#RolandMartinUnfiltered - Roland On The Road Talking 2023 Elections, Ex-Tenn. Cop Pleads Guilty in Tyre Nichols Case

Episode Date: November 3, 2023

11.2.2023: #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Roland On The Road Talking 2023 Elections, Ex-Tenn. Cop Pleads Guilty in Tyre Nichols Case LIVE from Richmond, Virginia, for a special edition of Roland Martin Unfiltered "Our Voices, Our Vote" Town Hall powered by Virginia House Democrats and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus. I'll talk to candidates vying for one of Virginia's General Assembly and House of Delegates seats.  A former Memphis, Tennesee, police officer pleads guilty in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, becoming the first of five officers charged to change his plea.  We'll hear Tyre's mother describe what she heard from one of the five men charged with killing her son.  The Senate confirms the first woman Joint Chiefs of Staff, circumventing that crazy Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville.  The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.     Download the Black Star Network app at http://www.blackstarnetwork.com! We're on iOS, AppleTV, Android, AndroidTV, Roku, FireTV, XBox and SamsungTV. The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. providing fully functional home environments for those who lost everything in the fires. Please get involved. Sign up to volunteer, donate furniture, or even donate funds. You can go to ascenseofhome.org to find out more information. Together, we can help our LA community rebuild. It takes all of us. I know a lot of cops. They get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no.

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

This kind of starts that a little bit, man. We met them at their homes. We met them at their recording studios. 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 iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Să ne urmăm. Today is Thursday, November 2nd, 2023. Coming up on Roland Martin on the Black Star Network, we're live for Virginia Union University here in Richmond, Virginia, for our fifth and final town hall. The election is five days away in Virginia. Elections taking place all across the country, so we're talking about the issues that matter.

We'll be talking to candidates who are running for the Virginia House. Democrats, if they flip three of those seats, they will actually take over the House and get its first black Speaker of the House in Virginia history. And so we'll talk to Delegate Don Scott, who leads the Virginia House Democrats, who could be become Speaker of the House if they take control. We'll talk about a local election happening here in Richmond, a casino that is coming down to the wire. The second being by Urban One to launch the casino. So we'll talk about that and lots more right here. It's time to bring the funk. I'm Roland Martin on the filter of the Black Star Network.

Let's go. He's got it. Whatever the piss, he's on it. Whatever it is, he's got the scoop, the fat, the fine. And when it breaks, he's right on time And it's rolling, best belief he's knowing Putting it down from sports to news to politics With entertainment just for kicks

He's rolling, yeah It's Uncle Roro, y'all Yeah, yeah It's rolling, Martin, yeah Rollin' with Rollin' now He's funky, he's fresh, he's real the best You know he's Rollin' Martin now Martin! Martell Folks, we are here, Virginia Union University, on their campus here in Richmond, Virginia.

We, of course, here, partnering with the Virginia House Democrats. This is our fifth town hall. We have been all across the state focusing on the issues that matter to voters here, but also there are elections taking place all across the country, critical gubernatorial races in Kentucky and Mississippi. You've got major constitutional issues on the ballot in Ohio. Of course, same thing in Texas.

And so if you're watching, you may say, hey, I don't live in Virginia, but you should be locked and loaded where you live to find out what's happening in your area, because far too many folks are completely tuned out. We know this is what is called an off-election year. Next year is a presidential election, but all seats of the Virginia House and the Senate are up for re-election this year. And so that will determine the balance of power in this state. Glenn Youngkin is a Republican. He is the governor. Democrats have a narrow majority in the Senate.

Republicans control the House by three seats. And if Democrats flip the House, when those flip three seats, they will control the House and elect the first black Speaker of the House in Virginia history. So there are state issues, there are local issues, there are all types of referendums happening all across the country, and so our focus is getting you locked and loaded on what those issues are. First off, from Virginia Union, I want to welcome the Mayor of Richmond, Virginia, LeVar Stoney, to the show. Thank you. All right, you got it on there? Hello, hello?

Well, that's not it. Let's see it. Let's see it. Let's see what's going on here. All right. So we got this orange button here. Testings. See, it took an alpha to fix it. That's how we roll.

We started. We started. We started. Elf was always lead. All you omegas, y'all see us from behind. Gary. All right. First and foremost, Mayor, when we talk about elections, we always talk about what happens in the country. So much attention is obviously on national elections, gubernatorial elections. But the reality is most people are impacted by local election,

the school boards, city councils. Yes, totally. And you look at the, whether it's the Pew studies or Gallup studies, people trust local government more than they trust state government. They trust the federal government right now. And so we are more impactful at the local level because we can diagnose a problem, propose a fix, a solution, and see the fix through. You can't really do that at the federal level. We know they're in gridlock 24-7, 365 days a year. But there are, when you need fixes at the local level, you typically are going to the state and the federal for money. Yes. So the reality is, so whoever is in power there, it matters. In Jackson,

Mississippi, Choclo Lamumba, they had issues with their water there. And Republicans in that state have been underfunding issues in there. They told him, you actually think you're going to go to D.C. and get a million dollars from the Biden administration? He said, watch me. We went to D.C., came back with 600 million. And all of a sudden they said, hey, we want to control the water system. He's like, you want to control the water system. He's like, you ought to go get the money. And so those things happen. And so I think a lot of people don't understand, again, the intersection of politics, how it actually works when you talk about city, county, state, federal.

That's right. And here in Virginia, you know, the cities are independent as well. We don't share anything with the counties. We are independent. We are almost in competition with us in the independent as well. We don't share anything with the counties. We are independent. We are almost in competition with us in the counties as well. But also, this is a Dillon rule state. And that means this is the granddaddy of all laws, of preemption laws in the country where we have to essentially beg, plead with the General Assembly. A lot of times it's been in Republican hands for much of my lifetime for more dollars invested at the local level. So if three seats flip in the House and the Democrats control the House and the Senate,

how does it make your life easier when it comes to trying to get dollars from the state level? A lot easier. When I think about the focus of Richmond, we're focused on investing in our kids, investing in public education from the time a kid is born up until they graduate from college, graduate from high school. And more and more you're seeing, we already saw Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin already, I guess he would say he, there was an era in the funding formula. And essentially that was going to defund public education in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Here's the thing.

I think the governor has weaponized incompetence, right? And it's not my line. It's my line from my friend at the Democratic Party of Virginia. But weaponizing competence is that, oh, there was an error in the formula. Oh, there was an error in the coding of the computer program. And then you see 3,400 people kicked off the voting rolls. We don't need weaponizing competence. We need good leadership, and you will get that from Democrats if we take back the House

and create Speaker Don Scott and also win back the Senate as well and probably have Leader Mamie Locke. But one of the things that we often talk about is when folks do take power, do they actually represent the interest of African Americans? And look, you may have black mayors, you may have black state reps, state senators, but it doesn't necessarily mean they're going to represent the interest of African Americans. And so, say it again? It's true. So, you know, what do you say to African-Americans in this city, in other parts of this state who say, OK, you want my vote, but are you going to deliver if you get the power? That's right. And I think right now we have divided government with the General Assembly being split between the Democrats and Republicans. Democrats have the Senate. Republicans have the House,

and then we have a Republican governor in Glenn Youngkin as well. I think we have to have a robust defense of our policies and our values at the state level. And we actually have to, you know, I've always listened to my grandmother and said, we have to make hay when the sun is shining. And a lot of times we have a lot of rhetoric during the campaigns. When it's time to actually bring it home for our communities. We don't live up to those expectations. What are those policies? Well, I think voting rights has to be at the top of the list.

I'm very upset about what's going on at the federal level right now with the John Lewis Act not being able to get through through Congress right now. I recognize there's a split in leadership in Congress with House being in Republican hands and Democrats running the Senate. But when it comes to voting rights, that's the fundamentals of our democracy. But voting rights are also states' rights. And so if Democrats control the House and the Senate, what will voting look like? How will it look different in Virginia? Well, I think when we had Democratic majorities in the House and the Senate

and a Democratic governor, we took Virginia from the bottom quartile of states when it comes to access to the franchise into the upper quartile. I think we can still do more. The fact that there are Democrat Republicans who are in charge of electoral boards all across this state now, because the governorship is in Republican hands, we almost, well, we don't have Sunday voting in the city of Richmond, and they're almost eliminating a voting, a polling place in the south side of the city where it's predominant by black and brown voters. So voting rights, that's one issue. What else? Another issue that I care about is I think we need tougher gun safety laws in this state.

For some reason, Richmond, we don't have any gun manufacturers. We don't have any gun shops in this city. But for some reason, guns find their way into our neighborhoods each and every day. And it's our people, black and brown people, who are the victims of gun violence most of the time. Yes, you do see gun violence in the cul-de-sacs in the suburbs and whatnot. You see them in mass shootings or whatever. But the highest rate of gun violence occurs in inner cities like Richmond. And so, yes, the Democrats went further the last time. We need to go further and go further even more this time and put on Governor Youngkin's desk a way that we can ban

assault rifles, assault weapons here in the Commonwealth of Virginia. What about money? Because one of the things that when I look across the country, a lot of people are talking about what is the impact on black businesses, what are African Americans receiving in terms of resources? And so what about that? You've been mayor here for a number of years. What has been the impact on black businesses with the city council in terms of contracts? When we talk about developing the city of Richmond, particularly our major economic development projects,

we always, our goal is to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to be a part of that growth. The city is growing. We've doubled our tax base in a matter of a decade. But I always ask the question, has everyone benefited from the growth there in the city of Richmond? And you look at the projects we have in the city of Richmond, whether it's our baseball stadium project we have, we call it the Diamond District, or the casino project as well. These are opportunities for black and brown people to actually not only become economically mobile, but also have a piece of the pie. What are the numbers?

Has there been consistent growth over your tenure as mayor? So in terms of contracts right now, what is the percentage of contracts that black people receive in this city? I cannot rattle off the actual contracts in terms of expenditures from city government. I can also, but I can tell you, though, that the economic development projects that we've actually put forward in the city have always involved black and brown contractors and entrepreneurs in those projects. Gotcha. But what I'm saying is, is it what, 10, 20, 30 percent? I mean, you may know the dollars, but what's the percentage? Because I mean, at the end of the day, that's why I go back to when we talk about electing folks who look like us, making sure that we're getting a part of that. Because what often happens is when there are major developments, ballparks, stadiums, talk about the casino,

well, folks want black votes for those things, but are black folks benefiting? Well, let's talk about the casino opportunity we have in the city of Richmond. Fifty percent of that is owned by a black corporation, an urban one. And you look at our Diamond District project, economic development, one of the major investors for bringing money to the table is Loop Capital out of Chicago, black-owned as well. And what I recognize is that when African-Americans are involved

in terms of the investment and at the top of these actual projects, they also hire black and brown people to do the work as well. And again, that's the huge thing because, again, when we talk about black votes, I always say black votes need to be followed up by dollars to black people. That's exactly.

Here's the thing. For us, it's called empowerment, right? You want to empower people. To me, I call it a return on investment. Return on investment. I call it ROI. And I think that we have to make sure. What I've always heard from black entrepreneurs in the city of Richmond is like, yeah, Mayor, I appreciate you actually ensuring that they hire local.

