WEBVTT - Vice President Kamala Harris Interview | All the Smoke Special Edition 0:00:00.880 --> 0:00:02.800 We're calling on all our fans for this one. 0:00:03.000 --> 0:00:03.240 Jack. 0:00:03.320 --> 0:00:05.360 This is special man. Over five years of work in 0:00:05.440 --> 0:00:07.200 two hundred episodes. 0:00:06.880 --> 0:00:09.920 Releasing October eighth, is the All the Smoke Coffee table Book. 0:00:10.160 --> 0:00:12.560 Been working hard on it. Were super excited. We used 0:00:12.560 --> 0:00:14.960 guys to see it. But October eighth, we're releasing our 0:00:15.000 --> 0:00:17.280 first All the Smoke Coffee table Book. 0:00:17.079 --> 0:00:20.520 Three hundred pages, have never before seen pictures, untold stories, 0:00:20.960 --> 0:00:23.440 and highlights of our five year journey with All the Smoke. 0:00:23.640 --> 0:00:25.880 But before it releases, you can get yours on pre 0:00:25.960 --> 0:00:26.520 sale now. 0:00:26.880 --> 0:00:29.440 Just go to our ig bio, our search on Amazon 0:00:29.680 --> 0:00:32.159 All the Smoke Book, and we might have some surprises 0:00:32.200 --> 0:00:33.120 in the book for you, so. 0:00:33.120 --> 0:00:34.919 You don't have to wait till October eighth to get 0:00:34.960 --> 0:00:37.120 yours pre order years now so we can run up 0:00:37.120 --> 0:00:39.600 on that bestsellers. Listen, Man, we need you guys to help. 0:00:39.640 --> 0:00:39.800 Man. 0:00:39.800 --> 0:00:42.320 We ain't asking too many favors. Be asking for a 0:00:42.360 --> 0:00:46.160 favor now, Man, Perfect holiday book, Birthday book, Coffee table book, 0:00:46.200 --> 0:00:49.000 Dennis book, Jim book. Put that book anywhere. Man, it's 0:00:49.040 --> 0:00:51.120 versus till All the Smoke Coffee Table Book. So go 0:00:51.200 --> 0:00:53.440 get your book now. It's available on Amazon or in 0:00:53.479 --> 0:00:56.440 the link in our bio. Welcome back to all the Smoke. 0:00:56.880 --> 0:01:00.200 We got a very special guest today. Very excited to 0:01:00.200 --> 0:01:01.279 sit down and talk. 0:01:01.080 --> 0:01:02.200 To our biggest guests. 0:01:02.840 --> 0:01:04.800 Yeah, I wouldn't lie about that. 0:01:05.360 --> 0:01:08.360 You sold it. I do it over. No, you did it, 0:01:08.400 --> 0:01:08.720 so let. 0:01:08.680 --> 0:01:12.240 Me do none of bron excuse me, our biggest guest. 0:01:12.319 --> 0:01:14.800 I've been corrected, miss Madam Vice Presidents. 0:01:15.040 --> 0:01:16.399 Thank you, it is so good. 0:01:16.560 --> 0:01:18.280 Thank you for sitting down with us. Thank you for 0:01:18.319 --> 0:01:20.160 having us in your home. We're excited to be here. 0:01:20.360 --> 0:01:22.400 Thank you both. I'm so happy to have you here. 0:01:22.480 --> 0:01:24.800 Thank you, and you do me great honor to be here. 0:01:24.840 --> 0:01:25.440 Thank you. 0:01:25.560 --> 0:01:29.920 In twenty and thirteen, a blind date with your now husband, Doug. 0:01:30.480 --> 0:01:31.640 If you think back to that. 0:01:31.640 --> 0:01:34.360 Date and now we're here, did you ever imagine this 0:01:34.480 --> 0:01:35.440 was going to be the journey? 0:01:35.600 --> 0:01:39.920 No, I just have a really bossy best friend. It 0:01:39.959 --> 0:01:41.800 was a blind day, right, It was a blind day, 0:01:42.600 --> 0:01:45.039 and she called me up because she and her husband 0:01:45.360 --> 0:01:47.360 met him and got to know him, and then she 0:01:47.640 --> 0:01:52.840 just decided that this Mike cool work and said to me, 0:01:53.080 --> 0:01:55.480 just go out with once. Don't google him, just go out. 0:01:55.360 --> 0:01:57.560 With them, don't google them, just give it a shot. 0:01:58.240 --> 0:02:02.920 Right, and it turned out she was right in a 0:02:03.040 --> 0:02:05.080 very happy marriage. I'm very thankful. 