#RolandMartinUnfiltered - Roland On The Road in PA Talking 2024 Elections, VP Harris Home Health Proposal, Project 2025

Episode Date: October 9, 2024

10.8.2023 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Roland On The Road in PA Talking 2024 Elections, VP Harris Home Health Proposal, Project 2025 LIVE in Philadelphia at Mount Carmel Baptist Church for a town hall abo...ut the presidential election in 28 days.  Vice President Kamala Harris laid out her plans to help those caring for aging parents by broadening Medicare benefits to cover home healthcare. The Harris-Walz campaign dropped an eye-opening ad featuring former Trump aides who exposed how he handles getting relief to states hit by natural disasters. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, the co-founder of the Stop Project 2025 Task Force, will join us tonight to discuss MAGA's plan to dismantle democracy if Trump returns to the White House.  Download the #BlackStarNetwork app on iOS, AppleTV, Android, Android TV, Roku, FireTV, SamsungTV and XBox  http://www.blackstarnetwork.com The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting 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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Starting point is 00:00:00 This is an iHeart Podcast. Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I always had to be so good no one could ignore me. Carve my path with data and drive. But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling, the limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars.
Starting point is 00:00:51 Workers skilled through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersceiling.org brought to you by opportunity at work andpapersilling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. Live Star Network is here. Oh, no punch. I'm real revolutionary right now. Thank you for being the voice of Black America. All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going.
Starting point is 00:01:49 The video looks phenomenal. See, there's a difference between Black Star Network and Black-owned media and something like CNN. You can't be Black-owned media and be scared. It's time to be smart. Bring your eyeballs home. You dig? Thank you. Today is Tuesday, October 8, 2024. Coming up on Roller Martin Unfiltered, streaming live on the Black Star Network. We are live in Philadelphia, 28 days until Election Day.
Starting point is 00:03:00 A lot going on. Vice President Kamala Harris today was on The View. We'll show you some of that. She also did an interview with Howard Stern. Lots to talk about to break down what's going on. We'll talk about what's happening here in Philadelphia, how Republicans are doing all they can to target black voters here, but also to suppress the black vote. So we got a number of panelists to talk about. So lots, lots of ground we want to cover, folks. It's time to bring the funk. I'm Roland Martin Unfiltered
Starting point is 00:03:25 on the Black Star Network. Let's go. He's got whatever the piss he's on it. Whatever it is, he's got the scoop, the fact, the fine. And when it breaks, he's right on time. And it's rolling. So what? So why is that not?
Starting point is 00:03:42 Putting it down from sports to news to politics. With entertainment just for kicks, he's rolling. Why is it not? Rolling with rolling now. He's funky, he's fresh, he's real the best. You know he's rolling, Martel. Now. Martel. Hey, folks, we're live in Philadelphia. Glad to be here. Mount Carmel Baptist Church. How y'all doing?
Starting point is 00:04:34 All right. Glad to see everybody out. And so we are looking forward to a great two-hour broadcast talking about what's going on in this election. It's a whole lot that's going on, 28 days. Of course, Vice President Kamala Harris, Minister of the Government Tim Walz against that orange dude and the crazy dude who don't like women with cats, Trump and Vance. Again, a lot going on. This is a crucial battleground state. We're here in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania has often been described as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and the rest is like Alabama.
Starting point is 00:05:10 But the reality is this here, and we know this, whether we're talking about Michigan and Detroit, how Philadelphia goes, so goes this state. If black folks vote our numbers in this state, it will be a victorious election night for Vice President Kamala Harris. And so lots we want to talk about. She continues doing a variety of media interviews today. She made her first appearance on The View since becoming the Democratic nominee. Here is what some of what was talked about in that appearance. I took care of my mother when she was sick.
Starting point is 00:05:47 She was diagnosed with cancer. And so it is a personal experience for me as well as something I care deeply about. You know, taking care of a parent, you know, that means trying to cook what they want to eat, what they can eat. It means picking out clothes for them that are soft enough that it doesn't irritate their skin, right? It means trying to think of something funny to make them laugh or smile. And there's so much about that that really is about giving folks dignity. And to your point about being in the sandwich generation, there are so many people in our country who are right in the middle. They're taking care of their kids and they're taking care of their aging parents.
Starting point is 00:06:43 And it's just almost impossible to do it all, especially if they work. We're finding that so many are then having to leave their job, which means losing a source of income, not to mention the emotional stress. And so what I am proposing is that basically what we will do is allow Medicare to cover in-home health care we're talking about these kinds of things where it's just about helping an
Starting point is 00:07:17 aging parent or person you know prepare a meal, you know, put their sweater on. And it's about dignity for that individual. It's about independence for that individual. I mean, people are of declining skills to some extent, but their dignity has, their pride has not declined. They want to stay in their home. They don't want to go somewhere else. Plus for the family to send them to a residential care facility to hire somebody is so expensive.
Starting point is 00:07:49 Yeah. Wipes you out. And I'll just say, well, here's the other thing about it. So, you know, people say, well, how are you going to pay for it here? Here's the thing. Here's how we pay for part of what I also intend to do is allow Medicare to continue to negotiate drug prices against these big pharmaceutical companies, which means we are going to save Medicare the money because we're not going to be paying these high prices. And those resources are best then put in a way that helps a family like the one you are describing. Which you have already done.
Starting point is 00:08:19 Which we have already done with insulin. So it can be done. It absolutely can be done. And it has to be about just seeing what's happening. And it's such a burden that's emotional, financial, physical. Care is about physical work. Yes. And helping people do what they rightly want and need to be able to do.
Starting point is 00:08:40 Are we? Before I go to the panel here, let's go to my panel back there. Dr. Mustafa Santago Ali, former senior advisor for environmental justice at the EPA, joining us out of D.C. Teresa Lundy, principal founder of TML Communications out of Philadelphia. Also, Dr. Larry J. Walker, assistant professor at the University of Central Florida out of Orlando. Teresa, I want to start with you. You have a lot of folks who have been pining, complaining, the Andrew Mitchells of the world with MSNBC, others saying that she should be doing more serious interviews
Starting point is 00:09:10 and taking tough questions and talking more about policy. What's interesting to me is you've seen her talk about policy, but it's not covered in the same way. Donald Trump talks about concepts, and he could just go on and on and on. There seems to be this double standard that somehow she should be laying out policies and deep proposals, and then he could just sit here and banter and talk about Hannibal Lecter. I love the live studio audience. You're absolutely right, Roland. Kamala Harris has actually been talking about policy the entire time.
Starting point is 00:09:48 She has been in office, but also on the campaign trail. And it shows that, you know, who's paying attention, who's writing about some of the plans and the policies that have been laid out, not only by the campaign, but by various commentators and various economics and analysts that has been focused on, you know, what has Kamala done as our vice president. And so, you know, when we see the double standard taking place here, it's not surprising, but it's also very intriguing to watch and very interesting. But I think, you know, again, people are not slow. We're not jaded in any way, shape or form, knowing that Kamala has put in the work. And, you know, she's I mean, you know, she's winning. So it's nothing else that we can really say outside of the interviews that she is doing, they are serious.
Starting point is 00:10:46 She is being invited. She's not, you know, doing paid interviews here. She's actually doing earned media with, you know, shows that actually have ratings and views into homes, into neighborhoods and communities that are watching the most. So I think it's a very great strategy. But again, the double standard is real clear here in this campaign. Howard Stern, some 10 million listeners, you look at the view, the reality is they get far more number of viewers and listeners than MSNBC, CNN, Fox News. So it makes sense to also go to places that are not traditional news outlets to be able to reach those type of consumers. You go to where real people are. So whether it's Howard Stern or a number of other shows, and of course, you should also be right here on Roland Martin Unfiltered. You got to go talk to everyday people.
Starting point is 00:11:45 You got to share with them how you're going to help to make their life better. You know, folks inside the Beltway, they want pundity talk. They want to be able to, you know, unpack policy to the nth degree. And that's not what Mrs. Ramirez or Mr. Johnson is interested in. They want to know how are you going to make my life better? How are you going to help to lower these health care costs? How are you going to help me to make sure that I have a job that's going to pay me a livable wage? How are you going to address the climate crisis that's going on with these hurricanes and the floods that are taking people's homes away and shortening people's lives? So she's going to the exact right places that she should be. She's going and having conversations with the American people through these media opportunities that actually speak to what they're looking for. So I say kudos to her for actually being wise enough to know who's actually touching folks and who isn't.
Starting point is 00:12:42 Larry. Yeah, first of all, I'm excited to share my hometown of Philadelphia. So secondly, listen, let's call this what it is, misogyny. When I talk to black women in corporate America and various other industries, they talk about this consistent double standard, you know, throughout their lives. And so what we're seeing with VP Harris is the same thing. Other thing I want to know, Rowan, is that the media hasn't learned anything from years ago, you know, a few years ago when Hillary Clinton was running for president. We still hear some of the double standards that you just described. And, you know, it's not fair to hold a VP Harris to a certain standard.
Starting point is 00:13:17 As my colleagues noted, she's come out with very comprehensive plans in terms of helping those first-time homebuyers, issues relating to price gouging. And not only can we talk about that, we've talked about other of the issues the Biden-Harris administration has done to support veterans. We talked about the infrastructure bill. So she can really talk about some of the successes that the Biden-Harris administration have actually accomplished. And then as she, you know, hopefully transitions to president of the United States, some really clear policies that will impact middle class, not only middle class, but also individuals from underserved communities who also need to talk about. But these policies, once again, we talk about dealing with elderly parents. Millions of Americans are dealing with this issue. So this is really an important policy. I'm glad she released it today. And I'm hoping, like I said, over the next several weeks that Americans understand what's at stake here.
Starting point is 00:14:07 Let's talk to a panel assembled here to my far left, Pastor Marshall Mitchell, Salem Baptist Church, Jasmine Sessions. Y'all go and clap. Jasmine Sessions, Pennsylvania Black Women for Harris statewide chair and also uh pastor donald moore uh here at my carmel very wise of him to wear his fayetteville state uh shirt as opposed to wearing any cap of gear i got cap on my wrist i got cap on my wrist oh that's that's cute here we go that's cute well you think i wasn That's cute. What, you think I wasn't going to say anything? I'm just saying. If this is what we're going to do, we can do it. I'm just saying.
Starting point is 00:14:49 First, remember. If this is what we're going to do. Remember, look, you get paid to talk. I get paid to talk, but I'm still an alpha. And I promise you, I can talk way better than you. You can't. I promise you. You can't, because remember, without alpha, y'all just cap aside.
Starting point is 00:15:02 Y'all need our name in your name. This guy, this guy, this guy. See, when they start saying this guy, this guy, this guy, that means I ain't got no response. Oh, no, I have a response. I just can't utter it in the house of the Lord. Oh, see? See, Alphas can do this in church, outside of church. No, you can't.
Starting point is 00:15:24 Y'all just can't control yourself. No, you can't. Let's get at it. No, you can't. Y'all just can't control yourself. No, we can't. Let's get at it. Let's get at it. Y'all want none of this. Trust me. Because I really don't do this with people. Well, anyway.
Starting point is 00:15:31 See? I was going to say I don't do it with people who have not been doing it longer than me, but go ahead. It's all good, though. I mean, but listen. Y'all are a youth group. But it's all right. You are a Cub Scout group at best
Starting point is 00:15:45 I'm going to set it down this way always remember when you're the president of Alpha kiss the ring listen man let me start I ain't going to finish that because you can't let's get this started you can't escape it you're an Alpha
Starting point is 00:16:02 you have my deepest condolences what will the group you in? Ain't no little group. What's that? It's the only one to cap out. Oh, please. Right in the 1911. Y'all dressed like deltas. Let's get this thing started. Let's get this thing started.
Starting point is 00:16:17 I told y'all I cut deep. Michelle Obama said when they go low, we go hot. No, I go lower. I go to hell. I go deep. Michelle Obama said, when they go low, we go high. No, I go lower. I go to hell. Let's get out. I go low. I go to hell.
Starting point is 00:16:29 I go low. I'm an AKA, and we are the first. You hit below the knee, I'm going to hit you in your ankles. All right, let me ask y'all this question. In terms of. Y'all crossed a red line for me when you said y'all go to hell. I'm not going there for anybody. There you go.
Starting point is 00:16:48 Precisely. But that is the cap of home. Let's go. Let's talk. Y'all, we can do this all day. We can do it all day. All day. Let's get right down to it.
Starting point is 00:16:58 Because I got two alphas in the studio, Mustafa and Larry. That's how we do it. So here's the thing that when you look at what we're just talking about, it is amazing to me how often I keep hearing from these folks. We need to hear more, more, more policy, more policy, more policy. Listen, Hillary Clinton dropped all kind of policy in 2016. And then Trump, his stuff wasn't even on index cards. And so what is happening in this state?
Starting point is 00:17:27 What is happening in this city? What are you hearing? And are you being inundated with data and information? I'll start on the far left. No, I'm not being inundated with information. I'm being inundated with text messages. I don't consider that information. Text messages from?
