#RolandMartinUnfiltered - RMU Special Voting Show: We Won't Black Down Bus Tour @ Texas Southern University

Episode Date: October 8, 2022

10.7.2022 RMU Special Voting Show: We Won't Black Down Bus Tour @ Texas Southern University Tonight's show is a special voting edition of Roland Martin Unfiltered, streaming live on the Black Star Network.   Texas Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas Gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rouke, the co-founders of Black Voters Matter, LaTosha Brown and Clif Alright, and many others will be joining to discuss the importance of voting.  Support RolandMartinUnfiltered and #BlackStarNetwork via the Cash App ☛ https://cash.app/$rmunfiltered PayPal ☛ https://www.paypal.me/rmartinunfiltered Venmo ☛https://venmo.com/rmunfiltered Zelle ☛ [e-mail] Annual or monthly recurring #BringTheFunk Fan Club membership via paypal ☛ https://rolandsmartin.com/rmu-paypal/ Download the #BlackStarNetwork app on iOS, AppleTV, Android, Android TV, Roku, FireTV, SamsungTV and XBox 👉🏾 http://www.blackstarnetwork.com #RolandMartinUnfiltered and the #BlackStarNetwork are news reporting platforms covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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-♪ -♪ Today is Friday, October 7, 2022. Coming up, a Roland Martin unfiltered streaming live on the Black Star Network for the campus of Texas Southern University. Folks, we are less than 35 days from the November midterm elections. Huge implications as to who controls not only the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House, but also crucial state races, gubernatorial races, state house, state Senate, local races, all of that.

We are talking election today here in Texas. We were in Georgia on yesterday. We'll be chatting with a number of folks who are on the ballot, individuals who understand the importance of voting. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, talking to officials here on campus, talking about what students are talking about. Also, we'll be hearing from the co-founders of Black Voters Matter as well. We're partnering with them on this broadcast from TSU.

And so lots to cover, folks, when it comes to elections. And so we'll do all of that right here. It is time to bring the funk on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. Let's go. He's got it. Whatever the miss, he's on it. Whatever it is, he's got the scoop, the fact, the find.

And when it breaks, he's right on time. And it's rolling. Best belief he's knowing. Putting it down from sports to news to politics. With entertainment just for kicks He's rollin' Yeah, yeah With some go-go-royale

Yeah, yeah It's Rollin' Martin Yeah, yeah Rollin' with Rollin' now Yeah, yeah He's broke, he's fresh, he's real The best you know, he's Rollin' Martin All right, folks, it is good to be back home in Texas. My high school, Jack Gates, right across the street with the campus of Texas Southern University in the Barbara Jordan Mickey Leland School here.

Of course, two distinguished graduates, both former members of Congress, one of them the first black woman elected to Congress since Reconstruction. Yesterday we were in Georgia, in Swainsboro, Georgia, for an event there with the Raphael Warlock campaign, talking to folks there about what matters, what's important, what do they care about. And so we'll be doing the exact same thing here. There are a number of people going to be coming through, candidates who are running for office. We're talking to Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. Y'all let me know Congressman Al Green is going to be here, my alpha brother. So a number of people are going to be chatting with students also will be here as well.

And we can't wait to get their take on what they care about during this election. It really is an important one. We cannot understate how critical this is. Now, you watching, you probably will say, well, we always hear that. People always talk about how every election is the most important thing. Well, that's not a lie. Every election is important because what it speaks to is in terms of where we are going as a country. Who do we want in charge? Over the last two years, we have experienced the election deniers who are running for office on the Republican side. Some of them, a number of them,

are actually leading in the races. They don't believe the 2020 election was fair. They literally are trying to rewrite laws, have rewritten laws. In this particular state, you have someone had some of the most onerous voter suppression take place. It was already a hard state to vote. Now it's made even harder. We're in Harris County where Houston is located and Republicans have been targeting this state specifically. Why? Because they have not liked the fact that Democrats have been elected in Harris County. And so what they have done is target this county as much as they can when it came to voting. You might remember they had drive through voting in the 2020 election. They went to court, they changed the law, and they actually outlawed that for some reason, which makes no sense

whatsoever. And so Republicans understand, and this is not just in Texas, it's all around the country. When you expand the electorate, when you create more opportunities for people to vote, then Republicans who are unwilling to fight for those voters or present their ideas. They try to stop that because Democrats win when more people vote, when you expand access to the ballot. That's why they've been fighting ballot drop boxes. They've been fighting mail-in balloting, even in states where historically they've had no issues with mail-in balloting. You've heard them historically they've had no issues with mail-in balloting. You've heard them lie about voter fraud. You've heard them make things up when it

comes to that, all in an effort for them to change the laws in order to make it easier for them to win. Of course, you sitting at home will say, and there are some people we know, and I see them on social media, they say, well, this is really no big deal because, you know what, I don't think that voting matters. Well, this is very simple. If your vote did not matter, if voting was irrelevant, then why would Republicans be so aggressive in trying to prevent folks from voting? It's a really basic question. And so for the next couple of hours, we're going to talk about what's happened with the election, talk about issues, and also what's on the mind of voters. I want to talk right now to Dr. James Douglas, a distinguished professor of law at the TSU

Thurgood Marshall School of Law. He has been very much, he's seen a lot of this sort of stuff. You've seen the legal challenges in this state as well. Doc, glad to see you. My alpha brother. Here's the thing that is so important. We just saw this week on Monday, Judge Katonji Brown Jackson, how she came out firing, laying out the importance of the 14th Amendment and made it clear she didn't run from the issue of race. She's made it clear to them, no, the 14th Amendment was specifically about race. It wasn't race neutral. We've seen, and that's a voting issue. They were dealing with the addition of a second congressional district in Alabama.

They've stopped the addition of additional one in Louisiana. Black population significant in those two states. They should be having a second congressional district. Unfortunately, they are not. Just your thoughts on the legal battles, because this is really where the war is being waged, in courtrooms across America. You're right, Roland. And this is why it's important to vote.

Because when you were in high school, you learned that there were three branches of government, the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary. They didn't tell you that the judiciary branch is more powerful than any of the others. The Supreme Court rules the country because the Supreme Court can decide whether what the president does is legal, a statute that the Congress passed is legal. And who decides who's on the Supreme Court, the president and the Senate? Well, that's the U.S. Supreme Court, but you still have the important role of the state Supreme Court. And here in Texas, we vote for them. So if you don't vote, you literally are not voting for the very people who are deciding cases.

I know, but remember, the U.S. Supreme Court can tell the Texas Supreme Court that they're wrong. Right. No one can tell the U.S. Supreme Court that they're wrong. On some things, but what I try to get our people to understand is we have to think of this thing much broader. So we see the rulings coming out of Pennsylvania from their state Supreme Court. We see the rulings in Wisconsin. Republicans control that because of gerrymandering, but they outlawed ballot drop boxes, state Supreme Court. Well, the North Carolina state Supreme Court, when Democrats got back control of that, they ruled racial gerrymandering to be illegal.

And so here in Texas and other places, I'm trying to get people to understand that you might vote up top, but if you don't go down and you ignore those state judges, they are actually making rulings that have an adverse impact on black folks every day. They're making rulings, but also remember the state legislature determined who goes to Washington. Right. rulings, but also remember the state legislatures determine who goes to Washington. And so when it comes to

drawing the district lines to decide which voters vote for whom, it's the state legislatures that do this. So you're right. Local politics is extremely important. All voting is important because all voting affects our everyday life. And people who don't vote then shouldn't be

complaining about what happens with their everyday life. That's why it's important for everybody to go out and vote. Because if you don't vote and make your voice heard, then the other people, and I'm talking about the white people, especially the white racists, they're going out and putting people in office that will do what they said. One of the things Donald Trump did was

he told his constituents when he was running, these are the people I'm going to put on the Supreme Court and this is what they're going to do. And they're doing what he said they were going to do. Well, here's the thing that jumps out at me. I want to talk about the legal battles that are going on. And that is when you look at attorneys like Mark Elias, when you look at NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Laws Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.

I mean, they are literally in a war every single day in these courtrooms, battling these crazy legal theories of these conservatives who are trying to do everything they can to minimize the impact of black Latino voters. Oh, that's true. And but but remember, you can make the best legal arguments in the world because the Supreme Court and these other courts say at the end of the day, we make the decision. It has nothing to do with whether or not the argument you make is the most logical argument. We make the decision. And so we have to make sure that we put the right people on the court

so that those people are making decisions that keep us a part of the process rather than remove us from the process. Have you seen an uptick, if you will, of students who are interested in civil rights law? Yes. Yes. But the problem is they don't really understand it. They're interested, but they don't really understand it because they don't understand the history behind it all. See, we have allowed other people to teach our kids the wrong history, which is why the Republicans are fighting so hard to make sure that critical race theory is not taught, because they don't want our kids to know

what effect government has had on them. Right. I teach a civil rights course, and I try to teach my students, look, we had all kinds of discrimination, but we talk about the role that the court played in discrimination, the role that the court played in segregation, the role that the court played in slavery.

So we don't, they don't teach you that in high school. Right, but you said that they don't know it. So the question is, again, what is the emphasis here at an HBCU, at TSU? Those students are coming through because I've talked to others who said that because of Black Lives Matter, because of Black Voters Matter, because of all the momentum we've seen over the past decade, there's been a resurgence, if you will, not only in students going to HBCUs, but also interest in civil rights law. Oh, I agree. And that's why I say that's why the right wing does not want our students

and our young people to know. And it's our responsibility to make sure that they know the impact that the right wing and the right wing government has on our communities. So, yes, we have a lot more young people now who are interested in politics, who are interested in voting and understand the importance of voting. Absolutely. Well, Dr. Douglas, always good to see you. We certainly appreciate it.

Thanks a lot. And again, it's a again, I keep telling people, when you don't know, you don't know. And so that's why we use the media apparatus to also teach folks and train them. I want to remember this. Three. Barbara George, Mickey Leland, Craig Washington. All graduates of Texas Southern University.

All representatives of the 18th congressional district. All right. We appreciate it. Thanks a bunch. All right, folks. We're going to bring in a couple of more guests right now to to talk about in terms of, again, what is at stake and what's going on in terms of terms of terms of what we're doing here. And again, folks, I know some of you may be saying, and all my goodness, you know, we hear all vote, vote, vote, vote, vote. We're trying to walk people through and explain to them exactly what it means and what they should be doing and things along those lines. And so Damian Walker, what's Damian Walker? So Damian Walker, step on up, please. And Lori.

Okay. All right. Cool. Come on, David. Come on. All right. Take a seat. How you doing, sir?

All good. All good. All right, David, how you doing? Doing well. Doing well. Yourself? Doing great. First of all, let the folks know what you do.

David Walker. I'm the founder of Cognitive Justice International, a non-profit where we focus on justice solutions for issues that are out there. So right now we're focusing on something of voting rights and also training agencies to learn how to work with the population that has barriers and also training those individual barriers that have been impacted by the justice system or haven't had opportunities to just take advantage of some of the educational and other opportunities in society. All right, then. And one of the things that I think is important, and I say this all the time, we've got to have schoolhouse rock 2.0, is so many people who literally have no clue, no understanding of how all of these dots are connected.

You talk about public policy, what they care about on the ground, and the individuals who are actually making these decisions. Yes, yes. So I think the individuals that make the decisions, the people have to be educated. So I'm formerly incarcerated. I was incarcerated at the age of 16 and released at the age of 33, so right at 17 years. So a lot of times we miss out on those experiences growing up and being taught about voting and being taught about policy and being taught about the importance of voting locally

and not just focusing on the national politics. So when you have individuals that come from backgrounds like myself, they have to be educated because they've never been educated. So it's not even a reeducation, it's an education. So all those things- Well, especially even on who has the right to vote. Yes. I mean, we see what's happening in Florida where, frankly, Governor Ron DeSantis is going after folks with the right to vote, even though the state sent them applications, told them

that they could. And so now folks are trapped into that. We saw that happening with a brother who was actually in line on this campus for forever. Then all of a sudden they came after him by saying, oh, he wasn't really authorized, wasn't allowed to vote. Because understanding what is your status, even if you're out of jail or prison, and if you are able to vote so you don't get into further trouble, because we see Republicans are actually targeting the formerly incarcerated. You have to understand the voting rights and the voting laws in your state. So for instance,

Texas. Texas, if you are off parole, off probation, or you have been exonerated from a crime, you immediately get your voting rights back. And if you come from TDC, which is our state prison system, once you are released off parole, they will send you a registration card. So you basically have to understand the voting rights in your state. That's what's most important. Absolutely. And those training sessions, how have they gone? And how many people have you reached? How many people have you touched? I think because I partner with certain agencies, the focus is probably over the last year, maybe close to a thousand because we partner with other agencies. There's one agency here in Houston that they actually go into the jails, Harris County Jail, and they register individuals to vote. And now they've made Harris County Jail 701. They've made that a polling station. So the men and women would come down once they registered to vote and now they've made harry's county jail 701 um they've made that a polling station so the

men and women would come down once they register to vote and they're eligible they will come down in a jail in harry's county to vote and um and we're seeing other states who are not understanding this uh who are making efforts uh to to expand and provide opportunities for the formerly incarcerated to vote. Yes. But again, it's still a struggle, and I keep telling people it's based upon your state. Yes. They may be watching what's happening here or in Florida or somewhere else, but your state may be totally different.

