The Black Perspective: Realities of Black America

This week on the Black Perspective, we recap the 2025 Presidential Joint Address from Tuesday night with Mike Stevens and the BIN News Team.

We hear reactions from Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, communications specialist Judi Durand of JAJD PR, licensed therapist Dr. Sonja Sutherland, and more.

Plus, in honor of Women’s History Month, BIN anchor Alexandria Ikomoni sits down with Meagan Taylor, head of the Women in Radio Conference, happening Saturday, March 15th, in Atlanta. 

All that and more on this special edition of The Black Perspective: The Realities of Black America.

Listen now!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Coming up next on The Black Perspective, we recap the
President's join addressed to Congress this past Tuesday night with
Mike Stevens and our BIA News team. We get reaction
from Mark Mariel, President and CEO of the National Urban League,
communication specialist Judy Durand of JAJDPR, and licensed therapists doctor
Sonia Sutherland and Moore. And in honor of Women's History Month,

(00:22):
VIN anchor Alexandra Icamoni speaks with Megan Taylor, head of
the organization Women in Radio Conference coming up Saturday, March
fifteenth in Atlanta. All that Moore is coming up next
on a special edition of The Black Perspective addressing the
realities of Black America.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
And now, the Black Information Network brings you a special
presentation of the Black.

Speaker 3 (00:45):
Perspective addressing the Realities of America.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
Featuring in depth interviews, engaging conversations, and expert analysis on
key issues affecting the Black community under the Trump administration.

Speaker 4 (00:56):
Now Here are your hosts bei N News anchors Andrea
Coleman and Mike's Stevens.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
Hello, and welcome to the special edition of The Black Perspective.
I'm Andrea Coleman.

Speaker 4 (01:04):
And I'm Mike Stevens. Thanks for joining us. The President's
addressed at Congress proved to be an eventful evening for
Black America and its elected congressional leaders, as one was
removed from the House Chamber and the others participated in
small but visible demonstrations of resistance to the President's speech.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
Just minutes into the President's speech, this happened.

Speaker 5 (01:26):
Finding that members continue to engage in willful and concerted
disruption or proper decorum, the Chair now directs a sergeant
at arms to restore order.

Speaker 4 (01:37):
Removed this gentleman from the chamber.

Speaker 1 (01:39):
That gentleman was longtime Black Democratic Congressman Now Green out
of Houston, Texas, who was removed from the House Chamber
after yelling several comments toward the President during his speech.
He later explained what all the commotion was about.

Speaker 6 (01:51):
I have people who are very fearful. These are cool people,
and they have only Medicaid in their lives when it
comes to their healthcare. And I want him to know
what is that his budget calls forward deep cuts in Medicaid.

Speaker 1 (02:05):
Green says, the programs need to be protected.

Speaker 6 (02:08):
These are the safety net programs that people in my
congressional district depend on, and this president seems to care
less about them and more about the number of people
that he can remove from the various programs that have
been so helpful for so many.

Speaker 1 (02:23):
Prepuce some of those programs Congressman Green mentioned focused on diversity,
equity and inclusion initiatives that gave black Americans access to
educational and economic opportunities.

Speaker 7 (02:34):
Our country will be work no longer.

Speaker 1 (02:38):
The President touting the cancelation of those programs in his
speech as a great achievement.

Speaker 7 (02:42):
We've entered the tyranny of so called diversity, equity and
inclusion policies all across the entire federal government and indeed
the private sector and our military.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
And the president calling those actions a common sense revolution.

Speaker 4 (02:59):
Would I have just this.

Speaker 7 (03:00):
There's only a small fraction of the common sense revolution
that is now because of us sweeping the entire world.

Speaker 1 (03:06):
Several lawmakers, including Representative Eyana Presley, walked out of the
chamber after the President referred to Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren
as pocahontas, a subtle jab at a former claim she
made of being part Native American. Seeing in political commentator
Van Jones had this to say, about the speech, which
he said was riddled with contradictions.

Speaker 8 (03:26):
Want to see a good show. I thought he uses time,
well all two hours of it, like Lord of the
Rings and God bless it. In the speech he loves cops.
In reality he's partning everybody from Gettularty six and beat
the hell out of cos.

Speaker 9 (03:39):
In the speech he holds up this cancer kit everybody
fell in love with. In reality he's cutting cancer research.
So there's a speech which is fantastic, you know, fantasy,
and then there's a reality that's getting worse and worse,
and Democrats have to figure out some way to close
the gap and public perception.

Speaker 4 (03:55):
So what of the nation's black leaders saying about the
president's speech, How do they plan to help protect the
rights and freedoms of the black community while moving it forward.
We checked in with Mark Moriol, president and CEO of
a National Urban League. Take it a sense of what
they're thinking. Thank you for joining us. Thank you President Trump.

(04:16):
As he has in the past, made many claims during
his most recent address to Congress, and there always seems
to be these racial undertones. What are your takeaways from
his address?

Speaker 10 (04:28):
Well, this administration has been about a war on civil rights,
a war on the progress that black Americans and many
other people of color and women have made over the
last seventy years. And that's part of his rhetoric, it's
part of his policies, and it permeates his entire thought

(04:51):
about what the future of America is all about. Obviously,
the takeaway from many people in our community is that
business seat at the tab for us, that the progress
that we've made should be reversed. These anti diversity, equity
and inclusion executive orders or really an effort to undermine

(05:14):
the Civil Rights Act of sixty four. His continuing rhetoric
about threatening colleges, universities, businesses, foundations, nonprofits, who folk who
work to level the playing field is very unsettling, and
it's un American, and it's absolutely divisive. You know, almost

(05:35):
a third in this country, thirty five plus percent of
this country are made up of people of color. When
you add women, that's the majority. So it's an attack
on the majority of American people who have benefited over
the last seventy years. It's a war on civil rights.

Speaker 4 (05:55):
Well, the President claimed that he of course did cancel
DEI in the federal governm but he also said he
canceled it in private industry. I'm not even sure if
that's possible.

Speaker 11 (06:05):
It's a fabrication and an exaggeration. The president of the
United States cannot cancel diversity, equity, and inclusion. He can
wage warm it. But the commitment that people have to
racial justice is protected by the First Amendment in the Constitution.
We have a right to do this, and we have
a right to pursue a level playing field, an equal opportunity,

(06:27):
and a seat at the table for black people. And
the president cannot cancel it. He can wage war on
it and seek to undermine it. But you know, I
think some of us thought that this Trump administration would
be an administration where he'd want to be a president
for everyone. Clearly that's not the case.

