Justin J. Pearson, State Representative & Artists Larry and Sharonda Walker

WDIA's Stan Bell sat down with State Representative Justin J. Pearson and Artist Larry Walker and wife Sharonda Walker.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Memphis born and Brad walking the walk and talking and talk.
It's the Stan Belle Morning Show, weekday mornings from six
to ten am on the Heart and Soul of Memphis,
ten seventy WDIA.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Thanks so much, Oh yeah for coming back staying here, everybody.

Speaker 3 (00:13):
I appreciate you.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
All right, were about twelve and a half minutes past
the hour, and thank you so much for being here
on the show this morning. My first special guests are
Larry Walker and his wife Sharonda Walker, and they're doing
what I think is amazing. They're painting pastors, if I
can make that alliteration. They're painting pastors, and I wanted

(00:38):
to support them in such a way that many of
these pastors that you know, deserve this.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
And I don't know if you've ever been in one.

Speaker 2 (00:45):
Of mister Walker's ceremonies that he's begun to have and
here his wife Shiranda have had, like I guess a
couple of years now, maybe three.

Speaker 4 (00:54):
Ye.

Speaker 2 (00:54):
This time is really fine. But you see these pictures,
these portraits, if you will, of these amazing pastors in
our community, and they are so deserving. Master portrait Larry Walker.

Speaker 3 (01:08):
Good morning, sir.

Speaker 2 (01:10):
Good morningderstand, missus respect on her name, that's right, Good
morning stand, good morning.

Speaker 5 (01:18):
I feel the energy.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
You feel it, don't you feel the power? The doer said,
don't you definitely let me first of all say thank
you for covering our time to be with us this morning.

Speaker 3 (01:29):
Thank you inviting us.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, yeah, I know you got places to go to see,
so for you to come out a little time, you know.
And I said, we got to.

Speaker 3 (01:41):
Get them on the show.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
And I thank you mister Ronda for putting out the
olive branch and say, look, you know, if you've got
any kind of availability, you know, look at it and
uh and see what you can do. And I went
to programming. I said, you know, we need to do
the Walkers and they said, listen, we.

Speaker 3 (02:00):
Should have been had them moment.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
Wow.

Speaker 3 (02:04):
So here you are. How's the family. Everybody's good, have
a wonderful daughters, all five of them.

Speaker 6 (02:14):
We're down the one down one she's eleventh grader at
cross Town, so we're almost almost got one more year
time fly.

Speaker 3 (02:26):
Yes, that's good.

Speaker 4 (02:28):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (02:28):
And I know they're proud of their parents, that's for sure. Uh.
Nothing like a two parent household.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
I'm just saying the way you can grow them up,
nurture them and train them, and they can watch you work.

Speaker 3 (02:36):
They see those porches in.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
There, they see mama doing her thing and supporting daddy.
I mean it's you know, I got love for the
single parents, but it ain't nothing like having a two
parent home household. And they see you working every day
and supporting one another. So I applaud you for that
to want support. The words thank you, most important word.
We do this together, and least important is I'm gonna

(02:59):
step out to wear in the minute, and then y'all
talk to us about the twenty twenty five honorees.

Speaker 3 (03:05):
Larry, you've been busy. You do the porches, ye, and
you got a few more to go. I got a
few more.

Speaker 7 (03:09):
Well, well, they're all been started, yes, and a few
has been finished. Yeah, I'm finishing them up. The pastors
are now coming in for the detailed setting. I don't
like to just strictly work from just photos. I like
them to come in for detail.

Speaker 2 (03:24):
Luda, hold on for a minute, let me see it, Luda,
lave in the area already, good to seeing that. Chris Dugas,
everybody I gotta guess, oh oh, absolutely, everybody put them
in your green room.

Speaker 3 (03:34):
Let some emosas I get them.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
All right, yeah, w I listen, that was my uh
it was a digital sales manager coming in.

Speaker 3 (03:45):
Let me know. I guess is out there that must
be represented. Pierson. So here's why we will do it.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
I want y'all to announce these great pastors, and I
want you all to alternate it. If you got, If
you got, if you could tell us who you're drawing, Larry,
you start with how many you got this year?

Speaker 3 (04:02):
Twelve? Can y'all all? Every year we do twelve? Every
year you do twelve.

Speaker 7 (04:06):
So this is the third annual. So now we have
thirty portraits.

Speaker 6 (04:11):
Yeah, there will be thirty six portraits original all portraits
of our spiritual leaders. This art exhibit is one of
the largest art exhibits of spiritual leaders in the country.
We're happy that our nonprofit Pan America Clean Foundation is
the host of the event, and we're just about impacting

(04:33):
and shining a positive light on Memphis and the world.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
So you guys a nonprofit, Yes, we have a nonprofitization, Yes,
fantastic that promotes the art exhibit. All right, so let's
get ready to give it. If I have my drum roll,
I'll give it to you, but I only try to
lay it out. Can you alternate and tell us who
we are and tell us what church?

Speaker 3 (04:52):
Sure? Go ahead.

Speaker 5 (04:54):
The first this year is honery. And now I would
like to.

Speaker 6 (04:58):
I guess let the community know that these pastors were
nominated and voted by them as spiritual leaders and positive
lights in the community. So these were the top twelve
for twenty twenty five. The first honorey that will have

(05:18):
portrait unveiled is doctor David Anderson Senior. He's a pastor
of Clear Creek Missionary Baptist Church in Oxford, Mississippi.

Speaker 3 (05:28):
Oxford.

Speaker 6 (05:29):
Yes, wow, yes, we go within a fifty mile radius.

Speaker 3 (05:33):
We know Vid, doctor David.

Speaker 5 (05:36):
He grew up under a pastor or, Pastor Brown.

Speaker 7 (05:39):
Yes, all right, if it's okay with you, I'm gonna
let my wife, all right. I know some of them
by just their last name, and so she knows them
all a community.

Speaker 6 (05:57):
The second honorey is Pastor Caleb Armer Senior. He's uh
over the Shepherd over Greater Love Baptist Church.

Speaker 8 (06:08):
Uh.

Speaker 6 (06:08):
Then we have Pastor Ronald Claxton Senior of Morning View
Baptist Church. We have doctor Cedric Clayton the second. Yes,
doctor over at Olivet Fellowship Baptist Church.

Speaker 5 (06:26):
We also have that's true, I got you. Uh.

Speaker 6 (06:29):
We also have Pastor Nathaniel Drew Breath of Light seven
Day event Its Church. Uh. We have the renowned doctor
Sherman Hilton Senior. Another one yes, New Hope, New Hope
in South Haven, Mississippi.

Speaker 5 (06:48):
Of course, we have Pastor.

Speaker 6 (06:50):
Robert Jones Junior of Hill's Chapel and kill Avenue Missionary
Baptist Church. He has two church, Hill Chapel, Hill Taple
and kill Avenue. We also have doctor Thomas Murray Senior
with annoyed Temple of Praise.

Speaker 2 (07:11):
One of them dogs dogs. Yes, doctor Thomas L.

Speaker 3 (07:15):
Muror, I see it.

Speaker 6 (07:16):
And then we have Pastor Marlon Pollard Senior a Temple
of Faith Missionary Baptist Hollar Hollard.

Speaker 3 (07:25):
Thank you.

Speaker 6 (07:27):
Doctor William Smith the third Yeah of Marin Missionary Baptist
Church Marine. And then we have Bishop Edward Stevens Jor
the Golden Gate Cathedral not one of them capels. And
our last HONOREEF for this year's twenty twenty five Visible

(07:51):
Portray Light is doctor Jordan Taylor Senior with Shiloh Missionary
Baptist Church over there in South Memphis.

Speaker 3 (08:00):
Wow.

Speaker 6 (08:01):
So they will have their portraits unveiled at this year's
art exhibit, and the previous honorees from twenty twenty three
and twenty twenty four their portraits will.