Yes. So you have to focus on your state, because if you don't, you'll get frustrated, and then you'll frustrate the masses, because there are people that want to vote. When I got my voting rights back, I felt like a citizen. So there are individuals that actually want to vote. In Harris County, 1,500 people become eligible to vote, register to vote every year. But there's not a focus on those individuals. We call them the forgotten voter.

Nobody's really reaching out to them. Nobody has a campaign for them. So it's on individuals like myself and other individuals that know to be able to educate these men and women that you can vote in your state. But that information has to be made more. I'm one person than if it's 15 other people. But nationally or even throughout Texas with the certain agencies, there are thousands of people that are focused on people that already are able to vote. So just think, 1,500 every year become available to vote. What happened over the last five years? What about those individuals that didn't vote over the last five years in Harris County alone? So what is the argument that you make? What do you say to someone who says, all right, Damian, look, that's great you got your –

and they may have it, but they're just not interested and don't care. So what are you saying to them specifically, trying to get them to understand that not taking advantage of it, you actually are making your situation worse? I would ask them what do they care about. Like, that's what you have to ask somebody who's saying that they don't care. What do you actually care about? Is it your family? Is it your neighborhood?

Is it school districts? What do you actually care about? And then we'll focus on that. But again, it comes down to educating them. There's no such thing for education about voting or reeducation when they never got the initial education. So you really have to go ground level. As the professor was saying earlier, you have to go ground level on some of these individuals and some of these populations. It's not just individuals. It's populations. There's groups of people in Houston around the nation who just don't understand the power that they have or the influence that they have in their area. Educate them to start right here where you live at.

That's what's most important. All right, then. Damian Walker, we appreciate it. If folks want to get more information on your organization, where do they go? You can go to CJI, Cognitive Justice International. So cji.name, cji.name. All right. We appreciate it. Thanks a bunch. Thank you, sir.

All right, folks, when we come back, we're going to go to a break right now. When we come back, we're going to continue our conversation here in the campus of Texas Southern University. We'll also be talking to some of our experts as well, like Lurie Daniels favors. This is, again, a huge, huge issue. And so we are focusing on this election, on voting and how it impacts you. And trust me, it's game on, folks, because the other side,

we know exactly how hard they are fighting to keep many of us from not accessing the ballot box. You're watching Roller Martin Unfiltered here at the Black Star Network. Don't forget to download the Black Star Network app, available on all platforms, Apple phone, Android phone, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV. You can also support us with our Bring the Funk fan club. Your dollars make it possible for us to do what we do.

So you can see and check in money orders to PO Box 57196, Washington, D.C. 20037.0196. Cash app is dollar sign RM Unfiltered. PayPal is RMartin Unfiltered. Venmo is RM Unfiltered. Zelle is Roland at RolandSMartin.com. Roland at RolandMartinUnfiltered.com. And don't forget to get my new book, White Fear, How the Browning of America is Making White Folks Lose Their Minds. Available from the publisher Ben Bella Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound, Bookshop, Catalyst, Books A Million, Target. And you can also order through your favorite black bookstore. We'll be right back. When we invest in ourselves, our glow, our vision, our vibe, we all shine. Together, we are Black Beyond Measure.

Libraries empower the community with education. Liberia Economic Development Initiative, LERI, is hosting the International Life Changers Awards and Liberia's Bicentennial to celebrate Leti building the country's first modern public library and technology center. Join event host Roland Martin, our honorees, Reverend Dr. Jamal Bryant, Zernona Clayton, Thomas Dortch Jr., Dana Lupton, Dr. Tammy Gray-Steele on October 29th at the CNN Center Atlanta. There are no public libraries in Liberia, but together we can change that. Get tickets at LEDINow.org. When we invest in ourselves, we all shine. Together, we are black beyond measure. Hatred on the streets, a horrific scene, a white nationalist rally that descended into deadly violence. White people are losing their damn lives. There's an angry pro-Trump mob storm to the U.S. Capitol.

We're about to see the rise of what I call white minority resistance. We have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting. I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of violent denial. This is part of American history. Every time that people of color have made progress, whether real or symbolic, there has been what Carol Anderson at Emory University calls white rage as a backlash. This is the rise of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys. America, there's going to be more of this. There's all the Proud Boys, guys.

This country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because of the fear of white people. The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're taking our women. This is white fear. That's Kim Whitley. Yo, what's up? This your boy Ice Cube. Hey, yo, peace, world. What's going on?

It's the love king of R&B, Raheem Devon, and you're watching Roller Martin Unfiltered. All right, folks. Welcome back to Roller Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. Glad to have you here. We are on the campus of Texas Southern University where we're partnering with Black Voters Matter, talking about the importance of this election and really breaking down a lot of the crucial issues that we are facing in this election. And so what's happening nationally, you're seeing the battle that's being waged, as I said, in courtrooms, and it's really going on in communities everywhere. We're also seeing what's happening when it comes to the polls.

I mean, you've got poll workers, and now you're going to have, as a result, a lot of these new laws, especially here in Texas, people who are allowed to examine the work that they do. All this is after the big lie in Donald Trump and the MAGA folks at the 2020 election when he simply got mad because he lost. And, yeah, take the L, but now he refuses to do so. So what Republicans did while in power, they then began to use that power to begin to change election laws, even in states where he won, like here in Texas. You're talking about change laws in Georgia.

We've seen it in Arizona, in Iowa, a number of states, Florida, all across the country. And so this is a concerted effort that we're seeing all across this nation. All right, folks, joining us right now is Lori Daniels-Favors. First of all, she, of course, has this radio show on Sirius XM every single day. But that's where she's moonlight. She has another job, of course, where she is very much involved in these legal matters. And so she'll tell us about that. Lori, what's happening?

Hey, Brother Roland. How are you? Good to be with you again, sir. Good to be with you again, sir. Indeed, indeed. So glad to have you here. So first and foremost, first and foremost, I talked about what is happening all across the country, talked about, you know, not just the changing of the laws, but how they are now unleashing folks to target poll workers, individuals like my parents who, you know, they've been doing this for years, but now all of a sudden we saw how they were attacking them.

The woman testified before the January 6th committee, how they were putting their names out there, they were getting death threats. And so there are poll workers, many of them who are elderly, a lot of them who are African-American, and some have said, I'm not wasting my time even working these polls because I don't want to be attacked just for just for being a public servant. You know what we see when we when those things are happening and when we're seeing people all across the country who are intent on making it dangerous for poll workers, who are intent on making it difficult for ballots to be counted, all based on the big lie. What we're really seeing is the continuation of centuries of developing expertise in how to intentionally exclude Black people from being able to vote,

or as I like to call it, from being able to pick the king. And so this is really more of what we've seen in decades gone past. Those of us who are part of Gen X or younger, some of this feels a little strange because we've had these nearly 60 plus years of integration. And during integration, we were supposed to have done away with some of those white nationalist efforts. But the reality is that we now have an entire segment of our population, of the American population, that has come out of the racist closet. And they are willing to not just spout their beliefs verbally, but they are also willing to take action, which is why we need not just leadership from the federal government, but we need to make sure that the boards of elections in states and municipalities, that governors and that

legislative bodies all across the country are taking action to ensure the sanctity, the physical sanctity, not just of our poll sites, but of our poll workers as well. I mentioned with Dr. Douglas the legal battles, and I really don't think the public really understands this war that's being waged. I mean, it is literally being waged on all fronts on every issue. We're talking about now in Georgia, how they allow change of law where anybody can challenge thousands of registered voters. And now you create this laborious task to actually prove it. And they are removing people from the voting rolls. That's right. And when we, what I always like to remind people is when we see language like that, what they mean is any white person can challenge a ballot, right? Because I would love to

see a bunch of brothers and sisters and family and friends from our communities go into some of these other spaces and try to challenge votes, try to raise an issue about the sanctity or the validity of the voters in those communities. And we know how that's going to turn out. So for our brothers and sisters who are living in communities or living in states or jurisdictions that are governed by folks like Brian Kemp, who hopefully will not be a governor for much longer, but when you're living in a community where basically one party has decided they want to return to not the 1860s, but the 1760s, the 1660s, when it comes to whether or not Black people will be able to pick the king, then we need to make sure that in addition to getting souls to the polls, that we are also training young people to stand up. And as much as I do not want to see our elders

step down from these positions, I love poll workers. The elders there, I feel like it's one of the spaces where intergenerationally we still connect. We do need some young people to be up in these spaces. And I'm just saying, we got a whole lot of folks who do territorial engagement and they want to be big and bad on the block. Can you be big and bad at the poll site? Can you be big and bad and not just defend your turf, but can you defend the elder as he or she is making their way down to the poll site to do the work for the people? Can you be, you can be big and bad on the corner. Can you be big and bad to protect the people who are coming to vote to make sure that we're going to have people in positions of power that are going to make it better for all of us? At this point, we are in all hands on deck mode.

And I asked my audience earlier this week, if we had to replace the institutions that are currently operated by white people, if we had to replace them and meet our own needs. Could we do so? And, Roland, it's really hard for me to realize that for a lot of our communities, our only thought as it pertains to how we can do for self is holding other communities accountable, is doing the work of making sure that we're going to get those police officers and we're going to charge them and we're going to make sure that we're defending our rights. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We want to defend our rights and we want to hold people accountable and we want to press lawsuits and we want to do the work of making sure that we are not under attack. But we also have to take on the other side of that mantle, which is doing for self, organizing our own communities, our young people to get to the polls, creating our own community watches. Every other community does a community watch.

We should be engaged in community watch for protecting our voters and protecting our ability to cast the ballot. Because the reality is we are participating in determining who is going to sit in that king position. And if we're not going to be as serious about that as some of us are about defending territory that we don't even own, then what are we really doing? You know, you made that point. I remember when Fox News lost their damn minds over the new Black Panthers at polling locations. And hell, they were black polling locations. And you're absolutely right.

I mean, having our folks literally say, OK, fine, y'all want to roll up in our community? We're going to roll up in your community. And then when they started yelling, it was like, I'm sorry, we're following the law. I mean, just very reminiscent of when the Black Panthers went to the state capitol in Sacramento and white folks lost their minds. And they said, oh, no, same law. What do they do? The white folks changed the law. So did they change the law. And so. So maybe if thousands of black folks roll up in white neighborhoods and go to the polls, they may say, hey, change that damn law. We can't just anybody walking up in here doing this.

And you're right for all these these keyboard gangsters out there, the people who sit here and whine and complain in terms of, okay, what y'all gonna do? And I know some of them get mad at me right now. So all you FBA, ADOS, B1 people, where y'all at? Y'all got smoke for everybody else

who want to do something. When y'all gonna show up and actually organize yourselves and say, fine, this is how we're going to do it? Yeah, I said it. Listen, I heard it, and we all heard it loud and clear, but the reality is, it's one thing to be a keyboard gangster. It's another thing to be real about this life. And if you're real about this life, and by that I mean if you're real about black people

being able to control our communities, if you're real about making sure that our water is clean, if you're real about making sure hospitals aren't being shut to control our communities, if you're real about making sure that our water is clean, if you're real about making sure hospitals aren't being shut down in our communities, if you're real about making sure that we're gonna have expanded access to healthcare in the entire Black Belt, which is led by Republicans who refuse to embrace Obamacare, if you're real about making sure that Black people

are gonna be able to have housing, if you're real about making sure we can send our kids to schools and that our children's emotional wellbeing will be centered, not just Karen and Timmy's child who don't want to learn about white supremacy and the unearned privileges that they and their family have. If you're really about this life, then let's put our feet where our words are. I would love to see, yeah, it would be great to have a bunch of us go into their communities

and start checking their election or questioning their elections, but I would rather see that same energy come here to defend Black people who are trying to vote. I would love to see, instead of us going at each other over whether or not we think an executive order is going far enough, why don't you take that energy to the polls? Make sure grandma, grandpa, young sister, young brother, everybody in between who wants to vote

is going to be protected and able to do so. We have a whole lot of energy when it comes to battling each other. I would love to see us take that energy and instead of battling each other, defend each other's right to participate in Kingmaking time because our clean water, clean air, job security, voting rights, housing, criminal legal reform, education reform, literally everything we rely on for sustaining ourselves is on the ballot this year. I remember in, actually it was 2016, 2018, actually 2020 as well, looking at data from Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, looking at NNPA, looking at others.

