8.28 March on Washington; RNC wraps & Trump fails: 180k dead from COVID; #2020census matters special

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
M M M m M. Today's Thursday, August two thousand

(00:40):
and twenty, coming up, a rolling Martin on the Filter.
Protests for Jacob Blake continuing in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Also, what
is happening folks? Uh there um, the father of Jacob
Blake says he is no longer handcuffed to his bead.
We'll tell you exactly what that's all about. Also, folks

(01:01):
will focus on the United States senses why it matters
for African Americans to ensure that we are counted. Also
on today's show, NBA players continue if they're protesting, and
they are gonna return to the court, but there are
some conditions. We're gonna bring it all down for you.
It's time to bring the funk roller mark on the filter.
Let's go Martin. Whatever the miss, he's on it, whatever

(01:25):
it is, he's got the spook, the fact, the fine
and when its he's right on time in this rolling
best belief, he's going putting down. This must to us
to politics with entertainment. Just fo case he's stole rolling.

(01:47):
It's strolling with rolling. He's booky stressed, she's real the
besition though he's are Folks today if at the anniversary

(02:14):
of the marching Washington for Jobs and Freedom is also
the anniversary of the death of Emmett till Uh. Those
things have long coincided. Thousers gathered at the Leaky Memorial
today UH to commemorate that march, and also the focus
was on the deaths of black men at the hands
of cops. Here is a recap of today's march. August

(02:36):
is the day to remember the triumphs and tragedies that
have taken place in our historic struggle for racial justice.
Today we commemorate the march on Washington two Jobs and
Freedom in nineteen sixty three, where my father declared his dream.
But we must never forget the American nightmare of racist violence,

(02:59):
ex amplified when m Matil was murdered on this day
in nineteen fifty five and the criminal justice system failed
to convict his killers. Sixty five years later, we still
struggle for justice, demilitarizing the police, dismantling mass incarceration, and

(03:22):
declaring and determinately as we can that black lives matter
in our struggle for justice. There are no permanent victories.
From this day. Twelve years ago, I was honored to
address the Democratic National Convision in Denver, and on that night,

(03:44):
in that evening in the Bower High City, our spirits
were soaring as the Democrats nominated Barack Obama, who would
go on to become the first African American president of
these United States. But the progress we celebrated then is
imperiled yet again. And now we must march to the

(04:07):
ballot box and the mail boxes to defend the freedoms
that earlier generations worked so hard to win. Some of
you may remember that two years at the March for
our Lives, I said, spread the word, have you heard
all across the nation? We are going to be a

(04:30):
great generation that was in I didn't know what would
hit us. In a pandemic that shut our schools and
put our young lives on hold, more killings of armed,
unarmed black people by police attacks on our right to vote,

(04:56):
first economic crisis since the Great the pres Shin that
we learned about in school, and more extreme weather than
ever before. But great challenges produce great leaders. We are
the great gims of our grandparents, great grandparents and all

(05:18):
our ancestors. We stand and march for love, and we
will fulfill my grandfather's dream. So show me what democracy
looks like. This is what democracy looks sell we what
democracy looks like. This is what democracy. Tell me what
democracy looks like? One last time? Show me what democracy

(05:40):
looks like. Okay, then let's show them. No justice, no justice,
no justice, no justice. What do we want? Why do
we want? What do we want? When do we want it?

(06:05):
When do we want it? When do we want it?
When do we want it? All right? Fifty seven years ago,
in nineteen sixty three, there was a struggle in Birmingham, Alabama.

(06:31):
There was the assassination of met Gabblers, the head of
the Mississippi in double a c P. In the middle
of struggle and murder, they came to Washington to demand

(06:51):
that the federal government give them a Civil Rights Act
and voting rights. They marched that day in a hot,
blistering day like today, saying that as we struggle, we
need legislation. And they stayed on that movement until they

(07:16):
got the Civil Rights at of nineteen sixty four and
the Voting Rights at of nineteen sixty five. Eighteen sixty three,
Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. He promised us full

(07:37):
citizenship if we fought to save the Union. He promised
us for the acres and a mule. We never got
the full citizenship, we never got the reparations. We come
to Lincoln because you promised, Mr. Lincoln, and the promise

(08:00):
has been broken. And we've come like Dr King came
fifty seven years ago to say we're tired of broken promises.
Tell no justice, No justice, Tacob plan, Take a plank,

(08:21):
Tacob plank. There are two systems of justice in the
United States. There's a white system and there's a black system.
The black system ain't doing so well, but we're gonna
stand up. Every black person in the United States is

(08:45):
gonna stand up. We're tired. I'm tired. I'm looking at
cameras and seeing these young brad black and brown people suffer.

(09:06):
All Right, it's going to panel. Rob Richardson Here is
the host of the Disruption Now podcast, Derek Holley, President
Reaching America and political Analysts, and will be shortly joined
by Misha Cross, political analysts and democratic strategis. Rob, I
want to start with you. Obviously a number of speeches today,
a number of family members who have had uh their
children killed by police. Tray Bar Martin's mom was there

(09:29):
Samerena Pulton. You also had, of course, as you saw
there the father of h Jacob Blake, who is in
a hospital there in Milwaukee. You also had the George
Floyd family and so many others. Um. At the end
of the day, Uh, you know, you had this gathering.
Thousands were out there. Crowd estimates around ten maybe twenty

(09:49):
thousand or so. Uh, they marched from the Lincoln Memorial
over to I Okay Memorial and so um rob at
the end of the day. But now where we are
is we are less than seven days from election day.
It simply boils down to mobilization and organization when it
comes to voting. Yeah, that's pretty much actually something out too,

(10:11):
because we know that despite what's going on, despite the
fact that you have a president that's been in charge
of leading a pandemic fail where we started out, the
people almost are dead. Um where he stoked racial flame
every time he can instead of trying to bring people together. Um,
his people are gonna be motivated no matter what, matter
what the polls say, They're going to be motivated. So

(10:33):
it's gonna it's gonna turn. It's gonna it's gonna be
on us to make sure that we come out in
strong numbers because there's always been a black people that
have actually helped save America. We've got to save one
more time. That I mean, not only to improve our lives,
but actually to make sure America survives. Um, Derek the uh?
I mean obviously we have seen marches and protests from

(10:55):
folks from African Americans foost on the left, folks on
the right. Uh. And again, marching and protesting is one thing.
Polling is another thing. But it boils down to who
is going to get out there uh and vote? Yeah,
and that's a BottomLine. Who's gonna be on vote? And
I actually rode cycled down into the to the mall

(11:16):
today and was down here for a good part of
the protests in the march put a mask on when
it was I did, I had to put it. Oh
so somebody put up, somebody covered up biking. Oh look
at the progress. Let me tell you, let me let

(11:39):
me be clear, let me be clear with our cycle
do not wear a mask. However because of the crown
size and get up, pulled off our band dinner and
put that around my grandma. Yeah okay, yeah, okay, so
but just but all that being said, Man, it was rolling.
It was. It was a good event. I was glad

(11:59):
I went down there to see it. Um, I think
the numbers of the ten of twenty thousand, I think
that might be on the low side. So I'm waiting
to see what that aerial view is gonna look like.
Because they were coming in droves. I mean people were
coming in droves, and so it was. It was a
really good it was a good it was a good scene.
And so I'm hoping, man, that out of this will

(12:20):
come some some some type of reform as relates to
the police and what they're doing. I mean that this
last shooting. Man, it's just it's just ridiculous at this point,
one after another, one after another. Uh, Asia, I did
not I did not go out there. One of the
reasons I did not go out there is because you
saw that lack of social distancing. That was precisely why

(12:42):
I'm saw And again, look, I got no problem. Here's
the deal. We had to live stream and here's the deal.
I listened to people last night complain about the lack
of social distancing that took place. Uh when when Trump
gathered last night, Look, you can't criticize that venue or
they had several thousand people, and then you don't say

(13:03):
anything about what took place at the Lincoln Memorial. Uh.
And so again to seriously to me, you could have
had that event. It could have been all virtual. Uh.
And so look at people want to get together and protest.
That's fine with me, but that's why I was not there.
Uh And so because I got to think about my
family as well, and we have to be practicing what
we preach. Nevertheless, Uh, these events are important. They are symbolic,

(13:29):
but they're also important. But it's also vital that you
have uh, content gathering, data gathering, because having people show
up is one thing, but being able to be sure
you reached them and connect with them when they leave,
that to me is also important. No, you're correct, And
then my my, my heart goes out to you and
all the people who you know are involved in this

(13:51):
movement and have been in this movement long before it
became a hashtag, who were not able to be there
today because of social distancing, because thousands of people flew
in and who knows what they've there may not have
brought with them. But also because I think that you
touch on a very important point Roland. We have never
had a hard time in gathering people for uh for
for a mass event in in the nation's capital or

(14:12):
any other major city for that matter. What we do
have more of a problem with is consistent engagement that
exists outside of those pivotal event moments. What are people doing?
How are they going to carry this back into their neighborhood?
It's how are going to how are they going to
apply pressure to their state and local leadership? What what
do we do beyond this? I think that for a
lot of folks, and this isn't a shade anybody who
took part in this movement at all, but I think

(14:34):
that for a lot of people who flew into d
C today and who are out of Memorial Um this
they've checked off a box and probably also didn't check
off the boxes they needed to for the census. And
I know you're gonna talk about that later in your show,
but I just want to make sure that people fully
understand what we face in this nation. And it's more
than just this election in there's so many elections that
we need to have people involved in who look like us,

(14:56):
specifically younger people we know are such a large demographic
but don't and are not represented as often as they
should be in our electoral process. But we want to
see this movement take place, and more than just these
these key moments throughout history, we want you to take
this to the streets in your own communities. We want
you to consistently have your voice heard at home. I
think it's very easy to show up in d C.

