The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Mia Jaye Speaks On Young Dolph's Legacy, Justice, "Black Men Deserve To Grow Old" Initiative + More

Episode Date: December 14, 2023

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete. Or maybe not. No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my God.

What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. We need help! That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast

Post Run High is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's up? This is Ramses Jha. And I go by the name Q Ward. And we'd like you to join us each week for our show, Civic Cipher. That's right. We discuss social issues, especially those that affect black and brown people, but in a way that informs and empowers all people.

We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence, and we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home, workplace, and social circle. We're going to learn how to become better allies to each other. So join us each Saturday for Civic Cipher on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jacqueline Thomas, the host of a brand new Black Effect original series, Black Lit. The podcast for diving deep into the rich world of Black literature. Black Lit is for the page turners, for those who listen to audiobooks while running errands

or at the end of a busy day. From thought-provoking novels to powerful poetry, we'll explore the stories that shape our culture. Listen to Black Lit on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, 1974. George Foreman was champion of the world. Ali was smart and he was handsome. The story behind The Rumble in the Jungle is like a Hollywood movie. But that is only half the story. There's also James Brown, Bill Withers, B.B. King, Miriam Akiba. All the biggest black artists on the planet. Together in Africa.

It was a big deal. Listen to Rumble, Ali, Foreman, and the Soul of 74 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Wake that ass up. In the morning. The Breakfast Club. Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha Guy the morning. The Breakfast Club. Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha Guy. We are The Breakfast Club.

We also have Lauren LaRosa, which is our guest host. We got a special guest in the building. We have Miss Mia J. Welcome. Hello, hello. How are you guys? How are you feeling? Good morning.

What's happening? I'm feeling pretty blessed. Good, good, good. If you don't know who Mia J. is, of course, she's Young Doll's fiance. Also the mother of his children. And I just want to say thank you because last year we went on this. Well, this year we went on a huge car show tour and you allow me to share some of Young Dolph's works with the world. Cars and artifacts and jewelry. And it was just just an amazing show.

So I just want to say thank you for allowing us to do that and show that to the world. For sure. Thank you for even inviting us and thinking of us to collaborate together. I think it was a great collaboration. I just want to say thank you for that. And I love your Black men deserve to grow old movement. Tell people what that is. So that movement, it started off as a campaign. Honestly, um, I lost my brother in 2020 to gun violence. He was an honest working man, had a car dealership. Um, one of his customers took his life. And after that happened, um, it really devastated me.

Like we were three years apart. If you see my children, like just how they interact, engage, um, that was me and my brother. So I was just, you know, like, I couldn't believe that somebody would take his life so, uh, frivolously. Um, and so it prompted me to start, you know, and then I also was talking to a girl I went to high school with and people that were around me, like, oh, my brother got killed too. And the guy who did it, he was out on bond. He was facing attempted murder and he took my brother life in the process. And it was just happening so much. And we were just talking like black man deserve to grow old. Like that is so messed up that like it's so risky to be stacked against black man like they are. And so I started it as a campaign just to raise money for a few of the families that I were talking to, like the different people who are connected to me that had experienced loss as well as my sister-in-law just to be able to help and i wanted to raise awareness like y'all this interracial crime problem that we have you know where we're just taking each other's lives real senselessly the love is lacking um we need to do something about it so i started it as a

campaign in 2021 um and then like three months later Dolph was taken the same type of way like just violently prematurely um without a it's like reason wise it's like it's not a good reason for these men just to be snatched for them for them from their families and communities and stuff and so it just after his death it just amplified people listen more um I think the message resonated more like, dang, you were talking about that, and then it happened to you even closer than it did before. So that's Black Men Deserve to Grow Old, a call to action and a message that's meant to be spread within the black community first and foremost that we need to do better amongst one another

