August 11, 2025 • 59 mins
This week on the Black Perspective, Gracie Award winner Esther Dillard sits down with A’Lelia Walker, daughter of the legendary Madam C.J. Walker, to share the captivating story behind The Joy Goddess of Harlem.
Katie Gray brings us part one of her conversation with a Georgia state senator as lawmakers launch a Tourism Study Committee, and how you can get involved.
BIN’s Morgyn Wood continues her discussion with Tarek DeLavallade, Executive Director of the United Golfers Association, about the launch of the Sapphire Golf Tour — a groundbreaking platform for Black women in professional golf.
Doug Davis returns with part two of his conversation with Yolo Akili Robinson, founder of BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective), diving deeper into mental health and Black masculinity.
Plus, insightful commentary from our three voices of reason: Mo’Kelly, Roland S. Martin, and James T. Harris.
Listen now!
Katie Gray brings us part one of her conversation with a Georgia state senator as lawmakers launch a Tourism Study Committee, and how you can get involved.
BIN’s Morgyn Wood continues her discussion with Tarek DeLavallade, Executive Director of the United Golfers Association, about the launch of the Sapphire Golf Tour — a groundbreaking platform for Black women in professional golf.
Doug Davis returns with part two of his conversation with Yolo Akili Robinson, founder of BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective), diving deeper into mental health and Black masculinity.
Plus, insightful commentary from our three voices of reason: Mo’Kelly, Roland S. Martin, and James T. Harris.
Listen now!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, This is Tammy Esswick with the Black Information Network.
Every year, during and shortly after pregnancy, at a time
that should be filled with some of life's most rewarding
and joyous experiences, hundreds of black women die. Join the
Black Information Network as we take a look at the
issue and explore answers to the problem in our special
public awareness campaign, Saving Black Moms a maternal health Crisis,
(00:25):
because every mom and every life is worth saving. Learn
more at binnews dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
It's Sunday, August tenth, and on today's show, Gracie Award
winner Esther Dillard is back with a conversation with the
daughter of Madam C. J. Walker, Olivia Walker, and her
story on the joy Goddess of Harlem. Katie Gray gives
us part one of her conversation with a Georgia Senator
as Georgia lawmaker's kickstart a tourism study committee and how
(00:52):
you can be involved the Black Information Networks. Morgan Wood
continues her conversation with Tarique de Lavalaed, executive director of
the United Golfers Association, and his launching of the Sapphire
Golf Tour, a groundbreaking new platform for Black women in
professional golf and Doug Davis's back. He talks again with
Yolo Achille Robinson, founder of BEAM, which stands for Black
(01:16):
Emotional and Mental Health, in part two of their conversation,
and we get commentary from our three voices of Reason,
Moe Kelly, Roland, S Martin and James T. Harris. These
stories and more are coming your way on today's program.
Welcome to the Black Perspective. I'm your host, Mike Island.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Welcome to the Black Perspective, a weekly community affairs program
on the Black Information Network featuring interviews and discussions on
issues important to the black community.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Good Sunday, everyone, I'm Mike Island and welcome to the
Black Perspective. She was the daughter of Madame C. J. Walker,
the first self made black woman millionaire. But Olia Walker
became a cultural icon in her own right. Here's the
Black Information Networks Dillard with more on the woman they
called the joy Goddess of Harlem.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
But it wasn't just parties. It was bringing people together
from uptown and downtown in New York. Her international circle
of friends included visitors from Europe and from Africa.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
That was the voice of Alilia Bundles, her great great
grandmother was Madame C. J. Walker, the first black woman
millionaire who built an empire and black haircare. Walker's daughter
was Alilia. Some call her the Joy Goddess, and she's
the great grandmother of the woman we're speaking to on
this episode. Alilia Bundles wrote a detailed book about her
(02:39):
family legacy called Joy Goddess, Alilia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance,
and she reveals the emotional cost of legacy, the burden
of being a black woman in the spotlight, and while
reclaiming this history matters more than ever. Let's dive right
into the conversation. I know this book wasn't something that
came together in just a few months, and this has
(03:00):
been a journey for years of research on holding onto
history and just piecing together the life of someone that
wasn't just family but legacy. So before we even dive
into Joy Goddess, I wanted I was just curious, when
did you figure out that this was really the book
(03:20):
you had to write. Was it during the writing of
the first book about your great great grandmother, Madam C. J. Walker,
or was it before that?
Speaker 4 (03:29):
There were little steps all along the way, And yes,
while I was writing on her own ground, the Life
and Times of Madame C. J. Walker. I thought I
was writing a double biography, but at some point I
realized that Liliah Walker needed her own biography. Madam Walker's
story was eighteen sixty seven to nineteen nineteen. It was
(03:50):
about building a business and being involved in politics. Aliliah
Walker's story really was about the nineteen twenties and all
of the artists, writers and musicians who she knew, and
her own charismatic life. But I will say that the
seeds were planted before I could read. When I was
a toddler, I would go to my grandfather's apartment with
(04:14):
my mother, and my late grandmother's bedroom seemed to have
been untouched since nineteen forty five when she died, and
I was born in fifty two. So as a little girl,
I was exploring the dresser drawer, and there were things
in the dresser that had belonged to Aliliah Walker, and
particularly these miniature mummy charms that just fit into my
(04:36):
little girl's hands, and that I realized many years later
Aliliah Walker had bought when she was in Cairo in
nineteen twenty two. So this story has been with me
all my life.
Speaker 5 (04:48):
It's fantastic. I was reading that part and you brought
it back to mind. Aliliah Walker was once called the
joy Goddess of Harlem in the nineteen twenties. What does
that nickname mean to you?
Speaker 4 (05:00):
You?
Speaker 5 (05:00):
And what should we understand about her influence during the
Harlem Renaissance beyond just parties?
Speaker 4 (05:07):
Well, I couldn't resist the title. Langston Hughes in his
memoir The Big Sea called Alilia Walker the joy Goddess
of Harlem's nineteen twenties. So that's just an irresistible title.
And it was because of the great party she gave.
But it was also because she was a convener. She
was a very charismatic person who loved having people around her.
(05:30):
She was a great party giver. But it wasn't just parties.
It was bringing people together from uptown and downtown in
New York. Her international circle of friends included visitors from
Europe and from Africa. But she also at a time
when people weren't comfortable having being an interracial parties, she
(05:51):
made sure everybody was welcome. You know, we take that
for granted now that you can have a party where
all of your friends across the spectrum are there, but
that was unusual, and she was one of the only
people in a position to do that because she had
her mother's three beautiful homes, the mansion in Irvington, the
townhouse in Harlem, the small apartment in Harlem, and she
(06:16):
could bring people together who ordinarily wouldn't have been in
the same room at the same time.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
You mentioned that in the book that, well, many people
know Madame C. J. Walker is a business icon. Alilia's
story is often misunderstood or overlooked. What our guests are
some of the biggest myths you wanted to correct about
or truths that you wanted to bring out about Alilia's story.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Sure, I think when people have read a little bit
about the Harlem Renaissance, because it's such a fascinating period
of time and people enjoyed it, and they say, oh,
I wish I had lived then, because I would have
met all of those famous people, those writers and those
musicians who I admire. And when Alilia Walker has been
included in some of those really well known histories of
(07:03):
the Harlem Renaissance, in some way she's been caricatured. I mean,
it's easy if you haven't really done the research to
just say, oh, she had parties, she spent her mother's money.
One famous historian said she spent the nineteen twenties playing bridge,
and she had a short attention span.
Speaker 6 (07:21):
So these were.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
Really put downs. But as I read her letters and
talked with people who had known her, did those interviews,
oral histories, I realized what an interesting person she was,
what a complex person. She was not a perfect human being,
but you know who among us, and so I really
wanted to create a multi dimensional view of her and
(07:44):
to take her beyond this cliche that sometimes has surrounded
her image, you know. And I will say that the
Netflix series Self Made, which was, as they say, inspired
by my nonfiction book Octavia Spencer, was great, but the
character of that was a Lilia Walker in Self Made,
(08:07):
is about one hundred and eighty degrees different from the
real life person. So I've had feel like I'm I
was starting from trying to like erase that image of her.
Speaker 5 (08:17):
Yeah, I read that you really did not You weren't
a big fan of the series, and that was one
of my last questions.
Speaker 7 (08:24):
But since you brought it up, I wondered.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
If Joycott Goddess were adapted to like by a studio,
what scene would you have I guess wanted to see
on screen for sure, And who would play a Lilia?
Speaker 4 (08:36):
Well, you know, I already actually am working on a
project about Joy Goddess. This time around, I'm starting off
working with people who are friends and people who have
a track record and whose work I really like, so
it'll be a very different experience. I learned a lot
of lessons the last time around. I haven't picked, and
(08:59):
sometimes you can't always get who you want. But I
really think that the sister who played Annie in Centers.
I'm just gonna put that out there. He has the stature,
she has the presence, So you know, I'm putting that
out there into the universe. Yes, But I just think
Alilia Walker's story is a story first of a person
(09:23):
who is trying to carve her own way with a
larger than life mother. That's not a new story. There
are lots of family stories like that, and I think
that we would be able to see what that meant
to be the child of a larger than life person.
But seeing how she was the center of so much
(09:45):
of the life and culture of the Harlem Renaissance, and
it gives it would give me an opportunity to introduce
some of these amazing writers and musicians and artists, and
to show black folks in Harlem in the nineteen twenties
creating their own community.
Speaker 5 (10:06):
To hear the full episode, head to the Color Between
the Lines podcast, available now wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
I'm Ester Dillard, Thanks Esther and Alilia. Now we get
commentary from James T.
Speaker 8 (10:19):
Harris.
Speaker 6 (10:19):
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.
Speaker 9 (10:31):
I'm jmc harris and I have something to say. Have
you noticed that when they left this quote to the
Constitution or the Declaration of Independence, they do it much
in the same way and the atheist quotes the Bible
to Christians. That's why it seems like we are reading
from two different documents. The left selectively uses these documents
to hold you to account, but never something to hold
(10:54):
them accountable because they don't believe it. This is a
tactic associated to sol Olinsky's Rules for Radicals. It involves
highlighting a group's stative values, principles, or promises and then
demonstrating how their actions contradict those claims. This strategy played
out recently on the set of C N N. When
(11:15):
it comes to illegal immigration and Christianity.
Speaker 10 (11:19):
It called the excuse me, we call these people illegals,
but they're Christian refugees. I have this crazy thing I
do with the Bible. I read it and Jesus is
emphatic about saying that we will be judged nations and
individuals in Matthew twenty five. How we know, but high
you belong to a party that likes to wave Jesus
relic a problem?
Speaker 9 (11:36):
You mean, how you just use Jesus's words as a
prop to advance or notion that illegals are holy?
Speaker 8 (11:43):
Where where are not in the Theocracy.
Speaker 11 (11:48):
Act?
Speaker 10 (11:49):
I'm talking about a political party that uses the pretense
of Christianity to get gone.
Speaker 5 (11:53):
You just all the way over there.
Speaker 10 (11:54):
Because the God of the Hebrew Scriptures commands us to
welcome the stranger crisis will be judged by it. Why
should I listen to Don instead of God and Jesus.
Speaker 6 (12:01):
As long as.
Speaker 9 (12:04):
I don't believe that this gentleman actually believes in the
scripture that he is weaponizing. Yes, Jesus did say to
welcome the stranger, but he also said render onto Caesar.
What is Caesar's and he told us to obey the
laws of the land. Twisting his words to promote lawlessness
is not compassion, It's deception. I'm Jmes Harris for The
(12:26):
Black Information Network.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Thanks James, and stay tuned for more commentary. In today's show,
The Black Information Networks, Morgan Wood is back with part
two of her conversation with Tarik Dollavala, executive director of
the United Golfers Association. He is at the forefront of
launching the Sapphire Golf Tour, a groundbreaking new platform created
specifically to uplift and elevate Black women in professional golf.
Speaker 6 (12:51):
If you're just joining the conversation, I'm speaking with Tarik
de Lava Lade, executive director of the United Golfers Association,
and also so someone at the forefront of launching the
Sapphire Golf Tour, a groundbreaking new platform creating us created
specifically to uplift and elevate Black women in professional golf. Now,
(13:13):
with this event coming up in wood Moore, I'm very
familiar with that country club right there. It is Blackie, Black, Black,
Black and it's a beautiful.
Speaker 9 (13:21):
Place to be.
