April 6, 2026 • 59 mins
This week on The Black Perspective, Andrea Coleman breaks down a discriminatory lawsuit unfolding in Kansas City, Missouri, and why it deserves national attention.
Mike Stevens sits down with Pastor Steve Terry to reflect on the significance of the Easter holiday, while also sharing key insights on the 250-year journey of African American history.
Esther Dillard previews a compelling new three-part series examining the growing crisis of homelessness in America and the human stories behind the statistics.
Doug Davis sits down with Starlett Quarles, founder of the Minority Renewable Energy Project of California, highlighting the role of Black leadership in shaping a sustainable future.
And Roland Martin joins us with commentary.
Listen Now!
Mike Stevens sits down with Pastor Steve Terry to reflect on the significance of the Easter holiday, while also sharing key insights on the 250-year journey of African American history.
Esther Dillard previews a compelling new three-part series examining the growing crisis of homelessness in America and the human stories behind the statistics.
Doug Davis sits down with Starlett Quarles, founder of the Minority Renewable Energy Project of California, highlighting the role of Black leadership in shaping a sustainable future.
And Roland Martin joins us with commentary.
Listen Now!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's April fifth, the first Sunday of the month and
Easter Sunday. And on today's show, The Black Information That Works,
Andre Coleman talks about a discriminatory lawsuit in Kansas City,
Missouri that's worthy of your attention. We hear from Mike
Stevens a couple of times today as he talks with
pastor Steve Terry about the importance of the Easter holiday
(00:21):
and gives you facts on African American history. On this
two hundred and fifty year anniversary, Ester Diller previews a
new three part series shedding light on the growing reality
of homelessness in America. Doug Davis continues his conversation with
a black business leader from the Renewable Energy Conference with
Starlet Quarrels, founder of the Minority Renewable Energy Project of California,
(00:46):
and we get commentary from Roland Martin and James T. Harris.
These stories are coming your way. On today's program, Welcome
to the Black Perspective. I'm your host, Mike Island.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Welcome to the Black Person Perspective, a weekly community affairs
program on the Black Information Network featuring interviews and discussions
on issues important to the black community.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Good Sunday, and welcome to the Black perspective. You may
be observing Easter Sunday today, a day that most believers
considered to be the most important date on the Christian calendar.
The Black Information Networks Mike Stevens joins us now with
a pastor to explain why that is the case.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Mike, all right, thanks Mike. Easter Sunday means different things
to different people. But for the real meeting, we're joined
by Pastor Steve Terry of New Grace, a church in
Fort Wayne, Indiana. Paster Terry has shared the Word of
God from coast to coast over many years, and we
thank you for joining us.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
I'm glad to be with you.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
I think this is prop perhaps the greatest day in
the life of the church, but I believe it's the
greatest day for the world for God who so loved
the world. So I'm just so glad to be on
with you today.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
So, continuing on with that thought, what is the real
meaning of Easter?
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Yeah, So it's funny because even using the term Easter
is more of the man made term for resurrection.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Sunday.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
It's the culmination of forty days of Lent, which is
leading up to the resurrection of Jesus. We're in a
Holy Week right now, but Easter it is resurrection or
the resurrection of Christ and he is Lord of all.
(02:40):
In a nutshell, that that's really what it is. It's
a day that represents hope that was promised before but
last for eternity. Easter or Resurrection Sunday, it's the fulfillment
of God's promise that was finished before the whole world
(03:03):
was created.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
And I think that's the key.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
It's not an afterthought, but Resurrection Sunday, it's really the
fulfillment of God's promise that he made before the foundations
of the world. In fact, salvation is God's plan that happened.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Before sin happened. Boy, I'll tell you, if you.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
Think about that for a while, that'll make you scratch
your head a little bit. But that's what the Bible
means in Romans hate when it says that for God
demonstrated his own love for us, that while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us. So it wasn't an afterthought,
but before the foundations of the earth, God planned our rescue.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
You know, In modern times, people have blamed certain groups
for crucifying Jesus. But he says it clearly in the
scripture that no man takes my life, but lay it
down willingly.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
Absolutely, Because again, even when you gread further in Acts,
you find three things. Number one, you find that God
had a plan, the plan for the son to die
right and to be raised to life. But he did
it with those who crucified, which really would be all
(04:23):
of us. They didn't do it without God's permission. Ultimately,
God had a purpose, and his ultimate purpose is so
that Christ who died for our sin, Christ, the one
who knew no sins, and he became our sin. And
I often say in the church that Jesus died instead
(04:47):
of us. He died for us. This is the big one.
He died as us. So God's purpose is so that
we would have the right to everlasting life. I coming
to faith in Christ Jesus, and really that that to
me is really why it's such a such an important
(05:09):
time to really understand.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
And of course the crucifixion is only part of the story.
As my Passion says, early Sunday morning, he arose.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Yes, he rose with all power in his hand. And
I tell you what that is you know, I think
about it this way. A couple of things. Number One,
everybody who is here on earth, who's been created by
God has value, but early Sunday morning represents that it's
(05:42):
only those who come to Christ and making Lord have victory.
So it's it's so key to know the difference between
immagu Day, which is lets us know we are made
in the image of God. Everybody has value, but only
those who choose Christ have victory over death, hell and
(06:06):
the grave, because that's what Jesus came for, for death
to be defeated, for sin to be broken, for hope
to be alive. It's victory comes to those who choose
Christ as Lord.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
You know, it's funny you and I are of the
same generation growing up Easter miant, getting nice suit, you know,
Easter egg hunts, all kinds of things unrelated to the
resurrection of Jesus.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
Yeah. Absolutely, I think you're right. It's funny because we
have the congregation that our pastor here, and I just
know that God has been doing something so unique over
the last seven years or so. I think between every
five and seven years there's a trend of change. I've
(07:00):
been here since ninety seven and maybe five to seven years,
there's some kind of transition that takes place. And mainly
the reason why I think it happens, it's natural attrition,
some graduation when you have students who move off away,
and then in that five to seven years, people move,
(07:21):
they move out of state or relocate, maybe job and
then even death. All of those things take place while
the trends are happening in the world.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
You're right, when we were growing up, we.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
Were suited and booted ready for church, and we you know,
the commercialization of Easter wasn't the same, even though there
was Easter egg hunts and all of those type of things.
But I think what's happening now a days, in the
last days, there's more hopefully there are more people who
(07:56):
are seeking there's more information, number one, but people are
really seeking for the truth and really wanting to hear
and see the truth of God's resurrection and power. If
you even think about what happens during Holy Week, there's
a woman with the alabaster jar who anointed Jesus prepared
them for burial. Actually it happened twice in the beginning
(08:19):
of jesus ministry. The woman who had lived a sinful life.
They don't name her, but she had an alabaster jar.
But Holy Week Jesus was anointed with oil. What I
saw in this if you look at different generations in
different seasons, that one who anointed him earlier in his
(08:42):
ministry had lived a sinful life, but she recognized that
there was something more that she needed, and she needed.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
An encounter with the living God.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
Jesus was at Simon the Pharisees house, and though he
understood religion and he didn't understand relationship, so Simon knew
the etiquette, but.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
She understood the encounter.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
I believe we live in a day and age right
now that people want an encounter with the Living God
and not merely the etiquette or entertainment that's been happening
in church. So I think part of it is a
life cycle, and another part of it is people are
becoming more aware that Christ is Lord and he is
(09:32):
the Messiah.
Speaker 5 (09:35):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Well listen. If people want to reach you or follow
you online or in social media, they can do so
at New Grace fw dot org and also linked to
past sermons there. And you can also find Pasttaria on
Facebook live for what he calls rise or said store
(10:01):
with Pastor Steve Terry, Senior, and that said Tuesdays and
Thursday mornings at six thirty a m. Eastern time. Thank
you for stomping in with us, Pastor Steve Terry of
four Wayne, Indiana. We really appreciate you being here.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Yes, sir, thank you, Mike.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Back to you.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Thank you, Mike and Pastor Steve Terry. You may have
heard of redlining, the discriminatory practice of denying financial services
to residents of a specific ratio or ethnic background. The
practice has traditionally been used against black folks trying to
buy homes for many years.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Now.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
A lawsuit coming out of Kansas City, Missouri, is alleging
a similar practice is being used against black business owners there.
BNS Andrea Coleman has the details.
Speaker 6 (10:48):
Mike Cecilia Nubi Brown is a civil rights attorney out
of Chicago who used to live in the Kansas City,
Missouri area. She now represents two black business owners who
say they were discriminated against when looking to do business
in that Kansas City area because of their race. When
speaking with her a few days ago, Brown says she
and her clients are going up against the system, rooted
(11:09):
in a mindset that dates back to slavery. We start
with the summary of the case.
Speaker 7 (11:15):
We are representing three plaintiff entrepreneur black owned businesses Okay,
and they were trying to lease property in the Westport
Entertainment districts, which is one of the top three entertainment
districts in Kansas City. What they found was that every
(11:35):
time they tried to enter into Elise or they were
an Elase, that the Westport owners would blatantly say we
don't want black people here. They would say, you know,
we think that the black culture is dangerous. You know,
we're scared of the violence. And so there's already an
obvious racial discrimination component to it. But as we delved
(11:58):
in deeper, what we really find owned was that they
have organized a scheme. They have a coordinated scheme, which
we are pursuing under a rico, a civil reco and
conspiracy claims because what they.
Speaker 8 (12:11):
Have is a good neighbor agreement.
Speaker 7 (12:13):
And in this good neighbor agreement, they are bargaining for
people's liquor licenses and they're saying, hey, if you follow
our rules, then we'll consent to your liquor license. Being
that this is an entertainment district, it has bars, it
has restaurants. Everyone knows if your bar restaurant doesn't sell liquor,
it doesn't do well, right, And so they are basically bribing, threatening,
(12:36):
and coercing businesses to sign this good Neighbor agreement.
Speaker 8 (12:40):
And then if the business does something like.
Speaker 7 (12:43):
Employ a black dj or try to lease to black entrepreneurs,
they follow that good Neighbor agreement and they say we
don't want that here because of violence. And not only
does it bargain your liquor license. This good Neighbor Agreement
was given to the Liquor Control Agency. They knew what
this good Neighbor agreement was. They supported the Good Neighbor Agreement.
(13:06):
They recommended the Good Neighbor Agreement. So at this point
we are also trying to bring in the City of
Kansas City as well as the Director of Regulated Industries.
Speaker 6 (13:17):
That is so interesting. So, now have you seen a
copy of this good Neighbor Agreement? Does it specifically state
certain populations are not wanted or will be monitored closely
or anything like that.
Speaker 8 (13:29):
So I have read many copies.
Speaker 7 (13:31):
Of the Good Neighbor Agreement, and while the Good Neighbor
Agreement does not facially say you know, we don't want
certain demographics or populations. What I have is thousands of
documents showing me communications between the Westport Community Improvement District
executive director with the director of the Kansas City Regulated
(13:53):
Industries with other property and business owners that are specifically saying, hey,
this person this application and is black, or we're afraid
of the hip hop crowd, or you need to go
after this club because they played hip hop on Sundays
and so everything is couched in violence danger hip hop.
(14:14):
And just recently, we had a witness come forward and
give us a stunning affidavit. He was the former captain
of the Westport Public Security Department, and he told us
that he was instructed to target African American patrons, entrepreneurs,
(14:36):
and clubs that played hip hop. He said that the
powers that be instructed him to remove African Americans when
they weren't doing anything wrong, to target clubs that played
hip hop by creating tavern disturbances.
