MLK’s Legacy Lives / Louisiana Live Performance Credits Face Extinction

Hy and Christopher are joined by the Rev. Byron Clay for the first segment. The famed civil rights leader and former head of the national Southern Christian Leadership Conference will be the keynote speaker for the MLK festivities and march in St. John Parish. He speaks about the need for love as an antidote to our broken politics, and emphasizes that the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King remain as relevant today as they ever were. He speaks about his relationship with the King family, and the importance of the holiday. The rally is at 9:00 AM on the MLK Holiday at the Percy Hebert Bldg., 1801 W. Airline Hwy., LaPlace.

In the second segment, Hy and Christopher urge our listeners to “ Save the Louisiana Live Performance Tax Credits”. Due to expire in 2025, they constitute almost quarter of the operating revenue of the New Orleans Opera, the LPO, and several other local artistic institutions.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, one of the few serendipities was a cavalcade of new economic development ideas.  Few came to fruition, but one, co-originated by Roger Wilson and Christopher Tidmore passed through the legislature through the tireless efforts of Bill Hines and the late David Voelker.  It extended the movie tax credits to live, legitimate theatre.  The idea was to create a live performance nexus in New Orleans and throughout the state in theater and live music, featuring our homegrown talent. Since the tax credit only began with productions of over $100,000 in revenue, it sought to create a large performance market where one effectively barely existed, and 50% of the credits were reserved for nonprofits, so that most of the money stayed at home— a protection that never existed in the creation of the film credits.

By midsummer 2025, these live performance credits are scheduled to expire, and without a major legislative initiative to renew them, the financial damage to storied institutions like the New Orleans Opera and the Louisiana Philharmonic could be catastrophic.

These tax credits are designed to encourage large productions which hire a lot of people, especially “below the line” personnel such as carpenters, electricians, set designers, and others involved in building major staged performances. These are well-paid skilled laborers, mostly in union jobs,   In total cost, the program amounts to only $10 million, a proverbial drop in the bucket of the $35 billion state budget, and each maximum tax credit is limited to $1 million maximum per production, so that one entity cannot claim it all.

The benefits to nonprofit performing arts organizations have been critical in their continued survival. The live performance credits constitute, for example, almost 25% of the revenue of the New Orleans Opera— and they are constructed to support Louisiana jobs and Louisiana-built productions.  For certified Louisiana expenditures, the state offers a 7 percent Tax Credit
between $100,000 and $300,000.  The credit jumps to 14 percent between $300,000 and $1,000,000 and to 18% for certified Louisiana expenditures over $1,000,000.  Not-for-profit organizations are issued credits in the form of a "refund of overpayment" by the Louisiana Department of Revenue.

More importantly, the credits support local jobs.  An additional 7 percent Tax Credit goes to payroll expenditures for Louisiana residents, with even greater incentives for the hiring of students at schools and universities.  The public’s (often mistaken) impression is the performing arts Institutions only employ singers, actors, or musicians, yet these incentives have allowed the Opera’s H. Lloyd Hawkins Scenic Studio to hire more than a half a dozen young people each year and train them in skills they vary from electrical repair to carpentry to technical skills.  The tax credit support a permanent set building staff of 20, who pack up and reconstruct sets for theatrical productions in 35 states and three Can

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Bie holes, the politicians addressed, the digitators and magicians. Who's
to see the money? Then you don't, there's nothing to
fill the holes while then are filling their pockets pied holes,
the politicians bouncing down the road. Every body's wition to

(00:24):
no moment, corruption and dysfunction's gonna take divide.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Is of vention and God bless all out there. You
are now listening to the founders. So the voice of
the founding fathers, You're Founding fathers coming to you deep
within the bowels of those mystic and cryptic alligator swamps
of the Big Easy, that old Crescent City, New Orleans, Louisiana,

(00:50):
and high up on top of that old Liberty Cypress
tree way out on the Eagles Branch. This is none
other than your Spngary Babba of the Republic, Chaplain High
May Henry.

Speaker 3 (01:00):
With Christopher Tidmore, your roving reporter, resident radical moderate and
associate editor of the Louisiana Weekly newspaper at louisianaweekly dot net.
And my years at the Louisiana Weekly have allowed me
I've been there for twenty seven years, to really chronicle
the progress and continue challenges we have in the civil
rights movement and trying to find a more equal nation.

(01:22):
And the one thing I can consistently say is that
it's men of God who have led the course on
equal rights. And you know, I'm privileged every week to
be with one of the great men of God that
I respect deeply. Hi mccenry. But a man I respect
as much as High and I won't say more, but
I will say as much is the man who's joining
us via phone link right now. The Reverend Byron Clay

(01:45):
has been a frequent guest on this program, a frequent
guest not just with me, but with High and his
friend Vincent Bruno for many years. He's the former national
head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He's a prominent
minister here in Louisiana. He's been one of the leaders
of the civil rights movement here in Louisiana going back decades.
He's pretty much known everyone who is here, and Reverend
Clay is We're about a week out from the Martin

(02:08):
Luther King Holiday, so we're actually doing this probably a
week early. But I wanted to have you on because
you will be the keynote speaker in this state for
the Martin Luther King Holiday, and give us some perspective,
because after all, it was the Southern Christian Leadership Conference
that was actually founded here in New Orleans by many
of your benefactors before it was announced in Atlanta and

(02:31):
Montgomery later that summer. The civil rights movement as we
know it in its modern form actually started in the
metro New Orleans area, actually started up on Third Street
in Central City. Welcome to the program, and Happy Martin
Luther King Day a week early.

Speaker 4 (02:46):
Well, thank you, sir, and God bless you, and thank
you for having me on today.

Speaker 1 (02:52):
Glad to have you.

Speaker 2 (02:53):
Reverend Chaplin, Hi mcnry, and I've been involved with the
whole civil say for years. Did you know, uh a
guy named T. J. Smith, Reverend T J. Smith?

Speaker 4 (03:04):
Oh? Absolutely, it was a def friend of my father,
a dear friend of mine.

Speaker 2 (03:07):
He's very good friend of mine. We did a lot
of things together, and of course Avery Alexander, I used
to preach in every Alexander's church and uh so I've
have you know, I've had years of experience with the
whole the whole movement. It's a great work y'all have
done over the years.

