NAACP Sues Mississippi, Dyson, Wendell Pierce Talk Belafonte, Fugees Pras Guilty,

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Black Star network is here.

Speaker 4 (04:16):
A real revolutionary right now, worker man black media, make
sure that our stories.

Speaker 5 (04:21):
Aren't hold I thank you for being the Voice of
Black America rolling, I love y'all, al momant we have
now we have to keep this going.

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The video looks phenomenal, this.

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Between Black Star Network and Black owned media and something
like seeing.

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In you can't be Black owned media and be scape.

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Speaker 7 (17:02):
Today is Wednesday eight for twenty six, twenty twenty three,
coming up of roland markin Unfiltered streaming live on the
Black Star Network. The NAACP as soon as State of
Mississippi over their decision to expand a state police presence
in the state capitol. Also on today's show, the Virginia Senator,
the head of the head of the Senate there in Virginia,

(17:24):
is calling out fellow Democrats, saying why are they trying
to get rid of her in leadership? Louise Lucas will
join us right here. Roland Martin Unbuiltered. Also, we will
have our second tribute to Harry Belafonte, Michael Eric Dyson
and others will join us today on the show. Folks,
it is time to bring the fonk rolland Mark unfiltered

(17:47):
of a black Star network.

Speaker 11 (17:48):
Let's go whatever it is.

Speaker 12 (17:54):
He's got the stud Berinda believes he's right on top
and is going best.

Speaker 13 (18:01):
Believe he's going putting it out.

Speaker 14 (18:04):
Donkey's Boston houst to politics, Will Entertainment just bookcase.

Speaker 7 (18:08):
He's going.

Speaker 15 (18:13):
Up.

Speaker 16 (18:16):
It's stolen Mante.

Speaker 12 (18:25):
He's Poky Stress, she's real the question, No, he's rolling Marte.

Speaker 2 (18:38):
Martin.

Speaker 7 (18:43):
Folks, we've been telling you for a long time about
how Republicans across the country including Mississippi, are using their
power to meddle in the affairs of local government. Well
they're in Mississippi. Republicans are doing is they're literally expanding
a eight police force, expanding a state police force to.

Speaker 3 (19:04):
Cover what is called the capital area.

Speaker 11 (19:07):
Now here's the deal.

Speaker 7 (19:09):
That's where most whites in Jacksonssissippi live. And so this
has been quite contentious. The NAACP has bought a lawsuit
against the state of Mississippi as a result of business
Now then, NAACP says the law will create a separate
and unequal policing in the majority of black capital and
violate the principles of self government. Are taking control of

(19:31):
the police and some courts at the hands of residents.
The new law allows people convicted in the capital complex
improved in district court to be put in a state
prison rather than in a city or county jail. And
the judge of the new court is not required to
live in Jackson and is going to be appointed by the.

Speaker 3 (19:50):
Mississippi Supreme Court Chief Justice.

Speaker 7 (19:53):
Now again, white Republicans control the legislature, Democrats and black
folks control Jackson, Mississippi.

Speaker 11 (20:02):
Eighty three percent of the residents in Jackson.

Speaker 7 (20:04):
They're black, the most significant percentage of any major city
in the United States. The NAACP's lawsuit seeks to block
the law that violates the Voting Rights Act in the
fourteenth Amendment. Joining me now from Heidelberg, Mississippi is state
centered one. Barrett Cenator, Barrett glad to have you and
Roland Martin unfiltered. I mean, this is, first of all,

(20:25):
what rationale have these white Republicans given for doing this?

Speaker 17 (20:33):
Well, thanks for Roland for having me on. It is
indeed a pleasure to be on your show.

Speaker 18 (20:39):
But you know, rolland when we talk about House Bill
ten twenty, you know, think in their mind that they
was thinking that you know, it was then ten of
it I think was pretty good. But but how it
was done and the way that they did it basically,
you know, was against what should have happened. I mean

(21:00):
by that is that, you know, if it's something that
you want to help me with, I think that you
should talk to me about what it is that you
want to help me with and how we can fix
this together. But I don't think any of those things happen.
And I think that's that's the gist of the problem
is that nobody was really brought to the table to

(21:20):
wanting to help the city. If you want to help
me with police and then let's talk about this together.
If you want to help me fix my crime in
my city, then let's talk about this. But don't just
come to me with your plan and say here's how
I'm going to help you without me having any input
on it.

Speaker 7 (21:38):
Okay, you but you said you said the intent was good.
What's the intent? I mean, well, why are they actually
doing this? Well, it's that the existing police.

Speaker 3 (21:49):
Force, the existing court system doesn't work.

Speaker 18 (21:52):
I think that the intent was that, you know, we
have to realize that, you know, Jackson was you know,
the police department there's declining because other departments and the
Capitol Police are offering officers more money, so they're leaving.
So there is a need to help with with the
police and there I think the courts.

Speaker 11 (22:14):
Okay, so there's it.

Speaker 7 (22:15):
Okay, hold up, So if the Capitol police are offering
more money, and that's the deal with, why in the
hell of state, why does the Mississippi just give Jackson
more money for its police department?

Speaker 18 (22:26):
Okay, that's the question that I mean, that's an answer
that we hadn't got That's that's a question that we
hadn't gotten answer for either.

Speaker 17 (22:32):
And that's what I'm saying.

Speaker 18 (22:33):
You know, if you want to help, then then then
I think that they should have They should have engaged
Jackson and the people of Jackson, those people that represent Jackson.
I think all parties should have been at the table
if there's a plan to help, and I don't, and
that didn't happen, and that's why we ended up where
we are now. And that's why everybody is mad about

(22:54):
the things that happened. And you talk about judges, and
you talk about courts and all of these things. You know,
it's not right for me or anybody to have the
right to vote, but then not able to have the
right to vote. So you're gonna appoint people that's gonna
be a but just gonna be my judge, But don't
live where I live?

Speaker 17 (23:14):
So where's my representation? Why?

Speaker 18 (23:17):
You know, how does my voice count? And these are
the problems that we're having with this house built ten pointed.

Speaker 7 (23:27):
Well, I mean again, I mean I'm just sort of
just still stuck on what is this most basic and
fundamental Are they suggesting that police.

Speaker 3 (23:38):
In Jacksons and the Jackson, Miss City.

Speaker 7 (23:40):
Of Jackson are not doing the jobs or therefore they
need more assistance.

Speaker 3 (23:46):
Is there has there been a.

Speaker 7 (23:48):
Dramatic crime increase in the Capitol Complex?

Speaker 3 (23:54):
Why have a separate court system?

Speaker 7 (23:56):
So again, there has to be some sort of logic
or reason or rationale for making this decision. Have they
provided you or anybody else any reason why they are
doing it?

Speaker 18 (24:10):
The rationale that they're using is that they're saying that
there's a spike in crime across the city of Jackson. Sure,
there is a spike in crime across the whole seaton.

Speaker 11 (24:22):
No no, no, wait wait wait wait wait wait but
hold up, but.

Speaker 7 (24:24):
Senator Barrett, here's the problem. This is not expanding to
the But this is the problem. This is not expanding
to the city of Jackson. So my question is, did
they provide you or anybody else evidence that there is
a spike in crime in the Capital Complex in this.

Speaker 3 (24:45):
Area that it's covering. Is there a spike in crime
in that area?

Speaker 7 (24:50):
Because if it's not, they're trying to use a spike
in crime in other parts of Jackson to.

Speaker 17 (24:56):
Do this here.

Speaker 7 (24:57):
So I'm asking in this Capital Complex, did they provide
any data that showed there was a spiking crime in
that area.

Speaker 18 (25:07):
I haven't seen any specific data, but that was that
was the conversation. That was some of the things that
they talked about was a spike in crime, and they offered.

Speaker 17 (25:19):
Now I can say in a data I can say that,
I can say confusing.

Speaker 18 (25:28):
No, No, what I'm saying though, there has been a
spike in crime across all of Jackson, not just not
just in certain areas.

Speaker 3 (25:38):
My point.

Speaker 7 (25:41):
For center, here's my point this this bill does not
cover all of Jackson. It only extends police powers in
the Capitol Complex, where nearly all of the white residents
of Jackson live. So what I'm asking you here is,
did they provide any data that showed there was a

(26:05):
spike in crime in the Capitol Complex where this area.

Speaker 3 (26:11):
Will be covered.

Speaker 17 (26:12):
I didn't see any data on that though.

Speaker 11 (26:18):
So what they did is.

Speaker 7 (26:20):
They tried to use, oh, there's a spike in crime
in all of Jackson as justification to expand a police
presence in the Capitol Complex, but didn't offer any reasoning
to why this is done. That's like me that that's

(26:40):
that's that's literally like me saying, you know what I'm gonna.

Speaker 11 (26:47):
Put some icy hot all over my body, but my
back hurt. Why the hell I'm putting icy hot on
my feet and my legs when hell I just need
it in my back. This this ain't that. This is
real clear. So here's what it appears to me.

Speaker 7 (27:07):
It appears to me like the white Republicans in Mississippi
want to create a separate police department and a separate
court system in the area where nearly all white folks
in Jackson live.

Speaker 11 (27:20):
That's what it looks like to me.

Speaker 18 (27:22):
Yeah, and that's what it looks like, you know, according
to everybody else, that's you know, that's exactly what it
looks like. But again, you know, I'm just going back
to to, you know, some of the discussions and the
debates and things that we had in the Senate legislature,
and that goes back again to what I said. You know,
if you truly again, if you truly was concerned about

(27:46):
the crime in the state, in the city of Jackson,
any capital city, it was concerned about all of these things,
then let's talk about all of these things. And let's
not let's talk about a specific area or or anything,
but let's talk let's be all of it because you
know as well as I do. You know, if you're
not willing to fix all of it, then then how

(28:07):
we really going to fix anything if we don't take
care of all of it.

Speaker 17 (28:10):
And that's the problem that we have. And you know
with the judges and all of that.

Speaker 18 (28:15):
You know, it's only to a specific area, like you said,
in the city of Jackson. But if we're gonna fix
crime in Jackson, let's fix all of it. You know,
to me, Mark, you Roland, you talked about previously, you
talked about putting ice and hot on you and look.

Speaker 19 (28:34):
Like this going on.

Speaker 7 (28:37):
But while this is going on, you also have these
Republicans who want to take control of the water system.
After the mayor went to DC and got the six
hundred million dollars and they offered no help to get
the money. But when he went and got the money
from the Bider administration, now.

Speaker 11 (28:56):
All of a sudden they interested. They're not interested in
the world.

Speaker 3 (29:00):
Of system.

Speaker 17 (29:04):
Exactly. We have a lot of problems morn bro.

Speaker 7 (29:09):
And equip if I'm wrong, These same white Republicans have
been trying to take control of the airport too.

Speaker 18 (29:16):
As right, there was a there was and there was
some legislation passed before or was it tempted to be
passed before.

Speaker 17 (29:27):
Were the Jackson Airport?

Speaker 18 (29:30):
Yes, would be controlled by someone else other than the
city of Jackson.

Speaker 7 (29:39):
So what this really sounds like, he is White Republicans
in Mississippi don't like the fact that black folks.

Speaker 11 (29:47):
Are running a major city.

Speaker 7 (29:49):
So what they're now doing is playing bully and using
the powers of the legislature to strip the city of
a lot of its assets. And correctly, if I'm wrong,
this court system, the residents of Jackson are paying.

Speaker 11 (30:06):
For that and not the state.