They bring people in and actually they can put food on the table and a roof over their family's head. But also I'm here to do business as well. Right. I didn't open my business just to be, you know, just to hang out a shingle and actually not get profit out of this. I opened my business actually to do business with places like the city of Richmond. You talked about the casino. And look, it lost the previous referendum. This is the second go around. Recent polls showed it came out. So it was down fifty two forty eight. What are you what is it going to take your estimation for to get across the line? There have been other cities that have actually approved casinos. And so, you know,

what's the possibility of it actually losing here again right now that votes will 52-48? And so what is it going to take to get across that line? I'm going to say it's going to be close. It's going to be close once again. We've known this from day one. It is going to be a close election again. It's going to be razor thin. It's going to take this is going to come down to turnout again. I want to see another poll from another outfit about it's 52, 48, it's 51, 49. It's all going to come down to turnout. We've, we've already done a great job in turning votes out, uh, already in the early vote period. Election day is what's going to matter. Who's going to turn on election day. You look at the last time, uh, this was on a ballot

in 2021. Uh, the pro campaign won the early vote, but did not win the election day turnout. We need to win election day. That means we need to bring your brother, your mother, your cousin, everybody has to turn out on election day. But when you look at this issue, in many ways, it is a black and white issue in terms of who is supporting, who is against it. And you largely have white folks in Richmond absolutely against it, black folks largely in support of it. Explain that. Why? Here's the thing. That map that we saw after the election in 2021 is hard to ignore. And some people want to ignore it. And I think it comes down to there are some people who've never been to South Side, never been to South Richmond, who want to make decisions for South Richmonders.

And in South Richmond, this is a predominantly black and brown area. Those who will work are working class, hardworking people. And we have people who live in other parts of the city who want to make decisions for them. At the end of the day, I want you to be an ally, but I don't need you to make decisions for me. And there's a lot of misinformation about, oh, this is going to be a predatory. It's going to prey on people. But I tell you this,

there are a lot of folks right now who are living with making $35,000 or less in South Richmond. These jobs, 1300 jobs will create jobs that will offer $55,000 a year. My father never made more than $35,000 a year as a, as a janitor. You tell him he was making $55,000 a year. My father never made more than $35,000 a year as a janitor. You tell him he's making $55,000 a year, that would change his life and it would change many lives of those who live in South Richmond as well. Can I say this as well, Rowan? Yeah. There's some people who have the luxury to say this isn't good for you, right? Because they can have the ability to go into our fine restaurants, right? They can live a life in which they never ever have to struggle there are people in this city who are struggling and here's the thing for those who say like

people act like black and brown people don't have enough sense to do what's right with their money i don't tell folks what to do when they say oh i, I want to go buy a yacht. I want to go golfing. I want to go play tennis. I don't tell folks what to do with them. But when it comes down to what we want to do with our money, it becomes a different thing. I think that the people who live in Southside, people who live in the city, they should have the agency to do what's necessary with the money that they make. I don't get involved in anyone else's business when they make their money.

And people shouldn't be involved in the business of others in this city when they want to do with their money as they make. I don't get involved in anyone else's business when they make their money. And people shouldn't be involved in the business of others in this city when they want to do with their money as well. All right. Mayor, we appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Thank you, sir. Thank you.

All right, folks, going to go to break. We come back. We'll be talking to some other candidates here. Also talking to some student leaders about what they are doing to get the vote out on this campus and all across Richmond as well. Folks, you're watching a special edition

of Roller Barton on the filter from the campus of Virginia Union University right here in Richmond, Virginia, on the Black Star Network. Back in a moment. On the next Get Wealthy with me, Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach, are you trying to figure out how to earn more revenue in your business during these volatile times? Learn how to tap into the largest marketplace in the world through government contracting. Our next guest, Akia Hardnett, will be sharing how you can get wealthy through government contracting. We've got a young lady, government assistance to government contracts. She literally was on government assistance when she came to us. And in less than a year, she has been winning multiple government contracts and it has changed the trajectory of her family.

That's right here only on Black Star Network. I'm Dee Barnes and next on The Frequency, we talk to award-winning screenwriter and director, Chanel Dupri, about her film, You Think You're Grown? The Adultification of Young Black Girls. This is a conversation that all women can relate to. This woman was like, oh my God, you know, I went through this when I was a kid. She wore something, it was a maxi dress,

but the way it fit on her body, this female teacher thought that she looked too grown and spun her around in front of a male teacher and said, do you think she looks grown, right? Oh my God. So that's next time on The Frequency on the Black Star Network. Hello, I'm Jameah Pugh.

I am from Coatesville, Pennsylvania, just an hour right outside of Philadelphia. My name is Jasmine Pugh. I'm also from Coatesville, Pennsylvania. You are watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. Stay right here. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time,

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

dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1. Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th.

Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives.

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

We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working and we need to change things. Stories matter and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new

episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Hey, Drew Scott here, letting you know why I recently joined the board of an amazing nonprofit, A Sense of Home. For 10 years, this charity has been creating homes for young people exiting foster care. It's an incredible organization. Just days into the LA fires, they moved mountains to launch a new emergency relief program,

providing fully functional home environments for those who lost everything in the fires. Please get involved. Sign up to volunteer, donate furniture, or even donate funds. You can go to asenseofhome.org to find out more information. Together, we can help our LA community rebuild. It takes all of us. All right, folks, welcome back to Virginia Union University. How are we doing? Good, good, good. Glad to see everybody here.

Let's welcome to the stage Delegate Ray Cousins. There you go. It works. Good to see you. First and foremost, we talk about elected officials, education is definitely one of the issues. And so you know a little bit about that with your family background. That's right. Yeah, my mother was a Richmond public school teacher. She taught at George Mason, which is now Henry Marsh for 35 years. So what is needed from the statehouse when it comes to education in this state? Everybody talks about that's important, that's an issue.

Everyone always says, hey, we need to pay our teachers, but then all the time it doesn't happen. Yeah, I think, you know, education is so important. That's one of my top priorities. In terms of my platform, I decided to run because I'm fourth generation Richmonder, and I'm very passionate about the city. I'm passionate about seeing everyone here do well. And I think when we're all economically secure and our communities thrive, we're also safer. So to me, education is the foundation of economic security.

And I believe that we should ensure that every child here in the city of Richmond and across the Commonwealth has access to a good quality education that prepares them either for college or for a good paying job. So I would love to see more investment in technical skills, skill trade programs. Also here in the city, I mean, believe it or not, a number of our schools have infrastructure problems. They were built in the 1930s, and our kids are continuing to attend schools in these. Recently, there were issues with mold in a couple of the schools when kids went back. So we need to invest in modernizing our schools with state-of-the-art technology, but I also think it's our opportunity to make sure that our schools are environmentally safe and secure for our students.

So what will it look like if DIMS take control of the house for education in this state, in the city of this state? So if we take control of the House, we will champion to fully fund public education. You know, I believe as an attorney in looking at people's records, and we know that Republicans sort of voted against every bill that Democrats introduced to fully fund public education. I believe our teachers need to be paid more. The governor did include a 2% salary increase in his last budget, but that's still not enough when we're talking about inflation, the cost of living, especially here in the city, rising. There's actually a code section that I have found recently that, well, it sets a goal, so it's not a requirement but Virginia has set a goal in the code to make sure that our teachers are paid at a competitive

rate and what they mean by that is either at or above the state level we are currently across the Commonwealth of Virginia with teachers seven thousand dollars below the national average so we set this goal and we're nowhere near meeting it. So once Democrats take the majority, we will fight for that. You heard me ask the mayor this, economics, economics, economics. When you look at the issues that matter, for a lot of younger voters, I mean, that's at young African-Americans, that's at the top of the list.

And so you're seeing, especially folks who are 50 and under, less identify as Democrats. And so what they're saying is we need to see far more economic development, far more opportunities for black-owned businesses than we've seen in the past. Yeah, we do need to get back to that. You know, in terms of, again, going back to this idea of economic security and preparing our kids for college or a good paying job, we also need to make sure that we are providing resources that people need to become entrepreneurs to start small businesses. As we know, small businesses are the backbone of our economies. And so we definitely need to focus on that. And obviously, voting is an issue because at the end of the day, if folks want to

make it harder for you to vote, then it's harder for you to also elect the folks that you want to, also the redrawing of maps and things along those lines. And so do you anticipate, again, if Democrats control House and the Senate, even though Young can still the governor, a far more effort, robust effort when it comes to expanding voting rights in Virginia? Yes, for sure. You know, I think, well, I know we went from 49th in the country in terms of access to voting to now being one of the top states in which we provide easy access to voting, and that happened when we had a Democratic majority. We have already seen efforts with a Republican governor, as Mayor Stoney mentioned, because we have a Republican governor.

Our electoral boards are now run by Republicans. Here in Richmond, we saw an effort to reduce early voting locations from one site or from three sites to one. We also saw the electoral board here roll back Sunday voting. As we know, there was a recent purge of 3,400 registered and eligible voters from the rolls, and each one of them had their rights restored. We're talking about individuals who were incarcerated, returned to society, had their voting rights automatically restored, now being removed from the rolls. So we've seen efforts to suppress voting, and Democrats will continue to protect our right to vote. Voting is the linchpin of our democracy,

and it's so important that we each have the access to be able to exercise our power in that way. All right. Delegate Ray Cousins, we appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Folks, we're going to take a break. We come back, we're going to chat with some student leaders, want to see what's on their minds, issues that matter to them, but also we'll talk to them about what their fellow students are saying and will they be voting in huge numbers when it comes to the election on Tuesday. Don't forget, folks, support us in what we do. Be sure to download the Black Star Network app, Apple phone, Android phone, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV.

Also, you can join our Bring the Funk fan club. Your dollars make it possible for us to do what we do all across the country. So you're checking money over at the PO Box 57196, Washington, D.C., 20037-0196. Cash app, dollar sign, RM Unfiltered. PayPal is RM Martin Unfiltered. PayPal is RM Martin Unfiltered. Venmo is RM Unfiltered.

Zelle, Roland at RolandSMartin.com. Roland at RolandMartinUnfiltered.com. And, of course, you can also check out our 24-hour, 7-day-a-week streaming channel. We're on four different fast channel platforms. First of all, Amazon News. If you go to Amazon Fire, just go to Amazon News. You can also see Alexa, play news from the Black Star Network. Flex TV, Amazon Freebie, as go to Amazon News. You can also Alexa, play news from the Black Star Network, Plex TV,

Amazon Freebie, as well as Amazon Prime Video. So when you go to the live TV grid, Amazon Prime Video, you can check out the Black Star Network. And don't forget 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. Download the audio version

of Audible. We'll be right back. You will not replace us. White people are losing their damn minds. There's an angry pro-Trump mob storm to the U.S. Capitol. We're about to see the rise of what I call white minority resistance. We have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting. I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of violent denial. This is part of American history. Every time that people of color have made progress, whether real or symbolic, there has been what Carol Anderson at every university calls white rage as a backlash. This is the wrath of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys.

America, there's going to be more of this. There's all the Proud Boys, guys. This country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because of the fear of white people. The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're taking our women. This is white fear. Next on The Black Table with me, Greg Carr.

Immigrants lured off Texas streets and shipped to places like Martha's Vineyard and Washington, D.C. Believe it or not, we've seen it all before. You people in the North, you're so sympathetic to Black people, you take them. Sixty years ago, they called it the reverse freedom rides. Back then, Southern governors shipped Black people North with the false promise of jobs and a better life. It's part of a well-known playbook being brought back to life. So what's next?

That's next on The Black Table, a conversation with Dr. Gerald Horne about this issue of the reverse freedom rights right here on the Black Star Network. We talk about black... 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 But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1.

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

Glod. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves.

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

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

Hey, Drew Scott here, letting you know why I recently joined the board of an amazing nonprofit, A Sense of Home. For 10 years, this charity has been creating homes for young people exiting foster care. It's an incredible organization. Just days into the L.A. fires, they moved mountains to launch a new emergency relief program, providing fully functional home environments for those who lost everything in the fires. Please get involved. Sign up to volunteer, donate furniture, or even donate funds. You can go to asenseofhome.org to find out more information. Together, we can help our LA community rebuild. It takes all of us. This is a genuine people-powered movement. There's 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.

