#RolandMartinUnfiltered - MN DOJ Minneapolis Report, Ja Morant Suspension, TN Rep. Justin Pearson Wins Re-Election

Episode Date: June 17, 2023

6.16.2023 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: MN DOJ Minneapolis Report, Ja Morant Suspension, TN Rep. Justin Pearson Wins Re-Election The DOJ's investigation into the Minneapolis police department is released.  It reveals years of excessive force and discrimination. We'll speak to the president of NOBLE to discuss what this means for the Department. NBA star JA Morant get suspended for 25 games. We'll break down the conditions of his suspension and how much money he stands to lose. And later, we have an emotional moment between Busta Rhymes and singer Nia Drummond that moved him to tears. We'll speak with Nia about the moment they shared. Justin Pearson was re-elected to the Tennessee state house by a landslide. We will give you all the details about the election. In our education matters segment, we will speak with the president of EmpowHER Institute, which gives 12-17-year-old girls of color the chance to become marine biologists. An African king gets to sit on the throne stolen from his people, and we have an incredible video to show you. Download the #BlackStarNetwork app on iOS, AppleTV, Android, Android TV, Roku, FireTV, SamsungTV and XBox  http://www.blackstarnetwork.com The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platforms covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Last year, a lot of the problems of the drug war. This year, a lot of the biggest names in music and sports. This kind of starts that a little bit, man.

We met them at their homes. We met them at the recording studios. Stories matter and it brings a face to it. 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 podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

We asked parents who adopted teens to share their journey. We just kind of knew from the beginning that we were family. They showcased a sense of love that I never had before. I mean, he's not only my parent, like, he's like my best friend. At the end of the day, it's all been worth it. I wouldn't change a thing about our lives. Learn about adopting a teen from foster care. Visit adoptuskids.org to learn more. Brought to you by AdoptUSKids, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Ad Council. Today is Friday, June 16, 2023. Coming up on Roland Martin Unfiltered,

streaming live on the Black Start Network from Houston, Texas. The Department of Justice dropped a devastating report showing the abusive treatment African-Americans and Latinos have received at the hands of Minneapolis police. this report, and it is absolutely heinous action and essentially shows that police officers are acting as gang members there in Minneapolis. Also on today's show, we'll talk about economic empowerment. We're here in Houston holding a Juneteenth Economic Freedom Summit tomorrow at the Power Center. We'll have a preview of that, and so we talk about really what the focus and the meaning of Juneteenth really should

be for us in 2023. Also on today's show there was a sister. She went viral for singing Happy Birthday operatic style to Bust the Rhymes, Bring in the Tears. Nia Drummond will join us right

here on Roland Martin on Filtered. Also, Justin Pearson was re-elected to the Tennessee House last night. Well, it was the primary, the general election later this year, but he's a shoe-in to actually win. So we'll give the details of the election. And, of course, our Education Matters segment, we'll talk with the president of the Empower Her Institute, which gives 12- to 17-year-old girls the chance to become marine biologists.

Folks, it is time to bring the funk on Roller Barton Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. Let's go. He's got it. Whatever the mess, he's on it. Whatever it is, he's got the scoop, the fact, the fine. And when it breaks, he's right on time. And it's rolling. Best belief he's right on time. And it's rolling. Best believe he's

knowing. Putting it down from sports to news to politics. With entertainment just for kicks. He's rolling. It's Uncle Roro, y'all. It's Rolling Martin. Martin, yeah. Rollin' with Rollin' now. He's funky, he's fresh, he's real the best, you know he's Rollin' Martin now. Martin! The Department of Justice today dropped a bombshell report showing that the Minneapolis Police Department on many occasions violated the constitutional rights of numerous African-Americans and Latinos in that particular city, in addition to Native Americans. And also they engage in a pattern of discrimination. Folks, Attorney General Merrick Garland made this announcement today. The justice has concluded that there is reasonable cause to

believe that the Minneapolis Police Department and the city of Minneapolis engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the First and Fourth Amendments of the United States Constitution. There is also reasonable cause to believe that they engage in conduct that violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Safe Streets Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Specifically, we found that MPD and the City of Minneapolis engages in a pattern or practice of using excessive force, unlawfully discriminating against black and Native American people in enforcement activities, violating the rights of people engaged in protected speech and discriminating against people with behavioral disabilities

and responding to them when responding to them in Christ. At the heart of many of the protests that unfolded in this city and across the nation was a call for constitutional, fair, and non-discriminatory policing and respect for people's civil rights. Today, we're here to take an important step toward answering that call and committing to the task of building out a core feature of American democracy, an effective, accountable police department that ensures respect for constitutional rights, garners public trust, and keeps people safe. I want to provide further details about the

findings of our civil rights investigation that the Attorney General just announced. First, we found that the Minneapolis Police Department uses excessive force, both lethal, both deadly and less lethal. We reviewed MPD's 19 police shootings and one in custody death from January 1st of 2016 to August 16th of 2022. Many of these incidents were unconstitutional uses of deadly force. We found that officers used deadly force without probable cause to believe that there was an immediate threat of serious physical harm to the officer or another person. In one example, an off-duty officer fired his gun at a car containing six people within three seconds of getting out of his squad car. Neck restraints are lethal force, and we found that MPD officers often use neck restraints without warning on people suspected of only minor offenses and on people who posed no threat. We also reviewed less lethal uses of force,

tasers, bodily force, and pepper spray. MPD officers' use of tasers often is inconsistent with MPD's own policy and occurs without warning. For example, officers sometimes use multiple successive taser applications without reassessing the need for further activations, which can be dangerous. They also use tasers for minor offenses on kids and on people known to have behavioral health issues. We found that MPD unconstitutionally uses bodily force and pepper spray against people who have committed minor offenses or no offense at all. In addition, we saw repeated instances of excessive force against kids without appropriate attempts to de-escalate the situation. Folks, it is a damning report. It was started after the death of George Floyd. It was a two-year

investigation, and the details are not shocking to folks in Minneapolis, especially African-American activists who have talked about for years how the police department was treating African-Americans, Latinos and Native Americans as well. Folks joining us right now to discuss this is Brenda Goss Andrews. She's the president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. Also, Nakima Levy Armstrong. She's a civil rights attorney. We're also joined by Andre Locke, who is the father of Amir Locke, a young man who was shot and killed at the hands of police there. Glad to have all three of you here.

Let me first start with you, Nakima. You're there. Minneapolis used to lead the NAACP there. You got in the face of the mayor after a no-knock warrant shooting where they said things were going to change and things did not change. Absolutely. So we're here at a place in time where we think that federal intervention is long overdue. We're glad that the Department of Justice finally did the right thing by investigating the Minneapolis Police Department. But why did it take the murder of George Floyd for that to happen, when for many years and many decades, Black folks have been saying the very same thing, crying out for justice, and our cries had

fallen on deaf ears up until now. So we're glad that this investigation happened. We're glad that the city is going to be forced to enter into a consent decree. But there is still a bit of skepticism as to whether or not Minneapolis will step up and do the right thing, particularly by people of color and black folks who live in this city. Andre, your reaction to this report from the DOJ? It was, it's bittersweet, I can say. For black folks and black and brown people in the Minneapolis area, in our communities,

our communities and surrounding communities in St. Paul as well, and Brooklyn Center, our response is, it's about time. It's about time, because this is something that we've been singing for decades, for years. People before us, before Nikima and myself, have been singing the same thing about police brutality, unjust stops. Everything that you can think of, just the mistreatment of force and unreasonable force. So it's bittersweet. It's something that, as Nakima was saying, I'm a little skeptical what Minneapolis would

do at this point, because at this point, they're trying to even sweep my son's death under the rug by putting in a dismissal for his case. Brenda, how should police leaders rank and file react to this type of damning report? Well, first of all, to your caller just now, you know, condolences on what happened to your son. Yes, this is a 92-page report. I haven't had an opportunity to read at all. I do applaud that it has happened, but I do understand their comments about the skepticism because this has gone on too long in our country. I spent 30 years on the Detroit Police Department, and I started off as a young officer on the street all the way

up to a deputy chief. So I operate in both worlds. So I do understand that this pattern or practice has been going on for a long time. And it's a shame in America that we had to get to the death of George Floyd to finally start really looking at this through the right lens, where we'll have an opportunity to change the

police culture. And Roland, that's what we need to talk about. How do we change the police culture? Because this is not the first time, and I hope it would be the last time, but we still hear stories of that. So police leaders need to really pay attention to what has happened in Minneapolis and go back and read this report. I read through it. It has a lot of implications for training, for supervisory training. But you can put all that together, but you have to change the culture, starting from the top, starting from that CEO, that we will not have disparate treatment of people. We will not violate people's civil rights. And that has to be the message. You can do training all day, but that message, that message must come from the top and cascade all the way to that officer on the street,

that this type of behavior will not be tolerated. Not only will it not be tolerated, but that we're going to deal with you. We're going to prosecute you. We're going to terminate you, that we're going to take action instead of sweeping some of these things under the rug when we know who some of these problem officers are in the department. So that would be my message to leaders out there. Just use this report and comb through it because it talks about training. It talks about policies. It talks about it had 18 remedial measures for Minneapolis to take. And I just say, police chiefs and leaders, go through this report and just check it off and see where you are in

your department in relation to this report. Folks, hold tight one second. I got to go to a break. We come back more on Roland Martin Unfiltered as we unpack 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 multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated

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

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

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

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

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Brought to you by AARP and the Ad Council. A devastating report from the Department of Justice on the Minneapolis Police Department. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered right here on the Black Star Network. Hatred on the streets, a horrific scene, a white nationalist rally that descended into deadly violence. We're about to see the rise of what I call white minority resistance. We have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting. I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of violent denial. This is part of American history. Every time that people of color have made progress, whether real or symbolic, there has been what Carol Anderson at Emory University calls white rage as a backlash.

