October 28, 2024 • 15 mins
Host Ramses J and cohost Q Ward are kicking off a special series this month that profiles the distinguished ladies of the National Council of Negro Women. Today's guest is Roslyn M. Brock, Civil Rights leader, Healthcare executive, and Health activist.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to our special series Distinguished Ladies of the NCNW
here on the Black Information Network. Recently, myself, Ramsay's Jah
and q Ward made our way to Baltimore for the
sixty first Annual Convention of the National Council of Negro Women,
and we're able to have some meaningful conversations with some
of the most powerful and influential Black women in America.
(00:20):
We discuss politics, education, healthcare, economics, and everything in between.
So sit back and enjoy today's episode of the Distinguished
Ladies of the NCNW here on the Black Information Network.
All right, so as we continue as we proceed here
at the NCNW on the ground in Baltimore, Maryland, twenty
(00:41):
twenty four, the national Convention. There are just amazing individuals
running around back and forth, and we are honored to
have been able to get some time with some really
important folks. But I think that this one is going
to be very special, absolutely right, So let me help
you out. Roslin Brock is a civil rights leader. She's
(01:04):
a healthcare executive and a health activist. She was selected
to succeed Julian Bond as the chairman of the National
Association for the Advancement of colored people in twenty ten.
And as we've discussed, she is also one of the
lovely Akas in the building that are showing up and
showing out. And we are honored to have you on
(01:26):
the show today. Welcome.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
So let's start at the beginning. Talk to us a
little bit about what brings you out here in twenty
twenty four. What is your primary motivation for being at
the national Convention.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
It's important for us to be engaged as black women
in the body politic. I'm here specifically because of the
newly elected president and CEO, Shavon Arline. Brad Lady worked
with her, mentored her for many years when she was
with the NAACP.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
We were there at the same time, and.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
She is a powerhouse leaders in her own right, and
to have her take over the helm of this very
storied organization at a pivotal time in our history and
to lead this organization forward, it was important for us
to come. And as you see, there are a lot
of alumna and alumni of the NAACP who are here
(02:27):
to be supportive and that's what's most important and difficult
times that we were able to come together and rally
behind each other and support each other in important events
like this.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
We got to spend some time earlier today on the
stage with members and leaders of our legacy civil rights organizations.
This year's theme our Voice, Our Power, our Future. And
I noticed the word together. Tell me a little bit
about what that means. To see members and affiliates from
so many different organizations here with what seems to be
(02:58):
a very singular focus.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Well, the National Council of Nigro Women is a coalitioner
or collaboration, a clearinghouse for all women's organizations. When it
was started by Mary MacLeod Bethune, it was just that
it was a call to action and a collection excuse me,
of women's organizations, and then at the Helm under doctor
(03:23):
Dorothy Irene Height it expanded its influence. So often in
our communities we have so much division and divide. We're
all moving in the in the same direction, but we
often find divergent paths and organizations like the National Council
of Negro Women and others like the NAACP, who are
kind of bringing us all together. I think it's important
(03:44):
in this time the African American community is not a monolith.
We don't all believe the same thing. I believe that
it's important for us to have various voice is within
our community that speaks to our respective interest. However, there
comes a time when we need to collect to have
(04:08):
collective action, okay, and have a focused agenda about what's
important to the masses of our people, because we consistently
are falling through the cracks as it relates to healthcare, education,
and criminal justice system, and we need to band together
with a unified voice.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
And times like these.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
You know what, the the elegance and the simplicity of
that message. Like we've been we've been having so many shows.
You need to you need to be on this show
with us more. This is what we try to say.
And just the simplicity in which you said that. Now,
I do want to back up just a bit, even
though you nailed it. One of the things that we
talk about on the show quite a bit, and you've
(04:50):
mentioned it a couple of times, and indeed it is
in your bio. We talk about health care, and it's
it's not often we get to talk to people who
have spent so much time fighting for equitable outcomes in healthcare.