Speaker 6 (13:23):
What are you most excited about and what can attendees
or participants expect from this event.
Speaker 12 (13:29):
I think what's important is for people to know that
it is more or grander than just a tour event.
What we've done is we've created a three and a
half day experience. We have a pairing party and a
welcome reception that's going to be helps to with our
local leaders and politicians and sponsors and the players themselves
(13:51):
and especially invited guests and influencers. And then our second
day is actually a full blown charity golf tournament. So
this is one hundred players, a pro am, four sums,
two sums, come by yourselves, register and come enjoy the
energy at with more because they do have. It's a
(14:12):
great it's a beautiful venue. It's going to be in
great shape. So that's going to be that day. And
then on the second and third day of the well
the first competitive day. In the second competitive days, what
we're hoping is to see is we have spectator to
kets and we want people to go to the website,
purchase the spectator to tickets, come out and support walk the fairways.
(14:36):
We want when those first ladies tea off at eight o'clock.
We want that. We want the colors and the fashion
and the faces and the melanin to be wrapped around
those tea boxes, that tea box, so that when they
tee off and they say on the first tea we
have Morgan Wood, Oh, then they go wild. We want
(14:58):
it to be an energy where they feel now proud
to be a black woman in a sport that really
never has been that open and welcoming to them. But
we want to be able to change that. So we
want as they walk the fairways and get on the
teams and make those birdies and eagles, we want the
claps and the yells and the great job. We love you,
(15:19):
keep join chin up. We want those experiences. That's what
we want for Maryland, Atlanta, Houston and Jacksonville as we
moved throughout the rest of.
Speaker 7 (15:29):
The year through my name in there. I kind of
like that. I don't know, it's certainly it's a nice idea.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
I like that.
Speaker 6 (15:38):
So how have some of the participants the players responded?
Are there any stories that are already emerging that reflect
what makes this tour possible?
Speaker 12 (15:51):
We have Kendall Jackson, who just graduated from Howard. She's
very excited about being on the tour. Bailey Davis just
graduated from University of Tennessee. They're like, thank you for
having something for us when we graduated. There are other
women who've been playing for six to ten years and
(16:11):
there was nothing for them. They're grateful that now there
is something for them that they can now feel like
if they didn't have the financial resources to play on
the other tours, which are very a lot more expensive
than ours, they now have a more affordable option where
they still can make almost the same amount of money
(16:32):
playing on our tour and playing on the others. The
differences is that our field is smaller, so we could
spread the money across eighteen to twenty four women a lot,
even a lot more evenly. And then we have women
who haven't played in ten years competitively. Like the new
head coach at North Carolina A and T. She called
me yesterday and says, hey, I want to play. She's
(16:56):
not twenty five, she's not thirty, she's not thirty five,
but she's like, this is something that I can actually
go back out and play and compete against these young
folks to see if I still have it. So we're
seeing women coming out of retirement and wanting to be
a part of the experience, so that I feel like
that's our platform that we're providing, is a safe space
(17:17):
for them and a place they can feel like home.
Speaker 6 (17:19):
For sure, And it does seem like it's already yielding
successful results by based on what you're saying. Let me
talk more with you about success. What does that look
like for you, not just in year one, but what
do you hope to see maybe five years from now
with the Sapphire Tour.
Speaker 12 (17:39):
Five years from now, I would love to be able
to see a full pipeline of women I would love
to see in five years. I think that because the
amount of love women playing collegiate right in the collegiate
level right now, well we are numbers will be well
up to around fifty five to sixty women in the
(18:00):
next five years. Also, i'd love to see larger companies
and or medium sized companies be able to have an
opportunity to be title sponsors for these different events that
we're hosting throughout the throughout the nation. These are opportunities
that we're giving to small businesses who typically would not
(18:22):
Small black owned businesses preferred if possible, but hey, look
we'll take them all right, everybody's welcome. We're going to
take all the money and all the marketing dollars we
can get. But if we can have some black owned
businesses be title sponsors for some of these events in
these major cities, this is something that they would never
be able to do at the LPGA or the PGA level.
(18:45):
We're giving opportunities for black owned businesses also to expand
their brand and get eyeballs with some of these major
media outlets like iHeartMedia and others as well.
Speaker 7 (18:55):
That's amazing. You're already getting ahead of me.
Speaker 6 (18:57):
I was going to ask you how corporate partner's, golf
fans and everyday supporters can help make this tour sustainable
and impactful for the long haul.
Speaker 12 (19:08):
Thank you for that. We have something called the Founders
of the Sapphire Founders Club. It is a club that
we've created where it's a fund it's a funding source,
so it's almost like crowdfunding. So we have levels from
two hundred and fifty dollars all the way up to
one hundred thousand dollars and so for every level and
(19:29):
tier that you climb in the Sapphire Founders Club. There's
different benefits. You get over fifty grand, you get an
event with your company and or trust's name on it.
So now you have legacy. Right But when you have
one point five black women now playing golf, let me
say that again. Right now, there's a one and a
(19:51):
half million Black women who are playing golf. And these
are women who played, who played once a year or
twenty times a year or more. They have golf clubs
in their trunk, they have them in their garage, and
they're playing. And what our hope is that these women
will see the value in what we're building and want
to have and build legacy with us as founders. And
(20:14):
now they can now say, hey, I was a part
of that that is successful because I gave, or we
gave as a family, or our organization or a company gave.
And that is legacy in a different way than what
we want to build, beyond what people typically see us
spending our money on on things that may be more transactional,
(20:36):
but something that has more legacy. And I do believe
that our found this club is building that and is
that for them?
Speaker 6 (20:41):
And everyone talk to me a little bit about the
sport of golf. I've noticed that a lot of women
who don't necessarily or have not are not familiar with
the sport. I'm seeing some women, i would say, in
their middle ages, and they're noticing, Okay, most of the
there's an unwritten rule or unwritten unspoken rule to an
(21:04):
extent that most of the best meetings happen on the
golf course. So there's been women, or at least some
of my colleagues, that have seemingly taken more of an interest.
What's your message to the girls who are just trying
to figure it out and just getting started.
Speaker 12 (21:21):
Golf is for everyone, regardless of age, whether you have
an amputee, or whether you are eight years old or five,
or whether you're eighteen or if you're eighty. Golf is
a sport that you can play from the age of
three years old, and we've seen it to well into
your eighties or nineties. And I think the important thing
(21:44):
is is that regardless of how you come to golf,
you can enjoy it just as much as someone who's
been playing for over forty five years like myself. And
so I was introduced to golf when I was four.
I still have our first golf club sitting right here
next to me on my kitchen counter that my grandfather
(22:05):
gave me. So I think it doesn't really matter how
you come to golf. It is just enjoy it as
you please. There are men who hit the ball four
hundred yards, and there are men who hit the ball
with the same club one hundred and eighty right. And
there are women like Troy Mullins who can hit it
(22:26):
three hundred and fifty yards, and they are women who
hit it two hundred yards. So enjoy it as it lays,
and as you come to the sport, it fashions your thing.
If it's getting out, getting fresh air, if it's the
camaraderie with friends, getting the girls out, going and playing
(22:47):
with your husband or your boyfriend or colleagues. Regardless of
how you land the sport or come to it, it
can be enjoyed. It can be frustrating, but if you're
not playing well. But that's what backtails and cigars and
friends are for, is to tell you to sec it
(23:08):
up and focus on the next shot.
Speaker 7 (23:11):
I love that. No more being the caddy, no more
just sitting back.
Speaker 12 (23:15):
Ladies.
Speaker 7 (23:15):
We're getting in the game. Okay, I'm speaking with Tarik.
Speaker 6 (23:20):
De Lava Lade, executive director of the United Golfers Association.
He's at the forefront of launching the Sapphire Golf Tour,
a groundbreaking new platform created specifically to uplift and elevate
Black women in professional golf. Before I let you go,
is there anything that you wanted to touch on today
that we did not.
Speaker 12 (23:41):
H What I'll say is this what's happening in golf
and what we're building at United Golfers Association with our initiative,
which is the Sapphire Golf Tour, is groundbreaking. We do
plan on changing them the complexion of golf, especially for women,
(24:06):
and giving women who are playing professionally and leisurely at
a greater opportunity to enjoy it at different levels. If
you do want to support us and you want to
come follow us, if you want to attend our event,
We're going to be as I said before, at Woodmore
(24:27):
in August, We're going to be going to Atlanta at
Chateau Elan, which is a resort in Winery which is
going to be beautiful. And they were going to Houston
and then going to Jacksonville. If these are not cities
that you're living in, get on the airplane, you know,
drive a couple hours, come see is, come celebrate with
these women and a plaud them and make them feel
(24:50):
like they are worthy. It is their time and they
are deserving. And that's all I do believe. That's what
we're looking for, is to support these women in more
ways than just likes on Instagram. And likes are okay,
but but com a like with your collapse and your
smiles and your cheers, because they need that just as
(25:10):
much to know that it is their time. It is time.
Speaker 6 (25:15):
Tarik, can you tell me how we can continue to
follow your work that you're doing with the United Golfers
Association And you know, like you said, a like is good,
but we want to continue to follow. And you know,
sorry about that.
Speaker 12 (25:35):
It's fun going.
Speaker 6 (25:37):
No, I was gonna say, I'll trust and believe. I'm
going to edit all this up. We're going to sound wonderful.
Toreqe de lav a Lot, executive director of the United
Golfers Association. Talk to me about how we can continue
to follow the work that you're doing. Likes are good,
and we want to continue to you know, hit those
like button and but also follow what you're doing.
Speaker 7 (26:00):
A post Tour.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
Maybe.
Speaker 12 (26:04):
So there's two things. So we have United Golfers Association.
You could follow us on Instagram just as it's spelled
and said United Golfers Association. You can follow us at
Uga Invitational, but specifically for this Sapphire Golf Tour. You'll
be able to find us on all of the platforms
with Sapphire Golf Tour. And right now a lot of
(26:27):
our energy is on Instagram because that's where a lot
of our pushes. But we are blending into YouTube and
TikTok and all the other platforms granually over the next
two weeks as we get ready for upcoming tournament. But
you could find us there and that is the best
place to find us at the moment. But don't just
find us there, find the women. Follow them so that
(26:50):
you can now see what they're doing on a day
to day basis as well.
Speaker 6 (26:53):
And you said pull up to a tour city near you, well,
bow me, I know that's right. I'm speaking with Tarique
de Lava Loade, executive director of the United Golfers Association.
He's at the forefront of launching the Sapphire Golf Tour,
a groundbreaking platform created specifically to uplift and elevate black
(27:15):
women in professional golf. Thank you so much for joining
us here on the Black Information Network.
Speaker 12 (27:20):
Thank you for having me. I appreciate it absolutely.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Thanks Morgan and Tariq. For more information about the Sapphire
Golf Tour, go to United Golfers Association dot org. Georgia Lawmakers,
what your input on how state and local communities can
be better impacted by tourism?
Speaker 13 (27:38):
Katie Gray reports, Okay, so, Senator, first of all, thank
you so much for your time. Tell me about the
initiatives of putting together this Senate committee that's focusing on
research on tourism.
Speaker 14 (27:50):
Well, we're definitely well, we're definitely we're going to put
the spotlight on the state of Georgia. But I think
I think you're right. I think some of the treasures,
the rural treasures, the urban treasures out here all over
the state that are typically not looked at. I think
I feel like I've given this example to some folks
(28:11):
here in the past couple weeks with this Tourism Study Committee.
I feel like I'm out on a deep sea fishing
trip and I've got my fish fishing rod, I've got
the hook thrown out on the water and I've got
a hold of something and I'm trying to rile it
in and it's so big, it's moving the bait. Communities
from all over the state have reached out. Unfortunately, we
can't have but four meetings. You know, I would love
(28:34):
to be able to go to every single corner of
the state of Georgia and visit every single county, but
I cannot believe the overwhelming.
Speaker 8 (28:43):
Support for this study committee.
Speaker 14 (28:47):
Thomasville wanted to host Lagrange Noon and but there again,
we can't go to all of these places. So we
had to narrow it down, get sort of somewhat regional
in our in our planning, and I do. I think
you're right. I think we're gonna uncover some gems that
(29:09):
are off the beaten paths, so to speak. I think
it's a great way. Tourism is a phenomenal way for
these local communities. It's a it's a great industry for
them to embrace because it's not the it's not the
largest drain on infrastructure. I mean, people come in, they visit,
they do the activities or or whatever it is. They
(29:32):
visit the parks, whatever, the hotels, and then they leave
so it's a great way to to raise tax revenue.