Speaker 17 (30:08):
Correct, that's correct.

Speaker 11 (30:14):
So they're creating a new expanded police force and an
on court.

Speaker 7 (30:19):
System, and the residents of Jackson, eighty three percent.

Speaker 11 (30:23):
White, gotta pay for it.

Speaker 7 (30:25):
But the white Republicans not putting any extra money into
it to pay for it, but they.

Speaker 17 (30:30):
Want to control it. Yes, uh, you know, would we
would we do?

Speaker 11 (30:39):
You so support this NAACP lawsuit?

Speaker 18 (30:42):
Do I support the lawsuites? Because I think it it's
you know, it's it's unconstitutional. But again, you know, we'll
have to see what happens in the courts again, how
this plays out in the courts, you know.

Speaker 17 (30:58):
But but going you know, a lot of us knew
that a lawsuit was going to be pending on the
passage of this bill.

Speaker 18 (31:08):
But again, again Roland, I have to say that in
my opinion, and my opinion only, is that you know,
the initial the initial thing was, Okay, let's help the
city of Jackson with their crime, let's help the city
of Jackson with their police, and let's help the city

(31:29):
of Jackson, that we can make these things better. I
think as it went along then I think some of
the things that should have happened didn't happen, and I
think that's why we end up with the results. That's
why we end up with the product that we have now.
I don't think there was enough discussion with the leadership.
I don't think there was enough discussion with the residents.
I don't think any of these things was enough before

(31:51):
we came back with the plan, if we truly was
going to help the city of Jackson with the crime
in Jackson, not just related to its specific area in Jackson.

Speaker 7 (32:04):
Santa Barrett, I don't believe for a second this was
ever about helping Jackson, Mississippi.

Speaker 3 (32:10):
That was a ruse.

Speaker 7 (32:12):
This was about protecting white residents in Jackson and they
don't give a damn about the rest of Jackson, but
they do love those sales receipts, sales tax receipts that
come from Jackson. That pays for all kinds of stuff
for the rest of those white legislators. And they're broke
ass districts, so they don't mind black folks paying for
that stuff. So really what they want Jackson, Mississippi, is

(32:34):
to be sharecroppers for the rest of the Missippi, and
they control the most important parts. And so we'll see
how this lawsuit plays out. Santa Barrett, I appreciate it.

Speaker 17 (32:43):
Thanks a lot, Thank you.

Speaker 11 (32:47):
Can I go to a break, We'll be back.

Speaker 7 (32:49):
I'll talking about this with my panel right here on
Roland Martin unfilcher on the Black Start Network.

Speaker 11 (32:57):
Live Start Network. A real revolution there right now.

Speaker 13 (33:03):
Thank you for me and the voice of black apparance, a.

Speaker 2 (33:05):
Woman we have.

Speaker 3 (33:06):
Now we have to keep this going. The video looks phenomenal.

Speaker 6 (33:11):
Dif between Black Star Network and Black owned media and
something like seeing it.

Speaker 20 (33:16):
You can't be black owned media and be scared.

Speaker 3 (33:19):
It's time to be smart.

Speaker 11 (33:21):
Bring your eyeballs home.

Speaker 2 (33:23):
You dig.

Speaker 17 (33:27):
Loss.

Speaker 21 (33:28):
My daughter I don't know where she was, so I
had to figure out how to survive, how to eat,
how to live. I don't want to go into the details,
because she's here first of all to me, don't want
me telling that story. But possession of her.

Speaker 22 (33:43):
The family broke down, fell apart.

Speaker 23 (33:46):
I was harmless.

Speaker 21 (33:47):
I had to figure out I didn't have a manager,
an agent or anybody anymore.

Speaker 23 (33:51):
And I'm the talent, so I.

Speaker 21 (33:53):
Got to figure out how to be the agent. I
had to figure out how does business work?

Speaker 13 (34:10):
M Hey, everybody, it's your girl who now?

Speaker 11 (34:17):
So what's up?

Speaker 3 (34:17):
This is your boy earthquake.

Speaker 10 (34:18):
Hi.

Speaker 24 (34:18):
I am Chailey Rose, and you're watching Roland Martin unfiltered.

Speaker 19 (34:29):
M hm.

Speaker 15 (34:31):
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Speaker 11 (34:38):
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Speaker 11 (37:16):
Hold on.

Speaker 7 (37:29):
Rebella Monte tribute, uh and show uh to the control room,
look for a pull the audio down, please thank you,
and so for the control room, look for a note
because we have a special guest who wants to come
on live. Let me pull up my panel right now,
join me and not Robert Patillo host people passionate Politics,
News and Talk H thirteen a W A k W

(37:49):
a OK in Atlanta. He's coming us out of DC,
Rebecca Corula's vice president Fairy Election Center to run Walker,
founder of Context Media.

Speaker 11 (37:57):
Uh Robber, I start with you. I mean, look today
in Montana.

Speaker 7 (38:01):
You got the Republicans that's silenced a transgender elected official
because they didn't like the fact that she disagreed with them.
You got Republicans in Tennessee that expelled to black members
and they still hate the fact that they're still talking.
You got in Tennessee getting rid of a independent citizen

(38:22):
run police Accountability board. You got in other states where
Republicans in Florida, Alabama, they pass bills and saying local
people cannot get rid.

Speaker 11 (38:31):
Of Confederate Confederate monuments.

Speaker 7 (38:33):
What you have here are Republicans who do not care
about who do not care that other people vote.

Speaker 11 (38:40):
Their whole deal is we got power, We could do
what the hell.

Speaker 7 (38:44):
We want to do, and we really don't care whether
y'all like it or not. That's what's happening in.

Speaker 3 (38:48):
Jackson, Mississippi.

Speaker 7 (38:50):
So the NACP should be filing lawsuits against Republican legislatures
all across the country.

Speaker 18 (38:56):
And you can add to that in Wisconsin, wherey Republican
legislature they have and wants to get the super majority,
they will try to impeach the newly elected Democratic Supreme
Progressive Supreme Court Justice. There North Carolina where you had
a Democratic state senator who swipped from Democrat to Republican
there until now they will be able to override any
veto from the governor. What we are seeing is the

(39:17):
results the DNC neglecting state level party for the last
fifteen years, ever since Howard Dean was DNC chairman, we
have seen a consolidation of power in DC, taking money
away from state and local Democratic parties, away from local
organizing commissions, et cetera. And because of that, during the
peter period of time that President Obama was in office,
we saw one thousand and forty four seats in nationwide

(39:39):
flipped from Democrat to Republican. So even though Republicans will
not won a popular vote since two thousand and four,
and that's the only popular vote they've won since nineteen
eighty eight, even though the Democratics fifty to fifty Democratic
senators represent forty one million more voters than the forty
nine Republican senators. Even though you have a House Representatives
that represents mil war on the Democratic side of the

(40:01):
Isle than the Republican side of the isle, they've been
able to consolidate power in these state and local governments.
And that's where we're seeing much of the very extreme
legislation coming from. And remember, when you have a controversy
between the states that is ultimately decided by the Supreme Court,
what else have a Republicans been doing. President Trump nominated
more and confirmed more federal justices or federal judges under

(40:23):
the under Mitch McConnell than any other president. We see
assistant three majority on the Supreme Court. So their plan
is to put this extreme legislation in place on the
state level, have it ratified by the Supreme Court, and
the spreaded nationwide, and then you never have to worry
about getting a majority in Congress or getting a Veto
proof majority or Phil westerproof majority in the Senate. You

(40:44):
can do national legislation from the state level. And that's
what we're seeing now.

Speaker 7 (40:51):
Rebecca, Again, for all the simple signers out there who
run their miles and Old Rolevard, you try to give
black foes to vote Democrat. Let me remind these idiots,
when you file a lawsuit and you file it in
federal court, those are federal judges. Those federal judges are

(41:14):
appointed either by Republicans or Democrats. They're confirmed by the Senate,
whether led by the Republicans or Democrats.

Speaker 11 (41:22):
This battle right here.

Speaker 7 (41:24):
Is likely going to be playing out in federal court
because why the NAACP is using the Voting Rights Act
as a legal.

Speaker 11 (41:33):
Basis for the lawsuit. So for all of the idiots
who say.

Speaker 7 (41:38):
Voting doesn't matter, hmm, I bet you don't want one
of those Trump judges hearing this lawsuit.

Speaker 25 (41:47):
Well, this particular lawsuit is going to go through the
Fifth Circuit. But while you had your previous guest on
the Senator from Mississippi, I believe Senator Barnett I wanted
to hear them actually call out and use actual word
of what's going on here. We're seeing a part hide
system that's happening in front of us in Jackson, Mississippi.

(42:08):
And like you said, this is something if it's not checked,
it's gonna spread across the South and even spread into
other parts of the country, even.

Speaker 11 (42:17):
Beyond the South.

Speaker 25 (42:18):
To have a institutionalized, systematic regime of segregating resources based
upon race, whether it's the course, whether it is dealing
with their airport authority, or it's dealing with law enforcement
or a new police force. You know, I'm afraid that

(42:38):
this is also going to extend to the schools, this
was this is going to extend to the sewer and
water and other and other public things that are happening
in Jackson. But to me, that's very alarming, and I
want people to actually use the words of actually, what
we're seeing happening in front of us, this is a
part hide that's happening in Jackson, Mississippi.

Speaker 7 (43:02):
Toron Key warning black folks, don't think for a second
you're not going to see similar actions taken in other
cities all across the South where black folks are in control.
This is them running the game plan.

Speaker 26 (43:25):
To my sister's point, who just spoke, she's absolutely right
that what we're seeing is sort of like a vestages
of apart time. But it goes back even further than that.
What I see happening goes back to eighteen seventy seven
after reconstruction, when the federal troops were pulled out of
the South, because before that there were stop gaps in
place to allow black judges, black legislatures, not black senators,

(43:47):
but people on that level to regain power. After the
end of the Civil War, immediately when federal troops were
pulled out of the South, you saw the rebirth of
the ku klutz Klan and you saw voter intimidation. You
saw basically destruction of black schools, linchings of black people, intimidation.
So this is what's happening. And what I think has
the people really have to understand is you mentioned voting earlier.

(44:10):
What people have to understand is that people got to
get out of this idea of thinking that federal and
presidential elections are the only ones that matter. It's the
elections that are unsexy that people have to pay attention to,
whether it's the school board elections, whether it's federal, whether
it's state judge elections, whether it's your city council person election.
Because this is what's happening, the situation in Jackson. They're
the population of Jackson's eighty five percent black, fifteen percent white. Basically,

(44:34):
what they're doing is trying to create a private police
force specifically for one specific area and that's a trial balloon,
I think to expand sort of like segregated policing, where
you have black people policed in one way, white people
policed in another. And you're right, this is happening all
over the South. We had a situation in Atlanta where
there's a part of Atlanta called Buckheat, which is rich, white,

(44:54):
pretty affluent, tried to succeed from the rest of the
city of Atlanta to create their own police force, their
own city council. So what you're seeing is what the
Brothers said earlier, is that you're seeing right wing legislatures
throw up these triballoons to see what it'll stick and
to coalesce people around these ideas, whether they win or
they don't. But what you do is you have a
base of voters who you can scare into saying if

(45:15):
you don't vote for this, the black bogeyman is gonna
come take your kids, and the black bugeyman is going
to invade your house. And these things are very effective
when it comes to voting, so you can ignore it
at your peril.

Speaker 11 (45:26):
Well, I say this to the black folks who are watching.