When the question was asked, are you enthusiastic or are you likely to vote? And so when you begin to look at that chart, black folks, 65 plus, highest, their whole deal is like, yeah, we're doing it. In fact, I remember when Melanie Campbell and the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation had one of their phone banks. One of the workers, I forgot the state they called, and it was an old black woman calling. She's like, baby, look, I don't need y'all calling me. I don't need y'all calling me, asking me about election day. She said, my son coming to pick me up at this time, taking me to the poll and bringing me back home.

She said, y'all should be calling somebody else. And the woman who was calling, she cracked up laughing, but she literally was like, baby, I don't need you calling me. She's like, I got this. And it was in 2020, I think, when I was in Dallas. I think it was the first day of early voting. And it was a trip because the day before, all black folks were driving up the day before saying, now look, is this where voting is tomorrow? What time? They literally had like an advanced team. They were scouting out, and when the poll opens, they were there.

Right, but when you look at the data there, as you go down, 65 plus, and then it was 55 plus, and then when you go down to 45, 55, then you go 35, 45, and you keep going down, that number gets lower and lower and lower. And the reality is the two largest groups of people right now, population-wise in America, are 18, 35. That's the two lowest groups. So the question is, your message, your institute's there on Medgar Evers' campus. You know, what are you saying to all these young folks who are complaining about boomers, but boomers vote?

Here's the thing, and this is something that one of my team members at the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College, where I do my real job, not my moonlighting job, I'm serious. One of the things that he says, Isaiah, shout out to him. He always says that, listen, if you're in that 18 to 35 year old group and you're not going to vote, be cool and be clear with the fact that the people who are 65, 85, 95, they're going to vote. If you have an 85 year old person who's voting, who's going to be making decisions, I don't mean to be crass about this, but the reality is the 18 to 35 year old community is going to be living with the decisions that that 85-year-old voter cast a whole lot longer than the 85-year-old is. One of the things we have to recognize, however, is that the younger we are in our community, the farther we are away from having actual experience and engagement with the civil rights struggle and the struggle for the right to vote. So if we have young people who are not learning about any of this stuff in school, I'm talking about not learning civics

in school, certainly not learning about how black civics works in school. They're also not learning it in our religious institutions because our numbers and our attendance in churches has gone down. And if we're hoping that they're going to make it to college to be able to figure out how to take a political science or, you know, go to a great institution like HBCU or PBI. We've literally been willing to, by that, those choices sacrifice entire generations of our members, of community members, when it comes to their knowledge about how this system works. We had people who came out to the streets and protested in 2020, Roland. I know you remember this, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery. And one of the things I always ask people who tell me, oh, I ain't going to vote,

because we have a lot of young people who's like, miss, I ain't voting. I don't believe in electoral politics. That's something y'all do. It don't really work. My vote don't count. And I'm like, all right, cool. Did you protest in 2020?

Yeah, I was out in them streets. We was in them streets. Oh, that's so good. Were you just there for like blowing off emotional steam or did you actually want something to change? Because if you actually wanted something to change instead of just having an emotional outburst where you let out your anger and your frustration

and you were able to sort of emotionally purge yourself, if you actually wanted something to change, yes, there is a portion of change that can happen at the grassroots level. But right now, Mississippi, Jackson, Mississippi, not having clean water, we can't fix that just with the grassroots. We need government.

When it comes to funding our schools and making sure our babies have computers instead of textbooks written in the 19s, as my daughter likes to call it, we can do some with the grassroots, but we need government. When it comes to getting a moratorium on evictions, when it comes to extending unemployment insurance so that when we are all laid off during a pandemic, God forbid, we will have some money coming in the house to sustain ourselves, you can do some rent parties, you can do a lot at the grassroots level. But at a certain point, you're going to need government. And if you protested in 2020 because you wanted substantive change, the substantive change doesn't happen because you had an emotional outburst.

The substantive change happens when you change the people who are in positions of power. Let's look at Jackson, Mississippi. Who's in charge of cleaning the water? If there's someone who is in charge of cleaning the water, how does that person get their job? Are they voted into office? Are they appointed to that position? Because if they're voted in the office, how are you going to tell me voting don't matter when right now you can't drink clean water? If they're appointed to office, who appoints them? Is that person elected? Because that is the person that we now need to change positions.

So when we're talking about election and engagement, we have to recognize young folks just do not understand how standing in line and voting changes anything in the community. And that's not their fault. That's on us. I'm Gen X. I'm young Gen X. But the reality is it is on us to provide the opportunities that they're going to need to make those connections. When I go into a classroom and I'm talking to some high school students, they don't want to hear me talk about it's your ancestral duty and obligation to vote. Half of them don't even know what I mean when I'm talking about ancestors

because we did a poor job of teaching them to respect our elders and ancestral veneration. But if I ask them, what y'all think about NYPD? Y'all like how they work here? Y'all like how they, are y'all cool with getting put up against the wall on your way to school? Are you cool with school safety officers

in your community, in your schools, taking you through metal detectors before you can come in, speaking to you disrespectfully? No? Well, who tells them how to police? Oh, the police commissioner. How he get his job? Oh, she. Now we have a woman.

How did she get her job? She was appointed by the mayor. Did your family vote? Did you vote for the mayor? Did you know what the policies the mayor was going to implement when the mayor was going to be picking the police commissioner? Were you in agreement with that? Because if you weren't, you could have picked somebody else. Oh, but you didn't vote. You see how now you're

being policed in ways you don't like because you didn't participate in picking the king who was going to determine what the policing apparatus was going to look like in your community? We have to make connections starting with what they care about and then show how what they care about is impacted, shaped, and challenged in the electoral process. And that's why I constantly talk about connecting the dots.

I tell the story in 2016. I had my radio show. A young lady called me from North Carolina and she says, look, I'm not feeling Hillary. I can't vote for I'm not feeling Trump. I can't vote for him. So she said, I'm just going to focus on my state. And I said, look, I'm not feeling Hillary. I can't vote for her. I'm not feeling Trump. I can't vote for him. So she said, I'm just going to focus on my state. And I said, OK, interesting. I said, so what are the three or four issues that you're focusing on? And so she told me, well, the crazy thing is the three to four issues she told me about, literally I showed her the direct connection between who sits in the Oval Office and those three to four issues.

And she was literally stunned. She was shocked. She was just she's like, I can't I can't believe this. And I see it. And she she she said that she was a activist, well-informed. I said, you're not actually well-informed. The fact that she could not understand that who sits in the Oval Office, appoints Supreme Court justices, appoints federal judges, they rule on voting issues in her own state. She didn't even understand the lawsuit that was actually happening at that moment where they were suing the North Carolina voter suppression law in federal court. Wow. And she was stunned by it. And so that's why I'm saying we have to actually

connect the dots for people, just like I think we finally, after all these decades, people now understand you cannot be so concerned about mass incarceration, but ignore who's running for D.A. That's right. You can yell, holler and scream by Congress to change things. But the but the one person who has the most effect on mass incarceration and criminal justice reform in the United States is the local D.A. Because their decision as to how they prosecute cases has a direct impact on that. And people have finally gotten to understand that. You know, I like to say that we don't live in a country with a king or a queen, right? We don't have a monarchy here.

And if you live in a country with a king or queen, how you get charges pressed against you is determined by the king. If you live in a country with the king, and my audience knows I say this all the time, when it comes to whether or not you get clean water, well, did the king say your community could have clean water? Because if not, you ain't going to have no clean water. When it comes to whether or not you can have a hospital, what did the king say? Can you have a hospital? Because if the king ain't say you can have a hospital, you ain't going to have no hospital. In this country, the kings are the people who got the most votes because the people who get the most votes determine whether or not a hospital stays open in a black community or gets shut down. The people who got the most votes determines whether or not that DA gets the DA that wins is going to

determine whether you have equitable, progressive criminal legal system reform, or if you're going to have something that looks closer to slave patrols in the 1700s. And so the reality is we have to be clear about creating educational opportunities for our community that fill in that gap. Some of the things that we're doing at the Center for Law and Social Justice, we have every Wednesday for the next up until now until the election, we're breaking down the ballot. We're taking each office, we're talking about what it is, virtual programming, free of charge, of course, that we provide for local community members in Black language and in ways with examples that we can understand to break down and explain the ballot. We launched an 11-week advocacy academy course

that we provide for the community so they can learn how to be effective advocates, because I love a good protest as much as anybody. But if my protest is not connected to electoral engagement, then it becomes just an emotional outlet. It does not get tied to any substantive change. We had those same protests in New York City going back to 2020. Those folks protested so hard and so well and so long and so effectively, they forced the then-mayor Bill de Blasio to create a racial justice commission. Full disclosure, I'm one of the commissioners. Out of that commission, we put together three ballot proposals that are going to put the city on a path forward to embracing racial equity as a central governing

paradigm. Three proposals. And it's beautiful. We had hearings, we had testimony, all triggered by protests. But if New Yorkers don't come out and vote for them, then it all becomes theory. The protests could lead to substantive change if people understand that that substantive change requires them to go to the ballot box and actually vote on the proposals, vote on the people who are in alignment with what it is that you want. And I'll just share this. I had a guest on earlier this week, Kelly Huff, and she made it real clear. She said, how am I supposed to trust you? You talking about you want to be a part of the revolution and you bout about it with the revolution and you ain't going to stand in line for half an hour and cast a ballot. Like, are you

really dependable? How much can we actually depend upon you? So in addition to making sure our people understand how to connect the dots, we have to give them pathways forward that lead them from my frustration and my anger and my concern with the lack of my needs being met to actually engaging in the process in ways that will provide meaningful change for them. All right. Laurie Daniels favors. Always a pleasure. Tell folks when you're on SiriusXM. We are on SiriusXM for the Lori Daniels Favors show, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. Eastern, every single day. Give us a call, 866-801-8255 to chime in for the conversation. I appreciate being able to talk with you about this, Rola. You know I care about this issue a lot.

You know I care about this issue a lot. I can tell just a little bit. A little bit. Just a little bit. All right. I appreciate it. a little bit. A little bit. Just a little bit. All right. I appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Break here.

And when we come back, we're going to be chatting with some folks here. Some of y'all students. Yeah. I'm going to put y'all in the hot seat. Oh, don't be, don't be. Look, you roll in here. You're going to answer something. So we'll talk to some of them.

We'll also talk to Reesey Culver. She's here. Monique Pressler is here. Also, a comment from Sheila Jackson Lee, Beto O'Rourke. Others will be coming through here over the next hour. So looking forward to having that conversation. Folks, if you're watching on YouTube, hit the damn like button. It ain't that hard.

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Zelle is Roland at RolandSMartin.com. My name is Charlie Wilson. Hi, I'm Sally Richardson-Whitfield. And I'm Dodger Whitfield. Hey, everybody, this is your man Fred Hammond, and you're watching Roland Martin, my man, Unfiltered. Unfiltered. Oh, yeah. My bag. Welcome back.

Roland Martin unfiltered. We're here on the campus of Texas Southern University talking election. Huge elections coming up, not only in this state, but all across the country as well. Getting the thoughts of various folks while we are here. We're joined right now by a couple of TSU students. All right, who you with? Hello, I'm the president of the Black Law School Association at Thurgood Marsh School of Law here at Texas Southern University.

And Christian Wolfe. I want to give you a name. Yeah, Christian Wolfe. All right, you left something out. You left something out. Other than who I am? You left something out. Oh who i am you left something out oh and i'm frat of course of course of course of course man i gotta gotta show love come on now you want to leave with that of course of course of course you're gonna leave with it

all right go ahead hello my name is lauren lacy i'm a 3l at third good marshall school of law all right then all right so first question when it comes to this election, what do you care about? I care about making sure that we have somebody that represents us as a people, making sure that the things that we embody as a people are being put forward. Such as? Such as the, I mean, in qualities that we experience every day. I mean, I feel like you have to have somebody that really looks at those things and actually puts that forward. And so the main thing I'm really looking for in a candidate is, I guess you could say, just somebody that really just cares about the people. You know, because sometimes you get a lot of this artificial, you know, kind of talk and stuff. And I just feel like that's kind of the things that we've been getting into politics lately. But I want to make sure we get somebody that cares about us and that feels like they're genuine about what they're saying for the most part.

I care about gun safety. I care about health care, and I care about environmental justice. And when it comes to those issues as well, what are the conversations you're having with fellow students? Is that happening as well in terms of what they're talking about and what they care about? Absolutely. I think that a lot of women on campus were having conversations about health care in terms of women's rights, the right to choose and forced births and things of that nature. In terms of gun safety, a lot of my classmates have children,

so they're concerned about gun safety when it comes to sending their children to school. And even us being at school, I feel safe at Texas Southern University, but it's still a conversation to be had. And in terms of environmental justice, I know we were having conversations about the water crisis that's in Jackson. I'm from Detroit, Michigan, so Flint is always on my mind. And them having clean water. So it's definitely a conversation that's being had. I'll ask you this question, Christian, and that is we've heard different people have talked about this, that, oh, you've got an increasing number of black men who don't care about voting, who aren't interested. What are you hearing? Are you hearing that? Are you hearing the opposite?

