1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:11,959 Speaker 1: Yeah, let's just keep the real straight shot with no Jason. 2 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: I'm gonna get a little bit roughly. I'm here for it. 3 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:18,799 Speaker 1: Those who really believe in the American process, all of 4 00:00:18,920 --> 00:00:22,920 Speaker 1: us Straight Shot No Chasing, What's your Girl chessel figure out? 5 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: On the Black Effect podcast network pay Straight Shoot of Family. 6 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:29,319 Speaker 1: I have some exciting news. I am on the road 7 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: right now traveling with Attorney Benjamin Crump promoting his new 8 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: Netflix documentary title Civil, which will premiere on Netflix on Sunday, 9 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 1: June nineteenth, that's June tenth. By the way, in the film, 10 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:46,280 Speaker 1: you will notice your girl having a conversation with Attorney Crump. 11 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: That conversation was recorded right here on the Straight Shot 12 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 1: No Chase a podcast, So I thought this would be 13 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 1: a great time to reboot the episode for you to 14 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 1: check it out. Listen to part one of the episode, 15 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: check out the film on Sunday, June nineteenth, and then 16 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: prepare to listen to part two on next week, and 17 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 1: then we will discuss the film. My interview and any 18 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:10,160 Speaker 1: questions that you have on upcoming Straight Shot No Chaser 19 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 1: lives on Instagram, so make sure you lock into my 20 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:16,960 Speaker 1: Instagram page at Tesla Figuro. Keep it locked in by 21 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: subscribing to the Straight Shot No Chaser podcast and please 22 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 1: ask five friends to tap in again. Follow me on 23 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: Instagram and Twitter at Tesla Figuro. I look forward to 24 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: sharing my experience with you from the Tribeca Film Festival 25 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: and the American Black Film Festival, and more importantly hearing 26 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: your feedback. Like I always say, use it, lose it 27 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 1: can't make you choose it. Duayne Rove the table today 28 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 1: is very important, a very important day. We are setting 29 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 1: the record straight with Attorney Benjamin Crump. This is one 30 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 1: of my most important episodes for many reasons that you'll 31 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 1: find out as we move forward in the podcast. The 32 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:54,639 Speaker 1: main reason is because I want all of the myths 33 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 1: and misconceptions straightened out. Today I'm gonna give it to 34 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:00,280 Speaker 1: you straight Shot No Chaser. This is unscripted. This is 35 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 1: and not pre advanced questions. This is just a conversation 36 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: between me and my friend, Attorney Benjamin Crump. You know 37 00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: him as a gladigator. You know him as someone that 38 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 1: comes in at what they call ghostbusters, the Black Attorney 39 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 1: General for America. He is someone that families called their 40 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: first call when they want justice. Today, we're gonna spend 41 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 1: some time to get into the things that him and 42 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 1: I talked about all the time. I am just as 43 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:27,279 Speaker 1: a disclaimer, Attorney Benjamin Crump's one of his political consultants. 44 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: We have worked together for years and one of the 45 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 1: biggest frustrations that I have is the misinformation that is 46 00:02:34,680 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: out there. We will certainly talk about cases. This will 47 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: not be the last time that Attorney Benjamin Crump will 48 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 1: join Straight Shot No Chase to with Tesla Figaro, but 49 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: I really feel it's important that we spend some time 50 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: digging into him as a person, as a human being, 51 00:02:47,320 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: and what it means to carry the mantle of social justice. 52 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:54,520 Speaker 1: Welcome Attorney Benjamin Crump. I'm so very honored to be 53 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: one of your first guests on this incredible new podcasts. 54 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 1: It is so appropriate for you, Tad, because they don't 55 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: know you give it straight no Chasing even when you know, 56 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:09,679 Speaker 1: don't air always yes they do. And like Attorney Vision 57 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:13,360 Speaker 1: Crumpt always says, I give him unsolicited advice. That means 58 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 1: that I tell him things that he did not ask for, 59 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: but I give it to him anyway. I would say this, 60 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: I am so very proud of you. You know, your 61 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 1: evolution continues to amaze me, and so Tess, you know, 62 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: God have a lot of things in store for you. 63 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 1: This is but what step on the journey. Thank you 64 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 1: so much, Attorney Crump. I really really appreciate your leadership. 65 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: And you know, this was so important to me because, 66 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: as you know, I'm always saying, you know, Ben, I 67 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 1: wish they would go deeper into you to talk about 68 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: what you endure, why these families call you, what type 69 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: of burden it puts on you, all of the things 70 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 1: that go behind the scenes. I know we can't talk 71 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 1: a lot about, you know, behind the scenes for client confidentiality, 72 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 1: but it's close to the line as we can get 73 00:03:55,880 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: to really paint the picture. Is important to me, but 74 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: I really want listeners to be able to address a 75 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 1: lot of the things that they here on social media. 76 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 1: You are someone that is steadfast. You you are unmovable. 