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Speaker 1: The Black Effect Presents features honest conversations and exclusive interviews,

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Speaker 1: a space for artists, everyday people and listeners to amplify, elevate,

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Speaker 1: and empower Black voices with great conversations. Make sure to

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Speaker 1: listen to The Black Effect Presents podcast on I Heart Radio,

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Speaker 1: Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. On April four,

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Speaker 1: Dr Martin Luther King was shot and killed in Memphis.

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Speaker 1: A petty criminal named James Earl Ray was arrested. Case

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Speaker 1: closed right. James el Ray was upon for the official story.

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Speaker 1: Some of the evidence, as far as I was concerned,

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Speaker 1: did not match the circumstances. This is the MLK Tapes.

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Speaker 1: The first episodes are available now. Listen on the I

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Speaker 1: Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Speaker 1: We've all felt left out, and for people who moved

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Speaker 1: to this country, that feeling last more than a moment.

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Speaker 1: We can change that. Learn how it Belonging begins with

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Speaker 1: us dot org. Brought to you by the AD Council.

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Speaker 1: My next guests all industry decision makers. They are Power

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Speaker 1: Couple Jeff and the Cold Friday, both for HBCU graduates

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Speaker 1: of Howard University. Jeff is the founder and CEO of

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Speaker 1: the American Black Film Festival, and the Cold is the

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Speaker 1: president and general manager the American Black Film Festival. The

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Speaker 1: a BFL is an annual event dedicated to recognizing black

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Speaker 1: talent and showcasing quality film and television content by and

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Speaker 1: about people of African American descent. And the festivals returned

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Speaker 1: to Miami Beach. Come on, so I got it too

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Speaker 1: excited thing? Sorry about that. The festivals now celebrating this

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Speaker 1: twenty fifth year. We'll be discussing the festival objectives, their

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Speaker 1: partnership deals with Sony Pictures, Entertainment and Endeavor Content, and

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Speaker 1: most importantly, how the two successfully worked together in business

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Speaker 1: as partners as a married couple. Please work in the

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Speaker 1: money making conversations, Jeff and the co Friday, How my

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Speaker 1: team doing? Come on, y'all, how y'all doing. I gotta

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Speaker 1: go to my man Jeff, because I've been knowing him

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Speaker 1: a long, because I've been following them since nightty seven.

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Speaker 1: You know when I when I was when he was

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Speaker 1: down to Acca Poco, the very first one. You know,

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Speaker 1: when I just wrapped up writing on the sitcom with

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Speaker 1: Robert Towns's Parenthood, And that was the very first. That

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Speaker 1: was the very first one officially, wasn't it in ninety seven? Correct,

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Speaker 1: that's right, and thank you for your support. Yet ninety

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Speaker 1: seven was the first year, and Robert was right there

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Speaker 1: with it. He's one of the first people, uh, that

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Speaker 1: we called when we decided to do this festival for

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Speaker 1: black and brown folks. So I gotta shout out my

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Speaker 1: brother Robert. Well, you know, I was telling him, you know,

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Speaker 1: he's important in my life. I was at the time

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Speaker 1: I got into sitcom. Steve Harvey gave me my first

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Speaker 1: writing job on ABC, Me and the Boys, and uh

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Speaker 1: it was unsa only his league canceled and I had

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Speaker 1: no nowhere to go, and Robert Cowncord called me and

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Speaker 1: he hired me. And I always tell him every time

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Speaker 1: I see him. Without him about I wouldn't have a

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Speaker 1: career in Hollywood because he trusted my voice, he trusted

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Speaker 1: my writing skills. And when I talk about things like that,

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Speaker 1: that's why it's important to have people empower people who

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Speaker 1: are trying to deliver the message or the creative support

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Speaker 1: or the platform for black and people of color. So

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Speaker 1: that's why this film Festival is so important. That's why

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Speaker 1: I have to say It's not something that just came

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Speaker 1: around last week. It's something that's been around. But it

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Speaker 1: had to start somewhere, and it started with you. Why

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Speaker 1: did it start with you? Jeff? Yeah. You know, it's

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Speaker 1: funny because people always answer that question at I think

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Speaker 1: the most um accurate response I could give is because

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Speaker 1: I was I was working in advertising in n and

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Speaker 1: when I would go to major film festivals, I never

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Speaker 1: saw black and brown people. I primarily saw white men,

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Speaker 1: and I was, you know, I was impressed with what

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Speaker 1: I would see, and it was creative, and it was

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Speaker 1: deals getting made, and you know, there's a whole industry

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Speaker 1: around film that people that we don't only think about, right,

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Speaker 1: and festivals are market for buying and selling movies. And

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Speaker 1: I just didn't see brothers and sisters there, you know,

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Speaker 1: And I thought that that needed to be a change

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Speaker 1: in my nature. And when I don't, when I see

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Speaker 1: something that brings me discomfort, I don't complain about I

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Speaker 1: just I just do something about it. So, you know,

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Speaker 1: we've always been very action oriented, and we decided I

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Speaker 1: partnered with Byron Lewis and Warrenton, there were two of

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Speaker 1: my mentors and friends, and we created the festival. We

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Speaker 1: did the first one, as you know, in Acapulco, Mexico.

