#RolandMartinUnfiltered - MD Bridge Collapse, TSU Board Dismantling, Kan. Man Sues Congressman, Hip-Hop Charades

Episode Date: March 27, 2024

3.26.2024 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: MD Bridge Collapse, TSU Board Dismantling, Kan. Man Sues Congressman, Hip-Hop Charades Maryland rescuers continue to search for missing workers after Baltimore bridge collapse. Their employer says the six workers are presumed dead.  The U.S. Supreme Court heard a challenge to the Food and Drug Administration's regulation of mifepristone, a widely used drug used in medication abortions. We'll listen to what happened during the arguments.  We continue our focus on what's happening at Tennessee State University. Tonight, TSU's SGA president will explain how this is impacting the student body.  The cowardly white Georiga men who gunned down Ahmaud Arbery are heading to court Wednesday to ask that their hate crime convictions be thrown out. Atlanta NAACP President Gerald Griggs will be here to explain why the family is protesting the killers' appeal.  The Black Kansas man who was misidentified as a mass shooter is suing the Congressman who plastered his photo on social media.  Deion Sanders says athletes should be able to choose their cities and teams choosing them. I'll explain why I agree with him,  And in our Marketplace segment, a Hip-Hop twist on charades.   #BlackStarNetwork partners:Fanbase 👉🏾 https://www.startengine.com/offering/fanbaseAli Siddiq 👉🏾 https://www.moment.co/alisiddiq"Shirley" NOW available on Netflix 👉🏾 www.netflix.comBiden/Harris 👉🏾 https://joebiden.com/ Download the Black Star Network app at http://www.blackstarnetwork.com! We're on iOS, AppleTV, Android, AndroidTV, Roku, FireTV, XBox and SamsungTV. The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersilling.org brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. I know a lot of cops. They get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Clayton English.

I'm Greg Lott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Last year, a lot of the problems of the drug war. This year, a lot of the biggest names in music and sports. This kind of starts that a little bit, man. We met them at their homes. We met them at their recording studios. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them.

It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Today is Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Coming up on Roland Martin Unfiltered, live on the Blackstar Network.

Maryland rescuers continue to search for missing workers after the Baltimore Bridge with Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed early this morning. We will break down exactly what happened. What happened there where six workers are presumed dead. Your Supreme Court heard a challenge of the Food and Drug Administration's regulation of what is called the abortion.

Pill well, we'll talk about that and what happened in court. Also, we continue our focus on Tennessee State. Tonight, we'll talk with the Student Government Association president at TSU to talk about how what's happening in the legislature is impacting the student body. The cowardly white Georgia man who gunned down Ahmaud Arbery are heading to court Wednesday to ask that their hate crimes convictions be thrown out. We'll be joined by the NAACP president of Atlanta. Also, the black Kansas man who was misidentified as a mass shooter is suing Tennessee congressman who plastered his photo all on social media. And Deion Sanders says athletes should be able to choose

what city and team they go to. I concur. In our Marketplace segment, a hip-hop twist on charades. It's time to bring the funk on Bowling Bar Dump Culture on the Blackstone Network. Let's go. He's got whatever the piss he's on it Whatever it is, he's got the scoop, the fat, the fine And when it breaks, he's right on time

And it's rolling, best belief he's knowing Putting it down from sports to news to politics With entertainment just for kicks He's rolling. It's Uncle Roro, y'all. It's rolling, Martin. Rolling with rolling now. He's funky, he's fresh, he's real the best best you know He's rolling, Martel Martel

This is very much still a search and rescue mission. We are still actively looking for survivors. We know, and that's the pledge we've made to these families, and this is still very much an active search and rescue mission. And there is not a single resource that we will hold off on deploying. I have already authorized the deployment of everything from air, land, and sea resources to make sure that this search and rescue operation is carried out to its fullest intent. The second thing I want to remind people is that this will not be short. There's going to be a long road. There's going to be a long road,

not just as we go from search and rescue. There'll be a long road as we talk about what does the future of this region, the future of the area look like. And we're going to need each and every one of you. Folks, that was Maryland Governor Wes Moore discussing the tragic circumstances that took place early this morning when a massive ship lost power and slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Now, because the ship lost power, you'll see here as it approaches the bridge and then it runs into you see the lights out and they come back on. It slams into the bridge and a significant portion of this bridge actually collapsed. You see the cars going by because they sent a distress signal to folks there. That's how they were able to stop folks from being able to cross the bridge. At the time, apparently there were about 20 cars and rescue workers who were on the bridge. At the time, apparently there were about 20 cars and rescue workers who were on the bridge. So if you roll the video back, what you'll see is you'll see flashing lights of various crews who were, and so this is actually what you're seeing right now is actually sped up. So you see cars that are going by and then all of a sudden, so you see that and all of

a sudden, but you do see emergency vehicles that are on that bridge. And so again, cars were traveling on that bridge. And then again, this is actually a time-lapse video. And so there's other video that shows you in real time exactly what happened with the Francis Scott Key Bridge. About six to seven people are presumed to be dead as a result. The bridge collapsed, and again, they were on that bridge. Folks were not expecting that to actually happen. You've had all kind of folks out here who have been talking about, you know, different conspiracies, things along those lines,

but that's simply, a lot of that stuff is just nonsensical, what you're hearing out there. So this is a helicopter video today of that particular ship, so you see exactly what's happened. And again, it is a tragic, tragic situation that took place today in Baltimore. Lots of folks, again, have been talking about what's been going on, been talking about how this has been impacted. Again, the mayor and the governor both have been talking about this situation in terms of its impact.

I'm going to show you right now. This is actually not a time lapse, but you're going to see exactly when the ship hits the bridge and the bridge begins to collapse. So guys, go to my iPad, please. so this is you see it right here how that bridge begin to come down. So cars had been stopped And there were emergency cars that were actually still on the bridge and she's you saw him there and those and they actually

collapsed into The water and so that happened there. Also, earlier today, first of all, the governor was immediately on the scene, the mayor. I was actually up until about 4 o'clock this morning and actually saw it happen, saw the video after the fact, and folks began to tweet, began to talk about what began to happen. And here is the mayor of Baltimore, Brandon Scott. Go ahead.

I think right now, sir, listen, we shouldn't even be having that discussion right now. The discussion right now should be about the people, the souls, the lives that we're trying to save. There will be a time to discuss about a bridge and how we get a bridge back up. But right now there are people in the water that we have to get out. And that's the only thing we should be talking about. So what he's referring to, that was a question from one of the reporters about fixing the bridge and how soon is the bridge going to be up. And you hear the mayor there saying that, hey, this is absolutely no time for us to be focusing on that particular aspect. He's absolutely right. Tragic, tragic situation here. You've seen folks

now talk about what this means in terms of infrastructure in this country, in terms of exactly how things have been handled. This wasn't a case, folks. This was not a case of, you know, a failed infrastructure. This was a perfect example of a bridge being hit. And so, again, so it's interesting how, when you see folks talking about this whole thing here and its impact and what actually took place, but, I mean, the reality is it was hit. This is President Joe Biden speaking about the collapse. Good afternoon.

Before I leave for North Carolina, which I'm going to do in a few minutes, I want to speak briefly about the terrible incident and accident that happened in Baltimore this morning. At about 1.30, a container ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which I've been over many, many times, commuting from the, sending several people and vehicles into the water, into the river. And multiple U.S. Coast Guard units, which are stationed very nearby, thank God, were immediately deployed along with local emergency personnel. And the Coast Guard is leading the response to the port, where representatives from the Federal Highway Administration, the FBI,

the Department of Transportation, the Army Corps of Engineers, as well as Maryland officials and Baltimore police and fire. They're all working together to coordinate an emergency response. Officials at the scene estimate eight people were unaccounted for still. Not still, were unaccounted for. That number might change.

Two have been rescued, one without injury, one in critical condition. And the search and rescue operation is continuing for all those remaining as we speak. I spoke with Governor Moore this morning, as well as the mayor of Baltimore, the county executive, to both United States senators and the congressman.

And my secretary of transportation is on the scene. I told them we're going to send all the federal resources they need as we respond to this emergency. And I mean all the federal resources. And we're going to rebuild that port together. Everything so far indicates that this was a terrible accident. At this time, we have no other indication, no other reason to believe there's any intentional act here. Personnel on board the ship were able to alert the Maryland Department of Transportation that they had lost control of their vessel, as you all know and reported.

As a result, local authorities were able to close the bridge to traffic before the bridge was struck, which undoubtedly saved lives. And our prayers are with everyone involved in this terrible accident and all the families, especially those waiting for the news of their loved one right now. I know every minute in that circumstance feels like a lifetime.

You just don't know. It's just terrible. We're incredibly grateful for the brave rescuers who immediately rushed to the scene and to the people of Baltimore who want to say, we're with you. We're going to stay with you as long as it takes. And like the governor said, you're Maryland tough, you're Baltimore strong, and we're going to get through this together. And I promise we're not leaving. Here's what's happening now. The search and rescue operation is our top priority. Ship traffic in the port of Baltimore has been suspended until further notice, and we'll need to clear that channel before the ship traffic can resume. The Army Corps of Engineers is on the spot and is going to help lead this effort to clear the channel.

The Port of Baltimore is one of the nation's largest shipping hubs, and I've been there a number of times as a senator and as a vice president. It handles a record amount of cargo last year. It's also the top port in America for both imports and exports of automobiles and light trucks. Around 850,000 vehicles go through that port every single year. And we're going to get it up and running again as soon as possible. 15,000 jobs depend on that port. And we're going to do everything we can to protect those jobs and help those workers.

The bridge is also critical for travel, not just for Baltimore, but for the Northeast Corridor. Over 30,000 vehicles cross the Francis Scott Key Bridge on a daily basis. It's virtually, well, it's one of the most important elements for the economy in the Northeast and the quality of life. My transportation secretary is there now. As I told Governor Moore, I'm directing my team to move heaven and earth to reopen the port and rebuild the bridge as soon as humanly possible. And we're going to work hand in hand with the support of Maryland to support Maryland in whatever they ask for. We're going to work with our partners in Congress to make sure the state gets the support it needs. It's my intention that the federal government will pay for the entire cost of reconstructing

that bridge, and I expect the Congress to support my effort. This is going to take some time. The people of Baltimore can count on us, though, to stick with them at every step of the way until the port is reopened and the bridge is rebuilt. You know, we're not leaving until this job gets done, not leaving until then. So I just want to say God bless everybody who everyone harmed this morning and their families. And may God bless the first responders, many of whom are risking their lives.

And I'm going to reason I'm not going to take a lot of questions. There's remaining issues that are open and we've got to determine what's going to — the reason I'm not going to take a lot of questions, there's remaining issues that are open, and we've got to determine what's going to happen in terms of the rescue mission and the like. But I'll — Do you plan to go to Baltimore, sir? And if so, how quickly? I do, and as quickly as I can. You said the federal government's also going to pay for the repairs. I'm just curious. This was a ship that appears to be at fault.

