Raise The Age Law

out at events and in different spaces. Listen, number one, we got to speak it into existing the number one podcast in the world, every number one in our hearts. But it's certainly right into the charts on the charts, and um, you know. And I'm really proud of it because I know how we started it was. It was a dope idea, UM that I was resisting because I don't like being on camera on a regular basis. I

love my new thing. I've been doing my Facebook audio things and I just sit there wherever I can have my bond it on. I can, you know, not have my face be I can just do me run my run it because you know, I know how to run my mouth. I just could have had realized that we could have had the first podcast. We could have been like the entrepreneurs a podcast if you would have listened

to me about three or four years ago. I said, you did, you said, and I said, because you wanted me to go to a studio that's in Delaware on the other side of the town. And then we met Cat Trig and the entire Cat Skate team and then we found a median of a place that we could go. Okay, let's just be clear, but it is um. It is good to still be in there in the space and look, even our picture changed. Oh anyway, UM, so lots of

talk about today. We're focusing on um our our now our brother Dante Mitchell that I'm really so excited, like we do have two Mitchell's today, and I'm really really excited for Dante, Like I'm so excited. He's so smart, very smart kid. That's what That's what really started our connection. And um, I've just seen him and then he reached

out to me. We started talking and just hearing his energy, hearing how articulately was knowing that he was gonna come into society and immediately be a change maker man so it's gonna be a dope interview with him. And it's like one of those stories that it actually worked. The advocacy of everybody putting his name out into the world gave the former governor, uh Andrew Cuomo I forgot his name, gave him you know, and his whoever works on his

clemency packages. They were able to get the information. The awareness was there because he was advocating inside the walls, but people outside, we're calling his name, sharing his story, and so that's how you get on the list, right, you gotta. It's not they don't just go scouring through everybody that's in prison and say, oh, you know, it's usually people's voices are being raised about a particular person.

Folks are writing, people adding you on Instagram, and you know a lot of a lot of these you know, a lot of these government officials have Instagram, they have they have people that and they said, let me go see if somebody's talking about you know, and you continue see that, then you realize that the voice of the people wants this, you know. And that's what I tell people, man, we we gotta utilize our voices. And this is one of those very rare instances where we actually seen the justice.

You know, we've seen something come from our voice. A lot of times we get deterred and we get jaded and we get tired because there's so many setbacks and a lot of not a lot of winds. So this is a it's a big win. Twenty four years this young man uh sat inside of a prison, but he really fall from himself. So shout out to Dante. He's gonna be up soon. And then, like you said, it's the two Mitchell's because we're also going to hear from our change maker today. But I'm not going to spoil

lit and tell people who it is. I'm just excited that my my bro is coming up. Yep. So let's see, this is a lot of stuff happening. The whole world is bugging as always. That's first of all, the COVID COVID pandemic. Nobody knows what to do. So that's just let's just get that out out there that regardless of whether you're vaccinated unvaccinated, in New York, if you can go to a restaurant, you can't go to a restaurant. This pandemic is still a major crisis. And um, how

we're going to get our hands around it. God only knows, and so I just you know, they're more there are people who are still dying. Over the last two weeks, I've been hearing about a number of individuals who have passed away who are close to folks that I know. So these are like not distant stories that I just saw on the news, but people who have actually died.

And just you know, also for for folks who are listening today, if you've had COVID and since it went away, you haven't been to the doctor to get yourself checked, just to you know, get your regular check up, you should because there are people who we are now finding out that a year later, months later, some of the symptoms or other conditions are popping up, and people are are experiencing other things that are as a result of them having COVID. So it's really something that you've got

to take seriously. And as the guy on Instagram says, where your mask, We're your mask that you still tell us all the time. Get some fresh ye at all, Please get you some fresh year man. We gotta we just have to be just use common sense, you know, with anything that you do. I don't advocate for anything. I don't tell you what to do what not to do, but just use common sense. You advocate for anything. No, I mean, I don't advocate any way or anothers You

know this is this is new to us. COVID is very new to us, and I think we just need to be getting checkups on the regular as we get older and you in your forties and late thirties and forties, like, go get checked up. Something don't feel right. Don't sit there and say well, I can fight it off. You're not a kid no more. Your immune system is not strong as strong as it was. A lot of things you're just not fighting off on your own, especially as black men. Black men have a problem with going to

the doctor. That's got to be a show. That's a show. Actually a production team has been talking about doing a show or why black men don't get the type of care that a lot of us don't trust. We just don't trust that they get plastic surgery. We heard about that a couple of weeks ago. But they get this stomachs uh laid down. Dr Michael Jones told us that they get it sucked out, they get the eyelids straight. Teach his own man if you if you need, do

what you got. And then in other news, um, I think that Joe Manson, the Senator from Virginia who is a Democrat supposedly he identifies as a Democrat, I think he's the president. I really think that Joe Manson runs this country. And you know that's a thing like if you watch these movies that are about politics, and you know, these these these shows that kind of give you, uh, like it's like, you know, where they're acting out being

president or being an administration running stuff. These shows always have people who are within the ranks, whether they be another elected official or a staff member or just a rich person and particularly a rich white man, where they have more power than the president. And to me, Joe Manchin is the president. He gets to decide because he is in many ways if if you don't have his support,

you can't use the majority power within the Senate. That's how narrow the numbers are in terms of having having the ability to vote in a bill against the Republicans, you need Joe Manchin's vote, and he sides pretty much

with the Republicans on a lot of issues. He at least has very very conservative views and has been very very clear that if he is not able to get or if they are the Democrats are not able to get, Republicans wayne with us, have not been with us, have actually been harmful to everything we attempt to get done. That they that he won't vote for the bill he wants the Republicans, so he basically is saying, let's give them what they need so before we can sign bills.

And one of the things that right now is happening, which you know it's been the last several weeks, so you know, hopefully this thing will get worked out really soon, is the the infrastructure bill which is three plug was I think it's our three point four but it maybe Yeah,

I think it's three point four. I know it's more than three trillion dollars that's needed to deal with the number of things in our society, and including making sure people get back to work, infrastructure stuff like real infrastructure issues, bridges and tunnels, things that hadn't been taken care of

because of the pandemic. And there's five point three billion dollars in that bill for a gun violence intervention and prevention, right, and so what do you mean you're not I don't understand what he means he's not going to sign the bill. He means he's not going to sign the bill. So the bottom line is we've just been hoodwinked Man and the government. It's like kangaroo court. It's like a kangaroo court. Right.