0:02:05.080 --> 0:02:06.280 So where'd you guys go? 0:02:06.400 --> 0:02:08.480 Did you really eat or did you just do a salad? 0:02:08.560 --> 0:02:08.640 Like? 0:02:08.680 --> 0:02:09.600 Did you really like. 0:02:11.040 --> 0:02:11.200 Us? 0:02:11.320 --> 0:02:14.639 So he came to pick me up kind of car 0:02:15.160 --> 0:02:20.600 BMW okay, okay. But here's the thing that was actually 0:02:20.639 --> 0:02:22.800 really funny in retrospect. I gave him the car and 0:02:22.840 --> 0:02:25.360 he says, I just need to tell you something, and 0:02:25.440 --> 0:02:28.160 I'm like, okay, what's this gonna be? He said, I'm 0:02:28.240 --> 0:02:29.120 a really bad truck. 0:02:29.800 --> 0:02:30.680 Give you the heads up. 0:02:30.760 --> 0:02:32.679 Huh. 0:02:32.919 --> 0:02:35.400 So that's how it started. I guess he was just 0:02:35.440 --> 0:02:40.160 trying to create little expectations. And we went to what 0:02:40.280 --> 0:02:44.000 turned out to be his one favorite restaurant where everybody 0:02:44.040 --> 0:02:48.280 knows who he is. Oh yeah, so he could walk 0:02:48.320 --> 0:02:49.560 in and they were like, hey. 0:02:49.480 --> 0:02:51.520 Doug, uh. 0:02:53.720 --> 0:02:58.240 Bay Area girl born in Oakland. You grew up around 0:02:58.680 --> 0:03:02.600 the TMC times. Yeahs we hear you A big fan 0:03:02.880 --> 0:03:05.000 I am. And there was a rumor that you were 0:03:05.040 --> 0:03:08.280 in the stands when we were there, and we believe 0:03:08.320 --> 0:03:08.840 the era. 0:03:08.919 --> 0:03:12.120 I really we talk about it. Yes, yes, I do remember, 0:03:12.360 --> 0:03:15.520 I do. Okay. We want to say our warriors are 0:03:15.560 --> 0:03:19.880 always good whichever era, but that was a very special time. 0:03:20.080 --> 0:03:22.440 I mean it was electric, you guys, remember it was 0:03:22.560 --> 0:03:25.840 electric and everybody we would take bart to get there 0:03:26.400 --> 0:03:30.080 and just and go and it was just you know. 0:03:30.080 --> 0:03:31.960 I mean, this is the thing I love about sports 0:03:32.000 --> 0:03:35.880 in general. But I'm gonna say my Warriors, our Warriors, 0:03:36.120 --> 0:03:40.080 is that it really was about bringing like all kinds 0:03:40.080 --> 0:03:41.800 of people from around the Bear, and you know, the 0:03:41.840 --> 0:03:45.880 Bear is a mounting right all coming in and that team, 0:03:46.000 --> 0:03:50.200 I mean, you guys were like the best of the best, legendary, legendary. 0:03:50.280 --> 0:03:51.760 You know. It's funny not to cut you off. 0:03:51.760 --> 0:03:54.120 As I went back in twenty seventeen with Steph and 0:03:54.200 --> 0:03:56.440 Katie and those guys, and we won a championship right 0:03:56.480 --> 0:03:58.640 before I retired, but they all wanted to know about that. 0:03:58.680 --> 0:04:02.480 We believe the era and the energy around the city. 0:04:02.640 --> 0:04:04.200 And when I was there at the media was talking 0:04:04.240 --> 0:04:06.720 about it, the fans talking about it. As amazing as 0:04:06.720 --> 0:04:09.160 that team was and one of all the championships, they 0:04:09.160 --> 0:04:10.760 had a fascination and what we did. 0:04:11.080 --> 0:04:12.640 What was it like for you guys? 0:04:12.880 --> 0:04:14.880 For me, it was big for me because I had 0:04:14.960 --> 0:04:17.479 had some trouble two years before, so I needed to 0:04:17.520 --> 0:04:20.159 come into a situation where I needed to change, and 0:04:20.200 --> 0:04:22.719 it was blessing disguise for me. You know, I landed 0:04:22.760 --> 0:04:25.039 with a whole bunch of guys I knew. I landed 0:04:25.080 --> 0:04:26.800 with a coach that didn't judge me, that let me 0:04:26.839 --> 0:04:29.039 be me. We were able to make history. So it 0:04:29.040 --> 0:04:29.760 was a blessing for me. 0:04:29.880 --> 0:04:31.400 Yeah, I think too. I mean, it was, it was, 0:04:31.480 --> 0:04:32.000 you know, it was. 0:04:32.120 --> 0:04:34.599 It was almost a melting pot of guys that you know, 0:04:34.760 --> 0:04:37.000 my career could have been over before it started. That's 0:04:37.040 --> 0:04:39.040 where I really first got my chance with Don Nelson, 0:04:39.040 --> 0:04:41.080 Like he said, he was coming off trouble. One of 0:04:41.120 --> 0:04:44.560 our other brothers, Baron Davis, was very talented but injuries. 