Attorney, political advisor and TV commentator Angela Rye talks about the current political climate, her part in bringing about change and some of the ways everyone can get involved.
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Of course, Love Supreme is a production of I Heart Radio. This classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora. Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to QLs classic. UH my name is Quest Love your host. This particular episode of Questlove Supreme is from two thousand seventeen. We did this one July twelve. We've got to speak to Angela Rye. I mean, oftentimes we only get to see these micro clips of her um social media as a you know, talking head for CNN or maybe SMBC. But you know, she's a she's family, she's friends of the show and UM. During this time period, of course, we were like one year into that administration trying to figure out how to get our way out of it. Um. But a lot of the stuff is timely, as far as her entry into uh, I guess a freedom fighter and if you will, so hope you enjoyed this episode. Angela Rye to a list classic Let's go Suprema, Suprema roll call, Subrima, Subrima rogue called Subrima, Sabrima rogue call Subrima. Angel Rise playlists Yeah, yeah, Quest loves playlists. Yeah, I'm pretty much Saprima Rode calm suprema some some subrima rogue call. My name is Fante, Yeah, I get the props. Angela's from Seattle. Yeah, like mix a lot suprema ro calm, soprima suprema ro call. My name is Sugar. Yeah, I don't get raucous. Yeah. Now, man, I please join your black hawk as she is noting. Fremo roll call unpaid bill. Yeah, and how you're doing. Can't stand it no more? Yeah, collusion roll call so Premo roll still is not ready yeah for this roll call. Yeah, so I'll yeah that's best for all roch roll call, Prima Premo roll call yeah time yeah yeah, some try to fight it. Yeah, but she wanted me to die. So Fremo roll call name they ride Yeah, and I got bars. Yeah. Oh man, I miss yeah man Sam roll roll roll la fucus. Yeah. As soon as I hurt rong because I knew what was coming in now crazier. I didn't know you going to mix a lot way. So you sound like a little bit of be real. And you remember when Big Dad Kane's dancer had be real hero scool love school. Yeah, I thought you had school lover. No, that was my mix a lot in person as well. Down for Seattle. Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to another episode. I'm sorry, a very special What's going Down episode? That's my that's my mama of quest Love Supreme. Welcome Supreme guys. How are you? We ain't on the outfield, you know, on the court? Just sports? We read it. I feel like this is going to be a not a tense episode, but a serious episode. Let me just take all the fun out the room right now. Yeah, revolutionaries got anymore? I didn't even get to do a second want right now? You mess up? Welcome to my world anyway, ladies and gentlemen, in our in our special What's going Down episode of Damn, I forgot the name of my show. Ye, I love this woman so much that I forgot the name of my own damn show. Um, you know, for me for the times that we live in, Um, we've been spending a lot of this time nerding out with our favorite music acts and you know, uh, learning about music and in art. Um. We rarely do anything leaning towards politics. UM, but I guess we'd be remiss if we weren't at least gonna have one general discussion about what's going down, uh, and the times we live in And I can't think of anyone better uh to sort of tour guide us through this alternative reality we're in right now than our next guests. Uh lawyer, Uh exactly. In in the role of the of Black Caucus, are you the board member the the so I am serve on two of the um Affhili Organization board. So there's the CBC pack that's a political action committee. I'm on that board and I'm also on the CBC um Institute board. And I was the CBC executive director in general Council. But I hung up my Jersey sports money for for you. So and I'm great with sports. Yeah, because Bill is gonna call me out on that on some elementary stuff, Supreme now say no, I'm just gonna say, can you break down what the Black Caucus does? Because there are people who really don't know. Sure, they're often they don't know, especially those that say, where's the Congressional White Caucus, as if the rest of the foreign during thirty five members aren't white? I digress. So. UM. The Congressional Black Caucus is an entity that was founded in nineteen seventy one by then I think it was twelve members, uh that were black, UM, in the House of Representatives, and they established the organization so that there could be a space where black people's issues were heard. They're known as the Conscience of the Congress, and now they are almost to fifty members. UM. And of course they're two senators in the United States Senate who also serve as members of the Congressional Black Caucus. There are three black senators, but one opted not to join. Tim Scott, thank you write it down. So can I assume that most of the members of the CBC are Democrat? Yes? Um. There is one current member of the CBC whose Republican. Her name is Mia Love. She is from Utah. My aunt, that's not your aunt. Her last name was Loved. My dad normally says maybe the same plantation. That's what he says today, Just to be honest with you, that's what he says, the same plantation as she attended meetings or Yeah, she has been active on some issues. She definitely divergent on others. Um. But she's been active on some issues. UM. So not why because I appreciate your your grassroots involvement and you using elbow grease and getting down and dirty. But why would you choose this this particular field. I mean, you went to law school, you could you know, you could have just that's some stuff. Yeah, I mean what what truly means you? Was it following the family business or I mean in your father's footsteps as far as the community, like what most lawyers I know are thinking in terms of oh, success in my own law firm's a partner and that sort of thing. So should we know who her father is? His name is Eddie Right Jr. Um. He's an activist in Seattle. But um, it's actually a really interesting story. What I'll tell you is, um, there were two other paths that I, um thought I would choose before I chose politics. Um. I grew up in a house with a dad who's an activist, and I thought he was always on the opposite side of elected politics. So I hated it growing up because I couldn't understand why they didn't understand why you know why he was pressing pressing for you know, um or a part of a part of anti partside movements, or you know, getting involved with ensuring that subcontractors and contractors of color had an equal share of the pie I didn't understand why that was even an issue, right, um, And so growing up with him, I hated politics because they were never on his side. UM. And it wasn't until I was in my last year, my fall semester of law school, I wanted to do an internship UM in Los Angeles, and UM, Maxine Waters was someone I respected a lot, and so I was like, well, if I could learn from her, you know, maybe this will be good. But I'm gonna go so that I could be a trial attorney like Johnny Cochran. I just want to get an offer at the Cochrane firm. UM. And before that, I wanted to be a sports entertainment lawyer. But I'll save that story for another day. It's really interesting how that happened or didn't happen, UM. But in my I did my internship and like fell in love with the bridge between activism and politics. And there's no better bridge for that than Maxine Waters. UM. I started calling her the Nation's congresswoman then. That was in two thousand four, two thousand five, and just loved working with her, loved how she made everything work together for USUM, regardless of if we lived in her district. Or not. And Um, I did get an offer from the Cochrane firm, like had a mentor, Sean Chapman Holly. Shout out to Sean Chapman Holly, who's still a good friend. Um had an offer with the firm, and then he died, damn. And I was like, oh Lord, maybe this wasn't the path. So at my the National Black Lawstons Association, he died thousand five, okay. Um. At the convention, I was getting ready to introduce Congressman Waters who came to our convention. I was like, what did I go do now? Johnny Cochrane died and she was like, I told you to go to the hill. So I was like, well, maybe I'll think about that now. Um. And that's really the short version of how that happened. Um. But she's never been wrong, and I'm so happy to see millennials woke about her now. But she's been doing this, the nation's congresswoman, Queen Maxine has been doing this. So it's cool to god her back to it all makes sense now to why you had her back, even more when that whole stupid bill, O'Reilly, I would think I would have had in regards to going through that. That was stupid. She's on the floor of the United States House of Representatives talking about what patriotism in the air of Trump really means. Like it's not, you know, pledging blind allegiance to some um concept. It's about standing up for what we know to be truthful and righteous. And for her to be talking about that and he's talking about a damn James Brown wig. It took me to send me to a place, yeah, yeah, to among other things. Yes, that was very kind of So do you I mean, obviously, I know it's overwhelming, but um, just watching you in action of course, like in the age of social media, Um, a lot of people are familiar um with you as far as your your clips on the internet, usually going at people well and and rightfully, so whenever facts are are are sprouted out. And that's the thing like when I when I watch you go against two, three or four people at a time, it is I mean, it's baffling to me. I don't know if it's the equivalent of someone asking, well, you know, how do you can how do you coordinate your kick drum in your high hat foot and your left hand your right hand and talk to you know, how are you not exhausted? I didn't say I wasn't exhausted. I did not say that, But I mean have I mean as the the era that we live in now, which is, of course, I guess, the alternative facts era in which things are said with such a straight face. I think, you know, in general, a lot of us have been programmed to believe that if any information comes from someone uh wearing a suit uh and spoken in the King's English, then why should they lie to me? Like, you know, why would they want to lie to me? And usually you know, a lot of benefits of doubts are given, uh, and we're seeing straight up false information. How I mean to me, it's like the equivalent of you playing a tennis match to with five people on the other side. I mean, how do you I mean, just in this era, especially when you agreed to do uh pundit remarks on on shows, how do you grasp your information? Because you have to know what they stand for and how they come Like do you just want to train? No, Um, I've never had media training. UM, but I will say that, UM. I did get cross fire training. UM. I don't know if