#RolandMartinUnfiltered - SBA program in jeopardy, Ala. Redistricting Stay Denied, VP Celebrates Hip-Hop's 50th

Episode Date: September 12, 2023

9.11.2023 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: SBA program in jeopardy,  Ala. Redistricting Stay Denied, VP Celebrates Hip-Hop's 50th The Small Business Administration's 8(a) Business Development program, meant to open a pipeline to billions in government contracting dollars for historically disadvantaged groups, is the latest victim of the Supreme Court's June decision upending race-conscious college admission.  We'll discuss what that means to black business owners.  A panel of federal judges who concluded that Alabama's latest congressional map is unconstitutional just denied the state's effort to pause the ruling while Alabama state officials appealed the decision. The clock is ticking before U.S. auto workers  launch what could be a never-before-seen simultaneous strike against the "Big Three."  We'll break down what the United Auto Workers union is demanding.  And I was at the Vice President's 50th Hip-Hop celebration.  Download the Black Star Network app at http://www.blackstarnetwork.com! We're on iOS, AppleTV, Android, AndroidTV, Roku, FireTV, XBox and SamsungTV. The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platform covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. "See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Folks, the federal government 8A program is in serious jeopardy after a Tennessee federal judge ruled in favor of a white woman who sued the program. The federal judge declared the key provisions of the popular federal program is

unconstitutional, extending the U.S. Supreme Court's decision banning affirmative action in colleges and admissions. The decision is one of the first as a result of that affirmative action decision. It throws a major wrench into an SBA program that's been around for 50 plus years. Joining me now to discuss this is Ron Busby. He is the president and CEO of U.S. Black Chambers, Inc., also Damon Hewitt. He is the president and executive director of the Lawrence Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. And, Damon, this is the thing I kept trying to warn everybody at. The strategy of Ed Bloom and these conservatives is to attack every program

that benefits African-Americans and Latinos, has been about equalizing the playing field. And the crazy thing is this year, this white woman sues saying that, oh, I could have popped the program if she got $4 million in contracts from a women-targeted program. That's exactly right. Look, they're going not just for the big rocks. They're going for all the crumbs as well. They did the same thing with the Fearless Fund,

the black woman-focused venture capital fund based in Atlanta. And so really what we see right now, Rola, are weapons of mass distraction. They're trying to create so many battlefronts that not only do we get overwhelmed on our side, but also that these companies and government programs start to fold. Look, here's the thing. The 8A program is not a race-exclusive program. It's open to people of all races. What was challenged here was the presumption that people who are economically and socially

disadvantaged are actually socially and economically disadvantaged, that being Black people and other people of color, which all the market studies tell you is exactly the case. But the irony that someone who is challenging these programs will certainly take the benefit for another vector because she's a woman. The irony, you can't really make this stuff up. The thing here, again, we talk about this legal fight. We saw what happened after the firm reduction decision where 16 attorneys general sent letters to law firms saying, oh, we could be coming after you. They're going after Kellogg.

And so I keep, I've been warning people with my book, White Fear, this was going to happen. And we're seeing the result. They are going to go after everything. Law firms, corporate America, universities. And what I have said to, I spoke to the business, the business council in Milwaukee. I said, now is the moment if our white allies

are going to truly stand up for these programs or are they going to fall? That's exactly right. We're being attacked on every front. I mean, you used to be when we had freedmen, we were asked to show our freedom papers. Now we're being asked to show our oppression papers. They don't believe that we are disadvantaged. They don't believe that we're under attack. But to all the allies out there, especially those who had all of these beautiful, well-crafted commitments and statements after George Floyd was murdered and people took peacefully to the streets, if you believed everything you said, stand with us now. If you care about justice and all of your commitments, stand with us now, because we're under attack like we have never been in modern times.

This is not a time for retreat. This is a time to stand up. Ron, here's the deal. When you talk about federal contracts, African-Americans are getting less than 2% of the $560 billion being spent. So it's not like Black folks are killing it with federal contracts. Now, what you have to take into consideration, Roland, is that the federal government will lead and the private sector will follow. So first you'll see them attacking federal contracts. Then it will be state contracts. Then it will be local municipalities.

And what my former spokesman just said is that now we're seeing them attack corporate America. And so until the federal government, until we hear from the president of the United States to stand guard and say that we'll no longer be attacked, that affirmative action is good for the country, it is good for America, it is good for corporate America, then I think you'll still continue to find these attacks coming from both ends, both the private sector and the public sector. And I would say that this is the time for African-Americans to stand up and realize which companies are still going to support their diversity and inclusion programs, which companies are going to continue to support minority organizations, minority chambers of commerce and minority businesses. And that's where we need to focus spending our dollars as well.

Damian, you were going to make a comment there. Go ahead. Well, I'm just going to say, sorry I didn't realize it was for Brother Busby. Look, the thing is, they're going after everything and they're using every legal theory under the sun. The only thing that has changed between today and several years ago is the composition of the federal courts. You know, the underlying law hasn't really changed because of the Supreme Court decision on affirmative action. You see in this particular case out of Tennessee and other cases,

the courts trying to use that language as if it applies directly. It really does not. It's really more legal concepts than it is actual black liberal law that's being applied. There was actually another rule the program was attacked. So we'll get some favorable ones along the way,

but they're trying to cause as much disruption through the courts to tie us up in knots. But to the basic point, though, about who has to stand up right now, everyone has to stand up as much as possible. The programs have to be these well-designed. There's no question about that. But the program should also be well defended. That's the thing we're telling the federal government and also local state governments and private sector as well. But here's the thing here, Damon. This woman never even attempted to apply to the program

so how is she all of a sudden being harmed when she never even applied it is a really curious reading of the law of what they call standing who's actually suffered an injury not only did she not apply but she very well could have been eligible. Because, again, it's not a race-exclusive program. She could have demonstrated her bona fides or reasons why she thought she should receive a grant. Curious as to whether she applies now that this ruling is in place. I don't know one way or the other, but I'd be very curious to find out. Was it something she was just put up to, or is it something that she righteously believes in is trying to apply for?

So I'm not trying to malign this person in particular. But all I'm saying is it's quite curious in terms of whether there's actually an injury. I mean, I'd like to have that kind of standing for all the kind of claims that we like to bring at the lawyers committee. We'll see how the courts rule on that. Here's the thing here, Ron, going forward, and my concern, as

Damon said earlier, what is going to be the reaction when these folks who are these corporations, are they going to run scared? Or are they going to say, hell no, we're going to stand our ground? And this also is a call to action for white women who have benefited more than anybody else from affirmative action programs. Are they going to stand up and fight on behalf of black folks, Latinos and others?

Well, I think you bring out a lot of good points there. I think the first point to realize is that it is timing. This is happening right before the fourth quarter when the majority of contracts for 2024 will be awarded. And so there's confusion there. This is also on the heels of the largest infrastructure bill funding that we've seen. And so corporate America, white America is saying, hey, there's going to be billions of dollars that are being spent. We've got to make sure that we have and have the ability to take advantage of all of those contracts. And the third piece, as you said, is that the disaggregated numbers, it does show that white women receive 78 percent of the federal government contracts, and of the 11 percent that is spent, that black businesses

only received 1.5 percent. So again, I think both the federal government, states and local municipalities, as well as corporate America, is waiting on this administration to stand up and say, OK, based on the 14th Amendment, that blacks are considered minorities and without any additional facts and any additional information should be eligible for programs such as the 8A. It should be there. If we're talking about dividing or dealing with the wealth gap, the 8A program was one of the most successful programs that this federal government has implemented. And now to disband it, to allow anyone that says that they can prove that they've been discriminated against is not what it was created for originally. The thing here, Damon, this is where I keep trying to explain to our people why voting matters.

Biden-Harris, they've approved, had more than 100 judges approved. If they are reelected, they could very well have 200 more. This is what happens when you frankly elect Democrats. You're going to get judges who have a much different understanding about civil rights, about affirmative action, about things like contracting. Then you're right wing conservative federal judges. Well, you know, speaking as a nonpartisan organization, and we convened the National Election Protection Coalition, the 866-HOUR VOTE, we don't talk about partisanship, but we tell people vote and vote. When you do vote, vote your value. We're not going to tell you got you guys are nonpartisan, but I can ask you this way.

When it comes to civil rights, which appointed judges are more likely to be on the side of civil rights? Republican appointed judges, federal judges or Democrat appointed federal judges? I'm not going to any of them. None of them. I mean, look, we know for decades we saw Republican members of Congress and Republican judges actually vote and rule in favor of civil rights laws and civil rights claims. I'm not willing to let any of them off the hook at all, Democrat, Republican, Independent, what have you. That's shame. I will say this, Roland. The former president, Trump, said that if he got reelected, that he would remove all affirmative action programs from the federal government. So I don't know about the previous administration, but I know the one that is now trying to be the next president has stated that he would remove all affirmative action programs.

We do know that. Damian, go ahead and finish your point. No, I was going to say, that's why people have to vote like you know, act like you know, right? So vote your interest based on the kind of intel that the brothers just shared there. And so what's so important, though, just to your basic point

is that these aren't things that just happen out of thin air. You know, this lawsuit was filed in 2020 and ruled upon after the affirmative action decision. It's not a suit because of the affirmative action decision. And the truth is, the attacks, as Ron can tell you, not only will they continue, but they've never really stopped. There have been attacks. The only difference is, now that they find more favorable conservative judges, hyper-conservative, ultra-conservative judges, they're finding a more friendly audience to the same

kind of claims that we've been beating back for 50 years against SBA's 8A program, against affirmative action in higher education, and also in the workplace. So now they think they're about to feast. And so the question is, are we going to allow that to happen? And the answer has to be no.

