#RolandMartinUnfiltered - S. Africa & Covid, 2021 Celebration Bowl, Potter Trial, DeSantis' Stop Woke Act, TX $5M Settlement

Episode Date: December 17, 2021

12.16.2021 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: S. Africa & Covid, 2021 Celebration Bowl, Potter Trial, DeSantis' Stop Woke Act, TX $5M SettlementIt's Thursday, December 16, 2021, and we are back in Atlanta for the 2021 Cricket Celebration Bowl. Saturday's game is a MEAC-SWAC showdown between Jackson State University and South Carolina State University. We'll have more from the pre-game festivities. We are at the College Hall of Fame. I'll be interviewing all kinds of folks here, including Jackson State's president Thomas K. Hudson and Athletic Director, Ashley Robinson.  South African countries are experiencing an increase in Covid cases, many from the new variant, which is causing more than 90-percent of the new cases in the country. We'll talk to Botswana's Ambassador to the United States about what's being done to curb the surge.Daunte Wright's father testified in the manslaughter trial of the white Minnesota cop who killed his son.  Plus, the man who was exonerated for killing Malcolm X is suing the state of New York for $20 million. A Texas county will shell out 5 million for the wrongful death of a black man.And that fool of a Governor down there in Florida is trying to pass a bill that will allow parents and employees to sue over Critical Race Theory.  #RolandMartinUnfiltered partners: Coca-Cola | Enjoy every magical moment of the season together. Explore ways you can be closer to the ones you love with meals worth sharing, festive playlists, and more holiday magic from Coke®. 👉🏾 https://bit.ly/3CQd3dXVerizon | Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband, now available in 50+ cities, is the fastest 5G in the world.* That means that downloads that used to take minutes now take seconds. 👉🏾https://bit.ly/30j6z9INissan | Check out the ALL NEW 2022 Nissan Frontier! As Efficient As It Is Powerful! 👉🏾 https://bit.ly/3FqR7bPAmazon | Get 2-hour grocery delivery, set up you Amazon Day deliveries, watch Amazon Originals with Prime Video and save up to 80% on meds with Amazon Prime 👉🏾 https://bit.ly/3ArwxEh+ Don’t miss Epic Daily Deals that rival Black Friday blockbuster sales 👉🏾 https://bit.ly/3iP9zkv👀 Manage your calendar, follow along with recipes, catch up on news and more with Alexa smart displays + Stream music, order a pizza, control your smart home and more with Alexa smart speakers 👉🏾 https://bit.ly/3ked4liBuick | It's ALL about you! The 2022 Envision has more than enough style, power and technology to make every day an occasion. 👉🏾 https://bit.ly/3iJ6ouPSupport #RolandMartinUnfiltered and #BlackStarNetwork via the Cash App ☛ https://cash.app/$rmunfiltered or via PayPal ☛ https://www.paypal.me/rmartinunfilteredDownload the #BlackStarNetwork app on iOS, AppleTV, Android, Android TV, Roku, FireTV, SamsungTV and XBox 👉🏾 http://www.blackstarnetwork.com#RolandMartinUnfiltered and the #BlackStarNetwork are news reporting platforms covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. You know how some carriers give you so little for your old or busted phone you just end up living with it? I don't think so. Verizon lets you trade in your broken phone for a shiny new one. You break it, we upgrade it. You dunk it, doggy bone it. Slam it, wham it, strawberry jam it, we upgrade it.

Get a 5G phone on us with select plans. Every customer, current, new, or business. Because everyone deserves better. And with plans starting at just $35, better costs less than you think. Today is Thursday, December 16, 2021. Coming up on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. We're broadcasting live from the College Football Hall of Fame, where they have the Coca-Cola reception and the Disney showcase for Jackson State and South Carolina State playing in the 2021 Cricket Wireless Celebration Bowl.

We'll be talking to the president of the universities. In addition, we'll be also covering news of the day, talking about America surpassing 800,000 COVID deaths and why are they banning travel to African nations. We'll talk with the ambassador to the United States from Botswana. Also, Derek Chauvin pleads guilty to federal civil rights charges in the death of George Floyd. And a black sheriff of South Carolina has been indicted for the tasing of an inmate. It's a whole lot we're covering today. In addition, the passing of author and feminist bell hooks. Folks, it is time to bring the funk. I'm Roland

Martin on filter on the Black, the fact, the fine. And when it breaks, he's right on time. And it's rolling. Best believe he's knowing. Putting it down from sports to news to politics. With entertainment just for kicks, he's rolling. Yeah, yeah. It's Uncle Roro, yo. Yeah, yeah.

It's Rolling Martin, yeah. Yeah, yeah.'s Rollin' Martin Yeah, yeah Rollin' with Rollin' now Yeah, yeah He's broke, he's fresh He's real the best You know he's Rollin' Martin Now

Martin Folks, this is a live look at the College Football Hall of Fame here in Atlanta, where we are at the 2021 Cricket Wireless Celebration Bowl, pitting Jackson State, the winner of the SWAT Conference, versus South Carolina State, winner of the MEAC Conference. The game is on Saturday. Festivities begin on yesterday. And here, Coca-Cola will be holding their reception and Disney will be holding an event

as well. We'll be talking to a variety of folks here about what's going on, including Athletic Director of Jackson State. We'll be talking with the president of the university as well, as well as various South Carolina state officials. But first, we want to talk about what's happening around this country. Eight hundred thousand Americans have passed away due to COVID. We now have a new strain, Omicron, that is actually speeding all across the world. And the United States made a decision to ban travel from seven African nations.

Now, here's the problem with that. South Africa actually self-reported the Omicron virus, but it wasn't like it was actually originating from there. It was four European diplomats who actually came to South Africa who brought the variant there. And so many African nations have been asking, why are they being penalized for doing the right thing, bringing this to the attention of the world? And so they've been challenging the Biden administration. Joining us right now is the ambassador to Botswana, Uncle Kambi Ketso Mokele. He is the ambassador to the United States, again, from Botswana. I hope I pronounced the name correct. You're doing well.

I can live with that. That's good. All right. So let's get right to it. I mean, this is an example of African nations who are doing the right thing, letting the world know what happened, and now for the administration to ban travel to and from these countries, you and others say that is grossly unfair. Yes, we believe so. I think the responsible thing for any country is obviously to report, to ensure that we protect the world. This is not about us, it's about everybody else and health is for

everybody. So yes, we put representation to the American government that we believe the travel ban is unfair. It is costing our countries dearly. If COVID in itself has really cost us so much. And we talk about the cost. It's not just folks traveling there, folks coming here. You also are dealing with the reality that many African nations are still fighting to get a proper number of vaccines to ensure that your residents are properly vaccinated. What is the situation in Botswana right now when it comes to the vaccination of your residents? The sadness was that in the beginning, it was very, very slow.

We couldn't get access to vaccine whatsoever. And as a result, we lost a lot of people. But I can say now things have opened up slightly. And there are tickers coming in. But on us, it's at around 42 percent fully vaccinated and around 46 percent first dose. But we are still waiting on vaccines. And when it comes to as it relates to this Omicron variant, what are you doing to stem the tide? Like I said, when it was discovered, it was European diplomats who brought it to these African nations.

And so a lot of people were under the assumption that, oh, the variant rose from South Africa, from other African nations, that simply was not the case. And so, what has been your response to it? Because it is a lot more dangerous in terms of it's easily spreadable than other variants. We've stepped up our bringing in of vaccines. The only solution for this pandemic is to get your population vaccinated. While the first world is dealing with 5-year-olds to 11-year-olds, we are still grappling

with vaccinating 18-year-olds and above. And that is what is really frustrating at the moment. We would like to have our nation fully vaccinated and we would like to go into booster shots. We would like to go into 12 to 18 year olds and we'd also like to go down to 5 to 11 year olds. So it's all a question of time to play catch up with vaccines. And so what kind of what are you what is happening with the United States? What are your continuing conversations with the Biden administration and the White House and Congress to get this travel ban lifted? It was, of course, announced on November 26th when this proclamation suspending

entry to immigrants and non-immigrants who were at risk of transmitting coronavirus. And so how are those conversations continuing? Well, as the SADC group, the Southern African Development Community Group of Ambassadors, we sought to have a meeting with the administration and graciously we were given an opportunity to present our case to them and demonstrate to the United States how this is affecting our economies, our people, and why it's important that the United States continues to lead as it has done in terms of also donating vaccines to Africa. So they have done a lot in terms of donating, but obviously Africa is a very big continent

and very behind in terms of vaccinations. So their conversations are around, please give us access, that's one. Two, give us the intellectual property so we can do manufacturing on the continent itself and develop capacity of our own people to continue to do science and research. I think we've demonstrated ably that the sequencing and our investigative work has worked. At least we are not that behind in terms of intellect.

All right. Ambassador Moka Ila, we appreciate it. We certainly hope that these things change. You're more than welcome to come back to Roller Mark Unfiltered anytime to share with us what's happening there in Botswana as we can continue to focus on

this international pandemic and how it's affecting not only us here in America, us what's happening there in Botswana as we can continue to focus on this international pandemic and how it's affecting not only us here in America, especially African Americans, but also people of African descent on the motherland and around the world. Thank you very much, Roland, and thank you to your audience. Thank you very much. I want to bring my panel real quick. Recy Colbert, founder of Black Women Views. Dr. Greg Carr, he's in, Department of Afro-American Studies at Howard University. Kelly Bethea, Communications Strategist. Glad to have all three of you here. Greg, this is one of those examples. Africa, the African nations were doing the right thing, now being penalized for doing the right thing when it was European diplomats who actually brought the variant to the motherland. That's exactly right. And I'm so glad, you know, again, so important that Black Star Network

is more than a label, y'all. This is Pan-African. And so we needed to hear from the ambassador. And as Ambassador Maquela said, the president of Botswana said that two weeks ago, your diplomats brought this here. And it's very important to understand several things. He said something very near the end

that I want to emphasize. You know, these companies, Moderna and Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson, they have held on to the patents and they are not sharing the technology with the world. This is inevitable. Anytime you don't have equitable and efficient distribution of vaccines in the world, this was going to happen. Those African scientists, those South African scientists alerted the world they're first in line for travel bans, and they are last in line when it comes to vaccines,

and they are paying through the nose. And the only other thing I would mention is that Canada is reconsidering its bans. The UK lifted, they took 11 African countries off their red list. The United States needs to get with the program and get these vaccines in the arms of the world until everybody is safe. Nobody is safe.

Recy. Yeah, and I definitely appreciate the ambassador for highlighting that Africa has manufacturing capabilities. They just need access to the intellectual property. It's obvious that they have the intellectual capabilities to do things like sequencing, and that's how it was discovered not originating in the continent of Africa. So this is an equity issue. This is an environment. This is a justice issue. And as Dr. Carr said, the whole thing with public health is we all have a shared vested interest. And seeing to the entire world being vaccinated. I think Botswana has pretty good numbers of 40 something percent. That's probably higher than some states in the

United States. I mean, you could fact check me on that. But the reality is that the rollout of the vaccine has been very, very, very slow on the continent of Africa. And we need to stop these discriminatory bans that penalize South Africa and South African nations from actually, you know, being transparent about these variants that are emerging. Kelly. I agree with the panel. But more importantly, this is just very insidiously racist for the ban on South Africa to be applied to the globe when, like the doctor said, it was Europeans who brought the new variant to the continent.

And the fact that it takes so long for us to close our borders to Europe and Asia and even parts of South America, but when it comes to the continent of Africa, whose wealth is immense, whose intelligence and intellect and research capabilities are immense and undervalued and underused, however, they were the ones who were able to discover this in spite of all of the technological advances that we have in this country.

