Roy Wilkins. I mean, his whole deal was about accountability, whether you were black or white. Well, that's right. And on top of that, there's an evolution. I think one of the things that I admire most about Jackie Robinson, and it's reflected in the museum as well, is how many times he failed. I mean, it's not, I mean, the story is not always heroic with him. He didn't, when Rachel wanted to work, he didn't really want his wife working. But he had to grow and he evolved and he and Martin Luther King Jr. were at odds on Vietnam. And then Jackie came, you know, had to come around and had to evolve with the times and to recognize that being in the fight doesn't always mean that everything

you do is perfect, but you're in it and you grow and you fight and you change. And his story is just so remarkable in so many ways, because he's one of the few guys, especially in a time today where everyone is trying to burnish their image. They're always trying to make sure that everything that they do is all about the brand and the polish. Jackie was willing to say, I messed up. I didn't get this part right, but I'm going to get the next part right. Well, that was the case.

I talked about that last night about him testifying on the House committee and what he had to say about Paul Robeson and how he later said he wished he had not done that. That's right. And once again, Robeson, Robinson, July 18, 1949, is one of these seminal moments in black history because, once again, you are brought to witness in service, not of your own people, but in service of white people. And Jackie was torn because he was a veteran and he did view the American dream a certain way and he did believe in it. And he also knew in the back of his mind that there was a high potentiality that he was

being used. And by the segregationists on that House and American Activities Committee who would not sign an anti-lynching bill, but dragged him up to Congress to testify against Paul Robeson. And what I find most fascinating and most sort of poignant about it was the fact that both Jackie and Paul ended up eventually in the same place, which was brokenhearted and disillusioned at this country when what they really, really wanted was what we all want, which is to be in service of black people. And freedom.

And freedom. Hundred percent. You've covered baseball for a number of years. You covered even guys today. What is your hope for a current Major League Baseball player or an up and coming baseball player if they came through this museum? Well, I think it always comes back to values. And I think that if you know your values, then I think you're going to do fine in your life. And I think that, to me,

one of the biggest issues that I always have, especially in today's celebrity hero culture and the rest of it, you don't follow people, you follow values. And this museum is all about values. It's all about where do you stand on this issue? Who am I? And once again, who you are is always going to evolve. And if you're a player walking in and you're a current player,

you realize that virtually every issue that you're faced with right now is nothing compared to the issues he was faced with. And if he could do what he did, there's no reason why you can't do more. Always good to see you, my brother. I appreciate it. I appreciate it. All right, folks, in the next hour, we will hear from former Attorney General Eric Holder, journalist Bill Roden, the great Billie Jean King, among others. As we continue our coverage from the Jackie Robinson Museum, I'm joined right now by talk show host Mark Thompson. Mark, it certainly has been an unbelievable day, again, to be able to walk through this museum.

Just over your left shoulder right there I don't know if we can get a shot of that Henry is the the U.S. Army uniform of Jackie Robinson that was a great movie Andre Breyer starred as him movie it was in 2000 called the court martial Jackie Robinson and a lot of people don't even understand. Again, this is before Jackie Robinson played Major League Baseball. This is the Jackie Robinson who did this before Rosa Parks in Montgomery when he was in what was then called Camp Hood, Texas, in Killeen, now known as Fort Hood. And so this was somebody who did not take anything off of anybody his entire life.

No, he wouldn't give up his seat on that bus in the same way Rosa Parks did years before she did it. And that's who he was. The beauty about this museum, as I'm sure you've mentioned, and thanks for having me, is that this is the only civil rights museum in New York. And when that, when Della Britton said that, the CEO gave that interview to the New York Times the other day and said that, all of us had to think, wait a minute, that's true. That's actually no other civil rights museum here in New York.

And this is a space that is dedicated not just to his athletic career, to his civil rights career, to his being first in many business ventures, and it's important. And, you know, for someone like me who's been a lifelong baseball fan and my son plays, man, last night felt like Christmas Eve, you know, just knowing this was going to open. We were here together five years ago when this first was, when the groundbreaking first took place, and all of the people you were able to talk to to share their experiences.

This is truly full circle, I think, too, for Mrs. Robinson, because this is what she wanted. No one thought it would take this long, but you and I both know some of the hardships. A lot of folks don't want to raise money to build black museums, let alone civil rights museums. But the Robinson family didn't give up. Della Brittain didn't give up. Members of the board who were involved, they didn't give up. And, you know, I'm just looking at some of the donors on the legacy board outside. And the estate of Michael Jackson made, you know, donated millions to be a part of this and help make this happen.

I think this is going to be one of the biggest attractions in New York. And for those who like to go to the Smithsonian and visit the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, come on up the road. Come on up the road and check this out, too, because and it's interactive, too. We can't see it all tonight, of course, but it's interactive. Guys, can y'all roll the B-roll, please? I mean, we've got B show people the museum, if y'all can roll it in DC please. I mean again, we're talking about interactive, what you're seeing here folks, again, there are a number of paintings that are sculptures that are all throughout the museum, you're seeing that. You talk about it being interactive, where they actually even have,

towards the end of it, where they have actually, where you have to make a commitment. That's right. What issue you want to work on. Commitment. They also have lots of, they have these video sort of stations where they ask a lot of us. I did one of those videos to talk about Jackie Robinson. And so absolutely.

And so there's some really cool graphics and touch screen graphics as well. They have. There's even a virtual Ebbets Field and it's a little replica, a 3D replica of it. And it's interactive. You can touch, you know, by touch the touch screen, it will take you through different experiences in Ebbets Field. You mentioned Mrs. Robinson wanted the band. There was an orchestra at Ebbets Field known as the Symphony because they weren't very good. They were phony, but they were, they were, they kept the crowd lively. You can see that band. You can see the interactive touch screen where Rachel Robinson used to warm the milk bottles for Jackie Jr. when they first got to Brooklyn for the games.

And she would go to one of the hot dog stands and warm the milk bottles. That's how it was. You can almost smell the hot dogs and the pretzels. I'm too young to have known Ebbets Field, but it gives you that glimpse. And it's really touching because I think Roland, a lot of young people are going to be able to come here and have really an incredible experience. There'll be a lot to learn here. This is going to be interactive. This museum does not shy away from race relations either. It's going to take that on. It's going to deal with all those types of issues. And there's a timeline to your right. Some of you saw in the B-roll,

the long wall. It's a timeline of all of the historical events in African-American history from the time Jagger Robinson was born to the time he passed away. And you just see how his life followed all of these events, what he was involved in, in terms of all of these events. And I think this is probably going to end up being one of the most celebrated and the most popular African-American and civil rights museums in the country. I hope people will come and check it out. I do know they have plans to do virtual events for young people at a distance. And I think, too, it tells the true story about a lot of the things that really happened.

Yeah, absolutely. The threatening letters are here, the threats that he made. Yeah, the letters, but they also, they're showing you, again, Jim Crow and the reality of what he faced. Across the street from us, folks, is a massive tent. That's where the gala is going to be taking place. A little bit earlier, go to my iPad, please. This is when I was walking in. This is when the people were assembled before the event took place. And so, again, they had all of the placards there telling the story.

And, again, this is where the people were assembled before they came over to the groundbreaking. This is where the event tonight is going to be taking place. There's going to be a gala. It's actually happening right now. There are people who are actually taking tours through the museum right now. And so they're going to be bringing people over. So Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick is going to be performing there as well. And so it truly is an amazing museum.

And you really want to take the time to just read as much as possible and take in all of this history. And so we're going to have more in our second hour when we get remembrances from Bill Roten, Attorney General Eric Holder, Hassani Prats with the National Urban League. We'll talk with all of them, Billie Jean King as well. And so we're looking forward to that, sharing that with you folks. So right now we're going to go to a break. And we come back. We'll have more on Roland Martin Unfiltered broadcasting live, the first media outlet. And let me say this here, the Jack Robinson Foundation greatly respects black owned media. And so for them to allow us to be the first media outlet

to broadcast a show inside of this museum. We certainly appreciate that. And so thank you so very much. So we have more on the Black Star Network from the Jack Robinson Museum in New York City back in a moment. The next Get Wealthy with me, Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach. You see the headlines, all frightening, right? Interest rates are going up. The recession is on the way. The stock market is up and down. But you know what they say, scared money don't make money. That's why I'm excited on our next Get Wealthy to have

a conversation with someone who has written a new book, Fearless Finances, and she's going to share exactly what you need to do to secure your bag, regardless of the ups and downs of the economy or the stock market. Oftentimes you can start with as little as $5. That's right here, only on Get Wealthy on Blackstar Network. Pull up a chair, take your seat. The Black Tape with me, Dr. Greg Carr, here on the Blackstar Network. Every week, we'll take a deeper dive into the world we're living in.

