Dems Get the Majority: What Do I Get For My Vote? | Native Land Pod

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:00]Native Lamp Pod is a production of iHeart Radio in partnership with Reason Choice Media. Welcome home y'all. This is episode 133 of Native Lamp Pod, where we give you our breakdown of all things politics and culture. I am your host today, Bari Sers, joined by my illustrious co-host, Andrew Gillum, and the Angela Ry.

[00:00:24]>> Welcome home, y'all. How y'all feeling?

[00:00:26]>> There's only one. There's only one.

[00:00:28]>> Good, man. Welcome home. Welcome home.

[00:00:30]>> You know what, my anxiety has been beating my ass lately. We got to talk about that. I don't know what's going on.

[00:00:37]>> Does it happen usually after like being a break away or >> I don't know if I go through these phases where anxiety just wins the day.

[00:00:46]I don't know. So, we'll work through that. But this is therapeutic for me joining you guys sitting here with my friends and all of our listeners. We are jumping right into our for your situational aware awareness also known as FISA right what is that what we call it >> FYSA you guys call it FISA but you know >> she's she's very >> y'all don't have a homeland security background so I'm like >> it's not FISA but carry on.

[00:01:14]>> So we haven't been able to have a lot of good news on this show when it comes to the state of politics. So, we wanted to start the show right now with some good news. Some It's like unsweet good news, but we'll take it. Uh, my home state of South Carolina, Republican state senators actually voted to uh block the new map that came in from Washington DC um attempting to eliminate the seat of none other than Jim Klyurn. Can you imagine Congress without Jim Klyurn in it? Anyway, on May 27th, Governor McMaster said, "President Trump needs a Republican Congress to continue pursuing conservative policies that make our nation stronger. I am confident that one day South Carolina's congressional delegation will be completely Republican. I am disappointed that day has not yet come." Listen, people forget that South Carolina sometimes is is is too big for an asylum and too small for a state. Uh, and we marched to the beat of our own drummer, but shout out to those senators who actually um, uh, showed some backbone. In Alabama, this is kind of funny or funky because in Alabama, federal district court has blocked their new congressional maps after finding that they intentionally discriminated based on race. That case will ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court. And right before we were coming on, our great producer Nick just told us that we got a news alert that Alabama of course is asking the Supreme Court to overturn this ruling expeditiously. In the words of my brother TI >> and Bardi, real quick, I know you're pushing to the next one, but that three judge panel, two of those damn judges were appointed by Trump himself.

[00:02:49]>> Correct. I don't know. The Supreme Court may surprise us. They won't.

[00:02:53]>> I don't think so.

[00:02:56]>> They won't.

[00:02:57]>> Moving down to Florida, >> you know what would be a surprise? What?

[00:03:01]>> Once Clarence Thomas realizes that he is a black man in America.

[00:03:04]>> Oh, get out of here. That ain't happening, girl.

[00:03:06]>> Okay. Well, then let's move on.

[00:03:08]>> No, I mean that I don't What world are you living in? The only way I >> hopeful one I have a dream that one day this man know he's still [ __ ] That's what I mean. Come on. Anyway, move on.

[00:03:21]>> The only way that Clarence Thomas only way Clarence Thomas will ever come home is if they try to overturn Loving and then he might have a come to Jesus or he might not. He might he might not. I just This is your annual reminder that Clarence Thomas still has a stun named Jamal. Carry on.

[00:03:36]>> Moving down to Florida named uh uh Andrew Gillum's home state where a Florida judge has refused to block a new congressional map that could gain four new seats in the House. Like Alabama, the legal battle is ongoing. What should we know about that map, Andrew? I know this is my topic, but is there anything to know about it? The truth is is that um this is sort of the second wave of what we have already had to deal with.

[00:04:00]He first eliminated single-handedly two black access seats uh from our congressional delegation. One you previously held by Congressman Al Lawson, the other one previously held by Congresswoman um Val Demings. Um and you know what the the attack on black folks and the black vote um in this state continues. And I think further frustrating this is the fact that one of the black excess seats that um have been newly created um it actually previously was a full-on black access seat down in Broward County is actually now going to pit um um the many black candidates that are running for that seat against long-term Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. There was a big activation down south to try to get her persuade her not to run in that seat. And of course, um, she decided for herself she was going to run for that seat. And so, um, you'll have a lot of black candidates and you'll have Debbie.

[00:04:59]>> I just have to say something about this.

[00:05:02]>> Yeah.

[00:05:02]>> Is that No, it's Florida to 20.

[00:05:04]>> It's not 20.

[00:05:05]>> No, no, no. I'm sorry. I thought you were talking about is it up? Um, >> no, no, no. Is it Is it Congress? I was trying to figure out which one it is.

[00:05:11]>> The 20th congressional district. So, she she's running in what was uh Well, it's still um Sheila No, she's actually stepped down. So Sheila seat um Shiff Sherless McCormack um she is >> previously Alcie Hastings long time ago >> previously Congressman Alcie Hastings seat. Now I'm about to go rogue here real quick. There are a lot of um black candidates in this seat but I just want to tell Debbie you're wrong as two left shoes. The reason for that is you are um bought paid and sold by Apac and you have not said word the first on any of these voting rights challenges. you haven't said we're the first on any of the attacks in any other states except for Florida where you um are are obviously self it's a self-s served interest and I just I think that this is so awful to watch all of these black folks and and it's a democracy so you can run for whatever seat you want to run for my vote would be for Andrew Gillum to move up south or down south a little further and run in this in this area I just don't know who else is going to save it and Andrew I'mma tell people something they may not know. That is what Congressman Hastings would have wanted. So, I'm just saying as as Debbie Wasserman Schultz watches Apac not say [ __ ] about any of the voting rights challenges that black people are facing, go into this seat. Run for this seat when you don't even represent the best interest of people who need to exercise their franchise. You are wrong as hell.

[00:06:40]I told you on Twitter and now I'm telling you here. Wrong. Andrew, I hope you run.

[00:06:44]You know, the reason I mentioned CD20 because I wanted to have some good news on the end of that. Um, >> I didn't know you was doing that. I'm mad about it.

[00:06:52]>> She's fine. Um, uh, our good friend Chev he's he sent me a text note that he's >> Are you Are you breaking news right now?

[00:07:03]I don't know that >> I think the person hasn't um >> declared >> said her >> Oh, intentions yet.

[00:07:12]>> Yo, no, that's out. Okay. Yes. Oh, that's public.

[00:07:15]>> Congresswoman Wilson is retiring.

[00:07:16]>> Yes. Okay. Okay.

[00:07:20]>> Well, I was just sharing the good news.

[00:07:22]I don't know. I mean, >> but did he announce?

[00:07:25]>> He didn't tell me. Let me read the text.

[00:07:27]He didn't tell me it was a secret.

[00:07:28]>> But the text is not a press release.

[00:07:31]>> He said, "Good morning, brother. Happy Tuesday. I hope all is well."

[00:07:34]>> Hey, private.

[00:07:34]>> Well, he wants to break the news. Let him break the news. Chevron, it's Bari, not us.

[00:07:38]>> Let's bring him on and then we'll let him break the news sometime. Don't let Bardi read his text now when he went in the private text.

[00:07:46]>> This one This one This one was okay.

[00:07:48]What does it say?

[00:07:49]>> Shut up. Hush.

[00:07:50]>> Okay. Go ahead. If you play >> Go ahead. It's your turn.

[00:07:54]>> It's me.

[00:07:55]>> Yeah. Ran Kim.

[00:07:57]>> Yeah. So, speaking of elected officials, >> this is good news.

