Our Voices, Our Vote Town Hall, Obama Rallies Virginia Voters, Shutdown Day 34, Partial SNAP Relief

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:11):
Today's Monday, November third, twenty twenty five, coming up on
Roland Market on Unfilchter, the streaming live of the Black
Star Network. We're here at New Light Baptist Church in
Virginia Beach, Virginia. This is election Eve. Huge election is
taking place tomorrow, taking place tomorrow here in Virginia, but
also all across the country. Tonight, we'll be chatting with
a number of candidates, also hearing from pastors and other

(00:34):
activists about how critically important this election is. We'll also
be talking to some one about the election in California
regarding Top fifty, which will be about balancing the whole
jair mannering fight Republicans launching when they stole five seats
in Texas. We'll also share with you some of the
round of this weekend with the former president Barack Obama, abigail'

(00:56):
Spandberger who's running for governors Will it's Jay Jones, frend
of Attorney General of the candidates. It took place Saturday
here in Virginia. Lots to talk about. It's time to
bring the phone. I'm rolling Mark on the Blackstud Network
lot in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Let's go.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
He's got whatever the best, He's on it.

Speaker 3 (01:14):
Whatever it is.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
He's got school, the fact, the fine and wa believes
he's right on time and it's Roman best believe he's going.
I'm from Loston news to politics with entertainment.

Speaker 3 (01:28):
Just bookcase.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
He's going.

Speaker 4 (01:32):
It's rowing up, it's.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
Rolling Monte, Yeah, rolling.

Speaker 3 (01:46):
He's bok.

Speaker 5 (01:46):
He sprest she's real good question, No, he's rolling Monte.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
Folks. But here at New Light Baptist Church in Virginia, Virginia,
this of course is a crucial election taking place in
this state, but also a lot of races happening all
across the country. Tonight will be chatting with cannons who
are running for office, also talking with folks who have
been really out here working the ground to try to

(02:26):
get as many people out as possible. What is at
stake here in Virginia. Democrats control the Virginia Senate. They're
trying to maintain control of the Virginia House. If so
Don Scott remains as the first black Speaker of the
House of Virginia, and if they win, the governess mansion
with Abigail Spanberger running against Virginiant governor wins. Some seers
they will then have the trifecta. Of course, there are

(02:48):
more Republican states in the country where they control both
chained legislature plus the governess mansion, and so Democrats that's
their focus in this state to really be able to
move forward a lot of legislations that has been frankly
vetoed and kill by Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin. And so
that's what we're looking at in this state. But also
you have goubiatorial races in New Jersey. You also have

(03:11):
of course Supreme Court retention races taking place in Pennsylvania,
may race in Seattle, you have constitutional amendments on the
ballot in Texas, you have the Public Service Commission races
taking place in Georgia, and so there are all sorts
of elections. Plus in Philadelphia you got a DA's race
with Larry Krashner and on and on and on, and
so do understand this election considered it an off year.

(03:33):
Next year is the midterm elections, does not get as
much attention, but these races are just as important. Also,
keep in mind you've got a mayor race happening in
Detroit as well, and so lots of things that are
going will be covering a lot of that, plus the
Prop fifty referendum that's going to the ballot in California.
We're going to have a guest talking about that as well.
But first stuff, I want to talk about what's happening

(03:55):
here in Virginia. We're start off with our panel here.
We've got three folks the cloth joining us right now.
We have, first of all, we have a pastor of
Veronica Coleman. How you doing good evening? All right? Y'all clap, y'all,
go ahead, claps all the got pastor Colin, how you
doing all right?

Speaker 6 (04:16):
Then?

Speaker 1 (04:18):
Eric is a ma jet Eric, how you doing all right?
Good past I'll start with you, give you a sense
of what you have been hearing from in conversations with congregation,
also folks in this community about this election. What have
they been talking about, what do they care about? What

(04:38):
have they been saying?

Speaker 7 (04:40):
Well, one of the things that we I'm hearing is
that there's a sense of urgency down people of the
climate that we're living in there. There's a lot of
fear out there, a lot of unknown a lot of
uncertainties with all the changes, particularly with this upcoming election.
And one of the things that I'm hearing a lot
about is what's next, What's going to happen to me?

(05:00):
How I'm gonna live if the you know, the Medicaid
and the snap programs and all those things that are
there in jeopardy.

Speaker 1 (05:07):
What do we do as a church to be able to.

Speaker 7 (05:10):
Move forward regardless of the situation of what happened. So
there's a lot of even the younger folks are coming
to me in our ministry and I send us, hey,
what's happening with the economy, what's going on? It's all
about the government shutting down. So there's a lot of
uncertainties within the local ministries and within our congregations that
looking for answers. They're looking for real answer. And I

(05:32):
would say this, I said this Sunday. People are hurting
for real.

Speaker 1 (05:38):
This is not a joke, you know.

Speaker 7 (05:40):
And it's so critical that we vote and we do
what we can do because your vote is your voice
and your voice is your power. And we have to
make sure that we do our part as a community
and come together.

Speaker 1 (05:51):
And it's also time for the local church to step
up as well to be the church.

Speaker 7 (05:56):
So those are some of the things that I'm hearing
in our in my congregation, even outside of my congregation,
everywhere I go, they're talking about it. You know, what's
going to happen, the election, the importance of it, and
what we're going to do next after this particular election
is over.

Speaker 1 (06:12):
After tomorrow.

Speaker 8 (06:14):
One of the things that's very important in this area
in Virginia Beach definitely is.

Speaker 1 (06:19):
This vote on ten to one.

Speaker 8 (06:21):
So in Virginia Beach, one of the main issues that's
facing is representation of your district for vote. So when
we come to the polls on tomorrow, we got to
make sure we vote yes on ten to one.

Speaker 1 (06:32):
So that we.

Speaker 8 (06:35):
Our voice represented in our community. Another thing that's a
big issue with all of the cuts, as with SNAP
and also in healthcare on one of the issues is
how are the families going to be able to survive?
And then also how am I going to make sure
that healthcare is provided for each one of my family members.
I work in the hospital system, so one of the

(06:57):
things I've noticed is the number of people people going
into the hospital, and the number is rising, but you
still don't have the capacity to sustain the numbers that
are coming in. And finally, in Virginia Beach, it costs
too much to live here. Amen, we need some affordable housing.
Talk to me somebody very important.

Speaker 1 (07:19):
Well, first of all, well you talk about First of all,
when you talk about ten to one, listen, just be
real clear. We're talking about the Jerry Mander battle that
started with the racist maps in Texas. Donald Trump told
Governor Greg Abbott that he wanted to take out Congress
from a Jasmine Crockett and others, and he said, get
me five seats or Texas kicked it off a mid
decade redistrict team. Then, of course California said, fine, you

(07:40):
do that, We're going to respond. That's why they have
Prop fifty taking place tomorrow in California because they have
to go to the voters to actually change that. The
same thing happening here in Virginia. And so we talk
about ten to one that has redrawn the Lions to
have ten Democratic members of the House and one Republican. Then,
of course we've seen Jerry Manning take place in Ohio.

(08:02):
We see what's happening right now where they're trying to
do it in Indiana. In Missouri, they of course took
away the seat of Congressman E Manual Cleaver. There and
so we're seeing this take place place all across the country,
and frankly, blue states are responding by saying, hey, we
have to change our maps in accordance with this to
fight power with power. And so the question is will

(08:24):
Maryland do it? The leader there said they were not
going to change their maps. Illinois is also battling that
as well, and so while that is going on, that's representation.
Obviously on the congressional level. We're talking about tomorrow, Pastor Coleman,
is what happening here on the state level. You've got
these state wide races, of course, the governor, lieutenant governor,

(08:46):
you've got the attorney general, all those critically important races.
Then of course down ballad you've got state rep races,
which you've got state's attorneys, you've got what your das,
you've got sheriffs. And so I'm always trying explain the
people we have to be thinking top to bottom, bottom
to top, and not just only focus on the races

(09:06):
that get the most attention.

Speaker 9 (09:07):
Definitely, Yeah, I think that's so important that people remember,
and that's the thing that we try to tell our
congregants is that you've got to vote, first of all,
in every election, that every election is important, but not
just the presidential election. But you've got to realize that
the people who are making decisions about your everyday life
are the people who are voting on for these local elections,

(09:29):
people who are making decisions about education funding, making decisions
about the districts, making decisions.

Speaker 1 (09:36):
About health care.

Speaker 9 (09:37):
All of those people are people who are at the
state and local level. And it's so important that we
teach everyone you have every election is important and not
just the presidential election.

Speaker 1 (09:48):
When we talk about again the issues, it's very interesting
to me that folks are very quick to complain, very
quick to say what they want, but not understanding how
these things are all connected and so how are you
walking folks through that. I've said that we've got to
have a return of the citizen citizen education training. We

(10:12):
got to be able to explain to people this is
city hall one on one, county government, one on one,
school board, one on one, state government, one on one.
Because somebody can be complaining to a state rep about
an issue that's actually a county issue. You can be
complaining to a county official about what's the state was
a city issue, and complaining to Memberal Congress is about

(10:32):
a school district issue.

Speaker 10 (10:33):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (10:33):
And so do you see that happening? Is that education
happening here in Virginia Beach?

Speaker 6 (10:38):
Uh?

Speaker 1 (10:39):
And if not, should that be happening even once the
election is always so people know that because tomorrow I
always say tomorrow is the end of one process. The
beginning of another election is over tomorrow. Then on Wednesday,
it's okay. Now, making sure the folks do what they
said they were going to do with our person wins
or loses.

Speaker 7 (10:59):
I want to step in one quickly kind of say
something here, thank you, sir. Is that the Virginia Beach
in WACP. You probably know, we did quite a few
town hall meetings to educate people about the ten to
one system and why it was important. A lot of
folks don't even know what's really happening in Virginia Beach
where they're trying to take us backwards and not move forward.

(11:21):
But we refused to go backwards. You know, the ten
one system gave us the most diverse city council in
the history of the city of Virginia Beach. And the
good old boys with the money and all the other
stuff and the businesses is trying to hold on to something.
Even after the community they did a survey that they
paid for and the survey came back that most of

(11:44):
the people wanted the ten to one system.

Speaker 1 (11:46):
And you didn't even believe the own survey that you
paid for.

Speaker 7 (11:50):
What about the voices of the people they said, we
want ten to one with this and we've been fighting
that for I don't know how long. But one of
the things that's happening they don't see it happening that
even with my own kids, I've been educating them, they're.

Speaker 1 (12:05):
Thirty to thirty one years old.

Speaker 7 (12:07):
Why is it important about the ten one? What's happening
with ten to one? Why is it important, you know,
to vote? A lot of the young folks are saying, hey,
my vote don't count. But their voice is powerful and
they don't even know that. So we have to continue
to educate them about the power of voting and why
we're doing what we're doing. I tell people all the time,
if you don't vote, don't Complain's.

Speaker 1 (12:28):
Right, And Roland I would like to.

Speaker 8 (12:34):
Roland, I would like to say, like you just said,
the voting process really is just the beginning. It's still
holding the elected officials feet to the fire and making
sure that they're following up on the promises that they.

Speaker 1 (12:46):
Gave to the community.

Speaker 8 (12:48):
But that also brings about the church being a part
of the civic engagement. You got to go to city
council meeting, you got to go to the meetings at
the state just to make sure that your representation of
your voice is heard not just on voting day, but
on a compelling way by showing up and being president.
Because I've noticed that when it's a big issue and

(13:10):
it's just with the city council of Virginia Beach, when
everyone shows up, guess what that whole council sways.

Speaker 3 (13:17):
It changes.

Speaker 8 (13:18):
But if you've got an issue and it's only a
few people that are showing up, you'll sweep it right
up under the rug.

Speaker 1 (13:25):
And that's why Ira was that point because what I'm
look I covered city government in the Fort Worth Coverent
County government in Austin, Texas, in Dallas, in the Houston,
same thing in Chicago. And unfortunately, what happens is many
of us respond on the defensive. So something happens, then
all of a sudden, mass protests we show up not

(13:47):
realizing that that council meeting is happening consistently, and we've
got to be there to put pressure on them, and
that has to happen. Unfortunately, we are not that focus
always on being at those committee hearings where stuff is
actually getting done.

Speaker 9 (14:07):
And it's so important that we take the charge in
helping people to learn how to engage. One of the
reasons why people don't do it is that they don't
know how to do it, and it's so important that
the church takes that as part of their responsibility. And
of course we teach people that your voice, your vote
is your voice, and if you don't vote, that means
somebody else is speaking for you, somebody else is making

(14:30):
the decision, somebody else is deciding what's going to happen,
and so you've got to vote so that you can
have so that you can continue to have a voice,
and then continue to be engaged in the process. And
one of the things that I try to connect people
with is that God wants us to be good stewards,
and a part of being a good steward is caring
about our communities, caring about our neighbors. We're supposed to

(14:52):
love God and love our neighbor. But part of loving
your neighbor is making sure your neighbor has what they need,
making sure that we connect the issue with our issues
with education and food, insecurity and all of those things.
Voting the right way means that I'm doing what's necessary
for my neighbor to have what they need.