This is the rise of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys. America, there's going to be more of this. Here's all the Proud Boys, guys. This country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because of the fear of white people. The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're taking our women. This is white fear. We'll be right back. 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? Hey, it's John Murray, the executive producer of the new Sherry Shepard Talk Show.

You're watching Rolling Martin Unfiltered. All right, folks, welcome back. Roland Martin Unfiltered as we continue to talk about this Department of Justice report. We lost Nekima and Amir Locke's dad Andre, so we'll try to get them back in a bit I do want to bring into this conversation as well folks, my panelists today, Matt Manning

civil rights attorney Matt, he is with the Corpus Christi Dr. Neon B. Carter, associate professor University of Maryland School of Public Policy out of D.C. And Jesse Hamilton McCoy, Clinical Professor of Law, Supervising Attorney of the Duke Law Civil Justice Clinic out of Durham, North Carolina. Glad to have all three of you here.

I will start with you, Matt, your assessment of this report. Two-year investigation at 92 pages, lots and lots of detail and shocking and terrible stories of how Minneapolis police treat people of color. I do think it's a blockbuster from the little bit that I've read, but I'll tell you, Roland, I kind of have, I guess, muted excitement about this or happiness about this, because at the end of the day, if it does not correlate to people being able to individually vindicate their constitutional rights, then we're not making the biggest progress that we need to make. Every day I file lawsuits

or prosecute lawsuits for people whose constitutional rights have been violated. I think unless we're able to connect consent decrees to an ease for people to actually vindicate their deprivation rights, we're not moving the ball forward. And the second thing with that is that with Louisville and with Minneapolis here, you know, I like that the Department of Justice is investigating these departments. But it seems to me to be a little too little too late. Right. Because it happens after some blockbuster event. What needs to happen is there needs to be greater enforcement of police departments before it gets to this point where they have had a myriad of these complaints over the years, and finally somebody comes in and does a pattern and practice investigation. Not to say they're not doing it, but it's easy to do it in the wake of George Floyd, or in the wake of Breonna Taylor. But police departments around the country have these systemic issues, and until we address

those meaningfully where individual plaintiffs can vindicate their constitutional rights, I don't think that this is really all that important. Because at the end of the day, people every day have their rights violated, and it's virtually impossible for them to have them vindicated. Jesse, we've also seen examples like in Cleveland, where they had a consent decree, and then they come back and have another consent decree. Stuff did not change. Absolutely. I think one of the reactions that I have when it comes to reports like this is we've heard the same thing really since going back even to the Kerner Commission report in 1967. We always hear the same recommendations and the same outcomes, but ultimately we still are experiencing police violence, particularly in minority neighborhoods and communities, at an alarming rate. And I think

one of the concerns that our community and the culture has is what is supposed to happen next, right? We just want people to stop being able to kill black people or kill minorities in our communities. And it seems like it really shouldn't be that difficult of a problem. But the more that we analyze and come up with the same conclusion, the more we realize that there's not a lot of investment into all of these things that people always recommend. So training hasn't fixed it. This push for neighborhood policing is always hot when someone has just been murdered, but then it fades away. We are at a point now where I think there needs to be a bigger demand for action and there needs to be greater accountability. Leambie? LEAMBIE GILBERT- Well, I'm fortunate to have three of my colleagues.

I mean, I think, in some ways, you're like, water is wet. This is what people have been saying from city to city, whether it's Baltimore, Minneapolis, other places. These are things that people have been saying. It's nice to have the Department of Justice confirm that black people aren't crazy, because I think we've been collectively gaslit in this society where people tell us, well, if you just comply, you'll be OK. If you just would listen, nothing bad would happen to you. And I think this Department of Justice report explodes all of those sort of what about it kinds of comments that people often make when we see Black people who are brutalized at the hands of police officers. But I am, you know, reserving judgment here because in some ways it feels too little too late because everything from the training and all this other

stuff that was supposed to ameliorate this kind of negative policing hasn't. I think the earlier statement about police culture is something that we have to think about. Who are the people who become our police officers? What kind of requirements do we have for police officers? What kind of mental supports and other things are we giving them? Now, we can't, you know, sort of counsel away or train away the racism that we see here. And so there has to be a willingness to root out those officers, particularly those who are known to be a problem. Because one of the things that I think we've seen over and over again, it's never just an isolated incident. It's never a single officer doing a single bad act. It's people who've had a history of being abusive to the public that they're supposed to serve.

And then when something really spectacular happens, then there's all this attention. But very rarely does it ever end with an officer losing their job or losing their freedom. So I think we have to think more critically about the next steps, because none of these things by themselves are going to remedy the larger issue, which is Black people being brutalized and killed at the hands of these police departments. And it's not just white officers. And I think that's another thing that needs to be emphasized here. But it's still, again, something about the culture of policing is rotten in this country. And we have to talk about what that is. And this might be

one step in that direction. Brenda, here's what is also troubling. If you're Minneapolis, how in the hell you didn't know these things? Why do you need the Department of Justice to come in to validate this? This to me is an indictment on city leadership and the police department that they didn't know these things. And if they did, they'd been covering it up. Well, I would say, you know, both things. In a police department, you know or should know who your problem officers are. Now, whether you take action or not is another thing. So this came to the boiling point, unfortunately, with the death of George Floyd that required federal intervention. I don't want to say it's too little too late. Certainly, we would have liked this to happen

sooner. We would have liked all of this to happen with many of our other black males that have been killed. But I want to be optimistic that at this point that we can move forward. I want to make one other point. I agree with some of the things Dr. Carter said as well, but we need civilian oversight. We need civilians to stay engaged and stay involved. You know, a lot of times, you know, we get involved when something happens, but we have to stay engaged and involved every day. As citizens, you have a right to know what your police department is doing. Each department is handled differently. I know here in Detroit, we have a civilian oversight demand. If your department doesn't have it, see why they don't have a civilian oversight board or committee or citizens involved in a proactive

way on your police department. So that would be a takeaway recommendation I would have for any community. Citizens should be involved in some aspect of hiring and recruiting. And I did hiring and recruiting for Detroit police. And I brought citizens in to kind of be involved in some of those aspects of recruiting and hiring. So even though this report might not cover everything, I think it's a good model for all police departments. I think I said that earlier. But we have to have the community involved. And a lot of times, like I said, Roland, we get involved when something's hot. And then when it cools off, you know, we're not as involved.

We're not as vocal. So we need to be vocal every day. You need to go to the court. I remember we were court watchers. I don't know if anybody's even doing that anymore. And go down and see what the judges are doing. You know, what kind of punishments are they metting out? Is it disparate treatment even in their sentencing or is it something else?

So as citizens, we have to be vigilant all the time, every day, especially in the black community. Indeed. Brenda Goss Andrews with NOVA. We certainly appreciate it. Thank you so very much for joining us. Thank you for having me again, Roland. Folks, hold tight one second.

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

This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and

6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes sir, we are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman

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

NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Caramouch. What we're doing now isn't working and we need to change things. Stories matter and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does.

It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. We asked parents who adopted teens to share their journey. We just kind of knew from the beginning that we were family. They showcased a sense of love that I never had before. I mean, he's not only my parent, like he's like my best friend. At the end of the day, it's all been worth it. I

wouldn't change a thing about our lives. Learn about adopting a teen from foster care. Visit adoptuskids.org to learn more. Brought to you by AdoptUSKids, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Ad Council. We'll be back right here on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network.

Thank you. We talk about blackness and what happens in black culture. We'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.

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On a next A Balanced Life with me, Dr. Jackie, owning your energy and how to use it. Trust me, it impacts the people on your job, who you attract, and even your love life. What you give out is what comes back to you. So like attracts like, right? So if you come in with a negative space and I match that negative energy, then two seconds later, somebody else coming with more negative energy. And then I was just always just matching negative stuff. And here's the kicker.

If you're not careful, that energy can even be stolen. That's all next on A Balanced Life on Blackstar Network. Me, Sherri Shebritt. I'm Tammy Roman. I'm Dr. go get it. Să ne urmăm în următoarea mea rețetă. All right, folks. The NBA has brought the hammer down on Memphis Grizzlies guard John Moran. Since spending him without pay for 25 games beginning next season. Now, remember, he previously was suspended for several games.

