WEBVTT - DNC Shorts: Derrick Johnson & Bennie Thompson 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:04.160 Native Land Pod is a production of iHeartRadio in partnership 0:00:04.200 --> 0:00:06.119 with Reason Choice Media. 0:00:06.240 --> 0:00:10.520 Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Hey, fam You're about 0:00:10.560 --> 0:00:12.520 to hear a replay of one of our interviews from 0:00:12.520 --> 0:00:15.680 our live stream at the Democratic National Convention. If you 0:00:15.720 --> 0:00:18.200 want to listen to or watch the full stream, check 0:00:18.200 --> 0:00:20.600 out the links in the episode description. You can also 0:00:20.680 --> 0:00:23.080 find a full list of all the guests we interviewed. 0:00:23.280 --> 0:00:26.920 Welcome home, y'all. 0:00:26.960 --> 0:00:30.720 We are joined now by Derek Johnson, the president of NAACP, 0:00:30.960 --> 0:00:34.519 and Angela and Derek have a unique history. Angela, you 0:00:34.560 --> 0:00:36.000 want to tell us about your bond. 0:00:36.200 --> 0:00:39.159 Thank you all have yues We actually and that's a 0:00:39.159 --> 0:00:42.400 good teaser for our next guest. Derek and I become 0:00:42.479 --> 0:00:46.120 like siblings because of the tutelage and the mentorship of 0:00:46.120 --> 0:00:50.040 Benny Gordon Thompson, who of course was mentored by Fanny Louhammer. 0:00:50.040 --> 0:00:54.440 And that's the sixth year anniversary that Bacari just referenced. Derek, 0:00:54.520 --> 0:00:59.880 you are running the most innovative campaign in restoring the 0:01:00.440 --> 0:01:03.720 brand and the legacy of NAACP. He talks to us 0:01:03.720 --> 0:01:07.119 about why this week is so important for the civil 0:01:07.200 --> 0:01:09.720 rights community and what you had to say in your 0:01:09.760 --> 0:01:12.440 speech in bringing people into the folk, Well. 0:01:12.360 --> 0:01:15.200 It's significance because we didn't get here because we woke 0:01:15.280 --> 0:01:15.959 up this morning. 0:01:16.120 --> 0:01:19.280 One second, Derek, we are well, yeah, okay, go ahead. 0:01:19.959 --> 0:01:21.120 You're on test one, is it? 0:01:22.480 --> 0:01:22.640 Yes? 0:01:22.680 --> 0:01:24.479 Sure? That was angela fault for those at home. 0:01:25.240 --> 0:01:27.760 I think we didn't get here because we woke up 0:01:27.760 --> 0:01:28.200 this morning. 0:01:28.200 --> 0:01:30.720 We got here because there was a lot of sacrifice, blood, 0:01:31.240 --> 0:01:34.200 strategy and work to bring us to this moment. And 0:01:34.240 --> 0:01:35.839 so part of what I talked about in the speech 0:01:36.080 --> 0:01:40.360 was given the history of the nineteen sixty four Missippi 0:01:40.560 --> 0:01:43.880 Democratic Freedom Democratic Party and all the work they did 0:01:44.319 --> 0:01:47.200 leading up to nineteen seventy three in large city mayors 0:01:47.200 --> 0:01:51.360 getting elected, whether it's Manager Jackson, Coleman, Young, Tom Bradley 0:01:52.000 --> 0:01:54.520 turning the corner to nineteen eighty four to eighty eight 0:01:54.640 --> 0:01:59.720 with Jesse Jackson, who really established what was possible would 0:01:59.760 --> 0:02:02.000 keep alive, and you turn the corner, you look at 0:02:02.000 --> 0:02:05.760 this moment, we would not have a convention the way 0:02:05.760 --> 0:02:09.160 we're having. And now if individuals didn't put together strategy, 0:02:09.200 --> 0:02:12.080 they understood the rules, they implemented the rules, and they 0:02:12.120 --> 0:02:14.280 didn't run to the microphone, they ran to the work, 0:02:14.360 --> 0:02:15.680 and that's what's really important. 0:02:15.880 --> 0:02:17.280 Derek, let me ask you because there are a lot 0:02:17.320 --> 0:02:19.640 of people you and I met in Jackson where you 0:02:19.680 --> 0:02:23.160 did a lot of work, and in Jackson, the NAACP 0:02:23.560 --> 0:02:26.480 is like a governing body practically has a lot of relevance. 