All right. Damon Hewitt, Ron Busby, I appreciate it, gentlemen. Thanks a lot. Thank you. Folks, going to a break. We'll discuss this more when we come back. You're watching Roller Mark Unfiltered right here on the Black Star Network. Back in a moment. A lot of times the big economic forces we hear about on the news show up in our lives in small ways. Three or four days a week, I would buy two cups of banana pudding. But the price has gone up, so now I only buy one. The demand curve in action.

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

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It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. hatred on the streets a horrific scene a white nationalist rally that descended into deadly violence white people are losing their damn mind there's an angry pro-trump mob storm to the u.s capital we're about to see the rise of what i call white minority resistance we have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting.

I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of violent denial. This is part of American history. Every time that people of color have made progress, whether real or symbolic, there has been what Carol Anderson at every university calls white rage as a backlash. This is the wrath of the proud boys and the boogaloo boys america there's going to be more of this there's all the proud boys this country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because of the fear of white people the fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're taking our women. This is white

people. President Biden has delivered for black america more funding for black entrepreneurs millions of new good paying jobs he's lowering the cost of medications and the cost of living joe biden is delivering for us and that's the facts next right here on the frequency the woman they call the gifted eye hip-hop celebrity photographer cory. She's the master storyteller that captures the history of hip-hop through the lens of her camera. Tupac comes out, the next thing you know, you didn't know who they were at first. You just seen all these dudes just come rushing the stage. Then you realize, Biggie gets a bottle of champagne, he pops it open, sprays it on the crowd he drinks the bottle poi soldier the hip-hop celebrity photographer joining me right here in the next episode of the frequency on the black

star network carl payne pretended to be roland martin holla you ain't got to wear black and gold every damn place okay oh i'm an alpha yay all right you're 58 years old. It's over. And you are now watching... Roland Martin, unfiltered, uncut, unplugged, and undamned believable. All right, folks, you're listening to this right now. Dr. Julianne Malveaux. She's an economist, also president emerita at Bennett College from D.C. Julianne, glad to have you on the show. Look, here's the deal, and I want people watching and listening to understand. These white conservatives, these Republicans, are attacking the two most central important things for black folks in the Banter Head, education and economics.

As Eric said, this is not like it just happened yesterday. They've been planning this stuff. They've been waiting. The orange man, as soon as he's out, as soon as he's sold all his wolf tickets, they've watched the progression of legal cases. In the education piece, this has absolutely devastating consequences. In the state of California, we remember when Proposition 209 passed. And when Prop 209 passed, the amount of number of Black folks attending UC Berkeley and UCLA was cut in half in less than two years. And those numbers have never recovered.

African-Americans, roughly 8% of the state, basically are about 3% of the enrollment of the UCs, which is the most elite of the California educational system. And so when you look at that, you're basically denying access. But the thing that gets me rolling, if you want to compare or collect, connect education economics, well, black taxpayers are paying for those universities, paying for the faculty salaries, for the dormitories, for all of that. So while these folks are talking, you know, we are paying for our own oppression at some level. And now when we go to the 8A programs and what's going on with business, Ron Busby is right. We're not getting 50 percent of the government contacts. We barely get two.

Then in some cases, maybe three, depending on the department. We're not getting the majority of that either. Why is that? Because structural racism is already there. This white woman from Tennessee, I don't know whether she's a plant or what, but if she's getting women money and she's suing about black money, there's a level of hypocrisy there that I can hardly fathom. But guess what? She gets to do it because she's white.

And basically there are sympathetic judiciaries that will hear her claim and support it. We don't have—we've got to stand up. We've got to do more than stand up. It's time for our white allies to stand up, our Latino allies, because they're coming after them, too. They don't think they are. They're coming after them, too. Basically, years, years ago, when I did politics in San Francisco

and we were trying to get an affirmative action thing through the city hall, I went to lunch with some of these people. There's a group called the Association for General Contractors, white contractors trying to keep all the money. And I went to lunch with them. I don't know why. Something was wrong with me that day. But I went to lunch with them and I didn't I didn't get to eat because I didn't act right. But what happened was I said to the guy, I said, is there any middle ground? What do you want? And he looked me dead in my face and he said, we want all of it. They were not prepared to share.

They want all of it. That's what we're seeing here now. They want all of it. Anything we get, we're going back beyond the 1950s. We're almost going back to the 1850s when we look at the ways the courts are acting and the ways that our people are being forced to the periphery around educational and economic issues. And again, that point, we want all of it. And that's why they are using the courts. That's why they are targeting conservative federal judges. And look, we're going to discuss it later, but I had all these

little punks on my Instagram page complaining about Biden and Harris and dogging the vice president out regarding a hip hop party. First of all, every president hosts concerts, whether it's yo-yo mob to country singers, to R&B acts, to hip hop artists. So this ain't nothing new. But the thing that people don't understand is that people don't understand that the kind of federal judges we're going to get if you're the Republican president, if you're the Democratic president, it is a huge, huge difference. And so that is an election issue when you talk about who to vote for come November 2024. People didn't understand that in 2016, the whole issue of the courts. And because they didn't understand that, you had people say, oh, I don't like Hillary.

You don't have to like her. She's not coming to your house. But you had all these people talking about what they liked and what they didn't like. Liking has nothing to do with it. Practical politics has everything to do with it. It's the judges. It's the laws that they're going to push. Joe Biden, you know, he's getting a lot of going to push. Joe Biden, you know, a lot.

He's getting a lot of hate. And I know that, you know, he old. OK, but being old is a blessing. But he's old and he doesn't always present vitally. But he is doing the work that's supposed to be done and he's doing it well. You go down the list, look at drugs. Insulin costs thirty five dollars. He were paying a lot more than that for insulin just a month ago. So that's a Biden initiative. Even though he couldn't get the student loan forgiveness, there's another aspect of student loans that he's tackling. That's a Biden program. I don't understand what people don't understand about the difference between liking somebody and benefiting from their policies. Most black people have benefited from Biden policies.

And that's not about, you know, you get criticism saying that you're carrying the Democrats water. I mean, I get the same thing. All of us who understand the difference between affability and effectiveness. That's what we're just talking about. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are effective. And I don't care if she has 50 hip hop parties, as long as she does her work. And, you know, as you say, every president has parties. That's hardly the point. The point here is that people are afraid. This is so parallel to what happened post-Reconstruction. 2,000 black men held public office between 1865, 66, really, and 1900. 2,000.

Local offices, others. But as the lynching began, you know, the lynching thing, they were beating. They took a black public official in South Carolina to the town square and whipped him. He didn't do anything. He was just black. So they whipped him like he was still a slave because they wanted him to still be a slave. And that's what's happening with these people going to court for this, going to court for that, going to court for the other. They basically don't want us to have anything. Well, I try to be as specific as possible. And what I'm trying to explain to people, look, on Friday,

we talked about that judge in Louisiana ordering every young person and every juvenile released from the Angola federal prison because of the 14th Amendment cruel use of punishment. That's a federal judge. And so people have to understand, this ain't a ruling. That's a federal judge. Affirmative action decision, Supreme Court judges, federal judges. And so folks need to realize when they're running around complaining about, well, what's not happening, realizing we will want federal judges who are sympathetic to black men who have been put in prison,

but who are innocent, who want to get DNA tested. And so people need to stop acting as if, oh, that's no big deal. The number of federal judges at Biden and Harris have put on the bench. And many of them weren't. Many of them went straight from being ACLU lawyers, civil rights lawyers, right to the federal bench. It's a huge deal, Roland. We know it's a huge deal. We need to get other folks to understand how extraordinarily important it is for us to have judges who understand. Right now, we have judges. The orange man has appointed judges that are clueless. Amy Comey Barrett on the Supreme

Court, clueless. And we can talk about Gorsuch and Kavanaugh. I won't call the man a rapist because we don't have any proof of that. But we certainly have some proof of his instability based on his Supreme Court nomination hearings. if a sensible Senate had watched that and still put him on the Supreme Court, there's some questions to be raised. When he was so disrespectful to one of the senators asking her if she had a drinking problem, I mean, excuse me, that is not judicial conduct. So we need to be clear that when you make presidential choices because you don't like somebody, you're also making choices about your future. The 8A program is now suspended. People who have applications in the pipeline will not have them reviewed until the mechanics of this decision are reviewed. So people who may have been ready to expand

their business role, who had taken, you know, who made business plans saying, I'm sure, then they were probably told, your application looks good. They may have even gone out and purchased some supplies or other things on the assurance that their application looked good. Now, where do they go? The similar case with education. We're looking at young people whose counselors encourage them. Yes, you should apply to Harvard. I know you don't have the money, but you have the grades. And now they're looking and saying, I don't know if that's going to be the place for me. Basically, you're tamping down Black expectations, Black achievement, Black possibility. And this is the very same

thing they did at the end of Reconstruction, the very same thing they did and accomplished through lynching. And you'd be surprised, Roland, I know you would be, or you probably wouldn't because you know everything, but the parallels between what's happening with police misconduct and what happened post-reconstruction in terms of the number of police officers who were never punished, never punished. You know, I walked through the lynching museum and I just about, I mean, I think I'm hard. I, tears just started rolling down my face. I didn't even know.

But the number of people, unknown, unknown, unknown. So Bryan Stevenson's 4,400 is probably three or four times that we don't even know who all was lynched. A brother was lynched because he spat on the sidewalk. A brother was lynched because he failed to say Mr. to a white man. Are we going back to that? It kind of feels like it. Indeed, indeed. Hold tight one second. We're going to break. We come back. More to discuss here on Roller Market Unfold. If you're watching on YouTube, hit the like button, folks.