Starting point is 00:17:45 From anyone who has a phone. It literally is overkill. I don't even read them now. I think what has to happen, running a campaign in the black community cannot just simply be done digitally. It's not done through analytics. Black people want to love, but we love viscerally. And we have to actually cut through the code of Democratic Party politics. The vice president has been to Philadelphia 16 times. She has visited with the
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Starting point is 00:20:57 for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersceiling.org, brought to you by Opportunity at Worklorpapersilling.org brought to you by opportunity at work and the ad council but she's got to come to the black church which is still the arbiter of black people's conduct opinion and behavior and i hope that people from the campaign are listening i'm certain a few are here but we do politics very differently you can do some of it digital it's just like church now i would i love having digital members but it's my analog members who show up every Sunday who pay the bills and get it done. And so the politics of our community has to look different. Well, we're living in a world where you actually have to do both because the consumers have absolutely changed. But the question is, what is actually happening? What is happening
Starting point is 00:21:46 on the ground? Are there town halls? Are there these conversations? So what is happening in this city, in this state specific to African Americans? Go ahead. Go ahead. So I think that Marshall is absolutely correct. There does need to be a stronger ground game, but you also have to take into account the digital, right? Because as a woman of a certain age, right, my younger students, they want text messages. They want to go on social media. That is how they get their information, right?
Starting point is 00:22:22 But also, I do feel like the campaign is swelling. The DNC energy was amazing, and they're capitalizing and riding that wave. I, too, am not being inundated by information, but I do think that Vice President Harris is coming to the people right now. So she is being very selective about the interviews that she's doing because she is trying to reach the people. She wants to talk about pocketbook issues. So the home health care, my mother-in-law, before she passed, God rest her soul, me and my husband took care of her. We took her in. That resonates with us. We as black people, we are caregivers by nature, right? Our parents are now aging. And so I do think that she is taking it to the people, communicating in the way that is really effective.
Starting point is 00:23:06 And here in Pennsylvania, you are absolutely right. Philadelphia, the birthplace of democracy. She has been here 16 times and she will continue to come here and we have her back. Philadelphia has Vice President Harris's back. So of those 16 times, how many of those have been community driven? Well, community, which community? You have to define that. I'm talking to black people.
Starting point is 00:23:35 It's a black show. Not a lot. No, no. First of all, this is a black show. So when I say community, I ain't talking about nobody else. So in that case, then not a lot. I don't think there's been enough intentionality to have points of contact with the black community. And to a certain degree, I think the campaign has taken for granted that the votes are there.
Starting point is 00:23:56 But we have to be cognizant of the fact that in the last presidential election, 16% of black males in the city of Philadelphia voted Republican. And so if we if we pay attention to that, I think there has to be some intentionality to make points of contact with black voters, not black and brown, not with black voters, because as go Philadelphia, so goes Pennsylvania. And we are the ones that move the needle. But one of the things that we've talked a lot on the show, and a lot of people have had this conversation about what's happening with black men, but many of them aren't even understanding historically what has happened. The reality is, if you look at men and women, men historically, whether you are white,
Starting point is 00:24:40 black, Latino, are more conservative than progressive or liberal. If you look at the data, we had Christopher Tola with Black Voter Project on showing those numbers. If you go back from 1972 up through present day, you had anywhere from 10 to 23 percent of black men voting Republican. What you're seeing now, and this is, and I've been looking at this since 2012, that people don't want to understand, the issue is not even just black men.
Starting point is 00:25:14 It's how do you now micro-target African Americans? Because the further you get away from the civil rights movement, people less self-identify as democrats and so part of this part of this is uh how do you reach those voters if you look if you look at the polling data uh she's a vice president harris has seen significant increases among young black women but those young black women also were lagging behind because they were saying, hey, I'm not hearing the issues being spoken to me. And so what this forces, Jasmine, it forces, again, campaigns to have to now think differently, operate differently, because if you now you have to now do more work to reach black voters than you used to do because they don't self-identify.
Starting point is 00:26:08 And that's, I think, a part of this, when you talk about this strategy that you're seeing, that they've implemented. Y'all can speak to that. And also, are you hearing that? When you're having these conversations, when you're having these conversations with people, what are they actually saying? Are you hearing them talk about that? And are you seeing this divide among ages?
Starting point is 00:26:30 I'm definitely seeing it among ages and genders. I think one of the things the Democratic Party has struggled with, and trust me, I don't have a plan B other than Vice President Harris. So there is not a fallback position. But I think with the Democratic Party, I think... Well, no, there's not a fallback position for you, but there not a fallback position. But I think with the Democratic Party, I think... Well, no, there's not a fallback position for you, but there is a fallback position, which is the couch. Well, I think the couch is actually the leading candidate. The couch is going to get more votes than either of the other two, right? And so what I think the Democratic
Starting point is 00:26:58 Party has to do, people talk about learning love languages. The Democratic Party has not learned black straight men's love language. And that's economics and that's family. And so I think if you can pierce that bubble, you get a better, more alert audience. For me, it's not about getting 90% of the black male vote. In fact, in Philadelphia in 1983, when Wilson Good ran, he got 393,000 votes. When Sherelle Parker ran the last time, she got 193,000. And so that diminution of 200,000 is what we've actually got to start shooting for, not just the universal people who are coming out. And I think it's speaking a love language to people who are not explicitly feeling the love.
Starting point is 00:27:44 They want to be loved. It's the right place for them to be loved, but they're not communicating well with them. But also, if I may, I agree with you. The Democratic Party has not learned black women's love language either. It is just that black women vote often. We bring our mamas, our daddies. We have just a sense of responsibility. But be clear, the Democratic Party, they have not learned our love language. It is wonderful that we have VP Harris. Look how long it took us to get there.
Starting point is 00:28:15 That is owed to us. Let me be clear. Supreme Court Justice Jackson, that was owed to us. Y'all still in the negative. But we know our civic duty as black women and we carry it as a burden and we carry it all the time. And the Democratic Party knows that. They have to do something
Starting point is 00:28:33 different. Well, I think we also, I think we make a mistake when, whenever this conversation happens, I think the mistake that we make is we act as if there is a separate entity. First of all, the largest group that votes Democrat are black women. The second largest are black men. So when we say the Democratic Party, that is us. But again, so there's a difference, though, between the classes that run campaigns, that fund campaigns, and the ones that actually vote.
Starting point is 00:29:11 And so the decision has to be made, how do you shift from being a sharecropper to an owner? And which also means what types of demands are made in off years. So it's not just a presidential year. Okay. What then happens next year, then the midterms and then the 27 and 28. And so that, that's sort of how,
Starting point is 00:29:32 how, how I approach this. And it also, and it also makes, makes clear to folk that if you're not making the proper investments, then you're not going to see the return. And I think that's what you also are seeing. And the struggle that we're seeing right now really is not a Democratic,
Starting point is 00:29:54 Republican issue. The struggle is people say, I don't believe that my vote can make the difference. But what I keep saying to folk pastors is, yeah, that means that we can't, after the election is over, then just go home. You then have to keep that same mobilization and organization in place to now push the very people to then do what we want to do, because otherwise, if we just vote and then go home,
Starting point is 00:30:22 you're right, nothing will change. I agree. You would ask about if we just vote and then go home, you're right, nothing will change. I agree. You would ask about if we see differences between the ages. I'm looking at one of my members in particular, younger demographic, and he and I, we've gone back and forth because he shared the number of people that were voting for Republican, positioned themselves to vote for Republican. And then when I ask why, the explanation and rationale, it's just not there. So what was it? Well, for some of them, it was the, I think it came out the 70 cents a day,
Starting point is 00:31:01 whatever the stimulus check was that they received. Like for them, I mean, that resonated with them. They didn't understand the politics behind the timing of those checks or anything. But for a large number of younger black Philadelphians, I can only speak directly for that, it was that a stimulus check. And so I said, so basically you are selling your vote for 70 cents a day. Well, wait, hold up. Okay, all right. No, no, no. That's because my whole deal is you meet with folks where they are. But was it was it explained to those very same people that there were actually two stimulus checks? That was a stimulus check in 2020 under Trump. That was a larger one under Biden-Harris in 2021. In addition to that, you saw an increase in unemployment insurance under Biden-Harris.
Starting point is 00:31:51 You saw the expansion of moratorium on evictions, and you saw an increase in child care support. And they also expanded the PPP loans targeting black businesses. So what you're talking about, part of this is also a failure on the part of political leaders to properly explain what they did. I agree 100 percent. So similar to what both Jasmine and Marshall were saying as far as the communication, the languages. But in the midterm elections, those off years, the off elections where it's not a president's election, what are they doing for voter engagement, voter points of contact? And they're just not consistent. So I think as a result, both on the elected officials, they've not done a great job of communicating what they've done between 2020 and now 2024, because something is being missed. Historically, you know, we had the mantra, well, you owe it to the ancestors. That doesn't work for this generation anymore. It just doesn't
Starting point is 00:32:59 resonate with them. Whether it's you owe it for your grandmother, you owe it for those that died for you. This generation really could care less. And I mean grandmother, you owe it for those that died for you, this generation really could care less. And I mean, they've said it to me that they could care less. It's not about what happened 30, 40, 50, 60 years ago for them. It's just not. Yeah, but also, so it should have been a focus group. We're going to go take a break.
Starting point is 00:33:17 We come back. Teresa, I wanted you to speak to that because although we are 28 days away the reality right now is uh if any politician you don't have a lot of time uh trying to explain to folk because uh you know listen the runway is short but that is still a significant thing that has to happen uh so folk uh who are deciding between voting and the couch can all understand this is i'm going to go to a break folks we'll be right back on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network, live from Philadelphia, Mount Carmel Baptist Church.
Starting point is 00:33:48 Back in a moment. Thank you. He told us who he was. Should abortion be punished? There has to be some form of punishment. Then he showed us. For 54 years, they were trying to get Roe v. Wade terminated, and I did it, and I'm proud to have done it. Now Donald Trump wants to go further with plans to restrict birth control, ban abortion nationwide, even monitor women's pregnancies. We know who Donald Trump is. He'll take control.
Starting point is 00:34:24 We'll pay the price. I'm Kam Donald Trump is. He'll take control. We'll pay the price. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message. In 2016, Donald Trump said he would choose only the best people to work in his White House. Now those people have a warning for America. Trump is not fit to be president again. Here's his vice president. Anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be president of the United States.
Starting point is 00:34:49 It should come as no surprise that I will not be endorsing Donald Trump this year. His defense secretary. Do you think Trump can be trusted with the nation's secrets ever again? No. I mean, it's just irresponsible action that places our service members at risk, places our nation's security at risk. His national security advisor. Donald Trump will cause a lot of damage. The only thing he cares about is Donald Trump. And the nation's highest-ranking military officer. We don't take an oath to a king or a queen or to a tyrant or a dictator.
Starting point is 00:35:15 And we don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator. Take it from the people who knew him best. Donald Trump is a danger to our troops and our democracy. We can't let him lead our country again. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message. I get it. The cost of rent, groceries, and utilities is too high. So here's what we're going to do about it.
Starting point is 00:35:35 We will lower housing costs by building more homes and crack down on landlords who are charging too much. We will lower your food and grocery bills by going after price gougers who are keeping the cost of everyday goods too high. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message because you work hard for your paycheck. You should get to keep more of it. As president, I'll make that my top priority. Bob and I both voted for Donald Trump. I voted for him twice. I won't vote for him again. January 6th was a wake-up call for me. Donald Trump divides people. We've already seen what he has to bring.
Starting point is 00:36:11 He didn't do anything to help us. Kamala Harris, she cares about the American people. I think she's got the wherewithal to make a difference. I've never voted for a Democrat. Yes, we're both lifelong Republicans. The choice is very simple. I'm voting for Kamala. I am voting for Kamala Harris. IVF is a miracle for us because it allowed us to have our family. After having my daughter, I wanted more children. But my embryo transfer was canceled eight days before the procedure. Donald Trump overturning Roe v. Wade stopped us from growing the family that we wanted. I don't want politicians telling me
Starting point is 00:36:50 how or when I can have a baby. We need a president that will protect our rights, and that's Kamala Harris. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message. ...of 100 Republicans who worked in national security for Presidents Reagan, both Bushes, and for President Trump, now endorsing Harris for president. She came up as a prosecutor, an attorney general, into the Senate. She has the kind of character that's going to be necessary in the presidency. Vice President Harris is standing in the breach at a critical moment in our nation's history.
Starting point is 00:37:23 We have a shared commitment as Americans to do what's right for this country. This year, I am proudly casting my vote for Vice President Kamala Harris. Former generals, secretaries of defense, secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, CIA directors directors and National Security Council leaders under Democratic and Republican presidents, Republican members of Congress and even former Trump administration officials agree there's only one candidate fit to lead our nation. And that's Kamala Harris. I'm Kamala Harris. Hello, I'm Marissa Mitchellell a news anchor at fox 5 dc hey what's up it's sammy roman and you are watching roland martin unfiltered all right folks uh welcome back to my...
Starting point is 00:38:25 I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops call this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company
Starting point is 00:38:57 dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes one, two, and three on May 21st and episodes four, five, and six on June 4th. Ad free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glod. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast.
Starting point is 00:39:40 We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne.
Starting point is 00:40:00 We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug man. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corps vet. MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working, and we need to change things.
Starting point is 00:40:18 Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good no one could ignore me.
Starting point is 00:40:49 Carve my path with data and drive. But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes routes rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersilling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. Carmel Baptist Church here in Philadelphia. Glad to be here. We'll continue our conversation.