[00:08:01]>> Quite pivot. Um, this is something this is something.

[00:08:04]>> Am I THE ONLY ONE MATTERED, DEBBIE?

[00:08:06]>> NO.

[00:08:06]>> NO, but you know, I'm in Florida.

[00:08:08]>> All right. It's, you know, there's a lot to be, you know, to to be discerned. But I will say, >> Andrew, can you run? Why won't you answer me?

[00:08:15]>> What I will say is, >> wow.

[00:08:17]>> Congressman Alcie Hastings was a big brother and an incredible mentor uh to me and and and some of the most challenging times that I experienced in the race for governor. You know, he was he was he was hands down, bro. All you had to do was say you were running and I'm there. and he was there and he was there pretty constantly and I got to hear from him a few months before his passing when he called and asked me to call him back and I called him back and he told me I need to move to South Florida and refer his um and um >> I think he was right >> we'll just we'll just call RJ real quick after the show >> and I and I told him I couldn't kill us >> but he was um uh he is a giant and I would love I was sad to see that seat unfortunately represented by the previous member. Um, and whoever, you know, um, um, ends up throwing them their hat in the ring, I just hope they understand the significance of the ground that they stand on and attempting to fill his shoes. We need a real advocate for the community, someone who's unapologetic, no excuse me.

[00:09:25]>> No, I'm just saying there are a lot of people, by the way, speech.

[00:09:28]>> Nope. A lot of people down south who encompass >> Andrew, why I don't think we're going to we're not going to make lots of headway here. Uh, Angela, I just I >> Can you read Rashan Kemp's?

[00:09:40]>> I hope that Al C. Hastings visits you in your sleep.

[00:09:43]>> Come on, friend. I do. I hope he I hope he visits you in your sleep tonight because I'm I'm just telling you this is we are in unique times. I am going completely rogue. This is my last 10 seconds on this. I promise. We are in unique times. You all are being summoned. You all are a different type of elected official. Have served, have served well, have served with conviction. I am telling you, you are being drafted. You can go to your next clip.

[00:10:08]>> Father bless us. Amen. Okay, some other news to take in y'all is the fact that as we all know, FIFA is coming uh to the United States. The US is one of the host state uh countries uh for this worldwide global event. Um, but one of the representatives in the state of the great state of Georgia, Rashan Kemp, who is, so far as I know, not related to the sitting governor, Brian Kemp, um, decided to release this video on his social media, calling us hire. Hey y'all, this is Senator Rashan Kemp, and I was walking to grab some coffee today and something struck me almost to my soul. So, right behind me sits the stadium where the world will soon gather for FIFA World Cup. Literally millions of people are going to come to Atlanta.

[00:10:56]The eyes of the world will be on Georgia. They'll see our culture, our diversity in the cradle of the civil rights movement. But right down the street from that stadium under the gold dome right here, beginning on June 17th, Republicans are preparing to strip people of their voices through redistricting. So, at the same time that the world is coming together, politicians in Georgia will be fighting over whether black elected officials lose their seats. And yes, this should make everybody angry because too many people marched, bled, and fought for the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 for us to quietly watch these protections be dismantled literally a few decades later. So, here's my call to action. I believe we should march from the capital to the stadium or from the stadium to the capital demanding that Georgia stop harming black communities and stop silencing black voices. We need people to register to vote. We need people to organize. We need people showing up every single day that we are in session fighting alongside us because this fight is bigger than politics. It's about whether our communities still have a voice in the future of Georgia. So stay tuned. We'll be sharing ways you can get involved. The time to act is now.

[00:12:15]>> I love that.

[00:12:15]>> That's a powerful call to action, y'all.

[00:12:17]I guess we could have played that during CTAs. Uh but but but it's uh but it's real. And I do wonder how folks might respond to that. I have a sense that the global community quite frankly would be down. Um I'm curious to know how how >> they wouldn't let us. First of all, they wouldn't give you No, they wouldn't give you It's going to be It would be a hard task cuz one of the things they will do is lock down.

[00:12:39]>> They're going to shut it down.

[00:12:40]>> That they going to shut it down around the World Cup and getting a march permit or anything else, even if you need one.

[00:12:47]I mean, it would just be they would say no. I would I would assume.

[00:12:51]>> I mean, it's a great civil disobedience comes in.

[00:12:54]>> They can do protest. No protest.

[00:12:56]>> I'm with you. Either way, like to have the world look at what's happening in the United States, which is supposed to be the land of the free, I think is is really astonishing to watch. Um, we always talk about democracy being rolled back, but really just our right stripped away um and taking us back so far. So, I hope that they do something and obviously we would stand with them.

[00:13:15]>> Yeah, of course.

[00:13:17]That's the way to use that's the way to use social media though for those young elected officials out there who you know want to know how to increase their presence instead of trying to go viral every time. He's going to go viral simply because he said something that touched his soul that's going to resonate with the culture at an appropriate time. So shout out to Senator Rashawn Kim.

[00:13:36]>> That time is now. You see Andrew shirt.

[00:13:38]This is our time.

[00:13:39]>> Angela Angela it's on you. You wanted to talk about somebody else making some moves. Um although it's in a different setting in a courtroom. Yes, it is in a courtroom. The Supreme Court actually made a good decision recently, which is an anomaly, and that was in the case regarding Brian Flores's lawsuit against the NFL. Of course, he's been suing the NFL um for racial discrimination um for a couple of years. He initially filed um a class action lawsuit against the Miami Dolphins, the Broncos, and the Giants um for discrimination in their hiring practices. the NFL's been trying to force coach Flores into an arbitration.

[00:14:16]Um, but the Supreme Court said no.

[00:14:19]However, Brett Kavanaaugh tried to say yes and he was the one the lone desenter on this particular case. In this particular case, um, for you all's uh, recollection, I will flag for you that in the lawsuit, Brian Flores alleges that Steven Ross, who's the owner of the Miami Dolphins, offered him $100,000 for every game he intentionally intentionally lost. I wonder why he would have offered him that. He said, of course, he denied that. Also, um, with the Giants, he said that he was brought in for a coaching interview to be the head coach in 2022. Um, and they said it was he said it was just to check the Rooney rule box, which of course now they have gotten rid of. The coach um, accidentally texted Brian Flores congratulating him on getting the job a full three days before he even interviewed. Um, Bellich actually said that he sent it to the wrong Brian and um he said that they were always uh he was always in the running up until the very last minute. Looks like that's not true. And then lastly with the Denver Bron Broncos, he said John Elway and Joe Ellis arrived an hour late to his interview and they were sloppy piss pole drunk. So he said that the NFL is uh blatantly racist. It's all in and through the culture. And now he's going to have his opportunity to have his day in court.

[00:15:39]>> Yes, he should. And you know what else, just to to annotate um further is that in the state of Florida, the free state of Florida, they say, under Ronda Santis, the attorney general, who used to be chief of staff to Governor Ronda Santz, um is suing um a threatened lawsuit against the NFL uh as well. U the Rooney rule obviously, frankly, I think was gone before it was gone. Um but essentially wanting to make sure that there is no active discrimination against uh white men who may apply for uh coaching positions. Um thanks to the fact that black candidates at least one would need to be interviewed. Um in an instance um u uh where there was a coaching position available. Tampa Tampa Bay uh has pushed back on Altmire, which is a rare thing to see folks sort of giving these folks in Florida Republican leadership any resistance. Um uh but it's on I mean it's on and popping. It's been on and popping down here, but but their racism screams.

[00:16:44]>> One of the things that Angela talked about earlier in a couple of couple of segments up are the number of people who are running down in CD20 in Florida.