They were the ones who spotted it first, but they're the ones being penalized and they're the ones being banned. It just breeds racism to me. And that has to stop as well globally. Absolutely. All right, folks, got to go to a break. We come back to the College Football Hall of Fame. We'll talk with the alleged director of Jackson State. They've had one hell of a year going 11 and one. They also just signed the nation's number one football recruit in the country, sending shockwaves across the nation. We'll talk with him and others as we continue our coverage

of the 2021 Cricket Wilder Celebration Bowl here in Atlanta. We'll be back on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network in a moment. ДИНАМИЖНАЯ МУЗЫКА Betty is saving big holiday shopping at Amazon. So now, she's free to become Bear Hug Betty. Settle in, kids. You'll be there a while. Ooh, where you going? Yes, no I need to try it first. Yes, yes, yes, no. Yes, yes, yes, yes, no. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. I need to try it first. Hi, I'm El Dibaj.

Hey, yo, peace, world. What's going on? It's the love king of R&B, Raheem Devon, and you're watching Roland Martin. Folks, we are here at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, where this reception is being sponsored by Coca-Cola, our partners this week, as well as the Disney Showcase. Excuse me, it's taking place. They, of course, are celebrating Jackson State and South Carolina State,

the MEAC and SWAG champions who are competing in this year's bowl, the fifth bowl, celebration bowl, completely sold out for the first time. Joining us right now is somebody who's had, he said, an okay year. Ashley Robinson, he is the vice president, director of athletics for Jackson State. Glad to have you here. It has been quite a whirlwind for you guys. Obviously, all of the attention that primetime coach Deion Sanders has brought, but also, y'all perform on the field, going 11-1, winning the SWAC. Very exciting.

Very exciting. It's been an exciting time for Jackson State University. Very exciting time for the athletic department. You know, athletic is the front porch of the university. President Hudson, our leader, does a regular job supporting us. I tell everybody, you know, Roland, it's just prime time in Jackson, Mississippi right now. Coach is doing a really good job changing the culture.

But not only is he doing a good job on the field, but off the field as well, growing these young men and young women that work with our program. And that's what I love about Coach. He's all about the community. He's all about growing these young men and women outside of football. And that's what it's all about. We want them to be complete young men and women. Graduation rates are 88%. Very excited about that.

So we're doing a great job academically and on the field. So 11-1, big tradition at Jackson State. We're going to continue to build on this tradition and blaze new trails. There were folks who were talking about the number of people who were at your last game, massive amounts of people. And the reality is this here. Success breeds success. And so when teams win, whether you're talking about Jackson State or Texas A&M or LSU or Michigan, fans show up. They give more.

They're more excited. And so give us a sense of how that has gone. How has the Jackson State alumni base embraced the athletic department, and not just the football team, but the other sports as well, as a result of this year? Alumni has been great. We have over 50,000 alumni, and we have passionate alumni. They really love Jackson State University. They've done a really good job supporting Jackson State, supporting the athletic department.

You know, Jackson State has a rich tradition. You're talking about four Hall of Famers, more Hall of Famers than anybody in the state of Mississippi. Very proud about that. You're talking about over 100 players get drafted to the NFL. You're talking about 16 national championships in the sport of football and 158 championships overall with all 16 sports. So very excited about that. So, you know, Jackson excited about that so you know Jackson

State is doing you know really really well our alumni supporters are doing well I'm just saying bro got TV show going on I got you all right I appreciate you watching me but don't walk in front of those cameras again I'm gonna cut you all right just gonna walk straight in front of the cameras all right yeah all right so you talk about um all of the different um uh sports how many total sports do you have at jackson state how many athletes 16 sports and over 350 athletes uh jackson state uh this year has been great year for us over nine championships all with all our sports together. Really, really good. In the fall, we've completed five championships. Out of the five, we won three. So we're doing really, really well. The whole department is doing well, and that's what we're proud about.

The reality is this year, when you talk about HBCUs, forget sports. You also are dealing with resources, buildings, facilities. One of the things that Coach Sanders has talked about is in terms of, you know, the equipment trucks that are coming. You're talking about your medical staff, all those different things on the on the academic side. Same thing in the rebuilding of campuses like that. You also are a state university. And so, you know, what is that plan there, that five-year plan or 10-year plan that you have to really build up and grow the capacity of the facilities of the campus? Because you're competing against

other universities and they're pouring in millions upon millions of dollars, the practice fields and all sorts of things like that. We do have a five-year plan in place, a five-year strategic plan, and that's academic proudness. You know, facilities is one of those, and we're starting to upgrade our facilities now. We're doing facility upgrades in all 16 sports to make sure that our facilities are first class and up to par

and make sure we're 11 to playing field, as Coach Prime said. You know, from a revenue standpoint, you know, this year we've done really, really well. We had three games, over 50,000 supporters and fans that came in to support Jackson State University. They're at the FCS in attendance. And when they're buying tickets, because, see, look, I mean, look, I got no problem saying it, and I've talked to other HBCUs. It's also a deal where a lot of folk i'm talking to the president of grammar devalue classic a lot of folk want to hook up and it's like look the

hookup don't pay bills so look you're going to buy tickets to come to the game just as opposed to saying i need to hook up absolutely you know everybody wants a winner but you know i try to explain to my alumni my support of what it takes to win you know right now we're doing a five-day challenge now, a building champions challenge. We're asking over 50,000 alumni to give $100. These first five days is celebration time. It's a great time to be a Tiger. We're going to celebrate. We're going to celebrate on the field, off the field.

And we're going to charge our alumni and supporters to support us to make sure these student-athletes have the best experience at Jackson State University. And that's what it's all about. It's all about these student-athletes have the best experience at Jackson State University. And that's what it's all about. It's all about these student-athletes. And now is the time. Now is really the time to come out and let's support HBCUs. You know, it's all about perception. You know, I'm a person, in order to be great, I think you got to do things that have never

been done before. And that's what we're doing here at Jackson State. We're changing the culture. Jackson State has a rich tradition. We're going to continue to build on this tradition and blaze new trails at Jackson State University. So I was engaged in a back and forth yesterday with a Fox Sports radio host who was not particularly happy with the young man, Travis Hunter, who decided to come to Jackson State, number one rival player in the country. And I asked this to Commissioner Thomas,

and he said something where he and I really went at it. And people have been on his behind all day as a result. And what he did was he questioned HBCUs, said they had inferior athletes, inferior facilities, and said that, in fact, this is the quote to me. This is a tweet to me. HBCU football doesn't have close to the same support athletically, academically, medically, and they play an inferior schedule with inferior teammates.

In addition to football ends, any person would prefer to be a UGA FSU TAMU alum for help in the workforce. A lot of folks responded to Doug Gottlieb, that particular comment. So when you talk about perception, that's also what you're dealing with because all of these people are sitting here going, oh my God, this kid is making a mistake and coming to Jackson State as if HBCU players have not been drafted in the NFL in the first round in the last 5, 10, 20 years. When you look at the tradition, you're talking about Hall of Famers.

The majority of the Hall of Famers came from HBCUs. You're talking about the best receiver and the best running back came from HBCUs. Why would a DB or a receiver not want to play for Deion Sanders, the best player of all times? I mean, it's a no-brainer. I mean, any player that plays DB, why would you not want to play for Deion Sanders? And now, I mean, it's a perception of what are they doing? Come check us out.

Come support us. Come see what we're doing. But guys like him, first of all, have no concept of HBCUs because the reality is what you're seeing now, and we've seen this over the last five to ten years, you're seeing on the academic side. You're seeing young folks turn down Harvard, turn down Ivy League schools to go to Howard, to go to Spelman, to go to Morehouse. Look, I was telling the story of my nephew. I'm a Texas A&M graduate. My brother is. My sister is.

Her husband is. My wife's sister is. There are five Aggies in our family. And so all of my nieces and nephews have grown up in the Texas A&M tradition. He went to Prairie View his first couple of years. He said he wanted to transfer to Texas A&M to get his degree in construction management. And he told his mom, he said, hey, you know what? I'm going to go and stay here for about four years.

And he was talking about the international students who were at Prairie View A&M. So what Ruth Simmons is doing there, what you're seeing happen there. Again, what you see happening at the HBCUs, you are now seeing black students making decisions that they see are in their best interest. And that's why I thought the statement that Travis Hunter released was an amazing statement because he articulated very clearly why he was coming to Jackson State. I think people are overlooking those words of what he had to say. Right. You know, I said this, Roland, about two years ago. I mean, what happens if all four and five stars come to HBC?

You know, today is an example. You really see people's true character. We talk about character. We talk about integrity. I mean, the young man made a decision, and he gave a great answer of why he came to Jackson State University. And we as adults, supporters in the sports world, we should support that, you know. And if you have a problem with HBCUs, come check us out. You know, come see us. We have some of the most amazing students, some of the most amazing coaches, educators at HBCUs. I mean, we have kids, first-generation kids,

that graduate from HBCUs and go out and do a really, really good job. I'm sorry, people, but times have changed. Right. Now's the time. But it's also about, look, I've probably, I've done, I've spoken at more than 60 HBCUs. Right. I've done 18 Commencements, 14 HBCUs.

I am not presenting a situation where it's perfect, it's, you know, it's nirvana. There are issues. You look at Tennessee State, where they have been, according to a state committee, underfunded to the tune of $544 million. The lawsuit we just saw in Maryland, where they had the settlement of $577 million. In fact, in Mississippi, Alvin Chambers led that fight 20 years ago, the biggest HBCU lawsuit for funding as well. So those things continue. But what I do argue, what I say to people is that the reason we have to pay attention, whether we're HBCUs, for me, black-owned media, because you have to support the pillars of our community.

Because if you do not have full, thriving HBCUs, black-owned media, black-owned businesses, you then don't have a community. You've got to have those pillars that keep the community standing. I agree. I agree. You know, for us, it's all about the community. You've got to have those pillars that keep the community standing. I agree. I agree. You know, for us, it's all about the community, you know, getting out in community, supporting the community. Most HBCUs are in the community and they're in the black community. And that's what we do at HBCUs. You know, there's a lot of young men and young women come to HBCUs and they're the first to graduate in their families. Yep. So, you know, that's big for them. And they go out and they do really, really well.

HBCUs have a special passion. I mean, we're a family environment and we treat our kids and we make sure I tell my kids every day, you know, watch what you do every single day because somebody's watching you and somebody's taking care of you and you're not just another person. We teach them about life. When our kids leave HBCUs, they're ready for life. They're ready. They're educated.

They've learned a lot of things. When you talk about what you do after college, we talk about what you do after athletics. And that's what we're doing at HBCU. Let's change the culture. Now's the time. It's an exciting time. And there's more to come, Roland. There's more to come. There's more four or five stars coming. There's more number come, Roland. There's more to come. There's more four or five stars

that's coming. There's more number one recruits. There's more to come. This is a trend. And it's coming. This is something I've been asking for for a long time. And I'm here to show people. It can be done at HBCUs. Well, you see Hugh Jackson just hired at Grambling State. You got Eddie George, the head coach at Tennessee State. My buddy Reggie Theus

sat on it as lead director, head basketball coach at Bethune-Cookman, former NBA baller Kenny Anderson as the head coach at Fisk University. And so all of those things are happening. You're absolutely right. And things are happening on the academic side as well. This game here, I was talking to the head coach of South Carolina State last night, and he said, he said, I know, he said, you know, all the attention is going. He said, I'm good. He said, but I won a couple championships, so you still got a game on Saturday. You got all the festivities here, but y'all come here to have a business come Saturday.

