Fighting For Our Civil Rights with Attorney Benjamin Crump

parties of v ET weekend. It was Black Folks Black Excellence the week of June tenth at the highest level, successful black folks, activists, organ Nazis, leaders, elected officials, businesspeople, entertainers, regular folks, everybody to get up in so many spaces. It was really really the best b et weekend I've ever been to. Yeah man, And it started out the reason why we actually even were here because our sister Miss Diddy honored Until Freedom and her Toast to Black

Hollywood event which was which kicked it off. Dope. You know, the ambiance, it was a vibe like it was. It was a dope vibe shoutout to Ditty Man and the work that she always does. But um, we want to just say thank you for honoring us and recognizing the work that Until freedom does. And we just want to say the work that you do. You know, the way that she brand coordinates and connects and is able to navigate and strategize and put together different brands and different

people in rooms, it's just amazing, you know. And she just has a skill set that is needed and and and it represents black excellence and it it elevates Black culture. So about yeah, you know, she she is a marketing and branding expert. Um. The way her brain connects with brands and people is so powerful. Not everybody can do it. It's a whole lot of people out here that claim to be in branding. They want to put them in your budget for in there in your in your budget

for marketing and promotions. And they don't be doing nothing. I know because doing anything. I know because I've hired some of them. But I know for sure that every time Miss Ditty touches a brand, their value increases and their ability to reach the targeted market it increases. And I see also her own growth. And we should actually have Miss Diddy to come on and and she some of the things that she's doing. So we have to put a you know, a pin there. But that's our

friend and our sister. You know she was she was honoring us, but because of the prices of the flights and so many challenges, she was totally like, you guys don't have to come, And I'm so glad we were able to make it happen to be here. You and Angelo Attorney, Angelo Pinto and I attended her event, and there was so many other important passionate black folks um acknowledged there as well. Uh Trade of Truth, our brother he was one of the honorees. Velicia Butterfield Jones, and

the list goes on. I'm not gonna get myself in trouble, but that's just two of the people. Cynthia Bailey, who I just I just love and admire so much. So it's a really powerful kickoff. And then as you said, I mean, there's just so much we did after that, Rock Nation had an event. We went to Club Quarantine with d Nice and and H Kenny Burns. That was

one of the brothers. Don't listen Club Quarantine like it started online, right, but when you were in that room in Club Quarantine, and it's the same vibe, like it brought me back to being in the pandemic in my living room stressed and this saying, look, I gotta go to D Nice page and then lasting the music and you're getting that vibe and you get your little wine and champagne. It was that vibe in the room. And what what D Nice has been able to do with

Club Quarantine. It's nothing short of amazing, just watching his brand, like his brand explode and and it and it was due, you know, because D Nice has always been one of the best DJs in the world. And I know D Knights as the rapper you know, from b DP. You know what I'm saying. So I always my name is D Knight, So I always and from the Bronx you understand I'm saying. So I always had this love for

D Knights. But watching him elevate from positivity right doing something to unite the world and and give people level a level of joy at one of the most hardest times in history, you know, was most hardest, one of the most hardest, the hardest or the most one of the hardest times in history, Yes, sir, one of the hardest times in history. You know, it was nothing short of amazing. And watching him evolved into the premant the world's DJ is just a good title for him, the

World's DJ, because he surely is. He He is my family, like we are actually family. We're not blood related, but we might as well be, you know. And I have a lot of respect for him, like you you guys know him on you know, from the from the community, from him being, like you said, a rapper, being in the music game long time ago. But I know him from watching him with his daughters, watching him with his family, watching him with his mother and his auntie, UM and

d is. He's a special guy. And that's why this has happened. And it's not, you know, just by chance. It's because he really did sit and think intentionally about like how can he give something to the world that was also pouring into him. Uh during the pandemic and Club quarantine was definitely one of the highlights of my whole weekend. So that brother Kenny, Kenny Burns, Kenny Burns is my dude. I love Kenny Burns, man, I really do. Kenny Burns is a super authentic dude. Every time used

to see him, you get the same person. You know, He's not the the corny dude that act like he's too fly to speak like you know all of that because some of these people I wouldn't. I wouldn't. I'm not gonna tell you what I wouldn't do, but I wouldn't do it if they was on fire. But but Kenny, since I've known him, always nothing but love, so as he can love around the entire weekend um, and that

for me, it was like it was super powerful. And first of all, let's give the shout out to all the black folks up in b Et, from Scott Mills, the President and CEO, to Connie Orlando, to Janine Library, to Louis Carr. I mean again, another place where I could get in trouble, but all of these black folks that are around trying to create an experience where other

black people can meet up and be together. And I really do mean that in every single thing we went to Hennessey event we went to which was at the Gathering Spot, So shout out to our brothers that run the gathering spot. Um, Ryan, I forget Ryan's last name sometime, but our brother Ryan. Um. Then we went to what else did we go to? My song? I mean so much stuff, so many different things that happened in every single room. I was over. I saw you talking to people.

I was in the corner speaking to mega celebrities and door influences in their own right, just about like what's the steps that we take? Because of course the Roe v Way decision came down right as v Et weekend began, and so you had people, which which that happens all the time anyway, because there's always some ship going on with us. But there were folks who are like, listen, I'm really concerned about the violence in our communities. What

can we do on that front? They were like, you know, and now women's rights, we see they're gonna come for more. What can we do? So, you know, a lot of powerful, powerful, powerful conversations. And then you know, of course did he being uh I call him puff, but him being honored and his speech and you know, of course talking about

his mom and all of that was great. But the part that was very very touching for me is when, as somebody on Twitter said, he became Diddy Luther King last last night, Um, which is so funny, but you know they do that to us, but you gotta laugh at yourself. So anyway, um, he was talking about this dream that black people will be together and it was that type of spirit all around b et weekend, people trying to figure out what can they do? So we

just gotta keep it up, like, don't stop. Yeah. I think I think we had a very pivotal point in history, and it's going to be recorded, you know, where we stood,

what we did, what we didn't do, you know. And I think Puff being in this industry so long, right, being having a level of successful long being in different rooms and noticing, you know, the trends, noticing that most people that look like him are not in a lot of those faces don't have the same resources, don't have the same opportunities, you know, and him having personal investment in wanting to see that change where I've been hearing them for a while now. That's one of the main things.