Speaker 1 (15:13):
You mentioned housing it pastors. You mentioned housing earlier, and
affordability is a is a major major issue. And again,
elected folks play a role in that, especially when you
talk about giving tax breaks to developers and folks along
those lines. And so, how do you see rallying people

(15:33):
to really pushcted officials on the issue of affordability here in.

Speaker 8 (15:38):
I think one of the big issues is is making
sure that people understand what that issue will. Affordability really is.
Thirty percent of everyone's income, those that live in Virginia Beach,
and that's from ages eighteen up to at least sixty,
they're spending thirty percent of their income on rent on mortgage,

(16:00):
seventy percentage of what they're trying to live off of,
and some can't make it off of that because of
all the rising prices. So when we talk about elected
officials being on board making sure that the tax credits
are given to the community that needs it, because one
of the major issues is the tax credits are there,
but they never end up in our community. So the

(16:23):
key is is making sure that we use the lands
that we have for affordable housing, and making sure you
have a partnership with government and with the community and
with a developer, and making sure it's a win win
and not just we come, we build, and we take
the money out of your community. So that's one of
the major keys that I think is very important, and

(16:44):
it's been a big hot button issue for me since
I've been here in Virginia Beach because you can see
the issue of people not being able to find affordable living.
Some people go to the hospital just to get a
room to stay for the night, just to stay for
the night.

Speaker 1 (17:01):
Go ahead. I wouldn't just say something.

Speaker 7 (17:03):
I'm in the real estate business as well, and I
do real estate all over Hampton Roads and beyond, and
when it comes to Virginia Beach, I mean, the housing
prices are so different, so much higher than most of
the other communities like Southfolk and.

Speaker 1 (17:18):
Importsmouth in some of the other areas.

Speaker 7 (17:21):
And what we found is this is that we have
to educate our potential homeowners right, give them resources, to
give them education or what they really can afford, because
everybody want to live at the beach, but the beach costs.

Speaker 1 (17:36):
We'll talk. I had to tell a.

Speaker 7 (17:38):
Young one, young lady, she was doing well, she was
making great money.

Speaker 1 (17:41):
I said, but you ain't got beach money.

Speaker 7 (17:45):
But we can get you to beach money right and
get you our praise is just as nice, but you
won't be able to.

Speaker 1 (17:50):
Be at the ocean front.

Speaker 7 (17:52):
So it's so important now that that we're not just
on to educate people about home ownership, and Virginia Beach
definitely need more affordable And I know what's really happening
behind the scenes because we edit every single day on
the real estate side of this, is that what's happening
now is that it's so important that you have the landowner,
the investor, the developer, and the builder, all of them

(18:16):
need to come together so that we can start building
more housing in the city of Virginia Beach where people
can afford to live in this particular city. And I
think some of it is intentional. They don't want certain people. Yeah,
come on, let's get real. It's real talk and if
they don't want certain people in certain communities.

Speaker 1 (18:36):
Yeah, and I want to speak to that.

Speaker 8 (18:39):
What you just said, the twenty forty Comprehensive Study for
Virginia Beach is in place right now, and sitting at
that table, that's exactly what was said. Where are we
going to put the affordable housing? Because we really don't
want affordable housing. But I can say now that some
of the government has shifted to say, we do need

(18:59):
to make sure that opportunity is there. And I want
to celebrate our Democratic representatives destination in the state right
now because they got a bill for churches and nonprofits
that have land that they would be able to use it.
It went to the governor's desk, but it didn't cross
the governor's desk. And that's why we need the right
governor in place so that we can make sure we

(19:22):
can utilize the resources that we have and to receive
the moneies so that we can build affordable housing.

Speaker 1 (19:30):
You want to wait on that, pastor, No, I'm good.
They covened it. They covened it, all, right, then, well,
we surely appreciate y'all weighing in. Where now, what I
want to do is over the weekend. On Saturday, of course,
there was a huge rally that took place in the
state with all the state WEDE office holders and former
President of Roack Obama, Jay Jones, who is running for

(19:52):
Attorney General, who has been catching a lot of heat
over text messages. Some say, you got some Democrats who
are abandoning him. Well, he actually spoke at the rally
and made his case as to why he should be
elected to the next Attorney General of Virginia. This is
what he had to say.

Speaker 11 (20:08):
You know, we've been all over this commonwealth in this campaign,
but it always feels good to be at home. Norfolk
and Hampton Roads has always been and will always be
my home, and I love each and every one of you.

(20:28):
My grandparents and parents started here fighting for civil rights,
believing in a brighter future for themselves, their parents, and
their grandchildren. And it's something that I believe into. It's
what motivated me to serve as an assistant Attorney General,

(20:49):
what motivated me to run for the House of Delegates
to represent this community in twenty seventeen to fight back
against the attacks of Donald Trump. And eight years ago
we had leaders in Virginia united and pushing back against
that excess in a chaos and overreach. But right now

(21:13):
we've got willing enablers of the president's agenda. Because when
Donald Trump legally fires workers, when he levies terrorists that
destroy our regional economies, including the port of Virginia right
over there, when he is cutting funding for education and

(21:34):
for law enforcement, other states have sued to protect their
values and their interests, and instead Jason Mirs lets him
do whatever he wants. Because when big corporations are jacking
up prices and making it hard for every single one
of us to live. Because when an abortion band that

(21:56):
Jason mis and Glenn Youngkin pushed that we stopped by
the way, every single time, Jason Mirs has been a
willing accomplished to what Donald Trump has been trying.

Speaker 12 (22:10):
To do, and that hurts Virginian's.

Speaker 11 (22:14):
Over fifty times Jason Mirs has had the chance to
sue the president this year to protect Virginia, and he's
not stepped up.

Speaker 12 (22:23):
And that comes at our expense.

Speaker 11 (22:26):
And I got something to say to that Virginia deserves better.
And there is a reason that Donald Trump has endorsed
Jason Mires in this campaign. He said Jason will never
let us down, and what that means is that he'll
never let Donald Trump down. But I'm running for Attorney

(22:47):
General to put Virginia first, to make sure that we
protect our pocketbooks, that we protect our healthcare access, that
we protect a woman's right to an abortion, that we
keep our community safe, get illegal guns off of the street,

(23:13):
protect our children. That is what we will do as
Attorney General. And folks, I gotta say, the stakes of
this race couldn't be higher and the contrast couldn't be
more clear, because we have an opportunity to chart a
better force here in Virginia to make sure that everyone
can achieve that brighter future that my parents and my

(23:35):
grandparents and that I at each and every one of
you continue to fight for every single day. This is
our moment, Virginia, and I know it starts right here
in Norfolk.

Speaker 12 (23:52):
So if you're ready to elect a.

Speaker 11 (23:54):
Governor, lieutenant governor, Attorney general, members of the House of Delegates,
and Democrats up and down.

Speaker 13 (23:59):
The ballot this year, you will make some noise because
the world is watching. They want to see what we're
gonna do, and we're gonna send a loud, resounding message.
Then we don't take Donald Trump here in Virginia, we
take it for us.

Speaker 12 (24:14):
It's our future. Let's go get it. Thank you and
God bless every single one of you.

Speaker 1 (24:32):
Each on election Eve in the state. We'll be right back.

Speaker 14 (24:46):
Election Night twenty twenty five, Black Votes Matter. Join Roland
Martin and an expert panel of guests for the realist
and blackest election night coverage in the nation, focused on
the issues that matter to you and our community and
Martin unfiltered Tuesday night, November fourth, starting at eight pm
Eastern for the latest updates and election results from critical

(25:06):
races around the country. Blackstar Network, the voice of Black America,
Black centered.

Speaker 15 (25:25):
Josh Cole became a pastor and delegate to serve his community.
That's why Josh is fighting to lower costs for families
hurting from inflation.

Speaker 3 (25:33):
And make sure we can all afford quality healthcare.

Speaker 15 (25:37):
But Sean Steinway has embraced his magabackers who support Trump's
mass firing of federal workers and the MAGA plan to
ban abortion with no exceptions. We deserve better than Shaan Steinway.

Speaker 1 (25:51):
I'm Josh Cole, candidate for delegate, and I sponsored this ad.

Speaker 7 (25:55):
I'm Russell Oyle honoree Lieutenant Gerald United States Sorrow retired
and you're watching rule Mart I'm feltic.

Speaker 1 (26:10):
All right, folks, welcome back to New Light Baptist Church
of Virginia Beach, Virginia. We're here, our voices, our votes,
partnering with the Virginia allegitlated Black Caucus, talking about again
how critically important this election is. And so, as I
said earlier, there's a lot of attention that's always focused
on the top of the ticket races that gets most

(26:31):
the attention, most of the money. But if you go
down ballot, and we always tell you all those things matter,
especially we talk about school board races, and so a
lot of people say that they care about education, they
said it's important. But guess what happens a lot of
these school board races. The turnout is extremely low because
folks simply don't vote in them, and then of course

(26:52):
they then complain about what's happening in the schools. Joining
me right now is doctor Alvida Green. She is running
for Virginia Beach school Board.

Speaker 10 (27:00):
How you doing good evening, And I am already an
elected official to the Virginia Beach school Board.

Speaker 1 (27:06):
Last year run, it's my year, always running So I
made the point there in terms of how often people
just overlook school boards, but then we complain about what's
happening with education. Uh, And so give folks a sense
of what you've accomplished on the board and why you
want why you should be elected to go back.

Speaker 10 (27:29):
Well, as everyone knows that public education is very much underattacked,
one of the most important roles of a school board
is policy making, and I have experienced this last year
here in Virginia Beach major changes to our policies that

(27:51):
will have significant impact on our students. Unfortunately, we are
with some of our boarders mirroring what's happening at the
national level. Back in the spring, there was a vote
to remove diversity equity inclusion from Virginia Beach Public schools.

Speaker 16 (28:12):
I voted to keep.

Speaker 10 (28:13):
Diversity, equity and inclusion because it's very important that we
maintain programs that support all of our students, especially our
marginalized groups of students. So, if people don't believe that
it is important to vote in all elections, look at
what your local school boards are dealing with during this

(28:37):
difficult time.

Speaker 1 (28:39):
Well, we saw this after the twenty twenty election, where
you had a number of monster liberty folks who ran
all across the country, especially in the South. And what
do they do. They took over with school boards. They
started firing black superintendents and others, started banning books, changing curriculum.
And then people said, oh my god, while this happening, Well,

(28:59):
because a lot of those places where you had majority
of African Americans, they did not vote of the way
they should have voted, and that's how folk were able
to take those boards over.

Speaker 10 (29:09):
And that is absolutely correct. And I think if people,
if our communities truly understand the important role of school boards.
Education is knowledge and one of the things that we
are seeing everywhere throughout the United States and here in
the Commonwealth as well, people are trying to block knowledge.

(29:32):
And when you start removing programs such as that support students,
funding is very important. Look what's happening now at the
Department of Education. They have dissolved several offices to the
point that at the local level, we are very much

(29:53):
concerned about funding. So I say all of that to
say that is extreme important that we work very closely
with our state delegates as well as our top of
the ticket candidates to ensure that they all are pro
public education because they will help save the funding. They

(30:16):
will ensure that our constituents and our students have what
they need to be academically successful. Regardless of who you are,
it's not about what you have, But we are trying
to make sure that every student is an independent citizen
and can take care of him or herself and they

(30:39):
will not have to rely on programs that we are
now seeing being eroded away because someone has decided that
those funds need to be diverted to other causes that
will not benefit our students in public education.

Speaker 1 (30:55):
But it's also not just education. Also comes down to money.
How large is the Virginia school Board budget.

Speaker 10 (31:01):
Our budget is extremely large, and we have a good
tax base that helps us fund a great education. I'm
gonna be biased and say we are a premier school
division with top ratings with many things, but we are
feeling the pain as well from Washington d C. And

(31:25):
so even the school divisions that have a budget where
we have a good tax base for funding our public education,
we're going to have some tough decisions to make as
we start our new budget process in January.

Speaker 1 (31:41):
Should the reason I raised the budget question again, we
don't think about this here. But when you talk about
school boards, you talk about contracts, you talk about who
are receiving those contracts. You're talking about food contracts, vendor contracts.
Also when you're start having bond elections, you're also talking
about money there. And so again people can't overlook the
reality that if you don't vote in the election, you

(32:03):
don't put the folks in place, then you won't be
able to have folks who understand how that money is
being dispersed, especially two black businesses.

Speaker 12 (32:11):
That is correct.

Speaker 10 (32:12):
And when you look at your voting power, look at
and see what platforms your candidates have on public education,
that is extremely important. Where do they stand on the issues,
Where do they stand on what funding public education? Where
do they stand on who receives contracts for vendors as

(32:35):
you just reference, and other staffing curriculum That is not just.