Starting point is 00:41:21 Teresa, I want to throw it to you because we've talked a lot on this show about messaging, lack thereof, things along those lines. But this is where I still believe we have to have community-driven conversations. What I mean by that is, if you wait for, first of all, the way campaigns operate, they don't, campaigns don't operate 365, seven days a week. They only operate, hey, if a congressional campaign, they're going to start focusing on that a few months before the primary. And then, okay, you got the primary and then you go to the general. This is where I still believe you've got to have community driven conversations. We've got to have black organizations that stay like all the organization we do around voting. Those groups must stay together. So when the election is over, we're
Starting point is 00:42:10 going back to those same people telling them this is the bills that are coming up in Congress. This is what's happening in the state capitol. This is what's happening with county government and the school board and the city council. And now how do we keep folks mobilized and organized because what then happens is we're hoping a campaign is telling folk what has happened when this is ownership of ourselves trying to tell ourselves no what has actually happened that actually benefit us your thoughts you're absolutely right you know conversations are so important now more than ever i think when we start talking about what the communication strategy is for um especially presidential campaigns digitals are great tv is very expensive but hitting those doors um and having these
Starting point is 00:42:58 community conversations having roland martin in your church and your community helps the dialogue. And the reason why is because sometimes, you know, there's so many mixed messages. There's so much fake news. There's so much positive news that is happening during our cycles each and every day. Sometimes it just it gets overwhelming. But other times, you know, do I have a friend that can just tell us a few messages about the person that they want to vote for? Are we having those community kitchen table, soul food dinners after church or, you know, during a community meeting and just talking about current events? So if we're not doing, I think, you know, look, we have 28 days left. And so with 28 days left, you know, I want to see
Starting point is 00:43:46 less digital and more in-person rallies. I want to see dialogues. I want to see, you know, different groups collaborating. You know, I think I've just joined probably three other text messaging groups of just, I'm in the business community, so I am now in the business for Harris in a whole other state. So it's great, but these are the type of things that, you know, again, it's new, it's nuanced, but these are the messages that have to happen today. Larry, it also means how do you communicate? Because I think what also happens is um people who are
Starting point is 00:44:26 regular consumers of news and information uh think that everybody else is just like them that's not the case uh and so it's also combating a lot of misinformation disinformation that's being targeted to us so people understand like i said when somebody says Trump gave us the stimulus check, first of all, it was a democratically controlled Congress that actually passed it first. That's a fact. If it doesn't get through the Democrats in the House, ain't a bill.
Starting point is 00:44:56 Then it goes over to the Senate. He holds the checks up so he can put his name on it. But again, and so that also requires, Larry, where it's not a Democrat-Republican conversation. It's a this-is-what-got-done conversation. And so because it's a lot of folks who have problems with party, and I keep saying, I don't look at party, I look at what got done, then I look at
Starting point is 00:45:20 who did it. Roland, I'm glad you hit on the point. I was just about to talk about misinformation. And the reason why I was going to do that is I've had some conversation with Black men, and sometimes when I hear them, they're repeating the same talking points.
Starting point is 00:45:37 BP Harris for Black men in jail, et cetera. And so I want to focus, particularly focus on Black men, because you talk about focus on specifically certain because you talk about micro focus on specifically, you know, certain communities and black men being hit with a lot of misinformation for the last several years. And to be honest with you, it's been quite effective. I think it was Senator Kelly just the other this past weekend was on one of those talk shows. And he talked about a lot of the misinformation in China, Iran, some other countries are, you know, involved in and particularly targeting Black men. And we know that we saw that the last several years. But we do have to do a good job of explaining to Black men about the infrastructure
Starting point is 00:46:12 bill, the Chips and Signs Act, and various other pieces of legislation, student loan forgiveness, all these other issues, you know, insulin capping, insulin, all these other issues that are critically important as it relates to when, like I said, when we talk about Philadelphia in terms of how it's going to impact, you know, your grandmother, your mom, or you, or these other individuals, in contrast to the, you know, the Trump Project 2025 plan, getting rid of overtime, coming after unions, all these other issues that will hit the, you know hit your pocketbook and obviously have a major impact on the Black community. But once again, the amount of misinformation that Black men have been exposed to is like nothing I've ever seen. And not only concerns me for this election,
Starting point is 00:46:55 but it concerns me over the next two, four, six, eight years. Well, if you look at 2019, out of all the candidates, the one candidate that was a target of the most Russian troll farmers was then Senator Kamala Harris. And so, again, that's just understanding what was going on there. Mustafa, when we talk about, again, understanding facts, we've seen what has happened over the past week, where you've had Donald Trump, J.D. Vance, and all these conservatives lying about the federal government's support for people impacted by Hurricane Helene in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina. I mean, just flat out lying, just making stuff up. And then you hear folks sitting here trying to trash President Biden, Vice President Harris. So he's a perfect example. You've got this hurricane bearing down on Florida right now.
Starting point is 00:47:46 Go to my iPad. These are the members of Congress, Republicans, Mustafa, that voted against funding for FEMA. And I can guarantee, including Byron Donalds, you see him right there, you see one of the biggest loudmouth, Matt Gaetz, and Ana Paulina Luna, also another loudmouth. You may have seen that video when the incentive hairs was a cost in an airport, and that was actually Luna who was yelling at her about something dealing with immigrations and Latinos. I can guarantee you, after the devastation, these six folks are going to be begging the federal government for money,
Starting point is 00:48:24 and they're the ones who voted against FEMA. So, Mustafa, look, you deal with environmental issues. When we talk about climate change, we know which party actually says it's a hoax and which party says it's real. And so when we're having these conversations and people get caught up in, well, man, are you a Democratic shield? No. You need to make a decision when it comes to the issues that matter to you.
Starting point is 00:48:52 There is a clear difference between a person in one party or the other. There are very few people who are moderate. First of all, there are virtually no moderate Republicans. You do have moderate Democrats because of how districts are drawn. And so that's also part of the conversation, explaining to people issues, and then who supports those issues. Yeah. You know, one of the ministers there talked about intentionality. So there is intentionality by the individuals that you put up there on the screen to make sure that there's still chaos and conspiracy theories, because they know that then folks won't be able to make the right moves.
Starting point is 00:49:29 They'll just get mad at somebody, and folks usually get mad at whoever's in power. There was intentionality also by the Biden-Harris administration to address issues inside of our communities. And I like facts, and I like policy. So we know that we had a serious—and we still continue to have a serious issue with lead in the water. So look at which party actually did something about changing out those lead lines that are impacting our children and causing neurological damage. Look at which party actually decided to not just deal with climate in words, but to actually put real dollars behind that. So Larry had mentioned, you know, the bipartisan infrastructure bill, the climate bill that put real dollars out there. And for those who say that folks don't make investments in our communities, and as somebody
Starting point is 00:50:13 who's worked on environmental justice and climate justice for a while, we now literally, before we were lucky, we had a few million dollars. Now we have billions of dollars to be able to help to strengthen and heal our communities. When we look at the business side of the equation, there have been significant investments that the Biden-Harris administration has made that the Trump administration did not make in relationship to the new sets of opportunities around a clean economy. So we know that brothers care about making sure that they can have a job that pays more than just a livable wage, if I can say it that way. And we know that there have been numerous opportunities that are
Starting point is 00:50:49 now out there. But it's not just about having a job. It's about also being able to create your own business, because brothers want to be able to create generational wealth. They want to be able to take care of their family in this moment and make sure that they're leaving something for the future as well. And the Biden-Harris administration has actually put real dollars, contract opportunities, subcontract opportunities, and grant dollars that are out there to help people to be able to do that. So often, we have these larger, overarching conversations instead of drilling down. Like my people who are in Westminster and 48th right there in Philly, you know, they want to know, can I create my own business or can I keep my business going?
Starting point is 00:51:25 They want to know about home ownership also, which party and which administration has actually created more home ownership in the black community. And it was the Biden-Harris administration that had better numbers than the Trump administration did. And then, of course, black unemployment is lower under the Biden-Harris administration than the Trump administration. So if we want to have a conversation about economics, all we got to do is look at the facts. That by no means means that we still don't have a lot of work to do because we know we are
Starting point is 00:51:53 still the ones that get hit first and worst from the climate crisis and environmental injustice. And we are the ones that are still struggling to get our numbers right in relationship to owning businesses and to be workers in spaces. But we've got to give credit to the folks who have actually done intentionality and understanding the gaps that existed and actually did something instead of the people who continue to create chaos and hear young brothers say I had some brother who was in Compton. He emailed me and he was like, man, you know, we have money in our pockets when Trump was there. And I'm going, OK, I'm like, so let me ask you this question. Did he support a living wage?
Starting point is 00:52:46 No. Is the federal minimum wage still $7.25? Yes. How long has it been there? Dang near 20 years. Which part is against $15 an hour? It's real clear who. But what you have is, I think you have this fantasy world that some people are living in when they say, oh, my life was so much better under Trump in 17, 18, 19.
Starting point is 00:53:18 But then I got to remind folk, he was handed an economy by Obama, Biden that Republicans fought. And so this is where this is where I think we have to also be willing to challenge folk on these falsehoods and literally force them to which what you were saying as well, force them to have to defend the position. Otherwise, the lie just keeps getting repeated. Lies have longer legs and they are faster than the truth and public policy decisions. So I think we've actually got to do something radically different. You have made the tragic mistake. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun?
Starting point is 00:54:08 Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops call this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that Taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season One, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad.
Starting point is 00:54:45 It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast.
Starting point is 00:55:15 We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne.
Starting point is 00:55:35 We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug thing is. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working,
Starting point is 00:55:53 and we need to change things. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts.
Starting point is 00:56:21 I always had to be so good no one could ignore me. Carve my path with data and drive. But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersceiling.org. rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves.
Starting point is 00:56:46 Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersilling.org, brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. I'm trying to be reasonable and rational in a time when people are irrational, emotional, and visceral. Donald Trump's people enjoy the lies. They thrive and prosper on the lie. The worse the lie, the more ecstatic they are to support it. But it's not just his people. We have black chaos agents. But hold on. So I don't think the problem is misinformation. I think the problem is actually
Starting point is 00:57:27 misinformers. And there are more misinformers out there. And what we have, the challenge we have, the black pulpit is more muted today than it has ever been in its history. And black elected officials are also in many ways doing the work is not posting on Instagram. That's fun. But actually beating the pavements and doing the stuff that actually works. Right. We seem to be allergic to it. Well, that's that's why that's why that's why when I said earlier, I love what Charlie Wilson said. he knew school and old school. I think the problem with new school is a new school thought believes everything that old school no longer applies. And so when I said we have to go back to having those community conversations,
Starting point is 00:58:24 one of the biggest things is you've got to have schoolhouse rock 2.0. You got to literally have civics 101. There are people right now who literally have no clue the difference between a city council member, a school board member, and a house member, and a senate member. But in 28 days, we're not going to change that. Right, right, right. So we have to become visceral, emotional, and we have to actually manipulate what we know is the truth. So the 28 days, how I operate is when someone tells me, Jasmine, man, I don't know. I go, give me three issues you care about.
Starting point is 00:58:54 I force them to give me three. Then I say, this is where Trump stands on that. This is where Harris stands on that. All right, now what you going to do? Because see, now they are confronted with, but see, what you have is, when you talk about the misinformers, what you have is you have people who are, Democrats ain't done nothing for us. It's been 50, 60 years. Our communities have not improved. Very broad statement.
Starting point is 00:59:20 Okay? And then if you try to drill down, they don't want to hear it. But by forcing them to have to put some skin in the game. No. What are your three issues? And I will tell you what these folks have done, which means that the person asking the question got to also be well informed. Very much so. I guarantee you, if you ask the average citizen about those three issues, they might have one. They might have one. They might have one. They are so misinformed, they don't even now know what's important to them. And how do you combat that, right? How do you create a strategy around so much misinformation? I mean, I got to tell you,
Starting point is 00:59:59 the Republicans are ruthless at this point. The Democrats are still trying to be demure. Okay. They still want to be a lady and polite. It is time to get ruthless because our lives, our freedoms, they are all on the line. I'm willing to go there. You can see how we were all bantering about our sororities and fraternities. I'm willing to go there for Kamala Harris right now because I got JMJs watching me. I plays no games. Well, when I passed, when I talked about, like, I love this, when I hear these brothers say, well, all the black men he let out of jail. Again, that's what I say.
Starting point is 01:00:36 First of all, the First Step Act first got passed in the House. That was led by Hakeem Jeffries. That was a democratically controlled House. If it don't go through the House, it don't get passed. When it goes to the Senate, Democrats, Senator Harris, Senator Cory Booker, Senator Dick Durbin, and Republican Chuck Grassley said it ain't good enough. They forced it to be improved before it went to Trump.
Starting point is 01:00:57 But here's the flip side that folk don't talk about, which, again, drives me crazy. And I keep hitting this. So every brother who tells me that, I then tell them, okay, which department of justice, Trump, Pence, Biden, Harris investigated more police departments, 12 under Biden, Harris, one under Trump, Pence, which one said said we're going to pull back on consent decrees? Trump Pence. Which one has actually put more cops and jail warden, the corrections officers, in prison for violating civil rights of people? Biden Harris, not Trump Pence.
