#RolandMartinUnfiltered - Sen. Tim Kaine's Campaign, Roland's 1-on-1 with LeVar Burton, RMU Climate Change Special

Episode Date: October 23, 2024

10.22.2024 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Sen. Tim Kaine's Campaign, Roland's 1-on-1 with LeVar Burton, RMU Climate Change Special  We are exactly two weeks away from the election. Virginia Senator Tim Kaine will join us to talk about his campaign.  Actor and literacy advocate LeVar Burton will be here in our studio.  You don't want to miss that conversation.  Our second hour is dedicated to climate change.  Our experts will discuss how black and brown communities are hit first and worse, have the highest health impacts, and are least likely to recover from climate disasters.    Download the #BlackStarNetwork app on iOS, AppleTV, Android, Android TV, Roku, FireTV, SamsungTV and XBox  http://www.blackstarnetwork.com The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platforms covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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?

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 Glott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast.

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

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. I always had to be so good no one could ignore me. Carve my path with data and drive. But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers

skill through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersceiling.org, brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. Live Star Network is here. Oh, no punches! I'm real revolutionary right now. Thank you for being the voice of Black America. All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going. The video looks phenomenal.

See, there's a difference between Black Star Network 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 Thank you. Today is Tuesday, October 22nd, 2024. Coming up on Rollerball Unfiltered, streaming live on the Black Star Network. Virginia has a U.S. Senate race there. We'll be talking with incumbent Senator Tim Kaine about what's happening in Virginia, not only with his campaign, but also critical house races and the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris. Actor LeVar Burton was honored yesterday at the White House. He'll be joining us in the studio to talk about that particular honor and a bunch of other stuff as well. Plus, climate is a huge issue in this election.

We will talk to various experts about how important the climate and environment is to African-Americans and the role it's going to play in this election. It is time to bring the funk. I'm Roland Martin on Filchard on the Black Star Network. Let's go. Puttin' it down from sports to news to politics With entertainment just for kicks He's rollin' Yeah, yeah It's Uncle Roro, y'all Yeah, yeah It's Rollin' Martin

Yeah, yeah Rollin' with Rollin' now Yeah, yeah He's funky, he's fresh, he's real the best, you know he's rolling, Martin. So much attention is focused on the presidential race, but the reality is the U.S. Senate is also up for grabs. Democrats are focused on trying to maintain their critical seats. One of them is in Virginia. Joining us right now is incumbent Senator Tim Kaine.

Glad to have you here on the show. First and foremost, in this particular race, again, we look at what's happening in Montana with Jon Tester, of course. Joe Manchin chose not to run. Then you've got close races in Texas. You see some separation happening in Florida. And so give me a sense of what's happening in your state when it comes to your race. Well, Roland, listen, thanks for having me on tonight. I'm glad to chat.

I feel good about my race. We're two weeks out. We've worked very hard. I think I just passed 200 campaign events around Virginia this year. I'm getting everywhere, and I am not giving up on anybody or any part of the state, no matter how red it might be or no matter how, you know, quiet it might have been in earlier elections. I'm going out and really trying. And I will say this. Joe Biden putting the torch of leadership into Kamala Harris's hands in July fundamentally

transformed the energy. I was feeling good about my race, but the presidential race in Virginia was looking real challenging. And as you know, we used to be rock-solid red forever. We started to go blue with Barack Obama in 2008. Joe Biden putting that torch into Kamala's hands has really given us a great opportunity to win the 13 electoral votes for her and tim wallace i feel good about my race and then there's three congressional races that are very tight in

virginia you you know virginia well you know the second seventh and tenth and races i'm talking about so i'm trying to run my race and well it will look like uh you're freezing a bit there, so folks let me know if we we have the senators feed. Let me know if it is straight. You talked about those other races as well. Look, I was there with in Virginia last year with Don Scott, who is now the Speaker of the House in Virginia. And yeah, we see what's happening on the level in terms of on the local level in these state races.

And so right now, everything is not about, frankly, to be honest, not about television ads or radio ads. It's really about ground game. And so what is that ground game in Virginia, not only for your race, but also for the presidential race and those congressional races? Roland, we feel really good about the ground game. And I think the Harris-Waltz campaign also looks at the Virginia ground game as a little bit of a model. We put it together early last spring to get petitioning done for everybody. And then we rolled right from that petitioning into a ground game.

You're right. The ads do matter. But at the end, it's the person-to-person touch. And so, you know, we've really focused on don't leave any communities out. We can analyze early vote, and we see where early vote is strong and where it's weak. We see where communities are energized and also where we need more attention and where we're making sure that we deploy and even move resources around into the parts of the state where we need to definitely knock it out of the park. I'm thinking about Hampton Roads in particular, that second largest metro area in Virginia.

We're spending a lot of time focusing there to make sure we get the turnout we need. One of the things that I've been traveling around the country and I've been in Ohio, I've been in Texas. I've been in North Carolina. I mean, there's so many different places. And Republicans are hitting the vice president and Democrats hard on transgender. You can't watch a football game and not see 8, 10 ads. They've run some 30,000 ads all across the country. What do you make of that? Is it moving the needle? And how do Democrats respond to this attack? Because they clearly are trying to target male voters. You know, Roland, here's what I think about that. I think I think the ours might be investing a lot of money into what will ultimately be kind of a cul-de-sac, because if there are voters out there who are really mad at transgender folks,

and that's a huge issue for them, they were already not voting Democratic a long time ago on some other issue. So I don't think this is, you know, a persuasion issue. I don't think it's one that's adding to the Republican vote total. I think it will be confirming in some folks that we're going to vote Republican, you know, what they might do anyway. But any time you pick on a portion of the population that is a fraction of 1 percent and you try to make them the all-purpose bogeyman, I don't think you really move the needle that big. I think, you know, as I'm traveling around Virginia, I tell you what people are talking to me about. They want to talk about the economy. They want to talk to me about reproductive freedom and personal liberty.

And they want to talk to me about health care costs. Those are the big three. And there's a huge drop-off between that and anything else. And so, you know, we'll see. Come Election Day, I've seen the ads, too. I've watched the Republicans run this playbook of picking a marginalized group and just piling on them. I've seen this in other elections with other marginalized groups. And LGBTQ folks are this year's version of that bogeyman for the ours. But I don't think that ends up gaining them any votes. When we talk about the issues,

obviously, economy is front and center. Immigration is an issue that comes out as well. Specifically, what do you say to black Virginians when it comes to the issue that matters the most to them? You know, I think African-Americans in Virginia, the economy is number one. It's the issue that matters the most to the most people. I only talk about civil rights lawyer, the work that I've done to advance the voting rights legislation in the Senate. And I've worked with Kamala Harris to bring down maternal mortality. I talk about those issues because folks get them and they matter. But you do have to make the economic case. And I think an economic argument that we need to make even better as Dems is that

the Republican economic philosophy since Reagan has been cut taxes, cut regulation, and it generally doesn't work very well. What the Biden-Harris administration, what Democrats have shown is there's a different economic philosophy, and I call it make-build-grow. We make it here in America. We build it here in America. We grow it here in America. It's a little bit like the Black Economic Alliance that has these three strategies of, you know, work, wealth, wage. Work wages wealth. I think we have a very different economic case than the Republicans. And I think we need to lean into it, that we're manufacturing again and we're building with infrastructure again. And that's creating high-paying, good jobs for folks. And then we're also innovating again and making a new way on areas like clean energy.

So the issue that I want to lead with African-American voters and all voters is that we're better when it comes to the economy. We're more likely to grow an economy that works for everyday folks and not just for the folks at the top. On that particular point where you talked about where where African Americans are on a lot of these issues, one of the—look, you used to head the Democratic National Committee, and the thing here, and I've been saying literally for the last 12 years, that Democratic strategists have not been paying attention to the black electorate in terms of the further you get away from the black civil rights movement,

they don't align or self-identify as Democrats. And so we've seen the attention when it comes to black men trying to also persuade young black women. That to me is an issue that Democrats are going to have to contend with because you simply cannot afford erosion of your base. And what I keep seeing and hearing and have been saying again for a long time is that they're not talking to them consistently in off years and also laying out what they're accomplishing. And so, you know, how do you look at that? And what is being discussed in these inside meetings?

Because it's glaring, it's sitting right there. I'm not sure, and I'll be perfectly frank, that these white Democratic strategists are listening to black folk tell them what's actually happening. Roland, you and I have talked about this before, and I think part of it is also, you know, how do we spend money on our campaigns? Do we hire diverse staffs? Do we hire diverse consultants? I mean, I'm very happy that we have a really robust advertising budget in our campaign, both for African-American radio, African-American-focused TV, but also for Spanish language, Latino outreach.

You know, I was a missionary in Honduras on Influent in Spanish, so I can do that. We've got to have teams that look like— 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'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glott. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives.

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

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

It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them.

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

Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I always had to be so good no one could ignore me. Carve my path with data and drive. But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes, rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves.

Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersceiling.org, brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. The voters that we want to reach out to, you know Virginia very well.

We have had this sea change in Virginia where the Speaker of our House, African-American Don Scott, the leadership of the Senate, African-American leaders like Mamie Locke and Louise Luke,

Reverend Luke Torian. We have strong African-American leadership now dominating our state party and our state legislature, and they're making sure that we pay attention and that we focus our priorities, our outreach, and also in who we hire and the teams we put together. But you're right. We've got to do much more of this at the national level, no doubt about it. It helps the fact that Democrats have started to put tickets together that look more like America, with Barack Obama in 08 and 12 and Kamala Harris for VP in 20 and now leading our ticket in 2024. We've shown a willingness to put together tickets

that really are looking like the voters. And that's so important. And I think that speaks pretty loudly to folks too. Well, it's gonna be a very busy election night. And so we'll be covering it extensively. And so be looking at this race as well. And last question for you. That's Texas race. Looking at that, Sherrod Brown's race in Ohio. What help are Democrats sending to them? Because again, both of those are very tight races.

And the reality is y'all got to hold on to the Ohio Senate seat. And again, in Montana, it looks like a tester is down anywhere from four to six points that's slipping away. And so the pickup may very well be the seat in Texas, especially with the independent who's leading the Republican in Nebraska. Roland, you said it right. We're going to lose the West Virginia seat. And that means we lose our majority. If we lose one other seat, we lose our majority, and so we can't. And the Montana race is looking tough right now, but I tell you, I don't think anybody's ever made money betting against Jon Tester in Montana. I would advise people not to bet against the guy. He's tough. He's a great campaigner. But it is good, as you point out,

that we now have some races on the chessboard that people might not have thought. Colin Allred in Texas did a hell of a job in that debate last week, a fantastic job. And he is really scaring Ted Cruz. And the Republicans who weren't planning on spending money are now having to. And Dems are, too. You see Kamala Harris is going to Texas in a couple of days. That's because of that very close race that she has a chance to help influence.

Sherrod Brown, he's ahead in Ohio, in a state where the law of averages says he would be behind, but he's ahead. I think he's going to win. I don't think he loses that race. And then we have this unusual setup in Nebraska where there's both Senate seats are up, one Republican incumbent. Pete Ricketts is way ahead, but Deb Fischer is in the fight of her life against an independent union organizer who has done a hell of a job. That is a real wildcard race. It's just good as we're looking at a tough map to know that we got a couple of pickup opportunities out there. All right. Senator Tim Kaine, we appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Absolutely, Roland. Thanks, man. All right, folks. Today, former President Barack Obama was on the road with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

They were in Wisconsin. Vice President Kamala Harris is preparing for interviews with NBC and Telemundo. And as you heard, Senator Tim Kaine say she will be on the road in Texas on Friday. And so a lot's happening in the political world. Going to go to break. We come back. We're going to chat with LeVar Burton. He's got lots of awards, but he picked up a big honor yesterday at the White House. We'll tell you all about that. Plus, in our second hour, climate, the environment, huge issue, and it greatly impacts African-Americans. We'll be focusing on that as well. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered right here on the Black Star Network.

Back in a moment. IVF is a miracle for us because it allowed us to have our family. After having my daughter, I wanted more children. But my embryo transfer was canceled eight days before the procedure. Donald Trump overturning Roe v. Wade stopped us from growing the family that we wanted. I don't want politicians telling me how or when I can have a baby. We need a president that will protect our rights, and that's Kamala Harris. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message.

Bob and I both voted for Donald Trump. I voted for him twice. I won't vote for him again. January 6th was a wake-up call for me. Donald Trump divides people. We've already seen what he has to bring. He didn't do anything to help us. Kamala Harris, she cares about the American people. I think she's got the wherewithal to make a difference. I've never voted for a Democrat. Yes, we're both lifelong Republicans. The choice is very simple. I'm voting for Kamala. I am voting for Kamala Harris.

In 2016, Donald Trump said he would choose only the best people to work in his White House. Now those people have a warning for America. Trump is not fit to be president again. Here's his vice president. Anyone who puts himself over the Constitution should never be president of the United States. It should come as no surprise that I will not be endorsing Donald Trump this year. His defense secretary.

Do you think Trump can be trusted with the nation's secrets ever again? No. I mean, it's just irresponsible action that places our service members at risk, places our nation's security at risk. His national security advisor. Donald Trump will cause a lot of damage. The only thing he cares about is Donald Trump.

And the nation's highest-ranking military officer. We don't take an oath to a king or a queen or to a tyrant or a dictator. And we don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator. Take it from the people who knew him best. Donald Trump is a danger to our troops and our democracy. We can't let him lead our country again. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message.

Here's a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems. Oh, she had a big crowd. Oh, the crowd. This weird obsession with crowd sizes. It just goes on and on and on. America's ready for a new chapter. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris. I'm Kamala Harris and I approve this message.

Wrongfully convicted. Five teenagers were arrested, tried, convicted, and sent to prison. No men were exonerated. What he did to us, he tried to end us. Of course I hate these people. So-called the Central Park Five. Calling for execution. And let's all hate these people.