We want to hit 2,000 people. $50 this month. Waits $100,000. We're behind $100,000. So we want to hit that. Your money makes this possible. Checks and money orders go to P.O. Box 57196, Washington, D.C., 20037-0196. The Cash App is Dollar Sign RM Unfiltered.

PayPal is R. Martin Unfiltered. is Dollar Sign RM Unfiltered. PayPal is RMartin Unfiltered. Venmo is RM Unfiltered. Zelle is Roland at RolandSMartin.com Folks, Black Star Network is here. Hold no punches! A real revolutionary right now. Support this man, Black Media.

He makes sure that our stories are told. Thank you for being the voice of Black America, Rollin'. Be Black, I love y'all. All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going. The video looks phenomenal. See, there's a difference between Black Star Network and Black-owned media and something like CNN. You can't be Black-owned media and be scared.

It's time to be smart. Bring your eyeballs home. You dig? What's up, everybody? It's your girl Latasha from the A. And you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. Folks, welcome back to the chapel here on the campus of Virginia Union University. Glad to be here. Let's bring up a couple of students here. They, of course, are leaders on campus and look forward to having a chat with them. SGA

president, she told me, take it easy on her. I said, that's the worst thing you tell somebody before the conversation. So Fiona Finch, glad to have you here. Go ahead. Give it up for her, please. Stooped up an association president. And then also Michael, come on out. Michael Crossley. All right. Glad to have both of you here. All right. So let's start this way. What comes as the election? What's the most important thing to you? Either one of y'all. Yeah. The most important thing for the election for me was just to get representation for HBCUs like Virginia University. Just because we are so small, we're a private institution, and we don't get as much recognition as we do deserve,

as well as when we went to Student Action Day at the Virginia State Capitol. I think that it was really nice to see how they were, how the Democrats were advocating for Virginia University specifically. And I think if they just continue to do this with the next election coming up, that would be the most important thing for me to see. The most important thing for me to see is, I'm going to piggyback off that, is that when it comes down to the delegates or anybody that's running for office, they need to focus on students, how we can bring funding in for schools like this to keep students in school. For students that fall short on their financial aid, I think we need to have a candidate in

there that's going to bring in funding for the school. Anytime that we have candidates there that are not looking to promote students, education, and a foundation for these students, I don't think they need to be there. So I think, for me, the most important thing for them is to make sure that they are on the same platform. We are education funding to keep our students in school. All right.

Obviously, every vote matters. And so what have you all been doing to get students here who are actually registered voters to use their power? Thank you for that question. One thing that we have done to help the registered students that are already registered voters in the Commonwealth of Virginia was just to get them to advocate for students that aren't registered. So making sure that they can attend the trainings,

that way they know how to register people, so that way we can get more voices heard in the Commonwealth of Virginia. And specifically, the Student Government Association on the 6th, we're having our importance of voting panel. That will be led by the student leaders here, representatives from SGA and Union Proud both will be having a panel just so that way we can further expose why voting in the Commonwealth of Virginia is so important for universities like our own.

I'll say the same thing. You know, when bringing them in to vote, we have, you have to have, like, when we come on campus, things for them to do. As far as we had to get out to vote, when you bring students together, you have to, and one thing I've learned, you have to entice a student. If you want a student to vote, you have to entice them, have an activity on the campus where students come in and we register them to vote. And letting them know that by doing this, like I said, it's going to further the foundation. We had another event with me is we bring the students together and we take them on tours to show them what they can do as it pertains to coming out to vote. So are you seeing, though, classmates understanding the connecting of the dots, understanding the importance of political power?

Because the reality is if you just look at the stats, and the stats just, they don't lie. People who are 65 and older vote at a higher rate than anybody else. And then when you go down, it gets lower and lower and lower. The lowest voted group is 18 to 29. And I've had a number of folks who are millennial and Gen Z talk to me complaining about all sorts of stuff. And I said, this is real simple. Shut up and vote. And they were like, well, it's not that simple. I'm like, well, actually, it is because the fact of the matter is the people who actually participate in the electoral process are the ones that people pay attention to. And I think it's the same thing.

We tell them if you don't get out and vote, then your vote is not going to count. So as a young person, the more people that vote and get out and cast their vote, the better off you'll be. Like I said. You all right? You OK? You alright? You okay? Alright. Hold on, hold on. We're going to cut to a break. We'll be right back, folks.

I'll roll it, but unfiltered. Hold on. Alright. No, no, no. Do you have a doctor in the house? Step up, step up. Hi, I'm Dr. Jackie Hood-Martin, and I have a question for you. Ever feel as if your life is teetering Step up, step up. We'll laugh together, cry together, pull ourselves together, and cheer each other on. So join me for new shows each Tuesday on Black Star Network is here. Hold no punches. I'm real revolutionary right now. I support this man, Black Media.

He makes sure that our stories are told. Thank you for being the voice of Black America, Roller. I love y'all. All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going. The video looks phenomenal. See, there's a difference between Black Star Network and Black-owned media and something like CNN. You can't be Black-owned media and be scape. It's time to be smart.

Bring your eyeballs home. You dig? Pull up a chair. Take your seat. The Black Tape with me, Dr. Greg Carr, here on the Black Star Network. Every week, we'll take a deeper dive into the world we're living in. Join the conversation only on the Black Star Network. Hi, I'm Dr. Jackie Hood-Martin, and I have a question for you.

Ever feel as if your life is teetering and the weight and pressure of the world is consistently on your shoulders? Well, let me tell you, living a balanced life isn't easy. Join me each Tuesday on Black Star Network for a balanced life with Dr. Jackie. We're all impacted by the culture, whether we know it or not. From politics to music and entertainment, it's a huge part of our lives. And we're going to talk about it every day right here on The new show, Get Wealthy, focuses on the things that your financial advisor and bank isn't telling you, but you absolutely need to know. So watch Get Wealthy on the Black Star Network. We 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. We want to hit 2,000 people. $50 this month. Weigh it to $100,000. We're behind $100,000, so we want to hit that. Y'all money makes this possible. Checks and money orders go to P.O. Box 57196 Washington, D.C. 20037-0196. The Cash App is $RM Unfiltered. PayPal is

RM Unfiltered. Venmo is RM Unfiltered. Zelle is Roland at RolandSMartin.com. I'm Dee Barnes and next on The Frequency, we talk to award-winning screenwriter and director Chanel Dupree about her film, You Think You've Grown, the adultification of young black girls. This is a conversation that all women can relate to. This woman was like, oh my God, you know, I went through this when I was a kid. She wore something, it was a maxi dress, but the way it fit on her body,

this female teacher thought that she looked too grown and spun her around in front of a male teacher and said, what do you, do you think she looks grown, right? Oh my God. So that's next time on The Frequency on the Black Star Network. Next on The Black Table with me, Craig Carr. Immigrants lured off Texas streets and shipped to places like Martha's Vineyard

and Washington, D.C. Believe it or not, we've seen it all before. You people in the North, you're so sympathetic to Black people, you take them. 60 years ago, they called it the reverse freedom riots. Back then, Southern governors shipped Black people north with the false promise of jobs and a better life. It's part of a well-known playbook being brought back to life.

So what's next? That's next on The Black Table. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops call this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.

Cops believed everything that Taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1. Taser

Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. 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. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man.

We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote

drug man. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Caramouch. What we're doing now isn't working, and we need to change things. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them.

It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Hey, Drew Scott here, letting you know why I recently joined the board of an amazing nonprofit, A Sense of Home. For 10 years, this charity has been creating homes for young people exiting foster care. It's an incredible organization.

Just days into the L.A. fires, they moved mountains to launch a new emergency relief program, providing fully functional home environments for those who lost everything in the fires. Please get involved. Sign up to volunteer, donate furniture, or even donate funds. You can go to asenseofhome.org to find out more information. Together, we can help our LA community rebuild. It takes all of us.

Conversation with Dr. Gerald Horn about this issue of the reverse freedom rights right here on the Black Star Network. Hatred on the streets, a horrific scene, a white nationalist rally that descended into deadly violence white people are losing their damn minds there's an angry pro-trump mob storm to the u.s capital we're about to see the rise of what i call white minority resistance we have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting. I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of violent denial.

This is part of American history. Every time that people of color have made progress, whether real or symbolic, there has been what Carol Anderson at Emory University calls white rage as a backlash. This is the rise of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys. America, there's going to be more of this. Here's all the Proud Boys guys. This country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because

of the fear of white people. The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're taking our women. This is white fear. I'm Faraiq Muhammad, live from L.A. And this is The Culture. The Culture is a two-way conversation. You and me, we talk about the stories, politics, the good, the bad, and the downright ugly.

So join our community every day at 3 p.m. Eastern and let your voice be heard. Hey, we're all in this together. So let's talk about it and see what kind of trouble we can get into. It's the culture. Weekdays at three, only on the Blackstar Network. On the next Get Wealthy with me, Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach,

are you trying to figure out how to earn more revenue in your business during these volatile times? Learn how to tap into the largest marketplace in the world through government contracting. Our next guest, Akia Hardnett, will be sharing how you can get wealthy through government contracting. We got a young lady government assistance to government contracts. She literally was on government assistance when she came to us and in less than a year, she has been winning multiple government contracts and it has changed the trajectory of her family. That's right here only on Black Star Network. Hi, I'm Dr. Jackie Hood-Martin, and I have a question for you. Ever feel as if your

life is teetering and the weight and pressure of the world is consistently on your shoulders? Well, let me tell you, living a balanced life isn't easy. Join me each Tuesday on Black Star Network for a balanced life with Dr. Jackie. We'll laugh together, cry together, pull ourselves together, and cheer each other on. So join me for new shows each Tuesday on Black Star Network, A Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie. Next on The Black Table with me, Craig Carr. Immigrants lured off Texas streets and shipped to places like Martha's Vineyard

and Washington, D.C. Believe it or not, we've seen it all before. You people in the North, you're so sympathetic to Black people, you take them. Sixty years ago, they called it the reverse freedom ride. Back then, Southern governors shipped Black people North with the false promise of jobs and a better life. It's a part of a well-known promise of jobs and a better life. It's a part of a well-known playbook being brought back to life.

So what's next? That's next on The Black Table, a conversation with Dr. Gerald Horne about this issue of the reverse freedom rights right here on the Black Star Network. We 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. We want to hit 2,000 people, $50 this month, raise $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, Washington, D.C., 20037-0196. The Cash App is $RM Unfiltered. PayPal is

RMartin Unfiltered. Venmo is RM Unfiltered. Zelle is Roland at RolandSMartin.com. Ladies and gentlemen, we are not only a target based on the color of our skin, but by the power of our voices. Our voices were constructed by crossing that bridge on Bloody Sunday,

being brutally tortured for a seat at the Greensboro Sinning Diner, rightfully marching down D.C. for equal job and freedom back in 63. We know the march is not yet over. We know the race is not yet won. It's time to stand up. It's time to fight. You need to put on what you, you need to say what you believe. You need to show up. You need to stand up and fight. You need to knock doors, raise money.

Don't just give your time, give your energy, give your resources, give your opinion, give your energy, give your resources, give your opinion, give your voice. Not just for people in our commonwealth, but for the entire region. I have not backed down, I have doubled down. With your vote, we will no longer sit within the shoes of our volunteers. And if you're pro-life, you're standing there with black folks when their kids are killed by cops. You are not silent. So if you're pro-life, be pro-life from the womb to the tomb, but not just in the womb. We will open doors that no man could ever close.

