Redistricting Battle in The South. Uber Ride Killing. 6 Years After George Floyd #TheBreakdown

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:51]Heat. Heat.

[00:01:06]Hello.

[00:01:11]Heat.

[00:01:31]Yeah.

[00:01:38]Yeah.

[00:02:48]Well, it's Friday, May 22nd, and I'm Britney Noble. Here's what's coming up today on The Breakdown. The future of Alabama's congressional map could be decided in court today as Republicans push to restore a map that would eliminate the state's second majority black congressional district. Civil rights groups say the fight could reshape black voting power ahead of the midterms. And six years after George Floyd's murder sparked a global movement for racial justice. Well, coming up today on The Breakdown, we will speak with community advocate Danette Davis about honoring George Floyd's legacy and the work that still remains. And a black woman educator is working to make sure the next generation is prepared for careers in science, technology, and innovation. Coming up, we'll talk with Dr. Cynthia Smith, Minds of the Future Academy about creating opportunities for young people to dream bigger and succeed in STEM related careers. The breakdown begins right now.

[00:04:02]We start with a breakdown of the headlines and the stories that you need to know about from across black America.

[00:04:07]The future of Alabama's congressional map may be determined in court today as Republicans seek to reinstate a map that would eliminate the state's second majority black congressional district.

[00:04:16]This legal battle follows a recent 6 to3 decision by the US Supreme Court that narrows key protections under the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The law has historically been used to challenge racially discriminatory voting maps.

[00:04:30]Alabama Republicans assert that the Supreme Court ruling paves the way for the implementation of the state's 2023 congressional map, which courts had previously blocked for likely discriminating against black voters. But civil rights groups contesting the map argue that the new congressional boundaries still violate the Constitution by intentionally undermining black voting power, particularly in light of a prior court order requiring that Alabama create a second majority black district. So, the case is currently before a threejudge federal panel in Birmingham, and state election officials may also be called in to testify.

[00:05:08]Three Tennessee judges will decide if state lawmakers overstep their authority after approving a congressional new congressional map during a special legislative session. the NAACP Tennessee State Conference and several plaintiffs, including congressional candidate Devonte Hill, sued the state after lawmakers redrew districts and eliminated Tennessee's only majority black majority Democratic district in Memphis. According to the lawsuit, Hill had already spent nearly $100,000 campaigning in the former District 9 before the new map shifted him into what is now District 5, just months before the election. The NAACP attorneys argue that lawmakers went beyond the governor's special session authority by repealing a law banning mid-deckade redistricting and changing election rules tied to candidate deadlines and voter notifications. State attorneys argue that the changes were legal and necessary to implement the new map ahead of the 2026 election.

[00:06:06]And problems with establishing intravenous access for the lethal injection led to the postponement of the execution of a black man in Tennessee who may be innocent. Governor Bill Lee granted a one-year reprieve on Thursday after Tennessee officials halted the planned execution of death row inmate Tony Kthers. The Tennessee Department of Corrections reported that the execution staff was unable to establish the backup IV line required by the state's lethal injection protocol. Crowther's attorneys indicated that the official struggled for about an hour to find a suitable vein before the execution was finally stopped. The current execution procedures adopted in 2025 mandate that execution staff insert both a primary IV catheter and then a backup IV catheter.

[00:06:51]According to the protocol, the primary IV is used to administer the lethal injection chemicals while the backup is reserved in case the first one fails.

[00:06:59]Additionally, the protocol specifies that any failure of the IV line must be promptly reported to the commissioner.

[00:07:06]57year-old brothers was scheduled to be executed on Thursday morning for the 1994 kidnappings and murders of Marcelus Anderson, Dois Anderson, and Frederick Tucker in Memphis. His conviction was primarily based on witness testimony claiming he confessed to the crimes, but court records revealed there was no physical evidence directly linking him to the murders.

[00:07:27]A seven-year-old girl has died after police reported that she was tortured to death by three generations of white women in Long Island home. The Sulo County District Attorney's Office indicated that they indicted 50-year-old Emily Kelly and her 70-year-old mother Barbara Rener and her 24-year-old daughter Alysa Seymour with the death of Jordan Duncan.

[00:07:50]According to the reports, Jordan was placed in the care of her father's fiance in December of 2024. The fiance gained full custody and guardianship in April 2025 after the child's mother lost custody. That's because the father is incarcerated. Police state that Jordan was terrorized by all three women in the home between January and June of 2025, during which time she missed 40 days of school. And in late December of 2025, Kelly called 911 to report that Jordan was in cardiac arrest. When paramedics arrived, the child was unconscious and later died at the hospitals. But prosecutors indicated that an autopsy found Jordan had suffered 90 stab wounds and her cause of death was determined to be untreated infection from these wounds. And Kelly's attorneys claimed that the wounds may have been self-inflicted. Kelly was indicted for murder, reckless endangerment, endangerment, unlawful imprisonment, and endangering the welfare of a child.

[00:08:49]Kelly's mother was indicted for manslaughter while Kelly's daughter was indicted for unlawful imprisonment. And an upandcoming basketball star from Illinois had his life tragically cut short while riding in an Uber.

[00:09:02]18-year-old Dearan Johnson along with his Uber driver Justin Cho were shot and killed in Chicago's Garfield Park neighborhood. The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. May 7th when a gray SUV pulled alongside their vehicle and an occupant inside opened fire. Johnson was a talented high school basketball player who was on his way home from the gym and just days away from committing to a college on a full ride scholarship. And the driver, on the other hand, was a financial analyst who drove for Uber just to earn extra money. Devastated friends and family spoke about Johnson's positive impact and a heart-wrenching loss that has left a significant void in the lives of those who knew him.

[00:09:40]>> He was on his way to making it up. He got an opportunity to go to college for free, right? Um from multiple places. Um so he was just weighing his options on um what decision was best fit for him.

