#RolandMartinUnfiltered - NY's Voting Bill, Uvalde Funerals, Ukraine: Thru The Eyes of A Black Man, KY Candidate's Noose Ad

Episode Date: June 2, 2022

6.1.2022 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: NY's Voting Bill, Uvalde Funerals, Ukraine: Thru The Eyes of A Black Man, KY Candidate's Noose Ad As the New York legislature works in its final week, the N.Y. Senate passes the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York. We'll talk to the Deputy Political Director of Stand Up America to determine the likelihood the bill will see its final passage from the Assembly before the session ends tomorrow.   The black candidate seeking to unseat Kentucky Senator Rand Paul drops a political ad with a noose around his neck, blasting Rand for his refusal to pass the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act in 2020. Tonight, we'll show you the ad, and I'll talk to Charles Booker, KentuckU.S.Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate. More funerals in Texas today. A teacher, her husband, who died of a heart attack, and a student were remembered. And Texas Governor Greg Abbott wants lawmakers to create committees to develop school safety proposals to prevent another mass shooting. A black man spent 23 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, and now New York City will pay him $7 million. He was there when the Russian invasion began in Ukraine. Joining me in the studio tonight is independent journalist Terrell Jermaine Starr. He'll tell us what it was like to be in the middle of the conflict, as a foreigner and as a black man. And in our Tech Talk segment, a free app designed to help you budget better and build your credit. Support #RolandMartinUnfiltered and #BlackStarNetwork via the Cash App ☛ https://cash.app/$rmunfiltered PayPal ☛ https://www.paypal.me/rmartinunfiltered Venmo ☛https://venmo.com/rmunfiltered Zelle ☛ [e-mail] Annual or monthly recurring #BringTheFunk Fan Club membership via paypal ☛ https://rolandsmartin.com/rmu-paypal/ Download the #BlackStarNetwork app on iOS, AppleTV, Android, Android TV, Roku, FireTV, SamsungTV and XBox 👉🏾 http://www.blackstarnetwork.com #RolandMartinUnfiltered and the #BlackStarNetwork are news reporting platforms covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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You dig? All right, folks. Today is Tuesday. Day after Memorial Day, May 31st, 2022. Here's what's coming up. I'm Roland Martin on Donovan Philpott, streaming live on the Black Star Network. Funerals begin for the 19 students gunned down in Uvalde, Texas.

And now the Department of Justice will investigate how law enforcement responded to the massacre that left 21 dead. In addition to that, ABC News is reporting that the Uvalde School District and the Police Department are not cooperating with the Texas Department of Public Safety investigation.

What the hell's going on there? Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband attended the funeral over the weekend for the oldest victim in Buffalo's racial attack. Yeah, well, 10 black people were shot and killed. You would hear what the vice president had to say during that

funeral service. Fourteen mass shootings happened over the weekend. Morning Day weekend, folks, bringing the year's total to 230 and more than 250 people dead. An unarmed black woman, folks, is shot multiple times. No, I'm sorry. A pregnant black woman is shot multiple times by Kansas City, Missouri police.

We'll tell you about that. An Oklahoma family is suing a sheriff's department for the I'm sorry, a pregnant black woman is shot multiple times by Kansas City, Missouri police. We'll tell you about that. An Oklahoma family is suing a sheriff's department. What they say was an, first of all, again, no shock, was an unauthorized investigation, folks. Also, Brittney Griner is still being held in Russia. Folks are calling for her release and want others to sign an actual petition.

Plus, a report shows just how much Twitter hate was targeted by Vice President Kamala Harris. We'll talk to the founder and CEO of Bot Sentinel who conducted the research. A Portsmouth, Virginia councilwoman goes off in a council meeting after the unexpected firing of the city's city manager. We'll show you the video here from her.

And they also are having the city council meeting tonight to hire a new city manager. And in today's Marketplace segment, a Tennessee grocery store is helping to stop hunger to Black Lives Matter grocery store. Folks, it's time to breathe the funk. Roland Martin, unfiltered with Black Star Network. Let's go.

He's got it. Whatever the mess, he's on it. Whatever it is, he's got the. Whatever the piss, he's on it. Whatever it is, he's got the scoop, the fact, the fine. And when it breaks, he's right on time. And it's rolling. Best belief he's knowing. Putting it down from sports to news to politics.

With entertainment just for kicks. He's rolling. It's Uncle Roro, y'all. With entertainment just for kicks He's rollin' Yeah, yeah It's Uncle Roro, yo Yeah, yeah It's Rollin' Marten Yeah, yeah Rollin' with Rollin' now

Yeah, yeah He's bulk, he's fresh, he's real the best You know he's Rollin' Marten Now Folks, it has been a grueling day for people in Uvalde, Texas, and all across the country as the first children laid to rest, 19 kids, two adults, shot and killed last week at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. Of course, this was supposed to be the beginning of a summer break, but that is not the case as families are having to bury

loved ones. In fact, folks, it was so devastating that they couldn't even find the number of small caskets needed for these children who were slaughtered inside of a classroom. Man, talk about so sad, so shameful. The families of 10-year-old Amiria Gilgarza and Manny Rodriguez, folks, gathered to say their goodbyes to the elementary school students.

More funerals are set to take place over the next few weeks. Sunday, the Justice Department said it plans to review Uvalde's police response to the school shooting. Department spokesman Anthony Coley says the review will be fair, impartial, and independent. The findings will be made public. Now, what's also strange, folks, is now ABC News is reporting that the Evaluated School District,

the Police Department, and the city, they're not cooperating with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Now, Texas DPS, they're conducting their own investigation. So why is the city police department and the school district not cooperating with the state? This is crazy.

Absolutely crazy. Absolutely crazy. Now, when did they stop cooperating? Oh, after the DPS spokesman on Friday said that protocol was not followed by going into the school. Now, all of a sudden, they say, oh, that's it. We're not talking to y'all. Talk about accountability, huh? Yeah.

A DOJ investigation was prompted after viral footage showing parents pleading and arguing with law enforcement outside of Robby Elementary during last week's deadly massacre, folks. This is still, it's been stunning and the fallout has been just just unbelievably crazy as well. Now, remember last week you had all these Texas folks like Senator Ted Cruz standing up talking about, oh, how sad this is and how we must have our thoughts and prayers. Then, of course, he had no problem going to the National Rifle Association convention in Houston and actually saying this. SEN.

TED CRUZ, The elites who dominate our culture tell us that firearms lie at the root of the problem. By elites, I refer to some of the most powerful politicians and their allies in the media, the leaders of the largest corporations and many of the most famous celebrities, and those who echo and amplify them. Their resources are limitless, their megaphone is enormous, and their voice can be deafening. Many of these same people make their accusations from behind great bulwarks of safety, from gated communities equipped with private security, or at the very least, from safe and expensive neighborhoods protected by high home prices and low crime rates.

Such people can afford an indulgent ideology. I was hilarious watching him talk about the elites. Oh, let's say you went to Harvard. Your wife has made millions at Goldman Sachs. You're the elite. That's what you are. You are the elite, Ted Cruz. But then, folks, the folks at The Good Liars released this video here that, let's just say, was quite fulfilling.

Now, you know the NRA banned lots of different people from the convention, but they happened to actually get in. And if you want to see how you shame these idiots, and the people in the room were totally confused by what happened, all you got to do is watch this. And so I have to say thank you the chair recognizes the gentleman that microphone one a thank you my name is Jason Selvig and I'm from West Palm Beach Florida and I would like to say

that I am sick and tired of the left-wing media and, frankly, people in this room today spreading misinformation about Wayne LaPierre. Whenever there's a mass shooting, they all say that Wayne LaPierre isn't doing enough to stop these mass shootings and even implying that Wayne LaPierre has played a part in making it easier for these shooters to get guns, to get weapons. You heard it after Las Vegas. You heard it after Pulse nightclub in Orlando. You heard it after Columbine. You heard it after Parkland. You heard it after Virginia Tech, you heard it after Sandy Hook, you heard it after El Paso, you heard it after Buffalo, you kept hearing that

Wayne LaPierre isn't doing enough. And frankly, that's not true. The NRA, under Wayne LaPierre's leadership, has provided thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families. And maybe these mass shootings would stop happening if we all thought a little bit more and we prayed a little bit more. So I'm asking everyone in this room to think, to pray. Give your thoughts and your prayers and your thoughts and your prayers and your prayers and your thoughts. And if we give enough of these thoughts and these prayers, these mass shootings will stop.

So I want to thank you, Wayne LaPierre, for all your thoughts and all your prayers. Thank you. That was brilliant. Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali, former senior advisor for environmental justice at EPA, Teresa Lundy, principal founder for TML Communications. We joined a little bit later by Demario Solomon-Simmons, civil rights attorney and founder of Justice for Greenwood.

Mustafa, that's how you do it. I mean, they're sitting here like, what is he talking about, thoughts and prayers? That's what we're all saying when they issue those bogus statements after mass shootings. I mean, you know, prayers the conversation, knowing that you're not gonna do anything to save people's lives because prayer is supposed to be connected to a higher level that is focused on protecting people,

uplifting people. And, you know, but we know the game. We know that these individuals are not the least bit interested in protecting the lives of black elders or children. So we just have to continue to put a spotlight on the injustices, but we also got to vote and we got to make sure that we're putting people in office that will actually do the right thing. So as we continue to put pressure in the moment, we also have to be looking forward to over the next few months

of preparing ourselves for this important midterm election? This here is a tweet that was sent out by a journalist, John Carlos Estrada, showing a designer, Teresa, who is working on the caskets of these children and how they're changing. And one of them, this is a Superman casket, and how they're personalizing them. And so many people said that they've just been torn up just seeing those images on these caskets. I can imagine. These images, you know, again, make it another reality of

something that the Senate and the Congress and, frankly, our president has not done. make it another reality of something that the Senate and the Congress and, frankly, our president has not done. You know, these 18 children, these 18 lost lives, we can say, you know, if somebody was in position, they had security. We can, you know, blame gun violence, which essentially that is it. But we can have so many, you know, decisions on, you know, what actually caused this. But if we don't have any actions on how we can actually provide solutions, we're going to see more of this. We're going to keep playing, you know, these images and these faces.