So we go and we put all of this energy into voting for these people, and then they got you know, they got secret they got their secret agents, double agents. That's on our side. And when it's our turn to actually get a vote, they come and say no. I'm like, I don't. I'm not with that. But whenever it is the Republican situation, they never signed with us. There's no Republicans. You know what, I'm holding up the Republicans because I

need to Democrats. Well that's not true. There's like one person, which is Liz Cheney. Representative Liz Cheney. Um, she has stood up to Donald Trump and particularly been fighting against this lie that the election was stolen from him. But you're right, nobody, I haven't. We're not passing these bills. Well, I mean, she has been one to advocate to fight against things that she thinks is wrong. But it's this

one one lady. Really, there's not many of them, now what I and and sometimes you know I watched them. Sometimes you'll see different senators and and particularly congressional members saying like, I think we're going too far, um, you know, we won't vote for these bills. There needs to be some negotiations around changing the terms, but it's never really

in favor of black communities. So to your point, you don't see Republicans stepping out of line to say I want to protect black people, but you always issues that are important or or or or marginalized communities. But you do see Democrats who, even if it hurts marginalized communities, they are willing to side with um, with the Republicans and others just to say, oh, you know, we're working together.

You see Democrats who are like, well, we don't need uh qualified immunity included in the bill, knowing that that's one of those things that if we pass qualified and if we end qualified immunity, we could actually make officers feel more accountable, which might make them even more conscious

about how they address and operate within our communities. And of course, the reason why they don't want to end qualified immunity, that's why they're fighting that one because they know that's one of the most important pieces of the bill. So and but yet we'll see, but we'll see Democrats line up and say, well, you know, maybe we'll just take that off the table so we could get something done. So you know, you're right, it's all a bunch of bullshit.

I just think that Joe Mansion I want. I want to I want the kind of power that Joe Manson has. I gotta figure out how to make that happen in my life. He's definitely, he's definitely leveraged his position. He's leverage there. He knows he's got that vote. He knows that his vote is important in order for anything to pass. So he feels like his his community West Virginians. D of well, that's why I was getting ready to get

into West Virginians, right. They that, particularly his constituents, they're more conservative people who vote Democrats, so they're looking for

almost Republican and that's why they claim. Yeah, that's why they claim that he takes the types of stances that he takes because his constituents will not vote him in and so that then the Democrats will say, well, we don't want to lose the c because there has been other things that Joe Manchin has voted on in favor of the Democrats and and you know, in favor of some of the issues that we care about. So he

hasn't been all the way. I won't say bad, but he hasn't been all the way against the Democrats either, So he's so he fluctuates and fluffs his way through a lot more towards it today, right, And it's dangerous. It's very dangerous. And I think you know that advocates like yourself need to go into West Virginia and help West Virginians who don't agree with him to figure out a strategy to get about But you got but the only way you get people those types of people out

that you gotta vote them out. So I was thinking, I was watching a few weeks ago the mat gallup, right, and I was thinking, we should do a show on fashion, right, but from the perspective of like trends and um and I guess we could do a lot of different things about fashion, But I would like to talk to people like June Ambrose and other big designers about how they make these decisions on what people are going to wear and what the themes are at these events, because at

the met gala, I was a little uh stunned, if you will, by some of what I saw. I really saw a lot of mess Like a lot of people look messy to me. I don't you know? This is that my section? This is well, but you had opinion about a few peoples. I'm I'm confused with fashion these days, you know what I'm saying, Like, I don't know what is designed to do. I don't know if it's just pure shot value, you know, or what is the whole

theme of it? Like you were just having a conversation and you know what I've seen, you know, this kill thing, and I don't I'm trying to get to what the fascist Like, why is every time that a man decides to culte this this big fashion statement and celebration of it, Like, what what is that? Actually? What is it signified in

the fashion world? What is it actually? Well? I mean, well, first of all, the history of kilts in general, that I also am noticing a lot of people are not aware of, is that men wore kilts all throughout First of all, have been wearing kilts all throughout history, right, And I get your point. It's like Okay, if a man wears a kilt, it seems to be so like

exciting to a lot of folks. But I think if you see a man in a banging suit and he's super sexy, that is is celebrated as well because you see men post like the best picture and everybody's like, oh my god, look how good he looks that I see it? Well, maybe because you're not looking for it, and it's also what might be like you see it, it's like, why is everybody on the well? But well, I think whether or not it's just a soup mice. I think people fashion moves because it is all publicized.

Right jay Z takes off the jerseys, puts on a different type of shirt. It moves, everybody sees it. It gets shared. Now everybody's wearing these types of shirts. You say integrity over income. You put that hat on the internet. Next thing you know, everybody people are buying it from you,

They're sharing it. I think fashion moves in general, and I also think that there is an element we can't deny that there's a gender conversation that comes up, and so it becomes, you know, it becomes something more to be discussed because people are like, you know, what does this mean, and what's the agenda? And all these different

things that those conversations constantly come up. I think if people just let people do whatever hell and wear whatever the hell they want to wear, it doesn't have to be that much because you can't stop people from win with it. Right, So when you wh when you do anything, you're subject to someone else's opinion and that's just part of life. So for me, you know, I don't everybody should be able and willing to do whatever where, whatever you want to wear. I'm just trying to I'm really

just trying to figure out the fascin nation. I think it's just a resurgence of fashion. So the bell bottoms come back every now and then wide legged pants, the you know whatever it's there's a resurgence of that and the simple it's Another example was like Chloe Bailey comes out, it's tight as short, it's sexy, and everybody's going crazy. Lizzo walks out, she's half naked with her body and know her being an oversized woman. Hey, everybody's talking about it.

I think it's just people just you know, people are attracted to different they want to see something different. They want to see something that makes them feel like seeing right, because as a as a man or a woman or whatever, they might be like, Okay, I don't like to dress with the norm of exactly what they say I'm supposed to wear, because that's what makes me a man or a woman. So I'm gonna put this other thing on that will, like you said, provide some shock value, show

my that I'm different. I'm not like everybody else, and yet I'm still whoever I am. But that but and that's a good conversation, and we should talk about that. But I'm trying to figure out why people wear such ugly clothes. Now. See, that's a different whole conversation because there was some stuff that I saw on that Red Carson Because right when you look at how ugly it is, or in your perception of ugly, right, it makes people talk.

It's for shock value. I'm different, I'm I can wear the least attractive thing and get attention in it, right. I think that's where it's comes. Some people don't get no attention today, there was a lot of and they've got the attention regardless of worse. People like, what the hell is this? Somebody's talking about it, and I think we've come to a stage in our culture with that is that is a marketing strategy. Right to go so far left, to go so far disaccording to whatever normalized

as acceptable or it looks like beauty or whatever. It's just to go so far from that that people talk about you, well, hey, look how Prince used to dress like That was a big conversation. Friends came out. He had multiple things going on in one Look, you know, Michael Jackson the same thing. Like I guess there's always been that fashion forward mindset that you know, I could be different, but I wanted to talk to the experts. Like first of all, June Ambrose at the met gal.

