#RolandMartinUnfiltered - NAACP Sues Mississippi, Dyson, Wendell Pierce Talk Belafonte, Fugees Pras Guilty,

Starting point is 00:00:00 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.

Starting point is 00:00:48 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.

Starting point is 00:01:08 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. Thank you. ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത� Thank you. សូវាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប់ពីប្រាប� Thank you. ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത� Thank you. ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത്ത� Black Star Network is here. Hold no punches.

Starting point is 00:05:51 I'm real revolutionary right now. Support this man, Black Media. He makes sure that our stories are told. Thank you for being the voice of Black America, Roland. Hey, Black, I love y'all. All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going. The video looks phenomenal. See, there's a difference between Black Star Network and Black-owned media and something like CNN.

Starting point is 00:06:12 You can't be Black-owned media and be scary. It's time to be smart. Bring your eyeballs home. You dig? Thank you. Să ne urmăm în următoarea mea rețetă. Thank you. Să ne urmăm în următoarea mea rețetă. Să ne urmăm. Thank you. Să ne vedem la următoarea mea rețetă. Martin! Thank you. Să ne următoarea mea rețetă! Să ne urmăm. Thank you. Să ne urmăm în următoarea mea rețetă. Martin! សូវបានប់បានប់បានប់បានប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប់ប� Să ne urmăm în următoarea mea rețetă. Thank you. Să ne urmăm. Thank you. Să ne urmăm în următoarea mea rețetă. Să ne urmăm. Martin! Să ne urmăm în următoarea mea rețetă. Today is Wednesday, April 26, 2023, coming up on Roland Martin Unfiltered, streaming live on the Black Star Network. The NAACP is suing the state of Mississippi 2023 coming up on Roland Martin Unfiltered, streaming live on the Black Star Network. The NAACP is suing the state of Mississippi over their decision to expand a state police presence in the state capitol. Also on today's show, the Virginia senator, the head of the Senate there in Virginia,

Starting point is 00:19:00 is calling out fellow Democrats saying, why are they trying to get rid of her in leadership? Louise Lucas will join us right here on Roland Martin Unfiltered. Also, we will have our second tribute to Harry Belafonte. 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.

Starting point is 00:19:37 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.

Starting point is 00:19:56 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.

Starting point is 00:20:17 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. 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.

Starting point is 00:20:31 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.

Starting point is 00:20:40 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

Starting point is 00:20:53 drug ban. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Caramush. What we're doing now isn't working and we need to change things. Stories matter and it brings a face to them.

Starting point is 00:21:10 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.

Starting point is 00:21:39 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. Michael, Eric, Dyson, and others will join us today on the show. Folks, it is time to bring the funk.

Starting point is 00:22:11 I'm Roland Martin on Filtered on the Black Star Network. Let's go. He's got it. Whatever the piss, he's on it. Whatever it is, he's got the scoop, the fact, the find. And when it breaks, he's right on time. And it's Roland. breaks, he's right on time And it's rolling Best belief he's knowing

Starting point is 00:22:28 Putting it down from sports to news to politics With entertainment just for kicks He's rolling Yeah, yeah It's Uncle Roro, yo Yeah, yeah It's rolling, Martin Yeah, yeah' with Rollin' now

Starting point is 00:22:49 Yeah He's funky, he's fresh, he's real The best you know, he's Rollin' Martin Now Martin Folks, we've been telling you for a long time about how Republicans across the country, including Mississippi, are using their power to meddle in the affairs of local government. Well, there in Mississippi, what Republicans are doing is they're literally expanding a state police force. They're expanding a state police force to cover what is called the capital area. Now, here's the deal. That's where most whites in Jackson, Mississippi live. And so

Starting point is 00:23:39 this has been quite contentious. The NAACP has filed a lawsuit against the state of Mississippi as a result of this. Now, the NAACP says the law will create a separate and unequal policing in the majority black capital and violate the principles of self-government by taking control of the police and some courts out of the hands of residents. The new law allows people convicted in the Capitol Complex Improvement District Court to be put in a state prison rather than in a city or county jail. And the judge of the new court is not required to live in Jackson and is going to be appointed by the Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice. Now, again, white Republicans control the legislature.

Starting point is 00:24:24 Democrats and black folks control Jackson, Mississippi. 83% of the residents in Jackson, they're black, the most significant percentage of any major city in the United States. The NAACP's lawsuit seeks to block the law that violates the Voting Rights Act and the 14th Amendment. Joining me now from Heidelberg, Mississippi, is State Senator Juan Barrett. Senator Barrett, glad to have you on Roland Martin Unfiltered. I mean, this is, first of all,

Starting point is 00:24:51 what rationale have these white Republicans given for doing this? Well, thanks, Roland, for having me on. It is indeed a pleasure to be on your show. But, you know, Roland, when we talk about House Bill 1020, you know, I think in their mind that they was thinking that, you know, the intent of it, I think, was pretty good. But how it was done and the way that they did it basically, you know, was against what should have happened. And what I mean by that is

Starting point is 00:25:26 that, you know, if it's something that you want to help me with, I think that you should talk to me about what it is that you want to help me with and how we can fix this together. But I don't think any of those things happen. And I think that's the gist of the problem is that nobody was really brought to the table to want to help the city. If you want to help me with policing, then let's talk about this together. If you want to help me fix my crime in my city, then let's talk about this. But don't just come to me with your plan and say, here's how I'm going to help you without me having any input on it. OK, but you said

Starting point is 00:26:05 the intent was good. What's the intent? I mean, why are they actually doing this? Are they suggesting that the existing police force, the existing court system doesn't work? I think the intent was that, you know, we have to realize

Starting point is 00:26:22 that, you know, Jackson was you know, the police department realize that, you know, Jackson was you know, the police department there is declining because other departments and the Capitol Police are offering officers more money, so they're leaving. So there is a need to help with the policing.

Starting point is 00:26:38 I think the courts... Okay, so here's the deal. Okay, hold up. So if the Capitol Police are offering more money, and that's the deal, well, why up. So if the Capitol Police are offering more money and that's the deal, well, why in the hell does the state, why doesn't Mississippi just give Jackson more money for its police department? Okay, that's a question that, I mean, that's an answer that we hadn't got. That's a question that we hadn't gotten an answer for either. And that's what I'm saying, you know.

Starting point is 00:26:59 If you want to help, then I think that they should have engaged Jackson and the people of Jackson, those people that represent Jackson. I think all parties should have been at the table if there's a plan to help. And that didn't happen. And that's why we ended up where we are now. And that's why everybody is mad about the things that happened. And you talk about judges and you talk about courts and all of these things, you know. It's not right for me or anybody to have the right

Starting point is 00:27:32 to vote, but they're not able to have the right to vote. So you're going to appoint people that's going to be my judge, but don't live where I live. So where's my representation? How does my voice count? And these are the problems that we're having with this House Bill 1020.

Starting point is 00:27:52 Well, I mean, again, I mean, I'm just sort of still stuck on what is just most basic and fundamental. Are they suggesting that police in the city of Jackson are not doing the job, so therefore they need more assistance? Has there been a dramatic crime increase in the Capitol complex? Why have a separate court system? So, again, there has to be some sort of logic or reason or rationale for making this decision. Have they provided you or anybody else any reason why they are doing it? The rationale that they're using is that they're saying that there is a spike in crime. Across the city of Jackson, there is a spike in crime across the whole city of Jackson, sure, there is a spike in crime across the whole city. No, no, no, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Starting point is 00:28:49 But hold up. But Senator Barron, here's the problem. Barnett, Barnett. This is not expanding to the... But this is the problem. This is not expanding to the city of Jackson. So my question is, did they provide you or anybody else

Starting point is 00:29:04 evidence that there is a spike in crime in the Capitol complex in this area? And it's covering, is there a spike in crime in that area? Because if it's not, they're trying to use a spike in the crime in other parts of Jackson to do this here. So I'm asking, in this Capitol complex, did they provide any data that showed there was a spike in crime in that area? I haven't seen any specific data, but that was the conversation. That was some of the things that they talked about was a spike in crime. So they offered anecdotal now I can't say

Starting point is 00:29:45 anecdotal data I can't say I can't say I'm confused. No, no, what I'm saying though has been a spike in crime across all of Jackson. Not just

Starting point is 00:30:00 in certain areas. No, no, no, but here's my point. But Senator, here's my point. This bill does not cover all of Jackson. It only extends police powers in the Capitol complex, where nearly all of the white residents of Jackson live. So what I'm asking you is did they provide any data that

Starting point is 00:30:30 showed there was a spike in crime in the Capitol complex where this area will be covered? I didn't see any data on that, no. So what they did is they tried to use, oh, there's a spike in crime in all of Jackson as justification to expand a police presence in the Capitol complex, but didn't offer any

Starting point is 00:31:00 reasoning to why this is done. That's like me, that's literally like me saying, you know what? I'm going to put some Icy Hot all over my body, but my back hurt. Why in the hell am I putting Icy Hot on my feet and my legs when hell, I just need it in my back this is real clear so here's what it appears to me

Starting point is 00:31:32 it appears to me like the white Republicans in Mississippi want to create a separate police department and a separate court system in the area where nearly all white folks in Jackson live. That's what it looks like to me. Yeah. And that's what it looks like, you know, according to everybody else. That's, you know, that's exactly what it looks like. But again, you know, I'm just going back to, you know, some of the discussions and the debates and things that we had in the Senate legislation. That goes back again to what I said.

Starting point is 00:32:06 If you truly, again, if you truly was concerned about the crime in the city of Jackson, in the capital city, if you're concerned about all of these things, then let's talk about all of these things. And let's talk about a specific area or anything. But let's fix all of it. Because you know as well as I do, you know, if you're not willing to fix all of it, then how are we really going to fix anything if we don't take care of all of it? And that's the problem that we have. And, you know, with the judges and all of that, you know, it's only to a specific area, like you said, in the city of Jackson.