Speaker 1 (32:41):
A school board issue.

Speaker 10 (32:43):
That is an issue for the entire community as well
as for anyone who is running for office.

Speaker 1 (32:51):
If re elected, what do you want to get accomplished?
What are your top three priorities?

Speaker 10 (32:55):
One I would like to see first of all diversity
equity and include return to Virginia Beach public schools. The
second priority would be teacher pay, making sure that our
teachers receive a decent salary so that they can afford

(33:17):
to live in Virginia Beach, the city of Virginia Beach.
And my last priority, which is related to anything that
I do as a member of the school board, is
to ensure that every student knows that he or she
is valued and respected and will be academically successful and

(33:42):
leave Virginia Beach Public Schools prepared either to continue their
education or enter the workforce.

Speaker 1 (33:49):
All right, then, well dout the green. We appreciate you
joining us, Good luck on on you, let you day tomorrow.
Thank you, I appreciate it all right, before we go
to break, as I said Saturday, A relatok place in
Norfolk here is of the Incubatory of Canada for Democrats.
Abigail Spaandberger.

Speaker 4 (34:12):
Back in twenty fourteen, we were living on the West Coast,
stationed there with my job at CIA, after spending time overseas,
and we were getting ready to bid on our next post.
And with CIA, you can go anywhere in the world.
And so we said to our oldest daughter, we have
three beautiful, amazing daughters. And we said, we said to

(34:36):
our oldest daughter, who was in kindergarten at the time.
Where do you think we should go? We pulled out
a globe. We said, what do you think Kenya, England?

Speaker 3 (34:46):
Where should we go? We can go anywhere. Where should
we bid?

Speaker 4 (34:50):
And she said Virginia? And we said no, no, no no.

Speaker 17 (34:59):
With mommy's job, we.

Speaker 16 (35:01):
Can't go back to Virginia.

Speaker 4 (35:03):
And she said, well, why wouldn't we go to Virginia.
Everyone we love lives in Virginia, And so we decided
to pivot from a path of service to country to service.

Speaker 16 (35:19):
To community because she was right.

Speaker 18 (35:22):
Everyone we love lives in Virginia, and now.

Speaker 4 (35:35):
There are so many more people we love across Virginia.

Speaker 3 (35:40):
We came back home and we.

Speaker 4 (35:41):
Invested in the community that had made my husband and
I who we are. I volunteered with mom's demand action.
I started a Girl Scout troop. In twenty seventeen, I
decided to run for Congress, and I'll be honest, and

(36:09):
many of you were there back then.

Speaker 3 (36:11):
They told me it was a crazy endeavor.

Speaker 4 (36:14):
No Democrat had won the seventh district in fifty years,
and my predecessor had won his race by fifteen points
just two years prior. But I saw what Donald Trump
was doing with his executive power, and how he was
pitting neighbor against neighbor.

Speaker 1 (36:35):
And I.

Speaker 3 (36:37):
Saw my member of Congress.

Speaker 4 (36:39):
Over and over again vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act,
and I knew I had to do something. So spoiler,
I won, and then I went again and then again.

(37:08):
And while I was serving in Congress, I worked with
anybody and everybody to deliver results for the people of
my district. I worked to lower drug costs and the
price of insulin, to combat the fentanyl crisis, to support
our nation's veterans, and to finally and to finally get

(37:31):
more than fifty thousand Virginia public servants, retired teachers, firefighters,
police officers, and federal employees the Social Security benefits they
had been denied.

Speaker 1 (37:46):
All right, folks, Again, that was Abigo spain Berger. And
so we enter on the show, and just so folks know,
we heard from her campaign. We never heard from Winsome
Sears campaign to come on the show. So just let
you y'all know, just letting y'all know, all right, going
to go to break, we come back. Military voter is
going to be huge in the election. We'll talk about

(38:09):
that next Right here, Roland Martin Unfiltered on the blackstud
Network Live here in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Our Vote, our voices,
back at the moment.

Speaker 14 (38:26):
the issues that matter to you and our community. Watch
Roland Martin Unfiltered Tuesday night, November fourth, starting at eight
pm Eastern for the latest updates and election results from
critical races around the country. Blackstar Network, the voice of

(38:50):
Black America, Black centered.

Speaker 19 (39:04):
Nicole Cole knows the cornerstone of a successful life starts here.
Virginia Public Schools gave Nicole an excellent education. They helped
her become a small business owner, family, financial planner, mother,
and community leader. Now, after four years on the Spotsylvania
School Board, Nicole is running for delegate to meet the
needs of all students. As our delegate, Nicole will fully

(39:25):
fund our schools, raise teacher salaries, and help graduating students
stay in our communities.

Speaker 3 (39:31):
Nicole Cole for Delegate for us for our future in.

Speaker 20 (39:35):
The military, I gave orders, and they went a lot
further than they do around here. If there's one thing
I've learned as a mom and foster pan of more
kids than I can count, investing.

Speaker 6 (39:47):
In their future isn't a choice.

Speaker 20 (39:49):
En Richmond, I'll fight for Stafford's fair share for our schools,
smaller class sizes, better teacher pay, and more vocational training.
I'm Stacey Carrol, and I'll fight keep.

Speaker 21 (40:00):
Steinway said the quiet part out loud. Black votes are
a threat, so they erased them. After the Supreme Court
gutted the Voting Rights Act in twenty thirteen, Republican legislatures
moved fast new voter id laws, polling place shutdowns, purges
of black voters from the rolls. Trump's Justice Department didn't

(40:24):
stop it. They joined in. In twenty eighteen, his DOJ
backed Ohio's voter purge system, a scheme that disproportionately erased
Black voters. Their goal erase black votes and political power. Yeah,
that happened. These are the kinds of stories that we
cover every day on Roland Martin Unfiltered. Subscribe on YouTube

(40:45):
and download the Blackstar Network app. Support fact based independent
journalism that centers African Americans and the issues that matter
to our community.

Speaker 22 (41:04):
Melanie Campbell National Position on Black Civic Participation in Black
Women's round Table. And we are watching Rowland Rock unfiltered
all day, every day, twenty four to seven.

Speaker 16 (41:15):
Spread the word.

Speaker 1 (41:24):
at Virginia Beach. Glad to be here in this part
of the state. Military voters huge, huge block of voters,
and so the issues that they care about often put
at the forefront of many of these races. So let's
talk about it with the panel here on the far
left over there, Sean Montero, he is the chair of

(41:45):
the Democratic Party of Virginia Beach. We've got Susan Hippin,
who's the chair of the Military Caucus of Theart of
the party. And we have a retired sailor Ken Sutton.
Give it up for y'all. What have you been hearing
from candidates? Are they addressing the issues that matter to veterans?

(42:05):
What are you hearing?

Speaker 17 (42:07):
Yes, we are hearing it.

Speaker 23 (42:08):
One of the things that came up during the last
session was that we've got a program in Virginia called
VSM Debt and that allows students going to college of
one hundred disabled or surviving children to go to school
and not have to pay tuition. Well, what happened was

(42:28):
the governor said, oh, yeah, we want that program, but
he didn't fund it. See, your principles are based on
what you pay money for, and he did not. Virginia
has the fifth largest concentration of veterans in the nation,
and they want us here. They want to tax our retirement,
they want to tax whatever we can, but they don't

(42:49):
want to give back.

Speaker 17 (42:51):
And that was one of the things.

Speaker 23 (42:52):
Fortunately, some of the delegates here in the local area,
in Norfolk and in Virginia Beach went to back for
that and they got funding for it, but not the
funding that we need.

Speaker 1 (43:06):
Well, that sucks to say you want it that you
don't fund it. That's always awful, Ken, what about you.

Speaker 24 (43:15):
I would like to say that our Virginia dougates are
doing everything they can to help veterans. A couple of
them are veterans. I'm looking at one right there, Michael Fagin's.
But also it's just like my dad telling me, well, listen,

(43:35):
you can take the car out Saturday night.

Speaker 1 (43:37):
Ken, there's no gas in the car. Dad, I guess
you can't go out Saturday night unless you got some money.
Unless you got.

Speaker 24 (43:45):
Some money, but you speak with four tongue when you
say one thing, and don't put any money in my pocket.
And without money in my pocket, I can't work, I
can't eat. And for veterans, I've done some long stretches.
I've been shot at, you know, and we've paid our dues.

(44:08):
So how about treating us with a little bit more respect.
That's all I asked.

Speaker 1 (44:11):
That's a little more respect.

Speaker 24 (44:14):
And I want and even though this is a state
elections right now, I want the VA Veterans Administration, not Virginia.
I want the Veterans Administration to step up their games
so I don't have to wait five, six, seven, eight
weeks to get an appointment.

Speaker 1 (44:33):
Oh that's not that's well Trump to screwed that up,
So that's that. That ain't We won't even Okay, no,
that's but that's the issue. I mean, they've they've decimated
the Apartment of Veteran Affairs. Uh, they've laid off thousands
of people, and they want to fire more folks. Well,
the biggest thing about that is, but he loves the military. Yeah, yeah, right,

(44:58):
right right.

Speaker 24 (44:59):
My thing is is about the current president is that
he does not do anything he says he's gonna do.

Speaker 25 (45:07):
He lies about what he does do. He lied about
live he will lie about a lie.

Speaker 24 (45:18):
Well, the one thing that we know about the current
administration is is that they go ahead and attack their
weakest citizens, the military, the retirees, people who can't really
fight back. But when it comes to taking on the
people of moneyed interests or they're in bed with them,
give us that money. Send that money to the veterans administration.

(45:41):
Send it to the schools.

Speaker 1 (45:43):
Please. Well you got to. You got to give him
a gift of a gold crown for that to happen. Sean,
what should be after the election tomorrow? What should be
the agenda or the top issues for veterans with the
next legislative session.

Speaker 26 (46:01):
Well, first off, I like what they've done with the
tax cuts in terms of veterans get some preferential treatment
on the taxes, A portion of our taxbill income is.

Speaker 27 (46:16):
Not touched.

Speaker 26 (46:18):
And what they did is the group that's sitting here
right now expanded that to all veterans that retired, no
matter of whatever age, because it's smart business.

Speaker 27 (46:28):
Think about this.

Speaker 26 (46:29):
We have young people, we are getting out in their
early early to mid forties that have plenty of working
life behind them. They have children that in wives or
husbands and spouses and whatnot that can go ahead and
contribute to this economy, and they're keeping the flood of
people running out of here. The other thing I'd like

(46:50):
to just very quickly mention is we have at least
one member of a federal of a task force dealing
with the federal workforce. Michael Fagin's in the onslaught that's
been going on with Trump and his Doge team and
making sure because remember about thirty percent of that federal
workforces veterans like me. I am one of those people,

(47:13):
and I have lived under the threat of losing my
job that I work very hard at because I want
to continue to serve my country and doing that. Remember,
veterans do this at the detriment of their of what
their actual earning power is. Think about that. But we
do it because we believe in this country, We believe

(47:34):
in service and everything else like that. And having you
know that that option for us to go ahead and
be able to rely on, you know, support systems like
the federal task or workforce task force in other things,
just things that need to continue to happen going forward.

Speaker 1 (47:54):
One of the things that is interested in me. We've
talked about diversity, the EQUI inclusion. A lot of those
programs actually include vetts. So why have a lot of
it has been so quiet with the DEI attacks when
the programs actually include them.

Speaker 23 (48:13):
I think I think a lot of veterans are still
gun shy to speak out because when you're in the military,
you you.

Speaker 17 (48:24):
You do speak out, but you speak out through a
tier of people.

Speaker 23 (48:28):
And when you get out, you have to realize that
you have a voice. And that was one of the
tired Oh that's one of the things I realized when
I got out.

Speaker 17 (48:36):
I got a voice, and it is loud.

Speaker 23 (48:38):
And it is rowdy, and and I am not afraid
to tell someone when they're not doing what they're supposed
to do.

Speaker 17 (48:45):
Fortunately, we've got.

Speaker 23 (48:47):
Delegates, Michael Vegas has been mentioned, Alex Asku, Phil hernandez
in Norfolk.

Speaker 17 (48:53):
Uh, you know all of them.

Speaker 6 (48:55):
Uh.

Speaker 23 (48:55):
We we've got Seer Price here who is making sure
that are that are districts are set up correctly so
that when kids go to school they've got what they need.
And that's a big thing that folks don't understand, but yes,
we do need to speak up. We need to understand.
By the way, the Republican Party needs to understand, they

(49:15):
don't own veterans.

Speaker 17 (49:17):
They do not own us. No church owns us, no
party owns us.

Speaker 23 (49:22):
Okay, Veterans are a multifaceted group of people, and they
need to understand that our needs are different, and that
veterans also get food stamps.

Speaker 17 (49:33):
When I lived in California as an East six, I
was on food stamps.

Speaker 23 (49:38):
Okay, when folks now in Virginia Beach, I don't know
how they afford on military pay to live in some
of the places they claim, oh, we're going to do
market rate. When they do rents, they base it on
E five housing allowance.

