June 10, 2025 • 27 mins
Every month since October of 2022, Reverend Dr. Robert Turner has been walking from his home city of Baltimore to the White House, a journey he’s dubbed #40MilesFor40Acres. Whether rain, shine, alone, or with fellow advocates–Turner has been making the journey for nearly three years now.
Angela Rye talks with him about his experiences and the success he’s had. PLUS, the Reverend Dr. recently added a stop on the march: the National Museum of African American History and Culture (The Blacksonian). The museum has come under attack from Trump for its “divisive, race-centered” exhibits that disparage the nation’s history. Imagine that!
State of the People is coming to Baltimore on Juneteenth for The National Assembly. SOTP brings together organizers, cultural leaders, policy advocates, artists, and community members to co-create a vision for our future. Join us, it’s free and there will be food! Find out more @ https://stateoftheppl.com/
Welcome home y’all!
—---------
We want to hear from you! Send us a video @nativelandpod and we may feature you on the podcast.
Watch full episodes of Native Land Pod here on YouTube.
Native Land Pod is brought to you by Reasoned Choice Media.
Thank you to the Native Land Pod team:
Angela Rye as host, executive producer and cofounder of Reasoned Choice Media; Tiffany Cross as host and producer, Andrew Gillum as host and producer, and Lauren Hansen as executive producer; Loren Mychael is our research producer, and Nikolas Harter is our editor and producer. Special thanks to Chris Morrow and Lenard McKelvey, co-founders of Reasoned Choice Media.
Theme music created by Daniel Laurent.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Native Land Pod is a production of iHeartRadio in partnership
with Reason Choice Media.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Welcome Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome, Welcome Home, Everybody. It is another edition of Native
Landpod where I am your host, Angela Riah. Especially for
the solo pods, I'm missing my dear co hosts and
sister and brother Tiffany and Andrew. But today we're going
to get into something that is near and dear to
the hearts of many. You know, right now we are
(00:30):
facing trouble really on every side, and as we face
that trouble, we have to hold on to hope.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
We're trying to hold onto.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Hope in an era that has tried diligently and violently
to erase us black culture, black books, black art, black people.
And in the middle of that erasure, there is still
a fight that continues.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Again.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
You know that we've been on our State of the
People Power tour, and on that tour, we've seen just
how much it is important that black people have relief,
that we work together to find those points of relief,
and that we also work together to shape, to develop,
and to strategize around policy. One thing that black folks
have been arguing for for a really really long time,
(01:15):
really since before emancipation in this country is reparations. I
often reference HR forty, which was first introduced in the
House of Representatives by Congressman John Conyers, who was one
of our former Congressional Black Caucus bosses. He began introducing
reparations legislation in nineteen eighty six. I believe he introduced
(01:38):
the first bill, and he would introduce that reparations bill
that just called for this study of reparations every single Congress.
And then when Congressman Conyers passed away, Congressman Sheila Jackson
Lee from Houston, Texas picked up that mantle. And when
Congresswoman Jackson Lee passed away, Congresswoman Ayana Presley has now
(01:58):
picked up that mantle.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
But there's also some folks who are.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Doing this work every single day in the streets, in
the halls of state legislatures at the city level, and
that also includes faith leaders. So today I'm thrilled to
present to you all pastor. His name is Reverend doctor
Robert Richard Allen Turner. And for the ammes among us,
(02:21):
y'all understand that Richard Allen in the middle means a
lot and the Robert Turner at the ends, on the
front end, the at the end is making history himself.
So let's bring Robert Richard Allen Turner to the stage,
to the podcast stage.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
How you doing, pastor Hey, hey, hey, I'm all right,
just trying to recover.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Yes, so I'm high energy. He is not.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
And let's tell the people why you're not. You have
taken a long journey in the fight for reparations, engaging
in a practice that many of us are familiar with
but don't always implement ourselves. You have taken the time
to walk for reparations thirty three times. You have walked
(03:07):
over fourteen hundred miles for reparations, and I want to
know why. What is the point of that protest and
why do you see that as your most effective effort
to get reparations across the finish line nationally.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
First, thank you, dear Sister Angela for having me on
your show. I've been a huge fan of your work
for a long time. I am now the day after
my walk, and I have done it, as you said,
thirty three times, and the reason being, as a good
clergy colleague friend of mine, William Lamar calls it the
(03:43):
piteoprophetic ministry and witness that we see so pronounced in
the Old Testament, when people of faith exercise their faith
and become a witness by walking by marching. We saw
it first and foremost when the Israelites marched out of
(04:06):
Egypt and they got reparations on that way out. We
saw it also before the Battle of Jericho, when Joshua
led the Israelites around the walls of Jericho. It's something
said when you can participate in God's divine plan of
liberation by showing your testament, it's almost like a military march,
(04:28):
but we're not doing the physical fighting. We're showing by
our marching that we are believing that God is doing it.
