1 00:00:00,720 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 1: So this is a quote I found from you where 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,200 Speaker 1: you said the most important thing we have in black 3 00:00:05,240 --> 00:00:08,600 Speaker 1: on media is authenticity and trust. We are perceived that 4 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:12,440 Speaker 1: we're perceived differently. They see us as family. So I 5 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: want you to talk about what you mean by particularly 6 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: that last line, they see us as family. What does 7 00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:19,320 Speaker 1: that mean? How did you learn that? And what implications 8 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: does that happen? 9 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 2: But that's our history. I mean, if you're again, if 10 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 2: you're a student of your business, you know. The first 11 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 2: newspaper was Mars Freedom's Journal March sixteenth, eighteen twenty seven, 12 00:00:29,080 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 2: and the third paragraph of their frontage editorial it said, 13 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 2: in the third pair, we wish to plead our own 14 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 2: cause to long have other spoken for us. That's the 15 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,840 Speaker 2: mantra of the black press. When you start talking about 16 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 2: Martin Delaney, when you start talking about Frederick Douglass, when 17 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,239 Speaker 2: you start talking about out of b Wells Barnett, when 18 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 2: we talk about the Little Rock nine, people don't understand. 19 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:52,800 Speaker 2: First of all, Daisy Bates later on the Black Newspaper, 20 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 2: but when they were sitting here involved in the planning 21 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:58,440 Speaker 2: of that black meat, the black media, black on media 22 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,120 Speaker 2: was actually in the room like they were in the 23 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 2: strategy sessions, Uh, doctor King. Before Time Magazine and New 24 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 2: York Times and NBC were covering. 25 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 3: Him, he had a column in Ebony. 26 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 2: He was always in Jet And so there's always been 27 00:01:12,120 --> 00:01:16,119 Speaker 2: this different relationship that African Americans have had with black 28 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 2: O media because we're there when everybody else ain't there. 29 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 2: I mean, even now, I can't even tell you how 30 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 2: many times we travel around this country and when we're 31 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 2: going places and we're visiting places, and man, ain't nobody there, 32 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,840 Speaker 2: local media, local mainstream. Ain't there a lot of black people, 33 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 2: not black media out there. We're the only ones. Bishop 34 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:43,320 Speaker 2: Barbara had a huge event in DC a couple of 35 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 2: years ago, and man, they had these risers and was 36 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 2: all this press space for the people came that was it. 37 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 2: There were small media islets, ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, Scene 38 00:01:57,360 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 2: in Fox News. 39 00:01:58,480 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 3: None of them were there. 40 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 2: And and so those things happened on a regular basis. 41 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 2: And so you know, when you when when you were 42 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 2: there for your people. Tom Joyna always talked about this 43 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 2: here and I've always said the same thing. I totally 44 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:17,360 Speaker 2: agree with him that when you're there for your people, 45 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:19,600 Speaker 2: they're going to be there for you. 46 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 3: When you're showing up. So you know. 47 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 2: One of the things I remember, we was in Elizabeth City, 48 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:27,680 Speaker 2: North Carolina. Brother had been shot and killed by the cops. Uh, 49 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 2: and all it was jam pack. I mean, all this 50 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:33,519 Speaker 2: media is out there, They're all out there and being 51 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 2: Ben Crump was holding the news conference. Uh and uh 52 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 2: everybody is sitting here covering it. 53 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 3: Man. It was crazy. And so what happened? Uh when. 54 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 2: When uh we it was time for the uh news conference? 55 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 2: It was too funny, man, it was time for the 56 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:56,679 Speaker 2: news conference. Ben Crump was doing questions, and when it 57 00:02:56,720 --> 00:03:04,400 Speaker 2: came time to questions, he went first question Roland. Yeah, Roland, 58 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 2: we've had and so I got and then it was 59 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 2: kind of like you're done. 60 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 3: Then he went to everybody else. 61 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 2: Those things that happened to other places a lot. 62 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 3: But there are some black folks who don't do that. 63 00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 3: There's some black folks who they believed in white validation. 