#RolandMartinUnfiltered - Pelosi's Out; Who's Next, 2022 Midterms, New Pathways Act, Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
Episode Date: November 18, 202211.17.2022 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Pelosi's Out; Who's Next, 2022 Midterms, New Pathways Act, Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month Pelosi is finally stepping down as Democratic House leader. So, who w...ill take her place? We will discuss who is possibly next in line. The midterms are over, and now we can examine the key issues motivating black voters. We will talk with Melanie Campbell, the President, and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, to discuss the coalition's exit poll survey results. New legislation is being introduced to help those reentering society. We will talk to one of the bill sponsors, Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman, to explain the New Pathways Act. It's Pancreatic Cancer Awareness month, and we will give you the information you need to save a life, including your own. Support RolandMartinUnfiltered and #BlackStarNetwork via the Cash App ☛ https://cash.app/$rmunfiltered PayPal ☛ https://www.paypal.me/rmartinunfiltered Venmo ☛https://venmo.com/rmunfiltered Zelle ☛ roland@rolandsmartin.com 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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This is an iHeart Podcast. We support this man, Black Media. He makes sure that our stories are told. Thank you for being the voice of Black America, Roland.
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You dig? Să ne urmăm în următoarea mea rețetă. Today is Thursday, November 17th, 2022.
Coming up on Rollerback Non-Culture, streaming live on the Black Star Network, live here in Las Vegas.
New leadership for Democrats in the United States House.
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries of Brooklyn
on his way to becoming the highest-ranking
African-American ever in Congress.
He will be the new Democratic leader.
Also, of the entire leadership team,
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sidney Hoyer,
Congressman Jim Clyburn, they all stepped down,
paved the way for a new, young, and diverse
Democratic leadership.
We'll bring all this thing down for you.
Also, black turnout.
What was it like in the midterm elections?
The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation broke down.
The numbers will be joined by Melanie Campbell, the president and CEO,
to talk about exactly how African-Americans performed all across the country in this year's election.
Shankola Robinson, a black woman found dead in Mexico.
A viral video going around showing
her being savagely beaten by friends.
So how did they rule that she somehow died on her own?
Her family, they're demanding questions in this extremely strange case.
Also on today's show, we'll talk about the Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month,
folks. It affects so many of us. Congressman John Lewis, Congressman Alcee Hastings, both of them
passed away due to pancreatic cancer. So we'll discuss that and how African Americans are greatly
impacted by this devastating disease. And also, we'll discuss the New Pathways Act that deals with folks who have been incarcerated.
All of that and more coming up on Rolling Mark Unfiltered
on the Black Star Network.
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Now
Martin! Martez! Să ne urmăm în următoarea mea rețetă. The Să ne urmăm în următoarea mea rețetă. The The
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The I'm Martin. Martin! Să ne urmăm în următoarea mea rețetă. Să ne urmăm. Folks, the midterm elections were, of course, good and bad. Republicans now control the United States House,
but Democrats maintain control of the United States Senate. The question is, how did black
voters, what do they care about? How do they perform at the polls? The National Coalition
on Black Civic Participation, as part of the Unity 22 Black Voting and Power Building Campaign,
the survey of 2,000 African-Americans, an exit
poll survey to ascertain their thoughts on this year's election. Joining us right now is Melanie
Campbell. She's the president and CEO of the coalition to share these poll results. Melanie,
glad to have you on the show. And so what stands out the most in terms of what African-Americans
were talking about in this midterm?
Well, thanks, Roland. And thank you for sharing earlier today the exit poll results on your platform. Top three issues. One, racism. What are the issues that are threatening you and your
family, which is like that personal question, right? Number one issue was racism,
rise in hate crimes. Number two was inflation, cost of living. And number three was gun violence.
Another question that we asked was, what do you want the congressional candidates who committed
to you to focus on? And so what was really, really telling was the issues around rights
and our freedoms. Voting rights was number one. Reproductive rights came right behind,
and racism was still high. What was on the fourth level, you had policing and criminal
justice reform and protecting the safety net. So it was issues around rights, freedoms,
as well as pocketbook issues. And I know one of the things that we do know is
black votes still turned out. And we gave the Democrats, out of all the demographics,
still the highest share of our vote. So, as we go into and talk about what didn't happen
with the red wave or lack thereof, Democrats do owe black people because we turned out,
and especially our young people.
And that, I want to get to that in a second,
but I want to pull the chart back up, folks,
because I want to, again, look at the issues
that African-Americans identified as the top issues.
So you pull that graphic back up.
I would appreciate it.
And so, okay, now, okay, there you go.
So we talk about structural violence.
But one of the things that's interesting when you look here,
reproductive rights was number three.
LGBTQ rights was above policing, criminal justice reform,
protecting the safety net, reducing inflation.
So inflation for African-Americans came in seven. of policing criminal justice reform, protecting the safety net, reducing inflation.
So inflation for African-Americans came in seven.
And so it's interesting when you look at, you know, the mainstream white media exit polling data,
it shows you that for the folks you all surveyed, inflation was not in the top five.
It was not. And, you know, you ask a couple of different ways of the question, but that broad question as we go into this 118th
Congress, it gives a
clear understanding of what folks were thinking
about when they talked about what they wanted the
federal priorities to be
about. And it's very, very
clear we want to be about our
rights and our freedoms, because
at the end of the day, and I've heard you say this
Roland too many times, if you don't have our
voting rights, all the rest
of it is temporary. Right? So
our folks understood that.
And that's how they reflected that
in the responses they gave
as they, these were,
this is the exit poll that we started when
Ron Walters was living,
that we do midterms and
during presidential election years.
And it really gives us a snapshot of what's on black folks' minds when they come out of that polling place.
And they always are really eager to share why they showed up.
One of the things that you mentioned, young voters, 70 percent of all young voters voted Democrat in this election.
We saw we did not see young voters match four years ago when 31 percent of the electorate were young voters.
But certainly at 27, 28 percent, that was significant.
What were those young black voters saying that wouldn't matter to them? This poll was cross-generations, and we had about
I want to say
about 10%, 15%
somewhere in there, I apologize, I don't have that in front of me,
that were
younger voters. And when I say younger, I mean
18 to 24
and about
18 and then 25
to 29. And so
the top lines are very much similar, Roland,
when you even break it down by age.
So the reality is that's what was on their minds,
especially issues on reproductive rights,
criminal justice and policing reform.
Gotcha.
So, well, look, it is important uh to know exactly where african-americans
stand on the issues all too often when we were looking at uh these exit polling data on election
night or too often it doesn't include us uh so it is important uh to hear what they have to say
the next step obviously is going to be getting what they want. And so, as I keep saying, the election is the end of one process, the beginning of another.
Now it's still a matter of keeping folks mobilized and organized in order to drive our agenda,
especially now with a split Congress.
Democrats do not control the House and the Senate.
And so we're going to have to, frankly, have some bipartisanship figuring out what issues do we want
that can get through a Republican House
and then go to a Democratic Senate, because one part of not controlling it, that changes things
for us. And also what we need to make sure that we focus in on these next two years is what we
get out of the executive branch. A lot of funding has been moved, and also to have an agenda and strategy
of what we can do legislatively,
as well as through the executive branch,
and thirdly, where you have a lot of shifts in power
in states like Michigan and even Pennsylvania,
where you can also look at state policy changes as well.
All right, Melinda Campbell, we appreciate it. Thank you so very much.
Thank you, thank you Roland.
All right, let's bring in my panel, Erica Savage,
she's the founder of the Reframed Brain,
Recy Colbert, founder of Black Women Views,
and also Dr. Greg Carr,
Department of Afro-American Studies at Howard University,
also host of The Black Table,
right here on the Black Star Network.
Glad to have all three of you here.
Recy, when we look at that data there,
what black folks care about,
it is important to have this exit polling data
because too often our views are left out on election night
in so many different ways because mainstream media
really is focusing on white voters and not what we care about.
Recy, I think you're on mute, Recy.
Okay, I got it now.
Yeah, no, what I was saying was- There we go.
I think that mainstream media thinks of voting rights as like a fleeting story
that most people don't really
care about. But our citizenship is something that is constantly under attack by the Republicans in
particular. And until we have enshrined those rights and until they stop being under attack,
they have to be at the top of the list for us. Then we look at reproductive rights. We have to
talk about the disparities and how Black women in particular have
with maternal health, but in terms of our health outcomes in the system, as well as Black men.
And so I think that it's always important to have data to back up what we say, because we say these
things all the time. We have been emphasizing the assault on voting rights. We have been emphasizing
the assault on our civil rights. But, you know, that's not necessarily what they're talking about on other mainstream platforms.
So the data, I think, will help drive a conversation and drive accountability.
And the reality is that what the House Republicans have already come out today and said is that they're interested in using their powers in the Judiciary Committee to go after President Biden and his family.
And that is not going to help
move Black America forward. Yeah, and we already see, Erica, what their focus is by focusing on
Hunter Biden. And that was always their goal. They want to unleash a variety of investigations
across the board. But we are going to have to think in terms of having to deal with a Republican
Congress. And so if we're talking about a black agenda, we're going to have to figure out what
issues, what policies that we care about that can get through a Republican-controlled House,
because Democrats control the Senate, but you've got to have both houses, anything to get passed.
Otherwise, the only way to get anything is, frankly, through executive order from President Joe Biden.
Absolutely, Roland. And had the Republicans not been telegraphing, publishing think pieces to
share exactly what their plans were, you know, we would not be prompted to really share what
we've been sharing over the past years with regards to what Republican Congress looks like,
because we've seen that before, right? They'd already
said that they were going to, as you just said, unleash their powers of the judiciary to go after
President Biden and his family. So really clogging up what could be good work happening.