So they're also more or less like pilgrimage as well
for me, because it's a time for spiritual and renewal
and repair as I become a public witness to this
nation on her need to repent and to repair from
(04:52):
the worst forms of enslavement and the worst forms of
Jim Crow and the worst forms of white supremacy.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
That this word is scene.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
So for the listener, you've walked our march thirty three times.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Where was the first march held.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
It was the same spot I start every March from
Carroll Park in Baltimore, Maryland on it's Route one, but
it's also Washington Boulevard. And just ironically enough, John Carroll
Park is named for John Carroll, who was and in
Slaver And in fact, the park where I started was
(05:32):
the site of his plantation.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
You know who would have thought, which is.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Now a public park in Baltimore, Maryland. And I've done
actually thirty two of these walks from Baltimore to the
White House. One of my thirty three was from Selma
to Montgomery, the same route that doctor King took. That's
actually fifty four miles. Doctor King did it in five days.
(06:01):
I didn't have enough good since I did it in
twenty hours, and that almost killed me. The back rolls
of Alabama, I mean pitched. I started at three am
in the morning. I took a four hour break to
go speak out a rally in Montgomery, then had to
drive back to where I stopped, and I didn't finish
(06:24):
till like three the next day. So yeah, that was
a lot. I started three twenty six am in the morning,
finished three am the next day. But the other walks,
the other thirty two have been from Baltimore to the
White House, and now the last two or three walks
I've done, I've ended at the Smithsonian to highlight joining
(06:48):
the call from dear brother Oldest Masster third and trying
to encourage people to join the Smithsonian, the African American
Smithsonian also aka Blacksnian, to increase their membership numbers of
black folks to show the federal government, because I think
right now their budget is sixty two percent from the
(07:09):
federal government. We're trying to make which we're trying to
help alleviate their alliance upon the federal government to increase
encourage folks to become individual members that range as low
as twenty five dollars to one thousand dollars.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
That's an easy call to action on this program. Make
sure y'all join the Black Sonian so we can keep
hope alive in the museum open without being under threat.
I want to ask you, so the distance from Carroll Park,
Maryland to the White House is how many.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Miles forty two nine?
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Can you call this like?
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Basically they're a forty for forty so it's forty miles
for forty acres. Okay, that's right, Okay, And so when
you consider now that you're marching essentially out of Baltimore, Maryland,
which is a power of a power center for black folks,
for black political power, for everything that you know the
(08:05):
city has meant to us in our history, and you're
going into a bastion of white supremacist ideology and fascism. Now,
of course you started these when Joe Biden was in office,
but now this is meaning something very different.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
So you're essentially.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Bringing the spirit of black political power into a place
that is now compromised by fascism. How does it feel
now to be walking under that type of oppressive energy.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Really, it's totally different. The energy is immensely different. My
first walk on the Trump was literally the Death is inauguration,
Doctor King's Holiday, he had his inauguration on the same day,
and going into d C with all these magas, I
mean maga folks there, it was just it was a
(08:59):
lot to deal with.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
It was a lot to.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
See, and I was it was first I was freezing coal,
freezing cold on Doctor King's holiday.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
And then all the maga folks were there, the Proud boys,
and I'm the only black man, uh in the sea
of all these folks. Then my phone battery dies and
because of the barcase, my escort could not accompany me.
So I heard some of the worst vitriolic language you
could ever imagine. Well you probably could imagine because you've
(09:32):
been doing this thing for a while that that I
could have ever imagined hearing in my life from from
from from white people.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
And uh, just the whole setup now of DC.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Like last night, Uh my walk, I was at first
unable to make it to the fence of the White
House because the president since everything's been going on, I
guess in California, Uh, his attack on on immigrants, it's
all barricaded off like it's his his.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
The White House is completely barricaded off.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
It looks like, you know, we're preparing for a militia
martial law, and just a vibe and the tone. Uh,
it's just it's markedly different from when President Biden was
in office.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
It's just not a good look.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
It looks very much so like a dictatorship or when
I went when I go to foreign countries and and
and go to authoritarian places to see how how barricaded
things are. It's just not what you would expect from
what's supposed to be the freest country.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
In the world.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Yeah, exactly, and yet we hear we are living in
this conundrum. I want to ask you to Pastor. I
know there's got to be some folks who are listening
for me growing up with my dad who is a marcher,
(11:04):
especially around Doctor King's Day, which, of course you just referenced,
five miles was a lot for a little kid. I
would be like at the end, be like, y'all gonna
have to put me in the back of this Seattle
medium van and ride me the rest of the way
or something got to pick me up.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
My feet hurt.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
So I want to know how you prepare for this
and monthly at that. So how do you prepare for.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Doing these doing these marches?
Speaker 3 (11:29):
It really depends on the time of the year. So
my winter marches are a lot different. They are a lot
My winter marches are a lot more dangerous because the
weather here in Baltimore, such as Seattle.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
Probably not as cold a Seattle, honestly, but it is.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
It's cold in Baltimore, Maryland in the winter. Oh yes,
I remember DC. There was a DC day I had
and it was I got back in my car it
said eighteen degrees and I said, the devil is a liar.