Speaker 4 (03:23):
And Reverend and let me just say right quickly. And
not only was doctor Jamison a great friend of my
dad and our family, and so was Abriel Alexander, but
I also worked as a leson for Abriel Alexander when
he served in the House.

Speaker 5 (03:43):
Ult yes, I remember when you led this procession when
he passed away, and I was actually I was in
my first year radio and I covered it at that
point and.

Speaker 3 (03:55):
It was kind of a moment. So asking Reverend Clay,
you've you're you're an interesting as well as a compelling figure,
not just for the civil rights things, but you have friends.
You're one of those rare figures who have friends on
both sides of the aisle. You've supported Republicans and Democrats politically,
you've remained a stalwart of the civil rights movement here
in Louisiana. And it's kind of one of those interesting

(04:16):
things you were asked, and you have been asked to
give one of the keynote addresses on the Martin Luther
King Holiday of where we are with the civil rights
here in Louisiana and across the country. So I'm going
to ask the question, basically to kick us off, where
are we? What is the status of this fight? For
more equal andjustination.

Speaker 4 (04:35):
Well, yes, let me say that you know equality it
is not a systematic movement of all people who are
poor to all people who are rich. But it is
an emphatic movement of all things that are wone for
all things that are light. And so we have our

(04:58):
challenges to Dayton, and I think that we can we
can build a future upon the ideal, the principles and
ideas that doctor King had advocated. May I say that
he was not just some iconic civil rights leader, as

(05:19):
many people describe him to beaten, but he was an
ardent advocate for love and peace, for justice and equality,
for the brotherhood of man, and unviolent. Doctor King, in
my opinion, was a brilliant revolutionary thinker. So it gives

(05:41):
us now an opportunity to re examine his life so
that we can recapture and recommit ourselves though those noble
ideas that he preached across the nation and across the world.

Speaker 3 (05:58):
He was, ultimately and we come across a man of
God who creats the peace of Jesus Christ, as you
have often and High has often pointed out, and in
one of the things I think it's a particularly poignant
moment to remind yourselves of that because of the tragedy
that happened on New Year's Day morning in the French Quarter,
where you know, violence was visited upon people in the

(06:22):
terms of you know, lunatic extremism. And at the same time,
when you really go to the base message of what
has been successful in this world, it's a question of
peace and love, not you know, violence and hate.

Speaker 2 (06:39):
Yes, right, you know. That was one of the great
things why Martin Luther King was says, focus on a
peaceful movement, you know, a non violent movement, and he
was true to it. He was very, very good. He
was very faithful about that and truly one of the
great Americans. I quote him on the radio show to

(07:01):
show his biblical message to America.

Speaker 4 (07:04):
He had.

Speaker 2 (07:04):
He had quite a message for us from the war
to God. And of course he's a preacher. You should saidn't.

Speaker 3 (07:10):
He in Reverend Clay, I want to because I want
to talk about what your speech will be and where
it's going to be on the Martin Luther King Holliday.
It's what we're doing a week early, so if people
can come and attend, but I want to if we
can go a little Bittigarrier, your family, your father hosted
Doctor King, Ralph David Abernathy. They were involved from the
very beginning with the civil rights moment. You've known these

(07:30):
You knew these men as a young as a young boy,
as a young man, and you carried the torch with
them and their descendants all the way through. The last
time I had you on the air, you brought me, uh,
doctor King's nephew actually, and the two of you were
on here. And so I guess what I'm asking it
is is more than any other person that I have
ever met in my entire life. You have been on

(07:51):
the front lines from childhood of the civil rights struggle,
and you've continued essentially advocating these positions. You're the same
man I met thirty years ago. You know, you've changed
no way. And I mean that is the highest compliment
as I possibly can give. And so I guess where
are we? What is the status as we look back
on you know, the Civil Rights Act nineteen sixty four,

(08:14):
we look back basically at you know, sixty years of
this of it. Where are we sixty some odd years
later now?

Speaker 4 (08:23):
Yes, And as in doctor King's day before he departed, deserved.
He declared that we found ourselves at a crossroad, and
once again we are at We're at a crossroad at
this juncture in our nation. Now, let me begin by

(08:46):
saying to you that, first of all, our nation is
marready bankrupt. And really, when you look at it closely
from a nun naturalide, meaning from a spiritual eye, you
can see that this world is on its way down.

(09:06):
The educational system, the economic system, the political system, the
social systems all on his way down. And America is
in a revolution against itself. Yeah, when we look at
our nation, leaders in Washington, DC is almost like an
insane institution run by his own inmates. The Republicans and

(09:30):
the Democrats can't agree on anything, anything that will benefit
the goodwill of this nation and of its citizenry. Right,
we are at a crossroad, So let's be clear about that.
And I would not be careful to say to you

(09:52):
that maybe not only in this nation, but the world
right now, with all of the conflicts, the tension, the divisticness,
the walls, the weather walls, is really under a judge,
under the judgment of God. When you look at the
unpredictability of the weather, or when you consider the COVID

(10:14):
nineteen that snatch away of million lives. When you look
at the drugs and violent epidemic which beset to our
nation and our world, and epidemic proportion destroying the very
fabric of our family institution and in our communities. When

(10:36):
you when you look at birds just falling out of
the air, of fishes just floating on the water, it
is a sign that judgment informing my intelligence, and that
that the judgment of God is looming over our mation
in our world. That's why you have so much divisticness.

Speaker 3 (11:00):
Reverend Barban Clay is joining us, by the way, folks.
He's one of the great civil rights leaders, former head
of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference nationally here based. He's
got a church in Kenner, and he's one of the
he's going to be making the keynote address for the
Martin Luther King Holiday here in the state. What I
find interesting about what you say, amongst many things, is
arguably you and High are on different sides of the

(11:20):
political spectrum, not not completely, but you know you are
kind of And yet when I hear I talk about
where we are in America and where I hear you
talking about America. I hear the exact same words coming
from the standpoint of men of God, that we're we're
at a crossroads. We're at a point of judgment where
at a point of social to.

Speaker 2 (11:39):
Collapse, become a Marley bankrupt country.

Speaker 3 (11:42):
That's exactly what Rover Clay just said, and it's.