I think, and Melanie said this, and this is something I've been thinking about for a great
deal, which is really 2024. We know there was a flaccid, somewhat response to Donald Trump's
the son of a Klansman announcing his run for presidency was affected a lot by what we saw
in the midterms. But however, you know, Ron DeSantis, we already saw that he was a rising
part of that brood. So, you know, you know, at time, we see the tables are kind of like moving away, but they're
using that energy to fully galvanize their Scorch of the Earth campaign. So I think that between now
and 2024, you know, groups like Black Voters Matter, those working party groups that really
are concentrated on engaging and educating the voters every day of the week, that there needs to be more
resources going in towards that. And for really to have conversations around what this next Congress
will look like, some of the things that we're definitely going to have to, in terms of groups
on the ground, caucus around and get people involved, engaged with, because with, you know,
how effective disinformation and misinformation has been already, we're
really going to need people who are on the ground being paid for the work that they're
doing to keep voters engaged, reminding them of what has already been in place because
of Democrats, and telling them what has been taken away because of Republicans, what they
intend to continue to do, so that we can have momentum as people participate
in their local elections, both this year and next year, but also gearing up for the general election
in 2024. And Greg, look, when you look at those issues that African Americans talked about,
I doubt very seriously you're going to see anything similar when you if you talk to white voters and you see what black people put at the top of that list.
Absolutely. I mean, I can only echo what Reese and Erica have said.
And particularly, as you say, Erica, with an eye toward 24. There'll be folks who say, here we go, 24 is gonna be the most important.
Well, you know, please keep talking
and I'll just turn the volume down in my head.
Because the whole point is that this is a long distance run.
And of course, we understand that,
first of all, we need our think tanks,
we need data driven policymaking.
So Melanie has demonstrated again with this
poll. And now we have intergenerational folks on the wall. As we know, we see some of the
younger people putting polls in the field as well. And I'm glad that you mentioned Ron
Walters, the great Ron Walters, because this is a longstanding survey, and at midterms
and every four years that it's done.
And then, of course, we see
the power, as you are emphasizing, Roland, of the black press, the black media. There
was a time when you could pick up the black press, the black newspapers, and read this
kind of information. But now this is few and far between.
Finally, sure, there's divided government, but let's be very clear. I like the way that
Pramila Jayapal put it the other day. People
always talk about the Democrats in disarray. Well, she coined a new phrase, Republicans in ruins.
So let's be very clear. The NET caucus, and they may lose another member, looks like that NET in
the Colorado third is only up by about 3,000 votes. It'll probably trigger a recount. So who
knows whether Lauren Barber will just come back to Congress. But either way, it's a razor-thin majority.
And while the kind of
run-of-the-mill black nationalists like Kevin McCarthy
and that boy out of Louisiana
whose life was saved by black people at the
softball game, Scalise,
still have kind of traded their
Klan robes in for suits, they've got
a whole other group
to worry about in the federal legislation.
Now, depending on the House leadership, what emerges, if it's Akeem Jeffries in them, it
may very well be that they're going to be Democrats who are courted for their votes
to pass legislation, because the nut wing of the nut party is not going to go along
with that majority.
I'm saying all that to say that it's going to be a lot, like you said, Erica, it's going
to be a lot on Joe Biden on executive order.
A lot is going to fall on him.
But finally, with the Republicans in a form of ruin, quite frankly, whether it be Herschel Walker in Georgia,
whether it be Donald Trump announcing he's going to run for president of the United States,
or whether it be people like the ghoulish Rick Scott in the Senate saying I'm going to gut Social Security and all forms of the safety net,
what we are faced with is an opportunity now to press the advantage.
It might be better that the Republicans are in the majority so we can get a preview of what they are
for so that, led again by Black people, we can fight with what we are for and what they are
against. The distinction is clear now. And Black media, Black-owned media, Black-supported media,
like Black Star Network, is putting it, as Joe Madison would say, where the goats can get it.
And, Recy, look, I mean, folks need to understand you're going to see all-out war.
You're going to see Republicans being loud, demanding all sorts of investigations.
Don't be surprised.
They're going to be demanding Merrick Garland coming to do the DOJ, every single agency.
That's what they do. And of course. And so here's what's going to be quite interesting is if Democrats say, you know what?
We're just going to defy your subpoenas. No Republican complained because that's what they did.
Well, the January 6th committee. But we know damn well that ain't how the Democrats get down.
They are very much people about decorum,
about rules and regulations.
And the Republicans are all about power,
and they don't give a damn who they have to steamroll over, okay?
So that's never going to happen.
However, what I do think needs to happen
is that Democrats do not need to treat the Republicans
like a legitimate governing party, when they have already laid out their agenda of obstruction,
misdirection, deflecting, and chaos.
That's all that they're about.
And so the challenge is going to be, how do you keep the government functioning, which
is not their goal?
Their goal is to deconstruct it and allow
to hold on to some of the gains that have been made under the first two years of a Biden-Harris
administration and Democratic majority Congress. Because we know that voters, much of them,
many of them are very lazy. They don't connect the dots. And they will start to see things are
going to potentially have a turnaround in the economy. And the Democrats always seem to
get the blame, and then they get to clean up the mess that Republicans make. So the challenge is
going to be more so keeping the spotlight on the Republicans and their chaos and making sure the
American people know that they have no solutions to make things better for their everyday lives.
If they can do that, then maybe we can get some sanity back in 2024 with the Democrats back in charge.
Absolutely, absolutely.
Got to go to a break.
We come back.
We're going to talk about
the changing of the guard in the U.S. House.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi,
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer,
as well as the whip, Jim Clyburn,
all of them are stepping down
and they're paving the way for a diverse young democratic leadership. We'll tell you what that
means. And Congressman Hocking Jeffries of Brooklyn being on the path to becoming the first
African-American speaker of the house in us history. Folks, you're watching the Roland
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Don't wait till November 8th. We can vote today, y'all. Early vote started this week.
We're on Savannah State University's campus.
We'll be dorm storming today, giving out treats for everyone.
We hope to see everyone at the polls when it comes time
to run.
If you believe we've got power, let them know.
Make some noise.
Put a fist up.
I need to see a fist in the air, because we got power.
Come on, you put it up.
Come get your shirt.
We're out here in the streets of Savannah, Georgia.
James, do not forget to go vote.
I got you.
If we vote, the right people live.
We can make a change.
We can get these resources in our community.
I am a woman, and it is important
that we have the say-so of what we want to do with
our bodies.
We are concentrating on entrepreneurism, providing young people with resources and training that
they need in order to change their trajectories.
We want black down.
Democracy is on the ballot.
Voting rights is on the ballot. Voting rights is on the ballot.
Voting suppression is on the ballot.
I am most passionate about those three combined because they all impact each other.
Savannah is my home.
I care about my community and I care about representation in my community.
Our voices are still going to be heard no matter what kind of obstacles try to come
up against us to stop us from voting.
We're still going to be standing our ground.
I see the effort that's being made to keep our communities from voting.
So that makes me realize it's even more important because if it wasn't important, they wouldn't
be fighting to make sure we could vote. This doesn't stop this year.
This is a forever movement.
We're going to exert our power as a people,
walk in our rightful place.
We're going to change our communities,
fight for our communities, and build our communities. Roland Martin. Unfiltered. I mean, could it be any other way? Really? It's Roland Martin.
A changing of the guard today in Congress. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she will not be running for a Democratic minority leader.
This is what she had to say as she was applauded by her House colleagues for her long-term leadership
more than two decades as the first female Speaker of the House in American history.
Scripture teaches us that for everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.
My friends, no matter what title you all, my colleagues, have bestowed upon me, speaker, leader, whip,
there is no greater official honor for me than to stand on this floor and to speak for the people of San Francisco.
This I will continue to do as a member of the House,
speaking for the people of San Francisco,
serving the great state of California,
and defending our Constitution.
And with great confidence in our caucus,
I will not seek re-election to Democratic leadership in the next Congress.
For me, the hours come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect.
And I'm grateful that so many are ready and willing to shoulder this awesome responsibility.
Folks, this is huge, huge news. Not only did she step down, Steny Hoyer of Maryland announced that he was not going to also run,
as well as Congressman Jim Clyburn.
All three of them, if you combine their ages, it's more than 250 years.
And so they understood the importance of having the next generation. And so Speaker Pelosi, by stepping down, says all three are going to remain in Congress to assist the new leadership.
And it is indeed very diverse, led by the fifth ranking member who leads the House Democratic Caucus is Congressman Hakeem Jeffries.
He is going to be in position to be the next Democratic leader if they regain control of the U.S. House.
The first African-American speaker of the House. Joining us right now
is Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence from Michigan. She is at the airport and so glad to have
you on the show, Congresswoman. This is a huge day. You're also leaving Congress. But
I must say, this transition, how this was done, I think, is quite impressive.
But these three, understanding they've served quite some time, understanding all three of them up there in age,
and then to step aside and create the pathway for the next generation of leadership is quite impressive.
It is. And thank you for having me, Roland.
Today was an amazing day. You know, when the speaker made the comment, there's a time and season for every purpose under the sun, I came to that realization in my own personal career of 30 years of elected office. Now, I want everyone to know Nancy Pelosi is the GOAT. She is the greatest of all
time when it comes to herding policy, fundraising, dealing with the House of Cats when it comes to
the Democratic caucus, building consensus, sitting at the table with presidents and
international leaders. She is one of the most strategic minds,
and I have seen her under pressure
and been really frustrated and angry with members and other individuals.
But when it came time to do the work, she always showed up.
I can tell you how proud I am to have had my tenure in Congress be under her leadership.
And when it comes to Hakeem Jeffries, you're talking about passing the baton.
You know, I can call people young. He is the right age where he can put in some tenure in Congress. He has strategically
placed himself and done the right things. He's been all over this country campaigning for members,
fundraising. He has been at the table of leadership for over the last 10 years. He is amazing.
You know he's an amazing orator.