because we've taken fathers from families um like mentors from communities and all of that senselessly we need to do something about it how are you holding up i mean it's i mean it must you must feel it every time there's a court case every time you hear the music so how are you doing so for sure i mean i feel it it's like. It's like I relive my life, you know, like over and over again, like that particular day, the taking of in so many different types of ways. And to be honest with you, the question was asked when we were here, like, how do you maintain your strength? I'm like, man, from God, it's no other. It's no other. And I know it's cliche as that may sound for so many. Like, what does that mean? I get how cliche that may sound. But it's like I really don't have get how cliche that may sound but it's

like I really don't have a true answer outside of that because it is heavy it is a you know me me me using my voice to advocate for the people I love the most that was taken from me violently and it's not just for them it's for our whole community because this could happen to anybody's family brother husband fiance whoever and it's like it's heavy but the burden feels very This could happen to anybody's family, brother, husband, fiance, whoever. And it's like it's heavy, but the burden feels very light. And I can't quite explain what that why other than like it got to be God. You know, he gave me this.

He knew when he created me that I was going to be carrying out this task. I didn't. You know, you couldn't have told me November 17th that this was something I was going to have to carry. And so for me to be able to stand up, for me to be able to hear his music, all it does is like really fuel me. When I hear like his interviews, I didn't listen to him like that when he was here because I was too busy being a mom and taking care of the family and doing things. And I just couldn't keep up with everything he had going on. But now when I listen, it's like I feel like he's giving me messages or I take them as messages of encouragement

and just, like, keeping me going. And, you know, like, I don't know. I'd be thankful that he has so much on wax, you know? I wonder about that. You know, I don't think you ever truly heal from the type of trauma you experience. But when you constantly see, you know, his interviews or, you know, video, cause you know, I feel like I'm always seeing Dolph on my timeline.

Does that, does that help or hurt? I mean, I feel like it helps because it's, it's peace. You know, he brought peace in my life. Like my, that, that life that I spent with him, it was a beautiful time in my life, even though in the thick of it, I'm gonna be honest, you know, you go through so much with people, but the good definitely always outweigh the bad. And it's like when I reflect on who he was to me, it's like I smile. Like it's like I hear his laugh or so many things that that sparks a memory from the

time that I enjoyed the most, you know, so it's like I feel good to hear him, see him. I smile. You know, sometimes I can shed tears, but they're not always tears of sorrow. It's because I've now accepted that we're only here for a finite amount of time. And we ain't meant to be here forever. We all got to check out at some point. And unfortunately, he did. But I love hearing him and seeing him.

How did y'all meet? We met. So I was in college in Memphis and my roommate at the time, she was like, it's a guy I want to introduce you to. She was friends with one of his friends and I'm like, listen, anybody that's associated with homeboys, birds of a feather flock,

I'm straight. No, she was like, he rapping. I listened to the music. I wasn't into rap at that time in my life at all. What were you listening to? I was listening to like neo-soul. So I have a background in like music, but like classical, jazz, neo-soul, gospel, all of that, right? You like like Jill Scott, Floor Tree, Airbob Do.

All of that. That's my vibe too. Jasmine Sullivan. I'm with you. That's your energy too. That's my energy. That is really my energy. Always has been.

So when she would play him, I'm like, listen, I'm straight. I'm straight. But once I actually met him, she said that for a long time. Once we actually met, he was really too cool for school for me. Like, we met at the mall finally. And he like, put your number on my phone. I'm like, boy. Like, you too cool for me, but whatever.

And we just, it was just a real easy going. Like, we just got up as friends. And when he spoke and when we talked and when we, you know, just kicked it, I was like, dang, he really is filled with some substance. Like, he's very intelligent or he's very focused and determined. So all of those things, it was those character traits that really attracted me to him. And after a long time, I was like, I don't know. I mean, I fell in love with him because he was like different than what the eye just saw, you know.

That's how we met. When you talk about like the interviews that you watch that make you smile or maybe you start your day with, what's like one of your go-to things or like messages that he has out in the world? To be honest, it's really one of his songs. One of the songs when I really, my go-to is like this song called You Got It with Vito. And I feel like he talking to me, I mean, when he was here and he played the song, I was like, oh, you talking about me?