[00:09:50]Um and before he could announce that decision um his life was cut short.

[00:09:54]Wasn't just one of many kids that we've seen come in and out of the program. He was a real little brother to me and I really had true love for him.

[00:10:04]>> According to the Chicago police, exclusive surveillance footage captured the drive by shooting. Although a person of interest was questioned, they were released without charges. No arrests have been made and police are offering a reward for information related to the case. A federal appeals court has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a former Colorado corrections officer who claimed that mandatory workplace diversity training created a hostile work environment for white employees. The case young vers of corrections involved former corrections officer Joshua Young, who said that the department's equity, diversity, and inclusion training unfairly targeted white individuals and made him fearful of being accused of racism.

[00:10:44]Young claimed that the training included discussions on topics such as white supremacy, cultural appropriation, and racial power dynamics, which he believed discriminated against the white employees. So, he also contended that the mandatory training caused him to hesitate in carrying out certain job responsibilities, including interactions with incarcerated individuals and prison visitors. But the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court's dismissal of the case, concluding that a single workplace training program does not meet the high legal standard required to establish a hostile work environment under federal law.

[00:11:19]George Clinton, the legendary performer and founder of the Parliament Funkadelic, is suing Universal Music Group, accusing the company of withholding more than $1 million in unpaid royalties. The lawsuit claims that UMG has frozen payment of Clinton's royalties for more than three years over a separate legal dispute tied to the estate of former parliament keyboardist Bernie Warl. Warl's estate had claimed that Clinton had not properly paid him the keyboardist for some of their collaborations. But in the new court filings, Clinton says that UMG has frozen royalty payments for projects unconnected to the collaboration with world. According to court filings, Clinton is owed nearly $1 million in Parliament royalties, plus additional money connected to other projects, including work with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. And Clinton is seeking damages, release of the royalties, and full accounting from UMG.

[00:12:12]Beyonce's nonprofit, the Bay Good Foundation, is continuing its effort in the next generation of hair stylists, barbers, and beauty professionals under the leadership of Tina Nolles. Cred's vice chairman and the chair of the board of Bood Foundation. The 2026 Secret Baygood fund is committed to $250,000 toward educational support and workforce development programs. This year, this initiative is expanding its reach from five schools to 10 cosmetology and barbering institutions all across the country. Each school will get $25,000 scholarship grant to help support aspiring beauty professionals pursuing careers in the industry. The program is also launching a new tracking system to monitor graduation rates, licensing outcomes, and job placement for scholarship recipients to measure the program's long-term impact. Since launching in 2020 for Baygood Fund, this foundation they've awarded $1 million in scholarships and salon business grants.

[00:13:13]Well, coming up today on the breakdown, right after the break, you know, six years after the murder of George Floyd, communities in Minneapolis are still fighting for remembrance, racial justice, and healing. Coming up, we will um honor Floyd's life and the people that are working to preserve his legacy for future generations. And remember, for more news headlines and in-depth coverage 24 hours a day, please check out our website, The Blackar Network. We want to be your source for stories that matter to our community. We'll be right back.

[00:13:57]Hey y'all. Welcome to the other side of change only on the Black Star Network and hosted by myself, Ria Baker, and my good sis, Jamira Burley. We are just two millennial women tackling everything at the intersection of politics, gender, and pop culture. And we don't just settle for commentary. This is about solutiondriven dialogue to get us to the world as it could be and not just as it is. Watch us on the Blackstar Network to tune in to the other side of change.

[00:14:33]>> Violent white supremacy is quote the most persistent and lethal threat in the homeland.

[00:14:38]>> The greatest terrorist threat to the homeland is the homegrown violent restraint, including hate crime committed on behalf of some kind of white supremacist ideology. They are coming after everything in black America. MAGA and Donald Trump are specifically targeting black America.

[00:14:55]They are going after the money. Attack Black Lives Matter. Attack critical racism. Attack woke DEI. MAGA wants to defund black America. This is a perfect example of their desire to completely degrade and deemphasize black people.

[00:15:29]Hi, I'm Swash, basketball hall of famer, and you're watching Blackstar Network.

[00:15:42]A decade of love, joy, and power. Black Voters Matter is 10 years old and we are just getting started. This is love with a purpose. This is black joy in motion.

[00:15:54]This is unstoppable power across campuses, neighborhoods, and back roads.

[00:16:03]>> We show up not just to vote, but to be seen, to be heard, to belong.

[00:16:10]We ride together. We organize together.

[00:16:13]We remind each other that our voices matter because they always have.

[00:16:19]Black Voters Matter is about more than balance. It's about housing and healthcare, clean water and living wages, education, reproductive freedom, and dignity.

[00:16:32]It's about turning pain into action, turning belief into movement, turning community into power. We don't wait to be invited. We bring the energy. We bring the love. We bring the people.

[00:16:49]Because when black communities come together, we don't just survive. We thrive.

[00:16:55]This is how change happens.

[00:16:58]This is how history moves.

[00:17:02]We organize.

[00:17:04]We build. We whip.

[00:17:08]>> They've been trying to erase black political power since reconstruction.

[00:17:11]Now the Supreme Court is helping them finish the job. First came Shelby County versus Holder in 2013. The ruling that gutted the Voting Rights Act. Then came Bernovich in 2021. Another ruling, another piece torn away. Now comes Clay, the case civil rights leaders warned could the last major federal protection against racial vote delilution. And within days, Tennessee eliminated its only majority black congressional district. Louisiana, South Carolina, Alabama. The same strategy is spreading across the South. The old Jim Crow used pole taxes and literacy tests.

[00:17:47]The new Jim Crow uses gerrymandered maps, voter role purges, polling place closures, and court rulings that make black communities politically invisible.

[00:17:57]1965 was Freedom Summer. This is Freedom Summer 2.0 because they are still trying to erase black political power. And we will not vow.