Starting point is 01:01:39 And I had a brother, he was going off because he said, well, why didn't Kamala Harris, why did she call the governor of Missouri when Marcel Williams was executed? I said, well, first of all, it was Democrats in the state that were trying to stop the execution. It was a Republican attorney general, Republican governor, Republican state Supreme Court Harris and you just ignored all of the Republicans who said kill him. Then I hit him with this, that there was there was there were in 60 years, there were three federal executions in 60 years, three federal executions. Trump killed 13 in six months. So again, this is where, to your point, oh, y'all want to swing? Let's swing. And that person says I don't care, that's fine, but I just simply can't allow
Starting point is 01:02:39 the lies to simply stand. And it's not just the lies that bother me and get me. It's the degree of spectacle that certain people have become accustomed or have an appetite for. It's almost over these next 28 days, the Democrats, not false spectacle, but they're going to have to do something to generate a shock, generate deep engagement. Because in 28 days or 29 days, all these conversations won't matter. And not that they won't matter because we still need to continue the conversations. But in 29 days, we'll be sitting around saying, wow, what happened? Wow, how did we can't believe?
Starting point is 01:03:22 And then the puppeteers will have to answer these questions well pastor how did god allow something to happen like this well no you you have the right to vote you have to be registered there's a part you have to play but there is a certain level of spectacle that i think society as a whole not just republican not just, not just Republican, not just Democrat, not just black, white, BIPOC or whatever the case is. I think it's a certain level of spectacle that people have come to be enticed with. And that's what feeds them way beyond facts. Well, look, he's an entertainer and folk fall for the entertainment. They fall for the reality show.
Starting point is 01:03:59 I just believe when you were talking earlier about about preachers, Look, there are preachers I know all across the country. My wife is an ordained minister. And I think what has happened is when you talk about being muted, I think what you have is you have so many people who are scared to death, thinking they're going to lose their IRS status, not realizing that. They can't name one church that has lost their IRS status. Precisely. And you got conservative pastors literally in the pulpit saying,
Starting point is 01:04:24 Democrats are demons. And just one dude is like if you one guy literally said, if you voted for Biden, get out of my church. And so and he still got his R.S. status. But the thing that I keep trying, I keep saying you have to go old school. I can't I can't listen to preachers continue to say folk need to go through the black church. And I'm like, yeah, but how am I going to go through you if your church door is locked? I mean, again, I'm going to go back to, you have to start asking some real questions. Where are you seeing these conversations?
Starting point is 01:05:04 Forget the fact that we are here with the cameras. And here's what's, no, I'll give you this one here. I should have been inundated with requests from preachers this year to bring my show to the church. You will be. No, no, no, no. But what I'm saying is, what i'm saying is what i'm saying is yeah even take the show out are you seeing these community conversations no no and so we have folk who literally are only
Starting point is 01:05:38 talking on sunday maybe in bible study and not doing anything else, but they want to claim the mantle of the black church and Dr. King and, and some of the Christian leadership conference. And that to me, if the black church wants to truly be relevant in the 21st century, then it has to make itself relevant to that point. Right. For those community conversations,
Starting point is 01:06:04 I can't speak for one, all 2,700 places of worship in the city of Philadelphia, but I can speak for the Mount Carmel Baptist Church. I can tell you that the case ministry, case ministry. And can I say Mount Carmel Baptist Church? Okay, for the person at home, they don't know what case ministry, no, no, no. What is it? It's our civic and community engagement ministry. Got it.
Starting point is 01:06:27 And so the sole purpose for our case, civic and community engagement, is to do just that beyond Sunday morning because there are only 52 Sundays. There's 313 days left in the year. So what are we doing? So at Mount Carmel, since the third week in September, every Monday we have volunteers that do phone banking. We've reached out. The case ministry identified in the immediate area around the church, in the 19139,
Starting point is 01:07:08 which happens to have a 20-year less life expectancy than all the other zip codes in the city of Philadelphia. There were 9,000 registered voters around the church demographically that had not participated in the last three elections. There you go. So we wrote personally handwritten postcards to them. We're going out to them. So it can't be Sunday morning. So all of us. But see, again, I want to walk through that. First of all, you had to get the data.
Starting point is 01:07:27 Right. Right. And we got that from the commissioners. There you go. That's correct. So the reason I say that is because I can't tell you how many people I've talked to around the country, when I tell them that that data is public, they go, really? And I go, yes.
Starting point is 01:07:41 And I was in Cincinnati, and I was with a brother. He's an alpha. He was talking about their voter. I said, bro, I said, y'all doing it wrong. He was like, you know, we had a football guy said, no, you're doing it wrong. He's like, what do you mean? I said, go pull the data of the 10, 15 most heavily concentrated black precincts and then look at the data and see how many voted. And then focus your resources on that area. Because elections are now margin elections. That 9,000, Obama, excuse me, Biden-Harris wins Georgia by just 12,000. The 9,000 you're talking about, that's the, it was 10,000 in Arizona. And so what you're talking about is exactly how it should be done.
Starting point is 01:08:28 I'm saying a lot of folk aren't doing that because they're talking a good game as opposed to actually putting the plan of action to reaching those people. Go ahead. We did exactly that. Our church is in Montgomery County. Most of the people who are in Montgomery County who think they've arrived came from Philly. So they're from Germantown originally. So a sense of really who we are and where we started, we didn't really start in Germantown. We started in North Carolina, but Germantown is where we landed, right? And so what we did in Germantown is we looked at every single district in Germantown and took people through the district where they used to live. And what we found is in the midterm election, we found in Germantown and Mount Airy, 10% of the eligible
Starting point is 01:09:12 voters in districts all across wards. We also have to remember that our black elected officials who love incumbency have a vested interest in keeping new, inspired, enlightened and inspirited voters out of the polls. They want to remain honored and humbled and on Instagram. And we've got to break some of that appetite while we while we're fixing ourselves and understand where we are and where we can make a difference. And what happened in our congregation is three or four women in Germantown have now sent out 4,000 letters and postcards telling people who they are
Starting point is 01:09:56 trying to move the needle there. So we've got to remember where we've come from to make sure we get to where we're going. Which is why what I keep getting at, even though it's 28 days, these things can be happening over the next 27 days. What I'm trying to get our folk to understand, Jasmine, stop waiting on a campaign or a party to do this because the issues that we're talking about still impact us. That's so that's trying to get people to understand that you don't have to wait. The reason the phone call blew up. First of all, when with black women started four years ago.
Starting point is 01:10:38 First of all, people say it started four years ago. Well, why did they start? The sole purpose of them starting was to get then Senator Harris the VP job. That's how it started. Then it was like, OK, she got it. Then it was like, now we got to get me elected. Then when the election was over, they were like, well, we don't keep meeting. That's how they were still meeting for years. That call that Sunday night when Biden decided not to run. That was their regular call. That wasn't in response to him dropping out. Then it blew up because people were like, yo, that's a call, that's a call.
Starting point is 01:11:11 And then that's how 44,000. Well, I was at a golf tournament in New Jersey when Biden drops out. I then hit Mike Blake, Mike hits me like, yo, we're going to do a call tomorrow with brothers. Next day we had 55,000. And so because of what black women did on Sunday, black men on Monday, on Tuesday, Latinas met. On Wednesday, South Asian women met. On Thursday, the white women met. On Friday, the black gay folk met. On Saturday, the Caribbean folk met. Then the white men met, white dudes.
Starting point is 01:11:51 Then all of a sudden, like, y'all think I'm lying. A sister, no, no, understand. A sister hit me. She is a horror writer. Y'all think I'm lying. I'm telling y'all. Hold on. Let me plug it up. Y'all think I'm lying.
Starting point is 01:12:13 No. She hit me up. Hey, Henry, do you see it? Do you see it, Henry? So on October 15th, it's called, pull it up, it's called scare up the vote. These are horror writers.
Starting point is 01:12:29 So what happened was all of these groups, I'm telling y'all, she hit all of these people realize, yo, we ain't got to ask nobody to do a call. We can just do a call. And so what I'm suggesting is if we have that amount of energy that came in that moment, this is where our folk nationally, statewide, locally should be saying, well, we can replicate that every single year in every community, but you have to care enough to actually make the call, organize it, and then follow through. Final comment before I go to break. So did you hear me previously when I said black women will save the democracy?
Starting point is 01:13:15 Oh, okay. I didn't know if anybody heard that. So to be very clear, I am the chairwoman of Black Women for Kamala Harris. We have been organizing, correct? We had a statewide call, 2,000 women in a day. The next call, 3,000 women in a day. We are ready. We lead already. And then everyone else follows. Here's what we need, Roland. We need y'all to continue to follow our lead. End of story. Because we don't take our foot up off that gas. We understand that we have to do it for our families, our babies, our aunties, our friends. We don't take our foot up off the gas. So just follow our lead.
Starting point is 01:13:59 So Marsha, the thing that I, that again, although it's 28 days, the point that I'm making is every single person. If you've got social media, what means are you sharing? What are you posting? You can grab you can go to Kamala Harris's Twitter feed, grab the graphic, put it on yours. I'm just saying that people have to be thinking that way in terms of how can I move the needle because this is going to be a margin election and every vote truly will count. Final comment. So I'm moving like I'm scared, but I'm thinking like I'm going to win. I really, I really, I really have to actually believe that. And I want the campaign to believe that. And I'm hoping that all of these estuaries
Starting point is 01:14:45 turn into streams, streams turn into rivers, rivers dump into a bay and then we have an ocean of votes. Final capacity, I just for me at this point I can't even wait on a campaign because for me I'm looking at the fact that if Trump wins Clarence Thomas and Alito are going to retire and that is going to guarantee a hard right Supreme Court for another 40-50 years
Starting point is 01:15:17 so my deal is and I get it but right now I ain't waiting on nobody I'm going to use everything I got at my disposal to make it happen. And to that point, I know there's a number of pastors in here. I think what I would impress upon your viewers and listeners moving forward for all the clergy who are scared to say something on Sunday. That's not me. You can utilize your personal social media platforms. You are still an individual citizen that has freedom of speech and things of that nature. Use your platforms
Starting point is 01:15:54 to meet your congregations, to meet and contact other people, because we have to do things unconventionally because there's only 28 days left. Absolutely. Is my panel there? Have they been dismissed? They're still there? Let me get a final comment from them because of the next hour. We're going to be just here at the church. So again, 28 days, Mustafa. And folk who are watching and listening, they need to understand you got to be in this game. Just you just voting is one thing. But you should be saying, looking at your state right now, what's the registration deadline? How many people can I register before the deadline?
Starting point is 01:16:34 That's the first thing. Then the second thing is, does my state have early voting? How can I get folk to vote early? And then if they don't, then how many people can I move and activate to get to the polls on election day? Mustafa, you go. My grandmother says you have power unless you give it away. We can utilize our power to make sure that we are making the investments inside of our communities, making sure that we are putting the right people there that we can hold accountable and who actually understand the dynamics that play out in our neighborhoods and inside of our families.
Starting point is 01:17:06 But the only way that that happens is if we use our power to make sure that we're electing those individuals who won't let, you know, who will make sure that they're there for us. So in the words of James Baldwin, he said that if I love you, I have to make you conscious of the things you don't see. Let's make sure that people see our community. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes, but there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.
Starting point is 01:17:50 From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1. Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app,
Starting point is 01:18:15 Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. three on May 21st and episodes four, five, and six on June 4th, ad free at lava for good. Plus on Apple podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glott. And this is season two of the war on drugs.
Starting point is 01:18:35 But sir, we are back in a big way, in a very big way, real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams,
Starting point is 01:18:44 NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding
Starting point is 01:18:57 of what this quote-unquote drug thing is. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corps vet. MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working, and we need to change things.
Starting point is 01:19:15 Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I always had to be so good, no one could ignore me.
Starting point is 01:19:46 Carve my path with data and drive. But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes, rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersilling.org, brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council.
Starting point is 01:20:12 And that they see the brilliance that exists there and that we actually vote for individuals who care about us. Teresa. Here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the battleground state, we need to know that there are two opportunities for in-person voting, which is October 21st. And then, of course, you can request your mail in ballot by October 29th. So October is going to be a very good month for us. Make sure you tell your friends, neighbor, local congressperson, local neighbor, anybody that you fall into, that it's time to vote and it's time to do it now. But, Teresa, but you also, isn't there something weird here where you got to sign the outside and that you got to follow a procedure with that ballot, correct?
Starting point is 01:21:03 Yes, you do. And you know what? I don't have it in front of me. I wish I could, but our Philadelphia City Commissioner's Office, you can go to philadelphiaboots.com and they will be willing to help with that process.
Starting point is 01:21:17 It is hard, but it is not. Actually, when you get your mail-in ballot, it'll show you a step-by-step on how to do it. But if you need further questions or support, feel free to go to PhiladelphiaVotes.com to help you out. After the break, we're going to have somebody here explain exactly what that is, because the last thing we need are votes actually being tossed out. Larry. Well, what I want to note that Philadelphia has a strong Black radical tradition. We talk about Reverend Leon Sullivan, Reverend Gray, among others, whether you talk about inside or outside the church.
Starting point is 01:21:50 It's critically important that Black folks go out and vote. I know they will in my home city of Philadelphia. But once again, we do have to have a conversation about how the kind of information that Black men are being targeted as it relates to information. But we have to realize that our lives are on the line with this election. And if we don't vote the way we need to, we could bring some serious consequences over the next couple of years.
Starting point is 01:22:12 Indeed, indeed. All right, Larry, Mustafa, and Teresa, I certainly appreciate it. Thanks a bunch. Folks, we're going to go to break. We come back. I'm going to have another panel here at Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Philadelphia.