you all remember a cross fired like the c NHL back in the day when it was all the old I dudes at the table. UM. Just growing up with my dad. Now he doesn't lie, but we don't always agree on the means to an end goal. So growing up like just debating him or you know, talking to my friends, or debating race issues like I went to a majority white high school, you know, started a black student union, and so you get used to having to explain to people your perspective because it's not the majority view. So whether or not this is this may be UM an alternate universe, but it's still not the majority the majority view on the panel, So it's just debating. The problem I have, and I think when people see me get really upset is when UM, I remember the responsibility that we have to give people factual information, and I think the frustration that I have, if if nothing else right now, is being able to speak to people UM in their homes on their TV screens is an awesome privilege, and we have an obligation to give them information they can rely upon. And so I'll normally lose it, especially on like black networks, like on TV one. If I'm on rolling show and somebody's lying, I flip out like there's been you know, Jeff or gift depending on how you said, Jeff about moments just from that, like please don't come here and lie to our folks. Um, not that folks should be lied to unseen in either, but I just think that there's a different type of responsibility and even with seeing and I think, um, it is really hard because I remember one of the debates during the general election. Um, the debate Commission decided that the moderator did not have an obligation to fact check the candidates, and I lost it. I was like, what do you mean, Like, that's your only responsibility besides asking the questions like have one job? You know, one A and one B like all in one, but you have some what do you mean, like, of course you have to make sure that they're being like what are you debating? Then if if facts become a debatable point and not just the perspectives on those facts, that is a new challenge. And so I do. I find it immensely frustrating, um, because I don't understand how someone could be deemed credible at all if they're not relying on the same principle of truth. You know, it's just it's maddening. It really it really really is. And so to me, I just think that the energy I take into those spaces is if you're not going to be told the truth from anyone else, you're going to hear it from me. And if I'm ever if I ever misspeak on something, if a stat is wrong, you know, if I said a word wrong, I'll fact check it later on Twitter. But I'm not gonna lie to people intentionally deceiving them like that is just wrong. Um. And that's just kind of where I draw the line now. Uh, as of this particular taping. Um. Right now, the the healthcare Um situation is in the hands of the Senate, and I'm seeing a lot of them. Uh. I guess at one point on Twitter there or at least three or four of them, uh that tweeted out or gave interviews to sort of to the tune of you know, you're saying that you know that twenty two million people might lose their insurance or and this several hundred thousand might die if this law goes and you know that was that was not a good conversation point to sway them the other way. But I mean, what is for for those, because I have a lot of friends who are so overwhelmed with what's going on that now my friends are at the point where they're just so uh, not even past the point of indifference, but just so overwhelmed that they don't watch the news at all. And these are the ones who are generally on my side of the fence. I don't know. I can't sleep at night unless I at least watch an hour or two of at least Rachel's show, or just someone that I know that's going to give me straight up effects. Um, but how do you how do we reignite uh people or a community of people that just feel like it's it's no use, Yeah, no use? I started, God, have you guys heard of a handmade? Handmade's till I haven't watched it yet yet, have you watched it? But it's yeah, really sad like if you yeah, if you think that like House of Cards or you know, whatever is being depicted now in television as don't hand me almost feels like this is that's where it's going to go to. Okay, I'll checked that I haven't even watched. I gave up on House of Cars, like I just because it was right, I don't know how they did that. Yeah, lightweight, blame house of cards, actually all of it. You're not even being ironic. Just I need to find somebody to blame because this makes no sense. But besides old lad like I just I gotta I don't know what happened on the hills. And with a mirror said, and on that note, how do you prioritize the issues that should you should be mostly care about? Because yes, health care is the issue right now, but there are numerous issues that you know, our president right now and his congress are about the funk up life with So how do you do that? Angela? How do you prioritize so first that y'all was president not so um No. So I think that that's a really really good question. And what I appreciate about it is I get so frustrated with um whether they're elected officials, are sitting members of Congress right now who will say, well, we don't need to be talking about Russia because what people really want to know about is their health care. What people really want to know about is you know where the next job is going to come from the economy. But here's the that's right, And if So if we're honest, every single day, all of us are responsible for balancing something. May we're talking about your time earlier, like we're responsible for balancing some things. We are people who can walk into gum at the same time and be okay. So it's actually okay for us to try to get to the bottom of what happened with Russia and how they ended up in several you know polls, you know, precincts, messing with stuff. You know, that's important for us to understand because over time, if if countries, if entities can continue to uh interrupt and disrupt our democracy the ways in which we engage in the electoral process, people are going to become disillusioned with that. That is very, very very dangerous. That's exactly right. That means it's select you are picking your your leaders. And what happens is this health care bill to bring this back full circle, which is you know, very toxic. It is you know, it's it's it's it's a tax cut for billionaires. You know, it is a way of One of the Senate compromises that came up about yesterday was okay, well we'll just we'll reinstitute the mandatory health care, you have to sign up mandatorily. But what we're gonna do is, if there's a lapse in your health care, then there's gonna be a six month window for you to get healthcare. Again. What happens if something happens to you in that six in those six months and you can't afford to pay for healthcare out of pocket, that's not a compromise. And if it's a compromise, who is it on the backs of? And those are folks who normally look like us, if they're underserved in marginalized communities, black and brown communities, we have to pay attention. And if so, if there's nothing else that I hope comes out of this treacherous, dangerous, awful time, it is that I hope we really lies that these people are working for us. And I use this analogy on a panel the other day. There's not a single one of us who, if we are employing people, just are like, Okay, we're gonna pay you. You go and do whatever and never check in. There's a team call, there's a team meeting, there's an agenda, there's an account some type of metrics for accountability where they have to check in with us. We pay these people. They owe us answers, they owe us to do the right thing. I think it's town halls, and the town halls aren't even enough. And people are starting to show up to town halls, but even that's not enough. We need to be checking them on what they're doing. What they're doing and packs us more in some instances than the employees that we were that we that we have. So can I ask you, um, and I know as a lawyer, uh that you're not supposed to speculate, uh, but with the Russia issue, break it down to me, like I'm a six year old show. At first, I was like, let me go to six and six, just say collusion, what is your belief and you're you're connected to a lot of those, a lot of people in politics that we're not getting. What is your belief on what happened? Now? What I'm thinking the narrative is, especially in light of uh Trump even slightly admitting that there was I was shocked that he even admitted about collusion or you know, Russi's involvement, because before it's a straight up denial like we don't know if they're doing China could be doing, not us. But what is I believe that he was trying to position himself in terms of if it did to happen, I know nothing about it. I have no clue. What is your belief because now I'm even hearing theories of like, well, Russia paid off a lot of members and Senate, the devil in Congress. No, how far does this stretch? So? UM, I don't. I don't want to speculate. But here's what I would. Here's what I would do. Um, how safe can you go to the deep waters? Explain to us what you think I can go safe because I have a security clearance, but it's not active since I left the Homeland Security Committee, So I'm good. I'm not relying on any actionable intelligence Russia, okay, um, because they're gonna be trying to hack somebody really did in real life. They hacked into my am track thing, but I will talk about that another time. We needn't talk about that at some point to hear because I want to know how our pro time mail account. I was like, what email? I have a profound about it, but that's not mine. Yeah, that's crazy. We got to a car home anyway. So here's what I would ask, um. I think that it's very important that, of course there is this special prosecutor that was appointed, um, but there also should be ongoing investigations on the on the part of the House, in the Senate, those are happening. Why isn't there a special independent commission stood up to look into this? If we know that potentially members are compromised, or potentially they can be blinded by their own political beliefs, why not stand up an independent commissions to get to the bottom of the following one? Um, why would Donald Trump not release his tax returns even during the campaign. I think that if we're going to have a transparent government, it needs to start from the very beginning, so from the outset right. Problems began to percolate during the campaign, So release the tax returns, really looking at them to see if there's any debts oh to Russia or any other foreign entities for that matter that may have close ties to Russia. Uh. I think the second thing to understand is who are all the players, both from the Trump campaign and the Trump transition team who had any active involvement with Russian officials, Russian allies, Russian businessmen. Going from Paul Manafort to Mike Pence. The reason why Mike Pence