Weed the People

We are 15 episodes in and this week, hosts Andrew Gillum, Angela Rye, and Tiffany Cross start with the latest in Trump’s many legal woes. The Stormy Daniels "hush money" trial started on Monday. You’re forgiven if you can’t remember what that one is even about– we got you– plus implications for the Trump presidential campaign. Then, there’s ANOTHER case before SCOTUS this week that could have HUGE implications for Trump. 

 

For this week’s deep dive: Minority Rule. Minority rule is when a minority of the population has the majority of the power. Sound familiar? The hosts ask how a shrinking minority of white male conservatives are able to pass laws and policies that most of us don’t actually want. It goes alllll the way back to the beginning, y’all, maybe our democracy isn’t so democratic? 

 

We’re also shedding some light on the importance of Black Maternal Health Week. Black and Brown mothers are about three times as likely to die during childbirth. These are totally preventable deaths, we gotta talk about it!! 

 

As we all know, politics are everywhere, and this week they’re in women’s sports. College basketball star, Caitlin Clark, and some of our faves like Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, were just drafted into the WNBA, and folks are upset about how LITTLE they’ll be paid compared to their NBA counterparts. It is literally a fraction of a percent, y’all…  

 

Then, Native Pod goes green as Tiffany clarifies the politics of cannabis for this upcoming 4/20 weekend. And of course, the hosts respond to your comments and questions. We are 200 days until Election Day 2024!

 

Welcome home, y'all!  

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Watch full episodes of Native Land Pod here on Youtube.

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 Gabrielle Collins as executive producer; Loren Mychael is our research producer, and Nikolas Harter is our editor and producer. A special thanks as well to Chris Morrow and Lenard McKelvey, co-founders of Reasoned Choice Media.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Native Land Pod is a production of iHeartRadio in partnership
with Recent Choice Media. Welcome Home, y'all. This is episode
fifteen of Native Land Pod, where we give you all
of our political takes on everything politics and culture and
a quick and easy digestible breakdown. We are your co

(00:26):
host Tiffany Cross, Angela Rye, and I am Andrew Gillim.
What's going on, Tiff and Rye? How are you on
your part of the count?

Speaker 2 (00:35):
Come home, y'all.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
Welcome home.

Speaker 2 (00:37):
I gotta say I don't like it because we're remote again,
and I feel like when we're together we have a
lot more fun. So it's like trying to hang out
with your people over a zoom call.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
I kind of think you've been having fun without us.
Your shirt is speaking volumes.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
She telling on herself. It says weed is vegan for
those y'all can't say vegan. But we're lage reunited and
it is good.

Speaker 1 (01:09):
In this week's episode, Trump's second trial and I don't
know count them three sixty five is underway, but this
one is a criminal indictment being bought by New York
Prosecutor Alvin Bragg. The Stormy Daniels Hush money case and
trial rather started on Monday with jury selection. The former
president will beginning count them four free days of publicity

(01:34):
every week for as long as a trial lasts. Due
to his alleged propensity to what wrongdoing. Scotus also appears
to be wild. And if this week's oral arguments and
the obstruction of justice case are any indication of things
to come about, the insurrection and its protests lots to
get to on that. Then for this week's deep dive,
we're going to get into minority rule, which happens when

(01:57):
the minority of the population controls the levels of government,
so that basically the rest of us, the majority, live
under the control of a small minority. Is this what
the Framers intendant? And is this the kind of democracy
we're living under? Also, it is Black Maternal Health Week.
Black mothers face disproportionately high rates of maternal and infant

(02:19):
mortality and these are absolutely preventable deaths, which is why
it's so important that we talk about them. We all
know that politics are everywhere, and this week it is
all about women's salaries in sports. College basketball star Caitlin
Clark and some of our phase Angel Reese and Camilla Cardoza.
We're just strafted into the WNBA and folks are surprised,

(02:44):
maybe horrified, even outraged at how much, or rather how
low women's salaries and sports still unfortunately are, and then
commemorate along with my co host Tiffany Cross. We will
not blaze it up like we did last week. No,

(03:05):
we didn't. No, I'm messing with you. I'm talking about
last year's episode. But we do want to ensure that
you know that politics of cannabis are indeed everywhere. Stick
around for some great questions and comments from our native
Lampod fam and of course our calls to actions from
each of the hosts. Stay tuned. Everybody is gonna be

(03:25):
a good one. Trump's trials continued this week. He's facing
charges in New York for hush money payments that he
made during the twenty sixteen election cycle to adult film
stars Stormy Daniels. It's the first time in US history
that a former president is being tried on criminal charges.

(03:47):
Jury selection began on Monday, and the case that's expected,
I don't know, disrupt. Maybe some might argue help Trump
during this presidential contest, as he is going to be
on trial at least we believe for the next month
or two. Now, y'all, I understand yesterday, or rather earlier
this week, seven jurors were chosen to serve as part

(04:11):
of the official trial. They were sworn in. They make
up only four men, three women. Among them are two lawyers.
There are eleven more jurors to be selected. Thirty four
counts of falsifying business records altogether is what is involved
in this trial. And as I said, jury selection did

(04:31):
begin earlier this weekend. It's expected to be over by
the end of this week early next week, with statements
for opening beginning on Monday. Now, y'all, Trump could not
help himself. We heard earlier in the selection he was
batting his eyes, maybe giving them a little bit of
a rests throughout the process. But we know he was

(04:54):
alive and in effect during the break. This is what
he had to say when he was able to step
out of the courtroom.

Speaker 4 (05:00):
If you look at Jonathan Jerremy, Andy mcgarthy, all ran
legal scholars, there's no one that we've been able to
find that said this should be a trial. I called
a I was paying a lawyer and marked it down
as a legal expense. Some account I should know marked

(05:21):
it down as a legal expense. That's exactly what it was.

Speaker 3 (05:25):
And you've been.

Speaker 5 (05:26):
Indicted over that.

Speaker 1 (05:28):
I was paying a lawyer and some accountant marked it
down as a legal expense. Did I hear it at mission?

Speaker 6 (05:36):
Y'all?

Speaker 1 (05:36):
What do you think?

Speaker 3 (05:38):
I think that I want to shout out the first
black DA in Manhattan, Alvin Bragg, who was following in
the successful footsteps of the dynamic Tiss James, indeed the
second black attorney to be able to go after Donald Trump.

(05:59):
And and it's no wonder they are so afraid, as
our good sister Joy said of DEI, because DEI is
coming for this dude. I also think it's important to
note that this is you said it in the Rundown Andrews.
It's Donald Trump's first of several criminal trials, this one,
of course, in New York. A lot of this could

(06:20):
get put on hold based on what we talk about
next in the Supreme Court, what they end up deciding
in that presidential immunity case. A lot of this could
end up being of no consequence when we get to
where they land in June or July, when those decisions
come out in summer.

Speaker 1 (06:37):
No, that's right. I just thought it was odd. I
don't know if you for those who are listening to
the audio and were looking at it, as Donald Trump says,
I was talking to a lawyer, and I paid a lawyer.
In some accountant wrote it down as a legal expense.
His lawyers begin to look at each other in the

(06:59):
back and they sort of start to confer, and I'm like, man,
this guy has gotta be making your job that much harder.
But for him to admit I paid, I paid this
guy my lawyer. And of course the allegation here is
that he paid his lawyer to pay Stormy Daniels to endorsement.

Speaker 3 (07:22):
Trying to figure that out.

Speaker 1 (07:23):
Yeah, Michael, correct, But because he didn't name check him,
he just said I paid a lawyer, and it was
later then noted as such. But he pays, he pays Cohen,
reimburses co in an amount. They mark it down as
a business expense, and that's exactly what is in the
crosshairs here that you cannot write it down as an
expense for business if it is in fact a payment

(07:47):
for a bride or to solence someone's harsh money.