Is there any reason to believe that the company behind the ship should be held responsible? And then also you mentioned that- That could be, but we're not going to wait until that happens. We're going to pay for it to get the bridge pre-built and open. What did you make of Israel's decision not to attend this meeting this week? Oh, I don't want to get into that. We've got plenty of time to talk about it, Rob. You mentioned the port.

Can I ask about cars? About the port. Can I ask about cars? About the port. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.

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Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glod. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. I'm Greg Glod. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives.

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The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at tearthepaperceiling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. Again, President Joe Biden speaking earlier today. I'm going to go to my panel right now. This is, again, one of those stories that is, you know, hard to deal with because people, again, right now you've got all kind of craziness happening on social media, people with a

conspiracy or whatever. But guess what? Accidents literally happened in this country that the Mustafa Santiago Ali former senior advisor for environmental justice the EPA out of DC John Quill Neal trial lawyer the John Quill Neal firm out of Atlanta Given Reynolds contributor at the root former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris joining us from New Haven, Connecticut I'll start with you Mustafa when you serve in government I mean listen what happens here is the Department Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg

they will honestly immediately you heard the president talk about this here look when you talk about this this this accident look the Baltimore port that's a huge huge deal there and so there's an investigation going on there, but they also recognize the impact, not just on Baltimore, not just in Maryland, but people don't understand when you have ships coming into these ports, you're having goods that are being distributed all across the country and also the world as well. And so that's why we hear the president say, no, we're going to pay for it. We've got to get this thing moving. That's also why the federal government matters, because they move in major disasters like this a lot faster than state and local can. Yeah, without a doubt. And I appreciate the president

making it clear to folks that they're not going to wait for the litigation to take, you know, to play out, which can take some time. The federal government is going to have a whole of government approach to come in and meet the needs of the residents that are there to, one, get things rebuilt, to make sure that we have the food moving and all the other sort of goods that are necessary. You know, I worked a whole lot of both manmade and natural disasters. So I understand these dynamics that are playing out. I was a part of the first responders. You know, the first thing, of course, is making sure that you're saving lives. So when folks go on social media and start, you know, all these stories without any facts, without any engineering backgrounds or backgrounds in emergency response, you're really doing a

disservice. You're doing a disservice to the families that are being impacted. You're doing a disservice to the first responders who are trying to do their job. And you're just doing a disservice. You're doing a disservice to the families that are being impacted. You're doing a disservice to the first responders who are trying to do their job. And you're just doing a, you know, you're doing a disservice because you're really just mucking things up when we need to have clarity, when folks need to be able to know what the government is actually doing. So I hope that folks will hold off on that type of stuff. And actually, if you want to do something, you can send prayers, send resources, a number of different things that you can do that can be positive. Because you have the first responders who are diving into cold waters. Right now, everybody is looking to be able to hopefully still find somebody alive. But after that,

we have timeframes and we have various ways of making the decision when we move to actually finding the bodies. So families got to heal. So we've got a number of things that we still have to do. And it will be an all of government approach in making sure that the city of Baltimore has what they need. And then of course, the city of Baltimore and the state will make sure that families have what they need as they go through the healing process and the information that they will need to be able to make whatever final decisions they might want to do. So I hope that folks will just honor the families and honor the process. Gavin, this is a live look of the Port of Baltimore.

There is a camera that is always there. And so this, you know, it was about, again, it was almost 7,000 people watching live around 3.30 this morning. It's about 3,000 watching right now. And so this is a live look, you know, as we speak. And as the governor said, the mayor said, they're still trying to save lives. But the reality is this here, this accident took place about 16 hours ago. So the likelihood of somebody surviving underwater for 16 hours is not plausible. So I understand them saying they're in a rescue mode, but they're likely moving to a recovery mode. You know, Roland, it certainly seems that way.

I mean, let me just first say what a terrible, tragic situation. I wasn't up as late as you were last night, but when I woke up this morning, I was just shocked to see this video on my social media feed. I spent a lot of time, you know, driving between D.C. and Baltimore, you know, when I was working for the Biden-Harris White House. You know, I have nothing but sympathy for those who, you know, have been involved, their families, and nothing but gratitude for the first responders who I think it was the mayor or the governor who said, you know, didn't drive away from the situation but drove full speed ahead toward it. And let me also say how great it is to see the leadership, obviously President Biden, but also Governor Moore, Mayor Scott. I texted both of them expressing my sympathies.

But these are two incredible leaders. And to see, you know, their black faces up there responding and showing what true leadership looks like. Congressman Mfume there you could see in the background as well. We didn't see a lot of this under the Trump administration. I don't mean to politicize this, but what all I want to say is that I think it's really refreshing to see, you know, in our federalist system, we see the president, you know, who's responding to the situation. We're seeing the governor. We're seeing the local officials on the ground. And that's how government ought to work. You know, and I know this situation had nothing to do with, you know, crumbling infrastructure. But we do know that there are a number of bridges across

this country, you know, that are in need of repair. And so I commend, you know, this administration. I was with the vice president when she spoke at the Arlen D. Williams Bridge in Washington, D.C., to wrap up the administration's Investing in America tour. She lauded the $300 million that the administration had invested into repairing bridges across the country. And so I do think that those are the sorts of investments, again, that wouldn't have necessarily saved lives in this situation, but can certainly save lives in the future for other bridges that are in desperate need of repair. Definitely want to foot stomp what others have said, that we got to, you know, not subscribe to these conspiracy theories that we're seeing online. It's crucial, you know, that we listen to our leaders at a time like this, and also that we take some time to learn about, you know, what we need to do if we're ever in this situation, right? You know, there are videos out there, you know, the good element of social media right now is that, you know, there are folks circulating, you know, information about, you know, if you're

on a bridge and something like this happens and, you know, you find yourself in this situation, what can you do in terms of unbuckling your seatbelt, rolling your windows down, helping your kids get out, taking small children with you. And so it's important that we use this opportunity here to educate ourselves, you know, God forbid this ever happen again, but at least we know what we need to do to keep ourselves safe. But terrible situation, and my hearts and prayers, my thoughts and prayers goes out to all those who are involved and all those who are on the ground responding right now.

John Quayle, obviously, when you have these accidents, look, it becomes a legal issue. It's all going to get sorted out, but this company is going to be facing some liability issues in terms of, again, the ship going out, losing power, but again, causing this accident. And so it's going to be a whole bunch of lawyers involved in this thing, and I'm sure they already are busy, not only lawsuits from families of those who have perished, but also from the city, from the state and the federal government. You're absolutely right. And as it relates to the question that was,

well, first, I want to say that my heart goes out to the families that have been impacted by this catastrophe. And also my heart goes out to the families who still have family members that are unaccounted for. But what I will say is that President Biden is absolutely correct in that the litigation for these cases, just so everyone knows, is going to take years, right? I mean, lawyers, of course, we would be getting involved very boots on the ground very early. However, litigation and certainly something of this magnitude is going to take years and years to play out. And in addition to suing the shipping companies, as well as the local governments, and also, you know, for the families that do or will perish as a result of this catastrophe, you know, bringing those wrongful death suits and just holding them accountable.

These kind of accidents do happen, but there's nothing that can replace the loss of life. Absolutely. So we're going to continue to cover this and give you more details. Folks, coming up next, Tennessee State University students are putting pressure on the Republican controlled legislature to stop them from gutting their Board of Trustees. Will talk to the student government president next.

Also, Diddy's attorney responds to yesterday's raid on his homes in LA in Miami will show you exactly what he had to say as well. You're watching roller marketing unfiltered right here on the Black Star Network. As bad as Trump was, his economy was worse, and black America felt it the most. He cut health insurance while giving tax breaks to the wealthy and big business.

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Hi, I am Tommy Davidson. I play Oscar on Proud Family, Louder and Prouder. I don't say, I don't play Sammy, but I could. Or I don't play Obama, but I could. I don't do Stallone, but I could do all that. And I am here with Roland Martin on Unfiltered. I'm ready. Folks, on Thursday, the Tennessee legislature, the House, is going to take up a bill

that could impact the makeup of the Tennessee State University Board of Trustees. The Senate last week passed a bill getting rid of the entire board. Yet the House bill could very well change that could be anywhere from the governor points three to four of those. Members well as a result, you are seeing so many people

involved in this students, alumni, faculty, others, all focused on what is going on here, trying to make it clear that the state's only public HBCU must be better served by the legislature. Now, keep in mind, a couple of years ago, it was announced that the state had underfunded Tennessee State to the tune of $500 million. Well, Tennessee State has had an explosion of a student population over the past several years. When Tennessee State began to ask for half of that money, all of a sudden, the state began to ask different questions. And they weren't concerned about these issues before they asked for that money. Now you have President Glenda Glover, who's already announced her retirement.

The board is in the midst of finding a new president. Now they're talking about getting rid of the whole board. Darrell Taylor is the president of the Student Government Association at Tennessee State University. He joins us right now. Glad to have you on the show, Darrell. Thank you. So, you know, this has been, in many ways, a group effort. You've had state senators, House members, students, faculty, alumni, other groups.

A lot of people have been involved in raising the awareness of what's been going on here at Tennessee State. This effort to get rid of the board is the latest issue before. I mean, so it's been one thing after another really over the past 15 months. Yes, it certainly has. And it's an issue that we're really working to ensure that we're united upon. And that's something that, you know, we can attest to. We have had several different stakeholders of the universities, students, the administrators, even parents, faculty and staff, alumni, because this matters to everyone who is affected by the university. And we're not

understanding why this issue has spreaded out so long when, you know, the truth is the truth, history is the history, and the numbers are the numbers. And talk about what are you hearing from your colleagues? What are you hearing from other students? What concerns are they expressing with the constant attacks on Tennessee state leadership by Republicans in the legislature? Well, before I continue, I would definitely like to thank you so much for inviting me here. I really appreciate this opportunity to talk to you about the issues surrounding my university. That is the first step. And, you know, you asked what students are looking for and what's concerning the students. What behalf of the students, but not necessarily with the students or along with the students. And I think that's something that we desire a little bit more because the more we have a voice at the table, the more we have an understanding of how we

can play a part in resolving this issue on both ends. We want our university to maintain the best branding possible. And we feel that the several attacks towards our university continue to not, you know, to help our university not look in the best light. And we've done so many transformational things over the past few years, and we don't like the hits that are, you know, continuously being given to our university.

So we want to have a little bit more of a voice and things of this nature, being able to speak publicly about how we feel is that's what matters. And that's the opportunity that we have to express our feelings about the situation. And let's be clear, the students, they have representation on the board of trustees. There's a student trustee, there's a faculty representative as well. And so when you look at this decision to say, hey, the governor should appoint all eight members. Look, we see what's going on in Tennessee. And for a lot of alumni and students of Tennessee State, they don't think that's appropriate considering how the university, frankly, has been ignored by state lawmakers for so long.