And then when we keep saying thoughts and prayers are with these individuals, we are then not doing a disservice. We are doing a disservice to these individuals and frankly, then not doing a disservice. We are doing a disservice to these individuals and frankly, to Americans as a whole. So ultimately, I'm always wondering what it means to those who are elected, who say they are trying and they're fighting. And I believe I said it in another segment, Roland, where I'm so tired of those talking points of thoughts and prayers and we're championing and we're fighting when these individuals have the power to actually get it done. So if we're tired of remembering these names, if we're tired of seeing these images, then

it's time to take our power, i.e. the ones that we elect into public office and actually do the work. Otherwise, please stop saying, you know, thoughts and prayers prayers with the victims of the families because it's actually insulting. And again, this is the full tweet here. Meet the Texas man who's making customized caskets for each of the 19 young victims and two teachers from the school shooting in Uvalde. Trey Gannon visited with the families last week.

So each casket is personalized to include each child's interest. And the company is Soul Shine Industries. And so, again, we're seeing these type of reactions. And the thing that is still unbelievable to me is to watch how gutless some of these folks are with their decision making. But also, I do think it's important that we have to also challenge in terms of leadership. So President Joe Biden said, look, it's the role of Congress to do what they need to do. But Teresa, Sunday, the White House didn't put out any, didn't even make any effort to put any people out on the Sunday show saying it's the job of Congress. No, this is the way you use the bully pulpit. What the hell are they doing? I literally don't understand

the rationale why they're not leaning in on the need for greater gun safety. I agree, you know, and it's almost like the White House is making it a state issue, you know, and saying that, hey, look, we're going to put this responsibility on someone else. Let's just be honest here. President Joe Biden has dealt with this situation long before he became president. He's dealt with Sandy Hook. He's dealt with Columbine. He's dealt with so many other mass shootings and also with the gun race. And so it's like, again, we have to look at the track record of these leaders

who are saying, you know, when I get in, I am going to do X, Y, and Z. And then now when you're at the top and you can actually push these individuals the way you've pushed other legislation, Y, and Z. And then now when you're at the top and you can actually push these individuals the way you've pushed other legislation, it's not happening. So ultimately, the American people are left with an undecided leadership panel that is trying to figure out what are the next steps. And ultimately, you know, it looks like it's stemming for, you know, state officials to actually have to take it into their hands to put their own laws into place. And so we're getting to a point where

chaos is starting to start and stop from the White House podium. And again, it's all about communication. And it seems like, you know, when tragedy tragedy happens the first things that are coming out of their mouths is Thoughts and prayers, but no action and people are just tired of it. I personally am tired of it. I Just don't I don't know what? What what the hell the White House is thinking? This is when They should be even more aggressive in driving this. And I'll be honest with you, Mustafa, they've been pathetic even after the Senate blocked the domestic

terrorism bill that was passed in the House after the shooting in Buffalo. I'm like, what the hell are y'all doing? How is this not a major issue? How is Biden not slamming Republicans for standing in the way? Ten black people gunned down in Buffalo, and the House immediately passes a bill the following week. Oh, and all for all the other people out here who are running their mouths, oh my God, the Asians got a bill. Let me say it again. Let me say it again for you ADOS, FBA, B1 people who listen to idiots tweet stuff with no

knowledge and information. The week after the Buffalo shooting, Congressman Jamal Bowman, black, put up a bill that was a bill dealing with domestic terrorism and white supremacy. So for all y'all yelling, oh, where the black bill? Where the black bill?

That was the bill. House passed it. One Republican voted for it. Uvalde happens. Goes to the Senate. The Senate blocks it because they don't want any conversation dealing with guns White House

Biden Harris Garland where y'all at this to me makes no sense it should be an all out approach you know like you said all of the folks who are part of the cabinet to me, makes no sense. I mean, it should be an all-out approach. You know, like you said,

all of the folks who are part of the Cabinet should be constantly being on every media platform that they can to continue to keep the spotlight on this. You know, the president also, if he calls a press conference every evening, the majority of folks are going to show up. You know, the majority of the media is going to show up to see what he's talking about.

Each night, he could be highlighting one of the folks who lost their lives, really making sure to humanize it for the rest of the country, and then tying it to the fact that the Senate is not moving forward on, you know, any type of possible changes or putting any type of things in place

that actually will help to protect people's lives. He has that bully pulpit that you referenced before if he wants to use it. The question becomes, who are you afraid that if you continue to bring this issue up that they're not going to appreciate it or they're not going to show up for you? I don't know if it's that mythical voter that they continue to try and get or if there are other things that up for you. I don't know if it's that mythical voter that they continue to try and get or if there are other things that are in place. I do understand and I know the numbers of how much the NRA is providing

to a number of folks who are in the Senate and in the House. So, you know, there's all these different dynamics that the president could, you know, he could balance that out by making sure that he's putting folks' faces and their lives forward and helping folks understand why we have to move forward now in this moment. I mean, you got 321 people who die every day in this country from guns.

So he has all the information that he needs. He has the power to actually keep a spotlight on these issues. I hope that moving forward, he'll actually do that. Teresa, this is a story that came out on NBC News inside a Biden White House adrift. And it says, amid a rolling series of calamities and sinking approval ratings, the president's feeling lately is that he just can't catch a break and that angst is rippling through his party. And it goes on to talk about how that he's upset that more Democrats

are not supporting him in terms of going on television. That's your job! You have the greatest bully pulpit in America. You have an entire White House communications team. What the hell are they doing?

And I'm going through this here And and like perfect example, okay, we get an email today and they offer up to African America talk about black people the economy and I'm like That's today's message Now Um, that's today's message. Mm. Now, and let me be real clear. Again, this is for all the dumbass ADOS, FBA, B1 people. Oh, my goodness. Really about trying to work for the president.

No, I'm not. I ain't never going to work for any politician in a campaign or an elected office. So all y'all can kiss my ass. I got a job. I hire people. I'm good. I don't want a job. I'm a CEO. I'm an owner.

I'm not interested in working for somebody else. And it's a pay cut. Now, this is what I don't understand. And this is just me. Now, y'all tell me, Mustafa, you work in the administration. Teresa, you work with elected officials. But y'all tell me if I sound like I'm crazy. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday happens every week. I would think you sort of have a strategy as to what are we messaging today? What are we communicating today? What are we focusing on today?

I would think, after Buffalo, after Uvalde, every day. Congress, stand up. Deal with gun safety. Every day. That's my message. I would think if you're the White House, you're putting the Surgeon General out

talking about how gun violence is a public health crisis in America. I would think you're putting out the Secretary of Health and Human Services to discuss the same thing. I would think you're putting out folks in the Department of Justice. I would think you're maximizing your cabinet.

That's what I think in terms of I'm trying to drive a narrative, if I'm trying to keep it top of mind. And yes, I know Congress is in a recess. I know the Senate is recessed until June 6th, but it don't mean you're not talking about it. In fact, today is May 31st. When is June 6th? Let me check my calendar.

Huh. June 6th is next Monday. So don't you think the messaging every single day should be, Congress, when you come back on June 6th, the first thing you must take up is gun safety. Am I crazy? It sounds like you outlined a strategic plan of what the White House should be doing. Listen, I am one to say that I am a fan of

Karina. I saw a lot of her work on the Move On campaign. Actually, a friend of mine, I couldn't do the contract, but it was a digital media contract, and a friend of mine, I couldn't do the contract, but it was a digital media contract. And a friend of mine, I introduced her to the organization. She got it and she couldn't tell me nothing but greatness. And so I just remember, you know, Kareem being in that role and also many other roles where she was talking about, you know, black and brown issues all the time.

And so I was very excited, you know, as she gets in, and I understand that she is in a whirlwind of communications, but you're absolutely right. No, no, no, no, remember, no, no, remember, Corrine's the press secretary. There's a communications director. Mm-hmm. Yes, there is a communications director

that presents the strategy. Ultimately, the-the press secretary also has to be in correlation, lockstep with the... I agree. But see, I think this is an overall problem. See, I think, again, when I go back to this NBC story, and

the article talked about how they are looking at some potential changes, maybe changing out Ron Klain, who was the chief of staff, longtime Biden aide, and things along those lines. We could go on and on and on.

Again, I'm just, because understanding how the White House works, you've got chief of staff, you have deputy chiefs of staff, and then you have the people who are going to need them. Frankly, I think Biden's problem is he's operating too much like he's still in the United States Senate. Dude, you're now the president. You're not one of 100.

You're one of one. He has the power. You know, the question is, are you going to utilize the power to actually push to make change happen? You also sometimes got to lean in because there's a whole bunch of decisions that are being made, you know, above the press secretary or the director of communications that are framing out the direction that folks think that they should move in. So there's a whole lot of people who have responsibility for either the set of actions or the lack of set of actions around this.

I mean, to not bring forward those individuals that were mentioned earlier, and to make sure that for those parents who have lost children over the years to gun violence, that they're not also right there next to those secretaries and administrators who are sharing the steps that they are taking, the statistics, is a missed opportunity to keep not only the spotlight, but to force people to understand that, one, this issue is not going away unless we put these even basic common sense steps in place, you know, to keep a spotlight on this conversation that is happening that's supposed to be bipartisan, to make sure that people know. If you got the members who are back home, and you know, for me, I just deal with

common sense stuff. I would be making sure that I was putting forward the senators who are back home, where their offices are, and encouraging people to engage in this democracy by visiting those offices and sharing with them, you know, what your sets of expectations are. And the reason that I would anchor that is because in the polling, the majority of Americans say that they want reform in this area, that they actually want action. So if the American people are asking for it and you are not pushing with all of your might and all of the tools that you have, then it's a missed opportunity to actually make sure that we are honoring those lives that were lost and to make sure that future lives, that we minimize as much as possible those lives being taken.

And if you're not doing that, as far as I'm concerned, that anybody who is not doing everything in their ability is a part of the problem. Well, I mean, Teresa, I'm just confused. I'm sitting here, and again, I'm looking at this NBC story. Please go to it. They said the president has also told aides he doesn't think enough Democrats go on television to defend him.