It was so cold it was burning, you understand, Like, yeah,
I don't understand that type of called.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
I didn't come from that.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
So when I'm preparing for a winter march which is
freezing like and I'm from Alabama, if you can't tell
with my accent, I'm from Tuskey, Alabama. My parents mart
that of school, and it is really I'm not built
for this type of coldther at all.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
And so my my winter march is.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
I have to make sure that I layer up a lot,
and I have to make sure that I eat a
lot of food before my walks, because you really need
to pack on carbs the day before you walk, and
of course try to rest my legs. But I'm just
(12:48):
not I'm not built for this. I'm six foot six,
two hundred pounds, and I'm just my body is not
built for these walks.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
It's just not. I just these are all labors of love.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
The winter walks, I don't have to eat as much,
but I have to drink a lot more fluid like.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
I have to summer March.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Yeah something sorry, Yeah, my summer, my summer warm month,
March is I have to make sure I stay hydrated
because I've almost fallen out. But the problem is the
more you drink, obviously it has to come out. So
when you're drinking a lot of water, you're going to
stop like every two or three minutes. So my summer walks,
although the weather is better, I have to stop a
(13:32):
lot more frequently. Otherwise I just don't drink and then
become have the risk of being dehydrated. But my winter walks,
I tell folks, my summer walks are more painful because
it's hot, you're dizzy, you sweating, and then when you sweat,
the salt is salt in your sweat. When you wipe
(13:53):
your sweat from your eyes, the salt literally because you
do it so much, it cuts your skin. Like my
skin now is very sensitive and it burns and so
but when you still sweating, it burns even more. My
winter walks are dangerous because of ice, in black ice,
and just all people who can't they barely can drive
in normal conditions, they drive even worse in winter conditions,
(14:17):
And so just preparing for is more of a mental
preparation because either both both scenarios, I get exhausted. Both scenarios.
My body gets worn. The winter walks are worse because
in some aspects, because my snow boots are not as
comfortable as my warm weather shoes, like my own clouds,
(14:38):
my hookas that I wear. I have to actually buy
snow boots to walk in, which okay, the hiking style,
but they're not as comfortable as my other.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
You talked about it being dangerous. You got hit, like
swiped by a car right in the winter runs.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
What happened? How did that happen?
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Actually happened in May my May walk. Yeah, and then
one of them was my own escorts. That's a whole
of the conversation.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
He's no longer that does the service, just no texting
and driving. How did that happen?
Speaker 3 (15:20):
I know, I know, right, But the first one, I
was hit by a passer buyer who he had to
make an effort to veer off to hit me because
I'm on the sidewalk and he was on the highway
and he drove off across the white line and his
(15:41):
passenger mirror hit me on the left side of my
body in my shoulder. Thank god, I am a pretty
nice sized man. I did not fall, and I mean
I felt it, but it was more like to me,
I felt like somebody just pushed me in my shoulder.
(16:02):
Then nobody's behind me, and it was this card. Thats
just you know, pushed me pretty hard. But I thankful
I didn't fall down. I had to my sign and
the other in my right hand, and he hit me
on my left shoulder. And I haven't gone to the hospital.
I don't feel any pain from it, not the moment,
but I kept walking. I kept walking, And in fact
(16:22):
that walk was in the honor of John Conya's on
his birthday May sixteenth. I did it in honor of him.
And to walk yesterday was an honor of a Philip Randolph.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
So you have these your muses for your walks. You
talked about your preparation. Now this is the day after
your walk again, fourteen hundred plus miles so far.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
What do you do to repair? We talked about prepare.
What do you do to repair?
Speaker 4 (16:50):
I don't do that well.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
I was supposed to be resting today, but I'm in
my office, as you can tell, I'm gonna tell myself
I'm gonna do a heat of foot soak because you know,
blisters and I have you know size fifteen feet and
cous a lot of service area. None of the athletic
socks did they sell Other cushion things are big enough
(17:15):
really for my size feet. I would make a great
spokesperson for some athletic attire because I've tried out of everything.
But I yeah, really, I'm supposed to keep my legs elevated.
I have a huge appetite on today, whereas yesterday I
was on adrenaline.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
Today you feel how human you are.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
Yesterday I'm more or less on a on a mountaintop
experience because I'm I'm thinking about a Phila Randolph.
Speaker 4 (17:45):
I'm thinking about our ancestors.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
I'm thinking about you know, those who've gone on before
us and done this work throughout their lives and sacrifice
that some some sacrifice their lives. So I'm I'm all
in meditation with them and the world and community with God.
And today I'm back to being you know, human, fragile Robert,
(18:07):
and I'm filling every inch of it. And so today
I tried to take it easy.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
But you know, Hences, indeed you talked about the ancestors.
What is the like, the motivating message for you from them?
When you think about the work they did to make
life a little bit easier for us.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
What is.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
You know, kind of the your core, your core mission
when you think about reflecting on the ancestors contributions to
our the betterment of our individual lives.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
For me, it contextualizes it a lot. It encourages me
and also challenged me. It encourages me because it it
shows that I'm a part. I'm one piece of a
fabric and the continuation of deliberation of our people right
and at this this fight did not start with me.
(19:08):
It would be nice, but don't think it'll end with
me either, But it kind of joins me into this,
not for turning because it's males and females, but this
to this fabric of leaders who have worked tirelessly for
the liberation of our people. So each month I find
something someone that I look up to, be Afred Hampton,
(19:32):
be Rosa pars b, Harry Tubman, but of course John
Conyers and I a phil the Randolph that I can
draw inspiration from and at the time in their life.