Speaker 4 (06:47):
Well, he had that, I guess you could call it
celebrated event at the White House for Black History Month,
all these black supporters of the president. But yet aside
from that, it doesn't seem like he's doing, according to
a lot of people, anything or much for African Americans.

Speaker 11 (07:04):
Well, African Americans want to be treated like everyone else.
We don't want to be singled out and targeted, you know,
we want an opportunity. There's very little diversity in his administration.
His first administration was the least diverse in the last
probably fifty years. Even Reagan and Bush as Republican presidents,
had more African Americans. Remember Bush had Colin Pole Bush

(07:28):
head Condi, Rice Bush had Offensil Jackson. He had African
American appointees. I think that this president may have wanted
his cabinet the Hut Secretary, and so it's not a
very representative administration and administration that's representative of the American people.
But this is what Donald Trump stands for. This is

(07:49):
what he has run on. This is his philosophy and
his worldview, and it's inconsistent with the worldview that many
of us Hay, I'm including I have of a multiracial
American democracy, and it is though he's fighting that change,
that natural change that's coming with the change in American

(08:11):
demographics and trying to undermine the progress. The second thing
I have to comment on, because we work on economic opportunity,
is the scattershot approach he's taken to economic policy, with
tariffs risks, a recession, risks, an economic slow down. Already
the stock market is in decline, already, many many businesses

(08:35):
are halting hiring already. You see many retailers with their
sales going down. Donald Trump inherited a strong economy with
some challenges from Joe Biden. In less than sixty days,
he's managed to weaken the economy and threaten its future

(08:57):
with scattershot economic policies. The roundup of immigrants has created
instability in the markets for labor and the agricultural sector,
and the processing sector and the retail sector. His tariffs
are basically the tariff is a tax. It's a tax.

(09:19):
We should call it what it is. It's a tax
on anything that comes into the United States from China
or Canada or Mexico. A tax. And that tax is
ultimately either going to be absorbed by a business and
it will affect their revenues and their bottom line and
their profits, or it's going to be passed on to

(09:39):
consumers in price increases.

Speaker 4 (09:42):
Well, you know, the President promised that on day one
he was going to do something about things like the
price of eggs. So far he's been doing more getting
rid of federal workers, many of them are black. And
you know that was for many years, certainly for my lifetime,
to a better life working forward to the government.

Speaker 11 (10:03):
No questions that the military and the federal sector were
opportunities for African Americans to hold jobs before we got
access to the private sector. So it's a it's a
troubling attack. I mean, they're carrying out it's almost like
a reign of terror on these hardworking federal employees and
just smearing them, saying it's waste, fraud and abuse. There's

(10:25):
no evidence, there's no sign. It's all a false narrative.
You see, the entire Trump two is based on a
false narrative. It's a false narrative about diversity, equity, inclusion,
that somehow it is aligned unqualified people to hold jobs.
It's a false narrative about the federal government in terms

(10:46):
of waste, fraud, and abuse. It's a false.

Speaker 10 (10:49):
Narrative that other countries are stealing jobs from us. And
you know, it's an exaggerated narrative, an exaggerated narrative. You know,
it is if he believed that shot and all, he's
certainly accomplished shock and all. But he's also introduced instability
into the American public, you know, and uncertainty into the economy.

(11:15):
We don't know how this is going to play out somehow.
He thinks if I put tariffs on, it'll bring everybody
to the negotiating.

Speaker 11 (11:23):
Tape that remains to be seen. Because you're you're fighting
a multi front war simultaneously, and this countries have determined
that they're going to fight back.

Speaker 4 (11:35):
Well, I guess the question for the black community here
is what do we do going forward to adjust, to change,
to fix to survive.

Speaker 11 (11:44):
Well, let me just tell you what I see, and
this is what I see to mcgrashans, you know, they're
selected buying campaigns that have been advanced. There are probably
seventy to eighty lawsuits that have been filed. There are
organizing efforts that folk because focused on midterm elections where
there's an opportunity to change control of the Congress. There

(12:05):
are many things that people are beginning to do in
this instance. But I tell people this is going to
be a very, very, very long fight. They're no knockout punctures,
there's no one lawsuit, there's no one election, there's no
one boycott campaign. This is going to take time. It's
going to be difficult, it's going to be uncomfortable, and

(12:29):
the most important thing for people in the black community
is to get involved. But do not look, this is
not an opportunity at first round there this is going
to be a long underground fight.

Speaker 4 (12:41):
Well, I think everybody who is African American is in
it to win it. We just have to be able
to figure out the best approach. And we thank you
as always Mark Brio for your insight.

Speaker 10 (12:54):
Yeah, and so I appreciate the chance to be with
you all all the time. What I want to encourage
people involved, get involved with community based organizations, do something.
And then I also think we have to encourage people
in this moment. This is an excellent opportunity to seek
out African American owned business if there's more money with them.
That's one way to send the message of STRALA.

Speaker 4 (13:15):
Yeah, a lot of people are following the direction in
terms of boycotting certain businesses, the ones that are you know,
banning going back on the word on DEI like Target
and Walmart. So we'll have to see, you know if
that helps.

Speaker 11 (13:30):
Yeah, Well, everyone's got a way in.

Speaker 10 (13:32):
I mean, this is the most important thing for people
to do and not be an observer. This is the
biggest threat that our generation has faced. War has been
declared on the last seventy years, we didn't declare war.
War's been declared on us.

Speaker 4 (13:49):
Well, we're glad to have people like you in the
fight with us. Mark Morial, President and CEO of the
National Urban League, thank you for being with us.

Speaker 11 (13:56):
Very much. Appreciate you. Thank you.

Speaker 1 (13:58):
Before the president's speech, we asked to Georgia State senators
what they hoped he would cover in his address.

Speaker 4 (14:04):
And Bin News correspondent and aker Katie Gray joins us
now with how satisfied they are with what the president
actually said.

Speaker 12 (14:11):
Right after Trump addressed at Congress, Georgia lawmakers are taking
away a very different message. Georgia Senator John F. Kennedy
says that it's about promises delivered.

Speaker 5 (14:20):
His address laid out the bold vision for the future,
one rooted in the principles that have always made this
nation great strength, freedom, and economic prosperity. Georgia Republicans stand
united in support of his agenda.

Speaker 12 (14:33):
On the other hand, Senator Sonya Halpern says that it's
about promises broken.

Speaker 13 (14:38):
Fast forward to today, that campaign promise has been broken,
and unfortunately that means many of my constituents will feel
or are already feeling, the economic consequences of the Trump
administration's agenda.