Starting point is 00:32:47 But if we're going to fix crime in Jackson, let's fix all of it. You know, to me, Mark, you're rolling. You talked about obviously. You talked about putting ice hot on you. why you have this going on, but while this is going on, you also have these Republicans who want to take control of the water system after the mayor went to D.C. and got the $600 million.

Starting point is 00:33:15 And they offered no help to get the money, but when he went and got the money from the Biden administration, now all of a sudden, they're not interested in the water system. Exactly. We have a lot of problems, Martin.

Starting point is 00:33:33 And if I'm wrong, these same white Republicans have been trying to take control of the airport too, right? There was some legislation passed before or was attempted to be passed before where the Jackson Airport, yes, would be controlled by someone else other than the city of Jackson. So what this really sounds like is white Republicans in Mississippi don't like the fact that black folks are running a major city,

Starting point is 00:34:14 so what they're now doing is playing bully and using the powers of the legislature to strip the city of a lot of its assets. And correct me if I'm wrong, this court system, the residents of Jackson are paying for that and not the state, correct? That's correct. So they're creating an expanded police force and an on-court system, and the residents of Jackson, 83% white, got to pay for it, but the white Republicans not putting any extra money into it to pay for it,

Starting point is 00:34:56 but they want to control it. Yes. You know, when we do— Do you support this NAACP lawsuit? Do I support the lawsuit? Yes, because I think it is, you know, it's it's unconstitutional. But again, you know, we'll have to see what happens in the courts again, how this plays out in the courts. You know, but going in, you know, a lot of us knew that a lawsuit was going to be pending on the passage of this bill. But again, again, Roland, I have to say that in my opinion, in my opinion only, is that, you know, the initial thing was, okay, let's help the city of Jackson with their crime. Let's help the city of Jackson with their policing.

Starting point is 00:35:54 Let's help the city of Jackson that we can make these things better. I think as it went along, then I think some of the things that should have happened didn't happen. And I think that's why we end up with the results. That's why we end up with the product that we have now. I don't think there was enough discussion with the leadership. I don't think there was enough discussion with the residents. I don't think any of these things was enough before we came back with the plan if we truly were going to help the city of Jackson with the crime in Jackson,

Starting point is 00:36:24 not just related to a specific area in Jackson. Senator Barrett, I don't believe for a second this was ever about helping Jackson, Mississippi. That was a ruse. This was about protecting white residents in Jackson, and they don't give a damn about the rest of Jackson. But they do love those sales receipts, sales tax receipts that come from Jackson that pays for all kind of stuff for the rest of those white legislators in their broke-ass districts, so they don't

Starting point is 00:36:55 mind black folks paying for that stuff. So really what they want Jackson, Mississippi to be sharecroppers for the rest of Mississippi, and they control the most important parts. And so we'll see how this lawsuit plays out. Senator Barrett, I appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Thank you. Can I go to break? We'll be back. I'll talk about this with my panel right here on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network.

Starting point is 00:37:21 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 But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company

Starting point is 00:37:52 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.

Starting point is 00:38:23 Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives.

Starting point is 00:38:40 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.

Starting point is 00:39:05 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.

Starting point is 00:39:19 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. 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.

Starting point is 00:39:57 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. Black Star Network is here.

Starting point is 00:40:17 Oh, no punch! A real revolutionary right now. Thank you for being the voice of Black America. All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going. The video looks phenomenal. See, there's a difference between Black Star Network and black-owned media and something like CNN. You can't be black-owned media and be scared. It's time to be smart.

Starting point is 00:40:37 Bring your eyeballs home, you dig? I lost my daughter. I didn't know where she was. So I had to figure out how to survive, how to eat, how to live. I don't want to go into the details, because she's here, first of all. She may not want me telling that story.

Starting point is 00:40:57 But possession of her. The family broke down, fell apart. I was homeless. I had to figure out I didn't have a manager or an agent or anybody anymore. And I'm the talent. So I got to figure out how to be the agent. I had to figure out how does business work. Hey, everybody, it's your girl, Luenell. So what's up? This is your boy, Earthquake.

Starting point is 00:41:35 Hi, I'm Chaley Rose, and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. Thank you. Să ne urmăm în următoarea mea rețetă. Să ne urmăm. Hold on. I'm a Harry Belafonte tribute. And so to the control room, look for, pull the audio down, please. Thank you. And so for the control room, look for a note because we have a special guest who wants to come on live. Let me pull up my panel right now. Joining me now, Robert Petillo, host of People, Passion, Politics, News and Talk, 13AWAK in Atlanta.

Starting point is 00:45:06 He's coming to us out of D.C. Rebecca Carruthers, vice president of the Fair Elections Center, to run Walker, founder of Context Media. Rob, I'll start with you. Look, today in Montana, you've got the Republicans that silenced a transgender elected official because they didn't like the fact that she disagreed with them. You got Republicans in Tennessee that expelled two black members and they still hate the fact that they're still talking. You got in Tennessee getting rid of an independent citizen-run

Starting point is 00:45:39 police accountability board. You got in other states where Republicans in Florida, Alabama, they pass bills that say local people cannot get rid of Confederate monuments. What you have here are Republicans who do not care about, who do not care that other people vote. Their whole deal is we got power. We can do what the hell we want to do. And we really don't care whether y'all like it or not. That's what's happening in Jackson, Mississippi. So the NAACP should be filing lawsuits against Republican legislatures all across the country. And you can add to that in Wisconsin, where the Republican legislature,

Starting point is 00:46:15 they have threatened once they get the supermajority, they will try to impeach the newly elected Democratic or progressive Supreme Court justice there. North Carolina, where you had a Democratic state senator who switched from Democrat to Republican there. And so now they'll be able to override any veto from the governor. What we are seeing is the results of the DNC neglecting state-level parties for the last 15 years. Ever since Howard Dean was DNC chairman, we have seen a consolidation of power in D.C., taking money away from state and local Democratic parties, away from local organizing commissions, et cetera. And because of that,

Starting point is 00:46:49 during the period of time that President Obama was in office, we saw 1,044 seats nationwide flip from Democrat to Republican. So even though Republicans have not won a popular vote since 2004, and that's the only popular vote they've won since 1988. Even though the 50 Democratic senators represent 41 million more voters than the 49 Republican senators, even though you have a House of Representatives that represents millions more on the Democratic side of the aisle than the Republican side of the aisle, they have been able to consolidate power in these state and local governments. And that's where we're seeing much of the very extreme legislation coming from. And remember, when you have a controversy between

Starting point is 00:47:29 the states, that is ultimately decided by the Supreme Court. What else have Republicans been doing? President Trump nominated more and confirmed more federal justices or federal judges under Mitch McConnell than any other president. We see a 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court. So their plan is to put this extreme legislation in place on the state level, have it ratified by the Supreme Court, and then spread it nationwide. And then you never have to worry about getting a majority in Congress or getting a veto-proof majority or a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. You can do national legislation from the state level, and that's what we're seeing now. Rebecca,

Starting point is 00:48:10 again, for all the simple Simons out there who run their mouths and oh, rollerball, you trying to get black folks to vote Democrat, let me remind these idiots, when you file a lawsuit and you file it in federal court, those are

Starting point is 00:48:27 federal judges. Those federal judges are appointed either by Republicans or Democrats. They're confirmed by the Senate, whether led by the Republicans or Democrats. This battle right here is likely going to be playing out in federal court because why? The NAACP is using the Voting Rights Act as a legal basis for the lawsuit. So for all of the idiots who say voting doesn't matter, hmm, I bet you don't want one of those Trump judges hearing this lawsuit. Well, this particular lawsuit is going to go through the Fifth Circuit. But while you had your previous guest on, the senator from Mississippi, I believe Senator Barnett, I wanted

Starting point is 00:49:14 to hear him actually call out and use the actual word of what's going on here. We're seeing an apartheid system that's happening in front of us in Jackson, Mississippi. And like you said, this is something, if it's not checked, it's going to spread across the South and even spread into other parts of the country, even beyond the South. To have an institutionalized, systematic regime of segregating resources based upon race, whether it's the courts, whether it is dealing with their airport authority, or it's dealing with law enforcement or a new police force,

Starting point is 00:49:54 I'm afraid that this is also going to extend to the schools. This is going to extend to the sewer and water and other public things that are happening in Jackson. But to me, that's very alarming. And I want people to actually use the words of actually what we're seeing happening in front of us. This is apartheid that's happening in Jackson, Mississippi. Taran, I keep warning black folks, don't think for a second you're not going to see similar actions taken in other cities all across the South where black folks are in control. This is them running the game plan.

Starting point is 00:50:41 To my sister's point, who just spoke, she's absolutely right that what we're seeing is sort of like vestiges of apartheid, but it goes back even further than that. What I see happening goes back to 1877, after Reconstruction, when the federal troops were pulled out of the South, because before that, there were stopgaps in place to allow Black judges, Black legislatures, not Black senators, but people on that level to regain power after the end of the Civil War. Immediately when federal troops were pulled out of the South, you saw the rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan, and you saw voter intimidation.

Starting point is 00:51:13 You saw basically destruction of black schools, lynchings of black people, intimidation. So this is what's happening. And what I think people really have to understand is, you mentioned voting earlier. What people have to understand is, you mentioned voting earlier. What people have to understand is that people got to get out of this idea of thinking that federal and presidential elections are the only ones that matter. It's the elections that are unsexy that people have to pay attention to, whether it's the school board elections,

Starting point is 00:51:37 whether it's federal, whether it's state judge elections, whether it's your city council person election, because this is what's happening. With the situation in Jackson, the population of Jackson is 85 percent Black, 15 percent White. Basically, what they're doing is trying to create a private police force specifically for one specific area. And that's a trial balloon, I think, to expand sort of like segregated policing, where you have Black people policed in one way, White people policed in another. And you're right. This is happening all over the South. We had a situation in Atlanta where a part of Atlanta called Buckhead, which is rich, white, pretty affluent, tried to succeed from the rest of the city of Atlanta to create their own police force and their own city council. So what you're seeing is what the brother said earlier, is that you're seeing right wing legislatures throw up these trial balloons to see where it'll stick

Starting point is 00:52:24 and to coalesce people around these ideas, whether they win or they don't. But what you do is you have a base of voters who you can scare into saying if you don't vote for this, the black boogeyman is going to come take your kids and the black boogeyman is going to invade your house. And these things are very effective when it comes to voting. So you can ignore it at your peril.