Okay, this is where I'm, Teresa, I'm just still confused. I'm confused. If you don't think Democrats are going on television to defend you by the economy, don't you have a Secretary of Commerce? Don't you have a Secretary of Labor? You got a White House Council of Economic Advisers. And I don't know why Cecilia, Dr. Cecilia Rouse is brilliant.

I've had her on this show a couple times. I don't know what, I don't know what, when she was in the Obama administration, they barely put her on. Why in the hell you aren't sending your economic people out there? Why are you, Biden, why are you waiting on Democrats to defend you on television when you can put your own people on television? I'm like... I'm just trying to understand. So part of it is what I'm thinking is, do the people that is in this administration

actually believe the economy is going in the right direction. And, you know, if those are sitting, you know, look, there are employees that work for every CEO. And if that CEO is not doing the job that they said they were going to do and provide for them, then absolutely they're not coming out front saying this is the best place to work. But you're absolutely right.

When we talk about Biden's strategic message to the public and what the communications team should be doing, then yeah, your in-house folks should have those talking points. They should be circulated and they should be telling the story of what is actually happening, not fluffed or perpetrated on something else or, oh yeah, this is what we're going to do down the line. Listen, we have seen some very important people in this administration moving on to other things because they are seeing the ball drop. And what Biden and his strategic team needs to do is to rethink. They need to take a step back and also refresh their development tools. So what does that mean?

That means putting strategists in the room and actually getting something out of it. No more sitting in meetings with no notepads, no more, you know, non-recorders. Let's get this thing on record and put some pen into paper in order to fix this country. Because what we are seeing right now is an unfortunate divide where, you know, not only the presidency is almost in disarray, but we are also struggling, and the GOP seems like they are winning. And so, you know, we're still talking about inflation. I think we've talked about Ukraine and Russia's war, you know, for the past three months, right? And again, there was so many other things that are happening, and now we're getting back to what's happening.

Now we're back to the social issues that are happening here in America, and people are like, okay, I know we did this across seas, but now what are we doing here at home? And now that that focus is here, we're looking for answers, and I'm not sure if the presidency right now is actually handling the message in the right way. DeMario, here's a perfect example. Eight hours ago, the DNC War Room Twitter account tweeted this out. President Biden is not only leading our nation through a historic economic recovery with unemployment below 4%,

but he has a plan to fight inflation and lower costs for families. Republican lawmakers don't have a plan and are rooting against families. And what they did is they tweeted out an opinion piece that is actually in the Wall Street Journal. Joe Biden, my plan for fighting inflation. Okay, so let's just start right there. Okay, let's just start right there. Okay, and so this is dated May 30th, 2022, 5.15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Okay, so let's start right there. You're putting an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal that's owned by Rupert Murdoch. How many everyday,

low-wage, working-class people read the Wall Street Journal? In fact, of the four of us, how many of us have a subscription to the Wall Street Journal hard copy or digital edition? That's two out of four. Okay. Now, here's what I don't understand, Mario.

If I'm the president, I can literally call a news conference at any time. I could walk into the room and say, schedule it. In fact, I don't even have to say schedule it. Just show up. I can walk into the press room. If I'm Joe Biden, if I'm President Joe Biden, I'm not writing an opinion piece saying, here's my plan for fighting inflation. I'm going before the cameras and saying it.

And laying it out. If I'm Joe Biden, if I'm President Joe Biden, I'm literally saying I'm going to hit eight to ten cities in the next month holding town halls with parents and workers and discussing my plan to beat inflation.

What I'm not going to do is have folks whine in an article to NBC or to Politico or to Axios or to anybody else about my plan to fight inflation. That's what I'm going to sit here and do. How about you? Does that sound crazy? Listen, I'll just answer the whole question by saying yesterday I took my mom out to go grocery shopping,

and everything was much higher than it's been in the last couple months. And then we went to go fill up my tank. It cost $70. Now, I'm fortunate enough, I can fill my tank up, and I can do that. But it really struck me that if someone was making $10 an hour, they would have to work eight hours just to be able to fill that tank up, work a full day for one tank of gas. That's the issue, Roland, and what you're saying makes perfect sense, that this needs to be dealt with not as some elite Wall Street Journal newspaper op-ed, but tangible, what am I doing? Not what am I going to do? Not that I have a plan. People don't care if you have a plan.

People want relief. People see $40 billion, $50 billion going over to Ukraine, and they're saying, wait a minute. The stuff I was paying for, I was paying gas for $2.50. Now it's $5, $6, $7. But we have $50 billion that we can send overseas. That's the issue. That's the problem. And I agree with you 100%.

President Biden could go anywhere, and it's a news story. He could get out on the problem. And I agree with you 100%. Mr. President Biden could go anywhere, and it's a news story. He could get out on the road. That's one of the most effective things that Trump did. He got out among his base. He kept them fired up. He kept them engaged. He kept them in the know of what he was thinking

and what he was doing. And we're just not seeing that with this presidency. And again, you have the greatest bully pulpit in the country, Mustafa. You

can literally talk at any time. And I don't understand the whining and complaining. And I'm telling you right now, and all I'm seeing, and ain't that many black people in the room, but all I'm seeing, a whole bunch of people,

we don't know what's going on. We don't understand. We don't know what's happening. Why we can't, because y'all got folk who don't know how to communicate. As Joe Madison says, you got to put it where the ghost can get it. You got to walk folk through it. You got to actually say it. You got to say it in real time.

And so, again, to me, this ain't that damn hard. It's really not. He's got to remember he's Joe from Scranton. Remember when we were in the campaign, you know, he continually reminded folks of that, that he understood, you know, everyday folks' values. He'd been there. So you can't lose that. You know, we often end up having or surrounded by individuals who have never spent any time with real people, you know, don't understand what it's like to have to make a decision about putting food on the table or keeping the electricity on. Those are the important conversations.

So you got to bring it back to the people. And as we said, you got to actually be out there with folks. And you got to utilize these various tools that you have in place where people are going to come. Folks want to hear from the president. You know, one of the reasons that they elected him is because he brought hope back to the conversation, and he also grounded it in a set of actions that he was going to do. So you can't lose that, especially in this moment. You get an opportunity to educate folks on what

your set of actions are, what they're going to look like, and how it can make their lives better. You can have real talk with people about the challenges that they're currently dealing with. And you can also make sure that people understand that here are the things you want to do. Here are the impediments that we're currently facing on Capitol Hill to make sure that you are framing the conversation in a truthful way, in an authentic way, so people understand why they have a role to play in this moment and moving forward. And if you don't do that, you can't rely on the Lincoln Project to get your message out

and to make sure that you get reelected. You know, when you do that, you set yourself up. And again, he's just got to make sure that, one, he's surrounding himself with people who've actually spent time with everyday folks, and that he is the one who's framing out the direction moving forward

and be okay with folks wanting to have some deeper conversations with you. If you're not willing to do that, it's going to be a real tough road for the country moving forward. If you are willing to do that, then I think it puts you back on the track of a winning formula to get the country moving in the right direction. I'm going to share some more words on this when we come back from this break, because, folks, we have to understand literally what is at stake. It is the last day of May.

June, July, August, September, October, November. Six months to Election Day. And trust me, the folk on the other side are crazy and deranged, but what I keep saying is that they are hyper-focused

on turnout. I'll break it down further when we come back. Roland Martin, Phil, from the B Western Network. I'm Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach and host of Get Wealthy. On the next Get Wealthy, here's the good news.

Black women are the fastest growing segment of business owners. The not so good news, the average business by Black women is only earning revenues of $45,000 or less. On the next Get Wealthy, you're going to hear from a woman who went from her kitchen table to cat tables, growing her business to over a million dollars. You should start a business because your product is needed in the world, not because you hate the person that you work with. If you hate your job and you hate your manager, go find a new job, a place that makes you feel comfortable.

And I say that because starting a business is truly a labor of love and service. If you wanna learn how to do it, right here on the Next Get Wealthy, only on Black Star Network. of West Virginia. We are the 140 million poor and low-wealth people in this country, and we are building the Poor People's Campaign, a national call for moral revival. On June 18th, ahead of this year's midterm elections,

while the Congress is still in session, we will hold a mass Poor People's and Low-Wage Workers' Assembly and Moral March on Washington to arrest the attention of the nation, to put a face and a voice on poverty and low wages in this country. This is a watershed moment for justice and democracy in America.

There are those who say that transformative change is impossible, but history teaches us that it is precisely in times like these that people must build a broad and deep movement from the bottom up. We must compel this nation to repent, to lament, and to see the realities that have been hidden for far too long. On June 18th, we will come together to lift the voices of the poor and low-wage workers who know that change is not only possible,

it is essential for our survival. We will make the connections to show how systemic racism, poverty, ecological devastation, the denial of healthcare, the war economy, and the false moral narrative of religious nationalism and white supremacy are hurting us all. We will show the nation the faces of Americans who cannot afford to go back to normal. We will detail the policies that can move us toward a society that works for everyone. And we will pledge to go home and build power for transformative change in this year's election and for years to come.

Because the question should have never been, how much will it cost to address poverty? The real question is, how much is it costing us not to? Somebody's been hurting our people. It's gone on far too long. The real question is, how much is it costing us not to? Somebody's been hurting our people. It's gone on far too long. And we won't be silent or unseen anymore. Join us in D.C. on June 18. Build with us for a third reconstruction in America.

Visit PoorPeople'sCampaign.org. 007 007 Hey, what's up, y'all? It's your boy Jacob Lattimore, and you're now watching Roland Martin right now. Eee! -♪ -♪ -♪ Okay, folks, so... So, let me just... try to help this utterly confused White House

and Democratic Party as they're trying to figure out what in the hell to say and do when it comes to the economy and what they've done. So President Biden is saying that, look how we've gotten unemployment numbers so low. Very true. But as DeMario said, that means absolutely nothing when you're looking at the price of gas, the price of food, things along those lines. Now,

let's walk through this here. So, I was reading a piece over the weekend. Reverend Dr. William Barber sent this to me. And this is the headline. Can Beasley become North Carolina's first black U.S. senator? Three views on what she needs to do.

