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Native Lamb Pod? Hey, Angela, Hey, Andrew, Hey Tiffany. My name is Jessica and I'm sending this video to you from Houston, Texas. I love Monday's mini pod on who are our Black Leaders? How I looked at it as your basketball basketball team. You have your coach, you're starting five and a six man. So for a coach, you have to have Revend Now Sharpton, You're starting five, My
good Sores, Jasmine Crockett, Katanji Brown Jackson. Then we have Gary Chambers, Justin Pearson, Bacari Sellers, and for the sixth man, I felt like we needed to have someone in the media, So I was going back and forth between joe An Reed, Roland Martin or Don Lemon. But I'm a schoose Joy and Reed and the Sore. So that is who I
think could our leaders be. And I really love the idea of having more than one leader because everybody has strengths in different areas and can reach different demographics generations.
So yeah, welcome home, y'all.
This is our mini pod where we gonna go back to old school hip hop days with a top five, but instead of it applying to hip hop, it applies to black leadership in this country, which we desperately need, especially in the trying times that we're in right now. So I feel like I fulfilled my assignment. Last week we just code opened with Jessica, who did not honor the assignment.
She didn't like me and have more than five. She was like, well, you need a coach, and you also need a six nan and while I'm at it, let me just throw these other names in here that I didn't decide on.
So I'm gonna have a full ten deep squad.
But to that point, to the rest of the people on this squad, my co host Andrew Gillom and Tiffany Cross, who are in your top five.
Well, I'm going first Andrew because you are okay, So my I want to be clear, this list is for people who are going into the White House to sit at the negotiation table on behalf of black folks. It's not personalities, but it's people with like policy areas of expertise that I think would benefit black folks. So my first nominee drum roll is mister Andrew Gillham.
Uh.
And I will say why, Andrew. I'm saying you because and I thought about this because I know a few people who you know, worked in politics and policy at different levels. But I think you are the most audacious in your policy outlook and plans, the most insightful, like you have a wide breath of knowledge historically presently and also for cast thing what can happen. You've worked at the local level, the state level, and I think that is a key interest to black folks. That's where a
lot of policy happens. You are below the Mason Dixon line. You're in the South, yes, yes, which I think can you know has the ability to remake the American electoral map. So Andrew, I want you at a table next Latasha Brown. I think Latasha is a great organizer and just has such a bleeding heart for the people. So I think she would be gracious enough to see blind spots and be able to course correct where something should should be. This will maybe a little controversial for y'all, but I
would also have President Barack Obama at a table. The reason being is because he has been in the position before and has a wide scope and understanding of what happens at the federal level that we may not even know, the information that we're not privy to, So I think he would have a unique lens in that space and
be able to guide some parts of the discussion. Then I would have Revend Barber, because I think Reverend William Barber, who leads the Poor People's Campaign, I think he would be focused on the bottom percentage, the working class people, but also people who are just impoverished across the country. And he is just a good kind person. I think he would be in there and be able to do
a great job advocating for the people. And then I have not come up with a fifth person yet because there are several options I have, and I wanted to see more black women representation at the table, so absent that really this is like my cheating answer. I'm gonna go with Justice Kintanji Brown Jackson because I do think that you need somebody there who's focused on the laws as they impact people. If Kintanji, if Justice Jackson is not available, then I offer Ellie Massal. Ellie Mastal covers
the courts Harvard, Harvard Law educated attorney is brilliant. His wife is even more brilliant. So I feel like whatever blind spots he had going in there, it'd be helpful, uh for him, because we kind of get a black man and a black woman with her. Now, some of y'all may be wondering, but you didn't say Angela, because when I was asking this question last week, I said,
Angela is somebody. I was saying, I know you all want to go Angela, but I would not send Angela yes, because we said this president is this president, And I don't think Angela or myself, I don't think either of us have the temperament to sit there and right precisely, I would take one for the team, I'm gonna tell y'all, but I would definitely want Angela a part of the discussions, uh, like you know, the people to prep people before they
go in. I would want want you there. And then my alternate, just in case one of these people got sick, is Congressman Ayana Presley because she's just always down for people. So that's my list. Those are good names, Andrew. I'm looking forward to hearing your names on your list.