Our vote will make an instant shift in the atmosphere. We are the leaders of change. What do we need? Liberation. When do we need it? Now. We must understand the politics of change. What do we need? The liberation. When do we need it? Now. We must understand the politics of our community. And we must know what politics is supposed to produce.

We must know what part politics play in our lives. And until we become politically mature, we will always be misled, led astray, or deceived or maneuvered into supporting someone politically who doesn't have the good of our community at heart. Our lives depend on this vote. Change is more than a campaign ad. It's a movement. We'll be right now. Black power. Support this man, Black Media. He makes sure that our stories are told. Thank you for being the voice of Black America, Roller. Be Black. I love y'all.

All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going. The video looks phenomenal. See, there's a difference between Black Star Network and Black-owned media and something like CNN. You can't be Black-owned media and be scary. It's time to be smart. Bring your eyeballs home. You dig? You can't be black on media and be scared. It's time to be smart. Bring your eyeballs home.

You dig? Ladies and gentlemen, we are not only a target based on the color of our skin, but by the power of our voices. Our voices were constructed by crossing that bridge on Bloody Sunday, being brutally tortured for a seat at the Greensboro sit-in diner, rightfully marching down DC for equal job and freedom back in 63. We know the march is not yet over.

We know the race is not yet won. It's time to stand up, it's time to fight. You need to put on what you, you need to say what you believe. You need to show up, you need to stand up. It's time to fight. You need to put on what you... You need to say what you believe. You need to show up. You need to stand up and fight. You need to knock doors, raise money. Don't just give your time, give your energy, give your resources, give your opinion, give your voice.

Not just for people in our Commonwealth, but for the entire region. I have not backed down. I have doubled down. With your vote, we will no longer sit within the shoes of our volunteers. And if you are pro-life, you are standing there with black folks when their kids are killed by cops.

You have got silence. So if you are pro-life, be pro-life from the womb to the tomb, but not just in the womb. We will open doors that no man could ever close. Our vote will make an instant shift in the board. Okay. We will open doors that no man could ever close. Our vote will make an instant shift in the atmosphere. We are the leaders of change. What do we need? The liberation.

When do we need it? Now. We must understand the politics of our community. And we must know what politics is supposed to produce. We must know what part politics play in our lives. And until we become politically mature, we will always be misled, led astray, or deceived or maneuvered into supporting someone politically who doesn't have the good of our community at heart. Our lives depend on this vote. Change is more than a campaign ad. It's a movement. Субтитры подогнал «Симон» on the next get wealthy with me deborah owens america's wealth coach are you trying to figure

out how to earn more revenue in your business during these volatile times? Learn how to tap into the largest marketplace in the world through government contracting. Our next guest, Akia Hardnett, will be sharing how you can get wealthy through government contracting. We've got a young lady, government assistance to government contracts. She literally was on government assistance when she came to us

and in less than a year she has been winning multiple government contracts and it has changed the trajectory of her family. That's right here only on Black Star Network. Ladies and gentlemen, we are not only a target

based on the color of our skin, but by the power of our voices. Our voices were constructed by crossing that bridge on Bloody Sunday, being brutally tortured for a seat at the Greensboro Sinning Diner, rightfully marching down D.C. for an equal job and freedom back in 63. We know the march is not yet over. We know the march is not yet over. We know the race is not yet won. It's time to stand up. It's time to fight. You need to put on what you... You need to say what you believe. You need to show up. You need to stand up and fight.

You need to knock doors, raise money. Don't just give your time, give your energy, give your resources, give your opinion, give your voice. Not just for people in our Commonwealth, but for the entire region. I have not backed down. I have doubled down. With your vote, we will no longer sit

within the shoes of our volunteers. And if you're pro-life, you're standing there with black folks when their kids are killed by cops. You are not silent. So if you're pro-life, be pro-life from the womb to the tomb, but not just in the womb. We will open doors that no man could ever close. Our vote will make an instant shift in the atmosphere.

We are the leaders of change. What do we need? The liberation. When do we need it? Now. We must understand the politics of our community. And we must know what politics is supposed to produce. We must know what partners we need.

We must know what we need. We must know what we need. We must know what we need. We must know what we need. We must know what we need. We must know the politics of our community. And we must know what politics is supposed to produce. We must know what politics play in our lives. And until we become politically mature, we will always be misled, led astray, or deceived or maneuvered into supporting someone politically who doesn't have the good of our community at heart. Our lives depend on this vote. Change is more than a campaign ad. It's a movement. Hi, I'm Dr. Jackie Hood-Martin, and I have a question for you. Ever feel as if your life is teetering and the weight and pressure of the world is consistently on your shoulders? Well, let me tell you, living a balanced life isn't easy.

Join me each Tuesday on Black Star Network for Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie. We'll laugh together, cry together, pull ourselves together, and cheer each other on. So join me for new shows each Tuesday on Black Star Network, a balanced life with Dr. Jackie. Next on The Black Table with me, Greg Carr. Immigrants lured off Texas streets and shipped to places like Martha's Vineyard and Washington, D.C. Believe it or not, we've seen it all before. You people in the North, you're so sympathetic to Black people, you take them. Sixty years ago, they called it the reverse freedom rise. Back then, Southern governors shipped Black people north

with the false promise of jobs and a better life. It's a part of a well-known playbook being brought back to life. So what's next? That's next on The Black Table, a conversation with Dr. Gerald Horne about this issue of the reverse freedom rise, right here on the Black Star Network. I'm Faraji Muhammad live from L.A. and this is The Culture. The Culture is a two-way

conversation. You and me, we talk about the stories, politics, the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. So join our community every day at 3 p.m. Eastern and let your voice be heard. Hey, we're all in this. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes, but there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley

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

I'm Greg Lott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner.

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

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

Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. for young people exiting foster care. It's an incredible organization. Just days into the LA fires, they moved mountains to launch a new emergency relief program providing fully functional home environments

for those who lost everything in the fires. Please get involved. Sign up to volunteer, donate furniture, or even donate funds. You can go to asenseofhome.org to find out more information. Together, we can help our LA community rebuild. It takes all of us. Together.

So let's talk about it and see what kind of trouble we can get into. It takes all of us. 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. We want to hit 2,000 people. $50 this month. Waits $100,000. We're behind $100,000. So we want to hit that.

Your money makes this possible. Checks and money orders go to P.O. Box 57196, Washington, D.C., 20037-0196. The Cash App is $RM Unfiltered. PayPal is 20037-0196. The Cash app is DollarSignRMUnfiltered. PayPal is RMartinUnfiltered. Venmo is RMUnfiltered. Zelle is Roland at RolandSMartin.com. Hatred on the streets, a horrific scene, a white nationalist rally that descended into deadly violence.

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

there has been what Carol Anderson at every university calls white rage as a backlash. This is the wrath of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys. America, there's going to be more of this. There's all the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys America, there's going to be more of this. Here's all the Proud Boys guys. This country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because of the fear of white people. The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're taking our women. This is white people. I'm Dee Barnes, and next on The Frequency,

we talk to award-winning screenwriter and director Chanel Dupree about her film, You Think You've Grown, The Adultification of Young Black Girls. This is a conversation that all women can relate to. This woman was like, oh my God, you know, I went through this when I was a kid. She wore something, it was a maxi dress, but the way it fit on her body, this female teacher thought that she looked too grown and spun her around in front of a male teacher and said, do you think she looks grown, right?

Oh my God. So that's next time on The Frequency on the Black Star Network. Next on The Black Table with me, Greg Carr. Immigrants lured off Texas streets and shipped to places like Martha's Vineyard and Washington, D.C. Believe it or not, we've seen it all before. You people in the North, you're so sympathetic to Black people, you take them. 60 years ago, they called it the reverse freedom rides. Back then, Southern governors shipped Black people North with the false promise of jobs and a better life.

It's a part of a well-known playbook being brought back to life. So what's next? That's next on The Black Table, a conversation with Dr. Gerald Horne about this issue of the reverse freedom rise right here on the Black Star Network. Ladies and gentlemen, we are not only a target based on the color of our skin, but by the power of our voices. Our voices were constructed by crossing that bridge on Bloody Sunday, being brutally tortured for a seat at the Greensboro Sin and Diner, rightfully marching down DC for equal job and freedom back in 63.

We know the march is not yet over. We know the race is not yet won. It's time to stand up, it's time to fight. You need to put on what you, you need to say what you believe, you need to show up, you need to stand up and fight, you need to knock doors, raise money. Don't just give your time, give your energy,

give your resources, give your opinion, give your voice. Not just for people in our commonwealth, but for the entire region. I have not backed down. I have doubled down. With your vote, we will no longer sit within the shoes of our volunteers. And if you're pro-life,

you're standing there with black folks when their kids are killed by cops. You have got silence. So if you're pro-life, be pro-life from the womb to the tomb, but not just in the womb. We will open doors that no man could ever close. Our vote will make an instant shift in the atmosphere. We are the leaders of change. What do we need?

Liberation! When do we need it? Now! We must understand the politics of our community. And we must know what politics is supposed to produce. We must know what part politics play in our lives. And until we become politically mature, we will always be misled, led astray, or deceived or maneuvered into supporting someone politically who doesn't have the good of our community at heart. Our lives depend on this vote. Change is more than a campaign ad? It's Tammy Roman.

Hey, it's John Murray, the executive producer of the new Sherri Shepherd Talk Show. It's me, Sherri Shepherd, and you know what you're watching. Roland Martin, unfiltered. Alright, folks, welcome back live to Roland Martin, unfiltered here on the Black Star Network at Virginia Union. We had a medical emergency here. Needed to have that taken care of. The brother, he walked out on his own two feet. Paramedics were attended to him, so

we are thankful for that. Appreciate the folks that are offering assistance. Joining us right now is Delegate Mike Jones. Delegate, how you doing? Doing well, doing well. First of all, what we just experienced is a perfect example I think a lot of people don't quite understand.

When you talk about taxpayer dollars, when you talk about response times, when you talk about hospitals being closed or staying open, when you talk about funding of fire departments, police departments, paramedics, things along those lines, a lot of people don't think about those things until they need them. Exactly. Especially as city council president, I've been on city council for the past seven years, and those are some of the basic issues that we face underfunding of many critical areas that if you call 911, that person probably got put on hold, right? And not because we're slothful. The reality is underfunding, underpay, overwork means that individuals won't necessarily take that job and we don't have the people there to actually perform those jobs.

And then we're just at a critical phase with our first responders and localities all across the Commonwealth have got to begin to deal with that. Well, that's why I remember when I was at WBOE in Chicago and we were having these conversations. We were talking about city services. And I always say this when people talk about taxes, tax cuts, tax cuts. And then I begin to walk folks through to get them to understand how do you think things are actually paid for?

And I remember I was talking to reverend dr william barber and he was at a parade in north carolina and he said a redneck with a confederate flag around his neck came up to him but he had tears in his eyes and he said reverend barber he said you and i don't agree on a lot of stuff he said but thank you for fighting for hospitals because when the republicans in north carolina would not accept medicaid expansion, there were hospitals in rural North Carolina beginning to shut down. And it was a poor white woman who was the first person to die because when hospitals shut down, they had to get a helicopter there and fly her some 60 plus miles away. And we're seeing that all across the country, whether it's Mississippi and other states. And people, again, are not understanding

when you talk about things like hospitals, when you talk about paramedics, when you talk about, again, folks, when you want somebody's life to be saved, they have a heart attack or a car accident, every single minute that they are delayed determines whether somebody could live or die. It truly becomes a life and death issue.