Speaker 12 (14:53):
Trump discussed a range of topics, but when it comes
to the impact and the direction of Georgia, Senator Helpern
says that it's all ready the impacting hardworking Georgians.

Speaker 13 (15:02):
Already Georgia farmers are panicking as Trump is levying tariffs
against any produce they export.

Speaker 14 (15:10):
You heard that, right, he.

Speaker 13 (15:12):
Said, and I quote to the great farmers of the
United States. Get ready to be making a lot of
agricultural product to be sold inside the United States. Tariffs
will go on external product on April second. Have fun.

Speaker 15 (15:28):
I'm Katy gray Well.

Speaker 4 (15:30):
Federal workers aren't the only people feeling vulnerable and hesitant
about speaking out. Communications specialist Judy Durand of JAJDPR says
a lot of black organizations are also doing what they
can to stay off the President's radar.

Speaker 16 (15:44):
I am hearing from community organizations as well as all
of my clients, and not the majority, but a few
too many that they have unfortunately chosen to shy away
from challenging the Resident's actions against Dee and I.

Speaker 1 (16:03):
Durand says a hesitancy comes from fear of drawing the
Trump administration's attention and unwanted repercussions for fighting back against it,
But she says that resistance can also be a call
to action for those who do find the courage to
fight back.

Speaker 16 (16:16):
When these organizations go silent, there is all the more
responsibility for everyone to support those who are not silent
and to support those who are moving progress forward. It
takes a lot of courage, and there was this same

(16:37):
pushback during the civil rights movement. So if ten organizations
are going silent, and even if they are some of
the most prominent, there's going to be one or two
hundred more, maybe not with the same recognition, and we
need to get behind those and for all of the

(16:57):
advocacy organizations who are fighting that fight for us, there's
no reason for us not to be members. There are
no reasons for us not to follow their mandates when
they are coming up with programs for our communities that
is definitely doing the work of protecting our civil and

(17:18):
human rights.

Speaker 4 (17:19):
Durand encourages organizations that are apprehensive about being too vocal
about the president's actions to stay connected to their clients
and supporters through email and social media postings. Well. Much
has been said about the value of small black businesses.

Speaker 1 (17:34):
BI n Achor Doug Davis spoke to some of the
nation's most prominent Black leaders about why supporting those businesses
is especially important now.

Speaker 3 (17:42):
The recent executive orders have sparked a wave of concern
among black leaders and black business owners, obviously, who see
these actions as a direct challenge to decades of progress
in equity and inclusion across industries and communities. These leaders
are mobilizing to protect the hard gains that support black
owned businesses, educational opportunities, and representation and decision making spaces.

(18:07):
This moment is shaping up to be a pivotal chapter
in the ongoing fight for justice and equality. Black owned
businesses could directly be impacted by Trump's recent executive orders
related to DEI initiatives. The orders could bring less opportunities
to black owned businesses seeking federal contracts by way of
dB programs. I asked senior president of the US Black

(18:28):
Chambers of Commerce, Incorporated, how the organization could advise black
businesses on how to adapt in a Trump two point
zero world.

Speaker 17 (18:34):
The federal government historically has been there to provide resources, funding,
technical assistance, and with these attacks and these executive orders,
Most if not all of those services are going to
be scrutinized budgets being cut. But those businesses still need
those resources, They still need funding, they still need opportunities

(18:56):
to meet and make new contracts. And so I told
tell those businesses come to the US Black Chamber.

Speaker 11 (19:03):
We're filling in the gap.

Speaker 17 (19:04):
With that being shaken, the US Black Chamber is going
to stand out of the gap to make sure that
our businesses around the country continue to prosper, because we
know that when black businesses do well, this country does well.

Speaker 3 (19:15):
The US Black Chambers of Commerce or USBC, was birth
in two thousand and nine to advocate for a black
owned businesses and unite with black entrepreneurs to help provide
the tools necessary for economic success. The USBC is well
known in black business circles as the national voice of
black business.

Speaker 1 (19:32):
We're headquartered here.

Speaker 11 (19:33):
In Washington, d C.

Speaker 17 (19:35):
We're based on what we call our six pillars advocacy,
access to capital, contracting opportunities, entrepreneur training, chamber, development, and
now information. Regardless of who's in the White House, Democrats Republicans,
we are always going to be advocating on behalf of
black owned businesses We've been paying into a system that

(19:57):
has never really represent our interests and or concerns and
the ability for us to be able to have us
not just the seat at the table, but a voice
that was being heard and respected. And so the US
Black Chamber is always going to be here fighting on
behalf of black owned businesses, regardless of who's in the administration,
regardless of who's in the White House.

Speaker 3 (20:18):
Recent poll show that black Democratic voters are not happy
over the party's response to Trump's executive voters some field
Democratic leaders are being soft on Trump's aggressions. US representative
and Congressional Black HAWKUS President of e VET D Clark
says members of the CVC are busy at work fighting
for the rights of Black Americans.

Speaker 18 (20:35):
Well, you know, the CBC is fighting to protect and
defending black communities against this foreign right extremism, and that's
being unleashed right now. We are working with Congress, we
are working in the Congress, We're working in the courts,
We're working in our communities to make sure that our
folks that educate informed, and again we are taking an

(20:55):
all hands on deck approach. We're very fortunate in that
Leader Jeffries and the House, Democrats have established a Rapid
Response Task Force, a litigative working group that has been
on point where all of these issues are concerned. They're
over one hundred cases in litigation right now, many of

(21:17):
which have been extremely successful in the court in restraining
orders and really making sure that we are dealing directly
with this administration's unlawful behavior.

Speaker 11 (21:30):
And we've seen.

Speaker 18 (21:32):
Already that they have had to been modifications by the
administration by Elon Musk because of their overreach, and so
we'll continue to keep that pressure on. On the legislative front,
we're working to put out bowld vision for lowering the
costs of living for folks, improving the lives of Black Americans,
making sure that we hold the line on racial equity,

(21:55):
on democracy, on voting rights, on the proliferation of artificial
and intelligence, criminal justice reform, and much much more so.

Speaker 11 (22:03):
We are not, by.

Speaker 18 (22:05):
Any means relinquishing our power and authority to the Trump administration.

Speaker 19 (22:11):
We are the resistance.

Speaker 18 (22:13):
We are making a difference.

