#RolandMartinUnfiltered - TN 3 at White House, NC Lt. Gov. Reparations, Tucker Out at Fox News, TN Police Oversight Abolished

Episode Date: April 25, 2023

4.24.2023 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: TN 3 at White House, NC Lt. Gov. Reparations, Tucker Out at Fox News, TN Police Oversight Abolished  The "Tennessee three" went to the White House on Today to meet with President Joe Biden weeks after facing historic expulsion efforts. We will tell you what happened and how this may help move gun reform closer in the US. North Carolina's Republican Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson launched his campaign to become the state's next governor. Robinson has been met with backlash saying his opponents will call him a bigot and hypocrite just because they're scared of him and his working-class messaging. We will show you what Robinson had to say about how black people owe America and are not owed anything. Vice President Kamala Harris made a historic trip to Africa, strengthening diplomacy in African nations. We will speak with the President of the Constituency for Africa to discuss what a better partnership with Africa could look like.  Tennessee's Republican supermajority is dismantling the state's two largest cities, independent civilian-led boards that investigate police misconduct allegations and review policing policies. We will speak with the Metro Nashville Community Oversight Executive Director to discuss how the community can push for police oversight. Legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson is showing his true colors as he criticized the NBA's support of the Black Lives Matter movement on a podcast. Multi Award-Winning Sports Journalist Kelsey Nicole Nelson will join me to discuss.  White women are going to learn to leave black people alone. We will show you the video of Walmart Karen getting the everyday low prices after a black woman whooped her for harassing her over self check out. 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. Today is Monday, April 24th, 2023. Coming up, a Roland Martin unfiltered streaming live on the Black Star Network, the Tennessee Three at the White House today, meeting with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, weeks after facing historic expulsion there in that state. We'll tell you what happened at the White House and how this may help move gun reform

closer in the U.S. North Carolina's Republican Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, he launched his campaign to become the state's next governor and the first black Republican governor since Reconstruction. But his ass is crazy. Wait until we show you what this idiot said about black folks and reparations. And keep in mind, Republicans could actually elect this fool. Yeah. Vice President Kamala Harris made a historic trip to Africa,

a trip for diplomacy in that country. We'll talk with the president of the constituency for Africa, discuss her visit, but also the inroads that Russia is making there. What does it mean for the continent moving forward in terms of its future? Tennessee's Republican supermajority dismantling the state's two largest cities, independent civilian-led boards that investigate police misconduct allegations and review policing policies.

We'll talk with the Metro Nashville Community Oversight Executive Director about this very issue. Plus, legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson is showing his true colors as he says he has not watched any NBA games since they had Black Lives Matter on the court. What do we play there for you? We'll be joined by journalist Kelsey Nicole Nelson

here as well. Also, white women are going to learn to leave black folks alone. Another white woman get her ass whooped after she literally slapped a black woman in a store. I keep telling y'all, this ain't going to end well. Speaking of not ending well, Jeff Schell, fired by Comcast as CEO of NBC

Universal for having a family of CNBC anchors. White national Tucker Carlson fired at Fox News. Moments later Don Lemon gets the boot at CNN. I got a few things to say about that. It's time to bring the funk. I'm Roland Martin unfiltered on the Black Sun Network.

Let's go. He's got it. Yep. Whatever the mess, he's on it. Whatever it is, he's got the scoop, the fact, the fine. And when it breaks, he's right on time. And it's Yup. Yeah, yeah It's Uncle Gro-Gro-Yo Yeah, yeah It's Rollin' Marten Yeah, yeah Rollin' with Rollin' now

Yeah, yeah He's funky, he's fresh, he's real the best You know he's Rollin' Marten Now Now. Martin. All right, the trio known as the Tennessee Three sat down with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris today at the White House. Biden hosted the state lawmakers from Tennessee.

Democratic State Representative Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, and Gloria Johnson were thrust in the spotlight for leading anti-gun violence protests in response to the Covenant school shooting. Of course, the protests took place on the floor of the state house. Republicans lost their damn minds by saying, oh, how dare they break decorum. And so they kicked out Jones and Pearson, fell short on kicking out Johnson. Of course, Jones and Pearson, black, Johnson, white. Here's some of what the president had to say. You stand up for our kids.

You stand up for our communities, our communities and democratic values. That's what it's all about. And all three of you speak so well about why you're doing what you did and why you continue to do it. Look, what that Republican legislature did was shocking. It was undemocratic, and it was without any precedent. But you turned it around very quickly. All right, now, of course, Pearson and Jones kicked out,

but they got put back in because the folks in Shelby County and Memphis and the folks in Nashville City Council voted them back in. A Republican member of the RNC actually said they screwed up. He said that all they've done is empower young folks and piss them off, and they've actually elevated these three. My panel, Julianne Malveaux, Dean, College of Ethics Studies, California State University, L.A. She's joining us from Los Angeles, Dr. Amakango Dabinga,

Senior Professorial Lecturer, School of International Service, American University here in D.C., Renita Shannon, former Georgia State Representative from Atlanta. Here's the thing, Renita, it's very simple. And this Republican said it. By throwing them out, you've elevated three folks who, frankly, others would have never heard of.

And you pissed off so many young people, you've now got them fired up not only in Tennessee, but across the country. He said, we didn't play this well. Absolutely, and I'm glad that the White House is recognizing these three and assisting them because all across the country, you have black state representatives who are

putting the fight and speaking truth to power. And more often than not, they are not recognized and they do not receive the support that they should receive. So I'm really glad that these three are getting the support. Hopefully this will lead to a larger platform for them to be able to speak for the issues because Justin Pearson and the other representative, those two have followed their work and they are generally on the right side of issues for black folks. And so I honestly feel like the getting elevated

could not have happened to two better representatives for our community. And they are they are such idiots, Julian, that they've even voted when they when they don't want to hear them talking. Oh, we're just going to vote to stop them from talking. The exact same thing happened. I think it's in Minnesota, I believe, or one of those states, North Dakota. I think it's North Dakota. One of those states with a whole bunch of white people. North Dakota, South Dakota, one of them. So there's a transgender elected official, and they voted to silence her, keep her from talking.

And so what they're doing is actually adding fuel to the fire. And so my whole deal is keep going. Keep doing it. All you're doing is empowering millennials and Gen Z. That's all you're doing. Well, you know, Roland, it's actually it's quite amusing to see how these folks try to silence people. Well, you know, fully well, you try to silence them in one place. They're going to find another form. They probably you know, they've been on TV. They've been, you know, having radio interviews. As you say, nobody would have known them, you know, two months ago. And now they're basically heroes, not only to the gun lobby, but also to young people. And what these people keep forgetting is that we old folks, old farts

and baby boobers, et cetera, we're going to be up out of here one way or another. And these younger people, they don't do it the same way that we did it. They don't care if they broke the quorum. They break the quorum again. And they don't care about the rules according to protocol. They want stuff done. And with this gun thing, I mean, more than 12,000 people have died this year so far from these guns. And we've had I don't know how many mass shootings. At one point, it

was almost like more of them than days. So we're really looking at an epidemic, and it's a public health emergency as well. And young people aren't having it. They're feeling so impacted by this, so impacted that they are emboldened. And we have to be able to support them in their boldness. And these idiots in this Tennessee legislature, they're going to get what they've got coming. They've got to go on ballots. These young people aren't going to be voting for them. It's going to come around to them. So it's sort of like payback is a

you-know-what. Absolutely. I'm a Congo. This is a story from Business Insider. Go to my iPad, please. And this is Oscar Brock, who is from Tennessee. He actually said, if my job, along with other members of the RNC, is to protect the brain of the Republican Party, this didn't help. You've energized young voters against us. Worse than squandering support,

you've made enemies where we didn't need them. And he says that even though Republicans control 75 of the 99 House seats, he said the problem is there are a lot of competitive districts in Tennessee. And remember, Reverend Barber was on our show. He said 75% of the people who ran in Tennessee ran unopposed. So what they've done is actually given free publicity,

greater fundraising for Democrats who were imperiled in Tennessee. This is a huge boost for them. Most definitely. I'm still tripping over the part in the letter about the Republican brand, because I'm like, what in the world is it nowadays? It's just hate and division.

That's their job. When we look at what happened at the White House today, it was really amazing, because you look at the two constituencies those three representatives represent, young Black people and youth in general and white suburbia, right? Even if she isn't from the suburbs, you know, white women and suburbia, two areas that people think the Democrats may struggle with in the next election. So this is very strategic for Joe Biden, who's expected to announce his run for a second term, possibly tomorrow, but sometime this

week. And these are people he's going to be able to call on. At the very least, he got the photo op, as relates to some new rock stars in the party. So, absolutely, the Republicans messed this up. And like you said, with the trans representative, not only did they silence that representative, but they also intentionally misgendered the representative when they called the representative out. So they are on a hardcore push to try to silence voices, but it's not going to work. Only way it's going to work, Roland, and we've seen this happen too many times, if so many of these young people who get out there and are protesting are not voting if they do not vote. And so we have to be mindful and strategic. All of these young people who are going to turn 18 between now and the next election, as Joe Madison said, we need to be having voter registration

cards at these graduations. We need to stay on that, because if all of these protests keep happening and they don't vote, Republicans can continue doing what they're doing. So that's the key. And you've said this multiple times, Roland. It's not about supporting the Democratic organizations, supporting the get-out-the-vote efforts on the ground and the local communities. And if we do that, we can do incredible things in Tennessee and beyond. Last comment I'll make before I go to break. Republicans also, y'all, are pretty stupid.

They don't even read history. One of the things that Dr. King always talked about is you had to have a protagonist and an antagonist. Why did the movement not do well in Albany, Georgia? It's because the sheriff in Albany, Georgia, was smart. He was a college graduate. He treated King and others with respect. Even though they put King in jail,

he treated them with respect and dignity. Bull Connor was a dumbass. So was Sheriff Clark. And so when they went to Selma, they had a whole different ballgame. When they went to Birmingham, a different ballgame because they were dumb.

And so King always understood, if I have the right antagonist, then I have set the stage for mass action, Justin Pearson, and Gloria Johnson to, frankly, a mythical status, and now they have to now deal with that, and we'll see how

that plays out. We reached out to all three, tried to get them on the show, but they're booked with other, and again, they're booked with numerous media interviews over the next couple of hours, and so we look forward to having them back on the show. All right, folks, got to go to break. When we come back, lots we're going to talk about, folks. This idiot lieutenant governor in North Carolina,

the FCC not really moving forward on their standard general deal with Tegna. I was there at the meeting on Thursday. We'll show you what happened there. We'll also talk about the vice president visiting to Africa as well, and of course, the firing of Jeff Schell at NBC Universal, Tucker Carlson at Fox News, Don Lemon at CNN as well. So lots to cover on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. Don't forget, watch it on YouTube, hit the like button, folks.

