October 7, 2025 • 59 mins
This week on The Black Perspective, BIN’s Andrea Coleman returns with part two of her conversation with Dr. Angelica Geter, exploring how the new administration is reshaping public health policy and what that means in real communities.
Misty Jordan sits with Dr. Leanne Woods-Burnham — assistant professor at Morehouse School of Medicine and nationally recognized expert on prostate cancer disparities — to discuss her work with ZERO Prostate Cancer and what Black men can do to reduce their risk.
Esther Dillard talks with a mental health practitioner and author of Meditations for Black Men, offering emotional tools for navigating turbulent times in our country.
Doug Davis features Jennifer Grace Jennings, founder and CEO of Funlay Grace, who shares her vision for creating jobs and generational wealth in rural America.
And news anchors Vanessa Tyler and Mike Stevens team up with podcast hosts Ramses Ja and Q Ward to unpack this week’s major headlines.
Listen now!
Misty Jordan sits with Dr. Leanne Woods-Burnham — assistant professor at Morehouse School of Medicine and nationally recognized expert on prostate cancer disparities — to discuss her work with ZERO Prostate Cancer and what Black men can do to reduce their risk.
Esther Dillard talks with a mental health practitioner and author of Meditations for Black Men, offering emotional tools for navigating turbulent times in our country.
Doug Davis features Jennifer Grace Jennings, founder and CEO of Funlay Grace, who shares her vision for creating jobs and generational wealth in rural America.
And news anchors Vanessa Tyler and Mike Stevens team up with podcast hosts Ramses Ja and Q Ward to unpack this week’s major headlines.
Listen now!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hi, this is Morgan Wood with the Black Information Network.
Every year, thousands of Black families face the unbearable sorrow
of losing a mom during pregnancy or after childbirth. Learn
how you can support them in bi in's special public
awareness campaign Saving Black Moms a Maternal Health Crisis. Black
maternal health is a community issue. Learn more on our
(00:23):
social media platforms and at binnews dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
It's Sunday, October fifth, the first Sunday of the month,
and on today's show The Black Information Networks Onrea Coleman
is back and she sits down with doctor Angelica Jeter,
a public health expert, to learn more about the changes
to the health community with this new administration. In part
two of their conversation, mister Jordan sits down with doctor
Leanne woods Burnham, a national prostate health disparities expert and
(00:52):
assistant professor at the Moorhouse School of Medicine. She will
explain her role with zero and steps black men can
take to decrease their chances of getting prostate cancer. The
Black Information Networks Sester Dillar speaks with a mental health
professional who wrote a book called Meditations for Black Men,
giving some emotional tools people can use during this emotional
(01:13):
period in our country. Doug Davis talks to founder and
CEO of Funlio, Jennifer Grace Jennings, who has high hopes
of creating thousands of jobs and offering generational wealth to
many rural, hard working Americans, and news anchors Vanessa Tyler
and Mike Stevens. They sit down with podcast hosts ramsas
Jah and Hugh Ward to discuss a few of this
(01:35):
week's major stories. These stories and more are coming your
way on today's program, Welcome to the Black Perspective. I'm
your host, Mike Island.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
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 (01:53):
Good Sunday and Welcome to the Black Perspective. Maternal health
is a major issue for the black community. It's also
a major public health concern, as we learn from doctor
Angelica Jeter, a public health expert who formerly served as
the first Director of Public Health for the City of Atlanta.
Doctor Jeter now sits on the board of the Southeast
Regional Board of the American Heart Association. As part of
(02:16):
saving Black Moms, the Black Information Networks public awareness campaign.
Doctor Jeter spoke with Andrea Coleman about the impact general
health concerns have on maternal outcomes of Black women, who
are dying at a rate of three to four times
greater than white women during and shortly after pregnancy.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
Why in twenty twenty five are we still facing statistics
like this when it comes to black maternal health.
Speaker 5 (02:41):
Yeah, there are a couple of reasons why. And there
was a documentary that came at a long time ago
that I can't think of the name right now, but
it focused on understanding Black maternal health from multiple lenses,
and we thought that maybe it's women who are highly educated,
or maybe it's just those who have limited access to
(03:04):
care or those who don't make enough money to be
able to see the kind of doctors that they need.
And we realize that that was not the case. Those
are factors that can hinder our access to care. But
the reality is that the stress that Black women are under,
and we call it weathering, what happens is that our
(03:24):
cortisol levels are so high that it impacts us so
much so in our DNA that it makes us vulnerable.
And this isn't just regular stress. This is due to
racism and discrimination. We have done again the researchers, We've
done the research to understand our vulnerabilities, the racism, discrimination,
(03:45):
the limited access to care and resources, the bias as
it relates to what we experience when we go to
see doctors. It doesn't matter who you are or where
you come from, and if you are a black woman,
you are more likely to experience those things in this country,
and the stress from that and the experience of that
(04:06):
impacts our maternal health. When we don't have doctors that
are caring for us in a way that allows them
to believe us when we say that something is wrong,
our care is delayed. So Black women are kind of
pushed aside when we say I'm in pain, something doesn't
feel right, the medications aren't working, we need to do
(04:29):
something different, So we have to have more advocates than
other people do. So it's layers and layers and layers
of encounters that we have even before we are giving birth,
even before we're pregnant, that makes us more vulnerable to
the outcomes that we're seeing around black maternal health.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
So what is the answer.
Speaker 5 (04:50):
The answer is for the providers to be highly educated
around bias to be willing to implement programs that protect
maternal health because the research shows us exactly what they
need to do. They need to be able to implement
and incorporate advocates that understand the needs of that particular mom.
(05:14):
They need to be open to hearing the voice of
the mother. They need to be open to hearing the
fathers or the partners that are engaged. And then also
ensuring that black women have the right kind of follow up.
Every time one of my friends gets pregnant, we are
always establishing a routine to ensure that she has the
(05:35):
care that she needs because black women in particular are
most vulnerable up to a year after they've given birth,
and then majority of them have to go back to
work a lot sooner than other people, or they might
not have the care that they need, or their partner
has to work as well, and so they have to
bring in external resources. So there is no one answer.
(05:57):
It has to be across the board. Providers have to
be engaged and understand and address their bias, implement programs
that protects the maternal health of women who come through
their doors, and then there needs to be resources that
are there to protect the maternal health of Black women
inside of the hospital and outside of the hospital.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
That's asking a lot for us right now that has
such a racial division, a resurgence of it at that.
So what can we as black women do, and the
black community in particular, to help navigate this course safely
and effectively.
Speaker 5 (06:33):
One thing that I realize is that you know, for
Black women, we are so resilient and if no one
else is advocating for us, we will look out for ourselves.
And one thing that I'm seeing is that so many
Black women are doing the work to understand what they
need to have a safe and healthy pregnancy. They're working
with doulas, they're working with traditional and non traditional providers.
(06:55):
They're doing the work to understand more programs that could
be availab to them, and they're learning more about what
actually works for them so that they can remain healthy
pre and postpartum. The other thing that we can do
as a community is that when we know that a
Black woman who is a part of our network is
(07:17):
either preparing or about to have a baby, we can
rally around her and support her. Very Oftentimes, I know
so many Black women who feel along when they're going
through their pregnancy. They don't really know where to begin,
they don't really have the support that they need. And
I think that we see them and it's like, oh,
she'll be fine, it's all good, she'll puss through, and
(07:39):
that's not where we need to be. We need to say, hey,
are you okay? What do you need? How can we
create more community for you, and what kind of support?
And sometimes we might need to come with answers because
the response might be I don't know, I have no clue,
So that support is needed as well what I would
like to say more of. And I think we're starting
(08:01):
to see this because I mentioned earlier I'm originally from Mississippi.
Mississippi just announced a public health emergency as it relates
to infant mortality, and I wrote an article about this
and forms to show that this was such a huge
deal because they had seen these disparities for decades, but
(08:25):
now they actually have a plan that they're implementing. They're
increasing access to care, to accessible mobile units that will
be going out into rural areas. They are actually putting
dollars behind maternal health. They are promoting some accountability in
the messaging. So there are things that can be done
and Mississippi could be an example of what other states
(08:46):
could do even under these circumstances.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
That's really good because you're talking about public policy and
that drives a whole lot of what we're seeing. What
would you like to see, if anything, because that right now,
it seems as though so much of this effort for
public policy and direction is being led and given to
the states. But is there anything on the federal level
that could be done from your position and your perspective
(09:12):
that could be very helpful and lowering these numbers?
Speaker 5 (09:15):
Oh my goodness, the dollars that we saw during the
previous administration that really centered maternal health. Keeping those dollars
active some things they cannot change with the current administration
because those dollars have already gone out, But keeping those
policies in place, and thinking about those strategic plans that
(09:36):
they were really implementing in the previous administration and the
Biden administration, just talking about and prioritizing and elevating the
conversation around maternal health. I know our PAS vice president,
she led an entire initiative that talked about black maternal
health and really elevating that conversation with leaders across the country.
(09:57):
So if we thought about ways to do that even
in this environment, even if we thought about if it's
not centered just on one particular group. We know that
when you create an initiative that benefits everyone, it also
elevates black women. So even if they centered that conversation
(10:19):
not on one particular group, but elevated it across the country,
black women would still benefit. So that's something that could
be done.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
Yeah, talk about if you can some of the direct
causes of black maternal health that we are seeing or
impacts we know, and based on some of the information
that your team provided us, cardiovascular health is at play,
hypertension and so forth, take us into the dynamic of
(10:48):
what you're seeing from a public health perspective for these
black moms who and this is what's so heartbreaking, just
want to have a healthy pregnancy. It's life giving life.
Why does it sound to be so disheartening and so heartbreaking?
Speaker 5 (11:04):
Yeah, there was a study that American Hearted. I think
it's twenty five, it might have been twenty three, And
the studies show that if you are a Black woman
and you are an age of thirty and you have
high blood pressure, you are more likely to experience a
stroke as you age. When we talk about our vulnerability
(11:25):
to heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, black women see
those numbers rise at a younger age. Again, we're going
back to racism, discrimination, and even if you aren't experiencing
those things, the stress that you are under because we
tend to push for perfectionism, we are required to work
(11:47):
harder in other groups, operate within this level of perfection
that is probably unattainable. And usually what you're trying to
do is be the one for your family most most
of the time, moving everyone along, and so it's so difficult,
and the stress that we are under increases our risk
for heart disease. And then also when you're thinking about
(12:11):
your risk for stroke and understanding those vulnerabilities, majority of
the time, we're pushing through so much that we aren't
caring for ourselves. We're too busy caring for everyone else
around us, so we put our health last. And all
of those things that we're talking about is what makes
us very vulnerable. In addition to those external factors with
(12:32):
the providers and the provider bias, the lack of support,
the systemic factors around policy, we aren't caring for ourselves
and putting ourselves first. We may not know what to
look for for the early signs of stroke and heart disease,
and then some of us may not have access to
a provider in order to even get the care that
(12:53):
we need.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
So, yeah, talk about those indicators. What are some of
the indicators that could say, hold on a moment to
something that I need to take seriously and could impact
my health.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
Oh, my goodness, I can. I can talk about that
from personal experience, and so I mentioned, you know, when
I was in my early thirties, I was thirty three
working at CDC. No, when I was thirty working at CDC,
my blood pressure was so high because I was working
way too much. My diet wasn't needed to be because
I was just so focused on, you know, working to
(13:26):
the next goal, and I had to really pause. I
experienced dizzyness. I was exhausted all of the time. I
didn't have the energy to do the things that I
needed to do. But I kept pushing myself and ignoring
those symptoms. And then, you know, three years later, I
became chief Health Officer. It was never the plan for
(13:48):
me to be the head of a pandemic coordin nation
team in Atlanta, but I nearly suffered a stroke. One day.