0:04:44.000 --> 0:04:45.240 And didn't really know what was going on. 0:04:45.320 --> 0:04:47.280 So it just kind of felt like the Bay put 0:04:47.360 --> 0:04:49.480 their arms around us, like we were out in the streets, 0:04:49.480 --> 0:04:52.919 hanging out from San Francisco to Oakland to Richmond. Probably 0:04:53.600 --> 0:05:04.760 every club that they we were out race in the community. 0:05:04.800 --> 0:05:06.560 But I mean, one thing I'll say about the Bay 0:05:06.560 --> 0:05:08.640 Area fans is, like you said, you always want to 0:05:08.640 --> 0:05:10.159 say they were good, but there was times where they 0:05:10.200 --> 0:05:11.960 are terrible, but the support never waivered. 0:05:12.000 --> 0:05:13.279 You guys were so loyalty. 0:05:14.520 --> 0:05:16.560 I just I mean, first of all, loyalty as a 0:05:16.600 --> 0:05:20.240 general matter in life, I think is one of the 0:05:20.279 --> 0:05:23.040 most important. Growing up, my mother used to say, you 0:05:23.120 --> 0:05:26.920 got to have a code something, and you figure out 0:05:26.960 --> 0:05:30.800 what your code is. But loyalty and then loyalty to 0:05:30.839 --> 0:05:36.640 your team, right, I mean no fancy yeah, yes. 0:05:38.720 --> 0:05:42.479 Like some presidential water right here and. 0:05:42.560 --> 0:05:48.479 Your team, Like my husband and I have different teams. 0:05:48.680 --> 0:05:52.200 Well he's originally from Jersey, but he moved to la 0:05:52.320 --> 0:05:54.760 when he was a teenager, so most of his fans 0:05:54.760 --> 0:05:58.920 are Laka and so you know, depending on who's playing 0:05:59.000 --> 0:06:02.680 who and what time year. It's very like, really really 0:06:02.720 --> 0:06:05.360 like talking some serious smack. 0:06:06.520 --> 0:06:09.480 What's your feelings on all three of the teams out 0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:10.080 of Oakland? Now? 0:06:11.800 --> 0:06:14.920 It breaks my heart. Remember we used to have all 0:06:15.000 --> 0:06:17.479 of the best. We used to have all of them, 0:06:18.360 --> 0:06:20.760 you know, and you just drive by that area, you know, 0:06:20.839 --> 0:06:22.880 when I go to Oakland, when I go to the Barrier, 0:06:23.400 --> 0:06:27.080 and you know, you like Land at Oakland Airport and 0:06:27.279 --> 0:06:31.480 just past Coliseum. It is it breaks my heart. And 0:06:31.720 --> 0:06:32.919 good good teams. 0:06:34.200 --> 0:06:34.520 For us. 0:06:34.680 --> 0:06:37.239 I think as players when our time, were more worried 0:06:37.240 --> 0:06:39.480 about the workers and the people that were there, because 0:06:39.480 --> 0:06:42.040 that's who made us feel the workers every day we 0:06:42.120 --> 0:06:44.080 came in there. We saw those smiles, we got hugs 0:06:44.120 --> 0:06:47.120 by people actually from Oakland and to see them lose 0:06:47.200 --> 0:06:47.760 them jobs to. 0:06:49.680 --> 0:06:52.760 It's so right. It was part of the economic engine. Yeah, 0:06:52.839 --> 0:06:55.680 exactly exactly. And then the vendors and it was you know, 0:06:55.839 --> 0:06:58.159 and it was local folks, small businesses. 