The Breakfast Club - Why Now?

Episode Date: June 6, 2020

In the premiere episode, Erika and Whitney ‘show us the money’, as they travel to the American crossroads of business and slavery, Wall Street. They get personal when they unearth the pain and shame of human bondage, hidden at the site of New York City's notorious African slave market and lost burial ground. The duo makes their argument in Black and White, when they crash a congressional hearing for Reparations Bill HR 40 and introduce the Rosa Parks of the reparations movement - Evanston, IL Alderwoman Robin Rue Simmons. This groundbreaking episode concludes with a reimagining of a post-reparations America, that would allow for new possibilities, new leadership, and a new direction. For more info about this episode, please visit https://reparationsbigpayback.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee 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, y'all. Niminy here. I'm the host of a brand new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records. Executive produced by Questlove, The Story Pirates, and John Glickman, Historical Records brings history to life through hip-hop. Flash, slam, another one gone. Bash, bam, another one gone. The crack of the bat and another one gone.

The tip of the cap, there's another one gone. Each episode is about a different inspiring figure from history. Like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did

the same thing. Check it. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records, because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. When's the last time you took a timeout? I'm Eve Rodsky, author of the New York Times bestseller, Fair Play and Find Your Unicorn Space, activist on the gender division of labor, attorney, and family mediator. And I'm Dr. Aditi Narukar, a Harvard physician and medical correspondent with an expertise in the science of stress, resilience, mental health, and burnout. We're so excited to share our podcast, Time Out, a production of iHeart Podcasts and Hello Sunshine. We're peeling back the layers around why society makes it so easy to guard men's time like it's diamonds

and treat women's time like it's infinite, like sand. And so whether you're partnered with or without children or in a career where you want more boundaries, this is the place for you, for people of all family structures. So take this time out with us to learn, get inspired, and most importantly, reclaim your time. Listen to Time Out, a Fair Play podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. From the creator of The Bright Sessions comes a new fiction podcast for all ages. When a fellow student vanishes, Max starts to look into the disappearance.

Her investigation draws her deep into the dark woods around Hastings and even deeper into the secrets and lies that course through the veins of this sleepy town. This new YA mystery from writer-director Lauren Chippin is an audio drama with heart and wit that involves the audience in a way no fiction podcast ever has. Starting February 16th, listen to Max and Miles on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows. Roses are red. She shot him six times. And violets are blue. It's almost like her dream man came into her life.

Are you looking for love? I'd do anything for you. And a little murder too? She would kill her own daughters to get away with it. He has a weapon. Drop the gun! In honor of Valentine's Day, listen to Crazy in Love the entire month of February on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What can I say? Love made me crazy. Welcome to Reparations, The Big Payback, a production of Color Farm Media, iHeartRadio, and the Black Effect Podcast Network. I'm Erica Alexander. And I'm Whitney Dow. No justice, no peace.

Reparations is what is needed for our people. Good ones matter. We are the ones that were injured. They stole us. They stole us. They stole us. They stole us. They owe us.

They owe us. Enslavement is theft. The people who are owed for slavery are no longer here. I want a check. I don't think reparations is a good idea. Everyone should be given the damage that was done to their family. Cash payment. I don't want no government hand, though.

Reparations should be welcomed by all. Some folks may want checks, but what we're really talking about is closing that wealth gap and making people whole. Let me tell you, justice is just the minimum. Here we are on the corner of Wall and Broad Street, one of the most famous corners in America, right? It's the seat of capitalism. We're standing at the feet of George Washington, founder of our country who's looking across Wall Street at the New York Stock Exchange.

Is this it? This is it. It's smaller than I thought. It looks more impressive in pictures. I was doing a little research before we came down here, Erica, and the value of the companies contained in the New York Stock Exchange is over $30 trillion. That's $10 trillion more than the nation's GDP every year. Or 30 Amazons.