recently had to layer up is because he oversaw the entire transition team. For those of you that don't know what a transition team is, that is literally the body that is created to transition from one presidential administration to another. So right after the campaign they stand that up. I think the third thing is understanding whether or not there were any past dealings with Russia from a business standpoint or a personal standpoint. There were a couple of things that Donald Trump did on the campaign trail that should cause alarm. One, he encouraged them to hack into Hillary Clinton's emails that nobody could find at a press conference, so it's not like this is secret um. And I can't remember the second thing because it's been that kind of days. I know, I know it was. There was another point and actually this wasn't during the campaign, but there was another point where he talked about, no, he actually did this on the debate stage as well. He talked about he would probably get along very well with Vladimir Putin. So that's the sending some type of signal. And I don't know what that signaling was, but I think shortly thereafter, right there was this, you know from FBI director Camey, there's a new investigation happening into Hillary Clinton's emails. That's two weeks before the election. Why did FBI director called me feel like he needed to do that if he originally thought that the actions taken by Loretta Lynch were a bridge too far just by sitting on the tarmac with Bill Clinton. So there are all of these questions that are very fuzzy. But yeah, my my guess is maybe he was being blackmailed or maybe and I don't want to that's what I'm saying, what the questions are. But do y'all know that today? I'm sorry, I watched the news today said his approval rating and Russia is like in Russia and I forget the other country, but it's both not our friends. But I just thought that was ridiculous. That's your approval rating here among us the fuzzy Mike, I'll say, thank you, I'm sorry, believe, but no, I just think that there are a number of questions, and I think that what we could urge the listeners, um, the American people to do is until those baseline questions are answered, Like you just have to keep pressing to ensure that we get to the bottom of those truths. They're just too important and the answers could be tremendously detrimental to the democracy. If we know there was interference in the election, what motivated that interference? Why would Rush to choose to interfere in this particular election when we know from uh, from from intelligence that I think has now been shared that Russia did not like Hillary Clinton, right, So I just I think there are so many problems with this. It's it truly is a movie. As soon as he's done, hopefully in one more year, because he'll get impeached. That's my prayer. Do we want that? Because if he gets impeached and don't, I don't think because he lawyered up because whatever was happening with Mike Flynn, he had to know about it at the transition. So then we have Paul Ryan, who I still prefer because he's he can spell right on a tweet, you know, And I don't like Paul Ryan. But what I will tell you, as someone who came from the Hill at a time when Republicans and Democrats could at least talk to each other and find some type of common ground, find some way to negotiate. I would prefer someone who's got some type of sense. Jesus Christ so bad that yes, let me tell you how bad it is. I want to take a selfie with George W. Bush. That's how the Super Bowl Like, oh, but you know what, there's something to that too, because if we think about what happened in two thousand with that Florida recount, it all really started there. You cannot continue to rob people of their electoral power. You can't continue to say one person, one vote, and there's this electoral college system that's frankly is rooted in slavery and think that over time people are gonna be fine with that. We also, on the other hand, can't be lulled to sleep by that. Like if a system doesn't work for us, and it is a democracy, we need to change it. But which call do you make? It's like you need to change that. No, it's not just which of them? Yeah, that's build a nation on racism and oppression. Nothing is working, So what are effective, especially in terms of how easy it is to hack? Right now, by the way, what happened to Anonymous I heard Anonymous? Are they alive. Like I almost feel as though what was anonymous anonymous was like they were like a group of hackers, hackers that were kind of on our side. They were like the occupied Wall Street of hackers. Okay, but I heard they got infiltrated by the fest though, like the robot or maybe vladim Merton. Yeah, I'm not gonna say, um, but what would in two thousand seventeen, what are effective voting options if no electoral college, if we don't have it, well, what would the idea scenario of voting be for the times we live in now? Popular vote? Um? Yeah, so no, I think popular vote would be ideal. But I think there's a middle road, and that would be proportional representation in the electoral college. It shouldn't be winner take all. That's not a one person, one vote strategy. And there's a nonprofit that's been pushing legist relation through state legislatures. You know that, you all know that's one of the ways that you can change the constitution. Um, And that legislation is just is very simple. It's just did not know that. I'm not gonna lie because somebody out there is listening. They're like, I don't know No, I did not know that. Okay, that's good, look up more information on the internet. But basically the not for you. I'm just saying I'm not that we're trying to get into all that. It doesn't even I'll tell you when I'm saying that words. Okay, any any information that you think might be a little too lengthy, whatever, just say it because trust we got time. Um So No, I just think lawyers down she was doing it for the people. How good it for the culture? No, but I think that what they've done is is very good because they're pushing these measures. Do say legislatures that say proportional representation is how we should be utilizing electoral college. It shouldn't be that if you won this state by you get all of the electoral college. It doesn't It doesn't make sense. Can ask a question, how does he actually get impeached? I feel like how much crazy ship has to go on over the next year, you would hope for him actually to get impeached? Can I just say that if this was Barack Obama, he would have been in peach you when you when you said when you were arguing with that dude, didn't forf you to talk to about being a bigger or whatever you were, Like if if you were like if Obama had five baby mamas and Obama had did on grabbed chicks, coochies, white chicks, couchees like this would never ever, that's just that, that's just the just rid Okay, I'm sorry, Yeah, I'm sorry. Fine, but how do I don't know, as someone will have to lose their life, but I don't even suit somebody on the video. The videos got a surface that Kelly from Podug They will be like, well, I wish you would have pread on't read and shade? What is the what is the process of impeachment? Like do you know that if you can't just break it down? Yeah, that's so that's not a breakdownrble thing. But I'll try, I'll try. I think I think one of the one of the things that immediately before us is what's happening with the special prosecutor. So if the president were to be fine to to have to have broken the law, that's something that's impeachable. We still need the Congress to act on that. And I think the challenge for US is in normal times, um Republicans and Democrats could lay party aside to do the right thing. Um, So is Congress just turning a blind eye because they don't want they don't want the stain of it's gonna make Republicans look bad and will never be trusted. That example of that, Paul Ryan said the other day, well, you know he's new, Yes, what are you talking about? Willis like this is it? Anyway? So the point is that, um, there are several things that could be deemed impeachable offenses. And if he were to have founded to be found to have obstructed justice with FBI director come or something else surfaces, that's an impeachable offense. I think Democrats would begin to really hunker down on calling for his impeachment and Republicans would have to make a game time decision, um about doing the right thing. And right now that's been tough. Um. Like even for example, John McCain, who's normally deemed maverick, decided to take on Kamala Harris in the middle of her questions instead of Donald what is that? And thank you? Think that was just that was not just what there was racist in a row? Like, however, you can do that is what Donald Trump has an essence, though, isn't. Yeah every day on Twitter talking about Barack Obama colluding with the Russians instead of the fact with perfect grammar the time when he said unprecedented though, yeah, not precedented. I don't ever misunderstand. That's my intelligence. It was Mary jast can we not throw Mary? I love Kindu? Did her wrong? Talk about it back the other day though? Was that new or old? That was that's new, that's BT new the BET Awards trying to steal her. He went under her Instagram. He's like, yeah, because I praised the album. Yeah, yeah, but yeah, he was like, yeah, I don't know why you chose. What are you doing? We should talk boy, good night. You're missing the fame boo, you're missing it. Man. Know he wants that bigger alimony check anyway, Donald Trump? That so uh well that least. Another question is uh, I heard that perhaps a movement or a migration to red states or red territories might be in order, but will that really for instance, what happened in Georgia. Uh with the with the question is that will that be an effective solution? Like well, more Democrats movies, some of us have to yeah, moved to go to Indiana you know, here's the thing. Um, what frustrates me is it doesn't even require mass migration, Like we have enough people. Um, there are over five hundred thousand unregistered black folks in Georgia unregistered voters. Yeah, we could change an election with five hundred thousand and registered voters. How do I think that people feel? Like rightfully so that over time democracy for everyone else has not been democracy for us. That, like we just talked about, a system of racism and oppression doesn't serve them, a police department that shoots and kills rather than protects and serves. There's so many reasons why people don't feel like the system has worked for them. Nevertheless, it's the system we have, you know, and until we work to perfect it, it's gonna be the same broken mess. And so we're in, I think a very dangerous cycle where we say, well, it hasn't worked for us, so I'm not gonna go work for it. But it's never gonna work for us unless we work for it. We have to fix it. And and some of that change comes internally, Like you know, people are always like, oh, you should run for office, you know that. I'm like, that's not my