Join the conversation only on the Black Star Network. Hey, I'm Antonique Smith. Hello, everyone. It's Kiara Sheard. Hey, I'm Taj. I'm Coco. And I'm Lili. And we're SWB. What's up, y'all? It's Ryan Destiny, and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. I'm Martin. I'm filtered. Folks, one of the things that Jackie Robinson was heavily involved in was politics.

He was a black Republican and he initially supported Richard Nixon and thought he should have done more to get the black vote when he faced president faced john f kennedy in 1960 then of course he was uh he was just shocked uh by uh senator barry goldwater 1964 in campaign against the republican candidate for president uh this issue of voting this issue of where we stand in this country uh continues right now with donald trump uh denying the fact that he lost this whole election denial. That's something we're seeing all across the country. Joining me right now is Miles Park. He's with the National Public Radio Washington desk.

And he wrote a piece called The Election Denial Movement is Now Going Door to Door. Miles, glad to have you on Roland Martin Unfiltered. This is important because many people may not realize that you have a Republican Party that was very much supportive of civil rights in the 1960s. Now what you see is something completely different. These people are trying to destroy democracy, want to deny anything, deny exactly what happened. And so it is a shame what we are witnessing. And just they just will not accept what is truthful about what happened. Right now, there are three counties in Pennsylvania refusing to certify election results because they disagree with it.

Yeah, we're seeing this kind of election denial. Kind of it's almost when I talk to election officials across the country, that's my job as a voting reporter is talking to people who are actually running these elections at the local level. It's basically like a virus at this point that started, you know, when we think about 2016, 2017, you think about what was coming out of Donald Trump's Twitter account. And it was all of these lies and misinformation around our election processes. And people kind of looked at that and said, oh, you know, yeah, he's incorrect or he's lying about this stuff. But it felt really isolated to Trump himself and his Twitter. Now it is completely spread all over the country. Trump's not on Twitter anymore. He's not

tweeting these things out, but we're seeing it. I've been reporting all summer on all the different ways that this kind of lie has spread to the local level. The story you're mentioning that came out last week is about these groups of people that we don't know exactly how big this effort has gotten, but there are groups of people who are going door to door in neighborhoods and communities all across the country, convinced in their mind, in their heart that there is voter fraud, despite the fact that there's no evidence that that is the case. And they are going and trying to root it out themselves, knocking on people's doors, putting together kind of phony reports, reports that essentially are lying about the election results to kind of keep pushing this life forward. Well, Miles, I'll be honest. I think media is culpable in this, in that so many media folks were unwilling to call Donald Trump's lies, lies.

I go back to the whole birther, how the whole way he was emboldened. People kept giving interviews and didn't want to call it a lie. Then he kept lying in 2015 and 2016. And I remember that was his whole debate in mainstream media. Well, in order to call it a lie, we have to know the person's intentions before we call it that. I'm like, no, you don't. There's fact and there's fiction.

There's truth and there are lies. Then you had Kellyanne Conway who used the phrase alternative facts. Again, too many people in our industry failed to push back immediately when he was lying. I think that's completely fair. And I think that's really come up a lot. Anyone who's been watching the January 6th commission hearings over the last couple of weeks, it's very, very clear that over the last few years, Donald Trump had people in his orbit, people he trusted who were telling him, no, the election was not stolen. We have no evidence that there was fraud in all these places that you're saying there was fraud. And so he we you know, we've definitely gotten to a point where we know with 100 percent certainty

that people he trusted were telling him the truth. And he decided not to kind of air that to his followers. I think it gets a little dicier when you get beyond the public figures. Like, yes, I think when you look at somebody like Steve Bannon, Trump's longtime associate or Trump himself, you can say, oh, you know, these people know what they're doing and they know they're lying to the public. But, you know, you talk to the people at the neighborhood level, you know, you're the people who live on your street who think the election was stolen. And, you know, I think that's when we have misinformation coming from those folks, which is where we're at right now. You know, there are millions and millions of people who are sharing bad information. Some of them know it's not true.

People like Donald Trump and are still continuing to share it. And then I think when you get the more local level, more normal, regular people, many of those people are sharing it and helping that lie stay afloat without knowing it's a lie. They're not doing it in bad faith. They're doing it in good faith. And I think we have not figured out as a society the correct way to fix that problem. Well, what they're doing is they're now weaponizing the lie. That's what they're doing because now they're running people who they're running them for election board. They're running them for secretary of state, they're running for public office, people who are not only believing the lie is a part of their

campaign. Yeah, absolutely. And that's another thing we're going to be watching this November. There are state a number of states where we've seen people who have said that they believe the 2020 election was stolen, who are running for positions to oversee voting. Secretary of State is the highest profile one. Places like Nevada and Michigan, there are Republicans who are going to be on the ballot in November to oversee voting in these key swing states, because the Secretary of State, I think it's important to remind people, not everyone remembers that. The Secretary of State, while they are often in charge of things like sometimes marriage licenses or business licenses, they're also, they oversee the voting process. So in places like Michigan, Nevada,

there's going to be an Arizona primary next week where Republicans there are going to decide whether to nominate an election denier to oversee voting. And so when I talk to election experts, they're basically screaming from the mountaintops, telling people you need to not just look at who you're voting for, for Senate or for Congress. These secretary of state races are going to be really important in November, especially in these swing states, because this is the first time, Roland, that this has really ever happened, where you have people running for these sorts of positions who don't believe, you know, in the basic tenets of democracy, basically. Indeed, indeed.

Miles Parks, we certainly appreciate it. Thanks for joining us on Roland Martin Unfiltered. Thank you so much for having me, Roland. I'm going to bring my panel right now. Let me talk to Teresa Lundy, TML Communications, principal founder. Dr. Larry J. Walker, assistant professor, University of Central Florida. Tarun Walker, founder of Context Media. Glad to have all three of you here. Teresa, I want to start with you. You're there in Pennsylvania. You've got Doug Mastriano, Republican candidate for governor.

This is somebody who was leading the fake, false, lying electors in that state this man is the republican nominee for governor this man could very well be be elected this is what we're dealing with we have people who literally want to win office who do not believe the election was fair you got kerry lake in arizona running for governor same. We can go on and on and on. These people absolutely believe lies, and they're pushing the lies. Yeah, Pennsylvania is really in an uncertain place as it relates to, you know, the next election, what the next few months actually look like. Unfortunately and fortunately, we do have voters who are very woke. But I do believe that the Republicans here in Pennsylvania are going to have to do a whole lot of spending in order to make sure that their message is also getting across.

But it really does look like this will be a Democratic race here in the statewide race. race, but we can't take anything for granted because, again, Republicans are using every tools that they can in order to silence the Democratic vote, but also ensure that we are taking off our message and taking off the awareness campaign. me uh larry uh look it is significant uh and um and again they're not just running for governor or for u.s senate or for members of congress they want to control elections boards they want to put in place the apparatus to literally steal elections all based upon the lie of Donald Trump. Sure. So the Republicans you're highlighting, you're running for, you know, Secretary of State and other offices are being clear about their intent. So this is why this is a five alarm fire as it relates to democracy in the United States. We can talk about the election this year. And obviously we have a presidential election in a couple of years, but these folks are setting, they're moving the chess pieces to make sure that if they don't like the outcome for

state or national election, that they have the ability to make whatever changes they want, and there will be little pushback. I think the other thing to keep in mind, Roland, we talk about these, and I really enjoyed reading the article you discussed, is that these deniers, we're going to shift from people knocking on your door with public information and asking you questions about who you voted for to shifting to violence. And that's coming. And I want to remind people, I'm in the state of Florida in 1920, the Ocoee massacre in which black folks in the state were and Ocoee were murdered because they were seeking to vote. So we're going to shift very quickly to not only people knocking on your door, but people threatening you physically or physically harming you. So it's really important, like I said, that we really focus on what's happening with these deniers. We make sure they're not elected and that we also hold federal officials accountable who are also espousing these lies.

Tarron, what I need everybody watching to understand is that if these people are in position on elections boards or secretaries of state, they're not going to be just impacting presidential, U.S. Senate, congressional races. They will be affecting every race. They will be affecting school board races, city council races, county commissioner races. Black folks watching cannot act as if this is not a significant threat to the future of Black politics. You're absolutely right. And I think two things are happening here. I also looked at the article that the story was based on,

and what you're seeing is people who are going into neighborhoods, knocking on people's doors and asking them who they voted for and did they vote or not, in an attempt to try to catch people up in some sort of situation where they feel like they've done something wrong. Two things are happening here. I'm pretty sure that a lot of the neighborhoods that they're going to and asking these questions are people who may have an uncomfortable relationship to

authority and an uncomfortable relationship to the political process. You automatically are intimidating voters by just showing up to do that. The second thing that's happening here is what this is doing is showing you that this is what was happening is the plan that has been planned out way before Trump got here. This is part of the Republican playbook to start packing in the courts, to start packing school boards, to start packing electoral offices, so you can put through any sort of hateful legislation that you want to push through with a clean slate because nobody's there to challenge that.

