#RolandMartinUnfiltered - Pope Francis dies, Hegseth signalgate chaos, Target fast now full boycott, Ryan Coogler's Sinners

Episode Date: April 22, 2025

4.21.2025 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Pope Francis dies, Hegseth signalgate chaos, Target fast now full boycott, Ryan Coogler's Sinners The first Latin American pontiff, Pope Francis, has died.  Could the next leader of the Catholic Church be black?  We'll take a look at who's in the running.  Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing more heat after reports of a second Signal chat with sensitive military information surfaces.  The 40-day Target fast is now a full-on boycott. I'll talk to organizer Nina Turner about the latest developments.  Austin Metcalf's father calls out a Jan. 6th insurrectionist trying to use his son's death to create a bigger racial divide. Ryan Coogler's new movie, "Sinners", dominated the box office this weekend. Omar Miller, one of the film's stars, will join us tonight.    #BlackStarNetwork partner: Fanbasehttps://www.startengine.com/offering/fanbase This Reg A+ offering is made available through StartEngine Primary, LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.  This investment is speculative, illiquid, and involves a high degree of risk, including the possible loss of your entire investment. You should read the Offering Circular (https://bit.ly/3VDPKjD) and Risks (https://bit.ly/3ZQzHl0) related to this offering before investing. Download the #BlackStarNetwork app on iOS, AppleTV, Android, Android TV, Roku, FireTV, SamsungTV and XBox  http://www.blackstarnetwork.com The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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Bring your eyeballs home. You dig? We'll be right back. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Martin! Martin! So it's Monday, April 21st, 2025. Coming up on Roland Martin Unfiltered, streaming live on the Black Star Network. The first Latin American Pope, Pope Francis, has died at the age of 88. Could the next leader of the Catholic Church be an African cardinal? We'll talk about the legacy of Pope Francis. Well, we always knew he was grossly unqualified. Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth continues to screw up

after reports of a second signal chat with sensitive military data that included his wife, his brother, and his ex-wife. Trump says, fake news. Nah, player, it's real. And the 40-day Target fast is now a full-on boycott. I'll talk to Nina Turner. We are somebody of the latest developments regarding the groups that are all working together regarding boycotting Target. Also, Austin Metcalf's father, you know, he's the young man who was killed by a young African-American in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. And that brother has been, of course,

arrested on murder. Well, guess what? That white father calls out a black January 6th insurrectionist trying to, you know, and a white nationalist who was trying to use his son's death to create a bigger racial divide. The video is astounding. Plus, Ryan Coogler's new movie

Sinners dominates the box office this weekend. But I'm confused. Why is Variety saying this is an issue? But when Quentin Tarantino's movie came out, it was not. We'll also talk with Omar Miller, who is in the movie. Yo, lots to talk about. It's time to bring the funk on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. Let's go. He's got whatever the piss he's on it. Whatever it is, he's got the scoop, the fact, the fine.

And when it breaks, he's right on time. And it's rolling. Best belief he's knowing. Putting it down from sports to news to politics. With entertainment just for kicks. He's rolling. It's on go, go, go, yo. It's rolling, Martin. Rolling with rolling now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's Roland Martin. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Rolling with Roland now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's funky, he's fresh, he's real the best. You know he's Roland Martin now. Martin. Martin. Well, folks, sad news out of the Vatican. This morning, Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88. He had been battling severe respiratory problems for the past several months. Over the weekend, he took a final ride in the Popemobile on yesterday. In addition to that, he also had a one-minute greeting with J.D. Vance that took place on yesterday.

Did not meet with him on Saturday. Catholics around the world are mourning the death of Pope Francis. He, of course, reigned for 12 years and was a progressive, a very progressive figure in the Catholic Church, really, you know, providing a much different perspective than previous popes. He was all about looking at the job in a lot different way. He did not live, he did not live in the traditional, you know, apartments of the Pope that he considered to be far too elegant, if you will. In addition, how he represented himself, what he wore also was a lot different. And of course, his take on women in ministry, but also LGBTQ issues and really going

after hardliners was also a lot different. Tributes have been pouring in all across the world since the news was announced this morning, shortly after 8 a.m. Eastern. And so, again, so as people look at this Pope and what he meant, one of the things that really jumped out was he was very critical of the attacks, of the deaths of folks in Gaza, highly critical of them. And really in really challenging, challenging Israel, the United States and others to also speak on the issue. As I said, tributes have been pouring in across the world. This here is Senator Raphael Warnock. He posted, I'm deeply saddened by the passing of Pope Francis. As a

longtime admirer of the Pope and his work to center the poor and marginalized, I was honored to meet him and pray with him last year. And then of course, this is a photo of the two of them that took place last year. Again, as I said, when I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them.

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

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

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

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Sometimes as dads, I think we're too hard on ourselves. We get down on ourselves on not being able to, you know, we're the providers. But we also have to learn to take care of ourselves. A wrap-up way, you got to pray for yourself as well as for everybody else. But never forget yourself. Self-love made me a better dad because I realized my worth. Never stop being a dad. That's dedication. Find out more at fatherhood.gov. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council. You look at all of the different, all the different tributes that are pouring in. Folks have been talking about this pope and what he meant.

Rashida Tlaib, Congressman Rashida Tlaib, she posted this. She said, rest in peace, Pope Francis. Thank you for being a voice for the most vulnerable, for defending the dignity of the Palestinian people, the plight of refugees, and the dangers of eternal economic growth in the face of climate change. Your life serves as a powerful reminder that real leadership fights for the most marginalized among us. And as I said, he was often at odds with a lot of the extremely conservative folks here in the United States. This here was a video where he was crossing St. Peter's Square. He was this was, of course, he was walking alone and he was, of course, this was during the pandemic, walking across St. Peter's Square in the rain by himself.

Like I said, if you look at the attire, he chose to be a lot different in terms of what he wore, how he represented himself. He even changed the rules, the rules in terms of how a pope is buried. And one of the things that he did was normally when a pope dies, they actually have the pope laying in St. Peter's Square and sort of lifted up. He did not want that to happen. And not only that, he's not even going to be buried in the Basilica. He chose to be buried in a separate part of the Vatican. Give me one second. I'm going to read that for you. And so again, when you think about this pope, just as a whole different perspective that he brought to bear to his reign, his 12-year reign. As I said, in rewriting the

funeral rites last year, he simplified several elements. Since the 13th century, the bodies of popes have gone on public view. They're embalmed bodies placed on a raised pedestal. When John Paul II died in 2005, his body was first brought to the Apostolic Palace within hours for a private viewing for cardinals, bishops, and other members of the church hierarchy. Francis did not want to do that. His public viewing would take place directly in St. Peter's Basilica, where thousands can pay their respects. His body will remain in the coffin, which will not be on a raised pedestal. Quote, Francis decided to highlight humility over glorification. And that really was the position that he took all throughout his 12-year reign, wanting people,

wanting Catholics and wanting other popes to really focus on really what their responsibility is in terms of being leaders. Former President Bill Clinton stated this. This is coming from the Bill and Hillary Clinton. Hillary and I mourn the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis and celebrate his remarkable life and legacy, promoting peace, economic inclusion, and social justice, and fighting climate change, particularly its threat to the lives and livelihoods of the world's poorest citizens. The 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church was an extraordinary one. He was the first Jesuit Pope and the first one from the Americas. In taking the name of St.

Francis, he made it clear that he would endeavor to embrace the entire world, including those of other faiths, those whom the church hadn't always welcomed, and anyone whose daily struggles reflected the enduring truth of our common humanity. By his own example, he taught that every human being's personal search, even a pope's, for a purposeful life was meaningful and important, and that power in politics must always make room for compassion and coexistence. I was blessed to have met with His Holiness and Hillary and I were honored when he took part in the 2023 Clinton Global Initiatives annual meeting where he spoke about his children's hospital helping young people injured in Ukraine and inviting the CGI community to pitch in and

help, which they have. We join the countless millions of people around the world, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, in prayers of gratitude for a life well lived, rooted in faith, filled with energy and purpose, and dedicated to reconciliation and cooperation. As I said, they're planning already, of course, the funeral details have already been mapped out for quite some time. And you are seeing the results of that. This here is a statement that President Joe Biden released.

This is a photo of the two of them meeting as well. And so this is that particular photo. Let me read what he tweeted. He said, it is with great sadness that Jill and I learn of the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. He was unlike any who came before him. Pope Francis will be remembered as one of the most consequential leaders of our time, and I am better for having known him. For decades, he served the most vulnerable across Argentina,

and his mission of serving the poor never ceased. As Pope, he was a loving pastor and challenging teacher who reached out to different faiths. He commanded us to fight for peace and protect our planet from a climate crisis. He advocated for the voices in powerlessness. That, of course, is the statement that President Joe Biden posted on social media regarding the passing of Pope Francis. Vice President Kamala Harris posted, Pope Francis was a visionary leader who dedicated his life to service and justice. He encouraged us to protect our planet, champion a more inclusive church, and cared for all of God's children, especially the most vulnerable among us. Doug and I prayed for his holiness, and we joined people around the world in mourning his loss. Again, that's Vice President Kamala Harris. Let's see here.

This is former President Barack Obama. He said, Pope Francis was the rare leader who made us want to be better people. In his humility and his gestures gestures at once simple and profound, embracing the sick, ministering to the homeless, washing the feet of young prisoners, he shook us out of our complacency and reminded us that we are all bound by moral obligations to God and one another. Today, Michelle and I mourn with everyone around the world,

Catholic and non-Catholic alike, who drew strength and inspiration from the Pope's example. May we continue to heed his call to, quote, never remain on the sidelines of this march of living hope. And this is the two of them sharing a laugh in the Oval Office. I want to share some other remembrances in just a moment. Let me bring in my panel right now. Joining us right now is Renita Shannon, former Georgia State representative from Atlanta.