And the value and the amount of trading that is done every day, the amount of money that passes through there, is, I think, over $160 billion every day. Oh, my God. When you think of Wall Street, what do you think of? I think of this. I mean, it's filled with a lot of stone. There's all these really beautiful polished bronze doors with sparkling glass and a lot of really decorative ironwork around. And it's kind of telling everybody, well, if you're a white man, you can come in, but

everybody else stay out. Meant to intimidate, and it does. It's not only intimidating to New Yorkers, but I think it's meant to be intimidating to the world. What I didn't realize is that directly across the street is Federal Hall. Let's walk up there a little bit, Erica. We're standing in front of Federal Hall Memorial, and that's another Gothic building,

and out in front of it, there's a statue of George Washington. And what really struck me when I saw this, here's the founder of our country, and he's looking across the street at the Stock Exchange as if he's looking at the capitalist foundation of the country. But this is where he took the oath of office, upstairs in this building. Wow. Yeah.

They really did a nice job on the bronze work near his crotch. And it matters because you're looking up at him and you're meant to see his penis first and then go up to his face and follow his eyes to the stock exchange. At least that's what I see. At our back is George Washington. If we look to our right, we can see Trinity Church, the oldest church. I think it's one of the oldest churches in the country, the oldest church in New York. If you look across the street, directly in front of us, there's a stock exchange. And then if you look down the street to the water, do you know what's down that street?

The location of New York's first slave market that was founded in 1711. So we sort of have like the four points of the compass in America. We have politics, money, religion, slavery. That sounds right. Black people will always make up the four points. And in fact, none of these things could exist, these politics, that religion, or that money, without slavery. And that's the unfortunate part. For them to have white freedom and white success, they needed black bodies. You know, when I met you, Whitney, I had no idea that I would be stuck with you for this long. We've been talking about reparations for two years.

It's only been two years for us, but it's been 150 years for our country. Did you ever imagine yourself making a project about reparations with a guy named Whitney Burton Dow from the colony of Cambridge, Massachusetts? No. You often point out, I look like a drawing of a wasp or a colonist. Well, yeah. I guess if you come from Cambridge, Massachusetts and your name match Whitney Burton Dow. You look a little whitish. Yeah. But who better than you to represent for your people? Well, if you're talking about white people, yes.

Yes. I'm that guy. I'm that white people. Yeah, you're that guy. White people in America. That's you. Well, hey, Miss Hollywood, you know, you're no pauper. I've seen your house.

If you did, you wouldn't be saying that. I need reparations just as much as anybody. I am no Cambridge Whitney Dow. And I didn't just pop into people's movie screens and on stages and in theaters all over the world. I have an origin story. We all have origin stories. And origin stories are how you live. They don't hopefully determine who you are.

Yeah. It's about the stories we tell ourselves. And I guess stories shape our present reality. And I think that's where every story starts. Every good story is between reality and myth. Like what's possible? Telling the truth. Well, you're setting a pretty high bar that you and I are going to get to the truth. Everybody lives different truths. I think your truth is mixed with a lot of lies. Thanks for that. Are you talking about me personally, Erica, or collectively as the white guy here?

Both. Reparations, it's a complicated issue. And I'm not sure if I'm the right person to tell the story with you, Eric. Is your country falling apart? Feeling tired, depressed, a little bit revolutionary? Consider this. Start your own country. I planted the flag.

I just kind of looked out of like, this is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. There are 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete. Everybody's doing it. I am King Ernest Emmanuel. I am the Queen of concrete. Everybody's doing it. I am King Ernest Emmanuel. I am the Queen of Ladonia. I'm Jackson I, King of Capraburg. I am the Supreme Leader of the Grand Republic of Mentonia. Be part of a great colonial tradition. The Waikana tribe

my country. My forefathers did that themselves. What could go wrong? No country willingly gives up their territory. I was making a rocket with a black powder, you know, with explosive warhead. Oh, my God. What is that? Bullets. Bullets. We need help! We still have the off-road portion to go.

