#RolandMartinUnfiltered - Trump's Crime "Purge," VP Harris on All The Smoke, Tulsa Race Massacre, Remembering Dikembe Mutombo

Episode Date: October 1, 2024

9.30.2024 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Trump's Crime "Purge," VP Harris on All The Smoke, Tulsa Race Massacre, Remembering Dikembe Mutombo The convicted felon's suggestion to tackle crime mirrors the horror movie franchise, "The Purge."  You'll hear what the orange man is proposing about a "really violent day." He's also planting the "cheating" seed for the upcoming election.  Vice President Kamala Harris sat down with the hosts of "All The Smoke" and shared personal stories, weighed in on critical social issues, and gave her perspective on family, identity, and activism.  She also gave a civics lesson for those who don't know how a bill becomes law.  The lead attorney for the last remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, Damario Solomon-Simmons, will be here to tell us about a significant breakthrough in Greenwood's 103-year fight for justice.  NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo is now an ancestor.  The 58-year-old died after a battle with brain cancer.  We will have a special tribute to the Democratic Republic of Congo native during our second hours. 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. folks black star network is here i'm real uh revolutionary right now black media he makes sure that our stories are told thank you for being the voice of black america i love y'all all momentum we have now we have to keep this going the video looks phenomenal see this difference between black star network and black owned media and something like CNN. You can't be black on media and be skate. It's time to be smart.

Bring your eyeballs home. You dig? We'll be right back. Thank you. Today is Monday, September 30th, 2024, coming up on Roland Martin Unfiltered, streaming live on the Black Star Network. The convicted felon's suggestion to tackle crime mirrors the horror movie franchise. The Purge but also mirrors what was done in Nazi Germany.

You will hear Donald Trump say, oh, let's just have a really violent day in America and allow the cops to do whatever they want. You also hear him talk about black folks cheating and it comes to voting. Yes, he made that racist comment. Again, Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at FEMA as the White House

shows it is doing all this can to help folks who have been impacted by Hurricane Colleen in North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina and Florida. Nearly 100 people have died as a result of the hurricane and the aftermath. Also, Vice President Kamala Harris sat down with the host of all the

smart smoke podcast and talked about personal stories but also weighed in on critical social issues will show you some of that conversation. Folks for the first time, the federal government is going to initiate a review of what took place. 1921 Tulsa race massacre.

That announcement was made today by the Department of Justice. We'll talk with the civil rights attorney who has been working with the remaining survivors of the Tulsa race massacre. Plus, we'll remember the Hall of Famer, Nekime Mutombo, who died today of brain cancer. We'll talk to a number of different people in the NBA. Tributes are pouring in all across the globe. We'll also hear from the Congolese ambassador to the United States sharing his thoughts on their native son. It's time to bring the funk.

I'm Roland Barthelon Filchert. On the Blackstone Network, let's go. He's got it. Whatever the piss, he's on it. Whatever it is, he's got the stupid, fat, the fine. Let's go. He's rollin' It's Uncle Roro, yo It's Rollin' Martin, yeah Rollin' with Rollin' now He's funky, he's fresh, he's real, the best, you know he's rolling. Martin.

Folks, devastation all across the country in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene that has impacted folks from Florida, the South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina and Western North Carolina. Massive flooding has taken place in places like Asheville, but roads have been washed out. Folks have been in need of food and water, and there has been caused lots of

search and rescue efforts underway. More than 100 people have died in the various states as a result of the hurricane. Vice President Kamala Harris was on a campaign swing on the West Coast. She cut that short to fly back to Washington, D.C. Today, she addressed the workers at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, also known as FEMA. I have received regular briefings on the impact of Hurricane Helene, including from Administrator Criswell. And over the past 24 hours, I have spoken with Governor Kemp of Georgia, Governor Cooper of North Carolina, and many local officials. I have shared with them that we will do everything in our power to help communities respond and

recover. And I've shared with them that I plan to be on the ground as soon as possible but as soon as possible without disrupting any emergency response operations because that must be the highest priority in the first order of business. The devastation from Hurricane Helene is immense. Millions of Americans are without power. Thousands of families have lost their homes. Entire neighborhoods have been destroyed. Major roads have been blocked or damaged, leaving entire towns inaccessible at this very moment.

Already, nearly 100 people have been confirmed dead, and hundreds more are missing. The destruction we have seen in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia is heartbreaking. In coordination with state and local officials, President Biden and I will continue to make sure that communities have the support and the resources that they need, not only to respond to this storm and its immediate aftermath, but also the resources they will need to recover.

So far, more than 3,300 federal personnel are on the ground to assist with recovery efforts. They are deploying food, water, and generators. And we continue to work with teams on the ground to restore water and power as quickly as possible. To everyone who has been impacted by this storm, and to all of those of you who are rightly feeling overwhelmed by the destruction and the loss. Our nation is with you. And President Biden and I and all of the folks behind me are with you. President Joe Biden now, he's going to travel to North Carolina on Wednesday to survey the damage. Now, let me go ahead and say this right now. There have been a number of right wing idiots who have been posting and tweeting,

talking about how how the government, how Biden Harris, they left people just in disarray. They left them stranded. That's an absolute lie. First of all, the states that actually explain how things work. First of all, a governor has actually, let me explain to y'all how things work. First of all, a governor has to ask for emergency assistance first. Then the president declares a federal emergency declaration. That's how it works. He can't just do it on his own.

There has to actually be a request for that declaration. That's first. But the second thing is, it's stupid for people to be asking, why isn't Harris and Biden in North Carolina and Georgia? Well, because idiots. When the president and the vice president comes in, literally, security is shifted to protecting them. That means that you no longer about search and rescue.

You no longer are about helping the people who are in need. So it's actually wise for the president or the vice president not to go into a place in the first 48 to 72 hours because they need to get the situation on the ground handle first. That's just a fact. And so all of these idiots who are out here complaining and, oh, my God, and I don't understand, you know, why are they not doing this? That is idiotic.

So please stop. And stop lying on social media. All of these right-wing nutcases, that's all they do is lie. They lie. Oh, we're not taking care of American citizens, we're taking care of Ukrainians. More lies, more lies, more lies, more lies. And so it just gets nauseating to listen to these whiners when that's all they ever do is just whine and complain, whine and complain, whine and complain.

So they really do get on my nerves, frankly, by the concept. So just understand there's a reason why the president and the vice president doesn't go in the way a lot of people would like for them to do. Because again, it's a safety issue and you want the focus to be on search and rescue first. That's what you want. And that's the way it should be. But unfortunately, you got too many other people who are too dumb to understand that. OK, now there are a lot of ways you can actually support. And I've gotten some I've had some people hit me and they say, hey, how do we know what's legitimate? How do we know what's real? And so I reached out to folks there in North Carolina. And so you can help with the North is called the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund. OK, you can donate online. This is from Governor Roy Cooper's office. Come on. Let's go. You can

donate at NC.gov forward slash donate. This is the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund. Again, you can donate online at NC.gov forward slash donate D-O-N-A-T-V. All right, folks, I want to go to my panel on this one because, again, I just get tired of listening to these people who all they do is just whine, complain, whine, complain, whine, complain. But the whole goal is, of course, they're trying to take shots at President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Dr. Julian Malveaux, Economist President Merida Bennett College, also an author out of D.C., Dr. Ama Kongo, Dabinga Senior, Professorial Lecturer at the School of International Service, American University, Candace Kelly, Legal Analyst and host, Not All Hood, South Orange, New Jersey. Glad to have all three of you here.

Julian, it's very simple. Again, when you have natural disasters, look, I'm born and raised in Houston. I've lived through multiple hurricanes. And when you're in the aftermath, those first 48, 72 hours, the last thing you need is a damn president coming in. I mean, taking up resources, taking away law enforcement, closing off

roads, shutting down airspace, all of that. The focus is how do you stabilize the community to get food supplies in, have the airspace, all of that. The focus is how do you stabilize the community to get food supplies in, have the National Guard, law enforcement do their job, and then after four or five days, then elected officials, like the president, can come in and survey the damage. But it's just dumb for these people,

you know, all the whining and complaining that they're actually doing. Vice President Biden, Vice President Harris, does not need to be in any of these states. You know, Trump runs his punk ass down to Georgia, or I'm bringing supplies and gas and everything. Dude, whatever the hell, the hardest hit areas, that's the last thing they need is to see a president. Ruben, you're absolutely right.

This is hilarious that these folks are just talking about them neglecting. There's parts of North Carolina they couldn't get to if they wanted to, because like Asheville, North Carolina, which weird to me that in the mountains, nowhere near sea, but they're now totally cut off. How would they get there if they wanted to? In other places, the orange man said he went to Georgia and brought supplies. Guess what? Any supplies he brought, he used up 10 times as many. The fact is that the roads are compromised in many places. Housing is devastated.

You lost whole towns. You said that they're dumb. I will have other words, but we can't use them on television. But the inanity, the absolute inanity of suggesting that the president or vice president or both should be down there, it's very short-sighted. But you know, the people that you—you've got these trolls. praise the Lord, I don't have them. But you have these trolls and they keep saying stupid stuff. And as you said, their bottom line is they want to attack Biden, Harris, and especially now that she is, of course, the nominee. They want to attack attack Vice President Harris and whatever.

Here's the fact, as she said at FEMA, every time there is a disaster, the federal government is there. FEMA is there. I know people who work at FEMA, some of them have been dispatched to here or there. They're away from their families. They're working very hard. They're trying to get resources there. The Republican approach—and let's just call it that, the Republican approach is to criticize wine and to do nothing positive.

And so, I mean, you've got to absolutely right. But it's beyond dumb. It is. Look, here's the Omicongo again. There was a great scene. It was from the West Wing. It was a great scene from the West Wing. And I really love that scene where President Bartlett, he goes his place and he really was just, you know, just torn apart by it. And they literally were like, dude,'re trying to get the town back in order. You are sucking up resources because the goal is to keep you safe. It's actually better for you to get your butt back to D.C. so the people down there can do their work. It's the same thing. Again, so Biden going

down, hurricane hits late last week, okay? Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, rough days there. He's going to do a flyover North Carolina on Wednesday. That's the way it's supposed to be. You don't go down there in the first 48, 72 hours. Yeah, absolutely. And this is not only silly season as it relates to the Republicans. It's just another opportunity for them to flat out lie. You know, Trump mentioned that, oh, well, Vice President Harris didn't meet. Well, he doesn't call the vice president Harris, but, you know didn't talk to Kemp and Biden didn't talk to Kemp. Governor of Georgia, that was a lie, saying that they don't have, they're not doing anything.

That was a lie from the beginning. They've been talking about everything they're going to do. You haven't heard anything from Ron DeSantis complaining about anything that's going on down there, right? And none of these other governors have as well. And all of these governors, Cooper, like all of these different governors that said, you know, a few days ago is not the time. Biden's coming Wednesday. But if people are going to continue to only look at Trump and his ecosphere and look at them as the people who are going to be the carriers of the message of what's supposed to be happening, I mean, remember Trump in Puerto Rico and throwing paper towels and all that other type of stuff?

I mean, if he was there right now, what would he be doing as president? Yeah, he went to this furniture store, but if he was president, he would bring that entire infrastructure and make it all about himself. Even today, he said it wasn't going to be about politics, but made it about politics as well. So, what we see with Harris and Biden is that they're demonstrating dignity, they're demonstrating that they care for humanity, and they're demonstrating that they care for making sure that everybody's able to either be safe, get safe, and make sure they don't interfere in any search efforts of people

who could still be alive right now. And so for people who want to politicize this, of all things right now, they are showing that they have no humanity whatsoever. We should all be like you were doing in the beginning of this segment, Roland, designating places for resources, dedicating, you know, giving up places where we have donations, people can get help, clothing and food and all those other types of things. But this is showing, let's also remember, Roland,

that just last week people were talking about Trump, what did he want to do? Shut the government down. The same government that was responsible for giving the services that are needed for all these communities right now, which is also a goal of Project 2025. So imagine with Trump and Project 2025 in power, what would be happening right now would be like night and day for all of the people suffering right now. See, it's always interesting, Candace, when you see how people respond to certain things. And then I love these people who are saying, well, you know, I remember they were blaming Bush. Yeah, they were blaming Bush for Hurricane Katrina because the FEMA executive he sat down was completely inept, was totally inept. And it was an inept response.

And then this whole deal, oh Biden, there was a clip, I need to find the clip. One of the reporters, Mr. President, why didn't you come back to DC? He's like, I was on the phone with him yesterday, I was on the phone with him today, he said, the thing is called the phone. You can communicate.

