The Black Perspective: June 15, 2025

This week on The Black Perspective, we’re spotlighting culture, community, and connection.

Misty Jordan introduces us to the creator of a beloved children’s character who’s using multimedia to make learning fun and shares details about his company’s upcoming Juneteenth event.

On The Color Between the Lines, Esther Dillard speaks with genealogist Nicka Sewell-Smith, who is helping Black families across the country reclaim and trace their ancestry. 

Amber Payton sits down with two of the visionaries behind the Dear Summer Festival to learn how they transformed a cultural moment into a multi-city celebration of Black joy.

Plus, we revisit Mike Eiland’s conversation with the Ohio Housing Finance Agency about homebuying programs making a real difference in his home state. 

And finally, we close out the show with powerful commentary from Roland Martin, James T. Harris, and Mo Kelly.

Listen now! 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Be a part of the National Urban League Conference and
be a part of the solution at the largest civil
rights conference in the nation July sixteenth through the nineteenth
at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland. It's more than
a conference. It's a called action, a space to unite, strategize,
and fight for the future we deserve. From business leaders
to activists, policymakers and entertainers. This is where change happens.

(00:24):
Stand with us, Fight with us. Register today at nulconference
dot org. That's Nulconference dot org.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
It's Sunday, June fifteenth. Happy Father's Day to all the
dads out there. And on today's show, mister Jordan talks
to the creator of a lovable children's character about his
love for teaching using multimedia and his company's upcoming Juneteenth
event on the Color Between the Lines with the Black
Information Networks aster Dildard, she has a special interview with

(00:53):
Nika Sewell Smith, who is helping Black Americans across the
country with their ancestry. Bi In News anchor Amber Payton
sat down to talk to two of the creators of
the Dear Summer Festival and how they turned their cultural
moment into a multi City Movement, and we replay a
conversation with the Ohio Housing Finance Agency on the amazing

(01:14):
home buying programs available to residence in my home state
of Ohio. And Ramsey's Job talks to Will Packer about
his new book titled Who Better Than You? The Art
of Healthy Arrogance and Dreaming Big, And as well, we
get commentary from Roland Martin, James T. Harris, and Mokelly.
These stories and more are coming your way on today's program,

(01:36):
Welcome to the Black Perspective. I'm your host, Mike Island.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
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 (01:51):
Good Sunday everyone, Happy Father's Day, and Welcome to the
Black Perspective.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
JD.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
Davis is the CEO of Way Out Kids, at Washington
State based multimedia company that creates teaching tools to help
kids learn at all ages. This Thursday, Way Out Kids
is bringing its annual Judeteenth Celebration to Tacoma, Washington, and
this free event promises to be a family friendly holiday celebration.
Bi In News anchor Misty Jordan has more.

Speaker 4 (02:19):
It's Misty Jordan with the Black Information Network. I am
joined by JD. Davis, the CEO and president of Way
Out Kids.

Speaker 3 (02:27):
How are you, oh, Missy, I am doing great. Thank
you for the invite.

Speaker 5 (02:32):
Absolutely so.

Speaker 4 (02:33):
For more than fifteen years, Way Out Kids has provided
programs for the youth and for families.

Speaker 5 (02:39):
Talk to us a little bit about that.

Speaker 4 (02:41):
Well.

Speaker 3 (02:41):
So it started with a focus on the East side
of Tacoma, which was one of the lower income areas
where kids needed it most. But what we did was
after school programs, community events, summer camps. We do multimedia too.
So our organization, Way Out Kids, our mission is to
educate through multimedia. So we do animation and we create

(03:05):
curriculum which that digitally goes all over the world. But
right in the community we do after school programs, in summer,
campus and community events.

Speaker 4 (03:15):
So JD, why, I mean, this is important work and
I certainly can see the passion you know in your
face lighting up as you talk about it. So why though,
so year one you come up with this idea, why.

Speaker 5 (03:26):
Even do it?

Speaker 3 (03:27):
So about two thousand and four, at that time in Tacoma,
the graduation rates for blacks and browns was forty six
percent from high school. Where they started at was with
our preschool and saying our kids couldn't learn, they couldn't
recall information, they couldn't learn, and we said that is

(03:47):
not the issue. The issue is you and you don't
know how to deliver information to our kids. And so
that's where it started. And so we started our kids
character Rightney Raccoon, And with Rodney Raccoon, we created an
elementary hip hop album. And this was before everyone started
doing it, and we took it to one of the

(04:09):
teachers in the school, which was my mom at the time.
I wanted to listen to it, and she said, my
director's here. Let me let the director hear it. And
she said her director was there, and so they wanted
to hear it. So everyone listened to it at the
same time. They loved it, and they put it throughout
the whole school district. And then we started getting calls
from teachers impressed at the kids singing about their ABC's,

(04:34):
they're counting, learning Spanish and all these things, and we
just we continued from there just saying it's not that
we can't learn it and can't recall information, it's the delivery.
Don't understand how to communicate with us because our homes
are two different things. And so that's where it started
from way back then.

Speaker 4 (04:54):
And so here you are now, which was recessed into Juneteenth. Thursday,
you have a really big event happening. And last year
more than fifteen thousand people or intendents, and this year.

Speaker 5 (05:07):
What do you expect?

Speaker 3 (05:09):
This year we probably get twenty.

Speaker 4 (05:10):
I took a pick at the weather. I'm not a meteorologist.
Looks like the weather is gonna be good though on Thursday,
like seventy degrees.

Speaker 5 (05:17):
That's perfect.

Speaker 3 (05:18):
Yes, it's gonna be great. We've been blessed to have
wonderful weather each year, so we're definitely grateful for that.

Speaker 5 (05:25):
So talk to me about where it is.

Speaker 3 (05:28):
It's at Stuart Heights Park in Tacoma, and it's June
nineteenth from eleven to five pm. Okay, it's a celebration
and we'd love to work with allies. It's a space
for us all to get together, have a good time
and celebrate. Of course, it is specific to what happened

(05:48):
in eighteen sixty five, but it is definitely a celebration
that all are invited.

Speaker 4 (05:53):
And so this year you also have a theme, a
Road to economic freedom. Talk to me a little bit
about that. Why is that the thing and what does
that mean?

Speaker 3 (06:01):
I believe there's no true freedom without economic freedom. And
so what we do at the event is we invite finance,
we invite housing, the medical field, education, they're all there
for people to tap into those resources. Go up, meet them,
talk to them. If there's something you're looking for, if
you want to start your business, or you're looking for

(06:23):
business loans, talk to them. They're out there. If you're
looking for how to get into the medical field and
working there, they're there. The trades, they're there. You know,
everyone is there to offer their resources. They're all having
a good time. And then we bring the entertainment to
get everybody out. And then we have all of our
black businesses who have vendor boots there right, so we

(06:45):
want to make sure that they're supported too, because it's
about economic freedom for all.

