Ranked- Choice Voting

that are better than others. Um, but I don't necessarily feel like anyone is really speaking directly and impactfully to the issues I care about in a way that motivates me. I what I hear are people who have potential, great potential. But sometimes I get tired of being behind people with potential. And that's just my truth, and I tell them all that directly. I'm under a lot of pressure right now.

It's a lot of stress to decide who will be in my top five ranking because New York, as you know, we now have the uh what is it, the ranked choice voting process, which means we get to rank five people and I gotta do that. So I'm feeling a little stressed out. How you feel I'm feeling all right, man. You know, it's a lot of a lot of different people,

you know, that I'm interested in. Like you said, there's no one candidate that stands out like I like Isaac right, just understanding because we have kind of like similar background. Ray Maguire is somebody, you know. Maya is somebody that I'm paying attention to. And I'm just you know, I'm listening to all out of these different candidates, and I'm, like you said, it's not one person that completely that.

It's not so much that one person. I feel just I don't know if they're capable of doing everything that they say they can do. So you know, I'm I'm I'm up in the air. So you know, this ring choice fold it might be good for me because I can list a couple and see, you know, and just

and wish for the best. At this point, we we this system that we have already is not really working to me, I guess so, and that's not you know, and imagine if we people who are politically inclined, um, you know, feel this way, imagine how a lot of

other folks feel. So that's just how I'm that's that's what's going on with me and today is that I have, you know, about a day before I have to publicly state all the folks that I'm supporting across the city of New York, state of emergency in your book what you mean your book behind you? I see state statecy How how are the sales? Like, we didn't hear anything? You did really well? I mean we sold like twenties seven thousand copies. Talk about that. See that's that's that's

the best sell right then that's pretty well. Um, we need to sell a hundred thousand copies, so we've got some more work to do. Um. And you know, and and I think it's gonna happen. Um. You know, just from Louisville, Kentucky, where we had a book signing, um, and that was very successful. Along with in person book signing. There are more coming up. Yesterday was my birthday and so you know, forty plus one. I mean, there's a lot of stuff happening. God God is really good. That

is good. So my thought of the day today is gonna be the best thought of the day that I have ever ever ever had. My thought of the day. You want to know it is. You know what I was thinking, what was there? I was thinking, I want to know what our guests have to say about this crazy system that we had UM between rank choice voting in New York Joe Biden and his statements during the Tulsa commemorations. Um, you know what we're gonna do to get all the things we need? You know, in this

short window. We got four years to really push and it's really kind of two years because if the Senate gets flipped or we lose some seats, lose the House in the midtim elections, we won't even have the opportunity that we have in this moment. So we've got like a year and some change to literally get some things done. And the progress is very slow, if even at all,

on some issues. So my thought of the day today is that I want to hear from the guests because the guests have uh pretty good insight on where we stand. It sounds like a good thought to me. So today we're gonna be joined by um Jamanni Williams, the Public Advocate of New York City. You know, New York is very um unique in the fact that we have a public advocate. Uh, there's been many people trying to get rid of that seat, and his job. Really his role is to sort of monitor what the mayor is doing

and be an advocate for the public UM. And in in others places you have the mayor and then of course their deputy mayor, so if something happens to the mayor, then the deputy mayor is in charge. In New York, actually it's different in that the public Advocate would step in, and the public Advocate is now the second most powerful elected official in the entire city of New York, and it happens to be a black man who's a revolutionary.

And so it's good that we haven't coming on today to talk about ring choice voting because as the Public Advocate, it is his job to ensure that the people of New York are prepared to go to the polls and do what's necessary UM and not be disenfranchised. So we'll hear from Jimani Williams and then the Reverend Mark Thompson,

who I often joke is my um work husband. I spend hours on hours talking to Mark, going through issues, dealing with my fears, frustrations, my insecurities, things I don't know, research that I have to do in order to be on my game. Um. And he is available to me at one am, two am, five am all the time. Uh. And and it really sort of stands in the gap of of other you know, places and spaces where I may not be fulfilled, um in terms of my intellect.