(15:18):
Which is a great city, um and in showcase it here,
but it matters a lot to take it back home.
It matters a lot to cure this conversation that have
some actionable items that are actually doing outside of social
media and outside of the process itself. All right, folks,
speaking of last night, Donald Trump gave one of the
longest damnit type of speeches ever last night. Itally more

(15:39):
than an hour, no real vision forward. He did have
a few black moments and to bring prosperity to our
forgotten inner cities. We worked hard to pass historic criminal
justice reform, prison reform, opportunity zones, and long term funding
of historically black colleges and universities. And before the China

(16:03):
virus came in, produced the best unemployment numbers for African Americans,
Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans ever recorded. And I say

(16:28):
very modestly that I have done more for the African
American community than any president, says Abraham Lincoln, our first
Republican president. And I have done more in three years

(16:51):
for the black community than Joe Biden has done in
forty seven years. And when I'm reelected, the best is
yet to come through. A couple of minor details that

(17:13):
were left out there. Derek Um one uh touting um
touting Black unemployment. Yep, number did go down, number did
goes what goes down? Did come up? Right now? It's
at fourteen point six. Donald Trump didn't even So I'm

(17:39):
just saying so. But there's to me, there's nothing more
ignorant and ridiculous. It's for this fool to actually think, oh,
I've done more for black people than any president since Lincoln. Now,
if you start going through the Great Depression and FDR
and the New Deal, if you talk about Truman desegregating

(18:02):
the armed forces, when you talk and then a number
of other different things, when you talk about President Linda
Banks Johnson Voting Rights Act, Civil Rights Act, Fair Housing Act,
putting the initial pieces in place when it came to
affirmative action. I mean, we can go down the line.
In fact, if you I wann't even just say Republicans.
The fact of the matter is Richard Nixon. If you

(18:24):
read Bob Brown's book, Richard Nixon's efforts when it came
to bussing, second, when it came to affirmative action, Third,
when it came to investment in black businesses. Donald Trump
can't even get close to that. But this is he
ain't talking to black people, Derek. He ain't even talking
to you black conservatives. He really talking to the white

(18:46):
people saying I've been real good to the blacks. Your assessment, Now,
how about, Derek, your assessment. I was gonna say, yeah, well,
I agree with you everything without what you said about
mixing and you know rolling, I didn't pay a lot
attention to the conventions because I knew it was gonna

(19:07):
be a lot of grandstanding on both sides. And to
your point, he wasn't. I don't. I don't think a
lot of blacks tuned in to the RNC convention. So
I do think he was for the most part speaking
to his base. And like I said, I didn't, I didn't.
I didn't pay a lot of a lot to put

(19:28):
a whole lot of pretences, if you will, to either
one of the conventions for that reason, because I knew
it's gonna be a lot of grandstanding for both sides
and for me personally. I think a lot. For the
most part, except for Independence, people have pretty much made
up their mind about who they want to vote for
come November. I think I think a misha. I do
believe that you have a small percentage of people white

(19:51):
Independence who could go either way. Um, I do believe that.
I think in many ways, this election is going to
be like two thousand and twelve. I remember after Obama
was a trocious in that first debate, Democrats were losing
their mind. Oh my god, he's gonna lose this Poland
show folks who are not really going either way. This

(20:15):
election is gonna come down to two things. It's gonna
come down the turnout, and then it's gonna come down
a voter suppression. Today, a judge rule in Iowa throwing
out some fifty thousand absentee ballots in Iowa because the
information was filled in for the voter when it was
sent to them by the local clerk. Uh. The Trump team,

(20:38):
the Republican National Committee. They've already said they're gonna see
in fifty thousand pole watchers after that consent, the creed
is no longer what was invalidated after the last election,
and they are going to be challenging mail in ballots
in every state. It's gonna happen. It's gonna happen. Definitely,
elections coming down. So you know, people can sit here

(21:00):
and talk about the pageantry. And I saw these conservatives
saying old Democrats and the whole deal with you know
that with the optics found mean a damn thing, it's
gonna come down and turnout you're absolutely correct ruling. This
isn't a time where we're going to see Trump trying
to expand his base. He hasn't tried to expand his
face during the entire four years, and I don't think

(21:23):
he's going to try to expand it by November three.
What he is trying to do, and what the Republican
Party is helping him do, is ensure that there is
large scale voter suppression and voter disenfrant disenfranchisement, whether that
be by you know, pushing these false narratives about there
being a large amount of fraud and mail in voting,
and they're being problems with that, or just extremely long

(21:45):
lines at polling stations, pulling machines that don't work. Um,
polling stations closed down in certain areas. He is counting
on African American staying home out of a sense of
just apathy with the process, or not having their votes
counted at all. And I think that you know, the
tragedy and all of this is that we have a
president who does not really uphold democracy. He knows that

(22:07):
he can't win this vote far square. He knows that
this it's going to be a raised one within the margins,
and instead of actively competing and actively pushing forward a
policy that people can get behind, he's decided that he's
just going to try to steal this election by whatever
means necessary, and whatever means necessary is destroying mail in ballots,
utilizing the United States Post Service to help him to

(22:29):
do so. In addition to that, making sure that he
has these uh the states in his back pocket and
governorships that are working against our democracy on a daily
basis and are steadily trying to keep people off the
rolls as we speak, Um, Derek, again, it was just
laughable listening to h I'm sorry, Uh, listen to all

(22:50):
of that. Uh, it was laughable. I'm sorry, Rob, Rob,
go to you next. It was laughful listening to all
of that. It was laughable. And the fact that dun
Trump made no mention at all of any police shootings
holding police accountable. That was his throwaway line in there
about yeah, there's police misconduct, we will hold them to uh,
to the letter of the law. But everything else was

(23:12):
a full on embrace hug uh, you name it when
it comes to police. And So when I hear it,
and I'm gonna play a video later, when I hear
all of these conservatives say Joe Biden needs to speak
up more forcenately against these writers out there, I'm like,
when the hell are y'all gonna say something? That's what
I'm saying, That's what I look. Look, it's it's fool's goal.

(23:34):
Is it's actually a tractor trying to fall into that
narrative because all this lawlessness, if he wants to call it,
that is falling. It is falling under his administration. So
he's talking about all these things that are happening and saying,
what's gonna happen if Joe Biden takes over. It's happening now, Like, so,
what are you talking about. It's under a Trump administration.
So I actually think, uh, future Vice President Kamala Harris

(23:55):
framed it in the right way. She's saying that he's
responsible for not only these and just sits with police,
but he's he's responsible for the breakdown in the in
the whole decave, us not having a civil way to
come together because he is exacerbating the problem. And so
if you want real law and order, which just doesn't
mean like cops get to do whatever they want and
kill people. That's not law and order, it's real justice,

(24:16):
then we'll have a real administration and we will do
that and we'll hold those people accountable, including people like
the guy who who I forgot the guy's name who
shot and killed two or three protesters in Wisconsin, Kyle
Kyle Rittenhouse. Kyle Rittenhouse, Yes, they need he needs to
be held accountable. He was able to go out and
do this shooting and walk past the police officer like

(24:37):
all that's cool. I mean, law and order is out
of control in this country, and it's because of Donald J. Trump,
and we need to change administrations if you want, if
you want to keep going the way we are, then
I guess you can go with this president. This is
Trump's America. So I don't even understand the argument he
was making. So last night last night, Um, you had
a situation out there where after after the speech was

(24:59):
over where Rand Paul and his wife go through the video,
we're walking out and apparently and some people like they
turned down uh car service, they chose to walk back
to their hotel. So uh. There were protesters who were
shouting at them uh and and yelling at them. And

(25:19):
Republicans have been in an uproar today Derek, Oh my god,
I can't believe this. They feared for their life uh
and saying that Joe Biden must must slam this and
Joe Biden must must must must you know, criticize this.
But I want to show you something else. Three days ago, Derek,

(25:40):
Three days ago in um Idaho, in Idaho, there were
a group of protesters who shoved their way past state
troopers in the state capitol, took over the gallery, refused
to leave. The Republicans speak of the House said okay, fine,
y'all go ahead and stay. Then when the question was

(26:01):
asked to the cops. Why didn't y'all charge any of them?
They said, oh, there was gonna be a higher risk
of violence if we arrested any of them. Some of
them were also armed, and they said, okay, fine, y'all
can go ahead and stay. What were they? What were
they protesting? Masks? So I tweeted out to several conservatives

(26:23):
who were demanding that Joe Biden speaks forcefually against this,
and I said, when the hell of y'all gonna speak
out against something I said three days ago? I said,
they literally pushed past state troopers everywhere else I could say,
if you did that, Derek and I did it, and
the messian Robb hell, we're getting hit with assault but

(26:43):
the right right, and this is crazy, So ineen Derek.
There were a group of LGBT activists who had a
silent protest who stood in the door. They arrested them.
So I just my whole point is this here it

(27:04):
what I have been shouting down Ran Paul that way, No,
because my whole deal is the best way to shut
ran Paul up is for the Democrats take control of
the Senate and put his ass into minority. So that's
just me. So other folks, but it's amazing to me
how something happened. And conservatives, oh my god, Democrats, you
have got to condemn this. And I'm like, man, y'all,

(27:26):
let ship ride and don't say nothing. We're rolling. I
think that goes both way. That's just that's what I
just said. That's what I just said, Derek. So so
I think it rides on both sides. Not today, I
had a conversation with with with three Capitol Hill police officers.

(27:47):
Two of them was black, one of was white, and
so the conversation led into what took place out of
lapi Ap Plaza and I was like, man, I said,
I just don't think a lot of times that people
see the whole true story of what took the place,
and they just they went on from there. And so
what he said was two black officers, he said, we

(28:09):
couldn't do anything at Laffia Plaza until they try to
pull down that statue. He said, up until then, our
hands were tied. They didn't want the statue to come down.
So we were then ordered to bring law in order
to the whole entire situation. So if you don't know,
I just think sometimes you can take a look, you
can take a video, and you can take a story,
and you can spend it to fit the narrative whichever

(28:30):
way you want to. Yeah, no, it's not that hard. No,
look no, no really look look look you look at
Clive and Bundy who took over a federal land with
guns and dared the Obama administration to come by, and
they backed down black people. Oh no, no, no, no, no,
don't don't forget how Fox News love that they call
that uh an American American patriot fighting for freedom. Go ahead, yes,

(28:54):
but suddenly when we're trying to fight to live, we're
not fighting for freedom. We're dangerous thugs. You got them.
You have the RNC aull here talking about hid your baby,
hid your kids? These black people trying to take over. No,
all we're trying to do is live like we're not
protesting not having to basically, yeah, they're basically pretty much

(29:16):
four days of the Republican National Invention was like they're
coming to get you, white people. It wasn't even a
coded translation. That was literally the argument. The Republicans are
basing their twenty twenty election hopes on scaring the hell
out of suburban white women, because black people are protesting

(29:37):
in the streets to have our civil rights and civil
liberties upheld. And that is that is what it is,
playing and simple, and we got to see it person
after person on that stage every night for four nights,
for two hours each night. That is what this is.
Trump knows that his victory might just run through the
suburban communities, and he's looking to speak to these wet
women because historically, trope after trope, when you scare a

(29:58):
lot of white women into believing that the black are
coming to get them, it changes things in this country.
It takes it takes democracy backwards, it takes black people backwards,
and it is caused a lot of the to our detriments,
specifically black men in terms of having their lives but
at risk because the minute that you know, one of
these women ends up calling the police, it's the end

(30:18):
of it for a black man. We know that. And
as these situations keep on upticking, this president is utilizing
this law and order mantra. It's not even about protests.
This is about scaring people who don't even live amongst
the population. They're afraid of that at some point these
people are going to rise up and they're gonna take
whatever it is that you believe is yours and you're
no longer going to matter in this country. That's what

(30:39):
President Trump's messages. Derek, were you bothered by the fact
that federal property tax payer? I mean the White House
was turned into a Trump stage last night? No? President, No, no, no, okay, okay,
all right. So so you're saying that if you're saying that,
if a Democrat does that, you perfect be fine with it. Yeah,

(31:02):
if Bama would have done that, I've been like, girl, girl,
go keep this taking And Derek, and Derek, what's your
fellow Republicans feel? What's your fellow Republicans be saying the same?
Hell no, hell no, don't he tried, in fact, in
fact Trump had this, No, they would not, And so

(31:23):
that that that's what. Look, I'm gonna tell you right now.
One of the things. One of the reasons why I
really really really want to see Biden win, especially for
getting rid of racist Donald Trump, it's because I can't wait.
I can't wait for for him and Vice President Harris
to do some stuff. And Republicans started talking and all

(31:46):
show me the talk to the hand. Maybe y'all didn't
say a damn thing for four years. Talk to the hand.
I'm telling you right now, if Democrats get control of
the Senate, I'm telling you Chuck Schuman should be the
biggest gangster in d C. And I mean, shut the
hell up. No, no, no, I'm talking about. I'm talking

(32:09):
about Chuck Schumer should do to the Republicans what miss
McConnell get to the Democrats. Shut up, I ain't talking.
I'm telling you right now that I wouldn't them talking hearings.
I'd be like, y'all done, gavel approved, y'all done. Matter
of fact, I wouldn't even have judge by judge. What

(32:29):
Republicans do. They put seven judges up there in Misha
and had one big gass hearing. I put twenty five judges.
That's what the that's what they should do. And that's
what we've seen happen from Republicans. I'll be gangster. You know,
thrown away the playbook, they've thrown away the norms. They
don't care. And at this point, you know, they have
a habit of calling out Democrats for the smallest in fraction.