Now, this is in the News and Observer. Now, this is something that Reverend Barber said in the piece that I believe is absolutely true. First of all, a previous another person said that in the piece, you've got to talk to the other 65 percent of the electorate, not just the right wing of the Republican Party, as Trump tends to do. Reverend Barber says in the piece that 45 percent of North Carolinians are poor or low wealth. A share of the electorate that he said is, quote, the sleeping giant that needs to be awoken. In the piece, he says, point blank, that Sherry Beasley should run on guaranteed workers a living wage, paid family leave, access to health care and economic justice. He says, quote, if any candidate is afraid to say the word poor and can only say the word middle class, then that candidate will not deserve to win because they are willing to write off nearly half the state.

That right there is one of President Biden's fundamental problems. Because see, what he does is he does what centrist Democrats have done for decades. The middle class. The middle class. The middle class. The middle class. The middle class. The middle class. And I get it. But numbers don't lie.

If Barbara lays out that nearly half of all people in North Carolina are low-wage workers, you might want to talk to them. Since Biden has gotten in the White House, there's been this back and forth, this jockeying

to meet with Reverend Barbara and Reverend Liz Theoharis. And the White House has been wanting to meet with Barbara as well as Liz individually. Listen to what I just told y'all. They have been wanting to meet with them individually. But Reverend Barbara and Reverend Liz Theoharis, they constantly say that, no, we bring affected people with us. So if you want to meet with us, you got to meet with them.

That's sort of like somebody saying, you know what, I don't want to meet with Mustafa's group. Let me just meet with Mustafa. And so therefore, if I only meet with Mustafa, then I can say I met with Mustafa's group. But he's like, no, no, no, no. My group wasn't there. You say I met with Mustafa's group. He's like, no, no, no, no. My group wasn't there. You haven't met with me. See, y'all, where Biden and the White House and the Democrats are totally ignoring this reality is that if you're talking

to the people out there who ain't voting and you're saying to them, this is what I'm going to do, you're going to stand a better shot of turning them out than turning somebody over here who can afford a Tesla. Y'all, this really ain't that hard. The Poor People's Campaign, their mass march is June 18th. I'm sorry, 18 days. If you're the White House, you know what the smartest thing to do? The smartest thing if on June on the week of June 13th through the 19th we're going to hold a White House

summit on poor and low wage workers. And if you Biden and you got your plan to address inflation that's why you talk about it. I'm just saying it kind of makes sense. I'm just saying that when you run around touting and I told you this before, he goes to North Carolina A&T and he's touting all this money they gave HBCUs

but he talks in general. He gives the whole number. Anybody know how a good preacher does that thing? You don't just talk about stuff in broad terms. You get specific. If you Biden and you gave money to North Carolina A&T.

And you gave money to St. Augustine. And you gave money to Winston-Salem State. You just start name dropping. Y'all got money. Y'all got money. Y'all got money. Y'all got money. Y'all got money. You don't say my administration, we've given $6.8 billion in the last two bills to historically black colleges, universities, and minority institutions. No! I showed y'all the numbers. Alabama colleges have gotten more money than anybody else. Joe, go to Alabama.

Florida A&M has gotten a whole lot of money. Go to Florida. Like, I literally do not understand what their thinking is if you're talking about the economy. You've got to engage the people. The White House loves talking about all Biden, his empathy. Empathy is not going to feed you. But if you were laying out our food program,

if you laying out was... Here's what they are doing, and I'll bring the panel in for in a second. This is what they are doing. Y'allall they are playing a Washington D.C. game and the country

don't all live in D.C. and New York I'm gonna go back to the piece I was telling y'all about cause y'all need to see numbers piece I was telling y'all about because y'all need to see numbers. Obama runs in 2008.

I'm showing y'all numbers. Go to it, please. In 2008, black voter turnout in North Carolina hit its highest ever at 73%. It exceeded the white turnout which was 71% now wait for it Now wait for it now my job. He won North Carolina about fourteen thousand one hundred votes But y'all see what happened in 2020

Black turnout drops 5% to 68%, but white turnout jumps 8%. Midterm election. That's the one I want to focus on, DeMario, Teresa, and Mustafa. In the last midterm election in 2018, 48% black turnout, 56% white turnout. Huh. So 2008, 73% of black people turnout for Obama. A 25% drop in the 2018 midterm. But check this out. 71% white in 2008.

Only, only a 15% drop. So, Biden. DNC chair Chair Jamie Harrison, the head of the DSCC, the head of the DCCC, the head of Democratic Governors Association, the head of Priorities PAC, Emily's List, and all y'all Democrats and progressives who are spending money paying largely white consultants to tell you to run ads and these are the same white consultants who are talking on background and off the record to political axios saying we gonna get killed.

You gonna get killed. Put it back up. You gonna get killed because of that number right there. You to get killed, put it back up. You're going to get killed because of that number right there. You're going to get killed because it's going to be a dramatic drop-off in the midterm elections. That's because you have not talked to the very people to explain to them why your policies matter. And I can tell you this here, that white turnout, oh, these folks are hankering for Donald Trump. Oh, they going to turn out. And if y'all sitting down, y'all two blocks away at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,

I ain't got a problem with having a meeting. It's just two damn blocks. Y'all might want to have some regular folk having a conversation with them to explain to y'all what's going on. But if all y'all doing are whining and complaining to NBC News and all these other articles, all the other media outlets, y'all is going to keep getting beat. Because right now, DeMario, Teresa, and Mustafa, they sound depressed. They sound, oh, my God, the roof

is falling in. Oh, my God, we're going to lose. Oh, my God, this is so awful. And that's because y'all keep trying to play or run a 1988 strategy in 2022 teresa you first yeah it's clear that the strategies of the past are not focused on the future needs of the people. And part of it is, we got to get away from that traditional mindset. That's why we've been seeing this entirely new progressive movement.

We've been seeing different individuals that have been picking apart, you know, different legislation pieces, i.e., Joe Manchin and the rest of the gang who decides to say that they're Democrat one minute and then the next they're voting on Republican lines. But also locally, we've been seeing a lot of these situations where we are having, you know, incumbents leaving office with some of the help of those local leaders who's helped gentrify a certain area. I know this is just not happening in Philadelphia, but it's happening in communities across states where the old way of thinking, when they were selling people's properties for, you know, less than a dollar,

and now we're seeing other people of color being put out of their homes and their properties, that they can't even build generational wealth. So with this type of thinking and not modernizing tools, not bringing in new advisors, not seeking new ideas or asking the right questions or doing the right polling, or just even in the lamest sense, just doing basic campaigning, basic door knocking, reaching the people where they are. It looks like Donald Trump, you know, and the rest of his team decided to use 2021, really, probably 2019 ideals, and that's how they actually got in, because we got to move forward. I think each party has to realize what is working for the American people today

because if they still think that the things that they're doing is working for... is working for today, they are sadly mistaken and they are also making it very unfortunate for the next generation to have their wealth. And look, Demario, look, I get an email from the White House today asking us to do a couple of interviews. Email got hit, went out at 1227. One of the interviews at 130. I said, y'all, come on. I'm like, you got you got a plan a little bit better than that.

If you're trying to drive a message for the day. So, yeah, I just literally, I have no idea. I literally have no idea what the hell their strategy is because I ain't heard nobody even articulate it. You know, what's really sad about what we're talking about is that they're not putting forth a strategy and they're probably going to get destroyed in the midterm. That means real hell on our people. That means real pain on our people. That means real destruction of our neighborhoods and our lives. And that's why as we talk about this, the more we talk about it tonight, it's really concerning and really disheartening,

to be honest with you. Because I remember 2008 very well here in Tulsa. And I remember going to my polling place, which is St. Andrew Baptist Church, where I had voted for, you know, 15 years or so until I moved recently and up until that point. And I remember seeing the lines literally down the street of people from my neighborhood who I had never seen vote, people I had never seen be involved with the political process, people I had never seen heard anything about a politician. But they truly, I 100% believe their lives were going to get better with the election in 2008. And the reality of it is, as the numbers show that you showed in North Carolina, this happens all over the nation, things didn't get better for most black people.

And so as we have these conversations about, hey, you need to discuss more specifically, more specifically, more specifically of what you're doing. But more importantly, discussing, which is important, how about actually doing specific things that improve the lives of black and poor people? That is not happening under the President Biden administration. And sadly, it hasn't happened on any administration in my lifetime for the masses of black people. But again, as Teresa said, when you go back to Trump and how the Republicans campaign, they understand their base. They say the things that their base wants to hear. It's racist. It's vulgar. It's disgusting. But that's what their base wants to hear. And guess what? They actually put forth legislation. They pass big tax cuts. They pass gun bills and make

it easier to get gun law. They make it harder to vote. Those are the things that their base wants. But the Democrats get in, they don't talk about what they're going to do for their base, and then they don't, and they certainly don't do it. Well, remember those things, it's a lot easier to pass those things on the state level when you control the House, the Senate,

the Governor's mansion, and you have super majorities. No, no, I'm talking about even at the federal level. Let's look at the shooting last week, that tragic shooting of those young babies that was killed, slaughtered, 19 of them. Right, right.

President Biden came off the plane. He's going to have his press conference. He comes off the plane. It was a very generic, broad, I can't believe this. We need them to do something. Take that difference, what Steve Kerr said at his press conference, how Steve Kerr had passion, how Steve Kerr specifically said,

Mitch McConnell, you're trying to hold on to power because you care more about power than the lives of our children. You see what I'm talking about? You're talking about the specificity, talking about the understanding of how you speak to the base of people to move forward. And then on Sunday, on the Sunday talk shows, there's no one from the administration talking about, this are the laws

I'm going to pass. And guess what? Just like in Canada, Justin Trudeau signed legislation. I want to see President Biden, you know, I say this all the time, President Biden, sign an executive order to say, I'm getting rid of the AR-15 and let the gun manufacturers sue him. Show some passion that you care about the lives of people

that are dying each and every day. Do all that you can. But the lawyers, but that's where the White House lawyers will say you don't have that authority. But he's the president. No, no, no. He's the president. He can be the president, but that's where, but again, though, and that's the difference.

