December 4, 2025 • 21 mins
Robert Townsend on The Love Movement Podcast.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Been here.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
That was the same message we gave when we was
at when we went to the County down when we
sold the same thing we went to the Juglar Center.
If you were here, how we're gonna save our streets,
and how we're gonna how we're gonna be real men,
and how we're gonna stand up and we all up
in here. So you leaving the ladies, the men and
in the community, and so that was a mission was
trying to take and understanding it was that. That was
it was the vessel that I used to be able
(00:22):
to say that, to do that in a way that
really people can't be offensive because they know that's your
calling is and there's your mission, so they're a little
bit more.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Talible for it. So I use that as a platform
to say and be who.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I really am and what I wanted to do and
what I really believe in.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
So that's what it's about.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
And I got a question for everybody here, everybody. So
Carl and I have been in the car talking all right.
At the na A c P. It's primarily women. There's
not a lot of men involved. So I want to
put the question on the table, why do you think
more black men are not involved in the community.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
Well, I'll kind of piggyback on what he was saying,
people not being able to voice themselves and black men,
I know they be having a lot to say. So
I'm trying to figure out where I'm going with this,
just learning how to be politically correct, and I just
feel like a lot of black men don't get it,
don't don't get a chance to voice themselves the way
(01:20):
they want to voice themselves. And maybe that's why they're
not stepping up.
Speaker 5 (01:24):
Dennis, Right, that's a good question.
Speaker 6 (01:32):
Way I look at it, a lot of them just
ain't interested, you know, they lost interest.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
But as the community, as the community goes under attack
and stuff, you don't want to get involved, is he is, Carl,
Are you a unicorn?
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Most of the time, I feel on a unicorn?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
I mean, I just I mean because I be in
these spaces and like I said, most of the things,
I'm surrounded a bunch of a bunch of ladies. But
I can go in other spaces where I got a
bunch of men at like Legends, like go to legends, phaps,
we got a bunch of men in the legends. I
can go to like last week We had a couple
of meetings with the brothers in the street. You can
gather to be in these sessions, but when you leave
these doors, you're not coming to where we're at.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
I got to depend on the.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Debor finds to be in those sessions, being those taking
those spaces. You know, we get them in other rooms
with the rich turning citizens. We got a group there,
But when we leave that room, everybody's invisible.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
And so when you look back.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
As I'm sitting speaking on the pro farm and taking
up an issue, speaking in front of the seat, you know,
speaking in front of the CPS or the police state.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
When I look back, ain't no brothers back there. And
the people we advocate for, they they don't show up
like that.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
I'm just being true, but they don't. Now, what I
got is a sister who's standing up there. A sister's
trying their best to try to hold on, the hold
down the community and hold like baby up to it. And
she's depending on community and advocating for her people. The
brothers ain't showing up. That's just real talking. But then
they they in tears and there Freds mhmm.
Speaker 4 (03:02):
Do you have representatives from the na A CP going
out into the streets and trying to grab men to
be involved, because it could be a lot of situations
where men may not even know about these other organizations.
We got Black Men United out here.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
They're speaking up.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
But let me tell you something about let me tell
you something about them.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
I'm one of those.
Speaker 7 (03:25):
I'm associate with.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Them, brothers in the street and all the people you
name that.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
The level of presence that they should have. Yeah, it's
one thing for me to do do some other things.
But the president, I'm talking about that where you should be.
You're not present in those spaces when I'm talking about
some of the things that affect you far as legislation,
as far as to expects you as having ordinances that's
gonna fex your livelihood, about contracts and procurement.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Where are you showing up to make sure.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Those laws and those pieces of legislation and those dog gone.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
What you call these processes of what they take? Why
they being changed? How you changing seizures?
Speaker 2 (04:01):
How do you change those them processes that imped on
you getting the food? Are you getting a job or
taking that X off your back? Where are you showing
up when we talk about going down and saying that
we're going to change these policies and these procedures.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
They're not showing they're not there.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
So all the brothers you're talking about last week, I'm
in the room with about about seventy five fifty brothers, brothers, brothers,
the hardened brothers, all brother plans to do one thing.
But that's another conversation that we've been having since the
me and Man margs. We came back from a million
man mars, we organized, were supposed to got together, were
gonna do this and that everybody on a height for
(04:36):
a moment for about a.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Month or two three months ago. Didn't everybody walk off
in the world.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Then we fast forward just recently, we got a bunch
of brothers because we vote the rest. We're doing all
this great stuff, but are we gonna stick and stay.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Or is it a one nice stand? And most of
it was one nice stand and we're gone right right.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
So I'm just saying, so when we talk about have
we talked to brother not the hotel, to them nothings
trust me?
Speaker 3 (05:01):
And I thought, then, can I thought to Deborah, Deborah
with your foundation, do you have a lot of men
that want to get involved?
Speaker 5 (05:08):
Why do you think this is.
Speaker 8 (05:10):
Well, that great question, Robert, because when my husband was
alive and when we started dancing, he said, it's so
many women all the time.
Speaker 5 (05:17):
And I know, you know these.