Speaker 17 (49:55):
That is not good for the old sales.

Speaker 27 (49:58):
That are on the show.

Speaker 1 (50:00):
I know about the military. What is E five? E six?
These people out there going like, I don't know what
she's talking about. So again, y'all can't be using military
phrases for folks who don't know nothing about the military.
So what is E five? What is?

Speaker 12 (50:17):
Sorry?

Speaker 17 (50:17):
Okay, uh five? So the pay grades go.

Speaker 1 (50:21):
Some of y'all was saying the same thing y'all. Just y'all,
like y'all are just agreeing. You know what you're talking about.

Speaker 23 (50:28):
The enlist of pay grades go from E one to
E nine. I retired as an E nine.

Speaker 12 (50:32):
Uh.

Speaker 23 (50:32):
The officer pay grades go from one to nine. Oh
there you go. That's the officer in the group. Okay,
And and the pay of course increases.

Speaker 1 (50:46):
So the for enlisted for enlists for officers for offices
explained this.

Speaker 17 (50:53):
Hang around.

Speaker 1 (50:54):
Okay, I got it all right.

Speaker 23 (50:57):
So an E five is going to make approximately seventeen
eighteen hundred dollars to pay for a place. But that's
not just the rent that they've got to have. They've
got to have gas, lights, water, right the whole nine yards.

Speaker 1 (51:15):
Okay.

Speaker 23 (51:16):
So that's the thing, and that's what we don't see
in the local officials, which is why, like you said,
the local officials have to be picked very very carefully.

Speaker 1 (51:27):
So if that's the case that you said that you
were so we said foodstams, that's SNAP benefits, correct. So again,
this is one of the things that I'm not understanding.
So when you're having this battle right now, when Republicans
are trying to cut SNAP benefits or want to pair
them down. I don't understand why I don't see vets

(51:50):
mobilizing to say, don't if they are, if they're actually
receiving them.

Speaker 28 (51:55):
We do.

Speaker 1 (51:56):
We do.

Speaker 23 (51:56):
And just like when they opened up a clinic here
in and Chesapeake, the Battlefield Clinic, and they claim that
they were opening it up like a restaurant, that's what
the Secretary of VA said, We're opening it up like
a restaurant. Well, radiology still is not open.

Speaker 17 (52:11):
Now.

Speaker 23 (52:11):
If I go to a restaurant and I sit down
and they say, well, what would you like to start
off with? I like to start off with the margharita. Oh,
but the bar is not open yet. Come on, you
know that's stupid.

Speaker 1 (52:22):
When we ain't got that next year.

Speaker 17 (52:24):
They still you know, that makes no sense. So so
my doctor sees.

Speaker 1 (52:28):
Me, give me, give me a hen and say, coke,
we ain't got that. Yeah, we ain't got that.

Speaker 17 (52:32):
We ain't opened that part up yet.

Speaker 1 (52:33):
Got the red wine, we ain't got that.

Speaker 17 (52:36):
But that's the way they open in clinic.

Speaker 23 (52:38):
So it's not just about uh, you know, it goes
all the way military children are in our schools, and
these military children deserve the education that everyone else is getting.

Speaker 17 (52:50):
No matter what.

Speaker 23 (52:51):
We have got a huge population of military children here,
so there's so much that the military covers.

Speaker 17 (52:57):
I'm a veteran, I'm a retiree.

Speaker 23 (52:59):
I got two nephews here. One's in retiree from the Navy.
One is an Air Force veteran. You could tell when
I was on cruise right who joined when? And they
are dealing with the same things. It's it's a huge
population here, Sean.

Speaker 24 (53:18):
I like to say something about the reluctance of veterans
to speak out and join up. I'm a little older
than everybody else on the stage. No, it's hard, really,
And you know, I was in Vietnam. I did two

(53:39):
tours in Vietnam, so I'm seventy five. My group of veterans,
they don't talk. Most of them went past their VA
stuff because they didn't think they needed it. I didn't
get my VA benefits until about five years ago. And
I'm just saying, what are you supposed.

Speaker 1 (53:59):
To get oh about when you retire?

Speaker 25 (54:04):
So when that you retire nineteen ninety.

Speaker 1 (54:08):
There was a little gap and you didn't get up
until five years ago. I got them, well, I didn't
get it. Ain't little.

Speaker 24 (54:15):
That's a thirty year gap. But this is this is
what you're you're dealing with. You know, I'm alive. I
don't have to go to the hospital. I'm not in
a room somewhere. I'm good. So I'm just gonna go
on with my life. And that's what veterans do. They
get and go on through life. I was a school teacher,
I've done different things in my community. Veterans are in

(54:39):
every part, every aspect of our community life, but they
don't say nothing.

Speaker 1 (54:45):
But but that's my whole point there, Sean, because I'm sorry,
I know that. Okay, Ken, Ken, let me explain to
you how television.

Speaker 27 (54:56):
This is rolling show.

Speaker 1 (54:58):
We can't let me explain how TV works. So when
you finished making a comment, it's called a segue. It's
called a toss to the next guest. So when you
finished talking, I say the name of the next person
where I'm signifying they're going to speak next. So if

(55:18):
you allow me to be a veteran at this, which
I've done since i was fourteen, and I'll be fifty
seven in two weeks, so that means I kind of
know what I'm doing, Ken, So let me toss to Sean.

(55:43):
Thank you, you welcome.

Speaker 27 (55:47):
Now, Sean, I think this is still the Roland Martin shows.
So we're gonna go ahead, and Keith Ray, you don't.

Speaker 1 (55:55):
See it right here there, they're on my shirt, can
all right?

Speaker 27 (56:00):
All right?

Speaker 1 (56:01):
The reason I raised that point is because the rally
is in this country, supposedly, especially with these politicians, they
hold all my god, veterans, veterans, our military, our veterans,
they say all of that until it's actually time to
fun stuff, and the public does the exact same things.
So the rally is veterans have cachet if it's used.

(56:26):
And I just believe that if more veterans speak up
and speak out of against what is happening, people may
be listening differently, and so more need to be speaking
up when it comes to what is happening in this country.
Go ahead to your thoughts.

Speaker 26 (56:45):
Yeah, so, I mean, if you think about it, to
become you know, somebody who is able to go ahead
and raise arms against your enemies and do things that
we as normal human beings don't are not.

Speaker 27 (57:00):
Necessarily used to.

Speaker 26 (57:02):
It requires some conditioning, right, So we do that through
military training. We do that through our basic training, and
and and so on and so forth. That's pounded into
us your year over year that you're part of that.
So you now become part of a collective. Part of
that collective is a political and then uh, you all
probably seen it.

Speaker 8 (57:20):
Uh uh.

Speaker 26 (57:22):
There are some that are feel empowered through what is
they consider patriotism to uh uh speak out in ways
because they think that they got there by themselves. They
think they brought themselves up, you know, through the ranks
by themselves and achieved whatever they achieved by themselves. When
they don't realize that it was their mom and dad,

(57:43):
it was a teacher, it was somebody who may who
have been unspoken mentor you know, a village that brought
them up. There was then uh, there's they're n CEOs
and senior n CEOs, so that's senior noncommissioned officers like
uh like uh susan over here, or it could have
been their commanders and so on and so forth.

Speaker 27 (58:03):
And I think some of that is a little bit
of education.

Speaker 26 (58:05):
It's a little bit of this, this this myth of
rugged American individualism and realizing that one yes, we went
ahead and were conditioned to love our country to so
much that we're willing to go take up arms that
we're willing to go ahead and expose ourselves to dangerous things.
But that you know, much like a parent, much like

(58:29):
a family member or someone who believes in tough love
of your family, it's all right.

Speaker 27 (58:34):
It's all right to go and say.

Speaker 26 (58:36):
That our union that is trying to become more perfect
is not perfect right now, and we're trying to go
ahead and make it perfect. So Ken's right, Susan's right
that when you're done man, like twenty five years I did.
I went through it, man, and I was ready to
go ahead and you know, kind of chill out and
be good, you know, just like live with my family

(58:56):
and do the things. But you know, when we see
off that's going on right now with our federal government,
when we see babies ripped out of their dog one
beds by ice and.

Speaker 27 (59:06):
Zip tied out there.

Speaker 26 (59:06):
When we go ahead and see a president of the
United States talk about to eight hundred of the highest
ranking officers in our military that certain cities are war
zones and that they are and that they should be
military training grounds, we need to stand.

Speaker 27 (59:22):
The heck up.

Speaker 1 (59:23):
Oh, he just said last week he can see in
the Navy. He literally said, I can do whatever I
want I think I.

Speaker 27 (59:29):
Heard that one before. And know he can't, No, he can't, wait.

Speaker 17 (59:33):
Cannot you know, he just moved a battlegroup.

Speaker 23 (59:36):
Down He's moving a battlegroup, a Navy battlegroup down to
South America. And it's like, you don't even know who
these people are in these boats. You don't know if
they are running drugs, you don't know if they're just
out fishing for their family, and you're blowing them away.
That's wrong, that's wrong. And know he can't do that.

(59:57):
He is not above the law, and he is breaking
the law.

Speaker 26 (01:00:01):
Absolutely, No, absolutely, I'm just gonna say rolling and to
everyone out in the crowd and out in uh uh
in TV land that you know, right now we cannot
become comfortable with this because right now we're frogs. We
are frogs that are in that in that water, and
that water is warm and it's gonna keep on warming up,

(01:00:22):
right until we realize that as a poet, well you
know what this frog is about, the jump and we
all need to be jumping.

Speaker 1 (01:00:29):
All right? Then, well said, let's think, got panel, we
appreciate fair thoughts, their perspective. Coming up next, Can I
go to break in can I go to break Yes, sir,
all right, cool, I had to get checked with you first.

(01:00:52):
Coming up next, we're talking about Pop fifty in California
that could deal with could could add up as a
five uh ceize to Democrats and the College as a
response to Republican racist Jared Mander in Texas. Folks, you're
watching Rolling Martin Unfiltered, the Black stud Network from Virginia Beach.
Don't forget support the work that we do. Join I
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(01:01:12):
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(01:01:34):
Peelbox five seven one ninety six Washington d C two
zero zero three seven that zero one nine six sick
Ken say We'll be right back. We'll be right back.

Speaker 14 (01:01:56):
Roland Martin Unfiltered Tuesday Night, November fourth, starting at eight
pm Eastern, for the latest updates and election results from
critical races around the country. Blackstar Network the voice of

(01:02:20):
Black America, Black Centered.

Speaker 29 (01:02:36):
If in this country right now, you have people get
up in the morning and the only thing they can
think about is how many people they can hurt, and
they got the power.

Speaker 1 (01:02:46):
That's the time for.

Speaker 16 (01:02:47):
Morning, for better or worse.

Speaker 1 (01:02:49):
What makes America special, It's that legal system that's supposed
to protect minorities from the tyranny of the majority. We
are at a point of a moral emergency.

Speaker 30 (01:03:01):
We must raise a voice of outrage, we must raise
a voice of compassion, and we must raise a voice
of unity.

Speaker 29 (01:03:12):
We are not in a crisis of party versus party.
We are in a crisis of civilization, a humans rights crisis,
and a crisis of democracy itself. And guess what You've
been chosen to make sure that those that would destroy,
those that would hate, don't have the final say, and

(01:03:33):
they don't ultimately win.

Speaker 24 (01:03:36):
Michael McMillan, President and CEO of the Urban League of
Metropolitan Saint Louis, And you were watching Roland Martin unfiltered.

Speaker 1 (01:03:55):
All right, folks, welcome back to Virginia Beach. We're talking
about what's happening here in Virginia. But of course we
also have what's happening in California. One of the elections
Prop fifty, that will change the maps in California, that's responsible,
took place in Texas, where Republicans there put forth a

(01:04:16):
racist Jerry manderon map and wiped out five Democratic seats,
including merging, getting rid of two black congressional seats. And
so we're seeing that take place all across the country.
And so when California Governor Avenuesom said he was going
to respond, Repulicans got all upset. And it was real simple.
If you didn't do what you did in Texas, you
wouldn't see what you were doing in California. Assimbly. Tina

(01:04:40):
mckenil Johnson. Right now, Tina, how you doing, Tina can
you hear me to me this evening?

Speaker 16 (01:04:48):
I can hear you. Can you hear me?

Speaker 10 (01:04:49):
Ah?

Speaker 1 (01:04:49):
There we go now, yep, I got you that. Thank
you so very much. Again, as I said, what's happening
in California is a direct result of the racist jerry
mander that took place in Texas. If Texas doesn't do
what they do, California doesn't do what they do. And
so when I hear these Republicans in California complaining, it's

(01:05:10):
amazing how quiet they were when they were making the
move in Texas.

Speaker 16 (01:05:14):
Yes, well absolutely they were quiet.