Speaker 3 (07:52):
Thirty four felony counts of falsifying business records to hide
reimbursement payments to former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen.

Speaker 2 (07:59):
Well, can I just say I think it's for Had
I had time, I definitely would have pulled some soun
from Stormy Daniels because I think it's important to remind
people what happened exactly that evening. Stormy Daniels was twenty
seven years old at the time Donald Trump was sixty.
It was a really compelling interview that Anderson Cooper did.
Solid journalist and a great journalist interview he did with
her because he allowed her to tell her story. A

(08:21):
twenty seven year old woman had gone to his room.
She was an adult film star. She's very clear this
was not a me too situation. She had gone to
the bathroom and when she came out, he was on
the bed propositioning her, and she just looked like Bloch.
She said, you know, this was not something that she
wanted to do. Milanya had just given birth to their son,
just like maybe two or three months prior. He was

(08:43):
offering her, asking her would she be willing to be
a contestant on The Apprentice. Stormy Daniels is an adult
film star. She is no fool. She actually ran for Senate.
I want to say in twenty eighteen. She's been a
well known adult film star but also has dabbled in
politics and has been very well aware. This sixty year
old man, before he was president, when he was having

(09:04):
sex with her, did not wear a condom with her.
So I think these things are important to note for
this quote unquote conservative right wing self described pro life
party that they are uplifting. This is your president. So
outside of whatever moral or ethical issues you have, I
am not here to make that judgment. I'm just putting

(09:27):
out the story. But aside from these moral ethical judgments
that people have, then you have the legal issue Andrew,
which you just pointed out Michael Cohen paid her, and yes,
very keen observation that he just came out and admitted it.
What he didn't say is what he paid her for.
So while that might not have been illegal, but certainly
it's something that the American body politics should be reminded of.

(09:51):
Because our attention span for such things is very short,
and because there's been fifty eleven trials and updates and
minutia e today on his legal troubles, people have a
tendency to forget what this was actually all about. We
can just reduce it to the hush money trial, but
let's remember the actual details of it. I have to
say what discussed me. To be honest, we have not

(10:12):
learned our lesson. And I look at cable news and
the anchors and the executives salivating and tripping over themselves
to carry this wall to wall coverage. It's like, yes,
we have our new you know, courtroom drama that we
can you know, blanket our coverage with. And I do yes,
and it's like we get to have our cable ratings

(10:33):
boon again. We can have all these you know, people
tune into the breaking news banner constantly, and just this
week alone, and most people unfortunately do not consume papers.
So just this week alone, I think of all the
news that was not reported, that was overlooked. We're on
the brink of, I dare say, perhaps another Third World war,
and we don't get to deep dive and dissect those

(10:54):
issues because we're looking at the reality TV show. Former
president turn our media industry and are electorate into another
reality TV show. So I just get really tired and
kind of checked out when I see it. I know
it's important, but when I look at it, it's huge
history time.

Speaker 3 (11:13):
I just think the president things. You know, Yeah, the
first time a former president has ever been charged like
charged criminally is a big deal.

Speaker 2 (11:21):
Completely. I just don't think it should be twenty four hours, like, Okay,
we got the update, this whole thing, we.

Speaker 3 (11:27):
Can move on to the Supreme Court.

Speaker 2 (11:28):
Yeah, okay.

Speaker 1 (11:29):
Also, I mean I think part of it is, uh,
Tiffany is I think we we oftentimes move very quickly
past things that are you know, that are in my opinion,
considered important. And I do think it will weigh on
some people if this man is found guilty, because it
changes it's just right, right, He's been able to escape

(11:51):
all the way through this thing any real responsibility culpability
for what he does. And I'm wondering, really with bated breath,
whether or not the Supreme Court is about to allow
him to skate on something. Frankly, that would be yes
precedent setting, but I think would up end a lot
of people's faith and the Supreme Court and in our

(12:12):
quote unquote system of justice and accountability. And what I'm
referring to is the fact that there is a case
that was argued before the Supreme court this week around
whether or not two of the four charges that were
bought by Jack Smith, the special prosecutor here against Trump,
are likely to be dropped or not. And because we've

(12:35):
got a how do I say, incredible attorney right here,
as one of our co hosts, Angela, I love if
you could take a minute just to break down into
dissectible and understandable ways what the implications are from this
week's oral arguments. And obviously it's later decision which will
come from the court we believe in a month or so.

Speaker 3 (12:56):
Okay, So, this particular case is Fisher versus United States,
and in this case, what is at issue is Section
fifteen twelve of Chapter eighteen of the United States Code.
And here they are basing their entire argument, they being
Fisher's side, their entire argument over this particular clause. Whoever

(13:16):
corruptly alters, destroys, mutilates, or conceals a record, document, or
other object, or attempts to do so with the intent
to impair the object's integrity or availability for use in
an official preceding or And they go into other examples
of obstruction. Fisher's lawyer is trying to argue that this

(13:38):
statute is supposed to be about documents. However, if you
go down and notice I said or in law school
you learn a difference between an and or or there
are other places where you learn a difference between a
and or I don't know, first, second, third, fourth grade. Right,
So there's a or here. It says or otherwise obstructs, influences,
or impedes any official preceding, or attempts to do so. Right.

(14:02):
So that second part, that two, and not the one,
but the two is what is at issue here with
all of the folks who went to Capitol Hill at
the behest of Donald Trump and his senior advisors to
try to stop the still as they called it. The
still was the election, them certifying the election in Congress,
which is an official proceeding, which is absolutely obstruction. It's

(14:26):
obstruction of justice, is an obstruction of an official proceeding.
And they said, say, they also are arguing corruptly, Well,
can they argue corruptly? Yes? Because Donald Trump, who was
the leader of this movement, was trying to get folks
to go to Capitol Hill to stop the still. Meanwhile,
that's exactly what he was trying to do. Still. So

(14:46):
that's what is is what is at issue here? And
what you saw the justice mostly arguing about is what
happens when you are on the outside of this statute,
when the when you're really close to those parameters, and
you can you all can start to imagine if this
case was for something else, something that we were in

(15:06):
favor of, if we were concerned, you know, that something
else was going on, that they were about to pass
a law in Congress that was going to be super
harmful for us, and we're protesting it, which is going
to get us to our next case tiff. What happens?
What are the parameters there? So? How far are they
going to go here? And it's really unclear where they're
going to land because there were arguments and questions from

(15:27):
the more progressive justices as well as the super conservative ones.
I don't know where they're gonna land here. Is very fascinating.
Might be real frustrated if this dude escapes culpability yet again.

Speaker 2 (15:36):
Okay, I have a question. So one when you say
US code, I was just asking this when you say
the laws on the books, that's not the constitution, that
is federal law.

Speaker 3 (15:47):
Yes, So the Congress has the responsibility of passing laws.
Those things become United States code when the president signs
them into a right. We have criminal statutes, that's what
this is. We also have civil statutes, things like the
Cares Act, which we are familiar with. The Care Act
is something that is is code, but it is not

(16:08):
criminal code. This is criminal code.

Speaker 2 (16:10):
So then two questions. The trial in New York that
is a criminal case, were Donald Trump to be found guilty,
what could he potentially be facing?

Speaker 3 (16:22):
Well that I think was it thirty four or forty
indictments just in that one case?

Speaker 1 (16:27):
Yeah, thirty four, Yeah, indictments something, and that that also
is a state case and not a federal right.

Speaker 2 (16:34):
I get it, I guess, I'm just My real question,
to be honest, is is there any scenario on which
Donald Trump will be sentenced to some sort of jail.

Speaker 1 (16:45):
Four years in prison potentially, okay, four years?

Speaker 2 (16:47):
And so should this president thirty four can be convicted,
is there a realistic chance that he will walk into
prison with secret service and everything while running for president
and serve or will this case likely advance to the
Supreme Court at some point? The criminal case, I'm sorry,
Alvin Braggs, no, because it's not.