If you have not, you should go to her page and check out you know what what she wore. She looked amazing, Okay, Mary J. Blige amazing, Little Baby fabulous, Mega Stallion fabulous. And these are also people Sierra amazing, and I could go on, but these are also people that we know them well enough to know that they just like classic looks. I don't know what the theme was. I I don't know where people was going, but I I just I saw some some some stuff that was

It's very different. It was very divery different. So that's what I was thinking about. We have to have a show. Understand. I don't even understand a set Rocky in Rihanna. I looked at it. I didn't I didn't know what was he in a quilt? Like I think they said it was Valenciaga. I don't care what the name to what it was. Well, the theme was supposed to be something about American like like like old American classics. So that's why Sierra had on the football jersey because that's an

American classic. Yeah, so that's why we have to invite people like Julie Ambrose here so we can expla they know, because because while she may have had while June's look may have been very you know, beautiful classic look, she's able. I'm sure she dressed some of those other people and she can explain her and others why, and other stylists can explain the difference. I don't know even our stylists. We need to ask Ladden and Mia. We need some

answers because we got some questions. So today we have you know, a very special guest, um a brother that I met through the struggle, you know, um a few months ago, I was introduced to this brother struggled through social media. I came across now what video talking about his situation, how he had been incarcerated since he was seventeen for a crime that didn't involve any violence, but he was in jail for twenty four years at that point.

He was sentenced to seventy years originally. And you know, it really was something that really touched me, you know, so I decided to repost and and and somehow the brother reached out to me, you know, he got connected with me, and um, I took personal his struggle, his struggle, and then we realized that I was actually incarcerated with him. You know, when I was in Sing sing in nine nine, he was actually on the same block as me. I

was younger than Yeah, we we figured that out. He told me, like, yeah, he was in sing sing with me. You know, so there was always like, you know, these small degrees of separation. So, you know, I was inclined to do ever can for the brother, and so, um, he was just recently released, you know, after he was granted clemency. And this is a brother that I'm happy to see here on the other side of the wall.

No more prison calls, you know, no more lone nights of him just trying to figure out how because this man really took serious his freedom and he called me daily, you know, checking up on people, sometimes bugging them and I'm like, calm down, we got this. But you know, his his passion was really drew me to him. So I just want to welcome home my brother Dante and foul me Mitchell. What's going on? King? How you doing? I'm alright, brother, man? How are you? I can't complain man,

how you feeling? Feeling it? Lated? Cited? No, I'm ready get the work through the things that I've been doing. Man, take the same energy that got me, you know, released, and you know, to try to help uplift and empower my community. That's a beautiful thing. Man. Tis so nice to see you on the screen. You know, I've heard

your story many times. I've actually, you know, as I worked very closely with my son, I have watched him go through emotional struggles and of course some Angelo Pinto attorney Angelo Pinto, who I also worked with every day, and I've watched them having conversations, trying to figure things out, making phone calls to people, um, you know, bringing you all you your name up in conversations with the top people that you know they could talk to about what

was happening to you. And you know, I know I and I also know how frustrating it was because they would say like, we're frustrated. He's frustrated, you know, UM, And but you would I'm not I've not witnessed someone advocate for themselves the way that you did, um, and

the way that you continue to advocate for yourself. So I just want to salute you, UM, and just tell you that your strength and resilience is so important and how you helped to translate that to the world is going to be what I you know, think is is God's message and the reason why you went through everything that you went through, right right, Thank you so much. So tell us, you know, just like breakdown. You know

you went to prison seventeen years. Give us a brief synopsis of that situation which you were sentenced to, how long you were there. Just give people a little feeling or what it is so we can they can understand. All right, Well, you know, at the age of eleven, I end up being taken away from my mother in place in Falster Kid until I was sixteen years old. When I turned sixteen years old, I signed out a

Falster Kid, and ten months later I was incarcerated. You know, I held out a job, but I was in between living situations. So I was going to different youth shelters, et cetera, trying to you know, do the independent living thing. You know. Um, I end up getting caught up with the wrong crowd, introduced to a life of guns and robbery and stuff like that, and it just kind of sucked me in. So um after I lost my job and I end up being displaced from one of the

shelters that I was living at. You know, I've seen that, you know. You know, doing a robbery was a quick way of getting money, so you know, I went down that route, you know, and of course hindsight, you look at it in retrospect, it wasn't the most wise decision. But I was a kid, you know, struggling to find himself and find his place in the world. And I made that mistake, even though I didn't hurt harm or injure anyone. And I was the first time felling the offender.

You know, I was giving an exorbitant amount of time thirty five or seventy years, and that was pretty much punishment from the judge because I chose to exercise my constitution right to a travel. And the reason why I did that is because you know, there was some you know, some things that the Orbany City Police Department had did in order to secure the conviction that was illegal and

pretty much unjust. You know, they say capitcorns of the type of people when they see something unjust that you know, they're gonna fight, you know, hard for you know, to to to to deal with or to alleviate that injustice. So that that has always been me. And because I've seen that, all right, you know, so I'm like, you know, here it is you guys. You know your railroading me. But you want me to, uh, you know, own up

and take responsibility for what I did wrong. Whatever you guys are, y'all, y'r police depart you are police officers. Wanted to oppose the law, but you break the law in order to try to enforce it makes no sense. So even at that young tender age, I understood what injustice was. So I decided to go to trial and try my hand for as punishment for doing that. You know, the judge basically through the book at me called me a plague to society, you know. And now what what

was the crime? It was a robbery and to attempt at robberies and related offenses like criminal possession of a weapon, criminal use of a weapon and grand lost me hm. And so in thirty five to seventy years at seventeen years old was the sentence? Now does that? And this so this is in New York State. So this means that you would tried it as an adult, which is the raised the Age law that Angelo and so many

and all of us fought to change. Um. So if that, if Raised the Age had been lifted, you know, if Raised the Age had passed as a law at that time, if that was a bill that was in place, he would not have been tried as an adult. He would have been tried as a child and gone to programs, detention centers and you know what have you and given services. Right.

I'm just trying to make sure that that's what we've been talking about, or I want to correct you because I've been following and Raised the Age law since it's been passed. I know that Angelo and a few others who initially you know, introduced it, wanted to go you know, as far as they could juvenile offenders weren't treated as adults. But the bill got watered down. And you know, so people I mean, and you know it's like you damn

if you do you damn people don't. So I don't fought the advocates like Angelo and others, you know, for the work that they did. You know, we are living in a very diabolical system, so they're gonna look for any way to maintain their interests to ensure that they keep these prisons open. So even though uh that raised the age, law has made it uh much easier for juvenile offenders to be treated as children. Especially if you have non violent crimes, you automatically go to family court.