Starting point is 00:52:42 Well, I'll say this to the black folks who are watching. The white boogeyman is here. And the white boogeyman is the Republican Party. And we can walk down this thing. And I'm telling y'all, that's why I wrote my book, White Fear. They are, this ain't no dress rehearsal. They are actively engaged in trying to absolutely limit the power of black people.

Starting point is 00:53:07 And what they're doing in Jackson, they want to take your money and fund their stuff. Now, coming up next, I'm going to show you how Democrats in Virginia do not want a black woman in charge of the Virginia Senate. We'll explain in two minutes. You're on YouTube. Be sure to hit the like button, folks. Also, support us in what we do. Download the Blackstar Network app, Apple phone, Android phone,

Starting point is 00:53:36 Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV. Also, support us by supporting our Bring the Funk fan club. Your check and money orders can be sent to PO Box 57196, Washington, D.C., 20037-0196. Cash app, dollar sign RM Unfiltered.

Starting point is 00:53:57 PayPal or Martin Unfiltered. Venmo is RM Unfiltered. Zelle, Roland at RolandSMartin.com. Roland at RolandMartinUnfiltered.com. And as I said, don't forget to get my book, Zell, Roland at Roland S. Martin dot com, Roland at Roland Martin Unfiltered dot com. And as I said, don't forget to get my book, White Fear, How the Browning of America is Making White Folks Lose Their Mind. 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.

Starting point is 00:54:31 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

Starting point is 00:55:04 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.

Starting point is 00:55:26 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

Starting point is 00:55:47 of what this quote-unquote drug ban. 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

Starting point is 00:56:04 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.

Starting point is 00:56:31 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.

Starting point is 00:56:56 Brought to you by AdoptUSKids, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Ad Council. Available from Ben Bella Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, Chapters, Books A Million, Target. Services and the Ad Council. into deadly violence. You will not be white. White people are losing their damn lives. There's an angry pro-Trump mob storm to the U.S. Capitol. We're about to see the rise of what I call white minority resistance. We have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting.

Starting point is 00:57:41 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.

Starting point is 00:58:13 The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're taking our women. This is white fear. We're all impacted by the culture, whether we know it or not. From politics to music and entertainment, it's a huge part of our lives. And we're going to talk about it every day right here on The Culture with me, Faraji Muhammad, only on the Black Star Network. Black TV does matter, dang it.

Starting point is 00:59:04 Hey, what's up, y'all? It's your boy Jacob Lattimore, and you're now watching Roland Martin right now. Yee! Să ne urmăm în următoarea mea rețetă. Folks, what in the hell is going on in Virginia? All right, so here's the deal. There are elections in this November. Right now, Glenn Youngkin, the Republican, is the governor. Democrats, by a slim majority, are in the minority in the House, but they control the Senate by slim majority. Now, Louise Lucas, state senator, is the leader there in the United States, excuse me, in the Virginia Senate.

Starting point is 01:01:16 Yet she has been on a rampage on Twitter in the last 48 hours, calling out fellow Democrats who she say are trying to take power away from her to run the Senate. I want to find out what the hell is going on. So we called her. She joins us right now. Senator Louise Lucas, glad to have you back on the show. So, all right, what is the deal? You would think that Senate Democrats, House Democrats will be aligned, trying to hold on and control the legislature to stop some of the crazy stuff from Governor Glenn Youngkin. Yet you're facing primary challenges.

Starting point is 01:01:53 Yes. Well, let me give you the backdrop of this. You know, with the redistricting, we ended up with a lot of Democrats and a lot of Republicans coupled in districts with their own colleagues. Republicans were coupled with Republicans and Democrats were coupled with Democrats. Well, most of the Republicans were able to sit down and talk about it. And some of them just retired so that the other person could run so that they wouldn't have these bloodbath kind of primaries between them. Well, the only two that were left coupled was my opponent, who represents currently the 5th Congressional District, and myself, who represents the 18th Senatorial District. Well, some of my colleagues decided that they were going to put their names on an invitation for my opponent, who happens to be Black,

Starting point is 01:02:47 and thought that I would be okay with that. And they said, well, it's not an endorsement. We just hosted a fundraiser for him. I said, how the hell is that not an endorsement? You lend your name to a fundraiser and you don't think that's an endorsement? When the funds that he will get from a fundraiser and you don't think that's an endorsement when the funds that he will get from that fundraiser will be directed at trying to defeat me. And so I took it personal because

Starting point is 01:03:13 for one thing, I currently serve as the president pro tem of the Senate. So I preside over that body. I am in line to be number one in the Senate because my number one and number two, who I'm tied with colleagues, are both retiring. So with becoming number one and the ranking member on almost every committee that I serve on, I'm in line to be chair of Senate Finance and Appropriation. It will be the first time in the history of this Commonwealth

Starting point is 01:03:45 that a black person is money. It will be the first time in the history of this world, 400 and some years, that a black person will be chair of finance. In 2019, I became the first African American and first woman to be

Starting point is 01:04:03 president pro tem. And so I'm about to make history again by coming in the number one Senator and also becoming chair of finance. But Youngkins and his group, of course, would prefer that I not chair that committee. And what you got to keep in mind now, even though the person who's fundraising, they are want to, to, to assist

Starting point is 01:04:25 with is black. Like myself, if they are able to defeat me, every person who was on that invitation stands to move up because they will take one of the positions that I currently hold. That's it in a nutshell. All right. So, so, so again, so for the folk in the back who didn't quite understand it, you always follow the money in politics. And so if you head up your appropriation committee, can't no money get spent in the state of Virginia unless it comes through your committee. It's got to come through that committee. That's the only way it gets out of there. But see, in the Senate, we have responsibility for finance, which raises the money, and appropriation, which spends the money. And we've never had a person of color to chair that committee in the history of the Commonwealth.

Starting point is 01:05:18 And because I managed to stay and get the kind of seniority I have, I'm next in line. And let me tell you what the difference is here. My opponent is not a true Democrat. Matter of fact, people have referred to him as a Republican. He came into the Senate in 2016. I got to the Senate in 1992. He cannot live long enough to get the seniority that I have. So he cannot have a position

Starting point is 01:05:45 where he can wield the kind of power that I will be able to have come January 2014. And so I see where Youngkins has already decided he's going to get a group out of Atlanta who's going to come and help with getting out the vote

Starting point is 01:06:02 here in Virginia. And that is as much to help my opponent, I almost called his name, as it will the Republicans. They want to get a big turnout because I am the target. Right now, there are only five members of the Senate who are African-American in the first place. And that's because Bagby, who was in the House of Delegates, was elected to Jennifer McClellan's seat.

Starting point is 01:06:29 And so if they get rid of one of us, then there will only be four members of the Senate who are African-American. Roland, what I said, what I was... Doesn't this also check... I'm sorry, go ahead, go ahead. Go ahead. Finish. No, what I was going to suggest to you is that I am the person who's in the position to deliver for the 18th Senatorial District. It's a no-brainer for anybody to elect somebody

Starting point is 01:06:55 who's only been in the Senate since 2016 and I've been there since 1992, have the seniority in a position to deliver for the district, for the region, and for the state, for that matter, for them to try to even think about taking me down, except that they don't want me to be in charge of that committee. But my opponent can't get there anyway.

Starting point is 01:07:20 Well, look, first of all, but here's the deal. First of all, again, look, I don't spend time, to be perfectly honest, on individual races. I'm looking at this from a much larger perspective, and the larger perspective is the whole state. And the reality is, and also in terms of exercising a power, and that to me is is is what is critically important, because when you start when we talk about black state, black folks on the state level, it goes to who's in charge. The reality is right now you're Senate pro tem.

Starting point is 01:08:00 Don Scott is head of the House Democrats. That's correct. They regain the House Democrats. That's correct. If they regain the House, goes to stand, he's going to be the number one. He'll be the top Democrat in Virginia. You'll be the top Democrat in the Senate. Now you got two African-Americans who basically are the top Democrats in the state of Virginia. Damn you guys. It's going to be a huge deal going into 2024 in the presidential election year.

Starting point is 01:08:29 And of course, you've got the Senate race on the ballot. 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.

Starting point is 01:08:57 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.

Starting point is 01:09:29 Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way.

Starting point is 01:09:49 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.

Starting point is 01:10:13 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.

Starting point is 01:10:27 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.

Starting point is 01:10:55 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. Because you got Senator Tim Kaine, right? No, no, Tim Kaine is not coming up here. Right.

Starting point is 01:11:31 But you have what we have all day. No, no, no. No, no, no. Is it Kaine 24? Yes, Kaine is 24. Yes. Right. So what I'm saying is, if Democrats, if you win your primary, Democrats maintain the Senate in Virginia, if they're able to flip. So, look, y'all are down. How many seats on the House side?

Starting point is 01:11:55 I think it's only four. If I remember, it says you're only up. And how many seats on the Senate side? Well, in the Senate right now, we currently sit at 22-18. 22 Democrats, 18 Republicans. So, again, for the people who are listening, if Democrats

Starting point is 01:12:18 are able to win those seats in the House, you will likely have an African-American run of the Senate, an African-American run of the House, like I said, of Virginia, the cradle of the Confederacy, going into 2024 where you're going to be trying to

Starting point is 01:12:34 basically combat Glenn Youngkin Republicans, MAGA Republicans, who are going to be all out for Donald Trump. That's why I'm saying this thing is broader than just Senate District 18. Absolutely. That's why I'm saying this thing is broader than just Senate District 18. Absolutely. Absolutely.