He wants equity, he wants black you know, into generational wealth. He when he wants us to create something that is sustainable, something that that we own, you know, he wants black excellence. And I think we're at a time where it's actually possible, you know. I think that merge is about to happen between the activists, the artists, all of the people who

have the ability to make change. And I think it is when we at our lowest point where we look at the violence in America, Black violence, and how you know it's affecting our communities. I think people are realizing that we need unity more than anything right now. So you know, I'm I'm eager to start the process of the change and the evolution of our culture and the

unity of our culture. So hopefully it starts to resonate. Yeah, and there's so much happening in the news, it certainly should push us to, you know, want to get more involved and really understand how serious all of this stuff is. I mean, even just thinking about the Roe v. Wade decision that came down from the Supreme Court. You've got

a lot of people that's upset. And I saw a bunch of white women marching out in the streets in California, UM, and you know, people really out there, and and and not enough of our people, I don't think are I think we're paying attention. We certainly know what's happening, but I'm not sure that we understand that we need to be out physically fighting back against this. It's not gonna happen on internet. It's not. And it's actually time for us to do something that is really really strong and

extreme because what's happening to us is extreme. We are at war. There is an actual war and people are playing their role in it. And I don't think we've put our gear on to say, Okay, we're we're in a you know this, we gotta go to battle like seriously.

So hopefully we can. But but it always is better when you think about James Brown and um, Reverend Jackson and others who were sort of moving at the same time, right, you got you have Dr King and Mahilia Jackson and others, So that means you have entertainment, Harry Belafonte being um, you know, an entertainer. But also if you if we're using the term influencer, he certainly was an influencer you know, in his time, and all of them merging to move culture.

And that's what I hear you talking about. So you know, Roe v. Wade is is super serious, um, because not because people are for abortion or against it, but what we are for as a woman's right to choose that it's my body and I should be able to make a decision with my doctor. That has nothing to do with an elected official who is able to determine my medical care. So, uh so this is a real serious thing. But what is even more important is that it has

set the tone for what is to come. And by the time the Supreme Court, because you know they meet, you don't know what the hell is going on. It's not like watching hearings, um you know on TV. You sometimes you can watch Senate hearings. You know what's on the floor. You understand politically what's out there. And we always knew Roe v. Wade what's going to come up

as a major issue. And we know just several weeks ago it was leaked by an an employee or somebody within the the the Supreme Court that got the documents and put it out there. So that's how we knew what they were even thinking. But you don't know. So when the Supreme Court reconvenes and they're meeting again and getting ready to put forth more decisions, it could be all kinds of things that you know happen and rites

that we lose. So that's why we have to really seriously get um m hmm in front of it, and also why we cannot sit by and allow Joe Biden President Biden to make us feel like voting is the only thing. You know that he has to do some stuff. He has to do some stuff. You have to also put yourself out there and start a fight, a real fight. You know, I want her listen. He needs to start a fight. So you have that going on, and then

this Brittney Grinder situation is super serious. Now they're saying that her court date will be July first, or her trial begins July first. I spoke with her wife, who basically gave me an understanding of what's happening. First of all, it's not even like her trial is happening consecutive days. Like you know, when you go to trial, you're in there every day. Of course, there's moments when they made um recess or a journ or whatever for a day or two, but for the most part, every day you

go to trial until it's over every weekday. Her trial is set up where it's like July one, and then maybe and don't quote me on these dates, but then maybe like July seven, and then July uh eleven, and then July twenty something like it's all over the place. And the other thing she said was that um in in in Russia, their courts have like a nineties seven percent conviction rate. A ninety seven percent conviction rate. That means it's a kangaroo court. You go to court, basically

everybody is together. They've already made a decision that you're guilty of whatever they say. They're talking about large what are they The charge I saw today was like large transport of rugs like what they said that she had no cousin, and that was kind of weird for me. So but they may they may say, first of all, her family, they at this point they have not even seen or understand anything about what she may or may not have had, Okay, so that in and of itself

is questionable. And her lawyers saying the bottom line is that she is innocent, period. And and our position is even if she had what they say some vapor or whatever thing de vape and whatever, still our country should be fighting to get her out. You don't leave an

American citizen, especially a woman. This woman is not. She wasn't over there causing nahim or doing anything illegal to where people's lives were in danger, or participating in some type of you know, uh, something against the government or or something or anything like that to where she was a danger against to society in Russia that we should allow her to be in that in prison there at a time of war when we're also engaged in trying

to stop Russia's invasion of Ukraine. I mean, this is we don't have to even get into all the details, because if a person doesn't understand it, to hell with you. If you don't understand why we care about Brittany Grinder being locked up in in in in in in Russia and the kangaroo court situation where you don't even there's no way that we see that she will actually get

a fair trial, then that's on you. But we're gonna fight for and in fact, today there will be a prayer visual excuse me, and today there will be a prayer vigil for her where you know, we're asking people to show up outside of the Russian embassy in New York, um and and let's pray for her, Let's pray for the Russians and their hearts all also to open up so that our sister can get out. So that's the

deal with that. It's a real crazy situation and my prayers are definitely were her, you know, just just trying to even imagine being formally incarcerated, you know, and and being inconcerated here. It was tough, and just noting knowing that, you know, the trajectory of her life, she did not see anywhere that this would be happening to hers, So there has to be a level of trauma that she's experienced.

So I'm definitely praying for her, her family, you know, and hopefully the US gets on his job, yeah, and get and get something done. Man. So they say that they're working behind the scenes, and you know, you want to believe it, but you also you know, it's just

I don't know. That brings me to my thought of the day, going back to this Roby Wade stuff, right, because you do not be thinking but and going back to the rov Wade issue, and then also even thinking about Brittany Grinder, right and knowing that there are so many people who could be involved, particularly white folks with power and influence that could be standing up for her.