Also, support us in what we do. Download our app, Black Star Network app, Apple phone, Android phone, Apple TV, Android. I know a lot of cops and they get asked all the time. Have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.

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

Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Join our Breana Funk fan club. See your checking money orders. PO Box 57196. Washington, D.C. 20037-0196. Cash App. Dollar Sign. RM Unfiltered. PayPal.

RM Martin Unfiltered. Venmo is RM Unfiltered. Zelle. Rolling at rollingsmartin.com. Rolling at rollingmartinunfiltered.com. And don't forget to get a copy of my book, White Fear. How the Browning of America is making white folks lose their minds. Available at bookstores nationwide.

Ben Bella, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Target, and of course, download your copy on Audible. We'll be right back. Black Star Network is here. Oh, no punch. 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? I lost my daughter. I don't know what she was So I had to figure out how to survive how to eat how to live

I don't want to go into the details because she's here first of all, she may not want me telling that story but Possession of her the family broke, fell apart. I was homeless. I had to figure out, I didn't have a manager or an agent or anybody anymore, and I'm the talent. So I got to figure out how to be the agent. I'm not gonna lie. I'm not gonna lie. I'm not gonna lie. I'm not gonna lie. I'm not gonna lie. Now. Like, I didn't want to have much. All right. Now, look, I told y'all there are some sane black Republicans,

and there's a whole bunch of them that are out of their damn minds. One of them is Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina Mark Robinson, okay? So this fool's announced he's running for governor, okay? And trust me, Republicans will happily get behind this nutcase, who was the state's first black lieutenant governor. Now, why am I calling him that? He's made some of the most outlandish, ridiculous comments you've ever heard, including, this is what this fool said in a speech in 2021 to the North Carolina Republican State Convention.

Watch this crap. There were some people that were talking about reparations in this country. They wanted reparations. And I remember I made this particular liberal so angry at me because I told them right to their face, nobody owes you anything for slavery. If you want to tell the truth about it, it is you who owes. It's you who owes. Why do you owe? Because somebody in those fields took stripes for you. Somebody after those fields were ended and slavery was ended,

somebody had to walk through Jim Crow for you. Somebody fought wars and died for you. Somebody fought wars and died for you. Somebody lived less than because they didn't have what you have and they did it for you. There are people in their graves right now and they are there because they were willing to stand up and fight for you, those folks on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, carrying American flags, take that Colin Kaepernick, living in a society that he could scarcely acknowledge, something that he has never known, living with a bigotry that none of us can imagine, carried American flags on that bridge. And when they were hit upside the head with nightsticks and shot with water hoses and

knocked to the ground, they got up and picked those flags up and kept marching. And they did it for you. Nobody owes you anything if anybody owes is you, because you've been the benefactor of freedom. Here, I'm going to walk to the other side over here. Let me deal with this. All right, so let me explain something to y'all. Let me go ahead and roll my sleeves up because I need to deal with this dumbass right here.

So I got to stand up on this, dealing with this fool over here. All right. And so I'm doing this because you got James Baldwin over here. You got Harry Belafonte over here. You got Ida B. Wells Barnett over here. We got Angela Davis right here. We got Dr. King right here. We got Dr. King right here. And what y'all just heard is one of the stupidest, dumbest comments you've ever heard in your life. First of all, you have this fool trying to call

out Colin Kaepernick for taking a knee when if anybody actually read the Constitution, the right to protest is in the First Amendment. That's just first, okay? It's the first, not the second or the third or fourth, it's the first one. The right to protest, the freedom to assembly. And so when you stand in front of Republicans and they all clapping about how folks fought in wars, they actually fought for the Constitution, including the First Amendment. But Joe Dumbass probably never read it. Especially when we listen to you talk. And then he goes on talking about Jim Crow

and what formerly enslaved folks in African consent, what they went through and all the stuff folks went through. Yet he is lieutenant governor for the same Republican party that had a laser-like targeting of black people when it came to voting. The federal courts ruled against them and said there was a laser-like targeting of black voters by Republicans in North Carolina. Same party that he represents.

This same party has targeted black people across the board. This same party, so-called right to life, closing rural hospitals all across North Carolina because they did not want to expand Medicaid, same party. And so what I want to know, Lieutenant Governor, where in the hell have you been instead of the black folks who've been fighting the bigotry and racism of Republicans in your state? How have you called out your party?

Mm, you haven't. And so in your warped mind, oh, who do black people owe reparations to? I'm real confused by that one. Please tell me, Mark Robinson, where were you in the police shootings in your state when black folks were gunned down by cops? I didn't see

your ass out there, and you a so-called preacher. I didn't see you saying anything. In fact, let me ask you this question, Mark Robinson. When the late Colin Powell went to North Carolina and stood up and called out the racist voter suppression of the governor at the time, McCrory, where were you? Did you say anything? Did you say anything? Did you do anything? Or were you silent, being that happy, smiling, cheesing, Negro spook by the door?

I'm using that for a reason, just happy to go along as opposed to calling out the racism and bigotry from white Republicans in your state. And now you want to be the governor. Now you want to represent your party when your party has done all sorts of foul, vindictive things to black folk and you have been silent, just smiling and cheesing the whole time. Oh, yeah. You got to answer to that. and cheesing the whole time. Oh yeah, you got to answer to that. You gonna have to answer to that. And see, I dare you, Mark Robinson.

See, it's real easy to say that nonsense in front of a room full of white Republicans. Come talk to black folks. You got something to say? Come have that same conversation with black folks, Mark Robinson. See, I don't care if you're a Republican or you're running. Michael Steele, he was lieutenant governor of Maryland. You get the other brother who was lieutenant governor with Hogan. He black Republican.

That didn't faze me. Now, if I differ with him on policy, I'm going to say it. But what you are doing, you tap dancing. What you're doing is performing a minstrel show. What you're

doing is being the male equivalent to diamond and silk. That's what you're doing. And you should be called out for sounding like a damn fool as you stand there shucking and jiving and somehow thinking, we supposed to support that nonsense. No!

Open your mouth or you're going to get called out. What you said in that speech was beyond illogical. And trust me, we're going to make sure every black person hears about it if you get Republican nomination to make sure you do not become the governor of North Carolina. Real quick, I'll go through all three. I'm going to go to you first. Wow. I did not see that speech, Roland, so I'm glad that you played it.

And I just kept thinking every time he was saying you owe it, you know, for people who died in graves and marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Like, I'm like, what about all of the white people who inflicted this on our ancestors? I mean, the bridge itself is named after a Klansman and Confederate soldier. Every single day we are seeing these black Republicans who are doing everything possible to have some type of time in the spotlight. And with this day and age, with the Republican brand that we talked about in the last segment, to be a Black Republican in this space now, you have to shuck and jive in order to get that type of national attention. Look at Hershel Walker. And this is also why Tim Scott

is not going to go anywhere either. If this is what Black Republicans have to do, especially coming off a great Black Republican like a Colin Powell, if this is what they have to do to get their time in the sun, they got to stop, because Black power, Black media, we're more empowered now, getting stronger by the day, and we're going to call attention to it every single day, because there's no room for this in any way, shape or form. He has no chance if it's up to us. Julianne?

I mean, what a horrible, distasteful distortion of history. This man is dumb as a post, Roland. Dumb as a post. Because he's taken history and he's distorted it in ways that are repugnant. Beyond that, the clowning, that's what he was doing.

He's clowning Mr. Bojangling, tap dancing. If that's what he needs to do to be governor, believe me, he's not going to be governor. And it's not just the black folks. White folks do not want black fools. And that's what that is, is a black fool. He hadn't thought this speech through clearly, because who would Black people pay reparations to? See, those of us who are reparations advocates, we understand what reparations is about. We understand the wealth gap and the ways that we close the wealth gap, and that includes reparations. What does Black people pay in reparations? What problem does that solve? So, I mean,

he's just a G.D. fool, and he was empowered to be a G.D. fool, and no one has called him on his nonsense. But you're right, and Omicron goes right. These black Republicans, you know, you've got what role? You've got some brother who's trolling you. These black Republicans are basically they need attention. They're attention deficit. And they can't, these are people who 20 years ago might've wanted to be Democrats, but they didn't want to stand in line. And the Republicans uplifted them. And so here they are uplifted.

But what do they do with their uplift? There are Republicans, you mentioned some of them, who have helped black people. But this fool here, that's all. Just say this fool here, somebody needs to find a comic book and put him on the cover. 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 renita well number one he is completely on the outside of his mind. I mean, I call what he's doing what my friend Heidi frequently says, which is trying to out-white the white man. Any person, any black person who served as an elected official will tell you that racism is bipartisan in both within the political parties.

But one thing that is true is that if you're going to be a Republican, what racism looks like over there is that you've got to out-racist the racist because you have got to be more racist against black people and you must stand for policies that are completely racist against black people in order to make it anywhere within the Republican Party. And that's what he's trying to do. And that is what is required of today's Republican Party. So I'm frankly not surprised that he said this. I'm not surprised that he's advancing thoughts like this to the general public, hoping that people will not push back. But it's like everyone else has said on the panel and also you, Roland, he would never say this in front of black

people because they would call him on the carpet immediately. This only works in front of Republicans, no one else. Indeed. All right, folks, hold tight one second. We come back. We'll talk about the V.P. ship to Africa. How important is it? What does it mean for relations with the motherland? We'll discuss that next with one of the top experts on Africa, African-American relations. Also, of course, we'll talk about Tucker Carlson, Don Lemon out Fox News as well as CNN. Also, we'll talk about the standard general deal with Tecna could almost be dead if the FCC doesn't take some action in the next few days. Plus, Phil Jackson, he ain't watching no more basketball because they dare talk about Black Lives Matter.

Hmm. All them damn rings you got because of black players and now you got a problem with Black Lives Matter. But you didn't mind them lives getting your ass some rings. We'll talk about all of that on Rolling Mark Unfiltered on the Black Star Network, back in a moment. Next on The Black Table with me, Greg Cox.

We look at the history of emancipation around the world, including right here in the United States, the so-called end of slavery. Trust me, it's a history lesson that bears no resemblance to what you learned in school. Professor Chris Mangiapra, author, scholar, amazing teacher, joins us to talk about his latest book, Black Ghost of Empire, The Death of Slavery

and the Failure of Emancipation. He explains why the end of slavery was no end at all, but instead a collection of laws and policies designed to preserve the status quo of racial oppression. The real problem is that the problems that slavery invented have continued over time. And what reparations are really about is saying, how do we really transform society, right? And stop racial violence, which is so endemic. What we need to do about it on the next installment of The Black Table, right here on the Black Star Network.