I mean, it was just one of those dumb questions. And so it's always stupid to me when media asks those questions. Why didn't you come back? First of all, wherever the president and the vice president is, that's where the whole world is. Like, there's a thing called communication. There's secure line communication, video and audio. So this idea that you can only deal with crises from the White House is just

stupid to me. Yeah, I think one of the bigger pictures to look at here, too, is that you see the vice president stepping up in a very presidential disposition. This is really something that we know the president would be doing. But it's great to have her out there. For someone who people are complaining about, we don't know her plan, we don't know her details, they're saying, don't worry about that. We're just going to put her in that presidential role. And I think that is what is making people feel very uncomfortable in terms of those who don't want to see her get into the seat of the president. And that's the major problem here.

They're politicizing this because they aren't winning in that political football, right, the football game. That ball is really fumbling. Here she is, acting presidential, being presidential. For all practical purposes, she is the president right now in terms of the roles that she can carry out, how she can communicate with rescue missions, the power that she has. Trump can talk about it, and he can go down there on his own if he wants to, but he can't do what she can do. Not only is she trying out for a role, but she is actually acting in the role. He does not have that advantage, and that is what people are having a problem with.

And that is why I think it's being politicized. So here was the comment that Biden made when the reporter asked him that stupid question. Y'all got it ready? Pull it up. They were at the White House and Biden had finished speaking. And then he shot back with this. I thought it was pretty funny. Go ahead. I'm committed to traveling to the impacted areas as soon as possible. But I've been told that it would be disruptive if I did it right now. We will not do that at the risk of diverting or delaying any, any of the response assets needed to deal with this crisis. On the hurricane, Mr. President, why weren't you and Vice President Harris

here in Washington commanding this this weekend? I was commanding. I was on the phone for at least two hours yesterday and the day before as well. I commanded to call the telephone and all my security people. Just call the telephone. I mean, to me it ain't that hard. Ain't that hard. It ain't that hard. So, again, folks, again, a lot of work being done.

The federal government is sending in resources. The states are mobilized as well, trying to help people out. It is catastrophic. But all these MAGA people who are whining and complaining, which I should be asking, what about all those Republicans who voted to shut the government down just a couple days before? Oh, they're now asking for federal assistance. Well, ain't it amazing how y'all are real quick to criticize the federal government? Oh, but then you got your hands out when there's a disaster.

Mm-hmm. Always happens that way. All right, going to a break. We come back. Got to play for you some of the most stupidest stuff Donald Trump said over the weekend. You wonder why he should be disqualified from running for office? Come back. Got to play for you some of the most stupidest stuff Donald Trump said over the weekend. You wonder why he should be disqualified from running for office? We'll play it next.

You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. ...to tell us who he was. Should abortion be punished? There has to be some form of punishment. Then he showed us. For 54 years, they were trying to get Roe v. Wade terminated, and I did it. And I'm proud to have done it.

Now Donald Trump wants to go further with plans to restrict birth control, ban abortion nationwide, even monitor women's pregnancies. We know who Donald Trump is. He'll take control. We'll pay the price. I'm Kamala Harris and I approve this message. Bob and I both voted for Donald Trump. I voted Kamala Harris and I approve this message. the American people. I think she's got the wherewithal to make a difference. I've never voted for a Democrat. Yes, we're both lifelong Republicans. The choice is very simple. I'm voting for Kamala. I am voting for Kamala Harris. In 2016, Donald Trump said he would choose only

the best people to work in his White House. Now those people have a warning for America. Trump is not fit to be president again. Here's his vice president. Anyone who puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States. It should come as no surprise that I will not be endorsing Donald Trump this year. His defense secretary. Do you think Trump can be trusted with the nation's secrets ever again? No. I mean, it's just irresponsible action that places our service members at risk, places our nation's security at risk.

His national security advisor. Donald Trump will cause a lot of damage. The only thing he cares about is Donald Trump. And the nation's highest ranking military officer. We don't take an oath to a king or a queen or a tyrant or a dictator. And we don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator. Take it from the people who knew him best. Donald Trump is a danger to our troops and our democracy. We can't let him lead our country again.

I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message. IVF is a miracle for us because it allowed us to have our family. After having my daughter, I wanted more children. But my embryo transfer was canceled eight days before the procedure. Donald Trump overturning Roe v. Wade stopped us from growing the family that we wanted. I don't want politicians telling me

how or when I can have a baby. We need a president that will protect our rights, and that's Kamala Harris. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message. Here's a 78-year-old billionaire And that's Kamala Harris. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message. Here's a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems. Oh, she had a big crowd. Oh, the crowd. This weird obsession with crowd sizes.

It just goes on and on and on. America's ready for a new chapter. We are ready for a President Kamala Harris. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message. The overturning of Roe almost killed me. I had a blood clot in my uterus that caused my labor to have to be induced because of the overturn of Roe v. Wade. I wasn't able to get life-saving treatment sooner. I almost died. And that's because of the decision that Donald Trump made. I was able to get Roe v. Wade terminated, and I'm proud to have done it. The doctors and nurses were afraid that if they treated me in the incorrect way,

that they would be prosecuted for that. And that's appalling. Donald Trump says that women should be punished. Do you believe in punishment for abortion? There has to be some form of punishment. For the woman? Yeah. I believe that women should have reproductive freedom to make the choices about their own bodies.

Four more years of Donald Trump means that women's rights will continue to be taken away one by one by one by one. This has to stop because women are dying. I'm Kamala Harris and I approve this message. Kamala Harris has never backed down from a challenge. She put cartel members and drug traffickers behind bars and she will secure our border.

Here's her plan. Hire thousands more border agents, enforce the law and step up technology, and stop fentanyl smuggling and human trafficking. We need a leader with a real plan to fix the border and that's Kamala Harris. I'm Kamala Harris and I approve this message. Winners never back down from a challenge. Champions know it's any time, any place. But losers, they whine and waffle and take their ball home. Trump now refusing to debate a second time. He did terribly in the last debate.

He's so easily triggered by Kamala Harris. Well, Donald, I do hope you'll reconsider to meet me on the debate stage. If you've got something to say, say it to my face. I'm Kamala Harris and I approve this message. Hey yo, what's up? It's Mr. Dalvin right here. What's up?

This is KC. Sitting here representing the J-O-D-E-C-I, that's Jodeci. Right here on Roland Martin Unfiltered. Tell you Donald Trump is a thug in chief. Well, he proved that again when he was at a rally on Sunday. And this fool said this. Do it because the liberal left won't let him do it. The liberal left wants to destroy him and they want to destroy our country. You know, if you had one day, like one real rough, nasty day with the drug stores, as an example,

but they have to be taught. Now, if you had one really violent day, like a guy like Mike Kelly, put him in charge. Congressman Kelly put him in charge for one day. Mike, would you say he's right here? The whole it's a chain of events. It's so bad. One rough hour. And I mean, real rough. The word will get out and it will end immediately and immediately. You know, it'll end. I'm here only because they cheat and they cheat in this state, especially in Philadelphia. And I mentioned a couple of the areas, but for the most part, but Philadelphia is out of control. Detroit is out of control. Atlanta is out of control. Places are out of control, out of control, Because if there was no cheating, if God

came down from a high and said, I am going to be your vote tabulator for this election, I would leave this podium right now because I wouldn't have to speak. We wouldn't have any problem. We have to have a landslide

because they cheat so damn much. We have to have a landslide. No, you damn much. We have to have a landslide. No, you got your ass handed to you. That's what happened. But y'all notice there, he names three black cities. Oh, they cheat so much in Philadelphia. Oh, my God, they cheat in Detroit. Oh, they cheat in Atlanta.

He don't say they cheat in Iowa. You on him? Oh, they don't cheat in Wisconsin except Milwaukee. That's what he said in the last election. We know exactly what he's doing here. But the thing that jumps out, that whole, let me tell you something, Candace, that whole thing right there about, oh, they take one day. So let me tell everybody watching something. I mean, I don't care. So I got invited to three different meetings at the White House when Donald Trump

was there. I was able to make two of them. So I remember when the conversation came up, I mean, he was, I remember for an hour they were going back and forth on immigration, and I was tired of that. So then we shifted to Chicago. And so, remember, I was asking this question. He goes, oh, yeah, you know, I got a hotel in Chicago. I'm like, yeah, I know, I know, I know. So he was complaining that then Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel was, he was like, yeah, I know, I know, I know. So he was complaining that the Chicago mayor, Rahm Emanuel, was, he was like, well, you know,

Rahm, he came to my office and he was talking about, you know, we gotta deal with education, we gotta deal with economics, do a crime. He was like, no, Rahm, that's wrong. No, actually, he's right. So then he goes, yeah, so, you know, and I was going to the airport and there was this guy, he was a cop, you know, you could tell.

He's a really guy, he means it, he means it, you know, and he's serious. So, came up to him, he came up to me and he said, you know, we can have this, we can have this crime in Chicago done in a week, done in a week, and that's just for the extra four or five days. We just gotta see them just knock some heads. So Trump's like, yeah, you could tell, you know, everybody was respecting this guy.

So, you know, we got his name and, you know, we recommended to Ron, but they didn't interview him to be the police chief in Chicago. So I'm sitting and listening to this bullshit. And so you know exactly what he's saying. saying, he ran into some cigar-chewing white cop whose thought process is, let's just beat the hell out of everybody, abuse them, violate their civil rights, and that'll clean up Chicago. Ask Chicagoans how much did it cost when John Burge did that. How much in settlements were paid in Chicago? How much money in Chicago paid out in other police abuse

settlements? See, that's Donald Trump's whole thing. Beat the hell out of people, that'll fix it. Remember, this is the same fool who said, this is according to his own Secretary of Defense, can't y'all just call the federal troops and just shoot these Black Lives Matter protesters? I mean, just shoot them in the leg. That's really what he's saying here.

So if anybody is confused, Candace, about what he wants to do, Donald Trump wants to unleash cops against Americans, black people. That's his strategy. And he couldn't be any more clear. I mean, he is planting the seed as to what he wants to see happen again. Another insurrection, another questioning of the election. This is a part of his strategy. He's on point for what he is going to, for what J.D. Vance is going to be talking about tomorrow in the debate. That's exactly the rhetoric that we're

going to hear. And for someone who's going to borrow an idea from The Purge, right, we all know that that's the movie. Let's just get rid of everybody within a certain period of time, all the criminals. For someone who's going to be borrowing from the script of a movie, we know that's nonsensical. You know, there was a purge the election year. I wasn't aware of that until I started looking this up. And in it, the protagonist actually wins and makes it one of his key points to get rid of the purge.

So if he really wants to do history right, that's the way that I think most Americans would like to see it go. It is ridiculous. It is just stroking the fears of everyone that is out there. But that is a part of his plan because we know what's happening after the election. If he loses, it's going to be a battle.

Well, absolutely. And so we, it's going to be a battle. Well, absolutely. And so we see what's going on here. And all these idiots out here, I'm a Congo who wants to act like it's the case. Donald Trump pulls out his racist trope again by trying to blame black people in three cities as to why he's losing. Donald, it's real simple. We don't like your punk ass. Never have and never will. Right.

And look, one of the things that's really something I kind of rejoice over is the fact that we have been calling this out since before his campaign. I mean, for this exonerated five, whether it's housing policies, our community has always called him out as a racist and for his racism. And maybe if the rest of the media folks caught along, maybe if the rest of these other politicians, Republican and Democrat, caught along, maybe we wouldn't be here where we are today. But now this man is here on full blast. If you go back to 2015, right, you know, in that election, 2016, you know, campaign and everything, towards the end of his campaign, he was a little bit reserved because the James Comey letter was

out there and it was trashing Hillary's campaign, right, and it was taking her down. So he didn't really have to be out there out in front. But now, right now, he has nothing. He has nothing on VP Harris. He's still trying to figure out a name from Comrade Kamala to Kamala to Kamala. All of these things, he hasn't been able to figure out a name. He's scared to debate because he realized he got exposed

there. So all he has is who he is, which is his racism. He has gone, maybe he was going to his lowest denominator. This is who he's always been. And this is his last chance. Is he going to throw out everything to see what sticks? And people have, we all predicted chance. He's going to throw everything to see what sticks. And people that we all predicted this, it was going to get worse. And we're not even there yet. There's still

more to come. And there's more to come from his acolytes. There's more to come from his supporters. I'm afraid that some of this stuff might even turn violent the way he's, because first he's targeting the black cities like Milwaukee and Atlanta, but now he's targeting the black folks in white cities like Springfield. And so he's getting people coming and going. And so we have to continue to call it out. And then the whole thing about her being mentally challenged, you know, all of that other type of stuff. I keep thinking, like, these Republicans, do y'all have families with people who have, you know, any type of mental challenges? Do y'all have families where, you know, women don't have children? Do y'all have

families where, you know, go down the list of everybody he's insulted. And they just keep laughing and laughing and laughing. Why? Because he gives them a pass with his racism because many of them want that permission structure to be able to say these racist things and do these racist things as well. And so we need to continue to stay buckled up because there's more to come

because this is all he has and it's who he is. Dr. Maya Angelou said, believe him the first time people show you who they are, he's been showed us, and now we just have to act accordingly and make sure he doesn't get the office in 2025. And look, Julian, again, and let me say this here to any one of these immigrant brothers and sisters who are talking about make America great again. He don't give a damn about y'all. Donald Trump don't give a damn about y'all either.