And that's totally correct. You know. And as this issue continues to unfold, we constantly wonder, okay, why haven't the legislators reached out to us? Why haven't they inquired visits to campus or actually an understanding of what the student experience looks like? And if we don't see representation now of our university at the state level,

then we're not going to see it in a few months. And I think it's very important. I'm glad you mentioned our student representative because I work very close with the student representative. And as leaders of student government, we're able to constantly serve as the liaisons of what the students are feeling, how the students are moving and what are the top priorities. And without us having those opportunities to essentially network or have a relationship with our board, you essentially, you take away the power from the students. And this is the same for faculty and staff and their representation on the board. I think it matters for us to decide who governs us. You know, it allows us to have a more fluent way of communication and running the university. We don't feel that it makes a lot of sense to us that we have people governing our institution

who we have no idea who they are, what they represent, or what their priorities could be. This here is the current board of trustees. You see Dr. Deborah Cole, Stephen Corbell, Van Pinnock, Dr. Richard Lewis, Pam Martin, Obie McKenzie, Andre Johnson, Dr. Joseph Walker, and the faculty trustee is Dr. William Johnson. Sean Wimberly is the student trustee. And so those are the 10 members of the board of trustees. And again, what the Senate would do is the governor would appoint eight of those folks there.

One of the things that is happening, we're going to actually be in Nashville on Monday. There's going to be a news conference taking place at 11 a.m. on Monday. You as well as other students have invited us in to participate in this. And the thing here, this here, folks, is the graphic right here that we're going to be distributing. It's really hot off the press. This is taking place at 11 a.m. Central Standard Time in the rotunda of the Tennessee Legislature. We are going to be live streaming this on the Black Star Network. In addition to that, we're going to be broadcasting live from Tennessee State in a town hall on campus. And so Darrell, all students and faculty, everybody is welcome to

come on out. The community is welcome to come as well. I'm waiting to get from my producer and from TSU the location of that. It's going to be very similar to what we did when we went down to Bethune-Cookman because we want to hear from all the different voices. And like I said, there are a lot of people involved, but I want people to understand this here. And so these are the issues that we're going to be talking about at the news conference and also in our town hall here. Call on Tennessee governor and legislature to stop the unfounded and overreaching attacks on TSU. Go to my iPad. Mobilize alumni and supporters to defend HBCUs. Call on all people of goodwill to challenge attacks by extremists. And so we got to actually that they I edited this earlier. That still has not been fixed. So extremists will be corrected before we send it out. Insulate legislatures

towards HBCUs around the country, demand equitable funding after years of underfunding, and mobilize voting power to challenge state legislatures. So, Darrell, here's the thing that people don't understand, and that is this issue with Tennessee State is not just about the Board of Trustees. This legislature found a billion dollars to give to the Tennessee Titans for a new stadium, yet they owe Tennessee State $500 million of being underfunded. So to complain about dormitories, to complain about facilities when you've underfunded the school to the tune of $500 million, that's actually shady

and it's a joke. That's one. But the other thing is this here, is that you have land grant institutions. Tennessee State is one of them. And the federal government, based upon data, has shown that land-grant HBCUs, frankly, have been cheated out of $13 billion over the past 30 years. So what we're doing on Monday, standing with you and others and with the town hall on Monday, is not just focus on the board of trustees and not just focus on Tennessee state, but to get black people to understand this is an attack on all HBCUs nationwide. And this should be a call to arms to HBCU students, alumni, faculty, staff, and black

folks at large to understand the battle that we are in. Right. That's very true. This is an attack on the community as a whole. HBCUs are the nest of the resources that we have in this world. HBCUs are crafting the next generations of students, the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs. And I think it's very important to invest into HBCUs and to see this happening across the board. board is really disheartening as an HBCU student. Like, it's disheartening. And we're looking forward to seeing some specific initiative taken to turn around this, to right these wrongs and to turn around these strategies, because TSU isn't in this alone. There's too many other HBCUs that are facing similar funding disparities.

And it does not make any sense. As African-Americans, we arrived in this country, don't have the—we didn't have the ability to read or write at all. Then we gained that right, but not with the amount of resources or with segregation involved. And now we have full and equal rights, but we still aren't being invested into financially or resources or just with simple respect and allowing us to have dignity and integrity as a body of students. And I just don't appreciate that. So I'm hoping we can really talk about some things Monday and we can really get the ball rolling on

what our community can do to turn around these disparities. Questions for my panel. John Quayle, you're first for Darrell. Yes. and thank you so much for being here. I was able to read up a bit that there was a housing crisis with some of this. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution.

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

Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast.

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

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

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

And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I always had to be so good no one could ignore me. Carve my path with data and drive. But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree.

It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at TaylorPaperSealing.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. Students there. What has been, number one, has there, has what alumni engagement has been involved in assisting with housing? What are some of the opportunities or things that the university has done to assist with housing? And how, in addition to the forum that is next week, can you get more engagement to assist with this housing crisis for the students? Thank you. Thank you for that question. So very fortunately, our university was pretty quick on resolving the issues around housing. So all of our students are currently good, they're good. They're housed. I would say during that issue,

I think HBCUs across the country face the influx of students, just because we are valuing ourselves a little bit more in our community, the need for us to invest into ourselves and to each other. So I think that was something that was across the board as far as the influx of students, but we work to accommodate with investing

into new off-campus locations. And then, of course, with the growing economy and just the growing rates of inflation within the state of Nashville, it's a little bit harder for college seniors to find housing or college juniors even. So that's something that our alumni has been kind of bouncing in on, just having opportunities for us to understand how to get into the housing market and make sure that we are able to have a smooth transition even after we graduate. So we're wanting to make sure that all of our counterparts are tapping into each other so that we are doing the best that we can to remain on one accord, because we're glad that we've been able to correct some of those things

that went wrong with housing. And we want to make sure that we are able to expand so we can accommodate students. And that's back to the funding, right? Because if we were given the proper amount of dollars, maybe we could have initially built more dormitories for students to be housed, and we can continue to grow our enrollment and be able to support so many more students with the TSU experience. Gavin? Mr. President, thank you very much for joining us. And also, thank you for your leadership. It's really great to see. As you know well throughout history, young people, especially young Black people, have been responsible for moving our nation forward and pushing our country forward. Right there in Tennessee, you know, folks like John Lewis,

Diane Nash, you know, both who attended Fisk, you know, in Nashville. And obviously, you know, right now, the Justins, Justin Pearson, Justin Jefferson, who are doing the same thing. And Roland, check me here, Dr. Greg Carr, who appears often on this show, I believe, was student body president at CSU back in the day. Exactly. So, Mr. President, I'm curious how you draw inspiration from the rich legacy of the young leaders and young activists who have walked, you know, the path that you're walking right now. And also, how are you and your other, you know, classmates and fellow leaders taking care of yourselves? I would say, first and foremost, and I appreciate that our history is out there, that, you know,

you guys are aware of some of the dynamic and great things that our history is out there, that you guys are aware of some of the dynamic and great things that our student leaders have done in the past and as they continue to advocate poster enrollment here at TSU. But I will be completely honest, that has really motivated me. It has really given me the confidence and it's really allowed me to say, okay, I'm a student and I have the power to speak up for change. And that's something that I wouldn't be able to say I would walk directly into that if I didn't have an example of that. And I think that's very important to see people of my color advocating for better resources for our community because it lets me know that we're not in this alone and we must be united and we must stand up and join them.

So I want to thank the TSU Legacies for standing that standard. And I even want to thank the members of Legacies for standing that standard. And I even want to thank the members of the legislature that are helping represent our community, because that matters. And students need that level of support. And I would say during this time, students are, you know, very confused. They're very lost. We're wondering why these decisions are being made. Why so harsh? What do they mean? Why is this situation, you know, continuing to drag on and on and on? When as students, we know that we have money that could be pointed to our university that has not been. So I think that's where we're at. And we're wanting to kind of have some stability in how we're dealing with these things.

And we want to be able to hear directly from legislatures as far as their tangible plans to enhance our university. Mustafa. Brother, I'm so proud of the work that you're doing. their tangible plans to enhance our university. Mustafa? Brother, I'm so proud of the work that you're doing. I have lots of questions for you, but I'm going to just stick with this one. You know, there's an old quote that talks about, you know, it's not the voices of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. I'm curious, which friends are standing up and supporting you? Are our major Black organizations and allies who say they are allies to our community, are they showing up? Do you need more from them, or do you have enough?

I would say Black Voters Matter. I would say we have a safety issue community coalition, and then our chapter of the NAACP, we've been working pretty hard to, you know, remain engaged on this issue. I do want to appreciate those entities. I definitely say we certainly need more, because of how big the... Darrell, when you say our chapter, you mean the campus chapter or the Nashville chapter? A little bit of both. So our campus chapter is partnering with the Nashville chapter. So we've been in discussions with them about what we can do to further assist with this

issue. And I would definitely say we have had some friends in the legislature, Senator Eileen Oliver. Like, she's been a big help. And we want to make sure that, you know, we're continually pouring into different buckets of support systems, so that we can maintain that stream of support and we can continue being united as we progress. But I would say, when this issue first came along,

this is a national crisis, so it should be represented at a national level. And that's something that I have been really intentional on throughout my term as president, which is to make sure that this issue is being escalated further and further. So, we certainly need more support. All hands on deck, anyone who would like to see our HBCUs be supported should be advocating for this issue. Well, absolutely. And what we're also seeing is that, again, you know, we're going to be coming in on Monday. But what is happening on Thursday? I understand that that the Equity Alliance, IMF and some other students are having an action event on Thursday. Can you tell us about that?

Right. So we are planning to sit in the gallery at the House of Representatives floor. So we want to make sure that we are right there, you know, defending our university, speaking on behalf of our university, and hopefully if things go well, you know, we're proud of what we've been able to advocate for at that moment. I would say, and the organizations that you've mentioned, they've also been a huge help to us, and we definitely want to send them our kudos for that.