Dr. Omikongo Dabingo, senior author and lecturer at School of International Service, American University. Dr. Julian Malveaux, economist, president, emeritus, been to college and author of Surviving and Thriving, 365 Facts in Black Economic History from D.C. Glad to have all three of you here. Julian, I'll start with you. Again, this Pope Francis passed away at 88. How he carried himself, how he wanted to represent himself was far different. He did not care about the usual pomp and circumstance and all that stuff that we normally see from popes. He was really, he wanted to be treated as a regular priest and not the leader of Catholics worldwide. You know, I was raised Catholic and my mom was a huge fan of this popes for her 90th. She, her, her, some of her Italian friends actually went to the Vatican

and brought her back a five foot long silver cross that she didn donated to our church, St. Kevin's in San Francisco. She always talks about his humility. That was the one thing that struck her about, because she got really annoyed, especially after the sex abuse in the Catholic church with all the gold and chalices and all of that. And she would say, they need to give some of that to the poor. So Pope Francis came along, naming himself after francis of assisi who was the uh the saint actually who basically looked for the poor helped the poor was really passionate about poor when he came along she said we finally have a pope

that that that was her line we finally have a pope and um he he was the kind of Christian, let's not say Catholic, the kind of Christian that the Bible calls for. A Christian that loves God, does mercy, walks softly and humbly. And so, you know, and he died doing what he lived doing. His doctors told him to take two months off. He took about a month. He was not going to miss Easter Sunday. And he got on his little Popemobile and rode around Vatican City greeting people, which is what he'd done every year before. Sickness did not stop him from being the person that he was. And the person that he was was a person that we would all want to meet. And one of the things I loved about him a lot is he did not mind. He knew how to speak truth's power. So he did not mind upgrading this administration on their stance on immigration. He did not mind upgrading the West on climate

change and what the devastation will be to our environment. And he did not mind picking untraditional cardinals. The majority of those who are voting for who the new Pope will be are untraditional cardinals coming from Africa, coming from parts of the Asian space, coming again from South America. So he didn't mind doing that. And so, you know, the Catholic Church will miss him, but the world will miss him as well. This here is a photo. He was a cardinal for more than four decades in Argentina. And, Renita, he had an opportunity to have a chauffeur limousine drive him every single day.

He chose not to. He rode the subway to work every day. And he just did not like all of the accoutrements of the office. He wanted to be seen as a regular, ordinary individual and be a man among the people. Yeah, so I'm not even Catholic, but you can tell just even as an outsider of the church that he was a very justice-minded and independent thinker. I would say from my outside perspective, the most justice-minded pope that I've seen in my lifetime, at least.

And I just really, you know, the way that he really spoke for people and the way that he really chose to represent people rather than do some sort of agenda of self-aggrandizement, as many people have said and other popes have done, this pope was very different. And so I really hope that the next pope that they pick is not sort of a retraction of the values that this pope advanced, because a lot of times you'll see when there has been any sort of progress, you'll see an immediate retraction on that, and you'll see that the next leader is more conservative. And so I really hope that the Catholic Church does not go backwards in the next pope that they pick.

This was his last public address, and what did he call for, Omicongo? A ceasefire in Gaza. Listen. Civili inermi sono oggetto di montamenti e spari. E questo è avvenuto persino all'interno del complesso parrocchiale della Santa Famiglia, dove non si sono terroristi, ma famiglie, bambini, persone malate e sua figlia, la signora Navdal Khalil Anton e la figlia Samar Komar Anton, sono state uccise e altre persone ferite dai tiratori scelti. È stata danneggiata la casa delle sore di madre Teresa, colpito il loro generatore. Qualcuno dice è il terrorismo, è la guerra. Sì, è la guerra, è il terrorismo. Per questo la scrittura afferma che Dio fa cessare le guerre, rompe gli archi e spessa le lance. Preghiamo il Signore per la pace. He called the Catholic Church in Gaza every night just to check on them. And a lot of people don't know that. A lot of people don't even think about Gaza's Christian community.

And I remember many of us saw those last New Year's or the year before that when one of the Gazan Christian ministers, you know, was talking about how the world has forgotten them and they were going to keep going forward. It's through efforts like this, the fact that he was calling them nightly, the fact that he wasn't afraid to speak out. This was a man who lived by example as it relates to the idea of services, the rent that we pay for the space we occupy on this planet. Not only did he champion for peace in Gaza and for hostages to be released, he did incredible work on the continent. He went to the Sudan and kissed the feet of Sudanese leaders in the conflict there.

He spoke out about what was happening with immigration here, whether it relates to the Haitians who are being accused of eating dogs in Ohio, the immigration policy to this administration. And maybe it's because he was an immigrant, family being from Italy, making their way to Argentina. There was always this—and in part for financial reasons, as the story is told, this was a man who did everything possible to connect with the poor and connect with the common people. And as somebody who's from Boston, where the child sex abuse scandal really broke in this country,

and we are really dealing with that at the forefront before many other states publicly, he will, he... I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future

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

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

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

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

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

And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Sometimes as dads, I think we're too hard on ourselves. We get down on ourselves on not being able to, you know, we're the providers. But we also have to learn to take care of ourselves. A wrap-up way, you got to pray for yourself as well as for everybody else, but never forget yourself. Self-love made me a better dad because I realized my worth.

Never stop being a dad. That's dedication. Find out more at fatherhood.gov. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council. I don't have the apology for that, and that meant a lot for people who were affected by that, because the people were asking for the Vatican to do something, and they were just kind of twiddling their fingers. And he actually put forward some reforms to help with that as well.

So this was somebody who understood people's souls. He understood that people are hurting, and he almost had a sixth sense about sensing it and reaching out for people. And we need more people who are servant-minded leaders who are really about practicing what they preach. And so rest in peace to Pope Francis. And I'm hoping that people will follow his example as we continue to go forward. He was a man who represented everything we need today and then some. Tennessee State Representative Vincent Dixie was on the floor challenging these right-wing so-called evangelical Christian legislators. And this is what he had to say today.

He challenged other Catholics to do what was right and love one another as we're supposed to. He was truly a man of God, and he used God to do God's will, not man's will. And we have to make sure that we walk in his path. He championed for migrants. He championed for the poor, the marginalized. He wanted us to love each other, and hopefully his life will not be in vain. We do a lot of things in this arena under the name of Christianity. It's time for us to step up and do what's right and do what's—do God's will.

Of course, we know that falls on deaf ears when it comes to those nutcases in Tennessee, Julian. And again, the thing that was always important was, again, how this pope, how he operated, how he moved differently. This was a scene where, when he was in Mexico. Check this out, where a young girl wanted to touch him, and so he stopped the car.

Watch this. Oh, my God. That's when he was in Washington, D.C., and it was a young girl named Sophie Cruz. And again, she broke through, a little Mexican girl. And the security was trying, as you see in the video, security was trying to escort her away. You see, they tried to stop her from moving forward. And the Pope said, no, no, no. He told them, no, bring her to me, bring her to me. And he embraced her, kissed her and hugged her. And again, that's, I mean, he understood, Julian, he understood what his role was as a religious leader and was not trying to, as someone said, he was trying to tear

down walls and not erect them. Absolutely. And he got energy from the people. I mean, that's what's really clear when you think about the way that he operated on the, you showed the picture of him on the subway earlier. They talk about him walking to get his glasses fixed. He had, I don't know how many staff people who could have gone to get his glasses fixed or have, no, he did it himself. He really wanted to be of the people. And so that video there of the little girl is a perfect example of wanting him to be, he wanted him to be of the people. And I think he got energy. I think he got inspiration from the people. And he, you know, in the immigration piece that you showed, where he, that the immigration piece, the Gaza piece, we talked about someone by name. So he didn't do 30,000 feet public policy. Oh,

he did, but he also did 5,000 feet public policy, or as you see with the young lady, the young girl, 10 feet public policy. He wanted to know who the people are. We need more leaders like that, Roland. His passing in some ways is untimely, because we—it's very likely that the College of Cardinals could swing in the wrong direction direction but I'm praying that they won't but it's very untimely but it's also very timely because it's a

reminder of what leadership is and we don't see a lot of that you know you've got fools doing public policy on the internet the department of defense you've got this child 35 year old young woman, who's going to help

J.D. Vance go through and rid us of our history. And again, this is that of the people. Why doesn't she come down to the National Museum of African American History and Culture

and get a tour and talk to some of the people there and look at what is there. But again, if you're doing public policy way up here, you're not going to be able to deal with what happens down there, down here on the ground. So again, this has been, it's very, brings back a lot of memories for me because I just, like I said, my mom revered that Pope.

She always talked about it. And she actually, on her birthday, she always asked her children, none of whom is, well, my baby sister practicing Catholic. The rest of us are not. I am AME. One of my sisters says she's no AME. But in any case, on her birthday, she would always ask us to make a contribution to the church in her name. We did it until the sex thing came out. And then we're like, no, mommy, we ain't doing that. When this pope came in, she said, do it just one time, one more time as an act of faith to this pope.

And so we did. We did. Because she really, I'm thinking, I'm channeling her now because she really, really, really loved this pope. Well, as someone who was born and raised Catholic, and in fact, the meeting to the church I grew up in was found in my grandparents' living room, definitely understand moments like this here. The video that you're seeing, this is from yesterday.

This was the last pope ride by Pope Francis. As we said, this was Easter Sunday, and as we said, he was gravely ill. The Vatican announced the cause. He suffered a cerebral stroke and went into a coma and passed away, but he was insistent on seeing the people and traveling. This, again, as I said, this was just yesterday. And he died at about 7.30 a.m. this morning, Vatican time. And, again, so many folks are now, you know, as Julianne said, and I think Renita at that point, she makes, is important,

Omicongo as well, you know, in this moment, in this moment where you have an idiot who occupies the Oval Office, that idiot plans to attend the funeral. And in fact, Pope Francis did not meet with J.D. Vance on Saturday, and he sent someone else to give him a very strong, stern lesson on the treatment of regular and ordinary people, which was needed because a lot of the craziness we've heard from J.D. Vance. And if there is a time when we need moral leaders to show courage, it is now. Renita? Yeah, I'm surprised and taken back. I had not seen that Trump said he was going to attend the funeral, but wow, why would he? I mean, he's had absolutely, he has no values in common with what the Pope had. Clearly, as we've all talked about how justice minded he was and the values that he not only talked about and lived and walked every single day.

So it's really amazing to me that Trump would want to show up to the funeral. I really hope that he goes there and he has respect and does not act like to like his normal idiot self, as you mentioned before, because you can tell that this is a pope that was well-loved, and I just really would hate to see any of his regular shenanigans at the funeral. Well, again, world leaders will be there. What people don't understand is that Omicongo, as the head of the Vatican, that is a city, so the pope is a head of state. And so the pope's funeral attracts heads of state all around the world. Yeah, and the way that President Trump has disrespected people in this country who have

died, such as John McEnany, I'm really concerned about what type of grandstanding he might do. We're talking about Pope Francis and how humble he was and how he was a man of the people. And I'm sitting here thinking that Trump is probably mad because this whole story has taken attention

from the White House Easter egg roll. Like, that's like the whole difference in mindsets, you know, of the two people that we're talking about. Hopefully something will come up and he won't attend. But if he is going to attend, you know, he needs to make sure that he's humbled. But it's not in his nature.