Speaker 7 (45:29):
The white boogeyman is here, and the white Bullgetman is
a repolking party, and we can walk down this thing.
And I'm telling y'all that's why I wrote my book
White Fear. They are this ain't no dress rehearsal. They
are actively engaged in trying to absolutely limit the power

(45:49):
of black people. And what they're doing in Jackson they
want to take your money and fund their stuff. Now,
coming up next, I'm gonna show you how dimcrats in
Virginia do not want a black woman in charge of
the Virginia Senate. We'll explain in two minutes, Young YouTube,

(46:10):
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(46:51):
White Fear, How the Brownie of America is making white
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Speaker 11 (47:01):
You can also download your copy on audible. We'll be
right back.

Speaker 23 (47:08):
Hatred on the streets.

Speaker 27 (47:09):
A horrific scene a white nationalists rally that descended into
deadly violence.

Speaker 3 (47:17):
White people are moving their their.

Speaker 17 (47:19):
Mind as an angry proach. Trump mout storms the US capital.

Speaker 3 (47:24):
The show We're about to see the lives where I
call white minority resistance.

Speaker 20 (47:28):
We have seen white folks in this country who simply
cannot tolerate black folks voting.

Speaker 14 (47:35):
I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of
violent denial.

Speaker 3 (47:40):
This is part of American history.

Speaker 14 (47:41):
Every time that people of color have made progress, whether
real or symbolic, there has been but Carold Anderson at
every university calls white rage as a backlash.

Speaker 7 (47:51):
This is the wrath of the Proud Boys and the
Boogaaloo boys America.

Speaker 3 (47:54):
There's going to be more of this.

Speaker 28 (47:57):
The this country is getting in racist and its behaviors
and its attitudes because of the fear of white people,
the fee.

Speaker 7 (48:06):
That they're taking our jobs, they're taking our resources, they're
taking our women.

Speaker 3 (48:11):
This is white people.

Speaker 29 (48:30):
We're all impacted by the culture, whether we know it
or not, from politics to music and entertainment.

Speaker 11 (48:36):
It's a huge part of our lives.

Speaker 29 (48:38):
And we're going to talk about it every day right
here on the culture with me, Baraji Muhammad, only on
the Black Star Network.

Speaker 11 (48:54):
Black DV does matter. Dang it.

Speaker 30 (48:58):
Hey, what's up, y'adish and boy Jacob Latimore, you're not
watching Roland Martin right now, in.

Speaker 2 (49:09):
In in.

Speaker 31 (49:28):
In in.

Speaker 10 (49:40):
In m.

Speaker 11 (50:40):
Bous.

Speaker 7 (50:41):
What in the hell is going on in Virginia? All right,
So here's the deal. There are elections in this November
right now. Glenn Youngkin, Republican is the governor. Democrats by
slim majority, are in the minority in the House, but
they control the Senate by slim majority of down. Louise

(51:02):
Lucas state Senator is the leader there in the United States,
excuse me, in the Virginia Senate.

Speaker 19 (51:09):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (51:09):
She has been on a rampage on Twitter in the
last forty eight hours calling out the Democrats, who she
say are trying to take power away from her to
run the Senate. I wanted to find out what the
hell is going on, so we called her. She jones
us right now, Saint Louise Lucas, let to have you
back on the show. So, all right, what is the deal?

(51:30):
You would think that Senate Democrats House Democrats will be
aligned trying to hold on and control the legislature to
stop some of the crazy stuff from Governor Glenn Youngkin.
Yet you're facing primary challenges.

Speaker 32 (51:48):
Yes, well, let me give you the backdrop of this.
You know, with the redistrict team, we ended up with
a lot of Democrats and a lot of Republicans coupled
in districts with their own contague. Republicans were coupled with
Republicans and Democrats were coupled with Democrats.

Speaker 13 (52:05):
Well, most of the Republicans were.

Speaker 32 (52:07):
Able to sit down and talk about it, and some
of them just retired so that the other person could run,
so that they wouldn't have these blood bath kind of
primaries between them. Well, the only two that were left
couple was my opponent who represents currently the fifth Congressional district,
and myself, who represents the eighteenth Senatory district.

Speaker 13 (52:30):
Well, some of my colleagues.

Speaker 32 (52:32):
Decided that they were going to put their names on
an invitation for my opponent, who happens to be black,
and thought that I would be okay with that and
that's it. And they said, well, it's not an endorsement.
We just hosted a fundraiser of her for him. I said,
how the hell is that not an endorsement. You lend

(52:53):
your name to a fundraiser and you don't think that's
an endorsement when the funds that he would get from
that fundraiser will be directed at trying to defeat me.

Speaker 13 (53:05):
And so I took it personal.

Speaker 32 (53:06):
Because, for one thing, I currently serve as the President
pro tem of the Senate, so I preside over that body.
I am in line to be number one in the
Senate because my number one and number two i'm tied
with colleagues are both retiring. So with becoming number one
and the ranking member on almost ever committee that I

(53:30):
serve on, I'm in line to be Chair of Senate
Finance and Appropriation. It will be the first time in
the real did that a black person is the money
that a black person is money. It will be the
first time in the history of this time, well four
hundred and some years that a black person will be

(53:50):
Chair of Finance. In twenty nineteen, I became the first
African American and first woman to be chaired to be
President pro tem. And so I'm about to make history
again by coming to the number one Senator and also
becoming Chair of Finance.

Speaker 13 (54:06):
But Youngtin's and his group, of course, would prefer that
I not chair that committee. And what you got to
keep in mind now.

Speaker 32 (54:14):
Even though the person who's fundraiser they are want to
assist with is black like myself, if they are able
to defeat me, every person who would on that invitation
stands to.

Speaker 13 (54:27):
Move up because they will take one of the positions
that I can't hold. That's it in a nutshell, all right.

Speaker 7 (54:34):
So again, so for the folk in the back who
didn't quite understand it, you always follow the money in politics,
and so if you head head up your appropriation committee,
can't no money gets spent in the state of Virginia
unless it comes through your committee.

Speaker 13 (54:53):
It's got to come through that committee. That's the only
way it gets out of there.

Speaker 32 (54:56):
But see, in the Senate, we have responsibility for finance,
which raises the money and appropriation which spends the money.
And we've never had a person of color to chair
that commodity in the history of the Commonwealth. And because
I managed to stay and get the kind of seniority

(55:16):
I have, I'm next to the line. And let me
tell you what the difference is here. My opponent is
not a true Democrat. Matter of fact, people have referred
to him as a republic Rat. He came into the
Senate in twenty sixteen. I got to the Senate in
nineteen ninety two. He cannot live long enough to get
the seniority that I have, So he cannot have got

(55:38):
my position where he can wield the kind of power
that I will be able to have come January twenty fourteen.
And so I see where Youenkins has already decided he's
going to get a group out of Atlanta who's going
to come and help with getting out the vote here
in Virginia. And that is as much to help the
help my opponent almost called his name, as it will

(56:02):
the Republicans. They want to get a big turnout because
I am the target right now, they are only five
members of the Senate who are African American in the
first place, and that's because Bagby, who was in the
House of Delegates, was elected to Jennifer McClelland c. And

(56:23):
so if they get rid of one of us, then
there will only be four members of the Senate.

Speaker 13 (56:28):
Who are African Americans. Roland, what I said, what I
want also checked.

Speaker 11 (56:36):
I'm sorry. Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead, finish.

Speaker 32 (56:38):
Now, what I was going to suggest to you is
that I am the person who's in the position to
deliver for the eighteen Senatory district. It's a no brainer
for anybody to elect somebody who's only been in the
sentences twenty sixteen, and I've been there since nineteen ninety two,
half the Seniority in a position to deliver for the district,
for the region, and for the state for that matter.

(57:02):
For them to try to even think about taking me
down except that they don't want me to be in
charge of that committee. But my opponent can't get the rest.

Speaker 11 (57:14):
Look, first of all, but here's the deal.

Speaker 7 (57:17):
First of all, again, look, I don't I don't spend
time to be perfectly honest on individual races. I'm looking
at this from a much larger perspective. And the larger
perspective is the whole state and the real the reality
is and also in terms of in terms of exercising
of power.

Speaker 31 (57:37):
Uh.

Speaker 7 (57:37):
And that's that to me, is is what is critically
important because when you start when we talk about black state,
black folks on the state level, it goes to who's
in charge. The reality is right now, your Senate pro
Tem Don Scott is head of the House Democrats they

(57:58):
regained the House goes to stand. He's going to be
the number one. He will, he'll be the top Democrat
in Virginia. You're the top Democrat in Uh, in the Senate.
Now you've got two African Americans who basically are the
top Democrats in the state of Virginia. Day it's gonna
be a huge deal going into twenty going into twenty

(58:19):
twenty four in the presidential election year. And of course
you got it's a Senate race in the battlet correct,
because you got sil Tim rain right.

Speaker 13 (58:29):
No, no, sen Tim Kane is not coming up. Got here, right,
But you.

Speaker 11 (58:33):
Have what we have all no, no, no, no, no,
no no no no it is it is it Kane
twenty four.

Speaker 13 (58:39):
Yes, King Kane is twenty four. Yes.

Speaker 7 (58:43):
Right. So what I'm saying is if if Democrats may
if you win your primary, Democrats maintain the Senate in
Virginia if they're able to flip. So, look, y'all are
down how many seats on the House side. I think
it's only four, man, you're only up how many seats

(59:07):
on the Senate side.

Speaker 32 (59:08):
Well, in the Senate right now we currently said at
twenty two eighteen twenty two Democrats eighteen Republicans.

Speaker 11 (59:16):
So it's again for the people who are listening.

Speaker 7 (59:19):
If Democrats are able to win those seats in the House,
you will likely have an African American run of the Senate,
an af American running the House. Like I said, of
Virginia the cradle of the Confederacy going into twenty twenty four,
where you where you're going to be trying to basically
combat Glenn Youngkin Republicans, Maga Republicans.

Speaker 11 (59:41):
Who are going to be all out for That's what
I'm saying. This thing is broader than just Senate the
Senate district eighteen.

Speaker 32 (59:49):
Absolutely, absolutely, and it's unfortunate that that And of course
I know any number of groups or organizations have tried
to talk to my opponent to say, look, not only
is this important to the district.

Speaker 13 (01:00:06):
But this is history in the making, and he said,
I don't care thinking about.

Speaker 7 (01:00:10):
That got you all right, We'll see what happens the
primaries in June.

Speaker 32 (01:00:18):
What's the June What the primary is on June twentieth,
But we have early voting starting on May fifth, and
it goes to June seventeen.

Speaker 13 (01:00:27):
And so I want everybody out there eligible to vote
on for.

Speaker 32 (01:00:33):
This primary to come out and vote for me, because
this is all about voting in your own self interest.
A vote for me is a vote for them, and
I'm here to do the work for the people of
the eighteen Senatory district, for the region and beyond.

Speaker 11 (01:00:48):
All right, Sea Lucas, we appreciate it. Thanks you lot.

Speaker 13 (01:00:51):
You're very welcome. Thank you for having me on again.
I appreciate it.

Speaker 11 (01:00:55):
Rebecca, Thank you, Rebecca.

Speaker 7 (01:00:58):
As I was laying out there, again, the implications go
beyond a single Senate district in a state. And so again,
when you're talking about politics, you got to think about
this has moved on a chessboard, not checkers.

