November 3, 2023 • 31 mins
Today's special guest is recording artist Aloe Blacc. He and Artis Stevens, President + CEO of Big Brothers/ Big Sisters of America join Host Ramses Ja to talk about Aloe's new music and his involvement in BBBSA's "Game Changers " initiative which seeks to unite the power of influential leaders and changemakers to help tackle key issues impacting today's youth.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Alo Black is the artist you may know from smash
hits like A Vichi's Wake Me Up, as well as
international hits like I Need a Dollar and The Man.
After inking a deal with indie label Stone's Throw, Black
released his solo debut Shine Through, in two thousand and
six and sophomore album Good Things in twenty ten. Boosted
by the breakout success of I Need a Dollar, which
(00:21):
was selected as the theme song to HBOS How to
Make It in America, Good Things reached gold status in
countries around the world. Working with groundbreaking producers like Pharrell Williams,
Lift Your Spirit debuted at number four on the Billboard
two hundred Albums chart and earned a Grammy Award nomination
for Best R and B Album. Despite his career success,
Alo Black has remained unafraid to step out as a
(00:42):
man of the people and use his status in various
platforms for social change. Today, one in three kids in
America is growing up without a sustained adult mentor in
their lives. In addition, over thirty thousand young people are
on the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America's national wait list,
with the majority being boys color waiting to be matched
with a mentor. This urgent need fuels the purpose of
(01:05):
the bbbsa's Game Changers initiative as an opportunity for influential
leaders from diverse backgrounds to reinforce that mentorship isn't just
nice to have, it's a necessity. Current Game Changers include
Damon John Offubu, the President of the Black Information Network,
Tony Coles, and today's very special guest, Alo Black. This
(01:26):
is the Black Information Network Daily Podcast and I'm your host,
ramses Jah. All right, mister Alo Black, Welcome to the show.
How are you doing today, sir? Thank you. I'm doing great,
and thank you for having me on the show. Absolutely,
And you brought a friend. You brought the one the
only artist, Stevens, who was the CEO, Big Dog a
(01:46):
Big President of AYES.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
I had the opportunity to meet artists at an event
where I was singing and we had a conversation. He
told me about the organization and how mentorship was extremely
important for youth, and it inspired me and inspired me
to get involved in the best way that I know how,
which is to use my voice to help amplify the organization.
(02:11):
So I decided to write a song about the concept
of mentorship. I was inspired by the idea that, you know,
these adults would lend their time, their hearts, their experience
to these young folks who are really just looking for
a friend, looking for a way to navigate the world.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Sure, sure, an artists. So what was this like getting
to work with Alo and to get this new music
out that kind of helps bolster your mission with the
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
Well, you know, I'll tell you anyone who've had the
opportunity to meet Alo, I know a lot of times
you see him. Of course you hear his incredible talent
in music, but what I always say to people is
that he's more incredible if that can even be believed
as a person right in his humanitarian efforts, his sense
(03:10):
of purpose and impact. And I think that's why Big Brothers,
Big Sisters and Alo incitantly connected, right, we connected, but
he connected with this mission. And what I'll share is
that in creating this song, what it's done for us
is created a platform to raise the awareness about our
mission and the work of mentorship across this country and
(03:32):
access for kids. As you mentioned earlier, you know, we
had thousands of young people on our waiting lists. Most
of those young people are boys. Most of those boys
are boys of color, and we're looking to attract more
ment of color in our organization. And the power of song,
the power of engagement, the power of community. It's so
threaded within the song that allows us to talk about
(03:54):
the relationships that big brothers, big sisters help create every
day and the opportunity to do more.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
And you know something that's interesting about this particular partnership
and connection is you know, as we heard in the
beginning of the show, Alo, you've famously used your platform
to highlight lots of different political and social issues throughout
(04:20):
your career. And I'll be very fair, and you don't
know this, but I followed your career, perhaps more closely
than most people because you and I and I've followed
you before this, but you and I have actually been
in a music video together. You wouldn't know this, so
don't worry about it. But I have an older brother
named Rakka or Irascience of the Dilated Peoples, and he
(04:42):
has a song called Crown of Thorns. And if you
remember that music video with all the it was like
a laptop screen or something like that. So you were
in the video singing, and then toward the end I
was there with my friend Bootleg keV and another friend
of mine from radio. So I've always then a person that's,
you know, kind of not only seen and heard your music,
(05:06):
but kind of been able to engage beyond just kind
of a surface level, you know, fan because of the
fact that, of course my brother a lot of his
music is political as well, and again having that insight
into your career and what you stand for, and then
of course now what it is that I do. I
like to think that there's a lot of connective tissue there.
So I could see this partnership with Big Brothers Big
(05:27):
Sisters of America being particularly meaningful. Instead of just lending
your celebrity to something, this feels like a cause that
actually moves you. And I know that for you artists,
it moves you. I can feel it, you know, in
your voice. So you know, any thoughts on what I'm
saying in terms of like the attractiveness of this particular synergy,
(05:48):
how did it hit you initially?
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Allo, Yeah, you know, as you mentioned as a hip
hop artist and then moving into singing. I'm informed by
our artists who use their voice for positive social transformation.
So I consider myself an artist, and this particular relationship
with Big Brothers, Big Sisters of America stems from the
(06:12):
kind of work that I've been doing in the realm
of you know, criminal justice reform, juvenile justice reform, looking
at the landscape of our prison systems and wanting to
transform basically the Carcel State, but recognizing that we can't
(06:33):
just keep putting a band aid on the solution.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
We have to go systemic, we have to go deep.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
And the real healing balm is what Big Brothers, Big
Sisters of America is doing is creating mentorships, relationships, creating
connection to eliminate sort of the loneliness, the depression, the.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Lack of self confidence, and building.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
A whole generation and generation after generation of youth who
can grow up feeling confident, feeling like they understand themselves
and they understand that their position, their place in the world,
and how to be a constructive and positive citizen in
the world. I think that by me getting engaged with
(07:22):
a song is the is the first and easy step
right And in working with different organizations, quite often I'm
asked to sing out an event or post a social
media asset but those things are ephemeral. They mean a lot,
(07:43):
and they are very symbolic. But a song is a legacy.