And that's important, you know, to have somebody that when you're feeling like, man, I don't understand it, or I can't get it, or I just don't want to read this stuff, that he would sit with me and break it down and and and help me to stay focused. And so I I am so glad that Marcus coming on because I know even with you, Marcus the type of person that we turn to that will really help us strategically think through what are the next steps for our movement based upon the fact that he's been in

movements of the past. So we're gonna hear from Reverend Mark Thompson. S. Thompson is my guy man. We are being enjoyed by our dear, dear, dear public Advocate for New York City and also our brother, um and friend. You know that street politician has a lot of friends. We always bring people who are doing great work and that's because the company we keep it's a good group.

It's a good group of individuals across the nation who are really making change, really um standing up to this this call that is on all of us to carry the baton. The baton has been passed to us from many UM. And when I think about Public Advocate Germanni Williams, I think about somebody like Congressman John Lewis rest in peace, God rest his soul, and so many other elected officials who really stood for and stand for justice, fairness and equity for black people. And so I'm always proud to

call him a friend. I was talking to someone the other day and they wanted to try to, you know, give me all the reasons why I shouldn't work with another individual. And I said, well, does that person support Germanni Williams. And they say, yeah, well they're friend of mine if they support him. Because I know that he has not always been able to get the type of support that he deserves from black people because he's too black. He speaks black, UM, he cares about our issues and

is uncompromised, and we don't always agree. And I tell people all the time that Germany and I have had to have some real conversations. We were getting ready to talk about something right now that I'm not sure we

agree on. But what we know is that we're this relationship that all of us have fostered among the members of Until Freedom, GERMANNI and other individuals in the city of New York is one that while we may not all agree all the time, one thing we agree on is that we're all fighting for black people and so we're glad to have Germany to join us today. I'm honored to be on peace and Blessings, Loving life, I said, I said a great introduction. Appreciate Kamika Mice everything you're

doing across the country. Like every time I stay y'all that joint is this crazy look look at y'all doing anything. I feel like I'm there with what y'all doing. You know, you are brother, definitely extension of us. Man. And every time we see you, you know, speaking truth to problem and standing on the front lines of the people and we're not there, we feel like we're doing so we want to say we appreciate you, brother. Yeah. So Jamani,

we're talking about ranked choice voting today. Uh street politicians tries to be a place that helps to educate our folks because, as you know, the tricks move around quickly, the cards change fast. Everything is always happening, UM, and we try to keep people up to speed on what's going on. And I think the next few weeks is gonna be really important for us to drill down on ranked choice voting to make sure that just regular folks

get it. You know, I'm gonna be honest and saying that there's been a number of conversations that I've been involved in and I really did not understand all of the details of this new voting system in New York City. UM, but you have been a supporter of it for various reasons, and also you understand the intricate details. So I know you don't have a long time to be with us today. Tell us what ranked choice voting is and how it

impacts this election. And then I want to talk about the ramifications of those who are saying, don't do the ranked choice voting, just vote for you know, one individual, So tell us what we need to know. Appreciate you and if you if you're in New York, it's the first time we're gonna be doing ranked choice voting in New York City, has been done in other places across the country, and also a minded people of voting has started.

Election day is gonna be on June, but absentee ballots are already being sent in an early voting starts on June twelve, so people are going to be using ranked choice voting. I believe it helps empower and strengthen UH one person vote while having some other impacts that are

beneficial as well. But quite simply, you're simply ranking the order in which you prefer a candidate from one to five UM, and if no one gets they go through the tally to see where people's second, third, fourth, and fifth votes are, and they tally that at up and then we get a winner that by itself generates a position with a person who's elected actually has more support UH than it was the first time. What most selectors won't tell you is we're usually elected by very small

slice of the population. When I was first selected in the city Council won by thick thirty five. That means sixty five of the people did not vote for me. They didn't have a choice to decide whether I wanted to be in or not. They just voted for somebody else who didn't win. I don't know if that's the best way to do it, but this way you can actually rank who you'd want for a second third and your void your vote, I believe has more weight what