And what are those issues, concerns you're hearing from brothers, you hearing? Are you hearing that? Are you hearing the opposite? And what are those issues, concerns you're hearing from brothers you know? Yeah, I mean, I think as a black man, sometimes we feel like our voices isn't heard or our votes don't count. And so I think it's very important to show that our votes count for one and that it's not too hard to actually get out and go vote. But people want to see the change. They want to see their vote actually being, you know, translated into actually somebody being put in office that they really want. I think by Barack Obama being elected as president, that showed that our voice and that our vote matters. But we just need to continue to see that even in the local elections

and not just the big elections, but in the local elections, every election we can actually come out to. And so I think it's something that we just need to keep pushing. But I think we're getting a lot more awareness about, you know, black men being able to vote. I think we're getting somewhere with it, but we just got to keep harping on it as men and hold each other accountable as men to really, you know, drive that home to all the black men in our communities. See, I think that I go back to something that Lori was talking about. And I think there are a lot of people and I hear the same thing. People say, oh, why should we keep voting Democrat? Why should we keep voting? Nothing has changed.

And what I keep reminding people is that the folk who get stuff aren't just the folks who vote, but the ones who also show up to press those who vote after the election. And we see some of that. But look, I cover city council in Fort Worth. I cover county government when I was in Austin. I've done the exact same thing other times. All too often when I see groups of African-Americans showing up, it's actually in protest to something as opposed to what's, you know, what initiative is coming up and how we're flooding the city council chambers and in the school board meeting. And so what I'm constantly trying to remind people is we've got to mobilize and organize ourselves after the election to get the things that they promised or the things that we say we want. We just can't go, oh, well, I voted, I'm good, they're there,

now y'all go ahead and do it. That's actually not how it works. Pressure busts pipes. You've got to show up. Go ahead, Carmen. I agree. I do think that you have to show up, but I think that as Professor Douglas was saying, you have to have that initial education,

but I think what we also have to consider is communication. I think I was listening to a podcast, I forget which one, it's probably NPR or something, and they were talking about how when they had an issue There was a phone tree and that phone tree went out to inform the parents at the school of whatever issue was happening So I think that there are people in the community that are Implementing different methods and different ways that we can keep one another informed and I just think that we all together need to make sure that We're tapping into that Outside of protests and outside of social media. As you said, connecting the dots is really important, but we have to, in doing that,

make sure that we're informing people of what the dots are. So I think enhancing communication, I think, will definitely help with that issue. Well, and that's also where I tell folks we also have to be honest about what we listen to, who we listen to, and what we're reading as well. And I get a trip out. People say, man, I sure wish we had some folks who discuss this stuff every day. Which is what we do for four years. And they go through this and then they go, oh, oh, I didn't realize that. OK, just say you didn't realize that. Okay, just say you didn't realize that, but don't say I couldn't find this.

That's what probably drives me crazy the most because, look, there's information out there. People are doing this every single day, but you have to have a willingness to actually step out there and actually get the information. That's what you you got to have. Yeah, and I mean, I think the thing that we start to see in our community sometimes, we get so bogged down in everything that we have in our daily lives, and we get so caught up in what we were used to growing up, sometimes being able to transition over and to actually get into these podcasts and get onto these calls and being able to get into these actually, these meetings and stuff like this is important because, you important because you need to get outside of your comfort zone. And so sometimes it takes some injustice or anything of that nature to actually pull it out of people who want to get on these podcasts, to want to get into these type of streams and these live streams

because we're just not interested if it doesn't actually affect us personally. And so sometimes we have to get out of that and we have to actually start figuring out ways that we can actually, you know, touch us personally outside of just, you know, what we see, you know, as injustice. Well, I think there's some things, though, that that that touch us. But it's not always all like it touches me directly because I think it touches us indirectly. And I just think that if we wait for something to touch us directly or personally, then we're making a huge mistake. Look, I was highly critical of all these white women who showed up outside the Supreme Court after Roe v. Wade when we had all these black groups who were protesting for the For the People Act and for the John Lewis Act, and it was largely black folks who were out there and i'm like oh what like oh y'all showed up y'all know y'all know how to roll up on places now how and and that that's a perfect example it's like so well you you showed up after they overturned it but this is where you should have been before they ever overturn it. And so I keep telling people, stop waiting.

Stop playing defense. Stop waiting after the fact. You know, same thing. Lurie made this point, and I've said this as well, when it comes to all these people who were at George Floyd protests. The same vote when we were talking then after the fact for those various bills, George Floyd Justice Act. There should have been the amount of energy put into the George Floyd protests. There should have been the same energy into the protests to get the George Floyd Justice Act passed. Same thing. But again, a lot of folk are, as she said,

operating on emotion, supposed to, are you in this for the long haul or are you simply in it for this quick high and now you can just post on social media you went to a protest. That's what drives me crazy. Okay, you laugh. You know I ain't lying. I don't think you're lying, however. I do think, I'm black, obviously.

So for black people, a lot of people are in survival mode. They wake up in the morning, they go to work, they grind in. So I think pocketbook issues and those issues that touch them directly are the triggers for them to become involved in politics and say, okay, what, what happened? Whose fault is this? So with connecting the dots in terms of education, I think we really have to say, hey, this is an issue, a pocketbook issue that you're having.

This is who we're talking about. No, I get pocketbook. I get pocketbook. But I purposely use the George Floyd example. Okay. That wasn't pocketbook. And we're talking about millions of people in cities all across the country. But when Congress was actually debating

and actually negotiating the George Floyd Justice Act, you didn't have 1% of the protests. And I believe that had 25% of those protests took place to get the law passed, it would have put the amount of pressure needed on Congress to get it done. But when they didn't see pressure, they were like, oh, we're good. We ain't got to really do nothing. And that's what I'm saying. And so I think we have to constantly challenge people. Same thing when it comes to voting. Yes, we want you to vote.

But we also want to see you do something when the election is over. Because that's actually how things get done after the fact. I think we've got to keep preaching that. And there's so many people who talk about we need this, this, this, and they've actually never stepped foot in a school board meeting, a council meeting. You've got to go where the power is. You can't just yell and scream, I want something,

and not go where the power is to actually get it. That's what I'm saying right there. Final comments? Yeah, 100%. And, I mean, in closing, I feel like that goes back to educating everybody about where the power lies and what power we actually have. And so we all want to be there in the big protests and the big rallies, and it looks good and, you know, everybody's all hyped up. But like you said, the real action happens behind the scenes or when you actually go to make those votes. And so we actually have to educate our people

on what is going to be in the legislation, what is being passed, what we need to vote on, what is actually at stake, what's the big controversy, because sometimes we don't even really understand the true controversy behind some of these decisions, the Dobb decisions. People don't really understand the true controversy behind some of these decisions.

And so I think the education and being able to give people the actual security that, you know, hey, what you're feeling is okay, but let's try to put this in a way that actually we can make a difference. And so some people don't feel like they're qualified to make a difference. They don't feel like they're qualified to be in those meetings. They don't feel like they're qualified to even go, you know, to even vote sometimes. And so I think that we need to give people that security to do that as well. Thank you. The Barbara C. Jordan Chapter of Black Law Student Association will be here at Texas Southern University in partnership with Hall YP to register people to vote on Tuesday, October 10th.

So please come out and see us. Please get registered to vote. I hope that by watching the show and having this conversation, you are empowered within your right to vote and that you're gaining knowledge and you're connecting the dots to know that your vote matters. Alright, one more. So you're going to be registering the vote. What's the plan of action to get them to the polls? I'll take

whoever to the polls that needs to go. We should do a march to the polls, is what it sounds like. No, I'm just asking. I'm just asking because I was at the CBC last week and I posed the same question of the D9 leaders. I'm like, we have all these initiatives to get people to register, but we got, are you going to turn out? And folks are kind of like, that's a good point. All right.

So you're sponsoring a bus to the polls. Huh? You're sponsoring a bus to the polls. You said you're driving. I drive forever. I'm just saying. I got it. I'm just checking.

All right. I'm just checking. See, you the one, y'all didn't see on camera, but I was like, we got some students. She was like, what questions are you asking? I did. And I said, whatever comes out of my mouth. And I answered. See, there you go.

So why were you initially all, oh, no. It hasn't hurt to ask. No has never hurt anyone. See, we know. That was my response. See, when you guys were asking, you were like, man, ask whatever. I got this. Did I not do a good job?

See, huh? I did a great job. Yeah, that's all right. So we're good. That's all right. We want to thank you, Roland, for whatever. I got this. Did I not do a good job? See, huh? I did a great job. So we're good. We want to thank you, Roland, for having us. Thank you. I appreciate it. Thanks a bunch. All right, folks, got to go to a break. We'll come back.

Y'all hold on one second. I got to go to a break. We'll continue having our conversation. I'll be talking to more folks as well. Reesey here? Oh, I didn't hear her cussing. So I didn't realize. Y'all, I didn't hear her come in and c so I didn't realize. I didn't realize. Y'all, I didn't hear her come in and cuss, and I didn't realize Recy was here.

So I'll be chatting with Recy. I'll be chatting with Monique. And I'll be chatting with, ah, ah, ah, Monique, stop talking. I got this. And I'll be chatting with Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee as well. This ain't my first role here. Just sit over there and type on your phone. All right, folks.

Of course, we're here at the campus of Texas Southern University. I'm glad to be here. Talking about this election, the importance of it, issues, what matters to our people, and why also we must understand the power of our vote and not have untapped power. And speaking of that, I want to thank a bunch of y'all who saw my interview on The Breakfast Club. You can check it out on their YouTube channel. Y'all know I was straight bringing the funk, even when it came to that ignorant fool Kanye. And so check it out on their YouTube channel. Y'all know I was straight bringing the funk, even when it came to that ignorant fool Kanye. And so check it out on their YouTube channel. And don't forget to support us in what we do.

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been losing their minds even in my interviews. And so we've been having some great ones and some great conversations. And so great chats this week again on The Breakfast Club with my man Sway, SiriusXM, Bevy Smith, and others. You can get it at Ben Bella Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound,

Bookshop, Chapters, Books A Million, Target. You can order it from your favorite black bookstore or you can download it from Audible. We'll be right back. Alright. Now y'all done. Comics Woman. When we invest in ourselves, we all shine.

Together, we are Black Beyond Measure. I'm Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach, and my new show, Get Wealthy, focuses on the things that your financial advisor and bank isn't telling you, but you absolutely need to know. So watch Get Wealthy on the Black Star Network. is hosting the International Life Changers Awards and Liberia's Bicentennial to celebrate Leti building the country's first modern public library and technology center. Join event host Roland Martin, our honorees, Reverend Dr. Jamal Bryant, Zernona Clayton,

Thomas Dortch Jr., Dana Lupton, Dr. Tammy Presteel on October 29th at the CNN Center Atlanta. There are no public libraries in Liberia, but together we can change that. Get tickets at ledinow.org. Pull up a chair, take your seat at the Black Table. With me, Dr. Greg Carr, here on the Black Star Network. Every week, we'll take a deeper dive into the world we're living in. Join the conversation only on the Black Star Network. Hatred on the streets, a horrific scene, a white nationalist rally that descended into deadly violence.

On that soil, you will not be black. White people are losing their damn lives. There's an angry pro-Trump mob storming the U.S. Capitol. We're about to see the rise of what I call white minority resistance. We have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting. I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of violent denial. This is part of American history. Every time that people of color have made progress, whether real or symbolic, there has been what Carol Anderson

at Emory University calls white rage as a backlash. This is the wrath of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys. America, there's going to be more of this. This country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because of the fear of white people. The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're taking our women. This is white fear. Bye bye, Papa. Hey everybody, it's your girl, Linnell. So what's up? This is your boy, Earthquake.

Hi, I'm Chaley Rose, and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. Welcome back to Roller Markdown Filtered. We're here on the campus of Texas Southern University. Glad to be here. Talk about the importance of voting. Black voters matter. They, of course, have the blackest bus in town. They are traveling all around the city and state and the country as well.

Of course, registering our folks and also getting them educated on the issues that matter. My next guest, she's one of those folks who fights the good fight in the halls of Congress. Joining us now from H-Town, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. Congresswoman, how you doing? Roland, I am so excited to welcome you to the historic 18th Congressional District and the doubly historic Texas Southern University, born out of the ashes of segregation, when a single student was told by the University of Texas, there is no room for you at the end,

created out of those historic beginnings, and now having one of the highest enrollments in its history, but still looking upward to be recognized by the state. One of the things that absolutely drives me crazy is when I listen to people and they go, man, Congressional Black Caucus don't do a damn thing. They don't. And, Pete, they start going on this whole deal. And then when you correct folks, all you're doing is kissing up.