But anything that he does will not take away from this man's legacy. As a matter of fact, anything that he does will only highlight Pope Francis's legacy more because the character that this man exuded in his pinky, Donald Trump will never have. When I look at these pictures, not realizing that this was—I thought this was a ride from a time past. I didn't realize it was from this last ride. He just had to be with the people. And when you look at Trump and all of his billionaires, these are people who are so detached from the people, who have no sense of what ordinary people are going through. And so they—because they never do things like this.

You never see Trump walking into an area of Washington, D.C., to read to kids or a Ben's Chili Bowl or anything like— there's no connection with the people. And when we have politicians who can connect to the people, even halfway in the way that Pope Francis did, we can start making a change in this world. But Donald Trump on this day put out a little nonsensical statement that I hope he stays home. But there's nothing he can do to overshadow what this man has done.

Well, a lot of folks now focus on what happens next. The reality is this pope installed a number of the cardinals may very well try to pick someone who is far more conservative. We'll see what happens. This Pope, Pope Francis, criticized laws that criminalize homosexuality. But some of the folks that they're touting are individuals who want to return. He also really, really downplayed the use of Latin in various Catholic services. And so you had folks who want just see in that video that we're playing now, the throngs of people who were just out yesterday wanting their glimpse to get a glimpse of Pope Francis and not realizing this was going to be the last time they would actually get to see him alive. There was one video I saw where a guy shot the video, the final comments, and he said he was just in tears, realizing that he was there watching this. There will be, of course, several days of mourning, funeral process.

Then they will have the conclave where they'll be choosing who the next pope is going to be. And as we said, Pope Francis was 88. He was in his 70s when he got the job. And that differs a lot from, frankly, Pope John Paul II. First of all, Pope John Paul I only served 33 days as pope. He died of a heart attack at the age of 66. Then they chose Pope John Paul II, who was 58 years old. He served 26 years as pope, the third longest reign.

And so it would be interesting to see if they choose to pick a pope like they did Francis, who was in his 70s, or go with someone who is younger, who could actually potentially serve a longer term. And so, folks, again, our top story, Pope Francis died this morning, the age of 88 years old. We'll be right back right here on Roller Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. This week on A Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie here on Black Star Network, we are talking about all things, you got it, stress-related. Yes, the big S, whether it's spiritual, physical, emotional, or sometimes it could be just in your head. Stress has a way of manifesting itself in our lives

in such a way that it disrupts who we are and who we're in the process of becoming. Stress is just as bad as a lot of the physical ailments that we think of. That's all next on A Balanced Life on the Blackstar Network. How you doing? My name is Mark Curry. And you're watching Roland Martin. Unfiltered. Deep into it, like pasteurized milk.

Without the 2%, we getting deep. You want to turn that shit off? We're doing an interview, motherfucker. Folks, what you're seeing here is a live shot of the Vatican as folks mill about there in St. Peter's Square as a result of the death this morning of Pope Francis. Four years ago when Pope Francis came to the United States, he was in the Oval Office. And that was a pretty funny moment between him and President Joe Biden. Check this out.

I'm not sure this is appropriate, but there's a tradition in America that the President has what is called a command coin that he gives to warriors and leaders Il Presidente ha un comando, un comando di comando che dà ai combattenti, ai leader. Lei è il guerriero più forte per la pace che io abbia mai incontrato. E con il suo permesso vorrei ottenere questa moneta. È il sigillo degli Stati Uniti nella parte. È una casa bianca. on the back of it, I have the state of Delaware, the 261st unit my son served with. Now, the tradition is, and I'm only kidding about this, if next time I see you, you don't have it, you have to buy the drinks.

I'm the only Irishman you've ever met who's never had a drink. The President of the United States of America The President of the United States of America The President of the United States of America Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. when Pope Francis visited the White House and President Biden,

of course, they're joking about the challenge coin. One of the things that we actually, when you talk about, again, how this pope thought, you have a lot of people who were very, very, very much about if you, whether you were Catholic, did you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, did you go to heaven or hell? It was a very interesting moment here when a young man, a young boy, asked Pope Francis if his dad, who died, was an atheist if he was in heaven. Check this out.

Die, die, die, die. Grazie. Emanuele, vieni da me e dimmi dall'orecchio. Dimmi dall'orecchio. Vieni, vieni, vieni da me. Vieni, vieni. Thank you. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops call this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them.

From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

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

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

It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Sometimes as dads, I think we're too hard on ourselves. We get down on ourselves on not being able to, you know, we're the providers, but we also have to learn to take care of ourselves. A wrap-away, you've got to pray for yourself as well as for everybody else, but never forget yourself.

Self-love made me a better dad because I realized my worth. Never stop being a dad. That's dedication. Find out more at fatherhood.gov. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council. Io ho chiesto permesso a Emanuele di dire in pubblico la domanda e lui mi ha detto di sì, per questo la dirò. poco tempo fa è mancato è venuto a mancare mio papà lui era ateo ma ci ha fatto battessare a tutti e quattro figli era un uomo bravo. E in cielo papà? Non era credente, ma ha fatto

battessare i figli. Aveva il cuore buono. E lui ha il dubbio che il papà, per non essere credente, non potesse andare in cielo. Chi dice che va in cielo è Dio. Ma com'è il cuore di Dio davanti a un papà così? Com'è? Cosa vi sembra a voi? Un cuore un papà così com'è? cosa vi sembra a voi? un cuore di papà Dio ha un cuore di papà e davanti a un papà

che non credente è stato capace di battesare i figli e di darle quella bravura ai figli voi pensate che Dio sarebbe capace di lasciarlo lontano da te? Pensate quello? Ma forte, con coraggio!

Dio abbandona i suoi figli? Dio abbandona i suoi figli quando sono bravi? Ecco, Emanuele, questa è la risposta. Dio sicuramente era fiero del tuo papà, perché è più facile, essendo credente, battistare i figli che essendo non credente, battistarli. E sicuramente a Dio questo ha piaciuto tanto. Parla con tuo papà. Wow, that is a powerful moment there because that question gets a lot of folks, oh absolutely not, you get some people who are just so hardcore

and you saw how he answered that with class, dignity and grace. He always answered things with class, dignity and grace. He was a graceful man. I mean, that's the thing. I'm smiling, Roland. Thank you so much for showing so much of this. I mean, it's really making me smile. Remembering my Catholic school days a long time ago, and thinking about the faith. Now, when I learned about exploitation, colonization, all that, I think I was about 12 or 13, I stopped going to church. I can't go to Catholic church, it's complicit.

But what this Pope reminds you is that despite all the flaws, there is so much goodness, so much goodness in faith. And he exhibited the goodness. You have these people in the Congress and others who flap their lips and talk about faith and talk about God and turn around and cut food stamps. You have these people basically who talk about faith and men, they don't want to maintain Medicaid, but you're talking about a man who talked about faith and did his best to be an advocate for the least and the left out, for the poor, for those Gazans, for so many people. Again, thinking of him reminds me of all that's good in the world and in life, and it just makes me smile. So thank you for showing so many clips and for taking the time to lift up this man who was an advocate for everyone.

This was the actual statement from the Vatican this morning when they announced Pope Francis' passing. di questa mattina il Vescovo di Roma Francesco è tornato alla casa del Padre. La sua vita tutta intera è stata dedicata al servizio del Signore e della sua Chiesa. Ci ha insegnato a vivere i valori del Vangelo con fedeltà,cepolo del Signore Gesù, raccomandiamo l'anima da Papa Francesco all'infinito amore misericordioso di Dio uno et trino.

Grazie. That was the official statement from the Vatican. Again, that is via their social media feed, Vatican News. And those of you who have seen the movie Conclave, you might know that when, as the movie showed, when a pope passes away, they literally seal off his apartment and everything that's in it. And this is the video from today of that actually happening, the sealing of Pope Francis's papal apartment. And so no one will be able to enter that particular space. As I said, and you see right there, they also have a process.

So the ring that the Pope wears, that ring is also destroyed. That way, that ring cannot be used to forge any documents. And so there's a very, very clear and long process of the Catholic Church that they go through when a pope passes away. And this is what you're actually seeing, the closing off of the pope's apartment from anyone being able to enter until he is actually laid to rest. Lots of lots of pomp and circumstance, lots of process, if you will, that exist there. And, you know, one of the things that I think is still just so unique about this pope is that what his 12 year reign, Renita, now then forces those following him to say, are you going to go back to being a rigid church, being a some say a very conservative right wing Catholic church, or will they stay the course of being far, seeing themselves in a much more different light and a much more sense of humility in the way he carried himself.

That really is up, you know, up in the air because whoever is chosen, that person gets to determine the future path of the Catholic Church worldwide. Right. So, I mean, there's not much more to say. As we said before, his reputation speaks for himself. And I'll say what I said earlier, which is there's always a tendency to become more

conservative after things have gone in sort of a progressive route, particularly for institutions that have been conservative the majority of the time that they have existed. And the Catholic Church is no stranger to that. So I think that one thing they'll have to contend with is that people have now seen what it looks like for a pope to have courage and come out and talk and speak and give his opinion on things that he could have easily just ignored—for example, the situation in Gaza and standing up for Palestinians. And so now people have understood what it looks like to have a courageous pope.