He issued an apology. He met with the commissioner. But then this was after, of course, he was on video on Instagram Live in a strip club brandishing a gun. Then, of course, after apologizing the second second time he was in a car with a friend blasting hip-hop music and he flashed a gun again. The NBA waited until the NBA finals were over before they would actually take any action. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said this is about Morant's suspension. Jay Morant's decision to once again wield a firearm on social media is alarming and disconcerting given his similar conduct in March for which he was already

suspended eight games. The potential for other young people to emulate Ja's conduct is particularly concerning. Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and make clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns would not be tolerated. Now, the NBA said that Morant would also have to adhere to certain conditions before being reinstated. As I said, it's the second time he has been suspended in the last three months for showing a firearm on social media. Now, the NBA Players Association, they have also responded to this as well. And so this here is a statement from the executive director of their union.

And it actually, it's, again, it's a very strong one. And as you expect, they are defending or raising questions about due process in the NBA. And this is one of the issues that immediately jumps out. Let me go ahead and read to you this statement again. This is the statement that is from the head of the Players Union. So you see it there on the screen, folks. You see her statement. I'm going to read this for you.

She says, quote, and this, of course, is Tamika Tremoglio. She says, Ja has expressed his remorse and accepted responsibility for his actions, and we support him unequivocally as he does whatever is necessary to represent himself, our players, and our league in the best possible light. As to the discipline imposed, which keeps him off the court until December and requires some unstated conditions to be met before he can return, we believe it is excessive and inappropriate for a number of reasons, including the facts involved in this particular incident, and that it is not fair and consistent with past discipline in our league.

We will explore with you all options and next steps. All right, let's get to it in our panel. Matt, look, you're a civil rights attorney. Your perspective on this is a lot of leeway the commissioner is given to make these decisions. And you have the players union who is saying, hey, was this even a fair process to suspend him? Well, one, this is why unions are important because they stand up for the values of their members, right, and the rights of their members. But, you know, for me, this is actually less about John Morant and about the NBA and more about the schizophrenia we have in our country as

it relates to guns. We live in a country that is beset with mass shootings and legislatures that are reticent to do anything about them. So for us to wax poetic and act like John Morant waving a gun in a car is a cardinal sin when every day we see nothing but images of guns and support thereof is just patently dishonest, if you ask me. Now, from his discreet issue as it relates to whether he sat with Adam Silver and told him he wasn't going to do it again, I mean, I think the punishment is a little excessive, particularly considering his youth. And, you know, I like the idea that these are role models, but I also don't like the idea that they're held to some standard that's unreasonable for a 23-year-old. And that's just my personal opinion. But I think the bigger thing is we have to be honest about our position on guns and how we

view them as a society. And it's absurd that somebody like John Moran is not playing basketball for 25 games, but every day we're bombarded with images of guns. And when people actually get injured with them, our legislatures cannot find a way to put meaningful checks on them. So with that, I would say we need to have a larger conversation about the role of guns in our society and our willingness to stand up to the powers that be and the moneyed interests that keep those guns on our streets and not regulated the way they should be. Yes.

Let me ask you this question. Let's say you are an attorney for a job and you say, look, the man apologized once. Now you're talking about 25 games, no suspension. But let's say there's an NBA player who is a hunter. Let's say he posted photos of him brandishing a gun. Would the NBA respond the same? And so you hear the executive director of the Players Association talking about this double standard.

Your thoughts on that? Well, I mean, I think that's true. I mean, we do already have NBA players who are hunters and who have posed on social media sites with guns. That's happened. I think that this punishment was less about what Adam Silver is saying with influence and more about their view on insubordination, because they have talked to John Morant prior to about this same situation, and he had expressed remorse prior to. And I think the NBA has taken the position that they are less willing to accept

his apologies and less willing to believe that he won't do this again. And they're using, in a sense, a cop-out of saying, well, his influence to kids or people who are watching might diminish the brand. But I think in actuality, it's more so showing John Morant that they plan to take this seriously moving forward and that any deviation from what the NBA expects of him as a player and participant in this league will be harshly punished. Is it, I mean, look, you hear the executive director say there, Niyambi,

these unwritten acts that he is going to have to perform to be reinstated. And it's very interesting how people reacted to this. There were a lot of people who were like, oh, man, this guy's an idiot. He's stupid. He's costing himself millions. You have others who are saying, well, why is he suspending second-man rights? Others who are like, say, hey, the NBA is protecting its brand as well. And so to me, what this is, is the NBA, okay, we hit you with a license picture before. You came and met with the commissioner.

You apologized, said it wouldn't happen again. Boom. It happens again. This is their way of saying, keep playing around. You're going to see how serious we are about impacting your money. And keep in mind, he keeps this up, not only losing NBA job, losing endorsements, all sorts of things. Absolutely.

And listen, I agree that this is about the NBA flexing its muscle and showing these players who's boss, so to speak. But this is also one of those conversations we need to have, because I agree with my panelists. All of these other things are playing in the background, and multiple things can be true at the same time. But this is what happens when you give 23-year-olds whose brains aren't even fully formed millions of dollars and then expect them to exercise the judgment of fully formed adults. So they look grown, right? They're big people. They play this game that entertains us. They make lots of money,

but they're not grownups. I work with young people all day. And the decisions that they make sometimes leaves me scratching my head. This is how I know this young person is not a full-grown man. Now, I do think this is one of those sort of grow up time moments for John Moran. I think we have to consider what choices come next, because working in the NBA is a privilege. The NBA is not like other institutions where you might work and the protections might look the same as if you were in a different kind of employment space. So I think that also has to be considered. I do share those same concerns, though, as the union, where the NBA can say, you have to meet these requirements. You don't know what the requirements are. So you're signing up and agreeing to something because you are being

held to account by this organization, where you really, I mean, you have some bargaining power, but not really. Ultimately, the NBA is going to be the NBA. And so if they decide that John Morant has to go, there will be somebody else waiting in the wings to take his spot. So it's not going to cease functioning as an institution. But these kinds of vague requirements really only serve the NBA. They don't serve John Morant or his assistants, right, to become a better decision maker and become a more mature person in this position. So I think these vague requirements that the NBA has sort of said that they're going to ask of him but have not actually delineated what those are, that should be cause for concern for many players because I don't think this will be the last time that the NBA decides that something like brandishing a gun or some other behavior

is beyond the pale and then say and you're going to have to do these things to be determined. I think that is always that that vague language always serves the institution and never the person who is subject to those kinds of requirements. Well, I would certainly hope there are some serious conversations in the Morant household, because if you're making thirty five million dollars a year and you're missing a quarter of the season, that's a hell of a hit on your pocketbook just because you chose to brandish a gun on an Instagram Live. All right, folks, going to go to a break. We'll be back. Roland Markman, folks, on the Black Star Network.

You're watching on YouTube. Hit that Like button, folks. I want us to be over 2,000 likes for today, so hit the Like button. Also, I want you to download the Black Star Network app, Apple Phone, Android Phone, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV. Also, join our Bring the Funk fan club. Your contributions absolutely matter. Send us a check and money order at PO Box 57196, Washington, D.C., 20037-0196.

Cash App, Dollar Sign, RM Unfiltered. PayPal's RMartin Unfiltered. Venmo is RM Unfiltered. Zelle is Roland at RolandSMartin.com. Roland at RolandMartinunfiltered. Venmo is rmunfiltered. Zelle is rolandsmartin.com. Roland at rolandmartinunfiltered.com. And, of course, be sure to get a copy of my book, White Fear, How the Browning of America is Making White Folks Lose Their Minds. I will be in Houston tomorrow.

I'll be signing copies of the book. If you already have a copy, want to come get your copy, come check us out. At the Power Center, 12 to 4 tomorrow. We'll be having a Juneteenth celebration talking about the issue of economic freedom. And so send us an RSVP, info at RolandSMartin.com to reserve your space. We'll be right back. Question for you. Are you stuck?

Do you feel like you're hitting a wall and it's keeping you from achieving prosperity? Well, you're not alone. On the next Get Wealthy with me, Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach, you're going to learn what you need to do to become unstuck and unstoppable. The fabulous author, Janine K. Brown, will be with us sharing with you exactly what you need to do to finally achieve the level of financial success you desire through your career. Because when I talk about being bold in the workplaces, I'm talking about that inner boldness that you have to take a risk, to go after what you want, to speak up when others are not. That's right here on Get Wealthy, only on Black Star Network. Up next on The Frequency with me, Dee Barnes. She's known as the Angela Davis of hip hop. Monet Smith, better known as Medusa the Gangsta Goddess, the undisputed queen of West Coast underground hip hop.

Pop locking is really what indoctrinated me in hip hop. I don't even think I realized it was hip hop at that time. Right. You know, it was a happening. It was a moment of release. We're going to be getting into her career, knowing her whole story, and breaking down all the elements of hip-hop.

This week on The Frequency, only on the Black Star Network. Hi, I'm Jo Marie Payton, voice of Sugar Mama on Disney's Louder and Prouder Disney+. And I'm with Roland Martin on 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 multi-billion dollar company dedicated

itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1. Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad.

Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts.

I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg 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-studded a little bit, man.

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

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

It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. We asked parents who adopted teens to share their journey. We just kind of knew from the beginning that we were family.

They showcased a sense of love that I never had before. I mean, he's not only my parent, like, he's like my best friend. At the end of the day, it's all been worth it. I wouldn't change a thing about our lives. Learn about adopting a teen from foster care. Visit AdoptUSKids.org to learn more. Brought to you by AdoptUSKids, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Ad Council. Hi. Folks are already tripping about Juneteenth. Check this out.