That's all your buddies. You're trying to save them. And I tell folks all the time, the average person literally has no clue what a member of Congress does. They really don't. Okay? And I know when you're going around, you hear people say the exact same thing, and it has to be frustrating when people who literally do not understand what a member of Congress does and the number of things that have been passed by this House that CBC played a huge role in. Amazing. Billions of dollars.

I mean, we can go on and on and on, and folk act like that stuff just happened just because. No, it didn't. It absolutely did not. And you know what? I don't mind taking the challenge of what do we do, and then I have to say back and say, what have you read? What do you look?

What do you see? What do you understand? Because civic power comes from civic responsibility. But you know what? I'll try to be empathetic and simply say that I want black lives to matter and I want black votes to matter. So here's what we do. First of all, the largest amount and continuing amount

of dollars to historically black colleges, 2.7 billion just a couple of weeks ago, 500 million in 2021, and more dollars to come. More dollars accessible to the various legislative initiatives that we've passed collectively, but with 57 votes, the Congressional Black Caucus played a strategic role in the negotiation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which is a bill with about $700 billion that's going to be in your neighborhood tomorrow or the next day. Well, for a total of $1.2 trillion. That is correct. $700 billion is going to be in transportation.

That's correct. And you mentioned HBCUs. That's 228 You mentioned HBCUs. That's two hundred twenty eight thousand students. That's also that's faculty, that's staff. And where many of these HBCUs are, that's an economic engine in the community as well. Absolutely. Absolutely. Strategically engaged in that. Members of the CBC on the Transportation Committee, sizable but quiet opportunities for MWBEs. We didn't leave that out. Small businesses. We have oversight, all of that. The work with the Department of Transportation specifically had in the language that this administration is looking for equity and for neighborhoods to be

treated equitably and dollars to go out equitably. So that's one. Inflation Reduction Act. It was clearly the Congressional Black Caucus, among many other things, that fought for climate change, but more importantly, environmental sin of $3 billion that is dedicated to communities of color, which we know that we are the butt side, if you will, the backside of toxicity and contamination in many neighbors. Now, that includes contaminated water in Flint, contaminated or no water in Jackson, and contaminated lead water around the country. So we've got $3 billion just out of the Inflation Reduction Act to be able to utilize for communities of color. So that means that, again, when folks are looking at wastewater systems, yeah, you're not thinking when you turn that faucet on that the work CBC made that possible. I mean, look, I grew up in Clinton Park here in Houston. And I guess for me, I guess the reason why I take it personal, because I had parents who were co-founders of a civic club. And I saw when the people got involved, we got new streetlights, paved streets. We got new sewer system. We got refurbished park. We got a old fire station that was turned into a senior citizen center because the people got involved and petitioned government, city hall, county government, state legislature,

Congress to get those things. And so when people say, well, I haven't seen changes in my neighborhood, you have to ask the question, what have you done to get changes in your neighborhood? It just, it simply just doesn't happen by itself. It's a community and political partnership. Absolutely, but it is pushing the power down to the people, but it's got to have the people stand out there demanding the power for them. And what happened in your

neighborhood with your family was civic participation at its basic level. It is grabbing on to what you deserve. I remember speaking before the city council in like the 9th and 10th grade. We had a city councilman. What was his name?

It wasn't Justin Robertson. It was, oh my God, he had those lamb chops. McGowan. Man, he came. Our lady started to see Catholic Church. It was actually found in my grandparents' living room.

So we had our annual bazaar, and he came to the bazaar. And I started drilling him. Now, mind you, I'm in the ninth grade. Well-trained. And he was like, I don't know who this little black kid hit me with all these questions. And it was something at the time. They were trying to make cuts to pools and parks and i started just drilling him and he looked at me like i was crazy and i said oh i'll

be at the city council meeting and i'm gonna testify before the city council and he was like oh and i said so when you come back i expect there to be some answers to what I'm asking. That has to be the attitude that we have when we see that member of Congress, we see that city council member, and again, saying we live here, we want to see some stuff get done. But it's a two-way street. You've got to listen, learn, read, but also you've got to be able to understand that you do have a role. Once money comes in normal states. Now, I'm going to distinguish where we are. Explain.

In normal states, when the money comes, that governor who is supposed to be an intermediary. Right. And to pass it down to the local cities, local governments, school boards, and ultimately into individual neighborhoods from Pleasantville to Clinton Park to Acres Home to Third Ward to Sunnyside South Park to way out Humboldt, Texas, Atascosita and all in between. Southwest, I don't want to leave you out. Southwest, East End, I don't want to leave you out. All those dollars from what we do in Washington are to get to the people.

Right. But they get to the people by an interested governor who is realizing his or her responsibility. Who's supposed to serve all constituents. All constituents and to ensure that the dollars go for what they are. But this trash governor. We have a problem here. Right.

We have a serious problem. Hurricane Harvey. Hurricane Harvey. Purposely did not give money to this county. And to the city in particular and tried to divide the county and the city. It was four billion dollars. I led the fight for the monies of recovery. Happened to be a bipartisan fight after Hurricane Harvey. We got something like 150 billion dollars. Right. And but by way of law, it goes through the state.

And it was supposed to be a pass-through, not any kind of layered, let me test your attitude or what color clothing are you wearing or are you red or blue. It was supposed to be that people are hurting in our community. And so we still have a potential Title VI discrimination situation because monies did not fully come to the city of Houston, making the argument, oh, you're inside Harris County, which happens to be the fifth largest county in the nation, Houston the fourth largest city. They're two distinct entities.

They needed to get their money. But that needs to be the voices of the community as well, demanding that our governor function. We're still trying to determine where federal funds for the American Rescue Act, the CARES Act, have gone. Some of them, $4 billion at the border with the Lone Star Project, which today was declared worthless by a prosecutor who said, I can't prosecute any of these cases. $4 billion, all the National Guard's on the troop, a total waste of money.

That is correct. That is what a prosecutor said, because you're bringing me cases that I cannot prosecute because, first of all, you have no jurisdiction for the federal issues. So taxpayers spent $4 billion on a stunt. And some of it federal dollars coming out of the money that was sent here for education, for the environment, for the improvement of our infrastructure.

And I think these are the kinds of demands that should be asked. You cannot accept someone whose title is governor and you accept them as governor. And the only thing you know that they do is that they're in Austin and they live in the governor's mansion, because that's about the greatest definition that one could give. Because governors usually are standing, cutting the ribbon. They're standing announcing monies. They're announcing monies coming to Texas Southern University, for example. It would have been a great start in the governor's cap to give added money to Texas Southern University because of the

inequity of years past. The desegregation lawsuit was signed in 2000, settled in 2000, which generated, by the way, this school that you're sitting in and other dollars that came in around that time. But then we still slid backwards. The school still slid backwards, and I think most of the administration know that. So we're still fighting for equal dollars for Texas Sunday University. The governor could have had a feather in his cap by designating dollars for an urban university, and it would not have violated any law. He could have talked about lost learning. He could have talked about students who were less economically able.

He could have talked about the infrastructure here. Texas Sunday University has done excellent with what it's been given, but it should not suffer and there should not be a dual system. Black Lives Matter and Black Voters Matter. I'm going to pull in Cliff Albright, Latasha Brown, co-founders of Black Voters Matter. Glad to have them. We are partnering with them on this. They are all around the country. Cliff

and Latasha, we're joined by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. Just explain to people why having real partners like the Congresswoman is important for the work that y'all do and how you explain to folk out there who have assumption that every politician is awful, everybody is lazy, they only care about themselves, that there are African-Americans in elected office who are here for black people fighting for these issues. And we can't just allow them to be attacked, allow them to be marginalized, and why we must ensure that they are returning to office to deliver for us? You know, a couple of things. One, Congresswoman has served not just only the people of Texas, but we have all in this nation benefited from the work that you've done, Congresswoman, particularly around from reparations to fighting to make sure that

our communities get resources, to HBCUs get resources, to even hold Congress to account. And so what we have to really recognize is that we actually have an ecosystem of leadership in our community. The goal is how do we come together collectively and get people that are literally going to stand in alignment that come from our community, that are representing our community and are fighting for our community. And we need people on all levels. We need people in the courtrooms. We need people in Congress. We need people on the Supreme Court.

We need people in the streets. That is exactly how we make change. We have to have an entire ecosystem of Black folks that are standing in alignment saying that we support an agenda that is going to move our community forward and that we work hand in hand to get those things done. There is a, there is a value. And when you're having people that are on the inside that are fighting on the inside, we need, what has happened to black folk in this nation,

every level, we have to have somebody that is fighting for us, whether they're in the C-suite, you know, whether they are literally in the streets, you know, at every single level because we're being attacked at every single level. And we have to really recognize that we need people on the streets, but we need policy and we need policymakers. But we also have to make sure that if we want to get policymakers in office

that are literally going to look out for our interests, then guess who got to put them there? We've got to put them there. And that means that we've got to do the work. That means that we've got to come out and vote. Brother Cliff? Yeah, I mean, I couldn't say it any better than what you just said, and I think it's important for folks to know that, you know, when we have somebody that's willing to fight for us,

after we've put them in office, after we've given them power to represent us, and as we're still holding them accountable, that part of that accountability means that we've got to stay engaged. Sometimes we've got to push them to even be able to sometimes stay in the line, right? Sometimes Congresswoman Jackson Lee needs us to be making some noise on the outside so that when they go in that negotiation room and they're working out the details on these bills, they can say, look, my people are out there, my constituents are out there, and they're upset, and this is what they're demanding, right? And so there's a partnership when we get this thing right, when we have people that are representing us and willing to fight for us.

And that fight has to take sometimes different shapes and sizes, right? Sometimes it's the pure legislative function. But, you know, I know that Congressman Jackson Lee and others in the CBC have been with us as we were fighting for voting rights, and some that were willing to get arrested with us and hold hands and block doors with us. Sometimes it takes that. Sometimes it takes taking the route that Cori Bush took when she sat on the steps, or the route that John Lewis took when he sat in session on the floor of Congress. And so, you know, having folks who are willing to take that fight in all of its manifestations, that's important. That's why we're so proud to be able to work

with folks like Sheila Jackson Lee and some other members that we know have been fighting the good fight, including H.R. 40 and reparations, for a long time. Congresswoman earlier. So on that, what's the status of that? Well, let me, I'm going to comment that real big. I just want to comment on both of these dynamic icons. Can they hear me? Yeah, they got you.

Dynamic icons that put their hands in the bucket. You know, these are W.E. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington together. Booker T. Washington, put your bucket down. But they got their intellect with W.E. Du Bois. I want to emphasize it's layered. It is levels of energy and activism. We couldn't do it without them.

But I need the folk that are out there talk. I want to answer the folk and I'm going to answer the question about it don't make me know. Never mind. I want to use that. Why am I voting again? I voted in 2020. Why am I voting again? There's something about continuity. I hate to say it. I wish voting and success on getting the job done was overnight. I want them to understand when Rosa sat down in about 1955 on the bus, Dr. King didn't get the Voting Rights Act with all the foot soldiers and people who had died 1965. That's right. 1964 was the Civil Rights Act. And then we had long gaps. We had a great society. We pushed that. But they're long gaps because we keep going forward and keep going

backwards. Don't give up on the vote because you've got to keep pushing the agenda. And so I didn't finish all the stuff the Congressional Black Caucus said, the American Rescue Act, the CARES Act, but the CHIPS Act, chaired by an African-American woman, Eddie Bernice Johnson, the Science Committee, the CHIPS Act is when you folk couldn't get the chips for your phone, we are now giving billions of dollars to create jobs, to create our own chips. Bring that manufacturing back in. I'm setting up a center right here in the 18th Congressional District.

Now, I'm going to put a big sign. You did this. You voted, and that's how we got this, all right, because a president was there to sign a law that came about through the energy of the Congressional Black Caucus. Let me also say to you, on the criminal justice end, we reduced your sentencing. We had to first step back. My good friend, Brother Jeffries, but then I had in the sentencing reduction. Well, I had to remind

people, and again, this is where people get caught up. I had to remind people that, first of all, Trump didn't pass that. Please remind them. If it doesn't pass the House, ain't nothing for the Senate to vote on. And then even when it passed the House, it was Democrats in the Senate who said, no, this ain't good enough.