He don't care. He also made this comment, I'm trying to pull it up here. He made this comment about folks coming from the Congo. I mean, talk about a sick and demented racist. And he lied about it. I mean, it was a straight lie what he actually had to say. And that's all he's doing in these rallies is just lying. He's just lying and making stuff up.

And these fools, they fall for it. They think, oh yeah, he telling truth They have to chair Donald Trump is appealing to white Racists listen to this listen to this right here you don't if you don't believe me watch this Well last week a lot of people came in from the congo a big prison in the congo in africa last week a lot of people came in from the congo a big prison in the congo in africa uh what the hell are you talking about and again that's his whole deal oh he called him

countries last time now it's oh a bunch of people from the prison in the Congo, they're coming in. Lying! You know, Rollins, this man, he keeps talking about Vice President Harris' mental capacity, but he has showed us time and time again that he is

truly deranged, that he is disconnected from reality, that he just makes stuff up. So anybody who believes him needs to have their head examined, too. I mean, the man is truly deranged. And some of the things that he says, it's not only that they're racist. Of course they're racist things, but they're also unhinged things. How did he think the people from the Congo got here?

The people of the Congo let the people out of prison, took them to the airport. INS let them in, or TSA, whatever, let them in. That is also incongruous. If you think it through, you've got to say, this man is crazy. He's totally lying. But those folks who believe him, believe him because really inherently they believe in the undocumented foundations of his BS. That's what's going on there. So, so would you, if you just unpack it, what you have to say is this man has no love for people, but he has especially ire for black people. And then when you look at this, just one day, this one day just goes hard. Really? Really? I mean, when I listen to him, I frankly have a very visceral, often a physical reaction, because I'm thinking about my Haitian brothers and sisters in Springfield

and what they've had to go through. I'm thinking about immigrant Black folks from the African continent, from Caribbean, and what they've had to go through. And I think about us, because how does someone look at someone and tell whether they're from Haitian descent, Caribbean descent, or whether they're just a Black person born in these United States? And he's basically incenting or, you know, incenting people just like he did on January 6th, incenting them to violence. It's absurd. And frankly, he ought to be arrested or something. Somebody needs to

do something about that man and his filthy mouth and his projections. Yeah, the thing to do is to beat his ass. That's the thing to do. So I'm trying to tell you, the thing to do is to beat him. It's simple as that. People need to understand you get rid of this ignorant fool by beating him.

That's what you do. And so to destroy him, to destroy his ego, hand him a second L. It's 36 days left, folks, before election day. And I'm telling you right now, okay, this man gets in. He's clearly pushing all of these white buttons, these white racist buttons. Project 2025 is filled with a whole bunch of this racist crap. And, in fact, the folks at the Lincoln Project put together this video to say, if you want to know what the world's going to look like

if this racist gets back in, this is what the world's going to look like. Donald Trump defeats a divided and dispirited Democratic campaign. On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. Unfortunately, he keeps his promises. Trump seizes control of a divided government, signing hundreds of executive orders implementing Project 2025.

Trump replaces over 50,000 civil servants with hardline MAGA loyalists. The federal oath of office now requires declaring loyalty to the president, not the Constitution. Protected by the Supreme Court's grant of total immunity for official acts, Donald Trump orders the Department of Justice to arrest members of the January 6th Commission, current and former DOJ employees, and political opponents for treason, election interference, and conspiracy. He declares it to be an official act. Trump ends birthright citizenship by executive order and turns millions of American-born citizens into illegal aliens overnight.

Mass deportations begin. Hundreds of thousands, including legal U.S. residents and American citizens, are imprisoned in newly built camps. Protests erupt. Trump addresses the nation from the Oval Office, invoking the Insurrection Act and declaring the protesters a danger to American sovereignty. He orders the National Guard to use deadly force to suppress the protests. In the wake of the bloody violence, Trump declares nationwide martial law, awarding himself new powers under the freshly signed American Sovereignty Protection Order, which defines protests of immigration policies as

non-protected speech and a threat to national security. Governors in New York, California, Illinois, and elsewhere declare their opposition, promising to refuse compliance in their states. Trump orders their arrests. Trump pardons every January 6th attacker, including those who assaulted the police, and in a White House ceremony issues a new presidential medal honoring them. Many are given jobs in his administration. The Department of Education has renamed the Department of American Values and mandates a nationwide Christian nationalist curriculum for all schools receiving federal aid. Trump, joined by Speaker Mike Johnson and evangelical leaders, announces that the Department of Health and Human Services has reclassified Mifepristone,

making it illegal to distribute or prescribe, as well as new HHS regulations that make IVF treatments impossible to legally administer. Trump reverses one campaign promise by declaring a national abortion ban by executive order. Challenges to his authority are rejected by the Supreme Court, which has seen new appointments from Trump after it was expanded to 12 justices. He signs an executive order removing abortion records from HIPAA privacy regulations and announces a new federal data sharing program

so states can monitor women's periods. Thousands are detained while crossing state lines under suspicion of seeking an abortion. Trump's acting secretary of defense, a disgraced ex-general, fires over 400 generals and admirals, leaving the military leaderless. Other Trump appointees purge the ranks of the CIA, FBI, and Department of Justice. By executive order, Trump withdraws the United States from NATO and ends Pentagon cooperation with Ukraine. Russian tanks enter Kiev. Vladimir Zelensky is killed. It is announced that Trump will run for a third term, claiming he was unfairly cheated in the 2020 election. His Supreme Court ultimately agrees with this interpretation, paving the way for Trump's

2028 re-election. If you hear all this and believe it is impossible, then ask yourself, what did you believe was impossible just eight years ago? This isn't a fantasy. It's Trump's plan. And he's counting on you to believe it couldn't happen. So if anybody's confused, Candace, they better understand if all that's going to happen. Oh, yeah. And you better just get out Project 25 because it's all outlined in there. Every single thing that he said is outlined in Project 25. And what some people need to also remember is that they are planning for a transition plan. And that plan, a lot of it is not even going to be on paper, right?

We have FOIA. We have Freedom of the Information Act. And that allows us to get access to these types of documents, to emails. Their plan is to make sure that what they're discussing in terms of that transition of power, the next step, the exact steps that are going to happen, they're articulating it orally. They're talking to each other. All these conferences that you see Republicans going to, all these conferences that you see to read. I mean,

some of it is unbelievable. There is a part in this plan that says that they will kill all wild horses in order to free up some of the land. They cover everything, everything. People have got to pay attention and know exactly what they're doing. And do not think that he is not associated with this. As we know, you just look at the bylines, all of the people who are involved in it. He has spent time with people at the Heritage Foundation. He knows exactly what it is. But the more he says things, the more people believe him. But then the more that we continue to have shows like this, the more people should understand what the truth really is. It is all spelled out. Indeed, indeed. All right, folks,

hold tight. One second, we come back. Federal government makes an announcement regarding the Tulsa race massacre, 1921. We'll tell you all about it. We'll also, folks, pay tribute to Dikembe Mutombo, NBA Hall of Famer. Also, of course, the worldwide ambassador

dead at the age of 58 due to brain cancer. All of that right here on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. Don't forget, support the work that we do. Please join our Bring the Funk fan club. Of course, our goal is to get 20,000 of our fans contributing on average 50 bucks each a year. That's $4.19 a month, $0.13 a day. Again, $4.19 a month, $0.13 a day. You can send your check and money order

PO Box 57196, Washington, D.C., 20037-0196. PayPal is rmartinunfiltered. Venmo is rmunfiltered. Zale, roland at rolandsmartin.com, roland at rolandmartinunfiltered dot com. And we're still sorting out all the issues with cash app. So that's on the whole for right now. We'll be back. He told us who he was. Should abortion be punished? There has to be some form of punishment. Then he showed us.

For 54 years, they were trying to get Roe v. Wade terminated. And I did it. And I'm proud to have done it. Now Donald Trump wants to go further with plans to restrict birth control, ban abortion nationwide, even monitor women's pregnancies. We know who Donald Trump is. He'll take control. We'll pay the price. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message. Bob and I both voted for Donald Trump. I voted for him twice. I won't vote for him again.

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

The choice is very simple. I'm voting for Kamala. I am voting for for a Democrat. Yes, we're both lifelong Republicans. The choice is very simple. I'm voting for Kamala. I am voting for Kamala Harris. In 2016, Donald Trump said he would choose only the best people to work in his White House. Now those people have a warning for America. Trump is not fit to be president again. Here's his vice president. Anyone who puts himself over the Constitution

should never be president of the United States. It should come as no surprise that I will not be endorsing Donald Trump this year. His defense secretary. Do you think Trump can be trusted with the nation's secrets ever again? No. I mean, it's just irresponsible action that places our service members at risk,

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

IVF is a miracle for us because it allowed us to have our family. After having my daughter, I wanted more children. But my embryo transfer was canceled eight days before the procedure. Donald Trump overturning Roe v. Wade stopped us from growing the family that we wanted. I don't want politicians telling me how or when I can have a baby. We need a president that will protect our rights, and that's Kamala Harris. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message. Here's a 78-year-old billionaire who has not stopped whining about his problems. Oh she had a big crowd, oh the crowd.

This weird obsession with crowd sizes. It just goes on and on and on. America's ready for a new chapter we are ready for a president kamala harris i'm kamala harris and i approve this message the overturning of roe almost killed me i had a blood clot in my uterus that caused my labor to have to be induced because of the overturn of Roe v. Wade. I wasn't able to get life-saving treatment sooner. I almost died. And that's because of the decision that Donald Trump made. I was able to get Roe v. Wade terminated, and I'm proud to have done it.

The doctors and nurses were afraid that if they treated me in the incorrect way, that they would be prosecuted for that. And that's appalling. Donald Trump says that women should be punished. Do you believe in punishment for abortion? There has to be some form of punishment. For the woman? Yeah. I believe that women should have reproductive freedom to make the choices about their own bodies. Four more years of Donald Trump means that women's rights will continue to be taken away one by one by one by one. This has to stop because women are dying.

I'm Kamala Harris and I approve this message. Kamala Harris has never backed down from a challenge. She put cartel members and drug traffickers behind bars. And she will secure our border. Here's her plan. Hire thousands more border agents. Enforce the law and step up technology. And stop fentanyl smuggling and human trafficking.

We need a leader with a real plan to fix the border. And that's Kamala Harris. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message. Winners never back down from a challenge. Champions know it's any time, any place. But losers, they whine and waffle and take their ball home. Trump now refusing to debate

a second time. He did terribly in the last debate. He's so easily triggered by Kamala Harris. Well, Donald, I do hope you'll reconsider to meet me on the debate stage. If you've got something to say, say it to my face. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message. Hello, I'm Marissa Mitchell, a news anchor at Fox 5 DC.

Hey, what's up? It's Tammy Roman, and you are watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. Folks, today in Washington, D.C., the Department of Justice had their cold case hearing, and it's an annual event that they actually hold. And there was a major announcement by Kristen Clark, who leads the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice pertaining to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. This is what she announced today. I want to tell you about a review and evaluation that the Civil Rights Division's cold case unit is undertaking of the Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the deadliest episodes of mass racial violence in this nation's history. On May 31 and June 1 of 1921,

a white mob attacked a then-thriving Black community, the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma, sometimes referred to as the Black Wall Street. When our review and evaluation concludes, we will issue a public report detailing our findings and conclusions pursuant to the Emmett Till Cold Case Act. The immediate catalyst for the riot was, as with Emmett Till's murder, the claim that a Black youth had inappropriately engaged with a white woman. The young man, Dick Rowland, was arrested. White men went to the jail to demand that he be released to face mob justice. Members of the Black community assembled at the courthouse to try to prevent a lynching. An altercation broke out. In response, a white mob invaded Greenwood. The mob burned more than 35 square blocks of the Black community, all along to appropriate the wealth of the black

community and that the allegations against Mr. Rowland were merely an excuse. While this race massacre happened 103 years ago in 1921, we acknowledge that there are two survivors, Viola Fletcher, known as Mother Fletcher, and Lessie Benningfield Randall, known as Mother Randall, and one victim who passed away late last year, Hugh Van Ellis, known as Uncle Red. We acknowledge the descendants of the survivors and the victims. We acknowledge that they continue to bear the trauma of this act of racial terrorism. We have no expectation that there are living perpetrators who could be criminally prosecuted by us or by the state. Although a commission, historians, lawyers, and others have conducted prior examinations of the Tulsa Massacre,

we, the Department of Justice, never have. We honor the legacy of the Tulsa Race Massacre survivors, Emmett Till, the act that bears his name, this country, and the truth by conducting our own review and evaluation of the massacre. We thus are examining available documents, witness accounts, scholarly and historical research, and other information on the massacre. When we have finished our federal review, we will issue a report analyzing the massacre in light of both modern and then existing civil rights law. We hope to have our overall review finalized by the end of the year. As civil rights lawyer Brian Stevenson has observed, somebody has to stand when other people are sitting. Somebody has to speak when everyone else is quiet.