Starting point is 01:22:23 Roland Martin Unfiltered, broadcasting live on the Black Star Network. Folks, I say this all the time, support the work that we do. We don't have these conservative billionaires. They're funding conservative media. We don't have any of that. And so our fan base has been tremendous. Some 31,000 people have donated to our show since we launched six years ago.
Starting point is 01:22:42 Some of the folks in the audience, I've met some of you already. I certainly appreciate that. If you all want to support the work that the audience, I've met some of you already. I certainly appreciate that. If y'all want to support the work that we do, I told y'all Cash App is still tripping with tenure their rules, so we're still dealing with them on that. But support us. And yeah, a bunch of y'all are still old school. They send check and money
Starting point is 01:22:57 orders. Trust me, it's still cash the same way. It's a little bit more work, but PO Box 57196, Washington, D.C., 20037-0196. PayPal, R. Martin Unfiltered. Venmo is RMUnfiltered. Zelle, Roland at RolandSMartin.com. Roland at RolandMartinUnfiltered.com.
Starting point is 01:23:15 We'll be right back. Never back down from a challenge. Thank you. Enforce the law and step up technology. And stop fentanyl smuggling and human trafficking. We need a leader with a real plan to fix the border. And that's Kamala Harris. I'm Kamala Harris and I approve this message. The overturning of Roe almost killed me. I had a blood clot in my uterus that caused my labor to have to be induced. Because of the overturn of Roe v. Wade. I wasn't able to get life-saving treatment sooner. I
Starting point is 01:24:10 almost died and that's because of the decision that Donald Trump made. I was able to get Roe v. Wade terminated and I'm proud to have done it. The doctors and nurses were afraid that if they treated me in the incorrect way that they would be prosecuted for that. And that's appalling. Donald Trump says that women should be punished. Do you believe in punishment for abortion? There has to be some form of punishment.
Starting point is 01:24:35 For the woman? Yeah. I believe that women should have reproductive freedom to make the choices about their own bodies. Four more years of Donald Trump means that women's rights will continue to be taken away one by one by one by one. This has to stop because women are dying. I'm Kamala Harris and I approve this message. Here's a 78-year-old billionaire
Starting point is 01:24:58 who has not stopped whining about his problems. Oh, she had a big crowd. Oh, the crowd. This weird obsession with crowd sizes. It just goes on and on and on. America's ready for a new chapter. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris. I'm Kamala Harris and I approve this message. There's nothing socialist about Kamala Harris.
Starting point is 01:25:28 Trump says Harris is a radical. I don't buy it. Conservatives have a super majority on the Supreme Court. With a likely Republican Senate, those checks and balances will keep our country sane. If Trump wins, he could end up with total control. I'm a conservative. I don't agree with Harris on everything. But she was a tough prosecutor and she put bad guys in prison. I voted for Donald Trump three times. I'm voting for Kamala Harris in November. I'm voting for Kamala Harris this fall. He told us who he was.
Starting point is 01:26:01 Should abortion be punished? There has to be some form of punishment. Then he showed us. For 54 years, they were trying to get Roe v. Wade terminated, and I did it. And I'm proud to have done it. Now Donald Trump wants to go further with plans to restrict birth control, ban abortion nationwide, even monitor women's pregnancies. We know who Donald Trump is. He'll take control. We'll pay the price. I'm Kamala Harris and I approve this message.
Starting point is 01:26:29 I get it. The cost of rent, groceries, and utilities is too high. So here's what we're going to do about it. We will lower housing costs by building more homes and crack down on landlords who are charging too much. We will lower your food and grocery bills by going after price gougers who are keeping the cost of everyday goods too high. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message because you work hard for your paycheck. You should get to keep more of it. As president, I'll make that my top priority.
Starting point is 01:26:55 When you talk about blackness and what happens in black culture, we're about covering these things that matter to us, speaking to our issues and concerns. This is a genuine people-powered movement. A lot of stuff that we're not getting, you get it, and you spread the word. We wish to plead our own cause to long have others spoken for us. We cannot tell our own story if we can't pay for it. This is about covering us. Invest in black-owned media. Your dollars matter. We don't have to keep asking them to cover our stuff. So please support us in what we do, folks.
Starting point is 01:27:32 We want to hit 2,000 people. $50 this month. Rates $100,000. We're behind $100,000. So we want to hit that. Your money makes this possible. Check some money orders. Go to P.O. Box 57196.
Starting point is 01:27:43 Washington, D.C. 20037-0196. The cash app is Dollar Sign RM Unfiltered. PayPal is RM Martin Unfiltered. Venmo is RM Unfiltered. Zelle is Roland at RolandSMartin.com. Hi, my name is Brady Ricks. I'm from Houston, Texas. My name is Sharon Williams. I'm from Houston, Texas. My name is Sharon Williams. I'm from Dallas, Texas. Right now, I'm rolling with Roland Martin. Unfiltered, uncut, unplugged, and undamned believable.
Starting point is 01:28:15 You hear me? All right, folks, we are back. Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Philadelphia. Glad to be here. We'll continue our conversation. We're talking about, of course, the critical election in about seven minutes. We'll also be chatting with Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley. She'll be joining us on the show virtually as well. Also look forward to that conversation.
Starting point is 01:28:46 On my far left, Napoleon Nelson, the Pennsylvania State Representative. Glad to have Napoleon here. We also have Michael, Mike the Poet. Where's Mike? Which one's Mike? Okay, we got Mike. All right, cool. We have, let's see here. Ryan Boyer.
Starting point is 01:29:06 Okay. I'm sorry. I'm looking at who else we have. Morgan Wilson. Gotcha. Manny, 215. Gotcha. Actually, I thought that was all at once.
Starting point is 01:29:18 We got Manny as well. So glad to have four of y'all here. Y'all go ahead and clap. Y'all go ahead and clap. As I said, we'll be jumping a congresswoman in a bit as well uh you heard what we're just talking about here so i just want to get a sense from each one of you again what are you hearing on the ground you're having these conversations you're running people in grocery stores uh neighborhoods in your own families um what are
Starting point is 01:29:42 you hearing are people engaged are they focused on this election or are you hearing? Are people engaged? Are they focused on this election? Or are you hearing, whether it's brothers or sisters, folks talking about sitting this out? Anybody wants to kick it off? Hold on. Grab the shit. There you go. Let me get the mic. Let me get the mic. First of all, thank you, Roland, for doing this. Really appreciate all the work you're doing. For sure. Clap it up for Roland. One of the things I wanted to talk about, Roland, was in the previous segment, was what's happened to the black man and why they're not engaged. And my question is, instead of talking about the how and what,
Starting point is 01:30:17 we've got to really understand the why. Dig deep. Pull back the layers. One of the things I think about is why are these young men not engaged why do they believe in this this thing uh the hype over and i call it the john wayne mentality john wayne mentality is all about manhood machismo all that stuff he's strong he's the image the perception and i think that's one of the things that Democrats don't understand. You know what black men don't feel?
Starting point is 01:30:48 They feel like Democrats are, I'm going to call it, whether they're in church, like they're wussies. They don't have any real strength behind it. They're always counter-punching. When do you, in the sweet science of boxing, it's getting off the first punch first. We're always punching back. And so I don't think that the black community or black men are frustrated by that. So if you feel as though you don't have power and that you're not engaged or you're not feeling like you're really taking control, that's the image that Trump projects. Right. First of all, what you're saying is correct. I remember in 2000, actually I think it was an Associated Press story
Starting point is 01:31:28 and it was a Philadelphia barbershop. The same thing was stated about President George W. Bush, the in-governor George W. Bush. And so I totally understand that. The only reason I think we have to teach folk why that's crazy is because Trump can sound strong, he can. Oh, man, he talk tough. He going to do, you know, even though I disagree with him, he going to do what he say, but is that hurting you? Because, and so, again, I understand this
Starting point is 01:32:15 because that actually applies to this notion of toughness, of manhood, but manhood is also winning. No question. And I think that that is an issue which again requires us to have to walk folk through okay you like him talking tough but are you actually hearing what he's saying and then how is that going to impact you got it and what marshall mitchell said rev marsh Mitchell said the last segment was they're believing the lie they are drunk on the lie they're drunk on the perception
Starting point is 01:32:51 and this is what I think the message that Democrats don't understand they have to change their messaging and their approach you have to have a very aggressive approach to go about this you can't take this passivity kind of approach and that's what's wrong. Listen, if it's a lie, they don't care about it's a lie. It's what they see. And it's
Starting point is 01:33:10 the image that he projects. He said in 2020, Hey, listen, how's your life feeling? If they're not working for you Democrats all these years, Hey, what do you say? He said, well, he first said, what the hell do you have to lose? And then it resonated. It resonated and they lost a whole lot. And so that right there, I think
Starting point is 01:33:37 is what we have to deal with because, listen, he is, Napoleon, he's an entertainer. That's what he does. And he doesn't care. That's correct. He doesn't care. Go ahead.
Starting point is 01:33:50 And I think it's really important that you end on the he doesn't care. There's a moment that we're in right now where folks are going to have to make a decision. And that decision isn't going to be policy-based. It shouldn't be, you know, did I get a check with his name on it. To some degree, that decision needs to be at your core, who cares? Who cares for you? Right? And even with our churches, with our elected officials, you can walk around here,
Starting point is 01:34:21 and if you see an elected official who is showing up and doing the work, if you see folks who are in the communities, if you see folks who, if you need help and you go to your state rep, your congressperson's office, in our communities, most likely it's a black person. The mayor. We've got a wonderful mayor in Philadelphia right now. First black woman. And we celebrate as we should. We celebrate all of that. I'm chair of the legislative black caucus in Pennsylvania. We've got 38 African American and Hispanic
Starting point is 01:34:54 American and Asian American folks in Harrisburg who represent communities throughout this commonwealth. 38 of us, including the first black female Speaker of the House, we've got African American men who are leading our Appropriations Committees in the House and the Senate, then that's not, the 38 doesn't include the alumni of the Legislative Black Caucus, the Mayor of Philadelphia, the Mayor of Pittsburgh and Ed Gainey, the Lieutenant Governor in Austin Davis, Congress folks, Dwight Evans here in Philly, a Congresswoman, Summer Lee, the first black woman to be Congress out in Pittsburgh area. We've got this space where if we go through that and those folks walk through this building,
Starting point is 01:35:38 we would celebrate them because we know that they are from our community. We know that they are us. When they leave and somebody talks about what are black elected officials doing, we're gonna say nothing. And it's not true, right? There's a whole, I appreciate all the work that you're doing and trying to explain to folks what it is to be an African-American elected official in Harrisburg, an African-American elected official in Washington. I an African-American elected official in Washington. I'm telling you it's hard. I'm telling you, for a candidate, it's really hard because not only do you have to run around this country
Starting point is 01:36:14 trying to raise dollars, and Kamala has done the thing, you know what I mean, because we showed up. We showed up, and we have never seen that before. There are some amazing elected officials running around right now who are trying to raise money. And the reason why when with black women and all of these amazing efforts started is because when Kamala is running for president, when Coyle is running for these folks, they couldn't raise the money to be able to compete. So what what they have to do now, what Kamala needs to be doing right now, if we're talking about it, what she needs to be doing right now
Starting point is 01:36:50 is running to somewhat rural parts of Pennsylvania, certainly coming back to Philadelphia, certainly coming back to the church, but then she needs to understand to when we have a job to do, and she has a job. So, Savannah, the thing for me is, again, what I a job to do. And she has a job. So, the thing for me is, again, what I like to focus on, I like to frankly remove party from the conversation. I like to remove even
Starting point is 01:37:15 personalities. At the end of the day, what did you do? And when I hear brothers talk about, well, Trump's going to put money in my pockets, my response is, okay, but what's going to happen when you get sick? Which I then go back to, the Affordable Care Act completely changed health for black people in this country. And then some cats are like, yeah. Then I say, well, who tried to kill it 60 times? See, I think what has to happen again here is we have to be, if we get caught up in a party debate, then we're losing it.
Starting point is 01:37:55 It has to be what got done and how did that specifically impact you. When we have that conversation, then I think we can educate some folks. Just again, real quick, what are you hearing? When you're talking to people, what are they saying to you? What are you hearing? Listen, I think everybody's excited. I think everybody's tired. I promise you that.
Starting point is 01:38:23 But I think we're realizing that this is our moment it's going to be close it's going to be close it's going to be it's going to be a very tight election and we know it michael what are they saying to you what are you hearing um i hear excitement um first give an honor to god to be able to hold space uh. I'm hearing that we need the help of the enlightened to be light. I had no, I had no, I'm from South Philly, born and raised veteran. So I appreciate and love America in a different way. I was introduced to policy because I realized from Rep. Nelson and Jordan Harris and all that, there were so many people that looked like me in the statehouse that I felt energized enough to donate my time, my energy, my money, my platform to a cause.
Starting point is 01:39:19 Because it is my responsibility to leave this city, this commonwealth, this country in a better place than I found it. And I've watched people, some people who have larger platforms in mind, they all put it on the party to do something. And then I watched Michelle Obama at the United Center tell me to do something. And what I have done is done something. And what there are people that are unsure. And there are people in this room that I believe that know. And it is not Kamala Harris has seven battleground states to cover in 29 days after only being nominated 100 days. Unprecedented. Unprecedented.