Speaker 3 (22:14):
In recent years, African Americans have made a number of
threats to boycott in protests like what happened during the
Black Lives Matter movement, and of course the historic Montgomery
bus boycott, which sparked the civil rights movement of the
nineteen sixties, and I have related that many Black Americans
today felt that, well, could we all come together during
this pivotal time in history. I asked Representative Clark about

(22:35):
her opinion on what was the deciding factor that brought
Black Americans together to boycott.

Speaker 18 (22:40):
Well, when you think about the pronouncements that have been
made from this administration, the insults and the injury and
the harm that is being done to families across this nation,
black families, families of all backgrounds, people reckon nis that,

(23:01):
uh you know, they're being targeted. When you have an
Elon Musk, uh, you know, making these decisions, a private
citizen who was deputized by Donald Trump uh to to
be a wrecking ball uh in our economy. Uh you know,
I think that's very eye opening to folks. You know,
we are all feeling this. These are our neighbors, these

(23:24):
are our relatives, these are our friends who are uh
you know, on are in the bullseye of these individuals
who you know essentially are doing this. They're multi millionaires
themselves billionaires and are using uh you know, the the
the the average uh, every day American, working class, middle

(23:49):
class American to to pad their their pockets. The American
people understand this, and they recognize that they're not powerless,
uh to do something about it.

Speaker 19 (24:00):
And I'm really excited about it.

Speaker 18 (24:03):
You know, there are enough people who are living today
that remember the Montgomery bus boycotts, and so you know,
we're taking a page from our ancestors in knowing that,
you know, we have the freedom to purchase our goods
and services from whomever we so choose. And at the

(24:25):
end of the day, if those individuals are going to
take the very funds that we use to make them,
you know, corporate behemoths, if you will, then we can
also choose to shop to get our services elsewhere where.

(24:45):
They aren't taking that posture with respect to the American people.
They have not been vocal and disparaging diversity, equity, and inclusion.
And I take my hat off in this moment to
those who recognize their power.

Speaker 3 (25:03):
The NAACP has a long history of legal battles standing
up for the rights of black Americans and all citizens
whore up in marginalized Georgia, and the ACP president Gerald
Griggs expounds on Trump's attacks on DEI and how his
chapter is challenging the president's executive orders.

Speaker 20 (25:17):
I think there's a direct attack on marginalized communities in Georgia.
I think what we see with the attack on DEI
is racism rearing this ugly head again under a new term.
And I think what people need to realize when we
talk about DEI, we need to use the actual words diversity, equity,
and inclusion, and they are programs to make marginalized communities

(25:40):
included in the greater conversation on rights, the greater conversation
on the equal distribution of resources. So we're taking an
all hands on deck approach. We are pushing back on
corporations that are trying to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion.
We are also formulating a legal strategy to attack these

(26:01):
rollbacks as a violation of constitutional rights on the fourteenth Amendment.
And most importantly, we are speaking with our elected officials
to pass stronger protections in the State of Georgia. I
was literally just at our lobby day where we have
introduced a new comprehensive Civil Rights Act which will cover
many of these things that the State of Georgia does
not have. So I think we will have an all
hands on deck response and it will be the same

(26:23):
way that we responded when the old Jim Crow has
tried to be rolled out.

Speaker 4 (26:27):
We will fight back.

Speaker 11 (26:28):
And we will win.

Speaker 3 (26:29):
I also asked President Griggs about where the power lies
in the black community and what the everyday Black American
needs to focus on.

Speaker 20 (26:35):
Now average Black person needs to think about the next generation.
What do you want the next generation to inherit? Think
about what your grandparents thought about, or your parents thought
about in the forties and the fifties and the sixties,
and some of us in the seventies, and how they
came together regardless of their social economic standing, and they
recognize that an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

(26:58):
Those are not just words. And so we can quote
doctor King, we can quote Malcolm X, we can quote
John Lewis, we can quote some of the great heroes
and heroes of the past.

Speaker 4 (27:07):
But what are you doing?

Speaker 20 (27:08):
And so for the average black person, I would just
simply say this, and this is in my personal capacity,
do not fund your own oppression. I'm gonna say that again.
Do not fund your own oppression. And what that means
is be intentional in how you are spending your dollars.
We have one point seven trillion dollars or for buying power,

(27:29):
and where we decide to spend will determine where this
economy goes. And then, on a more personal note, you
can take small steps to change the course of history.
All of us don't have to be on the front line.
My good sister, friend and sister in the movement, Queen
and Naja and how long Wolf says, there are many
different roles in revolution. You just got to figure out

(27:49):
which one is your role. My role is to be
an activist, to be an attorney, to be a freedom fighter.
Yours may be to help fund the movement, so donate
to legacy organizations or to start your own organization, or
have a conversation about collective buying, or have a conversation
about building a minority owned businesses, particularly black owned businesses,
and taking back our community. There are so many different areas,

(28:13):
But do not be that person on social media or
or in real media that's not given solutions, that are
only complaining about the problems. We all see what's happening.
We see the rollback on black rights, we see the
attack on black history, We see the attack on black
voting rights. We see that it's looking like nineteen twenty.
But just like in nineteen twenty, when people of good conscience,

(28:35):
particularly in DOAACP ors fought back, whether it's Ida B.
Wells or WB de Boys, or Walter White or Roy
Wilkins or Thurgood Marshal or so many of the legends
of the past. Are you going to become one of
those legends or are you only going to talk about
what they did. Let's become one of those legends. Be
legendary takes a small step, put one step in front
of you. We use whatever revolutionary ideas you have. We're

(28:57):
open to all new forms of resistance, but you got
to make sure that you're resisting.

Speaker 3 (29:01):
President Greggs believes that the NAACP will incorporate more grassroots
efforts and are partnering with other organizations who are standing
up for DEI. All in all, black political leaders and
community centered organizations are preparing to go to war per se.
One of the biggest messages I'm hearing from our leaders
is now is the time for the black community to
join hands, stand up, be strong, but go down and
get prepared for what's being called the New civil rights movement.

(29:23):
I'm Doug Davis on the Black Information Network.

Speaker 1 (29:26):
So where is all the fear and uncertainty taking us
and what is the best response to what many are
feeling is a direct attack against black prosperity.

Speaker 4 (29:34):
Doctor Iana Cummings is the EI specialist and professor and author.
Doctor Zeppelin Maletski joins us now to help sort it
all out.

Speaker 1 (29:43):
Doctor Cummings is joining us from Atlanta Studios, and doctor
Miletski is joining us via zoom from his offices I
think in New York. Thank you very much for that,
doctor Miletski, and we welcome both of you. Let's get
started with the first question that's on a lot of
people's minds, your reaction to President Trump's address.