A Chicago woman posted this video on TikTok. It has gone viral. She claims she was kicked out of school for correcting the institution's director on the true meaning behind Juneteenth. All right, so listen to the video she posted. So today I got kicked out of school because the director at my school didn't like the feedback that I had for her about something that she said in class. So I go to school right now for aesthetics. I was practicing to be an esthetician. Now, at my school on Monday and Wednesdays, we have this thing called morning meetings where we basically like, you know, just talk about what's going to happen for the day, the next few days. And we celebrate people that's like graduating and all of that type of stuff. Now, the director at my school had an announcement for us.

And she said that Monday we will be celebrating Juneteenth. But instead of celebrating it for what it's for, we're going to celebrate it as a diverse day, make it a diverse holiday. And I immediately got turned off by that because it's Juneteenth, right? So after the morning meeting was over, I went up to the director and I asked to speak to her in private. We went into her office and I basically explained to her. I'm like, yeah, the way you worded it at the morning meeting today is I didn't like how you said it because Juneteenth isn't a diverse holiday. It's, you know, it's not a diverse holiday. It's not where we celebrate diversity we celebrate

african-american independence and she was basically telling me like yeah you need to mind your business because you don't know what i have planned for monday we're a diverse school therefore we're going to celebrate this holiday as a diverse day and i was immediately turned off because that's not what Juneteenth is about, right? So after that, I went back into the classroom and some of my classmates were like asking me, like, what did she say? Because we were all in agreeance that that's not what Juneteenth isn't about, you know? We don't celebrate Cinco de Mayo as diversity. We don't celebrate Haitian Flag Day as diversity. We don't celebrate Indigenous People Day as diversity.

You know, so I felt like, why would you take our holiday and try to make it something that it's not? So while I was in the class, we were all talking about, you know, just basically what had happened at the morning meeting. The director storms in after me and she's like, yeah, you need to come here. And I just asked her, I said, you want me to go home, don't you? She was like, yeah, get your stuff and leave. You will be suspended. And I'm like, suspended? Suspended for what? And she's like, yeah, so now you need to leave my campus before I call the police.

So after that, we got into an argument because I had to tell her it wasn't even that deep. It's not that deep. Like, why are you making it this whole thing? So we got into an argument in front of all of the students in my class. Like, she completely humiliated me, told everybody that she was suspending me and that I had to go home. Like, you're not supposed to, first of all, you're not supposed to tell my personal business to other students. That's number one. Second of all, you're mad because I had an opinion about what you had to say.

I did the right thing and I pulled you to the side and told you, like, I don't think that's what we should be celebrating it as. So after that, after that whole argument, she's like, yeah, now you need to leave my building and instead of being suspended you'll be expelled I'm like expelled for what so we get into another argument as I'm leaving the door because I'm like you're dead wrong your feelings are hurt you didn't like what I have to say and now you want to expel me and still try to make me pay for a school that I didn't fully get to attend that that's not right. So as I'm

leaving the building, before I left, I wanted to like explain to my teacher, like she's not going to be letting me back, you know, what had happened. I wanted to talk to my teacher, one of the cool teachers, right? So she's like trying to grab me by my book bag. She's pulling on me, get out of my building, get out of my building. And I'm like, just wait, let me talk to my teacher because I want to talk to my teacher before I leave. Like, you're doing all of this for no reason. We get in front of the clients because at my school, we take clients. It's a beauty school, so we perform services on clients.

She told the clients, yeah, I'm trying to remove this racist out of my building. She won't leave. She's a racist. I'm racist because I said Juneteenth is a diverse holiday. So now I'm the racist. Right. In this situation, I'm the racist. Her feelings are heard. I'm a racist and she wants me to leave after like a minute of me trying to find my professor. I could not find her. So, you know, I'm like, yeah, I'm going to leave. But as I'm walking back to the front, she's on the phone with the police.

She told the police I tried to attack her and that I wouldn't leave the building. No, hold on, hold on, hold on. Let's take this back. There's multiple people sitting in this lobby. There was multiple people in my classroom. Not once did I try to attack you. There's cameras in this building which show I did not try to attack you. I wasn't being violent or nothing like that. She called the police on me, said i tried to attack her all of this because she didn't like that i didn't like that juneteenth shouldn't be celebrated as a diverse holiday so yeah right now um i left i'm gone i just i left the review in the comments because i don't feel like that's right um students of color, we can't express our feelings without directors at the school feeling like it's an attack on them or everything has to be an

attack on everybody when it comes down to black people and African Americans in America. So yeah, that's just an update. All right, the TikTok, Go K, again, she's studying at Tricocha University. That's T-R-I-C-O-C-I. And that is absolutely nuts, if you will. Niyambi, see, this is the thing right here. First of all, she's right. Juneteenth is not a diverse holiday. What I mean by that is, it does not mean that non-black people cannot commemorate Juneteenth.

But today we're better make sure that the focus on Juneteenth is the focus and then not try to create some new idea what Juneteenth should be about? Well, absolutely, Roland. I think this young lady was exactly right in telling her, like, hold on a second. This is about black people achieving freedom. This isn't just some holiday. I mean, you know, she used the example of Cinco de Mayo, but Cinco de Mayo at this point is commercial and it's not even really about Mexican people. But to her point, we identify that holiday with a group of people in the same way. Juneteenth is a national holiday that commemorates the freedom of black people who were enslaved in this country. That cannot be missed because some people are uncomfortable, right,

acknowledging what this is about. And ultimately, what probably, if we believe the story of this woman is suggested, what probably drove this director crazy was the fact that this young person corrected her and was not okay with sort of going along to get along. Because ultimately, this diverse holiday of trying to redesignate this holiday, which was born out of, you know, the events of 2020 and the unfortunate demise of George Floyd, which we all were traumatizing witness, and the protests thereafter, that we will not then say that this does not have anything to do with Black people.

De-centering Black people and de-centering Blackness is about other people's comfort. And we cannot allow that be the rubric or the measure by which we celebrate and revere our ancestors and all those who fought for that freedom because somebody wants to call it a diverse holiday as if we are supposed to be satisfied with that. And I think this young woman would do well to find another educational institution that respects her and other students like her. And that right there, Matt, is the thing for me that I keep saying. We need to be very vigilant and not letting these folks try to redefine what Juneteenth is and turn it into simply another day

for people to sell some stuff. Absolutely. I'm glad you said that because that's what we're finding with a lot of other holidays, not even holidays that are just black-centered, but you're finding the corporatization of holidays and things like pride this very month, right? Where corporations find a way to make a dollar and they co-opt it. And then it becomes some, everybody come and have

a party. And when it's not about that, particularly when Juneteenth is not only about black Americans, but black Texans like you and I, especially here and there in Galveston. But the idea that the slaves were told two years late. I mean, Juneteenth is not about anybody else. And beyond that, it's not just a happy holiday. We should definitely celebrate emancipation. But we should also say this is emblematic of exactly what we've endured since we've been here. Two years later, the Union soldiers come and tell us that we've been free for two years. I mean, that's a holiday that deserves significant reverence and reverence for our forebears and what they what they withstood. And the idea that it gets whitewashed, so to speak, and becomes everybody's diversity holiday is grossly offensive. And that's precisely the kind of thing we have to be vigilant against. You know, look, we talk about DEI on the show.

We talk about a lot of things in terms of inclusion. But inclusion does not have to mean erosion, where we should not have our history and the reverence that should be duly applied eroded for other people's comfort, as Dr. Niyambi said. So with that, I'm glad that this sister stood up because this is grossly offensive to try to make this about anything other than our people and emancipation. Just like somebody saying, let's make St. Patrick's Day diverse. Absolutely. I understand. Well, well, look, I think, you know, anytime that I talk to my students about Juneteenth in the first place, I think it's important to understand that there's kind of two sides to that story. And just like my fellow panelists talked about, people who were informed about their emancipation way late. But then there's another piece that people don't deal with, which is the massacre of the people when they are no longer able to be exploited by the white system.

Right. And I think it's important for us to see both sides of that. Since now, this has become a national holiday, mainly because we know that once things become national holidays, they get co-opted. You'll see Juneteenth ice cream at the store. That's not really what this is about. And so what we are trying to do and what this student rightfully did was try to educate people. If you're going to tell folks about Juneteenth, tell them about what Juneteenth is. Don't allow, particularly in a time of, you know, we see what's happening in Florida, rolling out all of these things to take away, not just critical race theory, but black history. We can't allow the whitewashing of black history to continue to the point where

there's nothing that is specifically reserved for the culture. Absolutely. And so, again, we must remain vigilant to protect what it is. And look, I told you all the people out here be talking about, no, no, no, we never asked for this. No, no. A lot of us did. And we perfected how to celebrate this in Texas. It's been a state holiday since 1980, y'all.