Speaker 8 (05:18):
Children have dads, I mean mother and father, and so
that's why he created just for men, and he had
about maybe sixty fathers that were really dedicated. But to
answer to your original question, why do you think don't
think men are in the community. I think we're starting
to see an uptick of especially with the millennials. They're
being more vocal and they're getting politically involved. But when
(05:39):
you talk about people that I would say the baby boomers,
they really didn't see their dads being in the community
because they were what providers, right. My father was the greatest.
I mean he sold you your first car. But my
father was the greatest. But my father went to work.
I mean he worked twelve and thirteen hours a day,
and so you know, it was still problems in the
(06:00):
community when we were coming up.
Speaker 5 (06:02):
Of course, not to the degree that they are right now.
Speaker 8 (06:05):
But I think a lot of it just has to
do with you know, we do what we see and
and now now I do see a lot of influences
like John Horrel or with Black Men United with you,
Chris Denard with his group. And it's a lot of
a lot of men that are out there now that
are encouraging the younger ones. Like you said, you have
(06:26):
to start with the kids. So now I'm starting to
see a shift. I'm starting to see a shift. But
in our generation.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
No, well, this is what I like to say.
Speaker 7 (06:36):
Uh uh.
Speaker 6 (06:37):
And I heard it as a brother said that today,
Kevil Young, He said, why do people do not like
to talk about politics with black men? Like to talk
about politics and religion? We run from what's real, and
politics is very real in our community. That's how we survive.
And a lot of people are not attuned to that
(06:58):
because they're they're they don't want to be caught up
in no conversation or no, no, hey man, you.
Speaker 7 (07:06):
On that you would? You would?
Speaker 6 (07:08):
You got five different people running for congressmen right now,
who you well have have, but who you're gonna hang
out with. They be scared to say I'm this, I'm supporting.
Speaker 8 (07:21):
They support so over hand and both for somebody else
that's Trump is here.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Right, let me say this even go let's don't even
put the political spin on that folks are scared to
say they're part of the Black folks.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Really don't nobody all I'm talking about love. Notice the
black professionals they don't. They ain't talking about being a
part of no NP. Even for your people who run
for this office, they don't talk about. They don't talk about.
Hold be caught up these black people.
Speaker 7 (07:49):
You know when we was coming up.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
I'm talking about black folks, they do.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
I'm telling black folks do not talk about being You
can say for the ones who economically might not have,
they might not know.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
I'm saying for the ones who know who.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Ed who's educated, but they ain't a part of n
W c P and they don't want to be, they
might say it ain't nothing.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
They ain't doing nothing.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
They be around the white counterparts. Gonna happen if I'm
a part of it. I'm telling I work it's all
day long.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Ask them.
Speaker 7 (08:20):
Because we was covering up.
Speaker 6 (08:23):
When we was covering up, n double a c P
meant negroes are actually colored prolos.
Speaker 7 (08:32):
Who But back to you, and I'm gonna let you
turn it over.
Speaker 6 (08:39):
You chose two great groups to support and chose two
great groups to give money to.
Speaker 5 (08:45):
Now you're here explain.
Speaker 7 (08:47):
To the people what your weekend is gonna be like.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Well, so let me say this. Uh, here's the weekend.
But the weekend is pretty much sold out. So you know,
we've raised We've raised some good money, so everything is
really good. So what the weekend for those of you
that are gonna miss it? It is two days December
sixth I'm doing a master class from nine until ten thirty.
(09:13):
I'm breaking down my technique because people talk about, hey man,
you make classic movies. How do you make those movies
like that? I do have a different touch. So I've
got that class. But the class is sold out. At
eleven o'clock, we've got a screening of my favorite movie
in the world, The Spook Who Sat by the Door.
That movie changed my life as a kid. Have you
(09:34):
ever seen The Spooky Sit by the Door? So we've
got mister Peimun Rami, who is in the movie, was
one of the casting directors on the movie.
Speaker 5 (09:42):
I'm going to do a discussion with him.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Troy Pryor from Excel is hosting the panel between me
and mister Rommie talking about the film. Then after that
we're gonna show the five Heart Beats a.
Speaker 6 (09:53):
You know we're seeing that, you know, but almost I'm
gonna do a spin back off of that. Bernie Casey
said that was the best movie ever made, that didn't
make the money he should have.
Speaker 7 (10:09):
Yeah, he quoted that years ago.
Speaker 6 (10:11):
He said that was the best movie ever made, but
didn't get the money that it should have.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
But it's coming up now. But you know, here's here's
here's the thing.
Speaker 7 (10:22):
Here's the thing.
Speaker 5 (10:23):
You know, God is always in charge.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
And so if somebody says, you mean the five Hartbeat
wasn't successful, it is successful.
Speaker 5 (10:31):
Well you know it's it does It did what it
needed to do. So we're gonna have the screening of
that and then after.
Speaker 7 (10:39):
Yes, we're going to Broadway with it.
Speaker 5 (10:43):
No coming.
Speaker 7 (10:46):
I heard it through the Great found I didn't know, no, no.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
But but so I want to see a Robbery remake.
Speaker 7 (10:53):
It's a wonderful life.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Oh that's a beautiful Yeah. Anyway, anyway, I ain't gonna
say nothing. I want to see the High Oh you
like in the High Oh that I was going to
screen that car Man.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
I don't want to go off script, but you're talking
about that.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Was one powerful peace to bring tears, and so I
mean you're talking about peace.