But they're like, oh, well, they said she had drugs, Like we just we we just said that that Putin was crazy, he's a liar, he's dangerous, But now we believe that quick that a black woman did whatever they say, right, So the same people who we just said they're crazy, they you know, they're they're they're, they're there whatever. I don't I mean, I can't even think of the words that people used to describe putin. But it's some serious ship, a maniac, a madman, they say all of that. They say,

it's it's it's corrupt. But then oh for the black woman or she did what? They said that anyway, And I see a lot of white folks, Um, you know, I'm just happen to be in white Twitter, and I saw that they were like, well, you know, it's a little little different because she was carrying drugs. How do you know? Did you see it? Like? What are you talking about? Right? So I was thinking that we really don't necessarily need a bunch of white folks marching up

and down the streets. We really don't. We really need white women to go march in their communities. We need

them to go to their communities today, family barbecues. We need them to go march over the mama's house and put up put a tent outside of the lawn of your mama's house and sit there, sit there, go to the country club, protests there go to these establishments where some of your your your family, because you know, for black folks, whether we related or not, when we see other black people, we like they it's family, right, it's

it's it's all of us. When we see black people out here in the world hurting or doing crazy things, we feel responsible enough to call them in and say, hey, man, this is not good for our people. Or we celebrate when as a people we're winning, right, and when some of our ore are you know, best and brightest, are making strides. So take responsibility in the same way white folks. The margin is cool, we get it, that's that's you

know great. But what is more, what I think would be more powerful in this moment is to start organizing within your own families, sometimes in your house because you and your husband are not even on the same page. You need to go deal with aunties that are in your family that you know, help vote for Trump so that he could put three just the sys on the court in the court and then take away your right

to choose. These are decisions that have been made by fifty three percent of white women who went to the polls. Fifty three percent of white women who went to the polls voted for Donald Trump. And now we're in the street and we're protesting, and we're screaming and shouting and this and that, and all of that's cool, but it doesn't mean as much as it would if you could turn around the minds and hearts of people who look

like you. More white people are going to have to understand that this is your fight because you need to correct your people. You need to correct your people, right The white folks need to not be invited to the cookout the same way that Clarence Thomas is not invited to the cookout. He is not invited to the cookout. And that's what white people need to be doing right now. I think white people need to be getting Hella uncomfortable in their own communities, with their own people. You know,

it makes it makes a lot of sense, man. And speaking to Clarence Thomas, you know, just his his you know, take on the things that they need to do. He wants to do pretty much an overhaul of presidents, presidents cases in a lot of different places. That would change the complete dynamics of this culture right now. Like it's really dangerous. It's not the culture, it's the country. I mean, the country, and the and and the culture everything. It

would just change the way that we live. And to see that these people have this mindset, to me, it's so dangerous, Like why would you want to impose your personal feelings on somebody's life? Like why why do you

think that's okay? Why why do you think that because you think that somebody's life or the or the choice they make isn't okay for you, that you want to impose that they live the way that you want them to live like that, that mindsety to me is one of the weirdest things I've ever experienced in my life, you know, And watching this this role v way thing is like a wake up call. It has to be a wake up call when you see that a fifty year you know case that said presidents that moved women forward,

they gave them the human rights that they deserved. Anyway, you know, nobody should be able to tell anybody what to do with their body, their mental, physical, emotional health.

You know, carrying a child in itself does a lot, you know, to a woman, and if you're not prepared or want to do it is even more damaging to your to your psyche, to your physical to everything, you know, So for someone to make a ruling about that, you know, and and and men making white men making rule a along with this, you know, I don't even know what it's called something, but making that type of ruling, it's

just it's unfathomable. So it's like, this is this is the first time that we've watched in recent history that we're really going backwards, Like we're really watching in this time where we they are rolling back our human rights, not just you know, our god giving rights. God gave us rights over dominion over our own bodies, and the

Supreme Court has literally taken that from women. Yeah, I mean if people have to fight to get the right to have dominion over their bodies, and you know, now we're just in a we're in a time where you know, I just hope that our people understand that it's serious. And guess what, we black women are gonna have to fix it because we always do and that's what's going to happen. But this time, many more of our brothers

are like, uh, this is crazy. I'm hearing from so many of you all that's like, nah, this is outrageous. Like it's at the point now where everybody is like, wait a minute, what the hell is going on? But we've been asleep at the wheel because guess what they told us that this was what they're gonna do. One thing about them Republicans. The Republicans say they're gonna do something, and they do it. They do it. Hella hot water,

we better freaking do the same damn thing. So anyway, we gotta get straight to our interview now because we've got a great, dynamic, incredible, dope, funny um warrior that's coming up right now. And I'm really super dupid excited about interviewing our next guest, the incomparable Black America's Attorney General, brother Benjamin Crump. Benjamin L. Don't Benjamin L. Crump. Let's bring him on. So just so happy to have him.

Our friends, you know, us and our friends on street politicians, and we have one of our great friends today, uh, Attorney Benjamin Crump. Now, you know what, y'all see Ben Crump all the time, and y'all need to know he don't just run around from one case to the next. He actually has a law firm called the ben Crump Law Firm, and it's a bunch of lawyers that work with this man. It's not just been there as a

whole team. He's also the president of the Civil Rights Trial Lawyers Association, and he is most importantly what my song, what do you call him? He is Black America's Attorney General. Thank you, General. Thank you so much for coming to Street Politicians. It's been a long time coming, but we finally got you on. Thank you queen, and to make my side. Thank you all for using your voice to

amplify the cause. I mean, it's so critical what you'all are doing to have this podcast Street Politics, where we can communicate to our community directly. I mean, they don't have to go through the filter and nothing, and y'all can keep it real about how we move the culture forward and more importantly, how we make a better future for our children. Well, thank you, Yeah, yeah, no, really been.

I mean, so I I said to you before, and and my son and I've been talking every week about civil on your new documentary on Netflix, and I said, then we're gonna talk a little bit about that in a moment. But as we've been discussing it, I've been saying I was always for being crump because I know you we've been in the trenches since Trayvon Martin together, I've watched you. I've actually watched you grow, you know,

just as a leader. UM, I have really been able to up close and personal see how much you sacrifice on behalf of this movement. And so they couldn't say nothing to me about you before. But now I'm ready to fight in the street if anybody says anything about my Ben Crump, because I know, I know who you are, and you know uh been, what you do and the work that you put into this movement. I'm so glad that the film is out there so people could just see a little bit of how hard you go on

behalf of black folks and all kinds of folks. I mean, I see you take cases that people don't even know about UM with people of all backgrounds. And so we just want to say to you on street politicians that we love you, we appreciate you, we see you, and we want you also been to be well take care of yourself, you know, because that's something that I don't think enough of us focus on as it relates to you, is your wellness and your your your well being. Now,

thank you so much to Mika Mallory. You know I've said it before, and I tell everybody you're the queen of this movement. You and I literally kind of grew up in many ways. I mean, tray Vine happened, and uh, that was the first time when I believe the consciousness level in America was raised about the killing of a black person probably since like when far Immitia really where it was part of the national conversation. And I think that was being driven by young people like you and

me at the time, and especially the college students. And I think people like you and my son tes y'all can communicate directly with the young people are like many of the people from the Old Girl simply cannot. And it's so important that we communicate with them, because I absolutely believe it is the young people, just like it was with Martin Luther King and John Lewis. It's the young people who are gonna move the needer. We won't

move unless the young people are making us move. That's what has always been the case in the history, is going to be the case now. And so when I think about civil and I'm grateful to Netflix for you know, investing to do this because they thought it was important, and I would be remissed if I didn't think Kenya Barriss, who you know as an incredible movie producer. Uh created the television show Blackish. Uh created the television show America's