It's a great way for citizens to be able to
the citizens of a local county or city to be
able to reap the benefits of folks coming in having roads,
(29:59):
building schools or or whatever, but they're leaving and they're
not really a drain on that infrastructure.
Speaker 15 (30:08):
Well, okay, so then you're right. You're obviously trying to
uncover so many elements and you can only have four meetings.
Can you tell me about obviously, the planning of this
first this first meeting that's coming up. Is there specific
things that you as you were looking at the planning
of this that you were kind of surprised on working
into that structured What you're looking to make sure is
(30:30):
included in this first.
Speaker 14 (30:32):
Meeting, Well, the first meeting, I did, you know, being
the chairman of the study Committee, I wanted to bring
the folks up to my hometown, to Gainswell Hall County.
Speaker 8 (30:43):
But we're doing some great things. I'm gonna touch on
a couple of things with you there.
Speaker 14 (30:47):
We're doing some great things, but we also need some
help with a lot too, And I wanted my committee
to be able to hear the needs I wanted the
committee that people testifying to be able to share with
that committee.
Speaker 8 (30:57):
Got a local friend mind speaking.
Speaker 14 (31:01):
He's a former eye surgeon and he's been a developer,
but he has seen the Jeff pain is his name,
doctor Jeff Payne, and Jeff retired from the medical field,
and he learned a lot while he was developing property.
Speaker 8 (31:18):
But he's gotten into the he's doing.
Speaker 14 (31:20):
Hotels now and now he's contemplating a resort up in
our area. You know, the example that Jeff and I
talk about all the time is when you make those investments,
you actually get to sell that product, that same product
to this person and the next person and the next person.
It's not like they really take something home with them.
(31:43):
You're selling them an experience, either as simple as a
hotel experience, or it could be a ticketed event.
Speaker 8 (31:49):
Or something like that.
Speaker 14 (31:51):
But Jeff's topic is going to be He's going to
be speaking about the difficulties navigating from community to community. Uh,
some communities are very sea hotels is very favorable, right
in some communities. Pushed back a little bit some people.
(32:13):
Some communities they don't want a hotel period, So it's there.
I don't think there should be a one size fits all.
I believe very much in local control, but I think
that I think that leaders in different communities need to
hear where it's easier to do business, where it's harder
(32:36):
to do business. I'm not here to put my opinion in.
I just want folks to be able to hear it.
Get that, get those discussions out there on the record
from a business own owner's perspective. So that's gonna I
think that's gonna be cool. We've got We've also got
another local guy up there, Matthew Bowling. Matthew his family,
(33:00):
his granddad, Virgil Williams, run Lakeland Near Islands.
Speaker 8 (33:06):
Late Land near Islands is there's the Late Land Near.
Speaker 14 (33:09):
Islands Authority and it's set up by the State of Georgia.
Speaker 8 (33:14):
There's an appointed.
Speaker 14 (33:15):
Board to the authority, the the water park and hotels
and all. They lease the land from the authority. And
I wanted Matthew to talk to us about that relationship,
how it is, because how it is working.
Speaker 8 (33:35):
Under an authority like that.
Speaker 14 (33:37):
You know, Matthew was telling me, you know, some of
it's difficult.
Speaker 8 (33:42):
Sometimes it's difficult, sometimes it's it's fun. Sometimes there's great
ideas that come.
Speaker 14 (33:51):
From the authority, and that these are the folks sitting
on the authority, these are these are all people who
have been appointed, like I said, by the governor, lieutenant
governor or somewhere along the lines. They're all business people.
So there's good ideas that come from the authority as well.
So I guess you know, for Matthew there the reason
I wanted to get Matthew in front of people. Does
(34:13):
the State of Georgia do we need more authorities? Do
we need less authorities some of our other parks? Should
we set up authorities for public private partnerships like that?
Because again, the vast majority of people who visit Lakeland
Near Islands are from out of town. But I can
(34:35):
tell you as a father of a twenty one year
old and a seventeen year old, my kids love it
down there, and it's only, you know, a little twenty
five minute drive. So if Lakelander Islands was one hundred
percent dependent on the folks who live in Hall County
or a neighboring county.
Speaker 8 (34:51):
It wouldn't be able to exist. Pulling in from all over.
Speaker 14 (34:55):
Everybody benefits from it being there, at the gas stations,
the restaurant, the hotels and so on. So I just
want to get that conversation going and I don't know
what the answer is. Again, We're going in this to
uncover treasure. That's what we're going to do is try
to uncover treasure, you know, and take advice from people
(35:16):
who are inside the industry the needs and the wants
of the industry.
Speaker 15 (35:20):
And it sounds like with the initiative behind this move
is to make sure that you're being able to highlight
those places, see the opportunities, but also take a lot
of input from the communities themselves on how they would
want that to be implemented.
Speaker 8 (35:39):
Absolutely. Absolutely.
Speaker 14 (35:42):
We've got another speaker, Tyler, and I unfortunately I can't
remember Tyler's last name. On that agenda, Tyler is going
to speak to investments from Originally was going to talk
about the investments from the state versus you know, other
states what they're doing. But as you know, listen, funding,
I don't want to get into that funding debate because
(36:04):
Florida funds things different than Georgia does. There's different formulas,
South Carolina, Alabama, California, everybody does things differently.
Speaker 8 (36:12):
That's what makes us, you know, everybody great, right, But.
Speaker 14 (36:16):
I want you know, I kind of want Tyler to
get back onto that ROI you know, the return on
investment from the state and what we can do from
a state perspective.
Speaker 8 (36:30):
There.
Speaker 14 (36:30):
But you're right going back to what you said, I
definitely want community input and I want to expose communities
all over the State of Georgia to the good and
bad and tourism happening everywhere.
Speaker 15 (36:48):
Is part of the initiative too, because of course we
talked about the component about the inputs from the communities.
Is it also trying to pinpoint that if that was
going to be a focus making sure that we know
what the needs would be of that community. I know
that like as an example, I know you mentioned about
like the roads, like if it is harder to get
(37:09):
in and out of that community, if that would need
be a focus from the state to make that an
easier destination spot.
Speaker 8 (37:17):
Yes, and that so that brings up a great point.
Speaker 14 (37:20):
So currently with the hotel motel tax, I mean, there's
a five dollars bed tax that is on each night
in a hotel room. That money goes to the DOT.
There's a hotel motel tax that's local. But what you know,
this is an opinion. This is something that I do
(37:41):
I do know, or I think that we need to
give our state legislature. We need to give these communities
more flexibility with that hotel motel tax. Currently, when they
charge hotel motel tax, the only two things they can
do with that money is either market tourism or build
something like the boat house in Lake Lanier at Lake
(38:02):
Lander in the city of Gainsville for a tourism. Currently,
we've got their hands tied. They can't pave the road
with that tax money. They can't build a school with
that tax money. They can't you know, put up a
red light or whatever. So there's communities here in Georgia
(38:25):
who are very flushed and with tourists. And if you're
flush with tourists, then you're flushed with tourism dollars the
tax that they're paying on the hotel motel tax, and
they're investing, they're making investments out in their community.
Speaker 8 (38:44):
There's other counties who.
Speaker 14 (38:47):
Have a hotel motel tax, but there's really not other
activities or attractions there in the county to market or
even invest in, like a boat house. It's you know,
maybe there's ten hotels in the community, but they're just
located in the county excuse me, And they're just located
(39:10):
maybe on the side of seventy five, and there's nothing
else there really other than just overnight stay between Georgia
and Florida.
Speaker 8 (39:19):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 14 (39:20):
That people come in there, they stay overnight, and they
travel on to Florida. Those communities are able to take
in that hotel motel tax, but what do they do
with it? Some of them have money, but they really
don't have anywhere to invest in. So if we give them,
under the current the way that the law structures that
(39:41):
hotel motel tax, if we give them some flexibility, then
they can go build a school with the hotel motil tax,
or they can go pay a road or whatever the
need is of that specific community.
Speaker 8 (39:54):
Right.
Speaker 15 (39:55):
Do you also think that with these with these meetings,
it's a that would be really encouraging for locals, you know,
to want to be more involved in these meetings and
being able to you know, speak up and being able
to share those insights because, as you mentioned before, you know,
you're going in as a discovery. You don't necessarily know
(40:15):
what the ins and outs of each one of these communities.
For people to feel like they can really be a
participant in this and make sure that it's going to
benefit their area as much as possible.
Speaker 8 (40:27):
You've got all the best questions.
Speaker 14 (40:29):
So going back to what I said earlier about just
to pent up demand for this committee and how many
people have reached out and volunteered their you know, to
host us. How many different entities, private and public have
(40:51):
Hey we'll sponsor a launch.
Speaker 8 (40:54):
Hey will you come into town the night before and.
Speaker 14 (40:58):
We'll you know, we want to show you this park
or you know, we know you're only going to be here,
you know, for half a day, but we.
Speaker 8 (41:05):
Would love to be able to show you. It has
been overwhelming.
Speaker 14 (41:10):
Couple that with the fact that right now we've already
got sixty five people signed up to be at our
first meeting.
Speaker 8 (41:19):
There will probably be one hundred people there.
Speaker 14 (41:21):
Most folks don't RSVP for a Senate Study Committee.
Speaker 8 (41:24):
It's not that.
Speaker 14 (41:25):
Cool, you know what I'm saying, But there is a
lot of pent up demand for it.
Speaker 15 (41:30):
Does that almost speak volumes over how much when it
comes to this topic, it does, I mean draw people
in because as you mentioned, this is there's such a
broad range of what tourism can be and how it
can impact our state, but then also specific communities across
the state.
Speaker 8 (41:50):
That's right, that's right. I mean, I use my business.
Speaker 14 (41:53):
Going back to my business, I use my business as
an example. Listen, we grew up, we grew up poor,
and we were farmers. We grew peaches, and we grew
chickens okay, and sometimes we had to h we had
to charge our lunch at school because we couldn't afford
to pay for our food. But when the when the
(42:14):
public from all over the state of Georgia and Florida
and North Carolina, when they found us, it elevated me
and my family and you know, from lower class to
middle class. And I think that's what can happen with
these communities across the state of Georgia. We just got
to be able to give them the flexibility and the
(42:37):
little you know, the little nudge, be.
Speaker 8 (42:40):
The legislature what we need to be as their cheerleader.
Speaker 14 (42:43):
We need to encourage them and and I think that's
what I think that's what we're going to do with
this committee.
Speaker 2 (42:50):
Thanks Katie. Tune in next week for part two of
her conversation about Georgia tourism. Now we get commentary from
Roland S. Martin.
Speaker 6 (42:58):
The opinions, beliefs, and view points expressed in this commentary
are those of the author and do not necessarily represent
those of b N and it's founding partners and employees.
Speaker 7 (43:10):
Now it's time to bring the funk with Roland S. Smartin.
Speaker 16 (43:14):
We all know what Republicans are doing in Texas is
a power grab by trying to get rid of five
Democratic congressional seats and flip those two Republicans. And they're
targeting four African American members of Congress and a Hispanic woman.
(43:35):
But be careful with the language you use. If you
say power grab, this is a partisan power grap it's political.
That's not the language to use. Why because the Supreme
Court has already ruled that they have no jurisdiction over
political gerrymandering and that's left up to the states. Well,
(43:58):
we know in Texas Republicans control Texas Supreme Court, so
they're not going to rule against political jerrymandering. But racial
gerry mandering, racist gerrymandering is illegal, and that is the
language that we must use. So when we're talking about
what's happening in Texas, we must call this race we
(44:19):
must call these racist maps that is designed to detegrate
black and brown voters. The effort of Republicans there is
to not allow black people and Latinos in Texas to
have power to elect representatives that look like them, that
(44:45):
represent them. Now, I know somebody listening may say, well,
I'm still not understanding it. It is a distinction that
is important because when the lawsuits are going to be filed,
what is important is it if they go to court
and say, oh no, this is not racial, this is political.
(45:05):
Look they even said so themselves. So that's why I
say language is important. What's happening in Texas is racist,
Jerry Manning. It is racial. It is hurting black and
brown people. I'm Roland Martin on the Black Information Network.
Speaker 2 (45:23):
Thanks Roland. Doug Davis is back with us to continue
his discussion on black male mental health and how one
black founder of a nonprofit is out to shed and
get rid of what is described as black toxic masculinity.