Starting point is 01:40:11 Now, it's on us as the enlightened to be a light. Did you know that down the street at that Popeye's, you can take somebody every day from now until early voting closes and vote for them, vote with them, take them to take them to the water. And I think that's how far the Popeyes, the Popeyes, the Popeyes is on 56 and Lancaster Avenue, right? There is an early voting shout out to Omar Sabir. Right? Tomorrow, early voting right next to Omar Sabir. And tomorrow.
Starting point is 01:40:45 Early voting right next to it or in? I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops call this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them.
Starting point is 01:41:13 From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multibillion-dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Starting point is 01:41:44 Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glod. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way.
Starting point is 01:42:04 Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King,
Starting point is 01:42:20 John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug man. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette.
Starting point is 01:42:35 MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working, and we need to change things. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts.
Starting point is 01:43:10 I always had to be so good, no one could ignore me. Carve my path with data and drive. But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersceiling.org.
Starting point is 01:43:35 Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. The Popeyes. That's adjacent. So you can get you a three. You can go vote and you can go get you a three piece.. You can go vote and you go get you a three piece in Jesus name. OK. In Jesus name. See what I'm here. What I'm hearing is that as much as we need Kamala Harris to speak to us. I stand I stand with my black brothers who say we have not yet heard a message specific to us. But ask not what you can do. Ask not what your country message specific to us. But that's not what you can do. That's not what
Starting point is 01:44:07 your country can do for you. What can I do for Ms. Harris? But see, but here's the thing that I've heard folks say that, and the reason I disagree with that, the reason I disagree with that is because when the vice president is talking about black maternity issues, that's black men. Because boys are being born. That's not her talking to women. Black women dying or having issues in childbirth, that's a black male issue. Health care, that's a black male issue. Health care, that's a black male issue. Housing, owning a home, that's a black male issue.
Starting point is 01:44:51 I'm just, so it baffles me when I hear folks say, I need to hear a black male agenda when I'm going, every single one of those has a direct impact on. I did not ask for a black male agenda. No, no, no, no, I'm not meaning you. I'm saying I've heard that all across the country. And when I hear that, I challenge them by going, okay, can you name me what that is? And typically they actually can't.
Starting point is 01:45:21 But what are you hearing? What are you hearing? What are they saying to get you, what are you hearing? What are you hearing? What are they saying to you? And what are you responding back to them? Bismillah. Alhamdulillah. Salatu wasalam. Rasulullah.
Starting point is 01:45:30 Salatu wasalam. So real quick, raise your hand if you was born in the year 1997 or below. No, I'm talking about sooner from 97. You mean 97 to present day? The present day. Right, because you said below. That was me. I'm 68.
Starting point is 01:45:50 That was below. No, below. Gotcha. So raise your hand. Not 97 present day. Raise your hand. 97 to present day, right? Okay.
Starting point is 01:45:57 I'm the only one raising my hand. No, you're not. No, you're not. It's about four over there. I see you right there, sis. I see you. It's about three or four over there. Go ahead. You got my man right here, right? No right there, sis. I see you. It's about three or four over there. Go ahead.
Starting point is 01:46:05 You got my man right here, right? No, no, no. Hold on. Hold on. Hold up. Hold up. He asked the question. He got the answer.
Starting point is 01:46:13 Now, go ahead. Now, the question was, if you blow a 97 forward, raise your hand. And they raise it. You weren't 97 forward. It wasn't talking to you. If you premature gray, 97 Ford. Go ahead. Go ahead, man.
Starting point is 01:46:31 No, you know, I just wanted to make that demonstration for you guys to understand, like, who I'm speaking for and what I represent. You know, for those who don't know, I do a lot of community work here in the city of Philadelphia I got a non-profit called the What I Wish I Knew Foundation and also like I strategically advise the number one gun violence organization in the country Everytown for Gun Violence
Starting point is 01:46:57 as it relates to their strategy with Gen Z and connecting with Gen Z and Millennials with gun violence in the black community. So when I speak on what it is that I'm going to say on this panel, I'm speaking for a specific group of people who don't get spoke on a lot, right? My cousin once said something to me a minute ago and it changed my life. He said, you know, if you wake up on the edge of your bed and you think about what you got to do, you already lost because the day happened.
Starting point is 01:47:27 It's already here. Right. So I think the conversation we the election is here. Right. We got to look at the statistics of data when we talk about what Gen Z did for Biden's campaign and him getting elected. Right. Gen Z, we are a very, very, you got to show us something. It's an eye and ear game. It's an eye and ear game. You want to know why? Me born in 97, I was the first generation of kids
Starting point is 01:47:56 raised on this right here. So our view on stuff is different. Our view on stuff is different. And every time I'm in positions like this and I'm in rooms, I always love to echo and mimic. Because for me, right, and you know, by the grace of God, I got a good track record. But for a lot of people, that's not good enough in spaces. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 01:48:19 So when we talk about connecting with the people that's not being connected, Cheryl Parker, she won, right? About 200,000 votes. That's 10% of the city. What somebody spoke about earlier, let's talk about that 90% margin that we're missing out on that can relate to what's going on right now. So what I'm hearing in the city, right, and I'll pull this up this analytical data um just the other day on my timeline somebody posted said who y'all voting for they put both of the candidates but the thing is 41 said neither this is people from my generation
Starting point is 01:48:59 right so what i'm hearing is our voices is not being heard. You got what I'm saying? We get in rooms and we get, I talk to organizations all the time. Oh yeah, you're doing great work. What's your budget for social media? They don't have one. Hold tight one second because I'm a little congresswoman shortly, but here's what I, here's what I also say when, because I was just at Alabama State just on Thursday. And I've been to other college campuses. And what I said to them was, I said, Millennial and Gen Z, they actually make up the largest demographic in the country right now. Yes. And what often happens is they say, I'm tired of all these old people running.
Starting point is 01:49:50 My response to them is, but the group that actually votes the highest in the country is 65 plus. And so the reality is politics works by who shows up. That's just fact. The squeaky wheel gets the most grease. No, no, one second. And so what I'm often, when we're having these conversations, what I'm often saying to Millennial and Gen Z when we're having this discussion
Starting point is 01:50:12 and that is, if you want to see something change, the rally is, you have to be in the game. And so what's happening is, there has to be more conversations directly with, is that what you're talking about, with folk to understand this is the game.
Starting point is 01:50:32 If you don't vote, if you do sit out, you're guaranteed not to have anybody pay attention to you because that's just how a political game works. I had some young folks came to Jesse Jackson Jr. when he was in Congress, and they said, man, if you ain't doing this, we're going to throw you out. He's like, no, you're not. He said, you see that high rise right there? He said, election day, they're going to come out there in their walkers, in their scooters.
Starting point is 01:50:56 He said, and they're going to vote early, often, and they'll call everybody. And he said, the day y'all show up like they do, then I'll listen to you. And then he walked off. And they were all like, did he just do that? And he was like, yeah. And so that to me is also, but that's walking people through how this process works. But I want to put a pin in that right now
Starting point is 01:51:18 because, again, we finally got, we have some technical issues with the congresswoman. I want to get her. I'm coming back to this. Just hold that point. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressler of Massachusetts has really been one of the voices talking about Project 2025 and its impact on our people, on this country. She's with the STOP Project 2025 Task Force. Congresswoman, glad to have you back on Roller Barton Unfiltered. Good to be with you, Roland.
Starting point is 01:51:44 Congratulations on the Hall of Fame, by the way, brother. We're so proud of you. I appreciate it. Thank you so very much. But you've really been sounding the alarm at Project 2025, and that really took off when Taraji Henson called it out on the BET Awards, and it blew up. Then all of a sudden, when you sort of got to the convention, when Taraji Henson called it out on the BET Awards and it blew up.
Starting point is 01:52:08 Then all of a sudden, when you sort of got to the convention, there hasn't been the same level of intensity. The Trump folks have been trying to deny that it has anything to do with them. They're like, oh, it has nothing to do with us. But the fact of the matter is the agenda of the Heritage Foundation is absolutely going to be what Trump will do if he wins in 28 days. Absolutely, Roland. And bear with me a little bit because there's a little bit of a delay on my end. But listen, Project 2025 is institutionalized Trumpism. It was written by Trump's friends for a Trump White House
Starting point is 01:52:45 to advance Trump's agenda. And what is institutionalized Trumpism? It means harm to every person who calls this country home. They want to control every aspect of your life from your womb to the bedroom to the classroom.
Starting point is 01:52:59 They want to ban bodies. They want to ban books. They want to ban words. It is anti-blackness on steroids. When you're talking about eliminating the Department of Housing and Urban Development, eliminating that, eliminating those civil rights protections, guarding against discrimination, eliminating the Department of Education. I was the lead negotiator in the House on student loan debt. I want to say something to that young brother. You know, you are powerful.
Starting point is 01:53:26 The reason why an issue like student loan debt cancellation is an issue that has been mainstreamed into the discourse, and we were able to push Biden on that, is because we held him accountable to the coalition, multi-generational, multiracial coalition that pushed him on this issue, especially black borrowers, because it is a racial justice issue. They want to privatize these loans. They want to stop the public service loan forgiveness program. They want to eliminate Head Start. They want a national ban on abortion, a nation of forced birth. Do you know what that impact would be on black women when we have a black maternal morbidity crisis where we're still three to four times more likely to die of childbirth or post-birthing complications. They want to fire massive firings and hiring freezes and budget cuts when it comes to dedicated
Starting point is 01:54:15 civil servants by using the executive action of Schedule F. You know, when we talk about black jobs for real, you're talking about some three million federal jobs, one in five of which are held by black folks. So 600,000 black folks at least who stand to be impacted and to have their livelihoods threatened if they're not Trump loyalists or sycophants. We're talking about the Department of Justice going on a murdering spree. I'm not being dramatic. The final days of Trump's presidency, he executed more people on death row in those weeks that had been executed for the last six decades. And we know that disproportionately we have wrongful convictions.
Starting point is 01:54:58 And one in 25 of us are innocent that are on death row. And again, I'm thinking of the brother that we just lost in Missouri. So this is anti-blackness on steroids. Project 2025, it ain't a blueprint. It is a playbook. It is a playbook for harm because what these extremists have taught us is that they do not make threats. They make promises. the um when you when you talk about project 2025 almost a thousand pages one of the things that i keep trying to explain to people that's in there uh they want to target anti-white racism they believe that racism against white people is much bigger and broader than anything regarding black people even though hate crimes impact black people every year more than anybody else. The other thing is when you look at what they're trying to do here,
Starting point is 01:55:53 they literally, and Trump just the other day in Pennsylvania, he wants to go back to rename those military bases after Confederate heroes. It got a huge applause the other day. That's what they want. They want to go back and remember, they also removed Confederate flags, emblems from these military bases. These folks want that to return.
Starting point is 01:56:18 So when they say make America great again, they really are saying make America white, white, white again. Roland, Project 2025 is about taking us back to Jim Crow and then some. And again, it is about the gutting of our freedoms, the dismantling of the federal government as we know it. And not only does it implicate the federal government, Roland, it implicates the courts. Because as we see, the bench is stacked. That Supreme Court has been weaponized, and they have been enlisted as co-conspirators in this extremist march, which includes a national ban on abortion. And look at the other rulings that they have made, dismantling a 50 years of precedent
Starting point is 01:56:58 affirmative action in higher ed, denying minority business development agencies, saying it's constitutional overreach to say that we have inequitable access to capital. So, you know, this would just be a scary movie if it wasn't real life. But what is our response to Project 2025? We have to stand in the gap. We have to be the firewall because this far right wing 922 page manifesto does not become manifest if we stand in the gap. We don't sing, I will overcome. We sing, we shall overcome.
Starting point is 01:57:31 And I'm asking people to not be complicit in the tsunami of harm that would come to black people. Because although this document and Trump and J.D. Vance mean harm to everyone. We know that when white America gets a cold, black folks get pneumonia. And we definitely see that in black and white in this document. And that is exactly why I am working, organizing, mobilizing, agitating, and plan to vote as if lives depend on it for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz,
Starting point is 01:58:01 because it does. And listen, I'm going to invoke the words of Stacey Abrams. As someone who knows the Lord and grew up in the church, we don't elect saviors. We elect partners. And part of partnership is accountability. So there's not perfection on the ballot, but partnership is and progress is because Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are about our freedoms and are about our future. When you talk about increasing access to capital, tax breaks for entrepreneurs,
Starting point is 01:58:29 what that young brother's talking about, most young people, they don't want to work a job. They want to create a job. They want to create their own. She supports entrepreneurs. When you talk about our freedoms, bodily autonomy, you know, prior to 2025, they're assaulting our intellectual freedom. They want to ban black books, ban black authors, our representation. They want to ban words, Roland, like reproductive freedom, diversity, equity, and inclusion. The stakes cannot be higher. The contrast is more clear. All right. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, we certainly appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Thank you, Roland.
