WEBVTT - NLP at CBCF’s Annual Legislative Conference 2025 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:03.600 Native Lampod is a production of iHeartRadio in partnership with 0:00:03.760 --> 0:00:05.279 Reason Choice Media. 0:00:05.360 --> 0:00:09.760 Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome home. Y'all, this 0:00:09.840 --> 0:00:12.320 is Native Lampid. We are live from the Walter E. 0:00:12.520 --> 0:00:16.360 Washington Convention Center here in Washington, DC, and we couldn't 0:00:16.400 --> 0:00:20.640 be more thrilled to be joined by two very special people. 0:00:20.680 --> 0:00:23.000 Andrew and I are the host today. Andrew and I 0:00:23.000 --> 0:00:25.239 are the host today, and we are joined by our 0:00:25.360 --> 0:00:29.960 friend Roland Martin, and we are the backup dancers for 0:00:30.080 --> 0:00:33.120 Tivity Cross who joined us. Y'all. She ran from the train, 0:00:33.159 --> 0:00:35.080 but she's here. She made it and we couldn't be 0:00:35.080 --> 0:00:37.040 more thrilled to be here for the Phoenix Awards. How 0:00:37.120 --> 0:00:37.520 y'all doing? 0:00:37.760 --> 0:00:38.640 You came from the train. 0:00:39.040 --> 0:00:41.720 My train was delayed out of New York an hour 0:00:42.600 --> 0:00:44.120 and I'm thank you. 0:00:44.159 --> 0:00:46.000 I see that's how you need a good friend to 0:00:46.040 --> 0:00:46.320 tell you. 0:00:46.440 --> 0:00:49.320 Yeah, listening to you and I has a run home, 0:00:49.360 --> 0:00:51.199 get dressed and literally run here. 0:00:51.240 --> 0:00:53.680 I couldnt find my shoes, so I'm in sneed you 0:00:53.720 --> 0:00:55.760 look at a lot. That's all that and you know 0:00:55.800 --> 0:00:58.360 what that means. You're gonna save your feet Unlike the 0:00:58.400 --> 0:00:59.640 rest of I'm surprised. 0:00:59.320 --> 0:01:01.680 You have some is I didn't like any you take 0:01:01.720 --> 0:01:03.480 it to see these guys before we come on air. 0:01:03.520 --> 0:01:05.560 But gorgeous. You guys will be able to see her 0:01:05.600 --> 0:01:06.319 full attire. 0:01:06.480 --> 0:01:10.759 Hopefully than surprises them. 0:01:10.959 --> 0:01:13.840 I could not find them. Bro, you look handsome as always. 0:01:15.560 --> 0:01:15.920 He is. 0:01:16.120 --> 0:01:18.959 Let's get. 0:01:20.040 --> 0:01:22.840 You even got on the sweater on the shirt. I 0:01:22.959 --> 0:01:26.520 love that the lion kick Disney, y'all all rolling some money? 0:01:26.560 --> 0:01:32.800 You got Mofosa on the shirt? Okay, school mascot, Okay, 0:01:33.760 --> 0:01:36.479 but I'm not calling Mufasa if I say it's Mufasa. 0:01:36.520 --> 0:01:38.560 The Lion's name is MUFAs. I love that. 0:01:41.040 --> 0:01:42.920 Tell you guys, was saying, where are you guys set up? 0:01:42.920 --> 0:01:44.400 I'm like, I'll let you know when I get there. 0:01:46.440 --> 0:01:48.640 Well, we are really thrilled to be here, y'all. There's 0:01:48.720 --> 0:01:50.960 so much happening right now in this country. You all 0:01:51.000 --> 0:01:54.320 know that the conference theme is made for this moment. 0:01:54.480 --> 0:01:56.800 I have been ending all of my panel discussions this 0:01:56.840 --> 0:01:59.600 week saying, please tell me why you're made for this moment. 0:01:59.640 --> 0:02:02.160 Can you say made for this moment? Because and fill 0:02:02.200 --> 0:02:04.200 in the blank. And I've left to hear that from you. 0:02:04.600 --> 0:02:07.040 Roland Martin we'll start with you and we'll go down 0:02:07.080 --> 0:02:07.600 the line. 0:02:08.000 --> 0:02:12.840 Made for this moment, because this is what I was 0:02:12.880 --> 0:02:19.200 born to do. That's song one thirty nine. So somebody 0:02:19.200 --> 0:02:20.920 asked me, they like, well, how do you deal with 0:02:20.960 --> 0:02:23.000 all of this? I said, well, well, this is what 0:02:23.040 --> 0:02:25.520 you were supposed to do. Then you understand what the 0:02:25.520 --> 0:02:29.200 focus is and so not getting to not getting freaked out, 0:02:29.360 --> 0:02:32.000 but being completely focused on what it is that we 0:02:32.080 --> 0:02:34.280 have to communicate to our people in this moment. 0:02:34.639 --> 0:02:38.840 I love it. I like that, mister Mayor, my forever governor. Yeah, 0:02:39.080 --> 0:02:41.000 tell us why you were made for this moment, made 0:02:41.000 --> 0:02:41.840 for this moment. 0:02:41.600 --> 0:02:45.280 Because made for this moment, because God has made it 0:02:45.360 --> 0:02:46.680 such that I've spent some good. 0:02:46.520 --> 0:02:48.000 Time on my mental energy. 0:02:48.240 --> 0:02:48.600 Yeah. 0:02:48.639 --> 0:02:49.760 And I think we. 0:02:50.200 --> 0:02:52.560 Oftentimes expect our leaders to sort of get out there, 0:02:52.760 --> 0:02:57.240 run the race without any renewal. Yeah, And the truth 0:02:57.320 --> 0:02:58.720 is is we can't win that way. 0:02:59.000 --> 0:03:00.720 So mental health is in the right place. 0:03:00.760 --> 0:03:05.280 I feel, Yeah, TI, what about you? Okay, I was 0:03:05.360 --> 0:03:07.880 moderating for a little bit and I can't. 0:03:08.520 --> 0:03:10.520 I think I was made for this moment because it's 0:03:10.520 --> 0:03:14.720 a time for information informing people. All of our information 0:03:14.800 --> 0:03:17.320 can't come in sound bites. Or social media. It's a 0:03:17.400 --> 0:03:20.600 time for reading books. And so I hope that every 0:03:20.639 --> 0:03:23.440 time people hear from me that I'm informing them in 0:03:23.520 --> 0:03:24.200 some kind of way. 0:03:24.760 --> 0:03:28.200 Absolutely are tip. The survey says you do. We just 0:03:28.639 --> 0:03:31.880 surveyed more than six hundred of our listeners and y'all 0:03:31.919 --> 0:03:34.600 absolutely agreed that this is the news Lady for the time, 0:03:34.960 --> 0:03:37.560 and so we're so grateful. I'll tell you all, I 0:03:37.720 --> 0:03:40.520 feel like I'm made for this moment because I was 0:03:40.560 --> 0:03:43.760 able to pivot. I walked into this year on the 0:03:43.800 --> 0:03:45.800 other side of Martin Luther King Day when this man 0:03:45.920 --> 0:03:48.760 was sworn in to take the you know, the oath 0:03:48.760 --> 0:03:52.840 of office, allegedly, and I felt like just so much resentment. 0:03:53.440 --> 0:03:56.480 And I was able to turn that rage into powerful 0:03:56.520 --> 0:03:59.160 passion and try to mobilize our community. And I couldn't 0:03:59.200 --> 0:04:01.440 have done that without great partners like y'alls. I just 0:04:01.480 --> 0:04:04.280 want to thank you Roe. First of all. I'll say 0:04:04.320 --> 0:04:06.000 this to you and we and TIF and I talk 0:04:06.040 --> 0:04:08.520 about it all the time, Andrew as well. You put 0:04:08.560 --> 0:04:11.480 so many young black voices on that have never been 0:04:11.560 --> 0:04:14.080 heard on air, and for many of us, including me, 0:04:14.160 --> 0:04:15.960 You're not gonna make me emotional today. Some goa look 0:04:16.000 --> 0:04:19.680 this way. I know, but I'm just saying looking at 0:04:19.680 --> 0:04:25.720 your face and just knowing the importance. Oh yeah, black boy, 0:04:25.800 --> 0:04:26.880 don't call on a forefather. 0:04:26.960 --> 0:04:27.880 Here's that damn all. 0:04:28.640 --> 0:04:31.320 But no, but Roland gives so many of us opportunities, 0:04:31.360 --> 0:04:35.400 and you don't always get the recognition, the honor and 0:04:35.480 --> 0:04:38.040 the flowers you deserve. So thank you so much for 0:04:38.120 --> 0:04:40.720 putting us on, for trusting us, and for being a 0:04:40.880 --> 0:04:43.480 light to us on our issues. You might not be 0:04:43.600 --> 0:04:45.720 I to be wells, but maybe your ego or be wells. 0:04:45.880 --> 0:04:47.200 But for that we I mean. 0:04:47.320 --> 0:04:49.520 The thing is, and this is what I think people 0:04:49.560 --> 0:04:52.600 need to understand. It was all intentional. 0:04:53.680 --> 0:04:54.040 I was. 0:04:54.600 --> 0:04:59.160 I am intentional. When I meet people and I look 0:04:59.200 --> 0:05:02.040 at them, I go, all right, let's put them on 0:05:02.040 --> 0:05:06.120 a show and see what they do. Because it took 0:05:06.200 --> 0:05:07.840 four and a half years for me to get hired 0:05:07.839 --> 0:05:12.680 at CNN. I was there six years. I did. I 0:05:12.800 --> 0:05:14.920 did all those networks for free for four and a 0:05:14.960 --> 0:05:15.440 half years. 0:05:15.800 --> 0:05:16.160 Jesus. 0:05:16.400 --> 0:05:21.160 So I watched how the producers and the bookers they 0:05:21.200 --> 0:05:24.880 were gatekeepers, and that were amazing people who I thought 0:05:24.920 --> 0:05:27.560 could have been amazing voices who never got a shot. 0:05:28.000 --> 0:05:31.359 So I said, even when I guess hosted I'm putting 0:05:31.440 --> 0:05:33.880 folks on and I said, when I get my own show, 0:05:33.920 --> 0:05:36.440 we're gonna do that. I never forget one of the 0:05:36.520 --> 0:05:38.680 I think it was at twenty sixteen, twenty ten election. 0:05:38.800 --> 0:05:41.600 One of those it Waswens sixteen. So seeing in hired 0:05:41.760 --> 0:05:44.640 like eight or nine people who are regular payelists on 0:05:44.680 --> 0:05:47.360 our TV one show now tweeted, I said, Jeff Zucker, 0:05:47.720 --> 0:05:51.120 you can hire every persons on my show. I'm good. 0:05:51.440 --> 0:05:53.840 I'm gonna go find a whole new crop that you 0:05:53.880 --> 0:05:56.080 can go hire all of them and find a whole 0:05:56.120 --> 0:05:58.640 new crop. And so what I keep telling our people 0:05:59.080 --> 0:06:02.840 don't get a position of power and then you don't 0:06:03.080 --> 0:06:06.800 use it and you're not intentional in doing it. And 0:06:07.000 --> 0:06:09.920 so I'm not going to release the names, but in 0:06:10.000 --> 0:06:13.000 the next month and a half, they're two sisters who 0:06:13.040 --> 0:06:17.479 are going to be launching shows on a network. One 0:06:17.520 --> 0:06:19.640 will be a daily show, one won't be a weekly show. 0:06:20.279 --> 0:06:23.640 Of course, we just launched Bria Baker and jamiir Burley show, 0:06:23.720 --> 0:06:28.520 the Other Side of Change, same thing, you know, two millennials. 0:06:29.680 --> 0:06:32.880 And I made it clear that I'm looking for gen 0:06:33.000 --> 0:06:36.720 z voice as well, because what I also never understood 0:06:36.960 --> 0:06:40.880 were black people who have black platforms who didn't understand 0:06:41.839 --> 0:06:45.560 that you have to cultivate the next generation with your platform. 0:06:46.000 --> 0:06:48.680 Is stupid to me to build something and then when 0:06:48.760 --> 0:06:53.200 you retire, it goes away and so all that infrastructure, 0:06:53.279 --> 0:06:55.040 all of that stuff that came with it, and so 0:06:55.560 --> 0:06:58.240 that that so it was all intentional from day one 0:06:58.560 --> 0:06:59.200 and it still is. 0:06:59.760 --> 0:06:59.880 Love. 0:07:00.160 --> 0:07:03.840 I think ro you are so crucial to the community, 0:07:03.880 --> 0:07:06.080 your integral and it was interesting because in our survey, 0:07:06.560 --> 0:07:08.720 Roland Martin also came up a lot, and I think 0:07:08.760 --> 0:07:11.880 we shared the biggest audience with you. And when people 0:07:11.920 --> 0:07:13.520 stopped me, I think they all think we live in 0:07:13.560 --> 0:07:14.680 like one big dorm right. 0:07:16.400 --> 0:07:16.600 House. 0:07:17.200 --> 0:07:19.960 It's a big brother black media house all the time. 0:07:20.440 --> 0:07:22.880 That yeah, exactly. 0:07:23.200 --> 0:07:26.280 But the first time I saw you host was Roland 0:07:26.320 --> 0:07:28.160 Martin's show. I remember you had all the members of 0:07:28.200 --> 0:07:32.080 Congress on there. The first show I did was yours. 0:07:32.480 --> 0:07:34.960 I used to do Fox News the first the first. 0:07:34.760 --> 0:07:37.120 Show that Laurad Coach hosted was mine. 0:07:37.440 --> 0:07:37.640 Yeah. 0:07:37.920 --> 0:07:41.280 The first time Nea Malika Henderson did TV was mine. 0:07:41.440 --> 0:07:41.680 Wow. 0:07:41.960 --> 0:07:45.440 The first time April Ryan got paid this contributor was mine. 0:07:46.160 --> 0:07:47.640 That I didn't get paid. 0:07:49.920 --> 0:07:52.200 That was That was like that was them. 0:07:52.320 --> 0:07:52.920 I control you. 0:07:53.040 --> 0:07:56.360 Yeah, but even even conservatives Gianna Calwell, Michael. 0:07:56.120 --> 0:07:59.960 Singleton think we got you to. 0:08:01.920 --> 0:08:03.960 So are you talking about so again, it was, but 0:08:04.080 --> 0:08:09.400 it's intentional because I saw how white producers and white bookers, no, 0:08:09.920 --> 0:08:13.040 we don't know them, and I'm like, okay, but they're great. 0:08:13.960 --> 0:08:16.600 And I remember Tiffany Lofton. I had Kim on the 0:08:16.640 --> 0:08:19.160 show and then she's ad the AFL CIO and they 0:08:19.200 --> 0:08:21.440 came to her. She told my people, don't tell Roland. 0:08:21.840 --> 0:08:25.040 So they literally said, oh no, we're gonna send somewhere else, 0:08:25.240 --> 0:08:28.320 not you. And I then my producer told me, I said, 0:08:28.960 --> 0:08:31.440 what do they say? I said, I need you explain them. 0:08:31.720 --> 0:08:35.640 I didn't invite them. Yeah, I invited you. They don't 0:08:35.679 --> 0:08:38.959 get to pick who comes on my show. And I 0:08:39.080 --> 0:08:41.160 had to check them and I was like, no, no, 0:08:41.440 --> 0:08:44.480 I picked you, not them, and let them know that. 0:08:44.840 --> 0:08:48.720 And so again I see how the game is played. Yeah, 0:08:48.800 --> 0:08:51.400 and there's so many people. All they want is a shot. 0:08:52.240 --> 0:08:55.360 What did James Brown say? He said, don't hand me nothing, 0:08:55.480 --> 0:08:57.559 just open the door. I'll get it myself. I believe 0:08:57.600 --> 0:08:59.120 you have to open the door. You got to kick 0:08:59.160 --> 0:09:01.080 it open, and you give folks a shot. And there 0:09:01.120 --> 0:09:04.400 are some people I put on game a shot they sucked. Yeah, 0:09:04.600 --> 0:09:07.040 And it was like absolutely, say brother, say what you do. 0:09:07.559 --> 0:09:11.080 But other people I've worked with them, like, hey, work 0:09:11.120 --> 0:09:13.480 on this, work on that. And again I don't even 0:09:13.520 --> 0:09:16.360 treat if somebody goes into another show, I'm fine if 0:09:16.360 --> 0:09:18.319 they leave. People who work for me, I'm like, no, 0:09:18.559 --> 0:09:22.480 you should leave. But we have to create opportunities for 0:09:23.320 --> 0:09:25.720 more people. And I just think that there are too 0:09:25.760 --> 0:09:28.920 many black folks who like being the only one, who 0:09:29.200 --> 0:09:31.640 like being the center of attention. And I'm like, nah, 0:09:31.840 --> 0:09:35.760 I want there to be thirty fifty one hundred, two hundred. 0:09:35.960 --> 0:09:37.640 And the people who I help, I want them to 0:09:37.720 --> 0:09:41.280 do the exact same thing, to bring on the same thing, 0:09:41.360 --> 0:09:43.200 because that's how we now build scale. 0:09:43.720 --> 0:09:46.760 Well, we thank you, I appreciate. I want to ask 0:09:46.800 --> 0:09:49.800 you this to the second part of this week's theme 0:09:49.880 --> 0:09:54.439 has been power, policy and progress. Where do you grade 0:09:54.520 --> 0:09:57.640 us right now? Row, and I'm talking about us. Is 0:09:57.760 --> 0:10:01.080 not everybody because they not like the but like black 0:10:01.160 --> 0:10:04.079 as the black community. Where do you grade us right now? 0:10:05.520 --> 0:10:11.400 Right now? Our people literally you said it pissed off 0:10:11.960 --> 0:10:14.640 in shock. A lot of our folks are still there. 0:10:16.360 --> 0:10:20.280 Folks were tripping. So two days after the election, I'd 0:10:20.320 --> 0:10:22.800 already processed it and moved on, and they were like, 0:10:23.480 --> 0:10:27.120 what are you doing. I said, the election is over. 0:10:27.880 --> 0:10:31.400 I have to focus on the next election and then 0:10:31.600 --> 0:10:35.439 the next election. And I could not allow myself to 0:10:35.480 --> 0:10:38.679 allow the rage. But so what's happening is our people 0:10:38.760 --> 0:10:42.840 are frustrated. But when they're frustrated because and I literally 0:10:42.920 --> 0:10:45.880 hear this everywhere I go in this country and I 0:10:45.960 --> 0:10:50.400 am always on the road, they are begging for leadership. Yeah, 0:10:50.880 --> 0:10:56.080 they're like, who is drafting the plan? Who is telling us? 0:10:56.360 --> 0:10:58.680 They're like, we want to do something, but they don't 0:10:58.760 --> 0:11:01.199 know what to do. And I have no problem with 0:11:01.280 --> 0:11:06.120 saying it. Our civil rights organizations are frozen, our business 0:11:06.160 --> 0:11:10.400 groups are frozen. People are afraid of retribution, they're afraid 0:11:10.679 --> 0:11:14.319 of being attacked. They don't know where to go. And 0:11:14.440 --> 0:11:16.800 what I've said to the groups that don't get lots 0:11:16.840 --> 0:11:20.199 of attention, this is your moment. This is your moment. 0:11:20.480 --> 0:11:22.120 And what we keep trying to have is we keep 0:11:22.160 --> 0:11:26.559 trying to have the macro conversations versus the micro conversations. 0:11:26.920 --> 0:11:30.160 My whole deal is as an election in Virginia, If 0:11:30.240 --> 0:11:33.679 the Dems controlled to keep the House, Don Scott remains 0:11:33.720 --> 0:11:36.040 Speaker of the House. If they control the Senate, that 0:11:36.120 --> 0:11:39.760 black woman Louise Lucas controls all the money. If Spanberger, 0:11:39.880 --> 0:11:42.720 who needs to do more black media interviews, becomes governor, 0:11:43.200 --> 0:11:46.040 they now will be able to put it to pass 0:11:46.080 --> 0:11:48.439 a bill in January to put on the ballot to 0:11:48.520 --> 0:11:51.959 restore voting rights without the governor's permission, because you have 0:11:52.000 --> 0:11:54.480 to do it in two consecutive years. So that's the 0:11:54.559 --> 0:11:57.600 impact New Jersey go to election. I made it clear, 0:11:57.800 --> 0:11:59.960 Mikey Cheryl, you need to start talking to black people 0:12:00.040 --> 0:12:03.440 because the pole is tied. Same thing next year. Now 0:12:03.520 --> 0:12:06.839 we're talking about not just midterms city election. There's a 0:12:06.880 --> 0:12:10.600 mayoral election in New Orleans. Okay, black folks didn't turn 0:12:10.640 --> 0:12:13.920 out and Baton Rouge. The sister lost. Some of us 0:12:14.280 --> 0:12:17.360 elected officials didn't support the sister in Mobile. She just 0:12:17.440 --> 0:12:20.679 lost by fourteen hundred votes on Tuesday. So our people 0:12:20.720 --> 0:12:23.319 are waiting for somebody to say this is where we're 0:12:23.360 --> 0:12:26.400 about to go. I have told alphas. I said to 0:12:26.480 --> 0:12:31.400 the preachers in NANDLS, be life member, baby. I've said 0:12:31.720 --> 0:12:34.480 we've got to be locked and loaded on North Carolina 0:12:34.600 --> 0:12:37.880 for next year, I said, but not western North Carolina, 0:12:38.240 --> 0:12:41.079 in the black belt, East North Carolina, I said, so 0:12:41.280 --> 0:12:44.920 mobilize our people. Same in Georgia, Bishop Barbara sent me 0:12:44.960 --> 0:12:47.319 a text said, six hundred thousand blacks in North Carolina 0:12:47.559 --> 0:12:50.880 did not vote in November, a million in Georgia. So 0:12:51.240 --> 0:12:56.040 they are waiting for somebody to say to issue. In essence, 0:12:57.440 --> 0:13:00.000 the Neamiah Claring called this is how we're gonna rebuild 0:13:00.080 --> 0:13:03.360 this wall. Yeah, and then here the piece of everybody forgets. 0:13:03.640 --> 0:13:06.480 The piece of the people said, let us rebuild. But 0:13:06.600 --> 0:13:09.200 they're waiting for somebody to say, here's where we're going. 0:13:09.280 --> 0:13:12.280 Roland, I got a quick follow up. You mentioned that civil. 0:13:12.080 --> 0:13:15.160 Rights organizations are frozen, and if I were on the 0:13:15.240 --> 0:13:16.839 listening end of that, as I am, but if I 0:13:16.880 --> 0:13:19.000 were at home listening to that, I would wonder, why 0:13:19.160 --> 0:13:22.520 would organizations that are speaking of the theme made for 0:13:22.600 --> 0:13:26.080 this moment, Organizations that were literally thought of, they were 0:13:26.160 --> 0:13:29.200 born out of a resistance to whatever the status quo 0:13:29.400 --> 0:13:32.199 was at the time. How could how could we look 0:13:32.240 --> 0:13:35.120 on them right now as being frozen in a moment 0:13:35.160 --> 0:13:40.000 with an administration that never respected them, that that never 0:13:40.080 --> 0:13:42.679 gave us the time of day and are now actively 0:13:43.440 --> 0:13:44.320 going after us, and. 0:13:44.360 --> 0:13:48.080 The soul frozen because there's a generator, just generational shift happening. 0:13:48.600 --> 0:13:51.120 And I'm gonna say this here, and Angela understands I'm 0:13:51.160 --> 0:13:54.559 about to say, and and those of us are unders stay. 0:13:54.679 --> 0:13:57.439 There was a there were a group of people. They 0:13:57.480 --> 0:14:01.959 were the ones who sustain us from King's assassination to 0:14:02.080 --> 0:14:06.600 present day. They were the ones who knew who didn't vote. 0:14:07.360 --> 0:14:10.840 They did precinct walks, they showed up at city council, 0:14:10.920 --> 0:14:15.000 county government, state government. I guess my parents seventy eight, 0:14:15.400 --> 0:14:18.280 just like Eddie Rae and I guess what those people 0:14:18.280 --> 0:14:21.520 are retiring or in some many cases they passed away. 0:14:21.920 --> 0:14:25.640 So there's a generation that did not replace those people. 0:14:26.160 --> 0:14:29.680 So what we've done is we've become so technical where 0:14:29.800 --> 0:14:34.920 we think that social media Texabaschien phone calls replaces that 0:14:35.240 --> 0:14:38.800 on the ground infrastructure. And that's what's missing if you 0:14:38.920 --> 0:14:42.320 go to place all around the country. That group, Dude 0:14:43.920 --> 0:14:47.080 gen X did not step up. So we have to 0:14:47.160 --> 0:14:52.080 replace that massive black infrastructure. If you look at NAACP chapters, 0:14:52.480 --> 0:14:56.880 it was a sixty sixty five seventy year old sister 0:14:57.400 --> 0:15:00.160 or brother who were doing the work, they're now they're 0:15:00.200 --> 0:15:03.880 tired or they passed away, So now who replaces them? 0:15:04.200 --> 0:15:06.800 So we have to replace that infrastructure. So that's what 0:15:06.920 --> 0:15:10.560 I mean by frozen. So now it's like who's next, 0:15:10.760 --> 0:15:14.040 who's batter up? And that to me is the problem. 