[00:16:52]This frustrates me to no end. I know it's a democracy and I know that everybody can run, but sometimes you have to have a little bit of discernment. Mike Dugen, the former mayor of the city of Detroit, launched an independent bid, although he was a Democratic governor. He launched a I mean a Democratic mayor, an independent bid um to be governor of the state of Michigan. And um he said he got into this race to change our politics, not to be a spoiler. Um, and because he saw the way that was trending with him falling down and Benson rising to the top, he dropped out of the race. The reason I bring that up is we've had a lot of places around the country where black folk do not get in a room, hash out politics, make a plan, execute the plan.

[00:17:43]And because we don't do that, somebody who does not look like looks does not look like us ends up representing our communities. It happens over and over and over again from dog catcher all the way up the United States Congress. And so I I wanted to applaud um Mike Dugen for taking this step, helping us make sure we keep that um guminatorial mansion and democratic hands. But I also wanted it to be a lesson for other people who are listening and other politicos around the country that sometimes you got to take a step back in order for us all to take a step forward.

[00:18:19]>> Mari, why do you like this man?

[00:18:22]>> I I don't necessarily care for him um politically. I thought he was really really moderate and I thought he had a lot of trouble in the city of Detroit.

[00:18:28]But I do like this act.

[00:18:30]>> Oh, so you can separate your interest from the person. Okay, I got you.

[00:18:35]>> Yeah. I mean, if he would have stayed in the race, we would have disliked him more.

[00:18:39]>> So All right, I'm just >> I would I would say, you know, I'm in favor of Yes, there is it ends up resulting in electing people who don't look like us. But what what vexes me most is that it ultimately elects people often times who don't share our passion and commitment to our core set of values and the issues. And I know that I know this is included and implied in I think Bari's uh comment there that just too often we end up you know um elevating folks who again will not be our best most valuable you know basically MVP voice um and advocate for the things that we want similar to you know the congressman who we lost yesterday I mean in earlier this week uh over in Texas right Angela >> who was an MVP for a You know, before we get there though, I just wanted to shout out Jill Stein and just tell her to take note.

[00:19:36]>> Speaking of lesson to be learned, >> speaking of her up. Don't conjure her up. Let her stay.

[00:19:42]>> First of all, she on the way back. She come every four years and then some of y'all >> she only comes when she's been summoned.

[00:19:48]>> Don't do it. Not today. You need black people to overcome and be united. Not today, friend. Not today. some of y'all run over there and support her like >> that good political sense >> like the Russian botar. Anyway, so I would like to um acknowledge of course there was a primary in Texas on Tuesday.

[00:20:08]Um in that primary contest, you all know Texas was the first kind of case study in this redistricting battle. Some districts were eliminated and um uh Colin Ared beat I believe her name is Julie Johnson. Please correct me if I'm wrong in the chat, but I think her name is Julie Johnson. Um she was the first openly gay woman to serve in Texas.

[00:20:30]Colin Alred um did beat her in that contest because of the rejiggering of the seats. Um Christian Meny, who was initially elected to take Sheila Jackson Lee's congressional district seat um um um after the special when the governor finally got around to holding a special election. Um, Christian Meny won that seat. Now, the district that was Sheila Jackson Lee's and the district that was Congressman Al Greens essentially merged in this primary contest on Tuesday, Congressman Al Green uh is no longer um going to be serving in Congress. And for those of you at home who for some reason don't know who this legend is, let's roll this clip.

[00:21:18]>> Mr. Green, take your seat. Take your seat, sir.

[00:21:23]>> Take your seat.

[00:21:27]>> Finding that members continue to engage in willful and concerted disruption of proper decorum, the chair now directs the sergeant-at-arms to restore order.

[00:21:38]Remove this gentleman from the chamber.

[00:21:48]So, in this video, for those of you at home who are watching, this is Congressman Al Green, um, who represents uh, parts of Houston being escorted off the House floor during Donald Trump's joint congressional address two years ago. Um, was that two years ago? Dang, that was two years ago. My god. So, at that time, he was pointing his cane, I call it the Ron Eley, at Donald Trump.

[00:22:12]Um and and that was kind of a rebuke, you know, it was it was to remind him of what should be his humanity, his morality in that moment. And Al Green, although he is a quiet member, he's a forceful member. He's super effective in committee. Um he regularly represents our best interests, Mr. Green is someone who is uh was very active in the civil rights movement, pushed his colleagues to impeach Donald Trump, and I think we're seeing every single day why that was such an important decision despite um it not being successful. So, Mr. Green, we love you and thank you so much for your service.

[00:22:47]>> Yeah, that's real. It's also, you know, Angela, it kind of reminds me of, you know, we all have a role to play. Some people are going to be the beast uh when it comes to floor debate. uh other members might, you know, body committees in incredible ways. Um and frankly, most of you are multifaceted and so you can do multiple things, but there have to be some folks who are willing to do what >> even people in their own party might consider to be at the extremes of actions.

[00:23:13]>> Um it's a way of pulling the debate, pulling the conversation closer to a more reasonable position. Republicans get that, which is why when they weigh into something, they almost always all weigh in at the most extreme position possible. So when we're negotiating, we're starting moderately like, oh, okay, well, these are reasonable places by which we can we can negotiate. And Republicans are like way out there and ultimately they end up dragging >> the resolution more to their side than we bring to ours. people like Al Green helps us to readjust, you know, the what the center looks like, what m what what reasonable looks like um in in debates and also in negotiations. And so his voice and his cane will be mightily missed.

[00:23:59]>> I also wanted to I mean I wanted to give Christian Meny a chance. I think that he has great he he has to represent those people with the same type of >> um veracity and tenor and tone that Al Green did, that Sheila Jackson Lee did, cuz he he's coming on such big shoulders that I want us to take a deep breath and Christian, we want you to do extremely well in honor of those individuals that came before you. So that's my only message there.

[00:24:30]>> Here's my only thing about that. Can you Nick pull the tweet? um this this Apac tweet. This is my only issue. Um again, you know, we've been having this conversation about where is Apac when it comes like our members walk the plank for Apac issues quite a bit. A number of them take Apac money, Apac affiliated money. They tweeted last night after it was clear that Christian Miny would defeat Congressman Al Green. It says, "Congratulations Rep. Christian Miny on your victory tonight over one of the most outspoken anti-Israel voices in Congress. This isn't in um defense of Christian. I don't even know that Christian takes Apac money. But the issue here is you're causing a further divide between folks who stood up for Palestinian people and the folks who are anti-Netanyahu, which is very different.

[00:25:20]So it's, you know, it has a like this this um gaslighting effect of being um anti-semitic. And I think that that's not fair to Congressman Green.

[00:25:30]>> Yeah. And and and I'll just uh say for the record, I I don't know uh Congressman Meny, and obviously I didn't say congratulations. Congratulations on your win. Um just pointing out though, you know, all of us have roles to play here. Um um our green service uh to Houstonians, you know, to the state of Texas is really Texasized. Um, and I think anyone who comes after him uh needs to have that same Texas size uh defense and advocacy and righteousness uh for our community that he and many of his predecessors to that seat did.

[00:26:09]>> Can we can we go back to one thing that you started this with, Angela, >> which is I don't want to I don't want to breeze by this, but Colin Colin won.

[00:26:19]>> Yes. Colin Alred beat Julie Julia. Is it Julie or Julia Johnson?

[00:26:25]>> I just want to make sure.

[00:26:26]>> Oh, I'm looking at it right now. Julie Johnson.