that has had the advantage of. And most places that have done this has actually increased diversity by color, by gender, sexual orientation, and by ideas because a lot of folks who have new ideas is half of them to break into it because the system is usually run by those who are most established, and put a system where it's harder to break in. And that's coming from somebody who actually beat an incumbent. So I'm not saying it's impossible,

but I know the difficulties of it. Uh, And I think this is a better way to government and has been shown to be a better way to go. So let me let me get this straight, because I think I'm getting it as I listened to it. So basically, we can if ten people want to vote for Let's say they want to vote for you, and it's about fifty people voting, and all fifty of the people's second vote will probably be me. Yeah, but tend will vote

for you. Tend will vote for me, tend will vote for Tamika and tend with vote for somebody else with the second person that they will vote for will probably all be the same. Yes, so the second person would win to vote over the person who had the most first place. Will It's possible. What we've seen is in over of the time the personal won the first rank when but there are times where that's just not the case.

And that's okay because people vote for different reasons. They get in there and like, damn, I really like these two people, or damn I wish that they have to make this choice, and the choice they make can be based on many other things. But what we see in ranked choice voting, we will get a consensus of some of someone where everybody had an input on. And I

think that's pretty dope. So that second point that everybody agreed on, if there was one person, like people agree on this, one person didn't, but eighty five percent of you believe that this second person would be good for the majority of us, I think that has way to it.

I think that could change the game of people who are in and the ideas that people want to express, because the way it is now, quite frankly, I don't have to care about the entirety of the city, you know, I gotta care about that slice that's gonna come out of vote for me and hold me down. UM. And that I don't think it's the best way to go because people don't then talk to other parts of the community,

other parts of the district, on the city level. Um, there is uh, you know, runoff if somebody didn't get which doesn't happen all the time. Not only is that bad, it's also wasteful because the amount of money that we have to go into not having another off another time, which by the way, has even less people voting in it. I don't think quite captures what we want to capture. This instant think of it as an instant runoff. Um

is a better way to go. I get it. I think I think I might be on your side with this one. And I listened to it. It really it really is by the people. You know. If people just vote for the number one candidate, you know, because they he's probably somebody know or whatever, but the second person didn't get no votes because they only can vote for one person, you know, then more people probably would have

been like, well, I like this person better. You know, if if I had, if I had another opportunity, I think I think, I think I see it. I'm thinking, what do you think about it too? I think that it makes some sense. The only thing that I'm concerned about, honestly, it is whether or not people are going to be disenfranchised because they don't have information, or they don't understand it properly, or they feel like it's too much and they just don't participate, and maybe it takes a few

elections to get it right. Um. I worry that with a mayoral election coming up, and I know the conversation we had before, um Jamanni was that people, Um, you were saying that most folks do understand it right, that there are several, I guess studies or polls, which I'm always very leary about polls that indicate people get it, but I know I don't really get it. And what I'm concerned about is that if I'm really focused on Maya, Wily Ray McGuire or you know, any of the other candidates.

Those are the two candidates that I'm particularly looking at right now for me. But if I'm focused on one or the other or just two of them, now, do I have to put five people down or four or three in order for me really to participate in this process and to make sure that my vote is counted.

And now do I am I now responsible for going to take the time being a mother of how many I got all these things going on, and now I've got to go research Stringer, Adams and Yang and everybody else and try to figure out where they stay ending these issues too. I'm just wondering, is it going to disenfranchise people in the election is serious as the one that we're up against right now, but I think we

have to put the question in context. Uh, we're disenfranchised currently and so it's not like the system that exists now produces the results that we want to see. And as we were talking about, we've had some issues with the last three mayors for various reasons. Bill the Blasio, Michael Bloomberg, Rudy Giuliani all came from the system that exists currently. There are city council members that we have had issues with that have continued to lift up structures

that we don't agree with. They continue to get reelected and re elected. Um, so we have to come from the context. There's disenfranchisement that occurs now. There are people who don't vote for judges simply because they don't have time to figure out who those judges are. Most people don't vote for the judges. Most people, uh, don't vote for reprimending gonna put up. So those things happen right now. The question is is this gonna make it worse or better?