And so just ask some of us from Texas if you're confused as to how to celebrate Juneteenth. We've got to go to break. We'll be back. I'm Roland Martin, unfiltered on the Black Star Network. Next on The Black Table with me, Greg Carr, a very different take on Juneteenth with the one and only Dr. Senada Ahmed. We'll explore the amazing foods, remedies, and rituals that are a part of our history and the Juneteenth holiday. So it's our responsibility to return the healthier version to our folks instead of just the red liqueurs marketed to us,

the red sodas and the other things. I mean, why does the Kool-Aid man have to sound like Louis Armstrong? He's like, oh yeah! Yeah, right. An enlightening and tasty hour of The Black Table, only on the Black Star Network. I'm Faraji Muhammad, live from L.A., and this is The Culture. The Culture is a two-way conversation, you and me.

We talk about the stories, politics, the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. So join our community every day at 3 p.m. Eastern and let your voice be heard. Hey, we're all in this together. So let's talk. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future

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

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

And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves.

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

MMA fighter Liz 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. Sometimes as dads, I think we're too hard on ourselves. We get down on ourselves on not being able to, you know, we're the providers. But we also have to learn to take care of ourselves. A wrap-away, you got to pray for yourself as well as for everybody else, but never forget yourself.

Self-love made me a better dad because I realized my worth. Never stop being a dad. That's Dadication. Find out more at fatherhood.gov. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council. Come on and see what kind of trouble we can get into. It's the culture. We daze at three only on the Black Star Network.

Hatred on the streets, a horrific scene, a white nationalist rally that descended into deadly violence. You will not regret that. White people are losing their lives. There's an angry pro-Trump mob storm to the U.S. Capitol. We're about to see the rise of what I call white minority resistance. We have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting. I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of violent denial.

This is part of American history. Every time that people of color have made progress, whether real or symbolic, there has been what Carol Anderson at every university calls white rage as a backlash. This is the wrath of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys. America, there's going to be more of this. This country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because of the fear of white people. The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources,

they're taking our women. This is white people. Bye bye, Tampa. We talk about blackness and what happens in black culture. We're about covering these things that matter to us, speaking to our issues and concerns. This is a genuine people powered movement. A lot of stuff that we're not getting, you get it and you spread the word. We wish to plead our own cause

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We want to hit 2,000 people. $50 this month. Rates $100,000. We're behind $100,000. So we want to hit that. Your money makes this possible. Checks and money orders go to P.O. Box 57196, Washington, D.C., 20037-0196. The Cash App is Dollar Sign RM Unfiltered. PayPal is R. Martin Unfil is DollarSignRMUnfiltered.

PayPal is RMartinUnfiltered. Venmo is RMUnfiltered. Zelle is Roland at RolandSMartin.com. Hi, my name is Brady Ricks. I'm from Houston, Texas. My name is Sharon Williams. I'm from Dallas, Texas. Right now, I'm rolling with Roland Martin.

Unfiltered, uncut, unplugged, and undamn believable. You hear me? Thank you. Welcome back to Rollo Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. A couple weeks ago, I came across this video on social media. I posted the video on my Instagram page, got a crazy amount of response, sent it to folks like Tamron Hall, my good buddy, Sodeo O'Brien and others. And it was of a sister who came across Busta Rhymes and she said, you know what, I want to sing happy birthday to you. Well, he probably was just thinking, is just gonna say happy birthday no traditional birthday yet she went non-traditional check this out watch me Now is this the full one? Oh my God. Mia, yes. Mia, do it too. Yes, yes, yes.

Okay, you're gonna get surprised. Okay, she's in real life. In real life. In real time. Happy birthday to you. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Yes, yes. What the fuck going on?

Yes. What the fuck? Let me finish, let me finish, let me finish. I definitely wasn't expecting that. I know, where's mama's at? I got it. Start over. Start over.

I got it. I got it. I got it. I got it. I got wait, wait, wait. Yes, yes. What's going on? Yes. What the fuck? Let me finish. Let me finish. I definitely wasn't expecting that. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Start over.

Start over. Give me your hand. Okay, here we go. Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy

birthday dear Oh small little little Oh, God. Come on now. Oh. Oh.

Oh. Oh, Drew. Yes, Nia. Oh, God. Yes, Nia. Oh, God. Yes, Nia. That's my friend. Yes, Nia. Oh, shit.

Oh, shit. Why the fuck you do that to me? Why you do that? Why? You're fucking best. You're fucking best. A mess yes stop no no no don't do that don't do that stop let it bless you happy birthday

okay okay Okay? Okay? Don't do that. Well, that night, I sent Nia Drummond a direct message on social media saying, hey, we want to have you on the show, and she joins us now. Nia, glad to have you here. So good to be here. Hello. Mr. Roland Barton, so great to be here. Hello, Mr. Roland Martin. So great to be here. So first off, what is your background? Are you a professional opera singer? Is it just something that you do in your own spare time? Well, I actually went to school. I went to SUNY Fredonia for classical voice. But I've been singing, you know, before classical voice,

I've been singing different genres like jazz and gospel and pop. You know, basically a little bit of everything. So what was this event you were at where you encountered Busta Rhymes? Well, I was at the Gordon Parks Annual Gala at Chip Riani's on 42nd Street, and I was there as a former winner of the scholarship

in partnership with the Gordon Parks Foundation and YoungArts, which is an organization tailored for young people. And I was the first winner 10, 11 years ago actually. And I reconnected with executive director Peter Kuhnhart of the organization and he was like, we would love to have you.

So I came back here this particular year. So was this, was the event over? Was this at the end? Were folks clearing out when you came upon Busta Rhymes? The event was over. The lights were up. People were taking flowers. You know, the people were clearing up all the plates and everything.

And this is right after D-Nice played a set. And at the end of the gala, Busta walked in, coming from a different event. And he was there. And I was like, wow, that's Buster Rimes. You know? And so you decided to roll up on him and say, I got something for you for your birthday. Essentially, yeah.

So what happened was I wasn't, yes, it was Buster Rimes. And I'm like, you know, I'm from Brooklyn. He's from Brooklyn. That's a legend. You know, that's so much respect, but I wasn't necessarily going to speak to him. I was more so interested in his personal assistant showed up with a track suit on with like a sweatsuit. And that took me for a surprise. And he showed up to a gala with a sweatsuit on. I was like, who are you? I need to have a conversation with you.

Just because of that. And that ended up being Busta's PA. And then I found out it was his birthday. And then I felt something tell me, you should sing Happy Birthday to Busta. Yeah. And then that happened. And he obviously was quite emotional by that.

The video stopped there and he was shedding real tears. Looks like Nia is frozen there. Y'all let me know when we get her back so we can continue our conversation. Certainly, a lot has changed for her. She has been on the Tamron Hall show.

She has done interviews all over the place. And so that's what happens when viral moments are captured like that. Hundreds of thousands of views of that particular video on all social media platforms. TikTok, Snapchat has been on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter has been all over the place. And so Nia Drama definitely has been getting lots and lots and lots of attention for that particular video. Do we have her back? All right. So, again, Nia, are you there?

I am here. I'm sorry. My call failed. You know, the devil is on the service. I don't know what's going on. It's all good. It's all good. And I said I said he was quite emotional. Real tears. He was shedding. And that's the thing for me. I don't know. I my eyes are closed. I tend to sit with my eyes closed and I didn't see him cry while I was singing

because my eyes were closed. But I know for a fact that he was extremely emotionally overwhelmed, especially after the fact. So how has your life changed since this went viral? It has changed tremendously. You know, I've been singing for a very long time, and I've done a lot of things that I thought were big, you know, career-wise, but this really, and it's so random.

But this has really opened up the floodgates for so many things. I've gotten so many calls and so many people, you know, regular people have been really appreciative, especially as a Black woman that sings classically. You don't see that every day. And the fact that people are appreciating that is really beautiful and it touches me, you know. It makes me not want to stop what I'm doing. So between that and doing collaborations that I can't talk about yet, but things are happening. Ah, so some business has transpired as a result of this, huh?

A few things. I can't talk about it yet. Some collaborations. And I know from this, this birthed me, you know, giving me the unction to really focus on my solo project. I can't talk about that yet, but that's going to be happening soon. Cool, cool, cool. Hold tight one second.

I've got to go to a break here. We come back. I'm sure my panel has some questions for you as well. Folks, we're chatting with Nia Drummond. She is the operatic singer or classically trained singer who showed some love to Busta Rhymes by singing Happy Birthday that, of course, went viral and exploded all across the country. And we'll chat with her when we come back. You're watching Roland Martin.

I'm filtered right here on the Black Star Network. On the next A Balanced Life with me, Dr. Jackie, owning your energy and how to use it. Trust me, it impacts the people on your job, who you attract, and even your love life. What you give out is what comes back to you. So like attracts like, right? So if you come in with a negative space and I match that negative energy,

then two seconds later, somebody else coming with more negative energy. And then I was just always just matching negative stuff. And here's the kicker. If you're not careful, that energy can even be stolen. That's all next on A Balanced Life on Blackstar Network. Question for you. Are you stuck? Do you feel like you're hitting a wall and it's keeping you from achieving prosperity? Well, you're not alone. On the next Get Wealthy with me, Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach, you're going to learn what you need to do to become unstuck and unstoppable.