[00:26:28]>> Julie Johnson. And so, yes, he beat her yesterday. I think uh one thing to also note is, you know, Congresswoman Jazz, >> is he going to win the is he going to win the general?

[00:26:38]>> Uh yeah.

[00:26:40]>> Yeah. Yeah.

[00:26:41]>> Probably. I think people are motivated to turn out. Like it's a it's a tougher seat now the way they've drawn the district, but I think that um he stands a very strong chance to >> certainly as a as a former statewide candidate. I think he's he brings the you know the kind of fiber that you'd expect to be in a in a competitive racing.

[00:26:59]>> He also has a really good resume. He just sometimes >> he he don't work as hard. He but but I was gonna say um you know Jasmine has this new pack fire pack and all of the candidates she endorsed one yesterday.

[00:27:13]So having Jasmine behind her him sorry having Jasmine behind him also really helped. Andrew I know this is probably a good transition point to the topic you wanted to get into around >> Yeah. Well, staying in Texas, obviously.

[00:27:26]Um um actually just a quick pivot from Texas to say and the early days of primary I'm sorry. Yeah, of primary uh early voting and Bari's home state of South Carolina. I just got to say, boy, the community has shown up u and they've shown up in droves. Uh, I thought that Mississippi by itself and and Alabama through the court cases were going to be the tip of the spear of the of the push back from black folks on this redistricting battle, this this effort to take our and reduce the power of our vote. Um, that has been so hard fought and won. Um, but but but South Carolina said, "Oh, no. We're standing up. We are turning out." I saw photographs and um video images of lines that were stretched. I mean, as far as my eyes, and I ain't very good, so but but my eyes can see for sure. Um um and I think a large part of the debate, correct me if I'm wrong, um um Bari, former rep, uh that took place in the state senate around not passing these maps was that you had Republican folks, senators of conscience, who had trepidation about voiding 40, you know, 50,000 people who had already shown up and early voted.

[00:28:40]and they're basically saying, "Nah, that don't count. We going to pass these new maps and we're going to try this again."

[00:28:45]So, so our actions do matter.

[00:28:48]>> Yeah.

[00:28:48]>> I just want to reemphasize that it it is something as small, even as big, uh, but as small as getting up, standing in line, casting your vote righteously and almost in indignation of what the other side is attempting to do. And do you see the weight that that can bear when it comes to the final decisions being made?

[00:29:08]Courts have to consider that.

[00:29:10]Legislators have to consider that. And it sounds like they did in South Carolina. Um in in the state of Texas, um we saw the Republican primary, which was a hard fought contestant race between um incumbent Senator John Cornin Corn Cornin uh and the state of of Texas, Republican uh Senator who I believe served for 40 years. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong. I mean, has been elected about that long.

[00:29:35]>> A thousand.

[00:29:36]>> He's been there a while. and he's raised he's raised hund00 million forc incredible amount of money um but also seen in this age of Trumpism and and and and and MAGA as too moderate too reasonable too willing to compromise and work with the other side when when when when necessary uh to represent for the Republican party of today of Donald Trump's Republican party he was bested by almost almost 30 points 28 points uh by state attorney general Ken Paxton.

[00:30:10]Um and he's again Paxton is another one of these guys y'all who uh carries the title of state attorney general which we associate with law enforcement and is the complete antithetical um embodiment of what it means to be unjust against justice and absolutely uh a breaker of the law. Just to give you a sense of of >> Oh, you going to run them down? I I didn't know if you had it up. Go ahead and run it down.

[00:30:35]>> No, no, no. Actually, they're tired of my voice. You run him down. Tell us what this man is known for. Man, >> he was impeached by his own party for corruption. He paid $300,000 to settle his felony fraud charges. He had multiple extrammarital affairs. He's under investigation for mortgage fraud.

[00:30:51]He stole a $1,000 pin from another lawyer and was >> on video >> and was sued for firing whistleblowers.

[00:30:59]>> The chief law enforcement officer of the state.

[00:31:02]>> Sound like Donald Trump.

[00:31:04]>> It It does. birds of a feather.

[00:31:06]>> Who knew though that I think a lot of us in our mind thought Donald Trump was an exception amongst exceptions when it came to Republicans that they were willing to turn their face to whatever um um to to to see him elevated. But Paxton is a whole another level of creep, a whole another level of criminal. uh he turned his office of attorney general upside down in favor of trying to uh assist a donor out of Austin, Texas, a big donor to him out of Austin, Texas, who was under federal investigation. Um and and that's what was at the hard rock uh you know the bed the the bedrock of the impeachment of which he was uh by a 3 to one vote in a Republican near supermajority house in the state of Texas which is an I mean y'all this has got to be a near impossible thing to happen where your own Republican legislature by 3 to1 vote votes to freaking impe impeach you right that's what they did and now this guy beat about John Cordin um someone of a more pristine or more typical bedrock Republican record um defeated uh by Paxton. But but I got to say this sets up what a lot of people are believing and I'd be interested to hear y'all's thoughts on this uh believing to be the closest Democrats may may ever may may have gotten since Betto Ooric who came within three points of of of beating Ted Cruz in 2018. Uh but they believe that this may be the best opportunity Democrats have uh to overturn this seat and and with uh Tarico, Representative Tarico uh as as the next senator from the state of Texas. Y'all, what what what do you what do you think is forecast with this mashup between uh Criminal Paxton, I'm sorry, Attorney General Paxton and um um and and Rep.

[00:33:03]Tyler Rico.

[00:33:05]>> He's not going to win. Who's not gonna win?

[00:33:08]>> James Terico is not gonna win.

[00:33:11]>> Um, >> that's your money. Okay.

[00:33:13]>> Yeah, I I don't see it. Um, I think that he is a lot like Bato with a with uh less charisma and I also think that these people don't play fair. I want to call this call up this tweet as an example. So, Steven Miller um posted this last night on Twitter. This is a tweet that says the Democrats made history in Texas by nominating their first transgender Senate candidate.

[00:33:40]Completely inaccurate.

[00:33:42]Um, but they are willing to like try to get it in the mud. These are people who have gone to uh Republican governors and told them to find them more votes and more seats.

[00:33:57]So, I'm not, this doesn't even go to James Tarico's qualifications or his ability. It also goes to whether or not people are going to play fair. Now, what do we do in the face of cheaters? Of course, we show up, we overperform, all of that. But here's my challenge to candidates, and I know we're going to talk about this more a little bit later, but when you ask us to show up and show out, when you ask us to vote like our lives depend on it, when you ask us when you tell us this is the most consequential election of our lifetimes, and all of that is true, what are you going to do for the people >> who overperform, who sacrifice, who show up even when your own people vote against you? What are you going to do for us? And that's the conversation I really want to have. Like I'm not really like, "Oh, James, let me give you free advice." You're paying these mothering consultants millions of dollars. I ain't got free advice to give you, bro. I really don't. I wish you the best.

[00:34:53]Certainly, while they're calling you transgender, wish you the best. Right.

[00:34:56]But like, you got you got some work to do. You got some inroads to make, >> you know? I have a lot of work to do.

[00:35:02]And I'm I'm afraid.

[00:35:04]>> So, let me let me let me start over.

[00:35:07]I'm not going to frame it the way Angela framed it, but she was very direct and honest in her assessment. The way that I would frame the way that I would frame this race is that Democrats should spend time and energy in North Carolina and Ohio before Texas.

[00:35:26]>> Texas is always fool's goal.

[00:35:28]>> And so what what I don't want Telerico to do is bring in Barack Obama.

[00:35:34]>> No, hold on, Bari. Break that down a little bit more. Why Ohio and North Carolina?