I think it will make it better. What we've seen and while the polls are important and speaking to people is what we've seen is that one, when you do the education like happened in the special elections that I put in New York City, people get it, even those who don't necessarily get it when they get to the polls where we found it's not that difficult when you explain and say rank one to three or four or five and so with don't let me jumping in and

ask a question, being very vulnerable, because I don't want this to be they or them me? What is the cities education process right now? Not so much on candidates, but on this process to where people will will know, oh, shoot, I need to do some work before I get there, because now I'm I'm looking at five people and not one or two so I think that is an important question. What I just want to bring back is that's an

important question. Now if you come in now without having ranked choice, voting the old system, not having done the work, you may be voting for the wrong person. Right. You might be voting for the person that you heard their name the most, But those other four person people probably you should have been vote for one of them. So what some folks and people who are posing this are pretending as if those questions aren't as valid and as jermaine,

as if you uh didn't have the system in place. Uh. The system that we're trying to put in I think helps more once you get it. UM, you can vote for one person, I don't think that's the best thing to do. That can have the ability of disenfranchising some folks because it's like they are disappearing if there is a runoff, which they're is likely to be because it's hard to get so many people UH in the race.

So going down the line, I believe it's important. Also, I believe it's important especially to UM make sure that UM black and brown folks get it because if they don't vote and their problems, there are people telling people not to rank certain folks and that's harmful because they are all parts of our city that are only more ccifically engaged. UM. And so the Upper West Side, for example, which is more cipically engage, ranks one to five and m Brownsville or UM. White people do it right and

the black and brown folks do it wrong. Go ahead, I'm gonna translate that. That could be a problem because then they're they're they're runoff. Votes just didn't count. So instead of having people opposed this, but what we all should be doing is encouraging people to just rank all five. Well, we have no choice at this point. This is not an optional I mean, I know that there are some people who are trying to encourage people not to use their choices, but I don't that. I think we have

to vote. We have to make sure that we are in the game properly. And if you're talking about ranking people one through five, we need to be ranking people one through five periods. Those of us who are are dropping endorsements in the next few days, should we be telling people one through five? What do you think is best? For public messaging? I believe for public messaging it's best to say one through five and hear who those one through five are. It is particularly tough because we got

tough group of folks running for me. So it's not like we can, you know, honestly, be like, yo, these five people are gonna be great. That is not the case. You're not realistic. But it's also not realistic to think just saying this one or two person is going to do it, because that one person or two persons probably won't make it. So either way, we're not in great shape. And so depending where you are, any system looks bad.

But quite frankly, we got a tough group of folks that we have to choose from, and it is hard. I'm grappling with this very question myself, and I hope I don't fail. Like because you know, one through five, I think it's important. I'm sure we're not gonna get on the mayor race, and so it's important to have all your traces there, those first two, so you know, you gotta have that the first one ain't gonna get it. Basically, like, I agree with what you're saying, this is very important.

Our first two things I want to ask right before we leave. It's very important. First of all, let me stay that thank you for giving us the information and letting us understand what exactly it is because I'm getting a better perspective of it. But when you listen to it, right, it's so it sounds difficult, right for the average person who just wants to go out. They know Jamana oh Jama, they know Germany. I see him. I want to vote with your mind now, and I gotta think of four

more people. They're more than likely, especially in our communities. They don't come to us, they don't knock on our doors, they're not even marking into us, they're not even campaigning to us. So we gotta pick probably at least three out of those five that we probably never heard of. That's just the reality. Do you think that those things

are deterring? People? Are gonna be deterrence? Because when we look at the whole voting process now, everything that's coming up right now, is it detern We look at how the voter suppression, the new laws that they put in an acting all over this world. Do you think that those things are gonna to deter And then I just want to go a little bit off, you know, just

because you are someone who is you know, public official. Yes, that this this whole statement about Biden me because a lot of people are having a lot of issues with the fact that he went there and he had this whole press conference in you know, in so about Black Wall Street, and nobody's talking about even reparations for those people.

