The Black Perspective: May 18, 2025

This week on the Black Perspective, BIN News host Ramses Ja sits down with acclaimed director and producer Will Packer to discuss his new book, Who Better Than You? The Art of Healthy Arrogance and Dreaming Big.

Gracie Award-winning anchor Esther Dillard highlights a children's author who encourages young readers to embrace the present moment in another installment of Color Between the Lines.

Alexandria Ikomoni chats with power couple Raashaun “DJ Envy” Casey of The Breakfast Club and his wife Gia Casey about their new book focused on raising confident and empowered children.

And Doug Davis spotlights an organization working to protect healthcare benefits and fight against Medicaid cuts impacting our communities.

Listen now! 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's Sunday, May eighteenth, and on today's show, Bin News
podcast host Rams's Jaws sits with director Will Packer to
talk about his new book Who Better Than You, The
Art of Healthy Arrogance and Dreaming big Esther Dillard talks
to a children's author that embraces them now and not
the past and future. In another segment of the Color

(00:20):
Between the Lines, alexandri Icamoni talks to a power couple
iHeartRadio's very own Rashan dj n V Casey from The
Breakfast Club and his wife Jia about their new book
on raising empowered children. And Doug Davis talks to an
organization protecting healthcare benefits and fighting Medicaid cuts in our community.
These stories and more are coming your way on today's program,

(00:43):
Welcome to the Black Perspective. I'm your host, Mike Island.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
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 1 (00:57):
Good Sunday, everyone, and Welcome to the Black Perspective. From
Stop the Yard to Girls Trip and many others. Will
Packer's films have grossed over one billion dollars.

Speaker 3 (01:07):
At the box office.

Speaker 1 (01:08):
HBCU graduate film director and TV show producers stopped by
bi In and talked with podcast host Ramsey's Job about
his new book titled Better Than You The Art of
Healthy Arrogance and Dreaming Big. Ramses, take it away.

Speaker 4 (01:23):
All right, mister Will Packer, Welcome to the show. We
have been very much looking forward to having this conversation.
Talk to us a little bit. Man's what's going on
in your world today.

Speaker 5 (01:33):
I'm excited, man, I'm excited to be here.

Speaker 6 (01:36):
You know, Listen, we live in a time right now
where people's whole existences are under attacked. Right your value
is under attack, Your ability to live your best life
and be successful is under attack. It has never been
more important, Ramses, to understand your value, but not just

(01:59):
understand value, to be able to get other people to
understand your value, and to know how deserving of success
you are.

Speaker 5 (02:06):
So I live my life like that.

Speaker 6 (02:08):
I am somebody who absolutely believes that you need to
be able to tell your story.

Speaker 5 (02:12):
You need to be able.

Speaker 6 (02:13):
One of the things that's interesting that I like, I
love that my parents did when I was growing up
is they put me in debate class and I always
encouraged people. If you have kids, or if you are
a teenager in high school, you have an opportunity to
take debate. I didn't want to do it because the
cool kids weren't in debate. Cool kids while running track,
playing football, basketball, right, I was an athlete, so my
parents put me in debate. I didn't want to be

(02:34):
in debate, but I actually found my voice, and in
debate you learn how to formulate an argument and then
defend that argument. Man, if there was ever a time
when you need to make sure that you can formulate
your argument and to defend it, especially in defense of
yourself and your right to be successful.

Speaker 5 (02:53):
It's right now. So that's the kind of thing that
you know. I think about a lot.

Speaker 6 (02:57):
That's one of the main reasons that I wrote them,
and it is one of the reason I'm happy to
be here today, because you all are a platform that
is literally about giving information to people and to a
community and a culture that people are trying to keep
information from.

Speaker 3 (03:13):
I love that energy.

Speaker 4 (03:16):
And as a person who lettered in speech and debate,
didn't do you realize that it would bring me here?
But yeah, I have on my letterman, I have my
football and my basketball, my track, all that stuff. But
I have speech and debate there, so we might have
a bit of a similar story in that regard.

Speaker 3 (03:35):
I feel like maybe there's something there.

Speaker 4 (03:39):
One of the things that we do on the show
typically is we start our stories at the beginning with
our guests. Now, obviously, you're a person who's very successful.
Your name is all over the place.

Speaker 7 (03:49):
You know.

Speaker 4 (03:49):
I did a deep dive on you before having this conversation,
and I realized that the roots run even deeper than
I thought for folks who may not be as intimately
familiar with your background. You mentioned a bit about, you know,
your parents putting you in speech and debate class. Talk
a little bit about you know, growing up, what inspired
your passions to pursue you know, what it is you're
doing right now, and sort of what led you to

(04:10):
our conversation today.

Speaker 3 (04:11):
We'll do that before we get into the book. Of course.

Speaker 6 (04:14):
Listen, I grew up in Saint Petersburg, Florida, and I
was a kid that was I was middle class. I
had a two parent home, and I had parents that
instilled in me early and this is absolutely the foundation
of the success that I've had.

Speaker 5 (04:34):
My parents took me like Simba in the Lion Key.
They took me to the highest mountain making.

Speaker 6 (04:40):
Fine and they lifted me up and said, so everything
the light touches is can be your right.

Speaker 5 (04:47):
I had parents that told me that.

Speaker 6 (04:48):
You can be anything you want to be if you're
willing to work hard for it, if you're willing to
put in the effort anything as possible. And as a
young kid, I had the audacity to believe them. And
that's very very important, important that you know, we tell
that to our kids and to our youth, because that's
when they're the most impressionable.

Speaker 5 (05:05):
And they believe these things if we tell them, and
they can be true. And so I grew up in St.

Speaker 6 (05:11):
Pete and I was always somebody that was a student
in math and science. And so I got a scholarship
to attend in HBCU bord In and University. Very very
proud fam you graduate. Shout out to Florida and m
and I didn't want to go to family. I didn't
want to go to an HBCU.

Speaker 5 (05:31):
I had the grade.

Speaker 6 (05:32):
Ty test scores all that I want to go to
an IVY school. I felt like that's why I deserved
to be That's the best of the best.

Speaker 5 (05:38):
That's where I want to go.

Speaker 6 (05:39):
And I've actually headed to Penn and I was going
to enter into the Wharton School of Business.

Speaker 5 (05:46):
I had looked up at one of the best bits
of schools in the country.

Speaker 6 (05:48):
And my parents said, well, how much money is Wharton
offering you, you know, in scholarship money as well. They're
not offer anything. They're like, you know, we.

Speaker 5 (05:57):
Let you in.