He has the personality and the ability, like Nancy,
to manage your emotions and keep your eyes zero focused on the prize.
I'm excited about him having this opportunity,
and I feel strongly he's the one to pass the baton to.
You know, the thing I think that when we look at what's going on here,
and obviously Democrats, it's a lot different when you're in the minority
versus being in the majority.
But people have been saying for quite some time that it was time for new leadership to have the top three Democrats in the House,
all of them over 80 or very close to 80 years of age.
As I said, all three combined, you're talking about almost 250 years. And they have been diligent servants. But you do
have to have the next generation leaders. It's a little hard. You know, Congressman Jeffries,
look, he's 54. And so a lot of people don't understand, Congress, that when you talk about
leadership, you're talking about folks who typically are going to be, I mean, hell, first
of all, you're lucky to have leaders who are in their mid-60s in Congress based upon, because it's based upon seniority.
Yes.
And so think about another thing that's happening here.
None of the three are saying they're leaving Congress, so they will be there to advise and support.
So can you imagine being Hakeem Jeffrey with all of his own skills and relationships to be able to lean over, tap someone on the shoulder who has been doing this for decades, for Congressman Conyers, who had, I'm sorry, Clyburn, I'm from Michigan,
that was a slip, to have Congressman Clyburn with all of his history. I mean,
I served in Black Caucus with John Lewis, John Conyers, with Rangel, with Clyburn, these amazing historians who have
not only read, they know and met people and have lived through the history of so much of this
country. And to have that base of experience there who will continue to stand with you is a, I mean, that's just a gift.
And it was Congresswoman Joyce Beatty who said that there's really little doubt that the entire
CBC will be standing behind Congressman Hocking Jeffries to assume the top position in the Democratic caucus or the Democratic side.
We've been planning for a long time because, you know, Nancy Pelosi had made that promise that she was going to run for another two terms and she was, you know, not going to run again. So obviously
we in the Black Caucus and other caucuses in Congress, they've been putting out there, you know,
what's the plan? What are we going to do? You know, and it's a good time when there's transition and it's not chaos.
And so for me today, I felt like it was transition.
I mean, I didn't see like I'm walking out the door,
you're on your own, I've done mine, now you do yours. It was thoughtful.
And so I think we're in a good place as Dems.
And it's gonna be hard, whoever is the leader, because, you know, I've been in the minority.
I've served under Republican and Democratic presidents.
And having the minority in the House is not a good place, especially with the temperament of the Republicans now in the House. You know
we're going to have to fight off investigations, impeachments, taking away committee assignments,
because they've had a few years of piling up anger and resentment, and then you got the Trump
factor built into that. So, you know, Hakeem is going to need all the support he can get,
and the Black Caucus
will be there for him. I appreciate it. Thank you so very much. And of course, you also have
just a couple more months out of your term retiring from Congress. And we thank you
for your leadership and the folks there in Michigan. Appreciate it as well.
And I know you talk to people all the time. If I could just give you this,
because I'm a firm believer of recognizing those who helped us through this cycle. You know,
Michigan went all the way blue. It's just amazing. You have always showed up for us. You keep the line of knowledge going where people can be educated,
hopefully motivated, and your commitment to this democracy, because we can't do it alone as elected
officials. Just want to say thank you, because you were part of stopping the red wave. And thank
God we're not in the best place, but man, we're so much better than we
could have been. And so I just want to say thank you to you. You are a warrior and history, whether
they say it now or say it later, will show when Black America needed someone, you show up. So
thank you. Congressman, I appreciate it. Thank you so very much for that. Appreciate it. Thanks a lot.
Okay. Be blessed and happy holidays.
All right. Likewise. Safe travels.
Folks, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries is, like I said, he's from Brooklyn. He is often known to
drop references to Biggie Smalls in a lot of his speeches.
And he has not been shy in going after Republicans.
We pulled together a few clips of some of his greatest hits.
And trust me, he had no issue hitting Republicans.
And if Justice Thomas really wants to deal with bullying in America or this problem of people supposedly unwilling to accept outcomes that they don't like, I've got some advice for Justice Thomas.
Start in your own home.
Have a conversation with Jeannie Thomas.
She refused to accept the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election.
Why?
Because she didn't like the outcome.
And so instead, she tried to steal the election,
overthrow the United States government,
and install a tyrant.
That's bullying.
That's being unwilling to accept an outcome because you don't like the results,
because the former twice-impeached
so-called president of the United States of America
lost legitimately to Joe Biden.
How did she respond?
Instead, she said the Bidens should face a military tribunal in Guantanamo Bay
on trumped up charges of sedition.
You've got to be kidding me.
And lastly, let me ask this question of Brother Thomas.
Why are you such a hater?
Hate on civil rights, hate on women's rights, hate on reproductive rights, hate on voting
rights, hate on marital rights, hate on equal protection under the law, hate on liberty
and justice for all, hate on free and fair elections.
Why are you such a hater? And you think you can get away with it, escape public scrutiny,
because you think that shamelessness is your superpower?
Mr. Chairman, a point of order.
Here's a newsflash straight from the House Judiciary Committee.
A point of order.
Truth pressed to the ground will rise again, and truth will be your kryptonite.
How the heck did you become the head of the Department of Justice?
So hopefully you can help me work through this confusion.
All right, well, I mean, Congressman, not...
Mr. Whitaker, that was a statement, not a question.
I assume you know the difference.
Oh, Erica, that is the kind of shade I really hope he continues to show as a Democratic leader.
Listen, because we definitely need it, right?
And we knew that this was coming since 2018, since the rollout of this particular platform, Roland Martin Unfiltered.
We've been talking about this.
You know, Hakeem Jeffery had been eyed.
He'd been doing all
the things. And I know Dr. Carr is going to go into greater detail around Hakeem Jeffrey's
in his trajectory into being the first black speaker of the House. But this is the path that
he's been on. And we just talked about it recently, just talked about the whole decorum, the really
need for a breath of new energy. And it's to give respect and give flabbers where they're due, right? The $1.2 billion that Leader Pelosi raised for the Democratic Party, the way that she has,
you know, championed her particular congressional district for 35 years as the leader, you know,
for a significant period of time, the first woman leader. But this is now the time for change, particularly since
the Republicans have told you they are agents of chaos. They are domestic terrorists. This is the
way that it will be, they have said, from education levels. They have said from the basic human rights
level, lest we forget, 2020 Republicans were trying to shut people down from being able to vote
in a very safe way, absentee ballot.
So Hakeem Jeffries, I think, saying all that to say that Hakeem Jeffries is definitely going to be welcome fresh air into the party because the fight that we're going to have to fight is going to be a fight that definitely requires a level of energy.
And really being able to say that this is really how we need to go into these new battles with the Republicans.
We can't go in playing classical music. We got to have on life or death Biggie's classic.
The thing that I think that when we look at this, Greg, and really break down this transition was smart.
I had to have the three of them say, we're leaving together, usher in new leadership,
younger, African-American male, Hispanic male, I think a white woman.
And those they still have to vote.
But pretty much they've already decided who the three are going to be.
And they're going to need fighters.
You're going to need people who are going to be who are going to be on the battlefield for the next two years, fighting diligently with the Republicans.
And Greg, I also say this here, with Congressman Jeffries being a leader,
we can also now get to see the leader talk to black-owned media.
Because I was very critical of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who did not consistently talk to black-owned media.
So thank goodness with this leadership change, we're going to see that, because we won't
be shut out from the top Democratic position in the House.
One can hope.
One can hope.
I don't — and, of course, we've seen Brother Hakeem, Congressman Jeffries, on your platforms.
So yeah, I think that that's probably true.
You know, this of course has been in the works for a very long time.
As Erica said, I mean, Hakeem Jeffries and his rise in the New York State Assembly, then
won that congressional seat, ran against established leadership in the
Democratic Party, and then beat Charles Barron in 2012, and has been moving up the ranks
very carefully.
He probably is closer to being a centrist, although he is a member of the Congressional
Progressive Caucus.
You can't take that away from him.
And should credit him for that.
But he's not the son of, I mean, he's not the son of an old-school fistfighter like
Nancy Pelosi, the daughter of Thomas D'Alessandro, the former mayor of Baltimore.
She repped California, but she's really Baltimore.
And the thing about Nancy Pelosi is, she stand up and make you salute.
I think that not only has Hakeem Jeffries learned a lot from Nancy Pelosi, he will continue
to learn a lot because she's about to now not be a backbencher, but basically I would
almost, I would dare say probably not as influential as Don Corleone to Michael Corleone when he
became the consigliere in The Godfather.
But she's not going anywhere.
And they planned this all out.
If the Democrats had kept the House,
then of course they were going to try to push some legislation through. They kept both houses,
and Biden signed some legislation. But if they were to lose, I'm sure this was the trigger all
along. As you say, they're going to put Catherine Clark, probably from Massachusetts, in as number
two, and then Pete Aguilar from California as number three. And the challenge, however, is that Brother Jeffries
has two years to show he can herd those cats.
Nancy Pelosi herding cats like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
and Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib and the squad,
that's a little different, because in the end,
they stood up and saluted on most stuff.
Hakeem Jeffries, particularly know, particularly given, you know, the fact that with his, what is it, team Blue Pack crew, they supported incumbents, not all incumbents.
He didn't support Cooley in Texas because he got all kinds of scandals, but they didn't also go out and to rush to the aid necessarily of progressives.
That's going to, you know, we got to see how he manages his own emotions and really keeps
that caucus together.
Finally, there are some new voices in the federal legislature.
My former student Summer Lee, who's coming in from the 12th Pennsylvania, you know, she's
joining the squad.
Hakeem Jeffries is going to need more than hip-hop quotes to keep the Democratic Party
together, just like the Republican Party has a hard white nationalist flank.