And so if they do decide to go back and be conservative, they'll have to, you know, that person will be contrasted with the previous pope who just passed. And that will be something that, you know, they will no longer be able to tell people, oh, well, this is what we have to do because you just saw a pope who didn't do the status quo. And one of the issues that I talked about Gaza, Omicongo, but, you know, climate change, this pope was extremely vocal on the issue of taking care of this earth. People don't know about the pope is that there were actually many corporate leaders who had visited him over the years to talk about some of their environmental programs and sustainability programs, kind of seeking his counsel, doing it on the low to not attract attention. And that was

something, as we're learning all of these stories about the Pope, that was not something that I had paid attention to. And to be quite honest, when we're talking about who's next in line, that's also something that I'm concerned about as it relates to climate change, because it's very interesting that Pope Francis had the views that he did. People will kind of call him a quote-unquote liberal-minded pope. But some of the people that he has appointed across the world, you know, in African countries and the like, have been more on the conservative side. So if they are going to come in with that mindset, will that conservative mindset also translate into things relating to climate change? Because he was deeply committed to that, because he understood that that was a major source of poverty for people, the environments that they could not live in because they were not

sustainable. And so I think that there are many levels that people need to watch out for in terms of the direction that the Vatican is going to go with this next set of leaders. And that's something that I'm really concerned about. In the time that he's had, you know, 12 years, he's had an opportunity to really set the church in a direction that could really be helpful for people across the world, because I know there's billions of people who are Catholics, but, you know, numbers are dwindling in terms of church attendance and the like. And I feel like he really galvanized people in a way that I hope that they don't lose with the person who they appoint next in line. Indeed, indeed. So we're all going to be waiting to see. This is a collection of videos the Vatican News put together

of Pope Francis. If you go to their Twitter feed, you can see a lot of their videos and photos and things along those lines. We'll be following that feed for more information regarding Pope Francis. Again, passed away at the age of 88. And as I said, folks all around the world, tributes are pouring in. His funeral will be taking place later this week, later this week. And then we'll have more details of that, of course, we'll be carrying it live on the on the Black Star Network. And so you can just be sure to check out our check out our page as we continue to cover this. Earlier, we had a particular live shot of St. Peter's Square. This is the Vatican Media's website as well, a live view right now of Vatican City.

As folks mourn worldwide, more than one billion Catholics worldwide mourn the passing of Pope Francis. All right, folks, when we come back, we're going to talk about the idiot secretary of defense who is stuck on stupid when it comes to using signal. So how do you discuss military maneuvers on a signal chat with your brother, your wife, and your ex-wife? He is really dumb. And a top Republican in the House says it's time for him to go. We'll talk about that next. Don't forget to support the work that we do.

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uh that my donations were received but any paypal donation actually on our list so anybody gives via paypal it's on our list to be run every single Friday. And so, uh, but, uh, it says, you've got this thing, the next thing and everything that's to come, uh, stand strong, uh, praying your protection in Christ. Uh, Jeanette, see what's this Jeanette Harris, Jeanette Harris. So Jeanette, thank you very much for that. Nice card there. Let's see here. They got all mighty to keep you ever more. I pray that all the needs of your ministry and building Black

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Willie and Wanda Lumby. All right, I appreciate it. Folks, Cash App. Use the Stripe QR code. You see it right here on the screen. If you're listening, go to BlackstarNetwork.com for the QR code. Make your check and money order out to Roland Martin Unfiltered, please. It makes it a lot easier for us when it comes to the bank.

And PayPal, of course, first of all, send your money order and check. PO Box 57196, Washington, D.C., 2003-790196. PayPal is rmartinunfiltered. Venmo is rmunfiltered. Zelle, Roland at RolandSMartin.com. Roland at RolandMartinUnfiltered.com. We'll be right back. This week on the other side of change.

Black Maternal Health Week. The racial disparities are undeniable, making it clear that black people experience racism from the womb. America and America's health care system has not taken the time to invest in what quality health care looks like for Black-serving people. The state of Black maternal health in the United States is still dismal. It is environmental racism. It is systemic racism.

It is the systems that we are born into. Only on the other side of change on the Black Table with me, Greg Carr. The enormous impact of race, education, and affirmative action in America and how, believe it or not, white America is starting to feel a little bit of the pain. Dr. Natasha Waraku joins us with a case study of one suburban community and how it reacted when the minority students started to accept. And most people didn't say this explicitly,

but was that, you know, the academics are getting, standards are getting higher in part because of the Asian kids, and that is making our kids really stressed out. So we need to reduce the amount of homework teachers are allowed to assign. She shares a perspective that you don't want to miss. That's on the next Black Table, only on the Black Star Network. Hey, everybody, it's your girl, Luenell.

So what's up? This is your boy, Irv Quake. Hi, I'm Chaley Rose, and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. All right, folks. New questions around the idiot Defense Secretary Pete Hexeth. After numerous media reports, New York Times first revealed that this fool used a second private signal chat, including his wife, his brother, his personal lawyer,

to share sensitive details about U.S. military strikes in Yemen. Social media in the New York Times that Hexeth posted flight schedules and operational plans even after aides warned him not to use unsecured apps on his private phone for such information. Critics say many in the chat had no reason to know real-time military details, raising serious concerns about judgment and security. But that idiot is pushing back hard. The White House Easter egg roll, he claimed to fight fake news.

An anonymous smears from disgruntled former employees on old news doesn't matter. So I'm happy to be here at the Easter egg roll with my dad and my kids, because, you know, this is what we're doing it for. These kids right here. This is why we're fighting the fake news media. This is why we're fighting slash and burn Democrats. This is why we're fighting hoaxsters. Hoaxsters. This group, no, no, no. This group right here.

Full of hoaxsters. That peddle anonymous sources from leakers with axes to grind. And then you put it all together as if it's some news story. And when we know it, we know exactly what it is. So I'm really proud of what we're doing for the president, fighting hard across the board, and I'm going to go roll some Easter eggs. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun?

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

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

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

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

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

on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Sometimes as dads, I think we're too hard on ourselves. We get down on ourselves on not being able to, you know, we're the providers, but we also have to learn to take care of ourselves. We get down on ourselves on not being able to, you know, we're the providers, but we also have to learn to take care of ourselves. A wrap-away, you got to pray for yourself as well as for everybody else, but never forget yourself. Self-love made me a better dad because I realized my worth. Never stop being a dad. That's Dadication. Find out more at

fatherhood.gov. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council. Or you're going to roll some bottles of alcohol. Because he sounded drunk. And you want to know who sounds drunk? Carolyn Leavitt. Here's this fool on Fox News literally saying, Oh, all the Pentagon is after Hickseth, but he's the one who hired people. The president stands strongly behind Secretary Hegseth, who is doing a phenomenal job leading the Pentagon. And this is what happens when the entire Pentagon is working against you and working

against the monumental change that you are trying to implement. Secretary Hegseth was nominated for this position because he is standing up for the war fighter, the men and women in uniform who are putting their lives on the line to protect our country and our homeland. And unfortunately, there have been people at that building who don't like the change the secretary is trying to bring. So they are leaking and they are lying to the mainstream media. We've seen this game played before. The secretary is doing a tremendous job and the president stands strongly behind him. Folks, Hague says own Pentagon spokesman resigned on Friday, posted a piece in Politico where he said the Pentagon is melting down because of Hague's awful, awful leadership.

Don Bacon, who is a Republican in Congress, he is called for Hex to resign. He said he's acting like he's above the law, and that shows an amateur person. That's exactly what he is, Renita. He's an amateur. He's a Fox News anchor. He's an amateur. He's a Fox News anchor. He's an idiot. And to follow retired four star General Lloyd Austin is really these fools want to talk about. I want to criticize DEI. Somebody said, no, this is DUI. absolutely no this entire administration has been on display what it looks like when you remove dei and nothing but their incompetence is left to shine through because they have had mistake after

mistake and like you said heck seth i mean it's just obvious he has never served a day in government which is why he is in there acting like somebody who can't wait to show off whatever information he knows he just strikes me as somebody who would say to his friends and family, hey, guys, can you believe I got to be a part of this chat and show them the information? So I just think that it's really crazy how at the same time he's trying to spin this as it's both leaks and lies. Well, is it leaks or is it lies? I mean, if you're mad that people told the truth on you, the truth is still the truth. And the same thing for Carolyn. I mean, this administration needs to learn that it doesn't matter how many loud talking,

strong talking blondes you put in front of the camera to say that all of this is OK. It doesn't make it OK. It just doesn't. And on the Congo, this is a photo. This is Don Bacon. He's a retired Air Force general. He kind of knows a little bit about the military. Yeah, right. Look, I mean, you know, it's sad that we're all like laughing about the incompetence, the sheer incompetence that we're seeing here. But it's just a matter of time before this thing has real deadly consequences

for troops, for civilians somewhere. And it's really scary. The fact of the matter is, Roland, Signal is their policy. Like, that's what they do because they are corrupt and they don't want any, you know, any document they share is supposed's supposed to be saved,

because this is part of an act that was put forth by Congress that you're supposed to have records be saved, period, bottom line. Signal, as we know, you can delete messages after an hour, two hours, three hours, whatever. They don't want their conversation saved. That's why they are doing this. And honestly, Roland, it's also even sadder because they're not doing this with all Pentagon employees. They're just doing it with their people. So many of the Pentagon staff are actually being left out of these conversations as well. And when you see over the weekend, he got rid of three of his top advisors because of their, quote unquote, leakers. And so when you see that, and then when you see Levitt say that the entire Pentagon is against the leader of the Pentagon, that is a recipe for disaster, to have that type of turmoil

exist in this space. And so really, at the end of the day, and on top of that, Roland, it's not like he was using Signal on a secure phone. He was using Signal on his iPhone. And we know that every foreign government, ally and fo foe is operating to get access because they all got their spy networks to what these guys are doing. We have a government between Rubio, the State Department, and all of these guys who are conducting foreign policy on Signal, on social media, basically, with their friends, families. And did you say ex-wife as well was on that with the wife? Like, what the hell? You know what I'm saying? We are in for it, man. And I'm just I'm just really nervous for what's going to happen when something deadly and catastrophic happens with this ignorance and incompetence.

And Julian, you can always depend on the dumb and dumber. Hicks is dumb, but Trump is dumber. Listen to this. When he's not drunk tweeting, he's drunk talking. Ask the hooties how much dysfunction is. Pete's doing a great job. Everybody's happy with him. We have the highest recruitment numbers I think they've had in 28 years. No, he's doing a great job. It's just fake news. They just bring up stories. I guess it sounds like disgruntled employees.