Speaker 2 (11:45):
One of the signs of the end, and there will
be a judgment. Well, so here's how we can turn it.
We can have revival that I pray for that on
a regular basis, and I'm sure a good man here
is also praying.

Speaker 3 (11:58):
I guess that's what I'm I'm asking both of you,
but I'm asking Reverend Clay first, and this is you're
both men of God. You're both influential. Even though you're
on both sides of the political spectrum, you fundamentally or
agree of where America is, the theology and the need.
And yet I find what we have, we have an

(12:20):
inability for the two sides to talk to one another.
And yet when you get at the root of it,
if I go into an African American church, I go
into a White Evangelical church, you know what I'm hearing.
I'm hearing the same feeling of longing, loss, fear in
the sense of fear of God, and need for revival,

(12:40):
and yet no one seems to talk to one another.
Why is that, Reverend Clay, why can't we wait, can't
we just even have a conversation, say, look, we all
agree that there's a problem. Why can't we may not
agree in the solution, but we can at least sit
down as brothers in Christ or just as brothers as
Americans and say, we got these severe problems, and you know,
we got to have a conversation. We're all we all

(13:03):
agree that there's a problem, so let's at least have
a conversation. Ways that says, why is it so hard
to even make that statement? Because with the statement I
just made, if I made it in Washington, d C.
Right now, I'd be laughed out of the room.

Speaker 4 (13:15):
Absolutely. And one thing I think is that selfishness and
greed and the lust of power, Amen, that is that
is promoted.

Speaker 2 (13:30):
You know, you know, let me, I'm glad you just
said that. If you look at in I think it's
in Isaiah. It tells us why God judged Sodom and Gomore,
and we know it was certainly the homosexuality was bad,
very bad, the sodomy, and that was part of the judgment.
But there's a when God gives the reason, the first

(13:51):
thing he lists is the way they abused the poor.
You never hear that about side. You think it's all
the homosexuality. But the first reason was the way they
abused the poor, which I think is very interesting. And
when you read the Book of James, it's so clear
about what the rich the super rich do to abuse

(14:11):
the poor and take advantage of the poor. Thing. So
you're right. You just were mentioned about the greed. I mean,
this country just out of control with greed and power
less and everything else. And it has nothing to do
with love, nothing, zero. It's just about egomania, self advancement, etc.
Certain and we're destroying ourselves with it. We are just

(14:32):
this country is being destroyed by it.

Speaker 3 (14:33):
Reverend Byron Clay is joining High and Christopher and Reverend
Clay your thoughts.

Speaker 4 (14:37):
Yes, well, you know love is a central element that
binds us all together. Amen, Amen, it was Jesus, It
was us, you know who say that men will know
that you are My disciples by the way you love.

Speaker 2 (14:52):
Is not the truth? Yes, I love that, that's right.

Speaker 4 (14:55):
Oh, how can you say that you love God, who
you have never seen, and you hate those that you
see every day.

Speaker 2 (15:06):
That's in the Book of James.

Speaker 4 (15:07):
The word is now. Listen. If any man says that
he loves God and hated his brother, he's a liar.

Speaker 2 (15:14):
He's a liar. Amen. Amen.

Speaker 4 (15:17):
And in fact, the Good Book in Fred Jones, the
third and fourth chapter, let us know that if a
man hated his brother, he is a murderer. That's right.
We are all perfectly imperfect, but we need to be
able to lay aside our differences, our agendas, and have

(15:41):
some conversation and come off our vacation from the truth.

Speaker 2 (15:47):
Learn how to get along. I want to learn how
we need to learn how to get along. I love
that when they had the Rodney King thing. Remember what
he said. I love what he said, Why just we
can't get along? That was one of the strongest messages
I've ever heard. What let's let's try and start getting along.
You know, to no one really get along.

Speaker 3 (16:05):
So yeah, So Reverend Byron Clay, former head of the
Southern Christian Leadership Conference nationally, UH local ministers joining us,
your begiving, You're this, You're going to give us very
special message. You've been chosen talk a little bit about
it to give one of the keynote addresses for the
state on the Martin Luther King Holiday. And you have
a specific message that you're going to be sharing. Give
us some details about where you're going to be speaking

(16:27):
and all this, but talk about this message of trying
to increase communication, trying to increase brotherhood at a time,
not just in the nation. Here in Louisiana we're pretty divided.
I mean, when you get right down to it, it's
we we are. We have some sharper political or partisan
differences in this state than we've ever seen, and they're

(16:47):
pale in comparison to Washington, d C. To the point where,
let me give it how this was. I heard criticism
on both sides of the aisle. This is a bipartisan criticism.
When after Mike Johnson was re elected as speak you know,
all this partisanship and all this, he goes up to
hikem Jefferies, the minority leader, and pats him on the back,
shakes his hands a congratulations because they actually are personal friends.

(17:10):
And you know what I read, and it was it
was bipartisan. The left and the right went crazy how
dare they have this? How dare how King Jeffers from
the left congratulate Mikejo from the right, how Johnson could
and the fact that they actually happened to be friends
and they may not agree on any issue, but they
could sit down and have a conversation. And that was
and I looked at that. I was like, have we

(17:32):
lost our sense of reality? They're not evil men? They
actually personally like each other. And he made an honest
congratulations and an honest sincere. And that's how bad it's gotten.

Speaker 2 (17:43):
On this radio show. We prove every show how people
who disagree when Christoph and I have button heads, but
we can still get along.

Speaker 3 (17:51):
We can still get along. So I mean, yeah, why
so talk about your message? Talk about first where are
you giving the speech because you're doing on the Martin
Luther King Holiday and can people attendant?

Speaker 4 (18:00):
Yes? Absolutely, and certainly I will be the keynote speaker
for the Doctor King Holiday celebration at the in Saint
John Parish in the in Laplace, Louisiana. And as I understand,
the march in ninety m from from the Oria Stadium

(18:25):
proceeding to the to the Sheriff Building on airline highway.
I don't have that exactly address before me, but it's
on the airline highway. And so I think, with all
that is going on in our world, the walls, the

(18:45):
ratio divide the issues that we find ourselves getting all
entingled in like a web, I think that now is
the time for us to truly come to the table
and sit down. Now, you know, we don't need no
more debates, now, let me be clear, and so, uh,

(19:09):
we don't. We don't need no more committees, and we
don't need no more studies. With the world needs now
is love, and I mean real love. This this this world,
this nation, this state is in dire need of love.
And you know the word tells us. I think it's

(19:30):
in Roman, the twelveth chapter, around the ninth verse, he said, now,
let love be without hypocrisy. There's too much hypocrisy in
the political realm. It's too much hypocrisy in the church life,
just too much about it. He said, So, you know,
let love be without hypocrisy, evil, evil, and to do good.