The Democratic Party, and this isn't an equivalency at all, I'm just saying they've got a progressive together, just like the Republican Party has a hard white nationalist flank, the Democratic
Party, and this isn't an equivalency at all, I'm just saying they've got a progressive
flank that is deeply suspicious of Hakeem Jeffries, and he's going to have to show,
he's got 24 months to show his political mettle. I think he's up to the challenge, but I think
the jury is out. This next two years is probably, it's probably best they lost. It's probably
best they lost the House of Representatives,
because this gives them two years, particularly with Trump around, dissenting them, to hide
behind those boogeymen before they reemerge. And I think they will reemerge, and Hakeem
Jeffries is going to be the speaker, and then that's when the fun's going to start.
You know, I think it's a trip, Recy, when you look at folks like Yank Uygur of the Young Turks,
who's just going off, going crazy.
He tweeted, I don't know why any progressive would vote for Hakeem Jeffries for leader.
He is diametrically opposed to us and most of our policy priorities and represents the corporate wing of the party.
And then, I mean, so he's been tweeting up a storm.
He said, let's be honest, progressive leadership in Congress has been a disaster.
We've gotten almost none of our priorities passed.
We have not used any of our power or leverage.
They went with the trust leadership strategy, which was both naive and craving.
It led to zero results.
And here's the whole deal.
Yank is wrong.
And I'm going to say this and I'm going to say this repeat. I'm going to say this repeatedly.
And this is the hard thing. Democratic progressives are going to have to learn and understand the math. The Democratic Party, and I don't care, I don't care, y'all can sit here and yell,
holler, scream, tell me I'm wrong. This is a fact. The Democratic Party simply has a much
larger tent than the Republicans. In the Republican Party, you're either right or
hard right. There are no moderates in the Republican Party. They don't exist.
Now, on the Democratic side, you have moderate Dems, centrist Dems. You have left Dems,
progressive Dems. You've got far left Dems. And the fact of the matter is, if you want to get something done, you need
2
1
8
218.
It's called math.
Okay? The progressives
simply don't
have the math.
Neither do the centrists.
So there's a notion that, oh, we got
oh, we got, right.
And the centrists don't have
the math. Nobody has
the math. Right. Nobody has the math.
Right. So when you don't have
the math, what do you have
to do? Exactly. You gotta negotiate.
You gotta compromise.
And I, and I,
and I'll, and I and I and you do.
It's just a fact. And so I'll say this.
Yeah, you're it's also an insult to black people.
With the attacks on Congressman Jeffries, because I know a lot of black folks got mad respect for Congressman Jeffries and what he's been able to do.
And anybody knows, you ain't black
and you climbed up the
leadership ladder of any political
party just because. Recy, go ahead.
First of all,
Cenk is full of shit. He needs
to comment on bestiality
and other shit because
he is not a real progressive.
And as I've said many times,
there is a white supremacy problem on the progressive side.
This is the same motherfucker that was just last week talking about he supports
Rick Caruso over Karen Bass.
So he doesn't like black progressives.
And be clear,
black politicians are far more progressive than half of these white politicians
that you never hear them say boo about.
Okay. So Hakeem Jeffries, if we want to look at the facts, are far more progressive than half of these white politicians that you never hear them say boo about, okay?
So, Hakeem Jeffries, if we want to look at the facts,
his voting record, if you put up against a progressive that the white people are okay with,
like Congresswoman Jayapal, and it's no shade to her,
but they vote the same way 98% of the time.
The only time they don't vote the same way
is that a lot of these progressives don't vote
for the National Defense Authorization.
They usually vote no on that. So that's the only real major difference.
So it's not about policy. If you want to talk about what progressives have gotten accomplished,
let's talk about what Black people have gotten out of the Congress.
Not out of the Senate, because it's being blocked, but out of the House.
We got anti-lynching legislation. We got voting rights legislation. We got a number of things.
The list can go on and on and on.
I ain't got all that much time.
So we got what we need in terms of what pushes us forward.
We just have to exit polling on what Black people are prioritizing.
But with these white progressives and these white supremacist aggressives,
because that's what they're for first and foremost,
they haven't gotten their Medicare fraud.
Okay, well, that's too big.
That ain't happening.
Okay?
Black people, we ain't got reparations
for the alphabet soup gang.
They get to talk about reparations and y'all got Medicare
fraud. But guess what? That is
a drop in the bucket of the problems that we have to
address in the United States of America.
So I do take exception to
calling Hakeem Jeffries a centrist
when his record, his voting record is progressive.
When his priorities, much of his
legislation that he focuses on is on criminal justice reform, is on civil rights,
with a particular emphasis on racial equity and reforming systems.
And so where I'm not going to sit up there and let these white progressives or white presenting,
white adjacent, whatever the hell the situation might be, progressives sit up there and slander this black man,
like they do all black politicians as neoliberal corporate shields and centrists and
this, that, and the other, and they don't have any receipts to back it up other than their stupid
ass opinions that don't count for nothing. I'm not gonna let them do that. Okay. So Hakeem
Jeffries, he's worked his way up there. And I believe that he will stay true to what brought
him there and that boogie down Bronx, BK, New York, tough rumble tumbleness. I think he's going
to deliver. But as Dr. Carter says, he does have a challenge. He has a challenge because you do have a faction of the party
that adheres to the Twitter progressive gangs that make a lot of money fundraising,
disproportionately fundraising for what they actually need to win their races.
And it's profitable, and it gives them more popularity to be contrarian and to sit up there
and trash everybody else. They ain't getting their little wish list.
So I do think he has a huge challenge ahead, but I think that it's great that he's going to have the opportunity to learn from the best, which Speaker Pelosi is, and continue to build that pipeline.
And I don't want to just see him up there.
Now the next who's in number, rank 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, let's get some black women in there.
Let's build a pipeline so that we are at the table as well.
I just think that, again, on a day like this, it's just sort of silly to sit here and condemn.
Because, again, at the end of the day, the leader has to get things done. And guess what? If you want to call Pelosi progressive, that's fine.
But Pelosi also blocked the ban on House members trading stock.
Exactly.
Well, let's be very clear.
A lot of progressives wanted that.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, Greg, go ahead.
No, I was going to say the voting record is progressive for sure.
Gene Jeffries has pretty much been in lockstep.
On foreign policy, there will never be an agreement.
I mean, in foreign policy, the Democrats and Republicans are virtually indistinguishable.
You talked last week, Roland, about the millions that AIPAC dumped in that primary to try to
stop some relief.
But at the very end, Hakeem Jeffries, like Obama and everybody else, came in and campaigned
for her.
He's a pragmatist.
So not on his policy record, but on his politics.
His politics are very much, and that team, Blue Pack, that he has, accepts corporate
money.
They're never going to block corporate money.
That's why Uyghur and the Young Turks, they call them corporate dems.
I agree with you.
We shouldn't even be listening to nothing they say.
They're just flamethrowers.
But I also think that some of these progressives, they're not lockstep and just social media. When you start looking at the policy that they have worked their way up and done, I think, as you say, Roland, the challenge that Hakeem Jeffries is going to have, Congressman Jeffries is going to have, is keeping that caucus together. And for all of the rhetoric and all the arguing the Democrats do, Nancy
Pelosi was a thug. And at the end of the day, she could get them all to stand up and salute.
Hakeem Jeffries has thug tendencies, but he is five years old compared to the million-year-old
Nancy Pelosi, which is why they stepped down together, because they ain't going nowhere.
Understand that this is only late-breaking news for the news media. They've been plotting this
all along. If they lost, this was going to be the move.
The question we have now is whether Hakeem Jeffries can thread that needle,
because what we haven't discussed, and I'm not going to bring it up here except by innuendo,
is the fact that when these white folks decide they want to come for Hakeem Jeffries,
and he has spent his entire political career trying to guard against that by doing what he needed to do to do what he's done. They're going to attack him from a place that
most people are not looking for where they come, and I'm for, that most people are not looking for.
And I hope and pray that not only he withstands that, but he can transcend it. But quite frankly,
we just got to see. Nobody, nobody knows. This is the first time he's going to be in this position,
and he's got 24 months to figure it out.
But that's for everybody. I mean, it's going to be hard
for anybody to step into Pelosi's
shoes, and so I think he does have an advantage
of a two-year, like, training
with the training wheels on, and with the tricycle
instead of the bicycle, he can get it on the Harley
and he's still got some training wheels.
So I don't think that's a unique to Hakeem
Jeffries issue that he's facing.
You're right. You're absolutely right, Reese.
It would have been anybody. You're absolutely right.
Yeah.
But I do believe
that what is
important here,
what is important right here
is going to be
they need fighters. The Republicans for the next two years is going to be they need fighters.
The Republicans for the next two years are going to be engaged in culture wars.
They're going to be engaged in investigations.
And you're going to need people who are ready to do battle.
And I believe that Congressman Hakeem Jeffries absolutely is one of those people.
All right, folks, got to go to break.
We come back more on Roland Martin Unfiltered,
including Black and Missing.
In this strange case out of Mexico,
a black woman from Charlotte goes to Mexico with friends,
goes to Cabo.
Video is posted of her being savagely beaten.
She ends up with all sorts of injuries, broken spine.
She's dead.
Her friends come back to the United States.
Authorities say she just died.
How?
Her family is demanding answers.
We'll discuss that as well.
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I am on screen and I am representing what a
black man is to the entire world that's going to see this.
And this might be the only black man, a representation of a black man that they see.
Right.
So I am responsible.
Right.
For how they see black men.
And it's my responsibility to, if I am not playing an upstanding, honorable, someone with a strong principle of moral core,
to make sure that this character is so specific
that it is him, not black men.
And I wish that more actors would realize
how important their position is as an actor,
as an actor of color playing people of color on screen.
Because there are people that see us all over the world
in these different images that we portray.
And not everyone knows black people to know,
yes, that's not all. On the next A Balanced Life with me, Dr. Jackie, we meet Rikki Fairley.