But if you were charged with a violent crime, even in a situation like me where no no one was hurt harmon injury, it's still gonna go to um the adult court. But they got something called the youth part um, but you still get the same amount of time. Is that right? The judge is supposed to you know, look into your your youth at that time as an the gating factor. But they basically left the loophole for them to still keep guys in prison even when the law

was passed, it was being phased in. So unlike when they reformed the Rocket Feller drug laws, they allow for guys, you know, to file what they called for fort emotions to go back down the court to get their resentence. They didn't do the same thing for those of us who were juvenile offenders at the time that we committed our offenses so that we can get resentenced. They basically say, you know what, We're just gonna sweep all of you

guys under the rug. Even the seventeen and eighteen roles that were being sentenced around the time of the law was being passed were still getting railroad is but not. But but to be clear, with the law that is currently in place, it would have at least not necessarily changed your situation. But it could have. Is that that's it, okay, But it could okay. I'm just just you know, we always want to tie together the advocacy, the work that's being done on the ground with real life stories, you

know what I'm saying. So I'm just trying to understand because this show is about not just about educating the masses it's about us learning as well. It's what we're doing working, what should we be doing more of? How can Until Freedom Out organization be better advocates? And so that's why I just wanted to know hands on how would raise the age I've impacted you if it worked properly. So thanks for helping me. Listen, he's educating us man.

That's why I advocated from speaking to him. From the first day I spoke to him, I understood that he had done his research, that he had utilized his time to grow as a man, to you know, to educate himself, and he wanted to come home and be a productive member of society. So he's definitely in tune and understands

what's going on. I just think when we look at this his case, right, and this is what I always say, the the category, the category of violence, right has to change, you know, because they put all the everything under the guise of a viol and crime and a lot of these things. When you look when you say that nobody was harm nobody, like, there has to be different categories

of violent. Okay, we understand that there was a weapon involved, but if nobody was hurt with that weapon, there should be a different category to where it doesn't not automatically just put you under this violent category with people who

are actually murderers and all of these things. It has to be different dynamics, and those dynamics should be taken into consideration when they're giving these sentences, when they're given, you know, the way that they categorize these trials, and and that's what happened to him and the same thing that happened with me. You know, even though there was never any weapon found, there was actually no evidence at all,

but it was classified a violent crime. So a lot of once they classified the violent crime, you don't get the provisions. A lot of people get you. You can't go take programs once they say they stamp this thing violent on you. They don't give you programs, they don't give you certain releases that they give everybody else. And it's and it just pigeonholds us and locks us and it just mainly just focuses and goes against us as black men. Yeah, so what do you want to see

happen now? Like, are you thinking of legislation that needs to be introduced? Um? You know, your mind works is so sharp, and I'm just wondering. I'm sure that you have come up with some concept of what you think needs to happen as the next step for not just Dante Mitchell, but for the movement. Absolutely man. The things that I fail need to happen with the raised the age lawd one that needs to apply retroactive. And all those young men and women that have been sentenced as

juvenile offenders, you know when the law was passed. Prior to the law of being passed, they should be given some type of amnesty. Their cases should be looked over and you know, they should be given the opportunity to earn their way out of prison. Another thing I feelt is that those individuals who are still left behind, you know, they should be given the opportunity, you know, to to have true merit time. They shouldn't have to do it.

If you got ten years, you should have to do uh eighty five percent of your time because you were juven at the time to commit your offense. Um the law should also be raised. I think. I think if you twenty one and under, you should you know, the raise the age laws should apply. Another thing I believe needs to happen is that every juvenile should automatic go

to family court. It should be on the prosecutor to make an application to the judge and family court to move the case to adult court if they feel that there are certain aggravating factors that require that, but to send their kids to adult courts and then letting adult court judge determine whether or not should be sent back to family court only on the consent of the prosecutor. Man that right, there is just another bootphole for them to keep God's and you know, not just God's but

these children umu concerting and subjected to. And two more things that I think are very very important that the law never applied, never really focused on. The first one is really providing proper rehability of treatment for the young

offenders that are in prison. Now, I've read a few law articles and studies that make it very clear that when you send a person who is under twenty five years old and put them in an adult institution, you're gonna do a lot of damage to them behaviorally and cognitively. They're not gonna get the same development that they would give if they were placing a more more conducive environment

to their to their reformer rehabilitation. So you're setting them up from jump you're gonna sense eighteen nineteen and I mentor a lot of eighteen nineteen twenty year olds through my UFD organization that are created in two thousand eight. So I have a lot of young men that are part of that, and I see the damage that is being done to them, you know, in the environments that

they're in. I always used to say to myself, man, if I could just you know, bring some of these young men into a more uh conducive environment, like a facility where you know, guys like myself who are you know, educated and have already transformed ourselves to be rolled my us for them, like the program that they got a Connecticut called True you know, where they take young guys and they pair them more for older guys, and they put them in a separate housing unit where the housing

unit is the best unit of the facility. You know, this is that that needs to happen. You know, they need to have an environment in a space for these um young men and women who are these adult facilities where they can get the proper rehabilitative treatment. And the last and most important aspect, I think the raises the age laws should have dealt with is provided more funding to prevent youth crime. I mean, let's not let's not um. Let's not um, you know, treat the illness when it happens,

Let's try to prevent it from happening. You know, That's why I'm head back in the city of Albany. You know already, you know, I'm getting involved. There's two young men that I just met on the street, you know, just started talking to them. You know. One kid wants to get into real estate. Another kid, he has a clothing line. You know, he's they're both working, they're trying to do the right thing. One seventeen years old and

one is twenty three. You know. But there's a lot of other young men that my community that are getting involved in a lot of gun violence, etcetera. So you know, we got to figure out a way to get involved in their lives down in order to prevent them from end to ending up going in that direction that's gonna you know, you know, cause them to get caught up

in the criminal justice system in the first place. So, you know, my thing to the New York State Legislator and also the Cathy Hoble where the money yet to be able to provide, you know, the actual resources necessary to save our children. And I think and that's and you said, you know, you brought up a very good point, and I think that's what it is that we try to explain to people who we say, defund the police

is not take all the money from the police. Is not shut down the police, because we understand that there is a need for police in our communities, but we need to make sure that we take some of these resources and money that's allocated to people who are just doing over time, sitting at death doing nothing to give to health, you know, to to give public health and shooting public safety, um health, mental health, people who know how to deal with that violence interrupt as people such