64 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 2: And I remind these people, we gonna be here when 65 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 2: they never show up, So don't all of a sudden 66 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 2: try to treat them special because they rolled up in here, 67 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 2: because we know who was here. Ben has had clients 68 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 2: that when because he's had clients where they said no, no, no, Ben, 69 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,240 Speaker 2: our first interview is going to be. 70 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:44,920 Speaker 3: On Rolling Mark Unfiltered. 71 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:47,680 Speaker 2: Now, these are clients who did not want to be 72 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 2: a part of this exclusive for turning the sorority of 73 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 2: having family members killed. But on multiple occasions they said, no, Ben, 74 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 2: we're gonna do Rolland first because he covers this stuff 75 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 2: every day, and so. 76 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 3: That's what that means. 77 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 2: And so that's been our history the black press, black 78 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 2: on media has served that role. The problem is what 79 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 2: we have seen. We have seen this dramatic degradation and 80 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 2: decrease in our impact. Again, a lot of black people 81 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:25,799 Speaker 2: at the end of the civil rights movement early seventies, 82 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 2: when white media starts hiring black people, we all of 83 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:32,279 Speaker 2: a sudden, it's like, oh, now they're covering us, so 84 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:34,279 Speaker 2: now we're going to go to them. So in many cases, 85 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:38,840 Speaker 2: the consumer abandoned black on media. Now, when that was happening, 86 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,480 Speaker 2: black on media was not adjusting to what was going on, 87 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:46,839 Speaker 2: and so then they aided their own demise. And I've 88 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:49,600 Speaker 2: long said we're living in a period right now where 89 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 2: we will rule the day if we don't have black 90 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:55,039 Speaker 2: on media, because there's so many stories, I mean, I 91 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:57,719 Speaker 2: can't even tell you there's stuff that I do every 92 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 2: single day. Small stuff, stuff don't even get touched. We've 93 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:07,479 Speaker 2: done stuff that three, four or five weeks later, it'll 94 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:11,560 Speaker 2: show up on MSNBC or CNN. But here's what pisces 95 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 2: me off. What pisces me off. Recie Kober talked about 96 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:18,159 Speaker 2: this all the time. You'll get black folks who then 97 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:21,240 Speaker 2: will grab that clip because. 98 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:23,280 Speaker 3: It was on MSNBC or see a lot of primity. 99 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:25,719 Speaker 2: Black people will grab that clip and post it on 100 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 2: their Instagram page and post it on their Twitter page. 101 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 3: And I'm going, but. 102 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:36,160 Speaker 2: You then we five weeks ago, four weeks a, three 103 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 2: weeks ago. So again those things happened. But I believe 104 00:05:40,480 --> 00:05:44,719 Speaker 2: what my responsibility as a black on media owner, My 105 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 2: responsibility is to give black people high quality content that 106 00:05:53,279 --> 00:05:55,719 Speaker 2: is relevant, that looks good. I was at the National 107 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:58,279 Speaker 2: Underground Railroad Freedom Center Parkertery and Gamble had this thing. 108 00:05:58,480 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 3: It was a panel and I was hitting on the panel and. 109 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:02,719 Speaker 2: His brother it was kicking. Pree was over here and 110 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:05,960 Speaker 2: his brother was here. His brother here owned a barbershop 111 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 2: salon in Cincinnati. And this eactly is this truth through 112 00:06:09,680 --> 00:06:11,600 Speaker 2: what that he goes, he goes. 113 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:13,080 Speaker 3: Y'all we have got here. 114 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:16,560 Speaker 2: This is that National Underground Underground Railroad Freedom Center. 115 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 3: Y'all. Oh man, we we gotta support Roland Martin this way. 116 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:21,720 Speaker 3: He messed up. 117 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:26,160 Speaker 2: He goes, not now, y'all, it's not gonna look as 118 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:29,839 Speaker 2: good as CNN. I said, wait a fucking minute. 