calling I'm happy to help other people figure out how to be equipped to run and all of that, but people also have to lean into that idea UM, and so often we don't and don't. Aren't you involved with a couple of packs that are raising young African American like politicians. One of my favorite UM packs right now is Collective Pack UM founded by two friends UM, Stephanie Brown James and Quentin James, and they're doing marvelous work. They just have their first training of African American young folks who want to run for office at Howard University last week. Doing great work, doing great work, and so yes, I thought, those are some of the ways that we can get back with our time, our talent, and our treasure. Another church analogy break down exactly what a pack is on what it does? Sure, political action committee is an entity that is charged with raising money UM, and it's not tied to any specific campaign per se. There are some entities that are you know, direct to candidate or their leadership packs UM. But a pack is an entity that you stand up to raise money to help train people up to endorse candidates. UM. But what's it really used for? What do you mean? Well, not that's what it's supposed to be. But how is it being I wanted people to know how it's being abused? Okay, Um, well, in some instances, Uh, there are a number of packs that are stead up, especially super packs, that are just used to kind of farm out ads, um advertisements, political ads. Brothers, a lot of people. It's like the Cooke brothers and they're in packs and stuff and um. Well, and if it's not affiliated with the Cokes um, there are entities on the Democratic side of that use um frankly just to be competitive. This Georgia race cost fifty million dollars, you know, and a lot of time are there power brokers and Democrats because Bill Bill more dare say it, he gives this obligatory two million a year in Spielberg and and Harvey Harvey Hinstein does his little five million. Like where are our Coke brothers? You know who's the most George Soros is one. Um, what's the other guy's named? This involved in kind of green energy? Um, I can't think of his name right now, but there are there are some and they're definitely more on the Republican side of the aisle. But the other problem that we have is that too often money spent in races or even in with political action committees are used on vendors and their vendors who don't know how to reach We talked about that five hundred thousand cohort in Georgia. If you're hiring all white vendors, all white male vendors who all work together on the same campaign, you're not reaching a new audience. You're reaching the same people. That's why you can't win. When you look at the candidate recruitment strategy, whether it's at the D Triple C, which is the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, there's a Citic version of that, you know, there's the Democratic Governors Association. You're not looking at black and brown and Asian candidates who can run not just in congressional districts but also state statewide. I have a good friend of mine who's running for UM governor in Florida, and Gilliam, who was the mayor of Tallahassee right now on the leaked email from Hillary Clinton's campaign, was on the on the shortlist for a potential VP pick Um. It's being slept on right now by d g A and others. You know, and this is a young black guy that's doing things completely different. Does you have a chance, I mean, Florida, he doesn't have a chance to raise a million dollars in the first three months of his campaign. Absolutely say his name again, So everybody, Andrew Gilliam, thank you. Okay, so okay. So that leads me to the question of how do you reach people? Now, I'll say that a lot of my a lot of my political involvement came at sort of like the telling of two thousand seven, back when there was a glimmer of hope that oh God, okay, this this could really happen for us. Um And of course, you know Obama also benefited from really using the Internet to his advantage and reaching people. UM. So now as we stand ten years later, UM, I get a lot of panick emails from Nancy Pelosi and you know, like just the the usual characters, and you know, a lot of times it's just like I feel guilty for working this a spam because I do. Nevertheless, you know, but you see, you see the subject line Nancy Pelosi. We know that that was like just like us, I can't wait. One one Pelosi email got me good, and I was just like all right, let me get my and I did it again and already was like, well, you're already a monthly contributor, Like I hadn't realize, Like Jesus Christ, I'm already a month You gotta direct like that. What if they what if they weren't even what if you weren't monthly and they just told you that? That would be funny? I know. But still, well that also leads to it's, uh, this might be blasphemous, say it. Do you feel that we might need a change? And yes, So here's what I would tell she As a leader, Um, she's been very effective. The reason why Nancy Pelosi is still the Democratic leader is because she knows how to raise money better than anybody else. And that's a money raising job. Maybe it shouldn't be, but that's what it is. Right now. Um, what I'll tell you is, um, there are several things that we need and that is not the top of where I would start right. Um. Just for an example, Um, the d n C just had kind of a massive overhaul after the Camp pain. We know that Donna Brazil was filling in as an interim chair. Um just like completely crushed it. She did so much that people don't know, but just wait, I'm sure she will release a book. Um. And seriously, and then now you have Tom Perez Um who's heading up the d n C, my friend Michael Blake who's a vice chair at the d n C. Two people of color at the top, um, and before Donna Brazil, we hadn't had that since Ron Brown, you know, like I mean, it's it's been it's been a while, right And and Um, of course Donna Brazil has been vice chair, but not at the top. So my thing to you would be, we first need to ensure that the party rit large is okay. Who are the state party chairs? How are they serving the communities that they're supposed to be? You know this big tent, this idea of a big tent, How is the tent enlarging under the state parties chairs leadership? Um? Nancy Pelosi is is UM. In politics, we have a messaging strategy called the Boogeyman strategy, right, it's the boogeyman approach. Nancy Pelosi is the boogeyman. And the reason why they went back to that approach, UM, most recently in this special election in Georgia, is because it worked with Michael still was chairman of the RNC. They had the fire Pelosi pins. It worked very well. Part of what you should interpret from that is that, more than anything else in this country where people really bond is the fear of women and leadership. It's not about I'm just being honest with you. It's not about um Nancy Pelosi and the job she's doing. We could ask all these people why we should get rid of Nancy Pelosi and they wouldn't be able to give you a reason because she'd been there a long time. Okay, so was Harry Reid until he just retired, So was everybody else in democratic leadership, Like, so, what is the real issue? And I think the real issue is she's this liberal, this uber liberal from California, and she's a woman. And that is partially for Hillary Clinton. The woman issue us her big problem. People couldn't understand why evangel evangelicals during the campaign, we're flocking towards towards couchie grabbing Donald Trump. And the reason for that is, more than anything else. In the church, you're taught that a woman cannot be the head of a household. She definitely ain't about to be your pastor and so she is not going to be your commander in chief. So Nancy Pelosi at the top of the house scares people into some of them, it is like it's out of order, you know, like a woman is not supposed to have that role. We're so asked backwards in this country. But anyway, I'm just telling you, I don't I wouldn't mind if Nancy Pelosi decided to retire. I just said not for it on those things like what is the real reason why they're pushing for her retirement when they literally don't know the role of a democratic leader. Aren't talking about the DNC and figuring out how to help us identify who we really are? Why are we not talking about you know, the fact that the white working class issues are the same as black and brown and Asian folks. Working class issues like those are the issues we should be focused on, not damn Nancy Pelosi. When you speak of they in wanting Nancy Pelosi out of there, are you speaking of fellow Democrats? There are some, I think there are there are a few who for example, you know, Tim Ryan ran against her in the leadership elections this time. Of course, Tim Ryan goes on air on I think it was Don Lemon show last week was like, yeah, we need change. Of course you said, yeah, you wanted to be the change. And how much is how much change would that be to go back to a white man in leadership? You know? So it's I don't know. To me, it's like it's time for us to shake up how we perceive leadership. I would love to see more people of color in those roles. Um, but that's not it, you know. And I don't think that Nancy Pelosi always gets it right. But I don't think the answer is to put another white man in charge. And you said it. What I want to know is with entertainers usually seen as the go to I mean, we now live in a time and which you know, little YACHTI might have more um, collective if collective eyebrows And me was like that, but I mean this is where we are, as where our kids are, where we are where you know, entertainers have more collateral and and say and you know than someone with or perceived as someone with sense. So that said, uh, how can we how do we utilize those who are listened to? Is they're going to have to be a reach across the aisle how do we shut up a little Wayne, just in case I don't even think he's a factor anymore. I mean every once and again, I mean it happens. Yeah, but his time was ten years ago, like now it's it's it's the old Wayne. Yes, amigos could say, well, look now jay Z's new direction with four forty four um is leaning politically heavier than he's ever ever ever been. Um, how effective will that be as far as getting people? Because you know, again it's who who do they call on to get people to the polls? They Hillary called on, Gaga called on, Katie Perry called on. Well, maybe it didn't work. It's popular volks. Yeah, but again again, like the numbers of the two thousand and sixteen election are still up in the area because in the perfect world did she win, you know, like we don't know, right, So thus, how effective is that? Well, I want to push back on that idea a little bit. I think that there was a time, um, you know, in particular uh in two thousand and eight where entertainers had all the gravitas to to push every GEO TV get out the vote initiative and people did rely on them. And then Twitter happened, and then Instagram happened, and then Snapchat