#RolandMartinUnfiltered - Voting Rights Act In Jeopardy, Cori Bush Investigation, Black Attorneys Face Discipline, Real or IA?

Episode Date: January 31, 2024

1.30.2024 #RolandMartinUnfiltered: Voting Rights Act In Jeopardy, Cori Bush Investigation, Black Attorneys Face Discipline, Real or IA? A federal appeal court declined to reconsider the ruling that says private entities cannot bring lawsuits under a provision of the law known as Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Barbara Arnwine, the President and Founder of Transformative Justice Coalition is here to discuss the implications of this ruling on the future of voting rights.  Wisconsin Republicans are trying to pressure the newest liberal state supreme court justice to recuse herself from the state's registering case the court has yet to agree to hear.  Missouri Congresswoman Cori Bush responds to the Justice Department's investigation into how she spent campaign funds on her security detail.  Two Black Florida attorneys, father and daughter, are at risk of being disciplined for disagreeing with a judge's ruling. They will be here to explain how disagreeing with a judge could lead to their disbarment.  Do you know how to spot fake news? AI-generated content is flooding YouTube with fake stories targeting black celebrities. We'll talk to a Social Analyst who will give us tips on spotting the misinformation.  Download the #BlackStarNetwork app on iOS, AppleTV, Android, Android TV, Roku, FireTV, SamsungTV and XBox  http://www.blackstarnetwork.com The #BlackStarNetwork is a news reporting platforms covered under Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Today is Tuesday, January 30th, 2024, coming up on Roller Mark Unpublished, streaming live on the Black Star Network. A federal appeals court has declined to hear an appeal relating to private organizations filing lawsuits utilizing the Voting Rights Act. That now means this case is going to go to the Supreme Court. This, folks, is one of the greatest threats to the Voting Rights Act. Barbara Arnwine is going to be joining us with the Transforming Justice Coalition, talking about the potential impact of a Supreme Court ruling against us in this particular case.

Also, folks, tomorrow in Georgia, the Fearless Fund goes to court with regards to their appeal over a decision regarding the targeting of them by conservative activist Ed Blum as they try to assist women, black women and other female entrepreneurs. It is the latest conservative attack on affirmative action. Also, Wisconsin Republicans, they are targeting they are targeting a state Supreme Court justice because they do not want her to rule in a case regarding political gerrymandering that could even the delegation in Wisconsin. Right now, it is six Republicans to two Democrats. Speaking of members of Congress, Congresswoman Cori Bush speaks out on a DOJ criminal investigation over her use of federal funds for security purposes.

And also, two black Florida attorneys, a father and a daughter, they are at risk of being disciplined for disagreeing with the judge's ruling. They will be joining me on the show. Also, folks, do you know how to spot fake news? Well, guess what? AI is causing huge problems. We will talk to an expert with regards to this very issue. Folks, it is time to bring the funk.

I'm Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Black Star Network. Let's go. He's got it. Whatever the piss, he's on it. Whatever it is, he's got the scoop, the fact, the fine. And when it breaks, he's right on time And it's rolling, best belief he's knowing Putting it down from sports to news to politics

With entertainment just for kicks He's rolling, yeah It's Uncle Roro, y'all Yeah, yeah It's rolling, Martin, yeah. Rollin' with Rollin' now. He's funky, he's fresh, he's real the best, you know he's Rollin' Martin now. Martin! folks a federal appeals court in arkansas in a two-to-one decision declined to reconsider a ruling that only the united states government and not private organizations or private individuals can sue under a landmark civil rights law

barring racial discrimination in voting. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the request by the Arkansas Public Policy Panel and the Arkansas State Conference of the NAACP to reconsider a 2 to one ruling by a panel of judges holding that private plaintiffs cannot bring cases enforcing Section two of the Voting Rights Act. Joining me now is Barbara Onwine. She is president and founder of the Transformative Justice Coalition. Barbara, glad to have you on the show. Out of all of the different attacks on voting rights, this is one that is extremely

grave because when you look at most lawsuits that have been filed in the past 30, 40 years, they have been filed by organizations like the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, like the Laws Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, like your organization, like the ACLU and others. And so if the Supreme Court agrees with these judges, it is seriously going to curtail the ability to fight on behalf of African-Americans and other voters by saying only the government can pursue such cases. Absolutely, Roland. And this is a dangerous case.

It's a big threat to all of us, because remember, John Lewis and everyone who fought for this Voting Rights Act of 1965 assumed, and it was clear,that private people created the law and private people would enforce the law. And in fact, of the majority of the cases that have been booked under the Section 2 of the Voting Rights Law Act, which covers racial discrimination in voting, not only just in redistricting but in all voting, what we have seen is that the majority, some 90-plus percent of those cases have been brought by groups and aggrieved individuals.

So this case is dangerous, folks. Think about it, that right now, if I encounter racial discrimination in voting in any of the seven states that are underneath the Eighth Circuit, I can't bring a case because of this pending decision. It's horrible. I can't bring a case that is under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. Now, this is a very complicated and ugly issue. Whether or not the plaintiffs will seek cert from the review that is by the Supreme Court, we'll find out very soon.

But in the interim—think about this, Roland—43 states in this union can enforce Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act by private people bringing it, bringing the cases, bringing the litigation, seeking relief. But in seven states, they can't do anything under the Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. That is just not allowable. It's not tolerable. And none of us sitting alive today should put up with it. We need to fight back. We need to win this one. And we need to deliver on the promises of this country for equal voting rights. If there is some saving grace, Barbara, this Supreme Court surprisingly, surprisingly made rulings that allowed the creation of two black congressional districts,

one in Louisiana and one in Alabama. So there is some glimmer of hope there. But you've got folks like Clarence Thomas, who has been wanting to get rid of the Voting Rights Act in its entirety. And so there's been the constant chipping away. You got Eric V. Holder decision in 2013. You got the case out of Arkansas. And so they have been targeting. Conservatives have been targeting every aspect of the Voting Rights Act because they absolutely desire to disenfranchise Black voters. They want no Black political power, period. Let's be very clear about this. And they will do anything and everything in their power to eradicate that ability of African Americans

to exercise and exert their power in the political process. But let's be very clear that this is a setup case from Thomas and Gorsuch. As you mentioned, Thomas, in the Brnovich case a couple of years ago in 2021, said that he thought that there shouldn't be a private right of action, but he said it just as what we call dicta, just running his mouth, but not as part of a decision. And Gorsuch agreed with him, but once again, it's dicta, but not as part of a decision. There is no law in the many years, the 60 years of this act. There has never been one court who has issued a standing decision that has been upheld saying that there's no private right of action. If so, how is this a free court, like you said just last year in the Milligan case that

was brought by private parties, private groups, private and plaintiffs? How in the world would they have ruled in favor of the Milligan and ordered that second congressional district. Listen, this is a setup. They're trying, like they did with the Moore case last year. They're doing everything they can to destroy our voting rights. And we are the people who can fight in this moment. Don't think that just because you're not a lawyer that you can't fight. You have the capability. We've developed a model resolution

that we want everybody to take to their local city councils, their county commissions, any entity that they can, governmental, that says we want to stand firm and support the Voting Rights Act. It's important that you do that. And you can go and get that resolution at TJCoalition.org, TJCoalition.org. And do that. Be active. Sign the Voting Rights Pledge. Do everything you can. And if you're in those 14 rogue states, and you can let me know, Roland, if you want me

to tell people who those 14 rogue states are that said that this should be the law of the land, then you really should be calling out. Yeah, go ahead. All right. Those rogue states. Yeah, go ahead. I'm going to read them. Come on, folks, because you need to fire them up. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, you heard me, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah. If you're in any of those states, you should be calling your attorney general right now and saying, you better get on the right side of this issue. You better be supporting the Voting Rights Act and the private right of action. If not, we're going to hold you accountable. Don't let people get away with taking our rights, and we just sit back and let them. Let's fight. Let's hold them

accountable. Let's make them pay for these kind of evil actions. It is our right to enforce this law. We're never going to stop seeking that. And for the seven states, people who are in those seven states, don't give up. Let's keep on fighting because this circuit court is wrong. It's going to be overturned at some point. It's going to be reversed. There's no doubt in my mind. All right. Barbara Arnwine, we really appreciate it. Thanks a lot. there's no doubt in my mind alright

Barbara Arnwine we so appreciate it thanks a lot thank you for covering this and for all that you do Roland we appreciate you sir be blessed thank you so very much thank you alright folks we come back we'll chat with us about my panel also we'll talk at the bottom of the hour

with one of the leaders of the fearless fund they are defending themselves in a also will talk at the bottom of the hour with one of the leaders of the Fearless Fund. They are defending themselves in a battle against white conservatives who are trying to shut them down from being able to help black women and other female entrepreneurs. This is the continuing assault on African-Americans by the right. It is their entire strategy to target anything involving DEI, which is now the latest after critical race theory. I told you all about this in my book, White Fear.

I told you these things were coming. This is the real deal. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered right here on the Black Star Network. On the next A Balanced Life with me, Dr. Jackie, how big a role does fear play in your life your relationship to it and how to deal with it can be the difference between living a healthy life a balanced life or a miserable one whenever the power of fear comes along you need to put yourself in that holding pattern and breathe examine find out if there's something that your survival instinct requires you to either fight or take flight facing your fears and making them work

for you instead of against you that's all next on a balanced life on black star network we just have one of the oldest cultures that's desperately needed for mutual salvation that's the consciousness we have the keys at our roots to save mankind. We get to see the condition of other countries, other oceans, other cultures. And if we believe in God, a lot of us do. He's telling us if you don't get rid of that stuff that makes somebody superior or inferior and work together for our mutual salvation, everybody's up? Keith Turner in a place to be.