0:02:26.680 --> 0:02:29.920 There are cities where you know, when it's time for strategy, 0:02:30.000 --> 0:02:31.359 don't hear people say, oh, I just came from the 0:02:31.440 --> 0:02:35.480 NAACP meeting. So for people who don't necessarily have a 0:02:35.480 --> 0:02:38.840 personal connection to the organization, what today is the significance 0:02:38.880 --> 0:02:41.799 of the NAACP and why should people pen their care 0:02:41.960 --> 0:02:42.720 excellent question. 0:02:42.960 --> 0:02:44.519 So you know one of thing I'm gonna start here 0:02:45.639 --> 0:02:47.480 fam two rays Socli car mic who's to coming to 0:02:47.520 --> 0:02:49.799 two Glue College where I'm a graduate every year? And 0:02:49.880 --> 0:02:52.679 he'd say organized, organized, organized, And he said, whether it 0:02:52.720 --> 0:02:55.320 was your Sunday school or this organization. I don't believe 0:02:55.360 --> 0:02:58.120 in organizational supremacy. I believe in getting the work done. 0:02:58.480 --> 0:03:00.880 And if the NACP is your view vehicle for voice, 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:03.000 then use it. If you go to another community, is 0:03:03.080 --> 0:03:04.880 that's not your vehicle, but you have a vehicle to 0:03:04.880 --> 0:03:07.160 impart of Black community, then I celebrate that. 0:03:07.680 --> 0:03:08.440 So for us. 0:03:08.560 --> 0:03:10.880 We got to make sure that community by community we 0:03:11.080 --> 0:03:11.880 build out an. 0:03:11.840 --> 0:03:16.640 Infrastructure of black power and use the vehicles that are available. 0:03:16.919 --> 0:03:17.480 In ACP. 0:03:17.680 --> 0:03:21.280 We are most predominant in the Southeast region where the 0:03:21.360 --> 0:03:23.760 former Confederate states, where majority of black people live, not 0:03:23.880 --> 0:03:26.760 large metropolitan areas. In fact, I met Andrew through the 0:03:26.840 --> 0:03:29.000 NACP when he when he was a high school student 0:03:29.040 --> 0:03:32.519 and then went on to the family because in local communities, 0:03:32.560 --> 0:03:35.440 whether you Florida, where th h Pool when you started, 0:03:35.800 --> 0:03:39.400 Aaron Herrey, when I started, that's the infrastructure, the backbone 0:03:39.440 --> 0:03:42.640 of the black community. We oftentimes look to major city 0:03:42.720 --> 0:03:45.520 politics and we forget about majority of black folks. 0:03:45.360 --> 0:03:48.000 Don't live in Detroit, Chicago, New York. They live in 0:03:48.080 --> 0:03:49.000 the Southeast region. 0:03:49.120 --> 0:03:51.880 Yea autaw was from Chicago. 0:03:51.920 --> 0:03:56.559 From Mississippi anyway, is nothing but the capital of Minnisoa, Mississippi. 0:03:56.840 --> 0:03:58.640 I mean this is north north Mississippi. 0:03:58.640 --> 0:04:00.880 And you think about you know your father, your father 0:04:01.040 --> 0:04:02.880 is a part of that group who put forth a 0:04:02.920 --> 0:04:06.800 strategy as students to recognize that this generational fight we 0:04:06.920 --> 0:04:09.880 have us versus them, old versus young, male versus female, 0:04:10.280 --> 0:04:15.400 it's a self defeating reality. Intergenerational organized have always been 0:04:15.720 --> 0:04:19.560 the most effective approach. Community centric leadership is the most 0:04:19.600 --> 0:04:22.960 effective approach. When you start having ecocentric leadership is the 0:04:23.000 --> 0:04:25.840 beginning of the end because individuals will fail you, but 0:04:26.240 --> 0:04:29.240 community interests will always secede. And that's how I try 0:04:29.279 --> 0:04:31.280 to lead to NACP. So if I go to the 0:04:31.279 --> 0:04:34.680 community in ACP, ain't the lead? Great, plug me into 0:04:34.720 --> 0:04:36.640 what is the lead? Because i'most celebrate that too. 0:04:37.680 --> 0:04:39.040 Go ahead ahead, but what are some of the I mean, 0:04:39.360 --> 0:04:43.880 we celebrate you often, but we don't necessarily know the 0:04:44.240 --> 0:04:45.280 challenges you face. 0:04:45.360 --> 0:04:47.240 What are some of the challenges you face. 0:04:47.200 --> 0:04:50.840 And overcome on a daily basis as being the leader 0:04:50.880 --> 0:04:53.040 of the oldest civil rights organization? 