I mean, you think Trump is caring about what the White House voters are saying? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. And that's my whole point. That's the difference also between where you have two parties in terms of how they operate. But here's another example, again, to me. And again, I just look at how you're not sitting here, uh, hitting it, uh, just real quick y'all. So, uh, I'm fucking to my next guest, uh, justice department secures agreement is race discrimination, discrimination lawsuit involving

two rental properties, uh, in Georgia. Okay. Dealing with racism in the housing. Okay. Uh, that came down literally on Thursday. Okay. That's on Thursday. All right, y'all? So then, and again, and I'm showing y'all these because you're probably saying, okay, why I didn't hear this on your own rolling show? Former Mississippi Deputy Warden pleads guilty to assaulting inmate at Parchman Prison. Melvin Hilson, 49, a former Deputy Warden, pled guilty to violating the violating the inmates civil rights in 2016. Okay. One more for you. Last one. Let me pull this up for you right here.

Three Kentucky correctional officers indicted for assaulting inmates attempting to cover it up. That dropped on Friday. That's just what the civil rights division is doing. I've broken out a thing before. I don't understand how you, the White House, Mustafa, and you ain't saying none of this. None of it. You're not even touting it. It's a missed opportunity. I mean, we continue to say that, but you know, you bring these things forward. Then you talk about the additional steps that, whether we're talking about the Department of Justice or one of the other agencies or departments is doing. And then you also link it to, and here are the resources that

we've got out there. And here's how it's helping to make change. Or here's how your vote, when you get judges in place or when you get these other people in place and how we do it all together. Folks, over the weekend, the last of the victims who were shot and killed in Buffalo was laid to rest. Now, of course, first of all, Vice President Kamala Harris actually attended that particular funeral, but she also spoke there. This is what she had to say at the funeral

of 86-year-old Ruth Whitfield. Good afternoon, church. To the Whitfield family, the father of the Whitfield family, Mr. Whitfield. The pain that this family is feeling right now, and the nine other families here in Buffalo, I cannot even begin to express our collective pain as a nation for what you are feeling in such an extreme way. To not only lose someone that you love, but through an act of extreme violence and hate. And I do believe that our nation right now is experiencing an epidemic of hate. And as we know and scripture teaches us, when we talk about strength, the strength of personality, the strength of spirit, the strength of faith,

I think we all know that a true measure of strength is not based on who you beat down, it's based on who you lift up. Who you lift up. And it means then also in that strength, understanding we will not allow small people to create fear in our communities. That we will not be afraid to stand up for what is right, to speak truth even when it may be difficult to hear and speak. There's a through line. What happened here in Buffalo? when it may be difficult to hear and speak. There's a through line. What happened here in Buffalo, in Texas, in Atlanta, in Orlando? What happened at the synagogues? And so this is a moment that requires all good people,

all God-loving people, to stand up and say, we will not stand for this. Enough is enough. We will come together based on what we all know we have in common, and we will not let those people who are motivated by hate separate us or make us feel fear. So I'm here to say that we are all in this together. No one should ever be made to fight alone. We are stronger than those who would try to hurt us think that we are. We are strong. We are strong in our faith. We are strong in our faith. We are strong in our belief about what is right and our determination to act,

to ensure that we protect all those who deserve to be protected, that we see all those who deserve to be seen, that we hear the voices of the people, and that we rise up in solidarity to speak out against this and to speak to our better angels. Thank you. All right. That was a strong speech, maybe because it wasn't written. In fact, she wasn Ruth Whitfield right there. Now, Vice President Kamala Harris has been under vicious attack from the moment she announced that she was running for president.

Look at social media. It was a ton of folks who were going after her. Well, a particular group said, you know what, let's look at this. Let's actually examine this. Where is this coming from? And so that's exactly what they did, and their findings are quite interesting. And we decided to talk to the leader of this organization that actually did this. And so, again, if you look at on social media, you look at the bots,

you look at all of these different folks out here with the vicious attacks on her. You've seen it on the right wing. You've seen many folks on the right have their various attacks on her. But social media has been a lot different, largely led by Twitter. But you also can expand it to Facebook and Instagram, other platforms as well. There's been no other politician who has been under the kind of attack of Vice President Kamala Harris. Hmm. Why is that? Are some folks somehow scared she might run for president in 2024? The folks at Bot Sentinel released this report that lays out the lack of action taken against these racists.

The company reported 40 tweets, but only two of the tweets were taken down for violating Twitter's policies. For the first 122 days of the year, there were more than 4,000 tweets harassing Vice President Harris. Christopher Boozies, the founder and CEO of Bot Sentinel, joins us from New Jersey. Christopher, walk folks through what this actually means when you have clearly identifiable tweets that violate a company's policy, but Twitter does not take any action. Hi, Roland. Thank you for having me. What does it mean?

It appears that Twitter just doesn't care about targeted harassment, abuse, bigotry towards women of color, black women. We did this study because last year we published a report on Meghan Markle and, you know, it got a lot of attention and, you know, a group of black women came to us and said, hey, look, we see these attacks that's happening every day. You know, it's getting worse in terms of Vice President Harris. And please do something. Look at it. Are we losing our minds? We are reporting these tweets. Nothing is getting removed. Twitter is not taking any action. And what's happening? So what we did, we decided, hey, look, we're going to look at this. We're going to try to determine if Twitter is actually ignoring these reports. Is this really happening? Is it getting worse?

So for your viewers, for the short of it, yes, all of the above. We started looking at this stuff. We reported it as if we were just average users, someone just using the platform, not having any type of relationship with Twitter. And we felt the worst tweets. And we're talking about the most vile stuff that you can say about women or women of color, black women. And we reported these tweets that are clearly violating their policies. And for the most part, more than half came back as, you know, not violating their policies, meaning Twitter responded and said, no, these tweets are not violating our safety policies, just block the person. And the rest of the tweets were just ignored.

Now, what's interesting about all of this is when we did publish the report, Twitter initially stood by, you know, what they initially said to us in terms of, once again, as if we were average users, that these tweets were not violating their policies. It's not until we see Christopher. Christopher, we're showing actually some of the tweets right now and some of the sickening images. I mean, this is what you're talking about. Yeah, yeah. And so it wasn't until we started receiving press and reporters started reaching out to Twitter to ask them, you know, what the heck is happening. Then they suspended 10 accounts and pretty much removed all of the tweets except, I think, now one. So it took the report and also press before Twitter finally took action.

So what then is their logic? I mean, did y'all talk to high- officials or did they leave it to lower level executives? That's right. So initially what we did, you know, we didn't want to approach Twitter as if we had a relationship with Twitter or bot signal communicating with Twitter. We wanted to have the experience as if we were just average users. And the point of that is because average users were telling us we're reporting these tweets and are not getting taken down. We are reporting tweets that have the N-word and they're not getting taken down. What's happening? So, you know, if we approach the

company as if we're bot signal, of course, they're going to take action because they're going to know, hey, you know, this is going to get press, which is kind of also weird because when we did publish the report, as I stated earlier, they did take their time in removing these tweets. It's when there was an uproar in terms of press and users like, what the heck is going on? Then they finally took action. So the logic behind it is you would have to talk to someone at Twitter to find out the logic behind it. Wow. Teresa, your question.

Yeah, well, you know, thank you, Chris, for, you know, identifying these issues. I mean, I have a PR firm myself, and so I am dealing with the same thing with my black and brown clients. I've done the same thing as an average citizen and reported these things. And again, I'm dealing with the same results. So, you know, so it's, it's unfortunate, but what is a question for you? What are some tips that we can do in order to make sure that we are not only protecting our clients, but as a black woman, protecting ourselves from negative feedback that may or may not come, you know, down the line. Wow.

And I hate saying this. There's pretty much nothing you can't do, unfortunately. And that's the problem with this. Because anyone can tweet anything about you any group can decide you know what we're going to make your target and just start putting whatever they want to put out about you um and unfortunately most people don't have the resources to combat that or have you know a fan base that can say hey you know you know, this is not true and push back against the mis and disinformation. So this is why we try to put pressure on the platforms to take this stuff

seriously. No one, you know, we call them single purpose hate accounts, for example, accounts that are created specifically to target someone. And this is common, you know, whether it's Kamala Harris, VP Harris, whether it's Meghan Markle, Lisa Page. I mean, it's a bunch of accounts that are just created solely to target an individual. And most of this is being directed at women of color. So that's what we're trying to do. We're trying to put pressure on the platforms to do more. But as an individual, whether it's your clients, whether it's just me, you, it's an uphill battle to fight this stuff. Mario?

I'm sorry, can I do a follow-up question? Yeah, go ahead. Have you guys also did a survey of how many, like what's the diversity inside of Twitter in terms of those accountants and executives that are sitting in those positions giving decisions about the reports that are submitted? I'm just curious to know, you know, what is the makeup of the company as it relates to that department. Right. We don't know, you know, the demographic of the company in terms of, like, you know, are there people of color there that are, you know, saying, hey, look, you know, this is not right. But if you look at those tweets again, I mean, you don't have to be someone from the black-brown community to see, hey, someone is using the N-word.

We need to remove these tweets. Hey, someone has graphic photos that have been altered, which is clearly against their policy. You cannot have manipulated photos of an individual. And they came back and said, you know, using their reporting system, it didn't violate their policies. So, you know, I don't know, you know, structurally, like, what's happening at Twitter. And that's what we're trying to do here. We're trying to point out the things that are happening that should not be happening and putting pressure on the company to take action. Mustafa. Yeah, I appreciate everything you're doing. My question is, through the pressure and attention you have been able to bring on Twitter, has there been any changes to the accountability mechanisms inside of it, the structural stuff that folks can point to?

Here's the thing. Yes and no. You know, before when you used to bring this up to Twitter's attention, once again, they would drag their feet and things of that nature. And they're still doing that, but they're taking action a lot quicker than they used to. Sometimes they would just completely deny something was happening. So if we would publish a report and said, hey, you know, there is a group of bots that are doing X, Y, and Z, they would say, oh, they're not bots. And then, you know, journalists will come forward and say, hey, look, we have our own independent researchers look at this,

and they agree with Bot Sentinel. Then that's when Twitter would take action. This time around, you know, they did do it a lot quicker than they did in the past. But once again, it's still us having to put pressure on them, us having to bring it to their attention. You know, them not doing it on, you know, their internally by themselves, them not taking action. Like, we shouldn't find over 4,000 tweets calling Kamala Harris the N-word, the C-word, the W-word, and so forth. They should have things in place to catch that. And so I guess the short answer is, unfortunately, no. Internally, they're still not doing what they're supposed to do.