And I know in this I know in this era, where we're telling people that everybody has their work to do. I know that you've done your homework, mister mayor, mister.
Okay was number one on my list because he's so reliable.
Come on, guys, I do my homework. But I told y'all last week you didn't listen. Probably, I was like, I'm not so into the names as much as I am in the uh fabric of the type of.
Ain't no fabric, ain't no name pass me, you're.
Not casting you. You have to do your homework.
I didn't. I didn't concentrate on names.
Okay, then give us the fabric and we're gonna give you names. And you say that's what we're gonna do.
You feel a man?
All right?
Here?
The five are.
We need a historian, somebody who knows where where we've been, Eddie Claude.
I was just saying, you talk about people who are in the historical.
You said you can't handle names, So we gave you one night.
We need a historian with Michael Harriet is the person we all right.
I want a revolutionary.
I want a revolutionary Angela Davis revolutionary.
Okay, a revolutionary. I want the bomb thrower.
I want the person who is going to turn the table over and and be that in the space the real quick.
Who is the revolutionary? Angela Davis is.
But she she doesn't move that way, right, Maxine Waters?
True? True enough.
I Thinkxice progress from the Jasmine Crocket. That might be. It's a different place really, Okay, Okay, yeah, I don't think the infrastructure.
I think that's the evolutionary is somebody who is probably as liberated as liberated looks in today's society, which means that their livelihood, where they're going or where they've been, is not dependent upon an institution, a politician, any of that.
That they that they stand pretty resolute and.
The outside of the government and Barry Chambers, maybe he's the revolutionary.
Maybe he wants to run. Yeah, I'd love to see him.
Okay, maybe Alicia Garza, what are we thinking? Alicia Garza is the revolutionary? Alicia her I want.
The grassroots at the table, and I already know that person. I didn't do the work on it, but yes, I mean, I want I want the streets to speak at the table. Natasha Brown, I want somebody who understands the economics of the country, the economics of our community and large big picture systems change.
Derek Hamilton might be a good economics person.
True, the Joint Center.
Michael Harriet, he studied macroeconomics, so he has a lens into that. Spencer Overton is that does.
The Joint Center Spencers at the Center.
I was gonna say, does the Joint Center do economics? I don't know they do.
I've been to a training by them. But and you know what, there are probably some people within foundations, within progressive foundations who again the name may not be here for me right now, but I know our deep thinkers and are very concentrated on not flashing the pans. But this change creates long term systemic this right.
And then that's the economist some ason. She wrote a great and excellent book on black wealth and money building. So Dorothy Brown, I got your economists for you right there.
Okay, Next, what about John O'Bryant or Robert Smith. He's not an economist, but he's done so much around macro and.
Micro heathern McGee comes to mind. Yeah, oh yeah, in this sort of picture, a big systems thinker. But she she you know, she also understands foundationally the economics that has frankly created the system that we are existing in today. And then finally, y'all, and this is probably one of the more important picks, would be figurehead movement leader, sort of big picture movement leader and Jasmine. I know everyone would probably default to the historic individuals who.
Show up in this category. Rev.
Ben Crump, Jesse Jackson, you know, like these those those those things that we know are kind of resident in that space.
I would go for a fresher face. Jazmin sort of.