0:04:53.560 --> 0:05:00.240 That yeah, remember right? So the internal community external because internal. 0:05:00.320 --> 0:05:01.160 You want to hit a mess. 0:05:04.839 --> 0:05:07.440 If anybody ever went to a tendor of the Black 0:05:07.480 --> 0:05:09.080 Baptis Church, that's the na A CP. 0:05:09.920 --> 0:05:13.520 We are all of you name it, We just fo 0:05:13.640 --> 0:05:14.080 come up. 0:05:15.000 --> 0:05:18.480 We're being joined by Congressman Benny Thompson, who's of course 0:05:19.160 --> 0:05:23.000 ranking member on Homeland Security out of Mississippi, and he 0:05:23.240 --> 0:05:26.159 and Derek and Angela all work together in the House 0:05:26.600 --> 0:05:27.880 were of Congress. 0:05:28.040 --> 0:05:30.400 We look we work for this lovely gentleman he's also 0:05:30.520 --> 0:05:33.680 the superstar that you all recognized from the January sixth 0:05:33.760 --> 0:05:34.600 Special Committee. 0:05:40.839 --> 0:05:43.279 Welcome Boss, thank you so much. 0:05:43.360 --> 0:05:45.440 I'm happy to be We're happy to have you. 0:05:45.880 --> 0:05:48.800 You arrived just in time, Congressman, because Derek was about 0:05:48.800 --> 0:05:51.000 to tell us what is the biggest challenge he faces 0:05:51.040 --> 0:05:52.599 at the NUA A c P and needs all of. 0:05:52.640 --> 0:05:55.600 Our help and try to address. 0:05:58.960 --> 0:06:02.839 His money is people with common sense and courage. Yeah, 0:06:03.720 --> 0:06:06.800 you get the money, common sense and courage. You know 0:06:06.920 --> 0:06:09.520 the confent and I it was been fourteen years ago. 0:06:09.720 --> 0:06:12.239 I was in DC for something and we were trying 0:06:12.320 --> 0:06:15.160 to get someone to activate because we was doing inside 0:06:15.200 --> 0:06:16.120 outside strategy. 0:06:16.480 --> 0:06:19.120 And he looked, he says, you know, I'm getting older. 0:06:19.279 --> 0:06:20.400 You can't do this by yourself. 0:06:20.480 --> 0:06:23.960 We need to build something so we can replenish the 0:06:24.040 --> 0:06:25.919 progressive black community in Mississippi. 0:06:26.760 --> 0:06:28.000 You are fourteen years later. 0:06:28.160 --> 0:06:30.960 We have a whole system where we train people over 0:06:31.120 --> 0:06:33.600 nine months, twenty five folks and we put them that 0:06:33.720 --> 0:06:37.200 we have I mean, you have actually US attorney nominees, 0:06:37.600 --> 0:06:41.640 district attorney, sheriffs, beautentions, barbers. Because the leadership don't come 0:06:41.680 --> 0:06:45.320 with titles or degrees, becomes with courage and common sense. 0:06:45.440 --> 0:06:46.360 And that's how we see this. 0:06:55.520 --> 0:06:57.640 Congressman, I want to bring you in the conversation because 0:06:57.680 --> 0:07:00.720 Derek was just explaining to our list centers or something. 0:07:00.760 --> 0:07:03.480 We all know that a lot of times in the 0:07:03.520 --> 0:07:07.000 mainstream media when we talk about rural politics, the face 0:07:07.040 --> 0:07:10.559 of that politic is the body politic is a white person. 0:07:10.840 --> 0:07:13.440 When we know a lot of our community lives below 0:07:13.480 --> 0:07:16.760 the Bible Belt in rural communities, we too are rural America. 0:07:17.200 --> 0:07:21.520 You have championed legislation the lack of hospitalization in the South. 