It lasts forever, and with that attachment, this song will
always continue to speak about mentorship and Big Brothers Big
Sisters and continue to highlight the work that they do
and call in folks to be part of the mission.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Yeah, sure, and artists. You know, we heard Alo kind
of touch on it a little bit, but I'd like
to ask you too, of course, at the Helm of
Big Brothers and Big Sisters, what and I know that
you mentioned that there are lots of children who are
waiting to be paired with a mentor, so let's not
focus on that as much as like, really the long
(08:26):
term goals. What are some of the outcomes that the
organization is hoping to see, Like something that's along the
lines of a mission statement for the Big Brothers Big
Sisters of America.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Yeah, absolutely right. You know, I'll start it this way.
You know, one of the one of the things that
we always talk about and as part of this initiative
that Alo is helping to lead with a group of
other ambassadors called Game Changers. Right, So the whole idea
of game changers. Is Detroit create this kind of generational
changing type of opportunity and young people's lives. I think
(09:01):
many of us remember growing up in our communities where
that whole concept of you can see it, you can
be it, right, and that resonates in terms of our
story and what we see in impacting with kids. By
the way, you know, I'm the first black CEO of
this organization one hundred and nineteen years and one of
the things that I credit to that is that in
my community, I saw, I saw men, I saw people
(09:22):
that look like me, right, who had the same background
experiences in me that showed me that I could be
in a role like this.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Right.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
I wasn't thinking about this role at that moment, but
I saw those types of experiences and connection.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
And that's what we want for more kids. Right.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
So here's what it means for us. It means more.
It means more mentors come into this organization.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Right.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
So we want to be able to double the triple
the number of mentors that come into this organization to
grow the size and scale. As you said up on top,
one in three kids don't have positive sustained mentors. We
want to open up doors and open up access for
millions of more kids, right fifteen to sixteen million kids
in this country to have access points and opportunities and exposure.
(10:04):
Our fastest growing population that we're serving today. We traditionally
serve five to eighteen young adults. Our fastest growing population
is eighteen to twenty five young adults, and a lot
of people don't realize that. And the reason why for
your listeners is because kids are graduating high school or
getting close and they're asking what's next? How do I
even fill out the faster form? How do I interview
(10:25):
for a job. So what we want to do is
ensure that there's more career mentoring and workplace mentoring so
that we can help young people get into skills, into jobs.
And it made for some it may be education in college,
for others, it may be direct to job, entrepreneurship, other opportunities.
But if they don't get accessed, if they don't understand
the pipeline and the exposure the way to get there,
(10:47):
then it's hard to be able to support if kids
don't know what's out there and what's available. And then
the last thing I'll say to your question is, we
have an epidemic in our country around mental health right
and socialized so and young people feeling like they don't
belong and they don't feel connected in their sense of themselves.
So one of the things that we're trying to do
is to train volunteers, positive adults and staff and what
(11:11):
we call mental health first A and what that essentially is.
You don't have to be a mental health expert, but
it's the idea of more people understanding how to identify
and support young people in their lives when there are
mental health challenges or mental health things that they go through,
and to be able to connect with them in positive
and constructive ways so that we're supporting those types of
(11:32):
relationships and that young people are navigating life much more successfully.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Right. It doesn't take a lot, that's the bottom line.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
It just takes a little to truly make the type
of impact that it takes people being present, showing up
and giving their time.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Sure, So let's talk a bit more about your role
alo as a game changer. So what is is what
is that like? What is it like to be a
game changer? Game changers all about sharing stories, you know,
for me, sharing the stories about how mentorship helped me
(12:06):
as a as artists mentioned, you know, young adults from
eighteen to twenty five or the largest growing demographic looking
for mentorship.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
And that's when I was able to have a really
great mentorship relationship with some folks who offered me an
opportunity for an internship. Showed me what corporate America looked like,
made me understand that I was capable and I was deserving.
That was really important. And it's our job as well,
as you know, as a game changer, to make connections
to open doors we have. I have a huge network
(12:37):
of different folks who could potentially be mentors, but not
only that, folks who can help to amplify the message,
and all the folks who can donate to the to
the cause, to big Brothers big sisters in America so
that they can continue to do the amazing work that
they're doing.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
And just to create experiences, you know, I have.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Concerts and events and music videos as you mentioned before,
opportunities for young folks who are potential mentees to get
involved and have once in a lifetime experiences.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
So this is the way that I will engage as
a game changer. We are here today with Grammy Award
nominee singer, songwriter and the voice behind the hits Wake
Me Up, I Need a Dollar, and the man Alo Black,
as well as the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters
of America artist Stevens. All Right, so let's talk about
(13:37):
your new song, Never Let You Down. That's what you
were teasing at the top of the show. So talk
about what went into the lyrics. I had a chance
to hear it sounds. It's a new sound for me.
I know you've kind of been on this for a while,
but you know, kind of the reggae sound to it.