Listen to Escape from Zakistan. And we're losing daylight fast. 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 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. You know that rush of endorphins you feel after a great workout? Well, that's when the real magic happens. So if you love hearing real, inspiring stories from the people you know, follow, and admire, join me every week for Post Run High. It's where we take the conversation beyond the run and get into the heart of it all. It's lighthearted, pretty crazy, and very fun. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So, y'all, this is Questlove, and I'm here to tell you about a new podcast I've been working on with the Story Pirates and John Glickman called Historical Records.

It's a family-friendly podcast. Yeah, you heard that right. A podcast for all ages. One you can listen to and enjoy with your kids starting on September 27th. I'm going to toss it over to the host of Historical Records, Nimany, to tell you all about it. Make sure you check it out. Hey, y'all. Nimany here.

I'm the host of a brand new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records. Historical Records brings history to life through hip-hop. Flash, slam, another one gone. Bash, bam, another one gone. The crack of the bat and another one gone. The tip of the cap, there's another one gone. Each episode is about a different inspiring figure from history,

like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing. Check it. And it began with me Did you know, did you know I wouldn't give up my seat

Nine months before Rosa, it was Claudette Colvin Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Because in order to make history, tuning in to Historical Records because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I might be too white. Well, I'm extra black. I'm extra crispy black. Does that offset some of my whiteness?

Is that what you're saying? No, no, no. You white, you white. You got to live with it. You know, it ain't my problem. I'm going to coattail on your blackness here. By the way, this is a conversation. If we're going to go on this journey about reparations, it ain't about you.

Ouch. No, you would say it is about you, but I'm Harriet's child. You hear me? I'm here to rescue my people. And the last time I checked, we just got a new black woman VP. So right now I'm feeling like ain't nothing too big for me. And if not you, Whitney, then who? Step up. If we're going to do this, we've got to make a plan. We've got to find experts. We've got to, you know, find people who actually know what they're talking about. Oh, shh. Just close your eyes and make a wish. Count to three. You hear that?

Come on. That's Sheila Jackson Lee. That's a congressional hearing on H.R. 40, Juneteenth, 2019. America is a place that welcomes the diversity of thought. We even welcome the diversity of thought among the multicolored chocolate people that are African Americans. Did you hear that? Multicolored chocolate. You see how she got down? Oh, girl, that's a warrior.

If we were to pay reparations today, we would only divide the country further. Ain't about to turn on him like Mr. in color purple. Reparations, by definition, are only given to victims. Victims have no consent. What are you supposed to say? I give you permission to redline me, master. Ooh, here comes Donahue. Mr. Wakanda, buckle up.

We recognize our lineage as a generational trust, as inheritance. And the real dilemma posed by reparations is just that, a dilemma of inheritance. Yep, that's what's happening in D.C. I guess that's why H.R. 40, a bill to discuss reparations, has been stuck in committee for 30 years. Meanwhile, on these mean streets, here we are out here. Man, it's crazy. The remnants of this history is all around us.

Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest. It's a storybook world for them. You look and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face of a wizard with arms outstretched to the sky. They see treasure in pebbles. They see a windy path that could lead to adventure. And they see you, their fearless guide through this fascinating world. Find a forest near you and start exploring at discovertheforest.org.

Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council. Look through your children's eyes to see the true magic of a forest. It's a storybook world for them. You look and see a tree. They see the wrinkled face of a wizard with arms outstretched to the sky. They see treasure in pebbles. They see a windy path that could lead to adventure. And they see you, their fearless guide through this fascinating world.

Find a forest near you and start exploring at discovertheforest.org. Brought to you by the United States Forest Service and the Ad Council. Adoption of teens from foster care is a topic not enough people know about, and we're here to change that. I'm April Dinwiddie, host of the new podcast, Navigating Adoption, presented by AdoptUSKids. Each episode brings you compelling real-life adoption stories told by the families that live them with commentary from experts.