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Speaker 1: UM ninety people showed up the first time, and for

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Speaker 1: all the millennials out there, there were no cell phones,

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Speaker 1: there was no Instagram, we had no convenient ways of

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Speaker 1: even promoting it. You know. We just kind of went

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Speaker 1: around in different cities and got on radio shows and

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Speaker 1: things like this, and it just became a thing and

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Speaker 1: ninety people showed up. But the first year we had

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Speaker 1: Robert as we said, halle Berry was there. Bill Duke

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Speaker 1: has been a friend forever and it's a big time

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Speaker 1: supporter of every thing that we've done. Um Baby Faced,

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Speaker 1: Debbie Allen, Regina King, you know, people like that. So

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Speaker 1: we really got off to a great start and we

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Speaker 1: and we realized after that first week John that it

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Speaker 1: really was we really were filling in the filling a gap,

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Speaker 1: filling a need for bringing black people together in film

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Speaker 1: and TV. And that's really been our story and our

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Speaker 1: mission for the past twenty five years now, you know, black,

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Speaker 1: black and brown people together in film and which was

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Speaker 1: really a journey. And when you bring in the cold

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Speaker 1: and the cold you have that always tell you have

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Speaker 1: like that third eye, you know, because you're seeing it.

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Speaker 1: You know he started it. And sometimes when you just

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Speaker 1: start something, you grinding and and then some of the

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Speaker 1: things you don't see because you're so protective sometimes and

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Speaker 1: sometimes you just say this is the way I want

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Speaker 1: to do it. But when you bring that third eye

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Speaker 1: in the cold, that's what you brought. You the president

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Speaker 1: general manager of the a BFF. What did you see

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Speaker 1: when word When I say the word change, change is good,

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Speaker 1: but also people can perceive change is bad, something we're wrong.

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Speaker 1: What did you see that they elevated the platform of

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Speaker 1: a BFM. Yeah, I mean I would say that it

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Speaker 1: wasn't something that I saw that needed to be changed.

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Speaker 1: It was definitely definitely more growth opportunities um that I

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Speaker 1: think we have been able to do together. And I

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Speaker 1: always like to tell people I've been like and I

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Speaker 1: want to take too much credit, but I've been the

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Speaker 1: Michelle Obama for years. I've been I've been the pillow talker.

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Speaker 1: I've been behind the scenes, always knowing what's going on

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Speaker 1: and lending a helping hand from AFAR and recently within

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Speaker 1: the past five years, I guess I've really been on

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Speaker 1: the front lines with Jeff as his as his partner

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Speaker 1: and what we've been able to do together. Um. You

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Speaker 1: know what he has started obviously was was a need

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Speaker 1: for this platform to create diversity and inclusion, and we

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Speaker 1: continued to build that through the years and even last

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Speaker 1: year when we had to we couldn't be in Miami

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Speaker 1: obviously because of the pandemic. We decided that we wanted

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Speaker 1: to still keep a play is to have a place

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Speaker 1: for the community because it's so important for the filmmakers

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Speaker 1: to be able to showcase their talent, and what better

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Speaker 1: place to do it than than the American Black Film Festival.

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Speaker 1: So we didn't want to just go away last year.

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Speaker 1: We don't want to do anything. We wanted to have

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Speaker 1: a place, and so we built the platform a virtual

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Speaker 1: platform so that we could have those filmmakers UM showcase

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Speaker 1: their their artistry. UM, so that you know, we wouldn't

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Speaker 1: miss a beat, they wouldn't miss a beat. UM. But

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Speaker 1: I think that it's just been growth, and so that's

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Speaker 1: part of the growth that I've been able to help

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Speaker 1: Um lead or help help Jeff do. Side by side,

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Speaker 1: I would say that, well, you know, the thing, the

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Speaker 1: thing about it is that when when I when I

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Speaker 1: communicate with both of you, guys, Jeff because he brought

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Speaker 1: up Byron Lewis. I remember the first time I was

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Speaker 1: sitting in Byron Lewis office and Byron news is and

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Speaker 1: founder just a background, see if we created UNI World,

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Speaker 1: one of the largest black media advertising is based in

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Speaker 1: New York. Also have headquarters in Detroit, Michigan. And that's

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Speaker 1: the first time I really you know, a b F

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Speaker 1: F kmr RD because he was talking about Miami. He

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Speaker 1: was asking me Rashaan, you know, we was talking about

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Speaker 1: different that and so the thing I liked about my

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Speaker 1: relationship with Jeff is that I've always been a fan

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Speaker 1: and people have always asked me and like, like, I know,

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Speaker 1: I've gotten Jeff on when I was managing Stephen running

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Speaker 1: the morning show Steve Hart. I've gotten them on that

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Speaker 1: because I always felt what he was doing was necessary,

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Speaker 1: it was important because but there was a period where

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Speaker 1: right now, you guys seemed like to be at the

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Speaker 1: right place at the right time, because there's so many

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Speaker 1: black muvies out there's so many great black television shows,

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Speaker 1: it's so many black documentaries. But it was a period

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Speaker 1: that Jeff when when reality TV and black people are

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Speaker 1: just beating each other up, and cousin and throw a

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Speaker 1: look a glass at each other. That was a dark

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Speaker 1: period to me as a writer for black entertainment, and

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Speaker 1: it wasn't out there. So how did you ride that moment?