happened. And what has happened is um platforms like these have democratized voices so that you don't necessarily have to be Jay Z or Beyonce or Gaga to mobilize audiences. You can mobilize your own. And while it may not be on the same level, there are still folks that have millions of followers for drawing on a mean eyebrow, you know, on YouTube, and so I think that we I'm being honest so um and literally being eyebrow too. Anyway, I digress, But the point is I don't know that that really works as much as anymore, and I think that we have to be far more creative and engagement. And what that probably really means is that by the time you're standing up a campaign and you are developing your public engagement and your social impact initiatives, it's too late. There's something And this takes me back full circle to the point I was raising about party chairs on the ground. You have to have almost a system like we talked so much about community policing, where it's just real relationships with folks. You just have to have real relationships with folks and people feel like you represent their interests and not feeling like, oh, you went to my church and waived the fan or shook the tambourine or even you know, on beat with the tenor section, like you did more than that, and it wasn't just two weeks before the election, like people know now you know what I'm saying. So I think that influencers have a role, but they aren't anywhere near as influential as they were in a weight because of these other platforms. Well, could that grassroots? I'm glad you brought that up because you know, I, for one, I believe that like my personal life goal at least where I am now in my career or my monetary level, I mean my personal life goal where I am right now if we're all to end is I mean, can I effectively affect the lives of fifty people personally push them in the direction which people don't You know a lot of people have this this whole the Michael Jackson, you know, Heal the World, Save the world. You know you're thinking of millions of people, whereas you know, you see that Brocks campaign start off on a grassroots level, which you know, people scoffed at, like, well, what good is grassroots doing? But how how does the grassroots level? How effective will that be? And will we get there in time for the mid terms or because I do feel as though the grassroots level has to to start, starts with the community, starts with the block. Is Alderman still a thing? Like God, he lost? He was running again. He would be a great person to have on the show, but he was running against like the incumbent. He was like this cop guy that like, yeah, he lost. It was the ultiman on Good Time Alderman, James Alderman, I think changes. We can't even get a man. What is it? Okay? What is the Alderman's job? Is that like slightly above block captain or looking up on Wikipedia America a right out what happened? Personally? You don't have one. Probably maybe you don't have but I think here, here, I think is the point, Um, we can't afford not to engage in grassroots level advocacy. And Um, the point that you're raising, I think is one that's really important. We don't know the true impact of what Barack Obama did to mobilize people in two thousand seven and two thousand and eight, via online platforms, you could go and set up a house meeting on his website. Hillary Clinton didn't do any of that, you know, And um, I think that it was just it was just different. It's not that she didn't do any of that. She didn't do it as in depth. She didn't personally go into it in as many communities. She ent kind of a tone deaf campaign in my opinion. I mean, I thought she, you know, she was gonna win, and kind of felt like, right, I think it was some of that, something like entitlement, but it was just yeah, when you whipping the name on the show, I was like, this is not gonna end. Well she didn't. But I mean but he actually was playing it good, not like it I would rather and carrying hot sauce in her bag. Didn't have But I mean she really she really does carry hot tous in her bag. But I will say this, I would rather have her any day and when tone deaf than what we have right now. She looks like ry the Mother of Jesus right now compared to that. So anyway, the only point that I'm raising to you is we can't afford to not to find out what happens if we don't write, Like to your point about the midtermsen is right around the corner. It is creeping. I mean, we are halfway through this year. Do you have hopes of something happening in UM? What's the most that we can Can we get some chairs, could we turn it over, potentially get the house with miracles? UM? The challenge that we have is there's something called a redistricting process that happened. And in the last redistricting process, UM, in most states, they drew these congressional districts very conservatively. And what they did far better than us, is they were strategically targeting state legislatures to run UM, run for for seats and win. And so we hold very few state legislatures, we hold very few governorships. Those are the entities that construct UM those state lines in the redistricting process. And I ask and ask questions since you're kind of leading into this and sort of a parallel, I guess mainly talking about federal politics here tonight, right, And I think we've all known and been taught for a long time that as an individual has the most effect in local politics, UM. And it seems like in order of the things that we're obsessed with in politics. It's everybody's obsessed with federal politics where they have the least amount of, say, and some some interest in state politics of who's the governor and who's the and then yeah, and then local politics nobody gives a ship at all, Like you don't know who's running for you know, right, Like why you know, we know for a fact we should be much you know, it should be like you said, asked backwards. This seems asked backwards to me, like where people's obsessions in politics lie. So and I think that part of this is, um, you know, not only is it our responsibility, but I would say it's the responsibility of the media. How often do you turn on the local news and hear about what's going on in a city council and meeting or you know, in a city council hearing if it's not a big vote coming up, like a huge we never hear about it, or a fight or shooting at the council or that, just like Compton DJ Quick said it. So I think the point is, um, you just never know, um, anything that's going on on the local level, you know, unless you get to the B section in your newspaper, and who reads newspapers anymore. You can go to Twitter and find your headlines and click on that article. So I think the responsibility is in part um on the media. But as a result, again going back to the idea of being uh taxpayers, we have to figure out how to go and get that information. And it's frustrating and really hard to encourage people to do that in a day and age where everything comes to you, like you, you don't have to go get your news, you get an alert on your phone. So how do you tell people in in a space where attention attention spans are short and everything comes to them to go out and get it. It's hard and I don't really know the answer to this. I also just said this Um at the panel I was on for BT Genius Talks. I am, truly, I think a great example of a hypocrite in this space. I very rarely know anything about what's happening on the local level politically, and it's horrible. If it wasn't for my dad giving me his Philip Bruster rundown on the phone at night, even at home and Seattle, I just wouldn't know, Um, because I'm not as interested in it, and I know it impacts my everyday life a lot more. We talk about there's just another shooting death in Seattle by the police department, Charlene Lyles, you know that is something that I care about. Um into my credit. I tweeted about one of my good friends who was a city council member. Um so she's probably ready to choke me and she hears this, um Lorraina Gonzales in Seattle, who was holding a town hall meeting about what happened in that shooting death. And very rarely do you see things like that happening where city councilors like, I know, we're copable, we have a problem, let's come and talk about it. That's a big thing because we don't ever feel heard. And that's why you see some of those protests actions happening, because people are like, we pay you all and you're still killing us. So full circle. I I I do need to do a lot more myself. But I talk about what I know because that's where I worked and that's what I'm most interested in. But that's not right. I'm in general, it seems like everybody is much more interesting. No, no, no, I agree. I was just using my own hy hypocrisy as an example. My question, uh, my question for you is like, how what are reputable new sources for you? Because we were joking earlier about a movie and stuff, but real rap, I mean, that's kind of It's just in the age we live in with social media, where information flies fast and disinformation and misinformation flies even faster. After a while, I mean, you out open my Twitter feed and I'm just like, bullshit, bullshit my line bullshit, you know what I mean. It's just like I mean, I mean, I follow seeing then and I follow all the big you know. I mean, I try to get quote unquote both sides, but after while, it just is a lot of just words. Words. We don't need both sides because at this point it's a it's a human decency issue, right like this, This is not a partisan issue. We're just seeing it from another lens. It literally is about, you know, morality at this point, on the other side of the five, who are your five go to periodicals or whatever? I would say New York Times, CNN, l A Times, um, Seattle Times because I'm from there. Um yeah, um, I like the route. Um what else? Political um for Hill News I gotta get the app together. Other roots all right, that's fair too. But as soon as we get to favorite groups and the Best Life Show, we'll talk about the roots. But um, yeah, the route and then um also I said the political political the hill, Um what else Washington posts? Is it also a good one? Um? But yeah, I normally those are my arena go to. You know you mentioned I mean just you mentioned your phone getting happed. But have you you You're very we all know you're very vocal. I know you hold back, but doesn't seem like it on TV. Have you running the situation where you've been threatened in that way in some way? Yeah? Absolutely, Um, there was one I only had to Thank God, I've only had one death threat situation that had to be reported, and several people even on my feed also reported it, not just to Twitter, but like to the fens, like, hey, this is seems like a legitimate issue. Um. And actually it happened while I was getting off the plane in St. Louis. We talked about Say Louis earlier. UM, so yeah, I think that there are definitely some legitimate issues. And I think regardless of how outspoken I've been, I've not been threatened at anty at any degree