I was like, Okay, I see it. So talk about
kind of the thought process that went into writing this song,
(13:58):
if it comes from lived or if this is something
that you're envisioning, or you know, just talk for sure.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Never Let You Down is a song about the relationship
between someone who is helping another person find their way
and just feel comfortable in their own skin. And it
was inspired by the the organization's meaningful work of pairing
a big with a little an adult mentor with a
(14:28):
youth mentee who is really just looking for connection. When
I write the lyric and the chorus, you know, when
it's your time to shine I'll never let you down.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Your struggle is mine, I'll never let you down.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
These are the kind of things that make somebody feel
like they're seen, and I feel like the song helps
to represent that unique relationship and it really celebrates celebrates
the relationship of mentorship.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Sure sure, So, artists, I want to talk to you
about because you mentioned something that we talk about quite
a bit on the show, which is mental health. I
want you to talk to us about maybe some of
the stories that you may have come across, may have
(15:20):
heard or witnessed yourself firsthand, where mental health support and
advocacy may have made a difference in the lives in
the life of a young person.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
Yeah, well, you know one that comes to mind for
me just very quickly is one of us. So we
have a program called Bigs and Littles of the Year
where we celebrate and honor every year the national award
to who's our Big of the Year, who's a positive adult,
(15:53):
and then our Little of the Year, the young person
I see with their match with and one of the
little was his name is Jalen and he's at our
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles, and I always
think about Jalen, because Jalen is one of these kids
who will say, hey, when I first got into the program,
(16:14):
I was very shy, insular I had and then there
was a lot of things going on his environment right
that gave him challenges in terms of his own mental
health and finding his own strength. But it's when he
had the opportunity to meet his big that he started
to come out and feel, Okay, I have much more
(16:36):
anchor and who I am and what I'm about in
my belief in myself right. And a lot of it again,
wasn't so much about you know this this thing of
an adult happen to be a therapist. It wasn't about
that at all. It wasn't having that level of expertise.
But it's just being a friend and being connected and
being present in their life. And one of the things
(16:57):
that we talk about much more broadly to this point
point is that, particularly for a lot of black men
and black boys, what we find is that black boys
are typically be lies when you think about demographics to
raise their hand and say that I have any type
of mental health circumstance going on in my life, and
(17:18):
a lot of it because culturally, like what we've been
taught that we don't talk about those things, we don't
share those things, we don't even ask for help. So
we're trying to break down these myths and these barriers.
And that's what being in relationships like what Alo is
talking about in terms of these types of bigs and
little relationships, these one to one mentorship relationships, it gives
you safe space. And we have to create more of
(17:39):
an environment in our country that creates safe space for
our kids to be comfortable to be who they are
and know that they have a reliable voice and a
reliable person in their corner that allows them and know
that they're never going to let them down.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Right.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
That's why that song that's powerful to me because it says,
no matter who I am and what I go through,
I know I have somebody in my one of was
never going to let me down.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
And that's what more of our kids need today.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Sure Sure, and Alo, just a thought popped into my head.
I know that you've dealt with, or you had to have,
you know, come to terms with, really the consequences of
what it looks like up close and personal when a
(18:23):
person does not get the sort of support that they
might need during a mental health crisis, and in particular,
I'm referring to a Vici's passing because I know that
you guys were very connected. So talk to us a
bit about how that affected you and maybe how you
(18:45):
learned to be a better supporter or a better listener
or you know. I certainly paid particular attention during that
time as well, and I think it grew a lot
of us up because it was unexpected. But obviously you
being a lot closer to the situation, you might have
some more insight. Yeah, Unfortunately, you know, AVICI is not
the only UH mental health crisis that has I've had
(19:08):
proximity to, and it seems to be something that is
certainly as artists mentioned, and even in my conversation with
the Surgeon General of VIC Murphy, there is a crisis.
For For me, I learned that it's just a matter
(19:29):
of trying to have constant communication and you never know
how someone is really feeling inside if they're hiding it,
but but knowing that you're doing your part as a
friend to be available and to continue to leave an
open line of communication. It was deeply saddening, saddening and troubling.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
UH when when Tim passed and I started to think,
did I when was the last time I called them?
When was the last time I emailed? When was the
last time we had a conversation? And I know everything
was positive, and in conversations with everybody around us, we
felt like.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
It was a blindsided moment in other.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Scenarios around me where you know someone is in a
mental health crisis, and in particular you know attempted attempted
suicide or self harm constantly, what goes to my mind
is when was the last time I communicated? What was
the nature of that communication? How could I have known?
How could I It's really hard to know. And what
(20:41):
it speaks to is what comes to my mind is
that an organization like Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
is creating a network of mentorship, which in many ways
is one to one. But one of the things that
I want to have a deep and meaningful conversation with
about the with the organization.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Is a distributed network that has multiple nodes to each
individual rather than one to one.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Because what came to mind was I can look in
my phone and say, oh, yeah, I texted her ten
days before her self harm event, and we had a
really good communication and exchange. But what I don't know
and what there is no data on, is who else
in our network, within our you know, they say everybody
(21:33):
knows about two hundred people within our village was communicating
with her within those ten days, and in what was
the nature of those communications and how can we all
have some sort of transparent understanding about that because mentorship, Yes,
in many ways it is a one to one, but
there's a concept of village that I think is also
(21:55):
really important. And I think that's what we as game
changers can do, is really create this concept of village.
And as you know, the saying is it takes little
to be big.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
The little things that we do become big things when
a lot of us are doing that. Sure. Yeah, you
know you mentioned earlier in the conversation having having mentors
that kind of helped you navigate the professional world. And
I when I was kind of doing some research for
today's conversation, I came across the story that you shared
(22:34):
about the origin of the song I Need a dollar
when writing that story, and that was from what I understand,
a song from your starving artist days that you had
written way back then. And I think that you know
what you're saying it takes little to be big. I
think that's kind of mirrored in that story, the little
(22:55):
things that the people did to just get you set up,
to get you, you know, on track, so to speak,
and put you in position to be able to do
something and to touch the world the way that you
have it. You know, I can see that reflected in
your story, so that that feels very special. I I
I'm very proud of you. Thanks. So let's talk about
(23:19):
what's next. You're what what is next for you? We'll
start with you, Alo, What's what's next for you? Obviously
you're gonna have a lot of fans tuning in, so
anything having to do with music, anything having to do
with you know, anything not just big brothers, big sisters.
But of course that's what we're talking about, and then
I'll go to you artists as well.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
For me, I'm focused on stories.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
I love the idea of songwriting and that songs come
from stories and everybody has a story and I think
it's it's evident in this collaboration with bb BSA where
I gleaned from the story lyrics and a melody in
order to create a song. I want to do the
(24:03):
same thing, you know, for multiple other game changers and
change makers in the world, people who are shining shining
a light in their community in a way that is
transforming for for all kinds of positive reasons, and use
those stories to create songs. That's That's what I think.