I woke up and I could not feel the right
side of my face, my right arm began to go numb,
and I had to be rushed to urgent care. The
hospitals were full of people who were suffering from COVID
(14:08):
because they did we did not have the vaccines that
we needed at the time, so people were on ventilators.
And so when they rushed me to urgent care, they
saw the stroke symptoms and they said, we have to
make a decision. Either you'll stay here and we'll put
you on this machine, or we'll have to rush you
to the er and you have to Maybe you'll get help,
(14:30):
maybe you won't because there were too many people in
the ers. And so we have to pay attention to
ourselves and to understand that when something feels off, we
need to listen to that the science happened way before
you faint or have a stroke or experience some type
of uneasiness. Is usually a nudging of you just being
(14:53):
tired and need more rest.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
Yeah, well, and we say that, but there's a harsh
reality there for many of us, and rest doesn't rest
in our worlds oftentime, is not free. No, you're talking
about lifestyles or homes where you know, mom's income can
make the difference of what kind of how many meals
a child can receive and so forth, So how do
(15:17):
we balance that? And I know I keep asking the
whys and hows, but I think that the answers that
allow us some kind of control over those factors could
be very, very helpful. So talk if you can for
the mom who is at the end.
Speaker 5 (15:34):
Yeah, it's one thing that I talk about a lot.
It's called The Seven Types of Rest, and I would
love for people to go out and read that book.
There are a lot of resources available through the American
Heart Association website. So there are resources that talk about
sleep hygiene. We talk about the Power eight. We also
(15:54):
have multiple resources that can help people understand what it
is that they need as it relates to rest. Rest
isn't always sleep rest. Sometimes it's like five minutes of
taking a deep breath and being present with yourself, and
that can be done wherever you are. And I also
(16:15):
think that we underestimate the amount of time that we have.
I think that we can find ways to structure our
lives so that we can get that five minutes. And
I always talk to people about five minutes because our
can feel daunting even when you say it. But if
I say five minutes, everybody has those few minutes when
(16:37):
they are in the car, they're trying to process before
they walk through whatever door they're about to walk through.
That's five minutes that you can take for yourself to
just breathe. One of the things that I always tell
people is that when you think about rest, it may
not always be you getting eight to ten hours every day.
It might be just you creating five minutes of safety
(16:58):
for yourself. The one thing that you can do that
does not cost you any money is breathing. And majority
of the time, when we are so stressed, our shoulders
are usually in our ears, and so I have even me,
I have to remind myself to put my shoulders down. Well,
they say, get your shoulders out of your ears, and
(17:19):
then and just breathe, because we're usually holding our breath.
We're so stressed and so exhausted that we are holding
our breath. So if you take some time to just
breathe and do that for about five minutes. On the
American Heart Association website, we have different breathing modules and
instructions that are available. You can do some box breathing.
(17:41):
There's all kinds of things that are out there. The
level of clarity that you can get after that five
minutes can be the difference between you having a stroke
and not. And I want us to really sit with that,
because breathing creates more opportunity for your nervous system to
(18:03):
slow down, for your mind to calm, for your heart
rate to go down, and different parts of your brain
can be activated with just five minutes of breathing. So
regardless of how much money you have, you can afford
five minutes of breathing.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
Yeah, I love that the valuable five.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Yeah, we appreciate doctor Jeter's expertise. You can find her
on all social media platforms at doctor Angelica Jeter. That's
Jeter with a g T. Happened to the many resources
of the American Heart Association at heart dot org. Learn
more about saving black bombs at binnews dot com. Last month,
(18:44):
the Black Information Network spent several weeks discussing the impact
prostate cancer has on black men. Prostate cancer affects one
in eight men. However, black men are seventy percent more
likely to be diagnosed and twice as likely to die
from the disease. Zero Prostate Cancer is the nation's leading
prostate cancer organization. They're on a mission to save lives
(19:06):
through awareness, education and support. Mister Jordans spoke with doctor
Leanne woods Burnham, a national prostate cancer disparities expert. She
is also an assistant professor at Morehouse School of Medicine,
to explain her role with Zero and steps that black
men can take to decrease their chances of getting prostate cancer.
Speaker 6 (19:25):
Joining me.
Speaker 7 (19:26):
I have doctor Leanne woods Burnham, national prostate health disparities expert,
assistant professor at Morehouse School of Medicine, and ZERO Medical
Advisory board member. Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 6 (19:39):
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 7 (19:40):
This is so important to talk about. My grandfather had
prostate cancer and died within six months. It's something my
father is monitoring all very closely.
Speaker 8 (19:50):
His PSA numbers.
Speaker 7 (19:51):
Have been good. They had a spike for a moment
and today on my way over here we talked and
he said, is there. He asked a question that you
talked about earlier. Is there a reason that black people,
black men have higher numbers?
Speaker 9 (20:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (20:07):
Then, and why are we dying at a faster rate.
What's happening.
Speaker 6 (20:12):
So that's really like a two part question because the
reasons black men get it more is quite a bit
different than why they die more. They don't have to
die more often, but I'll explain a little bit of
what that entails. So black men are much more likely
to get proseate cancer for a lot of reasons. It's
not just one. But you can look at access to healthcare.
Of course in the US, you can look at diet
(20:33):
and lifestyle. You can look at socioeconomic factors. But we
can't forget even if you do everything right, you have
the best access to care, there's still differences that we
see that we can attribute to genetics and biology. We
know that there's certain genes that are linked to more
aggressive prostate cancer, and those genes we find in men
of West Africa, and due to the history of our
(20:54):
nation the Transatlantic slave trade, black people in the US
tend to have a very high percentage of West African genetics,
and so men unfortunately carry some of those genetics that
we know make them more at risk to even get
prostate cancer in the first place. Now, when we talk
about dying from prostate cancer. That is something that does
not need to be the case in the US as
(21:15):
it is. In particular, if men are screened early enough
and detect prostate cancer early enough. According to American Cancer Society,
prostate cancer has an over ninety nine percent survival rate
five years out. What we see in the city of
Atlanta specifically, is even if you have black men and
white men with early stage the earliest stage prostate cancer,
(21:35):
black men are still much more.
Speaker 10 (21:36):
Likely to die from the disease.
Speaker 6 (21:38):
So that is a direct point towards physician care to
what is insurance covering and not covering, What are clinical
trials that are being offered, What are tests and follow
ups being offered for black men versus other men. We
know it's not the same in all populations, and so
I'm very passionate about addressing those at the policy level,
(21:59):
at the clinical level, at the scientific bench. There's so
many different ways to address that that we work on.
Speaker 7 (22:04):
So if a black man goes to the doctor, what
can he say specifically to ask to make for awareness
for his health, to be sure that things like this
aren't happening to him? What is the like question if he's.
Speaker 6 (22:20):
A black man and he's forty years old, let his
doctor know. Listen, I know that I'm at higher risk
for prisate cancer just because of my age and my race.
Speaker 7 (22:28):
Not because not because someone family right.
Speaker 6 (22:32):
Just period. You don't even have to have family history.
Just go in and say, I'm a black man, I'm forty,
I want to be I want to receive the PSA test,
which is a simple blood test. It's not the digital
rectal exam that a lot of men are nervous about,
and that is a tool that's still using the clinic.
But really, you start with the blood test and let
your doctor know.
Speaker 9 (22:49):
Now, I know.
Speaker 6 (22:49):
From personal experience, not every doctor is going to agree
with that. My wine is a black man who was
forty years old and his doctor refused to screen him.
Literally was like a showdown of epic proportions. I wish
there were cameras in the room when this went down
between me and the doctor, him not wanting to do
this test. He eventually did the test, but it was
(23:10):
not a good situation. And so there's some doctors that
just don't want to do the test because there are
studies that show if you test too early and you
do a biopsy, there can be side effects that are
not really necessary for men who don't end up having
prostate cancer down the road. The problem is these recommendations
(23:31):
were made off of studies of over two hundred thousand men,
and less than five percent of them were men of
any African answers. So the problem is you have these
recommendations that are not applicable to men at highest risks
for worse outcomes. So I say, if you are forty
years old and you're a black man, definitely advocate for yourself.
We see out in the community some men less than
(23:51):
forty already having prostate cancer. So if you have extensive
family history, you can even ask for earlier than that.
But really the earliest guidelines out now say not everybody.
US Preventive Services Task Force says age of fifty five,
but Prostate Cancer Foundation, American Cancer Society organizations that such
as those recommend forty. And what about diet, So diet
(24:13):
it can play a role. We know that a higher
intake of charred red meats. So if you're throwing your
steak on the grill and you want it well done,
that sort of thing. If you're doing that too often,
the charring of the meat we've been able to see
there is a link between that and prostate cancer for
black men in particular. I really drive this point home.
(24:35):
We have an issue of vitamin D deficiency and black
individuals in the nation for a lot of different reasons,
but vitamin D really helps your health in so many
different ways. When it comes to prostate cancer specifically, we
know that there are variants in vitamin D genes, vitamin
D response elements in genes that alter the way that
(24:57):
individuals process make vitamin D and process that in their
by and so for black people, what that translates into
is if viben and D deficiency can actually cause prostate
cancer to grow faster. And so we don't see this
in white men, we see this in black men. And
so I tell black men all the time, please take
vitamin D every day. You can take up to four
thousand units of vitamin D three every day and that'll
(25:18):
be good in terms of prostate cancer, but also other
parts of your health as well.
Speaker 10 (25:22):
You're immune systemes.
Speaker 7 (25:23):
Thank you so much for talking with us today. I
really appreciated your so knowledgeable. This is information that our
black men need, and it's wonderful coming from a woman
of Color.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Thank you so much, so much, Thank you, Missy and
doctor Burnham. If you are someone you know would like
more information about getting tested for prostate cancer, or you
want to get involved with Zero's mission, visit their website
at zero cancer dot org. You can follow Misty and
submit your story ideas to her on Instagram at Misty
j Radio. Since the inauguration of Donald Trump as the
(25:55):
forty seventh president, he's signed a flurry of executive orders
that have ended people's jobs in DEI and threatened black
and brown people with deportation because of their immigration status.
For many, this has been an emotional roller coaster. The
Black Information Networks Sester Dillard sat down with a mental
health professional who wrote a book called Meditations for Black Men,
(26:17):
giving some emotional tools people can use during this emotional
period that's in this week's The Color between the.
Speaker 10 (26:23):
Lines, and I think we have to contextualize this happening
in Memphis with what we have been seen is that
this administration, the Trump administration, is literally militarized in our
city and they're doing it under this false guise of
safety for our people, But what they're really doing is
(26:47):
terrorizing black and brown.
Speaker 11 (26:48):
Folks in this edition of The Color Between the Lines,
we're talking about how across the country, community leaders are
sounding the alarm about the Tennessee Governor's plan to send
the National Guarden Memphis. One of those voices is Alexis
Anderson Reed, President of State Voices. She leads the largest
progressive civic engagement network in the nation, connected to organizations
(27:11):
that fight every day for black and brown communities. I
spoke with her about what these actions mean and why
she says they represent more than just a local issue. Now,
let's listen in. I know that you have a national reach.
Do you know what's happening though on the ground in
Memphis and how it's feeling.
Speaker 4 (27:32):
There at all.
Speaker 12 (27:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 10 (27:36):
So the first thing I want to say is Memphis
holds a special place in my heart. My people are
from Memphis. My grandmother was born in Memphis, my great
great grandparents were born in Memphis, my father is born
in Memphis. And so Memphis is home for me, and
where you know, when we do our family unions, it
is emerges back home to Memphis. And so what is
(27:59):
happening is devastating. It makes me angry and sad, and
I think we have to contextualize with happening in Memphis.