But it's like this, you know, like, baby, you got it. You look like a goddess. You got me. Like, the words that he sang, it's like when I need to be picked up, like, to find another one like you, I doubt it. You know, just all of these different types of things. Like, it's saying, it's like when I need to be picked up, like to find another one like you, I doubt it. You know, just all of these different types of things. Like it's girl, it's your world. They can't do nothing about it.

Like it's something that breathes life into me. Like, just keep going. He will be proud of you just for keeping going, you know. I'm seeing you speak out about the criminal case. And you said that you've had some frustrations. Like you've been advocating for a fair trial. What do you mean when you've had some frustrations like and you've been advocating for a fair trial what do you mean when you say a fair trial so it's a lot of things it's a lot of things obviously I can't say um but the the thing is is that you know each victim they have victims a

victim's bill of rights right and you're supposed to communicate with them you're supposed to update them it's been things that like I've been updated via the media you know and it's just a form of disrespect that I felt like why should I get on the internet and see anything there first you know and I just feel like the courtesy let us know it's been things that you know just the way I feel like the family was being handled just as when they do give us updates and we're like oh we don't like how that you know that that don't sound kind of right like a low bond like that and it's like well this is what we're doing and I've talked to other people consulting with other attorneys and you as former U.S. attorneys and they're like well you know your your voice should be heard like if it's something that you

guys are not really liking it doesn't sit well like have they tried to you know talk to you guys about meeting in a better common ground or presenting different types of terms. I'm like, no, it's pretty much like this is what it is. You like it. This is what we're doing. And you know, it's a U.S. case. And so it's not a Doff case or whatever the case may be. But I'm like, listen, this is not fair the way that this is being handled. And if we have rights as victims, like, let's honor those rights and let's respect the family and let's do a better job of communicating and making sure that the family is, you know, in agreement with what's going on a little bit more. Especially if there's room for that.

Let's make room for that. Right. What's your thought on Memphis? How do you feel about Memphis? Because, of course, Memphis, he was killed in Memphis. But Memphis has so much love for Dolph right and I've seen it at the car show we did in Memphis I mean the amount of people that came out and was crying and just happy to see everything from his his artifacts to how it was built to the Dolph Museum that was built what's your thoughts on that because

they took your baby yeah no for sure and my brother. My brother was there, too. You know, it's bittersweet for me, because Memphis is very supportive, even of me, the movement, my kids, just everything, you know, like Dolph. And it's really, like, kind of split. Like, for me, it's very hard, because I'm this person that's like, listen, like, you with me, you with me, you not. Like, just get away from me type of thing. And it's kind of hard with it being a city where, you know, you could be in support over here, you could be in support there,

just different types of places and stuff like that. And it makes me feel uncomfortable because I'd be like, where do you really stand? I feel like that's what kind of be in the back of my mind in a sense. And, you know, safety-wise, it's just like not even just in terms of Dolph, it's just like it keeps seeming like it's being worse and worse and not just in Memphis, but in a lot of urban areas where for me, safety wise, I'm like, listen, I don't want to be nowhere near it, you know?

But at the same time, it's so hard not to, because he did love that place. Um, and there is so much work to be done and there is a huge support. And I do have love for Memphis because that's where I did my growing years. I grew up as a young woman in Memphis. So I definitely have love, but it's very bittersweet. Is it true the judge was removed from the case? It was. That was one of the things that I learned via the Internet, via social media.

Why was he removed? So how I understand it, he was removed because there was one of the, what do you call them? Defendants. Defendants, right, him. He made a song in jail and he was reprimanded by the judge, but the judge didn't follow the proper protocol in reprimanding him. And so for that, he had to, you know, recuse himself, which basically like, hey, you know, if this wouldn't have happened now, later on down the line, it could have been like we want to. Miss trial.