Speaker 21 (30:00):
Well, first of all, Andrea Michael and doctor Malesky, it
is such an honor and privilege to be here. I
am such a teachable person when it comes to things
that are really the matters of what I believe are
the heart and the hand. And I believe that when
we think of the message that we're hearing from Trump
and his administrators about America being back, we have to

(30:23):
be number one alarmed, and we also have to be
ready and swift in our actionable approach to implementing strategies
that change culture in a way that is not necessarily
going to be the diversity, equity and inclusion that we
once knew, the dei that we once knew in the
United States that leveraged affirmative action, equal employment, opportunity funding, diversity,

(30:45):
equity and inclusion policies internally starting back in the sixties
with Xerox, and of course leading up to present day,
where we've seen the wake of George Floyd's murder bring
economic investment in specific and measurable goals related to representation,

(31:06):
supplier diversity, community development, and impact. All of those measures
that we used to know as targets, goals, quotas, whatever
they have been translated to be over the course of
the history of our implementation, since the Title seven and
six of Civil Rights Act of nineteen sixty four were enacted, amended,

(31:29):
and so forth, we will no longer know. That is
my take on that. What we do know is that
we need resources, and we need them now, and there
is a fierce urgency of now, as doctor King reminded us,
and of course, as we work in a community where
there is no monolith we don't know when we were
looking around at black and brown people whether they're really

(31:50):
aligned with us, not just politically, but values wise. What
gain do we really hope to get, not just for
ourselves in a capitalistic society that celebrates elitism, not just
among the privileged white people, but among all people. And
how do we distribute that well, so that minuscule percentage

(32:13):
of people who own the masses of the systems and
institutions and projects that we know, how do we distribute
that wealth and those resources for healthcare, education, information and
other resources that give us access to well being and
to life itself.

Speaker 1 (32:33):
Hey, I want to bring in doctor Miletski if I can.
Doctor Maletski, are your reaction to President Trump's address last night?

Speaker 22 (32:39):
You know, I saw a lot of pomp and circumstance.
I saw a lot of sort of I mean, first
of all, let's start with the fact that a black
member or sitting member of Congress was carried out of
the chamber in the middle, you know, and what brave
protests that I think that was probably missed. Hard to
understand watching it on TV what was going on there.

(33:00):
But he was disputing that idea of Trump having a
full mandate, and I think that's an important thing to
do because fudging the numbers was like i'll call like
almost two thirds of that whole address was as we
you know, selectively statistics can be shown in a certain
way to present a certain point of view, and boy

(33:21):
did he do that over and over and over again.
But there's good explanations for some of those so called numbers,
especially around Social Security. It has to do with the
way they backdate things, and it's been part of their
process forever. It's almost like the Y two K bug
when you had the nineteen and you had to eradicate
that to fix that. Going forward, social Security goes back

(33:43):
so far that it's on those older machines and older
mainframes now, you know, trying to end government waste, I
think in an absolute sense it's not something most people
disagree with per se. But actually what's happening with the
so under the guys of efficiency is the removal and

(34:04):
defunding of programs that help a lot of the groups
that my colleague was just talking about. You know, it's
similar to what Reagan did. Reagan did similar thing where
he defunded a lot of social programs. But eventually we
have to recognize with that and recognize it for what

(34:25):
that is. I think one of the other last things
I'd just like to add, since you know, we're talking
about labor here and it affects our people specifically because
so many African Americans work in federal jobs, especially in
the DMV area, but also throughout the country, and we
really have to pay attention to some of the things

(34:49):
that are going on. Trump, for instance, prohibited with Executive
Order eleven two four six, which was passed way back,
you know, in lbj's time, and there was that prohibit
employment discrimination and required affirmative action. The affirmative action part
is probably not so surprising to most people, but I'm
saying that what they're going for is even a repeal

(35:12):
of the idea of equal opportunity. So I'm so proud
of organizations like the National Urban League that have always
been out front on that issue. We have to keep
our eyes lifted but also focused on what is actually
going on, because the project is to take us back
to a new nadea a time which is more severe

(35:33):
than Jim Crow, more severe than a lot of things
that we've been through, where you have really the targeting
of us as a people.

Speaker 4 (35:43):
Yeah, when you talk about blacks in labor, it seems
like in the last just a couple of months, since
the new president has come on board, we've taken so
many steps back, just that quickly. It used to be
in my lifetime they would say, he want a good job,
you know, go work for the government, county, state, city, whatever.
Retire And I know many people who've done very well

(36:03):
with that, even retiring early after twenty five or thirty years.
But now we wonder, gosh, what is the future. How
do we go back to the direction that we had
been or do we have to go in a different direction,
Doctor Cummins.

Speaker 21 (36:16):
You know, artificial intelligence has us raging against time. This
new revolution we are in has us raging against a
machine that doesn't really even exist. And so I believe
forward is the only way to progress. If in fact,
the government is dismantled the way they're describing, I do
believe we're going to have to come up with other

(36:36):
systems and strategies, not just be littling the perspectives of
one group of African Americans or LATINX individuals who likely
didn't like Kamala Harris. If you look at the figures
of the voters in this country, even black and brown
individuals who are marginalized as a result of Trump's election

(36:57):
voted for him, you know, And it's weird because you
wonder what values and principles is he establishing that caused
that to be the case. And that is where we
need to kind of examine what the root of those
problems are. And I believe the dissenting opinions among us
create a space where there are people who diverge from

(37:18):
this monolithic concept that we're all working together and black uplivment,
black power, black collective economic gain, when in fact, some
people don't buy that yet. And still they may not
have bought it in the sixties, their parents may not
have bought it in the thirties. You know, you really
don't know what the problems are. They still may not

(37:39):
see that the days of old where we did the
strategies that were previously employed were even effective, and they're
still seeing themselves in the same place economically, health wise
and everything. And so how do we work together, even
in a bipartisan sense, elect people who are going to

(38:00):
at least in some point be elected into office. That
can make a difference if not now, then sometime in
the future.

Speaker 1 (38:07):
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I want to
remind our viewers you're listening to a special edition of
The Black Perspective The Realities of Black America. We're talking
with DEI expert doctor Ayana Cummings here in our Atlanta studios,
and we're talking via zoom with doctor Zebulin Miletski, who
is an associate professor of Africana Studies at stony Brook
College in New York and an outspoken advocate for civil

(38:30):
rights as well as for our DEI. And we thank
you both for joining us today. So, doctor Miletski, you're
in the educational space. What's at stake for our HBCUs
with this directive that we're seeing against DEI.

