WEBVTT - Life After Incarceration 0:00:05.160 --> 0:00:07.120 What's up? Family, it's your girl to make a d. 0:00:07.280 --> 0:00:10.520 Mallory and it's your boy, my son the General, and 0:00:10.520 --> 0:00:15.040 we're your host of street politicians, the place and politics. Me. 0:00:15.960 --> 0:00:18.680 What's up, mice? What's going on with you? Man? How 0:00:18.760 --> 0:00:23.680 you feeling out? Oh? That's oh that's the paperback version 0:00:25.440 --> 0:00:30.920 version State of Emergency is out. I am like real often. 0:00:31.320 --> 0:00:35.360 I went from a hardcover made it almost a year. 0:00:35.479 --> 0:00:40.440 I think May of May fifteen, you know, I'm my 0:00:40.520 --> 0:00:44.479 behind doesn't always work is the one year anniversary of 0:00:44.680 --> 0:00:48.199 my hardcover book, State of Emergency. You know I keep 0:00:48.200 --> 0:00:52.000 it in my background all the time. Version of SKI 0:00:52.560 --> 0:00:56.360 right now, this I love this, this um version. For 0:00:56.440 --> 0:00:59.520 people who are listening, you gotta check it out. May third, 0:00:59.600 --> 0:01:04.880 which is today, the paperback version of my book drops, 0:01:05.440 --> 0:01:09.039 and it's a dope cover. We've all, you guys have 0:01:09.200 --> 0:01:12.440 deliberated back and forth on both covers, so I have 0:01:12.560 --> 0:01:15.440 to give you all a little credit for helping me 0:01:15.480 --> 0:01:18.520 to choose the best ones. Um. And you know, for 0:01:18.600 --> 0:01:21.520 folks who haven't read State of Emergency, I could tell 0:01:21.600 --> 0:01:25.280 you that. And it's not so much because it's my book, 0:01:25.280 --> 0:01:27.360 Because you know, I'm super critical of myself and I'm 0:01:27.360 --> 0:01:29.760 one of those crazy people that will say it's not 0:01:30.080 --> 0:01:32.920 the best and I need to do better and whatever. 0:01:32.959 --> 0:01:35.400 But the book is actually very good. A lot of 0:01:35.400 --> 0:01:39.319 people have read the book. Um, A lot of people 0:01:39.640 --> 0:01:41.800 have reached out to me, even some of the folks 0:01:41.840 --> 0:01:45.520 who are sort of my adversaries, people who were like, oh, 0:01:45.560 --> 0:01:48.000 she's writing a book. Why you know, all of the 0:01:48.120 --> 0:01:51.000 all of the negativity. Uh, they've read it and they 0:01:51.040 --> 0:01:52.960 came back to me saying, Wow. I had a guy 0:01:53.080 --> 0:01:56.680 asked me the other day whether or not my book 0:01:57.040 --> 0:02:02.160 is a it's more about um career based organizing. So 0:02:02.240 --> 0:02:04.600 I assume, you know he because he was calling me 0:02:04.680 --> 0:02:08.720 state sponsored and I'm paid for by the Democrats and 0:02:08.880 --> 0:02:12.079 you know, all the whole all the talking points and 0:02:12.160 --> 0:02:15.840 so um. You know. So he said, is the book? 0:02:16.080 --> 0:02:18.800 I engaged him and he's until he wrote back to 0:02:18.800 --> 0:02:20.880 me and said, is it about is it a career 0:02:21.000 --> 0:02:25.919 based model for organizing or is it mass based like organizing? 0:02:25.960 --> 0:02:28.880 And so I was like, well, I wouldn't be the 0:02:28.919 --> 0:02:32.320 best person to write like a career based book if 0:02:32.360 --> 0:02:35.840 it's about like how to do it for money, how 0:02:35.880 --> 0:02:39.160 to do it for how to organize? Um, you know, 0:02:39.400 --> 0:02:43.720 for for your yeah, like for your financial benefit, because 0:02:44.320 --> 0:02:48.560 until the last maybe four years of my life, maybe 0:02:48.560 --> 0:02:51.360 three years of my life, you know, people, I was 0:02:52.040 --> 0:02:55.800 hardly making it in terms of this work. I had 0:02:55.840 --> 0:02:59.400 all my consulting work. Of course, I've had my speaking 0:02:59.480 --> 0:03:03.120 engaged rent, but in terms of UM, you know, the 0:03:03.320 --> 0:03:06.560 organizing work, so much of my personal money was going 0:03:06.720 --> 0:03:10.000 into my work. UM. And I have for many years 0:03:10.720 --> 0:03:15.200 been someone who was an organizer because this is my passion, 0:03:15.800 --> 0:03:18.160 UM and you know, and I continue to do that today. 