Speaker 3 (17:06):
Likely yes, But there are instances where state cases find
their way to the Supreme Court. It is when there
is a constitutional issue in question, even at the crux
of this particular statue, they're arguing the language in that statue.
But also what is an issue here is right to protest,
right to as symbol, which is exactly what happened in

(17:29):
Deray mckesson's case that the Supreme Court decided not to hear. So, Tif,
I know you had something on that, yes, yeah.

Speaker 1 (17:36):
Tip before you before you do that. Just wrapping this
piece the case that is right now being argued before
the US Supreme Court. The biggest impact we think can
come from it is it could upend both the trials
in Georgia as well as the trial in Miami because
both those cases, one deals with Trump's handling obviously of

(17:59):
classifying information and the other dealing with his actions in
Georgia to technically interfere with with this legislative process. So
I think we're gonna keep watching this. But the oral arguments,
if you want to hear them, maybe we'll be able
to try and post them somewhere on our account. But
I know Tiff on the on the Deray peace, Yeah,

(18:19):
you've got.

Speaker 3 (18:20):
A still cy Andrew. Just for clarification too, on this
last point you just raised. I think the bigger concern
is the presidential immunity piece, which they are deciding in
Junior or July, that that is really what could pend
those other cases. This is the the I guess you
could argue the obstruction related to the tampering of votes

(18:40):
in Atlanta, for or Georgia for sure, but I think
really everything gets upset if they end up saying.

Speaker 1 (18:46):
If they decide he can't be as president.

Speaker 3 (18:49):
Can't be prosecuted.

Speaker 2 (18:50):
But you know, I have to say on that case,
as a lay person hearing some of the defense argument,
it is it's worth the conversation to have because I
get the point. It's like, well, if this president orders
the military to engage in, you know, an assassination of
someone that they're taking out, can they then later be prosecuted.

(19:10):
I think these do get into legal waters that we've
you know, never before really swam in. But that's what
happens when uh never before had right, I was going
to say, that's what happens when you elect a clown
to the highest office of the land. You turn our
country into a Circus and we're seeing that happen right now.
But you've brought up the point about Supreme work bar
that d Ray McKesson. So the Supreme Court refused, I

(19:32):
want to be clear, the Supreme Court refused to hear
this case, so it got kicked back down to the
lower court, the Fifth Circuit Court. Angelill correct me please
if I say anything wrong legally. So I just want
to really quickly try to say what is at issue here.
So in twenty sixteen, d Ray McKesson, you guys know
d Ray McKesson and the blue vest and activist. He
was helping or was invited to organize or help participate

(19:54):
in a protest near police headquarters in Baton Ruge. This
was after police there shot Alton Sterling, a thirty seven
year old black man. They'd already immobilized him, pinned him
to the ground, but shot him six times, murdering him.
And during that protest, we don't know who. During that protest,
someone threw a rock and injured severely injured a police officer.

(20:17):
The police officer then to deray or deray rather, I
keep saying Deray like the comedian Deray. And I want
you all to hear directly from Deray what exactly happened
that evening from his perspective, take a listen.

Speaker 7 (20:32):
So in November twenty sixteen, there was the police killed
Alton Sterling and they killed another man and it was
a big uproar in the country and the bat riage
organized us and like can you come down? I was
like yeah, and I'm in bad Ruge for like I
don't know fifteen hours. Like I wasn't in bad Ruge
a lot. I like literally landed. We met with some people,

(20:53):
and then I went to sleep because I was exhausted.
Wake up and then we go out and it's sort
of like, you know, we blocked them this big highway.
The police were like on ten thousand. It was just
like a whole thing. And the police at one point
were like get out of the street, and I'm like cool,
I just started this job. I was achieving him in
the capitol for the school system. I told the superintendent
I wouldn't get in, like I'd sort of like lay low,
let me get out of street. So I videotaped him.

(21:15):
He's I got out of the street. I showed like the
line where like the street is. I'm like, I'm out
the street cool, and the next thing I know, people
are running. So I get caught in like this Russia
people running. I fall that a big deal. I go
to get up and I can't get up, and I'm
like dag. I'm like really, I'm like pinned down in
a sup of people. And I realized that the reason
I can't get up is actually the police are holding
the like pressing my shoulders down.

Speaker 1 (21:37):
Not good.

Speaker 2 (21:38):
So then I throw my phone.

Speaker 7 (21:39):
I didn't even know what I was thinking. I'd throw
my phone because I don't want the police to get
my phone.

Speaker 2 (21:43):
So I throw the phone, hoping.

Speaker 7 (21:45):
My friends get it, and then I'm in custody for
like the next sixteen seventeen hours. So that started it.
But you know, it was one of those things where
like the police, a police officer said that night that
he got hit by a rock and that I was
the cause of him getting hit by rock.

Speaker 2 (22:00):
So why this is interesting and I wanted you out
to hear directly from deray, is because this is a
First Amendment issue. This is the right to gather in protests.
So Ellie Massog does a great piece on this in
the nation. I encourage you all to listen to it.
But essentially anybody can show up to a protest, wreak havoc, disappear,
and then ruin the protest. We saw during the unrest
of twenty twenty a lot of people who didn't look

(22:21):
like us coming into our neighborhoods, giving young black youth
bricks to throw, inciting, encouraging violence. And so it's really
interesting to see what will happen that the Supreme Court
decided not to take up this case, which was essentially,
I think making a statement that will impact how we
all protests. And it comes down to, yes, you have

(22:42):
the right to assemble and protest under the First Amendment,
unless you are black. Now, when you look at what
happened on January sixth, this is exactly what happened. Donald
Trump incited a riot, he encouraged people to go, and
certainly those police officers were injured by people he encouraged.
So people like Harry Does who's now running for Congress,
he was an assaulted. Can he now sue Donald Trump. Well,

(23:05):
according to the law, he cannot because what Donald Trump
is being accused of, I think there is obstruction of Congress,
not negligently inciting a riot. What I ask is the difference.
So I think this is an interesting case and I
just thought the parallels between the two were quite striking.
But be sure to read Elie Mastaal's piece in the
Nation because he does a great job.

Speaker 3 (23:23):
Thinking while the other difference, sorry, go ahead. Meanwhile, the
other difference is protesting another brutal police killing is not
inciting a riot. It might be riot worthy, but it's
not inciting a riot. It is a protest. It is
the right to assemble. I think what's interesting here is
they're also they didn't they to be super clear. The

(23:44):
Supreme Court decided not to hear this case. They remanded
it back to the Fifth Circuit. The Fifth Circuit said
already that the police officer can sue deray because while
the right to assemble and the right to protest are
constitutionally protected, and whether or not you get sued for
what happens on the other side of that, whether you
can still be sued for a tort, it's something entirely different.

(24:07):
I think you'll be vindicated overall and probably win the
civil suit. But this is this is it is worth
a discussion, and certainly see the hypocrisy.

Speaker 1 (24:15):
Who decide negligent of them all negligent protests. You know,
you got people like the governor of my state and
many others that are outlawing protests against law enforcement or
outlawing protests on issues that they consider to be quote
woke issues. Now, I think as these things are pushed

(24:37):
through the law on the other side, that hopefully right
will win out. But but I'll just say, regardless of
the outcome and what happens in Deray's case and those
that are similar to it, let's not mistake what this is.
This is a shot over the bow. This is a
if you want to try us, let me tell you

(24:57):
to the fullest extent of the law, all the parameters
and what's allowed, we can take this thing. So, if
you Angela Rie, Tiffanycross, Andrew Gillim want to use your
platform to promote I don't know, a rally in Baltimore
in defense of the former state attorney, and something goes
left for the law enforcement officers, who by the way,

(25:18):
sit at the epicenter of the issue regarding Marilyn Moseby,
that we can all of a sudden decide that we're
gonna we're gonna come for you and we're gonna use
the instruments of the law to do so.