(32:52):
But we've seen throughout this Trump administration that none of
the rules applied, and then when you mentioned them, it's like, oh,
this doesn't matter. It's really frustrating because the hattack has
come up at the state level, at the federal level
several times before for senators, sitting senators, current seeding senators. However,
when it comes to the president, Republicans are acting like, oh,

(33:13):
this is not a big deal. I'm just let y'all know.
I'll be like, you're done, You're done. Next, You're done, next, Okay, now, y'all.
Last night trumpet is big old fire works to display.
You know, there are protesters out there in the streets
act this is a pretty cool video. Watched this. Yeh

(34:03):
damn A hundred eight thousand and a half died because
Trump failed when it came to coronavirus. You know, I
was it's interesting. So I was with Wednesday. My cousin
texted me. He said, because they're running that video on
TV where you were standing behind Trump and in front
of Pence when I was at the White House, and
I was like, heyn, who is it? So I turned

(34:24):
on CNN to watch you to see what it was.
Was scrolling at the bottom of the screen was Spain
their their health minister said they had over seven thousand
cases of coronavirus and one day and he said, quote,
coronavirus is out of control in our country, Spain, Italy, France,
all the numbers of even the other one where where

(34:45):
everybody was appointed to it. We should use as an example.
Everybody hold hold right now. It's not just the United
States problem. New Zealand, New Zealand's not no, no, no
z now, Halo hall, let me help you. New Zealand
had two New Zealand had two new cases and they

(35:05):
shut it down to is all right? So so your
so your defense here is that other countries have numbers
going up, even if it's only two people. So Trump
is fine and America is not really in trouble. So
two or two thousand. You see a difference there, don't you.

(35:27):
I mean, just what I'm saying to you is the
coronavirus is definitely in this impact in the entire world.
You're saying born than President Trump is because during the
entire RNC they spoke about the coronavirus in the past
tencient so it didn't exist. No hell, yes, his fault.
Here's a deal. Here's a deal when you're the president now,

(35:51):
not not not, here's a deal when you are the president.
Not not not, here's a deal, here's a deal. When
when Obama was president, Republicans are like, you can't take
credit for low gas prices. Gas went high. It's your
phone is high gas prices. Republicans said, you can't take no, no, no, no,

(36:12):
I said, I said, no, wait, wait, no, no no.
Republicans said. Republicans said, you can't take credit for the
improving economy. Oh I remember, I remember Jack Welch actually
said we can't trust these unemployment numbers. But now all
of a sudden, oh, I've got the lowest is all

(36:34):
me this food actually said last night, Rob, I rebuilt
the American economy in three years. How YO ask that?
That's like saying that's like saying that's like saying I
rebuilt a car that already existed because I put some
air in the tire. Do you remember when the Republicans

(36:57):
got upset during two thousand twelve and Obama was talking
about how the government economy works and how no one
business builds everything by themselves. You have to have roads,
you have to have bridges, you have to have and
he said one line, you didn't build that and they
read a whole line of middle multimillion dollar commercials. This
fool says that he built the whole economy in three years,
which of course it's not true. Uh, but like here,

(37:18):
here is what's true. He is responsible for the Pisto
four lack of response that he had with the coronavirus.
We how we responded was up to him. He decided
not to have a national effort. He decided that it
was the hoax. He decided that people didn't need to
wear a mask, and that caused a whole bunch of lies.
Period in the discussion starts and ends there. And I'm

(37:41):
just curious. I'm just curious. I just wouldn't know have
you ever done No, no, no no, I just want to know.
I just want to know have you ever done this? Uh?
Haven't you ever? Uh sat down with some friends who
you and your wife invited over to the house. Um,
and your your wife prepared this amazing meal, uh this,

(38:02):
and and she spent all day preparing this meal. And
sat down and one of your guests said, Derek, this
is an amazing meal. And you said, absolutely, I spent
all day of working on this meal. And you want
to look at your ass like, no, your ass didn't.
That's Donald Trump. Obama literally said here is a great economy,

(38:26):
and he's like, I built this. It's all mine. I've
built it all my myself. I get all the credit.
Nothing happened before I came Your wife was said there,
she would saying, dare let me how let you uh
for a second. She would cut you out there on
the spot, wouldn't she. Hell yes, hell yes, yeah. So

(38:50):
that's exactly what. That's exactly probably how Obama field when
this lame man's up there talking about I rebuilt the
economy in three years. Man, what for the hell? That
just says not? That narrative also presupposes that the economy
was completely in shambles and destructive before Donald Trump came in.
That's what I'm saying. Absolutely it correct, That's what I'm saying.

(39:12):
That's like saying, wait a minute, I have all these
ingredients and uncooked meat and just nothing is cooked. But
then all of a sudden, if I came in and
did something with it, I can take credit for the
whole dinner. But you can't walk in and say the
whole dinner is now prepared, is cooked, and is served,

(39:33):
and then you go love, show me some loves. And
he made it worse now for the coronavirus deaths. But no, no, no, no, no,
no no no no no no no no no, no
no no, Derek. What we're saying is, if you ask them,
take credit for the good stuff you ask, don't accept

(39:56):
blame for the bad stuff. And and and and I
ain't ain't trying to hear. Oh, it was so great
before COVID because that's a part of your that's in
your four years, baby. See, you got to accept what's
in your That's like George W. Bush saying, Yo, the
economy was kicking until that ship fell out, until until

(40:21):
the housing crisis just destroyed the entire economy and almost
put and put us into the second greatest depression in
American history. No, Trump is the equivalent of a dude
who said, Yo, we were killing them in that game,
and they said, no, no, no, you would kill him
in the first half. You got your ass whooped in

(40:42):
the second half and you lost the game. Yeah. Yeah,
but by halftime we were killing them. Yeah. I would
say this about Trump, though, you cannot underestimate his ability
to rally the troops. Though he knows how to Oh,
they don't care about lies, they don't care about nothing lives,
they don't care, they don't care about the economy clip.
I mean like he's able to get them to feel
so good about whatever about whiten us, about craziness, about

(41:05):
whatever about his bully lines, that they will just buy
into it. This man there, this man had there for
three years. This man has lied saying he signed the
Choice Act for for veterans dog. There's literally video of
Obama signing it. The full last night said he signed

(41:29):
the Choice Act and everybody stood applies it was in bro.
This man will lie. We will just lie by anything
and things that can easily be fact checked extremely quickly,
because he knows that his base does not care about facts.
He knows that his base doesn't care about truth. He
knows that his base is going to be with him regardless.

(41:51):
And I think that he also counts on Americans as
just not being that smart, because literally his speech was
fact checked in real time. He's not only making a
dates and events, he's also creating stories out of nowhere
in terms of his own progress. And I think that
you know, it gets frustrating after a while because you
continue to see this this is we saw it got
him into the White House the first time. I would

(42:12):
be scared to think that this exact same thing would
get him into it a second time. Derek, you and
Omega and so I have there I've now found. Go ahead, there,
go ahead. I was gonna say conversely, conversely, you know
you're saying that, you know, he thinks that Americans are stupid,
the same to be said for for for the Democrats.

(42:32):
On what it just that a black people donte for me? Period?
Well actually, actually, actually you start breaking down numbers, the
reality is that and uh, what's not what ninety six percent, no,
ninety three of black women voted for Hillary Clinton in
two thousand and sixteen. Um, there's damn near nearly all

(42:55):
black people, Derek, is just by the likelihood, just like
the likelihood that the majority of white men, you know
why because they always Republican, right right. My friends said
like like like if Donald Trump said, if Donald Trump said, yo,
the majority of wife volks with me, Well, no Democrat
has gotten higher than of the white votes this nineteen

(43:18):
four But that's factually correct towards the problem. Mhm. So
there we're talking about this one shows before that you
know in two thousand and sixteen, that was the lowest
turnout for black voters. No, no, no, no, no no
no no no, no no the turnout no the look

(43:41):
no no no, the lowest, the low right. Thank thank
you very much. Do you now you can to correct
yourself because the lowest turn off of black people when
we couldn't vote. Uh, yes, so that was a that
was a drop of two point four percent in two
thousand and sixteen. We're gonna make sure there's no drop.
But Derek been, you've been Omega. I have now found
I have now found the perfect response when I have

(44:05):
to encounter whatever you say in public, I have now
found it. So, Derrek, I just want you to know
from this moment fourth anytime you say some ignorant shit
on this show, I am going to play this. No no, no, no, no.

(44:27):
Come on, y'all go to my vad. Don't be a
stuff like, huh it's no sound. I'm gonna pull a
video up. No, I don't know what the control route
what y'all doing? Pull a video up? No, I got

(44:48):
video plan and it's showing its Derek. This is perfect
for you. This is perfect for you because last night
and I want to thank Melania for providing me, uh
this video do you'll have it now here we here
you go, Derek, This is for you from now for Derek.
This is right here there right this bullshit he looks

(45:08):
lying right now. That's that's gonna be for you every time,
every time, every time, every time, like h so, let
me let me give your mind to this mine right here,
Derek bullshit. Here you go a there he go? You
lying again? Yeah, that's it right that that that that

(45:33):
that's what it's gonna be from this point forward. When
you when you say something and people people like people
go like, Derek that on your show. Yeah, yeah, okay,
it's ass. Look she's like had co first lady, how
you doing? Yeah, okay whatever, let me go to a break,
we come back. Yeah, that was for you. I'll be back.

(45:54):
Roll about Filter just a moment. You want support rollerba Filter,
be sure to join. I'll bring the Funk Club. Every
dollar that you give to us supports our daily digital show,
one daily digital show out here that keeps it black
and keep it real as rolland Martin Unfiltered. Support the
rolland Martin Unfiltered Daily Digital Show by going to rolland
Martin unfilter dot com. Our goals to get twenty our

(46:15):
fans contributing fifteen bucks each for the whole year. You
can make this possible, rolland Martin unfiltered dot com. The
community comes together to support the fight against racial injustice.
I want to take a second to talk about one
thing we can do to ensure our voices are heard.
Not tomorrow, but now, have your voices heard in terms

(46:38):
of what kind of future we want by taking between
twenty cents is today at twenty cents dot gov and folks,
let me help you. The Census is an account of
everyone living in the country. It happens once every teen years.
It is mandated by the US Constitution. The thing that's
important is that the census informs funding billions of dollars

(46:58):
how they are spent in our communities every single year.
I grew up in Clinton Park in Houston, Texas, and
we want to We wanted new parks and roads and
Senior Citizens Center. With the census helps inform all of
that and where funding goes. It also determines how many
seats your state will get in the US House representatives.