Yeah. Or something like that. So I see the benefit. But also it's just it was just so many things about it. Questions that I had, like, you know, kind of. It's just a lot. And I guess you have to understand the legal system for how those type of technicalities happen,

but it's basically how it happened. But he's a seasoned judge, you know? Very seasoned. I've done my research on him, very fair. Seemed like he would be very appropriate for the case, but things have happened in a different type of way, so. I am shocked one of the defendants got banned, though.

For a crime so heinous, I'm shocked they gave him a bond. When you asked about that, what was the explanation of, like, even just the number? Well, they're very vague, you know, and I get that. And I honor the vagueness because there is a sensitivity that you got to protect information and stuff. So they weren't very direct about why that happened, right? But they said that this was one of the best,

this was a decision that they had to make that they felt like they were making a pretty much good decision. So we got to wait and see. You just have to trust so much right now on things that you don't understand. Is that really tough? Like, what do you worry about most when it comes to the case? And you know what?

I'm glad you just said. It's like the trust so much. That's where, that's why it pulls you in. Like, for me, I've just been pulled to, like, you got to just trust God. You got to lean not to your own understanding. You got to lean to God's understanding. Because I will never understand why he was taken to why the process is like what it is to so many different types of things.

And that's why I'm like, you know, you know what? Let me just make sure my heart stay in the right type of posture and condition. So my prayers can be honored, like that justice will be served and that I will one day understand soon enough, you know, because it's nothing. I can't sit back and just keep worrying about it because it's not going to do any justice for my body, my physical health, my mental health, my spiritual health. Me being able to have the strength to keep going for my children. I just got to be able to trust in the process and just know that, like, everything is going to work out for the good, you know? How much of it is too much to take in?

Like, you know, because I'm sure – do you want to know the why and the who and the what? I do. Really? I do. I want to know the why and the who. I want to know the – I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm sure as once that time comes and those actual trials come, I'm going to probably be shaking. And I know I probably will because when my brother's, right? But in the beginning of my brother's, I would go and I was listening and just hearing the defendant talk and whatever the case may be,

I was just shaking. Like, I cannot believe this. It was so just. Surreal. Yeah, and it was like, I can't quite explain how I was feeling, but it's going to take a lot out of me, but it's just something I'm going to have to take. I'm just going to have to take it because I do want to know why

because I need that type of understanding like why would you what you know what was so severe for that to happen you know like I just want to I need to know the facts and how are your kids doing um my kids to be honest they're doing a lot better you know um I was listening to um this interview the other day with Charleston White, and he was talking about the effects of young boys or whatever, and they get so angry. And when they're young, they don't have their fathers. They have so much anger pent up in them, and they end up channeling that anger in different types of ways

and end up wanting to take somebody's life and this and that or whatever. And when I was listening to it my son i recognized my son after his father passed up until like probably the beginning of this year so angry and was never that child like he when i tell you like stellar child he was that um but he was so angry and like i'm talking about like if i was like give me the phone he like no like he want to step up to me anybody he'll step up to anybody. That's trauma, though. He's just projecting the pain and the hurt he feels from losing his father.

He was. But, like, he said, you got to channel that. And I understood it. And it was making me mad sometimes. I'm like, listen, I'm restraining myself right now because you got me messed up coming at me like that. But I was like, I'm going to find a proper help for you. So I put him in a mentorship program and a karate program.

And he even tried his karate coach or whatever. Like, if you see this big guy right here, he about that size. And he was like, I'm about to let him know I ain't scared of him. I'm scared of not, I mean, I'm tired of not speaking up. He was seven years old at the time. Seven years old talking about, or eight years old. I'm tired of not letting him, you know, like making him feel like I'm scared of him. And I was like, I don't think he think you scared of him.

He was like, well, I'm a speak up. He spoke up. He stepped to the dude. He got picked up by his little karate suit up in the air about six feet off the ground or about three feet off the ground. And he got dealt with. And I had to allow that to happen because, I mean, it was hard to watch. But you were there when it happened.

Yeah, I was there. I had to walk out because I was did respect his mentor his his his coach or whatnot and it needed to happen and from that day on he ain't tried me him nobody he told the coach told him like man you got a spirit that's trying to get you to self-destruct you angry I understand but you need to learn how to control his self-control is everything right angry, I understand, but you need to learn how to control it. Self-control is everything, right? And afterwards, I was like, what did Daddy used to always say?