But yes, Friday, we are asking students, family members, community members, faculty and staff, and everyone to make sure that they're present to have a seat at the table. Once again, I mean, if we're not given a seat at the table, we must bring our own. And so do this here, wherever the students are doing thursday if y'all are going to be live streaming stuff certainly let us know so we can cross stream that and push that out to a lot more people uh as well uh and we look forward to first of all i want to thank you and thank sean for sending the

invitation for us to come in on monday uh it always important for national voices to stand with folks on the ground who are already doing the work. And really what it's about is, as you said, is amplifying the work that's already being done to a much broader audience. And so that's what we're going to be doing. And so we're going to be live streaming what takes place at 11 a.m. Central, noon Eastern on Monday in Nashville at the, again, Tennessee State Capitol in the Rotunda. But on Monday night, we're going to be on Black Roller Martin Unfiltered. We'll be broadcasting live from the campus of Tennessee State. I'm waiting to find out where we're going to do it. And we certainly want to have those student voices there sharing their perspective, but also, of course, faculty, staff,

and people from the community, because what happens at Tennessee State is not just the campus, it impacts the broader community as well. It really, it seriously does. And we're glad that we have more and more people willing to support us because as students, it can become really easy to feel alone in things like this especially over we're sharing careers

we're trying to be nurtured and elevated by our university which we have been and most importantly we want to make sure that we graduate with a college degree we shouldn't have to face um so many issues of this sort when doing things like that. And something that I've kind of come to realization during my senior year is really considering some of the sacrifices students make being an HBCU student, because being an HBCU student really does pour into you in so many different ways. So we'd sacrifice maybe not having the best housing

or maybe not having the best facilities and resources because we understand that our community isn't as valued. So it's like a lesser of two extremes when it comes on removing our board or not giving us our finances. These are both things that help us flourish, despite the disparities that we've already overcome. So I think it's important to have this support. And I appreciate everyone present today on this call. And I'm just very appreciative that we're able to continue

escalating this issue to a national platform. All right. We surely appreciate that. First of all, is it Darrell or Darrell? It's Darrell. All right. Just making sure. Okay. No, no black folks will spell it Darrell and be like, no, it's Darrell. So we want to make sure of this. All right. I understand. Look, I get Ronald. I'm like, dang, Ronald's rolling. So I understand. All right, Darrell. Appreciate it.

Look forward to seeing you on Monday. Thank you so much. Look for it. All right. Thanks a bunch. Folks, we come back. Diddy, his attorney, is speaking out on yesterday's raid at his home in Los Angeles. And Miami will have that next.

You're watching Roland Martin on the Black Star Network. Support us in what we do. The goal is to get 20,000 of our fans contributing on average 50 bucks each. If you can't give that, look, we totally understand. But if you can give more, that's great as well. That would raise a million dollars. That goes a long way for us being able to cover the news that matters to us, for us to speak to the issues. Look, you take what's happening with Tennessee State.

I'm telling you all right now, national media is not talking about that. You're not going to hear Tennessee State talked about on MSNBC, CNN, Fox News, ABC, NBC, CBS. Hell, I don't even know what's being talked about by other black-owned media outlets. Well, we are. And so when you support Roland Martin Unfiltered and the Black Star Network, you're supporting a black-owned media outlet that cares about the news that impacts our community.

Folks who give during the show, I will give a personal shout-out. And so you can give, you can send your check and money or PO Box 57196, Washington, D.C., 20037-0196. Cash app is Donaldstein RM Unfiltered. PayPal RMartin Unfiltered.

Venmo is RM Unfiltered. Zelle, Roland at RolandSMartin.com. Roland at RolandMartinUnfiltered.com. We'll be right back. Terry and I, we couldn't play in the white clubs in Minnesota. It felt like such a, you know, strength through adversity type moment that I think black people just have to go through. You know, we have to figure it out. You know, we make we make, you know, lemons out of lemonade.

But there's a reason we rented a ballroom, did our own show, promoted it, got like 1,500 people to come out. Clubs were sitting empty. They were like, where's everybody at? And I said, they're down watching the band you wouldn't hire. So it taught us not only that we had to be, we had the talent of musicians, but we also had the talent of entrepreneurship. It wasn't like a seat at the table. It's like, no, let's build the table. That's right.

We've got to build the table. And that was the thing. And of course, after that, we got all kinds of offers. Of course. Right, to come play in the clubs. But we didn't do it. Now we're good. No, we're good.

We're good. And that's what put us on a path of national. And of course, when Prince made it, then it was like, okay, we see it can be done. BAM Base is pioneering a new era of social media and investment this next generation social app has already raised 10 million dollars and has just opened a new round to invest for details on how to invest visit startengine.com slash fan base or scan the qr code i know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time,

have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that Taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company

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

Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. and three on May 21st and episodes four, five, and six on June 4th, ad free at lava for good. Plus on Apple podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glod. And this is season two of the war on drugs. We are back in a big way,

in a very big way, real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star studded a little bit, man. We got a Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner.

It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding

of what this quote-unquote drug thing is. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette.

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

And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I always had to be so good, no one could ignore me. Carve my path with data and drive. But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes, rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves.

Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersceiling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. Another way we're giving you the freedom to be you without limits. What's good, y'all? This is Doug E. Freshener watching my brother roland martin underpiloted as we go a little something like this hit it it's real Folks, on Wednesday, the three white men who were convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery will be asking the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals to throw out their hate crime convictions

that were returned by a jury in a trial in Brunswick in 2022. Attorneys for father and son Greg and Travis McMichael, as well as their neighbor William Roddy Bryan, say their clients chased Aubrey because they mistakenly believed he was a criminal, not because of his race. Travis McMichael's appeal argues a technicality saying prosecutors failed to prove that Arbery was pursued and killed on public streets, as stated in the indictment used to charge the three men. Prosecutors say it was Arbery's race that influenced the defendants to consider Arbery suspicious. Joining us now is the president of the Atlanta chapter of the NAACP,

but also of the Georgia State Conference, Gerald Griggs. Gerald, glad to have you here. I mean, look, I mean, first of all, there were state charges as well as federal charges for these white races. And look, they're trying to get out, but it's, look, the feds did an excellent job laying this thing out. I doubt they're going to be able to gain any traction with the Court of Appeals. Yes, we feel the same way, but we want to make sure that we are present to make sure we underscore the feelings of the community here in Georgia about the race, the hate crime conviction, as well as the state crime conviction. And so it's important that we convene tomorrow. There are groups, Black Voters Matter, the Transformative Justice Coalition, and, of course, the Georgia State Conference of the NAACP, just to name a few, will be present both outside the courthouse and inside the

courthouse to make sure that Mr. Arbery is remembered for what happened, but ultimately remembered for the justice that continues to be sought. And his family's looking for 100 percent justice. And that's what we are calling for tomorrow. And again, tomorrow they are appealing the federal case. That's correct. Got it. Just a federal case. And to be clear, we were there for the trial. They presented the racial animus evidence, and it was convincing. Text messages, phone conversations, testimony from other people about situations that involved race for these three defendants, and a jury quickly convicted them on the federal hate crime violation, as well as the state level charge. And so, again, this is taking place tomorrow. What time? And

you got a coalition of folks who are going to be there? Tomorrow at 9 a.m. in front of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, which is in Atlanta, Georgia, at 56 Forsyth Street. We will be there with the family of Ahmaud Arbery and all of the supporters that have been pushing this case from the very beginning. You have to remember, back in February of 2020, it took 74 days for the world to know anything about this case. We want to make sure the family feels supported and the memory of our dear brother Ahmaud continues to live on in justice as we continue to run with Ahmaud. And folks, remember, it was in August of 2022. Go to my iPad where a federal judge sentenced them. Travis McMichael was sentenced to life in prison plus 10 years.

Gregory McMichael was sentenced to life in prison plus seven years. And William Roddy Bryan was sentenced to 35 years in prison for committing federal hate crimes and other offenses with the killing of Ahmaud Arbery. Gerald, we still appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Thank you, brother. All right, folks. Diddy's attorney is speaking out after yesterday's raid took place at his homes in Los Angeles as well as Miami. One home in L.A., two homes in Miami were raided yesterday. And it was the Homeland Security out of New York that actually executed the warrant

with assistance from Homeland Security in Los Angeles and Miami. Well, today, one of Sean Diddycombe' attorneys, Aaron Dyer, released a statement. This is what he said. It said, there's no excuse for the excessive show of force and hostility exhibited by authorities or the way his children and employees were treated. Mr. Combs was never detained, but spoke to and cooperated with authorities. Despite media speculation, neither Mr. Combs nor any of his family members have been arrested, nor has their ability to travel been restricted in any way. Videos surfaced yesterday of Diddy at a Miami airport, and I was told that he was traveling actually out of the country for spring break

with his children. You'll get a lot of different reports. People are saying, oh my God, Diddy is fleeing the country. That's what initially was reported, but that actually wasn't the case. TMZ reported today that Diddy had sold his network, Revolt, to an unnamed bidder. Let me see if I can pull this story up. Give me one second here. So they pushed that story out, but that actually is not true. My sources tell me, and I've known about this discussion, this sale for the last month. So this is the TMZ story. Diddy lets go of Revolt TV, still black owned mystery buyer. Well, they're so this says Diddy's no longer associated with Revolt TV in any form or fashion. The company, he started 2013 because it's now completely under new ownership.

TMZ, y'all, is wrong. Let me be clear. TMZ is wrong. Okay? There has been no negotiation. There is a deal in place. But multiple sources tell me that the deal has not been finalized. There is more work to be done on this particular deal.

And again, I've known about these negotiations for more than a month. So the TMZ report is flat out wrong. Revolt has not been sold. It is still under the ownership of Sean Diddy Combs. Earlier also, there was a conversation, and actually it was yesterday, that I was going back and forth on social media. And there was some folks who were talking about, you know, that black-owned media really needs to be, you know, covering this story,

needs to be all over it. And I said something to them, and I said, actually, what you're describing is very difficult to do. Here's what I mean. People are always saying what black owned media should and shouldn't be doing, but a lot of people don't even understand

the nature of the business. The fact of the matter is, you don't necessarily have a lot of top reporters at many of the black owned media outlets, because we're not bringing in the money to be able to hire them. You can run it down, Ebony, Essence, Black Enterprise, Blavity. I can go on and on and on. You don't have significant reporting staff. What you do see out there are people who are writing these stories and they're

just aggregating content. And I keep saying that the problem with aggregating content is that when you do that, you also then begin to push out false information. So perfect example, somebody said to me, well, you know, look at Essence, they did a story. Okay. And this is not to pick on Essence and pick on this particular reporter, but it's a problem. So if you look at the story that was posted on Essence, Sean Diddy Combs Holmes rated in connection with federal sex trafficking investigation. Investigators have interviewed numerous accusers in connection with accusations of assault trafficking in the distribution and solicitation of

narcotics and firearms. Sources say, okay got it. So when you now read the story it is by a Revea Ruff, and I don't know who that person is, if they're male or female, but I want to walk y'all through why these type of stories are problematic. So when you go through the story, you see how they're quoting Fox 11 Los Angeles, okay,

describing the raid on the home. And then you see them saying that two of Calm's sons have been handcuffed. Then they go, it says, but handcuffed and detained by authorities during the search, but these reports have not yet been confirmed. Well, why are you reporting it? Then when you go through the story,

they're quoting the Homeland Security, saying Homeland Security describing what took place. It says the federal department said in a statement released to news outlets. Okay, well, I don't understand why Essence didn't get a copy of the statement, so they don't have to attribute it to news outlets. And so then when you go through here, it says, via CNBC, a source with knowledge of the situation reported that federal authorities have interviewed three women and one man in New York regarding allegations of sexual assault, sex trafficking, interviews with three more women or forthcoming. Here's a problem with that. That's not your source. So what you're doing as Essence, you're putting a stamp

of approval on a source from CNBC who you don't know. You don't actually know if this is true. The point here is y'all, I'm not defending Diddy. I'm showing y'all the problem when black-owned media takes and aggregates content from other sources that you are not familiar with. So to quote a source from CNBC, when typically in media, you want to have two sources that confirm information. The information that I reported to you about the sale of Revolt, I got from four sources. Four. Not one, not two, not three, four. So then when you go through this story, you sit here again.