or at any level. The same of some of my friends who are really doing the on the ground activist work. So activists work, what is what is your view or your take on we're active? Is? UM stands? Now? Do we need a figurehead? Do we need a Malcolm? Do we need a Martin? Do we need a do we have one? And we just don't know? No, I think that is different. UM. I don't know if people are vying for a position, but you know, my name is Sugar. But as far as not non Washington politics, I mean, you know, the the the ongoing problem of of shooting unarmed people, it's still you know, we're as far as where we are today. What is your view on activism? And it's participants mainly those that are you know, saying that they've started this movement or that sort of thing. And I I really don't care about the who started what um discussion? UM. I am grateful for for the work of the women who um founded the hashtag, the Black Lives Matter hashtag UM Alicia and Opal and Patrise um as I'm equally grateful to you know, the many contributions to that movement of deray and Brittany and Sam and Janetta. UM. I am also even more grateful UM to the fact that, or of the fact that it's been young people. We would have been talking about criminal justice reform and mass incarceration in the twenties sixteen campaign if it wasn't for the work of young activists. UM. When I think about the many ways in which were often challenged by US, I mean black organizations are traditional civil rights organizations to provide data UM and and metrics for why we deserve grant money UM. And then I think about what um Deray and Brittany and Sam have done with Campaign zero showing you the data on the number of UM black and brown people who have been killed UM at the hands of police, UM or have been brutalized at the hands of police. All of that work matters. And I think the sooner UM that people can stop worrying about, you know, whether or not there needs to be ahead or is their head and who's our new Martin Martiner, who's our new Malcolm and just focuses on the fact that the work is getting done and we need all of these people and everyone has a role to play, and it's not a competition and the moment that we get sidetracked on the competition, that's the moment where another black or brown person dies. You know, we just can't afford to have those types of silos. I think about, you know, the work um of the Women's March that um Janet Ingram and Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsa and and um Carmen Perez all were a part of UM and and the backlash they got from black and brown woman who said, why are you working with white feminists because traditionally they step on us and on our issues. Well, at what point do we say, I'm gonna deal with that a little bit, but let's stand together on this one thing. I'm sitting here so that you have a voice at this table. Let's just get through this part. I think that we just have too much on the line to not figure out ways to work together. That might be a slippery slope, though, because what do we say if uh, let's say, the CEO of PEPSI visits Trump's White House. I think it's different. I think it's And the reason why I think it's different is because Donald Trump invites people to the White House for photo opportunities. Not to create real change. And I think the moment you go and you sit at a table and you see that you're there's no intention on your voice being heard. You played yourself. That's totally different. Um, And I can tell So that's selfie or that photo he took with the HBCU presidents where there's nine thousand of them in the room at Kelly and kindawaycount that one, that's the one you're talking about. Yeah, yeah, that was a little Houston. Yeah, they played themselves. They played themselves. That's what it looked like, those porn references. I've not whatsoever. Um, yeah, so to you, I mean in their eyes, did they figure that, oh, we two are trying to get a seat at the table. And well then they got played because what happened was they were told that they were going to have a sit down meeting with Donald Trump and instead were ushered into the Oval Office, where it is far too small for that many president college presidents to go in there for a photo opportunity. They were never talked to by the president. Instead, he sent his little celebrity apprentice into to talk to them. How do you feel about her? I don't have that, especially after I don't know if you all saw, but she said a letter to the Congressional Black Caucus. Let me just I don't know if that ain't even the worst part, because we know she's not honorable number one, who signs when you're the honorable, you don't have to sign your letter the honorable like people noticed, sign your send you a letter that says that. So also, you know, not just in law school, but I think even in high school you learn where an address block goes on. Cedric Richman's address block was at the bottom of the letter. Yeah, good night. She can be from the Caribbeans. I've gotten somebody somebody said to check that. And then and then the bottom line is after she was denied, she went on Twitter and said one monkey doesn't don't stop no show. So are you said? Wait, so the story is got denied into the black Hawks weakness. No, that was never gonna happen. She invited them on behalf of Donald Trump to come back to the White House for a meeting. The first time they went, they didn't take the whole CBC because it didn't merit the entire CBC's time. Uh. Congressman Richmond, who's the chair of the Carcass went in with just the executive Committee, which is standard we did it for under Barack Obama's administration. And they took in a white paper that said, here are here's a hundred and thirty pages of issues that you could be working on that would help to advance the black community. So when you ask us, what in the hell do we have to lose, exhibit a sucker. And that's what they did. And so she invited them back because that wasn't enough attention for her, and said, why don't all of you come back so they could try to get this photo op. And you played yourself because we know who you are and what you stand for. Good night. What is her consult? She might sit outside at a desk at the White House? What was like? She would be not on camera, She would be like the like the person the staffer who oversees the interns. I'm not sure I understand. I wouldn't even give her Freddy because Freddie got more honored this. But I just want to tell you all this in case you missed it. To all the listeners. The reason why I treat us so bad is because not only is she the devil, but she also before she was all on Donald Trump's bandwagon. She was doing Hillary Clinton. There's photo evidence looking up online Hillary Clinton fundraisers. There was a superpack that was established before Hillary Clinton announced, called Ready for Hillary. Omarosa was ready for Hillary. She worked in the Clinton White House. Yeah, we don't do Yeah, we don't do that. We don't do that. Wait, I forgot my question. It's funny that I've seen a couple of black people in that in that White House, in the over office, they always wanted to pushing the reporters out like a couple of weird It is weird. Yeah, Angela Mitchell. If she tried to compare herself to Valerie Jarrett, girl, if you ever listen to this, she won't ever be Valerie right right? That ain't right? That right? She said, I'm I'm Valerie Jarrett to Donald Trump? What what? Yes? Exactly? Bell battery Jarrett. Anyway, how did y'all get me down? That? Because yeah, we go down? Can't I stand her? Um? Did that clip ever come out? Which clip? The clip you said, like you're saying, sound crazy with that? From the from the NANDY So I think they put it on a couple of sites. National Action Network Um. They had a women's lunching and empowerment women's lunching, and she spoke I don't know who, Rev, I love you so much, but I don't know who thought that was gonna be a good idea to have Omro to speak UM at the beginning of this lunch. And she got out there and tried to lie to my cousin. So I had to correct the record. I didn't need to do my acceptance speech. I just had to come for her. And so that's what happened. Trump's Apprentice is I didn't even call her by name, just Trump's. She just walked out after no. So she actually walked out. Rev kind of got her and then she walked out after that. So I was like, well, somebody showed her the video because I'm about to y'all never been at each other's life. They were trying to put her in pictures with me that day. I was like, I'm not taking pictures with her. That flies against everything I stand for. You must have a list of people that like not only pictures. I will not engage in conversation. It's not that long though. The people on seeing in who are Trump supporters, who I actually like you know, but I just don't like when people are you know, just blatant liars, just you know, you switch and you contort and you just do whatever is convenient when you're clearly an opportunistic person. I just don't. I can't wack with you. How many times have you been offered your own show on one of these networks? I'm sorry, that's my next question. It was why do you not have your own show? Exclusive? I was gonna say when Okay, well, yes, I gotta ask you when Mossai Harris Perry left her, he didn't leave, Yeah, she didn't escorted. Yeah, when she when her post was vicid by my employer, Right, did you get a phone call like would you like your own show? People calling you? Um? So yes, people are calling me. I was say that there was not a better person that could have taken that morning slot than Joy Read. I think Joy Now I was devastated, um when her daily show was canceled. And I think that she has like she kills it. She's better than so many people on so many networks. They put us on the weekend. Um. Yeah, but I think that she could easily like we see her all the time, filling in for some of the other daily shows. She's phenomenal. Um, but yes, I think that I, um, you know, talk about things in a certain way and I will definitely um be doing something. But um, yes, people are calling your ambiguity right now. No, no, I just let ask that question about someone real quick. Moment that was Can I just say that moment we're all talking about the N word? Follow up or whatever? Of course, everybody talking about ice cube. Everybody talked about Dr Dyson, A Simon Sanders, she had she had a great moment. And the thing that people don't understand that Simone was booked to go on the show before that inward moment happened. Um, she did phenomenally well. So I was definitely cheering her on and I was so glad that she was there to kind of speak out not just for black people and educating on the in word, but also black women. Sorry, no, no, it's it's too show. I think. Well, you about to ask some Yeah, you were saying that your friends with some Trump supporters. When I meet someone and learned that they're Trump supporter, a really hard time talking to them, I understand, Like I can't understand because I don't understand how