Speaker 6 (25:29):
So I.

Speaker 1 (25:30):
Think this is hugely problematic and we shouldn't understate what
this is intended to do. It's intended to have us
tremble before we ever decide to step out in this
way or any other against the powers that be. I
wish I wish brother Deray best as he moves forward.
Y'all want to take a quick break to pay some bills,

(25:51):
and when we come back, we'll talk the power of
the minority.

Speaker 8 (26:06):
Despite all the lofty rhetoric of democracy, when our political
institutions were set up in the seventeen eighties, they actually
were set up to benefit, in large part, a propertied
white male minority, a very affluent white male minority, of
many of whom were slaveholders, and in fact the public
were largely excluded from choosing the country's leaders, and far

(26:30):
from encouraging majority rule, the founding institutions of our country
facilitated minority rule instead.

Speaker 1 (26:37):
So that was Ari Berman, a journalist and author talking
about this idea of minority rule. Already touched on it.
But we want to know, really, what are the primary
strategies that conservative white male minority in this country has
used and is using to enact policies and laws that

(26:57):
most of us frankly don't want. And if the majority
of us had the opportunity to vote, we wouldn't put
it on the books through a citizen vote. But what
he touches on, and I know it's touched on by
many other authors as well, is whether or not this
country is frankly truly acting as a democracy.

Speaker 3 (27:18):
It's such a good and worthy conversation, you know. I
thought about some examples while Ari was speaking. I thought
about the filibuster in the Senate, the fact that a
simple majority isn't enough to pass legislation. I thought about
the electoral college. When folks often talk about us being
three fifths of a human being, it's because that's what

(27:40):
our slaveholders would could be. They were designated three fifths
of a vote based on our personhood, so it wasn't
one vote, one person, one vote. I also think about
authors like you just mentioned before, the Mayflower, Laron Bennett
sixteen nineteen Project, Nicole Hannah Jones, Black af History, our
good brother and friend, Michael Harriet. All these people are

(28:01):
our family, by the way, And I just think that
we often don't give credit to the fact that we
know what we poured into this country, literally our blood shed.
Crispus addicts, right in the Revolutionary War, we know what
we built, and yet we still don't have because there
were It was always designed to be for a select few.

(28:23):
I hate the concept of founding fathers because founding fathers
in and of itself is very exclusionary. It is a
small group of men that came together, white men, that
came together and said, how can we reenact the thing
that we tried to escape ourselves? And then how can
we put ourselves in power and make sure that that
power stays in the hands of a select few? And

(28:44):
then as time went on, they continued to morph this thing,
to evolve this thing, to say, and how can we
get people who look like us, who don't have what
we have, but will be in position mentally to keep
us with a little bit of power because they know
that there's something to aspire to. They can dream to
our status, even though they'll never reach it because this

(29:07):
is not for them. But if we can convince them
that they're better than everybody else who they're similarly situated with,
we are going to continue to keep this power in
the hands and select you. That is I think why
Donald Trump appeals to them in that way. It is
he is the American dream to these white folks that
are carved into the side of a mountain. They also

(29:27):
don't own and just colonize. So there's all of that.
And when I think about what democracy really is, we've
talked about it on this show a gazillion times. I
also think about the fact that we've never really had
what we rightfully deserve. It's never really been one person,
one vote. It's been one person, one fight for the
vote that you may or may not get. It has

(29:49):
been You're gonna have to fight to secure legislation and
rights just to survive in this country. Don't even worry
about thriving yet. Sis like, there are so many barriers
that exist to our true free existence and liberation in
this country. And it was built that way by design.

Speaker 2 (30:08):
Well, I think the way I think that's a great
historical perspective and a wrinkle in time it creates because
when you look at how it plays out today and
you consider the changing demographics of the country, we're going
to see that increasingly. So look, we're getting closer to
the point where there will not be a racial majority

(30:28):
in this country. And yet this very small population of
people have a stronghold the Congress last year or one
hundred and eighteen, Congress, because it was such gridlock, only
passed thirty one bills, I believe, making it the least
effect of Congress since the Great Depression, to put that
in perspective, So it's a lot of things that get

(30:49):
left on the table. As of January of this year,
Republicans control twenty eight or twenty nine, twenty eight state
legislators state legislatures. Democrats control twenty one. And Andrew, you've
made the point so many times that people say the
Republican Party in Donald Trump as though they are two
separate things. They've merged into one. So when you consider

(31:10):
that these maga right wing zealot extremists are controlling most
of the state legislatures, where a lot of this shitty
policy bubbles up to federal policy that should concern us all.
They are out of step with the American people by
and large. They're out of step with the American people
when it comes to reproductive health. They're out of step
with the American people when it comes to gun laws.

(31:32):
They're out of step with the American people when it
comes to racial divide, They're out of step with the
American people. When it comes to criminal justice reform. They're
out of step with the American people when it comes
to climate change. So I don't know what to do
about it, you know. I mean, obviously we keep saying voting, voting, voting, voting,
But I'm a little concerned because I think that, you know,
at some point this country is fractured, and the civil

(31:54):
war doesn't start with the first, you know, the blow
that's struck. The civil war starts long before that. And
so that's why I say. Some people say that's dangerous,
language is hyperbolic. I don't think so. I think right
now we are seeing this country fracture, and not only
is it threatening our livelihood here, it is threatening our
place and global diplomacy as well.

Speaker 1 (32:13):
Yeah, I mean, I think you rightly tossed in some
ways to what happens in these states, even when we
get out of whack with where the people are. And
mind you, y'all, I'm not an extremist by any stretch,
and I get why it is that you want common
sense showing up on the playing field. For instance, if
Brown v. Board of Education had been put to a

(32:35):
popular vote at the time, my guess is the majority
of voting Americans at the time would not have reverse
right plus v ferguson right. And so we have Supreme courts.
But what Ari and so many others, Michael Herriott and
Nicolhanna Jones, many of those who are keepers of record,
our grios, if you will, are saying, is these institutions

(32:58):
were established as way by design, and they're only effectuating.
They're only doing what they're designed to do. The fact
that every single state, regardless of population, has two US Senators,
and the majority of those little small states get to
decide he sits on the Supreme Court. The fact that
when I told students that their direct vote on election

(33:18):
day didn't equal electing a president, they were baffled that
because we're a democracy, yes, when I go vote, I
elected president. Said nah, there's another special meeting that's going
to happen in December here at the state Capitol where
the electors for the state of Florida are going to come.
It's very little talked about, very little rigamarocas.

Speaker 8 (33:36):
It's just following.

Speaker 1 (33:37):
Process somebody's going to go into that room, one hundred
so odd of them, and they're going to vote on
electoral votes that will then be sent to Congress. It's
important we understand this, y'all, because a lot of us
don't realize that there is some distance between us and
direct democracy. And here are some of the ways in
which it plays out in our states. I want you

(33:57):
ought to hear it directly. We'll go first to Tennessee,
where we see a bill that bans the study. Hear
me a bill that bans the study of reparations. Let's
sear the sound.

Speaker 9 (34:11):
The bill is sponsored by Republican Representative John Reagan of
Nashville and Memphis Senator Brent Taylor of Memphis. Before the
Senate approved the bill, Taylor pointed to Shelby County approving
five million dollars to study reparations.

Speaker 5 (34:27):
So we know this is a very divisive issue, and
it's an important issue for many people in our communities.
It's an important issue in my community, But mister speaker,
it's an issue that cannot be resolved at the local level.

Speaker 6 (34:40):
No one is alive today who was either a slave
or a slaveholder in the timeframe that slavery was legal
in this country. If there were to be a reparations program,
the question becomes from whom are these reparations taken? And
to whom are these reparations paid?