Top Model with Tyra Banks. Uh and he wrote Girls Trip. He's direct in my side. White man can't jump to so the brother is busy is I don't know what, but he said it's not enough. You have to show that part of the black experience. We have to show the entire black experience. And he thought it was more important than to make a comedy or make a basketball film that He said, no, no, we're gonna make this film talking about the mission and the work that you're

doing on the front line. Crump and then queen to making. They went and got this sister named Nadia Hagren after Karrican. I mean, just shop sister from y'all. Nikola was New York. She's amazing. She did she did a real good job. I don't jump in no, no, I just first of all, I want to say that Sybil is amazing. And I've been talking about it. You know, I watched it twice and every time I still cried both times. Um, it

was emotional it was you. It was heartfelt. You know, I just want to know what what made you decide that you wanted to be involved in something like this. You know, it was interesting my side. Thurgood Marsha is my personal hero and and they're good understood that. Man. You gotta are getting the court public opinion a lot, because when he was going to court, you know that y'all thought they criticized us. Man, people criticize him from both sides, like all our leaders, Black people hated them

more than the white people hated them. They're gonna keep losing. He can't win out. So he was saying that what y'all to understand, the laws are against us. What we gotta do is be arguing to the public to influence the court of law because the court of law was not made to help black people. And so without understanding, I said, uh, you know, Netflix has one of the greatest global bull horns in the world. So if they're gonna allow me to have this global bullhorn to speak

truth to power, then I better seized the opportunity. Because Netflix is in two hundred and sixty one million households all around the world, and it was so fascinating my son because you never know. But it was June tenth. They released it on just the right date, and they said it trended UH number one for half the time during that day. So they were very happy that they could not only engage their audiences, but what I hope is that they educated them and influenced them. I know

Amanda Seales uh shop sister comedian. She said, June tenth should be a day where white people have to listen to black coaching, black issues and black causes. And I think Netflix gave the opportunity on June tink for them to say, hey, let's try to at least understand why they are aggravate, aided, and upset since we think America is great, but it ain't great to them. You no, no, it's just one thing because you said something that was so pivotal. I don't know if you was gonna say it,

but everybody says Ben Crump loses all his cases. He said, you know, Ben, and I'll be trying to explain to people, and that's what civil was explained that Benjamin Crump is a civil lawyer. Right, He's not the prosecutor, he's not the defense attorney. He can't he don't try the cases when some of the person who killed Trayvon mart and you didn't try the case. You know, the person who who did something to um um Umar Army, you wasn't. You're the civil You only in charge or able to

get monetary value in conversation for what happened. Could you please let that be said because I hate hearing that. Yeah, and you know my side. It is one of those things. Hopefully we can act people if they're willing to engage with us. A lot of people are just our haters and you can't do anything about that. And I don't spend much time on because I understand my mission in life. But I am a civil lawyer. The seventh Amendment of the Constitution says what civil lawyers are allowed to do.

We're allowed to receive civil compensation for our loss or injustice. Only elected officials can prosecute somebody. They can. The only people can arrest somebody, charge somebody, and have the trial and put them in prison is elected government officials, these district attorneys, these state attorneys, and so our people have to understand that those are the people. If you're gonna get mad at somebody for nobody going to prison for Brianna or anybody else. You get mad at Daniel Cameron,

you get mad at the prosecutor. I understand as a private lawyer, and my god, I think about to so much. And you know, to me, can we talk a lot? Strategy hasn't about how you can get some measure of justice of this policy. I know tars and we always talk about policy or what I can do directly, and that is to try to raise the value of black life in America. And that's what we do my side. We have never lost the case and one of these police shootings. We've always been able to recover some measure

of accountability of justice. And I could be wrong, but I want people. I don't ever want to be arrogant enough to think I know all the answers, but I want to believe if we can raise the value of black life in America, they will at least think twice before they shoot first and ask questions later. Because that's

what we've been having on all these cases. They just shoot first and ask questions later because they's like, well, the police probably will get away with it, and we don't have to pay any money for every trade bron Martin, every Michael Brown, every George Floyd. There are at least ten thousand other black people who would kill ten thousand, and we don't know their names because they killed at least hundred every year. And so if we go back for ten years, they have killed at least almost forty

thousand people. And to Mika, we've been doing it for ten we can probably name about fifty two hundred that we know about and that we've dealt with just the ones, and there have been some that other lawyers that you are affiliated with, our friends, whether it be Lee Married and Chris Stewart, and I mean so many lawyers across the country that they are working on those cases. So you know, there's it's a there's a lot of work

that's happening. Now you want to I want to hear you talk about the monetary value being raised, because I think people need to understand where you started, the amount of money that you were able to get on behalf of Trayvon Martin's family, and you know they should have received way more than they got um to where we are now twenty seven million for George Floyd, twelve million for Brianna Taylor, there's a big difference. What's the strategy there?

And before you answer that, Ben, talk about how important it is that the movement is strong at the same time that grassroots organizing is happening in order to help feed into whatever small amount of justice we can get. Yeah, and I'll started there before I talked about the value, because I wanted on the record, you know there's no way we get any measure of justice for Brianna Taylor, this innocent black woman without until freedom. I mean to

make a I's on record. You were the first person I called after uh La Nita and to make a Paulma Browna's mother engaged me and I said, if this is gonna happen, because they were saying nobody's paying attention after month, one month had passed in Brianna was over with it kind of reminds you of trade Bine. It was over if nobody gave a damn seem Also, yeah, as if people don't ever acknowledge what you gotta do to make it be a trend in astag or a news story, then they say, oh, well, you just went

for the high profile case. Nobody knew about Brihanna Amar at the beginning, nobody cared about Trey Vine. So but to me, I I thank you, Queen. I think until freedom, there's no way people would know Brianna Taylor's name without you all. And I can never say thank you enough. I know, like Needa and sam Aggie all were the lawyers in the courtroom, y'all, like co councils in the community.