0:15:14.160 --> 0:15:17.160 So now that's what I keep saying, micro versus macro. 0:15:17.560 --> 0:15:19.760 We got to go back to micro. So if I say, 0:15:19.840 --> 0:15:31.560 you can't change nation without states, states without cities or counties, counties, cities, cities, neighborhoods, neighborhoods, blocks, blocks, streets, streets, houses, house, 0:15:31.680 --> 0:15:34.200 person in the house. That has to be our mentality 0:15:34.360 --> 0:15:38.680 and our people are they are crying out. Who is 0:15:38.800 --> 0:15:40.400 going to issue the clarion call? 0:15:54.640 --> 0:15:56.680 If y'all know Roland, you know that he is big 0:15:56.760 --> 0:16:00.160 on Texas. He is very serious about Texas. On a 0:16:00.200 --> 0:16:04.120 raid you, I've been joined by a very mighty Texan, 0:16:04.320 --> 0:16:06.320 someone who is a people's championship. 0:16:06.440 --> 0:16:08.720 Quyat, she's meek, she's an introvert. 0:16:09.520 --> 0:16:12.400 I let Rowland introduce this Texan. Go head, row go ahead, 0:16:12.440 --> 0:16:13.080 row Eli. 0:16:13.520 --> 0:16:15.880 She's quiet, she's meet she's an introvert. 0:16:16.520 --> 0:16:16.640 Uh. 0:16:17.160 --> 0:16:19.240 She went to this little school called the University of 0:16:19.240 --> 0:16:23.400 Houston right behind jack Yayes High School across from texasuthern University. 0:16:24.160 --> 0:16:28.680 Was an international track star, goes on to run for office. Child, 0:16:28.800 --> 0:16:31.360 she being everything. She been on the school board, she 0:16:31.520 --> 0:16:34.640 been on the city council. Now she's in the state 0:16:34.760 --> 0:16:37.360 legislature and now she's running for congress. 0:16:38.040 --> 0:16:38.520 So she is. 0:16:38.720 --> 0:16:41.200 Somebody said real Reality TV a little. 0:16:40.960 --> 0:16:45.880 Bit all that rallity TV. She's an AKA state represented 0:16:45.920 --> 0:16:52.880 Jelonda Jones. Well, hello people, did I miss anything now Roland? 0:16:52.880 --> 0:16:54.680 Because you from the third Ward, you went to school 0:16:54.720 --> 0:16:56.080 with third Ward, you diet a good. 0:16:56.000 --> 0:16:58.080 Job, good Jackie's graduate. 0:16:58.160 --> 0:16:58.400 Baby. 0:16:58.560 --> 0:17:04.480 Absolutely, I represented jay okay there, I represented Jayy. I 0:17:04.560 --> 0:17:08.040 still represent Jayy, and when I went for Texas eighteen, 0:17:08.320 --> 0:17:09.600 I'm represent Jayy. 0:17:09.880 --> 0:17:12.640 Nice nice that is lying on his shirt. 0:17:13.320 --> 0:17:15.720 I see you, I see you, King, You're a kid. 0:17:16.960 --> 0:17:19.600 Thank you for joining us. Welcome once again because we 0:17:19.680 --> 0:17:22.760 had you on the show before, but welcome back, Welcome. 0:17:23.720 --> 0:17:26.800 I appreciate that there's a lot happening in Texas, as 0:17:26.880 --> 0:17:29.560 we well know, but I think for people who may 0:17:29.640 --> 0:17:33.280 not be from Texas. For years now, we have been promised, 0:17:33.359 --> 0:17:37.320 titilated in teased that Texas will eventually be a purple state. 0:17:38.080 --> 0:17:41.800 I'm curious what you predict for the future of Texas politics. 0:17:42.200 --> 0:17:43.480 I predict a number of things. 0:17:43.520 --> 0:17:47.360 I predict we racist, anti black in Texas, anti immigrant 0:17:47.400 --> 0:17:51.120 in Texas, anti anything that's not a rich billionaire white 0:17:51.160 --> 0:17:55.200 man in Texas. I predict that. I predict that unlessen 0:17:55.280 --> 0:17:58.520 until the National Democratic Party invests in Texas, it doesn't 0:17:58.560 --> 0:18:00.640 have a snowballs chance in hell of being. 0:18:00.640 --> 0:18:02.479 Purple, right, That's what I predict. 0:18:03.480 --> 0:18:06.080 I predict that Democrats take us for granted, and they 0:18:06.200 --> 0:18:08.520 just think Black folks going to vote for Democrats as 0:18:08.600 --> 0:18:10.960 if we ain't sick and tied to being sick and 0:18:11.000 --> 0:18:14.040 tied to being sick and tied. So I predict that 0:18:14.200 --> 0:18:18.600 if the Democratic Party doesn't specifically invest in black people, 0:18:19.200 --> 0:18:24.440 black political consultants, black media, black church, that the Democrats 0:18:24.480 --> 0:18:26.920 will not have black people and that we I don't 0:18:26.920 --> 0:18:29.720 believe we'll go vote for Republicans, but we will just 0:18:29.800 --> 0:18:30.199 stay home. 0:18:30.560 --> 0:18:35.960 For people who don't understand infrastructure, Texas has more eligible 0:18:36.040 --> 0:18:39.520 black voters than any state in America. For sure, we 0:18:39.600 --> 0:18:42.199 do when you talk about a party infrastructure. There are 0:18:42.240 --> 0:18:45.920 two hundred and fifty four counties in Texas massive state. 0:18:46.320 --> 0:18:50.600 There are only eighty one county Democratic parties, so that's 0:18:50.640 --> 0:18:53.560 only one third of the state. When Betro ran, he 0:18:53.680 --> 0:18:57.320 visited all counties. But that was a campaign. When when 0:18:57.440 --> 0:19:00.960 Obama and Clinton ran in two thousand eight, that was 0:19:01.320 --> 0:19:05.120 massive energy because because folks were on fire and folks said, 0:19:05.359 --> 0:19:08.639 finally they can to organize Texas. What happened Obama wins. 0:19:09.359 --> 0:19:11.720 They only came to Texas to raise money. He went 0:19:11.760 --> 0:19:15.240 to Dallas, Houston, Austin, picked up checks and left. So 0:19:15.359 --> 0:19:18.960 they've never funded the state. There are two million eligible 0:19:19.040 --> 0:19:24.040 Latinos who are eligible but not registered. Sixty one percent 0:19:24.119 --> 0:19:27.639 of Texas is minority. Sixty one percent of Texas who 0:19:27.720 --> 0:19:28.560 vote are white. 0:19:28.880 --> 0:19:29.160 Wow. 0:19:30.080 --> 0:19:32.600 You sure, right, But I mean if government was doing 0:19:32.640 --> 0:19:33.959 stuff for me, I probably vote too. 0:19:34.840 --> 0:19:37.320 And so that's right. I mean, it just makes it 0:19:37.359 --> 0:19:39.720 and it just seems to me that the. 0:19:39.760 --> 0:19:44.720 People who need government the most are engaged the least. Yes, 0:19:45.040 --> 0:19:48.760 and that's because we as a party haven't figured out how. 0:19:48.640 --> 0:19:51.040 To connect the dots for people. When Beno ran against 0:19:51.119 --> 0:19:56.240 Greg Abbott, seventy five percent of voters thirty and under 0:19:56.520 --> 0:19:57.560 did not vote. 0:19:57.760 --> 0:20:00.639 Wow, but you got to speak to our issue rolling. 0:20:00.760 --> 0:20:03.560 Yeah, you guys speak I'm just giving the data so 0:20:03.680 --> 0:20:06.000 folks understand that they're there, but. 0:20:06.080 --> 0:20:07.480 You got to talk to them, but you got to 0:20:07.520 --> 0:20:08.520 connect the dots for them. 0:20:08.600 --> 0:20:08.760 Right. 0:20:09.000 --> 0:20:13.200 So if I'm struggling, right, and I see, what's the 0:20:13.280 --> 0:20:14.399 lady's name, Wendy Davis. 0:20:15.119 --> 0:20:17.640 She stood in some pink tennis shoes. 0:20:18.119 --> 0:20:22.640 And against the abortion bill, got lots of attention, lots 0:20:22.680 --> 0:20:24.080 of money, and got crushed. 0:20:24.400 --> 0:20:26.720 But what we knew is black people. 0:20:26.760 --> 0:20:29.320 What I knew as a black person is you'll stand 0:20:29.320 --> 0:20:32.360 for all them ours for abortion, but you won't stand 0:20:32.359 --> 0:20:33.080 for all them ours for. 0:20:33.119 --> 0:20:34.879 Criminal justice reform, right right. 0:20:35.280 --> 0:20:37.120 You won't stand for all in ours to make sure 0:20:37.160 --> 0:20:40.080 that we have affordable health care, or that we have 0:20:40.320 --> 0:20:44.720 affordable housing, or that you're not standing to stop the 0:20:44.760 --> 0:20:47.359 police from killing us with impunity. 0:20:47.800 --> 0:20:51.600 So we know what you're willing to do when you 0:20:51.760 --> 0:20:52.520 believe in something. 0:20:52.720 --> 0:20:55.840 Right, we see that the Democratic Party is afraid to 0:20:55.840 --> 0:20:58.360 say racist. When we were out on the corm rate, 0:20:59.040 --> 0:21:01.879 the conversation talked about this Angela, we talked about this 0:21:02.119 --> 0:21:05.440 Roland was that Donald Trump wanted to steal five season. 0:21:05.480 --> 0:21:07.879 Now I was racist. That's why I had that viral 0:21:07.960 --> 0:21:13.600 moment because the right answer was they identify four black seats. 0:21:14.160 --> 0:21:17.359 They messing with the CBC. They're trying to undermine the 0:21:17.440 --> 0:21:22.200 CBC's power because they're the most senior caucus. And but 0:21:22.560 --> 0:21:24.720 they have the people that are speaking about the corn 0:21:24.760 --> 0:21:27.200 break don't look like us. When they literally have moved 0:21:27.320 --> 0:21:31.960 Jasmine out of her district, They've taken VC's core constituency, 0:21:32.080 --> 0:21:35.760 Terror County moved it. They've literally collapsed CD eighteen and 0:21:35.840 --> 0:21:38.359 CD nine And ain't nobody saying it's racist. 0:21:38.440 --> 0:21:41.040 And when I talked to Terran County Commission at Lisa Simmons, 0:21:41.080 --> 0:21:43.720 they jerrymandered her district. Yes, they had a huge rally 0:21:43.760 --> 0:21:47.639 in Tarran County. The lawyer said, when you go to 0:21:47.720 --> 0:21:51.119 the mic, call it racial jerry mander. 0:21:51.280 --> 0:21:51.399 Yes. 0:21:52.000 --> 0:21:55.119 Every speaker who went up there, who was in black 0:21:55.520 --> 0:21:58.399 didn't say racial jerry mandry. And the lawyer said, you 0:21:58.640 --> 0:22:02.399 have to use that lane, which because parts jeered manding 0:22:02.640 --> 0:22:05.879 has been loud on Supreme Court, racial geer mandering is 0:22:06.000 --> 0:22:09.280 not allowed. Literally, until he went up, they wouldn't even 0:22:09.320 --> 0:22:09.520 say it. 0:22:09.840 --> 0:22:13.240 But you know, Roland, I'm a lawyer for thirty years. 0:22:13.280 --> 0:22:14.119 I'm a trial lawyer. 0:22:14.960 --> 0:22:17.040 Let me tell you what I would do to all 0:22:17.080 --> 0:22:20.320 the people that went up and refused to say racial germander. 0:22:20.760 --> 0:22:23.680 When it goes to court, they're gonna call witnesses. 0:22:23.840 --> 0:22:24.040 Yep. 0:22:24.160 --> 0:22:26.439 And the first person I'm gonna calls a witness if 0:22:26.440 --> 0:22:29.320 i'm them, is a person that said it was political 0:22:29.400 --> 0:22:31.720 Jerry right right, And I'm gonna say is it racist? 0:22:31.760 --> 0:22:34.320 And they're gonna say no, or even if they say yes, 0:22:34.640 --> 0:22:35.280 I'm saying. 0:22:37.040 --> 0:22:39.560 What you said evidence, they're. 0:22:39.359 --> 0:22:42.280 Gonna say so now you're saying it's racial now because 0:22:42.440 --> 0:22:43.280 are you lying. 0:22:43.080 --> 0:22:44.840 In or you're lying in? Are you looking now? 0:22:45.160 --> 0:22:45.480 Let me so. 0:22:45.640 --> 0:22:46.320 My point is. 0:22:47.880 --> 0:22:50.920 What we need, like the most importantly in the Democratic 0:22:51.000 --> 0:22:54.800 Party is we need white people, our allies, those who 0:22:54.920 --> 0:22:58.879 lack and melanin, to actually be courageous enough to say racist. 0:22:59.000 --> 0:23:01.119 Okay, wait a minute now, I've been ping ponging my 0:23:01.200 --> 0:23:03.879 head back and forth between two Texans. We have a 0:23:04.000 --> 0:23:06.480 legend that just walked up to the set. AJ just 0:23:06.520 --> 0:23:10.000 come say hi really quick. We got a jalloway from Oh. 0:23:10.119 --> 0:23:12.560 I thought the woman he was with was a legend. 0:23:14.440 --> 0:23:18.840 I wasn't even thinking she was talking about him. That's 0:23:18.960 --> 0:23:21.439 my mama. She is the left to said, yo, mama, legend. 0:23:21.480 --> 0:23:21.680 I know. 0:23:22.080 --> 0:23:23.320 I thought she was coming up. 0:23:24.359 --> 0:23:26.800 Principle say hi, I'm the set you over your wave 0:23:26.840 --> 0:23:29.000 and we're not gonna let her. He wrote, walk by 0:23:29.119 --> 0:23:30.399 without a heroes welcome. 0:23:30.560 --> 0:23:31.160 How are you doing? 0:23:31.400 --> 0:23:34.920 We're doing We're getting schooled by two Texans. 0:23:34.600 --> 0:23:38.040 Were we're doing like this and you want to you 0:23:38.119 --> 0:23:39.840 wanna take your hat off to me. I'm gonna take 0:23:39.840 --> 0:23:42.119 my hat off to y'all because honestly, we need honest 0:23:42.200 --> 0:23:44.440 reporting and a time like this and the day like this. 0:23:44.640 --> 0:23:47.000 I gave Rolling his flowers last night at an event, 0:23:47.359 --> 0:23:48.199 and I'm giving them to. 0:23:48.280 --> 0:23:50.840 He said, an event we at the park last night. Look, 0:23:54.280 --> 0:23:56.000 but we do, but we do. Got talked to the 0:23:56.040 --> 0:23:58.520 thoat at the club. The doctor King went to pool 0:23:58.560 --> 0:24:01.280 halls too. Exactly, you have to you have to go 0:24:01.480 --> 0:24:02.320 and talk to the people. 0:24:03.200 --> 0:24:05.400 But that y'all was not doing doctor King's work. 0:24:05.480 --> 0:24:09.160 Yes, yes we were, Yes, we were. We were register 0:24:09.359 --> 0:24:13.000 voters exactly, we would. We were talking policy. We were 0:24:13.080 --> 0:24:14.320 talking about friend d C. 0:24:15.320 --> 0:24:16.600 We talked about friend d C. 0:24:16.840 --> 0:24:21.159 We talked about giving money. Yeah, giving money. People were 0:24:21.240 --> 0:24:23.800 handing me donations. That's right. Look, we would work out 0:24:23.840 --> 0:24:25.600 because that's how Roland got that outfit. 0:24:25.640 --> 0:24:27.320 Todays. 0:24:27.440 --> 0:24:29.840 You know why he got donations. I heard you was 0:24:29.920 --> 0:24:31.320 tworking at the club yesterday. 0:24:33.280 --> 0:24:37.680 That ain't nothing new, Lord, have murdy back to the CBC. 0:24:38.040 --> 0:24:41.359 Yes, Lord, Hey, I'm so happy you joined us because 0:24:41.400 --> 0:24:43.600 you are a legend for so many young people who 0:24:44.200 --> 0:24:46.479 grew up watching One on six. In part that was us, 0:24:47.080 --> 0:24:50.760 well for us, for us older people and younger people. 0:24:51.400 --> 0:24:55.439 We also lost another legend this year in Annanda Luis, 0:24:55.600 --> 0:24:58.119 who a lot of us grew up watching and Teens Summit. 0:24:58.200 --> 0:25:01.639 I was so disappointed that she was not honored at 0:25:01.680 --> 0:25:03.399 the award show, so we certainly want to take our 0:25:03.480 --> 0:25:06.520 time to honor her here. But because you said at 0:25:06.560 --> 0:25:10.200 that intersection of entertainment and information, I'm curious what you 0:25:10.280 --> 0:25:13.080 make of the landscape now because it's been so democratized. 0:25:13.119 --> 0:25:16.840 People are getting information on social media. What would you 0:25:17.000 --> 0:25:20.800 advise for younger people, like, how can they get proper 0:25:20.920 --> 0:25:22.760 information and be awake? 0:25:22.800 --> 0:25:27.280 Watch Roland Martin on Tilter. No, honestly, So two things. 0:25:27.359 --> 0:25:29.920 First, I just want to acknowledge what you said because 0:25:29.960 --> 0:25:32.480 Ananda was one of my first friends at Howard University. 0:25:33.520 --> 0:25:36.159 We lost the legend, so moment. 0:25:35.960 --> 0:25:37.160 Out for Ananda Lewis. 0:25:37.760 --> 0:25:39.159 I'm glad you said that, but. 0:25:39.320 --> 0:25:44.160 Honestly, there's so much misinformation. There's so much nonsense that's 0:25:44.200 --> 0:25:47.280 out there. Everybody with a microphone does not deserve to 0:25:47.320 --> 0:25:51.600 be amplified. Everyone with a microphone does not deserve to 0:25:51.640 --> 0:25:54.680 be amplified. Everybody with a camera phone, everybody with a podcast, 0:25:54.800 --> 0:25:57.639 everybody has on a show, does not deserve. 0:25:57.400 --> 0:25:58.000 To be amplified. 0:25:58.119 --> 0:25:58.399 JJ. 0:25:58.480 --> 0:25:59.840 I don't want to interrupt you, but I have to 0:26:00.400 --> 0:26:03.080 that brother right there is running for governor of Nevada. 0:26:03.200 --> 0:26:06.359 Aaron Ford. We went to Texas A and M together. 0:26:06.480 --> 0:26:09.320 He's a Kappa a J. He's a kappa, but it's 0:26:09.359 --> 0:26:13.440 all good company. But he's running for governor of Nevada. 0:26:14.440 --> 0:26:18.760 Give him my microphone, Novada Baby, Nevada, Nevada is Anyvada 0:26:19.520 --> 0:26:22.840 in alpha any v a D he's a member. 0:26:24.200 --> 0:26:24.840 And he is. 0:26:26.600 --> 0:26:30.560 Yes, no, no, no, he's a he's the current attorney 0:26:30.960 --> 0:26:31.880 current attorney general. 0:26:32.560 --> 0:26:34.960 And walk in front of the camera, Aaron, go sit in. 0:26:35.680 --> 0:26:38.120 So we were we were at Texas A and M together. 0:26:38.200 --> 0:26:42.600 He's also a Texan, but again running for governors that 0:26:42.760 --> 0:26:43.480 crucial state. 0:26:44.320 --> 0:26:48.200 Aaron, it's so good to see you and we're so 0:26:48.359 --> 0:26:51.440 excited that you're running for governor in a swing state 0:26:51.600 --> 0:26:55.840 at that you and I have traveled together overseas but 0:26:56.000 --> 0:26:58.000 been friends a long time, so really happy to have 0:26:58.080 --> 0:26:58.720 you join the show. 0:26:58.800 --> 0:26:59.360 Welcome home. 0:26:59.480 --> 0:27:01.679 Well, thank you so very much. And let me thank Roland, 0:27:01.760 --> 0:27:04.440 my classmate, my good buddy. He's an alpha, but we 0:27:04.560 --> 0:27:06.639 get along very well. Thank you so much, sir for 0:27:07.320 --> 0:27:09.639 calling my name out. And Tiffany's so great to see you. 0:27:09.720 --> 0:27:11.960 We did travel. It's been over a decade now and 0:27:12.040 --> 0:27:12.720 I'm delighted to. 0:27:12.720 --> 0:27:14.880 Be here on the show. Thank you, thank you so much. 0:27:15.200 --> 0:27:17.560 Well, I want to know from you all. I asked 0:27:17.600 --> 0:27:19.959 the host when we came on Rolling, is I'm doing 0:27:20.000 --> 0:27:22.160 a popa riote thing today? We got an honorary guest 0:27:22.200 --> 0:27:24.680 host and when he gonna stay as long as he wants. Yes. 0:27:24.760 --> 0:27:27.439 But I will say to you all, Julanda and Aaron, 0:27:28.359 --> 0:27:32.080 this conference made for this moment. I would love for 0:27:32.160 --> 0:27:34.920 you all to say made for this moment because before 0:27:35.000 --> 0:27:36.040 you depart today. 0:27:38.119 --> 0:27:41.080 Well, you know, look, I love the theme and the 0:27:41.160 --> 0:27:42.920 fact that the matter is made for the moment is 0:27:43.240 --> 0:27:46.439 very fitting. I'm the first African American to be elected 0:27:46.480 --> 0:27:50.000 statewide to a concerts office in Nevada, and this moment 0:27:50.119 --> 0:27:53.439 I don't think it's just this moment. It's been the entirety, frankly, 0:27:53.600 --> 0:27:56.240 of my tenure as Attorney General, whether it was George 0:27:56.280 --> 0:27:59.880 Floyd and Meeping the top law enforcement officer in the state, 0:28:00.280 --> 0:28:02.560 being able to speak truth to power from my position 0:28:02.680 --> 0:28:06.720 to power about what our relationship was with law enforcement. 0:28:06.760 --> 0:28:08.880 I said at point blank, I'm a black man, married 0:28:08.920 --> 0:28:11.240 to a black woman, raised in three black sons and 0:28:11.280 --> 0:28:14.200 a black nephew, and I'm gonna speak truth on this issue. 0:28:14.480 --> 0:28:17.080 And I think that moment was entirely designed for me 0:28:17.280 --> 0:28:20.000 to be in this particular position and right now, as 0:28:20.040 --> 0:28:23.720 we have to define and protect our constitutional rights from 0:28:23.760 --> 0:28:26.959 an onslaught of unlawful activities, it takes people who are 0:28:27.000 --> 0:28:30.000 willing to stand up and speak truth to power right now. 0:28:30.320 --> 0:28:33.359 And I'm happy to be in this position for this 0:28:33.520 --> 0:28:34.840 particular moment that I'm made for. 0:28:35.880 --> 0:28:38.920 Get a website. Get a website. Oh the website. Thank you, sir, 0:28:39.200 --> 0:28:40.560 Ford for Nevada dot Com. 0:28:40.720 --> 0:28:43.720 Listen, I'm the first black person to be ag for Nevada, 0:28:43.800 --> 0:28:45.320 but I'm going to also be the first black person 0:28:45.360 --> 0:28:48.200 to be governor of Nevada. And that website is Ford 0:28:48.600 --> 0:28:51.040 for Nevada dot com I appreciate you. 0:28:51.160 --> 0:28:52.320 Let me come on, y'all, thank. 0:28:52.160 --> 0:28:56.520 You for me made for this moment. 0:28:57.760 --> 0:29:00.680 Is important because those of us who are on the 0:29:00.720 --> 0:29:02.920 front lines, this is hard work. 0:29:03.560 --> 0:29:04.680 For this is hard work. 0:29:05.840 --> 0:29:07.959 We are made for this moment because we have got 0:29:08.040 --> 0:29:13.880 to remind people that this is history repeating itself. We've 0:29:13.960 --> 0:29:18.360 got to remind people that we got hoes, we got lynched, 0:29:18.360 --> 0:29:22.320 people getting lynched again. We got to remind people that 0:29:22.440 --> 0:29:25.080 we used to didn't have voting rights and they're trying 0:29:25.080 --> 0:29:27.560 to take us back. We got to remind people that 0:29:27.680 --> 0:29:30.400 there was Jim Crow. We got to remind people of 0:29:30.480 --> 0:29:34.000 that at this moment in time. And for me being 0:29:34.160 --> 0:29:41.560 here in this space, I need rejuvenation. And it's very 0:29:41.680 --> 0:29:44.960 difficult when you're home and people, young people especially don't 0:29:45.080 --> 0:29:48.920 understand how bad it can be. So I need people 0:29:49.160 --> 0:29:51.440 who are reinforcing me because I got to go back 0:29:51.680 --> 0:29:54.480 to Texas. I got to go back to Texas. And 0:29:54.600 --> 0:29:58.440 so we are made for this moment for those of 0:29:58.560 --> 0:30:02.520 us that again on the front lines to be reinforced 0:30:02.600 --> 0:30:04.880 and reminded while we have to do this work, and 0:30:04.960 --> 0:30:08.120 who we can lean on when this starts getting weak. 0:30:08.840 --> 0:30:13.320 And for me, I'm running for Congress Texas at the 0:30:13.480 --> 0:30:18.040 seat at Barbara Jordan, Mickey Leland, Craig Washington, Sheila Jackson Lee, 0:30:18.040 --> 0:30:21.560 and Sylvester Turner were in. And we need somebody who's unafraid. 