With what we have been seeing is that this administration,
the Trump administration, is literally militarizing our cities, and they're
(28:21):
doing it under this like false guise of safety for
our people. But what they're really doing is just terrorizing
black and brown folks and terrorizing immigrants. And so the
deployment of the National Guard right in heavily black and
brown cities is an overreach of power and it is
(28:44):
endangering intimidating more than it's addressing so called public safety.
And you know, we first saw this in La right
with ice raids and the terrorizing of immigrant families, of
folks who are just simply trying to get to work,
run errand picking their kids up from school. And then
(29:06):
we've seen this escalation in real time. We've seen it
in social media. I've seen it on the streets that
currently live in the D and B area, So I've
seen it on the front lines in DC, and now
we're seeing this escalation in Memphis. And my concern is
(29:26):
that this is being normalized in some ways and is
just creating more like these harmful stereotypes of majority black
and brown cities and ignoring which actually really happening. Happening
and ignoring the real data is that I'm actually has
declined in most categories over the last year and like
(29:49):
for over decades, and Memphis specifically, the crime rate is
a historic twenty five year low. And you know, while
less than three percent of folks in a Memphis commit crimes,
what's happening with the National Guard troops is impacting one
hundred percent of the residents of Memphis. And so I've
(30:13):
been talking with folks on the ground there and had
the opportunity to both talk with folks at our table
as well as folks who are part of different shelby
counting voter alliances, and folks are definitely intimidated and feeling
(30:35):
like what are what can we do together? But at
the same time, even though there is intimidation and that
there is fear and these tactics are seeking to do that,
there's also a feeling of like, how do we fight back?
And so question, yeah, yeah, okay, good, let's.
Speaker 8 (30:59):
Go there there.
Speaker 11 (31:00):
I'm wondering because honestly, when you look at what Chicago
did Illinois, but Illinois had a governor which said no,
I don't want you here, and the city said no.
You have a different dynamic in Memphis where you have
the governor is saying yes, but the people and the
(31:21):
cities and the counties are saying no. How does that
mesh and where does that work? As far as empowerment
for those who are on the ground.
Speaker 9 (31:32):
Yes, that is.
Speaker 10 (31:35):
The bottom lines. There's power in the people and when
we stand together and stand in the community and protect
each other, that's where we have to like live from
that place because so many of the elected official to
our office or leaders unfortunately are instead of representing billionaires
(32:00):
and maga interest in not representing the people. So I
think that's the first place to start. I think also
there are a lot of different resources from folks like
the ACLU to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center where people
can plug into and help them inform their rights to
(32:21):
know how to protect themselves, know how to protect their families.
And you know, something I've really been thinking about is like,
how can we learn from LA in DC on how
to organize them proactively resist? And so I'm in talking
with folks who you know, who did organize in these
(32:44):
cities and if a place to look is like free
d C and the black women who are on the
front lines of DC, organizing a multi racial resistance that's
still happening should be studied and learned from. So how
can we have folks from DC from LA go to
Memphis and help organize and work with residents there on
(33:08):
in real time like how to fight back. And so
that's something I'm working on, and then thinking about how
we preemptively go to places like Baltimore and Birmingham where
we think those are going to be the next target,
so that we can like train folks in real time
organized communities ahead of time and really protect each other.
Speaker 11 (33:28):
Can you talk a little bit about the like the
recommendated recommended actions that you're training people on the ground with,
maybe just a few maybe you can't give us a whole,
you know, masterclass, but perhaps some of the things that
you are telling people that kind of give them power
versus them feeling disempowered.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
Yep.
Speaker 10 (33:51):
So knowing your rights is really really important right now. Also,
having like scenario and action plan for something does happen
to you or a family member that you already you know,
either have a legal number able to call the ACOU
like being able to protect yourself and your safety in
(34:11):
the moment, but then also be able to know what
to do in like real time. We're also thinking ahead
around you know, what it will take to have a
math resistance effort in this country, and so training people
on organizing and knowing how to organize in their communities,
their neighbors, their churches, and also what it's going to
(34:33):
take for non violent direct action. And I want to
just if it's okay, take a moment to talk a
bit about like this moment that we're finding ourselves in.
We have been studying, along with a number of other
organizations that we work with, how to stop authoritarianism from
(34:57):
kicking over. And the way that we've been learned, I
mean is through other countries who have been in similar situations, right,
And we've been learning about, okay, how do we stop it?
And then also if we are able to stop, how
we build a pro democracy agenda with new systems and
new values for our country. And I really I don't
(35:20):
want to scare us, but I also want us to
get real about what time it is. It isn't if
if we are able to stop it. It's what we're
learning is it will take about four percent of the
population in the United States. That's around fourteen million people
to be in sustained resistance through nonviolent direct action in
(35:42):
order to stop the consolidation of power. So that's one
point to keep in mind. The second point is our
timeline is really short. What we've learned is in most
authoritarian takeovers, it takes about eighteen months right where you
have to stop this consolidation of power before you are
living with authoritarianism for a decade or a generation. So
(36:05):
we have about twelve months left in that timeline. So
we have to be really really focused right now. Our
lives depend on it.
Speaker 11 (36:14):
We're going to have to leave it right there. But
if you'd like to hear the rest of that interview
and especially some of the insights that she gives that
her organization is doing on the ground to help empower
communities around the country, you can head over to the
Club Between the Lines podcast on YouTube or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
I'm Ester Dillard, Thanks Alexis and Esther. Over the past
several months, cuts to federal funding and programs impacting public
health services have taken place that could have major implications
for the black community. Earlier this week, news anchors Vanessa
Tyler and Mike Stevens joined Ramsay's jaw and q Ward
(36:54):
for a roundtable discussion on a few of this week's
major news topics. Here's how that conversation.
Speaker 9 (37:00):
Mike Stevens, Vanessa Tyler. Welcome back to the show. Vanessa.
I kind of know what you've been up to, and
I think our listeners would have know. But let's start
with Mike. Mike, what's the latest. Man, everything's good, man?
You know, well, I want everything is good as we'll
discuss today. Well, yeah, I know what you know, but
we're all hanging Okay, okay, and Vanessa, please share with
our listeners, Uh, what you've been up to since you've
(37:21):
last been on the show.
Speaker 12 (37:22):
Oh, we've been very busy at the Black Information Network.
We had Walter Wall team coverage at the Congressional Black
Caucus Foundations and you will Legislative Conference. That kept us
very busy. And now back to the day to day.
Every day is busier than the.
Speaker 9 (37:38):
Next, it doesn't seem that way, So let's get back
to the business at hand, all right. First up, for
the second time under Trump presidency, the US government has
gone into shut down due to failed budget negotiations. Vanessa,
let's start Today's show off with you give us the
latest details on what's being impacted by the shutdown, and
then Mike and Q, we're going to get your thoughts afterward.
Speaker 12 (37:58):
Oh sure, rams is it is a shut down showdown.
Everybody is dug in. The Democrats say now is the
time to discuss restoring potential cuts to healthcare and snap
and they're holding out. Republicans say all that stuff can
be discussed later. So as a result, parks, monuments, museums closed,
(38:21):
and a lot of black people who are federal workers
are not going to pay check when even missing one
check is a problem. The big thing here is President
Trump threatened the federal workers may not just be furloughed
but fired. So who knows when Trump will meet again
with Leader Jeffries and Senator Schumer. The last time they met,
(38:43):
Trump put out this weird ai racist meme about them.
So we're standing by for whatever is next, But as
for now, the government is closed.
Speaker 13 (38:53):
Mike. Yeah, you know, the Democrats are making a case
that they are not signing this continuous resolution like they
normally do because they want to protect healthcare, and the
Republicans are saying, well, sign the CR and then we'll
talk about it. You know, I don't know if that's
actually what would happen or not, or if it's a
(39:15):
trick or whatever, but some say this is the chance
Democrats have been waiting for to at least make it
seem like they're fighting back against Republican policies. It's just
a big mess, and as Vanessa mentioned, I feel really
for the black federal workers who, at the very least
many of them are not getting a paycheck. Ultimately they
(39:36):
may lose their jobs. And some of them just did
some research in some places where they have these food
banks where the federal workers might try to go and
get some assistance, and a lot of them don't even
have the food they would normally have because of previous
cutbacks by the Trump administration. So it's like being between
(39:58):
a rock and a hard place, you know, through no
fall of their own, they end up being in this situation. Dude.
Speaker 14 (40:06):
I mean, I'm glad to see that they're using the
little leverage they have to try to make some type
of stand. The unfortunate thing is they're standing up for
the status quo steal. There's been no dynamic legislation when
they were in power to bring about a more comprehensive
health care plan for the citizens of this country. And
(40:27):
I think that it has a lot to do with
the reason that the popularity is down. So you know,
I'm glad they're doing something. The interesting thing Ramse and
I actually spoke about this before, is that even though
they control all levers of government, they will find a
way to make this someone else's fault. And that's just
that continues to be laughable to me. But here we are.
(40:49):
We close out this week's show with the news out
of Las Vegas on a story that we may have
heard unfortunately too many times. Mike tell us more about
this story and than Vanessa and Ramdas you can close
us out.
Speaker 13 (41:01):
Yeah, I hate to hear stuff like this. A mother
filed a federal lawsuit against the Clark County School District
claiming her black son was subjected to racial abuse for
almost two years, which is a long time. She says
her son was called the N word several times, and
when she complained to the school, the abuse, she says,
(41:23):
got worse. Some of the things that were said to him.
She says, just quoting here, your skin is burnt by
the sun. You're too black. That's rough to get that
in school. So she named the school principle and others
in this suit and says things got worse again when
she complained, And just from a personal perspective for someone
(41:47):
who went through some of those things myself in the
early grades when the first time I ever heard the
N word, it was by a white kid saying it
to me. And I had never even heard that. This
is like in i don't know, second grade or something
that I had never even heard the word before. And
the other white kids who were watching were oo like
(42:09):
they knew what it was. I didn't know. And I'll
just be honest with you, the response that I had
to the boy who called me that was very physically aggressive.
I won't go into details, but it was very It
was very and that was just the first of many
during my school years, and many of you perhaps had
(42:31):
the same experience. But it's it's just it's just horrible.
And where did they get this from? Okay, maybe they
get it from movies, from social media, but in a
lot of cases it comes from parents or from the
dinner table at home, you know. And so I think
in a lot of ways, parents of these kids who
are making these remarks are to blame.
Speaker 14 (42:52):
You know, the N word is a very unique word
in a way that even though you never heard it
and didn't have a specific definition for it, you still
understood it to be an insult. And we're still upset
for that to turn physical, or set enough for that
to turn physical. I was lucky enough to grow up
where every classmate I ever had, all the way until college,
(43:12):
was black. So the first time I dealt with racism,
I was an adult and in college. But this is
the truth for too many of us, Vanessa.
Speaker 12 (43:20):
I've done so many stories, and I even have a
personal story a relative dealing with the exact same thing.
Right now. Parents who say they complain about racial bullying
and the school does nothing, and the child continues to suffer.
That parent is not the only one. A lot of
(43:41):
them sue, a lot of them try to remove their
child out of the schools. But there are a lot
of schools who kind of turn a blind eye. They
don't do anything, they don't call in parents, they don't
do anything for this kind of stuff. And it's horrible
and it's unfair, and it leaves a lasting impression on children.
(44:03):
So this is very very serious. It is not just
sticks and stones. You know, may hurt my bones. Words
can't army, words are harmful ramses.
Speaker 14 (44:13):
You have had way too many experiences on the side
of this story as the young men in this school district.
You and I have shared those stories and with all
of our power try to protect our kids from that
same reality. But please give me your perspective on this
story as we close out.