[00:18:32]Back to the breakdown. In case you missed it last night on Roland Martin unfiltered, Black Men Vote has published a new poll and Roland spoke with the executive director. Take a look.

[00:18:44]>> Black Men Vote released a new poll highlighting an engagement gap among young black men in key states as we approach the 2026 midterms. The research from Hit Strategies based in DC by my man Terren Woodbury conducted a multi-state survey showing that while most black male voters understand the importance of voting, many are still undecided about participating in this year's elections. The findings are based on polling 1,636 black men ages 18 to 45 across Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina.

[00:19:21]Michael Bland, executive director of Black Men Vote, joins us right now.

[00:19:24]Michael, glad to have you uh on the show. So, >> Roland, thank you. Thank you, my brother. Glad to be here with you.

[00:19:30]>> Okay, so when we say they're not committed to voting, what does that mean?

[00:19:36]>> Look, I think it's it's what we all know, Roland. Bottom line is we have to give them a reason to vote. Um and and when I say they, Democrats, Democrats don't have an economic message. We don't have a message for them to vote. Um and and and and the reality is 18 to 45 some of the messages that resonate with you and me don't resonate with the brothers between 18 and 45. It's just one they live in the biggest disinformation market that we've ever seen in our lives. And two, um there's there's a relationship gap with our politicians that that it just doesn't exist. And so they don't see the way that government benefits them, the way that this claim that democracy has benefit them. They don't know what democracy is. So, you know, I think there's a lot of work that we have to do, but that comes from the disinvestment that we don't make into institutions that serve us, black men, black women, minority voters, right?

[00:20:21]There's a late game that we play. And that's where, you know, that's where we're getting caught with our hands, you know, or excuse me, our tail between our legs.

[00:20:27]>> So, you and I I saw you. We were in Montgomery.

[00:20:31]>> It was good. We had a good time.

[00:20:32]>> Uh, and um I'm downstairs. I'm trying to check in. a brother behind the counter, black man, Alabama State student.

[00:20:41]>> Yeah.

[00:20:42]>> Sports marketing major. And one, he had no idea who I was. And that's fine. I never assume anybody know who I am. I always introduce myself. But as we got to talking, um, he wasn't even aware, not only of the show, he wasn't aware of the march that was happening literally two blocks from where he worked. And as I was kept talking to him, he kept saying, "A lot of students at Alabama State don't know." Uh when I mentioned that I was on the campus last year, he said, "Man, a lot of time we have no idea who comes on campus." And he was sharing right there how a lot of them are simply not engaged. They don't watch the news. I began to ask him, "Where do you get your information from?" He mentioned Tik Tok.

[00:21:30]He mentioned Instagram. Go to my iPad.

[00:21:33]uh y'all laid it out of that YouTube that first of all half of young men are active news consumers just 6% avoid news uh but you say that your rep your um poll YouTube is a dominant civic information channel 90% use YouTube at least multiple times a week and a majority identify YouTube as a place they go for breaking political news now the reason I I understand that because when we talk about uh black men if I pull the dashboard right now and look at my analytics and I click audience.

[00:22:08]Uh give me one second.

[00:22:12]Um for our in the last 28 days of this show, our audience male is 57.6% female is 42.2%.

[00:22:24]Uh and I know when I get stopped, brothers are stopping me all around the country. Man, I love the show. I love the content. So, this the idea that they're not news consumers, as your poll lays out, is simply not true.

[00:22:38]>> That's right. And and listen, Roland, it was shocking to me that that's where they land for their media, right? That's where they land for the news and YouTube. It was very shocking to me. And I tell you, one of the proud one of my proudest things or probably the most the thing I'm most proud of is is is being a dad. Um being a girl dad at that. And so often times I have these conversations with my girls, you know, where do you get your news from? You know, where do you get your music from? Where do you find the music? I I struggle trying to find the music. Um, and then learning that YouTube really is that outlet. Um, I don't know if it's as much as they're not information taking as we do. I think they're consumed with so much and that what's important to us is relatively not important to them. And that's why I think the dynamics when I when we think about, you know, I heard you talk about the autopsy, but what was important about this research is when we talk about black men in precision tactical scientific data and how we reach black men, that's why we had to do this research because a lot of times we were just assuming that they were getting their news from X or that they were listening to XET platform. And so I I'm I'm happy that, you know, one happy to work with Terence Woodbury and his phenomenal team at Hitch Strategies, but more importantly, I thought it was, you know, really advantageous for me as the executive director to say, "Hey, let's really let's really, you know, unlock this thing with a scapel and find out where our brothers are getting that information from." And moreover, that media market or excuse me, the last persuadable base that's left in this country, which is 18 to 45 year old black men, where are they getting the news from? Because we also know they are the biggest consumers of disinformation.

[00:24:06]So there's a lot of work we got to do and there's there was a lot of work in trying to unlock that identified uh six segments of black uh men and so go to my iPad um base stems were the largest group 31% millennials in Gen X Harris voters in 2024 high likelihood of voting in 2026 Um, and I'm I'mma go actually by percentage. The next highest percentage were Trump voters, 19%.

[00:24:46]Trump voters in 2024, mixed likelihood of voting in 2026.

[00:24:52]Next was young supporters, 16% Gen Z Harris voters in 2024, high likelihood of voting in 2026. Next was disengaged and demobilized.

[00:25:04]13% voted for someone else, were ineligible to vote or did not vote in 2024. 50/50 or lower likelihood of voting in 2026.

[00:25:15]Next, 12% voted for distrustful voters voted for someone else, were ineligible to vote or did not vote in 2024. High likelihood of voting in 2026. Then 9% of respondents harris voters in 2024. This was sympathetic but uncertain. Uh 50/50 or lower likelihood of voting in 2026.

[00:25:38]Um when you saw that, what jumped out at you?