0:07:21.600 --> 0:07:23.920 That was a piece of legislation that you introduced in 0:07:24.000 --> 0:07:27.520 the House to make health care more accessible. What would 0:07:27.560 --> 0:07:30.480 you say to the people who feel forgotten about in 0:07:30.560 --> 0:07:34.360 those Bible belts, like, how can they too seeing America 0:07:34.480 --> 0:07:37.640 and be acknowledged that they too are a part of 0:07:37.920 --> 0:07:39.800 a country that sometimes so often forgets about. 0:07:39.880 --> 0:07:42.360 Well, thank you so much for having me. The notion is, 0:07:43.080 --> 0:07:45.360 in this democracy, you have to participate. 0:07:45.880 --> 0:07:48.680 What we have to do is to organize those communities 0:07:48.880 --> 0:07:51.840 just like we organize urban areas. 0:07:52.360 --> 0:07:53.120 They're no different. 0:07:53.400 --> 0:07:57.360 They've just been overlooked and once you get there you 0:07:57.560 --> 0:08:02.760 find out, Gee, they're just like people in the big city. 0:08:03.280 --> 0:08:05.960 And so what we have to do is have a 0:08:06.440 --> 0:08:10.520 joint strategy urban rule to make sure that no one 0:08:10.880 --> 0:08:15.880 is overlooked. Our problem in America is that we somehow, 0:08:16.600 --> 0:08:19.480 even in urban areas, overlook the black community. 0:08:19.920 --> 0:08:21.640 In the rural areas, they're forgotten. 0:08:22.280 --> 0:08:25.920 And so, uh, we just resolved a lot of black 0:08:26.040 --> 0:08:29.480 farmer issues in this country US. 0:08:30.240 --> 0:08:32.640 But this is the fourth time that we had to 0:08:32.679 --> 0:08:35.720 do a pavement. You know, we did the pickfoot case 0:08:35.840 --> 0:08:37.520 and two. 0:08:37.720 --> 0:08:41.200 That's right, and so all of a sudden, Uh, people say, oh, 0:08:41.480 --> 0:08:44.760 we isn't that wonderful now, but we're still behind because 0:08:44.800 --> 0:08:46.920 there are a lot of people who still owe debt. 0:08:47.440 --> 0:08:50.800 Uh that got the money, but they owe more money 0:08:51.000 --> 0:08:51.960 in debt than they had. 0:08:53.120 --> 0:08:53.480 That's right. 0:08:53.640 --> 0:08:56.600 So what we have to do now is to somehow 0:08:56.720 --> 0:09:00.719 come up with that strategy that encompasses it all. And 0:09:00.880 --> 0:09:03.840 so that's why at a convention like this, we need 0:09:03.920 --> 0:09:06.960 to make sure that a lot of those policies after 0:09:07.040 --> 0:09:11.240 we celebrate are talked about. Yes, and that policy is 0:09:11.480 --> 0:09:13.160 absolutely how. 0:09:13.080 --> 0:09:13.920 We put it together. 0:09:14.240 --> 0:09:14.600 Boston. 0:09:14.640 --> 0:09:17.480 That's one of my favorite things about having worked for you, 0:09:17.720 --> 0:09:20.120 and I think still work for you. I learned from 0:09:20.200 --> 0:09:24.199 him all the time, and you will always say we 0:09:24.320 --> 0:09:26.839 can celebrate this, but we got work to do, so 0:09:26.920 --> 0:09:28.079 we can't celebrate too long. 0:09:28.160 --> 0:09:29.680 What are some of the things that you think it. 0:09:29.760 --> 0:09:32.120 Is imperative in addition to taking care of our rural 0:09:32.160 --> 0:09:34.679 communities that have to be addressed this week. We know 0:09:34.720 --> 0:09:36.560 there are protests happening simultaneous. 0:09:36.840 --> 0:09:39.760 Yeah, but you know, to be honest with you, the 0:09:40.040 --> 0:09:42.760 protests that are going on when you talk to people 0:09:43.320 --> 0:09:49.640 in my district, it's probably number twenty out of fifteen 0:09:50.360 --> 0:09:54.600 in terms of priorities because everybody is in a survival mode, right. 