Speaker 13 (01:01:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 25 (01:01:16):
Absolutely, And I'm going to say this in my personal
role here. You know, I spent about twenty years working
in campaigns all across the country, and I've never seen
where you have someone's name on a fundraiser and that
isn't an endorsement. So the Senator was very clear there
are folks who are actively working against her and don't
want to see her.

Speaker 13 (01:01:37):
In that seat.

Speaker 25 (01:01:38):
But bottom line here is that this is, like you outline,
this is about power, this is about money, and you know,
you know, on this show we talk a lot about
things impacting black people, and specifically we talk about black politics,
and so folks, what folks really have to think about
is what'sn't the best interest of black folks in Virginia.
Is the best interest of black folks in Virginia actually

(01:02:01):
having a say on our appropriations and how money is
being spent.

Speaker 13 (01:02:04):
I would say for.

Speaker 25 (01:02:05):
Black communities in Virginia, that is in the best interest
to make sure that black voices are heard, that Black
voices are respected, and it is you know, over four
hundred years in the Commonwealth, this thing has never happened
where black folks had an outsize impact and a real
impact and how money is being spent in the Commonwealth.

Speaker 7 (01:02:29):
Robert I say all the time to folks, the reality
is nobody is promised to see anybody can run.

Speaker 3 (01:02:36):
That's just the reality, the reality of politics.

Speaker 7 (01:02:39):
But it is also important to think about what happens
when you do lose seniority, when you do lose access
to powerful positions that has an impact on black communities.

Speaker 18 (01:02:52):
Look, the Virginia Democratic Party hasn't been right since they
stole that seat from just in fairfact, So let's just
be honest. There's the things to be power struggle going
on there always within the party. And I think that
when you're looking at a state that should be solidly
blue and all elecgend, Glenn Younkin should have never had
an opportunity to win that seat, regardless who the Democratic

(01:03:12):
nominee was. But is this type of infighting, this type
of petty personal politics that gets in the way and
putting together these type of progressive agenda that is needed
so that Virginia can then become that model for the southeast,
the model for the Confederate States. As Virginia goes, North
Carolina will go and filed with having Georgia on one
side Virginia on the other side, we should be having

(01:03:32):
enough residual pressure to turn North Carolina South Carolina democratic. Also,
weather parts of Tennessee. But we're not getting that because
these state parties are so disorganized at every level, seemingly
that they can get one foot in front of the
other two actually get things done for the people in
their districts.

Speaker 26 (01:03:52):
Ron Something the Senate has said that I found interesting
was the fact that her opponent is bringing in outside comes,
people from Atlanta. Ironically, why are people coming in to
come to work for her opponent that are not based
in the state of Virginia. You know what I mean,
nobody can.

Speaker 3 (01:04:13):
This happens a lot.

Speaker 26 (01:04:13):
I think sometimes in the life.

Speaker 11 (01:04:14):
It happens all the time.

Speaker 18 (01:04:16):
I get it.

Speaker 26 (01:04:17):
I get it this time.

Speaker 11 (01:04:18):
I mean, I like, literally all over.

Speaker 26 (01:04:22):
No, I get it. But here's the thing. If you
don't have people who are connected to Virginia, if you
don't have people who can tell the story of what
this woman's legacy is in Virginia, and they're not leading
that conversation, what happens is you get people who put
craft messaging that doesn't have anything to do with what's
going on. And from what she said about the fact
that her role would be to take care of appropriations
and to be able to control that, that tells me

(01:04:44):
that whatever's going on, as you said, is deeper than
just this one woman just to her opponent and this
one race. This sounds like something is getting ready to
be set up for twenty twenty four to where there's
going to be a big enough war chest that can
be used to go to any candidate they wanted to
go to and to push any agenda that may not
have anything to do with the blacks constituents in her,
in her region and in Virginia. And that's what scares me.
And I'm thinking, if you're going to fight that, you

(01:05:06):
have to be very upfront about that and get in
front of your people to tell them that this is
what this is about, is bigger than me. It's about
what's going to be benefiting and detrimental to you.

Speaker 11 (01:05:16):
All right, folks, go right back.

Speaker 3 (01:05:18):
I'm rolling markin unfiltered.

Speaker 11 (01:05:20):
Yeah.

Speaker 25 (01:05:22):
One more thing. You know, I think it's important to
call out and I think it's important to call out
anti blackness here. Like anti blackness could happen within the
Republican Party, it also happened with the Democratic Party. I
think that's very important to point out here that you know,
the values here first is what is in the best
interest of the black community. I just wanted to point
that out, but.

Speaker 7 (01:05:44):
I think our opponent's black, but you still have other
other things at play. This this is what we call
politics again. But what I I'm saying saying to people
is understand again. Politics is about power, and folks either
have it or they want it.

Speaker 11 (01:06:02):
I'll be right back.

Speaker 3 (01:06:03):
Roland Martin unfiltered on the Blackstard Network.

Speaker 7 (01:06:09):
We talk about blackness and what happens in black culture.

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You're about covering.

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These things that matter to us, us speaking to our
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Speaker 32 (01:06:19):
This is a genuine people power movement, a lot of
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You get it when you spread the word.

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Speaker 33 (01:07:13):
On a next A Balance Life with Me, Doctor Jackie,
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Speaker 24 (01:07:24):
So many of us black failures. We rely upon each
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How to take charge and balance the skills Your life
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Speaker 19 (01:07:46):
This is Judge Math.

Speaker 3 (01:07:47):
What's going on?

Speaker 11 (01:07:47):
Everybody?

Speaker 30 (01:07:48):
It's your boy Macwild, it was up Yadish, your boy
Jacob Bltimore and you're not watching Roland Martin right now.

Speaker 7 (01:08:45):
Hannah Miller has been missing from her Waterbury, Connecticut home
since March twenty sixth. The sixteen year old is five
feet one inches tall weighs one hundred and twenty pounds
with brown hair and brown eyes.

Speaker 11 (01:08:56):
Anyone with information about Hannah.

Speaker 7 (01:08:58):
Miller should call the water Bury, Connecticut Police Department at
two zero three five seven four six nine one two
zero three five seven four six nine one. Pros Michelle
one of the founding members of the Fujis. He's headed
to prison today, convicted on ten counts in a scheme

(01:09:18):
to help China influence the US government. Federal prosecutors alleged
that Low Take Joe, also known as Joe Low, paid
Michelle millions to help launder money Low had allegedly embezzle
from a Malaysia owned investment fund. The alleged scheme involved
payments to Barack Obama's twenty twelve presidential re election campaign

(01:09:40):
and efforts to convince the Trump administration do Extra Dykee,
a Chinese national again. Michelle faces twenty two years in prison.

Speaker 17 (01:09:50):
This was a really.

Speaker 7 (01:09:53):
A strange trial to run. People both remember that that
was a Super Bowl commercial that Proz had taken it
as like a five million dollar Super Bowl ad for
this content company where they were gonna be making cell
phones and the seals from the phone were gonna create
black content. And I always thought it was strange because

(01:10:15):
they ran a Super Bowl ad and the site wasn't
even live yet.

Speaker 11 (01:10:20):
And in fact, and I remember, and I forgot it
was called I think it was called black Shirt or
something like that.

Speaker 7 (01:10:27):
And I remember actually getting with that PR people and
doing a phone call with him about it. And it
seems that all that money that was coming in with
the stuff like that, now he going to prison.

Speaker 26 (01:10:41):
Oooh you know, man, I actually did a little bit
of research on this case a couple of days ago,
and it seems to me like, honestly, Proz got in,
got in deeper than he could really swim in, got
in some water that he couldn't really play with. The
people who he was associated with, some real heavy hitters,
and they were going around buying a lot of influence
with a lot of people, whether it was the card.
If you take a look at this brother, this Asian

(01:11:03):
businessman's roller decks, it's crazy. It's pretty much all the
A listers in social media and in pop culture and
hip hop and stuff. And I think what he was
trying to do was trying to figure out a role
for himself outside of music, as trying to make himself
sort of like a cultural ambassador. And try to be
somebody who can broke her deals. But if you don't
know the water you're playing with in that, it's best

(01:11:23):
to leave that alone unless you've got a team around
you who really knows how to navigate that. What he
did wasn't really a unique thing as far as like
trying to broke her influence and be sort of like
a fixer to introduce one person to the other. But
when you're starting to play around with people who have
who don't play on the same level that you play
with when they're dealing with governments and they're dealing with presidents,
and if you're not in that, if you're not on

(01:11:43):
that level, it's best to leave that alone until you
know what you're dealing with. I think I'm not saying
he didn't do some of the things they're convicted him of,
but I think he's becoming a fall guy for some
other people's influence.

Speaker 11 (01:11:53):
Just a mess.

Speaker 7 (01:11:55):
Well look, look, look, well here's a deal, Rebecca. You
know this guy here cost Malaysia billions of dollars. There
were other people who went to jail as well. Look,
when you start taking money and you start talking about influence,
you got a register as a lobbyist of a foreign

(01:12:15):
interest in this country.

Speaker 11 (01:12:17):
Yeah, he was in real deep and now he about
to head the prison.

Speaker 25 (01:12:24):
Yeah, and it's really unfortunate.

Speaker 11 (01:12:25):
You know.

Speaker 25 (01:12:25):
I would say for any celebrity, any person who wants
to get involved with politics, especially when it comes with money,
you really have to make sure, like Terrain was saying,
you have to make sure that you have folks around
you who have experience in that and know exactly what
they're doing. I mean, we just saw Congressman Jeff Fordenberry
also get in trouble for taking money I believe it

(01:12:47):
was from a Chinese national that went directly to.

Speaker 13 (01:12:49):
His campaign, and you know, so you know, he got convicted.

Speaker 25 (01:12:54):
So it's you know, we're seeing that the Department of
Justice is cracking down on this and now was so people,
especially going into the twenty twenty four election cycle, if
you want to raise money for any particular candidate, if
you've never done it before, you need to make sure
you seek out professional advice because we're seeing a steady
increase of foreign nationals and foreign governments actively interfering in

(01:13:17):
our elections system.

Speaker 7 (01:13:21):
Well, Robert during the trial, he claimed that he did
have the advice of lawyers and accountants. But again, when
you start talking about foreign money and elections, you're now
in some deep territory that deals with again lobbying that
their laws against foreign money being involved in elections, and

(01:13:43):
so this was you know, the prosecutors laid out a
very strong case against him, and it's not as easy
Roberts Sipple.

Speaker 11 (01:13:51):
Say, Hey, I ain't no doll.

Speaker 18 (01:13:54):
So we just say, you're never going to get another
Foodjies album, never gonna get a reunion pol you can
lay that, you.

Speaker 11 (01:14:01):
Can hang, you can hey, you can hang. You can
hang that world tour up. That ain't happen.

Speaker 18 (01:14:07):
Like I just came from the Usher residency out there
in Vegas. It's amazing. So the Food just can do
something like that. But no, Praz wants to pretend he's
part of the King Penn organization. Night not even messed
up everything for everybody else. That's just being selfish. At
the end of the day, you got to think about
the rest of us who now we're in our middle ages,
we try to see the old acts we wanted to
see back in the day. I'm not trying to get

(01:14:28):
into Little Gadi. I'm not trying to get into a
little uzy. I want to hear the music that I like,
which includes the Fujis, But now proz And messed that up,
so I called this personally against him.

Speaker 7 (01:14:40):
Well, look, I know Lauren Hill liked being late. I
don't know about twenty two years late. So we'll see
what happens when they.