Speaker 7 (11:18):
We've been knowing each other.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
I remember when we were sitting there and you looked
at me at the screening, I'm looking up like, oh
my god.
Speaker 8 (11:25):
But you know what, it's one movie that does not
get the kudos that I think.
Speaker 5 (11:29):
It still doesn't get a voys and men.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
Oh thank you, oh thank you, Angela Basston. Oh we
shot that here at Chicago. Yes, oh yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 8 (11:42):
Yes, that's what the cold and Rob was doing this
and he turned out he needed to look cold and
I'm freezing.
Speaker 7 (11:49):
Come on, y'all shoot the scene. So Saturday Sat.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
So then after that Saturday at six o'clock Columbia University,
we got Game night. Game We're gonna play bid Whist, Spades, Dominoes,
Uno scrabble.
Speaker 5 (12:06):
So if you want to play a lot and free food.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
So if you buy a ticket to the SPOOKLSD by
the door of the five Heartbeat, you can come for free.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
Other than that, you gotta buy a ticket to Game Night.
But you know we're just gonna have a great time.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
You're a real Chicago and you said, be Ais, Oh
you go.
Speaker 5 (12:21):
To play I play I t.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
Space.
Speaker 7 (12:25):
She plays space. She don't play no big.
Speaker 5 (12:29):
Really you gotta be you gotta come with it.
Speaker 7 (12:31):
You got you gotta come with that.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
So that's Game Night.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
And then on Sunday at eleven o'clock we got the
screening of Media Man and it's like a special thing
for kids.
Speaker 7 (12:43):
Superhero Man. You got the Vice Lords, I mean lords Lords.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
I wonder if you did you think about that when
you was that part of your thought process where you
think about vice lords for real?
Speaker 5 (12:58):
Definitely?
Speaker 3 (12:59):
Yeah, I don't know, you know all of that, you know,
that whole thing, you know, going back to Carl, all
of this is like community. If the community could band
together and stand together, we could change things. And you know,
and then you go like, if you really had a superhero,
you know, would you just use him or would you
work with him and build on what he has? So
(13:20):
so for me, everything that happened in Chicago, I put
on that screen and I was like, this is my
my wish of like what we could do if we
band together as a people. So, you know, fantasy, you
know again, it's the Trojan Horse. It's like, oh, it's
a fantasy. But at the end of the day, Media
Man became a hero when he lost his powers.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Speak that piece speak.
Speaker 5 (13:40):
You know what I'm saying. You know what I'm saying.
And so then after he found out who he was.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
He found out who he was, and then at that point,
it's like, if we don't have our own voice and
our freedom, we're not free. So then what is it
to you know, cause you know, so that's a whole
nother you know, but that's what the piece is about.
And then the last thing we're doing is at the
Comedy Bar. We're doing a comedy show there. The comedy
(14:06):
show is sold out. It's with Lorell, it's with le
Royce Hawkins, and it's with from w g C I
Leon Rogers.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
Yeah yeah, and so it's all so all the events
are sold out.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
There's a few tickets go to event in Noir if
you still want to try to come, you know. And
again this happened in five weeks. I called Karl, called Deborah,
said hey, can we make it? And all these volunteers
came together. Shout out to all the volunteers, all the
workers behind the scenes, and now it's sold out.
Speaker 5 (14:38):
That's what we call the love movement.
Speaker 6 (14:40):
Listen, I want to I want to thank you, Rob, because,
like I said, my heart is heavy it was some
mixed conversations today and I didn't know if this was
gonna happen or whatever because of the information that we had.
But the love that you showed me to show up
to the show man my birthday.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Great.
Speaker 7 (14:59):
Look, man, you already know I ain't gonna put your
nail no more on the wrong train, no more. I
ain't gonna do none of that no more. Thank you that.
Speaker 6 (15:11):
But man, from the bottom of my heart. And lady
Z she she already know. Man, I do this for real.
Speaker 7 (15:17):
I know you real.
Speaker 6 (15:19):
And those kids are gonna learn from D O D
Thank you. Thank you for bringing them in. And I'm
gonna put them on the show. They have their own
little show.
Speaker 5 (15:28):
I love it, you see. But I've been watching your
heart man as you do this.
Speaker 7 (15:32):
This is lovely.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
And how you shout out the sponsors and you know what,
it's funny because you're doing your own commercials and they're
genuine and you'll.
Speaker 5 (15:39):
Be like, if the chicken ain't good, it's on her.
But I'm telling you that the lobster.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Is the bomb.
Speaker 4 (15:51):
She tells the truth because he'd be going to them
places every every day.
Speaker 7 (15:57):
I engaged. I mean, I ain't engaged because this is
why I engage.
Speaker 6 (16:01):
And I was telling we got another team, and I
got some more guys that's gonna be a part of
the team. I engage because if you don't know, you
can't talk about it. If you have to be engaged,
you have to say, man, if that food is good,
you have to know it's good.
Speaker 7 (16:17):
You gotta go eat it.
Speaker 6 (16:19):
You just can't say it because it's something to say,
you know, for the sponsorship.