0:03:18.200 --> 0:03:21.040 Like you know, if if for whatever reason, I didn't 0:03:21.080 --> 0:03:26.320 have a paycheck coming in from UM, my organization, our organization, 0:03:26.520 --> 0:03:28.520 I would still be doing this work because it's what 0:03:28.560 --> 0:03:30.560 I believe in. And I'm not saying that they're not 0:03:30.639 --> 0:03:34.080 people out there that should not have or find ways 0:03:34.200 --> 0:03:37.960 to make money. UM. You know, while being an organizer, 0:03:38.160 --> 0:03:41.240 I don't I in no way agree that people should 0:03:41.240 --> 0:03:44.320 be out in communities working and you know, out here 0:03:44.360 --> 0:03:46.720 trying to change the world and being broke. I don't 0:03:46.720 --> 0:03:50.800 agree with that. But um you know. So as I 0:03:50.840 --> 0:03:54.640 was having that conversation, I'm like, so, for me, state 0:03:54.680 --> 0:03:58.360 of emergency is not about career based or even mass 0:03:58.400 --> 0:04:03.560 based organizing. It's really about individual people looking at yourself 0:04:03.600 --> 0:04:07.440 and figuring out how can you check your biases, check 0:04:07.520 --> 0:04:10.160 the way in which you show up in spaces, and 0:04:10.160 --> 0:04:12.920 then how can you be a better um uh, not 0:04:13.200 --> 0:04:17.040 ally but an accomplice in this movement. It is really 0:04:17.080 --> 0:04:21.520 about examining a lot from the perspective of what we've 0:04:21.560 --> 0:04:26.560 been through, but also some real tangible things that folks 0:04:26.600 --> 0:04:30.160 can do to shift the way in which they participate 0:04:30.240 --> 0:04:32.920 in the work and to make it more real, like 0:04:33.000 --> 0:04:37.040 to get into a real organizing stance and a fighting 0:04:37.120 --> 0:04:41.000 stance with those people who are marginalizing people who are 0:04:41.000 --> 0:04:44.440 out here fighting for justice. And so, you know, state 0:04:44.440 --> 0:04:47.400 of emergency. It's my baby, right And I really worked 0:04:47.440 --> 0:04:51.200 hard through a lot, and we lived in Louisville. We 0:04:51.200 --> 0:04:55.039 were protesting every day, um, you know, and I would 0:04:55.040 --> 0:04:57.880 have to go back and sit and really work to 0:04:58.760 --> 0:05:02.040 put this book together. And so I hope that folks 0:05:02.120 --> 0:05:06.000 will go and support me. You all supported me um 0:05:06.080 --> 0:05:11.280 with the the the hardcover like crazy, crazy, crazy, I 0:05:11.360 --> 0:05:15.560 couldn't believe it. Schools purchasing, you know, hundreds of books, 0:05:15.600 --> 0:05:19.200 students everywhere, and because it was a pandemic, most of 0:05:19.279 --> 0:05:23.520 what we did was virtual in terms of all of 0:05:23.520 --> 0:05:26.080 our book events, but we also got to get out 0:05:26.080 --> 0:05:29.719 in the streets. So that's its state of emergency. Check 0:05:29.760 --> 0:05:31.880 it out. It's not on the New York Times best 0:05:31.920 --> 0:05:35.640 seller list for people who have asked, and it was 0:05:35.680 --> 0:05:38.640 because they said they didn't know about it. And they 0:05:38.680 --> 0:05:41.640 also said that you know, oh, you know, they didn't 0:05:41.640 --> 0:05:46.279 they didn't know about it. And we sold more books, um, 0:05:46.320 --> 0:05:49.600 in the first couple of weeks, in the time period 0:05:49.680 --> 0:05:53.320 that the New York Times best Seller look bestsellers list 0:05:53.800 --> 0:05:56.800 is determined, we sold more books than several of the 0:05:56.839 --> 0:05:59.720 other individuals who made the lists, And so we know 0:06:00.040 --> 0:06:02.760 that somebody made a political decision that they did not 0:06:02.920 --> 0:06:07.040 want to. Um look at my book listen, man, you 0:06:07.160 --> 0:06:10.000 was the people's best seller. You know, I already told 0:06:10.000 --> 0:06:13.599 you these lists that they they