You know, he was put there to get rid of a lot of bad people, and that's what he's doing. So you don't always have friends when you do that. Should we stop using the app? That's the hooties. I'm sorry, hooting a blowfish, hooters. I'm not sure he knows what he's talking about. Julian, go ahead. But he never knows what he's talking about. I mean, you know, this is it's

comedy and it's not comedy. The reason that it's not comedy is because it's putting our country in jeopardy. I saw Leon Panetta, former secretary of defense on, I think, CNN earlier today, and he was talking about the damage, the damage that this man is doing, Hespeth, the damage that he's doing to our Pentagon infrastructure. Now, the people that the former, whatever, the president is calling losers are the people that Hespeth picked. So he went and picked some losers. Well, who's the

biggest loser? Other than the Oval Office, we're also looking at Hexpath. The challenge here, I mean, these people do not believe that fat meat is greasy. I mean, they truly do that. They told them about this Signal stuff a month or so ago, and it was a mistake. So how do you do it again? What about, you know, I mean, idiots are people, you do the same thing over and over again and you expect a different result. And then like, oh, my Congress, your ex-wife, what are you doing? You're bragging, look at what I got, look at the access I have. So you're bragging to your ex-wife, give me a break. We are really, I mean, I'm very concerned. I've tried to ignore that man in the house that enslaved people built, tried to ignore his shenanigans, hoping that somehow

we would come to the end of the road. But we're not coming to the end of the road. This is what he does. This is how he does it. And the American people, we are in jeopardy, folks. If you're tweeting and sending classified documents or documents that should be classified or secret information, if you're dealing with this on your iPhone, really? Who else has access to it? Anybody in the world who means us harm? Putin. Although the president would probably give Putin the information if he asked him for it, because I believe, truly believe, and I'd hate to say this, but I really believe that he is a Russian agent, that the president of the United States is a Russian agent. That may be a little far fetched, but maybe not. I'll just leave it there. No, I mean, that's not far fetched at all. All right, folks, let's talk about Target.

The call for the boycott began February 1st. And remember, Target on January 24th, Target announced they were ending their DEI policies. Their stock was around $145, something along those lines. Today, Target's stock closed at $93.78. If you look at this chart here, you will see, please drop the lower third. Thank you. Look at this chart here. You will see how their stock has performed in the last six months. Their stock is down $57.13 in the last six months. That's almost 38%. They lost more than $12 billion in market share. Now, understand, there are multiple things that are happening here. You get a group in Minneapolis of sisters who called for a boycott of Target. Nekima Levy Armstrong was a part of that.

Then We Are Somebody, Nina Turner's group, the day after the DEI announcement called for the boycott, they launched the February 1st. Pastor Jamal Bryan had TargetFast.org. That was launched on March 5th. And when he launched it, he said it was going to go from Lent to Easter. Well, yesterday he addressed this from the pulpit and made clear that the boycott is not over. I want to thank you because you don't even know that you are a part of history, that you've been a part of history. The Montgomery bus boycott was so significant because it shifted the economy of one city by standing strong. They did it for 381 days. Not since the Montgomery bus boycott has Black

America come together in such a unified vision, a unified focus, and a unified front. And we've done it, ladies and gentlemen, we have done it for 10 weeks. For 10 weeks. We've stayed out of Target. It didn't start with us, but there was already a grassroots movement afoot that was doing a Target boycott. We came along just as one church and said that the body of Christ needed to be a part of it and that we were going to take fasting as a spiritual principle because we understand that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but they are mighty under God for the pulling down of strongholds. I announced it to you the Sunday before Ash Wednesday and I wanted to pause and thank you for standing in line with the vision of your pastor and the prompting of the Holy Ghost. Can you believe with a small movement that started in this church, 200,000 people signed to be a part started this Target Fast, a trillion-dollar company, a Fortune 500 company,

was trading on the New York Stock Exchange at $138 a share. Because of how it is that stridently you have put your hand to the plow, their stock started at $138 a share. As of Friday, it is down to $94 a share. Foot traffic at Target has gone down by 7.9%. Ladies and gentlemen, I hope that you will share with me your enthusiasm for people who thought it was ineffective and there would be no results. Is that because of your fast, Target has lost $12 billion. Come on, y'all ought to be shouting. They tried to put out a statement that their loss is because of the economy, because of tariffs with China. But the reality is that while they were losing, Costco was gaining. Come on, I can't hear nobody.

And I am so, so grateful that there is power in unity, and we know the strength of black economics. Ladies and gentlemen, black people are the 12th wealthiest nation in the world with spending power. Don't ever undervalue or underestimate your power and your authority. I need to give God glory for black business and for black dollars. It's a critical meeting and a critical moment for us. It's a critical moment for our people. It's a critical moment for the nation to see us unified. And as a consequence, we understand that power concedes nothing without a demand. Those of you who were not aware, we launched a website, targetfast.org. We asked for four things to happen. Number one is that they would stand by the pledge that they made

after the killing and the murder of George Floyd to invest $2 billion into black business. That was our first ask because after Donald Trump came into office, they rescinded on that promise. The second ask that we had is that because black people spend $12 million a day at Target, we asked that they would put $250 million into black banks so that black people would have access to capital to start businesses and to go into home ownership. The third thing that we ask for is that they would partner with six HBCUs and their business programs so that we could teach young people how to scale businesses

and to create generational wealth because they'll never be wealthy having to work for somebody else. They have to do it doing it for themselves. Ladies and gentlemen, you already have read the report that a meeting took place. And in that meeting, I wanted to share with you the outcome of it. We had four asks and only walked away with one thing. I want to tell you what that one thing is. Is Target has agreed

to, Target has agreed, Target has agreed that by July. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multibillion-dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated,

on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is Season 2 of the war on drugs podcast sir we are back in a big way in a very big way real people real perspectives this is kind of star

studded a little bit man we got uh Ricky Williams NFL player Heisman Trophy winner it's just the compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug ban. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. Got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote.

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

And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersceiling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. The 31st, they will complete the pledge of $2 billion for Black business.

That's a billion with a B. But the other three things we have no commitment on, and we don't have anything to stand on, because their currency does not ride with us. If in all of these years we have been loyal customers and clients, and then in the moment of dis-ease you turn your back and so I had to share with Target that we gave you 40 days to answer for not one and they only came back with one so I told them what I'm getting ready to tell you. We ain't going back in there. And so the fast shifts to a full out boycott, full out boycott. It's a full-out boycott.

And I'm asking you, if you have not already done so, go to TargetFast.org and go and register. This coming Tuesday, I am doing a town hall meeting that I want everybody in the community to come, everybody in the community to be a part of. I sent last night an invitation to the president and CEO of Target, as well as the chairman of the board, to come to New Birth on this coming Tuesday

to speak to the people directly, not in a private closed meeting, but in an open venue to talk about where Target's commitment is and where it is that we are going. So Tuesday, I don't know whether it is that the president is coming or the chair of the board is coming or anybody for that matter from Target is coming, but I need you to be here so that we plan and chart out what is our future going forward. I also wanted you to know that this is not a new birth effort or a Jamal Bryant project. This is a national move. And so as a consequence, on Tuesday, I will be introducing to you what is the national committee on this Target boycott. I am introducing all of them by name and by organization and affiliation so that Target knows you only talk to these people. Everybody don't represent us. Y'all

ain't saying nothing. But these are the people who are in agreement, in alignment with where it is that we are going and how it is that we move. Ladies and gentlemen, whether you realize it or not, we are now in the new civil rights movement. Folks, joining us right now is Nina Turner. She is founder of We Are Somebody and is a part of this movement. Nina, you know, a lot of folks, so a lot of different things are happening. And one of the things that Jamal said there, I said on this show

as well, that there are different facets. There are people who never even signed up who are boycotted. There are people who watch this show and who are like, yo, we're down with the people who are listening other places as well. And the reality is we are seeing what happens when collective action happens. On Friday,

there was a meeting. Target's CEO was there with Reverend Al Sharpton. Jamal Bryant was there in New York. A couple of other folks were in that meeting as well. And I understand that he's been meeting with other black civil rights organizations. They have not publicly stated that they have been meeting with them. But the point that he made there is critically important. The group that's leading this boycott is the group that's going to be negotiating with Target. That's right. That's right, Roe. And certainly big ups to you and Unfilter for getting that message out there. There is a confluence and there is something to be said about universal thought when target made this

announcement on january the 24th as you remember and i've been sharing with their audience on january 25th we are somebody was out there i get by with a little help from my friends calling on until freedom uh tamika mallory he's one of the co-founders of until freedom and then you know bringing up the pastor but there were local things happening at the same time, which is beautiful. And to your point about that 200,000 who signed on, but there are millions of people, millions of eyes have been on the various outlets, both social media, your show, and other shows that have lifted this national boycott. The fast was a phase of a larger boycott. And as Pastor Brian laid out there,

uh, answering one of the demands and, and, and let me just say that one demand to spend $2 billion with the black community from 2020 to now was already there. So that that's, that's nothing new, but they did not answer the other demands. And I don't think that the CEO of Target, Brian Cornell, truly understands the pain points that he calls by bending to bigotry. This is bigger than DEI, but DEI is a part of it. What is wrong with having diversity, equity and inclusion in your company DNA and also in the DNA of this country. Folks missed the point that we need DEI and other things. I mean, obviously we need to go deeper than that because there's a wrong that has been happening in this country for generations. So I'm really glad to see this organizing committee to come together. Tamika Mallory, myself, and Pastor Jamal Bryan did have an opportunity on Saturday to talk to one of the representatives

of Target, and we've gotten no further than they did when they all had that meeting previously. See, the thing that folk have to understand is that when Target talked about the $2 billion, that wasn't oh, we're going to be spending $2 billion collectively. That was supposed to be annually.

Talk about it, bro. I mean, that was supposed to be annually. Talk about it, bro. I mean, that was supposed to be annually. So this idea in terms of what, I mean, this is the corporate statement that they dropped on April 7th, 2021. They said as part of their commitment, let me get this up on the screen one second. As part of their commitment, Let me get this up on the screen one second. As part of their commitment, they want to add products for more than 500 black owned businesses across its multi-category assortment, increase its spend with more black owned companies such as marketing agencies, construction companies, facilities, maintenance, and more. Establish new resources, including the

Forward Founders Program to support black-owned companies and help them grow their business. It's right here. It said Target announced a commitment to spend more than $2 billion with black-owned businesses by the end of 2025. Now, one of the things that they've said to Jamal that they're going to meet this by July, here's what we haven't seen. Who?

We ain't seen a list. List of company amount, company amount. When they say marketing agencies, I don't know who. Black-owned media, I think Target did. I'll check with my guys. I think Target did something with us like three years ago, and it was real small, and we ain't heard from them since. And so the point here is, which I keep with Dr. King talked about in his April 3rd, 1968 final sermon at Mason Temple, when he said again, he said we must he talked about again the pain. We must redistribute the pain. The bottom line is these companies are making billions off of us,

and there's no ROI. They're not spending with black-owned media. They're not using black transportation companies, black law firms, black accounting firms, black engineering firms, black construction companies. And if they think that we're just going to keep sitting there rolling up in your store, they're wrong. And this is also sending a message. And that's the target.