See y'all commenting, be sure to hit the like button. Also, download the Black Star Network app, Apple phone, Android phone, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV. Also, please join our Bring the Funk fan club. We'll dial to make it possible popsicles to do what we do. Send your check and money over to PO Box 57196, Washington, D.C., 20037-0196. Cash app, dollar sign, RM Unfiltered. PayPal, RM Martin Unfiltered.

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days at three only on the black star network bruce Smith, creator and executive producer of The Proud Family, Louder and Prouder. You're watching Roland Martin Unkilled. Well, the white Republicans in Alabama keep losing. A three-judge federal court denied a motion filed by the Secretary of State of Alabama to stay a ruling requiring a special master to draw three potential congressional maps later this month after finding the state's earlier redistricting proposals likely diluted the votes of African Americans. A three-judge panel, U.S. Circuit Court Judge Stanley Marcus and U.S. District Court Judges Anna Monasco and Terry Moore found no emergency as alleged of the Alabama Secretary of State, Wes Allen, who also filed an emergency stay before the Supreme Court. The judge has said Allen did not prove Alabama would likely prevail on the case's merits

while appealing the decision for a special master. A special master is a September 25th deadline to deliver three remedial maps to the federal court to decide Alabama's congressional districts in the 2024 elections. Julian, what this says is point blank. Alabama, they keep taking L's and we are moving closer to having a second black district in Alabama and potentially a third district that black folks could play a huge role in electing an African-American or likely a Democrat. Oh, absolutely. This is amazing that the persistence of the secretary of state. A lot of times the big economic forces we hear about on

the news show up in our lives in small ways. Three or four days a week, I would buy two cups of banana pudding, but the price has gone up, so now I only buy one. The demand curve in action. And that's just one of the things we'll be covering on Everybody's Business from Bloomberg Businessweek. I'm Max Chavkin. And I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith. Every Friday, we will be diving into the biggest stories in business, taking a look at what's going on, why it matters, and how it shows up in our everyday lives.

But guests like Businessweek editor Brad Stone, sports reporter Randall Williams, and consumer spending expert Amanda Mull will take you inside the boardrooms, the backrooms, even the signal chats that make our economy tick. Hey, I want to learn about VeChain. I want to buy some blockchain or whatever it is that they're doing. So listen to Everybody's Business on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes.

But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad.

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

And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes sir, we are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug man.

Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Caramouch. What we're doing now isn't working and we need to change things.

Stories matter and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Alabama, they do not want a second or third black district. They simply don't, and they're willing to use all their state resources to prevent it from happening. But the Supreme Court, which is not a liberal Supreme

Court as we know, has told them, do your work. Draw these district lines in a way that is fair. Black folks represent such a significant portion of Alabama that why should we just have everybody crowded into one congressional district, very well represented, of course, by Terry Sewell. But that's not the point. The point is that there are possibilities to have two and even three. And if the third district, as you point out, is not a black person, it will most likely be a Democrat, very likely be someone who's left of center. I won't say a liberal, but certainly left of center. And that really does strengthen the congressional profile of Democrats and of black folks. Now, that's what they don't want. When we start talking about this, they're listening, Roland.

You know, they watch your show. I have to tell you, I'll tell you a funny story, but I'll tell you off the air. But in any case, they watch your show. They hear us talking and they're like, oh, hell no. We are not going to have. And they put up all their defensives to do so. They've got all their so-called civil society organizations. They've got others. But the courts are pretty firm on this. And I'll tell you one reason I think they're firm. There's so much rampant racism that they can't afford to have more. I mean, this is this is a no brainer of a case. When you look at the percentage of black folks in Alabama, one out of seven congressional districts represented by a black person, well, literally almost between two and three out of seven people in Alabama are black. It's just unjust.

They can't, that, you know, I would say Ray Charles could see past that. Just about anybody can. The dumbest white person can add and can see past that. And so they don't want, but they don't want that. And they're willing person can add and can see past that. And so they don't want, but they don't want that. And they're willing to do whatever they can to stop it. Good thing we have folks like, just had Derek on from the lawyers committee, I believe it was from the lawyers committee. We've got these black folks who are basically, we went to the same schools. We studied with the same professors. we got tricks up our sleeves too.

Well, what I love is, first of all, remember Alabama has ignored this federal court ruling for the Supreme Court. And I keep telling people, federal judges do not take kindly when folks just say, the hell with you. Again, what Alabama is banking on, they are banking on them picking up at least five of those conservative judges to side with them to say, hey, we'll hear your appeal. That's what they're hoping and praying for. They drag it on as long as they can. And they're also dragging it on, although we're talking about an election that happens in November of 2024, we've gotten to basically the crunch time. And they said, well, we'll deal with this at the next election because we haven't had time to prepare. So they're hoping for that as well. Absolutely, absolutely. Hold tight one second. I'm going to go to a break. We come back more on the show.

Today is, of course, the anniversary of 9-11, when the world was devastated by the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. President Biden addressed the issue. We will have his remarks for you as well. We'll talk about that. We'll talk about some other news of the day. Lots of stuff to cover, including the United Auto Workers. They could have a crippling impact on the economy if they actually launch a strike. We'll discuss that as well. You're watching Rolling Martin Unfiltered

right here on the Black Star Network. On the next Get Wealthy with me, Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach, Black women are starting businesses at the fastest rate than any other segment. However, finding the funding to talk with author Catherine Finney, who wrote the book, Build the Damn Thing. And she's going to be sharing exactly what we need to do to achieve success in spite of the odds. As an entrepreneur of color, it's first, you know, building your personal advisory board. I think that's one of the things that's helped me the most. The personal advisory board of the people who are in the business of you, you personally, and want to see you succeed. That's right here on Get Wealthy, only on Blackstar Network.

On a next A Balanced Life with me, Dr. Jackie, we're going to be talking about common sense. We think that people have it, know how to use it, but it is something that people often have to learn. The truth is most of us are not born with it and we need to teach common sense, embrace it, and give it to those who need it most, our kids. So I always tell teachers to listen out to what conversations the students are having about what they're getting from social media. And then let's get ahead of it and have the appropriate conversations with them. On a next A Balanced Life with me, Dr. Jackie,

here at Black Star Network. Next on The Black Tape with me, Greg Carr. What did Deion Sanders, a lawnmower, and the phenomenon of invisible labor all have in common? They're all now part of, shall we say, a colorful lore at our historically black colleges and universities. Our Master Educator Roundtable convenes to explain it all as we explore the good, the bad, and the downright ugly of one of the Black America's national treasures. That's next on The Black Table, right here on the Black Star Network.

Farquhar, executive producer of Proud Family, you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. All right, folks, today's black and missing. 16-year-old Mikkel Scott has been missing since August 14th. A Philadelphia native is 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighs 210 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Mikkel was last seen wearing black pants and a black hooded jacket. Anyone with information about Mikkel Scott is asked to contact the Philadelphia Central Detectives at 215-686-3093, 215-686-3093. The United Auto Workers say they are four days away from a major strike that will hit General Motors,

Ford, and Stellantis if an agreement is not reached by Thursday. The UA double requests several benefits, including a 46% raise over four years, more safeguards for part-time workers, and a 32-hour work week. The car makers countered with raises between 10% and 15%, but said the other demands are too expensive. Experts say the strike could cause severe downside for those shopping for new cars. Julianne, you are an economist. Explain to people what the impact will be if the UAW launches this strike. If the UAW launches a strike,

we're going to see major challenges in our economy. But for working people in some levels, this is good news. However, supply chains will stop. So if you were trying to buy a car, let's say toward the end of the year, that car might even cost more or it might not be available. There may be another, a number of other reverberations in terms of that. And the economy will suffer. The automobile sector is a significant portion of our economy. If it slows or stops, the economy will slow. And we already have other factors suggesting an economic slowdown. It hasn't happened yet, but economists are looking at that possibility. And so we don't want them to go on strike because of the economy, but we also don't want them to be paid unfairly. And the

reason why we're seeing a spate of strikes rolling around the country, just missed UPS was going to go on strike, that would have been economic devastation. We see the Hollywood sector with the folks at Hollywood, the writers, directors, they're on strike. And that's basically causing all kinds of delays in the creative sector. And the UAW, what they're asking for is quite modest. People keep talking about labor shortages, but there's no labor shortage. There's a shortage of people who want to get exploited because basically if you pay people, they will work. They will be loyal. They will come to work. They'll stay at work. They won't try to cheat you.

But if you don't want to pay people, people are going to find a way to get paid or to get off. And a lot of people have quit. They won't come back to work after COVID because they've either found alternate income streams. They're Ubering or lifting or doing whatever. Or they just have said, some women have said, it's more economically for me to stay at home with my children than to go out, pay for child care, and have a lousy job. Educators are not going back. So there's a teacher shortage. All this is about people, predatory capitalists being unwilling to pay people a living wage. That's all it is, unwilling. Roland, did you know that the minimum wage has been stuck at the same level since 2009?

Since 2009. And in certain southern states, Georgia, Mississippi, sound familiar? Tennessee, both states have a minimum, a state minimum wage that's below the federal minimum wage. Minimum wage in Georgia is five dollars and 15 cents an hour. So we don't want the U.S. to go on strike because we don't want an economic slowdown. But we want the big three to pay people what they are worth to bargain in good faith. And we're not seeing that. Joe Richardson, civil rights attorney, joins us now from L.A. Joe, what we are seeing is we are seeing a renewed vigor, if you will, for labor unions.