Visit AdoptUSKids.org slash podcast or subscribe to Navigating Adoption, presented by AdoptUSKids. Brought to you by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the Ad Council. Oh, snap. It's the New York's municipal slave market. There's a sign here, probably less than two feet across and just over one foot high. It has this drawing on it and has a green New York Parks emblem. And it says, on Wall Street between Pearl and Water Streets,

a market that auctioned enslaved people of african ancestry was established by a common council law on november 30th 1711 this is new york's municipal slave market sign but you can look up from this site and see trinity church and you can see the new york Exchange. And the foundation of it all, American slavery, gets a two-by-two plaque. You know, I've been here before, but this is the first time I'm seeing this, so I'm a little pissed off.

I don't know why it's not more prominent. I don't know why it's just a sign. Look, there's a big old statue of George Washington over there. Big buildings that we talked about with stones look like it should be here. And this looked like it could be knocked over by a hard wind. How does it make you feel thinking about all this? You're visibly upset. You're shaking.

I'm not shaking. I'm upset. I mean, I really wish I could rip that sucker out. It's not even worth it being there. And then also I'm kind of mad because I have been here before, but I didn't see it. There are people walking through, they're immigrants. They've got their children, they've got all their families. They should be able to see it.

There should be the stain of it. And New Yorkers should have to live with it. They should have to learn about it. They should have to learn about it. They should be confronted with it. I want them to really acknowledge slavery. I want them to give us justice. Black people want justice. We deserve it.

We should have it by any means necessary. And part of that justice is that you should not be able to come and walk by a slave, mark it, marker, and not be moved by it or at least have to reckon with it or see it. That was so brutal, being there with you, Erica, someone who I care about, and seeing the visceral reaction, the pain that it caused you to be there. It left me feeling kind of helpless. And I know that if I'd been alone, if I had been there by myself, I would have found some way to push myself away from it

and the absurdity of it and just kind of intellectualize it where being there with you forced me to own it a bit. But that's my problem, not yours. It is your problem and Black people's burden to bear. I mean, we gave you money and paid the VIG on your loan. Who needs bootstraps when they've got friends like you with me? That's what I meant earlier when I said your truth is filled with a lot of lies. These realities, they show up for me every day. Meanwhile, you're underwater thinking your real estate has value. What I'm thinking about is solutions.

And I really believe the only way towards a true reconciliation is to create a funded reparations program. And white Americans have to decide if they want to rise with black Americans or fall with them. I see you, Whitney Dow. You're doing something. I mean, you're here. You're working on it, you're talking about it, but don't expect a faith that white people have the ability to change. And I totally understand that. If I were black, I imagine I would feel the exact same way. And especially looking at the events the last few weeks, and we've had three or 4,000 white people storming the Capitol, and it looks horrible. Those images were just atrocious. But at the same time, we've also had millions of white people in the street marching alongside black and brown people

protesting police violence. So that does make me a little optimistic. I hope it doesn't sound corny that I do believe we can change, or maybe I feel like I kind of have to believe we can change. Like in Evanston, Illinois, things are changing. I'm known as Reparation Robin and Rosa Parks now. So that's different. How about that? She's a rock star. 400 years after the first enslaved Africans got off the boat, Alderman Robin Ruth Simmons passes the first reparations bill in America. Oh man, talk about the long arc. We got to keep an eye on her. We will, but I want to show you something first. So Erica, tell me, what do you see here? What are we, what were you walking up to?

Oh, we're at Duane and Elk Street, and it says African Burial Ground Way. So they're building a federal building, a $256 million building, and when they broke ground on it, they discovered this burial ground. What does this say here? Changing landscape obscures the past. The African burial ground was labeled Negroes Burial Ground on the 1755 map at right. Colonial New York laws banned African funerals in officially consecrated graveyards, prohibited gatherings of large numbers of enslaved Africans, and decreed that funerals had to be held during daylight. Nonetheless, Africans and their descendants held burial ceremonies in a cemetery outside the city wall near a ravine. As New York City expanded northeast,

the burial ground was closed in 1794 and eventually divided into lots for sale. The land was filled in and buildings were constructed on top. For almost two centuries, New York City's growth obscured the graves and the African burial ground was nearly forgotten. Until we tried to put a Starbucks on it. Is your country falling apart? Feeling tired? Depressed? A little bit revolutionary?