Speaker 9 (44:31):
This makes me think of a story that Q and
I covered a long time ago. We have become a
less decent country. We have moved significantly toward a collective
moral bankruptcy as a nation, and this story gives insight
(44:52):
into it because children learn from their parents, and this
little kid enduring racism at school is something that started
to at least in my estimation based on what it
is I know to be true, has started to dissipate
(45:13):
as I became an adult and into my adult years,
and this is documented. You can look at the increase
in hate speech online, you can look at the increase
in the number of incidents and hate crimes around the country,
and there's a direct correlation and I suspect causation to
the election of Donald Trump and his moral bankruptcy is
(45:33):
now the moral bankruptcy of this country, and it is
not my fault. I know whose fault it is. As always,
i'd like to thank you both very much for your
time and your insight. Once again. Today's guests are bin
News anchors Vanessa Tyler and Mike Stevens.
Speaker 2 (45:49):
Thanks Ramses, Vanessa and Mike, and be sure to check
out the QR Code Daily podcast with Ramsey's jaw and
Qward at binnews dot com and also on your favorite
podcast platforms. Coming up, Doug Davis speaks with a black
female US manufacturer who has high hopes of creating thousands
of jobs and offering generational wealth to many rural, hard
(46:11):
working Americans left behind from ever achieving the American dream.
Speaker 3 (46:16):
Doug, Hey, thanks Mike, This is Doug Davis back with
another segment of Your Black Business, where Black excellence meets innovation.
October is manufacturing month, and we know that manufacturing is
the backbone of the US economy, contributing over what two
point nine trillion dollars annually and supporting thirteen million jobs.
But America needs more of these jobs. Domestic production has
(46:39):
declined over the past few decades, and supply Chaine disruptions
have shown us just how critical it is to make
things here in the country. And here's another fact. Less
than two percent of manufacturing firms are led by women,
and for black women, the numbers are even worse. Less
than one percent of VC funding goes to black women founders.
(47:01):
And today's guests is set to break barriers in the
field of manufacturing. Jennifer Grace Jennings is the founder and
CEO of Fundlile Grace at Newark, New Jersey based MWBE
certified manufacturer that has big dreams of creating jobs and
building global partnerships, and she's set to make history. Jennifer,
(47:21):
welcome to the Black Information Network and you're a black
business Thanks for having me.
Speaker 8 (47:26):
I'm so appreciative to be on with you today.
Speaker 3 (47:29):
Like Barrian, it's doing great. Happy to have you here. So, Jennifer,
why manufacturing? What led you to this pivotal moment in
your life right now?
Speaker 13 (47:39):
What's your story?
Speaker 8 (47:40):
Sure? Sure well. I love textiles and I love the process.
And back in two thousand and eight, I had a
tiny storefront and one industrial sewing machine. And I believe
that making things you know will truly change lives and
enhance and empower people. As you stated, today, the US
(48:00):
imports over ninety seven percent of text thousand in peril
and buyers have to wait about ninety to one hundred
and twenty days on ocean lead times. That's not great, right,
And there are opportunities right here domestically in which we
can bring production home with speed, quality and transparency. And
we're set to make and create jobs and real pathways
(48:23):
for home ownership and other unique opportunities for the folks
right here in the US.
Speaker 3 (48:27):
That's amazing, Jennifer. As I mentioned earlier, October is manufacturing month,
and you're right in the thick of it. Why is
this moment right now so important for US manufacturing and
how does filial grace kind of fit into the bigger
picture of rebuilding domestic production?
Speaker 8 (48:44):
Absolutely well, as you stated, And as you know, we're
in a very volatile climate right now globally and even
here at home. Companies need short, reliable, verifiable supply. And
what we're doing, we're compressing the ninety to one hundred
days by you know, expanding our US supply chain right
(49:09):
here in the US, so from ninety to to just
seven to twenty one days with farm to market transparency
right and QR tracking from raw fiber to finish goods.
As an MWBE operator, we also helped to hit partnerships
and hit supplier diversity and domestic content goals. That combination traces, speed, traceability,
(49:31):
and compliance, which is right up our alley along with
our defense manufacturing arms.
Speaker 3 (49:37):
Amazing. So you just said, you know you're MBWE certified.
How are you designing a workplace that works for women
and families, particularly in this time?
Speaker 8 (49:49):
Sure, I'm happy you're asked about that. So what's really
interesting in neat about what we're doing is that we're
making sure that you know, we empower women in small
businesses with pathways to grow by delivering transparent, high quality
products where people can use to live, move and have
being is what I generally say. And our purpose is
(50:11):
very simple. We make essentials Linen's uniform sheets, pillars, towels
what we use each and every day, right with proof
of origin and fast lead times right here in the US.
Our goal is scalable domestic platform that buyers trust and
our colleagues are super proud of.
Speaker 3 (50:31):
Wow, we know the numbers. Black women founders face huge hurdles,
particularly when it comes to again raising capital. You're building
something powerful without the traditional playbook. Per se tell us
about the struggles that you face.
Speaker 8 (50:45):
Yeah, I mean we're facing you know, the men's struggle
you quoted, and you're right, you know, less than one
percent of you know, capital go to women with these
VC firms. It's really just partning. But what is exciting
because I like to think about, you know, the opportunity.
There's vast opportunity right now. And I know that right
(51:09):
now people are hurting, folks are losing jobs, and the
climate is volatile. But I believe that through manufacturing, we
can certainly leverage this industry to create jobs, to sustain
our workforce, and to provide a platform with you know,
(51:29):
small businesses and women. We have four day work weeks,
corporate onsite, childcare and pathways to home ownership tied and
bake into our work model. And I'm super excited about
what we've built. We have over seventy million and signed
lois already under our belt. And what I would also
say that is super unique about where we are. We've
(51:52):
been super fortunate because we are building with discipline. We
have reguided by our senior advisor, Ray maguire and I
am a Goldman sat to B I b alum who
I believe it has certainly sharpened our playbooks.
Speaker 3 (52:05):
Okay, so hold on, wait wait wait wait wait, that's
huge right there. Tell me how that came about if
you don't mind, sure.
Speaker 8 (52:13):
Well, Goldman Sachs has a program called Black in Business
and one of my colleagues over at from Mile Grades
thought it would it would be a perfect fit, and
so she sent me an email shared it with me,
and instead of just sitting on the email, I acted
on it, applied and had the interview with them, and
(52:34):
the rest is history.
Speaker 12 (52:35):
Here we are.
Speaker 8 (52:37):
You know, I'm super excited to be a part of
the Goldman Sachs network. B I B is a wonderful
community of entrepreneurs and business women who are truly leading
the way here in the US, across across the entire
United States. And I think that that is truly a
(52:57):
powerful network and it has certainly, you know, sharpen our playbook.
Speaker 13 (53:02):
Right.
Speaker 3 (53:02):
And from what I understand, you are selected among thousands
of other women who applied for this job. Why do
you think you were singled out?
Speaker 1 (53:11):
Well?
Speaker 8 (53:12):
I will have to lead, lead with gratitude, right, I'm
super grateful, but I do believe that it's the work
that we're doing. You know, I think that manufacturing is
nothing special about me. It's all about the work that
we're doing. In manufacturing, we get to create thousands of jobs.
And again, manufacturing, if you think about it, this country
(53:33):
has been built on the backs of African Americans through
that very industry. When the likes of Warren Buffett, he
started in textile man in textile mills, right, Berkshire Hathaway
is a textile company. So what we're doing is not
far fetched. What we're doing is a core to our economy.
(53:55):
And I think it's important that most that people pay
attention to manufact We are in the manufacturing month and
I'm very excited about you know, where we're going, the
work we're doing.
Speaker 3 (54:06):
And yeah, yeah, that's good. So I understand you're in
some active talks with national retailers, airlines, sports teams, healthcare folks.
What kind of companies are knocking at your door right now? Well,
you know, or can you disclose them? I mean, if
you can't disclose them, I get it, you know, but.
Speaker 8 (54:23):
Yeah, yeah, we're in active chat and talks. Yeah, absolutely,
And when we close on that work. We will share
it out broadly through our social media channels and and
all of that. But for right now, yeah, I mean
it's exciting, you know, the aviation industry, retail, sports, healthcare systems,
(54:45):
and of course municipalities and so I'm excited. This is
life changing, is transformative, and it's about time that we
are the ones who are the decision makers in this industry.
Speaker 3 (54:58):
How is your business model, particularly for employees, different than
most big companies.
Speaker 8 (55:05):
Well, we pair production with training, corporate onsite, childcare, and
a learning lab that celebrates craftsmanship and crafts and womanship. Right.
We want to make sure that there's clear career ladders
and allow our team members to to get a piece
(55:25):
of the pie.
Speaker 13 (55:26):
Right.
Speaker 8 (55:27):
It's important that everybody eat right, from from the top
to the bottom, from the east to west. It's super
important to me as a leader that folks not only
have a good working job, but that they're thriving, right,
and so we have been very intentional to build a
community where people can thrive in the.
Speaker 3 (55:48):
Workplace, very very powerful. So for folks listening, how can
they learn more about you and Fuanlio Grace, I'm sure
you're on LinkedIn.
Speaker 8 (55:56):
Yeah, I'm on LinkedIn at Jennifer Grace Jennings and you
know we're on Instagram. Fu Lio Grace.
Speaker 3 (56:03):
How do you spell fanlyo Grace? Sorry to cut you off, well,
how do you spell it? Because people listening may not understand,
you know.
Speaker 8 (56:09):
Yeah, no worries. So fu Lio is my Nigerian name.
Grace is also my name. Is my middle name. Fund
Lio is spelled f u n l a yo. Super easy,
all right.
Speaker 3 (56:24):
Jennifer Grace Jennings is the founder and CEO of Funlo
Grace in Newark, New Jersey based MWBE Certified Manufacturer. We
appreciate you sharing your story here with Doug Davis and
the Black Information Networks, your black business. You're listening to
the Black perspective on the bi N.
Speaker 2 (56:41):
Thanks Doug and Jennifer. Now we get commentary from Moe Kelly.
Speaker 1 (56:44):
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 15 (56:56):
I'm Mo Kelly on the bi N with your two
minute warning.
Speaker 13 (57:01):
Reintroduce myself.
Speaker 7 (57:07):
Democratic.
Speaker 15 (57:11):
I don't think I've had any occasion to mention much
about House Minority Leader Hakim Jeffries, But today is that time.
Jeffries has largely been on the defense for the Democrats,
I believe, with few tools available to mount any effect
of resistance to the aggressive Trump agenda. In fact, I
don't think any Democratic minority leader would have fared well
in this moment with a sociopathic Republican president who was
(57:34):
given virtual free reign by the Supreme Court and rubber
stamps by his own majority party, a majority party which
is either afraid or mostly unwilling to even criticize anything
the president does. For all the jokes about strongly worded
letters and loud capital step speeches is not completely fair.
There's not too much Jeffries can do in opposition beyond
(57:54):
the rhetorical and performative. But this government shutdown can and
will be a finding moment for his leadership and his party. No,
not all African Americans are Democrats, but yes, the overwhelming
majority are, and there are a lot of eyes on
him and wondering whether he and to be fair Chuck
Schumer III, wondering whether they meet the moment because internally,
(58:16):
there is a fight for the future of the party,
amid the swirling rumors of whether Congresswoman Aoc will challenge
Schumer for his seat next November, to whether Jeffries will
endorse New York City mayoral candidate Zorimmam Donnie. The point
is that Jeffries is either going to prove in this
moment that he is the future of the Democratic Party
leadership or that he is another failure of the party,
(58:38):
a party that is receding further and further into irrelevancy.
I'm mo Kelly at mister mo' kelly on social media
and that you're two minute warning on the Black Information Network.
Speaker 2 (58:49):
Thanks mo Kelly. Be sure to tune in daily for
a commentary from Moe Kelly, Roland S Martin and James T.