To its credit, Tulsa has itself launched a new review of the massacre and proposed remedial steps. We will not interfere with this effort, but rather hope to include in our review any information Tulsa gathers or steps it takes. If anyone has materials that are not available in a curated collection, please send that information to our cold case email inbox using the subject line Tulsa Race Massacre. All right, folks. DeMario Solomon-Simmons with Justice for Greenwood joins us right now. DeMario, glad to have you here. This is not a criminal investigation.

They don't even call this an investigation. But why do you welcome this DOJ review? Oh, man, good to see you rolling, as always. Man, we're ecstatic here because for 103 years we've been fighting for federal recognition of what happened with the massacre. As Kristen Clark stated, and we want to just be thankful for Kristen Clark pushing this through, the federal government hasn't done anything about this issue. So while we disagree that there can be federal criminal prosecution, we are very, very happy that the federal government will open a review.

I talked to the DOJ this morning. They said they're going to work very closely with Justice for Greenwood and our legal team to allow us to provide them additional documents that we have uncovered and additional witnesses. So this is an amazing day. It's a big victory. We are very happy here. As you know, Roland, I was in Atlanta, Georgia this morning when I got the news. Had to fly home to be with the survivors, and now I'm here with you. So it's a great day. The fact that this has never been fully looked into, fully reviewed, is just absolutely insane.

And it goes to show you just the flat-out racism involved here. And by having this DOJ review, frankly, it is going to establish on the federal level the record for what happened. You still have bodies being exhumed right now, and it is going to cause folk to have to reckon with this history. Hey, absolutely. And, you know, we believe in any type of review, particularly the federal review, that there's so many things that can be uncovered. Listen, Roland, we only know about 10 percent of what happened during the massacre. We hardly know anything about the actual white individual perpetrators of the massacre. We can learn

more about the insurance companies and how they did not pay the tens of millions of dollars in insurance claims that were made by the black residents of Greenwood who suffered the massacre. There's so much that can come out of an actual inquiry by the Department of Justice. This is something that is a victory, not just for my two survivors who are 110 and 109, but not just for the Greenwood community or even descendants, but the entire black community and those who believe in racial justice. How can you have the largest crime scene in the history of the United States and a federal government not even look into it? This is a great victory that's going to push us forward in our fight for justice, racial justice, and reparations.

In terms of how does this help you? You still are trying to get your day in court. You're still trying to move it forward. And so how does this federal review help you? Listen, there is information that we know that the perpetrators have that we have no access to, have no way to get access to it. But the Department of Justice can get access to it. Like I said, there are perpetrators of the massacre,

businesses and individuals that we don't know about that may have some type of claims or liability that we can exploit once we get that information. And listen, anytime you have the federal government snooping around, they're going to find things that you never know what may be hidden away somewhere. Here's the deal roller. Justice for Greenwood requires so much more than just even compensation, which we're still fighting for that for our clients. But the truth unvarnished, hidden away is important. And we think we can get that with having Kristen Clark and a DOJ helping us lead this particular inquiry. Like you said, they call it a review and evaluation. But what I think is key, Roland,

is that they said they're going to do their own report and they hope to have that report done by the end of the year. That will continue to move our momentum forward as we continue to try to get justice for Greenwood, particularly for our two living survivors, 110-year-old Viola Ford Fletcher, Mother Fletcher, and 109-year-old Mother Leslie Benefield Randall, who will be 109 and on November 10th. Questions for our panel. Candace, you first. Well, obviously you've been doing a lot of work already, and I'm wondering how you'll be working potentially with the Department of Justice because forensic work that you and other organizations have been doing, digging up bodies, finding out if there's been trauma to bodies, a lot has been done. What are you funneling to the DOJ or how are you working with them?

Well, thank you for the question. It's been a long, long struggle to get here. I mean, just over the last three and a half years, we've had close to 10 meetings with the DOJ or members of the DOJ staff. We've been back and forth to D.C. We've provided, I mean, literally thousands of pages of documents at this point to the DOJ staff. We've been back and forth to D.C. We've provided, I mean, literally thousands of pages of documents at this point to the DOJ, and we plan to continue to do that. So what I was told this morning to specifically answer your question is that within the week, we will set a date for my team to get together with the DOJ's Criminal Investigative Division at the Civil Rights

Division, and we will start that process of giving them more information, giving them access to some of the witnesses that we have. You know, as Roland stated, they're actually digging up bodies right now, and they've actually identified one victim, C.L. Daniel, who was a young man, a World War I veteran, who was on his way back to Georgia from Utah and stopped in Tulsa and was killed. Well, that individual has now been identified. That is important for the DOJ to understand that there are other individuals in mass graves around the city of Tulsa that need to be identified. And we hope that they can help us help these families find out who their loved ones are in these mass graves.

I'm a Congo. First of all, thank you for your tireless work and your energy around this right now. It's just beaming through the screen. I just want to know. Hey man, I'm hype man. You know,

with civil rights work, it's a lot of opposition obstacles and, and, and losses. So you check your victories, man, you got to celebrate them. Yes,

sir. I was wondering, have you, can you give us a response from Fletcher and Randall in terms of how they're feeling about this news? Listen, they are excited to continue to be able to move their case forward and make sure that people don't forget that they're still here and they're still fighting. It's such an honor. It's an absolute honor for me to be their attorneys and just be in their presence. I promise you, it's like being in the presence of God. These

individuals, these women were born in 1914. They were born in a time that they could not vote, not just because they were black, but because they were women. And now for them to have the word with all, to continue to put their name, face, and likeness on a justice campaign that is not just for them, it's not just for their families,

it is for our entire black community. And that's why I'm so honored to work for them. Julianne? How you doing? It's good to see you. And I love that smile. You are absolutely beaming. And you know, this is long overdue.

The federal recognition. I hope that what also comes out is a federal role that happened in this. The federal role. You will remember we talked before about Dr. Olivia Hooker, who was one of the survivors. She passed in 2019, and she was a dear friend. I got to know her, just a dear friend. But she used to always talk about how she looked out the window

at her home and saw the soldiers coming. God, she asked her mother, why are the people from our country coming at us? And she never said what her mother said, but basically her tale is harrowing. There are many interviews with Dr. Hooker that are on tape, PBS. I think I might have one. I know that. Anyway, some of those tape remembrances should also be sent to DOJ. What Dr. Hooker alleges is that the whole thing

with the young brother, it was specious. Not only specious, but he and the young lady, both of whom we know what happened to them after the whole thing, Sarah Page and Dick Rowland, but there are some buzz, buzz, buzz that they might have been involved. His adoptive mother had said that. So, first of all, just congratulations. But secondly, how many of these records, you know, Ogletree, Charles Ogletree, Johnny Cochran, many others pursued this. How many of these records will the DOJ be able to look at?

Listen, first of all, good to see you always, Dr. Malvo. And Dr. Olivia Hooker was a great friend. I got to spend a lot of time with her, travel back and forth to D.C. with her. And for those in the audience to know, Dr. Olivia Hooker was also the first African-American female in the Coast Guard. She was like the second black femaleAmerican female in the Coast Guard. She was like the second black female to get her Ph.D., I think, from Fordham. She was an outstanding individual. And so I'm glad you invoked her name.

And, yes, we have hundreds of interviews of survivors and information that we're going to give over to the DOJ. I was very, very fortunate as a law clerk and as a baby lawyer to work with Professor Ogletree and Johnny Cochran, Willie Gary, Adra Atour, Michelle Roberts, Professor Eric Miller, so many other great attorneys that were trying to bring reparations back in the early 2000s in that particular litigation. And so we want to provide all those documents, some of those we've already provided. But there is some information that really no one has seen that we've been able to unearth over the last four or five years of our litigation and our campaign, that we want to make sure we get to the Department of Justice. But here's the deal, too, for everyone to understand. While the Department of Justice says they don't believe anyone alive can be actually prosecuted, in Oklahoma, corporations can be prosecuted for conspiracy and for murder

and things of that nature. And we hope the Department of Justice will consider that also. You know, they have some very strict rules as regards to civil rights and federal laws that are in place, but we hope that the Civil Rights Division will look at every possible avenue to bring accountability because reparations and repair work requires not just compensation, but also requires accountability. And that's what the role of the just compensation, but also requires accountability. And that's what the role of the DOJ is here, is accountability. Last thing I will say, we're still working. We're working very closely with Representative Al Green out of Texas.

He's really taking the place of our dear sister, Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, who we lost a couple months ago. And he is going to be looking at putting together some legislation to help our survivors and descendants still seek compensation from the United States Congress. And so that's something else that will be coming down the pike really, really soon. I'm really excited about. All right, then. Demario Solomon-Simmons, we certainly appreciate it. Thank you so very much. Peace, brother.

Thank you. All right, folks. One of the folks who has been very much working on a lot of these issues from the past is California State Senator Stephen Bradford. Well, Senator Bradford is now term-limited, and he was pushing through a lot of legislation to right the wrongs of the past. Now, one of those particular bills that he actually had pushed forth has been actually blocked by the governor of California.

Okay, trying to understand what that's all about. Senator Bradford joins us right now. Senator, we had you on a couple of weeks ago talking about your reparations bill, trying to sit here and understand what happened there. Now you have this other bill that would have helped black families get compensated for land that was unjustly taken from them by the government in the past. What happened here? Hey, that's a $64,000 question. It got vetoed, even though it left the Senate 38 to zero and it left the assembly floor 72 zero. I don't know a better example of bipartisan support on a piece of

legislation. We even had Republican co-authors on SB 1050, which, as you state, it would have dealt with the racially motivated taking a property from people by the government. And we had thousands of examples during the two years on the reparations task force where we saw that. And we did this with Bruce's Beach just three years ago when we returned the property. But the governor said without SB 1403, which was the Freedmen Affairs Act. We couldn't stand this program up, and we totally disagree with that. So, okay. All right. So can his veto be overwritten? We have more than enough votes, but I don't think the will of the legislature is there to do it at this point. Even though it passed, both chambers with no opposition? With no opposition, not a single no vote off either one of these floors,

the Senate floor or the Assembly floor. So to me, that should be an easy one to override DeVito, but you don't think leadership wants to do it? So far they haven't signaled that they want to get engaged in this fight. It would be a righteous one to have. Again, and the governor stated the fiscal concerns. I secured $12 million for reparations this year. It wouldn't have cost not even probably a million dollars a year to start implementing this program. And again, we returned property to the Bruce family three years ago, and we didn't have an agency.

So to say without the Freedmen Affairs Agency they couldn't do this work, I strongly disagree. The bill would have lifted the statute of limitations, and we could have shown Californians what real reparations look like, restitution, and atonement. So where's black leadership in California? Are they saying anything or are folks scared of the governor? Man, I think you kind of summed it up.

No one's saying anything. You know, it's a sad state of affairs where we find ourselves in California, a state that's supposed to be so progressive that, you know, we've kind of like yielded to the pressures and the whims of whomever to not move forward in a real substantive and collective way. So how much longer is your term and how much more time is left in this assembly's calendar? Well, the legislative year ended on September 1. So we're done.

Even though we're going to go back into special session, it looks like it in the next week or two. I'm officially out on December 1. That's when my term will end. But we will probably go back in special session in the next week or two to deal with some gas issues that the governor wants to deal with. So this could not be brought up in the special session?

It could, but I've already tested the will and it doesn't seem to be there. It could, very much so. So, Carol. Even I see bringing back some of the reparations bills could have been part of the special session, but it's not. All right, so we're going to do this here. We're going to put in a call to the governor's office because he needs to explain this.

If you have something that passes the House and the Senate and there's no opposition, I'm sorry. Just, oh, well, we need a bureau set up to do this. And as you said, you did it with Bruce Beach. So it's not like you don't have a mechanism already in place to do this. I agree. And even if we had passed 1403, the agency, it would have taken more than a year to stand up this agency.