Consider this. Start your own country. I planted the flag. I just kind of looked out of like, this is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. There's 55 gallons of water for 500 pounds of concrete. Everybody's doing it. I am King Ernest Emmanuel. I am the Queen of Ladonia. I'm Jackson I, King of Kaperburg.

I am the Supreme Leader of the Grand Republic of Mentonia. Be part of a great colonial tradition. Why can't I trade my own country? My forefathers did that themselves. What could go wrong? No country willingly gives up their territory. I was making a rocket with a black powder, you know, with explosive warhead. Oh my God.

What is that? Bullets. Bullets. We need help! We still have the off-road portion to go. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. And we're losing daylight fast. That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan-Stan on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. You know that rush of endorphins you feel after a great workout? Well, that's when the real magic happens. So if you love hearing real, inspiring stories from the people you know, follow, and admire, join me every week for Post Run High. It's where we take the conversation beyond the run

and get into the heart of it all. It's lighthearted, pretty crazy, and very fun. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So y'all, this is Questlove, and I'm here to tell you about a new podcast I've been working on with the Story Pirates and John Glickman called Historical Records.

It's a family-friendly podcast. Yeah, you heard that right. A podcast for all ages. One you can listen to and enjoy with your kids starting on September 27th. I'm going to toss it over to the host of Historical Records, Nimany, to tell you all about it. Make sure you check it out. Hey y'all, Nimany here. I'm the host of a brand new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records. Historical Records brings

history to life through hip-hop. Each episode is about a different inspiring figure from history, like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing. Check it. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The foundation is African Americans and Americans built on top of it. They turned their burial ground into real estate.

But that foundation wasn't paid for. Well, it was paid for. In blood, in guts, in suffering. I think 50% of the people buried here were children. So we talk about reparations for work and value created, but what about reparations for all the people that were destroyed by it? 50% of it is children, the people who actually never had a life. So this is showing the levels of different centuries and what they built on top of those coffins. It's a diagram.

We're at ground level, right? Yeah, we're at ground level. So on top, there's three different centuries. In the lowest right here, at least, is the 1700s. People were buried in individual coffins up to three deep. But that looks exactly like the slave ship diagrams coming across. That's interesting. From Africa. So they went out like they came in. That's a cold, cold thought. Let's walk up to the next marker.

This one says, Africans in early New York. Before the American Revolution, New York had more enslaved Africans, its most valuable commodity, than any other colony in the North. You're leaving out the most important thing here. It's not that these people were just here. They say, and they give an account of their work.

Women sewed, cooked, harvested, and cared for owners' children. Laborers tore up cobblestone streets, dug trenches, laid and joined the pipe sections and filled in the trenches, paid $1 a day in slave workers' wages, went to their owners. That's real. Yeah. And you know, one of the reasons why the slave market

was established down on Wall Street was because there were so many enslaved Africans here. And the actual way the labor pool was structured wasn't really structured. They were just sending people out in the street to earn money, and they wanted to codify into something more structured. By the way, this whole thing is about white fear.

Yeah, you should be fucking afraid. Because if we ever get what we deserve, and if we ever start to balance those books, there ain't no stopping us. And it's over. It's not just a rebrowning of America. It's the black nation coming into its own. So yeah, they try to bury us. Too black, too strong. From 1890s to 1794, an estimated 15,000 enslaved and free Africans were laid to rest in the African burial ground. 15,000 bodies are here. Seven burial mounds mark the locations of the re-internments.

Oh, here they are over here. So this is it. Look at the mounds here. Oh, my God. Now, to me, this is significant. My God, look at that. What does it make you feel to stand here and look at this? Well, I'm very proud. I'm glad to see them.