Speaker 4 (06:50):
So tell me the kind of vendors who what can
people expect to see? What kind of vendors will be there.

Speaker 3 (06:54):
So there's everything from of course your food, your barbecue
and things like that. But you have so I have food,
soap makers, t shirt vendors. Oh, I mean, you name it.
And it is there, jewelry sellers, different type of lotions,
all the above, and we have over one hundred vendors
that attend this event.

Speaker 4 (07:15):
Oh my goodness. Joining me now is JD. Davis, the
CEO and president of Way Out Kids, talking about the
Juneteenth event going down this coming Thursday.

Speaker 5 (07:24):
Parking.

Speaker 4 (07:25):
Where should people park if they want to uber? Tell
me a little bit about logistics.

Speaker 3 (07:30):
There's of course parking in the neighborhood around the park,
but we have additional parking at the Tacoma Dome where
this year you'll be able to get shuttled from the
Tacoma Dome to the event. Another places, Eastside Community Center,
same there'll be a shuttle there. Bethlehem Baptist Church, which
is far from the park a shuttle from there, and

(07:51):
then east Side Assembly of Believers there's a shuttle back
and forth from there too.

Speaker 4 (07:56):
And so this is my first time coming to the event.
What can I expect the moment that I step foot
down and say, okay, I'm here, Now, what should I expect?
What should I expect to do and see? Tell me
a little bit about.

Speaker 3 (08:09):
That when you first walk in there, you're gonna feel
the love. I'm telling you I hear it. Every year.
Everyone is like, I feel so good. It feels so good.
It's like a big family reunion of all the family
you want to see, right and there's the food trucks.
When you get right there to the beginning, you'll see

(08:31):
the food trucks, then all the vendors, and then you
walk straight through and you'll see the big stage, a
huge kids owned so a lot for the kids to do,
the bounce houses, the obstacle courses, basketball games. I mean,
there's just so much going on at the event. So
when you walk in, I say, the first thing, you're
gonna feel the love. Somebody's probably gonna say hey to you,

(08:52):
acting like you've been knowing them forever, because that's just
the type of atmosphere that's that's come along with this
event each year.

Speaker 4 (08:59):
What's the sweet spot If you're like, you got to
be there before this because you don't want to miss.

Speaker 3 (09:04):
You don't want to miss Fred Hammon Fred Hammonon is
gonna be there, Crystal Aikin's gonna be there, So for
Real is going to be there. And then we have
wonderful local acts who are going to be there performing
on the stage too. You don't want to miss some
of those wonderful performers, and then the good food, and
then the wonderful vendors and then just the people. So

(09:25):
it's just so much in one But I will say
for me, Fred Hammond is probably my top because where
else can you go and have a free show in
the park, Bring your family, bring your friends. It's told
completely free and just come enjoy yourself.

Speaker 5 (09:44):
That sounds awesome.

Speaker 4 (09:45):
Now I got to ask, will Rodney Raccoon make an appearance?

Speaker 5 (09:50):
I mean, is he going to be there?

Speaker 4 (09:51):
I know he might be booked and busy.

Speaker 3 (09:53):
Rodney Raccoon will be there, and he'll be on stage
with the Fearless Dan's group, so they'll be doing some
stuff together right before their performance. So Rodney Raccoon will
be there in the house.

Speaker 4 (10:06):
That's awesome. That's awesome. Thank you so much JD for
talking with us. Are there sponsors you want to think?

Speaker 6 (10:12):
So?

Speaker 3 (10:13):
Yes, there are sponsors, I said. Our main person we
want to thank is the Washington Federation of State Employees
four four three and Council twenty eight Multi Care, the
City of Tacoma Parks, Tacoma innovative change makers. I mean
the way Tacoma Adventures and Events, Venues and Events comcasts. iHeartRadio.

(10:38):
I mean, it's just so meany to think we are
just very grateful. Virginia Mason, Franciscan Health, Tacoma Urban League,
and so many more.

Speaker 5 (10:48):
And JD one more time.

Speaker 4 (10:49):
I do want to go through the list because it
sounds like there was a beautiful long list of artists
they're going to touch the stage talk.

Speaker 5 (10:57):
I want to hear the full list.

Speaker 3 (10:59):
Don't leave anybody full list. We're opening up. It'll be Refreshed,
which is a contemporary gospel group, really hot. And then
next we'll have Rontrel Bremer, this is the gospel section.
Then after that you'll have Crystal Achen come on our
own hometown, Crystal Achen. And then Fred Hammond will be
a headliner for the gospel stage. Then when Fred is done,

(11:22):
we're going over to the R and B and Hip
Hop's Park and we'll have c stud Of which is
a young up and coming artist, and we'll end out
that with Soul for Real.

Speaker 4 (11:33):
Juneteenth a Road to Economic Freedom.

Speaker 3 (11:36):
Absolutely yes, and for more information you can always just
go to Juneteenth whah dot com. That's Juneteenth wa dot com.

Speaker 5 (11:45):
Thank you for joining us.

Speaker 3 (11:47):
Thank you, Misty, and it was nice to meet you
and such a pleasure to be on your show.

Speaker 4 (11:52):
I'm Misty Jordan on the Black Information Network.

Speaker 2 (11:54):
Thanks Misty JD. For more information on the Way Out
Kids Free Juneteenth event, visit JUNETEENTHWA dot com. That's Juneteenth
Wa dot com. Now we get commentary from Roland S.

Speaker 3 (12:09):
Martin.

Speaker 7 (12:09):
The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed in this commentary are
those of the author and do not necessarily represent those
of b I N and its founding partners and employees.

Speaker 5 (12:22):
Now it's time to bring the funk with Roland S.

Speaker 8 (12:25):
Smartin.

Speaker 9 (12:25):
The shameful actions we're seeing from Donald Trump as it
relates to the protests in Los Angeles is a perfect
example of how destructive this thug is. We know the
normal process. We're a governor request for the National Guard's help,

(12:50):
but no Trump shows to Simmarines on his own without
any request, because this is what dictators do. In fact,
he is on record as saying the absolute option. But
we know the truth doesn't matter to him. We know
that lying matters. We know that being a thug matters,

(13:16):
and so his attacks on California Governor Gavin newsom his
attacks on Mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass. It's shameful
not only that you have the Los Angeles Police Department
that has said that ICE agents and other federal agents

(13:37):
have made it more difficult to quell any protests because
of them firing tear gas and other elements into the crowd.
These folks have absolutely no experience with handling protests and
crowd dispersements. Why because this is not what they do.

Speaker 3 (13:58):
They are not trained for these things. But Trump doesn't care.