Hi, I'm Dr. Jackie Hood-Martin, and I have a question for you. Ever feel as if your life is teetering and the weight and pressure of the world is consistently on your shoulders? Well, let me tell you, living a balanced life isn't easy. Join me each Tuesday on Black Star Network for a balanced life with Dr. Jackie. We'll laugh together, cry together, pull ourselves together, and cheer each other on. So join me for new shows each Tuesday on Black Star Network, A Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie. My name is Latoya Luckett, and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered.

Vice President Kamala Harris' historic trip to Africa was, of course, to deepen relationships and partnerships with the continent. But what needs to happen now that she's gotten back. Melvin Foote is president of the constituency for Africa. He joins me here in the studio. Melvin, glad to have you here. For folks who don't know you and the organization, first, just give an understanding of how long you've been working on issues related to the motherland.

I've been working on Africa my whole career. So I went out as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in 1973 to Eritrea and Ethiopia. And I've been working on Africa ever since. I've been to 45 countries or more. I work across the issues and I, you know, a lot of success in shaping U.S. policies toward Africa. And so what do you make of her trip? Because you have some people who have this whole idea that, oh, it's performative.

It's just going there, photo ops and taking pictures. Well, it's a good that she goes. I'm always happy when a senior official such as the vice president go to Africa. I certainly tried to push them to be more substantive than they were. I think after the U.S.-Africa summit, they've been running people to Africa and taking a lot of pictures and all of that. But, you know, we're also trying to push for substantive U.S. policies toward Africa.

I think it lacks substance to a certain extent, but I'm happy that she went, and certainly I'm trying to support them in every regard. So you say it lacks substance. What do you want to see? Well, we want a, you know, they want a relationship with Africa. support them in every regard. So you say it lacks substance. What do you want to see? Well, we want a, you know, they want a relationship with Africa. They're claiming that we're home, we're back with Africa again.

But you don't see the partnerships that Africa really wants. They're not really talking to Africa. They're pushing democracy, for instance. How can we talk about democracy in Africa after, you know, what we got here? You know, they're more like lecturing Africa as opposed to talking to Africa. We want a trade policy that really has teeth to it. We want to see diaspora engagement. People like myself should be fully engaged in the policy process, but they put you in a box and hold you up. But so we're pushing for stronger policy engagement from the diaspora.

And we want to see programs that Africans can really, you know, live up to the next generation of young people. We want the minerals in Africa just like everybody else. We want diamonds, oil, COTAN. We love Congo, for instance, right now, but we're not going to do anything to save the people of Congo. We're there to try to get the minerals like the Russians and the Chinese and the French and the British and everybody else.

So when you say that we love the Congo in terms of the things that we want, but there are things that they also want. We played a portion of the speech that the president of Ghana gave where he said enough of the conferences and the meetings. He said, this is now about action, what we need to be doing moving forward to move this continent together. Well, Africa's also disorganized.

They came to the U.S.-Africa summit back in December, and they came on their own airplane. Everybody had their own airplane. So nobody met before coming. And so Burundi's saying, come to Burundi. Gambia says, come to Gambia. Gambia is about as big as Washington, D.C., where they should have caucused before they came. They came with four agenda items saying, Mr. Biden, we want these four things.

They would have left with two or three of them like that. They didn't do that. They didn't caucus with the diaspora. You know, you got a billion people in Africa, but you got a billion in the diaspora too. And they didn't call me up and say, hey, what do you think we can get out of them? I would have gave them some advice.

So part of this is we still need to unify. You know, my mother always told me, don't agonize, organize, you know. But with the Africa world, we're really not in sync and we really don't think together into the one agenda. But isn't the part of that because it's 54 countries, and the reality is when the United States goes somewhere, it's about the United States and no one else.

And I remember listening to, I was at the NBA All-Star Game, where they had their newsmakers breakfast, and they were talking about Africa. And individuals on the panel were talking about it as if it was a nation as opposed to a continent comprised of nations. And so isn't that also difficult when you, because you're going to have leaders

who only care about their country and no one else. Yeah, but they're also framing the now the African Continental Free Trade Area, which is the largest market in the world. And that's coming together and I'm very much supportive of it. But this will enable Africans to trade with Africans. I mean, Kenya should be trading with Nigeria, you know, because they're being hoodwinked at every corner to get those minerals.

And so if they're divided and fragmented, it makes it easier for these other countries to access their mineral wealth. So Africa, on paying lip service to it, they're trying to move into a unified front. Sure, you've got 54 countries on the continent, but there should be one unified market. There should be one unified, really, policy toward the world. They're running around going to these conferences. They're going to be in Russia for a conference. Russia will be telling them a whole bunch of

other things they were just in Europe they were just in the US so they're getting all these mixed messages you know to Africa get some sort of sense of unity I don't think they have a chance of dealing with the rest of the world questions from our panel let's see

Julia you're first hey Mel how you doing we were just together international conference the state of the black world from our panel. Let's see. Julian, you're first. Hey, Mel. How you doing? I'm doing well. We were just together at an international conference, the state of the black world and the diaspora. Help us understand why so many African-American people in particular, but

other in the diaspora, really do not see a connection to the African continent. And it tends to be one of the issues in terms of how we can advocate, when so many of us are disconnected. We can advocate for other things, but not for the African continent. Tell me why. Well, I think most Americans are uninformed, under-informed, and misinformed about Africa. And one of the things that I'm pushing the U.S.

government to do is to educate Americans about Africa. We know what to do, seminars, workshops, town hall meetings, and otherwise. There should be a lot more blacks in the Peace Corps, for instance. Peace Corps, which started my career, 2% are black. So we need to quadruple that in a hurry to get more young African-Americans to go to Africa, to understand it,

because the information by and large is absolutely distorted. And most of us, when we think about Africa, we're thinking about famine, we the information, by and large, is absolutely distorted. And most of us, when we think about Africa, we're thinking about famine. We're thinking about Idi Amin. We think about all this crazy stuff. And Africans are also mixed about us. They've been told that we are all gangbangers and murderers and this kind of thing, so Africans don't want to deal with us.

And the Africans who they do bring over here to go to school and so forth, they train them out in Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, as far away from black people as they can. By the time they land in Washington to work in the policy environment, they don't want anything to do with African-Americans. So to me, a big part of this is unity and how do we go about establishing an African-American. I'm leaving tomorrow to go to Nigeria to participate in a global African diaspora conference in Abuja. And, you know, my message is going to be the same thing. Unity, how do we go about getting real unity beyond, you know, the talk? How do we

get to the point where we can actually work together on policy, work together on various strategies to get African people worldwide united. I'm a Congo. Mr. Foote, I have such a great deal of respect for you and so many questions I'd love to ask, but I'm just gonna stick with one for tonight. Do you feel like the United States government really has a strong appreciation for

Africa and African leadership? Because part of my challenge is, I see corporations and government embracing who I consider to be the wrong Africans. So, for example, you talked about Congo. Well, look at what part of what happened with Congo came from the regime of Kagame in Rwanda. But yet I see Rwanda's Kagame sitting front row at the NBA All-Star Game because he's helping expand basketball across the continent, so he becomes a friend of the United States. Do you feel like there's a little bit... And then we talk about what's happening in Sudan, and we're only talking about that as

it relates to Americans being evacuated. Do we have a backwards view of who we should be working with on the African continent? I think the United States has always been wrong about Africa. I mean, the first policy was to bring us on slave ships to the United States. We haven't improved very much after that. You know, and honestly, there's a desire to try to do better. I think President Biden and Kamala Harris are trying to do better. But we have a long way to go to have an effective policy that makes a lot of sense. Biden committed like $500 billion, I think the number was, for Africa that they announced at the U.S.-Africa summit. But when you break that down and say, where is that money, you'll be hard-pressed to find it, you know.

I'm talking to some of the ambassadors in some of the countries, and Mali, for instance, the ambassador said, But when you break that down and say, where is that money? You'll be hard-pressed to find it. I'm talking to some of the ambassadors in some of the countries. In Mali, for instance, the ambassador said the U.S. has committed a billion and a half a year to Mali, but she can't find it. They're not building schools. They're not building roads. Where is that billion dollars plus? I think a lot of it ends up in lobbies here in Washington. It never even makes it to the continent. So a lot of it ends up in lobbies here in Washington. It never even make it to the continent.

So a lot of our stuff is all fluff. Africans are tired of us just trying to lobby, to lecture us about their state of democracy, about various policy issues. I think the Biden administration really wants to do the right thing. There's a lot of great people working in this administration, but it's important for people like myself to continue to push them to do better and to actually come up with something that makes a lot of sense for not only Africa, but for the United States too. Renita? Mr. Foote, thank you for your work and thank you for being so direct in your comments. My question is, for so long, the conversation was that other countries needed to invest in

the continent of Africa and not just forget about Africa. Now we're starting to see investment by foreign powers, and a lot of folks are skeptical, rightfully so, because it looks like an attempt that in the future this will reduce autonomy for Africa or that the intentions are to control Africa instead of really assist Africa. What is it that you think is the appropriate balance and what should other countries or even other nations be doing as far as supporting Africa in an authentic, legitimate way? Well, I think Africa itself is going to have to step up. I'm rather disappointed in the Africa Union in many regards. When it came to the fruition, it sounded like it really was going to move very forcefully on a lot of these issues, really mobilizing the African viewpoints on things so that they can have

a real impact with the World Bank and with the International Monetary Fund and all these other global entities. But in fact, I find it's a tiger kind of without teeth. And when they came to Washington for the summit and had not met before coming here, that said everything right there. I mean, the African Union is supposed to be the vehicle by which the African opinions are unified and organized and brought forth, but it's not yet having done that.

I have a lot of faith in the next generation. 80% of the African population is under 30 years old. And these young people are watching Roland Martin and other, they're watching everything via cable. And so I think that the young people that I encounter are looking for a new Africa, an Africa that's actually gonna stand up and claim its place.

So I put a lot of faith in this next generation coming up, and I think it's incumbent upon people like myself to do everything we can to prepare the next generation, both here in the United States and across the continent, to move the continent forward. I think the strategy is a 100-year, 200-year strategy. It's not going to happen overnight. Right now, everybody just wants those minerals and they're doing everything possible, saying anything that they need to say

to get access to those strategic minerals in Africa. All right. Melvin, we appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Thank you. All right. Gonna go to a break. We come back.

Folks, we'll talk some headlines. First black and missing. Also the woman who killed, the cop who killed Dante Wright, she's already out of prison. Really? We'll tell you about that next on Black and Missing. Headlines, first black and missing. Also, the woman who killed, the cop who killed Dante Wright, she's already out of prison. Really? We'll tell you about that next. 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. Rolling back on the filter on the Blackstar Network. Hatred on the streets.