She was given a death sentence by her doctor 11 years ago.
But for Ricky, giving up was not an option.
She declared war on her disease, turned her entire life upside down and won the battle.
I know that God left me here to do this work.
And when you talk about faith, faith is what got me through.
I mean, I had to relinquish my faith and give my life to God and say,
okay, God, what have you got for me?
And he gave me my purpose.
And that's why I'm here.
Her amazing story of strength, balance, and survival
here on A Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie on Blackstar Network.
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Don't wait till November 8th. We can vote today.
Your early vote started this week.
We're on Savannah State University's campus.
We will be dorm storming today, giving out treats for everyone.
We hope to see everyone at the polls when it comes to North.
If you believe we got power, let them know.
Make some noise.
Put a fist up.
I need to see a fist in the air, because we got power.
Come on, you put it up.
Come get your shirt.
We're out here in the streets of Savannah, Georgia.
James, do not forget to go vote.
I got you.
If we vote, the right people in.
We can make a change.
We can get these resources in our community.
I am a woman, and it is important
that we have the say-so of what we want to do with our bodies.
We're concentrating on entrepreneurism,
providing young people with resources and training that
they need in order to change their trajectories.
We want black down.
Democracy is on the ballot.
Voting rights is on the ballot.
Voting suppression is on the ballot.
I am most passionate about those three combined because they all impact each other.
Savannah is my home.
I care about my community, and I care about representation
in my community.
Our voices are still going to be heard no matter what kind
of obstacles try to come up against us to stop us
from voting.
We're still going to be standing our ground.
I see the effort that's being made to keep our communities
from voting.
So that makes me realize it's even more important,
because if it wasn't important, they
would be fighting to make sure we couldn't vote.
This doesn't stop this year.
This is a forever movement. We're going to exert our power as a people.
We walk in our rightful place.
We're going to change our communities,
fight for our communities, and build our communities.
Hatred on the streets, a horrific scene a white nationalist rally that descended into deadly violence white people are losing their damn minds there's an angry pro-trump mob storm to the u.s
capital we're about to see the rise of what I call white minority resistance.
We have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting.
I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of violent denial.
This is part of American history.
Every time that people of color have made progress, whether real or symbolic, there has been what Carol Anderson at Emory University calls white rage as a backlash.
This is the rise of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys. America, there's going to be more of this.
There's all the Proud Boys.
This country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because of the fear of white people.
The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources,
they're taking our women. This is white fear. We're all impacted by the culture,
whether we know it or not.
From politics to music and entertainment,
it's a huge part of our lives,
and we're going to talk about it every day
right here on The Culture
with me, Faraji Muhammad,
only on the Black Star Network.
Folks, Black Star Network is here.
Hold no punches!
I'm real revolutionary right now.
Black power.
Support this man, Black Media.
He makes sure that our stories are told.
Thank you for being the voice of Black America, Roller.
Stay black. I love y'all.
All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going.
The video looks phenomenal.
See, there's a difference between Black Star Network
and Black-owned media
and something like CNN.
You can't be Black-owned media
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It's time to be smart.
Bring your eyeballs home.
You dig?
Hi, I'm Vivian Green.
Hi, I'm Wendell Pierce, actor and author
of The Wind in the Reeds.
Hey, yo, peace world.
What's going on?
It's the love king of R&B, Raheem Devon,
and you're watching Roland Martin, Unfiltered. Folks, Ashley Rozier has been missing from Loxahatchee, Florida, since October 3rd. The 17-year-old is 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs 120 pounds, with black hair and brown hair.
Anyone with information about Ashley Rogier should call the Palm Beach County, Florida,
Sheriff's Office at 561-688-3400, 561-688-3400.
Folks, we have lost a number of folks to pancreatic cancer. Congressman John Lewis, of course, passed away of that.
Also, Congressman Alcee Hastings had pancreatic cancer just a few days ago.
I got a text message. My friend, Brother Jay Harris, anchor at ESPN, his mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, was given six months.
She passed away after six weeks.
And so condolences go out to Jay Harris and his family.
And I've known so many others.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Supreme Court justice, of course.
She had bouts with pancreatic cancer as well.
Steve Jobs passed away of Apple.
But did you know that African-Americans will have a higher incidence of pancreatic cancer than any other group in the United States? Another one of those
health categories where we don't want to be leading. The incident rate for Blacks is 15.9
per 100,000 people, while for Whites it's 13.4 per 100,000. Not only is pancreatic cancer more
common among African Americans, but AfricanAmericans are more often diagnosed with advanced inoperable pancreatic cancer.
African-Americans are also less likely to undergo evaluation by a surgeon and less likely to receive
surgery than any other racial group in the United States. Folks, joining us right now
is Julie Fleshman. She's the president and CEO of PanCan. Julie, glad to have you here.
So, I mean, whenever these things happen and we read these stats, Julie, it just for so often,
it's, I mean, I don't care, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, diabetes,
we go on and on and on. However, African-Americans are unfortunately leading in so many of these areas,
and it's leading to our folks dying earlier. Absolutely. And that's right. We really want
to get the word out about the symptoms and the risk factors for pancreatic cancer.
So in particular, the Black American community knows about the disease and is aware that they're at risk and understands what the symptoms are so that when they're experiencing any of those things, they can go in and talk to their doctor about it.
And so what does the medical folks do?
What are they doing?
Because when you start looking at
less likely to have the kind of surgery, less likely to be diagnosed, I mean,
that's a problem with the doctors. Yes, absolutely. And I mean, pancreatic cancer
is a challenging disease. It is the third leading cause of cancer death in the United States. The
five-year survival rate is just 11%. And so it's a difficult disease anyways,
and then you layer on top of it some of these other issues that you're raising.
PanCan provides a wonderful patient services program that's available free of charge to anyone,
patient, family member, a friend of the patient can call in and get connected to a case manager and get information
and resources so that the patient and the family can make informed decisions about their care.
So I certainly want to make sure that the African-American community is aware of PanCan,
is aware of the services that we offer. And if there is anyone that is facing this disease that they call, get information
and resources, we can help direct them to a specialist, a pancreatic cancer specialist in
their area. We can provide them with information about treatment options, about clinical trials.
So we are trying to do our part to ensure that individuals are informed, educated, and ultimately can be their own best champions
of their health?
So, if we're talking about seeing changes in this country, what about the dollars? Are the proper dollars going to informing, educating African
Americans about this issue? Is there a disparity there? Yeah, I mean, I think it's a great question
and something that we can absolutely do better. I think there's just a lack of awareness about
pancreatic cancer just in general across, you know, all ethnic and racial groups, but in particular
in the African-American community where we know there is a higher incidence of pancreatic cancer.
We need to be doing better. PANCAN, our organization, works with healthcare professionals
and hospitals all across the country. We have an amazing volunteer network that's helping us to educate doctors
locally, but need more people to raise their hand and get involved and would love more people from
the African American community to join our movement, to volunteer, to help us educate
local communities about pancreatic cancer and the risk and the symptoms. So again,
one of the challenges of pancreatic cancer is there is no early detection test.
So because there's no early detection test, usually by the time the disease is diagnosed,
it's late stage, it's already spread to other organs, and it makes it very
difficult to treat. And so because there's no early detection test, instead, we need to educate
people about their risk of pancreatic cancer and then the symptoms and the signs so that, again,
if someone is potentially experiencing these symptoms or signs, that they know that they
absolutely should go in and talk to their doctor. All right, then. Well, we certainly appreciate you joining us, sharing
this information. And it is much needed. And as you say, it is very difficult when you're unable
to detect it too often because when they do discover it, it's so deep in the body that they've already, the tumor's already been there.
And unfortunately, people do not have a long to live at all.
Yeah, that's absolutely right.
And again, you know, looking for leaders in the African-American community who can join with us to help educate the public. You talked about the two members of
Congress that have recently died from pancreatic cancer. We work closely with Congress and have
been looking at ways through some of our champions in Congress that we can do a better job
of educating the public and then specifically of educating the African-American community about their risk of this disease.
All right, then. Well, we sure appreciate it. Thanks a lot.
Thanks so much for having me.
All right, folks, got to go to break. We'll come back.
We're going to discuss this strange case out of Mexico. This black woman from North Carolina found beaten, dead,
significant injuries, broken spine. Why are officials in Mexico saying she had
natural causes? Especially when we now see this video, where she was there with
friends, where she was captured being viciously beaten. Folks, you see people
discussing Shantella Robinson. We'll talk about that next on Lower Martin being viciously beaten. Folks, you see people discussing
Shandella Robinson.
We'll talk about that next
on Lower Martin and Ultra
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Hi, I'm Teresa Griffin.
Oh, Roland.
Hey, Roland.
I am so disappointed that you are not here, first of all.
Where's our dance?
It's like we get a dance in every time I see you.
And so now you're not here for me to dance with, sir. You and your ascot. I need it. I need that in my life right now.
Okay. I love you, Roland. What's up? I'm Lance Gross, and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered.
Folks, the North Carolina family, they are mourning the loss of their daughter after she and a group of friends went to Mexico, where she was found dead.
You've seen this trending. On October 28th, she traveled from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Cabo with her friends, reportedly Khalil Cook, Malik Dyer, Winter Donovan, Elise Hyatt, Dejanay Jackson, and Nazir Wiggins.
Robinson's parents, Bernard and Salamandra Robinson, said her friends told them Shankola died from alcohol poisoning 24 hours after arriving in Mexico. However,
the Robinsons received an autopsy report on Thursday saying that Shancuela's neck was broken
and her spinal cord was cracked. Now, different national agencies in the United States have
become involved in this. The U.S. State Department has issued the following statement. We are aware of
these reports. Protecting the welfare of U.S. citizens overseas is among our top priorities.