[00:25:43]>> I got to raise more money. I have to raise more money. Um and and the reason why I say that, you know, it is segmented out so much and and we wanted that. To me, what really jumped out to me was there is there are massive gaps, but there are ways that we can fill the gaps. And one of the things that we know, you know, to be true is this notion of whether they're informed, they're uninformed. I think the message that resounds the most, and this even goes from the town halls that we were doing in 2025 is that black men, younger black men in particular, feel that folks are just talking at them and they're not, again, not giving them a reason not to vote. when you look at the Trump voter or the young Trump voter, it wasn't surprising to me. As you know, Roland, I was part of the Harris campaign. Um, and and so, you know, when we saw this late invitation, we saw this late surge of, you know, black men may go this way or they may they may go this way or that way. But it wasn't surprising for me to see that they voted for Trump because to them, what they see in Trump is economic prosperity. And they don't see that. What they see in the Democratic party is living in the land of about to do. um will almost get there. Um it takes time and for them when they're looking at their pockets particularly now and that's why I think we're going to see this we'll continue to see the shift you know back to you know because we know them to be center left we'll see continue to see the shift for them moving over but what we know is that that what is going to matter most is the economic message and so clearly the economic message from Trump resonated more than it did from the Harris campaign.

[00:27:10]>> But but here's what's interesting and this is I think part of the Democrats problem. Um, Trump was lying about economics. The reality is numbers don't lie. The last five Republican presidents put us in a recession.

[00:27:23]>> Absolutely right.

[00:27:24]>> There's been more job growth in America under Democratic presidents, Carter, Clinton, Obama, Biden, than Republican presidents. I mean, the numbers are stark. Uh and so but Republicans have successfully created the illusion that they are fantastic for the economy. And I think that's because what Republicans do, they tout tax cuts for corporations and businesses uh as economic progress when we know that that that is that that only impacts of the top 1%. And so what I've always said, what Democrats got to figure out is how in the hell do you lose an economic argument when the data is actually with you? Uh, and so also I believe and and I've been saying this for the longest and we discussed it earlier with this autopsy report uh with Ashley and that is this here.

[00:28:20]>> You cannot talk to black people in the final two months.

[00:28:26]>> That's right.

[00:28:26]>> In no and I I got no problem saying this. In November 2023 when Vice President Kla Harris hosted a dinner with um black men, it was an off the record dinner. Um uh what I said, and I've said this publicly, so it's not like this is the first time I'm saying this. I said then, y'all must start in January. And how I broke up the year, I said January to July must be engaged, enlightened, educate, and informed. I said in every one of these battleground states, in every single city, every single week, there has to be civic education discussions, uh, teachings, whatever, walking people through what you did, what you accomplished, and then what you want to do. I said, and you got to be making that investment. I said, January to July, your convention is in August, and then you shift to a different uh, strategy. I've said that to her. I've said it to people running for Senate, people running for Congress, people running for local. I said because we're no long and and then the autopsy today confirms that that you have to be what Republicans are doing. They are engaging their people year round, constantly driving information where Democrats lecture's over. I'll see you in a year and a half. That ain't gonna cut it.

[00:30:00]Well, I I I couldn't agree with you more and I think that is, you know, I I've been doing this um in, you know, don't let the the curly hair fool you and and let's pay attention to the grace. I've been doing this for almost almost 20 years and I've said this repeatedly at Nauseium going all the way back since 2009 when I was on the um when I was an organizer with the Cororsine Weinberg campaign. Late invitations are for fools. Um and that's a word that Johanna Hayes said all the time. Late invitations are for fools. and we only entertain from September to November and whether it's a national campaign or the statewide and then they go back out do whatever raise a bunch of money do a lot of events for politicians and they forget actually the people who got them elected that's the problem and you look at organizations like ourselves and and and and there's so many others that are doing great work um and what we hear from a lot of times from donors is there'll be late money and money is coming now that's the problem so how are we supposed to engage you know you look at this report and you say Well, Mike, tactically, how are you going to engage them? Well, part of the reason why we did this report was to prove that all year substance, all year engagement is what is going to win elections? If I only entertained my my my wife or my partner um um only three months out of the year, is she going to talk to me? Is she going to be engaged with me? No, absolutely not. It's the same thing about courting voters. And I don't know why we think this is just a quick fix or just as some folks would just call it a quick marriage or or kiss in the middle of the night. This is dating. This is long-term engagement and it's something that we refuse to do as a party. And I and I don't get it. It's it's very disturbing and and then we live in the land of >> It's that hard to understand, Mike. It's not hard to understand. It's I'm telling you >> what if See, we got to be honest. And this is there's some black people watching and y'all need to go ahead and get out of y'all feelings what I'm about to say.

[00:31:45]>> And and this is what people have to understand. Okay.

[00:31:50]The strategy since 1965, the strategy from 65 to 2008 was the same. Pretty much the same. No, I'll say 65 to 1988, the strategy was the same. And that strategy was um black churches talk to >> black groups like NAACP.

[00:32:18]We're going to speak to social programs.

[00:32:21]We're going to speak to the the needs in black community. We're going to speak to housing. We're going to speak to food.

[00:32:28]We're going to speak to healthcare.

[00:32:30]Those things like that.

[00:32:32]And then what happens? Reverend Jackson wins in 1988. He's then says, "No, you have to actually campaign uh a different way." So from 88 2008, that was a strategy. Then Obama comes along and this is where things change. Obama says, "I don't need that black ecosystem."

[00:32:57]He literally said it.

[00:32:59]>> His campaign. He literally said it. Now, he was correct.

[00:33:04]>> He was correct because the fervor of black people to vote for the first black president was on a different scale. We we we showed that we showed the the data in terms of uh the turnout data and it's right here. It's right there. You see it right there uh where it peaked. The blue line is black people. You see right there where it peaked. That's 08 2012.

[00:33:27]It's never been higher since 1980. It peaked right there. It got close in 2020. Uh but it peaked in those years.