You see them talking about the Cassie lawsuit, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, lawsuit. Then this is the problem for me. You see, they quote, the attorney for Cassie, he said in a statement via CNBC. And that's it. Nowhere in this story. Nowhere in this story do you see anywhere where it says so-and-so told Essence. Nowhere in this story do you see Essence call Diddy or reach out to Diddy and his representatives to get comment on the story. Yesterday, when the raid took place, yesterday, when the raid took place, again, we're following the story. Hmm, what's my first instinct? Called Diddy.

7.32 p.m. Eastern yesterday. This text message. Because there are all these reports saying he's flying to Bermuda. Are you in Bermuda or the United States? Any comment on Homeland Security raiding your homes? I'm live on my show. That's journalism. And so the problem that I have

is that what we are seeing right now, we are seeing black-owned media and other folks run with any story, no vetting, no fact-checking, no determination if it's true or not. So this is why it is a danger for black owned media to aggregate content. What happened to picking the phone up yourself? What happened to calling yourself. We should not be slapping our bylines on stories

when all we're doing is rewriting somebody else's work. This is not the first time that I've called out black-owned media and black-targeted media for aggregating content. I've called out The Root, NBC News, Blavity, News One, Black Enterprise, and others before. And so what I need people to understand is when you're out talking about what black-owned media should be covering, you should then be asking, do we have the resources to actually do that?

Are we using freelance writers, or do we actually have staff writers? And the fact of the matter is you do not have the reporting chops in most black owned media places that you're used to. Urban One is the largest black owned media company, the largest. They own 50 plus radio stations, TV One, MyCleo. They own Interactive One. And I can tell you right now, very little news, very little reporters. And let me be clear. This is nothing against young journalists.

But having somebody young being paid $35,000, $40,000, rewriting articles, that is not reporting. That is not journalism. Black people are not served when this happens. So here's the problem when Essence does this, or The Root, or The Griot, or anybody, is when you rewrite a story and stick your byline on it, you're giving the black-owned media stamp of approval to everything in the article.

So black folks then read the article and go, oh, got to be true! And they run with it. If you don't believe me, all you have to do is look at today and look at how many people ran with the story of of revolt being sold. Numerous folks ran with that story. It's not true. So when you do that, so here you go. Hollywood unlocked. Diddy has reportedly sold revoltolt TV to an anonymous buyer.

Network is still black owned. And what are they doing? They're quoting TMZ. Statement of approval. That story, I'm telling y'all, is factually wrong. Same thing. If I go over here to, let's see here. I'm going to pull up another outlet.

I'm checking to see if they ran with this story. Boom, shade room. They're quoting Philip Lewis, a journalist, who's quoting TMZ. Same thing. Oh, same thing. Oh, quoting them. And I get it. The story's wrong.

But look at this here. 65, I'm going to show you, 65,000 likes, 5,883 comments on the story. That's what you see right there. I didn't show you that for Hollywood Unlocked for their story. Let me pull that back up. Their story, 735 comments, 4,378 likes. Okay, so that's their story. So if I go over here to, let me see here. If I go over to, give me one second. I'm double checking. Hold on. Hold on. So Jasmine Brand, know them well. They post a story. It's the end of an era. According to report from TMZ, Dita is no longer associated with Revolt. 6,775 likes. Again, 17 comments on here. Okay?

Quoting them. All right. I'm going to do one more. Do one more. And the reason I'm going through this is because I'm trying to show y'all what happens when stuff is reported and then it's passed on through black-owned media and people see it and they go, oh, it was in the shade room. Oh, it was in this.

Well, perfect example. Baller Alert, same thing. Headline, Revolt TV has a new owner. Diddy sells all shares. Read more, balleralert.com. It's wrong. All because they're quoting TMZ. TMZ is not always correct.

And so black-owned media, pick up the damn phone and call somebody. Actually verify, check something. Not a single person here would like for somebody to do a story. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes, but there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser

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

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

In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. people real perspectives this is kind of star-studded a little bit man we got uh ricky williams nfl player hasman trophy winner it's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves music stars marcus king john osborne for brothers osborne we have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug thing benny the butcher brent smith from shine down got be real from cypress hill nhl enforcer riley cote quote-unquote drug fans. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer

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

season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I always had to be so good, no one could ignore me. Carve my path with data and drive. But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars.

Workers skilled through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersilling.org, brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. ...reporting erroneous information. And so we've got to understand that Black-owned media owes it to Black people

to not just report anything white media reports. Perfect example. Before I go to my panel on this. The Washington Post did a story that essentially said that Tamika Mallory, Carmen Perez, Bob Bland, and Linda Sarsour had been run out of the Women's March. It wasn't the case. They were term limited. They couldn't run again. They didn't get voted out.

They didn't resign. They were term limited. But guess what happened? News1.com, Blavity picked the story up. I saw it and I called both of them saying, take that shit down. It's wrong. How can you be a black on outlet and you don't try to call Tamika or Carmen or Bob or Linda? I remember the Washington Free Beacon wrote a story about Biden administration hand out crackpipes. It was a BS story. Black Enterprise rewrote it.

I email the ownership and the electoral leadership of Black Enterprise saying your story is wrong. Why are you rewriting a BS story from a conservative outlet which was designed to actually cause misinformation? And lastly, and I'm walking y'all through this, when the Associated Press reported the Biden administration cut funding to HPBCUs by $35 billion. Newsweek picked the story up, blew it up on their cover. Black people, activists, and all kinds of different people, and I'll say it, I remember Jamal Bryant, Tamika Mallory both had posted it on their socials. Hey, take that shit down.

It's wrong. I said, they got it wrong. We covered this. So you know what happened? I knew the story. First of all, when Biden was running, he said the amount of money they wanted to give to black and Hispanic serving institutions. I want you all to understand how misinformation works.

So then when AP writes the story and Newsweek writes the story, they say the cuts to HBCU funding. Black folks lost their minds. First of all, he pledged the money to black and Hispanic serving institutions. Well, guess what? When he introduced the first bill, it was a $10 trillion bill.

The full $35 billion was in the bill. Congress then was like, yeah, we ain't spending $10 trillion. So it got cut to $5 trillion. Then it got cut to $3 trillion, then $2.5 trillion, then to $1.5 trillion. Then Manchin and others said

that's still too much money. So when they say Biden cut it, no, he proposed it. Congress is like, we ain't passing a $10 trillion bill. I dare any of y'all to Google it right now. You'll see it. So if you initially proposed

a bill at 10 trillion and the Congress says, now we ain't going for it and they get cut to 1.5 trillion, that means $8.5 trillion got cut. It stands to reason that the HBCU and Hispanic Serving Institution money is going to get cut. But guess what happened? The Newsweek story went everywhere. And we spent three weeks breaking the story down, showing you why it was factually wrong.

This is the mistake that black-owned media cannot make. We cannot report news. I don't care if it's Diddy. I don't care if it's Jay-Z. I don't care if it's about HBCUs. I don't care if it's Diddy. I don't care if it's Jay-Z. I don't care if it's about HBCUs. I don't care if it's about Vice President Kamala Harris. We owe it to black people. And we owe it to all those black people that are on my wall in there that started Black-owned media. We owe it to Frederick Douglass and Ida B. Wells Barnett and Robert Abbott and A.I. Scott and Shalata

Bass and John H. Johnson and Chuck Stone and again, Ethel Payne and Alice Dunnigan and Louis Martin and Earl Graves and Ed Lewis and on and on and on to get it right for our people. We cannot be repeating what white media says and take it as fact. Because when we do, we're doing a disservice to our people.

Go to my panel. I'm going to start with you first. Yeah, you know, we've just got to be very careful that we create this fertile ground for disinformation and misinformation. Because when we do, you know, we do it to the detriment of our own people. We know that many folks in the media world focus on the sensationalism. And, well, you know, many folks will do anything for likes and retweets and all these other types of things, even sharing information that they know is false or that they haven't verified. So we just have to be very careful, especially in the time we're living in, because there are those individuals who will feed that misinformation so that they continue to deconstruct our communities, both our trust and the actions that we need to be able to move forward in a positive direction.

John Quayle? You know, to add to what was just said, you know, it's interesting that with all of the blogs and a lot of the Black-owned media, not only is it just about the likes and the comments, but it's also just about who can get the most followers. And also, you know, just wanting to report the scandalous nature of something. Even if something if we can get back to reporting, what are the actual facts that are going on and not trying to sensationalize or scandalize everything. And furthermore, that goes back to Cardi B, right, where she had to sue Tasha K, I believe that's her name. Yep.

And she sued her for defamation. And won $4 million. Yeah, and won $4 million. Yeah, I think it was $4 million. And then after that, and then who followed suit behind her was the comedian Kevin Hart. He then sued her. So also, not only do we need to be careful to report facts,

facts, right, and to protect our community, right, because media is one of the most powerful tools that exists. It shapes the entire world's perception of us and our community. It was $3.4 million, not $4 million. Go ahead. And furthermore, when you, black-owned media,

when you are calling to get the facts of our own stories, don't try to extort the individuals either, because then that precipitated Kevin Hart then suing her because he was given some demands that if he didn't pay a certain amount that this story was going to air, so don't do that either, right? But all I want, and again, and what I did last night,

what I did last night that I was trying to walk people through because it was hard for a lot of people to understand it. And also today, I was trying to walk them through the economic reality. I was trying to walk them through what happens economically. I was trying to walk them through what happens economically. I was trying to explain to them when Congressman Eleanor Holmes Orton at the General Accounting Office do a report over a five-year period, the federal government spent $5 billion on advertising.

In that five-year period, black-owned media got $51 million of the $5 billion. Let me slow that down. I need everybody to understand. black-owned media got 51 million of the five billion. Let me slow that down. I need everybody to understand. Over five years, 2012, 2017, I need everybody to understand. Here's the deal, Kevin. Kevin, $5 billion was spent on advertising by federal government.

Black-owned media got 51 million out of the five. All black-owned media combined, as everybody, got 51 million out of the five billion. Congresswoman Joyce Beatty came to me and she said, you know, we come out of a CBC meeting, there's nobody in the black press out there. I said, Congresswoman, we can't afford to pay somebody 75 to $100,000 to cover Congress. I said, but if a billion dollars is spent every year with black owned media, and black owned media got 10% of that money, that's $100 million.

Let's say, let's say we got 2% of the 10% let's just say 2% of the 100 million 2 million dollars I've said it with the recent layoffs of BuzzFeed News of the Messenger

LA Times, Wall Street Journal Vice I could hire a newsroom staff. I need everybody listening. With that two million, I could hire a newsroom staff of ten top-notch reporters that would be the baddest black news staff in America. If just us, if we only got two million

of the hundred million in the business, $340 billion was spent last year. Today, in New York, last two days, yesterday, today, tomorrow,

Magna, major ad agency, they're having their up fronts. Supposed to be their diversity up fronts. Now let me explain. We kicked the thing off with the Black Owned Collective. Then they went from Black Owned Media to Diverse Owned Media. So now everybody up there presenting.