Speaker 8 (14:53):
These tavern disturbance.
Speaker 7 (14:55):
Reports are what you can forward to the regulated industry
and say, hey, this person.
Speaker 8 (15:02):
Is having another issue.
Speaker 7 (15:03):
You guys need to come down here, investigate, suspend or
revoke their liquor license and So that is the scheme
that they were using and that we are trying to
prove in court, and we have ample evidence to do it,
which is they were targeting black tenants, black patriots, and
black entrepreneurs by putting false tabing disturbances on them and
(15:27):
getting the liquor license revoked. Or what actually ended up
happening on a number of occasions was the property.
Speaker 8 (15:35):
Owners who are all white.
Speaker 7 (15:37):
By the way, there's not one single black property owner
in Westport and there's not one black tenant in Westport. Okay,
this is a business. This is an area with two
hundred and fifty one businesses.
Speaker 8 (15:49):
Not one person is black. Okay.
Speaker 7 (15:52):
What they've been doing is they've been telling property owners,
if you lease to a black tenant, then we will
get your liquor license removed.
Speaker 8 (16:02):
And so they haven't been leasing the black tenants.
Speaker 6 (16:04):
That is incredible. So what's the history the racial history
of that area?
Speaker 8 (16:09):
Absolutely, you know it is.
Speaker 7 (16:12):
It's actually kind of comical that people don't consider Missouri
a part of the South.
Speaker 8 (16:19):
Missouri was the last slave holding state.
Speaker 7 (16:22):
Okay, they were the last state to finally give up slavery.
And what's more interesting about this is that Westport, the
district of Westport, there is a building there now owned
by the Kelly brothers, Kyle Kelly, who's named in the lawsuit.
That building is where they used to auction enslaved black people.
Speaker 8 (16:46):
Oh wow.
Speaker 7 (16:47):
So the history of the racial disparity and discrimination and
quite frankly the.
Speaker 8 (16:54):
Hatred is so rich there.
Speaker 7 (16:57):
But what's even more concerning is that there is still
a building where black people were bought and sold, owned
by someone who evidence has recently shown US instructed different
officers to target black people.
Speaker 6 (17:17):
Wow. That's interesting. So the racism, it seems, still exists.
Speaker 7 (17:23):
I mean where if you think about it, it's almost
from a data standpoint, impossible to have two hundred and
fifty one businesses and not one is black owned.
Speaker 6 (17:36):
Wow, And what's the black population in that area?
Speaker 9 (17:39):
So?
Speaker 7 (17:39):
Actually Westport sits right in what is called midtown, so
it is really the convergence point the middle of Kansas
City and east of Westport is where historically most black
people live. And because of you know, integration and just mixing,
(17:59):
there's a large black population in that area. I used
to live in that area. It's frequented by black patrons.
And something happened in the early two thousands, they started
to put up this barricade, okay, in this entertainment district
that was manned by the Westport Public Safety officers by
(18:21):
the Kansas City Police Department, and there had to be
an entire task force put together because the community saw
how this barricade was actually just a way to keep
black people out. The community called for a task force.
And so for a while, Westport was acting in a
(18:44):
way to say, hey, we're inclusive.
Speaker 8 (18:47):
You know, we're letting everyone in.
Speaker 7 (18:49):
This barricade is just for safety measures. And then once
that barricade went away, you're starting to really see the dynamic,
you know, where black people are being removed from reason,
black people are being asked to disperse from groups when
white people are also standing in groups. Even the stereotypes
that black people bring violence to Westport, there's not one
(19:11):
black owner in Westports and violence is still occurring. And
what's really sad is that as I've gone through these records,
Westport has had murders and rapes that have been covered
up by regulated industries, by Kansas City regulated industries. They've
had notice of these things, they've not investigated them, they've
(19:35):
not shut down the illegal clubs that were selling liquor
that this happened at. Our theory is because they were
white owned clubs. If it had been a black business
or a black person, that would have been all.
Speaker 8 (19:49):
Over the news.
Speaker 6 (19:51):
Wow, now you have categorized this as historic. Help us
understand in what ways it is?
Speaker 8 (19:57):
Well, you know, it.
Speaker 7 (19:58):
Kind of goes back to what we were talking about previously.
Westport is known to have literally sold black bodies okay,
as chattel, as property, as nothing right, And here we are,
all of this time later, and black people are still
(20:19):
disenfranchised in the very same spot that perhaps their ancestors
were sold in. There has never been a case in
Kansas City where the plaintiffs really have the evidence and
the support from the community to go after what we
just know as like these big corporations, right, this conglomerate
(20:43):
of corporations that are being supported and helped by the
Kansas City Police Department, by the Kansas City officials.
Speaker 8 (20:52):
And you know, this case has not been easy.
Speaker 7 (20:56):
It is two plaintiffs defendants going up against a plethora
of defense attorneys at the best law firms, if you.
Speaker 8 (21:05):
Know, if you let them tell you.
Speaker 7 (21:07):
And I'm writing four briefs nearly every two weeks. Okay,
that's kind of unheard of, and it's not been an
easy case in front of the judge either. That is
so disheartening to hear. So where are you in the
case right now? I know you're asking what for seventy
million dollars or something along those lines. What exactly are
(21:29):
you hoping the outcome of this case will be? So
I represent you Fork LLC and the Source LLC. Those
are two independent companies. Fork is specifically asking for seventy
million dollars for business laws and business expectancy.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
You.
Speaker 7 (21:46):
Fork actually signed a lease, a ten year lease under
the assumption based on what the property owners said that
the business had usually had revenues of about seven million
a year. Okay, they made that representation to my client,
and my client based off that information, entered into a
lease and then was not able to get into the
(22:11):
building because the CID, you know, convinced the property owner
to reach the lease. So that client is specifically asking
for what would have been a ten year lease at
seven million dollars a year, seventy million dollars. But with
the added antitrust and racketeering claims, there's actually an opportunity
(22:34):
for my client to get triple that amount because when
you uncover a legal scheme, the state of Missouri and
the law does not favor that with the source. The
source actually was able to get into a building and
they had a lease, but when they chose not to
sign the good neighbor agreement, they started to get all
(22:56):
these termination notices. You know, they had a new lead
nearly every two weeks. These people were really trying hard
to intimidate them. And the space that they were in
had an upstairs and a downstairs. The downstairs was used
as an art gallery space and the upstairs was going
to be used to expand an existing business called the
Dakri Shop. Okay, they weren't able to expand that business.
(23:21):
They were shut out of using a part of the
building that they were paying rents on. And so my clients,
the Sores, are asking for all of the rents that
they were paid, all of the renovation fees that they
paid to expand this.
Speaker 8 (23:37):
Space in the way that they were told that they could.
Speaker 7 (23:40):
And again they're going to be able to get those
triple damages because of the Rico The way that the
Rico law is set out and then there's another plaintiff
who's represented by Stephen Williams, my co consul, similar story,
and their damages will be based off of the money
that they spent and the business expectancy that they lost.
Speaker 6 (24:03):
Due to new developments in the case. Cecilia Nuby Brown
says it will likely not be tried until next year
or the year after. She is hopeful for a positive
and just judgment against what she calls a racist and
discriminatory system that she says needs to be dismantled. I'm
Andrea Coleman on the Black Information Network.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
You can learn more about the lawsuit through the Kansas
City Defender, and if you have information you feel would
be helpful to the case, you can contact Cecilia Nuby
at Cecilia at newby Law dot com. Stay tuned for
this month's Leading Wild Black when we spotlight an economic
effort in the Midwest involving Reverend doctor Bernice King that's
(24:44):
opening up new pathways to progress for Black Americans and others.
A new three part series is shedding light on the
growing reality of homelessness in America and the stories behind
the statistics in Unhoused and Unheard. The Black Experience of Homelessness.
Reporter Esther Dillard takes a closer look at how housing
(25:04):
instability is impacting Black communities, from young adults aging out
of foster care to seniors struggling the stay of float
on fixed incomes. Part one of the series begins with
the story of a young woman navigating life after losing
her support system.
Speaker 10 (25:27):
When my mom passed away when I was the age of.
Speaker 11 (25:31):
Fifteen, it can happen quickly, a lost paycheck, a phone
call that changes everything.
Speaker 6 (25:37):
This is the first and a.
Speaker 11 (25:38):
Three part series called Unhoused and Unheard the Black Experience
of Homelessness. I'm Esther Dillard and you'll hear three stories,
one from a former college student, a retired senior, and
a mom of six. All are Black Americans who survived
housing instability and the systems around it. For some begins
(26:00):
not on a sidewalk, but when a safety net disappears.
Speaker 10 (26:04):
When my mom passed away when I was the age
of fifteen, I ended up going to Nigeria, where we're
originally from, to bury her.
Speaker 11 (26:15):
That's a Dora Anora. She works with the National Coalition
for the Homeless. She and her siblings were born here
in the US, but when she went to Nigeria to
bury her mom, things took a turn.
Speaker 10 (26:26):
A lot of things went on, but long story short,
we were left there and we had to go through
an extenuating process through the American Embassy in Nigeria to
be able.
Speaker 11 (26:40):
To get here, she says. When they finally got back
to the US, they had no one but each other
to rely on.
Speaker 10 (26:45):
And we made it back and ended up straight into
foster care because we didn't have any parents that could
take care of us at the time, or any relatives
that could take all of us in, so we were
ultimately split apart. And I'm a little older than my
(27:07):
younger sisters, so they were still within the foster care
system at the time when I aged out, and they
had a SILA arrangement, which was a semi independent living
arrangement where it's not like the Section eight vouchers or
the Housing Choice vouchers, and it's not like.
Speaker 8 (27:31):
Foster care. It's more like independent living, but.
Speaker 10 (27:37):
It's like the the it's the middle between independent living
and actually being on your own in an apartment. So
they would give you a certain amount back then, I
think it was like seven fifty or EIGHTGE fifty and
my sister and I had it at first. So we
(27:59):
managed to find a beautiful, newly built house in the
District Heights area with a wonderful and just just so
our style, very elegant, very fresh, very modern. And we
found a two bedroom basement apartment in that house. And
(28:20):
the landlords that lived upstairs, they were so amazing, a
wonderful couple that just they they let us do us
and we let them do them. It was a wonderful arrangement.
So I stayed there for my last year in foster care.
And at this time, I'm like, I'm asking my social workers, Okay,
(28:41):
what's going on? You know, what, what are my options?
What am I supposed to do? Because again I'm still
working two jobs, two you know, minimal wage jobs. At
the time, I'm twenty, about to turn twenty one. You
can't get too many jobs with that. I am in
my at twenty, I'm in my web second year of college,
(29:05):
you know, with the two degrees.
Speaker 8 (29:08):
So I'm busy.
Speaker 10 (29:09):
I have no time for anything, and I still can't
make ends meet.
Speaker 11 (29:13):
And Adorra is unfortunately not alone.
Speaker 12 (29:16):
Homelessness is a very very complex issue.
Speaker 11 (29:21):
First of all, Donald Whitehead leads to the National Coalition
for the Homeless. He says nationwide, youth who age out
of foster care face some of the steepest odds of
housing instability. He also says the stigma of unhoused has
traditionally focused on those who suffer from drug addiction or
mental health challenges.