[00:33:35]Uh so what then happened? Obama runs for 2012. He didn't need the ecosystem. I was saying in 2007 8 when he was running say bro uh y'all he only going to be there max eight years. You going to need the ecosystem. The reality is the black turnout strategy was obliterated when Obama ran for president.

[00:34:03]The white operatives operated after 2012, 2016.

[00:34:11]They operated as if he was still running.

[00:34:14]>> That's right.

[00:34:15]>> That's what happened. And and here's why it's in the data. There was an 8 point gap between black women and black men for Obama in 2012.

[00:34:29]The first sign of black male erosion was in 2012.

[00:34:35]I was I I discussed it on on on my show then I said y'all black men said they were not satisfied with what Obama did in the first four years. But because the number was still a high 80s folk like oh that's no big deal. It increased in 16. people a lot of systems like oh it's misogyny I said misogyny is a part of it but doesn't fully explain the erosion the erosion continued in 20120 and the erosion 2024 it's because they were not paying attention to what black men were saying and they were still running a 2008 strategy that does not work in 2024.

[00:35:28]It's not going to work in 2026 or 2028.

[00:35:34]>> And coming up on Roland Martin unfiltered tonight, Roland's one-on-one with Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Telerico about his campaign and Roland's conversations with Congressman Emanuel Clever and James Klyurn, who could lose their seats to newly redrawn maps in South Carolina and Missouri.

[00:35:51]That is all tonight. Those conversations starts at 600 p.m. Eastern, only on the Blackar Network. We have more news ahead for you after the break. Stay with us.

[00:35:59]You're watching The Breakdown.

[00:36:12]They said the quiet part out loud. Black votes are a threat. So, they erased them. After the Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act in 2013, Republican legislators moved fast. New voter ID laws, polling place shutdowns, purges of black voters from the roles. Trump's justice department didn't stop it. They joined in. In 2018, his DOJ backed Ohio's voter purge system, a scheme that disproportionately erased black voters.

[00:36:41]Their goal, erase black votes and political power. Yeah, that happened.

[00:36:47]These are the kinds of stories that we cover every day on Roland Martin unfiltered. Subscribe on YouTube and download the Blackar Network app.

[00:36:55]Support fact-based independent journalism that centers African-Ameans and the issues that matter to our community.

[00:37:12]If in this country right now you have people get up in the morning and the only thing they can think about is how many people they can hurt and they got the power. That's a time for mourning.

[00:37:24]>> For better or worse, what makes America special? It's that legal system that's supposed to protect minorities from the tyranny of the majority. We are at a point of a moral emergency.

[00:37:37]>> We must raise a voice of outrage. We must raise a voice of compassion.

[00:37:44]>> And we must raise a voice of unity.

[00:37:48]>> We are not in a crisis of party versus party. We are in a crisis of civilization, a human's rights crisis, and a crisis of democracy itself. And guess what? You've been chosen to make sure that those that would destroy, those that would hate don't have the final say and they don't ultimately win.

[00:38:24]Welcome back. In today's Noble Spotlight, we're highlighting the Black Women Career Collective. That's an organization focused on mentorship, networking, career advancement, and creating spaces where black women can thrive professionally and personally.

[00:38:38]Black women continue to lead in entrepreneurship, education, business, and leadership while also navigating workplace bias, pay inequities, and burnout at disproportionate rates. But the Black Women Center Career Collective is working to change that by building community, creating opportunity, and helping black women grow across all industries. Joining us now is Dr. Kimry Dupri, founder and CEO of the Black Women Career Collective. Thank you so much for joining us today.

[00:39:09]>> Thank you so much for having me, Britney.

[00:39:11]>> Welcome. tell us for viewers hearing about the Black Women Career Collective for the very first time. Talk to us about your mission.

[00:39:18]>> Absolutely. So, I know all too well the struggles and sacrifices that many of us have black women have made in order to climb the executive ranks. um with over 20 years of consulting experience I have in working with for Fortune 500 companies worldwide and being a senior leader at one of the nation's largest consulting firms. I didn't always have the help necessary to really help me break through the glass ceiling that was there in corporate America, which is why I founded Black Women's Career Collective. And it is really to help other ambitious black women get the necessary help that we need to cut through a lot of the red tape, a lot of the bureaucracy that exists so that we can get what we deserve in the workforce as far as our pay, our promotion, and being able to pivot if we're not necessarily getting what we need at our current company.

[00:40:12]>> Oh, that's good. So, tell us what do you actually offer these female professionals?

[00:40:16]>> Absolutely. So a lot of what we offer the female professionals is the ability to have community which is that safe space that is so necessary because for many of us we operate in places in the workplace where we are the only and that can be exhausting that can be very taxing. So we really offer that community and career local where we can come together and network. We also offer a lot of tools, knowledge, and resources that help us learn how to navigate fair pay in corporate America. Many of us do not realize and understand that black women are getting paid 66 cents on the dollar compared to our non Hispanic white counterparts. And there's even a holiday called Equal Payday that really looks at the disparity between what black women are getting paid compared to their white non-hispanic counterparts.

[00:41:11]So we offer information around negotiation strategies, understanding the market and your role and what you should be getting paid in salary and total compensation.

[00:41:22]>> Helping you understand how to get promoted. Many of us suffer from just thinking doing good work is enough.

[00:41:30]That's not enough. I know we were told you got to work twice as hard, but visibility is a big part of being able to network your way up to that promotion in corporate America. And then oftent times we don't have the tools and the strategy to really pivot. And many of us just sit in the seat of wait, waiting for things to change at our particular companies and scared to even think about looking elsewhere. And so we really help with a career strategy to pivot that will derisk what a pivot looks like and help you be successful in achieving a better position, a better company, a better industry alignment that will suit your future needs.

[00:42:15]>> Can you tell us a little bit more about what a successful pivot would look like?