So that's why I really challenge my Republican folks when you talk about their pro-life. I'm like, yeah, but you want to have cuts, but that's where cuts oftentimes come from. And actually, as you said before, your comments went viral, that they're more anti-abortion than they are pro-life. Because when it comes to protecting the lives of white, black and brown individuals, individuals that may not have access to all the different resources, they woefully fall short. Right here in Richmond, I'm tired of Republicans taking victory laps on having a budget surplus. And our schools are underfunded. Our localities don't receive the

dollars that they need. And it was a budget surplus, thankful, thanks to President Joe Biden. Exactly. Because the money came from the federal government. Indeed. I mean, same thing. I saw the same thing in Georgia. I saw DeSantis running around in Florida. And I love the people who take credit for all of these infrastructure projects when their representatives voted against every single one of those infrastructure projects. And I think people need to understand that, especially here in a Dillon Rule state like Virginia, that as a locality, we cannot set a tax rate.

So when the Republicans come in and say that they want to give a tax cut to very profitable corporations, that impacts us here at a local level. So when you say you can't set a tax rate, so you don't have control of that, that's set by the state? Exactly, exactly. And so the only thing that we can actually control is the real estate assessment, but we can't tax our way out of getting more police officers, getting more first responders with EMS.

We can't do those things. And so we need the state to really step up. But that's why we've got to take back the state house in November in just five, six days. Well, that's why when I talk about connecting the dots, because I think, again, a lot of people who don't live and breathe this stuff don't understand all the different pieces and how these things happen. So they may yell and scream at a city council member, yell and scream at a school board member or a county official,

not realizing that if they are not in control of the dollars and how to change things, it doesn't get happened. And so what you're saying is, look, that power rests with the state. In the legislature, if it changes, then you have a different conversation when it comes to sending that money back to various locales. And I think that's why it's important that our schools like Virginia Union University, all of our college campuses get people active.

But then our churches, we must take an active role. We are the social internet. We are the social source of information for African-American communities. And so we allow at the Village of Faith at Church of our Pastor, we allow politicians to come in so our young people, young and old, can understand and know the importance of voting in every election. Well, that's just, again, what sort of just drives me crazy because I spend a lot of time talking to people,

and it really does bug the heck out of me when I'm trying to walk people through the fundamentals, politics 101, civics 101. And we've got a bunch of folks walking around who literally just don't know and who don't understand. So they might be yelling and screaming at what's happening in Congress, not realizing that no, it's actually the state, the governor or the state representative, state senator who plays a larger role in that very issue than anywhere else. I mean, you can, you can yell about as well. But I'm saying, I'm saying to the mayor, we can talk about what the, what Congress has not done when it comes to voting rights. But the reality is the Supreme Court has basically said voting is a state issue. It's a state rights issue. And so you can't just

look to them if you change the makeup of the people in the state. That will determine a lot faster how voting happens in the state. And when you get the people in there that represent and look like the communities that they serve, we'll begin to have different conversations on council, and even right now, I've talked

to a lot of unions unions and I challenge them. I'm like, look, why is everyone in this room that leads these unions? None of them look like me. Right. And what are we doing with our unions to ensure? Easy, because a lot of the unions also are depending upon black support, a lot of issues. But then you turn around and you say, I'm sorry, what are black folks with the jobs? Right. Oh, I've been hitting them for years. And we have to continue to hold their feet to the fire because you talked to the mayor about

minority business participation. No, no, no. I asked about black participation. Exactly. I asked about minority. I start with black. And I'm with you on that. I say black and everybody else. I start with black. That's who I come to the room with first.

I understand, but there's some things as a locality that we can't do one particular group. Oh, no, no, I got it. But in that minority group, I still want to see what that black number is. And we've done that here in the city of Richmond. So we have a deal called the Diamond District. Forty percent of the public share is going to and targeted for MBEs. For the private, it's 25%. And so it happens when you get people in office that look like you, that come from where you come from,

and that truly want to represent you in a positive way. Now that 40%, you said MWBE or MBE? No, no. We're talking about that. MBE, we're still talking about African Americans, right? No, no. I got you. But it's not just SWAM. It's not just SWAM. Because what happens is, a lot of times when we talk about MWBE,

the largest portion of those dollars is the W, and that W really is WW, white women. Because if you're a black woman, you're in the black category. If you're a Latino, you're in the Latino category. So I just want to be clear because, again, I'm tired of people getting stuff passed based on our votes, and then we're not getting stuff back. Indeed, indeed. That's just me.

And I believe, again, that's why having the right people in place, ensuring that we take the majority so we can actually get things done, and sending people that really have the will to fight. The thing I love about Don Scott, our new leader that's coming in, and we want to make him speaker, he's willing to fight for the average Commonwealth of Virginia citizen. And that's what we need, people that are willing to fight, people that are willing to hold up the standard to get real results,

not just a lot of talk. Boy, that's what happens when you're in alpha. Well, and I'll give them that, but you know what? That 1911 crew, you know, them pretty boys, they're kind of holding it down as well. Well, remember, without alpha, y'all, they kind of holding it down as well. Well, remember, remember, without Al for you, I'll just cap aside. That's true. Y'all need our name in your name.

I understand. I understand. We don't need nobody's name in our name, Harry. Just letting you know. Because even y'all need our name in your name. Guess what? When that happens, I ain't going to be here. It don't matter.

But here's the thing. We're all on the same side fighting the same fight, going against the same enemy to make sure that we all win. Right. And the Alphas will be leading it. All right. Delegate Jones, I appreciate it. Thanks a lot.

We've got to go to a break. We'll come back. More from Virginia Union University, folks. We'll be hearing from Delegate Scott also. We'll be taking some questions as well from the audience. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered right here on the Black Star Network. Of course, life member

AFA. That's why I got my Alpha Voting shirt on. I'm just letting y'all know. Just letting y'all know. Back in a moment. We talk about blackness and what happens in black culture. We're about covering these things

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Zelle is Roland at RolandSMartin.com. I'm Faraji Muhammad, live from L.A., and this is The Culture. The Culture is a two-way conversation, you and me. We talk about the stories, politics, the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. So join our community every day at 3 p.m. Eastern and let your voice be heard. Hey, we're all in this together. So let's talk about it and see what kind of trouble we can get into.

It's the culture. Weekdays at 3, only on the Blackstar Network. Hey, what's up, y'all? I'm Devon Frank. I'm Dr. Robin B., pharmacist and fitness coach, and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. All right, folks, welcome back to Virginia University. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun?

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I'm Greg Lott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player,

Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug thing is.

Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working, and we need to change things. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them.

It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Hey, Drew Scott here, letting you know why I recently joined the board of an amazing nonprofit, A Sense of Home.

For 10 years, this charity has been creating homes for young people exiting foster care. It's an incredible organization. Just days into the L.A. fires, they moved mountains to launch a new emergency relief program, providing fully functional home environments for those who lost everything in the fires. Please get involved. Sign up to volunteer, donate furniture, or even donate funds. You can go to asenseofhome.org to find out more information. Together, we can help our LA community rebuild. It takes all of us. We are here on the Black Stud Network. This is the fifth town hall that we've done. We were in

Virginia Beach. We were in Suffolk, Fredericksburg. We were in, I'm missing one. Where were we? Petersburg. And now in Richmond. Election is five days, folks, on Tuesday. Election is taking place here in Virginia. And a lot is at stake. And this is where, and those of you who watch the show, who listen to the show, understand what I'm always talking about is that we cannot talk about things that we want and we need than if we are not voting. I had some sister on Twitter. She literally, she said, Democrats, y'all ain't getting my vote in 2024 if we don't see any cash. And I then had to tweet her back. I said, you do know the Republicans control the House.

I said, so, sister, can you name me one Republican that supports reparations? I said, I'll wait. You know, and again, a lot of people, a lot of people say stuff like that and not understand. In fact, Donald Trump went around taking credit for saving HBCU funding, which was a lie. And I can't tell you the number of black people who heard the lie, believe the lie. I had a brother try to challenge me on it. He said, well, Trump, he fully funded HBCUs. And then I asked the fool, I said, can you name me how many HBCUs in the country? He couldn't name that.

Then I had explained to him that the program that he was talking about, only 85 million of that program went to HBCUs. It started under President George W. Bush. It was continued under President Obama. It expired. Donald Trump zeroed that program out of his budget and it was Congresswoman Alma Adams of North Carolina who had it put

back in and that's how the money actually got approved. But again, folk will lie about things they do for black folks and some of us will be stuck on stupid and then we'll run with that and then spread it and people actually

believe the lie. And so we spend lots of time just trying to get people to stop believing the lie. A lot of lies also told in this state as well. My next guest has dealt, has been battling the governor on a lot of those lies. He is Delegate Don Scott, leader of the House Democrats. If they flip three of these critical seats across this state, he will be the next Speaker of the House of Virginia, the first African American in history, and the first African American

Speaker of any house in the South. Right? Who we had before? Dan Blue, another alpha. Dan Blue in North Carolina. North Carolina. Would you be the second? So let's talk about, again, we talk about

we were in Petersburg. It was so interesting. I was talking to a lot of people there and they said oh man, the governor, he spends a whole lot of time coming here touting things that are done here and I had local officials who were telling me off on the side they said literally he was

taking credit for stuff that Democrats had done. Well, I wish he would just say thank you because he was, you ever had those people, some of y'all students were here to school. I'm for darn, thank y'all for having me today. Thank you for having me. You ever had the people that cheat off your paper? A lot of omegas and capas. I'm used to that. Stop, stop, stop. So you done did all the work, set everything up, and then, you know, they come in and take credit. So what happened was when we had the majority and Ralph Northam was the governor and we had the trifecta, we did some amazing work. We sent a lot of resources to Petersburg, and then the governor changed before those things get implemented. We had already obligated those resources. So he just comes in for the ribbon cutting after everything's been done and he doesn't tell the truth that this stuff was done well before

he came in and put in motion. He comes in and takes credit for it. And I don't blame him because as you said before, some folks just not paying attention. This man has been hostile to everything. He has been hostile. Did you ever think in your lifetime that Martin Luther King Jr. would be a controversial? He took Martin Luther King Jr. out of K-8 education. I know there's some teachers in here. They tried to change the history standards. This is what they do, but then at the same time, they're walking around saying that they're trying to do something for Petersburg. We don't need a great white hope in Petersburg. We need to get the resources and the people in that will come in and do the work. And we plan on doing that work. Any time you have someone, the first thing that he does, the first thing that he does, he says, he ran on critical race theory.

He made up this whole thing trying to scare some other folks in other communities, and we know that's not true. And the first thing he did was say we're going to ban divisive concepts. Nobody knows what that is because it might make somebody feel bad about history. Why couldn't folks identify white and black with abolitionists, with white abolitionists? Why couldn't they identify? Why does he always think that they're going to identify with the slave holders? So at the end of the day, we have to start challenging these ideas and these concepts that these guys bring in. The first thing he did, the second thing he did was create a teacher tip line. Y'all remember that? Laughing stock of the nation. He had

parents turning on teachers. He had students sitting in the classroom snitching, not learning, snitching on their teachers, trying to get teachers in trouble. This is the leadership that they've chosen. They've chosen these divisive culture issues. And at the end of the day, we have too many people hurting for that. We need to be focused on the issues. And if we're focused on the issues that affect our community, we want every child to have an opportunity. We want every child to have an opportunity at first class education. They wanted to remove, the governor's first goal was to create a billion dollar tax cut for corporations. People that didn't ask for it, people that didn't need it, didn't even ask for it. And he wanted to give that to them. And so I think we have to just continue to pay attention about people who come in and want to use photo ops. They love to put our people in photo ops. And some of us don't realize how powerful, they say a picture is worth a thousand words. And sometimes we're telling a story through a photo that we don't realize that we're being used.