Speaker 1 (35:00):
Aid y'all, I mean we could, we could go on
and on on that sound, but I will I will
say it's important to call out Tennessee Reverend Earl Fisher.
I think Angela, you know Earl Reverend Fisher rather personally,
who has been on the advocacy side here and has
been collecting signatures to a position basically telling them the

(35:23):
legislature to step back, step back, Angela, what are your
thoughts on this?

Speaker 3 (35:28):
My thoughts are I don't have a whole lot of
hope in the Tennessee State legislature. I just would take
y'all back two episodes right, like, this is the same
legislature that is trying to prevent paying Tennessee State University
what they what they are, what they're owed that is
modern reparations. And there are people who are alive who
had everything to do with that name even trying to

(35:50):
pay that. So I'm not confused about why they don't
want to study. But here's what we also know. They
don't want to study so much that they're taking history
books out of class rooms. They don't want us to
learn this for free or for pay. They don't want
us to learn by their taxpayer dollars or our taxpayer dollars.
There's no surprise here and again to the point, to

(36:10):
the point of Tiffany's book, TI. If you want to
shout out your book.

Speaker 2 (36:13):
Say it louder, Black voters, white narratives and saving our
Democracy available everywhere books are soldiects say it, what's louder?
That's it?

Speaker 3 (36:24):
People in the bed louder say it like yeah, Hi,
I'm just playing. But here's the thing we have to acknowledge.
What is the elephant in the room? No pun intended.
Republicans like, we know exactly what you're doing. It is
by design. It is at every level. It is at
the level of a school board, It is at the
state legislature. It is trying to be back in the

(36:46):
White House, It is in the halls of Congress. They
just took out the d Office of Congress. What do
we expect. Of course, they're not trying to go backwards
and look at what they owe us and what was
done wrong and what is owed to a people that
have given everything to this country. They don't want to
give us what we deserve today. There's no surprises here.
You want to talk about a wage gap, there's a
wage gap, and I'm trying to pay what they owe

(37:06):
us and paychecks today. Of course they're not trying to
look at what went wrong back in the day. Now,
Reverend ear Oh, you know that that does not mean
I'm not gonna support the petition. I have posted it
twice on my stories. I'm gonna stand with you, good brother,
But I ain't got a lot of hope. Folks got
to go to the polls. And it's hard to get
folks to go to the polls when we're talking about
democracy and the ways, in the many ways in which
our votes have been suppressed, not counted, and tried to

(37:28):
be taken over by Donald Trump and Kanye West publicists.

Speaker 1 (37:32):
Well, let me tell you, Angela, I mean, and if
you evoke this earlier on in your comments around the
emphasis on local, but maybe we aren't down your street
yet because we're talking about reparations. We're gonna move here
now to reproductive rights and see if we get any
closer to your street. What's in common here, y'all. You
heard it from the senator there. It's not a local

(37:53):
issue to decide reparations. So when they don't want to
deal with it, all right, they want to punt to
the federal. But when it gets down to reproductive health,
which was federally decided.

Speaker 3 (38:05):
But either you do know state, the states paid slaveholders
reparations too, and not slave not slaves. Slaveholder states pay that.
I'm just saying to the brothers or whatever he is.
They's saying that anyway.

Speaker 1 (38:16):
Absolutely, but we all see it for what it is. Correct,
This volleying back and forth between what is federal and
what is state at your convenience. So let's hear now
where they stand on who's responsible for women's reproductive health.
Certainly I'll go ahead and not bury the lead. It
ain't the woman herself. Let's hear the sound how about that.

Speaker 10 (38:37):
Here's in a Supreme Court rule that prosecutors can enforce
a anti abortion law dating to eighteen sixty four. It
is a complete ban on nearly all abortions. It can
only be performed to save the life of the mother.
There's no exemptions for rape incest. Trump appointed three Supreme
Court justices. He remade the court during his tenure, moved
it decisively to the right, and paved the way for

(38:59):
the Dobs decision in twenty twenty two that ended the
constitutional national right to an abortion and return the issue
allowed states to come up with their own laws, like
the one in Arizona.

Speaker 1 (39:09):
So this is where we are, folks. The two and
twenty four sitting Supreme Court in Arizona just gave way
toss back to a Civil rights era law that existed
on the books that basically prohibited any abortion except in
cases of the life of the mother. So which way

(39:32):
is it going to be? Is it states rights? Is
it a federal rights? Y'all please please understand that these
things are obviously being chosen at their convenience, which is
more important, which is less. But the argument is still fundamental,
which is who in the world gets to decide for
the majority of us what issues stand for the day.

(39:53):
We've had two presidents in the twentieth century so far
who were both elected sworn in without achieving the national
popular vote. Yeah, Arizona is now a swing state and
has been thrown back to before the Civil War was settled,
Before the Civil War was.

Speaker 3 (40:13):
Ended before Juneteenth for US, Before enslaved people in Texas
were notified of their freedom right June nineteenth, eighteen sixty five,
this law was on the books in eighteen sixty four.
They said, let's harken back to what we know. You
know what this is also called, y'all know it make
America great again. That's what they mean. Everything before nineteen fifty,
that's what they mean.

Speaker 1 (40:35):
If you follow, well, you are part of the press
and still are our resident press expert, media news expert.
How do people reconcile What's happened in Arizona with Trump's
decision and his appointments to the Supreme Court make it
makes sense?

Speaker 2 (40:51):
Yeah, So this is where I think from the judiciary
branch of government. I don't think that the left in
particular focuses as much because there are so many other
issues under attack. But this is precisely what happens. I
think during Donald Trump's reign in office, we focus a
lot on the Supreme Court. We don't focus as much
on the lower courts. During Donald Trump's reign in office,

(41:12):
he appointed over two hundred judges to lifetime appointments, predominantly
white men, and many of whom were completely inexperience for
the jobs. Some of these people had never even been
on the bench before they were attorneys. Right now we
have an actual handmaiden on the court, Amy Cony Barrett
was a literal handmaid. You can look it up and
google it if you don't believe me. But even when

(41:33):
you look at these folks, I mean, we all remember
what happened with the justice, the frat boy whose I
like beer Kavanaugh. When we saw his testimony, we could never,
would never. And then when you look at what they're
upholding at the federal level of government. So I think

(41:55):
it's a lot of consequences. And again, this is an
example of what you call my anority rule, Andrew. This
is a tiny amount of people enacting laws and policies
that run contrary to our interests. And I think the
question is what do we do about it? How do
we stop it? And a lot of this, unfortunately in
our lifetimes we may not see. But I think a
lot of this has to be reimagining the Supreme Court.

(42:19):
And people talked about expanding the Supreme Court, yes, but
also just reimagining democracy. That might be a good Evergreen
Andrew just reimagining a democracy that serves us.

Speaker 3 (42:29):
This is one thing I just want to say here
really quick. One key point is the very thing that
you started with on the state level, which was this
study of reparations, is the very thing that puts the
minority in position to rule forever. That is financing. They
have been able to pay their way to play at
every single level. It is by design. We talked about

(42:51):
Projects twenty twenty five. If y'all haven't watched that episode
or listen to that episode, run that thing back because
it has everything to do with what's happening now. Minority
rule through lifetime judicial appointments, Minority rule through being able
to buy your way into elected office at every single level.
Minority rule through burrowing into career but level positions on
the state, local, and federal level, government paid positions that

(43:15):
y'all's tax period dollars are paying for. That is how
the minority continues to rule through strategy, through money, and
by occupying all of those seats. That is how so
if we don't take that over through our act, our
Jesus activism is all I'm trying to get out of
my mouth. If we don't take it over, that way.
I don't know that we can outpace them from a

(43:36):
funding perspective. We fight to get our folks to see, hey,
this America first legal thing that Steven Miller is doing,
the stuff that Ed Bloom is doing, we need our
own version of that. Not to counter those attacks, but
to have some proactive attacks. We will not be able
to win on a lot of those cases because minority
rule has found itself into lifetime appointments in the judicial branch.