Speaker 12 (29:41):
It's a lot broader than people suffering from mental health
or substance abuse issues, which is kind of the prevailing stereotype,
if you will, and mostly that's enforced by who people
encounter on the street. So many of the people who
are actually unhoused are people with substance abuse and mental
(30:05):
health issues, and people see that as a moral failure,
but really it's a structural failure. It is a failure
of our system to provide for the needs of people
with mental health and substance abuse issues. Now, the whole
population is much broader than that. We have an estimated
(30:26):
one point five million children in families that were counted
by the Department of Education as people being homeless in America.
We have our veteran population that makes up ten to
twenty percent. The largest sector of those who are unhoused
in this country are fifty five and older, so these
(30:49):
are our seniors. There is a large proportion of people
that are homeless for the first time, which means that
they have been successful at some point in life and
lived independently, but all of a sudden they couldn't afford
What is the biggest underlying cost of homelessness? Underlying cause
(31:12):
of homelessness, I mean, is the lack of affordable housing.
Now it is also overrepresented by people of color. African Americans,
for instance, make up thirteen percent of the general population,
but forty percent of the homeless population.
Speaker 11 (31:30):
And Adorra says the stress of living an uncertainty made
her have empathy for many who are working homeless like
she was many years ago.
Speaker 8 (31:39):
Especially for women.
Speaker 10 (31:42):
It just it's completely glossed over the fact that we
still have an internal system that will operate where whether
you are housed comfortable, cold, hot, you know, clean, dirty
or not, you know, it's still going to happen. And
all of that stuff costs. So you find yourself trying to,
(32:05):
you know, wrestle through things and trying to figure out
your budget on are you going to spend twenty dollars
on food or are you going to spend them on tampons?
Or you know, and where you're going to shower to
change all of these things.
Speaker 8 (32:23):
You know, some people I have found.
Speaker 10 (32:26):
I've had friends that had to that were living in
their cars in college, and they got like a Planet
Fitness gym membership just so they can be able to
use the showers and change in a place where they
felt comfortable and seemed semi homie in a way, just so.
Speaker 8 (32:48):
They can get to work.
Speaker 10 (32:49):
They inn't mind you. I don't think a lot of
people realize as well that in this country there are
more people that are working, actively working, and experiencing homelessness
then those that fit that actual stigma of oh, I'm
you know, strung out on drugs or went to prison
(33:12):
or you know, just didn't do it, didn't want to
do anything. The lazy people, that's the that fits the stigma.
There are way more people that are actively working two jobs, even.
Speaker 8 (33:25):
Two jobs even like no time.
Speaker 10 (33:28):
To even sleep when you're worried about being homeless.
Speaker 11 (33:32):
Whitehead says, the system so far is feeling the most vulnerable. Well,
I was looking at some of the numbers as far
as HUD and the numbers show that homelessness is its
highest level we've seen and shelters say that demand has
jumped since last year, and from where you set, what
(33:53):
has changed most recently that has you think that has
caused this jump.
Speaker 12 (34:00):
So I'm going to be a little bit controversial here
because I don't know if everybody shares this opinion. But
I've just done some research on criminalization and the fact
that we have three hundred and twenty communities that because
I asked myself the same question what has changed? So
(34:20):
a couple of things. You know, we're dealing with a
economic downturn which may result in a recession. People are
being laid off. Many people didn't make it back from COVID,
their jobs were eliminated, never to be seen again. We
also have the dramatic increase in housing costs some economists
(34:45):
say up to thirty percent increases year over year for
the last two years. And then you have the effects
of criminalization. Now that's where the controversy comes in. So
we've seen three hundred and twenty communities create ordinances since
last year after the grants pass Supreme Court decision that
(35:07):
make it basically illegal to be homeless.
Speaker 10 (35:10):
I don't know how I was able to get there,
but nine minutes later, somebody, somebody else's child wasn't able
to get there.
Speaker 11 (35:18):
There was a phone call that changed everything for a
door and turned your life around. You can hear that
part of the story by heading to the Color Between
the Lines podcast on iHeartRadio, the Color Between the Lines
YouTube channel, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Esther Dillard.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
Thank you, Esther. If you are someone you know is
struggling with housing issues, health is available. You can visit
the National Coalition for the Homeless or call two one
one for local support services. Make sure you check out
part two of Vesters series next week. Now we get
commentary from Roland S.
Speaker 5 (35:53):
Martin.
Speaker 13 (35:54):
The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed in this commentary are
those of the author and do not necessarily represent those
of b N and its founding partners and employees. Now
it's time to bring the funk with Roland S Martin.
Speaker 14 (36:10):
Is anyone shocked that the United States would be one
of three countries to not vote accordingly or vote yes
for the Ghanaian resolution calling the Transatlantic slave trade the
(36:30):
gravest crime against humanity. One hundred and twenty three countries
voted in favor. Three countries voted against it, the United States, Israel,
and Argentina. Fifty two countries have stained, including the United
Kingdom and European Union member states. Now, why are we
(36:56):
not shocked Because the people that were most focused on
the atrocities voted against it, and the resolution is not
legally binding, and UK American other places have long said
they're not going to pay reparations. Because what we have
(37:19):
to understand is that when you talk about the Transatlantic
slave trade, and then we start talking about colonialism, imperialism
and how countries like the United States, England, France, Germany,
(37:39):
Belgium treated African colonies, then you're really getting into world history.
And while we have problems today when you think about
the Berlin Conference when they just decided we're going to
carve up Africa, the existing borders in Africa were created
(38:01):
by white Europeans. And so this good resolution, while non binding,
really is important because it lets us know today where
people really stay in. I'm Roland Martin on the Black
Information Network.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
Thanks Roland, and tune in for daily commentary from Roland
Martin and James T. Harris right here on the Black
Information Network. This year is the two hundred and fiftieth
anniversary of the United States, and various activities are going
on around the country to tell the story of how
African Americans played a part in the founding of our nation.
BIN News anchor Mike Stevens joins us now with one
(38:40):
of those little known facts.
Speaker 5 (38:42):
Mike, all right, thank you, Mike.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
Doctor Larry Watson is a professor at HBCU South Carolina
State University with some interesting insight into Black and American
history in twined together in a way that many of
us really never learned it mount in school. We are
so glad to have you with us on the Black
Information Network.
Speaker 9 (39:04):
Sir, Thank you, I'm great we're here. Thank you for
the opportunity to talk to you on this subject.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
Yeah, this is a really interesting topic. We have often
said in our news of Black Americans have fought in
every war or conflict in this country, including the first one,
the Revolutionary Ward. But apparently there is more history than
that available now and it connects to South Carolina. Please explain.
Speaker 9 (39:31):
There were more than five thousand African Americans fault for
the United States Army, for the Condal Army or state militias,
adoring the main phase of the war between seventeen seventy
five and seventeen eighty one eighty three, South Carolina course,
which had had a black majority, had a significantly large
(39:52):
number of African American fault with the state militia, even
though officially the state did not want to use after
American troops and in fact that they were asked to
do that and they refused officially, but unofficially they did
uh as they served in an account of roads. Of course,
(40:16):
we always thinking about the battles, people who have to
have guns, ex fighting, but that's a very small part
of what they do. You have black laborers who care supplies,
who worked the camps, who cooked, You had support people
who carried ammunition, who kept wepantry together, who built defenses,
(40:36):
who kept their rods together. You had the afric American
who served as buys who gathered information from the from
the British who supplied that to the Americans. And you
had those who actually were drummers who actually helped keep
units together in the heat of battle. So to memities
to just people with guns who were shooting at other
(40:56):
people really does not tell the true story of the
affirmat avron Man and since South Carolina had more revolution
revel than any of US colony and I keep seeing college.
But then they become States tuned period. They were a
significant part of that United States victory and the Revolutionary War.
In fact, twenty percent of all the subject caught in
the war were actually African American soldiers.
Speaker 2 (41:19):
So five thousand African Americans fighting in the Revolutionary War,
and as you mentioned, they were not really wanted, but
they ended up serving anyway.
Speaker 15 (41:29):
What was the motivation, Well, freedom, there was always freedom.
Speaker 9 (41:33):
Initially they were in the in the militia than part
of the original amenute means where you when you see
footage of a minute means you see black combatants, you
see them in the valley of Concord of the Hill.
But as the war escalated, George Washington officially has commanded
chief of the Colon of Horses, issued an official statement
(41:54):
that did noted the use of black troops. He said,
we don't really want them. But as the war became
more and more serious, they reversed their policy. So blacks
came back into the army. On the actually raised black units,
so like the rolled down a Negro regiment was an
all black unit that served with Washington. They were condinal soldiers.
So that was the initial response, officially out, then officially in,
(42:18):
and then officially out again, and then that we're moving
to seventeen seventy eighty seventy nine, they were officially back in.
All of the states had African Americans in their units
officially except for Virginia. In South Carolina, the motives were freedom.
African American soldiers typically fought on the side that gave
(42:40):
them the greatest opportunity of freedom. In fact, more African
Americans served with the British than down with the Americans,
and more than twenty plus thousand of them actually left
with the British where the British left the thirteen Colonies
or by seventeen eighty three. So they was always by
freedom uh and and men of their will promise freedom
(43:02):
if they fought, and many of them did in fact
received freedom because they did serve in the United States
Army during the Publish War.
Speaker 2 (43:11):
And although this is not a part of our official topic,
I think it's interesting. It sounds like the same type
of thing went on during the Civil War with I
believe Fort Sumter was one of the first battles and
black people were still fighting for freedom.
Speaker 15 (43:27):
Many years later, Fremie Douglas, who was always campaigning for
the use of black troops the Civil War, Uh, he
becustomed lobby and Lincoln to use black troops, to use
black troops and and and the argument was Lincoln said
he didn't want to use slave and Union generals didn't
want to use enslaved people.
Speaker 9 (43:47):
Even so, it doesn't make this famous statement that slave
will now fight, but freed nick ros will. And so
Lincoln moved in that direction because he realized that if
an accentence fighting the war was freedom, afric America with
in fact in this and they did so. By the
time the Civil Wars over with, there's two hundred thousand
(44:09):
black tops in the Federal Army. So you can say
that African American tops, they're all freedom.
Speaker 2 (44:16):
And then, of course, in later wars, not to get
too far off of our topic, but you know, World
War one, world War two, blacks fought again for freedom,
came back home and faced discrimination again.
Speaker 9 (44:28):
And segregated units. And we don't get a desegregated military
until Truman at the World War two.
Speaker 2 (44:35):
And so, circling back to how we started this conversation,
Blacks serving in the military have a very strong connection
to South Carolina because Charleston was one of the main
ports where slaves were brought in from Africa, and it's
where my mother's people come from.
Speaker 5 (44:53):
They were Gulla and then of.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
Course from there, eventually slaves moved on from there to
many parts of the country. You know today a lot
of people have their roots in South Carolina.
Speaker 9 (45:04):
Yeah, South Carolina was a major portal entry. Charleston, course
one of the largest slave had one of the largest
slave markets in the United States and probably maybe not
even separate to New Orleans and of course Virginia initially,
but somewhere between forty and fifty percent. And I've seen
that curi estments of fifty six percent of all of
(45:26):
the African American United States if they if they traced
their heritage back, they traded back through the ports of Charleceton.
So Charleston, uh, the Charleston were the major portal of
entry for African Americans, whether they bedded out to the
West coast or whether they went to the west or
to the northeast. Of course, occurred in a major way
(45:48):
during the Great Migration about eighteen ninety two, about nineighteen thirty.