The fabulous author, Janine K. Brown, will be with us sharing with you exactly what you need to do to finally achieve the level of financial success you desire through your career. Because when I talk about being bold in the workplaces, I'm talking about that inner boldness that you have to take a risk, to go after what you want, to speak up when others are not. That's right here on Get Wealthy, only on Blackstar Network. Hello, I'm Marissa Mitchell, a news anchor at Fox 5 DC. Hey, what's up? It's Tammy Roman, and you are watching Roland Martin Unfiltered.

All right, fellas, welcome back to Roller Markdown Filter. We're chatting with singer Nia Drummond, of course, who went viral with her video singing Happy Birthday to Busta Rhymes. My panel, I'm sure they got some questions. Jesse, I'll start with you. Well, first of all, it's an honor to meet you. I am just curious as to what inspired you to get involved in operatic singing in the first place well i like opera well when i started singing opera i was actually very young i was 12 years old um and i was singing um in a professional

children's chorus and we were singing the children's chorus part in an opera called Tosca. And I fell in love with it. You know, that was my first like hands-on experience with opera, but you know, when I was younger, you know, classical music was very small amount, but it was played in the house, like Charlotte Church and Andrea Pacelli. You know, I remember those when I was a kid.

So that was the beginning. Niambi. Well, I would say the same. I mean, I think like a lot of people, I watched that and experienced the joy and the happiness and the beauty of your singing in that moment. So thank you for providing that in this time because I think it's much needed. But how have you been coping with going

from a relatively private person to now this very public person? How has that been? It's been a little overwhelming. It's been exciting because, you know, as an entertainer, this is what, this is the goal. This is the dream to be able to be,

you know, seen and for your gift to be appreciated. Um, but yes, it can be a little overwhelming and it's a big responsibility now, you know, to, to be able to connect with they get asked all the time. Have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.

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

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

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

Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. 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. Here's the deal. We got to set ourselves up. See, retirement is the long game. We got to make moves and make them early. Set up goals. Don't worry about a setback. Just save up and stack up to reach them.

Let's put ourselves in the right position. Pre-game to greater things. Start building your retirement plan at thisispreetirement.org. Brought to you by AARP and the Ad Council. Per se, Nia, your voice is exquisite, just positively beautiful. And I wanted to ask, has this opened a larger conversation about Blacks in classical music?

Because obviously we're very well represented in other genres, but there's a dearth of us in classical music. So what, if any, effect has this had on your ability to tell people that they should be in classical music or anything in that nature? Well, I definitely think that, you know, especially as someone that's from New York City, there's

actually a very good amount of classical singers that, you know, just so happen to be Black. It's just, it's hard to penetrate a market um that is a lot of black people don't listen to classical music and the only way for us to be seen is through this you know white lens in terms of you know classical music being stereotypically for older white people. But I feel like this opens up a conversation and it gives perspective on what Black people can do as a community and what is okay to listen to and shadowing that wall on the stereotypes of music and genres. And anybody can like whatever they want.

Like, you know, I'm sick of this divide of black people should only like R&B and hip hop. You know, white people should only like rock and this genre and that genre. You know, we should all enjoy whatever feels right to us. You know? Well, you're absolutely right.

Are there any particular classical opera singers who are your favorites? Leontyne Price immediately is the first thing. As a soprano, that is like the Holy Grail of sopranos. Jesse Norman, incredible voice, incredible interpreter. Young singers, well, not young singers, but current singers, I would say Latonya Moore. She's incredible. There's a lot of classical singers out there, black classical singers that are doing their thing. And I have a lot of people.

Denise Graves? I'm sorry? Of course Denise Graves. Of course Denise Graves. Denise Graves is incredible. It's just hard to think of all the singers at one time. Denise Graves, Kathleen Battle, that's an amazing voice. It's a permanent age of blue.

Eric Owens, there's so many. And thank God for the internet. And we have it so quick in our fingertips that we can access all this information between now and then, you know, Marian Anderson, Simon Estes, you know, George Shirley. There's so many singers that I can, we can be on this conversation all day. But, yeah.

Are you encountering people who want you not to sing happy birthday to them? Yes. And that was one of my biggest fears. It's a really, really

flattering thing. But that's happening quite a bit. Happy birthdays or Ave Marias. I want Ave Maria's time at my wedding. Or, you know. I've actually said Ave Maria at a wedding before. You know, pre-buck the video.

So, you know. It's pretty great. So I enjoy it. I enjoy it. So I'm going to ask you this question then. How about this one here? So is there a, okay, so headburt is one thing. So, is there a particular song that

is a popular song that you have been able to put a classical twist on in your style? Hmm. Popular song Do you mean like a current song Or do you mean just popular

In general No It doesn't matter but let's just Let's just say there's a popular song That you know a lot of us know But you know when you sing it You sing it in your classical Style

One of my favorite songs of all time You know, when you sing it, you sing it in your classical style. One of my favorite songs of all time is Summer Over the Rainbow. Like, for instance, like, is there, say it again? One of my favorite songs of all time is Summer Over the Rainbow. Got it. So, like, is there, is there, so is there an Anita Baker, a Patti LaBelle? Is there a Maze? Is there a Luther Vandross song? Is there a Dionne Warwick song?

Is there a song that, again, that we know that you... There's a Dionne Warwick. I don't know if this will count, though. I don't know if many people know this song. There's a Dionne Warwick. I don't know if this will count, though. I don't know if many people know this song. There's a Dionne Warwick song called Alfie that I love. That can be done easily, operatically. Easily. Easily.

I mean, anything burnt back around the room. Well, since it's so easy. Since it's so easy, let's go. Okay, don't be mad at me because these headphones might blow. Okay? We're all right. What's it all about? How fair

Is it just for the moment we live? What in the world can we so no doubt be? Oh, we meant to pay more than we give. Oh, we meant to be kind. And if only fools are kinder than me. What kind of me? Well, I guess it is wise to be true. And if I belong, the world is as strong as it will now be. I forgot to write to the song. I know there must be something more Something even non-believers

Can believe in I believe in love I'll fear Without true love We just exist Are we Until you find Our love, your bliss You're nothing to me I think that's it. I love every day Alfie.

I think that's it. Alfie. Alfie. All right, then. It's a lot of Alfie fans in our chat room, a lot of folks. They're like, Johnny Mathis did a version of that. The Delphines did a version of that. They're all weighing in.

We appreciate it. Congratulations. All the great stuff has come your way. We look forward to those undisclosed projects, those collaborations, once they come to fruition. I would love to say something really quick before I go, if you don't mind, Mr. Rowan.

I just wanted to say that i'm so thankful for you all all the support and thank you roland for all your support and posting the video and sharing it especially with 10 as you know just from tamron hall and i'm so glad to be here with you today and i just wanted to say that while, you know, doing all these projects, I did start a Patreon to have, you know, people be able to, you know, support and see some of the behind the scenes stuff that I'm working on. So it's just going to be on www.patreon.com slash neodrummon. All right. Patreon.com forward slash neod drummond all right folks uh check it out and support uh neah and her work neah we appreciate it thanks a lot thank you so much all right folks we come back another of our video that is making its way around

uh a brother gives a powerful commencement speech at Syracuse University. We'll show you that next right here on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Blackstar Network. Up next on The Frequency with me, Dee Barnes. She's known as the Angela Davis of hip-hop. Monet Smith, better known as Medusa the the gangster goddess, the undisputed queen of West Coast underground hip hop. Pop locking is really what indoctrinated me in hip hop. I don't think I don't even think I realized it was hip hop at that time. Right. You know, it was a it was a happening. It was a moment of release. We're going to be getting into her career, knowing her whole story,

and breaking down all the elements of hip hop. This week on The Frequency, only on the Black Star Network. Next on The Black Table with me, Greg Carr. A very different take on Juneteenth with the one and only Dr. Senada Ahmed. We'll explore the amazing foods, remedies, and rituals that are a part of our history and the Juneteenth holiday.

So it's our responsibility to return the healthier version to our folks instead of just the red liqueurs marketed to us, the red sodas, and the other things. I mean, why does the Kool-Aid man have to sound like Louis Armstrong? He's like, oh yeah! Yeah, right. An enlightening and tasty hour of The Black Table, only on the Black Star Network. Hello, we're the Critter Fixers.

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

It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast.

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

We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug thing is. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. 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. Here's the deal.

We got to set ourselves up. See, retirement is the long game. We got to make moves and make them early. Set up goals. Don't worry about a setback. Just save up and stack up to reach them. Let's put ourselves in the right position. Pre-game to greater things.

Start building your retirement plan at thisispreetirement.org. Brought to you by AARP and the Ad Council. I'll set it up. ARP and the Ad Council. Folks, we've been in commencement season for the past month, and there have been a lot of speeches we've heard about, some critical, some others that have ticked folks off. But there's a speech by Jordan Pierre, a graduate of Syracuse University, that is getting rave reviews from folks all across the country. And in a moment, we're going to have his video. We don't have a video ready yet. All right. Again, his name is Jordan Pierre, and he is, yes, a member of the greatest fraternity of all, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated.

Again, I came across this video, and so many people have been sharing this video saying, man, you've got to check this out. You've got to watch this video. And so we want to share it with you. And let's do that right now. Here's Jordan Pierre at Syracuse University commencement. Good afternoon, faculty, staff, students, and friends. My name is Jordan Pierre, and I'm currently a senior majoring in broadcast and digital journalism with a minor in entrepreneurship andhip and Emerging Enterprise.