He was like, if you're not in control, you out of control. And I was like, so we need to stay in control because being out of control, like you got to maintain self-control. And so we worked through those. And when I tell you from that day and just ongoing, my son,

it's like a burden was lifted off of him and he's doing so much better, so much back kind of to his old ways and um his old self and i'd be thankful for that just for channeling that energy in the right type of direction you know do you think it's more of those uh murder than just what what what we know you know um gut wise gut wise i'd be feeling like that. But then I'd just be like, you know what, I don't know. And I just don't believe in sending myself down a rabbit hole, you know, based on. Internet gossip.

Yeah, just any of that. I had to, you know, because it's a lot that was out there. And you cannot get caught up in that. Like, it's so many people. It'd be people trying to was trying to talk about him like they knew him. Like, I slept with this man every night. Like, y'all don't know him. What are you talking about?

Like, but and I'm like, so my gut feelings are totally, you know, they could be totally different. But even that, like, I don't know. I don't have the facts. I don't know the answers. I don't know. So even when people misquote me or take pieces of anything I may say, it's like I said, I don't know.

I want to know. I pray for knowledge and understanding and all of that. Don't get it twisted with me saying anything based on what's already been presented. Like, I'm just, based on what's been presented, I may have an opinion about it, but ultimately nobody, even the stuff that's been presented, nobody truly knows. Do you have any concerns that justice won't be served? I don't. I don't have that because I just, I really, really stand firm,

stand real firm that it will. And I don't even want to start to allow myself to diverge into different ways of thinking that it won't. Like I don't even want that. That's because that's negativity to me. Like that ain't nothing but a negative thought. And I can't even let that just enter inside of me or you know like take over me or even be a thought like I gotta have positive thoughts and justice will be served you know can you break down

uh mind frame early on right and the reason I ask is before the breakfast club for 16 17 years ago Dolph always had a mind frame of what he wanted to do business wise, right? He never signed to a major. He didn't want to sign to a major. Everything was independent. You know, most of that comes from, of course, your queen. You're having conversations late at night. So explain that mind frame of where it came from and what was some of the thought process back then? Minds are his. Both. So I think Dolph, like he just really believed in ownership. He did. And I think that ultimately he, I don't, Dolph almost like, he used to always say like he didn't think he was going to be there long. Like he was going to live long. Right.

And he used to say that because he felt like that it was so, he had so many near death experiences. Like I used to be like, you're like a cat with nine lives. Like literally, I'm talking about before any of the ones that we know about publicly right I'm talking about car accidents to all type of stuff you know what I'm saying and he is like every time he made a new year you know he was just like I'm just thankful I'm grateful to be here but I think that he wanted to leave something behind he wanted to do something um for his family that you know like to just set them up. And I think ownership in his mind, like what he knew about it and what he was learning about it.

Like, if I don't own it, you know what I'm saying? What can I really pass down like that? You know, even at some point of the physical. So I think it was a lot of that. And it was that determination. Like, I want to do something for my family within my lifetime. I want to set my family up in a way that, you know, it account for generations because he would talk about generational. And I was like, you know, we would have those conversations. I was like, yeah, when I was in school, I'm a finance major.

I was like, I always wanted to set up generational wealth, but they didn't teach me about that in school. Right. And so we would talk about it. And I was like, yeah, it was like I was there with him. But I ain't going to be I'm gonna be real with you. Like even at that time a lot of conversations like I would have him with them but I didn't understand what that looked like to even build it even the type of ownership I didn't understand what all that meant and looked like and now that he's gone it's like oh that's what he was talking about I see now you know and so um but he was just like light years ahead and I I just looking back when we would have those conversations, yeah, I'm going to be there, boo.