Speaker 3 (08:12):
Be on exhibit. Okay, so we get to see all
of the chitancy.

Speaker 6 (08:17):
All twenty four spiritual leaders on canvas. We wanted to
leave a legacy, if you will, or paint a picture
when you look back over our community and the things
that have occurred in our community before civil rights movement,

(08:39):
doing the civil rights movement and of course here after,
our spiritual leaders were really instrumental in navigating us through
life challenges and difficulties, and so many of them have
gone on.

Speaker 5 (08:57):
Present.

Speaker 6 (08:57):
People may not know what they look like, they may
not even know their name.

Speaker 5 (09:01):
They just see what they see currently.

Speaker 6 (09:04):
We want to make sure that their legacy, their light,
the impact that they made, lasts for hundreds and hundreds
of years.

Speaker 5 (09:12):
And so all is the way to do that. If
you've ever gone.

Speaker 2 (09:14):
To any museum, So let me ask you, ms Walker,
So how can people be down?

Speaker 3 (09:18):
How they how can they be there? What they need
to do?

Speaker 2 (09:21):
That's is a website they call they want to.

Speaker 6 (09:25):
They can go to event right and look up visible
Portraits of Light to the Portraits of Light Art Exhiblitar.

Speaker 3 (09:32):
Yeah. Light, And you got a number you want to
throw out there? Sure?

Speaker 5 (09:37):
Nine o one three one four zero two nine four.

Speaker 6 (09:43):
Say it again, that's nine zero one three one four zero.

Speaker 3 (09:47):
Two nine four all time?

Speaker 5 (09:50):
All right, nine oh one three one four o two.

Speaker 3 (09:56):
Nine four three times certain.

Speaker 7 (09:59):
Before we are finish up, I do want to say
that there's a student art contest that's a part of
this as well, and they're doing pretty much what I'm doing.
They've selected someone in the community that they think is
a light, whether it's in their life or the community's life,
and so they want to paint a portrait and they

(10:19):
did and so right, and they have to write an
essay about that person. Why do you think that person
is a light in the community? And so we have
the art country. I don't judge the art contest. I
have to have other fellow artists to come in and
judge it, because I wanted to be real, really fair.

Speaker 3 (10:36):
You have five high school winners, No, we're gonna have.

Speaker 5 (10:39):
Ten all together.

Speaker 6 (10:41):
One we have a category for art and they will
receive a two hundred dollars cash prize. And we also
have art students who are part of the essay because
about the person everyday citizens, we're you know, we're highlighting
spiritual leaders. We're also having the Youth Art Exhibit, which

(11:03):
will feature about seventeen works of arts from our very
talented high school students in the Memphishippy County community.

Speaker 7 (11:12):
And is it okay if we mentioned the sponsors of
the event. So we're just we're just proud to be
able to have people that are supporting the events.

Speaker 3 (11:25):
And you're right, man, you know what this is exciting.

Speaker 2 (11:28):
The awards and unveiling ceremonial will be held at the Renaissance, right, yes,
And when is it going to be?

Speaker 5 (11:34):
April the twenty seventh. Doors open at.

Speaker 3 (11:37):
Three, so it's gonna fallo on a Sunday, Right, It's.

Speaker 6 (11:39):
A Sunday, so they can come right after church and
come down and we'll have exhibitors as vendor booths as well.

Speaker 3 (11:47):
That's gonna be really nice, no doubt.

Speaker 2 (11:49):
We've been talking to master portrait artist Larry Walker, one
of the North Side Cougars from back in the day.
It's gonna feature a total of thirty six amazing original all,
ain't it portray that he painted during this art event.
His wife, Saranda Walk we remember her from Get Be Visible.
Visible will be a magazine back in the day.

Speaker 6 (12:11):
We still do the magazine, and we tied it to
the event, so the magazine, advertisers, et cetera, will be
uh in this special edition.

Speaker 3 (12:22):
So it's once a year now publication.

Speaker 6 (12:25):
The pandemic helped us, you know, kind of focus again
because a lot of things were interrupted around that time.
But we are just committed to making positive things, positive
people visible in our community. And so the visible portrait
like art exhibit is one way, and then of course
the magazine is another way. But we are diehard Memphians.

(12:50):
We believe in Memphis. We love Memphis, and we just
want it to become contagious. The positivity UH that we have.
You know, there's a lot of negative, but it's like,
what are you gonna chew on? Are you gonna continue
to feed yourself negative? Or are you gonna gravitate to
some positive more positive things?

Speaker 3 (13:10):
So I like to we're excited.

Speaker 2 (13:11):
Well, that's one of the main reasons we had you
on the show because of your positivity I want to
thank you the Walkers in the building. Gotta wrap it up,
pay some bills, but this is gonna be great. April
two seven, April twenty seventh, this year three I rock,
as I say, Master portrait artist Larry Walker's gonna unveil
these amazing original or portraits then, and you're invited to

(13:32):
come on out there and be a part of something
truly amazing.

Speaker 3 (13:36):
Thank you, mister Ronnie Walker.

Speaker 2 (13:37):
You're all right, listeners, I'm gonna take a break, be
right back for our next special guest as a part
of stand Special People Spotlight. Welcome back everybody. Ooh, we
did I get everything in? I think I let me
make sure I got everything situated. Yeah, okay, we're good.
I think I'm was sunned to do one more here.
Let me do a legal it D before I get
our special guest all miked up in all that good stuff.

Speaker 3 (13:59):
Let me do one other thing.

Speaker 2 (14:00):
Okay, it's kind of my computer is kind of almost loading,
spinning and all like this.

Speaker 3 (14:05):
Let me do this. I think two. It's an intro
right here for two three, four.

Speaker 2 (14:11):
I guess all right, ladies jumping in the studio with
me right now. Tennessee State representative, the one and only,
put the honorable on this thing.

Speaker 3 (14:22):
Justin J.

Speaker 2 (14:23):
Pearson is in the building. I like doing intros. Man,
good morning to you, sir, good morning to you.

Speaker 8 (14:31):
Thank you so much for the opportunity I got to
bring you up right.

Speaker 3 (14:34):
Man, Okay, okay.

Speaker 2 (14:36):
They're honorable Tennessee State Representative representing District eighty six.

Speaker 3 (14:41):
And matter how How'm I doing so far? You're doing good.
This straight off the dome, off from the chest. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (14:48):
Well, man, who really needs I mean literally really needs
no introduction.

Speaker 3 (14:52):
Uh, Justin J.

Speaker 2 (14:53):
Pearson, Tennessee State Representatives in the building literally And I
finally got him out the green room. I mean, you know,
he enjoys being in the green room. We got the
fruits and the berries and the nuts and the cherries
and you know, and the spinish dip. And he said,
I'm not ready going the hell yet. I I'm enjoying myself.
I said, come on in there, man, thank you. Two
most important words in the language. Thank you, the most

(15:14):
important word. We least important word. I So for the
remainder of the show, it's the Justin J. Pearson Morning
Show featuring stand. You know, it's like you know, you
out front.

Speaker 5 (15:31):
Doctor.

Speaker 3 (15:32):
I'm just I'm glad to be on your show.

Speaker 2 (15:34):
You know what, Uh man, you're looking well, I got
to ask you, how's the family?

Speaker 9 (15:38):
Man?

Speaker 8 (15:38):
Everybody is yet holding on yet hold that's right and
in God's faith, my mom's getting a doctorate.

Speaker 3 (15:46):
Your mama mama sure, yeah, may yeah, university Memphis versus Memphis.

Speaker 2 (15:51):
What I man gonna shout your mama name out, doctor
Kimberly Orne Pearson, Doctor kim Well, we're gonna claim it
is that because she's already defended, right, So she's done finished.

Speaker 3 (16:01):
Shed Now it's just walking across. Come on, God, all right.

Speaker 2 (16:06):
Take your walk, I get your big sheep skin, shake
his hand and look up in the hills. Thank you
all and you all right? Yeah, you know, just you
know represented, you know that's how I graduated. Everybody else
talking about Cooma lawded what it called a sumer cool.