you know, pretty much 0:06:13.640 --> 0:06:16.279 create to try to give status. They don't. They don't 0:06:16.320 --> 0:06:19.680 actually exist in our world. So for the people, everybody 0:06:19.680 --> 0:06:22.520 that I heard and seen was like that book is fire. 0:06:23.040 --> 0:06:25.480 I don't even be liking to read people books. And 0:06:25.560 --> 0:06:28.800 I thought it was fire. So listen, I don't say 0:06:28.839 --> 0:06:31.719 that that you don't like to read people. Don't listen, man, 0:06:32.120 --> 0:06:34.160 movest these people I'm not interested in I'm gonna keep 0:06:34.200 --> 0:06:36.400 it real. They don't interest me enough. I don't want 0:06:36.440 --> 0:06:39.200 to read their books, and sometimes I do their very 0:06:39.200 --> 0:06:41.760 few books. Shut up. I actually read Charlott Man's book. 0:06:41.920 --> 0:06:43.680 I thought it was dope. The first one I didn't read. 0:06:43.720 --> 0:06:47.080 The second one is a few people. You was into 0:06:47.600 --> 0:06:49.760 goals book this book, like you know what I'm saying, 0:06:49.760 --> 0:06:52.479 that's there's certain people that intrigued me. And then actually 0:06:52.520 --> 0:06:55.000 when you read it, you know, you're like, wow, this 0:06:55.040 --> 0:06:57.960 is this is something to read. So your book was amazing, 0:06:58.520 --> 0:07:00.559 not only because you know, you had a little segment 0:07:00.640 --> 0:07:02.960 with me and there, but it was amazing because it 0:07:03.040 --> 0:07:05.560 was just amazing, you know, And I look forward to 0:07:05.600 --> 0:07:08.279 the paperback. We gotta get on this road though, Man, 0:07:08.320 --> 0:07:10.760 the pandemic is over. You gotta get on the road. 0:07:11.120 --> 0:07:13.520 Hit this, get this book tour going, Like don't you 0:07:13.600 --> 0:07:15.400 want to see to make a matory on the book tour? 0:07:15.760 --> 0:07:20.000 Hitting your going to your school. I like Zoom. I 0:07:20.160 --> 0:07:25.160 like I love people, Man, go out there and love 0:07:25.280 --> 0:07:27.040 the people. They love you. You You gotta go out there 0:07:27.080 --> 0:07:30.800 and give them some hugs. Man, Come on, I love Zoom. 0:07:30.840 --> 0:07:33.000 I could say right here in my house and so 0:07:34.280 --> 0:07:37.679 but no, that that doesn't that doesn't work. It doesn't work. 0:07:37.760 --> 0:07:41.080 So I'm ready, you know, to get on back outside. 0:07:41.080 --> 0:07:43.400 But actually I'm in the process of writing my second book, 0:07:43.440 --> 0:07:45.640 which is about my life, and it's some real interesting 0:07:45.640 --> 0:07:48.240 stuff that's gonna be in there. But enough about my book, 0:07:48.320 --> 0:07:51.120 Let's talk about some of what's happening across this country, 0:07:51.160 --> 0:07:55.240 because we have to make sure that, um, you know, 0:07:55.440 --> 0:08:00.960 we let the people know about the progress and I'm 0:08:01.080 --> 0:08:06.000 saying quote end quote um of this administration and what 0:08:06.080 --> 0:08:09.800 they have been doing, because there's so much that, you know, 0:08:09.920 --> 0:08:13.000 we need to sort of monitory some good because people 0:08:13.040 --> 0:08:16.640 act like this whole administration is terrible, is the worst 0:08:16.680 --> 0:08:19.680 I mean they have. It depends on who you ask. 0:08:20.000 --> 0:08:25.320 It depends on who you ask, um, Because well, one 0:08:25.320 --> 0:08:30.400 of the things is that last week President Biden pardon 0:08:30.680 --> 0:08:35.400 three people and he did seventy five sentence commutations. Tell 0:08:35.440 --> 0:08:37.839 me what is the difference? Tell the people, like, what's 0:08:37.880 --> 0:08:41.160 the difference between the two. Well, a pardon is when 0:08:41.160 --> 0:08:44.800 you just restored all of your rights back, when your 0:08:44.920 --> 0:08:48.280 your conviction and everything is overturned. It's like you never 0:08:48.559 --> 0:08:52.240 had any conviction. A commutation is when a lighten the 0:08:52.360 --> 0:08:55.760 sentence that