Speaker 3 (45:36):
Doug, Hey, Thanks Mike, This is Doug Davis. I am
back with part two of my conversation about black men's
mental health with Yolo Achille Robinson, founder of the Black
Emotional Mental Health Collective or Beam regarding the organization's Black
Masculinity Reimagined program that helps black men unlearn harmful norms
and build healthy ways to show up for themselves, their families,
(45:58):
and community. Thank you for turning back to the black perspective.
We left off last week discussing a somewhat touchy topic
with black men, and that's crying. You said that black
men need to shed the tough guy image that's rooted
in slavery, and that crying is a human emotion and
that black men shouldn't feel ashamed of it. Now I
want to touch on another norm that is connected to
(46:20):
black masculinity. Now, let's talk about black men, money, women,
and expectations. Now, I'll dare to say this, but most
men I believe tie their masculinity to wealth in some way,
form or fashion, wealth or career. And let's face it,
black women they're making the bucks. They're killing it right now.
They are agreed up owning businesses, and they're often, you know,
(46:42):
the breadwinner in many Black families, whether singular or with
you know, their male counterpart or their husband, and there
is some stress attached to that. Now I'm not ashamed
to say it. My fiance makes twice as much as
I do, and it stresses me out sometimes not from
some you know, phony fake masculine shield that I put up,
(47:03):
but for the fact that I struggle with the fact
that I can't take care of my family the way
I want to, the way society and the Christian religion
says I'm supposed to, and that hurts, and that digs
deep into a man's psyche and brothers, you know what
I'm talking about, your thoughts absolutely so.
Speaker 17 (47:22):
One piece we have to acknowledge, and it is a
nuanced piece that has to be held, is that these
rigid and toxic ideas about masculinity are not just policed
by black men, but are policed by black women who
have also been taught their entire lives that the only
value of a man is if he can produce, which
(47:42):
is a terrible concept for any human being. Yeah, because
black women have internalized this belief. I have literally supported
brothers who have said, you know, I didn't come around
for my kids because every time I came around, I
felt like I wasn't valuable, and therefore you missed out
on the opportunity that your children thought your presence was valuable.
Speaker 8 (48:01):
To them.
Speaker 17 (48:02):
We're not taught to believe the black men, your presence
is enough. You're showing up is enough. You're showing up
is good. Right, we're talking to like, if you are
not quote unquote in the fields, you are not useful.
And black women have internalized that about themselves and black
men and black men believe that too. And so there's
some work to be done on all of us, of
all genders right around, like why do I believe that
(48:25):
this man is less than? And I say, I understand
how systems work. I say, I understand how racism work.
And yet I'm still enforcing this idea on this brother,
and when this brother might be showing up in love
and care for me in other ways. We all have
some reimagining to do because we can fit ourselves in
these rigid scripts and categories. And everybody's talking, you know
how so many couples of work where they're like they're struggling,
(48:47):
like I can't fit in the box. You go, man
supposed to do this, but women pos this like, well,
screw what a man a woman want to do? What
do y'all want to do?
Speaker 2 (48:55):
So, you know a lot of.
Speaker 3 (48:56):
Us, though a lot of sisters and some brothers too,
but a lot of sisters, you know, they go by
the Bible, you know, like I've had this thrown in
my face. See look it says a man is supposed
to provide a man. Da da da da, And that
just takes us right back down again.
Speaker 12 (49:10):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 17 (49:11):
Christianity is a diverse religious and spiritual perspective. There are
many people who hold different approaches to Christianity. And one
approach I often hear that you just echoed is this
kind of literal translation connecting a belief that that is
exactly how it should be right because that is how
you know, so many years ago in the Bible was created,
that was what was written and spoken. And then there
(49:33):
are some Christian scholars and believers who think differently, who
hold the Bible is a beautiful and gorgeous spiritual document,
that Jesus is an example and a model for the world.
And at the same time we have to hold that
some parts of this Bible, sometimes parts of this sacred
and powerful book are situated in the historical context of
(49:53):
that moment and may not be relevant to the same
There are certain things we already know, people, people, even
pig so some the Bible. We very clear that that
was about a different time, but some people we hold
on to and maybe we need to figure out what
parts of this is divine and universal and what parts
of this is actually about the specific cultural context those
(50:14):
people were in, living in a totally different environment in
a different part of the world three thousand years ago.
So it's up to us to decide how you want
to interpret spirituality and interpret, you know, spiritual doctrine. Now,
I can't force that on anybody, but I will invite
people to get curious. What's possible when I allow black
men and black women to be worthy by virtue of
(50:37):
just being as opposed to being something that produces for me?
What love becomes possible, What Christ's like behavior becomes possible.
Because I wonder for Jesus as a person who was
flipping tables in the church, who was walking with the
most oppressed and villainized people in the world. I just
have a hard time imagine that Jesus was like, you know,
(50:57):
this man ain't worth nothing because he ain't got a job.
I have a heart time believing this man was like,
this woman ain't worth this because she ain't showing up
like X Y and z. I just I don't know
any proof of that concept, so I don't know where
that comes from.
Speaker 3 (51:09):
Let's just take let's take Trump for example, right. You know,
we witnessed a slight uptick in male voter participation under
the Republican Party during the presidential election. Many black men
feel that Trump will give them an opportunity to provide
more for their families, you know, they feel Republicans can
give them that. How does that all tie into black
(51:32):
masculinity and the fact that, you know, we still feel
like we have to prove that we're the top breadmakers
because of what we just spoke about, you know, the
conditioning over years in generations.
Speaker 17 (51:45):
Yeah, and you have a lot of folks who voted
for Trump because he represents an old kind of toxic,
rigid masculine.
Speaker 8 (51:54):
He's the.
Speaker 17 (51:56):
Push and bully and control and dominate. He's not the
listening to understand, he's listening to dominate. He's not the
cultivate connection. He's the cultivated exploitation. And some people are
attracted to that because that is what they know, that
is what's familiar. Even though many of us are victims
of that kind of masculinity, we can all think of
(52:17):
times in which people we've been in a relationship with
have exhibited that masculinity, and how terrible it was for us.
Our families are all loved ones, but sometimes you know,
one of my mentors, Suliman Khan, Suliman used to say,
I'm Suliman Noordine. He used to say, many men love
familiar hell over an unknown heaven. Right wow. And so
(52:39):
there are a lot of people who are just used
to that hell. And it's like, let's just go to
that if it makes me feel safe, if it makes
me feel powerful. And a lot of men have been
taught that the way to feel power is power over
instead of power with. Let me talk about that piece
for a minute. We have been trained in this country
to think that people are powerful. When your foot is
(53:00):
on somebody's neck, the more next my foot is on,
the stronger I am. That is a power over model
as opposed to a power with model, which says the
more people I'm locked in arms with, the more people
I can stand with and let them fully stand in
their light and I stand in my life next to them,
the more powerful I am. And those are two different models.
(53:21):
I get it all the time. With brothers, you know.
I literally have this conversation with barbarishaw brothers are like,
you know, in my house, I'm the lady of the household.
I run this household. I'm like, huh, you do well?
Tell me, brother, what are you? What bank that your
mortgage with?
Speaker 8 (53:36):
Oh?
Speaker 17 (53:36):
I don't know my wife handled that. I don't know
what that is. Okay, Okay, so you don't know. Okay,
what score your kids go to? What's the teacher's think?
Oh I don't know nothing about that?
Speaker 8 (53:44):
Okay?
Speaker 17 (53:44):
What about your car payment on what bank? I don't
know my wife and that? So it sounds like you
don't run nothing, brother, You run an illusion. Right, Come on,
and maybe instead of you run things and you the lead,
maybe you both are the lead and you both hold
different domains. Maybe you both are powerful together as opposed
to one person leads. Maybe you lead side by side.
(54:07):
But we ain't been taught that kind of thinking. We've
been taught master slavery plantation. Somebody got to have a
whip as opposed to Maybe we don't need that model.
Maybe we lockstep. Maybe when I'm up, she's up, down,
I'm up. We go back and forth, and that's the
model of a power that we need more of in
our communities and that our people are struggling and looking for.
(54:28):
Because if you're trying to do the old school slavery
plantation matter, you're gonna get a model. You're gonna get
more of the plantation, right, and that's pain.
Speaker 3 (54:35):
Oh boy, you killing it right now? You are, well,
you've been killing it since day one? Quickly though, So
how can people get involved with Beam? If I'm listening
right now and I'm like, man, I need to unload,
how can I learn about Beam? How can I take,
you know, advantage of some of your virtual sessions and
(54:56):
you know, be a part of my own healing that
I need so bad?
Speaker 17 (54:59):
Absolutely so beamdot community. Visit our website. So the thing
about us is every month in Atlanta and also in
Los Angeles, we have in person opportunities.
Speaker 8 (55:08):
To come together.
Speaker 17 (55:09):
We also have other events we do in partnership with
our network across the country. So we might pop up
where you were at, you know, last last year. We
popped up in Detroit, we popped up in Baltimore, we
popped up in Houston.
Speaker 9 (55:19):
Right.
Speaker 17 (55:19):
We do a lot of work in collaboration with our partners.
So check out our website. Join our lists, serve and
find out where you want to link in, and you
also can join virtually. We have virtual healing spaces. We
have virtual places for men and mask and folks to
come together. Sometimes if you're far out. You might be
in Idaho, you might be in Kentucky and you're like,
I don't know if I can get there to LA,
But you can join us virtually and get some of
(55:41):
this really kind of healing medicine and opportunity to rethink
and reimagine.
Speaker 3 (55:45):
Thank you, brother, Yolo. The Black Emotional Mental Health Collective
or BEAM the Black Masculine Then Reimagine program is changing lives.
In this conversation, brother, it helped me, and I know
it also impacted the many black men and women who
are listening right now. Check out the website Beam dot Community,
not dot com, just Beam dot Community with an m
(56:07):
as in millions. This is Doug Davis from The Black Perspective.
Speaker 2 (56:11):
Thanks Doug and Yolo for more information on Beam Goo
to Yoloachille dot com. Now we get commentary from mo Kelly.
Speaker 6 (56:19):
The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed in this commentary are
those of the author and do not necessarily represent those
of BIN and its founding partners and employees.
Speaker 11 (56:31):
I'm mo Kelly on the BN with your two minute warning.
Get this, NASA wants to beat China and Russia in
building a nuclear reactor on the Moon, Yes, the Moon.
Interim NASA administrator and former Real World cast member Sean
Duffy warned that China and Russia are both aiming to
deploy a nuclear reactor of their own by the mid
(56:51):
twenty thirties. On one hand, I get the national need
to beat or at least keep pace with the other superpowers.
What I don't get is why aren't we as determined
to beat China down here on Earth. China's bullet train network,
one of the most extensive in the world, features high
speed rail lines connecting major cities and regions across its country.
America's bullet train network, well, it doesn't exist at all,
(57:14):
not one station, one train, one track, one car. And
that's saying nothing of our presently crumbling infrastructure. Imagine the
job opportunities missed for all the supposed outrage over the
train derailment in East Palacetin, Ohio in twenty twenty three,
or the outdated national airspace system used by air traffic controllers.
There's no push to beat China.
Speaker 4 (57:34):
There.
Speaker 11 (57:34):
Let me put it in different terms. Inflation continues to rise.
Black unemployment is higher than it's ever been since the pandemic.
Neglect of America generally harms black people specifically and directly.
If you want to know what's important to someone, watch
how and where they spend their money. China, no doubt
is a dictatorship, but the country spends money on its infrastructure.
(57:55):
We spend more and more money on defense and virtually
nothing else. We've cut medicaid, FEMA, education, cancer research, and
just cut five hundred million dollars of vaccine research this week.
Our priorities are clear, as in not black people, but
sure put a nuclear reactor on the moon, one giant
leap backward for mankind. I'm mo Kelly, app mister mo
(58:17):
Kelly on social media, and that's your two minute warning
on the Black Information Network.
Speaker 2 (58:27):
Thanks Moe Kelly, and be sure to tune in daily
for commentary from Moe Kelly, Roland US Martin, and James T. Harris.
Right here on the Black Information Network. That's our program
for this week. For more on these stories, listen to
the Black Information Network on the free iHeartRadio app or
log onto bionnews dot com for all of the latest
(58:48):
news impacting the black community. Also, be sure to follow
us on social media at Black Information Network and on
XM Blue Sky at black info Net and make the
Black Information Network first your car radio and iHeartRadio app precins.