But the whole bunch of other companies saying, do understand y'all are next. That's right. There's power in our purchase. I mean, people need to hashtag that. It's power in our purchase. And to add to that role, you know, he promised this off of the off of the back of when George Floyd was murdered. It was right when he came out and said George Floyd could have been one of my target team members and therefore I want to do X, Y, Z. put on screen, they said that they were going to expand their diversity goals at the time to increase representation of black employees across its workforce by 20% over the next

year. So that would have been from 2020 to 2021, and that the company would start a new program to help black entrepreneurs develop, test, and scale their products. They did some of that, but once Donald J. Trump came on the scene, all of those promises made all of a sudden became something that was expendable. And so the question for the CEO is, did you believe those things when you said it? Was it right and moral and also economically viable for Target, too? Because they just do this out of the goodness of their heart when you said those words. And now all of a sudden you don't have a commitment.

So the ire in the black community is that you made a promise to us off of the death of George Floyd. And now all of a sudden you have a neo-fascist in the White House and you don't care. You don't you don't really give a damn about the black community and other marginalized communities. And dare I say, ever since they made that commitment to to to to stand with this president, they have decreased some of the shelf space. There is no guarantee for those black businesses. And shout out, Ro, to the black business

owners who said on their own, if the black community is boycotting, we don't want them to purchase none of our stuff out of Target. Come purchase from us directly. That is a beautiful thing. That has to be answered, too to as well, that we have to continue to support these black businesses. How do we show up black institutions?

Because it is, because it's target today. Other companies are folding to the bigotry, the black community and other marginalized communities remain vulnerable unless we unite in the way that we're doing right now and letting them know, to your point, the point I'm making, Tamika, Pastor Brian, and so many others, you're not going to play us and that there's power in our purchase. And as my grandma used to say, I can show you better than I can tell you. And as we know, these companies are real good at trying to pick off different organizations, try to have separate meetings and it's important for organizations to know if there are any black organizations who are trying to have side meetings with target and

They are not a part of this boycott. They have not used any of their resources or notified people if they are not Communicating with the leaders of this boycott, we're going to call them out publicly because what cannot happen is for folk who ain't invested anything in this effort to then go try to break off a few crumbs by negotiating behind the backs of the people who are actually doing the work. Amen, bro. Let the church say amen. That is important that we don't allow ourselves to be picked off. This boycott is absolutely working, which is why Target is going to this leader, this leader, this community. You know, they even met with some of our Hispanic sisters and brothers

trying to pick off, you know, black and brown people against each other, too. No, we can't have that. We have got to stand solid and stand strong. And the point that you've been making, Roe, and thank you for that. You can't inch around the people who actually had the courage to get this thing started. Now, of course, this is bigger than any leader, any national leader, any grassroots leader, because we needed the people to pull this off. And so the people have shown, both the black community and others who are in allyship with us, they have shown that, hey, we are rocking with you.

Even in the LGBTQ plus community, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, you know, to be, or yeah, Minneapolis in particular, they turned down roll. When Target did this, that pride group turned down the $50,000 or $60,000 that they were getting from Target regularly and said, you know what? And they can lease the 40, but they said, you know what? You want to roll with bigotry? We don't want your money. So from a grassroots group like that to others, to your point, come on, black folks, you can't have these side meetings

with these people and take crumbs when we have a larger vision here. Absolutely. And so let me just be as clear as possible. If there is any black group and we find out you are having a side meeting and you have not communicated with any of the leaders of this target boycott advisory organizing committee, I'm letting you know right now, I'm going to put you on front street and I'm going to tell the people that you are meeting and we're going to call y'all out and then smoke y'all out to force you to say, why don't you go talk to him? What you talked about? What are you negotiating?

Because this is the game they've always played. How can they find the least expensive Negro that has always been their strategy? And so I don't owe nobody. So let's just be real clear. So I don't owe nobody. Look, our show is here because our fans give to our show.

That's how we make our money. And so I ain't afraid to call nobody out. So I'm just letting y'all know if you're having side meetings and you ain't talking to nobody and you cutting side deals, I'm going to call your asses out. Well, bro, you called them filtered for a reason. So folks know. They know what you said. Word is bond. Just let them know. All right. Lena, we appreciate it. There's a town hall tomorrow.

What time is that town hall in Atlanta tomorrow? It's at New Birth, bro. I think it starts at 7. Don't quote me on that. I think it's 7 or 7.30, but it's at New Birth, and I will definitely be in the place, and Tamika Mallory will be in the place representing her organization. I think Brother Ben Chavis will be there as well. There'll be a whole host of other national leaders that will be there.

So join us if you can. Please join us. New Birth. All right. Nina Turner, we are somebody. We appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Thank you. Folks, real quick, I'm going to go to a break My panel is going to talk about that But I've got to go to a quick break Omar Miller, who stars in the Ryan Coogler movie Sinners, will be joining us next

Right here on Rollerball Unfiltered Back in a moment This week on the other side of change Black Maternal Health Week The racial disparities are undeniable, making it clear that Black people experience racism from the womb. America and America's health care system has not taken the time to invest in what quality health care looks like for Black-gripping people. The state of Black maternal health in the United States is still dismal. It is environmental racism.

It is systemic racism. It is systemic racism. It is the systems that we are born into. Only on the other side of change on the Black Star Network. Hey, I'm Antonique Smith. Hey, I'm Arnaz J. Hi, this is Cheryl Lee Ralph, and you are watching Roland Martin, unfiltered. I mean, could it be any other way? Really

it's Roland Martin Folks huge weekend for director Ryan Coogler, michael b jordan and the whole cast of the movie um sinners folks um man they set a record uh for an original uh movie the highest grossing original movie uh since 2019 uh they took in 4848 million at the domestic box office, again setting the new mark for the best box office launch for an original film since the pandemic. It has gotten a huge response on Rotten Tomatoes. Go to my iPad.

On Rotten Tomatoes, they earned a 98% critics and a 97% audience score. The highest score for a studio wide release since Universal DreamWorks The Wild Robot. They earned an A on CinemaScore. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot

your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multibillion-dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1,

Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is Season 2 of the war on drugs podcast we are back in a big way in a very big way real people real perspectives this is kind of star-studded a little bit man we got uh Ricky Williams NFL player Heisman Trophy winner it's just a

compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug ban. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. Got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette.

MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working and we need to change things. Stories matter and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for learn to take care of ourselves.

A wrap-away, you got to pray for yourself as well as for everybody else, but never forget yourself. Self-love made me a better dad because I realized my worth. Never stop being a dad. That's dedication. Find out more at fatherhood.gov. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council. Marking the first time in 39 years that a horror film has earned a grade that high from the audience. That is absolutely huge. And they expect to do big business the next several days. Actor Omar Miller is in the movie. He joins us right now. Omar, glad to have you here. Man, y'all all got to feel pretty

doggone good. Come on. These sinners got blessed this weekend. It worked out. The thing that's also amazing, it's very interesting here. I've been seeing all these folks talk about this deal that Ryan Coogler cut where he gets ownership of the film in 25

years. And boy, some folks, they hot and bothered. They got him upset. Yeah, but here's the deal years. And, boy, some folks, they hot and bothered. Ooh, they got him upset. Yeah, but here's the deal, though. If the movie tanked, they wouldn't be saying nothing. See, the reality is— And we've seen quite a few headlines that kind of intimated that they wanted the film to tank. Yeah, absolutely.

And audiences turned out in record numbers. And what's great about this, this wasn't a cape. It wasn't a superhero. It was an original idea. And I think that's what the public has been craving, something new, fresh, original, and not a sequel or a prequel or the 10th or the 11th of the same concept.

Well, you know, and I think you've been a trailblazer in this with your company and with your show i'm a long time viewer and listener i want to tell you i appreciate the love that you always gave jasmine and i on ballers because you were always a vocal supporter and i appreciate that and in kind i try to return the support on your network and i think that the big thing that we're seeing is it's on us. It's on us as business people, as entrepreneurs, as the electorate, top to bottom, it's on us. And we have to do what we can to reward the people who actually give us what we want and what we need. Ryan got rewarded by the audience because he delivered a picture which was original, entertaining, educational, nostalgic. And it's something that just lands on you and sticks with you because he accurately portrayed a dynamic portrayal of us as people.

Was also just great about it. I mean, it was just like a wave that was just moving. I mean, over the weekend, I saw folk who were saying, I went in the theater, had no idea what the hell I was watching, and then they were raving about it, and they were folk were live posting

while they were in the middle of the movie, and you actually just begin to see this thing build. There were people who were saying, oh, okay, but on Friday, Thursday, Friday, oh, yeah, this might do, you know, 30, 35 million. All of a sudden, it was like boom, boom, boom, boom, and numbers kept going higher and higher. No matter what you pay for advertising-wise,

word of mouth is still the most powerful form of advertisement and endorsement that you can get. And when people started to see this film and it got unleashed on the public and it really sticks with you, I just I can't explain it. If you haven't seen it yet, there's a mesmerizing effect. Now, as a person in the film, I'm somebody that watches with a professional eye. I actually can watch this film as a fan. And I, too, got mesmerized by the music. I, too, got mesmerized by the music. I, too, got mesmerized by the visuals.

And even if you look at the clip where Ryan did the piece where he's explaining the different ways to see the film, and that went viral. Because this man has so much passion for what he does, and he had such a clear vision, him and his wife, for what they were doing. It translated onto the celluloid, and then it hits you. It really hits you. It goes to show you the power of art and the power of film uh folks y'all got the uh trailer if you got it go ahead and play it oh the summer time has come And the trees are sweetly blooming The wild mountain tiny

Grows around the ground Will you let the sea grow And it all go together Will you go, La Cigar? And we'll all go together To a wild mountain time All around the blue Will you go, I see, home I will build my love about By a cool and crystal fountain

On it I will burn All the flowers of the mountain Will you go, lassie, go And we'll all go together To the wild mountainside All around the field I haven't seen that trailer. Yeah, that's a new one. It was an original one they released.

That was the one they released last week that spoke to it. And a lot of folks, man, are talking about the powerful performance of Delroy Lindo. Oh, you know, I've watched Delroy my entire career. And before I became an actor, I paid money to go see Delroy Lindo in films. Like when I was a child and saw Malcolm X in the theater, you know, it's so great to work with somebody of his stature and of his talent level and to see how he prepares and how he gets busy. His portray in this film of delta slim a real bad blues man is representative of so much and i think that people are identifying it because he reminds you of somebody that you know in your family and his his portrayal is just so authentic he's just

so honest on screen he deserves all the flowers questions up. Let's see. Has anyone on the panel seen the movie? Did y'all see the movie this weekend? Yep. Okay. Well, on the Congo, you get to go first then. Yeah, I was one of those people who didn't know what to expect. And so halfway through when I started seeing red eyes, I'm like, oh, my goodness. So I thoroughly enjoyed it.