Got kicked out your mama's university. Creator and executive producer of Fat Tuesdays, an air hip-hop comedy. But right now, I'm rolling with Roland Martin. Unfiltered, uncut, unplugged, and undamn believable. You hear me? All right, folks, joining me right now is Dr. Mustafa Santiago Ali, former senior advisor for environmental justice for the EPA,

coming to us out of Washington, D.C. Ben Dixon, host of the Benjamin Dixon Show podcast, and Dr. Larry J. Walker, assistant professor, University of Central Florida. Let me have all three of you. Mustafa, I'll start with you. Bottom line is this here. What we are seeing is a continuing, a continuing assault on voting rights, and they are targeting black people. In fact, while I was interviewing Barbara, I saw a tweet where the Kentucky state Republicans have passed a bill 27 six outlawing the use of a state voter, a state I.D., a state university I.D. to allow students in Kentucky to vote. And so, again, this is just one of their efforts. They keep saying, oh, voter protection, let's target voter fraud. We all know that's virtually non-existent. This is about keeping African-Americans from being able to access the ballot box.

Yeah, it most definitely is. You know, it is also, you know, about extraction, extraction of our right to be able to vote and to be self-determinant. It is about the dismantling of our voting rights. And it is about a part of a long-term strategy that has been put in place to be able to deal with the changing dynamics that are happening in America. You know, as we've often shared on the show, we have a browning of America, and they are trying to prepare themselves for that by making sure that they can still wield power, that they can still determine the direction that our country goes in, that they can still hold on to resources, because all of that is tied into our ability to be able to vote. So we just need to be very clear about what's happening and make a determination if we are going to get engaged and to actually push back and to stop this. When Barbara shared those sets of states that are

moving forward on these actions, you have to ask yourself the question, well, who is it that's actually funding these individuals to be able to do these types of things? Because politicians need money. So we need to better utilize our dollar also and take it away from folks who are trying to take our rights away. So we have power in this moment, but we have to decide if we're going to use it or not. You know, Larry, one of the things that I keep trying to explain to people is that when I hear black folks, young black folks, middle aged, older, say, oh, you know what? I'm just going to sit this election out. I'm not satisfied with either candidate. Conservatives and Republicans are rejoicing when they hear black people say that.

Donald Trump, remember, he thanked black people for not voting in 2016. For anybody out there, if you think they go, well, what's the big deal? They are working extra hard. They are spending millions and millions of dollars to actually do this. They are saying, hey, we want to stop black folks from voting as fast as we possibly can. You highlighted a really important point, Roland. This is, you know, the Republicans played a long game, just like they did with Roe v. Wade. And so it's going to be really important, like the point you made, in terms of folks coming out to vote in the November election. And listen, no, we will have a lot of conversation about, you know, some of the issues that the Biden-Harris administration having among some voters perceived by some of the statistics we're seeing. But Black folks, you have to come out and vote because,

you know, when you think about, like, for instance, you talk about, you know, efforts to erode the Voting Rights Act of 1965. And you talk about, you know, all the issues that Black people deal with for decades when it comes to the end of the Civil War, Act of 1965, and you talk about, you know, all the issues that Black people deal with for decades when it comes to the end of the Civil War, Reconstruction, and then Jim Crow, the George segregation, is that people don't have an understanding of how long it took us to get to the Great Society programs. You know, the Voting Rights Act of 64, Civil Rights Act of 64, the Voting Rights Act of 65, the Fair Housing Act. That took years for us to get there. And now what we're seeing, you talk about Holder, you know, the Holder case in the Supreme Court in 2013.

They've taken all the necessary steps to erode all of our rights. And also, Roland, we have to talk about black political power, whether it's the state or federal level. Right now there are 60 members of the Congressional Black Caucus. It's the highest number it's ever been. We saw in Virginia what's happening in terms of black elected officials. What they want to do is they want to turn the clock back to make sure they erode black political power. And that certainly starts in terms of making sure, making it difficult for the individual to sue when they've been discriminated against when it comes to their voting rights. Benjamin, it continues. It keeps going. It keeps going. And they are going to look, they're going to try every crack, every crack. And again, these conservatives,

they are funding these legal efforts. I mean, they are paying big dollars to these think tanks, to the conservative legal organizations to go after everything? Absolutely. I think one thing we have to consider is that they're very serious about their intentions. They're not unaware of what they're doing. They're doing it intentionally, and they have no intention of dealing in good faith with us. And this is what I mean. If democracy is no longer convenient for them, they move the ball. They move the goalposts and they get rid of democracy. And we see the systemic dismantling of our voting rights. We've seen the systemic taking and purging of voters off the rolls across the different states. And we should not be surprised by it. We have to return in kind

if it's not already too late. We have to make sure that we overcome the impediments that they regularly put in front of us, because like I said, they intend on breaking democracy. And what they also do, Ben, again, they don't give up. They go back and then go, OK, how can we now tailor a message, tailor a case for, and then look for different signs of conservative justices. And let's also be clear, Leonard Leo has purchased this Supreme Court. Okay, they have utilized the Supreme Court Foundation to get close to them, to suck up to them. They pay for these trips. And so

this is not just by happenstance. No, no, absolutely. And I'm glad you pointed out the fact that they are extremely responsive and adaptive. They will change their argument no matter what it takes. And what we're dealing with right now is this version of an argument that co-ops the language of diversity and the language of discrimination and wields it against us. So that's the entire framework. They're using our words and the progress that we got in the civil rights movement. They're wielding it against us. And I think we got the Supreme Court that's going to entertain them. Mustafa, look, you've seen this in the environmental area. And so, again, this is voting rights.

This is environment. I mean, this is business. It's in every aspect. This is about crafting a judicial action that achieves their economic interest. No, without a doubt. We saw it just last week also in the Title VI case there in Louisiana, where they said that you could no longer utilize that to prove discrimination. And, you know, they just kind of pushed it to the side. So whether it is housing, the environment, things that are going on in the economic sector, as you just mentioned, it all ties back into that.

And there are a few other examples. You know, they are going to keep pushing. They are going to keep dismantling one so that they actually take power away from or eliminate our vote. And then on the other side of the equation, set themselves up for the next 20, 30, 40 years. So folks better pay attention. I know folks got a lot going on in their lives, but these folks are not playing. They're very serious about their agenda and they will keep trying and trying and trying until they succeed. It's also why, Larry, again, why media is so critically important. What they have done, what the right has done, and folks in this show, they've heard me talk about it before.

They have funded and created their entire media ecosystem. And so what then happens is they take an idea and then begin to run with that idea. And they see that idea and they push it. And so it's not only Fox News, it's conservative talk radio. Then it's the digital apparatus as well. You now see what they've done. Well, PragerU, which is a just a deranged right wing outfit, they now, because Republicans are controlling by a supermajority, a lot of these states like Oklahoma, like Florida and others, they are now getting their getting their information into the schools.

PragerU was created specifically to target young people. And so, again, I keep saying to people who are progressives, hey, y'all can keep playing around if you want to. What these people are doing, they are fighting for the minds of the next generation and the one after that. And as you highlighted earlier, Roland, they have the resources, you know, hundreds of millions of dollars. And listen, the Republicans have been fine-tuning this. As you described it as an ecosystem, they've been fine-tuning this.

Let's go back to some of the racial stereotypes. You know, we have the welfare queen. They've been really fine-t tuning these messages that they can send. And then when you talk about, you know, right wing outlets in terms of, you know, the work that that Fox does and all the other various platforms, all these podcasts they've utilized. And then you talk about PragerU or CNN, the state of Florida right there. They're now in school districts in Florida in which they're selling these lies about, you know, how our enslaved African ancestors were treated, about, you know, what Frederick Douglass would say if he was alive today. And this is all propaganda.

And as I said to you, said on your show before, this is a propaganda. This is a propaganda war. This is not about democracy. This is not about truth. It's about propaganda. And they have, like I said, they have millions of dollars at their disposal. And you're right. They're fighting to indoctrinate the next generation of individuals while you're fighting to catch up. And if we don't continue to provide the necessary resources and also provide, make sure we have more outlets like yours rolling and continue to fund yours even more money,

we're going to find ourselves in very serious trouble as it relates to a democracy. Absolutely. All right, folks. Hold tight one second. We come back. We'll talk to one of the leaders of the Fearless Fund. They are facing a legal assault by conservative lawyer Ed Bloom. We'll talk about them going to court tomorrow. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered right here on the Black Star Network.

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Hatred on the streets. A horrific scene. A white nationalist rally that descended into deadly violence white people are losing their damn minds there's an angry pro-trump mob storm to the u.s capital we're about to see the rise of what i call white minority resistance we have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting. I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of violent denial.

This is part of American history. Every time that people of color have made progress, whether real or symbolic, there has been what Carol Anderson at Emory University calls white rage as a backlash. This is the wrath of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys. There has been what Carol Anderson at Emory University calls white rage as a backlash. This is the wrath of the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo Boys. America, there's going to be more of this. Here's all the Proud Boys, guys. This country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because of the fear of white people.

