#RolandMartinUnfiltered - #RolandMartinUnfiltered #BlackVotersMatter LIVE from Savannah, Georgia w/ Common & Keke Palmer

Starting point is 00:00:00 This is an iHeart Podcast. to, yeah, banana pudding. If it's happening in business, our new podcast is on it. I'm Max Chastin. And I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith. So listen to Everybody's Business on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops. They get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun?

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Starting point is 00:01:09 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 star-studded 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.

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Starting point is 00:02:28 One, two. One, two. One, two. One, two. One, two. One, two. One, two. One, two.

Starting point is 00:03:25 One, two. One, two. One, two. One, two. One, two. One, two. One, two. One, two. one, two. This is, uh, this is Rolling Spice. Thank you. And I can't cope, but I'm too old Man, I just can't go through this mess, man All I have, all I have is my gold And on the real deal, you love somebody Do you trust somebody? Now tell me, do you really get your heart in somebody? Do you love somebody? Do you love somebody? Do you want somebody? Do you want somebody?

Starting point is 00:03:41 Do you want somebody? Do you want somebody? Do you hear this mic? Do you hear this mic? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:03:45 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Starting point is 00:03:50 Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'm like, ooh, ooh, ooh I'm a real, yeah, yeah, let's do it, okay, look I don't really think I even want to I hate the way your love is holding me Something's taking over me

Starting point is 00:04:21 You're controlling me like what you is to me I told you, I don't really know what you've been used to But I got a couple things to show you I think I wanna get to know the whole you And give you something new to believe in I don't really know what you've been used to But I got a couple things to show you I think I wanna get to know the whole you

Starting point is 00:04:42 And give you something new to believe in Can you trust somebody? I think I want to get to know the free and get you some. Oh, yeah, they love somebody. Yeah, yeah. Can you trust somebody? Baby, do you want somebody? On the real, you can't love nobody. And on the real, do you love somebody? Can you trust somebody?

Starting point is 00:04:58 Now tell me, do you really give your heart to somebody? Do you love somebody? Do you love somebody? Hey, I need y'all to make some noise for my brother, Treyville. We love somebody. We'll be right back. I need a watch, I need another better. If you get caught, you better. Hey, look, level up. Level up. Level up. Level up. Level up.

Starting point is 00:05:50 Level up. Level up. I don't play no games. We are not the same. You're recording. I get up on my lane. I just get the game. Give it to the gang.

Starting point is 00:05:58 I can't talk no language. No, I told them. I'm not a boss. You boss no ho. I cannot run, but you suck yourself. They should be playing too much. Yeah. I'm just caught boss, you boss, no. I cannot run with you suckers. They just be playing too much. I'm just caught on my butt. Cause I've been at the bottom.

Starting point is 00:06:08 I'm running the game for the summer. They still in the trip and I see them. They give me the chain, don't leave me on it. They say I spit. Call me the sim, me the auto. I'm just in the white. Like I was Demi Lovato. Running the game and I keep it up.

Starting point is 00:06:23 On the low energy with the. And they mad at me cause I'm out. Ain't no taking my chain, we gonna hit. Outro Music And they follow the drip of the sip, though At the top of the top Lord, roll with the game, that's a click, though And I'm in a new B-man shit, Lord But I'll slip, though Get going, I'm on another level On the beat, I heard another battle Need a watch, I need a bezel You can call you better than the seller Let's go, Lord, level up

Starting point is 00:07:00 Level up, level up Level up, level up Level up, hey, hey, hey I level up, level up Hey, hey, hey I want you to think I'm good Look, y'all, I need y'all to put y'all hands together On beat, though, like Let me tell y'all, we all gotta make it, bro I got dreams, everybody got dreams

Starting point is 00:07:17 We gotta get a step closer to my feeling Look, I gotta make it I'm trying to wait it No, I gotta take it I need y'all to put y'all hands together I gotta make it. I'm trying to wait it. No, I gotta take it. I need y'all to put your hands together. I gotta face it. I gotta chase it. I can just taste it.

Starting point is 00:07:32 Yeah, look. Cause I've been down so low. But I keep pushing. Look, I've been down so low. But I keep pushing. Look, I gotta make it. Cause I've been down like a basement but I keep pushing. Look, I gotta make it, cause I be down like the basement. But I stick to the basics, hard work, determination. I'm trying to make it, they just cop me and paste it.

Starting point is 00:07:54 Is that really hating? That's something I can't relate with. I got so much that I'm running for, I just need some answers. Trying to run it up so grandma can go and beat this cancer. Look, somebody please hand me faith. I've been trying to cover it up, but I can't be faith, but I know it's gonna get better, cop cars with different levels, I'm overseas like whatever, get down and pray for better life, assalamu alaikum, wa alaikum salam, I want a better life for mom, don't need a stress in no job, look, got to make it. I'm tired of waiting. I got to take it.

Starting point is 00:08:27 Look, I got to face it. I got to chase it. I can just chase it. Yeah, let's go. Because I've been down so low. And I keep pushing low. And I've been down so low. But I keep pushing on

Starting point is 00:08:46 Hey, yo. I'm going to leave y'all with one more thing here. And I really want y'all to listen to me. I know, like, I know I'm the youth. But that should give y'all a little more reason to listen to me. Like, I know what's going on. I see what's going on. It was the things we do right now. Can you hear this? Can you hear this? Can you hear me clearly on this? You can hear me

Starting point is 00:09:10 clearly on this one. Black votes matter. Y'all see, we being heard, we being felt, we gotta make change. Yeah, look, I'm gonna end this with, I'm gonna, I'm gonna end this with this, look. Got it? Yeah. My mama raised me to not be seeing no color. If we all equal, why we still ain't seeing each other? Okay. Why they trying to wipe us out? We RIPing each other. All lives matter, but right now they near my brothers.

Starting point is 00:09:34 Okay. And I'm tired of writing verses every time a brother die. And they tired of holding hearses every time a mother cry. And your silence is observant, and I seem to wonder why. We divided so it's working. Stop me when I tell a lie Look, this is nothing but systematic oppression If you wanna understand why you ain't asking no questions

Starting point is 00:09:50 And I'm scared to take a stand because my blackness a weapon Is my reality, it's sad, I have to accept it All they think we good for is criminal acts and drugs Going to the corner store to buy some blacks in clubs We tired of being so peaceful so we acting up All cops ain't killers, all blacks ain't thugs corner store to buy some blacks in club we tired of being so peaceful so we acting up all cops ain't killers all blacks ain't thugs when we silent they kill us when we violent they fill us i ain't saying that is right but god you gotta be with us look look in the mirror do your part of it

Starting point is 00:10:15 though if you ain't fighting for the problem you a part of it bro let's go okay okay yeah yeah yeah that's just the way it is yeah Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, some things will never change. Thank you. Să ne vedem la următoarea mea rețetă! Thank you. Martin! We'll be right back. He's rolling. It's Uncle Roro, y'all. It's Rolling Martin, yeah. Rolling with Rolling now. He's funky, he's fresh, he's real, the best you know. He's Roland Martin. Martin. Hey, folks.

Starting point is 00:15:36 Roland Martin here. It is December 18, 2020. We are broadcasting live here in Savannah, Georgia, where Black Voters Matter, where they're having a DOT event. One more classic. One more classic. So we're here in a moment. Kiki Palmer, a commenter, will take the stage. To our old school dance floor.

Starting point is 00:15:53 To our old school dance floor. And today's show, jam-packed conversation. We're talking about Georgia. We're talking about Republican efforts to stop black people from voting. We're also talking with the mayor of Savannah, Georgia, and also Black Voters Matters founders, Natasha Brown and Clifford Wright. Yo, it's time to bring the funk.

Starting point is 00:16:10 Savannah, Georgia style. A Willamette unfiltered. Let's go. He's got it. Whatever the piss, he's on it. Whatever it is, he's got the scoop, the fact, the vibe. And when it breaks, he's right on time. And it's rolling

Starting point is 00:16:25 Best belief he's knowing Putting it down from sports to news to politics With entertainment just for kicks He's rolling It's Uncle Roro, y'all It's rolling Martin Rolling with rolling now It's Rollin' Martin Yeah Rollin' with Rollin' now Yeah

Starting point is 00:16:49 He's funky, he's fresh, he's real The best you know, he's Rollin' Martin Now Martin Hey, folks, Roland Martin here. We are broadcasting live from Savannah, Georgia, on the campus of Savannah State University, where Black Voters Matter.

Starting point is 00:17:17 They're holding a Get Out to Vote concert right here. There are folks who are lined up back here. Evan is going to get a shot here. We're going to get a shot of all the cars in the parking lot. And so you can see what's going on here. And so, of course, you've got the save back here. Waka Flocka and his wife, Tana Rivera, the host of this event. Super Rooks will be here.

Starting point is 00:17:39 But also, Tiki Palmer and Common are going to hit the stage in a moment as well. And so this is all a part of Black Belt and Battle. But also, Tiki Palmer and Common are going to hit the stage in a moment as well. And so this is all a part of Black Voting Matter coming all across this state and turning out to the Americans to get out to vote. But not only have they been encouraging folks to get out to vote, they're going to have them toy drive, give away, get them sold out, cash out paraphernalia. Encourage you folks in this state to vote. Why? Today is the fifth day of early voting. Early voting in Georgia started on Monday.

Starting point is 00:18:16 Already, one million people in Georgia have already voted in the January 5th runoff, hitting John Ossoff versus Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler. Pastor Raphael Warnock, excuse me, Pastor Raphael Warnock against Senator Kelly Loeffler. John Ossoff against Senator David Perdue. Poll show, it is a tight race. Republicans are in complete disarray. Donald Trump is supposed to come to Georgia tomorrow to hold a rally, but he is still pissed off with Governor Biden's team, the Republican Secretary of State.

Starting point is 00:18:42 So he refused to come here. Now, Ossoalk, as well as the Warnock campaign, announced that on Monday, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will come to the town. She's going to meet in Suwannee, Georgia, as well as Columbus, Georgia. We're going to be there as well, broadcasting live when she holds those events and those rallies there in Suwannee and Columbus as well. This is for all the marvels folks because these two races african-german who is going to be in control of the united states senate democrats are able to win both u.s senate seats Senate. And then, of course, she will break the ties. But if Republicans win either one of these seats, they will retain the majority of the U.S. Senate. And that means Senate Majority Leader

Starting point is 00:19:31 Mitch McConnell will be in control. He can stop anything from the House he has coming in to the Senate. He also will control the Senate confirmation of Biden's cabinet picks, as well as any federal judges and Joe Biden, as President-elect puts up. And so this is why so much focus is on Georgia. That's why we are here. We've been here the last two or three weeks. We're going to be here through January 5th as well. We've been live streaming events like this

Starting point is 00:20:00 all across the state. That's what's going on. And so what we're doing in a moment here, we're going to talk with the mayor of Savannah, Georgia. He's standing right here. Again, so you got folks all out here practicing social distancing. This is one of the numerous rallies that they've been

Starting point is 00:20:18 holding. They have been traveling all across. And look, some of y'all are saying the music's too loud. Folks, you got to understand, are saying the music's too loud. Folks, you gotta understand, literally the stage is right here. So, of course the music is loud because this is an outdoor rally. People are sitting in their cars. And so there are people

Starting point is 00:20:34 who are probably 15, 20 rows deep. So you gotta be able to hear the music. So that's what's going on here. So what we're doing now, folks, is this here. I want to go ahead and introduce our panel and bring them in. Now, it's going to be hard for me to hear, but it's okay. I'll go ahead and introduce them. First up, Dr. Neambit Carter, of course, Department

Starting point is 00:20:54 of Political Science, Howard University. Michael Inhotep, host of the African History Network show. Candace Kelly, legal analyst. Dr. Carter, I want to start with you. Control room, kill my microphone while she's talking. I'm not going to be able to hear. Let me know when she's done. Dr. Carter, talk about why we matter. First fight of a fair vote, they said that 41% of the people who turned out on the first day were voting for African-Americans. What we are seeing is the power of the Black vote.

Starting point is 00:21:27 That's what makes this matter. And so that's why Republicans up the corner are hell-bent on trying to keep Black folks from voting. ...focus on making sure that people distrust the political system of Georgia, because it's not just having a chilling effect on the GOP voters. It's also going to have a chilling effect on Black voters. The confusion, the uncertainty, and certainly the misinformation

Starting point is 00:21:53 that has been circulating around the state is liable to make many voters, particularly Black voters, some of whom feel very disaffected by the system, likely to sit out. Now, we've seen at least lots of people turning out so far, but we've seen at least for non-white voters a little bit of a lag this go-round than we saw in the general election. Now, all is not lost, of course, and I think as the GOP continues to self-destruct in the state, this bodes well for the Democratic candidates. But certainly, Black voters are a force in that state. They saw it in the general election and they're doing everything they can at this point to prevent black voters from influencing these runoff elections in the way that they did in the general.