Speaker 11 (01:14:49):
Have a citizen. Uh that that's going on there? All right, y'all.

Speaker 7 (01:14:54):
Georgia parents their outrage after school field trip to a
slaver exhibit late to a reenactment of a slave auction.
Wc Abney Elementary School school teacher This is in Dallas, Georgia,
took a class of third grades to the Mabel House Plantation.
When they arrived, the students were made to stand in
the line and hold of cars with prices to reflect

(01:15:16):
their slave auction. A mother of one of the students,
Gladys Cleaves, said her biggest concern was the school and
never mentioned in Slavery will be taught on the permission
slip and the false and narrative the school portrayed by
telling the children that these weren't nice enslavers who treated
the enslaved people like family.

Speaker 11 (01:15:34):
Cleves called for.

Speaker 7 (01:15:35):
Diversity, equity inclusion training to better inform school officials on
the handling.

Speaker 11 (01:15:39):
Such a situations. Paul and his Connon school district has
not made a puppet statement about the incident.

Speaker 7 (01:15:44):
Well, hell, now you got Republicans trying to get rid
of DEI everywhere, Robert, that ain't gonna happen.

Speaker 18 (01:15:50):
You know, it amazes me for years Republicans to use
all these euphemism they beat around the bush. Now they
literally just say out loud, I want to get rid
of diversity. That is our plan, that is what we're
working towards. Even in situations like this, they are going
back to the great Lost Cause narrative of the South,
this conceptualization that it wasn't that the South was morally

(01:16:10):
wrong or morally bankrupt in its position on enslavement, but
rather it was just a disagreement between between brothers and
the South decided to enact they're right as a voluntary
union to separate from the United States of America. They're
trying to rewrite and sanitize and change the hearts and
minds of the next generation so that when it's time
for that great populationshipt that we've been talking about, that

(01:16:31):
singularity where they're no longer a majority of the country,
but rather just one of many minority groups within the country.
They just want to make sure we don't treat them
like they treated us.

Speaker 11 (01:16:44):
Rebecca, you know, nothing ever.

Speaker 25 (01:16:47):
Good comes out of public school kids, or even school
kids period, having a school lesson which includes re enactment of.

Speaker 13 (01:16:58):
Slave auctions.

Speaker 25 (01:16:59):
I mean, this is not the first time that this
has happened with the school system, with them trying to
have students reenact and actually play the part of a
slave or do like cosplay as slaves, and so I mean,
teachers got.

Speaker 17 (01:17:12):
To do better.

Speaker 25 (01:17:13):
Like I don't even understand even if that was my
school's curriculum. You know, if I was a teacher, there's
just no way I would ever do anything like that.
I mean, this is getting out of hand.

Speaker 13 (01:17:22):
It's ridiculous.

Speaker 11 (01:17:26):
To ron by twenty seconds final are you coming on this?

Speaker 26 (01:17:29):
All I'm going to say is these people knew what
they were doing. They know the history. This is just
trying to create this revision's history, like Robert said and
everything and them. I'm gona tell you right now, that
was my child. I'm coming down there to do some
role plays where we're gonna play in that Turner, I
gotta go to break.

Speaker 7 (01:17:47):
We come back, Michael, Eric Dyce and talks Hairbella Fonte,
And we're also gonna show you a video of that
Picter b did for the folks in Texas to America
where he really talked about how this was him withdrawing
from the public.

Speaker 11 (01:18:03):
We will show all of that for you as we
paid to the great Airbella Fonte.

Speaker 3 (01:18:08):
Next on roland Mark Anfilture on the Blackstoine Network.

Speaker 6 (01:18:14):
Next on the Black Table with me Greg Call, we
look at the history of emancipation around the including right
here in the United States, the so called end of slavery.
Trust me, it's a history lesson that bears no resemblance
to what you learned in school. Professor Chris Manjappra, author, scholar,
amazing teacher, joins us to talk about his latest book,

(01:18:37):
Black Ghost of Empire, The Death of Slavery and the
Failure of Emancipation. He explains why the end of slavery
was no end at all, but instead a collection of
laws and policies designed to preserve the status quo of
racial oppression.

Speaker 34 (01:18:52):
The real problem is that the problems that slavery and
invented have continued over time, and what reparations are really
about is saying, how do we really transform society right
and stop racial violence which is so endemic, what we.

Speaker 19 (01:19:09):
Need to do about it.

Speaker 6 (01:19:10):
On the next installment of the Black Table, right here
on the Black Star.

Speaker 33 (01:19:19):
Hi am Doctor Jackie, Head Martin, and I have a
question for you. Ever feel as if your life is
teetering and the weight and pressure of the world is
consistently on your shoulders, We'll let me tell you. Living
a balance life isn't easy. Join me each Tuesday on
black Star Network for a Balanced Life for Doctor Jackie.
We'll laugh together, cry together, pull ourselves together, and cheer

(01:19:39):
each other on. So join me for new shows each
Tuesday on black Star Network a Balanced Life with Doctor Jackie.

Speaker 7 (01:20:39):
Folks, we continue our tribute to the great Air Belafonte
passed with the age of a ninety six on yesterday.
The tributes have continued to pour in from Hollywood to politics,
all across the globe. We have several videos going to
share with you today. Reached out to seven different people,

(01:21:01):
so I'll say so today.

Speaker 11 (01:21:03):
First of all, before I.

Speaker 7 (01:21:04):
Get to my next guest on tomorrow's show, Father Michael
Flager Saint Sabinah in Chicago, a longtime friend of Arabellafonte, will.

Speaker 3 (01:21:13):
Join us to pay tribute to him.

Speaker 7 (01:21:15):
And also a few moments ago I got a text
message a minister Lewis Farrakahn will also join us to
pay tribute to Harry Belafonte. That is on tomorrow's show.
Right now, we want to go to doctor Michael Eric Dyson. Doc,
glad to have you here. You cross paths with mister
b Or on many occasions. Just share with share with

(01:21:38):
just folks, just your thoughts reflections on the enormity of
this man and what he accomplished in his ninety six years.

Speaker 35 (01:21:49):
Well, thank you, first of all, brother Rowland for having me.
Nobody else is doing what you're doing, given this kind
of broad coverage, not only to mister Belafonte, but to
all the issues that make a difference for us. I
hung out with Bellefonte several times, including with you and
mister Bellafonte. An extraordinary genius, a man who is arguably

(01:22:10):
the greatest activist artist of the twentieth century. And we
know Paul robes and reign supreme in that century, but
he was a student of Paul Robeson's and arguably made
an even deeper penetration into the collective conscious of America
film through music, and Bellefonte said that Paul Robson taught him,

(01:22:31):
if you can get them to listen to your song,
then they will listen to your message and do as
you know, was a global hit that continued to reverberate
around the world. And you know, Bellefonte was able to
leverage his superstardom in Hollywood and beyond in defense of
average black people.

Speaker 17 (01:22:52):
As you know and many other people don't.

Speaker 35 (01:22:55):
Harry Belafonte bought one hundred thousand dollars life policies for
each of doctor King's kids in the event of his death,
and the only reason they had some of that money
to be able to scrape together was because mister Bellefonte
looked out for them. He did numerous, numerous, numerous fundraisers.
He poured his personal resources into supporting Snick selc the

(01:23:19):
naacp raising millions upon millions of dollars for their causes,
and was especially close to Martin Luther King Junior. So
here was a man till the day he died who
was fundamentally committed to the liberation and emancipation of black
people unapologetically was able to call out other leaders who
failed to take up the crossho to speak and move on.

Speaker 19 (01:23:42):
Down the road of black progress.

Speaker 35 (01:23:45):
An amazing, beautiful man and as you know, Roland had
a raucous sense of humor. That's who mister b was.
That's who mister Bellefonte was, and we loved him so deeply.

Speaker 7 (01:24:00):
Was shre I was sharing with someone today, Uh that
when we even talk about people talk about we of
the world, and oftentimes, uh, they credit Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie,
Quincy Jones, but the actual idea started with Harry Belafonte.

Speaker 35 (01:24:22):
And that ability of mister Belafonte to really be able
to margin, you know, to marshal the forces of people,
uh and make sure that they were, you know, doing
the right thing was was unparalleled. And stars took to
mister Belafonte because they appreciated him, they trusted him, They
knew that he was an incredible human being.

Speaker 11 (01:24:45):
They knew that he was capable.

Speaker 35 (01:24:48):
Of, you know, generating the kind of interest that was
necessary and bringing together conscience and commercialism, bringing together music
and transformation. And so that idea of his to speak
to the world to raise funds and resources that would
address critical social issues. Uh was was Germaine to who

(01:25:09):
his identity was as a public figure. And there's no
question that Harry Belafonte was able to do that in
so many instances, as you know, not only we are
the world, but when he went on and filled in
for you know, you know, I think it was Mike
Douglas or filling in at night for Johnny Carson and the.

Speaker 11 (01:25:30):
Johnny Carson Uh oh, absolutely, yep.

Speaker 19 (01:25:33):
That's right.

Speaker 11 (01:25:34):
Johnny Carter bringing on Martin Luther King Jr.

Speaker 35 (01:25:38):
And to see doctor King up there, you know, having
a laugh with with Johnny, you know, with with Harry
Belafonte was beautiful. It brought out a different side of
that civil rights legend. So you know, mister Bellafonte brought
people together. He he coordinated different efforts, not only in
front of the camera, so to speak, but behind the
scenes as well.

Speaker 3 (01:25:59):
He was a true organize.

Speaker 7 (01:26:03):
One of the things that I thought was important. He
and I talked about this in the first interview that.

Speaker 3 (01:26:08):
I did with him.

Speaker 11 (01:26:10):
He was older than doctor King.

Speaker 7 (01:26:13):
They were supposed to only talk about twenty minutes in
a church basement. It turned into four hours.

Speaker 11 (01:26:19):
And he had no problem following King.

Speaker 7 (01:26:24):
Now here's why I'm saying that, Michael, there are a
lot of people. There are a lot of entertainers. There
are a lot of people who are celebrities, people who
are in other categories who want to be at the
front of protest. But Belafonte always said he followed King.

(01:26:48):
He was bigger than doctor King. He was an international star.
But he actually said, no, I am a servant to
his cause. And that is something thing that I think
is often overlooked, especially in a day and age when
a lot of folks want to be the ones who
want to call the shots and they don't know nothing

(01:27:09):
about mobilizing, organizing and leading movements. We just lost Michael
Eric Dyson there, we need to call him back. Let
me I want to put my panel is still there.

(01:27:30):
Roberts pick up on that again, that point about understanding what.

Speaker 18 (01:27:37):
Your role is absolutely and let's understand just the significance
of what mister Bellafronte did during his lifetime.

Speaker 17 (01:27:45):
Very much.

Speaker 18 (01:27:46):
It's mainly unknown that he will helped pay for Crrent
Scott King's bills for a long period of time, helped
to take care of the children that he was an
integral part of this rights movement, not an actor who tried,
who was an act on the side, but a true
blue civil rights hero whose form of contribution to the
movement was through his arts and through.

Speaker 19 (01:28:09):
His music.

Speaker 18 (01:28:10):
We have that ephemeral generation of musicians and actors and
actresses who are so crucial to the civil rights movement
as it was produced, because they were able to introduce
that to that mainstream audience, to have those voices and
those viewers outside of the Deep South to see the
true humanity of the cause that we were fighting for.