I know she's a politician as well, but I think somebody who speaks can get the attention of the people at every strata of the movement and can activate them off their word, right, And there are people who have the ability, who have the power in different places to make moves. And I'm not sure if I threw this category out, but I did put in there sort of your your political person who knows how these sort of
how these puzzle pieces fit together. So that idea won't work because it's isolated, there's no accountability, it doesn't feedback into anything. Somebody who can spot that and call it out, you know, sort of immediately. And I don't know him all that terribly well, but I do respect him a great deal. And that's how King Jeffries as somebody who you know, ten years in the Congress, was able to ascend into leadership. And I believe has a big picture frame to ss to to you know, how how pieces
fit together, more to work, to work for us. He's kind, So that's kind of what you might get in this role, right, somebody who knows where the body's are buried.
Right.
Well, we didn't call the e I out, but let me tell you the thirty places in which this within this budget where it is right.
Well, we have other people in that list.
What do you say, ye did? Listeners?
The listeners, Let's roll some nick.
What's up Native Land? I'm Larry and I'm in Dallas.
My top five leaders are as follows, in no particular order, Tanahase, cos Corey Bush, number three, Michael Eric Dyson, Stacy Abrams, and last but not least, Roland Martin. I think with all five of them at the table, we can get to the bottom of issues of reparations, you know, moving forward with the community as a collective, so on and so forth. Those are my top five leaders in our community.
You know.
The thing I appreciate about what he said and as Tip sits in Roland Martin studio. By the way, I also really appreciate him bringing up Corey Bush. I think and Andrew, like, I know you can personally relate to this.
I just be emotional about this stuff. But like when.
Our leaders, these people that have like have such favor on their lives to serve the people in the ways that you all do, and then you don't win an election, especially to somebody who you know that you're more qualified than, have more integrity than, etc. You never want to see good people that are strong orders and super brilliant and to have his great convictions about how to move this country forward and for the people like you never want to see them discarded.
So I'm so late, sister, you know.
I just want to say, though, like some of the people they're saying, like we love Roro, but Roro is not a policy person, you know, like he is a journalist there to cover. So I'm sure Roro would love to be at the table. I don't know that.
He's definitely going. He's definitely going.
He's sitting next to April.
But I know no, Row does not want to be at the end of the journalism.
Roland wants to tell you, like if he probably would disagree with you on him not being the police person. Roland is the camera operator, the sound engineer, the journalist himself, the key interviewer, the policy person, they resident history and the voting rights advocate, the charter school's advocate. What if I missed the black agenda, history, all of it, divine resident, divine nine, let you know, and the bule.
I want the bullet. I want him to get the first exclusive interview with the people who were in the room and then come out and tell Roland what happened. I also want Roland to be a part of the council before they go into the strategy fashion right right, yeah, but I should have I'm telling you.
Right now, participating the prep team. He's gonna be like, I'm going, who's seeing my take?
I am going? Ro You know, I am lying? You know, I am right.
I'm the coach and I'm Steph Curry and.
I'm when I see my little video tape on my iPhone and ask him what you what you say?
Yes?
And we post that that's excellent, Like are you going? Would you be? Would you want the.
Exclusive or would you want to be at the table roll and be like, hello, want both.
Okay, let's play another one. Let's play another one.
Gets podcast in your recomdition for the leadership, I gotta I gotta have a women's team and the men's team. On my women's team, of course, I'm gonna start off with Tiffany Cross.
She's gonna do the messaging, organizing events.
Uh.
Gotta have Angela Rod on my political education.
I would like to bring in Karen Hunter for dissimulating the dissecting government rules. Of course, Jasmine is my my rookie, my rising star. Gotta have her on the team and rounding out my women's I gotta have kept Vany K. Williams to do my judicial Gotta have my judicial part of that. On my men's side, of course, I got my man Andrew gonna be working doing the social I got my man name doctor Claude Anderson.
He's gonna mentor a lot of the leadership.
I got Wes Moore up and rising leader governor of Maryland.
I like this guy. I know y'all don't like him.
I think he would be a good I said to the team Byron McDonald, I don't like him.
I like Roland Martin from the black Star Network, and that's it. I appreciate y'all taking my time. Hopefully we'll see you on Thursdays.