And it's so important to have the grassroots there, the people in the court of public opinion and pushing the court of law because the court of law really don't care about black people, brown people, for any marginalized people, we have to make them care laws or dead words on paper. We breathe life into them by what we do. And so when I think about the value of black life in America, you have to remember, obviously Emmett Till got no justice back in the fish. You didn't get money,

you didn't get criminal conventions, you just got nothing. You saw with Latasha Goings, you know, Tupac, one of my heroes. You know, everybody in l A when the Asian lady shot the system in the back of the head and then they let her go back to Korea and with no criminal convention, that little girl was dead walking away on video in the early eighties in Los Angeles. She got no compensation. Rodnni King got like a million dollars. Uh.

And that was pretty much it. If you out a million dollars, you better be happy to grow, It's what they were saying. And obviously it didn't make any difference. And so then Trey by Martin came and we said, well, we won't not just civil conversation. We want the killer to go to jail. And so I really started saying,

they gotta arrest this guy. This guy gotta be charged because black people got used to the police shooting and killing us, and you know, as terrible as it is, we was like, man, that seemed to just be the

reality in America. But then when Tray Bond got killed and this thing, I'll stany in your ground, it changed everything because then it said we didn't have to worry about just the police killing out children, but any time dick and hairy white person could kill our children, as long as they said that they felt in fear of their life, they could go home and sleep in their

beds at night. And so we fought that when in nine and nine out of a hundred lawyers when I have taken Trade by Martin's case and I out of a hundred and so people say, oh, well, you took this high profile case man Sabrina and tracying them. They were like, who do we turn to? Because lawyers are like, why would I take that case, this neighborhood. Why the person ain't gotten nothing and the police gonna believe him, and we're just gonna spend our money and time. So

we took the case. We settled it out of court for one point five million dollars. And what many people do not understand is the Homeowners Association had already cut Trade by Martin Killer loose. They said, he validated policy, we're not responsible for that. He didn't have our permission to care a gun and so forth, so it would have been a judgment calling court. So they thought that was The courts thought that was very fair. We were not happy. We then Michael Brown and Ferguson, uh city,

you know the same thing. We at one point seven five you instead of trying to increase the value. Uh. Eric Gardner got about five million dollars in two thousand eighteen. You know, Treybon was in two thousand twelves. So you're you're pushing every time to say, let's give more to black people because we want these cities to go bankrupt having to pay these lawsuits out. And then we got to you know, traybon Mark. I'm sorry, we got to

Brianna Taylor. Black women to mak her my side. They just didn't get any money hero and now nobody go to jail black women. It's like Malcolm Mack said, most unprotected, mostly gladly, most disrespected because black women that Washington Post did to study from two thousand fifteen to two thousand and twenty, over four hundred black women have been killed by police. Only eight of them have been charged. Four of their cases got dismissed, four of them got convicted

of misdemeanor charges, no felonies. That meant nobody went to jail nothing. And that's what happens in black women cases. So for Brianna to get twelve million dollars was in I mean profound statement that our black woman was not gonna be looked at as irrelevant or insignificant or devalued. You were gonna have to acknowledge them. And then George

Floyd and then twenty seven million dollars people. A lot of lawyers was like, we never thought we would see a day where a police department were spending a third of their budget on a single case talking about banking while black. To me, because we've gotten over two hundred million dollars for black people, that people think that we do high profile police cases. No, man, we find this emination and employment and iron men of racism, medical racism.

And so when we got all these banks to pay black people two hundred million dollars at one cole of the year, it was not they all. They won't let me say who the banks are because it's confidential settlements. But a lot of black people have very merri Christmases last year, and we gotta keep doing that transfer wealth taking from rich white corporations given to black people that have generational wealth. M So, like you just said, man, a lot of people always think that it's just high

profile cases that you do. And when you watch civil you see that there's so many different types of cases, not just police killing cases. You know, you have black farmers, you're talking about the banks, the young lady who's banking while black, and that was one I think that one really touching nerve for me just seeing that situation where touching nerth Can you speak on some of the cases that you have now that you know that might not people might not know, because like you said, we have

to amplify that. So give us like one of two cases that you think people should pay attention to. Man well, hopefully until freedom will helping. Baltimore, Maryland with Sira Brown case. That's the system ninety dollar check that white lady took her check, locked it in the boat where she couldn't get milk and food for her infant children. And uh, it was heartbreaking. You see all these banking while black cases.

They just she was being accused that they were saying to check the faith, but they called the job, didn't they to to verify that the ninety dollar check was not failing. Exactly the lady too and her check right yep. White lady just said, I mean it was just so evil. Really, uh wanted to just tell us a little black lady that you don't matter. And and she, thank god, um got the police officers to buy her milk and so for just to make it through the weekend. My mom

raised me and my little brothers. People don't understand how hard it is sometimes for single parents to raise children, I mean on their own. And so that's the case that hopefully when people see Silver, they'll understand it's more than just these high profile cases. And with Blue Nadia hard Grain, you know, now they had direct that Michelle Obama's becoming and she she is running around the country with me my side, and you know, I got these

I get the calls, I got the thirteen officers. I'm just going She could not believe that out all these high profile cases I was doing that. I said, we gotta go see this young sister who has this bank a while black case that I think it's imperative that I work on. And they was like, you're gonna stop and you're gonna drive Ben Crump, I said, hey, man, I understand why we got these blessings and influences. That's to try to help people. Can't help everybody, but the

ones we can, we're gonna do it. So my side, that's a big case I want to draw emphasis on. I'm doing Wheals Fargo and that's huge because during the pandemic, you know, the government lord the interest rate to historic

lows uh seventy five years ago. I mean, we ain't had interest rates that low, and so this was an opportunity for people to refinance and get equity anywhere from a hundred thousand dollars up to ten million, twenty million dollars in their home, which we all know for middle class people is the greatest way to grow wealth, to accumulate wealth. Well, where's Fargo turned down out the black people? And you're like, they the largest home lived in America

and they were turning black people down. So we're going after them. And I know sometimes we don't agree on everything, but I was very proud of Mayor Eric Adams in New York for saying, until you addressed this pattern of discrimination while I'm married, the City of New York would

do no new business with you. And I think if more about elected mayors in these big black seaties like Atlanta and Jackson, Mississippi and so forth, faith that stands say along corporations, you all are gonna have to be held accountable because I know who have vote me into office, then that matters. Can you think about it? Just imagine to me in my side. Let me just drop this point right there, because I don't want to lose it.