Speaker 7 (16:24):
No, go visit, go get engaged.
Speaker 5 (16:27):
When you talk, it's genuine.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
That's why I was like, oh, you know, because it
makes me want to like, oh, that is really that
place because I can tell you're like, you know, you
ain't lying, You're like you ever known Chris not.
Speaker 7 (16:36):
To be genuine?
Speaker 4 (16:39):
He's definitely a person you can't speaker phone.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
The musty man.
Speaker 7 (16:44):
Yeah, the musty man.
Speaker 8 (16:46):
But see, it's more to the musty man than just being.
Speaker 7 (16:48):
Musty because Chris is everywhere. He was like, what you do?
What you're doing?
Speaker 1 (16:53):
I mean everywhere I go. That he is everywhere I go.
Speaker 7 (16:55):
And somebody said, how come you and Chris always in the.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Same room because we're both servants And that's the drink
you call neat when you're ordering at the bar, ain't
no chasing, no chasing.
Speaker 6 (17:06):
You know what you're gonna get from me. But at
the end of the day, man, Robert Townsend, I'm so
proud of.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
You, man, because go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker 7 (17:14):
When sheff oh, man, what is that?
Speaker 5 (17:19):
Let me let me let me say something. I gotta
give Dennis Olive his love.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Yes, I have been working on a one man show
about my life in Chicago, my journey to Hollywood, everything,
and so I started workshopping it at the Marsh Theater
in Berkeley. Who calls and says, I'm in the audience,
So I'm coming to your show this one.
Speaker 7 (17:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
I was just in Saint Louis at the Kirkwood Theater.
Who calls and says, I got my tickets. Me and
Jackie were coming. And there he is at the audience again.
And so I love you, man, I love you. I
want to bring it to Chicago. I've been talking to
a few theaters here, so it is coming now.
Speaker 6 (17:57):
We We've been knowing each other since Tinny years old,
and this is the team. This is a full circle
of how we show love for each other.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Man.
Speaker 7 (18:07):
I'm so proud of you. The old dog God Lee,
you got that.
Speaker 6 (18:11):
What's that new thing you're working on with What's I
can't think of the name of it.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
You're doing all you.
Speaker 7 (18:18):
The Bear, the Bear.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
Yes, I'm having a great time with the Bear. Where
I come back to shoot the new season.
Speaker 5 (18:25):
Here's the thing. When I'm shooting, the only thing.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
Is that because COVID and all that stuff in the air,
I can't leave. I can't go outside. We got to
be in our bubble. But I'm doing the Bear, and
then I'm coming back in January, February and March to
do the Shy so lean away. You know, I did
the interview with her, so I'm coming back to do
the Shy.
Speaker 5 (18:44):
You know, thank you so much. And so I'm just blessed. Man.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
I'm creating, you know, my stuff. I always keep my
brain going. And the one man show, you know, Dennis
has been there. I leave it all on the stage twice.
I leave it all on the stage. So I'm just
loving life.
Speaker 6 (18:56):
So the question was asked, when are you gonna bring
it to your car.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
I'm just figuring out my schedule, but I'm going to
bring it here because because I don't you know, I've
been talking to a certain theater here and I just
can't say.
Speaker 6 (19:08):
Right, Denni's got a lot of money, so he could
fly all over I don't have no I need.
Speaker 7 (19:13):
I need sponsorship right here. Yeah, I got put that
add up too, because you gotta pay that bill at
the But.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
I just could I give it just shout off.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
I ended uble family because we just lost I lost
my secretary a couple of years on Caro Hanking and Paige.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
You know, we're still trying to real.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
From from the loss of her. So I just wanted
justince I got a public Mike, just want to give
the family a shout out that we with the family.
But Carol Hankin Page was a long secretary as long
as I was president, so that meant a lot to us.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
We're still grieving, but.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Just to greate peace, to have this thing, to be
with my people in a moment, like to do this
thing this time the moment, to show you how God
works in the ways.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
It's just calm the souls and the spirit.
Speaker 6 (19:57):
So and since you're going you say that, I'm gonna
end this with In November, it was almost twelve people
that I had association with that passed away, and I mean,
some might have been sick, some got hit by a car.
One lady laid down and didn't wake up.
Speaker 5 (20:16):
So it was a lot of that.
Speaker 6 (20:18):
So when we when you mentioned that, all of that
came back.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
Yeah, and I just man, but.
Speaker 6 (20:25):
This is a great night for me, Happy birthday to me.
Forget it what everybody else is talking about. And as
we end this show, I want to thank.
Speaker 7 (20:33):
Earl, want to appreciate you. I want to thank DLD
out there. Thank you.
Speaker 6 (20:41):
Yeah, and as we always say, treat people the way
you want to be treated and never give up, never
give up, never give up. Don't don't, don't, never count
yourself out.
Speaker 7 (20:52):
Okay, God bless you. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Rob.
Speaker 5 (20:57):
You just got dressed.
Speaker 7 (21:06):
Need something to get into pretty girl one day
Been here.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
That was the same message we gave when we was
at when we went to the County down when we
sold the same thing we went to the Juglar Center.