(43:58):
We have to start planning for these things in a
lot more strategic way, and it's very difficult to do
when all we're trying to do is live when we
interact with the police officer, and when all we're trying
to do is make sure that we can make ends meet,
when our wages aren't the same as everyone else. When
all we're trying to do is make sure that on
the other side of a rape situation or an incest

(44:18):
or or a mistake one bad night, people aren't stuck
with a lifetime of a decision. Because whatever anyway I'm down.

Speaker 1 (44:25):
The essentially I know you're going in there. It's one
of the reasons why I would love for us to
hear a listener question right after this break that hits
a little bit on those themes, except in a way
that I think you probably you probably wouldn't guess.

Speaker 11 (44:52):
A Native lampod. My name is Diallo. I'm based in Raleigh,
North Carolina. I'm twenty three years old. My question is,
is I feel like there's an elephant in the room,
especially being in the South, that even though a large
majority of black religious voters I subscribe to Christianity vote Democratic.
We also hold conservative and traditional values, but there seems

(45:16):
to be the Democratic Party not like a really planned
and robust way to reach the black religious voter. And
I think it can just be frustrating because anytime we
talk about faith, we're kind of lumped in with white evangelicalism,
even when it comes two different views. Even such things
as abortion. I think black people we have more of

(45:39):
a moderate view of abortion that is not necessarily aligning
with the Democratic Party and not necessarily aligning with the
Republican Party. So what do you guys think that we
can do to address this address these types of voters.
Have you guys seen this?

Speaker 1 (45:55):
I appreciate that Dayalla.

Speaker 2 (45:56):
What do you think Tim, I think he's saying a
lot of aoint making a very poignant point that is
often lost on both parties. And we've said this here
a lot. We are not a homogenous group of people.
We're not a homogeneous voting block. We have varying different
socioeconomic backgrounds that drive our interest here. I think it's
so unfortunate because where our commonality is, can we just live?

(46:18):
Can you stop shooting us? Can you allow us the
freedom to breathe and thrive and take care of our
children and pay our mortgage and all the things that
the rest of mostly white America gets to do. When
it comes to the conservative part of the black vote,
I think the media narrative has gotten a completely wrong,
suggesting that there's this drove of black men voting for

(46:38):
Donald Trump. I don't think that's true. I think there
are people who go to church every Sunday who probably
don't believe in gender some of the same loving gender
policies out there. I have a challenge with that. I
don't believe in that, and I don't support that kind
of discrimination. But certainly there are black folks who feel
that way. There's certainly a high pocket of black folks

(46:58):
who don't support marijuana legislation. I've seen a whole lot
of preachers in the pulpit talk about you know why
you want to support a law at a dulo mind
and make you think things. I think these things are
out of step with society, and I think that they
are out of step with the way most of America goes.
But there are people in my own family feel some
of these things. So I'm happy to get the question

(47:22):
because I think it shows that there is a wide
swath of people. The Democratic Party has to be a
big tent of folks and punctuates the point that we
have to have more than a two party system. I
would hope that this man can continue to vote in
the interests of the greater good. That's where we as
black folks, don't have the privilege to say I like
this person they speak directly to me. We have to

(47:43):
always think community. I might not agree with every single
thing this person says, but in the interests of my community,
I'm going to vote in this particular party or for
this particular candidate.

Speaker 1 (47:53):
That's real. That's real and really, ladies, in the spirit
of community. We all know and have been acknowledging this
past week Black Maternal Health Week, our mothers. We've got
to care for our mamas and those who are aspiring
in that way. And we all know the numbers are
staggering when it comes to infant mortality, Black infant mortality, mortality,

(48:16):
and Black maternal health. Angel I know this is an
issue that's also very very close to you. Building upon
this theme of us caring after all of those in
our community, what would be the charge as we close
out this acknowledgment, this recognition of Black maternal health and
infant mortality.

Speaker 3 (48:35):
So yeah, I think the most important thing is that
people understand the disparities that exist. Oftentimes, when folks are
fighting the ghost of racism that they think does not exist,
they fail to take data into consideration. So if Black
women are dying in childbirth three times at a rate
three times higher than white women, I think that speaks volumes.
I know we have a clip from doctor Cleopatra Campervine

(48:59):
who speaks about the prejudice brain and why it's so
important to care about black maternal health.

Speaker 12 (49:06):
My brain is prejudiced, and your brain is prejudice, and
this prejudice accounts for the up to eighty percent of
maternal deaths that are preventable I'm doctor Cleopatra fertility scientists,
and I want to show you how our brains use
mental shortcuts called schemas to quickly process information. This allowed

(49:27):
our ancestors to survive, but today it divides us into
us versus them, and when they become less human in
the eyes of us, it leads directly to the tragedy
of lives lost, of mothers who could have been saved,
mothers like my own mother, who I lost at birth.
I know it's tough to hear, and I promise you

(49:48):
it's even tougher to live. That's why we need urgent
systems in place that actively counter the human brain's natural
tendency toward prejudice and bias. Our color me mommy toolkit,
the mom Nebus built. These are not just initiatives, they
are actual lifelines.

Speaker 3 (50:08):
She raises some really good points, and I know we
also have a question on this issue.

Speaker 13 (50:13):
Hey, hello Native Land Pod. My name's Olivia Attlee. I'm
from glambas, Ohio. I'm a full spectrum doula and a
mama of two. My question for you all is, as
we know, the awful state of maternal and infant mortality
in our country, especially as it pertains to black and
brown individuals. I'm wanting to know y'all's opinion and advice

(50:37):
on how we keep the very important agenda in front
of our legislators to improve these rates in a way
that is fresh and relevant so that they won't forget
it and they won't think that it's no longer a
problem or an issue.

Speaker 3 (50:54):
Just wanting some.

Speaker 13 (50:55):
More advice on how we continue to push this agenda
full what else can and should we be doing.

Speaker 3 (51:02):
Thank you, you know, I think about the work that
Kamala was engaging in as a senator, and now many
others continue that work, including Congresswoman Lauren Underwood and so
many other black women. Shout out to the CBC women.
There's a Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act that works to

(51:22):
create conditions conducive to safe birthing experiences. A lot of
times when black women are talking about any pain they're experiencing,
they're not believed, and that is how many of these
deaths occur. Just simple belief. If someone is telling you
they're in pain or something doesn't feel right. This woman
has lived in her body her whole life. You should
probably listen to her. So this bill as well as

(51:45):
many others, works to protect Black women and their birthing
experiences shouldn't be traumatic. It should be the most joyful
time of their lives. I know, I'm working to become
a mom. The fertility journey's been a brutal one for me.
And I'll tell you the truth. I'm like, okay, after
we can get an embryo made and it implants, and
I just hope that I can have a safe birth.

(52:06):
A dear friend of ours, Stephanie Young, recently gave birth
to a beautiful baby. And even hearing about some of
Steph's complications, you know, you hit forty and the things
just it gets really challenging. Thank god she has a
healthy baby. Thank god she's healthy. But all along the
journey there are different things. They just hit us differently.
So we need to be made aware and shout out

(52:27):
to all of the folks who work so diligently to
create Black Maternal Health Week.

Speaker 1 (52:31):
Yeah, and you know, even not dealing with you know,
pregnancies in advanced age or what is considered more advanced
higher risk age, you have the issues of women who
report pain while still in the hospital or immediately after release.
And you have doctors who chalk it up to, Oh,
she just wants to prescribe to a painkiller, you know,

(52:53):
you know, take some toallet On, It'll be okay. And
days later if that the woman perishes and nobody has
as inexplicable reason as to why have had it happened
to classmates, to friends, to others, kids who have been
orphaned while their mothers lay, you know, practically on the
delivery table. So the our need to give voice to

(53:14):
this is important and I appreciate you lifting this up.
As we close out Black Maternal Health Week. This out
of be a topic that's three sixty five, So y'all
keep the conversation going and speaking of women and their value.
I don't want to be out of tune by making
this connection. But when we talk about what is being

(53:37):
paid offered women for their work, it doesn't just happen
in corporate places. It's not just happening in chains. It's
happening in some of the most high profile environments that
you and I know, the w n B A let's
hear from w NBA star Kelsey Plumb, who explains how
the NBA and the w NBA players are paid so differentferently,

(54:00):
you know.