But this was a Southern phenomenon that originated in South Carolina,
and the South Carolinian migrated westward, they took that culture
with them. So we can all sort of look at
Charles to look at the state of South Carolina as
a major point of entry for people of African dissent.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
That is amazing. This is information that again many of
us did not get growing up, and you know, now
we have we can go online and do some research
about this and find out more information. But what you're
sharing is fascinating. How can people read more about your research?
Speaker 9 (46:31):
It's actually online at the SC two fifty website. That's
the Cster Centennia Commission that is going to tremend the
job to expose the history of South Carolina during the
revolutionary era. You can go into the South Carolina Department
of Arcademy History website and they have a tremendous database
(46:52):
that you can access online. So if you do it,
you will find it on the SC two fifty dot
org website, and I think that will be a good
place to start.
Speaker 2 (47:04):
And of course all this the two point fifty relates
to the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the country.
Speaker 9 (47:11):
This is the year, the two and the anniversary of
the decoration Independence. And so South Carolina has been preferably
this for several years now, and we'll be actually celebrating
it well into twenty twenty six, twenty seven, maybe twenty
twenty eight. So there's a lot going on, and there's
(47:31):
been a concerted and I think i'll say delivered effort
on the part of many people working with this project
to bring out the African American contribution to the war
in South Carolina.
Speaker 2 (47:43):
We thank you so much for coming on with as
doctor Larry Watson, a professor at HBCU South Carolina State University.
Very insightful.
Speaker 9 (47:53):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (47:54):
I enjoyed being here, Mike, Thanks Mike and Larry. There's
a green energy boom in California, and a black renewable
energy expert is fighting for black entrepreneurs to get in
on the new clean economy. Doug Davis continues his conversation
with a black business leader from Los Angeles, whose upcoming
renewable energy conference will speak on the opportunities in front
(48:17):
of us.
Speaker 5 (48:17):
Hey, thanks Mike, my name is Doug Davis, and Happy
Resurrection Sunday, and welcome back to another segment. Of your
black business Starlet Coral's founder a California's minority renewable energy project,
is back from this past Friday's BII News. This hour
conversation about how black entrepreneurs are missing out on California's
green energy boom or event coming up on April eighteenth
(48:39):
at Hollywood Park, California, dives into how black entrepreneurs can
get their hands dirty per se and you know, how
black workers in the state can benefit from new job opportunities.
Started Corals, thanks for taking some time out this Easter
Sunday to continue our conversation you left off speaking about
this great wealth building opportunity and how churches, you know,
(48:59):
let's say, can even take part, as you suggested, setting
up charging stations on site as a way to gain revenue.
Speaker 16 (49:06):
So this is just an opportunity for us to get
our skin in the game in an growing economy, specifically
here in the citate of California.
Speaker 5 (49:14):
Absolutely, So, what do you see as some of the
biggest misconceptions that you know, black folks feel about clean energy?
You know, black folks here about solar. You know, they
may not be thinking that that's technically for them.
Speaker 16 (49:27):
I think we think that the green economy is just
about recycling. It's more than just recycling. This is a
trillion dollar industry and like I said, it's about saving money.
So when we're really lizing that, you know, global warming
is real and we don't talk about global warming enough
and its impact on our daily lives and the utility
of using solar as a power source and becoming our
(49:48):
own independent power sources. So we have the opportunity to
be able to not only have these solar panels. But
I also recognize is they're not really educated on the
benefit of the back of battery. The backup battery is
really where you're storing that solar energy during the day,
and if the grid is off at night, then you're
using that energy that you stored up during the day
(50:10):
and it just renews. So that's where you can determine
renewable energy because it's going to renew in the morning,
whereas with gas, right that can easily deplete. So you're
constantly renewing your energy source every single time the sun
comes up.
Speaker 5 (50:23):
So South La Inglewood Inland Empire, heavily black communities, folks,
they're kind of really worried more about their electric bills
they're the solar dreams because prices are so dang high.
How does this conference make them feel like this is
more about opportunity not just about networking.
Speaker 16 (50:42):
Because the panels, we have three different panel discussions. One
is on building Altadena sustainably. We have another conversation on
churches and how they can create their highest and best
use with their assets. And then we have a panel
on eedy chargers, careers and transitioning professionals even some of
(51:02):
these youth who don't want to go to college. The trades,
these green trades are going to be the new businesses
of the future. And then we have a Clean Energy
Resource Expo. I'm not here to reinvent the wheel. There
are several organizations out here that are already doing the work,
and I'm just trying to connect the dots with our
people so that they know that these programs, the incentives,
these rebates, because a lot of what the industry pushed
(51:25):
was rebates. And when they're looking at the federal administration
and removal of these rebates and these incentives. One, they're
still here in the state of California in terms of
local utilities. But when your power goes out for a
week or so or a number of days. You're not
going to care about the rebate that you received or
that you didn't receive. You want to still be able
to watch Netflix. You don't want to have to go
(51:47):
into your car and charge your phone and to be
able to get some form of power source. So this
is about the utility. It becomes a lifestyle. Right it's
getting hotter right now, it's like eighty degrees. It's spring.
This is summer where they here in California. We can't change.
We can't tell the winter from the spring from the summer.
So global warming is real. And what people also don't
(52:08):
realize is when we're all on this chat GBT, we're
all using AI. All that is pulling on the grid.
So it has to get to a point where we
want to be able to have a quality of life
in terms of our homes, in terms of our bills,
saving money on electricity because we're using the solar energy
or God's energy during the day and we're off the grid.
(52:29):
So there are opportunities for business development. We are very
innovative people. If we see it, we can be it
some mics to be able to show that there are
black people in this space, but not as many as
there should be. And I'm trying to create those pathways
for us to be able to connect the dots on
every social economic statu So, whether you're in the C suite,
whether you're an entrepreneur, whether you're in homeotor, whether you're
(52:52):
an electrician trying to expand your business capacity to now
be able to install level three EV chargers, the industry
is wide open.
Speaker 5 (53:02):
Let's talk about black folks who are looking at transitioning
into another industry. Are there any specific offerings for people
who again may want to transition, and then how can
some of these black contractors and entrepreneurs learn more about
these solar projects and how they can get ready to
walk away and build after this conference.
Speaker 16 (53:22):
Well, what they're going to learn is that here in
Los Angeles County in the state of California, there is
a bill called Title twenty four, Part six, which says,
by law, all new construction has to have solar panels
on them, has to be energy efficient ready. So when
they're talking about rebuilding Altadena and all those homes in Altadena,
(53:46):
they're all going to have to have some form of
sustainability or solar panels on their home that is a workforce.
I've known contractors who haven't been able to get a
certificate of occupancy and they're permitting because they didn't have
solar panels. It's like the train is moving already here.
So it behooves general contractors electricians to better understand this
(54:07):
economy because there is a workforce that is putting solar
panels on these homes and they don't look like us.
And I'm trying to tell us, hey, there is a
demographic out here that is killing it in this industry,
and we need to be able to get into the game.
They're rebuilding these homes and Altadena and Palisades even because
of this title twenty four, Part six. If you have
(54:28):
an ADU and a lot of us are putting ADUs
in our back homes as additional income streams, you're going
to have to put solar panels. So for me, there's
black solar contractors in this industry. I'm bringing them to
the table in terms of this summit. You can meet them,
you can talk to them about your homes. There are
financing options out there, a variety of different financing options
to be able to put solar panels in backup batteries,
(54:52):
or if you are a commercial property owner or a
multi family owner, think about putting some EV chargers on
your lot. Or if you are a faith based institution
and you're not using your parking lot six days a week,
why not open up to be able to not only
meet the demand of EV consumers like myself who don't
see enough chargers in the black community, while also making
(55:13):
some residual income.
Speaker 5 (55:14):
Absolutely, So let's get the five w's on the event
on April eighteenth. Where is it going to be at?
Will it be virtual? Who's all going to be there?
Give me the four one one.
Speaker 16 (55:23):
So it is on Saturday, April eighteenth here in Los
Angeles at Hollywood Park in Inglewood. And I chose Hollywood
Park because not only was it built sustainably. If you
know anything about Hollywood Park, our downtown entertainment district has
exploded from so far to the form to and to
it dome, So it was built sustainably. So it's a
(55:44):
beautiful outdoor promenade. We're going to have three panel discussions,
like I mentioned, one on rebuilding Alta Dina.
Speaker 13 (55:51):
With some.
Speaker 16 (55:53):
Contractors actually who are boots on the ground rebuilding their community.
They're from Alta Dina. They're contractors, they're hoping, they're their
neighbors and their family members rebuild their homes. So we're
going to talk about how they're doing that sustainably. And
then we have our faith based panel and talking to
churches and pastors and the challenges of trying to get
them to really understand the paradigm shift that they need
(56:14):
in order to be able to want to create some
sustainable opportunities on their assets.
Speaker 8 (56:19):
And then again EV.
Speaker 16 (56:20):
Chargers what a lot of people don't understand in terms
of the workforce with the EV charging and the maintenance operate.
There's a lot of software and these kids know software
better than anything else, right, They know these technology better
than we do. But these are careers, right, So it's
about connecting the dots. It's from ten am to three
(56:41):
pm at the Hollywood Park Saturday.
Speaker 5 (56:44):
Eighteenth, all right, And will it be virtual, you know,
because there could be some folks listening right now who
may not live in LA who would like to learn
more about this.
Speaker 16 (56:54):
It will not be live stream, but it will be
recorded and so we will be posting the content on
our website MREPCA dot org. If you go to there,
now you can see some of our conversations from last
year summit. This is our second annual and in that
first summit, we talked about the blue economy. We don't
often talk about aquaculture and the careers with water and
(57:16):
renewable projects and businesses that come out of the ocean
and how do we lift sustainably using water as a resource.
So exposing those opportunities was our mission last year, and
so we put that content on our website and we
will put up our panel discussions from this summit on
our website as well. You can always follow us on
our social media platforms.
Speaker 3 (57:37):
Yep.
Speaker 5 (57:38):
That's always about to say can you share the website
and your social media and how can people reach you
individually if they need to. I'm sure you're on LinkedIn, right.
Speaker 16 (57:45):
I am on LinkedIn at start at quarrels. Our website
is mr EPCA dot org as well as on Facebook
and our Instagram is m repca right.
Speaker 5 (58:01):
Any final words.
Speaker 16 (58:02):
I would just want to encourage that black people to
really look at how to transition into the sustainable industry,
whether you're an entrepreneur, whether you're a homeowner, really thinking
about incorporating God's son into our lifestyle, right, He's going
to save us money, He's going to help us live
healthier lives. And it's the sun is going to last
(58:24):
till the end of time. So let's get into an
industry where we can monetize God's energy.
Speaker 5 (58:29):
That's what's up start it quarrels looking out for black entrepreneurs.
Appreciate that. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and information about
this new green renewable energy opportunity in California and how
black entrepreneurs can get involved. That's what we're all about
here on the Black Information Network and you're a black business.
This is Doug Davis. Have a great resurrection Sunday.
Speaker 1 (58:51):
Thanks Doug and Starlet, and that's our show for today.