Speaker 31 (01:05:18):
And I love my governor because he just doesn't mess around.
Once they passed those seats to draw those seats in Texas,
we in California decided, okay, you have five, we're gonna
put five on it. We have enough Democrats to pick
up five more seats. We still have to fight for
them and the state legislators we voted.

Speaker 16 (01:05:40):
We did three votes to.

Speaker 31 (01:05:42):
We passed three bills to make sure we put this
on the ballot.

Speaker 16 (01:05:45):
But we didn't just jerry mander and just take over.

Speaker 31 (01:05:48):
We went back to our voters and we asked them,
can the legislators redraw the maps, and that's what's on
the ballot tomorrow.

Speaker 1 (01:05:59):
And so right now, what is the current makeup of
Democrats and Republicans in the California legislature. And after this,
if it passes, would it what will it be?

Speaker 31 (01:06:13):
Right now, there's nine Republican seats in California.

Speaker 16 (01:06:17):
And once we win Prop fifty and.

Speaker 31 (01:06:20):
Then after the twenty twenty sixth election, and we'll kick
their asses.

Speaker 16 (01:06:25):
They'll only have.

Speaker 1 (01:06:26):
Four folks are first of all, now we're here in
a church of Virginia beach, y'all, But y'all calm down.
I need y'all. First of all, y'all calm down. The
words she use is in the Bible. Y'all need to
calm down. Bishop William Barber said, as is repeated in

(01:06:52):
the Bible. So don't act like it's not.

Speaker 16 (01:06:57):
Sorry.

Speaker 1 (01:06:57):
Some of y'all will custody in the parking lot coming in.
So don't we trying to act all holy all of
a sudden now. And so what you have now, what
you have down TEENA is in arms race. And so
at the end of the day, it would be idiotic
for Democrats where they have the power not to respond.
And I think one of the issues that I've long

(01:07:20):
said that Democrats do, which I think is screwed up.
They play by a set of rules. At the other
side does not play by Republicans are about power. They're
going to wield power, They're going to maximize power. Democrats
too often about what's fair and what's just and how
can we all get along? And my whole deal is

(01:07:40):
forget that. You're going to have power, you use it
when you got it.

Speaker 16 (01:07:46):
And so you know this is true.

Speaker 31 (01:07:48):
The Democrats we come in, I might in the third
year of office in the State Assembly, we come in
and we do try to be fair and just. And
I grew up with politicians having decorn. Well that's thrown
out of the window. Now now I'm ready to fight.
I will not bring a knife to a gunfight. And
that's why here in California, we've decided we will redistrict

(01:08:11):
those five seats. But we did go back to our
voters because they would insist on that, but that we
will district these seats and we will fight Trump with
everything that we have. And this is the way we
do it in California by voting yes on Prop fifty
to make sure that we could pick up those five
seats and come at them and snatch that power from them,

(01:08:33):
because right now they have the Congress and the US Senate,
they have the Presidency and the Supreme Court. There's no
guard rails on this due and we need to make
sure that in twenty twenty six we grab the Congress
back and want to grab the US Senate back as well,
because we have to stop him from decimating our country.

Speaker 1 (01:08:56):
And look, there's a callous decision that we're waiting Supreme
Court based upon the questions that they were asking on
October fifteenth. They could very well say you can't use
race in the creation of districts. That could wipe out
minimum twelve correction of Black caucus seats. It could be
as high as nineteen or even thirty. And so that

(01:09:17):
ruling could decimate elected officials, not just us in Congress.
But then you got to say that then comes all
the way down to on the state level, county, city,
school board level. And so that's what we're dealing with.
We're dealing with a party that, as I keep saying,
they want to defund Black America. They're attacking our economic infrastructure,

(01:09:38):
education infrastructure, nonprofit infrastructure. They're going after our social justice
civil rights organizations, and they also are attacking the political
infrastructure because they want to cripple Black America and destroy
what all the gains that have been achieved over the
last sixty years.

Speaker 31 (01:09:57):
And this is important, and it's extremely important, and I
thank you for raising this and keeping our community educated
because we as black people, we have to wake up
Black people. They are trying to erase us. They want
to erase our history, they want to erase.

Speaker 16 (01:10:12):
The games that we have made. They don't want us
to have the jobs anymore.

Speaker 31 (01:10:17):
They're trying to get rid of us, and so we
must stand up and fight. I need everybody out there
in this audience to pay attention. Make sure that you're reading,
that you're listening, and that you're not just listening to
fake news as well, because they're also trying to fool us.
Make sure that you cast your vote in these elections.
Is very important for us to be represented, and they

(01:10:39):
are going to try to registrict us out of our seat.
So we have to look at as we come up
to twenty twenty eight and we start to get ready
for the census, fill your census out. This is not
just one movement we see now that a bulk of
this country is very racist and they want to get
rid of us. So we have to be proactive and

(01:11:00):
make sure that when the censes come up, we fill out.

Speaker 16 (01:11:03):
Our census so they know that we're here.

Speaker 31 (01:11:05):
Because that helps us get representation when they get ready
to read district again, we want to make sure that
they our votes are counting, that our census numbers are counted.
This is the way we keep representation, and so we
have to pay attention.

Speaker 16 (01:11:20):
We have to fight, we have to vote.

Speaker 31 (01:11:22):
We cannot sit on the sidelines on this one because
all the games that we've made, they want to push
it back.

Speaker 16 (01:11:28):
We can see this. This is still a racist country.

Speaker 31 (01:11:31):
Sorry, this is not what we saw when we watched
the Cosme show.

Speaker 16 (01:11:35):
This is real.

Speaker 31 (01:11:36):
This is a really racist country, and we have to
make sure that we're there at the table fighting.

Speaker 1 (01:11:43):
All right, Well, simply Oneman, Tina mcanna are we start
to appreciate you joining us right now, and we look
forward to folks passing Prop fifty tomorrow in California.

Speaker 16 (01:11:55):
Thank you and pray for us.

Speaker 31 (01:11:57):
We're gonna pass this and we're gonna push this through
the country because once goes California, so goes the rest
of the country.

Speaker 16 (01:12:04):
Thank you, Roland. I appreciate you.

Speaker 1 (01:12:08):
I appreciate it. Thank you so very much. We're going
to go to our Blackstar Network studios, Britney Noble Hans
our headlines, Brittany Roland.

Speaker 32 (01:12:17):
America's got a severe identity crisis. The new political polls
shows nearly half of Americans, well, they think our best
days are behind us, and only four and ten believe
the future looks bright.

Speaker 3 (01:12:29):
And here's what's wild.

Speaker 32 (01:12:30):
Two thirds of Americans say the government often lies to
the people. That's not just one side talking either. Both
Trump and Harris voters all agree. The pole paints a
picture of a country that feels lost and uncertain. A
lot of Democrats say the American Dream is dead, while
many Republicans still see hope ahead. At the end of
the day, people are asking the same question, what does

(01:12:53):
the American dream even mean anymore?

Speaker 3 (01:12:55):
And who's it really for.

Speaker 32 (01:12:57):
In twenty twenty five, Ohio, the state's Redistricting Commission has
approved a bipartisan congressional redistricting plan that will last for
six years, giving Republicans an advantage in twelve out of
Ohio's fifteen US House districts. The plan, which is set
to take effect next year, was passed unanimously by the

(01:13:19):
seven member Commission after a last minute agreement between Republican
and Democratic legislative leaders. This deal was made to prevent
GOP lawmakers from having the opportunity next month to pass
a more heavily favored map on their own. If the
Republicans had proceeded with the unilateral plan, Democrats had indicated
they would likely pursue a referendum to repeal it in

(01:13:42):
the twenty twenty six ballot, which raised concerns for both parties.
The new congressional map will be in effect from the
upcoming midterm elections until twenty thirty one. A federal judge
ruled that the Trump administration's requirement for a documentary proof
of citizenship to register to vote is unconcertitutional.

Speaker 3 (01:14:00):
The ruling blocks.

Speaker 32 (01:14:01):
President Trump's executive order, which sought to enforce stricter voter
verification measures and increase federal state cooperation on the election oversight.
Judge Colleen Koller Kotelli in Washington, d C. Sided with
Democratic officials, declaring Trump's order and unconstitutional violation of.

Speaker 3 (01:14:19):
The separation of powers.

Speaker 32 (01:14:20):
The judge said the Trump that Trump lacks the authority
to impose such changes. Those powers rests with Congress and
the States. Well, the twice impeached, criminally convicted felon in
Chief Donald the Cohn Trump is once again with the
new thread of US military action, this time in Nigeria.
He's accusing the country of targeting Christians and says he'll

(01:14:43):
cut off all usaid and send troops in quote guns ablazing.
Defense Secretary Pete Tedsec is backing them up, saying the
Pentagons preparing for possible action, But Nigerian officials are pushing
back hard, saying there's no genocide against Christians and that
the violence in the country impacts everyone, including Muslims and

(01:15:03):
other civilians. Will experts say Trump's framing oversimplifies a complex crisis.

Speaker 3 (01:15:09):
Groups like Boko Haram have been terrorized in.

Speaker 32 (01:15:11):
Communities of Fiates for years and what's really needed is
peace building, not more military threats. Well, Orange County, Florida
Mayor Jerry Dimmings.

Speaker 3 (01:15:23):
Says officially and took the race for governor.

Speaker 32 (01:15:26):
Deming's a former sheriff and police chief, is making history
as he seeks to become Florida's first black governor. He
joins a crowded field hoping to succeed term limited Governor
Ron DeSantis. Demmings leads one of the last remaining Democratic
strongholds in a state shifting to the Republican side with
recent blends in Orange County.

Speaker 3 (01:15:45):
His campaign faces tough competition for the Democrats.

Speaker 32 (01:15:49):
A front runner for the nomination appears to be David Jolly,
a former Republican Member of Congress from twenty fourteen to
twenty seventeen. On the GOP side, Trump endorsed US Representative
Byron Donalds is among the front runners.

Speaker 3 (01:16:03):
Along with former House Speaker Paul Renner.

Speaker 32 (01:16:05):
Demmings was the first African American to serve as Orlando's
police chief in nineteen ninety eight, and later served as
the first African American sheriff of Orange County from twenty
eight until twenty eighteen. That year, he was elected the
first African American mayor of Orange County, and he won a.

Speaker 3 (01:16:22):
Second term back in twenty twenty two.

Speaker 32 (01:16:26):
Howard University has received one of the largest donations in
its history philanthropists Mackenzie's God is giving the school eighty
million dollars and get this, it's unrestricted, meaning Howard can
use it wherever it's needed. Most approximately sixty three million
dollars is allocated directly to the university, and an additional
seventeen million dollars is earmarked for the College of Medicine,

(01:16:48):
supporting the training of black doctors and the upgrade of
facilities well. This latest gift brings Scott's solal support for
Howard up to one hundred and thirty two million dollars,
funding everything from student aid and new infrastructure to keeping
operations steady during the ongoing government shutdown. With this donation,
Scott not only showcases her commitment to investing in historically

(01:17:11):
underserved communities, but also increases her total contribution to HBCUs
to three hundred and eighty one million dollars. In the
last few months, since September twenty twenty Five's God has
given seventy million dollars to the United Negro College Fund,
forty two million dollars to my alma mater, Alcorn State University,
sixty three million dollars to Morgan State University, and fifty

(01:17:35):
million to Virginia State University, thirty eight million to Alabama
State University, and thirty eight million to Spelman College.

Speaker 3 (01:17:44):
We will have much more news after the break. Stay
with us. You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered.

Speaker 19 (01:18:07):
Nicole Cole knows the cornerstone of a successful life starts here.
Virginia Public Schools gave Nicole an excellent education. They helped
her become a small business owner, family, financial planner, mother,
and community leader. Now, after four years on the Sponsylvania
School Board, Nicole is running for delegate to meet the needs.

Speaker 1 (01:18:25):
Of all students.

Speaker 19 (01:18:26):
As our delegate, Nicole will fully fund our schools, raise
teacher salaries, and help graduating students stay in our communities.

Speaker 1 (01:18:33):
Nicole made for delegate for us for our future.

Speaker 14 (01:18:39):
Roland Martin Unfiltered Tuesday night, November fourth, starting at eight
pm Eastern for the latest updates and election results from
critical races around the country. Blackstar Network, the voice of

(01:19:02):
Black America Black.

Speaker 33 (01:19:05):
Centered this week on the other side of change, book bands,
anti intellectualism, and Trump's continued war on wisdom.

Speaker 34 (01:19:25):
This is a coordinated backlash to progress. At the end
of the day, conservatives realized that they couldn't win a
debate on facts. They started using our language against us. Right,
Remember when we were all woke and the woke movement and.

Speaker 12 (01:19:38):
All that kind of stuff.

Speaker 1 (01:19:39):
Now everything is anti woke.

Speaker 34 (01:19:40):
Right when we were talking about including diversity, equity, inclusion,
and higher education, Now it's anti d All this our
efforts to suppress the truth, because truth empowers people.

Speaker 33 (01:19:50):
You're watching the other side of change only on the
Blackstar Network.