You cannot have this man go into office again. I want society to hear him. We were innocent kids. The confessions were caused. Today we are exonerated. That guy says he still stands by the original guilty verdict. This is about democracy being on the ballot. I have absolutely no compassion. Look at Kamala. She represents the kaleidoscope of the human family. There's something

different happening in America. We will get the opportunity to build a future where we will be able to thrive and not just survive. Hey, what's up y'all? I'm Devon Franklin. It is always a pleasure to be in the house. You are watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. Stay right here. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Hey, folks, welcome back to Roland Barthes Unfiltered, the Black Star Network. Joining us in the studio is actor, game show host, reading enthusiast, and all that good stuff, LeVar Burton. What's happening? I'm all good. You are always good, Ron. I'm just out here

just having a little fun, trying to give folks a little hell every day. You're succeeding. Now, you picked up a big award yesterday. Wow. Still floating. My heart is full. In a ceremony yesterday at the White House, in the Oval Office, the President of the United States

put the National Endowment of Humanities medal around my neck. And, you know, it might have been in the back of my mind to get a nod from the National Endowment of the Arts, but this was from the Humanities sign for my work in literacy over the years. And explain that to folks, because it's all kind of different awards that come to the White House.

There are, yeah. Because I was confused, because there's a National Medal of Arts, and this is different. This is different. This is the National Endowment of the Arts and the National Endowment of the Humanities, which are government organizations

that support both the arts and the National Endowment of the Humanities, which are government organizations that support both the arts and the humanities. And they did not give awards in 2022 because of COVID. So two classes of medal recipients in both the arts and the humanities were given honors last night at the White House. It was pretty bomb. So pretty good, pretty good group too.

I saw on social Missy Elliott, Spike Lee. Lee Latifah, Steven Spielberg, John Meacham, Eva Longoria. It was, it was, and to, you know, Skip Gates did my genealogy recently and I discovered that my inclinations toward education don't solely come from my mother's side of the family. I did not know that on my father's side of the family I have educators as well,

and a member of the Arkansas legislature during Reconstruction. So I have always felt a sense of belonging and destiny in this country, and now, Roland, I have recedes a sense of belonging and destiny in this country. And now, Roland, I have receipts. You feel me? I have receipts. I am part of a lineage of black people that have been focused on the betterment of black people through education primarily.

And I love that because it just reaffirms for me that I am where I'm supposed to be, that I am in my purpose, and that's all that I need to do is stay there, stay in my lane. When you talk about, I mean, again, how vital education is, there's so many stories and there's so many things that folks have done. I think about the book, The Education of Blacks in the South from 1860 to 1935 that lays out just the fervor when slavery ends. So you have these white folks from the North who say,

oh, we're trying to race down to help educate these freed formerly enslaved folks of African descent, and they get there, 500 schools already open. They were like, we ain't waiting on y'all. And then it was amazing reading this book, it talked about collective bargaining where there were folk who negotiated with plantation owners,

if y'all want us to work the land, you have to have a school on site. And one stat that jumped out, I think it was 92% of all black kids in Memphis were in school, and it was only 40% of white kids in D.C. And so that focus, and what I say is, what they were saying is, okay, if we could have gotten killed

because we were seen reading the book, there must be something about that thing that's huge. Can I share something with you? I have been able, in my career, represent the black experience in America from our enslavement to the stars. And LeVar, the Reading Rainbow guy, is smack dab in the middle of that continuum.

You feel me? You said that on the Hulu, I'm sorry, was it the FX with Lawrence Fishburne? Yes. And so I saw it. So those conversations y'all were having, and you made that very same point, playing Kunta Kinte and then...

Geordie LaForge in Star Trek. Reading to America. And then the Reading Rainbow for 23 years on PBS. So what that says to me, again, is I'm in the right place. I'm doing what my soul called for me to do. And that's not a bad feeling at all. Does it pain you when you see these education stats, when you see post-COVID, what happened, especially the black kids? Yes.

When you see, there was a study the other day, college students didn't know how to read a book because of their attention spans. It's not good out there, Roland. And how could it not be painful to observe? We used to do a much better job of educating our kids in this country. I believe that we have made a choice, a conscious decision to spend more and more money on war and the machineries of war than we have educating and feeding our children. But all hope is not lost. There are really talented, committed people who are out here in what I call, at the point of purchase, in the trenches trying to make change. I had somebody, when I interviewed the vice president a week ago, someone said, I don't understand,

and I've been getting this for years, they were like, I don't understand, Roland, why you support school choice. And I said, well, first of all, I said, let me be real clear what I support. I support black people being in control of the education of black kids. I said, now, if there's going to be a system that allows for me to control the curriculum, control the hiring, control the contracts, and control the whole, I said, oh, I'm like, let's go.

Because, again, when I look at, and listen, I went to traditional schools. I've never gone to private school from K all the way through college, all public schools. But I look at it as a delivery system. I don't look at it as the only way to educate kids. I look at it every

possible way. I got no issue if you homeschool, private, parochial, magnet, all different ways as long as it's working. As long as it's working. That's the most important thing for me. With book bans going on and the censoring of

material and trying to change history through editing and omitting. We need to be vigilant. We need to resist, resist, resist. But see, that also happened because many of us

checked out of the political system. So after the 2020 election, Steve Bannon and others, they made it clear, Moms for Liberty were organizing and they were running their folks in a lot of majority black areas, low turnout. Then all of a sudden the folk woke up. School boards, full of these people. You had majority of these folks running these school boards. The first thing they started doing was firing

superintendents in South Carolina, the back to back superintendent of the year got fired in two different districts. And this is what I was saying to folk. This is what happens when we don't show up. And these are majority black districts being led by folk who don't look like us. And that's why I tell folk, we can't say, oh, yeah, I'm going to focus on the presidential race. I say, no, it's that school board race, the city council race. And so now we're on the defensive against these efforts. Organized efforts. There you go.

Organized and well-funded. Absolutely. But what I always keep saying, though, is they may have all the money, but they still cannot beat votes. But if you don't show up, that's how they win. That's it. And that's where those book bands really started taking off. Yeah. It became an opportunity for them to get in there and to start controlling things. And, you know, now we have to respond. And we have to respond with resistance as best as we are able. How, I don't want to say aggressive, but are there any examples,

and I'm sure there is, you've been out public somewhere, and you come across a young kid, and do you challenge them, question them on what they're reading, and require them to recite it back to you? I like engaging with young people. I was with young people today at a correctional facility, not too far out of town.

I like engaging them around what their passions are because I believe that parents ask me all the time, how can I get my kid to read more? And I generally ask them two questions. Number one, how often do your children kid to read more? And I generally ask them two questions. Number one, how often do your children see you read? There you go. That modeling is critically important. Absolutely. And then I ask them, what are your child's passions? Right. It's our passions that tend to drive our reading appetites. I've said for years, if your kid likes superheroes, then

damn it. 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'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

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

Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Caramouch. What we're doing now isn't working, and we need to change things. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two

on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no.

Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad.

Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I always had to be so good, no one could ignore me. Carve my path with data and drive. But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars.

Workers skilled through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersceiling.org. rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersilling.org, brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. Your kid comic books. Right. Because I don't care what...

That's the entry point. I don't care what the gateway drug is. Right. I just want kids to read. Right, right. I was... When I was in Arlington, Texas, I was at a barbershop,

and the brother who was cut by his name was Cotton. And so... Cotton. Texas, I was at a barbershop and the brother who was cutting my hair, his name was Cotton. And so, Cotton, that was his nickname. And his son's nickname was Lil Cotton. So all the guys at the barbershop were talking about Lil Cotton was a straight, was a baller, I mean, was a hooper. And so they all sitting here talking about his exploits. I'm getting my hair cut and I was like,

Lil Cotton, I said, what you reading? He's like, excuse me, Mr. Martin. I said, what are you reading? I said, I don't know what you read in school. I want to know what you read out of school. And so he sort of asked a question. I said, well, here's the deal. Every time I come in here, I'm going to ask you that question.

And I'm going to need you to tell me I want to know the book. I want to know the author. I need you to tell me what it's about. And he was like, he said, yeah. So then his dad said, he said, man, he said, Roland, I got to apologize. He said, he said, man, I should be doing that. I said, Cotton, it's all good.

I said, but let me help you out. I'm not interested. I said, they all talking about his basketball skills. I'm not interested in that all talking about his basketball skills. I'm not interested in that. I wanna know what he's reading. He gets a Division I scholarship, goes to Southern Methodist University, ends up injuring his knee, but graduates.

But the thing there, because I do it all the time, I will ask, what are you reading? Because I don't assume that parent is making them do it. And I've had some folks go, I can't believe you asked that question. I'm like, no, I want to know that. Because I always got books for me. It's a great question to ask young people. It really is.

And, you know, with the device in our hands, it's an even, it's a taller hill to climb. See with the devices I then go, what are you reading on the devices? See that's the other thing.

Because you can, they do. I can't watch a movie on my phone. I mean I can but I don't enjoy it as much. Oh absolutely, yeah. But I'm from a generation where, you know, I have an attachment to printed words on a page. Yeah. Right.

I can't do audio books. You can't. Some people can't. It's crazy. I can listen to speeches. Okay. I can listen to sermons. I can remember those things.

But for books, I have to actually read. Yeah. And I read very fast because I typically read seven to nine books at one time. Okay. I can't do one and go, no. No, my brain is, so I'm like literally, it's gonna be 20, 30 pages here. So I have books all over the place,

like literally in every room, in multiple cars. Yeah. I've been, I remember I was covering a NASCAR race when I worked for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. It was in Hampton, Georgia, but the traffic was literally backed all the way up to the freeway in Atlanta.

I read 100 pages of Katherine Graham's autobiography sitting in traffic. We weren't going nowhere. It was like inch, okay, all right. So again, that's how I've all. That's how your mind works. Yeah. Being a voracious reader has been

one of the most dominant influences in my life. And it all comes from my mom. My mom was a reader. And she read not just to us. I have two sisters. She read to us when we were kids, but she also read in front of us. And that made the big difference. I remember one of my nieces,

so I've had, my wife and I raised six nieces, and one of them came to me, and she's like, okay, roll, roll. She says, can I watch TV? And I went. She went, read a book. I went. Good choice. That's a good

answer. Literally, it was just a look. I was like, yeah. You're like, read a book? But they saw me reading. And again, I have books everywhere. So then as she gets older, so she's in college. So she comes to me and she's like, OK, we have this assignment. And I was like, OK, what's the assignment?

It was something dealing with Reconstruction, U.S. Centers. I was like, OK. So we the assignment? It was something dealing with Reconstruction, U.S. senators. I was like, OK. So we go to the library. Here? Yeah. Here? Here?

So all of a sudden, she got like eight books. And she's like, OK. I just asked a simple question. I was like, oh, yeah, but this is the first black senator. Here's that book. And here's this one, this one. I'm like, yeah. So here's your assignment. So she's like, you're going to hand me eight books to read.

I was like, look, you asked the question. I said, it ain't my fault. I said, I read all the books. But I was like, yo, that subject? I said, go read all that. You have a good understanding. Yeah, absolutely. But that's just how I've always operated.

Challenging our children, challenging our kids, and having high expectations for them is a good thing. I want to go back to those conversations in the series on Donald Sterling. Clipped. Were those actual discussions you and Doc Rivers had? No. Was that Hollywood license? Let me set the record straight. Okay. I have never met Doc Rivers, but those conversations all came directly from my life

and my lived experience. Ah, okay, got it. Yeah. That's what I would... The writer Gina Welch came up with, I thought, an ingenious device to give the audience a sense of Doc's mindset during that crisis through these conversations

with LeVar Burton in the sauna at the condo. And the final conversation that we had was really my whole reason for wanting to take part. When Fish called me and said, you know, would you be okay playing yourself in this thing that I'm doing? And I said, absolutely, provided I can talk about something real, something meaningful to me. And I wanted to talk about my rage. So have you not talked?

Not yet. It's coming. It's coming. It's going to happen. Because I was watching it, and I was like, that's always whenever I see, again, first thing I'm thinking, okay, did this actually happen? That's like the first thing I go to.

I'll actually be watching something, and I'll be like, yo, did this actually happen? Did this actually happen? And I'm just wondering. And I was like, because, again, the conversations were fascinating. And so I have them back and forth because they were really speaking to, again, What it means to be a black man in America,

a successful black man in America, what are the pressures, what are the pleasures, right? It was real talk. Oh, it was, I mean, it was. And those are conversations that Fish and I have all the time. Ah, gotcha. You see what I'm saying?

We have those conversations all of the time. And so we just moved the venue to a set. Because what I thought was just so interesting, especially when he was talking about, you know, what he went through. Now, I remember reading the story of when his house was burned down in San Antonio. Right. And how he would often just try to put stuff aside.

And folks, if y'all haven't seen Clipped, it's a fascinating series about all the internal drama over the racist comments Donald Sterling made, the only L.A. Clippers. And it was just so interesting. And then comes days between doc and his dad And and so here he is He's trying to control this rage and wants them to focus on playing basketball And then then wonders man should I have allowed?

That rage to move forward because I think it was interesting watching it, because I remember sending Chris Paul a couple of messages. And I think what happens too often, when these moments take place, we know in this country, we want sports to just sort of serve as this, that's just our escape. Let's just escape this stuff. Let's just sort of just step away from it. As opposed to confront it and then confront even the broader issues here.

And so that's why I just really thought that was just what was really fascinating. Clift did that, I thought, very well. It really talked about the issues attendant to the world of sport. Yeah. And how race definitely plays a factor, always has. Right? Look at the NFL today. All the black quarterbacks.

They wouldn't let black men play quarterback back in the day. Could have played two positions. Black quarterback. Could have played quarterback or middle linebacker. Yeah, because it's a line America seen as the quarterback of the defense quarterback and cause the shots same thing. Right? Absolutely. Same thing.