you know, and they might release you, or 0:08:55.800 --> 0:08:58.520 they cut the sentence in half, but you're still are 0:08:59.120 --> 0:09:01.440 all given that you know the crime that you did. 0:09:01.440 --> 0:09:07.120 But they just they they've modified the sentence in Okay, yeah, 0:09:07.120 --> 0:09:09.160 I think, okay, I get that. That's right. So the 0:09:09.240 --> 0:09:14.720 pardon is it's gone completely. So was like, um, what's 0:09:14.720 --> 0:09:18.360 our sister's name? Was she pardon? Um? She was? She 0:09:18.440 --> 0:09:23.600 was on the show not long ago, Oh Lord, Topeka 0:09:24.440 --> 0:09:30.200 Topeka saying was she pardoned or was she? I don't know. 0:09:30.240 --> 0:09:32.160 I have to look into the case. I don't know exactly. 0:09:32.200 --> 0:09:35.360 I think she probably, I think there was actually um, 0:09:35.400 --> 0:09:37.880 I think she was probably commentated. I don't know if 0:09:37.880 --> 0:09:39.680 she was part of I think she had a compla. 0:09:40.320 --> 0:09:43.240 I'm gonna look it up. I'm gonna or maybe somebody 0:09:43.280 --> 0:09:46.800 in our production office can look it up and tell 0:09:46.880 --> 0:09:49.520 us whether or not she was pardon or her sentence 0:09:49.640 --> 0:09:53.920 was commuted. But anyway, one of the people who was 0:09:54.600 --> 0:09:59.840 he was pardon. He was the first black Secret Service agent. 0:10:00.480 --> 0:10:04.520 UH In nineteen sixty four, he was accused of attempting 0:10:04.559 --> 0:10:08.600 to sell a copy of a secret Service file. He 0:10:08.720 --> 0:10:14.520 says that he was um, he was targeted for exposing racism. 0:10:14.520 --> 0:10:16.520 Now I didn't get a chance to read to see 0:10:16.559 --> 0:10:19.320 what was in the file, but I'm going to assume 0:10:19.440 --> 0:10:23.319 for the purpose of this conversation that, um, that it 0:10:23.600 --> 0:10:27.440 had something to do with uh, you know, he that 0:10:27.520 --> 0:10:31.680 it had something to do with that the file had 0:10:31.760 --> 0:10:34.600 something to do with why he was being targeted. I 0:10:34.640 --> 0:10:37.720 don't know, so we won't say for sure. But nonetheless, 0:10:38.240 --> 0:10:40.400 he was accused of trying to sell a copy of 0:10:40.440 --> 0:10:44.400 a Secret Service file. He says that he was exposing 0:10:44.559 --> 0:10:50.600 racism and that he was exposing unprofessional behavior. Um. And 0:10:50.679 --> 0:10:54.320 his name is Abraham Bolden, and he was his sentence 0:10:54.440 --> 0:10:57.920 was pardoned. So it's nineteen sixty four two. Now, you know, 0:10:58.080 --> 0:11:00.400 I have to do some more research to see where 0:11:00.520 --> 0:11:03.640 is this man? You know, is he is? He's still alive. 0:11:04.080 --> 0:11:06.640 You know, he was like, what the hell has happened 0:11:06.640 --> 0:11:09.200 to him? But again, he was the first black Secret 0:11:09.240 --> 0:11:12.640 Service agent. There were two other people pardon who had 0:11:12.720 --> 0:11:16.360 non violent drug offenses, and then there was the seventy 0:11:16.840 --> 0:11:21.520 sentence commutations, which I'm sure a variety of different individuals. Now, 0:11:21.559 --> 0:11:26.000 there is a woman on Twitter. I have to look 0:11:26.240 --> 0:11:32.360 up her name thereon she was parting by Trump. Okay, 0:11:32.400 --> 0:11:37.520 so Topeka was pardon. So there is a woman named 0:11:37.640 --> 0:11:42.079 Rachel Barkow. I don't know exactly what she does, but 0:11:42.240 --> 0:11:45.280 she is a white woman who looks like she might 0:11:45.440 --> 0:11:48.600 be um, like maybe a reporter or something. We should 0:11:48.679 --> 0:11:51.800 check that out. But she says it's better. She tweeted, 0:11:52.080 --> 0:11:56.079 it's better late than never. Though this is such low 0:11:56.160 --> 0:12:00.600 hanging clemency fruit, it's practically on the ground. Most of 0:12:00.640 --> 0:12:04.439 these people were already be released by Bill Barr under 0:12:04.480 --> 0:12:09.360 the Cares Act. All Cares Act folks are easy clemency grants. 