And I don't know, I gain comfort from them being here. I'd come out here and eat my lunch with them. What do you think? It's funny because, you know, you look over at the stone and it's all representational. This is so much more concrete. These are real burial mounds and knowing that the remains lie underneath it

and knowing that they're aligned in a certain way with their heads facing Africa. I think it's beautiful. It's beautiful. Hi, I'm Hillary Clinton and I'm excited to be back with a new season of You and Me Both.

You know, when we started this podcast, we were going through some tough times, and let's face it, we still are. But I am a firm believer we're stronger together. So please join me for more conversations with people who will make you think, make you laugh, and help us find a path forward. Listen to You and Me Both on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Gangster Chronicles podcast is a weekly conversation that revolves around the underworld.

From criminals and entertainers to victims of crime and law enforcement, we cover all facets of the game. Gangster Chronicles podcast doesn't glorify or promote illicit activities. We just discuss the ramifications and repercussions of these activities. Because after all, if you play gangster games, you are ultimately rewarded with gangster prizes. Our heart radio is number one for podcasts, but don't take our word for it. Find the Gangster Chronicles podcast on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello and welcome to our show. I'm Zooey Deschanel and I'm so excited to be joined by my friends and castmates,

Hannah Simone and Lamorne Morris, to recap our hit television series, New Girl. Join us every Monday on the Welcome to Our Show podcast, where we'll share behind-the-scenes stories of your favorite New Girl episodes, reveal the truth behind the legendary game True American, and discuss how the show got made with the writers, guest stars, and directors who made the show so special. Fans have been begging us to do a New Girl recap for years, and we finally made a podcast where we answer all your burning questions like, is there really a bear in every episode of New Girl? Plus, each week you'll hear hilarious stories like this. At the end when he says you

got some Schmidt on your face, I feel like I pitched that joke. I believe that. I feel like I did. I'm not a thousand percent. I want to say that was, I tossed that one out. Listen to the Welcome to Our Show podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And they shall rise again. Whew.

Hey, you know, they give tours of this stuff. Mm-hmm. Black Gotham, 30 bucks. Totally worth it, definitely. I'd buy several tickets. I got to take my mom and show her all these hidden gems because she's the griot in the family. Oh, man.

It's a shame because no matter how hard she worked with me, it wasn't enough. And she won't live to see a new world that's created through the application of reparations. So like the Africans underneath those buildings, it's going to be beyond her flesh and bone, but that means it's fertile ground. It's very fertile. My mother's in it. It's blessed and highly favored. What really strikes me about it, Erica, is that it's called the African Burial Ground, but it's not just African history.

It's white history, too. And it's history that's layered across generations. And it's not just about what happened before. It happened hundreds of years ago. You can also see in it how it's impacted what's happening today and how you and I, how our own families are living within the legacy of slavery. Yeah, no, I get it. I mean, my brother's a Philly cop and my sister's a social worker and they work within the racist system that we're talking about

every day. You know, that's how they make their living. And the weird part is if systematic reformation is needed and reparations is part of the cure. We have to get ready, because there's a whole lot of black folks that are baked into the current architecture. And they ain't going to get out. I mean, it's a rough ride. It would disrupt everything. So we got to be careful what we wish for. First, do no harm. Maybe we need to step out of our current reality for a moment. her own. Reverend Barber says that we're in the third reconstruction. So Whitney, this is our opportunity to map out a blueprint, to chart a new destiny, to decide who our builders are, our architects, our machinists. We probably need a few arsonists.

We're going to have to tear some things down along the way. But first, we need vision, imagination. You mean a reimagination. That's a little change. Oh, it's amazing what a good composition can do to carry us away. Okay, I'm ready. I think, well, let's be real, you always feel your best at the beginning of the marathon. I hope I'm ready.

Yeah. I hope I brought a black power bar. This season on Reparations, the big payback. I didn't have a lot of skills. I was a bad student. I was kind of this pissed off child didn't have a lot of skills. I was a bad student. I was kind of this pissed off child. I got thrown out of schools. I was always getting into fights.