I also try to find people who did things that
folks thought were impossible, because right now, that's how folks
a broborations. They feel like it's impossible. So a Phil
(19:54):
the Randolph, first president of Sleeping car Porters right, also
push President Roosevelt to integrate and have and to stop
discriminating against federal contracts and government jobs. So all these folks,
especially in Maryland area, who have federal jobs, you owe
a debt to pay to A Phil Randolph integration of
(20:17):
the military through Herrod Truman.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
He fought for that. The chair of.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
The nineteen sixty three March on Washington, where we know
doctor King, but we don't realize the organizers who put
that together, who were responsible for the large crowds. Like
everything this man did, people thought it was impossible. And
before the march on watch he organized forty thousand plus
folks to be in the nation's capital arguing in protests
(20:42):
in nineteen forty three or forty five, and so just
drawing upon their strength, it also humbles me too, because
these men are these men and women are very high
renowned and great accomplishment, and it just shows you as
much as you think you're doing with more information, more technology,
(21:03):
more access. I mean, they organized mars of hundreds of
thousand people with no Internet, no social media, and folks
showed up and so it challenged me to see how
we can do more with more as they did more
with less.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Yeah, that is so true.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
And I think one of the things that we know
about our ancestors and their contributions is their collective sacrifice.
And just recently you committed to that same type of
sacrifice with this march, this commitment you have to our
folks to regularly engage. You were going to do this
on Juneteenth, and you heard that we were doing not
(21:45):
only the State of the People Power Tour, but that
we were going to do a national assembly in Baltimore.
And I reached out to our brother Jamal Bryant and
I was like, Hey, we're trying to figure out where
we're going to do this event, and he was like,
shut up, Robert Turner, just come talk to me and
is asking where.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
You guys were going to be.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
And I called you and it wasn't thirty five seconds
into the conversation before you said we absolutely could hold
this really important and historic convening at Empowerment Temple AMI Church.
So I want to know what made you say yes.
Why is it important for us to all gather as
a people right now? And what would you say to
folks who are considering coming to Baltimore June nineteenth through
(22:27):
the twenty First.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Why did I say yes? First and foremost, who was
the person gave me the question? Angela RAI, I mean
had to, and because I know you are someone who
takes our community's issues seriously and really you have committed
your life to the progress of our people. I don't
(22:51):
just leand space willingly. I feel like it is in
great hands. I feel like it is in great hands
and a great bad you trustee of our leadership.
Speaker 4 (23:03):
And the state the people. It has been very successful.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
In fact, I would once I found out you all
were coming to Baltimore, I was trying to find a
way just to register, like, hey, I want to attend,
but I couldn't. I didn't find out where it was,
and that's when I asked Jamal about it, and of
course you The rest is history.
Speaker 4 (23:23):
But I think it is vitally.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Important today today, at this moment in time, that we
as a people don't take any months, weeks, and definitely
not years off. To my frustration, oftentimes we only speak political.
I get involved during the election year, and that is
(23:45):
at the request and to the benefit of elected candidates,
people who seeking to be elected candidates, Great for them,
but what happened. My biggest frustration has been what are
we doing in the end? Not mid term elections, not
presidential elections, not even a goodlatorial or mayoral or city
(24:06):
council election, anyminist elections. But what are we doing for
us to help keep us organized outside of a person's campaign.
And so when I found out about the State of
the People convening that you were having throughout the state,
throughout the country, in different states, I was about I
was like, about time, you know, this is exactly what
(24:28):
we need, and it wasn't. It's not sponsored by any
And I love our politicians. I love all of them,
I think, well, not all of them. I love the
ones who are doing work for our people. That's great
when we have things with them. But I love the
fact that this is autonomous from any political candidate. Now
they may come or whatever, but it's autonomous from them.
(24:50):
But it's really about the people, and especially our people.
And so I'm thrilled. I'm so thrilled. This is like
the highlight of I know, we're just six most in
to be hosting it at the impomented we.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Are so grateful, Pastor. For those of you who are
at home watching and.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
You have yet to register it, I would say shame
on you, but I'm gonna spare my judgment and just
give you the website. We're at STATEOFTHEPPL dot com. You
can also find our Black Papers Policy Initiative up on
those site with tons of great resources. We'll have over
thirty black papers when all is said and done, it
is going to be a really, really great experience in Baltimore.
(25:32):
I encourage all his pre homework to watch Nation Time.
It's a great documentary about the nineteen seventy two National
Black Political Convention.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
It was created.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
By Reverend Jackson and A Mary Baraka and Charles Diggs
and many others. And speaking of A Merri Baraka, his
son Rasbaraka is running in a primary today in New
Jersey for governor. So in New Jersey, make sure you
get out and vote. And I am still between the
pastor and hit the rest for his blistered feet. So
(26:04):
we are gonna let you go, Pastor, and I will
see you.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
I'll see you next week. I will see you next week.