Speaker 9 (14:03):
Tom Holman doesn't care, Steven Miller doesn't care.

Speaker 3 (14:07):
What they want is the fight. They want the battle.

Speaker 9 (14:12):
Against what they call blue states and liberals, and so they're.

Speaker 8 (14:18):
Going to do more of this.

Speaker 9 (14:20):
And for those Latinos for Trump who say this is
not what we voted.

Speaker 3 (14:26):
For, you're lying.

Speaker 9 (14:29):
This is exactly what you voted for. I'm Roland Martin
on the Black Information Network.

Speaker 2 (14:35):
Thanks Roland, and stay tuned into today's show for commentary
from Moe Kelly and James T.

Speaker 6 (14:40):
Harris.

Speaker 2 (14:41):
It started out as a backyard barbecue among college friends.
Now it's one of the fastest growing black owned festivals
in the country. Two of the fourteen HBCU alumni behind
the Dear Summer Festival sat down with Bin News anchor
Amber Payton to talk about turning a cultural moment into
a multi city movement and how they're building something special

(15:04):
for the black community on purpose and with purpose.

Speaker 10 (15:08):
So I'll start with you, Dean. Can you tell me
a little bit about what your role is. I know
you're all co founders of this big, huge festival, but
what's your role?

Speaker 5 (15:18):
What do you do on the on the back end?

Speaker 11 (15:20):
Yeah, I mean, I'm actually from New York right now,
I'm actually living out in the DC area. Me I
deal with like a lot a lot of the data
and the operations part on the backside and the back
end of it. A lot of stuff that the people
don't see in regards to you know, just getting out
with information correct, getting our data correct, making sure that
you know, whatever it is that we're producing is accurate
and efficient and transparent.

Speaker 10 (15:41):
You know, a lot of people don't realize all that
goes on behind the scenes to bring this festival to fruition.
You know, it's pretty on the outside, but it's hard
work on the inside.

Speaker 8 (15:52):
Yeah.

Speaker 11 (15:52):
A lot of times, you know, people see the finished
product and you know that's That's that's what we want
them to see, you know, that's the goal for them
to see the finished product. And but you know, to
make that finished product good, we got to make sure
that the back and work is actually efficient and good.

Speaker 5 (16:05):
Danny, how about you?

Speaker 10 (16:06):
Where are you from and what's your role with the
Dear Summer Festival.

Speaker 3 (16:10):
Actually, I was born in West Virginia.

Speaker 12 (16:11):
I went to Virginia State where I met all the fellas,
so I currently live in Richmond, Virginia. I've been doing
parties and events since my sophomore year in college.

Speaker 3 (16:21):
So I'm the promoter of the group.

Speaker 12 (16:24):
So my role is I I book a lot of
our artists, handle a lot of our production as far
as you know, stage lighting, sound, and the weekend buildouts,
as far as the pre porties, the you know at
the parties, the brunches to try to build out the
whole weekend. So that is kind of always been my
role in you know, marketing and promotion.

Speaker 10 (16:46):
All right, well, we're going to go back to the beginning.
And because I know that this all started as a
backyard barbecue, We've talked about this before, so Dean, I'll
start with you. What at what point did you know
that this was going to be as big as it
is now.

Speaker 5 (17:01):
It's a big deal.

Speaker 8 (17:02):
Yeah, no, it definitely is.

Speaker 11 (17:03):
I mean yeah, we started like really simple, not knowing
that there was gonna be where is that right now?
We wanted to just really create something, you know, for
the community, for the environment, and plus, you know, a
bunch of us, you know, we went to school, so
we wanted to bring our friends from school. Danny and
a bunch of the other members. They went to Virginia State.
Me I went to Delaware State. So we wanted to
create something outside of school. We can have our friends

(17:25):
be able to come back and everything was free. Who
was free, drinks were free, to vibe is free. We
just sold people like, look, you know, come out and
have a good time.

Speaker 8 (17:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (17:33):
Wow, Danny, you want to expand on that.

Speaker 4 (17:35):
Yeah.

Speaker 12 (17:36):
So, like Dan said, he went to Dell State, but
the rest of us went to Virginia States. But it's
all HPCU family and we all hung out together in school.
So the group comes from, like you said, in New Jersey,
New York, West Virginia and all other places. So after graduation,
everybody went back to their hometowns and we didn't see
each other so around two thousand and nine, we was like,
let's throw a cookout as a reunion and wait to
connect and that simple gathering turn in the tradition. And

(17:59):
you know, during the two tenty ten social media played
the big role in the growth. You know, you had
buying snapchat, ig videos. People can see the vibe and
it kept expanding. So by twenty nineteen, we decided to
elevate the event by securing a venue and making an
official experience, and that's what really took.

Speaker 8 (18:15):
It to the next level.

Speaker 5 (18:17):
Did you know, did you have a feeling that it
would get this big?

Speaker 12 (18:21):
I did because in the early days before we were charging,
the cookout was like he said, it was free, but
it was a large attendance. It was like, ay, fifteen
hundred people already coming out. So we knew once we
took it to the next level. You know, we had
a base already to go off of us, so I
knew that it would grow.

Speaker 10 (18:38):
Well, you know, we love the word free, right, we
will show up for free food. Dean, I want to
kind of direct this question to you because I know
that you've said that you are more behind the scenes.
What are some of the biggest challenges that you faced
behind the scenes as you are getting the festival together,

(19:02):
and how do you think your HBCU experience, how did
it prepare you for all that you're doing now.

Speaker 11 (19:10):
I think some of the biggest thing behind the scenes
is like networking and whether it be whether through sponsorships
or just getting with different vendors or different artists, that
might be some of the biggest difficulty. I mean just
dealing with different people from different areas. I think the
HBCU experienced forces that environment because in the HBCUs, you know,

(19:31):
you got people from different areas, especially at Delaware State
it's in the middle of so many different major cities
Baltimore or in New Jersey, New York, DC, we had
people from Florida. So one of the things for me,
We're going to hbc Growing up in New York, you
kind of thought that New Yorkers kind of had like
their only like we were the only ones that thought
a certain way to act a certain way. So when

(19:52):
you actually to go to an HBCU or just kind
of leave your area of New York, you start to
realize that different people from within a culture. I think
like you talk like you, they might use different vernaculars
and different slangs, but at the end of the day,
it's still the same. So really learning how to connect
with people from different areas, and we really use that

(20:15):
into our business involvements, whether it be through sponsorships, whether
it be through vendors, whether it be through booking artists,
or even just you know, connecting without without patrons that
come out to the event.

Speaker 10 (20:26):
So what I'm hearing is that this is it's very
community oriented, and I know that it's also kind of
tailored around the music, but I'm hearing your responses really
reach out to the HBCUs and into the patrons and
into the community. So why is that so important to you?