0:06:58.839 --> 0:07:01.320 Yeah, I'll definitely say, I mean, obviously we understand what 0:07:01.680 --> 0:07:03.680 that era and that team kind of did. They took 0:07:03.760 --> 0:07:06.200 the team to a new level and the business side 0:07:06.279 --> 0:07:06.560 kicked in. 0:07:06.720 --> 0:07:07.360 Yeah, it really did. 0:07:07.600 --> 0:07:08.520 I love where they're at. 0:07:08.440 --> 0:07:11.000 In San Francisco, beautiful stadium, but they'll never be anything 0:07:11.120 --> 0:07:11.640 like Oracle. 0:07:11.800 --> 0:07:12.000 Never. 0:07:12.560 --> 0:07:14.840 No, And I'm always going to think, you know, I 0:07:14.880 --> 0:07:16.040 mean Golden State War. 0:07:16.960 --> 0:07:17.560 That's what you think. 0:07:18.640 --> 0:07:19.000 I think. 0:07:19.160 --> 0:07:23.120 I grew up Italian mom, Black dad, and was always 0:07:23.200 --> 0:07:26.120 very proud of my heritage until an incident I had 0:07:26.160 --> 0:07:28.880 in high school when I was seventeen, protected my little sister, 0:07:29.080 --> 0:07:31.560 someone called her some names. I did what the big 0:07:31.600 --> 0:07:33.600 brother did. I ended up getting trouble in the KKK, 0:07:33.840 --> 0:07:36.160 came to vandalize, nearly burned down my high school, and 0:07:36.160 --> 0:07:38.600 I knew at that point, Although I was very proud 0:07:38.680 --> 0:07:40.960 to be Italian and Black, that the world looked at 0:07:41.000 --> 0:07:43.800 me as a black man. You've always been secure in 0:07:43.880 --> 0:07:46.200 your idity who you are, But what do you feel 0:07:46.360 --> 0:07:48.160 or what do you think when you hear people kind 0:07:48.200 --> 0:07:50.360 of questioning just the fabric of who. 0:07:50.320 --> 0:07:56.080 You are, Well, one, I don't listen to it. I'm 0:07:56.160 --> 0:07:58.440 really clear about who I am and if anybody else 0:07:58.520 --> 0:08:00.640 is not, they need to go through their own therapy. 0:08:00.680 --> 0:08:03.600 That's not my My mother was very clear she was 0:08:03.720 --> 0:08:06.920 raising two black girls to be two prout, proud black women, 0:08:07.560 --> 0:08:10.960 and that was never it was never a question. You know, 0:08:11.080 --> 0:08:17.520 It's funny because over the years, journalists, some not most, 0:08:18.040 --> 0:08:19.600 will want to talk about it, and I say, okay, 0:08:19.640 --> 0:08:21.840 if you want to have this conversation, I'm prepared to 0:08:22.000 --> 0:08:23.880 have it, but sit down and get comfortable for a 0:08:23.960 --> 0:08:27.320 few hours. If you want to start talking about race 0:08:27.360 --> 0:08:31.000 in America, you want to talk about the one eighth rule, 0:08:31.760 --> 0:08:35.520 you want write, you want to talk about what it 0:08:35.720 --> 0:08:38.280 means in terms of who you are perceived to be 0:08:38.400 --> 0:08:40.800 and the impact that can have on the rest of 0:08:40.920 --> 0:08:44.240 your life, regardless of who you actually are, in terms 0:08:44.320 --> 0:08:47.160 of your god given capacity and the rights that you 0:08:47.320 --> 0:08:50.440 have and should have. So you know, I don't mess 0:08:50.520 --> 0:08:53.079 with that. I think that's other people trying to figure 0:08:53.120 --> 0:08:55.000 some stuff out that and they need they need, They 0:08:55.920 --> 0:08:56.920 got to deal with it. 0:08:57.960 --> 0:09:01.840 You've also been attacked having biological children, but you are 0:09:02.400 --> 0:09:05.640 a step mom and I'm a step father of I 0:09:05.760 --> 0:09:08.760 just had my seventh little boy two weeks ago, but 0:09:08.840 --> 0:09:12.160 I have three step children that are mine and being 0:09:12.679 --> 0:09:14.640 a dad was natural. Being a dad to my four 0:09:14.720 --> 0:09:18.360 sons was natural. But learning to navigate not wanting to 0:09:18.400 --> 0:09:20.559 step on toes. How do you earn the love and 0:09:20.640 --> 0:09:23.880 the trust? How did you earn Ella in Cole's love 0:09:23.960 --> 0:09:25.760 and trust? And how did you get the name Mamala? 0:09:26.000 --> 0:09:29.920 I'll start with this. I am a daughter of divorce parents. 