0:12:09.600 --> 0:12:12.680 So I'm a little worried. We're just seeing a subset. 0:12:13.120 --> 0:12:16.120 So you know, we have to do some digging to 0:12:16.400 --> 0:12:20.240 understand because you know, there's so many smoking mirrors, and 0:12:20.640 --> 0:12:22.880 you know, I don't know for sure, but I'm sure 0:12:22.960 --> 0:12:25.880 all of these people, regardless of whether this is a 0:12:25.920 --> 0:12:30.000 continuation of other work or whatever it may be, I'm 0:12:30.000 --> 0:12:33.880 sure these people appreciate the fact that they have been 0:12:34.400 --> 0:12:39.800 um in some way, their their situation has been addressed exactly. 0:12:40.120 --> 0:12:43.000 The bottom line is, you know what it is, There's 0:12:43.080 --> 0:12:47.319 there's no administration that's gonna be perfect. And not saying 0:12:47.320 --> 0:12:51.160 that this administration is anywhere near perfect or anythingwhere near 0:12:51.160 --> 0:12:53.520 what I think it should be. And I'm not saying 0:12:53.520 --> 0:12:56.160 that is I'm just saying that people will always critique. 0:12:56.160 --> 0:12:59.720 People are always gonna you're not doing enough, well, okay this, 0:12:59.800 --> 0:13:02.480 And because like before, when people was telling me about 0:13:02.520 --> 0:13:10.200 the um the bill to make um hanging uh um, 0:13:10.240 --> 0:13:16.240 what would they said up like, yeah, you know to everybody, 0:13:16.280 --> 0:13:18.400 nobody's they still haven't done it, and they still haven't 0:13:18.440 --> 0:13:20.720 done it. And then when they did it, it it was like, oh, 0:13:20.800 --> 0:13:23.520 so what that means? And it's just like, yeah, I 0:13:23.600 --> 0:13:25.240 was saying they did do it. Now they do that, 0:13:25.559 --> 0:13:27.480 and you're still trying to figure out what it means. 0:13:27.520 --> 0:13:30.040 It's like, that's what you said wasn't done. So it's 0:13:30.080 --> 0:13:33.120 like for me, you know, I'm gonna be I'm gonna 0:13:33.120 --> 0:13:36.600 continue to be, you know, critical of every administration. I'm 0:13:36.760 --> 0:13:40.199 continue to fight because America has never given black people 0:13:40.200 --> 0:13:43.880 would have deserved. No administration that has ever been in 0:13:43.920 --> 0:13:47.079 America has given black people what they deserve. Totally. I'm 0:13:47.080 --> 0:13:49.400 going to continue to fight, but I'm going to celebrate 0:13:49.440 --> 0:13:52.000 when they are things that we should celebrate. I'm gonna 0:13:52.000 --> 0:13:55.559 acknowledge that things are going in a manner that are progressive. 0:13:55.760 --> 0:13:58.120 When they're going in man as that are progressive, and 0:13:58.120 --> 0:14:00.160 when they're not, we're gonna call him out and we're 0:14:00.160 --> 0:14:03.480 gonna make, you know, them make adjustments and force them 0:14:03.480 --> 0:14:05.120 to do what we need to be done. You know, 0:14:05.200 --> 0:14:08.320 it's just it's it's really hard. It's really hard as 0:14:08.440 --> 0:14:12.360 just individuals who actually care because you know, you you 0:14:12.480 --> 0:14:14.880 hear all the back and forth and you get all 0:14:14.920 --> 0:14:17.880 the nay say back and forth and you did this 0:14:17.920 --> 0:14:20.720 and you said this, and it's like, listen, you have 0:14:20.840 --> 0:14:23.560 to make decisions that benefit you. You have to look 0:14:23.880 --> 0:14:26.440 at what it is in your community, what it is 0:14:26.480 --> 0:14:29.240 in your life that's being affected by this government, and 0:14:29.720 --> 0:14:32.120 make sure that you have a say in that, you know, 0:14:32.200 --> 0:14:34.080 And that's what we did. We we we say, hey, 0:14:34.120 --> 0:14:36.120 this is what's affecting us, this is what we think 0:14:36.280 --> 0:14:38.240 are the threats to our people. This is the things 0:14:38.280 --> 0:14:40.400 that we think need to change for our people. And 0:14:40.440 --> 0:14:43.120 we focused on that, and we decided to make sure 0:14:43.440 --> 0:14:46.440 that one president who we know didn't focus on that 0:14:46.560 --> 0:14:49.440 was gonna stay in office. So that's where we're at 0:14:49.520 --> 0:14:52.840 right now. Well, yeah, so so when you talk about 0:14:52.880 --> 0:14:56.760 things that need to be uplifted. I won't necessarily say celebrated, 0:14:56.840 --> 0:15:00.680 because until there's actual change, we don't get to celebrate. 