We recently lost John Amos and of course y'all connection to roots. We played the same character different points in his life. Yeah roots cast is getting a little thin points in his life. Yeah. Rootscast is getting a little thin. We lost Lou. Yep. We've just lost John.

But the legacy still lives. It really does. I don't think... Will Packer, he was producing the remake. The remake. But I don't think... And I hate the folk who don't have an appreciation of history, really understand how huge that was.

Yeah. You'd have to have really been there and lived through it to really fully understand how that eight nights of television just captivated the nation's attention. I mean, cable was in its infancy. You didn't have streaming. You didn't have all devices. So literally, it was an America with three major networks. Sure, you had some independent stations.

But it was, I mean, I just remember it vividly. I mean, literally, America shut down. Hotels and casinos in Las Vegas emptied out. Everybody was upstairs in their rooms watching in prisons. And I mean, you could. And then the next day after after the episode aired the night before, it was the conversation. It was it was the national conversation. Did all of y'all, first of all, remember, every, every dadgum black actor was trying to get in it.

I mean, it was the thing to get in. It was. But as y'all were shooting it, did people really understand? What was clearly understood, and you know, Roots was my first job, it was my first professional audition, so my very first day as a professional.

Out the gate. Out the gate, I was a student, I was a drama theater major at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. So my first day as a professional actor, Cicely Tyson played my mother, Dr. Maya Angelou played my grandmother, okay? And they schooled me, And in the makeup trailer, which is sort of the heart of a set,

because it's where the actors all congregate in the morning and they get their touch-ups there after lunch and they take their makeup off at the end of the day, the excitement from the vets was palpable to me. They were saying, you know, I've been doing this a long time, this is the first time I've really been able to portray my people in a way that makes me proud and puts us in a light that we deserve. And I observed that. Everything I know as a professional, I learned from them, from Lou and Cicely and Dr. Maya.

They schooled me. They schooled me. And I developed my professional ethics from them. I gave the commencement speech at Grambling. And the title of the speech was Never Say Toby. And I've worked in mainstream newsrooms. Never Say Toby. We would be in the newsroom and stuff would be going down.

And black folks would be upset. And I would just literally say in the newsroom to the black person, I was like, hey, never say Toby. White folks had no idea what I was talking about. They had no idea what I was talking about. But the black folks knew exactly what I was talking about and they were like, bro, I can't believe you said that. I'm like, no, no, you need to understand what that means.

I'm like, no. And they never knew. They had no idea what the reference was. And so when I gave that commencement speech, I was trying to get them to understand that I was showing them, listen, Toby, Kunta, and walk them through what that actually means. And you're going to have to make a decision that may cause pain, that may cause suffering, but your identity and your dignity. Not negotiable.

Absolutely. Absolutely. Not negotiable. That's the lesson. In a clip, you said you still have the chains? I do. The chains that I wore. The producer, Stan Margulies, presented them to me on a plaque at the end of shooting.

The plaque reads, To a Mighty Child, C-H-I-L-E, from Stan and the Roots Gang. One of my most proud possessions. Richard Roundtree once said, and we talked about it when I interviewed him God rest his soul that it bothered him for a long time that he was defined by Shaft and his daddy said son a lot of people have roles and don't nobody remember them and it was then he actually started embracing that no matter what he did, they still saw John Shaft. Has it bothered you or have you always just embraced the fact that folk, well, it don't matter what you do,

you can be the host of Trivia Pursuit, and you can be doing all this other cinema stuff, and they gonna remember who played Kunta Kinte. It doesn't bother me in the least. Quite the contrary, man. I'm proud of Kunta. Kunta is an international symbol for the indomitability of the human spirit. There's... and Roots was responsible, Roland, in my opinion, for helping to alleviate

the shame of our enslavement, right? Black people, I can't get in terms of, I could not get my mother to talk about her life, right? And I finally figured out. Why you talking? My daddy's texting me. Is he? He texted me. I'm watching the show.

I'm like, you know I'm working. He's like, what was that you said? Never say what? Daddy, I said never say, never say totally. Where is he? Like literally. Where is he? In Dallas. In Dallas. Literally like, what was that you said? Never say what? Daddy, I said, never say Toby. Where is he? Like, literally. Where is he? In Dallas. In Dallas. Literally, like, what was that

you said, never say what? Never say Toby, Daddy. That's what I was saying. Dad, the man is working. He's working. That's crazy. That's awesome, though, that you actually, that you answer your father. He does it all the time. Right. One time he texted me, told me to move on from a subject.

I was like, Daddy, this is my show. I said, I'm going to stay right here. He does it all the time. Right. One time he texted me, told me to move on from a subject. I was like, uh, daddy, this is my show. I said, I'm going to stay right here. He's, okay, he watched so much news and read the newspaper. That's why I What's his name? Reginald. Reginald Martin Sr. Mr. Martin, I, sir,

am a big fan of your work. Straight up. That's the truth. that's the truth. That's the truth. Appreciate it. Appreciate you. Appreciate it. You were answering, what the hell you talking about?

What did I ask him? Yeah, I remember what I asked him. Ask your father. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He was watching, he was watching. Actually, we'll cut back to it. I do wanna ask you this here. So when Roots, when the roommate came out, Snoop did a video.

Man, we're so sick of all these slave movies. And what happened was I saw it. 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 Banik-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'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glod. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man.

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

of what this quote-unquote drug thing is. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working, and we need to change things.

Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

And to hear episodes one week early and ad free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I 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. I always had to be so good, no one could ignore me. Carve my path with data and drive. But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers at taylorpapersceiling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council

Then it went viral And then I saw all of these stories being done internationally So then I did a video That then got picked up and then it went international And then he did one coming back at me but I never responded Because I don't need to hit you one time. And then he eventually deleted both of his. And we later had a conversation,

and what I explained to him was why I felt he was wrong, and why, because he was like, you know, I'm sick of all these slave movies, and I said, the problem is, we as black people are viewing these movies through the wrong lens. We are looking at these movies as,

oh, we were being subjugated, why we gotta be slaves. Whereas I go, no, no, no, no, no. Those were heroes. So I just saw the movie Emperor, about the brother who fought alongside John Brown. And that's how I view them. The Will Smith film, there's an apple, same thing. I'm like, no, no, no.

Those are real life superheroes. And I think that we have to change this in terms of how we view those films because of what folks endured, how they fought, what they went through, the folks who tried to escape and kept trying to escape. No, no, no, no, no. They understood that this is not gonna define them.

What resistance was this all about, absolutely. It was absolute resistance. But here's the thing, I think I understand the perspective and point of view in as much as if that's the only thing we see of ourselves in the media and film and television, then that's a problem. Yes. That reveals...

That's the only move that can get made. Yes. Right? So I understand the impulse. And I agree with you. Those stories are heroic. They are about heroes. understand the impulse, and I agree with you. Those stories are heroic. They are about heroes.

Because when I look at, even when you talk about civil rights era films, I mean, I can't help but see heroes. Because they are. Because they are, right? They put in the work, right, that laid the foundation for where we are. Now, we are far from a perfect union, but we are an essential part of the makeup of this country. Right? And, as I say, we have receipts.

And we're not going anywhere. Right. I remember I had that white supremacist, Richard Spencer, on my TV One show. And exactly what I said, I said, you may want to go to the gym and work out because we ain't going nowhere. Yeah. I said, let's be real clear. We ain't going nowhere. And it was a call to arms to let you know.

And we're not about to back down from any of this and that's what that's what I'd never say Toby comes in that's exactly that's always been so just just my mentality I like it because it because it's just in and you know what you know on the flip side of that. So when you know what the consequences are. Same thing, that character knew he was gonna get beat. Knew there were gonna be lashes, but I am not going to give in to this. And I think for a lot of folk, we accept,

man you know, when I worked at CNN, people were like, man dawg, you going to go on a little too hard? No. And I'll never forget, Bernard Shaw, after I left, when I was on the board of the National Association of Black Journalists, who were going after CNN, I called him.

He did a clip where he spoke at a convention in Vegas, where he said, white men, you're nothing but more than a small pimple in this world. He gave me this amazing speech about diversity. And I called him, and I said, we're doing this campaign, I wanna use your clip. He said, Roland, every generation, he said every generation has its moment

where it has to fight. He said, now it's your turn. He said, absolutely. Yeah. And that's the thing I think for, but I try to remind folks on this show, we can't act like there is no fight. Somebody got to swing.

Yes. Four nieces and nephews and brothers and sisters come behind us. Sometimes it's a folding chair. Absolutely. Oh, oh, oh, oh, listen, listen. That, to this, that's probably one of the most viewed shows that, that thing we did, oh my God,

actually I had some t-shirts made up. Did you? And I had a sister who hit me from Houston. She said, she says, she says, why am I sitting here in Houston with my family and it's my birthday and they are watching your Montgomery Brawl segment. And I was like, she had face up and she said, no look, look at the screen, they watching.

But that was just one of those moments It was a moment. Where everybody black got it. My man threw that cap in the air. It's on. It's on. It was a moment. And it was an important moment for America because what we were able to see, right,

and through the magic of these screens being in everybody's hands, was an injustice in progress. And then the people observed that moment and said, oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You're not going to give, he's doing his job. You were trying to give that man a hard time, and people, brother swam, jumped off the boat and swam across. The cavalry showed up. They did.

They absolutely did. And it was a powerful reminder of what we are capable of when we work together for a righteous cause. And we don't even have to know you. No, we don't. But we know the situation was going down. Yes. As you were talking, we're talking about other, is there a real life character that you've always wanted to play or would love to play? I don't know. I don't think about that role.

And I have made a career of taking what the universe brings my way and doing the best I possibly can with it. I'm not the kind of guy. I'm not the guy. I'm not like Kevin Costner. I'm not the guy that can say, you know what? I want to do next year. I want to do this movie or that movie.

That's not my life. I take what the universe puts in my path. But you wanted Jeopardy. I wanted Jeopardy. I did, and I declared it, because I thought I was right for the job. I did. I absolutely did.

And so I was very public about wanting to get a shot at succeeding Alex Trebek. What I didn't understand at the time was that there was a process, right, to that dream coming true. I tell kids when I speak to them, I say, life like walking is a controlled fall. When we're walking, that other leg always comes out. Otherwise, we land on our foreheads. You feel me? Take the step that's in front of you. The next step will always reveal itself. You don't need to know the end of the story while you're still in chapter one. Life like walking is a controlled fall. Take that first step, the next step will come along. So what I didn't understand was going after Jeopardy was the step that led me

to Trivial Pursuit. And Trivial Pursuit has given me something that Jeopardy never could have done, which is my own show where I do not have to follow in anyone's footsteps. I get to set the imprint, and that's invaluable. So did that happen because no one knew you even remotely interested in being a game show host? It was kind of like, wow, okay, great idea. Here's the thing. I was interested in being the host of Jeopardy.

I was singularly focused on that. And when it didn't happen, I had to sit in the discomfort of not knowing what was that. I felt like I got hit by a train. Because so many people rallied behind you. They were like, excellent choice. Absolutely. There was a moveon.org petition with hundreds of thousands of signatures on it. But the lesson was, sit in the discomfort long enough,

and you will, the answer will be revealed. See, I have always, it's been very interesting. I remember when I was, this was before? No I was at, actually it was early, I was at CNN, I'll never forget. So Suzanne Mavo and I had the same agent. And he would always do a dinner party with all of his clients at our black journalist convention. And I remember she came to me and she said, you know, you really, you know, you really

could be like Lou Dobbs if you do this, this, this. I said, I don't want to do that. She looked at me and she was like, no, I don't want to do that. So I got no interest in doing that. And it was interesting there because what happened was, and I'll never forget another executive, David Borman, now deceased, I remember we were talking one day when I had

launched a line of ties, ascot and bow ties, and I had other stuff. He goes, now you know, if you were full-time here at CNN, you couldn't be doing all these things. And I went, I know. That's why I'd never be full-time at CNN. And they never understood. Who you were. Right, but they also didn't understand

that I didn't see them as the be-all to end-all. Yes, exactly. And I think for a lot of us, that's part of the problem. I really think after my book White Fear, my next book should be called White Validation. Because so many of us, I was having this discussion with a brother, when Luther Vandross just wanted to cross over.

And in fact, one year, Lionel Richie wins pop Grammys, Luther wins the R&B Grammys, and Luther was unhappy. And I was like, what the hell? And I think,

so it's just that idea. And I think for a lot of people, that's the thing. They want this crossover to appeal to the masses where I was kind of like, no, no, I'm gonna do me. And I've had publicists who didn't get that, who didn't understand what that means, who didn't understand that for me,

I'm perfectly fine with what I've built, what I've created, what I've done. And I'm like, no, I don't need to do that. And people really don't understand that. I had an anchor at one of the networks say, are you really having fun? I said, oh, I'm having a ball. I said, because I don't have to ask nobody nothing.

I could literally, again, if I say, all right, we're gonna broadcast from Miami for a week, we gone. If we're gonna broadcast from the all black town Princeville in North Carolina, there we go. I said, I'm not asking permission. And I think that's hard for a lot of people to understand. Can be, yeah. Because they're seeking approval.

Because we've been indoctrinated in a certain way. We've been indoctrinated to elevate that gaze as the end all, be all of our our existence and it's simply not true. We can re-educate ourselves. And because again what you're talking about, Terrence, you make that step. Back to True Pursuit. How... Thursday nights 9 o'clock.

See there you go. Thursday nights 9 o'clock, Raven-Symoné at 8 with Scrabble, LeVar Burton at 9 from 9 to 10. Please tell your friends. Tell people you don't even like, okay? Please, because... Because the craziest thing is, I didn't know until today that you were even doing a show.