Labor unions have not had this high of an acceptance rate in almost three decades. And what you're seeing is you're seeing a lot of workers who now realize, wait a minute, this whole right to work thing ain't always the greatest thing in the world. Right. I mean, and what you have happening now is you've got, you know, just as the previous comment was, you know, there's been very, very little to no movement as pertains to minimum wages. So everybody is being charged with doing more and less, but ironically, if you look at it in the auto industry and how much cars cost, how much it takes to make them, all those years ago, the beginning of the Obama administration, they made a decision to save,

to help to save the big three because they knew that the impacts would be devastating if they flowed all the way down and they didn't survive. Similarly, they don't have to strike for very long, frankly, for the organizations to lose the amount of money that makes the difference between what's being asked for and where they currently stand. It doesn't take very long for them to lose, them being the big three organizations themselves. So it's really, really important. You look industry to industry to industry. You've got these stagnating wages that aren't moving. Meanwhile, prices are going through the roof.

Gas, I paid $5.50 yesterday. And that's hard for regular folks. And so there is a renewed interest in unions because people are saying, wait, listen, we've got to do something here. And there's a commonality there where you are making X amount of dollars and you just don't have enough to do the things that you need to do. And the entertainment strikes, we see the same thing. We've got two or three organizations already striking two unions, maybe another one on the horizon. And it's the same thing. And again, it doesn't take very long for these organizations to lose as much money as they're being asked to

pay in order to improve these folks' living conditions. They're not being improved. The wages and benefits are not being improved fast enough to keep up with the prices of things. And that's a fact. And because of that, maybe there is a renewed interest in unions because people understand that there is a commonality in being without while still working, while still going to work every day, while still making sacrifices when being asked to do so for the organizations

so that the organizations can up in our lives in small ways. Three or four days a week, I would buy two cups of banana pudding. But the price has gone up, so now I only buy one. The demand curve in action. And that's just one of the things we'll be covering on Everybody's Business from Bloomberg Businessweek. I'm Max Chavkin. And I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith. Every Friday, we will be diving into the biggest stories in business,

taking a look at what's going on, why it matters, and how it shows up in our everyday lives. But guests like Businessweek editor Brad Stone, sports reporter Randall Williams, and consumer spending expert Amanda Mull will take you inside the boardrooms, the backrooms, even the signal chats that make our economy tick. Hey, I want to learn about VeChain. I want to buy some blockchain or whatever it is that they're doing. So listen to Everybody's Business on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good

and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season One, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way.

In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives this is kind of star-studded a little bit man we got uh ricky williams nfl player hasman trophy winner it's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves music stars marcus king john osborne from brothers osborne we have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug man. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer

Riley Cote. Marine Corps vet. MMA fighter. Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working and we need to change things. Stories matter and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. podcast. All change is not growth. Right. But thoughtful change is real good fertilizer. And that's what has been so beneficial to us. But you also were not afraid of the pivot. Well, and I'm a black woman in business. Come on, I don't care how I dress up. I don't care who I'm speaking with. I don't care what part of the world I am in.

I still am a black woman in business. Being afraid of the pivot, being fearful of change is not what got me here. Respectful of change, respectful of pivot. Yeah, fearful? No, uh-ens, America's Wealth Coach, are you working hard and yet your performance doesn't reflect your paycheck? On the next Get Wealthy, you're going to learn some savvy career moves so that all your efforts actually show up in your bank account. Joining

us is the founder of a career network, and she's going to share the three R's of accelerating your financial growth. Here's a tip as well. If you are an individual contributor and you desire to be a leader, do the work where you are now. Because if you do the work where you are now, when you do reach the level, you'll be prepared to stay there. Right here on Get Wealthy, only on Blackstar Network. All right, folks, got a slight tech hook up there. Well, the point I was about to make, Julian, do not be surprised if the White House gets involved in this strike. We've seen it in the past because, again, President Biden, Vice President Harris, they don't understand. Look, you cannot have something that's going to have a negative impact on the economy that is, yes, it has been improving, getting better.

But you do not want to slow down that positive growth. Well, while we're on the break, I looked up the number. The auto industry represents five percent of all workers, more than five percent of our economy. And that's just the workers who work for the big three. So, you know, the big three often have contracts, subcontracts with others. People are doing pipe fitting, bringing it there. So we're really looking at a significant slice of the economy that basically is run by the automobile industry. No, Biden-Harris cannot afford to have these folks go on strike. But I don't know what kind of juice they have to get the big three auto companies to offer people a reasonable amount of money. The issue is to offer something

that is reasonable. And what you've seen is a resistance from paying workers. Now, you know, this organization called Live Nation, I think it's called, their CEO makes thirty nine million dollars a year. The average worker who works for them makes twenty six thousand dollars a year. That's a ratio of about seven thousand to one. Why do I mean that company? They're about a hundred companies where the ratio is more than five hundred to one. The CEO making five hundred times more than the lowest paid worker. So, see, these people don't mind giving themselves raises and stock options and doing stock buybacks and all that,

but they mind paying workers, and that's the problem. And like I said, I don't want UAW to go on strike if it hurts the economy. I want UAW to go on strike if it means they get fair pay because when they get fair pay, it's going to send a signal to the entertainment industry. Hmm, maybe we better look at this. It's going to send a signal to other industries.

Worker strength is growing and workers need to take that by the horns and just really run with it. Run with it. Get the most you can. Improve your benefits. It's time.

You know, Joe, we're seeing the same thing in the WGA and the SAG strike where people are looking at the pay of these network and movie CEOs. They're saying, wait a minute, you're telling people they should take pay cuts and you guys are making $20, $30, $40, $50, $100 million. Yeah, I mean, and, you know cuts, and you guys are making $20, $30, $40, $50, $100 million. Yeah, I mean, and fundamentally, they're going to look at that and say that there's something wrong with that.

And, you know, so many people sag, et cetera. They're based in the city that's one of the most expensive in the country to live in. So that adds to what it is that they have going. And, again, they've probably already lost the money that they were—that SAG was asking for, that the actors were asking for, that the strikers were asking for, just in the stoppage to this point.

It's probably already happened statistically. And so, you know, you have to wonder, I hope, I mean, I have some friends on the management side, some dear friends on the management side, and you hope that the motivation, you know, is not to squeeze these guys out and to create this new calculus where so many people, where there are less of them, where people get pushed out, or where there's this fundamental change that creates even more of an advantage for the studio. They have and they are incentivized each side to work together. And so often I see the workers willing to make sacrifices. But at the same time, there needs to be a balance stricken so that someone can make a living,

can pay their bills, can do the things that they need to do. And you can't just blame it on the fact that, oh, now we stream and therefore there's six episodes instead of 22, you know, and all of these other things. That oversimplifies. That doesn't change the needs that folks have. Where there's a will, there's a way. And what we're hoping is that the will gets developed for this thing to be resolved in a way that the striking workers, who often are the ones that are making the biggest sacrifices, that it hits them in the pocket the hardest,

so that they have something that they can live with, get to what you call a happily unhappy number in the settlement world, so everybody can move on. All right, folks, hold tight one second. When we come back, we will remember what took place on this day on 9-11, where thousands of Americans died and people all around the world were shocked, shocked by that brutal attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Also, this weekend on Saturday, Vice President Kamala Harris had a hip-hop 50 celebration featuring some of the top acts, lots of legends who were there.

We had a grand time. Wait till I show you all that took place. I was there with my camera. And I've been posting on Instagram. People have been talking about it. And we're going to show you as well. So all of that coming up next right here on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. Don't forget, folks, download the Blackstar Network app,

Apple Phone, Android Phone, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV. Also, join my Bring the Funk fan club. See the chicken money order at PO Box 57196, Washington, D.C., 20037-0196. Cash app, dollar sign, RM Unfiltered. PayPal, R-Martin unfiltered. Venmo is RM unfiltered. Zelle, Roland at RolandSMartin.com.

Roland at RolandMartinUnfiltered.com. And be sure to get a copy of my book, White Fear, How the Browning of Americans Making White Folks Lose Their Minds, available at bookstores nationwide. Download it. The audio version and audible. Get your copy on Amazon, Barnes & Noble. We'll be right back.

Hatred on the streets, a horrific scene, a white nationalist rally that descended into deadly violence. You will not regret that. White people are losing their damn lives. There's an angry pro-Trump mob storm to the U.S. Capitol. We're about to see the rise of what I call white minority resistance. We have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting. I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of violent denial.

This is part of American history. Every time that people of color have made progress, whether real or symbolic, there has been what Carol Anderson at Emory University calls white rage as a backlash. This is the wrath of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys. America, there's going to be more of this. This country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because of the fear of white people. The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're taking our women. This is white fear. President Biden has delivered for Black America. More funding for Black entrepreneurs. Millions of new good-paying jobs.

He's lowering the cost of medications and the cost of living. Joe Biden is delivering for us. And that's the facts. I'm Faraiq Muhammad, live from L.A. And this is The Culture. The Culture is a two-way conversation. You and me, we talk about the stories, politics, the good, the bad,

and the downright ugly. So join our community every day at 3 p.m. Eastern and let your voice be heard. Hey, we're all in this together. So let's talk about it and see what kind of trouble we can get into. It's the culture. Weekdays at 3, only on the Black Star Network.