0:09:31.000 --> 0:09:36.160 My parents were divorce when I was five, and just 0:09:36.240 --> 0:09:38.480 being very frank and handed with you, when Doug and 0:09:38.559 --> 0:09:40.640 I started dating, you know, his parents have been married 0:09:40.679 --> 0:09:45.319 over sixty years. I had to explain to him what 0:09:45.480 --> 0:09:48.000 it is like to be a child of divorce parents, 0:09:49.040 --> 0:09:54.000 and including that it was really important to me that 0:09:56.000 --> 0:09:58.920 I knew what he and my relationship would be before 0:09:58.960 --> 0:10:02.040 I formed a relationship with the kids, because that's just 0:10:02.360 --> 0:10:05.880 it's from my perspective and experience, not fair to the children. 0:10:06.160 --> 0:10:09.640 Because you know, children form attachments. So I was very 0:10:09.720 --> 0:10:13.400 intentional about waiting until I knew that, okay, this is 0:10:13.440 --> 0:10:17.960 a real relationship, before I got to know the kids, 0:10:18.120 --> 0:10:21.640 and then we became I mean, thick as thieves. And 0:10:22.120 --> 0:10:25.240 I love those children. They are my children. And you know, 0:10:25.360 --> 0:10:28.160 we talk about we have a modern family. And maybe 0:10:28.320 --> 0:10:31.199 the blessing that I have that not everyone has, although 0:10:31.200 --> 0:10:33.599 I think everyone should try and work on it, is 0:10:33.720 --> 0:10:36.600 I have a very close because it is a very 0:10:36.679 --> 0:10:39.400 respectful relationship with their mother. 0:10:39.559 --> 0:10:42.120 It's important, you know, and so. 0:10:43.679 --> 0:10:45.920 No, but it's not. But it's not. It is not, 0:10:46.080 --> 0:10:48.319 and you have to work at it. But you have 0:10:48.440 --> 0:10:50.640 to work at it. You'll be all right. Because here's 0:10:50.679 --> 0:10:52.720 the thing. Here's the thing that we have to remember. 0:10:52.760 --> 0:10:54.360 And I know we do and we feel, but we 0:10:54.440 --> 0:10:56.679 have to be intentional about it because the forces and 0:10:56.720 --> 0:11:00.760 the emotions will drag us from this point. The most 0:11:00.800 --> 0:11:04.319 important thing is that our kids grow up healthy. And 0:11:04.840 --> 0:11:06.480 you know, I think of the many things that we 0:11:06.720 --> 0:11:09.280 role model, probably the thing we role model the most 0:11:09.320 --> 0:11:12.160 that we don't realize is how to form healthy relationships. 0:11:13.080 --> 0:11:15.400 You know, we teached our kids how to drive. We 0:11:15.520 --> 0:11:18.160 will sit down and do homework with them. But one 0:11:18.200 --> 0:11:21.240 of the things we are teaching them every day, and 0:11:21.360 --> 0:11:24.400 we have to be intentionally. We will not be perfect, 0:11:24.520 --> 0:11:28.040 we will fall short, but it's how to develop healthy 0:11:28.120 --> 0:11:31.920 emotional relationships. One of the ways, especially in that dynamic 0:11:32.000 --> 0:11:36.120 when you're talking about my husband's ex wife, is how 0:11:36.200 --> 0:11:40.320 to be respectful. And I was very intentional about, for example, 0:11:40.920 --> 0:11:43.040 knowing that the kids, as they got to know and 0:11:43.120 --> 0:11:45.719 form relationship with me, would not want to feel like 0:11:45.840 --> 0:11:49.400 they were somehow being disloyal to their mother. And I 0:11:49.480 --> 0:11:53.320 knew that, and so I was very intentional about always 0:11:53.440 --> 0:11:56.800 making sure that I was clear with them that I 0:11:56.840 --> 0:11:58.920 would say things like, well, how does your mom do it? 0:12:00.120 --> 0:12:02.439 Love to cook? How does your mom to show me 0:12:02.520 --> 0:12:05.000 how you do it? And just and I think that's 0:12:05.080 --> 0:12:07.079 really important because you know, this is the thing that 0:12:07.600 --> 0:12:09.839 I think has become clear, especially as I'm now running 0:12:09.880 --> 0:12:13.360 for president, and these kind of conversations are becoming more prevalent, 0:12:13.480 --> 0:12:15.439 like what does it mean to be a stepparent? The 0:12:15.520 --> 0:12:17.559 people who don't get it are understanding is there a 0:12:17.640 --> 0:12:20.720 whole lot more of these kinds of relationships than people realize. 