[00:35:39]>> Because we can actually win those seats, >> which is the same [ __ ] I just said.

[00:35:43]>> Proven proven record.

[00:35:45]>> But instead of being instead of saying little little buddy can't win, I'm just saying give your resources to somebody else. Shout out to >> Sherid Brown. He just >> give your money to give your money to Shared Brown and and and uh Governor former Governor Roy Cooper who are running running great races in their respective areas. We just hosted >> Roy is different from Sherid Brown, too.

[00:36:09]Like y'all, just for a moment, can we sit here for good?

[00:36:12]>> He's fine, but he's not like you guys, we ask black people to do the supernatural thing and black people don't benefit from that. Like we >> Yeah, >> we not there yet.

[00:36:24]>> Okay. Well, we need to get there quick.

[00:36:26]So go ahead. I want >> I'm just trying to make sure because at the end of the day, if we still 5248 or 5346 or whatever the math is, then black folk ain't going to get no no juice out that squeeze anyway if it's upside down.

[00:36:38]>> So all I'm saying is that I actually think I know Governor Cooper and he he did a hell of a job as governor in North Carolina. I don't know shared Brown as much, but I do know that he was a champion for labor and and has been a champion >> issues >> and and Yeah. and very very well he was very well loved particularly in places like Cleveland and um and Columbus so but I don't know Ohio politics too much so I don't want to dig that hole but back to James Terico Tarico I'll be mauling these people's names >> back to James >> one of the things I don't want you to do is bring in Barack Obama like he did two weeks ago have have Beyonce just wearing a a H- town hat and a Terico t-shirt I I think that the advice he will receive from Washington DC is to utilize the political cache you have to bring in some black faces to show that you are a champion for that community instead of doing the grassroots work necessary to build the energy. What happens in these races often is these individuals focus on grasstop blacks.

[00:37:45]>> They focus on the preachers, not the pews. And what I'm asking him to do is get with the AM church right now. Lay out a plan for what you're going to do with the AM church. Talk about, you know, or members of the AM church. Talk about a public safety record and what you're going to do in cities like Houston and Dallas, right? Go to your H.B.CU. Do that work necessary. And don't just don't just kind of add it add a cuchamont around the plate and just want us to eat it, right? Cuz that's what they do. They just come out here and put a few decorations up. Man, I I love Beyonce and I love and I love Barack Obama. That but that's not enough to penetrate the community in a way that's going to win this race. The crazy part about these three people we just named is Roy Cooper and Shared both have that cache in these communities. They are they they got that. They still got to go turn it. They got to do the work, but they have that cache of respect because they have that record that of the thing and the work that they've done.

[00:38:41]>> Can I just I just want to um correct myself a little bit. Sherid Brown hasn't been like this huge outspoken ally on black issues, but he also has not been bad. Um, I just looked up his ACLU score score. He raised 87% on a pro- civil rights voting record. But I I guess what I'm asking for is not just how they vote, but how they speak out. And and I think what I'm craving in this moment, y'all, is I'm not seeing a lot of senators, a lot of sitting members of Congress on the House side speaking out against the like pure onslaught >> of our voting rights and these maps. And it's frustrating to me. It really is.

[00:39:20]And so I'm just >> frustrating to all of us. I agree, Angela. So we're we're what happens to me is I feel from my perspective is the onus continues to be on us without the onus of an agenda passed, pushed or sponsored by the legislators who we have to go vote for.

[00:39:38]>> And so what I'm asking for in this moment is for there to be a right setting of that.

[00:39:42]>> If you know that we have to vote like our lives depend on it, and we do. I am never going to discourage people from voting. I'm always going to encourage us to vote. But like our civic engagement does not start her in there. And and I think that it is not fair for u members of Congress or any elected official to want us to do all of the heavy lifting and they don't even have to say where they stand on reparations or where they stand on H.B.CU funding or where they stand on whether or not black black farmers finally get their fair share or where they stand on um you know another young black boy whose head is being kneled on by a police officer. You know, if I don't want Sherid Brown, for example, to co-sponsor an anti- flag desecration amendment when the flag does not represent the people who it's supposed to serve, right? So, I'm just saying at some point this has to be right set. And sure, black people should have an agenda and demands and we should have a but also y'all know what we need to survive in this country and for us to really be fully liberated. And I don't see y'all doing that. So, I need you to meet me more than halfway. is not in just really quickly say on the on the agenda. First, I am a big Cher Brown fan and I'll take his symbolic >> um gestures to keep his seat um any day over him doing the hard laborious work in committee and in markup to ensure that the needs of our communities are met because Angela is a thousand% correct. You don't need us to articulate it quite frankly. We I mean we will we can and we will. But the truth is is that just like you look at data to help you determine um how much um uh your community or constituency needs as it relates to a food bank, you can look at data to see what the disparities in housing and in education and in health and in so many other areas. um employment, um economic impact, the loss of wealth, the the the overwhelming uh release of qualified black women from their work. All this stuff is is open and available to you. And I think what happens often times with white liberal Democrats very specifically is that they take a backseat to black legislators believing that those black legislators should be the ones to speak on this. And they'll talk about the suburban real America issues when that issue comes full circle and it needs a voice and it needs an advocate. And what they should hear very clearly is just like your community has uh uh uh uh uh white voters in it, you also have voters of color in it. and I would argue probably a pretty overwhelming demonstrable number of them if you got elected to a congressional seat. And so what that means, you have to be in service to all of them. And don't take a backseat to an issue that you think is a black issue because if it's a black issue, it's an American issue, right? Since this thing is built on us and oftent times sustained by us and is oftent time um um our community are the ones that are the canaries in the coal mine for everything bad that happens and that's coming down the pike. So the the advocacy of these folks is absolutely necessary. Bquard, I I I was seeing the the attacks on Terico uh um the day after the election and it reminded me of me having to deal with Ronda Santis getting up and saying on Fox, don't monkey the state up. And what I will tell the Torico team about this, this is the only free advice.

[00:43:02]>> Um and that is to say, >> don't follow the red herrings. like there are things they're going to want you to run down the barrel in on the issue, >> but you've got to continue to look past them, talk past them, speak past them, show up past them to the voters of the state. If you make this thing about whether God is a man or a woman, first of all, it's insulting because our God is too good and too great for that devolution of a conversation around gender, right, to be applied. That's one. But but but but if you follow them down the rabbit hole on these things, um you're going to find that the very voters who you are trying to recruit to your side are going to be the ones turned off by all of the distraction when what they want to hear you talk about are where do you stand on redistricting? That's a big constituency in your state. Your state is going through. Where do you stand on that?

[00:43:56]Don't tell me that's a federal issue and is beyond the scope of the office of such and such and such. Nothing. when you're elected and you have a perch like a United States Senate seat is beyond the scope of your conversation, your consideration, your dialogue, your speechifying, your tweeting or whatever it is exing what you know that you do.

[00:44:16]In other words, if it confronts the people under your purview, then it creates a range of opportunity for you to speak up and speak out. Don't wait to be asked. I want to see you move affirmatively in those in those directions. And that's what that's what's going to be required for you to bring over the folks who were pro-Jasine did not feel like the resolution of that race was the most respectful or or or or whatever the issue may be. They're now going to look past gesture.

[00:44:47]They are going to want to look to and read through and feel the content, the sustenance of what you are offering to them, to us.

[00:45:00]And if you can't be compelling enough in that way and feel as passionately about the gender of God as you do about redistricting and the other issues that confront them, then goodbye.

[00:45:10]because we're gonna need to see that kind of energy in order to believe that you might have a fighting chance of once you get elected still being there for us on our side. Not just when we need you, but when the circumstances make it necessary for you to do it.