The fear that they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're taking our women. This is white fear. I'm Faraiji Muhammad, live from L.A. And this is The Culture. The Culture is a two-way conversation. You and me, we talk about the stories, politics, the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. So join our community every day at 3 p.m. Eastern

and let your voice be heard. Hey, we're all in this together. So let's talk about it and see what kind of trouble we can get into. It's the culture. Weekdays at 3, only on the Blackstar Network. What's up, y'all? This is Wendell Haskins, a.k.a. Winn Hogan, at the Original Tee Golf Classic.

And you know I watch Roland Martin unfiltered. All right, folks, we've been covering the story of conservative activist Ed Blum and his constant and vicious assault on the fearless fund, trying to shut them down for being able to assist black and women entrepreneurs. Tomorrow, the appeal, they go back to court. Ayanna Parsons is general partner of the Fearless Fund. She joins us right now. Glad to have you back on the show. So what's taking place tomorrow? Just explain to folks who are watching and listening exactly where we are in this fight.

Yeah, Roland, thank you so much for having me on. I don't think I've seen you since CBC. And just to break it down for the people, Fearless Fund is the first venture capital fund founded by women of color investing solely in women of color-led businesses. We are a for-profit entity, and I serve as co-founder, general partner, and chief operating officer. There is a completely separate foundation, 501c3, called Fearless Foundation, of which I have no involvement. But Ed Blum and AAER, which stands for American Association of Alliance of Equal Rights, sued all of the fearless entities as part of this lawsuit to stop critical funding from getting in the hands of the women who need it most.

Black women are the most founded demographic of entrepreneurs, yet the least funded. And I like to think of it like a boxing match. We won the first round. The second round we lost. And tomorrow, in federal court in Miami, we'll have round three, and we will go before a free judge panel. We have an incredible team of attorneys that are supporting us pro bono, and I couldn't be more thrilled with the legal strategy and heading into tomorrow's oral arguments.

I mean, look, this has significant implications because it comes on the heels of the Supreme Court decision regarding affirmative action. You've had Ed Bloom and others, Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, other Republicans, what, some 16 different attorney generals telling law firms they must stop their DEI initiatives. And so that's what this is all about. This is about the stopping of the advancement of black people to be able to participate in this capitalistic system. It's absolutely correct, Roland. And I am a product of this system. I am a four-time entrepreneur. My husband and I started what became the nation's, not only leading Black-owned management consulting firm, Yardstick Management, but ultimately

Best in America, rated by Inc. Magazine. And it was because of that experience as an entrepreneur, combined with many years of corporate experience, that we were able to achieve the American dream. So that is why I am fighting so hard to make sure that we can create more Ayanas in this world. Bright, smart, driven women of color who just need the access to capital, the strategic networks, the connections to make it happen. And it is so hilarious to listen to these people in their complaints, talking about these very things, because they act as if African-Americans and black women are somehow just getting the lion's share of venture capital money out here,

when the reality is damn near every venture capital dollar is going to white folks. I mean, the numbers are so small, it's unbelievably ridiculous. Roland, let me tell you, in 2022, more than $288 billion was deployed in venture capital across every industry sector. These are all early stage entrepreneurial companies and billion, 0.13 percent went to Black women and 0.39 percent went to all women of color. So when we talk about this situation, this issue, this tragedy, we are talking about mass inequities and disparities that will not be resolved unless there is more legislation and unless there are more investors and check writers that look like me and look like you. Questions from the panel, being your first. Yeah, I want to know, you all, the perspective of the argument that they're really forwarding

here, right? They're saying that we can't have racially specific remedies to racially specific problems. And this is like their crown jewel of stopping civil rights by co-opting the language of civil rights and then wielding it against us. How are you all addressing that part? Yeah, well, listen, I can't go into the specifics of the case itself, but what I will say is this. This is a planned, it is a thoughtful, and very well-funded attack. As Roland alluded to earlier, this individual, Ed Bloom, was front and center in getting affirmative action overturned in higher education. He was also involved in the

overturning of board legislation around diversity and inclusion in California. He's involved in Roe v. Wade. The list goes on. Sued law firms, sued West Point. And this is about eliminating any race-conscious decision-making in America and, quite frankly, weaponizing DEI. So what I would tell all of us is that this is so much bigger, this fight, than the Fearless Fund. This is all of our fight to protect our economic freedom. Absolutely. Larry? Yeah, so first of all, thank you for all your hard work. It's certainly appreciated. And I want to, if you could talk about, this is, as you described, we know it's a well-financed, you know, initiative in multiple initiatives to go after various entities. And so can you talk

about the chilling effect this is having? Because you talked about the attorneys, you have a pro bono, but you just talked about all his role in multiple issues relating to affirmative action, anything they want to describe as DEI. What kind of chilling effect can it have on other minoritized organizations that are seeking to balance the playing field? Yeah, well, it has instilled fear and intimidation. I mean, there are many organizations above and beyond the venture capital industry, but corporations who are pulling back their diversity, equity and inclusion funding, who are eliminating the chief diversity officer role altogether. Looks like we lost her signal there. Let me know when we have Ayanna Parsons back. The point that she was making there is one that is real.

By what they've been doing, by sending these letters, targeting these different companies, they want to stop their DEI efforts. That's what their goal is. That's their goal. They want to stop their DEI efforts. That's what their goal is. That's their goal. They want to shut all of them down, and they're going to target them one after another. Let me know, folks, when we have Parsons back. Rebecca, I want her to finish her thought. All right, go right ahead. It looks like we got you back. Go ahead and finish your thought, please. What I was saying is if we think about the chilling effects of this lawsuit,

you have major corporations that are pulling back their DEI funding, that are eliminating the chief diversity officer role altogether, or eliminating the resourcing and the support that goes along with it, let alone many of the venture capital firms and other institutions that are just rethinking their commitments to the most underserved, the most marginalized, and the most overlooked communities. So in my mind, this is, it's egregious when you think about just the chilling effect that the lawsuit has had. Mustafa.

Yeah, well, I think we're all clear, you know, that they have a great fear in relationship to black economic power, especially since sisters are leading in that category in many ways. You know, I'm curious because when you shared some of the statistics that you did earlier, most folks don't have that basic understanding. There isn't the educational sort of campaign around helping folks to understand these dynamics that are playing out. If you had three wishes, how would you move forward on making sure that everyone, both brothers and sisters and others who call themselves allies, have what they need to be able to get engaged and push back? Yes. Well, number one, you can go to fearless.fund to learn more about this fight. There is a lot of information out there on the internet about this economic freedom that we are so desperately fighting for. But the other thing that we can also do as a community is get much more informed on venture capital and the startup landscape.

There is a reason why Silicon Valley is Silicon Valley, and that's because billions, almost trillions of dollars are pumped into typically white individuals, white men who have started technology companies. And this goes back to the pension system. It goes back to the hard-fought backs and work of folks like firefighters and police officers and teachers. I mean, my grandfather was the fire captain in Tuskegee, Alabama. And to know that he worked tirelessly in his retirement dollars would go towards not supporting our black and brown communities, but could go towards supporting another tech company out in Silicon Valley. So these are our topics. It's information that we have got to get educated on as a community. We have to close this wealth gap and entrepreneurship is the way to do it.

All right, then. Yana Parsons, we appreciate it. Good luck in court tomorrow. Thank you so much for having me, brother. Stay strong. All right. Thank you. Do the same.

We come back. We'll talk about Wisconsin. Man, Republicans there, ooh, they are really upset that a Democrat was voted upon last year to the Supreme Court, and they now control the state Supreme Court. We'll talk about that case and how it could impact who controls the U.S. House, which means that this state could decide if you get the first black speaker of the House in Congress with Hakeem Jeffries. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered right here on the Black Star Network. Grow your business or career with Grow with Google's wide range of online courses, digital training and tools. Thank you. to in-demand jobs and connect with top employers who are currently hiring. Take one professional career certificate program or all six. Earn a Google career certificate to prepare for a job in a high growth field like data analytics, project management, UX design, cybersecurity, and more.