The other thing this does is it muddies the water. Unfortunately, in this time that we live in now, a rumor and a lie can move a lot faster than the truth. And if you put the energy out there that there's voter fraud, people are going to automatically start assuming that it's true, whether it's true or not, even if you show them the data. So I think it's incumbent on the Democrats to really get in front of a lot of this and come out with facts and be aggressive about putting messaging out for people who are at risk to say that, no, this isn this is what the facts are that has to happen as well uh well absolutely all those things must happen and again to everybody who's watching

look i'm trying to tell y'all a lot of you people out here y'all can sit here and be talking about all rolling to my boat blue y Y'all play games if y'all want to. What these people are trying to do, what their plan is, is to execute a sadistic strategy that will not be helpful to African-Americans. I am trying to tell you this is no joke, folks. So please don't act like, oh, man, this is no big deal. Oh, I hear this stuff. Oh, we've been through slavery. We can get through this. Don't play games with this because this is serious. Trust me. Got to go to break, folks. We come back more on Roland Martin Unfiltered, broadcasting live from the Jack Robinson Museum

here in New York City on the Black Star Network. And, of course, download the Black Star Network app on all platforms, Apple Phone, Android Phone, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV. And, of course, please join our Bring the Funk Fan Club, where your dollars make it possible for us to do what we do, the cover stories such as this here in New York City. Send checks and money orders to p.o box 57196 washington dc 20037-0196 cash out dollar sign rm unfiltered paypal's r martin

unfiltered venmo rm unfiltered zell roland at roland s. Martin dot com. We'll be right back. I am Dr. Jackie Hood Martin, and I have a question for you. Ever feel as if your life is teetering and the weight and pressure of the world is consistently on your shoulders? Well, let me tell you, living a balanced life isn't easy. Join me each Tuesday on Black Star Network for a balanced life with Dr. Jackie. We'll laugh together, cry together, pull ourselves together, and cheer each other on. So join me for new shows each Tuesday on Black Star Network, A Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie. We're all impacted by the culture, whether we know it or not.

From politics to music and entertainment, it's a huge part of our lives. And we're going to talk about it every day, right here on The Culture with me, Faraji Muhammad, only on the Black Star Network. Hi, I'm Teresa Griffin. Hi, my name is Latoya Luckett and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. All right, folks. Marshal Grant Griffin, who goes by Grant, has been missing from Grand, North Carolina since June 27th.

He is 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighs 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Grant was last seen driving his green 1996 town and country van. He was wearing black sweatpants with a black hoodie. Anyone with information about Grant Griffith should call the Grand North Carolina Police Department at 336-570-6711. 336-570-6711. Folks, a Cincinnati police officer has been stripped of her police duties after she was caught on her body cam using the n-word. Ridiculous. Oh, I hate him so much.

God, I hate this world. Hate it. Hate him. hate it hate them this happened while officer rose valentino was driving past the high school she said the slur was directed at a student who allegedly flipped her off she has been suspended while her disciplinary hearing process takes place she claims that music and hearing others use the word desensitized her to racist language. Now, this is the first racially motivated incident for Valentino. In 2018, she and two other officers were involved in a racial discrimination lawsuit. Tarun, you buying this?

This is the first time I've ever heard an officer blame NWA on her behavior. This is something new. You know what? It's fascinating to me because you said this woman has been reprimanded several times for not turning on her body camera. She was involved in a racial bias lawsuit, as you said. And it also came to light that a couple years ago she was involved in a personal domestic violence dispute, and she was forced to take anger management classes. You've got to ask yourself, is this somebody that you want on the street with a gun, with the power of life and death, personal domestic violence dispute, and she was forced to take anger management classes.

You got to ask yourself, is this somebody that you want on the street with a gun, with the power of life and death patrolling your neighborhoods? It's just, it's crazy to me. But what's fascinating is that this woman was able to do this, still be on the force, and still be allowed by her department to be out dealing with the public. The only reason she got suspended now is because we have video footage of it. And she's only been suspended. How long is the suspension going to last? Are they going to let her back onto the street? What's going to happen after this?

So to answer your question, no, I don't buy it. You know, Alicia didn't use some drug to say that she was on it. She blamed rap music. That's interesting. That's a new twist. Teresa, there's no way in the world this woman should be a cop. She should be fired. Absolutely.

But we all know how the system of the police department actually works. You know, they get reprimanded by getting time off from the desk. But, you know, this type of behavior is exactly what people are protesting about in the streets. It's about having, you know, equality. You know, it's not, and it's about accountability. It's about, you know, respecting other individuals. You know, I think in outside of her saying the N-word, you know, that was due to, quote, the music that is out here in the public, which, again, you can choose or not choose to listen to. But also she said she hate people. She hate, you know, her job. And so even for, you know, that base alone, if you hate your job and you hate those type of people,

you hate black and brown people and your job is to serve the people, you know, that's the type of person you do not want in a position of power. Because again, I think, you know, as we look at some of these police officers and their accountability, you know, and how they treat black and brown people, I think, you know, if they say they're tired of us complaining, you know, about how we're being treated, well, again, this is a prime example of someone that should not be in uniform, and maybe it's just time for them just to retire early. these things. We I remember when there was a private Facebook group that was busted and all of these cops around the country were using racist language and all kinds of different crazy and wild things. I mean, these are people who are supposedly there to protect and serve us. And then the people wonder why black folks don't trust cops.

She went with the blaming on hip hop defense. So so i'm gonna go out on a limb and say this is not the first time she's sitting word she's pretty comfortable saying it so she should i agree with your point roland she should be should be fired and to all the law and order folks out there and folks who you know talk about three strikes you know she should not be on the force she's had multiple incidents, particularly turning off your body camera and some of the other domestic issues and some of the other issue challenges she's had. The other point that I think is important, Roland, she's been involved in training other officers. And we've seen this when you look at issues when the Department of

Justice is going to various jurisdictions, including Baltimore, among others, that these officers who are training other officers are continuing this culture of viewing Black and brown communities as less than. So we have to get people like this off the force. We certainly can't make sure they're involved in training new officers. But once again, she certainly can't use the blame it on hip hop defense, which I find comical. But once again, we see a lot of the blame it on hip hop defense, which I find comical. But once again, this is we see a lot of this throughout the throughout the United States in terms of various jurisdictions. And we can't allow these kind of law enforcement officers to be on the streets because undoubtedly what they're doing is harming black and brown communities. Well, check this out in North Carolina.

An entire police force has quit because they say they don't like the new black city manager. A letter to the city manager, Justine Jones, in Kinley, North Carolina. Kinley's police chief and four officers, they say they are out. They have, of course, been the department for 21 years. And letter to Jones, this individual here, folks, is pretty laughable here. Talked about the department's growth. Also said he did not see making more progress as long as Jones was the town manager. And this is the police chief here.

And he claimed that since she took over the environment changed uh there um this is a chief uh john josh uh josh gibson uh of course in addition to the four officers the assistant town manager and the key clerk also resigned in protest of jones's hiring she's been on the job for about a month the johnson county sheriff's Office will pick up the slack in response to the resignation. The State Highway Patrol in Johnson County will assist as well. The town is left with three part-time officers from the department. Jones has yet to comment on the situation. What do you make of this, Larry? It's ridiculous.

She's been on the job for a month, and it's interesting to hear the letter you read and had a chance to read the article in terms of the change of environment, of feeling uncomfortable. Imagine how she feels, certainly if she's the only Black woman or among a few number of Black women who are trying to meet the needs of the town. But the fact that they've resigned, it doesn't add up. And like I said, especially she's only been on the job for a few weeks. But once again, this is the issues that Black folks, particularly Black women, have to deal with in the workplace. I think that's really what we should really focus on, the challenges, like I said, that Black women have to deal with.

And individuals like this, examples like this, just highlight, like I said, some of the toxic workplaces the black women have to deal with. And individuals like this, examples like this just highlight, like I said, some of the toxic workplaces that black women have to work with. And we should support the sister. Maybe you can get on the show. I know she hasn't come out with a comment, like you said, but maybe you get on our show to talk a little bit about her side of the story. But once again, this is just individuals getting in their feelings because someone who doesn't look like them comes in with some authority. Well, I'll say this here, Teresa.