Where did it start? This Thursday will be episode 4, season 1, episode 4. I had no idea, because as a family, we always play Trivial Pursuit. Everybody has played Trivial Pursuit, at least. It was two games that was in our family. Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit.

And it probably took, I'm trying to think which one of us, me and my brother and my sister, it was five of us, one just recently deceased, but I'm trying to figure how long did it take one of us to beat my daddy. Because he didn't believe in letting you win. He would just abuse you, spelling words you ain't never heard of. But eventually he got beat.

So yeah, Scrabble and True Pursuit was a thing and you had to know because he watches all the Jeopardy and be answering all the stuff. So I'd be like, dude, really? What I love about this show is that it is Trivial Pursuit. It's the game that you're familiar with. You will get some of the answers right. You will get some wrong.

And at the end of the show, you will learn something. I say at the end of every episode, Trivial Pursuit, where knowing stuff is celebrated. Yep, yep, absolutely. What are you reading right now? I'm not reading anything right now because I am writing my memoir. So I am trying to keep the attic clear, keep other stuff out. So I've been on a reading fast for the last three months, and I'm putting words on the page.

Do you have a process? I do. And are you actually writing? Yes, I am. Yeah, I am. I am writing, and I have help, right, because I'm busy. But this person is helping me structure the narrative from my life, and I'm grateful. I'm grateful for that assistance.

So my book, White Fear, I was so busy, I couldn't sit down and write it. So I would literally do audio dumps. I would just, I would sort of, it took me three, the literary agent was like, okay, roll on this book. I was like, listen, I'm just trying to tell you, I cannot sit down and do this. And then I was at a conference, and I just trying to tell you, I cannot sit down and do this. And then I was at a conference and I met a woman

who knew a ghost writer. And I was like, perfect. And I remember we even did the book, they were like, well, should I put, I'm like, hell yeah, put a name on it, I don't care. I said, I don't do that ghost stuff, but I would literally just talk. And I would just like talk.

But you're a storyteller. And she would ask me a bunch of questions. You're a storyteller, and then she would me a bunch of questions. You're a storyteller. And then she would pull information out of you. Yeah. Absolutely. But I would just, I could, look, I wrote a syndicated column for 10 years,

but it was just literally just sitting down. And so, yeah, I probably, if I had to do memoirs, for me, everything would be totally audio, because I just. Writing has always been a torturous process for me. I'm hard on myself as a writer. Acting, directing, public speaking, producing, writing, because I have such a high standard

for what constitutes real prose, legitimate writing. And I have worked on that for a calendar year and have finally reached a place where I have a process that enables me to sit down

and breathe and acknowledge that through me, through me, it will come. That way I don't have to take responsibility necessarily for whether it's good or not, right? And it's sort of, it's freed up the block. I've always written, and I've worked in newspaper,

the syndicated column, all that sort of stuff, but then when I transitioned to doing radio and television, nearly everything was just oral. And so, I don't even, even when they have a script, that's a guide, I don't even go by the script. I can sit here and literally do a whole show and wouldn't even read any of that. Roland, you can talk a blue streak

on just about any subject known to man. That's where reading comes in. Because I was just, I did a sermon Sunday at Friendship West Baptist Church. And Pastor Freddie Haynes, he always cracks up because I have no notes. I don't come up with any of that. I'll literally just take a scripture and then give me the title. And then I'll lay it all out. But where reading comes in, I gave a speech once.

And I actually quoted from 14 different books. North Carolina State, the library actually did a reading list, I had no idea it did that. So that's where reading comes in. So I just retain the stuff, so then if I'm speaking, I'll just pull it out. And that's where when young folks come up to me and they say, hey, how do I prepare for what you're doing?

I said, you have to be well-read. And the crazy thing is, I can't read fiction. I cannot read fiction. Because fiction, for me, is something I can't use. Wow. Like, I have to use real life. Let me tell you something. I think I read two fiction books.

Mr. Martin. Yes. I talk to a lot of young people, and I tell them, you will be responsible for solving a lot of the problems that my generation has created. And chief among the tools you will need is the power of your imagination. Right.

Fiction is the engine that drives our imagination. I genuinely believe that there was some kid who watched the original episodes of Star Trek, right? Continually seeing Kirk pull that communicator off his hip, flip it open, call Scotty, beam me up. That child became a scientist, an engineer, right? And developed a piece of technology that is more prevalent than a toaster.

Now, I watch fiction. Yes. But it's just... Reading it. There's no room in... Walter Mosley, when he came to my radio, he's like, I said, alright, tell me about the book. And he was like, I said, oh, I didn't read it. And he was like,

what? But what was it? He was trying to figure out what was interesting. But actually, I also learned this from reading Larry King's book, Larry King. So the reason he didn't want to research because he actually wanted to ask questions. He had natural curiosity. So he didn't want, he didn't. And so, so like we had this whole interview. He was like, I can't believe we did a whole interview and you didn't read one line from the book. I said, no, I'm going to sit here.

And it was just a proclision. And my producer was like, oh, my God. I was like, sorry, baby, I ain't read none of your books. And it's just for me, I just. It's your problem. I've tried. It's the way you are. I cannot.

Because I have to. I have to. Whatever I'm consuming, I have to. It goes somewhere up here that I'm going to use. And you retain it. And for me, it's history. So that's just how I have to use stuff. And I can't use fiction in what I do.

Jessica Rabbit would say, you're just... 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 Business Week 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'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glod. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-stud 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 Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working, and we need to change things. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. It really does.

It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time,

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

This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I always had to be so good no one could ignore me. Carve my path with data and drive.

But some people only see who I am on paper. The paper ceiling. The limitations from degree screens to stereotypes that are holding back over 70 million stars. Workers skilled through alternative routes rather than a bachelor's degree. It's time for skills to speak for themselves. Find resources for breaking through barriers

at taylorpapersceiling.org. Brought to you by Opportunity at Work and the Ad Council. You're drawn that way. Roland Martin, you're just drawn that way. Last question for you. Is there something you always wanted to do, I don't care what it is, that you haven't done, you say, I gotta do that. Roland, my life has been so full. My heart is full.

If there is something, when I encounter it, I will know. But so far, my life is, look, if you had given me paper and a pen and said, go ahead, draw it up, dream up what your life will be like, your career, just carte blanche, I wouldn't have been this generous to myself. I wouldn't. I mean, my life has been phenomenal and continues to unfold itself in a manner that continually astonishes me. And my whole impetus, you know, is to make my family proud. Not embarrassing my family has been a major motivator in my life. See, so again, how my brain works. So listening to you in the last 40- odd minutes if I was again I've run

newspapers I've had to do headlines and stuff if I had to come up with a book title for your book okay listening with everything you described it'd be called let it flow because literally it's yes it's it's it's just however the river flows it just because you're not trying to plan stuff you're not trying to you your deal is like, hey, if it comes up, it comes up. I'm responding to what the universe puts in my path. Yeah. But I studied for the ministry earlier in my life.

Ah, okay. So the idea that faith is belief in the absence of proof makes a lot of sense to me. So you studied for the ministry. You ever gave a sermon? Oh, sure. I'm bootleg. My wife, she ordained. She got papers. She went to seminary. She got all that stuff.

She got, I do all that. I say I'm bootleg. I can't do, that's just too much schoolwork. Really? I can't do all that. I don't have the letters, but I have the ability. Oh, there you go. Yeah. Any of your ser, there you go. Yeah. Any of your sermons online? No.

No. What? No. I mean, they're private events. When's the last time you preached? They're private events. I don't preach. I talk. I share my lived experience.

I don't preach. But you did in the pulpit. I was not ordained. You did not be ordained? I left seminary. Man, I ain't been ordained. I've been in many pulpits. I was not ordained. You did not be ordained? I left seminary. Man, I ain't been ordained. I've been in many pulpits. That's not my deal.

I don't do organized religion. Oh, it wasn't organized. I just did it. When I walked away from the church, I walked away. Really? Yeah. Why? Because at the time, I was discovering that the world was much larger than the Catholic dogma indicated. Ah, born and raised Catholic?

I was. Dang. Yeah, because my mom was an educator. She knew that the best education for her kids was parochial school. I got you. Right? The Catholic church that I grew up in was founded in my grandparents' living room. What?

Yes. So then they left from Appaloosa, Louisiana. And when you have- Appaloosa. Appaloosa, Louisiana. When you get to start a church, you needed 50 families. And so they literally were going door to door. A lot of people who had migrated there to start,

Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church. But it started in their living room. Our Lady- Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church. Star of the Sea. living room. Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Houston. That's where I was born and raised. Literally it was three blocks from their house and that was my life until I was 25 in the Catholic Church. But again, you have to take the step

that's in front of you. That, I had a calling. I really, really did have a vocation, but it wasn't until I was immersed in that culture that I discovered that, wait a minute, there's something else over here. And I had just discovered theater arts. I found my tribe, right?

And I thought, wait a minute. There's a whole world out there that I feel like I need to now explore. And so by taking the step in front of me, I left the seminary, got a full scholarship to the University of Southern California to study theater. Two years later, I was in Roots.

Wow. So we have never seen Kunta Kinte. We've seen a priest, a brother of LeVar Burton. Father Bob. Father Bob. I was Bob for the first 16 years of my life. Father Bob. First day. My first chapter of the book is called What's in a Name?

My name in full is Levardis, L-E-V-A-R-D-I-S, Burton. I have a black name. Yeah, that's real black. That's real black. Levardis. Levardis. Levardis. My first day of first grade, Holy Angels Elementary School, Sacramento, California.

The nuns swarmed around this blonde-haired, blue-eyed kid. His name was Bob Banke. B-A-N-K-E. Banke Burton. I sat right behind him, and I thought, I want some of this nun love. I went home and told my family, as my middle name is Robert, I'll be Bob from now on. And I was Bob for the first

16, 17 years of my life. Wow. Until I decided to become an actor, and I thought, I've got this great name. Here's what I'm going to do. Not Bob Burton. No, no, of my life. Wow. Until I decided to become an actor and I thought, I've got this great name. Here's what I'm gonna do. Not Bob Burton. No, no, no, no. LeVar. LeVar.

Shorten it, LeVar rhymes with star. How about that? That's where I'm going. All right, all right. I was manifesting, Roland. I was manifesting. I was manifesting. Yeah, because Bob Burton, wouldn't it?

It's not as distinctive as LeVar. And then I had the audacity to capitalize the V. Oh, see, you guys, see? See? Negroes get real special. You got to understand. Because by being a newspaper journalist, and then when I autograph books,

as a newspaper journalist, you always have to double-check spelling. Yeah, absolutely. So I'm constantly... So I'll be doing a book. Okay, is that the capital D is a capital P they look at me like okay is that he on the internet was cuz I don't see in every spelling I imagine you I didn't seen I got a new one the other day that was in North Carolina was that just signing a book so I was all of it two L two L's, two T's, two E's.

I said, it was that first verse thing I said, oh so your momma just really decided to get creative with all the extra damage. She's like yeah, she said she been messing with me my whole life. She said because nobody spelled my name right. It was two L's, two T's, two E's. Going back to our previous conversation,

I encourage kids especially, but people in general, don't let anyone not pronounce or spell your name correctly. Right? Going back to the Kunta moment. Right? The Toby moment. Never say Toby. Right? Because that's the first step in oppression.

Yep. Is your oppression. Yep. Is your identity. So, Olivette, you rock that name. Run with it. Run with it. Well, LaVardis. Sir. I absolutely enjoyed it.

Glad you. Well, it's always a pleasure to sit down with you, man. Man, it's been great. Glad. Because you got the award and I came came back, and I was like, yo, you still here? You're like, I'm still here. Well, actually, I had to hit your wife.

You did. Because she posted, I hit her, and I didn't realize, I couldn't even remember that we had exchanged information. And I was like, hell, when you texted me. I was like, you texted my phone? Yeah. And I can't remember, I don't know whether that may have been I hit you on Twitter or something or whatever

I think we exchanged numbers in New Orleans when we were shooting Roots oh my god yes yes they brought us down we were at that plantation I went Sonny was there you were there

oh yeah we invited the journalist to come and visit the set. That was also something special, just that whole deal. You've been a part of our lives in a very important way for a long time, brother. Same to you. May. You've been handling your business, and so we appreciate it. May it continue.

Yes, sir. All right. Thanks a bunch. Always. And congratulations again. Peace and blessings. peace and blessings all right folks gonna go to a break we come back uh we're gonna spend the next hour talking about climate change the environment the impact on african americans is real and it's a major issue in this election even though it does not get talked about a lot you're watching roland mart Martin Unfiltered right here on the Black Star Network. Jill Stein, Green Party candidate for president.

So why are Trump's close allies helping her? Stein was key to Trump's 2016 wins in battleground states. She's not sorry she helped Trump win. That's why a vote for Stein is really a vote for Trump. Jill Stein, I like her very much. You know why? She takes 100% from them. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message.

I get it. The cost of rent, groceries, and utilities is too high. So here's what we're going to do about it. We will lower housing costs by building more homes and crack down on landlords who are charging too much. We will lower your food and grocery bills by going after price gougers who are keeping the cost of everyday goods too high. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message because you work hard for your paycheck. You should get to keep more of it. As president, I'll make that my top priority. It's really rich for Democratic leaders to say that Donald Trump is a unique threat to democracy

when he peacefully gave over power. He is still saying he didn't lose the election. I would just say that. Did he lose the 2020 election? Tim, I'm focused on the future. That is a damning non-answer. America, I think you've got a really clear choice of who's going to honor that democracy and who's going to honor Donald Trump. Winners never back down from a challenge. Champions know it's any time, any place, but losers, they whine and waffle

and take their ball home. Trump now refusing to debate a second time. He did terribly in the last debate. He's so easily triggered by Kamala Harris. Well, Donald, I do hope you'll reconsider to meet me on the debate stage. If you've got something to say, say it to my face. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message. He told us who he was. Should abortion be punished? There has to be some form of punishment. Then he showed us. For 54 years, they were trying to get Roe v. Wade terminated, and I did it, and I'm proud to have done it. Now Donald Trump wants to go further with plans to restrict birth control, ban abortion nationwide,

even monitor women's pregnancies. We know who Donald Trump is. He'll take control. We'll pay the price. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message. The overturning of Roe almost killed me. I had a blood clot in my uterus that caused my labor to have to be induced because of the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

I wasn't able to get life-saving treatment sooner. I almost died. And that's because of the decision that Donald Trump made. I was able to get Roe v. Wade terminated, and I'm proud to have done it. The doctors and nurses were afraid that if they treated me in the incorrect way, that they would be prosecuted for that. And that's appalling.