So that's why you got into race work? Because you were a mediocre white man? You weren't anywhere, anywhere. Is that what you're saying? I failed everywhere else. So race took me and I made a career out of it. And that's what we need in this business. We need the rejects.

Awesome. Look, we have to define reparations. Some people want to define reparations as a give me a check. That's not reparations. They treat us like animals more or less than like human beings. And we're the ones who lost our lives

building this country and got paid not one dime for it. But everybody else is reaping the benefits. That's our money. My life revolves primarily around my discovery that my ancestors were the largest slave trading family in U.S. history. When I looked at your Wikipedia, my God, brother, you not playing. You like the John Lewis of the aristocrats. The inspiration for me in reparations,

I know that the injustice and the discrimination and the racism is a shared problem, but which has to be confronted if we're going to move on successfully together. My life wouldn't have been any different if I was black because it's the core of who you are. Everyone has a burden. It's how you handle the burden. And so I truly don't feel that there was privilege. Absolutely not. Mom, what happened was we were standing there and suddenly the window shatters. The policeman told me that he was trying to kill some blackbirds, meaning my children who were standing at the window. Had it not been for a double pane windows, probably I would have that morning lost

two of my children. If I had enough money to ease the disparities and enough programs directed, run by Black people to help us, then I would even be willing not to have Kamala Harris be vice president. What goes on your playlist? The reparations playlist? Well, what I play for my students at the end of the semester is when will we get paid? This podcast is produced by Eric Alexander, Ben Arnon, and Whitney Dow. The executive producers are Charlemagne the God and Dolly S. Bishop. The supervising producer is Nicole Childers

and the lead producer is Devin Mavick-Robbins. The producer-writer is Cerise Castle and the associate producer is Kevin Pham with additional research support provided by Nile Blass. Original music by DJ DTP. Reparations The Big Payback is a production of Color Farm Media, iHeartRadio, and the Black Effect Podcast Network, in association with Best Case Studios. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio

app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. I'm Ty Montague, and I'm the host of Calling BS, the first podcast about purpose washing. In this show, we dig into the difference between what organizations say they stand for and the actions they are actually taking. Let's call BS on the businesses that deserve it and also make some concrete suggestions for cleaning that BS up. Listen to Calling BS every Wednesday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello and welcome to our show. I'm Zooey Deschanel and I'm so excited to be joined by my friends and castmates, Hannah Simone and Lamorne Morris, to recap our hit television series, New Girl. Join us every Monday on the Welcome to Our Show podcast,

where we'll share behind the scenes stories of your favorite New Girl episodes. Each week we answer all your burning questions like, is there really a bear in every episode of New Girl? Plus you'll hear hilarious stories like this. That was one of your things you brought back from Latvia. Yeah, I brought really a bear in every episode of New Girl? Plus, you'll hear hilarious stories like this. That was one of your things you brought back from Latvia. Yeah, I brought back a hoop. Because all professional basketball players. Yeah, it's like a little seven foot hoop.

Yeah. Listen to the Welcome to Our Show podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, What's up? This is Robin Dixon, co-host of Reasonably Shady, which has just been nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Arts and Entertainment Podcast category. This is so big for Giselle and I. And of course, we must thank all of our fantastic listeners, but we need your help. Visit vote.naacpimageawards.net to vote for Reasonably Shady. That's vote.naacpimageawards.net. But don't wait. Voting closes on February 5th at 9 p.m. Eastern. And make sure to listen to Reasonably Shady every single Monday on the Black Effect Podcast Network.

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. 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, y'all. Niminy here. I'm the host of a brand-new history podcast for kids and families

called Historical Records. Executive produced by Questlove, the Story Pirates, and John Glickman, Historical Records brings history to life through hip-hop. Flash, slam, another one gone. Bash, bam, another one gone. The crack of the bat and another one gone. The tip of the cap, there's another one gone.

Each episode is about a different, inspiring figure from history, like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing. Check it. I wouldn't give up my seat. Nine months before Rosa, it was called a moment. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.