Speaker 3 (16:23):
I was just thanking loud.

Speaker 2 (16:24):
Yeah, I come with praise, I come with thanks. Let
me out, but your mama doing it man and family good.
Let me let me say now publicly, is my sincereous
condolences to you the family and loss of your brother.

Speaker 3 (16:40):
I know he was he was your soul maid.

Speaker 2 (16:42):
Right by your side, man, And I know, man, it
gets sentimental, but I just got you know, Mama told me,
she said, look, you you gotta take that folk know
the human man, And I know what happened on that
hill that time. You know it was it was near
and dear to your heart, and you like, look, I
got to stop this saying on the script.

Speaker 3 (16:59):
I got.

Speaker 2 (16:59):
This just kept come out of me. And I thought
about it because if the shoe was on the other foot.
At first, I was like, man, you know sometimes Justin
has always been represented Priston has also been so cool
and common and your demeanor and you're composing. But I
had to think about that thing again if it were me,
and uh, I don't know how I would have reacted,
but it's one of those spontaneous things, I guess, and
when somebody crosses the line sometimes you have to react

(17:22):
and respond.

Speaker 3 (17:24):
So Man, I'll applause you actually not just because you're
in the studio. But I had to think about it
for man, I said, Justin, Justin Man.

Speaker 2 (17:32):
And I thought about it, man, because you know, I said, man,
because I don't I don't have any brothers. You know,
I got fraternity brothers, but it's different biologically right, no doubt.
So what you did, man, I'm just gonna say, man,
you know, no sugar coating. It was a propos because
I pulled back it first. Just time and place for everything.

(17:52):
You know, you know the scripture says it's time and
place and everything. But when you think about it, family,
that's right. Folk can go too far and I'll often
see a person with tact has less to retract. So
that was not tactful the other man's situation. So thank

(18:12):
you man for being strong and resilient.

Speaker 3 (18:14):
I appreciate it. Yes to wd I a to come
up here in spite of all that, what is transpired?
Let me get right to it.

Speaker 8 (18:19):
Man.

Speaker 2 (18:20):
Of course we've asked about your family, who said thank
you to you? What is on you agenda? It's so
much on your plate right now. Wherever you want to start,
Tennessee Representative, you can start x A.

Speaker 3 (18:30):
I you can talk. I know you had a meeting,
was it yesterday? Ye talk to us about that? Yep.

Speaker 8 (18:36):
So first, thank you, and uh, you know the loss
of my brother has definitely been significant in all of
our lives, and his three sons especially, and for anybody
who's struggling with suicide thoughts of self harm. Nine eight
eight is a number that you can call it, nine
eight eight.

Speaker 3 (18:53):
That's something you do.

Speaker 8 (18:54):
That's how you have to call nine eight eight and
there's somebody on the other end of the phone to
support you. In Folks just need to know they're not alone.
There is hope, and tell somebody, Tell anybody, because people
want to be there for you. What's on my mind
and top of mind for me right now is this
environmental injustices and environmental racism that we're experiencing in our
city and in our county. And I'm to be honest

(19:15):
with you, and the reason I was so grateful that
you allowed us to be on your show, my show
featuring you, is because the urgency of this situation is
at a fever pitch, and I am righteously indignant that
we are in an emergency moment as it relates to
the polluters and pollution that is impacting not just Southwest
Memphis three one oh nine, where I live, where I'm from,

(19:37):
but our entire county. Yesterday, the Tennessee Valley Authority came
with a proposal to add six new combustion gas turbines
in Southwest Memphis we asked what pollution they're going to
be producing. They didn't have anything about that, but they
told us how clean and how green this was going
to be. We have Elon Musk in our community right
now with thirty five gas turbines that we don't know

(20:00):
if all of them are operating, but they don't have
a single permit, They don't have any information or documentation
that is allowing them to do this, and all of
this is happening illegal, yet it is being allowed to
happen due to our leadership, and so Mayor Harris, mayor Young,
City council members, county commissioners all have a responsibility to
do more to protect the air quality of our community,

(20:22):
and they are not doing it. I am righteously indignant
that in this moment in time, Director Taylor of the
Shelby County Health Department is not doing her job. There
are many things that she could be doing, including going
to XAI, determining whether or not all of these turbines
are in use or if they are not, and making
that public. She could cease their operations until they get

(20:43):
their product.

Speaker 2 (20:44):
So I thought I heard declare that she would not
go forward with whatever it is they were trying to
do until she got more information about what. But she
is in a position you say that she could probably
lack of a better word, derail this or cut it, or.

Speaker 3 (20:57):
She could stop this, stop it. She could stop this day.

Speaker 8 (21:00):
She has the power stops YS today through the Clean
Water Clean Air Act as well as our local implementation
plan as it relates to air pollution.

Speaker 3 (21:07):
Because she's in the seat. She's in the seat. She's
in the seat of power. And this is the thing.

Speaker 8 (21:11):
When we are in posions of power, we need to
use it. We don't need to obfuscate or try and
find anybody else to blame or point the finger. Director
Taylor and Mayor Lee Harris need to take care of
our community by doing all they can per.

Speaker 2 (21:23):
What is it that Director Taylor needs? What is it
that she needs to know? Does she know that she's
quote unquote in the driver's seat and she is in
this powerful seat that could stop it?

Speaker 3 (21:35):
Is she is she aware of that?

Speaker 8 (21:37):
The Southern Environmental Law Center Memphis Community Against Pollution nonprofit
that I helped to found with our community, Young, Gifted
and Green Sierra Club at Tennessee all sent a letter
to her day before yesterday notifying her because it doesn't
seem that she knew that thirty five gas turbines were
at the XAI site. This was the first we ever
heard of it. She never said anything Elon Musk and

(21:59):
Xai never said anything. This was found out by the
Southern Environmental Los Center, one of our coalition partners. In
that letter, there are seven things that Director Taylor can do.
One of those is to tell them to cease operations
completely until they have a permit for the pollution that
they are polluting from these turbines. We are consistently getting
exploited because we're not getting adequate and accurate information, and

(22:21):
we're letting them do this to us even though we
are in a position to stop them from doing it.
And the Chamber Commerce, which really is the white Greater
Memphis Chamber of Commers, does not care about black folk,
does not care about poor folk, does not care about
folk who live in three eight one zero nine. And
we need elected officials and appointed officials like Mayor Harris,
mayor Young to step into their complete power to protect

(22:43):
our community. This is absurd that somebody can come into
this city, and come into this county and build a
power plant to power a computer. But if I wanted
to build a fence around my house, I'd have to
get a permit. But he can build a permit, he
can build a power plant, pollute the with thirty to
sixty percent more small nitrogen dioxide, with sixteen point seven

(23:07):
tons potentially of formaldehyde being sprayed into the air, increasing
the cancer risk of a place that already has a
cancer risk of four point one times the national average.
And nothing is happening, which is why myself, the Boxtown
Neighborhood Association, which is one of the communities most directly
impact in additional Westwood and Walker Homes West Junction, are
having an emergency Environmental Justice town hall this Saturday, ten

(23:30):
am to noon to talk about XAI as well as TVA.
We've had legacy polluters and legacy pollution in our neighborhoods
for decades. Shelby County has an F and air Quality.
It's had an EF and air quality for the last
ten years. These things are not accidental. An f F.
They can get graded by the American Lung Association on
our air quality.

Speaker 3 (23:51):
We have an F more people.

Speaker 8 (23:53):
We are an asthma capital in the United States of America.

Speaker 2 (23:58):
Let me take a break. We got to unpack some
more stuff. Representative Justin Pearson is landing out this morning
onu W di IA and we're so glad that he
is kind of laying it out.

Speaker 3 (24:08):
We got more to talk about. Don't move.