77 00:04:09,560 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: When I call you, like Attorney Crump, they're saying this 78 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: or that, And like Tess, we gotta stay focused on 79 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: the main thing. We have to keep our eyes on 80 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:17,679 Speaker 1: the prize. We have to stay focused on what is ahead. 81 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:22,039 Speaker 1: And you are the most unbothered, calm, consistent client that 82 00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:25,280 Speaker 1: I've ever worked with. To see how you work with 83 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:28,600 Speaker 1: so many different families, always in a crisis is amazing. 84 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 1: Let's deal with the first myth that I think is 85 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 1: so important. A lot of people say, you know, why 86 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:36,160 Speaker 1: do they call Attorney Crump? And I tell people that 87 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 1: I was critical of you as well before I knew you. 88 00:04:38,720 --> 00:04:40,920 Speaker 1: I didn't understand why do you know they call? Why 89 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:42,599 Speaker 1: is he the one? Why is he the first you know, 90 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: person on the scene. After working with you and seeing 91 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:48,720 Speaker 1: the connection that you make with these families and the 92 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:51,480 Speaker 1: trust and the immediate report that you have to build 93 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 1: within a matter of hours sometimes seconds, because what people 94 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:57,480 Speaker 1: don't understand is when they call you in a crisis, 95 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 1: it's immediate. There's no time to sit back and get 96 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:02,919 Speaker 1: to know one another or so you have to have 97 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: an instant connection when you meet these families. Can you 98 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 1: talk a little bit about why other attorneys because I 99 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: say this all the time, and you know, I'm your Malcolm, 100 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: You're the Martin, I'm the Malcolm. So a lot of 101 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 1: civil and a lot of civil rights attorneys they don't 102 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: want to take these cases. Can you talk about two 103 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 1: folds why local civil rights attorneys do not want to 104 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:25,159 Speaker 1: take these high profile cases? Challenging the system. And then too, 105 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 1: how do you connect with these families and why do 106 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: you see them as being the go to guy in 107 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:34,279 Speaker 1: this in this space. You know, it is really deep 108 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:38,600 Speaker 1: when you think about a lot of people historically will 109 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 1: not take these cases. I remember the great Dick Gregory 110 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 1: told me after tray Bon Martin, we were up in Philadelphia, 111 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 1: Traybon's mother and myself, and he said, you know, Ben Crup, 112 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:54,479 Speaker 1: what you have done has made it cool again to 113 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 1: be a civil rights lawyer because after the king era 114 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: and the sixes and so forth, everybody started going for money. 115 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 1: Everybody was getting these corporate jobs and so forth. Nobody 116 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 1: was talking about going to fight for marginalized, disenfranchised black people. 117 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:13,480 Speaker 1: But what we started doing in my former law partner, 118 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:16,039 Speaker 1: there are parts and I we went to law school 119 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 1: to try to fight five people, to try to give 120 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:23,480 Speaker 1: them an equal opportunity at the American dream, equal opportunity 121 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 1: at achieving justice. And so I think the reason they 122 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:31,560 Speaker 1: called me tests is just I always try to be 123 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 1: who I am. I trying to be honest. I try 124 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:38,040 Speaker 1: to tell them I'm passionate about the cause of justice. 125 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:41,360 Speaker 1: I tell them that I promise you we would get 126 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:46,359 Speaker 1: to the truth. I never ever promised them that the 127 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,680 Speaker 1: UH justice system is gonna work for them, because in America, 128 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:52,760 Speaker 1: you have no guarantee a justice. All you have is 129 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:56,159 Speaker 1: a chance at justice. And so I know what we 130 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 1: do on outside tests. As you and I talk a lot, 131 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:03,360 Speaker 1: I'm just civil rights attorney, and the only thing we 132 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: can do as private citizens, private attorneys is to bring 133 00:07:07,560 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 1: a civil rights wrong for death lawsuit and get the 134 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 1: family compensation. We can do no more than that. Based 135 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 1: on our form of government. It is the elected government officials, 136 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:25,600 Speaker 1: the prosecutors, the state attorneys, the district attorneys, who are 137 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 1: the only ones who can arrest somebody, take away their 138 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 1: liberty interests and put them in jail. So, you know, 139 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: when I hear about these negative things being saying on 140 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 1: social media, I think about all the love and respect 141 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 1: we get the fact that we can't stop our phones 142 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: from ringing tars as we often talked about. And then 143 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:50,120 Speaker 1: I think about my heroes. I think about Third Good 144 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:54,120 Speaker 1: Martia and all the criticisms he got, not just from 145 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: white people, but from black people, the people he was 146 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: trying to help. Martin Luther King, you know you're gonna 147 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: watch UH the king and the winner. That partly the 148 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,080 Speaker 1: last three years of Martin Luther king life, he was 149 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 1: the most aided man in America, not by white people, 150 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 1: by black people. Malcolm Max hated and vilified. And so 151 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 1: I say to myself, because all my heroes had to 152 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 1: go through these trials and tribulations, who am I to 153 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:27,240 Speaker 1: think I'm better that I should not go through these 154 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 1: trials and tribulations? Who am I to be so arrogant 155 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:33,840 Speaker 1: to think that everybody is gonna love me? And the 156 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: fact that we're taking on these holly what others were 157 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:41,319 Speaker 1: called tests and controversial issues. When you're talking about white 158 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:44,120 Speaker 1: police officers going to jail with for four hundred and 159 00:08:44,200 --> 00:08:47,520 Speaker 1: one years in America, that has not been the history 160 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 1: of America. Normally, they kill us and nobody's held accountable. 