0:12:20.720 --> 0:12:22.439 It's not the nineteen fifty blended. 0:12:23.000 --> 0:12:27.560 Right it is. It is, and they're beautiful and it's 0:12:27.600 --> 0:12:31.640 a beautiful way to live, to build and grow your family. 0:12:31.880 --> 0:12:33.760 You know, I talk about it even in my speech 0:12:33.760 --> 0:12:36.360 at the convention. I have and I grew up with 0:12:38.120 --> 0:12:40.880 the family that is my family by blood and the 0:12:41.000 --> 0:12:44.360 family that is my family by love and sometimes and 0:12:44.480 --> 0:12:49.400 that's exactly right. That's exactly right. I think increasingly people, 0:12:49.520 --> 0:12:53.160 especially younger people, understand that right that there's the family 0:12:53.200 --> 0:12:55.160 you're born into it, and then there's the family you choose, 0:12:56.200 --> 0:12:58.800 and it's on you to make a decision about what 0:12:59.080 --> 0:13:01.559 you want and how you define your family. And you 0:13:01.679 --> 0:13:03.199 have the right to do that, you know. 0:13:03.440 --> 0:13:07.280 I tell Michael, I'm just an extra layer of support 0:13:07.400 --> 0:13:09.800 and protection. I'm not there to replace your dad. I'm 0:13:09.880 --> 0:13:12.319 not there to you know, I'm here to help in 0:13:12.440 --> 0:13:13.319 any way possible. 0:13:14.040 --> 0:13:17.160 And so Mamala came about because that because it's Kamala, 0:13:17.240 --> 0:13:19.720 and then it just got creative with it and it's Mamla. 0:13:19.960 --> 0:13:20.360 I love it. 0:13:20.520 --> 0:13:23.160 Yeah, all right, shifting a little bit of policy talk, 0:13:23.760 --> 0:13:27.160 and before we talk about policy, can you briefly explain 0:13:27.200 --> 0:13:30.319 because I think sometimes there's misconceptions of the power of 0:13:30.440 --> 0:13:33.320 the president or the power of the Vice President explain 0:13:33.400 --> 0:13:34.640 how a bill becomes a law. 0:13:35.520 --> 0:13:39.559 I believe that the best way the system works is 0:13:39.640 --> 0:13:44.320 when the power is with the people to then advocate 0:13:44.400 --> 0:13:48.800 for their needs and have their needs met. So that's 0:13:49.160 --> 0:13:51.880 the big macro stepping back right. One of the ways 0:13:52.000 --> 0:13:54.840 that the system works to do that, that the system 0:13:54.880 --> 0:13:58.959 should work to do that is we have elected representation 0:14:00.200 --> 0:14:04.040 who represent the people in these state legislatures, which is 0:14:04.080 --> 0:14:07.240 where laws get passed, or in Congress, which is where 0:14:07.280 --> 0:14:10.800 the federal laws get passed. And for the system to 0:14:10.880 --> 0:14:15.280 work the right way, legislators, these members of the state legislature, 0:14:15.360 --> 0:14:18.319 let's say your state senator, your state assembly member, or 0:14:18.520 --> 0:14:22.000 your congressmen or your United States senator, will meet with 0:14:22.240 --> 0:14:25.040 and they'll have ways of receiving information from the people 0:14:25.080 --> 0:14:27.720 about what they want. I think it's really important always 0:14:27.880 --> 0:14:32.080 that we know our power to organize around what we need. 0:14:32.360 --> 0:14:36.040 And sometimes that'll take the form of writing letters, sometimes 0:14:36.080 --> 0:14:39.760 it will take the form of mass protests to make 0:14:39.840 --> 0:14:42.160 sure the voice of the people is heard by their 0:14:42.240 --> 0:14:48.160 representative leaders, who then have as their responsibility to write 0:14:48.240 --> 0:14:51.240 up some legislation that meets the needs of the people. 