A horrific scene. A white nationalist rally that descended into deadly violence. HATRED ON THE STREETS, A HORRIFIC SCENE, A WHITE NATIONALIST RALLY THAT DESCENDED INTO DEADLY VIOLENCE. YOU WILL NOT REFLECT THAT. WHITE PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR DEAL MINDS. THERE'S AN ANGRY PRO-TRUMP MOB STORM TO THE U.S. CAPITOL. WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE THE RISE OF WHAT I CALL WHITE MINORITY RESISTANCE. We're about to see the rise of what I call white minority resistance. We have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting. I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of violent denial. This is part of American history. Every time that people of color have made progress, whether real or symbolic, there has been what Carol Anderson at Emory University calls white rage as a backlash.

This is the rise of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys. America, there's going to be more of this. Here's all the Proud Boys, guys. This country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because of the fear of white people. The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're taking our women. This is white fear. On the next A Balanced Life with me, Dr. Jackie, we talk about a hard, cold fact.

Not all healthcare is created equal in this country, especially if you're a person of color. So many of us Black families, we rely upon each other heavily. A lot of us aren't necessarily sure how to best communicate with our healthcare providers. How to take charge and balance the scales. Your life may depend on it. That's next on A Balanced Life on Blackstar Network.

Black TV does matter, dang it! Hey, what's up, y'all? It's your boy Jacob Lattimore, and you're now watching Roland Martin right now. Yee! All right, folks, today's Black and Missing is a young man. This is out of Connecticut, folks. Elias Fremont of Bridgeport, Connecticut, has been missing since April 8th. The 17-year-old is 6 feet tall, weighs 190 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information about Elias Fremont should call the Bridgeport, Connecticut, Police Department at 203-581-5100, 203-581-5100.

The former cop in Minnesota who shot and killed Daunte Wright, she's actually out of prison. Kim Potter left a prison cell this morning after serving 16 months of her two-year sentence. She will serve the remaining months of her sentence on supervised release. Potter was convicted of first and second degree manslaughter in Wright's April 2021 death. She shot and killed Wright during a traffic stop. She claims she intended to use her taser and mistakenly fired her service weapon last summer. The city of Brooklyn Center approved a $3.25 million settlement for Wright's family in the shooting. Jesus, Renita, 16 months, that's it? First of all, she should have got more than two years.

And, you know, this is why activists have said for so long that black lives do not matter because we see that even when folks are held accountable, police officers are held accountable for killing black people, you can easily find black people who have been given more time just for having small ounces of weed. So, I mean, the system is really broken on this. And I honestly, because we've had so little advancement in police accountability measures, I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't able to come out and work as a police officer once she's completely out of correctional control, meaning off of continued supervision. Omegongo?

And going off of that last point that Renita said about her getting the job again, when I was reading what the mother of Daunte Wright was saying, one thing that helps give her comfort is knowing that she won't be walking the streets as an officer again. And I was like, in this society, we can't guarantee that. And to be quite honest, nowadays, she's more likely to get a job again. And, you know, his mom, she said she had a partial stroke and suffered some, you know, blurred vision.

And the effects of the families and what happens in these communities, we don't talk about enough. And she has to live with coming home and not see her child forever. And when I saw this story, I'm like, after 16 months only? And so this is another reason, coming back to the election, George Floyd police reform bill, because a woman

like her, a woman like Potter should never be allowed to hold a gun as a police officer ever again. And we can make something like that happen if we get 2024, the election, and get the George Floyd Police Reform Act passed. Folks, just throughout Florida, another senseless shooting after a harmless mistake, this time again in the Sunshine State. Antonio Caccavelli shot the car of Walters Thomas Jr. and Diamond D'Arvio. The pair went to the wrong address trying to deliver an Instacart order. April 15th, Thomas was on the phone with a customer trying to find the correct address. Thomas and D'Arvio told police they attempted to reverse out of the area

but hit a boulder. Kakavalli approached them aggressively and grabbed the driver's door window. He pulled out a Smith & Wesson shield handgun, firing three shots towards the car's tires. No charges were filed against anyone involved. Police say each party's actions appear justifies based on their perceived circumstances. What the hell, Julianne?

Damn, these folks, they just want to shoot first. This is crazy. I mean, it's just crazy. Coming behind what happened to the young brother in Kansas City, coming behind the two little white cheerleaders who were shot at because they went in the wrong car. This is just insanity. And so these people do not need to have guns. At the end of the day, they do not need to have guns.

And this particular case, I don't believe that the police filed no charges. But basically that's like saying you can get away with it if you want to, just like Kim Potter. I mean, 16 months is nothing when taking somebody's life. And it almost makes me speechless. I look like an ugly self sitting there crying. Why are you crying, lady? You killed somebody. Stop crying.

You know, own what you did. But you've got to give it to the judge and the jury. I mean, to give her two years. And in that state, if you get two years, you serve, I think, is 80% or 70% of your sentence and you're under supervised probation. She should not ever, Oba Congo says she should never be a police officer. She should never be any kind of officer. She should never be able to put her hand on a gun again

or a person again. And people need to go by her house, quite frankly, and pick it and show their outrage. This is ridiculous. Well, again, she's already out of prison. Now, folks, we told you the sheer nonsense that is happening at Fox News. And so even though Tucker Carlson got fired,

I'm going to discuss that in a little bit, they still got idiots like Will Kane. And look, I know Will. We used to debate all the time. I used to crush him when we were at CNN. But you want to see stupid? This is what this fool had to say about the racist 84-year-old white man who shot the unarmed black teen Ralph Yorle in Kansas City, Missouri. Hard turn to a sad and tragic story out of Kansas City where a young man, 16 years old, appeared to have gone to the wrong residence. The man inside, the 84-year-old man

inside, responded to the young man at his door with gunshots. Now, you can imagine yourself on both sides of this door going to the wrong residence to pick up your siblings, literally got the wrong address. And all of a sudden, as you're standing at the doorbell, shots ringing out. You can also imagine yourself on the other side, an 84-year-old man with a six-foot-tall guy outside your door, reportedly pulling on the glass outer door to come inside. Here's what I would tell you. This is a tragedy, but there is zero evidence that it is racist. And that's the narrative today, that it is ringing a doorbell while being black. I'll reserve judgment as we all should until we get the facts to arrive at a conclusion.

Hmm. What? Will. Ralph Yorle is 5'8". 140 pounds. He ain't six feet tall. Okay. We also know from Ralph Yarl's grandson that his grandfather is racist.

Out of his own mouth. So what does it say about you, Will Cain, that you immediately leap to, oh my God, we can't call it this. Yeah, we can. And we can also, he was yanking on the door. Really? I'm sorry, where did you see that in the police report, Will? That he was yanking on the door. Please tell us that. Did you also skip over the part, Will Kane, where he fired and while Ralph was on the ground, fired again?

Oh, I guess we skipped that part. This, folks, is the BS that you get on Fox News. And trust me, if Will Kane had said that crap on CNN when we were there and when we were debating, when I was debating him on Soul Dad's show, I would have ripped him to shreds. But see, Will now knows that he speaks in an echo chamber. He now speaks on a network where facts don't matter. Where they can say whatever they want to say, and there are no repercussions. And that's the reality of Fox News today. Will, you sound ridiculous.

You know you sound ridiculous. And the man's own grandson, who I think knows him a hell of a lot better than you has made it clear. Oh, and by the way, Will, the grandson said all he did was watch Fox News all day. And he said that that is what led to his views on race. So it seems like it's now come back on your doorstep. I'll be back on Roland Martin and the Fulcher on the Black Star Network. We talk about blackness and what happens in black culture.

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Check some money orders. Go to P.O. Box 57196, Washington, D.C. 20037-0196. The cash app is Dollar Sign RM Unfiltered. PayPal is R. Martin Unfiltered. Venmo is RM Unfiltered. Zelle is Roland at RolandSMartin.com. We're all impacted by the culture, whether we know it or not. From politics to music and entertainment, it's a huge part of our lives. And we're going to talk about it every day right here on The Culture with me, Faraji Muhammad, only on the Blackstar Network. I'm Să ne urmăm. All right, folks, welcome back to... 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. Martin Unfiltered. So I keep telling y'all Republicans claim local control. They hate big government. But that's only when they're the ones who are not in control. And so in Memphis and Nashville, they have independent civilian-led police review boards to look at police shootings and things along as such. Well, the Republicans in the legislature in Tennessee, they don't give a damn.

So they don't like the fact that the folks in Memphis and Nashville have the audacity to determine how they should govern Memphis and Nashville. But it ain't just them. In Missouri, Republicans want to take over the St. Louis Police Department like they have control of the police department in Kansas City because Republicans cannot stand when the cops are being held accountable. And so Thursday, the legislature, Republicans voted to abolish both groups in Memphis and Nashville.

In line with the FBI. Guys, I didn't call for the video. All right, here we go. Now, in Nashville, they were implemented in 2018 after an officer-involved shooting. Okay? Now, it was the first time a Nashville police officer had been charged with murder. Yeah, it happened. Now, the decision to eliminate these groups is all about, now, first of all, the decision to eliminate the groups reverses.

Now, let me be real clear. Let me say this again. Nashville voted to create the group. 58.8% of the voters approved the creation. So, basically, Republicans in Tennessee are saying, screw the actual voters of Nashville, because Republicans in the legislature, they frankly look at Nashville and Memphis the same as the Republicans in Mississippi look at Jackson, Mississippi. We don't like the Democrats are running these cities.

Jill Fitchert, the executive director of the Metro Nashville Community Oversight Board, she joins me right now. Jill, glad to have you here. I mean, this is utterly nonsensical. And what this just proves, Republicans do not give a damn what the voters think. They don't care about local control. Their deal is we got power. We will tell y'all what to do. Right. That's exactly right.

What we've been doing in Nashville as a community oversight board is continuing to allow the voters to I'm sorry, the voters who voted for this to have a voice in how they want to be policed. And what we've seen is this legislation from the moment that it was in, it was enacted from 2019 up, have continuously tried to interfere and circumvent the will of the people here. 134,135 people voted to have police oversight the way that we're doing it in this city. And so I knew that this was like an impending thing that would end up happening. But at the end of the day, we've been doing excellent work, and I still don't know why this was pushed forward, this particular legislation session. All right. So what legal recourse do y'all have? How does a legislature get to override what voters approved? I thought voters get the final say so. Yeah. I mean, I think that it's an unconstitutional bill. I think it's a targeted

bill. I think it's retaliatory. They have tried to just really overtake Nashville in general. There's been this, you know, buzz about the, you know, because the city didn't allow for a Republican National Convention, but I believe that that's just not accurate. I think it's more sinister than that. I think that police accountability, especially after the Tyree Nichols brutal killing, that we should have more oversight opposed to less. They want to create what they call a standard type of oversight across the state, which is really a less effective way of doing oversight. And it really is just, like I said earlier to someone else, it's just a glorified intake system. All you do is take your repository for taking in complaints

from citizens. What we have now is citizens have a voice. They get to come and talk about their experience. And it really is cathartic and it's healing for them to be able to address this in front of a body and speak about what they have encountered. Taking that away from the citizens means that they lose a voice in this process. Renita? You know, this is why I always talk about the need for black people to not support giving more and more funding to police. Because what you have here is a situation where this board that was supposed to be holding police officers accountable and advancing police accountability has now been disbanded. You've got the situation in Mississippi where they're setting up an entire other system to control black folks with the criminal legal system, and all of this has come from more and more money to policing.