0:09:54.720 --> 0:09:57.040 They want to make sure that kids get education, they 0:09:57.080 --> 0:10:01.120 want healthcare. Now, you can talk foreign policy, but you 0:10:01.200 --> 0:10:05.040 know it's about what I'm getting right here at home. 0:10:05.440 --> 0:10:09.000 And if the policies don't impact me at home, it's 0:10:09.080 --> 0:10:12.640 tough for me to look overseas at a policy. The 0:10:12.840 --> 0:10:16.200 other situation we have to do is to make sure 0:10:16.280 --> 0:10:20.839 that the policy make us don't overlook people. That paternalistic 0:10:20.960 --> 0:10:25.599 approach to politics is crazy. That means that, oh, you 0:10:25.840 --> 0:10:27.800 just elect me and I know what's good for you. 0:10:28.480 --> 0:10:34.240 That's absolutely ludicrous. You know, unless you've walked in my shoes, 0:10:34.600 --> 0:10:37.240 you don't know anything about me other than what you 0:10:37.400 --> 0:10:40.760 might have read and so our challenge in this country 0:10:41.600 --> 0:10:44.040 is to put those concerns on the front. 0:10:44.120 --> 0:10:47.319 Bunner. You know, too many times we've been told, oh, 0:10:47.720 --> 0:10:49.559 we're gonna get to it. Yeah, you know, I got 0:10:49.640 --> 0:10:50.319 to get elected. 0:10:50.440 --> 0:10:55.040 And you know, look, every major entity in this country 0:10:55.400 --> 0:11:00.520 has leveraged, but somehow the black community has always been told, well, 0:11:00.800 --> 0:11:03.959 you know it'll come, you know it'll and it never comes. 0:11:04.360 --> 0:11:09.320 Congressman, can you speak to as our nominee Kamala Harrison 0:11:09.400 --> 0:11:12.240 continues to make her rounds around the country a lot 0:11:12.280 --> 0:11:15.800 of time, and in really important flip states. But I 0:11:15.880 --> 0:11:17.839 wonder to the point that you just made for the 0:11:17.880 --> 0:11:20.480 community that sits at home and says, we're always the 0:11:20.559 --> 0:11:23.520 backbone of this party, but we rarely rarely get to 0:11:24.000 --> 0:11:26.760 toil in the largest of it. What advice might you 0:11:26.880 --> 0:11:29.959 have for her, as she, of course rightly focuses on 0:11:30.040 --> 0:11:32.800 some of these swing states to ensure that a message 0:11:32.880 --> 0:11:37.280 is delivered are at home community that she's going to 0:11:37.320 --> 0:11:38.160 be their president too. 0:11:38.480 --> 0:11:42.000 Well, that's why the speech I'm looking for Thursday night 0:11:42.600 --> 0:11:49.240 has to be encomfliencing of all the Democratic constituents. And 0:11:49.520 --> 0:11:54.559 I think she is that person properly positioned to make 0:11:54.640 --> 0:11:57.320 those arguments on behalf not just. 0:11:57.400 --> 0:12:00.439 Of people of color, but people who have been let out. 0:12:01.120 --> 0:12:04.600 And so it's it's look, the people on the other 0:12:04.720 --> 0:12:09.440 side are gonna demogogue her anyway, So you might as 0:12:09.480 --> 0:12:13.000 well come with those issues that are important, and once 0:12:13.080 --> 0:12:15.800 you come with them, then you go with it. But 0:12:15.920 --> 0:12:19.840 you come with sound policies, those policies around healthcare, those 0:12:19.920 --> 0:12:24.520 policies around education, those about income insecurity, all. 0:12:24.440 --> 0:12:25.200 Those kinds of things. 0:12:25.880 --> 0:12:29.440 One thing she's talking about with the housing issue, well, 0:12:29.720 --> 0:12:32.280 you know, when you put that twenty five thousand dollars 0:12:32.840 --> 0:12:37.160 down on a home ownership thing, guess guess who does 0:12:37.240 --> 0:12:38.000 the financing. 0:12:38.760 --> 0:12:40.760 Guess who owns the lumber company? 0:12:41.520 --> 0:12:41.760 You know. 0:12:42.120 --> 0:12:45.319 I mean, so it's a it's good for the economy. 0:12:45.840 --> 0:12:48.719 Don't look at that family that gets a home for 0:12:48.800 --> 0:12:54.280 the first time. Right, I'm still putting water systems together 0:12:54.360 --> 0:12:58.800 in my district. When the system comes and say, well, 0:12:58.800 --> 0:13:01.360 why are you always helping them? I said, I'm glad 0:13:01.440 --> 0:13:04.760 you asked. Do you know who owned the pipe company 0:13:05.440 --> 0:13:10.120 that sells all these pipes for this rule water system? 