Wait a minute, you guys, I'm dying. And he said, I know y'all don't like him. I thought you said about Wes Moore. Then he said Byron McDonald, and I'm like, oh, he said about Byron Donald.
Now he Byron McDonald. That's all we're gonna call him.
That Byron Byron McDonald's.
I am fascinated by that list because what I think this kind of brings some attention to is the fact that uh uh, we still have hold on well why why are you okay, No, I'm sorry, I was looking. I thought we had warre But what it brings attention to is there are people in our community who don't see themselves squarely and partisan boxes. I think in some ways that some of us at times, we don't say.
We're neatly Democrat.
We vote Democrat, but that's not really Andrew is a party person for the most part. I would say, I know, and I don't understand why we're still there because they ain't standard bearer your ass back.
But I've got a majority, it's ours.
Okay.
Well, the point I'm not trying to vote Republican. I'm just saying I'm not going to fall on the sword for these efforts. But the point is it's interesting because there are people in our community that don't hear things through a partisan lens. They just are like, Okay, this person offers some good ideas. He said he likes Byron Donald's. I would like to know why, but I've not I've not only heard that from him, I've heard that from a lot of people who feel like he's an effective communicator,
even if what he's saying is not always true. So I'm curious to know what you all think about that. Is there a place for someone who's not as partisan or independent or conservative at a table in our top five? And if you had to pick a conservative to go in, who would your conservative person be?
Well?
Can can I just really general?
I'll do that general alive? How about that deader alive?
I like that at our life just really quickly. I love that question. I don't haven't answered yet. I just wanted to give some of the because to your point, there are people off social media who weighed in on this okay, So Unicorn V said that Nicole Hannah Jones has to be in the room. Uh. The tenth letter said, yah seen bay most deaf. I don't know why, but okay, I'm not mad at that conscious. So someone said Michelle
Obama that fly fly tip eighty six at Michelle Obama. Uh. Co Cole Chanel's saying we need to stop looking at our own community through the lens of oppressors, which I appreciate. So she says Oprah would be.
Good a lot of things.
We got a lot of Roland Martin, a lot of President Obama, a lot of Hakeen Jeffries. To your point, Charles blow came up. Anthony Lebron, said Charles Blow. Oh speaking to Anthony Lebron, did y'all know that ad got traded from Lakers? Anyway? We'll pick that up another time.
Who did he get traded for? Tiff, Who do you get traded from?
You may not have heard of this guy because his name is funny, but Luca, Luca what he doesn't have He just goes by Luca. He doesn't go by a last name. Everybody who did a D get traded to Tip He is going to Dallas. Very good for Luca or Luca just Luca, Don Johnson, Luca, doncon Donkash, Luca, donkysh is going. So the way we can trade some of these leaders. So we're gonna talk about conservative leaders. See how I bring it all back Luca for a d Meanwhile, Luca is not black, No.
He not black.
But yes, so the same way we can trade ad for Luca, I'm gonna trade out Biran McDonald's that conservative and bring in general Cole Powell since you said that, or alive. So that's my yeah, And I'm just saying that because you say conservative. But honestly, I don't need a conservative speaking one.
Yeah, well, it might not be a bad idea to get reached Donald Trump. If you have to have somebody at the table to reach them, man, maybe you start with a bridge.
Who would you pick? Andrew Gillip?
Well, I don't necessarily think you have to be a partisan to get Donald Trump's attention. You do have to demonstrate some sicko fancy for him.
Who could do that?
What? What is? Uh? I don't know the agenda of former owner of BT which his.
Name Bob Johnson, Bob John Hale no.
Is he I don't know.
Okay, he was, he was, he was he supported Trump last time. I haven't heard him say anything this time. And it wasn't during the election, right, it was like after the election.
I feel like he came around in some way.
She was.
I'm not saying. I'm not saying I'm bad about Bob Johnson.