Looking forward to it. Thank you so much, y'all.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
This has been a great edition of a podcast. Make
sure you join Pastor Turner on one of these reparation
walks at least for a mile or so so he's
not walking alone, especially when he's doing something for our
collective advancement.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Until next time, y'all, let's keep pushing.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Towards freedom, fighting for what we know we deserve, and
as always, welcome home.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
See Tobron.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
Native Lampard is a production of iHeartRadio in partnership with
Reason Choice Media. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the
iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows.
Native Land Pod is a production of iHeartRadio in partnership
with Reason Choice Media.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Welcome Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome, Welcome Home, Everybody. It is another edition of Native
Landpod where I am your host, Angela Riah. Especially for
the solo pods, I'm missing my dear co hosts and
sister and brother Tiffany and Andrew. But today we're going
to get into something that is near and dear to
the hearts of many. You know, right now we are
(00:30):
facing trouble really on every side, and as we face
that trouble, we have to hold on to hope.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
We're trying to hold onto.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
Hope in an era that has tried diligently and violently
to erase us black culture, black books, black art, black people.
And in the middle of that erasure, there is still
a fight that continues.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Again.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
You know that we've been on our State of the
People Power tour, and on that tour, we've seen just
how much it is important that black people have relief,
that we work together to find those points of relief,
and that we also work together to shape, to develop,
and to strategize around policy. One thing that black folks
have been arguing for for a really really long time,
(01:15):
really since before emancipation in this country is reparations. I
often reference HR forty, which was first introduced in the
House of Representatives by Congressman John Conyers, who was one
of our former Congressional Black Caucus bosses. He began introducing
reparations legislation in nineteen eighty six. I believe he introduced
(01:38):
the first bill, and he would introduce that reparations bill
that just called for this study of reparations every single Congress.
And then when Congressman Conyers passed away, Congressman Sheila Jackson
Lee from Houston, Texas picked up that mantle. And when
Congresswoman Jackson Lee passed away, Congresswoman Ayana Presley has now
(01:58):
picked up that mantle.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
But there's also some folks who are.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
Doing this work every single day in the streets, in
the halls of state legislatures at the city level, and
that also includes faith leaders. So today I'm thrilled to
present to you all pastor. His name is Reverend doctor
Robert Richard Allen Turner. And for the ammes among us,
(02:21):
y'all understand that Richard Allen in the middle means a
lot and the Robert Turner at the ends, on the
front end, the at the end is making history himself.
So let's bring Robert Richard Allen Turner to the stage,
to the podcast stage.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
How you doing, pastor Hey, hey, hey, I'm all right,
just trying to recover.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Yes, so I'm high energy. He is not.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
And let's tell the people why you're not. You have
taken a long journey in the fight for reparations, engaging
in a practice that many of us are familiar with
but don't always implement ourselves. You have taken the time
to walk for reparations thirty three times. You have walked
(03:07):
over fourteen hundred miles for reparations, and I want to
know why. What is the point of that protest and
why do you see that as your most effective effort
to get reparations across the finish line nationally.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
First, thank you, dear Sister Angela for having me on
your show. I've been a huge fan of your work
for a long time. I am now the day after
my walk, and I have done it, as you said,
thirty three times, and the reason being, as a good
clergy colleague friend of mine, William Lamar calls it the
(03:43):
piteoprophetic ministry and witness that we see so pronounced in
the Old Testament, when people of faith exercise their faith
and become a witness by walking by marching. We saw
it first and foremost when the Israelites marched out of
(04:06):
Egypt and they got reparations on that way out. We
saw it also before the Battle of Jericho, when Joshua
led the Israelites around the walls of Jericho. It's something
said when you can participate in God's divine plan of
liberation by showing your testament, it's almost like a military march,
(04:28):
but we're not doing the physical fighting. We're showing by
our marching that we are believing that God is doing it.
So they're also more or less like pilgrimage as well
for me, because it's a time for spiritual and renewal
and repair as I become a public witness to this
nation on her need to repent and to repair from
(04:52):
the worst forms of enslavement and the worst forms of
Jim Crow and the worst forms of white supremacy.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
That this word is scene.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
So for the listener, you've walked our march thirty three times.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Where was the first march held.
Speaker 3 (05:11):
It was the same spot I start every March from
Carroll Park in Baltimore, Maryland on it's Route one, but
it's also Washington Boulevard. And just ironically enough, John Carroll
Park is named for John Carroll, who was and in
Slaver And in fact, the park where I started was
(05:32):
the site of his plantation.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
You know who would have thought, which is.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Now a public park in Baltimore, Maryland. And I've done
actually thirty two of these walks from Baltimore to the
White House. One of my thirty three was from Selma
to Montgomery, the same route that doctor King took. That's
actually fifty four miles. Doctor King did it in five days.