If you were here, how we're gonna save our streets,
and how we're gonna how we're gonna be real men,
and how we're gonna stand up and we all up
in here. So you leaving the ladies, the men and
in the community, and so that was a mission was
trying to take and understanding it was that. That was
it was the vessel that I used to be able
(00:22):
to say that, to do that in a way that
really people can't be offensive because they know that's your
calling is and there's your mission, so they're a little
bit more.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Talible for it. So I use that as a platform
to say and be who.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
I really am and what I wanted to do and
what I really believe in.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
So that's what it's about.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
And I got a question for everybody here, everybody. So
Carl and I have been in the car talking all right.
At the na A c P. It's primarily women. There's
not a lot of men involved. So I want to
put the question on the table, why do you think
more black men are not involved in the community.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
Well, I'll kind of piggyback on what he was saying,
people not being able to voice themselves and black men,
I know they be having a lot to say. So
I'm trying to figure out where I'm going with this,
just learning how to be politically correct, and I just
feel like a lot of black men don't get it,
don't don't get a chance to voice themselves the way
(01:20):
they want to voice themselves. And maybe that's why they're
not stepping up.
Speaker 5 (01:24):
Dennis, Right, that's a good question.
Speaker 6 (01:32):
Way I look at it, a lot of them just
ain't interested, you know, they lost interest.
Speaker 3 (01:40):
But as the community, as the community goes under attack
and stuff, you don't want to get involved, is he is, Carl,
Are you a unicorn?
Speaker 1 (01:49):
Most of the time, I feel on a unicorn?
Speaker 2 (01:50):
I mean, I just I mean because I be in
these spaces and like I said, most of the things,
I'm surrounded a bunch of a bunch of ladies. But
I can go in other spaces where I got a
bunch of men at like Legends, like go to legends, phaps,
we got a bunch of men in the legends. I
can go to like last week We had a couple
of meetings with the brothers in the street. You can
gather to be in these sessions, but when you leave
these doors, you're not coming to where we're at.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
I got to depend on the.
Speaker 2 (02:13):
Debor finds to be in those sessions, being those taking
those spaces. You know, we get them in other rooms
with the rich turning citizens. We got a group there,
But when we leave that room, everybody's invisible.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
And so when you look back.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
As I'm sitting speaking on the pro farm and taking
up an issue, speaking in front of the seat, you know,
speaking in front of the CPS or the police state.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
When I look back, ain't no brothers back there. And
the people we advocate for, they they don't show up
like that.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
I'm just being true, but they don't. Now, what I
got is a sister who's standing up there. A sister's
trying their best to try to hold on, the hold
down the community and hold like baby up to it. And
she's depending on community and advocating for her people. The
brothers ain't showing up. That's just real talking. But then
they they in tears and there Freds mhmm.
Speaker 4 (03:02):
Do you have representatives from the na A CP going
out into the streets and trying to grab men to
be involved, because it could be a lot of situations
where men may not even know about these other organizations.
We got Black Men United out here.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
They're speaking up.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
But let me tell you something about let me tell
you something about them.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
I'm one of those.
Speaker 7 (03:25):
I'm associate with.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
Them, brothers in the street and all the people you
name that.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
The level of presence that they should have. Yeah, it's
one thing for me to do do some other things.
But the president, I'm talking about that where you should be.
You're not present in those spaces when I'm talking about
some of the things that affect you far as legislation,
as far as to expects you as having ordinances that's
gonna fex your livelihood, about contracts and procurement.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
Where are you showing up to make sure.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
Those laws and those pieces of legislation and those dog gone.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
What you call these processes of what they take? Why
they being changed? How you changing seizures?
Speaker 2 (04:01):
How do you change those them processes that imped on
you getting the food? Are you getting a job or
taking that X off your back? Where are you showing
up when we talk about going down and saying that
we're going to change these policies and these procedures.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
They're not showing they're not there.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
So all the brothers you're talking about last week, I'm
in the room with about about seventy five fifty brothers, brothers, brothers,
the hardened brothers, all brother plans to do one thing.
But that's another conversation that we've been having since the
me and Man margs. We came back from a million
man mars, we organized, were supposed to got together, were
gonna do this and that everybody on a height for
(04:36):
a moment for about a.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Month or two three months ago. Didn't everybody walk off
in the world.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Then we fast forward just recently, we got a bunch
of brothers because we vote the rest. We're doing all
this great stuff, but are we gonna stick and stay.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Or is it a one nice stand? And most of
it was one nice stand and we're gone right right.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
So I'm just saying, so when we talk about have
we talked to brother not the hotel, to them nothings
trust me?
Speaker 3 (05:01):
And I thought, then, can I thought to Deborah, Deborah
with your foundation, do you have a lot of men
that want to get involved?
Speaker 5 (05:08):
Why do you think this is.
Speaker 8 (05:10):
Well, that great question, Robert, because when my husband was
alive and when we started dancing, he said, it's so
many women all the time.
Speaker 5 (05:17):
And I know, you know these.
Speaker 8 (05:18):
Children have dads, I mean mother and father, and so
that's why he created just for men, and he had
about maybe sixty fathers that were really dedicated. But to
answer to your original question, why do you think don't
think men are in the community. I think we're starting
to see an uptick of especially with the millennials. They're
being more vocal and they're getting politically involved. But when
(05:39):
you talk about people that I would say the baby boomers,
they really didn't see their dads being in the community
because they were what providers, right. My father was the greatest.