Speaker 20 (01:19:54):
In the military, I gave orders and they went a
lot further than they do around here. There's one thing
I've learned as a mom and foster pan of more
kids than I can count. Investig in their future isn't
a choice enrichment. I'll fight for Stafford's fair share for
our schools, smaller class sizes, better teacher pay, and more

(01:20:15):
vocational training. I'm Stacey Carroll, and I'll fight to get
our kids'.

Speaker 17 (01:20:19):
Future in or.

Speaker 30 (01:20:24):
Hey, I'm Mark Moray, our president's CEO of the National
Urban League, and I'm watching Roland Martin unfiltered.

Speaker 1 (01:20:37):
in Virginia Beach. Glad to be here. Just want to
add a couple of things. You saw Brittany reading the
story there regarding the donations made by a billionaire philanthropist,
Mackenzie Scott. She also gave We showed the graphics. She

(01:20:57):
also gave thirty eight million University of Mirland Eastern Shore.
In a couple of hours ago, Clark Atlanta University announced
that they have received thirty eight million dollars from her
as well. So her total donations to HBCUs has now
exceeded five hundred million dollars. So so Mackenzie she invited

(01:21:20):
to all the cookouts. I'm just saying, I'm just saying
we'll even let her DJ just saying, all right, let's
introduce our cannids for office. Put your hands together for
Virgil Thornton, Mike Faggins, Sea a price, Alex ask you

(01:21:50):
all right, glad to have all of y'all here. So
let's talk about priorities. Priorities in terms of First of all,
we do that where are you running? So explain where
you're running.

Speaker 35 (01:22:01):
It's running the ninety fifth district for the Virginia House Delegates,
which is Virginia Beach.

Speaker 1 (01:22:06):
And part of Norfolk.

Speaker 36 (01:22:07):
I'm in the eighty fifth district, which is where I
was born and raised in Newport News, Virginia.

Speaker 28 (01:22:13):
Probably representing and running again in House District ninety seven,
fully within Virginia.

Speaker 37 (01:22:16):
Beach, Virgil Thornon eighty six House of Delegates, running for
the It's part of Hampton, part of York County, and
the entire city of Pocosa.

Speaker 38 (01:22:26):
All right, so let's talk about priorities. What are your
priorities if you're elected for your district.

Speaker 35 (01:22:37):
Absolutely, and thank you for coming to Virginia Beach.

Speaker 1 (01:22:39):
We appreciate it. I know you were here two years.

Speaker 35 (01:22:41):
Ago and really made a lot here to talk about
our platform. And once we got to the general so
we were able to execute a lot of things that
we did. And you know, I'm running on and what
we've been working on the past couple of years is education.
Making sure our schools are fully funded, making sure our
teachers are paid not only adequately, but better than adequately.
We have one of the best school systems of Virginia

(01:23:01):
Beach and across Hampton Roads. And also make sure our
communities are safe from gun violence. You know, we've seen
many times, and if you turn on the news, you
see young folks younger than twenty years old getting shot
and killed. To make sure that guns are a little
bit tougher to get, and make sure that they're extensive
background techs on guns. And then I know my colleagues

(01:23:22):
are going to say a few more things, so I'll
say those are top two and I'll probably echo everything
they say.

Speaker 1 (01:23:28):
Cool.

Speaker 36 (01:23:29):
Yeah, So for me for the eighty fifth district, first
is voting rights, because if we don't have a vote,
we can't.

Speaker 1 (01:23:34):
Work on the other stuff.

Speaker 3 (01:23:36):
And then, in addition to.

Speaker 36 (01:23:38):
What Alex mentioned with gun violence prevention, housing justice. So
there is a bill that would rain in slumlords that
are ravaging the city of Newport News in some of
our neglected properties. And the governor that we have currently
has vetoed that bill three times. I will be extremely
excited to take that back to Richmond with Guvenor spam Berger,

(01:24:01):
who will sign it and we can protect our tenants.

Speaker 28 (01:24:07):
So one of the biggest issues not just within Houses
ninety seven, but across the Commonwealth right now is affordability,
and especially in that you touched on a little bit
earlier in terms of housing and unfortunately during our last session,
we passed some great legislations, especially around first time homeowners.
Unfortunately though those bills were vetoed by our governor. So

(01:24:27):
that's gonna be one of our first focus is going
back and looking at that. We know that not just
across comboth but specifically within the African American community. We
know how important home ownership is in terms of growing
generational wealth. Next is going to be veterans and military families.
During this last session, I provided some of the first
tax cuts for military families, but there's still areas that

(01:24:48):
we need to look into. And third is going to
be growing our small business and especially within our offshore wind.
Once again, we had a great bill that was that
was passed that now only focus on growing our offshore
wind and our energy here, but also made sure to
bring in our a SPCUS. And we've been really intentional,
and that's one of the great things that you got
You got to see within our caucus was the importance

(01:25:10):
of having delegate senators that are being intentional. We've been
intentional about making sure we're getting the resources into the SPCUS. Unfortunately,
again that bill was vetoed by the governor and I'm
looking forward to seeing when we have our future Governor,
Abagail Spamberger in office supporting our great legislation.

Speaker 37 (01:25:28):
And my tri factor and going to the General Assembly
is based on fully funding our schools because our teachers
in my district are paid less than the national average,
so we're going to get that teacher to pay up.
Also having the resources in place for our kids, because
as a Falster parent for special needs children, I just
can't sit back and see how the Department of Education

(01:25:51):
is just being dismantled and how it's going to affect them,
And it's going to affect them in a really big
way if no one stands up and have their voice
and have their back.

Speaker 1 (01:25:59):
And also and healthcare.

Speaker 37 (01:26:01):
Healthcare is also real dear to me because I'm a
cancer survivor of colon cancer and it almost bankrupt me,
so I know how important it is to be healthy
and have a healthy society, and not having the proper
access to quality healthcare can bankrupt anyone. And then of

(01:26:23):
course our economy in my district, looking at Hampton York
and Pecoson, we need to bring more businesses in and
bringing those businesses in will give us the tax dollars.
We need to help our communities be more viable. So
I kind of look at it as a triangle. No
society or no community can thrive without those three things,

(01:26:44):
the education, health, and based on economy as the base
of all that.

Speaker 1 (01:26:51):
When we talk about public safety often times, and I've
seen this all across the country, it is a conversation
of we need to give more money to hire more
police officers, more training, give cops the tools to fight crime.
Last week, and I've had him on several times, I
was talking to Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, and he talked

(01:27:13):
about how they brought murders down to a fifty sixty
year low. You talked about how they brought violent crime down,
and they didn't do that all by sending resources to
police to hire more cops. They took a much more
broader focus, laser like effort to deal with crime. Because

(01:27:34):
he said, listen, if you don't deal with housing, you
can't deal with crime. If you don't deal with education,
you can't deal with crime. If you don't deal with jobs,
you can't deal with crime. If you don't deal with
lack of food nutrition, you can't deal with crime. And
so how are you looking at when you're talking about
going to the Richmond How are you looking at this

(01:27:55):
idea of public safety from a three hundred and sixty
degree review.

Speaker 36 (01:28:01):
Yeah, if I could go, I'll just I've been in
the House for ten years, and I was there when
the Democrats were in charge in twenty twenty, and the
first investment for Virginia into gun violence prevention was five
million dollars. But my dad was mayor at the time
and the program that was working in Newport News cost

(01:28:22):
two million just for one city, so we were able
to get the five million, but it did get ravaged
when the Republicans took control and they changed it from
gun violence prevention to this my words, sham of a
program call operations ceasefire, and so you think it's about

(01:28:43):
gun violence prevention, but they funded the current ag for
more prosecutions, and then places like Powatan County were able
to take funding from that for their schools and they
don't even have a gun violence problem. So one of
the important things about having the Democratic majority and also
a large black caucus that represents some of the areas

(01:29:05):
that don't have to be convinced that our communities are
worth saving. We have now gotten to historic levels of
funding community organizations that are actually the booths on the
ground that are changing the trajectories. If you'll know, just
very quickly, President Biden had the Office of Gun Violence
Prevention and they were doing lots of funding. That funding

(01:29:27):
is now shut down under Governor Trump, I mean President Trump.

Speaker 1 (01:29:30):
Yeah, because they called it DEI. So we need a
governor who.

Speaker 36 (01:29:37):
Understands that we need a Secretary of Public Safety and
a Secretary of Education and a Secretary of Health that
understand the worth and value of black lives and that
we are worth saving.

Speaker 28 (01:29:51):
And one of the one important things that we've tried
to do this past session is I serve on the
Public Savory Committee, and we had a great, big initiative
in terms of looking at gun how we're going to
we're properly storing our guns within within our homes and
within our vehicles. And a lot of times they the
other side tries to try to utilize Democrats as if

(01:30:11):
like we're fully against firearms. I'm a responsible firearm owner.
I grew up hunting here in Virginia. I served in
the military for twenty years. I owned firearms and responsibly
and for those that do that is it is a
right and a privilege to be able to own one
and to take care of it properly. But when you look,
when you're talking to our police and hearing from our

(01:30:32):
our chiefs and our shriffes, they're coming to us telling
us saying that, hey, many of the crimes that are
being committed right now are being committed by stolen stolen firearms,
taking away from vehicles. And when we try to pass
try to have legislation that goes forward with that, and
it goes forward to the governor's desk, maybe due to
the gun lobby lobbying them or not, we're not able

(01:30:54):
to get that. So that's one of the things we're
gonna be looking at next year is bringing back those
ways to be able to help out our communities because
we know a lot of those firearms are being used
in those types of instances where they if they were
properly stored, those crimes could be reduced.

Speaker 1 (01:31:08):
That's why it's crazy to me when you have all
across the country you live, you have police chiefs and
shares who are saying, I need you to do something
about out of uh, you know, gun laws and the
Republican responses, Oh, we're just gonna make it a lot
easier to have guns. I mean, are they are going
against law enforcement and they claim to say they support

(01:31:31):
law enforcement. That's just to me, that's an oxymoron, too
afraid of the NR and what greade they're gonna get,
That's exactly what it is. So, I mean, it's just
to me, it's just crazy. Talking about afordability that's been
abandoned about a lot housing we talked about a little
bit earlier. What other areas of affordability for everyday Virginians

(01:31:53):
are you focusing on. I'll start on the end. Yep, yep,
you're the end of hortability. Do you need Ken to
tell you to go I forget nothing, Ken, go ahead.

Speaker 37 (01:32:09):
As far as repurposing some of the structures that we
already have, that as far as looking at buildings and
seeing what we can do, as far as getting with
the local city council and things of that nature to
see how we can repurpose buildings that are already standing
and make it more affordable housing versus having to tear

(01:32:30):
down a building and then reconstruct one.

Speaker 1 (01:32:33):
Because again, when we're.

Speaker 37 (01:32:34):
Looking at the tariffs and how it's creating problems as
far as building materials. It makes it more difficult, and
that's one of the areas that I'd be looking into.

Speaker 28 (01:32:44):
For me is looking at going to be specifically in
terms of healthcare. We had some great healthcare bills last
year around We had I don't know if you have
got a chance to hear about this, the momnibus package
that we had that was really focused on maternal care.
Shout shouts out to our colleague delegate change my mind,
the King and the leadership that she had. See is
so many others on this, and I'll be looking at

(01:33:06):
bringing that back again next year for my porch. That
was the presumptive eligibility for pregnant women, seeing about how
important it is make sure that we're able to get
the care that they need without having to have that
red tape. So it's looking at removing those barriers of care,
which is going to be able to help affordability for
families that are try for women that are trying to

(01:33:26):
build their families.

Speaker 36 (01:33:28):
I represent a district that has forty five percent of
our population deals with snap benefits or Medicaid, and sixty
one thousand people including children in Newport news we're at
risk of losing their snap benefits.

Speaker 16 (01:33:43):
So I can't really get.

Speaker 36 (01:33:45):
Beyond thinking that our children need to be fed and
that people need their health care with Medicaid. Unfortunately, we
do not have a clear picture of what is going
to be happening in Virginia, and so I'm going to
be paying close attention to the information that we'll get
so that we can make sure that we backfill any
Medicaid cuts that we can make really tough decisions.

Speaker 1 (01:34:07):
But we've got to start with feeding the children.

Speaker 35 (01:34:11):
And not only food, but prescription drug costs. We were
the first one of the first states in the South
to put a cap on it on the incident my
first term, and I tried that with ubuto All and
Hiller's and my first one as well. Unfortunately didn't pass.
But you know, Christmas tree bills aren't enough, right. We
can't just do this prescription drug or that prescription drug.

(01:34:32):
We need to work with the Prescription Drug Board to
really look at a holistic approach to bringing down costs.
I know it's not going to be easy, and a
lot of lobbying groups in different outside groups are going
to try to, you know, put put a stop to that.
But we got to do something because folk shodn't have
to determine to make decisions whether they put food or
table or by life savers prescription drugs.