[00:42:20]Absolutely. So for many women, if you have been waiting for the promotion, you've been doing all the right things, a lot of the reviews that you've been getting are telling you that you're checking all the boxes, but year after year, you're getting passed over. Year after year, you're looking and you're watching the person to the right and the person to the left bypass you. Then you might need to think about taking like LeBron, your talents to South Beach. You might need to look at taking your talents elsewhere. So what would that look like? That would look like understanding what your role is called in the market, doing a search to understand in the market, what are some other positions that are tangential that you can apply for? What is that desired salary look like? Who's offering that pay? And um also being able to analyze the market when it comes to the pivot.

[00:43:15]Do I have the network to make a successful pivot? How many of you know the old way of just applying for jobs just doesn't exist anymore? There are hidden jobs that are posted unless you know how to pick up the phone and call someone. So part of a successful pivot is understanding the market and where you're want to going where you're going.

[00:43:34]Making sure that you have a network aligned that can help you navigate there. making sure that you understand uh what it is you're looking for and then the pay that you really want to shift into so that you can move to that desired role.

[00:43:50]>> That is fantastic. Can you tell us how long have you had this organization and then do you mind sharing maybe a few success stories?

[00:43:59]>> Yeah, absolutely. So for Black Women's Career Collective, we've been around for a couple of years now. It really has started to thrive with just the number and the thousands of black women that had been sidelined literally as of what we've been seeing lately in what uh 2025. We all we had to do was turn on the news and we saw it everywhere. Um a lot of the success stories that we've had is we've have helped a couple relocate from what was a rural area into the inner city where they had better job opportunities. when they came to us, they were saying with the resume that we had, we weren't getting any hits. And then Black Women's Career Collective touched it and we had options, right? We had choices as far as interviews and the positions where we wanted to land and they landed successfully. Oh, nice.

[00:44:49]>> We helped a woman pivot when it came to industry alignment. She was in marketing. She wanted to make the shift into project management. We were able to help her identify the transferable skills. We were able to redo her resume.

[00:45:03]We were able to introduce her to a hiring manager that fit the future desired role, prep her in mock interviewing, help her negotiate her salary, and she has been thriving ever since. So, those are just a few success stories that we've had, and we have so many that are in flight right now with many women that are in the interview process, some right now negotiating salaries. It's so such important work that you are doing right now. Um can you tell us why it's so important for mentorship and sisterhood when it comes to helping us navigate you know how to survive in these professional spaces.

[00:45:44]>> It's so important because um mental wellness is very very important and right now we as black women are suffering from a lot. There are chips that are stacked against us, right? We lack a lot of sponsorship that we need to pull us up in corporate America.

[00:46:01]Again, I mentioned the the fact that we're underpaid, 66 cents on a dollar.

[00:46:06]We have women that are being put on performance improvement plans that are doing good work. There are so many factors stacked against us, including the massive layoffs that have happened, AI disruption to a lot of entry-level roles that many black women possess, and then just the roll back of DEI. a lot of the programs that were meant to support us and help us accelerate in the workplace. So, community is important.

[00:46:32]One, it's important for us to understand that we're not alone. Sis, you have somebody here to help you. You have a community of women that get it. You have a safe place to come and it's not a crab in the barrel mentality with us with each other. We understand each other. We get it. And community is what we know and how we can help each other rise. And that is what we're doing. Well, tell us how can we connect with you and support the Black Women Career Collective? How can we get involved?

[00:47:01]>> Absolutely. So, we you can find us on Facebook and Instagram at blackwomen'scareer collective and then you can also visit our website at www.blackwomen's that's with the scareer.com.

[00:47:17]And you can also find more about our career revolution summit that is coming up in the month of June. So, we would be glad to have you.

[00:47:26]>> And so, where is that going to be held at?

[00:47:28]>> The Career Revolution Summit. It's an online um summit. You can just go to um the the Career Revolutionsummit.com.

[00:47:36]>> Oh, that's fantastic. Look, before I let you go, any last words, any advice you would have uh for women entering the workforce or maybe launching a business right now?

[00:47:47]>> I would say one, hang in there. Hang in there. There may be chips that are stacked against us, but I always know a God that prevails and pulls us through.

[00:47:56]The God that will be there for us like he's always been there for us. And then don't go it alone. Get the help you need. Get the support you need. Get the mentorship and coaching that you know you need. No longer just sitting by idol hoping that things change. We know the definition of insanity is doing the same thing expecting different results. Black women this year, get the help that you need. Get the community support that you need. We want to see you at Black Women's Career Collective.

[00:48:28]>> Dr. Kimry Depri, thank you so much for joining us for the work that you're doing in our community. We appreciate you.

[00:48:34]>> Absolutely. Thank you for having me.

[00:48:36]>> You're welcome. All right, we still have news on the other side of the break. Uh did you know today marks six years since the death of George Floyd? We'll tell you about some of the work that's happening to honor his legacy. Stay with us.

[00:49:05]Hey y'all. Welcome to the other side of change only on the Blackar Network and hosted by myself Bri Baker and my good sis Jamira Burley. We are just two millennial women tackling everything at the intersection of politics, gender, and pop culture. And we don't just settle for commentary. This is about solutiondriven dialogue to get us to the world as it could be and not just as it is.

[00:49:26]>> Watch us on the Blackar Network. So tune in to the other side of change.

[00:49:35]>> Blackar Network is here.

[00:49:38]>> Hold no punches.

[00:49:39]>> I'm real revolutionary right now. I thank you for being the voice of black America.

[00:49:43]>> All the momentum we have now. We have to keep this going.

[00:49:47]>> The video looks phenomenal.

[00:49:49]>> See the difference between black star network and blackowned media and something like CNN.

[00:49:54]>> You can't be blackowned media and be scared.

[00:49:58]>> It's time to be smart.

[00:49:59]>> Bring your eyeballs home. You dig?