It's not going to work out well for black folks to continue to elect black politicians who are going to go along with giving money towards policing. So I'd like to ask the guests, you know, what are your thoughts around how much money we spend on our budgets towards police? Yeah, I think the budgets are inflated. I mean, our national, our budget is like $285 million. Our budget to do accountability is $1.5 million. It increased, you know, by $500,000 last fiscal year. But what it shows is that oversight of policing continues to be the last thing on cities and states' mind. Police officers are being more militarized, our city included.

We have had, you know, all kind of issues. If you look, Tennessee has been in the national spotlight for policing issues over the last year. I mean, they have just one thing after the other from body, from editing body worn cameras to, you know, sex rings within police departments to brutalization of citizens. Um, and we continue to give them money and pay out millions and millions of dollars for police misconduct. And so, yeah, I think that, um, I think that cities and council members and those who have the power to look at why we continue to pour more money into policing and less money into affordable housing and, you know, in other areas like health care and things of that nature, mental health care, job creation and, you know, in other areas like education. But we continue to use the police department and their budget to handle the social ills of our cities. It doesn't make sense to me. Mr. Chair, I was wondering, is the only recourse for those of us who are

outside of Tennessee, is it to put pressure on the sponsors of people who support these Republicans? Is it to support more get-out-the-voting efforts to get new politicians in in 2024? What is it that we can do from the outside to help this get corrected in the future? Yeah, I think what we've been talking about is really trying to just across this across the nation and police oversight accountability boards. You know, they're growing. People are wanting them more and more in our state. Of course, as we see, they want them less. What we would like to see is people like contacting our governor, talking about why it's important. Right after this, Tyree Nichols has only been dead a little over 90 days.

He was brutally murdered. And at the same time that we even the people in Memphis who want more police accountability, who want to have oversight, investigatory powers, which is what they're stripping away. They're stripping away our power to investigate these complaints, putting them and putting in place a review board, a review committee. And, you know, I just think it's a slap in the face to the parents of Tyree Nichols. So I think putting more pressure on politicians, putting more pressure on this at the city level to stand with us, to stand with our oversight boards, to speak up and speak out against this type of legislation, it's very harmful to our communities, especially the communities of Black people, Black and brown people specifically. And I think that they have

to be brave and courageous to stand against this kind of harmful legislation. Julianne? You know, many cities have community oversight boards, but many other cities do not. They have been, frankly, quite unpopular, even though more and more cities have them. The other thing that has tended to happen

is they have varying degrees of power. In other words, some of them have subpoena power, tended to happen is they have varying degrees of power. In other words, some of them have subpoena power. Others simply have, they listen. All they do is listen. As you said, it's cathartic, but it's not, it doesn't change anything. What are your takeaways? What kind of advice would you give cities who don't have oversight boards now, but would like to have them? What would you tell them about your experience with the community oversight board? Yeah, I think that our board is unique. It was set up through a charter amendment. It went through a referendum. Most community oversight boards and just review

committees or police accountability boards are in place through legislation that's enacted by local government. This took a big organizing effort for organizers to come together to push for this to be on a referendum, and it was ratified by, like you said, 58 and a half percent of the voters. And so what I would suggest to them is to do your research. What is most effective in your city? What the people would like? What we are is a hybrid entity, right? We can do investigations. We can do research. We can look into any criminal justice issue within this city and make recommendations. And, you know, I think that those, that hybrid model is a best practice model. And so I would say for people to at least talk to your local legislators, your mayors and your commissioners or city council people, but also

begin to talk to the people in your communities to see what they want. How do they want to be policed and how do they want to hold the police departments accountable? Because it's the taxpayers that are paying their salaries. And so we should all have a stake in how we want to be policed in our communities. All right, then. Well, look, good luck. Keep fighting the good fight. Jill, we'll keep covering this. We appreciate it. Thanks a lot. All right, thank you. Appreciate it.

Folks, we come back. We'll talk the firing of Jeff Schell at Comcast, Tucker Carlson at Fox, Don Lemon at CNN. Also, later in the show, Standard General continues their battle to buy Tegna against the FCC. We'll tell you what happened at the FCC meeting on Thursday. Lots to talk about right here on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network.

Perfect day to wear a black-owned shirt. You wanna support us, what we do? First of all, if you're watching on YouTube, hit that like button, y'all. We should easily be at 2,000, 3,000 likes today. That helps us with the YouTube algorithm, so please help us with that. And of course, download our app, Apple phone,

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Venmo's RM Unfiltered. Zale, Roland at RolandSMartin.com. Roland at RolandMartinUnfiltered.com. Be sure to get a copy of my book, White Fear, The Browning of Americans, Making White Folks Lose Their Minds. Ben Bella Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, Dialog...

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. The copy on Audible will be right back. There's an angry pro-Trump mob storm to the U.S. Capitol. We're about to see the rise of what I call white minority resistance. We have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting.

I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of violent denial. This is part of American history. Every time that people of color have made progress, whether real or symbolic, there has been what Carol Anderson at Emory University calls white rage as a backlash. This is the wrath of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys. America, there's going to be more of this. This country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because of the fear of white people. The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're taking On the next A Balanced Life with me, Dr. Jackie,

we talk about a hard, cold fact. Not all health care is created equal in this country, especially if you're a person of color. So many of us Black families, we rely upon each other heavily. A lot of us aren't necessarily sure how to best communicate with our health care providers. How to take charge and balance the scales. Your life may depend on it. That's next on A Balanced Life on Black Star Network.

My name is Charlie Wilson. Hi, I'm Sally Richardson-Whitfield. And I'm Dodger Whitfield. Hey, everybody, this is your man Fred Hammond, and you're watching Roland Martin, my man, Unfiltered. Să ne urmăm în următoarea mea rețetă. All right, y'all. Welcome back to Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. Yo, the last 24 hours in mainstream white media has been crazy. Yesterday, Comcast drops a bomb that NBC

Universal CEO Jeff Schell out the door after acknowledging an inappropriate relationship with a staffer, an anchor at CNBC. Her attorneys came out upset that her name was released. She apparently filed a sexual harassment claim against Jeff Schell. As a result, if y'all go to my iPad, you will see that. Lawyer for Hadley Gamble says she filed a sexual harassment and sex discrimination complaint at the company. Shell acknowledged they had an affair several years ago. Not only that, NBC, Comcast said he ain't getting no severance. He ain't getting severance.

So that was on Sunday. Then today, this morning, the first shoe that dropped, Fox Tucker Carlson out at Fox News, fired at Fox News. A lot of people initially said, oh, it had to be because of the Dominion lawsuit, them having to pay out a $787.5 million settlement. The white nationalist Tucker Carlson, of course, was involved in that. But it wasn't just that. The L.A. Times is reporting, the L.A. Times is reporting that it was Rupert Murdoch, with input from several board members, who decided to fire Tucker Carlson directly. It says right here from the L.A. Times,

people familiar with the situation who were not authorized to comment publicly said the decision to fire Carlson came straight from Fox Corps Chairman Rupert Murdoch with input from board members and other Fox Corporation executives. Now, Tucker Carlson's last show was on Friday. All right. He said, I'm going to see y'all on Monday. Uh-uh. CNN is reporting that he was literally given 10 minutes

heads up before the decision was actually made. Now, you might say, well, okay, why did Rupert do that? Back to the iPad. Remember, it was a producer at Fox News who worked on Maria Bartiromo's show, the Carlson show, Abby

Grossberg, who filed a discrimination lawsuit claiming a number of things, including the toxic work environment on Tucker's staff, how they use the C word all the time, describing women there, how it was just misogynistic,

sexist, you name it, all of that. But Tucker didn't get fired just by himself, so did his executive producer, who she also named in her lawsuit. Okay, now you got that. Literally, not even 30 minutes after people are talking about the firing of Tucker Carlson, then Don Lemon gets fired at CNN. All right? So he's been on thin ice because supposedly back and forth with Caitlin Collins and Poppy Harlow.

Of course, John Malone made clear when Discovery took over that he wanted them to be a little bit different, more like Fox News. The reporting, Chris Licht, has made it clear he wants the network to attract more conservatives. He wants them to be more down the middle, less rancor, all that sort of stuff. Then the folks at The New York Times, they are saying that this interview last week with the Republican nominee for president, who's Indian American, this played a role in Don getting fired. Listen to the interview. I do respect, I find your explanation reductive and actually insulting, including to black Americans, to say that black people today, compared to 1964, 1865,

haven't made progress in part because of the freedoms we secured. And the Second Amendment was part of the... Black people, hang on, please. I cannot keep a thought if you guys are talking to me in my ear. So hang on one second. So to say that black people... Say what you said again. Black people secured their freedoms after the Civil War.

It is a historical fact, Don. Just study it. Only after their Second Amendment rights were secured. That's a fact. They were not secured their freedoms after the Civil War. You are discounting Reconstruction. You're discounting a whole host of things that happened after the Civil War when it comes to African Americans, including the whole reason that the Civil Rights Movement happened is because black people did not secure their freedoms after the Civil War,

and that things turned around. People tried to change the freedoms that were supposed to happen And you know how they got it? They got their Second Amendment rights, and they actually got, the NRA played a big role in that. But today, down the fine line. The NRA did not play a big role in that. Absolutely, they trained black Americans how to use firearms. That's a lie.

That's not. The NRA did not play a big role in that. This is just historical fact. It's not a historical fact. The part that I find. Just because you say it's a historical fact. The part that I find insulting is when you say today black Americans

don't have those rights after we have gone through civil rights revolution in this country. The fact that I find insulting is that you are sitting here telling an African American about the rights and what you find insulting, about the way I live, the skin I live in every day.

Here's where you and I have a different point of view. And I know the freedoms that black and white, that black people don't have in this country, and that black people do have. Well, here's where you and I have a different point of view. I think we should be able to express our views regardless of the color of our skin. We should have this debate without me regarding you as a black man, but me regarding you as a fellow citizen. That's what I think we should say. Whatever ethnicity you are explaining to me about what it's like to be black in America. Whatever ethnicity I am, I'll tell you what I am.