All professional career certificate programs must be completed by December 31st, 2024. Scan the QR code to complete the application. There are 1,000 scholarships available. Grow with Google and J-Hood and Associates. Be job ready and qualify for in-demand jobs. On the next Get Wealthy with me, Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach. The wealth gap has literally not changed in over 50 years, according to the Federal Reserve. On the next Get Wealthy, I'm excited to chat with Jim Castleberry, CEO of Known Holdings. They have created a platform, an ecosystem, to bring resources to blacks and people of color

so they can scale their business. Even though we've had several examples of African-Americans and other people of color being able to be successful, we still aren't seeing the mass level of us being lifted up. That's right here on Get Wealthy, only on Blackstar Network. Hey, what's up, y'all? I'm Devon Franklin. I'm Dr. Robin B., pharmacist and fitness coach, and you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered. A liberal Wisconsin Supreme Court justice is feeling the heat from Republicans in that state because they do not want her, that is Justice Janet Bratasewicz, they want her to recuse herself for the latest redistricting lawsuit

based on comments she made during her campaign calling the legislative maps rigged and unfair. In a motion filed Monday, they say her critical comments of the Republican maps require her to step aside to avoid a due process violation of the U.S. Constitution. They also cite that nearly $10 million of her campaign received from the Wisconsin Democratic Party. The new lawsuit argues last month's decision to order new state legislative maps opens the door to the latest challenge focused on congressional lines. This latest lawsuit seeks to redraw congressional maps for the November election. As I said, this will determine who controls the House. And so when you begin to look at the Republicans right now, Larry, hold an extremely

narrow majority. And so any movement of anywhere from three to five seats will determine who controls the House. This is huge, Roland. And we've been talking about this on your show for some time, right? They even threatened the impeacher before she even, you know, was sworn in. And so the Republicans are petrified. But this is the bottom line, is they gerrymandering, you know, not only in Wisconsin, but throughout the country. And these, you know, they have this way the power structure is set up. It's not fair. Constituency politicals who may be more progressive, are not truly represented in the state of Wisconsin and other places. But listen, you know, this election has consequences, as you talk about all the time, Roman, and this is an example. And so, listen, they've been trying to

put all kinds of barriers in a way to ensure that she doesn't, you know, rule on, you know, on this particular case. But once again, you know, they should have gotten people out to vote and they didn't. They lost. And this is the end result. And I'm looking forward to this case being taken up by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Actually, they lost pretty big. They lost pretty big there. It was by 11 points. I want to show you all something. This year, y'all, is the map. It shows Wisconsin's eight representatives here. OK, so you see right here, Republican, one Democrat. All of a sudden, another Republican. That's two. Then Democrat. Now it's two, two. Now three, four, five, six. So there are six Republican members of Congress, and there are two Democrats. If you all of a sudden change that and you now go

to, let's say, let's say they look at the map and it goes 4-4, all of a sudden you're now talking about pickup of two for the Democrats, loss of two for the Republicans. We saw what happened when Reverend William Barber and Repairers of the Breach, Mustafa, went after the maps of North Carolina. That caused North Carolina to have a 7-7. Well, here's the flip side of what's happening there. Because Republicans took back control of the state Supreme Court, they now have a 5-2 majority. Republicans are trying to jam through the maps that will take it back from, take it from 7-7, take it to 10 to four. And so that means a pickup of six. Now you also have Democrats in New York state who are looking at the maps where they

could pick up another six or seven. Plus you got the new black district in Alabama, in, in Louisiana, Georgia made some changes. Then of course you get what's happening in Florida. And so all of these things are going on. And it's really because Republicans have decided and it was really started with Congressman Tom DeLay in Texas when they said, oh, we can do redistricting anytime we want to. It used to be always at after the census, the beginning of the decade. Now they'll do it in the middle of that span. And that's why we have to pay attention. That's why we have to get engaged. You know, most people don't understand why it's so important to have the house. You know, that is where the purse strings are. So if you care about what's happening in relationship to housing or transportation or health care or jobs or the environment or a number of other issues, they all run through the house. They're making the determination around the dollars and how the dollars will flow and what, you know, those federal agencies and

departments are going to actually do. And that is actually rooted in our Constitution, Article 1, I believe it's Section 9, Clause 7, that actually set that up. So we've got to understand where power is. Where's the leverage actually happening? And that's how our vote comes into this. And that's why when you have individuals like there in that respective state that we're talking about, that's so critically important. So as we look at this map across the country, we can utilize our power. We can get engaged. We can move resources to our community. We can address the wealth gap. We can lower these deaths that are happening because of the environment and because of the climate crisis.

We can make sure that when we have a shrinking housing market, that there's still those dollars that are out there to help people to be able to have healthy housing and sustainable housing. But we have got to vote and we've got to understand the leverage points and how to utilize to make real change happen. And also keep in mind, and Ben, I talk about this constantly. You just heard me say it. Folks in Wisconsin, they came out and voted. Protaskowitz wins by 11 points. They flipped the state Supreme Court. That's how they were able to overrule the legislative maps. Well, in North Carolina, had Sherri Beasley won in 2018, Democrats would have had a 6-1 majority on that Supreme Court. Then, of course, she lost and went to 4-3. It flipped in 2022.

Now it's 5-2. And so this is why, again, for the people who are talking about sitting on their asses and staying at home and not voting, when you do that, this is how they are able to control the state house, the state senate, the governor's mansion, and the Supreme Court. You do that, boom, you can do whatever you want in the state. That's right. Republicans have mastered that art. They have no regard for the system. They have no regard for the rules that they try to get Democrats to abide by. As I'm looking at this case out of Wisconsin, I'm reminded that there are no Republican, there's no conservatives on the Supreme Court that have recused themselves over issues that

they should have. Clarence Thomas should have recused himself many a times. But Republicans have an uncanny knack of trying to hold Democrats to standards that they won't hold themselves. So my recommendation, if it meant anything, would be to ignore these Republicans' calls, because it's usually based on pressure campaigns. If Democrats capitulate to the pressure, they will always be dancing for what Republicans won't even hold themselves accountable to. Absolutely, absolutely. I talked about this last night, and I just got to get y'all's thought on this.

And why not? We've got an all-male panel tonight. Can somebody explain to me why is the right losing their damn mind over a young white woman named Taylor Swift? I mean, I literally have never seen, I mean, grown men, they attacking who she dated four times, oh my goodness, she done had different boyfriends. These people are absolutely loony, Mustafa. I mean, it's crazy to see how the possibility of Taylor Swift endorsing Biden is causing these folks to go crazy. Well, it's not just that she might or did, you know, endorse Biden. It is that

she actually has gotten folks to actually go out and register to vote. So they understand that if they can damage her and, you know, I know we're going to talk about AI later on, you know, you see all these different games that are going on attacking this young lady. She has a huge amount of influence, you know, not just across our country, but across the planet. And she also is looking through, you know, a paradigm of understanding the injustices that have existed and wanting to share her voice in that space. So we've seen others, you know, who have come out and who are artists, you know, who have said things or whether they're athletes also in the attacks that have happened. But it's especially, you know, apparent this time that they see her as having the ability to bring more people

into the voting space. And they want to do everything that they can to nullify that. So you just got to understand the game. Game, recognize game. We understand where these, you know, right-wing Republicans are coming from. I'm just, again, I'm just cracking up at how they are distraught. And again, listen, I can't name you one Taylor Swift song. I can't. What I do appreciate, I can't. I'm just straight up.

What I do appreciate is that she uses her platform when it comes to the issues that matter. Listen to this crazy, this crazy, out of his mind,, right wing nutcase, Jack, piece of shit. That's not actually what it is. It's the Pulse of Big Whatever. I don't know what the hell that's the last name. I don't give a damn. But he's a nutcase. So check this out.

This to me, I think it's the second funniest video that I've seen today. I want you all to check this out. On this movement, the millions watching back TV, when we do the podcast, we do war room, when we do human events, right? That's who we got. And so that's who we have to go to war with. And so when it comes to winning these elections, we have to understand the new game. And when I talk about Taylor Swift, I say it's so obvious to me. She's the perfect vehicle to go to those low propensity white liberal women to say, I need you to come out. I need you to come out for what? What will be the issue? It'll be abortion. Right.

Abortion will be the issue. You need to come out. You need to get out on here and we can all see it. I'm sorry. I hope you're right. I hope you're right. But unfortunately, I have to live in the world of what's, you know, what potential threats could be out there. And the indicators and warnings right now are going off the charts that that, of course, she came out as a Democrat in 2020. She attacked Marsha Blackburn in 2018. She's driven out voters using her social media presence in the past. And so it really seems like all the indicators going. And then, of course, the new and then take my word for it. The New York Times has already said that the Biden administration is working on what they call the Taylor strategy. So, again, it's not about her as a person. It's about the machine that's around her and how they can use

the power of her celebrity. And people said, well, wait a minute, Jack. Celebrities have always gotten into politics and it doesn't really matter. Yes, it matters now because they changed the system of voting, right? Because they changed it to ballots, because they changed it to – and by the way, we can do this as well. We don't have a Taylor Swift on our side, but you know who we have? We have Kid Rock. We have Ted Nugent. We have influencers. We have all these people, Jon Voight. we have people that can come out and use their audience

as number one. I'm sorry, Ben. Ben, that was the part I was really trying to wait to get to. That boy literally said the funny part was coming, but I found it. It was the whole build up. That fool said, yeah, you know, we got our influences too. Yeah,

we got Ted Nugent. We got Kid Rock. We got Jon Voight. You know, we got Vanilla Ice. Yeah, man, we got... I think if you probably... Oh, man. We got Rob Schneider. I think if you probably.

Oh, yeah. Yeah, we got Rob Schneider. We got Dennis Miller. We got Scott Baio. What's that other fool? He played. See, I can't. Kevin Sorbo.

Let's see. I think if you add all eight followers together. See, I can't. Kevin Sorbo. Let's see. I think if you add all their followers together, you might get to 200,000. Well, you honestly might. I mean, well, on Elon Musk's Twitter, you might get up to 2 million because he's been building them all up. But listen, there's a couple of components here, Roland. Jack Posobiec, however you pronounce his last name, he really represents like the vanguard of this militant male grievance complex that really wants to genuinely remove the voting rights of women. So while he's on stage dressed up looking nice and trying to speak presentable, he really does represent like the Nick Fuenteses of the world that absolutely want to take away women's rights to vote. And so from that perspective, Taylor Swift is, they hate her so much because she's a woman.