Speaker 11 (20:46):
I mean, that's important to us because essentially, as Danny
was kind of as Danny was kind of saying, you
realize that when you leave, when you graduate out of school,
some of the relationships that you built like you're not
you're not around those people as much or as often,
and you realize that that actually catered to a lot
of your growth. And in order to really keep that going,
you really want to keep that connection, to keep that

(21:08):
just keep that community involvement growing and really essentially not
just having it in a college environment. But essentially now
we're bringing it to an environment to where now it's
a cultural festival, but now we're still creating that community involvement.
If you haven't been out to one, you definitely have
to come out to one. Is I think my words

(21:29):
aren't giving it justice. But overall, it's not just a festival,
it's actually it's actually an experience.

Speaker 5 (21:34):
It's an experience.

Speaker 10 (21:35):
I've definitely heard that multiple times from people who have
been to the Deer Summer Festival, and Danny, I want
you to kind of expand on that a little too.

Speaker 13 (21:45):
Well.

Speaker 12 (21:46):
Yeah, like you said, attending an HBC has taught us,
you know, many lessons and for most of us, we're
in fraternities, so we're accustomed to collaborating with each other
and people from different you know, opinions and perspectives are
still able to work together to find a common goal.
And additionally, the networking that you build in college and
through your organizations has been instrumental in us expanding to

(22:08):
newer markets, like we're in d C, we're in Atlanta
and also in Houston. So tapping into our SBCU family
and their resources is being key in our in our growth.

Speaker 10 (22:20):
So The next thing that I want us to pivot
to is the brands that you all have partnered with,
you know, T Mobile, Tito's, Coca Cola. For the creatives,
how did you get in those rooms and you know,
how were you able to foster those relationships so that
they are able to support dear summer.

Speaker 11 (22:40):
Getting in those rooms to more than just a great
picture took like proof of concept, consistency, clarity and purpose.
And also one of the biggest things I always speak
about is human resources, our connections. So a lot of
our friends or people that we do know they've been
seeing what we've been having and going on Folder for

(23:01):
the last few years. Like we were saying when it
was free and were drawing out a crowd, people were
saying like, Yo, you know you need to you need
to branch how you need to do this so I
know this person networks here. I know this person networks here.
I think the key is to really lead just with
an authentic story and your audience's power and you know,
not really water anything that you have down, but make
sure that the brands that you that you connect with

(23:23):
that they align with your missionary and vision and you know,
you just create some level of credibility there.

Speaker 10 (23:29):
If you both and I want you both to chime
in on this could offer one piece of advice for
creatives or for black entrepreneurs that want to secure those
big partnerships.

Speaker 5 (23:40):
What would that be.

Speaker 12 (23:43):
Yeah, I think networking is key. I think networking is key.
That's how you kind of build your brand. You network
through your your HBCU family, your organizations and they can
help you grow. But I think it's all really about
networking and then making sure you're you have a good
product that you're presenting and everything else should fall into play.

Speaker 11 (24:04):
Yeah, And to add on to what he was saying,
I think that you know, definitely, I think networking is
one of the biggest things. And I think that you know,
just identify what your mission is as a business and
align with companies who share that same mission and they
need a partner to essentially push that mission out.

Speaker 10 (24:23):
So before we get to the super fun part, and
I am going to let the two of you kind
of reveal who your headliners are here in the interview,
but I want to talk business. What's something that people
don't realize And this might be more tailored to you, Dean,
just because of the background that you gave me something
that people don't realize about the economics of running a
successful black owned festival.

Speaker 5 (24:45):
But the both of you are welcome to chime in.

Speaker 11 (24:48):
How much money goes into different places, like you know,
we're paying for the artists, we're paying for the location,
we're paying for security, we're paying for we're paying for
the venue, and not just that, you know, with with
a group that's so big. After we pay all of
these things, then you know, we also have to identify

(25:10):
what money goes back into the business, what money goes
to who. So there's a lot of economics, there's there's
a lot of economic different factors that come into this
to these things, and a lot of times people they
might just see, okay, well, you know, a ticket court
this much.

Speaker 8 (25:25):
They don't even a lot of.

Speaker 11 (25:26):
Times they might not know that, you know, we're not
getting all of the money from the ticket. A lot
of time we're partnering with the ticket vendor location. And
then they say, okay, well these guys made this.

Speaker 3 (25:36):
Much, X, Y and Z.

Speaker 11 (25:37):
But overall, our our number one goal is really creating
an experience, and then our our model is the money's
going to come from that.

Speaker 10 (25:45):
So I'm going to pivot to a topic that I
think we've all discussed at least once, if not more
in twenty twenty five, d Ei. Right now, in twenty
twenty five, we're seeing a lot of people out of
major companies rolling back THEI has that affected you and
your festival since it is centered on HBCUs and you know,

(26:10):
more of a black experience.

Speaker 3 (26:13):
Initially that it has.

Speaker 12 (26:15):
Most of the sponsorships we've worked with in the past,
we've still been able to you know, build with them
for this year and still been able to partner with
most of them for this year. But our festival is
also just starting, you know, our first one is in
two weeks, So I'm not sure as far as you know,
when we get to August and DC and when we
get to September in Houston, whether that might affect us then.

(26:38):
But as of right now, for the upcoming event in
New York, we've still been able to partner with the
same people.

Speaker 3 (26:44):
And build a level of success.

Speaker 12 (26:45):
With them as far as partnerships and sponsorships.

Speaker 5 (26:48):
Now, Danny, I'm gonna let you do the honors. Who's
headlining this year?

Speaker 12 (26:53):
Well, for New York, we have meat Meal as the headliner,
and Valiant is also performing. So one thing about our
festival is it's not really artists driven in a traditional sense.

Speaker 3 (27:05):
It's more like, like you're saying in the.

Speaker 12 (27:06):
Backyard barbecue HBCU vibes, bringing everybody together in the community
and having fun. Having big name artists like MiG mil
and Value just kind of takes the experience to another
level and gives attendees a chance to dance, vibe out,
you know, enjoy their favorite songs. But it's really about
creating a memorial atmosphere. Music is just the icing on

(27:28):
the cake and it kind of enhances the overall energy
of the event.

Speaker 10 (27:31):
Well, it is clearly a vibe, the Dear Summer Festival,
but I know that it also has has heart, it
has that community aspect. So and this is for the
both of you. How are you giving back to the
next generation of creatives and entrepreneurs that are coming behind you,
that may be looking up to you.

Speaker 5 (27:49):
What's some things that you're doing.