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Speaker 1: Because right now this is like, you know, ever since,

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Speaker 1: especially since a Black Panther, the whole black creative has exploded,

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Speaker 1: you know, Netflix in the streaming world. So I think

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Speaker 1: you have to be at the point where you go, Man,

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Speaker 1: this ride is about to get even greater. And Nicole

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Speaker 1: you said right there with him, you know, with your

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Speaker 1: visionary as well as your husband's being a visionary. So

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Speaker 1: talk about that period, Jeff, did you know what I'm

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Speaker 1: talking about? Man? When it was like really this is

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Speaker 1: what this this this the black perspective in the media. Yeah,

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Speaker 1: it was worse than you Well, you know how bad

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Speaker 1: it was that you've been on the ride. But you know,

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Speaker 1: I remember doing an interview and I won't say the

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Speaker 1: publication because the publication supports us now, right, So let's

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Speaker 1: let's bygones be bygones, if you say right. I remember

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Speaker 1: I remember doing the interview in this woman came to

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Speaker 1: Acapulco and she said, in a very sarcastic tune, Jeff,

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Speaker 1: why are you guys doing this? Why are you doing this? Right?

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Speaker 1: In a very sarcastic tone. And this is a major,

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Speaker 1: major industry trade publication. And I said, excuse me. She said, well,

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Speaker 1: why why a black footh But why does the world

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Speaker 1: need a black filth festal? And she just set herself

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Speaker 1: up and I and I just said because Hollywood and

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Speaker 1: when and I just came. I never had that thought before,

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Speaker 1: but those two words came together. Because Hollywood, That's why

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Speaker 1: we're doing it. And Rushawn, as you well know that

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Speaker 1: there've been this has been an industry where they've been

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Speaker 1: tremendous inequities for people of color, and black people probably

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Speaker 1: have it better than everybody else with color, right when

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Speaker 1: you talk about Latino and Asian and Indian and and so,

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Speaker 1: this is what they work. This is what Hollywood has been.

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Speaker 1: Hollywood's a hundred plus years old. And for the whole ride,

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Speaker 1: until Oscar so white, nobody had a conscious about black coach.

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Speaker 1: No one was really in supporting So listen, I don't

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Speaker 1: think that I look at it a little differently. We

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Speaker 1: had a vision for what Hollywood needed to look like.

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Speaker 1: In Hollywood just caught up to us. I didn't respond

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Speaker 1: because when we started, Hollywood wasn't thinking about black and brown.

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Speaker 1: It was doing exactly what you said. A couple of

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Speaker 1: black movies we got we we got to two thousand.

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Speaker 1: Everything became about reality show and black people in content.

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Speaker 1: And as a black writer, you know how many black

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Speaker 1: writers are working the day and and got deals at studios,

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Speaker 1: and first looked that if they were fifteen years older,

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Speaker 1: they would have been doing nothing like this whole generation

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Speaker 1: of writers that are doing great, you know, and I

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Speaker 1: love it, but it had they been fifteen years older,

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Speaker 1: they would have experienced what you're talking about. Right, but

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Speaker 1: there's nothing to write, and so we feel blessed to

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Speaker 1: have had the vision and the person veriance. And yes,

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Speaker 1: Nicole is the the third eye. That's a perfect analogy

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Speaker 1: because I felt like you're in my head when you

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Speaker 1: said that, Because as a founder, you get so obsessed

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Speaker 1: with the details and the hustle and the grind. You

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Speaker 1: often can't see things because your mind is not clear sometimes,

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Speaker 1: so you do need that that person who you trust

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Speaker 1: to be that third and that's been her role and

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Speaker 1: you know, and we've been doing this together since since

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Speaker 1: she joined me at the second one. The third, whatever

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Speaker 1: year was, But you know it's been it's been a

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Speaker 1: long lit me stop him. He don't know, he don't remember,

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Speaker 1: you remember. See what I'm saying that from me getting

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Speaker 1: in trouble days time, the wedding days, I don't birth day.

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Speaker 1: Why you say over two decades? That the decades, brother, brother,

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Speaker 1: She's been with me for more than two decades. That see,

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Speaker 1: I love But you know, you know the code when

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Speaker 1: you talk about president, you're talking about general manager, you

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Speaker 1: talk about you know, because this this ride is always

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Speaker 1: filled with people doubting, people are questioning the need. You know,

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Speaker 1: because you got the can Film Festival, whether literally, white

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Speaker 1: folks over there looking good looking, great cameras clicking and everything,

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Speaker 1: and you invite black people to your things, they go,

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Speaker 1: why what's happening? Who they are? And so turning that

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Speaker 1: lands in your direction? How were you able to turn

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Speaker 1: that land and keep it steady on the platform that

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Speaker 1: that you and Jeff have built to this brand today

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Speaker 1: that's well respected. By the way. Let me just let

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Speaker 1: everybody know because that's important because somehow people go, wow,

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Speaker 1: I want to be a part of that, because I

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Speaker 1: know people ask me, they tell me, and so Nicole

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Speaker 1: you're the president of general manager, to talk about your role,

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Speaker 1: talk about things that annoy you, that have annoyed you

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Speaker 1: that you you know that you won't let nobody disrespect

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Speaker 1: the brand, and you have to check people periodically, let

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Speaker 1: them know that this content is a is a has

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Speaker 1: a purpose and will continue to grow. You know, the

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Speaker 1: proof is in the pudding. Honestly, it has been. It

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Speaker 1: has been a slow bill and many stories are You

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Speaker 1: look at them and they seem like they're overnight successes.