how they could vote for someone that's not dumb. That's how I feel about that. I don't think any of the tables Trump supporters. I hope not, because I'll be weird, this particularly weird. But I mean, you know what I'm saying, actually, Bill, So I can't. I can't talk to to them about politics. UM. What I have worked really hard on doing is understanding who they are as human beings, like why and the what? UM? And sometimes it is we can't separate that. I mean, can you separate them? Sometimes it's really hard, UM. But I think one good example is UM on CNN, UM Jeffrey Lord, who I'm often like if we're on together, like like are you serious? Did you really just say? Or whatever? UM? Every night when Jeffrey leaves CNN, he UM is driving home back to Pennsylvania take care of his mother, who has dementia. And to me, that's something that's very personal because my grandmother passed away with Alzheimer's a couple of years ago, and I know how hard that work is. I know how hard it was for my dad and his sister's UM and his brothers. It was really really tough. And then making the decision to put my grandmother in the home where I was like, she has a mouth like my nig gonna killer. Um. Unfortunately they didn't. They ended up actually really really loving her. But I just know that, and so um, it just it. There's there I know that about him, and that means that, um, somewhere beyond the Trump propaganda, right, there's a heart of someone who is truly compassionate and really loves his family. And so there are things like that that I have to kind of latch onto and and just be hopeful about the kkkve family do. Yeah, I ain't checking for the KKK. I don't think he's the kk. You talked about your dad and how he was an activist with your mother politically activist is my dad still has a bullhorn in his trunk. We just did U in real life. We just did a seventy surprise birthday party for him, um at the beginning of June, and the props at the photo booth, like we had his old MLK signs and the bullhorn was made a very prominent appearance um at the party. So he's really serious about it. My mom was not the same type of activist as my dad. She is a retired college administrator, but she was on affirmative action commissions and studying how students of color learned and very active in multicultural education on her campus. So very much so. Um. One of my favorite pictures that my um my childhood, Dennis found him got a blown up from my parents for my dad's birthday. Actually was my parents marching side by side. Um, it's a great picture. Is my cover photo on Facebook right now. I was like, look at black love happening. That's wonderful. And my dad had on a bad sweet coat. So I was like, this dude stayed silent in the march. But okay. So in the idea of of being politically active, what would your message be to people, especially in my field of entertainment? Um, what are effective ways for I stick it involved? And which what I say is that the the Harry Belafontie method method where he in the sixties routinely funded uh you know, uh marches and hotels and bail money that sort of thing. I see. I feel as though ever since the the Dixie Chicks uh Bush uh Natalie Minds criticizing Bush in two thousand three for the war and how that affected there, their money, their income. Uh you kind of seeing a a quiet apprehensive, a political uh view from a lot of entertainers, Like I for one, thought that this war is really gonna bring on you know, uh what's going on? Yeah, who politically motivated you know, like a more conscious from and it rendered them indifferent and really to where we are now like just cold getting dumb. So and you know a lot of a lot of people with you know, feel as though they might have something to lose. I mean not in the case of um ah it's football player, a guy that didn't vote in the last selection. Don't do don't do that. So just as an example that though, like I think it's important for us to understand that where we are um siloed or we are left standing as individuals, were easier to target and to strike and to take out if we stand as a collective, unified group, NFL players that know the national anthem doesn't speak for us and shouldn't NFL players that know that black lives matter and we should stand for something, um, you know, we should. It shouldn't have just been Colin and that is why it was so easy for them to take him out. I think, um you know, using your art um to convey a certain message is important. But I think that there's something that we as a collective, the people, have to do to support that art I think about jay z the song Spiritual, How well did that do? And think about what it was really about? The spiritual and listen to it. Listen to it. It's just cost every time, like, wait a minute, you've done the unthinkable. It is the name of song that these two? It was? It was? It was a title exclusive, wasn't it? Because I don't care, it's never been doing. I'm looking for it right now. O God, I hope, I feel hope. Really someone he was twelve and no one ever heard, but they've heard it. So all I'm telling. All I'm saying to you is or you can look at um T. I released this mini doc on BT's or Else and of course the corresponding album. How well did those things? Do? You know? When we say that we need our artists to be conscious and woke and to be pushing this material and you know, touting these messages, how do we support them when they're doing that. I think that's just lip service. I think that's just from in my opinion, like when people talk about quote unquote conscious hip hop or when they say they want that from artists, I think it's very much like your grocery car. It's like everybody say they want to eat vegetables, but that ship don't never make it. They just don't want it from everybody. They want everybody taking a consideration. The record labels don't want to put in the extra work to market that kind of material. But then too But for me, like I mean, and I'm just using him as example, like do I really want to hear a conscious record quote unquote from t I? I mean, I mean a lot of stuff. It's hardy. Do you really want to spect another see how record about all the other ship that he wraps about on all his other records, because he wraps about that ship really well. I mean, I'm saying you can listen to like you can can get rubber band Man whatever. They're tall the same ship. So if he wants to run about something else, then he should be anything. And that's the thing I guess more. My point is if he wants to do that, then absolutely let him do it. But I think there's a problem kind of back. But you feel like it's insincere if don't make niggas out to be more than what they are, like when you know when um when they went to uh, aren't niggas more than one thing? Now we're getting Ferguson, Like when Ferguson happened, when Mike Brown happened, and everybody was like, oh, nearly need to come and speak, Nellly need to come, and I was just like, okay, and then at least spoke, and it's just like and then and then people started clowning. It was like, dude, that ain't his Maybe that's not at least because that is his community that is. I mean, he's the most famous famous to come out. But yeah, I'm with the people, walk with the people everyday trying to put niggas on J Cole. You don't stop what you're doing. But I think the reality of it is we shouldn't. We shouldn't necessarily try to control them if that's what they feel like they should be expressing. I also think that we should try to be supportive of it. If we're saying that nobody's hearing us and we're not, you know, the voices that are talking about it aren't loud enough. And then once those voices are talking about it, we don't support it. That's a problem. If we don't like how they're expressing it, then we can offer, you know, criticism, but at least try to hear them out. And then the other piece I would say is there are artists who are very conscious who would still say, you know, there's stuff about this whole stuff that I don't know enough about, and I want to learn more before I step out there. And I think that it's up to those of us who do no more to help educate the masses period, regardless of that they have a platform or not. They usually got wack beazz come over with happen. You gotta make this is real life and this is what this is what people think. It's like it's got to be a jet like that. I guess that's to me because we were having this coming early. The role of you know, entertainers quote unquote as activists, to me, that's just it gets really nervulous, because yeah, it's like, dude, just do what you do. You know what I'm saying, Like, dude, do what you do at the best at what you do. Like I don't need artists to quote unquote inspire me by trying to inspire you don't need it. Ain't most people, so I don't think. I think there's people. I think bad and bougie will get more niggas to work than damn people. I mean black people. Inspirational music. You're saying that Mego is doing a benefit concert that could raise money for cause, blah blah blah blah blah, it's more effective with them doing Everybody doesn't do the same thing. Every artist doesn't have to do the same thing. Their contribution may not look like Harry Belafonte. Maybe there is somebody that can bring a stage show to Broadway and disrupt culture, just on how we see ourselves thinking about Hamilton's Like, there are so many ways that we can disrupt that don't have to be you know. That's my point. Also, jay Z is setting a little stay into two that I think it's kind of cool because he's been doing things lately and I don't give him props usually, But I'm just saying, you don't like the bail things, so like you didn't did you feel about that? You didn't like Ja was a part of the Dream Defenders doing that. Dream Defenders started doing that with mothers who were incarcerated on Mother's Day and helping them get out of jail. So he actually supported organizations doing that work. I think it's great. He also helped to bail folks out during the Ferguson protests. Yeah, that helps. That helps, But I think it has a lot of it has to happen like like not right. It was like Bob Dylan was writing this music, Inteader every it was. It was universals also not all up in the press being like yo, I did this, I did that, I did this, I did that. So like nobody really know what any of these kinds are doing, just doing the ship. And if I were to tell y'all, I don't care, I don't care what you did. I'm just saying I don't care what you do, what you're gonna do, just do it and just do something and don't try to get the love for it. Just do it true because you know it's proper off this community. But I agree, give it back, but give it back in the way that best fits you. Like my problem is just trying to make everybody you know, Malcolm or Martin what It's just like, dude, like that just ain't you're calling man, like, give it the best, do the best you and and be true in that, like, don't try to make somebody that ain't a speaker or whatever, don't try to make them