Donald Trump says that women should be punished. Do you believe in punishment for abortion? There has to be some form of punishment. For the woman? Yeah. I believe that women should have reproductive freedom to make the choices about their own bodies. Four more years of Donald Trump means that women's rights will continue to be taken away one by one by one by one.

This has to stop because women are dying. I'm Kamala Harris and I approve this message. Farquhar, executive producer of Proud Family. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. Hi, I'm Jo Marie Payton, voice of Sugar Mama on Disney's Louder and Prouder Disney+. And I'm with Roland Martin on Unfiltered. Thank you. Thank you. A new poll of black voters across battleground states finds that one in three black voters is more motivated to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris once they hear contrasting messages on climate action. The poll was conducted by Climate Power in collaboration with HIT Research, of course, led by our buddy Terrence Woodbury. They surveyed black voters in key battleground states, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada,

North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Climate Power's Black Engagement Senior Advisor, Markeia Thomas, joins us right now, along with Dr. Mustafa Santayal Ali, former Senior Advisor for Environmental Justice at the EPA, as well as Tamara Tolles O'Loughlin, the CEO and President of the Environmental Grantmakers Association. So glad to have all three of y'all here on our climate change special.

So, Makia, let's start with you. And so just give me the overview of really what y'all were able to discover, how critically important climate and the environment is to African Americans? So the reason why we wanted to do this poll is because we wanted to be able to actually measure how climate is important to Black voters, and if it's like a top voting issue for Black voters, and also what messaging can move Black voters in this election. And what we have found is what we always known, that Black voters care about climate. We may not always have the messaging for it, but we absolutely care about it. And some of the messaging that we've seen really resonate with Black voters is how climate is directly connected with the economy and good paying jobs that don't

require college degrees. Because in the state that we currently are, we care about our future and we want stability. We want to be able to clean up our communities. And we also want to be able to weather the storms. But here's the interesting thing. I mean, look, we've had nine, ten different black-specific polls on here. We've had lots of conversations, issues folks care about. You've heard so much information about what black men want. And climate doesn't show up. Is that because of, frankly, how the questions are asked, what they determine to be the issues?

Is it a question of not asking about environmental racism? Just your thoughts about that. I think there are a few things. One of them is that people are not asking the right questions. We talk about climate as if it's an abstract issue that doesn't impact our day-to-day. And so a lot of people aren't really sure how to measure climate conversation, as well as I think we don't think about how like a clean energy economy is like the way of the future because we are busting the monopoly of big oil and fossil fuels being our only source of energy. And in order to do that, we need to be able to create jobs. We're seeing that with our energy grid. We're seeing it with EVs.

And I just think for the frankly, on this issue, so much of this issue has been defined by the language of the right. And so, so many folks on the right, oh, climate hoax, this stuff is not real. You know, oh my goodness, you talk about the weather changing, all those different things. I mean, you talk about the weather changing, all these different things.

I mean, literally, it's late October. Here we are in, you know, Washington, D.C. And, you know, you've got, I'm looking here, today it was a high of 82, 78. They're already saying it's likely going to be a very warm winter, which is, in the last two or three years has been that way. And so this idea of these people acting as if climate change isn't real is absolutely crazy. You talk about the hurricane that hit the East Coast. That was this interesting story a local station had done, how people about three years ago, people had left eastern North Carolina to move to Asheville because they figured, oh, being in the mountains

of North Carolina, they were free from climate change. And then massive flooding actually happens. It was kind of like, oh, my God, we actually can't escape this. And so I think I think that's also it's been so politicized. And all these scientists are not real. These are that it also impacts how people sort of view these issues. Absolutely. And, you know, it's wonky by design. If we go all the way back to, like, Reagan, when we first started talking about climate change, similar to Trump and Vance, he was taking big oil money. Like, he, everyone has an agenda to push. And so they make climate change really, really wonky. Also, I think people just don't know the difference between weather and climate. Like, weather is day-to-day. Climate is like how weather, like the period of weather over 30-year increments, which is how we know that the

earth is warming, because period by period, we are seeing those temperatures rise, which then disrupts the atmosphere. And it's causing all of this extreme weather, from heat waves to extreme storms to, like, like even how you know previously when we thought about hurricanes it's like okay as soon as they they make landfall they're going to slow down and just dissipate now we are seeing that slow moving storms have the power to dump more water which like you mentioned is like devastating devastating folks who like moved to different areas to be able to protect themselves from rising seas and the things that we are seeing from climate change. And of course, for me, being a native of Houston, look, I've been living with hurricanes my entire life.

You prefer a fast moving hurricane as opposed to a slow moving one, because you're right. When you're dumping that amount of water, it completely overwhelms systems. And then even back to back, frankly, the earth can't absorb those back to back storms. And now it just wreak even more havoc. I wanna bring in Mustafa in this conversation as well, because Mustafa, again, I do believe language matters, semantics matters. And so when you're hearing environment, climate, weather, Again, I do believe language matters, semantics matters.

And so when you're hearing environment, climate, weather, environmental racism, what I try to do is, and what I do is try to simplify this as much as possible and explain to people, do you care about what's in your food? Do you care about the air you breathe? Do you care about the water in your food? Do you care about the air you breathe? Do you care about the water that you drink? Do understand your entire existence is dependent upon

what's in the air and what's in the ground. Exactly. And you hit it right on the head. You know, it is about food. It is about health. It is about jobs. We know that those are three issues that even in this particular moment, folks care about, no matter what color they are right now. They actually care about those. But for our communities, it's critically important for us to be able to help them to understand that when we see these prices for food going up, there is a connection also to both the climate crisis and injustices about where and how people can grow food. Can we grow food in our backyards like our grandparents used to do, or do we now live

in communities, these sacrifice zones, that have toxic pollution that are there? When we look at the health impacts that are happening inside of our communities, we got to make sure that we're having the environmental justice conversation with the climate crisis conversation, because so many people now know, you know, individuals who have asthma or maybe their baby girl or their son has asthma. And then we make those linkages that are there about the fossil fuels and the air pollution that people are breathing. And then we help people to understand that that same pollution that is making black folks sick and shortening our lives is that same pollution that is also playing a role in driving the climate crisis. And then, of course, the other part is

people always want to know, if you're talking about this new clean economy, you know, not only can I get a job in this space, but can I be a boss? Can I be a boss? Can I own my own business in this space? So when I'm having these conversations with folks, I'm bringing all the things that are actually playing out in their lives on a daily sort of a daily type of situation and helping them to understand where resources are, who are people who look like them, are helping to create these new businesses and make change, and what the future can actually look like for our communities. Tamara, I think that when we talk about the jobs aspect of this, this is what I think is the fundamental problem in the United States. We actually prefer stuff to reach catastrophic points before we go, OK, fine, maybe we ought to fix this thing.

Because we are so economically driven in this country country and we just got to just go ahead and be clear about this this is a capitalistic society it is about how can i make as much money as possible and keep as much money as possible and to become rich so what we then 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'm Clayton English.

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

It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug 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. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I 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. B one two and three on may 21st and episodes four five and six on june 4th ad free at lava for good plus on apple podcasts sometimes as dads i think we're too hard on ourselves we get down on ourselves on not being able to you know we're the providers but we also We get down on ourselves on not being able to, you know, we're the providers. But we also have to learn to take care of ourselves. A wrap-away, you got to pray for yourself as well as for everybody else. But never forget yourself. Self-love made me a better dad because I realized my worth.

Never stop being a dad. That's dedication. Find out more at fatherhood.gov. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council. We say, oh no, you hear Donald Trump, oh, the Green New Deal, it's going to cost too much. It's going to just be, it's going to just too much money. We don't have enough, the electric grid, we don't have enough power stations, and we need more gas and gas and oil and oil and drill, baby, drill. That's just literally how we think, and you're seeing what's happening.

But the problem is all you hear is, oh, this is too costly, as if there's not an actual cost to what has happened with the climate in this country and in this world? Yeah, so, uh, it isn't just that there's a lie that it doesn't cost money. Uh, the idea that doing everything... Like, the Green New Deal is an umbrella. It's a concept. It talks about paying for jobs,

uh, making sure people have health care, and that there is energy. Guess what? We pay for those things anyway. So there really is no differential between whether or not we do something about it, whether we're consumers or whether we are people who own our own capacity. We're going to put money in. We're putting labor. We're putting in our sweat. And when we live and die, other people make money off of it. So there is no too expensive to grow into what's better for our people because we pay on either end, especially when we're not in charge of what we're discussing.

So there is no financial argument to continue polluting unless you're someone who sells oil and gas. To everybody else, it's cheaper to get clean. Well, but here's, I think, what's crazy, Markeia. It's already costing us. You literally have insurance companies not wanting to do business in Florida, flood insurance, other types of insurance. We're seeing this. So this notion that, oh, we can't afford it. Guess what? Regular, ordinary people can't afford it. I had somebody hit me,

and this woman, she says, she says, well, I don't understand, you know, people, you know, why aren't they leaving? I said, okay, as somebody who's actually had to flee, had to evacuate before because of a hurricane, I said, let me just walk you through basic cost. If you have to pack up and leave, first of all, you got to have a car. What if you are low income working for it? You use public transportation. Now you can't leave. Two, if you go somewhere, you have to think you're going to be gone at a minimum for a week.

Okay, hotel is going to be 200 bucks, maybe cheaper, but let's just say $200. Okay, you throw in taxes. You're going to have to spend possibly $1,200 to $1,500 for a room. Now you got to eat. Now you got kids. I said, so that's anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000 you're going to need to be able to leave for that week. How many people actually have an extra two to four grand to leave? They don't. That's a real cost when a natural disaster is on its way, which is why a lot of people stay because they actually can't afford to leave.

And so when you start seeing more of these weather-driven circumstances, that is a cost. There's a human cost, a financial cost right now. And the thing is, we shouldn't have to leave. Like, we did not create this problem, and so we should not be on the hook for it. And even outside of just fleeing, we've seen big oil companies pass along the cost

for, like, repairing grids and, like, the cost to rebuild communities onto the people that live there as if we were the people that started this problem and as if we are fueling this problem, when essentially we just want to be able to live our lives in our communities and, like, live in communities that also are safe from environmental harm.

I want to go back to the poll that y'all released. You really see the movement when it comes to voters. You really see that movement among 18 to 34. That really jumps out. But what also I think is interesting, where y'all said that when it comes to following proper messaging, strong motivation, vote motivation increases by six points. A third of black battleground voters 18 to 34 feel more motivated by the end of the poll. But what jumped out at me when it says, go to my iPad, one in four battleground voters feel more motivated.

These voters tend to be black voters 18 to 49, particularly black voters 18 to 34 particularly black voters 1834 and black men. Why specifically black men? Just curious. I think specifically because black men tend to be like the movable middle. These are the people that are like really focused on providing for their families and their communities. And so what they are most interested in is the economy. So when we present this messaging of good-paying jobs that don't require college degrees, people can see themselves in this future where they are able to provide for their families without working multiple jobs. And I think that's why we're seeing the most movement amongst Black men. But another thing is, like, amongst young voters and also women voters, the idea of a future that our children can thrive in also does really well.

Tamara, I think you want to jump in there? Yeah, I mean, I always do. I think why are we focused on Black men? Because the Black vote is the vote that makes the elections happen. And the Black man is a part of the community, the leader of the family. And so, frankly, the idea that whether Black men are being persecuted, somebody's getting paid on that, that people are being put under the jail, black men are being targeted for that, that costs people and it costs the culture. If people—if black men are put on a track for success or failure, somebody in America is making money on it.

So it's not just that we're the movable middle. It's that we are the people who move things in this country. There have never been an election that has been won without the Black vote. And so by separating us by gender, organizing us by race, figuring out how to break apart the Black family, there's a lot of money to be made, a lot of votes to be moved. And so, frankly, the idea that Black men are responsive to knowing that there will be jobs in an environment where they don't have to take jobs that kill them, it's pretty straightforward. Mustafa?

Yeah, no, everything that folks said. I think the other part of it, too, especially when you look at that particular age range, is that individuals have grown up seeing everything from Hurricane Katrina to Hurricane Harvey to Maria. They've seen the lead crises that we have in Flint, Michigan, and in Jackson, Mississippi. So folks are paying much more attention to these impacts that are happening inside of our communities. And then as the sisters have shared, on the flip side, they also are now paying attention to these opportunities because, yeah, there are now over 300,000 new clean energy jobs that are out there. But people also who want to be entrepreneurs have an opportunity around contracting and subcontracting and being able to create their own businesses,

to be able to take care of their families, to be able to address the wealth gap that exists inside of our communities. So it is an exciting time. And that's why we have to take a serious look at both of the people who are running and ask the question, who truly cares about our community improving our health and who truly has a track record of also creating economic opportunities for us to move into the space? Because we know when we come into a space, our black genius then takes over and we take it to a whole nother level. Markeia, when I look at, again, when I look at this poll, go to my iPad, y'all have it here. Target the right

audience with the right message. Create a message testing study to identify the most impactful messaging to the right audience around Harris's vision for climate and clean energy, as well as going on a fence against Trump. Has that been happening? It has been happening. I think it's really important to focus on contrast messaging and also making the argument clear and pointing out the dangers of Project 2025. Not only does it threaten the National Weather Service, but it's going to put basic needs behind paywalls, which makes recovery from extreme weather even more difficult, as well as things that will impact our everyday lives, from healthcare to childcare to our access to food, as Mustafa has talked about earlier and how important this is.