You know, it's interesting when you talk about, uh, when you talk about that, because what happens is, uh, I love to hear the folk who talk about corporate tax cuts and they say, oh, this is what's going to bring businesses, uh, to the state. This is going to bring jobs, things along those lines. Uh, I saw this tweet today that was interesting. Uh, shale oil posted a $6.2 billion profit in the third quarter of this year. And they immediately announced this is they announced a $3.5 billion stock buyback. And what that's what it means is stock buybacks don't help the economy, don't increase wages, don't produce any jobs. It simply rewards the investors who hold the public stock, who have those stocks. And that's the thing that people have to understand.

I've covered city government. I've covered county government. I've covered state government. And I've sat in those meetings, and I've seen the lie. I've seen the lie of professional stadiums they built and, like, oh, this is going to increase this here. No, it's going to increase the value of the owner of that team to be more of a billionaire. And that's the thing for me. When you never seem to see someone come back with real numbers, what did that corporate tax cut, how did that actually benefit the jobs actually improve?

No, that simply went right back into the company, but not into the workers' pockets. At the end of the day, the return on investment, that's what you're talking about. That's what shareholders want. They want shareholder value, right? But we want return on investment, too. My mother, single mom, six kids in Houston, Texas, struggling. Her return on investment was us. She invested in her children. She made sure that all six of her kids had a high school diploma. Right now, she's 88 years old. She got them diplomas sitting up in her most coveted spot in her house. And you can try to take them, but you're going to lose an arm. Those are hers. And at the end of the day, our families, we always knew that the pathway to the

American dream went through a book. And so we've always believed in investing in education first. That's first. So those people who want to do corporate tax cuts, they're investing in the wrong things. Virginia has a great economy right now. We're one of the best in the country. We attract business right now without corporate tax cuts. You know why? Because we have a great workforce. We have an educated population. If we continue to do that, we have great schools like Virginia Union that are educated, that are ready to go out and compete. And so what we need to do is continue to invest in our students, continue to invest in public education. They want to defund public education with a billion-dollar tax cut, with dilapidated schools, and we

want to invest in our schools. We want to invest in our teachers, because we know great teachers make, you know how much a teacher matters? He went to Yates High School, the inferior school in Houston. I went to Sterling in Houston. Now, you know that's a lie. You know that's a lie. But at the end of the day. They never heard somebody saying, I went to Sterling proudly.

Proudly. At the end of the day, though. You're the only one. I'm the only one. I made it. At the end of the day, we want to invest in our students, and we want to make sure that we continue to invest in our students and put those dollars and resources in our students, because we know the return on investment is in people.

And if you think about all of the things they talk about with corporate tax cuts, they haven't addressed that with the shooting in Maine. The governor talks about all of this stuff. He hadn't said a word, been quiet at the church house mouse. Because we passed a red flag law when we were here that said that if you have a family member or employer or employee that's struggling, you can go through a civil process. They call them extreme risk protection orders. You can go in a civil process and have that gun removed from the home and they can go into a civil proceeding or circuit court and try to get the gun back

or they want to or at a time when they're recovered. But they tried to repeal that. Think about this. Every single Republican in the House of Delegates where I serve voted to repeal a common sense piece of legislation like a red flag law. You know what I mean? And our veterans are struggling. They talk about veterans veterans our veterans are struggling with suicide and the number one way that they hurt themselves is with a firearm We got to start telling the truth to people get out of the red versus blue the Democrat versus Republican and let common sense prevail had somebody I Was on Instagram and someone they like oh're just an absolute Democrat.

I said, no, I'm black. I said, and then I had another woman, she said, well, if you don't like either candidate, she said, Roland, what do you do? I said, well, first of all, this ain't no love fest. I ain't taking nobody home to meet mama. I said, but what I'm going to do is I'm going to sit down and list ten issues that I care about. And I'm going to say, where does this person fall on the issue? Where does the other person

fall? Because the things I keep trying to explain to people, somebody's going to win. And you can sit here and be hollered, mad, upset. You can complain about their age. You can complain about all kinds of stuff. Somebody's going to win. Now the question is, if you say, well, I hate both,

well then who is going to do less damage to you out of the two, or who is more than likely going to support the things that matter to you? And I just think we have to get a lot of people to get out of this, you know, I'm not, like, it kills me, and I hear this, this is not just a dig at students. I hear from other people. They're like, well, I'm not being inspired. Well, you know, I ain't inspired by a lot of folk, but it don't mean I'm just going to sit here and tap out. Present company excluded, correct?

What? Oh, no, you don't inspire me. You want the story letter. Jack Yates has a whole different story. You know, you're right about that, because we have binary choices. You know, we don't get to imagine the best person. We got binary choices, one or the other. And what I try to tell people,

okay, if you don't want to vote for something, make sure you vote for somebody that's not going to do more harm to you. You know, like a physician, you know, first do no harm. And so at the end of the day, we have binary choices. Make the best binary choice.

People think, you know, and I want to say this because I've been wanting to say this a million times. People think African-Americans are married to the Democratic Party. Nope. We're married to the idea. We're married to the goal. We, you know, at the end of the day, we're going to vote for folks that are not going to hurt us. We're going to, sometimes we're not even expecting you to do nothing for us. Just don't do nothing to us because we know the history of this country.

And so at the end of the day, we believe in this American dream more than many of the immigrants that have come here more recently. Our blood, sweat, and tears is in this land. So I take, I own this land. This is my land. So I never take a backseat to anybody about what America is because I know what my grandparents and parents went through. My grandfather served in the military. World War I, my father served in Korea. I'm a former naval officer. I serve. I take a backseat to nobody about my say in what happens in America. So when people say they want to leave America, we need to go back somewhere. No, this is our home.

You go back to Italy or wherever you're from, but this is where our home. So we need to be standing up at all times and owning this land and putting our vote where we stand. We need to stop saying that somebody else has more right to this land than we do. Well, and I'll say this here. The people who do have more rights are those who show up. Yeah. I mean, the bottom line is, it's real simple. If you stay at home, if you say, I don't care, voting means nothing, I guarantee you there's another group of people who knows exactly what they are doing. We saw this last year, the midterms, when those crazy quacks from Moms for Liberty took over a lot of school boards because a lot of people ignored those school board races and now they're mad because

they're firing superintendents in Charleston, South Carolina. The dude just got the job in July. They're getting rid of him. They got to pay him $300,000 to go away and he only got the job in July. But that's what happens

when crazy folk get into office but other folk do not vote to allow crazy folk get into office, but other folk do not vote to allow them to get into office. What I'm going to say now, and this might offend somebody, but I think our community, we're still not mature on voting. We're not mature on voting. We're a little bit naive. We've got to start voting more.

We have to step up. We have to be making up. We've got to address. Okay, 75% of registered voters in Virginia vote in presidential elections. In an off-off year like this year, it's going to be 35, 40%. If we lucky, we have an outsized opportunity to have an influence in this election. We have to take advantage of that. Don't compare me to the almighty. Compare me to the alternative. And if you look at that, we have an opportunity to choose

leaders that care about our communities, that are invested in our communities, that come from our communities, that understand both black and white candidates, Latino candidates, Asian American candidates. They all care. We all have, you know, a common value system that speaks about making sure that everybody has an opportunity at this American dream. Everybody gets a great education. Every child gets free from gun violence. You know, I have a 14-year-old daughter. Beginning of school, first week, she's coming home telling me they had an active shooter drill. This is the energy that we're putting into our children right now. And we wonder why sometimes they're acting out now. We're telling them that we will not keep them safe.

We're telling them, be prepared to have to hide in the bathroom because we haven't gotten courageous enough to remove these firearms. We've got too many guns on the street. There's more guns than people in the United States of America. That's a problem. And we need to start looking at ourselves and having decisions and holding our leaders accountable. That conversation ought to happen whether they're Republican or Democrat. What are you believing about these guns in these schools?

What are you believing about the guns that are proliferating illegally many times across the entire country? We need to have those conversations. When you talk about that 75% presidential year, then off year, what I keep saying to African Americans is that if you look at our numbers, even in the state like Virginia is 20%, you look at the Mississippi election is coming up,

you look at even the Kentucky election, the gubernatorial race, you look at any number of these races, if we are actually voting at anywhere from 60 to 75% of our capacity, we can literally sweep elections. Even when I talk to folks in South Carolina, people say, man, South Carolina is red.

If you actually look at the numbers, if African-Americans voted at 70% of our numbers in South Carolina, elections get swept. That's the power of our vote if we actually use it. Yeah, we have to use it. And I think, you know, a lot of times we listen to the naysayers. Don't vote. Don't make a difference. It makes a huge difference. Let me tell you, it makes $170 billion difference in Virginia because that's what our biennium budget is. So when you say you're not voting and you're basically saying, I'm going to give someone my money because I know somebody paid for something on the way here. And your tax dollars went to that.

So basically you're saying taxation, I choose not to have representation. But you're going to get taxed anyway. Right. Oh, and you're going to pay. Yeah, you're going to pay. You're going to pay property tax, sales tax, whatever it is you're going to pay and somebody else is determining how that money is being spent. It's going to get spent. So don't you want to have a say in where that money goes?

Don't you want to have a voice in whether your children's future is going to be taken care of or not, whether you're going to get resources at the Virginia Union University? Recently, the Fed said that HBCUs in Virginia had been historically underfunded by hundreds of millions of dollars. That means y'all have been paying into a system, not getting anything back. And you don't get it back in a while because you don't vote. We're not voting. We don't have leaders in place that will make sure that we get our fair share. That's all.

We just want our fair share. Because you're paying in, you might as well get something back out. And also, especially considering for about 300 and plus years, we paid for stuff and got nothing from it. Nothing. And this is the first time that we've had, you know, I know I look good for my age, but I'm only 58 years old. 1965. Voting Rights Act passed in 1965.

Y'all remember John Lewis crossing that bridge? Alabama. That's when we first started really getting to participate in the american dream and voting right 65 so this american experiment that's really a multicultural experiment that's really a dream you know this idea we're the only nation in the world where that's really based on an idea you know whether we were included originally or not we we're in it now, and we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal. That's the idea. We're black, white, Latino, Asian, gay, straight, whatever.

And at the end of the day, we all came together and said this is what we are. So we're a one nation based on an idea. That's the beauty of America, and we all get to participate. And the more that we participate and the more that we make our voices heard, the more that we can create the nation and the vision of that idea that those slaveholders that founded this country, that never thought you'd be sitting in a room like this. But that idea is still a great idea,

and we have the opportunity to make it future. But I, for one, want to hold them accountable to that idea. How about you? Or as Dr. King said, make it true to what you put on paper. Yeah. Yeah, make it true to what you put on paper. I've got to go to break. We'll be right back with Delegate Don Scott.

Folks, we're here at Virginia Union University. We'll be right back on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.

Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multibillion-dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad.

Listen to new episodes of Absolute season one, 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 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Real people, real perspectives. This kind of starts that a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug thing is. Benny the Butcher.

Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working, and we need to change things. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them.

It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the 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. Hey, Drew Scott here, letting you know why I recently joined the board of an amazing nonprofit, A Sense of Home. For 10 years, this charity has been creating homes for young people exiting foster care.