0:30:21.600 --> 0:30:26.280 I was the first black, openly LGBTQ plus person in 0:30:26.400 --> 0:30:30.440 the Texas Legislature House or Senate, and when I win 0:30:31.800 --> 0:30:35.920 on November fourth, I will be the first black LGBTQ 0:30:36.320 --> 0:30:41.320 plus woman in the US House of Representatives. And so 0:30:42.360 --> 0:30:43.840 I just need reinforcement. 0:30:44.400 --> 0:30:45.840 And I we came back. 0:30:45.920 --> 0:30:48.360 We say as long gone as long as I wanted, 0:30:48.760 --> 0:30:50.600 And I need to be around people who I know 0:30:51.600 --> 0:30:54.440 woul to stay gone longer. And so I too, will 0:30:54.480 --> 0:30:58.640 give a website real quick Joelanda Jones dot com. Let 0:30:58.720 --> 0:31:01.560 me tell you how to spell joelaw It's a made 0:31:01.600 --> 0:31:05.600 up black name. My mother like Yolanda. My daddy's name 0:31:05.720 --> 0:31:08.760 was John. She wanted me to have his initials. Take 0:31:08.840 --> 0:31:12.040 away to why and add A J J O L 0:31:12.160 --> 0:31:15.960 A n DA Jones dot com because we need people 0:31:16.200 --> 0:31:21.040 who are unafraid and unapologetically black, and that's who we all. 0:31:21.120 --> 0:31:24.120 Are, That's what we all are, real quick, real quick, 0:31:24.520 --> 0:31:30.840 Jolanda Aaron, please tell specifically aka's and kappus while they've 0:31:30.920 --> 0:31:34.560 got to get out of our insular business and active 0:31:34.840 --> 0:31:38.040 in driving folk to the polls locally. Yes, I said it, 0:31:38.480 --> 0:31:41.120 So make the call for what they need to do 0:31:41.320 --> 0:31:42.240 these D nine folk. 0:31:42.720 --> 0:31:45.000 No, absolutely, there's no way we can do this, as 0:31:45.040 --> 0:31:48.480 you've indicated, as insular individuals and insular entities. What I'm 0:31:48.520 --> 0:31:51.320 proud of Roland. To your point is, I was invited 0:31:51.720 --> 0:31:55.320 to the Alpha Pack event. I'm a sweet new I'm pretty. 0:31:56.240 --> 0:31:57.440 But then let me come to the hour. 0:31:57.560 --> 0:31:59.400 But you need that out for money, but go ahead, 0:32:00.920 --> 0:32:01.400 I show. 0:32:01.360 --> 0:32:02.360 It will take it as well. 0:32:02.720 --> 0:32:04.880 So we have to move, have to come together as 0:32:05.040 --> 0:32:08.400 organizations to pursue these goals and to assist us and 0:32:08.440 --> 0:32:10.240 get in there. And I'm grateful for the support that 0:32:10.280 --> 0:32:11.400 I'm getting across the board. 0:32:11.760 --> 0:32:13.000 We so appreciate you. 0:32:13.640 --> 0:32:16.320 And I am an Alpha Kappa Alpha woman, so is 0:32:16.400 --> 0:32:20.600 my wife. She's so pretty Fall nineteen eighty seven and 0:32:20.800 --> 0:32:25.640 we were the first black sorority, and we need to 0:32:25.720 --> 0:32:29.080 be the first getting people to the polls because if 0:32:29.720 --> 0:32:32.440 the world is run by those who show up, we 0:32:32.600 --> 0:32:33.360 need to show up. 0:32:33.440 --> 0:32:35.040 So I am encouraging all. 0:32:35.000 --> 0:32:39.080 Of my sorority sisters specifically and the D nine generally 0:32:39.640 --> 0:32:44.400 that we are the infrastructure in this country. We give scholarships. 0:32:44.600 --> 0:32:49.280 We all believe in service to mankind and womankind, So 0:32:49.680 --> 0:32:50.160 we need. 0:32:50.160 --> 0:32:50.520 To do that. 0:32:51.600 --> 0:32:53.600 As Alpha Kappa alpha women, we need to be more 0:32:53.680 --> 0:32:57.320 than pretty. We need to be soldiers in the cause. 0:32:57.400 --> 0:33:01.760 I hear you and Prince all Mason start and links. 0:33:01.880 --> 0:33:05.880 We have massive black infrastructure that's not being fully maximized. 0:33:06.040 --> 0:33:08.240 And doctor King said that in his book Where do 0:33:08.320 --> 0:33:11.640 we Go from here? Chaos all community here we have money, right, 0:33:11.800 --> 0:33:13.560 but but the point is too many of us are 0:33:13.640 --> 0:33:16.600 risk averse. We think it's going to jeopardize our letters. No, 0:33:17.080 --> 0:33:22.480 we have the infrastructure. We're international, national, regional, state undergrad 0:33:22.720 --> 0:33:24.840 grad we go all the way down from k So 0:33:25.200 --> 0:33:27.840 I just think that we're not maximizing our infrastructure. 0:33:28.360 --> 0:33:31.160 Great, you're right. I love y'all, and we're gonna carry 0:33:31.240 --> 0:33:33.880 this town hall, this Greek town. All y'all doing later. 0:33:34.400 --> 0:33:39.160 But Aaron and Jalanda and roll An, I said, a 0:33:43.080 --> 0:33:49.920 black from the West Coast's hour some time. So sorry, lens. 0:33:50.400 --> 0:33:52.760 We are so grateful for y'all. Thank you so much 0:33:52.800 --> 0:33:55.880 for being here. I want to just acknowledge someone whose 0:33:56.040 --> 0:34:01.640 legacy this live podcast is and that is Congressman Joyce Baty. 0:34:01.720 --> 0:34:04.400 She's gonna come join us later, but she's standing right here, 0:34:04.480 --> 0:34:05.160 so let's give it up. 0:34:06.240 --> 0:34:10.480 The International President of the Ak's is right over there. 0:34:10.600 --> 0:34:16.040 Oh yeah, I saw the president. President. 0:34:16.520 --> 0:34:28.440 Yeah, is in the house. I got the house. Are 0:34:31.160 --> 0:34:33.799 where you could come back if you want. You're always young. 0:34:34.800 --> 0:34:38.800 Now is my good friend Todd Cox, who is making 0:34:38.880 --> 0:34:42.080 things happen at the na A c B Legal Defense Fund. 0:34:42.120 --> 0:34:45.200 We just had a conversation on redistricting. Of course, the 0:34:45.320 --> 0:34:48.560 na A c P l d F will be arguing 0:34:49.040 --> 0:34:52.080 a case before the Supreme Court on Section two of 0:34:52.160 --> 0:34:55.200 the Voting Rights Act. What's hanging in the balance is very, 0:34:55.360 --> 0:34:58.400 very serious, and they will determine whether or not the 0:34:58.480 --> 0:35:02.000 Section two of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional or not. 0:35:02.400 --> 0:35:06.359 We also have our good friend Elizabeth Booker Houston who's 0:35:06.440 --> 0:35:09.600 joining us. Y'all know hera is Booker Squared. All that 0:35:09.800 --> 0:35:12.239 content going viral. She tells us like it tells it 0:35:12.400 --> 0:35:14.520 like it is. Or Daddy say, you don't mind her cussing? 0:35:14.840 --> 0:35:16.840 My daddy does, but they love That's the way she 0:35:16.920 --> 0:35:17.440 tells the tr. 0:35:17.440 --> 0:35:19.040 Okay, But can I tell you. I got to ask 0:35:19.120 --> 0:35:22.360 Jasmine crocketts daddy yesterday if he minded her cussing, and 0:35:22.400 --> 0:35:23.719 he kind of gave the same kind of answer my 0:35:23.800 --> 0:35:24.239 daddy did. 0:35:24.440 --> 0:35:26.680 Like, Okay, I don't really like it your daddy talk 0:35:26.719 --> 0:35:27.240 to my daddy. 0:35:27.280 --> 0:35:29.480 So I got as I can I help jump in 0:35:29.520 --> 0:35:31.800 and ask a question because when you were making the introduction, 0:35:32.400 --> 0:35:36.120 I was curious for our audience and even for myself, 0:35:36.360 --> 0:35:39.919 what exactly is Section two of the Voting Rights Act? 0:35:40.120 --> 0:35:40.279 Yes? 0:35:40.800 --> 0:35:42.080 And why is it so important? 0:35:42.320 --> 0:35:42.440 Well? 0:35:42.480 --> 0:35:43.920 Section two of the Voting First of all, let me 0:35:44.040 --> 0:35:44.640 just say thank you so. 0:35:44.719 --> 0:35:49.000 Much, Michael. Oh yeah, shit, your mic down, just pushing down. 0:35:49.280 --> 0:35:51.759 Sorry, just talk right into it, all right, can you 0:35:51.760 --> 0:35:52.160 hear me now? 0:35:52.640 --> 0:35:52.839 Yeah? 0:35:53.120 --> 0:35:55.880 Real close? Or lifted up just a little bit. Lifted 0:35:55.880 --> 0:35:57.400 it back up there you go, Ques should be. 0:35:57.400 --> 0:36:00.000 Perfect good, all right, Thank you, Thanks for that question, 0:36:00.280 --> 0:36:02.719 and thanks for the opportunity to join you all. Section 0:36:02.800 --> 0:36:05.080 two of the Voting Rights Act is a key part 0:36:05.160 --> 0:36:06.840 of the Voting Rights Act, which, by the way, is 0:36:06.920 --> 0:36:10.960 only sixty years old. It's a gen x statue, it's 0:36:11.000 --> 0:36:13.919 a young statute. Section two is the bulwark that really 0:36:14.000 --> 0:36:18.480 protects voters, black voters, voters of color, from having their 0:36:18.560 --> 0:36:22.160 votes diluted. It says basically that you can't create a plan, 0:36:22.640 --> 0:36:25.400 a redistricting plan, or any kind of voting change that 0:36:25.560 --> 0:36:30.640 would take away, dilute, diminish the voting rights of those voters. 0:36:31.200 --> 0:36:35.719 And as Angela mentioned, Section two is at stake right now. 0:36:36.280 --> 0:36:39.720 From the very beginning, Section two has been threatened by courts. 0:36:40.040 --> 0:36:42.960 We've been fighting to keep Section two seen as constitutional. 0:36:43.040 --> 0:36:47.440 We have won under Section two cases very recently, and now, 0:36:47.520 --> 0:36:51.160 as Angela mentioned, a case called Louisiana versus Cala, we're 0:36:51.200 --> 0:36:53.759 going to be arguing for the constitutionality of a plan 0:36:54.239 --> 0:36:57.560 that was drawn to big sure that voters had the 0:36:57.680 --> 0:37:00.600 right to let their candidates a choice under Section two. 0:37:00.640 --> 0:37:02.680 But now also the state is arguing that. 0:37:02.719 --> 0:37:05.359 Section two is unconstitutional, and we're doing all we can 0:37:05.520 --> 0:37:07.360 make sure that they lose that argument. 0:37:07.640 --> 0:37:09.560 Yeah, do we know when that case will be before 0:37:09.600 --> 0:37:10.160 the Supreme. 0:37:09.960 --> 0:37:10.759 Court, We certainly do. 0:37:10.840 --> 0:37:13.000 It's going to be argued October fifteenth, and we would 0:37:13.320 --> 0:37:15.120 love for everyone to come out be on the steps 0:37:15.120 --> 0:37:17.239 of the Supreme Court to support us. We know we 0:37:17.320 --> 0:37:19.440 need folks on the ground, folks in the real world, 0:37:19.560 --> 0:37:22.279 not just in court, making sure we protect our voting rights. 0:37:22.320 --> 0:37:25.480 And then what are the consequences if Section two were 0:37:25.520 --> 0:37:29.680 to go down? Well, especially as we're looking at redistricting, 0:37:31.120 --> 0:37:34.680 racist based based redistricting happening. 0:37:34.400 --> 0:37:36.759 In red states around the country, right, well, what are 0:37:36.800 --> 0:37:37.360 the implications? 0:37:37.440 --> 0:37:41.959 The implications are democracy itself. I dare say if Section 0:37:42.120 --> 0:37:44.880 two were did not exist, it would not protect the 0:37:45.000 --> 0:37:47.520 rights of voters who are currently being threatened by this 0:37:47.640 --> 0:37:51.440 off cycle redistricting. Right we see in several states black 0:37:51.480 --> 0:37:54.240 elected officials, who are the candidates of choice of voters 0:37:54.280 --> 0:37:56.080 in those states being targeted in. 0:37:56.120 --> 0:37:58.840 A way that we haven't litigated. 0:37:58.920 --> 0:38:01.640 This may be seen as as threatening the candidates of 0:38:01.719 --> 0:38:04.560 choice of black voters. Section two stands for the proposition 0:38:04.600 --> 0:38:07.560 that that can't happen, and if we didn't have Section two, 0:38:07.600 --> 0:38:10.760 we would not be able to as successfully defend those. 0:38:10.640 --> 0:38:11.480 Districts as possibly. 0:38:11.520 --> 0:38:13.600 We still have tools. Don't be wrong, we still have 0:38:13.680 --> 0:38:16.160 tools to do that. But Section two is the most 0:38:16.200 --> 0:38:19.239 effective way that we have in place right now to 0:38:19.320 --> 0:38:19.959 make that happen. 0:38:20.120 --> 0:38:22.560 You know, I want to come to you on this point, Liz, 0:38:22.640 --> 0:38:27.279 because I think what Todd mentioned about us being on 0:38:27.480 --> 0:38:30.279 the steps of the Supreme Court is important. What we 0:38:30.480 --> 0:38:32.680 know in this day and age especially, is there is 0:38:32.719 --> 0:38:35.120 a lot that is one in the court of public opinion. 0:38:35.800 --> 0:38:39.480 You have been outside of steps, outside of the Heritage Foundation, 0:38:39.640 --> 0:38:42.560 outside of all kinds of things with bullhorns, saying all 0:38:42.680 --> 0:38:45.919 kinds of important things, sometimes foolishness. But can you talk 0:38:46.000 --> 0:38:48.879 a little bit about why it's so important to lift 0:38:48.960 --> 0:38:51.040 up your voice at a time like this and to 0:38:51.160 --> 0:38:53.279 lean into courage when there's so much to be afraid of. 0:38:54.080 --> 0:38:55.960 Well, I would just say it's all about pushing back 0:38:56.080 --> 0:38:57.239 on the disinformation. 0:38:58.160 --> 0:38:58.279 You know. 0:38:58.400 --> 0:39:00.759 I'm just thinking about what I've learned the week, in 0:39:00.880 --> 0:39:04.719 particular here at CBC ALC Week, and we talked a 0:39:04.800 --> 0:39:06.239 lot about censorship. 0:39:06.239 --> 0:39:07.480 We talked a lot about suppression. 0:39:07.520 --> 0:39:11.520 I sat in on a panel that Congressman Lamona MacIvor led, 0:39:12.040 --> 0:39:14.200 and Karen Atilla was on that panel, who we know 0:39:14.360 --> 0:39:17.040 was just fired from the Washington Post. I know that 0:39:17.120 --> 0:39:20.200 April d Ryan was on that panel, and there was 0:39:20.239 --> 0:39:22.439 a lovely woman named Jollin who I had never met before, 0:39:22.440 --> 0:39:25.839 who was a public relation specialist, and she said, there 0:39:25.920 --> 0:39:29.680 is spiritual power in telling our stories, and that has 0:39:29.719 --> 0:39:33.560 been resonating with me all week, because it's really important 0:39:33.560 --> 0:39:34.879 that we get out there, and we are the ones 0:39:34.920 --> 0:39:37.000 making our voices heard because they are going to talk 0:39:37.040 --> 0:39:39.279 about us whether we are out there or not. So 0:39:39.360 --> 0:39:40.719 we want to make sure that we set the record 0:39:40.760 --> 0:39:44.920 straight and also to just inform our communities. You know, Angela, 0:39:45.000 --> 0:39:46.480 you and I are in a very gate kept profession. 0:39:46.520 --> 0:39:48.359 We're in a very gate kept profession when it comes 0:39:48.400 --> 0:39:52.480 to the law. And there's not very many black lawyers. 0:39:52.520 --> 0:39:54.880 What are there over the over sixty thousand black lawyers 0:39:54.920 --> 0:40:00.040 that we have percent somewhere in there, and we I 0:40:00.120 --> 0:40:02.160 know that the profession is geate kept for a reason. 0:40:02.239 --> 0:40:04.719 It's so we can charge well, I'll say, white male 0:40:04.800 --> 0:40:07.000 lawyers can charge three hundred, five hundred dollars an hour 0:40:07.440 --> 0:40:08.240 for the information. 0:40:08.719 --> 0:40:10.719 But really this is stuff that pertains to all of us. 0:40:10.760 --> 0:40:12.759 When you talk about Section two of the Voting Rights Act, 0:40:13.000 --> 0:40:14.880 that pertains to all of us, and it's important to 0:40:14.920 --> 0:40:17.399 get that information out to our communities in a way 0:40:17.480 --> 0:40:20.120 that they understand. And so sometimes it is me with 0:40:20.120 --> 0:40:22.360 foolishness on the steps somewhere because that's the way that 0:40:22.600 --> 0:40:24.960 it's going to get across. But I know that I've 0:40:25.000 --> 0:40:27.200 had very proud moments that yeah, I'm talking foolish. But 0:40:27.239 --> 0:40:29.120 I also taught a whole bunch of people what substantive 0:40:29.200 --> 0:40:31.799 due process was on Instagram one day, and I think 0:40:31.840 --> 0:40:34.440 that's amazing. I think it's amazing that people understand how 0:40:34.480 --> 0:40:37.720 things are affecting them and also the disinformation, in particular 0:40:37.800 --> 0:40:39.360 when it comes to the Voting Rights Act. I know 0:40:39.400 --> 0:40:42.200 that I got to talk to Congressman Jasmine Crockett for 0:40:42.480 --> 0:40:44.520 a recording for State of the People TV, and I 0:40:44.560 --> 0:40:46.040 don't want to give away too much because I want 0:40:46.040 --> 0:40:48.480 people to go watch that episode, but we did talk 0:40:48.480 --> 0:40:50.440 about Section two of the Voting Rights Act and how 0:40:51.000 --> 0:40:53.719 that is about Black people being able to choose who 0:40:53.800 --> 0:40:57.040 represents us. It's not about putting black people in seats, 0:40:57.280 --> 0:41:00.239 which is a common piece of disinformation use because I'm 0:41:00.239 --> 0:41:03.279 from Memphis, Tennessee, where Congressman Steve Cohen, who is a 0:41:03.400 --> 0:41:07.279 white man, is actually in a Section two seat, so 0:41:07.320 --> 0:41:09.759 that's what he's technically in. And it wasn't about the 0:41:09.960 --> 0:41:12.279 race of the person elected, but it was about making 0:41:12.280 --> 0:41:15.320 sure that black individuals just have the opportunity to elect 0:41:15.440 --> 0:41:17.319 the person who we feel as best represents us. 0:41:17.640 --> 0:41:20.920 I want to just pause here. I know Tiff is smart. 0:41:20.960 --> 0:41:23.560 Her brain is buzzing. She's got more questions. But we've 0:41:23.600 --> 0:41:27.239 been joined by Mayor I call him Mayor Leo. Mayor 0:41:27.360 --> 0:41:31.200 Leonardo Williams from Durham, North Carolina. I got to meet 0:41:31.280 --> 0:41:34.040 Leo during our State of the People Power tour and 0:41:34.160 --> 0:41:36.600 he's been a great partner ever since. So I just 0:41:36.640 --> 0:41:38.680 wanted to welcome to the stage. He can get into 0:41:38.719 --> 0:41:40.680 redistricting too, he knows a little bit about that in 0:41:40.760 --> 0:41:41.839 North Carolina as well. 0:41:41.920 --> 0:41:42.520 North Carolina. 0:41:42.719 --> 0:41:44.520 Yes, indeed, so I want to, but I want to 0:41:44.520 --> 0:41:44.880 guilt to you. 0:41:45.000 --> 0:41:46.800 Yeah, I'm sorry because you know, I didn't know this 0:41:46.960 --> 0:41:50.080 data about black lawyers, so that was really surprising to me. 0:41:50.880 --> 0:41:53.000 And we're blessed to have so many on the panel 0:41:53.120 --> 0:41:56.160 right now and something that I've always wondered about, and 0:41:56.239 --> 0:41:59.279 anybody who has an answer can weigh in. Doesn't help 0:41:59.400 --> 0:42:05.280 us or hurt us by not televising Supreme Court hearings, 0:42:05.640 --> 0:42:07.920 because when you're saying, show up on the steps of 0:42:08.040 --> 0:42:10.319 the court, how so many people have no idea when 0:42:10.320 --> 0:42:12.800 the Supreme Court is in session. They have no idea 0:42:12.880 --> 0:42:15.160 what's before the court, and they have no idea about 0:42:15.160 --> 0:42:18.200 the back and forth. Some of the dissents from Justice 0:42:18.560 --> 0:42:22.120 Kazanji Brown Jackson and the counterpoint Andrew, You and I 0:42:22.280 --> 0:42:25.040 talked about this from Amy Hony Barrett. 0:42:25.160 --> 0:42:25.680 I mean it was. 0:42:25.840 --> 0:42:28.800 Tantamount to a rap battle, like the real dis tracks 0:42:28.840 --> 0:42:29.319 coming out. 0:42:29.239 --> 0:42:29.680 Of the court. 0:42:30.000 --> 0:42:32.840 So I'm just curious the thoughts from the lawyers. Should 0:42:32.880 --> 0:42:35.520 there be cameras broadcasting these proceedings? 0:42:36.160 --> 0:42:38.040 Well, I can't speak for the Legal Defense Fund on 0:42:38.080 --> 0:42:41.000 that point, but personally, I think in this day and age, 0:42:41.520 --> 0:42:43.920 we do a disservice not to be as transparent as 0:42:44.000 --> 0:42:47.120 we can about the very processes that determine the future 0:42:47.160 --> 0:42:50.760 of our democracy. The Supreme Court is one. We televised 0:42:51.040 --> 0:42:54.239 congressional arguments, congressional hearings, c span. We don't do the 0:42:54.239 --> 0:42:58.440 same thing with courts, and increasingly, you know, all eyes 0:42:58.520 --> 0:42:59.320 are on the courts. 0:42:59.680 --> 0:43:00.279 They are the. 0:43:00.640 --> 0:43:03.440 Last stand in many ways to push back on this 0:43:03.560 --> 0:43:06.360 overreach for this executive. And I would love for my 0:43:06.480 --> 0:43:08.880 community to be able to see the strength and power 0:43:09.360 --> 0:43:13.640 of lawyers speaking in court about what's going on in 0:43:13.760 --> 0:43:15.960 this country with our democracy, and we don't have a 0:43:16.080 --> 0:43:18.000 chance to do that very often. The other thing, I'll say, 0:43:18.440 --> 0:43:20.960 we have very few black lawyers, We have very few 0:43:21.040 --> 0:43:25.240 black women lawyers done arguments in the Supreme Court. Jane Nelson, 0:43:25.640 --> 0:43:29.239 my boss, my president director counsel. She is going to 0:43:29.280 --> 0:43:32.879 be arguing the Kale case. It is rare to see 0:43:32.920 --> 0:43:34.720 a black woman in the Supreme Court. We're so proud 0:43:34.760 --> 0:43:36.799 of that. But I think that's another thing that people 0:43:36.840 --> 0:43:39.200 should be aware of, and they should see visually the 0:43:39.360 --> 0:43:42.720 power of those kinds of arguments and the lack, frankly 0:43:42.920 --> 0:43:46.239 of voice that we've given folks who represent us in 0:43:46.640 --> 0:43:47.160 this community. 0:43:47.280 --> 0:43:47.440 Yeah. 0:43:47.680 --> 0:43:49.120 Yeah, and I would agree with all of that. It 0:43:49.200 --> 0:43:51.200 goes back to what I just said about the profession being. 0:43:51.239 --> 0:43:52.080 Very gate kept. 0:43:52.320 --> 0:43:55.160 That is the problem, and that would take away some 0:43:55.280 --> 0:43:58.640 of that gatekeeping and take away some of the illusory 0:43:58.719 --> 0:44:00.640 power that we see that comes with the profession, which 0:44:00.680 --> 0:44:05.320 again is just trying to assert dominance over the entire populace. 