Speaker 6 (05:58):
Be thankful, right, They said, well, what's Florida and I'm
offering you. I saw FAMU was offering me, you know,
full ride scholarship. They're trying to get more African Americans
in the STEM program Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and they
want me to go there and be an engineering major
and I'll get a full ride scholarship. And they said,

(06:19):
guess where you're going, young William Patter There was the
best decision that was ever made for me. It wasn't
my own personal decision. I went to fam you and
that's actually where I hooked up with a buddy. He
was one of my fraternity brothers, one of my line brothers.
I'm a proud member of Alpha Bi Alpha fraternity, and

(06:40):
we together. He wanted to be a filmmaker, it was
his dream, and I helped him to make his very
first movie there a fam You, which was called Chocolate City.
I didn't know. I didn't have film school pedigree. He
didn't know the mechanics of how you make a film project.
But we were ustlers and we were dreamers, and we
went out to raise a little bit of money and

(07:02):
shot a movie there on that campus, and Hollywood couldn't
care less. And this is a very very important lesson
that I learned early on.

Speaker 5 (07:10):
I felt like I.

Speaker 6 (07:11):
Needed to make a project that impressed the gate that
impressed the important people, the people with the statuses and
the titles and the resources. They couldn't care less about
our little, tiny movie.

Speaker 5 (07:23):
But you know who did care.

Speaker 6 (07:25):
Students at Florida and M University were peers, and they
cared in a huge way. And it showed me that
if you make something, you don't always have to make
it for the quote unquote important folks. We spend so
much time chasing people with titles, with money, with brands,

(07:48):
and not pouring into the communities that support us or
the people that actually want us to succeed, when.

Speaker 5 (07:53):
They are what you need.

Speaker 6 (07:55):
The reason I got Hollywood to finally pay attention to
me is because I made money without money.

Speaker 5 (08:00):
That's how you do it.

Speaker 6 (08:01):
Because I had a more audience that was happy to
see themselves on screen. So Chocolate City was that first movie,
and that taught me that, you know what, I don't
need to go to Wharton. I don't need to go
off and get an MBA and learn how to sell widgets.
This is my widget right here, this thing that I've done.
What is this called? I had no idea, and I said, oh,
that's called producer. You were the producer. I said, yeah,

(08:23):
that's what I'm going to be. Butt me a producer,
and my career was born. And along the way, I
fell in love with the art of storytelling.

Speaker 3 (08:31):
I love that. I love fantastic.

Speaker 4 (08:33):
I'm glad I asked that question because I think it
gives a little bit of background in context to the
energy that you're bringing to this conversation. That's just, you know,
a man with passion who's followed his dreams, and that
culminated at least in part in the book that we're
discussing today. So talk to us a little bit about

(08:55):
what inspired who better than you the art of healthy
arrogance and dreaming Big.

Speaker 5 (08:59):
I wrote this.

Speaker 6 (09:00):
Book because I have people that come to me and say,
can you mentor me, can you show me what it
took for you to become successful? And I realized that
over my three decade career in Hollywood, working with some
of the biggest names, biggest personalities, most successful people in

(09:22):
the world, that I've also worked with some of the
most toxic people, some of the most insecure people, some
of the most negative people in the world. And I
have learned skills to navigate not only all those various personalities,
but I've also learned what separates some of the most
successful people from some of the people that are just

(09:44):
desiring to be successful. And oftentimes it is the understanding
and the belief and the faith that you deserve success
that is the number one thing that holds people back.
People oftentimes feel like they deserve success. Some of the
most successful people in the world, they feel like, not

(10:05):
only do they deserve it, they're predestined for it, It's
going to happen, and they walk into rooms with that
level of supreme confidence. And when you walk in with
that kind of confidence, it changes the way that you
interact in those rooms, the way that you answer the phone,
the way you wake up in the morning.

Speaker 7 (10:23):
Everything you do.

Speaker 6 (10:23):
Is different when you have that level of supreme confidence
that says I deserve this and I'm going to be successful.

Speaker 5 (10:29):
Whether you know it or not, you should.

Speaker 6 (10:31):
Whether it happens today or tomorrow, or next month or
next year, it's coming.

Speaker 5 (10:36):
And that confidence is a muscle. It's a muscle that
you can build.

Speaker 6 (10:40):
So I wrote this book, and the book is is
very much in my voice. It's high energy, it's also
very funny. I'm telling stories of, you know, interacting with
people like Kevin Hart, who's one of my best friends,
but who I also call a spot of sttan because
he's tried to stick my career more than once.

Speaker 5 (10:58):
I talk about I said.

Speaker 6 (11:00):
How she repeatedly told me no, she wasn't gonna be
in my movie Obsessed, and now I finally convinced her
and then that movie opened number one. And I tell
stories about you know, Steve Harvey and herself, all these
people I've interacted with, And the point of the story
RAMS is to make sure that people understand that my
journey has been very carefully and strategically built from this

(11:27):
belief that I could do it, and that nobody's voice.

Speaker 5 (11:32):
No matter who they were, was more important.

Speaker 6 (11:34):
Than my voice, and that my voice kept telling me
You're gonna be successful even when I wasn't. I graduated
from Family in ninety six, My first number one movie
was it until Stump Yard in two thousand and seven.

Speaker 5 (11:47):
That's eleven years, brother, that's.

Speaker 6 (11:49):
Eleven years when I was eating Ramen noodles and I
was not an overnight success story.

Speaker 5 (11:53):
But I had this belief in this faith and confidence.
And so somebody out.

Speaker 6 (11:57):
There listening needs to hear that because they also or
may feel like, oh, man, do I deserve the test?

Speaker 5 (12:02):
Cannot be successful? Am I doing the right thing?

Speaker 6 (12:05):
And so I talk about all the various principles that
got me to where I am.

Speaker 3 (12:08):
Talk to us a little bit about who you envision
reading the book.

Speaker 4 (12:13):
Is this a young person who's about to graduate high
school or just started college. Is this a person who's
well into their career? And whoever this is, what do
you expect them to take from it.

Speaker 6 (12:24):
It's so interesting because as a movie producer, when I
go into making a movie, when I decide whether or
not I'm going to make a project or not, I
always think about who the audience is, and I.

Speaker 5 (12:37):
Mean really, really specifically.

Speaker 6 (12:40):
When I have a movie that comes across my desk,
I think about a very specific person who that movie
is going to be for. So, for example, with my
movie Girls Trip, I thought very specifically about a woman
named Sharon, and she lives.

Speaker 5 (12:57):
In Detroit, and she's got two kids, and she's a.

Speaker 6 (13:00):
Pharmacist and she's divorced, and she goes out with her
girls on the weekend for wine, and she goes to the.

Speaker 5 (13:08):
Movies every now and then. But when she goes, she
wants to have a good time.

Speaker 6 (13:10):
She doesn't like horror, she doesn't like thrillers, she doesn't
like the stuff that's gonna make her sad. She don't
like period pies. She likes to go and escape and
have a good time. And Sharonda was my model for
the movie Girl Sroo And I do that for every
movie that I make.

Speaker 5 (13:25):
Who is it for? So I did the same thing
with this book. So when you ask about.

Speaker 6 (13:29):
Who this book was for, I thought about two people.

Speaker 5 (13:33):
Specifically.