And they actually had to strengthen it. Then it was passed. And then it goes to his desk to sign. But a lot of folk actually that didn't exist. Well, as they say, we hear the back story of that bill was that was Paul Harvard said the rest of the story, the hear the back story of that bill was that was Paul Harbaugh saying the rest of the story. Rest of the story is that he was hoping that was going to get black votes and he was very unhappy that it did not. Well, black people understand. I think they understand who's in their best interest. But but but I want to answer your question about H.R. 40. What this whole journey is about. I don't want people to say, well, I've got to be in here for 50 years to get something done. No, I'm not saying that. What I'm saying is that you've got to be consistent and persistent and

determined. And you can do so by making sure that you continue the journey. The journey was you had Joe Biden elected. And I didn't vote. I didn't vote. My vote wasn't the one that got him elected. It was all of everybody's vote that got him elected, and particularly the energy of African Americans. Go back to Georgia and everywhere else. Now you've got to continue the journey. Then you can look back and say, well, I didn't get anything. You've got to continue to get a Senate. You've got to continue to get a House in the hands of those who you think will listen to you. I always say, vote for the person that you can fuss at, and they'll call you back. Don't vote for the person that you have to stand

outside throwing a stone, and they don't even hear you. Right. Do that. And so HR 40 is on the verge. 217 co-sponsors. We got our challenges. We got our challenge in the Senate. We don't have enough folk in the Senate.

But the point is we can get a vote on the floor. You drop the numbers and we don't keep the House. And when I say that, when you say we, you know that I happen to be a Democrat. We don't keep the house because it was the Democrats who led it out of judiciary. Jerry Now, Steve... Well, Congresswoman, I had to tell you this here because I've

had to do... I've got to tell you what H.R. 40 is before you do that. I've had to do... Commission to study slavery and development reparation proposal. No, it is not a study. The study part of it is a road map to then go to see what are the next steps on this whole issue of repair. And I hate people like, we'll never get it. The idea, it is an international legal theory that has been utilized around the world.

It is not unfair to expect that African Americans can have systemic change. For example, your reparations could be never to see an HBCU closed. It could be dealing with the urban blight. It could be dealing with the fourth grade black students, male students that don't read it at fourth grade level. So what you got some folks who say, well, Congressman, that ain't reparations. I mean, I mean, look, when I when I argued, I said, if you reparations advocate, why aren't you fighting for Tennessee State to get the $500 million the state actually said they owed? It was kind of like, oh, that ain't reparations. I'm like, it's $500 million. What the hell are you talking about?

Or black farmers. It was our leadership that got black farms where they were, but they got sued. Right. And they held up in court. And still are. In that and give them their resolution to that. Cliff and Latasha, I want you all to speak to this here because you're out there on the ground.

You're out there dealing with people directly on this here. You are coming face-to-face, knocking on doors, canvassing, and hearing the frustrations of people. How are you trying to get them beyond their frustrations? Because you can be frustrated and mad and say, I haven't seen this, this, this, this. But the Congresswoman said, oh, reality is this here.

Republicans take control of the House and or the Senate. There's a whole lot you're not going to see. That's right. Brother Cliff? Yeah. I think there's a couple of ways. Go ahead.

I think there's a couple of ways that we go at that. The first thing, very first thing is that when folks express that frustration, the first thing that I say and that we say as an organization is first that we say we hear you. We affirm that some of the frustrations that they're feeling, that some of the things that have not gotten done, that that's real. That's an important thing. That's an important first step because sometimes people want you to engage in this discussion like there has been no shortcomings, right? And when you do that, you're not really coming from a space of authenticity, and that person that's resistant isn't any more likely to really hear you when you haven't affirmed that what their lived experience is and what they're seeing right in front of their eyes

isn't like some mystical made-up thing, but that is real. So the first thing to say is, you know what, there are some things that we didn't. We didn't get the George Floyd Act, right? We haven't gotten voting rights. You don't need to tell me about how frustrating it is that we didn't get voting rights, right? But then let's talk about what we did get. And we go through the whole list of things, some of which that you all talked about, the infrastructure and the HBCU funding and getting a Department of Justice. Be clear, we don't have the George Floyd Act, but you can't tell me it's irrelevant that we have a Department of Justice which has charged and found and indicted and got guilty birds on the police officers that killed Breonna Taylor. That's not inconsequential.

It's not the systemic George Floyd act, but that means something to send that message. And so we go through the list of things that we have gotten, and then folks start to say, okay, well, we have gotten a little bit, right? We have made some progress, some of which impacts us disproportionately. And then once you can get to that space, that, yeah, there's some stuff we didn't get, but, yeah, we did get some of the stuff that we wanted and that we were demanding, then you can make the

case of, you know how we get to the other stuff. We've got to have more power. We won some stuff in 20. We got some power in 20. We got some objectives and some tangibles met. And if we want to get to the rest, we've got to have more power. And the only way for us to do that is for us to continue the trend of coming out in large numbers and overcoming the voter suppression that they're trying to throw at us. That's why our message is we won't black down. Latasha, take it. You know, I am ditto with everything Brother Cliff has said. I will also say, you know, that I think what is important is for us to really recognize our community is at war. Like we can talk about kind of there's policy differences, but we're in a new era. This ain't a political era that we just talking about.

There's these policy differences between two parties. There is one party that is in office right now that is fundamentally trying to kill us, right? And that is not hyperbole. That when we're looking at the kind of policy, when we're looking at a party just under refusal because a black man led it to expand healthcare, when we're seeing hospitals, just like in Georgia, eight hospitals are closing.

We're seeing millions of people in the South that desperately need healthcare, like not have access to healthcare. We're seeing millions of people in the South that desperately need health care, like not have access to health care. We're seeing governors, and in a moment where we're hearing from people are saying that their electric bills, their utility bills are doubling or tripling, that they need fundamental help. And here you have a governor that is playing with the lives of people for his own political agenda. We see that with the Republican governor in Texas. We see it here in Georgia. We're seeing it in Mississippi with folks with their water. We're seeing it in Florida with DeSantis. It is a strategy for the Republicans to literally be able to use whatever they can to exploit the pain, to be able to use whatever it is that they can, and at the expense of even

killing people if it's about them advancing their agenda. And so I think we have to really recognize what time it is. At this point, there has to be no space and no room for any party that coddles white supremacy. That at the end of the day, if you align yourself with those that are seeking to kill us, to actually undermine us,

to destroy us, there has to be zero tolerance. And so the reason why I'm saying that is because sometimes we create these false equivalencies. Yes, I am the first one to say that I have been a critic of both the Republican and the Democratic Party, and will continue to be so when necessary, right?

But at the end of the day, we're not going to act like we're talking about the same two things, right? We're literally talking about we're in a moment right now, not only that we're seeing voter suppression, we're in a moment when we're seeing millions of dollars, like I can take the state of Mississippi, millions of dollars that should have been gone to actually support a crumbling system, a crumbling infrastructure system. Millions of dollars of people who desperately need it, support, tantalum support around food stamps and other assistance in one of the poorest states, that that money be used to

a Republican cronies to actually be able to build a soccer stadium for his daughter's school, that is what we're seeing. Widespread fraud and corruption at the expense of literally black pain. And so we've got to really know what it is we're up against and what

we're fighting. I think the other thing that is really important for people to understand, too, is that at the very least, we have to reduce the harm happening to our community. That when people come at us, we have to respond in a way that says you're not going to come at us, you're not going to use us as fodder in your political game, and you don't have consequences. When you actually inflict consequences on people, they come a little bit different the next time. And part of what we have to really recognize is we have to be relentless. Those that seek to destroy us and to take away from us and really marginalize us in a particular place in this society, we have to be as relentless to push up

against that. And then the last and the final thing that I say is, for us, voting isn't about participation. It is about power. Who doesn't want power? It is within our agency. If anybody is making a decision, I say this often, about me and my family, I should be a part of that decision-making process. The bottom line is whether you like politics or not,

every single aspect of your life is impacted by politics. You cannot go and get a job, and it is not literally, but some policy is actually framing that or managing that. You can't go buy a home. Every single aspect of our lives at this point is actually managed. In some ways, in the context, public policy touches that. And so since public policy is being made and is impacting us, then we have no choice but to engage in that process if we are to get anything that's not only going to reduce the harm, but anything that's going to help us advance to the kind of community, the things we need in our

community that we desire and both that we deserve. Tom's moment, final comment. Well, let me say that I have soaked up both Cliff and LaTosha, power, agitation, avocation, and never giving up the fight. But it is matched by the legislative actions that come about in our halls of Congress and legislatures, council, seats, and otherwise. I need black folk to realize that they need to grab all of it, that they are as citizens of the United States and freed slaves, the descendants of those who put down, if you will, their power in the soil as slaves, to be recognized,

to be rewarded, never, until this time, that they take their rightful place and never take a step back from both the participation and the power. Out of that comes results. And if you continue, then what we have not gotten, voting rights, and let me pay tribute to Judge Katonji Brown Jackson, as I said in the United States Supreme Court, where she gave a lesson to the other jurors, justices, to realize they have no out but to rule in favor of the plaintiffs in that Alabama case, which is to say that voting rights will be protected. But we're not finished. We need participation and power to get the Voting

Rights Act passed, named the John Robert Lewis Voting Rights Act, a CBC product out of Terry Sewell, who comes out of Alabama. And then we did not get the law passed by legislature or legislation of the George Floyd Police and Justice Act. But we got an executive order. But we're not finished because you have to get a law. And so why are we voting? You're voting so that you insist that there is a concrete voting rights law passed. You insist that we don't have to go hat in hand to the Supreme Court just to be able to vote.

You insist that you can get a drink of water on a voting line. You insist that you have an overall police and justice act in the United States that covers Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, Texas, and beyond. And so the idea of this election here in Texas, I've got to mention Beto O'Rourke, compassionate, caring, listening. What do we have as a contrast? Don't think that doesn't touch your very pocketbook, your very home, your loved ones, and your future. And if you understand that black folk drive the cultural engine of this nation and the moral engine of this nation, and so goes the nation, so goes African-Americans, so goes African-Americans, so goes the nation, embracing other people of color. I don't want anybody to say we've left

anyone out. But the point is that as those who, how should I say it, built this nation on the very essence of cotton picking, they built this nation, they created Wall Street, the commodities exchange, they built the White House. They built the United States Capitol. Their time is due. Their time is now. and shot by an officer while she was in a mental health crisis, shot dead, point blank, not in the back, looking straight at her. You need to be in the mix to ensure that policing changes, that education changes, that the economic infrastructure changes, that banks change, that access to capital change, that small

businesses change. How do you do that? You continue the journey. And you fight for H.R. 40. I need everybody fighting for H.R. 40. I'm determined for it not to be seen as something that will never come or that we don't need. You absolutely do need. Did you work over 200 years without compensation, without life insurance, without any kind of acknowledgement?

Do you see disparities across America in our community? Yes, in 2022. And what we hope with a reparations construct, Tennessee would get their money, black farmers would get their money, but also systems would change in policing and education in HBCU. So I finish on this note. It is a combination. It is not all one. It is not all those elected officials, all those public servants. I don't hear anything from them. It is getting there and insisting that they do. It is getting there and being heard. And it's agitation when needed. and as my brother and sister said it is power it is standing up when needed it is taking a stand and never falling and for how should i say for god's sakes black folk let's be united we're all different we're in different regions but

there's nothing stronger than the fists fingers oningers on the hand, kind of weak. But you put the hand together and you make us as strong as we possibly can. We don't have to launch out at somebody else. We can just be strong on our agenda, our power, and the children that come behind us. We will have to be able to say, they never gave up on me. And John Lewis said they never gave out, they never gave in, they never gave up. That's what I think this election should be. Don't give up, don't give out, and don't give in. Get to the polls and vote, and then demand your rightful place. When those who are elected are your choice,

and they keep the House, the the senate the governorship's change in georgia and texas what a miracle that will be and then let's hold everybody accountable i'm ready to own up i'm ready to be accountable hold me up because i'm gonna fight like heck for folk because their vote counts all right and somebody on youtube said we should have an usher down front all right guys let me shoot jackson lee i appreciate thanks a lot latasha and cliff Their vote counts. All right, and somebody on YouTube said we should have an usher down front. All right, Congresswoman Hugh Jackson-Lee, I appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Latasha and Cliff, thanks a bunch. I appreciate always y'all supporting us at Black Star Network,

partnering with us here. And so we certainly won't be the last. Oh, yeah, they can see. They can see. Won't be the last time. All right, Henry, switch the shot. Congresswoman, I want to throw them a power fist. So we appreciate it. Latasha, Cliff, Henry, switch the shot. Congressman, we want to throw them a power fist. So,

we appreciate it. Latasha, Cliff, thanks a lot. Thank you. Vote, vote, vote, vote, vote, vote, vote, vote, vote. Coming up next, we see Monique, but also Beto O'Rourke on Roland Martin on the Black Star Network. Back in a moment. When we invest in ourselves, our glow, our vision,

our vibe, we all shine. Together, we are Black Beyond Measure. Our vision. Our vibe. We all shine. Together, we are Black Beyond Measure. Hi, I'm Dr. Jackie Hood-Martin, and I have a question for you. Ever feel as if your life is teetering and the weight and pressure of the world is consistently on your shoulders? Well, let me tell you, living a balanced life isn't easy. Join me each Tuesday on Black Star Network for A Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie. We'll laugh together, cry together,

pull ourselves together, and cheer each other on. So join me for new shows each Tuesday on Black Star Network, A Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie. When we invest in ourselves, we all shine. Together, we are Black beyond measure. Libraries empower the community with education. Liberia Economic Development Initiative, LERI, is hosting the International Life Changers Awards

and Liberia's Bicentennial to celebrate LERI building the country's first modern public library and technology center. Join event host Roland Martin, our honorees, Reverend Dr. Jamal Bryant, Zernona Clayton, Thomas Dortch Jr., Dana Lupton, Dr. Tammy Gray-Steele. On October 29th at the CNN Center Atlanta. There are no public libraries in Liberia,

but together we can change that. Get tickets at ledinow.org. hatred on the streets a horrific scene white nationalist rally that descended into deadly violence white people are losing their damn lives there's an angry pro-Trump mob storm to the U.S. Capitol. We're about to see the rise of what I call white minority resistance. We have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting. I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of violent denial. This is part of American history. Every time that people of color have made progress,

whether real or symbolic, there has been what Carol Anderson at Emory University calls white rage as a backlash. This is the rise of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys. America, there's going to be more of this. Here's all the Proud Boys, guys. This country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because of the fear of white people. The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're taking our women.