119 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 3: Oh wow. He goes, no, no, no, no, bro. I said, no, no, no, 120 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:34,720 Speaker 3: no no. 121 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 2: I said, I need you to understand what you just said. 122 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 2: What you just said is that we from a look 123 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:49,039 Speaker 2: we are second class. Mm hmm. 124 00:06:49,920 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 3: I said, And let me be real clear. 125 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:56,760 Speaker 2: I don't have the billion dollars in profit that CNN has. 126 00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:01,119 Speaker 2: I said, but my robotic cameras are four K I said, 127 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 2: I got high quality lights. I said, don't you ever 128 00:07:05,800 --> 00:07:11,520 Speaker 2: say that I don't look as good as CNN. 129 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:15,040 Speaker 3: That was wild. That is a that is a brother. 130 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 2: When I had when I had my TV one show, 131 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:20,120 Speaker 2: this is this is a brother said to me, this 132 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 2: is I had A brother said this his sister said it. 133 00:07:24,160 --> 00:07:26,240 Speaker 3: Brother said, man, where you gonna get you your own show? 134 00:07:26,600 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 3: And I was like, I am on five days a week. 135 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 3: He goes, he said, no, no, no, no, no, I 136 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 3: know about your TV one show. He said, I mean 137 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 3: a real show. 138 00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, come on, come on. 139 00:07:41,520 --> 00:07:44,680 Speaker 2: He said, come on CNN or one of these networks. 140 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 2: I said, not again. I was like, I can cuss 141 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 2: him out, or I can educate him. 142 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 3: Here's what I said. I said, brother, let me ask 143 00:07:58,040 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 3: you a question. I said, are you aware that. 144 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:05,680 Speaker 2: When Brian Williams comes to NBS, comes to DC, he 145 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:06,600 Speaker 2: sits in the same. 146 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:08,160 Speaker 3: Chair I do. And he looked at me. 147 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 2: I said, there's the plexiglass table to the left, and 148 00:08:12,800 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 2: there's a bristle brush on the bottom shelf, and there's 149 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 2: another brush on the top shelf that white people use 150 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 2: to calm their hair. I said, the bristle brush is mine. 151 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 2: He's still now he looking at me. I said, you 152 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:29,200 Speaker 2: need to be aware. I said, the set, the walls, 153 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:33,600 Speaker 2: the camera. I said, Oh, you didn't realize. We contract 154 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:37,839 Speaker 2: the studio from NBC News Channel. I said, when Brian 155 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 2: Williams comes here, they send the signal down the fiber 156 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 2: optic lines to New York. 157 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 3: We send ours to Denver. 158 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 2: I said, same studio, same cameras, same lights, same background, 159 00:08:53,760 --> 00:08:58,200 Speaker 2: same fiber optics. I said, but you said, my show 160 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:02,480 Speaker 2: is not real. What you were telling me is because 161 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 2: it airs on a black network. You don't think it's 162 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:11,800 Speaker 2: a real show. Brother, that he was, he was apologetic. 163 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:15,640 Speaker 2: I said this, and this is the power of white supremacy. 164 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:21,199 Speaker 2: The power of white supremacy is that it will dictate 165 00:09:21,320 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 2: to black people that what is ours. We instinctively, we 166 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:36,560 Speaker 2: automatically off the jump. We think it's second rate, its 167 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:41,000 Speaker 2: second class, it's not good enough, and a white man's 168 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 2: ice is colder. And that that is that is the power, 169 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:49,040 Speaker 2: that is the legacy of white supremacy and why it 170 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:52,560 Speaker 2: still has a hold on black people and we mustn't 171 00:09:52,600 --> 00:09:55,319 Speaker 2: I and John o'brown always says, black people we need 172 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 2: He said we need, we need to reboot. 173 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 3: I say no. He says, no, I need a software upgrade. 174 00:10:01,200 --> 00:10:01,720 Speaker 3: I said no. 175 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 2: Black people need to be completely reprogrammed. Because we start off, 176 00:10:09,679 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 2: we haven't even opened our mouths yet, and we automatically say, oh, 177 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:17,320 Speaker 2: he's black, she's black, and they own it second class, 178 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:22,520 Speaker 2: second rate, not good enough quality. That the same actively 179 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 2: black has dealt with this show me a black company. 180 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:27,839 Speaker 3: They've had to confront him. 181 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:31,640 Speaker 2: But that's the conditioning of the mind of black people, 182 00:10:32,080 --> 00:10:34,560 Speaker 2: and that is a result of white supremacy.