161 00:08:51,440 --> 00:08:53,280 Speaker 1: So what we have been able to do in the 162 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:57,640 Speaker 1: last ten to fifteen years is changed the conversation, change 163 00:08:57,679 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: the narratives where we're having an expert directation of white 164 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:05,559 Speaker 1: police officers going to prison for killing us. Remember in 165 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:11,840 Speaker 1: our mother and grandparents day, even till that was accepted, 166 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 1: that was the norm. And we think that and these 167 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:20,320 Speaker 1: forty fifty years, America has changed no, it has not 168 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:24,559 Speaker 1: test been got the statistics. I mean, fifty of the 169 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 1: prisons in most states in America are occupied by Black people, 170 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 1: even though we only make up thirteen percent of the 171 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: population in America. The easiest way to get on death 172 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:38,600 Speaker 1: road in America two ways. Want to be a person 173 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:41,720 Speaker 1: of color and to kill a white person. That's the 174 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:44,199 Speaker 1: quickest way to get the death or on America. The 175 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 1: second quickest way to get the death or on America 176 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:49,960 Speaker 1: is to be a person of color and be accused 177 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 1: of killing a white person. I mean, the quickest ways 178 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:56,200 Speaker 1: to get on death row. When you just oppose that task, 179 00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:01,360 Speaker 1: you have white people killed black eep in persons of color. 180 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 1: There's no guarantee they're gonna get on death row. There's 181 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:08,120 Speaker 1: no guarantee they're even going to present. In fact, I mean, 182 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:11,720 Speaker 1: they kill us because of the racist Jim Crow stand 183 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:15,679 Speaker 1: your ground laws day, no guarantee they're gonna be arrested. 184 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:17,960 Speaker 1: They kill our children and go home and sleep in 185 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:20,840 Speaker 1: their baths at night. So that's the message that's been 186 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 1: projected from our court system about saying the word that 187 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: black lives don't matter as much as white lives. And 188 00:10:29,320 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 1: we have to remember that we're fighting four hundred years 189 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 1: of systematic racism and oppression. So don't condemn the people 190 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 1: who are out here trying to fight for you, while 191 00:10:42,400 --> 00:10:46,200 Speaker 1: you don't say anything about these prosecutors who keep letting 192 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 1: these killer cops get off, These prosecutors who every day 193 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:54,079 Speaker 1: in every city that every state in America, keep giving 194 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: um these trumped up feeling the convictions against our children. 195 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 1: Let's educate and gay empower. I appreciate you saying that, 196 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 1: and that's why this interview is so critical, because let's 197 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: go back to when you talked about the money, because 198 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:11,080 Speaker 1: this is one of the things I tell people all 199 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:13,400 Speaker 1: the time. People who think the money is in the 200 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:16,760 Speaker 1: civil rights business got to completely twisted. That's that's number one. 201 00:11:16,760 --> 00:11:20,439 Speaker 1: It is so much easier to file a medical malpractice 202 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 1: suit get forty million with endless funds available. Number one, 203 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: not have to deal with the public scrutiny. Not a 204 00:11:27,480 --> 00:11:29,640 Speaker 1: lot of times that's brought to media attention. Those are 205 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: usually private matters, which addresses we're gonna get to that 206 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 1: when when when we talk about how you bring the 207 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:36,920 Speaker 1: media involved in it and why that's so important. You 208 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:40,560 Speaker 1: can settle a medical malpractice lawsuit quietly under the table 209 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:42,839 Speaker 1: without the media, because they think that the media plays 210 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:45,200 Speaker 1: a role in the settlement. Sometimes it does and sometimes 211 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:47,160 Speaker 1: it doesn't. But we know that you can still get 212 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:49,000 Speaker 1: a big settlement without the media. We know that by 213 00:11:49,080 --> 00:11:52,920 Speaker 1: medical malpractice under the table limitless amount of money because 214 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 1: you can sue the doctor, you can sue the hospital, 215 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: you can see everybody involved. We know that in the 216 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 1: criminal justice space that's not the case. Most state city 217 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:03,160 Speaker 1: we're talking about police officers have caps on the amount 218 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 1: of money that can be paid out to someone. That's 219 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:08,720 Speaker 1: number one. Number two, we have what we call when 220 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 1: we're pushing forward, called and implied immunity, which will allow 221 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:14,680 Speaker 1: us to suthe these police officers personally, which is not 222 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:16,679 Speaker 1: the case in a lot of states right now as 223 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 1: we talk. Number three, who's the state of the police 224 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 1: officers will even have a policy if any and if 225 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 1: it is maybe, if you're lucky, maybe a million dollar policy. 226 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 1: Speak to this idea that is all about the money 227 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:30,199 Speaker 1: when you have to look at the balance of dealing 228 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:32,719 Speaker 1: with the death threats not even getting them. One, let's 229 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:35,079 Speaker 1: talk about how many black attorneys out there can actually 230 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:37,360 Speaker 1: push the case for a year or two or have 231 00:12:37,559 --> 00:12:40,400 Speaker 1: along and have the resources. That's what people don't understand. 