Speaker 2 (24:10):
If you have a question for the Tennessee State Representative
of the Arnorable Justin J. Pearson, you can call me
a nine on one five three five nine three four
two or eight hundred and five zero three nine three
four two or eight three three five three five nine
three for two. We're talking this morning and he is
my very special guest. Welcome back, everybody. We're talking this
morning with Tennessee State Representative Justin J. Pearson in the

(24:31):
Double Die Studios. I want to take a phone call
and just a matter of moments we'll do that. Uh,
mister Pearson, let me get your mic back home. Man,
thank you again for being here.

Speaker 8 (24:39):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (24:39):
Well, you got my lines that up like a Christmas
tree here it is April. Yeah, I'm telling you, man,
and my email is blowing up, man like an army grenade.

Speaker 3 (24:53):
So let me let me get one.

Speaker 2 (24:55):
I want you to let me let me hear, Let
you hear what, Folks are thinking about in the subject space.
Mister Pearson slash stand Bill, they got that right in
the right order, mister Pearson slash that's right.

Speaker 3 (25:06):
They listening show first and foremost.

Speaker 2 (25:09):
I would express my heartfelt gratitude for having mister Pearson
on your show as a pastor. Listening to him reminds
me of one of my favorite Biblical writers, John Throughout
his passages, John had a unique way of calling people
out by name, and today we need that same spirit
of accountability in our society. Thank you, Representative Pierson. Although

(25:29):
I was born and raised in Tennessee, I now call
Oregon home.

Speaker 3 (25:33):
Yet my heart.

Speaker 2 (25:34):
Remains deeply rooted in my beloved state Tennessee runs in
my veins, and my love for the people that is
my love for the people there is unwavering.

Speaker 3 (25:43):
Your thoughts on that, Representative.

Speaker 8 (25:46):
Wherever you are, Memphis is still in your heart, and
I am grateful for your commitment and care about us
still because that's what we need. Just because you're not
here physically doesn't mean we don't need for you to
care about what is happening here, and you can still
participate and engage in this work. Memphis Gap dot org
to sending your public comments from again Memphis what Memphis

(26:06):
c ap AP dot org MCAP Memphis Community Against Pollution,
so memphiscap dot org. And you can send those comments
to the federal government through TVA to the Shelby County
Health Department and tell them I'm at Tennessee and at
heart I am worried about what's going on with these folks.
Because that was the thing with John. That's the thing
with the profits, right, it is you are concerned about

(26:29):
somebody other than yourself, right, And that's what we need
in this moment in time for people to be concerned
even if you don't live in three one o nine,
because we share the same air.

Speaker 2 (26:38):
All right, good that was from pastor j and Portland, Oregon.
All right, one of he's a Trailblazers fan. Uh thisg
I listened, Rits. Good morning stand and good morning to
our illustrious leader, Tennessee State Representative Justin Pearson. This is
the email, just saying and thanks for having me on
the show. I want to hear more about the small
and I area due to a xi as An Xai xai. Well, yeah,

(27:02):
pollution control and all that that's comes from a diet
diet dion howell. Uh, yeah, I want to talk more
represented Pierson about how the shop a kind of health
department is involved. And I know they have initiated a
public comment period right regarding the CTC property Colosses Data
Center construction permit. Uh, the public hearing has already been

(27:27):
or is this going scheduled for April twenty fifth, April
two five where it's it going to be fairly and
we'll learn more about what the colossus or mister musk
or muscat and whether it's permit and all of that.

Speaker 8 (27:41):
That'll be discussions about the permit, but it'll be an
opportunity for people to speak about it.

Speaker 2 (27:45):
Look, yeah, as you mentioned something about they come in here,
well not a narrowive piece of paper in the hand
let loan up, as Grandmama said, let loan a permit.

Speaker 8 (27:56):
Talk to us about that, right, I mean, this is
exploitation with information. They came here after having.

Speaker 3 (28:02):
A little closer to the microphone. I want to get
to Okay, sorry about that, I go ahead. They came here.

Speaker 8 (28:09):
Having folks sign non disclosure agreements right Uh in the
first place, and so we had elected officials people at
MLG and w at the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commers
saying that they're doing things for the benefit of our community,
but they can't tell it to the community.

Speaker 9 (28:26):
Uh.

Speaker 8 (28:26):
This way of operating consistently leaves poor folks, black folks,
communities that have been marginalized and disenfranchised behind.

Speaker 3 (28:35):
It's not right that I'm gonna fix that feedback.

Speaker 2 (28:37):
I think that squill is your headphone volume maybe up
just a little bit, if you could scoop back just
a little bit and look at that it's around knob.
I like doing stuff live on the radio because we
never skied that would that would adjusted the Yeah, let
me crank it up some more.

Speaker 8 (28:51):
Okay, listen, Hey, that's our showund.

Speaker 3 (28:58):
All right, continue on, sir, just listen to people smart.
It worked, it works out.

Speaker 2 (29:02):
Kill GT all right some moments, man, you got it.

Speaker 8 (29:06):
Those are one of the things that Dion mentioned that
we had to talk about. Right, CTC property is XAI
under a different name. You know how they do all
these shell names for different things. But the increased potential
increase in smog from what we learn from the South
Environmental Law Center is thirty to sixty percent more smog
with the operating of these gas turbines. We have been
out of compliance for smog, which is low level ozone

(29:28):
ground level ozone, for the last three years, which means
it's harder for people to breathe. More of our kids
are going to the hospital due to asthma related incidences.
And this plant by itself produces more nitrogen dioxide, more
of that smog than the Memphis International Airport may like
these consequences to our health. Like, honestly, the pollution tax

(29:52):
that we are paying with our lives is strictly for
the profits of a multi billion dollar oligarch Elon Musk
and black folks, lower income folks are being sacrificed, as
doctor Mustaphas Antiago Ali says, are being sacrificed for the
profits of this corporation, and it's not helping us. It's

(30:14):
a talking point for the Mayor's, it's a talking point
for the Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce, but it's not
helping and improving our lives. In fact, the existence of
this AI bod is to put people out of work,
is to have for the automation if you want to
take at the next level. So yeah, we're going to
see an increase in smog. Again, I told you they're
sixteen point seven tons potentially for mild to hide in

(30:36):
the air, which is a cancer causing carcinogen.

Speaker 3 (30:39):
Like, we got a real problem.

Speaker 8 (30:41):
And I don't know why Director Taylor and Mayor Lee
Harris in particular are not doing more than holding a
public hearing. It's time to make some decisions. It's time
to get out there, go to the site, see what
is happening. Demand that they have pollution controls in place,
Demand that they stop operating until they get the right
permits in the first place. I don't care about Elon
Musk making more billions. We shouldn't be cared about that.

(31:02):
We should be cared about the people who are suffering.

Speaker 2 (31:05):
All right, let's go to the full if you don't mind,
represent A Pearson and I got some callers. I want
to get to you w DACA morning. Thanks for waiting
on the radio, your turn.

Speaker 4 (31:15):
Hey, good morning, brother Stan and the honorable Representative Pearson,
how are you y'all?

Speaker 3 (31:21):
Good morning, good to hear you, good good brother.

Speaker 1 (31:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (31:26):
You know what as a concentsul of district eating six
by way of Florida Street and also a past Legislative
intern from the one hundred and.

Speaker 3 (31:38):
Seventh session and.

Speaker 4 (31:41):
As a as a past member of t Day Tennessee's
Department of an Environment and Conservation. Also I operated as
an environmentalist with our county and what I noticed about
this that we need more unity in our community as

(32:03):
far as people supporting, more clarification as far as what
is being built in the neighborhoods. We have people such
as doctor Ronne Atkins, who operates very closely in his
role UH in the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

(32:25):
He has a very close relationship to the governor. And
I agree doctor Michelle Taylor with the County Health Department.
Although environmental literacy appears to not be one of her
strengths UH, there is it is possible that that that
they can.

Speaker 3 (32:42):
Do more UH than what they are doing.