They're like, do you think that these things are very harmful to just the voting process of black people, because it's hard for me as a black person trying to tell people to guard and vote in these processes and said, well, this is gonna be different, and this is gonna be different. Do you think these things are gonna be hard for people to get over or do you think that they

you know, people are have any enthusiasm to even vote. Right, So, just from the beginning of what you said, the problem there that we we are blossing over is they shouldn't only know Germany. And the fact that we only vote for Germany because we know Germany is also part of the problem. And so we should know who those other three or four people are because they may be better Germany made shut up to your barbecue, may have knocked on your door, but it's doing very harmful things in

those back rooms and in those votes. And we should know that, and we should take the time to try to figure out out that is those money when when you work nine to five, you've got three kids, you gotta pick the baby up, you gotta come home, you gotta take care of kids, you've got two jobs. I'm not the only person that you're gonna see is the

person that's that's making sure that you see them. So how do how do you tell somebody who's dealing with those issues that they should know that that's a fact. So we gotta find a way to help educate those folks. I think rank choice voting pushes that. And now the other four candidates, Sleeker, I really got a shot. Maybe

if I double up my outreach efforts. Maybe if I double up this effort, combined with the fact that I have, uh the ability to get matching funds, I can now give my who I am to these folks, and then I can make a choice. And now you can go on, y'all. Let me see who these people are real quick, even if it's just a couple of moments before you go in, let me read through it and see what Yo, this dude did do that? So I think it helps set a stage where the problems that you're talking about UM

won't go away. But perhaps this encourages people one to our reach more and to to learn more because their vote is now magnified. And if we can view it as that as that I have magnified your vote from what it was, I think that's empowering. But what I just don't want to keep pushing back is none of the systems have been delivering what we want to deliver. I believe that this system has the ability to deliver more.

And if you look at how people do even UM pose, if you ask somebody if they're happy or sad, you will not get an accurate assessment. That's why they break it down and be like, are you somewhat sad? Are you somewhat happy? Some They have to do those things because people will answer in a spectrum because in the way it is now, you don't have that spectrum choice. We have no thoughts of choice. You have this person, I don't know these other people. Let me vote found

but yo, there's two black people. Oh, they're gonna split the vote. There's no split in the vote around choice vote. I could vote for one to three and hit it. So there's so many benefits to this choice, but change is always difficult. Usually people who push back on the most have the most game for the system that exists and that it doesn't. That is also for our black

establishment elected officials. You know, if I have a choice between establishment that doesn't look like me, an establishment that does, my goal for establishment that does. In terms of Biden Um, the Biden Harris ticket and what they're doing now, I don't think surprises any of us who understood we had to support the Biding Harris ticket only because of what was in opposition to it. So it's not surprising anything

that we're seeing. As a matter of fact, I'll be surprised when we see something different, and I hope you see something different. We do have to acknowledge, um that these Republicans like the Democrats are a problem. I'm never gonna never gonna ignore that. Like it's just wild what the lookings do like they can. They're literally now telling millions of Americans that what they saw was a peaceful

tour on January six. That's some wild ship, like that's that's that's crazy that and and people are buying it. Donald Trump is not telling people is gonna be reinstated in August. Michael Flynn is saying that we should have a cool that is what as much as Democrats we got a hold them accountable, we are also, you know, with that crazy and that's what. That was my whole thing before. I just want to say, that was my

whole thing. You know, I get so much flak every time Boden does something wrong, and I'm like, I never told you that Boden was the end all bill. I just told you that the opposition to Boden was worse than body. When you look at somebody who's saying form cools that that you know they have insurrections that pretty much running the Whitehouse like a drug kingpin, you understand, saying what with this and calling pretty much calling for them to just take over the government. Like that's not

something that was even an option for me. I I told him I was gonna vote for my ten year old son before I was gonna vote for Trump. And so that's just the reality of the situation. But I want to say thank you your money. I know you gotta go. You know, you always very informative and you break things down to terms that everybody can listen to continue to do the work. Hopefully we'll be voting you for man soon. You know, I need you need to take.