It's an incredible organization. Just days into the L.A. fires, they moved mountains to launch a new emergency relief program, providing fully functional home environments for those who lost everything in the fires. Please get involved. Sign up to volunteer, donate furniture, or even donate funds. You can go to ascenseofhome.org to find out more information. Together, we can help our LA community rebuild. It takes all of us. Thank you. I'm Dee Barnes and next on The Frequency, we talk to award-winning screenwriter and director Chanel Dupree about her film, You Think You've Grown, the adultification of young Black girls. This is a conversation that all women can relate to. This woman was like, oh my God, you know, I went

through this when I was a kid. She wore something, it was a maxi dress, but the way it fit on her body, this female teacher thought that she looked too grown and spun her around in front of a male teacher and said, do you think she looks grown, right? Oh my God. So that's next time on The Frequency

on the Black Star Network. On the next Get Wealthy with me, Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach, are you trying to figure out how to earn more revenue in your business during these volatile times? Learn how to tap into the largest marketplace in the world through government contracting. Our next guest, Akia Hardnett, will be sharing how you can get wealthy through government contracting. We've got a young lady, government assistance to government contracts. She literally was on government assistance when she came to us. And in less than a year, she has been winning multiple government contracts

and it has changed the trajectory of her family. That's right here, only on Black Star Network. Farquhar, executive producer of Proud Family. Bruce Smith, creator and executive producer of the Proud Family, Louder and Prouder. You're watching Roland Martin. All right, folks, welcome back to Virginia Union University here in Richmond, Virginia. All right, so this is where we do Q&A, so we have some ground rules.

The first ground rule is I don't need you holding the microphone. I got it, okay? Okay, just keep your hands in your pocket or keep them behind your back. If you touch the microphone, I'm going to crack your hand. Just letting you know that's how we do this, all right? And so I'm going to take a couple of people at a time. We have some long lines, so who wants to ask the first question? What do we got?

Y'all scared? Come on. Come on. Come on. Come on up. Come on. All right, what's your question? I told you.

Hard-headed student. Put your hands down. Put them behind your back. Now ask the question. Okay. So my question is, if you were to be elected in the position that you will be, how are you going to represent the people that can't vote? So, for example, a convicted felon for the use of marijuana,

how would that person that they probably have a college education, they probably have kids to feed, they're probably trying to set a better example for the people in their community, how are we going to ensure that that person that cannot vote anymore, how will their voice be heard? All right. Who wants to answer that? Oh, I'll take that because I am a convicted felon.

Yeah, yeah, the next speaker of the house, if we pull this off, I have no shame in my game. When I was young, made a mistake, and I came back. I know I don't look like it, but I'm rich, y'all. I'm a trial attorney, do very well. My wife is a dentist. She's a Delta, too. I see some Deltas out here.

And so at the end of the day, we have to make everybody feel like they have an opportunity in the future. And that's why I talk about making sure that we let everybody know they're invested. We just had, you know, I talk about the Republicans, but they don't really believe in this American dream, and they don't believe in second chances like they say they do. And so at the end of the day, they want to take away people's rights forever. And this governor, he wasn't restoring rights. He stopped the whole process of restoring rights. He slowed it all the way down. And just recently, our entire congressional delegation had to write

a letter to the FBI because he disenfranchised thousands of voters. They lied the first time and said, oh, it's only a couple of hundred people. Then after they went through and looked some more, it turned out to be thousands of people. Now, me being the skeptic and the cynic that I am, I believe it's probably even more because I don't trust anything that they say right now. So at the end of the day, we have to make sure that those people who can't vote, who don't have a voice, that's why we're here. That's why we run. That's why we serve. That's why I'm here. Because I've been in a position where I was down. Everything I own would fit in that TV screen right there. You know what I mean? And then you come all the way back from that and be in this position. And I know it was nothing but God above and praying grandmothers and mothers that had my back all this time.

So I'm telling you, young lady, I appreciate, where'd she go? I appreciate that question because we all, not just the elected, y'all got to stand up. This is unacceptable for you that they would disenfranchise people forever. Because when they come home, whether they were innocent or guilty, when they come home, they back. And we need to put everybody in the best position to succeed. Question? Can I, Do you mind if I just answer that? Go ahead. So I was just going to say, you know, we know that Governor Youngkin

has pretty much rolled back the automatic rights of, restoration of rights for individuals who are returning to society. So I would like to not only see that restored, but I want to see it codified in our code. We need automatic, yeah, restoration so that this can never happen again. Also in Virginia, we need to take- So when you it codified in our code. We need automatic, yeah, rest of it, so that this can never happen again.

Also, in Virginia, we need to take... So you say codified, it's not left up to the governor? Yes, it's in our code. There you go. And then also, currently, under our expungement laws, they're very limited to just two, you know, offenses or what happens in court. Like, two results in court to have your, you know, record expunged, sorry. So I would like to see us expand the circumstances under which we allow expungement here in Virginia to actually like give people a chance to clear their records and then to then

get gainful employment and to be successful. All right, question? My question relates to black maternal health. So the Virginia Department of Health did a study and showed that when it comes to outcomes with black and brown mothers, most of those outcomes have nothing to do with their underlying health conditions, but rather the treatment that they receive as pregnant women. So talk to us a little bit about black maternal health and what you will do in order to improve those outcomes. Who wants it? I can take that. I'm a new mother. I have a two-year-old daughter. But we know that there are disparities with black women dying during pregnancy. And so there is data out there, and we need to now take that data and use that to inform our decisions.

What I would love to see is us expand Medicaid here in Virginia to cover pre and postnatal care. All right. Next question. All right. Step up right here in the light. There you go. So my question is around gun violence. I would like to know if you are elected for the office that you are running for, what are you going to do to strengthen the gun violence in Virginia and Richmond particularly? What type of laws are you going to pass? What type of loophole laws are you going to fix when it comes to domestic violence and individuals being killed, as well as the... I can't think of the word you gave a whole lot already protective orders um when you're trying to file a protective order against someone that's trying

to harm you you're not able to get a protective order unless you have a black eye bloody nose a dislocated shoulder so what type of laws are you going to put in place to help men as well as women with domestic violence, particularly when it comes to guns? Well, we don't have to say men as well as women, because we know the issue of domestic violence, especially as we just dealt with and really celebrated and looked at Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October, we can say how it impacts women.

If a protective order is taken out, a person who has a gun should have to forfeit that. I know that firsthand. My cousin was killed, her and her one-year-old. They were killed by an intimate partner that she had taken a protective order out on, and he came in and shot them while they slept. That should not happen. Those guns should be taken away. And those are what we call common sense gun laws.

Just basic common sense that has nothing to do with D or R. The issue in Maine, Brother Leader, is the reality that this person said, hey, I'm going to hurt someone else and no one believed them. And so when that happens, when someone is going through mental health challenges, and this is not to demonize individuals with mental health challenges, but to ensure that we make sure that they get the help that they need and not hurt someone else. Anybody else? Well, you know, I heard a lot unpacked there. And the one thing that I want to say is when we had the majority, we passed more gun violence prevention legislation in the history of the Commonwealth of Virginia. And we'll do it again. But the number one thing we need to do is we have to continue to educate the public about what a lot of y'all probably don't even know that if someone has a gun, a child, unfortunately. Now me, I've had people in my community who say my son, usually his boy, has a gun in the house and I'm afraid

because I don't want to get him in trouble, but I want the gun out of here. And that's where you can use the red flag laws, the extreme risk protection order. You don't have to tell them, you don't have to do anything. You call the police or the Commonwealth attorney. It's a civil proceeding. It's not a criminal proceeding. They take the gun. You can go to circuit court if they want to try to appeal it and go to circuit court and get the gun back if they're like. Same thing with a mental health issue. Same thing with these protective orders. I'm in court a lot and I do see protective orders being issued, but that's what we need to continue to educate our judges and make sure that we make them more aware, which they are. But sometimes people don't take it as serious

because it's really usually, it's a civil proceeding. It's not a criminal proceeding because it's civil. It's, it's a lower threshold of proof. And usually judges go out of their way to protect, especially if there's been a violent or some violence already. But normally sometimes if it's a threat, they may not go as far. So we just have to continue to educate our judiciary and educate the public. It's not always they have to come in hurt. Sometimes a threat or a Facebook post or an Instagram post is enough, and that's definitely enough to trigger the red flag laws. If someone issues a post, but they're going to hurt themselves or others, you can get the guns out. With a protective order, they can get the gun out, but it has to be in the order, okay?

And we want to continue to strengthen that, and I hope that answers your question. All right. Thanks so much. Next question. How you doing? All right, step up right into the light. All right. My question is, how do you all, or when are you all going to get better at messaging? Because I haven't heard not one Democratic candidate on any local radio station counter the lies or the untruths that's being told by Republican candidates and the governor.

I'm a Petersburg resident, so I know what you all are talking about with what Governor Youngkin was saying, but I haven't heard any Democratic candidate counter what he's saying or has said. That's not true. I mean, you may not have heard. Okay, hold on. What station are you listening to? I was listening to an AM station. But what's the AM station?

AM 1140. Where is that? Here, Richmond. All right. What kind of station is that? Yeah, you're listening to WNBA. Well, that's why. Well, why not Democrats go on there and counter that? Because they don't let us on those stations.

All right. All right. When I've gone on with John Fredericks, I've challenged a lot of the things and notions that they've shared. We run political ads and are running political ads, and we're actually, the House Dems are doing an excellent job messaging to ensure that the lies that are trying to float in petersburg that governor youngkin and kim taylor did it no it was but you also but let me hold on let me take this but he's also so i'm explaining

just pure numbers if you have a conservative radio station, okay, that's a conservative audience. You're likely not going to have a significant number of progressives listening to that station. You're not. So you're not. I'm just telling you, you're not. So if you have finite dollars, then I am going to spend my money where my likely voters are. That's the same reason why if you have a black radio station, you're not going to hear many Republican ads on that station because they know most of the black folks not voting for them. So that's why that's why that

happens. And to his point, when you say that they're not on there, even when you used to hear a fairness doctrine, you now have a situation where Republicans, they don't care about, they don't care about both sides. They will have the same voices. I would call them affirmation radio, affirmation TV. And so that's, that's one of the deals there. So you're just not going to likely hear those opposing ads because that's just like throwing because that's just like talking into the wind. And that's just all across the country. Well, my background is that, so that's why I listen. And my thing is, why not be bold and walk into the lion's den?

Okay, but again, I'm talking money here. If I got $100,000, that is basically called wasting my money, running it over there. Because if my goal, elections are about one thing. No, no, no, no. Turn out. I have to turn my people out. So I have to go where my likely voters are, and that's where they're going to be. That's the reason why you didn't have the House Republicans call us and say, hey, let's do some town halls.

See? No. They're going to spend money. Yeah, with John Frederick, they're going to spend money with those stations because that's where their audience is. So you have had Democrats who are running ads. They're simply not running on that particular station because they say, frankly, that's wasting my money. I get a better return on my investment on other stations.

Well, I'm just saying this guy says I invite Democrats on, but they refuse to come. May or may not be true, but that's my thing. Who says that? This is John. This is the morning talk show host. All I can do is buy what I hear. But again, look, they all say that. I mean, Fox News said the same thing, and they ain't going to never call me.

So, you know, so they lying. They lying. Look, this election we've raised, we've given director candidates a record amount of resources. Nine million dollars to our candidates.

Your boy raised three million. Okay? They said we couldn't raise money. They said black people can't raise money, we can't be in leadership, blah, blah, blah. Barack Obama been proved that wrong. Right? So we can raise money not only because our community will come in,

but also other communities, because they're coming in on the idea. When you talk about going on other conservative shows, they won't have me on. Y'all see how I speak? I ain't scared of these people. they won't have me on. Y'all see how I speak? I ain't scared of these people. They won't have me come on because the truth is out there. Now, they're going to try to get you caught up or get you something like that, but we have great messaging. Our messages are clear.

We want a world-class education. What's wrong with that? A world-class education for every child. We want every hardworking Virginia to have the opportunity to go wherever their God-given ability will take them and have economic opportunity. We want to protect our communities from gun violence. And we want to make sure that we protect our freedoms. We want women, we trust women to make decisions about their own damn bodies. And if you didn't hear that message, I need you to hear that message again.