This is one of those moments where she should be talking. I get you have personal issues, but every story that I've seen, she has not talked whatsoever. This is one where I do think it's important for her to communicate what she's had to deal with and really what's going on in this town. I'm sure. And even with a month's work of her being in that position, it's likely she went in with an iron fist. It's likely that she came out and said very clearly, you know, what you're used to is not going to be the same. We are actually going to do some changes and reforms. And, you know, honestly, yes, I think she should come out. I think the messaging needs to be very clear about how she wants to restructure the office. And anybody else that wants to leave

who plans on doing traditional practices, they have to leave, too. So, yeah, it is time to clean house. She's in there to, you know, ultimately I'm looking forward to what her statement has to say because she looks like she's there to do business. You know, the article was very clear. And when she was brought in to be the town manager the program or they don't like, you know, the color of her skin or they don't like that she is a black woman that is overseeing them and what they're doing, then yes, it is time to go put your retirement papers in and we thank you for your service. Well, and to run by monitors here, she's only been there a month. Clearly, you got some people who are not happy with a new management style because they probably uh are uncomfortable with somebody's probably

holding them accountable you know when i first heard about this story the first thing that came to my mind and roll it and the doctor probably can back me up on this there's an old movie called blazing saddles where this country town um gets a black sheriff, it's in the old west, and when he rides in the town, the whole town basically either collapses or falls out or they take off running. And it seems like this is a live action version of that. There is this thing that happens in America, it's embedded in America's DNA, where you have certain white people, and we just got to be honest with this, who have a serious issue with anybody black and in a position of authority over there. The idea of it scares them to death, and a lot of them cannot take it. And I think that's what you're seeing in this case. You see people who are used to having, again, like this other officer we spoke about earlier, having the power to arrest,

having the power to imprison, having the power of life and death over a community. And when somebody comes in who's a reformer who says, I'm going to clean that up, they're automatically going to get nervous and some people are going to leave or they're going to make a statement like this. And then when you factor in the fact that this is a black person and a black woman, this is something that black people in positions of authority in the workplace and executive positions and legislative positions, in pretty much any position where you have authority to deal with on one extreme to another. And I think we need to go a little bit further. I know she hasn't made a statement yet, but I think sometimes the best statement you can make is action. And I think what has to happen also, every officer that left, there needs to be a review of every case that they've had a hand in.

Why are they leaving? What are they afraid of? It can't just be this one Black woman. What are they trying to run away from? That needs to be investigated. Indeed. All right, folks, got to go to a quick break. We come back with Jack Robinson Museum. We'll hear from a former attorney general, Eric Holder, Billie Jean King, also a journalist, Bill Roten, about the opening of the Jack Robinson Museum here in New York City. We are broadcasting live from the museum and we'll be back in a moment on the Black Star Network. I'm going to go. Sexy to me is the exact same feeling as running water. Ever flowing. Water always finds a way to get through. And so when you know that you're sexy, there are no questions about it.

It is an ever flowing emotion. It is an ever flowing feeling. When you question it though, you stop the water. I actually, I struggle with this a lot. Mainly because I've been told what sexy should look like, what it should feel like. As a model who did Sports Illustrated, you're told

that this is what sells sexy but then you travel the world and what's sexy to one person is not sexy to another person. I'm more of a mindfuck kind of person. How can you stimulate the brain? To me, that's that's sexy.

Pull up a chair. Take your seat at the Black Tape. With me, Dr. Greg Carr, here on the Black Star Network. Every week, we'll take a deeper dive into the world we're living in. Join the conversation only on the Black Star Network. Hi, I'm Israel Houghton with Israel and New Breed. Hi, I'm Carl Painting. Hey, everybody. This is Sherri Shepherd. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered.

And while he's doing Unfiltered, I'm practicing the wobble. I am. Because Roland Martin's the one, he will do it backwards. He will do it on the side. He messes everybody up when he gets into the wobble. Because he doesn't know how to do it, so he does it backwards. And it messes me up every single time. So I'm working on it.

I got it. You got rolling, Martin. Folks, we are here in New York City today. The Jackie Robinson Museum opened here. That there is a replica of Ebbets Field where Jack Robinson played. It is an unbelievable museum that tells his entire life story growing up in Cairo, Georgia, going to UCLA, becoming an All-American athlete, lettering in four sports. And baseball actually was the worst out of the four sports. Then, of course, it talks about that career, five months in the Negro Leagues, going to the major leagues,

and then, of course, his life after that, a corporate executive. Of course, NAACP, freedom fighter, role in politics, education, all of those things, boy, one hell of a life for a Jackie Robinson who passed away in 1972 at the age of 53. This museum is breathtaking in explaining all that he is about. There were a number of people, folks, who were here today who were, of course, focused on celebrating his life and that, of course. And let's start with one, Eric Holder, who was the former Attorney General. I had a chance to catch up with him, and start with one Eric Holder who was the former

Attorney General had a chance to catch up with him and here is Attorney General Holder. You at the house? See every now and again I get to you know go on my own. I got a limited limited pass here so. You got a few hall passes for the year? There we go. This is one of them. Jackie Robinson opening. This is a good hall pass. So why was it important for you to physically be here? To witness something that I think is long in the making, but is also long overdue. To recognize, in some ways, a second

founding father. I mean, his contribution to the United States is not to integrate baseball. He changed the nation for the better, along with Rachel Robinson. And to be here to celebrate the two of them was important for me. I said the last couple of days that what Rachel Robinson has done since his death 50 years ago is very similar to what Coretta Scott King did, and that is really not allowing that legacy to die away, and that we can't talk about honoring these two individuals, these two great men, if you don't honor the two women who made sure that legacy was really cemented. Right. No, that's exactly right.

What they have done is to keep the dream alive and to make people understand in this day that their contributions that their husbands made in the past have to be honored, have to be followed so that we have a better future. And you think about, you know, Rachel Robinson, you know, the widow of Dr. King, the widow of Malcolm X. These are all widows of freedom fighters, and these are Women who've kept you know their memories alive they were freedom fighters, too Oh absolutely absolutely you wouldn't have those men without those women

Andrew young we interview I interviewed him he said he said oh, let's be real clear He said the women made us do what we did he said that wasn't all us no I mean to be real clear. He said the women made us do what we did. He said that wasn't all us. No. I mean, to be the first 1947, you couldn't be the only. It had to be with a partner. And he had the extraordinary Rachel Robinson at his side. What I love about this museum, it is not a baseball museum. I mean, it really walks you through the totality of who Jackie Robinson was. No, that's exactly right. He's way bigger than baseball. This museum is way bigger than baseball. And that's the context that I think people who come here will leave with. A great baseball player, a pioneer in baseball, but a pioneer and a great American, you know, who changed the nation. When we think about history, I mean, look, you know, position that you were in as first black attorney general.

And then we think about, you know, that that that that responsibility, that serving the first black president, it's always difficult for the first. But the reality is you have to make sure that you're not the last. That's exactly right, and that's what I think is so important about Jackie. He certainly made possible the integration of the Dodgers in baseball, brought more black players to the Dodgers, but then talked about the need for greater black participation in baseball and greater participation by African Americans in business and a whole range of other things, you know, including electoral

politics. I mean, he you know, this was a guy who focused on America and its issues, not simply in sports, but it's in its entirety. And we'll see what I appreciate is he did not hold his tongue for his book. He spoke it in real time to Richard Nixon, to Barry Goldwater, to his criticism of Roy Wilkins leading the NAACP. And so he was not someone who just sort of shied away again, revealing these thoughts in the book. No, no, no. He was on the front lines with his perspectives. Oh, that's exactly right.

He was never a person to hold his tongue, whether it was refusing to go to a backup bus when he's in the Army, all the way to his later years. And he is an example. If you're going to be the first, you can't lose your voice in the process, and he never did. Right, and I think that's what jumps out. And what's still crazy to me is that this is a brother who i'm trying to think when when sydney poitier and i talked he said i appreciate you because you have no backup i was like whoa i said

i was strong for so for this brother to be so hardcore who didn't take nothing off anybody but to take all of that to be the first that that juxtaposition is just crazy oh that's exactly right i mean you see him in that first year when he was told he couldn't respond but then you see the real jackie robinson from year two and on and the fiery person that he was and the fiery person that he remained throughout his life he died too soon yeah uh and you think about all the contributions that he was and the fiery person that he remained throughout his life. He died too soon. Yeah. And you think about all the contributions that he might have been able to make. Oh, Spike said point blank.

He said having to hold all of that in, he said that contributes to breaking down your body. I think that's absolutely right. I think that especially that first year, that shortened his life. That'd be my guess. But you know what? He packed a lot of impact into that two short life. He's still with us. He's still with us. Right. That's what Andrew Young once said.