I mean he sold you your first car. But my
father was the greatest. But my father went to work.
I mean he worked twelve and thirteen hours a day,
and so you know, it was still problems in the
(06:00):
community when we were coming up.
Speaker 5 (06:02):
Of course, not to the degree that they are right now.
Speaker 8 (06:05):
But I think a lot of it just has to
do with you know, we do what we see and
and now now I do see a lot of influences
like John Horrel or with Black Men United with you,
Chris Denard with his group. And it's a lot of
a lot of men that are out there now that
are encouraging the younger ones. Like you said, you have
(06:26):
to start with the kids. So now I'm starting to
see a shift. I'm starting to see a shift. But
in our generation.
Speaker 1 (06:33):
No, well, this is what I like to say.
Speaker 7 (06:36):
Uh uh.
Speaker 6 (06:37):
And I heard it as a brother said that today,
Kevil Young, He said, why do people do not like
to talk about politics with black men? Like to talk
about politics and religion? We run from what's real, and
politics is very real in our community. That's how we survive.
And a lot of people are not attuned to that
(06:58):
because they're they're they don't want to be caught up
in no conversation or no, no, hey man, you.
Speaker 7 (07:06):
On that you would? You would?
Speaker 6 (07:08):
You got five different people running for congressmen right now,
who you well have have, but who you're gonna hang
out with. They be scared to say I'm this, I'm supporting.
Speaker 8 (07:21):
They support so over hand and both for somebody else
that's Trump is here.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Right, let me say this even go let's don't even
put the political spin on that folks are scared to
say they're part of the Black folks.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
Really don't nobody all I'm talking about love. Notice the
black professionals they don't. They ain't talking about being a
part of no NP. Even for your people who run
for this office, they don't talk about. They don't talk about.
Hold be caught up these black people.
Speaker 7 (07:49):
You know when we was coming up.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
I'm talking about black folks, they do.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
I'm telling black folks do not talk about being You
can say for the ones who economically might not have,
they might not know.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
I'm saying for the ones who know who.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Ed who's educated, but they ain't a part of n
W c P and they don't want to be, they
might say it ain't nothing.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
They ain't doing nothing.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
They be around the white counterparts. Gonna happen if I'm
a part of it. I'm telling I work it's all
day long.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Ask them.
Speaker 7 (08:20):
Because we was covering up.
Speaker 6 (08:23):
When we was covering up, n double a c P
meant negroes are actually colored prolos.
Speaker 7 (08:32):
Who But back to you, and I'm gonna let you
turn it over.
Speaker 6 (08:39):
You chose two great groups to support and chose two
great groups to give money to.
Speaker 5 (08:45):
Now you're here explain.
Speaker 7 (08:47):
To the people what your weekend is gonna be like.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
Well, so let me say this. Uh, here's the weekend.
But the weekend is pretty much sold out. So you know,
we've raised We've raised some good money, so everything is
really good. So what the weekend for those of you
that are gonna miss it? It is two days December
sixth I'm doing a master class from nine until ten thirty.
(09:13):
I'm breaking down my technique because people talk about, hey man,
you make classic movies. How do you make those movies
like that? I do have a different touch. So I've
got that class. But the class is sold out. At
eleven o'clock, we've got a screening of my favorite movie
in the world, The Spook Who Sat by the Door.
That movie changed my life as a kid. Have you
(09:34):
ever seen The Spooky Sit by the Door? So we've
got mister Peimun Rami, who is in the movie, was
one of the casting directors on the movie.
Speaker 5 (09:42):
I'm going to do a discussion with him.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Troy Pryor from Excel is hosting the panel between me
and mister Rommie talking about the film. Then after that
we're gonna show the five Heart Beats a.
Speaker 6 (09:53):
You know we're seeing that, you know, but almost I'm
gonna do a spin back off of that. Bernie Casey
said that was the best movie ever made, that didn't
make the money he should have.
Speaker 7 (10:09):
Yeah, he quoted that years ago.
Speaker 6 (10:11):
He said that was the best movie ever made, but
didn't get the money that it should have.
Speaker 5 (10:17):
But it's coming up now. But you know, here's here's
here's the thing.
Speaker 7 (10:22):
Here's the thing.
Speaker 5 (10:23):
You know, God is always in charge.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
And so if somebody says, you mean the five Hartbeat
wasn't successful, it is successful.
Speaker 5 (10:31):
Well you know it's it does It did what it
needed to do. So we're gonna have the screening of
that and then after.
Speaker 7 (10:39):
Yes, we're going to Broadway with it.
Speaker 5 (10:43):
No coming.
Speaker 7 (10:46):
I heard it through the Great found I didn't know, no, no.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
But but so I want to see a Robbery remake.
Speaker 7 (10:53):
It's a wonderful life.
Speaker 3 (10:55):
Oh that's a beautiful Yeah. Anyway, anyway, I ain't gonna
say nothing. I want to see the High Oh you
like in the High Oh that I was going to
screen that car Man.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
I don't want to go off script, but you're talking
about that.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Was one powerful peace to bring tears, and so I
mean you're talking about peace.