Yeah, generational wealth us. You know what I'm saying? I'm there with you. What you need me to do? But I didn't really understand his, I didn't understand at that time. Is it true he owned over 100 properties in Memphis? Dolph owned properties, not just in Memphis, but he owns properties just like across the, you know, just like the country or whatever. So it's not just in Memphis, but he owns properties just across the country or whatever.

So it's not just in Memphis. He did do a lot of investing in the right areas. He would just reinvest his money really wisely in different types of ventures and things like that. So he definitely was just, like I said, just very committed to establishing, you know, just, like I said, the milestones for generational wealth. So y'all straight. Yeah. Thank God. Praise be to God. Thank God. Thank God. Like we are. What's your day to day like now? Like as a mom, as a business owner, I think, you know, we talked to you a lot about like Dolph, but like,

what, what, what are you like on a day toto-day as a business woman because of all of that that you got to watch and be a part of man like I'm gonna say running around with a chicken like a chicken with my head cut off and not like seriously because it really everything works its way out but you know it's like I'm taking on mommy daddy business like I'm I have so much more responsibility than when he was here right and um it's just like I have to take off multiple hats so I start off the day I'm mommy you know I'm saying making sure lunches get out all of the same stuff I used to do lunches get out um breakfast gets made kids get out to school then I'm working on various parts of my business um the advocacy part of my business trying to actually like you, you know, we got

to make money to keep the business sustaining itself and stuff like that. So that part of it, leading a team, doing that, having to cut that off clean, like, you know, so when my kids come home, they have me back. And that's such a, I can say when he was here, he didn't want me to work at all. Like anything that I was doing at that time in his life, he probably was like, you're getting on my nerves. Can you just be in the kitchen, cook us some good make a smoothie I don't know y'all had a thing one time he's like he made me a smoothie but just doing all of these things keeping the

family together that was my priority and you know the only way that he bought into it was that like I used to be like let me do my chores first and then I go do my business right so now that's the same mindset that I have like okay let me do my chores first and then I go do my business. Right. So now that's the same mindset that I have. Like, okay, let me do my chores. My chores is being there for my kids, doing homework, all of that stuff. Once that's done, then you can do whatever you want to do business wise. And that's kind of, I'm juggling that and it becomes very chaotic and a lot, but I'm getting through it.

I'm getting through it. Were y'all planning the wedding? We were like, so we were, we were in that, like, listen, um, we were just, we had just told our that like listen um we were just we had just told our therapist or whatever like we're ready to start doing pre-marital therapy yeah okay um we were doing therapy and it was i would recommend that to anybody if you want to break stuff of wanting to like walk away or anything within your relationship go to therapy first and we had a faith-based therapist and that really helped us a lot because that's really where relationships start so whatever and it started to I could even see

the changes in him like with our like the what is the duty of a husband and you know like the you're the leader of the household and so a lot of things like when she would put things in certain types of ways he was grasping it he was changing I could see how he was dealing with me and me too what's the duties of a wife and so we got to a point where we was like we cannot wait to to like celebrate this moment because we we've come a long way and so she had just sent me like on November 15th she had just sent me the questions for the premarital counseling and I was like okay when he comes back from out of town he had left that Monday let's see I think that was the same day that he left to go to Memphis was the day she sent it to me and i was like okay um our our sessions was on

wednesday i was like he gonna be out of town but once he comes back we gonna get on so we can start doing this and one of my girlfriends was planning like a big party uh for future actually and i was like as soon as you get done she was a wedding planner i was like as soon as you get done with that we're gonna send out a little deposit and get started and it's gonna it was gonna be a surprise wedding we didn't want we wanted people to show up for my birthday and they thought they was coming to like a ball a gala or whatever and we were gonna get married and he wanted his his parents to have their vows renewed there um and that's that's where we were in the planning phase of things it was like we ready to celebrate how far we've come and that that that Wednesday

came and it was like I you could have never paid me to believe that we wasn't gonna have a chance to dive in like the questions I was like these questions good like I cannot wait to go into therapy with him with these and we just never made it there never made it there I'm so sorry that you got to go through any of this absolutely you know that's, that's why your organization, your movement is so important. Even just putting that into the universe. Black men deserve to grow old. Yes, we do. Black women as well, but yes, black men definitely.