I'm an Indian American. I'm proud of it. But I think we should have this debate. Black, white, doesn't matter on the content of the ideas. I think we should have this debate. If you're going to do it, you should do it in an honest way and in a fair way. And what you're doing is not an honest and fair way. We appreciate you coming on. With due respect, Don, I look forward to continuing that conversation. We'll continue the conversation. Thank you. Thank you, Papa.

All right, so let's unpack this. All right, now, first of all, if the New York Times is saying that that interview was part of the reason why he got fired, that's weak as hell. Now, it's also crazy if you actually saw the whole deal. Don was not trying to even be in the conversation. Papi kept asking if he wanted to say something. He was like, no, I'm good, I'm good.

And then he finally did. Damn, in hindsight, probably wanted to stay quiet. I think probably what pissed them off was that comment, whatever ethnicity you are, okay? If you just listen to the interview and how they think in terms of how the folks at CNN, how they operate, that could have been seen as dismissive, all right? But here's what I need people to understand.

And whenever these things happen, and these firings and stuff like that, I love how, even during the whole Dominion deal, everybody kept talking about how powerful, the power that the Fox News host had, that Sean Hannity had, the power Tucker Carlson had, how they were even more powerful than their

boss's CEO, Suzanne Scott. Y'all heard me say this when we talk about athletes. Ooh, LeBron, he's the most powerful NBA player. Y'all see the shirt I got on? It says black owned.

The only people see take that part off. The only people who got power are the people with the own part. It don't matter if Tucker was getting 12, $15 million a year. It don't matter if Don was getting $3, $4, $5, $6 million, whatever he was getting. It doesn't matter that Jeff Schell was the CEO and he made $21 million last year. All three of them, employees. And I keep telling y'all, employees can't get fired. Owners can't get fired.

Now, owners can voluntarily step down. They can resign. They can retire. They don't get fired. Rupert could turn the company over to his sons. He still owned the stock. So I need y'all to understand, it was a target on Don's back

from the moment Warner took over the company. John Malone said it. Y'all, this real clear. Now y'all got Don's statement. Pull it up. Don released a statement to the press where he said, I was terminated. I was informed this morning by my agent that I had been terminated by CNN.

I am stunned. After 17 years at CNN, I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network. It is clear that there are some larger issues at play. With that said, I want to thank my colleagues and the many teams I have worked with for an incredible run. They're the most talented journalists in the business, and I wish them all the best.

Now, Don's been here 17 years. Those folks at CNN PR did issue a statement with regards to Don's statement. Go to my iPad. They said Don Lemon's statement about this morning's events is inaccurate. He was offered an opportunity to meet with management, but instead released a statement on Twitter. Let me say this again, y'all. It was a bullseye on his back. When he got moved from prime time to the

morning, that wasn't no promotion. He went from having a show where he was the host to a show with three other hosts, one that got no business being on the set, Kaitlyn Collins. She ain't ready. She ain't ready for prime time. She not, okay? She way too green, okay? She need to go back and get some more experience, okay? So, you know, all these instances, the Nikki Haley comment, past prime, big screw up, okay? But the deal is, Bullseye was there. Y'all, all the stories you saw dropped, the variety story, the story over the weekend saying White House Press Secretary Kareem Jean-Pierre wouldn't appear on the show with him. Chose to do the interview with somebody else. Kareem, they released a statement

saying Kareem denies it. Y'all, all those stories came inside CNN. And so I'm just trying to explain to y'all, you got to be aware of what's going on. Tucker, they thought they were, Tucker didn't learn nothing from Bill O'Reilly. See, Rupert like, damn, I just paid $787.5 million. I spent $32, $35, $40 billion on settlements for Bill O'Reilly. Now I'm going to have to spend another $10, $, 15, 20 million on this other woman because of Tucker.

Yeah, your ass got to go. Y'all, employees ain't got no power. They will bounce your ass in a heartbeat and it don't matter. And so there are all these people who are mad, who are upset. Y'all, that's what they do. It was 10 years ago, April 5th or April 6th. I think it was April 5th. It was 10 years ago, April 5th. Where was my last day at CNN? That was 10 years ago.

And see, here's the whole deal. You know the game. I told somebody this. Y'all, I's the whole deal. You know the game. I told somebody this. Y'all, I joined CNN in 2007. Do y'all know when I plotted my exit from CNN? The day I joined in 2007. Let me say it again. I started planning my exit the day I started. Those jobs ain't guaranteed.

Hell, Disney this week is beginning their second round of layoffs. They will lay folks off in a heartbeat. So understand, what you saw is that actions will beget actions. That's what's going on here. And for those who are happy to see Tucker Carlson, the white nationalists gone, I'm one of them.

Just keep in mind, he replaced Bill O'Reilly and he was 10 times worse than Bill O'Reilly. So you might get an even more wild white nationalist. Because Fox News still want that white nationalist money. That ain't change one bit. As for Don Lemon, he going to get his millions. Oh, he going to get his millions. Apparently he signed a new contract when he went to the morning show.

They going to pay that off. They ain't got no problem paying it off. That's what they do. They'll pay that money off in a heartbeat. But just do understand, y'all, these folks, it's all about, again, what they do and how they're going to do it. And so, again, Brian Stelter, go to my iPad. He reports Carlson's contract was renewed in 2021. He'll be paid out for the rest of his contract.

He was getting about $20 million per year. Y'all, he going to get his money? It don't matter. He a trust fund baby anyway. So he going to get his money. And what you also have, you know, these folks are going to sit here, keep going. So just understand, this is what these companies do. They're going to sit here and get rid of folks in a heartbeat.

But like I said, when you're the owner, can't nobody get rid of you but God. Just remember that. I'll be back. Next on The Black Table with me, Greg Kopp. We look at the history of emancipation around the world, including right here in the United States. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun?

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

I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. about his latest book, Black Ghost of Empire, The Death of Slavery and the Failure of Emancipation. He explains why the end of slavery was no end at all, but instead a collection of laws and policies designed to preserve the status quo of racial oppression.

The real problem is that the problems that slavery invented have continued over time. And what reparations are really about is saying, how do we really transform society, right? And stop racial violence, which is so endemic. What we need to do about it on the next installment of The Black Table, right here on the Black Star Network. network. We're all impacted by the culture, whether we know it or not. From politics to music and entertainment, it's a huge part of our lives. And we're going to talk about it every day right here on The Culture with me, Faraji Muhammad, only on the Black Star Network.

Hi, how's it going? It's your favorite funny girl, Amanda Seals. Hi, I'm Anthony Brown from Anthony Brown and Group Therapy. What up? Lana Wells. And you are watching Rolling Martin Unfiltered. Well, everybody and mama love talking trash. Now we got a cultural appropriator, Phil Jackson, who won a lot of rings because of black ballplayers like Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Shaquille O'Neal,

Kobe Bryant, and others. Now he decides to go on a podcast that says, since the Black Lives Matter protest, I ain't watching no NBA games because I don't like what they were doing with all of the slogans on the floor and the uniforms. Press play. Do you still watch a lot of basketball? No, I don't. Tell me about that. When and did you stop immediately from the time you stopped coaching?

No, I didn't. I watched some of the game evolve and decided, and they went into the lockout year, and they did something that was kind of wanky. They did a bubble down in Orlando, and all the teams that could qualify went down there and stayed down there. No audience. And they had things on their back like, you know, justice.

And I mean, a little funny thing like, you know, justice just went to the basket, and equal opportunity just knocked him down. And somebody had another name for a guy who has a jersey in the back of a jersey. He had some other slogan. So my grandkids thought that was pretty funny to play up those names. So I couldn't watch that. And the Lakers won, actually. They won that year.

Do you feel like it just made little of the game, like it made it like a sideshow? What do you think it was that turned you off? Well, it was, they even had slogans on the floor, on the baseline. It was catering. It was trying to cater to an audience or trying to bring a certain audience into play and it they didn't know it was turning other people off you know people want to see sports as non-political you know we've had we've had a lot of different type of uh players that have gone on to be like, you know, Bill Bradley is a senator, number of baseball players have been representatives

and senators and political, but their politics stay out of the game. Yeah, it's separate. It doesn't need to be there. Oh, politics should stay out of the game. I'm sorry, did Phil forget why they were protesting? politics should stay out of the game. I'm sorry, did Phil forget why they were protesting? Did Phil forget you had the death of George Floyd, the shooting

of Jacob Blake in Milwaukee? That was a reason why the players boycotted. Oh, I'm sorry, but Phil said, oh yeah, we should keep politics out of the game. Go to my iPad. 1999. Bradley teams up with Phil Jackson on campaign fundraising trail. Phil Jackson supported his former teammate who's running for president by help raising him money. Oh, I guess Phil's politics are just fine. Kelsey Nicole Nelson joins us right now.

She's a multimedia sports journalist. Kelsey, how dismissive Phil Jackson was here to act as if this was just some gimmick the NBA was doing. The NBA was forced to do this because those players were going to walk. Roland, well, first off, thank you so much for having me. And you know, it's sad we have to keep having these conversations. You know, you said it so right. The players felt a type of way because at the end of the day, this is an NBA league, Roland, where at last check during the 2021-2022 basketball season, 82.4% of the players identified as people of color, meaning at the end

of the day, when they take off their jerseys, when they take off their basketball shorts, these are mostly black men in America who deal with the same struggles that many black Americans deal with in this country. You talk about the killing of George Floyd. We have to talk about the murder of Breonna Taylor, say her name. And the reason why the NBA was forced to do this is because they are human beings at the end of the day. They weren't going to roll and just shut up and dribble. These are men who wanted to make a difference, who wanted to use their platform for a purpose. And during 2020, when the NBA was playing in the bubble, they had that opportunity to do so. As you said,

we wouldn't need slogans and t-shirts rolling if we could live in a world where actually social justice mattered, where racial inequality was not a thing. But unfortunately, that's not the truth here in America. And as you said, I mean, Phil Jackson is somebody who has had an intersection into politics. And folks, if you don't realize that sports are political, you can go back to ancient Greek times. They have always been part of sports. Sports have always been intertwined. Well, how about this one here? Go to my iPad, please. Video shows police officer placing knee on neck of NBA player Jackson Hayes in L.A. arrest. Okay?

That's one right there. Then how about this one here, Phil Jackson? NBA player Thabo Sefalosha, a victim of police brutality himself, opened up about George Floyd's death. Thabo had his leg broken by cops as well. So when Phil Jackson just goes, oh, see, I love it. There are no, people don't watch sports or politics. Phil, the same players.

How about when Glenn Rice, when Glenn Rice was in a hotel in Miami, when he was detained by cops at a hotel in Miami when he was detained by cops at a hotel. Then you have numerous other players who have talked about how they were being treated as well. These things have happened over and over and over again, but the people like Phil Jackson act as if they are immune from these things. And, you know, that's the saddest part. Because as you said, I mean, Phil Jackson is someone who has been as close to black men as you can get as a coach in the NBA. And I think what folks are saying is, Phil, yes, you've won championships with these men, but you are so much more than a coach.