Out of respect for the privacy of those involved, we have no further comment at this time. The
Robertson funeral is going to take place on Saturday. Now, folks, there's a video that has
gone viral showing Shan Quinella being beaten by another woman.
You don't know who this woman is in the video.
You also literally hear the voices of several men watching this thing play out,
not intervening, not doing anything.
It is a violent video.
We want to warn you that it could be triggering.
So please, if you desire to look away while we play this video, it is only 17
seconds, but it just, it is a sad one to see. So folks, go ahead and roll the video. At least something. At least fight back something.
Get up, bro, get up.
Bring my panel in right now.
That is a very, very disturbing video to watch, Erica.
Also, you go to Cabo with so-called friends.
You're being beaten, and then somebody on the video game, well, at least fight back. Well, at least your punk ass step in and say, hey, friends should be fighting like this here.
And then to find out she had a cracked spine, a broken neck. I'm sorry, unless she was drinking
and fell off of a balcony on a car below. I'm sorry. There's got to be some kind of explanation.
And for these, and then these so-called friends, she's dead,
booked their flights,
returned home,
like, no biggie.
Come on.
Wow.
Yeah, I was not able to watch that
and definitely want to send condolences
to the family of Shinkolo Robinson.
That was fucking horrifying to hear, to have to hear some of the audio because
what we're actually unfortunately have to have now witnessed either by listening, watching,
or a combination of both is really kind of like a reality show segment made real where somebody
is actually dead. There is no, okay, well, you use one life like we're used to in video games.
You have two more extra lives.
That baby is gone.
She's dead.
And at the hands or with the circumstances of friends surrounding, because the only reason we're actually privy to this is because some asshole was standing up recording the whole
damn thing. Listen, I was in Mexico not long ago in Cancun specifically, and just even the travel
from the States to Mexico, there's all these different things that are running through your
mind, you know, going through customs, then going through the airport where there are tons of people speaking Spanish at you and just making sure that you get to the place
where you need to get to so that you can get to wherever it is you're staying. And I can't imagine
having to go through all of that and then having to endure that snippet of what we heard and not come away with somebody having made a justification for having killed somebody and
it be normal and it's at the hands of skin folk, it's a lot really to digest.
And so it's really good to see that there was a proper autopsy done to really say what this young
lady died from, because, honestly know before I was able to get away
not watch it I saw one hand kind of move towards the head and so of course I'm thinking about had
she lived what would her quality of life have been like I know would it have to have been different
because of the blows that she sustained to the head so this is definitely serious
I don't envy anyone that would have to
do time in a Mexican prison. But these people, especially the person that was recording it,
definitely have some answers. And justice should absolutely be given, especially considering her
parents who are pushing this, unable to grieve. And her father, bless his heart, who says that,
you know, he believes in the Lord and it's really his faith that is really propelling him forward to his daughter getting justice. But
there's really a lot to be said about those people who accompanied her that later, it seems as though
had a hand in her death. It is just beyond sad when you think about this, Reesey.
And I'll tell you what, if I was a family member,
those so-called friends would not be sleeping well at night
because I'll be demanding answers and like, no, no,
y'all going to come out here and talk.
And, oh, she got an alcohol portion.
Well, that's you saying that.
Now we know what the autopsy says, and a broken neck and a cracked spine, she got an alcohol poison. Well, that's you saying that. Now we know what an autopsy says,
and a broken neck and a cracked spine,
that ain't alcohol poisoning.
Right, and I mean, I just think it goes to show
just the lack of value that a Black woman's life has
in a foreign country,
because you cannot tell me if a white woman,
blind hair, blue eyes, was found dead in an Airbnb
that anybody would have got their ass on a plane
without having to sit in a Mexican jail and get interrogated all day and all night until they figured out what the hell happened.
But what we saw was just pure, unadulterated savagery. ruthlessly brutally murdered is that these motherfuckers got out of mexico and instead
of being uh in inhumane conditions in mexico they somewhere getting their story together
they somewhere with private social media pages going to work every day and they're not being
put on blast all day every day it's disgusting it's despicable and i don't even like when people
say stuff like be careful who your friends are, this, that, and the other. She shoulders no blame for the savagery and senseless violence that she was subjected to.
And I might add, being naked. So to me, when I see a naked woman being beat, that's sexual assault
to me. Because that's just so vile and so disgusting. And to the people that would record
that, lock their asses up too. Because at the end of the day,
they're an accessory to the crime.
They went along with the story
that she had alcohol poisoning.
They got out of Mexico. So I feel like that's
you got to have some charges that they can put
all these motherfuckers in jail for.
And the fact that they're still walking around is only
happening because a black woman is
a victim. Even though what happened on other
soil, if it was a white woman that's happened to, everybody in that Airbnb would be in jail and
rounded up by the FBI by now. So I am 100 percent for locking their asses up. Yeah.
Greg? Yeah, I agree. I mean, Ms. Robinson apparently was a student at Winston-Salem State, so a
brother who you've been in conversation with before, Chancellor Robinson, Edward Robinson
down there, I'm sure his whole campus is torn up behind this right now. You know, as a teacher
enrolling, you know, you taught on these campuses, Fisk, soon to be Talladega. You know, I understand
the trips to Mexico. Cabo apparently is a destination we go. But, you know, we're living
in different times now. And the type of, quote, unquote, citizen journalism that forces authorities
to respond, we're seeing in play here, but in a very warped way. The young sister who recorded
the murder of George Floyd, of course. Otherwise, if there weren't cell phones on the scene,
we wouldn't be talking about George Floyd. How many times have we seen this citizen journalism
spur and force authorities to action? But in this case, we see the collision of recording
with this sick, insane, and you said it right, Erica, reality show based, I mean,
bum fights on YouTube, what they call bum fights of human beings pummeling each other while somebody
records. And in this case, we got at least two people engaged in degenerate behavior, as we say, the guy filming it and the person
filming the guy filming it.
Now, of course, this works all ways, not just both ways.
And I'll end with this.
You've got two governments involved.
You've got the United States government.
What's going on?
Because apparently these people who were with her went back to North Carolina afterwards.
They're in the United States.
So is this a question of a congressperson getting involved,
the State Department getting involved?
Because clearly Mexico and the United States
have the type of relations
where you can force some things to happen.
But finally, while that's going on,
we have, again, citizen journalism.
Why?
Because people are all over social media right now
posting who they think it was who did the filming, who filmed the filmer, who was with her.
They're not waiting on an investigation.
And I think that's ultimately where the solution is going to lie.
The people who know these folks are already putting them on blast, and they're all over social media everywhere.
And ultimately, these state authorities in two countries are going to move.
They're going to move. This story is far from over, and it's going to be people who make it happen.
And indeed, and the folks at Untold Freedom, to Mallory and others, they have been in touch with
her family, and so we certainly look forward to continuing to cover this story and make sure that
it gets the attention that it rightfully deserves. All right, folks, let's talk about the issue of people who are being released from prison
every single year into a world that they don't necessarily recognize. Some 600,000 people,
again, released every single year. And upon their release, they face significant barriers to
reentry, like getting a government ID, which is a requirement for housing, for getting a bank account and registering to vote.
And to help those reentering society, Congressman Kwaizun Fume and Congresswoman Bonnie Watson
Colvin of New Jersey, they have introduced the New Pathways Act. Congresswoman Colvin joins us
right now to explain exactly what this bill will do. Glad to have you on the show. First, before we do that, I do want to get that we had Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence on earlier,
and I want to get just your thoughts on today's announcement of the changing of the guard
in the House Democratic Caucus, if you will, with Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying she will not
run for leader, paving the way for Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, who's right across the river
there from you, ascending to the top of the leadership.
Well, I think that she kind of hit the nail on the head when she said that there is a
season for all things.
I think you—
And she believes that this is the season where we should have a new leadership, a new generation of leadership.
The people that we think will rise to the top, Hakeem, Catherine, and Pete, have been around
and had the benefit of being under the tutelage of a Nancy Pelosi, a Jim Clyburn, a Steny Hoyer.
They're really good at what they do. They have a lot of
respect in our caucus. And I think that while losing Nancy Pelosi, who's been an amazing leader,
is a bit bittersweet, I understand that there is a season for change. And we're in it as far
as she's concerned, and we're in it as far as some of
our other leaders are concerned, and we'll be just fine. We'll still have them around. That's
the really good thing, is that we'll still have the benefit of their wisdom and their cautionaries,
because they will still be in Congress. What about this new Pathways Act?
Who will it do?
Who will it help?
Well, there are like 600,000 inmates who are released an identification, perhaps a birth certificate, perhaps even a passport.
For those who are United States citizens and for those who are non-citizens,
it will provide documentation as to whether or not they're here legally, whether or whether or not they have work authorization.
So, you know, you can't get anywhere without an I.D. And when you've been in prison, unless someone issues you one, you leave with nothing.
We experienced this even in the state of New Jersey.
And it was part of the piece of legislation that I authored in the state of New Jersey
some nine or so years ago. So the Board of
Prison will have a responsibility to get documentation for these individuals so that they
can register to vote, they can get an apartment, they can apply for a credit card, they can even
apply for employment. So you know who you're dealing
with. This is a way of helping them transition back into society. And the thing that people
don't quite understand, I don't think the average person understands really the barriers this
society puts into place. We keep talking about how people need to get their lives
right and not go back to doing what they were doing beforehand. But hell, when you look at the
barriers that exist, I mean, oftentimes, I've heard people say, hell, I had a better life inside
than out. You know, you're absolutely right. And so this piece of legislation right here
is really just a slice of what we need to be doing from a policy perspective as it relates to reentering citizens.