People need to research Maynard Jackson when he was mayor, Okay, when he was mayor of Atlanta, he did the same in terms of looking at all the contracts, looking at all the money going in and out of the city of Atlanta, and he made sure that wherever black people were not in the high percentile in terms of getting the contracts and the business from these agencies, that he threatened them to pull the city's money, pension funds and

other things out of those those businesses and institutions. And that's that's that's the what where Eric Adams, I believe get got that idea, you know, And it's so profound because a lot of people don't have the courage to do that. They rather just try to go along and get alone to him, want to piss off nobody. And you thinking where black people just keep getting kicked in the faith. But you up here cheaching and haha with everybody.

And that ain't why we elected you. And so when I think of made that Jackson, that's him and Mary bear Uh and these great examples they said made of Jackson, it's it's a legendary stir. When they're building Delta airlines the airport in Atlanta, and he stops construction, and he stays until we get black uh self contractors on this project, we won't do anything more uh construction of this airport.

So it was a stand still and man of Jackson said, I'd be damned if everybody else gets rich building this airport and black people don't get anything. And he's still about and delta blank. And that's why you have so much prosperity in Atlanta from the early eighties just from the building of that airport, because when we take a stand ow, it matters. And so that's why this Whaless Fargo thing matters. We might be able to get black people close to a billion dollars from whales Fargo. And

it won't be a high profile case. It won't be sex or anything like that, but boy, it would be life changing for a lot of black people. Think about you getting a house paid off now because they denied your re five So now you've got three four hundred thousand dollars in equity that you can pass on to your children. It's those type of things that is part of the mission. And I can't worry about if people get it, because you know what you're fighting for. It's

not a popularity contest. It's about trying to give our children a better world. And so that h hen Real the Lacks case. Oh man, Yeah, we're suing all these pharmaceutical companies for Henry the Lacks family. Yeall know she was the sister who they stole herself from Johns Hopkins Hospital in the nineteen fifties. Oprah Winfrey made a movie about it. They're more the life of Henry the Lacks, well her children. They hired me to try to do something that people say, I'm crazy. I get called out

a lot. We're bringing a seventy year uh slawsuit. Statue limitations is only two years. We're gonna say, Jared, we think that it was you know, fraudulent concealment that and when it's fraud, the statue of limitation should not apply. And it's uh ingest enrichment, the theory that says, well, if we can prove you've been ungestly and rich, then we have our day in court where if we're successful. Boy,

it's looking kind of good for us. These pharmaceutical companies have made billions and billions of dollars off of Henry o the lack of sales. She was the first human being on the face of the earth. We all knew black women were the most powerful creatures on earth, but she kind of solidified it. They were trying to find out how if a human sale could regenerate outside the body where he really lacks in ni hersels. They took them out, put them in the little process, and they

know there's something miraculous. Every twenty four hours, herself will regenerate on this own, not inside the body, outside the body. And it's been doing that for seventy years every day. So every pharmaceutic could company, every one of them who came up with a vaccine, nation or any kind of medical advancement, it was because they used her human sales to test it, because that's the only way you could

do it in laboratory laboratory conditions. And so they have made billions upon billions of dollars, and her children had made one red penny, one penny. But we sued them. Everybody said we're gonna get kicked out of court. They laughed at us, called us crazy. But guess what, the judge has denied that we get the motion to this myths.

We kid to keep going forward and what that means my side, but that means to mecause those pharmaceutical companies will never ever let that case see a court room because when they put the argument that we were arguing in federal court and they said, well, Judge, where does it end. What happens when uh, fifty years from now

that her grandchildren come back and everything. In my response to that, yeah, I was like, let me make you'll understand this because y'all disrespect to the black woman, didn't see her as a citizen worth of consideration and get her to sign a agreement saying you can take her genetic makeup her intellectual property so when you used it in the future, her family would be able to profit

or get some proceeds from it. So since you didn't do that, y'all are staying now if her grandchildren come back in fifty years after these grand children just say we won't uh if our percentage of whatever is to be given for her intellection property, y'all see a problem

with that. But I'm confused, judge, because ain't the white people who changing of these corporate presidents going to call in fifty years and a hundred years and say along the reason Sam Walton children are gonna be rich forever, it's because Sam won't gotta contract. That says day rich forever, Eli, Lilly, Johnson, and Johnson, all of them. So why does this black woman grandchildren not entitled to the same equitable relief? And

was silent. Yeah, you need a part too, You need a part to the civil and we need a part too to this interview. And I do not want to get in trouble with your team because I promise we would just do thirty minutes today, so we I want to let you go, but I do want to ask you this one quick question, Ben, and we'll be done here. Kim Fox and Marilyn Molesby. We see all of the black women elected official state attorneys, not all of them,

but many of them are being hit with charges. This is not about afther, we think, well, first of all, we do not believe they're guilty of what they're being charged up. That's Tamika Mallory speaking. I'm pretty sure that Ben Crump has his own statement that he make on their behalf. What do you think it's happening here? Because because we see, we see what's being done to Maryland where regardless of how you may feel, still it doesn't look like she's getting a fair a trial if you will,

or fair? Um, what do I want to say? Exactly? Exactly? And then in the way that they're after Kim Fox, these are black women who have stood up for justice. Talk about what you see happening and why have it Why no insurrectionists in the government has been arrested yet, but yet these black women are under attack. And you

can add Kim Gardner from St. Louis. That's right. They are coming after these black women prosecutors, and I think because they are, they are completely disrespectful of black women. I mean, it is flavrant. I mean it is, it's so over the top. Um. All Maryland mostly did was saying, hold on the officers who did this to Freddy Great need to stand accountable for what they did. We're not saying they're guilty him to prove an innocent, but we're saying that they read a great family should have his