Demario. Very interesting discussion. Very excited to learn about your company. I have two questions. First question, does this happen to other oppressed groups? For example, can people say those type of things about our Jewish brothers and sisters and Twitter just allow it to stay up as they were saying these things about, um, VP Harris, can they call, um, people, you know, the slur words that they call Jewish folks. Have you guys have seen some comparison

between how they allow that to be black people to be attacked versus others? Right. So first day, um, black women on social media are by far the most targeted. There's been numerous studies now on this. So that's one. But yes, Twitter does have a problem with, you know, whether you're Jewish, whether you're part of the LGBTQ plus community, a woman, it doesn't matter. If you're not a white male, basically, you're being attacked on Twitter. And so, yeah, whether it's, yeah, sure. Go ahead. Well, what I mean is, I understand everyone's been attacked, but once it comes to their attention, do they have the same level of apathy or, hey, it's not we can do about it as it for black women or black people if they have like if this was talking about Jews or, you know, LGBTQ community?

Got it. We don't have any data, to be honest with you, to say, well, they act a bit quicker if it was maybe a Jewish person that's being attacked or maybe it's the LGBTQ plus community that's being attacked. But we have I can tell you we have seen those attacks in the past. We have reported those attacks in the past, especially with the LGBTQ plus. And we've had the same type of outcome. But I couldn't say definitively that it happens more with the black community or the brown community versus the Jewish community or whoever.

Well, I'll tell you as a civil rights attorney, I would be very interested, and maybe this is something your company could do, is actually do the research on once things are actually reported to Twitter. Because I can understand them saying, hey, well, everybody is, it's equal opportunity. Everybody's being treated trashy on our platform.

Okay, that's bad, but it's across the board. But what about once you become aware of the type of language and the type of hate that's being spewed to black people, black women in particular, versus other groups? It would be very interesting to know what is the type of hate that's being spewed to black people, black women in particular, versus other groups. It would be very interesting to know what is the impact of that from Twitter from that point. That was my first point. So my second point is I truly don't know what a bot is. Like I've heard that forever.

Can you explain that for people who are ignorant to what is a bot? Is this a person that just or is this actually a robot that's set up by a computer system i truly don't know the difference and that's another good question because over time it's actually gotten a bit confusing for people so the technical term for a technical technical definition for a bot is a automated account that is being controlled by a piece of software. You know, there are good bots and bad bots. You know, there could be a bot on Twitter where you are, you know, trying to get, you know, news. And you may tweet at it to get the current news or a stock hold or, you know, some movie advice, whatever.

So those are good bots. And then there are bad bots that are created to sow discord, to pump out, you know, the same message. Those are like the most rudimentary type of bots. You know, they'll just post the same message over and over again. You may tweet a keyword, you know, just jump into your mentions and say, you know, that's not true or something. Sometimes it's not even, you know, the same type of, you know, topic or context in terms of what you're tweeting about. It would just respond to you. And then there are more sophisticated type of bots that are controlled by artificial intelligence that can actually have a conversation with you. And this is all done behind, you know, behind the scenes with software. But we like to explain to people that you know we like to call them inauthentic accounts because a bots are just a small percentage of what you're seeing on twitter and

now you're seeing the human controlled accounts that are fake that are created so once again so discord um you have black fishing accounts that are made to look like they're you know african-american whatever, and they're not. They're white guys someplace in Idaho or in Europe, you know, tweeting out stuff to try to pretend as if they are black to sow discord. So, you know, if there's a shooting, for example, and a black man was unfortunately killed, you have these fake accounts come in. Well, you know, he should comply. And they're doing this as if they are African-American. All right, Christopher, we certainly appreciate it.

Thank you so very much for joining us. Keep up the good work. Thank you for having me. I appreciate it. Folks, we've got some breaking news out of New Orleans. Tragedy on the campus of Xavier University. There was a high school graduation today. And all of a sudden, a shooting broke out.

Three people shot at a high school graduation on the campus of Xavier. One grandmother shot, and she's dead. She's the mother of six, grandmother of 15. NOLA.com actually posted this image right here of this grandmother at the graduation of her grandson. And you see it says here, the woman who was shot and killed Tuesday outside the Morris Jeff High School graduation, Xavier,

has been identified as Augustine Greenwood, 80. The youngest of her grandchildren who received his diploma minutes earlier. Again, another mass shooting in this country. Police are investigating exactly what happened. Folks, we have more details. We certainly share those with you. We come back. We'll talk to a Portsmouth, Virginia, councilwoman who in viral when she went off on her fellow

council members as they were firing a black city manager. She will join us next right here on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. Next on A Balanced Life life we're talking everything from prayer to exercise to positive affirmations and everything that's needed to keep you strong and along your way that's on a next a balanced life with me dr jackie on black star network I'm Jackie on Black Star Network. I'm Dr. Gregg Carr and coming up on the next Black Table, thinking about the Black Freedom Movement in a global way. Dr. John Monroe joins us to discuss his book, The Anti-Colonial Front, which maps the social justice movement in the United States

and its impact internationally from from Asia to Africa, and how movements like anti-communism were used to slow down racial equality, like critical race theory today. Critical race theory today, communism back then, is essentially mobilized to shut down any challenges to a given system of power. Connecting the civil rights movement to colonialism

on the next Black Table, exclusively here on the Black Star Network. Ha-ha-ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha, yeah. Hey, I'm Antonique Smith. What up? Lana Well, and you are watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. Activist Fannie Lou Hamer once said, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.

I think that applies to Portsmouth, Virginia, Councilwoman Lisa Lucas-Burke, who last week was fed up with shenanigans taking place in that particular city. A clip of her cussing them out went viral. Here is, though, the full context of her statements. Councilwoman Lucas Burke, ma'am, you have the floor. Thank you, Mayor. I did hear the information last Thursday and I was quite alarmed at a time in our nation where women are misrepresented, underrepresented, not represented, mistreated.

This is egregious for this male-dominant council to make this decision today. At a time when my Delta sisters, and this is our Delta sister, is here for our Delta Day to make this kind of mockery of women is egregious at a time in our nation when Ketanji Brown was confirmed by the Congress to be the highest ranking member in the Supreme Court and this council chooses to degrade women I'm pissed at them and I ain't gonna say it because you know I can say it but I'm gonna be cool with it but I'm pissed I spoke with Woodard and I'm pissed. I spoke

with Woodard and I spoke with Battle and I asked them, had you heard this information? And they did not. They said they did not. But Mr. Battle told me I won't go for it. She's been a great city manager. I'm not going to put her down. But you sat here and you lied in my face. You lied in my face, Mr. Battle. And I want you to lie to these people to say that you didn't say that. You said that this woman has done her job and she has been nothing but great to this community, which we know. We know she has done her job. We know she has bent over backward. We know she has looked aside to some of the votes that you have tried to have people

pay you all for votes that she looked aside that she could have reported. She got a lot on this council and that's why they want to get rid of her. And I hope that y'all seeing what's happening and I hope you make your decision when

November comes. I'm pissed as a motherfucker. Yeah, I'm a fan. I'm pissed as a motherfucker, yeah I'm saying. I'm mad as a motherfucker. I am. Because I know what's been going on. I know somebody came to my office and asked me to deal with this stuff because they've been asked to be paid $3,000 to get their coke on the stuff. I'm sick of it. We're going to recess the meeting right now. I'm sick of it. We're going to recess the meeting. That video has been aired hundreds of thousands of times all across the country. Councilwoman Lisa Lucas-Burke joins us right now on Roland Martin Unfiltered. Glad to have you.

You tried not to go there, but as you continued, clearly you were not happy. Now, the city council voted to fire city manager Angel Jones in a four to three vote. She was just hired last year. We talked about other issues that Portsmouth, Virginia has had dealing with your police chief and all kind of other different stuff. So what the hell is happening in Portsmouth? Well, what's happening in Portsmouth is we have a male majority council who rules on votes for three votes. And they just felt like they weren't getting what they needed out of the city manager. We recently had held her evaluation period. After 10 months, we held her evaluation period and we gave her scores,

one being poor and five being excellent. And her scores came back average. Of course, a lot of the four members gave her very poor scores, said that she hadn't done her job, she hadn't voiced with the community, said that she hadn't done what she needed to do with crime and just, you know, that her people skills. And they just gave her these poor scores so that they can use it as an opportunity to get rid of her at the particular time that they wanted to get rid of her. And they took one year to do this. Who can turn a city like Portsmouth around in one year? Of course, she needed more time just to be able to learn who the players were and who the council is and how they deliberate on things. But they used this and they said that she had received a poor evaluation and they used that to get rid of her.

And one person said she hadn't been tough enough on crime. Well, tough on crime, crime is an issue nationwide. It's not just in Portsmouth. You know, we have all of these guns. We have these shootings. We have people committing all kinds of offenses with handguns and killings. And, you know, that wasn't her fault. And I don't feel like they gave her an opportunity to prove herself as a city manager. She came in on a 4-3 vote. And, of course, three were against her. And I believe that this whole year they worked to try to get her out.

You said that that happened on Delta Day. Is she a Delta? Yes. She's a Delta. So you believe that by having all by having doing this on Delta Day, it was it was to extra embarrass her. Absolutely intentional. And it really scarred her because she had her sisters there who were there to lift her up to sing her praises. And we didn't think that it was going that way because I had spoken to two of the council members. And when the rumors were heard a couple months ago, and they said, you can't believe everything you hear in the street. So

I said, okay, but when five people tell me something, it's no longer a rumor. That becomes a factual situation. And so we go into this meeting beforehand, and I'm asking, I'm hearing these rumors again. What's going on? And one particular council member, Mr. Battle, Councilman Battle, told me he's not going to go with them fools. He's not going to let them degrade this woman like that. He's not going to let him down her. And in fact, he said that he talked to her and offered her a proposal for an increase to be able to stay on and to renew her contract. And so when he got on that council and he flipped and he changed his mind, I felt like that was a slap in my face.

That was a slap in the face of the city manager. So wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. He said that he was not going to vote to get rid of her? Absolutely. And this is who he is. This is who he is. So y'all, actually, I'm going to, let me do this here. I have it up on my iPad.