And they're very clear about that. And then the second thing is the right wing has the social media algorithms on lock. They have YouTube on lock. And if they can prevent someone as big as Taylor Swift from broadcasting an alternative message, I mean, they really do have the messaging echo chamber on lock around this country. So Taylor Swift poses an existential threat to their hermetically sealed bubble. I'm telling you, I've been, I'm sorry, I know, again, I had no plans on discussing this again, but the crazy is so outlandish. Y'all, I'm talking about these people all should be drug tested. Larry, this one right here. You know what? I just got to press play.

Lord have mercy. America's pop star celebrity sweetheart joins forces with a top dog in the NFL, playing for the team that's going to the Super Bowl. I mean, let's be real here. This is bread and circuses on steroids. Major League Sports in and of itself is nothing but a psyop. Get kids plugged into the cycle of going to public indoctrination camps, playing sports for their school and go into games. Many end up devoting their entire childhood to competing in various sports, only to be cut from the team,

at which point they become brainwashed into supporting professional teams because they know their dreams of becoming a pro athlete will probably never happen. So then they become obsessed with some grown man who gets paid millions of dollars every year to throw a ball around while promoting poison death shots and child slave labor through various brand deals and endorsements. So sad. Imagine being so brainwashed by sports you actually show up to your team stadium to shovel snow for free so you can watch a bunch of grown men who are overpaid tackle each other. Seriously though, trudging through three feet of snow amid a massive blizzard just to watch a game? Yeah, sorry, you couldn't pay me to do that. Just imagine for a moment if people were as dedicated to Jesus as they are professional sports.

I think the country might look pretty different if that were the case. But sadly, as we know, it's not. And perhaps that's why we're witnessing the crumbling and degradation of our once great nation. Instead, all we seem to care about are the celebrities and athletes propped up by the Hollywood elites and this ongoing theater, this fake, carefully crafted show that the masses have been hypnotized by and can't seem to turn off. America's pop star celebrity sweetheart joins forces with the top dog in the NFL. Oh!

Y'all go ahead you know i'm speechless because first of all i thought that was like some kind of sketch from saturday night live or something because i'm like this can't be real is she is this a real person on tv so that's first second of all she's talking crazy. I mean, these right-wingers, they get more outlandish. As time goes on, the closer we get to election, the more kind of all this nonsense we want to hear. So I want to be clear about this Taylor Swift, you know, insanity. I know she's a pop star, but I'm going to use the old hip-hop lyric, you know, the latte to the song, money, power, respect. And that's what they really fear about Taylor Swift.

She has the money, she has the power and influence, and she has the respect of all these individuals, Swifties, who follow her. And they're worried that if she says to her millions of followers throughout the United States, hey, I want you to go out and vote for A. They're worried about the impact that could have throughout the nation. But this is also about white males wanting to control white women and what they do, not only in terms of Roe v. Wade, but also when we hear about some of these other right-wingers talk about white women in general should be going out to vote. Or if they vote, their vote should be consistent with their vote. Or if they vote, they should vote. Their vote should be consistent with their spouses or other males in their house.

So this is really generally about an attack on women. But once again, she has the money, power, respect. And as a lot of said, that's what you need in life. And so they don't like that. And so they want to do whatever they can do to continue to destroy or undermine her in case she decides to say she wants to come out and support a candidate. I just want people just, again, to understand we are dealing with some completely unhinged people, and these are the people who want an unhinged individual, Donald Trump, to be back in the Oval Office.

Because any reason that you want to vote is to keep these crazy ass people out of power. We'll be right back. Next on the Black Table with me, Greg Cox. We look at the history of emancipation around the world including right here in the United States, the so-called the Black Table with me, Greg Koff. We look at the history of emancipation around the world, including right here in the United States, the so-called end of slavery. Trust me, it's a history lesson that bears no resemblance to what you learned in school. Professor Chris Mangiapra, author, scholar, amazing teacher, joins us to talk about his latest book,

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

What we need to do about it on the next installment of The Black Table, right here on the Black Star Network. Next on The Frequency, we have an incredible conversation with my guest nadira simmons talking about her new book first thing first hip-hop ladies that change the game the founder of gumbo net tells us the stories behind the women in hip-hop starting with the first woman that promoted the hip-hop party to megan the stallion there's even a chapter on me. Thank you so much. For including me in there. It's just so like, you had to be in there.

That's next on The Frequency on the Black Star Network. Me, Sherri Shebritt. This is Tammy Roman. I'm Dr. Robin B., pharmacist and fitness coach. And you're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered.

All right, folks. A Florida judge is recommending a 30-day suspension for a father-daughter pair of lawyers who publicly disagreed with the judge's decision to overturn a jury's $2.7 million ruling in favor of a black doctor in a racial discrimination case. Judge Lisa Herndon, who presided over the pair's disciplinary hearing, also recommended black Orlando attorneys Jerry and Brooke Gurley complete a workshop on professionalism. To explain why they are facing these sanctions, Jerry joins us from Orlando and Brooke is in Somerset, New Jersey. All right, Jerry and Brooke, man, y'all done pissed the judge off. I mean, so, all right, so she's in, y'all complained.

Like, did y'all throw some eggs at the judge? Like, what did y'all do? Not at all. Thank you so much for allowing us to be here. But I'll let my father sort of take you around, give you the back story of how we got here, because it was a different discrimination case altogether. I'll let my father take that. Yeah, so, again, also thanks, Rowan. Listen, we are civil rights lawyers. And by virtue of what we do, we challenge, we push back in terms of the established system,

the structures that have historically been unfair to people of color, particularly black people. So we took a case of a Kenyan doctor who worked for the largest hospital system in the state of Florida at NL, who was fired from the residency program and literally told to go back to Africa. No one would take his case. And I tell people this all the time. I don't do civil rights because I enjoy it, but I do it because people put their blood, sweat, and tears, and their lives into making sure this law exists.

So we took the case. It was challenging. We took it in 2017. We went to trial in 2021. After a six-day jury, the jury awarded him $2.75 million. And then one week later, the judge entered what is called a direct verdict, which is highly unusual. There's a legal mechanism for that to happen. But in all of the trials that I've ever been a part of, once the judge committed the matter to the jury for its consideration, whatever the jury decided, that was the final word. That wasn't the case here. So we, of course, talked about the fact that that was unusual and that was a departure from what we saw. We also talked about the fact

that we later learned that this judge had some type of relationship with the hospital. He used to represent one of the affiliates of the hospital. Prior to becoming a judge, that was not made known to us. We were concerned about that lack of disclosure then, and we continue to be. So in expressing our concern and raising awareness, that got back to the judge. And there's some dispute between the Florida Bar and the judge in terms of who filed the complaint. But the Florida Bar says this particular judge filed a complaint against myself and my daughter. So that's how we got here. Okay. I'm confused. So Brooke, y'all can't disagree with a decision by a judge?

Apparently not. I mean, some of the things that, because I actually had nothing to do with this case. So I was serving of counsel during this time, so I was not an active participant in this trial or anything like that. I just made comments on social media. And some of the comments were actually retweets, so they weren't even my words. And apparently, according to the bar, my First Amendment rights do not cover those comments. And some of the comments were like, the Dred Scott rule still applies. A black man has no rights which a white man is bound to respect. I said

that I don't think that the judge has the authority to do that. And they apparently consider that to be lies. They said that I'm disparaging the legal system and making comments like that, saying that the justice system doesn't provide equal justice for all. And me saying that, then that apparently causes people to lose confidence in the justice system. And so they in order to protect the public, they said that this 30 day suspension was appropriate because we are essentially out here lying about what's going on in the system. So, Jerry, what's next? Well, in terms of process, what's next is that we think that the referee, that's what when a judge presides over a disciplinary proceeding against a lawyer, that person is called a referee.

We think that the referee made some factual statements that are not actually accurate, that are not supported by the record of the trial. So our lawyer, David Winker, is in the process of drafting our motion for rehearing. But after that has been resolved, assuming that the judge or the referee stays with the original decision, then what will happen next is that we will have 60 days to write our exceptions. The Florida Supreme Court will ultimately make the decision in terms of whether or not we are suspended or not. But our goal has always been to create some awareness, number one, about how people of color, especially black people, are treated in the court system, not just in Florida,

but certainly in Florida, but all throughout America. One of the things that I said, Roland, is, look, and I was just speaking from my experience. I've litigated and I've had close to 100 trials. And what I said is litigating civil rights in the state of Florida for black and brown people is like having a 100-pound boulder on your back and climbing up a 100-foot cliff. They cited me for that statement and said that was a lie. So I don't know where my First Amendment rights end and where the roofs of the Florida bar begin. And one of the things that we've been seeking and we are still seeking is clarity in terms of what our First Amendment rights are. We think that our honest and good faith belief was that we did not violate the rules and we were speaking within the protection and the ambit of the First Amendment. Brooke, it has to be someone bothering for this judge to say, y'all need a class on

professionalism? Oh, absolutely. I mean, especially considering that, again, what we did, we felt like we had the right to do under the First Amendment. And even during our hearing, we were very professional. In fact, the only person that had any kind of emotional outburst was the judge who complained against us, Kevin Weiss. He's the only one who had kind of an emotional outburst. So we maintain our professionalism throughout this entire case. We did what our attorneys, because first we had another set of attorneys, we did what they asked

us to do. And our entire careers, we have maintained professionalism and we have never had any issues. This is the first time anything like this has come up. And of course, the reason why it came up was just because we were expressing our opinions as civil rights attorneys. And so we're concerned that if we can't speak out against what we see as injustice, it's just going to have a chilling effect on not only us, but other civil rights attorneys, other black attorneys within the state of Florida. So, you know, it's a bit outrageous that we they are offering that to us. Class on professionalism, when, again, we don't feel like we did anything that was unprofessional or even a violation of their rules. Indeed, indeed. All right, folks, Orlando, Jerry, excuse me, Brooke and Jerry, I appreciate it. Keep us abreast of what happens next. Thank you very much. Thank you. All right, folks, this is no surprise here being when we talk about Florida. state, how Florida Republicans are trying to stop cities, counties from being able to block or remove Confederate monuments.