(47:19):
Young black men and young children of color are historically undercountered,
which means a potential loss of funding of services that
helps our community. Folks. We have the power to change that.
We have a power to help determine where hundreds of
billions in federal funding go each year for the next
ten years, the funding that can impact our community, our neighborhoods,

(47:43):
and our families and friends. Folks. Responses are confidential and
can't be shared with your landlord, law enforcement, or any
government agency. So please take the twenties census today, shape
your future. Start at Since its dot gov, NBA is
back this weekend, but after extensive conversations with governor's owners

(48:06):
throughout the week, the league and its players released the
joint statement today detailing the concrete changes they hope to
see going forward as they resumed play. Among the commitments
the immediate establishment of social Justice Coalition with representation from players, coaches,
and governors, that will cover a wider array of issues,
including increased voting access, promoting civic engagement, and advocating for
meaningful police and criminal justice reform in every NBA city

(48:30):
where the league's franchise owns and controls its arena property.
Team owners will work with local officials who turned those
arenas into voting locations for the general election, giving constituents
a way to vote in person during the coronavirus pandemic.
If that isn't possible, there would be an effort to
use those facilities in other ways, including as sites to
register voters and receive ballots. Folks, this was something that

(48:52):
they had no choice. The players were prepared to walk away.
Lebron James, one of the voices, had reached out to UH,
reached out to President Barack Obama. Amsha, this is a
pretty pretty interesting deal here, and this is where players
utilizing their leverage. That's what they did. Okay, we got
issues with your microphone, so let me go to Rob Rob. Yeah,

(49:15):
I mean this is this is this is the power
of solidarity. It shows you the power of coming together
and what and what the and what you can use
with your platform. I'm proud of these athletes because I
actually had had some debate with some folks. They were like, well,
they shouldn't do this, they don't have to play, and
clearly they do. And this guy, Folks, attention, this is
what's gonna be needed for this fall, because we're gonna

(49:35):
need a lot of energy and they're going to as
we talked about, they're gonna try every avenue to suppress,
to intimidate. But when when there's a light shine on it,
it's gonna be very hard and there's a high turnout.
Despite all those issues, we're gonna be able to win.
So I just tell people, look, don't worry about voter suppression.
Just get out and vote. Uh there you've got some
You've got some NFL owners, they better be one of

(49:58):
be concerned. I was reading talk. I was reading a
piece from Jim Trotter earlier today and he said there
are number of NFL players who were thinking about saying, Yo,
we're gonna boycott at least one of the games. I'm
telling you these these what the owners, What the owners
got to understand is this here, you ain't got no
product unless you have players indeed roll and man, let

(50:22):
me tell you. I just so. It was a couple
of days ago, was taking Derek to training for our
track practice and he was saying, dead, you're gonna uh
you know, they're not gonna. I said, they're gonna protest.
And then I was like, well, you're gonna protest, and
let's play the game. And I was so I was
so happy when I heard the Milwaukee Bucks and walked

(50:43):
off and we're gonna play because that's power, man. These
players have the power to really really make a change. Well,
when you had your show, when we was on TV one,
we were talking about the NFL, the pard when he
was kneeling, when Kaepernick was neel and all that kind
of stuff like, Jared, You're gonna get this message to
the White House. It's gonna get it over there and
right now, man, And even back then with called cabinet.
You know, I think these players, as long as they

(51:05):
have a plan, and they have a plan, they can
have an impact on what society and what happens in
this country right now. And if the NFL right now,
if them boys come out and boycott again, shorty, it's
gonna make all the world of a difference. But after that,
after these boycotts, after the protests, got to have a plan. Plan,
gotta be some type of justice, some type of something

(51:28):
as it relates to police reform, and it can't be
defund the police. It's got to be a concrete plan,
and these athletes can be the be the centerpieces. You will.
They happen as simple as that. And again, um, this
shows you how collective leverage because he gets I'm not
using power, and he's why say power means you control

(51:52):
the rally is the NBA governors they control because they
own the teams. But this is where you use leverage
and inflor one and I think it's important for people.
Just like the players did not boycott the games. That
was a strike, it was not a boycott. This is
leverage and influence that they are exerting to get the

(52:12):
league and the owners to do what they need them
to do. And I would hope that these black players
in the NFL, what as a collective, find some guts
to realize it's more you than them. I mean, Jerry
Jones can sit here, I'm telling you right now, Jerry
Jones can talk all this crap he wants to about kneeling.

(52:34):
Let me tell you, let me tell you what changes
that when Dak Prescott has the guts to stand with
his a fellow player. When in fact, y'all, y'all have
the video of the Minnesota Vikings today. Today the Minnesota
Vikings players got together, uh and they spoke to the issue,
and they spoke as a team dak Prescott, Zeko Elliott,

(52:57):
pay attention. We want proper persecution of Derek shouting, the
police officer that kneeled on George Floyd's neck for eight minutes,
along with the other officers. That's all we want, just
to start there, and as a social justice call, listen.
As a group and as a team and as an organization,

(53:18):
we're doing everything we can to build sustainable programs that
will help the long term effects of the lack of
economic prominence and lower income areas, um the lack of
mental health support and some of these areas. We are
doing everything we can, but now it's on the bureaucratic
system to also meet our intensity, to meet our level

(53:39):
of what we're demanding, because it only goes so far.
It's a two way street. We can do what we
can do what we can with the finances and the
resources we have, but we need the politicians, We need
the government officials, the bureaucratic system, like I spoke to,
to stand up and be leaders. Because we live in
the world right now where everyone cherishes the voices and

(53:59):
this stances of entertainers and everything falls back on us.
What are they gonna do? What stands that we're gonna
make right now. We're saying, right now, we're going to
put the pressure on the bureacratics problem system to to
implement a proper persecution of Derek Schouvin. I repeat his
name again, Derek Shauvin. I'm not gonna just say the

(54:20):
officer his name is Derek Schauvin, along with the other
officers who murdered George Floyd in the streets of Minneapolis.
I speak from my entire team right now. I appreciate
them allowing me to come up and be the voice,
but just know I'm one man, but the army that
behind me is much stronger when we're together, and we
wanted to unified um voice in this moment. I appreciate

(54:41):
Coach the administration for allowing us to you know, even
be possible to date. But it's a two way street.
Like I said, now, it's time for the bureaucratic system
to hold his hold up his end and to supply
a fair trial, fair juries. All of the process that
we've known has failed us before. We're we're sick of
the process and the system failing us. We're standing up

(55:04):
right now as the Minnesota vices and saying we want
a proper jury. We're on a proper persecution of Derek
if if the NFL and all of his players still
behind him. Uh. And that was a white player who
spoke after him as well. We're now seeing this, Rob,
in the NFL, excuse me, in Major League Baseball were
white players, And let's be real clear, we didn't have

(55:25):
this before. We're white players. We're standing up for the issues.
Go right ahead, Rob, No, I've actually never seen it.
It's encouraging, but I would tell you it's also scared
a lot of people. I can speak right here sitting
down of Ohio. My fiance and and and and and
and and her kid goes to a Catholic high school
and the principal came out with this letter saying he
doesn't want he believes black lives matter, but doesn't want

(55:47):
anybody taking a knee at the at the game or
otherwise you can get suspended. So, in other words, you
don't believe in black lives matter, you don't believe in protesting,
so you have this is worrying people, and that's why
I know it's working. And so it's taking the power
of the agency. We're not here just to entertain you,
we're gonna, we're gonna fight for our rights. And I
am so proud of these athletes, and I'm so proud
of this generation right now. Again, that's how I saw

(56:09):
go ahead there, go ahead, go ahead. I was gonna
say that brother did a really good job with the
Minnesota Vikings, but the day before Ryan Tannehill, white quarterback
for the Tennessee Titans, stead of did something very similar
to that and the whole team behind them, and it
was powerful, to the point where he actually started got
choked up and a couple of tens came down, and

(56:33):
it was It was a good thing, man, because there
are some genuine, some really good white people out there
for a really really supporting this movement. And I think
these players man in the NFL. First of all, the
NBA applaud them, applauding for what they did, and they
are a true exam and I think if if the
NFL can follow suit, me, I think we can really have.
It's only gonna happen when you have players we have

(56:54):
the guts to actually stand up, as simple as that.
But again, Anicia, I think what you're saying is you're
seeing a new generation of folks find their voice, and
this is how you use your leveraging influence to be
able to create create change. No, you're You're absolutely correct.
And I think they're watching these people in the streets
who in many cases don't have two dimes a rope together,
and they are sitting in there, you know, multimillion dollar

(57:17):
homes with this, with this level of influence, with this
embedded base of followers, it is incumbent upon them to
take on a leadership role and really speak out. Now,
for the NBA and the NFL, these are two institutions
of sports that would not exist without the athleticism of
African American males. So to see the NBA first and foremost,
you know, go out of its way and take the

(57:37):
charge that it has, I think that it shows a
strength and leadership and it's something that you know, we're
going to see showcase throughout some of the other leagues.
I'm also extremely impressed by the MLB in the NHL,
which are not majority black, majority black leagues that are
really taking taking a stand right now as well. Uh yeah,
that's the case, folks. Let me give you this headline here.
Fabian Pierre Lewis has been confirmed become the first black

(58:00):
woman to serve on the New Jersey Supreme Court. The
Full States that Senate voted third and down zero to
approve Governor Phil Murphy's pick to be the next associate
justice on the just state's highest court. She would be
the third black judge that joined the court in the
states two hundred and forty four year history. She also
will be the youngest justice on the current court. It's
also uh a, of course, her folks are immigrants of Hadien,

(58:22):
so certainly congratulations to her for that. All right, folks, Uh,
that is it for us, Uh, first half of our show, Rob,
Alicia and Derek. We certainly appreciate that all through you
being with the panel. Uh and look forward to seeing
you guys next week. Guess uh and yeah you know
yeah Derek, Derek nice. Yes. I In fact, in fact, Derek,

(58:43):
one of the folks of my social media said, Derek
must have taken his A d h D medicine because
he hasn't hung up yet. You kissed me off. Yeah,
all right, you took your medicine. Thank you for taking
your mass now, thank you, thank you out for you,
thank you, thank you for taking your man. So please,

(59:03):
if you can affect. If you can affect Kanye, that
would be great. But Omega Kappa, that's all the same thing, y'all.
Thanks a bunch of folks. Hold tight iss same thing
Coming up next, the Census. Why it matters to African Americans?
The Census? Why it matters? As next to Rolling Martin Unfiltered.
You want check out Rollermark Unfiltered YouTube dot com, Ford,

(59:25):
slash rolland s Martin. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. There's
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Rolling Martin Unfiltered. Like share, subscribe to our YouTube channel
as YouTube dot com, Ford, slash rolland s Martin and
don't forget to turn your notifications so when we go live,