So talk to us a bit about the intersection of
(05:13):
maybe politics because given the political season we're in right now,
and health care outcomes, particularly for Black women who are
disproportionately affected by maternal mortality rates and a whole host
of things when it comes to.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Best cancer, all the above.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
So talk to us a bit about the intersection of
politics and health care outcomes.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Well, healthcare is where I live and breathe, and it
is so important. You know, health is wealth in our nation,
and the salient issues that's ruling.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Today is a woman's right to choose, okay.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
And I think that issue has been highly politicized, and
as we kind of think about the issue, there has
some underlying overtures to it. The black and brown population
is growing exponentially in our country and in our world,
and folks are afraid of that and what that means
(06:12):
to a growing minority majority, and what does that mean.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
In terms of our healthcare.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Seen, black women and men with prostate cancer is an
issue that we often kind of sweep under the rug.
Issues around drug drug abuse, fentanyl, all of these issues
that come into play when you talked about maternal and
(06:42):
child health. Disproportionate Black women are dying at the hands
of majority physicians, and we want to ask a question
why and and the studies say that there appears to
be allegedly that black women have a higher pain tolerance
and thresholding. Oh wow, and so you know and so
(07:04):
well you know.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Where did they get that from?
Speaker 1 (07:06):
I can tell you.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
And so it is this kind of monolith that black
women are superwomen, you know, and that we can handle
the pain instead of having the opportunity to talk to us,
spend some time with us and to learn about what's
important to us. And I think it's so important when
we talk about health care issues. Black women make the
health care issues for their families and so their ability
(07:31):
to say when we go to the doctor, to tell
their husband, their spouses and significant others that you need
to go to the doctor to take care of yourself
at the expense of taking care of themselves. That's the
challenge we have in the health care system, and that
where and when we enter there's an expectation one that
(07:53):
you cultural competency, what questions you ask us and how.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
You ask us, how you interpret our answer, how you.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Interpret our answers.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
It's challenging and so we need an increased number of
minority and diverse clinicians. Clinical trials need to be more
diverse than in our community because it's not as you
know what the outcomes and the pathogens that are impacted
in one community are not the same in ours.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
When you see one, you don't see them all.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
And I think that needs to be talks about more
and why equitable health care and more diversity in the
healthcare system.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
It's so necessary.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
If my voice didn't matter, people wouldn't be trying so
hard to silence me, And if my vote didn't matter,
they wouldn't work so hard to take it away. So,
you know, one voting this November because I know they
don't want me to.
Speaker 5 (08:47):
Your voice is powerful, Your voice matters. Don't let your
voice be silenced. To register, confirm your voting status, or
get information about voting in your area, visit vote dot gov.
That's vote dot g ov. A message from the Perception
Institute and the Black Information Network.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
Listening to you speak about these topics makes it so
obvious as to why it was important for us to
be present here, listen, to support, follow, respect, empower, amplify
black women. We said this morning that the black woman
is as close to is as close to God. As
(09:26):
you can be as you can be on this planet,
in this in this lifetime, and listening to you speak
to these concerns that I don't want to say plague
our communities, but are a part of our communities and
sometimes ignored because people don't just simply listen to the
to the voices of leaders like yourself.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
You know, one would say that black women are the
most disrespected individuals and nation and in our society in
terms of their positioning, uh in terms of pay.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
And how they're listened to.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
But they're the ones who are always standing up and
moving forward.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
And raising their hands always to.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Say that we can do more, we can do more,
and we're willing to make that sacrifice. And so now's
the time for us to say that, Look, it's our
time now. I think that's what you're seeing in the
phenomenon with the advent of a Vice President Kamala Harris,
when black women came together and said, we want to
return on our investment to the Democratic Party that we
(10:29):
have given and given and given and voted and voted
and voted and record numbers, and now it's our times.
And so I'm grateful to a current administration that President
Biden saw fit to identify not only a woman of
color and East Asian dissent to be to join him
(10:49):
on his ticket to be vice president, but he also
appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court,
to Tanji Brown jacks Tanji Brown Jackson. So that's what
we're just you know, it's our time, and so what's
so important is that when and where we enter, we
(11:10):
want to be heard, we want to be seen, and
we want to be valued and respected.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Sure, sure, and I know that we don't have as
much time as we'd like to have with you, But
I want to ask you a question just for the
benefit of our listeners. Being someone who's accomplished so much,
who has seen so much, who has invested so much
emotion into cultivating a prosperous future for black people in
this country, if there was one piece of advice that
(11:38):
you could give to our listeners today, what would that be?