For more on these stories, listen to the Black Information
Network on the free iHeart radio app or log on
to bionnews dot com for all of the latest news
impacting the black community. We would love to hear from
you about the black perspective. Log on to the Bion's
Talkback live feature on the iHeartRadio app as well as
(59:14):
the new feature on binnews dot com to share your feedback. Also,
be sure to follow us on social media at Black
Information Network and on X and Blue Sky at black
Info NEET, make the Black Information Network first on your
car radio and iHeartRadio app presets. And before we go,
we want to wish you a happy Easter. I'm Mike Island.
(59:36):
We'll see you next week with a new episode of
The Black Perspective with stories from our illustrious bi anchors
right here on the Black Information Network.
It's April fifth, the first Sunday of the month and
Easter Sunday. And on today's show, The Black Information That Works,
Andre Coleman talks about a discriminatory lawsuit in Kansas City,
Missouri that's worthy of your attention. We hear from Mike
Stevens a couple of times today as he talks with
pastor Steve Terry about the importance of the Easter holiday
(00:21):
and gives you facts on African American history. On this
two hundred and fifty year anniversary, Ester Diller previews a
new three part series shedding light on the growing reality
of homelessness in America. Doug Davis continues his conversation with
a black business leader from the Renewable Energy Conference with
Starlet Quarrels, founder of the Minority Renewable Energy Project of California,
(00:46):
and we get commentary from Roland Martin and James T. Harris.
These stories are coming your way. On today's program, Welcome
to the Black Perspective. I'm your host, Mike Island.
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Welcome to the Black Person Perspective, a weekly community affairs
program on the Black Information Network featuring interviews and discussions
on issues important to the black community.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Good Sunday, and welcome to the Black perspective. You may
be observing Easter Sunday today, a day that most believers
considered to be the most important date on the Christian calendar.
The Black Information Networks Mike Stevens joins us now with
a pastor to explain why that is the case.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Mike, all right, thanks Mike. Easter Sunday means different things
to different people. But for the real meeting, we're joined
by Pastor Steve Terry of New Grace, a church in
Fort Wayne, Indiana. Paster Terry has shared the Word of
God from coast to coast over many years, and we
thank you for joining us.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
I'm glad to be with you.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
I think this is prop perhaps the greatest day in
the life of the church, but I believe it's the
greatest day for the world for God who so loved
the world. So I'm just so glad to be on
with you today.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
So, continuing on with that thought, what is the real
meaning of Easter?
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Yeah, So it's funny because even using the term Easter
is more of the man made term for resurrection.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
Sunday.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
It's the culmination of forty days of Lent, which is
leading up to the resurrection of Jesus. We're in a
Holy Week right now, but Easter it is resurrection or
the resurrection of Christ and he is Lord of all.
(02:40):
In a nutshell, that that's really what it is. It's
a day that represents hope that was promised before but
last for eternity. Easter or Resurrection Sunday, it's the fulfillment
of God's promise that was finished before the whole world
(03:03):
was created.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
And I think that's the key.
Speaker 4 (03:06):
It's not an afterthought, but Resurrection Sunday, it's really the
fulfillment of God's promise that he made before the foundations
of the world. In fact, salvation is God's plan that happened.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Before sin happened. Boy, I'll tell you, if you.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
Think about that for a while, that'll make you scratch
your head a little bit. But that's what the Bible
means in Romans hate when it says that for God
demonstrated his own love for us, that while we were
yet sinners, Christ died for us. So it wasn't an afterthought,
but before the foundations of the earth, God planned our rescue.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
You know, In modern times, people have blamed certain groups
for crucifying Jesus. But he says it clearly in the
scripture that no man takes my life, but lay it
down willingly.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
Absolutely, Because again, even when you gread further in Acts,
you find three things. Number one, you find that God
had a plan, the plan for the son to die
right and to be raised to life. But he did
it with those who crucified, which really would be all
(04:23):
of us. They didn't do it without God's permission. Ultimately,
God had a purpose, and his ultimate purpose is so
that Christ who died for our sin, Christ, the one
who knew no sins, and he became our sin. And
I often say in the church that Jesus died instead
(04:47):
of us. He died for us. This is the big one.
He died as us. So God's purpose is so that
we would have the right to everlasting life. I coming
to faith in Christ Jesus, and really that that to
me is really why it's such a such an important
(05:09):
time to really understand.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
And of course the crucifixion is only part of the story.
As my Passion says, early Sunday morning, he arose.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Yes, he rose with all power in his hand. And
I tell you what that is you know, I think
about it this way. A couple of things. Number One,
everybody who is here on earth, who's been created by
God has value, but early Sunday morning represents that it's
(05:42):
only those who come to Christ and making Lord have victory.
So it's it's so key to know the difference between
immagu Day, which is lets us know we are made
in the image of God. Everybody has value, but only
those who choose Christ have victory over death, hell and
(06:06):
the grave, because that's what Jesus came for, for death
to be defeated, for sin to be broken, for hope
to be alive. It's victory comes to those who choose
Christ as Lord.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
You know, it's funny you and I are of the
same generation growing up Easter miant, getting nice suit, you know,
Easter egg hunts, all kinds of things unrelated to the
resurrection of Jesus.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
Yeah. Absolutely, I think you're right. It's funny because we
have the congregation that our pastor here, and I just
know that God has been doing something so unique over
the last seven years or so. I think between every
five and seven years there's a trend of change. I've
(07:00):
been here since ninety seven and maybe five to seven years,
there's some kind of transition that takes place. And mainly
the reason why I think it happens, it's natural attrition,
some graduation when you have students who move off away,
and then in that five to seven years, people move,
(07:21):
they move out of state or relocate, maybe job and
then even death. All of those things take place while
the trends are happening in the world.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
You're right, when we were growing up, we.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
Were suited and booted ready for church, and we you know,
the commercialization of Easter wasn't the same, even though there
was Easter egg hunts and all of those type of things.
But I think what's happening now a days, in the
last days, there's more hopefully there are more people who
(07:56):
are seeking there's more information, number one, but people are
really seeking for the truth and really wanting to hear
and see the truth of God's resurrection and power. If
you even think about what happens during Holy Week, there's
a woman with the alabaster jar who anointed Jesus prepared
them for burial. Actually it happened twice in the beginning
(08:19):
of jesus ministry. The woman who had lived a sinful life.
They don't name her, but she had an alabaster jar.
But Holy Week Jesus was anointed with oil. What I
saw in this if you look at different generations in
different seasons, that one who anointed him earlier in his
(08:42):
ministry had lived a sinful life, but she recognized that
there was something more that she needed, and she needed.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
An encounter with the living God.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
Jesus was at Simon the Pharisees house, and though he
understood religion and he didn't understand relationship, so Simon knew
the etiquette, but.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
She understood the encounter.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
I believe we live in a day and age right
now that people want an encounter with the Living God
and not merely the etiquette or entertainment that's been happening
in church. So I think part of it is a
life cycle, and another part of it is people are
becoming more aware that Christ is Lord and he is
(09:32):
the Messiah.
Speaker 5 (09:35):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Well listen. If people want to reach you or follow
you online or in social media, they can do so
at New Grace fw dot org and also linked to
past sermons there. And you can also find Pasttaria on
Facebook live for what he calls rise or said store
(10:01):
with Pastor Steve Terry, Senior, and that said Tuesdays and
Thursday mornings at six thirty a m. Eastern time. Thank
you for stomping in with us, Pastor Steve Terry of
four Wayne, Indiana. We really appreciate you being here.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Yes, sir, thank you, Mike.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
Back to you.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Thank you, Mike and Pastor Steve Terry. You may have
heard of redlining, the discriminatory practice of denying financial services
to residents of a specific ratio or ethnic background. The
practice has traditionally been used against black folks trying to
buy homes for many years.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Now.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
A lawsuit coming out of Kansas City, Missouri, is alleging
a similar practice is being used against black business owners there.
BNS Andrea Coleman has the details.
Speaker 6 (10:48):
Mike Cecilia Nubi Brown is a civil rights attorney out
of Chicago who used to live in the Kansas City,
Missouri area. She now represents two black business owners who
say they were discriminated against when looking to do business
in that Kansas City area because of their race. When
speaking with her a few days ago, Brown says she
and her clients are going up against the system, rooted
(11:09):
in a mindset that dates back to slavery. We start
with the summary of the case.
Speaker 7 (11:15):
We are representing three plaintiff entrepreneur black owned businesses Okay,
and they were trying to lease property in the Westport
Entertainment districts, which is one of the top three entertainment
districts in Kansas City. What they found was that every
(11:35):
time they tried to enter into Elise or they were
an Elase, that the Westport owners would blatantly say we
don't want black people here. They would say, you know,
we think that the black culture is dangerous. You know,
we're scared of the violence. And so there's already an
obvious racial discrimination component to it. But as we delved
(11:58):
in deeper, what we really find owned was that they
have organized a scheme. They have a coordinated scheme, which
we are pursuing under a rico, a civil reco and
conspiracy claims because what they.
Speaker 8 (12:11):
Have is a good neighbor agreement.
Speaker 7 (12:13):
And in this good neighbor agreement, they are bargaining for
people's liquor licenses and they're saying, hey, if you follow
our rules, then we'll consent to your liquor license. Being
that this is an entertainment district, it has bars, it
has restaurants. Everyone knows if your bar restaurant doesn't sell liquor,
it doesn't do well, right, And so they are basically bribing, threatening,
(12:36):
and coercing businesses to sign this good Neighbor agreement.
Speaker 8 (12:40):
And then if the business does something like.
Speaker 7 (12:43):
Employ a black dj or try to lease to black entrepreneurs,
they follow that good Neighbor agreement and they say we
don't want that here because of violence. And not only
does it bargain your liquor license. This good Neighbor Agreement
was given to the Liquor Control Agency. They knew what
this good Neighbor agreement was. They supported the Good Neighbor Agreement.
(13:06):
They recommended the Good Neighbor Agreement. So at this point
we are also trying to bring in the City of
Kansas City as well as the Director of Regulated Industries.
Speaker 6 (13:17):
That is so interesting. So, now have you seen a
copy of this good Neighbor Agreement? Does it specifically state
certain populations are not wanted or will be monitored closely
or anything like that.
Speaker 8 (13:29):
So I have read many copies.
Speaker 7 (13:31):
Of the Good Neighbor Agreement, and while the Good Neighbor
Agreement does not facially say you know, we don't want
certain demographics or populations. What I have is thousands of
documents showing me communications between the Westport Community Improvement District
executive director with the director of the Kansas City Regulated
(13:53):
Industries with other property and business owners that are specifically saying, hey,
this person this application and is black, or we're afraid
of the hip hop crowd, or you need to go
after this club because they played hip hop on Sundays
and so everything is couched in violence danger hip hop.
(14:14):
And just recently, we had a witness come forward and
give us a stunning affidavit. He was the former captain
of the Westport Public Security Department, and he told us
that he was instructed to target African American patrons, entrepreneurs,
(14:36):
and clubs that played hip hop. He said that the
powers that be instructed him to remove African Americans when
they weren't doing anything wrong, to target clubs that played
hip hop by creating tavern disturbances.
Speaker 8 (14:53):
These tavern disturbance.
Speaker 7 (14:55):
Reports are what you can forward to the regulated industry
and say, hey, this person.
Speaker 8 (15:02):
Is having another issue.
Speaker 7 (15:03):
You guys need to come down here, investigate, suspend or
revoke their liquor license and So that is the scheme
that they were using and that we are trying to
prove in court, and we have ample evidence to do it,
which is they were targeting black tenants, black patriots, and
black entrepreneurs by putting false tabing disturbances on them and
(15:27):
getting the liquor license revoked. Or what actually ended up
happening on a number of occasions was the property.