And so Project 2025 literally threatens our livelihood and our lives are on the line with this election. I'm seeing here, go back to my iPad here, Mustafa. It says, Trump gets the most trust from black voters on economic issues like jobs and cost of living. So emphasizing Harris' commitment to create new, good-paying, clean energy jobs, lowering costs, and creating pathways to the middle class is an opportunity to build trust on the economy.

How would you assess it thus far, 14 days out? Yeah, well, you know, again, that's why this show is so important, because we get to help people to have an understanding of what's really going on here. So we know with Project 2025, which is linked to Trump, let's not fool ourselves that he and others have not played a significant role there. We know that there's 1.7 million jobs that will be lost. Let me say that again, 1.7 million jobs lost. So that tells me right there that you are not an economic genius if we are going to

actually lose the new jobs that are being created in this clean energy space. The other part that's important is that you always hear people talking about my energy bills are too high. We know from studies that it's shown that about $32 billion in increases will be a part of our energy bills if we allow Project 2025 to move forward. So all of that Trump has to carry. You can't get away from it. The numbers are the numbers. On the other side of the equation, we know that the Harris administration has actually been focused on both creating jobs under Biden-Harris, and she's also focused on creating additional clean energy jobs. And also, studies have shown that they will actually decrease, you know, our energy costs by $38 billion. So for everybody who's out there, whether you're standing on the

corner, you're in the barbershop, you're in the library, wherever you're at, if somebody tells you that you're going to lose over a million jobs here, and the other person is actually creating jobs and has a track record on it, and then the other side of the equation, once again, is saying that they are going to increase your energy costs. So if there's anybody out there who's actually cool with your energy bills going up, then you know the administration that you should go for. But if you want your bills to actually go down,

your energy costs to go down, then you have an administration on the Harris side who has a track record and who also has a plan moving forward. Going back, Tamara, to the 1834, go back to my iPad. It says, Black voters, 1834, need to hear about the threat Trump poses to climate progress and their futures,

especially when it comes to Product 2025 and its tax breaks for big oil. Listen, he had a meeting with big oil where he essentially said to them, y'all fund my campaign, I'm going to try to do whatever the hell y'all want. People need to understand that's going to happen.

It's already happening. That meeting is ongoing right now while the rest of the world is gathering and trying to figure out how to save the last bird, the last dog, the last fruit or vegetable that they enjoy. There are people making decisions right now to figure out just how little of your life you will get to enjoy. So it's pretty clear when you look at the options on the table who is for the Black community, not just because they

happen to identify with us, but because, frankly, the other side is just trying to get paid and then get going. And so, casting you a lot with folks who are focused on making sure that they keep the status quo that keeps us undernourished, underserved, unhoused, and unapologetically ignored when it's time to count after the votes are counted. It's really clear that going backwards is not the way that we can to move forward. It's not surprising that people are recognizing that the promise of new jobs and the opportunity to live to fight another day is more appealing. Basically, the idea that FEMA's not going to show up when your house gets

flooded, nor is it going to show up if your crops get burnt. It's the police are not going to show up to support you because they're not going to be resourced in ways that allow them to do anything other than spray you with bullets. Like, we are in a very real set of challenges that are not going to get better if you vote with the folks who just want your face in the front of the camera, as opposed to your voice and the politic that determines

your future. And so Project 2025 is just one part of how we will fail to meet the mandate and continue to support people who want to kill us. So the choices are clear. But, Kira, you do have to deal with the reality of politics. You look at the issue of fracking in Pennsylvania. 2019, then-Senator Kamala Harris was against fracking.

She's now moderating her position. For Pennsylvania, that's a huge issue. And so part of this issue, frankly, when it comes to politics, is it's a dance you play. Because one state, there may be an issue like fracking that is huge in a Pennsylvania, but in another state, it's irrelevant. And so when you start talking about battleground states, again, I mean, I can think about NAFTA. NAFTA, oh, was huge for Trump in Ohio because a lot of those folks had already lost their jobs. But the folks in Texas were like, yo, it was cool with us. And so let's

talk about that because that's the dance that, frankly, she has to play because you have to play electoral politics based upon that one thing jobs yes um and also what we're seeing about the fracking conversation is that it really is not as important as people make it to be um we know that pennsylvania is like really big on fracking but we also also know that Pennsylvania is looking forward to change, looking forward to having jobs that don't sacrifice the lives of people living there. And although it's still a big issue right now, I would argue that as we continue to invest in the clean energy economy, it will become less and less of an issue. I'm sorry, Tamara, go ahead. Just to push back even further, some of the biggest

investments for clean energy have come out of Pennsylvania. Folks who have had their water poisoned, their air poisoned. Pennsylvania is also the only state that has an amendment in the Constitution to protect your right to have clean air and an environment that you can live in. You know where that came from? People who got tired of losing their family members to industry, oil, air pollution, and all of the above combining to be an industry that clouds out your voice. So, for the folks who are loud and proud on all of those issues, there are many folks lining up to fight at the front lines coming from Pennsylvania

against all of it. So, it's not a closed book. Philanthropy has really shown up to make the point that fracking isn't just bad for the people who are necronizing the emissions. It's bad for the people who have to live in the shadow of what is done to the soil, the air, and the water that they need to live.

And those people are poor, all of them. But right there, Mustafa, it's trying to reach those low-income, poor workers, and then translate those issues to voting. Reverend William Barber talks about this here, and so it's the economic piece. And so how do you do that, especially when you're talking about poor, low-income, working-class white voters who Republicans are appealing to on culture issues as opposed to economic and health and environmental issues? Well, because we know that the economics and the jobs

are so critically important, we bring forward the stories and examples of folks who look just like the people who are being impacted and help them to understand, you know, the folks have been able to create these new sets of businesses and then create new sets of jobs in both wind and solar and thermal and a number of the other industries that are a part of this, because people need to see themselves represented. People need to see their reflection and folks who have been able to navigate this. And often,

that's not being done enough. And that's why the work that Tamara does and others and funding on the ground work is so incredibly important, because then people get a chance to see this is not just theory. This is actually people are putting it all together and they're being able to create not only a pathway forward, but they're being able to make sure that people have, you know, this livable wage that folks often talk about. But it's far beyond that, because as was shared earlier, you know, even if you don't have a college degree, you can enter into these spaces because you work great with both your hands and your mind. And that's what the people, you know, I come from these communities. You know, I come from Appalachian. So I've done lots of work in Pennsylvania and Ohio and other areas.

And that's what people are looking for. They want not just hope. They want a pathway forward. But they want to be able to see that it's real, that the resources are there, and that there is a place for them. Well, absolutely, absolutely. Markeia, I know you're going to be leaving us. Give us your final thoughts regarding this poll. Yes. So this poll is super close to me because as a black person who has worked in climate for a long period of time, I see how it impacts our day to day. And it's very important for us to like really be able to be future forward, looking at clean energy economy,

making sure we can clean up our communities and build resilient communities to be able to be future forward, looking at clean energy economy, making sure we can clean up our communities and build resilient communities to be able to weather the storms. Because as we spoke about earlier, fleeing is not always an option and it should not be. And so I think that the future is bright with this because we know black voters win elections. And what we're seeing from this poll

is that black voters move anywhere between six and 11 points, which is like the largest, the largest number. And so I believe that with this messaging, we can win this thing. If folks want to get more information and see the results of the poll, where should they go? They should go to climatepower.com and then click on the research and polling tab. And we have all of our polls there. But if you type in black, then you will get all of the polling results, specifically for black people and black communities. All right. Markeia Thomas, we certainly appreciate it. Thanks a lot.

Thank you. Folks, we're going to go to break. We come back. We're going to talk more about climate crisis we're facing in the country. And remember, we were in North Carolina a couple of years ago. Do you all realize that North Carolina is the home of the environmental racism movement, the environmental justice movement? Yeah, we'll talk about that as well. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered, the Black Star Network, this special edition of our show focusing on the climate crisis specific to black America.

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. 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,

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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. 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 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. We asked parents who adopted teens to share their journey. We just kind of knew from the beginning that we were family. They showcased a sense of love that I never had before. I mean, he's not only my parent, like he's like my best friend. At the end of the day, it's all been worth it. I wouldn't change a thing about our lives.

Learn about adopting a teen from foster care. Visit AdoptUSKids.org to learn more. Brought to you by AdoptUSKids, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I wanted more children. IVF is a miracle for us because it allowed us to have our family. After having my daughter, I wanted more children. But my embryo transfer was canceled eight days before the procedure. Donald Trump overturning Roe v. Wade stopped us from growing the family that we wanted.

I don't want politicians telling me how or when I can have a baby. We need a president that will protect our rights, and that's Kamala Harris. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message. Bob and I both voted for Donald Trump. I voted for him twice. I won't vote for him again.

January 6th was a wake-up call for me. Donald Trump divides people. We've already seen what he has to bring. He didn't do anything to help us. Kamala Harris, she cares about the American people. I think she's got the wherewithal to make a difference. I've never voted for a Democrat. Yes, we're both lifelong Republicans.

The choice is very simple. I'm voting for Kamala. I am voting for Kamala Harris. In 2016, Donald Trump said he would choose only the best people to work in his White House. Now those people have a warning for America. Trump is not fit to be president again. Here's his vice president. Anyone who puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States.

It should come as no surprise that I will not be endorsing Donald Trump this year. His defense secretary. Do you think Trump can be trusted with the nation's secrets ever again? No. I mean, it's just irresponsible action that places our service members at risk, places our nation's security at risk. His national security advisor. Donald Trump will cause a lot of damage. The only thing he cares about is Donald Trump. And the nation's highest ranking military officer. We don't take an oath to a king or queen or a tyrant or dictator. We don't take an oath to a king or queen or a tyrant or a dictator. We don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator. Take it from the people who knew him best. Donald Trump is a danger to our troops and our democracy. We can't let him lead our country

again. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message. Me, Sherri Sheppard, and you know what you're watching, Roland Martin unfiltered. -♪ -♪ -♪ -♪ -♪ -♪ -♪

-♪ -♪ -♪ Well, if you want to believe or you want to know what Donald Trump actually feels about the issue of climate change and the environment, all you got to do is listen to what he actually has to say. Check this out. Now we call it. Do you ever notice this was such a big deal, the environmental stuff? I haven't heard the environmental stuff mentioned in six months.

I was saying the other night, what the hell happened to the environment? David, will you figure this out? David McCormick, everybody vote for him. David, will you figure this out? You know? No, but think about this. I haven't heard, Mike, I haven't heard, they don't ever talk about the environment anymore.

You know why? Mike is saying, don't talk about it now. No, it's one of the great scams of all time. You know why they don't talk about it? Because people aren't buying it anymore. I don't want to use bad language. My wife said please don't use bad language. He thinks it is a scam. That's out of his own mouth. So folk need to be very aware of that. But here's the other piece. When you talk about Project 2025 and what that will do to the issue of the environment and climate,

this is what ProPublica, when they got some videos of some of the folks with Project 2025, listened to this. What do you think about all of, about the left's words and definitions in the environment? It's a great point, Katie. They don't stop. Climate change allegedly is everywhere. And if the American people elect a conservative president, his administration will have to eradicate climate change references from absolutely everywhere. And according to our intelligence community,

the number one threat facing our country today is, drum roll, climate change. Not Russia, not China, not AI, climate change. This shows how the federal government is all in on this issue. And climate change activists wield a lot of power. This is an issue to pay attention to as it has infiltrated every part of the federal government. Now, when I think of climate change, I immediately think of population control, don't you? I think about the people who don't want you to have children because of the impact on the environment. Perhaps not everyone will make that connection, but after spending time in the international space trying to protect life,

I can tell you that this is part of their ultimate goal, to control people. What? I'm sorry. Mustafa, what the hell are they talking about? Well, they have no idea what they're talking about. I don't know what the hell that—we were from climate to population control? Well, if they had their information correct, Roland, they would understand that there are younger people who feel that folks are not serious about addressing the climate crisis. So some of them have said that they don't want to have children and have their children have to go through what we know is going to come from the climate crisis. So some of them have said that they don't want to have children and have their children have to go through what we know is going to come from the climate crisis. But besides that,

here's where they're also incorrect. So if the intelligence community, whose job is to be able to understand where the greatest sets of impacts are coming from and also predict what the future is going to look like so they can do the risk management that's necessary. One side. The other side of the equation that she didn't say is that the military has also said that climate change is one of the greatest threats because many of our military bases are, you know, on areas that are close to water bodies. So that's one side of it. The other side of it is that they're not coming from a scientific perspective or from somebody who just goes outside on their back porch

and sees the changes that are currently going on. So their whole goal is to be able to strip the language of climate out of the federal government, which will then make sure that there's no resources that are garnered for it. And for the black community, which will then make sure that there's no resources that are garnered for it. And for the black community, that means that we are going to continue to have all of these additional health burdens and shortening of our lives because we did not address what we could have done if we had a president who actually cared. Here's the other part that they did say, is that if this stuff is not real, why did the Trump administration take over 125 actions to weaken or to eliminate protecting

clean air and clean water in the land and addressing the climate crisis? So if it's not a real thing, they wouldn't have needed to do any of that. And then, of course, the Biden-Harris administration had over 300 policies in place, and there still needed to be more to address the issues. And I know my dear sister will unpack that. Go right ahead, because I still have no idea what the hell the two white women were talking about. So my grandma said, you can't wrestle with crazy. But what I'll say is Project 2025 is just an amalgam of a bunch of things that are set to trigger you. If you want to go to places where doctors can't serve you, have your energy cost more so that you have to decide whether you will eat or have power,

have food that is more likely to poison you than feed you, and have nothing but chemicals pouring over your life, your body, your children, and the potential of whether you would ever have children, then Project 2025 is for you. Because it's full of politics, nonsense, word salad, and crazy talk, which puts you into conversations like the one we just had to sit through, where we have to watch someone talking about population control. You know who cares about population control? People who look at data and don't care about people. We are not in a conversation that is just about data. We're in a conversation about floods and fire and damage and the cost of electricity and a quarter of your life being shut down.