Speaker 6 (13:34):
I thought about somebody that is in their forties and
fifties who are already into the throes of a career
but are ready to pivot, ready to make a change,
ready to do something different, not totally satisfied and totally
happy with where they are in their lives right now,
and think that more is out there, better is out there,

(13:56):
Greater is out there for them, but they don't know
how to do it, and they are are understandably apprehensive
and anxious about making a major life change. And one
of the things I talk about in the book is
the power of the pivot. And the other person I
made it for is somebody that is a millennial gen

(14:17):
Zia who is about to graduate college or recently graduated college.
Somebody who's out there and hasn't found their passion yet,
who is trying to figure out what is my place
in the world right They've either got a college degree
or maybe thought about going to college, but they're in
their like, you know, early twenties, maybe late twenties, and

(14:39):
they're trying to figure out how am I going to
kickstart my life because I haven't found the thing that
I feel like I was put.

Speaker 5 (14:46):
Here to do.

Speaker 6 (14:48):
I haven't found the thing that is waking me up
every morning going I have to do this.

Speaker 5 (14:53):
And there are a lot of people like this.

Speaker 6 (14:56):
And one of the things I say is that that's okay.
You don't have to find that thing right. You don't
have to just wake up and expect your passion that
you're going to.

Speaker 5 (15:05):
Do for the rest of your life to hit you
in the face. It didn't. For me.

Speaker 6 (15:08):
I did not have a passion for movie making. Initially,
I did something that I was good at, which was
going out and raising money, finding audiences, self distributing, and later,
while doing things that I was good at, I found
my passion in my love for storytelling.

Speaker 5 (15:29):
Later. But I didn't wake up saying I want to
tell stories.

Speaker 6 (15:32):
I just was doing the thing that I was good at,
and I found enjoyment in it and then ultimately unlocked
my life's passion. It's more often that that happens in
that order than the other way around. It's okay, you
haven't found the one thing that you feel like you
would put on.

Speaker 5 (15:50):
This earth to do. It's okay. It's not too late.
You can still find it.

Speaker 6 (15:54):
But you gotta double down and triple down on the
thing that you're good at and try to find enjoyment
within that.

Speaker 4 (16:02):
Fantastic well said, I think that this is about as
necessary a book as I've ever seen. I do want
you to plug the book. But in addition to that,
any social media, any upcoming projects outside of the book
that you want people to support, any websites, anything like that.

Speaker 3 (16:20):
Before we let you.

Speaker 5 (16:21):
Go, I'm with a power packer on all my social handles. Obviously,
the book is out now.

Speaker 6 (16:26):
Wherever you buy books, I always tell people, try to support,
you know, local bookstores, try to support black owned bookstores.

Speaker 5 (16:34):
You know, nothing on Amazon. I get it. Everybody's going
and shopping with the Behemoth. Nothing wrong with that, but
got to support local businesses when you can. My book is.

Speaker 6 (16:42):
Available everywhere, So whatever platform you buy your books on
or buy your audiobooks.

Speaker 5 (16:48):
It's out there.

Speaker 4 (16:49):
I couldn't be happier with the conversation that we've had.
I appreciate you taking the time to come and talk
to us here on the Black Information Network.

Speaker 3 (16:56):
You're an inspiration.

Speaker 4 (16:58):
You know, your commitment to you know, your people, your
commitment to your passion to yourself is infectious. And you know,
obviously having a book out that people can you know,
purchase and kind of have a piece of that, you know,
in their lives, especially for folks kind of dealing with
a tough time right now. I just I couldn't be

(17:18):
happier with with the work that you're doing, and so
my hat's off to you, sir. Thank you very much
for your time and your insight. Once again, today's guest
is legendary Hollywood producer and the author of the new
book Who Better Than You The Art of Healthy Arrogance
and Dreaming Big, Will Packer.

Speaker 1 (17:34):
Thanks Ramses John will Packer. Will Packer's new book, Who
Better Than You The Art of Healthy Arrogance and Dreaming Big,
is available now at all book retailers and online at Amazon.
Get your copy today. A well known power couple continues
to help other parents navigate raising children in today's society
and shares tips on how families can thrive. iHeartRadio's very

(17:57):
own DJ Envy from the breakfast CLLEL and his wife
Gia Casey sits down and chairs it all with b
I in news anchor Alexandria Ikaimoni.

Speaker 8 (18:06):
Once some guys, is the girl Alexandria Kammoni in the
studio with Gia Casey Lo and we have Envy.

Speaker 3 (18:13):
Yes, how are you doing today? Guy? Well, how are
you doing well? So happy to have you guys in
the studio.

Speaker 8 (18:18):
By the way, Yes, absolutely got you in the A
from Jersey, New York.

Speaker 3 (18:22):
How did you feel to be in Atlanta right now?
It's hot as it should be hot. It's hot. Why
do you want a forty degrees all year round? It's
not that cold in New York. It's like seventy degrees
in New York right now.

Speaker 8 (18:33):
I think it's like seventy seven here now, I feel like,
you know, it feels humid.

Speaker 3 (18:38):
It's a little bit more human. I get it. Yeah,
I get it. But also, what's hot?

Speaker 8 (18:43):
Is this next book that you guys have coming out
focused on parenting. Tell me more about the book and
what people reading it can really get and expect from it.

Speaker 9 (18:52):
So it's called Real Life, Real Family, A Guide to
Raising Empowered Children. Love it and we chose the subtitle
a Guide to Raising Empowered Children because we really want
to stress the importance of raising kids with a very
strong self identity. Because when you have children with a
strong self identity, then you're not leaving it up to others,

(19:13):
people in their orbit, people in school, people that they
encounter to tell them who they are or who they
should be. When they feel as though they belong because
they come from a family unit that instills that in them.
They're able to go out and radiate that energy and
basically tell people and show up as who they authentically are.
And that's the beginning of raising an empowered child.

Speaker 3 (19:36):
I love it anything to add to that.

Speaker 10 (19:38):
I mean, I think raising empowered child, I think the
main thing is I always say, is time and patience.

Speaker 3 (19:46):
And the reason I.

Speaker 10 (19:47):
Say that is kids don't care about a lot of
times what you have, what you drive, how big your
house is, what you can provide for them. They care
about time. And one thing which I learned a lot
from Gia is impatient. So we have six kids. So
Gear will sit on the bed with the kids, on
the bed with them and sit there and actually listen

(20:08):
when the kids are talking about their day. You know, hey, mom,
today I had decorated my locker and this, that and
the other, and where most of the time where I
would be like oh yeah, yeah, yeah, a right, but
the nicks On, let me call you right back. Like
Gear is engaged. Kids feel they feel special, they feel
they're giving them attention. So doing those type of things

(20:29):
are the way to have children that are empowered, that
feel themselves, that feel great. You know, we always talk
about the one of the biggest things that everybody want
is attention. Right, everybody wants attention. If you go out
to eat with your friends, somebody wants attention. They want
to talk to you how your day.

Speaker 3 (20:44):
They don't want you in your phone.

Speaker 10 (20:46):
And when you give those kids attention, they don't look
for a validation anywhere else. They don't look for it
outside on social media. They don't look it for it
for their friends. They get it at home and they
don't need it anywhere else.