day in court. Man. She did that. The police union have been after her for six years now. I mean every day, it's not like just now. Every day they're trying to take that sister down. They want to destroy her. Same thing with Kim Gardner in St. Louis. Y'all remember Kim Gardner said the couple who was carrying the goods the Trump supporters and pointed it on the black activists. She prosecuted them. Man. You know, the governor tried to

script her of her power. Aaron Massa Yala in Orlando, Florida, who was the first black state attorney in the entire state of Florida, said that she's not gonna do the death penalty because she believed this disproportionately used against black people. Man, the whole state came up to this black woman. And then obviously Kim Fox Chicago. Man, Chicago has just Chicago City in America, and she they come out to her and it's so deep because you bring up you bring

up Maryland most man, Freddy Gray. Tomorrow, I'm going to New Haven, Connecticut because y'all are gonna hear the name Randy Cox is the Freddy Gray tragedy on video. Brother in the back of the padded wagon my side. I mean he was arrested with our incident and he went and you know, doing anything bad, but the police gave him a rough ride. You liotally see him in that back of that video and don't tell you being krunt

word for a handcuff. He slides down the bench head first, hiss that and he's on the ground from that point. For when the police stopping everything that you're okay, he tells them, I can't feel my arms, I can't feel my leg. They're like, well, you just drunk. You need to shake it off. I mean, no respect, pulls on out by his feet. You see its head in again. Then they throw him in a wheelchair. I mean, at no point do they get him in their help and you see his body just hanging around and they just

are so callous to him. Now, this brother is paralyzed from his chest down and only difference between him and Fred are gray to me as we see the video now, and that video is hard to watch, but it is more evidence that we got work to do because they just don't respect us. They I don't believe they do this to white people, but when it's black people, they just don't look at us as having humanity. We're not worth their humanity. And so we keep fighting that fight.

And it's gonna be interesting because they may have a black prosecute on this case too, black female prosecutor. And if she comes out them like we want, you know, they're gonna come out to her. I cannot end this interview to make my sign without telling you this one thing. It was a historic week. Obviously, civil came out on June think and that was a big deal. But tomorrow, La Near, a black woman, came to me six years ago asking me to sue Harvard University for some slave photographs.

The earliest known photographs still in existence in the world that she said was her great great great grandfather Renting

and his daughter Delia. The racist Harvard law profect Our scientists stripped them down naked to take pictures of them and back then to take a picture you had to stand for like forty five minutes to an hour, so they were button neck and they measured them his lips, his buttocks are brass and everything to try to be able to give ocular proof, to show visionary evidence of his racist theory that black people were inferior to white people.

In eighteen fifty, so, while Abraham Lincoln was talking about Emancipation Proclamation, Harvard and their professors were not only uh argument he was wrong, they were endorsing that black people were inferior. And so Harvard even to this day is complicit because when this black lady went to them, they said, you're crazy, get away from us. And so we took the case, a hundred and seventy two year old case, and that we aargum nine months ago before the Massachusetts

Supreme Court. They took forever. But on Thursday morning at ten a him they came back with unanimous rule and saying that Harvard's motion to dismiss our lawsuit is denied and that there's a black woman can go forward and have her a day in court. So it is going to be I believe where Harvard is either gonna give those to Garat types, those pictures that they believe it worth a hundred million dollars are they're gonna get this

a black family a substatute amount of money. And so it's about trying to have redistributions of wealth taken from very rich white institutions and giving the money to black people. That is the one thing that we can't control as private lawyers. Oh man, that's you know. It just goes to show that pretty much all of these rich institutions

have been built on the backs of black people. And I just want to say before we leave, then what you do is in as and you know, just watching you, working with you, seeing what you bring to this movement, you know, the realism like I'm I'm about authenticity and I don't like a lot of people. I don't endorse a lot of people, but you somebody like to Maka said, I'll fight in the street with and for any day of the week man. And and I know you take a lot of backlash like we do because we really

do it from the heart. And you know, the enemy is gonna be angry when you come outside and you're fighting them every day. So it's gonna be backlash, and it's gonna be negativity, and it's gonna be people that like you said Hayters. But you know, I just want to give you your flowers and that you know that we truly appreciate what you do because we know what you sacrifice on a daily And before I go, I just want to know what do you want the world when it's all said it done, What do you want

the world to say about Ben Crunt? Yeah, it's so simple, my sign and to make it. And before I say that and we close, out man. Thank you, Thank you all for that's been on the front line. Man. It is longly at times, and so you want to know that you're not alone and to fight. And you know, our children, I'm boring children. We'll know that we fought for them. And so the one thing that I believe it's gonna be on my tombs done y'all, is that he was an unapologetic defender a black life, black liberty,

and black humanity. And with that said, we love you, Ben Keep doing the work, keep being great. I love your general. I love you queen y'all our leaders. Man. To make you know what I said, you're the queen of this movement. Yeah, well you are certainly. As my son started out, Black America's Attorney General. We love you, Benjamin L. Crump. Go and do something. Go do whatever you're about to do, go do it. Do it well. Let's not hold you up anymore. We love you so much. Man.

I love y'all. Keep up lifting the culture. Thank you, Thank you king man. Ben. I mean, I just want the haters and the non haters, the lovers and the haters to make sure they watch civil because all of what he was just talking about is in the film, you know, and I don't know if people spend enough time watching Ben like in his interviews and understanding how how much intellect this man has and just you know, what he means to our culture. It's just amazing, you know.

And one thing I didn't get a chance to ask him is how, you know, why does he keep so many different types of people around him? Because you know, Teslain, our sister Teslain figure, Oh she's Tesla, and Teslain don't care. She is on the full spectrum all the way. Black folks gonna say whatever she wants to say. And there's nobody um that she is not so much afraid to go up against. But she's not. She's not paid, bought and paid right, so when they say bought, and yeah,

she's just gonna say whatever she needs to say. And that's powerful. But there are a lot of elected excuse me, there are a lot of lawyers and other businesspeople and folks who are successful, as successful as been who wouldn't be around a person like Teslin. Right. Also, us we're not your average protesters. The way in which we call out white supremacy, the way in which we stand up and say things about elected officials, even the Democratic president.

We we we are always going in on elected officials that that many of us put in office and still been. He's with us. But then he also works with people who are a little closer to the system. So he has a way of knowing and understanding how you bring everybody together, and that's organised organizing skill. That's definitely a skill set. Man. What what Ben does is phenomenal. Like you said, he knows how to navigate, and he navigates authentically, right.