Speaker 8 (15:35):
Owners who are all white.
Speaker 7 (15:37):
By the way, there's not one single black property owner
in Westport and there's not one black tenant in Westport. Okay,
this is a business. This is an area with two
hundred and fifty one businesses.
Speaker 8 (15:49):
Not one person is black. Okay.
Speaker 7 (15:52):
What they've been doing is they've been telling property owners,
if you lease to a black tenant, then we will
get your liquor license removed.
Speaker 8 (16:02):
And so they haven't been leasing the black tenants.
Speaker 6 (16:04):
That is incredible. So what's the history the racial history
of that area?
Speaker 8 (16:09):
Absolutely, you know it is.
Speaker 7 (16:12):
It's actually kind of comical that people don't consider Missouri
a part of the South.
Speaker 8 (16:19):
Missouri was the last slave holding state.
Speaker 7 (16:22):
Okay, they were the last state to finally give up slavery.
And what's more interesting about this is that Westport, the
district of Westport, there is a building there now owned
by the Kelly brothers, Kyle Kelly, who's named in the lawsuit.
That building is where they used to auction enslaved black people.
Speaker 8 (16:46):
Oh wow.
Speaker 7 (16:47):
So the history of the racial disparity and discrimination and
quite frankly the.
Speaker 8 (16:54):
Hatred is so rich there.
Speaker 7 (16:57):
But what's even more concerning is that there is still
a building where black people were bought and sold, owned
by someone who evidence has recently shown US instructed different
officers to target black people.
Speaker 6 (17:17):
Wow. That's interesting. So the racism, it seems, still exists.
Speaker 7 (17:23):
I mean where if you think about it, it's almost
from a data standpoint, impossible to have two hundred and
fifty one businesses and not one is black owned.
Speaker 6 (17:36):
Wow, And what's the black population in that area?
Speaker 9 (17:39):
So?
Speaker 7 (17:39):
Actually Westport sits right in what is called midtown, so
it is really the convergence point the middle of Kansas
City and east of Westport is where historically most black
people live. And because of you know, integration and just mixing,
(17:59):
there's a large black population in that area. I used
to live in that area. It's frequented by black patrons.
And something happened in the early two thousands, they started
to put up this barricade, okay, in this entertainment district
that was manned by the Westport Public Safety officers by
(18:21):
the Kansas City Police Department, and there had to be
an entire task force put together because the community saw
how this barricade was actually just a way to keep
black people out. The community called for a task force.
And so for a while, Westport was acting in a
(18:44):
way to say, hey, we're inclusive.
Speaker 8 (18:47):
You know, we're letting everyone in.
Speaker 7 (18:49):
This barricade is just for safety measures. And then once
that barricade went away, you're starting to really see the dynamic,
you know, where black people are being removed from reason,
black people are being asked to disperse from groups when
white people are also standing in groups. Even the stereotypes
that black people bring violence to Westport, there's not one
(19:11):
black owner in Westports and violence is still occurring. And
what's really sad is that as I've gone through these records,
Westport has had murders and rapes that have been covered
up by regulated industries, by Kansas City regulated industries. They've
had notice of these things, they've not investigated them, they've
(19:35):
not shut down the illegal clubs that were selling liquor
that this happened at. Our theory is because they were
white owned clubs. If it had been a black business
or a black person, that would have been all.
Speaker 8 (19:49):
Over the news.
Speaker 6 (19:51):
Wow, now you have categorized this as historic. Help us
understand in what ways it is?
Speaker 8 (19:57):
Well, you know, it.
Speaker 7 (19:58):
Kind of goes back to what we were talking about previously.
Westport is known to have literally sold black bodies okay,
as chattel, as property, as nothing right, And here we are,
all of this time later, and black people are still
(20:19):
disenfranchised in the very same spot that perhaps their ancestors
were sold in. There has never been a case in
Kansas City where the plaintiffs really have the evidence and
the support from the community to go after what we
just know as like these big corporations, right, this conglomerate
(20:43):
of corporations that are being supported and helped by the
Kansas City Police Department, by the Kansas City officials.
Speaker 8 (20:52):
And you know, this case has not been easy.
Speaker 7 (20:56):
It is two plaintiffs defendants going up against a plethora
of defense attorneys at the best law firms, if you.
Speaker 8 (21:05):
Know, if you let them tell you.
Speaker 7 (21:07):
And I'm writing four briefs nearly every two weeks. Okay,
that's kind of unheard of, and it's not been an
easy case in front of the judge either. That is
so disheartening to hear. So where are you in the
case right now? I know you're asking what for seventy
million dollars or something along those lines. What exactly are
(21:29):
you hoping the outcome of this case will be? So
I represent you Fork LLC and the Source LLC. Those
are two independent companies. Fork is specifically asking for seventy
million dollars for business laws and business expectancy.
Speaker 3 (21:46):
You.
Speaker 7 (21:46):
Fork actually signed a lease, a ten year lease under
the assumption based on what the property owners said that
the business had usually had revenues of about seven million
a year. Okay, they made that representation to my client,
and my client based off that information, entered into a
lease and then was not able to get into the
(22:11):
building because the CID, you know, convinced the property owner
to reach the lease. So that client is specifically asking
for what would have been a ten year lease at
seven million dollars a year, seventy million dollars. But with
the added antitrust and racketeering claims, there's actually an opportunity
(22:34):
for my client to get triple that amount because when
you uncover a legal scheme, the state of Missouri and
the law does not favor that with the source. The
source actually was able to get into a building and
they had a lease, but when they chose not to
sign the good neighbor agreement, they started to get all
(22:56):
these termination notices. You know, they had a new lead
nearly every two weeks. These people were really trying hard
to intimidate them. And the space that they were in
had an upstairs and a downstairs. The downstairs was used
as an art gallery space and the upstairs was going
to be used to expand an existing business called the
Dakri Shop. Okay, they weren't able to expand that business.
(23:21):
They were shut out of using a part of the
building that they were paying rents on. And so my clients,
the Sores, are asking for all of the rents that
they were paid, all of the renovation fees that they
paid to expand this.
Speaker 8 (23:37):
Space in the way that they were told that they could.
Speaker 7 (23:40):
And again they're going to be able to get those
triple damages because of the Rico The way that the
Rico law is set out and then there's another plaintiff
who's represented by Stephen Williams, my co consul, similar story,
and their damages will be based off of the money
that they spent and the business expectancy that they lost.
Speaker 6 (24:03):
Due to new developments in the case. Cecilia Nuby Brown
says it will likely not be tried until next year
or the year after. She is hopeful for a positive
and just judgment against what she calls a racist and
discriminatory system that she says needs to be dismantled. I'm
Andrea Coleman on the Black Information Network.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
You can learn more about the lawsuit through the Kansas
City Defender, and if you have information you feel would
be helpful to the case, you can contact Cecilia Nuby
at Cecilia at newby Law dot com. Stay tuned for
this month's Leading Wild Black when we spotlight an economic
effort in the Midwest involving Reverend doctor Bernice King that's
(24:44):
opening up new pathways to progress for Black Americans and others.
A new three part series is shedding light on the
growing reality of homelessness in America and the stories behind
the statistics in Unhoused and Unheard. The Black Experience of Homelessness.
Reporter Esther Dillard takes a closer look at how housing
(25:04):
instability is impacting Black communities, from young adults aging out
of foster care to seniors struggling the stay of float
on fixed incomes. Part one of the series begins with
the story of a young woman navigating life after losing
her support system.
Speaker 10 (25:27):
When my mom passed away when I was the age of.
Speaker 11 (25:31):
Fifteen, it can happen quickly, a lost paycheck, a phone
call that changes everything.
Speaker 6 (25:37):
This is the first and a.
Speaker 11 (25:38):
Three part series called Unhoused and Unheard the Black Experience
of Homelessness. I'm Esther Dillard and you'll hear three stories,
one from a former college student, a retired senior, and
a mom of six. All are Black Americans who survived
housing instability and the systems around it. For some begins
(26:00):
not on a sidewalk, but when a safety net disappears.
Speaker 10 (26:04):
When my mom passed away when I was the age
of fifteen, I ended up going to Nigeria, where we're
originally from, to bury her.
Speaker 11 (26:15):
That's a Dora Anora. She works with the National Coalition
for the Homeless. She and her siblings were born here
in the US, but when she went to Nigeria to
bury her mom, things took a turn.
Speaker 10 (26:26):
A lot of things went on, but long story short,
we were left there and we had to go through
an extenuating process through the American Embassy in Nigeria to
be able.
Speaker 11 (26:40):
To get here, she says. When they finally got back
to the US, they had no one but each other
to rely on.
Speaker 10 (26:45):
And we made it back and ended up straight into
foster care because we didn't have any parents that could
take care of us at the time, or any relatives
that could take all of us in, so we were
ultimately split apart. And I'm a little older than my
(27:07):
younger sisters, so they were still within the foster care
system at the time when I aged out, and they
had a SILA arrangement, which was a semi independent living
arrangement where it's not like the Section eight vouchers or
the Housing Choice vouchers, and it's not like.
Speaker 8 (27:31):
Foster care. It's more like independent living, but.
Speaker 10 (27:37):
It's like the the it's the middle between independent living
and actually being on your own in an apartment. So
they would give you a certain amount back then, I
think it was like seven fifty or EIGHTGE fifty and
my sister and I had it at first. So we
(27:59):
managed to find a beautiful, newly built house in the
District Heights area with a wonderful and just just so
our style, very elegant, very fresh, very modern. And we
found a two bedroom basement apartment in that house. And
(28:20):
the landlords that lived upstairs, they were so amazing, a
wonderful couple that just they they let us do us
and we let them do them. It was a wonderful arrangement.
So I stayed there for my last year in foster care.
And at this time, I'm like, I'm asking my social workers, Okay,
(28:41):
what's going on? You know, what, what are my options?
What am I supposed to do? Because again I'm still
working two jobs, two you know, minimal wage jobs. At
the time, I'm twenty, about to turn twenty one. You
can't get too many jobs with that. I am in
my at twenty, I'm in my web second year of college,
(29:05):
you know, with the two degrees.
Speaker 8 (29:08):
So I'm busy.
Speaker 10 (29:09):
I have no time for anything, and I still can't
make ends meet.
Speaker 11 (29:13):
And Adorra is unfortunately not alone.
Speaker 12 (29:16):
Homelessness is a very very complex issue.
Speaker 11 (29:21):
First of all, Donald Whitehead leads to the National Coalition
for the Homeless. He says nationwide, youth who age out
of foster care face some of the steepest odds of
housing instability. He also says the stigma of unhoused has
traditionally focused on those who suffer from drug addiction or
mental health challenges.
Speaker 12 (29:41):
It's a lot broader than people suffering from mental health
or substance abuse issues, which is kind of the prevailing stereotype,
if you will, and mostly that's enforced by who people
encounter on the street. So many of the people who
are actually unhoused are people with substance abuse and mental
(30:05):
health issues, and people see that as a moral failure,
but really it's a structural failure. It is a failure
of our system to provide for the needs of people
with mental health and substance abuse issues. Now, the whole
population is much broader than that. We have an estimated
(30:26):
one point five million children in families that were counted
by the Department of Education as people being homeless in America.