(59:45):
you'll know it. We can face this pandemic head on.
We can do what it takes to protect our families
and our communities. Together, we can get our economy moving again,
but not without the tools and resources we need to
get the job done. To win this fight, it is
going to take a public service army. Don't let Congress

(01:00:08):
fire the frontline workers who can save us. Text a
few empty two two three seven two six three to
tell Congress to fund the front lines. Uh. And we
want to thank the folks. Uh, all right, we're back.
I want to thank the people that asked me for being,
of course partners here with Roland Martin Unfiltered. What they're
laying out is critically important, and so we appreciate their

(01:00:31):
support for this show. Folks. The Constitution requires an accurate
account of the country's population every ten years, and this
year they sense this year, the data collected affects the
ability to ensure eco representation and equal access to important
governmental and private sector resources for everyone across racial and
ethnic lines. Unfortunately, certain populations are a higher risk of

(01:00:54):
not being fully counted in the census. Some like African Americans,
have been historically under repert is in it for decades.
One of the reasons the major changes in the way
the data is collected, like relying on the internet as
primary way to reach households and how they respond, and
some people are just reluctant to respond because they don't
trust the confidentiality of the data being collected. Now, Uh,

(01:01:15):
in the next hour, we'll give you a talk about
black Folds must participate and really give people to understand
really what the census is and how it impacts you. Now,
let me stay right there, because some of you are
watching right now that more than six thousand people you
on YouTube right now, and there's a thousand plus we're
watching on Facebook and Periscope, and you're sitting there and saying, all,
you know what, this is not really exciting, that's not

(01:01:37):
really interesting when we're talking about billions of dollars. If
you're watching us right now and you care about parks, roads,
stop signs, highways, expressways, health centers, if you care about
how dollars are being allocated based upon Census tracks, the
Census is how that money is allocated. Michael C. Cook, Senior.

(01:02:02):
He is the director of Public Affairs for the Census Bureau.
He joins us right now, Michael, how you doings for
having me. I appreciate the opportunity to let people know
that the cents is still going on. Time is running out,
but it's not too late, and we just want to
make sure that they understand why it's important, why it's easy,

(01:02:22):
and the fact that, uh, it's something that the black
manby can't miss out on. I also want to bring
also hold I want to bring up doctor Amina Domestic,
Vice president of Research and policy analysis for the Congressional
Black Caucus Foundation Dot glad to have you as well.
So so one time talk to both of you, because so, Michael,
I want to start with you first again. Um uh,

(01:02:44):
when we say billions of dollars, first of all, people
who watching it going yo, seriously, we can't we really
talking about billions of dollars, but we literally are talking
about how the nation is funded. That's that's correct. Every
ten years we conduct account. You've got it right. You
hit the nail on the head. Article in section two
states that it's a mandatory account of everyone residing in

(01:03:06):
the country for two things, power and money. Four d
thirty five seats in the House of Representatives are allocated
because we found everybody wants only once and in the
right place. But also those federal funds you mentioned billions,
some people actually measured it to be one point five
trillion dollars every single year that flows down to the
local level for things like roads, schools, um infrastructure. Um.

(01:03:31):
The current pandemic underscores the need for accurate census data
when we're talking about emergency preparedness and healthcare. But then
when you look at snap benefits, Medicare, medicaid, if you
have college students, pell grants, so every single facet of
the country, business sectors, private and federal and public. They

(01:03:52):
used our official statistics to justify making investments that impact
your lives and only takes a couple of minutes, but
it sticks through the community for ten years. It sin
is a voting year. When you vote, it's tends to
stick with you for the terms of that election four years,
one year, two years. But when you look at the
census for ten years, it will shape your community. And

(01:04:13):
so I just want to take the option and let
all of your listening audience, all those that are following
you that the census is happening. If you haven't responded,
there's still time to respond, but it's something that you
need to take part in. Stand up, respond and get counted.
Black America Accounts is initiative with the congression of Black
HAWKUS Foundation and Fair account The organization founded by Stacy

(01:04:35):
Abro with their goal is to identify hard to reach
communities and guide outreach immobilization efforts to help increase sensus
turn out. Uh doctor uh to DOMESSI, Let's let's talk
about that because but people look the absolute old weight.
They went door to door, Folks got census shirts on,
and they've got bags, and they go door to door

(01:04:57):
knocking on doors. For a lot of folks there a
people just knocking up on their door. But now you've
also seen now with the Internet, how that's changed as well.
And so how has technology helped has it improved this
process to be able to reach those hard to reach
places or how to reach people? I'm sorry, yeah, First,

(01:05:20):
you know, let me just say that what Stacy Abrams
did in her you know, fifteen Seconds of fame was
created a movement, a new movement for us to understand
the power of data as it relates to the resources
needed by the Black community. As you just heard, we
are consistently undercounted. And so the brilliance behind our partnership
is that we are identifying hard to count communities, particularly

(01:05:43):
Black and Latin X, in order to really cast a
wider net, go beyond what the Census has done, to
really equip our policy makers and organizings with data information
on where their communities are. Because here's the thing, right,
it's great that we have another medium to fill off
the census. You've and go online. UM takes five seconds
if you have internet access. When we talk about our community,

(01:06:06):
not only are we wrestling with the global pandemic, we
don't all have access to the internet. So you know
what our advantages to some are unrealistic for our community.
So we have to bridge that gap. So what our
partnership does is also identified communities of color, either a
county that has lack of internet access or community of color.

(01:06:28):
We want to know where those communities are and we
want to equip our UM policy makers and organizers with
the information they need so we can then UM do
what fair count is doing, which is actually setting up
internet access for people and communities, but understanding that there
are a number of barriers and so just providing internet

(01:06:48):
is not enough for our communities to get the accurate
how they need. Michael, how many people? How many people
are out here? How many people are are in the
country who are trying to uh get this accurate count.
We have two hundred and thirty four thousand people that
we've hired UM knocking on doors. They've been doing that

(01:07:10):
since August nine. UM. We have seen that the self
response rate for the nation, which really right now stands
at sixty to is actually at when you add in
the amount of people who have actually been counted by
people knocking on doors. So um, I applaud the fact

(01:07:30):
that people are responding, but I know that there's still
work to be done, and I encourage people to go
to cents dot gov to respond online. Like you said,
but remember that our online instrument is optimized for mobile,
so people can actually respawn on any mobile device, any
device that can get to the Internet. Well as phone numbers,

(01:07:51):
we have third phone numbers. We have in thirteen different
languages that people can call it to completely over the fall. Michael,
Let's talk about safe d um and that is uh. Look,
this has been one of the concerns my data, who's
getting it, who's getting my who's getting my information? And
I have thetern on my Social Security number, bank records.

(01:08:12):
What's going on here? And so um, what data is
being asked for when it comes to the census. When
someone asks you to complete the sentence and a knock
on your door, they will come to your door with
a mask, mask or mandatory their safety, your safety in
the pandemic is number one. They will be six ft
away from the door, asking you questions. And in putting

(01:08:35):
the simple questions into an iPhone eight, they will ask
you your name, they will ask you your phone, because
if there's something wrong with your answer to the circle back,
they're gonna call you. They're gonna ask you how old
you are. They're gonna ask you your race, your ethnicity,
your relationship to anybody else who lives in that house,
how we've lived in that house. They're easy questions. We

(01:08:55):
don't ask you about social Security numbers. We don't ask
you about bank accounts, all that detailed information about you,
know you that you give up on many services you
ask answer Indian every day. That's not part of these
are the tistics about your household as a reaper. First
that can be released an aggregate in statistics, so decision

(01:09:17):
makers can make informed decision that impact your lives for
the next thing years, not your do messages. There any
particular group, I mean the most vulnerable. I mean when
I look at voting, typically the older you are, the
more likely you are going to vote, and then actually
go down with age, it actually gets low and low
and lore are we seeing that same thing mirrored when
it comes to the census. Yeah, I mean, um, and

(01:09:39):
I commend you know, Michael and leadership in this space
because you know, every ten years gives us another chance
to get it more right. Um, right, unfortunately or fortunately
depending on how you see it. Um. You know, age
does not insulate us from our rates of participation. It
is if the challenges are across the board, right. So

(01:10:01):
one of the things with our Fair Account Black America
Accounts partnership was using the model that Stacy Abrams used
in Georgia and mapping it across the country so we
could see where what do our populations look like. And
it doesn't come to as a surprise to most of
us who do this work that a lot of our
communities in the South right disproportionate affected you know, um,

(01:10:23):
high proportions of black folks with higher disproportionate rates of
challenges to get the census filled out. So you have
people like and it goes across the country, right, You've
got people like Congressman Stephen Horsford out in Nevada that
partnered with our Chair of the CBC, Karen Bass and
created CBC Census Task Force specifically to make sure that

(01:10:44):
we can really bridge the gap across all ages communities.
Whether you're a senior or young. Um, you need to
be counted at the end of the day. So you know,
unfortunately the undercounting doesn't discriminate. UM. You know, within these
are challenges throughout, but we do see some variation across
states as well, more challenges in the South. We see

(01:11:06):
um less less challenges in sort of the Midwestern states. UM.
But you know, the census has the data to keep track,
but it really is incumbent upon us to get the
word out because it's kind of abstract. Right, we all
say go to vote. Everybody gets that. When you say
go fill out the senses, people are like, well why right,
And then we've got to break it down because this
is about the services that you need every day for

(01:11:28):
your survival that we are voting about. Right, this is
what it comes down to, reapportionate, reallocation of resources billions
of dollars. So that's that's the language translation that our
communities have to make so people understand it is just
as important as voted. Michael, Is there are any particular
region of the country for black folks that is more difficult? Uh?

(01:11:53):
And where do we do the best? Well, you know,
when we look at our statistics and we look at
the returns of self response. We have found that the
patterns of non response actually tracked with the patterns of
the country that have been highly impacted by the pandemic.
So we are working with our partners to ensure that

(01:12:15):
while people are dealing with life and liberties and making
sure that they are safe, that they know that in
this time there's still time and a responsibility to respond
to the census. We look at the black community. Black
men ages eighteen to thirty five are historically undercounted. That's
what we call the differential undercount So those people that

(01:12:39):
look like me that are eighteen to thirty five, as
well as kids and deserve to five, the young children
are typically undercounted. So we have a robust media campaign
and our partners have been sharing that information and being
laser focused and making sure that those communities, UM, those
pockets of the country that that look like those undercounted
community are actually knowing that it's easy, safe and important

(01:13:03):
um dr domestic UM. Again, when when we are trying
to to to convey this and and getting people to
get it. Look, there's a lot of people don't trust government,
just don't trust him. So UM what messaging. Are y'all
using to reach people to get them to understand. So
we're breaking it down really, um, not just saying it's

(01:13:27):
important to fill it out, but why it is Okay,
So you know, at the end of the day, people
might not get the numbers so much, right, but when
you talk to them about federal transit programs, Section eight,
housing voucher, school breakfast programs, right highway planning, construction UM,
unemployment insurance, which you know we're seeing because of the

(01:13:47):
current recession we're in skyrocketing in our community. It resonates.
So Number one, we're trying to translate why support to
be counted to understand that this is a social justice
issue data, UM, and the data is important. You know
in a post civil rights era where you know, at
the end of the day, people are looking at our numbers.