Speaker 4 (32:45):
And this is the thing with the Republican with the
Republican presence in this state, if if with respect to
whatever benefits that are allegedly to come from the building
of this why was it not being built in UH
In some parts of the Middle East or Far East Tennessee.

(33:06):
It so happens to be built in UH. The deepest
part of West Tennessee. And so that that that brings
about more suspicion. Uh, I believe this is this is
an experiment and with with certain outcomes that they are anticipating.
So we need more people on board. And we have
people in Shelby County that are very close within the

(33:29):
the Department of the Environmental Conservation and the county Health Department,
but they are not speaking up and they are at
the table and so of I appology Representative Pearson for
what you're doing. Continue to highlight the issues, and uh
we need more people in this community, uh to stand

(33:49):
up so and and stop the being ball process.

Speaker 3 (33:55):
But thank you Stam for taking a call. It's great,
d thank you man.

Speaker 2 (33:59):
All right, let's coming on this matter of moments, mister Pearson.
Let me take another phone call those your morning on
the radio.

Speaker 3 (34:05):
Yes, your turn, stan Bey, real quick. Let me put
a little respect on it.

Speaker 10 (34:10):
Representative mister Justin J.

Speaker 3 (34:12):
Pilson.

Speaker 11 (34:12):
First of all, condolence is on the loss of your brother.

Speaker 12 (34:15):
Man.

Speaker 13 (34:15):
I lost two brothers within two years and I'm still Greek.
Second of all, I'm a truck driver and I've been
coming in that area for the probably the last twenty
twenty two years. What about this raw gas smell that's
coming from tv A. I know it had made a
number of people sick. He used to have me sick
every morning. I used to have to eat something. I

(34:37):
put some on my stomach before I come over there.

Speaker 5 (34:41):
This my opinion, my opinion on it.

Speaker 3 (34:42):
I think Elon Musk gonna.

Speaker 13 (34:44):
Be able to come to busics and do whatever he
wants to do just because he has money. And the
last thing, uh, next time, just tell that guy to
step outside.

Speaker 3 (34:53):
Take care of your betting.

Speaker 13 (34:54):
I'm just playing. I'm just playing, y'all. Guys, have a
super great weekend, but please answer that raw game a
person from TVA. Man, it's been common. It's been like
you know, I passed that place, like I had to
go to Sea Station and the see and real guy
and I passed. I've been coming over there and get
their raw gas smell is absolutely terrible. And I hang

(35:15):
up a list.

Speaker 3 (35:16):
Both of you guys.

Speaker 14 (35:16):
Have a super grade weekend.

Speaker 3 (35:17):
You got the lockstand, all right.

Speaker 2 (35:18):
All right, thank you so much. Okay, I got a
lot to address. Let me give you one more and
I know you pack it all in from the representative.
All right, just take another you in the radio. Your turn. Yeah,
thanks for calling.

Speaker 3 (35:28):
Good morning, Yeah, King Harrol. Sounds like what's on your mind?

Speaker 1 (35:32):
Man?

Speaker 15 (35:32):
Yes?

Speaker 3 (35:32):
How you doing to do? Could be all right? Man?

Speaker 14 (35:35):
Yes, Representative hereson. First, I want to take condozens to
your family and congratulation to your mother. What I wanted
to talk about is that why is it he was
unable to get it done in California and other states
is because they knew the hazards of it. But then
he started to come down to the little poor Bostown

(35:56):
and build it in a poor block area. And then
we got to help department person that knows that it's
bad for you and still allowing it to go. The
second thing is, I don't know if it was you
or somebody else that was protesting about the plant that
was built over there by Carver Well. A lot of
people were dying from cancer because of the gas and
stuff that was coming up out of those plants.

Speaker 3 (36:14):
Yep.

Speaker 14 (36:14):
And I'll hang up and let you answer on that.

Speaker 3 (36:17):
Thank you, hey, Ariel, Thank you so much. Jesic piercing
you're on, yeah one. Thank you all so much for calling.

Speaker 8 (36:22):
Please keep giving the questions and I just invite you
all again this Saturday, ten am to twelve we're going
to be at Mount Piska thirty six thirty six Weaver
Road for an emergency town hall about this environmental pollution.
To the first caller and one of the constituents of
my district, Florida Street, let's talk about that Sterilization Services
of Tennessee was operating on Florida Street since the nineteen seventies,

(36:44):
pumping out ethylene oxide, which is again we learned forty
times more cancerous then the EPA had initially thought that
it was through the activism and engagement of people alongside
Memphis community against pollution that plant was closed down and
was shut down. But that is a part of the
legacy of mental injustice and racism that we're seeing. And
I am and have talked to the Tennessee Department of

(37:05):
Environment and Conservation about what permits or they have any
in relation to any of these things related to XAI
or to TVA, So stay tuned for that as well.
But you said something that I think is really important. Right,
they didn't put this in East Tennessee, right, They didn't
put this in Kyueville or Germantown or Bartlett. And yet

(37:27):
or ads where a lot of some of these elected
officials live who want to say, hey, how great this is.
The question is why not? If it's so great, why
don't y'all get it. It's the same thing we said
to the Tennessee Value Authority yesterday about their project. If
this is so necessary, go put it somewhere else. Because
our community is sick and tired of dying from cancer,
sick and tired of having COPD, sick and tired of

(37:48):
having asthma. And we do not have enough people speaking
up and speaking out because they're afraid of Elon Musk
or they're afraid of the Chamber of Commerce. Ain't scared
of nobody, and we in this moment can't be scared
of nobody when we're talking about defending the life and
the health and the well being of our communities. And
to my friend is a truck driver, My dad was

(38:10):
a truck driver for a lot of years, my brother
Jason as well. And I'm sorry for the losses you
had to your siblings, sibling losses so painful. The smell
that you're talking about that you have to eat, you know,
before you can even get on the road. Here's one
thing to think about. Some folks live there smell that
every day in our house. There have been several nights

(38:33):
where I am woken out of my sleep by how
putrid it smells, and it smells like eggs, it smells
like sewage. Is horrific, And yet we're being told that
we are not valuable enough as human beings to deserve
clean air. But Elon Musk profits for this supercomputer. That's

(38:56):
valuable enough for us to suffer, and it's enough of that.
That's why I'm reaching out to you all and asking
that you go to MEMPHISIAP dot org to let Director Taylor,
to let Lee Harris, to let all these people know
that we do not need or want more pollution, because again,
while it is going to be worse in our neighborhood,
it's gonna be worse at my house. Right, it's gonna

(39:17):
be worse than three eight one oh nine. We all
share the same air, and all of us are breathing
less good air. All of us are suffering because of
these decisions. Not just because of the incompetence of people
who are currently in leadership, is because of their lacks
of daisical attitude of people who they do not believe
are valuable. And we have a director of the Health
Department and a mayor and Mayor Harris who hasn't said

(39:39):
a single thing about this project and about its consequences
to the people in our community. And I don't want
any more talking points from the Chamber of Commerce coming
out of the mouths of elected officials in this city.
Go and listen to the people, and then to my
last friend who called in here. Look, they found the

(40:02):
place where they thought they could exploit the most. They
are attacking Box Down, attacking West Junction and Walker Homes,
the Tennessee Valley Authority, XAI, all these plants that are
down there. They're exploiting our communities because they don't believe
that there's going to be resistance. It's the same ideology

(40:23):
that the Behala pipeline had when they tried to build it.

Speaker 3 (40:26):
All right, We're not going all right there it is,
and you know what we're up against. A break.

Speaker 2 (40:31):
Thank you to the cause we've called in so far.
I'm taking this last break, but I do want to
read this email before we take this break. Since good morning,
Standing Representative Pearson, I am concerned regarding the XAI plant
in our community where I grew up. The decision to
establish this facility in an area predominantly populated about black
residents raising significant issues of environmental justice. As you rightly

(40:53):
pointed out a Representative Pierson, the air quality in our
community has been severely impacted that I have observed a
troubling increase in learning disabilities among children in the area.
Thank you for your advocacy on this matter, Represented Pearson,
I urge you to continue fighting for our community's well being.