0:15:00.760 --> 0:15:03.960 But something that should be uplifted is that the Department 0:15:04.000 --> 0:15:09.400 of Justice, UM has found that Parchment Prison, the Mississippi 0:15:09.440 --> 0:15:14.920 State Penitentiary, has violated the constitution. And the reason why, 0:15:15.040 --> 0:15:19.840 first of all, that's just important, yeah, right. But the 0:15:19.880 --> 0:15:23.920 reason why that's important, UM is a number of things. 0:15:24.360 --> 0:15:29.960 First of all, it shows the the the full scale 0:15:30.320 --> 0:15:36.080 of our work. Right. So, the local community had already 0:15:36.120 --> 0:15:42.920 for years been out there demanding that the Parchment Prison 0:15:43.040 --> 0:15:46.160 be addressed. They want to shut down completely, which it 0:15:46.200 --> 0:15:49.600 should be shut down. But in addition, UM, you know, 0:15:49.720 --> 0:15:52.200 some of the other things is to look at the 0:15:52.560 --> 0:15:57.280 prison and to address, um, the major concerns. There were 0:15:57.280 --> 0:16:01.600 people complaining of starvation. We saw with our own eyes 0:16:02.120 --> 0:16:07.640 based upon the incarcerated individuals. Uh. They were able to 0:16:07.680 --> 0:16:11.040 get footage from cell phones which was contraband that they 0:16:11.080 --> 0:16:14.160 got into the jails, and they were able to show 0:16:14.560 --> 0:16:19.400 the mold, the rats, the holes, um and the terrible 0:16:19.520 --> 0:16:23.640 the inhumane living conditions within the jail. So they were 0:16:23.640 --> 0:16:27.560 able to show that they were able to give us, UM, 0:16:27.600 --> 0:16:31.160 you know, some real evidence to work with. We found 0:16:31.200 --> 0:16:34.280 out about it because you, and and and I and 0:16:34.360 --> 0:16:37.680 others were being tagged, and I mean they, the the 0:16:38.200 --> 0:16:42.360 incarcerated folks, did their thing in terms of getting out 0:16:42.480 --> 0:16:47.480 the information to make sure that we had everything that 0:16:47.600 --> 0:16:51.000 we need um so that no one could say that 0:16:51.120 --> 0:16:54.080 there was nothing happened in that Parchment prison. But the 0:16:54.120 --> 0:16:57.560 worst of it was that with all the inhumane living conditions, 0:16:57.640 --> 0:17:01.760 people were dying every single day, So there were actual 0:17:02.280 --> 0:17:05.639 literal deaths, and that if there was there was gang 0:17:05.760 --> 0:17:08.840 wars happening. It was like the asylum, like there was 0:17:08.880 --> 0:17:13.200 no control. Everything was going crazy. People had lost them, 0:17:13.320 --> 0:17:16.640 they were losing their minds and men living in the conditions. 0:17:16.960 --> 0:17:20.160 It was nasty. Everything you could think of. It was 0:17:20.400 --> 0:17:23.280 terrible inside the jail. So for the Department of Justice 0:17:23.280 --> 0:17:26.679 to say it violates the Constitution, that should be to 0:17:26.800 --> 0:17:30.480 the third fourth fifteenth power because it was a disaster. 0:17:31.000 --> 0:17:34.720 So with that being said, we we went and started 0:17:34.720 --> 0:17:37.720 to get involved and try to help the local folks 0:17:37.840 --> 0:17:41.479 there to do their organized and shout out to um 0:17:41.920 --> 0:17:45.320 Rakia Lamamba, who we worked very closely with in the 0:17:45.359 --> 0:17:50.639 Mississippi Prison Reform Coalition. A whole bunch of incredible people, 0:17:50.760 --> 0:17:54.520 Dan Yell, Miss Sharon, so many people that's doing work 0:17:54.720 --> 0:18:01.200 there continuously. Then Rock Nation they also got involved, so 0:18:01.280 --> 0:18:04.640 we worked with the local folks. We worked