We were told that, oh no, there's not gonna be presentations, it's gonna be these panel conversations. My guys at Urban Edge Network there, it's presentations. Were we invited to present? Nope. We weren't. Who controls the money? The agencies do.

24 years ago, BET was sold, Gavin, for $2.4 billion, the assumption of $400 million in debt, for $2.8 billion. Black-owned media was getting 1% of all ad money in the year 2000. 24 years later, it's 1%. So what I say to black people, if we're going to be sitting here talking about what black owned media should be covering, then we need black people saying, let's fight for the money. Let's challenge these companies when it comes to the money. single company that they represent to ensure that they are providing funds and advertising dollars to black owned media. This, Gavin, is why we can't hire staff.

It's because we are not getting the resources that white media is getting and we're making due by rewriting other people's stuff. Yeah, and Roland, it's really hard to follow what you just laid out and what Mustafa and John Quayle added. I want to first thank you, Roland, for clearing all this up

through your commitment to journalistic excellence. You had a lawyer on last night when you were breaking down this story. And I was watching this segment. And while a whole host of other news outlets were reporting the salacious rumors and jumping to conclusions about what the raids yesterday may have entailed, you and your guest were very clear in conveying to all of your viewers that we should not, that we could not jump to conclusions, that it was imperative for us to listen to the authorities, for us to, you know, not conclude anything other than what they had said. And so I want to thank you for doing that.

I want to thank you for refocusing this conversation to where I think it ought to be, which is on the money, on the resources. And there's such clear parallels, too, to the conversation we were having earlier, to the conversation you had last week, the ongoing conversation about the underinvestment in HBCUs, right? And so I think it's important for us to understand the ways in which all Black institutions remain underinvested, and it's intentional. And I'm really tired of, you know, our community always sort of being last on the, you know, the order of funding. I think it's a call to action. It should be a call to action. I think we're going to be talking to an entrepreneur later tonight

who's launched a toy business, right, in the Midwest. And so I think it should be a call to action even for, you know, for us in our community to remember we got to start businesses so that we can go to Black-owned media and we can pay for advertising because we're not just going to be able to rely on, you know, the goodwill or good nature of those outside of our community. So I think it's important for us to remember that too. But, you know, when it comes to this, when it comes to HBCUs, when it comes to so many other Black institutions, I'm just tired of this underinvestment. And that's me sitting here saying this for you, Roland. I cannot imagine what you have overcome in building out your platform. And I want to just thank you for giving us this space to talk about this issue and so many other critical ones that other

outlets are not covering. And it goes back to what John Quayle and Mustafa were saying, which is we live in this 24-hour news cycle. We live in a culture in which collectively we all just kind of don't want to read, right? We see these snippets on social media. We hear these soundbites. The media latches onto that sensationalism. And as a community, we have come to distrust, right, the mainstream media in a lot of ways. And so we then turn to the Black media, and we have such trust in black media. Again, same thing Kimmy said about our black institutions, HBCUs, black doctors, right? All of these different institutions. And so, as you said, right, black media owes it to our community to make sure that we don't cut corners when it comes to our journalistic standards. But of course, like you said, this all comes down to the money. And I'm tired of our community settling for scraps. Well, I just, the thing for me, and I'm going to show y'all

something in a second. The thing for me, Mustafa, that again, and I take this personal, is that I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multibillion-dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated.

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

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

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

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

on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I always had to be so good no one could ignore me. Carve my path with data and drive. But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersilling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council.

We have to understand when we post it, when we post it, when we post it, people believe it. So you've got to be careful reposting something that or putting your bylaw on and aggregating and putting it up in the Washington Post. I don't care if it's the Washington Post or the New York Times or Wall Street Journal. They can get it wrong too. And that's the point. People are trusting us. And so this is not about, oh, hey,

my sources got me the information about the seller revote. But as a perfect example, what is being reported is wrong. The sale is not final. It's wrong. Facts matter. As you said, we are trusted voices. We are ambassadors in many instances to our communities. And, of course, others are as well. And when we don't live up to

the hashtag Black Excellence, then we're doing a disservice to our people. We're doing a disservice to our community, and we are allowing those who would continue to try and deconstruct our communities, to dismantle our communities, and to make sure that our communities are not moving forward in a direction that is going to be helpful, we're helping them to be able to achieve their aims and their goals. So we have to check everyone. We got to double, triple check the information, but we also got to be mindful of how we're sharing that information and how it will have impacts inside of our community. So we have a lot of work to do. And I hope that folks, as was shared before,

actually start to read. I know you're tired. I know you're trying to put food on the table and keep the lights on, but we've got to make sure we're doing our own due diligence to make sure that what is being injected into our communities is something that is helpful and not something that will continue to hold us back.

Final point on this that I need to address right now. And you heard me say it earlier, that Magna Global is having their equity inclusion up front. Now, when we started this thing, when we started this thing, this Black-owned media collective, we were very clear. We were talking Black. We were not talking everybody. But what you've seen is, you've seen how this thing has all morphed into, oh no, it's equity. It's everyone. It's everyone. In fact, I'm sitting here, I'm going through emails right now, and I'm looking when we first started this, and I'm looking at emails going back to 2021 when they had their media day.

And so it was like, hmm, there's media equity up front. 2021. Do y'all realize that it'll be three years in March or May? We haven't gotten a single dime from a Magna Global client. But I want to show y'all what happens when we focus on black-owned and then how they try to shift it to put everybody in the same category. This is the video on Magna Global's

Instagram page right now. Watch this. I hope y'all didn't miss that. Did y'all see the key thing right there? I'm going to play it again just to make sure that y'all didn't miss that. Did y'all see the key thing right there? I'm going to play it again just to make sure that y'all didn't miss it. And I'm going to go down my panel and see if each one of them caught what I caught. So let me play this again for y'all. We'll be right back. What did you see, uh, John Quill? Well, I can tell you that it is not a black-owned collective at all anymore, right? So they said that it started with that being the idea, and essentially it's using the word equity and inclusiveness to essentially show that it's open to all companies

that need their resources. So there's no distinction between the different companies anymore, so which once was for African-American publishers, that's no longer the case. Gavin, what did you see? Well, I noticed that they had a long laundry list of everyone else and then put Black last. I noticed that.

I also noticed, to me, I would summarize it in one word, performative. I noticed how they had the videos and the pictures of our people scattered throughout. And performative is what I would reduce it down to. What I noticed was that they listed a bunch of other groups and put us dead last. Mustafa? All you have to do is look at the beginning when they said the best Black publishers.

I don't know if it said black owned publishers. So that gave you the idea that everything you're about to see is gonna be representative of folks who come from that group. What I saw was the same thing that's happened with the civil rights movement where we do the work and then others actually are the ones who get the benefit from it.

All three of you are correct. That is exactly what I saw as well. So you say it started with black, but then you show everybody and you got black last. So we carry all that water. But here's the question I would love for Magna Global to answer. What is the percentage, and again, for everybody else, that's fine. All the rest of the folks that were mentioned, the other groups, that is not my concern. What I want to know, Magna Global, what is your black number? What is the percentage of your contracts that black-owned media is receiving?

I don't want to talk black targeted. I want to hear black-owned media is receiving. I don't want to talk black-targeted. I want to hear black-owned. Now, on their channel, Instagram, they have a spotlight on Urban One, a black-owned media company. Used to work for them, TV One, their own Reach Media, Tom Jones Company, so they all work for them.

But my problem is when I see these equity up fronts from these agencies where we spend money, go to New York, present in front of them, but what money actually comes back? I can tell everybody watching right now, everybody who's watching, in three years, Black Star Network has got nothing from ACNA. Oh, we put together PowerPoint presentations. We participated in the Equity Upfront in 2021. Wasn't invited in 2022.

Wasn't invited in 2023. My guys at Urban Edge Network, did they present? Yep, they presented last three years. How much did they get back? Nothing. So who's actually benefiting from these equity up fronts? I need Magna Global to tell me what's your number?

Are the companies that you represent and tomorrow's show, I'm going to list those companies. Because here's the problem, y'all. These ad agencies are representing billions of dollars from these companies and it's performative what they're doing. A few black people may be getting some money and a little bit others. But no, no, no, no, no, no.

We got to go beyond a few. So I'm showcasing this to everybody who is watching so y'all now understand this right here is why we can't hire staffers. This right here is why we can't hire reporters. This right here is why we don't have more producers. Because we're being frozen out of this and there is the veneer of inclusivity. How are we at an equity up front? Okay.

We know in the business, 80% of all, this is the last point before I go to break. Y'all, 80% of all advertising money is allocated during the up-fronts, which are happening right now. They happen in April, they happen in March, April, May. They're happening right now. Then they have what is called a scatter market. Actually, you have three. This is up-fronts.

You have a secondary market in September, but then you have a, actually you have three. This is up front. You have a secondary market in September, but then you have the scatter market. You know what scatter market is? November, December, hey, we got some money left over. Hey, can we throw something at you? Do you know where most of the money that we've gotten from ad agencies came from? Scatter.

They call us, they call Urban Edge Network in November and December, hey what can you do for 75,000, for 100,000? And they gave out seven million dollars earlier, but here's the scatter money. That's where black-owned media largely gets money in the scatter market. We don't get the money allocated up front. So now I hope people understand. When you're like, why aren't we seeing black-owned media do this, do that? If you ain't got access to the dollars, you cannot hire the people. And so it doesn't cost me anything. You know what?

And last point, last year, you know what Magna Global did? Magna Global invited Carlos Watson of OZ to present. He was already under investigation by the feds. Two weeks after he presented at Magna up front, he got indicted. We weren't even invited. And our numbers are real. We now know that his numbers are fabricated. But see, what they do is they pick and choose who they want to invite.

And maybe they say, oh, he too noisy, he too loud. Well, guess what? I ain't got nothing to lose. So I'm going to stay noisy and stay loud. And Magna Global, I'm tired of sending emails. I'm tired of having fake meetings. The question is, when are we going to see business? And until we do, I'm going to keep calling you out.

And next, I'm going to start naming all of the companies you represent, and I'm going to keep calling you out. And next, I'm going to start naming all of the companies you represent, and I'm going to show their logos. So our audience knows who we are forgiving our money to, who ain't sending money back to us. We'll be right back on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Blackstar Network. As bad as Trump was, his economy was worse, and black America felt it the most. He cut health insurance while giving tax breaks

to the wealthy and big business. He stoked racial violence, attacked voting rights, and if reelected, vowed to be a dictator and, quote, get revenge. We can't go back. As president, I put money in pockets, creating millions of new jobs and capped the cost of medicine at $35 a month. There's a lot more to do, but we can do it together. I'm Joe Biden, and I approve this message.