(19:56):
So we have an opportunity to take action by initiated
to do something good.

Speaker 2 (20:03):
Jesus's great at charge against the religious leaders of his
day he said it over and again, hypocrites. He kept saying,
you are hypocrites. So you're right about that.

Speaker 3 (20:13):
And this is and I think this is an important
message and they and not certainly the only message on
the Martin Luther King Holiday, but one of the critical
ones is to remember that, honestly, fundamentally, we are all
brothers and sisters, we are all Americans. And that does
And one of the things that's been interesting is to

(20:33):
me is I tried to at somebody asked me the question,
why is the partisanship worse than it used to be?
And I said, you know, we've always had partisanship in
this country. My god. Jefferson called Adams, called Jefferson an atheist.
Jefferson called Adams a monarchists. I mean people, you know,
they had all But then I stopped and I said,

(20:55):
for a second, you know, there's a point to it,
because fundamentally, it never became a responsibility on both sides
of the political isle to hate your political opponents. And suddenly,
and this is partially because of cable news. And look,
I'm somebody who has been involved with you know, with

(21:15):
with news on the air, you know, on cable and
radio and television. It's good ratings to hate the other people,
not just to disagree, to hate. And this is a
bipartisan thing. I mean, the left has to hate the right.
The right is the left. And the fact that the
Jerry Spring culture, I think, and it's it's the idea
that we it is impossible. You're almost ostracized if you

(21:39):
have a difference of opinion, if you're not completely on board.
There was a great Atlantic magazine article about this lady
who moved to upstate New York, which from the city.
Now you're thinking, well, it's New York's New York, but
you might as well if you move in from you know,
upstate New York. You know, from the New York City
to upstate New York, you're you're moving from urban to
ultimate urban to ultimate rule. And she says, you know,

(22:01):
it's kind of hard to hate your neighbors even though
they are all quote all Trump bites. When your car
is stuck in the snow and they're coming out to
dig you out, and he said, and vice of versa.
And she's made a point and made a point on
both sides. You know what, people fundamentally aren't that different.
They just have a difference of opinion. And I guess
I'm asking you, Reverend Clay is the guy who's got

(22:21):
to give the speech and remind people of doctor King's idea,
his dream of the little white child and the black
child standing together. How do we we can say we
want love, we can say turn back to God, but
how do we convince people on both sides who are
professing this doctrine in the churches sometimes and yet walk

(22:44):
out of the churches and say, but the other side
is evil. I mean, this is I had I deal
with this. I actually was in a meeting. I'll confess this.
You know, as you know, Reverend Clay, I joke, you
know I worship the quicksand that Donald Trump walks on.
But I was in a meeting at the Louisiana Weekly
and we had a conversation. It was like, you know

(23:04):
all this and this is you know, this is this
guy's evil. And I said to him, I said, you know,
we got to be very careful about using terms like evil. Yes,
you that is a very If you're asking me, do
I disagree with him? Do I think he's bad? You
know as in bad policy, bad, this bad that? Sure?
Do I think fundamentally, the people who I disagree with

(23:26):
are evil. No, they're Americans and their patriots. And I said,
and sometimes I agree with them, believe it or not.
You know what. And I said, and if you if
you say someone's evil, you can never come to any
kind of consensus on anything. I mean, I'm I'm sometimes
I use this example in the conversation. I said, I'm

(23:49):
sometimes skeptical about the immigration policy that's being proposed. But
you know what, I'm like Fetterman, I said, if somebody
is a criminal and they're hurting people, they should be deported.
And because because that was brought up by one side,
the other side said absolutely not. And even some people
were like John Fetterman Pennsylvania and several other Democrats are like, wait,
this is doesn't make any sense. You can actually operate

(24:11):
on both sides. And I'm and I'm And I basically said,
when you're emotionally condemning the fundamental morality of your opponent,
you cannot actually listen to them ever, because once in
a while they may be right, and even if they're
not right, there's still a human being and they're still
your brother. Because we're all Americans, and I love your neighbor.

(24:33):
Love your neighbor, Love your neighbor as yourself.

Speaker 2 (24:35):
And who's the neighbor. Jesus took the worst person the
Jews would ever accept as a neighbor and said, this
your neighbor, the Samarican good Smar, the.

Speaker 3 (24:43):
Good Samaran, the tax collector, which which he went to.

Speaker 2 (24:48):
But also he you know, was very he was amazing.
How many friends, It's amazing how many friends Jesus had
that with the outcast, the most immoral people of Israel. Yeah,
now he didn't encourage their immorality at all. In fact,
they changed, but he embraced them. He accepted them when
they were rejected by the good quote religious crowd of

(25:10):
that day.

Speaker 3 (25:10):
So, Reverend Clay, you're going to be giving the keynote address.
We'll give the information after the break for everyone if
it wants to attend on the Martin Luther King Holiday
in Saint John Parrish. You're leading the march, but if
talking to people and the audience who may agree with you,
who may disagree with you on various political issues, what
one piece of advice would you give to them to
do on the Martin Luther King Holiday that week or

(25:32):
on a regular basis, but one thing to do differently.
We say, love your neighbor in a practical sense, what
can a person do to express that love, to express
that love with something they might disagree with? What can
they do?

Speaker 4 (25:46):
So in a practical sins I will understand and it
should be influence by what I would describe as a
crystal centric principle, and that is bringing us back to
the basic and fundamental teachings of Christ. That all goes
back to love. Now, everybody is not at that level

(26:07):
of understanding. Understand this, gentlemen, is that the Bible tells
us that Satan himself is the daughter of this world.
So he has dalkened the mind and the understanding of men,
and so therefore it becomes a challenge for them to

(26:31):
understand the times and the seasons. You know. And there's
a word in Probruary fifteen and one that tells us
that a genuine kind word would turn away wrath. And
so our worries, our worries, our worries are going to
have to be season with salt and grace. As we dialogue. Yeah,

(26:56):
as we dialogue and as we communicate with one another.
Now that has to be imbued in embody in us.
It's not something that is just a natural response out
of the flesh, not at all, and so therefore it
has to be on the inside of us. The Bible

(27:18):
tells us that God soul loved the world. Let me
be clear, the world, not this world, not this world
God so loved. There's a definite article the world, meaning
that it is telling us about a world that God
told love, that he said his son, this world is corrupt.