Absolutely. Absolutely. And that's what it's all about. It's a business. We come here and play some great football. I think both teams have done a really, really good job. Coach of South Carolina State has been there over 20 years. He's a legend. He's done a really, really good job. But I think it's going to be a great game on Saturday. You know, I don't

do predictions as much, Roland, but, you know, for me, as long as Jackson State got one point more than South Carolina State, I'm okay with that. Well, he did tell me this year. He said that he was one of the folks who fought this bowl game because they wanted to go to the FCS playoffs. And he said, damn, I made a mistake. And Coach, excuse me, Commissioner Thomas said this was a 10 year battle to get his commissioners to realize. And I'm sorry, athletic directors and presidents to realize they weren't making no money in the playoff system that they needed to come to this bowl game. And the payout for Jackson State and the conferences exceeds more than a million dollars for this bowl game. Right.

Absolutely. And then the experience. You know, I'm all about the student-athletes experience. You know, they've done a really—ESPN, the executive director, John Grant, has done a really, really good job of this bowl experience for these student-athletes. I mean, this is big. This is huge. You know, Commissioner Thomas has fought this fight. You know, he's retired. You know, I want

to thank him for the things that he's done for HBCUs. He's a legend. He's a legend. He fought this fight. And we're here. We're here. The only FCS conference that has a bowl game. And you talk about a great experience, a great experience for these student athletes, great for recruiting, not only for athletics, but from an academic standpoint. Right. You know, and I'm going to tell you, Roland, get ready for halftime because the sonic boom on the south, they coming. Well, Bakari Sellers, of course, from South Carolina, he's already made it clear.

He's a South Carolina state that's going to win the halftime. I said, well, we'll see what happens. And so I told John Grant, I said, look. I said, well, we'll see what happens. And so I told John Grant, I said, look, y'all better make sure y'all showing at halftime on ABC because there's going to be some problems because we live streamed at halftime for the MeXQuack

challenge. I said, so, I said, I'm telling you, John, and John has promised also a huge surprise at halftime. He won't tell me what it is, but he guarantees there's a huge surprise at halftime. I think you're going to like it. It's going to be a huge surprise at halftime. He won't tell me what it is, but he guarantees it's a huge surprise at halftime. I think you're going to like it. It's going to be a big surprise. All right.

I appreciate it. Congratulations. Good luck. Keep up the great work on this show, on the Black Star Network. We're huge supporters of HBCUs. Coca-Cola brought us in. We've been live streaming various events all year,

all these HBCU games. We've got a lot of stuff we're going to be doing next year as well. And so we appreciate partnering with him being here as well, showing all the different events taking place. And I want to say thank you for having me. Thanks for what you do for the black community. And thanks for what you do, Roland. I've been

watching you a long time. I was in Texas for 12 years. I was at Peerview. I've got your facilities there. So very familiar with you. So I want to say thank you for what you do as well. I appreciate it. Thanks so much. And good luck this weekend. Thank you. Alright, folks. Gotta go to a break. When we come back, I'm gonna talk to my panel again about

how all these white sports writers are now going, who the hell is Jackson State? What's going on? They're all freaking out. And now you got a legislator in Florida who's trying to change the law when it comes to allowing athletes to receive compensation. I wonder if he's a Florida State graduate.

You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network, broadcasting live from Atlanta at the College Football Hall of Fame, the 2021 Cricket Wireless Celebration Bowl, back in a moment. Come on. Are the stars out tonight? Alexa, play our favorite song again. Okay.

I only have eyes for you Субтитры подогнал «Симон» Hi, I'm Vivian Green. Hey, everybody, this is your man Fred Hammond, and you're watching Roland Martin, my man, Unfiltered. We're going to get a live look inside the football field where the Disney Showcase is taking place tonight for the 2021 Cricket Wireless Celebration Bowl. This dinner is sponsored by Disney. The reception is sponsored by Coca-Cola. We're here at the College Football Hall of Fame. It is absolutely amazing, the excitement. Of course, the sponsors, the university officials. You see all the different folks here excited about this bowl game, and we're happy to be here as well.

I'm going to bring my panel back in. I want to pick up on the conversation I had here with Ashley. And really, I'm going to start with you, Reesey. These folks are upset. They are upset. And this is the thing that they've always feared. And it's not, and I want to expand this beyond HBCUs because it speaks to white validation. It speaks to this whole notion of when a lot of us have had the whole view of, well, our stuff is secondary. And when it's like, you know what?

I'm good. Y'all can have y'all stuff. I got more people who come up to me all the time saying, man, I wish you were on MSNBC. I'm like, why? I wouldn't own the show. I wouldn't control the show. I wouldn't dictate the stories we cover. I wouldn't dictate where we go.

That's the difference when you're talking about when you own and control. And what we're dealing with here is that since the days of Jim Crow ended, these white institutions have been able to use their resources, boost your money, to attract the top black athletes. And you had the number one, the top basketball player who went to howard university a couple of years ago he only played two games because covid came in then he of course uh then applied for the nba draft now you have travis hunter jr the number one football player in the country choosing to go to jackson state i believe before i came on i believe alabama state signed on, I believe Alabama State signed three four-star recruits. And so we're actually seeing this, and I wouldn't be surprised with this game being on ABC. And then you have Hugh Jackson at

Grambling. And then you have Eddie George at Tennessee State. You're going to see more and more of your top black athletes say, you know what? I can still get to the NFL and not have to go to Florida State or Florida or Alabama or Auburn. You know, it's interesting because white people have already tired of this racial reckoning, but black folks have. And we're seeing that with these decisions like the one that Travis Hunter Jr. has made. And there's a glitch in the matrix. They like malfunction. What is this? You mean the white gaze isn't all being? You mean our money isn't all being? You mean that there's a deeper tie, a familial tie, a cultural tie, a racial tie that is more appealing than just being out on the fields, tilling the fields essentially for these super rich white schools?

They don't know how to react, and so their way of reacting to it is to lash out and to try to denigrate and try to minimize. And then we are even seeing some kind of murmurs, and, you know, even some Black folks are buying into it with rumors, starting rumors, like suggesting that Travis Hunter Jr. only signed because of some multimillion-dollar deal,

which is a flat-out lie. And so what they always try to do is they always try to diminish the significance of it and try to diminish the stature of Black institutions. And I'm so happy to see more and more people reject the framing that white is right and reject the framing that it's all about who has the most eyes,

who has the most dollars, and about being where you are celebrated and embraced. And I think life is not getting any easier for Black folks in America. And so more and more people are really seeking that solace in that community. And that's what HBCUs undoubtedly provide. And so the people like the Doug jackass that you retweeted or got you guys to exchange with, they're going to continue to perpetuate the exact reasons why more people are seeking out predominantly black institutions with their blatant racism and their blatant denigration and misunderstanding about what animates black people. So the more that they talk, the more attractive a Jackson state becomes to people

like Travis Hunter. Well, see, here's the deal here, Kelly, that we're dealing with here. This is what happens when you have your black artists who then say, I don't need your record labels. I'm going to be independent. This is what happens when African-Americans in other areas begin to say, you know what? I don't need your system. I'm going to do it this way. This comes down to control, control, control, control, which comes down to money. That's what this is all about. On their end, I absolutely agree with you. But when I chose to go to an HBCU as opposed to a PWI. My main concern was whether I was going to be used or whether I was going to be nurtured.

And in that fragile state in your life, that transitioning into adulthood, you need to be, be made aware of how adulting is, how the college experience can be without you being tokenized for your physical abilities. PWIs don't know how to do that because they only scout these black bodies for their black bodies and so that they can make money off of these black bodies. They don't know how to nurture. They know how to use. And that is kind of like the undercurrent, the undercurrent, the theme of white supremacy in this country. It's never been a component of nurturing there. It is all about being used.

So with HBCUs, they came about not only to educate black people and, you know, fill in the gap of education that was not provided to us by PWIs, but a huge theme when it comes to HBCUs is nurturing and nourishing black minds as well as preparing black bodies for life. So I applaud this young man for choosing Jackson State because he knows whether he verbalizes it or not, he will be cared for, he will be nurtured, and he will be prepared for life moving forward. Now what's happening behind me, folks, you're seeing the arrival of the teams and the players. You have Jackson State who's arriving. You have, of course, South Carolina

State who's arriving. We switched it. course, South Carolina State who's arriving. We switched it. That's what you're seeing happening here. So we're hearing the cheering and the noise behind me. That's what's going on. Greg Hart, I want to go to you. This is about disruption to the system. And they have been able to thrive on

this system, being able to utilize their big money. And this in many ways, Greg, it harkens back to, for me, in the Negro Leagues, where the best talent was in the Negro Leagues, but the white owners had the better stadiums, the better uniforms, the better travel, all those different things, the accoutrements. And black people kept saying, well, we can compete, we can compete without realizing the better talent is already over here. They were jealous of the Negro League crowds.

And so what Deion is doing, what you're seeing happen at other HBCUs, they are now creating the level of excitement saying, hey, y'all, we don't need y'all's stuff. We can create our own excellence over here, and y'all going over there. And then when they start losing those five-star players, that's when the disruption begins to happen. No question, Rowe. This is

a return to normal for HBCUs. First of all, let me just pause here, though. Right. Watching them country boys and girls come in there with them loud suits and them fly styles. Let me just say as a Southern, how very, very, HBCUs, I work at one in the Upper South

and there are a couple outside the South. But when you say HBCU, where you at in Atlanta right now, that's really what HBCUs are. They are Southern black folk. And so when you see them Negroes come walking up in there with that swag, and if y'all didn't watch the interview you did

with the South Carolina State Bulldog team last night, y'all go back and watch last night. You will smile until your cheeks hurt. I promise you. So I just wanted to say that. But this is a return to normal for HBCUs. Let me be very clear about all HBCU athletic programs. And I knew John Chaney at Temple. I went to school

there. I taught a lot of his players. I was at Ohio State. I taught a lot of those football players. Let me be very clear. I hope all of y'all collapse. Because, see, this is what happened after so-called integration. You framed it perfectly, Roland. They cherry-picked. They wanted all the Negroes that could run fast,

and they wanted a few 4.0s, like Kelly said, and they said, can we use you all? But let's be very clear. Before desegregation, all those cats, and you just heard Vice President Robinson, the athletic director, say it from Jackson State. By the way, when he said the best running back and the best receiver, he knows from firsthand because he went to Mississippi Valley. He's a Delta Devil, even though he's working for the Jackson State Tigers now.

And of course, the best receiver to ever catch a football, if you count what professionals say, Jerry Rice, went to Mississippi Valley. And the best quarterback to ever throw to him was a guy named Willie Satellite Titan. So y'all go look that cat up. So he knows what he's talking about. But my point is this, though. Before desegregation, hell, HBCU athletes built the AFC, which merged and became the AFL.

It became the AFC. Y'all go look up a quarterback named the Lord's Prayer. That was his nickname. Elder Dickey coming out of Tennessee State. James Shaq Harris coming out of Grambling State University. Too Tall Jones, you name it. Claude Humphrey, who just made transition. Again, Tennessee State.

My point is this. What these Europeans did after desegregation, they went and got these ballplayers and a few other blacks and left everybody there. But here's where the game changed. The game changed this year. And Deion Sanders, for sure. Eddie George, for sure. Reggie Theus, for sure. Kenny Anderson,

for sure. But let's be clear. This comes down to four little words. Licensing, name, image, and likeness rights. And you named it, you named it, Reesey. The name of the game is money. And Roland, you remember this. You remember, and Reesey, you probably remember, and Kelly too.

Ed O'Bannon, UCLA. Remember 1995, they won the National Championship. Ed O'Bannon said, y'all made all this money on money. That lawsuit has changed the game. Changed the complete game. Chris Webber going in to Ann Arbor. I was in grad school at Ohio State. Them boys used to always beat Ohio State.