232 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:42,840 Speaker 1: It takes resources about these cases. You don't take one 233 00:12:42,960 --> 00:12:46,200 Speaker 1: dime from these families unless you win. Just like anything else, 234 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 1: if somebody slips and fall or get hurt in an 235 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:50,240 Speaker 1: accident and you hear the commercial say, I don't take 236 00:12:50,240 --> 00:12:52,320 Speaker 1: a dime if you win. Talk about the investment, the 237 00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 1: enormous amount of investment one from financial, physical, spiritual meaning 238 00:12:57,120 --> 00:12:58,560 Speaker 1: having to deal with the death threats and all of 239 00:12:58,559 --> 00:13:00,920 Speaker 1: that that goes into these case. Speak to that on 240 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:02,960 Speaker 1: how it is not just about the money on the 241 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:04,959 Speaker 1: civil side, that this is the wrong business to get 242 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:07,880 Speaker 1: into if you're if you're looking for money first. You know, Tess. 243 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:10,960 Speaker 1: It's like my mother say, people want the glory, but 244 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:15,680 Speaker 1: they don't know my story. And that really speaks truth 245 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:19,120 Speaker 1: to power when you think about the fact that it 246 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:24,440 Speaker 1: is so easy to go just take the money. I 247 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:28,239 Speaker 1: have thirteen officers around in the country. I have lawyers 248 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:32,520 Speaker 1: who work with me who are exceptional lawyers who make 249 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:38,120 Speaker 1: money every day on personal injury, business related cases, discrimination 250 00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:43,640 Speaker 1: related cases, mass towards class action work. And you know, Tess, 251 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:46,760 Speaker 1: because you do a lot of political consultants help us 252 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:50,040 Speaker 1: frame these issues for the public when we go against 253 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:55,720 Speaker 1: these goliath corporations, And I just think about the biggest 254 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:59,079 Speaker 1: amounts we made had nothing to do with civil rights. 255 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:02,560 Speaker 1: Last year, you know, we represented a young boy, a 256 00:14:02,559 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 1: young white boy, and a golf car accident and recover 257 00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:10,560 Speaker 1: thirty eight million dollars. And so it's those type cases. 258 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 1: You're right, it would be so easy just to concentrate 259 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:16,120 Speaker 1: on that. But I know why I became a lawyer. 260 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:19,040 Speaker 1: I did not become a lawyer jest to make money. 261 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:21,800 Speaker 1: I became a lawyer to try to make a difference. 262 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:26,200 Speaker 1: And you can never ever run from who you are. 263 00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 1: It is in my core, like it's in your courtets, 264 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:33,400 Speaker 1: and like its people who care about our culture, who 265 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:37,359 Speaker 1: care about our people, to say, despite whatever they say, 266 00:14:37,480 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 1: I'm going to try to make a difference to make 267 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:43,720 Speaker 1: life better for them, and they may not appreciate it. 268 00:14:43,880 --> 00:14:46,720 Speaker 1: And I think about, you know, we just got a 269 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:51,280 Speaker 1: historic settlement in Flint, Michigan, the most ever paid out 270 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:55,920 Speaker 1: for children by an individual state, six hundred million dollars. 271 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 1: And we're probably gonna get another billion dollars from the 272 00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 1: federal permit if we ever get at the court. That 273 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 1: took five years. And while we're doing that, you're having 274 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 1: to pay for all these experts, pay for all of 275 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 1: this deposition, pay for all of this discovery. You're investing 276 00:15:13,040 --> 00:15:16,960 Speaker 1: millions and millions of dollars on a chance that justice 277 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:21,160 Speaker 1: trying to get something that had never been done in Flint, Michigan. 278 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 1: But you work with great lawyers and you say we're 279 00:15:24,480 --> 00:15:27,680 Speaker 1: committed to equal justice under the law and that these 280 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:31,720 Speaker 1: black children lives matter, because when Tess and I were 281 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:36,480 Speaker 1: going through Flint, we saw how devastating it was this 282 00:15:36,720 --> 00:15:42,080 Speaker 1: mayor water crisis to black families and nobody. You know, 283 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 1: it was a consel them for a minute, and then 284 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:46,680 Speaker 1: they kind of moved on, because that's what happened with 285 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 1: all these police shooting cases too. It'll be big and 286 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:52,880 Speaker 1: then they'll move on. But you have to stay the course. 287 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:56,480 Speaker 1: And there's a much easier way to make money. And 288 00:15:57,080 --> 00:16:00,760 Speaker 1: people don't want to get the death threats. People don't 289 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:04,320 Speaker 1: want to be ostracized. You know, when you walk by 290 00:16:04,400 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 1: people whispering and everything, people calling you are a race beta, 291 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:11,480 Speaker 1: people calling your outside agitated. What was Daniel Cameron and 292 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:15,680 Speaker 1: Brianna Taylor saying, these people who don't them in contacting me, 293 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:18,400 Speaker 1: stay out of here. That's the same thing they said 294 00:16:18,440 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 1: about Martin Luther King. That's the same thing they said 295 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 1: about Thurgood Marshall. People coming in to a city to 296 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:29,880 Speaker 1: say this is not right, and if nobody in this 297 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 1: city has the courage to say what is right, then 298 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 1: we're gonna say what's right. I would never forget when 299 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 1: you and our tears went to Oklahoma City for those 300 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 1: thirteen black women that had been raped by that white 301 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 1: police officer, and the fact that they called us a 302 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:53,400 Speaker 1: race beta. They said, Ben Krump bringing racism to Oklahoma City. 303 