And you're acting like you don't get it. And then, Roland, what hurt me, he said his grandkids were laughing at the slogans on the back of these players. Well, I'm sorry, Phil Jackson, but then your grandkids are exactly why we're fighting for history books to stay in schools and folks to know the history of black folks in this country, because there's no way they should be laughing at things like justice, that things like black lives matter, because these are real issues for folks. You know, there's a reason why Roland, this is why when we were younger, our teachers told us you have one mouth and two ears. And Roland, I love when people expose themselves.

It's why I always love when people talk. Because no longer do we have to worry if Phil Jackson is on one side of the fence or the other. We know exactly where he stands. And I'm so glad he came out and said this. And mind you, the NBA right now, they're having good ratings. They're not going to miss Phil Jackson, Roland. I mean, the series between the Warriors and the Kings right now, they're having good ratings. They're not going to miss Phil Jackson, Roland. I mean, the series between the Warriors and the Kings right now, I mean, they had their best opening postseason since 2011.

Just think about that, folks. It's 2023. So let's not act like Phil. And these are the same people who were texting me today talking about, oh my gosh, Kelsey, did you say Ema Udoka got hired by the Houston Rockets? So all these folks that want to talk about they're not watching the NBA and things like that, Roland, the NBA will be fine without them. They're going to keep on moving.

They're going to keep on rolling because that is how great the NBA is as a product. But Phil Jackson, what he said was so problematic. And again, taking away from his coaching thing. And he knows better. Let's just be honest. Of course. Phil Jackson knows better. Don't tell me because he's 77 years old, he's a baby boomer.

Miss me with all of that. Phil Jackson, what he said was hurtful because the same issues, Roland, that we were fighting in 2020 are the same issues the players are fighting against today. I mean, look, we have Ralph Yarl. We still have black men being shot, unarmed men being shot by police officers, are white people in this country. So all that to say, this is why in 2020, let's remember too, the NBA players fought, Roland, and this is why in 2020, let's remember too, the NBA players fought Roland, and this is why they formed the Social Justice Coalition back in 2020

for NBA arenas to become polling stations for when people go vote. That was part of the negotiations that the players actually had. On the Congo, again, Milwaukee players, they boycotted Sterling Brown was one of the players who actually got on my iPad.

That was a parking ticket issue that led to a police encounter with the cops there. This is the reality of these NBA players. Guys like Phil Jackson, basically what he's saying is shut up and dribble. Absolutely. Let's be mindful of the fact that he played. He started playing in NBA one 1967. He came up playing against Bill Russell and all of the other athletes who are during that. So he saw everything going on, Muhammad Ali and Jim Brown and everybody. So he came up during that

time. So he's acting like these players are coming out of nowhere with, with their politics. And so sit here and say that there should be some type of separation between politics and sports makes no sense because he saw it and he lived it. i also will say that he's being introduced uh if i'm correct was that legendary uh music producer rick rubin correct def jam and all of that right because if that's the case i hope that he challenged him later in the podcast because this is also somebody who made his name through hip-hop off the backs of black people as well. And so I'm not saying he agreed with Phil Jackson, but I hope he challenged him. But we see situations like this.

We see situations like Tommy Tuberville, you know, who made their career off of the backs of black people and their work. And then all of a sudden they get to a place where they can kind of relax and they verbally come out and turn their backs on us and show us who they really were all along. Julianne?

You know, Dr. Maya always says, when people show you who they are, believe them. And that literally here you see who he is. He may have had affinity with black men. He's coached black men. Maybe he's even friends with them. But he does not feel our pain, nor, frankly, does he give a damn. And that, I think, my sister journalist was speaking earlier, that's the painful part is clearly he does not give a damn.

These are folks that he's rubbed shoulders with. They've been overnight together. But this is white, this is carcassity. It's just carcassity. It's white folks who, it's not that he doesn't get it. It's that he doesn't want to get it. In his role, in his position, he's had opportunities to get it. So the fact that he doesn't get it just says white folks don't care what happens to black America. Oh, well, I was offended by my

grandchildren. His grandchildren need to go to reeducation camp. He obviously has not taught his grandchildren. Rita? Well, when he says that he doesn't want sports to be political, what I really hear is I just don't want to hear about black people's issues. So for him, this is all about just making money off of black men, but really not trying to see them as a full human being who is having a life that is outside of basketball that unfortunately deals with constantly having to fight racism. Those players have to fight racism, I'm sure, on the way to the game to play where he doesn't want them to be talking about the racism that they have to live with every day. So at the end of the day, you know, white people like this do not surprise me with these comments. This is who he's always been the entire time. But I really think what they should do is take a look at and understand that black people don't want everything in their life to be about race.

But unfortunately, we don't have the luxury to just say, hey, you know what? Monday, Wednesday, Fridays, I'm not going to deal with racism. You know, that's what this is really about, is that they actually think that we want everything. There's nothing in this country, nothing in our lives that is not touched by racism. And so that is what people like Phil Jackson do not understand, and that's why you see comments like this. About 30 seconds left.

Kelsey, final comment. Back to what we're talking about. LeBron James, one of the greatest players to play the game. He had a racial slur graffitied on his home. Race matters in America. Race matters in sports. And you can't separate the two. And I think what Phil Jackson said, let's not think that Phil Jackson is the only one that thinks this way. There's many other coaches. There's many other GMs and other folks, presidents of basketball, not just basketball and the NBA and the NFL and so much more that feel this way. But I think that's why we have to call people out on this because, again, they're more than just athletes. They won't just shut up and dribble. And once again, it was said,

but Maya Angelou, let's remember her. When people show you who they are, believe them the first time. And I don't need to see any more or hear any more from Phil Jackson, Roland, to know exactly who he is. All right. Kelsey Nicole Nelson, we appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Great one. Bye. All right, folks. Got to go to break. We come back. We'll talk about Standard Tegna, their deal, trying to buy, excuse me, Standard General's deal, trying to buy Tegna. Facing tough hit was the FCC. I went to the meeting on Thursday to ask some questions. Protesters were also there. We'll show you what took place again on Thursday at the Federal Communications Commission monthly meeting.

You're watching Rolling Mark Unfiltered right here on the Blackstar Network. On the next Get Wealthy, with me, Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach, Dexter Jenkins is a faith-based financial mentor with more than 20 years in the financial services industry. He's passionate about helping families build generational wealth.

Even though I'm talking about things like prayer, I'm talking about things about reading the word, I'm talking about things like fellowship, I'm talking to members who are dealing with losing their houses, or I'm talking to members who because of a lack of the handling of finances, they're working two or three jobs, and so what I'm finding is that they're

not coming to church because they don't have a handle on their finances. We're talking how to get wealthy through faith and our finances on the next Get Wealthy right here, only on Blackstar Network. Hi, I'm Dr. Jackie Hood-Martin and I have a question for you. Ever feel as if your life is teetering and the weight and pressure of the world is consistently on your shoulders? Well,

let me tell you, living a balanced life isn't easy. Join me each Tuesday on Black Star Network for Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie. We'll laugh together, cry together, pull ourselves together, and cheer each other on. 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. Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season One, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season One, 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. So join me for new shows each Tuesday on Black Star Network,

A Balanced Life with Dr. Jackie. Hey, I'm Cupid, the maker of the Cupid Shuffle and the Wham Dance. What's going on? This is Tobias Trevelyan. And if you're ready, you are listening to and you are watching Roland Martin, Unfiltered. On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission held their monthly meeting. And before the meeting, there were a number of protesters there who were standing there in support of the Sue Kim-led company, Standard General. They're trying to buy Tegna. If they do so, they would own the second largest station group in the country.

Soo Kim is a Korean-American, and, of course, he's been trying to do so. The FCC pushed this to an administrative judge's decision. Many say that is going to kill the deal because his financing for the deal runs out in the month of May. Now, he has been working with a number of civil rights groups when it comes to memorandum of understanding. We've actually agreed to a deal with him as well if he acquires Tegna in terms of partnership with black-owned media and content. And so the folks who are out there shared their thoughts and perspective as to why they were standing with Sue Kim in his efforts to acquire Tegna. We're here to show our support for the deal, effectively that would increase diversity of ownership of the mainstream media.

It would increase it by some 300 percent. We're also here in support of Sue Kim, who's a great advocate for the Asian American community and for the principles of diversity at large. Well I think diversity of ownership in the media is very important. One thing that we experienced, the Asian American community experience was a rise in Asian hate, for instance. And the mainstream media's coverage of this incident was very instrumental in highlighting, again, the important role that the media plays. And so, you know, we think that having somebody who is a minority, you know, take some degree of control over media, if you will, would enhance the rights of minorities in being properly represented in mainstream media and also thereby promote the principles of diversity.

We are affirming that all diversity matters. We are affirming that people of color matter in this conversation. We are affirming that it's time to see a demographic shift. It's time to see progress in our newsrooms across the country. It's time to see progress in big media. It's time to shatter one of the last bastions of total white male supremacy in this country

by opening the door to a person of color who is as American as apple pie, who has stood by the black community culturally and politically across the nation, And he's now saying he wants to bring gender diversity and racial diversity to newsrooms and to media outlets across the country. And we're here to affirm that he has the right to do it, that he's the right kind of diversity. And in fact, we are all benefiting from him shattering the ceiling.