When you talk about blackness and what happens in black culture, you're about covering these things that matter to us, speaking to our issues and concerns. This is a genuine people-powered movement. There's a lot of stuff that we're not getting. You get it. And you spread the word. We wish to plead our own cause to long have others spoken

for us. We cannot tell our own story if we can't pay for it. This is about covering us. Invest in Black-owned media. Your dollars matter. We don't have to keep asking them to cover our stuff. So please support us in what we do, folks. We want to hit 2,000 people. $50 this month. Waits $100,000. We're behind $100,000. So we want to hit that. Your money makes this possible. Che some money orders. Go to P.O. Box 57196, Washington, D.C., 20037-0196. The Cash app is Dollar Sign RM Unfiltered. PayPal is RMartin Unfiltered.

Venmo is RM Unfiltered. Zelle is Roland at RolandSMartin.com. Hello, I'm Marissa Mitchell, a news anchor at Fox 5 DC. Hey, what's up? It's Sammy Roman, and you are watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops call this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley

comes a story about what happened when a multibillion-dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1 Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts.

I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glod. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man.

We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug man. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown.

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

It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I always had to be so good no one could ignore me. Carve my path with data and drive. But some people only see who I am on paper.

The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersceiling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. All right, y'all. Welcome back to Roller Mark Non-Filter. You know, in Marketplace, we feature black-owned businesses. They're doing a lot of different things.

Joining us this week is the president and CEO of Just Play Entertainment, Leah Avery. Joining us out from Chicago. They have created a game, it's his party game for the culture, Hip Hop Charades. Did you know Hip Hop Charades remix? Here's their video. On the real. On the real, okay.

Okay, so when things are not going to be really, really good, I'm about to put this. Oh, I like that. Okay, if I'm going somewhere by myself, I am. No, no, no, no. I'm about to put this... Oh, I like that. Okay, if I'm going somewhere by myself, I can roll it. I'm about to be about to get my cash. Go! I'm not famous.

But I grew up in the hood. Or guess the acronym and win two points. You need some! You need some! All right, then. So, Leah, tell us about hip hop charades how it's come about. All right, so it pops raises a family friendly game that

brings families close together. Yeah, the out gets your opponent, the most hip hop lingo to me and I came up with the idea I was very shy growing up and games would always help me get out of my shell. And I recall when I was a little girl, my dad had a tire in the backyard. I had an idea to create a carnival in my backyard and charge my neighbors 25 cents to play games like throw the ball in a bucket, like on the Bozo show. So I've always been creating fun experiences and realize it's my passion and my purpose. So I love bringing family and friends closer together. You know, and again, look, Blackfoot, we love games. We talk about getting together with the family. And again, having culturally

relevant games is important. Very, very. A mom even told me that she purchased the game and she had a troubled relationship with her daughter. And after playing hip hop charades, it brought her daughter closer together. So it's all about bridging that gap. And also it's multi-generational. Grandma can play with the grandkids. We have those growing up black sayings as well as the new sayings that you hear nowadays. That's trending in our social media. Absolutely. Questions from the panel. Gavin, you're first. Thank you so much for being here. I'm curious. I'd love for you to talk about your entrepreneurial journey a little bit. We know that Black entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs face

tremendous barriers when it comes to starting businesses. You've definitely navigated that and had a lot of success so far. And it's a shame, obviously, all these obstacles we face, because I feel like we have so much brilliance and creativity and ingenuity in our community. So tell us a little bit about your journey. What's enabled you to have the success that you have, you know, besides just your sheer brilliance and intellect and all of that? And what message do you have for younger Black folks, younger women who want to do what you're doing? You know what? I've definitely had some struggles. My first game came out in 2007 and it was called Catch My Drift. And we did the guerrilla style marketing. We were in local malls for a city. I grew up in Chicago and we were selling the games

and it did great, but it was very hard to take that next step. You know, the income, the income revenue wasn't there for me to scale the brand. And I had to come up with different ideas to reach a wider audience. And what helped me grow was hosting game nights. We would host game nights in Chicago once a month and we'd play hip-hop charades, but also other games that brought back nostalgic memories like musical chairs and battle of the sexes game. So even to this day, there's still a struggle, but after COVID, during COVID, it was great for all black card game creators to really blow up. And that's what's really been happening. And a lot of my peers that has these cool games, we actually stick together.

You know, there's enough money for everyone. So we realize, you know, if we stick together and host events together, we can grow together instead of feeling like there's competition. So we've been able to co-partner and co-brand with other businesses to help us grow as well and reach a wider audience. Junkwell? Well, first I want to say I'm so excited about your hip hop charades. I'm a big cards player. I wanted to know specifically, it's interesting how your game is transgenerational, right? Where you can include children as well as the grandparents as well. A lot of card games are either specifically really adult focused or more children focused. So what inspired you to make that blend? That's a great question. You know, over the years, I realized that, you know, the cards that I would come up with would only resonate with

people that's my age. And, you know, going to trade shows and dealing with a direct-to-consumer, I realized a lot of people may say if they're older, I'm not going to guess that or hip-hop charades. I'm going to be bad at that, you know. So I wanted to change that and make them feel like you can play it, too. You'll feel comfortable guessing these phrases too. And that way you can communicate better with your family. So that's what it's all about is bringing that communication gap and telling everyone all the coolest phrases that's out nowadays. As you realize, it's hip hop culture, but it turns to pop culture once it gets to TV. There are certain phrases you hear nowadays that was, we heard it years ago,

but now it's all of a sudden new, or they call it pop culture. So we're just trying to keep people up to date in these streets on all the hip hop lingo and keeping our conversations cool. Mustafa. Congratulations on the success so far. You know, I'm curious.

I really appreciate you finding ways of bringing family together. I've got family all over. I'm curious, is there any way to have this on a multimedia platform? Is that a part of, you know, maybe some of the steps down the road? What's the ways, if I have family in Kansas City and Kentucky and a number of other locations. How can we use this? Yes, great question. So yes, we are working on getting some investment dollars together so that we can actually turn Hip Hop Charades into an app. Most importantly, we also have an idea to create a Just Play, what is it called, a Just Play arcade.

So it's going to be an app, but not just playing hip-hop charades, but a whole plethora of games created by us for us. So we're working on that and working on getting investment dollars for that as we speak. And then we also host events. We host virtual events as well and also in person. So we can bring a family together, host a birthday party online, and create an experience to remember. All right, then, folks. It is Hip Hop Charades. Where can people check it out? Of course, you've got a discount for our Roller Mart unfiltered viewers.

Absolutely. You can go to hiphopcharades.com and put in promo code RMU. You would get a 15% off discount if you purchase a game and or event. We also go to, we're actually in Chicago, Atlanta, and Nashville. So we also travel and host team building events as well, and special events to celebrate special occasions. All right then. Well, Leah, we appreciate it. Good luck with Hip Hop Charades. Thank you.

All right. Appreciate that. Thank you very much, folks. We'll come back. Deion Sanders says, my son ain't going to some NFL teams. He damn skipping. He right.

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Trudy Proud on The Proud Family. Louder and Prouder on Disney+. And you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. All of you watching right now, when you got out of college, you decided where you want to go to work. Gavin, John Quayle, Mustafa, likely were like,

hey, let me look at offers. What part of the country I want to work in? Do I want to work in a small place, a mid-sized place, a corporate place? Do I want to work in a major company? Do I want to sit here? Hey, do I want to work in a warm climate? Do I want to work in a cold company? Do I want to sit here? Hey, do I want to work in a warm climate? Do I want to work in a cold climate? Do I want to work what part of the country? All those different decisions were made. But if you're an athlete, wherever they tell you, you get drafted. That's where you go. Baseball, basketball, football, the top revenue sports.

Now, tennis, you can turn pro early. Golf, you can turn pro early. But the team sports, nah, you're going to go where we tell you to go. It's called the draft. Just like the military draft. Well, Deion Sanders was on a podcast, Killian Wallow, and the subject came up regarding his Sean Shadour Sanders,

quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes, Travis Hunter, defensive back and wide receiver for the Buffaloes, and this is what they said. Where do you predict Shadour and Travis going in the draft? Top four. That's pretty beautiful. Anywhere from one through four.

One of them is going to be one. That's what I'm talking about. One of them is going to be one. Let's speak it into existence. And the latter one would not go behind four. Now, all this is subjective because I know where I want, kind of want them to go. And let's not forget shallow, okay?

But I know where I want them to go. So in certain cities that ain't, ain't gonna happen. Okay, you want point? It's gonna be, I'm sorry, it's gonna be an Eli. Now what he's referencing was when Eli Manning came out of college, his daddy was like, yeah, the San Diego Chargers have a number one pick. We ain't going to San Diego.

Mm-mm. We ain't going there. So, Chargers didn't pick him. Because he made it clear it was a trade. When John Elway came out, the Colts had the draft pick. He was like, yeah, I ain't going to Baltimore.

No, that ain't happening. I ain't going to Baltimore. So it was a trade with Denver Broncos. When Bo Jackson came out, Bo Jackson, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they were awful. They had the number one draft pick. He said, Tampa Bay, y'all draft me? I'm going to play baseball. Tampa Bay drafted Bo Jackson. Bo wouldn't play baseball. So what Deion is saying is, I know organizations.

I know systems. This is where I want my son and where I want Travis Hunter to go. Now, a lot of folk have taken offense to this because he dared say that. He dared say it. Well, I think he's right. I remember watching an NFL draft. Was it

Zach Levine? I think it was Zach Levine. Man, when they had to pick Zach Levine I think it was Zach Levine man when they had a pick Zach Levine if I find it y'all look up I think Zach Levine uh was supposed to get I think the Timberwolves um drafted him. My man was pissed when he got drafted. I think it was Zach Levine. And the video was, he was, awful team and it's cold as hell. And my man was like,

hey, hey, I ain't trying to sit here and go to that particular place. Those things, I think it was at Levine. It was some player. We've seen it before. But they basically force you to go where they tell you

to go. And then in the NFL, they sign the rookies to a five-year contract. Five-year deal. So unless you trade it, you'd have five years. There's not a single person watching that will want to be at a job five years and you hate it. You don't like the city.

You don't like the company. You don't like your employees. The facilities suck. You ain't staying there five years. That's what happens in sports. So, Mustafa, I'm with dion 100 hell no we gonna tell certain teams don't pick my son because he is not coming to your city i'm with dion yeah i mean i totally get where dion's coming from you know the beauty of having a parent like dion is that he's informed advocate. That means that he understands the system. He knows the various cities. He also understands that when you're becoming a professional athlete, that you have maybe three or four years're making the right decisions for you. And that often means that, you know, just because somebody says you're going to be in a certain city, that might not be the right one for you, might not be the right program based upon your skill set.