0:44:05.480 --> 0:44:08.160 When we know again that this is something that affects everybody, 0:44:08.200 --> 0:44:10.200 that everybody should have a stake in, that everyone should 0:44:10.200 --> 0:44:12.080 have a saying, and everybody should be informed about. 0:44:13.160 --> 0:44:14.719 I will tune in to goo to TV. 0:44:14.840 --> 0:44:17.400 I would love to see all of the expressions that 0:44:17.480 --> 0:44:20.880 Clarence Thomas makes whenever Justice Katanji Brown Jackson decides to 0:44:20.920 --> 0:44:23.279 slam down with good some good line here or there. 0:44:23.280 --> 0:44:25.640 I would like to see it, mister Mayor. I know 0:44:25.800 --> 0:44:26.680 you joined us. 0:44:26.840 --> 0:44:29.759 I want to bring you into the conversation because a 0:44:29.840 --> 0:44:31.720 lot of big cities get a lot of attention. 0:44:32.000 --> 0:44:34.040 You know, there's a race in New Orleans right now. 0:44:34.239 --> 0:44:37.440 We talk about Detroit and LA but for some of 0:44:37.520 --> 0:44:40.400 our smaller towns that may not be in the headlines. 0:44:41.000 --> 0:44:43.920 Why should people who don't live there care about what's 0:44:43.960 --> 0:44:46.279 going on there? And how can we support some of 0:44:46.320 --> 0:44:49.200 these smaller towns because it's our way of community. No 0:44:49.320 --> 0:44:52.400 matter where we are geographically, we are one in this country. 0:44:52.520 --> 0:44:53.400 So curious your thoughts there. 0:44:53.719 --> 0:44:58.560 You know, the the manipulation that's happening in politics right now, 0:45:00.280 --> 0:45:02.880 the city doesn't matter anymore. I mean they're starting in 0:45:03.000 --> 0:45:06.760 smaller towns. It's starting with school boards. The power should 0:45:06.760 --> 0:45:08.920 be built from the bottom up. And that's what's happening 0:45:09.440 --> 0:45:12.120 to your point, what you're just talking about. You know, 0:45:12.840 --> 0:45:17.960 ignorance is the greatest currency for political manipulation. And I 0:45:18.239 --> 0:45:21.760 mean we can do for your requests for everything except 0:45:21.880 --> 0:45:27.360 this untermed limited you know, body of legal leads people. 0:45:27.920 --> 0:45:31.319 And it's so intimidating because we don't know. So if 0:45:31.360 --> 0:45:33.040 we don't know how and we can't see it, how 0:45:33.120 --> 0:45:33.960 can we be a part of it? 0:45:34.080 --> 0:45:34.200 Right? 0:45:34.840 --> 0:45:37.400 So back to the size of the towns and cities, 0:45:37.480 --> 0:45:42.000 it really doesn't matter, you know. There there's there's takeovers 0:45:42.080 --> 0:45:47.000 of you know, redistricting starting from those smaller areas. My 0:45:47.080 --> 0:45:50.160 city is almost a half million people, but I get 0:45:50.200 --> 0:45:53.239 the same representation as Wentworth, North Carolina, or somewhere else 0:45:53.280 --> 0:45:56.400 where they have maybe twenty five hundred people. That doesn't 0:45:56.400 --> 0:45:58.040 make any sense. But you want to make sure there's 0:45:58.080 --> 0:46:01.560 equal representation, Yes, we all want to make sure it's balanced. Yeah, 0:46:02.040 --> 0:46:03.080 and we're not getting that. 0:46:03.680 --> 0:46:06.200 Well, thank you so much for joining us as a 0:46:06.200 --> 0:46:08.319 really helpful insight. We'll have to have you all back. 0:46:08.719 --> 0:46:10.880 This was a really fascinating conversation to me because I 0:46:10.880 --> 0:46:13.040 had no idea about black lawyers. So that's a conversation 0:46:13.120 --> 0:46:15.640 that has to continue. And speaking of black lawyers, we're 0:46:15.640 --> 0:46:16.440 going to welcome. 0:46:16.280 --> 0:46:17.080 Yet another one. 0:46:17.680 --> 0:46:19.719 It's a very well known friend of the show, and 0:46:19.840 --> 0:46:23.960 that is, of course, Marilyn Moseby, former Baltimore State's Attorney, 0:46:24.080 --> 0:46:28.120 joins us now looking beautiful dainning a beautiful black down 0:46:28.880 --> 0:46:30.800 and we're also going to be joined by doctor Michael 0:46:30.960 --> 0:46:35.600 Eric Dyson and certainly last but not least, Congressoman Latifa 0:46:35.680 --> 0:46:40.280 Simon will also join us. Thank you please come along everybody. 0:46:40.280 --> 0:46:42.040 I have to say for our viewing audience who can't 0:46:42.080 --> 0:46:45.360 see we are a beautiful people because we see the 0:46:45.520 --> 0:46:47.440 line of people coming along. 0:46:47.960 --> 0:46:51.440 Looking beautiful and gorgeous. Oh well, thank you. 0:46:51.600 --> 0:46:53.840 I came here from the train station, so I'm in sneakers, 0:46:53.920 --> 0:46:54.320 so I'm. 0:46:54.239 --> 0:46:58.839 Hiding behind well, thank you to tell nobody, but she's 0:46:58.880 --> 0:46:59.759 been telling it all. 0:47:00.080 --> 0:47:03.239 Of Maryland, Maryland, Maryland, Maryland, Maryland. It's good to have 0:47:03.320 --> 0:47:07.600 all of our guests, Congressmoman, doctor the Doctor, michaelry Dyson, 0:47:08.480 --> 0:47:09.360 Michael Maryland. 0:47:09.800 --> 0:47:12.359 Since the last time you were with us on the show, 0:47:12.600 --> 0:47:17.040 something pretty monumental happened. As it relates to your case, 0:47:17.120 --> 0:47:23.200 which native lampod listeners, our family rallied significantly, you know, 0:47:23.280 --> 0:47:25.680 behind you on this cause. Can you let the folks 0:47:25.800 --> 0:47:28.440 know what happened and that time between now and then 0:47:28.600 --> 0:47:29.040 shore Key. 0:47:29.239 --> 0:47:31.600 Yeah, I'm so incredibly grateful to all of you. You 0:47:31.680 --> 0:47:33.880 all advocated for me. There were over one hundred thousand 0:47:33.920 --> 0:47:36.680 people that signed that part and petition. Unfortunately, the Biden 0:47:36.719 --> 0:47:39.440 administration didn't do what it needed to do. But in 0:47:39.520 --> 0:47:43.560 the end, the Court of Appeals actually reversed one of 0:47:43.640 --> 0:47:46.880 the convictions and affirmed yes, yes, the mortgage fraud conviction, 0:47:47.080 --> 0:47:49.400 the same sort of playbook that they used on me 0:47:49.520 --> 0:47:53.239 that they're executing perfectly on Lisa Cooke and Letitia James right, 0:47:53.360 --> 0:47:57.160 that same reversal of that conviction. However, they did affirm 0:47:57.320 --> 0:48:00.680 two of the perjury convictions. And mind you, these reconvictions 0:48:00.840 --> 0:48:03.320 are based off of a vague and ambiguous statute that 0:48:03.400 --> 0:48:07.040 has never been legally defined or used against anyone in 0:48:07.160 --> 0:48:11.319 this country. And so my attorneys actually, as of two 0:48:11.400 --> 0:48:14.560 days ago, filed an appeal on Bunk in front of 0:48:14.640 --> 0:48:17.520 the Fourth Circuit, which we're asking all fifteen judges to 0:48:17.680 --> 0:48:21.719 review not only the two perjury convictions that the Court 0:48:21.719 --> 0:48:22.680 of Appeals affirmed. 0:48:22.960 --> 0:48:23.360 I love it. 0:48:23.640 --> 0:48:26.520 I love it, and I want to come to Congresswoman 0:48:26.520 --> 0:48:29.920 and Simon because I begged her to stay right here 0:48:30.360 --> 0:48:32.960 for two seconds. I want you all to understand this 0:48:33.120 --> 0:48:37.120 woman is so powerful and standing on some tremendous shoulders. 0:48:37.200 --> 0:48:40.839 We know that you replaced Congresswoman Barbaraly in Congress, who 0:48:40.960 --> 0:48:43.840 is now the mayor of Oakland and you read Oakland hard. 0:48:44.480 --> 0:48:46.840 You know the best coast has always went in Latifa. 0:48:47.320 --> 0:48:49.680 But I just want you to give us a charge. 0:48:50.120 --> 0:48:52.440 We've been asking all of our guests, why are you 0:48:52.600 --> 0:48:55.280 made for this moment? And I know if there's anybody 0:48:55.360 --> 0:48:58.360 that can bring this, just you. Let's bring this word Latifa. 0:48:58.520 --> 0:49:01.600 Well, first of all, doctor I met doctor Dyson when 0:49:01.680 --> 0:49:03.920 my daughter was five years old. She's right over there, 0:49:04.000 --> 0:49:06.560 she's twenty nine, and she's an attorney. She's an attorney 0:49:06.600 --> 0:49:10.160 because there are women like miss Mosby who decided not 0:49:10.400 --> 0:49:12.960 only to study the law, but to enter the public space. 0:49:13.160 --> 0:49:15.640 These public spaces were not made for us. We know that, 0:49:15.840 --> 0:49:18.640 we know that, damn well. But we are made for 0:49:18.800 --> 0:49:21.759 the moment because we don't have a choice. Liberty and 0:49:21.960 --> 0:49:25.560 justice is so deeply ingrained in the deep DNA and 0:49:25.680 --> 0:49:28.640 bone marrow of black people. Listen, it's not easy to 0:49:28.840 --> 0:49:31.239 run for the district attorney. It's not easy to be 0:49:31.480 --> 0:49:34.799 a black academic and white institutions. It's not easy being 0:49:34.920 --> 0:49:38.080 single mothers or folks who are trying to fight cancer 0:49:38.239 --> 0:49:41.279 on budgets. Now is the time where we call a 0:49:41.400 --> 0:49:44.239 spain a spain. I'm an organizer. You know that you 0:49:44.400 --> 0:49:47.240 know that Andrew Gillum told me to run for office 0:49:47.320 --> 0:49:49.960 some years ago and got me into the Young Elected 0:49:50.000 --> 0:49:55.440 Officials Network. We are family and we have always fought charity. 0:49:55.680 --> 0:49:58.960 And here's the charge, s here's the charge. What is 0:49:59.040 --> 0:50:01.920 happening right now? We know it's not new, we know 0:50:02.080 --> 0:50:04.680 it's not new, but we are gathered here today at 0:50:04.719 --> 0:50:08.160 this conference not just to celebrate, but to force back. 0:50:08.200 --> 0:50:10.560 And I'm gonna give you a little bit of what 0:50:10.640 --> 0:50:12.240 I've learned from Dyson's text. 0:50:12.800 --> 0:50:15.960 They are trying to erase not only us, but memory. 0:50:16.280 --> 0:50:20.000 Yeah, but memory, the memory of liberation, struggle, the memory 0:50:20.160 --> 0:50:23.240 of joy through organizing and fighting. 0:50:23.480 --> 0:50:24.440 And we say hell no. 0:50:24.760 --> 0:50:26.799 So when I go into the Dome on Monday, when 0:50:26.840 --> 0:50:30.040 the Republicans will still be vacationing, we are going to 0:50:30.160 --> 0:50:32.480 get ready to throw off all that we have in me. 0:50:33.080 --> 0:50:36.000 I'm fighting for the mothers who doesn't have quarters for laundry. 0:50:36.239 --> 0:50:39.160 I'm not just fighting for a democracy. I watch that mother. 0:50:39.360 --> 0:50:42.800 I am fighting sus for the mothers who are literally 0:50:43.120 --> 0:50:47.759 taking their children out of clinical trials because this damn 0:50:47.800 --> 0:50:50.240 administration is defunding the NIH. 0:50:50.560 --> 0:50:52.200 Listen, our lives are on the line. 0:50:52.400 --> 0:50:54.919 The only thing that we have to lose is our lives. 0:50:54.960 --> 0:50:56.000 And the last thing that I'll. 0:50:55.880 --> 0:51:00.719 Say Asada, if she's taught us anything, all right, anything, 0:51:02.239 --> 0:51:03.719 live and die free. 0:51:04.200 --> 0:51:07.879 Yes, yes, thank you, Congresswoman, thank you both. 0:51:08.640 --> 0:51:11.200 We got We gotta close out this amazing panel with 0:51:12.000 --> 0:51:15.959 the rightful preacher that I know I call a mentor Dad. 0:51:16.160 --> 0:51:18.759 This is doctor Dyson, and we have some special guests 0:51:18.800 --> 0:51:21.680 coming right up. But doctor Dyson, we are made for 0:51:21.840 --> 0:51:23.880 this moment because. 0:51:25.080 --> 0:51:27.520 As my pastor used to say, we've already come through 0:51:27.600 --> 0:51:30.320 what we've come to, right, We've been here before. 0:51:30.400 --> 0:51:31.959 I've been reading a brilliant book. 0:51:31.960 --> 0:51:33.879 I guess I'm not allowed to say what book I'm reading, 0:51:34.280 --> 0:51:38.000 but it reminds us that we have faced all the 0:51:38.040 --> 0:51:39.000 stuff we facing out. 0:51:39.600 --> 0:51:41.560 Racism is a dry run for fascism. 0:51:42.200 --> 0:51:47.440 Everything that fascism fears, racists have already visited upon black people, 0:51:47.840 --> 0:51:52.200 whether calling our congresswomen out of their names, these inveterate 0:51:52.320 --> 0:51:56.400 viragos who stalk the horizon with their viciousness and vitriol, 0:51:56.480 --> 0:51:57.400 we face that before. 0:51:57.760 --> 0:51:59.880 So we're based in the. 0:52:00.080 --> 0:52:02.640 Reality of this moment, because we don't limit ourselves to 0:52:02.760 --> 0:52:05.400 this moment. And so I think Howard Thurman said it 0:52:05.520 --> 0:52:09.680 best our slave. Fore parents refuse to reduce their dreams 0:52:09.800 --> 0:52:13.440 to what they confronted immediately. They borrowed from the future 0:52:13.480 --> 0:52:16.560 in order to articulate a goal and aspiration for their 0:52:16.640 --> 0:52:18.680 kids that they could never imagine. So I'm glad to 0:52:18.760 --> 0:52:21.400 be an inheritance of that profound legacy. 0:52:21.680 --> 0:52:22.680 And we got to continue. 0:52:22.719 --> 0:52:26.360 And let's be real, Black women in particular have always 0:52:26.480 --> 0:52:29.480 saved not only the race, but America. So I look 0:52:29.520 --> 0:52:31.919 forward to the day when we look past this. Last 0:52:31.960 --> 0:52:34.640 time I checked, God ain't resigned. If God ain't resigned, 0:52:34.920 --> 0:52:36.480 that means God is going to be here when other 0:52:36.520 --> 0:52:37.719 people are dead, gone. 0:52:37.560 --> 0:52:38.960 Buried, or out of office. 0:52:39.200 --> 0:52:41.560 So we continue to fight because we have the strength 0:52:41.840 --> 0:52:43.319 of our ancestors behind us. 0:52:43.600 --> 0:52:47.560 We love, thank you, enjoy the dinner. We will see 0:52:47.640 --> 0:53:00.919 y'all in there just shortly, beautiful and at this time 0:53:01.719 --> 0:53:05.160 we are being joined by some more living legend. Y'all 0:53:05.200 --> 0:53:09.160 hugging right in front of our CRI is so sweet. 0:53:09.520 --> 0:53:12.000 But y'all got to see black love, Black family, right. 0:53:12.480 --> 0:53:17.040 And speaking of black family, we have the opportunity to 0:53:17.200 --> 0:53:21.440 be joined by some incredible people who are coming up 0:53:21.520 --> 0:53:24.360 in just a moment. They are an incredible black family. 0:53:24.480 --> 0:53:28.560 They exude black love. They are our good sister and 0:53:28.719 --> 0:53:32.719 brother from the state of Maryland. They are coming right up. 0:53:33.120 --> 0:53:38.839 They're just hugging another Marylander. But literally everybody's welcoming then 0:53:38.880 --> 0:53:40.960 because they are the black y'all, come sit together. Right 0:53:41.040 --> 0:53:44.480 here next to to this is the Governor y'all of Maryland, 0:53:44.560 --> 0:53:48.240 Wes Moore and the first Lady Don Moore. They're taking 0:53:48.320 --> 0:53:49.319 a picture and that. 0:53:49.480 --> 0:53:51.839 They will join because he was known as the other 0:53:51.960 --> 0:53:54.320 wes Moore for so long and he is not the 0:53:54.440 --> 0:53:55.200 other wes Moore. 0:53:55.280 --> 0:53:57.279 Who is the other wes Moore. This is the only one. 0:53:58.120 --> 0:54:02.719 We love y'all, thank you so much. 0:54:03.400 --> 0:54:05.920 While they're allading, you know, I know we always say 0:54:06.040 --> 0:54:09.480 the CZC, but we hugged while they're getting seated, guy, 0:54:09.600 --> 0:54:12.480 I will tell you a story of my book club 0:54:12.719 --> 0:54:14.160 read the other wes Moore. 0:54:15.200 --> 0:54:17.799 This was maybe ten years ago, maybe a little more 0:54:17.840 --> 0:54:20.879 than ten years ago, and you were in labor at 0:54:20.920 --> 0:54:24.040 the time, and the other wes Moore was still kind 0:54:24.200 --> 0:54:27.799 enough to dial into our book club so he can participate. 0:54:27.960 --> 0:54:29.320 So this brother is committed. 0:54:29.400 --> 0:54:31.480 So I'm so thankful to have you both on the show. 0:54:31.960 --> 0:54:32.480 I love it. 0:54:32.800 --> 0:54:35.040 I want to know how y'all are feeling right now, 0:54:35.160 --> 0:54:37.240 this is gonna be a special moment for you tonight 0:54:37.280 --> 0:54:38.920 as well. Talk about what you're gonna be doing at 0:54:38.960 --> 0:54:41.760 the CBC Foundation dinner, Governor, Well. 0:54:41.960 --> 0:54:44.600 Listen, first, were so excited to be at an award 0:54:44.680 --> 0:54:46.719 dinner where you are going to be recognized. 0:54:46.239 --> 0:54:51.000 And yes, thank you very much, thank you, thank you. 0:54:51.239 --> 0:54:53.680 It is so well deserved. And listen, I mean, I 0:54:53.760 --> 0:54:56.399 think for both of us, this is just a night 0:54:56.480 --> 0:54:56.920 of lyft. 0:54:58.040 --> 0:54:59.160 We got to get your mic closer. 0:54:59.239 --> 0:55:01.520 I was like, I can't even I apologize. I mean, 0:55:01.719 --> 0:55:04.520 this is just a night of lyft and a filling up. 0:55:04.760 --> 0:55:08.480 And I think, honestly, like these past weeks and months 0:55:08.520 --> 0:55:11.799 for so many people has been so draining, has been 0:55:11.880 --> 0:55:16.440 so tiring, has been so exhausting, and so like tonight 0:55:16.640 --> 0:55:19.839 is a night to remind us just how powerful we are, 0:55:20.680 --> 0:55:23.480 just how important we are, just how just how important 0:55:23.480 --> 0:55:25.400 we are inside this moment, and it's a time to 0:55:25.480 --> 0:55:29.560 go out there and laugh and smile and celebrate and 0:55:29.760 --> 0:55:32.480 celebrate what excellence is. And so honestly, like you know, 0:55:32.760 --> 0:55:35.200 to have a chance to be here with each of y'all, 0:55:35.560 --> 0:55:37.880 to have a chance to have a date night, my bride. 0:55:38.760 --> 0:55:42.399 But honestly, Angel, I'm telling you, it means so much 0:55:42.480 --> 0:55:44.680 to us to watch you lift it up, and so 0:55:44.840 --> 0:55:47.040 tonight is a real joy, and tonight is a blessing 0:55:47.120 --> 0:55:49.239 for all of us to watch you be celebrated for 0:55:49.280 --> 0:55:49.800 the work that you do. 0:55:49.880 --> 0:55:50.920 I love that. I love that. 0:55:51.320 --> 0:55:54.440 Well, we first, Lady, we're not gonna give you softballs 0:55:54.480 --> 0:55:59.360 today because you yeah, we know, we know you're broad 0:55:59.520 --> 0:56:05.200 intellection and otherwise capacity, so as a leader on this 0:56:05.320 --> 0:56:09.000 stage as well, because we know that our governors need partners. 0:56:09.040 --> 0:56:11.800 In fact, some of the best advice and guidance we 0:56:11.880 --> 0:56:14.640 get are from those partners, and I would imagine the 0:56:14.719 --> 0:56:18.360 same may be true in this case. As you analyze 0:56:18.360 --> 0:56:20.440 the moment that we found ourselves in, not just in 0:56:20.560 --> 0:56:24.000 the state of Maryland, but around the country, what would 0:56:24.040 --> 0:56:28.320 you diagnose are the things that are missing in this movement, 0:56:28.480 --> 0:56:32.680 in this space, in this counterbalancing to autocracy. 0:56:33.320 --> 0:56:35.120 What do you think is missing that you would. 0:56:34.960 --> 0:56:39.400 Charge your fellow Americans and Black Americans most specifically with 0:56:39.600 --> 0:56:43.160 needing to step up on if we're going to win 0:56:43.239 --> 0:56:43.640 this race. 0:56:43.880 --> 0:56:46.680 Well, first, let me just say thank you for this platform, 0:56:46.840 --> 0:56:49.919 thank you for everything that you all do. I love 0:56:50.440 --> 0:56:53.040 that you know the theme of this weekend is that 0:56:53.120 --> 0:56:55.560 we are made for this moment and that is a fact. 0:56:55.640 --> 0:56:58.480 So what I would say is for us to continue fighting. 0:56:59.600 --> 0:57:02.440 It's it's not what we're missing is that sometimes the 0:57:02.520 --> 0:57:05.520 fight is long and we just have to continue on 0:57:05.640 --> 0:57:10.000 that path and we can't give way to despair. We 0:57:10.400 --> 0:57:13.480 cannot be scared to keep stepping up. When I think 0:57:13.520 --> 0:57:16.680 about my husband, I tell everybody this, I never knew 0:57:16.720 --> 0:57:18.840 I would marry a governor, but I knew I was 0:57:18.920 --> 0:57:22.440 marrying a soldier. And now it's time to soldier on. 0:57:23.240 --> 0:57:25.800 And this is what we're doing, and we have the ability. 0:57:26.040 --> 0:57:29.120 We're here to celebrate. We're here to talk about the 0:57:29.200 --> 0:57:31.640 great work that the CBC is doing, that we are 0:57:31.920 --> 0:57:34.560 all are doing. But then we get back to work 0:57:34.680 --> 0:57:37.440 after we celebrate, and that's what I would say that 0:57:37.520 --> 0:57:38.520 we continue to do. 0:57:38.840 --> 0:57:41.120 Okay, Can I ask all a black love question? Really cozy? 0:57:41.360 --> 0:57:44.200 Since you brought it up. I think it's so important 0:57:44.280 --> 0:57:46.520 for and Wes. This is going to come to you. 0:57:46.600 --> 0:57:49.760 Here's a not softball for you. When people think about 0:57:50.080 --> 0:57:54.920 choosing partners, they say that who you married determines if 0:57:54.960 --> 0:57:57.520 you are you elevate to your next level to your 0:57:57.560 --> 0:57:59.520 highest purpose and what you do or you get pulled 0:57:59.560 --> 0:58:02.680 all the way down. Talk about what you saw in Dawn, 0:58:03.480 --> 0:58:07.080 the first Lady of Maryland that made you know like, oh, 0:58:07.160 --> 0:58:11.040 she definitely gonna elevate me. I'm gonna get upgraded. But yo, 0:58:11.240 --> 0:58:13.120 so actually this I'm laughing, but I'm serious. 0:58:13.120 --> 0:58:13.520 I love that. 0:58:14.040 --> 0:58:18.720 I'm no, So it's so it's real. There are actually 0:58:18.760 --> 0:58:20.480 a couple of moments when I was like, oh, she's 0:58:20.600 --> 0:58:23.760 just different. Yes, and you're right, man, I was like, 0:58:24.440 --> 0:58:28.840 I have seen good people become great by the people 0:58:28.920 --> 0:58:31.840 they've chosen to have as their life partner. And I've 0:58:31.840 --> 0:58:35.120 seen great people become less than good by the people 0:58:35.120 --> 0:58:38.720 who they chosen to have as their as their life partner. 