Hello, I'm Marissa Mitchell, a news anchor at Fox 5 DC. Hey, what's up? It's Sammy Roman, and you are watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. Hi, folks. Welcome back. Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Blackstead Network. I'm live from Houston. Folks, today, all across the country, but especially in New York City, as well as Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.,

the members took place for what took place on 9-11 when three plane crashes, actually four crashes, devastated this country and the world. Two, of course, into the World Trade Center in New York City. One to the Pentagon. And then one plane was on its way to D.C. And then the passengers, the brave passengers, they tried to go after the hijackers. And that plane crashed in Pennsylvania. Quite an emotional day as Vice President Kamala Harris joined the Mayor of New York there,

Eric Adams, for that commemoration there in New York City. It is always a difficult day and a painful day for many, where nearly 3,000 people died. A total of 2,753 people were reported missing in lower Manhattan after the attacks on the World Trade Center. Today, 40% of the victims, who were about 1,100 people thought to have died in the disaster, remain unidentified. Last week, New York City officials identified two new victims through DNA testing. The work to identify the others continues. President Joe Biden spoke today before the troops, and here's what he had to say on this sad day.

Vow, never forget, never forget, we never forget. Each of us, each of those precious lives stolen too soon when evil attacked. Ground zero in New York. And I remember standing there the next day and looking at the building. I felt like I was looking through the gates of hell. It looked so devastating because the way you could, from where you could stand. A lot of times the big economic forces we hear about on the news show up in our lives in small ways.

Three or four days a week, I would buy two cups of banana pudding. But the price has gone up, so now I only buy one. The demand curve in action, and that's just one of the things we'll be covering on Everybody's Business from Bloomberg Businessweek. I'm Max Chavkin. And I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith. Every Friday, we will be diving into the biggest stories in business,

taking a look at what's going on, why it matters, and how it shows up in our everyday lives. But guests like Businessweek editor Brad Stone, sports reporter Randall Williams, and consumer spending expert Amanda Mull will take you inside the boardrooms, the backrooms, even the signal chats that make our economy tick. Hey, I want to learn about VeChain. I want to buy some blockchain or whatever it is that they're doing. So listen to Everybody's Business on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley

comes a story about what happened when a multibillion-dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st,

and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way.

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

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

It makes it real. Listen to does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. but especially the last few days, their memory has been with me. I'm just returning from the G20 summit in India, where we strengthened America's leadership on the global stage, followed by a historic trip to Vietnam, where we transformed our partnership in one of the most critical regions in the world.

These trips are a central part of how we're going to ensure the United States is flanked by the broadest array of allies and partners who will stand with us and deter any threat to our security. To build a world that is safer for all of our children, something that today of all days we're reminded of is not a given. Because through this military base is located on ground zero isn't we know the distance did not dull or diminish the pain we felt all across the nation of september 11th because we know that on this day 22 years ago from this base were scrambled and high alert to escort planes through the airspace alaskan communities opened their doors to stranded passengers.

American flags sold out in every store and were placed in front of seemingly every home. We know that on this day every American's heart was wounded, yet every big city, small town, suburb, rural town, tribal community, American hands went up ready to help where they could, ready to serve like so many of you here, ready like Chief Master Sergeant Shady Taylor, here with us today, who had recently started college when Flight 93 went down a few miles from Shanksville. She said, and I quote, I immediately knew I wanted to sign up and suit up to serve my country. Ready like General, excuse me, General Eifler, who said on that day, when our nation calls, we must be ready. It called and we went without hesitation.

My fellow Americans, September 11th, 2001, our strength, our resolve, and our courage. The billowing smoke and ash that darkened the clear blue sky that September day. The shredded steel and concrete slabs that rained down from the World Trade Center. The plume of fire that shot up in the sky in Pentagon. I remember seeing as I got off the Amtrak train on my way to work in the United States Senate, the pit into the earth in Shanksville, a testament to the unbreakable courage

and resolve of the American people. But we'll never forget that when faced with evil and an enemy who sought to tear us apart, we endured, we endured. But while every year we mark this hallowed day, it's never easy. To anyone here or anyone across the country who's grieving a lost child, parent, spouse,

sibling, friend, or coworker, to all those who still bear the wounds from the searing September morning, I know how hard it is on a day like this. How can we reopen that moon? It's like opening a black hole in your chest, sucking you into it again, bringing you back to that moment when you saw the news,

the moment you got that phone call, the moment you realized you'd never say again, "'See you later, Mom,' or, or talk to you soon, son. Think of everything your loved one might have done if they had a little more time. What would they have done? And though that can leave you so hollow, it also makes you full at the same time.

On this day, I'm thinking about a friend of mine named Davis, who grew up with me in Delaware. 22 years ago, he and his family had just passed the first year without their youngest son of three sons, who died in a boating accident at age 15. His oldest son, Davis Jr., was just six days into a new job on the 104th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center. Davis went straight to Ground Zero to search for his son, search deep into the last, as he referred to it, endings of hope, as he put it. A few days later, I called David to talk his father's no about losing a piece of your soul.

I was on my way to speak to students at the University of Delaware to try to make sense of what happened. And guess what? Having lost two sons within a year, Davis told me, just tell them, Joe, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. The terrorists stole 297, 2,977 souls that day. 2,977 souls. And I'm not going to lie to you. The terrorists stole 297, 2,977 souls that day. 2,977 souls. Forever holding the

future of so many families and the story of our nation. But those terrorists could not touch what no force, no enemy, no day ever could. That is the soul of America. What's the soul of America? It's the breath, the life, the essence of who we are. The soul is what makes us us. The soul of America is based on a sacred proposition that we're all created equal, endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights, life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. We haven't always lived up to it, but we've never walked away from that proposition either. The soul of America is the fortitude we found in the fear of that terrible September day, the purpose we found in our pain, the light we found in our darkest hour,

an hour when terrorists believed they could bring us to our knees, bend our will, break our resolve. But they were wrong. They were dead wrong. In the crucible of 9-11 and the days and months that followed, we saw the stuff America's made of. Firefighters and police officers and other first responders running into an inferno of jet fuel debris at ground zero, breathing in toxins and ash that would damage their own health, but still refusing to stop for months.

Civilians and service members of the Pentagon rushing into the fiery breach again and again and again to rescue their colleagues in the Pentagon. The Patriot passengers on Flight 93, think of this, who did not know the horror that awaited them, but they confronted the unimaginable fear and terror with absolute courage. It's astonishing. The poet Maya Angelou wrote, History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived. But if we face it with courage, we need not live it again.

My mother had it put in a different way. My mother was a five-foot-two little Irish lady who had a backbone like a ramrod. She used to say, and I mean this sincerely, courage lies in every heart, and the expectation is that one day it will be summoned. On September 11th, it was summoned at 9.57 a.m. It was summoned, and 40 incredible women and men in Shanksville answered the call. Civilians, they gave their lives, and in doing so, they gave life to their country. We saw that courage at Ground Zero and the Pentagon,

and we saw it in so many other ways. These are heroes, like the faith community leaders all across the country, who pushed back against the fear and hate they saw directed at Muslim Americans and Middle Eastern Americans, South Asian descent. Heroes like all of you, the brave women and men of the armed forces who never faltered, you never failed to defend our nation, our people, and our values in times of trial. Heroes like the 9-11 generation,

hundreds of thousands of brave Americans who were deployed to Afghanistan to make sure the United States would not be attacked again, who served in Iraq, like many of you probably did, in war zones around the world, risking their own safety and the safety of their fellow citizens, for the safety of their fellow citizens, who served and sacrificed again and again to defend our democracy and deny terrorists the safe haven, who followed Osama bin Laden to the end of the earth and ultimately sent him to the gates of hell 12 years ago. And then last year, I made the decision to take out Zawahiri, the number two who met the same fate. And today, our intelligence community has recently assessed

in a declassified memo that al-Qaeda threat from Afghanistan and Pakistan has reached a historic low. Though all this has changed over the last 22 years, the resolve of the American people has proved we never bow, we never bend, we never yield. Our longest war is over, but our commitment to preventing another attack on the United States and our people and our allies will never, never rest. Never.

Terrorism, including political and ideological violence, is the opposite of all we stand for as a nation. It settles our difference peacefully under a rule of law. We're going to continue to track terrorist threat in all forms wherever it may be. We're going to continue to disrupt terrorist activity wherever we may find it. And I will never hesitate to do what is necessary to defend the American people, just as I will never forget our sacred duty to those of you who serve. Never before in our history, never before in our history has America asked so much for

so many over such a sustained period for all volunteer force. You make up 1% of the population through the strength, the venue, the backbone, through the sinew of America. As a nation we have many obligations but I've been saying for 30 years we only have one truly sacred obligation to prepare those we send into harm's way and care for them and their families when they return home and when they do not return home. It's an obligation not based on party or politics, but on a promise that unites all Americans. And together, over the last two and a half years,

I've worked to make good on that promise, signing more than 25 bipartisan laws to support our service members and veterans and their families and caregivers and survivors. We will not stop. We owe you. We owe you big and it matters. Across the country, many Americans heard our nation's call in the days right after 9-11 and there were those who were just children, not even born yet when this happened. But when their time came to choose to serve, not because they saw something, but

because they felt something, like many of you did. The same feeling that brought Americans together on this painful day 22 years ago. Unity. Now, it shouldn't take a national tragedy to remind us of the power of national unity, but that's how we truly honor those we lost on 9-11. By remembering what we can do together, to remember what destroyed, what we repaired. What was threatened that we fortified. What was attacked and an indomitable American spirit prevailed over all of it. Ordinary Americans responding in extraordinary and unexpected ways. That's who you are. You are the soul of the nation.