Absolutely. You know, so it's just, yeah, man. I'm sending you healing energy always. Absolutely. I really do. We appreciate you for joining us. And how can people follow you if they want to follow you? What's the future of the movement and everything? The future is to amplify this message, to continue to create dope products.

Like, I look at this, like, anything that say black men deserve to grow old, like, when people wear it, you're like a walking billboard. Like, you're spreading a message. Like, from one black man to another wearing it, it's like, at this point, this is like a a piece like you know like a sign of peace like bro i'm not coming for you like i'm i'm with you like you deserve to grow old i deserve to grow old it's it's embodying love for one another you don't got to know somebody to have love for them to just have like man i want to see you make it home to your family

just like i want to make it to mine that's right that's the message that i want to to kind of just be resonating as you see person to person to person. I want this to be something that's global. Like people are walking across just different areas and stuff like that and seeing this message. And the thing is, it's not to say that nobody else deserves to grow old. We all do, you know, but the odds stacked up against a black man's life, not even as much as a black woman, but a black man, like you walk out your door in the morning, you just trying to provide a living for your family. It can come from a police trying to,

you know what I'm saying, think that you a thug or you doing something you wasn't supposed to be doing and your life being snatched. It could be a dude that's been watching you like, bro, you've been coming up. You get money out here. Let me snatch that up off of you

and taking your life. It could be so many different types of ways. And that backbone of our community, you know, like our society, like we need strong black males to help guide the young males. I can't teach my son, like in that situation I told y'all, I can't teach my son how to be a man or how to be fearless or he going to have to hear that from another man. And the best person is his father, you know,

especially if he can be healthy and whole to be able to show up and be that mentor is his father, you know, especially if he can be healthy and whole to be able to show up and be that mentor for his family, you know. And so we just need them to grow old so they can be able to learn and gain wisdom and give that wisdom and mentorship is needed in our community so we can flourish as a community. Otherwise, we're just going to continue to have a genocide happening before our very eyes. How can people follow you and purchase some hoodies and sweatshirts if they want? So they can follow Black Men Deserve to Grow Old on IG, on all platforms. Black Men Deserve to Grow Old.

Go to BMDTGO. We shorten it for y'all. BMDTGO is just the acronym for Black Men Deserve to Grow Old dot com you can follow me at I am Mia J on IG and platforms as well but

we just like yeah just go on there buy something show your support your advocacy help us spread this message because that's what's needed

alright and we thank you again for joining us we appreciate you thank you absolutely it's Mia J it's The Breakfast Club

good morning joining us. We appreciate you. Absolutely. It's me, Ajay. It's The Breakfast. 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete. Or maybe not. No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast Post Run High is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's up? This is Ramses Jha. And I go by the name Q Ward. And we'd like you to join us

each week for our show, Civic Cipher. That's right. We discuss social issues, especially those that affect black and brown people, but in a way that informs and empowers all people. We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence, and we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home, workplace, and social circle. We're going to learn how to become better allies to each other.

So join us each Saturday for Civic Cipher on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jacqueline Thomas, the host of a brand new Black Effect original series, Black Lit. The podcast for diving deep into the rich world of Black literature. Black Lit is for the page turners, for those who listen to audiobooks while running errands or at the end of a busy day. From thought-provoking novels to powerful poetry, we'll explore the stories that shape our culture.

Listen to Black Lit on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, 1974. George Foreman was champion of the world. Ali was smart and he was handsome.

The story behind The Rumble in the Jungle is like a Hollywood movie. But that is only half the story. There's also James Brown, Bill Withers, B.B. King, Miriam Akiba. All the biggest black artists on the planet. Together in Africa. It was a big deal. Listen to Rumble, Ali, Foreman, and the Soul of 74 on the iHe Together in Africa. It was a big deal. Listen to Rumble, Ali, Foreman,

and the Soul of 74 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.