Chris Webber and Jalen Roseman boys said, we going up in the damn campus bookstore seeing our names and numbers for sale and we don't get a penny. Then they tried to jam Chris Webber up saying all boosters gave you money. When that lawsuit triggered what eventually happened in California two years ago, when the governor signed Senate bill, I think it was Senate bill SB 208 or 209, which allowed in California

athletes in college to profit off their license, the NCAA threatened the hell out of them. Then about a dozen other states passed similar laws, and the NCAA July 1st this year changed their policy. Now them boys can go and women, because it's a hell of a... I mean, you know, you look down again, I don't go too on this, but the athletic director, Brother Robinson, he was at Prairie View.

Now, the track coach at Prairie View is my classmate from Tennessee State. She was at Tiger Bell. Now these women and men can go anywhere, par they had a license, they could very well collapse white college plantation-style athletic programs, and they are shaking in there because they love Negroes as long as they can make that money off their backs. This could change a whole lot, though. Indeed, indeed. Folks, got to go to a break. We come back. This could change a whole lot, though, bro. Indeed, indeed. Folks, gotta go to a break. We come back. We'll talk with the

president of Jackson State University as we are broadcasting live here in Atlanta from the College Football Hall of Fame for the 2021 Cricket Wireless Celebration Poll. Whoa, Jackson State versus South Carolina State. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network

back in a moment. I'll deny it. You're not gonna lie. Alexa, play our favorite song again. OK. I only have eyes for you. Fire. НАПРЯЖЕННАЯ МУЗЫКА I'm going to go get some food. Maureen is saving big holiday shopping at Amazon. So now she's free to become Maureen the Marrier. Food is her love language. And she really loves her grandson. Like, really loves. Yo, it's your man Deon Cole from Black-ish,

and you're watching... Roland Martin, unfiltered. Stay woke. TV One. TV One's on. folks what you're looking at right now is a live look inside now go back go back to the shop please uh you're looking at a live look inside of the football field here in the College Football Hall of Fame. Disney showcase dinner for the players participating in this game. Jackson State and South Carolina State.

You see you heard Greg Carr referencing all the different looks, the suits and everything of these young brothers as they came in. They are enjoying the bowl game, the bowl festivities this week. This is the 2021 Cricket Wireless Celebration Bowl. We were at the World of Coca-Cola last night where they had the big event there. We're, of course, we're now here at the College Football Hall of Fame. All kinds of different things that are going on. This reception being sponsored by Coca-Cola. You have the Disney showcase. And so it has been fantastic. We told you yesterday our cameras were on the tarmac.

Delta sent two charter planes, one to Jackson, one to South Carolina, to fly both of the teams here so they wouldn't have to take buses to the bowl game. And so they really are getting, and remember, this is the first bowl game of the bowl season. So all of the attention is on these two schools.

The game is going to be airing on ABC on Sunday. No, not on ESPN, not on ESPN2, not on ESPN Digital. It's going to be broadcast all across the country for folks to actually see. And I can guarantee you my next guest does not mind the amount of free publicity the university is getting as a result of all of this, of this ballgame. So he is the president of Jackson State. Glad to have Thomas Hudson with us. Doc, how are you doing? Doing great. How about yourself? Doing good. So you got to feel good, obviously.

11-1 season. All of the attention that your university's been getting with Deion Sanders as your head coach. You guys just signed the number one recruit in the country. But just your thoughts about what it means for these young men just to experience all of this.

A lot of them first time flying on planes. I was talking to them. First time flying on planes. First time really being able to be sort of in this atmosphere. Well, look, it's wonderful that we can offer these opportunities to our student athletes. And I always want to remind people that these are student athletes. They just came off finals last week. Some of the kids were able to graduate last week. So just a wonderful opportunity to be able to provide them with this experience and it's a result of their hard work. You know,

from the university's point of view, these are ambassadors. These are the kids that you see on the field. They're doing the work on and off the field and we just couldn't be proud of what they're doing. It's also great to see them. I mean, here you got young men who are 18, 19, 20, 21. But many of them were like kids in the candy store last night at Coca-Cola. I mean, just enjoying all of this, just being able to see all of this. And the reality is, look, there's only one FCS bowl game. You have a playoff system as well. And so, you know, the SWAC and the MEAC gets to experience something that no other HBCUs get a chance to.

Exactly right. And it's really an advantage for those conferences and for HBCUs in general to be able to have this type of atmosphere. You know, for years, Jackson State played in the playoffs. We did not get this type of atmosphere. They would ship us to parts unknown, places where our fans could turn. You hear the cheers of our players coming in, guys looking good. And it's just a wonderful, wonderful opportunity for our student-athletes. And again, it's the result of their hard work. They are the reason we are here, and we couldn't be prouder of them. Of course, you got your coach.

You got your coach who's wheeling in. Coach Sanders. Perfect timing. Perfect timing. That's right. If we can get him to wheel over here. If we can get him to wheel over here. Since we're live. Sitting here with the He said he can't interrupt us.

Of course, we're sitting here as they're all coming in for the dinner here. Let's also talk about what's happening off the field for Jackson State in terms of what are you seeing on the enrollment side, on the academic side, on, I mean, are you seeing students who also now look at the university for academics? Well, what you're really seeing is the elevation of Jackson State University, elevation of our brand, our name. You see us everywhere doing positive things. On the enrollment side, you're seeing the elevation and the uptick in enrollment. Just before coming here, I was at a student event over at Charles Drew High School.

A large number of students, about 30, who were on the spot admitted to the university. Just that increased interest, and of course, with the university or academic programs. And it really starts there. My first event on Wednesday was a signing of an MOU with Morris Brown. As you know the Morris Brown story, they're on the way back, re-accredited. We're actually a part of that success by offering them entree into our graduate programs, our master's, specialist, and doctoral programs. So just an overall elevation of Jackson State University and HBCUs in general. We're seeing it with our fundraising. We're seeing it with our grants and contracts. We're seeing it with our enrollment, and overall we're seeing it with just the great students and the student

athletes that are coming to the university. You also are a state university and so are you also seeing the state step up and increase its funding for your university? We absolutely are. We're seeing that increased interest and really the understanding that, hey, for us to succeed and for state universities to succeed, you have to have that investment. You have to have that investment really in your physical resources, in your physical planning, your residence halls, your dining halls, in your classrooms. And we're really happy to see the state of Mississippi step up in a major way in that way.

You know, one of the things that we have been talking about being here and, again, with these players and with the attention. I mean, the reality is this is a nation that looks at sports. They look at these things. And, look, I'm a Texas A&M graduate. When Johnny Manziel won the Heisman Trophy, I mean, that just blew up the fundraising of the university. But it also cost a whole lot of money when you're talking about trying to compete in athletics. And so how have you also been making it clear to your alumni base that their increased support is also crucial? Because unfortunately, you know, a lot of a lot of HBCUs have anywhere from a 2% to 5% of giving for the alumni base.

And that's been a real focus, especially under my administration. How do you increase that giving rate? And I'm just making our alumni, really all alumni, understand it's about being counted. Not how much you give, but that you give and that you make it a habit. Thankfully, you know, we've had an uptick in our alumni donations, but there's a lot of room to grow. And we're really focusing on harnessing everything that's going on here. You know, our athletic director has a five-day challenge. Hey, let's get as many of our 50-plus thousand alumni to give at this time. And so, again, it's about harnessing this energy, really leveraging all the coverage, all the positive vibes surrounding the football program

and the university as a whole to increase our giving. One of the things, let's do this here. Do we have an IFB over here? If we do. All right. So, no. You want me to hear the studio?

All right. So, let's do this here. Reesey and Greg were still with us. Do you have a question for the president of Jackson State University? President Hudson, I'll keep this light. I know you've got to convey this to him, Roland. And congratulations. I'm very happy to hear about that Morris Brown piece.

As a graduate of Tennessee State University, which, of course, took Big John Merritt from Jackson State back in the early 60s and brought him near one of the great rivals. I have one question for you. Is the Sonic Boom of the South ready to win halftime on Saturday? I'm going to keep it light. Look, the Sonic Boom of the South is always ready to win halftime. So they'll be ready as usual. We have the best band in the land and just be ready for a show. Yes, the sunny boom of the South will be ready to win halftime. But thank you so much for your question and your obvious support of Jackson State University. Reese.

President Hussey, congratulations on all of your success. Can you just for the audience, we have more than just black people who watch Roland Martin and filtered. Can you just kind of give us a quick, you know, summary of the intangibles that would lead someone like Travis Hunter Jr. to select Jackson State over the other university had previously committed to? Well, you know, it's an interesting conversation because, you know, you talk about the culture of Jackson State University, just the family atmosphere and those things that he saw. But you also talk about the ability of students to come to a Jackson State University and really become the person they are meant to be. You know, it's very interesting that

obviously we got the number one recruit in the nation and there's a lot of activity and rightly so but what you will notice is that you know we every year across our campus we bring in those types of students that can go anywhere they can go anywhere in the nation they have scholarships all across the nation but they're usually engineering students okay they're educators they're those students that aren't often highlighted but are great jewels that come to Jackson State and really come and find that we're a place, the best match for them and a place that they can fulfill our dreams. That's all Travis did. Travis looked at Jackson State and said, this is where I was meant to be. This is a place where I can become the person I really want and fulfill my dreams.

So we're very excited about that, but do understand that is a classic HBCU story. And we couldn't be more excited that it's now being spotlighted across the world stage. I've got to ask you this here. The news came down today that Shadur Rice, sorry, Shadur Sanders, because the first HBCU player to win the Jerry Rice Award named after the best player in the FCS. So more good news for Jackson State. Excellent news for Jackson State. Oh, excellent news for Jackson State. Kind of ironic that the first HBCU player of the Jerry Rice Award just happened this year,

but this goes to show that, again, the notice. It's about, you know, writers vote on that award. It's about the notice. It's about the exposure, people seeing the great things that are happening, and, again, it's an exciting time. Well, we certainly are glad to be here. We've been partnering with Coca-Cola allola all year uh attending bears hbcu games shedding light uh what's going on not just what's happening on the field what's always happening uh academically we're here for

the me x swag challenge in august uh and so at the bayou classic uh certainly glad to be here as well uh and so looking forward to the festivities tonight. Of course, it's a big schedule tomorrow as well for these players. And then again, the game that is on Saturday. And so looking forward to that. So, Mr. President, thank you so very much. Good luck in what y'all are doing. And I look forward to being back. And I'm trying to remember, have I spoken at Jackson State? I'm trying to remember. I think spoken at Jackson State? I'm trying to remember. Well, look, if you haven't. I think I did your alumni, I think.

Well, like I said, if you haven't, now here's your invitation. You're always welcome on campus. We love to have you come. Now, I did do the South Carolina State graduation. Okay. I did them. I got an honorary degree from there. So I always got to give them a shout out.

But I think I did one of your alumni events. And so, like I said, I think I've done now 60 HBCUs. So try to knock out the rest of them. I appreciate it. Good luck for the rest of the week and good luck on Saturday as well. Thank you so much and really appreciate this opportunity. Alright, folks, got to pay a few bills

when we come back more from the College Football Hall of Fame here at the 221 Cricket Wireless Celebration Bowl. We'll talk more from here, but also talk about some news of the day as well. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered right here on the Black Star Network. Are the stars out tonight? Alexa, play our favorite song again. Okay. I only have eyes for you. I fall Hello everyone, I'm Godfrey and you're watching Hello, everyone.