(24:23):
One of my missions on Earth is is to create
great songs. But those songs have to be tied to
really really strong stories, create legacies for important people and
important community leaders.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
Yeah. That that that lines up perfectly with again with
your your brand in your career. As you were talking
right now, I was thinking of the video for I
think it's for Wake Me Up. There was another video
for it, but there was about a little girl. I
believe she might have been a migrant to Earth.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
It was it was an immigrant story because I'm a
first generation American. So okay, you know the concept of
immigration and the discussion is really the story yeah personal
to me?
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Yeah yeah, sure, sure, so I could. I could definitely
see that. So yeah, I'm I'm looking forward to what's next.
And then artists, of course, you are at the helm
of I mean, I grew up knowing all about big brothers,
big sisters of America. So Obviously, I'm excited to hear
your response. What's next for you and for Big Brothers
(25:26):
Big Sisters of America.
Speaker 4 (25:27):
Yeah, and Alo used the word that I think it's
just so powerful because we use it all the time, right, village.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
It's grown and expanding this village.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
So one of the things that's part of game changes
in this campaign it takes a Little to be Big,
is the idea about how do we tell this story,
engage people in their own personal stories, right, about creating
the village around young people, right, and young people contributing
to that village. So one thing that we're doing is
this concept called a Million Little Moments right where people
(25:59):
can go to our website at Big be Big now
dot org and they can share their own story, right,
they can share their own connection of mentorship, inspiration, right,
how someone mentored them.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
Right.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
So we want to collect these types of stories, and
we want to be able to tell them much more broadly,
to elevate them so that we get more people to
join in this mission and to join in mentoring. And
then the other thing that I'll just say is when
we talk about creating villages, we've got to create the
type of community and the type of services that allow
for these types of programs to reach more kids in
(26:35):
the community, particularly kids who don't always have access to
it and sometimes are in communities that always don't get connections.
So one of the things that we're doing is creating
programs that go into communities across this country that you
may not always see the deep, deepening level of these
types of resources, places like New Orleans, places like in
(26:56):
some of our rural communities as well, right in the
justice system, and how we ensure that mentoring programs are
much more integrated into our justice system. So it's another
type of justice that we're providing supporting young people. Foster
care is another area. What we said is an organization,
and what I've made is a mandate from my leadership
in this organization, we are going to show up in
(27:16):
the places that no one else shows up, right, because
that's what our mentorship and our mission has always been
about for one hundred and nineteen years. That's why we
were founded to be an organization that go to where
kids need us, not ask kids to come where we are.
So our organization is going to go forward, but we
can only do that by having volunteers and by having
people who invest in our mission and say hey, we're
(27:39):
going to be on along with you. They help expand
services to these types of communities, to these types of
identities across our country and to make it much more
connected and powerful for us to make positive change.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
Fantastic, well said listen. I need for you to let
people know where they can get more information if they
can donate social media. I need you to lay all
that out. I'll I'll come to you in a second,
but first artist, I need you to that was powerful,
so please.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
Yeah, happy to do so.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
So I mentioned the website the url b big now
dot org again, that's bbignow dot org. You can go
to that website and here's what you can do. You
can just put in your zip code. If you put
in your zip code, it will take you directly to
the local Big Brothers Big Sisters that's nearest you that
you can sign up to volunteer to support, to do
(28:33):
anything for some people. You may want to donate, right
You may want to give and invest in the power
of our mentorship and the power of our mentoring. So
you can feel free to give a gift and it's
going to help support more matches, more people on the ground,
but also what Alo talked about, not just one to one,
but we're doing all types of mentoring, group mentoring, career mentoring,
technology mentoring. But that really builds community and builds a
(28:55):
village around young people. And then the last thing I'll
say is that if you're listening and want to connect
with me on LinkedIn, you can find me on LinkedIn.
I always love staying connected, and you can learn more
about our story and you can also get content that
you can create and be an ambassador on your social
media channels. Because we got twenty million alumna, twenty million
alumna out there, we need more of our alumni, people
(29:17):
who've been in this program to raise their hand and
say I want to tell my story as well. So
we'd love to have them to come back home and
join us.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Fantastic, Okay, Alo, I need you to share your social
media and websites all that sort of stuff too.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
Yes, the website is www dot Aloblack dot com. Black
is with two c's, and from there you basically define everything.
I feel like social media is is one place for
me to share what's happening on a consistent basis, but
everything if you go to my website, you can find
(29:56):
all the videos and all the songs and discography to
to learn more about what I'm up to today and
see what I've done in the past.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Okay, and then one more time, let's plug the song.
Where can people go to get it, to buy it,
to hear it, to see it, etc.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Absolutely, the name of the song is never Let You Down.
It's available on all streaming platforms and really really important
to check it out on YouTube because you get to
see the inspiration for the song, which is the relationships
between the actual bigs and littles who are working with
and affiliated with the BBBSA fantastic Well.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
I'd like to thank you both very much for your
time today. Hopefully I didn't use too much of it.
You are both inspirational black men and that's something that
we appreciate and celebrate around here. It's been a joy.
And when I say I'm proud of you, I really,
really sincerely mean that, I mean I both appreciate that.
(30:54):
Thank you absolutely once again Today's guest Grammy Award nominee
Singer songwriter and the voice behind the hits Wake Me Up,
I Need a Dollar and the Man Ala Black, as
well as artist Steven CEO of Big Brothers, Big Sisters
of America. This has been a production of the Black
Information Network. Today's show was produced by Chris Thompson. Have
(31:14):
some thoughts you'd like to share, use the red microphone
talkback feature on the iHeartRadio app. While you're there, be
sure to hit subscribe and download all of our episodes.
I am your host Ramsey's Jaw on all social media
and join us tomorrow as we share our news with
our voice from our perspective right here on the Black
Information Network Daily Podcast
Alo Black is the artist you may know from smash
hits like A Vichi's Wake Me Up, as well as
international hits like I Need a Dollar and The Man.