(01:14:09):
Policy makers need to have these tools. That's why the
census does this job, because we need to be represented.
This is all about representation at the end of the day. Uh,
and most of most of us get that part. So
we were trying to talk about the three plus federal
programs that our tax dollars go to fund across the
country based on these needs. That people do connect with,

(01:14:32):
Like people know what it means for their kids to
go to school and have lunch. Right, people know what
it means for them to have a medical assistance, you know,
and medicaid. Well, that's what this census is about. It's
about making sure we're counted so that we have equal
access um to all of these services that are coming
out of our taxpayer dollars. Uh, Michael, last question for you,

(01:14:54):
UM deadline. We know that it was shorten a month
to be able to collect data, and so when is
the drop dead date? Uh? For people out there who
are watching and listening to be sure that they feel
out that Census septem is our deadline. We currently are
earmarking that date as the data which we will conclude

(01:15:15):
all of our field operations so that we can then
start compiling the data and performing all of the tests
and rigorous UM processes to turn over our portion accounts
by this summer thirty one, our current statute that's on
the books that we have to meet. All right, Uh, Michael,
Dr Domestic, I certainly appreciate it. Thank you so very

(01:15:35):
much for joining us. Thanks for having all right, folks,
Gotta go to a break when we come back, we'll
talk to folks throughout in the field and making it
happen organizations who know what it means to emphasize the
census that is next Rollerbot Unfiltered. You want support Rollerbot filtered,
be sure to join our Bring the Funk fan Club.

(01:15:56):
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(01:16:20):
The community comes together to support the fight against racial injustice.
I want to take a second to talk about one
thing we can do to ensure our voices are heard,
not tomorrow, but now, have your voices heard in terms
of what kind of future we want by taking between
twenty cents is today at twin sinss dot gov and folks,
let me help you. The census is an account of

(01:16:42):
everyone living in the country. It happens once every ten years.
It is mandated by the US Constitution. The thing that's
important is that the census informs funding billions of dollars
how they are spent in our communities every single year.
I grew up in Clinton Park in Houston, Texas, and
we want to we wanted new parks and roads and

(01:17:03):
Senior Citizens Center. With the census helps inform all of
that and where funding goes and also determines how many
seats your state will get in the US House representatives.
Young black men, and young children of color are historically undercountered,
which means a potential loss of funding or services that

(01:17:23):
helps our community. Folks. We have the power to change that.
We have a power to help determine where hundreds of
billions in federal funding go each year for the next
ten years, the funding that can impact our community, our neighborhoods,
and our families and friends. Folks. Responses are confidential and

(01:17:44):
can't be shared with your landlord, law enforcement, or any
government agency. So please take the twenties Census today, shape
your future. Start at CENTSUS dot gov. All right, So,
a lot of y'all always asking me about terms. Some
of the pocket squares that I wear now I don't

(01:18:05):
know rabbit don't have one on now. I don't particularly
like the white pocket square. I don't like even the
silk ones. And so I was reading GQ magazine a
number of years ago and I saw this guy who
had this this pocket square here and it looks like
a flower. Uh. This is called a shabory pocket square.
This is how the Japanese manipulate the fabric to create
this sort of flower effect. So I'm gonna take it

(01:18:26):
out and then place it in my hands so you
see what it looks like. And I said, man, this
is pretty cool. And so I tracked down that it
took me a year to find a company that did it. Uh.
And so uh, the big is about forty seven different colors,
and so I love them because again, as men, we
don't have many accessories to wear it, so we don't
have many many options. Uh. And so this is really
a pretty cool pocket square. And well, I love about

(01:18:48):
this here because you saw when it's uh in in
the pocket. You know, it gives you that flower effect
like that. But if I wanted to also unlike other
because if I flip it and turn it over, it
actually gives me a different type of texture. So therefore
it gives me a different look. So there you go.
So if you actually want to get one of these

(01:19:09):
shabbory pocket squares, we have them in forties ever different colors.
All you gotta do is go to Rolling This Martin
dot Com Forward Slash Pocket Squares. So it's Rolling This
Martin dot Com Forward Slash pocket Squares. All you gotta
do is go to my website. Uh, and you can
actually get this now for those of you who are
members are bringing the Funk Fan Club, there's a discount
for you to get our pocket squares. That's why you

(01:19:32):
also got to be a part of our bringing the
Funk Fan Club and so that's what we want you
to do. And so it's pretty cool. If you want
to jazz your look up, you can do that. In addition, uh,
y'all see me with some of the feather pocket squares.
My sister was a design and she actually makes these.
They're all custom made. So when you also go to
the website, you can also order one of the customized

(01:19:52):
feather pocket squares right there at Rolling This Martin dot
Com Forward Slash pocket Squares, So please do so, and
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Folks are black. Mayors really needs you to focus on
the census because they have been very much in pushing

(01:20:14):
this to their constituents. Joining us right now is McKinley L. Price,
the mayor of Newport News, Virginia, is the president of
the African American Mayor's Association. Mayor certainly glad to have
you with us. So can you please again ask somebody
who's sitting in the mayor's position. Let folks know what
happens when they don't fill out their senses. How that

(01:20:35):
impacts you and your budget. Uh, it impacts us tremendously,
especially when you realize that this is something that's going
to take place for ten years. It's approximately up to
two thousand dollars per person per year for ten years.
Amount of money that you're talking about. So, just as
your former guests talked about when you're talking about Snappick,

(01:20:58):
all of the programs that affect the people who are
historically undercounted, it's affecting them. So it's a tremendous strain
on our budget. If we're under underfunded, and historically ten
years ago we were pretty much underfunded. If if we're
about at the same percentage for our city and maybe
as much as a hundred million dollars per year, a

(01:21:21):
hundred million dollars per year. And so when you are
conveying that, are folks getting it, because I'm sure they're complaining. Mayor,
we want this and we want that, and we want
these services, and we want pools staying over pool hours,
and we want park stuff and you like, damn it.
If y'all feel that senses out, I could have my money. Absolutely.

(01:21:43):
We're doing everything we can. You know, with social media,
we're having contest. We actually had a contest between mayors,
and you'll see the largest cities doing it too. I
think Houston and Atlanta had had a rivalry. Uh those
two mayors with the mayor of Hampton, Mayor Tuck and I. Uh.
If if he one had more people within a period
of time to enroll before I did, I would give

(01:22:06):
him a bushel of oysters. And I was gonna get
crabs if he won, even though I had more people
to registers percentage wise, because it's the smallest city Hampton. Uh,
he won and I had to talk over the yster,
so I hated that. But we're trying every means we
can to be able to under make people understand how

(01:22:28):
important this is. UM. There are a lot of of course,
when we talk about African Americans, when we when we
speak about community needs and UM I often talk about
on this show how we have to connect the dots.
And what I mean by that is is a person's
person is sitting there and they're living in the city,

(01:22:48):
and somebody right now, whether they're in your city, they're
in some other city, and they're saying, you know, we
need these things for our community. Well, in their mind,
they're going to just simply go ask you without realizing
that you're gonna go ask somebody else, and then you
might be asking the State of Virginia, you might be

(01:23:09):
asking the federal government, and so then those researchs come down.
And so what folks are not realizing, as far as
I'm concerned, is that when they don't take this seriously,
you can ask for all that you want, but that
succer is locked in for ten years. It's locked you
can't you can't go back and say, hey, these things

(01:23:29):
are change in our city. In the last two years. No,
you're locked your Your city can experience tremendous growth in
the next five years, but you're still locked into the
next sens is right, That is correct. That is correct.
The account like you said at that that job dead date,
whatever number is there for you, that's it for ten years.
You don't get there's no replay, there's no mulligan, there's

(01:23:52):
no slips is that's it the UM we talk out needs,
talking about needs, UM. What are you hearing the most
from your constituents? What do they want? What do they
want done? Well, you know, we're the fifth largest city

(01:24:12):
in Virginia, UM and we're about sixty four they populate
majority race, UH minority And where you have public housing
and areas of poverty, those are the places that are
in the greatest need. And those are the places where
we're having generally, as you hear the statistics, the most

(01:24:33):
difficulty and getting the count young men between ages of
eighteen to thirty five children. For some reason, people are
not reporting the number of children that they have in
the house, everyone that's in that household. When that person
comes to ask you to take that sentence. Need census
needs to be counted it's it's it's you know, it's

(01:24:54):
heartbreaking to see the level of need in the city
and you want to be able to match the resources
to the need. And people talk about equity. We everything
that's equal isn't always you know, needed the same. Where
you have need, you want to be able to have
the resources to do more for them. And it's it's

(01:25:15):
heartbreaking sometimes when you know, you see the need, you
have the plan, you know what you want to do,
you know what would help, and then you don't have
the resources. And those are the people who generally either
don't vote or don't don't uh have counted in the census,
and it's painful. Um. You talked about how your mayors

(01:25:35):
are competing, Um, what about young constituents, people who are
eighteen thirty five, because if you think this thing out
ten years from now, then they're gonna be uh uh
forty five and and so obviously uh getting them to
understand long term what this means to absolutely that's why

(01:25:56):
education about the census is so important. Uh. The poundless
that you just had the literature that is out there.
We're trying to come up with intimate any means we can,
especially for the younger group, because what does it matter.
You know, I'm not gonna see this money. It's not
coming in my pocket. But actually it is. And ten
years when they when they want to you know, do

(01:26:19):
something in their neighborhood. They want to streak widen, they
want lights better in their neighborhood. All of these things
are contributed by the amount of money that we have. Also,
which is very important, the number of representatives. As as
the person talked about. Uh, last question for you, Uh
that is if you are one of those folks knocking

(01:26:40):
on the door or even just in Uh well, I
actually this here talking about the mayors. Have you create
Have you created, let's say, a competition between churches, a
competition uh in something else that that when you sort
of getting other people involving this, when they can sort
of you know, you know, sort of go back and
forth this whole thing. We we have tried. We have

(01:27:03):
tried to create a competition. Um. We we've done this
with with our mayors. We're trying to get organizations and clubs.
We have been very um responsive to the local census
takers in our neighborhood. They have really been good. I
mean they've been very creative. They will come at a

(01:27:23):
drop of a minute to any type of club meeting.
In any gathering of three or more people will have
a census taker there to either distribute literature inform people
about it, so you know, use the numbers. If you
have an organization, you have a church group, you have
a neighborhood that doesn't understand the purpose and the need

(01:27:44):
of this, then we really want you to call the
Census Bureau. And everybody has a local UH leader that
will come out, will sense one out so that they
can educate people to the need of this. This money
is important and we have one shot at it every
ten years, and I just can't emphasize that more. All right, then, Mayor,

(01:28:07):
I certainly appreciate it, thank you so very much. Hopefully
when this uh my fraternity brother, I appreciate it, all right.
I always have a good alpha in the house, folks,
Mayor McKenley price of Newportant News, Virginia. I can't wait
to uh when this COVID thing uh dissipate so I
can get down uh and see you. I live in
northern Virginia, so be great to get down there and
play some golf. Absolutely, sir all right, thanks very much, folks,

(01:28:29):
Course Mayorage, President of the African American Mayor's Association, gotta
take a break, we come back. Civil rights groups are
doing their part to also encourage folks uh to uh
fill out their census form. We'll talk about that next
on rolland Martin Unfiltered. You wanna check out Rollomark Filter
YouTube dot com, Forward slash Roland s Martin subscribed to

(01:28:51):
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(01:29:12):
It's rough out there. People are looking for change for
the answers when the answer is at your fingertips sentences.
Census takes will be visiting households to make sure we
accounted because an undercounting community could miss out on billions
of funding for schools, healthcare, and job assistance each year
for the next ten years. Too much is at stake.