(06:01):
I didn't have enough good since I did it in
twenty hours, and that almost killed me. The back rolls
of Alabama, I mean pitched. I started at three am
in the morning. I took a four hour break to
go speak out a rally in Montgomery, then had to
drive back to where I stopped, and I didn't finish
(06:24):
till like three the next day. So yeah, that was
a lot. I started three twenty six am in the morning,
finished three am the next day. But the other walks,
the other thirty two have been from Baltimore to the
White House, and now the last two or three walks
I've done, I've ended at the Smithsonian to highlight joining
(06:48):
the call from dear brother Oldest Masster third and trying
to encourage people to join the Smithsonian, the African American
Smithsonian also aka Blacksnian, to increase their membership numbers of
black folks to show the federal government, because I think
right now their budget is sixty two percent from the
(07:09):
federal government. We're trying to make which we're trying to
help alleviate their alliance upon the federal government to increase
encourage folks to become individual members that range as low
as twenty five dollars to one thousand dollars.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
That's an easy call to action on this program. Make
sure y'all join the Black Sonian so we can keep
hope alive in the museum open without being under threat.
I want to ask you, so the distance from Carroll Park,
Maryland to the White House is how many.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
Miles forty two nine?
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Can you call this like?
Speaker 1 (07:45):
Basically they're a forty for forty so it's forty miles
for forty acres. Okay, that's right, Okay, And so when
you consider now that you're marching essentially out of Baltimore, Maryland,
which is a power of a power center for black folks,
for black political power, for everything that you know the
(08:05):
city has meant to us in our history, and you're
going into a bastion of white supremacist ideology and fascism. Now,
of course you started these when Joe Biden was in office,
but now this is meaning something very different.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
So you're essentially.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Bringing the spirit of black political power into a place
that is now compromised by fascism. How does it feel
now to be walking under that type of oppressive energy.
Speaker 3 (08:36):
Really, it's totally different. The energy is immensely different. My
first walk on the Trump was literally the Death is inauguration,
Doctor King's Holiday, he had his inauguration on the same day,
and going into d C with all these magas, I
mean maga folks there, it was just it was a
(08:59):
lot to deal with.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
It was a lot to.
Speaker 3 (09:02):
See, and I was it was first I was freezing coal,
freezing cold on Doctor King's holiday.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
And then all the maga folks were there, the Proud boys,
and I'm the only black man, uh in the sea
of all these folks. Then my phone battery dies and
because of the barcase, my escort could not accompany me.
So I heard some of the worst vitriolic language you
could ever imagine. Well you probably could imagine because you've
(09:32):
been doing this thing for a while that that I
could have ever imagined hearing in my life from from
from from white people.
Speaker 4 (09:40):
And uh, just the whole setup now of DC.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Like last night, Uh my walk, I was at first
unable to make it to the fence of the White
House because the president since everything's been going on, I
guess in California, Uh, his attack on on immigrants, it's
all barricaded off like it's his his.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
The White House is completely barricaded off.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
It looks like, you know, we're preparing for a militia
martial law, and just a vibe and the tone. Uh,
it's just it's markedly different from when President Biden was
in office.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
It's just not a good look.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
It looks very much so like a dictatorship or when
I went when I go to foreign countries and and
and go to authoritarian places to see how how barricaded
things are. It's just not what you would expect from
what's supposed to be the freest country.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
In the world.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
Yeah, exactly, and yet we hear we are living in
this conundrum. I want to ask you to Pastor. I
know there's got to be some folks who are listening
for me growing up with my dad who is a marcher,
(11:04):
especially around Doctor King's Day, which, of course you just referenced,
five miles was a lot for a little kid. I
would be like at the end, be like, y'all gonna
have to put me in the back of this Seattle
medium van and ride me the rest of the way
or something got to pick me up.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
My feet hurt.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
So I want to know how you prepare for this
and monthly at that. So how do you prepare for.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Doing these doing these marches?
Speaker 3 (11:29):
It really depends on the time of the year. So
my winter marches are a lot different. They are a lot
My winter marches are a lot more dangerous because the
weather here in Baltimore, such as Seattle.
Speaker 4 (11:42):
Probably not as cold a Seattle, honestly, but it is.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
It's cold in Baltimore, Maryland in the winter. Oh yes,
I remember DC. There was a DC day I had
and it was I got back in my car it
said eighteen degrees and I said, the devil is a liar.
It was so cold it was burning, you understand, Like, yeah,
I don't understand that type of called.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
I didn't come from that.
Speaker 4 (12:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
So when I'm preparing for a winter march which is
freezing like and I'm from Alabama, if you can't tell
with my accent, I'm from Tuskey, Alabama. My parents mart
that of school, and it is really I'm not built
for this type of coldther at all.
Speaker 4 (12:21):
And so my my winter march is.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
I have to make sure that I layer up a lot,
and I have to make sure that I eat a
lot of food before my walks, because you really need
to pack on carbs the day before you walk, and
of course try to rest my legs. But I'm just
(12:48):
not I'm not built for this. I'm six foot six,
two hundred pounds, and I'm just my body is not
built for these walks.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
It's just not. I just these are all labors of love.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
The winter walks, I don't have to eat as much,
but I have to drink a lot more fluid like.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
I have to summer March.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Yeah something sorry, Yeah, my summer, my summer warm month,
March is I have to make sure I stay hydrated
because I've almost fallen out. But the problem is the
more you drink, obviously it has to come out. So
when you're drinking a lot of water, you're going to
stop like every two or three minutes. So my summer walks,
although the weather is better, I have to stop a
(13:32):
lot more frequently. Otherwise I just don't drink and then
become have the risk of being dehydrated. But my winter walks,
I tell folks, my summer walks are more painful because
it's hot, you're dizzy, you sweating, and then when you sweat,
the salt is salt in your sweat. When you wipe
(13:53):
your sweat from your eyes, the salt literally because you
do it so much, it cuts your skin. Like my
skin now is very sensitive and it burns and so
but when you still sweating, it burns even more. My
winter walks are dangerous because of ice, in black ice,
and just all people who can't they barely can drive
in normal conditions, they drive even worse in winter conditions,
(14:17):
And so just preparing for is more of a mental
preparation because either both both scenarios, I get exhausted. Both scenarios.