(01:28:31):
And I think the modern day Nacian actress and today
who may see this as we're fighting for the movement
for black lives, we're fighting for police reform, as we're
fighting for voting rights, can take a page out of
their books and how to be the best version of
an act or entertainer active as possible.

Speaker 25 (01:28:51):
Rebecca, you know, it's amazing to see that he was
in a part of the civil rights movement for clout,
but who was actually behind the scenes doing work and
even providing resources. Because when we think of movement building,
there has to be the ability for folks who are
most impacted to have access to resources, and without folks

(01:29:13):
like Carry Belafonte or even some of the other I
guess what we call now celebrity activists at that time,
if they weren't putting money behind some of this work,
then the work would not have been able to be accomplished.
Because when we think of doctor Martin Luther King and
the other folks like him, they were doing this full time.

(01:29:33):
It wasn't like there was a go fundme or that
there were, you know, enough fundraisers for folks to be
able to just do this work full time, be able
to pay their bills or even pay to be able
to travel.

Speaker 17 (01:29:45):
You know.

Speaker 25 (01:29:45):
Those are some of the things that we don't think
about is the cost it took for the architects of
the civil rights movement to actually have the movement. So
it's very important.

Speaker 9 (01:29:56):
I think even.

Speaker 25 (01:29:57):
Folks today could even take a age from that when
we see some of our greates like Harry Belafonte and
figure out, you know, how do we move through these
next movements and like what Robert was saying, like with
Black Lives Matter, with making sure that the resources are
available for the communities and the grassroots activists to be

(01:30:18):
able to do the.

Speaker 7 (01:30:19):
Work before we went to break. We actually lost him. Sorry,
we lost Michael Erydyce and we've got him back. Michael,
get there.

Speaker 17 (01:30:28):
Can you hear me?

Speaker 11 (01:30:31):
Yeah, we can hear I can hear you.

Speaker 7 (01:30:33):
So before I lost you, before we lost you, I
asked the question. He's said he was a servant to
doctor King. He was not trying to be the leader
of the movement. He said, I want to be of service.
That is different from a lot of folks today who
are in the entertainment space who want to be the

(01:30:54):
leaders of movements as opposed to following those who do
this work every day, seven days a week.

Speaker 35 (01:31:01):
I am so glad you said that, Roland, don't. I
haven't heard anybody point that out. And this why is important.
It's not that we have egos. Those of us who
quote do this every day. It's a matter of expertise.
We're not gonna shoot a jump shot for Lebron James.
We're not going to strike a tennis ball for Serena Williams.
Those people who have interests and even develop some level

(01:31:25):
of expertise in terms of voting rights or struggling against
incarceration and light should willingly defer to those who have
been informed about the struggles that we are both mutually
concerned with. And it is no it is no slight
on any musician or entertainer that they would follow the
way of a Reverend Al Sharpton, a Reverend Jesse Jackson,

(01:31:49):
a Reverend Bernice King following, Melanie Campbell following, you know,
Joyce Baby. I mean, the point is that these are
people who do what they do every day. They lead organizations,
they're elected politicians, They're informed about the deep matters of
these issues. I'm not suggesting that no entertainer or artists

(01:32:11):
or an athlete is capable of giving leadership once being
deeply informed. But the reality is these are things that
these people have been doing for decades, and we should
have a more united front where those athletes and entertainers
bring their notoriety, bring their visibility and spotlight to bear

(01:32:31):
upon the issues that are addressed by these leaders every day.
It's an excellent point, and Harry Belafonte had no ego
when it came to that.

Speaker 11 (01:32:43):
Michael final comment.

Speaker 7 (01:32:47):
The thing that I find to be fascinating is that
when we talk about a lot of other folks who
are engaged in the work, that they often retire I
remember when he had to battle the king, a couple
of the king children over the selling of personal artifacts,

(01:33:10):
and he was selling them to fund existing projects today. Uh,
and there was some issues there and so and so.
So the point I'm raising is that he passed away
at ninety six. He was literally and I know from
out through our conversations, uh, through talking to Susan Taylor,

(01:33:34):
how he would call Kepra over to the over to
his place and was giving giving out orders up until
his last days.

Speaker 11 (01:33:43):
He was still doing the work.

Speaker 24 (01:33:46):
Man.

Speaker 7 (01:33:47):
He never retired from activism, never, never retired.

Speaker 3 (01:33:52):
I know this personally.

Speaker 35 (01:33:53):
I was there sometimes when he called Keefra. I was
there sometimes when he called me he put me on
the phone. Well, he's the one who connected me with
Colin Kaepernick. He did it personally. This man was deeply
involved and invested in social change.

Speaker 3 (01:34:09):
To the end of his life. This wasn't a one
time thing for him.

Speaker 35 (01:34:12):
This wasn't all it'll be sexy and cool and people
will think good of me, and then after the spotlight
is gone, I'm done. No, this man committed his life
in the fundamental fashion to social change until the very end.
He would call upon people he called upon you, he
called upon me, He called upon Kefra especially and worked

(01:34:32):
with him, and we would exchange jokes and get down
to business. He allowed me to do interviews with him
for my book that I wrote about the historic meeting
between mister Belafonte and Lorraine Hansberry and Lena Horn and
Robert F. Kennedy and James Baldwin. And it was an extraordinary,
extraordinary meeting that changed the face of the civil rights movement,

(01:34:54):
especially because it forced Robert F. Kennedy to take these
issues of race far more seriously. And they got up
in his face and they did not, you know, bow
down to him. That's the kind of person Harry Belafonte
was till the end of his life when he could
no longer hold that torch. And it is a remarkable
testimony to his extraordinary character and his vitality.

Speaker 7 (01:35:20):
Michaelaric Dyson will appreciate you joining us sharing our thoughts
reflections on the great hair of Belafonte.

Speaker 19 (01:35:26):
Thank you, boy friend. I appreciate you having.

Speaker 11 (01:35:30):
To ron Before I let the panel go, I want
you to give your thoughts by.

Speaker 10 (01:35:34):
Mister b.

Speaker 26 (01:35:36):
First of all, I want to give nothing but respect
and adoration to that brother. I did some research after
his death, and people don't realize that Harry Belafonte was
a very successful entertainer. That's how he came to the work,
That's how everybody got to know him. He had the
first number one album on the Billboard Pop Album charts
for six weeks. That was Michael Jackson type numbers. Harry

(01:35:58):
Belafonte could have done his music, acted and been a
very successful entertainer for the rest of his life and
been financially said and not did anything. The fact that
that man used his platform and his visibility to reach
out and give visibility to people fighting for the oppressed,
fighting for black people, fighting for black people around the
world at the time when that was really something that

(01:36:21):
could really put your life in jeopardy much less your
career shows you the integrity of this man. Like I said,
he could have done this the rest of his life
have been just fine. So the fact that he put
himself at risk and gave people platforms. I have nothing
but respect for that man. Where he could have lost everything,
including his life, So nothing but respect for him, and
I want people who may feel the same to be
able to look at his example and find the courage

(01:36:43):
to do the same thing. It's not going to be easy,
but that work is not done and we need more
people on the present day.

Speaker 7 (01:36:48):
To do this, indeed to run Rebecca Robert, I appreciate
y'all joining us today on Roland Martin on Filter Folks.
When we come back, we will hear from Hair Belafonte. First,
when the great Sydney Poitier presented him the Spring Arm
Medal at the NAACP Image Awards in twenty and thirteen.

Speaker 3 (01:37:12):
We'll have that next.

Speaker 7 (01:37:13):
You're watching Roland Martin Unfiltered on the Blasts Start Network
as we continue to pay tribute to Hair Belafonte.

Speaker 27 (01:38:06):
At Read on the Streets, a horrific scene white nationalist
rally that descended into deadly violence.

Speaker 3 (01:38:15):
White people are moving.

Speaker 2 (01:38:16):
Their their mind.

Speaker 11 (01:38:18):
As an angry pro Trump Mont storms the US capital.

Speaker 8 (01:38:21):
The six show.

Speaker 7 (01:38:22):
We're about to see the rise where I call white
minority resistance.

Speaker 20 (01:38:26):
We have seen white folks in this country who simply
cannot tolerate black folks voting.

Speaker 14 (01:38:32):
I think what we're seeing is the inevitable result of
violent denial.

Speaker 3 (01:38:37):
This is part of American history.

Speaker 14 (01:38:38):
Every time that people of color have made progress, whether
real or symbolic, there has been the Carol Anderson at
every university calls white rage as a backlash.

Speaker 7 (01:38:48):
This is the wrath of the proud Boys and the
Boogaaloo boys America.

Speaker 3 (01:38:52):
There's going to be more of this.

Speaker 28 (01:38:55):
This country just getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and
this attitude because of the fear of white people the
peo that.

Speaker 7 (01:39:04):
They're taking our job, they're taking our resources, they're taking
our women.

Speaker 3 (01:39:08):
This is white Field.

Speaker 33 (01:39:26):
On a next A Balanced Life with me, doctor Jackie.
We talked about a hard cold fact not all healthcare
is created equal in this country, especially if you're a
person of color.

Speaker 24 (01:39:36):
So many of us black families, we rely upon each
other heavily. A lot of us aren't necessarily sure how
to best communicate with our.

Speaker 33 (01:39:44):
Healthcare providers, how to take charge and balance the skills
your life may depend on it. That's next on a
Balanced Life on a Black Star Network.

Speaker 7 (01:39:58):
So let's talk about mister ban Uh, just just just
just just share just your thoughts about ninety.

Speaker 8 (01:40:04):
Five years ninety five years young, the first.

Speaker 5 (01:40:08):
Time he appeared in publics with the Charlie Parker Band
with Max Roach on the drums and Miles Davis, a
young brother playing the horn. That's how far back our
dear brother, Harry Belafonte goes Man. But the very fact
that he was willing to stand with Paul Robson and
w B the Boys during.

Speaker 19 (01:40:27):
The Cold War says it all right there.

Speaker 5 (01:40:30):
That means he's not a chump, he's not a coward,
he's not a conformist, he's not complacent. He's standing up
for the truth. And that's what we love about him.
We don't have enough folks, we don't have enough black folks,
black artists.

Speaker 8 (01:40:42):
Stand up for the people, stand up for the truth.
That's what we need. That's why we love you, brother. Also,
that continue them.

Speaker 7 (01:40:49):
You talking about Paul Roason, you talk about doctor King,
talk about the fight against aparthid. That's right, standing with
Miry McKee, was standing with Anina Samarive, but also Nelson
Mandel Love. I mean, I mean you talk about Look,
I keep telling minded people we are the world originated
with hair of Belafonte.

Speaker 19 (01:41:07):
That's true, that's true.

Speaker 8 (01:41:09):
And that's what Quincy though ray Yeah, was with Quince Jones.

Speaker 3 (01:41:12):
It was it was it was Harry. Harry called the manager.

Speaker 7 (01:41:15):
Of Liona Richie and Uh and uh and Kenny Rogers.
Instead of do a benefit concert, they said, hey, how
about we do this.

Speaker 11 (01:41:22):
Song that's so the we are the world.

Speaker 7 (01:41:24):
Everybody credits Michael Jackson and Load Richie for writing the song,
but the idea richinae with hair Belafanta.

Speaker 8 (01:41:30):
See, this is why we love this. He's always unveiling
things we know not of and we not right my brother?

Speaker 19 (01:41:38):
Isn't that right?

Speaker 2 (01:41:38):
My brother?