And it can also play a big role in how long you actually are in the league, whether it's in the NBA or, you know, it's in the NFL or whatever the situation might be. So I'm glad when people have these informed advocates who will stand up for them and help them to make the right decisions because they have lifelong consequences, either positive or negative, that come out of it. I mean, here's an example. Here's an example, John Quill. When Vince Young came out of University of Texas, led them to the national championship, Jeff Fisher did not want him at all. Bud Adams, the owner, did. Now, here you got Bud Adams. Titans used to be the Houston Oilers. So Bud wanted him bad.

Bud owned the team. Bud owned the team. Owned and made the decision. Fisher hated Vince Young. Gave him hell. Was constantly dogging him. Vince Young's married to my cousin. And Vince Young

has talked about how he had to deal with that. The reality is his career was stunted because he had a head coach who hated him, who didn't want to draft him at all. Now imagine if Vince Young goes to a place where the coach wants him. Totally different environment.

Happens all the time. There are coaches who don't want certain players, but management drafts them. Now you got to deal with the coach. Now you got to add to it. Happens all the time. There are coaches who don't want certain players, but management drafts them. Now you got to deal with the coach. Now you got to add to. Happens all the time. I believe that Deion is absolutely right. He wants his son and Travis Hunter, who he looks at as a son,

to be in the best position to be great. And what he's saying is, there's some teams we're not going to play for. And I think more athletes should do this. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops call this taser the revolution.

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

Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes one, two, and three on May 21st and episodes four, five, and six on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back.

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

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

It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content,

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

It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at tearthepaperceiling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. Because they should not be forced to go to places just because of a draft. Well, look at what we all have just seen play out in the media with Russell Wilson, right? The coach there in Colorado couldn't stand him, right? Wanted him, spoke out publicly against him, saying he was too focused on his family, which why is that?

Why is that something that someone would speak ill of or publicly against them? They wanted him to return portions of his contract, millions and millions of dollars, and really just made it miserable for him. And we're used to seeing Russell Wilson being a star, you know. So certainly whatever environments, the environments that you're placed as directly correlates to your success there. Secondarily, as it relates to Deion Sanders, I mean, Deion Sanders is a legend, right? There's only one Deion Sanders. There's only going to be one Deion Sanders. So not only does he have the knowledge, the skill, the connections, but also, lastly,

ever since these NIL deals have come along, college and high school athletes have more leverage now, right? A lot of them are millionaires. And so I do think that that does put them in a different position than maybe six or seven years ago, right? Well, first of all, a lot of not millionaires. But to your point, it used to be, man, they broke. They got no choice. Correct. Now it's a different conversation because, oh, I now don't have to take a deal for financial reasons.

And you're absolutely right. That's what's changed the game. Correct. Gavin. Yeah you're absolutely right. That's what's changed the game. Correct. Gavin. Yeah, more of this, more of this. And I want to expand this out even further, right? Like this is an example of black athletes harnessing the leverage that they have, right?

Because we know there'd be no NFL. There'd be no NCAA without black athletes. It also reminds me of the news we heard recently where Derek Johnson, the head of the NAACP, is now telling athletes at the college level, I guess high school seniors who are looking to play in college, to stay out of Florida. Now, look, I don't know how effective right now that approach is going to be when most athletes decide where to play based on where the best opportunity is going to be. I don't blame them for doing that, for considering, you know, where they can get the most playing time, where they can get the most investment of resources.

We just got to decide how serious we want to be about using our leverage, right? And Jon Quayle is right. Athletes have a lot more leverage now with NIL. What we also got to make sure we do is we got to make sure, going back to our earlier conversation, that our HBCUs are well funded. Roland, you keep beating the drum on this, which is that the Biden-Harris administration has called out the underinvestment, the underfunding in HBCUs. Where we are right now is that Black athletes should not have to choose between going to a school that, or, you know, at the college level or at the NFL, right, going to a team, I'm not talking about college, going to a university that's not, you know, going to a team, I'm going to talk about college, going to a university that's not, you know, going

to support them as athletes, as students. That might be in a state where we've seen a bunch of really regressive laws being passed, but where they might get really good investments, or going to an HBCU where they're going to get the nurturing, they're going to get the support, right? But that doesn't have the resources. So we got to close that gap, right? And I'm really glad, Roland, that you brought this up as a topic for tonight. A little known fact about myself is that I spent my first two years out of college working for the NFL. I learned a lot, saw the good, the bad, and the ugly, as you can imagine of the sports industry, especially the NFL.

But the one clear takeaway that I had was that as a community, again, I'm expanding this out. We got to have a seat at the ownership table, right? In the professional leagues, there are zero black owners, controlling owners, I should clarify, in the NFL. There are zero controlling owners in the NBA after Michael Jordan, you know, sold his share in the Hornets not too long ago. There are zero controlling owners in, you know, the MLB. Sheila Johnson, black woman, right? She is the governing owner right now of the Washington Mystics. We need more of that, right? When you look at the sports industry writ large, we need to have more black owners, or a black owner in the NFL's context, and a critical mass

of black owners who have seats at that table. And what does that mean? It's going to take more people like the guest we just had who started her business and is growing her business. It's going to take more people like you, Roland. When you own the Houston Texans one day, just remember me, give me one ticket, please. But it's going to take more of that. And so I commend Coach Prime for his comments. I commend this mentality, the shift in recognizing and understanding the leverage that Black athletes have. There'd be no NFL NCAA without us, without them. And so I really look forward to seeing as a community, you know, athletes across the board looking to harness their collective power and leverage.

Let me show you this here real quick here. You talk about doing something. I hope the NCAA does something about this here. Utah head coach Lynn Roberts was at a news conference where she talked about racism that her team faced when they had an NCAA game in Idaho. Watch this. We had several instances of some kind of racial hate crimes towards our program and incredibly upsetting for all of us. And, you know, you think in our worlds, you know, in athletics and in university settings, it's shocking, you know, in a non, like there's so much diversity on a college campus. And so you're just not exposed to that

very often. And so when you are, it's like, you know, and you have people say, man, I can't believe that happened. But, you know, racism is real and it happens. And it's awful. And so for our players, whether they are, you know, white, black, green, whatever, no one knew how to handle it, you know. And it was really upsetting. And for our players and staff to not feel safe in an NCAA tournament environment, it's messed up. And so we moved hotels.

And, you know, the NCAA and Gonzaga worked to get us in a new hotel, and we appreciate that. But, yeah, that's what happened, and it was a distraction and upsetting and unfortunate, you know. This should be a positive for everybody involved. This should be a joyous time for our program. And to have kind of a black eye on that experience is unfortunate. You know, we had... NCAA, don't play any more games in Idaho. Mustafa?

Yeah, I remember when I was a college athlete and the first time that I ever had to deal with racism as an athlete was actually in Tennessee. When we started the show, I was actually thinking about that. You know, the NAACP, excuse me, the NCAA, maybe them also, have to do a better job. They have to understand these dynamics that are going on continually. You know, from the beginning, when we first integrated into sports to today, that there are still both the mental and the physical and the spiritual impacts that happen because of our exposure to racism. So for younger people, especially who have not yet been able to develop the skills to

be able to deal with those types of things, it can have long-term impacts. So I'm hoping that we continue to put pressure, that we make sure that they continue to evolve, and that we hold them accountable, because, when you're an athlete, and if you do something that's not to the letter of the law that they have put out, then there are ramifications. But, unfortunately, those associations who are often over top of athletes don't often have to follow the same sets of rules and don't have to continue to evolve and grow. Johnquo.

I too was a college athlete. I played college basketball, but however, I went to a historically black college. So all the schools I played against, everybody was black. So I didn't have to deal with it in that context. But number one, I'm glad that she did address that in a press conference so that it is getting national coverage as it relates to how athletes are still being treated.

And frankly, just historically, just what athletes have had to endure. My father is a NCAA College Basketball Hall of Famer. And, you know, even growing up during the era of what he did and what he had to go through as an athlete, he went all the way to New Mexico State to play basketball and avoided Duke and some of the other schools because of how historically how athletes were treated.

And it's still something that is still going on today. And it's something that we cannot ignore. Kevin? Absolutely. I want to reiterate what both Mustafa and John Quell said. And it's important to remember the history here, right? You take players like Fritz Pollard, who was one of the earliest Black athletes in the NFL and also who was the first black coach in the NFL. Nowadays, we have the Fritz Pollard Alliance, an organization that's dedicated to increasing the diversity of black coaches and other front office staff right across professional sports, or at least the NFL. And, you know, when he was in the league back in

the day, you know, he and so many others couldn't stay at the same hotels as, you know, the white players, couldn't dress with the team in the locker room, couldn't eat, you know, with the rest of the team in restaurants. And so when we see these things, these instances like the coach just described playing out today, I just think it's important to remember the history here and remember that obviously what we're seeing now is nothing new, but it helps us keep in context, right, the importance of, you know, remembering this history, and it should instruct us and guide us now toward the future that we need to create in sports. And again, to what I said before, you know, I do think that for us to truly see that change, it's going to take,

obviously, more, you know, Black folks in position of leadership across sports, but also, like I was saying before, at the ownership table, who can truly, you know, use the power, you know, of the purse and truly, you know, make the lasting change that's necessary, you know, in sports and in society broader than that. And there are obviously unique barriers within, you know, the sports industry that keep that from happening, but there are a whole host of barriers that exist, you know, outside of the sports industry, which is why, you know, we have yet that exist, you know, outside of the sports industry, which is why, you know, we have yet to see, you know, more black folks have the capital to be able to, you know, afford these increasingly expensive teams.

And so, you know, it's going to take a full court press to use the sports analogy there. But I appreciate the coach calling out that. And it's important for us to keep the history in mind as we try to steer toward a better future for sports. All right, folks. Look, we appreciate it. Thank you so very much. Kevin, John Quayle, and Mustafa, thank you so very much. Folks, that is it.

We will see you all tomorrow right here on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. Don't forget to support us in what we do. Send your check and money order to PO Box 57196 Washington, D.C. 2003-7 box 57196 washington dc two zero zero three seven dash zero one nine six cash out dallas and rm unfiltered paypal or martin unfiltered vimos rm unfiltered zale rolling at roland s martin.com rolling at roland martin unfiltered.com don't forget download the blackstone Network app, Apple Phone, Android Phone, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV.

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Ha! Black Star Network is here. Oh, I'll see y'all tomorrow right here on Rolling Button Unfiltered. Ha! Black Star Network is here. Oh, no punches! A real revolution right now. Thank you for being the voice of Black America. All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going. The video looks phenomenal.

See, there's a difference between Black Star Network and Black-owned media and something like CNN. You can't be Black-owned media and be scared. It's time to be smart. Bring your eyeballs home. You dig? I always had to be so good no one could ignore me. Carve my path with data and drive. But some people only see who I am on paper.

The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes, rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at tetherpapersilling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. I know a lot of cops. They get asked all the time,

have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. This is Absolute Season 1. Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. Last year, a lot of the problems of theugs podcast. Last year, a lot of the problems of the drug war. This year, a lot of the biggest names in music and

sports. This kind of starts that a little bit, man. We met them at their homes. We met them at their recording studios. Stories matter and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two

on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart podcast.