[00:45:29]>> I um I I just I want to say here um one I agree with everything you said, Andrew. I just want us if we can to transition a little bit to this kind of talking point that's been percolating a lot. So in the response to redistricting and the maps, >> what is uh the overarching Democratic leadership talking point especially in Congress is y'all just wait till the midterms. We going to show you in November there's a lot of action and activity happening. Bari's home state of South Carolina. All the young people who organized around stopping the maps just the other day. That wasn't just Republicans of good conscience. That's them having to walk past the protesters.

[00:46:11]That's them having to watch how many people showed up at the polls. Right?

[00:46:14]So, we're still doing our part. But Democratic leadership is saying, "Wait until the midterms. Wait until November." I don't want black people to wait and be behind the eightball another day. I want us to be organizing and figuring out what our needs are and making those demands known to elected officials who get paid by us whether we vote for them or not. Again, not discourage, not encouraging sitting at home. I'm always going to encourage people to vote. My question to y'all is, especially as uh former elected officials, what is the right message? I think that we all hopefully agree. And if you don't agree that the right me if you think the right message is wait till the midterm, show up in November is the right message, I definitely want to know why. But if that's not the right message, what is? I talked to my best friend Leonetta yesterday and I was like, Neta, when you hear this, when you hear Democrats saying this to you, what's your response? She's like, well, what the hell they going to do in November? Cuz last time they was in charge, didn't nothing really change.

[00:47:13]So, >> so if that's the case, like what why do they keep defaulting to that? Is that a security blanket? Like what the freak is that?

[00:47:21]>> So I I brought this up to you on the call the other day. I think I I guess both of you go >> Don't be trying to act like I plagiarize your talking point.

[00:47:30]>> No, not quite. Just slightly.

[00:47:34]But the question is like I think the question that's a question that that Hakeem Jeff has to answer yesterday >> like >> what what are the very tangible things we give you the levers of power back what are you going to do other than you know not be Trump right like accountability is one aspect but people out here are watching decades worth of rights being eroded I was listening to someone say that a woman born today has less reproductive rights than her grandmother.

[00:48:06]>> That is just a fascinating statement when you think about it. All right. And so I I think that there a couple of things.

[00:48:18]One, I want to change the way Democrats fundamentally campaign.

[00:48:22]>> That's I mean I I think that we run very stale campaigns. My white progressive friends show up in black areas. You know, after Labor Day, they show up at H.B.CU see football games and black churches around September. You know, we have to change >> sometimes Halloween.

[00:48:39]>> We have to become a more digital campaign. And my one of the things that um I would tell um um Terico is something that I was disappointed in a lot of people um because when your campaign raises 50 60 70 $100 million and there's not one black millionaire that you've created.

[00:49:05]>> There's not a pipeline of new black field workers that got their start on your campaign.

[00:49:12]There's not a new entity that came up that does PR work or polling that you were giving them that 25 or $35,000 a month which was more than they've ever made in their life but help trans they did good work for you but it helped transform them in their communities because we know those campaign dollars when they come into our households they're going to be spent with us they're going to be spent at HB.CU to use. They're going to be spinning at black businesses and black restaurants. But for far too long, people haven't even thought that way.

[00:49:43]They haven't looked at the economy or the ecosystem of politics. So, it's the same people. Same people get paid over and over and over and over again. And I want James Telerico and even shared Brown and even Governor Cooper to break that cycle because they are raising tens of James is gonna break a hundred million dollars. We just know that. Just throw that up there. he's going to break $100 million and I will be extremely disappointed um if there's not, you know, five new bill five new millionaires um because they did work with his campaign. And the other thing is one of the things that I was watching the other day is um the the Murdy boy, he just bought he just bought a whole new conglomerate of media, >> right? They just went out and bought >> Yeah, they did. four or five new big shiny like top 10 uh viewership readership like they're they the media in the conservative ecosystem is running circles around our black media and democratic media and we have of course the Roland Martin, we have Byron Allen, right? We have these individuals who are trying to get in that space but we can put them Ashley Ellison. We could put them on three three I mean one hand >> three angus.

[00:51:04]>> Yeah. So I want us to do a better job of using this cycle to build up native land pod right which Angela is trying to do every single day going out in the community creating more content. But I want us to make sure that our political media is growing as well. And it's something that goes parallel to the candidates because one of the things that I don't want us to do is put all of this on the individual running for office. Andrew said it best. There's a role for each one of us.

[00:51:36]>> There is a role for all of us to play and we need to be a part of that ecosystem. My last point is please God don't let perfect what is it? Don't let perfect be the enemy of >> good >> cuz we be out here trying to trying to elect, you know, uh, Martin Luther King who studied with Malcolm X who had the courage of Rosa Parks and was an athlete like Cam Newton and be trying to find the Manurion Negro candidate and we fall on our face. And so I'm not saying that we settle. I'm not saying that we don't ask for things that are tangible or good. But at the end of the day, we can't look for perfect because that becomes an enemy of good. And this is a math game for me.

[00:52:16]>> But here's the here's the thing, Andrew, and I'm just going to ask add this to layer to have have you weigh in.

[00:52:23]>> What Bari talked about was like the inside baseball of the strategy, like you know, who are you getting as you're in your in your consulting class? Who are you building up in terms of capacity and all of that? But there's also a requirement to meet the needs of the voters so that they're even desiring to turn out. And I think that's really where I'm sitting right now. I I obviously agree and have worked really hard on building up consultants over time. But I'm saying for the people who are at home whose SNAP benefits are about to be cut in November, Medicare, Medicaid, all of that, the things that we keep talking about till we're blue in the face. What is in it for them? Yeah, >> this is a transaction. This is this is a classic case of >> you know you know I like you I would wear your shirt baby permanent friend. I hate you. I'm not fooling with you. You don't rock with me. You don't support my policies. Permanent enemies. But at the end of the day I have to make sure that I can get to work. My kids can go to school. I can eat. My light bill is paid. You know I'm I'm up hopefully getting closer to an upward mobility trajectory while trying to fulfill the American dream. What are you going to do to ensure that I can get that? Yeah, >> that's for the voter. What are we what what do we demand for the voter?

[00:53:40]>> Yeah. Well, first of all, the voter makes their demand. Um but but before I answer more deeply your question, Angel, which I think is the right place for us to to be. That is >> I want to attenuate your list um um uh Bari and just say the other thing in addition to what ways have you built wealth and built up status and capacity within these firms who by the way have expertise for the exact voter that you need. Um let's not forget that you know this benefit is a two-way one. Um, but also what community- based organization did you leave behind that has capacity to build and strengthen community engagement and involvement and see to the needs of the people that you serve when we're not in the election cycle.

[00:54:26]we often forget about. It was the one thing that I announced after I, you know, um u um after our 2018 race in Florida was getting back making micro grants to statewide community- based organizations to get in there and do the work that they know how to do best. They're knocking on doors when storms come through. They're the ones showing up on your doorstep trying to see if you got a generator. They're the ones trying to make sure that you got access to food, your kids got clothes, they're triaging our community in times of crisis, but also in everyday periods because they're looking up and they're seeing the news as well. Gas is expensive. So what are they doing with money that they fund raise for? They're giving people gas cards. They're helping folks out to make that bridge from week to week when we robbing Peter to pay Paul and and and and still don't have enough coming in the door uh to make this the math work on it. Speaking of math, Bari, so we do have to change our mindset around the $100 million to be spent in 60, 90, 120 days for a race where if you did the math on the number of voters and divided by the number of the amount of money that you spend, it is an incredulous amount of money being spent per voter that you get. And you got the nerve to talk to me about not having a budget to go and get low uh propensity voters.