Speaker 11 (27:51):
So we're intentional about creating a legacy that goes beyond
the moment. Yeah, it's a vibe, but it's also a platform.
So we understand that visibility, the access and resources and
everything really for the next generation to create as entrepreneurs.
You know, we're committed really to making sure that the
doors that we walk through that we keep them open

(28:11):
for the next generation. We actually have a segment part
of our group that we focus on every city that
we go to to try to make sure we find
the charitable donation to be a part of not just
give money back, but also give our time and give
our support to as well. And that's headed by two
of our members, Mail and TJ. And we spend monthly

(28:35):
talks talking about what avenues we can take going into
each city and ways that we can give back and
foundation that we can be a part of those for
those cities as well.

Speaker 3 (28:47):
Like you said, we do community service.

Speaker 8 (28:48):
In every city we go to.

Speaker 12 (28:50):
We find a time, even though the weekends very busy,
we find at least a couple hours to do community service,
whether it's with the Boys and Girls Club we connected
with them, maybe giving back to local organizations as far
as donating to you know, use sports in different areas.
And to really harp on your one question, we've done
a good job of even though all of us graduated

(29:11):
more in you know, maybe two thousand and six to
two thousand and nine, we've reached back to younger guys
and try to bring them in. Also, you know, they
have a different demographic, a different following than we have,
so and like you said, it also kind of gives
them a chance to learn the business and be a
part of something and kind of keep it going throughout
the younger generation.

Speaker 10 (29:33):
Well, last question, you know, I got to ask the
infamous question, what's next for dear summer?

Speaker 8 (29:39):
What's next? Man? That is always the question. So after.

Speaker 12 (29:43):
After New York, we're in Atlanta, which will be July
to nineteenth, and then we go to DC in August,
and then we close out with Houston in September. And
then as far as next year, we did a lot
of groundwork this year. We'll be expanding to Miami next year.
So the plan is to kick the whole summer festival

(30:04):
off in Miami. That will probably be around May of
next year, and we just want to bring the same
Summer Vive to the three oh five and hopefully we
can have a successful event out there.

Speaker 10 (30:15):
Fourteen HBCU men coming together for the community, which started
as a simple backyard barbecue, has grown into one of
the hottest Black owned festivals in the country, rooted in culture,
powered by purpose, and built with love. For more information
and to find out how to get involved, visit Dearsummer

(30:36):
Festival dot com. I'm Amber Payton on your home for
Black News First the Black Information Network.

Speaker 2 (30:42):
Thanks Amber, and for more information on dates and locations,
go to Dearsummerfestival dot com. Now we get commentary from
James T.

Speaker 3 (30:50):
Harris.

Speaker 7 (30:51):
The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed in this commentary are
those of the author and do not necessarily represent those
of BN and its founding partners and employees.

Speaker 13 (31:03):
I'm James Harris, and I have something to say. Simone
Biles just learned the hard way that when you flip
into the culture wars, you better stick the landing. The
Olympic gold medalist, America's Darling of the gymnast World, sparked
backlash after taking a cheap shot at former NCAA swimmer
and women's sports advocate Riley Gains. Why because Gaines dared

(31:25):
to criticize the Minnesota high school softball team for using
a male picture on the girls team. That criticism was
too much for Simone, who called Gains a sore loser
and accused her of bullying trans athletes. Wait what, let's
rewind Riley Gains tie the biological mail Leah Thompson in
a woman's swim meet and still lost the trophy. She's

(31:46):
been speaking out ever since for female athletes who are
being erased, sometimes literally, by policies that pretend biology doesn't matter.
You think Simone, a champion in women's sports, would unders
stand that, but instead she went full woke. You should
never go full woke. Simone Biles was more than just
a gymnast. She was a symbol, especially for Black America,

(32:09):
a young black woman who rolls above poverty, trauma, and
abuse to become the greatest of all time. She showed
little black girls everywhere that excellence was possible, even in
a sport that had rarely made space for Americans of
African descent. That's what made her recent comments so disappointing.
By lashing out at Rioty Gaines, who has been standing
up for the rights of female athletes, Bios wasn't just

(32:31):
picking a fight, she was punching down. Instead of using
her platform to protect the integrity of women's sports, Simone
chose to protect the feelings of biological males competing against girls.
That's not brave, that's betrayal. She's now on the wrong
side of a debate that threatens the very opportunities she
once inspired millions to pursue. Why would a woman who

(32:53):
fought so hard to be recognized in a female sports
support policies that make it harder for other girls to
do the same. I'm James C. Aerras for The Black
Information Network.

Speaker 2 (33:02):
Thanks James T.

Speaker 3 (33:03):
Harrison.

Speaker 2 (33:04):
Stay tuned for commentary from Mo Kelly. The one hundred
and sixtieth anniversary of June teenth is this week Thursday,
June nineteenth, and for this week's The Color Between the Lines,
the Black Information That Works, Ester Dillard has a special
interview with Nika Sewell Smith. She and ancestry dot Com
helped to organize one of the biggest newspaper archives that's

(33:26):
expected to help Black Americans across this country in.

Speaker 3 (33:29):
A huge way.

Speaker 14 (33:34):
On this edition of The Color Between the Lines.

Speaker 15 (33:37):
I was shocked by the ads that ran after slavery
was technically abolished.

Speaker 14 (33:43):
I had the pleasure of speaking with the folks over
at ancestry dot Com and this is a game changer
for anyone who likes to do a family tree or
dive deep into their own family history and try to
follow it all the way back into the areas of
enslavement and back to where you came from in Africa.
This would have been a game changer for my dad,

(34:05):
who several years ago passed away, but he did extensive
research on our own family and went back about four
or five generations. My cousin got involved, and then they
found you know, where it came, where the ship came in,
and everything else.

Speaker 5 (34:18):
It was really a thing.

Speaker 14 (34:20):
The reason why I'm explaining this is because Ancestry has
opened their articles of enslavement archives or records, and what
that means is that they've indexed hundreds of thousands of
newspaper articles that mentioned Africans or those who are were
on the run during that horrible time in our American history.

(34:44):
The person who broke it all down. Her name is
Nica Siewell Smith, and she's the senior story producer and
genealogist at ancestry dot com. Here's some of our conversation.
I am really intrigued by this entire thing because I
had not heard of this before, and probably many of
our listeners had not heard of it before. So could

(35:05):
you perhaps just provide us details of this roundbreaking expansion
and just break down what is the Articles of Enslavement collection.

Speaker 15 (35:17):
So Articles of Enslavement is an extraordinary collection that we
use proprietary AI to single out articles that reference the
enslaved and within the collection currently are freedom seekers, so
people who were be considered fugitive slaves along with auctions,
and by using AI, we isolated the articles. We then

(35:41):
took them to humans to index them, and they are very,
very detailed. They include things like the height, the weight
of the enslave, their name, the name of the slave holder.
Especially with the freedom seekers, you can find multiple locations
that they might have been enslaved in, who captured them,
all sorts of details that really give you a bird's

(36:03):
eye view into the institution of enslavement within the United States.
And the collection which came out last year actually was bolstered.
We added more than five hundred thousand new names to
this collection, which for me, you know, being someone who
was on the ground working on this, you know, seeing
the one hundred and eighty thousand names that we had

(36:25):
last year. To get this this big update has been
it's just I just I'm.