So to say you needed an agency to do this work, again, I disagree because, again, 1403 would have taken a year, if not more, to fully stand up and staff up. So we could have continued to move this ball forward, so to speak. All right, then. Well, we're going to reach out and see what he has to say on this one. Senator Bradford, great work. Unfortunately, you got to the one yard line and it got rejected. That's quite unfortunate. I agree. But I thank you for your coverage of this and your advocacy as well.

Couldn't do it without you. I appreciate it. And see, again, listen, I I don't mind when some sigmas do some work. I got a sigma in the control room. He's all he's always complained like you don't have any sigmas do some work. I got a sigma in the control room. He's always complaining, like, you don't have any sigmas on the show. I'm like, well, very few of y'all do any real work. But at least you're one of them, so. And a sigma that's a real golfer, too, okay? Yeah, but you can't beat this alpha golfer, though. We'll find out.

We can tee it up any day. Now, Senator, now look. Now you stay in your lane because golf ain't – I ain't running. You don't want none of this. Okay. Wait a minute. You ain't running, but you're going to be walking real damn fast.

I'll walk all 18 holes. All right. We'll do it. All right. I appreciate it. Thanks a lot. All right. Good seeing you.

Likewise. We appreciate it. Thank you so very much, folks. When we come back, we'll pay tribute to one of the greatest basketball players ever, but also an absolutely great guy and an international humanitarian. Dikembe Batumbo passed away today at the age of 58. We'll honor him next right here on Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Blackstone Network. He told us who he was. Should abortion be punished? unfiltered on the Blackstar Network. further with plans to restrict birth control, ban abortion nationwide, even monitor women's

pregnancies. We know who Donald Trump is. He'll take control. We'll pay the price. I'm Kamala Harris, and I approve this message. Bob and I both voted for Donald Trump. I voted for him twice. I won't vote for him again. January 6th was a wake-up call for me. Donald Trump divides people. We've already seen what he has to bring. He didn't do anything to help us. Kamala Harris, she cares about the American people. I think she's got the wherewithal to make a difference.

I've never voted for a Democrat. Yes, we're both lifelong Republicans. The choice is very simple. I'm voting for Kamala. I am voting for Kamala Harris. In 2016, Donald Trump said he would choose only the best people to work in his White House. Now those people have a warning for America. Trump is not fit to be president again.

Here's his vice president. Anyone who puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States. It should come as no surprise that I will not be endorsing Donald Trump this year. His defense secretary. Do you think Trump can be trusted with the nation's secrets ever again? No, I mean, it's just irresponsible action that places our service members at risk, places our nation's security at risk.

His national security advisor. Donald Trump will cause a lot of damage. The only thing he cares about is Donald Trump. And the nation's highest ranking military officer. We don't take an oath to a king or queen or a tyrant or a dictator. And we don't take an oath to a wannabe dictator. Take it from the people who knew him best. Donald Trump is a danger to our troops and our democracy. We can't let him lead our country again. I'm Kamala Harris and I approve this message.

What's up, everybody? It's your girl Latasha from the A. And you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. © BF-WATCH TV 2021 It's one of those stories you don't want to do, but unfortunately, it's the fact of life. Earlier today, this morning, got the message that Dikembe Mutombo, basketball Hall of Famer, known for his shot blocking as well as his fame finger wave, passed away at the age of 58 from brain cancer. It was two years ago when we were told that he was dealing with a brain tumor. Mutombo was 58 years old, and he died surrounded by his family. He rejected 3,289 shots, the second most in NBA history during his long career, which included stops in Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, and he played his last five years with my beloved Houston Rockets. The 7'2 center was known for his humanitarian

work, was an NBA ambassador. In 1997, Mutombo established the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation to improve education and quality of life in his native Democratic Republic of Congo. So many people have been just giving the tributes to him. I want to do this here quickly with my panel before I let them go because we've got a number of sports guests we're going to bring on. Also Mark Thompson, of course, who was his roommate at Georgetown University. You know, on the Congo, of course, great basketball player, Hall of Famer, but he really loved the continent of Africa,

and so many sports enthusiasts and basketball players across the continent of Africa and so many sports enthusiasts and basketball players across the continent can thank him for his tireless work in advancing the sport on the continent. Well absolutely and for my family he feels a hero and not only that both he and my mom were cousins from the Baluba clan in Congo and so we always grew up admiring what he did. And I'm also a fellow Hoya from Georgetown as well. So, not only seeing his actions on the court, but he was a hero to us who are descendants of Congo, who were born in the Congo, because he never ran away from Congo. He always gave back. He built a school where my mom also grew up in Bujimai that was named after his father. And then also built a hospital that was named after his mother in Kinshasa.

And so not only was he expanding the game of basketball, but he was expanding humanity. And particularly during this time coming up, you know, the 90s, 2000s, where people, just like nowadays, only talking about African countries is something negative, he wanted to highlight the beauty of all of us who are Congolese. And so when I think about these stories of Trump talking about people coming from the Congo, I think about my parents and I think about the Kevin Mutombo. So for us, it's a sad day for our family. It's a sad day for our community. More than a basketball player, which he was incredible at. He was a humanitarian who put other people first. And we are always going

to lift him up in praise and power. Rest in power, Mr. Mutombo, Mount Mutombo. Indeed, Amakongo, we certainly appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Candace. You know, this is someone who is going to be remembered mostly as a humanitarian because those effects are going to be felt years down the line. He's somebody who I remember at the time really opened up the doors for people to see Africa in a different light. It was the marketing that the continent, you know, could only wish for someone who was a humanitarian, someone who could also play basketball, someone who exposed the sport of basketball to people and young people who were there to continue that legacy. But I think that it's amazing that he has been able to not only have a legacy in basketball, but to have that legacy as a human being, someone who actually wanted to give back and be a person.

And again, to make sure that Africa was not just something that you watched on the news or saw some terrible commercial 1-800 number to give money to. It is a continent, and he comes from a country that we should understand, and he made us understand it more. And, of course, I cannot forget him in those Geico commercials and his wagging fingers before there was the lizard, right? We all remember he made those commercials just as memorable as this lizard is making us remember. He certainly was something with an amazing legacy. Candace, thank you so very much. Julianne?

You know, this brother really was an ambassador for Africa to the world. And that's one of the most important things about him. His basketball prowess basically allowed him to lift up a continent that the former president and others call asshole countries. No, they were not asshole countries. He did endowment. He did so many wonderful things. And it's just really building on a basketball career in a way that is extremely important. And, you know, Obakon, I didn't know y'all were related, but, you know, he did love family. I knew a young lady who was close to him

at a point in time, and she always talked about how close he felt to his family. I knew a young lady who was close to him at a point in time and she always talked about how close he felt to his family. And in loving them, he loved all of us. He loved black America because he gave us a window to the African continent that we wouldn't get from the news, that we wouldn't get from the mouths of fools, but that we got from

someone who truly loved his country, believed in it, and invested in it. You know, he will be missed. He will very much be missed. Indeed. Julianne, we certainly appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Thanks a lot.

Folks, joining us right now are three distinguished gentlemen. David Aldridge, longtime NBA journalist. He's covered the sport for any number of media outlets with The Athletic as well. Mark Thompson, of course, Make It Plain, the host of Make It Plain. Mark and Dikembe were roommates at Georgetown University and also John Hope Bryant, founder of Operation Hope. We were with John and Dikembe at his home a couple of years ago, three years ago, three years ago this month, broadcasting. I spoke to a group of brothers there and then we broadcast the show from there. We're going to show you some of that a little bit later. Mark, I want to start with you

because you go back further than anyone else. So y'all were roommates at Georgetown? Well, first of all, thanks, Roland, for doing this and honoring and memorializing our brother. When I was the manager for John Thompson's basketball team from 86 to 88, I was a student manager. And whenever new recruits would come, I was given responsibility to make sure they were where they needed to be, make sure they had everything they needed during their visit. And so Dikembe actually lived with me for a little while when he first came. We first met. He could barely speak English. And we found a French translator for him. He was green.

He was just coming in. And even in terms of his basketball skills, I know David can attest to this because he's written so much about him. Dikembe had this wingspan. And even though he was still learning about the game and was still getting his coordination straight, coach would put him in practice, put him in the game, and he could just stretch out his arms and alter a game. He just got in the way. And he got in the way in a good way and had that influence. Of course, because of our relationship from the very beginning, we were very close when he came to Georgetown and remained friends ever since. We all have

been praying for him. We knew about the illness, but did not know really how much it was progressing. And so all of us were shocked this morning to know that it had taken a turn, that he had passed away. Needless to say, as you've already covered on the show, a tremendous humanitarian. But all of us, and I know David knows this as well, all of us who came under Big John were like his sons. And so, you know, Dikembe was our brother. We just buried Anthony Allen from Texas who played for Georgetown Friday. Tomorrow we'll say goodbye and bury Coach Thompson's first and only sports medical director, Laurie Michael. And now to lose Dikem was a giant on the court, a giant home to Africa. All he did for the continent, all he did for his people and his community.

And he will be missed greatly. And a lot of us, as you can imagine, I talked to Patrick this morning. We're all taking this very, very hard. First of all, how big was y'all damn room? Well, the rooms were big enough for the big guys so it was no it was plenty room for me you know i've been on one of the periods even when the big man couldn't uh but you know there were usually three or four of us to uh an apartment uh and and that's what we had and you know those were the days you know when when, it was still, they didn't have all the niceties that a lot

of us have today. A lot of kids have today. And so, you know, Dikembe and, and, you know, he came, I think he, David Freshman, I don't, I think he was, well, I don't know if they use the term red shirt then, but the first year he was with us and we were together, he didn't play, but, you know, it had to be developed. Am I right about that? And then right after that, you know, he, he, and he was great. And to have Mourning and Mutombo on the court was just tremendous. I'm still – I shouldn't even be talking about this. I'm still triggered from that Elite Eight game with Danny Ferry.

It should have gone differently. I'm still there, David. Hey, it's all good. I'm still triggered by the NC State final, trust me. With Akeem Lajuan and the Cougars, I still can't see the last 20 damn seconds of that game. David Aldridge, I want to go to you.

I mean, Mutombo was an amazing player, but what I always love, I don't care whatever you saw him, he had that huge smile. He would give you this big hug. He was a massive dude, so he would swallow you up.

But it was just his humor and his personality no matter where you saw him. Roland, first of all, thank you for having me and having me with such a great and distinguished panel. You know, I didn't live with Mutombo, but I covered Mutombo when he was 18 years old for the Washington Post when I was covering Georgetown. And I remember Big John. I remember it like yesterday, Mark. That was during the year where Dikembe was not playing, but he was on campus. And John kept telling us, y'all going to love this guy. I'm bringing him next year. He just knew that Dikembe had this incredible personality.

And it was something, man. And he did. From the second we started talking, had that deep, garrulous voice. I mean, just big voice, big, big voice, um, and big laugh. And, and what I loved about it, Roland is that, you know, he had a grace about him, even though he was seven, two to 65, he had incredible nimble feet because he played soccer when he was a young man, when he was younger, when he was a kid and you never lost that footwork. And so he could, he could cover ground so quickly to block shots and challenge shots. He was just an amazing athlete.

And as everyone has mentioned, you know, what he did off the court towers over what he did on the court. Just his, the things that he did, even down to, you know, when he started his coffee business a couple of years ago. And a lot of the proceeds from the sale of his coffees went to women farmers in Africa and in Latin America. So he was always giving back and always trying to uplift other people. He was an amazing guy. He was an amazing guy. And it's beyond sad that he's gone so soon. I mean, I was a year older than him, and this is just devastating

for a man that young to leave us so soon. Three years ago, we go to Atlanta, and this group of Black men, distinguished Black men in Atlanta, they've been trying to get me to come there. I was invited by John O' Bryant and Tommy Dortch. We finally made it happen in September 2021. They actually happened to be meeting at Dikembe's home. And we did the show from there as well. John Hope Bryant joins us right now. And, John, you know, this group of brothers, y'all meet monthly. And, you know, this is a group of serious brothers

business individuals and Dikembe was someone yes hall of famer yes athletic star but he had a focus and intensity when it comes when it came to business and doing things for our people not only here in the United States but for the African diaspora. Yeah. And thank you, Roland, for doing this. By the way, this underscores the power and importance of your network and your platform. There's been news reports all around the country and, I'm sure, around the world about his passing. But very few entities would take the time to do this kind of a proper and appropriate tribute for him.

And I just want to underscore how important your platform is, particularly at times like this. I don't normally say the name of this group in public, but because Dikembe was a charter member, a founding member, I'll say that he is a huge loss to Just Brothers. Just Brothers is the group that invited you to the ATL. And we normally host meetings off the grid. We don't have a website, none of that kind of stuff.