Starting point is 01:12:50 And it's unfortunate that, and of course, I know any number of groups and organizations have tried to talk to my opponent to say, look, not only is this important to the district, but this is history in the making. And he said, I don't care a thing about that. Gotcha. All right.

Starting point is 01:13:13 Well, look, we'll see what happens. The primaries in June. June what? The primaries on June 20th, but we have early voting starting on May 5th, and it goes to June 17th. And so I want everybody out there who is eligible to vote for this primary to come out and vote for me, because this is all about voting in your own self-interest.

Starting point is 01:13:37 A vote for me is a vote for them. And I'm here to do the work for the people of the 18th Senatorial District, for the region and beyond. All right. Sarah Lucas, we appreciate it. Thanks a lot. You're very welcome. Thank you for having me on again. I appreciate it.

Starting point is 01:13:52 Rebecca. Thank you. Rebecca, as I was laying out there, again, the implications go beyond a single Senate district in a state. And so when you're talking about politics, you got to think about this as moves on a chessboard, not checkers. Yeah, absolutely. And I'm going to say this in my personal role here.

Starting point is 01:14:17 You know, I spent about 20 years working in campaigns all across the country, and I've never seen where you have someone's name on a fundraiser, and that isn't an endorsement. So the senator was very clear. There are folks who are actively working against her and don't want to see her in that seat. But bottom line here is that this is, like you outlined, this is about power. This is about money. And, you know, on this show, we talk a lot about things impacting Black people, and specifically, we talk about Black politics. And so, what folks really have to think about is what's in the best interest of Black folks in Virginia? Is the best interest of Black folks in

Starting point is 01:14:57 Virginia actually having a say on appropriations and how money is being spent? I would say for Black communities in Virginia, that is in the best interest to make sure that Black voices are heard, that Black voices are respected. And it is, you know, over 400 years in the Commonwealth, this thing has never happened where Black folks had an outsized impact and a real impact on how money is being spent in the Commonwealth. Robert, I say all the time to folks, the reality is nobody is promised a seat. Anybody can run. That's just the reality of politics. But it is also important to think about what happens when you do lose seniority, when you do lose access to powerful positions, that has an impact

Starting point is 01:15:46 on black communities. Look, the Virginia Democratic Party hasn't been right since they stole that seat from Justin Fairfax. So let's just be honest. There seems to be a power struggle going on there always within the party. And I think that when you're looking at a state that should be solidly blue in all elections, Glenn Youngkin should have never had an opportunity to win that seat, regardless of who the Democratic nominee was. But it's this type of infighting, this type of petty personal politics that gets in the way in putting together these hyper-progressive agendas that's

Starting point is 01:16:17 needed so that Virginia can then become that model for the Southeast, the model for the Confederate states. As Virginia goes, North Carolina will go. Having Georgia on one side, Virginia on the other side, we should be having enough residual pressure to turn North Carolina and South Carolina Democratic also as weather parts of Tennessee. But we're not getting that because these state parties are so disorganized at every level, seemingly, that they can't get one foot in front of the other to actually get things done for the people in their districts. Toron? Something the Senator said that I found interesting was the fact that her

Starting point is 01:16:55 opponent is bringing in outside comms people from Atlanta, ironically. Why are people coming in to work for her opponent that are not based in the state of Virginia? You know what I mean? Nobody can... This happens a lot, I think, sometimes.

Starting point is 01:17:11 It happens all the time. I get it. I get it. I mean, I could... Like, literally all over. No, I get it, but here's the thing. If you don't have people who are connected to Virginia, if you don't have people who can tell the story of what this woman's legacy is in Virginia and they're not leading that conversation, what happens is you get people who put craft messaging that doesn't have anything to do with what's going on.

Starting point is 01:17:34 And from what she said about the fact that her role would be to take care of appropriations and to be able to control that, that tells me that whatever's going on, as you said, is deeper than just this one woman, just her opponent and this one race. This sounds like something that's getting ready to be set up for 2024 to where there's going to be a big enough war chest that can be used to go to any candidate they wanted to go to and to push any agenda that may not have anything to do with the blacks constituents in her region and in Virginia. And that's what scares me. And I'm thinking if you're going to fight that, you have to be very upfront about that and get in front of your people to tell them that this is what this is about. It's bigger than me. It's about what's going to be benefiting and detrimental to you. All right, folks. I'm rolling Martin unfiltered. Yep. I think it's important to call out anti-blackness here.

Starting point is 01:18:26 Anti-blackness could happen within the Republican Party. It could also happen with the Democratic Party. I think that is very important to point out here, that the values here first is what is in the best interest of the black community. I just wanted to point that out. But I think her opponent is black, but you still have other things at play. This is what we call politics, again, but what I'm saying to people is understand, again,

Starting point is 01:18:54 politics is about power, and folk either have it or they want it. I'll be right back on 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.

Starting point is 01:19:22 But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multibillion-dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad.

Starting point is 01:19:46 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 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big

Starting point is 01:20:18 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 Tman 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 fans. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote.

Starting point is 01:20:49 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.

Starting point is 01:21:01 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.

Starting point is 01:21:36 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. 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.

Starting point is 01:22:10 There's a lot of stuff that we're not getting. You get it, and you spread the word. We wish to plead our own cause to long have others spoken for us. We cannot tell our own story if we can't pay for it. This is about covering us. Invest in black-owned media. Your dollars matter.

Starting point is 01:22:28 We don't have to keep asking them to cover our stuff. So please support us in what we do, folks. We want to hit 2,000 people, $50 this month, raise $100,000. We're behind $100,000, so we want to hit that. Your money makes this possible. Checks and money orders go to P.O. Box 57196, Washington, D.C., and money orders go to P.O. Box 57196, Washington,

Starting point is 01:22:45 D.C. 20037-0196. The Cash app is Dollar Sign RM Unfiltered. PayPal is R. Martin Unfiltered. Venmo is RM Unfiltered. Zelle is Roland at RolandSMartin.com. On the next A Balanced Life with me, Dr. Jackie, we talk about a hard, cold fact. Not all health care is created equal in this country, especially if you're a person of color. So many of us Black families, we rely upon each other heavily. A lot of us aren't necessarily sure how to best communicate with our health care providers. How to take charge and balance the scales. Your life may depend on it.

Starting point is 01:23:26 That's next on A Balanced Life on Blackstar Network. This is Judge Math. What's going on, everybody? It's your boy, Mack Wild. Hey, what's up, it's your boy, Jacob Lattimore, and you're now watching Roland Martin right now. Thank you. Hannah Miller has been missing from her Waterbury, Connecticut home since March 26. The 16-year-old is 5 feet 1 inches tall, weighs 120 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information about Hannah Miller should call the Waterbury, Connecticut Police Department at 203-574-6911. 203-574-6911. Praz Bichelle, one of the founding members of the Fugees,

Starting point is 01:25:01 he's headed to prison. Today convicted on 10 counts in a scheme to help China influence the U.S. government. Federal prosecutors allege that Lowe, take Joe, also known as Joe Lowe, paid Michelle millions to help launder money Lowe had allegedly embezzled from a Malaysia-owned investment fund. The alleged scheme involved payments to Barack Obama's 2012 presidential re-election campaign and efforts to convince the Trump administration to extradite a Chinese national. Again, Michelle faces 22 years in prison.

Starting point is 01:25:38 This was a really strange trial to run. People might remember that there was a Super Bowl commercial that Pross had taken. It was like a $5 million Super Bowl ad for this content company where they were going to be making cell phones and the sales from the phone were going to allow create black content.

Starting point is 01:26:00 And I always thought it was strange because they ran a Super Bowl ad and the site wasn't even live yet um and and in fact and i remember and i forget what's called i think it's called black sure or something like that and i remember actually getting with their pr people and doing a phone call with him uh about it and it seems that all that money that was coming in with the stuff like that, now he going to prison. Woo. You know, man,

Starting point is 01:26:30 I actually did a little bit of research on this case a couple days ago, and it seems to me like, honestly, Pross got in deeper than he could really swim in, got in some water that he couldn't really play with. The people who he was associated with are some real heavy hitters, and they were going around buying a lot of influence with a lot of people, whether it was

Starting point is 01:26:47 the Kardashians. If you take a look at this Asian businessman's Rolodex, it's crazy. It's pretty much all the A-listers in social media and in pop culture and hip hop and stuff. And I think what he was trying to do was trying to figure out a role for himself outside of music as trying to make himself sort of like a cultural ambassador and try to be somebody who can broker deals. But if you don't know the water you're playing with in that, it's best to leave that alone unless you've got a team around you who really knows how to navigate that. What he did wasn't really a unique thing as far as like trying to broker influence and be sort of like a fixer to introduce one person to the other. But when you're starting to play around with people who have, who don't play on the same level that you play with when they're dealing with governments and they're dealing with presidents.

Starting point is 01:27:29 And if you're not in that, if you're not on that level, it's best to leave that alone until you know what you're dealing with. I think he, I'm not saying he didn't do some of the things they're, they're convicted him of, but I think he's becoming a fall guy for some other people's influence. Just a mess. Well, look, look, look here. Well, here, here's the deal rebecca um you know this

Starting point is 01:27:49 this guy here cost malaysia uh billions of dollars there were other people who went to jail as well look when you start taking money and you start talking about influence you got to register as a lobbyist of a foreign interest in this country yeah he was in real deep and now he about to head to prison yeah and it's really unfortunate you know i would say for any celebrity any person who wants to get involved with politics especially when it comes with money you really have to make sure like terrain was saying you have to make sure that you have folks around you who have experience in that and know exactly what they're doing. I mean, we just saw Congressman Jeff Gordonberry also get in trouble for taking money, I believe it was from a Chinese national

Starting point is 01:28:36 that went directly to his campaign. And, you know, so, you know, he got convicted. So it's, you know, we're seeing that the Department of Justice is cracking down on this. And I would tell people, especially going into the 2024 election cycle, if you want to raise money for any particular candidate, if you've never done it before, you need to make sure you seek out professional advice, because we're seeing a steady increase of foreign nationals and foreign governments actively interfering in our election system. Well, Robert, during the trial, he claimed that he did have the advice of lawyers and accountants. But again, when you start talking about foreign money and elections, you're now in some deep territory that deals with

Starting point is 01:29:25 again, lobbying that there are laws against foreign money being involved in elections and so this was the prosecutors laid out a very strong case against him and it's not as easy Robert to simply say hey, I ain't no dog

Starting point is 01:29:41 so we just ain't never going to get another Fugees album never going to get a Fugees album? Never going to get a reunion tour? You can hang that world tour up. That ain't happening. I just came from the Usher residency out there in Vegas.