Speaker 7 (01:42:27):
That is the shout of the portrait of Harry Belafonte
in our Black Start Network studios. It will remain with
that black drape until he is funeralized. Ten years ago
in February at Los Angeles, Sidney Poitier, the longtime friend

(01:42:48):
and confidence of Harry Belafonte, presented him with his NAACP
Spingarn medal at the Image Awards. I was there and
it was an absolute treat for the crowd to see
these two icons on stage together doing what they do.

Speaker 3 (01:43:06):
This is Curtis of the NAACP.

Speaker 35 (01:43:09):
Wasn't in the script with us tonight?

Speaker 12 (01:43:11):
Are two legendary actors who change the landscape of cinema culture.
They put their careers on the line by challenging the
studios and indeed America on the demeaning way of which
people of color were perceived. Throughout their careers, they have
distinguished themselves as actors and most courageously as activists, Ladies.

Speaker 31 (01:43:34):
And gentlemen, Mister Harry Belafonte and mister Sidney Portier.

Speaker 10 (01:44:00):
Mm hm hmm.

Speaker 19 (01:44:28):
What are you supposed to be doing?

Speaker 36 (01:44:33):
Okay, we are suppose to honor the Black Students Stuntman Association.

Speaker 3 (01:44:52):
Stuntman?

Speaker 37 (01:44:56):
Can we join?

Speaker 22 (01:44:57):
Can I have be a stuntman?

Speaker 19 (01:44:58):
And I way uh not stunt men, Sydney.

Speaker 16 (01:45:05):
Just the fact that we are standing.

Speaker 3 (01:45:07):
Here is the gal stuck?

Speaker 36 (01:45:20):
Well, you better start while we are still upright.

Speaker 19 (01:45:30):
I always listened to my elders.

Speaker 36 (01:45:36):
That wasn't in the script?

Speaker 4 (01:45:40):
What script?

Speaker 37 (01:45:44):
Many years ago, Sydney and I experienced firsthand a cultural
insensitivity that was prevalent in Hollywood against our community and
other communities of color.

Speaker 17 (01:45:56):
All right, y'all?

Speaker 7 (01:45:57):
That was uh now, that was in twenty thirteen, when
again they I think actually was twenty twelve when they
presented the award to the Stuntman and you got to
see a little of their banter there. It was always
great to see those two. A little bit later, I'll

(01:46:18):
show you by photos with the two of them.

Speaker 19 (01:46:22):
After that.

Speaker 7 (01:46:24):
Yesterday, we of course played for you Spike Lee talking
about giving us these thoughts and reflections on hair of
Belafonte and Wendell Pierce of New Orleans, the star of
the Broadway production Death of a Salesman. He shared with
us a video where he wanted to share his thoughts
about the great hair of Belafonte. Folks, let's go ahead

(01:46:46):
and play Wendell Pierce.

Speaker 38 (01:46:48):
Right now what it means to be an artist, the
true meaning of being an artist. We give a voice
to the voiceless. We bring together the community so we
collectively can think about who we are, where we've been,
where we hope to be, decide what our values are,

(01:47:08):
and then leave and go out and act on them.
He was a man of action, a man of great courage,
because he fought injustices that he knew jeopardized not only
his career and treasury, but indeed his life. I'm reminded
of the fact that he flew to Philadelphia, Mississippi with

(01:47:34):
cash in hand for those who were working to registered
voters at Mississippi, and it was there that he came
in the middle of the night and the students of
Snick saved him just in the nick of time before
the klansmen that were in search of him arrived at

(01:47:58):
the airport, the Regional Airport. I am reminded of the
work he did with doctor Martin Luther King in the
March on Washington, bringing awareness to the fight of civil rights.
He exercised his right of self determination and taught others

(01:48:18):
how to do that as well. He knew that it
wasn't something that was trivial, that it was something of
great importance, and that those who do not have our
best interests at heart will not give up power willingly,
indeed would actually kill for it, as many gave their

(01:48:42):
lives during the Civil rights movement. And he knew as
an artist that he had a platform, as a star,
he had a platform to spread that message and that
advocacy to the world. And he taught a great lesson
to those of who he is now passing the baton
to that you have a responsibility to act not only

(01:49:09):
as an artist, but also as an activist. That is
a great tradition that he and Sidney Poitier and Paul
Robes and many others have taught us. Is the legacy
of the Negro Ensemble. Company and the Free Southern Theater
of New Orleans that went around with the civil rights

(01:49:29):
movement that rallied the people, because while laws can change
people's behavior, is is art and the performer and the
artists that can change people's hearts and minds. So hand
in hand with the political advocacy and strategizing that the
SELC and the civil rights movement and those who were

(01:49:51):
fighting the civil rights battles along with them, it was
the artist like Harry Belafonte that gave their time, their energy,
their advocacy, their money, and risk their lives so that
we all can exercise our right of self determination. Harabella
Fonte taught us and reminds us that there's blood on

(01:50:14):
that ballad box, that people died so that we could
have the freedoms that are rightfully ours. And I feel
that now that he has joined the ancestors, we owe
it to him and it is our duty to follow
in his footsteps and do the same. He gave voice

(01:50:34):
to the voiceless and gave music to the unsung heart
songs that the common black man and woman feels but
never utters. He gave voice to that song and owe

(01:50:55):
it a beautiful song. He sang, may he rest in peace, folks.

Speaker 31 (01:51:03):
UH.

Speaker 7 (01:51:04):
That was Wendell Pierce again, the star of the Broadway
hit Death of a Salesman. Yesterday, I played for you
the video from two thousand and seventeen at a National
Action Network conference UH, where har Belafonte talked about ending
or brokering this piece, if you will, between him UH

(01:51:26):
and the King children after he was invited and then
disinvited to speak at UH the funeral of their mother
in two thousand and six. In two thousand eighteen, we
did a series of interviews UH in advance of MK fifty,
which focused on the fiftythn version of assassination of Reverend
Doctor Martin Luther King Junior. One of those interviews was

(01:51:48):
was with Martin Luther King the third where we talked about.

Speaker 3 (01:51:54):
That reach in that relationship. This is what he said
about hair Belafonte. There was so much.

Speaker 7 (01:52:03):
Drama, anger, confusion after your mother's funeral revolving around hair Belafante.
I interviewed you, the Chicago Defender at the time, about
that as well, and there were a lot of hurt
feelings for a long time. But we were in at
Sharpton's conference last year in twenty seventeen and Harrot Bellafonte

(01:52:30):
was being honored.

Speaker 3 (01:52:33):
And he publicly forgave you and the family. Had y'all
previously talked about that or was that? Did that catch
you by surprise?

Speaker 7 (01:52:46):
And what were you feeling when you heard him say
how it was important that that be done.

Speaker 19 (01:52:54):
I was.

Speaker 31 (01:52:55):
I don't want to say I was totally surprised. We
had not spoken period recently. But I've always had incredible
respect and love for him because I know what he
went through. I know that he brought entertainers and other
celebrities to the table in nineteen well throughout the movement.

Speaker 3 (01:53:16):
I mean, he and Daddy were close friends, so I
knew all that.

Speaker 31 (01:53:22):
I always expect, and he always personified the best from
his perspective, which is generally truth in my judgment, truth
to power. That's you know, you may not agree with him,
but he's telling the truth. And I've always respected and
admired that in him, and so I've always loved him,
even though the conflict had occurred doing Mom's funeral. So

(01:53:46):
to hear him say what he said, I called him
the next day and.

Speaker 11 (01:53:53):
We had a brother.

Speaker 31 (01:53:56):
It was a short conversation, but I was basically telling
him how much I appreciated him and loved him and
what he continues to do at eighty plus eighty five
or six plus. I mean, he's amazing and that's the
way I see him. And you know, I was sad
that we went through what we went through, but you know,

(01:54:17):
I think we're on the right track. I had had
a meeting with him about five years ago and he
talked about addressing it. Then he said, look, I'm I
don't know how long I'm going to be here. I
don't want these issues to harbor. I don't want I
say I grew up a little bit with his son
David and his daughter Gina, his younger children. I knew
Sherry and Adrian. I knew them the older ones, but

(01:54:37):
I knew David because David and I are the same age,
and I haven't we haven't really talked a long time.
I'll see gena periodically. But I just thought that was
so powerful what he did, because only he could do that.
You know, I was just there to present the award,
and you know what it showed was reinforced was the

(01:54:59):
level of respect and love that he had from Martin
Luther King Junior and that generally gets passed on to
the family, and he certainly had that. He did that
never got lost, but somehow there was some disconnection at
a at a certain point. And my hope is that
we're back connected together. In fact, I'm going to be

(01:55:21):
going to New York soon and I'm going to reach
out to him for lunch, to have lunch.

Speaker 7 (01:55:28):
All right, folks, going to a break, we come back.
Arabella Fonte talks to execute America with his call to action,
talks about history. Also when he was named and honor
to remember a five beta sigma, he also had a
challenge for the Sigmas.

Speaker 3 (01:55:45):
We'll have that for you next right here, Roland.

Speaker 7 (01:55:48):
Martin unfiltered, So continue our day two tribute to the
great Hair Belafonte, who passed away yesterday at the age
of ninety six.

Speaker 3 (01:55:56):
You're watching the Blackstar Network.

Speaker 27 (01:56:41):
On the next Get Wealthy with Me, Deborah Owens, America's
wealth coach.

Speaker 3 (01:56:46):
Dexter Jenkins is a faith based.

Speaker 25 (01:56:48):
Financial mentor with more than twenty years in the financial
services industry. He's passionate about helping families build generational wealth.

Speaker 39 (01:57:00):
Even though I'm talking about things like prayer, I'm talking
about things about being the word.

Speaker 11 (01:57:03):
I'm talking about things like fellowship.

Speaker 39 (01:57:06):
I'm talking to members who are dealing with losing their houses,
or I'm talking to members who, because of a lack
of the handle their finances and they're working two or
three jobs, and so what I'm finding is that they're
not coming to church because they don't have a handle
on their finances.

Speaker 32 (01:57:21):
We're talking how to get wealthy through faith and our
finances on the next Get Wealthy right here, only on
black Star Network.

Speaker 33 (01:57:35):
Hi am Dostor Jackie hed Martin, and I have a
question for you. Ever feel as if your life is
teetering and the weight and pressure the world is consistently
on your shoulders. Let me tell you, living a balance
life isn't easy. Join me each Tuesday on Blackstar Network
for a Balance Life for Doctor Jackie. We'll laugh together,
cry together, pull ourselves together, and cheer each other on.

(01:57:56):
So join me for new shows each Tuesday on Blackstart
A Balanced Life. Was doctor Jackie.

Speaker 17 (01:58:09):
First time you met her?

Speaker 40 (01:58:10):
Billa Haunted? I was just telling the story. I had
to dream about him, really, and I've seen a movie.
I think the film is called Odds Against Tomorrow. I
fell asleep and then the next day, he walked out
of the elevator at the Rebox Sports Club and I said,
I just dreamt about you last night.

Speaker 19 (01:58:29):
You al what's dream about me?

Speaker 11 (01:58:30):
For?

Speaker 40 (01:58:31):
He told me the story about he had his first
deal at the studio, you know, gave me a bunch
of his his achievements and kind of schooled me there.
And then we just stay connected. And Gina and I
have been friends a long time, so we've had the
opportunity to have like very special lunches and conversations.

Speaker 19 (01:58:52):
That mean a lot.

Speaker 7 (01:58:55):
A lot of people are getting They focused on the activism,
but they forget he was a very prominent actor.