And your children not having access to the basic things you have counted on because the planet doesn't sustain us. That's not somebody else's business. What we don't want population control is, it is a boogeyman that allows people to try out the things that are scariest to you at moments when they think if you just keep doing the same thing, they're going to be all right at your expense. So I'm not going to wrestle with crazy and what was going on between those two women, because what they were doing was getting paid a lot of money to confuse people, to muddy the situation, and to make it seem as though people were going to take something, especially from black people for whom everything has already been taken. Like what we're in this contest, this political context about is what we're going to get out of

it. And what we need to get out of it is a future where we have dignity, where we have rights, we have security, and we don't have to listen to people talking circles to us as though we're not in the conversation already. You know, things have actually been done in the Inflation Reduction Act that was passed by the Biden-Harris administration, and actually it was Vice President Kamala Harris who actually cast that tie-breaking vote. We're talking about some $270 billion. This right here is a fact sheet a member of Congress put out talking about extending and expanding clean energy tax credits, new investment tax credit, dealing with energy

storage, microgrid technology, also new direct pay for non-profits and others when it comes to clean energy credits, bonuses for high-roll labor standards and key clean energy and clean vehicle tax provisions, new incentive to keep existing nuclear energy power plants online, $27 billion for the greenhouse gas reduction fund for nonprofit, state, and local climate finance institutions that will finance the rapid deployment of zero-emission technologies and other things as well.

And the thing here, Mustafa, that I think we have to just acknowledge is, again, it's frankly how ass backwards we were. I mean, listen, if we go back to when Jimmy Carter was in the White House, Carter installed solar panels on the roof of the White House. And they mocked him. Republicans mocked him. One of the first things that Reagan did was remove the solar panels from the White House. Imagine if in this country we actually cared then how far ahead we would be today. And when I'm listening to J.D. Vance and Trump complain about how we're behind China when it comes to solar panels,

that's your party. Y'all screwed that up. Solar technology is an American invention. But because Republicans pooh-pawed it and crapped all over it, that's what led to China leading on it. That was an American technology, and had Republicans not trashed it, we would be so much further along in 2024. We most definitely would. China was like,

oh, you don't want it? We'll take it. And now they have this huge industry that's there. That's not to say that we don't also have a footprint there, but you've got to have, you know, administration after administration that continues to make investments in that space. That's why the CHIPS Act also is so incredibly important because there are sets of dollars that are there to help us on the technology side of addressing what's going on in relationship to the climate crisis. And the other part of it is, as my dear sister shared earlier, is that we also would have saved millions of lives because we know that in our communities and in other vulnerable communities, when we're breathing in all of this toxic air pollution

that comes out of the tailpipes of cars and coming out of factories and coming from a number of other places, that if we had begun to move earlier into a cleaner economy, of cars and coming out of factories and coming from a number of other places that, you know, if we had began to move earlier into a cleaner economy, we would have saved those lives. We would have also helped people to keep more dollars in their pocket because they wouldn't have had to, you know, go to the doctor all the time because of all these breathing difficulties in the liver and kidney diseases and the cancers. People are always like, well, why is cancer, you know, eating up certain communities? You got to take a look at the toxic food that people are eating. And when I say toxic, I'm not just talking about food deserts.

I'm also talking about the chemicals that are in there, but also what's in our air and what's in our water. So when Jimmy Carter was trying to get us to actually think critically about the 21st century and the sets of opportunities that would be there. And then you saw Ronald Reagan come in and take us backwards in time. You know, they put people's lives in danger and they also, you know, impacted us on the economic side of the equation in a very significant way. But we can right the ship in that the past administration, the Biden-Harris administration, has actually been making those investments, both in the bipartisan infrastructure bill, the climate bill, the CHIPS Act, to move us forward. But we have to make sure that there's real intentionality and that the black community is also benefiting from these huge sets of opportunities that are out there. Tamara, this is a video that the White House put out in 2022, saying in 2022 there were 240 240 guys. Come on, switch. There were 240 million solar panels

in the United States in eight years. So by 2000, by 2029, there will be nearly one billion solar panels in the United States. That's because of that investment. That's a perfect example of one facet of the attack dealing with climate crisis by not having us be so dependent upon oil, gas, coal, and utilizing what is always there, the sun. That's right. The sun's always going to shine. The wind's always going to blow. Why shouldn't we be making it work for us? I have a colleague who I don't like that much, but she says it all the time,

and it's absolutely true. You don't like her? I just want to put that out there. She knows who she is. I think it's important to flag that, like, the we is important here. We didn't take the solar panels off the White House. We didn't put them back on.

And we haven't been a part of this conversation because we've been excluded from it. This is a unique opportunity. What the IRA did was put a lot of money on the boulevard, not on the street, on the boulevard, so that we could incentivize all the other things that make it possible for us to become owners, to get in the conversation about what we're going to do, to have choice in the conversation. That doesn't mean there's fights that are over, but the idea

that we can reclaim what's been lost because we weren't invited into those conversations, even though we've been on that clean energy game. Like, Madam C.J. Walker had an electric car in 1910. 1910. The first black millionaire had an electric car in 1910. Wow. 1910. The first black millionaire had an electric car.

Wow, I didn't know that. Really? She did. Yes. Do you know why? Because they marketed it to rich people, including rich black people, that it was a clean car. You didn't have to get your hands dirty. So we have been in this conversation.

Every time we've ever had a moment, some space, some resources or some relief from other folks helping making decisions on our behalf, we have been in this conversation. And the three or four times we've tried to have it, it's been pulled back by industry that has this grip on the politics. It's dirty, oily hands on the way that we talk about what we need and who do we is, frankly. It's so cheap to buy a vote these days that by proxy, if you can just spill enough oil and gas in a place to move people out of where they belong or gerrymander them out of their vote, it's why climate is at the center of the things we have to do as black people, because

our future is in it, our self-sufficiency is in it, our self-determination is in it, and we've been here forever. You just said something that I think is, and I really try my best to avoid having to hear Donald Trump's voice, but I really do need people who've yet to vote to understand how stupid

of a person we are dealing with. I need people to realize that this man is not bright when we are talking about wind. OK, I'm about to play for y'all three clips and everybody, y'all, this is not A.I. This is not created. This is literally coming from the mouth of an imbecile. Listen. You know this. Do you know we need twice as much electricity as we currently have in our country for AI? But the environmentalists won't let you produce it. They want wind. The wind, it kills our birds. Okay, I'm going to play another one. I'm going to play another one. Here we go. Roll it.

Instead of playing this game with wind that is ruining everything, killing all your birds, destroying the fields, all these gorgeous fields, you got windmills all over the place, and you have birds. You want to see a bird cemetery? Just go under a windmill. You see thousands of birds dead. The bald eagle, if you kill an eagle, they put you in jail for years. And yet these windmills knock them out like nothing, and nothing happens to the people. Now, it's a great time.

I don't. Okay, I got to play one more, y'all, because this is really a strange one. Go. Hold on one second. Because I saw this one, y'all. I said, this man needs to be in an insane asylum. He don't need to be nowhere near,

let me find it, because he was talking about TV. Okay, hold up, let me play this one, watch this. We'll have an economy based on wind. I never understood wind, and I know windmills very much. I've studied it better than anybody. I know it's very expensive. They're made in China and Germany mostly. Very few made here, almost none.

But they're manufactured tremendous, if you're into this, tremendous fumes, gases are spewing into the atmosphere. You know, we have a world, right? So the world is tiny compared to the universe. So tremendous, tremendous amount of fumes and everything. You talk about the carbon footprint.

Fumes are spewing into the air, right? So one of y'all want to take that? Sure. Yeah, so i'll just buy my brother some time and say that one of the biggest market programs for how we get people to pay for all this pollution that's floating around in the wind was developed by republicans just want to put that out there climate is not political there are trees everywhere or they need to be where they are. There is sun everywhere. There is wind everywhere. There is water everywhere. There is food that we gather from the earth. There is nothing political about climate.

The foolishness that comes out of these political contests makes it seem as though you can be for this and not for that. No one can drink water that's poisoned. No one can eat fish that are full of toxins. No one's kids will be okay poisoned. No one can eat fish that are full of toxins. No one's kids will be okay if you have a gas stove and it puts gas into the air and slowly makes it impossible for them to catch a breath and they get asthma. That is not up for votes. But what is up for votes is whether or not people are going to lie to you about those things being true. And so this nonsense and this rhetoric, the reason it's exhausting is because it's supposed to be. It's not supposed to make any sense. It's supposed to pull you into a rabbit hole full of crazy

that makes you just do whatever they want you to do so they'll go away. I got to play this with him, Mustafa, before you comment. Because I, again, I mean, this is like, this is like the dumb man greatest hits on wind. Check this one out, y'all. Much better the second time than we did the first time. Much, much better by many millions of votes.

But we're running, and I tell the little, it's sad, it's a joke, but it's not a joke. Darling, I'd like to watch the president tonight on television. No, you can't. The wind isn't blowing. The wind isn't blowing. There's no television tonight, darling. 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 Business

Week 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 We'll be right 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.

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

We asked parents who adopted teens to share their journey. We just kind of knew from the beginning that we were family. They showcased a sense of love that I never had before. I mean, he's not only my parent, like he's like my best friend. At the end of the day, it's all been worth it. I wouldn't change a thing about our lives. Learn about adopting a teen from foster care. Visit AdoptUSKids.org to learn more.

Brought to you by AdoptUSKids, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Ad Council. We're not... I mean, it's sad. It's sad. One, it shows that he doesn't read. You know, in his previous administration, people used to always talk about how he didn't read his briefings, those types of things. If you spent a half an hour, you could have some of the basics that you need to know about what's going on, who's actually benefiting. So maybe they couldn't watch the TV because they were in Texas and because the grid, which has not been upgraded. And they also didn't move forward on making sure that they had renewable energy as a

part of that. Maybe that's why I couldn't watch. When he talks about windmills, you know, windmills are not out there killing massive amounts of birds. He should have a conversation about the pollution that's coming out of stacks that is not only killing birds, but killing other wildlife that is also impacting our environment. That's killing black and brown people. If he was serious when he was in Pennsylvania, he would have went over to where Zulene Mayfield used to be over in Chester, Pennsylvania, and had conversations with folks there. Or if he was going to be in Philly, he could have slid right over on the west side of Philly and found out about all the people who have been exposed. Or he could have went to Institute West Virginia. Or he could go to the Manchester community in Houston, Texas. Or he could go to Cancer Alley between

New Orleans and Baton Rouge and see, when we're moving all of those fossil fuels down to be refined, what the impact looks like in vulnerable communities. And then maybe he would actually have a moment of humanity and say, we need to be moving toward cleaner types of energy. So not only are folks not dying from the initial sets of impacts that are coming out of the stacks, but also because this is the same stuff, the carbon and methane that's heating up our oceans and our atmosphere and are causing these storms like Hurricane Helene. So he has an opportunity to actually be more well-versed, but unfortunately he is either, and I try to be a

respectful person, but I just got to keep it real. He is either an imbecile or he is somebody who is consciously putting people's lives in danger. Last point, if he actually really was somebody who knew economics, he would understand who's making some of the greatest investments in wind. And if you go and look at Texas or in Oklahoma, and then you follow the money back to the people who are actually investing in that space, there's a whole bunch of Republicans who are saying, when the cameras are on, this is a terrible thing. This is a climate hoax. And then on the other side, they're taking the money that they're getting and putting it in their back pocket because they

understand that people have to move toward a new clean economy or we won't have a livable planet. And we know the first people and the worst impacts are going to be for black and brown folks. I think imbecile is it. I just can't. I can't think of anything else. I mean, you're not dealing with a serious person. And again, what Project 2025 wants to do, they want to gut everything. If people thought they attacked the EPA when he was there the first time,

they want to completely obliterate the EPA. They don't give a damn about America's national treasures. They don't care about national parks. They want to drill everywhere. They do not care. They will literally rape and pillage the land in this country to satisfy big oil. And then some. And we talked about the huge tax breaks that he plans on giving. I think the last number I saw was $110 billion in tax breaks that he wants to give to Big Oil.