(27:42):
This world is anti God, anti Bible, antire righteousness, you know,
entire love, anti people, antire equality. You know, this world.
That's right, This world, you know, and you know I
hate the create a cloud a loom for you and
your listeners, but it ain't gonna get better.

Speaker 2 (28:05):
No, I agree with you.

Speaker 4 (28:06):
But we are the light of the world and we
we we are image bearers, we are kingdom representatives of
His love. And therefore we're going to have to let
His love shine brightly through us. And that means that
we're going to have to weather some criticism. You know. Uh,

(28:29):
there would be those that the enemy. And when I
see the enemy, let me be clear, saving himself will
rise them up to be him under the poles that
which is good because people are threatened by the loss
of their power, right, that's right, Yes, they're threatened by
the loss of their worldly power, their positions.

Speaker 3 (28:52):
You know, yes, I think that's I think that ultimately
hits the point that on the one hand, everyone should
make an effort to reach out to someone they disagree
with and chat with them. And fine, doesn't have to
be about religion. It doesn't mean to be a faith.
They could be find some common ground for somebody whatever. Well,

(29:12):
you know, I'm I'm going to give the me a
culpa here for a second, in the literal sense of
the word mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. When
I started where I was like my third or fourth
year in the radio, Ciner Royo and I started being partners,
and I made a great criticism of the New Orleans
Saints is a waste of money because we spent so
much state money. And he made an observation, it's always

(29:35):
stuck with me, and he said, you know, he said,
you professional football like is one of the remaining few
remaining institutions. The church would be the other where you
could actually sit across from somebody you totally disagree with
and share something in a a in a sense of community.
And he said, you know, we forget in this world

(29:57):
that there are things that aren't political, and there are
people are people. And it always kind of struck with
me that that perspective is so critically important, especially in
this environment of utter partisanship and separation. And it's one
of doctor King's points. He said, you know, we're all
children of God. We're all equal in the eyes of
the Lord. And you know what that means. You treat everyone,

(30:20):
regardless of their color, of their skin of the with
what is their content of their character. And so, Reverend
Byron Clay, we love having you on the air every
time you come on. You're gonna be giving the keynote address.
Any final thoughts about your address that you're going to
be given for the Martin Luther King Holiday right after?
How you had one more question?

Speaker 2 (30:37):
Yeah, just do you know Reverend Pate, Dwight Pate and
his wife Sandra buy any chance out of baton Rouge.

Speaker 4 (30:46):
Well, I know Dwight Pete. I haven't seen him in
many years, and I don't think I ever had the
occasion a meeting his h's wife. She is she knows,
so I need to be on his radio program.

Speaker 2 (30:59):
Oh yeah, she knows the King family very well. I
mean very well, and she's known him for years and
she has remarkable insights to the whole story in Martin
Luther King. But her husband probably one reason why you
haven't seen him. He spends most of his time praying
now and about a year ago they had this extreme
run of bad violence and batteries, and he has a

(31:22):
place where he goes his own prayer room. It's a
little small building that he owns, and he goes into
that room. That building locks the door. It's just like
a you know, five were in a square foot house.
He locks the door and he won't come out, sometimes
for days at a time, praying away. And he did
that for thirty days about a year ago, and during
that thirty day period, not one act of violence. Is

(31:44):
one of the most amazing things I've ever seen.

Speaker 4 (31:48):
Dwight pay Yeah, Dwahighte. Pete's saving it. A man of God, yeah,
and he's a pow. He's always practiced submitting himself in
quietness indipposal.

Speaker 2 (32:02):
Of the law, and he's been up to the White
House several times to lead certain things. You know, National
prayer things or whatever. He's an amazing guy, really amazing man.

Speaker 3 (32:12):
I think you know, Reverend Clay its Reverend Barron Clay
has been joining Hi mckinner and Christopher Timbo here in
the Foundery Show. We're almost out of time, but he's
gonna be giving the keynot address of the Martin Luther
King Holiday. I think there's a basic for Louisiana, for Louisiana,
and it's gonna be in Saint John Parrish. Give you
the details in just a second. But Reverend Clay, this

(32:33):
final thoughts of fellowship? What what will be your key
message that you want people to leave your speech with
when they come to Saint John Parrish and see it
or they hear it on the news or all this
as as a keynote address? What what what will be
the thought you want them to leave with?

Speaker 4 (32:47):
Well, certainly, I'm my pass from God himself is to
help detain people hearts and minds back to God. And
because we failed to do that, if we failed to
come back to God, there would not be any meaningful discussion.

(33:08):
And we can't become you know, all up tight and
uh mean, spirited and hateful with people because they don't
necessarily agree with us. Let us not forget that the
world was is that inmity of God? In fact, in fact,
that there were those his enemies said that he was

(33:28):
a demon and that he operated under the power of
Besiebug and you know so.

Speaker 2 (33:34):
But their souls from heaven forever too, by the way
they committed blast me the whole spirit and that bad move.

Speaker 4 (33:44):
Yeah, So he did not. Yeah, it did not change
his compassion for humanity. In fact, you know, he continued
healing the sy he had, continued raising the day. You know,
he continued given sight to the blind. He did not
shut down. No, I always did, and that was a

(34:07):
greater good. And goodness, Uh does not consist of that
the outward things that we do, but rather the end
the person that we are. And so there's some good
in everybody, and we need to identify and help to
refine that good.

Speaker 3 (34:26):
So therefore I would I would I'd even start because
there's a lot of people in this audience who are
used to hearing hein. I do heavy political conversations and
these in our morning show, and I think there's a
lot of people in this audience who are like, well,
this is this is all religion and this is not us.
And I think the message you're leaving in is there
is good in all people, and it is incumbent upon us,

(34:49):
regardless of politics, to recognize that good, even if it's
just one thing about somebody else, whoever they are. We've
got to recognize the good that exists in each person,
otherwise we'll live in a hellescape where everybody hates each other.
And then we are fundamentally Americans. And it comes saying,
Reverend Byron Clay, it's always a privilege to have you on.
Thank you for all of your work and you know

(35:11):
seventy years of the civil rights movement. And thank you
for giving the keynote address for the Martin Luther King
Holiday coming up in here in Saint John Parish in week.
I appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (35:21):
Yes, God bless you, and I can't wait too uh
for your work with the Martin Luther King Day event.