This here is a political story that I just saw right here. And again, this is Florida doing Florida stuff. And when you look at this story here, again, they want to block citizen counties from removing or relocating Confederate monuments. The GOP is trying to push this. Democrats in the legislature are complaining about it. And again, what's so crazy to me is, oh, I'm sorry, I thought these are the people who believed in local control, who didn't like big government. Right. Certainly. You know, and with the attorneys that you just had on, it's the same thing.

The goalpost gets moved every single time. Republicans have no intention of abiding by the same principles they're trying to force Democrats to abide by. And when we look at what's happening in Florida, this is par for the course for the state of Florida. Some of this is in reaction to Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan recently removing the Confederate monument at the behest of the Republican-led city council. But this is just a problem all the way around the board. They want to continuously use the rules of the system to protect and enshrine their power. And they don't care what rules they have to break.

Well, what was crazy, Larry, you're there in Florida being referenced. I'm about to go to my iPad right now because I want to show you this here. Again, this is from the political story. It says right here that the new Democratic mayor of Jacksonville, okay, pushed to remove two bronze statues known as the Women of the Southland. That includes a woman in a robe carrying a Confederate flag.

The statues were first installed in 1915. And, oh, I'm sorry, aren't these also the Make America Great Again people? These are the people who, again, I thought we were supposed to be waving the American flag. It's interesting to listen to Republicans talk about how Democrats created the KKK and Democrats were behind Jim Crow. Who today is defending Confederates, white racists, domestic terrorists, Republican Party? This is the story of do what I say, not what I do in the state of Florida. And Roland, and some of you highlighted a few of these laws. Listen, this is like every week down here in terms of some of these outrageous bills. Obviously, the bill to pass the House that the governor may sign in terms of lowering the threshold in terms of kids being 16 to 17-year-olds, they will work eight hours a day.

So Florida is essentially the center of the culture war in the United States. And a lot of some of these laws you talked about have basically been adopted by other states. And so for Black folks, it feels like we live in hostages down here because the laws that you're describing, many of them are rooted in anti-Blatness. And it is hard. You just—two lawyers you just talked about, there's no dissent. And this is not consistent with democracy.

Either you follow this train of thought consistently people are talking about, or you're going to find yourself in serious trouble. And once again, this is the challenge with being Black and working in whatever discipline you do in Florida. And I need folks who are watching to understand that, you know, this is the third most populous state in the United States with a significant black population. And we need all hands on deck, not only in the state of Florida, but nationally to counter a lot of this misinformation

and fight to make sure that folks don't have a voice. Mustafa. Mustafa. Mustafa. Well, no disrespect to anybody who lives in Florida. I got a lot of good friends down there, but I call it Little South Africa because it is very much an apartheid-esque system that is being put in place to give, you know, a small group of individuals a majority of the power. When you look at this particular case that we were talking about with the attorneys who came

on just a few minutes ago, what that judge was really telling you is to know your place. You don't have a right to speak out against any injustice that you might think is happening. You know, I've been a part of a number of different cases over the years. I've served as a jurist before, and I've seen all kinds of folks in all kinds of locations who have shared certain things that I thought probably shouldn't have been said to judges, but there was nothing that happened. And I have seen attorneys come outside after cases and share if they felt that they weren't being treated fairly or they felt that that the judgment from the judge was incorrect. So once again, you can see these dynamics that continue to come and play out when you have the silencing of black voices.

The last part that I'll share, Roland, is we also got to understand these other dynamics that are taking place. Not only did they take that $2plus million dollars away from the Kenyan doctor, but they also are saying that there's no power that's associated with being a black doctor because your rights are not going to be, you know, played out correctly. And then if you are a black attorney, we're also going to make sure that we're extracting your power away so that we make an example for others who might want to bring forward in the state of Florida these types of civil rights cases that are going on.

So there is both the things that are happening on the surface, and then there is the other things that are happening subliminally telling black folks or supporters of black folks that if you speak out, if you stand up, if you push back, then we will make sure that we strip your power away and we show everyone that you don't have everything that you thought that you had. All right, folks, hold tight one second. Got to go to break. We come back. We'll tell you the latest with the stolen Jackie Robinson statue in Kansas.

Also, what's going on with Congresswoman Cori Bush and the DOJ? All of that next. Hey, folks, if you're watching on YouTube, hit the like button. I see all y'all over here commenting. I mean, this thing is scrolling fast. Hit the like button, y'all. It ain't that hard, okay? Hit the like button.

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not Byron Allen's The Griot, not Blavity. Nobody is doing what we're doing every single day and we want to expand what we're doing. And so please, we appreciate your support. Send your check and money. Order the PO Box 57196, Washington, D.C. 2 0 0 3 7 0 1 9 6. Cash shop dollar sign. R.M. Unfiltered. PayPal or Martin Unfiltered. Venmo is R.M. Unfiltered. Zelle. Roland at Roland S. Martin dot com. Roland at Roland Martin Unfiltered dot com. And again, YouTube folks, I want to see these likes. I want to see 2000. So y'all hit that dog on like button. I want to hit 2000 today. We'll be right back. I'm Faraji Muhammad, live from L.A.,

and this is The Culture. The Culture is a two-way conversation, you and me. We talk about the stories, politics, the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. So join our community every day at 3 p.m. Eastern and let your voice be heard. Hey, we're all in this together. So let's talk about it and see what kind of trouble we can get into.

It's the culture. Weekdays at 3, only on the Black Star Network. On the next A Balanced Life with me, Dr. Jackie, how big a role does fear play in your life? Your relationship to it and how to deal with it can be the difference between living a healthy life, a balanced life, or a miserable one. Whenever the power of fear comes along, you need to put yourself in that holding pattern and breathe, examine. Find out if there's something that your survival instinct requires you to either fight or take flight. Facing your fears and making them work for you instead of against you.

That's all next on A Balanced Life on Black Star Network. We just have one of the oldest cultures that's desperately needed for mutual salvation. That's the consciousness. We have the keys and our roots to save mankind. We get to see the condition of other countries, other oceans, other cultures. And if we believe in God, a lot of us do. He's telling us if you don't get rid of that stuff that makes somebody superior or inferior and work together for the mutual salvation, everybody's gone. Hi, I'm Jo Marie Payton, voice of Sugar Mama on Disney's Louder

and Prouder Disney+. And I'm with Roland Martin on Unfiltered. The Justice Department is investigating how Missouri Congresswoman Cori Bush spent campaign funds on security services. Standing on the Capitol steps, Bush says she is fully cooperating and explained that she retained her now husband as part of her security team and claims he could provide services at or below market rate. Organizations have lodged baseless complaints against me, peddling notions that I have misused campaign funds to pay for personal security services. That simply is not true. I have complied with all applicable laws and House rules and will continue to prioritize the rules that govern us as federal elected officials. In particular, the nature of these allegations have been around my husband's role on the campaign.

In accordance with all applicable rules, I retained my husband as part of my security team to provide security services because he has had extensive experience in this area and is able to provide the necessary services at or below fair market rate. These frivolous complaints have resulted in a number of investigations, some of which are still ongoing. The Federal Election Commission and the House Committee on Ethics are currently reviewing the matter, as is the Department of Justice. We are fully cooperating in all these pending investigations. In September of last year, 2023, after conducting a months-long investigation, the Office of Congressional Ethics found no wrongdoing

and voted unanimously to dismiss the case. I look forward to this same outcome from all impending investigations. And I am under no illusion that these right-wing organizations will stop politicizing and pursuing efforts to attack me and the work that the people of St. Louis sent me to Congress to do, to lead boldly, to legislate change my constituents can feel, and to save lives. Thank you. Can you vote for the judge? According to congressional ethics rules, the House of Representatives permits family members to be paid from campaign funds

for bona fide services as payments do not exceed fair market value. Any thoughts on this, Ben? Yeah, no, this is still, again, Republicans will take any opportunity they can, one, to occupy our time, right? This is a major occupation of Cori Bush's time as she's trying to do everything else that she needs to do as Congresswoman. But laying this at her feet, knowing, one, it doesn't matter how it plays out. This gives the headlines to Fox News and Newsmax and OANN all the headlines they need to defame her through this entire news cycle. So they're going to get the political wins out of it that they want, even if they don't win the ethics investigation. Larry?