Speaker 14 (54:01):
We talk about the CBA, right, so the collected and
Bargaining agreement, and in the NBA they have percentages of
revenue shared for the players, right, So Jersey sales obviously
their TV contracts, you see these every year, these contracts
get bigger and bigger and bigger, right, yeah, massive, But
that's because their CBA negotiates where the you know, if

(54:21):
the owners are making certain types of money, they get
that as well. In the WNBA that's not the case.
So in twenty twenty five, that's our new you know,
opportunity to renegotiate or opt out. So there are definitely
future opportunities coming. But I will say that it's one
of those things that we are not asking to get
paid what the men get paid. We're asking to get

(54:42):
paid the same percentage of revenue shared.

Speaker 2 (54:44):
Okay, you know what I'm saying. So that's a huge misconception.
That's a huge missiness for.

Speaker 8 (54:48):
Sure, because every video is like, oh, this person can
pay this this.

Speaker 1 (54:51):
Yeah.

Speaker 14 (54:51):
So I want to be really clear about that, Like
I don't think I should get paid the same as
Lebron right, but the percentage of revenue like for example,
they sell my jersey in Midla BA. I don't get
a dime, you don't.

Speaker 1 (54:59):
Get need money from Jersey sales shots.

Speaker 3 (55:02):
Yeah, this is this is one Tiff. I know you're
a resident sports expert, but I saw you know what.

Speaker 2 (55:09):
I'm a wait, thank you because you guys like a
couple of my toes when it comes to sports, and
you know that's my thing. So if I may have
the floor for a second, Kelsey plumb, I don't want
to outshine anybody, so I'll let Angela tell us who
she plays for. But she is an amazing w NBA star.
And I thought this was such a poignant point because
I get so tired of hearing the men talk about

(55:29):
you know, well they don't make as much money, or
not even just the men, but people make the point
that they don't make as much money as the men,
so why should they get paid. I love how she
broke this down. It is all about collective bargaining, the
collective bargaining agreement the CBA. This is a union issue.
They the w NBA has a players association, just like
the NBA does. Somebody who goes to the bargaining table

(55:50):
and set these contracts. As we know, Caitlin Clark at
no point in her contract will make six figures. Now,
her endorsements will carry her over. She'll be fine. But
that's one player, Angel Recent That's one player. There are
hundreds of players in the w NBA who will never
make that much money. I have to say too, even
though I completely support Kelsey Plump's point, the other challenge
I will make is to consumers viewers, women in particular,

(56:13):
I'm calling on you watch the w NBA. Get into it. I,
despite being a sports expert, don't always watch every single game.
And I've been into it. We Angel our group chat,
we are in it. We were watching the draft. We
were talking about what people were wearing, who was going
to what team. It was so exciting. Watching the playoffs
at the college level was so exciting for me. And

(56:35):
I have to say I think any made this point too.
I kind of feel like the women's sports arm of
this is a lot more interesting in the than the
w n b A. I look at the coaches on
the sideline watching Don Staley coach. I mean that is
watching magic. I'm getting so excited watching it. Women watch
the watch the sports more excited than the w n
b A. I just wanted to fix it. What did
I say? You said the w NBA, that's still women.

(56:57):
I just think, why get so excited we talk about
sports because I'm so passionate about this subject. So I
may have missed spoke, but really, if you if you
want to see these women make more money, one thing
you can do is watch the WNBA. And I personally
am looking for a team. And I said, wherever angel
Reese went to play will be my team. And she's
going to Chicago, so that might be my team. I'm

(57:18):
not fully committed yet, but that might be my team.
They tuned.

Speaker 3 (57:22):
I think they should draft you, Kiff.

Speaker 2 (57:24):
I honestly would love to do some sort of commentary,
color commentary, the tout, whatever I need to do. I
want to be a part of it. I would like
to be a part of it.

Speaker 3 (57:32):
Oh, she doesn't want to play, Andrew shit, I know, right.
Here's here's the one thing that I was going to say,
and it goes right to the heart of what Tiff
was saying around consumers. I know she hasn't a weed
as vegan shirt, but we're not quite at that consumption
piece yet. We're just talking about consuming the sport. What
I think we also need to understand is the importance
of ticket sales. People need to go to the games them.

(57:54):
Don't be like, oh, these salaries are such a shame.
But you know that you're buying Lamello sneak, but you
ain't never picked up a Stewey sneaker, Like what are
we even talking about? So I think that you got
to understand the role that we also play in this.
We go to the polls, we also got to go
to the courts and go to the courts for the girls.
To tips point, I was making the argument and the

(58:16):
numbers reflect the same. The Final four NCAA Final four
championship for the women outpace the men. So let's just
be very it really. Yeah, it's amazing more viewers because
it was a it was anyway, it was a way
more exciting game. And I also think that we have
to understand that that has to translate over to the
w NBA. I love the folks talking about salaries. It

(58:39):
is not an issue that we know, again that's exclusive
to the w NBA. We have pay disparities across the board,
but this is one where we could really run the
court on no pun intention to ensure that that.

Speaker 2 (58:52):
Can I ask the quick question? This is to Angela.
Are the Machetes our group chat? What game are we
going to? What game should we go to?

Speaker 3 (59:01):
Can I tell I'm biased because you know I don't
have my sonics anymore in Seattle. So Andrew, you're also invited.
You can be honorary Machete. We got some guys and
it's honorary Machete. The thing that I would say is,
I would love to go to the Seattle Storm. We
have a black coach, she is incredible. We have Uhka's
now on the team. We got Skylar on the team.
We lost Steuwie, but we have a we have a

(59:22):
good bench, and Sue Byrd of course is retired. But
I think this is going to be a like a.

Speaker 2 (59:27):
Premiere game though, like the season.

Speaker 1 (59:30):
If you're their friend, if you're there, it's.

Speaker 3 (59:33):
A premier Thank you and no sorry. Noel Quinn is
who I'm talking about. I love Noel. She is incredible.
Uh she's the coach of the Seattle Storm. So y'all
are always welcome to support my team. I'm trying to
get seasoned takes.

Speaker 2 (59:44):
I just want to go and I want to be
courtsied like the season opener, premiere game, and cheer on
the premier if you're there windows the season.

Speaker 1 (59:55):
But all the points are well well made in the comments.

Speaker 2 (01:00:00):
Tell me when the May start May fourteenth.

Speaker 3 (01:00:02):
I'm trying to.

Speaker 2 (01:00:04):
Yeah bad Andrews.

Speaker 1 (01:00:05):
Look, I just want to make sure we get it
all in. And speaking of getting it in, after this
commercial break, have a quick little highlight to celebrate the
one and only four twenty not FAU twenty.

Speaker 3 (01:00:21):
Note of this group needs help, We'll.

Speaker 1 (01:00:24):
Be right back. As we considered the state of play
on this four twenty, this approaching for twenty, I didn't
get the memo for, you know, broadcasting my position on this.

(01:00:45):
When I was running for governor, I was for full
recreational and medical legalization thumbs up. But my friend over here, Tiff,
came fully prepared. But before all right, toss it over
to you, Tip, and you just want to acknowledge that
and the time the ways we have come, if you will.

(01:01:07):
I threw a map up on the screen here which
just shows that the overwhelming majority of states have already
legalized some form of medicinal use of marijuana. And for
those who get it confused and think you gotta clutch
your pearls. When we mentioned this, I got a couple
of aunties and uncles and stuff who are on the
gummies that help them sleep and rest. So don't judge

(01:01:28):
too quickly because we don't know what's in your medicine
box yet. Then they're right outstanding. Part of this is
not necessarily the medical or the recreational catching up, but
really the federal government catching up with states with states
and what they are already doing to reduce the stigma

(01:01:49):
around medical marijuana. Now, Tiff, I think your shirt applies
whether we're talking about medicinally or recreationally. But tell us
where do you stay?