Speaker 4 (35:30):
Yes, and I also will be informing you all in March.
My dear friend, Martin Luther King the third would be
here with me.

Speaker 5 (35:41):
Yes.

Speaker 4 (35:42):
And I've been knowing him since I was eleven years old.

Speaker 2 (35:47):
Wow.

Speaker 4 (35:48):
After his father got killed, my dad and I flew
to Atlanta. I was eleven years old. Yeah, and we
went to meet with Martin Luther King Senior. Wow, before
he's met Martin Luther King the third together in Sunday School.
And so I became friends with all of doctor King's family,

(36:09):
but these who I stay in touch with. Martin. I
spoke with him two or three times just a week
ago week in half a goal. Yeah, and I were close.
And two of the nephews and nieces and all, we're
very close. Uh. Doctor King, late sister Christine been in
my home several times. And I say that to say

(36:30):
is that, uh, is that God favored me to become
a part of this, uh, this family's life.

Speaker 3 (36:42):
And Reverend Clay, we extend an invitation when Reverend Martin
Luther King the third comes to join us here on
the air as well, if you've got time, we'd love that,
all three of you.

Speaker 4 (36:53):
Yes, So I would do everything I can to make
that happen. And we thank God for his intervention in
human afair.

Speaker 2 (37:00):
Amen. Amen, Amen, folks.

Speaker 3 (37:03):
Reverend Byron Clay, thank you for joining Hi mckenne and
Christopher Tid Moore here in the Founder Show. And we
look forward to your speech on the Martin Luther King Holiday.

Speaker 2 (37:09):
God bless you.

Speaker 4 (37:10):
Thanks Reverend God bless your audience. God bless you all.

Speaker 2 (37:14):
Thank you.

Speaker 3 (37:15):
And Reverend Clay will be leading the march that's meeting
on the Martin Luther King Holiday at the intersection of
four hundred ARII Drive in Bell Point Boulevard in Laplace.
It's coming together at eight am and the march rally
time starts at nine am. The rally will be held
in front of the Percy A. Bear Building at eighteen
oh one West Airline Highway in Laplace. This is the

(37:37):
keynote address for the State for the Martin Luther King
Holiday at the Percy A. Bear Building nine am, eighteen
oh one West Airline Highway, Laplace, Louisiana. Folks will be
back with more of the Foundery Show with Hi mckinry
and Christopher did More right after this. Imagine taking a
cruise in the inland waterways of Canada from Ottawa all

(37:58):
the way through Buthalo, the Great Lake and the Inland Canals,
all the way through some of the most majestic territory
north of the border. Ladies and gentlemen. That's what the
New Orleans Opera Association is offering for its special summer
cruise at the end of July and the beginning of August,
and it involves two opera events at the Ottawa and
Toronto Spring Festivals. It is an incredible experience by land

(38:20):
and sea where thirteen percent of your revenue goes to
support the New Orleans Opera and you get to have
a magic adventure in the inland waterways of Canada. If
you get seasickness, this is perfect. This is rivers, and
it's beautiful, and it's organized to benefit one of the
great New Orleans institutions. If you're interested in this trip,
give yours truly, Christopher Tidmore call who'll be leading this
trip at the end of July and beginning of August
the inland Waterways of Canada. But give me a call

(38:42):
by calling five oh four three nine zero four five
seventy nine Area code five oh four three nine zero
four five seventy nine for the ultimate Canadian panorama of
trips to the inland waterways of Canada and opera experience
is benefiting the New Orleans Opera. It is an incredible trip.
Give me a callice before three nine zero four five
seven nine.

Speaker 2 (39:03):
And folks, this is chapel. Hih Mchinry. I'm here to
tell you about our ministry, LAMB Ministries. We're an inner
city ministry and with an inner city formula and focus
for inner city folks. Please check us out, go to
our website LAMB nola dot com, or just call me
Chaplain High McHenry at area code five zero four seven

(39:23):
two three nine, three six nine, Folks, is very exciting ministry.
We're dealing with very challenging situations, the inner city, the
urban poor, all the crime and problems of the inner city.
It's all right at our doorstep and we've been We've
been dealing with this for close to thirty years now,
but we've seen miracles take place. We've seen close to

(39:44):
five thousand kids come to Christ. We've seen hundreds going
to live good, productive, responsible lives, lives they would have
never had before. But it's a very challenging ministry, folks,
So roll up your sleeves if you want to get
involved and get ready for a challenge. We need all
the volunteers we can get, financial support and prayer warriors.

(40:05):
So please contact us. Just call me Chaplin High McHenry
atte area code five zero four seven two three nine
three six ' nine on our website Lambanola dot com
and thank you so.

Speaker 3 (40:17):
Very very much. Imagine the perfect thing for your center
table at your Mardi Gras parties, your parade parties, your
carnival parties. It's a flower arrangement of purple, green and gold.
And some of the most beautiful flower arrangements are coming
out of Villari's Florist for the carnival season. I just
saw one that Roger Villary himself made of orchids that
were Mardi Gras colors. It was stunningly beautiful. Folks. You

(40:38):
need to have one of these wonderful carnival arrangements for
the centerpiece of your table for all of your Mardi
Graus parties. Give them a call at one eight hundred
VI I L L E ri Our Villariesflorist dot com.
One eight hundred v I L L E r or
Villariesflorist dot com on the web and tell him you
heard it here on the Founder's Show. And remember, folks.
On April fourth and sixth, Elixir of Love, the brand

(40:59):
new opera for the New Orleans Opera Association, is coming
to the Maheia Jackson Theater and you're encouraged to go
to the opera in jeans and cowboy boots. Yes, you
heard that correctly. It is an opera set in the
Old West, and we're going to end up the night
on April fourth, a Friday night, with an incredible party,
a barbecue and a fado do Louisiana style. For those
that come to the opera, it is an incredible experience.