To be here today for me is much more than a ceremony. Today is much more significant because I come from a place where I've attended more funerals and court appearances than college graduations. To be here today is a barrier broken. I have my family in attendance today and for many of them this is the first time they have attended a college graduation. Earning the opportunity to walk across this stage required much more than just passing classes. For what makes this institution rigorous, at least for us black and brown students, is not the curriculum,

but what comes with being black in the context of America while trying to uphold academic excellence. It's not the curriculum that makes this college experience rigorous. It's occupying academic buildings and being sent suspension letters for advocating for the creation of policies that will hold every student accountable for the racial slurs and vandalism of the dorms we black students lived in.

It's not the curriculum that makes these courses rigorous. It's bearing witness to your black women friends having to focus on academia while learning they have been stripped of their agency to choose whether to give birth or not, despite having the highest mortality rate. It's not the curriculum that makes these courses rigorous. It's being a first-generation college student and not having the ability to call home to seek guidance on how to navigate the collegiate space, for you're the first to do so. It's not the curriculum that makes these courses rigorous. It's being a black student in an educational system that justifies the admission of black history through the use of the discomfort that causes our white counterparts when class discussions reveal the true history of theirs. It's not the curriculum that makes

these courses rigorous. It's studying abroad in London while 10 elderly black men and women are killed in top supermarket just some miles away from here, simply because they were black. It's not the curriculum that makes these courses rigorous. It's having to work three jobs on campus to pay your rent and assist your parents in paying nears. Some of us in this room understand firsthand that the scholarships and financial aid we earned were not just funding us as students. They were funding our household and our community.

It's not the curriculum that makes these courses rigorous, it's looking at the news and seeing someone that looks like you with the same name, Jordan, being choked to death by a former Marine on a subway station and witnessing his mental health being used to justify his death. I say this all to emphasize the danger of a single narrative story. The danger of being left to formulate a preconceived notion of a community based on westernized media. And the danger of having a seat at the table to tell your own story.

I often say that it's easy to dream, but it's hard to aspire to occupy a space that you have never seen someone that looks like you in. My presence here today will serve as proof to the next young black man or woman that despite what comes with being a black student at Syracuse University, it's possible to speak at the Newhouse graduation. There was a time when I did not know what a student marshal was until last year when I met a black woman named Adu Du, a student marshal at the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

There was a time when I did not believe I was going to be the President of the United States, which is what I will one day become, until I've seen Barack Obama become the President. My presence today will stand as a symbol of inspiration for the black people who hear this speech will be able to see themselves in a position I am in and aspire to do the same. I challenge my fellow graduates who are not of color to be mindful and intentional with the stories that you share, normalize, and teach your children. For those stories are used to formulate a preconceived notion of who we are based on the narratives you teach and the environments you expose them to. I challenge my fellow brothers and sisters to also be intentional

and thoughtful about the stereotypes we normalize and perpetuate amongst ourselves. James Baldwin once stated that if the world does it to you long enough and effectively enough, you begin to do it to yourself. You become an accomplice to your own murderers. We must ensure that we do not become that accomplice and use our platforms to empower one another. To Syracuse and to Newhouse, I challenge you all to take accountability for the trajectory

the media has taken. It is not one we should be proud of. For if we take pride in being a number one communication school, we must also take ownership of the leaders and content creators for the media we consume, especially as we produce those who are the head of the newsroom. So we are only a microcosm of what the world will become. I challenge us all here today to denounce the stereotypes we have of one another for the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue but incomplete. As the legendary Nipsey Hussle once stated, the marathon continues.

All right. Stopped it. That right there was definitely a strong speech by that brother, Matt Manning. Incredibly powerful, and his repetition, I thought, was extraordinarily effective. I mean, you know, it's not difficult because of this reason, because of that reason. It was incredibly powerful, I thought. And I thought it was important for him to speak directly to Syracuse and to some of what apparently were some slights while he was there, what not only black students endured. But I think it's important because I think it's important when you have events like graduations and other spaces that are supposed to be full of pomp and circumstance for people to speak truth to power.

Because one, that's when you have the largest audience. And two, that's when you have people listening most intently. And I think he masterfully used his platform on that day. So kudos to this young man. So this is why Neon Bay in the control room, y'all can pull it. The video of the young girl in Philadelphia, uh, who high school graduation and she does a slight dance around the stage. And this principal decides he's not going, uh, the principal decides that they're not going to give her her high school diploma and ushered her off the stage. And now she's demanding an apology. The school district has said, uh, look, there's no formal policy.

And this is the thing. I'm just so sick of these people, Niamey, who do not understand what graduation is about. It is not about the adults. It's literally about the people who actually have graduated. I'm not tripping if somebody dances. I'm not tripping if somebody hops. I'm not tripping how students. It's a joyous time, but it's also a serious time. So whether it is this type of speech, whether it's when folks are just excited

about graduating, I just think so many adults are just screwing up graduation because frankly, many of them are assholes. Well, listen, the young woman you're talking about in Philadelphia, I mean, they did this in the name of tradition, right? And they're being penalized because people in the audience snickered when they danced across the stage. So it was just some rule. And again, about tradition that no one is supposed to make any noise, which I think is crazy and ridiculous, particularly when we are talking about young people, some of whom this might be the last time they ever have this opportunity. This might be the first time someone in their family has experienced this kind of joy as the young man intimated in his speech from Syracuse. So I think all of these efforts to police children of all stripes are really about, you know, notions of decorum and

all of this. It's a graduation. Yes, there's a moment to be somber, but it's also a celebratory, joyous moment. I think all of these calls, I mean, even if you came up with something like, well, you don't want people screaming because you might not hear the other person's name. Yeah, we get that. But these moments weren't that. And yet you still find people who will say that it was right to humiliate this young woman or that this young man, he said the right thing at the wrong time.

And when is the right time to celebrate what you've accomplished? When is the right time to call out these institutions that are graduating our children and sometimes holding those same children in contempt. I think these are the things that people don't really want to talk about. So they deflect and talk about decorum and talk about tradition and talk about all these other things instead of what the core of it, a core of what the substance of what that

young man was saying. And really this, this young woman did something that was totally inoffensive, but it was a violation of tradition. saying. And really, this young woman did something that was totally inoffensive, but it was a violation of tradition. And Jesse, and look, and I think that, you know, a lot of people remember those words. And the reality is what you now see, how that video has now gone all across social media, it will touch some young person, some young brother who does not believe that they actually can do what that brother has done. Well, not just touching young people. I feel touched. I'm hoping that he has law school application somewhere in the stack. Because to have the courage and the poise to be able to deliver

such a poignant message at a time when all eyes are on you, I think that that's a skill that he can really use to move forward in anything that he chooses to do. And I think it's far time that we allow the fullness of black expression. I am a double HBCU graduate. I went to FAMU and North Carolina Central University School of Law. And we understand that at graduation, people are overcoming so many different obstacles that the rest of the world tends to want to ignore. And as a result, the graduations are very, very festive and people will exercise the fullness of their celebration because we understand what each other have been through. And we also understand what has been done for us to get us here. There are sacrifices that are made by people who may never have a college degree, but they somehow contributed to making sure that you got one, right? So this is a day for us to celebrate. It's also a day for those looking on who've always wondered if they could do it

or how to do it, to see somebody actually doing it so that you can go ahead and plot your trajectory, because we all have skill sets. We all have powers and we all have a story. And our stories too often get overlooked when they shouldn't be. Well, Jesse, he's not going to law school. He is a broadcast digital journalism graduate. And so we clearly know what he's going into. So shout out to my alpha brother. Fantastic speech, Mr. Pierre. And so look forward to seeing you out here. Got to go to a break. We come back. Our education matters segment right here. I'm Roland Martin, unfiltered on the Blackstar Network. 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 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 glad and this is season two of the war on drugs by 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 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. Here's the deal. We got to set ourselves up. See, retirement is the long game. We got to make moves and make them early. Set up goals. Don't worry about a setback. Just save up and stack up to reach them. Let's put ourselves in the right position.

Pre-game to greater things. Start building your retirement plan at thisispretirement.org. Brought to you by AARP and the Ad Council. Hatred on the streets. A horrific scene. A white nationalist rally that descended into deadly violence. On that soil, you will not replace us. White people are losing their lives.

There's an angry pro-Trump mob storm to the U.S. Capitol. We're about to see the rise of what I call white minority resistance. We have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting. I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of violent denial. This is part of American history. Every time that people of color have made progress, whether real or symbolic, there has been what Carol Anderson at Emory University calls white rage as a backlash.

This is the wrath of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys. America, there's going to be more of this. Here's all the Proud Boys, guys. This country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because of the fear of white people. The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're taking our women. This is white people. Black Star Network News.

Oh, no punch. 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 this difference between black star network and black owned media and something like cnn you can't be black on media and be scared it's time to be smart. Bring your eyeballs home. You dig? Hey, what's up, y'all? I'm Devon Franklin. It is always a pleasure to be in the house.

You are watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. Stay right here. Субтитры сделал DimaTorzok All right, folks, we talk about education. We talk about the need to have more African-Americans. You often hear people talk about STEM, but part of STEM and science is biology. So there is a new, excuse me, not new, but there is an initiative that actually does that, trying its best to see more, to increase the opportunities for people of color, for young girls and others in this particular area. We're going to talk about that on today's show.