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 1: And I remember Tasa, one of the people who kept 304 00:16:55,720 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 1: pushing me to look at that case. And then when 305 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:02,480 Speaker 1: I finally got there during the criminal trial, and they 306 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:06,760 Speaker 1: had literally the women who were raped by this police officer, 307 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 1: they bought them in court and handcuffs, their shackles and 308 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:14,760 Speaker 1: their jail uniforms. But they had the police officer sitting 309 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:17,119 Speaker 1: up there in a shirt and tie, looking like the 310 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:21,600 Speaker 1: most dignified person in the world. And I remember us 311 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 1: bringing their law and bringing attention because it was almost 312 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:29,080 Speaker 1: as if these black women were unrapeable, that there was 313 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:32,360 Speaker 1: no fact pattern that we could give to say that 314 00:17:32,440 --> 00:17:35,399 Speaker 1: it would be defined as rape. And I remember Tars 315 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:38,200 Speaker 1: and I at the Marius on the Simmers. We're working 316 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 1: our butts off on social media to try to get 317 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:44,720 Speaker 1: people to pay attention to say that their life matter 318 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:48,240 Speaker 1: and their life experiences matter. And the first thing the 319 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:51,680 Speaker 1: media said to us, Tars, if you remember being from 320 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:55,159 Speaker 1: bringing racism in America, if to Oklahoma City, And the 321 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:57,359 Speaker 1: one thing I said, because I'm a good trial lawyer 322 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:00,720 Speaker 1: and we have to think quick on our feet, I said, no, No, 323 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:04,560 Speaker 1: I didn't bring racism to the city. I just took 324 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:07,320 Speaker 1: the blind folder's office so y'all can see it too. 325 00:18:07,480 --> 00:18:11,400 Speaker 1: Let's let's dig aa. That's right. And they still don't 326 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 1: talk about it as they should. And that's what what 327 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 1: bothers me. You have worked on over two hundred cases 328 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:18,240 Speaker 1: police brutality cases. We're not talking about all the other 329 00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:20,840 Speaker 1: cases that you've done towards different different things that that 330 00:18:20,880 --> 00:18:23,480 Speaker 1: you've done, but two hundred police brutality cases, many of 331 00:18:23,520 --> 00:18:26,920 Speaker 1: which people have never heard of, many of which would 332 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:30,280 Speaker 1: victims still alive. When we talk about the Oklahoma City thirteen, 333 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:32,800 Speaker 1: those women are still alive, still going through that grief, 334 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:34,640 Speaker 1: still having to deal with that trauma, and you don't 335 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 1: hear them, you know, talk about that. When I hear 336 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:39,720 Speaker 1: people say that you've never won a case, it bothers 337 00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 1: the hell out of me, as you know, because one 338 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:45,000 Speaker 1: is the misconception not understanding your civil rights attorney, not 339 00:18:45,200 --> 00:18:47,200 Speaker 1: the state. You know, you did not lose the trade 340 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:50,720 Speaker 1: on Martin case. You brought attention to the case. Had 341 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:54,359 Speaker 1: you not brought attention. Over these last ten twelve years, 342 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:59,240 Speaker 1: we now have seen incremental change since the George Floyd murder. 343 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 1: Over one hundred cities have now changed police reform on 344 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 1: one level or another, whether it's been banning chokeholds are 345 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:11,239 Speaker 1: read a distributing community of resources, money from policing back 346 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:15,160 Speaker 1: into community resources. If these cases were not brought into 347 00:19:15,240 --> 00:19:18,159 Speaker 1: the spotlight consistently, because anybody can do a one time story, 348 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:21,000 Speaker 1: five minute stories. Having the story, you have an ability 349 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:25,880 Speaker 1: to bring influences together, politicians together, activists together, to stay 350 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:28,160 Speaker 1: consistent on a message back to back. And what I've 351 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,200 Speaker 1: always admired about your leadership is you don't just work 352 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:33,359 Speaker 1: with people that agree with you. I have great respect 353 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:35,840 Speaker 1: for you, great admiration for you, but you allow me 354 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:38,280 Speaker 1: to challenge in areas of things that I may not 355 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:41,160 Speaker 1: disagree with you all you always listened to say tes, 356 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:43,840 Speaker 1: I heard what you said. I'm taking into consideration. And 357 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:45,760 Speaker 1: I believe that is what makes at least from my 358 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:49,040 Speaker 1: personal experience, what makes you such an excellent leader with 359 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 1: galvanizing people. How do you get folks with like an 360 00:19:52,520 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 1: Al Sharpton and people who have been very critical of 361 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:58,399 Speaker 1: Al Sharpton are totally different than Al Sharpen's philosophy to 362 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:00,959 Speaker 1: get them together on one of or to keep us 363 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:03,120 Speaker 1: all focused on on the on the test at hand, 364 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 1: you know, and Terres, you saw a little bit of 365 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:07,800 Speaker 1: that when we were in Los Angeles well for the 366 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:12,720 Speaker 1: Legendary Music Icon George Clinton talking about the National Black 367 00:20:12,840 --> 00:20:18,399 Speaker 1: Songwriters Association to try to stop this musical sharecropping, where 368 00:20:18,480 --> 00:20:22,600 Speaker 1: he said black artists, when we have our creative genius 369 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:27,520 Speaker 1: to create this incredible music catalog and this intellectual property, 370 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:31,480 Speaker 1: and then we're never compensated at the level of our 371 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:35,920 Speaker 1: white counterparts by the music industry. They trying to make 372 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:39,680 Speaker 1: us share crop We represent and ed Townsend and Lorvin 373 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:44,640 Speaker 1: Gate against a sharing and Sony Corporation to say that 374 00:20:44,640 --> 00:20:48,159 Speaker 1: that song Thinking Out Loud was taken in the general 375 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 1: Greece me and similarities to the classic kit Let's get 376 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:55,920 Speaker 1: it on, and so quite literally, you have us taking 377 00:20:55,920 --> 00:20:59,879 Speaker 1: on this goodlied corporation. You don't get no bigger than Sony. 378 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:04,399 Speaker 1: But it's a matter of principle when you say, hold on, George, 379 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:07,159 Speaker 1: can I get you here? And Snoop Dogg? Will you 380 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:09,720 Speaker 1: join it? And for real, will you lend your voice 381 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:22,800 Speaker 1: to say that this is about us all. Another misconception 382 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 1: out there is that you tell families to forgive the oppressor, 383 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:30,560 Speaker 1: to forgive the police, to forgive those who have harmed 384 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:33,240 Speaker 1: their loved one. I want to make clear from my 385 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:35,760 Speaker 1: experience with you, years of experience with you, I have 386 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:38,680 Speaker 1: never witnessed you tell a family that it is best 387 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:41,880 Speaker 1: that they forgive, and if they forgive, the settlement will 388 00:21:41,920 --> 00:21:44,920 Speaker 1: come faster. And if they forgive, because let's just try 389 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:46,800 Speaker 1: to make that make sense. And I want people to 390 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:49,280 Speaker 1: really think about this, if, if, if what they're saying 391 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:53,679 Speaker 1: is true, that you're telling hey, say that you forgive them, 392 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:55,919 Speaker 1: it's gonna get you a settlement that doesn't even make 393 00:21:55,960 --> 00:21:58,119 Speaker 1: sense because if they're forgiving them, that means what that 394 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:00,480 Speaker 1: means that they shouldn't have to give them anything. If 395 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:03,560 Speaker 1: that's the case, meaning of settlement criminal convictions, I definitely 396 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:07,040 Speaker 1: don't pay attention to the haters. And I think there's 397 00:22:07,119 --> 00:22:10,679 Speaker 1: they have to remember. Part of this is by educating, 398 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:15,840 Speaker 1: engaging in empowering them to do better. Thing, no better, 399 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:18,960 Speaker 1: So let's clean us up. Like you said, it's two 400 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:24,200 Speaker 1: separate things completely. Criminal prosecution and the civil courts are 401 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:29,360 Speaker 1: just two different forms of justice. One really has nothing 402 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:33,199 Speaker 1: to do with the other. I think the district attorney 403 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:37,399 Speaker 1: there is the criminal prosecution. They don't have to listen 404 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:39,439 Speaker 1: to the marriage. They don't have to listen to the 405 00:22:39,520 --> 00:22:42,640 Speaker 1: city at all that they don't want to. And so 406 00:22:43,119 --> 00:22:46,280 Speaker 1: you come in and you try your best to be 407 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:51,760 Speaker 1: as effected and as strategic as possible to get justice 408 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 1: as much as you can for these families. As you 409 00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:58,000 Speaker 1: said to us, you are absolutely right. If you're talking 410 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 1: about forgiving and so forth, then what does that signal 411 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:05,240 Speaker 1: to the jury and also the community say, if you've 412 00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:08,160 Speaker 1: forgiving them itself? Why am I here watching? Why am 413 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:12,400 Speaker 1: I here demonstrating Jerry? Why are you gonna punish him? 414 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:15,480 Speaker 1: Because Digits is the lord. That's what they're saying when 415 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:18,879 Speaker 1: they say they forgive the person. But what I never 416 00:23:19,000 --> 00:23:22,439 Speaker 1: do and never will do, is get between a client 417 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:26,920 Speaker 1: and their faith. I would have rather and both of 418 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:30,720 Speaker 1: Joe's case when they had that similar moment when his 419 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:35,680 Speaker 1: little brother forgave his killer, Amber gay Gan hugged. That 420 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:39,480 Speaker 1: certainly didn't help us in any way in the legal matters, 421 00:23:39,520 --> 00:23:44,640 Speaker 1: and we wouldn't have advise that. But I do believe 422 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:49,480 Speaker 1: that when people have their faith and serve their God, 423 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:53,400 Speaker 1: you don't try to stand in between them. I know 424 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:56,720 Speaker 1: my mother raised me in the church, and I have 425 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:00,240 Speaker 1: strong faith, and I know there are times that just 426 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:02,800 Speaker 1: out of my faith and not and really do I 427 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:06,840 Speaker 1: do that when I'm up here advising people, Because it 428 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:09,840 Speaker 1: is a legal matter that I'm advising them all and 429 00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:15,000 Speaker 1: we will have time to pray and to give outside 430 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,840 Speaker 1: of this courtroom. But right now we're in this courtroom. 431 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:21,919 Speaker 1: I think often of what Michael Brown mother said, Leslie 432 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:25,399 Speaker 1: makes pattern Negro get off the fence. You either with 433 00:24:25,680 --> 00:24:28,920 Speaker 1: us or you with them, because they're killing our children. 434 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:33,919 Speaker 1: And any time I'm having a moment of contemplation, I 435 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:37,120 Speaker 1: think back to Mike Brown mother, who makes that very 436 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:40,520 Speaker 1: clear for me which side you own? And we gotta 437 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:43,640 Speaker 1: be on the side for fighting for black people because 438 00:24:44,200 --> 00:24:48,600 Speaker 1: our children are being taken from us. Beyond that test, 439 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:53,160 Speaker 1: I think about the fact that when Jacob Black's mother 440 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:57,879 Speaker 1: says she praised for all of our national leaders. I 441 00:24:58,359 --> 00:25:02,160 Speaker 1: was literally shocked in that interview with Don Lemmon when 442 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:04,400 Speaker 1: she said that you were the first one to point out. 443 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:07,919 Speaker 1: I looked at your face and you were laughing at me, 444 00:25:08,000 --> 00:25:12,159 Speaker 1: because you know, I didn't want at all anybody to 445 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:16,480 Speaker 1: think that my clients were condoned in the acts of 446 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:20,199 Speaker 1: Donald Trump and all the racist things that he said 447 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:24,879 Speaker 1: during his administration, whether there's African in these s whole countries, 448 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:28,080 Speaker 1: or whether