I want to show it to the folk because he's also a brother. He's a brother. He's a brother and stayed in her office, stayed asking questions, stayed asking her for information. And she did not deny him anything at one point in time, because she tried to work with all seven of the council members, even though four disagreed with her bringing, with them bringing her on because they wanted someone else that they thought that they could keep as, as their puppet. And then when we didn't agree with that person and bought her own, of course, she tried to work with everyone. And for them to dismiss her like that was just egregious. And what infuriated me was that he just lied in my face

because I wanted to prove to them that they didn't have four votes to take her out. So you said that, and this is where it's, so you said that he literally, that first of all, he literally told you he was not going to fire her. This is him right here. This is Paul J. Battle right here. And this is, y'all can see, that's his contact information. That's on the city website.

So he told you, I am not going to vote to fire her. How long was that before he went to the room and actually voted to fire her? That was on a Thursday. So Thursday, we had the weekend to think about it. And then on that Tuesday, he went in and said that, you know,

she hadn't done her job and he's going to vote to get rid of her. I read a story that said that she was approached and said, you should resign or we're going to fire you. Absolutely. And that was Dr. Whitaker. That was one of the members who is the head of the personnel committee. He called her to his church. How do you handle this in your church?

How do you be a man of God to bring in somebody that could be like your mother or your sister or your auntie and tell them inside your church that you either resign or I have four votes to take you out? And she thought that they was coming to talk about her renewed contract. Hold on, wait a minute, hold on. You said Mark Whitaker? Yeah, Dr. Mark Whitaker. He's the one we just redeemed you know, last

in 2020 for him to come back on the city council. Now, wait, now, y'all, come on, y'all, come on. Thank you. So that, so wait a minute. Um, so, cause explain what happened to him last year. Because I remember we were, we covered the story. And so, so this brother, so you had two brothers moved against.

Yes, this brother had some issues in his community where his church was trying to start up a credit union. And the credit union went dysphonic or something to that nature. And there was a forgery situation that went on with some of the people who were supposed to be members of that credit union. Well, one of the members came forth and said that I never signed my name to that document. So it went through a long, lengthy trial. And of course, he's your alpha brother. And he had one of his other alpha brothers to defend him. And, you know, they worked well with that. So who else voted against?

Who else voted against? Paul Battle voted against. Battle, Whitaker. Whitaker, Chris Woodard, and DeAndre Barnes, who is the vice mayor of the city council. All right. So hold up. So this brother, this brother right here. So DeAndre Barnes, he voted against. Yes. OK. And and who else? And Chris and then Chris Woodard. Chris Woodard was an appointee to the city council in 2021. And he came on, and of course, he has been their yes man

for any votes that they needed to get through to make it a four vote. So these four black men voted against this sister? Yes, absolutely. Voting to order to fire her. Right. Now, somebody sent me a text who's very familiar with Virginia politics. They said, poor Smith fires city managers every 20 minutes. That's what it seems like.

That's what it seems like, you know, because, you know, they had a former council that fired our former city council city manager, and then they brought on, you know, had an interim in for, you know, a while

as a city manager, and then we went through a hiring process and then brought in the new city manager in January of 2021. And she's been here for one year and not quite even one year. I mean, one year and shy of a couple of days. And then they want to go in and say that they want to go on another direction and they want to bring on somebody new. And that meeting tonight was where they want to bring on someone new. So you, the mayor, and another... And Bill Moody.

Bill Moody. The lone white councilman. White council member. Voted to keep her. Voted to keep her. Because she had been doing her job. Now, how long was her contract? And do y'all got to pay it off now?

What's the deal? Well, yeah. Now they got to pay her out because they fired her without cause. Oh, how many long was her contract? And do y'all got to pay it off now? What's the deal? Well, yeah. Now they got to pay her out because they fired her without cause. Oh, how many years was the contract? Well, they only gave her a one-year contract. Wow. And this was, we wanted to go in, I wanted to bring in a proposal for us to

give her a four-year contract to increase her salary and to offer her at least an eight-month severance if they decide to give her. Look, I've covered Fort Worth City Council. Who the hell has a city manager on a one-year contract? That's what I'm saying. You know, and they just at will, they figured that she is at the will.

She works at the pleasure of council, and I guess their pleasure was that they were done with her and it was time for her to go. You issued what some are calling an apology, but are you sorry for what you said? Because, look, based upon comments that I've seen, folks are like, yo, that's the kind of fire we need when somebody's speaking truth and honestly.

Exactly. And the people who I apologized to was the people who were offended by the MF word that I used, but I was not apologizing for the content that I gave. I don't think Sam Jackson or Jennifer Lewis probably have a problem with it. Yes, absolutely. I think I learned it from some of my colleagues

and such as them. Now, did you hear from your mama? You know what my mom said? I don't know how raw I can go on your channel. Go ahead. My mom said, who the fuck you think taught us how to cuss?

That's what she said. You had to survive in this community around here and you either get eat or get ate alive or survive and I learned how to survive early. I'm the only female on this male-dom. So, you know, but I'm used to serving with all guys because when I was economic development chair, I served with all men and I have an undergraduate degree from Norfolk State University in electronics engineering. So I'm used to being

around all guys. So I'm not offended about anything that comes out of anybody mouth. I just learned how to get in there and work and to get my part done. And so that's what I've been used to doing. So I'm right at home with this council. So here we are. And again, for folks who don't know, your mother is the leader of the Senate. She's the president pro tempore of the Virginia State Senate. The person who sits in place when the lieutenant governor steps out or as a way for meeting or out sick, she steps in as the lieutenant governor, as the president pro-temporal of the Senate.

Senator L. Louise Lucas is my vote. Well, look, my position is, you know, sometimes somebody got to say it and you got to say what people understand it. So I think folk now get it. And trust me, it's a whole bunch of folks who have been commenting about your statement all over the country. Absolutely. Absolutely. And I was, you know, I was passionate about it because I and I said, you know, maybe they weren't hearing me, you know, but now they can you hear me now?

It was one of them kind of moments. I think they hear me now. They hear me now. All right, then. Well, look, we appreciate you joining us. Hopefully things will get straightened out. Did they actually hire a city manager tonight? No, we didn't. I actually appealed to them to tell them that our council right now is not stable and that we need to wait until November when we get a whole new, brand new council elected to office. And then January, we can go in and look at that process again. And that was not a vote against the person that they put up because the person that they put up was Tanya Chapman, Chief Tanya Chapman, which is our former chief of police who was ousted in 2016. You know, so that was a very trying time for our city as well. But I would not allow them to politically prostitute me nor Tanya Chapman by bringing her in as the city manager

because I know that they have an agenda that is ill-willed, and I didn't want her to get caught up into this toxic situation that it is right now. All right. Portsmouth, Virginia, Councilwoman Lisa Lucaswoman Lisa Lucas Burke, we surely appreciate it. Thanks a bunch. Thank you so much for having me. You all take care. All right. Let me go to my panel here. Hey, DeMario, she just made it plain, huh? Well, that's my good Delta sister. So, yes, she did make it plain. I'm going to tell you the truth, man. The one thing that really caught my ear, though, is she said that the city manager had evidence that the city counselors were being bribed for votes.

And from a legal standpoint, she breached her fiduciary duty to the city by not bringing that forward. And if that's true, that's not a reason to keep her. That's a reason to say she breached her fiduciary duty. So as passionate as my father was saying right there, she kind of put the sister in some legal jeopardy. No, she don't. She put some council members in legal jeopardy. Well, both.

Well, she put them both in. But I'm making an argument to keep somebody. I wouldn't say that they breached their fiduciary duty and hid others' illegality. Well, she didn't. Well, she didn't. She didn't say.

I mean, that's what she said. No, no, no. She didn't say it was a bribe. I got your point. Hey, she said people have been paying you for votes, and I have evidence of that, and she could have...

She had a lot on the council that she could have said that she didn't say. Well, again, to me, that's what you call in of the Virginia Attorney General. Teresa, it was interesting seeing all of the people commenting the last few days as this clip went viral. It should have went viral. You know, Councilwoman Burke, you know, has said what I think many other of individuals

who are currently in leadership has wanted to say to their other fellow members, you know, and honestly, sometimes the reaction is behind closed doors. But this one was in a public, you know, council meeting in a setting where enough was enough. And so, you know, I think there was a, of course, it could have been, you know, the cordial way and the traditional way. But sometimes, you know, when you keep beating the drum and you have to say it over and over, it gets very draining. And I think, you know, as this woman was, you know, stating like, look, the majority is not in our favor. I'm dealing with a male dominant panel who is, you know, obviously lying to my face and then sitting next to me voting on a counter position. And so, again, I'm glad she took a stand. But again, I think the passion

is what probably got her elected and into office. So, you know, I don't think you should ever lose that passion when you're in public office. I just think, you know, if you're right, you're right. And if you need to stand for something, then make sure you stand with facts. Mustafa. You know, I appreciate Councilwoman Lucas-Burke.

She reminds me of all the Deltas in my family because they do not play. They know their facts, and they will come and get you. You know what's interesting? You couldn't possibly think that giving somebody a year is enough time for them to get all the pieces in place, to get the budgets implemented, and begin to see the steps play out. You know, you got to give folks at least 24 to 36 months before you can actually do a real evaluation. You know, I've operated all kinds of levels in the government, and it's just, it's nonsensical to think that 12 months is going to be enough time. So somebody set her up by

putting that type of a time frame in place. And that's why it's also important to make sure that you have a good attorney when you are actually going through these contracts to make sure that you have everything that you need in place for you to be able to be successful. And also make sure you have that parachute if somebody wants to act up and oust you earlier. And I'll just remind folks, I hope all the folks who are getting ready to vote in November down there remember this moment, and I'm sure there's a number of other moments. But Public Enemy shared with us that every brother ain't a brother cause of color. So we should remember that everybody looks like us don't mean that they necessarily have

our best interest at heart. So Cherry Love in the chat said, replay that, Rolandland i want to hear that shit again she got me so come on play it councilwoman lucas burke ma'am you have the floor thank you mayor um i did hear the information last Thursday, and I was quite alarmed at a time in our nation where women are misrepresented, underrepresented, not represented, mistreated. This is egregious for this male- for our Delta Day to make this kind of mockery of women is egregious. At a time in our nation when Ketanji Brown was confirmed by the Congress to be the highest ranking member in the Supreme Court, and this council chooses to degrade women, I'm pissed as a... And I ain't going to say it because you know I can say it.