Harris right here on the Black Information Network. And that's
our program.
Speaker 13 (59:00):
For this week.
Speaker 2 (59:01):
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. We would love to hear from you about
the black perspective. Log onto the Black Information Network's Talkback
Live feature on the iHeartRadio app and share your feedback. Also,
(59:22):
be sure to follow us on social media at Black
Information Network and on X and Blue Sky at black
Info Net. Make the Black Information Network first on your
car radio and iHeartRadio app free sets. I'm Mike Island,
wishing you a great Sunday and start to the month
of October. Be sure to tune in next week at
this time for another edition of the Black Perspective right
(59:42):
here on the Black Information Network.
Hi, this is Morgan Wood with the Black Information Network.
Every year, thousands of Black families face the unbearable sorrow
of losing a mom during pregnancy or after childbirth. Learn
how you can support them in bi in's special public
awareness campaign Saving Black Moms a Maternal Health Crisis. Black
maternal health is a community issue. Learn more on our
(00:23):
social media platforms and at binnews dot com.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
It's Sunday, October fifth, the first Sunday of the month,
and on today's show The Black Information Networks Onrea Coleman
is back and she sits down with doctor Angelica Jeter,
a public health expert, to learn more about the changes
to the health community with this new administration. In part
two of their conversation, mister Jordan sits down with doctor
Leanne woods Burnham, a national prostate health disparities expert and
(00:52):
assistant professor at the Moorhouse School of Medicine. She will
explain her role with zero and steps black men can
take to decrease their chances of getting prostate cancer. The
Black Information Networks Sester Dillar speaks with a mental health
professional who wrote a book called Meditations for Black Men,
giving some emotional tools people can use during this emotional
(01:13):
period in our country. Doug Davis talks to founder and
CEO of Funlio, Jennifer Grace Jennings, who has high hopes
of creating thousands of jobs and offering generational wealth to
many rural, hard working Americans, and news anchors Vanessa Tyler
and Mike Stevens. They sit down with podcast hosts ramsas
Jah and Hugh Ward to discuss a few of this
(01:35):
week's major stories. These stories and more are coming your
way on today's program, Welcome to the Black Perspective. I'm
your host, Mike Island.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
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 (01:53):
Good Sunday and Welcome to the Black Perspective. Maternal health
is a major issue for the black community. It's also
a major public health concern, as we learn from doctor
Angelica Jeter, a public health expert who formerly served as
the first Director of Public Health for the City of Atlanta.
Doctor Jeter now sits on the board of the Southeast
Regional Board of the American Heart Association. As part of
(02:16):
saving Black Moms, the Black Information Networks public awareness campaign.
Doctor Jeter spoke with Andrea Coleman about the impact general
health concerns have on maternal outcomes of Black women, who
are dying at a rate of three to four times
greater than white women during and shortly after pregnancy.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
Why in twenty twenty five are we still facing statistics
like this when it comes to black maternal health.
Speaker 5 (02:41):
Yeah, there are a couple of reasons why. And there
was a documentary that came at a long time ago
that I can't think of the name right now, but
it focused on understanding Black maternal health from multiple lenses,
and we thought that maybe it's women who are highly educated,
or maybe it's just those who have limited access to
(03:04):
care or those who don't make enough money to be
able to see the kind of doctors that they need.
And we realize that that was not the case. Those
are factors that can hinder our access to care. But
the reality is that the stress that Black women are under,
and we call it weathering, what happens is that our
(03:24):
cortisol levels are so high that it impacts us so
much so in our DNA that it makes us vulnerable.
And this isn't just regular stress. This is due to
racism and discrimination. We have done again the researchers, We've
done the research to understand our vulnerabilities, the racism, discrimination,
(03:45):
the limited access to care and resources, the bias as
it relates to what we experience when we go to
see doctors. It doesn't matter who you are or where
you come from, and if you are a black woman,
you are more likely to experience those things in this country,
and the stress from that and the experience of that
(04:06):
impacts our maternal health. When we don't have doctors that
are caring for us in a way that allows them
to believe us when we say that something is wrong,
our care is delayed. So Black women are kind of
pushed aside when we say I'm in pain, something doesn't
feel right, the medications aren't working, we need to do
(04:29):
something different, So we have to have more advocates than
other people do. So it's layers and layers and layers
of encounters that we have even before we are giving birth,
even before we're pregnant, that makes us more vulnerable to
the outcomes that we're seeing around black maternal health.
Speaker 4 (04:48):
So what is the answer.
Speaker 5 (04:50):
The answer is for the providers to be highly educated
around bias to be willing to implement programs that protect
maternal health because the research shows us exactly what they
need to do. They need to be able to implement
and incorporate advocates that understand the needs of that particular mom.
(05:14):
They need to be open to hearing the voice of
the mother. They need to be open to hearing the
fathers or the partners that are engaged. And then also
ensuring that black women have the right kind of follow up.
Every time one of my friends gets pregnant, we are
always establishing a routine to ensure that she has the
(05:35):
care that she needs because black women in particular are
most vulnerable up to a year after they've given birth,
and then majority of them have to go back to
work a lot sooner than other people, or they might
not have the care that they need, or their partner
has to work as well, and so they have to
bring in external resources. So there is no one answer.
(05:57):
It has to be across the board. Providers have to
be engaged and understand and address their bias, implement programs
that protects the maternal health of women who come through
their doors, and then there needs to be resources that
are there to protect the maternal health of Black women
inside of the hospital and outside of the hospital.
Speaker 4 (06:16):
That's asking a lot for us right now that has
such a racial division, a resurgence of it at that.
So what can we as black women do, and the
black community in particular, to help navigate this course safely
and effectively.
Speaker 5 (06:33):
One thing that I realize is that you know, for
Black women, we are so resilient and if no one
else is advocating for us, we will look out for ourselves.
And one thing that I'm seeing is that so many
Black women are doing the work to understand what they
need to have a safe and healthy pregnancy. They're working
with doulas, they're working with traditional and non traditional providers.
(06:55):
They're doing the work to understand more programs that could
be availab to them, and they're learning more about what
actually works for them so that they can remain healthy
pre and postpartum. The other thing that we can do
as a community is that when we know that a
Black woman who is a part of our network is
(07:17):
either preparing or about to have a baby, we can
rally around her and support her. Very Oftentimes, I know
so many Black women who feel along when they're going
through their pregnancy. They don't really know where to begin,
they don't really have the support that they need. And
I think that we see them and it's like, oh,
she'll be fine, it's all good, she'll puss through, and
(07:39):
that's not where we need to be. We need to say, hey,
are you okay? What do you need? How can we
create more community for you, and what kind of support?
And sometimes we might need to come with answers because
the response might be I don't know, I have no clue,
So that support is needed as well what I would
like to say more of. And I think we're starting
(08:01):
to see this because I mentioned earlier I'm originally from Mississippi.
Mississippi just announced a public health emergency as it relates
to infant mortality, and I wrote an article about this
and forms to show that this was such a huge
deal because they had seen these disparities for decades, but
(08:25):
now they actually have a plan that they're implementing. They're
increasing access to care, to accessible mobile units that will
be going out into rural areas. They are actually putting
dollars behind maternal health. They are promoting some accountability in
the messaging. So there are things that can be done
and Mississippi could be an example of what other states
(08:46):
could do even under these circumstances.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
That's really good because you're talking about public policy and
that drives a whole lot of what we're seeing. What
would you like to see, if anything, because that right now,
it seems as though so much of this effort for
public policy and direction is being led and given to
the states. But is there anything on the federal level
that could be done from your position and your perspective
(09:12):
that could be very helpful and lowering these numbers?
Speaker 5 (09:15):
Oh my goodness, the dollars that we saw during the
previous administration that really centered maternal health. Keeping those dollars
active some things they cannot change with the current administration
because those dollars have already gone out, But keeping those
policies in place, and thinking about those strategic plans that
(09:36):
they were really implementing in the previous administration and the
Biden administration, just talking about and prioritizing and elevating the
conversation around maternal health. I know our PAS vice president,
she led an entire initiative that talked about black maternal
health and really elevating that conversation with leaders across the country.
(09:57):
So if we thought about ways to do that even
in this environment, even if we thought about if it's
not centered just on one particular group. We know that
when you create an initiative that benefits everyone, it also
elevates black women. So even if they centered that conversation
(10:19):
not on one particular group, but elevated it across the country,
black women would still benefit. So that's something that could
be done.
Speaker 4 (10:26):
Yeah, talk about if you can some of the direct
causes of black maternal health that we are seeing or
impacts we know, and based on some of the information
that your team provided us, cardiovascular health is at play,
hypertension and so forth, take us into the dynamic of
(10:48):
what you're seeing from a public health perspective for these
black moms who and this is what's so heartbreaking, just
want to have a healthy pregnancy. It's life giving life.
Why does it sound to be so disheartening and so heartbreaking?
Speaker 5 (11:04):
Yeah, there was a study that American Hearted. I think
it's twenty five, it might have been twenty three, And
the studies show that if you are a Black woman
and you are an age of thirty and you have
high blood pressure, you are more likely to experience a
stroke as you age. When we talk about our vulnerability
(11:25):
to heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, black women see
those numbers rise at a younger age. Again, we're going
back to racism, discrimination, and even if you aren't experiencing
those things, the stress that you are under because we
tend to push for perfectionism, we are required to work
(11:47):
harder in other groups, operate within this level of perfection
that is probably unattainable. And usually what you're trying to
do is be the one for your family most most
of the time, moving everyone along, and so it's so difficult,
and the stress that we are under increases our risk
for heart disease. And then also when you're thinking about
(12:11):
your risk for stroke and understanding those vulnerabilities, majority of
the time, we're pushing through so much that we aren't
caring for ourselves. We're too busy caring for everyone else
around us, so we put our health last. And all
of those things that we're talking about is what makes
us very vulnerable. In addition to those external factors with
(12:32):
the providers and the provider bias, the lack of support,
the systemic factors around policy, we aren't caring for ourselves
and putting ourselves first. We may not know what to
look for for the early signs of stroke and heart disease,
and then some of us may not have access to
a provider in order to even get the care that
(12:53):
we need.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
So, yeah, talk about those indicators. What are some of
the indicators that could say, hold on a moment to
something that I need to take seriously and could impact
my health.
Speaker 5 (13:03):
Oh, my goodness, I can. I can talk about that
from personal experience, and so I mentioned, you know, when
I was in my early thirties, I was thirty three
working at CDC. No, when I was thirty working at CDC,
my blood pressure was so high because I was working
way too much. My diet wasn't needed to be because
I was just so focused on, you know, working to
(13:26):
the next goal, and I had to really pause. I
experienced dizzyness. I was exhausted all of the time. I
didn't have the energy to do the things that I
needed to do. But I kept pushing myself and ignoring
those symptoms. And then, you know, three years later, I
became chief Health Officer. It was never the plan for
(13:48):
me to be the head of a pandemic coordin nation
team in Atlanta, but I nearly suffered a stroke. One day.
I woke up and I could not feel the right
side of my face, my right arm began to go numb,
and I had to be rushed to urgent care. The
hospitals were full of people who were suffering from COVID
(14:08):
because they did we did not have the vaccines that
we needed at the time, so people were on ventilators.
And so when they rushed me to urgent care, they
saw the stroke symptoms and they said, we have to
make a decision. Either you'll stay here and we'll put
you on this machine, or we'll have to rush you
to the er and you have to Maybe you'll get help,
(14:30):
maybe you won't because there were too many people in
the ers. And so we have to pay attention to
ourselves and to understand that when something feels off, we
need to listen to that the science happened way before
you faint or have a stroke or experience some type
of uneasiness. Is usually a nudging of you just being
(14:53):
tired and need more rest.