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Speaker 1: A b FF has not done that. It may seem

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Speaker 1: that way to some, but it has been twenty five

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Speaker 1: years of grinding and I would say probably you said

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Speaker 1: something really interesting maybe in the last I don't know, Jeff,

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Speaker 1: you could help me out a little bit here, but

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Speaker 1: maybe the last five years have we really gotten the

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Speaker 1: mainstream notoriety that we've deserved um long ago. I mean

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Speaker 1: when I say the proof is in the pudding, there

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Speaker 1: are there are stars that have come through the festival

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Speaker 1: that we're not stars when we started, when they started, uh.

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Speaker 1: And so I think because of that, because those people

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Speaker 1: have remained connected to us throughout these years, no matter

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Speaker 1: what level they've been on, I think that that has

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Speaker 1: brought some attention to what we've been doing for a

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Speaker 1: really long time. UM. And as the president and general manager,

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Speaker 1: I mean Jeff was right. I didn't I bring a

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Speaker 1: different perspective. And when you've been doing it for as

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Speaker 1: long as Jeff has been doing and I've been alongside

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Speaker 1: of him, UM, sometimes you don't see the reason why

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Speaker 1: you should continue to do this. And there's always a moment.

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Speaker 1: There's always a moment, whether it's something someone said or

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Speaker 1: something someone did, or whether it's talent, or whether it's

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Speaker 1: a a partner of ours, or whether it's just um,

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Speaker 1: you know, an an audience member or an attendee that

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Speaker 1: has come to the vessel. There's always a reason why

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Speaker 1: we say, you know what this is, this is important.

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Speaker 1: But we've done here, We've done something here, UM, and

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Speaker 1: this is important and we have to keep doing it.

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Speaker 1: And that's what keeps us going. That's what keeps me

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Speaker 1: in this presidential seat, that's what keeps me as as

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Speaker 1: the general manager. Uh. And and certainly that's what keeps

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Speaker 1: Jeff going as the founder and the CEO of this organization.

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Speaker 1: And there have been times, tell you, there have been

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Speaker 1: times when we've said we're done. Um, but those moments

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Speaker 1: that come and happen really are those that keep us going.

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Speaker 1: And and even when we get you know, even moments

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Speaker 1: like these, when we talk to people and you give

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Speaker 1: us an opportunity to share what we've been doing and

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Speaker 1: why we've been doing it, it's so important to to

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Speaker 1: keep going. And we recognize that and it and it

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Speaker 1: has not been easy for me five years. And you

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Speaker 1: asked me, what are some of the pet peeves that

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Speaker 1: people do? Um, I'd say what you just said. You know,

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Speaker 1: when when there's a mainstream person that says, well, what

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Speaker 1: is this again, and what have you done? And I

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Speaker 1: feel like I have to repeat myself or I have

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Speaker 1: to prove what we've done and talk about all the

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Speaker 1: people that have come through the festival. The Anthony Anderson is,

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Speaker 1: the holly Berries, Mario Harvey's to Kevin Harris and so

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Speaker 1: many people that goes on and on and on. This

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Speaker 1: is what we are on, this is what we've done,

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Speaker 1: this is what we've done, and this is why we

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Speaker 1: do it. We'll be right back with more money making

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Speaker 1: conversations with the founder and President of the American Black

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Speaker 1: Film Festival, Jeff and Nicole Friday. It's finally here the

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Speaker 1: season of celebration. And no matter how you celebrate with

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Speaker 1: And in the spirit of giving, Coals Cares is donating

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Speaker 1: a wizard with arms outstretched to the sky. They see

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Speaker 1: treasure and pebbles, They see a windy path that could

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Speaker 1: start exploring. Discover the Forest dot org brought to you

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Speaker 1: by the United States Forest Service and the AD Council.

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Speaker 1: What grows in the forest trees? Sure you know what

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00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:13,160
Speaker 1: else grows in the forest. Our imagination, our sense of wonder,

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Speaker 1: and our family bonds grow too, because when we disconnect

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Speaker 1: org brought to you by the United States Forest Service

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Speaker 1: and the AD Council. This is ru Sean McDonald. Welcome

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Speaker 1: back to money making Conversation. As I continue my conversation

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Speaker 1: with both the President and the general manager of the

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Speaker 1: American Black Film Festival, Jeff and Nicole Friday. Well, you know,

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Speaker 1: I always see that you guys are to me like

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Speaker 1: the comic con you know, uh, just black media, black film,

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Speaker 1: black television. But you can't be great unless you have content.