there is when the white supremacist was trying 449 00:25:28,119 --> 00:25:30,600 Speaker 1: to take that standing in the way of taking down 450 00:25:30,600 --> 00:25:33,440 Speaker 1: the Confederate flags, and he said there were good people 451 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:36,480 Speaker 1: on both sides, or this latest thing that he said 452 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:39,840 Speaker 1: him in his Attorney General bar that there is no 453 00:25:40,240 --> 00:25:44,800 Speaker 1: such thing and systemic racism that exists in America. And 454 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:49,520 Speaker 1: so if a client says something, UH trying to say, 455 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:52,960 Speaker 1: I'm praying for Donald Trump, you can just believe ain't 456 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:56,119 Speaker 1: nobody to associated with me if I has them to 457 00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:59,840 Speaker 1: say that. As much as I opposed everything that man 458 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:04,879 Speaker 1: stands for. But what you don't do is get between 459 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:07,600 Speaker 1: a person and their faith, a person and their God. 460 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 1: They have to live up to who they believe in 461 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:14,200 Speaker 1: and so forth. And so hopefully that puts that to 462 00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:17,920 Speaker 1: bed test because it's just answer now when I think 463 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:21,200 Speaker 1: about it now, I don't want to lose time paying 464 00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:23,440 Speaker 1: attention to that kind of stuff because we have so 465 00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:26,600 Speaker 1: many positive things, as you know, what we're doing in 466 00:26:26,640 --> 00:26:29,800 Speaker 1: our law firm to help uplift the culture, to uplift 467 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:32,960 Speaker 1: the community, and to uplift our people. Well, I know that, 468 00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:35,280 Speaker 1: but they're gonna know what today. You know, it's been 469 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:37,159 Speaker 1: important to me. You know, I'm always saying being they 470 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:39,520 Speaker 1: need to know that all the time that your interview 471 00:26:39,680 --> 00:26:41,919 Speaker 1: it's only a few minutes, and when it is an 472 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:44,800 Speaker 1: extended interview, it's all it's always about the cases. It's 473 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:47,879 Speaker 1: a few times that people get this, you know, to 474 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:49,920 Speaker 1: get to hear you in this way. I know there's 475 00:26:49,920 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 1: been print profiles written up about you, many things written 476 00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:54,639 Speaker 1: about you, but this interview is so important, Ben, because 477 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:56,800 Speaker 1: these are the type of misconception and they'll find something 478 00:26:56,880 --> 00:26:58,560 Speaker 1: wrong with this because this is just what they do. 479 00:26:58,840 --> 00:27:02,520 Speaker 1: They hate to that's exactly. That's their job and this 480 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:04,240 Speaker 1: is my job to be straight shot, no chase or 481 00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:07,840 Speaker 1: two and get this ship straight. And it was important. 482 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:10,440 Speaker 1: It was important that they know that Big Crump has 483 00:27:10,560 --> 00:27:13,760 Speaker 1: not told no family to forgive nobody. That is not 484 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:16,160 Speaker 1: what you do. It is unethical and it's not why 485 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:18,560 Speaker 1: you're there, and that that is important. So I'm so 486 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:20,480 Speaker 1: glad that we put that to rest. But speaking of 487 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:22,440 Speaker 1: all the positive things that your firm is doing, because 488 00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:24,879 Speaker 1: I think this is important as we move further in 489 00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:28,760 Speaker 1: this conversation, your firm being current law represents not just 490 00:27:28,840 --> 00:27:31,720 Speaker 1: police brutality. That's another myth. Again. This show is about 491 00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 1: setting the record straight miss and misconceptions of attorney crop, 492 00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:36,719 Speaker 1: not just police shootings. Recently, there was a case in 493 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:39,960 Speaker 1: Disney representing a white woman. You have worked on as 494 00:27:40,040 --> 00:27:43,040 Speaker 1: you as you mentioned earlier in our interview Flint Victims. 495 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:46,280 Speaker 1: You've also worked with women on the Johnson and Johnson case. 496 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:49,240 Speaker 1: There are several cases, the National Black Farmers, so many 497 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:52,280 Speaker 1: other things that you do outside of this that always 498 00:27:52,320 --> 00:27:55,920 Speaker 1: doesn't necessarily get the media attention that it deserves. And 499 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:57,560 Speaker 1: and you know why, because they always want to be 500 00:27:57,560 --> 00:27:59,080 Speaker 1: able to put you in a box. They really don't 501 00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:00,600 Speaker 1: want to talk about all the the things because then 502 00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:02,280 Speaker 1: if they talk about all the other things, that it's 503 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:03,919 Speaker 1: harder to put you in a box. So can you 504 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 1: speak to a little bit of that on some of 505 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:09,000 Speaker 1: the other cases that you're working with that people may 506 00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:10,680 Speaker 1: not be aware of, that have nothing to do with 507 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:15,679 Speaker 1: police brutality, yes, tears, and really civil rights work is 508 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:19,120 Speaker 1: not the most prosperous work, so you have to do 509 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:23,080 Speaker 1: other work to be able to finance these civil rights cases. 510 00:28:23,480 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 1: And so we talked about Flint, how we were able 511 00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:31,639 Speaker 1: to successfully achieve a historic settlement for the children of Flint, 512 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:35,400 Speaker 1: and that's not done yet, but it's a situation where 513 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:38,960 Speaker 1: you look at the environmental injustices that our people face, 514 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:41,680 Speaker 1: and so we do a lot of that work, and 515 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:45,400 Speaker 1: then we look at the Johnson and Johnson tacking pile 516 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:48,440 Speaker 1: of litigation, which many people still don't know to this 517 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:51,680 Speaker 1: data is. And that's why I try to use my 518 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:54,960 Speaker 1: influence and platform that God bless me with the try 519 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 1: to tell everybody i can about the injustices that exist 520 00:28:59,760 --> 00:29:02,960 Speaker 1: in the world that's affecting our people. The Talcolm Powder 521 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:07,760 Speaker 1: litigation literally is Johnson and Johnson one of the Fortune 522 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:11,520 