Speaker 8 (20:56):
And we're talking about that getting it outside though social
media plays a big role. I hate to stay in
like the upbringing in a sense kids nowadays. So what
advice do you have for parents, especially in regards to
the focus of this book, to really break through that
barrier of social media and getting through to your kids.

Speaker 10 (21:15):
Well, I'll start we teach our kids to use social
media as a tool, right, meaning you use social media,
don't let social media use you. So the first thing is,
like I said, to validation. Make sure that your kids
feel validated and safe at home. So you know, social
media is a negative place, right, it's people that's attacking people.

(21:35):
They're going to try to put you down, or it
could be something that you might have done.

Speaker 3 (21:39):
And we talk about it all the time. If you
got into a fight.

Speaker 10 (21:41):
And when you were in high school or when you
were in elementary school on Monday Tuesday is gone with
social media now it lives on forever. So if you
got your butt whooped, that's going to be online. So,
you know, we teach our kids that don't worry about
social media.

Speaker 3 (21:59):
You valid dated at home. What does your mom think,
what does.

Speaker 10 (22:01):
Your siblings think, So they don't look for that outside
validation and use social media for what it's used for.
If you're doing something to find Like my daughter's dance,
they compete in dance, so sometimes they follow dances to
see other dance moves to see what they can do.
My other son plays football. He goes on social media
to see different training routines that he can do that's

(22:21):
different outside of him. I go to hear music, I
go to here to see funny things. You know, we
just purchase two dogs. I go to talk to see
how people raise their dogs. So you social media as
a tool, don't let social media use you.

Speaker 3 (22:33):
Absolutely.

Speaker 9 (22:34):
Also, I want to add to that, we teach our
kids a lot. We extract lessons out of everything. And
because we have such an open dialogue and our entire
existence within the house is based on communication, our kids
trust us. So when I tell them something or I
warn them about something, it's not in the sense of

(22:56):
here's this warning. It's in the sense of a communication,
a conversation that we're having. I teach them about social media,
so they understand terms like brain rot. They understand how
social media affects the brain, and why it stimulates certain
parts of the brain, and why they may feel addicted
and when to kind of wean off. They're also limited.

(23:18):
They're also limited. They're only allowed about forty five minutes
on their phone a day, which is also easy to
manage because they have so much extracurricular activities. And that's
something that a lot of parents really should think about.
When your child comes home from school and they're at
home at three o'clock and they don't go to bed
until nine thirty ten o'clock. If they're like a middle

(23:40):
school age child, what are they doing that entire time?

Speaker 3 (23:43):
Asolutely?

Speaker 9 (23:44):
They have to entertain themselves somehow. When we were kids,
we probably watched TV or we were on the phone
with our friends. You schedule a little time to do
your homework, but the rest you're just kind of, you know,
entertaining yourselves. Now they have so much technology, so many
devices that are providing all types of entertainment, and it's endless.
It becomes so addictive. So to kind of ward that off,

(24:07):
we give them a lot of extracurricular activities. So now
they're out there, they're actually interacting with other human beings
so that they're not tainted. Their view of relationships and
communication isn't tainted and regulated to a device, and it
only leaves a small portion of time during the day
for them to spend on their devices. And then, like

(24:30):
I said, I educate them like you're addicted because of
this reason. Because even with our twenty three year old,
with a little bit that she's on social media, it's
already affected her attention span. Now she has to watch
everything on ten time speed because she's not consuming the
information and the entertainment fast enough. And that's a scientific

(24:50):
thing that's happening within our brains. So even with our
eight year old, we explain that to her, so they're like,
oh wait, I don't want I don't want my brain
to write, so I'm going to turn this thing off.

Speaker 3 (24:59):
I think very smart and I love the approach that
you guys have.

Speaker 8 (25:02):
I never thought about, you know, forty five minutes a
day limiting to that for killing It really does make
a difference. Yes, And if you guys could put into
words one of parenting advice each that you really want
to instill in.

Speaker 3 (25:13):
Other parents, what would that be.

Speaker 6 (25:17):
For me?

Speaker 9 (25:17):
It would be attention, but true attention, not where your
child sits down and as Rashan said earlier, tells you
about their day and you listen and then they're dismissed.
It's about actively listening, actively participating in the stories and
the conversations that they approach you with. Because attention is

(25:41):
probably the world's biggest drug. That's what we all crave.
When you pay attention to someone, when you really listen,
when you lean in and you give them verbal cues,
non verbal cues, and they know that they're important to you,
they feel that, Yeah, that's how they feel loved, That's
how they feel important. So raising kids that feel important

(26:03):
and feel as though when they speak they're worthy of
being heard, Kids that feel as though what's going on
their mind, going on in their mind is actually worthy
of someone listening to and the things that they want
to communicate being valid that feeds their souls and that's

(26:24):
those are the kids that are going to go out
into the world and feel as though they can be
an entrepreneur, that they can raise funds to start a business,
that they can be a doctor, that they can own
a slew of nail salons or whatever it is that
they want to do. They'll have the confidence to go
out and try to tackle that because they're not waiting
for someone else to tell them who they are or

(26:45):
what their limitations are.

Speaker 3 (26:46):
Relutely absolutely me.

Speaker 10 (26:48):
I think time, Yeah, I think time is the most
important thing. And if you have multiple children, given each
child their own time, like me and my daughter, Like,
what's one thing that me and Maddy to together?

Speaker 3 (27:00):
Oh, they grow grocery shopping together every day. That's our thing.

Speaker 10 (27:04):
Sunday we wake up at six o'clock in the morning
and she goes grocery shopping. Now she has her own
home and her own life, but it's just one thing
that she does with dad. And the other day I
went grocery shoping. It was like a Wednesday. And we're
all on the Life three sixty app right, So the
Life three sixty app every one of my kids is
on there, so they know where we're at. I know
where they am. A yeah, and she called me. She

(27:24):
was like, Dad, you at the grocery store. I'm like yeah,
she goes, you're by yourself. Yeah, she was like, why
don't you call me?

Speaker 3 (27:32):
I was like you at work?

Speaker 10 (27:33):
She was like, I'm on my way and she met
me there and grocery shopping.

Speaker 3 (27:37):
We also cooked with each other.

Speaker 10 (27:39):
So there's certain days that that Gea cooks and she's Caribbean,
so she cooks how oxtail, us aki and soft.

Speaker 3 (27:44):
Fish and all that other stuff. But there's other.

Speaker 10 (27:46):
Times with me and my daughter, we cooked together and
we clean together, and that's where we have those conversations
about life and her boyfriend and whatever it is. And
my other son, you know, he likes to ride bike
and play soccer. I know nothing about soccer nothing. I
was basketball for baseball, so I had to learn psycho soccer.

Speaker 3 (28:02):
What a striker is, what this one is, what does offside?

Speaker 7 (28:04):
Meed?

Speaker 3 (28:05):
And he teaches me and we have our own time.