Speaker 3 (41:10):
That signed Myron Lawrence.

Speaker 2 (41:11):
I'm gonna have your comments, and when we come back
after the break of Represented Pearson, we're.

Speaker 3 (41:17):
Back on the radio.

Speaker 12 (41:18):
Man.

Speaker 2 (41:18):
Look, you know, just a wow doing the show this morning,
and we're still going after that. You're here, many of
you are calling. I'm gonna get you in just a
matter of moments. This WGI listener writes, uh, Miss Pearson,
subject space, subject line Justin Pearson with an exclamation point
uh from miss she says, represented Justin is our David

(41:40):
who will slay the giant Goliath. Thank you, Represented Pearson.
Dion Howell, Yeah, Dion Howell.

Speaker 1 (41:50):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (41:51):
Obviously this is a very listening to show your your show,
mister Pearson is well is listen to man by the
since we're in the scripture and by the multitudes, and
the common people heard them gladly.

Speaker 3 (42:08):
Yeah, Hello, Justine J.

Speaker 2 (42:11):
Pierson, you are in the building. Get w D I
A man uh and and I don't good, bad and different.
You've got something going to ask the representative of Tennessee
State Representative District eighty six. But he's represent a whole
lot of other folk outside the district. Be quite frank,
and a lot of people are calling on you to
do some things. I'm gonna say it in the words
of Stevie Wonders when we talk about x AI and

(42:33):
all this, So what's the fuss?

Speaker 3 (42:36):
All this? What?

Speaker 12 (42:38):
Why?

Speaker 3 (42:38):
Memphis? Why Tennessee?

Speaker 4 (42:40):
Why?

Speaker 6 (42:41):
Why?

Speaker 9 (42:41):
Now?

Speaker 13 (42:43):
Uh?

Speaker 3 (42:44):
Is it anything positive to come out.

Speaker 2 (42:46):
Of this if we do perhaps take care of the
e p A or the pollution that's expected to happen
if it goes through.

Speaker 3 (42:55):
But what is the Is there any kind of lining
behind them? Is that a lining behind us?

Speaker 8 (43:01):
So it's just h you know, we shouldn't go h know,
we shouldn't go wow. And the reality is it is
happening now. XAI is already operating, They already built the building,
They already got the computer trips already, they already got
the pollution. It's happening. We just have had no say
in the process. Like, that's what we need to be
upset about. And that's when I've talked to other elected officials,

(43:22):
I'm like, this is disrespectful and this wouldn't happen in
other communities. So why are we allowing ourselves to consistantly
be bamboozled, disrespected and mistreated by these folks? And look,
we're all David's and so we all got to pick
up our stones. That's why we have to get together,
to organize, mobilize, and activate. We need everybody to be
in this fight. All right, let's take a phone call.
Let's get back to lines. Obviously we got to go

(43:43):
a little bit over and I got to get to
the Al Green special. But I want to hear from
UH constituents. Actually, don't be thanks for waiting on the radio.
Who's next? Yeah, thank you so.

Speaker 15 (43:53):
Much for benning and verb appear from the absolute place
to be on the phone talking with you. When I
tell you, I respect and I support every single thing
you do and have done, And I don't even look
at you as a representative of a district. I mean,
you represent your people and you represent us well, and
I thank God for you. But you have said enough

(44:15):
about Elama. So I want to say this right here.
Yesterday on Stormy Show last night, he read a letter
from the department directors and that letter pretty much said
that we have the mayor has a responsibility to protect
the citizens of Myth, Tennessee.

Speaker 11 (44:35):
Now what you just said, because I called in and
I gave her kudos.

Speaker 15 (44:39):
Kudos to you, know, to you because you stood up
and we meet you. But based on what you just
said that she.

Speaker 3 (44:45):
Has the power.

Speaker 15 (44:46):
Now now I'm I'm I'm you know I'm having.

Speaker 11 (44:49):
Because I like her.

Speaker 15 (44:50):
She comes on the radio at least once a month.
She talked to the black people at the doctor. She
gives those great advice and I adore her. But let
me say this right here to her. And I know
she's listening, and she's not listening.

Speaker 10 (45:00):
She has a representative of listen.

Speaker 15 (45:02):
I know the mayor Young is listening. If not, he
has a representative of listen.

Speaker 11 (45:05):
I know y'all are listening because they know you're going.

Speaker 3 (45:07):
To be here today.

Speaker 14 (45:08):
So let me say this to them.

Speaker 15 (45:10):
It is the director royal letter in my pin, I'm
going to give her a little break because I'm thinking
that she is calling out the mayor to say, hey,
you have the power. She has to know she has
the power. Let's stand enough to do something. Maybe she
don't want to be the first word to come out
because the mayor is pretty much over this city. So
Mayor Young, if she wrote you a letter saying that

(45:32):
you have the responsibility to protect the citizens of Missus,
where the hell are y'all? What are y'all doing? I
mean this, I'm seaking for the people. This is a
call out right now, the information that you just put
out that they have the absolute authority to say no,
put a pause on this right now?

Speaker 11 (45:49):
Why are we not doing that?

Speaker 15 (45:51):
Because are y'all afraid of Elon Musk? I mean, I
know his power.

Speaker 6 (45:54):
I know this.

Speaker 15 (45:54):
But someone has to stand up and you are. You're
doing everything you can do, and thank you for bringing
it to the people, letting us know.

Speaker 11 (46:01):
Because now, mister sennesc we need.

Speaker 15 (46:03):
To call or we need to be send in front
of the health Department and stand in front of city Hall.
We need y'all to spend up and do something and
stop this nonsense and do it now anyway, Thank y'all
so much for letting me in.

Speaker 3 (46:15):
Thank you your comments. Representative.

Speaker 8 (46:17):
Absolutely you need to come this Saturday as we've prepare
to organize protests just like you articulated.

Speaker 3 (46:23):
And look, we've got two mayors.

Speaker 8 (46:24):
And I'm not letting mayorly Harris off the hook here
at all because Director Taylor works for the people, but
her immediate boss and manager is Mayor ly Harris, and
he hasn't said a single thing against this project. And
we need Mayor Harris to do something and we need
Director Taylor to use their power now in addition to
Mayor Young. I saw that letter too, and I was

(46:46):
just shocked that mayorly Harris's name wasn't on it, because
does he not also have the power to help write
ordinances to be passed through the County Commission And if
you pass something through the Uniform Development Code, you have
to go through the County Commission and the City Council,
and that's Mayor Harris and Paul Young. And so I
was very confused is why she left Lee Harris off
of that letter. But I respect her immensely, but she

(47:07):
isn't doing enough and and and it's time for us
to fight back. Thank you murder for that call. Thank
you presented Pearson.

Speaker 2 (47:13):
This still do the listener writes uh in the subject
space air pollution, my mom and several other women in
the community develop breast cancer. Doue to woods cinders that
blanketed our community coming from a plant located on Mallory
Street in South Memphis. I often wondered why our neighborhood,
LA Harry writes that I hold that thought. Let me
take another whole call here. Let's go up here a
lone six. Don the imna you in the radio. Thanks

(47:35):
for waiting. You're in the air, go right here.

Speaker 11 (47:37):
Good morning, Good morning to you stand, and to your
call us and to your men and to your hallstare.
Mister Representative Pearson, how you doing? Thir doing all right?

Speaker 3 (47:46):
Great to hear your voice.