That's not hyperbole. To me, that's the central lesson of September 11th. Not that we'll never again falter or face setbacks. It's that for all our flaws and disagreements, there's nothing we cannot accomplish when we defend with our hearts, which make us unique in the world. Our democracy. Our democracy. Every generation has to fight to preserve it. That's why the terrorists targeted us in the first place. Our freedom, our openness, our institutions, they failed, but we must remain vigilant. Today, we can look across the country

and around the world and see anger and fear in places many of you have been stationed before. A rising tide of hatred and extremism and political violence. It's more important than ever that we come together around the principle of American democracy, regardless of our political backgrounds. We must not succumb to the poisonous politics

of difference and division. We must never allow ourselves to be pulled apart by petty, manufactured grievances. We must continue to stand united. We all have an obligation, a duty, a responsibility to defend, to preserve, to protect our democracy. And always remember, American democracy depends not on some of us, but on all of us. American democracy depends on the habits of the heart of we the people.

The habits of the heart. Let me close with this. Earlier today in Hanoi, I visited the marker to honor my friend, war hero, senator and statesman John McCain. John and I disagreed like hell, like two brothers we'd argue like hell on the Senate floor. Then we'd go to lunch together. I went out to see John just before he passed away at his home. As I was walking out, I put my hand on his chest and he pulled me down.

He kissed me. He said, I love you. Will you do my eulogy? John and I were friends, like a lot of us who had differences, like Ted Stevens and I were friends. We disagreed, but we're friends. One thing I always admired about John was how he put duty to country first and that's not hyperbole he did above party above politics above his own person this day reminds us we must never lose that sense of national unity so let that be the common cause of our time let us honor September 11th by renewing our faith in one another.

Let us remember who we are as a nation. We never forget. We're never afraid. We endure. We overcome. We are the United States of America. And there is nothing, literally, historically, nothing that's been beyond our capacity

when we set our mind to it together. God bless you all. May God protect our troops. Thank you. You know, Julianne and Joe, this is going to be one of those days that will forever be etched into the minds of this country, but especially this generation. We also I was also on social media today and I was also looking at another issue that took place around this same day. The role that the United States played in the overthrow in Chile that led to the deaths of thousands of people as well. And so I saw a comment from Ilhan Omar tweet this tweet about that. And so I say that I say that people understand that we rightfully should remember those who

died on that day. We also have to think about... A lot of times the big economic forces we hear about on the news show up in our lives in small ways. Three or four days a week, I would buy two cups of banana pudding. But the price has gone up, So now I only buy one. The demand curve in action. And that's just one of the things we'll be covering on Everybody's Business from Bloomberg Business Week. I'm Max Chavkin. And I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith. Every Friday, we will be diving into the biggest stories in business, taking a look at what's going on, why it matters and how it shows up

in our everyday lives. But guests like Businessweek editor Brad Stone, sports reporter Randall Williams, and consumer spending expert Amanda Mull will take you inside the boardrooms, the backrooms, even the signal chats that make our economy tick. Hey, I want to learn about VeChain. I want to buy some blockchain or whatever it is that they're doing. So listen to Everybody's Business on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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

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

I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. two of the war on drugs podcast we are back in a big way in a very big way real people real perspectives this is kind of star-studded a little bit man we got uh ricky williams nfl player hasman

trophy winner it's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves music stars marcus king john osborne for brothersborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug thing is. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Caramouch.

What we're doing now isn't working, and we need to change things. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts

or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad free with exclusive content subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Folks who died in other parts of the world on Apple Podcasts. number of things. And while we talk about democracy and we invade other people's countries because of democracy, we don't have democracy here, not when we have a level of voter suppression that we have here, not when we have a level of police brutality that we have here. The United States has a reckoning to do. September 11, 2001 was certainly a very horrible day. And I think

one of the hardest things for many of us to deal with is the fact that we've seen war on other people's land. We've invaded other people, Vietnam as an example, other places. But there has never really been the kind of carnage here, except for the killing of the native people, let's not leave that out, and the evisceration of many enslaved people. But we've never seen that kind of carnage here in this United States. And so it was really quite startling. And people were frightened. A lot of people did a lot of things that were a function of that fear.

But we have yet to reckon with our own role. I mean, a brother in Richmond, the Richmond Black newspaper, I wrote a piece. I remember it because I got in a lot of trouble for it. This was number chickens coming home to roost. You invade, you oppress, and oppression is going to come back to you. And the brother had my piece in the newsstand, not newsstand, but the news box in front of his place, in front of his office, and they, some crazy people, you know, destroyed the, destroyed the news box and threw it into the window. And the brother called me, he said, you got me in a lot of trouble.

I said, no, we in trouble anyway. But the fact that people could not stand to hear chickens coming home to roost. If you have a predatory capitalist oppressor, there will be oppression on your soil. That's just how it is. And so while, you know, we all mourn for the thousands who were killed. I think the New York Times, Roland, did a really great job during that time here doing these little postage stamp size autobiographies or biographies of each of the people who was lost. Some more bigger, but many of them, it was just really saying all lives matter in that context. Every life is precious. And I appreciated that very much. So, yes, it was an extraordinary,

sad occurrence, but it did not happen in a vacuum. And we in the United States have to be clear about the way we treat other people. Chickens come home to roost. Joe, you know, when I pray for this country and I do every day families and those that we lost and how it made us feel as a country. And we all remember where we were. It is one of those moments. There's no question about that. But it's true that those aren't the only moments that we've had to deal with. And there does need to be a reckoning related to those things but there's a suggestion that we're supposed to accept and that we did accept from that one is that uh be fearful right that's what those that would do us harm would want us to be and then comes the suggestion that your fear is justified and therefore everything that comes out of that

fear is justified and so we are not better off now for being fearful and having things come out of that fear is justified. And so we are not better off now for being fearful and having things come out of that fear from the inside of us. We're talking about some of the same racial issues, some of the same issues in terms of discriminating against certain groups of people. The notion of discrimination is just as strong. We know, we've changed from airplanes to libraries, even though there's still discrimination going on in airplanes. But it's no better when we ourselves are the source of that harm or the source of that prejudice or the source of that racism, even as it came from the outside, not only from the outside, but from the outside. That's what we focused on at the time of 9-11. And so I think one of the legacies of 9-11 ought to be that we don't become

what the folks that had the worst of us at heart and wanted the worst for us to become on the inside. And that is a group of people that is fearful and because of being fearful, ultimately self-destructive. If we are joined together and we actually need each other in order to survive, the worst thing that can happen to us is that we're turned against each other, destroy each other, don't understand our common humanity, our common humanity, don't understand that we are supposed to be this inescapable web of mutuality as Dr. King talked about. And therefore we step on each other, we hate each other, ultimately we kill each other. We try to kill each other's dreams, et cetera.

So when we pray for protection from harms without and from harms within, I think the harms within are just as important as anything now. And if we're honest about it, what we've got to do is make sure that we understand that people that even that we've killed, that we brought justice to, and Osama bin Laden and all these other folks, even folks that we brought justice to will rest easily in their graves if we kill each other from within. So we need to make sure that we are reflective, that we don't use what happened to become unwise. That's why we have to be balanced in how we deal with other parts of the world. We have to take responsibility for the things that happen, that potentially happen at our hands, the things that we can potentially avoid doing

that make countries and other parts of the world worse off. And we have to make sure that we don't self-destruct, which in our worst moments, even today, we still do. All right, Ben, Joe, Juliana, so appreciate both of you being with us on today's show. Thank you so very much. Folks, don't go anywhere. We come back. I'm going to show you what happened. The vice president's house for the Hip Hop 50 celebration on Saturday was a grand time.

And you get to see it for yourself. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered right here on the Black Sunday. All change is not growth. Right. But thoughtful change is real good fertilizer. And that's what has been so beneficial to us. But you also were not afraid of the kid. Well, and I'm a black woman in business.

Come on, I don't care how I dress up. I don't care who I'm speaking with. I don't care what part of the world I am in. I still am a black woman in business. Being afraid of the pivot, being fearful of change is not what got me here. Respectful of change, respectful of pivot. Yeah, fearful, no, uh-uh, no.

On the next Get Wealthy with me, Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach, are you working hard and yet your performance doesn't reflect your paycheck? On the next Get Wealthy, you're going to learn some savvy career moves so that all your efforts actually show up in your bank account. Joining us is the founder of a career network, and she's going to share the three R's of accelerating your financial growth. Here's a tip as well. If you are an individual contributor and you desire to be a leader, do the work where you are now. Because if you do the work where you are now, when you do reach the level, you'll be prepared to stay there. Right here on Get Wealthy, only on Black Star Network.

Me Sherri Shepard and you know what you're watching, Roland Martin, unfiltered. All right, folks, Saturday, I was one of the invited guests to the vice president, Kamala Harris's residence in the nation's capital. She had a hip hop 50 celebration that was partnering with the black music collective of the Recording Academy. It was a fabulous time. and because I was there, you got to go along. We always talk about rolling with rollers, so wherever I go, you get to go.

So you see a lot of people who have been posting videos and photos, and I've been posting stuff on my social media. Well, because you are watchers of this show, listeners of this show, you get to see this 32-minute view of what took place at the Vice President's house. It was a grand time, and I certainly hope you enjoy. All right, y'all, so we're here at the VP's residence for the hip-hop party. It's outdoors. So we here at the VPs residence for the hip hop party. Outdoors.

Had to sit here and rock the Frankie Beverly Mays outfit. She said, they said, smart casual. Linden is always smart casual, always. What was happening? What you doing, Doc? Yes, yes, yes. What you making here? Uh, something dedicated to hip-hop's 50.