as yourself who come home and are are able to connect with the community, connect with these young people who are in these situations, be able to fund your organization that you want to start, you know, to be able to fund a lot of different organizations and give it to the credible messengers in our community because we're underfunded. Like you said, we have to get in front of the violence. We gotta get in front of the negativity in our communities. And in the main, the main reason

for negativity and violence in our community is poverty. That is the main And when you look when you look at violence all over this nation, it is in the most impoverished communities. So there's a direct correlation. There's no

denying it. We don't you You don't see violence happening at the rate anywhere near what's going on in the hood, in in communities where they are doing above average and they are flourishing and they have money and re sources, you just don't see it happening, right, So so let's go to some personal stuff as we you don't get ready to wind down. What did you do when you

got home? Huh? Well, besides the fact that you know, you know, my son and my family, Maurice Ballad, we all basically, yeah, Mr fun Work, Yeah, we basically we took basically took over a diner and we all, you know, we just had a good time, man, just enjoying each other's you know, president and energy. And but my main priority, you know, when I came home, wasn't the typical priority I think, you know for somebody in my position. You know,

my main priority is my eleven year old common law nephew. Um, you know, his his name is Marcello Martinez. Man, he was he's having a really hard time. He has a d h D. He's eleven years old. Um, he's living with his paternal grandmother who's in their sixty She has a bad knee, and he was acting up, you know. So during the time that I was incarcerating our up to more on the phone. Um, I wasn't sure whether or not I will come home. But I told him, I said, you know, when I come home and come

get you, man, I'm gonna take you places. Man, We're gonna work on this. I don't think that you're a bad kid. You know, you might make bad choices, but you're not a bad kid. Because he used somebody's telling me I'm a bad kids Like, no, no, you're not. But he wasn't getting the proper you know, positive reinforcement. So he was one of the first people that you know,

I've seen what little money that I did have. Um, you know, I took him, you know, out to Cross Gates, which is a moral in Orbany, and uh, you know, I brought him some legos and just spent some time with him, just going yeah, yeah, loose like man. But but it was just it was just such a fun and fulfilling, you know, experience to be there with him. And then I end up getting my ten year old cousin. She's she's biologically related to me. Um. She she brought

them together. So I kept him for the weekend and the hotel room that Meek Mills and um Jessica Jackson had booked me because I'm having issues with finding residents right now. But you know, I kept them for the weekend. We just have fun. They made s'mores and you know, they watch TV and you know, they were just having fun and you know, they enjoyed each other's company. I enjoyed the company. We took some pictures you know that I'm gonna post later. You know, I just yeah, but

I enrolled them in. You know, they're the first two roll leads into a program that I I established called the Dynasty Kids, which is basically a youth empowerment and youth leadership program, you know, really designed to talk at risk youth at that age because one of my theories is that you know, when you have these young children at this age who come from families where their mothers

and fathers have to work or they're not president. You know, you need to have other adults that are around that are you know that our president that can you know, listen to them when they want to talk about their legos and they want to talk about their little toys, because you know, that's the way kids communicate. And when you show them that you know, you care about what they care about, you know, they tend to open up to you, and they're more receptive to you teaching them,

you know, things like this and planning responsibility. So that that was one of the first things that I did. Not I had appreciated doing that with him. Um, it was just it's just one of the best moments man. So now taking care of some personal business, I opened up a bank account for the first time ever in my dot like you know, I applied for I'm going to go to college to pursue my bachelor's degree in

business banishment and also a pair of legal studies. Um, I have a job well as a fellowship with we Form Alliance. Have just signed a contract with them, so I'm be doing that. I'll probably be starting that next week, so you know, I'm and of course, like I just told you, I'm about to go to a couple of schools that that are designed for at risk. You can just walk in there, you know, just say hey, this is who I am. You know, I'm here to do

this type of work. If you guys need me, you know, you know on the youth that might need a little extra attention. I'm here, beautiful man. Like you said, Man, you gave your word that she was coming home. Hit the ground, focus and you really want to do change, and you've been doing that every day since you've been here. I'm proud to, you know, to be a part of this reacclimation. Man. Tell him, Tell them you know, you

just came home from prison. You know, you don't really have money or resources like this is his first adult experience as a freeman. You know, he left here as a child. He's now on his own as a freeman. He doesn't have a lot of resources. You know. I know you have a go fund me, I know you have cat whatever you have. Let let the people know that one of you know. Invest I don't I hate the word donated because donated some charity, but invest in you because they believe and what it is that you

bringing to the table. So let them know how they can do that. Yeah, they can go to my go fund being they'll find a link in my I G bio. Um, they can also I G is Dante let you free. Um. You know, yeah, so they can go there and they can look at the bio linker is down there. Um. They also if they if they can, they can send an investment through cash at at free Dante. My name is spelled d O n t I e UM. I'm also trying to get a fundraiser established on on Facebook

specifically for the Dynasty Kids program. So um, just waiting for that to get approved. But um, yeah, man, that's anything that people can invest, especially you know in the programs that I want to do for the youth, it would be greatly greatly appreciate it. I'm in between residents right now, you know, I'm basically utilized and public transportation. So I hope to be able to get a vehicle so I can utilize that to do more outreach work with the youth, because you know, if I can get around,

I can get around them. But if I can't get around them, you know, it's harder to get around them. If you know, if I had to come from several miles away and there's a crisis over here. You know, it's like my nephew would just called me earlier. You know, I just took again a little bit of money that I did have. I got on my phone because he likes to be on YouTube, were watching his little carstoons and stuff. So I got him a phone and he need me, you know, to go over there and unlock it.

You know what you need. You need, You need a whip so you could get around. But slow and steady, slow and steady runs. Excuse me, slow and steady wins the race. So take your time and ease into it.

You said, cash app is free Dante Dante and it's d O and T I E right and um and then your Instagram pages at Dante Mitchell free all right, So we're gonna make sure to put that information on the screen and also for our listeners to be able to get the info and send you a few dolls because you need a couple of right, take care of Dante. Thank you so much for being with us today, and we hope you have like a real, real, real good start.