Starting point is 00:22:33 Because, as you pointed out, this would give the Democrats a tremendous amount of power. I'm going to go to Candace right now. Candace, there are still legal challenges. Republicans are trying all they can to stop literally signature matching. They want to stop drop boxes. They've been losing in court. These are the kind of things that they are doing to target black voters. And it's all for naught. I mean, look at the the groundswell of people that are behind you and in front of you. This is what Republicans are fearful of, and this is why they keep going. But we know that the United States Supreme Court is the law of the land. That's what they call it.

Starting point is 00:23:17 They are the last people to speak on whatever issues it may be. Sometimes they get it wrong. Sometimes they get it right. This time they get it right with a very, very short determination that this was basically a frivolous lawsuit. Republicans actually should be scared because every time that Trump opens his mouth, every time he tweets, every time he says something that is out of order, he just dismantles the Republican so-called brand. What we're looking at now is the fact that Trump will not concede. He will not say that he didn't win. And because of that, the Republicans that are running on the ticket in Georgia are unable to say, hey, look, let's not let this happen. Trump lost, so we don't want the Republican Party to win in Congress. They can't even say that. So they're really just stuck. There's just no

Starting point is 00:24:06 place for them to turn. But from the state courts to federal courts, lower courts, I mean, we have, Biden has been elected president about five times now. Every time, right? Every time that they say, okay, he's president, he's president. We've known that since, you know, since the evening of the election. As Boyz II Men would say, it is the end of the road. They just don't know that yet and all because of ego. Do we have Michael M. Oteb? If Michael is there.

Starting point is 00:24:36 Michael, just share with us, you're in Detroit. We saw what black voters meant there. Again, the efforts of Republicans to attack black voters meant there again the efforts of republicans to attack black voters continuation of the attack on african-american voters we saw it in detroit we saw it in milwaukee we saw it in pittsburgh atlanta and it is continuing in georgia and and and one of the one of the craziest things is roland i talked about this on my show earlier this week.

Starting point is 00:25:08 Trump has been tweeting that Republicans have to win Georgia, the two Senate seats in Georgia, January 5th race. But then when you look at the donations that are being donated, when they sent out these these Trump emails to raise donations. A large percentage of the donations are not going to the Georgia Senate races, which is causing a problem with the Republican Party. Politico had an article about this, and it really seems like Trump is just out for himself. It really seems like Trump doesn't really care about those Georgia Senate races. He's trying to raise money for himself. But Trump's sowing discord and the Trump acolytes, the one hand, say the election is a fraud and is rigged and things like this. But on the other hand, say, go out and vote for Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue.

Starting point is 00:26:16 So they really so so the Republican Party really has a problem on their hands. And, you know, Donald Trump is undermining these two senators at the same time. And attacking Raffensperger and Brian Kemp, two Republicans, attacking them at the same time. Let's do it again, Tork, and I need you to get to those polls again. Well, absolutely, and so, absolutely,

Starting point is 00:26:39 that's exactly what's happening. So again, let me do a reset, folks. We're here in Savannah, Georgia, where Black Voters Matter is having this program here. We encourage folks to vote, to get them out to the polls. And so what we're going to do right here is we're going to sit here and go to the stage here. We're going to go to the stage here with Black Voters Matter. The second director of Black Voters Matter, Mr. Cliff Albright.

Starting point is 00:27:05 Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. What? You've seen her all over your television screen, the big screen. You hear her all through the airwaves. Hey, man, she's no stranger. It almost feels like she's our first cousin. Tap your horns. Make some noise for the incredible Keke Palmer.

Starting point is 00:27:26 Black excellence, black excellence, black excellence. Hey, what's up, y'all? Hey! What's up? Y'all look good out there. I can see some of y'all. Hope everybody doing good, being safe. This COVID is crazy, but I'm so glad we all is out see some of y'all. Hope everybody doing good, being safe. This COVID is crazy, but I'm so glad we all

Starting point is 00:27:47 is out here together, y'all. We doing it! 2020! We made it through! How you doing, man? I'm doing good. How you doing? I'm doing good. I'm glad to be back in Savannah. I was here for about a month and a half, a couple months ago, filming a movie. I had a wonderful time.

Starting point is 00:28:04 Alright, we gotta get a sneak preview tonight. You, you, are you? If you are, then me too. I ain't seen much yet. I can't wait, though. Well, we're glad to have you here in Savannah. Obviously, there's a lot going on in Georgia. Obviously, all eyes on Georgia, right?

Starting point is 00:28:19 Yes. All eyes on Georgia. Thank you so much. So, you know, what is it? Why do you feel, you know, you got people around the country who, you know, actors, actresses, celebrities, influencers who have really gotten involved. You know, from your perspective, like, why is it that you feel like, you know, it's important for you to be getting involved in talking to folks about the vote

Starting point is 00:28:39 and getting folks involved? Like, what makes you want to do all this? I don't mean no disrespect. I'm just taking a little bit of my mask off, y'all, just because my glasses get fogged up. But I think it's important because, I can only speak from my perspective, is because it's the only way we're going to actually see real change.

Starting point is 00:28:55 You know, I'll be honest. I'm 27 now, but when I was like 21, 20, that's when I really started understanding how to vote. That's the beginning of when I realized that, okay, it's not just the presidential election, and I actually have to pay attention to what's happening in my state, and that's going to graduate other things when it comes to the House of Representatives and the Senate House and all those things. I didn't really understand it, and I feel like, you know, growing up, even in school,

Starting point is 00:29:20 that the way that it was explained to me, it wasn't explained in a way that I would actually be able to be motivated to know what it means. And so there's that half of it. And then the other half of it is like, honestly, I've gone through such a, um, you know, my experience when I was telling you guys, I did a movie out here in Savannah called Alice and that experience, it really just put a perspective, the black American experience for me. And the fact that, you know, all I know is being free quote-unquote You know what I'm saying, and we've gone and seen so much You know we talk about George Floyd or when we look at a lot of our heroes of Martin Luther King's and Malcolm X's We think about those things and it hurts us so much

Starting point is 00:29:55 But the reality is is we have come so far and we can't stop trying no matter how much hurt We've seen that's been caused we have to keep going because we have to do it for them. And that's really what I think about. I think about all the people that came before me that never even got a chance to enjoy anything about life. So even though it gets hard and I see that, you know, they try to make it difficult for us to vote and try to make it difficult for us to understand how to help ourselves, I'm willing to go through anything to make sure that my voice is heard,

Starting point is 00:30:25 because there was a time where I couldn't even do nothing. There was a time where people like us couldn't even do a damn thing. So I'm gonna do everything I can to help, to make sure that we never have to go back there again. That's right, that's what's up. That's what's up. Yeah, give it up, y'all. Yeah. You talked briefly...

Starting point is 00:30:43 You talked briefly about, like, you know, your experience growing up and, like, the changes, you know, the way you think, you know, from when you were young and as you were getting older. In this election, this past election and this current election, one of the groups that turned out in ways that people didn't even expect was younger voters. Right? You know, in fact, right here in this county, more folks under 30 voted than over 65, which you don't usually see happen. So that's a huge thing. That's a huge thing. And I'm so I'm so proud of us. You know, the thing is, look, we don't know everything, but we're trying. We're trying to figure it out and we're trying to see how we can make it work. And, you know, it's the learning process. And that's why I look to my elders.

Starting point is 00:31:20 I look to my mom and my dad and the older people around me and I try to get it, you know, an understanding of things. Because at the end of the day,'all it's just gonna be us You know, we are the ones you know, the Millennials whatever you want to call it the Gen Zers, you know pretty soon The other people you know, they're they're they're getting older and we cannot just depend on them and ultimately that's what it was for me It's like hey, I'm responsible. I've got to take accountability over my life and the world that I'm leaving to my kids. I don't want to leave them to nothing crazy. So, hey, I got to show up. That's right.

Starting point is 00:31:50 That's what's up. You talked a second ago, you know, when you talk about the different issues, you mentioned George Floyd, right? Yeah. And Breonna Taylor, right? I mean, it's so many names. That's right. So many names, right? Unfortunately.

Starting point is 00:32:02 Y'all say their names. There's too many names for us to remember sometime. But, know that led to the summer that we saw the summer of protests Yeah, and a lot of that was led by young folks Yes, like talk to me a little bit about like, you know Just going through that historical moment and why just what that meant to you and what you saw and felt I was just so happy it was and it was also I don't want to say it was surprising But it was a beautiful thing to see that it wasn't even just Black and brown people out there. I seen a lot of people that was just like i'm tired of this you know what i'm saying everybody because the reality is this is a

Starting point is 00:32:32 human issue this is a country issue where we're being torn apart and being made to believe that we're not all on the same team when really we got to say to our government this is what we need and this is what we deserve this is what our society is looking for. Our children need better education. We need a system that's going to be able to protect us. And, you know, it's just, it was incredible for me to realize and see that up close. You know, I went and I protested and I was out there and I mean, it was in the middle of the pandemic and we all showed up and it was just, it was very inspiring. I feel like we were on the precipice and we still are on the precipice of change. And that's why we can't let up. And look, ain't nothing going to change overnight. But we are making strides.

Starting point is 00:33:08 And it's that faith that we got to keep on holding on to. Y'all, I could sit here and talk to Kiki one-on-one all night. Oh, my gosh, yes. Yeah, all the wisdom that you're putting out there. But I got to take a moment and welcome somebody to the stage. It's my boy. I think he's here. I think he's here. Somebody who needs no introduction. Y'all, give it up the stage. It's my boy. I think he said I think he said somebody who needs no introduction

Starting point is 00:33:26 Y'all give it up for Like this gotta be something for me to write this queen. I ain't seen you in a minute Y'all Rashid is the truth What's going on what's going on So you had a busy day. I've been here and you've been you've been out there doing the thing and knocking on doors And and giving out stuff like talk to us a little bit. What you've been hearing you've been out there doing the thing and knocking on doors and giving out stuff. Like, talk to us a little bit. What you've been up to? Yeah, well, we we arrived in Georgia yesterday. We we started in Augusta going around knocking on doors, just encouraging people that this is the time right now.

Starting point is 00:34:20 This is the time Georgia Georgia has already showed the world, showed America what the change is about. And because we used to think of Georgia in a different way, but black people showed up in such a strong way and changed the trajectory and the vision of this country. And now we got to complete that vision by going out and voting this Senate race I think our people sometimes don't know and I didn't know like how important this Senate race is because a lot of stuff that we wanted Obama to get done he couldn't get done because he was getting blocked by the Senate and House of Representatives so it's like we got a we got a president-elect and a vice president-elect who are talking about systemic racism.

Starting point is 00:35:09 They talking about HBCUs. They planning criminal justice reform plans. They thinking about healthcare. So, with that on the agenda, the only way they can get it done, the only way we can see the system work is by having a Senate and a House of Representatives. And these two seats that Georgia holds are the deciding factors. So we just here encouraging everybody in Georgia to go out and vote. Reverend Warnock and John Ossoff. And I just sat with those brothers, black man and a white man, sat down with them, talked

Starting point is 00:35:42 with them, and I believe in them. And they about some of the same things that we about. And they understand black economic justice. They understand getting away with, like, the bail. You know, like, you know, bail is, like, something that they target for poor people, like getting rid of bails for people. Just a lot of stuff that education that we know we need,

Starting point is 00:36:04 they about that. I mean, I'll go on forever, but I'm glad to be here. And, you know, Kiki and I was filming Alice here when the election happened and when everything was won. And it was like, man, I was proud to be in Georgia because we was like waiting on the votes from Georgia, and Georgia showed up. So we need Georgia to show up right now in this Senate race.

Starting point is 00:36:26 Yeah, that's right, that's right, that's right. That's right, honk your horns. So, yeah, so as you've been doing that work, knocking on the doors, I think y'all did some type of donation. We did a food donation today over at Conner's Temple and a toy donation because you've got so many families that right now, you know, they're having a hard time just putting toys under the tree for their family, right?

Starting point is 00:36:50 Or being able to cook a holiday meal, you know? And a lot of that is because, you know, Kiki was talking earlier about COVID. You know, COVID has really hurt the black community, you know, so talk to me a little bit about, you know, kind of what you've been seeing and how, you know, families are dealing with that COVID stuff and whether people are making that connection between like the kind of COVID relief that's being debated right now. And and these candidates that you that you talking about and what they feel in their own personal lives, like how you see all that coming together well I've been really inspired and enthused by

Starting point is 00:37:28 going into our neighborhoods our communities and the education that I've been getting from from the people whose doors I'm knocking on to also the information that they have and what I mean a lot of people we visited they know about the Senate race. They voted already. Some of them early voted and some who weren't aware were like, man, I've got to do this for certain reasons. We all have felt the effects of bad leadership within the past four years. And face it, this country ain't always had great leadership.