And my question for you, Omar, is this. When I saw Black Panther in 2018, I came out like a lot of Black people with our chest stuck out, you know, because we were just so proud of Trump being in office. It was something that we needed in the moment. Even though this movie is different, are you getting the same types of vibes, particularly from Black people who are seeing this movie with all of the anti-DEI stuff going on, that this is the movie we need in this moment? First of all, thanks for coming out on the weekend,

because the opening weekend means so much in Hollywood and for the commerce of films. Secondly, absolutely. I actually had a deep conversation earlier with a friend of mine. We were speaking about how when Panther came out, it was the right movie for that time. And part of the brilliance of what Coogler is able to do is Sinners is the right film for us as a culture at this time. And I don't think it's just the right film for us as Black folks. It's especially the right picture for us as Black folks. But it's the right picture for Americans because this film speaks about the promise of America and the broken promises of America and the promise of freedom. And, you know,

here we're not dealing with any kind of black trauma porn film. This is a film you come out of and you feel further resilience and you recognize that you have to examine where we are in society and where you personally are on your journey morally, ethically. And what are you willing to do for your freedom? Thank you. Renita? Yes, thank you for being with us, Omar. This is such a treat.

I cannot wait to see Sinners. In fact, I'm going to have to see it a couple times in the theater. My question is this. People are saying that Ryan Coogler, they believe he has created a new genre in creating this movie. My impression of this from everything I've read about Sinners is that maybe people are saying that because this is definitely a fantasy film because it's got vampires involved, but at the same time, it's going deep into racial reckoning. It's going deep into showing the reality of living in the Jim Crow South in the around the 30s. And so do you think that that's why people are saying that? Because you don't usually see something that's both fantasy, but also showing also what having like these deep kind of racial conversations at the same time and showing the reality of a period of time in history?

Or do you think they're saying something else? It's hard to explain this film without seeing this film, which has made it difficult to market, which is why I think Ryan once again showed his genius with his marketing plan. But I think that what's happening is the genre conversation. He's done something that is so intimate and so personal to him that that specificity is landing and creating universality amongst the audience because the film covers a take on capitalism. It examines our social situations.

It examines our social situations. It examines our spiritual place. It examines a lot, and you can't help but to have that land on you if you experience and watch the film. And so with that, I think some of it has to do with the fantasy part. The problem with saying that he created a new genre, it implies the idea that somebody else could then recreate it. I don't think anybody else can make this movie, and I think that if you try to make a movie like this, you have a very, very high bar to

meet. Julianne? Well, first of all, thank you for being with us. I appreciate it. Let me say, I was very apprehensive. I have not seen the film. Now, after listening to you and seeing that new trailer, I will go see it. I have not seen the film. Now, after listening to you and seeing that new trailer, I will

go see it. I don't like horror movies. They freak me out. I have nightmares about them. What I've heard is described as horror and fantasy, and I don't like vampires either for any number of reasons. But I'm convinced. Child, you love Jesus.

Just go on to the doggone movie. All that damn Let me tell you something I'm a card-carrying Christian Okay, I'm a card-carrying Christian Yesterday, I celebrated Resurrection Day With a prime rib with my mama Who was a Sunday school teacher for 30 years

I'm here to tell you That the film is appropriately titled Sinners I wouldn't describe it as a horror film. There's elements of horror in it. There's vampires in it, but it is not a vampire film. And the reason this film is resonating with so many people is because it doesn't sit in one category or one genre.

I suggest you give it a chance because the conversation starter that this film is, you won't be able to get away from. In fact, Delroy Lindo said that. He said that this is not a horror film. Julian, go ahead. Well, the question, do I need to bring some people with me because I'm a freak out in there? Yeah, five, bring your chaperone. Julian, your ass, what? How old are you, Julian? 71.

You 71? Why in the hell hell you need to bring somebody with you to the damn... You may want to bring some people with you, but only because you're going to have to talk to somebody about the film once you see the film. I've never been in a picture that makes people want to speak about it and re-watch

it the way that this one is. And I've been doing this for a good amount of time. Okay, I'm going to take your word for it, brother. I promise. I'll give you a refund if you don't like it. All right. Lord have mercy. She just didn't hear.

Oh, goodness. And so I know some folks, so Omar, I have a very strict rule. See, a lot of these movie companies and these streaming services and networks, they never like to spend money with black-owned media. So that's why I don't typically have folk on. So you're on. I understand that. Thank you. And so you're on because your publicist reached out.

I was like, absolutely, you're right. I love you and the sister who's on Ballers. I love y'all. Jasmine. Y'all should. Y'all should. Jasmine, y'all should have had a spinoff. The two of y'all just hilarious. So I was like, hey, I'm have them on. But that's always my thing there. So. So let Warner Brothers know that that that that you got on because of you. We count on that. And I'm going to publicize it because of you. And because let me tell you, I appreciate the black owned business element. I grew up, my parents are entrepreneurs.

I know how hard the hustle is. And I know that we have to support if we're ever going to get out of this rat race that we're in where they can, where the they thinks that they can sidestep us and our businesses. Absolutely. Absolutely. And so we do have a scene with you in the movie Roll It. What y'all doing? Just step aside and let me on in now.

Why you need him to do that? You big and strong enough to push passes? Well, I wouldn't be too polite now, would it, Miss Annie? I don't know why I'm talking to you anyway. Smoke. Don't talk to him. You're talking to me right now. Why you can't just walk your big ass up in here

without an invite, huh? Go ahead. Admit to it. Admit to what? That you dead. Smoke, you listening to what? That you dead. So you listening to this? Now we out here playing games, telling ghost stories, in place of doing what we ought to do.

And what is it we supposed to be doing? Being kind to one another. And being polite. Now, we is one people and we shouldn't go in barging into other folks' places uninvited. So, we've been in and out of here all day. Ain't never need to invite them. Yeah,

something ain't adding up. Can I at least get my money? Careful. See, that's the money he gonna get. Julianne, why you jumping? I didn't expect that. That's why. Julianne, your ass literally jumping on Skype right now. I'm sorry.

You should definitely bring a chaperone, Julianne. Miss Julianne, you need to bring a chaperone. She's going to have to bring somebody. Matter of fact, and you need the money back. That's the money he's going to give you that he took from my league. That's what he's going to give you, the money. Lord have mercy. She is jumpy.

She is jumpy right here on Skype. Oh, Lord. My goodness. Well, it has done gangbusters, and I love these people who are sitting here having the audacity to say, well, you know, it ain't gonna do well overseas.

I just want the haters, Omar, to keep hating, and I want them to have to sit here and have to accept how good the movie is doing. And again, they've been saying for years, oh, black movies can't do well. Well, we know what happened with Django, how well it did internationally.

And I just really hope all these folk who have been running their mouths just get embarrassed every day as the numbers come in. That's what I hope. Well, it's a lot of crow on the menu, and it's going to be a lot of people that got to eat it, because I'm here to tell you, this film is going to perform. Once you speak to somebody who speaks so passionately after they've seen it, you'll be like Miss Julianne and go see it. And this thing stays with you.

And so right now we're number one in several countries around the world, not just the United States, not just North America. We're number one in France. We're number one in the UK. We're number one all over the place. And it's because the brilliance of Kugler and Ryan's relation and Mike's relationship is that these are human stories. Right.

They're specifically wrapped up in the blackness but as we know we create culture for the whole world to consume and what we do and determine is cool then in turn translates to every language to every society and these stories are going to do just that and you'll see the numbers are going to keep piling up folks this is from box office mojo uh i'm always going to their side. You see right here the domestic gross was forty eight million dollars. International was fifteen point five million. And so centers did sixty three point five million dollars. It's opening weekend. Ninety one million dollar budget. And Variety had this story, which I thought was just laughable.

Oh, will they be able to make the money back? I'm like, first of all, it was so stupid. No movie, I don't care what the movie is, makes its budget back the first weekend. Especially no original film. No movie, no superhero movie

makes, if the movie costs $200 million and the marketing budget is going to be $150 million, that's $350 million. They don't make that opening weekend. That story was a joke. I think it was actually the New York Times or Variety, one of them. I don't think it was Variety, which is unfortunate because that's an industry trade magazine. The other piece that is fortunate about that, though, and I think this is the lesson to be had. One of the most vocal, uh, voices saying this is a

ridiculous headline is Ben Stiller, who is a Hollywood heavyweight who has plenty of box offers behind him. And he pointed out that no other film would ever warrant this headline. And he lets you read between the lines on the why. Patrick Schwarzenegger came out speaking about how ridiculous it is. Joe Russo, who I worked with actually before, of the Russo brothers Avengers fame and Marvel fame, came out and blasted it. That's all right.

The haters are going to hate. But truth be told, you can't stop this because, as you see on social media, this film is a movement. Sinners is out. Good luck if you can get a ticket because this thing is going to run. All right. Omar Miller, I appreciate it, my brother. Thank you so very much. Roland, keep doing what you're doing. Thank you to the panel. Thank you for having me. And amen. Godspeed. Appreciate it, my brother. Thanks a lot. Folks, I'm looking for the tweet that they posted

and it really was laughable, Ome Congo, that Variety posted this. I wonder if it's even still up. I purposely took a screenshot last night thinking that they may delete it because they caught so much flack over the post. So first of all, you see here, eight hours ago, they have this here, five reasons why Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan centers rule the box office. But that's not the one everybody's talking about. I'm looking for, I have the screenshot. Guys, I have the screenshot. But I'm purposely looking to see if their tweet is still up.

The thing that was just, it was just, what was crazy to me is when you see these stories. And in fact, not just them, the New York, I'm gonna put all also, I'm gonna put the New York Times, same thing, their headline was just dumb how they wrote about Quentin Tarantino's movie and then this movie here, similar budget, being original.

It was just dumb. But see, this is the dumb stuff that we see constantly with this. And let's see. Here it is. This is the tweet. This is why people are criticizing them. Sinners has amassed $61 million in its global debut. It's a great result for an original R-rated horror film.