So, you know, you've got to understand that Big Oil, you know, we've seen, we know the impacts personally that have happened inside of our communities. We know how they tried to muddy up the science. You know, when scientists finally said X is going to happen, how they tried to discredit them. We know the history going back over 50 years of some of the big oil companies hiding facts and then manipulating facts. So we know their track record. I believe everybody can evolve if they want to,

but we, all we know is what we've been able to see and that they have done everything to prop up these politicians to put forward, you know, legislation or to weaken legislation that has huge impacts inside of our communities. They also understand that when you've got 2.4 million miles of fossil fuel pipeline in this country, enough to go to the moon and back a number of times, that they're going to continue to fill those pipelines. And what they fill it with, in many instances, is death or sickness for our community. So they're very clear. There's much intentionality in what's currently going on. And that's why when you look at Project 2025, you know, I resigned last time. I was the highest ranking federal official, the first one, to actually say,

you know what, I'm not supporting this. But now they've gotten much, much smarter. So people often see all the jobs that they're going to eliminate, the language that you can't use, the manipulation of science to not tell people the truth about the impacts that are going on. But what folks don't talk about with Project 2025 is that also when you bring in all these Trump sycophants, then you're also going to have individuals who are making decisions about where the grants are going to go and what the grants actually look like that have played a traditional role in helping communities to build capacity,

to have a better understanding of what's going on. They're also going to make sure that those advisory committees that have played such a critical role in bringing forward, you know, both the amazing work that folks have been able to do, but the sets of challenges that are still going on, they will also have control over that. So there's all these things that go on inside of these federal agencies and departments that people haven't really thought about in relationship to Project 2025. And what it really does is it places a crosshair on so many communities across our country, both black and brown and indigenous and Asian and Pacific Islander and lower wealth white

communities. We have to make sure that people understand how significant this manifesto is and doing nothing to improve your life, but everything and placing additional challenges on shortening your life. And go ahead. Go ahead. I'm sorry. Go ahead. Can I add to it that I don't know that they've necessarily gotten smarter, but they have gotten organized. So what my brother is talking about is the fact that there are a bunch of folks who look like you who moved into this political moment from lots of places so that in this moment, resources that were moving towards you will get closer to where you live, will set in motion industry and capacity where your voice is welcome. What's on the other side of that is that the watchdogs that are from your community that have been keeping everybody honest in this moment will be removed. They'll

be replaced by folks who will do whatever the check tells them to do. And that check tells them to erase the Black community. We are in a fight for our lives, like we have always been, in the election that we have been waiting for, for 405 years. The question is not what's on the ballot. It's what about your life is not on the ballot. And so Project 2025 is the biggest organization of all the ideas that could be put up at this moment to make your life harder, more expensive, and more painful, more likely to lead to an untimely death. So we are not talking about if this, then that, maybe this will get something. There are no political bargains to be made in this moment. like we are not talking about if this, then that, maybe this will get something.

There are no political bargains to be made in this moment. What we are doing now is talking about when, what we will get if we vote in one direction versus another and the direction and the choices are life and death, frankly. And I do want to, before I go to a break, I want to point this out. Only the second time in this 179 year history, the Scientific American has endorsed someone for president. They offered their endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris. Come on, guys. Yeah, come on. You got you got to believe in science to be supported by scientists. So there's that. Right. And so they say right here, Kamala Harris's plans to improve health, boost the economy,

and mitigate climate change. Donald Trump has threats and a dangerous record. You can go to scientificamerican.com to actually see their endorsement. And what's underneath that for Black people is that, frankly, the democracy doesn't end when you cast your vote. So between the choices, the likelihood that you will have a chance to fight for what you need increases in one direction

and decreases in the other. Quick break. We come back, folks. You may not realize that, but it was in North Carolina where black folk created what is known as the environmental justice movement. We'll show you a little bit of the EPA leader, Michael Regan, speaking on that at an event in North Carolina in the Black Star Network.

We were there covering it. We'll be right back on Rolling Mountain Unfiltered. Special edition of our climate crisis has impacted black America back in a moment. Disastrous. Alarming. A plan that shreds American values. That's what independent news sources and conservatives are saying about a proposal from right-wing extremists called Project 2025. It would threaten hundreds of thousands of jobs created by the Clean Energy Plan,

give massive tax breaks to big oil, and roll back protections that keep corporations from poisoning our water with toxic chemicals. Project 2025, a dream for them, a disaster for you. In 2016, Donald Trump said he would choose only the best people to work in his White House. Now those people have a warning for America. Trump is not fit to be president again. Here's his vice president. Anyone who puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States. It should come as no surprise that I will not be endorsing Donald Trump this year. His defense secretary. Do you think Trump can be trusted with the nation's secrets ever again? No. I mean, it's just irresponsible action that places our service

members at risk, places our nation's security at risk. His national security advisor. Donald Trump will cause a lot of damage. The only thing he cares about is Donald Trump. And the nation's highest ranking military officer. We don't take an oath to a king or queen or a tyrant or a dictator. We don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator. Take it from the people who knew him best. Donald Trump is a danger to our troops and our democracy. We can't let him lead our country again. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message. Hi, my name is Brady Ricks. I'm from Houston, Texas. My name is Sharon Williams. I'm from Dallas, Texas. Right now,

I'm rolling with Roland Martin. Unfiltered, uncut, unplugged, and undamn believable. You hear me? It was black folks in Warren County, North Carolina, that actually created what is known as the environmental injustice movement. A couple of years ago, EPA Director Michael Regan was there, and the Black Star Network was there live streaming an event there, where they talked about that history and discussed how they were reshaping the EPA to deal with the issue of environmental justice. Here's some of what Reagan had to say in September 2022. What an honor to be in the presence of so many giants of the environmental justice and civil rights movement,

especially as we conclude a week-long commemoration of the birth of the environmental justice movement, whose roots are firmly planted right here in Warren, North Carolina. You know, as a proud son of North Carolina, I was born and raised, and I was just a child when the state decided to site the PCB landfill in the backyard of a predominantly black community. But I remember my parents discussing the heroism of the women and men who locked arms and laid down in front of those trucks carrying that laced dirt with PCBs. Women and men like Dolly Burwell, Ben Chavis, Reverend Bill Kearney, EPA's own Charles Lee, joined protesters in solidarity.

A Washington Post story at the time quoted Reverend Luther Brown, a pastor of the largest black congregation in the area, and he said, we know why they picked us. It's because we're a poor county. Poor politically, poor in health, poor in education, and because it's mostly black. But he also said nobody thought people like us would make a fuss. But boy, did they stir the hornet's nest. Because what this community lacked in political power, they made up for in courage.

What they lacked in access to education, they made up for it in heart. What they lacked in terms of money in their pockets, they made up for it in faith, in hope, in perseverance. So not only did this community make a fuss, this community ignited a movement. And today, Warren County is synonymous with being the birthplace of environmental justice. You know, those protests 40 years ago were not only a catalyst for the environmental justice movement as we know of today, but it was a real awakeningness of the consciousness of this community that had been underserved and overburdened for so many years. It demonstrates the transformative potential that exists when people peacefully mobilize

and come together in a common pursuit. As Ms. Dolly Burwell put it, African Americans determined that henceforth and forevermore will have some say in the government that was controlling our destiny. So despite losing the initial battle, these visionary women and men sparked something so much bigger, so much more powerful. And that's what we're here today to honor and to uplift. The reason we've reached this moment, this moment when environmental justice is front and center to President Biden's agenda and EPA's agenda, is because of the unrelenting advocacy of so many of you here today. It's because of faith leaders and civil rights leaders, the labor community, the environmental justice community, folks like Vernice Miller-Travis, Dr. Bob Bullard,

Reverend Barber, Dr. Wright, Juan and Ana Paras, and young leaders like my good friend, Lamisha Whittington, William Barber III, who are carrying this sacred mission forward. These are the people who have dedicated their lives to standing up and speaking out against racism and injustice and inequality. Folks, if you want to see all of that,

you can simply go to our Black Southern Network app or go to our YouTube channel. Mustafa, you were there that day. And again, black folks, again, knowing what our history, it was African Americans that launched this movement in North Carolina. North Carolina is a battleground state and we still are seeing these issues.

In Georgia, the local folks are suing the company where they had that explosion just about a week ago that spewed all sorts of chemicals in the air there, impacting the health of folks living there. Yeah, you know, it was a historic moment, and big shout-out to Administrator Reagan, you know, for the amazing job that he has done over the last almost four years now. It's really moved environmental justice, you know, leaps ahead of where it had been for, you know, decades of the work that was going on.

And really, you know, focusing on something that I'd always shared with folks, that we have to move people from surviving to thriving. So we know that there's still a huge amount of work that has to happen. But for decades, people were having great ideas and were doing work, but they didn't have the resources to be able to match up with the incredible sets of ideas and innovation that they had. So now we finally have that. But we still got these battles that are going on. You know, in North Carolina, you still got the hog farms, the CAFO, Certified Animal Feeding Operations things. You know, we've got these lagoons that are filled with coal ash. When you go down to Georgia, we've still got some battles that are going on in relationship to nuclear and air pollution-related issues. So the South is one of the main thrusts of the

environmental justice movement. And we just got to give credit, of course, to the matriarchs, who often don't get as much attention, all these amazing women. And they mentioned Dolly Burrell, but there are so many others who were there on the front lines who helped to frame out the agendas for how we would move forward and how we would hold federal and state and local and county governments accountable. So we've done some good work, but we still got a long way to go to make sure that everybody has clean air and clean water and clean land. Tamara, earlier you talked about the quality of our food. I came across this video that I thought was pretty interesting, that hopefully people understand the impact of toxic chemicals and plastics in our food. Watch this.

That's right. I could eat my arm right now. I'm so hungry. Hello. Would you like to hear our specials this evening? Yeah. Yeah. For starters, we have a delectable bowl of creamy potato soup,

seasoned with perfluorokil and polyfluorokil. What's that? Ooh, it's super tasty. They're called Forever Chemicals and they're actually linked to hormone disorders and liver damage. And thanks to Trump and his three Supreme Court appointees, the portions are huge.

We'll pass. No liver damage? Okay. Well, how about a nice pasta inspired by Project 2025? Is that a movie? We start with fresh fettuccine and albatraffle. And then we mix in a colorful variety of microplastics. Pass.

Pass? Are you sure? It contains atrazine. That's a pesticide that Trump deregulated because lobbyists told him to do so. Oh, literally. Shrink your balls. I need my balls. Yeah, we want to have kids.

Oh, so y'all don't want toxic chemicals in your food? No, of course not. Don't you have something that doesn't have... Toxic chemicals? Yeah. Sure, silly. You can just vote for Kamala Harris. She's going to support the government agencies that actually want to keep your food clean. Can we do that right now? Oh, yes. You can vote early.

Thanks. We're going to go vote. Oh. Well, I think that pretty much sums it up. Yeah. Got to laugh to keep from crying. Project 2025, they have it right on the masthead that the focus is to reverse PFAS, which is what they were describing at that horrifying restaurant. They want to reverse the designation on the CERCLA so that it's just fine. Like, people said it was bad, but don't worry about that.

We're just going to reverse the bans based on a lot of political power. I think it's time to move past the point where we argue about what the bad thing is. The conversation is clear. Poison is on the menu. Our lives are being threatened. It is not a choice between the lesser of two evils. There's a lot of evil, and the question is who you want to fight it with. Final comment, Mustafa.

I'll just leave it with my grandmother. You know, she says, when you know better, do better. We know better than to put back into office someone who has no regard for our community whatsoever, for our health, for our children, for the future. So if we know better, then the do better aspect of that is actually making sure that you have somebody who cares about our community and who is willing to also make the investments that are necessary for us to be able to move forward. And when we look at the two plans that are out there and the two candidates that are out there, you know, the Harris-Waltz has a plan to actually help us to be able to move from surviving to thriving. And unfortunately, the Trump folks have a plan that moves us from thriving to surviving.

So the choice is yours. You can get with this or you can get with that. Tamara, go ahead. No, I just think it is we always arrive here. Without us, neither of these plans can go forward. So it's not just about making a plan to vote. So I'm making a plan to vote, making a plan to follow up on your vote, making sure you know who you vote for at every level of the ballot, and that each of those people are people who work for you the day you cast your vote. So I'm excited to see Black people show up, not just because climate change is in our face, because it's in our place. Folks, final comment is very simple. Climate change is real. The

environment is real. The impact on us, our children is real as well. And guess what? There's only one candidate that actually has a plan. One has another plan, and that is to literally tear this thing to shreds and allow big business to do whatever they want. And so make your choice known. But for me, it's real simple. As Vice President Kamala Harris, if you care about this climate, you care about this planet, then that's what you should be supporting. And isn't it interesting, all of these white conservative evangelicals always talking about God's planet, but they actually don't care about life in this regard. They love shouting they're pro-life.

Why are they not pro-life when it comes to the economy? Why are they not pro-life when it comes to the environment, when it comes to climate? Hmm. I'm just saying. I appreciate both of you being with us. Thanks a lot. Thanks for the folks at Climate Power as well.

Thank you so very much folks. Don't forget support. Roland Martin unfiltered the Blackstar Network by joining our bring the funk fan club your dollars make it possible to do the work that we do so you're checking money over the PO Box 57196, Washington DC 20037-0196 cash app.

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Be sure to get a copy of my book, White Fear, How the Brownie of America is Making White Folks Lose Their Minds, available at bookstores nationwide. Of course, you also have the audio book and you can get that. And of course, that's on Audible. And yes, I did do all of the reading for that. So please check that out. And you can get the book, of course, at various bookstores as well. And tomorrow, folks, tomorrow I'm going to be in Brooklyn for the Brooklyn Lab Charter School 10th Anniversary Gala. Megan Good is going to be the host. I'm going to be giving the keynote speech. It's beginning at 6 p.m. For more information, go to givebutter.com forward slash BK Lab Prep Gala.

That is givebutter.com forward slash BK Lab Prep Gala. That is givebutter.com forward slash BK Lab Prep Gala. And also don't forget on Thursday we're going to be at Edward Waters University. Let me say it again. Edward Waters University. Looking forward

to broadcasting our show from there. It's going to be lots of fun. And so It's going to be lots of fun and so we're going to be on the campus. We got going to have a great lineup. There as well, so cannot wait, cannot wait to be on the campus there. And so again, it will waters

University in Jacksonville, Florida. I will see y'all on Thursday. Alright folks, that is it. I'll see you'all on Thursday. All right, folks, that is it. I'll see you right here tomorrow, right here on Rolling Back Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. Holla!

Black Star Network is here. Oh, no punches! I'm real revolutionary right now. Thank you for being the voice of Black America. All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going. 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? 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 Glott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Last year, a lot of the problems of the drug war.

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

Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Sometimes as dads, I think we're too hard on ourselves. We get down on ourselves on not being able to, you know, we're the providers, but we also have to learn to take care of ourselves. A wrap-away, you've got to pray for yourself as well as for everybody else, but never forget yourself. Self-love made me a better dad because I realized my worth.

Never stop being a dad. That's dedication. Find out more at fatherhood.gov. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council. This is an iHeart Podcast.