I'm Mike Island. Have a great rest of your Sunday.
Be sure to tune in next week at this time
(59:09):
for another edition of the Black Perspective right here on
the Black Information Network.
Speaker 6 (59:16):
Hi, this is Morgan would with the Black Information Network.
Every year, thousands of Black families face the unbearable sorrow
of losing a mom during pregnancy.
Speaker 7 (59:25):
Or after childbirth.
Speaker 6 (59:27):
Learn how you can support them in bion's special public
awareness campaign, Saving Black Moms a Maternal Health Crisis. Black
maternal health is a community issue. Learn more on our
social media platforms and at binnews dot com.
Hi, This is Tammy Esswick with the Black Information Network.
Every year, during and shortly after pregnancy, at a time
that should be filled with some of life's most rewarding
and joyous experiences, hundreds of black women die. Join the
Black Information Network as we take a look at the
issue and explore answers to the problem in our special
public awareness campaign, Saving Black Moms a maternal health Crisis,
(00:25):
because every mom and every life is worth saving. Learn
more at binnews dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
It's Sunday, August tenth, and on today's show, Gracie Award
winner Esther Dillard is back with a conversation with the
daughter of Madam C. J. Walker, Olivia Walker, and her
story on the joy Goddess of Harlem. Katie Gray gives
us part one of her conversation with a Georgia Senator
as Georgia lawmaker's kickstart a tourism study committee and how
(00:52):
you can be involved the Black Information Networks. Morgan Wood
continues her conversation with Tarique de Lavalaed, executive director of
the United Golfers Association, and his launching of the Sapphire
Golf Tour, a groundbreaking new platform for Black women in
professional golf and Doug Davis's back. He talks again with
Yolo Achille Robinson, founder of BEAM, which stands for Black
(01:16):
Emotional and Mental Health, in part two of their conversation,
and we get commentary from our three voices of Reason,
Moe Kelly, Roland, S Martin and James T. Harris. These
stories and more are coming your way on today's program.
Welcome to the Black Perspective. I'm your host, Mike Island.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Welcome to the Black Perspective, a weekly community affairs program
on the Black Information Network featuring interviews and discussions on
issues important to the black community.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Good Sunday, everyone, I'm Mike Island and welcome to the
Black Perspective. She was the daughter of Madame C. J. Walker,
the first self made black woman millionaire. But Olia Walker
became a cultural icon in her own right. Here's the
Black Information Networks Dillard with more on the woman they
called the joy Goddess of Harlem.
Speaker 4 (02:06):
But it wasn't just parties. It was bringing people together
from uptown and downtown in New York. Her international circle
of friends included visitors from Europe and from Africa.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
That was the voice of Alilia Bundles, her great great
grandmother was Madame C. J. Walker, the first black woman
millionaire who built an empire and black haircare. Walker's daughter
was Alilia. Some call her the Joy Goddess, and she's
the great grandmother of the woman we're speaking to on
this episode. Alilia Bundles wrote a detailed book about her
(02:39):
family legacy called Joy Goddess, Alilia Walker and the Harlem Renaissance,
and she reveals the emotional cost of legacy, the burden
of being a black woman in the spotlight, and while
reclaiming this history matters more than ever. Let's dive right
into the conversation. I know this book wasn't something that
came together in just a few months, and this has
(03:00):
been a journey for years of research on holding onto
history and just piecing together the life of someone that
wasn't just family but legacy. So before we even dive
into Joy Goddess, I wanted I was just curious, when
did you figure out that this was really the book
(03:20):
you had to write. Was it during the writing of
the first book about your great great grandmother, Madam C. J. Walker,
or was it before that?
Speaker 4 (03:29):
There were little steps all along the way, And yes,
while I was writing on her own ground, the Life
and Times of Madame C. J. Walker. I thought I
was writing a double biography, but at some point I
realized that Liliah Walker needed her own biography. Madam Walker's
story was eighteen sixty seven to nineteen nineteen. It was
(03:50):
about building a business and being involved in politics. Aliliah
Walker's story really was about the nineteen twenties and all
of the artists, writers and musicians who she knew, and
her own charismatic life. But I will say that the
seeds were planted before I could read. When I was
a toddler, I would go to my grandfather's apartment with
(04:14):
my mother, and my late grandmother's bedroom seemed to have
been untouched since nineteen forty five when she died, and
I was born in fifty two. So as a little girl,
I was exploring the dresser drawer, and there were things
in the dresser that had belonged to Aliliah Walker, and
particularly these miniature mummy charms that just fit into my
(04:36):
little girl's hands, and that I realized many years later
Aliliah Walker had bought when she was in Cairo in
nineteen twenty two. So this story has been with me
all my life.
Speaker 5 (04:48):
It's fantastic. I was reading that part and you brought
it back to mind. Aliliah Walker was once called the
joy Goddess of Harlem in the nineteen twenties. What does
that nickname mean to you?
Speaker 4 (05:00):
You?
Speaker 5 (05:00):
And what should we understand about her influence during the
Harlem Renaissance beyond just parties?
Speaker 4 (05:07):
Well, I couldn't resist the title. Langston Hughes in his
memoir The Big Sea called Alilia Walker the joy Goddess
of Harlem's nineteen twenties. So that's just an irresistible title.
And it was because of the great party she gave.
But it was also because she was a convener. She
was a very charismatic person who loved having people around her.
(05:30):
She was a great party giver. But it wasn't just parties.
It was bringing people together from uptown and downtown in
New York. Her international circle of friends included visitors from
Europe and from Africa. But she also at a time
when people weren't comfortable having being an interracial parties, she
(05:51):
made sure everybody was welcome. You know, we take that
for granted now that you can have a party where
all of your friends across the spectrum are there, but
that was unusual, and she was one of the only
people in a position to do that because she had
her mother's three beautiful homes, the mansion in Irvington, the
townhouse in Harlem, the small apartment in Harlem, and she
(06:16):
could bring people together who ordinarily wouldn't have been in
the same room at the same time.
Speaker 5 (06:21):
You mentioned that in the book that, well, many people
know Madame C. J. Walker is a business icon. Alilia's
story is often misunderstood or overlooked. What our guests are
some of the biggest myths you wanted to correct about
or truths that you wanted to bring out about Alilia's story.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
Sure, I think when people have read a little bit
about the Harlem Renaissance, because it's such a fascinating period
of time and people enjoyed it, and they say, oh,
I wish I had lived then, because I would have
met all of those famous people, those writers and those
musicians who I admire. And when Alilia Walker has been
included in some of those really well known histories of
(07:03):
the Harlem Renaissance, in some way she's been caricatured. I mean,
it's easy if you haven't really done the research to
just say, oh, she had parties, she spent her mother's money.
One famous historian said she spent the nineteen twenties playing bridge,
and she had a short attention span.
Speaker 6 (07:21):
So these were.
Speaker 4 (07:21):
Really put downs. But as I read her letters and
talked with people who had known her, did those interviews,
oral histories, I realized what an interesting person she was,
what a complex person. She was not a perfect human being,
but you know who among us, and so I really
wanted to create a multi dimensional view of her and
(07:44):
to take her beyond this cliche that sometimes has surrounded
her image, you know. And I will say that the
Netflix series Self Made, which was, as they say, inspired
by my nonfiction book Octavia Spencer, was great, but the
character of that was a Lilia Walker in Self Made,
(08:07):
is about one hundred and eighty degrees different from the
real life person. So I've had feel like I'm I
was starting from trying to like erase that image of her.
Speaker 5 (08:17):
Yeah, I read that you really did not You weren't
a big fan of the series, and that was one
of my last questions.
Speaker 7 (08:24):
But since you brought it up, I wondered.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
If Joycott Goddess were adapted to like by a studio,
what scene would you have I guess wanted to see
on screen for sure, And who would play a Lilia?
Speaker 4 (08:36):
Well, you know, I already actually am working on a
project about Joy Goddess. This time around, I'm starting off
working with people who are friends and people who have
a track record and whose work I really like, so
it'll be a very different experience. I learned a lot
of lessons the last time around. I haven't picked, and
(08:59):
sometimes you can't always get who you want. But I
really think that the sister who played Annie in Centers.
I'm just gonna put that out there. He has the stature,
she has the presence, So you know, I'm putting that
out there into the universe. Yes, But I just think
Alilia Walker's story is a story first of a person
(09:23):
who is trying to carve her own way with a
larger than life mother. That's not a new story. There
are lots of family stories like that, and I think
that we would be able to see what that meant
to be the child of a larger than life person.
But seeing how she was the center of so much
(09:45):
of the life and culture of the Harlem Renaissance, and
it gives it would give me an opportunity to introduce
some of these amazing writers and musicians and artists, and
to show black folks in Harlem in the nineteen twenties
creating their own community.
Speaker 5 (10:06):
To hear the full episode, head to the Color Between
the Lines podcast, available now wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
I'm Ester Dillard, Thanks Esther and Alilia. Now we get
commentary from James T.
Speaker 8 (10:19):
Harris.
Speaker 6 (10:19):
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.
Speaker 9 (10:31):
I'm jmc harris and I have something to say. Have
you noticed that when they left this quote to the
Constitution or the Declaration of Independence, they do it much
in the same way and the atheist quotes the Bible
to Christians. That's why it seems like we are reading
from two different documents. The left selectively uses these documents
to hold you to account, but never something to hold
(10:54):
them accountable because they don't believe it. This is a
tactic associated to sol Olinsky's Rules for Radicals. It involves
highlighting a group's stative values, principles, or promises and then
demonstrating how their actions contradict those claims. This strategy played
out recently on the set of C N N. When
(11:15):
it comes to illegal immigration and Christianity.
Speaker 10 (11:19):
It called the excuse me, we call these people illegals,
but they're Christian refugees. I have this crazy thing I
do with the Bible. I read it and Jesus is
emphatic about saying that we will be judged nations and
individuals in Matthew twenty five. How we know, but high
you belong to a party that likes to wave Jesus
relic a problem?
Speaker 9 (11:36):
You mean, how you just use Jesus's words as a
prop to advance or notion that illegals are holy?
Speaker 8 (11:43):
Where where are not in the Theocracy.
Speaker 11 (11:48):
Act?
Speaker 10 (11:49):
I'm talking about a political party that uses the pretense
of Christianity to get gone.
Speaker 5 (11:53):
You just all the way over there.
Speaker 10 (11:54):
Because the God of the Hebrew Scriptures commands us to
welcome the stranger crisis will be judged by it. Why
should I listen to Don instead of God and Jesus.
Speaker 6 (12:01):
As long as.
Speaker 9 (12:04):
I don't believe that this gentleman actually believes in the
scripture that he is weaponizing. Yes, Jesus did say to
welcome the stranger, but he also said render onto Caesar.
What is Caesar's and he told us to obey the
laws of the land. Twisting his words to promote lawlessness
is not compassion, It's deception. I'm Jmes Harris for The
(12:26):
Black Information Network.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Thanks James, and stay tuned for more commentary. In today's show,
The Black Information Networks, Morgan Wood is back with part
two of her conversation with Tarik Dollavala, executive director of
the United Golfers Association. He is at the forefront of
launching the Sapphire Golf Tour, a groundbreaking new platform created
specifically to uplift and elevate Black women in professional golf.
Speaker 6 (12:51):
If you're just joining the conversation, I'm speaking with Tarik
de Lava Lade, executive director of the United Golfers Association,
and also so someone at the forefront of launching the
Sapphire Golf Tour, a groundbreaking new platform creating us created
specifically to uplift and elevate Black women in professional golf. Now,
(13:13):
with this event coming up in wood Moore, I'm very
familiar with that country club right there. It is Blackie, Black, Black,
Black and it's a beautiful.
Speaker 9 (13:21):
Place to be.
Speaker 6 (13:23):
What are you most excited about and what can attendees
or participants expect from this event.
Speaker 12 (13:29):
I think what's important is for people to know that
it is more or grander than just a tour event.
What we've done is we've created a three and a
half day experience. We have a pairing party and a
welcome reception that's going to be helps to with our
local leaders and politicians and sponsors and the players themselves
(13:51):
and especially invited guests and influencers. And then our second
day is actually a full blown charity golf tournament. So
this is one hundred players, a pro am, four sums,
two sums, come by yourselves, register and come enjoy the
energy at with more because they do have. It's a
(14:12):
great it's a beautiful venue. It's going to be in
great shape. So that's going to be that day. And
then on the second and third day of the well
the first competitive day. In the second competitive days, what
we're hoping is to see is we have spectator to
kets and we want people to go to the website,
purchase the spectator to tickets, come out and support walk the fairways.