0:14:52.520 --> 0:14:54.280 And then when they write that up, they take a 0:14:54.360 --> 0:14:58.240 vote in their body if it's a state house or Congress, 0:14:59.200 --> 0:15:01.600 and if the majority the people there agree with it, 0:15:01.760 --> 0:15:05.760 it becomes a law. So that's how it's supposed to work. 0:15:06.000 --> 0:15:07.920 And I mean it does connect to what we were 0:15:07.960 --> 0:15:11.920 talking about earlier, which is then reminding folks they have 0:15:12.080 --> 0:15:17.040 a right and a right to expect that their leaders 0:15:17.480 --> 0:15:20.680 will hear them and take seriously their needs. You know, 0:15:21.600 --> 0:15:24.760 a lot of why I think it's important to talk 0:15:24.800 --> 0:15:30.320 about our accomplishments on things like we finally let Medicare 0:15:30.400 --> 0:15:33.240 negotiate drug prices with the big pharmaceutical companies so that 0:15:33.320 --> 0:15:35.520 we could cap the cost of incident thirty five dollars 0:15:35.520 --> 0:15:37.640 a month. You know why that's important because forever that 0:15:37.800 --> 0:15:41.760 never happened. And when we explain to people that they 0:15:41.880 --> 0:15:44.400 kept advocating and kept fighting for it to happen and 0:15:44.520 --> 0:15:47.120 it did happen, it reminds people don't give up, keep 0:15:47.200 --> 0:15:50.440 fighting for the things you know are possible, even if 0:15:50.480 --> 0:15:53.360 it's never happened before. I think it's important for people 0:15:53.440 --> 0:15:55.520 to know, you know, when we like, for example, I 0:15:55.960 --> 0:15:58.200 helped write the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act when 0:15:58.200 --> 0:15:59.840 I was in the United States Senate, people by the 0:16:00.160 --> 0:16:04.680 hundreds of thousands marched rightly, out of pain, out of knowledge, 0:16:05.040 --> 0:16:08.880 out of commitment that we need to take seriously what 0:16:09.000 --> 0:16:11.600 we got to do to deal with this system. And 0:16:11.800 --> 0:16:14.440 so we couldn't get enough votes to pass it, but 0:16:14.560 --> 0:16:16.440 we got it that far that we wrote it up 0:16:17.440 --> 0:16:20.040 and we got it as far as so that under 0:16:20.160 --> 0:16:23.600 our administration, the President was able to sign an executive 0:16:23.720 --> 0:16:25.200 order that put a lot of what we put in 0:16:25.240 --> 0:16:28.880 the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act into an executive order. 0:16:28.920 --> 0:16:31.680 So at least for federal law enforcement, we're now dealing 0:16:31.760 --> 0:16:35.160 with no knock warrants. We're now talking about a national 0:16:35.320 --> 0:16:39.760 database for police officers who have committed misconduct. 0:16:40.120 --> 0:16:44.360 To the people who say, why are we still marching 0:16:44.440 --> 0:16:48.120 in twenty twenty four, Yeah, when it's common sense what 0:16:48.240 --> 0:16:48.840 people need, What. 0:16:48.840 --> 0:16:50.800 Do you say to that, Look, my parents march for 0:16:50.840 --> 0:16:54.000 civil rights back in the day. I do believe there 0:16:54.120 --> 0:16:58.560 is no significant progress that we've made in our country 0:16:58.880 --> 0:17:02.840 without the people often taking to the streets, going way 0:17:02.920 --> 0:17:05.560 back to the Civil Rights Act, to the Voting Rights Act, 0:17:06.320 --> 0:17:09.040 to you know, I mean, what's happening now in the 0:17:09.080 --> 0:17:13.480 streets on choice, to what happened around George Floyd's murder 0:17:13.880 --> 0:17:16.840 and moving