Speaker 4 (14:55):
Yeah, well, and we say that, but there's a harsh
reality there for many of us, and rest doesn't rest
in our worlds oftentime, is not free. No, you're talking
about lifestyles or homes where you know, mom's income can
make the difference of what kind of how many meals
a child can receive and so forth, So how do
(15:17):
we balance that? And I know I keep asking the
whys and hows, but I think that the answers that
allow us some kind of control over those factors could
be very, very helpful. So talk if you can for
the mom who is at the end.
Speaker 5 (15:34):
Yeah, it's one thing that I talk about a lot.
It's called The Seven Types of Rest, and I would
love for people to go out and read that book.
There are a lot of resources available through the American
Heart Association website. So there are resources that talk about
sleep hygiene. We talk about the Power eight. We also
(15:54):
have multiple resources that can help people understand what it
is that they need as it relates to rest. Rest
isn't always sleep rest. Sometimes it's like five minutes of
taking a deep breath and being present with yourself, and
that can be done wherever you are. And I also
(16:15):
think that we underestimate the amount of time that we have.
I think that we can find ways to structure our
lives so that we can get that five minutes. And
I always talk to people about five minutes because our
can feel daunting even when you say it. But if
I say five minutes, everybody has those few minutes when
(16:37):
they are in the car, they're trying to process before
they walk through whatever door they're about to walk through.
That's five minutes that you can take for yourself to
just breathe. One of the things that I always tell
people is that when you think about rest, it may
not always be you getting eight to ten hours every day.
It might be just you creating five minutes of safety
(16:58):
for yourself. The one thing that you can do that
does not cost you any money is breathing. And majority
of the time, when we are so stressed, our shoulders
are usually in our ears, and so I have even me,
I have to remind myself to put my shoulders down. Well,
they say, get your shoulders out of your ears, and
(17:19):
then and just breathe, because we're usually holding our breath.
We're so stressed and so exhausted that we are holding
our breath. So if you take some time to just
breathe and do that for about five minutes. On the
American Heart Association website, we have different breathing modules and
instructions that are available. You can do some box breathing.
(17:41):
There's all kinds of things that are out there. The
level of clarity that you can get after that five
minutes can be the difference between you having a stroke
and not. And I want us to really sit with that,
because breathing creates more opportunity for your nervous system to
(18:03):
slow down, for your mind to calm, for your heart
rate to go down, and different parts of your brain
can be activated with just five minutes of breathing. So
regardless of how much money you have, you can afford
five minutes of breathing.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
Yeah, I love that the valuable five.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Yeah, we appreciate doctor Jeter's expertise. You can find her
on all social media platforms at doctor Angelica Jeter. That's
Jeter with a g T. Happened to the many resources
of the American Heart Association at heart dot org. Learn
more about saving black bombs at binnews dot com. Last month,
(18:44):
the Black Information Network spent several weeks discussing the impact
prostate cancer has on black men. Prostate cancer affects one
in eight men. However, black men are seventy percent more
likely to be diagnosed and twice as likely to die
from the disease. Zero Prostate Cancer is the nation's leading
prostate cancer organization. They're on a mission to save lives
(19:06):
through awareness, education and support. Mister Jordans spoke with doctor
Leanne woods Burnham, a national prostate cancer disparities expert. She
is also an assistant professor at Morehouse School of Medicine,
to explain her role with Zero and steps that black
men can take to decrease their chances of getting prostate cancer.
Speaker 6 (19:25):
Joining me.
Speaker 7 (19:26):
I have doctor Leanne woods Burnham, national prostate health disparities expert,
assistant professor at Morehouse School of Medicine, and ZERO Medical
Advisory board member. Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 6 (19:39):
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 7 (19:40):
This is so important to talk about. My grandfather had
prostate cancer and died within six months. It's something my
father is monitoring all very closely.
Speaker 8 (19:50):
His PSA numbers.
Speaker 7 (19:51):
Have been good. They had a spike for a moment
and today on my way over here we talked and
he said, is there. He asked a question that you
talked about earlier. Is there a reason that black people,
black men have higher numbers?
Speaker 9 (20:07):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (20:07):
Then, and why are we dying at a faster rate.
What's happening.
Speaker 6 (20:12):
So that's really like a two part question because the
reasons black men get it more is quite a bit
different than why they die more. They don't have to
die more often, but I'll explain a little bit of
what that entails. So black men are much more likely
to get proseate cancer for a lot of reasons. It's
not just one. But you can look at access to healthcare.
Of course in the US, you can look at diet
(20:33):
and lifestyle. You can look at socioeconomic factors. But we
can't forget even if you do everything right, you have
the best access to care, there's still differences that we
see that we can attribute to genetics and biology. We
know that there's certain genes that are linked to more
aggressive prostate cancer, and those genes we find in men
of West Africa, and due to the history of our
(20:54):
nation the Transatlantic slave trade, black people in the US
tend to have a very high percentage of West African genetics,
and so men unfortunately carry some of those genetics that
we know make them more at risk to even get
prostate cancer in the first place. Now, when we talk
about dying from prostate cancer. That is something that does
not need to be the case in the US as
(21:15):
it is. In particular, if men are screened early enough
and detect prostate cancer early enough. According to American Cancer Society,
prostate cancer has an over ninety nine percent survival rate
five years out. What we see in the city of
Atlanta specifically, is even if you have black men and
white men with early stage the earliest stage prostate cancer,
(21:35):
black men are still much more.
Speaker 10 (21:36):
Likely to die from the disease.
Speaker 6 (21:38):
So that is a direct point towards physician care to
what is insurance covering and not covering, What are clinical
trials that are being offered, What are tests and follow
ups being offered for black men versus other men. We
know it's not the same in all populations, and so
I'm very passionate about addressing those at the policy level,
(21:59):
at the clinical level, at the scientific bench. There's so
many different ways to address that that we work on.
Speaker 7 (22:04):
So if a black man goes to the doctor, what
can he say specifically to ask to make for awareness
for his health, to be sure that things like this
aren't happening to him? What is the like question if he's.
Speaker 6 (22:20):
A black man and he's forty years old, let his
doctor know. Listen, I know that I'm at higher risk
for prisate cancer just because of my age and my race.
Speaker 7 (22:28):
Not because not because someone family right.
Speaker 6 (22:32):
Just period. You don't even have to have family history.
Just go in and say, I'm a black man, I'm forty,
I want to be I want to receive the PSA test,
which is a simple blood test. It's not the digital
rectal exam that a lot of men are nervous about,
and that is a tool that's still using the clinic.
But really, you start with the blood test and let
your doctor know.
Speaker 9 (22:49):
Now, I know.
Speaker 6 (22:49):
From personal experience, not every doctor is going to agree
with that. My wine is a black man who was
forty years old and his doctor refused to screen him.
Literally was like a showdown of epic proportions. I wish
there were cameras in the room when this went down
between me and the doctor, him not wanting to do
this test. He eventually did the test, but it was
(23:10):
not a good situation. And so there's some doctors that
just don't want to do the test because there are
studies that show if you test too early and you
do a biopsy, there can be side effects that are
not really necessary for men who don't end up having
prostate cancer down the road. The problem is these recommendations
(23:31):
were made off of studies of over two hundred thousand men,
and less than five percent of them were men of
any African answers. So the problem is you have these
recommendations that are not applicable to men at highest risks
for worse outcomes. So I say, if you are forty
years old and you're a black man, definitely advocate for yourself.
We see out in the community some men less than
(23:51):
forty already having prostate cancer. So if you have extensive
family history, you can even ask for earlier than that.
But really the earliest guidelines out now say not everybody.
US Preventive Services Task Force says age of fifty five,
but Prostate Cancer Foundation, American Cancer Society organizations that such
as those recommend forty. And what about diet, So diet
(24:13):
it can play a role. We know that a higher
intake of charred red meats. So if you're throwing your
steak on the grill and you want it well done,
that sort of thing. If you're doing that too often,
the charring of the meat we've been able to see
there is a link between that and prostate cancer for
black men in particular. I really drive this point home.
(24:35):
We have an issue of vitamin D deficiency and black
individuals in the nation for a lot of different reasons,
but vitamin D really helps your health in so many
different ways. When it comes to prostate cancer specifically, we
know that there are variants in vitamin D genes, vitamin
D response elements in genes that alter the way that
(24:57):
individuals process make vitamin D and process that in their
by and so for black people, what that translates into
is if viben and D deficiency can actually cause prostate
cancer to grow faster. And so we don't see this
in white men, we see this in black men. And
so I tell black men all the time, please take
vitamin D every day. You can take up to four
thousand units of vitamin D three every day and that'll
(25:18):
be good in terms of prostate cancer, but also other
parts of your health as well.
Speaker 10 (25:22):
You're immune systemes.
Speaker 7 (25:23):
Thank you so much for talking with us today. I
really appreciated your so knowledgeable. This is information that our
black men need, and it's wonderful coming from a woman
of Color.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Thank you so much, so much, Thank you, Missy and
doctor Burnham. If you are someone you know would like
more information about getting tested for prostate cancer, or you
want to get involved with Zero's mission, visit their website
at zero cancer dot org. You can follow Misty and
submit your story ideas to her on Instagram at Misty
j Radio. Since the inauguration of Donald Trump as the
(25:55):
forty seventh president, he's signed a flurry of executive orders
that have ended people's jobs in DEI and threatened black
and brown people with deportation because of their immigration status.
For many, this has been an emotional roller coaster. The
Black Information Networks Sester Dillard sat down with a mental
health professional who wrote a book called Meditations for Black Men,
(26:17):
giving some emotional tools people can use during this emotional
period that's in this week's The Color between the.
Speaker 10 (26:23):
Lines, and I think we have to contextualize this happening
in Memphis with what we have been seen is that
this administration, the Trump administration, is literally militarized in our
city and they're doing it under this false guise of
safety for our people, But what they're really doing is
(26:47):
terrorizing black and brown.
Speaker 11 (26:48):
Folks in this edition of The Color Between the Lines,
we're talking about how across the country, community leaders are
sounding the alarm about the Tennessee Governor's plan to send
the National Guarden Memphis. One of those voices is Alexis
Anderson Reed, President of State Voices. She leads the largest
progressive civic engagement network in the nation, connected to organizations
(27:11):
that fight every day for black and brown communities. I
spoke with her about what these actions mean and why
she says they represent more than just a local issue. Now,
let's listen in. I know that you have a national reach.
Do you know what's happening though on the ground in
Memphis and how it's feeling.
Speaker 4 (27:32):
There at all.
Speaker 12 (27:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 10 (27:36):
So the first thing I want to say is Memphis
holds a special place in my heart. My people are
from Memphis. My grandmother was born in Memphis, my great
great grandparents were born in Memphis, my father is born
in Memphis. And so Memphis is home for me, and
where you know, when we do our family unions, it
is emerges back home to Memphis. And so what is
(27:59):
happening is devastating. It makes me angry and sad, and
I think we have to contextualize with happening in Memphis.
With what we have been seeing is that this administration,
the Trump administration, is literally militarizing our cities, and they're
(28:21):
doing it under this like false guise of safety for
our people. But what they're really doing is just terrorizing
black and brown folks and terrorizing immigrants. And so the
deployment of the National Guard right in heavily black and
brown cities is an overreach of power and it is
(28:44):
endangering intimidating more than it's addressing so called public safety.