[00:55:48]You're spending 20 times that.

[00:55:50]>> Yeah.

[00:55:51]>> On the voter who you know is going to show out and that your posters and your advisor should have already told you of that entire uh targeted demographic, you might change less than 1% of their minds about who they're going to vote for.

[00:56:06]So it's it it really is flushed money. I I'm embarrassed by the amount of money we had to raise and spend and the time that we had to do it. But if you're gonna raise those kinds of sums of money, for sure, you ought to leave something behind. And that's what I'm getting at around these community- based organizations, you can't go in here telling people you care about them, you see them, you feel them, you're advocating for them, but you abandon them for four years into the next cycle >> or two years to the next cycle or six years to the next cycle. US senator, you abandon them and then you show back up and you tell them that you've been out here advocating and debating on the floor and you scheduled time and had member time on the floor and in the caucus and this and they're still saying my condition has not fundamentally changed in any way, shape or form. So the voter has the demand and the demand in this cycle isn't just that we got to get beyond Trump and we got to stop.

[00:57:03]That is that is that is absolutely in the equation. It should be top three on the list of the things that we're talking about. But the other thing is is we have to tell people what it is we want, what we need. And guess what? They shouldn't have to depend on us to know what it is that we need. They ought to have us. They ought to have a senses of of of the people that they're choosing and wanting to represent. They ought to have a they ought to have a complete census of what it is based off the numbers.

[00:57:36]>> But Andrew, on this so there is the Black Census Project.

[00:57:40]>> Yes.

[00:57:40]>> That Black Futures Lab does, people won't take the census.

[00:57:45]>> Guess what? I'm actually I I wish they would, but my bigger beef is that a member will will will point to the fact that the census only got X percent of respondents and so that's what they had to go off of rather than saying, you know what, I noticed that in my state and in my district, the average unemployment is 4.3%.

[00:58:07]And then I've also noticed that amongst black men it's 25% and amongst black women it's 16 and a half%. And so if you know this to be true that the average is 4.3 or whatever and we're four and five times that average, you ought to know that an intervention is necessary in order to get folks what it is that they need. All I'm saying, Angela, is that yes, we as a community should take um um uh the these censuses, give our responses, and allow that to be foremented into an agenda that groups like ours and others can present. But also too, if you're seeking my vote, you ought to do just a little bit of light work.

[00:58:51]>> I agree, but say that they don't because they never freaking have.

[00:58:56]>> You agree, but they don't. And this is why I'm saying the demand it. We cannot put the responsibility for curing the ills of society on the people who are most impacted at its intersection.

[00:59:06]>> You going to take the victim and tell the victim that they ought to come up with the salve for what victimized them.

[00:59:13]>> I understand. I I don't think it's fair, but that's where we >> don't do it to anybody else.

[00:59:18]>> I But this is But we're not an argument.

[00:59:20]We are not. This is a passionate agreement. I was going to say, but who else arrives in the belly of A SLAVE SHIP? LIKE IT AIN'T IT ain't [ __ ] like what we've been through in this country.

[00:59:30]It's not. There's there's not another Yes. There's not another group who they say we're going to take your culture.

[00:59:37]We're going to take your entertainment.

[00:59:39]We might pay you a little bit for it, but you also may have to do it for free.

[00:59:42]We're going to make sure that YOU WORK HARD FOR us and then call you lazy.

[00:59:47]We're going to do all of these things.

[00:59:48]Make the conditions impossible. And yet still you survive. And when you survive and you barely get the opportunity to vote, you better know what you want, how you want it, and even though we are going to sew seeds of discord all throughout your community, you better figure out how to unite if you want to get anything done at all.

[01:00:04]>> And by the way, solve your own problem.

[01:00:07]>> Yes. All of that.

[01:00:08]>> While I'll sol while I'll solve the rest of the constituency and the rest of the district's problem, I will go out of my way >> to do it for other people. These same electives stand up in front of a town hall meeting or a a members debrief a a coffee and chew and then they say black person that thank you for being here because because of what you said. This is exactly why I need people like you to come and volunteer for no sir cuz you didn't say that to voter over there you understood hook line sentence verse what it is they needed without their explanation. But for me when I come and state what is the most fundamental obvious to anybody who has sight and you don't have to see sight but sight in the deepest sense anyone who has um um a sense of what is going on as I expect an elected should would know that of course these are the issues that are plaguing us.

[01:01:03]>> But I guess all I'm not saying that you're wrong. I'm saying that we have witnessed time and time again folks not do this. the reason why the Congressional Black Caucus when it started had to be the conscience of the Congress because when they fought to protect black interests, basic health care, fundamental rights, that wasn't just for black people. That was going to help everyone. But still people even like Debbie Wasserman Schultz running where she feels entitled in a space and on issues where she's never cared about, has hardly said much about. This is exactly the problem. And so we do need the census. You're saying why can't this voter just name it or why can't this elected official just say that they see it? I don't know. But what we know is historically that doesn't work. When Joe Blow comes and says here are the issues that you need to solve for the black community in congressional district 20 or or you know in this particular state, they don't hear it unless it's from the association of black of black Joe Blows.

[01:01:59]>> So then we need to come together to do the thing so that we are heard. And I wish it wasn't this way. I think we do both is what I think.

[01:02:08]>> I agree with you.

[01:02:09]>> And what I think our common talking point has to be Angela is >> I shouldn't have to prescribe to you elected official who are you standing in front of me and you're asking for my vote. I shouldn't have to prescribe for you what it is that you know what we need in order to solve this problem.

[01:02:23]That's number one. But number two, I want you to be aware and I will forward your office so you can have your little assistant over there go and study it and Google it beyond this conversation is I need you to have the black agenda in front of you and I need you to go through that and figure out which among those issues are you prepared to sponsor legislation on. Which among them are you going to take? Because I want to report back to the black census that congressman elect such and such has told me that this is the issue by which he wants or she wants to take sponsorship lead.

[01:02:55]>> We need to have black everybody that listens to Native Lampot. It doesn't even just have to be black folks. We want you to go to these town halls, these candidate meet and greets and do exactly what Andrew said. I think that is a perfect >> and I think that you're I think that was a natural segue too cuz let's get to some calls to action and Angela you you you have given us a lot to >> take action upon so I'm going to let you start you might want to double back on something you said earlier but let me hear your call to action then we go to Andrew.

[01:03:21]>> Um well first I just want to thank you both for this conversation. I feel like this is not done but there's so many questions I have for you still in this space and Andrew even like the way that you ran your race was different. the way that people in Florida still talk about how you ran and how much hope they had.

[01:03:38]It didn't feel like an hope and change campaign, it felt like you were one of them because you are. And so, one of the things that I would encourage candidates everywhere to do is figure out how to tap into your humanity. We're going to talk about on our um mini pod um that we're recording today, how everyone has a role to pay play politically even when they don't think they do. And we're going to start with NCAA athletes. So, think about what your responsible what your responsibility is in this time. Um, also I want to shout out my good brother Deario Solomon Simmons. He has a new book out, Redeemer Nation. Um, he was on my uh solo pod yesterday, the century long battle to restore the soul of America. Since reparations is in um hot conversation right now with Donald Trump's 1776 uh billion dollar fund um which where the country always says they don't have any reparations, it's time for us to talk about who really deserves them. So that's my call.