We have our veteran population that makes up ten to
twenty percent. The largest sector of those who are unhoused
in this country are fifty five and older, so these
(30:49):
are our seniors. There is a large proportion of people
that are homeless for the first time, which means that
they have been successful at some point in life and
lived independently, but all of a sudden they couldn't afford
What is the biggest underlying cost of homelessness? Underlying cause
(31:12):
of homelessness, I mean, is the lack of affordable housing.
Now it is also overrepresented by people of color. African Americans,
for instance, make up thirteen percent of the general population,
but forty percent of the homeless population.
Speaker 11 (31:30):
And Adorra says the stress of living an uncertainty made
her have empathy for many who are working homeless like
she was many years ago.
Speaker 8 (31:39):
Especially for women.
Speaker 10 (31:42):
It just it's completely glossed over the fact that we
still have an internal system that will operate where whether
you are housed comfortable, cold, hot, you know, clean, dirty
or not, you know, it's still going to happen. And
all of that stuff costs. So you find yourself trying to,
(32:05):
you know, wrestle through things and trying to figure out
your budget on are you going to spend twenty dollars
on food or are you going to spend them on tampons?
Or you know, and where you're going to shower to
change all of these things.
Speaker 8 (32:23):
You know, some people I have found.
Speaker 10 (32:26):
I've had friends that had to that were living in
their cars in college, and they got like a Planet
Fitness gym membership just so they can be able to
use the showers and change in a place where they
felt comfortable and seemed semi homie in a way, just so.
Speaker 8 (32:48):
They can get to work.
Speaker 10 (32:49):
They inn't mind you. I don't think a lot of
people realize as well that in this country there are
more people that are working, actively working, and experiencing homelessness
then those that fit that actual stigma of oh, I'm
you know, strung out on drugs or went to prison
(33:12):
or you know, just didn't do it, didn't want to
do anything. The lazy people, that's the that fits the stigma.
There are way more people that are actively working two jobs, even.
Speaker 8 (33:25):
Two jobs even like no time.
Speaker 10 (33:28):
To even sleep when you're worried about being homeless.
Speaker 11 (33:32):
Whitehead says, the system so far is feeling the most vulnerable. Well,
I was looking at some of the numbers as far
as HUD and the numbers show that homelessness is its
highest level we've seen and shelters say that demand has
jumped since last year, and from where you set, what
(33:53):
has changed most recently that has you think that has
caused this jump.
Speaker 12 (34:00):
So I'm going to be a little bit controversial here
because I don't know if everybody shares this opinion. But
I've just done some research on criminalization and the fact
that we have three hundred and twenty communities that because
I asked myself the same question what has changed? So
(34:20):
a couple of things. You know, we're dealing with a
economic downturn which may result in a recession. People are
being laid off. Many people didn't make it back from COVID,
their jobs were eliminated, never to be seen again. We
also have the dramatic increase in housing costs some economists
(34:45):
say up to thirty percent increases year over year for
the last two years. And then you have the effects
of criminalization. Now that's where the controversy comes in. So
we've seen three hundred and twenty communities create ordinances since
last year after the grants pass Supreme Court decision that
(35:07):
make it basically illegal to be homeless.
Speaker 10 (35:10):
I don't know how I was able to get there,
but nine minutes later, somebody, somebody else's child wasn't able
to get there.
Speaker 11 (35:18):
There was a phone call that changed everything for a
door and turned your life around. You can hear that
part of the story by heading to the Color Between
the Lines podcast on iHeartRadio, the Color Between the Lines
YouTube channel, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Esther Dillard.
Speaker 1 (35:34):
Thank you, Esther. If you are someone you know is
struggling with housing issues, health is available. You can visit
the National Coalition for the Homeless or call two one
one for local support services. Make sure you check out
part two of Vesters series next week. Now we get
commentary from Roland S.
Speaker 5 (35:53):
Martin.
Speaker 13 (35:54):
The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed in this commentary are
those of the author and do not necessarily represent those
of b N and its founding partners and employees. Now
it's time to bring the funk with Roland S Martin.
Speaker 14 (36:10):
Is anyone shocked that the United States would be one
of three countries to not vote accordingly or vote yes
for the Ghanaian resolution calling the Transatlantic slave trade the
(36:30):
gravest crime against humanity. One hundred and twenty three countries
voted in favor. Three countries voted against it, the United States, Israel,
and Argentina. Fifty two countries have stained, including the United
Kingdom and European Union member states. Now, why are we
(36:56):
not shocked Because the people that were most focused on
the atrocities voted against it, and the resolution is not
legally binding, and UK American other places have long said
they're not going to pay reparations. Because what we have
(37:19):
to understand is that when you talk about the Transatlantic
slave trade, and then we start talking about colonialism, imperialism
and how countries like the United States, England, France, Germany,
(37:39):
Belgium treated African colonies, then you're really getting into world history.
And while we have problems today when you think about
the Berlin Conference when they just decided we're going to
carve up Africa, the existing borders in Africa were created
(38:01):
by white Europeans. And so this good resolution, while non binding,
really is important because it lets us know today where
people really stay in. I'm Roland Martin on the Black
Information Network.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
Thanks Roland, and tune in for daily commentary from Roland
Martin and James T. Harris right here on the Black
Information Network. This year is the two hundred and fiftieth
anniversary of the United States, and various activities are going
on around the country to tell the story of how
African Americans played a part in the founding of our nation.
BIN News anchor Mike Stevens joins us now with one
(38:40):
of those little known facts.
Speaker 5 (38:42):
Mike, all right, thank you, Mike.
Speaker 2 (38:43):
Doctor Larry Watson is a professor at HBCU South Carolina
State University with some interesting insight into Black and American
history in twined together in a way that many of
us really never learned it mount in school. We are
so glad to have you with us on the Black
Information Network.
Speaker 9 (39:04):
Sir, Thank you, I'm great we're here. Thank you for
the opportunity to talk to you on this subject.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
Yeah, this is a really interesting topic. We have often
said in our news of Black Americans have fought in
every war or conflict in this country, including the first one,
the Revolutionary Ward. But apparently there is more history than
that available now and it connects to South Carolina. Please explain.
Speaker 9 (39:31):
There were more than five thousand African Americans fault for
the United States Army, for the Condal Army or state militias,
adoring the main phase of the war between seventeen seventy
five and seventeen eighty one eighty three, South Carolina course,
which had had a black majority, had a significantly large
(39:52):
number of African American fault with the state militia, even
though officially the state did not want to use after
American troops and in fact that they were asked to
do that and they refused officially, but unofficially they did
uh as they served in an account of roads. Of course,
(40:16):
we always thinking about the battles, people who have to
have guns, ex fighting, but that's a very small part
of what they do. You have black laborers who care supplies,
who worked the camps, who cooked, You had support people
who carried ammunition, who kept wepantry together, who built defenses,
(40:36):
who kept their rods together. You had the afric American
who served as buys who gathered information from the from
the British who supplied that to the Americans. And you
had those who actually were drummers who actually helped keep
units together in the heat of battle. So to memities
to just people with guns who were shooting at other
(40:56):
people really does not tell the true story of the
affirmat avron Man and since South Carolina had more revolution
revel than any of US colony and I keep seeing college.
But then they become States tuned period. They were a
significant part of that United States victory and the Revolutionary War.
In fact, twenty percent of all the subject caught in
the war were actually African American soldiers.
Speaker 2 (41:19):
So five thousand African Americans fighting in the Revolutionary War,
and as you mentioned, they were not really wanted, but
they ended up serving anyway.
Speaker 15 (41:29):
What was the motivation, Well, freedom, there was always freedom.
Speaker 9 (41:33):
Initially they were in the in the militia than part
of the original amenute means where you when you see
footage of a minute means you see black combatants, you
see them in the valley of Concord of the Hill.
But as the war escalated, George Washington officially has commanded
chief of the Colon of Horses, issued an official statement
(41:54):
that did noted the use of black troops. He said,
we don't really want them. But as the war became
more and more serious, they reversed their policy. So blacks
came back into the army. On the actually raised black units,
so like the rolled down a Negro regiment was an
all black unit that served with Washington. They were condinal soldiers.
So that was the initial response, officially out, then officially in,
(42:18):
and then officially out again, and then that we're moving
to seventeen seventy eighty seventy nine, they were officially back in.
All of the states had African Americans in their units
officially except for Virginia. In South Carolina, the motives were freedom.
African American soldiers typically fought on the side that gave
(42:40):
them the greatest opportunity of freedom. In fact, more African
Americans served with the British than down with the Americans,
and more than twenty plus thousand of them actually left
with the British where the British left the thirteen Colonies
or by seventeen eighty three. So they was always by
freedom uh and and men of their will promise freedom
(43:02):
if they fought, and many of them did in fact
received freedom because they did serve in the United States
Army during the Publish War.
Speaker 2 (43:11):
And although this is not a part of our official topic,
I think it's interesting. It sounds like the same type
of thing went on during the Civil War with I
believe Fort Sumter was one of the first battles and
black people were still fighting for freedom.
Speaker 15 (43:27):
Many years later, Fremie Douglas, who was always campaigning for
the use of black troops the Civil War, Uh, he
becustomed lobby and Lincoln to use black troops, to use
black troops and and and the argument was Lincoln said
he didn't want to use slave and Union generals didn't
want to use enslaved people.
Speaker 9 (43:47):
Even so, it doesn't make this famous statement that slave
will now fight, but freed nick ros will. And so
Lincoln moved in that direction because he realized that if
an accentence fighting the war was freedom, afric America with
in fact in this and they did so. By the
time the Civil Wars over with, there's two hundred thousand
(44:09):
black tops in the Federal Army. So you can say
that African American tops, they're all freedom.
Speaker 2 (44:16):
And then, of course, in later wars, not to get
too far off of our topic, but you know, World
War one, world War two, blacks fought again for freedom,
came back home and faced discrimination again.
Speaker 9 (44:28):
And segregated units. And we don't get a desegregated military
until Truman at the World War two.
Speaker 2 (44:35):
And so, circling back to how we started this conversation,
Blacks serving in the military have a very strong connection
to South Carolina because Charleston was one of the main
ports where slaves were brought in from Africa, and it's
where my mother's people come from.
Speaker 5 (44:53):
They were Gulla and then of.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
Course from there, eventually slaves moved on from there to
many parts of the country. You know today a lot
of people have their roots in South Carolina.
Speaker 9 (45:04):
Yeah, South Carolina was a major portal entry. Charleston, course
one of the largest slave had one of the largest
slave markets in the United States and probably maybe not
even separate to New Orleans and of course Virginia initially,
but somewhere between forty and fifty percent. And I've seen
that curi estments of fifty six percent of all of
(45:26):
the African American United States if they if they traced
their heritage back, they traded back through the ports of Charleceton.
So Charleston, uh, the Charleston were the major portal of
entry for African Americans, whether they bedded out to the
West coast or whether they went to the west or
to the northeast. Of course, occurred in a major way
(45:48):
during the Great Migration about eighteen ninety two, about nineighteen thirty.
But this was a Southern phenomenon that originated in South Carolina,
and the South Carolinian migrated westward, they took that culture
with them. So we can all sort of look at
Charles to look at the state of South Carolina as
a major point of entry for people of African dissent.
Speaker 2 (46:11):
That is amazing. This is information that again many of
us did not get growing up, and you know, now
we have we can go online and do some research
about this and find out more information. But what you're
sharing is fascinating. How can people read more about your research?