I'm Godfrey, and you're watching... Roland Martin Unfiltered. And while he's doing... All right, folks, welcome back. You see that we're here at the College Football Hall of Fame here in Atlanta. That there, the jerseys they have here in the lobby here of Jackson State and South Carolina State, the two teams playing in the 2021 Cricket Wireless Celebration Bowl. It is it has been a very good week as we have been here covering all of the events. Got lots more events we'll be covering tomorrow as well,

including the both teams visiting the Children's Hospital of Atlanta. That's going to be a roast and toast to the MEAC commissioner, Dennis Thomas, who is retiring this year. In addition to that, we also will be covering live right here on the Blackstone Network. You can watch live at noon, noon 1245, the MEAC news conference, and then to the 245, the SWAT news conference. And tomorrow night, we're going to be at the Omni Hotel for the SWAT Hall of Fame dinner. And so a lot of stuff we got going on. So we're looking forward to bringing it all to you. And this is why it's important to support the Black Star Network,

folks. We don't just sit in the office and talk about what other people are doing on the ground here, talking to folks about what is happening. And so that's why this platform is important. We want you to download the Black Star Network app. We're on all available platforms, Android phone, Apple phone, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Samsung TV, Amazon Fire Stick, Xbox, you name it, on all those platforms. And so we certainly appreciate all of that as well. All right, folks, let's talk about some news. Let's go to Minneapolis, where you have the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Kim Potter taking place, of course. And what's happening there. Prosecutors today rested

their case against her. She, of course, is charged in the death of Daunte Wright. Defense now has to do their part. A use of force expert said the police officers who stopped Daunte Wright were legally bound to arrest him because of a warrant for an outstanding weapons violation. Could there be a gun on him? This isn't just about might this person drive away. So the need to stop it as quickly as possible is the key aspect. Nothing but the taser in that scenario had a likelihood of doing that without a risk of serious injury or death. The continued grapple, if you don't get that done and that car gets in drive, it's going to get bad. And the Taser is that unique device that when performing

as designed and intended would have put a stop to it very, very likely in most cases. Did you change your opinion as to whether her perceived use was consistent with the standards you've described after watching the videos of Lucky and Johnson at all? No, sir. What you didn't see in your initial review of the case was Johnson's testimony. Is that correct? That's correct, sir. I saw that last week at a leave. And he was the fellow who was reaching in to stop the car from getting into gear? On the passenger side, yes, sir. Was he at risk of great bodily harm or death if he had not gotten out of that car as quickly as he did?

Had the vehicle been put into drive beyond question? harm or death if he had not gotten out of that car as quickly as he did. Had the vehicle been put in the drive beyond question? Yesterday, the father of Dante Wright took the stand as a character witness for his son. Take a minute if you need one. Picture me and Dante. You see how, you know, I was holding him. See how his arm, we had a close relationship. He was my wife's first child. And was this picture at your home?

Yes. Was this not long before he passed away? This was right before he passed away. And if we could put on the screen the Exhibit 3, please. That's already been admitted. Did your son Dante also have a son of his own? Yes. First of his own? Yes. First of all, my child, that's my grandson, Dante Jr.

And your grandson's name, you said, is Dante Jr.? Yes. How was it seeing your son Dante as a father? Excuse me? How was it to see your son as a father? Oh man, to see him as a father, it was like, I was so happy for him because he was so happy. He was so happy about Junior. It was my chance to be a grandfather. Did they have a close relationship?

Yes. And did Dante Jr. spend a lot of time with your family as well? Yeah, Dante Jr. You know, Dante lived with us. Junior was pretty much there every day. And he loved, he loved his son. And did you love your son, Dante, a lot as well? A lot. I loved Dante. He was loved. Do you miss him?

I miss him a lot, every day. Thank you, Your Honor. Kim Potter is about to take the stand as well to testify in her case. We'll be covering that. We're, of course, providing a live stream of these cases as well. Folks, today at the White House, the first African-American who received the Medal of Honor since 9-11 took place, President Joe Biden today awarded the Medal of Honor to a young man who did an amazing job. His name is Alwin Cash. When they were in Iraq, you might remember the story here where Alwin Cash saved a number of his fellow members of the military. He was, and this is, I'm just going to read for you. This is the lead from the Philadelphia Tribune.

Staff Sergeant Douglas Dodge was dazed and sick to his stomach, still in shock after a roadside bomb blast slammed him and other soldiers against the ceiling of their 27-ton armored vehicle. He had regained consciousness and forced his way to safety, but his friends were still inside, screaming and on fire. Sergeant First Class Alvin Cash, who had been riding in the front of the Bradley fighting vehicle, appeared out of the darkness. He was wearing a helmet, body armor, and boots, but little else. His camouflage uniform, sopped in fuel, had begun to melt away. What he then did was rescue, reach into this burning vehicle on six different occasions to rescue those who were trapped inside on October 17, 2005. He died at a Texas burn center.

And today, today, his wife Tamara received the Medal of Honor, the highest honor any member of the military can receive from President Joe Biden in a White House ceremony. Folks, let me know if we, all right, let me know if we have that video. This is one of those honors, Greg, that is always solemn because most of the time those who receive the Medal of Honor actually died as a result of their heroic efforts. But what this brother did was certainly worthy of recognition. Yes, I think he was initially nominated for the Silver Star, but his commanders lobbied

hard to upgrade that to the Medal of Honor. Let me be very clear, war is not the answer. That boy should never have been over there, and neither should any of the rest of his comrades. But once they were deployed following orders, and like you said, in October 2005, he rescued his friends, he rescued his fellow soldiers, and he paid for it with his life. He was 35 when he passed. And so when they find the footage and show, we'll see his widow receiving that medal, a Florida boy who enlisted, I think, in maybe 1989, 1990, and was deployed, again,

in an overseas adventure that has cost this country trillions of dollars. Ultimately, they could have gone for other things. But when called on, he served. And if they're going to give these medals out, then damn it, they better may give it out. And it's crazy that he is the first in the history of African people in the U.S. military. And we fought on both sides in many wars, beginning with the so-called revolution. We fought actually against George Washington's army because we didn't give a damn who won. We just tried to get free. But in the first time of Black serving in the military, for him to be the first service person of African descent to get that Medal of Honor, what does that say about the United States military as many Black bodies have been strewn around this country, around the world, rather,

in service of the American military? Here is some of what today's ceremony from the White House. Each of you know what it means to stare down danger and summon the strength in the moment of trial. We're grateful for all that you three have done. So many more. And the family of Sergeant First Class Alvin Chase has been 16 years. This has been 16 years in coming. Representative Murphy, Representative Walsh, thank you for your efforts, your continued efforts along with the team, Sergeant Cash's commanders, commander in arms, his medical

team and the family who work with such dedication over so many years to make this recognition possible. October 17th, 2005, Sergeant Cash was commanding a Bradley fighting vehicle on night patrol in Iraq. They came under enemy fire. An improvised explosive device detonated, igniting the vehicle's fuel and engulfing it in flames. Sergeant extracted himself and without hesitation turned back to the vehicle to help free the driver and extinguish flames on the driver in the process sergeant first class cash uniform drenched in fuel caught fire causing severe burns patrol was still taking enemy fire but cash thought only of his fellow soldiers trapped in the troop compartment.

So he pushed his own pain aside to return to the burning vehicle and pulled four soldiers free. Four more. At this point, with the second and third degree burns covering almost 75% of his body, his uniform mostly burned away, the sergeant saw there were still two soldiers and their interpreter unaccounted for. So he went back into the inferno for a third time and got everyone out of that inferno. That was his code. His love for his 3rd Infantry Division ran deep. No soldier was going to be left behind on his watch. When helicopters began to arrive, he insisted that his troops be evacuated before he would go. Later, at Brook Army Medical Center in Texas, where he and other members of his team were taken for treatment, when he regained the

ability to speak, his first thoughts were for his units. He asked, first thing, how are my boys? How are my boys? Alvin Cash was a soldier's soldier, a warrior who literally walked through fire for his troops. Sergeant succumbed to his injuries in November 8, 2005, surrounded by those who loved him. He was a hero. He was a beloved son and brother, a proud husband and a father of three children. Sergeant Cash and his family gave everything for our country. The devotion to his memory,

and the years working to make sure that his courage and selflessness were properly documented and honored is a testament to the love he inspired and the legacy he left behind. Sergeant First Class Cash is now the seventh individual to receive a Medal of Honor for his actions in Operation Iraqi Freedom and the first African American to receive it since the Vietnam War. And Tamara, Alexis, Cassano, I'm so honored to award your husband, your dad, your brother, the recognition that he earned. I know it's tough. As honored as you are, it's got to be tough to be here today. He'll be remembered. He'll be remembered forever.

Sergeant First Class Christopher Solis was an Army Ranger through and through with 175. The Rangers lead the way. On July 12th, 2018, nearing the end of the fifth deployment, the fifth deployment, Sergeant Solis was leading an operation in the Patika province of Afghanistan. Not a very friendly place to clear the area of enemy forces. Attacked and pinned down by a large force, the sergeant exposed himself to the enemy fire in order to retrieve a heavy weapon system

that allowed his team to fight back and reach the secure location. During the firefight, a member of his team was critically wounded as they called for medical evacuation. But as the rescue helicopter arrived and began taking fire as well, the sergeant knew it was time, it was critical to get his wounded teammate loaded and treated. So he once again, knowingly and willingly, stepped into the enemy's crosshairs. Sergeant Solis used his body as a shield for the aircraft and his crew against the heavy incoming fire. The helicopter began to take off and he put himself directly between the cockpit and the enemy, ensuring the aircraft could depart and sustaining what would prove to be a mortal wound.

He knew he was hit, but he waved for the air crew to depart without him. In the face of extreme danger, he placed the safety of his team and his crew above his own. I can offer no better encapsulation than the words of the U.S. Army ambulance pilot in command that day. He said, quote, Courage to me is putting your life on the line to save the life of another, as demonstrated by Sergeant First Class Chris Solis, who died protecting my crew, end of quote. Christopher Solis was courage made flesh.

Today, we add his name to the elite vanguard of American warriors who generation after generation have strengthened and inspired our nation with their unwavering bravery and service. His legacy lives on. The lives he saved, the teammates he mentored, and the memories he made with his beloved wife, Katie, and especially in their precious daughter, Shannon. Thank you for sharing your dad with our country, Shannon. We'll never forget the debt that we owe you and your old family. August 28, 2013, then Staff Sergeant Earl Pumley was

snapping a quick photo with members of his unit at Forward Operation Base Ghazni in Afghanistan. Then insurgents turned out detonated a 400-pound car bomb that blew open a 60-foot-wide breach in a permanent... Folks, the first African-American awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor since Vietnam. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. Are the stars of tonight. Alexa, play our favorite song again. Okay. I only have eyes for you. I'm going to go get some food. I'm out. Maureen is saving big holiday shopping at Amazon.

So now she's free to become Maureen the Marrier. Food is her love language. And she really loves her grandson. Like, really loves. Hey, I'm Cupid. The maker of the Cupid Shuffle and the Wham Dance. What's going on?