Speaker 3 (11:45):
The piece of advice I would give to your listeners
is that courage should not skip this generation. That's my
trademark mantra. Those who know me, I end all of
my messages with that. The courage to stay, end up
and to have your voices heard, because at this juncture
(12:06):
in our nation's history, silence is not an option.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, And I'm going to take that a
step further because we can make that live. If you
don't vote, that's silence. Silence is not an option in
this conversation about not only health care outcomes, but indeed
many outcomes that affect our communities. Healthcare is one of
them and probably the most important. But there's a lot
(12:33):
of things that can be changed, can be shaped by voting,
obviously for an administration that reflects the sensibilities of the
majority of Black Americans, that understands the challenges of Black Americans,
and has a plan, an economic plan, a health care plan,
(12:56):
you know, something that addresses our specific issue, and then
taking that energy all the way down ballot. So if
I may add that at the end, shoehorn it in
at the bit, but I just.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Really have to say that we cannot take our community
for granted.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Again.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
I believe that we need a two party system and
that we need to continue to vote. I think the
left needs to move right and the right needs to
move left in terms of a centering of our values
and systems. But what we need are policies programs that
(13:35):
speak to the unique needs of people at pavement level,
people in communities. And we need to question both administrations
or you know both always, you know, both parties to say,
you know, what is your value system and see where
it lines up. And so my partying admonition and challenges
(13:58):
vote it out and vote, not saying who to vote for,
but have a voting plan, make sure that it's in place,
and don't be denied because too many people died for
the franchise. And so I you know, I'm talking to
my Republican brothers and sisters, my Independent brothers and sisters,
and my Democratic brothers and sisters.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
We're all in this together. That's a fact.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
And it's up to us to make a difference. And
most importantly, we're the ones we've been waiting for. It's
our time now.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
We talk to me.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
All right, Well, listen, those are some words to live by.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
Yes, indeed, you got it right here and.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Hopefully you gonna get a lot of other places too.
But listen, trust if you need it, we got it
for you.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Thankful for the opportunity to.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Thank you so much once again, Thank you so much,
Roslyn Brock again, civil rights leader healthcare executive and health activist,
and naturally, she was selected to succeed Julian Bond as
the chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People as of twenty ten. It's been an honor,
piece of power. Thank you so much. Be sure to
(15:00):
check back for additional episodes right here on the Black
Information Network Daily podcast
Welcome to our special series Distinguished Ladies of the NCNW
here on the Black Information Network. Recently, myself, Ramsay's Jah
and q Ward made our way to Baltimore for the
sixty first Annual Convention of the National Council of Negro Women,
and we're able to have some meaningful conversations with some
of the most powerful and influential Black women in America.
(00:20):
We discuss politics, education, healthcare, economics, and everything in between.
So sit back and enjoy today's episode of the Distinguished
Ladies of the NCNW here on the Black Information Network.
All right, so as we continue as we proceed here
at the NCNW on the ground in Baltimore, Maryland, twenty
(00:41):
twenty four, the national Convention. There are just amazing individuals
running around back and forth, and we are honored to
have been able to get some time with some really
important folks. But I think that this one is going
to be very special, absolutely right, So let me help
you out. Roslin Brock is a civil rights leader. She's
(01:04):
a healthcare executive and a health activist. She was selected
to succeed Julian Bond as the chairman of the National
Association for the Advancement of colored people in twenty ten.
And as we've discussed, she is also one of the
lovely Akas in the building that are showing up and
showing out. And we are honored to have you on
(01:26):
the show today. Welcome.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
So let's start at the beginning. Talk to us a
little bit about what brings you out here in twenty
twenty four. What is your primary motivation for being at
the national Convention.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
It's important for us to be engaged as black women
in the body politic. I'm here specifically because of the
newly elected president and CEO, Shavon Arline. Brad Lady worked
with her, mentored her for many years when she was
with the NAACP.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
We were there at the same time, and.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
She is a powerhouse leaders in her own right, and
to have her take over the helm of this very
storied organization at a pivotal time in our history and
to lead this organization forward, it was important for us
to come. And as you see, there are a lot
of alumna and alumni of the NAACP who are here
(02:27):
to be supportive and that's what's most important and difficult
times that we were able to come together and rally
behind each other and support each other in important events
like this.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
We got to spend some time earlier today on the
stage with members and leaders of our legacy civil rights organizations.