Speaker 10 (28:07):
My other daughters is dance I and I'm one of
those days dads that.

Speaker 3 (28:12):
First of all, he's a dance sad for real, love that.
It's not like that's out there.

Speaker 10 (28:16):
There's definitely not too many black fathers out there. But
I know my kids were teens and what they do
and I'm able to tell them, now, you need to
do this more.

Speaker 9 (28:24):
And they just competed the other day and I said, okay.
After London was finished with her solo, I was like,
what did you think he was like in the beginning,
she didn't lift her knees the way that she usually
lifts her knees. I said, I didn't notice that. He's like,
I love that part and she didn't do it, so
I noticed, So he yes, he does know their room chance.

Speaker 3 (28:42):
Yeah.

Speaker 10 (28:43):
Yeah, So you know, we all we give each one
of our children time where they can just have they
could just express, you know, they might be mad.

Speaker 3 (28:49):
You know, it's time. When the kids have been mad
at me, of course.

Speaker 10 (28:51):
They talked to mom and then Mom comes back and
be like, well they didn't like this, same time, same
thing with me with me with her. But we just
give each our kids the time that they need.

Speaker 3 (29:00):
Absolutely.

Speaker 8 (29:00):
I think time and that attention are really too strong
important things that they need to have. Absolutely, And speaking
of time, let's talk to the parents for a second.
Now with kids and now we know six kids here,
how do you guys really make time for yourselves as
a couple managing not just obviously the kids, but you
guys have other business endeavors and other shows and whatnot.

(29:21):
So how do you guys manage that? What's the balance?

Speaker 3 (29:23):
Like you want to rat it all version or the
PG version? I mean tell me. I mean you were
for Ihearts, so you know what version we need.

Speaker 10 (29:29):
So, like we tell everybody that, you know, we try
to get the time when we can. So for instance,
we tell you that our daughters compete, so when they compete.

Speaker 3 (29:39):
They also have classes.

Speaker 10 (29:41):
So we'll be at a hotel and downstairs is the
ballroom and they'll be down there for an hour and
we have to you know, come back in an hour.
We want upstairs at the hotel room. Get it in
right fast.

Speaker 3 (29:51):
No kids do nothing.

Speaker 6 (29:52):
Yeah, you know.

Speaker 10 (29:53):
There's times like when you know, we're out here in Atlanta,
our kids at home, we'll go out tonight for date
night and we'll you know, watch the game.

Speaker 3 (29:59):
Together and do things like that.

Speaker 10 (30:01):
We try to get as much time as we can
possible together, and we make time for each other, like
we will say, you know what, let's see if Madison,
which is our oldest, can watch the kids this day,
and let's go just go to the movies, let's just
do let's go get let's go to the restaurant, Let's
drive around, or if I have to make a run somewhere,
she'd be like a babe, I come with you. In
that conversation that we're driving might be a thirty forty

(30:22):
minute drive, and that thirty forty minute back, we make time.

Speaker 3 (30:25):
For each other.

Speaker 9 (30:26):
Yeah, absolutely, are you agreeing, Yes, But it's also appreciating
what it is that is in a way holding us apart.
So with our kids and all of their activities. It's
a blessing to have all of these kids and for
them to have found things that they love, that they're

(30:46):
successful at, that they've put the time into, and you
get to see the fruits of their labor start to blossom.
And you know, whether it's a soccer championship or a
basketball championship, or like you said, a dance competition, that
brings a certain amount of joy, which is why as
a dad, and it really is strange that he goes
to every single competition and he schedules all of his

(31:09):
work around it. So we're only here until tomorrow because
on Thursday we have a dance competition that we have
to get back to. So like, yeah, we're promoting our
book and everything, but our kids come first, you know,
so respecting that it gives you a different perspective. I

(31:29):
know that, you know, we'd love to spend more time together,
but respecting that and loving that and finding the joy
in that. It doesn't substitute for the time that we
don't get to spend together, but that's something that we
get to sit back in our private time and be like, wow,
that's so amazing, or how we talk about how happy
it makes us. So I guess what I'm saying is
that it's worth it.

Speaker 3 (31:50):
Yes, absolutely absolutely.

Speaker 8 (31:52):
I mean, you guys have the test of time, been
together for so long, so people really do see. You know,
it really does make a difference when you have those
factors included. What's next for you guys post book? Are
we working on anything new that we should be preparing for,
or we're just gonna let this flourish and take it
day by day.

Speaker 3 (32:08):
All of the above. Oh, we we of course we're
gonna let the the the book.

Speaker 10 (32:11):
Flourish and if you haven't got the book or get
it to Real Life, Real Family. Our first book was
Real Life, Real Love. But yeah, we have an idea
for a third book. Also, Gea has a cooking show
where she breaks down a lot of her dishes.

Speaker 3 (32:23):
So if you don't know Gia, uh is a little
bit of everything. Yes, right.

Speaker 7 (32:26):
Uh.

Speaker 10 (32:27):
My mother is Chinese Jamaican and her dad is Puerto
Rican and you know, she gets busy in the kitchen.
So I I say it's the best thing for me,
uh cause it's like I can get, you know, I
would say chicken fried.

Speaker 3 (32:40):
Rice, can I say help? You know what I mean,
I can get I can get, you.

Speaker 10 (32:43):
Know, stewfish with this. So it it's it's dope meals.
And it's very spicy meals. I like spicy food, So
which is dope cause people think I'm Spanish cause Charlamaere
says some Dominican on the radio. But I'm black black,
I'm like a hundred percent black.

Speaker 3 (32:57):
Yes.

Speaker 10 (32:57):
So she has a cooking show and she cooks the
meals that she cooks in the house and I just
think that's dope.

Speaker 3 (33:03):
And working on other TV projects and hopefully you'll see
us on TV one day.

Speaker 8 (33:06):
Absolutely, we're waiting for that, by the way, definitely coming
all right once again, Alexandria Kamoni in the studio with
Envy and Gia.

Speaker 3 (33:14):
Thank you guy so much for coming here. Thank you
so much.

Speaker 1 (33:17):
Thanks Alexandra, Djmby and Ga Casey.

Speaker 3 (33:20):
Real Life, Real Love.

Speaker 1 (33:21):
A Guide to Raising Empowered Children, is available wherever you
get your books and audio books. Twenty twenty five, Gracie
Award winning anchor Esther Dillard speaks with the children's author
who shares a conversation about the importance of embracing your
now moments instead of the past or the future.

Speaker 11 (33:42):
Welcome back to the Color between the Lines in this edition.

Speaker 12 (33:45):
Inevitably you asked them, Okay, how old would you be
if you could decide? You hear everything from sixteen twenty five.
I wanted ninety nine. He said ninety nine. I said, fla,
do you want to be ninety nine?