[01:04:30]>> Amen. Amen. That was a lot of calls, too. Sorry. But I love it. I simply double down on where I where I where I ended my comments, which was to simply say I if I'm actually going to let you off the hook for not knowing what is our collective community agenda because as I said before, I don't think any elected any policy maker holds any other constituency of note responsible for being the ones to solve the public policy uh u um um uh issues that confront our communities at large. They don't. That's why people run for office to pose to propose those um um um so don't let them head fake us into believing that we are the ones who are ultimately responsible because it's one thing if it's a one-off. It's one thing if it happens to two out of 10 of us.

[01:05:14]It's another thing if nine out of 10, eight out of 10 of us are confronting the same thing because what is that? A system, right? That is a system now.

[01:05:22]That is not an a one-off, a coincidence.

[01:05:25]I'm sorry that happened to you. No, it is systemic and that requires systemic action activity to then change a thing.

[01:05:33]Secondly, re make make your electeds recognized.

[01:05:39]We even if you are every year voter that you are voting this year with a different set of determination and that one of those at the top of that list of what you are determined to see happen is you are determined to see them produce for your community in a way that has never been demonstrated by this seat before. And if you want the specifics go to blah blah blah blah blah or you hand them your list of five things and that way they know what it is that you expect. But no longer can we just do the obligatory I got you because we know what the other side has in store for us and it's just that bad. Yes, that but also I've got some needs that need to be met for our community and here they are.

[01:06:23]>> My call to action is to somebody I don't know um but I have a great deal of respect for kind of asking him to do better. Nick, can you play this clip for me, please?

[01:06:38]>> Yeah. The George Flo joke, it wasn't a tasteful joke to our culture, to our audience, but our audience that's watching the roast, if you're watching the roast, you get why they're doing it.

[01:06:51]You get why the racial humor is is is on the table. Like, it's not I wasn't shocked. Like, that's what they do. Go look at the Tom Brady one. Like, that's what they do. It's It happens every year when they do a roast. It's not new. This isn't a new It's not a new agenda. It's not a new approach to comedy.

[01:07:12]>> Do Do you feel like Tony Hinchcliffe went too far when he made that joke about George Floyd?

[01:07:15]>> It's Tony Hinchcliffe.

[01:07:17]>> Yeah.

[01:07:17]>> Like I don't like I don't expect less. I don't expect more.

[01:07:21]>> I feel I feel like you're saying going too far is the point. I don't want to put words in your >> Yes. I mean, you're That's why you're there. And >> I hate to say this, but I'm going to cuz we're being honest.

[01:07:31]People are talking about that joke.

[01:07:34]Talk about his set.

[01:07:36]Tony Hinchcliffe arguably had the best set or one of the best sets between Tony and Shur and I would say Naim had a really strong >> had a very strong set. I laugh I was laughing out loud at Tony until that joke until the joke.

[01:07:52]>> But that but that but not even just that joke. I don't like when people joke about violent tragic death. I I like Pete set and then I was like a you why you understand Pete went Pete had a great set too.

[01:08:01]>> I'm I'm with Angela's philosophy of not throwing people away. So I'm not going to come from a place of hate to Kevin Hart or let's you know disown him or boy. I'm not doing that.

[01:08:17]But I do want to spend time or have people around him spend time to educate him on the fact that just because you have a proximity to whiteness, >> you ain't them. And there are battles that we fight and there are many times we look to people and talking about the roles that we talked about in the show.

[01:08:42]Kevin Hart plays an intrical role in a lot of people's life because when things get darkest he lifts us up >> through his humor through his his movies. I mean that may be his role through his company that he's built now that he is trying to employ people. I know that people are writing some stuff about it but I don't want to go in that.

[01:09:01]But what I will tell him is that I'm not a comedian, but I can tell you that racial violence and racism ain't funny.

[01:09:09]And when you talk about George Floyd's life or death, and it comes out of the mouth of a bonafide racist, you have to do more in terms of take accountability for that act, although you're not the one who made it. And it's so you're going to say, "I'm friends with him. It was a roast of me. It was a that's not the point. And I am not disappointed in Tony Hinchcliffe.

[01:09:35]Like I I'm not I don't have any judgment of him because we know who he is.

[01:09:40]>> But I am disappointed in your remarks that you made after the fact, even taking time to listen to the words that are being said around you. You took a a position of comfortability that's enveloped in whiteness.

[01:09:56]And if you're going to continue to utilize our community to build wealth, then you need to understand when you aid or platform in furthering harm, then you become the problem.

[01:10:11]>> So my call to action is Kevin needs to think about himself.

[01:10:15]>> I have to say i.e. Charlie Kirk.

[01:10:18]>> Why have what what >> I just say I mean when when when they decide what the line is, >> people lose their job. You know what I mean? All I'm saying is simply if if you're having a hard time understanding the line because I've worked for a famous comic who um and and I've heard and been around folks who use satire as the ultimate license to say and do whatever without any um response.

[01:10:50]And people have a response and I just I just wanted to identify that to what point is is that Go ahead. I'm sorry.

[01:10:58]>> No, no, no. To your point that there that that that there are lines that the other side draws to. This isn't some um offended liberal um >> when you are when you are the subject of the roast.

[01:11:09]There is no holds barred.

[01:11:14]But the family of George Floyd did not ask to participate in that in that way.

[01:11:18]>> No. And that's a part of my bigger point that I'm disappointed that Kevin Hart even a lot of times we don't see things in the moment. You know, I'm on TV sometimes and we talking and I don't see things in the moment. But excuse me, after reflection, he should have been able to see that. Anyway, >> I I can I say something on this? You you brought this up. this was um you know anyway I think the thing that I want to remind people of um George Floyd became a martyr uh not of his choosing in this country um because Derek Schovin kneled on his neck until he died for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. this country had to watch uh this torturous video that takes us back in time um frankly to where our voting rights and our civil rights are now going and um to suggest that George Floyd who um whose alleged crime was using counterfeit money in a store that he frequented a neighborhood store that he frequented in Minneapolis um deserve to die in any way and as a result was looking up from hell.

[01:12:31]Um where he couldn't breathe, which is what the joke was, is an abomination.

[01:12:39]Um it is awful. And I just want to on behalf of our show send our love and our prayers um and our continued action to do the right thing um to advocate for this family and all of the other families who cannot be named who've lost loved ones at the hands of police violence um we just were with you and as the you know this department of justice dismantles a police database that would allow for this violence to continue as this administration, which would never support a George Floyd Justice and Policing Act, with this administration and the DOJ that seek is seeking to protect white Protestant males, um, we know that we are still at risk every single day. And and as our parents and our communities continue to have detox with their kids, knowing that there's nothing that they can do in the face of a rogue police officer, no matter how good you are, this is not a a behavior test or a background check. Um that can never be passed just by the mere color of your skin. So we send our love to George Floyd's family and certainly ask that he rest in peace.

[01:13:52]Thank you for looking down on us, George, and know that we will continue to fight for your legacy and for other young people who come behind you.

[01:13:59]>> That was a great show, y'all. And as always, we want to remind everyone to leave us a review and subscribe to Nativeland Pod. We're available on all podcast platforms and YouTube. You can follow us on our social media and Substack or you can check out nativelandpod.com.

[01:14:14]If you're looking for more shows like ours, check out the other shows on our Reason Choice media networks. Politics with Jamil Hill, Off the Cut with Essie Cup, and Now You Know with Noah Dearaso.

[01:14:25]I am Bkari Sers, and these are my very thoughtful and caring co-hosts, Andrew Gillum and Angela Ry. Welcome home, y'all. There are 159 days until midterm elections. Native Land Pod is a production of iHeart Radio in partnership with Reason Choice Media.

[01:14:43]For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.