I agree with my colleague. I just talked about, you know, in a few segments ago about propaganda, whether this, you know, allegations are true or not. Now you've got Fox News and also, Roland, we have to note that she has a primary challenger in her congressional district. And she's consistently been under attack because of her progressive views. So we'll see what happens with DOJ, you know, to see what these allegations. But the bottom line is she's consistently been under attack, once again, for her views. And it's going to consistently be used as propaganda to assert that she's done something illegal and indications thus far that she has not. Mustafa. Yeah, we'll let the case

play out. But, you know, I've actually been on the steps with Cori Bush and a whole bunch of other folks where she camped out and stood up for the housing inequity that was going on. The other thing that I'll raise is that hate crimes continue to escalate in this country. So, you know, congressional people who have a spotlight on them are a target, and they need to have security to be able to keep them safe. I'll ask people to remember Gabby Gifford when someone rolled up on her and what they did. So, you know, when you have someone like Cori Bush, Representative Cori Bush, who continues to stand up for the marginalized,

for those who are unseen and unheard, we have to make sure that she's protected. And as long as she was following the rules that they've set out, then we understand once again the game that is being played to try and weaken these black women politicians so that they can try and get somebody else to take their place. Folks, let's go to Kansas, where authorities there have recovered the burned Jackie Robinson statue. This here is, so that's the photos there. They got a phone call saying that, about 8.40 this morning, saying that a trash can was on fire at Garvey Park in the southern part of the city. They say it's not salvageable. The statue, of course, cost $50,000. It was sawed off at the feet from McAdams Park. It was installed there just two years ago. That's the video there of that particular statue.

And so there is surveillance video. And police, they've also said they've been working with Austin investigators, and they've done more than 100 interviews with folks as well. So it is, of course, doggone shame that it's happened, but we're talking about America, so none of us are surprised. Let's go to Ohio, where white supremacists will spend 18 years in prison for firebombing in Ohio Church. They've been planning to host two drag events. Amin Penny, a 20-year-old member of the pro-Nazi group White Lives Matter,

pleaded guilty in October to a church arson hate crime, as well as to using fire and explosives to commit a felony. During an interview with the FBI after being arrested on March 25th of last year, Penny told investigators that he would have felt better if the Molotov cocktails were more effective and burned the entire church to the ground. While appearing in court for the sentencing, Penny did not apologize and justified his actions as protecting children. Now, Larry, he's got about 18 years to think about it.

Yeah, and I'm quite sure he will be comfortable in that jail cell when they find out he tried to burn down a church. So, you know, I wish him the best of luck. But, Roland, we have to talk about, we've seen statistics the last couple of years in terms of, you know, these racist violence. We can certainly talk about we have the murders of Mother Emanuel. But this is part of a tragic, you know, part of a tragic history in the United States. And over the last several years in particular, we're seeing these acts of violence against black folks, particularly in black churches, which is problematic. But listen, I mean, the reality, Mustafa, when you have political candidates on the right

stoking, stoking racists, when you have the language that you hear, when you have fools like Charlie Kirk trashing MLK, when you have him and Candace Owens saying, oh, I'm not going to be flying with women. I mean, there is a constant attack. I mean, I laid out in my book, White Fear, these things were going to happen. And Donald Trump, that white domestic terrorist, that white nationalist, he's leading this effort. It is a part of the indoctrination of hate.

You know, many of the items that we've covered tonight, if you really unpack it, you know, it is really about hate. And how do you get people comfortable with hate? You continually feed it to them day after day, hour after hour, minute after minute. And we talked about the media outlets out there that just continue to pump this stuff. They pump it into people's spirits, into their souls, into their minds. And then eventually people go out and do these types of things because they normalize it, because they hear it and they see it.

And they have politicians who actually give it a legitimate sort of formula to take into your system. So when you continue to do that, you're going to get folks who have been indoctrinated, you're going to see them acting out in these types of ways, not only just in cutting down statues and burning churches, but also in assaulting people and losing people's lives. And look, this is what I've made clear. Then it's the targeting of people of color, the target of African-Americans. Then when you have, again, the people are mad about drag shows. And so you're burning churches. What are you accomplishing with that?

But you have political leaders who are engaged in this. You've got sitting members of Congress on the Republican side right now who are openly white supremacists. Andy Biggs, you've got Good out of Virginia. You've got individuals who they ain't got no problem going to white supremacist conferences and speaking. That's because they have gone from being emboldened by Donald Trump to hyping themselves up to acts of violence. I'm considering the manifesto that was left by the mass shooter in Jacksonville just a few months ago, back in the last August. The rhetoric that he used is some of the same rhetoric we see, the exact same rhetoric in the white grievance complex and the white replacement theory. And it's the same kind of language that we're seeing weaponized and used on social media platforms like X. All of them are repeating the

same type of hate-filled rhetoric around black people, and it's pushing and pumping and prodding them into taking out actions of violence. This is why we have to take them seriously. Like, these are not lone wolves. This is a coordinated ideology. And whether or not it's coordinated in terms of one puppet master sending out—no, no, it doesn't happen like that. It's stochastic terrorism. They listen

to the same type of media, the same type of media feeds them the same type of fear, and eventually they hype themselves up into taking action. Indeed, that's exactly what you are seeing. Real quick, folks, the Illinois State Board of Elections will allow Donald Trump to remain on the state's primary ballot. In a unanimous vote, the eight-member state board of four Republicans and four Democrats agreed with a recommendation from its lawyer to let Trump remain on the ballot by determining it didn't have the authority to decide whether or not he violated the U.S. Constitution, Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. The board's

ruling comes after a retired judge and Republican found that a preponderance of the evidence shows Trump is ineligible to run for president because he violated a constitutional ban on those who engage in insurrection from holding office. However, the hearing officer recommended that the board let the courts decide. The Supreme Court has set the arguments in the Colorado case next week. The ruling will affect whether Trump's name could be placed on other primary ballots nationwide or removed. All right, going to a break. We're going to come back.

We're going to talk about AI, how the fake news that it is pushing out is serious cause for concern. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered right here on the Black Star Network. When you talk about blackness and what happens in black culture. We're about covering these things that matter to us, speaking to our issues and concerns. This is a genuine people powered movement.

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On the next Get Wealthy with me, Deborah Owens, America's Wealth Coach. The wealth gap has literally not changed in over 50 years, according to the Federal Reserve. On the next Get Wealthy, I'm excited to chat with Jim Castleberry, CEO of Known Holdings. They have created a platform, an ecosystem, to bring resources to Blacks and people of color so they can scale their business. Even though we've had several examples

of African Americans and other people of color being able to be successful, we still aren't seeing the mass level of us being lifted up. That's right here on Get Wealthy, only on Blackstar Network. We'll be right back. Jaslyn Bailey has been missing from Las Vegas, Nevada since January 2nd. The 16-year-old is 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighs 150 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information about Jasmine Bailey is urged to call the North Las Vegas Nevada Police Department at 702-633-9111. 702-633-9111. The phrase fake news has been going around for years. With AI-generated content,

it's becoming harder to determine what is real and what is fake. We're being inundated every day with YouTube videos that use a mix of artificial intelligence generated and manipulated media to create fake content. That content is targeting black celebrities with salacious disinformation. A recent report found many of the videos are clickbait, meaning the YouTube video titles and thumbnails indicate narratives or allegations that aren't in the videos themselves. Social analyst and diversity strategist Shereen Mitchell joins us right now. Shereen, glad to have you here. Look, here's the deal. You got folks who are trying to game the system. This

is all about how can you trick the algorithm to drive up your views to generate money. But unfortunately, it's a little bit more than that. But absolutely, one of the key things about this is a reference to not only people doing clickbaiting to drive views, but also to generate money. Please remember that some of these people are a part of what they call creator funds and things like that. So the more views they get, the more money they get.

And YouTube, if you remember, during the whole Alex Jones event, was also participating in the false narratives that were being presented at that point. So what we're dealing with is the aftermath of that. And I want to make sure that we're not missing, that it's not just the AI deep fakes.

It's that we are now in a society where when Black women like Dr. Tenet Dubru and Joy Buluwame were trying to call out how bad this can get. And now we're starting to see the ramifications of that. And remember, Timnit was removed from Google, despite what Google is trying to do now with YouTube. But even that was a point of trying to talk about AI ethics and what AI could do in our communities. And this is a ramification of the fact that the prevention was not done. We're now dealing with the aftermath. You know, there was a...