Starting point is 01:29:58 It's amazing. So the Fugees could do something like that, but no. Proz wants to pretend that he's part of the Kingpin organization. Now he's been of the Kingpin organization. Now he's been messed up everything for everybody else. That's just being selfish at the end of the day. You got to think about the rest of us who now we're in our middle ages. We try to see the old ass that we wanted to see back in the day.

Starting point is 01:30:16 I'm not trying to get into Lil Yachty. I'm not trying to get into Lil Uzi. I want to hear the music that I like, which includes the Fugees, but now Pryor's messed that up. So I call this personally against him. Well, look, I know Lauryn Hill like being late. I don't know about 22 years late,

Starting point is 01:30:33 so we'll see what happens when they have a sentencing that's going on there. All right, y'all. Georgia parents, they are outraged after a school field trip to a slavery exhibit led to a reenactment

Starting point is 01:30:49 of a slave auction. W.C. Abney Elementary School, school teacher, this is in Dallas, Georgia, took a class of third graders to the Mabel House Plantation. When they arrived, the students were made

Starting point is 01:31:01 to stand in a line and hold up cards with prices to reflect a slave auction. A mother of one of the students, Gladys Cleaves, said her biggest concern was the school never mentioning slavery would be taught on the permission slip and the false narrative the school portrayed by telling the children that these were nice enslavers who treated the enslaved people like family. Cleaves called for diversity, equity, and inclusion training to better inform school officials on handling such situations.

Starting point is 01:31:28 Paul, this college school district has not made a public statement about the incident. Well, hell, now you got Republicans trying to get rid of DEI everywhere, Robert. That ain't gonna happen. You know, it amazes me. For years, Republicans would use all these euphemisms. They would beat around the bush. Now they

Starting point is 01:31:44 literally just say out loud, I want to get rid of diversity. That is our plan. That is what we're working towards. Even in situations like this, they are going back to the great lost cause narrative of the South, this conceptualization that it wasn't that the South was morally wrong or morally bankrupt in its position on enslavement, but rather it was just a disagreement between brothers, and the South decided to enact their right just a disagreement between brothers, and the South decided to enact their right as a voluntary union to separate from the United States of America. They are trying to rewrite and sanitize and change the hearts and minds of the next generation, so that when it's time for that great population shift that we've been talking about, that

Starting point is 01:32:19 singularity, where they're no longer a majority of the country, but rather just one of many minority groups within the country, they rather just one of many minority groups within the country. They just want to make sure we don't treat them like they treated us. Rebecca? You know, nothing ever good comes out of public school kids or even school kids, period,

Starting point is 01:32:39 having a school lesson, which includes reenactment of slave auctions. I mean, this is not the first time that this has happened with the school system, with them trying to have students reenact and actually play the part of a slave or do like cosplay as slaves. And so, I mean, teachers got to do better. Like, I don't even understand, even if that was my school's curriculum, you know, if I was a teacher, there's just no way I would ever do anything like that. I mean, this is getting out of hand. It's ridiculous.

Starting point is 01:33:13 Tell Ron about 20 seconds. You're coming on this. All I'm going to say is these people knew what they were doing. They know the history. This is just trying to create this revisionist history like Robert said and everything. And I'm going to tell you right now, if that was my child, I'm coming down there to do some role play as well.

Starting point is 01:33:27 We gonna play Nat Turner. All right, y'all. I gotta go to break. We come back. Michael Eric Dyson talks Harry Belafonte. And we're also gonna show you a video that Mr. B did for the folks at XQ America, where he really talked about how this was him withdrawing from the public. We will show all of that for you as we pay tribute to the great Harry Belafonte. Next, I'm Roland Martin-Donahue on the Blackstone Network.

Starting point is 01:34:02 Next on The Black Table with me, Greg Koff. We look at the history of emancipation around the world, including right here in the United States, the so-called end of slavery. Trust me, it's a history lesson that bears no resemblance to what you learned in school. Professor Chris Mangiapra, author, scholar, amazing teacher, joins us to talk about his latest book,

Starting point is 01:34:24 Black Ghost of Empire, The Death of Slavery and the Failure of Emancipation. He explains why the end of slavery was no end at all, but instead a collection of laws and policies designed to preserve the status quo of racial oppression. The real problem is that the problems that slavery invented have continued over time. And what reparations are really about is saying, how do we really transform society, right? And stop racial violence, which is so endemic. What we need to do about it on the next installment of The Black Table, right here on the Black Star Network.

Starting point is 01:35:06 Hi, I'm Dr. Jackie Hood-Martin, and I have a question for you. Ever feel as if your life is teetering and the weight and pressure of the world is consistently on your shoulders? Well, let me tell you, living a balanced life isn't easy. Join me each Tuesday on Black Star Network for Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie Hood-Martin. 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.

Starting point is 01:35:32 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 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.

Starting point is 01:35:59 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 one, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes one, two, and three on May 21st

Starting point is 01:36:22 and episodes four, five, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glod. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way.

Starting point is 01:36:40 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.

Starting point is 01:37:05 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.

Starting point is 01:37:20 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.

Starting point is 01:37:54 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.

Starting point is 01:38:13 We'll laugh together, cry together, pull ourselves together, and cheer each other on. So join me for new shows each Tuesday on Black Star Network, A Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie. © BF-WATCH TV 2021 Folks, we continue our tribute to the great Harry Belafonte, passed away at the age of 96 on yesterday. The tributes have continued to pour in from Hollywood to politics all across the globe. We have several videos we're going to share with you today.

Starting point is 01:39:38 We've reached out to several different people. So today, first of all, before I get to my next guest, on tomorrow's show, Father Michael Flager, St. Sabina in Chicago, a longtime friend of Harry Belafonte, will join us to pay tribute to him. And also, a few moments ago, I got a text message, Minister Louis Farrakhan will also join us to pay tribute to Harry Belafonte. That is on tomorrow's show. Right now, we want to go to Dr. Michael Eric Dyson. Doc, glad to have you here. You crossed paths with Mr. B on many occasions. Just share with folks just your thoughts, reflections on the enormity of this man

Starting point is 01:40:24 and what he accomplished in his 96 years. Well, thank you, first of all, Brother Rowland, for having me. Nobody else is doing what you're doing, given this kind of broad coverage, not only to Mr. Belafonte, but to all the issues that make a difference for us. I hung out with Belafonte several times, including with you and Mr. Belafonte, an extraordinary genius, a man who is arguably the greatest activist artist of the 20th century. And we know Paul Robeson reigned supreme in that century, but he was a student of Paul Robeson's and arguably made an even deeper penetration into the collective conscious of America. Film through music. And Belafonte said that Paul Robeson taught him, if you can get them to listen to your song, then they will listen to

Starting point is 01:41:13 your message. And Deo, as you know, was a global hit that continued to reverberate around the world. And, you know, Belafonte was able to leverage his superstardom in Hollywood and beyond in defense of average Black people. As you know, and many other people don't, Harry Belafonte bought $100,000 life policies for each of Dr. King's kids in the event of his death. And the only reason they had some of that money to be able to scrape together was because Mr. Belafonte looked out for them. He did numerous, numerous, numerous fundraisers. He poured his personal resources

Starting point is 01:41:53 into supporting SNCC, SCLC, the NAACP, raising millions upon millions of dollars for their causes and was especially close to Martin Luther King Jr. So here was a man till the day he died who was fundamentally committed to the liberation and emancipation of Black people, unapologetically was able to call out other leaders who failed to take up the cross, so to speak,

Starting point is 01:42:19 and move on down the road of Black progress. An amazing, beautiful man. And as you know, Roland had a raucous sense of humor. That's who Mr. B was. That's who Mr. Belafonte was. And we loved him so deeply. I was sharing with someone today that when we even talk about, people talk about we are the world, and oftentimes they credit Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, but the actual idea started with Harry Belafonte.

Starting point is 01:43:00 And that ability of Mr. Belafonte to really be able to marshal the forces of people and make sure that they were doing the right thing was unparalleled. And stars took to Mr. Belafonte because they appreciated him. They trusted him. They knew that he was an incredible human being. They knew that he was capable of generating the kind of interest that was necessary and bringing together conscience and commercialism, bringing together music and transformation. And so that idea of his to speak to the world, to raise funds and resources that would address critical social issues was germane to who his identity was as a public figure. And there's no question that Harry Belafonte was able to do that in so many instances. As you know, not only We Are the World, but when he went on and filled in for, you know,

Starting point is 01:44:03 I think it was Mike Douglas, or filling in at night for Johnny Carson and Johnny Carson. Oh, absolutely. Yep. That's right. Johnny. Bringing on Martin Luther King Jr. And to see Dr. King up there, you know, having a laugh with with Johnny, you know, with with Harry Belafonte was beautiful. It brought on a different side of that civil rights legend. So, you know, Mr. Belafonte brought people together. He coordinated different efforts, not only in front of the camera, so to speak, but behind the scenes as well.