That's the that's the step we're looking for. That's the ticket I'm going forward and my one, two and three or my rank choice. Man, I appreciate you. That's that's a terrible job, but I appreciate you. Man. Somebody got to do it. Man. I'd rather good people do terrible jobs. The terrible people do terrible job. Yeah, I hear that. Apprecate Thank you, We appreciate you, Jamani. Thanks for coming on with us today. You gotta come back to street politicians so we can talk about a bunch of things.

And I agree with my son that we really should have been voting for you, um this mayoral election. But there's more elections to come, and in fact, you have an election. Yes, I'm running. I'm election exactly. So, folks, if you're watching, your public advocate Jermanni Williams is running for re election. And also if you're out of town and you want to support a true liberation fighter, UM, a revolutionary who is in office, you can donate to

Germany's campaign. UM. The information is below UM. But Germany, if you want to tell people just how to find you online. That'd be great, and thank you brother again. Appreciate y'all. Germany Williams dot COM's the campaign website at Germany Williams, Twitter at Germany dot Williams, I G and Facebook. I think it's Jermanny Williams uh the same. But you know, thankfully not too many Jamanti Williams out there, so you'll be able to find it. But I appreciate your I

appreciate y'all. It's an honored people tell me run from me. I'm just still at crazy from Brooklyn who love hip hop, So that's what That's just an honor for anybody even mentioned that. But I appreciate y'all. Piece. Thanks, bye bye. Take care. Before we go to the next segment and have our special guests joint, we're gonna take a quick break for our sponsors. I don't know, you know, I feel like I don't really have I still my brain sometimes does not accept concepts like this is just something

that I've always had a problem with in school. It was probably one of the reasons why I couldn't focus. I don't know if it's my A D H D. I don't know what it is, but it's certain things like I hear everything that he's saying, and I know you're you're a person that gets concepts and numbers really well, so I can tell like you get it and I get it in in in in theory, I understand one

through five. But where I where they knew us me every time is the part around if number one it doesn't get enough, then how you get to number three? And then it's everybody gonna Does that mean people voted for number three in the same number three slot? Could they have been in two and three? I don't get it. I just don't get I don't think it's I don't think it's really just the slot. I just think it's

the options. Right. So, like I broke it down, if you have a hundred people that's voting m M, and all hundred of those people are split about the first person, you might have ten people that want to vote for one person. You've got twenty people that want to vote for another person. You got fifteen that want to vote for another person. But all of them were saying, you know, we we you know, we we like this one is

between these two. But all of those same people would have voted for the same person would have voted for the second person, right, So in essence, but that's never gonna be the case. But that's not it was because everybody's second. Everybody's second choice could be the same, their first choice could be different. But what if they second choices all over the place and their third choices all

of them? Like, I just what is this? They? I guess what they do is tally the first in the second d Like if you're somebody's first and second, right, and they italian all, then they go to the third. If you were some people's third and you wasn't they first?

If the if the same face shows up in the majority of the votes one through five, like some people might just have just only no one person and in the second vote or the third volde they might not even have those, right, But if the same person constantly shows up one through five in in large amounts throughout everybody's thing, then that tells you that everybody to some degree, Right, you know what I'm saying, It's it's not it's not gonna be angry. Like some people get voted, You're like,

who the hell is this person? Like how did they get in? I don't even know. I've never vote, I've never seen it. So when you look through the ring choice vote voting and you see, okay, a hundred, I means forty percent of these people said this would have been the first rule. Then another thirty said he would have been a second book, then another forty or fifty said he would have been a third vote. I mean he's he is a common factor or she is a

common factor, the common factor. Didn't that gives you a better feel of what the people actually want. That's just how I see it. Okay, Well, I don't want to have too many conversations on this show in June when we're in the final quarter about the challenges of ranked choice voting. I think we're gonna see how it works, and so I guess after this election will have an