[00:50:19]I need to stop doing that.

[00:50:22]>> Well, welcome back to the breakdown. We appreciate you so much for joining us for this really important conversation that we are about to have because Monday marked six years since the murder of George Floyd, a tragedy that sparked global protests, renewed demands for police accountability, and force America to confront long overdue conversations about race and justice. Communities all across the country will gather to remember George Floyd's life, honor the movement that followed, and reflect on the work that still remains. One of the organizations helping lead those efforts is Rise and Remember, formerly known as the George Floyd Global Memorial. The organization was co-founded by activist Floyd activists and Floyd's family members to preserve memorial items left at George Floyd Square and continue education advocacy efforts tied to Floyd's legacy. And this year's events include remembrance gatherings, performances, conversations around racial equity, and the rise and remember festival honoring victims of police violence and community leaders working toward justice. Joining us now to talk more about this is Danette Davis, CEO of K Davis Associates, community advocate and philanthropist. Dette, thank you so much for joining us today on the breakdown.

[00:51:38]So, I want to make sure that we all can hear you. Listen, um, it's been six years since George Floyd's murder.

[00:51:49]Are there any emotions that come up for you?

[00:51:52]>> Yeah. Um, it's been six years. Last year was year five and we did uh what you call the movement festival.

[00:52:00]>> Last year we did four days um with, you know, different things going on every every day. uh you know from concerts to forums um where we had you know and the representatives from Black Lives Matter from the foundations um we had you know church we did a balloon release and all those things so this year uh I donated a statue it's called a conversation with George >> and we did it I want to say almost three years now and working very closely with the family uh to make sure that you know they were happy. We've always now uh we want to make sure on the 25th which is the anniversary of the death and on his birthday we make sure we we do something what have you that uh keeps that in in in America's keep keeps that at the forefront uh we say we we'll never forget uh because after his death the world came together like for a few minutes you know and we saw um us in you know in a in our best version I is. And so one of the things we do since that statue sits there in bronze uh is remind especially Houston community and and others that uh we're not there yet, you know. So, but we want to not make it just bitter and and and just constantly complaining. We want it to be a celebration so that it becomes a part of what we do uh as a part of going forward. on Memorial Day. You know, it's it's it's so weird, you know, that it happened on Memorial Day, but it allows us to mix the memorial of of others, you know, veterans alike. But to do it, it almost now seems like the perfect time for us to to to raise the awareness. So, working with the county, uh we're there, uh in the in the building, uh the community building and at the statue, uh you know, we'll do the balloon release, uh there and we'll have some local politicians and and community, family, uh we'll be there and then we'll have we always have to have the report card, >> you know, that's when we talk about where are we now? What did have we done anything beyond talk? you know, uh we we got that policing act maybe um in the out of the house, but it certainly never got passed. Uh we the county uh did a pardon when we found out some things about early things happened in his life, but the state, you know, never finished their part, you know. So, uh it's it's important that we still talk about the report card uh because uh there's so many things now going on uh in the in the United States. uh referencing you know uh improvement places where the improvement is just needed and so uh it just becomes a place where we can you know start with that because I don't think we've solved the problem of police brutality and and some things that are happening that uh because of his death became you know a big uh deal and was we all aware and we're ready to do all these wonderful things and somewhere down the line uh you know it kind of stalled but we're still here and we want you know the world to know we're still here and because he was from here, it matters uh even more and we want this community to lead in in in in those conversations.

[00:55:20]>> And tell us a little bit more about some of those things that are coming up on the report card. What should we be aware of right now? What do we need to work on?

[00:55:30]>> Oh boy. Uh what don't we You know, I was listening a little bit earlier to some of the things we're talking about in the in the show. Uh, and uh, we've got a ways to go. We go forward, maybe we'll go two steps back.

[00:55:44]But I think I have some some folk who uh, in the No. Uh, Commissioner Rodney Ellis will will be uh, on the panel. Uh, Representative Ron Reynolds will be on the panel. We want to make sure folk who we've how we've elected to do the work uh, are reporting back to the community.

[00:56:01]Now, Sharita uh, Dr. Sharita McGee who uh is also uh the 929 Foundation uh whatever who's been there with us from the beginning. Uh she's George Blood's first cousin and that family uh will be as a part of the conversation. Urban League will have a representative there uh and maybe NAACP. We and a community person. We do this last year. It was it was fantastic as well. We we managed to have uh like I said, Black Lives Matter, uh new uh president of the board uh here and some other uh folk. We had the minister Muhammad. I mean, we had Bishop Dixon, you know, with NAACP and all of them. every year it's like um we need to just like I guess in the Bible we need to always be reminded >> you know it needs to always stay you have to no matter how well things go we have to be reminded again the next year you see you know and we say with that statute there it uh we will not let uh let you when I say you I mean the the public forget so when we talk about that report card those are the kind of things we expect that they'll come back and and then uh having uh supposedly fingers on the polls, they should tell us now what should be what should we uh be worried about? What should we as a community other than voting? You know, that's something I think it it will come up time and time again because I think what happens is uh you know what I've learned, you know, because I have a a podcast called Trending Tuesdays, you know, and so we've got in Texas down here in Houston, we've got a lot of runoffs and things that are going on.

[00:57:37]We've had a lot of, you know, uh, elected officials both running, you know, some things like that. We've had some first, you know, because we think it's interesting and with all of the things that are going on, you know, in Houston, they've got, you know, first black mayor in Caroline, Texas, and you got some folk. So, we're telling people at the local level uh to push and and vote and understand that these uh all of these long sentences you find when you saying, "Well, do you approve of this?"