with Block 0:18:04.760 --> 0:18:07.520 Nation to follow a lawsuit in which we went in 0:18:07.680 --> 0:18:10.080 and helped to not went into the jail, but we 0:18:10.240 --> 0:18:14.879 used our resources to get a number of the incarcerated 0:18:14.960 --> 0:18:19.200 folks to become a part of the UM the lawsuit, 0:18:19.440 --> 0:18:22.800 the class action lawsuit, and then they sent lawyers in. 0:18:23.200 --> 0:18:26.680 They helped us to put billboards up UM to bring 0:18:26.720 --> 0:18:29.680 awareness to the local community. They helped us to get 0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:33.959 letters that cost money to be published in newspapers and 0:18:34.000 --> 0:18:36.840 all of that, and you know everything. J took, calls 0:18:36.880 --> 0:18:40.720 with the governor. Everybody put their pressure in their own way. 0:18:40.840 --> 0:18:44.480 We along with the local folks, organized a big rally 0:18:44.600 --> 0:18:47.360 and the end result of it is that the Department 0:18:47.400 --> 0:18:51.240 of Justice could not deny the work. They could not deny. 0:18:51.480 --> 0:18:57.800 So when people say protesting doesn't mean anything, protesting plus legislation, 0:18:58.240 --> 0:19:03.439 and well, protesting us UM plus legal work together is 0:19:03.480 --> 0:19:09.000 what will ultimately impact the legislative process. So now they're 0:19:09.040 --> 0:19:12.080 saying the Department of Justice is saying that they've sent 0:19:12.240 --> 0:19:15.680 something to the local government and it's up to them 0:19:15.960 --> 0:19:19.240 to make the changes. But if not, they will um 0:19:19.320 --> 0:19:21.639 you know, they will take legal matters to take a 0:19:21.960 --> 0:19:26.040 take a legal action to force a monitor there and 0:19:26.119 --> 0:19:28.280 to make sure that the changes happened in the jail. 0:19:28.480 --> 0:19:32.880 And that's a full scale explanation of everything that took 0:19:32.920 --> 0:19:36.000 place in all the steps exactly. You know, we we 0:19:36.119 --> 0:19:38.440 have to apply pressure. I tell people all the time. 0:19:38.800 --> 0:19:42.600 You know, people don't change their minds because you say, hey, 0:19:42.640 --> 0:19:45.119 something is wrong. If you don't apply pressure, if the 0:19:45.160 --> 0:19:47.320 world doesn't see it, if you don't expose it to 0:19:47.359 --> 0:19:50.440 the world, then they continue to live in the demanding 0:19:50.480 --> 0:19:53.439 that they're living. You know, these these prisons are based 0:19:53.520 --> 0:19:56.520 on trying to make money of bodies, you know, and 0:19:56.560 --> 0:19:58.280 they don't want to put money, they don't want they 0:19:58.280 --> 0:20:01.240 want to spend the little dollars. It is possible to 0:20:01.320 --> 0:20:03.840 be able to maintain those prisons, and that's why they 0:20:03.880 --> 0:20:05.680 looked the way they are, That's why they wonder where 0:20:05.680 --> 0:20:07.880 they are, that's why the prisoners are treated the way 0:20:07.920 --> 0:20:10.920 they are. So, you know, thanks thanks to the federal 0:20:10.920 --> 0:20:14.200 government for looking in. Shout out to everybody participated. Yo 0:20:14.280 --> 0:20:17.600 Gott he was one of the first people's right there. 0:20:17.680 --> 0:20:19.879 He was like you know, he wanted to utilize his 0:20:20.000 --> 0:20:23.280 voice and his platform to bring attention to what was 0:20:23.359 --> 0:20:26.359 happening inside departure of prison. So you know, it was 0:20:26.400 --> 0:20:30.920 a joint effort that were numerous artists. J Prince was there, Um, 0:20:31.240 --> 0:20:33.520 my brother, who else was It was a few other 0:20:33.640 --> 0:20:36.080 artists that I can't think of right now who came 0:20:36.080 --> 0:20:38.000 out and supported it. I mean, there was so many 0:20:38.000 --> 0:20:40.480 and I think we should run it back, like we should, 0:20:40.560 --> 0:20:44.760 you know, pull up for socials and show people or 0:20:44.960 --> 0:20:48.639 Yandy was there, Jamil T. Davis was there. There