You like something? You'll see as it, I don't want to give too much away. I got you, all right. How you doing? Would you like some champagne? Yeah, I'll do water, I don't drink. Cool. How you doing? Yeah, I do water. I don't drink. Cool. I should have worn my grill.

Oh, Lord, not the grill. I should have bust it up. Jelani got on his rope chain right now. Really? Y'all know anybody black people sitting on the floor on the ground? Yeah, but we ain't doing that. We ain't doing that. We ain't doing that. You getting a tan today. I am getting a tan today. I'm getting a tan today.

Oh, yeah, we knew you would have a fan. We knew you would have a fan. It's actually Yvette. She's letting me. That is my fan. I share with Deltas. Here we go. Here we go. All this energy. It's me borrow it. That is my fan. I share it with Deltas. Here we go. Here we go.

All this energy. It's going to start. Oh, you said you're carrying her? We go back. Yes. We go back since Las Vegas. Oh, my God. Stomping for Elizabeth Warren.

Why? Why would she? She the first person that told me to take COVID seriously. She hopped in my car with a mask on. What I got? What I got in my hand. You gonna put this all up there. Ha ha ha. You gonna troll us all day?

You know it. I like that video. That's nice. That is nice. But of course. It's an digital kid. Somebody got to do it. Somebody got to do it.

Now, let me explain something to y'all. I can't shoot me on here. Can I shoot me on here? Come on. You can go back. Oh. Ha ha. Oh, that what it is? I can't shimmy on here. Can I shimmy on here? Come on. You can go back. Whoa! Oh, is that what that is?

You can't tell me exactly what that is? You want me to shimmy? Alphas don't shimmy. I know. That's what lesser organizations do. So you're one of the few black people who decided to sit on the ground. Huh?

You're one of the few black people who want to sit on the ground. Everybody else is like, I ain't sitting my ass on the ground. I'm all good. I got on pass for this. Girl, you know black people. And it's shady. Hold up. Hold up.

I want you to notice. It's two of y'all sitting out here in the shade. Everybody else is like, now damn it. I need to be in a couch or a chair. I'm good right here. Look, you stay ready. A lot of times the big economic forces we hear about on the news show up in our lives in small ways. Three or four days a week, I would buy two cups of banana pudding. But the price has gone up, so now I only buy one.

The demand curve in action. And that's just one of the things we'll be covering on Everybody's Business from Bloomberg Businessweek. I'm Max Chavkin. And I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith. Every Friday, we will be diving into the biggest stories in business, taking a look at what's going on, why it matters, and how it shows up in our everyday lives. But guests like Businessweek editor Brad Stone, sports reporter Randall Williams, and consumer spending expert Amanda Mull will take you inside the boardrooms, the backrooms, even the signal chats that make our economy tick. Hey, I want to learn about VeChain. I want to buy some blockchain or whatever it is that

they're doing. So listen to Everybody's Business on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.

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

on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes one, two, and three on May 21st, and episodes four, five, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. We are back.

In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug thing is.

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

It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. What's happening? What's happening? What's happening? Hello, hello. What's happening?

Of course. What's happening? what's going on? Everybody good? This is beautiful. 50 years of hip-hop. God, me. Who would have ever thought we would have made it this far, right? And for Kamala to have this at her house, this is bold. This is bold.

Hope you got security everywhere. There's a lot of posse's in here tonight. We know the style, but we don't know who he with. So y'all make sure y'all like that. White people, thank y'all for hanging out with us tonight. Getting your card tonight. That's good. Getting your hip hop card tonight.

That's good. We sure appreciate you. Oh, white people, another thing too. I'm going to be cracking a few jokes tonight, but I only wrote black material, so just sit there and take it. If I say something you don't like, just sit there and take it and don't make me think this is offensive to you at all, okay? So, all right, we're going to have a good time. So, I'm going to go on with a couple jokes, all right? Dion, you got guests.

I was eating dinner with these white devils last night. It ain't gonna work tonight. Don't do that one, brother. Brother in the back like... I just need you all to bring on the man right here, man. The second gentleman, y'all. Give it up. Give it up.

Give it up. Give it up. Give it up. Give it up. What's up? People, welcome to the Vice President's residence. Welcome to our home. We are so happy to have you here at our home

to celebrate 50 years of hip hop! Hi, we're gonna celebrate the legends who pioneered the music that we love, and the next generations who are going to carry on their legacy and all the artists and producers who use the power of music to create change and as the husband of someone who's created a lot of change your host vice president kamala harris let me tell you something this is a hip-hop household. And some of you may know, when I was in law school in LA in the late 80s, I had a nickname.

And that nickname was and still is Doug E. Fresh. And I'm proud to say we got the real one here today. Where you at, my friend? All right, so once again, Tom and I welcome you to our home. And now, please welcome to the stage, very impressive man. I got a chance to spend some time with him, the CEO of the Recording Academy,

Harvey Mason Jr. He's been instrumental in the creation and support of this event and he's been a driving force within today on behalf of the Recording Academy's Black Music Collective. Thank you. Thank you. Like most of you, hip-hop changed my world. I was growing up in the 80s, right when hip-hop was bursting onto the scene. It was on the radio, it was on MTV, it was in magazines, it was in culture. It was everything that I loved about the genre. Later when I started producing music, mostly in the pop and R&B space, I didn't realize how much hip hop was influencing my ear, my music.

Welcome everybody! Welcome! Thank you Harvey! music. Welcome, welcome, welcome. And let me just thank Harvey for all you have done to make this day. Someone just asked me, is this what you imagined? I said this is beyond my wildest imagination that we would be here together celebrating all that we know is wonderful about our country. I want to thank the Recording Academy's Black Music Collective and Live Nation Urban for all that you have done to make today possible. And so let me just say welcome everybody. Welcome to the first ever hip hop house party of the Vice President of the United States.

And welcome also, of course, to the members of our administration, including Secretary Miguel Cardona, who's here, and all the elected officials, including members of the United States Congress, so many of whom have been longstanding champions of hip-hop. I want to welcome Governor Wes Moore, And to all the industry leaders and artists, welcome to our home. So I don't need to tell anybody here, but hip-hop is the ultimate American art form. Born at a back-to-school party in the Bronx, raised on the streets of Philadelphia, Chicago, Oakland, and Atlanta, hip-hop now shapes nearly every aspect of America's popular culture and it reflects the incredible diversity and ingenuity of the American people.

It combines rhythms from the continent of Africa, from the Caribbean, from Latin America, with the sounds of soul and gospel and R&B and funk to create something entirely new. And to be clear, hiphop culture is America it is a genre it is music and melody and rhyme yes pop is also an ethos of strength and aspiration, of pride, power, and purpose. Hip-hop is a declaration of identity. It says, I love who I am. I represent where I come from, and I know where I'm going. And I will tell you, as a daughter of Oakland, California,

hip-hop has been a part of my life since its very beginning. From growing up knowing every word to Rapper's Delight, to being in high school when my best friend from kindergarten, Stacy Johnson, who is here, would pick me up in her father's black Cadillac Coupe Deville there she is to drive to a club in the city where the DJ played and we danced until we needed to take off our shoes a few years later I arrived here in DC at Howard University. You know. And among my most prized possessions were my bootleg Too Short takes.

And let me tell you, when I played those takes, those kids from New York and Chicago and Philly showed up. And why did we all love our hip hop so much? Well, one reason is it speaks truth. Raw, unfiltered, without apology. And like all art forms, especially what comes from the streets, it is not without criticism or

controversy because here's the thing it has always chilled the voices of the people that's right that's right it tells the stories that don't make the news but as the great Chuck D once said rap is black America's CNN and by telling the truth hip-hop calls us to action that's right you know many of you know as a young child my parents took me in a stroller as they marched for civil rights and so growing up my generation so many of us our generations we didn't just read about the Civil Rights Movement. We were born into it. And hip-hop then presented us with a new language to shine a light on injustice and inequality.

To demand dignity and respect. Just reflect from Grandmaster Flash to Queen Latifah, Lauryn Hill, and Kendrick Lamar. Generations of hip-hop artists helped to elevate the collective conscience through their voices. And then, of course, there is the brilliant complexity of this art form. That within a genre, there are many genres. Think all distinct and tied to a specific place or region. Because whether it was from Brooklyn or Bronx, Chi-Town or the ATL, the West Coast or the dirty South,

Hip Hop will always let you know about pride of place. And here's what's so incredible. Today, Hip Hop is everywhere. So as Vice President of the United States, I have traveled this world, and I firmly believe hip-hop is one of America's greatest exports. In fact, earlier this year, I was in Ghana joined by guys like Idris Elba and Sheryl Lee Ralph and Spike Lee. And I visited a recording studio where young artists influenced by hip-hop

have helped to create their own unique music. The globe-trotting Afrobeats. And the same is happening around the world where young people have adopted hip-hop to tell their own stories of Self-determination from the streets of Ghana to France to Japan to Brazil and to its home all the way back in the Bronx Hip-hop is traveling the world. Yes, and so half a century later It is clear Hip hop will not be erased. Come on.

Hip hop is here to stay. So now join me in welcoming to the stage the incredible D-Nice. Woo! A lot of times the big economic forces we hear about on the news show up in our lives in small ways. Three or four days a week, I would buy two cups of banana pudding. But the price has gone up, so now I only buy one. The demand curve in action. And that's just one of the things we'll be covering on Everybody's Business from Bloomberg Businessweek.

I'm Max Chavkin. And I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith. Every Friday, we will be diving into the biggest stories in business, taking a look at what's going on, why it Williams, and consumer spending expert Amanda Mull will take you inside the boardrooms, the backrooms, even the signal chats that make our economy tick. Hey, I want to learn about VeChain. I want to buy some blockchain or whatever it is that they're doing. So listen to Everybody's Business on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun?