forward an agenda that's about that. I mean, 0:17:16.880 --> 0:17:19.040 you could just go through just the different levels of 0:17:19.119 --> 0:17:23.600 progress that we've had. Often has taken people taking to 0:17:23.640 --> 0:17:26.960 the streets, which is why, look, I support the right 0:17:27.000 --> 0:17:30.080 of people to peacefully protest my opponent in this race. 0:17:30.359 --> 0:17:33.720 You look up Project twenty twenty five Nasty Work. They're 0:17:33.840 --> 0:17:37.680 literally talking about what they would do to arrest people 0:17:38.640 --> 0:17:43.359 and deport them because they want to suppress. Part of 0:17:43.440 --> 0:17:46.720 what really concerns me about this moment in time is 0:17:47.240 --> 0:17:50.919 we've also defined our progress over the years, and therefore 0:17:50.960 --> 0:17:55.280 our strength is being about the expansion of rights, and 0:17:55.400 --> 0:17:57.639 now we're seeing a full on intent. 0:17:57.520 --> 0:17:59.879 To restrict rights going backwards. 0:18:00.320 --> 0:18:04.399 I strongly believe we have to always be vigilant, meaning 0:18:05.080 --> 0:18:09.000 whatever gains we've made, they will not be permanent unless 0:18:09.040 --> 0:18:11.760 we stay on it. You got to know, you can't 0:18:11.800 --> 0:18:14.320 take any of our rights for granted, and that's why 0:18:14.400 --> 0:18:16.440 we have to stay active. And that's about voting, that's 0:18:16.480 --> 0:18:20.520 about being involved in community organizations. That's about having those 0:18:20.880 --> 0:18:23.760 conversations when everybody gets together, whether we be at the barbershop, 0:18:23.920 --> 0:18:28.440 round the kitchen table, to remind ourselves about, look, what's 0:18:28.520 --> 0:18:30.600 happening and what do we need to do about it? 0:18:30.800 --> 0:18:31.600 And also think too. 0:18:31.680 --> 0:18:33.879 I mean, some of the stuff we stand and fight for, 0:18:34.160 --> 0:18:35.240 you know, I do it as a parent. 0:18:35.400 --> 0:18:36.160 In my lifetime. 0:18:36.200 --> 0:18:38.640 I may not see the benefits, but I have seven 0:18:38.720 --> 0:18:40.399 kids who are going to have more kids that are 0:18:40.480 --> 0:18:43.080 coming down the pipeline that may one day. I'm sure 0:18:43.160 --> 0:18:44.960 when your parents fought there thinking by the time my 0:18:45.119 --> 0:18:47.480 daughter's old enough, hopefully she won't be going through this. 0:18:47.760 --> 0:18:50.320 That's exactly right. But see, they also taught me this, 0:18:50.800 --> 0:18:54.960 don't fall asleep on this stuff. Don't fall asleep on it. 0:18:56.080 --> 0:18:59.320 Don't sit back and get comfortable like, oh, that's done. 0:19:00.840 --> 0:19:04.040 You know, there's this old saying. It's Kreta Scott King, 0:19:05.600 --> 0:19:07.560 she said, and I paraphrase it all the time. The 0:19:07.680 --> 0:19:10.720 fight for civil rights, which she meant, the fight for justice, 0:19:10.760 --> 0:19:13.520 the fight for equality must be fought in one with 0:19:13.720 --> 0:19:17.600 each generation. And I think what she meant is one, 0:19:17.880 --> 0:19:21.680 understand whatever games we make will not be permanent. And two, 0:19:22.400 --> 0:19:24.600 therefore you must be vigilant. You got to stay on 0:19:24.680 --> 0:19:27.560 top of it. And by the way, don't complain about that. 0:19:27.880 --> 0:19:30.359 HBCUs are such a big thing now, and it's I 0:19:30.440 --> 0:19:32.600 feel like when things get trendy to become you know, 0:19:32.640 --> 0:19:34.080 everyone wants to talk about it and be a part 0:19:34.119 --> 0:19:37.080 of it. You were someone who went to an HBCU 0:19:38.040 --> 0:19:40.440 as an athlete, I'm just like, it's a great idea 0:19:40.440 --> 0:19:42.879 and I wish it was more cooler when I was 0:19:42.920 --> 0:19:44.840