Starting point is 00:38:00 But this has been the biggest moment to change these things. This has been the biggest moment to change these things. This has been the biggest moment. This has been the first time you ever hear somebody running for president talking about systemic racism. Since when has the system ever said, man, this country is a victim of systemic racism. So that being said, the families that I've been meeting, a lot of them have felt it economically, so they were like, look, I understand that this voting matters. And a lot of it got broken down by seeing what happened with Breonna Taylor and what happened with George Floyd. And today we were with Ahmaud Arbery's mom and we went to Brunswick. That's right. And I think people are realizing that we are electing these people

Starting point is 00:38:50 who are making decisions that are allowing the people who murder our people to get off. Exactly. So I think they are connecting that. And that's because of COVID, I will say. I mean, I hate the deaths, and I hate what we've lost, and I hate, like you said, the bad leadership that put us in this position. But that pandemic, that pandemic made everybody watch George Floyd

Starting point is 00:39:11 get killed for eight minutes. You know what I'm saying? That pandemic had me in my room waking up, looking online, seeing this video of Ahmaud Arbery getting shot dead running down the street. Like, we were doing too much. Our world was moving too fast and we had been overlooking stuff for too long. And as bad as COVID has been, that pandemic, this, that quarantine, that made everybody open up their eyes and now nobody can turn away. So we have to keep going and keep busting out them doors and saying, you need to

Starting point is 00:39:42 see this. Period. That see this. That's right. Period. That's right. That's right. You know, speaking of which, you know, I think we need to give it up for our fam out there in Brunswick and those surrounding counties, because a lot of people don't notice that DA, the first DA that tried to bury that case, right, that tried to ignore the murder of our brother, that DA was on the ballot last month.

Starting point is 00:40:04 And guess what? She about to lose her job, right? She about to lose her job, right? She about to lose her job. You about to lose your job. That's right. We came together, and she lost it. She got voted out, and our people did that, right? Amen.

Starting point is 00:40:17 That's right. And so that reminds us about, you know, the power of even these local elections. I know a lot of the focus is on this runoff and these Senate races right now. But we even got these local elections. I know a lot of the focus is on this runoff and these Senate races right now. But we even got a local race. We got a state race. This public service commission is also on the ballot right now.

Starting point is 00:40:33 But that's why these things that we're doing right now is so important, y'all, because the history is that for a lot of these other people, it's been a tradition for them to vote. They know how it works. They were able to do it since the beginning of time. They will have rallies. They will have everything. We vote. They know how it works. They've been, they were able to do it since the beginning of time. They will have rallies. They will have everything we vote. We know because they had the information and it wasn't, it wasn't taken from them. We've only been able to have access to some of these things for so long. So that's why we're creating a traditions. Now we're getting the

Starting point is 00:40:58 opportunity to make this an exciting thing for the kids. They seeing us out here right now. They say, yeah, it's important to vote. Yeah. This is a thing. That's the reality. We have to, we have, it's now we got to really acknowledge that this is something that's a part of our community and be proud of our privilege to be able to vote because it just was taken from us so long and it wasn't a tradition to us because it was something we never felt included in. But now we know what we could do. We've had, we, our faith, I think has been restored in many ways. And we just have to keep on pushing and showing the kids that this is real. We have power. We do. Yeah. And I was, you know, I was one of them cats that was like, man, this voting, I ain't rocking

Starting point is 00:41:37 with that shit. This shit ain't like what, that's not what I'm a part of. We don't, I don't feel included in that. But It was a point when George Bush was running and I was like, man, if I say I care about my people, I got to at least vote. I got to at least say I did it. I had to vote against George Bush. That was the beginning of my voting. Then the more and more

Starting point is 00:41:57 I started to look at it, I started to meet candidates. For me in Chicago, our state's attorney named Kim Foxx, she decides she a black woman for Cabrini Green one of the projects that's where my dad's from exactly you didn't say your dad from Cabrini Green so she know our struggle she part of that struggle and she deciding if young black men are going gonna get sentenced to 25 to life for marijuana and she ain't on that so we gotta have have people that know who we are,

Starting point is 00:42:27 that understand our struggle, that's making those decisions. And that's what, you know, honestly, it started to crystallize more and more, all these things that I see going on around me, like our homies going to jail for long times, and these things was like, that was connected to politics. We have to advocate for ourselves politics we have to advocate for ourselves we have to advocate for ourselves no one would do it no one cares or knows what is affecting

Starting point is 00:42:51 black america but black americans that's it and we have to advocate for ourselves yeah and i think you know another aspect that kiki just kind of brought up this part something for me is the education of it it seems it, it seems so difficult. Because I know when I first went to vote, I looked at that ballot and was like, damn, I don't know all these people. And that's just the truth. And even up to this date, I vote on as many people as I can. I get educated as much as I can.

Starting point is 00:43:21 So something you mentioned is part of our process that we got to do. We can't just educate ourselves, especially with Black Voters Matter. What you all do, we appreciate that because it's not only during election time, but it's in between elections. So the more we get close and acquainted with who these candidates are,

Starting point is 00:43:44 it won't be just like a test that you start studying for later. You already know, like, yo, I seen this person in our community. I know who this person is. I knew who Obama was because my mother and them kept talking to me about him. His sign was up in the window. I saw him at the hip-hop conventions that we were having. So eventually I was like, yo, I got to support this brother. But it's an accumulated, like, understanding

Starting point is 00:44:09 and me continuing and us continuing to stay engaged. It can't just be just when shit going wrong. And not letting what goes wrong stop us from getting inspired to keep going. Because there was a time where we felt like that. I remember watching, y'all remember Good Times? Michael, the youngest son, he was always talking about politics. It was like, you know, I want us to get back to that place where we have little that. I remember watching, y'all remember good times? Michael, the youngest son, he was always talking about politics. It was like, you know, I want us to get back to that place

Starting point is 00:44:28 where we have little ones that's saying, yo, mama, one day I want to be the president. Mama, one day I want to run for mayor. Like, we got to get back to making that stuff cool. Those are, you know, doing stuff for your community, that's dope. That's way better than acting, singing, and dancing could ever be. That's right, that's right. And that's why it's important to singing, and dancing could ever be. That's right. That's right.

Starting point is 00:44:45 And that's why it's important to us, and I know it's important to y'all, that we always try to find ways to get our culture into the work that we do, to get our culture into the voter mobilization, because strategy without culture ain't nothing, right? And so I know you try to use your music, you try to use everything that you do to incorporate that. Let me ask y'all both something about gender for a second, right? Because you got a lot of discussions going on, and I'm going to talk

Starting point is 00:45:09 brother to brother, right? A lot of discussion going on around, going around about black men and, you know, why we don't vote at the same rates as sisters do, right? And, you know, what does it take in your mind, you know, what are the issues, you know, what does it take in your mind? You know, what are the issues, you know, when you talk brother to brother with guys, you know, what is it that you think brothers that is the most powerful thing to really get brothers in particular involved in this process? Well, I think, you know, you have to be able to communicate to brothers and connect with them and show them why in a very practical and simple way.

Starting point is 00:45:46 You got to show them why their vote is actually a part of changing their community, changing their families. You got to show them why if they go out and vote, they actually can change the situations for their people. I think a lot of it, to be honest, is a lot of the hurt that we felt. And so, you know, like many of us, when you get hurt, you kind of deny things and be like, I'm done. You know, I ain't a part of that. And I felt that. I remember talking to a brother in Miami that was like, he was on his block. He was like, man, what the, and we were with some people

Starting point is 00:46:22 who were running for mayor, running for the House of Representatives. And he was like, man, what the, and we were with some people who were running for mayor, running for the House of Representatives, and he was like, man, what is that going to do for my life? What is this going to do? Man, these people shooting around him. He had just got shot in the eye, and we started talking to him more and more, and man, eventually, he just started feeling like a part of it, like part of this is the hurt that we've experienced for so long as and especially as black men And black women so I don't want them to separate our struggle You know obviously women have their own struggle as a woman so the black woman has been the most Oppressed in the in the structure of this country So Malcolm's original Statue of Liberty was a black woman. Then they sent it back. Now get into it.

Starting point is 00:47:05 That's right. Yeah, yeah. So, I mean, so I think as black men, I think we have to really understand, like, the way we go out and hustle for our families and do work for our families, and we really believe in that. We got to understand doing for our family, too, is included in the vote,

Starting point is 00:47:22 and it shows up in so many aspects of our life even when you think about man jobs a lot of the government makes decisions on when when like if they if they develop in a housing place and it's a place that's not a privately owned the government decides on who gets those jobs now imagine if I'm in office or somebody if you're in office or Kiki is in office we to make sure people from that community get those jobs. And that's like we have people now that are running that are you, that are me, that are Kiki. And understanding that you don't need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. You know, like when it comes to politics and stuff like that, there's strategy.

Starting point is 00:48:03 When we look at these people, we can't just say, oh, well, I don't agree with her and I don't agree with him. Fuck both. Excuse my language. Sorry. But we got to say to ourselves, wait a minute. Okay. Well, what, what's going to, what's this? Let me think. Let me be strategic. What step can I get to in order to get to the ultimate goal of where I'm going? Is there a way that I can rock with this person? And then how, who can, who can best be able to manipulate this situation? We have to be able to think like that. We can't just sit there and be playing a chess game. And when we look like we ain't got the best moves, we throw the game away.

Starting point is 00:48:32 That's just, we're doing ourselves a disservice at that point. Like you were saying, when we just give up because it's not clear and everything ain't perfect. I mean, just life's not that way. And I know specifically as a millennial and growing up in the digital age everything is like boom boom boom but life is not like that and we have to take that energy out of it and we have to really sit and think and strategize with our friends and be like yo but for real who who can we coerce how can we get this to rock and then get to where we ultimately going we got to you know be patient and steadfast. Tell them, tell them, tell them.

Starting point is 00:49:07 Pass the hat, pass the hat. I love y'all. We gonna do it. Let me ask the flip side of my question. Right now, we obviously, you know, we talking a lot about black girl magic and the power of the sister vote and win with black women.

Starting point is 00:49:21 And we got a black woman who's about to be vice president, y'all's that's crazy right crazy and and not just is she gonna be vice president part of the reason that these two senate seats that common was talking about is so important is because it creates a tie in the senate and when there's a tie in the Senate, guess who's going to be casting the tie-breaking vote? A black woman, right? Yes! So how does that feel, Kiki, to be in this moment and see this moment for black women and this woman and all that? I'm thrilled. I'm inspired. I'm thrilled. I'm excited.

Starting point is 00:50:00 I want to show up. I want to work harder. I want to be better. I want to do everything I can. That's what it do. It inspires me. It inspires me. Seriously, y'all, this is just a beautiful thing. There's been a lot of hurtful things that we've been seeing happening. 2020 has been hard, but we got to focus on the gratitude. We got to focus on God's grace, because guess what? We're still here. And we can still do something.

Starting point is 00:50:19 So that's what I choose to focus on. And I'm so proud of all of us out here. It's cold as hell, but we out here. That's right. choose to focus on and I'm so proud of all of us out here it's cold as hell but we out here that's right you know you mentioned uh the film that y'all were doing and you know you of course did a song from a movie a couple years ago in Selma right and those those of us who know our history know that Selma is an important part of our history voting rights right that's one of the issues that we're still facing today is this issue of voting rights

Starting point is 00:50:46 and voter suppression. Even right now in Georgia, there's folks in other counties that are trying to take away black votes. Right now, as we speak, talk a little bit, if you could, Common, just about, as you reflect on that voting rights struggle and then the fact that we got a John Lewis Voting Rights Act that's sitting in Congress right now. What does all that mean to you? that voting rights struggle, and then the fact that we got a John Lewis Voting Rights Act that's sitting in Congress right now. Like, what does all that mean to you?

Starting point is 00:51:09 I mean, it actually just reminds us of how much work has to be done. I remember we had the opportunity when we were doing Selma to talk with Ambassador Andrew Young, and, man, he sat down with us. We was at our first rehearsal, and he was like, what are you willing to die for? Live for that.

Starting point is 00:51:32 He said, we were willing to die for freedom, justice, and equality. So we live for it each and every day. So when he said those words, that resonated with me like, man, this work has, this is going to be a daily thing that we have to do every day. And as Kiki was saying, it's not happening overnight. This has been 400 years of oppression. And pre that, it's been colonialism in all type of other countries that the white man has brought to this country. And we just got to do some healing and it's gonna take more time than we Then we know but it's worth it and it's like man. What do we do with our lives at this time?

Starting point is 00:52:11 Let's be purposeful. Let's be in the purpose that the Creator made us for Let's have compassion for each other. We've been through a lot as a community. There's a lot of trauma PTSD sickness There's a lot of things we got to heal from. So let's be good to each other. When we see we coming in, we giving each other shade or whatever it may be, understand where it's coming from. And let's love each other. Because that's really something too. Y'all, we've been out here.