[00:58:03]Listen, you got to read it three times in order just to know what you're voting for. Those things matter. You know what I'm saying? So, it's almost like educating that voter, encouraging that young voter. That was something one of the the uh podcasts we had, we brought on Urban League uh uh young uh professionals uh and the and the guild to to really talk at the candidates and say to them, "Okay, what what are you doing that makes me feel like what you're going to do is going to make a difference?" Okay. What what why do I vote? Why should I vote? We're hearing that and you know for somebody that's been you know voting for a lot of years and having to listen that you know parents and grandparents talk about all the you know horrible things that used to go on in the past but now you know this younger generation not quite um you know I haven't had you know it's not as hard and they may not see and understand. So we're worried you know so when you say what kind of things on the report card it's it's getting them out to vote. It's it's talking about real progress and not perceived progress. Uh and it's talking about uh things that we need to do in the community. Uh it's making us smarter as a community. I think as you know Kavis in the community is the name of my nonprofit and we do a lot of things having to do with the schools and and uh the local communities. Uh uh I think awareness is really really really important. uh show that because sometimes you just don't know what's going on just because you may be good or things that you know in your neighborhood it's okay you don't realize really the full effect of what may be going on um in other parts even if Houston and then of the United States I think internet's helped a lot with us kind of you know knowing what's going on more but you'd be surprised how many folk you know just trying to struggle pay their bills they just don't have time uh to know everything you know and they just may not realize well I really need to go vote because this is going to affect, you know, my my my livelihood.

[00:59:56]You know, I I went to the gas station the other day and it was over $100 to fill my car. Got my attention, >> right?

[01:00:05]>> But I mean, the report card, I expect that they would bring to us issues that, you know, matter of the people and then we'll talk about it u in a way that uh will keep people uh I think when they're done, we'll probably have a little question and answer. Uh we'll do the balloon release. I think that's because we want to be uh you know and and and remember that a man died literally uh you know under somebody's uh knee you know that I think um I just it's you know just I can't watch it today honestly me >> either you know what I'm saying so the idea to even have done that um statute and then to learn about him personally and got to know his family and things like that it still pricks me and so I want to make sure so we partner with county and with others in the community to make sure that we keep the the the idea of of um us coming together and fixing some of the things that we can now and then push and not give up. You know, we we want to say least we forget.

[01:01:05]You know, we'll never forget that it happened so we won't uh forget to do something about it. That's that's kind of um why we continue to do it because we want things to be better. and we got kids, grandkids. Uh we we to me as America, we we've got to open our eyes and and be the be the best version of the United States, you know. And >> so you um partnered up with Commissioner Rodney Ellis, >> right, >> during Precinct One. U and it's really just a moment to kind of as I understand maybe take a little stress off the people in the community. There's vendors there, there's food.

[01:01:40]>> Yes.

[01:01:41]>> People expect. Yeah, it's Well, we get after we do the balloon release now, you know, I'm I'm always the kind we get in there, we'll have probably the saxophone playing, get them, you know, so they enjoy. I want them to be happy and have a good day and all of that and then we'll go out and do the balloon release and then we'll come back, you know, and we'll do the we'll do the forum because we want them to be uh to be uh informed.

[01:02:04]But we've got some local talent. Uh there uh because we if we say we want young folk to vote, then we need to support them and make sure they're included, you know, in the program. So, we've got a rapper. Um we have uh and people can go to the website. Those things will be up. But there's a rapper and then there's a young woman that's doing u uh music now. She has a dancers with her. Her name is >> Bashers.

[01:02:27]>> Bosers. Okay. Bosers. Okay. She's she Okay. See? Okay. You know who she is.

[01:02:32]Okay. And then we've got a couple of spoken words. Uh Dr. Buki De Roach Boen who's a local uh comic and and and writer here uh who you know has a lot of things to inspire and and make you think. And then we have another young artist we're working with who just got a graduated from Texas University last year. He's making his debut, you know.

[01:02:54]And then but we say while that's going on uh uh a conversation with or conversation with George is the name of the piece but uh the making of George is uh the the story behind the story and we did it while the artist was making the piece. We literally put uh a camera in front of her. So in real time >> as she was making the mold, you know, it's but we run it, you know, it's really and then we interviewed all the people that we we could grab his his his teacher when he was young, his his sister, his, you know, the family, his daughter. I mean, she's just so adorable, what have you, when we did, but we put all these things together. So that'll be running in one of the rooms.

[01:03:31]We'll run that where they can go and take a look for those people who haven't seen that. And then, of course, there's vendors. We have folks that have written books, uh, people that, you know, made some delightful food, you know what I'm saying? So, so, you know, we're allowing them to kind of mix and and have that available for, uh, for our guests. And then, uh, Jolando Johnson does this thing with his group that's called the, uh, it's the Crusaders. And it's Crusaders movement. And this thing is so, you know, with with Joe Sample being from Houston and and and all those guys, it's a big it's a big hit here. And he travels with it, but they're going to take us home. We're doing a full set.

[01:04:07]We'll have Blamea the comic as our uh MC and so there'll be you know uh we're going to try to make it uh it's one to five and so it's to me it's moving parts. You can sit down and watch things for a while. You can kind of move around and stuff. So we want people to come over and hang out and and then also focus on why we're there at the same time enjoy themselves. It's Memorial Day so we want to make it uh something that they'll remember, look forward to and have fun at. So when they talk about it, you know, a lot of times we remember things that we enjoy and it'll all be mixed together, >> okay, >> with why we were there. And I think making it a celebration uh as a part of how we see it will help people also think positively and feel good about what we're going to see happen as we continue with with this church.

[01:04:57]Well, Miss Danette Davis, we can certainly uh feel your passion through the screen and uh we just want to thank you for the work that you're doing um to honor George Floyd and all of the work that you're doing in the Houston community to help our community. Thank you.

[01:05:11]>> Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much.

[01:05:14]>> Absolutely. We'll hear from you again soon. I know it. All right, folks. Thank you so much for joining us today on The Breakdown. Uh we appreciate your time and for spending part of your Friday with us. We will have another show on Monday afternoon