Starting point is 01:59:05 Thank you, Roland. Thank you, Roland. All right, going to go to break. When we come back, we'll pick up more of the conversation here at Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Philadelphia. Folks, Roland Martin unfiltered right here on the Black Star Network. Back in a moment. He told us who he was. We'll be right back. done it. Now Donald Trump wants to go further with plans to restrict birth control, ban abortion nationwide, even monitor women's pregnancies. We know who Donald Trump is. He'll take control. We'll pay the price. I'm Kamala Harris and I approve this message. In 2016, Donald Trump said he would choose only the best people to work in his White House. Now those people have a warning
Starting point is 02:00:03 for America. Trump is not fit to be president again. Here's his White House. Now those people have a warning for America. Trump is not fit to be president again. Here's his vice president. Anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be president of the United States. It should come as no surprise that I will not be endorsing Donald Trump this year. His defense secretary. Do you think Trump can be trusted with the nation's secrets ever again? No.
Starting point is 02:00:22 I mean, it's just irresponsible action that places our service members at risk, places our nation's security at risk. His national security advisor. Donald Trump will cause a lot of damage. The only thing he cares about is Donald Trump. And the nation's highest-ranking military officer. We don't take an oath to a king or a queen or a tyrant or a dictator.
Starting point is 02:00:43 And we don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator. Take it from the people who knew him best. Donald Trump is a danger to our troops and our democracy. We can't let him lead our country again. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message. I get it. The cost of rent, groceries, and utilities is too high. So here's what we're going to do about it. We will lower housing costs by building more homes and crack down on landlords who are charging too high. So here's what we're going to do about it. We will lower housing costs by building more homes
Starting point is 02:01:06 and crack down on landlords who are charging too much. We will lower your food and grocery bills by going after price gougers who are keeping the cost of everyday goods too high. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message, because you work hard for your paycheck. You should get to keep more of it. As president, I'll make that my top priority.
Starting point is 02:01:27 Hi, everybody. I'm Kim Colson. Hey, I'm Donnie Simpson. Yo, it's your man, Deon Cole, from Blackist. And you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. All right, folks. We are back. Mount Carmel Baptist church in philadelphia glad to be here this is our last segment so uh let's get right back uh into with our panel i was talking about again uh you know what have you been hearing uh what have folks been saying um we have 28 days
Starting point is 02:02:01 uh and so um what do you what do you think needs to be happening community-based um individual-based group-based uh to drive our folks out so we don't have these low numbers because when you when you look at all across the country depending upon how black folks vote the rally is if we actually voted 70 percent of our numbers we sweep elections city statewide so part of this issue uh is us not look i don't care what white folks doing i don't care what latinos are doing but if you look at our numbers in certain states we vote at 70 percent of our capacity. Literally, that's the margin of victory. So what what is necessary for us to change that to get us to that particular point there?
Starting point is 02:02:55 What do you think? First of all, I want to just piggyback on something that Manny 215 said in the last segment. And one of the things I want everybody to understand, he said we're not being heard. They're not hearing us. Martin Luther King said that rioting is the language of what? The disunheard. The disenfranchised. I will add to this, not just rioting,
Starting point is 02:03:18 it's also rebellion. These folks are rebelling, and one way you can show your rebellion is not show up. Disrupt the system. This man will blow it all up. And so for them, disruption or not showing up is a real thing to show their frustration that they're not being heard. We have to understand that, and you have to deliver it in a different way.
Starting point is 02:03:42 Manning 215, he gave you the formula. Nobody's talking to us on the medium by which they are gaining information. So if you want to engage them, you've got to go where they are. Social media is huge. You can't run away from it. I'm not saying throw your baby out the bag. So we're going, okay. You've got to throw both hands.
Starting point is 02:04:01 So I get frustration. But frustration still has to lead to results. And in a political game, in the political world, no one is going to deliver results if you don't show up. It's just, that's, go just that's go ahead go ahead go ahead the the issue of showing up right is because they don't even know we don't even know we we don't even know we my organization we did or we did uh an called Voices of the 215, right? And it was just about engaging people, letting them know what is the role of the city council person? What's the role with a mayor?
Starting point is 02:04:56 You know what I'm saying? I asked a young boy in South Street, I said, yo, what council district do you live in? You know what district he gave me? The police district. Right? Right. Right. But when I say we don't even know, it's like shout out to Meatball, right? district do you live in you know what district he gave me the police district right right no right but when i say we don't even know it's like shout out the meatball right she got locked up
Starting point is 02:05:11 during a riot right we're super viral she got locked up boom and my drink was this it's like yo we we wanna we i get it i get it judge should have been held accountable the the the the officer should have been held accountable but we don't even know when we talk about gen z and that relates to us as black people we don't even know at the core of our progression and future the youth the core of our progression and future right that the judge that bangs the gavel is voting into their position right so when we talk that the judge that bangs the gavel is voting into their position. Right. So when we talk about the energy that should be there, it should be poured into educating our youth.
Starting point is 02:05:51 So how, okay, all right. So if the school, so if we don't, because the reality is, I keep telling people, you're not going to have a school do that. Absolutely. So which goes back to, which goes back to, if it's not going to be school-driven, it has to be community-driven. Community-based, yes. No, you. No, you. You.
Starting point is 02:06:10 I think Manny's point comes from a community and a home where voting wasn't top of mind and the elders might have to take some accountability because man you are you're how old 27 27 years old um you've been able to vote nine years yeah twice twice 2016 was like the first election. Well, no, no, no, no. Hold on. Twice in terms of presidential. Twice as far as like what we talk about. Presidential. Presidential.
Starting point is 02:06:50 There you go. Yeah, mostly and all of that. There you go. A plethora. There you go. There you go. All right. So maybe not to single out many.
Starting point is 02:06:57 It's systemic. I think it starts at home. And, again, it goes back to the knowledgeable. Now, the plight of Philadelphia specifically is different. Every church that I grew up in in South Philly is gone. And the people in my neighborhoods don't look like that anymore. And the community centers that I used to attend don't exist in the same ways anymore. There you go. So when it comes down to voting, it's a microcosm of a larger issue that has separated this generation, Generation Z, from its elders
Starting point is 02:07:40 in a way that disenfranchises them from everything from voting to education to community activism. And they feel isolated. And if they feel isolated, it's on their elders. The praying grandmothers need to be the educated grandmothers. Because we can't pray
Starting point is 02:07:59 our way to victory in this sense. Which is why Napoleon, and how i started this conversation i don't believe in complaining about a problem i believe in saying no how do we drive a solution the only way this changes is you have to create community-based, community-driven, I'll call them really what we saw doing Jim Crow era, freedom schools. Where it's literally every Saturday or every other Saturday or whenever somebody wants to do it in multiple places where they literally are teaching civics. Where they're walking people through. Because, and so,
Starting point is 02:08:48 so when I said earlier that when elections happen, we put massive amounts of energy into mobilizing and organizing. And what I'm saying, 28 days, 28 days from now, it's going to be an election. November 5th. Whatever election. November 5th. Whatever happens on November 5th, we breathe on November 6th.
Starting point is 02:09:11 And then on November 7th, we go, okay, time to get to work. What happens is, on November 5th, depending on what happens, all of that infrastructure just goes away. And I'm saying the text groups, the text chats, the fundraising, all of that stuff has to stay in place because that's how you build to what he's talking about to go from six. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time. Have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes, but there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across
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Starting point is 02:10:49 And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players
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Starting point is 02:12:06 on paper. The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersilling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. 15% to 25% to 40%. Otherwise, we're going to be having the same conversation in 2028, in 2032. And then when the numbers drop in the midterm elections, when we say what happened, because that's just simply where we have to be. So we have to commit to doing that between now and the next cycle.
Starting point is 02:12:47 Go ahead. And it's not just commit to doing that. Yes. We have to commit to speaking up amongst our peers. You all being here make you more politically engaged than most of your neighbors, most of your family members. State Rep, Roland, like you all being here have more political connections now than most folks in your area. So if you have that family text chat, that group chat,
Starting point is 02:13:17 you are the politically connected and informed one. And I'll tell you this, right, so Roland says regularly, he's already said several times, right? If you don't vote, you don't get a say, like the solutions aren't coming for you. That's not true. Because I will tell you that even if you did not vote, I promise you in this area, I know your reps, I know your senators, I know them. Like we care. Sherrell was mayor. Parker was elected by 10% of the city. Um, even lower percentage African-American folks, but, but know that we care. The reason I started with, you have to understand who cares about you. We care. Governing is hard. It is, it is to call chess, is underestimating what happens in government.
Starting point is 02:14:08 But follow me here. Follow me here. The reason I made that point is because when you run for re-election, you know what you're going to do? You're going to go back and look at who won it last time. Yes. And so I'm just trying to get people, I'm trying to get our people to understand because we saw this when Obama was elected. This is what I said in 2008.
Starting point is 02:14:30 That was an inauguration parade. Everybody else left the parade, but we stayed. For eight years, we were like, oh my God, we got a black first family. Yeah. And everybody else left and was executing an agenda. In the first 60 days, people complain about LGBT community.
Starting point is 02:14:53 In the first 60 days, they presented him with a 54-page agenda. I'm telling you, I was there. Black organizations met his fifth year. I was at the hotel in dc it took them nine months to put all their ideas in a in a in a in a proposal and i was like uh we waited five years and so what i'm saying is what we have to understand is when we talk about politics, you are going to listen to those that show up. What happens when there's a shooting or a protest? I covered city council.
Starting point is 02:15:35 All of a sudden, 100 people show up. The council goes, oh, oh, my goodness, that's more people we normally get. What do they want? What are they protesting? How can they go away? Because a hundred showed up. Then the next week when the shooting dissipates or whatever, we did, we disappear and it's back to business. But what happens, and this is what I'm talking about. I need people to understand what I'm talking about organization. We were joking earlier at the outset, Alpha's Kappas, okay?
Starting point is 02:16:07 So let's take black infrastructure. Let's just take Divine Nine. That's fraternities and sororities. Now you take Prince Hall Mason, Eastern Star, Lynx, all these different church groups. So
Starting point is 02:16:23 let's just say the city council meets 10 times a year. They vacation, let's say, Christmas or whatever. Y'all, this is very basic what I'm about to walk you through. If Alpha said all Alphas in Philadelphia are going to roll to the city council meeting in February, Kappa's going to go in March. Delta's going to go in April. Zeta's going to go in May. Omega's going to go in June.
Starting point is 02:16:57 All I'm asking you to do is go to a council meeting one time a year. Now, what do you think the reaction of the city council is going to be if two, three, four, five hundred alphas, deltas, ak's and omegas are showing up every single month with an agenda. Now add the other black groups. Now y'all that's just saying pick one month and then here's a county meeting, here's a school board meeting. So what I'm saying is we have black infrastructure that's not being used properly. And I agree with that. I'm sorry. Real quick. Your point, and then I'm going here.
Starting point is 02:17:33 Go ahead. Go ahead. I don't disagree with that at all. Show up on the regular basis. Show up. But what I'm arguing, especially 28 days out, out is tell folks here's the game and when we show up I know we're going to listen
Starting point is 02:17:52 legislative black caucus in two weeks we got NCNW the National Council of Negro Women they're coming up to Harrisburg we got the Omegas they're coming up to Harrisburg we get folks coming up to Harrisburg. We got the Omegas. They're coming up to Harrisburg. Like we get folks coming up to Harrisburg on a regular basis. But those folks when they come up should not only meet with the Black Caucus. They should be meeting-
Starting point is 02:18:12 Everywhere. Right, right, right. Everywhere. Right. I agree. The reason I say it's chess is when we are fighting to have the votes. When we've got folks in Harrisburg who are doing the work, we're doing the work right now. Right now. I'm going back to Harrisburg tomorrow are doing the work. We're doing the work right now. Right now. I'm going back to Harrisburg tomorrow morning to try and get more funding for mass transit.
Starting point is 02:18:30 Philadelphia sends more money to Harrisburg's takeoffers than any other metropolitan. Okay, hold on, hold on, hold on. Hold on, hold on, hold on. You just said, I'm going to get more money for mass transit. No. But what you also need is you need an army behind you so it's not just you. Correct. Correct. And that's what I say.
Starting point is 02:18:54 So wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. No, no, no, wait. So have you told the people how much you're trying to get? How much you're trying to get? Everybody understand. We're trying to get $ How much are you trying to get? Everybody understand. We're trying to get $270 million. Okay. All right.
Starting point is 02:19:09 So you, okay. This is basic politics. So you're trying to get $270 million. Okay. So all of the groups that I'm talking about, how are you communicating with all of those groups saying this is the plan, this is the agenda, I need y'all to help me get the $270 million. Is that happening? No.
Starting point is 02:19:32 No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, that's my point. You can't get the $270 by yourself. But if a thousand folk are rolling through, so all of, so, so, so, now, now, now, what I'm saying, now this is where the two-way street comes in. I need you communicating with all the groups of what the play is so we then can say, all right, you trying to get 270?