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Speaker 1: And that's where the last five years is delivering to

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Speaker 1: your brand, quality content, not the same person, new content,

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Speaker 1: new branding, new stars, new directors, new producers, you know,

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Speaker 1: independence that are that are rising and breaking through those

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Speaker 1: those models. That's what gets me excited about the fifth years,

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Speaker 1: the twenty six years or twenty seven year because you

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Speaker 1: know what, it's not gonna stop because streaming is not

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Speaker 1: going to allow it to stop. Streaming has changed the

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Speaker 1: game because that content they need has to come from somewhere.

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Speaker 1: And the reason I love what what Netflix has done,

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Speaker 1: and a lot of people don't realize is that because

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Speaker 1: I'm just telling how people who are listening and watching

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Speaker 1: my show, they premier movies on a hundred and ninety markets,

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Speaker 1: countries worldwide, contries worldwide. Usually when you have black content,

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Speaker 1: it just premiers domestically. It doesn't even see international waters.

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Speaker 1: And so what has happened is they've they've opened up

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Speaker 1: the doors and exposed our quality level of entertainment worldwide now.

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Speaker 1: And so when I look at the A BFF, your

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Speaker 1: brand is now worldwide and you're starting to reap the

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Speaker 1: benefits of that brand association. So tell me, Jeff, what

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Speaker 1: does this feel like for you? Because I'm excited. Man

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Speaker 1: is in Miami. You know, COVID steals there. But we're

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Speaker 1: coming out of it. You know, I've done just I've

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Speaker 1: just finished doing three live events in Alabama, Georgia, and

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Speaker 1: North Carolina and people showed up. They wore masks, but

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Speaker 1: they feel comfortable. So I'm excited. Man, talk to us

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Speaker 1: about the year. Yeah, so this year, of course, it

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Speaker 1: is a big year for us. But this year we

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Speaker 1: decided because of COVID that we would not be in

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Speaker 1: the Miami Live. We'll be back in Miami in June

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Speaker 1: two for our anniversary, but we got we But what

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Speaker 1: we've done is we've built a virtual platform. So the

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Speaker 1: festival goes up November three. On our platform, we have

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Speaker 1: our own version of Netflix and to a degree it's

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Speaker 1: called a fifth Play. We have our own streaming online

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Speaker 1: streaming platform. So we're excited about a hundred We have

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Speaker 1: a hundred and two movies and about twenty five talk events.

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Speaker 1: We're opening with the world premiere of King Richard from

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Speaker 1: Warner Brothers starring Will Smith. So we had this amazing,

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Speaker 1: amazing lineup of robust content across and film chan films

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Speaker 1: from thirty five countries around the world. So we are

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Speaker 1: we're we're creating what we call a global a worldwide

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Speaker 1: digital experience is going up November three. The best news

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Speaker 1: is the festival is completely free, so anyone anywhere around

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Speaker 1: the world can enjoy the movies, they see the talk events,

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Speaker 1: and be a part of a v f F F this year,

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Speaker 1: and we're gonna return strong in you know, God willing

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Speaker 1: will be back and we'll be somewhat more recovered from COVID.

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Speaker 1: Hopefully we'll be back in Miami of June of next year.

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Speaker 1: I'm waiting on your brother. Like I said, I know,

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Speaker 1: I just finished the HBCU tour event. You know, I

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Speaker 1: was on the campus Alabama State. Then I went to

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Speaker 1: the campus, went to Salem State, and then I wrapped

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Speaker 1: it up. It was a HBCU college day. And I

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Speaker 1: won't tell you, but I definitely want you guys involved

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Speaker 1: because I'm fall back out in the spring, you know,

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Speaker 1: you know, and and a lot of people pushed back

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Speaker 1: on me with Sean, you're gonna do this, And I

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Speaker 1: had to do it, man. I had to. First of all,

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Speaker 1: I needed to get these young kids back seeing the

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Speaker 1: options of education and that had been denying them in

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Speaker 1: That was the first and then thirdly from my I

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Speaker 1: had to I had to show everybody that black people

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Speaker 1: want to move forward. They're not afraid of this. We

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Speaker 1: can do it safely. You know, had masks, you know,

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Speaker 1: hand sanitizer with social distance. Uh, you know people was

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Speaker 1: in Alabama State campus. Uh. The event was free to

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Speaker 1: attend um, you know. And then I was in Uh

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Speaker 1: was the Salem four thousand people showed up on the campus.

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Speaker 1: Was in the parking lot right next to the stadium,

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Speaker 1: but football stadium. And then we was writing in the

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Speaker 1: heart of Clark, Atlanta on nearly three thousand people showed up.

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Speaker 1: Here was the President's parking lot. And so the beauty

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Speaker 1: of what we're trying to do is is moved forward.

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Speaker 1: And when I look at what your festival has done, man,

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Speaker 1: virtual alive. Man, it's just it's just a game changer.

428
00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:13,680
Speaker 1: And I guess, Nicole, when I talked to Jail, because

429
00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:15,359
Speaker 1: you know, I look at him because I've seen him,

430
00:23:15,359 --> 00:23:17,680
Speaker 1: I've seen him from a far and you and and

431
00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:19,880
Speaker 1: and and the fact that you've been there two decades

432
00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:21,640
Speaker 1: and you and I this first time we're talking. I'm

433
00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:23,280
Speaker 1: always kind of annoying him a little bit, you know,

434
00:23:23,320 --> 00:23:24,880
Speaker 1: because I didn't know he had the right hand man

435
00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:27,000
Speaker 1: that was out there, you know, pushing them up and

436
00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:30,919
Speaker 1: making them strong like that. You know, well, man, you

437
00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:34,640
Speaker 1: know saying I apologize pushing him up like this. But

438
00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:36,919
Speaker 1: but you you're like me. You know, I'm a background guy.