(14:36):
We want when those first ladies tea off at eight o'clock.
We want that. We want the colors and the fashion
and the faces and the melanin to be wrapped around
those tea boxes, that tea box, so that when they
tee off and they say on the first tea we
have Morgan Wood, Oh, then they go wild. We want
(14:58):
it to be an energy where they feel now proud
to be a black woman in a sport that really
never has been that open and welcoming to them. But
we want to be able to change that. So we
want as they walk the fairways and get on the
teams and make those birdies and eagles, we want the
claps and the yells and the great job. We love you,
(15:19):
keep join chin up. We want those experiences. That's what
we want for Maryland, Atlanta, Houston and Jacksonville as we
moved throughout the rest of.
Speaker 7 (15:29):
The year through my name in there. I kind of
like that. I don't know, it's certainly it's a nice idea.
Speaker 4 (15:36):
I like that.
Speaker 6 (15:38):
So how have some of the participants the players responded?
Are there any stories that are already emerging that reflect
what makes this tour possible?
Speaker 12 (15:51):
We have Kendall Jackson, who just graduated from Howard. She's
very excited about being on the tour. Bailey Davis just
graduated from University of Tennessee. They're like, thank you for
having something for us when we graduated. There are other
women who've been playing for six to ten years and
(16:11):
there was nothing for them. They're grateful that now there
is something for them that they can now feel like
if they didn't have the financial resources to play on
the other tours, which are very a lot more expensive
than ours, they now have a more affordable option where
they still can make almost the same amount of money
(16:32):
playing on our tour and playing on the others. The
differences is that our field is smaller, so we could
spread the money across eighteen to twenty four women a lot,
even a lot more evenly. And then we have women
who haven't played in ten years competitively. Like the new
head coach at North Carolina A and T. She called
me yesterday and says, hey, I want to play. She's
(16:56):
not twenty five, she's not thirty, she's not thirty five,
but she's like, this is something that I can actually
go back out and play and compete against these young
folks to see if I still have it. So we're
seeing women coming out of retirement and wanting to be
a part of the experience, so that I feel like
that's our platform that we're providing, is a safe space
(17:17):
for them and a place they can feel like home.
Speaker 6 (17:19):
For sure, And it does seem like it's already yielding
successful results by based on what you're saying. Let me
talk more with you about success. What does that look
like for you, not just in year one, but what
do you hope to see maybe five years from now
with the Sapphire Tour.
Speaker 12 (17:39):
Five years from now, I would love to be able
to see a full pipeline of women I would love
to see in five years. I think that because the
amount of love women playing collegiate right in the collegiate
level right now, well we are numbers will be well
up to around fifty five to sixty women in the
(18:00):
next five years. Also, i'd love to see larger companies
and or medium sized companies be able to have an
opportunity to be title sponsors for these different events that
we're hosting throughout the throughout the nation. These are opportunities
that we're giving to small businesses who typically would not
(18:22):
Small black owned businesses preferred if possible, but hey, look
we'll take them all right, everybody's welcome. We're going to
take all the money and all the marketing dollars we
can get. But if we can have some black owned
businesses be title sponsors for some of these events in
these major cities, this is something that they would never
be able to do at the LPGA or the PGA level.
(18:45):
We're giving opportunities for black owned businesses also to expand
their brand and get eyeballs with some of these major
media outlets like iHeartMedia and others as well.
Speaker 7 (18:55):
That's amazing. You're already getting ahead of me.
Speaker 6 (18:57):
I was going to ask you how corporate partner's, golf
fans and everyday supporters can help make this tour sustainable
and impactful for the long haul.
Speaker 12 (19:08):
Thank you for that. We have something called the Founders
of the Sapphire Founders Club. It is a club that
we've created where it's a fund it's a funding source,
so it's almost like crowdfunding. So we have levels from
two hundred and fifty dollars all the way up to
one hundred thousand dollars and so for every level and
(19:29):
tier that you climb in the Sapphire Founders Club. There's
different benefits. You get over fifty grand, you get an
event with your company and or trust's name on it.
So now you have legacy. Right But when you have
one point five black women now playing golf, let me
say that again. Right now, there's a one and a
(19:51):
half million Black women who are playing golf. And these
are women who played, who played once a year or
twenty times a year or more. They have golf clubs
in their trunk, they have them in their garage, and
they're playing. And what our hope is that these women
will see the value in what we're building and want
to have and build legacy with us as founders. And
(20:14):
now they can now say, hey, I was a part
of that that is successful because I gave, or we
gave as a family, or our organization or a company gave.
And that is legacy in a different way than what
we want to build, beyond what people typically see us
spending our money on on things that may be more transactional,
(20:36):
but something that has more legacy. And I do believe
that our found this club is building that and is
that for them?
Speaker 6 (20:41):
And everyone talk to me a little bit about the
sport of golf. I've noticed that a lot of women
who don't necessarily or have not are not familiar with
the sport. I'm seeing some women, i would say, in
their middle ages, and they're noticing, Okay, most of the
there's an unwritten rule or unwritten unspoken rule to an
(21:04):
extent that most of the best meetings happen on the
golf course. So there's been women, or at least some
of my colleagues, that have seemingly taken more of an interest.
What's your message to the girls who are just trying
to figure it out and just getting started.
Speaker 12 (21:21):
Golf is for everyone, regardless of age, whether you have
an amputee, or whether you are eight years old or five,
or whether you're eighteen or if you're eighty. Golf is
a sport that you can play from the age of
three years old, and we've seen it to well into
your eighties or nineties. And I think the important thing
(21:44):
is is that regardless of how you come to golf,
you can enjoy it just as much as someone who's
been playing for over forty five years like myself. And
so I was introduced to golf when I was four.
I still have our first golf club sitting right here
next to me on my kitchen counter that my grandfather
(22:05):
gave me. So I think it doesn't really matter how
you come to golf. It is just enjoy it as
you please. There are men who hit the ball four
hundred yards, and there are men who hit the ball
with the same club one hundred and eighty right. And
there are women like Troy Mullins who can hit it
(22:26):
three hundred and fifty yards, and they are women who
hit it two hundred yards. So enjoy it as it lays,
and as you come to the sport, it fashions your thing.
If it's getting out, getting fresh air, if it's the
camaraderie with friends, getting the girls out, going and playing
(22:47):
with your husband or your boyfriend or colleagues. Regardless of
how you land the sport or come to it, it
can be enjoyed. It can be frustrating, but if you're
not playing well. But that's what backtails and cigars and
friends are for, is to tell you to sec it
(23:08):
up and focus on the next shot.
Speaker 7 (23:11):
I love that. No more being the caddy, no more
just sitting back.
Speaker 12 (23:15):
Ladies.
Speaker 7 (23:15):
We're getting in the game. Okay, I'm speaking with Tarik.
Speaker 6 (23:20):
De Lava Lade, executive director of the United Golfers Association.
He's at the forefront of launching the Sapphire Golf Tour,
a groundbreaking new platform created specifically to uplift and elevate
Black women in professional golf. Before I let you go,
is there anything that you wanted to touch on today
that we did not.
Speaker 12 (23:41):
H What I'll say is this what's happening in golf
and what we're building at United Golfers Association with our initiative,
which is the Sapphire Golf Tour, is groundbreaking. We do
plan on changing them the complexion of golf, especially for women,
(24:06):
and giving women who are playing professionally and leisurely at
a greater opportunity to enjoy it at different levels. If
you do want to support us and you want to
come follow us, if you want to attend our event,
We're going to be as I said before, at Woodmore
(24:27):
in August, We're going to be going to Atlanta at
Chateau Elan, which is a resort in Winery which is
going to be beautiful. And they were going to Houston
and then going to Jacksonville. If these are not cities
that you're living in, get on the airplane, you know,
drive a couple hours, come see is, come celebrate with
these women and a plaud them and make them feel
(24:50):
like they are worthy. It is their time and they
are deserving. And that's all I do believe. That's what
we're looking for, is to support these women in more
ways than just likes on Instagram. And likes are okay,
but but com a like with your collapse and your
smiles and your cheers, because they need that just as
(25:10):
much to know that it is their time. It is time.
Speaker 6 (25:15):
Tarik, can you tell me how we can continue to
follow your work that you're doing with the United Golfers
Association And you know, like you said, a like is good,
but we want to continue to follow. And you know,
sorry about that.
Speaker 12 (25:35):
It's fun going.
Speaker 6 (25:37):
No, I was gonna say, I'll trust and believe. I'm
going to edit all this up. We're going to sound wonderful.
Toreqe de lav a Lot, executive director of the United
Golfers Association. Talk to me about how we can continue
to follow the work that you're doing. Likes are good,
and we want to continue to you know, hit those
like button and but also follow what you're doing.
Speaker 7 (26:00):
A post Tour.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
Maybe.
Speaker 12 (26:04):
So there's two things. So we have United Golfers Association.
You could follow us on Instagram just as it's spelled
and said United Golfers Association. You can follow us at
Uga Invitational, but specifically for this Sapphire Golf Tour. You'll
be able to find us on all of the platforms
with Sapphire Golf Tour. And right now a lot of
(26:27):
our energy is on Instagram because that's where a lot
of our pushes. But we are blending into YouTube and
TikTok and all the other platforms granually over the next
two weeks as we get ready for upcoming tournament. But
you could find us there and that is the best
place to find us at the moment. But don't just
find us there, find the women. Follow them so that
(26:50):
you can now see what they're doing on a day
to day basis as well.
Speaker 6 (26:53):
And you said pull up to a tour city near you, well,
bow me, I know that's right. I'm speaking with Tarique
de Lava Loade, executive director of the United Golfers Association.
He's at the forefront of launching the Sapphire Golf Tour,
a groundbreaking platform created specifically to uplift and elevate black
(27:15):
women in professional golf. Thank you so much for joining
us here on the Black Information Network.
Speaker 12 (27:20):
Thank you for having me. I appreciate it absolutely.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Thanks Morgan and Tariq. For more information about the Sapphire
Golf Tour, go to United Golfers Association dot org. Georgia Lawmakers,
what your input on how state and local communities can
be better impacted by tourism?
Speaker 13 (27:38):
Katie Gray reports, Okay, so, Senator, first of all, thank
you so much for your time. Tell me about the
initiatives of putting together this Senate committee that's focusing on
research on tourism.
Speaker 14 (27:50):
Well, we're definitely well, we're definitely we're going to put
the spotlight on the state of Georgia. But I think
I think you're right. I think some of the treasures,
the rural treasures, the urban treasures out here all over
the state that are typically not looked at. I think
I feel like I've given this example to some folks
(28:11):
here in the past couple weeks with this Tourism Study Committee.
I feel like I'm out on a deep sea fishing
trip and I've got my fish fishing rod, I've got
the hook thrown out on the water and I've got
a hold of something and I'm trying to rile it
in and it's so big, it's moving the bait. Communities
from all over the state have reached out. Unfortunately, we
can't have but four meetings. You know, I would love
(28:34):
to be able to go to every single corner of
the state of Georgia and visit every single county, but
I cannot believe the overwhelming.
Speaker 8 (28:43):
Support for this study committee.
Speaker 14 (28:47):
Thomasville wanted to host Lagrange Noon and but there again,
we can't go to all of these places. So we
had to narrow it down, get sort of somewhat regional
in our in our planning, and I do. I think
you're right. I think we're gonna uncover some gems that
(29:09):
are off the beaten paths, so to speak. I think
it's a great way. Tourism is a phenomenal way for
these local communities. It's a it's a great industry for
them to embrace because it's not the it's not the
largest drain on infrastructure. I mean, people come in, they visit,
they do the activities or or whatever it is. They
(29:32):
visit the parks, whatever, the hotels, and then they leave
so it's a great way to to raise tax revenue.
It's a great way for citizens to be able to
the citizens of a local county or city to be
able to reap the benefits of folks coming in having roads,
(29:59):
building schools or or whatever, but they're leaving and they're
not really a drain on that infrastructure.
Speaker 15 (30:08):
Well, okay, so then you're right. You're obviously trying to
uncover so many elements and you can only have four meetings.
Can you tell me about obviously, the planning of this
first this first meeting that's coming up. Is there specific
things that you as you were looking at the planning
of this that you were kind of surprised on working
into that structured What you're looking to make sure is
(30:30):
included in this first.