(41:20):
If you've never been, you'll enjoy it every moment. New
Orleans Opera tickets are available at our website, New Orleans
Opera dot org, New Orleans Opera dot org. And remember,
it's an opera that you're going to where you're encouraged
to wear your cowboy boots, your jeans, your cowboy hat
and go into the crowd in the scene of the
Old West Elixir of Love.

Speaker 2 (41:39):
Come on, cowboys and cowgirls, get out there. I'm gonna
get my wife there. She was a rodeo queen of
Louisiana when she was a teenager.

Speaker 3 (41:45):
This is a perfect You know, there are Louisiana cowboys
and we're going to show them off our road with them.

Speaker 2 (41:49):
Yeah, in the swamps. We used to herd cattle in
the swamps donad san Bino.

Speaker 3 (41:53):
This is going to be incredible, folks, April fourth and
sixth at the Maheia Jackson Theater. Get your tickets now
while they're available. Spire tickets where you can get the
second level tickets and maybe upgraded all the way to
the front row. All available at New Orleans Opera dot org.
That's New Orleans Opera dot Org.

Speaker 2 (42:11):
Back and you're listening to the Finder and Show the
Voice of the Finding Fathers. And you can hear us
every Sunday morning on WRNO. That's ninety nine point five
when your audio dial from eight to nine AM. Or
you can hear us during the week on WSLA and
that's one five six zero on the AM dial or
ninety three point nine on the FM dial. You can

(42:32):
also get the iHeartMedia app, which is the best way
really because you can listen to us anytime you want
to on your phone, computer, whatever, in your car. And
that's just the iHeartMedia app. It's free and it's bigger
and better than satellite. You can listen to anything and
everything that you like. It's all on the iHeartMedia app.
But you can listen to us, and we know you
want to hear us and thank you so much for that.

(42:54):
And then on WSLA you can hear US Mondays, Wednesdays
and Fridays on from eight to nine am drive time
in the morning.

Speaker 3 (43:03):
So check us out.

Speaker 2 (43:03):
We're the number one rated weekend show on w r O,
one of the top talk show stations of the Gulf South.
And thank you so very very much.

Speaker 3 (43:11):
And of course you're joined by Hi mckenry and Christopher
Tidmore each and each and every one of your shows
and folks, very brief point, we're sort of reversing things.
So next week, when it would be normally our Martin
Luther King Holiday, we're going to talk about what's actually
going on in Washington because we're going to be anticipating
being at the presidential inauguration in the aftermath on it.
We're going to be doing the show live on the

(43:31):
twenty third from Washington, d C. I'm actually throwing a
fundraiser's part of Washington d C Marti gras At the
tickets are and tickets are available by the way at
New Orleans Opera dot org if you happen to be
going up there. But we're going to be talking about
I'll be up there at the inauguration, we'll get some
interviews hopefully with Congressman Carter or Congressman Scalise and all
that and play it on that particular show. But next

(43:53):
week we're going to talk about what's going up very briefly.

Speaker 4 (43:56):
Though.

Speaker 3 (43:56):
One of the things that's interesting is that the budget
is coming together for Louisiana and they're starting to have
the budget meetings in the next couple of weeks and
there's going to be a lot on the table on reform,
and one of the areas that's going to be brought
up is what's called the live performance tax credits.

Speaker 2 (44:12):
You're familiar with these hi not exactly a little bit
A little bit so.

Speaker 3 (44:16):
They're often called the Broadway South tax credits, and I
played a small role in writing them originally some fifteen
years ago. But basically they extended the theatrical tax credits
to live legitimate theater where productions that were over one
hundred thousand dollars received a certain amount of tax credits
and basically all the way up to a million dollars.

(44:37):
The tax credits made it cost effective to put on
large productions and shows here in Louisiana. And you're like, well,
that sounds good, but you know it's productions. But they
don't often talk about is that fifty It's only a
ten million dollar program, which seems like a lot of money,
but you're talking about thirty five billion dollar budget, so
it's drop of the bucket. However, these tax credits are

(45:01):
eighteen percent above one hundred the three hundred thousand dollars
they allow this. What do they mean, Well, they're up
for renewal. They're going to expire if we don't do
anything in summer. And what do they mean? Well, for
nonprofit organizations like where I work at the Opera or
the New Orleans the LPO, or the Ballet or all this,
they constitute almost a quarter of our operating budgets. Wow,

(45:26):
you're saying, well, how does a non profit organization that
doesn't pay taxes benefit from a tax credit? Well, we
get kind of what's called a refund for overpayment from
the Louisiana Apartment of Revenue. But why do you care
when people are like, I don't care about some fat
woman singing on the stage, what do we care? It's
my tax dollars. Let me explain this. Did you know
the New Orleans Opera has a place called the Hawkins

(45:47):
Scenes Studio. It actually builds sets for theatrical productions. Now
you're like, okay, well that sounds good. So we export
those theatrical stages the country to thirty five states in
three Canadian provinces every year and that supports over twenty jobs.
And we train young people without a college education withou

(46:10):
any of these eighteen to twenty two and electricians as electricians, carpenters,
scene designers, and they go on to high paid jobs.
They're paid well when they work for us, and that's
keeping your tax dollars, making money outside of the state,
and supporting the opera, which is the first. Of course,
New Orleans is the first city of opera with the
place that premiered two hundred and thirty years ago. So

(46:30):
the point I'm getting at all of this is the budget.
We have one of the most efficient support systems because
it's not a line item in the budget. It's these
tax credits, and they're in danger and they're put in
the same way as the film tax credits, which are great.
They've supported Louisiana, but most of those people live in California.
All the people that work for us generally live in Louisiana.

(46:51):
Or they're coming and spending a lot of time and
money here in Louisiana, and there isn't a wealth of money.
The way the lobbyists get from Hollywood types to fight this,
the way they did to film the film character. All
they got is you, you and you and you and
an audience. So call your legislator, talk to them and say,
you know, for ten million dollars, hundreds of jobs are

(47:11):
maintained in the arts and live performance, and not just
an opera or the LPO or it encouraged Broadway Word
should circ to sole. It brought about the Adams Family,
which became the theatrical Broadway Word Show. It has made
Louisiana place where national productions are started, and it's also
kept alive a lot of our artistic things. Where cities

(47:33):
are size, I got news for you, folks. Cities the
size of New Orleans often lose their operas and their
their symphonies. And yet ours, our symphony, just won a
Grammy that gives you money, that gives you a comarison.
This is supporting Louisian artists. So we're hoping you guys
will support us by telling your legislators keep the live
performance tax credit alive. But folks, speaking of that, we

(47:54):
got to go to we got to have a lot
of live performance, a new break, and we'll be back
with a patriotic moment right after.