Speaker 2 (01:02:02):
Well, this may shock you, but I am pro legalization
of marijuana. Listen on Saturday exactly if you're watching this
on this Saturday, happy for twenty to you. Saturday is
the day that weed smokers unite, I would say, in
one big puff puff pass communion. But before you celebrate
that sticky ichy, I think it's important that you know,

(01:02:22):
take a climback to win. And we were alive during
this time that these Mary Jane exchanges were confined to
street corners, or you had your your dude so to speak,
on speed dial. But now just as the Andrew pointed
out that most of the country has legalized the drug.
It's a multi billion dollar industry. So while some of

(01:02:42):
us are certainly enjoying one kind of green, there's a
whole other group of people pocketing another kind of green.
And what's worse is marijuana laws still devastated communities. They
still put are ensnared a bunch of black people into
a very unforgiving criminal justic system, which we talked about
on this show. According to the a c o U,
marijuana arrests wants accounted for over half the drug arrest

(01:03:05):
in this country. So think about that. And while people
are still building wealth, there are people who are still
in jail today because of laws having to do with marijuana.
So if you want to sell we legally today, which
I think is a really big issue in the black community.
Shout out to Andre Iguadala, Out Harrington and other people
out there who are trying to get into the dispensary game.

(01:03:26):
But you need a license to sell. That can cost
you up to one hundred and twenty thousand dollars if
not more. Now go in legal fees, insurance, rental fees,
marketing taxes, and your costs can literally balloon into the
millions of dollars. And with the wealth gap, I don't
have to tell you guys about that, Black folks are
far less likely to get loans to support this kind
of business. So in some regards we are left out

(01:03:47):
of the rotation. There are some programs intending to address this,
but they have a long way to go. So, as
you're doing your puff puff pass, however you're celebrating four
to twenty, before you roll up those backwoods, just put
a lot more thought and energy out. Invite you into
the kind of green you can pocket, not just the
kind of green you can inhale.

Speaker 1 (01:04:08):
All right, co hosts, we're at the point of our
calls to actions. What what's the altar call this week?

Speaker 2 (01:04:16):
I like the altar call call.

Speaker 1 (01:04:18):
I didn't want to be sacriligious, so.

Speaker 2 (01:04:22):
Can we say and not everybody goes to church. We
have plenty of people who listen who don't go to church.

Speaker 1 (01:04:28):
The altar of the pod, but I'm safe. What you got, Angela?
What you thinking this week? First?

Speaker 3 (01:04:35):
You know, I like where Tiff was in this section.
We talked about supporting women's sports. So join us as
we all go to a season opener. I think this
is a good challenge. Tif hopefully we all can get
to Seattle on May fourteenth. If not, find one in
your hometown or near a hometown, go support these incredible

(01:04:56):
women hooping, like running circles around some of these dudes
out here. So that is gonna be my call to action.
Support the w n B. A don't just post about it,
don't just complain about it. Go buy a ticket about it.

Speaker 2 (01:05:08):
I love that, and tell us in the comments, which team,
which opener we should go to, what team we should
be supporting. I'm curious to hear from you guys as
I navigate my journey into the w n B action. No,
I was just echoing my assister Angela, because we need
input from the group at large to see where we're

(01:05:28):
gonna which game we're gonna go to. My qual action
is I know you are, but I mean for our
whole group to go together. I'm down to go to Seattle,
but I want to see where everybody else has said.
My call to action this week it's a very niche
so I apologize for the people this doesn't apply to.
It's a call to action and a shout out. I
want We've shouted out to Nicole Hannah Jones a few
times on this episode, but I want to shout her

(01:05:50):
out again. I attended an event that she did last
night at Howard University with her journalism students. There were
probably two three hundred people there, and her students love
her like everyone in the I think the Comms apartment
who are learning from her. And it made me think,
because I get so much outreach from students when I
meet people when I'm out. I just did an event

(01:06:10):
at the gathering spot shout out to the gathering spot
by the way where I broadcast from. I did an
event at the gathering Spot in Atlanta, and so many
people will come up to me and say, I want
to do what you do. I want to be a journalist.
And when I start asking those questions, what papers do
you read every day? What niche are you interested in?
Who are some of your favorite bylines? They can't answer.
So my heart was full last night watching these students

(01:06:32):
really study the craft, really understand what it is to
be a journalist, understanding she's teaching them about sourcing, about
fact finding, about reporting. I think some people conflate that
a lot of you guys out there who ask me
what you know that you want to do?

Speaker 7 (01:06:45):
What I do?

Speaker 2 (01:06:45):
You think it's about going on TV giving your opinion,
and that's not it. I don't care about your opinion.
Maybe some people do, but mostly I don't care. Why
if you haven't Angelo worked on Capitol Hill. It was
a strategist, Andrew was a politician. Like, these were jobs
and careers that that people have, and so you know
you have to kind of earn that place to give
your opinion. Journalism is reporting, it's fact finding, it's news gathering.

(01:07:09):
So if that is a career that you want to pursue,
young people, I beg you take it seriously. Get into
a great JA school, learn how to do it as
an art to sharing information, to fact finding to a
fact checking learn it, understand it, study it, take it seriously,
and then enter the profession and honor it as it

(01:07:30):
should be because it has such credo in the black
community about bearing witness and coming back and reporting what
you've uncovered.

Speaker 1 (01:07:36):
I feel that you remind me of like one of
my PD professional development teachers who would always just call
us a higher service, higher delivery. If you want to
do this, there's some things you got to get in
place before you get there. Yeah, I feel that. I
often share that when I'm talking to folks about running
for office. Look, what do you care about, what motivates you,
what gives you that you know, fire and the abillity

(01:07:58):
to go get it done well? My CTA, y'all one
join me in finding a constructive way to celebrate four twenty.
It will be my first time trying to do that
in real form. And then I want to reiterate a
CTA that was I think issued last week or the
week before. I would love, love, love to keep hearing
from you all about the kinds of ads you want

(01:08:20):
to hear in the political season. I think it's just
so Angela Rift real strong on, I thought was an
ideal ad from someone putting you know, their circumstance centerfold
and then letting that power through commercial speak for themselves.
Put at the epicenter of the issue of I don't know,

(01:08:44):
black inclusion, the folks who have been left out. I
gave the example of my kids who never had a
black teacher, and so it mattered to see a black
person in the front of the classroom. I just saw
the cast of a different world getting their roses while
they're here. If I could tell them myself, I would
say they are the reason I went to college. I
tried to go to Hillman, but I didn't know it
was fake. I learned that in the process of sending

(01:09:07):
my SAT scores out and I couldn't find the code
for heal Men, so it didn't go to Hillman. But
whatever that might be, that thing that brings you in,
that reels you in, that story that you hear that says, man,
they are walking down my street, keep sharing those with
us because you don't know who we know. It might
end up in an ad somewhere. You may end up

(01:09:29):
in an add somewhere. So keep giving us those ideas
that you think might be good to move, motivate and
inspire you to get to the polls. And before we
wrap this episode, y'all, we can't leave without asking.

Speaker 3 (01:09:39):
You to.

Speaker 1 (01:09:41):
Leave a review. Subscribe to Native Land Pod. The more
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As you probably know by now, every Thursday, you can

(01:10:02):
also follow us on social media. We are Angela Ride,
Tiffany Cross and Andrew Gillum Welcome home, y'all. There are approximately,
if not exactly, two hundred days until election day.

Speaker 3 (01:10:15):
Glori Hell Welcome home y'all.

Speaker 1 (01:10:26):
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