were 0:20:48.680 --> 0:20:52.040 a number of individuals that showed up for the rally 0:20:52.119 --> 0:20:57.160 and people We went to um Mississippi probably five times 0:20:57.520 --> 0:21:00.679 trying to help with local meetings and the help or 0:21:00.840 --> 0:21:04.399 with the organizing efforts. We actually um took some of 0:21:04.440 --> 0:21:08.080 the resources that people were donating to until Freedom and 0:21:08.119 --> 0:21:10.399 we made sure to give it to folks that are 0:21:10.440 --> 0:21:13.520 there locally. Um, you know, we did what we could 0:21:13.600 --> 0:21:17.720 as an organization to help elevate the issue. And then 0:21:17.760 --> 0:21:21.320 in addition to all of that, Rock Nation came in 0:21:21.440 --> 0:21:25.080 with their resources which they have many more and they 0:21:25.119 --> 0:21:27.800 were able to help bring it really like you know, 0:21:27.880 --> 0:21:30.359 expose it and put it out there, and the legal 0:21:30.520 --> 0:21:34.159 the the class action lawsuit is certainly helpful. So to 0:21:34.240 --> 0:21:37.840 your point, it's, um, you know, we have to continue 0:21:37.880 --> 0:21:40.640 to do this, and there are many other prisons that 0:21:40.720 --> 0:21:44.760 are having similar, if not worse situations that need to 0:21:44.800 --> 0:21:47.760 be looked into as well. So this helps to set 0:21:47.760 --> 0:21:50.359 the standard, and then we have to do the work 0:21:50.560 --> 0:21:53.720 of going into these other local communities and helping to 0:21:53.800 --> 0:21:56.760 bring um to light some of the issues that's happening 0:21:56.760 --> 0:21:59.240 in those jails as well and those prisons as well. 0:21:59.840 --> 0:22:03.239 So us So that makes me and you know what 0:22:03.320 --> 0:22:07.760 I was thinking, because you said, um, you said something 0:22:08.160 --> 0:22:13.040 that made me think, what do oh, I know what 0:22:13.119 --> 0:22:18.199 it was. I was gonna say there and this is 0:22:18.200 --> 0:22:20.960 a part of my h this is my thought of 0:22:21.000 --> 0:22:29.119 the debt. I was thinking to myself this weekend because 0:22:29.160 --> 0:22:33.040 people were tagging me all week into the man that said, 0:22:33.240 --> 0:22:37.000 you know, paid sponsor about the book that I've already mentioned, 0:22:37.680 --> 0:22:40.240 and you know, he was questioning, you know, why do 0:22:40.359 --> 0:22:42.320 I get to write a book. I'm like, well, you know, 0:22:42.440 --> 0:22:47.160 I'm I'm only almost thirty year veteran in this work, 0:22:47.320 --> 0:22:49.960 and so I would imagine he said, you know, people 0:22:50.080 --> 0:22:53.720 getting paid for books. I would imagine that you, as 0:22:53.960 --> 0:22:57.480 especially as a black man, would not want me to 0:22:57.600 --> 0:23:02.160 be exploited where thirty years of my work is and 0:23:01.960 --> 0:23:04.119 and I'm going to give it to the world that 0:23:04.160 --> 0:23:10.440 I'm not paid for when other write about everybody else 0:23:10.480 --> 0:23:13.920 can write books about Couci, Lucci and Tucci, but me, 0:23:14.880 --> 0:23:19.200 I write a book about my experience as an organizer 0:23:19.600 --> 0:23:21.960 for almost thirty years of my life and what I've 0:23:22.000 --> 0:23:25.040 seen and what I hope we as a people that 0:23:25.080 --> 0:23:27.120 you know, that all of us will take on more 0:23:27.119 --> 0:23:29.919 of a role in the movement. And for some reason 0:23:30.080 --> 0:23:33.160 that's that's questionable. And and you know, he also said 0:23:33.280 --> 0:23:37.520 something about how you know, people who are leaders or 0:23:37.640 --> 0:23:42.159 activists should go to be in study and I realized 0:23:42.200 --> 0:23:49.160 that people do not know or don't understand. Well, I mean, 0:23:49.200 --> 0:23:52.479 he's saying that they that they should sit in you know, 0:23:52.840 --> 0:23:55.960 and I guess and study groups and whatnot. And I 0:23:56.040 --> 0:23:58.479 and again what I'm saying is that I think people 0:23:58.600 --> 0:24:01.520