He has so many different relationships and each of those relationships means something. Right, each one of the individuals that he worked with is people that are doing work, and a lot of times it's people that are doing work that don't even agree with each other, but they work with men because they respect what it is that he does. So you know, he has a unique skill set and um, like you said, it's a level of brilliance to what

he does. Man. So I hope everybody watches Civil and they get to get a glimpse into the bend that we actually know and love and work with on a daily basis. Because you know, this this whole theory that people chase high profile case instead of making these cases INTI for all cases is something that you probably get to see in the film. So shout out to bend Man and it's dope Man. Just we ain't gonna stop talking about They're gonna say every week they keep talking about. Yeah,

that's what we got. The best documentaries I've seen. I've seen a lot of documentaries, but it's definitely one of the best documentaries that I've seen. Yep, absolutely absolutely, And and that brings me to my I don't get it, you know, just just thinking about the movement, just thinking about black people, just thinking about the world we're in. Actually filming from l A right now. After the BT

Awards and it was a phenomenal night. Our friend, another one of our friends, did he was honored with the Lifetime Achieving Awards at the BT Awards and Dope Brother Love, Brother Love you know, um, and he had performances, um, he had people introduced him and Kanye right and and he's my brother. So the Kanye was a part of

the tribute. He was one of them. He was the person who who introduced did he to give him the Lifetime Achieving him and baby Face and he came out in Kanye fashion with his coat and his massive his face, he could be like you could tell that it was

hard for him to breathe. And I and I just want to understand Kanye, like I really do, Like I really want to because you know, sometimes I'm very critical Kanye because you know what it is, because I know that he has a level of intellect ingenious, right, and sometimes I think that he utilizes it, you know, for some level of attention, and sometimes that attention negatively of extra work that we do right and negatively affects how we have to show up on the front line and

what we fight against. And I think sometimes he's utilized that, you know, that brilliance in a in a a form and in a way that's detrimental to us as black people. To me, you know, everybody doesn't feel that way, but I just was watching him yesterday, right, and he was saying a lot of things that was brilliant and powerful

and very powerful. But just him being up there with this mask and the glasses and the boots and all of these things, Yeah, gloves on and it was l a and it's hot, and it's just that I want to understand Kanye, and I just don't get it, like I don't. I don't. I want to. I really want to, Like, I want to sit down and try to understand. You should sit down with Kanye. I want to, like, I really want to. Like Kanye is not It's some people that you don't they but I don't even want to.

But Kanye is not one of those individuals. I like. I actually respect the level he has a level of brilliance, and I think that's why I'm so critical of him, right, and because sometimes I think that he does it purposely, right, Like, we we live in this troll era where people do things just for attention, right, So sometimes I think he does things that can be detrimental just for attention. So I think that's been my issue with Kanye in the past.

But at this point, I just don't even know, because he would do some things that's so powerful, you know, and then then he does things that completely throws me off. So I really just don't get Kanye. I don't know what. I just want to say. As a black woman, all y'all are like that most of the black men in my life may not be as extreme as Kanye in terms of what you're talking about, But y'all are constantly

throwing a curveball. So I feel like that about all my brothers that and you know, I have many many that I'm really close to and and my brothers that I love, and it's like it's like all over here, it's great and we're on the right page, and then boom, because you do it. I pick up my phone, people like, can you please go check my songs Instagram and please

ask him not to post that. Now. I don't think that, you know, again, it's not as extreme as what you're saying that the things that Kanye does sometimes it's pretty dangerous. It is his affiliations, the ways that he shows up in space, some of the things he says. It is definitely dangerous to our movement. And also because of the fact that he's such an icon when he speaks, even if he's just you know, basically going for a shock value, because he's a mastermark there, right, and which is why,

you know, with the clothes and all of that. But he's a master marketer, and when he does those things, I'm not sure that he realizes the minds of the young people and other people who may not have developed opinions on certain issues. He's able to shift their thinking in a direction that is so far away from what we need in terms of our people working together and towards a particular goal. But so it's not at that level.

But y'all still all as black men. I think, um, you have this curveball thing that happens, and I think it has a lot to do with the pain that has not ever been processed. Right when you ask about looking at Kanye with the mass, I felt the same way, Like, Bro, I get it, I understand being different. He you are an artist, he's an artist, he's a superstar. I get it, and I understand, but it's it's like it's just a lot for me. The boots is this big that it's

just it's a lot for me. But I realized that he's expressing, or at least I feel that he's crying out saying something is wrong, something is going on, And I think that with black men. You know, as we were in um here in l A and throughout the ET weekend, Taraji Henson was everywhere promoting her mental health organization that's focusing on and and in fact B E. T And Taraji they now have a campaign where they're gonna give one million hours of of of therapy to

black folks. Right. I hope black men actually invest in that and take advantage and that there's ways entry points for black men to be like some of the highest you utilizers, if you will, of the service, because there's too many of you all as black men, that I feel are not getting the necessary to process some of the things that's going on. So there's a constant battle between what is the mission and the passion, and then there's these other things that just boom out of know

where it happened because it's speaking to the pain. And I guess all of us are like that, but I certainly feel like that about my brothers. Okay, well, give I'm gonna give me some mental health from look into it. You know, if I'm on if I'm on the spectrum somewhere where Kanye is, that confuses then I definitely needed to look into some somebody talking to somebody, you know. But you're right, we all deal with different things, you know, but that's just my opinion. You know, shout out to

Kanye hopefully you know he's dealing. You know, he said something about him taking the hiatus and wanted to be you know, Vanish and be Lea for a year. So hopefully he's getting hopefully he doesn't do that, no, I mean just hopefully he's getting just the therapeutic you know, services that he needs and had somebody there to walk him through whatever he's going through. So and with that said, we had another amazing show. You know, shout out to

being Crump, Shout out to everybody to BT weekend. It was a dope weekend. A lot of our friends. You know, we've seen a lot of things. Club Love Listen if you've never been to club love, club love is something special, man. So once again, congratulations to Diddy. We put on a good show. All of the artists they're dope. So with that said, we're gonna close the show. I'm not gonna always be right, Tamika d. Mallory is not gonna always be wrong, but we will both always and I mean always, always,

always be authentic. Salute. Listen to Street Politicians on the Black Effect Network on I Heart Radio and catch us every single Wednesday for the video version of Street Politicians or I Women Dot TV. That's