Starting point is 00:52:36 This is good talk. We got to wrap it up. Everybody needs to get some rest. They go out and recruit some more voters for tomorrow, right, for early voting. But before we go, you know, I heard a rumor that you know a little something common about freestyle. I heard a rumor that you might know a little something about freestyle, and if I threw out a word that you might be able to freestyle a little bit.

Starting point is 00:52:56 You know, is that true? If I threw out a word, you'd freestyle a little something? But do we get – should I get a beat or do I do it without a beat? I could do it with a beat. I think we could give him a beat. I think we could give him a beat. I don't need a beat. I don't need a beat or do I do it without a beat? I could do it with a beat. I think we can give him a beat. I think we can give him a beat. I don't need a beat. I don't need a beat.

Starting point is 00:53:09 I come from 87th Street. Come to Savannah and make everything sweet and everything nice. Yo, I paid the price. This is a freestyle. I do on Friday night. I make it all right. I speak freely on the stage with this queen. Yo, her name is Kiki Palmer.

Starting point is 00:53:26 You know the style, it always be free. Y'all remember Kiki from Akilah and the Bee? Yo, it's like this, Constance, I came to splatter. I told you every time that black voters, they matter. Yeah, we do what we can, yo, I just hand her. Different style, the type of style in Savannah. Yo, I be the one to come since they got my own palace. Earlier, me and Kiki was shooting Alice a couple of years ago or weeks ago.

Starting point is 00:53:52 This is how I speak because it's spiritual. It's lyrical. Yo, this is how here it go. I came to explore, explore the place down in Georgia. Yo, I came to reach this. Both our mothers are teachers. I come to Georgia because I love the peaches. Yo, I came to reach this. Both our mothers are teachers. I come to Georgia because I love the peaches. Yeah, that's how it be.

Starting point is 00:54:09 I came to speak. Yo, you know, the boy Rasheed. I got a peak and I take it this week. Compsense, I be free. I know people putting me on their IG live. And you can do it. That's okay. We do it with no music.

Starting point is 00:54:23 Compsense, yo, yo, I get into it. And this is like the style and this is like the gift. I'm telling everybody to vote on January 5th. What can we do? Yo, I've been on the doorknob. Out there supporting my man, Reverend Warnock. And this is how it do. Comsense, I go off.

Starting point is 00:54:41 I rap my ass off like, uh, ass off. Yeah. Comsense,'ve never been soft. You know I get this shit open just like a loft. And loft it open, common sense scoping. I keep wrote and I write and I keep inviting this titan. It's like the class, the cash, I kinda take it.

Starting point is 00:54:58 This style is sorta sacred. The freestyle, I can make it. This style is never vacant in the lot. We got the spot, turning it up a lot. This is lit, it's hot. You know I rock a lot. Yeah. Now Kiki, sing a song so strong.

Starting point is 00:55:12 Keep it going on. Kiki, yo, we got the form. Yo, nonsense, let it follow. Kiki, we both from Chicago. Hey! Yo, give it up for Carmen and Kiki Palmer. Sing some, sing some, sing some. Oh, wait, y'all still going? Y'all, give it up for Carmen and Kinky Farmer! Oh, wait, y'all still going? Y'all still going?

Starting point is 00:55:28 She gonna sing something. Oh, my gosh. I can't. I can't. Hey, I don't know what the hell you want me to sing. Oh, we out here. We out here. I love y'all.

Starting point is 00:55:36 I love y'all. I don't know what I'm gonna say. But I know I'm gonna be okay. I know I'm gonna be okay. I know I'm gonna be okay. I know I'm gonna be okay. I know I'm gonna be okay. I know I'm gonna be okay.

Starting point is 00:55:44 I know I'm gonna be okay. I know I'm gonna be okay. I know I'm gonna be okay. I know I'all I don't know what I'm gonna say But I know I'ma be okay I love my people I'll do anything I know I need you Yeah Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

Starting point is 00:56:00 Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh Hey,, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, hey, hey, Common. Why you got me up here like I be rhyming? Uh-huh. I don't know nothing about none of that, yo. But I'ma do what I can.

Starting point is 00:56:14 That's for sure, sure. Uh-huh. Yeah. Yo, give it up for Common and Kiki Farmer. Hey, hey, hey All right, folks. That was quite interesting there. Of course, Common and Kiki Palmer, the Flip Albright co-founder of Black Voters Matter. I want to ask Dr. Carter this.

Starting point is 00:56:58 I'm going to go to her right now. Look, it is not new to see Black entertainers galvanize our community. You had a Harry Belafonte, I.C. Davis, Dick Gregory, so many others who get into the civil rights movement. This is not new for us. I hear that entertainers and others are still not a part of our communities that don't love Black people, that don't live with Black people, that don't know other Black people and have those same concerns is also a misguided idea. I think, you know, we have often in this current moment sort of poo-pooed the idea that people who may be wealthy or have some sort of influence or esteem are somehow disconnected from the everyday

Starting point is 00:57:42 experiences of many Black people. And that may be true in some instances. But I think what we just saw there are examples of the ways in which entertainers recognize that they have platforms that can be really used for good. They can amplify messages. They can offer financial support. They can offer their words. They can offer their social media handles and other kinds of things to this experience.

Starting point is 00:58:03 They can knock on doors. And whether we like it or not, entertainers, actors, influencers are that for a reason. They are able to bring people into the fold who may not have thought about some of these issues before. And I think anything we can do, any resource that we have, and celebrities and others are resources to bring people into the process can only add to the value. Michael, it's also a mistake for people to not take advantage of their influence. The reality is Dr. King utilized the influence Arabella Fonzi had with other entertainers white entertainers charlton heston james donner and others and so the reality is uh when you are in a war you use all of your uh weapons to deploy them to win after you use all all the weapons that you have at your disposal

Starting point is 00:59:02 and i've talked about this before, how entertainers have what I call the three Fs, fame, fortune, and a following. Fame, fortune, and a following. You mentioned I.Z. Davis. Incidentally, the day is I.Z. Davis' birthday. He was born December 18, 1917. That brother performed a eulogy at Malcolm X's funeral. But entertainers have, whether we talk about people like Paul Robes have, whether we talk about people like Paul Robeson, whether we talk about Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, Lena Horne, Aretha Franklin, they've been able to use their celebrity and to galvanize African-Americans to support causes that are beneficial to the collective. Okay? And so that's extremely important.

Starting point is 00:59:45 Everybody doesn't have to be a Dr. Leonard Jeffries or a Dr. Greg Carr, but everybody can play their position, play their role. Use the tools that you have, use the attributes that you have to push an agenda. And this is what we did. And back in, I forgot, I think it was, I can't remember, was it 63 or, oh no, it was 68. It was February, 1968. Harry Belafonte guest hosted the Tonight

Starting point is 01:00:15 Show for an entire week on MSNBC. Joanne Reed did a executive producer documentary dealing with this. They just showed this a few weeks ago. And during that week, Harry Belafonte had all these African-American entertainers, but also activists. He had Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on the show. And what he's doing is bringing the civil rights movement right into white people's living rooms, right into African-American living rooms all across the country. He leveraged his position, but Johnny Carson gave him that opportunity also. So we've always done this and we have to continue to do this as well. And Candace, the reality is this,

Starting point is 01:00:53 we talk about from the legal side, black entertainers in our history play the critical role raising funds for NAACP, LDF, other groups as well, because when we talk about this battle for civil rights, for black rights, you have, the legal part is a major component

Starting point is 01:01:11 of that as well, and we still see it today with what Hill Hopper and what Don Legend have done for law enforcement, for civil rights under law, for LDF as well. Absolutely. And what's really important too is that you have this group of people that

Starting point is 01:01:27 others trust. And that's what we're talking about when we're talking about voting or when we're talking about taking the vaccine for COVID. People trust these people. If we think about, you know, someone like a Mary J. Blige who's been with people for the past two decades, there's a trust factor there. So when she talks

Starting point is 01:01:44 about politics, people listen. Also, as Michael mentioned, not only do black people listen, but white people listen too when blacks have the platform to speak, like a Harry Belafonte who put some, put a number of people on for a week when he did fill in for Johnny Carson.

Starting point is 01:02:01 So there's a real trust factor here that we're talking about, and that's what we're talking about. And that's what we're seeing today when Kiki Palmer talks about, hey, the education system failed me and I really didn't understand my rights growing up. And now when I came about 2021, I realized that I was at a disadvantage. People start thinking, hey, let me look at my child and make sure that I teach him or her what they need to do. Because we are starting to build community organizers. As we know, for example, Obama was a community organizer and he built himself up,

Starting point is 01:02:32 eventually became president of the United States. We have to start people and open up their doors, like Heeky Palmer has said, to say, hey, go ahead and be on the Board of Education, or go ahead and be on the local and the LACPP because we're really planting seeds so that they can grow into people that we are seeing on the stage today in the Georgia Senate race. Celebrities do matter. And a lot of what they had to say was great. And, of course, common is always what he said was just sacred, especially his rapping. Absolutely. All right, folks, we're going to go to a break. We are here broadcasting live from the campus of Savannah State University

Starting point is 01:03:10 here in Savannah, Georgia, where Black Voters Matter. They just finished having their Get Out the Vote rally here featuring Waka Plaka, Timmy Rivera, Common, and Kiki Palmer. We're glad to be here. They've been traveling all across Georgia. When we come back, we're going to talk about COVID. Man, Detroit is reeling today from the death of Sheriff Bendy Napolit. He was just on our show in October. He died last night of COVID-19, 65 years old.

Starting point is 01:03:38 We'll also talk with the pastor, Mr. Paul, and the AME, for the Proud Boys, those white domestic terrorists who tore down a Black Lives Matter poster. And Dionne Warren, man, she's been lighting it up on Twitter. She's going to be with us live, talking about what it's like to be an 80-year-old having fun on Twitter. Folks, you're watching a roll-a-bar on the filter.

Starting point is 01:03:58 The only black-owned media company. Matter of fact, there's only media out here. This is why we exist, to come live with stuff like this to bring you the town news information nobody else is doing i'll be back in a moment trump can show up and say anything and they can just go oh yeah the african-american community was great to us they didn't vote you know he just called you stupid did you hear that oh but he's for us. Really? And they were just regurgitating the things

Starting point is 01:04:28 that they had heard on a radio or in the barbershop or something that somebody had told them. They hadn't thought about it. Democracy is, uh, in danger because people don't know how to think. I'm done with trying to convince people to try to vote for their, you know, for their life. You have to run for your life. I'm gonna go try to get people who are open to it and lead them.

Starting point is 01:04:48 I'm done with hope. Fuck hope. Bye. -♪ Daring to demand the right to vote for black Americans in Selma, Alabama, 55 years ago, John Lewis was nearly killed as he and hundreds marched across this bridge. That movement's courage secured the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, but the promise of equal justice in America remains unfulfilled.

Starting point is 01:05:14 So together we'll fight for a new Civil Rights Act and a new Voting Rights Act to ensure equal justice for all, no matter the color of our skin, to end racial profiling and police brutality and to stop anyone from suppressing the sacred right to vote. Congressman Lewis gave me my first job. He instilled in me the conviction to fight for justice. He said to never give in, never give up, keep the faith, and keep our eyes on the prize. I'm John Ossoff. I approve this message. Too many people struggled, suffered, and died to make it possible for every American to exercise their right to vote.

Starting point is 01:05:54 There's a lot of stuff to do this time of year. Get the tree. Done. Hang the lights. Not yet. Wrap presents. Check. But this year, there's one extra thing to do.

Starting point is 01:06:10 Vote. That's right. Early voting starts December 14th, so make voting part of your holiday plans. It'll probably take you less time than it'll take me to do this. I'm Raphael Warnock and I approve this message. We learned early in Sunday school that thou shall not steal, thou shall not bear false witness, thou shall not have no other gods before me. Raphael Warnock's opponent seems to have forgotten these basic Sunday school lessons. Her gods have agreed her lies about Pastor Warnock and her shady Wall Street practices

Starting point is 01:06:50 are evidence of this. And on January the 5th, let's bear witness that greed, lies, and shady dealings don't represent Georgia. Let's send Raphael Warnock to the U.S. Senate to fight for the least of these and not Wall Street billionaires. And I come to ask you to go all out. Just see what a power you can be. Let us march on ballot boxes.

Starting point is 01:07:35 That is to go out to vote. For this is the way we are going to straighten up the South and the nation. Let us march on ballot boxes until men and women will no longer walk the streets in such for jobs that do not exist. Walk together, children. Don't you get weary. One day, Georgia will be a better state. This is our Georgia, where the ordinary accomplish the extraordinary.

Starting point is 01:08:09 And a new American story was written. This is our Georgia. We don't wait for change. We are the change. We keep climbing to the mountaintop and always set another seat at the table of brotherhood. This is our Georgia. We honor the sacrifices of the past, carry their work forward. Because democracy doesn't stand still.

Starting point is 01:08:35 It must be protected, fought for, practiced every day. Let us march on ballot box until brotherhood is more than a meaningless word at the end of a prayer, but the first order of business on every legislative agenda. Let us march on ballot boxes. Every voice counts. Every vote counts. Every voice.