There's no membership list. It's just some of the most powerful brothers in the seven-county area here, not including me, who take off their ties, leave their egos at the door, leave their titles at the door, and we are just brothers. We're just amongst each other, loving on each other and listening to each other. And Dikembe was one of the charter members to show up and one of the biggest personalities, one of the biggest stars in the world, but came there with great, great humility. By the way, I need to correct you on something, Roland. You mispronounced his middle name.

It's Dikembe. Love his family and community, Hutombo. That brother had a tattoo on his left shoulder that said, my wife and family. He had a tattoo on his right shoulder that said Africa. He had a tattoo on his right leg that said African-American. That brother was just an original. He showed up all the time. I want to commend the other panelists here. We had the benefit. I didn't know him as long as they did, but we knew him in some ways in a unique way because when he wasn't on a plane to Africa, you knew when he was in town because he was in the community, Roland. He would show up at the most interesting meetings. It was just about some uniquely item that was only important to that local community. He would be at the Martin Luther King Center or he'd be at a meeting with Ambassador Young,

wherever Ambassador Young wanted him or 15, 20 people in a room. You see his Rolls Royce roll up and a guy that's, you know, nine feet tall get out and come and dominate the room with his love, but not his presence. He would always humble in the back, listening, not talking. We didn't know when he got sick because he wasn't showing up anymore. And I'm sorry. The thing that I have to say about him, I can't really say because it was confidential between him and I. I don't have the right to share what he confided with me. But he and I had very private conversations about his financial commitments to Africa. And what he went through to make those hospitals possible is no small feat. Yes, a few other people, other corporations put up some money,

but a lot of that money was his role. And he was in with both feet. And, again, I don't have time, I don't have the privilege or the right to share his business but if the people knew how deep he invested into his people, they'd be absolutely floored. I'm not talking about

put your name on something. I'm talking about something much, much deeper and I was honored to work with him a little bit behind the scenes in areas that were important to him. I think I made him smile a couple of times. I want to give kudos to Tony Rester also, who connected him to the Hawks, who worked behind the scenes. This is just a unique individual whose value cannot be articulated with NBA stats

or even saying he's a humanitarian. Like, you just can't put this guy in words and he absolutely will be missed. Of course, the last I remember, well, it really was the last time we talked. Actually, I was leaving with you, and John slowed down in that car. Yes. So John, John has this job. What the hell is John's Lamborghini,

Ferrari, Aston Martin. None of your business is the answer. I mean, I got a picture. I got a picture of it. So I know what it is, but,

but he was like, tell John to slow down. Stop driving fast in that car. Before I go to Mark Spears, long-time NBA writer. Y'all hold on. I was at the Botswana Embassy today where they were celebrating the 58th Independence Day. And the dean of African ambassadors is actually the dean, is actually the ambassador to the United States from the Congo. And so he wasn't aware when we talked,

Dikembe had passed and he did take some time to share this for our audience. So here's this exclusive interview right here. Mr. Ambassador, just wanna just get your thoughts on the passing of one of your greatest citizens, Congolese American Dikembe Mutombo. I'm very deeply saddened by this terrible news. Because I knew Dikembe personally. We used to meet very often and we used to talk. And he was a man of a very good heart, helping people in health issues and helping people

also to have access to the United States, to use their talent. There are examples that I can quote. There are so many, but I can just tell you that this is a great loss, not only for America, history in basketball, but also for Africa, one of the greatest Africans who made success in the U.S., NBA player, college player. I'm very sad that I don't have words to express other than to be sad. May his soul rest in peace. He really was taken aback by the news. Mark Spears is a longtime NBA writer. Mark, one of the things an ambassador said there, he said he often talked to Dikembe

to the point that John Hope Brown was making. The things that he did, of course, his mother passed away, couldn't get to a hospital there in the Congo. Dikembe ends up building a hospital in the Congo. I saw a number of NBA players, many of them that actually have come from Africa, talking about just what he meant. We're gonna play a little bit, just the emotional response from the Toronto Raptors vice president as well. And so, I mean, this was, Dikembe was a central figure

and even Adam Silver and Mark Tatum talked about just how crucial he was to the development of NBA Africa and basketball on the continent and around the world. Yeah, you know, Dikembe on the court was a giant. Off the court, he was a gentle giant. And every time you got to be in his presence, it was like a lit up room in the brightest of rooms. He just brought so much energy, so much personality, such a big presence, such a smile.

And never once did I feel like I knew I was in amongst somebody special, but he never made you feel like you were lower than him at seven foot two. He made you feel like you were just as tall as him every time you saw him. And in 2022, I just happened to be on a connecting flight to the basketball Africa league and Dakar, Senegal and me and the Ken Bay were ended up seeing him in the lounge together, and he's like, Mark, come sit by me. Come sit by me.

So I sat by him before we got on this flight, and we're standing at the gate. Everybody wanted a picture. Everybody wanted to do the finger wave video. Everybody wanted a hug. And he obliged everybody yeah there was no ego there was no i ain't got time for this okay one more no he and the only person i ever saw like that was um muhammad ali and so he he just was such a beautiful person off the court. And as you guys know, like he just did so much for Africa.

He built a bridge from Africa to the United States. And David Stern was one of the first people that, you know, really, really helped him do that. Came back with him, met, you know, with the biggest of African dignitaries, right? And as you said, he built a house. I mean, built a hospital. He built a school. He was the one that tapped Adam Silver on the shoulder and said, we need the Basketball Africa League.

And he doesn't get credit for that, and he should. Like, he was the main one who pushed to get that done and now next year will be in its its fourth fourth year and he was somebody that uh was often at the games and i saw him dancing with the senegalese fans having the best of time and just um you know that smile right there like just tells you the kind of man he was. He just was so full of life, so appreciative, and just wanted to make the world a better place. And he did everything and more.

Just a special human being. Mark Thompson, David Aldridge, John Hope, Brian, and Mark Spears. The video we're showing you, this is from 2015. This is NBA Africa. And you'll see there Dikembe is up top below there to the right. Akeem Olajuwon.

Mark Thompson, these two central figures here, these two figures, in terms of what they did on the court for African ballplayers. Mark Spears talked about that particular bridge. It has been unbelievable.

Just a couple of years ago, I forgot which city we were in, and the whole focus of the Newsmakers Luncheon was on the NBA in Africa. The halftime performance was Burner Boy. I mean, so, I forgot what David Stern said, the percentage of players in the NBA now who have at least one African parent. And so, you know, in terms of what they accomplish, you see it now in this next generation of ballplayers. Mark Thompson? You can see it, and not only that, what Hakeem and Dikembe did, and really what the NBA was

doing at that time, it began in college, with them going to college. Big John, Coach Thompson made a big deal about recruiting from Africa. He had a mission in doing that. And he wanted us all, as black men men to be connected to our motherland. Now, as widespread as people from all over the world now who are stars in the NBA, remember this, it began in Africa. It began in Africa for a number of reasons, obviously. These were some incredible talents that were in Africa. But what Dikembe did was bring

an unparalleled level. Hakeem did a lot, too, but Dikembe brought an unparalleled level of humanitarianism to us as a people, to the NBA. He showed what a superstar could do in the tradition of a muhammad ali he showed

what one could do for one and and really pricked our consciousness consciousness in the sense of africa's our home that's where we're from and some of us didn't know that then some of us still have a hard time uh accepting that and he always had Bois said, one foot here and one foot on the continent. An example, he said, building that hospital, he didn't just throw money at things. He literally built a hospital. He tried to save the lives of people in Africa, as you said, because of what happened to his mother. The only consolation in Coach being gone is that if Dikembe had gone before him, I don't think Coach would have made it.

He loved that kid. Oh, he loved. And David's right. When he came, he said, wait till y'all see. Wait till y'all see. And I had, David, I had a couple friends. And, John, thank you for your story. And you too, Mark. I had a couple of friends, and John, thank you for your story, and you too, Mark. I had a couple of friends call me today. Man, I remember when he first came, and you were telling

us how John Thompson said, wait on this kid. And then I saw him. He was the biggest thing I'd ever seen. Now, Patrick was impressive. Ralph Dalton was impressive. But again, Dikembe, y'all, had this wingspan that was out of control. And he could literally stand in the middle, spread those arms out, and alter every shot. And the Big East was complaining, we ain't gonna be able to deal with this.

This guy is too wild. I mean, I think his arms pretty much filled up the whole lane from end to end. And you didn't know what to do with it. Nobody knew. What do you do? Dribble around it around and what do you do with it what can you possibly do with it not to mention the shot the great shot blocker that he was and as you all know that that changed georgetown the big east changed college basketball and the kimbe was a major major part of of that continuum and also established what we see now, the legacy, as you said,

of so many young men in the NBA who have an African parent, not to mention all those who are from Europe. It started with Africa. All you European ballplayers coming over here, remember, it started with Africa. David Aldridge, when you think about, I mean, defense, I mean, this guy, four-time NBA defensive player of the year. Most times we talk about athletes, especially basketball, and some of the scoring

prowess, but here was somebody who actually changed the game on the defensive side of the ball. Yeah. I remember very vividly, because, you know, Big John is Mark Knows Revere, Bill Russell, and so he would pour

Bill Russell's career into Dikembe, and so you should be like Bill Russell. And so he would pour Bill Russell's career into Dikembe. And so you should be like Bill Russell. And I remember Dikembe saying, if I want to have the 11 rings on the 10 fingers, like Mr. Russell, I have to play defense. And so that was there from the beginning with him at Georgetown. And again, it speaks to an era of basketball that I miss greatly, Roland,

which is an era in which big men were valued for everything that they could do, not just shooting three-pointers. Come on now. They were valued for their rebounding and for their defense. Hey, David, you love this. So when I played that clip, y'all, hold up, go back to it. So they fed Olajuwon the ball. And I don't know how old Olajuwon, and mind you, this was 2015,

nine years ago. So I think Olajuwon is like 61 or something like that. And so there's a moment in this video they feed Olajuwon the ball, and he does a spin, drop step, spin to the center, fade away, drop it, nails it. I was like, damn, I missed that NBA. So, yeah, when I saw the clip, I was like, I know exactly what you're talking about because, you know, I grew up with Moses Malone and Elijah Warren in Houston.

So, yeah, I like a big man keeping his ass under the basket. Well, it's, you know, Roland, even more than, I like a big man keeping his ass under the basket. Well, Roland, even more than – I mean, I love the style of play back then, but there was a value, and I revere the league. And so I remember and try to get other people to remember, the league survived because of the big men. The league survived because of Chamberlain and Russell. The league survived because of Wes Unsell and Willis Reed and all of the great big men and Luke Jackson.

And all the great big men of the 60s and 70s. And I know that the game has to evolve. I understand that. But people need to pay their respects to the big men that saved it, including Moses, who was right there with it as well. Respect has to be paid to those men in the way that they played the game. They played through pain. They played through not getting paid very much. They played through discrimination and racism. And they need to be honored. And so someone like Dikembe was a great steward of that tradition. And Elijah Wan was the first.

And I would say the most important because he was the first, right? And he came over and was an incredible, elegant, wonderful, dominant player. But Dikembe did even more, I think, in terms of the globalization of the game. Right. Absolutely. Now you see people like Luol Deng in South Sudan directing those teams, creating teams that are now competing in the Olympics at a high level. And that's a direct result of, like Mark said before, like Spear said before, of Mutombo really pushing for NBA Africa to become not just a name

but something that the league funded that the league paid attention to and gave resources to it's very important uh Mark Thompson Mark Thompson we appreciate you being able to join us don't you got to go we appreciate it thank you so very much uh I'm gonna go to Mark Spears and John O'Brien Mark uh I was just reading a story just what a few months ago what's happened with the NBA in Rwanda. The building of a court, the building of an arena there. When you just think about, again, just and I don't think a lot of people just really

understand how the game, what Dave was just talking about, South Sudan, the amazing performance in the Olympics and Luol Ding, what he's doing. I mean, you now have a lot of these guys on the continent. Yeah, they grew up playing soccer, but they're now saying, man, put that basketball in my hand as opposed to a Dikembe and a Hakeem

not playing the game until they were like 18 years old. I mean, and he traveled that continent, and he was also bringing, and that's what I want to do with John as well, Mark, he was bringing business folk to also understand, don't just look to the motherland from a sports perspective, as an economic perspective as well, and I think that was also huge. Mark, then John. Well, Roland, I'm going to switch gears here, man.

David, you're going to laugh at this. The best story Dikembe ever told me, and Roland, you're an Africa historian, so maybe you could fill in some of the gaps here. I think when we were waiting for that flight, when we were on the plane, Dikembe tells him a story about his father passed. And after his father passed, you know, there was a civil war going on. So they had, in the Republic of Congo. So they had a really hard time trying to figure out how to do a funeral for this father.