0:58:39.000 --> 0:58:40.560 Because this is like, this is real. 0:58:40.920 --> 0:58:43.640 Yeah, it's the it's the person who you wake up 0:58:43.680 --> 0:58:46.840 to every morning. Yeah, it's the last face you see 0:58:46.880 --> 0:58:50.400 every night. It's the person who and I'm telling you 0:58:50.840 --> 0:58:53.200 it was so crazy. So first of all, I tell you, 0:58:53.720 --> 0:58:55.440 there were a whole bunch of moments as we were 0:58:55.680 --> 0:58:57.800 like dating that I was like, oh, she again, she's 0:58:57.840 --> 0:59:00.120 just different, Like I remember someone she remembers this. The 0:59:00.160 --> 0:59:03.360 first gift she gave me was It was the Christmas 0:59:04.280 --> 0:59:07.200 after we first started dating, and she gave me a 0:59:07.240 --> 0:59:09.640 bunch of a few things, but she gave me a 0:59:09.760 --> 0:59:13.600 speech by Voklibhabo about the importance of democracy and how 0:59:13.600 --> 0:59:16.440 to defendimoxy. I'm like, yo, most of the people I've 0:59:16.480 --> 0:59:20.080 dealt with before, I didn't know Whobabo even was. But like, 0:59:20.600 --> 0:59:23.840 I saw how like she thought deeply about this stuff 0:59:24.600 --> 0:59:26.680 in a way that frankly, in many ways, I never 0:59:27.120 --> 0:59:29.000 had thought about it before. But I'm gonna tell you. 0:59:29.040 --> 0:59:32.240 I'm gonna tell you a quick story. I remember when 0:59:32.240 --> 0:59:34.840 I was running for governor, and I had never run 0:59:34.880 --> 0:59:38.800 for office before my life, so everything was new, all 0:59:38.920 --> 0:59:40.560 the stuff, and she was like, listen, let me tell 0:59:40.560 --> 0:59:42.760 you how this thing's gonna go down, and here's how 0:59:42.760 --> 0:59:44.360 they're gonna come at you, and here's how it is. 0:59:44.760 --> 0:59:48.280 And she was like and at some point when the 0:59:48.400 --> 0:59:51.560 attacks started coming this and that, She's like, it's because 0:59:51.560 --> 0:59:52.840 they're finally starting to pay attention. 0:59:52.920 --> 0:59:53.240 That's right. 0:59:53.400 --> 0:59:53.600 Yeah. 0:59:53.960 --> 0:59:58.400 And I remember it was April of twenty twenty two, 0:59:58.760 --> 1:00:02.080 the election year, and out of nowhere, I'm like, I 1:00:02.280 --> 1:00:05.440 just started watching all these attacks, all these lies, all 1:00:05.480 --> 1:00:08.280 this sudd I'm like yo, what is going on? And 1:00:08.360 --> 1:00:10.880 it literally just happened like over a three week period. 1:00:10.960 --> 1:00:14.360 It was like this onslaught. Yeah, And I remember getting 1:00:14.440 --> 1:00:16.720 up one morning and being like mad, It's like, I 1:00:16.760 --> 1:00:18.920 gotta go through all this stuff again. And I was 1:00:18.960 --> 1:00:20.880 getting up when I was going in the bathroom and 1:00:21.000 --> 1:00:23.720 I turned the corner and she was standing right there 1:00:25.160 --> 1:00:28.200 and she put my face in her hands and she 1:00:28.360 --> 1:00:31.480 just looked in my eyes and she said, it's because 1:00:32.080 --> 1:00:32.600 you're winning. 1:00:33.880 --> 1:00:34.400 Keep going. 1:00:36.200 --> 1:00:39.360 And at that moment when I was like, yo, why 1:00:39.400 --> 1:00:42.680 did I sign up to do this? Why did we 1:00:42.760 --> 1:00:46.360 give up our life for this? And I looked in 1:00:46.440 --> 1:00:51.400 her eyes and it was all the reminder that she needed. 1:00:51.480 --> 1:00:53.360 She's like, listen, we in this together and we're gonna 1:00:53.360 --> 1:00:55.240 be Okay. I warned you what was going to happen. 1:00:55.960 --> 1:00:59.960 The moment the attacks are coming, it's not because they're 1:01:00.120 --> 1:01:01.000 they're not thinking about you. 1:01:03.000 --> 1:01:06.080 Listen, this is my last point. But I have to 1:01:06.120 --> 1:01:08.000 say this because I'm and Donna's gonna be like, why 1:01:08.000 --> 1:01:10.000 are you telling family business? But I'm about to family business. 1:01:10.320 --> 1:01:12.600 So y'all, this is how I want you all to know. 1:01:12.720 --> 1:01:16.120 This is not a commercial. Yeah, this is real. Don 1:01:16.320 --> 1:01:18.760 isis this is my sister for real. And let me 1:01:18.840 --> 1:01:22.160 tell y'all why we got in a real fight and 1:01:22.440 --> 1:01:25.439 not like fist fight, but right I would never swing. 1:01:25.760 --> 1:01:29.000 She would win, by the way. Let me tell you 1:01:29.880 --> 1:01:34.040 don rides for this man, believes in this man. And 1:01:34.120 --> 1:01:35.680 I was like, what about that? And I she was like, 1:01:35.840 --> 1:01:38.320 let me tell you something. My husband. Once she got 1:01:38.400 --> 1:01:41.160 to my husband the fifth time, I was like, you 1:01:41.320 --> 1:01:44.560 know what, y'all, I'm gonna make sure he knows he 1:01:44.680 --> 1:01:47.640 got a writer for real. And I think that there's 1:01:47.760 --> 1:01:52.000 something about that that is so magical. We believe in you, brother, 1:01:52.400 --> 1:01:56.160 But this sister right here, she might win me along somebody. 1:01:56.480 --> 1:01:59.520 I love it so much because it was so clear 1:01:59.640 --> 1:02:02.160 I was I love this for him, and I love 1:02:02.200 --> 1:02:02.520 it for you. 1:02:02.920 --> 1:02:06.680 We love you, we love you, and it's real. 1:02:06.880 --> 1:02:10.520 It's real because I say, like, like, I'm telling you, 1:02:10.960 --> 1:02:13.880 you can't say nothing about this lady to me. Yeah, 1:02:14.880 --> 1:02:18.040 I'm telling you, like she knows I got her front back, 1:02:18.120 --> 1:02:20.840 whatever it is. And also I know it's the same 1:02:20.920 --> 1:02:24.320 thing for her, and like this is why I mean, like, listen, 1:02:24.800 --> 1:02:27.920 God is I always say, man, It's like I get 1:02:27.960 --> 1:02:30.760 a reminder every single day that God loves me. Yeah, 1:02:31.520 --> 1:02:34.880 because he plays Dawn in my life and that's the 1:02:35.000 --> 1:02:39.040 reminder that I needed God. God loves me, and I'm 1:02:39.080 --> 1:02:39.600 grateful for that. 1:02:40.320 --> 1:02:42.960 Because we're on this black love theme, I mean, because 1:02:43.000 --> 1:02:43.480 I really do. 1:02:43.760 --> 1:02:46.520 Now is a moment when I say for informing and reading, 1:02:46.560 --> 1:02:47.919 it's also a time for love. 1:02:48.440 --> 1:02:50.760 I mean, we are going through collective. 1:02:50.320 --> 1:02:53.680 Trauma right now, and it feels sometimes that we're in 1:02:53.760 --> 1:02:56.640 our own silos. Young people don't know how to approach 1:02:56.680 --> 1:02:59.880 each other because they they've grown up with nothing but phones, 1:03:00.200 --> 1:03:05.120 text People are pretending to be okay with casual and 1:03:05.520 --> 1:03:07.640 you know, not so serious things, and we see the 1:03:07.760 --> 1:03:10.720 power of what happens, and the very thing that helped 1:03:10.800 --> 1:03:14.280 us survive this four hundred year nightmare was our love 1:03:14.400 --> 1:03:16.440 for each other, the way we would show up for 1:03:16.600 --> 1:03:20.360 each other. So for people who are younger looking for 1:03:20.680 --> 1:03:24.920 life partners, for people who are just navigating this space, 1:03:25.000 --> 1:03:28.560 I'm curious what advice you guys might offer at a 1:03:28.640 --> 1:03:31.920 time such as this, where our politics impact our hearts, 1:03:32.000 --> 1:03:36.240 impact our lives. What should we consider navigating this jungle 1:03:36.280 --> 1:03:36.640 out there? 1:03:38.400 --> 1:03:42.240 You know I would say this when I fell in 1:03:42.360 --> 1:03:45.560 love with Wes, I fell in love with a whole person. 1:03:46.760 --> 1:03:49.440 I didn't fall in love with someone that needed to 1:03:50.080 --> 1:03:52.520 be fixed, someone who needed. 1:03:53.920 --> 1:03:56.480 Me to be his mother. He had all those things. 1:03:57.760 --> 1:04:01.439 And what I found in Wes was that we were 1:04:01.720 --> 1:04:06.560 equally yoked. We had the same value system and it 1:04:06.720 --> 1:04:09.720 wasn't that hard. I didn't have to force him to 1:04:09.840 --> 1:04:12.720 love me, and he didn't have to force me to 1:04:12.880 --> 1:04:16.560 love him. And I think sometimes we have to realize that, 1:04:17.240 --> 1:04:17.440 you know. 1:04:17.520 --> 1:04:18.200 You find love. 1:04:18.280 --> 1:04:20.320 Wes and I we joke, we say our marriage is 1:04:20.360 --> 1:04:24.200 an arranged marriage because we were introduced and it was 1:04:24.240 --> 1:04:27.320 a beautiful way for us to meet. That doesn't happen 1:04:27.440 --> 1:04:29.480 for everybody, although I had a lot of girlfriends like. 1:04:29.600 --> 1:04:31.479 Do you think your aunt knows anybody else? 1:04:31.840 --> 1:04:37.480 But but the truth of the matter is is that 1:04:37.640 --> 1:04:44.360 it wasn't hard, and the value system was there, and 1:04:44.480 --> 1:04:45.440 that's it, you know. 1:04:45.640 --> 1:04:47.880 And we worked as not to say that. We never 1:04:48.040 --> 1:04:50.240 ever question are we going to do this for life? 1:04:50.320 --> 1:04:53.840 In the beginning, of course, we had all those honest conversations, 1:04:54.200 --> 1:04:57.080 but when it came down to it, we valued family, 1:04:57.480 --> 1:05:00.960 We wanted the same things we wanted to serve. We 1:05:01.120 --> 1:05:03.720 both had a deep belief in our faith and in God, 1:05:04.360 --> 1:05:06.920 and that was enough and so it was a blessing. 1:05:07.480 --> 1:05:10.000 It was a blessing, but we put the work in 1:05:10.520 --> 1:05:13.440 and we stay true to what was important to us. 1:05:14.760 --> 1:05:17.120 I bet y'all did not become governor first lady thinking 1:05:17.160 --> 1:05:19.800 you would be the interviewed. 1:05:19.400 --> 1:05:22.760 On marriage, life, love partnership. 1:05:23.600 --> 1:05:26.600 So a good deviation probably from the normal rigor of 1:05:27.200 --> 1:05:30.000 interviews that you get. But I do want to just 1:05:30.080 --> 1:05:32.040 connect one other thing before we let you all go, 1:05:32.200 --> 1:05:35.680 and that is as the only sitting black governor in 1:05:35.760 --> 1:05:38.120 the United States right now, and we know that many 1:05:38.160 --> 1:05:41.000 have tried and there are many more who are attempting 1:05:41.640 --> 1:05:45.920 that feat right now in this cycle a state that 1:05:46.120 --> 1:05:50.560 has pretty prosperous African Americans. But also you've got the 1:05:50.680 --> 1:05:54.760 reflection of our community from the highest earners to the 1:05:54.880 --> 1:05:58.520 lowest earners yet hardest workers. How do you all balance 1:05:59.160 --> 1:06:02.280 your leadership for the state where you have a diverse 1:06:02.320 --> 1:06:05.680 state without a doubt, but the expectations of our people, 1:06:05.760 --> 1:06:09.160 which have to be even more greatly animated that they 1:06:09.240 --> 1:06:12.120 have they see themselves reflected in their governor and first lady, 1:06:12.640 --> 1:06:15.040 how do you tend to those needs, give them the 1:06:15.120 --> 1:06:19.000 proper attention well at the same time sort of fighting 1:06:19.080 --> 1:06:22.520 off this expectation that you're only serving your people and 1:06:22.680 --> 1:06:25.600 not the rest of fotes or the impression that you're 1:06:25.680 --> 1:06:29.080 only serving everybody else and you're taking us for granted. 1:06:29.240 --> 1:06:31.400 How do you balance that end? 1:06:32.080 --> 1:06:32.240 You know? 1:06:33.160 --> 1:06:37.320 And first I'll say that I am the only black 1:06:37.400 --> 1:06:39.680 governor in the country right now, and that's not a 1:06:39.720 --> 1:06:41.680 title that I want to hold on to for very long. Yeah, 1:06:42.560 --> 1:06:45.280 we've got to make sure we are getting more black 1:06:45.480 --> 1:06:49.080 chief executives in the United States of America because you 1:06:49.240 --> 1:06:52.280 just realize, as you know, brother, like the power of 1:06:52.400 --> 1:06:53.680 a governor is unique. 1:06:54.080 --> 1:06:54.479 For sure. 1:06:54.960 --> 1:06:56.360 The budgets start with the governor. 1:06:57.080 --> 1:06:57.200 Right. 1:06:57.680 --> 1:07:01.280 For something to become a bill of law, it requires 1:07:01.320 --> 1:07:05.000 a governor, right. So it's like we have to be 1:07:05.120 --> 1:07:08.320 able to focus on and unapologetically say we need to 1:07:08.440 --> 1:07:11.720 have more chief executives in this country. I mean, there's 1:07:11.800 --> 1:07:14.120 no reason, Like when people celebrate, they're like, you know, 1:07:14.240 --> 1:07:17.080 you're only the third African American ever elected governor in 1:07:17.120 --> 1:07:19.080 the history of the United States. I was like, that's 1:07:19.120 --> 1:07:22.919 not a celebration, it's an indictment that in the history 1:07:22.920 --> 1:07:25.720 of this country three And you can't tell me again, 1:07:25.800 --> 1:07:27.400 like you said that I'm only the third African American 1:07:27.440 --> 1:07:29.320 ever qualified to be a governor. 1:07:29.880 --> 1:07:31.960 So I'll put that. 1:07:32.760 --> 1:07:35.200 The second thing I will say, though, is this is 1:07:35.680 --> 1:07:39.280 the reason that I am unapologetic about focusing our policies 1:07:39.360 --> 1:07:42.000 on making sure we're uplifting black people. The reason that 1:07:42.080 --> 1:07:44.360 we talk about, yes, we do procurement reform in the 1:07:44.400 --> 1:07:46.880 state of Maryland that has procurre reform that focus on 1:07:46.920 --> 1:07:49.320 black businesses, where since I'm been the governor, we've now 1:07:49.400 --> 1:07:52.080 done procure reform that's now allocated over eight hundred million 1:07:52.160 --> 1:07:56.640 dollars to black own businesses, unapologetically, that we've put over 1:07:56.760 --> 1:08:01.520 one point three billion dollars towards Maryland's HBCUs, unapologetically. But 1:08:01.720 --> 1:08:05.280 the reason I say we do this is because if 1:08:05.360 --> 1:08:07.400 you are not and do not have a focus on 1:08:07.520 --> 1:08:10.360 lifting up black communities, you cannot have a focus on 1:08:10.480 --> 1:08:12.640 lifting up your jurisdiction that you serve. 1:08:13.720 --> 1:08:15.800 That that this country. 1:08:16.280 --> 1:08:19.879 For the past twenty years we have lost sixteen trillion 1:08:19.960 --> 1:08:23.760 dollars in GDP because of the racial wealth gap. That's 1:08:23.800 --> 1:08:27.519 not GDP of a group, that's right, that's GDP. So 1:08:27.800 --> 1:08:31.920 racism is expensive and this country will never be able 1:08:31.960 --> 1:08:35.560 to fulfill this promise as long as we have policies 1:08:35.920 --> 1:08:40.559 that continue to harm, policies that continue to push back, 1:08:40.760 --> 1:08:43.200 policies that do not have an economic lift for Black 1:08:43.600 --> 1:08:46.839 Americans and in my case, black Marylanders. So the reason 1:08:46.920 --> 1:08:49.760 that I say we have to have these this lens, 1:08:50.000 --> 1:08:52.320 we have to focus on the racial wealth gap. The 1:08:52.439 --> 1:08:55.599 reason that we say that is because it's not because 1:08:55.720 --> 1:08:58.640 I'm saying that, you know, this is because this is 1:08:58.720 --> 1:09:01.400 a zero sum game. I'm like, no, No, The way 1:09:01.479 --> 1:09:03.960 this country has historically been has been a zero sum game. 1:09:04.600 --> 1:09:07.519 And if you actually want to lift everybody, then make 1:09:07.560 --> 1:09:09.800 sure you have a specific focus on black folks and 1:09:09.840 --> 1:09:11.920 making sure there's real opportunities of black folks can benefit. 1:09:12.880 --> 1:09:13.040 Well. 1:09:13.120 --> 1:09:16.360 We so appreciate you all, and we will definitely see 1:09:16.400 --> 1:09:17.160 you all inside. 1:09:17.320 --> 1:09:17.519 Y'all. 1:09:17.600 --> 1:09:21.240 This is the Governor and first Lady of Maryland making 1:09:21.439 --> 1:09:24.200 history and also making change. We so appreciate y'all. 1:09:24.320 --> 1:09:25.160 We appreciate you. 1:09:26.360 --> 1:09:28.120 Congrats on winning the Dad Games with y'all. 1:09:28.200 --> 1:09:32.000 Do that was dope? 1:09:46.680 --> 1:09:49.400 All right? We are so grateful to be joined. 1:09:49.600 --> 1:09:53.439 Uh hey, celebrity fests out here. I just Claudia Jordan 1:09:53.600 --> 1:09:56.400 walk up. Yeah, all kind of people. 1:09:56.240 --> 1:09:58.479 Are here at the Personal Black Caucast Center. We see, well, 1:09:58.840 --> 1:10:02.120 you have to get Congresswoman Joyce Baty. This is a 1:10:02.200 --> 1:10:06.000 woman that wears many, many hats and is always making 1:10:06.080 --> 1:10:09.679 history using her voice boldly. I love this, she said 1:10:09.720 --> 1:10:12.320 when we were talking about bringing native lampod back. She's like, 1:10:12.439 --> 1:10:15.120 of course it's coming back. This is my legacy. And 1:10:15.200 --> 1:10:25.120 look at you got some Yes she is gold. Okay, absolutely, yes, ma'am. 1:10:25.200 --> 1:10:28.160 And then we also have joining us with Miss Batty, 1:10:28.520 --> 1:10:31.840 Raina Walters Morgan. She is the vice Chair for Civic 1:10:31.920 --> 1:10:36.320 Engagement and Voter Participation for the d NC. MSS Batty, 1:10:36.360 --> 1:10:39.840 We're gonna start with you. I want to talk about 1:10:39.920 --> 1:10:42.720 this theme this year. We've been talking to all of 1:10:42.800 --> 1:10:44.600 our guests about what it means to be made for 1:10:44.680 --> 1:10:49.720 this moment. You all had a really tough vote just 1:10:49.920 --> 1:10:54.280 last week with this resolution honoring the life of Charlie 1:10:54.320 --> 1:10:58.120 kirk Ben and to really put the Caucus in a 1:10:58.320 --> 1:11:02.240 really tough pozion. I'm really where you're seeing kind of 1:11:02.840 --> 1:11:04.800 the caucus burst apart at the seams. And I'm not 1:11:04.880 --> 1:11:07.720 talking about the CBC, I mean the Democratic caucas is right. 1:11:08.120 --> 1:11:10.920 Talk about what you think the path forward is, particularly 1:11:11.040 --> 1:11:12.559 if we need to be made for this moment. 1:11:13.200 --> 1:11:16.439 I think the path forward on that is for us 1:11:16.600 --> 1:11:20.240 to be blatantly clear that when we talk about made 1:11:20.360 --> 1:11:23.680 for this moment, and we talk about the three subsets 1:11:23.760 --> 1:11:27.840 to that, and that is policy and progress and power. 1:11:28.560 --> 1:11:33.679 That is power and policy and progress. So everything else 1:11:33.880 --> 1:11:37.559 we do, we have to share it and better educate 1:11:37.760 --> 1:11:41.240 the message and why we're doing something, because we all 1:11:41.320 --> 1:11:42.320 have different jobs. 1:11:42.760 --> 1:11:45.680 But I was very clear that I can mourn. 1:11:46.040 --> 1:11:50.400 Someone's death and not celebrate their life and legacy. And 1:11:50.520 --> 1:11:52.800 so I think it was clear because I told my 1:11:52.960 --> 1:11:55.920 folks back home that be real clear. I'm a no, 1:11:56.280 --> 1:12:00.439 I'm a real clear note. And here is why people 1:12:00.640 --> 1:12:04.320 have other jobs to do in trying to make sure 1:12:04.360 --> 1:12:07.240 our leadership. You know, I speak truth to power. You know, 1:12:07.280 --> 1:12:11.000 it was very difficult. We took some hard hits as Democrats. 1:12:11.360 --> 1:12:14.360 Our leader took hard hits. But we have three leaders 1:12:14.400 --> 1:12:17.479 that made that decision. And too often it's only the 1:12:17.600 --> 1:12:21.400 black person that everybody wants to come after when you 1:12:21.479 --> 1:12:22.360 have shared power. 1:12:22.680 --> 1:12:23.840 But that's the way it is. 1:12:24.320 --> 1:12:27.040 But I can tell you with the Congressional Black Caucus, 1:12:27.400 --> 1:12:30.680 we have been on point with This conference has been 1:12:30.800 --> 1:12:35.240 one of our best conferences in the minority without the presidency, 1:12:35.560 --> 1:12:38.439 and we have the vice president coming today, we have 1:12:38.640 --> 1:12:40.960 Wes Moore that's going to be on this stage, and 1:12:41.080 --> 1:12:45.080 we have Angela Rod getting a fitting award on this stage. Yes, 1:12:45.200 --> 1:12:48.200 but I say that because those are the kinds of 1:12:48.320 --> 1:12:52.320 things that the public needs to see, especially now that 1:12:52.479 --> 1:12:55.840 we have brought back the vice president. We have Raina here, 1:12:55.920 --> 1:12:59.120 and it's not by accident. This sister is the baddest 1:12:59.240 --> 1:13:03.840 sister at the DNC that was elected to do all 1:13:03.960 --> 1:13:07.640 of our engagement talking about voter registration and how we 1:13:07.760 --> 1:13:08.240 get out there. 1:13:08.479 --> 1:13:09.400 And I get to be the. 1:13:09.560 --> 1:13:11.920 Associate chair of the DNC. 1:13:12.120 --> 1:13:14.760 So I'm wearing a whole lot of hats today, but 1:13:14.880 --> 1:13:18.360 I think we just have to educate our young folks. 1:13:18.840 --> 1:13:22.759 Today I was with seven hundred folks, all probably between 1:13:22.960 --> 1:13:27.280 twenty nine and forty five, and it was amazing to 1:13:27.400 --> 1:13:31.320 see how thirsty they were for made for this moment. 1:13:31.800 --> 1:13:34.360 So we have to engage them. But we have to 1:13:34.400 --> 1:13:36.680 sit down and have a better dialogue. And that's why 1:13:36.800 --> 1:13:40.360 I like this podcast, and I will fight every year 1:13:40.520 --> 1:13:43.920 because this is my legacy of making sure that this 1:13:44.160 --> 1:13:45.200 podcast exists. 