Speaker 11 (33:57):
We speak with Claude tild youing of a delightful picture
book that's empowering. It's called Stella and Roger can't Wait
to grow up. In this newest tale, Stella and Roger
dream about what life would be like when they're all
grown up, and along the way they find out some
really surprising wisdom. I'm Esther Dillard, chatting with writers, authors

(34:23):
and experts who offer an added perspective for listeners. This
is the Color between the Lines. On this edition of
The Color between the Lines. We're speaking with a children's
author who has successfully published a series of three children's books,

(34:45):
The latest Stella and Roger Can't Wait to Grow Up,
published by Simon and Schuster's Black Author imprint Deneen Milner Books.
Her name is Clotelle Ewing, and she's here not just
just to talk about her book, but her journey to
become a children's author in the first place. Welcome Clotel
to the bi.

Speaker 7 (35:05):
In Thanks for having me.

Speaker 11 (35:07):
We'll talk a little bit more about Stella and Roger
and the story and the storyline.

Speaker 3 (35:12):
What is.

Speaker 11 (35:13):
Tell us a little bit about it without giving us
everything everything.

Speaker 12 (35:17):
Well, my latest picture book is Stell and Roger Can't
Wait to Grow Up. And this is a book about
how Stell and Roger want to be older, because, let's
face it, when you're five, you often want to be seven.
When you're ten, you want to be twelve when you're twelve,
you can't wait to be sixteen in drive and it
all goes on, and it probably isn't until you're twenty
five thirty that you think, all right, let me dial

(35:38):
this back a little bit. But that is a universal
feeling for a lot of people. And one of the
things that I think is really interesting. When I was
researching this book, I touched base with friends who had
kids older than mine.

Speaker 7 (35:53):
These kids were.

Speaker 12 (35:54):
Tweens, teenagers, and they asked them about things that they
missed from being younger, and the things that they said
would just stop you in their tracks. One little girl
said not even little girl tween said she missed writing
on her dad's shoulders. Another kid independently said she missed

(36:14):
drawing sidewalk chalk outside and blowing bubbles. Somebody else said,
I missed when I had all your love before a
sibling came around. And these are things that you wouldn't
have expected a teenager to say. It really was a
moment where it made me. It made their parents really

(36:36):
appreciate how important it is to remind ourselves or remind
our kids to live in the moment, because you only
get that once.

Speaker 7 (36:45):
You only get it once.

Speaker 12 (36:47):
Now fast forward, I've done this reading with a number
of elementary school kids, and inevitably you asked them, Okay,
how old would you be if you could decide you.

Speaker 7 (36:56):
Hear everything from sixteen twenty five? One kid?

Speaker 12 (37:00):
Ninety nine? He said ninety nine. I said, why do
you want to be ninety nine? He said, well, nobody
tells you what to do. You've done everything you want
to do. He had a whole host of reasons.

Speaker 7 (37:10):
Now, never mind, I'm sure the ninety nine.

Speaker 12 (37:12):
Year old would dial it back if you could. But
you know, this whole book is about just appreciating where
you are now, because you don't get that time back,
all that time that you just wish you were somebody
else where she were at another age, wish you were
somewhere else which you were doing something else. Live in
the now, Live in the now. So though it's a

(37:33):
picture book, I think it's got a universal message for
kids and adults alike.

Speaker 11 (37:39):
Well, I invited you to the color between the Lines
because I resonated with your backstory, because there are a
lot of women who are successful career women but are
looking for change. But doing that takes a lot of guts,
and it also takes a lot of planning you had both.
Can you talk a little bit about your journey about
becoming a children's book author and what inspired you to

(38:00):
start for sure?

Speaker 12 (38:02):
Well, I think, first of all, hopefully if people take
nothing else for my story, I hope they realize that
it's never too late.

Speaker 7 (38:09):
It is never too late.

Speaker 12 (38:10):
I grew up loving to read books, but I never
thought of myself as somebody who would write a book.

Speaker 7 (38:16):
However, when I had.

Speaker 12 (38:18):
Kids, I felt compelled to do something about it. I've
worked in a number of different fields, always communications, but
never writing four children, but I had two young children,
as I mentioned, who are now ten and eight. When
they were much younger, two and four, I came across
an article that was titled in the paper, she wants
more than em okay at Bedtime? And it struck a nerve.

(38:41):
It struck a nerve. It really articulated so much of
what I had experienced when I tried to find books
for my kids. There is diversity out there, for sure,
but oftentimes that diversity is one or two notes.

Speaker 7 (38:56):
It's about our.

Speaker 12 (38:56):
History, it's about excellence, both of which are important, and
I have a lot of those books. But what this
article talked about is that our kids also deserve stories
about our wild imaginations and kids being kids.

Speaker 7 (39:12):
And so I cut out the article.

Speaker 12 (39:15):
I put it on my vision board, and I eventually
tried to start doing something about it. But something that
you said is really important, because I also decided to
send a letter, send an email to my friends and
family about what I was trying to do. And that
was important because then all those people held me accountable.

Speaker 7 (39:34):
I said I was going to do this.

Speaker 12 (39:36):
They then checked in regularly on it, and it kept
me on my journey.

Speaker 11 (39:41):
I know that it takes a lot of planning, and
it takes a lot of connections and such as that.
It's not easy writing a children's book, and I've heard
from so many authors that it's such a challenge they
didn't expect. Was it a challenge for you? And how
did you, I guess, figure out how to make this
a three time success?

Speaker 1 (40:03):
Oh?

Speaker 12 (40:04):
You know, it definitely was a challenge, and it still
is a challenge, I think for a couple of different reasons.

Speaker 7 (40:09):
One, you forget how few words you have to pack.

Speaker 12 (40:12):
A story into, and that is something that is hard
in and of itself. I always knew that my main
character was going to be Stella. But I tried a
number of different stories in different angles before I could
figure out what that actual first story was going to.

Speaker 7 (40:29):
Be, and I just kept at it.

Speaker 12 (40:32):
I kept at it, I kept at it, I kept
at it.

Speaker 11 (40:36):
Tell us a little bit about these two characters, Stella
and Roger, and what inspired you to develop them into
what they are today and this particular storyline.

Speaker 12 (40:46):
Yes, So Stella is a wildly imaginative six year old
girl who has an idea and just goes after it.
She goes after it. In the first story, she's a
kid who doesn't like to go to sleep. I think
that's universal, regardless of race or ethnicity. Kids don't like
to go to bed at bedtime. And my kids are

(41:08):
exactly the same. So a lot of my stories are
inspired by things that we've gone through in our own home.
So Stella is somebody who's got agency. She may not
know exactly what route she's going to take, but she.

Speaker 7 (41:21):
Knows what her goal is. And so I wanted to
try and develop a story With the first story.

Speaker 12 (41:27):
Stella keeps the son up about kids who don't mind
going to bed at bedtime, but in the end realize, Okay,
I got to do this for X, Y or Z
reason because I can totally sympathize with other parents out
there who go through the bedtime struggles because they are real.

Speaker 11 (41:46):
I know that many people find challenging as an author writing,
but some find challenging the marketing and business side of things.
What have you found with that side that you have
done that kind of helped you, you know, make it
a success, because not everyone that publishes a book is successful,

(42:07):
and you have definitely gone over that help.