Speaker 14 (30:32):
Meeting, Well, the first meeting, I did, you know, being
the chairman of the study Committee, I wanted to bring
the folks up to my hometown, to Gainswell Hall County.
Speaker 8 (30:43):
But we're doing some great things. I'm gonna touch on
a couple of things with you there.
Speaker 14 (30:47):
We're doing some great things, but we also need some
help with a lot too, And I wanted my committee
to be able to hear the needs I wanted the
committee that people testifying to be able to share with
that committee.
Speaker 8 (30:57):
Got a local friend mind speaking.
Speaker 14 (31:01):
He's a former eye surgeon and he's been a developer,
but he has seen the Jeff pain is his name,
doctor Jeff Payne, and Jeff retired from the medical field,
and he learned a lot while he was developing property.
Speaker 8 (31:18):
But he's gotten into the he's doing.
Speaker 14 (31:20):
Hotels now and now he's contemplating a resort up in
our area. You know, the example that Jeff and I
talk about all the time is when you make those investments,
you actually get to sell that product, that same product
to this person and the next person and the next person.
It's not like they really take something home with them.
(31:43):
You're selling them an experience, either as simple as a
hotel experience, or it could be a ticketed event.
Speaker 8 (31:49):
Or something like that.
Speaker 14 (31:51):
But Jeff's topic is going to be He's going to
be speaking about the difficulties navigating from community to community. Uh,
some communities are very sea hotels is very favorable, right
in some communities. Pushed back a little bit some people.
(32:13):
Some communities they don't want a hotel period, So it's there.
I don't think there should be a one size fits all.
I believe very much in local control, but I think
that I think that leaders in different communities need to
hear where it's easier to do business, where it's harder
(32:36):
to do business. I'm not here to put my opinion in.
I just want folks to be able to hear it.
Get that, get those discussions out there on the record
from a business own owner's perspective. So that's gonna I
think that's gonna be cool. We've got We've also got
another local guy up there, Matthew Bowling. Matthew his family,
(33:00):
his granddad, Virgil Williams, run Lakeland Near Islands.
Speaker 8 (33:06):
Late Land near Islands is there's the Late Land Near.
Speaker 14 (33:09):
Islands Authority and it's set up by the State of Georgia.
Speaker 8 (33:14):
There's an appointed.
Speaker 14 (33:15):
Board to the authority, the the water park and hotels
and all. They lease the land from the authority. And
I wanted Matthew to talk to us about that relationship,
how it is, because how it is working.
Speaker 8 (33:35):
Under an authority like that.
Speaker 14 (33:37):
You know, Matthew was telling me, you know, some of
it's difficult.
Speaker 8 (33:42):
Sometimes it's difficult, sometimes it's it's fun. Sometimes there's great
ideas that come.
Speaker 14 (33:51):
From the authority, and that these are the folks sitting
on the authority, these are these are all people who
have been appointed, like I said, by the governor, lieutenant
governor or somewhere along the lines. They're all business people.
So there's good ideas that come from the authority as well.
So I guess you know, for Matthew there the reason
I wanted to get Matthew in front of people. Does
(34:13):
the State of Georgia do we need more authorities? Do
we need less authorities some of our other parks? Should
we set up authorities for public private partnerships like that?
Because again, the vast majority of people who visit Lakeland
Near Islands are from out of town. But I can
(34:35):
tell you as a father of a twenty one year
old and a seventeen year old, my kids love it
down there, and it's only, you know, a little twenty
five minute drive. So if Lakelander Islands was one hundred
percent dependent on the folks who live in Hall County
or a neighboring county.
Speaker 8 (34:51):
It wouldn't be able to exist. Pulling in from all over.
Speaker 14 (34:55):
Everybody benefits from it being there, at the gas stations,
the restaurant, the hotels and so on. So I just
want to get that conversation going and I don't know
what the answer is. Again, We're going in this to
uncover treasure. That's what we're going to do is try
to uncover treasure, you know, and take advice from people
(35:16):
who are inside the industry the needs and the wants
of the industry.
Speaker 15 (35:20):
And it sounds like with the initiative behind this move
is to make sure that you're being able to highlight
those places, see the opportunities, but also take a lot
of input from the communities themselves on how they would
want that to be implemented.
Speaker 8 (35:39):
Absolutely. Absolutely.
Speaker 14 (35:42):
We've got another speaker, Tyler, and I unfortunately I can't
remember Tyler's last name. On that agenda, Tyler is going
to speak to investments from Originally was going to talk
about the investments from the state versus you know, other
states what they're doing. But as you know, listen, funding,
I don't want to get into that funding debate because
(36:04):
Florida funds things different than Georgia does. There's different formulas,
South Carolina, Alabama, California, everybody does things differently.
Speaker 8 (36:12):
That's what makes us, you know, everybody great, right, But.
Speaker 14 (36:16):
I want you know, I kind of want Tyler to
get back onto that ROI you know, the return on
investment from the state and what we can do from
a state perspective.
Speaker 8 (36:30):
There.
Speaker 14 (36:30):
But you're right going back to what you said, I
definitely want community input and I want to expose communities
all over the State of Georgia to the good and
bad and tourism happening everywhere.
Speaker 15 (36:48):
Is part of the initiative too, because of course we
talked about the component about the inputs from the communities.
Is it also trying to pinpoint that if that was
going to be a focus making sure that we know
what the needs would be of that community. I know
that like as an example, I know you mentioned about
like the roads, like if it is harder to get
(37:09):
in and out of that community, if that would need
be a focus from the state to make that an
easier destination spot.
Speaker 8 (37:17):
Yes, and that so that brings up a great point.
Speaker 14 (37:20):
So currently with the hotel motel tax, I mean, there's
a five dollars bed tax that is on each night
in a hotel room. That money goes to the DOT.
There's a hotel motel tax that's local. But what you know,
this is an opinion. This is something that I do
(37:41):
I do know, or I think that we need to
give our state legislature. We need to give these communities
more flexibility with that hotel motel tax. Currently, when they
charge hotel motel tax, the only two things they can
do with that money is either market tourism or build
something like the boat house in Lake Lanier at Lake
(38:02):
Lander in the city of Gainsville for a tourism. Currently,
we've got their hands tied. They can't pave the road
with that tax money. They can't build a school with
that tax money. They can't you know, put up a
red light or whatever. So there's communities here in Georgia
(38:25):
who are very flushed and with tourists. And if you're
flush with tourists, then you're flushed with tourism dollars the
tax that they're paying on the hotel motel tax, and
they're investing, they're making investments out in their community.
Speaker 8 (38:44):
There's other counties who.
Speaker 14 (38:47):
Have a hotel motel tax, but there's really not other
activities or attractions there in the county to market or
even invest in, like a boat house. It's you know,
maybe there's ten hotels in the community, but they're just
located in the county excuse me, And they're just located
(39:10):
maybe on the side of seventy five, and there's nothing
else there really other than just overnight stay between Georgia
and Florida.
Speaker 8 (39:19):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 14 (39:20):
That people come in there, they stay overnight, and they
travel on to Florida. Those communities are able to take
in that hotel motel tax, but what do they do
with it? Some of them have money, but they really
don't have anywhere to invest in. So if we give them,
under the current the way that the law structures that
(39:41):
hotel motel tax, if we give them some flexibility, then
they can go build a school with the hotel motil tax,
or they can go pay a road or whatever the
need is of that specific community.
Speaker 8 (39:54):
Right.
Speaker 15 (39:55):
Do you also think that with these with these meetings,
it's a that would be really encouraging for locals, you know,
to want to be more involved in these meetings and
being able to you know, speak up and being able
to share those insights because, as you mentioned before, you know,
you're going in as a discovery. You don't necessarily know
(40:15):
what the ins and outs of each one of these communities.
For people to feel like they can really be a
participant in this and make sure that it's going to
benefit their area as much as possible.
Speaker 8 (40:27):
You've got all the best questions.
Speaker 14 (40:29):
So going back to what I said earlier about just
to pent up demand for this committee and how many
people have reached out and volunteered their you know, to
host us. How many different entities, private and public have
(40:51):
Hey we'll sponsor a launch.
Speaker 8 (40:54):
Hey will you come into town the night before and.
Speaker 14 (40:58):
We'll you know, we want to show you this park
or you know, we know you're only going to be here,
you know, for half a day, but we.
Speaker 8 (41:05):
Would love to be able to show you. It has
been overwhelming.
Speaker 14 (41:10):
Couple that with the fact that right now we've already
got sixty five people signed up to be at our
first meeting.
Speaker 8 (41:19):
There will probably be one hundred people there.
Speaker 14 (41:21):
Most folks don't RSVP for a Senate Study Committee.
Speaker 8 (41:24):
It's not that.
Speaker 14 (41:25):
Cool, you know what I'm saying, But there is a
lot of pent up demand for it.
Speaker 15 (41:30):
Does that almost speak volumes over how much when it
comes to this topic, it does, I mean draw people
in because as you mentioned, this is there's such a
broad range of what tourism can be and how it
can impact our state, but then also specific communities across
the state.
Speaker 8 (41:50):
That's right, that's right. I mean, I use my business.
Speaker 14 (41:53):
Going back to my business, I use my business as
an example. Listen, we grew up, we grew up poor,
and we were farmers. We grew peaches, and we grew
chickens okay, and sometimes we had to h we had
to charge our lunch at school because we couldn't afford
to pay for our food. But when the when the
(42:14):
public from all over the state of Georgia and Florida
and North Carolina, when they found us, it elevated me
and my family and you know, from lower class to
middle class. And I think that's what can happen with
these communities across the state of Georgia. We just got
to be able to give them the flexibility and the
(42:37):
little you know, the little nudge, be.
Speaker 8 (42:40):
The legislature what we need to be as their cheerleader.
Speaker 14 (42:43):
We need to encourage them and and I think that's
what I think that's what we're going to do with
this committee.
Speaker 2 (42:50):
Thanks Katie. Tune in next week for part two of
her conversation about Georgia tourism. Now we get commentary from
Roland S. Martin.
Speaker 6 (42:58):
The opinions, beliefs, and view points expressed in this commentary
are those of the author and do not necessarily represent
those of b N and it's founding partners and employees.
Speaker 7 (43:10):
Now it's time to bring the funk with Roland S. Smartin.
Speaker 16 (43:14):
We all know what Republicans are doing in Texas is
a power grab by trying to get rid of five
Democratic congressional seats and flip those two Republicans. And they're
targeting four African American members of Congress and a Hispanic woman.
(43:35):
But be careful with the language you use. If you
say power grab, this is a partisan power grap it's political.
That's not the language to use. Why because the Supreme
Court has already ruled that they have no jurisdiction over
political gerrymandering and that's left up to the states. Well,
(43:58):
we know in Texas Republicans control Texas Supreme Court, so
they're not going to rule against political jerrymandering. But racial
gerry mandering, racist gerrymandering is illegal, and that is the
language that we must use. So when we're talking about
what's happening in Texas, we must call this race we
(44:19):
must call these racist maps that is designed to detegrate
black and brown voters. The effort of Republicans there is
to not allow black people and Latinos in Texas to
have power to elect representatives that look like them, that
(44:45):
represent them. Now, I know somebody listening may say, well,
I'm still not understanding it. It is a distinction that
is important because when the lawsuits are going to be filed,
what is important is it if they go to court
and say, oh no, this is not racial, this is political.
(45:05):
Look they even said so themselves. So that's why I
say language is important. What's happening in Texas is racist,
Jerry Manning. It is racial. It is hurting black and
brown people. I'm Roland Martin on the Black Information Network.
Speaker 2 (45:23):
Thanks Roland. Doug Davis is back with us to continue
his discussion on black male mental health and how one
black founder of a nonprofit is out to shed and
get rid of what is described as black toxic masculinity.
Speaker 3 (45:36):
Doug, Hey, Thanks Mike, This is Doug Davis. I am
back with part two of my conversation about black men's
mental health with Yolo Achille Robinson, founder of the Black
Emotional Mental Health Collective or Beam regarding the organization's Black
Masculinity Reimagined program that helps black men unlearn harmful norms
and build healthy ways to show up for themselves, their families,
(45:58):
and community. Thank you for turning back to the black perspective.