After inking a deal with indie label Stone's Throw, Black
released his solo debut Shine Through, in two thousand and
six and sophomore album Good Things in twenty ten. Boosted
by the breakout success of I Need a Dollar, which
(00:21):
was selected as the theme song to HBOS How to
Make It in America, Good Things reached gold status in
countries around the world. Working with groundbreaking producers like Pharrell Williams,
Lift Your Spirit debuted at number four on the Billboard
two hundred Albums chart and earned a Grammy Award nomination
for Best R and B Album. Despite his career success,
Alo Black has remained unafraid to step out as a
(00:42):
man of the people and use his status in various
platforms for social change. Today, one in three kids in
America is growing up without a sustained adult mentor in
their lives. In addition, over thirty thousand young people are
on the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America's national wait list,
with the majority being boys color waiting to be matched
with a mentor. This urgent need fuels the purpose of
(01:05):
the bbbsa's Game Changers initiative as an opportunity for influential
leaders from diverse backgrounds to reinforce that mentorship isn't just
nice to have, it's a necessity. Current Game Changers include
Damon John Offubu, the President of the Black Information Network,
Tony Coles, and today's very special guest, Alo Black. This
(01:26):
is the Black Information Network Daily Podcast and I'm your host,
ramses Jah. All right, mister Alo Black, Welcome to the show.
How are you doing today, sir? Thank you. I'm doing great,
and thank you for having me on the show. Absolutely,
And you brought a friend. You brought the one the
only artist, Stevens, who was the CEO, Big Dog a
(01:46):
Big President of AYES.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
I had the opportunity to meet artists at an event
where I was singing and we had a conversation. He
told me about the organization and how mentorship was extremely
important for youth, and it inspired me and inspired me
to get involved in the best way that I know how,
which is to use my voice to help amplify the organization.
(02:11):
So I decided to write a song about the concept
of mentorship. I was inspired by the idea that, you know,
these adults would lend their time, their hearts, their experience
to these young folks who are really just looking for
a friend, looking for a way to navigate the world.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Sure, sure, an artists. So what was this like getting
to work with Alo and to get this new music
out that kind of helps bolster your mission with the
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
Speaker 3 (02:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
Well, you know, I'll tell you anyone who've had the
opportunity to meet Alo, I know a lot of times
you see him. Of course you hear his incredible talent
in music, but what I always say to people is
that he's more incredible if that can even be believed
as a person right in his humanitarian efforts, his sense
(03:10):
of purpose and impact. And I think that's why Big Brothers,
Big Sisters and Alo incitantly connected, right, we connected, but
he connected with this mission. And what I'll share is
that in creating this song, what it's done for us
is created a platform to raise the awareness about our
mission and the work of mentorship across this country and
(03:32):
access for kids. As you mentioned earlier, you know, we
had thousands of young people on our waiting lists. Most
of those young people are boys. Most of those boys
are boys of color, and we're looking to attract more
ment of color in our organization. And the power of song,
the power of engagement, the power of community. It's so
threaded within the song that allows us to talk about
(03:54):
the relationships that big brothers, big sisters help create every
day and the opportunity to do more.
Speaker 1 (04:00):
And you know something that's interesting about this particular partnership
and connection is you know, as we heard in the
beginning of the show, Alo, you've famously used your platform
to highlight lots of different political and social issues throughout
(04:20):
your career. And I'll be very fair, and you don't
know this, but I followed your career, perhaps more closely
than most people because you and I and I've followed
you before this, but you and I have actually been
in a music video together. You wouldn't know this, so
don't worry about it. But I have an older brother
named Rakka or Irascience of the Dilated Peoples, and he
(04:42):
has a song called Crown of Thorns. And if you
remember that music video with all the it was like
a laptop screen or something like that. So you were
in the video singing, and then toward the end I
was there with my friend Bootleg keV and another friend
of mine from radio. So I've always then a person that's,
you know, kind of not only seen and heard your music,
(05:06):
but kind of been able to engage beyond just kind
of a surface level, you know, fan because of the
fact that, of course my brother a lot of his
music is political as well, and again having that insight
into your career and what you stand for, and then
of course now what it is that I do. I
like to think that there's a lot of connective tissue there.
So I could see this partnership with Big Brothers Big
(05:27):
Sisters of America being particularly meaningful. Instead of just lending
your celebrity to something, this feels like a cause that
actually moves you. And I know that for you artists,
it moves you. I can feel it, you know, in
your voice. So you know, any thoughts on what I'm
saying in terms of like the attractiveness of this particular synergy,
(05:48):
how did it hit you initially?
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Allo, Yeah, you know, as you mentioned as a hip
hop artist and then moving into singing. I'm informed by
our artists who use their voice for positive social transformation.
So I consider myself an artist, and this particular relationship
with Big Brothers, Big Sisters of America stems from the
(06:12):
kind of work that I've been doing in the realm
of you know, criminal justice reform, juvenile justice reform, looking
at the landscape of our prison systems and wanting to
transform basically the Carcel State, but recognizing that we can't
(06:33):
just keep putting a band aid on the solution.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
We have to go systemic, we have to go deep.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
And the real healing balm is what Big Brothers, Big
Sisters of America is doing is creating mentorships, relationships, creating
connection to eliminate sort of the loneliness, the depression, the.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
Lack of self confidence, and building.
Speaker 2 (06:59):
A whole generation and generation after generation of youth who
can grow up feeling confident, feeling like they understand themselves
and they understand that their position, their place in the world,
and how to be a constructive and positive citizen in
the world. I think that by me getting engaged with
(07:22):
a song is the is the first and easy step
right And in working with different organizations, quite often I'm
asked to sing out an event or post a social
media asset but those things are ephemeral. They mean a lot,
(07:43):
and they are very symbolic. But a song is a legacy.