Starting point is 02:20:00 You a state rep? What you trying to do? What you trying to do? So now when we roll up, we know we fighting we fighting for we're not having a general conversation so so your homework your homework is to commit no yeah I give homework your homework is to communicate with all with the pan hell with a group of clergy or whatever and say this is what i'm trying to get i need y'all support to make it happen man 215 then i'm gonna go to you yo uh hey roland i appreciate your point so much because it's a perfect segue into what i've been holding
Starting point is 02:20:36 holding my tongue on um again my organization is called the what i wish i knew foundation boom right what i wish i knew right and just real real quick right the reason why it's named that Our organization is called the What I Wish I Knew Foundation. Boom. Right? What I Wish I Knew, right? And just real quick, right, the reason why it's named that, it's built on, I got two friends that separately told me at different times that, yo, I know your whole name because they always said your name on a loudspeaker and it was on the posters around the school because you always got the highest test scores, right? So it was rare if I got lower than advanced on a on a state test right but dig the move right fast forward life happened i get locked up i get a chance to sit down i said dang i fell victim to this what does it say for my folks who got below basic thus started the what i wish i knew foundation on the idea that in
Starting point is 02:21:26 order to get a stampede turned around you got to start from the front we got to lead by example right so again when we talk about my my first point of proactiveness towards the core of the progression of our people which is gen z right now right and the alpha generation right now right when we talk about them right we got to understand that we need proactive thinkers that's in these elected official positions yeah because when you are one thing about our community we hold elected officials here when their job is to serve us if i'm if i'm am i wrong you're right you're right why are they waiting for us to come to them when they should be going to us? Right? We need people that's going to say
Starting point is 02:22:08 yeah, y'all voted for me. Again, 10% voted for Sherelle Parker. Why are we not talking about how do I engage that 90? How do I go out and the 10 I got y'all. Nine times out of 10 y'all going to vote for me again. How do I go engage that
Starting point is 02:22:24 90 so that 200,000 turn to maybe four? Or half a million? And before I go to you, and for me, I don't focus on the 90. I say, let me get five of the 90, then 10 of the 90, then 15. Because what happens in these conversations, we like to go macro when I go micro. And I'm just going to, again, people said, people literally said this show was not going to work. I was like, good. And I literally said, we're just going to build.
Starting point is 02:23:04 Folks, people were like, man, more people should be watching your show. I'm good. I'm a service. Who's watching? So we launched 157,000 YouTube subscribers. Six years later, it's 1.42 million. Only because we did the work every single day. We planned, we focused, we did the work,
Starting point is 02:23:25 high quality, people said I love it. Our fan base is giving more than 2.5 million. I'm saying all of that is because leaving here, I need us to stop trying to think macro and think micro. If I can just impact
Starting point is 02:23:40 5 or 10, then ask those 5 or 10 to go get 5 or 10, and ask those 5 or 10 to go get five or ten and ask those five or ten to go get five or ten. That's how it builds. Go ahead with your final comment. Go ahead. In the spirit of homework, I know we talk about 28, 29 days, but our first number is 13 because we've got 13 days left that a person in the state of Pennsylvania can still register to. There you go.
Starting point is 02:24:06 There you go. Okay. And the homework for the people, for the woke in the room is to go through that group text with your homegirls and your bros to see how many of them haven't even registered. There you go.
Starting point is 02:24:18 We've got a QR code in the back that you can send them and say, hey, can you check this room? No, no, no, no, no. See, we don't do that. Bring the QR code up here. Okay. First why first of all is more people watching than who's in the room all right we're gonna put it on the screen so bring the qr code here but the and then go ahead and then the second thing is again you know each one reach one you know so i guess i
Starting point is 02:24:39 guess uh now that we know that there's a bonus center in the Popeyes, how many people can you get to Popeyes? Even if you've got to sweeten them up with a biscuit. OK, OK. Because as a as a political enthusiast. Now, hold up, hold up, hold up. There are laws. There are laws. About buying votes. Yes, yes, yes.
Starting point is 02:24:58 So do this. So do this here. Let them go vote. And y'all get a biscuit after. Yes, yes, yes. OK, go ahead. And then my last part is I definitely want to shoot some bail because I've been a friend to that 38 special, I like to call them,
Starting point is 02:25:17 those 38 members of the Congressional Black Caucus leadership in Pennsylvania. And I understand in a real way because I've been to Harrisburg and I see what they're up against. 38 is only, what, 25% of the whole thing? So their fight starts when we press that button to get them there. Right. And when you want knowledge,
Starting point is 02:25:39 you go to the library and get the book off the shelf. The library don't come like the Uber Eats do. So the challenge is, is I believe the shelf. The library don't come like the Uber Eats do. So the challenge is, is I believe in Napoleon. I believe in Austin Davis. I believe in Joanna McClinton, Jordan Harris, Senator Shreve Street, Anthony Hardy Williams. I mean, I can name most of the 38, but I know I need to work for them first because there are more of us than there are of them. And now my last bit of homework is everybody knows Amani and Beloir, Gen Z, Gen A. And it's different when Napoleon says, I need you. It's different when Kamala Harris says, I need you. But y'all need to tell them that you need them. Because they're going to be the ones to save your Medicare. If we
Starting point is 02:26:27 can mobilize those 18 to 40 year olds who feel disengaged, who feel disenfranchised, who feel unheard, and say, you know what, if you do this for me, I will bring you along. We don't have time to educate people on the importance of politics. Right. We need to, as the knowledgeable, we need to say, hey, I need you to do this for us. Yep. And then we go from there. Right here. Go ahead. Listen, Manny, I want us not to forget what he said.
Starting point is 02:26:58 He said I'm not, my generation's not being heard, and he said they don't know. His program is, what's it called again? What I Wish I Knew Foundation. What I Wish I Knew Foundation said they don't know. His program is what's it called again? What I Wish I Knew Foundation. What I Wish I Knew Foundation. They don't know. So we have to do an education. It's a both and. You can't be one on a table and not the other.
Starting point is 02:27:14 So for me, you've got to really educate the future to help them understand legislative process. Listen, you had a presidential candidate. I don't remember what the election was. And the man could not say what the three branches of government is. He's running for, who was that? Oh, the first one, Jill Stein.
Starting point is 02:27:32 She didn't know how many members of the Congress were. She was like, 600? No, it was not. But that's my point. If you got a person running for high elected office, what do you think these young folks don't understand? They don't understand civics. So you have to give it to them back to the old school. And for all you old folks, you know what I'm going to tell you.
Starting point is 02:27:51 I'm old too. Got it. What was the saying? I'm only a bill sitting here on Capitol Hill, right? Remember that? Remember that? Yeah, it's called School Rides Rock. Exactly.
Starting point is 02:28:01 But that's how we, but they don't understand that. That's what I'm talking, you got to really educate them to really understand what's in it for them. Yep. And the process. So, this was a QR code. And so, I know it's real small, but it's all good. I understand technology, baby. Take a picture of it.
Starting point is 02:28:20 Load a picture up. That's it right there. So, if y'all are in Philadelphia, you're in Pennsylvania, point your phone right now to the screen. That's the QR code right there. And he's absolutely right. 13 days left to register to vote. Let me say it again. This is a margins election. Polling is very clear. The polling is clear how tight it is in Pennsylvania, in Michigan, in Wisconsin, in North Carolina, in Georgia, in Arizona, in Nevada. Those are the seven battleground states. That's the presidential race. You also have an Ohio Senate race, okay? Montana Senate race, Arizona, Nevada, West Virginia, Florida, Texas. You also have
Starting point is 02:29:07 critical state Supreme Court races, okay? Those matter in Ohio, in Florida, in Michigan. And so what I need our folk to understand, and I'm glad that the panelists said this here, again, y'all, micro, if every person in this room says leaving here i'm gonna commit myself to texting or calling 10 people and ask them the question are you registered if anybody replies no i'm not registered your next question should be are are you going to register? And if they say to you, hey, I ain't really feeling this, I'm not really interested, then I want you to ask them, what are the three things that you care about? And then explain to them how politics has a direct impact on those three things.
Starting point is 02:30:08 Now, I know somebody watching, and I guarantee you somebody's saying, yeah, all right, man, but I don't know about all that. Come on, give it here. I don't know about all that. Come on, pass it in. I got it. Yeah, we do the show a little bit different, okay?
Starting point is 02:30:20 We just go ahead and do it. I know somebody's sitting here watching, and they're saying, okay, all right. So let me explain to you. few years ago in virginia there was a race it was a tie the same number of votes they had to draw the name out of a hat whoever's name was drawn it was a democrat and republican whose ever name was drawn determined which was a Democrat and Republican, whose every name was drawn determined which party controlled the statehouse. Y'all think I'm lying.
Starting point is 02:30:50 This was only five, six years ago. Literally, it was a tie. They had two names in a hat. The Republican name got drawn. The Republicans control the House of Delegates in Virginia by pulling out of a hat. Trayvon Martin's mother, Sabrina Fulton, ran for county commissioner in Maryland, lost by less than 300 votes. Sherry Beasley, sister ran for chief justice of North Carolina Supreme Court, lost by 401 votes. I posted something earlier. Trump won Michigan by 11,000 votes in 2016.
Starting point is 02:31:29 277,000 black people in Detroit did not vote. Beto O'Rourke, when he ran against Greg Abbott in Texas, 75% of all Texas voters under 30 did not vote. So, don't think for a second that if each person in here hits 10 people, now you multiply the number of people in here, that has no impact. Last piece of homework for everybody else in here. All of y'all on social media, you have on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Fanbase, LinkedIn, what is it again?
Starting point is 02:32:17 Threads. Right, that's new. So, Threads, Spottable, Spill, all of those. Y y'all this is real simple all you got to do is go to kamala harris's twitter page click it save photo repost it that's all you got to do you ain't got to go sir i'm just helping y'all you ain't got to go google nothing you can just go right there and say okay if you go if you go joe biden's twitter account he has a graphic that says how many but matter of fact i'm just gonna show he has a graphic give me i'm just gonna show y'all how easy this is if you go to twitter all right uh pull it up pull it up pull it up y'all okay so if you just type in kamala harris all right you see kamala harris hq you do kamala har, all right, you see Kamala Harris HQ?
Starting point is 02:33:05 You do Kamala Harris right there. Then you click media. All you got to do is then scroll down. And you say, oh, Kamala Harris will cover home care for seniors. You click that. Y'all see right there? Hold that down. Save photo.
Starting point is 02:33:21 Boom. Now I'm going to go over here to Instagram I'm gonna take that same photo right there click next let's go click okay click share boom guess what Kamala Harris is right there. Y'all see that? No, that's Instagram. I don't care. Instagram.
Starting point is 02:33:49 That's Instagram. Instagram will show you all kinds of stuff. So y'all saw what I did? Y'all saw what I did? I see that. See Trump's party 2025? I pulled that. Y'all see that?
Starting point is 02:33:59 This is a graphic. I'm going to go here. I'm going to pull all kinds of stuff. Okay, you see this here? You see what Instagram just pulled up? Rollin S. Martin, request a ballot for Virginia today. Okay? So, y'all, you can grab anything off of social media.
Starting point is 02:34:13 That's how simple it was. And so all you got to do is just simply utilize the technology. You do that, now all your followers are seeing the information. Your followers are seeing the registration deadlines. It's how simple this stuff is. And so we just have to understand that it's not hard, but you have to now amplify the messaging. And you can't wait on the representative. You can't wait on the preacher.
Starting point is 02:34:40 You can't wait on an influencer. You can't wait on the podcast. Every person in here can change the game. Every person. Let me thank all of y'all. We certainly appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Pastor Moore, thank you so very much.
Starting point is 02:34:53 Let me thank all of y'all who showed up. Tomorrow, tomorrow, pull the graphic up in control room. We're going to be at Sharon Baptist Church tomorrow. Sharon? See, I was checking. I was like, because, you know, some people are not from Sharon. Y'all know black people. I ain't never went to a
Starting point is 02:35:13 Sharon Baptist Church. I'm just saying. Most times it's Sharon. Come on now. That's how y'all do the feeling? Okay, all right. Y'all know. Anywhere else in the world is called the Church of Sharon. Yeah, y'all know. Come on now. That's how y'all do in Philly? Okay, all right. Y'all know. Anywhere else in the world is called the Church of... Yeah, y'all know. Come on now.
Starting point is 02:35:28 That's the Church of Patty. Okay, all right. So we're going to be there tomorrow, 6 to 8. And then on Thursday, pull the graphic up. We're going to be at Lincoln University broadcasting from the chapel there. Control room, pull it up, please. Thank you very much. We'll be at Lincoln on Thursday, and so we appreciate it.
Starting point is 02:35:48 Again, don't forget to support the work that we do. Join our Bring the Funk fan club. You can see our check and money order, PO Box 57196, Washington, D.C., 20037-0196. Cash, PayPal, R. Martin Unfiltered. Venmo is RM Unfiltered. Zelle, Roland at RolandSMartin.com. Roland at RolandMartinUnfiltered.com.
Starting point is 02:36:07 Download the Blackstar Network app. Anthony, download the Blackstar Network app. Apple Phone, Android Phone, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV. And be sure to get a copy of my book, White Fear, How the Browning of America is Making White Folks Lose Their Minds, available at bookstores nationwide. Get the audio version on Audible. All right, folks.
Starting point is 02:36:27 This here, general election dates right here. It's a last day to register in Pennsylvania. October 21st, last day to apply for a mail ballot. October 29th, election day is November 5th. And completed mail ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on November 5th. And you can get more information by going to vote.pa.gov. If you're not in Pennsylvania, go to your state secretary or state's website, or just simply go to iwillvote.com. iwillvote.com to get all the information that you need.
Starting point is 02:37:06 Folks, thanks a bunch. I appreciate it. Pastor, thank you so very much. Glad to be here. I'll see y'all tomorrow. Holler! Black Star Network is here. Oh, no punches. I'm real revolutionary right now.
Starting point is 02:37:33 Thank you for being the voice of Black America. All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going. The video looks phenomenal. See, there's a difference between Black Star Network and Black-owned media and something like CNN. You can't be Black-owned media and be scared. It's time to be smart. Bring your eyeballs home.
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