Bob Johnson was one of my first clients when I started my firm. I do not understand, for the life of me, why he would ever support Donald Trump, because y'all got real confused.
If I don't say it this way, I am not supporting that or thinking it's a good.
Idea, but I just you know, people do interesting things these days, So you think Bob Johnson should be at the table.
Andrew, I was trying to think of somebody who Donald Trump might have something respect for and some familiarity.
Don Peebles might be somebody that.
Was very cool with Donald Trump last go around.
And he also has you know, he's also sort of insconsin some ways in black politics. Federal State Logo was.
The chair of the Congressional Black Haugs Foundation.
Right, So I'm thinking that within that, within that vein, I don't. I don't really know how supportive or non supportive they were, but I think that they're the type that might.
Run in a Trump circle socially.
Okay, I'm torn. I'm torn between two. Actually, not torn. I'm clear mine is not alive. He was my father's mentor. There's a great man by the name of doctor Arthur Fletcher who was the father of affirmative action. And I think it would be imperative, especially in this moment, for Donald Trump to hear from someone who was appointed by Richard Nixon that, dee, I diversity, equity, inclusion is important not only for the fabric of this country, but for
its economic viability and for our global standing. And I think that there's no better advocate for that than the father of affirmative action himself, doctor Fletcher.
And he's I wouldn't even insult doctor Fletcher with them people, I think.
That, uh, well, I think doctor Fletcher would be willing to do it. I remember my dad telling me that George H. W. Bush had convinced him to endorse Clarence Thomas before the Anita Hill stuff and everything came out, and he said one of his biggest regrets in life was ever endorsing Clarence Thomas. And I'm just bringing that up to say too when I'm thinking about our podcast from Thursday. You know, at what point do we allow people to walk back their mistakes, you know, live with
their regrets, but then move forward. I think that there's a lesson in there, you know, in terms of how we come back together.
Oh yes, talking about.
Well she endorsed Clarence Thomas. At the time, I did not know that.
Yes, yes, our legacy civil rights groups collapsed.
I mean it was Bernie Jordan's is the is the Trump?
Uh?
Is the Trump whisperer? He's no longer, you know.
I just think he is the type of graph who understands this whole system well enough. And I think he'd be listening to all the voices in the room to find the through line.
To reach this man's He's very charming in some way. There.
He's you feel like he hears you and like he can internalize it translated and put it back out there.
Okay's strength. I got one.
This is when you were saying this, I was thinking about the streets, like the streets need to be represented. Y'all might not like it. I might lose my man corner. But I'm about to tell y'all want there who applies?
I want you?
You got car I love Cardi Carti. I'm fine with because Carti to me. Now, I'm about to start a whole battle people to be mad at me again. I stay in trouble with these damn rappers. Well listen, let me just tell you guys this one thing. I actually would invite Plies onto this show because I got some questions we need to show. You should come on the show, because I want to know why are you talking like that?
And you got a nursing degree.
I want to know why do you move the way you move and talk about holes the way you be talking about hose but you got a whole.
Wife at home. I just got questions about why.
Like, you can't be a translator if you're not starting from a basis and foundation of truth though, And I think that's it sounds like he's not truthful.
Well you know, I mean Tad Plies and have him come on the show.
Might be some yeah questions because maybe I'm wrong.
I would like to be proven wrong.
But I feel like there's there are some things that he's putting on there's some mascot like behaviors that aren't true to who he is, and I.
Just would like to know will the real plies stand up?
I think because I was gonna says.
Have an alter, have an alter ego, have a you.
Know, Aldernon, I think Algernon.
But I'm not gonna put him in the jail hospital that what I love. Man in jail, I think, no, that's not you know me whole friend. Yes, So what I want to say is he can come out to penalty box because I think he translates.
Very similar to Cardi, b very direct.
Honest, a little in the gutter with it, information that people I think, but for their communicating to them, would not follow it.