439
00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:39,040
Speaker 1: I'm a producer. You know, I'm a director. I'm an

440
00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:42,440
Speaker 1: executive producer, and that's my role. But in the end,

441
00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:45,719
Speaker 1: what do you what do you see being in virtual

442
00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:48,080
Speaker 1: and then moving? Because I know you're all forward thinkers,

443
00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:51,280
Speaker 1: you're already playing in Miami, you already knowing the two

444
00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:53,920
Speaker 1: is going to exist. You know, the sponsors are to

445
00:23:54,000 --> 00:23:56,239
Speaker 1: come at you from a different perspective. I know, back

446
00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:57,920
Speaker 1: in the day, I was thinking of y'all to all

447
00:23:57,960 --> 00:23:59,920
Speaker 1: that stuff down in Miami and all that stuff, you know,

448
00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:02,919
Speaker 1: saying what does it look like this year and what

449
00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:05,960
Speaker 1: does it look like in the twenty six year? When Nicole,

450
00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:08,040
Speaker 1: make sure you tell about the comedy in London too,

451
00:24:08,080 --> 00:24:09,760
Speaker 1: I don't think what y'all knows about that we're in

452
00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:13,760
Speaker 1: London too. That's why I got we haven't been talking

453
00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:17,200
Speaker 1: about what the code you take it, but talking Yeah, well,

454
00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:20,200
Speaker 1: you know you you mentioned you mentioned how we're global.

455
00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:22,960
Speaker 1: Now we really are over and we're going over for

456
00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:27,800
Speaker 1: two reasons. One, we launched a b F London Festival

457
00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:31,480
Speaker 1: UH in London UH in nineteen and so that was

458
00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:34,960
Speaker 1: our first with our partners Sony Pictures Entertainment. That was

459
00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:38,440
Speaker 1: our first festival. So we did travel over UM which great.

460
00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:41,840
Speaker 1: We are global. And then last year, as I mentioned,

461
00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:44,359
Speaker 1: because we were not able to be in Miami because

462
00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:47,800
Speaker 1: of the pandemic, we built a platform which Jeff just mentioned,

463
00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:50,720
Speaker 1: a b F play and we still housed our festivals.

464
00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:54,200
Speaker 1: So with that we reached ninety different countries. So there's

465
00:24:54,240 --> 00:24:56,359
Speaker 1: a lot of people globally who know about a b

466
00:24:56,560 --> 00:25:00,760
Speaker 1: F now go down to Nigeria because w come on that.

467
00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:04,760
Speaker 1: We we had we we definitely had some Nigerians or

468
00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:08,480
Speaker 1: the platform last year. So it's exciting and I'll go

469
00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:10,760
Speaker 1: back to the growth opportunity, you know, it's exciting to

470
00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:14,320
Speaker 1: be able to have that reach. And so what we

471
00:25:14,480 --> 00:25:17,240
Speaker 1: intended on doing this year though we are not in Miami,

472
00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:19,360
Speaker 1: we were always going to be a hybrid festival. We're

473
00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:21,720
Speaker 1: gonna have a physical presence in Miami. We're also going

474
00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:25,280
Speaker 1: to have our global presence or virtual presence on the platform.

475
00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:29,760
Speaker 1: But because Covid uh, you know, continued. We decided to

476
00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:33,040
Speaker 1: just go virtual again this year and like Jeff said,

477
00:25:33,359 --> 00:25:35,840
Speaker 1: really really really excited about that. This year we also

478
00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:41,440
Speaker 1: launched UM a comedy festival. In June, we launched a

479
00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:44,560
Speaker 1: v F Comedy Festival because, as you probably know, at

480
00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:47,680
Speaker 1: the festival, we have a comedy on called Comedy Wings,

481
00:25:47,720 --> 00:25:49,320
Speaker 1: and thought, you know, this is this is a great

482
00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:51,960
Speaker 1: time and an opportunity for us to have a festival

483
00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:55,600
Speaker 1: that's focused on of comedians and comedy writers. Um, there's

484
00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:58,080
Speaker 1: so much content out there, There's so many talented people

485
00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:01,760
Speaker 1: out there. Who are you are capable of who are

486
00:26:01,760 --> 00:26:06,040
Speaker 1: capable of comedy and and funny writing? And um, and

487
00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:08,359
Speaker 1: and that festival that's that's that's what actually sort of

488
00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:10,040
Speaker 1: it's like the what's the same if I told you

489
00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:14,600
Speaker 1: that we that you attended just for just for last

490
00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:17,119
Speaker 1: Montreal and then asked me coming in festival? I know

491
00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:22,080
Speaker 1: both for those is just for laughs in Montreal. You

492
00:26:22,119 --> 00:26:23,600
Speaker 1: know the thing about it, I'm just gonna tell you

493
00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:25,240
Speaker 1: both for this is a compliment, you know. And let

494
00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:26,600
Speaker 1: me just tell you when I when I when I

495
00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:29,720
Speaker 1: talk about how the Nigerian and knowledge Wood, that's what

496
00:26:29,760 --> 00:26:32,639
Speaker 1: they call the knowledge wood down there. You know that's

497
00:26:33,040 --> 00:26:36,040
Speaker 1: they waiting on y'all. They just waiting on y'all because

498
00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:38,600
Speaker 1: y'all all the voice, y'all all the truth. And I'm

499
00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:41,000
Speaker 1: just gonna tell you when I when I see it.