Starting point is 01:09:03 Every voice must be heard. Must be heard. It's their story. This is my future. This is my Georgia. This is my Georgia. This is my Georgia. This is my Georgia.

Starting point is 01:09:12 How about you? Me too. Are you in? Are you in? I'm Deion Cole and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. Stay woke. Hey, folks, welcome back. Roland Martin Unfiltered broadcasting live

Starting point is 01:09:43 from Savannah State University in Savannah, Georgia, where Black Voters Matter just finished their Get Out the Vote rally here. They've been traveling all across the state over the last, first of all, not the last few weeks, for the last several years. And so joining us right now is Cliff Albright. He is the co-founder of Black Voters Matter. Cliff, always glad to see you. Y'all been moving. We've been moving, man. We've been doing the 12 days of Christmas. We're on day seven. So we've

Starting point is 01:10:10 been seven straight days on that bus. We got five more. Then we might take a day off for Christmas and then it's right back at it. And again, when y'all going to these places, you're not just passing out paraphernalia. Y'all are also food, toys, things along those lines, doing whatever y'all can to get people focused on voting. Yeah, our community's had a rough 2020, a rough four years, hell, a rough 400 years, right? But we've really been going through it this year, so what we wanted to do was we want to be able to give back. We got families that are trying to get toys for the kids they can't, so we've been doing toy giveaways, we've been doing holiday food giveaways,

Starting point is 01:10:41 hands and collars, collards bought by black farmers who have also been going through a hard time throughout COVID, right? And so we've been doing all that. But we always say, like y'all say on Tom Joy, it's a party with a purpose. And so even as we're doing these giveaways, even as we're playing music,

Starting point is 01:10:57 even as we're dancing and celebrating, we're registering folks. We're getting folks signed up. We're giving them flyers that have all the early vote locations. We're talking to them about the issues. We're linking them. We're getting folks signed up. We're giving them flyers that have all the early vote locations. We're talking to them about the issues. We're linking them up with our page where we got information on the candidates. We're asking them to tell five friends, ten friends, all of that.

Starting point is 01:11:14 We're spreading love, and we're building power at the same time. Metro Atlanta represents 60% of all the people in this state. Most folks want to focus on that. But the reality is Republicans typically have won when they've won in rural areas y'all have made an effort to really hit uh the other cities you talk about being in savannah of course we were with y'all in columbus on sunday uh also we were with y'all in macon georgia as well uh and so we talk about suwannee we talk about albany all different places y'all have really uh focused on those places where, frankly, for a lot of African Americans out there, they're not paying attention to those television and radio ads.

Starting point is 01:11:49 That's right. No, you're exactly right. We were Augusta, Warner Robins, and all those counties in between, those rural counties that they used to talk about in the civil rights movement. They used to talk about terrible, terrible county, right, because of the bombings that used to take place there. All those counties everywhere in between those other cities and those mid-sized cities, that's what it takes to change this state. They've tried the strategy of just focusing on Metro Atlanta. I live in Metro Atlanta. I got nothing against Metro Atlanta. We need Metro Atlanta to come out big.

Starting point is 01:12:16 But you can't change this state. You can't do what happened last month in this state without having all of those communities, black voters everywhere, matter. And so that's why we do what we do when we go to places where we go and we try to spread this word that no matter what size your county is, you matter. And when we let folks know, when we ride through on that blackest bus in America, when we come in with these programs, when we do the daily work of phone baking and texting and postcarding and knocking on doors that have never been knocked on before. When we do that in all these counties, that's how we change the state.

Starting point is 01:12:52 And not just in this one election, but that's how we change the state long term. And, of course, in Georgia, but y'all have gone, of course, you're focused on Georgia because of the runoff. The reality is y'all have been hit in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina. Really, I mean, all over, but really these southern states where so many African Americans live to maximize the voting power. That's right. You know, we really, we say that the South has something to say. We say that the South is rising. That was the name of our first tour. It was the South is rising tour. We said that two years ago before Georgia flipped, right? We said that two years ago before all of this attention that we have right now. We believe that's even more so the case right now, that the South can really change the direction that this country is going.

Starting point is 01:13:30 And that's because where we are, most of our pop, most of the black folks live in the South, right? So we can't afford to just throw this territory away. We can't just afford to let, you know, Republicans and conservatives just kind of run rampant in this territory, because what happens is, when they get over on us in the South, it's only a matter of time. It's like a Petri dish. It's like a laboratory.

Starting point is 01:13:49 The stuff that they practice in the South winds up infecting the rest of the country like a cancer. So we can't afford to give up on the South. If we just invest in the South, invest in our organizations, community groups, Divine Nine, churches, NAACP chapters, I don't care, neighborhood associations, right? The Bingo Club. If we just invest in our community, in the organizations that have relationships and serve our community and organize our folks on a daily basis, if we invest in them in the right way, there is no election that we can't win and there is no issue that we can't advance.

Starting point is 01:14:22 All right, Cliff Albright, where are y'all headed tomorrow? Tomorrow we are going, well, actually, it's funny, we're going back to metro area, but to Clayton County, which doesn't often get a lot of attention. As you know, on election night and that whole week, all eyes in the country were on Clayton County trying to see what was going on. So we're going back there.

Starting point is 01:14:40 We're going to spread a little love there. We're going to do this event all over again, spreading love and building power. Speaking of that, the folks at Georgia Stand Up, they're going to have an event tomorrow there in Clayton County. We're going to be live streaming that event. And then they're going to have on Sunday, they have a gospel event taking place. And then we'll be live streaming that one as well. We'll be, I'll be speaking at a Get Out the Vote rally tomorrow. I'm the keynote speaker in Athens, Georgia, another place where African-American turnout was not as strong as it should have been.

Starting point is 01:15:11 And right now, in fact, I'm glad you meant in Athens, which is in Clark County. There's a couple of counties which right now are you got Republicans that are trying to challenge voters and their addresses and trying to get them removed from the roads, which is illegal within 90 days, within this window of a federal election. But Clark County is one of those where that's happening. Muskogee County is happening. And Cobb County, all these counties where they know that there are critical votes that helped change the last election and that we're hoping to suppress the vote

Starting point is 01:15:40 to keep it from happening again in January 5th. All right, Cliff Albright, we appreciate it. Thanks a bunch. Tell people where they can get more information about Black Voters Matter. Y'all can check us out. Y'all can check us out on Facebook, Twitter, IG, Black Voters MTR, Black Voters MTR. In fact, tomorrow on IG, I'm going to be doing a conversation with Questlove. So check us out on our IG page, Black Voters MTR.

Starting point is 01:16:01 All right, Cliff Albright, I appreciate it. Thanks a lot. All right, thank you. All right, folks, we talk about the importance of black politicians. I'm going to bring in right now the mayor of Savannah, Mayor Van Johnson, a good Alfred brother. Glad to see him here. Mayor Johnson, please share with us again how critical cities like yours are. A lot of people think, well, look, you got Atlanta and those areas. This is the hometown of Raphael Warnock. I'm quite sure you want to see a maximum turnout from this city voting for Warnock and Osos. First of all, thank you for all you do.

Starting point is 01:16:33 You've been working this for quite some time. This is the home of Raphael Warnock. You cannot win Georgia without winning Savannah. You cannot win Georgia without winning Macon and winning Augusta. And so that's why it's so important. We were so glad to have all of you here today to really emphasize the need of people being engaged from areas outside of the metro part of Atlanta. We know Savannah turned out. We could turn out better.

Starting point is 01:16:57 And so this is our opportunity to do so. And you all being here helped to really spread that word. Now, Warnock is going to be here tomorrow with the rally, with Tom and tomorrow. That's right. And we're looking forward to it. I mean, it's always good to have, I mean, our issue has always been in state Senate races, the coastal Georgia area gets left out. And we know that our homeboy won't forget about home.

Starting point is 01:17:17 When you talk about issues, we already seen one of the early polls that came out that showed Republicans with a slight lead. Democrats are doing very well on health care, but the economy is the number one issue, according to those polls. Right. That's of interest not just to African-Americans, but to all voters. That's correct. And beyond that, getting out of COVID helps to get our economy back up. And so it all really ties together. It's really important for us to be really engaged about people being able to keep their businesses open,

Starting point is 01:17:49 people able to work and be able to feed their families, to not face eviction, as many families are doing. And right now in our Senate, we're fighting over stuff that shouldn't be fought about. Absolutely. Mayor Van Johnson, it's good to see you. My brother, thank you. Glad to be here in your city. And it won't be the last time. And keep holding the light for all of us Alpha brothers.

Starting point is 01:18:09 Well, thank you. And thanks again for all you do. You've been across the country making things happen, talking about the issues. We appreciate you. And we're glad to have you here at Savannah State University. I appreciate it. Thank you so very much. God bless.

Starting point is 01:18:21 All right, folks. Y'all heard the mayor there speak about COVID. Talk about sad news last night when we got word out of Detroit where the sheriff, Benny Napoleon, 65 years old, died last night of COVID-19. It was shocking and stunning news to hear him pass away. African-Americans have been greatly impacted by COVID. I've known a number of people in Detroit who passed away who are African-American from COVID-19. Y'all might remember Sheriff Napoleon was on our show when we broadcast live on October 28th with Senator Gary Peters. He was on the show. He was with us and then it was a few

Starting point is 01:19:00 couple of weeks later, a few weeks later, he contracted COVID, went into the hospital around November 20th, was put on a ventilator. On that day, his daughter said that was the last time she talked to him. He was never able to recover from that. He died last night at the age of 65. Michael Imhotep, you're there in Detroit. You took the news just like many other people took the news very hard. Benny Napoleon was a beloved figure there in Detroit, in that county. He was from there.

Starting point is 01:19:31 He was a pillar in law enforcement. And to lose him at the age of 65 to COVID-19 is just shocking. I already knew he was in the hospital. I knew he was on a ventilator. I know people in the sheriff's department that work with them that kept me abreast of what was going on. I found out 20 minutes before I went on the air last night to do my show at 11 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. As soon as I found out, I sent you a text and sent you some information about it. Because when Benny was on, when you were here in Detroit broadcasting and Benny was on your show, I was in the audience.

Starting point is 01:20:15 So it's a huge loss, devastating. He's a former chief of police here in Detroit from 1998 to 2001, if I remember correctly. He's been the Wayne County Sheriff for the past 11 years. I know people who are close to him who talk about how he was he he wasn't just a nice guy, but he made you feel very important. Even people who didn't know him that well, he made you feel very important. I knew I knew him somewhat. We weren't buddies, but we'd been on radio shows together and I would see him from time to time, you know, throughout the years. And I knew people who were close to him. And, you know, this is a huge loss. And when it comes to law enforcement, he was a type of what when you talk to people in law enforcement, he was the type of officer and sheriff and person in charge of law enforcement. He was the type that you will want. Okay. He was the type when we talk about holding

Starting point is 01:21:13 police officers accountable in general, and we talk about police reform, things like this, he's the type of officer that you will want. So, you know, he's a graduate of Cass Technical High School, my alma mater as well. And this is, a huge loss for the county of Wayne, for the city of Detroit. So people here in Detroit are devastated. And a few months ago, we lost Donna Faye Collins, who was another Wayne County sheriff. He passed away of COVID-19 as well. Benny's brother, Hinton Napoleon, who is the chief of police in Highland Park, Michigan, which is an enclave of Detroit.

Starting point is 01:21:47 He was hospitalized with COVID-19 for something like 70 days, 75 days. He survived. And, you know, we all thought Benny was going to make it. But unfortunately, he did not. So last night's show, that was a tough show for me to get through. The die of COVID-19. A number of people in that department have died of COVID-19. So it shows you the impact of this disease.