0:13:11.000 --> 0:13:13.760 You know who sells a meter, who's supplying the pipes? Yeah, 0:13:14.679 --> 0:13:17.640 so all we get is the water, we get none 0:13:17.679 --> 0:13:21.959 of the economics. Now, if we are really radical, we 0:13:22.040 --> 0:13:24.199 would say to that pipe company, you have to have 0:13:24.400 --> 0:13:30.120 a conversity, equity inclusion program so that when that community 0:13:30.200 --> 0:13:32.800 gets water, they also get some of the economics that 0:13:33.000 --> 0:13:36.880 go with it. Right now, some said that's radical, but 0:13:37.000 --> 0:13:40.680 that's paying community back, putting people in office. 0:13:41.120 --> 0:13:42.880 Let me just ask a question of both of you guys, 0:13:43.080 --> 0:13:46.160 while you're here and before y'all traverse and meet all 0:13:46.200 --> 0:13:49.120 these people, good folks out here, what I've been admiring 0:13:49.280 --> 0:13:52.600 is nineteen eighty four was Jesse, two thousand and eight 0:13:52.880 --> 0:13:54.320 was Barack Obama. 0:13:54.960 --> 0:13:56.880 Twenty sixteen was also Hillary. 0:13:57.679 --> 0:14:00.440 With the little history, they all stand on the shoulders 0:14:00.480 --> 0:14:02.319 of Fanny Lou and they stand on the shoulders of 0:14:02.360 --> 0:14:05.160 Shirley Chisholm. But what are you seeing in this convention 0:14:05.320 --> 0:14:08.040 that makes Kamala Harris a little bit different? And what 0:14:08.160 --> 0:14:10.760 do you hope we learned from all of those heroes 0:14:10.760 --> 0:14:13.480 and heroines that have come before. Well, and that's for 0:14:13.559 --> 0:14:14.640 both of that one, both of you guys. 0:14:14.679 --> 0:14:18.720 Yes, yeah, Well I knew Fanny Lou oh very personally. 0:14:18.880 --> 0:14:23.600 She became my role model. The first real campaign I 0:14:23.720 --> 0:14:27.280 worked in was her campaign for Congress, of which I 0:14:27.480 --> 0:14:31.600 now represent that district. So you know, history has a 0:14:31.680 --> 0:14:35.040 way of repeating itself, so that legacy we can't let 0:14:35.960 --> 0:14:39.840 become forgotten. So for sixty years she came and said 0:14:39.880 --> 0:14:43.000 to Democrats, you know you got to do better. You know, 0:14:43.360 --> 0:14:49.280 you can't patronize us and then enjoy all the spoils 0:14:49.560 --> 0:14:50.160 of victory. 0:14:50.520 --> 0:14:51.720 You have to be inclusive. 0:14:52.080 --> 0:14:55.200 And that's that's what we have to do as a people, 0:14:55.360 --> 0:14:59.040 is not let our friends forget us. That's right, not 0:14:59.200 --> 0:15:02.080 let our friends take us for granted. And so for 0:15:02.240 --> 0:15:07.760 Fanny Luke celebration sixty years, we're still in training. 0:15:07.880 --> 0:15:10.640 Yes, because we haven't filled. 0:15:12.320 --> 0:15:16.520 That notion that somehow, as Fan lu said, we're sick 0:15:16.560 --> 0:15:19.120 and tired of being sick and tired. And a lot 0:15:19.200 --> 0:15:21.520 of us are sick and tired of being sick and 0:15:21.600 --> 0:15:24.000 tired of telling our friends what they need to do. 0:15:24.400 --> 0:15:28.000 Yes, yes, saying for the people in the back boss. 0:15:28.040 --> 0:15:29.560 Yeah, you know. 0:15:30.080 --> 0:15:33.240 The lesson and all of this is none of us 0:15:33.280 --> 0:15:36.360 can do it by ourselves. And if we think we 0:15:36.560 --> 0:15:39.760 are the super person that's gonna do by ourself, we're 0:15:39.760 --> 0:15:42.240 gonna fail every time time, and we're going to. 0:15:43.160 --> 0:15:46.720 Disrupt progress of people. You know, I grew up in Detroit. 