Speaker 11 (47:48):
If you wanted to put it here your I'm mister Pearson,
I'd be one of the person I never I'm not
a really big fan of yours. I'm gonna tell you why.
I got two questions I want to ask you, and
I hope that you'll be able to have these questions
for you. I listened to your speech you're very articulately.
Can't take that away from you. But being a man
who worshiped in the Word of Christ, I noticed that

(48:10):
when you speak, you always speak a mother God. Do
you think that God is a woman or that just
a saying that you ran together? That's the question number one.
My second question is to you. I noticed that you're
always promoting the homosexual agenda. I knew that in twenty
twelve when the Supreme Court time made it law or

(48:33):
homosexual for marry each other. Are you trying to endorse
this on their principles?

Speaker 5 (48:42):
Tell me your name again, Prince Charles.

Speaker 3 (48:45):
Thank you, Prince Charles. Prince Charles, all right, just ap Pearson,
thank you.

Speaker 8 (48:50):
Look, you need to read a book called God Is
a Black Woman by doctor Cleveland. It's a great book.
I recommend it to everyone. We have to realize that
in our faith, if we believe God is on the
side of the oppressed. Right, as doctor James Cone says,
there are no people who are more oppressed in this

(49:11):
world than black women. And until we do everything we
can to support, elevate, encourage, and demand the respect and
dignity of black women, our society will never progress to
the place that it is, and it's incumbent upon people
like you, Prince Charles, and people like me who are

(49:31):
black men in particular, to elevate their concerns and their
issues and their problems to the voices of other people.
And so when I say Mother, God is just like
when you say Father God. It's just like when I
say Father God. God is all of these things and more.
And we need to make sure that we're not trying
to box God in, but instead make sure that the
spirit of liberation for which we fight is something that

(49:54):
we do consistently and continuously. And I'm not oppressing nobody.
So whenever you see somebody oppressed, all you got to
do is say, I know, Representive Peerson's gonna fight for them,
so that that answers your second question. And just to
the other person, you know, I lost both of my
grandmamas to breast cancer, and I got an unti right
now who has breast cancer living right here in Westwood.

(50:16):
And so the reality is they are choosing our communities
because our communities have been politically and environmentally exploited for decades,
and our communities were redlined to be this way, and
so they were forced we were forced to live in
certain areas, and then they created the industrial parks right
around our neighborhoods, and we had nowhere else to go.

Speaker 3 (50:38):
And so this is all very systematic.

Speaker 8 (50:41):
But here's the more troubling thing.

Speaker 3 (50:43):
For people who live in this city, who may be a.

Speaker 8 (50:45):
Little bit more progressive mind, who may be Democrats, who
may be Black African American, we empower. We are the
majority on the city Council, with the majority on the
County Commission. Both our mayors are black, our sheriff is black.
The only two season don't have black representation, as the
Congressional CE and the DA. We have a responsibility to

(51:07):
look and to listen to the pain and the cries
of the most marginalized and oppressed people in our communities,
which are in Southwest Memphis, overwhelmingly Black African American people,
although there are white folks there, although there are Latino
folks there. We have to look at who is being
most marginalized and use our power to fix this problem

(51:28):
right now. And that's the thing, my callers, you all
got to understand. We can't allow for the oppression of anybody,
because if you open the door of oppression for anybody
whoever you think is on your side is going to
open that door wide enough to push you in.

Speaker 3 (51:46):
Got it? All right?

Speaker 2 (51:47):
Three more calls and then we get we're gonna get
out of here. But man, you know having you on
the show made it really takes more than just a
half hour. So and I appreciate your time and you obliged. First,
Thank you, Yeah you boy, than welcome. Hang on a second,
listen right to the subject town in the subject line
box town. Hello, and good morning. My family home house
is on Weaver and Fields. We are in protest and

(52:10):
do not want them to jeopardize our ancestors neighborhood. Thanks
for having the guests on the show, Si Angela Lester
in the National paper. Hold that thought and take another
call here. Uh, they've been waiting for a little bit.
Don't believe that. Good morning, Thanks for waiting. You're on
the radio. Yeah, good morning, good morning. Oh wait a minute, pop, good.

Speaker 3 (52:27):
Morn All right, pop stables.

Speaker 10 (52:31):
Yeah that's me.

Speaker 1 (52:32):
Man.

Speaker 3 (52:32):
Where are you being? Man? We had my a out
on you.

Speaker 10 (52:36):
Uh been been town taking it, sitting that moving around
the okay, man, it's good hear your voice.

Speaker 3 (52:44):
Man, that's great.

Speaker 10 (52:45):
Good morning to both for you good morning, stay represented, piercing.
I'm so glad that you're stay represented. Good kind they
really I don't want you to be or stay represented,
because you don't bag down. You don't it no matter,
birfw And you said yourself a few minutes, when you

(53:05):
ain't scared of no better, when you will speak up
and you will do things where the people come in.
You're really too smart for them. That's what's wrong. Because
I didn't know the head department could stop this a
exhast until I were listening to you. Yes, and then
I got to give you my condolence, I bet your brother,

(53:29):
and congratulations on your mother as I'm gonna see it.

Speaker 3 (53:35):
Keep praying for you and your family.

Speaker 10 (53:37):
Thank you so much, so much that man, that's my point.

Speaker 3 (53:42):
Pops, thank you so much.

Speaker 12 (53:43):
Man.

Speaker 2 (53:43):
Can hear your voice, mane, don't be a stranger, right, okay,
all right, all right, let's take another one double on.
Thanks for waiting callously overlook it, but I think rightfully,
so some things need to be addressed.

Speaker 3 (53:55):
You go ahead, you on air. Who's next your morning, Yes,
mister Malik, David, it is David, good morning, good morning,
represent I got David in the studio.

Speaker 12 (54:07):
Right now, David, Yeah, some about them, David, something about them,
Davids Brother, we like rock We should you like the
rock man?

Speaker 3 (54:18):
David?

Speaker 2 (54:18):
I asked you the question. Look, he's too big. Everybody
else about it. He's too big to hit. Just to
be like, he's too big to miss.

Speaker 15 (54:31):
Like a lot.

Speaker 12 (54:35):
Brother, Express my heartfelt condolences to your loss, and I
hope the babies are doing as well.

Speaker 3 (54:45):
As they can. It can't be expected.

Speaker 12 (54:48):
But first, first, and foremost the most important thing. When
I heard about that, and I just recently heard about that,
I've admired your courage. I've younger than I am, much
younger than I am, and it gives.

Speaker 3 (55:03):
Me hope for the future. I think that, as I.

Speaker 12 (55:07):
Stated on Bell Show, because at one time some friends
of mine, well business associals, I were working on a project,
a technological project. Is when I first heard of Elon
Musk through PayPal, and we were trying to develop something
similar with a few themes that were different.

Speaker 3 (55:28):
But in any case, so I followed him.

Speaker 12 (55:30):
A long time and I understand who he is. His
racism is white supremacy. What he's done to some of
the black tech employees of his own companies, and as
I listened, and by the way, I only got to
listen last fifteen to twenty minutes.

Speaker 3 (55:46):
I am angry that I did not turn.

Speaker 12 (55:48):
You on a little bit sooner, but I was lit
the busy. But let me say this, I think that
what we lack is a community. Medson's, Tennessee lack is
the community more than any anything else.

Speaker 3 (56:01):
Is that we have a very we have our.

Speaker 5 (56:05):
Self esteem as a city.

Speaker 12 (56:07):
And I mean when you look at the bus service,
when you look at other things that are failing us,
the school system, all these things that are now be
run by asking Americans, what we lack is the city.
What we have is low self esteem. It's not just
black people too. I mean it's white folks here in
the city as well.

Speaker 3 (56:24):
Because if we.

Speaker 12 (56:26):
Think we're always looking for somebody else to come in
and save us, when we have the ability, we have
the smart we have the intelligence to compete with the world,
with the African Americans we have here that with the
college and came back.

Speaker 3 (56:41):
Some who was left and not come back.

Speaker 12 (56:43):
We need to have better self esteem in regards to
what we can accomplish and for somebody to offer us
a deal that it's supposed to be the greatest deals
in the world, but we have to pause in your community.
That doesn't sound like anywhere close to a good deal
to me. So please, brother, keep fighting for us. We

(57:04):
love you over here in North Messis and we support
you over here in North Memphis. In fact, if you
want to.