This is Tobias Trevelyan. who um um every day um all right can y'all hear me? Thank you. Now you got me. All right, folks. Every day we focus on someone who is black and misty. Christopher Demetrius Grashty. Hasn't been seen since October 20th after leaving Cape Fear Medical Center in Fabian, North Carolina. The 36-year-old is 6 feet tall, weighs 190 pounds, with black blonde hair and brown eyes. He has two tattoos. The name's Nasty Grashty and Love Me or Leave Me Alone on his neck. He's believed to be suffering from dementia or some other cognitive impairment. Anyone with

information should call the Fayetteville Police Department at 910-433-1529, 910-433-1529. Voting rights continues to be a significant issue as civil rights activists press President Joe Biden and the Senate Democrats to do something to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Act to stop the voter suppression laws being passed by Republicans all across the country. Senator Chuck Schumer insists Democrats will get this done before the 2022 election. Continue working to bring the Senate to a position where we can move forward on Build Back Better. Senate Democrats have spent the past few weeks engaged in a separate discussion on addressing another critical and urgent priority, protecting the right to vote and safeguarding our elections. Yesterday, I joined with a number of my colleagues in detailed conversations about how the Senate will get voting rights done in time for the 2022 elections, including advancing the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

In state after state, Republican-led legislatures are approving the most draconian voter registration laws that we've seen since segregation. And they're doing it on an entirely partisan basis. Let me repeat that. Republicans at the state level are passing the most egregious restrictions on voting rights that we have seen since segregation, and they are doing it on an entirely partisan basis. Senate Democrats are working to find a path forward to respond to these attacks by passing legislation like the Freedom to Vote Act and the Voting Rights Advancement Act. Part of that conversation involves finding ways to restore the Senate so it can once again work as it's supposed to,

as it has worked for generations before the gridlock of the past decade or so. These conversations are ongoing. The fight to protect voting rights is far from over in the Senate. Just because Republicans will not join us to defend democracy does not mean that the Democrats will stop fighting. This matter is too important not to act, even if it means we must act alone to get the Senate working. Now, Reese, the different civil rights activists, they say that they are going to be targeting MLK Day to put pressure on the White House. And I'm going, that's a month. What the hell are y'all doing right now?

Black Voters Matter, they've been out there in the streets for all year. Reverend Dr. William J. Barber, the Poor People's Campaign, they've been out there as well. But frankly, and I saw a tweet where Derrick Johnson, the president of the NAACP, says they look forward to a White House meeting with Joe Biden. No, this is not time for meetings. This is time to put the kind of pressure on them. You even have Arizona Senator Kristen Sinema, who reasserted that she does not want to get rid of the filibuster to pass voting. Now, keep in mind, they did get rid of the filibuster to pass to increase the debt ceiling, but not to deal with voting.

Chuck Schumer's weak as shit. I'm just going to say it because he gets a free pass in all this. They stay up Vice President Kamala Harris' ass. They even stay on Joe Biden's ass, and yet Chuck Schumer sounds like he's just a regular schmegular senator and not the majority leader. What have you

been doing all year? You knew the filibuster was going to be an impediment back when you first became the majority leader, and they damn near filibustered the Senate rules change. So you had to share power with Mitch McConnell, and you couldn't push through

Biden-Harris nominees. What have you been doing? This did not sneak up on the Senate Democrats. This did not sneak up on Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. You have been asleep at the wheel, or you've been ineffective. You pig, you're poison. You want to say that you just haven't been thinking about it. You want to say that you've been completely ineffective at it. but it is inexcusable that we are now going into the next year and we're still talking about addressing something that should have been addressed really at the very beginning of this Senate session. He is completely out of control with his caucus. He's sitting up there. Who was your audience for that? Because the people that you have to get in line are Kristen Sinema, Joe Manchin,

and whoever's hiding behind those two miscreants and people who are trying to keep this Jim Crow filibuster alive and well. And so I'm sick of speeches. I'm sick of platitudes. I don't want to hear about how important it is. I want you to get the shit done. And just like how they raised the debt limit

with very little fanfare, they carved out the exception with very little fanfare. Keep that energy and pass some dang voting rights. And, I mean, they flip-flopped in the past 24 hours. My head is on a swivel from, oh, we're going to prioritize voting rights over Build Back Better because this has to be done before the end of the year to, like I said, within 24 hours now saying, well, we'll get it done before the next election. The next election is here, Majority Leader. You already said they're passing bills right now to restrict the vote. In Georgia, one has already passed, for instance. And we are losing the House before one freaking vote is cast because of gerrymandered maps. And so the time for action is long

past. Figure out a way to twist some arms, crack some skulls, bribe some people, whatever Mitch McConnell does to keep his people in line. Chuck Schumer, you got to figure out how to harness that energy and get your people in line, because this is a must-pass. Not a nice

to have, but a must-pass. Before I go to Greg, this is Pastor Raphael Warnock, U.S. Senator from Georgia, speaking on the floor of the U.S. Senate a couple days ago, talking about bipartisanship. Listen to what he had to say. What about bipartisanship? Isn't that important? I say, of course it is. But here's the thing we must remember.

Slavery was bipartisan. Jim Crow segregation was bipartisan. The refusal of women's suffrage was bipartisan. The denial of the basic dignity of members of the LGBTQ community has long been bipartisan. The three-fifths compromise was the creation of a putative national unity at the expense of black people's basic humanity. So when colleagues in this chamber talk to me about bipartisanship, which I believe in, I just have to ask, at whose expense? Who is being asked to foot the bill for this bipartisanship? And is liberty itself the cost. I submit that that's a price too high and a bridge too far. Greg Carr. Yeah, I mean, Senator Warnock, of course, is right. And of course, it doesn't matter.

There are no words that are going to change the cosplay coal miner from West Virginia. And there are no words that are going to change the airhead from Arizona. Remember election night, Roland, when the Biden-Harris ticket won? We said that night, all of us, sang a chorus and said effectively that the seat of power has now transferred from Kentucky to West Virginia. As you said, Risi, we all saw this coming. Joe Manchin's complete back not only needs to be broken, he needs to be erased. He's going to join the white nationalist party as a registered Republican if he's pushed,

unless—and this is where I won't claim to speculate, because it's like WWF wrestling for those of us who are not in those meetings and behind the scenes. It only appears real if we allow the rhetoric to replace the reality. I think that whatever Chuck Schumer is or isn't doing, I don't know that he has the capacity to move wholly owned subsidiaries of finance capital like Joe Manchin, who today was successful in stripping out any bans on offshore drilling on the Atlantic and Pacific coast from legislation. Congratulations, Cosplay Joe. Congratulations to you and your wife and your children, who blind trust notwithstanding are reaping millions from the poor in West Virginia.

Shout out to Reverend Barber, who has been on that ass like stink on shit. This finally, I think, has a lot of moving parts that we might not at first blush combine. But when Gavin Newsom says, Greg Abbott, you shovel-mouth bastard. So this is what you're going to do with terminating pregnancies and the Supreme Court is going to allow you to do it? No problem. I'm going to get the guns off the street in California by weaponizing the entire citizenry of the

state of California using the same language you used in that abortion bill. And let's see if the Supreme Court backs that up. Now, what does that have to do with Joe Manchin and Kristen Sinema? It has this to do. See, what the white nationalists are doing is playing for all the marbles. You've been saying this all along. This is going to determine whatever is going to happen in this experiment called United

States of America for the next generation or two. And when Raphael Warren stands there and says slavery, what he doesn't say is the United States was still expanding and they damn near fractured. When he says Jim Crow, what he doesn't say is that after World War II, the United States couldn't afford to go onto the world stage with all these non-white people taking their independence and keep oppressing us in the same way. What he doesn't say is that this battle may not be won in Washington, D.C., by appealing to people's common sense and morals, because they have none. This battle might be won in Washington, D.C., by appealing to people's common sense and morals, because they have none.

This battle might be won in the state capitals that are controlled by Democrats like Gavin Newsom that will say, you know what, if you don't like federalism in Texas, we don't like it in California, and we can start doing business with the Pacific Coast on our own. And if Joe Manchin, you want to block that, we're going to break your back and start doing business. Maybe we'll do some offshore drilling that isn't under federal control. Joe Manchin's back is going to be broken perhaps by a combination of statehouse action from the provinces and continuing ramping up organizing pressure in the federal capital. This is beginning more and more to look like the Hunger Games, y'all. And there's a lot of moving parts. And I

really don't know where this ends, but I know that it's going to, you can't talk to these people like they have common sense. As Malcolm X says, you're speaking a language they do not understand. All right, folks, we're going to continue to focus on this issue, monitor what happens, and again, make it clear that this is one of the most fundamental issues affecting this country. Democracy is certainly at stake, and we must be vigilant in making demands of this White House and of this Congress to do what is necessary in order to pass voting legislation. Going to a break. We'll be back from the College Football Hall of Fame here at the 2021 Cricket Wireless Celebration Bowl

between Jackson State and South Carolina State here in Atlanta. We'll be right back. on Cricket Wireless Celebration Bowl between Jackson State and South Carolina State here in Atlanta back in a moment. Betty is saving big holiday shopping at Amazon. So now she's free to become Bear Hug Betty. Settle in, kids. You'll be there a while. Ooh, where you going? Y'all know who Roland Martin is. He got the ascot on.

He do the news. It's fancy news. Keep it rolling. Right here. Rolling. Rolling Martin. Right now. You are watching Rolling Martin, unfiltered. I mean, could it be any other way?

Really. It's Rolling Martin. All right, folks, you're watching the Disney Showcase Dinner for the Jackson State and South Carolina State football teams and their fans, alumni, and administrators. The 2021 Cricket Wireless Celebration Bowl. That is Coach Deion Sanders, head coach at Jackson State, who's there. And so we, of course, are here all week partnering with Coca-Cola to share with you what's been going on here. We were at the World of Coca-Cola last night, the World of Coca-Cola last night for the opening event. And so we were we were with them and then of course uh tomorrow it's a full day of events we've got

both teams visiting the children's hospital of atlanta we've got the um both uh coaches having their news conferences taking place uh the commissioner of the miyak conference gonna have a toast and roast uh as well then we've got the SWAT Hall of Fame dinner tomorrow night. We're going to be live streaming all of those events, giving you full coverage of what's happening here in Atlanta, talking with these individuals. We talked with the South Carolina State coach, Buddy, last night. Hopefully we will have an interview with Deion Sanders tomorrow? Talk with the South Carolina State president as well. And the reason this is important, and let me say this, is because last night, Greg and Recy, it was pretty cool to sit there and have all those young brothers who wanted to hop on the microphone,

who wanted to talk, who wanted to talk about their teams. They were all quite excited to do so. And that's important. And the reality is, you know, black-owned media needs to be at places like this telling our stories. And that's why these things matter. And so, you know, I get a kick out of these people who love to be holier than thou, think they are the most conscious folks in the world and who love running their mouths,

talking about who's doing what, who's not doing what. And this is what I've always said, Reesey and Greg, if you spend your time complaining about what I'm doing, that means you ain't focused on what in the hell you should be doing? And when we were able to amplify these stories, we were able to talk to these HBCU presidents, talk to these athletic directors, talk to these coaches, talk to the alumni. All of that is important because I go back to the nation's first black newspaper, Freedom's Journal, March 16, 1827. We wish to plead our own cause to long have others spoken for us. That right there is what we always have to do. And it's a reason, whether it's sports, whether it's politics, if we're sitting around waiting on somebody else to tell our story,

we're going to have fools like Doug Gottlieb and others who are sitting here diminishing our black institutions and not lifting them up. Yeah, and nobody curates our story better than we do, especially when we actually control it, because there's curation and then there's control. And unfortunately, there's other institutions. I won't say, you know, whatever the mainstream stuff. There is still a box that they have to kind of, you know, play within the lines. And Roland Martin Unfiltered is a prime example of how when you own your own shit, you get to call the shots, you get to call the rules and you get to curate the content for the audience. And Black-owned media truly is at the forefront of really bringing the stories that matter to our communities. Anybody can get the same stories over and over again about what the executives, mostly male, mostly white,

think are important, but you don't get the perspectives from a variety of Black people. We're not all monolithic. We all have very different perspectives on things and different skill sets and different qualifications and life experiences that we bring to the role Martin unfiltered shown to the Black Star Network. So I think it's so important that we have this platform because we're lit. Like Black folks are really lit. And I don't give a damn what kind of backlash, you can call it woke lash, you can talk about anti-CRT or whatever the hell else these Republicans are out here winning the messaging war on over here around these parts in our community and our side, we're still lit over here.

And we're not getting tired of hearing about our stories. And we're going to continue to tell them black and unapologetic. Absolutely. And that's the thing, Greg, when it comes to, again, controlling the narrative and not actually caring what other folks are doing. I had someone who asked me, they said, hey, I was checking your show out.