Speaker 4 (38:43):
Oh yeah, this is.

Speaker 22 (38:44):
Funny you ask you that because you know, years ago
I wrote a op ed piece actually when last time
when Trump was in office, and you know, I was
opining on you know, what might happen with the HBCUs
under Trump, going way back in time here remembering that
first term of office that Trump had, Remember he had,

(39:06):
you know, sent people to the HBCUs. He said, some
people in his cabinet. There was a famous old notorious
photo of one of them, said being on the couch
with their legs up on the couch and stuff like that.
And but then he also made promises to the presidents
of the hpc US and gathered the kind of conference

(39:27):
that Obama had held. But then I always thought, you know,
maybe he's preparing them for something either. I said, privatization.
That might have been a bit of a far fetched idea.
And after Trump got, you know, lost office, I thought, oh, okay,

(39:49):
I guess I was wrong. But here he is back again,
and with a really strange pick for the Department of Education.
And I don't think it's any secret at all, uh,
based on Project twenty twenty five that they were going
to gut the Department of Education if elected, you know,
and that's something we really ought to focus on too.

(40:09):
Just to pause, I noticed that, like every single thing
that Trump has done is something that they said they
were going to do. At some level. He denied connection
with Project twenty twenty five. I think we all knew
that wasn't true. I guess, as Maya Angelou said, you know,
when someone shows you who they are, believe them. He
has shown who he is time and time again, and

(40:29):
it kind of just to go back to the point
that was made earlier about the fact that African Americans
and Latinos at some level, black men in particular, I think,
way more heavily in terms of voting for Trump. We
have to study now that phenomenon. This is a new
sort of era in the story of Black conservatism, because

(40:51):
that's a story that's also relevant. And they're right beneath
our noses, you know we are.

Speaker 4 (40:58):
We're going through many seasons over the years in terms
of economic empowerment and trying to get ahead. As we
talked about federal employment. I remember as a child, I
had an aunt who was always encouraging us to support
black businesses, and there was a time when they told
us to put a black magic marker on a dollar,

(41:19):
and as it circulates, businesses will see that a black
person supplied that money. Where do we go from here?
What is the next iteration of what we have to
do to not only survive, but to thrive financially, Doctor Cummins, I.

Speaker 21 (41:33):
Think entrepreneurship is one of the most underrated but effective
means to an end in that regard. In corporate America,
we don't allow individuals who encountered the criminal justice system
to do many things. You know, depending upon the job
they might be applying for. Typically there's so many loopholes
that people would have to go through depending upon the

(41:54):
corporation that that whole block the box concept doesn't apply.
And so what you look at is how to get
through the supply chain in an entrepreneurial fashion for individuals
who might have encountered through criminal justice system. Unfortunately, that
is predominated by black and brown individuals if you add
the two together, and what I do believe is that
entrepreneurship in a way that is cooperative and that allows partnership, collaborations,

(42:18):
but just being more cooperative. You know a lot of
times entrepreneurs and business people are considered miudingly, but there's
a reason for that. They're trying to protect their assets
and they have something to protect. But when you hold
on to your ideas and you don't celebrate the ability
that other people might have to contribute in a team
fashion to what you're doing, you're really defeating our purpose

(42:39):
as of people. And I think the concept that Milana
kornga partner me from mispronouncing his name, who went to
school with my mother. They were in the same class
at the University of California at Los Angeles right down
during the Watts riots and all of that, that concept
of cooperative economics. What is wrong with helping one another through,

(43:00):
you know, participating with one another in this endeavor. And
I think even if that means iron sharpening iron, where
we may fall short in some way on customer service
or this and that, not allowing that to block your
view of all black businesses and you know it's subpar
and that kind of thing, because we just then are
participating in this whole bias of black businesses in general,

(43:22):
you know, and I know there are a lot of
ways that we can all improve. But would you you know,
would you attribute that all McDonald's that you go to
are horrible if you went and got one McDonald's French
fry that was cold, you know, it's that kind of thing,
you know, So you have to be wary of getting
into that mentality that all black businesses this or that,
when in fact it's just a matter of development.

Speaker 1 (43:44):
And well, we are running out of time. But doctor mind,
let's give you want to hear from you a closing
thought if you will on what we do. I mean,
I know that staying connected to our advocacy organizations and
those civil rights communities that have led us here thus far.

Speaker 15 (44:01):
What is next for us?

Speaker 1 (44:03):
And I in particular, think about these young black adults
that we have now who have been trained and educated
in some of the finer institutions in America and have
that capability. What does this moment in time look like
for them as they try and forge their way forward.

Speaker 22 (44:23):
Yeah, I mean, I think on a practical level, you know,
we have to kind of have approached us with a
know your rights sort of mentality. We talked about that
for the last several years, in terms of, you know,
what do you do when if you get pulled over
by the police. They used to call it the talk
that a lot of black mothers and sons and fathers

(44:46):
and sons had with each other. You know, I'm biracial
by background, but we had to talk my mom and
I because my mom is black, and so we have
to we have to have the talk right now. We
have to be ready to consult with legal counsels. We
need to We need to be willing to maybe change
the name of some things. You know, there's nothing wrong

(45:06):
with just rebranding something the DEI brand is damaged, that's
for sure, and what it will rename itself into will
be a reflection of what our political coalitions are.

Speaker 11 (45:19):
You know.

Speaker 22 (45:19):
The fact is is that I think when this history
gets written, it's going to have to be said that
the groups that duplicated in many ways, that emulated the
black lead largely black lead black and white lead civil
rights movement, that is, you know, other groups that came along,
the women's movement, the lgbt q i A movements, they

(45:43):
used the blueprint of that to liberate themselves. So we
have so with that wider expanding of democracy and rights
and equity, that's what it's, that's really what it is.
It's an expansion of it from one group or two
groups to many groups. Became overwhelming to this ruling class
system in this case, and so sometimes you get a backlash.