Speaker 9 (57:09):
Move over here to North Memphis, we can give you.
We love your deal. Bank you staying for your time,
and thank you brother, Thank you, David. I'll take one
more man. We uh, David, thank you so much. Represented person,
let me take you one more. I think she's been
holding for a little bit, and we're gonna get out
of here. Don't you come on together radio, Thanks for waiting.
Appreciate your patience, Virtue.

Speaker 3 (57:30):
Hello, Yeah, I appreciate you.

Speaker 10 (57:32):
Go ahead, Oh good, good.

Speaker 16 (57:34):
First, I would like to get my condolences to you,
represented the peers of Hello, saying how are you? And
I'm praying for you and your family, and congratulations to
your mom.

Speaker 5 (57:44):
But I feel we're on our own here.

Speaker 16 (57:46):
I don't live in the neighborhood, but like you said,
we all breathe the same air, and I feel we're
on our alone here because we're really not going to
have any support You're not going to get any something
to heal where you are because you know what the
makeup there. We're not going to get any from the
governor because we know who's pocket heys in. So what
I said we need to do, and I don't know

(58:06):
if you thought about it, Justice, we need national attention.
You've been on CNN before. Call seeing in, get them,
make them aware of everything that's going on here. And
we also need to incorporate any legal assistant that we
can put some shops to some of this stuff that
they have to be violating some laws or something. So
we need to bring all the attention to this because

(58:30):
that's a black community. They ignore us, and we know
they ignore us. We can get the hundreds of thousand
more people out here, but they're still going to do
what they want to do. But if we bring some
national attention to this all the stuff that you've talked
about today, ask to what they continually have done in
that neighborhood, in that community. I think we need to

(58:50):
bring a spotlight to Memphis.

Speaker 13 (58:52):
It's going to be another black eye.

Speaker 16 (58:54):
But if we have two black eyes, maybe they'll try
to heal these wounds and do something about it and Also,
I heard that they help block a public street over
there that leads into where they're putting all that stuff up.
How can they block a public street and who gave
them permission to do that? So I'm gonna get off
and listen. But thank you so much for staying in

(59:16):
the fight and anything I can do. Even though I'm
not in the neighborhood, I'm breathing this there I will
do as well.

Speaker 9 (59:23):
Well.

Speaker 2 (59:23):
Thank you so much, Miss Jamie. Thanks for the phone call.
I appreciate that too. All right, Ali President Pierson, Okay,
closing thoughts, I.

Speaker 8 (59:30):
Would look first into I'm definitely looking at that block
street because we pay for those streets.

Speaker 3 (59:34):
It shouldn't be blocked.

Speaker 8 (59:35):
I invite you again to come out this Saturday from
ten am to twelve at thirty six thirty six Weaver Road.
There was something to mentioned by our previous caller. Look,
we're dealing with racism, white supremacy, and the capitalistically exploitative
situation here that continues to leave the most marginalized vulnerable.
But the importance of realizing that what happens in Boxtown,
Westwood Walker Home in West Junction is not just their problem,

(59:57):
that it is an our problem gives us more power
than those who say, well, because we're putting it here,
nobody else will pay attention because we're putting it here.
The County Commission won't care because we're putting it here,
The city councilors won't care because we're putting it here.
Other citizens in Memphis won't care. And so it's building
this solidarity that had them to get ride about. In
the some of us, it is building the partnership, is
building the relationship, and it's fighting together that leads to

(01:00:18):
us winning. And so no, I know we are going
to continue to get national attention. There was an article
on CNBC. I believe you can look forward to more
attention coming in the coming days, in the coming weeks
about this. But the pressure is on our folk right here.
The pressure is on Director Taylor to do her job

(01:00:39):
to stop this from hurting our community. It's on Mayor
Lee Harris to ensure that his appointee, Director Taylor, does
was necessary. We don't have to get elon must to change.
He ain't gonna change. But the folk who live in
Shelby County, as far as we know, live in Shelby
County who are responsible for this have to be held
accountable and that's what we're going to be organizing about.

(01:00:59):
That's what the gathering, the town hall in the rally
is about, because we have to use people power. We
have to use people power to protect ourselves because no
one is coming to save us.

Speaker 3 (01:01:08):
It's us, all right.

Speaker 2 (01:01:10):
You've been hearing from Tennessee State Representative the Honorable Justin J.
Pearson District eighty six. But as one of the callers
that you're representing much more than that. You're representing the
people who are pressed, and we appreciate you. You are
affectionately our David. You know, you are a David. I'm
gonna drop this on you since you are a David
you know, and to all the WDI listeners, man, thank

(01:01:31):
you so much for just being here and hearing him out.

Speaker 3 (01:01:35):
If you will. There's so much more work to do.

Speaker 2 (01:01:37):
When confronted with a good life size problem, which way
do you respond, he's too big to hit, or like David,
he's too big to miss. So what you're doing, Representative Pierce,
You know we've come to know you a little bit
better even in this short time on the radio. But
we've been watching you from afar and we see you

(01:01:58):
on the front lines.

Speaker 3 (01:01:59):
We're gonna have you. Okay, I can't wait.

Speaker 2 (01:02:01):
Thank you and miss definitely Thomas, thank you so much
for coming in, letting go the air and making sure
he's on schedule of doing what he has to do.
Justin Peerson and give us one more time. Tell us
again there's another meeting.

Speaker 8 (01:02:14):
Yes, so this weeking, I am hosting a talent an
emergency environmental justice down hall with Boxown Neighborhood Association this
weekend this Saturday, from ten am to twelve pm at
Mount Pas Commissionary Baptist Church, thirty six thirty six weave
E Road three A one oh nine.

Speaker 2 (01:02:28):
Okay, many of us will be a sisal strug, but
we're gonna be kind of tuned in. I don't know
if it's gonna be streamed anything, but you got to.

Speaker 8 (01:02:34):
Be it will be And so you know, if you're
on my social media at Justin J. Pearson, you'll be
able to see it. If you're not able to join
life because I know, sisters strud is happening, you are
able to watch what happened and go to memphiscap dot
org sending those public comments before the end of this
month about both Elon musk Xai as well as sending
comments about the Tennessee Valley Authorities increase in pollution in

(01:02:57):
our community as well.

Speaker 3 (01:02:58):
Fantastic, all right, and speak of Sisters truck.

Speaker 2 (01:03:01):
It is tomorrow everybody, As you know, we're expecting upwards
of seventy five hundred people out there Tiger Lane. We've
got already who is six thousand registered up to six thousand,
so we expect a great time out there tomorrow. The
rally starts at eight, the walk starts at ten. It's
our eleventh Sister Strut Breast Cancer Walk, power by midsiut
Shavn dealers Man. Thank you to all of our sponsors

(01:03:23):
and so many of you you've answered the clarion call
to say, look, we want to invest in this and
if we think it's so vitally important to be recognize
our breast cancer survivors, those who are fighting and those
who have gone on to the celestial city, those who
are with the ancestors. As we say, thank you so much.
We'll see you out there tomorrow for sure, bright and early.
And one other programming you know this Sunday is Reverend

(01:03:44):
Al Green's birthday.

Speaker 3 (01:03:46):
WDA.

Speaker 2 (01:03:47):
It's gonna pay tribute on this radio station with songs
sprinkle throughout the weekend, Today, tomorrow, even on the all
Blue SAT we gonna sprinkle a little Al Green inn
And on Sunday his gospel songs. And today I'm getting
ready to feature in the rest of this hour, nothing
but the hits from Al Green.

Speaker 3 (01:04:05):
We appreciate you, everybody, all right, he's on and popping.

Speaker 1 (01:04:09):
It's the Stan Belle Morning Show weekdays from six to
ten am on the Heart and Soul of Memphis ten
to seventy wd IA.