Did you see what so-and-so was reporting? No. They're like, really? I said, I don't watch the networks. I told them, I said, I don't. And, in fact, when I had, I remember when I had Washington watch on TV One, my producer, Jay, he would say, hey, this was what was on ABC Face Nation and Meet the Press. I said, I don't care.

I said, whatever they do will never, never dictate what the hell I do. And I've always had that view and I think that the thing that, and also what just trips me out, Greg, all these folks who love my mouth running their mouth,

they don't go nowhere. They sit behind a desk, ain't never on the ground, always trying to call themselves grassroots, but they never seem to be actually talking to people out in the streets. And the reality is, you know, we're going to be out here Friday. We're going to be in the fan zone Saturday. All those fans are going to be coming through from South Carolina, from Jackson and Atlanta. And we're going to be talking to them. We're going to be seeing them. We're going to be sharing their stories. And that, to me, is what you have to do.

We we can't. The reason I have been putting a level of pressure on these companies to support black owned media, because here's the deal. Home Depot sponsors the espn game day that is a multi-million dollar sponsorship so the reason they can have massive stage and bring in uh uh uh and bring in uh amigos and bring in all these entertainers and stuff because we got a massive budget and the reality is we have to have the exact same thing as well and you have these people who go oh man but you sitting here oh you know you you representing corporate interest i'm like yeah but but you buying their products how about there has to be return on that investment and so and so i i it's amazing in trying to to do battle out here to get folks to understand that if you don't go out and fight for those resources,

then you can't have eight, 10 people here running cameras and running audio, having multiple cameras in here. You can't have all the different things going on. We've got to. I keep yelling this from the rooftops. We've got to build black capacity. You heard us talking about HBCUs. We've got to build black capacity. You heard us talking about HBCUs. They're trying to build athletic department. They're trying to build academics. I'm a scholar in residence at Fisk. President Newkirk said they are building right now, right now at Fisk University, their first academic building, new building on campus since Eisenhower was president. Yeah. Let me say that again, folks, eisenhower was president yeah let me say that again folks

since eisenhower was president and so what we are trying to talk about on this show whether it's while our marketplace segment brought to you by verizon where we focus on black businesses and our tech talk focusing on black entrepreneurs who are in technology is we're gonna be building black capacity i am tired of black people saying we do more with less. How about we do more with a lot more? Exactly. How about we do, right, I mean, and I get it, and I get it. I mean, we have been conditioned to, man, if, man, we, you know,

we can take a small amount and go a long way. Well, how about we get a big amount and go a longer way? It's about building capacity, and that's what this battle is about, building capacity. That's right. Roland, I mean, I want to ask you a question, brother, and I know you won't go too long, but when you were sitting there talking to President Hudson, so many things through my mind. I was having a little fun with him, and we all know Tennessee State's risk-credit bands is the best band there is in the country.

And I know some of y'all love the Sonic Boom and the Ocean of Soul and the Human Jew Box and all that, and I understand. But let's just be clear. But I was having a little fun with him. But the question I want to ask you is how do we seize this moment in time? And I say that for this reason.

You know better than any of us how capitalism works. They're not investing. They are exploiting. Koch sends planes because this is the hot thing. I remember when they started the celebration boat, when A&T would go down there representing the MEA. I mean, going to Atlanta was a thing.

You could buy a ticket the day of. I mean, it wasn't a big deal. Selling out is a huge deal. I mean, of course, I remember, of course, going to Tennessee State. We would play Florida A&M in the I mean, it wasn't a big deal. Selling out is a huge deal. Of course, I remember, of course, going to Tennessee State, we would play Florida A&M in the Georgia Dome. That was a big thing. What you are exposing people to, as Reesey said, a lot of people watch Roland Martin and Filton, watch Black Star Network, who don't know anything about black institutions. What you're exposing them to was already there. So this isn't new. But the question I want to ask you has more to do with how we exploit this moment, because Gottlieb is scared.

They have always feared a slave rebellion. And so whether or not this becomes a full-out rebellion, and this is what I want to ask you, because Fisk doesn't have much money, like Morris Brown was on the brink of extinction. These are private HBCUs. When President Hudson said they are inviting folks who go to Morris Brown to graduate to come to graduate school with Jackson State, that's a strategy. Fred Humphries, who just passed away, when he was the president at Florida A&M and at Tennessee State, he would go around the country and kept scholarships in his pocket and gave

them out. Pat Swigert did the same thing at Howard. To hear him say he admitted 30 students at Charles Drew Middle School down there in Atlanta over this past couple of days. My question is, Roland, relative to Gottlieb, because you see their strategy. Immediately now, their white nationalist propaganda comes in and says, well, Deion Sanders is doing well, so how long before he interviews for a real job? And then, OK, you got one of them, too.

How do we change the rules? Roland, how do we take this moment with the exposure of a Sanders and so that if he leaves next year and takes that kid with him, this momentum continues?

I mean, how do we do that? Okay, so let me explain it this way. And I think when you talk about the commitment to excellence. You have to you have to understand. How they're going to try to say no. So we have been in numerous conversations with sponsors, with advertisers, with ad agencies, and they were looking for ways to say no. Well, we knew what they were doing.

I go back to when I worked in Daily Newspaper. I said, I'm going to remove all, I'm going to work on all of my weaknesses so if you don't give me an opportunity, it's only one reason left. That's it. And so it's a commitment to excellence. And so

we were sitting here and one of my buddies from Coca-Cola walked up to me who just said, he said, man, this is just what he just said. me who just said, he said, man, this is just what he just said. He said, your, he said, your professional setup is amazing. So let me say that. So give me the shot. Give me the shot. Uh, fine. Give me this camera right here in the pan. This is the whole point here. You have to have a commitment to excellence, not black excellence. Excellent. Right. Right. Let me repeat that. Not not black excellence.

Excellence. How we shoot. What our lights look like, look like what our setup looks like. All those different things. So the resources see and I'm really people listen to what i'm saying here the resources that we receive allow for us to then be able to expand and build capacity so i'll give you a perfect example so if we're sitting here right now this camera that's showing me right now is a canon c300 it's one here here here in this mobile camera right now is a Canon C300. It's one here, here, here, and this mobile camera right now, there are five of them. I need everybody to listen to what I'm saying. The body of this camera alone is $9,000. The lenses that go with each one takes it up to almost $20,000. When we launched Roland Martin Unfiltered and the Blackstar Network, we could not afford even one of these cameras.

So what we did was we bought three Canon XA25 HD cameras. They served the purpose. The second year of the show, we purchased three Canon XF405 4K cameras. Leveled up. Third year, we purchased three of the Canon C300s. This year, we bought two more of the Canon C300s. These cameras alone, these five cameras, are $100,000. You've got a Kessler slider that's on the ground. It's $6,000. You've got a fly pack.

Is that camera on? Okay, come on. Give me that shot. So you see where Henry is over here. That's a portable fly pack. I need everybody who's listening. It's a portable fly pack that he's switching from. That's $5,000. The live view unit that we have is called an LU800. It's the top of the line. ABC, NBC, CBS, they all use those exact same units when they're out in the streets. We have two of those. The unit and the rack amount is $60,000. So when people try to come at me about people, why are you asking people to give you a show? Because this now allows for us to be able to build capacity to do what we're doing,

to be able to have a camera inside of the room, to be able to have five cameras out here, to have a mobile camera right here as well. That's what it does. It allows us to be able to purchase a Sprinter for $188,000 and mount three cameras on the outside of it when we're broadcasting marches live. It allowed for us to be in Austin, Texas when I was live from the state capitol. We had Mark Thompson who was in the Sprinter leading the motorcade to the state capitol. Mark was live from our aeroromobile. I was live from the state capitol in, all with a small footprint

and its capacity. And so the reason I push my team hard to look good for our graphics to be strong is because I am removing all excuses. I am not going to play the game where, you know, it's a black show. Well, you know, it's a black company. No. And so what we have to be doing is we have to show excellence and say we can cover like anybody else. And for everybody to understand something, guess what? When we had our camera on the tarmac, when Jackson State arrived and South Carolina State arrived, the folks from ESPN hit me up and they said, hey, can we use your video? Because we didn't have a camera there.

Sure, you can use our video. You got to credit us. The point is we have to be on the ground. And so the people who are watching, y'all need to understand what it is we're trying to do. So last year when our fan base gave $672,000 in donations to our Bring the Funk fan club, I probably had less than 20 people say, I don't get nothing for it. Yeah, you do. You get a two-hour daily show live and nobody else is doing. The development of an OTT platform that costs $160,000 to build, so now we don't have to worry about YouTube and Facebook and Periscope and Twitter and Instagram.

We can actually have our own platform. It's capacity. And so when we're going to advertisers, and yes, understand, I sat down with Coca-Cola. I gave them the vision for how we can cover these things. And they said, yes. And they put the money up for the Essence Festival. They put it up for the MeXWack Challenge. They put it up for the Essence Festival. They put it up for the MeXWack Challenge.

They put it up for the Bayou Classic. They put it up for this year. So I ain't got no problem saying I appreciate Coca-Cola for what they're doing. But it's a whole bunch of other advertisers out there who get black money. We buy their cars. We buy their shoes. We buy their shirts. We buy their pants.

We buy their products, their cleaning products, their hair care products. We buy all of that. And they spend in jet with black on media. And that's the reason why you don't have black on media the size of a CNN or Fox News. That's why you don't have the ability to have people in 10, 20, 30 cities covering the news from our perspective because we don't have capacity. This is about building capacity, about us being able to control our story. The exact same thing Frederick Douglass did with the North Star. The exact same thing Ida B. Wells Barnett did. The exact same thing Robert Abbott did with the Chicago Defender. The exact same thing A.I. Scott did with the Land, Day, and the World. The exact same thing Robert Abbott did with the Chicago Defender, the exact same thing A.I. Scott did with the Atlanta Daily World, the exact same thing John A. Johnson did with Ebony and Jet.

It's build capacity. And so that's what this is about. And so when y'all hear me calling people out, then guess what? There's a reason we're doing it. OK, when you see we're going to be airing the McDonald's gospel concert on Sunday. Guess what? That's paid for. We went down to Houston, the 11 interviews with different entertainers. We purchased a lot of McDonald's food. McDonald's should be spending more money with black on media. And we want that money. What if Frank Lucas in American gangster?

I'm going to get that money. It's the same thing. We as African and we as African-Americans, we have got to stop with a broke mentality. No, if you're giving them 10 million, I want 10 million. If you're giving them 5 million, I want 5 million. Because that's how all of a sudden we can employ 20, 30, 50, 100, 200 people, graphic artists, writers, editors, and all different things. That's how companies are built, folks. I've been in media since I was 14 years old. I've studied media. I studied how the New York Times was built. I studied how the LA Times was built, how the Louisville Courier-Journal was built,

how these media institutions were built. And the reality is black people are sitting here rebuilding and starting stuff and stuff is dying. Here's the reality. I want to be able to build this up and then do what Robert Abbott did, pass on to the next generation, that way you continue. The problem that we have in Black America is that our institutions survive for one generation. When the person becomes an ancestor, all of a sudden the institution dies because it was never

properly positioned for the next generation. That's what's happening with Ebony. That's why it's dead. Well, that's what I want to ask you. That's what I want. I mean, please, everybody. I mean, I'm only pushing because it makes really, you're making this point.