It lasts forever, and with that attachment, this song will
always continue to speak about mentorship and Big Brothers Big
Sisters and continue to highlight the work that they do
and call in folks to be part of the mission.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Yeah, sure, and artists. You know, we heard Alo kind
of touch on it a little bit, but I'd like
to ask you too, of course, at the Helm of
Big Brothers and Big Sisters, what and I know that
you mentioned that there are lots of children who are
waiting to be paired with a mentor, so let's not
focus on that as much as like, really the long
(08:26):
term goals. What are some of the outcomes that the
organization is hoping to see, Like something that's along the
lines of a mission statement for the Big Brothers Big
Sisters of America.
Speaker 4 (08:38):
Yeah, absolutely right. You know, I'll start it this way.
You know, one of the one of the things that
we always talk about and as part of this initiative
that Alo is helping to lead with a group of
other ambassadors called Game Changers. Right, So the whole idea
of game changers. Is Detroit create this kind of generational
changing type of opportunity and young people's lives. I think
(09:01):
many of us remember growing up in our communities where
that whole concept of you can see it, you can
be it, right, and that resonates in terms of our
story and what we see in impacting with kids. By
the way, you know, I'm the first black CEO of
this organization one hundred and nineteen years and one of
the things that I credit to that is that in
my community, I saw, I saw men, I saw people
(09:22):
that look like me, right, who had the same background
experiences in me that showed me that I could be
in a role like this.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Right.
Speaker 4 (09:29):
I wasn't thinking about this role at that moment, but
I saw those types of experiences and connection.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
And that's what we want for more kids. Right.
Speaker 4 (09:36):
So here's what it means for us. It means more.
It means more mentors come into this organization.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Right.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
So we want to be able to double the triple
the number of mentors that come into this organization to
grow the size and scale. As you said up on top,
one in three kids don't have positive sustained mentors. We
want to open up doors and open up access for
millions of more kids, right fifteen to sixteen million kids
in this country to have access points and opportunities and exposure.
(10:04):
Our fastest growing population that we're serving today. We traditionally
serve five to eighteen young adults. Our fastest growing population
is eighteen to twenty five young adults, and a lot
of people don't realize that. And the reason why for
your listeners is because kids are graduating high school or
getting close and they're asking what's next? How do I
even fill out the faster form? How do I interview
(10:25):
for a job. So what we want to do is
ensure that there's more career mentoring and workplace mentoring so
that we can help young people get into skills, into jobs.
And it made for some it may be education in college,
for others, it may be direct to job, entrepreneurship, other opportunities.
But if they don't get accessed, if they don't understand
the pipeline and the exposure the way to get there,
(10:47):
then it's hard to be able to support if kids
don't know what's out there and what's available. And then
the last thing I'll say to your question is, we
have an epidemic in our country around mental health right
and socialized so and young people feeling like they don't
belong and they don't feel connected in their sense of themselves.
So one of the things that we're trying to do
is to train volunteers, positive adults and staff and what
(11:11):
we call mental health first A and what that essentially is.
You don't have to be a mental health expert, but
it's the idea of more people understanding how to identify
and support young people in their lives when there are
mental health challenges or mental health things that they go through,
and to be able to connect with them in positive
and constructive ways so that we're supporting those types of
(11:32):
relationships and that young people are navigating life much more successfully.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Right. It doesn't take a lot, that's the bottom line.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
It just takes a little to truly make the type
of impact that it takes people being present, showing up
and giving their time.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Sure, So let's talk a bit more about your role
alo as a game changer. So what is is what
is that like? What is it like to be a
game changer? Game changers all about sharing stories, you know,
for me, sharing the stories about how mentorship helped me
(12:06):
as a as artists mentioned, you know, young adults from
eighteen to twenty five or the largest growing demographic looking
for mentorship.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
And that's when I was able to have a really
great mentorship relationship with some folks who offered me an
opportunity for an internship. Showed me what corporate America looked like,
made me understand that I was capable and I was deserving.
That was really important. And it's our job as well,
as you know, as a game changer, to make connections
to open doors we have. I have a huge network
(12:37):
of different folks who could potentially be mentors, but not
only that, folks who can help to amplify the message,
and all the folks who can donate to the to
the cause, to big Brothers big sisters in America so
that they can continue to do the amazing work that
they're doing.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
And just to create experiences, you know, I have.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
Concerts and events and music videos as you mentioned before,
opportunities for young folks who are potential mentees to get
involved and have once in a lifetime experiences.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
So this is the way that I will engage as
a game changer. We are here today with Grammy Award
nominee singer, songwriter and the voice behind the hits Wake
Me Up, I Need a Dollar, and the man Alo Black,
as well as the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters
of America artist Stevens. All Right, so let's talk about
(13:37):
your new song, Never Let You Down. That's what you
were teasing at the top of the show. So talk
about what went into the lyrics. I had a chance
to hear it sounds. It's a new sound for me.
I know you've kind of been on this for a while,
but you know, kind of the reggae sound to it.
I was like, Okay, I see it. So talk about
kind of the thought process that went into writing this song,
(13:58):
if it comes from lived or if this is something
that you're envisioning, or you know, just talk for sure.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Never Let You Down is a song about the relationship
between someone who is helping another person find their way
and just feel comfortable in their own skin. And it
was inspired by the the organization's meaningful work of pairing
a big with a little an adult mentor with a
(14:28):
youth mentee who is really just looking for connection. When
I write the lyric and the chorus, you know, when
it's your time to shine I'll never let you down.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Your struggle is mine, I'll never let you down.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
These are the kind of things that make somebody feel
like they're seen, and I feel like the song helps
to represent that unique relationship and it really celebrates celebrates
the relationship of mentorship.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
Sure sure, So, artists, I want to talk to you
about because you mentioned something that we talk about quite
a bit on the show, which is mental health. I
want you to talk to us about maybe some of
the stories that you may have come across, may have
(15:20):
heard or witnessed yourself firsthand, where mental health support and
advocacy may have made a difference in the lives in
the life of a young person.