Speaker 6 (47:59):
This rescue, recovery, re engagement. These are not just words.
These are the action steps we at the New Orleans
Mission take to make a positive impact on the homeless
problem facing the greater.

Speaker 3 (48:15):
New Orleans area.

Speaker 6 (48:17):
New Orleans Mission is a stepping stone out of that
life of destruction and into a life of hope and purpose.
Partner with us today go to texting to seven seven
nine four eight.

Speaker 2 (48:36):
Well, folks, were back in this Chapelhini mckenray, and it's
not time for us to go in to our chaplain bye.
By patriotic moment, We just take a brief moment to
remind you of the biblical foundations of our country, our
Judeo Christian jurisprudence, and today, of all people, we want
to talk about a great man, doctor Reverend Martin Luther King,
who had such a positive impact on this country. You
heard the whole story a lot about him in the

(48:58):
early part of the show. But what he had had
many great things said, but one thing I love. He said,
the church is the conscience of the government. Now I
can tell you right there, Martin Luther King believed we
needed a biblical foundation for good government. You know, we're
talking about making America great again. I certainly want to
do that. But what made America great to begin with God,

(49:21):
our biblical foundations, of our of our country, and of
our leaders of all backgrounds, and and they've stood boldly
for that. So let us stand boldly for that again,
because that's the only way we'll ever really make America
great again. We got to go back to God. Folks, Please,
let's do that. And as far as your personal life
goes going back to God or maybe going for the

(49:42):
first time to God, it's now time for us to
go into our chaplain by by our gospel moment, where
I'll show you how you can go to God and
find him and he'll find you first of all, though
he always finds you first. But once he finds you,
and he finds everybody, you got to respond. You got
to find him back. You got to you gotta return
the favor if you will. You know, love's a two
ways free It's not just one way. So God loves you.

(50:04):
But guess what, you got to love him back. And
I'm gonna tell you how you do it. It's very
clear how you do it. The Bible says, for God
so loved the world, that's you, that's everybody. That he
gave his only begotten son, that's the Lord, Jesus Christ,
perfect God, perfect man, all the way God, and all
the way man. He gave his only begotten son. That
whosoever that's you again, believeth in him? What do you

(50:26):
believe in? What do you mean believe it in him?
It's kind of a broad abstract statement. The Bible makes
it very clear. It's the gospel you have to believe.
The Scripture says, a gospel is the power of God
under salvation. To whosoever believeth in. What is a gospel? Well,
in one Corinthians fifteen it tells us very clearly the
gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. That
he died for all of our sins. I mean, from

(50:48):
the day you're born, in the day you die, you
tis the greatest sins. They all went on Jesus. They
went in Jesus. He was turning to that sin, and
he beat it. He paid for it with his blood,
the scripture says, and watched away are your sins, folks.
After he did that, that's the first part. But he
had another job left to do. He had to rise
from the dead, and he did, proving that he had
defeated death, overcome death to win for each and every

(51:10):
one of us his precious free gift of resurrection, ever
lasting life. If you have never believed this before, do
it now. Don't wait till it's too late, like the
old country preacher said, and like the Word of God says.
It says now today is the day of salvation. Dear folks,
you may not have tomorrow. Don't wait, do it right now.
Believe right now. Don't trust anything else. And when you don't,

(51:31):
when you give up on everything, as you quit trusting whatever,
you've just repented. When you believe that you're hopeless and
helps without God, destined to a burning hell, you just repented.
You're not trusting yourself or anything you can do, or
anybody else or church or whatever. You're not trusting anything
you're trusting. You've gotten rid of all that. That's called repentance.
And then now you're free to put faith alone, in

(51:51):
Christ alone, and to truly believe with all your heart
that He did die for all your sins, was buried
and rose to dead. Do it now, folks, don't put
it off. Do it right now now, folks. We're living
in times and we talked about this in the show
earlier about how things are getting bad. Folks. In case
you have noticed, everything's going up. Violence in New Orleans
has doubled in the past year. We know the murder

(52:14):
rate's gone down a little bit, but guess what hasn't
stopped the crime of the violence. It has doubled that
the lack of murders compared to last year, the shortage
of murders, if you will. Maybe it's because the shooters
are not good, you know, marksmen are Our ems system
is so good, it's saving saving their lives.

Speaker 4 (52:32):
So whatever it is, that's exactly it.

Speaker 2 (52:34):
By the way, has doubled. And so that's a problem.
And there are many, so many moral problems in this country.
Just look around. If you're my age, you can look
back in our youth and see what things are like
compared to what they are right now. And that was
one of the signs of the end that there would
be a distressive nations. There would be all these terrible
things going on. And when Jesus comes back, he has

(52:56):
to come back, and he has to get the Bible
says he comes back sooner than he planning, because if
he doesn't, there'll be no flesh left. That's how bad
it's getting, folks.

Speaker 4 (53:04):
So Jesus is.

Speaker 2 (53:05):
Coming back soon. Remember that.

Speaker 4 (53:08):
And this.

Speaker 2 (53:09):
I'm sharing this with you because I do this on
many of the shows and now to remind us about
how soon and near it is that Jesus is coming back.
When he comes back, folks, he's going to fix everything.
So why don't you be ready for him? Why don't
you be on his side when he comes back. All
you got to do is believe that Jesus died for
your sins and rows in the dead. Do it right now, folks,
And that's the greatest safe house you can ever get

(53:30):
for what's coming down on us. And I think kind
of soon now, thanks so very much. It's not for
our time for us to close. As we close of
the mont Saint Martin singing a creole goodbye and God
bless all of it.

Speaker 1 (53:43):
Does this have to be the end of the night?

Speaker 6 (53:49):
Do I?

Speaker 3 (53:49):
Love you.

Speaker 1 (53:50):
In the pamal Land, I can see across the million
stars