Starting point is 01:44:37 He was a true organizer. One of the things that I thought was important, he and I talked about this in the first interview that i did with him he was older than dr king they were supposed to only talk about 20 minutes in a church basement it turned into four hours and he had no problem following king. Now here's why I'm saying that, Michael. There are a lot of people. There are a lot of entertainers. There are a lot of people who are celebrities, people who are in other categories, who want to be at the front of protest. But Belafonte always said he followed King.

Starting point is 01:45:25 He was bigger than Dr. King. He was an international star, but he actually said, no, I am a servant to his cause. And that is something that I think is often overlooked, especially in a day and age when a lot of folk want to be the ones who want to call the shots and they don't know nothing about mobilizing, organizing, and leading movements.

Starting point is 01:46:01 We just lost Michael Eric Dyson there. We need to call him back. Let me, I want to put my panelists still there. Robert, pick up on that. Again, that point about understanding what your role is. Absolutely. And let's understand just the significance of what Mr. Belafonte did during his lifetime. Very much. It's mainly

Starting point is 01:46:25 unknown that he helped pay for Coretta Scott King's bills for a long period of time, helped to take care of the children, that he was an integral part of the civil rights movement, not an actor who tried, who was an activist on the side, but a true blue civil rights hero whose form of contribution to the movement was through his arts and through his music. We have that ephemeral generation of musicians and actors and actresses who are so crucial to the civil rights movement as it was produced because they were able to introduce that to that mainstream audience, to have those voices and those viewers outside of the Deep South, to see the true humanity of the cause that we were fighting for. And I think that the modern Dainesean actors today who may see this as we're fighting for the movement for Black Lives,

Starting point is 01:47:16 we're fighting for police reform, as we're fighting for voting rights, can take a page out of their books on how to be the best version of an actor, entertainer, activist possible. Rebecca? You know, it's amazing to see that he wasn't a part of the civil rights movement for clout, but he was actually behind the scenes doing work and even providing resources. Because when we think of movement building, there has to be the ability for folks who are most impacted to have access to resources. And without folks like Carrie Belafonte or even some of the other, I guess what we call now celebrity activists at that time, if they weren't putting money behind some of this work, then the work would not have been able

Starting point is 01:48:03 to be accomplished. Because when we think of Dr. Martin Luther King and the other folks like him, they were doing this full time. It wasn't like there was a GoFundMe or that there were, you know, enough fundraisers for folks to be able to just do this work full time, be able to pay their bills, or even pay to be able to travel. You know, those are some of the things that we don't think about is the cost it took for the architects of the civil rights movement to actually have the movement. So it's very important. I think even folks today could even take a page from that when we see some of our greats

Starting point is 01:48:40 like Harry Belafonte and figure out, you know, how do we move through these next movements? And like what Robert was saying, like with Black Lives Matter, with making sure that the resources are available for the communities and the grassroots activists to be able to do the work. Before we went to break,

Starting point is 01:49:01 we actually lost, I'm sorry, we lost Michael Erdice and we've got him back. Michael, you there? Can you hear me? Yep, we can hear you. I can hear you. So before I lost you, before we lost you, I asked the question. He said he was a servant to Dr. King.

Starting point is 01:49:20 He was not trying to be the leader of the movement. He said, I want to be of service. That is different from a lot of folk today who are in the entertainment space who want to be the leaders of movements as opposed to following those who do this work every day, seven days a week. I am so glad you said that, Roland.

Starting point is 01:49:43 I haven't heard anybody point that out. And this is why it's important. It's not that we have egos, those of us who, quote, do this every day. It's a matter of expertise. We're not going to shoot a jump shot for LeBron James. We're not going to strike a tennis ball for Serena Williams. Those people who have interests and even develop some level of expertise in terms of voting rights or struggling against incarceration and the like should willingly defer to those who have been

Starting point is 01:50:10 informed about the struggles that we are both mutually concerned with. And it is no slight on any musician or entertainer that they would follow the way of a Reverend Al Sharpton, a Reverend Jesse Jackson, a Reverend Bernice King, following Melanie Campbell, following, you know, Joyce Beatty. I mean, the point is that these are people who do what they do every day. They lead organizations. They're elected politicians. They're informed about the deep matters of these issues. I'm not suggesting that no entertainer or artist or athlete is capable of giving leadership once being deeply informed, but the reality is these are things that these people have been doing for decades, and we should have a more united front where those athletes and entertainers bring their notoriety, bring their visibility and spotlight to bear upon the issues that are addressed by these leaders

Starting point is 01:51:13 every day. It's an excellent point. And Harry Belafonte had no ego when it came to that. Michael, final comment. The thing that I find to be fascinating is that when we talk about a lot of other folks who are engaged in the work, that they often retire. I remember when he had to battle the king, a couple of the king children over the selling of personal artifacts and he was selling them to fund existing projects today right uh and there were some issues there and so and so the point i'm raising is that he passed away at 96. He was literally, and I know through our conversations, through talking to Susan Taylor, how he would call Kepra over to his place and was giving out orders. Up until his last days, he was still doing the work.

Starting point is 01:52:24 Man. He never retired the work. Man. He never retired from activism. Never, never retired. I know this personally. I was there sometimes when he called Kefra. I was there sometimes when he called me. He put me on the phone. He's the one who connected me with Colin Kaepernick.

Starting point is 01:52:41 He did it personally. This man was deeply involved and invested in social change to the end of his life. This wasn't a one-time thing for him. This wasn't, oh, it'll be sexy and cool and people will think good of me, and then after the spotlight is gone,

Starting point is 01:52:56 I'm done. No. This man committed his life in a fundamental fashion to social change until the very end. He would call upon people. He called upon you. He called upon me. He called upon Kefra especially and worked with him. And we would exchange jokes and get down to business. He allowed me to do interviews with him for my book

Starting point is 01:53:17 that I wrote about the historic meeting between Mr. Belafonte and Lorraine Hansberry and Lena Horne and Robert F. Kennedy and James Baldwin. And it was an extraordinary, extraordinary meeting that changed the face of the civil rights movement, especially because it forced Robert F. Kennedy to take these issues of race far more seriously. 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

Starting point is 01:54:06 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

Starting point is 01:54:21 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.

Starting point is 01:54:49 I'm Greg Glott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This 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.

Starting point is 01:55:09 Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug ban. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Karamush.

Starting point is 01:55:28 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,

Starting point is 01:55:49 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.

Starting point is 01:56:20 Visit AdoptUSKids.org to learn more. Brought to you by AdoptUSKids, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Ad Council. And they got up in his face, and they did not, you know, bow down to him. That's the kind of person Harry Belafonte was till the end of his life when he could no longer hold that torch. And it is a remarkable testimony to his extraordinary character and his vitality. Michael Eric Dyson, we appreciate you joining us, sharing your thoughts and reflections on the great Harry Belafonte. Thank you, my friend. Appreciate you having me.

Starting point is 01:56:59 So, Ron, before I let the panel go, I want you to give your thoughts about Mr. B. First of all, I want to give nothing but respect and adoration to that brother. I did some research after his death, and people don't realize that Harry Belafonte was a very successful entertainer. That's how he came to the work. That's how everybody got to know him. He had the first number one album on the Billboard top pop album charts for six weeks.

Starting point is 01:57:25 That was Michael Jackson type numbers. Harry Belafonte could have done his music, acted, and been a very successful entertainer for the rest of his life and been very financially set and not did anything. The fact that that man used his platform and his visibility to reach out and give visibility to people fighting for the oppressed, fighting for black people, fighting for black people around the world at a time when that was really something

Starting point is 01:57:50 that could really put your life in jeopardy, much less your career, shows you the integrity of this man. Like I said, he could have done this the rest of his life and been just fine. So the fact that he put himself at risk and gave people platforms, I have nothing but respect for that man where he could have lost everything, including his life. So nothing but respect for him. And I want people who may feel

Starting point is 01:58:08 the same to be able to look at his example and find the courage to do the same thing. It's not going to be easy, but that work is not done. And we need more people on the present day to do this. Indeed. Torun, Rebecca, Robert, I appreciate y'all joining us today on Roland Martin Unfiltered. Folks, when we come back, we will hear from Harry Belafonte. First, when the great Sidney Poitier presented him the Sping Iron Medal at the NAACP Image Awards in 2013. We'll have that next. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered on the BlastArt Network as we continue to pay tribute to Harry Belafonte. © BF-WATCH TV 2021 The American Pronunciation Guide Presents ''How to Pronounce White Nationalist''

Starting point is 01:59:37 A white nationalist rally that descended into deadly violence. You will not replace Donald Trump. White people are losing their damn lives. There's an angry pro-Trump mob storm to the U.S. Capitol. We're about to see the rise of what I call white minority resistance. We have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting. I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of violent denial. This is part of American history. Every time that people of color have made progress, whether real or symbolic, there has been what Carol Anderson at Emory University calls white rage as a backlash. This is the wrath of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys.

Starting point is 02:00:20 America, there's going to be more of this. There's all the proud boys, guys. This country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because of the fear of white people. The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're taking our women. This is white fear. On the next A Balanced Life with me, Dr. Jackie, we talk about a hard, cold fact.

Starting point is 02:00:59 Not all healthcare is created equal in this country, especially if you're a person of color. So many of us black families, we rely upon each other heavily. A lot of us aren't necessarily sure how to best communicate with our health care providers. How to take charge and balance the scales. Your life may depend on it. That's next on A Balanced Life on Blackstar Network. No, I salute you.