0:15:46.880 --> 0:15:50.560 I come to Mississippi, I went to Tugaloo, and instantly 0:15:50.600 --> 0:15:54.440 I was surrounded by you know a large number of 0:15:54.480 --> 0:15:57.800 folks who were ciper rights veterans, whether they's sneak or 0:15:57.840 --> 0:16:02.520 whatever else. And I felt that why because the lessons 0:16:02.800 --> 0:16:05.520 that were there for me not to make old mistakes. 0:16:05.600 --> 0:16:07.600 We'd got to stop making old mistakes. There as new 0:16:07.640 --> 0:16:11.000 ones to make. Secondly, you have people who were committed 0:16:11.080 --> 0:16:13.880 to improve the qualit of life of our communities and 0:16:13.960 --> 0:16:17.640 they had been doing it for generations. Thirdly, I have 0:16:17.760 --> 0:16:21.520 a responsibility to both listen to the wisdom and train 0:16:21.680 --> 0:16:24.320 the youth, because if we don't do that, we would 0:16:24.400 --> 0:16:27.600 lose the progress that's made. We wouldn't sit we be, 0:16:27.880 --> 0:16:29.800 We wouldn't be sitting here. We would have never had 0:16:29.800 --> 0:16:32.960 a Barack Obama. If it wasn't for your father, if 0:16:33.000 --> 0:16:35.320 it wasn't for a feed new hammer, if it wasn't 0:16:35.400 --> 0:16:38.080 for you can name another a lot of people, including 0:16:38.120 --> 0:16:43.080 conference maker Ella Baker, you know, because they sacrificed and 0:16:43.200 --> 0:16:46.560 they would not you know, celebrities. Then we celebrate them 0:16:46.600 --> 0:16:49.040 more now, but now that they're dead than when they 0:16:49.160 --> 0:16:51.040 was alive, and so we need more people who are 0:16:51.040 --> 0:16:53.920 willing to sacrifice to improve the quality of life of 0:16:54.000 --> 0:16:56.320 all black folks and not just for themselves. 0:16:56.560 --> 0:16:59.040 Yeah, can I ask so, Congressman, I want to tell 0:16:59.040 --> 0:17:01.880 you that. And I told us the story one time 0:17:02.400 --> 0:17:06.160 about when she was your staffer and she was exhausted 0:17:06.200 --> 0:17:09.440 with something and she made the mistake of saying she 0:17:09.640 --> 0:17:13.320 was tired, and you said you tired, stressed out, stressed out, 0:17:13.560 --> 0:17:17.160 stressed out, and you stressed out. We heard you gave 0:17:17.240 --> 0:17:20.840 her quite the tongue lashing that day for being stressed out. 0:17:21.080 --> 0:17:24.760 Well, you know, when I was a young child, uh, 0:17:27.400 --> 0:17:30.560 who loved me the most, Yes, gave me the worst 0:17:30.600 --> 0:17:33.280 whooping of my life, and that was my mama. 0:17:33.640 --> 0:17:37.400 Yeah. And look, and after Mama disciplined me, she said, 0:17:37.400 --> 0:17:40.520 I did that because I loved you. Yeah, all worse. 0:17:40.960 --> 0:17:42.720 She said, you know that hurt me more when it 0:17:42.880 --> 0:17:48.000 hurts you. So I take Angela in that perspective because 0:17:48.320 --> 0:17:52.000 I see the talent. The other thing she didn't tell 0:17:52.040 --> 0:17:55.439 you she might have is I told her that her 0:17:55.600 --> 0:18:00.360 job was to help me make some black folks rich 0:18:01.600 --> 0:18:04.560 in the government space. She looked at me and said, 0:18:05.200 --> 0:18:07.439 I said, look, I don't care what you do if 0:18:07.480 --> 0:18:11.359 we need to bring booring Lockheed Martin the CEOs here 0:18:11.760 --> 0:18:16.320 and asked them about diversity, asked them about and so 0:18:17.359 --> 0:18:21.639 twice a month we brought those folks in and we asked, 0:18:21.920 --> 0:18:23.639 you know, do y'all have black people? 0:18:24.200 --> 0:18:26.359 I love that, you know, I mean, you know, I mean, 0:18:26.520 --> 0:18:27.720 it's it's what you do. 0:18:27.920 --> 0:18:30.199 How many people on your board, your corporate board? How 0:18:30.240 --> 0:18:33.280 many in the c suite the executive rings? Absolutely right, 0:18:33.400 --> 0:18:34.159 We appreciate you. 0:18:34.840 --> 0:18:38.760 But now that the problem with that is those companies 0:18:38.800 --> 0:18:41.640 will go around my back to somebody. 