And you know, we first saw this in La right
with ice raids and the terrorizing of immigrant families, of
folks who are just simply trying to get to work,
run errand picking their kids up from school. And then
(29:06):
we've seen this escalation in real time. We've seen it
in social media. I've seen it on the streets that
currently live in the D and B area, So I've
seen it on the front lines in DC, and now
we're seeing this escalation in Memphis. And my concern is
(29:26):
that this is being normalized in some ways and is
just creating more like these harmful stereotypes of majority black
and brown cities and ignoring which actually really happening. Happening
and ignoring the real data is that I'm actually has
declined in most categories over the last year and like
(29:49):
for over decades, and Memphis specifically, the crime rate is
a historic twenty five year low. And you know, while
less than three percent of folks in a Memphis commit crimes,
what's happening with the National Guard troops is impacting one
hundred percent of the residents of Memphis. And so I've
(30:13):
been talking with folks on the ground there and had
the opportunity to both talk with folks at our table
as well as folks who are part of different shelby
counting voter alliances, and folks are definitely intimidated and feeling
(30:35):
like what are what can we do together? But at
the same time, even though there is intimidation and that
there is fear and these tactics are seeking to do that,
there's also a feeling of like, how do we fight back?
And so question, yeah, yeah, okay, good, let's.
Speaker 8 (30:59):
Go there there.
Speaker 11 (31:00):
I'm wondering because honestly, when you look at what Chicago
did Illinois, but Illinois had a governor which said no,
I don't want you here, and the city said no.
You have a different dynamic in Memphis where you have
the governor is saying yes, but the people and the
(31:21):
cities and the counties are saying no. How does that
mesh and where does that work? As far as empowerment
for those who are on the ground.
Speaker 9 (31:32):
Yes, that is.
Speaker 10 (31:35):
The bottom lines. There's power in the people and when
we stand together and stand in the community and protect
each other, that's where we have to like live from
that place because so many of the elected official to
our office or leaders unfortunately are instead of representing billionaires
(32:00):
and maga interest in not representing the people. So I
think that's the first place to start. I think also
there are a lot of different resources from folks like
the ACLU to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center where people
can plug into and help them inform their rights to
(32:21):
know how to protect themselves, know how to protect their families.
And you know, something I've really been thinking about is like,
how can we learn from LA in DC on how
to organize them proactively resist? And so I'm in talking
with folks who you know, who did organize in these
(32:44):
cities and if a place to look is like free
d C and the black women who are on the
front lines of DC, organizing a multi racial resistance that's
still happening should be studied and learned from. So how
can we have folks from DC from LA go to
Memphis and help organize and work with residents there on
(33:08):
in real time like how to fight back. And so
that's something I'm working on, and then thinking about how
we preemptively go to places like Baltimore and Birmingham where
we think those are going to be the next target,
so that we can like train folks in real time
organized communities ahead of time and really protect each other.
Speaker 11 (33:28):
Can you talk a little bit about the like the
recommendated recommended actions that you're training people on the ground with,
maybe just a few maybe you can't give us a whole,
you know, masterclass, but perhaps some of the things that
you are telling people that kind of give them power
versus them feeling disempowered.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
Yep.
Speaker 10 (33:51):
So knowing your rights is really really important right now. Also,
having like scenario and action plan for something does happen
to you or a family member that you already you know,
either have a legal number able to call the ACOU
like being able to protect yourself and your safety in
(34:11):
the moment, but then also be able to know what
to do in like real time. We're also thinking ahead
around you know, what it will take to have a
math resistance effort in this country, and so training people
on organizing and knowing how to organize in their communities,
their neighbors, their churches, and also what it's going to
(34:33):
take for non violent direct action. And I want to
just if it's okay, take a moment to talk a
bit about like this moment that we're finding ourselves in.
We have been studying, along with a number of other
organizations that we work with, how to stop authoritarianism from
(34:57):
kicking over. And the way that we've been learned, I
mean is through other countries who have been in similar situations, right,
And we've been learning about, okay, how do we stop it?
And then also if we are able to stop, how
we build a pro democracy agenda with new systems and
new values for our country. And I really I don't
(35:20):
want to scare us, but I also want us to
get real about what time it is. It isn't if
if we are able to stop it. It's what we're
learning is it will take about four percent of the
population in the United States. That's around fourteen million people
to be in sustained resistance through nonviolent direct action in
(35:42):
order to stop the consolidation of power. So that's one
point to keep in mind. The second point is our
timeline is really short. What we've learned is in most
authoritarian takeovers, it takes about eighteen months right where you
have to stop this consolidation of power before you are
living with authoritarianism for a decade or a generation. So
(36:05):
we have about twelve months left in that timeline. So
we have to be really really focused right now. Our
lives depend on it.
Speaker 11 (36:14):
We're going to have to leave it right there. But
if you'd like to hear the rest of that interview
and especially some of the insights that she gives that
her organization is doing on the ground to help empower
communities around the country, you can head over to the
Club Between the Lines podcast on YouTube or wherever you
get your podcasts.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
I'm Ester Dillard, Thanks Alexis and Esther. Over the past
several months, cuts to federal funding and programs impacting public
health services have taken place that could have major implications
for the black community. Earlier this week, news anchors Vanessa
Tyler and Mike Stevens joined Ramsay's jaw and q Ward
(36:54):
for a roundtable discussion on a few of this week's
major news topics. Here's how that conversation.
Speaker 9 (37:00):
Mike Stevens, Vanessa Tyler. Welcome back to the show. Vanessa.
I kind of know what you've been up to, and
I think our listeners would have know. But let's start
with Mike. Mike, what's the latest. Man, everything's good, man?
You know, well, I want everything is good as we'll
discuss today. Well, yeah, I know what you know, but
we're all hanging Okay, okay, and Vanessa, please share with
our listeners, Uh, what you've been up to since you've
(37:21):
last been on the show.
Speaker 12 (37:22):
Oh, we've been very busy at the Black Information Network.
We had Walter Wall team coverage at the Congressional Black
Caucus Foundations and you will Legislative Conference. That kept us
very busy. And now back to the day to day.
Every day is busier than the.
Speaker 9 (37:38):
Next, it doesn't seem that way, So let's get back
to the business at hand, all right. First up, for
the second time under Trump presidency, the US government has
gone into shut down due to failed budget negotiations. Vanessa,
let's start Today's show off with you give us the
latest details on what's being impacted by the shutdown, and
then Mike and Q, we're going to get your thoughts afterward.
Speaker 12 (37:58):
Oh sure, rams is it is a shut down showdown.
Everybody is dug in. The Democrats say now is the
time to discuss restoring potential cuts to healthcare and snap
and they're holding out. Republicans say all that stuff can
be discussed later. So as a result, parks, monuments, museums closed,
(38:21):
and a lot of black people who are federal workers
are not going to pay check when even missing one
check is a problem. The big thing here is President
Trump threatened the federal workers may not just be furloughed
but fired. So who knows when Trump will meet again
with Leader Jeffries and Senator Schumer. The last time they met,
(38:43):
Trump put out this weird ai racist meme about them.
So we're standing by for whatever is next, But as
for now, the government is closed.
Speaker 13 (38:53):
Mike. Yeah, you know, the Democrats are making a case
that they are not signing this continuous resolution like they
normally do because they want to protect healthcare, and the
Republicans are saying, well, sign the CR and then we'll
talk about it. You know, I don't know if that's
actually what would happen or not, or if it's a
(39:15):
trick or whatever, but some say this is the chance
Democrats have been waiting for to at least make it
seem like they're fighting back against Republican policies. It's just
a big mess, and as Vanessa mentioned, I feel really
for the black federal workers who, at the very least
many of them are not getting a paycheck. Ultimately they
(39:36):
may lose their jobs. And some of them just did
some research in some places where they have these food
banks where the federal workers might try to go and
get some assistance, and a lot of them don't even
have the food they would normally have because of previous
cutbacks by the Trump administration. So it's like being between
(39:58):
a rock and a hard place, you know, through no
fall of their own, they end up being in this situation. Dude.
Speaker 14 (40:06):
I mean, I'm glad to see that they're using the
little leverage they have to try to make some type
of stand. The unfortunate thing is they're standing up for
the status quo steal. There's been no dynamic legislation when
they were in power to bring about a more comprehensive
health care plan for the citizens of this country. And
(40:27):
I think that it has a lot to do with
the reason that the popularity is down. So you know,
I'm glad they're doing something. The interesting thing Ramse and
I actually spoke about this before, is that even though
they control all levers of government, they will find a
way to make this someone else's fault. And that's just
that continues to be laughable to me. But here we are.
(40:49):
We close out this week's show with the news out
of Las Vegas on a story that we may have
heard unfortunately too many times. Mike tell us more about
this story and than Vanessa and Ramdas you can close
us out.
Speaker 13 (41:01):
Yeah, I hate to hear stuff like this. A mother
filed a federal lawsuit against the Clark County School District
claiming her black son was subjected to racial abuse for
almost two years, which is a long time. She says
her son was called the N word several times, and
when she complained to the school, the abuse, she says,
(41:23):
got worse. Some of the things that were said to him.
She says, just quoting here, your skin is burnt by
the sun. You're too black. That's rough to get that
in school. So she named the school principle and others
in this suit and says things got worse again when
she complained, And just from a personal perspective for someone
(41:47):
who went through some of those things myself in the
early grades when the first time I ever heard the
N word, it was by a white kid saying it
to me. And I had never even heard that. This
is like in i don't know, second grade or something
that I had never even heard the word before. And
the other white kids who were watching were oo like
(42:09):
they knew what it was. I didn't know. And I'll
just be honest with you, the response that I had
to the boy who called me that was very physically aggressive.
I won't go into details, but it was very It
was very and that was just the first of many
during my school years, and many of you perhaps had
(42:31):
the same experience. But it's it's just it's just horrible.
And where did they get this from? Okay, maybe they
get it from movies, from social media, but in a
lot of cases it comes from parents or from the
dinner table at home, you know. And so I think
in a lot of ways, parents of these kids who
are making these remarks are to blame.
Speaker 14 (42:52):
You know, the N word is a very unique word
in a way that even though you never heard it
and didn't have a specific definition for it, you still
understood it to be an insult. And we're still upset
for that to turn physical, or set enough for that
to turn physical. I was lucky enough to grow up
where every classmate I ever had, all the way until college,
(43:12):
was black. So the first time I dealt with racism,
I was an adult and in college. But this is
the truth for too many of us, Vanessa.
Speaker 12 (43:20):
I've done so many stories, and I even have a
personal story a relative dealing with the exact same thing.
Right now. Parents who say they complain about racial bullying
and the school does nothing, and the child continues to suffer.
That parent is not the only one. A lot of
(43:41):
them sue, a lot of them try to remove their
child out of the schools. But there are a lot
of schools who kind of turn a blind eye. They
don't do anything, they don't call in parents, they don't
do anything for this kind of stuff. And it's horrible
and it's unfair, and it leaves a lasting impression on children.
(44:03):
So this is very very serious. It is not just
sticks and stones. You know, may hurt my bones. Words
can't army, words are harmful ramses.
Speaker 14 (44:13):
You have had way too many experiences on the side
of this story as the young men in this school district.
You and I have shared those stories and with all
of our power try to protect our kids from that
same reality. But please give me your perspective on this
story as we close out.
Speaker 9 (44:31):
This makes me think of a story that Q and
I covered a long time ago. We have become a
less decent country. We have moved significantly toward a collective
moral bankruptcy as a nation, and this story gives insight
(44:52):
into it because children learn from their parents, and this
little kid enduring racism at school is something that started
to at least in my estimation based on what it
is I know to be true, has started to dissipate
(45:13):
as I became an adult and into my adult years,
and this is documented. You can look at the increase
in hate speech online, you can look at the increase
in the number of incidents and hate crimes around the country,
and there's a direct correlation and I suspect causation to
the election of Donald Trump and his moral bankruptcy is
(45:33):
now the moral bankruptcy of this country, and it is
not my fault. I know whose fault it is. As always,
i'd like to thank you both very much for your
time and your insight. Once again. Today's guests are bin
News anchors Vanessa Tyler and Mike Stevens.