Speaker 7 (11:18):
We've been knowing each other.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
I remember when we were sitting there and you looked
at me at the screening, I'm looking up like, oh
my god.
Speaker 8 (11:25):
But you know what, it's one movie that does not
get the kudos that I think.
Speaker 5 (11:29):
It still doesn't get a voys and men.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
Oh thank you, oh thank you, Angela Basston. Oh we
shot that here at Chicago. Yes, oh yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
Speaker 8 (11:42):
Yes, that's what the cold and Rob was doing this
and he turned out he needed to look cold and
I'm freezing.
Speaker 7 (11:49):
Come on, y'all shoot the scene. So Saturday Sat.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
So then after that Saturday at six o'clock Columbia University,
we got Game night. Game We're gonna play bid Whist, Spades, Dominoes,
Uno scrabble.
Speaker 5 (12:06):
So if you want to play a lot and free food.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
So if you buy a ticket to the SPOOKLSD by
the door of the five Heartbeat, you can come for free.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
Other than that, you gotta buy a ticket to Game Night.
But you know we're just gonna have a great time.
Speaker 4 (12:18):
You're a real Chicago and you said, be Ais, Oh
you go.
Speaker 5 (12:21):
To play I play I t.
Speaker 1 (12:24):
Space.
Speaker 7 (12:25):
She plays space. She don't play no big.
Speaker 5 (12:29):
Really you gotta be you gotta come with it.
Speaker 7 (12:31):
You got you gotta come with that.
Speaker 5 (12:33):
So that's Game Night.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
And then on Sunday at eleven o'clock we got the
screening of Media Man and it's like a special thing
for kids.
Speaker 7 (12:43):
Superhero Man. You got the Vice Lords, I mean lords Lords.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
I wonder if you did you think about that when
you was that part of your thought process where you
think about vice lords for real?
Speaker 5 (12:58):
Definitely?
Speaker 3 (12:59):
Yeah, I don't know, you know all of that, you know,
that whole thing, you know, going back to Carl, all
of this is like community. If the community could band
together and stand together, we could change things. And you know,
and then you go like, if you really had a superhero,
you know, would you just use him or would you
work with him and build on what he has? So
(13:20):
so for me, everything that happened in Chicago, I put
on that screen and I was like, this is my
my wish of like what we could do if we
band together as a people. So, you know, fantasy, you
know again, it's the Trojan Horse. It's like, oh, it's
a fantasy. But at the end of the day, Media
Man became a hero when he lost his powers.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Speak that piece speak.
Speaker 5 (13:40):
You know what I'm saying. You know what I'm saying.
And so then after he found out who he was.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
He found out who he was, and then at that point,
it's like, if we don't have our own voice and
our freedom, we're not free. So then what is it
to you know, cause you know, so that's a whole
nother you know, but that's what the piece is about.
And then the last thing we're doing is at the
Comedy Bar. We're doing a comedy show there. The comedy
(14:06):
show is sold out. It's with Lorell, it's with le
Royce Hawkins, and it's with from w g C I
Leon Rogers.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
Yeah yeah, and so it's all so all the events
are sold out.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
There's a few tickets go to event in Noir if
you still want to try to come, you know. And
again this happened in five weeks. I called Karl, called Deborah,
said hey, can we make it? And all these volunteers
came together. Shout out to all the volunteers, all the
workers behind the scenes, and now it's sold out.
Speaker 5 (14:38):
That's what we call the love movement.
Speaker 6 (14:40):
Listen, I want to I want to thank you, Rob, because,
like I said, my heart is heavy it was some
mixed conversations today and I didn't know if this was
gonna happen or whatever because of the information that we had.
But the love that you showed me to show up
to the show man my birthday.
Speaker 1 (14:59):
Great.
Speaker 7 (14:59):
Look, man, you already know I ain't gonna put your
nail no more on the wrong train, no more. I
ain't gonna do none of that no more. Thank you that.
Speaker 6 (15:11):
But man, from the bottom of my heart. And lady
Z she she already know. Man, I do this for real.
Speaker 7 (15:17):
I know you real.
Speaker 6 (15:19):
And those kids are gonna learn from D O D
Thank you. Thank you for bringing them in. And I'm
gonna put them on the show. They have their own
little show.
Speaker 5 (15:28):
I love it, you see. But I've been watching your
heart man as you do this.
Speaker 7 (15:32):
This is lovely.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
And how you shout out the sponsors and you know what,
it's funny because you're doing your own commercials and they're
genuine and you'll.
Speaker 5 (15:39):
Be like, if the chicken ain't good, it's on her.
But I'm telling you that the lobster.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Is the bomb.
Speaker 4 (15:51):
She tells the truth because he'd be going to them
places every every day.
Speaker 7 (15:57):
I engaged. I mean, I ain't engaged because this is
why I engage.
Speaker 6 (16:01):
And I was telling we got another team, and I
got some more guys that's gonna be a part of
the team. I engage because if you don't know, you
can't talk about it. If you have to be engaged,
you have to say, man, if that food is good,
you have to know it's good.
Speaker 7 (16:17):
You gotta go eat it.