But I'm going to be cool with it. But I'm pissed. I spoke with Woodard and I spoke with Battle. And I asked them, had you heard this information? And they did not. They said they did not. But Mr. Battle told me I wasn't going to go for it. She's been a great city manager.

I'm not going to put her down. But you sat here and you lied in my face. You lied in my face, Mr. Battle. And I want you to lie to these people to say that you didn't say that. You said that this woman has done her job and she has been nothing but great to this community, which we know. We know she has done her job. We know she has bent over backward. We know she has looked aside to some of the votes that you have tried to have people pay you all

for votes that she looked aside that she could have reported. She got a lot on this council and that's why they want to get rid of her. And I hope that y'all see what's happening and I hope you make your decision when November comes. I'm pissed as a motherfucker.

Yeah, I'm a fan. I'm mad as a motherfucker. I am. Because I know what's been going on. I know somebody came to my office and asked me to deal with this stuff because they've been asked to be paid $3,000 to get their vote on this stuff. I'm sick of it. We're going to recess the meeting right now.

I'm sick of it. We're going to recess the meeting. All I'm saying is, I don't know if y'all saw the mayor there. Y'all didn't see him. Y'all saw his hand. He was like the usher in church. Sister Lucasburg church Sister Lucasburg Sister Lucasburg

him stroking her arm she pulled it back I'm mad as a she was not trying to feel that she laid it out but hey look Bob Lyon is sometimes you got to say that thing exactly like it is I stand

on my point though a lot of people may be on the investigation moving forward because she said people was buying votes and she knew about it. So I don't know. Look, guess what? If I'm the now five city manager, call a Virginia Attorney

General and say, let's have a conversation. Maybe she said she could. Now, to be honest, she could say that's have a conversation. All right, y'all. Maybe she could. Now, to be honest, she could say that's retaliation. Oh, hey. They fired her because she knew about what was going on and she was going to move forward with it. Hey, hey.

That's what she should be saying. Hey, get that check. That's all I'm saying. That's all I'm saying. All right, y'all. We got to go to a break. We come back more. Roller Martin Unfiltered, including our including our marketplace segment you're watching the black star

network don't forget download the app folks all platforms Apple phone Android phone Apple TV Android TV Roku Amazon fire TV Xbox one Samsung smart TV and of course support our brain to funk fan club your dollars make it possible to do what we do a senior checking money order the peel box five seven one nine six Washington DC two zero zero three seven dash zero one nine six cash out dollar sign RM unfiltered PayPal's are Martin unfiltered Venmo's are M unfiltered Zell is rolling at rolling that's Martin calm rolling that rolling Martin unfiltered dot-com and if y'all are on YouTube, Facebook, hit the like button.

Come on, we're two hours into the show. We should easily be over a thousand likes. This ain't hard. Hit the damn button. Don't make me have to go Councilwoman Lucas Burke on y'all. I'll be back in a moment. We welcome you to the launch of the Mass Poor People's low-wage assembly

and moral march on Washington, D.C., June 18, 2022. We are a new unsettling force and we are powerful. A new unsettling force and we are here. We're rising up to demonstrate the compelling power that we, poor and low-income people, have to reconstruct society from the bottom up. And we need to do it with the loudest voices possible, the biggest actions possible. Because we know that there is no scarcity in this land. The only scarcity is the moral will to do what's right. We are those with sub-minimum wage jobs who can't afford sky-high rent. People with disabilities are the fastest-growing minority group.

It's crazy to me that in 2021, it's still legal for workplaces to pay a sub-minimum wage to people with disabilities. There's still so much trial and tribulations that we go through as Indigenous people. We can't get a decent wage to sustain ourselves, nor can we get adequate housing. Veterans across this nation say enough is enough. We can't pat essential workers on the back on one day and then cut their health care the next day. Health is a political choice.

What more do I need to do to prove that my voice is just as valuable as anyone else's? There are still forces in denial that would try to slow walk our transition to a clean economy and a just future for us all. We have an immoral system run by immoral people. But together we walk, and we walk and we fight. It's time for a change! Reconstruyamos esta gran nación! See, we are people of resilience

as we fight these interlocking injustices together. When we work together, mobilize together, and rise together, we become a voice for the voiceless, and we become an agent of change in a time where great change is needed. We need the third reconstruction to ensure that deaf people, people with disabilities, and all people can have the right to live and to thrive.

We know what they are doing, but the question is, what are we going to do? Reconstruction begins when we change our mentality and say it's time for you to get your foot off of my neck. My God's justice is coming through. to the world. Hey! To your back. Hi, this is Shira Lee Ralph. Hello, everyone.

It's Kiara Sheard. Hey, I'm Taj. I'm Coco. And I'm Lili. And we're SWB. What's up, y'all? It's Ryan Destiny. And you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. I'm filtered.

A couple in Memphis combines entrepreneurs' hip and service by opening a grocery store in a food desert. Black Lives Grocery opened its doors earlier this year and caters to residents in an area that lacks healthy food options. BL Grocery owner Jarrell Spencer joins us now from Memphis, Tennessee. How you doing, Doc? Hey, how you doing, Roland? So exactly where did the idea come from? Well, the idea came from just during the pandemic and with all the Black injustice that was happening,

we decided, well, we can merge the two together and come up with something that can help the community, like, you know, give back to our people and, you know, help the community, like, you know, give back to our people. And, you know, the stores was getting ran over from no food in the stores. The people couldn't get to the grocery store. So that's where the idea pretty much came from. All right. So how large is the grocery store?

And do you have meats, fruits, and vegetables? You know, what all do you have? Yeah, we have meats, fruits, and vegetables? You know, what all do you have? Yeah, we have meats, fruits, and vegetables. It's a small store, but it's enough to supply this community. We do fresh vegetables, we do fresh meats, we also do all the other commodities, canned goods, milk, dairy, all of it.

So we supply exactly what they need, just on a smaller scale. Gotcha. And how has it gone thus far? What has demand been like? The demand has been up. You know, everybody in this community has really came out and supported us. They also have told other communities about us. The business is doing well. We've been open for like two months.

But everything has been on an up climb. I mean, we can barely keep up with the demand. Have you had people who don't even live in the area coming by to buy stuff just to support y'all? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. We had our grand opening. We had people from all over Memphis come through. I mean, from pastors to city council workers. We had the news.

We done had everybody. MLK50 Magazine supported us. We just have had overwhelming support for this journal we're on, this venture. It's been amazing to actually take this ride. I've got a question from one of the folks in the chat room. Do you all deliver it? Not yet, not yet. But we're trying to open up all avenues, but we're not delivering now.

All right. Questions from our panel? Mustafa? Yes. Well, brother, congratulations. I know how important it is to create anchor institutions inside of our communities. Can you talk a little bit about, you know, the ways that you are connected to the community. Well, I've been born and raised in Memphis for 46 years, my whole entire life. I just I love the city. I love the town. My entire family has been here for generations. So I'm tied heavily into it. I went to Carver High School in Memphis, Tennessee, which is right a little south of downtown Memphis.

It's an old school, been here for the longest. And I'm just connected kind of fairly well, yes. All right right then. Well, first of all, tell folks where it's located in Memphis. If someone's there or they're looking to come to the city. Yeah, well, it's located on at 1464 Balls Road, Memphis, Tennessee, 38106. It's right behind Hamilton High School off of Elvis Presley Boulevard.

It's not, you can't miss it. You can reach us through our Facebook. We are BL Grocery. We're on Facebook. You can also shout me out, Jarrell Spencer, on Facebook, and Ursula Martin on Facebook also. All right. Yes, sir.

Well, Joel, certainly congratulations on opening this grocery store. And next time we're in Memphis, we'll be sure to stop by. May, please do, Mr. Martin. Thank you for having me. I appreciate it. Thanks a bunch. All right, folks, some sad news. NFL star quarterback Jeff Gladney has died in a car crash in Dallas.

The Cardinals and Gladney's agent confirmed his passing. Gladney played at TCU with a 2020 first-round draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings. He was released before the 2021 season after being charged with assaulting a woman. In March, the Cardinals signed Gladney after he was found not guilty in Dallas County. He participated in team drills last week. The Cardinals say they're devastated to learn about Gladney after he was found not guilty in Dallas County. He participated in team drills last week. The Cardinals say they're devastated to learn about Gladney's death. Jeff Gladney, folks, was just 25

years old. And so we certainly thought the thoughts and prayers certainly go out to his family as well as those two particular teams as well. Folks, that is it for today's show. Let me thank Mustafa.

Let me thank Demario. Let me thank Teresa as well for joining us. We certainly appreciate it. Thank you so very much. Folks, tomorrow's show, we've got some great stuff lined up for you, including what we got. Y'all know we got a crazy Karen. Yep, got a crazy as white people for y'all tomorrow.

You certainly don't want to miss that because it's going to be a trip when y'all actually see it. All right, y'all. Hey, we got our fourth intern. Come on. Come on. Come on, man. Come on, dog. You got to move.

Doc, you got to move. When I call you, you got the move. All right, how you doing? I'm good. Y'all can get Caden? Yes, I am. All right, Caden Smith, where you from? I'm from Bridgeport, Connecticut.

All right, what school? Howard University. Howard University. All right, turn around, man. You're on TV. Turn around. Right there. All right, y'all.

So Caden's our fourth intern. He's a student at Howard University. You need a pocket spell with that, man. You're going to wear a blazer. And plus, you ain't got to wear a blazer in here. But you're all dressed up and everything. with that, man. You're going to wear a blazer. And plus, you ain't got to wear a blazer in here. But you're like all dressed up and everything. All right, then. So look, we're going to have our interns in here for 10 weeks.

We're going to put them to work. And so that's how we go. So first lesson, when I call, move quickly. Cool. Back to control. All right. Thanks a bunch. All right, y'all.

That's it. I'm going to see y'all tomorrow right here on Roland Martin on Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. Holla!