Speaker 2 (45:49):
Thanks Ramses, Vanessa and Mike, and be sure to check
out the QR Code Daily podcast with Ramsey's jaw and
Qward at binnews dot com and also on your favorite
podcast platforms. Coming up, Doug Davis speaks with a black
female US manufacturer who has high hopes of creating thousands
of jobs and offering generational wealth to many rural, hard
(46:11):
working Americans left behind from ever achieving the American dream.
Speaker 3 (46:16):
Doug, Hey, thanks Mike, This is Doug Davis back with
another segment of Your Black Business, where Black excellence meets innovation.
October is manufacturing month, and we know that manufacturing is
the backbone of the US economy, contributing over what two
point nine trillion dollars annually and supporting thirteen million jobs.
But America needs more of these jobs. Domestic production has
(46:39):
declined over the past few decades, and supply Chaine disruptions
have shown us just how critical it is to make
things here in the country. And here's another fact. Less
than two percent of manufacturing firms are led by women,
and for black women, the numbers are even worse. Less
than one percent of VC funding goes to black women founders.
(47:01):
And today's guests is set to break barriers in the
field of manufacturing. Jennifer Grace Jennings is the founder and
CEO of Fundlile Grace at Newark, New Jersey based MWBE
certified manufacturer that has big dreams of creating jobs and
building global partnerships, and she's set to make history. Jennifer,
(47:21):
welcome to the Black Information Network and you're a black
business Thanks for having me.
Speaker 8 (47:26):
I'm so appreciative to be on with you today.
Speaker 3 (47:29):
Like Barrian, it's doing great. Happy to have you here. So, Jennifer,
why manufacturing? What led you to this pivotal moment in
your life right now?
Speaker 13 (47:39):
What's your story?
Speaker 8 (47:40):
Sure? Sure well. I love textiles and I love the process.
And back in two thousand and eight, I had a
tiny storefront and one industrial sewing machine. And I believe
that making things you know will truly change lives and
enhance and empower people. As you stated, today, the US
(48:00):
imports over ninety seven percent of text thousand in peril
and buyers have to wait about ninety to one hundred
and twenty days on ocean lead times. That's not great, right,
And there are opportunities right here domestically in which we
can bring production home with speed, quality and transparency. And
we're set to make and create jobs and real pathways
(48:23):
for home ownership and other unique opportunities for the folks
right here in the US.
Speaker 3 (48:27):
That's amazing, Jennifer. As I mentioned earlier, October is manufacturing month,
and you're right in the thick of it. Why is
this moment right now so important for US manufacturing and
how does filial grace kind of fit into the bigger
picture of rebuilding domestic production?
Speaker 8 (48:44):
Absolutely well, as you stated, And as you know, we're
in a very volatile climate right now globally and even
here at home. Companies need short, reliable, verifiable supply. And
what we're doing, we're compressing the ninety to one hundred
days by you know, expanding our US supply chain right
(49:09):
here in the US, so from ninety to to just
seven to twenty one days with farm to market transparency
right and QR tracking from raw fiber to finish goods.
As an MWBE operator, we also helped to hit partnerships
and hit supplier diversity and domestic content goals. That combination traces, speed, traceability,
(49:31):
and compliance, which is right up our alley along with
our defense manufacturing arms.
Speaker 3 (49:37):
Amazing. So you just said, you know you're MBWE certified.
How are you designing a workplace that works for women
and families, particularly in this time?
Speaker 8 (49:49):
Sure, I'm happy you're asked about that. So what's really
interesting in neat about what we're doing is that we're
making sure that you know, we empower women in small
businesses with pathways to grow by delivering transparent, high quality
products where people can use to live, move and have
being is what I generally say. And our purpose is
(50:11):
very simple. We make essentials Linen's uniform sheets, pillars, towels
what we use each and every day, right with proof
of origin and fast lead times right here in the US.
Our goal is scalable domestic platform that buyers trust and
our colleagues are super proud of.
Speaker 3 (50:31):
Wow, we know the numbers. Black women founders face huge hurdles,
particularly when it comes to again raising capital. You're building
something powerful without the traditional playbook. Per se tell us
about the struggles that you face.
Speaker 8 (50:45):
Yeah, I mean we're facing you know, the men's struggle
you quoted, and you're right, you know, less than one
percent of you know, capital go to women with these
VC firms. It's really just partning. But what is exciting
because I like to think about, you know, the opportunity.
There's vast opportunity right now. And I know that right
(51:09):
now people are hurting, folks are losing jobs, and the
climate is volatile. But I believe that through manufacturing, we
can certainly leverage this industry to create jobs, to sustain
our workforce, and to provide a platform with you know,
(51:29):
small businesses and women. We have four day work weeks,
corporate onsite, childcare and pathways to home ownership tied and
bake into our work model. And I'm super excited about
what we've built. We have over seventy million and signed
lois already under our belt. And what I would also
say that is super unique about where we are. We've
(51:52):
been super fortunate because we are building with discipline. We
have reguided by our senior advisor, Ray maguire and I
am a Goldman sat to B I b alum who
I believe it has certainly sharpened our playbooks.
Speaker 3 (52:05):
Okay, so hold on, wait wait wait wait wait, that's
huge right there. Tell me how that came about if
you don't mind, sure.
Speaker 8 (52:13):
Well, Goldman Sachs has a program called Black in Business
and one of my colleagues over at from Mile Grades
thought it would it would be a perfect fit, and
so she sent me an email shared it with me,
and instead of just sitting on the email, I acted
on it, applied and had the interview with them, and
(52:34):
the rest is history.
Speaker 12 (52:35):
Here we are.
Speaker 8 (52:37):
You know, I'm super excited to be a part of
the Goldman Sachs network. B I B is a wonderful
community of entrepreneurs and business women who are truly leading
the way here in the US, across across the entire
United States. And I think that that is truly a
(52:57):
powerful network and it has certainly, you know, sharpen our playbook.
Speaker 13 (53:02):
Right.
Speaker 3 (53:02):
And from what I understand, you are selected among thousands
of other women who applied for this job. Why do
you think you were singled out?
Speaker 1 (53:11):
Well?
Speaker 8 (53:12):
I will have to lead, lead with gratitude, right, I'm
super grateful, but I do believe that it's the work
that we're doing. You know, I think that manufacturing is
nothing special about me. It's all about the work that
we're doing. In manufacturing, we get to create thousands of jobs.
And again, manufacturing, if you think about it, this country
(53:33):
has been built on the backs of African Americans through
that very industry. When the likes of Warren Buffett, he
started in textile man in textile mills, right, Berkshire Hathaway
is a textile company. So what we're doing is not
far fetched. What we're doing is a core to our economy.
(53:55):
And I think it's important that most that people pay
attention to manufact We are in the manufacturing month and
I'm very excited about you know, where we're going, the
work we're doing.
Speaker 3 (54:06):
And yeah, yeah, that's good. So I understand you're in
some active talks with national retailers, airlines, sports teams, healthcare folks.
What kind of companies are knocking at your door right now? Well,
you know, or can you disclose them? I mean, if
you can't disclose them, I get it, you know, but.
Speaker 8 (54:23):
Yeah, yeah, we're in active chat and talks. Yeah, absolutely,
And when we close on that work. We will share
it out broadly through our social media channels and and
all of that. But for right now, yeah, I mean
it's exciting, you know, the aviation industry, retail, sports, healthcare systems,
(54:45):
and of course municipalities and so I'm excited. This is
life changing, is transformative, and it's about time that we
are the ones who are the decision makers in this industry.
Speaker 3 (54:58):
How is your business model, particularly for employees, different than
most big companies.
Speaker 8 (55:05):
Well, we pair production with training, corporate onsite, childcare, and
a learning lab that celebrates craftsmanship and crafts and womanship. Right.
We want to make sure that there's clear career ladders
and allow our team members to to get a piece
(55:25):
of the pie.
Speaker 13 (55:26):
Right.
Speaker 8 (55:27):
It's important that everybody eat right, from from the top
to the bottom, from the east to west. It's super
important to me as a leader that folks not only
have a good working job, but that they're thriving, right,
and so we have been very intentional to build a
community where people can thrive in the.
Speaker 3 (55:48):
Workplace, very very powerful. So for folks listening, how can
they learn more about you and Fuanlio Grace, I'm sure
you're on LinkedIn.
Speaker 8 (55:56):
Yeah, I'm on LinkedIn at Jennifer Grace Jennings and you
know we're on Instagram. Fu Lio Grace.
Speaker 3 (56:03):
How do you spell fanlyo Grace? Sorry to cut you off, well,
how do you spell it? Because people listening may not understand,
you know.
Speaker 8 (56:09):
Yeah, no worries. So fu Lio is my Nigerian name.
Grace is also my name. Is my middle name. Fund
Lio is spelled f u n l a yo. Super easy,
all right.
Speaker 3 (56:24):
Jennifer Grace Jennings is the founder and CEO of Funlo
Grace in Newark, New Jersey based MWBE Certified Manufacturer. We
appreciate you sharing your story here with Doug Davis and
the Black Information Networks, your black business. You're listening to
the Black perspective on the bi N.
Speaker 2 (56:41):
Thanks Doug and Jennifer. Now we get commentary from Moe Kelly.
Speaker 1 (56:44):
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 15 (56:56):
I'm Mo Kelly on the bi N with your two
minute warning.
Speaker 13 (57:01):
Reintroduce myself.
Speaker 7 (57:07):
Democratic.
Speaker 15 (57:11):
I don't think I've had any occasion to mention much
about House Minority Leader Hakim Jeffries, But today is that time.
Jeffries has largely been on the defense for the Democrats,
I believe, with few tools available to mount any effect
of resistance to the aggressive Trump agenda. In fact, I
don't think any Democratic minority leader would have fared well
in this moment with a sociopathic Republican president who was
(57:34):
given virtual free reign by the Supreme Court and rubber
stamps by his own majority party, a majority party which
is either afraid or mostly unwilling to even criticize anything
the president does. For all the jokes about strongly worded
letters and loud capital step speeches is not completely fair.
There's not too much Jeffries can do in opposition beyond
(57:54):
the rhetorical and performative. But this government shutdown can and
will be a finding moment for his leadership and his party. No,
not all African Americans are Democrats, but yes, the overwhelming
majority are, and there are a lot of eyes on
him and wondering whether he and to be fair Chuck
Schumer III, wondering whether they meet the moment because internally,
(58:16):
there is a fight for the future of the party,
amid the swirling rumors of whether Congresswoman Aoc will challenge
Schumer for his seat next November, to whether Jeffries will
endorse New York City mayoral candidate Zorimmam Donnie. The point
is that Jeffries is either going to prove in this
moment that he is the future of the Democratic Party
leadership or that he is another failure of the party,
(58:38):
a party that is receding further and further into irrelevancy.
I'm mo Kelly at mister mo' kelly on social media
and that you're two minute warning on the Black Information Network.
Speaker 2 (58:49):
Thanks mo Kelly. Be sure to tune in daily for
a commentary from Moe Kelly, Roland S Martin and James T.
Harris right here on the Black Information Network. And that's
our program.
Speaker 13 (59:00):
For this week.
Speaker 2 (59:01):
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. We would love to hear from you about
the black perspective. Log onto the Black Information Network's Talkback
Live feature on the iHeartRadio app and share your feedback. Also,
(59:22):
be sure to follow us on social media at Black
Information Network and on X and Blue Sky at black
Info Net. Make the Black Information Network first on your
car radio and iHeartRadio app free sets. I'm Mike Island,
wishing you a great Sunday and start to the month
of October. Be sure to tune in next week at
this time for another edition of the Black Perspective right
(59:42):
here on the Black Information Network.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!