Speaker 6 (16:19):
You just can't say it because it's something to say,
you know, for the sponsorship.
Speaker 7 (16:24):
No, go visit, go get engaged.
Speaker 5 (16:27):
When you talk, it's genuine.
Speaker 3 (16:29):
That's why I was like, oh, you know, because it
makes me want to like, oh, that is really that
place because I can tell you're like, you know, you
ain't lying, You're like you ever known Chris not.
Speaker 7 (16:36):
To be genuine?
Speaker 4 (16:39):
He's definitely a person you can't speaker phone.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
The musty man.
Speaker 7 (16:44):
Yeah, the musty man.
Speaker 8 (16:46):
But see, it's more to the musty man than just being.
Speaker 7 (16:48):
Musty because Chris is everywhere. He was like, what you do?
What you're doing?
Speaker 1 (16:53):
I mean everywhere I go. That he is everywhere I go.
Speaker 7 (16:55):
And somebody said, how come you and Chris always in the.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
Same room because we're both servants And that's the drink
you call neat when you're ordering at the bar, ain't
no chasing, no chasing.
Speaker 6 (17:06):
You know what you're gonna get from me. But at
the end of the day, man, Robert Townsend, I'm so
proud of.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
You, man, because go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker 7 (17:14):
When sheff oh, man, what is that?
Speaker 5 (17:19):
Let me let me let me say something. I gotta
give Dennis Olive his love.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Yes, I have been working on a one man show
about my life in Chicago, my journey to Hollywood, everything,
and so I started workshopping it at the Marsh Theater
in Berkeley. Who calls and says, I'm in the audience,
So I'm coming to your show this one.
Speaker 7 (17:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
I was just in Saint Louis at the Kirkwood Theater.
Who calls and says, I got my tickets. Me and
Jackie were coming. And there he is at the audience again.
And so I love you, man, I love you. I
want to bring it to Chicago. I've been talking to
a few theaters here, so it is coming now.
Speaker 6 (17:57):
We We've been knowing each other since Tinny years old,
and this is the team. This is a full circle
of how we show love for each other.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Man.
Speaker 7 (18:07):
I'm so proud of you. The old dog God Lee,
you got that.
Speaker 6 (18:11):
What's that new thing you're working on with What's I
can't think of the name of it.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
You're doing all you.
Speaker 7 (18:18):
The Bear, the Bear.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
Yes, I'm having a great time with the Bear. Where
I come back to shoot the new season.
Speaker 5 (18:25):
Here's the thing. When I'm shooting, the only thing.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
Is that because COVID and all that stuff in the air,
I can't leave. I can't go outside. We got to
be in our bubble. But I'm doing the Bear, and
then I'm coming back in January, February and March to
do the Shy so lean away. You know, I did
the interview with her, so I'm coming back to do
the Shy.
Speaker 5 (18:44):
You know, thank you so much. And so I'm just blessed. Man.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
I'm creating, you know, my stuff. I always keep my
brain going. And the one man show, you know, Dennis
has been there. I leave it all on the stage twice.
I leave it all on the stage. So I'm just
loving life.
Speaker 6 (18:56):
So the question was asked, when are you gonna bring
it to your car.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
I'm just figuring out my schedule, but I'm going to
bring it here because because I don't you know, I've
been talking to a certain theater here and I just
can't say.
Speaker 6 (19:08):
Right, Denni's got a lot of money, so he could
fly all over I don't have no I need.
Speaker 7 (19:13):
I need sponsorship right here. Yeah, I got put that
add up too, because you gotta pay that bill at
the But.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
I just could I give it just shout off.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
I ended uble family because we just lost I lost
my secretary a couple of years on Caro Hanking and Paige.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
You know, we're still trying to real.
Speaker 2 (19:33):
From from the loss of her. So I just wanted
justince I got a public Mike, just want to give
the family a shout out that we with the family.
But Carol Hankin Page was a long secretary as long
as I was president, so that meant a lot to us.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
We're still grieving, but.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Just to greate peace, to have this thing, to be
with my people in a moment, like to do this
thing this time the moment, to show you how God
works in the ways.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
It's just calm the souls and the spirit.
Speaker 6 (19:57):
So and since you're going you say that, I'm gonna
end this with In November, it was almost twelve people
that I had association with that passed away, and I mean,
some might have been sick, some got hit by a car.
One lady laid down and didn't wake up.
Speaker 5 (20:16):
So it was a lot of that.
Speaker 6 (20:18):
So when we when you mentioned that, all of that
came back.
Speaker 5 (20:23):
Yeah, and I just man, but.
Speaker 6 (20:25):
This is a great night for me, Happy birthday to me.
Forget it what everybody else is talking about. And as
we end this show, I want to thank.
Speaker 7 (20:33):
Earl, want to appreciate you. I want to thank DLD
out there. Thank you.
Speaker 6 (20:41):
Yeah, and as we always say, treat people the way
you want to be treated and never give up, never
give up, never give up. Don't don't, don't, never count
yourself out.
Speaker 7 (20:52):
Okay, God bless you. Thank you.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
Rob.
Speaker 5 (20:57):
You just got dressed.
Speaker 7 (21:06):
Need something to get into pretty girl one day
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