500
00:26:41,359 --> 00:26:43,359
Speaker 1: When you have when you have a legacy, when you

501
00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:45,560
Speaker 1: have a background, you walk in the open the doors

502
00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:49,000
Speaker 1: and you say, sometimes you gotta set down route someplace

503
00:26:49,040 --> 00:26:53,560
Speaker 1: else for you to be respecting to go, wow, we

504
00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:56,080
Speaker 1: part of this. You guys are doing it. I want

505
00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:57,720
Speaker 1: you all to continue to do it. But what I

506
00:26:57,800 --> 00:26:59,320
Speaker 1: want you to do for me, do me a favor.

507
00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:02,480
Speaker 1: Keep me in the loop. Let's keep me, Jeff, keep

508
00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:05,280
Speaker 1: me in the loop. Somebody ter rashan when you're doing

509
00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:08,280
Speaker 1: these things, because I could promote it, you gotta send

510
00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:11,120
Speaker 1: me a banner, send me a flyer, because that's how

511
00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:14,600
Speaker 1: you need to be recognized. Your your your flowers need

512
00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:17,040
Speaker 1: to be promoted, your brand needs to be That's what

513
00:27:17,119 --> 00:27:19,399
Speaker 1: I do, man. I do it with I do with

514
00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:22,080
Speaker 1: no there's no there's no check here. I do money

515
00:27:22,119 --> 00:27:24,960
Speaker 1: making conversations because I love the fact that you guys

516
00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:27,760
Speaker 1: are stars. You guys are the ones that are enabling

517
00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:31,679
Speaker 1: people like me, people like that Steve Harvey's like Steven A. Smith,

518
00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:34,879
Speaker 1: Anthony Anderson's I see what when I see look at

519
00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:38,320
Speaker 1: the image awards that the rise in the image reward

520
00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:41,439
Speaker 1: to me is tied to the same rise of the

521
00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:44,119
Speaker 1: A b FL. I just see it. I just see it,

522
00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:46,239
Speaker 1: and I just know that the gifts that y'all have.

523
00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:49,879
Speaker 1: Just let me know, if you, if you, if you

524
00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:53,159
Speaker 1: let me know. I mean, I'm a friend, dude, I

525
00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:56,679
Speaker 1: am your friend. And WoT man, I got to make

526
00:27:56,680 --> 00:28:00,000
Speaker 1: sure the man you know right here man she checked

527
00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:04,960
Speaker 1: be hard, he dud. Decade's not do decade now. But

528
00:28:05,359 --> 00:28:07,240
Speaker 1: before I go, I just want to talk about HBCUs

529
00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:09,919
Speaker 1: a little bit because HBC US because they've got a

530
00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:14,200
Speaker 1: lot of recognition of and a lot of people made

531
00:28:14,200 --> 00:28:17,120
Speaker 1: a lot of corporate donations and and and and people

532
00:28:17,119 --> 00:28:20,560
Speaker 1: are starting to recognize the academic achievements and success of

533
00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:24,359
Speaker 1: the graduates recognized right here. You're black CEO h c

534
00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:27,760
Speaker 1: The CEOs in the country are black. Come from h

535
00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:30,879
Speaker 1: b C U S HBCUs. That is you and at eighteen,

536
00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:34,320
Speaker 1: So telling the importance of that how I shaped your

537
00:28:34,320 --> 00:28:36,800
Speaker 1: life starting with you, Jeff and Nicole, you can wrap

538
00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:38,440
Speaker 1: it up and uh I want to thank you for

539
00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:40,360
Speaker 1: your time and allow me to speak to you, and

540
00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:43,000
Speaker 1: again send me those banners and just every quarter just

541
00:28:43,080 --> 00:28:45,880
Speaker 1: let me know because I'm here to support your brand

542
00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:49,280
Speaker 1: pretty will and just quickly you know. I think that

543
00:28:49,440 --> 00:28:54,920
Speaker 1: historically HBCUs have have been synonymous with most things black,

544
00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:59,840
Speaker 1: which is less thing. And but we all know the

545
00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:03,640
Speaker 1: those of us who attended HBCUs. If there's anything, there's

546
00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:06,959
Speaker 1: nothing less about the black experience for a black person.