We need to make sure that they have a plan on how to get a job, prepare them for interviews, help them to identify housing. We need to make sure that they register to vote so they can
be full participating citizens. There are a whole host of things that we should do,
make sure that they're not going to get picked up on some fines that they weren't paying,
didn't pay, had before they even went to prison, been accruing interest in other
things for years while they were away. And so this particular piece of legislation to me
is just a small piece of what we need to do in terms of reforming the whole criminal justice
system and how it treats people reentering into our communities, because we want them to
succeed. I always say that we got to talk about counting the cost. It is better to allow these
citizens to come or these individuals to come back into the communities, get jobs, have decent
housing, be able to reconnect with their families and pay taxes, as opposed to having to rely upon the coffers of the government,
whether it's state or local, to support them.
Questions from our panel? Let's see here. Recy, you're first.
Thank you, Congressman, for being here. You know, I know that this administration,
the Biden-Harris administration, has really been on the forefront of trying to reform some of these barriers to reentry and
some of these things that kind of spur recidivism. Do you think that this, if it doesn't happen to
get through this Congress, has a chance with executive action to make these kind of changes
that you're proposing? I think that that's a good possibility.
But I have to tell you, I think that this is such a simple step.
This is a fairness step.
This is not something that is radical in any nature.
And I would think that even Republicans should not have a problem with it.
But I know that the president has used the authority of his office to do things
through executive action. And this could be done that way because he's really,
it's really directing a person within his administration to do something.
Thank you, Roland. And thank you, Congresswoman Watson-Coleman.
In a broad sense, we often hear people be very critical of elected officials, particularly
in the federal legislation.
I'm talking about our people, black folk.
And I've been critical as well.
But I'm wondering if you could—and you said a moment ago that this is just a slice of
what needs to be done.
Could you—I wonder if you have any thoughts on how we can help folk understand that policymaking at this level and with this impact is really
slice by slice, inch by inch, incremental, and I guess kind of rare to get the big home runs from
time to time. How important is it for people to understand that this is a step towards something
bigger and this is how you get things done.
So I think that you're absolutely right, that we need to be communicating with people that this is only a step. This is eliminating one level of barrier so that people can have access to credit, to voting, to apartments, to whatever else you need,
and you need to have a documentation as to who you are.
But things happen incrementally.
And we, although we'd like to see more comprehensive criminal justice reform,
I in particular have worked very hard on that when I was in the state of New Jersey,
in the state legislature.
And I just know instinctively there are so many other areas
that we could touch, even about preparing individuals to come back into society,
making sure that while they are in custody somewhere, that they're being trained,
that they're being educated, that their literacy is going up, that we're preparing them to be productive individuals when they come out.
But, hey, we know that we have to move incrementally, so we'll do it piece by piece by
piece and never lose track of the fact that there's so much more to do and that we have to
stay the course. Thank you. Erica. Congresswoman Coleman, thank you so much for joining us and
appreciate your work. I noticed that on your particular, this act, that it was endorsed by
the Coalition for Juvenile Justice and just thinking about some of the younger people that
enter the incarceration system and so they don't have a chance to do
some of the things that young people learn to do, which is learn how to drive, register,
vote, things of that nature. Could you talk about the importance of having juvenile justice support
this act and what it means, particularly for young people who have not had a chance to experience the
outside world, being able to get IDs and actually to
engage those rights that make us fully citizens, which will be voting rights,
for instance, one of those. So I thank you. I think that this bill just providing
instruction and identification and hopefully assistance in developing a work plan, a life plan, and putting
them in touch with the organizations and associations that could be helpful to them is good.
I think our approach to criminal justice reform needs to be more closely aligned with alternatives
to incarceration for our young people.
We need to make sure that if in any way, shape, or form they have to be taken from the neighborhood,
then they ought to be in education-oriented programs that may very well be residential programs.
But the emphasis should be placed on preparing them literacy-wise, skills-wise,
seeing what their futures could be. But with regard to this particular piece of legislation,
it will be helpful to them. I mean, some of them don't even have access to their
birth certificates. You're right. They don't even know how to drive a car or get a license. And so having access to just information as to who you are and instructions on where you can go to get help in certain areas is going to be very important to our younger individuals who will be coming out as well as our older ones. But I still think that the emphasis as it relates to juvenile justice
ought to be on education
and not incarceration and punishment.
All right, then. Well, look,
Congresswoman, we surely appreciate it.
Thanks a lot. Good luck.
Thank you for having me. Thank you very much
for even covering all these issues,
Roman. I really appreciate that.
Well, that's why it's important to have Black-owned media
that gives us all the time necessary to it
because we're not interested in asking
mainstream media for permission.
We can do it our damn selves.
Amen.
I appreciate it. Thanks a lot.
Bye-bye. Thank you.
All right, folks, got to go to a quick break.
We come back and update on the story we told you about a couple days ago
on the black man who was beaten by sheriff's officers in Georgia.
There's new video with audio of that beating.
We'll show you that as well.
Plus, the Talladega College volleyball team quits a conference tournament
after they were dealing with racism.
We'll explain right here on Roller Martin Unfiltered, the Black Star Network.
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On the next A Balanced Life with me, Dr. Jackie, we meet Ricky Fairley.
She was given a death sentence by her doctor 11 years ago.
But for Ricky, giving up was not an option.
She declared war on her disease, turned her entire life upside down and won the battle.
I know that God left me here to do this work.
And when you talk about faith, faith is what got me through.
I mean, I had to relinquish my faith
and give my life to God and say,
okay God, what have you got for me?
And he gave me my purpose and that's why I'm here.
Her amazing story of strength, balance, and survival
here on A Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie
on Black Star Network.
Hi, I'm B.B. Winans.
Hey, I'm Donnie Simpson.
What's up? I'm Lance Gross, and you're watching
Roland Martin Unfiltered.
All right, folks.
The five Georgia Sheriff's Office employees caught on security footage attacking a black man in custody.
They have not been placed on administrative duty.
The Camden County Sheriff's Office employees were placed on administrative duty more than two months after the September beating of Jared Hobbs.
This really is coming because the video
became public. They are serving in a non-law enforcement function while the investigations
are conducted. Now, folks, there's another video that has audio of this vicious attack. Watch this. Thank you. Turn around. This is the way. I'm sitting down, yo! Yo, where's the fuck?
No, no, I ain't even doing nothing.
Man, I'm making food a couple of times.
Yo, what the fuck's going on, man?
Give us your hand.
You gonna let me be held?
Give us your hand. How the fuck me go? Give us your hand.
How the fuck am I on one leg, you stupid motherfucker?
I'm on one leg, you stupid!
Hey, let's go. Hey, let's go.
Let's go. Let's go. No, it's a paper, bro. I don't know.
No.
It's a paper, bro.
I don't know. No! No!
Open the paper, bro! What are you saying, motherfucker?
All you gotta do is wait! I'm gonna bring your goddamn head. That's a deal. Fuck you. I'm gonna bring your goddamn head.
That's a deal.
Fuck you.
I'm gonna bring your goddamn head.
That's a deal.
Fuck you.
I'm gonna bring your goddamn head.
That's a deal.
Fuck you.
I'm gonna bring your goddamn head.
That's a deal.
Fuck you.
I'm gonna bring your goddamn head.
That's a deal.
Fuck you.
I'm gonna bring your goddamn head.
That's a deal.
Fuck you.
I'm gonna bring your goddamn head.
That's a deal.
Fuck you. I'm gonna bring your goddamn head. That's a deal. Fuck you. Just an utterly ridiculous story down the highway. And his attorneys, they're demanding that the employees involved in the beating be fired and charged in the DOJ and investigated in the sheriff's office.
Here's the thing here, Erica.
This doesn't happen unless the video gets released.
They were still on duty.
It wasn't until the video was released.
Oh, let's take action.
Oh, let's launch an investigation.
Yeah, you know, we see this time and again.
It's definitely traumatizing.
And it's frightening, quite honestly, to think about how often this happens and what we don't see.
So this is a small sliver. You know, it made me think
about when I was reading the story, I started thinking about my when I was working actively
in politics for the political consulting firm when we took a trip to South Sudan. And so
the town that I visited with before I went to some other areas was the state river. And I had
the opportunity to speak with a woman who'd been one
of the first women prison guards. And she had charged over the prison there for many, many
years. We were talking through a translator, but one of the things that really struck me is
particularly their form of what they think is cause for someone being jailed and what that
looks like. Right? And so we see
this in different countries, but America definitely throws more kids in jail, incarcerates more kids
and just people, period. And so their idea of having people pay for crimes that they've committed,
so to speak, looks very differently. It's being away
from the community, but still within the community. And so it gives people a sense of repentance
to be able to say, well, this was wrong. Let me go back into my community. But it's all
in the community. It's open. And so now, abusing, and torturing people,
particularly Black folks, 13 percent of the population. And when you think about Southeast
and Jordan and Camden County, my mind then also goes to Ahmaud Arbery. So all of that to say
elections are important because, you know, in many places, you know, sheriffs are on the ballot. But shining a light on these things, these are things that when folks
talk about not voting, the system doesn't work, things of those natures. But this is why we have
to actively be engaged, because those people who are being beaten and abusing in jail, they have to
come back to the community. What kind of person do you want to see come back to your community?
Someone's angry because they've not gotten justice from law enforcement who's
supposed to protect and serve? Or do you want people who are actually being rehabilitated,
people who are being treated with some level of respect and who are not being brutalized because
they've been to jail? Going to jail does not mean that people have carte blanche at brutalizing you.
So I think that these are things that are
important as hard as they are to see
and to hear, to listen, to keep it top of
mind when we're talking about justice. We're talking
about justice whether you are
incarcerated or you're
invisibly incarcerated on the outside.
These things are definitely important.
Recy?
Just more fucking savagery I mean that is just so beyond disturbing and as if the violation the violent violation of Mr. Hobbs wasn't enough he's incarcerated still in North Carolina and this
started over a probation violation where he was on probation
for having a suspended
license for driving
as well as speeding
and possession of a controlled substance.