This is white fear. I'm Angie Stone. Hi, I'm Teresa Griffin. Oh, Roland. I'm Angie Stone. Hi, I'm Teresa Griffin. Oh, Roland. Hey, Roland. I am so disappointed that you are not here, first of all. Where's our dance?

It's like we get a dance in every time I see you. And so now you're not here for me to dance with, sir. You and your ascot. I need it. I need that in my life right now. Okay. I love you, Roland. What's up? I'm Lance Gross, and you're watching

Roland Martin Unfiltered. Ready? All right, folks, welcome back. Roland Martin, Unfiltered on the Black Star Network, live from Texas Southern University in H-Town. Joining us right now, folks, is Beto O'Rourke, who's a Democratic nominee for governor of the state of Texas. And if I had to be a bet man without seeing him yet, Beto, what, you got a blue shirt on? Absolutely. How's it going? It's really good. We are in South Oak Cliff here in Dallas, about to go to a high school football game. It's

Friday night. And you know, as a native Texan, a Houstonian, someone who is at A&M, this is part of the religion and culture of this state. So we're going to be there with people that we want to serve, get a chance to watch a great game and continue this campaign 32 days out. And I feel really good about where we are and what we're going to do on November 8th. Where we are and what we're going to do on November 8th. You have been, I saw some of the debate with Governor Greg Abbott. I'm going to say somebody who is still registered in Dallas County.

I thought it was really trash to have a debate and literally say don't invite anyone into the audience. What's the whole point of having a 1,000-seat auditorium? I don't understand. He's been governor for several years. Why are you scared to have people show up at a debate? It just made no sense to me. He hasn't had one public event this entire year where any of his constituents who support him, oppose him,

who just want to make sure that they can meet him or hold him accountable, have been able to attend. I think he used the best word. He's scared of them. He's been governor for eight years. His party controls every position of power statewide in the legislature, appointments, committees, and commissions. And I think his fear is based on the fact that he has so badly failed the state. The grid went out on his watch. It's still not fixed. The most extreme abortion ban in America without exception for rape or incest. Gun violence now the leading cause of death for kids and teenagers. And it's been 19 weeks, Roland, since Uvalde. And he hasn't done a thing to make

it any less likely that that happens in any other classroom and in any other community in this state. So doesn't have much to run on or to say, is going to have a hard time defending that record. He's thinking that if he just hides in a bunker, he's going to be able to skate through or at least squeak by. But we're out here with the people, including those who don't always agree with us and bringing them in. We were at your alma mater at A&M last week, had a huge turnout, filled an 800-person theater. And then there were hundreds of young people outside who could not get in. As you probably know, they moved, they removed the polling location from A&M because he is so afraid of those students voting in this election. And they lie. They actually say it's because of low turnout. Anybody knows that is one of

the highest voter turnout locations in Brazos County. That's just a flat out lie. Absolutely. It's the same thing that they tried to do at Prairie View, A&M, at TSU. I mean, this is across the state wherever young people are because he knows that they will be the margin of victory in this election and he's trying to keep them from voting. A lot of people criticize you and Uvalde when you challenged him and others at the news conference. Well, today, the entire Uvalde police force of the school district has been suspended. Well, this news, Uvalde's superintendent is announcing his retirement. All of that pressure from parents and others to demand reform is actually happening. And so what you have been advocating is that part

of that reform is removing the folks in Austin who also have not responded to the needs of the people to do something about guns in this country and keeping our kids safe. That's right. And, you know, it's interesting, Roland, a couple of weeks ago in answering Gromer Jeffers and Julie Fines questions on their political television show in Dallas, the governor about Uvalde said there should be accountability up and down the ballot. Now, I think he meant to say something else, but that's what came out. And it could not be more right. That accountability cannot just stop at the school district police force. It has to include the governor. There were 91 Texas Department of Public Safety troopers in that community on the other side of an unlocked door, some there for more than 70 minutes who never went in, never did their job. And I think there are some token firings here and there.

But until we know the full truth, there will not be accountability. There will not be justice. And that's what those parents and families in Uvalde expect. They're fighting for. They deserve it. Our victory will ensure that they get it, in addition to the action that we need to take to reduce the likelihood that that ever happens again to another community in any other part of the state? Look, when you look at the polls, you are you close the gap, but there's still more work to be done there. And the thing that jumps out for me to be to be honest is that there are people in this state who believe, look, at the end of the day, look, Republicans are going to keep controlling this. And so, you know, what are you saying to the people who are doubting that Texas can actually put back and put a Democrat back in

the governor's mansion? You know, how do you reach these Republicans, these conservatives in this state who are freezing, some who died when we had the winter storm because of the Texas grid, and then the governor, frankly, allowed those electric companies to keep charging folks high rates, and still the grid has not been fixed. What are you saying to them to get through, folks? I guess using Donald Trump when he said to black people, what the hell you got to lose? You're absolutely right. You look at the higher utility bills that we are now paying because of Greg Abbott,

45 bucks more per ratepayer on average, the $20 billion increase in property taxes. Roland, today in Texas, on average, we are paying more in taxes than people are in California. And you know it used to be the other way around, and there was this whole idea that there was tax flight from California to Texas. It may now start moving in the other direction. He's the single greatest driver of inflation in the state,

and his extremism, whether on abortion, on guns, on CRT, and trying to scare people about our own history and drive even more teachers out of the classroom. It is making us less competitive for business, for capital, for talent. And we're going to have our lunch eaten by other states and other countries. But there's this also, you know, beyond the disaffected Republican and independent, who I know we can bring over, especially after I saw the focus group results following the debate last Friday. As you know, because you've been very powerful and eloquent on this, there are millions of functionally disenfranchised voters in Texas, more polling places closed in this state than in any other. That six-hour line that we'll

see on Election Day just outside of TSU, it's not just that people are so hungry to vote, it's that the polling places have been closed in other parts of that neighborhood, forcing the indignity upon our fellow Texans of a six-hour wait. And for everyone who can wait six hours to vote, we know there are a lot who are working too hard or raising their kids or taking care of their folks or just say, the hell with that. I'm not doing that in my own democracy. So he is literally, to your point earlier about being scared of his own constituents and voters, he's trying to keep the people out who can spell the end of his career. So my job, to answer your question about these polls and these 32 days, is to use the 95,000 volunteers who signed up in this campaign to be on the doors of those who've been drawn out of this democracy, give them a reason and an opportunity to vote,

and make sure that they become the margin of victory when we win this on November 8th. And that will be some pretty powerful, profound, poetic political justice when we do. And it will be those who were not supposed to participate who bring it home at the end of the day. Well, look, a lot of times they'll say, well, as journalists, we cannot get involved in certain things. I tell folks, well, I'm a journalist, but also I own my company, so I can do what the hell I want to do. I've got 13 nieces and nephews, and so this election is about their future as well. So whatever you need me to do, let me know, because I've been clear. I tweeted Abbott and Dan Patrick directly. They are horrible for this state,

and frankly, it's time for them to go. And we certainly need someone like you in that governor's mansion. And so we appreciate you coming on the show. Let me know if I need to come back to Texas to do something, because we've got to get those folks to understand that those disaffected voters can actually be the difference if they use their power. Absolutely. And we'll take you up on it. And I'm grateful for it. It means the world to us. Wish you much success in the rest of your stay here. And yes, over the next 32 days, let's find a way to get you back. All right. Sounds great. I appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Adios. I'm going to now go to Rishi Kovar, founder of Black Women Reviews, Monique Presley, of course, lawyer.

Also, of course, was a planner of all of this, sending me all these text messages. You got to come. You got to come. Calm down. You got to come. I'm like, Lord, she was like just bugging the hell out of her brother. So we're here. Glad to have both of y'all here.

I want to pick up on what in there. That really is the key. Reverend Barbara talks about this here. Glad to have both of y'all here. I want to pick up on what in there. That really is the key. Reverend Barber talks about this here. 140 million poor people in this country, low-income poor people, and really the largest voting by other people who don't vote.

And it's just getting them, Recy, to understand, y'all, you can flip elections. Biden wins Georgia by 11,000 votes. Obama wins North Carolina in 2008 by 14,100 votes. Sherry Beasley loses at the chief justice of the Supreme Court in North Carolina in 2020 by 400 votes. Sabrina Fulton, when she ran for commissioner there in Miami area, lost by less than 200 votes. And so it's just a matter of getting folks to understand you can do something.

But you got to do it. That's the thing. I don't know if it's just on. First shout out to understand you can do something, but you got to do it. That's the thing. I don't know if this is on. First shout out to Monique. Make it make sense. And thank you, Roland, for having me here for two days. No, absolutely. You know, I think so much of what we're seeing is people voting defensively when it comes to immigration. You can pay millions of dollars, billions of dollars for these stunts, and people are with it because they feel like immigrants are taking their jobs. Whereas you have somebody like Beto who's running to expand Medicaid. That's something that affects 1.4 million Texans.

You have a teacher shortage. He's running to recruit more teachers. He's running to lower taxes. Greg Abbott is actually trying to implement increased sales taxes. That's a sales tax on working people and people who don't have property. And so there are a lot of affirmative reasons to vote for Beto,

and there are a lot of defensive reasons to vote against Greg Abbott. But people have to understand the tangible things that are at stake in this election. And this might be one of the last times that we even have the ability to influence elections. Because if the Republicans have their way, you have the Secretary of State, you have the Attorney General who's running from the people trying to serve subpoenas. Okay,

what's that about? And you have Greg Abbott. Who's also under federal investigation, let's be real clear. Oh, yes. Hello. Hello. Law and order. So much for that. So you have these Republicans who are hell bent on making sure that they hold on to power come hell or high water. And so not just in Texas, but around the country. This is one of our greatest stands that we can take in 2008. And it costs you nothing, costs you time, but it's not something you have to pay for monetarily. Monica, on that point, a whole other power. Dana Lash, a conservative, called one of the women who is the mother of Hershel Walker's child a skank. Oh, no, she didn't. Called her a skank because she talked about having an abortion.

But here's what she said. She said, I don't care. We want that seat. And what I keep trying to, and I do constantly trying to explain to people, they understand power. Look, Chris Christie was really pissed at me when I jammed him up on ABC This Week a year ago when I said, you cared about power, not values, not morals, not character, power. And I think for many Democrats and progressives, it's how does it want to make me feel? I want to feel good. I need to believe in them. Most of these Republicans, they actually hate Donald Trump.

Talk to them privately, and I know you listen to one conversation, I didn't forget, where they were trashing him, two of his biggest defenders, trashing big time. Oh, they hate him privately. But it's about power. And people have to understand that it's possible for us to have it, to access it, to utilize it, and that one of the ways that we can do that is through the vote. Those are the steps. And when we have been for generations marginalized and when we have been imprisoned, not just through chains or through shackles, but then later through finance, then later through health. And then it ends up where it's in your mind. They talk in psychology about the fact that the vestiges of slavery are not just in our finances. It's running through our DNA.