This year's theme our Voice, Our Power, our Future. And
I noticed the word together. Tell me a little bit
about what that means. To see members and affiliates from
so many different organizations here with what seems to be
(02:58):
a very singular focus.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Well, the National Council of Nigro Women is a coalitioner
or collaboration, a clearinghouse for all women's organizations. When it
was started by Mary MacLeod Bethune, it was just that
it was a call to action and a collection excuse me,
of women's organizations, and then at the Helm under doctor
(03:23):
Dorothy Irene Height it expanded its influence. So often in
our communities we have so much division and divide. We're
all moving in the in the same direction, but we
often find divergent paths and organizations like the National Council
of Negro Women and others like the NAACP, who are
kind of bringing us all together. I think it's important
(03:44):
in this time the African American community is not a monolith.
We don't all believe the same thing. I believe that
it's important for us to have various voice is within
our community that speaks to our respective interest. However, there
comes a time when we need to collect to have
(04:08):
collective action, okay, and have a focused agenda about what's
important to the masses of our people, because we consistently
are falling through the cracks as it relates to healthcare, education,
and criminal justice system, and we need to band together
with a unified voice.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
And times like these.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
You know what, the the elegance and the simplicity of
that message. Like we've been we've been having so many shows.
You need to you need to be on this show
with us more. This is what we try to say.
And just the simplicity in which you said that. Now,
I do want to back up just a bit, even
though you nailed it. One of the things that we
talk about on the show quite a bit, and you've
(04:50):
mentioned it a couple of times, and indeed it is
in your bio. We talk about health care, and it's
it's not often we get to talk to people who
have spent so much time fighting for equitable outcomes in healthcare.
So talk to us a bit about the intersection of
(05:13):
maybe politics because given the political season we're in right now,
and health care outcomes, particularly for Black women who are
disproportionately affected by maternal mortality rates and a whole host
of things when it comes to.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Best cancer, all the above.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
So talk to us a bit about the intersection of
politics and health care outcomes.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
Well, healthcare is where I live and breathe, and it
is so important. You know, health is wealth in our nation,
and the salient issues that's ruling.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Today is a woman's right to choose, okay.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
And I think that issue has been highly politicized, and
as we kind of think about the issue, there has
some underlying overtures to it. The black and brown population
is growing exponentially in our country and in our world,
and folks are afraid of that and what that means
(06:12):
to a growing minority majority, and what does that mean.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
In terms of our healthcare.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Seen, black women and men with prostate cancer is an
issue that we often kind of sweep under the rug.
Issues around drug drug abuse, fentanyl, all of these issues
that come into play when you talked about maternal and
(06:42):
child health. Disproportionate Black women are dying at the hands
of majority physicians, and we want to ask a question
why and and the studies say that there appears to
be allegedly that black women have a higher pain tolerance
and thresholding. Oh wow, and so you know and so
(07:04):
well you know.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Where did they get that from?
Speaker 1 (07:06):
I can tell you.
Speaker 3 (07:08):
And so it is this kind of monolith that black
women are superwomen, you know, and that we can handle
the pain instead of having the opportunity to talk to us,
spend some time with us and to learn about what's
important to us. And I think it's so important when
we talk about health care issues. Black women make the
health care issues for their families and so their ability
(07:31):
to say when we go to the doctor, to tell
their husband, their spouses and significant others that you need
to go to the doctor to take care of yourself
at the expense of taking care of themselves. That's the
challenge we have in the health care system, and that
where and when we enter there's an expectation one that
(07:53):
you cultural competency, what questions you ask us and how.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
You ask us, how you interpret our answer, how you.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Interpret our answers.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
It's challenging and so we need an increased number of
minority and diverse clinicians. Clinical trials need to be more
diverse than in our community because it's not as you
know what the outcomes and the pathogens that are impacted
in one community are not the same in ours.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
When you see one, you don't see them all.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
And I think that needs to be talks about more
and why equitable health care and more diversity in the
healthcare system.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
It's so necessary.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
If my voice didn't matter, people wouldn't be trying so
hard to silence me, And if my vote didn't matter,
they wouldn't work so hard to take it away. So,
you know, one voting this November because I know they
don't want me to.
Speaker 5 (08:47):
Your voice is powerful, Your voice matters. Don't let your
voice be silenced. To register, confirm your voting status, or
get information about voting in your area, visit vote dot gov.