(46:08):
That's just part that's we've had so many white backlashes
of American history. You know that it's actually probably one
of the more only predictable things in our future history.
And so there's that natural ebb and flow and and
so right now you know that that that that side
is sort of running running with things, and so we
must be smart. But also I want us to believe

(46:31):
and remember that not everything that is issued by the
hand of the president is legal, uh, in the sense
that it's temporarily legal until a court, you know. And
I'm not an attorney. I want to be clear. I
don't want to be given legal advice necessarily. But uh,
but a lot of these things are getting challenged in
the courts. Mark Morial reminded us that the other day. Uh,

(46:53):
And so we so the wait and see attitude is
not the worst thing in the world either. So many
of these things are being challenge every time he signs one.
Courts are issuing you know, stops all over the place,
federal judges and so it's contested. And that is Trump's
way of doing things. He causes a big, you know,

(47:15):
huge ruckus and then negotiates it. It's like in that
crazy book you wrote the deal whatever the art of
the deal in the eighties. So that's what we're looking at.
So we have to be smart, be willing to comply
with the guidelines in the meantime, but not be fearful
because because that's my last point, you know, we did

(47:35):
lose some of our brothers and sisters who felt hit
their duty. It's part of just as American as apple pie.
I guess, as they say, voting for who you feel
like you want to vote for. And some people are
just going to you know, ally with where they feel
that it's best for their survival. And you know what,
that's actually probably the most African American thing that anyone

(47:58):
could ever have done.

Speaker 4 (48:01):
It's some great insight from you both. Thank you so
much for being with us here today. We really appreciate
you sharing with our audience of the Black Information Network.
Sudden and massive change can sugar feelings of defenselessness, which
can play on our sense of well being.

Speaker 1 (48:16):
Meah yeah. News anchor Amber Peyton spoke with doctor Sonya
souther One, a licensed therapists and expert and cultural competence
about what people can do to protect their mental and
emotional health during these times of uncertainty.

Speaker 19 (48:28):
I think it even feels hurtful and for some traumatizing,
because remember, trauma is that emotional and psychological response that
we have to really hard or painful experiences, and it
happens when we get overwhelmed or it makes us feel
helpless or scared and safe. I know for me, it
feels like a step backward in the fight for equality,

(48:50):
and it brings up feelings of anger, frustration, just even
hopelessness sometimes and it's mentally and it's emotionally difficult.

Speaker 15 (48:57):
From the rollback of DEI programs to the in cost
of living, it's easy to feel frustrated and overwhelmed. Doctor
Sutherland says those feelings are valid, but need to be
processed in a healthy way.

Speaker 19 (49:09):
Just being connected with supportive people, finding people who understand
and share my values can be comforting. And sometimes it's
been friends, sometimes it's been my family members, but those
people that support us and help us feel less alone
and make us feel really heard.

Speaker 15 (49:29):
But sometimes stress and anxiety go beyond what family and
friends can help with, and for many in the black community,
therapy still carry stigma.

Speaker 19 (49:37):
Yeah, you know, even as we talk about that, I
want to acknowledge that the stigma around mental health in
many respects historically is well founded. The stigma so the
mistrust of medical the medical feel in general, mental health
feel We understand that there are things in our history

(49:58):
that have led us here and that they are legitimate.

Speaker 15 (50:02):
Despite that, she says, prioritizing mental health is just as
important as physical health and finding the right therapist can
make all the difference.

Speaker 19 (50:10):
There are places to look for therapists of color to
be helpful. Right, so you know psychology today is a
good place to look. The Black Emotional and Mental Health
Collective is a good place to look. Find those places
where we are talked about as a collective, and you'll

(50:30):
be able to kind of reach out and see who
is affordable to you, who may be on your insurance panel.
But you're looking for You're also wanted to make sure
that you are looking for qualified people. So you're looking
for a licensed professional counselor right, you're looking for a psychologist,
you're looking for a licensed clinical social worker.

Speaker 15 (50:52):
With financial stress and policy changes creating uncertainty, prioritizing mental
health is more important than ever, whether it's leaning one community,
setting boundaries, or seeking professional help. Doctor Sutherland says taking
even small steps can make a difference. I'm Imbra Paytent
on the Black Information Network.

Speaker 1 (51:09):
OH be sure to stay tuned to the Black Information
Network for the latest happenings and developments impacting the Black community.

Speaker 4 (51:15):
You can listen to BN on the iHeartRadio app, as
well as online at binnews dot com.

Speaker 1 (51:22):
And be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Instagram,
and TikTok and threads at Black Information Network and on
x and blue Sky at black Info Net. We thank
you for joining us for our special coverage of the
President's addressed to Congress.

Speaker 4 (51:34):
This has been the Black perspective, the realities of Black America.
I'm Mike Stevens and I'm.

Speaker 1 (51:40):
Andrea Coleman on your home for Black News First the
Black Information Network.

Speaker 4 (51:47):
This has been a special presentation of the Black perspective
addressing the realities of America.

Speaker 2 (51:53):
Thank you for listening, share your thoughts using the talkback
mic on the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 4 (51:57):
And stay connected to the BI on in gra x
and this guy at black Info Net.

Speaker 1 (52:05):
Oh black women from all over the country. We'll be
coming to Atlanta next weekend for a conference focusing on
women in radio. Via Aya News anchor Alexandria ECMONI spoke
with a founder on what they can expect.

Speaker 14 (52:18):
What's so guys?

Speaker 23 (52:18):
Yous to gir out Alexandria Kamoni in the studio Black
Information Network with Megan Taylor.

Speaker 14 (52:23):
How are you today?

Speaker 5 (52:24):
Good?

Speaker 23 (52:25):
I am doing well. Happy to have you in studio,
by the way, Happy to be here. Yes, yes, people
can't see it, but your shirt is amazing. It gives
away what we're going to talk about. Women in Radio
super excited. Tell us more about the organization and also
the event you have coming up.

Speaker 24 (52:39):
Yeah, so Women in Radio was founded in twenty sixteen
after I graduated from FAMU. I started working in radio
like commercial radio after being in college radio, it's a
huge difference. So I started it and it's just like
a community of women around the country who are in
the radio industry. Now that podcast asking is bigger, we've

(53:01):
added in podcasting. So every year we have our signature event,
which is during Women's History Month, so it's our Women
in Radio Conference and this is actually our ninth year event.

Speaker 23 (53:11):
Yes, that's super exciting. So for those attending from all
around the country, what can they expect when they actually
come to the conference.

Speaker 24 (53:18):
Yeah, well, first, before you even walk in, the venue
is absolutely beautiful. It's the Wimbish House located in midtown Atlanta.
It was built in nineteen oh two and now it's
the Atlanta Women's Club where their home bases.

Speaker 14 (53:33):
But venue absolutely beautiful.

Speaker 24 (53:35):
Panelists even better, we have the lead producer from the
Breakfast Club. We have me and dy b from Decisions Decisions.
We have programmers like Jill Strada, Tt Torres, and then
we are actually honoring Shirley Strawberry from the Steve Harvey
Morning Show for our Trailblazer Award, and there's so many
other amazing women do a great place to connect and

(53:57):
really network, right, Yeah, for sure we love that. So
tell me more about We talked about connecting and networking.