Speaker 1: forty cases I'm talking about one of the forty largest 523 00:29:11,560 --> 00:29:16,120 Speaker 1: corporations in the world had prayed and targeted black and 524 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:19,920 Speaker 1: minority women with their baby powder. And you know, it's 525 00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:22,880 Speaker 1: a culture thing. We were always talking to put baby 526 00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:25,600 Speaker 1: powder down there in our privates to make sure we 527 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:28,240 Speaker 1: were refresh I mean my mother did, in my aunts, 528 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:33,160 Speaker 1: my cousins, everybody, and so with Johnson and Johnson neglected 529 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:37,040 Speaker 1: to tell people in the late nineties when these reports 530 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:41,400 Speaker 1: cups started coming out that there was casual connection between 531 00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:48,840 Speaker 1: using baby powder on your private parts and ovarian cancer. Well, 532 00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:51,840 Speaker 1: white women, once that came out, they stopped using it. 533 00:29:52,040 --> 00:29:55,240 Speaker 1: But you know what those son of a guns did tasks. 534 00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:59,040 Speaker 1: They looked at the market research and they said, well, 535 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:02,640 Speaker 1: we noticed a great fall off of white women, but 536 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:06,840 Speaker 1: we see that black women and Hispanic women they really 537 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:11,000 Speaker 1: haven't stopped using it. So let's redouble our efforts. Let's 538 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:14,800 Speaker 1: go market to music festivals, let's go market to you know, 539 00:30:15,280 --> 00:30:19,760 Speaker 1: civil rights organizations, to encourage more black women and Hispanic 540 00:30:19,800 --> 00:30:23,160 Speaker 1: women to use our baby powder. Even though they have 541 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:27,320 Speaker 1: memorandoms within their corporate files that said there was a 542 00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:32,280 Speaker 1: connection between ovarian cancer and the use of Malcolm Powders. 543 00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:35,880 Speaker 1: And then we look at the black farmers with the 544 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:38,240 Speaker 1: round up. You know, the weed killer that we're used 545 00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:40,560 Speaker 1: in our yards and they use out in the fields 546 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:44,400 Speaker 1: and that's causing nine hot skins lympharma cancer. And so 547 00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:50,560 Speaker 1: these black farmers have been marginalizing, disenfranchised. Everybody sees commercials 548 00:30:50,600 --> 00:30:54,440 Speaker 1: every day about round up settlement, roundup litigation and so forth. 549 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:57,360 Speaker 1: But they were forgetting the black peep in, the black farmers. 550 00:30:57,560 --> 00:31:00,800 Speaker 1: So we made it our mission to go representing them, 551 00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:04,600 Speaker 1: and now we represent thousands upon thousands of people in 552 00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:08,320 Speaker 1: that litigation. And then I think about the fact that 553 00:31:08,520 --> 00:31:13,840 Speaker 1: we are doing the rg T b Q community litigation 554 00:31:13,920 --> 00:31:20,800 Speaker 1: against Trabida, which was HIV drug that was causing renal 555 00:31:20,920 --> 00:31:25,520 Speaker 1: failure and then until you lose bone density, and so 556 00:31:25,960 --> 00:31:28,960 Speaker 1: we are working on that type of litigation. Our work 557 00:31:29,000 --> 00:31:32,200 Speaker 1: will speak for us. People who like us are gonna 558 00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:34,200 Speaker 1: like us. People who don't like us are not gonna 559 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:37,520 Speaker 1: like us. I have very little time. I think, like T. S. 560 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:40,680 Speaker 1: Lawrence Lawrence of Arabia, the most dangerous man in the 561 00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:43,880 Speaker 1: world is the person who is so focused on what 562 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:47,360 Speaker 1: they're doing that they have very little time to consider 563 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:50,360 Speaker 1: what you're objective is absolutely and you do that like 564 00:31:50,480 --> 00:31:53,400 Speaker 1: no other. I just wanted everyone to know being around you, 565 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:55,840 Speaker 1: and I know you're working on a documentary that's coming out. 566 00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 1: I cannot wait for that to release so people can 567 00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:00,640 Speaker 1: see all the different directions that you're pull into and 568 00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:02,960 Speaker 1: how you're able to keep a calm and a piece 569 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:06,640 Speaker 1: about yourself and work with these families to be their brother, father, 570 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:10,680 Speaker 1: figure to some past a mentor friend, legal counsel, you know, 571 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:14,080 Speaker 1: all of those things to just keep the family moving forward. 572 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:15,920 Speaker 1: You know, when we deal with these families, we walk 573 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:19,040 Speaker 1: into pre existing conditions that had nothing to do with 574 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:21,400 Speaker 1: the case. You know, had nothing to do with the case, 575 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:24,160 Speaker 1: and you have to and it's a science and art, 576 00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:26,480 Speaker 1: you know, working through all of those things. Want you 577 00:32:26,520 --> 00:32:29,080 Speaker 1: to get your flowers while you're alive in the history. 578 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:30,840 Speaker 1: We told you while you're live, because if people can 579 00:32:30,880 --> 00:32:33,400 Speaker 1: celebrate Johnny Cochrane and how he used the media to 580 00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:36,680 Speaker 1: create a narrative and to fight a negative narrative. Whether 581 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:38,720 Speaker 1: people believe oh J did it or not, the point 582 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:40,960 Speaker 1: is he was able to utilize the media to tell 583 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:43,240 Speaker 1: the story. And so if we can celebrate that, why 584 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:45,000 Speaker 1: not celebrate the fact that you've been able to do 585 00:32:45,120 --> 00:32:47,760 Speaker 1: this a dozen plus times on a high profile level, 586 00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:50,880 Speaker 1: but still representing many cases that people have never ever 587 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:53,920 Speaker 1: heard about it about now. If you like what you 588 00:32:54,040 --> 00:32:56,680 Speaker 1: heard on Straight Shot No Chaser, please subscribe and drop 589 00:32:56,720 --> 00:32:58,960 Speaker 1: a five star review and tell a friend. Straight Shot 590 00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:01,040 Speaker 1: No Chaser is a product action of The Black Effect 591 00:33:01,080 --> 00:33:03,960 Speaker 1: Podcast Network and I Heart Radio Antessa figure Out and 592 00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:07,360 Speaker 1: I'd like to thank our producer editor mixer Dwayne Crawford 593 00:33:07,480 --> 00:33:10,800 Speaker 1: and our executive producer Charlottage Nagod. For more podcast from 594 00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:14,560 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, 595 00:33:14,840 --> 00:33:16,360 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.