I'm sure you obviously you and my son will be in touch every single day as you work through this process. So we won't leave aside, but just from me to you, I just want you to know that black man, you are needed and we're happy to see you at home. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. You gotta get this technology. I know that phone going crazy. You're figuring out. I'll hit you later too. For the past twenty years of my life, I've been able to call our next

guest my big brother. UM. We have done some incredible work together and also I just have been together personally professionally for many years. And its one of the things that frustrates me so much. What you know, we talked about it all the time is when people say, well, y'all don't do anything about gun violence, and y'all don't

care about what goes on in the communities. All you care about is police, police, police, And you know, we all ways explain to people the distinction between the two issues that they intersect and there are ways to work on both. Um. But we do have people who do incredible, like award winning work on addressing violence in our communities,

and this brother is one of those individuals. UH. For many years, it was a trio of of of A. T. Mitchell who we have with us today Erica Ford, our sister who's been on this program before, and and me and the three of us moved around New York City navigating the waters to open up opportunities and resources for gun violence, specifically, you know, people who are gun violence interrupters and changing the way that New York even deals

with the issue of gun violence. And so I'm happy to have my brother A. T. Mitchell of Man up out of Brooklyn. But he is now an international violence interrupter trainer. Um. And of course he is certainly our friend and definitely your friend. Yes, we love you, man, I'm just mad that took this long for us to get you on the show. Man. Everything happens when it's supposed that happened. Man, yess y'all know me. I'm I'm a humble giant. I'm a quiet storm. I'm a team player.

I've just been here just rooting you two on and sharing you on and congratulating you and and just keeping you know, the work going, like you said, make uh the work that goes on on the ground. So I'm here as a field general. I'm on boots on the ground kind of dude. Um. Like like now as you can you know, you can say that the respect has been made across the country, if not across the world. So I'm really glad to be with y'all two right now.

So you are our change maker today. We have a segment every week we try to make sure that we I like people who are doing you know, real work, and of course the the we we had a whole series where we talked about gun violence and we tried to bring people on, whether it be women who have actually been impacted, um you know, and and some you know, maybe they actually are victims of gun violence and or

doing some type of work. What we what we found is that for women generally, it is a woman who has been impacted that becomes an advocate and is doing the work of trying to organize for women victims specifically, So that was important. We covered you know, of course many of our brothers who have been shooters, who have have have been victims of shootings, and then of course people who are on the ground doing the work. And and that was an important series. I think we did

it for six weeks. Yeah, there was six episodes where we focused on it. And usually people call you a t because you are an expert on how to curb and reduce gun violence. And we know that one of our our biggest campaigns is dealing with getting this country to acknowledge violence as a public health crisis and not just a criminal activity. UM. But I think today it's important from a change maker's perspective that we learn more about you and your story why you're doing this work.

And then this episode were focused on a young man by the name of Donte Mitchell, who you now you know, know his story. He was just released from prison after being in for twenty four years, could have been close to seventy years if you know, if he was not given granted clemency, and we just heard about his process and progress in terms of returning um to society. And you deal with people who are returning all the time. In fact, you are returning. You know. I didn't know that.

Just so you know, after twenty years of being your friend, your sister and loving you so much, it took my song to say to me, no, a t is good for this episode, not that we were trying to figure out which one. And he said, no, no no, no, he's returned. I said, what do you mean, went to prison? I had no idea you know me. You know it's crazy me because um, nobody doesn't really look at me, and and they are all kind of astonished and their surprise because I know I never wear it on me like

a billboard, like a neon sign. But all the things that you just talked about, you know, you haven't been in prison, you know, being uh, you know, a returning citizen from prison after sixteen years, um being you know the person on the inside actually doing the work on the inside, and just trickled into the work doing. You know when I got released and put those boots on the ground and I just hit the ground running. Um. So I come from a lot of that, being the shooter.

I mean, lived there, you know, been there, done that. Haven't been shot myself, so I'm a victim of shot. I've been shot on. So you don't I don't know about it. You know that's the fact, you know, I'm not. I don't. I don't. I don't boast about it. It's not something I'm proud of, but it's something that you know, I mean, I can experience, I have experienced. I mean

I live in Brooklyn. I grew up in Brownsville in East New York, right so I've been through wars on on the street level, so respectfully, you know, I'm just never proud of it. I mean i've been actually I've been very disgusted by it. And that's why I got into this work. You know, I wanted to stop the prison you know, pipeline. I wanted to you know, to stop the influx of our young brothers and sisters going into prison because they were glorifying it when I went

through that same experience. And I've just been, like I said, I'm more of a doer. I don't like talking about it. I listened to some people as they boast about it, and I chuckle because I mean, you know, it's really not something you know, uh, that people can say that you know, that they're they're proud of. It's something that we really want to make a difference in. So that's

what I've been doing. Yeah. So you know what we was inly, you know, me and you were mediating, uh, you know, a truce a few months ago, and you had told you had given me the story of how you started man up. Yes, about the young girl who shot whatever. So I want you to tell us that was the young brother. So that story was really touching for me. I want you to give us that story. I mean, like you know, like you Mike, we we've been doing the work, man, and it's just like for me.

Back in two thousand three, I was still doing my part, and then I heard of a shooting in East New York of an eight year old little boy named DeShawn Hill who got shot actually in the middle of a drug beef over some weed. And it broke my heart, man. I mean, I mean I went to the crime scene, I went to the hospital where Dave Shaun and his family was and I was there when they actually pronounced them dead. Um, and I was angry, man, I was

ready to relapse in my mind. I felt that it was you know, um something that really being an alleged o G that was not cool, that the children in the neighborhood were not safe, that the women were not safe. And so I just been, you know, began to start going out there, step into the cats on the streets, me and a couple of other brothers just g checking them.

And and when we was out there doing that, you know, you know, checking the temperature, and you know, we realized that they responded with the same things that we responded when I was their age, and that was you know, they had no place to go. Nobody was giving them a job or a chance at life. You know, they

didn't you know, nobody was invested in them. And I kind of had to back up off of the tough guys stuff and realized that, you know, they're right, and so I had to be you know, said, you know, if I create places for you to go, things for you to do with you in exchange giving me some

peace on this block. And that's how man of being started and just thought it out just like that man, and it morped into something that was you know now it was a volunteer you know, led organizational effort from a basement location into a multimillion dollar you know, I have forty maybe fifty employees today because of you know, the blessings of all the work that we've been doing. So yeah, that's the beginning of man, I think. And you all have to You have two offices, not make

your brother got nine officers? Now no, no, well wait a minute, do you have nine? You have nine sites? Right? Have nine sites where people are working? No, I know that part. You have nine sites where people are working. But I was just thinking about the offices where the manage man happens. Yeah, so's it's two different locations or or all nine there's you know, are all nine of your offices fully staffed? Yes? Wow, that staff That's a blessing that I said, to be able to be able

to provide employment wile community. For these are people who come from the neighbor hood, people mostly who have been there and done that themselves. Um, I'm blessed to be in a position to to have a team of people around me like that that now go back into the same neighborhoods that they come from and actually you know, do the change making that you that you know that we often want to see done on a daily basis. The community Center. I have a beautiful two story community

center's eleven point five million dollars UM. It's equipped with UH college regulated size gymnasium, a multimedia center, DAN studios. I mean it's named after Prince Joshua Avido, who was a six year old victim of violence, studio UM. And so you know, whatever, you know, whatever we do, we always try to turn the pain into purpose, right. We often time like to make sure that they're the memories

of these young um angels are never forgotten. So you have the beautiful community center that we operate is dope. So I just want to ask one more question. So I because I'm I don't know, I don't clearly I don't know you. It's nice to meet you a TV after twenty years, we're meeting for the first time today, But it is a true testament to who you are. In fact, it doesn't surprise me at all that I'm just learning these things because I know that you are a quiet storm that does not like to talk much.