He said, no, Dr. King is physically not here. He said, but he's being discussed every day somewhere around the world. He said, that's when you know you're still here. And I think that certainly applies to Jackie Robbins. That's absolutely right. He is he's not just 1947. He's 2022. He'll be 2122.

He'll be people will be talking about him as long as there is an America. All right. Always good to see you. Get a plug in for the book. All right. We got to sell that book. Our unfinished march. It's a history of the vote in the United States of America.

But it's really about our fight for democracy that is ongoing. I see his wife made sure to say, look, get that book out there. See, I always listen to the wives. This is why I love this man. He made me do it. Appreciate it, baby. Appreciate it. That was that was, of course, my man Eric Holder.

He is always doing what he does, so we're always having way too much fun chatting with each other. He wasn't the only person who was here. He had the opportunity, folks, to catch up with one of the greatest tennis players of all time. She has been very much involved in fighting for civil rights, fighting for human rights, for LGBT rights, you name it. She has been on the forefront of sports for a very long time. She was here taking photos, having her presence felt. It was great to see her chatting up on the front row with Spike Lee.

Of course, he is a huge, huge sports fan. And I'm talking about, of course, tennis great Billie Jean King had an opportunity to catch up with her, to get her thoughts on the opening of this museum. And here it is waiting this day for a long time so happy for rachel just turned 100 a few days ago and she's here to celebrate the cut of the river but it's about equality it's about racism it's about all these things that has the younger generations you've got to learn about Jackie's legacy.

And all he did. And Jackie was a real hero in our family in the 50s. You know, my dad played basketball against him. He went to Long Beach City and Jackie went to Pasadena City. So I've known about Jackie Robinson my whole life. And he's always a hero in our home and what he represented. How he did it, I have no idea. Putting up the racism, the slurs, just how horrible humans can be to each other.

And he just hung in there every day. He must have... I just can't believe how he got through this. But he did, and he's such a great example and such a hero to all of us everyone and I know we're fighting racism, but I can tell you a lot of white people, including me

loved him, loved what he stands for and continue to appreciate the kids who are getting the scholarships I think that's really important and his legacy will truly live on with Rachel's idea of having the Jackie Robinson museum. All right, here we go.

Folks, if you saw, if you read the book, A Forty Million Dollar Slave, of course, many people read that amazing book. Bill Roten, longtime columnist for the New York Times. Of course, he also is a Hall of Famer for the National Association of Black Journalists. Bill Roten, well known in the sports field. We got a chance to catch up with him today inside of this museum. He talked about this museum and how Jackie Robinson is so important to American history is our conversation. Oden, just your initial thoughts on you being able to see this Jackie Robinson Museum. It's just so wonderful, Roland, that it is here.

You know, I remember I was here, maybe the last time I really had a long interview with Rachel Robinson was here in 2009. Obama had just been inaugurated. We were over the moon about that. And this was her dream. Her dream there, she thought it was going to be maybe 2010. But what I learned about Rachel Robinson, I remember you were talking about Jackie's determination. Man, this woman is the determination and the patient of joe i mean once she sets her mind on something this is this i mean she she raised almost like 35 million dollars to get this done so i'm just so happy and proud

and you know and you know yourself all about being in this business self-definition is what it's all about you cannot have anybody else defining your story you know know, I'm telling you, every black person should have a museum to tell your story. Well, that's why, I mean, you know, I always quote the nation's first black newspaper, Freedom's Journal, which said on March 16, 1827, we wish to plead our own cause, too long have others spoken for us. Exactly. That's the awesome part, man. I mean, you know, you can talk all you want about Jackie Robinson and all that,

but once you come in here, you see it, man. I mean, you know, you can talk all you want about Jackie Robinson and all that, but once you come in here, you see it. How Rachel wants to tell the story. You know, how he wants to tell the story. That's what's so beautiful about this. And I'm hoping, like, a lot of young people will come here, and not just get into the history, but how does this history

relate to me? You know, I mean, that's when we just turned 100 years old. Well, that's why I think it's awesome when they were walking me through. At the end here, they have three screens where you have to pick what your commitment is. And then you put in your name, your email, and your zip code in there. So the challenge is, okay, you went through all of this here. Now what are you going to do? Exactly.

And that, to me, is the beauty of this for a young person. Because as you know, as you get older, you got to figure out what do I stand for? What do I stand for? And when you look at this guy's life, what's his favorite saying? A life has no meaning except the impact it has on other people. And that's what this is all about, man. So I think what I'm happy about is that this is basically for young people. I mean, I know old heads are there, but this is basically for young people to wake up. But also I think I do also believe there's value for old heads as well because what this museum does is it also wakes you up.

If you haven't done the history, if you don't understand, all of a sudden they're going to be like, oh, I didn't know that. I didn't know that. I didn't know that. Exactly. In other words, you're talking about not reinventing the wheel, you know, because for a lot of young people, probably me and you too, you think that what you did was like the first time it happened. And you look at this stuff and you say, oh, man, like you said, I didn't realize this. I mean, and history is real. You know, history is now.

So that's why I'm just so happy and proud that this thing is here. Now the challenge for all of us is to make sure that, you know, another 50 years, it's going to be here and growing and, you know, and all that. Now, what I hope, I hope, because we saw this, a lot of professional teams, they would visit the National Museum of African American History in D.C. I would hope, you know, all sports leagues, but definitely when baseball teams come to New York

to play the Yankees and the Mets, that their teams, that they would make a concerted effort to come by this museum. The thing is, that might be a good Bill Rowland column. Yet another one you give me. Another idea.

We steal it back and forth. That's a hell of an idea. Who's idea was it? Well, you know, there's too many people to know, but you know who you are. You know, but, you know, the thing I was thinking about, it's not necessarily that point, but the beauty of history is that, you know, for example, when we were here in 2009, Rachel and I, and we were just ecstatic about Barack becoming the first black president. We had no idea that Barack was going to lead to Donald Trump.

We had no idea that that would happen. Then we didn't know that that was going to lead to having the first black vice president. So I guess my point is that history is an ebb and flow. You know, it's this, it's that, and it's about you never sitting down and resting on your laurels. I'm sure that when Jackie desegregated Major League Baseball, the hope is that there would be like hundreds of black folks coming into Major League Baseball. I'm sure if he was alive now, he'd say, damn, what damn what three percent and we still only have like two black managers you know so it's kind of like the struggle really does continue well as you were talking i'm literally reading that quote i'm proud to be black i'm also embattled because i'm black yeah absolutely well remember his thing i mean one of the profound things about jackie

robson how he self-corrected. Remember when he was a rookie, they had him testify against Paul Robeson and he did. But at the end of his life, in his book, he wrote, he said, you know, he basically I made a mistake. I didn't realize then if they asked me to do it now, I wouldn't do it because I didn't realize the destructiveness of the white man. And if asked to do it now, I wouldn't do it because I know that Paul Robinson was just about his people. And that's the beauty about, you know, he endorsed Nixon over Kennedy because he thought Nixon was more, had black folks' interests at heart. And when he realized that wasn't true, he self-corrected. So that's the beautiful thing about Jackie Robinson. He also self-corrected. You know, I love that about him. So, oh man, this is just, for all the reasons we've talked about, this is just, but the biggest thing is

that the struggle about this museum is that the struggle continues. It's never over, man. This stuff will never be over. That's it. Well, always good to see you, fellow NABJ Hall of Famer, Bill Roden. Good to see you, baby. You're the best. All right That's it. Well, always good to see you, fellow NABJ Hall of Famer Bill Roden. Good to see you, baby. You the best. Appreciate it. All right. We're joined now by Keith Shockley.

He is a founding member of Public Enemy. Keith, your thoughts about the Jack Robinson Museum? This is incredible. I've been to a lot of museums, and this right here tells a whole story of not just sports, but of life. And, you know, Jackie. Hold that microphone a little bit closer. I'm sorry. And I should know that.

Yeah, you should know that. I should know that. And as, you know, Jackie Robinson has been a huge influence on me, Chuck, Flav, my brother Hank, Eric, and all of us, why we wrote the songs that we wrote. And being here and the way this is put together, man, you know, it's kind of a little bit better than the African Museum. And we're in the African Museum. So this is kind of great, and it's a great place to be in Manhattan.

You know, I know some people might go, well, it should have been in Brooklyn. Nope. Right here where everybody needs to come by and see this, even from tourist side and everything. And right here is a perfect space. First of all, we're not far at all from the financial district, World Trade Center.

And so, I mean, you're right. I mean, people will be able to come here. And the Wilson was an attraction. And as I said to Bill Rohn, I really hope these professional sports teams make a pilgrimage to come here. They should make a program. And this should go into the metaverse because this is where the younger kids in there can understand this in a whole other level because they've got a piece in there with the stadium that's kind of metaverse-ish piece. It is dope.