Otherwise, I tell you what, I'm gonna pull some clips of him saying something and somebody else saying something before him, and it being very similar, very plagiarism like and I So, I just that's my one thing with Cardi. I feel like it's different because she's speaking to her actual authentic experience. Again, I'm down to be proven wrong, but I just feel like it's a little mascottish.
Well, okay, I like I would love to hear from flies. I think Plies has a great way to communicating and has given sound. And I like Party too because I think CARTI she's very knowledgeable on President for one, which I appreciate. She always knows what she's talking about, and she does have, I think, respectfully, a very gutter way of communicating.
Uh.
Sometimes that that speaks to a lot of people. And I also think it is the amidexterity of our kind, uh, that we can show up in different ways and be different kind of people. We can be who we need to be when we need to be it. Y'all, y'all Bible kids, the Bible that I am, that I am, That means I'm who I need to be. Well that that that is the Lord talk. But I'm just I'm just saying. I'm just saying.
For the God, his image and likeness. She wasn't trying to be.
But my point is, like this conversation, Yeah, I like it too, So what's what is this? Because the last time.
We show up that way, so long as it's in service to us, But what is the conversation that adjustment because he it's in service to to what he's trying to do.
We got to wrap this conversation but we were getting into another one, So what is the conversation that you because I like where we were going to have it as another mini pod.
Yeah, I feel like it's just.
It feels like today's theme overall, like in all the recordings, is about like knowing what to do and then playing your position, And I just think whatever that is like being in your most most authentic truth, living true to mission, and not trying to envy somebody else, like oh it looks cooler over there, let me go over there and do that. Like You've talked about this a lot, Tiff and Andrew, you too about you know, entertainers have a role.
They historically have had a role in the civil rights movement even before that, in ensuring that our issues are heard, demands are med, et cetera.
But they're still entertainers.
And so at the end of the day, who are our policy folks, our think tank leaders? Civil rights leaders are elected officials that are playing their position that we know we can go to. And I think those and and influencers are also different that can spread a message that has already been established.
Those roles are starting.
To become muddled, and I think we should unmuddy the water for clarity's sake, so that we can keep moving in a way that is beneficial and and and and helpfully helps black people seal the victory.
Which is why I would like politicians to stop trying to be celebrities.
That's another to do. So we got we have the minipie on slang and different words andicon uh that that exists in different regions among black folks. Now we have one on play your position, which I like. I thought you were going in the more abstract when you said I like this conversation because there's something there. We need to flesh it out more. But something like how you show up, like the different ways you show up?
You know, what does it mean to be authentical?
I like that. Okay, so those three.
Gets to be the judge of that, well, you and yourself.
I think that's the point, right.
If I am showing up in a space in a particular way, I'm not doing it because I think it's going to not be a good representative self. I'm doing it because I think at this time, and in this place and in this way, me showing up this way is in service to what I'm trying to accomplish for either us the people, or for myself. And I'm not
talking about me. I'm just saying I was thinking about some of what you were saying about how some of us show up, some of us look like freaking cartoon characters in some places in some way, and then you want to loot back around and say something that you know is stimulating to me, and I should take you as a real opinion leader.
You know.
It's just it's like it's that's the podcast. It's like Jamie Fox going from comedian to singer. Like I couldn't listen to his first you know album.
My favorite? Can I say it's my favorite period?
I bumped watch his special to get over the fact that he was you know, the fire Chief and Living Color and.
He was not.
Carry he was one You guys, go to Homie. The clowns even know the man. Try to keep him down. One day Homie will.
Use We gotta go. So thank you guys for tuning in this mini pod. We have a lot. We got a lot of mini pods left. So remember we drove minipod Drop every Monday. Tell your friends to watch every single Monday. Listen. You can find us on YouTube. You can listen to anywhere you get your podcasts. Thank you so much. We are your hosts, Angela I, Andrew Galam and I'm Tiffany Cross. Welcome home, y'all.
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