You just like to do things and get things done. But I think it's also a testament to how hard we have worked. And I often don't speak of myself in that way, right because you know, we we have insecurities around talking about yourself. But from the day we met until now, we've done nothing but work hard and blood,

sweat and tears. I mean, we had a little turn up here and there in the midst of it all, but really it's been focused on work, and we really haven't had an opportunity to sit and talk through all of our lives, changes and issue us and and college. And you are not on social media, so you probably know more about my ship from social media than I know about yours, because you're, you know, really on on on social media. So it's it's really it's really a

true testament to who you are. Um I want to just kind of go back to that time because I didn't know sixty years and you say it's nothing to be proud of. When you were in prison, did you make the decision that I've got to make these changes or did it did it happen once you got out? No, definitely, it was a decision that I made when I realized that I have to like most of us growing up in the neighborhoods, I looked actually forward to go into jail. Um So, I did you know the things that I'm

not proud of. I happened to also been printing a sentence to a crime I didn't commit. So for me, I had to go in um and and and and serve time and realize that when I went through that experience, especially going up north, my already know um Man, that wasn't something that would just reminded me of of slavery. And so I said, no, this was not a place where I wanted to be or to be a regular place for me. So the same way I worked my way into prison, had to work my way out of prison.

And so that's when I started getting busy. I started realizing that, you know that mama hadn't raised no food and and and when I knew how to read, I knew how to write, but my fellow brothers inside prison didn't.

And so I just started aiding them, helping them. Um. You know, we all canceled each other through um and eventually, you know, I went and got my g D, went back to college while in prison, and then you know, I started helping other brothers get there, you know, lives together, you know, and try to help them, you know, with their with their needs. And then they eventually opened up the doors for me. I said, if they opened up

these doors, I would never return. And so it's ironic that two twenty one marks thirty years ago when I was released in prison in ninth ninety one. So yeah, so that's just been my my wark. Well listen, man, you you're you know, you're a major inspiration to me. Man, you somebody that I look up to. You know that I see a lot of myself and like it's not a lot of people that I consider real o g

s and you know, carry themself a certain way. In the way that you carry yourself is indicative of how I want to be seen, you know, as as I mature into it, I want to still be respected amongst our youth and amongst our culture, and still maintain the stature of a grown adult man and with wisdom and honor. You know. So I I just I always salute you, brother.

The way where you come from, where you continue to grow, the way you continue to motivate us younger brothers who are trying to get to where you are, is just phenomenal, man. And it's just a testament of what it is that I say. A lot of people they don't have faith in people who are returning citizens. They believe that all of us are doomed to failure. You just a criminal. They label you the things. And it's people like yourself who showed that that's not real. You know, to me,

didn't even know that you had come from prison. Still try and find out what he went I'm saying, I'm still I'm not I'm not ashamed, sister. I mean, I went to prison for for for for for manslaughter, you know, I was I was. I was charged with murder. Um, I went to trial and thankfully, you know, they found me not guilty of that, and then I was unfortunately

found guilty of manslaughter. So again, yeah, it's it's it's ironic because like you're saying, mice man, I mean, listen, I I'd like my sister knows to Meka knows like I'm there, just the whole y'all, damn you know, and and make sure that everything that the work that we all are doing, the work that you're doing on your level vice versa. What we're doing on our level is real work. It's hard work. It's not for everybody. You know.

We have a lot of people who get in the way because we make it look good, you know, but at the end of the day, they don't have a clue as the relage to the hardships that come with this, the challenges, the testing, the tests that we have to always pass. But again, I'm not that brother that goes out there. I don't have to boast about it. I like to let our work speak for us. So um,

but this is our our journey. We we all earned our rights in this seat, and you deserve the same accolade mice because of how you hold us down on your level. I'm extremely um, I'm motivated by you, brother, Um, and I'm proud of you as well, you know, because you're being very consistent. You could have went to Hollywood and stayed you know, on on on on on that note, but you chose to keep it, you know, your boots on the ground. So I definitely respect you highly. So

we're gonna keep you much longer. But I just want to say, man, we want to give you your flowers while you're here and I can smell it. Thank you, and the last time, man, this is this is you know, honor to have you here. You wanted the people I call evolutionary man. You know the way that you evolved and continue to grow and and show that spirit, that spirit of our ancestors and you know the brothers who came before us that that have paved the way. So

continue to do what you're doing. Well, I'm gonna get in trouble because I have one and a half more question. I'm sorry, because we're talking about returning citizens on this show, and we've talked about your um process of returning. But you have a lot of staff members who are also returning, and so I just wanted to hear more about that work and how in our model that we designed together, a lot of it came from Erica Ford's brain. We have to make sure we always give her that credit.

But the model that had already started and that we've worked to develop within New York State and New York City particularly, is to bring people home, get them home, and put them to work so that they can be a part of the healing process within our community and helping to reduce violence. So talk about why that was important to you and and what and what what does that look like for someone like you to do that

work every day? Wow? So for for me, like you said, it looks it looks very like empowering because so many brothers and sisters, UM, that are looking forward to coming home. A lot of people don't know. Ninety nine point nine percent of people that are released from prison, UM, they come home with the right, you know, thing to do in mind. They really want to do the right thing.

But unfortunately the things that that are awaiting them where they go back into the neighborhoods from which they come from, UM, the conditions haven't changed. So they are Unfortunately, they're kind of like moved back into some of their old lifestyles and resort to certain things, and that's why the recentivism rate is so high. But even just the fact that we call ourselves returning citizens today is in the testament of our work. We change the narrative, change the language.