Speaker 4 (15:33):
Yeah, well, you know one that comes to mind for
me just very quickly is one of us. So we
have a program called Bigs and Littles of the Year
where we celebrate and honor every year the national award
to who's our Big of the Year, who's a positive adult,
(15:53):
and then our Little of the Year, the young person
I see with their match with and one of the
little was his name is Jalen and he's at our
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles, and I always
think about Jalen, because Jalen is one of these kids
who will say, hey, when I first got into the program,
(16:14):
I was very shy, insular I had and then there
was a lot of things going on his environment right
that gave him challenges in terms of his own mental
health and finding his own strength. But it's when he
had the opportunity to meet his big that he started
to come out and feel, Okay, I have much more
(16:36):
anchor and who I am and what I'm about in
my belief in myself right. And a lot of it again,
wasn't so much about you know this this thing of
an adult happen to be a therapist. It wasn't about
that at all. It wasn't having that level of expertise.
But it's just being a friend and being connected and
being present in their life. And one of the things
(16:57):
that we talk about much more broadly to this point
point is that, particularly for a lot of black men
and black boys, what we find is that black boys
are typically be lies when you think about demographics to
raise their hand and say that I have any type
of mental health circumstance going on in my life, and
(17:18):
a lot of it because culturally, like what we've been
taught that we don't talk about those things, we don't
share those things, we don't even ask for help. So
we're trying to break down these myths and these barriers.
And that's what being in relationships like what Alo is
talking about in terms of these types of bigs and
little relationships, these one to one mentorship relationships, it gives
you safe space. And we have to create more of
(17:39):
an environment in our country that creates safe space for
our kids to be comfortable to be who they are
and know that they have a reliable voice and a
reliable person in their corner that allows them and know
that they're never going to let them down.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
Right.
Speaker 4 (17:52):
That's why that song that's powerful to me because it says,
no matter who I am and what I go through,
I know I have somebody in my one of was
never going to let me down.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
And that's what more of our kids need today.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Sure Sure, and Alo, just a thought popped into my head.
I know that you've dealt with, or you had to have,
you know, come to terms with, really the consequences of
what it looks like up close and personal when a
(18:23):
person does not get the sort of support that they
might need during a mental health crisis, and in particular,
I'm referring to a Vici's passing because I know that
you guys were very connected. So talk to us a
bit about how that affected you and maybe how you
(18:45):
learned to be a better supporter or a better listener
or you know. I certainly paid particular attention during that
time as well, and I think it grew a lot
of us up because it was unexpected. But obviously you
being a lot closer to the situation, you might have
some more insight. Yeah, Unfortunately, you know, AVICI is not
the only UH mental health crisis that has I've had
(19:08):
proximity to, and it seems to be something that is
certainly as artists mentioned, and even in my conversation with
the Surgeon General of VIC Murphy, there is a crisis.
For For me, I learned that it's just a matter
(19:29):
of trying to have constant communication and you never know
how someone is really feeling inside if they're hiding it,
but but knowing that you're doing your part as a
friend to be available and to continue to leave an
open line of communication. It was deeply saddening, saddening and troubling.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
UH when when Tim passed and I started to think,
did I when was the last time I called them?
When was the last time I emailed? When was the
last time we had a conversation? And I know everything
was positive, and in conversations with everybody around us, we
felt like.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
It was a blindsided moment in other.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Scenarios around me where you know someone is in a
mental health crisis, and in particular you know attempted attempted
suicide or self harm constantly, what goes to my mind
is when was the last time I communicated? What was
the nature of that communication? How could I have known?
How could I It's really hard to know. And what
(20:41):
it speaks to is what comes to my mind is
that an organization like Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
is creating a network of mentorship, which in many ways
is one to one. But one of the things that
I want to have a deep and meaningful conversation with
about the with the organization.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
Is a distributed network that has multiple nodes to each
individual rather than one to one.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Because what came to mind was I can look in
my phone and say, oh, yeah, I texted her ten
days before her self harm event, and we had a
really good communication and exchange. But what I don't know
and what there is no data on, is who else
in our network, within our you know, they say everybody
(21:33):
knows about two hundred people within our village was communicating
with her within those ten days, and in what was
the nature of those communications and how can we all
have some sort of transparent understanding about that because mentorship, Yes,
in many ways it is a one to one, but
there's a concept of village that I think is also
(21:55):
really important. And I think that's what we as game
changers can do, is really create this concept of village.
And as you know, the saying is it takes little
to be big.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
The little things that we do become big things when
a lot of us are doing that. Sure. Yeah, you
know you mentioned earlier in the conversation having having mentors
that kind of helped you navigate the professional world. And
I when I was kind of doing some research for
today's conversation, I came across the story that you shared
(22:34):
about the origin of the song I Need a dollar
when writing that story, and that was from what I understand,
a song from your starving artist days that you had
written way back then. And I think that you know
what you're saying it takes little to be big. I
think that's kind of mirrored in that story, the little
(22:55):
things that the people did to just get you set up,
to get you, you know, on track, so to speak,
and put you in position to be able to do
something and to touch the world the way that you
have it. You know, I can see that reflected in
your story, so that that feels very special. I I
I'm very proud of you. Thanks. So let's talk about
(23:19):
what's next. You're what what is next for you? We'll
start with you, Alo, What's what's next for you? Obviously
you're gonna have a lot of fans tuning in, so
anything having to do with music, anything having to do
with you know, anything not just big brothers, big sisters.
But of course that's what we're talking about, and then
I'll go to you artists as well.
Speaker 3 (23:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
For me, I'm focused on stories.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
I love the idea of songwriting and that songs come
from stories and everybody has a story and I think
it's it's evident in this collaboration with bb BSA where
I gleaned from the story lyrics and a melody in
order to create a song. I want to do the
(24:03):
same thing, you know, for multiple other game changers and
change makers in the world, people who are shining shining
a light in their community in a way that is
transforming for for all kinds of positive reasons, and use
those stories to create songs. That's That's what I think.