Speaker 23 (54:02):
But really, when people are attending this conference, what are
you hoping that they gain or leave and take away with?

Speaker 24 (54:08):
Yeah, I hope they gain valuable connections and information information
regarding radio their life. It's like some people come to
our conference now because they went one time before with
a friend who's in radio, and they come back and
they're not even even in radio.

Speaker 14 (54:24):
They're like, we just love it so much.

Speaker 24 (54:26):
So yeah, connections, information, it's so important.

Speaker 23 (54:29):
So it is. It definitely is, especially in our business,
Like we can relate to that.

Speaker 22 (54:33):
Sure.

Speaker 23 (54:34):
So you mentioned starting women in radio back in twenty sixteen.
Why did you feel the need to really, you know,
start this movement if you will, back then?

Speaker 24 (54:42):
Yeah, I think back then, more importantly, I just wanted friends.
I was working at an urban ac station, and I
was in my twenties early twenties, so everybody around me
was way older, and I just wanted some people who
could relate to me. So I basically friends, but it's
just turned into some more like mentorship, people getting jobs,
people having lifelong best friends now.

Speaker 14 (55:05):
So I'm very proud of it.

Speaker 23 (55:06):
Yeah, absolutely, and it is for all women.

Speaker 15 (55:08):
We know that.

Speaker 23 (55:09):
But of course, even being here in Atlanta, there is
a heavy focus on black women here really connecting. Why
is it so important that women in radio, especially black
women in radio, have that network and that connection or
even mentorship, like you mentioned.

Speaker 14 (55:22):
It is super important.

Speaker 24 (55:23):
There's not many of us considering like the music genre,
we're mainly going to hip hop and R and B.
Like I have a couple friends in pop. I used
to work in pop, but there's not a lot of
us out there, and especially not a lot of us
in leadership positions. So I really like to showcase that
aspect and the people who are working on bigger shows,
like you can do this too.

Speaker 23 (55:44):
One hundred percent. And speaking for those who can do
it who are trying to get started into this business,
what are some I guess pieces of advice or details
you really want to tell people who are just now
trying to get into this radio business.

Speaker 14 (55:58):
Well, first come to our conference, absolutely super helpful.

Speaker 24 (56:01):
And then secondly, I my whole career is just I've
been working and nothing has ever been too big for me.
I'm no job is too big. I mean, yeah, no
job is too small for me. Yeah, I'm not too
big for anything like that, like huh yeah, yeah, yeah, no.

Speaker 14 (56:19):
Job is too small.

Speaker 24 (56:20):
Like at one point I was working in Tescaloosa as
an assistant program director and I was on air. I left,
I started working in Miami. But to get in Miami
it's hard. So I started out well, restarted my career
as a board op at a conservative news station. So
it's like, nothing is too small for me, Like, you
got to start somewhere, so just get your foot in

(56:42):
the door.

Speaker 23 (56:42):
Absolutely and really just I guess expanding on that in
this sense, what should people know about our industry that
they don't know or would not know until they get in.

Speaker 14 (56:51):
Oh? Wow, it is hard.

Speaker 24 (56:53):
It can be very political, it can sometimes be very
uh oh my, that's.

Speaker 14 (57:00):
A funny question.

Speaker 24 (57:01):
Yeah, I mean yeah, I've just had times in radio
where you work your butt off and you don't feel
like you're getting anywhere, but you see other people getting
somewhere and they're not doing as much as you. But
the thing that I think has kept me most grounded
in radio is just my faith, Like God's time is
the perfect timing, So not trying to look beside me
or behind me or in front of me, just you know,
staying the.

Speaker 23 (57:21):
Core, which is important. You cannot focus on other people's races.
You have to run your own, Like you mentioned, God's
timing so important. Just talking about this because a reoccurring
theme that I keep seeing even in our conversation mentorship
and really just connecting with other people, for black women specifically,
Why do you think it's so important that we have
mentors in this space?

Speaker 24 (57:41):
Oh Lord, Because when times get tough at the radio station,
you definitely need somebody.

Speaker 14 (57:47):
To vent too.

Speaker 24 (57:47):
And sometimes when you're younger, like when I was in
my twenties, things would happen and I get so upset,
so frustrated, and sometimes you just need somebody to calm
you down, like it's not that big of a deal
these tough times. Will always just keep your head down
and do the work. And I love older black women
who have like shaped me and helped me and taught
me how to be a professional. And that's really important

(58:09):
because that is how you keep like a long lasting
career in this industry.

Speaker 23 (58:13):
Absolutely very important right there for sure. So for the
conference coming up, tell us a date, tell us tickets
and how can people get their tickets?

Speaker 14 (58:22):
Correct?

Speaker 24 (58:23):
Yeah, So our conference is Saturday, March fifteenth from one
to six pm at the Wimbush House in Midtown Atlanta.
You can get your tickets at Womenimradio dot org.

Speaker 23 (58:31):
Perfect perfect, Any less words you want to leave with
the people?

Speaker 24 (58:34):
Thank you, I love it, I appreciate you for having me,
and I hope to.

Speaker 23 (58:37):
See everyone there. Absolutely, we are excited. We are going
to be in the building, so we cannot wait for
this one more time. And then for people on social media,
how can they follow you and also the movement.

Speaker 24 (58:47):
Yeah, they can follow Women in Radio at Women in Radio.
And then me, it's Meg Taylor, Its meag Taylor.

Speaker 23 (58:54):
Perfect perfect. Megan, thank you so much for coming into
the studio today.

Speaker 14 (58:57):
Thank you for having me. Absolutely. Absolutely.

Speaker 23 (59:00):
Once again, Alexandria Ikimoni with the Black Information Network.

Speaker 1 (59:04):
Thanks Alexandria and Megan, and for more information about the
Women in Radio event, going on Saturday, March fifteenth in Atlanta, Georgia.
Go to Women in Radio dot org and that's our
program for this week. For more on these stories in
all the latest news impacting the black community, listen to
the Black Information Network on the iHeartRadio app or log

(59:25):
on to Bionnews dot com. Also, be sure to follow
us on social media at Black Information Network and on
X and Blue Sky and Black Info Neet. I'm Andrea Coleman,
wishing everyone a great Sunday. Be sure to tune in
next week and this time for another edition of the
Black Perspective right here on the Black Information Network