Speaker 8 (36:31):
So excited for people to be able to use it.

Speaker 14 (36:34):
How do you hope that people will use these archived
newspaper articles and how will it, I guess in your
mind change the way Black families are able to do
research on their own history.

Speaker 15 (36:51):
I think primarily if folks are not quite sure who
to look for in the collection, they can just.

Speaker 8 (36:58):
Start off geographically.

Speaker 15 (36:59):
For instance, my family is connected to Louisiana, Mississippi, Kansas
was there to have a lot of different locations.

Speaker 8 (37:07):
But if I'm really.

Speaker 15 (37:08):
Interested in kind of what was going on with regard
to enslaved people, the newspaper in a geographical location would
be one of the places that I could find at information.
So someone could start with just the county or the
parish that their family is from. But if they've done
the work of tracing from now then backwards through history
to get as close to eighteen sixty five as possible,

(37:30):
they could actually serve for the names of their ancestors.

Speaker 8 (37:33):
Within the collection, especially if they.

Speaker 15 (37:35):
Have things like a birth year or associated counties. And
then even it's not even just for those who have
ancestors who are formally enslaved. You also have people whose
ancestors may have been enslavers, who are going to also
appear in this collection, because it's not just the names
of the enslaved that are index it's also the names

(37:56):
of the enslavers, slave traders, pretty much anyone it was
involved with the slave trading system.

Speaker 14 (38:03):
Can a person perhaps even trace back to the motherland
of Africa and where what region did they come from,
or does it extend that far?

Speaker 15 (38:14):
Potentially what you'll see in some of the earlier articles
are these advertisements of a shiploads of enslaved people being
brought to the United States. And I remember the first
time I encountered those articles, I was kind of struck
at how many weeks they ran. They'd run for like
four weeks, eight weeks until they had sold everyone off

(38:36):
the ship. And you'll find them in those locations that
were central to the transatlantic slave trade, like a Richmond,
like a Charleston, like a New Orleans, where you know,
they'll literally tell you it's Negroes, you know, or Africans.

Speaker 8 (38:51):
They would use the term Africans.

Speaker 15 (38:53):
That would delineate between people who were enslaved in the
United States and who had been quote seasoned, meaning they
could speak English, they knew what was happening in terms
of the system as opposed to folks who were brought
over in the slave trade, and they'll tell you exactly
where they got the shipload of people from. And you're
looking at this radiate, going like there's four hundred people

(39:16):
and they're selling them off. This one like it it
brings you know, movies like Roots, you know, Twelve Years
of Slave, all the stuff that's a part of our
cultural lexicon with regard to enslavement. It really brings it
home because it's like this isn't this isn't you know
a fictional character, which in those two movies weren't fictional, right,

(39:38):
But it's like, oh no, like this is real and
these ads were happening and it's literally telling you where
they took the people from.

Speaker 14 (39:48):
When you were looking through some of those those archives
and newspaper articles and finding some of your own family,
how did that emotionally affect you?

Speaker 15 (39:58):
I think for me what stood out was just how
big the system was. When you're looking at some of
these freedom seeker ads, there could be three different states
mentioned in one ad, you know. For me, especially with
someone who was able to abscond that far like I,
in some ways I started kind of cheering them on,

(40:19):
hoping that they were never caught, you know, because the
newspaper that a printed could be in natches, but then
they might have been enslaved in Louisiana. But then they
came from another place, so there's three locations.

Speaker 8 (40:32):
So I often found myself doing that.

Speaker 15 (40:34):
I was shocked by the ads that ran after slavery
was technically abolished. I'm like, how were you placing an
AD for someone where the system doesn't exist, you know
what I mean? And then that's when you have to
start of, you know, looking at when each state ratified
the thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery, to figure out when
it became legal there. So then of course it's possible

(40:58):
that they could have placed the ad and it would
have been completely legal there. So there there's a lot
of that's there's seeing the names of people that absconded
or auctioned off where my family was from, and just
like hoping, you know, that I would come across the
name of somebody that I knew. But every time I
get into this collection, I find something new that I

(41:20):
didn't see the last time that I was in it.
And so in some ways, you know, I often feel
like you know, all those hundreds of thousands.

Speaker 8 (41:27):
Of enslaved people, they just keep giving.

Speaker 15 (41:29):
Back to me or anyone that's in the collection because
of what you learn every time you get into it.

Speaker 8 (41:35):
So if a.

Speaker 14 (41:35):
Person is interested in looking into these newspaper articles, what
should they do next? How should they sign up?

Speaker 15 (41:43):
So this collection is free, and not just the index
for it is free, but the actual access to the
newspapers that did the ad or the auction was printed
on is free. And so all you need is just
a free registered account on ancestry and then you can
just go in and literally start searching. If you hit
the landing page, you'll actually be able to interact with

(42:06):
it because there's a map. One of the things that
I was very adamant about that we have with this
project is that people could see the scale of the articles,
and so the darker green you'll find on the map,
the more articles there are. And not only do you
see that, but you can also go down to the
county of the parish level.

Speaker 8 (42:26):
So again, if you just want to see how.

Speaker 15 (42:28):
Many thousands of articles are available in one location, you
can actually drill down on that. But simply stated, you
just need a free ancestry account.

Speaker 8 (42:37):
That's it.

Speaker 5 (42:39):
What do you.

Speaker 14 (42:40):
See in the future with this kind of this kind
of collection expansion. What do you hope that others will
take from this? And because I can see documentaries, I
can see in my head all these different ways in
which people can use it, not only for a person

(43:00):
point of view, but making it such a larger impact
on people in the United States who are really thirsting
for history. What do you think will will be used
how this will be used in the future.

Speaker 8 (43:16):
Yeah, I just like you, I think the sky is
the limit.

Speaker 15 (43:19):
And especially you know, it's one thing for records to
be in an archive and someone has to go there
to get it.

Speaker 8 (43:26):
But the fact that this is made available to anyone
with the.

Speaker 15 (43:29):
Internet connection, that's what makes it like so much, so
many possibilities, you know, just just out there right, you could.

Speaker 8 (43:36):
Do a million and one different things.

Speaker 15 (43:38):
And so I think, especially from a geographical perspective, there
are going to be locations that are are going to
really learn about more of the role that they had
in the safe slavery system and how they can maybe
tell that story better or you know, just add more
breadth to the stories that they're telling. There could be
historical sites that are going to some of these articles

(44:01):
that can do that.