(24:23):
One of my missions on Earth is is to create
great songs. But those songs have to be tied to
really really strong stories, create legacies for important people and
important community leaders.
Speaker 1 (24:37):
Yeah. That that that lines up perfectly with again with
your your brand in your career. As you were talking
right now, I was thinking of the video for I
think it's for Wake Me Up. There was another video
for it, but there was about a little girl. I
believe she might have been a migrant to Earth.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
It was it was an immigrant story because I'm a
first generation American. So okay, you know the concept of
immigration and the discussion is really the story yeah personal
to me?
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Yeah yeah, sure, sure, so I could. I could definitely
see that. So yeah, I'm I'm looking forward to what's next.
And then artists, of course, you are at the helm
of I mean, I grew up knowing all about big brothers,
big sisters of America. So Obviously, I'm excited to hear
your response. What's next for you and for Big Brothers
(25:26):
Big Sisters of America.
Speaker 4 (25:27):
Yeah, and Alo used the word that I think it's
just so powerful because we use it all the time, right, village.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
It's grown and expanding this village.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
So one of the things that's part of game changes
in this campaign it takes a Little to be Big,
is the idea about how do we tell this story,
engage people in their own personal stories, right, about creating
the village around young people, right, and young people contributing
to that village. So one thing that we're doing is
this concept called a Million Little Moments right where people
(25:59):
can go to our website at Big be Big now
dot org and they can share their own story, right,
they can share their own connection of mentorship, inspiration, right,
how someone mentored them.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
Right.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
So we want to collect these types of stories, and
we want to be able to tell them much more broadly,
to elevate them so that we get more people to
join in this mission and to join in mentoring. And
then the other thing that I'll just say is when
we talk about creating villages, we've got to create the
type of community and the type of services that allow
for these types of programs to reach more kids in
(26:35):
the community, particularly kids who don't always have access to
it and sometimes are in communities that always don't get connections.
So one of the things that we're doing is creating
programs that go into communities across this country that you
may not always see the deep, deepening level of these
types of resources, places like New Orleans, places like in
(26:56):
some of our rural communities as well, right in the
justice system, and how we ensure that mentoring programs are
much more integrated into our justice system. So it's another
type of justice that we're providing supporting young people. Foster
care is another area. What we said is an organization,
and what I've made is a mandate from my leadership
in this organization, we are going to show up in
(27:16):
the places that no one else shows up, right, because
that's what our mentorship and our mission has always been
about for one hundred and nineteen years. That's why we
were founded to be an organization that go to where
kids need us, not ask kids to come where we are.
So our organization is going to go forward, but we
can only do that by having volunteers and by having
people who invest in our mission and say hey, we're
(27:39):
going to be on along with you. They help expand
services to these types of communities, to these types of
identities across our country and to make it much more
connected and powerful for us to make positive change.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
Fantastic, well said listen. I need for you to let
people know where they can get more information if they
can donate social media. I need you to lay all
that out. I'll I'll come to you in a second,
but first artist, I need you to that was powerful,
so please.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
Yeah, happy to do so.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
So I mentioned the website the url b big now
dot org again, that's bbignow dot org. You can go
to that website and here's what you can do. You
can just put in your zip code. If you put
in your zip code, it will take you directly to
the local Big Brothers Big Sisters that's nearest you that
you can sign up to volunteer to support, to do
(28:33):
anything for some people. You may want to donate, right
You may want to give and invest in the power
of our mentorship and the power of our mentoring. So
you can feel free to give a gift and it's
going to help support more matches, more people on the ground,
but also what Alo talked about, not just one to one,
but we're doing all types of mentoring, group mentoring, career mentoring,
technology mentoring. But that really builds community and builds a
(28:55):
village around young people. And then the last thing I'll
say is that if you're listening and want to connect
with me on LinkedIn, you can find me on LinkedIn.
I always love staying connected, and you can learn more
about our story and you can also get content that
you can create and be an ambassador on your social
media channels. Because we got twenty million alumna, twenty million
alumna out there, we need more of our alumni, people
(29:17):
who've been in this program to raise their hand and
say I want to tell my story as well. So
we'd love to have them to come back home and
join us.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Fantastic, Okay, Alo, I need you to share your social
media and websites all that sort of stuff too.
Speaker 2 (29:34):
Yes, the website is www dot Aloblack dot com. Black
is with two c's, and from there you basically define everything.
I feel like social media is is one place for
me to share what's happening on a consistent basis, but
everything if you go to my website, you can find
(29:56):
all the videos and all the songs and discography to
to learn more about what I'm up to today and
see what I've done in the past.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
Okay, and then one more time, let's plug the song.
Where can people go to get it, to buy it,
to hear it, to see it, etc.
Speaker 2 (30:10):
Absolutely, the name of the song is never Let You Down.
It's available on all streaming platforms and really really important
to check it out on YouTube because you get to
see the inspiration for the song, which is the relationships
between the actual bigs and littles who are working with
and affiliated with the BBBSA fantastic Well.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
I'd like to thank you both very much for your
time today. Hopefully I didn't use too much of it.
You are both inspirational black men and that's something that
we appreciate and celebrate around here. It's been a joy.
And when I say I'm proud of you, I really,
really sincerely mean that, I mean I both appreciate that.
(30:54):
Thank you absolutely once again Today's guest Grammy Award nominee
Singer songwriter and the voice behind the hits Wake Me Up,
I Need a Dollar and the Man Ala Black, as
well as artist Steven CEO of Big Brothers, Big Sisters
of America. This has been a production of the Black
Information Network. Today's show was produced by Chris Thompson. Have
(31:14):
some thoughts you'd like to share, use the red microphone
talkback feature on the iHeartRadio app. While you're there, be
sure to hit subscribe and download all of our episodes.
I am your host Ramsey's Jaw on all social media
and join us tomorrow as we share our news with
our voice from our perspective right here on the Black
Information Network Daily Podcast
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