It affects the manner in which we think about ourselves. I know that's an H.R. 40 because my congressman right here will tell you that part of what they're trying to do with the legislation is give us the mental health that we need. shows us if you vote and you take your vote seriously and you are an engaged citizen that we can make a difference. We can make change. Listen, I am home. I am Texas. Yes, I am serious about this. Yes, I bothered you. I bothered Congresswoman. I bothered Reese. I bothered Lurie. I bothered Beto. Thank you, Aisha McClendon, senior advisor to Beto O'Rourke for ensuring. Thank you, Jason Lee, deputy campaign manager, for making sure that that happened today. I appreciate y'all. But the reason is when I was 12 years old, the first political campaign I ever worked on was putting signs in my neighbor's yard when Ann Richards was running for treasurer in this state. And she was the first woman to hold a statewide office in 50 years. Now, there are people who are

living now and live in Texas and don't even know that we were ever blue. All blue. All blue. And all of my childhood, we were blue. So I was with Ann when Ann was commissioner. I was putting signs in at 12 years old for a 1983 race when she became treasurer. I watched her become governor. And now her daughter has has has run nationwide organizations Listen, we the same legacy that enables Reesey to sit here the same legacy of this building that is named after Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland for the seat that our Esteemed congresswoman is sitting right here holding. That legacy is in the vote.

It's in the vote. And so for me, I believe that if there's any single person, we can convince that it is worth it to stand. And if we have organizations like Black Voters Matter who will show up for black media, show up for voters and give us comfort food if they let us, will get on a bus and go across the nation, then I think that that is work well done. So I thank you, Roland, for letting us be here today and do it. You use the word tangibles, Recy.

And I hear all these folks out here yelling, hollering, screaming tangibles. And when I was on the Breakfast Club, we recorded the interview on Tuesday. It ran today. And I had to walk folk through that. And I said, first of all, to all these simple Simons out there who are yelling tangibles,

first of all, a candidate can only make a promise. This is what I will do to fight for this if you elect me. But then, if they win, it's now called math.

So for all the folk who are howling about reparations, you need 218 votes in the House for it to pass. Not 210, not 195, 218 votes in the House for it to pass. Not 210, not 195, 218. Now, if there's another issue on a school board, let's say you got nine school board members, you elect one,

you need four more votes. It's math. It's math. You need majority. City council, you need majority. And so you can say, I'm demanding this. A person can promise it, but they have to first get elected, which means that it's kind of stupid to say, I demand tangibles, but I'm not going to vote. You can't get it if you don't. Right. The math ain't mapping.

But then after the election is over, there's some work that you have to do because they can't do it by themselves. When you have other people, we're seeing in the United States Senate, people like we this, this, this. It's 50 50. One person can go go, no. And that's the reality. And so that to me is what is crazy when I hear these people who have no understanding of politics who just, frankly, they're just whining and complaining. And so I tell people, you want tangibles, you have to ensure the person is elected, which means you kind of got to vote. Absolutely. And you know, one of the craziest things I hear people say is, we've been giving Democrats our votes all these years.

What have we got from Democrats? Okay, but let's talk about your particular state. Because in your state, who has the power? Is it the Democrats that have the power, or is it the Republicans that have the power? In Texas, Republicans have the power. They have the trifecta. Beto would be a defensive mechanism. He would be an offensive mechanism.

In Florida, DeSantis is basically an autocrat down there. He has a Supreme Court. He has a legislature. In Georgia, Kemp has the power. Republicans have the power. In Wisconsin, Republicans have the power because they've gerrymandered the thing to hell. And Tony Evers is playing defense on there. In Pennsylvania, Republicans have the power in the legislature, but the Democrat is in the governorship.

And Attorney General. Hello. So when you talk about what our votes are getting, hey, we need to keep voting. But also recognize that sometimes our votes alone don't do it because you have to win. Okay? And so we can vote for the Democrats if they're not the ones in power and they're holding the wrong people accountable. And even if the Democrat doesn't win,

you've got to give the Republican hell who is in office because you're still a constituent. You can't say, oh, well, I ain't going to sit down for four years. No, we've got to be showing up and that behind. That's why I want to talk about Tennessee. They control the legislature. Their own committee says Tennessee State has been

shorted $500 million. But then you have these weak folk, and I don't I ain't even going to say his name, but he's ridiculous. They took offense when I said where y'all FBA, B1, ADOS people, where's

your rally by Tennessee State? Right. And, oh, well, that ain't reparations. Oh, but you couldn't even figure out how to get a permit in Washington, D.C. Yeah, that's petty. You couldn't even figure that out, and it's not hard, okay? But y'all don't want to say nothing about getting Tennessee State $500 million, but y'all claim y'all love black people, and y'all claim

y'all want black people to get stuff. That's what I'm talking about there. It's like, yo, understand, that's a perfect example. We should be applying pressure to Republicans in Tennessee. Where's the money? Just like fools, we applied to Democrats in Maryland.

The governor was holding it up, but you had some Democrats, a Republican governor, but you had some Democrats, the Republican governor, but you had some Democrats in the legislature who were making it a priority. Until the Black Caucus said, you know what? Ain't nothing moving until we approve this settlement. That's how the four HBCUs got the $577 million settlement. And so it's getting people to understand

that even if our person we want not there, you still give them hell. We should be rolling up in Austin telling Abbott, Dan Patrick. Dan Patrick, when he's speaking around Houston, yeah, all y'all folk roll up on him and say, oh, we still constituents. You represent us because what they've done is they've said, oh, black people, we don't care about y'all. We're going to govern for these people over here.

That's also how we've got to be challenging folks. Can I just say one more thing on this topic? Because we have Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee here. There's so much more smoke for her and the CBC on the issue of reparations. I've looked at the social media traffic. Where's the ad towards Rand Paul? Where's the ad towards Mitch McConnell? Where's the ads towards Kevin McCarthy?

They aren't there. Where's the ads towards Hershel? Where's the ads towards Kevin McCarthy? They aren't there. Where's the ads towards Hershel Walker, who said that reparations is basically a sin? But all these people, oh, we're going to vote for Hershel Walker. Hershel Walker will win. I had one dude who tweeted me. He said, I'm voting for Kemp and Walker until

we get reparations. And I went. I said, can you please show me an example where either one has actually supported the issue? And then I had this other dude who was like, Roland, all you do is shield for these Democrats. Cut the check. And I responded.

I said, can you please show me one Republican in Congress who supports your initiative. I said, so now I said, so I'm saying now I'm confused. So you're trashing Democrats who is your only pathway to the money. Right. I said, I'm just saying that's kind of dumb. I said, now, if you're opposing a Democrat who doesn't support it, that's different. I said, but you literally are trashing the very people who are advancing it. And then I get this one. Well, HR 40, that ain't nothing this week.

Okay, so please show me what's your option. See, that's the other deal i just fundamentally believe that that a number of these folks are uh agents oh yeah 100 trolls uh they hate anything and everything and all they actually are about are clicks and grifting and attention and feel free for y'all to make more videos about me because my artist is bigger than yours anyway. And y'all combined. You can tell it's 8 o'clock.

So, go ahead. The issue is the perception about the vote, right? There you go. Because what you're saying is they're saying, well, I'm not going to vote for them. I'm going to vote for Kemp and I'm going to vote for this one. And as if Stacey is the one who's not going to be OK if she doesn't become governor. As if if Joe Biden is no longer president of the United States, he's going to be on the struggle bus.

As if the VP, if we don't support the VP, won't be able to feed her family. They're looking at their vote as if it is something that is doing someone else a favor, not as a control point, an access to power where you place a demand for the things that you want. If President Biden doesn't remain president, it hurts my family, not his. I mean, nobody wants any of those other options, but I've got young children. You know, I've got teens. I want my grandchildren to be okay. So when I'm voting, I'm not thinking about doing President Biden a favor by giving him four more years in the White House. I'm thinking about doing my children a favor by giving them an opportunity at clean air. So I would encourage people to think about your vote as an access

point, your vote as power, and your vote as money. It's like sitting at the table and saying, I don't eat broccoli. I don't eat broccoli. I don't eat broccoli. But you're willing to vote for somebody who's only going to feed you broccoli. And they're going to keep feeding it to you until you either starve and die or until you decide you like it. And so what we're seeing right now in the Adolph land is people who have decided they liked it. And that's the story. I hate broccoli. Give me cabbage. All right.

That is it for us. First of all, when is the voter registration deadline in Texas? Tuesday. It is this Tuesday, the 11th of October. And you cannot register to vote online. You cannot postmark it a day later. You have to have it either in a voter registration box or you have to have it in a mailbox postmarked for the 11th. So please.

And it requires you to know your county when you put it on there. So you can go to vote.org or you can go to the links at blackvotersmatterfund.org in order to figure out your county and then figure out how to download the form. You can actually, if you go to vote.org, fill out the form online and then print it. Now all you got to do is manage a stamp. But the last day to register for this election for November 8th is on the 11th. Can I please thank some vendors? Do we have to do that? Thank you, Lamont Kitchen, for the food that we are all about to eat. We appreciate you.

Thank you, Rob. Who's that? Oh, Lamont Kitchen owned by Reginald Martin. Yeah, I'm just saying. Brother of the host. I'm just saying. Brother of the host. I'm just saying my grandmother found the business. I'm just saying you might want to add that. Yeah.

I'm just saying. Yes, Lamont is a family name. Thank you, Rob G., the general for DJing. Thank you to Greenleaf, which is, I don't know if I can say what kind of dispensary it is, but they made a considerable, it is, but they made a considerable. It's legal. They made a considerable donation. We appreciate them.

Thank you to Reesey, Loree, to every guest who was on here, to Congressman Sheila Jackson Lee, Beto, Jesus, everybody. I appreciate y'all. All right, then. So, folks, that is it for us. Again, we want to appreciate Black Voters Matter. We want to appreciate the congresswoman, Beto, everybody else who participated. We want to thank the law students here as well. And we want to thank folks who are coming out.

Young brother right here walked in. He said, my mama watch your show every day. See? That's why I keep telling y'all. See, when mamas and daddies watch, they make their kids watch. That's how the kids get informed. See? Y'all can't be sending y'all kids out the room.

I'm sorry. Thank you, Texas Southern University, Dean Douglas, the School of Public Affairs, and the law school for enabling us to come into this wonderful establishment to do this show and being so helpful. I appreciate it. Absolutely, absolutely. Folks, again, deadline is Tuesday, and so we're going to be giving you the

deadlines. So, Kara, make a note of all the states, when the deadlines are, and so we're going to be giving you the deadlines. So, Kara, make a note of all the states, when the deadlines are, then also we're going to start driving people when it comes to early voting. East St. Louis NAACP, I will see you all on Sunday. I will be there on Sunday speaking at your Freedom Fund banquet. Morehouse, I'll see you all on Tuesday in Atlanta with my man, my frat brother, Dr. Walter Kimbrough. I'll be back in Georgia for October 17th. That's when early voting begins there for the Abrams campaign and the Warnock campaign. And so, look, we're going to be on the road a whole lot in October.

Dates are filling up fast. And I've got, I think, Sherry Beasley's folks are trying to get me to go to North Carolina. And so we'll see what happens there. So folks, again, it's all important. I keep telling y'all stop listening to folk who are feeding you mess, different disinformation and misinformation. We are about facts and truth and we are about advancing black power. I ain't got a problem saying it. Okay. So that's how we do it here. So please, support us in what we do. First, download the Black Star Network app, okay? Download it on every device that you have, Apple phone, Android phone, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku,

Amazon Fire TV, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV. In about three weeks, our 24-hour streaming channel will be live. And Amazon is the first one. They wanted us bad, so we're going to be launching that. And on Election Night, November 8th, we're going to have a minimum of six hours of live coverage that night. That's what you can do when you own it. So y'all ain't got to waste your time going to CNN, MSNBC.

You are guaranteed to see black people on election night on my show. Support our Bring the Funk fan club. Check your money orders. Go to P.O. Box 57196 Washington, D.C. 20037-0196. Cash app, dollar sign, RM Unfiltered. PayPal is RMartin Unfiltered. Venmo is RM Unfiltered.

Zelle is Roland at RolandSMartin.com. Roland at RolandMartinUnfiltered.com. And, of course, you can also get your copy of White Fear. The Browning of America is making white folks lose their minds. Get it at all bookstores amazon barnes noble uh books a million target also order from your favorite black bookstore and of course you can also download it on audible as well so if y'all get it have it with you you see me in airports like the other day trust me i'll go ahead and sign the book while you're there

and let me shout out last night we were in swainsboro, Georgia, two and a half hours from Atlanta. And a shout out to Daphne Moses. Daphne was like, she's like, look, I ain't doing no cash out. I ain't sending no money order. She walked up and gave me her money. And so, Daphne, I appreciate that. Thank you so very much. We end the show every Friday, of course, running a list of names of people who support the show.

Thank you so very much. And again, thank you to the folks at TSU. Always good to be back home here in the trade, Third Ward. All right, folks, I will see y'all on Monday. Where will I be? I'll be back in D.C., but I'll see you in Atlanta on Tuesday. We out. Thank you. this is an iHeart podcast