Speaker 8 (44:03):
I definitely I would love a documentary.

Speaker 15 (44:04):
I love documentary, so, you know, especially with time and
place and people you know, and figuring out you know
again like for these folks that have sconded, like how
long did they go? Did they did they make it
all the way to Canada or did they make it to.

Speaker 8 (44:17):
A free state?

Speaker 15 (44:18):
Like there's there's so much that's there, but we're just
getting started with this.

Speaker 8 (44:22):
There's only two article types in here right now.

Speaker 15 (44:25):
And so that's the beauty of using machine learning and
using AI is that you can you're just you're isolating,
you're telling it go find this for me. And right
now with these two types, this is how much information
we have. Just imagine what happens when we add more.
So you know, this guy's really the limit. I'm I'm

(44:46):
for me. I just really hope that that by centralizing this,
people have access to it quick more quickly, and they
can connect those stots, because sometimes we searching the enslaved
can seem so daunting and impossible. But with this, you've
got names, you've got locations, you've got people. It's those

(45:09):
really critical proof points that will confirm or deny whether
or not you have the right and slave person that
you've been researching.

Speaker 14 (45:18):
I have a technical question and that has to do
with because I've used AI in the past in terms
of trying to do some research on things, and sometimes
AI does not get it quite right. So how do
you make sure that the information is not is accurate
and that's not made up because sometimes, you know, Jack

(45:41):
GBT can make some major mistakes.

Speaker 15 (45:45):
So with this, we actually this is probably our fourth
or fifth project working with newspapers in this particular way,
so we're kind of, I would say, a little veterany
when it comes to this. So one of the first
things we did was we isolated abituaries in the newspaper.
Then we isolated birth announcements, then we isolated marriage announcements.

(46:05):
Then we have Stories and Events index, which indexes things
from military you know what I mean.

Speaker 8 (46:10):
So really all we're using the AI for is to
find the article types.

Speaker 15 (46:15):
And you know, as with anything with AI, it's whatever
you put into it to create the prompt is what
makes the difference. And so we had to use a
variety of terms. You know, I learned a lot of
you know, because I could think of, oh, if I'm
looking for an article for an enslaved person, I'm going
to use these terms. But as you start to browse
more geographically, they could use different terms in this paper

(46:41):
versus another one across the state line. So we had
to really be mindful of how enslaved people were discussed
in the paper, the ways in which they would be discussed,
different article types. And the AI was literally just used
to find the articles in the millions and millions of pages.
The humans are who went in and index the information,

(47:01):
and we we absolutely wanted it and needed it that
way because we wanted it to be as accurate as possible.
Final word, I cannot wait to turn this loose to everyone,
just because I know that by on earthing the information
this way, this is literally going to be generation shattering

(47:24):
and shifting for people.

Speaker 8 (47:26):
And especially when we're talking about the one hundred.

Speaker 15 (47:28):
And sixtieth anniversary of Juneteenth this year, I really want
folks to lean into really.

Speaker 8 (47:34):
Trying their best to find.

Speaker 15 (47:36):
Out who was alive for that day and who maybe
hope that they could live to that day but never
live to see it, but may live within this collection.

Speaker 14 (47:46):
That's it for this edition of The Color Between the Lines.
If this conversation inspired you or moved you, please subscribe
to The Color between the Lines podcast on YouTube, on iHeart,
or wherever you get your podcast Dilart.

Speaker 3 (48:02):
Thanks Esther.

Speaker 2 (48:03):
Now we hear commentary from Moe Kelly.

Speaker 7 (48:06):
The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed in this commentary are
those of the author and do not necessarily represent those
of BN and its founding partners and employees.

Speaker 16 (48:18):
I'm Moe Kelly on the BN with your two minute warning.
I was having a conversation with friends and colleagues who
live outside of the Los Angeles area about what the
anti ice raids and protests are really like, the size,
scope and severity of the violence, and where it ranks
relative to other civil disturbances within the history of the city,
from the Watts riots to the Rodney King verdict riots

(48:40):
to even George Floyd protests and championship celebrations of the
Dodgers and Lakers. What's less often discussed what should be
is the demography and demographics of the city. LA is
some sixty nine percent Latino and maybe nine percent African American.
There has long been friction between black and brown community
for quite some time, which is belied by having a

(49:02):
black mayor in Karen Bass. But the truth is that
interests rarely aligned in between communities, never more evident than
these protests in which Black Angelinos have noticeably glaringly been absent.
There could be any number of reasons as to why,
but black folks are not visible on TV and aren't
running to the aid to intervene. We have chosen, consciously

(49:25):
chosen to set this one out. Conversely, more and more
social media is appearing to show a level of animosity
between Latino protesters and black law enforcement, specifically calling them
in words and even blaming them for playing some role
in helping facilitate the ice raids. One could argue that
this is a chicken or egg question. Is the animosity

(49:47):
born out of a perceived lack of visible African American
support alongside Latino protesters or previous issues between the communities
which made Black people less than enthusiastic to come in
law arms in the streets. Either way, it's a dynamic
which will play out throughout the protests in different ways
in different cities. Continue to pay attention. I'm mo kelly

(50:10):
at mister mo'kelly on social media and that's your two
minute warning on the Black Information Network.

Speaker 8 (50:16):
Thanks Mo, and.

Speaker 2 (50:18):
Make sure you check out daily commentary from Mo Kelly,
Roland S Martin, and James T. Harris right here on
the Black Information Network. The Ohio Housing Finance Agency partners
locally with the Black Information Network in the state of
Ohio to help the dream of home ownership become a reality.
Here's the replay of the conversation I have with John

(50:38):
from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency and we are with
John Dewey, single Family Relations program manager for the Ohio
Housing Finance Agency.

Speaker 3 (50:47):
How are you doing even great?

Speaker 8 (50:49):
Thanks for having me today.

Speaker 2 (50:50):
Well, thanks for taking time to be with us. What
does the Ohio Housing Finance Agency do?

Speaker 8 (50:56):
So?

Speaker 17 (50:56):
Our agency offers financial assistance programs to help home buyers
get into a home, and we offer a variety of
different programs like down payment assistance and lower interest rates
for those in public service careers.

Speaker 2 (51:11):
There's a lot of people they want to be homeowners,
but they don't have this type of information that you provide.
You have a lot of programs in there, and which
one is the most popular.

Speaker 17 (51:21):
Our most popular program is definitely the five percent your
choice down payment assistance, and that is five percent of
the purchase price towards down payment and closing costs. And
to giving an example, if somebody was purchasing a two
hundred thousand dollars house and they were getting our five
percent down payment assistance, that would be ten thousand dollars

(51:42):
towards their down payment and closing.