Starting point is 02:01:27 Let's talk about Mr. B. Just share just your thoughts of about 95 years. 95 years young. The first time he appeared in public was with the Charlie Parker Band with Max Roach on the drums and Miles Davis, the young brother, playing the horn. That's how far back our dear brother Harry Belafonte goes, man. But the very fact that

Starting point is 02:01:52 he was willing to stand with Paul Robeson and W.B. Du Bois during the Cold War says it all right there. That means he's not a chump. He's not a coward. He's not a conformist. He's not complacent. He's standing up for the truth. And that's what we love about him. We don't have enough folk. We don't have enough black folk, black artists. Stand up for the people. Stand up for the truth. That's what we need. That's why we love you, brother. Also, that continuum. You talk about Paul Rosen. You talk about Dr. King. You talk about the fight against apartheid that's right standing with miriam mckee was standing with anina simone but also nelson mandela i mean i mean you talk about uh

Starting point is 02:02:30 look i keep telling reminding people we are the world originated with harry belafonte wow that's true that's true and that's with quincy though right yeah yeah it was it was it was harry harry called the manager of lana Richie and Kenny Rogers. Instead of doing a benefit concert, they said, hey, how about we do this song? That's so, we all the world, everybody credits Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie for writing the song. But the idea originated with Harry Belafonte. See, this is why we love this brother. He's always unveiling things we know not of and we end up right my brother © BF-WATCH TV 2021 That is the shout of the portrait of Harry Belafonte

Starting point is 02:03:58 in our Black Star Network studios. It will remain with that black drape until he is funeralized. Ten years ago, in February, in Los Angeles, Sidney Poitier, the longtime friend and confidant of Harry Belafonte, presented him with his NAACP Sping Iron Medal at the Image Awards. I was there and it was an absolute treat for the crowd to see these two icons on stage

Starting point is 02:04:32 together doing what they do. This is Curtis of the NAACP. It wasn't in the script. With us tonight are two legendary actors who changed the landscape of cinema culture. They put their careers on the line by challenging the studios and indeed

Starting point is 02:04:50 America on the demeaning way of which people of color were perceived. Throughout their careers they have distinguished themselves as actors and most courageously as activists. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Harry Belafonte and Mr. Sidney Poitier. Thank you. What are we supposed to honor the Black Students' Stuntmen Association. 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.

Starting point is 02:06:38 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.

Starting point is 02:07:16 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 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

Starting point is 02:07:40 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.

Starting point is 02:08:03 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.

Starting point is 02:08:17 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.

Starting point is 02:08:55 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 we are standing here is the biggest stunt in the world. Well, you better start while we are still upright. I always listen to my elders. That wasn't in the script before.

Starting point is 02:09:59 What script? script. Many years ago, Sid and I experienced firsthand the cultural insensitivity that was prevalent in Hollywood against our community and other communities of color. All right, y'all. That was in 2013

Starting point is 02:10:20 when, again, I think it was 2012, when they presented the award to the stuntmen, and you got to see a little of their banter there. It was always great to see those two. A little bit later, I'll show you my photos with the two of them after that. Yesterday, we, of course, played for you Spike Lee, talking about and giving us his thoughts and reflections on Harry Belafonte.

Starting point is 02:10:52 And Wendell Pierce of New Orleans, the star of the Broadway production, Death of a Salesman, he shared with us a video where he wanted to share his thoughts about the great Harry Belafonte. Folks, let's go ahead and play Wendell Pierce right now. What it means to be an artist, the true meaning of being an artist. We give voice to the voiceless. We bring together communities so we collectively can think about who we are, where we've been, where we hope to be,

Starting point is 02:11:30 decide what our values are, and then leave and go out and act on them. He was a man of action, a man of great courage because he fought injustices that he knew jeopardized not only his career and treasury, but indeed his life. I'm reminded of the fact that he flew in the middle of the night, and the students of SNCC saved him just in the nick of time before the Klansmen that were in search of him arrived at the airport, the small regional airport. I'm reminded of the work he did with Dr. Martin Luther King in the March on Washington, bringing

Starting point is 02:12:29 awareness to the fight of civil rights. He exercised his right of self-determination and taught others how to do that as well. He knew that it wasn't something that was trivial, that it was something of great importance, and that those who do not have our best interests at heart will not give up power willingly, indeed would actually kill for it, as many gave their lives in the civil rights movement. And he knew as an artist that he had a platform, as a star, he had a platform to spread that message and that advocacy to the world.

Starting point is 02:13:17 And he taught a great lesson to those of us who he is now passing the baton to, that you have a responsibility to act not only as an artist, but also as an activist. That is a great tradition that he and Sidney Poitier and Paul Robeson and many others have taught us. It's the legacy of the Negro Ensemble Company and the Free Southern Theater of New Orleans that went around with the civil rights movement that rallied the people. Because while laws can change people's behavior, it is art and the performer and the artists that can change people's hearts and minds. So hand in hand with the political advocacy and strategizing that the SCLC and the civil rights movement and those who are fighting the civil rights battles,

Starting point is 02:14:14 along with them, it was the artists like Harry Belafonte that gave their time, their energy, their advocacy, their money, and risked their lives so that we all can exercise our right of self-determination. Harry Belafonte taught us and reminds us that there's blood on that ballot box, that people died so that we could have the freedoms that are rightfully ours.

Starting point is 02:14:43 And I feel that now that he has joined the ancestors, we owe it to him and it is our duty to follow in his footsteps and do the same. He gave voice to the voiceless and gave music to the unsung heart songs that the common black man and woman feels but never utters. He gave voice to that song. And oh, what a beautiful song he sang. May he rest in peace. Folks, that was Wendell Pierce,

Starting point is 02:15:24 again, the star of the Broadway hit death of a salesman yesterday i played for you the video from 2017 at the national action network conference uh where herr belafonte talked about um ending or brokering this peace, if you will, between him and the King children after he was invited and then disinvited to speak at the funeral of their mother in 2006. In 2018, we did a series of interviews in advance of MLK 50, which focused on the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. One of those interviews was with Martin Luther King III, where we talked about that breach in that relationship. This is what he said about Harry Belafonte. There was so much drama, anger, confusion after your mother's funeral revolving around

Starting point is 02:16:28 Harriet Belafonte. I interviewed you, the Chicago Defender at the time, about that as well. And there were a lot of hurt feelings for a long time. But we were in Sharpton's conference last year in 2017. And Harriet Belafonte was being honored. And he publicly forgave you and the family. Had y'all previously talked about that? Or was that, did that catch you by surprise and what were you

Starting point is 02:17:06 feeling when you heard him say how it was important that that be done I was I don't want to say I was totally surprised we had not spoken period recently but I've always had incredible respect and love for him because I know what he went through. I know that he brought entertainers and other celebrities to the table in 19, well, throughout the movement. I mean, he and Daddy were close friends. So I knew all that. I always expect, and he always personifies the best from his perspective, which is generally truth in my judgment, truth to power. You may not agree with him, but he's telling the truth. And I've always respected and admired that in him. And so I've always loved him, even though

Starting point is 02:18:01 the conflict had occurred during mom's funeral. So to hear him say what he said, I called him the next day. And we had a rather, it was a short conversation, but I was basically telling him how much I appreciated him and loved him and what he continues to do at 80 plus, 85 or six plus. I mean, he's amazing. That's the way I see him. And, you know, I was saddened that we went through what we went through. But, you know, I think we're on the right track. I had had a meeting with him about five years ago and he talked about addressing it then. He said, look, I don't know how long I'm going to be here. I don't want these issues to harbor. I don't want, I grew up a little bit with his son, David,

Starting point is 02:18:51 and his daughter, Gina, his younger children. I knew Sherry and Adrian. I knew them, the older ones, but I knew David because David and I are the same age, and we haven't really talked in a long time. I'll see Gina periodically. But I just thought that was so powerful, what he did, because only he could do that. You know, I was just there to present the award.

Starting point is 02:19:14 And, you know, what it showed, what was reinforced, was the level of respect and love that he had for Martin Luther King Jr. And that generally gets passed on to the family. And he certainly had that. That never got lost. But somehow there was some disconnection at a certain point. And my hope is that we're back connected together. In fact, I'm going to be going to New York soon, and I'm going to reach out to him for lunch, to have lunch.

Starting point is 02:19:47 All right, folks. going to a break. We come back. Harry Belafonte talks to XQ America with his call to action, talks about history. Also, when he was named an honorary member of Phi Beta Sigma, he also had a challenge for the Sigmas. We'll have that for you next right here on Roland Martin Unfiltered. As we continue our Day 2 tribute to the great

Starting point is 02:20:12 Harry Belafonte, who passed away yesterday at the age of 96. You're watching the Black Star Network. © BF-WATCH TV 2021 On the next Get Wealthy with me, Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach, Dexter Jenkins is a faith-based financial mentor with more than 20 years in the financial services industry. He's passionate about helping families build generational wealth. Even though I'm talking about things like prayer, I'm talking about things about reading the word. I'm talking about things like fellowship. I'm talking to members who are dealing with losing their houses, or I'm talking to members who, because of a lack of the handling of finances,

Starting point is 02:21:33 they're working two or three jobs. And so what I'm finding is that they're not coming to church because they don't have a handle on their finances. We're talking how to get wealthy through faith and our finances on the next Get Wealthy right here, only on Black Star Network. Hi, I'm Dr. Jackie Hood-Martin, and I have a question for you. Ever feel as if your life is teetering and the weight and pressure of the world is consistently on your shoulders?

Starting point is 02:22:02 Well, let me tell you, living a balanced life isn't easy. Join me each Tuesday on Black Star Network for Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie. We'll laugh together, cry together, pull ourselves together, and cheer each other on. So join me for new shows each Tuesday on Black Star Network, A Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie. First time you met Harry Belafonte?

Starting point is 02:22:32 Let's just tell the story. I had a dream about him. Really? And I'd seen a movie. I think the film was called Odds Against Tomorrow. I fell asleep. And then the next day, he walked out of the elevator at the Reebok Sports Club. And I said, I just dreamt about you last night. You know, what did you dream about me for?