into something that they're not. That's all I'm saying. Where yo, for real? It's it. It's yeah. It becomes a where's jaw woke off moment where everybody's trying to show how woke they are, and it's like, all right, all y'all needs need to go back to sleep. Keep from Carolina. You don't like slavery shows neither, But he loved black women. It's a weird you know, we love generation and were in midlife prices right now. Also, let's admit that when it was I feel like us as a as a first generation of hip hop, we're also under the mid life crisis because you know, I mean we're we don't recognize it no more. Yeah, we don't recognize it anymore. Um and uh Freshman cover that's yeah, that should looked like Pokemon. I was like, nay, just a shameless plug. It was nothing like that Essence cover with all those ladies like Angela Roche when that was a beautiful cover like that essence cover is an honor be part of it. What's his sports entertainment lawyer story? Why didn't that? Um? So um? The short version is I um extended dance version to this day. I loved the movie Jerry McGuire like, I absolutely love it, and so I was like, oh, I want to be a sports entertainment lawyer. And I told my pastor, who's also my god dad. I was like, this is really what I want to do. So he's like, okay, cool. So we had like some Seahawks players that went to my church at the time, and so one of the players he introduced me to. I'm sure he's like my god daughter. She wanted to be a sports tamer lawyer. We like standing on the altar after the benediction at church, god dad belines and the dude was like, if you're gonna represent me, what you're gonna do for me? And I was like okay, and it ain't that type of party. I will find another job right after. That's where that's so on the hills of that question. And you tell me if this is going too far, Angela, but this is my own curiosity. Um, are you single? And if you are, how crazy is it to navigate in your world being who you are with the mouth that you have, and I'm assuming that you'd rather go black. Um, so I've never dated a white guy. Okay that, but I will also say that this is so. I will also say that, um, I am single. Um that this is not a plug for tinder like engagement though on social media I say that regularly, like I'm not on Twitter trying to find a dude. Please don't d M me. I have some crazy d M like crazy d M crazy comments on Instagram in particular. Um. And while I appreciate the love, sometimes I just wish they would just hold it in their hearts. Um, I just want to stay I got I got something happening right now. I just want to stay focused. But no, it's it's it's fine. It is what it is. It's not difficult dating in this Um. I don't think I have a problem being approached. I think that I'm selective. I'm a daddy's girl, truthfully, and so if they don't align with too soon, too soon, If they don't, they don't. My standards are like what I know a man should be, Like, I'm not checking for dude. Would you would you dake somebody politics At this point, I don't think so like I can't be like a first lady type. I'm looking to piss off everybody. You want to know why a d because you are going to be president, the second black female president, because we ain't getting her killed. So they're not my second Those aren't my dreams and aspirations that I appreciate. We don't. We don't control. You don't like the folks that you think. I wanted to be a good speaking gonna be a preacher. That's why I feel like, because I know politics, like y'all think I'm I'm not running for office. And look back in when I was signing my record deal, do you think I was like, Yo, I'm gonna be the black docs Severson of it. No, we don't know Ken, we don't know what you say. No, when they dig about this footage, they're gonna be like, we can't it's crazy like that ain't happen. So I just don't want to run. I just hope that you will receive that in your spirit. I don't want to run. I'm not trying the first am I the first person to really tell you this. No, there are a lot of people that asked me to run all the time. That's just not what I want to do. I feel like there are other ways that I can have a lot. Maybe that's the Maybe you're the print. Maybe the president's sitting in your chair because it's not in this one. That's way too much. Do you think you think Zuckerberg is making a goal? I don't know. Is that a thing? I didn't hear that. Well, he's just like doing a bunch of like president pre presidents, Like he's like, he put up a post other day and was like, yeah, I'm in Iowa, met some folks down here. Don't try to get to two billion Facebook users. Goal achieved. Now, let's see if he still does that and there, Yeah, Booker maybe maybe also Kamala, which is like she's shutting it down. So I mean, I don't know. I don't know kamalak. Yeah. I don't want her to get hurt either, though. No, we don't want anybody to get hurt. We want no one to get hurt. Um and I appreciate you for coming on the show today and squeezing us. We've we've been trying to make this happen for the longest time, So tell us where we can hear your podcast. The podcast is called on One with a Rye and it's on Apple, on I, on Spotify, title, and SoundCloud. Well damn, So what do we learn today, Fronte Man. I learned that Angela Ride is probably like, I'm not a very political person at all. Like I'm not like a person that like checks the news all the time and get very involved in the creative process. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, y'all know, if you've listened to the show, y'all know I don't follow that ship like that, but you know what I'm saying. But I do have a respect for just really genuine people. And the things that I just met with you think with you is that you have you're very knowledgeable about your field and you know it. But at the same time, there's something with you that I think is very relatable and you're not so much like I won't say necessarily, don't say on a pedestal, but you're you're you're very relatable, which I think also lends creatence to the presidential quality, which I know you don't want. What I'm saying that I think that quality about you is something and that I don't see in a lot of your contemporaries, and there's a lot of people. Even when we were talking in the group text, we were like yo, Andrews doing show, I was like, Okay, out of a lot of people in that lane of the new black kind of political she's the one to me that seems kind of the most center, not necessarily center in terms of the issues where you're staying, but just she's the one that seems more like yeah, like she could, she could funk with us, and like she is a person, you know what I mean. And so I'm not just sitting out here chopping up, but you thank you for making the time and and like for real, boss, Bill, what what did you learn today? Um? I learned a lot today. I shouldn't say learning like that reminded of a lot of stuff that I've probably forgotten, like the impeachment process and and all that stuff. Um, I just wanted to reiterate thank you for coming to show. We we like you and I have been trying to get you here for a while. So we were thinking thankful that you finally made it. So so glad to be here, unpaid Bill, what'd you learned today? Bro? I learned what an Alderman is. I learned that signed your first record deal. It was the same year that I got our midfoot. That's important. Yeah, yeah, that was a good year. I turned to man anyway, and uh, and I wish that I was as knowledgeable about what I do is because it's really impressive to listen to you speak like I'm not not noking around like I can't talk. I love what I do and I can't talk about I think I'm good at it. Some other people do and I, yeah, it's really impressive. That's all. Some things why she speaks so well an articulate remember the Joe Biden moment in less than two Orange and words like what you learned today at a load tone? Okay, you know I get excited movie people like okay. Um. I learned a couple of things. I learned she will not be running for president. I learned that she will not be running for president, although I hope, I do believe her because what I'm hoping for in the future is a black news network. Somebody's got to do it. I don't know. I just feel like Angel Rock can get it done. Um. Also, I learned some great periodicals to look forward for fat. I hope you guys took your notes. I also learned that a black man is running for governor in Florida and everybody should support that with his name again so I can write it down and Andrew Gillum and Florida. I learned what I already knew, girl, you dope, sugar, Steve Um. I learned that um that you should have your own show. Um, I've been watching you since Crossfire. I guess no, I never went on what do you mean? I didn't Crossfire train learned from Crossfire and you get no, you need that time. I know what I feel like. I debated she's doing right now? What happened was as I said, I debated my dad light cross Fire growing up watching it. When the new Crossfire came back, I wouldn't non seen and I was still no bad when high school in the check right now yourn, I don't like the eighties right, that was just checkt CNN. Crossfire was like when they have the panel five people. I still thought that was an ongoing thing of Yeah, they brought it back, but I wouldn't on there yet. I was still doing MSNBC anyway. Yes, Steve, we're listening. Sorry about that? Should wrop you down like I always did. This would be a great time for you to cut me off as usual because I always cut Steve. You should have your own show. Yeah, yes, you should learn that she does not funk with amar Rosa and I appreciate not either. I'm gonna comfort you and your Twitter feeds as well. Know I appreciate somebody again. You're relatable, like you name names, you like fun, you want, you like the two pocket politics. First off, what's your Twitter handle on your Instagram handles? Some people Twitter handle is Angela underscore Rye because some white girl took my name before I was on. She took it now it was it's her real name, to be fair, but she just got to handle. And then my Instagram handle is Angela RAI all one word right like the bread cool shout out to the Jews. Yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, thank you. I could have sworn that YouTube. I gotta say your road call, you guys missed the golden moment to make a right to all the all the things that you guys are discussed. It still wasn't the worst road call of the night, though, collusion. I'd like bills road call it was. It was funny anyway. Damn well you guys covered. Oh I know, I learned to day. We didn't learn the day a single afucker. You're wilcome, You're welcome. My thank you. No, I'm trying to be I'm trying to be first dude in the White House maybe, And thank you and uh Fontiolo and Boss Bill and in future Angela Rye, thank you for coming on Love Supreme only on Pandora Cours. Love Supreme is a production of My Heart Radio. This classic episode was produced by the team at the Door. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.