So he and David Stern, as David knows, D.A. knows this, they were like father and son, really, really close. Like Mutombo adored him. David adored Mutombo and, you know, did so many great things in Africa together. But Dikembe called, told me he called David Stern, told him about this issue, about his father's funeral. And he said David Stern called all his connects in Africa and in Congo and was able to orchestrate a ceasefire of this civil war to allow this funeral to take place. And in the midst of this, he said he was able to get a boat to his brother during this ceasefire. And his brother had to go to this location, get on the boat, go across this river, get to the other side of the river where a car was going to be waiting for him to take him to said funeral. And then after the funeral was over, take him back to that location, get him back on the boat.

And once he was able to get back on the boat and go back home and get back home, then the Civil War was to start again. And I said to Cam, hey, that ain't true, man. He's like, I swear. I swear to God it's true. This is a true story. This is a true story this is a true story like he he told like this sounds like an outlandish story to me but knowing the people that david stern knew and the people that the cab made knew like i believe it like i don't know if you knew much about that civil war going on in the congo but apparently david stern had to connect to get the can be a ceasefire so

he could conduct his father's funeral. But Dikembe didn't make it. They said it was too dangerous, but at least David Stern was able to get his funeral to happen. When you got the hookup, you got the hookup. That's a hell of a hookup. That's a hell of a hookup. John Hope Brown, we talk about hookup. Again, I was talking about that business piece. He was as adamant about people investing in Africa. Africa has six of the ten fastest growing economies.

It's the youngest continent. And Dikembe understood the huge future potential, the potential of the motherland. And he was all about how do you advance economically so Africans can be able to take care of themselves and grow and invest in their countries. Yes. And I wonder, Roland, also whether I have no reason to say this. I'm just putting the pieces together. Think about the last times we met and what we talked about and his urgency and his voice. I wonder if he knew he was sick. He didn't look at all

completely fit, but he was in an absolute rush. I mean, you know me, I'm in a hurry about everything. He was absolutely committed to making an investment in Africa. This particular investment. And I actually had recommended against it.

You know, you can do it this way, you can do it that way. No, no, no, John. I'm doing it now. And just, you know, help me think through this, which we did together. This was maybe a year, year and a half before he got sick. Roland, I'm not sure we're going to see another one like this. First of all, I know a lot of

NBA guys. He's the only guy I disappeared into when I shook his hand. I shook his hand, his hand engulfed me, and then when he hugged you, there wasn't two people there anymore, which is one. He was just huge. But he really didn't want you to be uncomfortable.

So after that, he would back off, and he was trying to make it not obvious that you were looking like this in the conversation. I'm not sure you're going to see another one like this, Roland. I mean, think about somebody. I mean, everybody in the NBA or professional sports or the arts who became a billionaire, they did it because they partnered with corporate. But corporate was funding them. This guy was bringing corporate to Africa.

This guy was using his check and then asking other people to sort of maybe match his check. But he wasn't waiting for anybody. And let me – and by the way, this morning I want to give Mayor Andre Dickens his due. I was at a meeting this morning with Mayor Dickens here in Atlanta, and it was on a number of things, his youth initiatives and the fires that's happening here in Atlanta, the biofire. But he stopped everything to say, John, do you know that our brother passed? I mean, he stopped the entire official meeting to pay respect to Dikembe. His influence is unparalleled and unmatched. I want, Roland, just very quickly to be very

specific about his legacy. What I say is unique in the world. Created the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in 2007 in honor of his mother in Kinshasa. The hospital provides to this day healthcare to thousands of people who otherwise might not have

access to proper medical facilities and with no medical insurance. Received amongst other humanitarian awards, Roland, the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, the U.S. Presidential Service Award. He was a UNICEF ambassador. Thank God the other brothers mentioned this, but I want to underscore this. He's the reason that NBA is in Africa. He was the NBA

global ambassador for Africa. He was the ambassador for basketball without borders. He was the guy that got the NBA Africa started and ultimately basketball Africa League, B-A-L. He was an advocate for African talent, bringing literally the talent we see here in Africa from Africa on these teams. At least a good portion of that is because he introduced that talent. And it goes on. And then, of course, economic and social development. He did that work through his foundation.

So he didn't want to be funded himself. He didn't want to be funded himself. He was trying to facilitate economic development on the continent. And as others have said, he wanted African-Americans to realize our connection to the continent. Everybody's from Africa, but certainly African-Americans are from Africa. We're all one. And that was his point. That's why he had one foot here and one foot on the continent. His legacy, my guess, will only get larger as time goes on. I just am sad he won't be here physically to see us salute him. Well, John, you were talking about, you know, in a hurry.

This morning I happened. I got every morning I get a scripture from Pastor Barbara Skinner and I got James Ford today. Go to my iPad. And actually, I mean, it really just it was just and I posted this on Instagram. And it says, now, listen, you who say today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. Why? You don't even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, if it's the Lord's will,

we will live and do this or that. And the reality is, that's what he did. He's 58 years old, but what he was able to accomplish in those 58 years, absolutely tremendous. And again, what I always loved just was the sense of humor.

He was in, so this was three years ago, he was in the movie Coming to America, the remake. I go to my iPad, I send him a text, and I say, I see you in Coming to America. Who is this? He was always changing his number. So I decided to send him some of the photos of me and African Garb and then he goes, good morning, my brother. You are the

king of Zamunda. And then, of course, when we when the news came out regarding his tomb, I sent him a voicemail And he said thanks so much my brother. This means a lot. I will call you later And every few months I would text him just to check on her when John's mother passed away first anniversary recently I sent Dikembe a

Notice and it was a few times that this year the all All-Star game, of course, we would always see him there. I sent him a text of me and my wife there said, we're thinking about you. And it was on August 7th. I sent him a text and said, just check it on your bruh. And I would just leave a voicemail, knowing full well that he may not be able to talk if we spend time with the family.

And that was our last communication. But again, just an amazing guy. And I just think that he has – I'll agree with John, Mark, and David that we're not going to see another Dikembe. But I think what Dikembe has done, he has provided the black print for other African players. The black print? Yeah, it's the black print for other African players. The black print? Yeah, it's the black print.

And other African players. Can I steal that? Can I steal that? You can steal it. You can steal it. Other African players are picking that up, and they are carrying on what he started. And I think that's what's important.

Final comments. Gentlemen, Mark, you first. No, I'm going to miss him tremendously. It hasn't totally hit me yet. I hope to be at that service to pay respect. And it's just been an honor to know not just an African icon, not just an NBA icon, but a global icon. It'll forever be missed. David Alridge? Yeah, I would say Dikembe was one of a kind. And he was – his size was appropriate for his impact on the world, I would say. John?

Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous. It's an Ambassador Young quote and Roland you looking at your text caused me to look at mine that's Mutombo and his text to me on this day was dear and I just randomly

flipped on this dear John happy Father's Day my brother to a good brother you are a perfect example of what a father should be. Hope your day is perfect also, D. McTumbo. Now, this was unsolicited. This is just him reaching out, showing love. This is the humility of this brother.

And I think we're going to say happy forever, Father's Day. To you, Dikembe, you love everybody, McTumbo. Thanks for all you did and all you do. You've been promoted. You've gone on to a better place. And now you can irritate our Lord in heaven as you irritated all your friends here. And he gets to the pearly gate sitting here going

no, no, no, no, no. No, no, no, no, no, no. Let me in. Right. No, no, no, no. You can't block Let me in. Right. No, no, no, no. You can't block me from heaven. Mark Spears, David Aldridge, John Hope Brown. We appreciate it. Thanks a lot.

All right. Thank you. Folks, there were so many statements from various folks. The NBA issued their statement right here. They, of course, one of the first ones out of the gate when it came to alerting everyone about the passing of Dikembe Mutombo. It was, again, very hard for them because he was such a beloved figure with the NBA, partnering with them again in so many ways. Commissioner David Stern, excuse me, I'm sorry, Commissioner Adam Silver, Commissioner Adam Silver

issued this particular statement that went out all across the globe thanking him for his service and it really was, just leave it up there, it really was a very powerful relationship as I said I often would see Dikembe Mutombo at NBA All-Star Game he was he was often sitting with Commissioner Silver. They understood being partners, if you will, in this effort. And so and I've been talking to a lot of people in the NBA.

This has been a very difficult day for them. Silver says Dikembe Mutombo was simply larger than life on the court. He was one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players in the history of the NBA. Off the floor, he poured his heart and soul into helping others. There was nobody more qualified than Dikembe to serve as the NBA's first global ambassador. He was a humanitarian at his core. He loved what the game of basketball could do to make a positive impact on communities, especially in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo and across the continent of Africa. I had the privilege of traveling the world with Dikembe and seeing firsthand how his

generosity and compassion uplifted people. He was always accessible at NBA events over the years with this infectious smile, deep booming voice, and signature finger wag that endeared him to basketball fans of every generation. Dikembe's indomitable spirit continues on in those who he helped and inspired throughout his extraordinary life. I am one of the many people whose lives were touched by the Kim base, Big Heart and I will miss him dearly

on behalf of the entire NBA family. I send my deepest condolences to the Kim base wife Rose and their children. His many friends in the global basketball community which he truly loved in which loved him back. Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner. Hall of Famer Swin Cash. I reached out to her. She was, of course, at the NBA Media Day today. She sent me

this statement here. She said, he was a gentle giant that lifted my spirit every time I was in his presence and, of course, always cracking a joke. Saturday, I watched a woman give a beautiful speech helping to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Then she said she had terminal cancer with a 16 year old son. She just again was said she was just just moved tremendously by the passing of the Kimba. And, you know, and she's just said it's just been just, she said it was just very difficult for a lot of folks. Her statement ended, folks, I think we cut it off. She said, life is precious and one thing Deke taught me

is to live every moment you have in this life with gratitude. That was from Hall of Famer Swin Cash. Dikembe played for several NBA teams, including the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, the Philadelphia Sixers as well. Joel Embiid with the Philadelphia 76ers, when he was at the NBA media day, was asked about the passing of Dikembe,

and this is what Embiid had to say. I just heard about it, you know, my condolences to his family. So it's a sad day, especially for us Africans and really the whole world because, you know, other than what he's accomplished on the basketball court, I think he was even better off the court. You know, those are some of the guys. You know, he's one of the guys that I look up to as far as, you know, having an impact,

not just on the, you know, on court, but off the court. He's done a lot of great things. He did a lot of great things, you know, for a lot of people. So, I mean, that's, you know, it was a role model of mine so uh yeah like i said it is a sad day and uh yeah masai ujiri is one of the top executives of

the toronto raptor is also a son of africa and he was very emotional talking today about the passing of the Kimmy Mutombo. Just heard the news about... I don't know why I'm doing this. I just heard the news about the Kimmy Mutombo. And it's really hard to believe. It's hard for us to be without that guy. You have no idea what Dikembe Mutombo für mich bedeutet. Wow. Ich habe Angst. I hate to...

Huh? Yeah, it's a tough one. I'm sorry, it's a tough one. I have to say, though, that guy, he made us. He made us who we are. That guy is a giant. An incredible Who are we without Dikembe Mutombo? Not possible. But really not.

I went to Dikembe Mutombo's hometown with him. I went to his hospital. You have no idea what that guy means to the world. I mean, he's gone. He left us. what that guy means to the world. I mean, he's gone. He left us. To Mutombo's family, to Mama Rose, to his kids, there's no words. That guy was the biggest giant that you can ever find. The biggest giant that you can ever find. The biggest heart.

I know he will rest well and his family will be fine. He did so much, so much for us, for the continent of Africa, for his people. I went to Dikembe Mutombo's hospital, and in Dikembe Mutombo's hospital in Kinshasa, you go to that hospital and it doesn't even smell like a hospital you don't understand that i grew up in hospitals i grew up in hospitals that's how much pride this guy this guy had that's how much pride he had in doing good for his people i built a court with him in bujumbai in his village and spent a lot of time with him there and what he brought, what he's brought to youth on the continent, to people on the continent, we cannot even imagine.

You cannot even imagine what that guy has done for me in my career. He took me by the wings in Denver, in Denver and made me grow as a person. And now he's gone. He left us. I treated my family, my kids. I remember my house. But everybody, there's nobody, nobody that Mutombo did not touch. Nobody. Everything you see as big as he is, his heart was bigger, bigger. Yeah, today is not a good day. Not a good day for sports, for us. For us in Africa, it's not a good day at all. But we'll celebrate him. And we'll celebrate him big. Big. Because he set a path for us that I don't know many people that can do it.