Speaker 7 (42:12):
Thank you.

Speaker 12 (42:12):
Yes, the marketing is it is, It's always been challenging,
and it continues to be a challenge, if I'm being honest.
I had talked to, thankfully, a number of authors as
I was starting my journey, and they tried to prepare
me to say, Okay, the publisher will be there, especially
in the beginning, but there's a lot of work you're

(42:34):
going to need to do to get.

Speaker 7 (42:35):
It out there.

Speaker 12 (42:36):
And I will admit that I was surprised at just
how hard it would be. I have been really encouraged
by the people I hear from, whether it's on social
media or when I go to school visits, and people
like I saw that book or I have that book.

Speaker 7 (42:54):
And it makes me feel great.

Speaker 12 (42:58):
It affirms the idea, and yet I still walk away
and say, Oh, if only I could get to that
kid too, and if I could get it in that bookstore.
You know, I love going to bookstores, and inevitably I'll
go and check to see if they have the Stellar books,
and if I work up the courage, I'll go up
to the bookseller and give them a card and.

Speaker 7 (43:18):
See if I can send them a copy for consideration.
It's hard.

Speaker 12 (43:22):
It's hard, but I'm really appreciative of the people who
have shared the book with their friends and their families
and their networks. I feel like the Stella series is
a real grassroots effort with the moms, the aunties, the cousins,
the friends who are sharing it with the little girls

(43:43):
and boys in their lives, and I just hope that
that continues.

Speaker 11 (43:47):
Is this the last in the series or do you
see another story that's or adventure that Stella is going
to go through.

Speaker 7 (43:53):
Ah, there will be a fourth. So I signed a
two year, two book contract. Initially, and thankfully, due to.

Speaker 12 (44:02):
The success of Stella Keeps the Sun Up, Deneen came
back and signed on for two more books.

Speaker 7 (44:07):
So the fourth book will be out next.

Speaker 12 (44:09):
Year, and that is bittersweet. This has been really a
labor of love, a labor of love.

Speaker 7 (44:17):
But I'm hoping that we can really.

Speaker 12 (44:19):
Keep it going, finished strong, or maybe even hopefully open
the door for more down the road. But at least
there will be at least four What.

Speaker 11 (44:29):
Do you hope that parents who pick up this book
and children who pick up this book will get from
it once they open the pages.

Speaker 7 (44:38):
M that's a great question.

Speaker 12 (44:40):
I think, first and foremost, I hope that children like
my own, beautiful black children see themselves in Stella and
see themselves in adventures like Stella, and realize that we
can have a number of different stories, and we are
a number of different notes, and so I hope they

(45:03):
see that. That said, I think that the Stella stories
are for kids of all races and ethnicities. I think
that it is a beautiful thing that kids that look
nothing like mine can see a Stella story and see
themselves in her character and see herself see themselves.

Speaker 7 (45:23):
In her journey.

Speaker 12 (45:25):
I talk a lot about how in the second book,
Stella and the Missing Tooth that when I do readings,
it's always interesting to me when I do readings at
schools that are.

Speaker 7 (45:39):
Incredibly diverse.

Speaker 12 (45:41):
When there's a picture of the tooth Fairy, nobody says
that's the black tooth fairy. They say that's the tooth fairy.
That's period, that's the tooth fairy. And that means something.
That means something both to my kids, but it means
something to all kids.

Speaker 7 (45:55):
And so I hope that they can take away the
sameness among us in men ways.

Speaker 12 (46:01):
And I hope that the kids can also take away
the power of imagination and that you can live into
this as long as you choose to.

Speaker 5 (46:11):
Wow.

Speaker 11 (46:12):
Well, that's a great message, and thank you Clotil Ewing
for joining us on the BIM.

Speaker 7 (46:17):
Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 11 (46:18):
That's it for this edition of The Color Between the Lines.
If this conversation moved you, inspired you, or made you
think a little bit deeper, don't forget to subscribe to
The Color Between the Lines on the iHeartRadio app or
wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Ester Dillard.

Speaker 1 (46:35):
Thanks Esther. Doug Davis speaks with the Organization Protecting Our
Racial Equity and Healthcare amid concerns i've proposed cuts to
Medicaid by the Trump administration and how they are on
an attack on the Black community.

Speaker 13 (46:48):
Doug, This is Doug Davis and you're listening to the
Black Information Network. Today we dive into one of the
most pressing healthcare issues in America, Medicaid expansion and it's
profound impact on racial equity, and as potential cuts threatened
to undo years of progress, we return to protect our cares.
Leslie doc for insight. Leslie, Welcome to the Black Information Network.

Speaker 2 (47:11):
Thanks so much for having me at Medicaid. Is it
serious risk?

Speaker 13 (47:15):
There's no doubt about that.

Speaker 3 (47:16):
How real is the danger?

Speaker 2 (47:18):
Well, it's I would say, unfortunately, far far, far too real,
because we have a Republican Congress that has been dead
set on scouring and reducing Medicaid, who's been waging a
war on the Affordable Care Act, war on trying to

(47:42):
protect old their Americans from having to pay too much
for drugs. Put Robert F. Kennedy in charge of our health.
So these are people who don't really care about the
health of Americans and particularly ones that they think are
somehow non deserving.

Speaker 13 (48:00):
What's at stake for the black community and people of color?
And how can you know policy decisions shape the future
of health care access?

Speaker 2 (48:07):
Yeah, well, there are there are eleven point three million
Black Americans who rely on Medicaid for their health coverage.
And in twenty twenty one, the last time we have data,
Medicaid provided maternity care to sixty four percent of Black mothers.
And we understand and know unfortunately about the crisis in
maternal and mortality that exists in America. So cutting back

(48:33):
the number of black moms who were covered, in black
children who were covered, and Black Americans who have covered
their meaningful numbers will lose their health care and we'll
have nowhere else to turn to go. And all of this,
of course, we know, is about raising money to quote

(48:55):
unquote pay for this tax cut for the rich and
the wealthy. None of these cuts have to happen. That's
the part that people need to know. We're not in
a fiscal crisis that demands this. What we are is
in a crisis of Republicans in the House and Senate

(49:17):
who want to give these outrageous tax breaks to people
who don't need it, and are demanding to, you know,
make believe they care about the deficit by kicking people
off of their health care who need it the most.

Speaker 13 (49:34):
Beyond just care to access, what are other aspects of
health and well being in communities of color could be
negatively impacted by you know, the reduced Medicaid funding.

Speaker 2 (49:45):
Well, I don't you know. These are issues that will
affect the people of color community, but they affect all Americans.

Speaker 3 (49:54):
Mental health.