Starting point is 01:22:16 It also shows you, Dr. Carter, frankly, the failure of the Trump administration, even though the vaccine is out. We're already hearing right now how they are denying pulling back vaccines to blue states or Republicans. I mean, they are penalizing people who have been critical of Donald Trump. This is how evil and sick and demented this administration is. Well, unfortunately, Mr. Napoleon and 300,000 others are no longer here because this government was going to be inactive. In fact, this seems like they were actively trying to have people infected because of this false belief in herd immunity. And I think that's even more alarming. And now that you have a bunch of COVID deniers being allowed to have access to this vaccine, I think is even more maddening because deaths like Mr. Napoleon's and so many

Starting point is 01:23:05 others, sicknesses of millions of people were avoidable if we had actually listened to the scientists at the outset. And I think that's the thing that makes us so enraged or makes me so enraged about this moment is that it was an active attempt, not an attempt, I'm sorry, an act of doing, of just ignoring all science behind some veneer of or false notion of freedom and liberty and really just sitting on your hands and doing nothing. And now that we have a moment where this vaccine is going to be prepared, you have these people still playing politics, not just with this vaccine, but also with stimulus bill. I mean, people are hurting right now. And you have these folks still sitting here from their very pretty purchase with their very secure pensions and all the

Starting point is 01:23:55 health care they could ever want telling people what to live without. And frankly, about to kill more people before this vaccine gets a full rollout. And it's and frankly, it's enraging and it's disgusting. Likewise, Candace, want to go to you here. Are we also seeing the failure of the U.S. Senate act when it comes to covid relief? You know, 600 bucks. This shows you why these two Senate races in Georgia matter, because you can have real COVID relief if you have a different Senate in charge. Absolutely. And there's so many people who are suffering. We see the numbers of people who are trying to get in food lines, you know,

Starting point is 01:24:38 spending hours and hours just to get cans and, you know, some packets of meat. And they're treating this like it is some bipartisan issue, some partisan issue, which it is not. This is something that affects Republicans and Democrats the same. And as you said, when we look at COVID and all of its effects, the fact that President Trump is not doing anything, the fact that he hasn't taken the vaccine like Vice President Pence did today, that's a problem. He's not even acknowledging the fact that, hey, this vaccine is something that, you know, those people who follow me should be coming out to take. This will not lead us to any type of herd immunity, which when Dr. Fauci speaks, he talks about that being an option.

Starting point is 01:25:21 But you have to have people on the ground doing their job. So it's about people not having money, but then on the other side, it's the fact that people are not paying attention to the masking policy. They think that this is some type of right and freedom to assembly and their right to do what they want, when it's other people's right, like my right and your right to just stay alive, wear the mask. Why people think that the government shouldn't be involved in this, I don't know. When they get up in the morning and they reach for that cereal

Starting point is 01:25:52 in their cabinet, it's FDA approved. The government is involved in that process. You get in the car, you have to put on a seatbelt, right? When you turn on the radio, it's governed by the FCC. The government has always had their hands in making sure that people do what they are supposed to do. The problem is, and as we're seeing right now, they don't on their own, which is why we have to have oversight. But it starts at the top. And, you know, President Trump is just not doing his job so that the information and the wherewithal for people to get vaccinated, to make a legislative bill happen, he's not doing what he should be doing.

Starting point is 01:26:32 Absolutely. All right, folks, speaking of not doing what he should be doing, he has not said a word about the racist Proud Boys tearing down Black Lives Matter signs from two historical black churches in Washington, D.C. over the weekend. The pastor of Asbury Methodist, Reverend Mills, she was highly critical, saying it reminded her of cross burnings, what took place. And they're not happy that, frankly, the government officials have still not been aggressive with what took place. Joining us right now is the pastor of Metropolitan AME Church, one of those churches where that sign was also taken down, Reverend William Lamar.

Starting point is 01:27:09 Reverend Lamar, glad to have you here on Roland Martin Unfiltered. Roland, thank you, sir. My condolences to the good people of Detroit. We've got relatives there. And I want to say fight on to the people of Georgia. I'm a native of Macon. Let's do what we got to do. This was shocking to many people to see these white domestic terrorists take these signs down. We show in the video, we show the video

Starting point is 01:27:34 setting them on fire. They were making a statement by the action. And the fact that Trump has said nothing, Bill Barr has said nothing. Republican senators are silent in what they did. This is fundamentally clear that these folks don't give a damn, excuse me, about Black Lives Matter or black churches. Let me say this, Roland. I want to be clear. Why would we expect them to say anything? You know, the theology, the history, the politics of their fathers, their father's fathers, their father's father. It was a politics. It was a theology that allowed them to conquest, to exploit, and to be quiet, to turn a blind eye to death, to turn a blind eye to human suffering. And you can draw a straight line from their not paying attention to our ancestral

Starting point is 01:28:23 suffering, the suffering of natives in this space, to their not caring about people who are dying of COVID. It is one unbroken theological narrative that allows them to control whatever they survey, allows them to oppress and exploit and to commodify. And someone asked me today, was I surprised? Well, you can't be surprised if you know the story of a Mamie and Emmett too. You can't be surprised if you know the story of Rosewood, the story of Wilmington, the first true coup d'etat on this soil.

Starting point is 01:28:57 And so we've gotta keep our eyes open. We've gotta be ancestrally aware of what has happened and know that the assault against the Metropolitan was not just a contemporary statement, but it's an assault against Black life existing and thriving. It comes from that same spirit of lynching and destroying Black Wall Street, where there was Black prosperity, where there's a Black assertion of joy, of humanity, striving to become all that we can be. There were those who felt like violence was the only reaction because they do not have a theology that accommodates human acceptance, brotherhood, sisterhood. They have a theology that says that we are in charge. You are subordinate.

Starting point is 01:29:38 And we need to be clear about that. And Reverend Lamar, also silent white conservative evangelicals I've heard nothing from Paula White nothing from Robert Jeffress nothing from Franklin Graham nothing from Tony Perkins nothing from Ralph Reed all of these people who love talking about what's happening to Christians being persecuted

Starting point is 01:30:01 in other countries absolutely silent about what took place this weekend. They, too, are showing their white supremacist roots when it comes to white evangelicals in this country, when it comes to the lives of black people. Well, and I'll say this, but I've been very clear. The God of Paula White, the God of Jeffers, the God of the Grams. That is not our God. Howard Thurman said that when we came here, we made a different faith than that of the enslaved. So we've got to be very clear. We cannot expect them to be something else until they truly convert to the ministry and the way of Jesus.

Starting point is 01:30:39 Theology cannot pierce white supremacy. Their ultimate loyalty is to white supremacy. Whether you are the Proud Boys or you are Mitch McConnell overseeing voter suppression, trying to make eliminating people's ability for health care, it is one unbroken assault on humanity and human community. And their deafening silence is their tradition. It is their heritage. What we need to do is to be very clear that we can build the power to change the

Starting point is 01:31:14 system as they're trying to do in Georgia. Some of the things we're doing here locally, pushing back on gentrification, making sure that black people can live in the District of Columbia as expensive as it is, making sure that utilities like PepEPCO employ Black people, invest in Black businesses. Power concedes nothing without a demand. And we have to do more than advocate. We have to organize and apply pressure. And we need to understand that any progress we make, Roland, is temporary. So we win the Voting Rights Act in 1965, and Chief Justice Roberts' court guts preclearance 40, 50, 60 years later. We must be ever vigilant.

Starting point is 01:31:53 We have little time to celebrate. We got to keep working out. And I would assume that this, for the folks here that are breaking down the stage here, just letting you'all know, I would assume that this moment is also emboldening your members, who probably are even more adamant about making it clear that Black Lives Matter. Oh, yes, sir. We, as I have shared a number of times, I know you listen to hip-hop.

Starting point is 01:32:19 Our 1987 LL Cool J's album, Bigger and Defer, we're going to put a sign up that is bigger and blacker than the one before, but we are committed to continuing the fight for all humanity. It's been very clear that when black people got political power, we made sure that all people were cared for. When black people controlled the South Carolina legislature post-reconstruction, we were the ones that provided universal free public education. And what we're doing is fighting for universal health care, fighting for living wages, fighting for worker protection and workers being able to organize. We must fundamentally reorder our capitalist system. We must fundamentally reorder the way we look after people. We need to ask ourselves, and I think it's very clear right now in this moment, we value

Starting point is 01:33:07 commodity, capitalism, and profit over human flourishing. And we have to keep raising our voices. It's a slow and arduous process, Roland, but I think the same way I've watched you, you get joy being engaged in the struggle. We get joy when we express the God in us, the ancestral energy in us, to bend this system in the direction of justice. That's what I encourage. The joy is in the fight. Let's get together and make it happen. Well, Pastor, I use this all the time on this show.

Starting point is 01:33:43 I use this in my speeches as well to get people to understand this. In Dr. King's last book, Where Do We Go From Here, Chaos or Community? He said in that book that there are four institutions who are positioned to work for the betterment of black people. He said, first, the Negro church, the Negro press, black fraternities and sororities and black professional organizations. I'm somebody who's in all four. My wife is an ordained minister. I'm a black owned media. I'm an alpha life member and I'm a life member of the National Association of Black Journalists. And that is what is going to require for us to use our institutional power and infrastructure to be unapologetically black in order for us to make a difference for black people and to challenge anybody, whether they are white politicians, whether they are white conservative evangelicals or whether they are black folks who ain't doing what they're supposed to do, stand up for our people. Well, let me say this. You raise a great point. So W.E.B. Du Bois, 50 years after he made the speech about the talented 10th, lamented his faith in the

Starting point is 01:34:52 quote unquote talented 10th. The people that you mentioned, middle class black preachers like myself, black professionals, fraternal organizations, sororities, the media, we have often preferred, and my language is not as eloquent as Dr. Du Bois's, but an approximation of whiteness or white mimicry. We have ensconced ourselves in a middle-class respectability and have not reached out to communicate with, learn from, and build power with the Black masses. I agree with you, but only to the extent that churches, professional organizations, fraternities and sororities, and the media deeply connect themselves with the needs of the Black masses. Barbara, Dr. Barbara will tell you that more than half of Black children in the United States go to bed in a situation of poverty. And so we have to break our love affair with the American capitalist trinkets of success and middle classness and connect our lives with the black masses, not just to teach, but to learn, not just to give something,

Starting point is 01:36:07 but to receive something from them. The fissures and the chasm between Black people who have and Black people who do not have is a part of the destruction of our community. My mother grew up in segregated Macon, Georgia. My father grew up in segregated Macon, Georgia. My mother tells the story of a doctor across the street, business owners, workaday people in the same community who came together to lift one another up. Now, those of us who have done well are living elsewhere. I'm not judging that. But I am judging those of us who feel like our economic and educational success allows

Starting point is 01:36:42 us to graduate out of our blackness. You ought never want to graduate. You ought never matriculate out of the school of blackness. You ought to stay there and work. We ought to work together to build a better community. Well, that's why I like the one line that the King used by the Negro press. He said they must maintain their militancy and not fall back towards the conservative. There's a reason why mainstream media don't want to hear my voice,

Starting point is 01:37:11 because they can't handle that militancy. And so, Reverend Lamar, we're going to keep doing what we do. And that's why when you black own and you own your own platform, you ain't got to ask permission. And the reason the black church historically has been as powerful as it is because the members have fed the pastor, have funded the pastor, and we were not dependent on somebody else controlling the voice of the pastor. And that is the only way we can move forward when we have free, unfiltered voices speaking for our people. And Roland, I got to

Starting point is 01:37:42 say this. I know too many of my colleagues who, though we are fed by the people, still act as if we are afraid, will not speak. Roland, I've been in rooms with black teachers and with elected officials. And in the words of my grandfather, they're scratching their heads. They won't assert their own power. They won't put tension in the room. They feel like they must pay obeisance to those in power. Our job't put tension in the room. They feel like they must pay obeisance to those in power. Our job is to never disrespect the powerful, but to make demands and to agitate. And too many of us think that if you walk into our offices and we got pictures with Obama and the mayor, that means nothing unless you have confronted them to use the largesse of the

Starting point is 01:38:22 government to make this world, this nation, our local communities more just. Too many of us want to be proximate to power, but we don't want to build and leverage power to change communities. And I've seen it work, Roland, you've seen it work. And I want to enlist more of us into this work, the work of Fannie Lou Hamer, the work of Medgar Evers, this kind of work that can make a difference in our lives.

Starting point is 01:38:50 Pastor William Lamar, Metropolitan AME, sir, I certainly appreciate it. Thank you so very much for being with us on Roland Martin Unfiltered. Roland, thank you, sir. Yes, sir. Folks, going to a commercial break when we come back. A Wyoming congressman apologizing for insulting a black woman. Huh. No shot. He's a Republican. And also Dionne Warwick will join us as well. That's next. Roland Martin unfiltered broadcasting live from Savannah State University here in Savannah, Georgia.

Starting point is 01:39:18 Back in a moment. If your vote didn't matter, you wouldn't have so many people trying so hard to stop you from voting. There is some value there. But even when you talk about that people are not paying attention to your issues, I can't pay attention to your issues if I don't even know you there. And the only reason people are going to know you there is when you show up to the polls and vote. That's when that power manifests itself. But as long as you stay at home,

Starting point is 01:39:46 as long as you making excuses, then guess what? You will always experience these issues that we're experiencing today. And another thing, don't get caught up in the candidates. Right, there's no such thing as a perfect candidate, but you should be going to vote for the most important person, and that is you and the one you love.

Starting point is 01:40:05 You talk about you'll fight for the one you love, you're willing to die for the one you love, you need to ask yourself, are you willing to vote for the one you love? Because if you don't, there's gonna be somebody's neck on yours pretty soon. -♪ -♪

Starting point is 01:40:22 We're at Mom's Kitchen in Preston, Georgia. It's a family business. I enjoy making people happy, giving them a good meal. But since COVID, we had to close our main dining room. We lost all of that business, and we used to do a lot of caterings. We can't do any of that anymore. David Perdue knew what was about to happen. He was getting classified briefings about the pandemic.