I'm proud that I knew Dikembe Mutombo. I'm proud that I worked with him. I'm proud that he mentored me. I'm proud that I did a lot of work with him. Traveled around the continent of Africa. This one hits home. Don't mean to dampen the day, but this one really hits home. Folks, President Bill Clinton, Secretary Hillary Clinton released a statement as well. Hillary and I are deeply saddened by the passing of our friend Dikembe Mutombo,

a legendary basketball player, devoted humanitarian and profoundly good man. I'll never forget hosting his large family at the White House. They filled the whole stairway down to the South Lawn. As commanding as he was on the court, he was even better off with a big heart to match his seven foot two inch frame, a great sense of humor, and an unshakable commitment

to helping people everywhere, especially in his native Democratic Republic of the Congo. His proudest achievement was the state-of-the-art hospital he built in Kinshasa in honor of his mother, which Hillary loved visiting in 2009. Dekeme was also an active member of the Clinton Global Initiative community from the very beginning, making and keeping commitments to support the hospital and more economic opportunity across Africa. He was the real deal and inspired everyone at CGI to follow his lead. He once told me that he blocked shots for a living, but he lived to save lives and open

doors. Our thoughts and prayers are with Rose, his children, and everyone else who loved him was inspired by him and is living a better life today because of him. As I said earlier, we did my show from Atlanta from Dikembe's home three years ago in September. And here is that conversation. We are here at the Just Brothers meeting in Atlanta. They meet every 45 days. And John O'Brien invited me out to address the brothers here. And I said, well, I got to do my show. And then they said, okay, well, we'll make sure you do your show. And then they moved the meeting to the home of Dikembe Mutombo.

And I said, well, you know, he's taller than seven feet, so you know he got some extra room for us to do the show. And so we are here. He is the host of the meeting. He's the host of us doing the show. And my brother, I appreciate, it's always good to see you. Hall of Famer, who I call former Houston Rock.

I don't care what other teams he played for. Yeah, I don't care about the other teams. You know, I'm from Houston. Hey, we know you're from Texas. That's right, from H-Town. So man, how you doing? I'm doing good, man. Thanks for having me. No, thanks for having us. Y'all, he was remarking.

He said, y'all just brought a whole studio with y'all, huh? Yes. I never, I've never seen so many cameras in my house before. Yeah, well, you know, look, we had, you know, we got to look good because, you know, we're sitting here. You know, we stream on, you know, I launched the app. And, of course, we got it going. And so we got to look good because, you know, we're sitting here, you know, we stream on, you know, I launched the app. And, of course, we got it going. And so we got to look right now. We got to look right.

We're looking good. Yo, you always got to look good. Let's talk about what you're doing. You have your foundation, but you also are really doing some great stuff all around the globe as a global ambassador to basketball, especially in Africa. Yes, not a long time ago, we invested a billion dollars to launch the NBA Africa Basketball League. It went great. It was very successful. We had a great turnout. The game was watched in almost over 200-some-plus countries. So we are very happy with the step and the progress that we made. And

I also launched Mutombo Coffee. Mutombo Coffee? Yes. You have to know that, Ron. Coffee is a $485 billion commodity trade. And when you look at that, there's no black man

in the coffee business. There's no black man in the coffee business. There's no black woman in the coffee business. And all those trades happen with the people from a different ethnicity. So why not us? That's the question that we've been asked. Why not us? Why we cannot be on

the table when you know that almost 75% of the coffee come from Africa. Boom. And there's no African man in the trading floor where the coffee parts have been discussed. That has been my debate. And I'm so happy that I put my foot into this game. And I want to be part of this game.

I'm tired watching the game from outside. And that's the thing that I'm constantly talking about when we talk about these vast riches coming out of Africa. Six of the ten fastest or seven of the ten fastest growing economies are African nations. America talks about the role the Chinese are playing. But guess what? If the United States is not investing in these countries...

Somebody else will go. Yeah, absolutely. That guess what? If the United States is not investing in these countries- Somebody else will go. Yeah, absolutely. That's what is happening. The Chinese are controlling almost the entire mining trade right now with cobalt and copper and lithium, our next electrical car, all the materials that go there. It's coming from Africa, straight to China, then to the rest of the world. But there's no African man who's there on the front to lead even one of the company. So I went out, raised about $1.7 billion with a couple group of investors.

Now we're getting some money. Now we're going to raise $1.7 billion? Yes, and now we're getting also in the business in the Congo. So we have some money allocated to us, and we're going to start working soon. You have to put your foot in the game, man. You cannot always buy a ticket, go sit in the seat and watch the game. Once in a while, you can't say, can I play this game? Well, and the thing that I'll never forget,

the joke that Chris Rock said. He said, let's be clear, he said, Shaq not rich. The guy who pays Shaq is rich. And the thing, I tell this story all the time. We went to a Houston, Texas football game, and after we were talking with the players and the coaches, and my little nephew, Chris, he probably was three at the time.

He had a football, and he wanted Wade Phillips, who was the individual coordinator, to sign it. And so Wade goes, Chris, what position do you want to play? I said, no, no, no, no. Chris has not been raised to play a position. Chris is being raised to own the team. And he sort of... That's good, that's good nice dream he sort of

stepped back but but but again that that's the piece there everybody's not going to be born seven grow to seven feet tall everybody won't be able to dribble a basketball i'm i'm always telling people you can be in the nba without playing lot of them. Who never thought that me, Dikembe Mutombo, would have an opportunity to have a piece of ownership of more than 12 teams in Africa today? The league will grow to 30-some-plus teams in the next couple of years. So you have an ownership stake in the league? In the league. Not in one club. In the league. No in one club.

In the league. All right, then. All right, my brother. So you didn't say that. You didn't add that part. You said, okay, all right, then. So, you know, I play the game. You know, so many guys will play the game and walk away from the game.

That's right. But sometimes if the game good, you can stay in the game, but you're doing something that's different. And that's what I choose to do. That's right. But sometimes the game good, you can stay in the game, but you're doing something that's different. And that's what I choose to do. Oh, man. How have you, being on the business side, I talked earlier about understanding the business of the business. How have you applied the discipline that was required to be a great basketball player to

business? You know, I use the platform with the gift of talent that God gave to me to play the game of basketball. Met so many wonderful people. And most of the people that I'm talking to them doing business are the people who came to the game, the people who sit on the court side. So many guys would go play the game

because they're wearing the uniform. And when they finish wearing the uniform and when they finish wearing the uniform they go straight to the door they forgot who come who pay you that guy who was who sit on the call side have you tried to meet him have you tried to ask what his name what his wife name what his kids name those are the things that we need to learn how to do to build life after the game. Building relationships. It's all about relationship. I build a hospital through relationship. I'm building a $4.5 million school that is opening in four weeks

from kindergarten to 12th grade through relationship that people have made to my game. I'm not putting a dime, but I've met so many wonderful people, and I go to them and say listen, there's kids in Africa who don't have no place to go to school. Can you guys help me put a building for them there? And people came in.

It's all through relationship. You cannot be successful in life without relationship. Steve Jobs didn't build Apple if he didn't have a great relationship. If you look at this history, he struggled at the beginning But to some of the relationship that he did have they was able to call him back to come back to Silicon Valley To build the Apple company that the way it is Just relationship someone on YouTube. They're asking they said said, where do you get Mutombo Coffee?

They said, where do they get it? Oh, you go to MutomboCoffee.com or you go to Amazon. You will find me there. Okay. All right, then. Well, look, first of all, here's what we're going to do. We're going to come back. We're going to come back.

I'm going to be here next month. We're going to sit down for a much longer conversation. You know, we do these one-on-ones. I lost this OTT network and y'all get an exclusive here. I'm going to be launching a part of that, a weekly interview series.

We've already shot seven. We're going to do about 20 in LA next month and 20 in November. That way, it's a one-on-one conversation. We can spend a whole hour going over this sort of stuff because I know we got the brothers back here. I'm scheduled to speak in two minutes. And so I don't want them to be waiting because they can be like, man, y'all need to get

out of my house at nine o'clock. But man, it's always good to see you. Tell the wife I said hello. We're going to sit down and we're going to have that longer conversation because folks are really getting some great stuff out of this. Thank you. I appreciate it. Thank you for having me.

I hate the fact that we never got a chance to do that because it was a few months after that when the story came out about his brain cancer diagnosis. His son, Ryan Mutombo, posted this message on Instagram. My dad will forever be my hero, not because of his success, not because of the millions who, over the last four decades, have come to know and love him. My dad is my hero because he simply cared.

He remains the purest heart I've ever known. At times, I thought of my dad as a superhuman. The child in me would sigh to hear that this was never actually the case. My dad was a regular man who would stop at no lengths to honor the world, its people, and its creator. He loved others with every ounce of his being. That's what made him so accessible. That's what made him so accessible. That's what made him real. Dikembe Mutombo was salt and light. And today, on the 30th of September, 2024,

he has been called to rest. I love you, Dad. Rest easy. Folks, nine years ago, Dikembe was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame, and here is his acceptance speech. Bringing Dikembe to the Hall of Fame are David Stern and John Thompson. Ladies and gentlemen, Dikembe Mutombo. and the Thank you.

Thank you. When I was an NBA rookie, someone asked me what I thought my career would be like. I never dreamed it would include this. I'm so honored to be in the Basketball Hall of Fame. I only want to be remembered as one of the best defense players to ever play this game. I like to think that I accomplished that. The gentleman on my right means so much to me. Coach John Thompson.

I learned a lot under Coach Thompson. I learned about the game of basketball, but most importantly, I learned how to be a man in this society. He's really a father figure to all of us who got a chance to play for him at Georgetown University. Delver Stern. I want to thank David for the NBA global vision of not only growing the game, but the league commitment to improving communities all around the world. As we call it, MBA cares. I also want to thank him for the opportunity to carry out my last mission as the MBA first ever global ambassador, which I continue to do under the commission of Adam Silver. ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi ndi come mean a great deal to me and to see a current and former players like Akim Alashwan and coaches giving back and making a difference in the people's life are lifting us all.

I give God the glory for blessing me and surrounding me with so many wonderful people. This is including, first of all, my parents, Samuel Mutombo, who left us two years ago, and my mother, Biamba Marie Mutombo, who inspired me to look at the world with love and kindness. I wish they have a chance to see their son becoming an elephant. As you saw in the video, I have worn many uniforms. Yet, they want constantly to be wonderful coaches and teammates along my NBA journey. From the Denver, I want to thank my former coaches, Paul

Wesson, who helped me becoming an all-star in my rookie season, and Dan Inso, who gave us their lifting speech before Game 3 of the 1994 Seattle Series that changed the NBA playoff history.

Bernie Bickerstaff was the only smart NBA GM who believed in me on the draft day. Thank you. And the Nugget owners, Peter Barnum and Charlie Lyons, thank you so much for drafting me. From the Atlanta Hawks, in a city that I call home, I want to thank Stan Carsten, Peter Babka, the legend, Lenny Watkins, and a great teammate. And my great teammate, Steve Smith. In Philadelphia, Larry Brown, LB as we call him, thank you for bringing me to Philadelphia. And allowing me to play with the phenomenal Alan Iverson, who will stand here soon in Springfield. In Houston, I want to thank the owner, Mr. Lexi Alexander, and the team president Ted Brown for bringing me there and the opportunity to play alongside with Yao Ming, one of my best friends, and Tracy McGregor. The Rockets did a lot for me and the foundation.

How could I not get the hospital going without their help and the wonderful people there, like the Loyal and the Loyal families? Coach Jeff Van Gandhi saw that I still have a loud fire left in me to be productive and be a good mentor for younger players.

I want to thank all of my teammates who have helped me along this way. Patrick Ewing, you are such a great brother, friend and a great leader to me you took Alonzo Mone and I under your wing and mentored us from daily workout to a life lesson I thank you so much and I love you for being my brother

applause applause applause applause Alonzo Moll, you helped me becoming a better basketball player. I wish that many young people today can compete in practice like we did. Thank you so much, my brother. I always thank my oldest brother, Ilo Mutombo, for taking me to the basketball court at the age of 17

for the first time when I didn't want to go. Thanks to my cousins, Dr. Lewis and Mimi Kanda, for their love and their support since I arrived in the U.S. and my agent, David Fogg, for his great advice. And I'm proud that I was only the third African player to play in the NBA.

The son of Congo, DRC, to come to the U.S. with nothing. And now, I'm part of the NBA history. A minute left for me. I want to dedicate this honor to my lovely wife, Rose Mutombo, the mother of my three beautiful children, my daughter, Carrie, my middleman, John Jack, and my little boy, Ryan, who's always there to give me a support. I love you guys so much. Playing basketball allowed me to become a global citizen. It's because of the game that I was able to build the hospital in the

Democratic Republic of Congo, which has now served more than 140,000 people. My life mission is to continue to change the living condition of the people in Africa. I may have not won the championship, but I'm a champion to so many people here. Thank you so much. God bless you. © B Emily Beynon This is an iHeart Podcast.