That's vote dot g ov. A message from the Perception
Institute and the Black Information Network.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
Listening to you speak about these topics makes it so
obvious as to why it was important for us to
be present here, listen, to support, follow, respect, empower, amplify
black women. We said this morning that the black woman
is as close to is as close to God. As
(09:26):
you can be as you can be on this planet,
in this in this lifetime, and listening to you speak
to these concerns that I don't want to say plague
our communities, but are a part of our communities and
sometimes ignored because people don't just simply listen to the
to the voices of leaders like yourself.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
You know, one would say that black women are the
most disrespected individuals and nation and in our society in
terms of their positioning, uh in terms of pay.
Speaker 2 (09:58):
And how they're listened to.
Speaker 3 (10:00):
But they're the ones who are always standing up and
moving forward.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
And raising their hands always to.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Say that we can do more, we can do more,
and we're willing to make that sacrifice. And so now's
the time for us to say that, Look, it's our
time now. I think that's what you're seeing in the
phenomenon with the advent of a Vice President Kamala Harris,
when black women came together and said, we want to
return on our investment to the Democratic Party that we
(10:29):
have given and given and given and voted and voted
and voted and record numbers, and now it's our times.
And so I'm grateful to a current administration that President
Biden saw fit to identify not only a woman of
color and East Asian dissent to be to join him
(10:49):
on his ticket to be vice president, but he also
appointed the first African American woman to the Supreme Court,
to Tanji Brown jacks Tanji Brown Jackson. So that's what
we're just you know, it's our time, and so what's
so important is that when and where we enter, we
(11:10):
want to be heard, we want to be seen, and
we want to be valued and respected.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
Sure, sure, and I know that we don't have as
much time as we'd like to have with you, But
I want to ask you a question just for the
benefit of our listeners. Being someone who's accomplished so much,
who has seen so much, who has invested so much
emotion into cultivating a prosperous future for black people in
this country, if there was one piece of advice that
(11:38):
you could give to our listeners today, what would that be?
Speaker 3 (11:45):
The piece of advice I would give to your listeners
is that courage should not skip this generation. That's my
trademark mantra. Those who know me, I end all of
my messages with that. The courage to stay, end up
and to have your voices heard, because at this juncture
(12:06):
in our nation's history, silence is not an option.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, And I'm going to take that a
step further because we can make that live. If you
don't vote, that's silence. Silence is not an option in
this conversation about not only health care outcomes, but indeed
many outcomes that affect our communities. Healthcare is one of
them and probably the most important. But there's a lot
(12:33):
of things that can be changed, can be shaped by voting,
obviously for an administration that reflects the sensibilities of the
majority of Black Americans, that understands the challenges of Black Americans,
and has a plan, an economic plan, a health care plan,
(12:56):
you know, something that addresses our specific issue, and then
taking that energy all the way down ballot. So if
I may add that at the end, shoehorn it in
at the bit, but I just.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
Really have to say that we cannot take our community
for granted.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
Again.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
I believe that we need a two party system and
that we need to continue to vote. I think the
left needs to move right and the right needs to
move left in terms of a centering of our values
and systems. But what we need are policies programs that
(13:35):
speak to the unique needs of people at pavement level,
people in communities. And we need to question both administrations
or you know both always, you know, both parties to say,
you know, what is your value system and see where
it lines up. And so my partying admonition and challenges
(13:58):
vote it out and vote, not saying who to vote for,
but have a voting plan, make sure that it's in place,
and don't be denied because too many people died for
the franchise. And so I you know, I'm talking to
my Republican brothers and sisters, my Independent brothers and sisters,
and my Democratic brothers and sisters.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
We're all in this together. That's a fact.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
And it's up to us to make a difference. And
most importantly, we're the ones we've been waiting for. It's
our time now.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
We talk to me.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
All right, Well, listen, those are some words to live by.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
Yes, indeed, you got it right here and.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
Hopefully you gonna get a lot of other places too.
But listen, trust if you need it, we got it
for you.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Thankful for the opportunity to.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Thank you so much once again, Thank you so much,
Roslyn Brock again, civil rights leader healthcare executive and health activist,
and naturally, she was selected to succeed Julian Bond as
the chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People as of twenty ten. It's been an honor,
piece of power. Thank you so much. Be sure to
(15:00):
check back for additional episodes right here on the Black
Information Network Daily podcast
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com