1:13:45.880 --> 1:13:47.760 Breaking a little bit of news saying Angela's get in 1:13:47.840 --> 1:13:49.880 the world. So I do want our viewing audience to 1:13:50.040 --> 1:13:52.360 know that you guys are in for a special treat 1:13:52.439 --> 1:13:55.920 because you will be treated to Angela's acceptance speech here 1:13:56.800 --> 1:13:58.840 before anyone else gets to hear it. So please stay 1:13:58.880 --> 1:14:00.680 tuned to the end of the show for I want 1:14:00.720 --> 1:14:03.560 to revisit something you said, congresswomen, because so many of 1:14:03.680 --> 1:14:06.599 our listeners are deeply engaged and they take ownership over 1:14:06.720 --> 1:14:10.240 this platform. A lot of people were very troubled and 1:14:10.400 --> 1:14:12.519 hurt by some of the yes votes, and you said 1:14:13.439 --> 1:14:15.880 a lot of times it's only the black people who 1:14:16.120 --> 1:14:18.599 they come after. And I think for our viewing audience, 1:14:18.840 --> 1:14:22.639 they come after our community because they expect the most 1:14:23.200 --> 1:14:26.160 out of our community. What might you offer them? You 1:14:26.360 --> 1:14:29.719 voted no, But what might you offer them? The people 1:14:29.760 --> 1:14:32.920 who are have a righteous anger about the way some 1:14:33.080 --> 1:14:36.160 of our leaders voted in this moment. What words might 1:14:36.240 --> 1:14:38.559 you offer them, even though you made the right decision 1:14:38.560 --> 1:14:39.000 in their mind? 1:14:39.320 --> 1:14:42.120 I think education is important, so it's important for me 1:14:42.280 --> 1:14:44.519 to tell them that more than fifty percent of the 1:14:44.640 --> 1:14:50.120 Democratic Caucus voted now, so when there were people who 1:14:50.200 --> 1:14:53.519 didn't dignify the vote, four members of the Congressional Black 1:14:53.640 --> 1:14:57.519 Caucus walked out and didn't vote because they didn't want 1:14:57.560 --> 1:14:58.800 to dignify. 1:14:58.520 --> 1:14:59.479 It with the vote. 1:15:00.000 --> 1:15:04.040 And then we had four of our we had twenty 1:15:04.200 --> 1:15:07.000 six of our members who voted present. And then we 1:15:07.200 --> 1:15:10.439 did have four of our members that voted yes. So 1:15:10.840 --> 1:15:12.400 I want people to get it in the theme of 1:15:13.160 --> 1:15:17.519 the thing that more of us voted no overwhelmingly other 1:15:17.680 --> 1:15:22.960 than two in leadership voted yes, and two other members 1:15:23.080 --> 1:15:24.920 of the CBC voted yes. 1:15:25.760 --> 1:15:27.840 But the work you know of the Democratic I got 1:15:27.920 --> 1:15:29.720 to tell you honestly, first of all, Congressman, thank you 1:15:29.800 --> 1:15:36.519 for your leadership, And honestly, black members of Congress are 1:15:36.640 --> 1:15:39.000 having to work over time, not only tending to the 1:15:39.080 --> 1:15:42.639 constituencies that you represent, which are oftentimes largest in need 1:15:42.760 --> 1:15:45.280 in many of our communities, but also having to pull 1:15:45.320 --> 1:15:48.720 the weight of keeping people who are registered Democrat to 1:15:48.840 --> 1:15:50.760 say still being Democrat and saying that they are. 1:15:50.800 --> 1:15:52.280 Because I have to tell you, this was the first 1:15:52.280 --> 1:15:55.800 time I've ever seriously considered registering as an independent. 1:15:55.800 --> 1:15:58.759 Looking up and seeing a party that appeared quite frankly, 1:15:58.840 --> 1:16:03.839 quite feckless in some ways, almost complicit to the legacy 1:16:03.880 --> 1:16:07.200 of a person who endangered the lives of black women 1:16:07.320 --> 1:16:10.960 who endangered the lives of black men. A man who 1:16:10.960 --> 1:16:13.439 would say, when I see a black pilot, I have 1:16:13.560 --> 1:16:14.400 to ask whether or not. 1:16:14.439 --> 1:16:17.479 You're qualifified it to fly this plane. 1:16:17.600 --> 1:16:20.920 The kind of indignity that that imbuse. 1:16:22.280 --> 1:16:26.880 In society creates it to be harder to stepping stone 1:16:26.920 --> 1:16:27.439 for all. 1:16:27.360 --> 1:16:28.400 Of us, not just some of us. 1:16:28.560 --> 1:16:30.839 Let me give you a better answer than you becoming 1:16:30.880 --> 1:16:31.880 an independent. 1:16:32.680 --> 1:16:34.360 I need to have you do more of what you're 1:16:34.439 --> 1:16:37.800 doing now. We all have a role, and I like 1:16:37.920 --> 1:16:38.599 to share people. 1:16:38.760 --> 1:16:41.640 It is on us and Andrelie are absolutely right and 1:16:41.720 --> 1:16:44.880 to think that people look to us, and so we 1:16:45.040 --> 1:16:47.880 have to carry our heavier load. But what you do 1:16:48.080 --> 1:16:52.439 in allowing us to come and voice ours, we need 1:16:52.640 --> 1:16:56.679 to be doing more with you. So our plan should 1:16:56.720 --> 1:16:59.760 be that we should be getting more contracts, more of 1:17:00.000 --> 1:17:03.240 appearances so we can have more exposure. And that's why 1:17:03.240 --> 1:17:06.400 I wander Raina to be here because I'm gonna be 1:17:06.479 --> 1:17:08.599 hooked to her, and she's gonna let me be hooked 1:17:08.640 --> 1:17:11.280 her because we are teamed. But people don't know about 1:17:11.320 --> 1:17:15.080 her skill sets and being here, you allowing her to 1:17:15.200 --> 1:17:18.320 be here, makes the difference to your listening audience for sure. 1:17:18.439 --> 1:17:20.880 And can I chime into please, and I have a 1:17:20.960 --> 1:17:22.840 question for you, Rain. I think it is such an 1:17:22.920 --> 1:17:26.880 interesting time because too miss Baby's point, the CBC largely 1:17:26.960 --> 1:17:28.720 stay together and I hate to harp so much on 1:17:28.920 --> 1:17:32.000 the resolution, but I think the resolution represents kind of 1:17:32.040 --> 1:17:37.519 this larger problem. I said to someone last week. They said, well, 1:17:37.560 --> 1:17:40.200 where does the party go from here? And I said, 1:17:40.560 --> 1:17:43.600 the party is shattered? And so I want to know, 1:17:44.040 --> 1:17:48.640 given your role, you know, in voter participation and engagement, 1:17:48.880 --> 1:17:52.040 where people are checking out by the droves, particularly folks 1:17:52.040 --> 1:17:54.400 who look like us, what is the path forward and 1:17:54.479 --> 1:17:57.200 how is the Democratic Party made for this moment when 1:17:57.240 --> 1:18:01.599 only two white Democrats vot know on that resolution last week, 1:18:01.640 --> 1:18:04.599 Jasmine Crockett was broken hearted about that made it very 1:18:04.640 --> 1:18:06.560 clear on air. So I do want to hear what 1:18:06.760 --> 1:18:09.639 is the path forward? You're one person, and that party 1:18:09.680 --> 1:18:11.720 apparatus has been there a long time. I watch it 1:18:11.800 --> 1:18:15.080 try to destroy Jamie Harrison. I've watched it hurt many 1:18:15.120 --> 1:18:17.840 of our members. I've watched them disrespect our members over 1:18:17.880 --> 1:18:19.120 and over again. And I even know we were going 1:18:19.160 --> 1:18:21.080 to talk about this today, but that's what's on my heart, 1:18:21.120 --> 1:18:23.680 and I just I do think it's important to recognize 1:18:24.000 --> 1:18:27.360 that resolution, which is a nothing burger. They were willing 1:18:27.479 --> 1:18:29.880 to risk it all on a nothing burger. So what 1:18:30.040 --> 1:18:31.160 is the path forward for the party? 1:18:31.360 --> 1:18:35.639 So I think it's really important to acknowledge that people 1:18:35.680 --> 1:18:38.920 are feeling away, and rightfully so. But at the same time, 1:18:39.520 --> 1:18:41.519 we are built for this moment and at the same time, 1:18:41.600 --> 1:18:43.960 the work that you're doing angelo with going into the 1:18:44.000 --> 1:18:45.679 communities and reaching out to people. 1:18:45.800 --> 1:18:47.000 That's what we've got to do more of. 1:18:47.320 --> 1:18:50.320 You don't always reach people with politics, but how you 1:18:50.400 --> 1:18:52.920 do reach them is when they're going through things, when 1:18:52.960 --> 1:18:55.320 they start rolling off of those snap benefits, when they 1:18:55.360 --> 1:18:59.080 start losing access to Medicaid and Medicare, when those rural 1:18:59.160 --> 1:19:01.720 hospitals start close, saying who is going to be there 1:19:01.760 --> 1:19:03.320 for them? And at the end of the day, the 1:19:03.400 --> 1:19:05.760 Democratic Party has been the party that has been there 1:19:05.840 --> 1:19:08.320 for communities and we've got to make sure that that's 1:19:08.360 --> 1:19:10.680 how we are showing up. I know that we are 1:19:10.720 --> 1:19:12.840 in a very difficult time and I would be remiss 1:19:12.960 --> 1:19:16.480 to not acknowledge that people are have been very disappointed 1:19:16.520 --> 1:19:18.640 in the way that some things went down. But when 1:19:18.680 --> 1:19:22.120 the rubber meets the road, we are the best party 1:19:22.240 --> 1:19:24.400 to do the work of the people, and so that's 1:19:24.439 --> 1:19:26.439 how we've got to move forward. We can't always start 1:19:26.439 --> 1:19:28.640 with politics. We have to start with meeting people with 1:19:28.800 --> 1:19:31.000 where they are and making sure they understand that when 1:19:31.040 --> 1:19:33.680 they have needs, when they need access to health care 1:19:33.760 --> 1:19:35.960 and education, that we are the people that are going 1:19:36.040 --> 1:19:37.360 to be there for them. And that's why I said, 1:19:37.479 --> 1:19:39.080 I've got to chime in and commend you for the 1:19:39.160 --> 1:19:41.280 work that you're doing with Stay to the People, because 1:19:41.320 --> 1:19:43.400 that is essentially the base. 1:19:43.240 --> 1:19:44.719 And the root of how we move forward. 1:19:45.560 --> 1:19:49.040 Sorry, and I'm going to hope right now. I speaking 1:19:49.160 --> 1:19:52.480 of the people. There's a woman who runs a platform 1:19:52.560 --> 1:19:57.200 that gets people engaged politically, mostly from small dollar donations regularly. 1:19:57.520 --> 1:20:00.599 Regina Wallace Jones is joining us. I wanted to make 1:20:00.640 --> 1:20:02.599 sure she could come on at this time andrew your 1:20:02.720 --> 1:20:05.960 question next, because there's also a little Delta party going on, 1:20:06.160 --> 1:20:07.360 So I want to make sure Regie. 1:20:13.080 --> 1:20:14.559 I simply want to say right now because I think 1:20:14.560 --> 1:20:16.040 the work that you're going to be doing and that 1:20:16.120 --> 1:20:18.519 you are doing is critically important, and I don't want 1:20:18.520 --> 1:20:22.320 folks to be confused that we are people are throwing 1:20:22.400 --> 1:20:25.559 off their hands because of a Charlie Kirk that. 1:20:25.680 --> 1:20:27.280 Issue is a harbinger. 1:20:27.360 --> 1:20:30.760 However, for do we have a group of folks who 1:20:30.800 --> 1:20:33.720 are prepared to fight to the mat on behalf of 1:20:33.760 --> 1:20:36.160 the things that we believe in. We know that the 1:20:37.520 --> 1:20:40.080 worst bill or bill better. But whatever the bill is 1:20:40.160 --> 1:20:43.000 that Trump called, this thing is horrific for our community. 1:20:43.560 --> 1:20:47.280 But but what makes it makes the sting so much 1:20:47.320 --> 1:20:50.000 harder and so much tougher, is on the things where 1:20:50.000 --> 1:20:52.200 we can stand up, where we can show leadership, what 1:20:52.280 --> 1:20:53.160 we can push back. 1:20:53.400 --> 1:20:55.639 We're saying, if they give away on the easy stuff, 1:20:56.160 --> 1:20:58.120 how can we rely on them for the hard stuff? 1:20:58.560 --> 1:21:00.679 So I don't I don't think this was simply about 1:21:00.800 --> 1:21:03.720 a vote of honoring Charlie Kirk or not. It is 1:21:04.120 --> 1:21:07.479 when you are in your power, in your position where 1:21:07.520 --> 1:21:08.960 you get to demonstrate your power. 1:21:09.040 --> 1:21:10.120 Are they going to do it? 1:21:10.320 --> 1:21:12.559 But I think you see that every day. I'm sorry, 1:21:12.800 --> 1:21:14.960 I think you see that every day in communities. You 1:21:15.120 --> 1:21:19.400 have black mayors, you have municipal and county officials who 1:21:19.400 --> 1:21:20.160 are doing the work. 1:21:20.240 --> 1:21:22.320 This is not just one body. 1:21:22.760 --> 1:21:24.599 This is a moment where we all have to get 1:21:24.680 --> 1:21:26.920 together because it is going to take a village. It 1:21:27.040 --> 1:21:29.920 is the mayors, it is the governors. The new Jerseys race, 1:21:30.200 --> 1:21:33.760 the Virginia race, Wesmore and Maryland. It's gonna take all 1:21:33.800 --> 1:21:37.160 of us standing together. So yes, that vote was difficult, 1:21:37.200 --> 1:21:39.600 and yes, like there are people who will always disappoint you, 1:21:39.920 --> 1:21:41.840 but you can't just look at one body, because at 1:21:41.880 --> 1:21:43.680 the end of the day, we are a party up 1:21:43.720 --> 1:21:45.760 and down the ballot, and you've got some really, really 1:21:45.840 --> 1:21:48.559 amazing people who are doing the work in their communities 1:21:48.600 --> 1:21:50.360 at the local level, and that's how we're gonna do it. 1:21:50.400 --> 1:21:53.120 We're gonna have to all do it together. Well, let 1:21:53.160 --> 1:21:55.360 me say this on that, because I think you're right. 1:21:56.080 --> 1:21:58.680 I don't want to sound naive or defensive. It was 1:21:58.760 --> 1:22:04.000 a bad vote, it was taken by our community, very upsetting, 1:22:04.400 --> 1:22:07.600 but I would say that lessons were learned. And what 1:22:07.760 --> 1:22:11.320 you didn't hear was immediately after there was a meeting 1:22:11.800 --> 1:22:14.120 with the civil rights leaders. 1:22:13.880 --> 1:22:17.519 With journalists to say, here was my job. 1:22:17.439 --> 1:22:19.760 Right or wrong, but I should have had a better 1:22:19.880 --> 1:22:20.880 process and I have. 1:22:21.240 --> 1:22:23.600 Learned from this to move on. 1:22:24.400 --> 1:22:27.760 So my thing is it didn't turn out the way 1:22:27.840 --> 1:22:31.040 it should have for Black America. By the way people 1:22:31.080 --> 1:22:35.400 are responding, and I'm not making it small, but I 1:22:35.520 --> 1:22:40.720 am saying the Republicans set this up to get us distracted. 1:22:41.040 --> 1:22:43.280 Let's not let that work, because we have. 1:22:43.439 --> 1:22:47.559 Too many children, too many seniors, too many people who 1:22:47.640 --> 1:22:50.479 are at risk of losing their snack, their Medicaid, their 1:22:50.560 --> 1:22:54.559 Social Security, their Medicare and healthcare. We need to fight 1:22:54.680 --> 1:22:57.280 for and we need to fight for my sister, to 1:22:57.400 --> 1:23:00.479 make sure that those dollars it Act Blue, that they 1:23:00.560 --> 1:23:03.920 don't come after her like Lisa Cook, like they did 1:23:04.000 --> 1:23:07.519 with Peggy Carr, and coming after black women. 1:23:08.000 --> 1:23:09.280 So we need your voices. 1:23:09.360 --> 1:23:11.960 We need you to stay where you are absolutely and 1:23:12.200 --> 1:23:14.879 not give up on us, and I'll make a commitment 1:23:15.200 --> 1:23:16.439 that we'll stay in the fight. 1:23:16.800 --> 1:23:17.600 Well, thank you. 1:23:17.760 --> 1:23:21.479 So much, you're so great for being joining us. 1:23:22.160 --> 1:23:24.679 Speaking of where a money reside, where the money reside, 1:23:24.680 --> 1:23:28.560 where the money reside, we would love to know on 1:23:28.760 --> 1:23:30.400 the you're sort of. 1:23:30.479 --> 1:23:30.800 At the. 1:23:32.680 --> 1:23:35.639 Canary in the coal mine when you start to see 1:23:35.680 --> 1:23:41.840 Democratic dollars weighing off away from their candidates and their infrastructure. 1:23:42.439 --> 1:23:43.920 Folks out to be in touch with you, trying to 1:23:43.960 --> 1:23:46.360 figure out what's happening and what's happening in that space. 1:23:46.360 --> 1:23:48.559 I'd love for you to share with us, not only 1:23:49.040 --> 1:23:51.120 a little bit about the platform of Back Blue, but also, 1:23:52.160 --> 1:23:54.960 where are you diagnosing the state of affairs right now 1:23:55.000 --> 1:23:57.479 as you see money either coming in or not coming 1:23:57.520 --> 1:23:59.879 in as relates to candidates who are on your platform. 1:24:00.160 --> 1:24:04.360 Excellent, thank you for the question, and let me just 1:24:04.520 --> 1:24:07.400 back up and say Act Blue is a twenty one 1:24:07.479 --> 1:24:13.600 year old platform. It is beloved by Democrats and progressives. 1:24:13.720 --> 1:24:17.320 We have twenty eight million donors who at any given 1:24:17.439 --> 1:24:19.439 time are going to make a choice to give to 1:24:19.600 --> 1:24:23.400 a candidate, to an issue, or to a cause. And 1:24:23.560 --> 1:24:27.439 the average donation that comes through Act Blue is about 1:24:27.640 --> 1:24:33.160 thirty eight dollars. It's not huge, but the average donor 1:24:33.479 --> 1:24:37.720 is going to give thirty eight dollars six times. And 1:24:37.840 --> 1:24:42.200 the truth is that when you magnify that over the 1:24:42.400 --> 1:24:46.439 number of donors that care about our candidates, our issues, 1:24:46.560 --> 1:24:51.400 and our causes, that swells into something that is a 1:24:51.520 --> 1:24:55.640 huge behemoth. So one thing that we're a canary in 1:24:55.720 --> 1:24:58.200 many ways, we were also the canary of. 1:24:59.280 --> 1:24:59.920 Right wing attack. 1:25:00.080 --> 1:25:04.800 Actually, there is a whole section of Project twenty twenty 1:25:04.880 --> 1:25:12.400 five that is written specifically and explicitly to dismantle Act Blue, 1:25:13.000 --> 1:25:15.519 and it lays out the clear steps that it was 1:25:16.000 --> 1:25:18.479 that they were trying to take to do that. But 1:25:19.200 --> 1:25:23.400 they substantially underestimated the strength of what this entity is. 1:25:24.080 --> 1:25:26.439 So it turned out that under attack, what they had 1:25:26.560 --> 1:25:29.800 hoped was that the donors would lose faith in the platform, 1:25:30.080 --> 1:25:32.200 that they would believe the lies that they were spreading 1:25:32.280 --> 1:25:36.160 and sharing. What actually happened is that donors took a 1:25:36.240 --> 1:25:40.680 different position. This has been the largest off year fundraising 1:25:40.800 --> 1:25:43.800 cycle that we have ever had on the platform, and 1:25:43.920 --> 1:25:47.120 it is thirty six percent larger than this time in. 1:25:47.160 --> 1:25:47.960 Twenty twenty one. 1:25:48.080 --> 1:25:50.800 That's incredible, that is incredible. 1:25:50.880 --> 1:25:54.639 So we see it very clearly. Donors are leaning into 1:25:54.840 --> 1:26:00.280 giving for a redistricting. Donors are leaning into candidates that 1:26:00.320 --> 1:26:01.720 are committed deeply. 1:26:01.600 --> 1:26:02.560 To the grassroots. 1:26:03.120 --> 1:26:08.000 Donors are leaning into candidates and elected officials who are 1:26:08.080 --> 1:26:13.080 showing courage in this moment, not cowardice. And donors are 1:26:13.200 --> 1:26:16.760 leaning into many of the things that Democrats and progressors 1:26:16.840 --> 1:26:24.200 really care about, clean energy, climate, etc. So we're finding 1:26:24.280 --> 1:26:29.519 a ton of success, and we are also in this 1:26:29.760 --> 1:26:34.000 moment spending a fair amount of resources to defend ourselves. 1:26:34.400 --> 1:26:37.479 And that is not because there's anything that we are 1:26:37.560 --> 1:26:41.240 guilty of. Unfortunately, when you make a charge against an organization, 1:26:41.400 --> 1:26:44.120 they have to take the resources to defend themselves, whether 1:26:44.160 --> 1:26:49.559 they're guilty or not. So we are encouraging the universe 1:26:49.640 --> 1:26:52.519 of donors that care about the things that we're fighting 1:26:52.600 --> 1:26:55.240 for to double down. It is actually an act of 1:26:55.320 --> 1:26:58.320 resistance to keep on giving. And what we're finding is 1:26:58.360 --> 1:26:59.760 that donors are doing exactly that. 1:27:09.400 --> 1:27:11.280 You know, I want to come to you, thank you 1:27:11.400 --> 1:27:14.360 so much. I'll also it's the two mayors sit next 1:27:14.400 --> 1:27:16.400 to each other, for we're mayor right here as well. 1:27:17.000 --> 1:27:19.640 So I want to come to Ilhan Omar, who has 1:27:19.680 --> 1:27:25.679 been such a champion, such a clear voice since even 1:27:25.800 --> 1:27:28.439 before where we are right now, like have always been 1:27:28.520 --> 1:27:30.960 a voice of conviction. When I think of what the 1:27:31.040 --> 1:27:34.280 CBC represents as the conscience of the Congress, Ilhan, you 1:27:34.360 --> 1:27:36.759 have done that, you have lived that, You've broken history 1:27:37.120 --> 1:27:39.360 in your home state, and I know that the battle 1:27:39.400 --> 1:27:41.760 has not been easy for you, and I know you 1:27:41.840 --> 1:27:43.600 got to go inside. So my quick question for you 1:27:43.800 --> 1:27:46.640 is continuing to double back into this theme. When you 1:27:46.800 --> 1:27:49.320 consider what it means to be made for this moment, 1:27:50.080 --> 1:27:53.040 true to this conference theme, how are you embodying that 1:27:53.200 --> 1:27:55.760 and what would you encourage our audience to do to represent. 1:27:55.560 --> 1:27:57.320 I just say real quick to the Congress someone from 1:27:57.360 --> 1:28:03.840 Minnesota say yes, and that's part of the pride and 1:28:03.920 --> 1:28:05.840 a history maker as well. 1:28:06.040 --> 1:28:09.799 So this, this is what happens when you get interviewed 1:28:09.800 --> 1:28:14.200 by your friend, a member of Congress. 1:28:13.840 --> 1:28:18.240 That are just like Omars here, Representative Elhan Omar, the legendary. 1:28:20.439 --> 1:28:20.479 No. 1:28:20.640 --> 1:28:24.400 I mean, I think it is beautiful the fact that 1:28:24.479 --> 1:28:27.800 you mentioned that the Congressional Black Caucus is the conscience 1:28:27.920 --> 1:28:32.320 of Congress. Because I had the fortune of coming into 1:28:33.479 --> 1:28:38.479 Congress doing a really horrendous time, right, it was the 1:28:38.560 --> 1:28:43.160 first Trump administration. My class was supposed to be the 1:28:43.320 --> 1:28:48.840 anecdote to the hate, the vitriol. We were about love, 1:28:48.920 --> 1:28:52.719 we were about compassion. We were about shaping a narrative 1:28:53.080 --> 1:28:55.679 that was like what it was to be American. 1:28:55.760 --> 1:28:55.880 Right. 1:28:55.920 --> 1:28:59.520 We were the most diverse class in the history of Congress. 1:29:00.160 --> 1:29:03.160 But what I didn't realize was that part of our 1:29:03.240 --> 1:29:07.680 fortune is that we were joining the Black Caucus with 1:29:08.160 --> 1:29:09.719 the likes of Jan Lewis. 