And here's a piece. First of all, let me explain to people. One of the reasons why we even created this segment is because people always talk about education. I think what happens is we talk about education in a process way. We talk about education in terms of battles for funding, things along those lines. What we don't do is we don't highlight the sort of organizations, the sort of entities that are doing their work to increase more black male teachers, the folks we've had on the show, to increase folks when it comes to the arts. Again, when it comes to STEM, when it comes to science, when it comes to technology. And so that's one of the reasons why we have Education Matters, so you can actually get a better understanding

of the folks. So this is called Empower Her. It's called Empower Her Institute, and specifically focusing on marine biology. Now, African Americans, 3% of marine biologists in the country, so there is an opportunity for there to be growth. And so there's an L.A. nonprofit that works with 12- to 17-year-old girls in this area. Dawn Brown, she's a president and CEO of Empower Her Institute. She joins me now from LA. So Dawn, first of all, first of all, we talk about this camp.

We talk about this camp. How long have you been doing it? Yeah, so we've been doing our social justice team camp for three years now. Our organization has been around for 20 years. And this particular camp, we've been doing for three.

And so why specifically this? Was there something that particularly happened? Yeah, so one of our initiatives is our social justice STEAM initiative in general. And when we really started, and we've been doing that for 20 years, but when you look at STEAM and you look at what are the areas that are oversaturated versus underrepresented, biology and science specifically is one that is underrepresented for BIPOC girls, specifically Black and Latina. We are an organization that only serves BIPOC girls. And so you just mentioned 3% of young people, African-Americans who go into marine biology or sciences, specifically any kind of marine science or ocean science. When you look at girls specifically within that of African Americans, we're talking about less than 1.5%. So our girls, when we were

doing our social justice, yeah. So when we were doing our, and this, and our organization is all about breaking generational cycles of poverty and giving them the access and the resources and the skills in order to do so and become college and career ready. So when we decided to do our social justice STEAM camp, we went to our girls because we are a youth-led organization and we asked them what do you want what is important to you what social justice issues are important to you and when they started thinking about a summer camp the thing that came to them was we want to learn about environmental justice and so we decided well then let's do that so we we called upon a marine biologist black woman marine biologist here in LA. We partnered with her and together, my organization and she created curriculum to do this camp.

So that's how it came about. And what the camp really is, is we take 30 girls. Now we serve a thousand girls a year and we take 30 of our middle school girls. So these are girls between the ages of 12 and 15, and we put them into a camp for the summer. And they apply to get in, and we take about 100 applications and we break it down. And they get three, it's a five week camp. The first three weeks of the camp,

they are studying marine biology, and they're actually looking at the impact of climate change or marine ecology and then comparing that to its impact and resiliency on marginalized communities. And so that's what they do in the camp. So they're snorkeling, they're kayaking, they're tide pooling, they're testing air quality, and they're looking at, my girls are coming from Compton, they're coming from Englewood, and so they, and Watts, and so they're measuring the air quality in their community, and then they're going to, you know, Catalina Island and Malibu and testing the air quality and trying to figure out why is there a difference, right, and what needs to, what needs to change, and so that's the first three weeks of the camp and they actually create

their own projects. They learn coding, computer coding, and they create their own projects that are all about amplifying issues as well as trying to solve issues using STEAM in order to solve issues within the marine biology world. And then the last two weeks of that camp, we take our most mature girls and they actually get to study on a science research boat. And they learn how to scuba dive and they end up getting their scuba diving certifications. So this is this camp is the first and only of its kind in the country. We're taking black and Latina girls and the majority of the girls in our program are black with this camp. And they and we're talking about 12 and 13 year olds who are certified in scuba diving by the time they finish. Questions, Jesse, you're first. Well, first of all, this sounds like a phenomenal opportunity.

And I'm glad to hear that somebody is engaged in this space and helping people in our community get exposed to it. I'm really curious about like what got you into this space and helping people in our community get exposed to it. I'm really curious about like what got you into this space. Yeah, you know, like I said, it was really the girls. They wanted to learn this. We have a social justice STEAM initiative. And when I came into the organization, we were focusing on STEAM, but we weren't looking at it from a social justice perspective. 96% of our girls live at or below the poverty level. We serve a thousand girls a year on a weekly basis. Why are we not looking at STEAM and saying,

how can we utilize that in order to address the issues that are important to our community? And so that's the component that I bought into it. And that's also my background is in social justice, specifically looking at the intersection of race and gender. And so that's how we sort of brought about this program in general and this camp. And then really the girls themselves, like I said, they were the ones who said, we want to learn about environmental justice.

And the way my crazy brain works is my brain said, well, why not do marine biology? Because there's only, there's less than 1.5% that are black girls and it's a lucrative career. We want to break generational cycles of poverty. We can't do that unless we are helping them get careers and jobs in which they can do. And what's wonderful is that we do partner with USC. And so we partner with USC. They stay on a college, they stay on the college campus and live in the dorms at USC while they're doing this. And that also creates a gateway for them to actually get accepted into a private university, one of the best in L.A. and the country, to study this long term.

Niambi. Hi. I really appreciate this. This is really interesting. One of my best friends, that's what her daughter wants to be, a marine biologist, and will be going to college this year. And I'm sure a program like this would have been really helpful. So what would you suggest to folks who want to expand this program and do it maybe on the East Coast or for people who can't, you know, get to a California? How do you even start this work?

Yeah. So we actually I would say one thing is to really, it's important to find a university to partner with. And it needs to be a university that has the kinds of resources and access, and that they are willing to truly partner with you and allow the girls to have that, to have access to those resources. And so, that would be number one. And then the other part of it is find yourself a marine biologist woman who wants to support you in creating the curriculum in order to make this happen. We were quite blessed that we are working with Dr. Dijana Figueroa, a black woman who is an amazing marine biologist and STEAM teacher. That's going to be the two most important things. And then the third is to make sure that you're listening to your girls, listening to the young people and finding out what they want because you can't create a program without really meeting their needs. And you can only learn about

their needs by listening to them. Our goal is to expand this program. So over the, in the next two years, we will be on the East coast. But right now we are, you know, only here in LA. Thank you. Matt? Well, first as a shameless plug, I'll say I teach at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, which has a renowned marine biology program. So hopefully expand down here at some point. But to that end, my question was going to be for further iterations of the camp, do you have other ideas or other areas of STEAM that you intend to not only expose the girls to, but maybe do similar partnerships in other areas like engineering or other aspects of STEAM? What are your plans in that respect? Yeah, actually, we have some girls right now studying aeronautical engineering in

college. I love that. Girls from Compton. I love it so much. Um, but we, social justice team is important to us in general. And so we do several different programs. The camp is the summer camp right now is the marine biology camp because it is, you know, so unique and no one else was doing it. Um, you know, when you look at coding, it's so oversaturated right now that that was an area that we decided we were going to teach our girls coding, but we're not going to put a huge focus on that. And we're really trying to look at areas where we are underrepresented so that they can really get the big checks, right, and make real impact. And so engineering is definitely one of those things that we are, you know, we have as a part, robotics is a part of our program. And so all of those things do come into it. And the girls decide the social justice issues they want to deal with. So they've talked about school shootings.

They've talked about gun control. They've talked about race and they've talked about abuse. And then we create programs around what is important to them. So, yeah, we're introducing various types of STEAM into our work and doing that, you know, throughout the year with the girls. And really it's about finding the right university. So if Texas A&M wants to partner, we can have that conversation.

And that makes it easier for us to make that expansion and make it happen to bring that program for your young people in the summer. All right, Dawn, where can people go to get more information? So you can go to our website, which is empowerher.org, E-M-P-O-W-H-E-R.org. You can learn all about our organization as well as this particular camp. All right. Dawn, we appreciate it.

Thank you so very much. Thank you. Have a good it. Thank you so very much. Thank you. Have a good one. Thank you very much. Let me also thank Jesse, Niambe, and Matt for being on our panel today as well. I appreciate it. Thank you so very much. Folks, tomorrow in Houston at the Power Center, 12 to 4, we are going to have our Juneteenth 2023, the Future of Black Economic Freedom panel taking place.

We've got some fantastic panelists who are going to be there. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner will be there. State Senator Boris Miles, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Congressman Al Green, and so many other folks. And again, our focus is talking about, again, economic freedom for our people. So if you're an entrepreneur, you're a business owner, you want to do that, you want to be there, you are welcome to come out. It is free, open to the public. We simply ask that you send us an email to RSVP, info at RolandSMartin.com, I-N-F-O at RolandSMartin.com. Folks, that is it.

I'll see you guys tomorrow on our live stream here from Houston. Back in studio Monday, Juneteenth. Be sure to have a great weekend. 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. Yes, sir. 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 two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

Sometimes as dads, I think we're too hard on ourselves. We get down on ourselves on not being able to, you know, we're the providers, but we also have to learn to take care of ourselves. A wrap-up way, you got to pray for yourself as well as for everybody else, but never forget yourself. Self-love made me a better dad because I realized my worth. Never stop being a dad. That's dedication.

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