Starting point is 02:22:50 He told me the story about he had his first deal at a studio. You know, gave me a bunch of his achievements and kind of schooled me there. And then we just stayed connected. And Gene and I have been friends a long time. So we've had the opportunity to have like very special lunches and conversations that mean a lot a lot of people

Starting point is 02:23:15 Again, they focus on the activism, but they forget he was a very prominent actor He was a very much the first artist to sell a million records black artists. Yeah. Yeah I mean, you know... He was the first artist to sell a million records, black artist. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, you know, he was the first dude to have his own deal, like a variety show on television. And he also understood ownership. Because one thing that he's saying is he did not want to get caught

Starting point is 02:23:38 financially like Paul Robeson was. Right. He said he wanted to make sure that he was, he was, he was, that was taken care of. Right. He said he wanted to make sure that he was, he was, he was, that was taken care of. Right, right. So talk about not only just that, but being able to sit with him and listen to him. Because every time I am, you're sitting, you're sort of like when I interviewed Barbara, I interviewed Barbara Jordan when Thurgood Marshall died.

Starting point is 02:23:58 And she said it was always amazing just to sit at his feet and just to listen to him. Yeah. That's sort of how I look at Mr. B as well. Absolutely, 1,000%, 1,000%. I mean, yeah, I mean, I've recorded those lunches. his feet and just to listen to him yeah that's sort of how i look at absolutely 1000 1000 i mean yeah i mean i've recorded those lunches you know what i mean it's been that important to me that i want to make sure that i have this memory and i wish we could have done them weekly um i haven't seen them in a couple years what's happening um but um no it's it's i mean you know man i mean

Starting point is 02:24:24 when you see our elders, when they were in black and white and then literally in black and white, right, that's how we first saw them. And then you get to see them in color. It really feels like living history and an honor, bro. And, and it makes you feel that you have your responsibility to do your part to keep that going. And so that's what you're doing every day, all day. © transcript Emily Beynon Folks, XQ America, the education initiative founded by Lorene Powell Jobs,

Starting point is 02:25:36 and I was with Russell and Ali. They had a huge event in 2019. We've worked with them. They partnered with us here at Roland Martin Unfiltered. And it was a great event that was in New York City. And there was a moment when everyone went quiet. And a video came from Harry Belafonte that, again, was mesmerizing. They talked about withdrawing from public life but also still challenging folk on their commitment to service. Watch this. I'm very sorry that I'm not able to be with you in person. This is a matter of fact maybe my last hurrah. But I want to welcome all of you here to tell you that I think

Starting point is 02:26:26 everything I've done with my life, all that I've tried to do with the many people I've encountered, from Paul Robeson to Dr. King to Nelson Mandela and others, I've walked my journey and I don't think that there's much more left for me to say. If you happen to catch me on the street with a camera or you happen to catch me in some public place then I'm going to be sure I don't do anything that will embarrass anyone. But I do think that I have made the last walk.

Starting point is 02:27:17 I think I've done my turn. And I just want to get out here and observe the universe that I am leaving behind with a sense of satisfaction that I've done all I could do and wanted to do and was able to do. And now it's time for... ..those who have inherited the history of the civil rights movement, the history of the struggle, it's now your turn to get out there and bring a rewarding closure to this endless struggle for equality in this place that calls America the land of the free. I've often free to be what,

Starting point is 02:28:26 free to say what. It's not been that free for many of us, but before this is all over, it will be. And a lot of that is dependent. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun?

Starting point is 02:28:48 Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops call this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that Taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multibillion-dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1.

Starting point is 02:29:17 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.

Starting point is 02:29:50 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,

Starting point is 02:30:03 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.

Starting point is 02:30:26 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

Starting point is 02:30:41 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.

Starting point is 02:31:16 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. I don't know where you take it. Thanks.

Starting point is 02:31:34 One of the greatest artists of our country and one of the greatest artists of the world. Here is Harry Belphite. Dale, Dale, daylight comes and he walks. And one day, Paul Robeson came there to see me and simply said, get them to sing your song and they'll want to know who you are. You'd see Harry Belafonte on TV and you'd call your neighborafonte on TV,

Starting point is 02:32:07 and you'd call your neighbor, colored on TV, and let them know because we're so rare. When Harry Belafonte went on the show with Petula Clark, they touched. Flipped the whole world. People were like, oh, my God. I'm an artist, and I'm not a politician. But like most Americans, I have a great interest in the political and the economic destiny of my country.

Starting point is 02:32:29 All my life, the issues of race has been a major part of my thinking. My activism was rooted in the experiences that I had during the Second World War. I felt very strongly that we would have the right to be part of a level playing field. But at the end of the war, we were still being lynched. We were still being harassed and murdered. And so we belonged to everything we could belong to to overthrow this relentless cruelty of racist oppression.

Starting point is 02:32:58 And in doing that, House Un-American Activities Committee called us unpatriotic. A quarantine is necessary to keep it from infecting this nation. Dr. King called me and he said, I would like very much to have a chat with you. It won't take long. At the end of almost four hours, we emerged from the room. And I knew then that I would forever be in his service.

Starting point is 02:33:29 And I understood the length of our journey and how perilous it would be. And I think Harry motivated Martin in many ways because he was a man who didn't have to get involved and who did. Out of that came the true artistry of Harry Belafonte. It's a great day, and there are millions on the way. Mr. Kagan, do you care for your life? Artists are the gatekeepers of truth. We are civilization's radical voice. There's a lot of people out here who are really pissed off. Harry gave us a piece of his fire.

Starting point is 02:34:08 It gave us all strength. We are angry, we're upset, we look around for some comfort, and we don't find any. Oh, I'm tired. The river of blood that washes the streets of our nation flows mostly from the bodies of our black children. There's always less to something. We are the world!

Starting point is 02:34:30 Harry did this over and over and over and over and over again. He took all our struggles and made them his own. Who's king? I'm king! Anybody had told me that after Dr. King's murder, after the murder of Bobby Kennedy, and all the upheavals of the 1950s, 60s, 70s, 80s, that today, now, we would still be at the gate around issues of race and vote, I wouldn't have believed it. When I speak about young people finding answers

Starting point is 02:35:08 to the challenges of the day, it's not really that the civil rights movement ever ended. It took a deep breath for a moment. We will believe in freedom. Young people like me today are a continuum of that history. I'm here because I am part of your history. You called and I'm here to tell you those of us who have been on this campaign, who have been in this struggle for over a century, are delighted, happy to be part of this moment. Final analysis.

Starting point is 02:35:54 Each generation must be responsible for itself. So all I can do is leave behind the crumbs of my experience. I have a trail that you can follow. If you find value in it, pick it up. And if you don't, bring something better. Yay! Folks, we interviewed so many different people, and we were culling those interviews and here is Rev. C.T. Vivian talking about the contributions of Harry Belafonte.

Starting point is 02:36:33 Harry Belafonte. Harry Belafonte. Harry has always been a support and a help for not only the movement but for other things as well. And I've liked him ever since there. I know it's and the thing is, is that. So I know he's always going to help out any time it goes. And he was a real support service to Martin. All right, folks. Zernola Clayton, who was the secretary for Dr. King,

Starting point is 02:37:26 who traveled with Coretta Scott King, she also shared a moment when Dr. King had been assassinated and Harry Belafonte came to her rescue when they were there in the mortuary. We went over to view, and I was, you know, Harry Belafonte and his wife and I were the only non family members everybody else it's a large family and I saw them when when they came in I stepped aside and Coretta came down and she had a faint a

Starting point is 02:37:59 faint response like she was gonna collapse when I walked up to the beer he looked awful it looked as if someone had gone and just dug up a big glob of clay and what slapped it upside his face I was horrified So I stepped over quietly to the mortician and said, Sir, is there anything you can do to the side of his face? He crassly said, Miss, his jaw was blown off. That's the best I could do. I was shocked. Loudly in the presence of the family?

Starting point is 02:38:44 Loudly. Credit him all they could hear. Oh, I was so loudly in the loudest credit if I could hear oh I was so so angry with him and I finally said forget him and I said something has to be done because he looked horrible I mean this big old glob of stuff and so Coretta now they're sitting down I looked at Mama King, that's the mother, who's dark-skinned. And then I saw Belafonte's wife, who was white. And I—back in those years, women always carried loose powder. And I was hoping that they had some. And I said, Mama King, you got any powder?

Starting point is 02:39:20 She said, oh, yeah. She gave me her powder, which was dark. Julie, do you have some? And she said yes oh, yeah. She gave me her powder, which was dark. Julie, do you have some? And she said, yes. Hers was white. So I took the two and stood over the casket, looking at Martin's face and making myself a little roux of a mixture.

Starting point is 02:39:38 Belafonte came over, took his handkerchief, and put it around Martin's neck. And so I'm dabbing to see what I've got here, trying to match the other side of his face to get a balance to it. And I finally got it. And Coretta smiled. And so I'm brushing the excess off of Martin's face

Starting point is 02:40:02 and Belafonte and I never knew what happened to the handkerchief. It was his handkerchief he had taken out of his pocket. And the excess, you know, we folded it up. But he was to stay there till midnight and then we were moving him to the church for another viewing at 3 a.m. And so I did it again because the body oxidizes with air. And so I went and did it again. So I did it three times before the actual funeral. Folks, going to a break. When we come back, final segment,

Starting point is 02:40:42 as we reflect on the great hair Belafonte you're watching Roland Martin unfiltered on the black star network © BF-WATCH TV 2021 Next on The Black Table with me, Greg Koff. We look at the history of emancipation around the world, including right here in the United States, the so-called end of slavery. Trust me, it's a history lesson that bears no resemblance to what you learned in school. Professor Chris Mangiapra, author, scholar, amazing teacher, joins us to talk about his latest book, Black Ghost of Empire, The Death of Slavery and the Failure of Emancipation. He explains why the end of slavery was no end at all, but instead, a collection of laws. I know a lot of cops. They get asked all the time,

Starting point is 02:42:10 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 One, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Last year, a lot of the problems of the drug war.

Starting point is 02:42:44 This year, a lot of the biggest names in music and sports. We'll be right back. episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your 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,

Starting point is 02:43:20 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.

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