Starting point is 01:40:47 But instead of him being concerned about us, he off selling stock. We had no idea we'd have to close our businesses off. We'd lose caterings and so many people died. And then when we needed help the most, he fought against the stimulus checks and to cut unemployment insurance. Perdue needs to come out and Ossoff in.

Starting point is 01:41:12 Early voting starts December 14th. You got to make a plan to vote. I'm John Ossoff, and I approve this message. From the day we started this campaign, we made it a priority to talk to Georgians wherever you live. It's so good to see you again. Thank you so much for doing this. So excited about your campaign.

Starting point is 01:41:29 Georgia needs a senator who will stand up for health care, who will stand up for Medicare, who will stand up for our children. We need leaders who will not forget who sent them there in the first place. I think he'll stand up for me. We've already voted for you. I think he'll stand up for me. We've already voted for you.

Starting point is 01:41:46 I think he'll stand up for everybody in Georgia. Augusta, Savannah, Valdosta, Columbus, they may be miles apart on the map, but the challenges we face are quite the same. You're completely behind. Thank you so much for running. It's not about him. It's all about the people.

Starting point is 01:42:03 If you elect me the next United States Senator from the state of Georgia, your agenda will be my agenda. Raphael Warnock will practice what he preaches. We're not getting that now. I'm Raphael Warnock, and I approve this message. Well, I'm gonna work hard for you, all right? The Lincoln Project is responsible for the content of this advertising. We know what this is. It's Kelly Loeffler trying to play the race card to divide us. It's meant to scare you.

Starting point is 01:42:57 It doesn't change anything or help any of us. This is the old politics. Georgia's too busy to hate. Our state should be a leader in business, education, science, sports. Don't let Kelly Loeffler take us back. Vote for the better Georgia. The Lincoln Project is responsible for the content of this advertising. We got power. We're about to get ready to launch our We Got Power Tour. Cliff and I are going on the blackest bus in America. We're hitting the streets again.

Starting point is 01:43:41 We're going to be going through at least 12 states, maybe more. I'm just really excited. Now, it's a little bit different this time because COVID-19, we've got to wear masks, we've got to be socially distant. But we are very committed that we've got to get in the streets and inspire and encourage our people in ways that are socially distant. Ready to hit the road, ready to see our folks, ready to be socially distant, ready to mask up. On our way to Pennsylvania, we'll be there for two days and then we're headed to Ohio to Cleveland.

Starting point is 01:44:14 We're going to be just spreading a lot of love and building a lot of power. The very last day, we're going to be out here on the ground in these streets because our people need us. Can't stop. Won't stop. Register to vote. You can even request your online vote by mail ballot by clicking the link or by scanning our QR code with your camera. Vote early. Vote today. Because we got power. Hey, folks, the Wyoming State Legislature, Cyrus Weston, is apologizing for tweeting a gif of a black sheriff from the movie Blazing Sandals,

Starting point is 01:45:05 played by actor Clavon Little, saying, where are the white women at? This was to congratulate Wyoming's first black sheriff, Albany County Sheriff Aaron Appelhans. Weston apologized, saying, quote, it was stupid and I wasn't really thinking. It was a reference to an old comedy satire movie where an African-American sheriff moves to a Western town and breaks down norms. That was the sentiment. There was never any kind of malice or anything. And it was only afterwards I realized it was really dumb. He called Alpahans to apologize for his actions. Alpahan said he told Western, I have expectations for him and I'm looking forward to him meeting those expectations and to be better. Basically, that was the sheriff saying, Neomby, you a dumbass fool, so I'm not just

Starting point is 01:45:48 going to sit here and bail you out between something so stupid. Well, I mean, racism can be polite, too. No matter how often people think that racism is, you know, the people burning the flag like we saw in front of Metropolitan and Asbury, it's also people making dumb jokes. He meant

Starting point is 01:46:04 what he said. He wrote that for a reason. Right? And this idea that Black men are seeking white women are a threat to the safety of white women or to the sanctity of, or the primacy, excuse me, of white men in Congress with white women, I think is a really old, pernicious trope that is very much present with us at all times.

Starting point is 01:46:23 And it's the kind of stuff that leads to black men being shot in the street. And this kind of, oh, it was, I thought it was funny. It wasn't funny because there was anything you could have said. How about congratulations? Welcome. That would have fun too. But instead you go for blazing saddles and trying to make this racist joke. And it's not funny.

Starting point is 01:46:44 And he knew exactly what he was doing. He just didn't expect anybody else to say anything. It's always funny, Candace, when the apology comes. Oh, I didn't mean it. I was just trying to be. Yeah, OK, all right. Uh-huh. All right, whatever.

Starting point is 01:46:59 Exactly. And you know, I'm tired of these tweet apologists because of the fact that it's too easy to do. I mean, anybody can be, you know, just very keyboard confident. But what we need from him now is to go and speak to this sheriff in person. He doesn't need to do this on Twitter. He needs to stand up, be a man, call a thing a thing, say that it was racist, say that it was ignorant, and say that he really didn't have any other points of reference in terms of Black people. And that's what often happens when we talk about other races and their interaction with Black

Starting point is 01:47:35 people. If it's limited, all they have is what they see on TV. So that's the first place that he went. Well, I may not have a lot of Blacks in my circle, but I saw some on TV, so let me tweet about that. What he needs is more exposure, which is why I think at this point, if he wants to tweet about it and be about it, he should actually be about it, go out, even if he makes it a photo op. We need to get him in front of this share

Starting point is 01:47:59 so that he can have a conversation and really make memes. That's what the bottom line is here. The tweets just don't do it anymore. Keyboard confidence isn't anything if it isn't backed up by actions. These folks stuck on stupid, Michael, as simple as that. And frankly, black folks are like, we're not going to keep bailing y'all out because y'all dumb. Well, they're stuck on stupid rolling, but they're also stuck on white supremacy and racism. So when we look at the article from TheRoot.com dealing with this, you know, it talks about Cleavon Little in the movie Blazing Saddles.

Starting point is 01:48:34 He plays the part of Sheriff Bart, where Sheriff Bart is a former slave who becomes a sheriff there in this town. And he's challenging racism. okay? Well, this ties, this reminds me of the Vicksburg Massacre of December 7th, 1874, when a former slave named Peter Crosby becomes sheriff there in that county in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and he is removed from office by, he's brought up on charges, trumped up charges. He's removed from office by, he's brought up on charges, trumped up charges. He's removed from office by a white mob. You have African Americans who organize to put him back in office, and they're going to be attacked.

Starting point is 01:49:14 This is known as the Vicksburg Massacre of 1874 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and some estimates are between 75 to 300 African-Americans were killed. Now, when we look at the sheriffs, the sheriffs have more power than the police chiefs because the sheriffs are duly elected. And the sheriffs are over a county, whereas police chiefs are over a city and appointed by a mayor. So he may have been playing, but he's playing into white supremacy and racism. But this also ties into history. So we have to be very cognizant when people slip up like this, or he may have done this on purpose. I'm not exactly sure, but this ties into history. And what we see is we see that many white people, not all of them, but many white people see power slipping away from them. And they're trying to preserve genetic white survival.

Starting point is 01:50:02 And so when he sees an elected position like this, the sheriff go to an African-American. And this is the first African-American to be sheriff of this county. Many of them can't handle this. That's exactly the case. All right, y'all. You talk about can't handle. It's a whole bunch of people who cannot handle 80-year-old Dionne Warwick being on Twitter, not giving a damn what folks think. I have been loving her tweets. She's been cracking me up.

Starting point is 01:50:36 She joins us right now. Dionne, how you doing? I'm fine. How you doing? Dion, are you surprised at how people are responding to you being on Twitter and being as unfiltered as you are? Yeah, well, anybody that knows me knows that's what I am. I say what I have to say. I've been, I mean, first of all, I'm cracked up at your tweets about the weekend and Chance the Rapper.

Starting point is 01:51:20 And what got me, people initially said, oh, this really can't be her. Did you have any friends of yours who said, Dionne, is this really you? And you had to say, yeah, that's me. Yeah, I did. In fact, I had to put up a video letting people know, yes, it is me. And why can't I be doing this? I mean, what's to prevent me from some fun too. What is it that you like about now being on Twitter and just

Starting point is 01:51:50 saying what you want to say and just throwing stuff out there? What is it that you like about it? You know, I'm getting to know some people. Making new friends. Finding the youngsters who are aware of me,

Starting point is 01:52:06 which is very nice to know, and making new friends. And you also don't have a problem letting some folks like Wendy Williams know to mind your business and keep your name out there. You got that right. You got that right. You got that right. I laughed the other day when somebody asked, who told you about this? You were like one of the millennials who worked for me.

Starting point is 01:52:43 You know, it's like everything else. You get to know about everything and everybody. You know, and I think that my presence has kind of

Starting point is 01:52:54 put a little grown-up business into tweeting. You know, it has taken on another connotation, I believe. Do you wish you had gotten on Twitter earlier?

Starting point is 01:53:10 No, uh-uh. In fact, I think COVID has had a lot to do with it, too. It's taken up time and it's given me something to do. And I'm having a good time doing it. I got a panel here. I know they have, I got each one of them going to ask a question. I know they would love to ask you a question. I'm going to start with Candace.

Starting point is 01:53:32 Candace, what's your question for Dionne Warwick? What's been your most interesting response that you've gotten from someone out there, especially in the celebrity world? I'm actually, you know, I had a wonderful telephone conversation with Chance. We had a beautiful conversation.

Starting point is 01:53:50 He's a lovely young man, and I'm so pleased to have gotten to know him. He's very conscientious. I am thrilled with the work he does. I mean, he's, you know, I've said it in fact on several occasions, that Chicago should be giving him all the support and admiration that they could possibly muster for what this kid is doing with phones. Hello? Wow. You know, I'm just so thrilled to have gotten to know him. I really am. That's one of my new friends. Can you tell us anything that he said? Michael M. Hoteb, what's the question? I'm sorry, go ahead.

Starting point is 01:54:38 I'm here. I'm sorry? Yeah, I'm here. Ms. Warwick, this is Michael M. Hoteb of the African History Network. How are you doing, sister? I'm fine, honey. How are you? I'm all right. It's good to be on with you. And first of all, happy belated birthday. Your birthday is December 12th, so happy belated birthday. That's right. Thank you. No problem. Hey, I saw an interview that D.L. Hughley did with you, and he asked the question about the music that you did.

Starting point is 01:55:05 Like, do you know the way to San Jose? And the music that you did was different than a lot of music that African-American artists, R&B artists, things like that were doing at the time. How did you navigate throughout those times in that genre doing music that was different than what a lot of people were used to hearing coming from african-americans especially african-american female artists well the songs that were being written specifically for me by two of whom i feel are the most prolific songwriters of our time back cracking david uh we were we literally caught the new niche out in the music industry. We were doing something that no one else was doing. So it was completely different.

Starting point is 01:55:51 And I think that has a lot to say about the gravitation that people had on every side. You know, everybody did. Our music was for everybody. Right. But you were being your authentic self, and that's why it worked. Absolutely. Always am. Okay. There it is.

Starting point is 01:56:14 Ashe. Niambi Carter, your question. Niambi, your question for Dionne Warrick. I just want to say hello, Ms. Work. I'm so honored to be speaking to you this evening. I am a follower and a fan. So I have enjoyed you thoroughly on Twitter.

Starting point is 01:56:30 Thank you. What made you pick Tiana Taylor for you? You said that's who you would want to play you in a biopic. What made you pick Tiana Taylor. You know, my son Damon actually saw a photograph of her and had a photograph of me in my younger years and said, Mommy, she looks so much like you. And I said, really? Because I had not seen the photograph that he saw. And he sent it to me, and I've got to say, there was quite a resemblance comparing to photographs. Awesome.

Starting point is 01:57:16 Well, I'm glad you all have talked. So you've got a resemblance, and she can sing. And she can sing. Yes, she can. And she's a brilliant, brilliant actress. She sing. And she can sing. Yes, she can. And she, you know, she's a brilliant, brilliant, she's an actress. She sings. She's a director. She's, um,

Starting point is 01:57:31 she's on it. What can I tell you? She's on it. What can I tell you? Well, Dion, so you're on Twitter. Are your millennials going to get you on Instagram, Instagram Live? Why not? Look, you might as well do it.

Starting point is 01:57:52 And as I always said, there are two groups of people who can say whatever they want to say and don't matter. That is people who are five and under and folks who are 70 and over. And they don't care what nobody thinks. And so you keep doing your thing. I'm always jamming. Then came you, that great song you did with the Spinners. I absolutely love it.

Starting point is 01:58:14 That's what happened when your mama and daddy raised you right. You know what music to listen to. Indeed. I totally agree. All right. Dionne Warwick, it is a pleasure to have you on Roland Martin Unfiltered. You're welcome here anytime. And I will definitely be always checking out your Twitter feed to see what you've got to say next. Okay.