My body gets worn. The winter walks are worse because
in some aspects, because my snow boots are not as
comfortable as my warm weather shoes, like my own clouds,
(14:38):
my hookas that I wear. I have to actually buy
snow boots to walk in, which okay, the hiking style,
but they're not as comfortable as my other.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
You talked about it being dangerous. You got hit, like
swiped by a car right in the winter runs.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
What happened? How did that happen?
Speaker 3 (15:00):
Actually happened in May my May walk. Yeah, and then
one of them was my own escorts. That's a whole
of the conversation.
Speaker 1 (15:09):
He's no longer that does the service, just no texting
and driving. How did that happen?
Speaker 3 (15:20):
I know, I know, right, But the first one, I
was hit by a passer buyer who he had to
make an effort to veer off to hit me because
I'm on the sidewalk and he was on the highway
and he drove off across the white line and his
(15:41):
passenger mirror hit me on the left side of my
body in my shoulder. Thank god, I am a pretty
nice sized man. I did not fall, and I mean
I felt it, but it was more like to me,
I felt like somebody just pushed me in my shoulder.
(16:02):
Then nobody's behind me, and it was this card. Thats
just you know, pushed me pretty hard. But I thankful
I didn't fall down. I had to my sign and
the other in my right hand, and he hit me
on my left shoulder. And I haven't gone to the hospital.
I don't feel any pain from it, not the moment,
but I kept walking. I kept walking, And in fact
(16:22):
that walk was in the honor of John Conya's on
his birthday May sixteenth. I did it in honor of him.
And to walk yesterday was an honor of a Philip Randolph.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
I love that.
Speaker 1 (16:33):
So you have these your muses for your walks. You
talked about your preparation. Now this is the day after
your walk again, fourteen hundred plus miles so far.
Speaker 2 (16:45):
What do you do to repair? We talked about prepare.
What do you do to repair?
Speaker 4 (16:50):
I don't do that well.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
I was supposed to be resting today, but I'm in
my office, as you can tell, I'm gonna tell myself
I'm gonna do a heat of foot soak because you know,
blisters and I have you know size fifteen feet and
cous a lot of service area. None of the athletic
socks did they sell Other cushion things are big enough
(17:15):
really for my size feet. I would make a great
spokesperson for some athletic attire because I've tried out of everything.
But I yeah, really, I'm supposed to keep my legs elevated.
I have a huge appetite on today, whereas yesterday I
was on adrenaline.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
Today you feel how human you are.
Speaker 3 (17:39):
Yesterday I'm more or less on a on a mountaintop
experience because I'm I'm thinking about a Phila Randolph.
Speaker 4 (17:45):
I'm thinking about our ancestors.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
I'm thinking about you know, those who've gone on before
us and done this work throughout their lives and sacrifice
that some some sacrifice their lives. So I'm I'm all
in meditation with them and the world and community with God.
And today I'm back to being you know, human, fragile Robert,
(18:07):
and I'm filling every inch of it. And so today
I tried to take it easy.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
But you know, Hences, indeed you talked about the ancestors.
What is the like, the motivating message for you from them?
When you think about the work they did to make
life a little bit easier for us.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
What is.
Speaker 1 (18:32):
You know, kind of the your core, your core mission
when you think about reflecting on the ancestors contributions to
our the betterment of our individual lives.
Speaker 3 (18:44):
For me, it contextualizes it a lot. It encourages me
and also challenged me. It encourages me because it it
shows that I'm a part. I'm one piece of a
fabric and the continuation of deliberation of our people right
and at this this fight did not start with me.
(19:08):
It would be nice, but don't think it'll end with
me either, But it kind of joins me into this,
not for turning because it's males and females, but this
to this fabric of leaders who have worked tirelessly for
the liberation of our people. So each month I find
something someone that I look up to, be Afred Hampton,
(19:32):
be Rosa pars b, Harry Tubman, but of course John
Conyers and I a phil the Randolph that I can
draw inspiration from and at the time in their life.