Yet the Warner Brothers release has a $90 million price tag before global marketing expenses. So profitability remains a ways away. That is just stupid, Omicongo. Just stupid. Yeah, their inability to read the room as it relates to this movie and that low-key hit. I'm glad Ben Stiller and other people have called this out. The fact of the matter is, it's a powerful movie. It's an original movie. And like you said, it crushed it over the weekend. At one point in the weekend, it surpassed Minecraft, and I think it surpassed Minecraft for the entire weekend, right?

So really, at the end of the day, why can't they? I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops call this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened

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

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

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

It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at tearthepaperceiling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. We just celebrate the greatness of this movie. Like you said, the fact that it's not a comic book movie sequel, the fact that it's not based off of a video game, this is, you know, two brothers in Coogler and Jordan doing their thing. And after one weekend to say something like that, to try to throw some salt on what they're doing right now, it's absolutely ridiculous, particularly in a time where I saw Minecraft. No black males in that cast. You got movies like Fantastic Four that's coming up. No black males. Marvel's

Thunderbolts, both Fantastic Four and Thunderbolts, I don't think have any black male or female leads. And so this was a powerful movie, but like Miller said, this was a movie for everybody. And so why don't you just let it give it its run like we do with every other movie, like you do in Variety with every other movie,

and stop throwing hate on this. But like Miller said, this is one of those movies that has broken through, and it has broken through quickly, and it's becoming a movement to go and be in this space. So they're, like he said, they're going to be in Crow really soon. I love it when the haters, who is this fool? Somebody named Tom Snyder, some conservative. I love this here.

This is going to give y'all more reason to go watch it. Sinners is a racist, ultra-violent, woke, pagan horror that spreads lies and falsehoods about American music and about white people. We refute the movie's woke lies here. We really don't care, Julian. We don't care, Tom Schneider, who goes by at Film Doctor. Suck it. Wow. Wow. I mean, that's such a ridiculous level of vitriol for a movie.

They market racist movies every day. This is not one of them. I didn't see it, but it doesn't sound like one to me. It sounds like a reexamination of history. And frankly, when the brother said examination of capitalism, I'm like, okay, I'm there. I'm going to have to take a couple of people with me because I am jumpy. But I will try to go see it tomorrow, actually.

There you go. There you go. Rita. Yeah. As it relates to the both the variety comment about, well, it's a ways away from profitability. And also the other comment you just read. I think that what is at the root of all this is these are the type of folks who want it to be the case that America does not need diversity. So what they're mad at is not so much about the movie, but they're mad about how successful the movie is doing in a time when they're trying to run these anti-DEI agendas that basically the root of it says all we need is whiteness to be successful in the country and the country can survive and thrive off of that and it's just not true with diversity companies

make more money um products do better and um it is because that reflects the entire culture and it reflects uh the melting pot that america is and so they they want it to be the case that anything that involves any type of diversity is going to fail. And that's why they're so mad about this movie. But I'm going to tell you this, like you said before, it's completely ridiculous that they think that this movie is not going to make his budget because I love vampire movies. I've, I saw a preview for centers a couple months ago and was like, I couldn't wait to see it. And I didn't even know it was a movie that had anything to do with vampires, even at that point. once you know people started to see it last week and I found out it had something to do with vampires that made me want to see it even more um the thing is is that there were a lot

of folks like myself who could not get there the first week because it was so packed I so what I'm saying is there are a lot of people waiting to spend their money um to help this film recoup its uh cost and it will do well and it well and it will recoup its budget plus more because there are so many folks like myself who are just waiting for an opportunity to be able to get into the theater. I have a friend who works at the movie theater and he has said that people,

it looks to him that people are literally taking off of work to go see this movie because the theaters are full Saturday morning at 10 a.m., Monday morning at 10 a.m. The theater is full at times where people would actually be at work. The theater that he works at, they've canceled showing the other movies

and now all of the rooms are showing sinners. So people are breaking their necks to see this movie. So the only reason that this movie has not already recouped its budget is because literally theaters don't have enough space to hold everybody at one time who wants to see this movie has not already recouped this budget is because literally theaters don't have enough space to hold everybody at one time who wants to see this movie. Just so y'all understand framing,

this is the New York Times when Quentin Tarantino's movie Once Upon a Time in Hollywood released. You see right here. This is the headline. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is a box office hit for Tarantino. Leonardo DiCaprio

and Brad Pitt helped the director score one of the biggest opening weekends of his career. That's how they framed that. Now mind you, that movie made $40.4 million opening weekend, similar budget to Sinners. This is their New York Times framing of Sinners. Sinners is a box office success with the big asterisk. Ryan Coogler's original horror film was expected to sell a strong $46 million in tickets over the weekend, enough for number one, but its profitability remains a long way off. Wow.

Y'all just saw right there. Wow. Two different headlines in the New York Times about movies, similar budget, similar proceeds. Wow. Wow. I'm so glad you brought that up. I had no idea. And they're talking about it's a long way off.

Like, when do we start forecasting what a movie is going to ultimately make after one weekend or two. Typically, the only time they do that is when a movie tanks and they say, yeah, this movie is not normally when a movie tanks. Let's say it was expected to do. Let's say a movie was expected to do 50 million opening weekend and it does 35. They know what happens in successive weeks. That is your numbers drop.

Now, typically, and again, for folks who, you know, because I go to Box Office Mojo all the time. And so when you look at movies, so like last weekend, they had, you see the perfect example. Let me go right here. A Minecraft movie. So a Minecraft movie. example let me go right here a Minecraft movie so a Minecraft movie so here we go right here all right so what you'll see is when you look at these numbers here you see the drop off okay how it will be performed so Minecraft you see when it opened April 11th see the numbers but then you see a drop drop drop, drop, drop. So it's a natural tendency. And also look at the theaters. It opened in 4,263 theaters. Then April 20th, it was in 4,032. So typically that movie has been out now for almost three weeks. So you'll see that kind of drop. So you'll see a drop in numbers because it's not the opening weekend. So they measure movies by

do you see a 20% drop, 25% drop, 30% drop. Some movies go from the opening weekend to the second weekend having a 60, 70% drop off. Those things happen. But the reality is, I would not

be shocked if come next Monday, sinners drop off might be 20% because it's going to have stronger word of mouth between today and this weekend. Absolutely.

I can't wait. I'll probably go see it again during that time. We'll see how that goes. This is a fact. What's beautiful about it is that people are showing that we can be out there we can be original we don't need to be all up in their spaces and this is kind of like the reverse effect of what we talked about with target in the last segment we can get out there and support those who support us and want to see them do great and variety and new york times and all of these other guys out there

who are hating and that guy with the one video hate, whatever that was on Twitter that you showed, who breaks down the film, they should all be ashamed of themselves. But like you said, Miller said, it doesn't matter. We're going to keep on going with it. Absolutely nonsensical. All right, folks. I appreciate it.

Thank you so very much for joining us. Scary-ass Julianne, Renita, and Omikongo, thank you so very much for joining us. Scary-ass Julianne, Renata, and Omikongo, thank you so very much. Yeah, Julianne, get these people to go to the movies with. Alright, folks, that's it for us. There was some stuff we're going to get to. We'll push it to tomorrow

when we spend a little bit longer on some of the subjects, but it's all good. Hey, we want you to support the work that we do. Join our Brain to Funk fan club, of course. And in doing so, you're supporting this show. You're supporting not just this show, but also this network and the other shows that we have on this network. Y'all, what we're doing here, nobody else in black-owned media is doing. Nobody else in black-owned media is doing what we are doing.

Nobody. Okay. Uh, and so the work that we do here, uh, is critically important, uh, to be able, uh, to cover the news that matters, speak to the issues that matter, uh, but also, um, cover the stories that other folk are not necessarily talking about. And so your support, your support allows us to be able to do this work. And so when you give via Cash App and our different ways, here's how you do it. So Cash App, use a Stripe QR code. You see it right here. Click the Cash App button to contribute. The QR code is there. You can also, of course, send your check and money order. Make it payable to Roland Martin Unfiltered. Please, guys, thank you. Kill that music. Make it payable to Roland Martin Unfiltered, okay? PO Box 57196, Washington, D.C., 2003-7-0196.pal's R. Martin Unfiltered Venmo's RM Unfiltered Zale, Roland at

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all of your support for the show. Thank you so very much. And before I go, let me shout out. Today's my 24th wedding anniversary. So shouting out Jackie Hood. Jackie Hood is in Jamaica. Of course, walking along the beach. I know I'm always in my video camera.

So so shout out to her on our anniversary. And all of my Texas A&M folks, there's Aggie Mustard. We remember Aggies who have passed away in the previous year. So kudos to all of those families as well, including my Pi Omicron frat brother, Brian Edwards, who passed away a couple of weeks ago. Folks, that's it. I'll see you guys tomorrow right here. Oh, yeah. Last night, what's that beep I just heard? There's a computer issue. Okay, I just heard it again. We were trying to figure out the problem

earlier. All right, y'all. Last night, my Rockets lost game one to Golden State. It's all right, though. We're going to handle a business in game two. And so, yeah, I came fully representing. Matter of fact, let me just show y'all. Anthony, go to the other camera. See, some of y' of fact let me just show y'all anthony go to the other camera see some of y'all again see some of y'all i see uh henry who work on the show y'all he ain't got no basketball team so he don't understand about how do you rep your team

because he ain't got one so you know i had to go ahead and sit here uh and rep uh of course uh with the pants here you know we got uh the the Rockets over here. Then I got the Sox as well. You see the Rockets logo. So this is how we represent. So Steph went crazy last night. Jalen Green, you ain't show up, bro. You got to show up game two. So MA, you're going to handle the business.

And hopefully Reed Shepard can get some time hitting some three-pointers. And so H-Town down one game, but game two is in Houston. So let's handle our business against the Warriors. All right? I'm going to see y'all tomorrow. Howard! Black Star Network News. Oh, no punches!

I'm real revolutionary right now. Thank you for being the voice of black America. All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going. The video looks phenomenal. See, there's a difference between Black Star Network and Black-owned media and something like CNN. You can't be Black-owned media and be scared. It's time to be

smart. Bring your eyeballs home, you dig? I know a lot of cops. They get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. This is Absolute Season 1.

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

This kind of starts that a little bit, man. We met them at their homes. We met them at the recording studios. Stories matter and it brings a face to it. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two

on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I always had to be so good no one could ignore me. Carve my path with data and drive. But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves.

Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersceiling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. This is an iHeart Podcast.