We trust women and we believe that every person should have the right to vote and participate in voting. They want to control the vote and limit the vote. We want the vote to be wide because we believe that our ideas in the marketplace will win. And that's why that's our message. So I hope if you hadn't met that message, you had it tonight. All right. We got, I got time for one more question, but you got a question. All right, come on. All right. What you got? Okay more question. You got a question? All right, come on. All right, what you got? Okay, well, good evening. My question is, if elected, what are your plans to enhance the quality of education? And what I mean by that is most of us, we go to school, you know, we go 12, you know, K through 12, you know, maybe on to college,

and we graduate and we work for someone. We work a 9 to 5. So what can be done to enhance the quality of education to make sure that problem solving is taught, skills are taught so that students graduate and they become more of a producer than a consumer. That's my question. All right. Well, the beauty of both Ray and myself, we are running unopposed in the general election,

and so we're very fortunate so we can focus on some of those challenges. On city council, we've raised and increased school funding by 47 percent locally. What we have to continue to do is make sure that we take, and we've got to bring back technical training and not just start in high school. Believe it or not, it needs to start in middle school, exposing these young brothers and sisters because everyone is not going to go to college. We need, if we teach a child that they can do something that someone can't do or doesn't want to do, they'll never be broken. So we have to teach our young black brothers and sisters that they can do something creative

with their hands, not just dribble a ball and not just try to wrap a beat. And so there's some, we've got to bring back dignity to electrical trades and, and, and carpentry trades, because that's where we, a lot of us came out of. A lot of us went to college because of our grandparents and parents. They did those type of tasks. And so we have to ensure here locally, we've got to ensure that we look at the LCI. We've got to make sure that there's this thing called payment in lieu of taxes for the city of Richmond. All of our buildings that are in the state, that are in the city, that are owned by the state,

we don't get real estate tax on that. And so we're looking at about 17, $18 million annually that we should get, but we only get $3 million. And so one of the things that I want to do is go back, Mr. Leader, and say, hey, how can we review that amount so we can increase that 3 million? We may not get to 18, but can we get to eight? Can we get to 10 and then continue to invest in our young people? Casino, we're looking at putting early childhood education. That's on the ballot right now with the casino so we can have the funds to build community centers and actual child care centers on the south side where the need is.

All right, last question. Last question. How are you going to get up so late? All right, here we go. What's the question? Come on, step up. What's the question? Hello. Thank you for taking me. I have worked and did. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution.

But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself

to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1. Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated,

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

We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams,

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

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

It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Hey, Drew Scott here, letting you know why I recently joined the board of an amazing nonprofit, A Sense of Home. For 10 years, this charity has been creating homes for young people exiting foster care. It's an incredible organization. Just days into the LA fires, they moved mountains to launch a new emergency relief

program providing fully functional home environments for those who lost everything in the fires. Please get involved. Sign up to volunteer, donate furniture, or even donate funds. You can go to asenseofhome.org to find out more information. Together, we can help our LA community rebuild. It takes all of us. In politics, I like register people to vote. I work with Terry McCullough when he did the restoration of rights. I work with Jennifer McCullough and all of them.

So my question to you and me going into the low-income neighborhoods at that time, what I discovered was that they didn't even know that we were voting. People act like they were scared to go in those neighborhoods because there was a lot of shooting, you know, a lot of stuff. Me, I know God is with me and those are my people. So I want to know what can you put in place just not to put it out there when it's voting time, but other things where maybe you could get a team or something and like every once in a while go out there, you know, greet the people, take a team with you and stuff, or, you know, like doing something, cook out educational stuff for them. So I started sort of this political journey

volunteering for President Obama doing voter registration and voter protection work. And then that most recently resulted in me being a vice chair for the Richmond City Democratic Committee in charge of voter registration. When I took that role, it was very important for me to host and plan voter registration jobs in our public housing communities here in the city because I do think it's very important to meet people where they are and to educate people on the legislative and democratic process. So when we went into those communities and, you know, talked to people about registering to vote, the first, obviously the first question or the first comment was, well, I can't vote. I don't think I can vote because, you know, I'm a, I'm a convicted felon. So it was

so great to be able to pull up, you know, this website, which, you know, you could, when we were doing automatic restoration of rights, pull up a website, type in their social security number, and to tell them on the spot that their rights have been restored and then to register them. The second thing or second question I got was, well, you know, what does a delegate do? What does that even mean? Why should we vote? And what I told them was, even if you don't think, and you know, obviously people think their votes don't count. And I think when they say that, they're thinking more of like a federal level. So what I did was break that down and say, you know, I understand why you would think that when it comes time to vote for president, but we have local elections too.

And every single vote matters in those. You can vote for the mayor, city council, the Commonwealth's attorney, the share here in the city of Richmond. And when I broke it down that way, they were just, you know just amazed that they actually could vote on those individuals. What I also did was tell them this story about one of our delegate races that literally came down to a tie after multiple recounts and someone was elected based on the elections board pulling a name out of a hat, because that's how close that election was. So education, you know, we talk about

people not getting out to vote, but we're also not educating people. And that's very clear where you're on the ground doing that work. Another thing that I think everybody should be doing, especially as elected, but people who care about the community, you got to go in the community. You have to go into every community. ain't scared i'm with you i mean god is on my side he's helped me this far he ain't bring me this far to go back so i'm going in and speak to my folks these are our people this is our community this is us we have to go into every community to let everybody know i think a lot of people they don't vote because they don't think they have a stake in the game and you everybody has a state in the game if you have a if you

believe in the future i don't care how young or old you are you have to have a stake in the game if you have a if you believe in the future i don't care how young or old you are you have to have a stake in the game and you have to go out and tell every single community that they have a stake in this game that's why i say i take a back seat to nobody about the ownership of this country in this land because each and every one of us have to go out and participate i'm from third ward y'all I was born on a street called Dowling Street. Cooney Holmes, he know. And at the end of the day, we have to go into those communities and speak to every single voter. We can't get so far up behind that we forget where we came from. And I think sometimes some of us forget where we came from and we don't have that empathy. And that's what we need. We need more leaders with empathy because when you have that empathy and that heart,

then you're willing to go and speak to anybody, anywhere. Thank you. How you going to grow up in Third Ward with a Sterling? All right, come on. Come on, ask your little question. Come on. What? Magnet program.

Oh, magnet program. Right. Yeah, all right. Come on up here. Girl, come on, ask your question. Okay, okay, okay. Oh, great. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. I'm seeing you back there.

Chair, all right, come on. My name is Justice Miller. For the June 29th Supreme Court decision on affirmative action, I wanted to know, and I'm sorry if you guys already answered this, so just, you know, more. It hasn't come up. Okay, cool. How would you guys push to advocate for HBCUs to fill that gap once the black enrollment declines? Put your hand off. Put your hand on your back. Once the black enrollment declines at predominantly white institutions. All right. Well, the first thing is we got to deal with some numbers here.

There are 107 HBCUs in the country. There are 247,000 students who go to those HBCUs, 20 percent are non-black. So but there are 1.6 million black students that go to PWIs. Reality is there is not a single HBCU in the country that could handle a 2% shift because of facilities. And so we're seeing right now, we saw this with Tennessee State. We've seen it with Texas Southern. We've seen it with FAMU. We've seen it with Morehouse. We've seen it in multiple places. They're having a housing crisis because there's been an explosion of applications in the last number of years,

they simply cannot place the folks. And so if we're talking about if we expect to see that trend continue, there's going to be massive investment in those schools in terms of infrastructure because otherwise they simply cannot handle that large infusion of folks. Even if it's, like I say, even if it's one, two, three percent, we ain't talking about five or ten. Go right ahead. Yeah, we're seeing that issue here with students at a couple of our HBCUs living in trailers. And so, I mean, for me, I think it's simple. We just need to make sure we're investing in and fully funding our HBCUs. I'm a product of

Howard University School of Law. And that education was just so nurturing for me to have, especially coming from a PWI, William & Mary. Any William & Mary grads in the house? No. And so the education that I received there was, it was so inspiring to see people, to see faculty, staff, who all looked like me. It felt like a family. And I just believe the legal education that I got there, we talked about every aspect of the law through the lens of social justice. And that's just so important for us to continue to connect and to connect in that way. And to also just make sure that we are funding our HBCUs, which have been, I mean, just a foundation for a lot of our people throughout

history. All right, folks, that is it for us. We appreciate everybody for participating in this conversation here at Virginia Union University. Do not forget the election is on Tuesday. Folks, look, you can talk about what you care about, but the only way for you to really participate is if you change the policy makers, if you want the policies to change. But let me also say this here, and I say this all the time,

that the election is the end of one process, and it's the beginning of another. If Democrats don't take control of the House, if where you live, someone you didn't vote for wins, you are still a constituent. You still should be showing up, calling them, going to their office, challenging them, going to their town halls, because a lot of us check out of the process. But I always tell folk, no, you are still a constituent and you still should

be making demands of those individuals who are representing you, whether they are mayors, city council members, school board members, school board presidents, county leaders, state leaders, federal leaders, you are still a constituent. And a lot of us say, well, you know what, I don't have time for that. But then we complain about when certain things do not happen. Last point is this here and that is a lot of people and a lot of us do this we will show up in a rally when we're pissed off when there's an attack on something that we want but if we actually had the same energy before that happens, it may not happen. And so I can tell you as somebody who's covered city government, who's covered City Hall in Fort Worth, who covered county government in Austin, who's covered this on a local level,

when people show up to those committee meetings and those council meetings and those school board meetings and those county meetings and they show up to those state hearings, trust me, lawmakers pay attention. And I've been saying this to Divine Nine. I've been saying this to Lynx, Eastern Star, Masons, folks. I don't care what kind of group you have. If all of a sudden folks are showing up to those meetings in their color, people are going to be asking, who are the people in black and gold? Who are the people in pink and green? Who are the people in red and white?

Who are the people in blue and white and blue and gold? Who are those people? And then they're going to be saying, the next thing they're going to ask is, who are those people? And then what do they want? And unfortunately, a lot of us, we have all of these organizations. We don't use them effectively to change public policy. And so whatever happens on Tuesday, the next day our plan should be, all right, now we're going to hold them accountable to do what they said they were they promised to do. So that's the goal. So, folks, appreciate it. Tell folks if you've got a family, Virginia, tell them use your right to vote.

And if you've got people who are coming to your dinner table on Sunday and if they ain't registered to vote, tell them you ain't welcome at my table. You ain't get no free dinner if you are not going to vote into the election. Well, again, the House of Virginia Democrats. I want to thank all the folks that made this happen. This is our fifth town hall, and we certainly appreciate seeing all of you folks. That's it. I'll see y'all tomorrow from Mobile, Alabama. We'll be broadcasting live from there.

Y'all take care. Howard! power folks black star network is here i'm real uh revolutionary right now support this man black media he makes sure that our stories are told thank you for being the voice of black america i love y'all all momentum we have now we have to keep this going He makes sure that our stories are told. Thank you for being the voice of Black America, Roller. Hey, Blake, I love y'all. All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going.

The video looks phenomenal. See, there's a difference between Black Star Network and Black-owned media and something like CNN. You can't be Black-owned media and be scared. It's time to be smart. Bring your eyeballs home. You dig? Thanks for watching! Thank you. nonprofit, A Sense of Home. For 10 years, this charity has been creating homes for young people exiting foster care. It's an incredible organization. Just days into the LA fires, they moved mountains to launch a new emergency relief program, providing fully functional home environments for those who lost everything in the fires. Please get involved. Sign up to volunteer,

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