Well, we've been monitoring this effort for a while. It has been unprecedented in many ways. The way that they have protracted this situation and prolonged the situation, the way they have intentionally deviated from precedent and norms by reopening commentary period, comment period after having closed them down. So we've been monitoring this as a matter of equal protection under law, as a matter of justice. Why is this deal being treated differently than every other deal that came prior? Why are they breaking administrative norms and administrative precedent for this deal? So it's important for decision makers to see the people's voice, to hear the people's voice,

to see their faces. It's important for them to recognize that there are other states and they have to be accountable to the voice of the people. And they can't make decisions in an ivory tower that impact the future of our nation, that impact millions of people across the country without having to hear a robust voice and a robust input from those communities that are going to be affected by their policies. So we're hoping that the gears of democracy will turn, and we will be doing our civic duty to hold the government accountable to the people's voice. Now, after the FCC met, the standard deal was not on the agenda

because the FCC commission, the chairwoman, Jessica Rosenwald, she's actually had this referred to an administrative judge. I got a chance to ask her as well as one of the four commissioners, Brandon Carr, about this very issue. Watch this. In terms of the standard general Tegna deal, why wouldn't the commission openly discuss it and then do an up and vote down? You got a couple of commissions and said they would like to do that. Why not do

that? That way it's clearly resolved. Well, as you may know, this is presently the subject of litigation and an administrative proceeding, so I'm unable to talk about it at this time. But it went to, so the question is, you can make the decision, though, to bring it before the full commission, correct? Like I said, it's presently before an administrative proceeding and an administrative rulemaking and litigation, so I can't talk about it at this time, but I could certainly help by making sure that our bureau folks follow up with you so you're familiar with the rules. Commissioner Carr, a question for you. If the chair has authority to recommend to send the standard general technic merger to an administrative judge, doesn't the chair have the same authority to simply say, I can

reverse my decision and bring it before the full commission that's my understanding is that a chair would have the ability to bring a vote and my position has been sort of crystal clear from not just day one but from minute one when we learned that the bureau was issuing a hearing designation order on this I put out a public statement saying that I believed that these applicants deserved an up or down vote from the commission. It was a nearly year-long review process, longer than our 180-day shot clock that we attempt to meet with these things. And for me, the framing here is more broad. If you step back and you look across this country and you can see local newspapers shuddering by the dozen,

just news while we're sitting here at the dais this morning of another news entity that's closing down and we need to create incentives in this country so that there is capital flowing into news gatherings supporting local journalists in my perspective it's sort of a break glass moment for broadcasters and whatever sort of rule or regulation is standing in the way we need to and in fact we're supposed to be doing it by law looking at removing it so I think we need to be very cognizant as a commission of sending signals to people that we want investment in local news now cover city government county government so a lot of people don't understand the minutiae of this so if two or three commissioners want something placed on the agenda,

how does that work or is it completely the authority of the chair to determine what comes before the commission? Yeah, the prerogative of the chair is to decide what the commissioners vote on. That is one of the powers of sort of the CEO roles of the chair. And so even if you have votes of more than one or two or even three commissioners that want a particular outcome it ultimately putting the particulars of this proceeding to the side as a general matter it's up to the chair to decide the agenda and put items before us to vote or to take items away. And have you asked the chair to bring this before the Commission? My statement on this has been limited to my public statement, which was that my position is that I believe that after this lengthy review that we should give a commission level up or down vote on this one.

So that was the public statement. You never met with her personally or directly to ask her to bring before the full commission? I'll have to think about it. I think my statements have been limited to public at this point. Again, as the chair sort of indicated, there's various processes in place at this point in terms of the HDO. But I've made my point clear

in a statement, and I think I've had that views be conveyed to my colleagues as well. So here's what I don't understand, Julian. The FCC chair, stop it. Jessica, you can actually bring before the whole FCC commission and actually take a vote. And again, you've got two commissioners who say, hey, let's have the whole full commission vote.

That's why you're there. I mean, just simply make a call. If you think it's a tough call, don't just pass it off to an administrative judge, basically allowing it to die in committee. Lead. Leaders are leads. So whether you agree with it or not, vote up or down. Ron, I couldn't agree with you more. I mean, this is clearly a case of anti-Asian bias here. They made a case that you've got a deal, other people have deals to diversify the media,

simply to diversify the media. And people are afraid of that. I think your questions to the commissioner were right on point. And he, of course, avoided answering the question. She, she. Chair, I mean, she was funny. I mean, she's very good at smiling, but I don't know what the content of her work is. But what we really need to look at is what this means in the long run in terms of how committed people are to diversity. And, you know, I have a lecturer coming this week to campus to talk about anti-Asian bias. It exists, it's real, and it's connected to anti-Blackness and other racist positions that people take. Renee, look, you were in the Georgia State House,

and this ain't hard. You're the chair of a commission. It's supposed to have five members. One hasn't been confirmed, so you got four. Hey, bring it before the committee. Have folks present for and against. Vote up or down. Move on.

Right, and what you're probably seeing here when you see a lack of transparency from government, whether it be elected officials or people within an agency like the FCC, is that when people are trying to hide from transparency, hide transparency from the public and not want to have votes and run away from things like this, it's usually because they don't want the public to know their real feelings on a particular issue because they know that people are going to have a problem. And so maybe there is anti-Asian bias that is, you know, at play here. But what I also think is just so interesting about the whole situation is that in this deal, you've got, you know, folks making the case that in order for media to truly be

diverse and really reflect a broader share of the country, you've got to have more Asian representation. And then you have Ted Cruz, who wrote a letter to the FCC saying that he thinks the only reason the deal fell through is because the owner is Asian and he's Korean, and that's the reason why his deal was killed. But at the same time, you've got conservatives working, not even working, but excelling at using groups of Asian people to knock down affirmative action in colleges and universities, to knock down pretty much affirmative action anywhere it exists, and to push back on that diversity is even important. So I just think this whole thing is just really, really interesting.

And the Asian community is a very tight-knit community. They have got to get together on where they stand on whether or not you want to support diversity efforts or not. Because just like you said, anti-blackness and anti-Asian hate, all of that, all that stuff is connected. So they also cannot be on both sides of the issue. Um, Mocongo, this is simple. If the FCC chair

and others, if they believe that this deal is anti-competitive, it's going to lead to layoffs or things along those lines, fine. Vote against it. it's going to lead to layoffs or things along those lines, fine. Vote against it. That's all you got to do. This ain't hard.

So I don't understand why it's this difficult. And then, first of all, here's the other deal. And again, I've had the chair of my TV One show before. I can't talk. Actually, you can. You can actually answer my question as to why you can't don't bring it before the full FCC. You can reverse a decision.

Just because it's in litigation and before administrative judge, who is the one who directed the media bureau to send it to an administrative judge? The chair. So you can't answer the question. That's a cop out. She knows a cop out and you don't want to answer the chair. So you can't answer the question that's a cop-out. She knows it's a cop-out, and you don't want to answer the question, but again, just own up to it. I can't stand people, I don't care whether we're

talking about Republicans or Democrats, elected people or appointed people. You're the chair, you have a commission, your job is to say yay or nay, just do it. Just do, have a hearing, your job is to say yay or nay, just do it. Just do have a hearing, lay all the facts out, let folks talk for and against, and then you vote. Final comment.

They don't want the smoke, Roland. That's why they didn't have to vote. That's period bottom line. And the fact that you're out there speaking on this, you talk so much about the importance of black-owned media, but you've also talked your entire career about the importance of having diverse representation, period. And when we see what companies are doing, like the Sinclair Broadcasting Group and making local stations have to read the same statements in support of their conservative agenda, it is important now more than ever that we get out there and fight for diversity of opinions. And it's very important that the Black community and the Asian AAPI community get together on this along with other groups

because if we don't do that, we'll continually let them control the narrative. And like Renita said, we all got to get on the same side if we're serious about having this diverse representation. We got to have all hands on deck. All right, y'all, final story today. I'm running tight on time, but I had to get to this here. Look, I done told y'all to stop sitting here and acting

a fool in these stores. Well, this white woman got into arguing with her sister in a Walmart, and it didn't end well. I ain't still got it. See you later. Bye-bye. Why was

I'ma come go find you? Why was Mama Kongo's phone? Hey, stop it. She kicked me. Stop, stop right now. Stop, stop. Stop, stop. Stop. Stop. Stop.

Stop. Stop. Stop. She kicked me first! Stop! Lord, I keep telling these people, Julianne, I mean, look, if you open your mouth to talk smack, these better work.

I don't know what's wrong with these white ladies in these stores. I truly do not. But apparently they don't watch Roland Martin Unfiltered because if they did, they would have seen the tape from last week and understood that there are consequences to stupid actions. Like I said, I just don't know what is wrong with these people

and their carcassity is overwhelming. And, you know, this guy tell them to stop. Well, did he tell the white lady to stop when she started the mess? See, that's my whole deal, Renita. Why don't you intervene when they arguing saying stop, but no, you want to lay back and you want to wait for that nup or buck moment.

Simple. Anti-blackness. He is treating the black woman like she is the aggressor when you can hear at the beginning of the video before they even come into really contact with each other, the white woman starts the mess by calling the black woman a B-I-T-C-H. So, you know, at the end of the day, these videos that come out

and it just kind of shows one thing. Some white people are going to have to be given something to work with, like this black woman gave her, in order for them to realize that this is no longer the 50s Jim Crow South. It's not. On the Congo, the sister said, she hit me first with the cart. That opened the door to get her ass whooped.

Period, bottom line. And then she reached out and smacked her on top of that. I mean, we have this video. We had the video last week with the woman spitting on the woman, then the one before that with calling the girl the N-word and trying to hide behind a black man. Like Dr. Malvo said, when are you all going to get the point? None of us condone violence, but this is self-defense. We're being attacked and people just think that we're going to sit and take it. And at some point, folks got to realize that we're just not going to take it anymore.

We're already walking around with the frustration of being black in this country at this particular moment in time. And folks are waiting for a release. So why would you even try to bring that and not expect any get back? Hey, look, I told you what happened when was in, when I was at O'Hare Airport, and this dude was, it was the shoeshine stand, and nobody was there, and he was literally sitting just right there

on the bench. There's two chairs, and so I walked up and I said, excuse me, I want to sit in this seat. He turned to me and said, you ain't fucking sitting here. And I literally went, I'm sorry, who you talking to? I like looked around, and then he stood up and said, you ain't fucking sitting here. And I literally went, I'm sorry, who are you talking to? I looked around. And then he stood up and said, you ain't fucking sitting here. And I said, you know what?

I ain't about to waste time with you. We're at airport security. And so then he changed his tune. And I said, man, let me explain. Because apparently he was on the phone with his daughter or his wife or girlfriend or whatever. I said, now here's the funny part. There were like three or four people who walked by, black people and white people.

Roland Martin, how you doing? I love your show. So all of a sudden, I could see him calculating. I said, do you know how close I came to making your ass famous? I said, had I pulled my phone, I said, you have no clue how the Lord saved you today. I said, I'm extending the grace of Jesus because I said you would be real famous in about 30 seconds had I pulled out my phone. I said, next time, calm your ass down.

Really? Oh, you know, I'm sorry. I said, no, no, no. You wasn't saying that 60 seconds ago. I said, but you lucky I got grace today. I said, you lucky I'm in a good mood. I said, because I would have had your ass dealt with. And see, I might have sat there, and here's the deal. I don have had your ass dealt with. And see, I might have sat there. And here's the deal. I don't know what he was thinking.

It's way too many black people. I don't know whether he was Latino or he was white. I don't know what he was. He could have been a white Hispanic. I don't know. But all I do know, I don't think he realized how many fans I got in Chicago. That would have been a quick phone call. So I'm just warning y'all, y'all are not going to roll up on somebody like me who got Jesus with me on a Saturday morning.

Keep acting a fool, and then y'all going to find out real quick how other folks' hands work. I'm just saying. All right, I got to go. Julian, Ronita, Omokongo, I appreciate it. Thanks a bunch to I got to go. Julian, Renita, I'm a Congo. I appreciate it. Thanks a bunch to everybody watching this show. Thank you so very much. Don't forget,

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