547
00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:11,400
Speaker 1: In fact, nothing more empowering to walk around the campus,

548
00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:14,920
Speaker 1: whether at Alabama or un d C or or Maryland

549
00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:18,080
Speaker 1: anywhere then to see people like you that are educated,

550
00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:22,400
Speaker 1: that are diverse. So HBCUs kind of shape how we

551
00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:25,160
Speaker 1: view the world. And I haven't not met a person

552
00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:28,240
Speaker 1: who didn't feel the same way to some degree. So

553
00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:30,960
Speaker 1: I'm just personally happy to see that. And I don't

554
00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:32,479
Speaker 1: care how we got here. I kind of know how

555
00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:35,120
Speaker 1: we got here, but it doesn't that. I'm just happy

556
00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:38,040
Speaker 1: to see that the world is starting to embrace the

557
00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:42,160
Speaker 1: importance the corporate world in the culture right because with

558
00:29:42,160 --> 00:29:45,320
Speaker 1: with embrace comes financial resources that allows us to build

559
00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:47,640
Speaker 1: and me better. I'm just happy that the world's kind

560
00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:50,360
Speaker 1: of catching up to what everybody, all the black alumni

561
00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:53,800
Speaker 1: knew already that these a magical places for young black

562
00:29:53,800 --> 00:30:00,000
Speaker 1: people to figure out and find out who they are. Yeah,

563
00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:02,360
Speaker 1: I would just concur with Jeff. I mean, if I

564
00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:04,640
Speaker 1: had to do it all over again, I absolutely would

565
00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:07,560
Speaker 1: attending Howard University. Were both Howard graduates. And I'll just

566
00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:13,880
Speaker 1: end on this note. Really ate you. You know half

567
00:30:13,880 --> 00:30:16,520
Speaker 1: the people might say something different now Hampton University than

568
00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:19,800
Speaker 1: that the I was saying that little argument there. But

569
00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:23,360
Speaker 1: I'm talking to the fantastic is the Tiversitary. It's a

570
00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:26,960
Speaker 1: virtual event. Festival is free. November three, is premiering Will

571
00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:29,520
Speaker 1: Smith movie Keen Richards. You can check that out. A

572
00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:33,320
Speaker 1: hundred in two movies, twenty five talkies, thirty five countries

573
00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:36,880
Speaker 1: are participating. It's an event that it started way back

574
00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:41,120
Speaker 1: when eighteen and seven Acapulco. I know because I was

575
00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:43,400
Speaker 1: on the outside looking the end watching Robert Town's I

576
00:30:44,000 --> 00:30:46,280
Speaker 1: saw it in Jet Magazine. That's how I knew by

577
00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:48,360
Speaker 1: That's that's how on it was. I read about the

578
00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:53,560
Speaker 1: Jet magazine. See, Jeff, you know what I'm telling the truth.

579
00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:56,400
Speaker 1: You know I'm telling the truth. But I love I

580
00:30:56,520 --> 00:30:58,680
Speaker 1: love you Nicole, thank you for coming into my world.

581
00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:01,840
Speaker 1: You're fantastic and I'm glad to know that you guys

582
00:31:01,880 --> 00:31:03,960
Speaker 1: realize who I am as far as what I what

583
00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:06,400
Speaker 1: I want to bring to the table for your brand,

584
00:31:06,480 --> 00:31:08,760
Speaker 1: and it is your brand, and it's a wonderful brand.

585
00:31:08,840 --> 00:31:12,320
Speaker 1: And it's it's you know, sometimes you sit around Jeff

586
00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:14,920
Speaker 1: and Nicole and you think about something you don't really

587
00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:19,239
Speaker 1: realize ten years or fifteen years. It's perfect. It's we

588
00:31:19,320 --> 00:31:21,720
Speaker 1: needed you to have that vision back in eighty seven,

589
00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:24,640
Speaker 1: otherwise we wouldn't have this today. Brother, Think about that.

590
00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:27,200
Speaker 1: Think about that. Thank you all for coming on Money

591
00:31:27,240 --> 00:31:30,440
Speaker 1: Making Conversation. I appreciate both of you. Thank you, appreciate

592
00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:32,920
Speaker 1: thank you. If you want to hear or see any

593
00:31:32,920 --> 00:31:35,360
Speaker 1: of my interviews of money Making Conversations, please go to

594
00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:38,240
Speaker 1: money Making Conversation dot com. I'm with Sean McDonald. I

595
00:31:38,280 --> 00:31:41,120
Speaker 1: am your hopest. In this season of giving, Cools has

596
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600
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Speaker 1: of giving. Cole's Cares is donating eight million dollars to

601
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Speaker 1: local nonprofits nationwide. Give with all your heart this season

602
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Speaker 1: with great gifts from Coals or Coals dot Com. I'm

603
00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:09,240
Speaker 1: Tanya Sam, host of The Money Moves Podcast powered by Greenwood.

604
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Speaker 1: This daily podcast will help give you the keys to

605
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Speaker 1: the Kingdom of financial stability, wealth and abundance. With celebrity

606
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Speaker 1: guests like Rick Ross, Amanda Sille's, Angela y Roland, Martin, JB. Smooth,

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Speaker 1: liabilities into assets and make your money moves and good parties.

609
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Speaker 1: Subscribe to The Money Moves Podcast powered by Greenland on

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611
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Speaker 1: and make sure you leave a review. The Black Effect

612
00:32:36,640 --> 00:32:41,800
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613
00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:46,280
Speaker 1: everyday people, and listeners to amplify, elevate, and empower Black

614
00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:49,840
Speaker 1: voices with great conversations. Make sure to listen to The

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