It is dope, and I've never seen that before, and I'm kind of really versed in technology. But this is a great situation, a great place. I think it's right in the middle of everybody where they can get to it real quickly. It's right over the bridge from the Brooklyn Manhattan Bridge, and it's really dope. All right, then. Well, Keith, we certainly appreciate it, man. Thank you.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Doc. Man, thank you. Pleasure meeting you. Yes, sir. I appreciate it. Thanks a bunch. All right. I'm going to get our panel who's here. Also, I'm seeing folks doing a tour right now.

The U.N. ambassador, the United Nations. She's waving. Come on over. Come say hey. Don't be scared. Don't be scared. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, she is getting a tour of here right now. I'm going to go back to my panel, Teresa, Toron, as well as Larry. For all three of you here, you know, this is paying homage to Jackie Robinson. And again, as I've been saying and we've been expressing, the beauty of this, this is not solely about baseball. And I think that one of the mistakes that we make is that we only limit our sports figures to just what they do on the sports field.

But the ability for them to be able to showcase all of Jackie Robinson, Larry, I think that's what is so significant. Yes. So you talked about not only in terms of the importance, its importance to baseball, but also corporate America. And also, you know, we heard the last segment in terms of him, politics in terms of, you know, Jackie's self-correcting throughout his lifetime. But he played a critical role in not only integrating baseball, but in terms, like you say, integrating corporate America and also being a role model. We heard this in terms of being a role model for, you heard the mayors talk about this role model, not only for the Black community, but particularly for Black men. And, you know, I think it's really important, Roland, you highlighted it's important for, you know, major league baseball teams, not just major league baseball teams, but teams in general,

when they come to New York City, that they should visit the museum because it's really important. And, you know, Jackie kind of epitomizes in terms of the intersection of racism, sports, and also economics and also obviously politics. So it's really important that athletes of today visit the museum, support it financially, and also the important to remember that, you know, all the sacrifices he made, his family made, but there's still a long way to go. You heard, last segment, you talked about, the sacrifices he made, his family made, but there's still a long way to go. You heard, last segment you talked about, the segment before last, you talked about $40 million slaves, and that's a really important book. And in terms of, like I said, athletes understanding what their civic and political responsibility is, and Jackie Robinson epitomized that. Also want to note that, you know, for years I used to attend the Jackie Robinson Jazz Fest

in Connecticut. I heard the mayor talk about that previously. So in terms of the foundation and the work his widow has been doing, they have been for years making sure the students have scholarships, can attend college. But Jackie Robinson's legacy is so important. He said it's beyond what he did in terms of the ingrained baseball. I'm just sitting here live on the air. Yeah, that's why I like waving to you. You can say a couple of words. Y'all, that's, of course, the ambassador to the United Nations who literally is behind me.

I was chatting with her. I was trying to get her over here to say a few words about the museum, but she's getting her tour right now. Teresa, there's a block party tomorrow, Teresa, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A number of schools are going to be coming through here, young people coming through here. Della Britton said that they plan on having a lot of seminars, workshops, things along those lines here, because they really want the next generation to understand that Jackie Robinson was more than just number 42. And this is a great opportunity for our young people to have this historical experience.

I mean, listen, what's being taught, you you know in public schools is that jackie robson is a basketball a baseball player this is what happens in public school well no way but not not not he was he did play basketball at ucla played football ran track uh but professionally baseball player professionally yes um so yeah with the upgraded textbooks yes they did tell us that um he was most notably a baseball player. But, yes, Jackie Robinson, you know, is a pillar in this community. He was part of the civil rights movement. accomplishments and how, you know, how even being on the team and what he had to go through in order to even be on the team and to have, you know, what, you know, Jackie Robinson

was as a businessman and as a leader. I think those were other type of pillars that young people need to see, especially in today's age. We need to see people that look like us. They need to know why we're proud, why we're African-American and why we, you know, play the sport or why, you know, we decide to be a part of any type of movement, right? So I think it is about more than the athlete. And I think this museum will give, you know, again, young people and older adults an opportunity to share in the experiences and hopefully take it back to our communities. I told Ron, Jackie Robinson understood black economics. He was a chair of

the board of a black bank in Harlem. He understood what that meant. He understood being in corporate America, being the first corporate vice president, the role that that played. And so, again, one of those athletes who said this can't just be about sports, that black advancement is also about black economics. That's absolutely correct. And I think it's really good

that the museum is focusing on Jackie Robinson, the man, aside from Jackie Robinson, the image and the civil rights icon and the athlete. Because if you, I think the general public has an idea of what Jackie Robinson is

and it's so iconic. And I think that happens with a lot of our heroes because we see the images of them, but we don't look at them as total human beings. And this is a man, as we said on your former segment, a man who was a business person, a man who was conflicted in a lot of ways, a man who was also militant before he even

stepped on a baseball diamond. This is a man who pushed back against the military in 1944 because he refused to move to the back of a military bus while he was serving his country. He went to court-martialing and was acquitted. And if you think about the chance he took, even going that far, to stand up for himself in 1944, when there was nobody else around him to defend that, that takes a lot of courage. And if you talk about business, I think that's something that we are starting to talk about again as a culture because if you look at the state of black people before 1964,

even though we were dealing with segregation in Jim Crow, there was a very strong economic mindset. There was a very strong survival streak that was tied through economics and business. And I think for him to move out as an athlete, to move into business, was a reflection of that. Because if you grew up in the neighborhoods at that time, there were always people who had their own businesses, from newspapers to clothing to everything to music that we all controlled. And that was all black and that was all black owned. So being a factor on the field, being a factor in serving your country and being a factor for your community and business is very important. And it was beautiful that this museum shows all those aspects of that um we talk about this this idea of telling our own story

that to me is also what is critical here excuse me some 450 artifacts again Again, as I said, just to our left, his military uniform, the different documents, his actual first contract, the presidential medal of freedom. All these things are in here. And, yes, you have the Smithsonian Museum, National Museum of African American History. That's in Washington, D.C. And one of the things, Larry, that that and I'm actually working on a concept for showing the Black Star Network. So hopefully we can get a travel sponsor for this. But we travel all around the country. And Jackie Robinson dealt with racism there in Sanford, Florida, right outside of Orlando, where Trayvon Martin was killed. And there's a museum there dedicated to those, to a black couple that were freedom fighters there whose house was firebombed and both were killed as a result. You go to Augusta, Georgia, there's a Harriet Tubman Museum there. Obviously, the Negro Leagues Museum in Kansas City. We can go, you have the new Black History Museum that's going to be opening in January in Charleston, South Carolina.

We could go all around this country. You've got your Black Museum in Detroit. You've got your African Museum that is there in Dallas. So we could go on and on and on. And so it's important that our history is indeed American history. And it needs to be far and wide. And we should be very supportive of that. The Underground Railroad Museum is located there in Cincinnati. And so we think about Civil Rights Museum is there in Birmingham.

And then you talk about Montgomery, the lynching museum that just opened up and the Equal Justice Institute. There's a Rosa Parks Museum that's there in Troy, Alabama. We can just go on and on and on. All of those are vital for us to understand and to know our history. And so I always make a point, Larry, of when I'm going places and there are statues to African-Americans, there are busts to African-Americans, there are museums, of visiting those places

so other folks know what exists out here that's our people, our culture. Yeah, the points you highlighted were important. You know, I'm from Philadelphia and I remember frequently going to the museum in Philadelphia. And so it's really important, the point you made about telling our story. First of all, our story is uniquely American with all the challenges.

But all the museums you highlighted are also, you know, part of, like I said, the Black experience of struggle in the United States and obviously overcoming in many of those struggles. But we do need to tell you our own story. That's why your show was so important, having Black folks like us on the show to talk about these issues, Jackie Robinson's museum, et cetera. But, you know, if we don't tell our story the way it should be told, then what we see throughout U.S. history is that people twist it and shape it the way they want to. When we talk about historical figures like Jackie Robinson or Dr. King, people only want to highlight, they only want to utilize certain quotes that fit their agenda. But they don't want to talk about when Jackie Robinson, for instance, talked about, you know, as a black man in terms of how he feels about the Pledge of Allegiance.

Or in Dr. King, when he thought the civil Civil Rights Movement when he offers a critique of white supremacy. So it's really important, once again, when you talk about traveling to these different cities and, you know, collecting these archival data and interviewing these various individuals like you did in today's various segments, is that we, once again, we tell our own story and tell it truthfully, even though many times it can be painful. But like I said, it is our experience is uniquely American as people of African descent here in the United States. And Teresa, you know, and I use this quote over and over and over again. Freedom's Journal, March 16th, 1827, here in New York, the first black newspaper. We wish to plead our own cause.