Speaker 9 (46:31):
It's actually online at the SC two fifty website. That's
the Cster Centennia Commission that is going to tremend the
job to expose the history of South Carolina during the
revolutionary era. You can go into the South Carolina Department
of Arcademy History website and they have a tremendous database
(46:52):
that you can access online. So if you do it,
you will find it on the SC two fifty dot
org website, and I think that will be a good
place to start.
Speaker 2 (47:04):
And of course all this the two point fifty relates
to the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the country.
Speaker 9 (47:11):
This is the year, the two and the anniversary of
the decoration Independence. And so South Carolina has been preferably
this for several years now, and we'll be actually celebrating
it well into twenty twenty six, twenty seven, maybe twenty
twenty eight. So there's a lot going on, and there's
(47:31):
been a concerted and I think i'll say delivered effort
on the part of many people working with this project
to bring out the African American contribution to the war
in South Carolina.
Speaker 2 (47:43):
We thank you so much for coming on with as
doctor Larry Watson, a professor at HBCU South Carolina State University.
Very insightful.
Speaker 9 (47:53):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (47:54):
I enjoyed being here, Mike, Thanks Mike and Larry. There's
a green energy boom in California, and a black renewable
energy expert is fighting for black entrepreneurs to get in
on the new clean economy. Doug Davis continues his conversation
with a black business leader from Los Angeles, whose upcoming
renewable energy conference will speak on the opportunities in front
(48:17):
of us.
Speaker 5 (48:17):
Hey, thanks Mike, my name is Doug Davis, and Happy
Resurrection Sunday, and welcome back to another segment. Of your
black business Starlet Coral's founder a California's minority renewable energy project,
is back from this past Friday's BII News. This hour
conversation about how black entrepreneurs are missing out on California's
green energy boom or event coming up on April eighteenth
(48:39):
at Hollywood Park, California, dives into how black entrepreneurs can
get their hands dirty per se and you know, how
black workers in the state can benefit from new job opportunities.
Started Corals, thanks for taking some time out this Easter
Sunday to continue our conversation you left off speaking about
this great wealth building opportunity and how churches, you know,
(48:59):
let's say, can even take part, as you suggested, setting
up charging stations on site as a way to gain revenue.
Speaker 16 (49:06):
So this is just an opportunity for us to get
our skin in the game in an growing economy, specifically
here in the citate of California.
Speaker 5 (49:14):
Absolutely, So, what do you see as some of the
biggest misconceptions that you know, black folks feel about clean energy?
You know, black folks here about solar. You know, they
may not be thinking that that's technically for them.
Speaker 16 (49:27):
I think we think that the green economy is just
about recycling. It's more than just recycling. This is a
trillion dollar industry and like I said, it's about saving money.
So when we're really lizing that, you know, global warming
is real and we don't talk about global warming enough
and its impact on our daily lives and the utility
of using solar as a power source and becoming our
(49:48):
own independent power sources. So we have the opportunity to
be able to not only have these solar panels. But
I also recognize is they're not really educated on the
benefit of the back of battery. The backup battery is
really where you're storing that solar energy during the day,
and if the grid is off at night, then you're
using that energy that you stored up during the day
(50:10):
and it just renews. So that's where you can determine
renewable energy because it's going to renew in the morning,
whereas with gas, right that can easily deplete. So you're
constantly renewing your energy source every single time the sun
comes up.
Speaker 5 (50:23):
So South La Inglewood Inland Empire, heavily black communities, folks,
they're kind of really worried more about their electric bills
they're the solar dreams because prices are so dang high.
How does this conference make them feel like this is
more about opportunity not just about networking.
Speaker 16 (50:42):
Because the panels, we have three different panel discussions. One
is on building Altadena sustainably. We have another conversation on
churches and how they can create their highest and best
use with their assets. And then we have a panel
on eedy chargers, careers and transitioning professionals even some of
(51:02):
these youth who don't want to go to college. The trades,
these green trades are going to be the new businesses
of the future. And then we have a Clean Energy
Resource Expo. I'm not here to reinvent the wheel. There
are several organizations out here that are already doing the work,
and I'm just trying to connect the dots with our
people so that they know that these programs, the incentives,
these rebates, because a lot of what the industry pushed
(51:25):
was rebates. And when they're looking at the federal administration
and removal of these rebates and these incentives. One, they're
still here in the state of California in terms of
local utilities. But when your power goes out for a
week or so or a number of days. You're not
going to care about the rebate that you received or
that you didn't receive. You want to still be able
to watch Netflix. You don't want to have to go
(51:47):
into your car and charge your phone and to be
able to get some form of power source. So this
is about the utility. It becomes a lifestyle. Right it's
getting hotter right now, it's like eighty degrees. It's spring.
This is summer where they here in California. We can't change.
We can't tell the winter from the spring from the summer.
So global warming is real. And what people also don't
(52:08):
realize is when we're all on this chat GBT, we're
all using AI. All that is pulling on the grid.
So it has to get to a point where we
want to be able to have a quality of life
in terms of our homes, in terms of our bills,
saving money on electricity because we're using the solar energy
or God's energy during the day and we're off the grid.
(52:29):
So there are opportunities for business development. We are very
innovative people. If we see it, we can be it
some mics to be able to show that there are
black people in this space, but not as many as
there should be. And I'm trying to create those pathways
for us to be able to connect the dots on
every social economic statu So, whether you're in the C suite,
whether you're an entrepreneur, whether you're in homeotor, whether you're
(52:52):
an electrician trying to expand your business capacity to now
be able to install level three EV chargers, the industry
is wide open.
Speaker 5 (53:02):
Let's talk about black folks who are looking at transitioning
into another industry. Are there any specific offerings for people
who again may want to transition, and then how can
some of these black contractors and entrepreneurs learn more about
these solar projects and how they can get ready to
walk away and build after this conference.
Speaker 16 (53:22):
Well, what they're going to learn is that here in
Los Angeles County in the state of California, there is
a bill called Title twenty four, Part six, which says,
by law, all new construction has to have solar panels
on them, has to be energy efficient ready. So when
they're talking about rebuilding Altadena and all those homes in Altadena,
(53:46):
they're all going to have to have some form of
sustainability or solar panels on their home that is a workforce.
I've known contractors who haven't been able to get a
certificate of occupancy and they're permitting because they didn't have
solar panels. It's like the train is moving already here.
So it behooves general contractors electricians to better understand this
(54:07):
economy because there is a workforce that is putting solar
panels on these homes and they don't look like us.
And I'm trying to tell us, hey, there is a
demographic out here that is killing it in this industry,
and we need to be able to get into the game.
They're rebuilding these homes and Altadena and Palisades even because
of this title twenty four, Part six. If you have
(54:28):
an ADU and a lot of us are putting ADUs
in our back homes as additional income streams, you're going
to have to put solar panels. So for me, there's
black solar contractors in this industry. I'm bringing them to
the table in terms of this summit. You can meet them,
you can talk to them about your homes. There are
financing options out there, a variety of different financing options
to be able to put solar panels in backup batteries,
(54:52):
or if you are a commercial property owner or a
multi family owner, think about putting some EV chargers on
your lot. Or if you are a faith based institution
and you're not using your parking lot six days a week,
why not open up to be able to not only
meet the demand of EV consumers like myself who don't
see enough chargers in the black community, while also making
(55:13):
some residual income.
Speaker 5 (55:14):
Absolutely, So let's get the five w's on the event
on April eighteenth. Where is it going to be at?
Will it be virtual? Who's all going to be there?
Give me the four one one.
Speaker 16 (55:23):
So it is on Saturday, April eighteenth here in Los
Angeles at Hollywood Park in Inglewood. And I chose Hollywood
Park because not only was it built sustainably. If you
know anything about Hollywood Park, our downtown entertainment district has
exploded from so far to the form to and to
it dome, So it was built sustainably. So it's a
(55:44):
beautiful outdoor promenade. We're going to have three panel discussions,
like I mentioned, one on rebuilding Alta Dina.
Speaker 13 (55:51):
With some.
Speaker 16 (55:53):
Contractors actually who are boots on the ground rebuilding their community.
They're from Alta Dina. They're contractors, they're hoping, they're their
neighbors and their family members rebuild their homes. So we're
going to talk about how they're doing that sustainably. And
then we have our faith based panel and talking to
churches and pastors and the challenges of trying to get
them to really understand the paradigm shift that they need
(56:14):
in order to be able to want to create some
sustainable opportunities on their assets.
Speaker 8 (56:19):
And then again EV.
Speaker 16 (56:20):
Chargers what a lot of people don't understand in terms
of the workforce with the EV charging and the maintenance operate.
There's a lot of software and these kids know software
better than anything else, right, They know these technology better
than we do. But these are careers, right, So it's
about connecting the dots. It's from ten am to three
(56:41):
pm at the Hollywood Park Saturday.
Speaker 5 (56:44):
Eighteenth, all right, And will it be virtual, you know,
because there could be some folks listening right now who
may not live in LA who would like to learn
more about this.
Speaker 16 (56:54):
It will not be live stream, but it will be
recorded and so we will be posting the content on
our website MREPCA dot org. If you go to there,
now you can see some of our conversations from last
year summit. This is our second annual and in that
first summit, we talked about the blue economy. We don't
often talk about aquaculture and the careers with water and
(57:16):
renewable projects and businesses that come out of the ocean
and how do we lift sustainably using water as a resource.
So exposing those opportunities was our mission last year, and
so we put that content on our website and we
will put up our panel discussions from this summit on
our website as well. You can always follow us on
our social media platforms.
Speaker 3 (57:37):
Yep.
Speaker 5 (57:38):
That's always about to say can you share the website
and your social media and how can people reach you
individually if they need to. I'm sure you're on LinkedIn, right.
Speaker 16 (57:45):
I am on LinkedIn at start at quarrels. Our website
is mr EPCA dot org as well as on Facebook
and our Instagram is m repca right.
Speaker 5 (58:01):
Any final words.
Speaker 16 (58:02):
I would just want to encourage that black people to
really look at how to transition into the sustainable industry,
whether you're an entrepreneur, whether you're a homeowner, really thinking
about incorporating God's son into our lifestyle, right, He's going
to save us money, He's going to help us live
healthier lives. And it's the sun is going to last
(58:24):
till the end of time. So let's get into an
industry where we can monetize God's energy.
Speaker 5 (58:29):
That's what's up start it quarrels looking out for black entrepreneurs.
Appreciate that. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and information about
this new green renewable energy opportunity in California and how
black entrepreneurs can get involved. That's what we're all about
here on the Black Information Network and you're a black business.
This is Doug Davis. Have a great resurrection Sunday.
Speaker 1 (58:51):
Thanks Doug and Starlet, and that's our show for today.
For more on these stories, listen to the Black Information
Network on the free iHeart radio app or log on
to bionnews dot com for all of the latest news
impacting the black community. We would love to hear from
you about the black perspective. Log on to the Bion's
Talkback live feature on the iHeartRadio app as well as
(59:14):
the new feature on binnews dot com to share your feedback. Also,
be sure to follow us on social media at Black
Information Network and on X and Blue Sky at black
Info NEET, make the Black Information Network first on your
car radio and iHeartRadio app presets. And before we go,
we want to wish you a happy Easter. I'm Mike Island.
(59:36):
We'll see you next week with a new episode of
The Black Perspective with stories from our illustrious bi anchors
right here on the Black Information Network.
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