(01:29:35):
We spun online today, Shape your future and start here
dot com the community comes together to support the fight
against racial injustice. I want to take a second to
talk about one thing we can do to ensure our
voices are heard, not tomorrow, but now, have your voices
heard in terms of what kind of future we want

(01:29:57):
by taking between twenty cents today at when twin census
dot gov and folks, let me help you. The Census
is an account of everyone living in the country. It
happens once every ten years. It is mandated by the
U s Constitution. The thing that's important is that the
census informs funding billions of dollars how they are spent

(01:30:18):
in our communities every single year. I grew up in
Clinton Park in Houston, Texas, and we want to We
wanted new parks and roads and Senior Citizens Center. With
the census helps inform all of that and where funding
goes and also determines how many seats your state will
get in the US House Representatives. Young black men, and

(01:30:38):
young children of color are historically undercounted, which means a
potential loss of funding or services that helps our community. Folks,
we have the power to change that. We have a
power to help determine where hundreds of billions in federal
funding go each year for the next ten years. The
funding that can impact our community, te our neighborhoods, and

(01:31:01):
our families and friends. Folks, responses are confidential, can't be
shared with your landlord, law enforcement, or any government agency.
So please take the census today, shape your future to
start at CES dot gov. Alright, folks, civil rights organizations

(01:31:22):
are united in pushing Congress to extend the deadline for
these census count But the reality is that if it
doesn't happen, we still have to drive this thing as
hard as we can. John, it goes right now. Uh.
Is Beth Link she is the Census Counts campaign director
for the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. And

(01:31:43):
Melanie Campbell, she's the President CEO National Coalition on Black
Civic Participation. Aren't glad to have both of you on
the show. Beth, I want to start with you, and
that is Um, Look, date's been moved up, uh, And
the reality is if it doesn't get changed, we have
to ensure that that we are counted. And so what

(01:32:04):
does that look like? Yes, you're right, I mean the
bottom line is, as as you've heard on the show today,
the census is about money and power and look Roland
the Trump administration, and Trump wants to raise Black people
from the census because he knows that it's our shot
at getting billions of dollars to our communities UM and

(01:32:26):
the political power that we deserve UM, and that will
enable us to be able to make real change for
our families and our communities. UM. We are doing everything
that we possibly can, whether it's a census city challenges
may or Lightfoot has a census cowboy on the South
side of Chicago. UM. Last weekend, be texted over three

(01:32:46):
d fifty thousand people who had not yet responded to
the census, inviting them to respond in our sisters for
the census text paint UM. But the reality is is
that the census is allowed to proceed with this trunking
and timeline. The sense of your will not have out
of the time to count everyone, and where are seeing
that the community is behind Michael. At the beginning of

(01:33:07):
the show, is said that nationally response rates are about
eight percent UM that includes responses at the door. But
when we look at the Black community on average, predominantly
black communities are ten points behind the national average. But
if you look at specific communities outside of Chicago, we're
seeing self response rates in the thirties and in the

(01:33:28):
forty percentiles. And we're seeing in the point um response
rates in the forties. Uh in Mississippi around self response rates.
So this is really going to hurt us um if
we don't get this extension. But this is also why
this I'm a huge believer in this melody. And it's
not just with the senses, is with civics across the board.

(01:33:52):
Messaging matters, and I think connecting the dots matter, and
I just think, I think, I just think this is
the senses is one of those things that people yet
to hear about it. But I mean, I don't really know.
And then, like we said, he talk about those of
us who live in brief public policy, yo, billions, billions,
laws and people personally, I don't know what you're talking about.
And listen, I think I think you have you gotta

(01:34:14):
operate like my man Joe Madison said, you gotta play
where the ghosts can't get it were. You gotta make
it as plain as possible for somebody goals. Oh oh,
I ain't realize that the census affects that, right, right, well,
you know, rolling you helped us launched back in February
Black History Month, right, we said do two in vote

(01:34:37):
and be counted, right, and so we didn't know at
that time we're going to be dealing with COVID. So
we've been actually while we're out here getting out the
vote time, voting as a census, as about building power
as a power done it too. It's about your money.
It's about our money. Get that, muchey. So we say, um,

(01:35:00):
it's about money, power and respect. And then the respect
comes in being able to picture that we showed but
to that as black people that we're fully counted, but
we're fully countered, so we can leverage that power politically, economically,
and through our issues around healthcare and the italiant in
this POVID nineteen. So for these next thirty plus days,

(01:35:22):
because we're right with best Uh with the Leadership Conference,
that all of our colleagues to keep pushing for the
Congression to intervene. And at the same time we're looking
at that September thirty day, this last course we got.
We said this is it. We gotta go hard. Another

(01:35:42):
said we gotta go hard in the pain, right, we
gotta do everything we can. And while we're knocking on doors,
a lot of our folks are knocking on doors doing
baith just to sing as best we can. The phone
bank for the next stdays we had were pushing the
getting counted and voting, voting early. So those we just

(01:36:03):
had the time together, we thought that was what we
do for the first half of the either who knew
so I message to vote and counted the whole the
whole point bath. When when I'm talking about how you
gotta make this thing plain, uh, it is really getting
And that's why I keep That's why I keep bringing
things down to sidewalks, pools, parks, senior citizen centers, things

(01:36:29):
that are right there that in people's neighborhoods if they
want to see improved and tying that to filling out
that form. That that to me is I think, how
we have to be operating what person goes or I
had no idea of those things were related, had no
idea absolutely. And if you also think about the pandemic

(01:36:51):
and the health concerns that our communities are right now,
I mean the reality is the racism and discrimination have
meant that our community these are relying on medicaid housing
assistance other financial substance uh disproportionately high rates. UM. It
also means that we are more susceptible to chronic health

(01:37:15):
health issues. That makes us more susceptible to die from
a global health crisis and a disneyseed like COVID nineteen.
And we need the resources for health care, for infrastructure. Secretainly, folks,
the resources to have more better internet connectivity in your homes.
We need the jobs that sens this UM data bringing
to communities when they seem the large population growth in

(01:37:38):
a specific area. UH. And and we need the is
going to our school. We need that extra lane on
a highway that resources would bring. We need the resources
UM will bring relief for now disasters that we're seeing
across the South and in the Gulf UM. Since this
data drives that that's that distribution of one by trillion

(01:37:58):
trillion dollars every earth. And if we miss out on
our piece of apply UM, it will impact us certainly
for the next decade, but could impact us for generations UM.
And that's really what we're talking about when when we're
talking about participating the census, but also make sure that
communities are not deprived of their right to participate in

(01:38:19):
the census by truncating the timeline. UH and and Congress
can can move send those timelines, but the House already
has It's up to the Senate in an upcoming UH
COVID nineteen package or any other moving bill. It's urgent
it has to happen, UM and and our community time
to respond so we don't miss out. Obviously, Melodie COVID

(01:38:42):
has impacted everything. I mean is the reality is normally
you have a ton of outdoor events things around churches,
all kinds of stuff to sign people up where people
are at congregating and going. But you actually have none
of that. And so where we are is really I mean,
we are in true league uh an absolute digital world.

(01:39:03):
Now I live in that world, so I totally understand it.
But but this is one of those things where I think, UH,
civil rights groups uh taking advantage of their databases, saint
saying hey, each one of you out there, UH, you know,
right now it looks more than four thousand, more than
five thousand plus folks were watching. We need folks saying hey,

(01:39:24):
I need you to send that link to five people
dot gov to five people and not relying frankly on
a group or reliance by coming on your door to
be able to sort of spread this thing as fast
as possible, as quickly as possible, and and and then
the safe community is one before we're close. Dr Barbara

(01:39:44):
Skinner with NASH work is an awesome job really utilizing
the faith community, so many of our church online and
if you and not you know, any congregations physically for
every angle that we can you what you're doing with
your show to night is really a shining example of

(01:40:05):
spending the time and taking the time. So many folks
are shelf like not everybody because because the first responds
a lot of people working having to be out of
out of home, but most people, even if you're working,
you still go end up more at home than you
are out into the general community. For being n b
u us every avenue we have and and something that

(01:40:26):
we still will have to and are our folks still
are making those phone calls and if you and five
thousand folks that are watching, they just look about work. First,
have you been count you know, check make sure you
been counting, and then make sure that your family has
been counted, and just starting from there. The other part
of it is really a big part of it. I

(01:40:47):
know we talked about black men and how important that
it is so for us. Uh, you're doing a challenge
which was um focused on black men, especially the black vote,
and say, hey, you know who want you to vote accounted?
Uh because a lot of young people uh would be
counted um uh at school and other other places. If

(01:41:08):
your students are really honing in on black men and
really making sure that black men are uh. Just like
we were concerned about the vote, we have to be
concerned about the senses as well. So we're just pushing.
We're not going to let off the gas roland until
there's no ja to get folks to count um. You talk,
you talk about that whole point about connecting those two

(01:41:31):
In Beth. You know, we've been telling folks about vote
dot org, be sure to get registered, asking for your ballot.
But at the bottom down here they have senses where
they can fill out the form right there as well.
And so again to me, this is one of those
things where you're in a constant state of uh of messaging,
pushing out as many people as possible. Uh. And and

(01:41:51):
and no outlet frankly is too small because if you
can pick up, you know, five thousand or ten thousand
and other five thousand and ten thousand. Again, that response
you're talking about goes up dramatically. Right, absolutely, one second
bath them mel me basically ahead, Okay, UM, no, absolutely,
you're right. I mean, we are all influencers in our

(01:42:13):
own communities. I think folks right now, first take the
senses dot gov and if you've done that, share the message.
You're a messenger and an influencer in your own community.
Share this show. If you're watching on Twitter, hit that retweet,
if you're watching on Twitch, share it. UM to get
the message out to our communities. I think everyone knows

(01:42:35):
someone that has not responded to the census. Maybe you're
just procrastinating, or maybe there are barriers and life circumstance
that has gotten in the way. But we can't uh,
we can't make on these on these resources. UM. I
also just want to say you're right that UM, the
pandemic has really impacted how we as advocates reach out

(01:42:57):
to community and invite people to respond. UM. We've held
a number of digital Weeks of Action and Days of Action. UM.
I know that the National Coalitions for Black Civic Participation
in the gasp for coalition have been doing um incredible
digital organizing on the different social media platforms. We've seen
teletown halls from the CBC and other members. So we're