Too long have others spoken for us. This is a museum that Rachel Robinson wanted created as a monument to her husband, Jackie Robinson. This is their story. And it's told through the eyes of African Americans. They don't shy away from it. And Jackie Robinson, and this is critically important with this museum, cannot and should not be treated as some bobblehead

figure of the same way we sort of think about Dr. King today, how people want to strip him of his radicalness. The reality is you see the radicalness of Jackie Robinson. I mean, I'm looking right here, and they have the year 1966, and then they have information on here. Officer Candidate School, Robinson and Paul Robeson, 7161st Tank Battalion, voting rights, disillusioned the independent. And so they're not shying away from where Jackie Robinson became disillusioned. I'm literally reading it where it says, by the late 1960s, Robinson expressed disillusionment over the civil rights movement's slow results. Segregation remained as did discrimination in hiring, income, housing, and health care. Black soldiers returning from Vietnam, including his son Jack Jr., were traumatized from combat,

shunned by Americans who largely disapprove of the war and deprive of adequate resources to facilitate a return to everyday life. These combined circumstances contributed to a sense of hopelessness. However, Robinson's interactions with young people offered him optimism for the future. They are not trying to sugarcoat this thing? And they shouldn't. You know, the basis of black and brown stories is our history. It's unfortunate that we had to go through so much in order to get to the independents and the celebrity, you know, that most were able to attain.

But there are so many other leaders that are just unknown in African-American history. And part of it is because we don't have people telling our stories. So, again, you know, this is another great opportunity. This is another moment in history where we are now not only, you know, seeing it in print, but we are visually getting the opportunity to know who is Jackie Robinson, who is number 42, and his legacy does live on. So again, you know, there's no reason why there's only one Jackie Robinson Museum only in one city. There shouldn't be a reason why there is only one Rosa Parks Museum in one city. But the basis of this, you know, is part of American history where,

you know, we have to figure out the ways to communicate. And sometimes it is step by step and piece by piece. But I think ultimately, you know, by having these museums, we are opening the dialogues. We are opening the opportunity for conversations to provide solutions of progress and opportunities for next generations to do better. Jackie Robinson, first of all, folks, if you don't realize, was a founding member of 100 Black men. Earlier today, Hosani Pratt, she is with the National Urban League. I got a chance to catch up with her. She shared her thoughts with us about this museum. And so before I go to Toron, I do want to just share with you what she had to say. Tester 1-2, we good?

All right, for the purpose of the editors, give me a correct spelling, a first name, last name, title. Hi, Hassani Prats, H-A-S-O-N-I, last name P-R-A-T-T-S, senior advisor to Mark Morial, National Urban League, and a Brooklyn resident. Oh, so as a Brooklyn resident, you must have a particular feeling about the opening of this museum. Absolutely. Well, I have a particular feeling about Jackie Robinson and all the Jackie Robinson. Then if you think about Jackie Robinson being at UCLA lettering in four different sports and all the barriers and all the barricades that were put in front of him,

and he chose to just persevere and continue to go forward. And his efforts in the civil rights movement are very clear in this museum. What his wife, Mrs. Rachel Robinson, has done today is an incredible testament to the perseverance, to the dedication and the commitment to equal rights and justice for black people and black people across the diaspora. What Jackie Robinson did and what he continued to do throughout his entire life was about unselfish leadership to the equity of our people and to make sure that my children now have the opportunity to be able to go to walk in any place,

any hotel, any school, and have all kinds of rights and opportunities. And I am absolutely grateful today for this museum here. And I just asked the youth program director if she could work with me to bring the students from Medgar Verde Preparatory College High School to come here to see their history, to understand where they come from and how significant it is that we continue to let this, not only the dream of Deccan Robinson, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, all that came before them, that this is for them and for them to continue on that legacy. So today I stand here as a proud, I think, part of his legacy

as someone who went to an HBCU, went to an Ivy League school because of Jackie Robinson. That's the reason why I am who I am today, because of all that he did for our people. All right, then. Well, we certainly appreciate it. Knock it out in one fell swoop. I don't have anything else to say.

You've got to just come to this museum. That's what I would say to you. You must come to this museum. This is worth every single bit of your time. When you come to New York City, come to this corner here on Alpha Canal and walk into this place so you can be inspired. Cool. All right. I appreciate it. Thank you. Good to see so you can be inspired. Cool. All right. I appreciate it.

Thank you. Good to see you. Likewise. Thanks a bunch. All right. Make sure, make sure, folks. Okay, folks, To Run, that, that, that, that, that, that perspective there, again, and I really hope people appreciate with

the I'm sort of thinking about King. You know, so many people focus on his 63 speech, so they act like nothing happened between 63 and 68 when he was assassinated. And, you know, Jackie Robinson retires and it really is

one hell of a story. when you think about when he left Major League Baseball. And people forget he was traded from the Dodgers to the Giants. But he did not want to play with them. He leaked to the media the trade and never played for them. And he really was hell-bent on making sure to drive equality and freedom for black people after his playing days were over. And I hope that is a lesson to athletes today. When you look at what Stephen Curry, LeBron James, look at a lot of these guys are doing within business.

They are preparing themselves for the day when they're no longer playing sports. And Jackie Robinson was a forerunner to that. Yeah. I went to school with a lot of guys who were very athletic. You know, they played football. They played basketball. They had some sort of skill set in that way. And some of them went to college.

And a couple of them went to the pros. Unfortunately, with a lot of our folks, man, who do that, they put so much effort into their physical skill that when they leave that sport or when they're forced to leave that sport, they have nothing else. And I think that kind of ties into what you're talking about with people like Jackie Robinson and even people who we call as iconic figures like King or Malcolm X.

We get this idea of them in our heads, and it's sort of like this black-and and white static idea of who these people are. And it doesn't do anything for who they are as human beings. And it doesn't, you don't get a full spectrum of who they are after they leave what we know them to be. You know, you say Jackie moved into, did a lot of things behind the scenes in business. He did a lot of things while he was a player to try to move equality and move the needle for other black people. And I think that's something that has to be addressed as well. We've got to get out of this idea that the people who we know that are household names,

who are iconic figures, are sort of like these static statues that don't move. These are human beings. They were flesh and blood people. They dealt with a lot of things that people like us don't need, they don't even have to deal with. And they dealt with those things, so hopefully we wouldn't have to deal with that, even though we are still dealing with a lot of those issues that we dealt with at that time. But I think it's important to say that these are people who are fully multidimensional people. They did a lot of things outside of what we know them for to make things a little bit better for us today.

And I hope the museum is moving into those areas, and I hope we think about other people who we hold as our kind of figures in that way as well. Indeed, indeed. All right, folks, we got to go to a break. We come back our Marketplace segment. We'll talk with a business owner in Houston about what they're doing, provide

goods from Africa to their customers. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered, broadcasting live from the Jack Robinson Museum here on the Black Star Network. back in a moment. Hi, I'm Dr. Jackie Hood Martin, and I have a question for you. Jackie. We'll laugh together, cry together, pull ourselves together and cheer each other on. So join me for new shows each Tuesday on Black Star Network, A Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie. We're all impacted by the culture, whether we know it or not. From politics to music and

entertainment, it's a huge part of our lives. And we're going to talk about it every day right here on The Culture with me, Faraji Muhammad, only on the Black Star Network. I'm Chrisette Michelle. Hi, I'm Chaley Rose, and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. A Houston-based business has found a way to provide goods and services from the African diaspora for folks to be able to shop while also helping individuals, young African-American men, study abroad. Africa On My Back sells handmade pieces by artisans in Ghana, West Africa, Kente print backpacks, wallets, earrings, face masks,

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And that's when we birthed Africa On My Back. And so the name is twofold, right? It's Africa On My Back because you're actually wearing a product from the continent, but you are also, when you wear it, the pride that you have, you're always thinking about the continent because you know that somebody that looks like me made this backpack and I know that

I'm helping them with their economic goals as well as providing services and opportunities for these brilliant black boys to go study abroad. Wow, that is pretty cool. And so you started, so you went to Ghana in 2016 and you started the business when? In 2017. So in 2017, and so last five years. And so how has the business grown? How many projects did you start with? And then how many are you, how many you have now? Oh, yeah.

So we started with the backpack. It was just the goal was to have the backpacks on the students here in Houston and across the country eventually. And we've gone from backpacks to messenger bags, from messenger bags to earrings, earrings, face masks during the pandemic. In 2020, we took our first group of students to Ghana. And when we came back is when the pandemic hit, the world shut down, and we immediately went into selling African print face masks that were made in Ghana. We have duffel bags.