We left off last week discussing a somewhat touchy topic
with black men, and that's crying. You said that black
men need to shed the tough guy image that's rooted
in slavery, and that crying is a human emotion and
that black men shouldn't feel ashamed of it. Now I
want to touch on another norm that is connected to
(46:20):
black masculinity. Now, let's talk about black men, money, women,
and expectations. Now, I'll dare to say this, but most
men I believe tie their masculinity to wealth in some way,
form or fashion, wealth or career. And let's face it,
black women they're making the bucks. They're killing it right now.
They are agreed up owning businesses, and they're often, you know,
(46:42):
the breadwinner in many Black families, whether singular or with
you know, their male counterpart or their husband, and there
is some stress attached to that. Now I'm not ashamed
to say it. My fiance makes twice as much as
I do, and it stresses me out sometimes not from
some you know, phony fake masculine shield that I put up,
(47:03):
but for the fact that I struggle with the fact
that I can't take care of my family the way
I want to, the way society and the Christian religion
says I'm supposed to, and that hurts, and that digs
deep into a man's psyche and brothers, you know what
I'm talking about, your thoughts absolutely so.
Speaker 17 (47:22):
One piece we have to acknowledge, and it is a
nuanced piece that has to be held, is that these
rigid and toxic ideas about masculinity are not just policed
by black men, but are policed by black women who
have also been taught their entire lives that the only
value of a man is if he can produce, which
(47:42):
is a terrible concept for any human being. Yeah, because
black women have internalized this belief. I have literally supported
brothers who have said, you know, I didn't come around
for my kids because every time I came around, I
felt like I wasn't valuable, and therefore you missed out
on the opportunity that your children thought your presence was valuable.
Speaker 8 (48:01):
To them.
Speaker 17 (48:02):
We're not taught to believe the black men, your presence
is enough. You're showing up is enough. You're showing up
is good. Right, we're talking to like, if you are
not quote unquote in the fields, you are not useful.
And black women have internalized that about themselves and black
men and black men believe that too. And so there's
some work to be done on all of us, of
all genders right around, like why do I believe that
(48:25):
this man is less than? And I say, I understand
how systems work. I say, I understand how racism work.
And yet I'm still enforcing this idea on this brother,
and when this brother might be showing up in love
and care for me in other ways. We all have
some reimagining to do because we can fit ourselves in
these rigid scripts and categories. And everybody's talking, you know
how so many couples of work where they're like they're struggling,
(48:47):
like I can't fit in the box. You go, man
supposed to do this, but women pos this like, well,
screw what a man a woman want to do? What
do y'all want to do?
Speaker 2 (48:55):
So, you know a lot of.
Speaker 3 (48:56):
Us, though a lot of sisters and some brothers too,
but a lot of sisters, you know, they go by
the Bible, you know, like I've had this thrown in
my face. See look it says a man is supposed
to provide a man. Da da da da, And that
just takes us right back down again.
Speaker 12 (49:10):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 17 (49:11):
Christianity is a diverse religious and spiritual perspective. There are
many people who hold different approaches to Christianity. And one
approach I often hear that you just echoed is this
kind of literal translation connecting a belief that that is
exactly how it should be right because that is how
you know, so many years ago in the Bible was created,
that was what was written and spoken. And then there
(49:33):
are some Christian scholars and believers who think differently, who
hold the Bible is a beautiful and gorgeous spiritual document,
that Jesus is an example and a model for the world.
And at the same time we have to hold that
some parts of this Bible, sometimes parts of this sacred
and powerful book are situated in the historical context of
(49:53):
that moment and may not be relevant to the same
There are certain things we already know, people, people, even
pig so some the Bible. We very clear that that
was about a different time, but some people we hold
on to and maybe we need to figure out what
parts of this is divine and universal and what parts
of this is actually about the specific cultural context those
(50:14):
people were in, living in a totally different environment in
a different part of the world three thousand years ago.
So it's up to us to decide how you want
to interpret spirituality and interpret, you know, spiritual doctrine. Now,
I can't force that on anybody, but I will invite
people to get curious. What's possible when I allow black
men and black women to be worthy by virtue of
(50:37):
just being as opposed to being something that produces for me?
What love becomes possible, What Christ's like behavior becomes possible.
Because I wonder for Jesus as a person who was
flipping tables in the church, who was walking with the
most oppressed and villainized people in the world. I just
have a hard time imagine that Jesus was like, you know,
(50:57):
this man ain't worth nothing because he ain't got a job.
I have a heart time believing this man was like,
this woman ain't worth this because she ain't showing up
like X Y and z. I just I don't know
any proof of that concept, so I don't know where
that comes from.
Speaker 3 (51:09):
Let's just take let's take Trump for example, right. You know,
we witnessed a slight uptick in male voter participation under
the Republican Party during the presidential election. Many black men
feel that Trump will give them an opportunity to provide
more for their families, you know, they feel Republicans can
give them that. How does that all tie into black
(51:32):
masculinity and the fact that, you know, we still feel
like we have to prove that we're the top breadmakers
because of what we just spoke about, you know, the
conditioning over years in generations.
Speaker 17 (51:45):
Yeah, and you have a lot of folks who voted
for Trump because he represents an old kind of toxic,
rigid masculine.
Speaker 8 (51:54):
He's the.
Speaker 17 (51:56):
Push and bully and control and dominate. He's not the
listening to understand, he's listening to dominate. He's not the
cultivate connection. He's the cultivated exploitation. And some people are
attracted to that because that is what they know, that
is what's familiar. Even though many of us are victims
of that kind of masculinity, we can all think of
(52:17):
times in which people we've been in a relationship with
have exhibited that masculinity, and how terrible it was for us.
Our families are all loved ones, but sometimes you know,
one of my mentors, Suliman Khan, Suliman used to say,
I'm Suliman Noordine. He used to say, many men love
familiar hell over an unknown heaven. Right wow. And so
(52:39):
there are a lot of people who are just used
to that hell. And it's like, let's just go to
that if it makes me feel safe, if it makes
me feel powerful. And a lot of men have been
taught that the way to feel power is power over
instead of power with. Let me talk about that piece
for a minute. We have been trained in this country
to think that people are powerful. When your foot is
(53:00):
on somebody's neck, the more next my foot is on,
the stronger I am. That is a power over model
as opposed to a power with model, which says the
more people I'm locked in arms with, the more people
I can stand with and let them fully stand in
their light and I stand in my life next to them,
the more powerful I am. And those are two different models.
(53:21):
I get it all the time. With brothers, you know.
I literally have this conversation with barbarishaw brothers are like,
you know, in my house, I'm the lady of the household.
I run this household. I'm like, huh, you do well?
Tell me, brother, what are you? What bank that your
mortgage with?
Speaker 8 (53:36):
Oh?
Speaker 17 (53:36):
I don't know my wife handled that. I don't know
what that is. Okay, Okay, so you don't know. Okay,
what score your kids go to? What's the teacher's think?
Oh I don't know nothing about that?
Speaker 8 (53:44):
Okay?
Speaker 17 (53:44):
What about your car payment on what bank? I don't
know my wife and that? So it sounds like you
don't run nothing, brother, You run an illusion. Right, Come on,
and maybe instead of you run things and you the lead,
maybe you both are the lead and you both hold
different domains. Maybe you both are powerful together as opposed
to one person leads. Maybe you lead side by side.
(54:07):
But we ain't been taught that kind of thinking. We've
been taught master slavery plantation. Somebody got to have a
whip as opposed to Maybe we don't need that model.
Maybe we lockstep. Maybe when I'm up, she's up, down,
I'm up. We go back and forth, and that's the
model of a power that we need more of in
our communities and that our people are struggling and looking for.
(54:28):
Because if you're trying to do the old school slavery
plantation matter, you're gonna get a model. You're gonna get
more of the plantation, right, and that's pain.
Speaker 3 (54:35):
Oh boy, you killing it right now? You are, well,
you've been killing it since day one? Quickly though, So
how can people get involved with Beam? If I'm listening
right now and I'm like, man, I need to unload,
how can I learn about Beam? How can I take,
you know, advantage of some of your virtual sessions and
(54:56):
you know, be a part of my own healing that
I need so bad?
Speaker 17 (54:59):
Absolutely so beamdot community. Visit our website. So the thing
about us is every month in Atlanta and also in
Los Angeles, we have in person opportunities.
Speaker 8 (55:08):
To come together.
Speaker 17 (55:09):
We also have other events we do in partnership with
our network across the country. So we might pop up
where you were at, you know, last last year. We
popped up in Detroit, we popped up in Baltimore, we
popped up in Houston.
Speaker 9 (55:19):
Right.
Speaker 17 (55:19):
We do a lot of work in collaboration with our partners.
So check out our website. Join our lists, serve and
find out where you want to link in, and you
also can join virtually. We have virtual healing spaces. We
have virtual places for men and mask and folks to
come together. Sometimes if you're far out. You might be
in Idaho, you might be in Kentucky and you're like,
I don't know if I can get there to LA,
But you can join us virtually and get some of
(55:41):
this really kind of healing medicine and opportunity to rethink
and reimagine.
Speaker 3 (55:45):
Thank you, brother, Yolo. The Black Emotional Mental Health Collective
or BEAM the Black Masculine Then Reimagine program is changing lives.
In this conversation, brother, it helped me, and I know
it also impacted the many black men and women who
are listening right now. Check out the website Beam dot Community,
not dot com, just Beam dot Community with an m
(56:07):
as in millions. This is Doug Davis from The Black Perspective.
Speaker 2 (56:11):
Thanks Doug and Yolo for more information on Beam Goo
to Yoloachille dot com. Now we get commentary from mo Kelly.
Speaker 6 (56:19):
The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed in this commentary are
those of the author and do not necessarily represent those
of BIN and its founding partners and employees.
Speaker 11 (56:31):
I'm mo Kelly on the BN with your two minute warning.
Get this, NASA wants to beat China and Russia in
building a nuclear reactor on the Moon, Yes, the Moon.
Interim NASA administrator and former Real World cast member Sean
Duffy warned that China and Russia are both aiming to
deploy a nuclear reactor of their own by the mid
(56:51):
twenty thirties. On one hand, I get the national need
to beat or at least keep pace with the other superpowers.
What I don't get is why aren't we as determined
to beat China down here on Earth. China's bullet train network,
one of the most extensive in the world, features high
speed rail lines connecting major cities and regions across its country.
America's bullet train network, well, it doesn't exist at all,
(57:14):
not one station, one train, one track, one car. And
that's saying nothing of our presently crumbling infrastructure. Imagine the
job opportunities missed for all the supposed outrage over the
train derailment in East Palacetin, Ohio in twenty twenty three,
or the outdated national airspace system used by air traffic controllers.
There's no push to beat China.
Speaker 4 (57:34):
There.
Speaker 11 (57:34):
Let me put it in different terms. Inflation continues to rise.
Black unemployment is higher than it's ever been since the pandemic.
Neglect of America generally harms black people specifically and directly.
If you want to know what's important to someone, watch
how and where they spend their money. China, no doubt
is a dictatorship, but the country spends money on its infrastructure.
(57:55):
We spend more and more money on defense and virtually
nothing else. We've cut medicaid, FEMA, education, cancer research, and
just cut five hundred million dollars of vaccine research this week.
Our priorities are clear, as in not black people, but
sure put a nuclear reactor on the moon, one giant
leap backward for mankind. I'm mo Kelly, app mister mo
(58:17):
Kelly on social media, and that's your two minute warning
on the Black Information Network.
Speaker 2 (58:27):
Thanks Moe Kelly, and be sure to tune in daily
for commentary from Moe Kelly, Roland US Martin, and James T. Harris.
Right here on the Black Information Network. That's our program
for this week. For more on these stories, listen to
the Black Information Network on the free iHeartRadio app or
log onto bionnews dot com for all of the latest
(58:48):
news impacting the black community. Also, be sure to follow
us on social media at Black Information Network and on
XM Blue Sky at black info Net and make the
Black Information Network first your car radio and iHeartRadio app precins.
I'm Mike Island. Have a great rest of your Sunday.
Be sure to tune in next week at this time
(59:09):
for another edition of the Black Perspective right here on
the Black Information Network.
Speaker 6 (59:16):
Hi, this is Morgan would with the Black Information Network.
Every year, thousands of Black families face the unbearable sorrow
of losing a mom during pregnancy.
Speaker 7 (59:25):
Or after childbirth.
Speaker 6 (59:27):
Learn how you can support them in bion's special public
awareness campaign, Saving Black Moms a Maternal Health Crisis. Black
maternal health is a community issue. Learn more on our
social media platforms and at binnews dot com.
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