Speaker 1 (01:34:53):
Absolutely, we talked about we were just talking about obviously
those donations from a kin Is Scott. But the reality
is for state institutions, this responsibility of the state to
fund those schools. The Bidhairrish administration has sent out a
letter that showed that opens of thirteen billion dollars was

(01:35:17):
with hell I say, stolen from HBCUs. One of the
came from the federal government to the states for land
grant institutions. Virginia state was supposed to have received two
hundred and seventy seven point five million dollars and I
get current investments, but if you are sent to Richmond,

(01:35:40):
are you going to make sure that this state gives
that money that they were old and that was a
certain period from land grant money, so separate from what
they should be allocated. Are you committed to make sure
they get that two hundred and seventy seven point five
million dollars they were cheated out of by Virginia lawmakers
who sent that money to White Pwis and not to

(01:36:02):
that HBCU.

Speaker 36 (01:36:05):
So I'm a graduate of three HBCUs. So let me
say this, the benefit of having a speaker, a President
of the Senate, the leader of the House Democratic Caucus,
and so many of us in the Black Caucus that
have graduated from HBCUs, we know the value. What is
unfortunate is all of the cuts that are coming from

(01:36:27):
the federal level. We cannot sit here in good faith
tell you what we promise to do because we got
to keep people alive and we do not at the
state level have the funding to backfill all of the
tragic cuts that are being made at that federal level.
But I will say shout out to my Congressman Bobby Scott,
who is the ranking member from the third Congressional district,

(01:36:51):
and he is fighting on that federal level. So do
we want to absolutely, but I'm not going to lie
to you. We are going to be trying to keep
people alive the next three and a half years and
then we can get back to trying to backfill.

Speaker 1 (01:37:04):
Believe me, be real clear, that money that should have
gone with Virginia State went to other universities. Those universities
built buildings, they put money into resources, and so that
was money that came from the federal government that came
to Virginia, and Virginia purposely did not give that money

(01:37:27):
to Virginia State. So I understand that point. But this
state legislature owns that school for what they were cheated
out of by the State of Virginia.

Speaker 6 (01:37:41):
I get it. I get it.

Speaker 35 (01:37:42):
Here such said this and rolind I do want to
make this point since we've had the majority again and
shout out to Chairman Locatorians and chair of Preparations, We've
given historic funding to our SBCUS public and product.

Speaker 1 (01:37:54):
I understand that. Follow me here, and no, I understand.
Follow me. I understand historic funding. I under stand budget allocations.
What I'm talking about was specifically that came from the
federal government. Because here's the piece. Tennessee State was cheated
out of five hundred billion Fort Valley State. Tennessee State

(01:38:14):
has been having financial issues. Well guess what if they
hadn't been cheated out of five hundred million dollars, they
would have new dormitories and things along those lines. So
what I'm saying is, and this is not calling it
reparations and everything else. What I'm saying is if that
was money that came to Virginia, that went to virgin
that went to University of Virginia, that went to Virginia Tech,
and somewhere else within this legislature should commit itself to

(01:38:38):
say we're going to write that wrong and make sure
that that money is sent to them on top of
what else, what else, what else, what else goes to it.
But that was some thirty or some twenty HBCUs tolling
thirteen billion, and not one legislature has stepped up and
said we're going to fix what we'll screwed over over

(01:38:59):
thirty year period. Go ahead, anybody. I just I'm always
fighting for the money.

Speaker 36 (01:39:05):
No, no, no, But this is the thing, and this
is why elections are important, because.

Speaker 16 (01:39:10):
We are running to be in the room.

Speaker 36 (01:39:14):
Or be very clear, I am the sixteenth black woman
to ever sit in those seats in.

Speaker 16 (01:39:20):
Four hundred years.

Speaker 36 (01:39:21):
So we are trying to fix things that have been
wrong for four hundred years.

Speaker 16 (01:39:27):
And I'm just not going to have.

Speaker 36 (01:39:30):
I'm not going to have the usual political stance.

Speaker 1 (01:39:33):
Of lying to your face.

Speaker 36 (01:39:34):
I'm just telling you that, yes, we absolutely believe that
that money should be there, but because of uncertainties, we
don't have two hundred and seventy millions sitting there, especially
if we're going to have to deal with the federal cuts,
So you don't have to worry about where our heart is.
I just want people to understand that when you elect
what you think is going to be changed.

Speaker 16 (01:39:55):
When you get that change, understand what you're asking for.

Speaker 36 (01:39:58):
And right now, with the federal real cuts that we
are seeing, with millions of Americans voted for, we are
at a very difficult situation, and I just want people
to understand that is a true situation.

Speaker 1 (01:40:12):
Totally understand. But in the words of Frank Lucas from
American Gangster, I'm gonna get that money. And our responsibility
is to put that pressure on because too often, First
of all, listen, I've covered multiple aspects of government. I

(01:40:35):
understand that, but government also has a way of finding
money for stuff that they deem important. And I'm not
just talking to black legislators. I'm also talking to white
legislators as well, because what I don't want us to
always be the ones who are having to wait. And again,
I'm telling you right now, I went to Tennessee and

(01:40:55):
we were sitting advocating for them and the legislature was
criticizing them for lack of facilities. Knowing full will, they
owe them five hundred million, and here's the deal. That
was only the land grand part of federal government. They
still owe them another quarter of a billion that came
from the state. And I'm making this point because I

(01:41:15):
also need and I'm raising this and I'm pressing you
on this because the public also needs to understand that
they cannot be silent. Part of this issue is that
people tomorrow, when the polls close tomorrow, people are going
to say, Okay, let's is over there we go.

Speaker 10 (01:41:32):
No.

Speaker 1 (01:41:33):
Tomorrow is the end of one process. Wednesday is the
beginning of another. Wednesday. Wednesday is the day between November
and swearing in in January where I need black folks
in this city and the other cities and states to say,
here's our agenda. So when the inauguration comes and there's

(01:41:56):
the parties everything else, it's like, all right, when I
get down to business, we're gonna be showing up on
your door saying, hey, we want this to happen. And
I think we have to be very clear and establishing
this city should be established. And the folks in this
artist who be saying this is our agenda, our black agenda.
What we want to come back because if you want

(01:42:17):
to vote, it's called a return on an investment. Go ahead.

Speaker 35 (01:42:19):
I want to push back one more time. And I
hear you said, I want to hear what you saying.
But like jay Z said, Frank looks is cool and
ain't trying to snitch. But I will tell the truth.

Speaker 1 (01:42:27):
Right.

Speaker 35 (01:42:28):
We have provided historic funding and I want you to know,
you've been to You've been in North State, you've been
in Virginia State, you've been to htcu's around the commonwealth,
right and they've had historic underfunding. It's been facilities, it's
been everything.

Speaker 1 (01:42:41):
You know.

Speaker 35 (01:42:41):
You go to some of our access colleges or pwis
and that's started in the sixties and they are drastically,
they were drastic.

Speaker 1 (01:42:50):
We're funded. You look at the building, you look at
the infrastructure.

Speaker 35 (01:42:53):
But again, we have provided historic funding for our HBCUs
with a black speaker and a black chairman appropriations and
will continue to do that work. I'm not going to
see here make you that promise that we will got
you and fund the land grant money in the back of.

Speaker 1 (01:43:05):
Or follow me head duel we can't, but I want
the audience to understand. And again this is and I've
been covering this issue for more than two decades. HBCUs
from the beginning were historically underfunded. So you have a
funding mechanism that's from the state.

Speaker 23 (01:43:24):
I get it.

Speaker 1 (01:43:24):
So you had one second. One second, you have that lane.
The other lane that you have are the land grant
institutions where the money comes for the federal government. And
so when that money came from the federal government to Virginia,
Virginia was like, great, it's going here. So the land
grant schools HBCU was making do best they could while

(01:43:49):
their money what's going over there. So what I'm saying is,
so Virginia has two roles. It needs to fund what
it's suppose on the state level, but also pay up
what came from the federal because and I know you,
you know you hear me. I need them to hear

(01:44:10):
me because that pressure has to be applied because it's
not just Virginia state. That then goes to neighborhoods, that
then goes to infrastructure in schools, and so what we
have to be doing as real ordinatory people is using
our power after the election. So when you have appropriation

(01:44:31):
meetings and when you have committee meetings, what I have
been saying, I need our folks showing up, saying, hey,
you came to my church, you came to my neighborhood.
Now I need to see this thing happen.

Speaker 6 (01:44:43):
But not just you.

Speaker 1 (01:44:44):
It also means going to the other folks, the state
senators of the rep. Saying we expect you to vote
for this, going to other Democrats saying we put you
in charge. You now have power because of us, And
all too often what happens is when we put folks
in now as African Americans, when we put Democrats in

(01:45:06):
the ROI is not there. And what I'm looking for,
I'm not looking for thirty cents on the dollar. I'm
about looking for sixty cents on the dollar. I'm looking
for one hundred cents on the dollar. Now, if I
get ninety, I'm gonna still come back for that ten cents.

(01:45:26):
But that's why I'm pressing like this, because I don't
want us to be in the position of accepting less.
I want to get everything that we hold. So if
I can add so, y'all got some work to do
as a community as well, go ahead then, and.

Speaker 36 (01:45:45):
Then of the two starting the second Wednesday of January
Monday through Friday, we are at two zero one North
ninth Street in Richmond.

Speaker 16 (01:45:54):
We also, because of the speaker that we have, we
have hot speak. So in any of my committee meeting,
any of the House committee.

Speaker 36 (01:46:01):
Meetings, you can be in the comfort of your home
or the comfort of your office.

Speaker 16 (01:46:04):
And do online testimony.

Speaker 36 (01:46:06):
You can also submit written public testimony and not even
have to speak, but send it in through the website
that is hod speak dot Virginia dot excuse me, dot House,
dot Virginia, dot go ov.

Speaker 1 (01:46:19):
I want y'all to do all of that, but I
want you to show up in person because again, I
again I'm trying that. Listen. I covered the city government,
I covered county government, I've covered state government, I've covered
covered federal government. I know for a fact when people
show up there's their presence has a different effect in

(01:46:43):
the room than being online and when they got to
look out. Let's be clear, you Alpha, you knew right,
you just became an Alpha and you and Alpha you
greet UAKA, all right, you you independent, gotcha? That's fine.

(01:47:04):
But I spoke to the National Panalytic Council together. The
keynot speech on Friday, and what I said is divine
nine Prince hal Mason Eastern Star links all those groups
when they roll in and the whole bunch of brothers
in black and gold walk in. Every legislator should be
going who them people. They need to be feeling our intensity,

(01:47:27):
our pressure, because all too often we go to Richmond,
or we go to Austin, or we go to other
state capitals, and we only go all operating in the
defense saying something's about to get cut. I want us
playing offense. And that's why I'm saying this, y'all go ahead.

Speaker 28 (01:47:47):
And so one of the important things we've talked about
also is see a touch on this is we're gonna
have to make extremely difficult decisions next year, extremely and
unfortunately because one of them. The things that happened not
just here in Virginia, not just in Texas but in California,
but across the nation right now are the cuts. I
served on the Emergency Committee to deal with basically the

(01:48:08):
DOJE actions in Virginia. And each month we travel each
each each time we traveled around this around this commonwealth.
We went from Norfolk to Richmond to Southwest Virginia, a
Northern Virginia, and every single time we learned about how
these cuts are not just hurting at the state level
but the local level. And there isn't a state in

(01:48:29):
this nation that can deal with five hundred million dollar
cuts in education, a billion dollar cuts in medicaid, potentially
five hundred million in transportation and still provide the same
type of results we've normally provide. So next year is
going to be about sustaining and making sure. But as
you as you point out as well, we need advocates

(01:48:50):
to come in pressure push on us. They should. If
you have an issue, come and talk to us. That
is the most important thing you can do is come
to our office. We know that we all all of
us were gonna be in committees, we have staff. You
come and talk with us in person is very important
because you're able to convey exactly what's going on with you.
But we're gonna be making those decisions next year, and

(01:49:10):
we need to make sure that advocates especially And one
final thing just this year and part of our legislation
we have I had a piece on that was gonna
be a to provide some of the offshore win towards
an ABCU. It was basically free. We couldn't even get
the governor to sign that. And so that that is
what we've been fighting on, at least for me for
the past two years. I know See has been fighting

(01:49:31):
for it for longer. That when we get there next year,
we have a lot of hard, hard decisions to make,
but we do need to we do have to make
sure that we're going to be pushing forward with those
with those areas that.