Speaker 2 (51:44):
Cost that's a pretty generous amount that help a lot
of people get started.

Speaker 3 (51:49):
Absolutely, yes.

Speaker 2 (51:51):
Can you tell us about the Ohio Heroes program for
people in public service careers.

Speaker 3 (51:56):
We don't hear much about that.

Speaker 17 (51:57):
The Ohio Heroes Program offers a slightly lower interest rate
than our standard mortage interest rates, and it's for those
that work full time and a bunch of different occupations
including veterans, active duty military, members of the reserve components.
And this also includes police officers, firefighters, volunteer firefighters, EMTs,

(52:21):
and paramedics, and then physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses and then
pre k through twelve, teachers, administrators, and counselors.

Speaker 2 (52:31):
So our heroes, our first responders are included in here
and teachers. Two of my favorite people we're talking with,
John Dewey. He's the single Family Relations program manager for
the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. They're working hard to get
people into a home, potential home buyers, and we're glad
to have them with us today. Now, those using the

(52:53):
Ohio Heroes program, may they also be eligible for down
payment assistance?

Speaker 17 (52:58):
Yes, they can combine Hearer's program with our down payment
assistance program.

Speaker 2 (53:02):
What is the potential home buyer's first step to see
if they qualify, because this is where the hardest part
is just getting started. Where do they start?

Speaker 17 (53:11):
Their first step is to go to our website, my
Ohio home dot org. Again, that's my Ohio home dot org.
And they're going to contact one of our OPA approved
more eage lenders and we have lenders that work all
throughout the state of Ohio. You meet with one of
those lenders and they can prequalify you and let you
know if you qualify for our home buyer programs in

(53:32):
down payment assistance.

Speaker 2 (53:33):
Now this is all through Ohio right correct.

Speaker 17 (53:36):
Anywhere in the state of Ohio they can use our
programs the.

Speaker 2 (53:39):
Ohio Housing Finance Agency getting home buyers into a home,
the many different programs. You can go to my Ohio
home dot org and get more information. Anything else you
want to add mister doing.

Speaker 17 (53:52):
On our website, my Ohio home dot org. We have
a bunch of really helpful information on the basic steps
of starting the home buying process. Are more each lenders
that are listed on there, and then all the information
on our home buyer programs.

Speaker 2 (54:06):
Well, thank you for your time and this is a
very valuable program Ohio Housing Financial Agency does and all
that can be done at my Ohio home dot org.
Thank you for your time.

Speaker 17 (54:17):
Today, absolutely, thank you for having me.

Speaker 2 (54:19):
Thank you John and the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. And
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 news impacting the black community. Also be sure
to follow us on social media at Black Information Network

(54:40):
and on X and blue Sky at black info Net,
and make the Black Information Network first on your car
radio or iHeartRadio app presets. Next week, tune in as
we play a Juneteenth special with BI in anchor Mike Stevens.
I'm Mike Island, wishing everyone for a great Sunday and
happy Father's Day. Thank you for listening to the Black

(55:01):
Perspective right here. On the Black Information Network.

Speaker 1 (55:05):
Be a part of the National Urban League Conference and
be a part of the solution at the largest civil
rights conference in the nation July sixteenth through the nineteenth
at the Huntington Convention Center in Cleveland. It's more than
a conference. It's a called action, a space to unite, strategize,
and fight.

Speaker 3 (55:21):
For the future we deserve.

Speaker 1 (55:23):
From business leaders to activists, policymakers and entertainers, this is
where change happens. Stand with us, Fight with us. Register
today at nulconference dot org. That's Nulconference dot org.

Speaker 18 (55:37):
Stay informed, empowered, and ahead of the curve with a
b News This Hour podcast updated hourly to bring you
the latest stories shaping the black community. From breaking headlines
to cultural milestones, The Black Information Network delivers the facts,
the voices, and the perspectives that matter. Twenty four to seven.
Listen to the BI News This Hour podcast on America's

(56:01):
number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow the BI in News
This Hour podcast and start listening on the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 3 (56:09):
Today.

Speaker 6 (56:10):
I'm Mike Stevens on your home for twenty four to
seven news the Black Information Network with.

Speaker 19 (56:16):
Every bra I am madeble Oh, I will see of
the good News of God.

Speaker 6 (56:31):
Her married name is Priscilla Marie Love, but she's better
known as c. C winans Y.

Speaker 8 (56:40):
In Narcisa.

Speaker 3 (56:43):
You are close line know.

Speaker 6 (56:47):
As we observe Black Music Month on the Bion, we
recognize Ceci as the black gospel singer who has at
least seventeen Grammy Awards, the most for any female gospel singer,
thirty one Double Awards, nineteen Stellar Awards, seven NAACP Image Awards,
and for Billboard Music Awards. But the most important thing

(57:09):
to her is being a child of God.

Speaker 19 (57:12):
My grandma wanted me to have the best in life.
It was important to put God first. She passed the
faith down to me, she.

Speaker 6 (57:21):
Told NBCs The Today's Show. The next important thing about
her has to do with training up for children in
the way they should go.

Speaker 19 (57:28):
I never wavered in that because I knew what it
did for me as a person. I knew that my
faith had took me through all every storm and that
I will ever face.

Speaker 8 (57:38):
So that was the easiest part. The hardest part is.

Speaker 19 (57:44):
Watching and waiting for the light to come on for them,
because again, you can't put it in their hearts, you
can't put it in their minds. All you can do
is model it before them.

Speaker 6 (57:56):
We first heard about CC when, as a teenager, she
and her brother BB were regular featuring artist on the
popular Christian TV show The PTL Club. She had several

(58:20):
powerful songs with BB that also crossed over and got
a lot of play on R and B stations.

Speaker 8 (58:31):
Ey scene.

Speaker 6 (58:36):
And even in a family with ten siblings, Cec says
she always felt loved as an individual by her parents.

Speaker 19 (58:45):
I don't know how they did it, but I think
all of us felt like we had a voice, We
felt heard, we were.

Speaker 8 (58:53):
Free to be who God created us to be, you know.

Speaker 19 (58:57):
And I don't know how they did it. They just
loved us well, they for some reason somehow, and they
both worked, yeah, work, She got home.

Speaker 8 (59:05):
Cooked, did all of this stuff.

Speaker 19 (59:07):
And I never felt like I was looked over. So
I don't know how they did it, but they did it.

Speaker 6 (59:13):
And of course she carries that famous Winans family name,
one of the best known of the gospel music genre.
But despite her fame, she remains incredibly grounded, singing to
an audience of one recognized the music and ministry of

(59:35):
CC Winans on Black Music Month, Mike Stevens on the
Black Information Network

Speaker 15 (59:44):
Without trying