We have fans. We just started a dainty collection, so we have fans and wristlets for the woman who, you know, wants to go out but doesn't want to carry one of those name brands. They want to carry Africa on my back, which is the new name brand. So we have yoga mat bags for our wellness people who are in wellness. You can put your yoga mat bag in there. We have every product that is functional that a student or professional would need to get from point A to point B. We have those. We have travel bags, duffel bags, and three different sizes, carry-ons, as well as bags that you can put under the plane.

So let's have some questions from our panelists. Let's start with you, Teresa. Hi. Well, congratulations. I think this is, one, a very important product to have. So if I wanted to purchase, where can I buy? And are you on social media? Yes, we are on all platforms on social media as Africa on my back. You can purchase on our website, www.africaonmyback.com.

It has all of our information, all the products. I think you're seeing it right now, but all of our products are on there. Our stories on there, news clippings, everything that you want to know about Africa on My Back, you can find on that website. All right, then. Toron, you're next.

Hello. First, I want to say your merchandise looks amazing. Your website looks great, and thank you for creating this line. My question for you is, what kind of response have you seen from the young black boys that you've taken to Africa and how have they reacted to the merchandise and how has it filtered out into the community? Oh, so we took two,

well, we rented out a movie theater when Black Panther came out. And that's when we really launched with the boys. We had 250 boys in the theater and they came to see Black Panther, of course. And it was an opportunity for me to tell my story. My son was there and he shared, you know, his experience in Ghana. And we also gave out our Africa on My Back t-shirts as well as some backpacks and other things. And I was so surprised from the adults that were there that were sending in pictures like months after the

event, the boys were wearing their shirts. They had their backpacks on at school. So they were, they were proud, which is what I wanted them to be like Like, that's the response we want. They were proud to wear their backpacks. They were proud to wear their t-shirts. They were proud to have something that represented them in their schools. And so the response has been amazing among, amongst the boys, amongst the boys who we've actually taken to Ghana. One has graduated from high school. We have another one who's a senior this year in high school and one who's a junior and one going into ninth grade. So, you know, I am, I'm really excited about what their future will hold because they have stepped foot on the African continent. They

went to the slave dungeons. They learned the history about how the transatlantic slave trade happened. And so I'm really so I'm really excited for their futures because that's an experience that they won't ever forget. That's something that they'll hold on to. They can always look back on it. I've been to Ghana. I've been to Africa with their peers or when they go off to college and they're in conversations

and people start talking about where they vacation and passports and all those things. They can actually participate in the conversation and say that i too have been there you know i too have traveled abroad you know these are some of the things that i've seen as well as the pictures and the videos that they took there to run oh yes I'm sorry, Larry. Larry? Yeah, so first of all, this is a great initiative.

As a father of a black male, I thank you. It's really important to make sure we expose young brothers to, like I said, visiting the continent. It's really important in terms of their self-esteem and seeing beyond some of the stereotypes you see in society. One of the questions I want to ask you is, you know, the last couple of years, well, since the murder of George Floyd, a lot of corporations have been trying to work with Black-run organizations, entities. So my question is, how have you navigated, navigated, you know, you know, maybe working with some corporate, you know, or some other organizations at the same time, maintaining the authenticity that you, you began with and continue with? Yeah, that's a really good question

because it can be challenging, right? You want to make sure that you get the funding so that the business continues to operate and that you have money to then, you know, take the boys to where they, to the study abroad opportunities, but you also, like you mentioned, want to keep the authenticity. You brought up George Floyd. So we are in Houston, Texas. My son graduated from the high school that George Floyd attended, right? I stayed probably three minutes away from where- Hey, hey, hey, no, no, no, no, no, no, no no no no no no no look you can't just say the high school baby you got the name jack yates high school jack yates high school high school yes come on now you're talking to a graduate of jack yates you better ask somebody go okay now you can continue so my son so you see that pride that roland talked about my son has that pride right i

graduated from texas southern university and got my master's from florida a&m university so authenticity runs in my like that's who i am so there's never been a time where i question that because i have two black sons who are growing up at a time where they can't ever get away from being black males, right? That's who they are. So I have to stay true to my mission because I have to make sure that at the end of the day, my sons and everybody else's sons that look like them have an opportunity to be a global citizen. So authenticity, that's not something that I worry about. And I have worked in the nonprofit sector for so long. It really became disillusioned with that because sometimes missions do change when you

take money from other people, right? And so that was the reason that Africa on My Back really started was the backpack is the vehicle to get the voice to Ghana, right? I know having worked in the nonprofit arena, you had to have a funding source. So the backpacks and the products is the vehicle to get the boys to Ghana, right? I know having worked in the nonprofit arena, you have to have a funding source. So the backpacks and the products are the funding source to make sure that we can get the boys to where they need to be. You know, I tell people all the time, we can change products, but the mission of getting brilliant Black boys to Ghana or to Utah or New Mexico or California, places that they need to go and see what it's like outside of their neighborhoods is very important to me. You know, from my son going to being

accepted to Duke University in the ninth grade to go and explore. I want our boys, all of them, to have the opportunity to explore, to dream big. And you can't get that staying in the neighborhood sometimes, you know, you can't get that. So these are opportunities that I want to make sure as I've done it for my sons, right? It's personal. I've done it for my sons. I want to make sure that they're friends and they're friends, friends, and your son has the same opportunity. So authenticity, we are who we are. We black. You know, my grandmother, my great grandmother lived to be 113.

My grandmother is 102 now. I know who I am. And so the mission won't ever change. All right, then. Well, look, we certainly appreciate it. Good luck. If people want to get more information, where do they go to check out what you have for sale? Yes, they can go to www.africaonmyback.com.

www.africaonmyback.com. We are across all social media platforms, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, at Africa on my back. All right, then. Trinette Prince, we certainly appreciate it. Thank you so very much for joining us on today's show. Thank you. All right. You too. While y'all tripping, we should have 1,000 likes at 700.

This makes no sense whatsoever. So between now and me signing off, y'all want to hit that damn like button. Let me thank Teresa, Toron, and Lair for being on today's show. I certainly appreciate you joining us with your thoughts and perspectives. Folks, that is it from us. We're now headed over to the tent. Now, we should have the live stream up because they have the gala going on. The entertainment is happening right across the street.

And I think we have a second stream that's going up right now. Yes, we do. So that live stream is maybe it's not happening just yet. Maybe it hasn't started, but I do see, well, that's it right there. So the grand opening, opening party, we will be broadcasting right here on the Black Star Network. Doug E. Fresh, Slick Rick are going to be performing. Y'all can check that out. See, this is why y'all got to support this. Y'all, we are the first. We are the first media outlet

that they have allowed to broadcast inside of here. Earlier today, after they had the opening, no cameras were allowed in, no media cameras were allowed into the museum. They wanted people to be able to experience it, but then they allowed us in to do the interviews with Bill Roden and others, and so we certainly appreciate that. And so they gave us permission to be the first media outlet to literally broadcast our show

from inside of the museum, and so we certainly thank them for that. And so we are covering this. The grand opening party is tonight. The block party is happening tomorrow here from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tomorrow evening, they have a documentary that's going to be called After Jackie. We'll be there. There's going to be a celebrity talk part of that. We're going to be streaming that as well. And so, folks, we have wall-to-wall coverage of the opening of the Jackie Robinson Museum. It was Rachel Robinson's vision to get this built.

She turned 100 years old last week. She lived to see this take place. It was great seeing her a little bit earlier. I'm just going to go ahead and pull that video up again, y'all. We had the video and we showed you off the top when Rachel Robinson cut the when she cut the so y'all showing it. No, no. Yeah, that's when she cut the ribbon there to to kick this thing off. And so that is the video of her. It was just so great to see her. We were, of course, I took some photos of her in her wheelchair. And look, she rolled up.

She was ready to roll. And when they call her name and step on up. She did that. And then she was all smiles when her son, David, wheeled her up to cut that ribbon. And so everyone stood up there and you saw again, Della's there on the front row, Spike Lee, Billie Jean King, Sheila Johnson, co-founder of BET, and the CEO of Salamander. That's her other daughter, Sharon, there in the wheelchair right there as well. The whole family, her grandchildren were there. They were all there to witness this history being made here in New York City. And we thank them for allowing us. We're here for the groundbreaking five years ago, five years ago. And we are so happy to be here for this occasion right here. And so don't go

back to the video. We're going to close it with that. Folks, that is it. Again, we'll see you all from across the street. So we'll close it out. Rachel Robinson cutting that ribbon. We'll see you all from across the street for the grand opening party of the Decker Robinson Museum here in New York City. I'm Roland Martin. I'm Roland Martin. I'm a folk to the Black Star Network. Folks, we will see you tomorrow.

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