1:29:11.280 --> 1:29:13.760 And I remember, you know, I had all of these 1:29:14.120 --> 1:29:16.640 you know moments, and. 1:29:18.160 --> 1:29:21.840 John stopped me on the floor one time and he said, 1:29:22.120 --> 1:29:29.160 young lady, pace yourself. And I thought that was peculiar, 1:29:29.280 --> 1:29:30.679 And I said, what does that mean? 1:29:31.720 --> 1:29:35.120 And he said, we are in a moment not only 1:29:35.200 --> 1:29:36.519 are we fighting for. 1:29:36.920 --> 1:29:41.840 A democracy that we desperately need, because we as black 1:29:41.920 --> 1:29:46.240 people do not have survival in this country without democracy, 1:29:46.680 --> 1:29:51.519 without the ability to voice our opinions through the ballot box. 1:29:52.680 --> 1:29:55.880 And he said, in this moment, we are also dealing 1:29:56.040 --> 1:29:59.320 with what it means to be American. And I know 1:29:59.520 --> 1:30:02.360 you and stand that, and so I want you to 1:30:02.479 --> 1:30:08.040 pace yourself because this journey of struggle that we have entered. 1:30:07.920 --> 1:30:11.080 Is going to be long. Wow, that's so powerful. 1:30:11.120 --> 1:30:14.560 And so what I carry with myself since that conversation 1:30:15.560 --> 1:30:19.840 is that history of people who understood the long arc 1:30:20.400 --> 1:30:24.200 of struggle, knowing that ultimately there will be justice, but 1:30:24.520 --> 1:30:28.640 also that the pensulum will spin back and forth, that 1:30:28.840 --> 1:30:32.200 even though we might win justice for ourselves in moments, 1:30:33.040 --> 1:30:35.960 we have to continue to fighting for that because the 1:30:36.080 --> 1:30:40.320 retention of that justice, of that progress requires us to 1:30:40.520 --> 1:30:48.160 pace ourselves. Because what white supremacist and hate and violence does, 1:30:48.640 --> 1:30:52.840 it occupies you, it distracts you, it wears you down. 1:30:53.400 --> 1:30:57.120 And so if we are not engaging in this moment, 1:30:57.320 --> 1:31:01.760 in this battle pacing our selves, we are going to 1:31:01.880 --> 1:31:05.160 get tired, We are going to get exhausted. We are 1:31:05.240 --> 1:31:10.439 going to get disillusion while they win. And in order 1:31:10.560 --> 1:31:14.479 for us to win, yes, we have to pace ourselves. 1:31:14.880 --> 1:31:15.080 Good. 1:31:15.280 --> 1:31:15.600 Thank you. 1:31:16.920 --> 1:31:17.519 I was well. 1:31:18.280 --> 1:31:21.080 One good friend of mine used to tell me, we're 1:31:21.200 --> 1:31:24.280 in this movement space. We sleep in shifts. So part 1:31:24.320 --> 1:31:28.639 of this pacing means that everybody can't be on front 1:31:28.720 --> 1:31:30.840 deck on every issue every time. 1:31:31.120 --> 1:31:33.520 And Congressman, we've seen nothing. 1:31:33.800 --> 1:31:37.400 Wanting to be but oftentimes, uh, the opposition trying to 1:31:37.479 --> 1:31:40.439 make you the center of their attention by. 1:31:40.320 --> 1:31:42.720 Way of distraction. And we thank you for moving gracefully 1:31:42.920 --> 1:31:44.000 through that every time. 1:31:44.560 --> 1:31:44.680 Uh. 1:31:44.760 --> 1:31:47.360 And to my brother over here, fellow rattler, uh, fam 1:31:47.479 --> 1:31:49.560 you in the house, but also in the house the 1:31:49.600 --> 1:31:51.880 executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus. 1:31:52.320 --> 1:31:54.759 Real quick, I know, Ihan, you have to go inside. 1:31:56.960 --> 1:31:59.000 We snatched her up, but we're gonna we're gonna let 1:31:59.040 --> 1:32:02.240 her go ahead and and go back inside. Thank you, Susan. 1:32:02.240 --> 1:32:04.639 Thank you all for the family love. 1:32:05.120 --> 1:32:06.200 No no, no, no none. 1:32:06.360 --> 1:32:07.960 Rattlers, Come on, Ratlers. 1:32:08.120 --> 1:32:09.240 Now to the question events. 1:32:10.080 --> 1:32:13.320 Your membership has had quite a week and this week, 1:32:13.400 --> 1:32:16.840 but leading into this week, some difficult votes that I 1:32:16.920 --> 1:32:19.640 think you can take pride in the carcase hanging as 1:32:19.680 --> 1:32:21.880 tight as it was, but as we were saying with 1:32:22.000 --> 1:32:24.599 some of the members earlier, the burden for you all 1:32:24.760 --> 1:32:28.000 is just higher at this time. The expectations are greater, 1:32:28.160 --> 1:32:31.280 and largely because the needs and our communities happen to 1:32:31.320 --> 1:32:35.840 be greater. What kind of guidance support are you making 1:32:35.880 --> 1:32:40.080 sure that your membership has during these tough times that again, ready, 1:32:40.200 --> 1:32:42.479 prepare them and keep them steady for the fight. 1:32:42.960 --> 1:32:45.599 You know, when we were at this conference a year 1:32:45.760 --> 1:32:50.640 ago tonight, we believed we were on the precipice of 1:32:51.040 --> 1:32:55.040 breaking that hardest, highest class ceiling to send a woman 1:32:55.160 --> 1:32:58.680 to the White House. Right twelve months later that it's 1:32:58.760 --> 1:33:02.599 not the case tonight. In America, healthcare is on the line, 1:33:03.439 --> 1:33:08.879 food service programs are on critical life support, jerry mandering 1:33:09.080 --> 1:33:13.639 is on steroids, and a government shut down is looming. 1:33:14.080 --> 1:33:18.360 So twelve months later, the stakes are dramatically different. The 1:33:18.479 --> 1:33:22.280 paradigm has shifted. And you know, sixty two members strong, 1:33:22.680 --> 1:33:26.200 the largest in our history. Our members are working hard. 1:33:26.280 --> 1:33:29.200 But the reality is there is not a lot of 1:33:29.280 --> 1:33:32.920 good news that I thought I would have coming into 1:33:33.000 --> 1:33:35.840 this conference. What I can tell you is and what 1:33:35.960 --> 1:33:37.960 I think most of us have felt over the last 1:33:38.040 --> 1:33:40.360 couple of days. There's a lot of joy in this space. 1:33:40.920 --> 1:33:45.439 There are a lot of beautiful black, brilliant people. Joe, Taika, Edie, 1:33:45.840 --> 1:33:49.320 all of y'all up here tonight, and so I am 1:33:49.439 --> 1:33:52.680 renewed tonight. And I know the members are that we 1:33:53.000 --> 1:33:56.640 must stay on the battlefield. There's not a fight we 1:33:56.720 --> 1:33:57.720 are not in right now. 1:33:58.120 --> 1:33:58.479 There is. 1:33:58.640 --> 1:33:59.920 We are standing in the brief. 1:34:00.160 --> 1:34:01.400 You know this all too well. 1:34:01.560 --> 1:34:03.439 And you just said what I was going to say, 1:34:03.640 --> 1:34:06.320 and I said it all across the country with Angela 1:34:06.479 --> 1:34:10.879 this summer. Black people in America must sleep in shifts. 1:34:11.200 --> 1:34:13.960 When you are asleep. I've got to be up when. 1:34:13.920 --> 1:34:17.640 I am sleep. You gotta be up because the people. 1:34:17.400 --> 1:34:20.040 Of ill Will are never sleeping ever. And so that's 1:34:20.040 --> 1:34:22.800 what's required of I feel right and I just. 1:34:22.920 --> 1:34:26.360 Have to take them off. Congress Woman Marsha Budge's right here. 1:34:26.800 --> 1:34:29.920 Also a former secretary I'm going there, y'ah, I got it. 1:34:30.280 --> 1:34:33.639 Also the former secretary of HUD We Love You. She's 1:34:33.680 --> 1:34:36.000 walking by. She's also a delta. We had a whole 1:34:36.120 --> 1:34:39.400 slew a deltas up here. And speaking of yeah, there's 1:34:39.439 --> 1:34:43.120 another delta here. Also the founder of WIN with Black 1:34:43.200 --> 1:34:46.040 Women Women Win with black women, but there we had 1:34:46.080 --> 1:34:49.160 to win with this black woman first. She is also 1:34:49.400 --> 1:34:53.519 getting a Phoenix Award tonight, So Joe take a congratulations, 1:34:53.600 --> 1:34:59.040 Joe taking you. Welcome to the state. I didn't know 1:34:59.040 --> 1:34:59.920 if it's running on. 1:35:02.280 --> 1:35:05.639 Joe Taka, you look amazing. I'm always the shallow person 1:35:05.680 --> 1:35:08.720 looking at everybody's outfits and a tire, but you always 1:35:09.240 --> 1:35:11.960 shut it down every room you're in. I always talk 1:35:12.000 --> 1:35:14.040 about how beautiful you are every time I see you. 1:35:14.320 --> 1:35:15.200 Thank you, my friend. 1:35:15.280 --> 1:35:19.720 It is always the good to be good to be home. Yes, yes, 1:35:19.880 --> 1:35:23.280 and congratulations to you. My sister Angela Rye too right back. 1:35:23.360 --> 1:35:25.560 Thank you so much. And I want to just acknowledge 1:35:25.640 --> 1:35:29.439 to the president of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Nicole Austin. 1:35:29.520 --> 1:35:31.519 Hillary has also joined us. I know she's got a 1:35:31.640 --> 1:35:34.760 fun feeled impact evening, so we welcome you home as well. 1:35:34.840 --> 1:35:35.040 Nica. 1:35:35.120 --> 1:35:37.240 Thank you, and we're so happy to honor both you 1:35:37.320 --> 1:35:38.720 and Joe Taka tonight. Thank you. 1:35:38.960 --> 1:35:40.920 I just want to remind our viewers really quickly. I 1:35:41.000 --> 1:35:42.640 did before, but I want to remind you again. If 1:35:42.680 --> 1:35:45.000 you're just joining us, please stay tuned because you'll get 1:35:45.040 --> 1:35:49.000 to hear Angela's acceptance speech here live on our very show, 1:35:49.120 --> 1:35:52.840 So don't go anywhere, stay tuned. Jill Taika, I want 1:35:52.880 --> 1:35:54.479 to come to you before we'll come back to you. 1:35:54.520 --> 1:35:57.160 I want to come to you because it's a time 1:35:57.200 --> 1:35:59.920 where people are so frustrated they don't know what to do. 1:36:00.520 --> 1:36:03.720 People constantly ask us what should we be doing? And 1:36:03.840 --> 1:36:06.880 I always direct them to the Win with Black Women 1:36:07.040 --> 1:36:11.040 call that takes place every Sunday, because you lead a charge. 1:36:11.920 --> 1:36:13.639 I just want to know for the folks who haven't 1:36:13.680 --> 1:36:15.840 been able to join that call for whatever reason, what 1:36:15.960 --> 1:36:19.679 would you say to the millions literally millions of women 1:36:19.760 --> 1:36:22.479 who you helped to organize and maybe some who you 1:36:22.560 --> 1:36:24.760 haven't yet tapped into, who are asking what. 1:36:24.800 --> 1:36:27.160 Should they be doing right now? Well, thank you for 1:36:27.240 --> 1:36:27.719 that question. 1:36:28.120 --> 1:36:31.160 I think when we look at the theme of what 1:36:31.320 --> 1:36:34.640 we have been talking about this entire week, made for 1:36:34.840 --> 1:36:38.280 this moment, and particularly when it comes to Black women, 1:36:38.680 --> 1:36:42.280 I think about Esther. Esther was in a midst of 1:36:42.400 --> 1:36:45.400 something that was chaotic. She was scared, she was nervous, 1:36:45.720 --> 1:36:49.599 but she was reminded that she was made for such. 1:36:49.560 --> 1:36:50.600 A time as this. 1:36:50.840 --> 1:36:53.320 And so what I would say to black women, and 1:36:53.479 --> 1:36:58.880 particularly black women, we are feeling more so than anybody else. 1:36:59.360 --> 1:37:02.320 The heart threats and all of. 1:37:02.400 --> 1:37:08.440 The systemic challenges and the very specific racism is sexism 1:37:08.760 --> 1:37:11.760 that is coming out of this administration. We feel the 1:37:11.840 --> 1:37:14.960 brunt of that because we are targeted. But the thing 1:37:15.160 --> 1:37:17.160 that I think is most important is that we can 1:37:17.240 --> 1:37:21.880 never lose sight of our power and our power. It 1:37:22.040 --> 1:37:25.000 is not just a positional power. You don't have to 1:37:25.960 --> 1:37:31.920 be the leader of an organization. Everybody has power, individual power, 1:37:32.000 --> 1:37:35.240 and when we bring that collective power together, there's nothing 1:37:35.320 --> 1:37:37.120 that can stop us. And so what I will say 1:37:37.200 --> 1:37:39.760 to that woman is that do what you can do 1:37:39.960 --> 1:37:43.040 from where you are, because whatever it is, as long 1:37:43.080 --> 1:37:45.800 as it is nothing, it is going to move us 1:37:45.960 --> 1:37:48.559 towards the liberation that we so desperately need. 1:37:48.720 --> 1:37:50.759 But if they do want to join the calls on Sunday, 1:37:50.800 --> 1:37:51.479 how can they do that? 1:37:51.720 --> 1:37:55.680 They can go to www dot when with Blackwomen dot Org. 1:37:56.280 --> 1:38:00.719 You can go to our bitly slash WWBWA you Sunday 1:38:00.840 --> 1:38:03.599 call and you probably could just ask a black woman 1:38:03.680 --> 1:38:05.640 and she probably can direct you to us on a 1:38:05.680 --> 1:38:06.240 Sunday night. 1:38:06.360 --> 1:38:09.280 I love this so much. I want to come to you, Nicole. 1:38:09.439 --> 1:38:11.479 You will be so happy we have been on messages 1:38:11.520 --> 1:38:14.479 this whole evening about what it means to be made 1:38:14.680 --> 1:38:17.479 for this moment, and we've asked everyone. I've asked closed 1:38:17.520 --> 1:38:19.560 my panels this week with that, and I know that 1:38:19.680 --> 1:38:22.080 this is a theme that's near and dear to your heart. 1:38:22.640 --> 1:38:24.720 Before you answer that, I also want to take just 1:38:24.800 --> 1:38:27.880 a moment to thank Joe Takahiti for joining us in 1:38:27.960 --> 1:38:32.160 this moment, Rachel Nordlinger, the legendary publicist right here and 1:38:32.520 --> 1:38:35.720 coming to Melanie Parker, who was also a partner of 1:38:35.840 --> 1:38:39.280 Native lampod and the vice president of Googler Engagement. So 1:38:39.360 --> 1:38:40.720 we're so happy to have you. Were going to get 1:38:40.720 --> 1:38:42.880 into hbcusing all the great things you're doing in just 1:38:42.960 --> 1:38:46.360 a moment, but first we're gonna come to President Nicole 1:38:46.439 --> 1:38:49.439 Austin Hillary talk about the theme a little bit, Angela. 1:38:49.560 --> 1:38:52.200 You know, when we got to this year's theme, my 1:38:52.360 --> 1:38:55.519 team said what is going to encapsulate this moment that 1:38:55.600 --> 1:38:58.160 we're in And what I said to them is that 1:38:59.080 --> 1:39:02.200 this alec is more critical than ever because we are 1:39:02.400 --> 1:39:06.680 in challenging times and folks are trying to really ameliorate us. 1:39:06.880 --> 1:39:10.080 I mean they are trying to get rid of our community. 1:39:10.320 --> 1:39:10.800 They're trying to. 1:39:10.840 --> 1:39:15.200 Ameliorate us with some of these new tasks and new 1:39:15.320 --> 1:39:18.120 policies they're putting out, But we know that's just junk 1:39:18.520 --> 1:39:20.960 that is not for us. And we knew that we 1:39:21.080 --> 1:39:25.040 had to have everyone come together and strategize around how 1:39:25.160 --> 1:39:27.519 do we move forward as a community and as a people. 1:39:27.920 --> 1:39:31.040 And this is the nation's largest Black public policy conference, 1:39:31.320 --> 1:39:33.040 and so we said, we have to do something that's 1:39:33.080 --> 1:39:36.439 going to galvanize our community so that everyone will know 1:39:36.760 --> 1:39:40.320 they have marching orders and need to come together, talk 1:39:40.400 --> 1:39:43.080 and then take the message back to their communities. So 1:39:43.200 --> 1:39:45.800 that's what made for this moment means and it's also 1:39:45.880 --> 1:39:49.040 a reminder of our struggle but also of our history 1:39:49.120 --> 1:39:52.320 of strength and resilience, so that folks know, yes, we 1:39:52.439 --> 1:39:55.400 are at a time of challenge, but in our DNA 1:39:56.040 --> 1:39:59.360 is the strength, the resilience and the power to move 1:39:59.600 --> 1:40:02.800 forward and to overcome and to get to even higher heights. 1:40:03.080 --> 1:40:04.960 That's what made for this moment is about. 1:40:05.200 --> 1:40:07.040 Yeah, what I'd be curious to know. 1:40:07.720 --> 1:40:09.919 Obviously there's been a lot of energy around the conference 1:40:11.080 --> 1:40:13.960 this year, but there's also a lot of despair, as 1:40:14.000 --> 1:40:17.400 we all know, out in our community. What do you 1:40:17.520 --> 1:40:20.200 think if there was if there was a way to 1:40:20.280 --> 1:40:23.479 give lyft, especially coming on the hills of a vote 1:40:23.560 --> 1:40:26.120 that has been extremely demoralizing for a lot of black 1:40:26.120 --> 1:40:29.280 people at every level of our society. What we would 1:40:29.360 --> 1:40:33.360 tell folks around this fight when it doesn't look like 1:40:33.400 --> 1:40:35.760 we're winning, and I think we can level with people 1:40:35.760 --> 1:40:38.919 that were not winning and the stage is set for greater. 1:40:38.880 --> 1:40:43.240 Loss, where do they go? Where's the reservoir of. 1:40:45.360 --> 1:40:48.360 Tactics that folks can tap into that they can use 1:40:48.439 --> 1:40:50.280 and exercise at their respective levels. 1:40:50.840 --> 1:40:53.800 You know, Joe Taco said something very interesting that I've 1:40:53.800 --> 1:40:56.200 actually been saying all week. Sometimes it feels like we're 1:40:56.240 --> 1:40:59.000 all talking to one another and thinking along the same wavelengths. 1:40:59.160 --> 1:41:02.400 What I tell people is look to yourself and the 1:41:02.520 --> 1:41:07.559 community around you, because you have leaders. You have black 1:41:07.720 --> 1:41:11.160 women who have been working for decades in the good 1:41:11.240 --> 1:41:13.960 times and the bad times, and they know what strategy 1:41:14.080 --> 1:41:17.160 is about. They know what it means to in hard 1:41:17.320 --> 1:41:21.280 times coalesce around a movement. They know what it means 1:41:21.400 --> 1:41:24.000 to make a dollar out of fifteen cents. That's what 1:41:24.120 --> 1:41:25.479 we have to do right now. We have to go 1:41:25.640 --> 1:41:28.960 back to those routs and do it right in our communities, 1:41:29.040 --> 1:41:32.519 go to those wise sages go to those young people 1:41:32.760 --> 1:41:35.439 who are brilliant, who are out there right now saying 1:41:35.479 --> 1:41:37.320 we're not waiting for somebody to give us a title 1:41:37.400 --> 1:41:38.639 or give us permission to lead. 1:41:38.920 --> 1:41:39.960 We are leading right now. 1:41:40.240 --> 1:41:43.240 I'm asking everyone to look inward and right in their 1:41:43.280 --> 1:41:47.160 own neighborhoods and their sororities, fraternities, churches, civic organizations, and 1:41:47.360 --> 1:41:50.200 that's how we are going to get the well of 1:41:50.320 --> 1:41:53.720 information and then come together and share that information and 1:41:53.880 --> 1:41:56.400 understand that it's going to take that unity for all 1:41:56.479 --> 1:41:57.479 of us to move forward. 1:41:57.840 --> 1:41:59.479 Thank you for that, Melanie. I want to bring you 1:41:59.520 --> 1:42:02.879 in the converce station after that sermon that we just got. 1:42:02.760 --> 1:42:05.720 In and we should probably she literally hasked to run out. 1:42:05.760 --> 1:42:10.720 She had a whole program. Thank you, President, and thank you. 1:42:10.800 --> 1:42:13.439 For honoring our your sister tonight. We are so proud 1:42:13.560 --> 1:42:16.599 and excited to see her get a privileged to do so. Yes, 1:42:16.680 --> 1:42:20.439 thank you, thank you very much, melaniew. If there is 1:42:20.520 --> 1:42:24.120 a role for the private sector to play at this time, 1:42:24.320 --> 1:42:28.559 news came out this week that corporate boards have been 1:42:28.600 --> 1:42:33.679 bringing on more white men and drove numbers since Trump 1:42:33.760 --> 1:42:37.920 has assaulted DEI efforts across the private sector and the 1:42:37.960 --> 1:42:40.920 public sector. I'm curious in your role. 1:42:43.000 --> 1:42:43.200 One. 1:42:43.360 --> 1:42:46.720 We want to know in the community how safe you are. 1:42:46.960 --> 1:42:48.400 We want to be able to support you. But to 1:42:48.920 --> 1:42:51.640 what role does the private sector have to play to 1:42:51.840 --> 1:42:54.720 hold the ground and not completely capitulate if we as 1:42:54.760 --> 1:42:57.080 we've seen so many other private sector companies do. 1:42:57.240 --> 1:43:00.120 And tip if I could add to that, particularly as 1:43:00.160 --> 1:43:04.799 it relates to training up the best and brightest our future. 1:43:05.520 --> 1:43:09.360 I'm sitting between sandwich between two HBCU grads and if 1:43:09.400 --> 1:43:10.920 I had another piece of bread, it would be you 1:43:11.000 --> 1:43:14.400 over there, Speilman. So I know that, Hampton. 1:43:14.960 --> 1:43:16.040 I think it was Spelman. 1:43:16.600 --> 1:43:21.200 Do I do that every HBT you love? Okay, I'm sorry, Hampton. 1:43:21.240 --> 1:43:23.160 I'll get it right next time. My little cousin, Evany 1:43:23.240 --> 1:43:25.920 also went to Hampton. So I will I want you 1:43:26.040 --> 1:43:30.719 to tap into how you prepare these future young leaders 1:43:31.000 --> 1:43:33.160 given everything that's going on, you have a deep and 1:43:33.240 --> 1:43:34.320 abiding commitment to that. 1:43:34.640 --> 1:43:37.240 Yes, And actually I said, I was on Joe Jaca's 1:43:37.280 --> 1:43:40.360 call on Sunday and I was asking myself, like, what 1:43:40.600 --> 1:43:44.360 can I do, like in my role, what can I do? 1:43:44.960 --> 1:43:48.320 And I walked away from that thinking, actually, I have 1:43:48.479 --> 1:43:51.520 to make all of the resources that we have available 1:43:51.600 --> 1:43:54.559 at Google, we got to push that more out into 1:43:54.680 --> 1:43:59.600 the community. As an example, we offer certificate programs you 1:43:59.720 --> 1:44:03.040 can at them like Cloud architect, Data. 1:44:02.920 --> 1:44:04.879 Science, AI Essentials. 1:44:05.160 --> 1:44:09.720 Over two hundred employers accept these certificates. 1:44:09.320 --> 1:44:10.360 In lieu of degree. 1:44:10.800 --> 1:44:13.280 And so my thing is, how do we get go 1:44:13.439 --> 1:44:17.800 to market partners from the Divine nine, from the links incorporated, 1:44:18.000 --> 1:44:19.680 from our churches, you know. 1:44:19.840 --> 1:44:20.360 Et cetera. 1:44:20.760 --> 1:44:25.160 How do we put these courses because they're free, they're 1:44:25.200 --> 1:44:28.559 on Casera and then for small business owners, we also 1:44:28.840 --> 1:44:32.400 offer a lot of free services as well. And so 1:44:33.000 --> 1:44:35.840 I have a personal goal to make sure you know 1:44:36.000 --> 1:44:39.559 we're doing our part to address the number of people, 1:44:39.760 --> 1:44:43.320 including communities of color and black women that. 1:44:43.400 --> 1:44:44.120 Are out of work. 1:44:44.479 --> 1:44:46.760 And how do you make that pivot and how do 1:44:46.840 --> 1:44:49.920 you take resources that are available and turn that in. 1:44:50.080 --> 1:44:52.439 I was talking with a friend last week. 1:44:52.479 --> 1:44:56.240 She's been out of work for ten months and she's consulting, 1:44:56.320 --> 1:44:59.520 and she said, you know, the consulting market is oversaturated 1:44:59.520 --> 1:45:02.559 because we don't need more consultants, but we do need 1:45:02.760 --> 1:45:06.240 more people with skills that are you know, meeting us 1:45:06.320 --> 1:45:08.680 where we are with AI and how do we do that? 1:45:09.360 --> 1:45:11.160 So tell us. Where's the clearinghouse? 