Speaker 1 (01:49:42):
Need to be And again, I just want our people
to understand there we're gonna have to push the span
Burger wins, she gonna get have to get pushed on
some stuff. And so again, I just I just want,
I just want us to understand that tomorrow after tomorrow night,
it's not I my person one, No, I need our

(01:50:05):
folk bringing holy hell on our agenda, making it clear
what the expectation are. And I listened I all around
the country. I look, it's Jesse Jackson Junior. He was
in Congress Heit. They said, they were like, congressmen, you're
gonna roll the show. He's like, what are you talking about?
They were like, oh, y'all friends. He's like, no, no,
let me real clear. Roland gonna kick my behind. He

(01:50:28):
said we might be friends, he still gonna kick my behind.
My position is always being clear. I'm putting pressure on
everybody because I have an expectation. Look, the Obama people
still can't stand me because I said, look, we didn't
sit here and do all that vote and carn all
that water just to get a couple of things. I said,
I had an expectation for more. And guess what if

(01:50:49):
we didn't get everything what we get, we still should
be demanding more. I think for a lot of us,
and I said this about Obama, a lot of us
never left our inauguration parade. Everybody else left. We were
just happy to see a first black family. We forgot
he was the first, but he was the forty fourth,
and a lot of us did not respond to him

(01:51:10):
the way we should have as the forty fourth because
we kept being fixated on the first. And so I
appreciate our elected officials and others. My thing always is
I want maximum pressure to get maximum results, and you're
supposed to get as much as you can while you can,
because it ain't no guarantee sitting Lucas is going to

(01:51:31):
be over the money in the Senate, no guarantee how
long don Scot's canna be speaking of the House. So
you get as much as you can while you can.

Speaker 36 (01:51:39):
Can I add one thing, go right ahead, And I
appreciate the fact that you highlighted Jay Jones because one
of the things that we know is that the states
with Democratic attorneys general, they have been able to sue
and win some of their money.

Speaker 1 (01:51:52):
C's Illinois, Navada, Minnesota, yep.

Speaker 36 (01:51:55):
Absolutely, Virginia was missing because our current AG, Jason Miarrez,
is too busy at Trump rallies.

Speaker 1 (01:52:01):
We are leaving that money on the table, yep.

Speaker 36 (01:52:05):
And so I want to like everybody got to tap in,
and so I am asking that everyone understand that Jay
Jones is the one that will fight for our money.

Speaker 1 (01:52:14):
They get final thoughts, make you make your final log ament.

Speaker 37 (01:52:20):
Yes, as far as the Rainy Day Fund, of course
it can only go so far. But I also feel
that yes, we do need to be held accountable because
when we're held accountable, we perform better. Everyone does. That's
why we have coaches and the community need to hold
us accountable. But also the community needs to be involved

(01:52:41):
because the community the votes are what put us in power.
But the votes are what can take people out of
power and the powers in the.

Speaker 1 (01:52:51):
Hands of the people. So when we work together, we
can put that pressure on.

Speaker 37 (01:52:56):
Those who can make the decision and whether those funds
are being channeled.

Speaker 1 (01:53:01):
So we need to work together. And I believe in
community and the strength of community. It was doctor Martin
Luther King Jr.

Speaker 37 (01:53:07):
Who said, no man or woman is an islander to
himself or herself, but.

Speaker 3 (01:53:12):
A part of the whole.

Speaker 1 (01:53:14):
That means we all work together for the good of
all of us. And when and when lbj Told King,
I don't have the power to do it, King said
to these people, Okay, we're gonna go out and we're
gonna go get him some power, and had pressure is
what put pressure on them.

Speaker 28 (01:53:30):
Mike, one of the most important things that we've got
to talk see over these past two years is the
importance of not just in terms of your vote, not
just in terms of your advocacy, but the results and
the fact that my colleagues here, even with a Republican governor,
even with a governor who vetoed many of our bills,

(01:53:52):
we were still able to do outstanding work. Imagine what
we can do when we have someone like Abagail Spamburger
in office. Imagine what we can do when we have
someone like an LG. Hashbi have maaged what we can do.
We have someone like ag Jones and a Senate and
a House of Delegates taken care taking care of the convo.
So I'm excited about what we're about to be able
to do over these next two years. And we're just

(01:54:16):
getting started in terms of the investment in our community.
And y'all should be really be proud of not just
the work that we have done but we will do,
but also continue to push on us to make sure
that we're delivering see up.

Speaker 36 (01:54:28):
So I'm not sure if y'all know, but I'm going
to speak my mind wherever I am, and that is
especially on the House floor, and most recently I spoke
my mind about the redistricting.

Speaker 1 (01:54:40):
All of the love that.

Speaker 16 (01:54:41):
You all have shown me will mean absolutely nothing if.

Speaker 36 (01:54:43):
We do not have a democratic trifecta in order to
push back on the Trump administration's power grabs. So it
is real cool to cheer us on, but if that
does not translate to votes in order for us to
be in office, then we just had a party.

Speaker 1 (01:54:59):
And not power.

Speaker 36 (01:55:00):
We have to exercise our power starting.

Speaker 1 (01:55:03):
With the vote. Yep. Absolutely.

Speaker 35 (01:55:08):
I know this is often overused, but I truly believe
that this is one of the most important elections of
our lifetime. Right, not trying to be hyperbolic, but I
truly believe that this could start the blue wave across
America when we had the majority.

Speaker 1 (01:55:22):
Last time, we had the.

Speaker 35 (01:55:23):
Trifector without all of them, as our governory passed historical
legislation with see it's helped.

Speaker 1 (01:55:28):
We passed forty five days of early voting. We put we.

Speaker 35 (01:55:32):
Closed a lot of loopholes for gun shows and made
it a lot harder to get weapons.

Speaker 6 (01:55:37):
You know.

Speaker 35 (01:55:37):
We made sure that women were protected and their reproductive
rights were protected. And I promise of my colleagues. Once
you to take direct the majority and we have Abigail
Spaanberger as government, we will continue to do that. We
will not only fight for people in Hampton Rows, we
will fight for folks across the conwealth. So, Brother Martin,
I appreciate you having us here tonight and coming back
to Virginia Beach and speaking to us about this all

(01:55:58):
important election.

Speaker 1 (01:55:59):
Folks, UH, put your hands together for Virgil Thornton Mike
Fagan's see a price, Alex, ask you now, Alex, you
knew it this. You can't be dressing like a sigma.
That's a lot of blue you got on. I know, no, no, now, Mike, Mike,

(01:56:24):
you're going to pull him aside. He's a Neil. It's
a yeah. How long you been alpha? Eight months?

Speaker 22 (01:56:32):
Dog?

Speaker 1 (01:56:36):
That's a lot of blue. I'm just saying, I know
you got we can wear all colors, but that's a
lot of blue. I know you got the awful little risk,
but that's a lot of blue. Mike Ken, I'm gonna

(01:56:57):
need your handleg Ken, you said you on. I'm over
in ALPHAA do your work? Can all right?

Speaker 21 (01:57:04):
We go.

Speaker 1 (01:57:05):
You're gonna close this out with some of what for
when President Barack Obama had to say unsaid is rally Norfolk.

Speaker 6 (01:57:13):
You know a lot of people have asked me lately
whether I'm surprised by the direction.

Speaker 1 (01:57:22):
The country is taken.

Speaker 6 (01:57:25):
And even though I am the hope and change guy,
I try to be honest with him, so I say, yes,
there are things I.

Speaker 1 (01:57:43):
Am worried about.

Speaker 6 (01:57:46):
I am worried about how quickly basic democratic rules and
norms have been weakened. I'm worried about how willing Republicans
in Congress have been to surrender their role as members
of a co eqll branch of government, refusing to buck
the president even when they know he's out of line,

(01:58:07):
even when a lot of them will privately admit that
power is being abused in ways that will hurt their
constituents and hurt the country. I worry about a Supreme
Court that, so far, at least, has shown no willingness
to check this administration's accesses, even when those actions break

(01:58:29):
legal precedent and seem to defy the bedrock principle that no.

Speaker 1 (01:58:34):
One is above the law. I worry about the growing.

Speaker 6 (01:58:39):
Concentration of economic power in this country, but just a
handful of mega billionaires and companies controlling what.

Speaker 1 (01:58:46):
We see and what we hear.

Speaker 6 (01:58:49):
And I worry about how much that economic power distorts
the political process. I worry about how readily not just
business leaders but others with influence in law firms and universities.
I've been going to bend the knee this presen's autocratic

(01:59:11):
impulses to avoid retribution, or protect profits, or simply to
avoid controversy. And I worry sometimes how we've come to
accept this is.

Speaker 1 (01:59:28):
Normal But.

Speaker 6 (01:59:36):
What I also tell people when they ask me about this,
but I also try to remind them, is that America's
always had competing stories about who we are and what
this nation stands for. The first story says we.

Speaker 1 (01:59:56):
The people.

Speaker 6 (01:59:59):
Just means some of us that in order to qualify,
you have to be the right color, or come from
the right family, or worship in the right way, or
have enough money. It says that even though we got

(02:00:21):
rid of a king, there's still a cast system in America,
a pecking order of who makes decisions and who obeys,
who gets opportunity, and who is obliged to serve. And
it's a story that's policed by fear and force, that
tries to convince people that for their group to win,

(02:00:41):
another group has to lose. That if somebody doesn't look
like you, or think like you, or practice religion exactly
the same way you do, they must be a threat
to your way of life, and they need to be
put in their place. And that's how Donald Trump thinks
about America.

Speaker 1 (02:00:58):
Make America great.

Speaker 6 (02:01:00):
Again by putting the people like him back in charge,
even if they don't know what the hell they're doing.

Speaker 1 (02:01:11):
All right, folks, that is it we are done. This
is the fifth show that we have done in Virginia
focused on this election again. Tomorrow is election Day, November fourth.
Polls over at what time six am? Close at what
time seven pm. That's in Virginia, folks. Now, keep in

(02:01:31):
mind other parts of the country. You've got elections taking place.
Check this sequel's happening in your city, in your state.
There are going to be city elections, school board elections.
DA raceis state Supreme Court, Public Service commissioner in Georgia.
You got propositions on the ballots in different states all
across the country, and so let's maximize our power. I've

(02:01:52):
said this consistently that in too many places where African
Americans are, we are voting at thirty two, thirty five,
forty four, twenty five, fifty percent of our capacity. If
we hit seventy percent, if we make seventy percent our
minimum goal. Understand, if you've got fifty thousand people, fifty
thousand African Americans and twenty five thousand of them vote

(02:02:13):
at fifty percent, But it's a whole different ballgame if
you hit seventy percent, eighty percent. And do understand, we
complain about stuff all the time. People say they want change,
they want new policies, but you cannot make any policy
change if you don't change the politicians who are the
ones who make the policy. So you've got to be

(02:02:37):
willing to maximize the opportunity. And that's why your vote
is critically important. And so make that phone call, Call
your friends, call your neighbors, call your family members, and
say are you going to the polls offer folks to
ride to the poll in this state tomorrows'll holiday correct
election day, and so let's maximize our votes. And again,

(02:02:58):
when we do that, we can change cities, states and
change this country because too many of us are sitting out.
And again, you can complain, you can tweet about it,
post it on TikTok and Instagram, but if you are
simply not voting and you say that you are checking out,
then shut the hell up because I don't want to
hear you complain. So that's it for us, folks. Let

(02:03:20):
me thank New Light Baptist Church. Let me think the
Virginia Black Caukers. We appreciate all the support with the
show as well. And so tomorrow night we are live
at eight pm for our Election Night special. We're the
only black on outlet that will be live elections show
tomorrow night. Nobody else does what we do. We're gonna
have a jam packed group of folks in our studio.
We're gonna have, of course, guests, Bishop Barrow, Atasha Brown,

(02:03:43):
Cliff Albright, of course Glenda Carr from Higher Heights. We're
gonna have guests coming in all night giving you actual
live election results. Also, Britney Noble is going to be
live in Richmond from the Convention Center, should be doing interviews.
Various folks are here in the Virginia. So we're gonna
have comprehensive coverage tomorrow night on ROLLINGD Martin Unfiltered. Tell

(02:04:06):
everybody spread the word, y'all, ain't gotta waste your time
watching CNN, because trust me, you ain't gonna have I
saw Fox promo. Ain't nobody black gonna be on Fox.
I think seeing in throw in a couple of black dots.
MSNBC may have a couple of people, but I can
tell y'all right now, Tomorrow night, ROLLINGD Martin unfilter the

(02:04:27):
Black stud Network will be the blackest political show you've
ever seen. We got a black caterer, we got a
black Bartender and we're gonna be Black and the Black tomorrow,
so we're gonna be talking about the stuff that matters
to us. So y'all want to tune in, spread the
word live at Apmation on rollingd Martin Unfiltered, and the
Black stud Network normally live at six. I will not

(02:04:49):
be live at six tomorrow, Live at eight. Don't forget.
Also support the work that we do, John I bring
the Funk Fan Club. If you want to contribute to
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(02:05:10):
also for credit cards. Paypals are Martin Unfiltered, venmos r
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(02:05:33):
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(02:05:56):
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(02:06:18):
You can also download the social media A fan base,
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(02:06:39):
Right here, rolland Mark unfilched the Black Start Network Passion.
Thanks for all of your hospitality here. I'll see you tomorrow.

Speaker 37 (02:06:45):
Huh

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