We used to be looked at as X cons and X defenders, and we you know, work alongside so many other greats to change that. No, we are returning citizens. When we return back into our communities, we receive our citizenship they want, and we need to understand what does that mean? Um, And so what I love about the work that we're doing now is that we're in position

to receive them to come home. They're not, you know, stigmatized the stereotype in the way that we once looked at people coming home from prison, and we looked at as far as the value that we bring to our neighborhoods. We we we come from these neighborhoods, These are our communities. And so when we go back into our neighborhoods, we need to understand that our debt is still not paid. We still have to make sure that we a man

make amends in the neighborhoods where we messed up. You know, we might have paid our debt to the a k. A. Society, But back in Harlem and the Bronx and Brooklyn where the crime is committed, we still got work to do. And so but this is what we do now. Just we make sure that people come home, they get involved in in just the ground, you know, the world that's happening on the ground, helping us media in so many of these conflicts with their influence. I mean today, like now,

people like us. You know, we have now value. You know, we have some weight in the game and some steak in the game. So now we use that to our advantage. And so I'm just really proud to be a former and consibrated professional, you know, and today returning citizen with great pride. Thank you so much by the A. T. Mitchell of man, you know, a man of my heart. I love you so much. I love you more yo, appreciate you as well. I love y'all both. Y'll keep

up the great work. I'm here anytime. Thank god, you man. We got work to do. Boycott Black Murder baby, Sorry, without questions, it's on your page. Wow, such a legend and people don't know and see you don't even But the thing is, like he said, we don't. He doesn't have to go and for that because it's not something that he's proud of, you know. And I tell people that all time glorified in prison is not something that we're proud of. The only thing that we say about prison,

real men, is that we survived it. Because a lot of people don't survive. They don't come home fully with

their faculties, or they don't even make it home. So when you when you're able to go through sixteen years unscathed, you ain't got no stabs, you didn't tell on nobody, you ain't done nothing foul, and your resume is still attack, your respect and credibility is still intact, and you can come back to the communities and not only just live amongst but be able to change, be able to take guns and have enough respect to where you can stop violence and employ people and continue to do that work. Man.

That's that's a blessing. That's all it is for us, you know, who are returning citizens to want to come back and give back. Like he said, the debt is not paid just because you got out of jail, your debt is not paid. You have, especially if you've caused harm in those communities, if you've been a part of the problem, then when you come back, you know, the rehabilitation for you is becoming part of the solution. So you know, he's just he said, you have to make

amends with the communities that you harm. I thought that was that was the most powerful thing that I heard. But you know, I just got to learn so much about my friend, and you know, and I'm sure that if we sat and talked, we all learned a lot about one another. Because life is going and moving so fast. But it's the right time and the right moment for a t and his story to be uplifted because what he has been able to create, right And I have spent a lot of time in two of his offices,

which is why I said that. But you know, he has expanded so much and been able to put these offices in place where there are people where high percentage of the individuals are people who came home and they're doing great work to reduce violence in their neighborhood. So that's that's Those are the types of stories we have to tell because people want to know what do we do A t. Mitchell is an example what to do in your community. That's right, and okay, I want to

like it. My I don't get it today, you know I was. I was with our production team. We're just looking through some things, and I had a different I don't get it. But this is really weird. And this is somebody that like, like, shout out to mc ross, me and ric Ross school got music together. Somebody I respect his entrepreneurs you know ability, his music ability. But I don't get how you got a hundred cards and

you just got a license, Linse. It's still what I'm trying to say, Like, brothers, we got to do better, Like we got to do better. At forty five, he he didn't need a need a life. You need a license because you're driving. It's not like he was. If he wasn't driving, then it would make sense to me drives his car. But but now and for the and and and let's give him around of the clause at some point. But brothers, we gotta do better. You know what.

I was having this conversation with my son the other day. He's like, yo, he just got his girl a car and this and that and I'm like, you got your license. He's like, no, you do need as a man, there has to be a level of responsibility that we take for ourselves. We gotta get our license, we gotta get out, no way, our social Security card is. We gotta get our password. We gotta get our own bakery. Like. We

gotta establish some level of maturity, you know. And I think that is something that you know, I've learned over over time. You know, as as we grow, we have to take those responsibilities early Mama, Mama messed it up because we take care of everything. But it's nothing wrong with that. But but I'm just saying, you have to realize that to be a real member of society, a grown up, right, you gotta pay some bills. You gotta put a couple of bills in your name where you go,

and you see the transition. You gotta have your your license, your passport. You gotta have all the grown up things. Brothers, we're doing. We're doing bad bunch. Oh of course he do. He got to move around. But you know, let's get your license. Man, shout out to Rick ross Man. But we we gotta stop waiting at forty five to get a driver's license. But we got a hundred cards man, So that some people it's like we you know what though, and I get the prices different, but we have a

hundred pairs of shoes. He got a hundred cards. That's his thing in his in his category. Yeah, I know I have over a hundred. Don't even You shouldn't even talk about a hundred pairs of shoes because that's not even close to what you hadds. So with that being said, another Dope episode, Shout out to Dante, shout out to a t I'm getting ready to go cash now go this page. Dante met you free, send him to money man.

He got a long road ahead of him. After twenty four years being incarcerated, he is finally free as an adult. This is first time being free as an adult. Just imagine that being in jail since she was seventeen, spending a majority of your life in prison, twenty four years of your forty three years you was in prison. Wow, Wow, you know that. It's just like I couldn't even never

thought get out, and he never thought. But he he told me that, you know, three years ago that he came to a conclusion that he was gonna fight for his freedom and every day from there we need help. I gotta make sure I'm sending it to you. Just go to this instagment page. You should be up there. But he said that he never gave up. But those three years, the last final three years, he said I need to come home, and he he spoke his freedom into exist. It is manifesting your destiny, man, So shout

out to him. Shout out to a T another brother. Look, you don't even know what he see. The thing is about us, black man. We don't look like what we've been through the entire race. And that's what it is. Man. So shout out to a T one of my big brothers. Like, I don't call a lot of people big brothers. I don't call a lot of people for advice. I don't respect the leadership of a lot of people because a lot of people are not really fit to lead. They get these people these old g titles that have never

gained them, you know. But he is one of the brothers that I feel really has hearned that title. So shout out to him and another dope Episode number one podcast number one, podcast three politicians. Man, make sure you tune in, send us your thoughts. Tell us you love us, tell us you hate us, telling you, hey, you can hate me. Man. They might be able to hate you, but they don't got to time. You can tell me

because I'll be in the wild. Tell me why, because sometimes it ain't all you know, bad reasons that you hate me. You might really have a legitimate I ain't heard one yet, but you might actually have a legitimate reason they hate me. So let us know. If you hate us, give us some topics you want to hear about, send some questions. We're here, man, and we ain't gonna always be right to me. Is not gonna always be wrong, but most of the time she will be because she

disagrees with me, you know. So she's gonna be wrong multi time. But we will both always and I mean always, always, always be authentic. That's how we owed it. That's how we owed it. 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 teav