0:18:41.240 --> 0:18:42.600 Who looked like me. 0:18:44.240 --> 0:18:48.000 And every time and try to, you know, say oh, well, 0:18:48.119 --> 0:18:51.199 you know, we can't talk to Benny, but we can 0:18:51.600 --> 0:18:53.040 we can talk to Robert. 0:18:54.280 --> 0:18:55.760 The people Harriet was have left behind. 0:18:55.880 --> 0:19:00.240 You let me ask you, oh sorry, when you for 0:19:00.280 --> 0:19:03.080 the cont man about second day, he said, okay, let 0:19:03.119 --> 0:19:04.840 me tell you what you do your jobs have black folks. 0:19:05.680 --> 0:19:07.560 You may you're gonna make a mistake. That's okay. As 0:19:07.600 --> 0:19:09.439 long as you having black folks. If you make them 0:19:09.440 --> 0:19:11.160 say ain't having black folks, and we got a problem. 0:19:11.240 --> 0:19:13.240 But as long as you having black folks, yeah, and 0:19:13.320 --> 0:19:16.000 you fast forward, you talk to our college. Our college 0:19:16.000 --> 0:19:20.440 will say tell you that his consultancy government relationships. 0:19:20.000 --> 0:19:22.320 Firm would not exist but for the contry. That's right, 0:19:22.359 --> 0:19:23.680 because folks came to his office. 0:19:23.720 --> 0:19:24.000 One of me. 0:19:24.200 --> 0:19:26.000 He said, y'all come back when y'all got somebody that 0:19:26.040 --> 0:19:28.520 can talk to Well, you. 0:19:28.520 --> 0:19:31.200 Said you got a recommendation, He said, yeah, it's. 0:19:31.080 --> 0:19:31.600 Fell over here. 0:19:31.680 --> 0:19:34.560 Next thing, you know, Art starts the group and he 0:19:34.680 --> 0:19:36.360 did it all ethically and above board. 0:19:36.400 --> 0:19:37.359 That's most important thing. 0:19:37.880 --> 0:19:41.000 Yes, absolutely, because you know they would tell me say, 0:19:41.080 --> 0:19:48.080 you know, if I could find somebody, the funniest. 0:19:47.720 --> 0:19:49.240 Thing right there, if I could find some if I 0:19:49.280 --> 0:19:52.480 could find some talent right today. 0:19:53.040 --> 0:19:56.440 Sometimes it made us put together a book for hearing witnesses, 0:19:56.800 --> 0:20:00.880 for appointees in the administration, for staffers. He absolutely had 0:20:00.880 --> 0:20:03.080 to do that. So you talked right to his heart. 0:20:03.440 --> 0:20:06.080 Yes, well, we tried to do on mainstream media as well, 0:20:06.240 --> 0:20:08.280 because it's like, there are black people who can talk 0:20:08.280 --> 0:20:10.520 about Middle East politics, there are black people you can 0:20:10.560 --> 0:20:11.800 talk about domestic policy. 0:20:11.920 --> 0:20:12.919 But the example of. 0:20:12.960 --> 0:20:15.880 The congressman, what I love about it and Derek, I'm 0:20:15.880 --> 0:20:17.720 going to sell you something about you and this but 0:20:18.440 --> 0:20:22.119 it is it is transferable any if you are an 0:20:22.160 --> 0:20:24.760 elected official, you're a policymaker, You are a person out 0:20:24.800 --> 0:20:27.800 there who runs owns a business, and you are operating 0:20:27.880 --> 0:20:30.879 right now, and you're not asking the sensible questions about 0:20:31.240 --> 0:20:34.600 why doesn't this reflect the community that we have? 0:20:34.880 --> 0:20:37.200 Why doesn't this room reflect the community that we have? 0:20:37.359 --> 0:20:39.960 When I lost the race for governor and twenty eighteen, 0:20:40.040 --> 0:20:42.400 one of the first calls I got in late twenty 0:20:42.480 --> 0:20:46.159 eighteen was from that brother over there, Derek Johnson, asking me. 0:20:46.920 --> 0:20:48.399 Are you set up? Are you okay? 0:20:48.640 --> 0:20:51.600 He knew that in addition to me having come out 0:20:51.600 --> 0:20:53.840 of that race that way, that I was also no 0:20:53.960 --> 0:20:57.119