1:45:11.200 --> 1:45:13.880 Where do folks if you're on your couches, where do 1:45:13.920 --> 1:45:14.120 they go? 1:45:14.400 --> 1:45:16.880 So go to Grow with Google dot Com. 1:45:17.439 --> 1:45:20.320 And then from Grow with Google dot Com you'll find 1:45:20.479 --> 1:45:21.880 our career certificates. 1:45:22.200 --> 1:45:23.320 But you'll also. 1:45:23.240 --> 1:45:27.640 Find the tools that we have for small businesses and 1:45:27.760 --> 1:45:28.600 for founders. 1:45:28.920 --> 1:45:30.800 So Grow with Google dot Com. 1:45:31.080 --> 1:45:32.360 We'll make sure you get in the show notes. 1:45:32.560 --> 1:45:34.680 Tif I'm about to That's a good point, Andrew, that 1:45:34.800 --> 1:45:36.439 is a good show note. I'm about to tell the 1:45:36.479 --> 1:45:41.200 family business. So, Melanie, we have a chat of black 1:45:41.280 --> 1:45:44.720 women who are in media. It's called the Machetes. And 1:45:44.880 --> 1:45:47.479 I want to know if there is a machete like 1:45:47.640 --> 1:45:52.080 group for folks in your position. I can imagine, especially 1:45:52.160 --> 1:45:54.840 as things begin to change, it can become very lonely. 1:45:55.160 --> 1:45:56.840 So I want to know who are the sisters that 1:45:56.960 --> 1:45:59.200 hold you down in this space, so that you feel 1:45:59.240 --> 1:46:03.519 like you've goulous sisters. I'm my own machete group. We 1:46:03.640 --> 1:46:04.680 hold each other up. 1:46:05.280 --> 1:46:08.160 I mean, you know, Harriet Tubman started it right with 1:46:08.280 --> 1:46:09.600 the Underground Railroad. 1:46:09.760 --> 1:46:13.439 We beat Morse Code. So I have a number of 1:46:13.600 --> 1:46:15.360 sisters in like. 1:46:15.520 --> 1:46:20.240 Fields across industry, tech industry and other industries and we, 1:46:21.040 --> 1:46:26.120 you know, help each other, and we are proactive leading 1:46:26.960 --> 1:46:29.320 helping each other, like see around that corner. 1:46:29.680 --> 1:46:30.960 But we want to do that together. 1:46:31.240 --> 1:46:33.720 Some of those sisters, sadly, you know, are looking for 1:46:33.880 --> 1:46:37.400 new roles and need to make that pivot too, and 1:46:37.560 --> 1:46:38.840 some have been unsafe. 1:46:39.320 --> 1:46:42.840 Yeah, same, I think in our group chat, and it 1:46:42.880 --> 1:46:44.599 speaks of the power of the group chat. 1:46:45.200 --> 1:46:45.840 I was. 1:46:46.520 --> 1:46:48.599 If you guys are regular workers on the show, you'll 1:46:48.680 --> 1:46:54.439 know that Angela recommended. We were exchanging booklists book readings, 1:46:54.520 --> 1:46:59.160 and Angela recommended Asada Chakor's biography, and I was just 1:46:59.360 --> 1:47:04.080 heartbroken this week at her passing. Our friend Jelani Cobb 1:47:04.520 --> 1:47:08.680 Dina Columbia Journalism School noted how she was eternally out 1:47:08.720 --> 1:47:10.400 of the reach of the people who were trying to 1:47:10.479 --> 1:47:14.160 destroy her. But she talked about being isolated in prison, 1:47:14.240 --> 1:47:16.640 and she kept asking, why can't I go and be 1:47:17.160 --> 1:47:19.280 with the other black women, And she would shout to 1:47:19.360 --> 1:47:22.280 them through thick metal windows, how y'all doing, and they 1:47:22.360 --> 1:47:25.160 would in unison reply back, we good, sister, how you doing? 1:47:25.560 --> 1:47:27.840 And when she was able to be in community with them, 1:47:27.960 --> 1:47:30.400 just to hear their voices, she said it felt like 1:47:30.479 --> 1:47:32.640 a piece of home. So when I think about our 1:47:32.680 --> 1:47:36.280 group chats and where we gather as black women, there 1:47:36.360 --> 1:47:40.120 is something magical and mystical even to that. So just 1:47:40.200 --> 1:47:42.880 in honor of Asada Shakur, I just want to say, 1:47:43.200 --> 1:47:46.960 I'm shouting through the thick metal windows to you, say Angela, 1:47:47.080 --> 1:47:49.519 to all the people out there, asking how y'all doing? 1:47:50.560 --> 1:47:52.800 And we want to know and hold and keep each 1:47:52.840 --> 1:47:56.320 other with a little piece of home as we remember, I. 1:47:56.320 --> 1:47:58.600 Got checking a. 1:48:00.400 --> 1:48:01.560 Feel glad that made it. 1:48:01.680 --> 1:48:04.240 So you do, we have some We just need to 1:48:04.320 --> 1:48:05.160 change the topics up. 1:48:06.320 --> 1:48:08.759 We do it in the halls, right, So think about 1:48:09.160 --> 1:48:11.240 we're out and about and we're giving each other that 1:48:11.320 --> 1:48:14.320 look like you know, and so I mean just even 1:48:14.400 --> 1:48:15.920 that exchange is. 1:48:16.000 --> 1:48:16.559 Like a hug. 1:48:17.240 --> 1:48:20.680 So, as we conclude our time here at CBC and 1:48:20.880 --> 1:48:24.559 re emphasize the theme here of being made for the moment, 1:48:25.040 --> 1:48:27.719 as you think about your own contributions in the space 1:48:27.760 --> 1:48:30.479 that you occupy in corporate America, how do you feel 1:48:30.720 --> 1:48:34.120 that you are prepared, made, stayed for the moment. 1:48:34.600 --> 1:48:38.439 So my brother and I we're first generation college My 1:48:38.680 --> 1:48:39.880 parents were Air Force. 1:48:40.200 --> 1:48:42.320 They both went in right out of high school. 1:48:42.360 --> 1:48:45.000 My mom's from Texas, my dad's from North Carolina, but 1:48:45.160 --> 1:48:49.599 they fought for an America that didn't give them full 1:48:49.680 --> 1:48:52.360 rights and privileges, with a very. 1:48:52.479 --> 1:48:55.080 Intention that what they were fighting for was going to 1:48:55.080 --> 1:48:58.000 be better for their children. So my brother and I 1:48:58.600 --> 1:48:59.559 we are made. 1:48:59.400 --> 1:49:02.840 For this moment because we were groomed and developed in 1:49:03.120 --> 1:49:06.960 community to serve and we get that from our parents, 1:49:07.040 --> 1:49:09.280 we get that from everybody who surrounded us, and I 1:49:09.400 --> 1:49:11.960 do think like esther to Joe Tako's point, if not me, 1:49:12.120 --> 1:49:13.120 then who that's right? 1:49:13.840 --> 1:49:14.240 That's right. 1:49:14.920 --> 1:49:17.679 Thank you for being a partner to Native Lampard. Thank 1:49:17.720 --> 1:49:20.679 you for everything you're doing in your role. Melanie Parker. 1:49:20.760 --> 1:49:22.439 We so appreciate you, and we are part of your 1:49:22.520 --> 1:49:25.160 extended group chat. You have a support of the Machetes, 1:49:25.280 --> 1:49:28.240 you know from far beyond, So thank you. We appreciate 1:49:28.360 --> 1:49:30.400 all your support over the years, not just tonight, but 1:49:30.479 --> 1:49:31.000 over the years. 1:49:31.040 --> 1:49:33.160 We really support me and Tip by giving us this 1:49:33.320 --> 1:49:37.080 dress because I'm sure beautiful, being so free. 1:49:37.280 --> 1:49:39.320 I know that when she was standing over there, it's 1:49:39.320 --> 1:49:39.920 allR right when. 1:49:39.840 --> 1:49:40.280 She came up. 1:49:40.320 --> 1:49:41.200 So thank you so much. 1:49:41.680 --> 1:49:44.800 Congratulations on your war. Yes, so excited, so. 1:49:46.600 --> 1:49:47.200 Well deserved. 1:49:47.560 --> 1:49:51.000 That's what I want to talk about now, Okay, so far. 1:49:51.120 --> 1:49:54.800 Shout out quick Jamal Simmons, Hi, Jamal Simmons. 1:49:55.520 --> 1:49:58.040 A lot of people who wanted to appear on air 1:49:58.200 --> 1:49:59.040 would always. 1:49:58.800 --> 1:50:04.479 Represent look at that air mail. 1:50:04.680 --> 1:50:07.080 Yes, I'm listening to you. I know, but we got 1:50:07.160 --> 1:50:08.680 eighty D a little band fam you. 1:50:08.840 --> 1:50:10.920 I knew Andrew was going to spot out the fam 1:50:11.000 --> 1:50:16.600 you people. Yes, well, the audience can't see, but I 1:50:16.680 --> 1:50:19.519 want you all to know there is a room full 1:50:19.680 --> 1:50:24.120 of beautiful, elegant black folks here tonight. And I just 1:50:24.360 --> 1:50:26.400 sometimes I look at these colors and I'm like, damn, 1:50:26.439 --> 1:50:28.320 the color of yellow was made for black women. And 1:50:28.360 --> 1:50:30.240 I'm like, oh, the color pink was made for black women, 1:50:31.080 --> 1:50:35.000 was made for women. It's just a rainbow of fashion, 1:50:35.640 --> 1:50:39.120 but beyond fashion consciousness. You know, we're gathered here tonight 1:50:39.760 --> 1:50:42.240 to celebrate the work that has been done and the 1:50:42.320 --> 1:50:44.800 work that needs to be done. And we knew, but 1:50:45.000 --> 1:50:48.160 Angela would not let us say anything. But we knew 1:50:48.200 --> 1:50:52.040 that Angelo Rye will be honored tonight, presented an award 1:50:52.600 --> 1:50:56.160 because fitting with the theme, she has indeed met the moment. 1:50:56.720 --> 1:50:59.880 She is a former executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus, 1:51:00.800 --> 1:51:04.080 the legislative body has worked tirelessly. When I met her, 1:51:04.680 --> 1:51:07.439 she was already a star in DC among the hills. 1:51:07.479 --> 1:51:08.639 She has not changed at all. 1:51:08.800 --> 1:51:10.880 People think, you know, sometimes you get on TV and 1:51:10.960 --> 1:51:13.680 become well known and get a new personality. This has 1:51:13.760 --> 1:51:16.080 always been who Angela is from the day I've met 1:51:16.120 --> 1:51:17.320 her almost twenty years ago. 1:51:18.520 --> 1:51:18.840 Blacks. 1:51:19.040 --> 1:51:21.600 Yes, she is, has always been, and she was staffed. 1:51:21.320 --> 1:51:21.880 To the Blacks. 1:51:22.680 --> 1:51:24.439 She was a business. You make that up. I think 1:51:24.479 --> 1:51:25.160 you made that up. 1:51:25.280 --> 1:51:28.120 Albert Sanders actually made that up our Frank, yes, that 1:51:28.200 --> 1:51:31.040 he would always say, she's everybody's emergency contact because if 1:51:31.080 --> 1:51:32.719 something happens to me, please call Angela. 1:51:32.840 --> 1:51:33.040 Rye. 1:51:34.400 --> 1:51:37.080 No you, I'll respond next week, like girl, you're good, 1:51:37.280 --> 1:51:41.879 are you okay? But you've worked on campaigns, including Andrew Gilliams, 1:51:42.120 --> 1:51:47.720 has been a business owner, an activist. Impact Strategies was 1:51:47.800 --> 1:51:49.640 your business. But even before it was a business, it 1:51:49.800 --> 1:51:51.719 was I don't know what you guys were, an organization 1:51:52.040 --> 1:51:53.080 on Capitol Hill. 1:51:53.720 --> 1:51:57.880 Yeah, yeah, I remember, I remember. 1:51:57.960 --> 1:52:02.599 But also what I find really like inspiring about Angela, 1:52:02.720 --> 1:52:04.960 even as you said here, I'll say it is she 1:52:05.120 --> 1:52:08.559 has always seemed to make time for bringing the next 1:52:08.600 --> 1:52:13.400 generation of leaders up. Her cohort of young people of 1:52:13.479 --> 1:52:16.360 all really all range of ages, who were interested in 1:52:16.600 --> 1:52:20.360 professional development, who were interested in making real impact, have 1:52:20.520 --> 1:52:24.719 sought her out, and she's always made room for training 1:52:24.840 --> 1:52:27.200 up the next generation leadership, the folks that you want 1:52:27.280 --> 1:52:29.720 to replace you. And I think of all of all 1:52:29.800 --> 1:52:32.959 the amazing things you do, and there are many in numerable, 1:52:33.960 --> 1:52:36.160 I count this among one of the I think greatest 1:52:36.840 --> 1:52:39.840 measures of impact you that you have had and are having, 1:52:40.439 --> 1:52:43.479 and that's in replacing yourself and replacing the rest of 1:52:43.600 --> 1:52:45.280 us with the next layer of talent. 1:52:45.479 --> 1:52:46.360 You're so elegant. 1:52:46.680 --> 1:52:48.960 And of course I didn't want to leave out State 1:52:49.000 --> 1:52:51.559 of the People. What you've done with State of the People. 1:52:51.640 --> 1:52:55.880 Please join us, I asked, Well, somebody grabbed mister and 1:52:55.960 --> 1:52:59.080 missus Rye. Please you get that they can come for 1:52:59.200 --> 1:53:02.240 her acceptance be But I also this is the professional 1:53:02.280 --> 1:53:03.960 things that we talked about, Angela. But I just want 1:53:03.960 --> 1:53:07.360 to say personally, if anyone has ever if you are 1:53:07.400 --> 1:53:10.120 in her world, and anyone has ever even slightly thought 1:53:10.160 --> 1:53:13.400 about wronging you, do not tell Angela because she's going 1:53:13.479 --> 1:53:16.040 to carry it to her grade. She will not rock 1:53:16.160 --> 1:53:18.680 with you. If you mess with her people. She is 1:53:18.720 --> 1:53:22.439 always ready to throw some knuckles. So it is just 1:53:22.560 --> 1:53:24.960 a delight to see her honored. One of the reasons 1:53:25.000 --> 1:53:28.240 I think she is this powerhouse is because of who 1:53:28.400 --> 1:53:32.240 raised her. And that is of course, if you know Angela, 1:53:32.600 --> 1:53:36.720 you've heard her talk about Papa Rye, who is her hero, 1:53:37.560 --> 1:53:41.200 her partner, her father, and her beautiful, elegant mother. 1:53:41.280 --> 1:53:44.120 You can see where she gets her looks from. So 1:53:44.439 --> 1:53:48.880 so nice to see you. Yeah, you sit down. Your 1:53:48.960 --> 1:53:50.479 first job is to hell Mommy sit here. 1:53:52.360 --> 1:53:52.760 I love it. 1:53:52.880 --> 1:53:54.840 My dad said, how you doing, Governor. So this is 1:53:55.000 --> 1:53:58.200 doctor Andrea Rye and Eddie Wright Jr. And at this 1:53:58.360 --> 1:54:01.680 point we are slightly We're supposed to be ending right now, 1:54:01.760 --> 1:54:04.040 but since we started late, I'm gonna reclaim my time. 1:54:05.200 --> 1:54:07.800 If you can help mommy sit down, or you guys 1:54:07.800 --> 1:54:11.760 are gonna stand up. Okay, that's fine. So parents, if 1:54:11.800 --> 1:54:15.320 you can pay attention for just a moment, mom you're 1:54:15.360 --> 1:54:18.120 on camera. If you can't pay attention just for a moment, 1:54:18.240 --> 1:54:21.880 I think it is worth it. Because I learned this 1:54:22.080 --> 1:54:24.880 evening or this afternoon that we don't get remarks for 1:54:25.040 --> 1:54:27.360 the Phoenix Awards. I'm gonna do my speech now that 1:54:27.439 --> 1:54:30.640 I was gonna do. So I'm gonna just share it here. 1:54:32.200 --> 1:54:35.880 Good evening. I stand before you as the first former 1:54:36.040 --> 1:54:41.839 executive director recipient of the CBC Foundation's Phoenix Award. Receiving 1:54:41.920 --> 1:54:45.440 this award fills me with both gratitude and a renewed 1:54:45.520 --> 1:54:47.960 sense of purpose, and I will tell you that I 1:54:48.080 --> 1:54:51.400 wrestle with the fact that it feels unearned and premature. 1:54:52.200 --> 1:54:55.000 In this moment, I feel like I've failed the people 1:54:55.240 --> 1:54:59.000 because this year I began working to really gather us 1:54:59.080 --> 1:55:03.240 in earnest as crisis called. But what I realized to 1:55:03.320 --> 1:55:07.360 miss this internal struggle is this honor is not the end. 1:55:07.760 --> 1:55:11.120 It's the beginning. It's an urging to keep going, to 1:55:11.280 --> 1:55:15.000 keep pushing, and to find higher ground. Thank you to 1:55:15.160 --> 1:55:18.960 Chairwoman Clark for seeing me and encouraging me to give 1:55:19.000 --> 1:55:22.240 the best of me to our people. I accept this 1:55:22.440 --> 1:55:25.640 honor with the full awareness that our story as a 1:55:25.720 --> 1:55:30.120 people has always been one of resurrection and resilience. This 1:55:30.320 --> 1:55:33.720 award is not just for me. It belongs to every 1:55:33.840 --> 1:55:38.200 ancestor who refused to quit, every elder who told the truth, 1:55:38.760 --> 1:55:42.360 and every young person daring to dream beyond the failures 1:55:42.680 --> 1:55:46.040 of what America has promised. It belongs to my mom 1:55:46.120 --> 1:55:50.280 and Dad, doctor Andrea Rye, and Eddie Rye Junior, To 1:55:50.400 --> 1:55:53.920 the members of the Congressional Black Caucus, and to every 1:55:54.040 --> 1:55:57.840 Black staffer who knows your duty to also serve as 1:55:57.920 --> 1:56:01.240 the conscience of the Congress. It is for It is 1:56:01.320 --> 1:56:04.600 for the first responders of the movement, the state of 1:56:04.680 --> 1:56:08.240 the people, and every partner. It is for every person 1:56:08.400 --> 1:56:11.960 we fed, hugged, bailed out, heard out who felt left out, 1:56:12.360 --> 1:56:15.600 For the mothers of the movement, the Black Wall Street survivors, 1:56:15.680 --> 1:56:23.680 and everyone who knows black lives, history, stories, employees, entrepreneurs, scientists, veterans, preachers, teachers, 1:56:23.760 --> 1:56:29.000 elders and babies still matter. Tonight is about more than recognition. 1:56:29.560 --> 1:56:31.880 It is a clarion call for what it means to 1:56:32.000 --> 1:56:35.920 meet this moment. We are witnessing the dismantling of democracy 1:56:36.040 --> 1:56:39.920 in real time. Book bands are spreading across our states. 1:56:40.280 --> 1:56:44.560 Voter suppression targets our communities with new force. The tightening 1:56:44.640 --> 1:56:48.360 of our economy is harming Black women by the hundreds 1:56:48.400 --> 1:56:52.200 of thousands, and the eggs, the cost of eggs are 1:56:52.280 --> 1:56:56.480 still too damn high. Political violence is unleashed to keep 1:56:56.600 --> 1:56:59.040 us silent and afraid, and we are being made to 1:56:59.160 --> 1:57:04.000 believe that congressional honor must be bestowed upon someone who thought, 1:57:04.200 --> 1:57:07.640 who through death, is being upheld as a messiah when 1:57:07.720 --> 1:57:11.320 we all know the truth about the vicious, violent vitriol 1:57:11.680 --> 1:57:15.720 he actually spewed. We know what survival mode feels like. 1:57:16.320 --> 1:57:19.240 We see it in every headline that erases our history, 1:57:20.040 --> 1:57:23.880 every law that blocks our progress, every threat meant to 1:57:23.960 --> 1:57:27.600 break our will. But we are not only survivors. We 1:57:27.720 --> 1:57:32.120 are meant to thrive. The question is how we will 1:57:32.160 --> 1:57:34.840 not get there through division or subtraction. We will not 1:57:35.000 --> 1:57:39.000 move forward by closing our eyes to hatred or shrinking 1:57:39.360 --> 1:57:43.640 in the face of unprecedented opposition and oppression. So tonight 1:57:43.760 --> 1:57:47.760 I ask what will history say about you? What will 1:57:47.880 --> 1:57:50.920 history say about me? What will it say about us? 1:57:51.680 --> 1:57:54.160 Will it record our silence or will it tell a 1:57:54.280 --> 1:57:58.160 story of a collective rising up? Will it remember you 1:57:58.400 --> 1:58:01.120 as someone who stood in the gap or as someone 1:58:01.160 --> 1:58:05.760 who faded and blended when it mattered the most. History 1:58:05.920 --> 1:58:08.920 is not written by the comfortable. It is shaped by 1:58:09.000 --> 1:58:11.960 the courageous. This is our time to move in the 1:58:12.080 --> 1:58:15.320 fullness of who we are. Our steps are ordered to 1:58:15.440 --> 1:58:20.560 be bold, to be unapologetically black and beautiful. Shrinking is 1:58:20.760 --> 1:58:25.320 not an option. Bowing is not an option. Folding is 1:58:25.440 --> 1:58:29.600 not an option. Every moment demands our grit, our hustle, 1:58:30.000 --> 1:58:34.440 and our backbone. We will not overcome until we confront division. 1:58:34.840 --> 1:58:38.640 We will not overcome until we face our fears, speak truth, 1:58:38.760 --> 1:58:43.200 plainly and without apology. We will not overcome until the 1:58:43.280 --> 1:58:46.800 demands we have of our elected officials are also met 1:58:47.120 --> 1:58:50.360 when we look in the mirror. We will not overcome 1:58:50.560 --> 1:58:55.200 until we let courage replace fear. That is our standard, 1:58:55.560 --> 1:59:00.400 that is our charge. You are called now more than EVERBC, 1:59:01.280 --> 1:59:04.000 to not just be the conscience of the Congress, but 1:59:04.160 --> 1:59:07.000 even more to be the conscience of our community and 1:59:07.120 --> 1:59:10.720 the conscience of our culture. You stand on the shoulders 1:59:10.840 --> 1:59:14.000 of that kind of conscience of a bold thirteen in 1:59:14.160 --> 1:59:17.600 nineteen seventy one who demanded the bold pursuit of an 1:59:17.600 --> 1:59:22.320 agenda for liberation that is our birthright. Let us move 1:59:22.440 --> 1:59:28.640 forward together, refusing to shrink, refusing to be silenced, refusing 1:59:28.720 --> 1:59:31.840 to be divided, because we were made for this moment. 1:59:32.520 --> 1:59:36.200 Thank you for this great honor, all power to the people. 1:59:36.600 --> 1:59:37.800 Welcome home, y'all. 1:59:39.760 --> 1:59:42.160 For the last morning see. Thank you for joining the 1:59:42.280 --> 1:59:44.720 Natives intention of with the info and all of the 1:59:44.840 --> 1:59:48.240 latest rock Gilliman Cruss connected to the statements that you 1:59:48.400 --> 1:59:51.680 leave on our socials. Thank you sincerely for the patients. 1:59:51.920 --> 1:59:54.640 Reason for your choice is clear. So grateful it took 1:59:54.680 --> 1:59:57.600 the OA to execute rules. Thank you for serve, defend 1:59:57.640 --> 1:59:59.720 and protect the truth, even in case it will walk 1:59:59.760 --> 1:59:59.960 a home. 2:00:00.280 --> 2:00:01.920 All of the natives, we thank you. 2:00:14.280 --> 2:00:17.400 Native Lampard is a production of iHeartRadio in partnership with 2:00:17.480 --> 2:00:20.720 Reison Choice Media. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the 2:00:20.760 --> 2:00:24.320 iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 2:00:24.400 --> 2:00:25.200 favorite shows.