Speaker 40 (01:59:02):
He was very much He was the first artist to
sell a million records Black artists. Yeah, yeah, I mean,
you know, he had he was the first dude to
have his own deal like Variety show on television.

Speaker 7 (01:59:14):
So and he also understood ownership because one of things
that he's seeing is he did not want to get
caught financially like Paul robson us, right.

Speaker 8 (01:59:20):
He said, he wanted to make sure that he was
he was he was, that was taken care of, right, right, So.

Speaker 7 (01:59:26):
Talk about not only just that, but being able to
sit with him and listen to him, because every time
I am, you're sitting you're sort of like my interview
Barbara interviewed Barbara Jordan with Thurga Marshall died and she
said it was always made just the city just to
listen to him. That's sort of how I look at.

Speaker 19 (01:59:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 40 (01:59:47):
I mean, I've recorded those lunches, you know what I mean.
It's been that important to me that I want to
make sure that I have this memory. And I wish
we could have done him weekly. I haven't seen him
in a couple of years. Was that, but no, it's
it's I mean, you know man, I mean when you
see our elders when they were in black and white,

(02:00:08):
and then literally in black and white, right, that's how
we first saw them, and then you get to see
them in color, it really feels like living history and
honor bro and and it makes you feel that you
have your responsibility to be your part to keep that going.

Speaker 19 (02:00:21):
And so that's what we're doing every day, all day, folks.

Speaker 7 (02:01:12):
Ex Q America the education initiative founded by Loreen Powell,
Jobs Russell and Ali. They had a huge event in
twenty nineteen. We've worked with them.

Speaker 3 (02:01:23):
They partnered with us here at Roland Martin Unfiltered.

Speaker 7 (02:01:28):
And it was a great event that was in New
York City, and there was a moment when everyone went
quiet and a video came from har Belafonte that again
was mesmerizing. They talked about withdrawing from public life, but

(02:01:48):
also still challenging folks on their commitment to service.

Speaker 3 (02:01:53):
Watch this.

Speaker 4 (02:01:55):
I am very sorry that I'm not able to be
with you in person. As a matter of fact, maybe
my last hurrah, but I want to welcome all of
you here to tell you that I think everything I've
done with my life, all that I've tried to do
with the many people I've encountered, from poor Robes into

(02:02:16):
doctor King to Nelson Mandela, I know this. I've walked
my journey, and I don't think that there's much more
left for me to say. If you have to catch
me on the street at the camera, or you have

(02:02:37):
to catch me in some public place, then I'm going
to be sure I don't.

Speaker 22 (02:02:44):
Do anything that will embarrass anyone.

Speaker 19 (02:02:47):
But I do think that.

Speaker 4 (02:02:51):
I've made the last walk. I think I've done my turn,
and I just want to get out here and observe
the unites, the universe that I am leaving behind with

(02:03:12):
a sense of satisfaction that.

Speaker 22 (02:03:17):
I've done all I could do and wanted to do
and was able to do.

Speaker 19 (02:03:23):
And now it's time for.

Speaker 4 (02:03:28):
Those who have inherited the history of the Civil rights movement,
the history of the struggle. Is now your turn to
get out there and bring a rewarding closure to this
endless struggle for equality in this place that calls America

(02:03:52):
the Land of the Free. I've often reflected on that statement,
the land of the free, free to do what, free
to be what, free to say what. It's not been
that free for many of us, but before this is

(02:04:14):
all over, it will be. And a lot of that
is dependent on where you take it.

Speaker 32 (02:04:24):
Is the bar country and one of the greatest artists
of the world here is Harry got Fight.

Speaker 4 (02:04:36):
One day Paulson, who came there to CV and simply said,
get them to sing your song and they'll want.

Speaker 19 (02:04:44):
To know who you are.

Speaker 4 (02:04:51):
You'd see Harry Belafonte on TV, and you can call
your neighbor colored on TV and let him know because
we're so rare.

Speaker 11 (02:05:00):
When Harry Belafani went on the show with Patula Clark, they.

Speaker 23 (02:05:04):
Touched flipped the whole world people like, oh my god, I'm.

Speaker 41 (02:05:11):
An artist and I'm not a politician, but like most Americans,
I have a great interest in the political and the
economic destiny of my country.

Speaker 4 (02:05:20):
All my life, the issues of race has been a
major part of my thinking. My activism was rooted in
the experiences that I had during the Second World War.

Speaker 41 (02:05:33):
I felt very strongly that we would have the right
to be part of a level playing field.

Speaker 15 (02:05:37):
But at the end of the war, we're still being lynched,
We're still being harassed and murdered, and so we belong
to everything we could belong to to overthrow this relentless
cruelty of racist depression.

Speaker 4 (02:05:49):
And in doing that House on American Activities Committee called
us on patriotic.

Speaker 35 (02:05:53):
Quarantine is necessary to keep it from infecting this nation.

Speaker 19 (02:05:57):
Read.

Speaker 16 (02:06:00):
Doctor King called me and he said, I would like
very much to have a chat with you.

Speaker 19 (02:06:06):
It won't take long.

Speaker 16 (02:06:07):
At the end of almost four hours, we emerged from
the room, and I knew then that I would forever
be in his service, and I understood the length of
our journey and how perilous it would be.

Speaker 31 (02:06:20):
And I think param motivated Martin in many ways, because
here's a man who didn't have to get involved, and
who did.

Speaker 2 (02:06:30):
Out of that came the true artistry and Eric at
the front table.

Speaker 17 (02:06:36):
It's a great guy, and there are millions all the way.

Speaker 19 (02:06:40):
Care do you care for your life? Arendy keep us
of truth?

Speaker 16 (02:06:47):
We are civilizations that the voice.

Speaker 19 (02:06:52):
There's a lot of people out here who.

Speaker 11 (02:06:54):
Are really pissed off.

Speaker 33 (02:06:55):
Harry gave us a piece of his wife.

Speaker 23 (02:06:58):
It gave us all.

Speaker 42 (02:06:59):
Strength, angry, wor upset and look along for some comfort.

Speaker 3 (02:07:03):
Now we don't find.

Speaker 43 (02:07:04):
Any river of blood that washes the streets of our
nation flows mostly from the bodies of our black children.

Speaker 19 (02:07:14):
He's always less do something. Harry did this over and
over and over and over and over again.

Speaker 23 (02:07:27):
He took all our struggles and made them his own.

Speaker 43 (02:07:34):
Anybody had told me that after doctor King's murder, after
the murder of Bobby Kennedy, had all the upheavals of
the nineteen fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties, that today now he
would still be at the gate around issues of race
and vote.

Speaker 19 (02:07:51):
I wouldn't believe it.

Speaker 16 (02:07:54):
When I speak about.

Speaker 4 (02:07:57):
Young people finding answers to the challenges of the day,
it's not really that the civil rights movement ever ended.
It took a deep breadth for a moment. Young people
I meet today are a continuum that history.

Speaker 19 (02:08:20):
I'm here because I am bought of your history.

Speaker 44 (02:08:26):
You call, and I'm here to tell you those of
us who have been on this campaign, who have been
in this struggle over a century, are delighted, happily to
be part.

Speaker 16 (02:08:41):
Of this moment.

Speaker 4 (02:08:43):
Final analysis, Each generation must be responsible for itself.

Speaker 19 (02:08:49):
So all I can do is to.

Speaker 41 (02:08:50):
Leave behind the crumbs of my experience. I have a
trail that you can follow. If you find value in it,
pick it up. And if you don't pay you something better.

Speaker 3 (02:09:12):
Folks.

Speaker 7 (02:09:14):
We interviewed so many different people, and we were calling
those interviews, and here is Reverend ct Vivian talking about
the contributions of Harry Belafonte, har Belt.

Speaker 22 (02:09:25):
Harry Belafonte.

Speaker 42 (02:09:26):
Harry, Harry has always been a support and a help
for for for not only the movement, but for other
things as well. Right and uh, and I've liked him
ever since, ever since I knew anything about him.

Speaker 2 (02:09:46):
Really, Uh.

Speaker 22 (02:09:49):
Is that h and I got a picture on her,
but I know it's uh uh. And the thing is
is that, uh, so I know he's.

Speaker 42 (02:10:02):
Always going to help out any time it does, and
he was a real support service to Martin.

Speaker 11 (02:10:12):
All Right, folks.

Speaker 7 (02:10:14):
Zanona Clayton, who was the second table dot the King
which had with Greta Scott King, she also shared a
moment when doctor King had been assassinated and Harry Belafonte
came to her rescue.

Speaker 45 (02:10:27):
When they were there in the mortuary, we went over
to view and I was you know, Harry Belafonte and
his wife and I were the only non family members
of everybody else. It's a large family, and I saw
them when when they came in, I stepped aside and
Coreta came down and she had a faint, a faint response,

(02:10:52):
like she was going to collapse.

Speaker 23 (02:10:55):
When I walked up to the beer, he looked awful.

Speaker 45 (02:11:01):
It looked as if someone had gone and just dug
up a big glob of clay and slapped it upside
his face. I was horrified, so I stepped over quietly
to the mortician and said, sir, he said, anything you
can do to the side of his face. He crashly said, Miss,

(02:11:27):
his jaw was blown off. That's the best I could do.
I was shocked loudly in the loudless credited part I
could hear. Oh, I was so so angry with him,
and now I finally said forget him, and I said
something has to be done because he looked horrible. I mean,
this big old glob of stuff. And so Coretta down there,

(02:11:51):
sitting down, and I looked at Mama King. That's the
mother whose dark skinned. And then I saw bellafont Day's wife,
who was white, and I, uh, back in those years,
women always carried loose powder, and I was hoping that's
that they had some.

Speaker 23 (02:12:08):
And I said, Mamma, can you get any powder? She said, oh, yeah.
She gave me her powder, which was dark. Julie, do
you have some? And she said yes, hers was white.

Speaker 45 (02:12:18):
So I took the two and stood over the casket,
looking at Martin's face and making myself a little row
of a mixture. Bellefonte came over, took his handkerchief and
put it around Martin's neck, and so I'm dabbing to
see what I've got here, trying to match the other

(02:12:40):
side of his face to get a balance to it.

Speaker 23 (02:12:44):
And I finally got it and caught a smile.

Speaker 45 (02:12:48):
And so I'm brushing the excess off of Martin's face
and Bellefonte, and I never knew what happened to the handkerchief.
It was his handkerchief he had taken out of his
pocket and the excess, you know, we folded it up.
But he was to stay there till midnight, and they
were moving them to the church for another viewing at

(02:13:12):
three am.

Speaker 23 (02:13:13):
And so I did it again.

Speaker 45 (02:13:15):
Because the body oxidizes with air, and I went and
did it again. So I did it three times before
the actual funeral.

Speaker 7 (02:13:28):
Folks going to a break when we come back, final segment,
as we on reflect on the great Hair Belafonte.

Speaker 3 (02:13:35):
You're watching Roland Martin unfiltered on the Blackstard Network.

Speaker 6 (02:14:25):
Next on the Black Table with me Greg called we
look at the history of emancipation around the world, including
right here in the United States, the so called end
of slavery. Trust me, it's a history lesson that bears
no resemblance to what.

Speaker 2 (02:14:39):
You learned in school.

Speaker 6 (02:14:40):
Professor Chris Munjopra, authored Scholar Amazing Teacher, joins us to
talk about his latest book, Black Ghost of Empire, The
Death of Slavery and the Failure of Emancipation. He explains
why the end of slavery was no end at all,
but instead a collection of law

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