Starting point is 01:58:42 All right. You take care. You do the same, darling. That is the great – indeed, that is the great Dionne Warwick right here at Roland Martin Unfiltered. So we're certainly glad to have her here. So let me tell you what happened. So Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley sent a tweet out, and she was – Joy Ann Reid has this thing where she talks about who won the week. And so she sent this out, and she said,

Starting point is 01:59:09 who's going to get Dionne Warwick first, Michael? She said, is it going to be Joanne Reid, Tiffany Cross, or Jonathan Capehart? So I responded to her. I said, Congresswoman Presley, I said, you didn't mention me, but I'm going to have my on Rolling Martin Unfiltered tomorrow. And I said, no, no, I first said, you didn't mention me. We working on that thing. And then, of course, Amelia did.

Starting point is 01:59:34 And then I hit, I said, she'll be on Rolling Martin Unfiltered tomorrow. So Dionne Warwick was on here before she was on Joanne Reed, Tiffany Cross, and Jonathan Capehart. I'm just, you know, sometimes you got to let folks know, Michael, how you roll. Well, you know, yeah, you had her on first. And, you know, I like to see Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley on here before. I'm pretty sure you've had her on before, but I'd like to see her again. So, yeah, you know, sometimes now she may not have she may not have she may not have meant anything by it, but she probably did not mean anything by it.

Starting point is 02:00:10 You know, I like those people on MSNBC, but we can't forget independent African-American owned media. We can't forget that, you know. So but yeah, you beat you beat them to it. You won the week. So so here's the deal. No, no, no. She didn't beat them to it. You won the week. So here's the deal. No, no, no. She didn't mean anything by it. So when I saw it and she and I texted, we text all the time, I just let her know I said, you know, I said, I saw your tweet. I figured I'd go ahead and chime in, Neon B.

Starting point is 02:00:37 Just sometimes, Neon B, you got to remind folk how you can flex. Just sometimes you just got to remind them. Absolutely. I would you know, sometimes you just gotta remind them. Absolutely. I would say this, bro. A lot of those same people you put on, like a lot of people you see on MSNBC and see it in other places, started on your shows. So, I mean, it's a flex that's

Starting point is 02:00:58 warranted. And I think you should say when you've done, you know, you've outdone everybody else and there's something to be said for Black folks knowing other Black folks, talking to other Black folks. Because people do want an outlet where they can come talk and know that they will be appreciated and know that the people on the show don't need any explanation about who they are and what they do and how they're important. They come to you because they know who you are, but they also know who your audience is and the reach that you have. And so I think it's important to remind people that a lot of these folks we see on TV every Saturday, Sunday, and throughout the week started on some of your shows.

Starting point is 02:01:35 That is very true. So Candace, it's always great when folks like Dionne Warwick, you know, they always respond. I mean, literally, we had her on the show a few weeks ago when they had the COVID relief benefit. And, in fact, my frat brother, Brandon Neal, reached out to me, and the folks at Bowie State wanted a video. I think Dionne Warwick had done something with them for graduation.

Starting point is 02:02:01 He said, hey, Dionne, I want to know, can you record a video to the graduates? I was like, sure. I mean, look, I ain't crazy. Mom and Daddy raised you right. If Dion were to call you and say, you know, I would like for you to do something, I mean, you don't sit here and go, well, let me think about it. Right, that's right. And you know, it's all full circle, too. I mean, she

Starting point is 02:02:20 has a place where she can come on at any time, as you said, and that's really important, especially in the Black community, like Michael said. I mean, when we think back in the 60s and 70s, black folks has had their own shows that were popular and the first shows that were coming out of people's mouths. So with the same token, you have to brag a little bit about what you're doing so that people know what you're doing, because nobody else is going to brag about you but yourself first, and you have to let people know that you are out there. And it also just shows how important these outlets are, and we have to be a part of the conversation. So I understand why you were just saying what you were saying a little bit and said,

Starting point is 02:02:55 hey, you know what, check me out because it's important because now more people will check you out. Absolutely. So, look, we want to thank all of you folks. We are here at Savannah State University. Literally, the football stadium is just to my left, to your right. Of course, the folks at Black Voters Matter, they had their Get Out the Vote rally. They've been having these, all of these socially distanced rallies taking place all over the state in parking lots that allow people to stay in their cars for them to be able to spread out. And so we've been covering them. Like I said, last Saturday, we were in Macon, Georgia with them. We're in Columbus, Georgia on Sunday. This week alone, we were at the Warnock-Ossoff rally that

Starting point is 02:03:36 took place in the parking lot at Turner Field on Monday. Then on Tuesday, President-elect Joe Biden was here. We covered that rally as well. We were on the campaign trail with Warnock and Ossoff on the first day of early voting. We were with Warnock just the other day, yesterday, when he hit a couple of campaign stops. We, of course, broadcast last night from Slutty Vegan in Jonesboro, Georgia. And now, of course, we're in Savannah, Georgia. Tomorrow, I'm going to be broadcasting from Clayton County. We're going to have a camera crew broadcasting that event from Clayton County. I will be speaking as a guest speaker in Athens, Georgia.

Starting point is 02:04:17 If y'all are in Athens, Georgia, or you got family there, tell them we want them to come out to our event tomorrow, taking place at 2 p.m. It's a get-out-the-vote effort. I'm going to be speaking there as well. It's in partnership with a number of different groups, including the NAACP. That's taking place on tomorrow. Then on Sunday, we'll be live streaming another event taking place to encourage folks to early vote on Sunday. This is all about our effort, Roland Martin Unfiltered, to be on the ground. Look, we could have easily sat in our offices there in Washington, D.C., nice and comfy. I'm sitting out here and I had to put the thick coat on, multiple layers in the boots, the insulated boots and the thick gloves. It is cold out here tonight, but we felt it was important to bring this kind

Starting point is 02:04:57 of information to our audience. That's why black-owned media matters, because we don't have to ask somebody else permission. Can we do this? It's about, as the first black newspaper said, Freedom's Journal, in March 16th, 1827, they wrote this in their Lee editorial. We wish to plead our own cause. Too long have others spoken for us. This is about us. We're going to speak for ourselves. There was one media outlet, local media outlet. She left before Kiki Palmer and Colin were here, and so we wanted to be able to bring their words to you. That's why we're here.

Starting point is 02:05:33 We're going to be on the ground in Georgia all the way through the January 5th runoff date. And so, again, encouraging folks to support John Ossoff, Raphael Warnock, as they go against Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue. And so we've got lots of things that we have going on. And so we thank you for your support. Those of you who have joined our Bring the Funk fan club, I said this on yesterday, the day before that, and I do mean it.

Starting point is 02:05:57 Our fan base has contributed more than a half a million dollars in 2020 to make this possible. That's how we've been able to get the advanced live streaming equipment to increase our capability, to be able to hire additional staff, for us to be able to produce a much better show. That's what this is all about. And so we want to thank, we're almost at 20,000 folks. We're almost at 20,000. So our goal is by December 30th, by the end of the year, December 31st, to have 20,000 folks contribute to our show. We simply ask 50 bucks each. Some people have given less.

Starting point is 02:06:32 Some people have given more. Every dollar is cool with us. And, of course, that's $4.19 a month, 13 cents a day. What this means is this means that we don't have to depend on corporate advertising or corporate dollars. We don't have to depend upon large ease. I don't have black billionaires or hell white billionaires funding our operation like other people. I don't have black millionaires. This is a show that is for the people. And I'm telling y'all, it has been those donations of $20, $10, $4, $5, $1 in a provided field. The first check we got was from a 92-year-old black woman in Long Island, New York

Starting point is 02:07:17 in January of 2018, who said, I watch you on TV One. My daughter follows you on social media because she plays golf and so do you. And she told me about this digital show that you're launching. This sister said, your voice matters and that's why I want to support you. And she said, in close is a $500 check. Y'all, I was blown away

Starting point is 02:07:41 when this sister actually sent that check. I was totally blown away. And I just said, wow, this is unbelievable. And so that's why we created it. And the thing about it is here. Our fan base, look, we can't afford to send out hats and shirts and all stuff along those lines to 20,000 people. Our fans said, we just want to make this happen. I've gotten letters.

Starting point is 02:08:04 I don't have it with me, but a brother sent me a letter the other day, and he said he was in tears because he always wanted a black news show to support, and he was happy to support our show. And so we thank all of you for doing that. It absolutely matters to make it possible. We thank our panelists, again, Candace, Niambi, and Michael as well for being with us, our panelists all throughout the week. And so it's just, look, our staff, the things that we're trying to build here, folks, is something that allows us to be able to take

Starting point is 02:08:35 this thing to a whole new level. Look, there's CNN, there's MSNBC, there's Fox News, there's ABC, NBC, CBS. And there's no disrespect to any of the people who work there because we need African-Americans working in mainstream media. But they have to ask somebody else permission. Can I? We don't. We don't have to ask permission. We can just do it. We don't have to sit here and say, can we broadcast from here? We simply do it. We don't have to sit here and say, can we broadcast from here?

Starting point is 02:09:06 We simply do it. That's why this matters. I'm a student of our business. I've studied Frederick Douglass in the North Star. I've studied Ida B. Wells Barnett. I've studied Robert Abbott in the Chicago Defender. I've studied A.I. Scott in the Atlanta Daily World. I've studied Claude Burnett in Associated Negro Press.

Starting point is 02:09:26 I've studied, of course, John H. Johnson and Lerone Bennett and Chuck Stone and, of course, and Ethel Payne and Alice Dunnigan, all of these pioneers of the black press, Vernon Jarrett and others. The reason that black people are here is because we had a black press that was unapologetic in covering our issues. We will not be able to survive in the 21st century if we are simply focused on entertainment and gossip and hoping mainstream media covers us. So I ask you to support us.

Starting point is 02:10:01 Join our fan club, Cash App, Dollar Sign, RM Unfiltered, PayPal.me forward slash rmartinunfiltered, Venmo.com forward slash rmunfiltered. Zelle is at Roland at RolandSMartin.com. You can send a money order to New Vision Media, 1625 K Street, Northwest, Suite 400, Washington, D.C., 2006. And so you can do that. We always end the show on Friday.

Starting point is 02:10:30 Oh, first of all, before I do that, Monday. Okay, I was going to fly back tomorrow, late tomorrow night, spend some time with my wife, come back Tuesday. But Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is going to be here in Georgia, in Sewanee, in Columbus. I'm coming back early for us to broadcast her being here as well. So we will be back on the ground. We'll be here tomorrow, but we'll be back on the ground on Monday

Starting point is 02:10:53 with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris here supporting John Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. And so that's how we're doing it. Look for us broadcasting this weekend. Also, the National Civil Rights Museum, there's a last point why this matters. The National Civil Rights Museum Freedom Awards went virtual. They hit me up and they said, hey, can you stream our event? After this show, we will stream the virtual awards,

Starting point is 02:11:18 the National Civil Rights Museum's Freedom Awards. Also this weekend, we'll be streaming the National Association of Black Journalists 45th anniversary with our founders as well and so we look forward to that. Another reason why we have black owned platforms where we don't have to ask anybody. We're rolling. This is our charter club members.

Starting point is 02:11:36 Thank you so very much. I will see you guys tomorrow. Athens, Georgia. Holla! Thank you. Thank you. I'm Martin. Martin! Thank you. Thank you. A lot of times, big economic forces show up in our lives in small ways. Four days a week, I would buy two cups of banana pudding. But the price has gone up. So now I only buy one. Small but important ways. From tech billionaires to the bond market to, yeah, banana pudding.

Starting point is 02:16:17 If it's happening in business, our new podcast is on it. I'm Max Chastain. And I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith. So listen to Everybody's Business on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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.

Starting point is 02:16:56 I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Last year, a lot of the problems of the drug war. This year, a lot of the problems of the drug war. This year, a lot of the biggest names in music and sports. This kind of starts that in a little bit, man. We met them at their homes.

Starting point is 02:17:12 We met them at their recording studios. Stories matter and it brings a face to it. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Sometimes as dads, I think we're too hard on ourselves.

Starting point is 02:17:30 We get down on ourselves on not being able to, you know, we're the providers. But we also have to learn to take care of ourselves. A wrap-away, you got to pray for yourself as well as for everybody else. But never forget yourself. Self-love made me a better dad because I realized my worth. Never stop being a dad. That's dedication. Find out more at fatherhood.gov.

Starting point is 02:17:53 Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council. This is an iHeart Podcast.

Pet Camera - EBO Air 2

#RolandMartinUnfiltered - #RolandMartinUnfiltered #BlackVotersMatter LIVE from Savannah, Georgia w/ Common & Keke Palmer

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Pet Camera - EBO Air 2

#RolandMartinUnfiltered - #RolandMartinUnfiltered #BlackVotersMatter LIVE from Savannah, Georgia w/ Common & Keke Palmer

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.