I saw... What was it? I think it was on YouTube. They were this... Actually, I saw it on Instagram. Then I saw it on YouTube as well. There was this company that was claiming this doctor on Good Morning America was that was was supporting this particular product. And they were using her voice and her likeness in doing so. And the things that she was saying, she never actually said. They were utilizing AI. And it was to get folks to buy that particular

product based upon her name and likeness. And so this is what I mean about the way in which people are actually using it to not only make money from it and not being held accountable, but that doctor isn't the only one. There were other individuals and other celebrities

that were actually a part of that, that, that little, it was like a dietary. I remember it. It's like a dietary thing. And I remember how often it was being used. And this is a perfect example. But if you remember, do you remember when I think it was Jordan Peele did a version of the deep fake using Obama's face? Like we were being warned about the ways in which that this could go south. And the problem that we're having isn't just the way that it's being used right now for views. We have to worry about this in terms of how, what I think we are watching, not only with celebrities, but what will eventually happen for politicians and the way in which it'll be used in that way to come up with false narratives. Like the case that we're watching right now about Oprah is just one of the

many versions that like it's based, and I say this all the time because of the work that I've done on disinformation around this conversation. There is a kernel of truth. There is a news article. There is something out there that has happened and what the deep fakes and what the disinformation does is wrap the fake stuff around it for a completely different purpose. And that purpose is usually to the benefit of the channel, to the benefit of the views, and not to the benefit of the community. So when it is targeting people who happen to be speaking to or trying to get people out to vote, you have to understand the devastation of what that means when people are seeing and viewing things that is not connected to reality, that they may go vote based on a deep fake or a problem that they think is happening that does not actually exist. And obviously during this election season, because what happens is people see it,

they share it on their social media, it spreads like wildfire, and now you're trying to catch up and say, hey, hey, hey, this ain't real. And so just please remember, and I've done this with you multiple times for people to understand, I will repeat it again. The lie will go six times faster than we can get the truth for people to correct. And on average, believe me, people will not even take down the videos. Even many of the companies like YouTube, TikTok, and others will not take down the fake videos, but they will take down the videos of people

calling out the fakes. And we are in that system currently today. And the problem that we're having is the lack of understanding about how far this can go. And honestly, even though Google, I think, understands the problem, and I'm sorry, I shouldn't just say Google because it's Alphabet that owns both, but that they know that they have no control over it and they've actually admitted to it. But when the prevention was attempted, it was seen as being problematic or stifling ideas or free speech and the like. And I really want people to understand that when people's words are being used completely

out of context, when their identities are being used completely out of context, none of that is about free speech and none of that should be protected. And most of those accounts should be not only brought down, but they should repay every dime that they got from using those pieces of content. Let's go to my panel. Mustafa, you first. Yeah, well, Serena, it's good to see you again. You know, I'm curious. So, you know, it's sort of like the genie's out of the bottle, but do we put in place, you know, it's sort of like the genie's out of the bottle. But do we put in place, you know, fraud charges?

Like, how do we hold people accountable for the damage that they do? Because it's not only about them making money, but they could put some nefarious stuff out there that hurts somebody's brand. They lose deals, so forth and so on. So, legally, what do we need to put in place to check what is happening and what will grow? I love the fact that you said the horse is out the barn. And I love to see you again. Love to have this conversation with you. Do note that the White House did try to do an executive order and try to sort of get people to pay closer attention to this. There was an attempt to do that. But please understand that

a lot of the regulations have to come from the FTC, the FCC, and that has not been happening. And we know why in many different ways. But one of the challenges that we're having is that if there aren't class action suits, right, there are probably not bigger cases that people can have about their defamation because you're right. Many of these are actually forms of defamation that could also be lawsuits. But unless you have the funding and the money to go back after these, these, uh, these, uh, accounts, uh, and, or even the companies like YouTube and TikTok and others, we're in this sort of cycle of like, who holds them accountable? Because that's the cycle we're currently in, Mustafa.

Ben? I'm curious if there's any research on just how much companies like Alphabet and YouTube benefit from this, because their algorithms are pretty precise at suppressing one type of content. And I know they have algorithms that can identify AI, deep fakes, but it seems like they might have some incentive in some of these cases, maybe not one-to-one with the AI, but with some of the algorithm that takes them down the right-wing channels. There is an incentive with a core message that benefits a certain core group of people that it seems like YouTube and the rest of them are not interested in even addressing. And I need to give my full disclaimer. I was banned from YouTube in 2009 because I was talking about the problems in diversity in the tech community and tech companies. And I was using my own content with content about commercials and the way in

which we were being represented as individuals in that content. And the fact that the only time I was giving back my quote-unquote account was when the Alex Jones affair happened. So they were benefiting from the mis- and disinformation because they were getting the views and the monetary gain from that. And that was part of the problem. So you're not wrong in this part of the conversation, because without regulation, there is no other incentive because the monetary incentive is greater. It's not until someone actually gets harmed, unfortunately, which I have to deal with as well. When the harm happens, then there's a conversation about what accountability looks like,

but it has to be, unfortunately, after the harm happens. And we need to start doing the prevention first. And again, I'm going to give big ups to the women who were trying to talk about AI ethics well before we got here. Larry? Yeah, so I want to talk about how we educate the populace. So I think this is a big issue, particularly young kids as they move along

in the pipeline. Should we have public service announcements? Like, you know, you see sometimes with certain issues funded by the federal government, state government, what more should government do in terms of educating, you know, citizens and having them understand what it looks like? So the hard part is, I'll say it again, the only place that we've seen this right now is the executive order that came out of the White House. The difficult part is that means we have to have lower level conversations from like schools, educators and the like. And many of them are not completely aware of the harms and the damages of this. And when we bring this up, it becomes one of the challenges. I'm changing my battery real quick. I'm back.

Oh. Shereen, go ahead. One of the challenges and the spaces in between is what you're saying is exactly right. So when we were first initially talking about disinformation, people just kept saying, well, you're just making it seem like people are not educated enough to know what is in front of them. And now we're on the other side of it going, how do we teach them that some of the things they're seeing probably isn't real. And that is the crux of the balance in between that timeline. So it would be great if even parents were participating and letting their children know that some of the things they're viewing on those videos are not real. But I also

need politicians to participate in that. And I also want educators to be able to participate in what would be classified as media literacy enough to understand when they're looking at actual content that is real content versus myths and disinformation or deep fakes or any version of manipulative AI. Like, I do think that sometimes we get caught up in watching, like, the beautiful AI images that has been sort of gathering other artists' content and coming up with different versions. Like, that is the cute part of it.

What we're watching now is the other side of how damaging it can be. And please also remember one of the other aspects of AI is the way that it does not identify black and brown bodies properly in facial recognition that can be harmful for our children and ourselves individually in certain settings. One of the things we need to now do, like as if we were saying, hey, if police are showing up, we need to now start saying, hey, the content you're viewing is probably problematic content. And let's have a conversation about what you think you're seeing or what you think you're believing, because a lot of that content now has been highly manipulated. And many of the companies are not being held accountable for taking it down. Many leaving because a lot of that content now has been highly manipulated and many of the companies are not being held accountable for taking it down. Many of the accounts are not being shut down and we still don't have enough

regulation to hold any of those people accountable. All right then. Shereen, we appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Thank you for having me again. All right. We appreciate it, then. Shereen, we appreciate it. Thanks a lot. Thank you for having me again. All right, we appreciate it. Folks, that is it for us. Let me thank Ben, Larry, and Mustafa for joining me on today's show.

I certainly appreciate it. Thank you so very much, Ben. This is what happens when you get to kick it with three alphas. No, no, it's always a pleasure, Roland. Thanks for having me, man. And I really want to appreciate the stories that you choose, man. It's so critical,

these stories right now for the black community. It's just too critical. Thank you. I appreciate it. Always glad to have y'all. And so look forward to our next conversation, folks.

Thank you so very much. All right, folks, that is it for us. Do me a favor. If you're watching on YouTube, you can hit the like button, y'all. still got time. I want to see 200 likes. I wanted 2000. So I don't know why y'all so doggone slow. So hit the like button before I get off. I say this all the time. And look, y'all, I mean it. We are. And when I say I'm fighting these folk for advertising money, I'm not joking.

$340 billion spent every year. Black Omea gets 1% or less. Yet, we're buying these products. We've done stuff in the past with Coca-Cola. We have a current partnership with McDonald's. We've done stuff in the past with General Motors. That was in 2022. All right, GM, we need y'all to step up in 2024 because y'all didn't last year. Procter & Gamble, Apple.

We've done stuff, but trust me, there are other companies out there. I see their ads running in other places. I don't see it in black owned media. Financial services companies. I can run the list down. There are opportunities for us to do this. This is precisely why.

When we are frozen out of the money, this is why we cannot grow. That's why we can't have more staffers, more reporters, more anchors, more producers. Because we are always staying small because we're not getting the dollars. So we're working on it. We're fighting that battle every single day. So we want you to support us as well by joining our Bring the Funk fan club. Send your checking money over to the P.O. Box 57196, Washington, D.C., 20037-0196. Cash app, dollar sign, RM Unfiltered. PayPal, R. Martin.

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I want you to tune in to the show tomorrow because I'm a break some stuff down tomorrow. Y'all that man is going to blow y'all away. I don't know how many of y'all saw this story. I saw this story and it was involving Issa Rae. And she talked about this is the Hollywood Reporter story. And so she talked about the cancellation of black shows. And it says black shows have her considering the indie route. You're seeing very clearly our stories are less of a priority. I am going to walk y'all through and break this thing down on what it would mean if black folks financially supported a black content network.

Trust me, I'm going to walk you all through some stuff and you're going to be like, what? Are you serious? Trust me, I am. And we're going to go historical. In present day, it's a conversation you do not want to miss. I guarantee you, you do not want to miss it. That's going to be tomorrow's show. I'm just letting you all know right now.

It's going to be lit. Just letting you all know. Download the Blackstar Network app. Apple phone, Android phone, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Xbox One, Samsung Smart TV. Also, watch our 24-hour streaming channel. We're on all of the platforms, folks. You can check us out on Amazon Fire by going to Amazon News.

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I'll see y'all tomorrow right here on Roland Martin on the filter on the Black Star Network. Howl! Folks, Black Star Network is here. Hold no punches! I'm real revolutionary right now. Black power. Support this man, Black Media. He makes sure that our stories are told.

Thank you for being the voice of Black America, Roller. I love y'all. All momentum we have now, we have to keep this going. The video looks phenomenal. See, there's a difference between Black Star Network and Black-owned media and something like CNN. You can't be Black-owned media and something like CNN. You can't be Black-owned media and be scared. It's time to be smart.

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