What you've been covering since you started Roland Martin Unfiltered are things that already exist in our community. Again, I think about a Jackson State or a South Carolina State or, yes, athletics has gotten this spark in a moment with the Deion Sanders

and Hugh Jackson just going to Grambling. But the fact of the matter is those same institutions have been producing, as you said, Recy, and earlier, I think Kelly made this point, human beings with degrees. The AD of Jackson State just said that. His

graduation rate. And not only that, they've been producing the journalists. They've been producing the scientists. They've been producing the teachers. And what you have done by taking your cameras into Black communities, and again, this is why the critics say that's just noise, is showing not only holding a mirror to ourselves, but also showing other people around the world, frankly, that, hey, we're already here. So I guess my question is, how? Because again, Deion Sanders is like turned on a spotlight and he was like, oh, now if next year he's the coach at Florida State, and I'm not saying he will be, but I'm just saying, if that happens and that light goes

out of Jackson State, that's not going to change what Jackson State has been doing. Roland, how important is it to have a Black Star network in terms of a visibility of scale to expose these institutions? I'm asking because what you've been covering, most people people I didn't know that existed. That room right there, you in Atlanta, that room happens every time in Memphis at the John Merritt Classic. It happens at Tuskegee. I mean, but you're showing it now.

How important is having that platform of scale? I mean, there you go. Well, because again, you're not asking anybody else for permission and you're not saying, hey, can you give it 20 seconds? No, we can give it five, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 minutes, an hour, an hour. You know, Fred Gray, the civil rights lawyer just celebrated his 91st birthday. I went down to Tuskegee and I just, I just need y'all to understand what I'm trying,

what I'm trying to convey. We had a project for Facebook. We went down, we came, went down to Atlanta. We did, uh, Andrew Young and Cliff Albright. We flew down. We then drove our Sprinter to Tuskegee to interview Fred Gray, then hopped in that Sprinter, then went to Jacksonville, and did two of our interviews with Facebook. Okay? Nobody paid me for the Fred Gray interview.

That wasn't sponsored. That money came out of my own pocket. Okay? The crew wasn't paid for. But Fred Gray's story was important. Fred Gray called me and said, out of all the interviews that I've done, that's the best, most complete interview ever done with me. Explaining my story.

That's what Fred Gray said himself. Now, here's the deal, y'all. I'm not about to waste my time. And there's no disrespect to what I'm about to say. I'm not about to waste my time. And there's no disrespect to what I'm about to say. I'm not about to waste my time talking about Drake and Kanye. I'm not about to waste my time talking about entertainment and some. And again, I appreciate, look, you can watch them housewives, show everything else.

That's fine. It's enough outlets covering that stuff. But the problem that we have is we do not have enough outlets that are bringing the kind of content that you're not going to get anywhere else. And so what people have to understand, it costs resources, but more importantly, it's the ability to be able to control

and own the narrative. And the other thing is that I'm going to say this here and some of y'all might say, man, you arrogant as hell. I just want y'all to understand. You're absolutely right. When we walk on the scene here, I'm arrogant as hell. I'm cocky as hell.

Because here's what's going to happen. What you're not going to do, you're not going to talk to ESPN and ABC and NBC and CBS and not talk to us. We gonna walk into the room with our cameras and we gonna say, we here too. Oh, I just need all y'all to understand. There have been times when we've walked into places where folks said, who are you? And it was like, this is who I am.

And I've actually told my team, you let them know who you're with. Because see, what I need y'all to understand is, I've worked at CNN for six years. I've seen how the face of people change when you say CNN. That's how it should be when you mention Black-owned media.

When you say Black Star Network, somebody should say, y'all come right along in here. But see, here's the problem, and I'm going to go ahead and say it. A whole bunch of y'all black folks who out there hating, oh man, he arrogant and cocky.

You goddamn right I am. Because guess what? It's called respect. You are going to respect the black consumer. You are going to respect the black consumer. You are going to give us the same respect and access as other people. And so we've gone places where we say, y'all going to put us on that dais. Y'all got them on? We're going to be up there.

Y'all better move over. Our camera's going right here as well. You damn right we've gone to places and we've been real arrogant by saying, no, we're going to get the story first. We're going to get the story first. We're going to get the interview first. That's why when Ben Crump was in Elizabeth City, when he said, hold up, Roland Martin gets the first three questions. See, that's the other. See, let me go ahead and give you all this one. I'm reading Carol Simpson's autobiography.

And she tells a story in her autobiography, Greg and Risa, where Dr. King came to Chicago and she found out what hotel Dr. King was staying at. And Carol Simpson went to the hotel and she figured out what floor Dr. King was on. And then and so she sat there and she wouldn't leave the floor and Dr. King was asleep. She stayed there overnight, sat on the floor overnight, eating drinking water and the next morning dr king came out and he said are you the young lady who's been sitting here uh waiting all night yes indeed she said dr king look this is who i am i'm the only woman cut on working in news and radio i need to this this be huge for my career why are you here in chicago And Dr. King gave her the scoop as to why he was in Chicago fighting housing. And then when he finished, he leaned in and said, my baby, don't tell nobody what I said.

And he winked. What he was really saying is I'm giving you the scoop. Carol Simpson writes in her book that Dr. King actually helped make her career. So there's a whole bunch of black people out here who are newsmakers, who are waiting on ABC, NBC, CBS, The Washington Post, and The New York Times to call them, and they'll blow us off, but the reality is you're going to get more time talking with us. I remember there was an entertainer who wouldn't do an interview with me. We were covering the James Brown movie, but she went ahead and she went and talked to E! Entertainment

Tonight and people. And I was like, that's fine. Because see, here's what was funny. This was a black singer who wouldn't sit down and talk to me. But I sat down, Dan Aykroyd sat down, Brian Glazer sat down, Mick Jagger sat down, Chadwick Boseman sat down, Octavia Spencer sat down. So I ain't worried about her.

I said, because boo, they're going to give you 20 seconds. I can give you 15 minutes. What I'm trying to get our people to understand is we have been conditioned to walk into spaces with our head bowed down, shuffling our feet, saying, ooh, if y'all could just give me a little bit. No. I need y'all to understand. When we walk into spaces, we walk in head held high and making it clear that we are here. We will put up our damn

tent where we want to put it up, and if somebody say you can't put it up, well, that's your problem, because I already got permission from Reverend Barber and others to do it. See, that's what I'm talking about, y'all. This is about changing the game. And when you change the game, you change it for your community. So y'all can sit here and call me arrogant, call me cocky, call me conceited. I don't really give a damn what none of y'all

call me because the reality is here. We're going to do what we do. We're going to build this up. And I'm telling y'all right now, all y'all haters, listen to me real clear. Five years from now, y'all going to look up and say, I be damned. Look what he built with his team. It's because we had enough self-respect as black-owned media that we were unwilling to think that we are second class. Roland, can I add one thing? Go ahead. One thing I want to add is, you know, one thing that's very evident to me

is that people are shook by Roland Martin Unfiltered and the Black Star Network because every single show on YouTube, in the comments, you see this inorganic troll bot farm activity to constantly try to undercut the legitimacy of this program. Obviously, it's unsuccessful because you continue to grow year after year. But the same relentlessness that people use to attack Black-owned media, to attack people who have credibility and are thought leaders in the community,

the same relentlessness and no days off that they take, that's how dedicated we have to be to supporting Black media and people like yourself who are fearless and who are paving the way for people like me. Who would have ever thought I would have been able to guest host your show? I'm sure nobody who was mad at the little loudmouth

Black girl on Twitter dragging them. So we have to be firm. We cannot get distracted. We cannot have a short attention span. We cannot go in starts and stops. We have to be consistent and relentless about putting our money and our support where our mouth is. It's real good to get clicks on Twitter and get a like and a retweet and this, that, and the other. But if you're not actually truly supporting the institutions that are bettering our community and holding people accountable to our community, then you ain't really doing a damn thing.

So it's a lot of people that are making YouTube revenue off of attacking Roland Martin Unfiltered and what do they call us, the Boulay or whatever other little smears they come up with, they're getting paid. And meanwhile, people are over here trying to challenge you getting institutional support capital to scale up an operation that is bettering our community. So let's not talk about money because everybody is making some coin. People are making a coin being a critic, and you're making a coin bettering the community. So this is where I'm going to lay my lot in is you're making a coin bettering the community. So this is where I'm going to lay

my lot in is with the person who's bettering the community. So we got to stop being distracted. We got to stop tearing down the people that are actually really genuinely invested in lifting us up. Because it ain't a whole lot of people out there that's

going to make space and that's going to shake the table. That's right. That's right. That's it. And look, this is real simple. And I need people to understand. You know, when I saw Reese's tweets, I was like, yeah, I'm going to put her on the air. And here's the whole deal.

Because I'm trying to tell y'all, I worked in that system. CNN wasn't going to give her a shot. I'm telling y'all, know that system oh my gosh she cuts too much i was like she's fun as hell i'll put on y'all need to understand these are intentional moves yeah i'm doing tiffany cross show on saturday tiffany cross her first on air was on my tv one show she said it okay so before she had an msnbc show y'all this stuff is intentional and so when these haters out here and i and i say this here people who are doing videos about me if you spending your time

doing videos about me because you're trying to get clickbait that because you're gonna talk about i don't talk about y'all i don't all them haters i don't watch them i don't talk about them i don't tweet about them god bless them don't do what y'all do i don't and people have to understand, you know, in terms of what we're doing. I had one woman. She was like, well, you know, Roland's arrogant because, you know, he don't be starting the show on time. Y'all, it's digital. We can start the show when the hell we want to start it. We ain't got to start at 6.

Or 8. You 17 minutes. I mean, no joke. Right. I mean, I just need people to understand in terms of what is going on here. And so this is what we're trying to build. We're trying to actually build something,

a last institution, and we don't have to ask somebody, can I? That's what I need y'all to understand. And here's the deal, my last comment. 2021, we surpassed the amount of revenue we generated on YouTube in 2020. I would say, and I love all these haters who say, man, anybody watching your show? Well, please explain to me

how then our numbers were up. Views were down, but the CMs were up. Do y'all have all y'all want to? We putting in the work. We doing the work. So y'all can keep talking. We going to keep building.

Tomorrow's going to be exciting. First, our camera's going to be there for the teams visiting the Children's Hospital of Atlanta. We're going to be live when the head coach of the South Carolina State that has his news conference at 12 o'clock. We'll be live at 2 p.m. when Deion Sanders has his news conference at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. We'll be live from the SWAC Hall of Fame as well. And we'll be live for the roast and toast of Commissioner Thomas of the MEAC as well.

Let me be real clear. There is no other black-owned media outlet that is giving you gavel-to-gavel, wall-to-wall coverage of the 2021 Cricket Wireless Celebration Bowl, the only bowl game in America for HBCUs, the first bowl game of the season. We're the only ones who are here. So to those of you who talk about y'all grassroots, where you at? Because we here. Folks, that's it.

Greg, I appreciate it. Reese, I appreciate it. Kelly, I appreciate it as well. Kelly, leave us earlier. Folks, I'm going to see you guys tomorrow. I had a cold hit me like a ton of bricks yesterday, so I'm going to get some rest. But we appreciate all of you watching. Please retweet, share videos from the show.

Again, what we are doing, folks, ain't nobody else doing. They talking about it. We're being about it. So support us by downloading our Blackstar Network app. Again, Apple phone, Android phone, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire,

Xbox and Samsung Smart TV. And of course, join our Bring the Funk fan club, Cash App, Dollar Sign, RM Unfiltered, Venmo is RM Unfiltered, PayPal is RMartin Unfiltered, Zelle is Roland at RolandSMartin.com, Roland at RolandMartinUnfiltered.com. And again, let me thank

Coca-Cola for being our partner this week with us, broadcasting from Atlanta for the 2021 Celebration Bowl. Lots more to come. Folks, y'all take care. I will see you tomorrow. From College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. Norske Rundforskning НАПРЯЖЕННАЯ МУЗЫКА I need to try it first. This is an iHeart Podcast.