I also try to find people who did things that
folks thought were impossible, because right now, that's how folks
a broborations. They feel like it's impossible. So a Phil
(19:54):
the Randolph, first president of Sleeping car Porters right, also
push President Roosevelt to integrate and have and to stop
discriminating against federal contracts and government jobs. So all these folks,
especially in Maryland area, who have federal jobs, you owe
a debt to pay to A Phil Randolph integration of
(20:17):
the military through Herrod Truman.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
He fought for that. The chair of.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
The nineteen sixty three March on Washington, where we know
doctor King, but we don't realize the organizers who put
that together, who were responsible for the large crowds. Like
everything this man did, people thought it was impossible. And
before the march on watch he organized forty thousand plus
folks to be in the nation's capital arguing in protests
(20:42):
in nineteen forty three or forty five, and so just
drawing upon their strength, it also humbles me too, because
these men are these men and women are very high
renowned and great accomplishment, and it just shows you as
much as you think you're doing with more information, more technology,
(21:03):
more access. I mean, they organized mars of hundreds of
thousand people with no Internet, no social media, and folks
showed up and so it challenged me to see how
we can do more with more as they did more
with less.
Speaker 2 (21:20):
Yeah, that is so true.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
And I think one of the things that we know
about our ancestors and their contributions is their collective sacrifice.
And just recently you committed to that same type of
sacrifice with this march, this commitment you have to our
folks to regularly engage. You were going to do this
on Juneteenth, and you heard that we were doing not
(21:45):
only the State of the People Power Tour, but that
we were going to do a national assembly in Baltimore.
And I reached out to our brother Jamal Bryant and
I was like, Hey, we're trying to figure out where
we're going to do this event, and he was like,
shut up, Robert Turner, just come talk to me and
is asking where.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
You guys were going to be.
Speaker 1 (22:04):
And I called you and it wasn't thirty five seconds
into the conversation before you said we absolutely could hold
this really important and historic convening at Empowerment Temple AMI Church.
So I want to know what made you say yes.
Why is it important for us to all gather as
a people right now? And what would you say to
folks who are considering coming to Baltimore June nineteenth through
(22:27):
the twenty First.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Why did I say yes? First and foremost, who was
the person gave me the question? Angela RAI, I mean
had to, and because I know you are someone who
takes our community's issues seriously and really you have committed
your life to the progress of our people. I don't
(22:51):
just leand space willingly. I feel like it is in
great hands. I feel like it is in great hands
and a great bad you trustee of our leadership.
Speaker 4 (23:03):
And the state the people. It has been very successful.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
In fact, I would once I found out you all
were coming to Baltimore, I was trying to find a
way just to register, like, hey, I want to attend,
but I couldn't. I didn't find out where it was,
and that's when I asked Jamal about it, and of
course you The rest is history.
Speaker 4 (23:23):
But I think it is vitally.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Important today today, at this moment in time, that we
as a people don't take any months, weeks, and definitely
not years off. To my frustration, oftentimes we only speak political.
I get involved during the election year, and that is
(23:45):
at the request and to the benefit of elected candidates,
people who seeking to be elected candidates, Great for them,
but what happened. My biggest frustration has been what are
we doing in the end? Not mid term elections, not
presidential elections, not even a goodlatorial or mayoral or city
(24:06):
council election, anyminist elections. But what are we doing for
us to help keep us organized outside of a person's campaign.
And so when I found out about the State of
the People convening that you were having throughout the state,
throughout the country, in different states, I was about I
was like, about time, you know, this is exactly what
(24:28):
we need, and it wasn't. It's not sponsored by any
And I love our politicians. I love all of them,
I think, well, not all of them. I love the
ones who are doing work for our people. That's great
when we have things with them. But I love the
fact that this is autonomous from any political candidate. Now
they may come or whatever, but it's autonomous from them.
(24:50):
But it's really about the people, and especially our people.
And so I'm thrilled. I'm so thrilled. This is like
the highlight of I know, we're just six most in
to be hosting it at the impomented we.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
Are so grateful, Pastor. For those of you who are
at home watching and.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
You have yet to register it, I would say shame
on you, but I'm gonna spare my judgment and just
give you the website. We're at STATEOFTHEPPL dot com. You
can also find our Black Papers Policy Initiative up on
those site with tons of great resources. We'll have over
thirty black papers when all is said and done, it
is going to be a really, really great experience in Baltimore.
(25:32):
I encourage all his pre homework to watch Nation Time.
It's a great documentary about the nineteen seventy two National
Black Political Convention.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
It was created.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
By Reverend Jackson and A Mary Baraka and Charles Diggs
and many others. And speaking of A Merri Baraka, his
son Rasbaraka is running in a primary today in New
Jersey for governor. So in New Jersey, make sure you
get out and vote. And I am still between the
pastor and hit the rest for his blistered feet. So
(26:04):
we are gonna let you go, Pastor, and I will
see you.
Speaker 2 (26:07):
I'll see you next week. I will see you next week.
Looking forward to it. Thank you so much, y'all.
Speaker 1 (26:13):
This has been a great edition of a podcast. Make
sure you join Pastor Turner on one of these reparation
walks at least for a mile or so so he's
not walking alone, especially when he's doing something for our
collective advancement.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Until next time, y'all, let's keep pushing.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
Towards freedom, fighting for what we know we deserve, and
as always, welcome home.
Speaker 2 (26:33):
See Tobron.
Speaker 1 (26:47):
Native Lampard is a production of iHeartRadio in partnership with
Reason Choice Media. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the
iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your
favorite shows.
Hosts And Creators
Tiffany Cross
Andrew Gillum
Angela Rye
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.