(01:43:20):
really going all in to get out the count UM.
But the that's also impacted that the Census Bureau can
reach out to people. We know that folks may not
feel comfortable UM opening their door to talk to a
census of numerator because of the pandemic and health concerns.
So folks should know the easiest way to avoid the
numerator or a census taker at your door is to
respond online at dot gov um or to call the

(01:43:44):
phone line and respond that way. The kind of piece
was the need to put the engauge of black immergrant communities,
the Caribbean community. Uh, it's it's from the African downsport,
because that's a big part off you think about two
thousand census, in the two thousand and ten census, the

(01:44:07):
black population growth, a big good uh part of that
is a black immigrant communities and so really making sure
that we're we're engaging. So we're close with doctor Claire Nelson,
who's gonna push you with the Caribbean community and get
you in the free as others h on the undocky
black you know, Uh, it's another group that we're all

(01:44:28):
working with. And I know with Beth and her and
the Leaded Ship, Profence, Publiction and just really getting us.
We had just had a two weeks ago a ro
you know, we pulled everybody together again and say hey,
we really got to get together and and and uh
push hard on this U census, but also getting counter

(01:44:49):
voting early too. So again I say you too in
twenty is that simple message vote and be counted. People
understand both of those are opportunities to our plus the
society power and get the resources we need and want
for or deserve, because it's not money at the end
of the day. This is about your money coming back
to your community to take your street, your school, your

(01:45:13):
community and get the things that you you deserve, an
opportunity to deserve. It's not a handout. It's about our
money because otherwise it's gonna go to somebody else. Don't
go to somebody else. Well, and that's why that's why
I make the points specifically specifically to black men. Look,
if you're out there saying you want these these things,
this is directly tied to it. And again I just

(01:45:35):
think that for a lot of people that this is
this is a civics thing, not not really understanding the
levels of power, how these things work, where resources come from,
who you're seeking things from, and how they work. So, uh,
the census ties directly into uh districts in terms of
how they're drawing, which is tied into who represents you

(01:45:56):
in congress or it's a legislature, which is the n
tie to resources that come your way, which is tied
to me all of these different things. And yeah, as
somebody who's covered covers city government and county government, I've
sat many of those long board meetings and when the
conversation comes up, they're talking about census tracks. What the
data says in census tracks. Hello, When they say census tracks,

(01:46:22):
that comes that that comes from the census. So that's
how those things and so literally they're even breaking down
for the people who are watching. They're even breaking down
health stats, education stats, all of those things by census tract.
And that's why people have to realize if you don't

(01:46:44):
feel it out, then you're actually hurting yourself when the
in the data collection, whether they're saying, oh, this is
a versus Connerson Jim Clybron is a ten amendment that
that is based upon census tracks where Tampa say of
the people who live who live below is they want

(01:47:06):
tampas of the resources to go to those census tracks
where more than people live below the poperty line for
thirty years. That is literally determined by the census track.
So I mean, oh no, I mean you're absolutely right.
I mean we like to say the sentence is a
tool for change and we have to use it. I mean,
civil rights advocates like you just said, you sense data

(01:47:29):
to defend our rights. Um, to uh fight to protect
the Voting Rights Act and to enforce it, but also
to push for new legislation. If we don't know where
we are, we can't then track and see disparities or
see where our rights are being undermined by bad actors.

(01:47:50):
So sentences data. Yes, money, lots and lots of money
that can go to our communities. Yes, number of seats
in Congress you get, but also the basis for redistrict think,
but also it's our power. It's a tool for change. UM.
And I agree. I think the thought to a point
that folks may not realize that literally everything that you

(01:48:11):
think about census data underlies and it really is the
foundation of our democracy. That's not hyperbolate found a Melani
found comment. Hey, I just say the folks out there,
you have been counted, get counted, that you get counted,
that you vote, and we're gonna so we can give
that just about money, power and respect and we and

(01:48:32):
we deserve every dollar we deserve to control the power
we talked about on these streets where we're having to protest.
We want to be able to control those those city
budgets and have the resources we need the things that
you also talking about about moving at reallocating funds. You
gotta have the funds there to reallocate, right, provide those
services and sensors matters, voting matters, all right then uh

(01:48:56):
best link me only Camball, So appreciate it. Thanks a lot,
Thank you, folks. Going to commercial break, we come back.
We're gonna talk to the Commerce and Stephen Horsford, who
is over the comression of black hawkers since his task force.
That's next on Roller Martin Unfiltered. You want to support
Roller Martin Unfiltered, be sure to join our bring the
Funk Fan Club. Every dollar that you give to us
supports our daily digital show, one daily digital show out

(01:49:19):
here that keeps it black and keep it real as
rolland Martin Unfiltered. Support the rolland Martin Unfilter daily digital
show by going to rolland Martin on Filter dot com.
Our goals to get twenty our fans contributing fifteen bucks
each for the whole year. You can make this possible
rolland Martin Unfiltered dot com. It's rough out there. People
are looking for change for the answers when answer is

(01:49:43):
at your fingertips sentences. Since it takes will be visiting
households to make sure we are counted. Because an undercounted
community could miss out on billions of funding for schools, healthcare,
and job assistance each year for the next ten years.
To much is at stake. We spun online today, shape

(01:50:03):
your future and start here Census dot com the community
comes together to support the fight against racial injustice. I
want to take a second to talk about one thing
we can do to ensure our voices are heard, not tomorrow,
but now, have your voices heard in terms of what
kind of future we want. By taking between twenty cents

(01:50:25):
is today as dot gov, and folks, let me help you.
The Census is an account of everyone living in the country.
It happens once every teen years. It is mandated by
the US Constitution. The thing that's important is that the
census informs funding billions of dollars how they are spent
in our communities every single year. I grew up in

(01:50:46):
Clinton Park in Houston, Texas, and we want to We
wanted new parks and roads and Senior Citizens Center. Well,
the census helps inform all of that and where funding goes.
It also determines how many seats you're a state will
get in the US House Representatives. Young black men, and
young children of color are historically undercount which means a

(01:51:08):
potential loss of funding of services that helps our community. Folks,
we have the power to change that. We have a
power to help determine where hundreds of billions in federal
funding go each year for the next ten years, funding
that can impact our community, our neighborhoods, and our families

(01:51:28):
and friends. Folks. Responses are confidential and can't be shared
with your landlord, law enforcement, or any government agency. So
please take the twenties censes today shape your future start
at cents dot gov. Alright, folks, Congress is even a
horse for of Nevada. He chairs the Compression of Black

(01:51:50):
CAUs Caucus Census Task Force. He joins me right now, Congressman,
glad to have you back a rolling Martin unfiltered. Thank
you rolling, Appreciate everything you're doing. Look guys like you, y'all,
y'all get tons of request from people. Folks come to y'all,
they come to your constituents, and they say, we want
to see this, we want to see that, we want
to see this. Uh. And what a lot of people

(01:52:10):
just don't realize. It's really the process that has been
established in this country as to how dollars are allocated
and and this count, this one count every ten years
basically ties your hands because the numbers are the numbers.
And once it, once it's done, once it's tabulated. Seeing

(01:52:30):
in a decade you are so right rolling. And what's
frustrating is, I know we have people taking to the
streets over this past year talking about structural racism, social injustice,
racial inequities, everything from healthcare to education, to jobs and employment,

(01:52:53):
small businesses, and so much of it depends, as you
just said on information that comes from the census Right now,
as of the end of July, the self response rate
is about six nationwide, while among the predominantly black census
tracks there is an undercount of about four percent. That

(01:53:17):
fourteen percent equates to billions of dollars that we will
lose every single year over the next ten years. And
I want to make this point. I'm hopeful that we're
going to have a new administration and we're gonna have
the history making new Vice president in Kamala Harris. Well,
guess what a Biden Harris administration will advocate for more

(01:53:41):
funding and investment in our schools, in healthcare, in funding
for colleges, historically black colleges, and other things. But if
the data isn't there, the money can't flow. And that's
the message that I want people to hear, is that
we have to be counted in order for the money
to get to our communities, not just now, but for

(01:54:03):
the next ten years. So when we talk about on
the congressional level in terms of what the task Force
is doing, you know, how have you all been really
helping UH to shape and reshape um this whole issue
to ensure the African Americans are being reached because again,
you know you, I I hate all the time CBC

(01:54:26):
ain't doing jack, They ain't doing nothing. They all accomplish nothing.
But this is one of those things where folks don't
see how this soficers being made. So one of the
things that we've been doing is working very closely with
Stacy Abrams organization Fair Count and Fair Fight. I know
you were just talking to the Black Ground Table as

(01:54:47):
well as the Leadership Conference as well as the National
Urban League and the n double A CP. So we
have been convening these organizations for more than a year
and a half now under the leadership of our chairwoman
Karen Bass. But specific Lee, we have looked at every
member of the Congressional Black Caucus there fifty five of us.
We know exactly what the response rates are in each

(01:55:09):
of those districts. We've done heat maps to show what
the where the response rates have come in under count
and we have been targeting those resources. Our majority with
Jim Clyburn, literally is putting up billboards throughout South Carolina
and his district over the next few weeks to encourage
people to get out and vote. We've conducted town halls

(01:55:31):
nationwide and in our district. I conducted job fairs in
my district where we were able to make sure that
people from our very community got hired as enumerators. And
I know one of the biggest issues that you've pushed
us on is to have accountability for this census Bureau
and where the millions of dollars of marketing money is

(01:55:52):
going and whether or not there's money coming to black press,
to black um media outlets in order for that men
such to reach our community. So we've been doing a lot,
but unfortunately we're up against the same forces that don't
want our community to vote. They're the same forces that
don't want us to be counted. Why, it's structural racism.

(01:56:16):
They want to prevent the resources, the funding to come
to our community. They want to take away our representational
power in our congressional seats and in the legislature. My
congressional district that I have the honor of representing got
created in because we had a fair and accurate count. Well,

(01:56:36):
I'm the first African American to serve in Congress from Nevada.
I'm actually the first person of color from Nevada to
serve in Congress. And so that matters. Representation matters. But
if we are not counted, we're gonna lose the progress
that we've made. So um again, we have until the

(01:56:57):
end of September. Um. What have you what have you
been seeing among African Americans in your state, how they
have been able to make this to really drive this
messaging home and get African Americans to understand what they
must be doing. Well, what we've been doing in my
state and in my district is working with community based organizations.

(01:57:20):
Trusted faith based leaders are churches of course, the Divine Nine,
our fraternities and sororities to to to talk about the
importance of this and to get out even in the
midst of COVID and encourage people to make sure that
they're counted. Alright, Conins Stephen Horsford, It's always great to

(01:57:41):
man have you on the show. Thank you so very much.
Keep up the good work. Uh and we'll keep pushing
the message out every day to get all people understand
this money is ours and we gotta make it happen, alright,
I Sally preachure to serve Thanks a lot, all right, folks,
That is it for us right here on rolland Mark
and unfiltered. UH. We certainly thank you. We want we

(01:58:02):
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(01:58:48):
spreading like this message at look, they're not gonna be
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We're gonna see you guys on Monday right here on

(01:59:34):
Roland Martin Unfiltered, as we always end our show on Friday.
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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}8.28 March on Washington; RNC wraps & Trump fails: 180k dead from COVID; #2020census matters special