This is a person who probably should be in
somebody's rehab, who should probably be
at some sort of mental health facility. Instead, he's being
he was brutally beaten
and
fighting, not fighting
literally, but
just verbally
trying to appeal for them to
stop brutalizing him.
And it's just
disgusting how
little humanity the system puts
in Black people
and prisoners and the fact that
these people are on administrative leave,
that's not fucking good enough.
What does it actually take to fire these savages,
these pigs that are out there brutalizing people?
If that's not enough,
then you wonder why these people continue to escalate
in their violence to kill people
and have qualified immunity
and go on
about their damn lives like nothing happened. This is disgusting. It's sickening. And it's just
another abuse on top of another abuse. So my heart goes out to Mr. Hobbs. And I mean, the federal
judge is different jurisdiction. And, you know, he admitted to violating his probation. But God
damn it. Come on. Come on. What rehabilitative
justice is there in keeping him locked up in North Carolina? The whole system is fucked up
and working exactly as it's designed. Right. Absolutely. I mean, Erica, you've got the
intimate experience with the military. I don't know what type of community
that is. I've never been there. I know't know what type of community that is.
I've never been there. I know it's just south of the South Carolina line, the Sea Islands.
I know that's where one of the United States nuclear subs is. So I'm assuming there's a kind
of swollen neck, empty minded military gloss in that part of Trump country. And it's really disgusting.
As you say, Recy, they weren't placed on administrative leave.
They were placed on administrative duty with non-law enforcement function.
Those white boys are still going to work.
And so, you know, you act that way with impunity because there's nobody, as you would often
say, Recy, who's going to check me, boo?
I mean, if this is a part of the country
where they can do whatever they want,
as Slick Rick said, you know,
you should listen to what we say
because this type of shit that happens every day.
This is what they do.
But you know what I find?
A little glimmer of hope,
even as we see Bakari Sellers
is one of the people going to be on the legal team.
And I think this is going to be worked out.
It's going to have to be worked out because the pressure is up.
The national NBC presidents have weighed in, the local NBC chapter.
They are going to fight, and we're going to all support that.
But I must say, without being able to distinguish who was talking to who, when I assume that was Hobbes, call one of them crackers, you stupid motherfucker. I think some of that vitriol was delivered
because this black man simply wasn't going to be dehumanized.
So even while they were beating him,
he was calling them stupid motherfuckers.
And then not only are they stupid motherfuckers,
but if we must die, let us nobly die.
And I think that's probably why they were so savage.
This man wouldn't break.
But guess what? Y'all got
some more lessons coming as you're not having any babies
and we're going to talk about the Ashton Moore, aren't we,
rolling on the black table. You're going to walk us through white fear.
You can't punch your way
out of this one, you five little white boys.
Go get y'all a little check. But it's
coming. It's coming, you stupid motherfuckers.
Anyway. Well, and
they will be cutting a check, too.
Nope.
Alabama HBCU is going to from a women's volleyball tournament after a member was subjected to racial abuse.
Last week, a Talladega College volleyball player was using a cell phone data transfer feature when she received a racially motivated picture during the Southern States Athletic Conference's Volleyball Awards banquet.
Conference officials are still investigating the incident,
haven't released the details of what the image showed,
but describe the act as volatile and ambitious.
Conference staff following the incident, quote,
the SSAC will not condone this type of behavior.
We are very supportive of all of our student athletes,
coaches, and staff from 11 institutions.
We sincerely regret that this occurrence happened.
The team left the banquet and quit the tournament.
Talladega College said they are standing in support of their players.
We commend the women's volleyball team and celebrate them for their bravery.
We honor them for their commitment to the founding principle of Talladega College and the tenets of diversity, the University of San Francisco, the University of San Francisco, the University of San Francisco,
the University of San Francisco,
the University of San Francisco,
the University of San Francisco,
the University of San Francisco,
the University of San Francisco,
the University of San Francisco,
the University of San Francisco,
the University of San Francisco,
the University of San Francisco, the University of San Francisco, here at the Tel Aviv Students. Folks, also, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has signed
a formal letter of apology to the families of two Southern University students who were killed by
police 50 years ago. This is a story, Greg, that does not get lots of attention. We hear every
year about Kent State, but people never talk about what happened at Southern or what happened at
South Carolina State, where black folks
were gunned down. Now, John Bill Edwards apologized to the families of Leonard Brown and Denver Smith
for the 1972 killing of the two men. Both were at Southern University and A&M College.
They were students protesting the disparities among the resources given to white institutions
compared to HBCUs.
After weeks of peaceful assembly, violence broke out when police threw tear gas at the crowd of students
and one identified law enforcement officer fired shots into the group of students,
killing both Brown and Smith.
In hopes of rectifying the wrongs of the past,
Governor Edwards stated 50 years after the senseless tragedy of November 16, 1972,
when officers wielding power and authority of the state of Louisiana unjustly killed Leonard Brown and Denver Smith,
it is time to try to make amends.
In those dark times, Louisiana failed to uphold its highest ideals. And in the aftermath of that senseless tragedy, the harm to our state and to the Southern University community
was exacerbated by the punishment of those students who endeavored to stand up against the unjust treatment of the black citizens of our state and to the Southern University community is exacerbated by the punishment of those students
who endeavor to stand up against the unjust treatment of the Black citizens of our state.
It is only right and just for the state of Louisiana to make amends to those who were victims
of injustices perpetrated by the state. Well, I guess the question, Greg, is how do you define
amends? Is it simply an apology letter or is the amends to fully fund the HBCUs in the state?
That's right, brother. Roland, I'm so glad that you are covering this story because you're
absolutely right. The students who lost their lives at Kent State should not be diminished,
but we know that on Lynch Street and Jackson State University, students were shot. We know,
of course, about the Orangeburg massacre on the campus of South Carolina State University.
We know that a number of HBCUs, in fact, became occupied places as National Guard came in,
local police came in, and there were a number of assaults, including murders, as was the
case in Orangeburg.
Of course, Jim Clyburn talks about that a lot, having been in school at the time at
South Carolina State.
But the one at Southern and the one at Grambling, in 1972, these black students were part of
a larger student movement, Tuskegee.
They were in the—in fact, there's been a number of people who have written about this.
My brother Jelani Favors at North Carolina A&T has written an excellent book called Shelter
in a Time of Storm.
And he focuses on the protests at Southern.
And it's a complicated story, because you have some HBCU presidents, at the time the
president of Southern, Felton Clark, who were trying to balance fending off the white nationalist
legislatures, which had the purse strings, and the students who weren't going to take
it anymore.
Felton Clark actually left the campus that day.
The only documentary I've seen to cover this in any
great detail is Stanley Nelson's Tell Him
What's Arising, where he does focus on it
and it's heartbreaking. Heartbreaking.
Finally, in that
resolution, you've nailed it on the
head, Roland, because not only did they not mention
money, they did mention
the, I think it was nine students at Southern
who were expelled from school
and they said, we owe them an apology. And even the word reparation is used, but no money was involved.
I didn't see anybody, anybody say we owe restitution. And I'm wondering if the state
of Louisiana, I'm sure the lawyers didn't let Governor Edwards sign that without sealing off
any possibility of being sued since this is also an admission of guilt.
I always say, Erica, when you go make amends, fully make amends.
Show me the money.
Absolutely.
I know I definitely believe in that. But, yeah, I think that also, you know, in terms of just thinking about
the incredible price that Black people, Black Americans have paid, well, Black folks have paid
just in living and breathing over the time that we've, since the beginning of time,
thinking about in terms of making it right. And so I think kind of like this historic 50 year kind of setting these markers, writing something that, you know, a speechwriter rehearses and it sounds great like that day is over.
And so really, if there's going to be showing up on a 50 year anniversary, show up with hands full.
And so, you know, HBCUs are definitely historically underfunded,
as well as being historic.
Definitely money does make a big difference.
And then also for those nine students in that piece that Dr. Carr brought out,
that definitely paid a price.
You know, I'm thinking about, you know, did they move forward and graduate
and get degrees?
Did they matriculate?
Was anybody impacted by crime?
Like all of these different things that when people are on at the state that Louisiana is in presently,
would definitely breathe better and read better to those families that have been suffering for
over half a century with this loss. Final comment, Arisi. Yeah, I mean, I just echo what Erica and
Dr. Carr said. I mean, it's a nice gesture, but that's all it is. It's a gesture.
I don't know who's going to feel
full from a gesture
when he has the power to
do much more. I mean, right now,
the state of Louisiana, the Louisiana
State Police are under a pattern practice investigation
from the DOJ, so y'all still
fucking up in the state of Louisiana, still
killing Black people, still harassing Black people.
So it's fine to go back to 1972 and give some sort of apology.
But what you're going to do now? That's what we need to know.
What you're going to do now, what you're going to do to help these families and what you're going to do to stop terrorizing Black citizens who are protesting or just going about their daily lives.
They don't want to get harassed by the police.
Absolutely.
All right, folks, that is it for us.
Reishi, Erica, and Greg,
I sure appreciate y'all joining us.
Folks, I'm here in Las Vegas,
the major cannabis convention going on here.
I'll be sharing some details about that initiative later and what we're going to be doing here
in the Black Star Network.
So look forward to that.
I'll be back in studio tomorrow. Folks, don't forget, please support us in what we're going to be doing here in the Black Star Network. So look forward to that. I'll be back in studio tomorrow. Folks, don't forget,
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So a lot of things going on here.
And so you make it possible for us to do what we do.
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Folks, these media people are scared to book me on these shows,
these white bookers.
Hmm.
You know I'm talking about y'all in the book
because y'all have the same fear of discussing this very important issue.
Uh-huh, that's right.
Download it, Amazon, Barnes & Noble.
You can also, excuse me me you can buy it on
the site download it from audible or order through your favorite black bookstore folks that is it
i'll see you tomorrow back in the studio in the nation's capital on black lives matter plaza
until then
this is an iheart podcast