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

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

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

yes sir, we are back in a big way in a very big way real people, real perspectives this is kind of star studded a little bit man we got Ricky Williams, NFL player Heisman Trophy winner big way. Real people, real perspectives. This kind of starts at it a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate

choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote unquote drug man Benny the Butcher.

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

It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. The Vice President's Residence. I can't do it without my brother, who is actually from here. Ladies and gentlemen, make some noise for my brother, Kenny Burns. Hey, Kenny.

Put your hands high in the sky if you love hip-hop, ladies and gentlemen. We are at the Vice President's house. The dream is real. You ready, B? I'm ready. Ladies, here's what I'll tell you something. Come on! Come on! You stood right beside me Roll your mark, put your camera down, get in the line, boy!

And I'll just forget And I really love you Oh, so does he! You're the best! Oh, so do you! D-Nice! I'll give you a time That you can say I'm gonna take you down I'm gonna take you down I'm gonna take you down I'm gonna take you down

I'm gonna take you down I'm gonna take you down I'm gonna take you down I'm gonna take you down I'm gonna take you down I'm gonna take you down I'm gonna take you down I'm gonna take you down

I'm gonna take you down I'm gonna the show I'm on the show I'm on the show I'm on the show I'm on the show I'm on the show I'm on the show I'm on the show I'm on the show I'm on the show

I'm on the show I'm on the show I'm on the show I'm on the show Your sexy unisex Throw your hands in the air Let me hear you say oh yeah Said you're gay About to throw a hoot right on the hip hop I rock the party that rocks the party Rock the party that rocks the party Let me hear you now

I rock the party that rocks the party You rock the party that rocks the party What you saying now? I rock the party that rocks the party You rock the party that rocks the party I rock the party that rocks the party. You rock the party that rocks the party. I rock the party that rocks the party. You rock the party that rocks the party. You rock the party that rocks the party. And we made it to the top!

Yeah! If you with us, let's go! Nothing can stop me, I'm all the way up! I'm all the way up! I'm all the way up! I'm all the way up! I'm all the way up! I'm all the way up! Hey! I got bottles, got, got, I'm all the way up Show me what you want, I got what you need Show me what you want, I got what you need

Show me what you want, I got what you need I'm all the way up I'm all the way up I'm all the way up I'm all the way up Somebody hit his head, that ain't cool And bro, next thing I can't get you out the room Let me hear it. a few tastes I'm all the way up, so you know. Show that big band. Show that big band.

It's about, it's about to come. Come on. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke.

It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke.

It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke.

It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke.

It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke.

It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke.

It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a joke.

It's a joke. It's a joke. Boys, but in many ways, boys made a better goal. I had to let her. She didn't tell her. I understood that. Look at what she's done to make her a hard rack. She's a queen to me. I like beans. Take a bow. Take a bow.

Hey. Girl, I'll tell you the rest when I see you. Yo, sing it, girl. When you need someone, I will be by your side. There is a light to shine, that's your way of life. When you need someone, I will be by your side. Yeah, yeah. Let them know about the light, y'all.

Come on. There is a light. I will shine. Just for you. You can't beat me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Tick-a-tock, tick-a-tock, tick-a-tock. Tick-a-tock, tick-a-tock, tick-a-tock.

Tick-a-tock, tick-a-tock, tick-a-tock. You know, I tell you to rest when I see you Peace God bless, man, God bless, God is great Let's just do 50 years of hip-hop and we got more going I appreciate you, D-Nice You're one of our favorites I love you, brother, I love you, man

Make some noise for Carmen Well, we're not done celebrating yet Vice President said kick this vibe going Ladies and gentlemen, make some noise for my brother, Doug E. Fresh. And I want to say, today we're going to represent five elements of hip-hop. Since we're here, I want to give you all five. The DJ, D-Nice. We got the MC.

We got the break dancer. We got the graffiti artist. And I am the fifth element of Empire. All right, then. Let me clear my throat! Hey! I'm Ursa, baby!

I hope you're all right! Let me clear my throat! Come on! Drink it up, y'all! As Grease? Who won't party like we do. And y. One, two, three. Three. Come here, baby. When it came to security, they was like, is all of that jewelry necessary? I said yes.

Because there's only one man that wears it like that. And he is the ruler. Slap. Whip. Slap. Whip. Slap. Whip. Slap. Whip. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap. YESSSSS! Take it, take it, take it. It's too deep, Dougie. I can never see the show without a golden mic. Say what?

When you do the wrong thing, don't come out right. Take mine. That's not polite. We lying. No, we don't lie about it. Well, tonight. Oh, it's a great mic. You're about to hear.

We swear. We're strong, guys. Let it hear. So, shout it out. Bring it, Rubble. Also, when you need it, Mike. This is gonna show. Ladies and gentlemen, make some noise for our brother,

the ruler, Sam White. Let's go, let's go. Go, Turkey, go, Turkey, go, Turkey, go, Turkey, go, Turkey, go, Turkey, go, Turkey, go, Turkey, go, Turkey. What? What's the matter, bro? You know what? I'm gonna do what I need you, homie. Yo, yo, yo! Here we go! Here we go! Come on! Come on!

Here we go! Here we go! Come on! Come on! Yo! Yo! We're gonna fly! I don't know, they may come in the time.

What? Oh, I forgot this. This ain't who did it. This ain't! Oh, no! Yo! Here we go! Come on!

Here we go! Come on! Here we go! Come on! Here we go! You think we missed the show? No, no, no, no, no, no, we didn't. What? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! Here we go! Here we go! That's my mama. So with that, I can't be kids to love my mama. You know what I mean? It's the TikTok China. We like tic-tic and you don't quite get it.

Like that TikTok. original original human being boxers we're gonna start y'all with no music you know can't get your samples clear when you're at the bottom you can still survive you see that from banging on the school You can still survive, you stand up.

From banging on the school desk. I see you're further than 85. As you can see, most definitely love? This is beautiful. God bless you. Come on, Ricky. Let's take a look. May the creator bless you and thank you for having us. Make some noise for Slick Rick. It's a sing-along. If you know the words, sing along if you know the words.

I go on and on. Can't understand her. I was at a supermouse rap school at $25,000. Getting populated through the back. I made a thousand songs and they was move your ass For the last 300 months I made 19,000 With me on the front Where you get your beats

I heard 93 Rockets say it just like me Two singers and two comedians And I'm still going together every time you see me What's my favorite part? Are you gonna say I'm short? You can't play on my court. You can't hang with the big dog. You know what?

You know this. You know this. You know this. Know it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Where you get that from? Where the mic's been born? Let me hear that one.

MC, they born in the MJG, he spit that B to the IOP My B, that's Texas, baby My G, that's Memphis, baby Too shy for me, it ain't nothing like giving these things See, my nigga C got locked up with these real bros still I ain't got no cash, I give a fuck what you say Short dog, I'm a a lady got no cash. I give a fuck what you say. Short girl, give a- You think I-

That you really wanna be like me? You think gang life's new? Can't tell you how to be. The pretty girls at the VIP, they came with that drink. They don't need that, dude. Just blow the whistle. Hey, start a whistle. Somebody start a whistle.

So I'm gonna tell it one more time. What's up, Sanctuary? Straight love, y'all. It's hip-hop. Stay with me. Get your hands up. Now put your hands up. Now keep your hands up. Now put your hands up.

Stay with me. Now make some noise for GZ the Snowman. I'm a Hands up, DC, let's go! My body's present in this. Let's sing! Hey! What can I say with D-Nice? Let's sing! Hey! What can I say with D-Nice? Let's go! Hey. Now she wanna caught up. You already know that. You only there once. That's the motto, nigga, y'all on.

We bought it every day, day, day, day, day, day. We sitting on the bench, nigga. We already back, day, day, day, day, day. We with everybody, so we can't sit with the money in the way. We're the niggas, what's up? One up, down, up, one time. I can't see it cause the money in the way. I'm reading this shit, that's my info, gotta be the best shit So, fuck the total, untrusty, or not So stupid, or pretty, think I'm running close, and busy No drug money, got a truck on the road, in a just a birdie, pop on a hot honey Sweet like sugar, ancient sweet, niggas on the streets like niggas

I just heard on the top, we you look at me Slice up as high, just kiss her on the top Oh my God, Becky, look at her What's your name? Ania Khan Explain to me the end result Alright, so this is the five elements of hip hop And I tied it into the 50th So every element is in there My own personal motif are the pencils inside the piece.

So you see a DJ, an MC, a Greg, a B-Boy, and then the light bulb over there represents the knowledge. And we're gonna, of course, you have to just see the natural. All right. Hip Hop 50. Folks, Black Star Network is here. Hold no punches.

I'm real revolutionary right now. Black power. We support this man, Black Media. He makes sure that our stories are told. I thank you for being the voice of Black America, Roller. Big Black, I love y'all. All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going. The video looks phenomenal.

See, there's a difference between Black Star Network and Black-owned media and something like CNN. You can't be Black-owned media and be scared. It's time to be smart. Bring your eyeballs home. You dig? A lot of times, big economic forces show up in our lives in small ways. Four days a week, I would buy two cups of banana pudding. But the price has gone up, so now I only buy one. Small but important ways. From tech billionaires to the bond market to,

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

But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast.

Sure. Last year, a lot of the problems of the drug war. This year, a lot of the biggest names in music and sports. This kind of starts that in a little bit, man. We met them at their homes. We met them at their recording studios. Stories matter and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does.

It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart Podcast.