Speaker 2 (49:56):
Of Americans or more who have mental health issues or
have overdose issues are treated by Medicaid. Veterans treated by Medicaid,
older Americans who are either being able to stay at
home as they age, or older Americans in nursing homes,

(50:17):
sixty percent of them are paid for by Medicaid. So
you have people across all parts of life, all ages,
that rely on Medicaid for their health care. And you
know they are going to the Congressional Budget and Now Office,
which is the gold standard of believable numbers. You know,

(50:40):
said yesterday that at least eight point one million Americans
will lose their coverage because of this new bill. And
you know, we can't predict exactly which which will be,
but all of them are deserved, you know, all of
them need the health care insurance and have no where
else to go.

Speaker 13 (51:01):
Leslie, Let's roll over to protect our care, which is
highlighted Medicaid expansion is a crucial step towards racial equity
and healthcare. Could you elaborate on why you consider it
such a significant advancement, what specific disparities has it helped address.

Speaker 2 (51:16):
In many states. Let's take the particularly those down south.
If you're an adult without children, you don't get You're
not qualified from medicaid unless you make less than seven
thousand dollars a year. So think about that. You make
seven thousand and one dollar, you don't get healthcare. For example,

(51:41):
in Texas, Texas were ever too. If Texas was to
ever expand and do Medicaid expansion, people would get the
healthcare they need. So it fills in incredible gaps and
any reduction in it basically of kicking people off the
role these are because Medicaid and an expansion is really

(52:07):
looking at people who are working but whose employers don't
pay them enough to afford health care on their own.
So it's an attack on working people. It's an attack
on people of color because they disproportionally fit. It have
lower paying jobs in America, and it's a problem for

(52:32):
rural Americans particularly. So the advancements that come with Medicaid
expansion disproportionally help people of color.

Speaker 13 (52:45):
So for folks who are obviously concerned about these cuts
and their impact, what are some actions? What are some
actionables that people can take to make their voices heard?

Speaker 3 (52:56):
Or is it too late?

Speaker 2 (52:57):
It's not too late, but it's getting near the end.
So we have the House of Representatives doing what they're
going to do in the next few weeks, and then
the Senate in June. I think, you know, the Republicans
are running scared in the House. They know how dangerous

(53:18):
this is to their political life to take these votes.
But they're not scared enough to do the right thing
because they're more scared of Donald Trump than they are
of their own voters. But for example, you know there
are members of Congress in we'll take one in Pennsylvania, Residahan,
who won his race by four thousand and sixty two votes.

(53:43):
He has over two hundred thousand people on Medicaid in
his district. And that's not people who sit next to
them at their at the kitchen table. Those are just
over two hundred thousand people who rely on MEDICAP for
their health insurance. So though, so the math, the political

(54:05):
math for these people is way wrong. So I you know,
they are sensitive very much to what their constituencies want want,
and so the way to you know, calling them the office,
leaving your name, do it with whatever emotion people feel
comfortable in giving it to. They're scared. We need to

(54:26):
keep them scared and then hopefully that will translate into
doing more of the right thing to They are going
to take health care away from people and raise costs.
But you know, every way we can make these cuts
smaller is better for people around this country.

Speaker 13 (54:49):
Right, for folks who may not know about Protect our Care,
can you explain a bit about it. It's founding principles
and how you started it.

Speaker 2 (54:56):
Yeah, so we started to Protect our Care. I started
in the right after the twenty sixteen election. It was
a personal story for me, just that I had been
the senior counselor to the Secretary of Health and Union Services.
I spent years on the Affordable Care Act. I then
went and worked for Hillary Clinton in her election and

(55:18):
was running with the colleague the healthcare transition. And so
when we lost, I just knew I couldn't burn those
years of my past and the important work. So I
gathered together a number of other people from the administration
who luckily in this case, we're losing their jobs in
their way, and we put together Protect Our Care to

(55:41):
prevent the repeal the Affordable Care Act, and we became
kind of the most vocal advocacy group in Washington, DC
that combined both strong understanding of the policy but also
of politics and were miraculously in my mind, won that fight.
And we've kept protecting our Care going over these seven years.

(56:02):
So we helped we understood the power of pre existing
conditions and convinced Democrats to run on that in in
twenty eighteen, which gave us Nancy Pelosi as the speaker.
We were probably the major out healthcare group that was
behind Medicare negotiations and the Inflation Reduction Act. We led

(56:24):
the fight, unfortunately unsuccessfully to keep Robert F. Kennedy from
being nominated. And we've been part of the leadership of
this fight on Medicaid and the current attacks on the
Affordable Care Act. And you know, America needs more Protect
our Cares, but as for now, somewhat unfortunately, we play
an outside role in the politics and policy of healthcare.

Speaker 13 (56:47):
Leslie dot Chair Oh Protect Our Care, thank you so
much for spending some time with us here on the
BI and learn more about the organization that's leading the
fight to protect healthcare for all Americans at protect Ourcare
dot org. I'm Doug Davis on the Black Information Network.

Speaker 1 (57:02):
Thanks Doug. 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 binnews 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 and on X and blue sky at black
info Net, and make the Black Information Network first on

(57:26):
your car radio and iHeartRadio app presets. I'm Mike Island,
wishing everyone for a great Sunday, and be sure to
tune in next week at this time for another edition
of the Black Perspective right here on the Black Information Network.

Speaker 14 (57:40):
The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed in this commentary are
those of the author and do not necessarily represent those
of bi IN and its founding partners and employees.

Speaker 15 (57:51):
I'm O Kelly on the bi IN with your two
minute warning, push us cause we're close to the edge.

Speaker 7 (58:00):
Wit IN try and not to lose heads.

Speaker 15 (58:04):
The full fifteen minute Cassie Ventura Hotel beating video has
been released to the public, and it's just as horrible
as you might think. Beyond the violence caught on tape,
it also highlights the ability of the rich and powerful
to suppress it, to pay off people to keep it
from being leaked. Now, to be clear, this doesn't mean
that Ditty will either be found guilty or not guilty

(58:25):
in his federal racketeering and sex trafficking trial. I explained
previously that the courts will do what the courts do,
and it's rarely about actual guilt but more about legal maneuvering.
But the court of public opinion about Ditty. The man
should not be swayed. This man is a monster and
should be shunned accordingly. Nevertheless, there is somebody you know,
and you might be that person, somebody who is posting

(58:46):
on social media right now or arguing with your friends
that Ditty is somehow being treated unfairly, or that this
is just another conspiracy to bring a powerful black man down.
Every single time, it's a song we know and the
lyrics should be memorized. No, the actual conspiracy was bribing
hotel workers to prevent the release of the video and
guarantee their silence regarding the events contained in it. I

(59:10):
hope you don't think that if Ditty was willing to
beat Cassie in public, in plain view of multiple cameras,
that he wasn't doing the same and worse regularly in private.
If Ditty was self aware enough to know that the
video could be harmful to him professionally and legally, Lord
knows how vicious the beatings were privately. Or let me
say it a different way, the video of Cassie being

(59:31):
beaten is more than enough to seriously reconsider the life
and death of Kim Porter. Just for starters, I'm mo
Kelly at mister mo Kelly on social media and that
you're two minute warning on the Black Information Network