opportunity to really see how it all worked out. And then we'll have some folks like uh, Reverend Kierson John Foy, who is against ranked choice voting, to come on and talk about you know, where we go from there after we have an election where we see how it works. I just hope that we don't have a situation where we end up getting the wrong candidate in office for

mayor because this is a serious election. So I think for me, like, I don't mean to cut you off, but like he said, the system we got a'm working in something we need some difference. Okay, Well, hopefully that works out for all of us. Our next guest, hopefully he's with us, the Reverend Mark Thompson, another one of our friends. That's look, we we just happened to be blessed to have people in high places of good character, you know, that really believe in equity and in liberation.

For our people to just be our friends when we just you know, I think when they say six degrees of separation, I think it's even smaller. Man, when you got the same mind state, you know, and you you want with the you want the same things, it actually connects you to people. Man. So we're just blessed to have brothers life. My brother, the good, the good doctor Good, Reverend doctor Mark Thomps. What's up, y'all. I'm on street, politicians. Good to see everybody here for the first time. Glad

to be here. Mice been trying to get me on for a minute. To me, didn't want me on right away, but I'm here now and I'm thankful. Yeah, whatever, you all you have an open invitation to just call and say I'm coming on the show, like we can do you on your shop. That's right, that's right, that's right. I'm about to We still have on match focused calling. Cursed me out, y'all be right there with me. So

we did, right, Yeah, it was wasn't. It wasn't with the Dinner crew for a minute, the Donner crew, right right, right, that a crew, that's where we were. Yeah, it was. It's right, it's right, exactly right. So we've been talking. We talked to a public advocate in New York City before you. We've been talking about this rank choice voting thing. You know, obviously this is really critical. Um, there is an election happening, and I can't help but feel like

the game has been changed in the final inning? What what jamani Um is saying public advocate Williams. He's saying that this has been a long time in the incoming. You know, people been knowing about it for a while, and that in some of the polling that has been done, most people understand it. I don't think they polled black folks, UM and brown folks. That's in the hood. So I'm not sure if we can use a pole as a determination for whether or not our people actually get what

we are up against in this moment. So where do you stand on this? Where do you think? Do you think we're going to be disenfranchised in this election because rank choice voting is now going to be shoved down people's throats in the next few weeks. You think folks been paying attention to the conversation, I don't have any evidence that they really had, and and I don't wouldn't even I don't need to. Paying attention is the right thing when you do something like this, people have to

be educated. You have to make sure they're educated. And let's be frank, the struggle in America, in in our inner cities has been around voter apathy in general, especially at the local level. Right, So, where you have people who have interest to national electures, they don't have as much interest at the local level. That's the problem. And so when you're introducing something new to an electorate that already has not made voting and local voting a habit,

that's challenging. And the proponents of this should have done more to make sure people are educated. This is sort of um, you know the whole And don't get me wrong, I support proportional representation when it comes to electoral bodies legislative bodies because what that would mean. For example, let's say we wanted to form a street politicis this party with proportional representation. If the Street Politicians party only got ten percent of the vote, it still would get ten

percent of the six seats in the legislature. That's one aspect of voting change rank choice voting. However, it's a little bit more complicated because you're ranking candidates and and nobody really has been educated about it or understands it bears a segment of the population who get it, and that's fine, but it has not touched the inner city and urban areas in the way that they should. Having said that, I'm not prepared to dismiss it or say

it's wrong. But the first time out it could be damaging, It could be disenfranchising because people don't know enough about it. So I think that's the problem. I don't I don't know how comfortable we should feel doing something like this for such an important election, when it's really on the job training for everyone. It's it's a dry run. And I don't think that that was thought through very carefully.

You know, I might disenfranchise people, you know, as we as we look you know, just all over just just the whole situation. We're just not just just our mayor candidates. When we look at our presidential you know, the people that we pretty much I voted for him. I don't know if you did, I think to Mika, did we voted for this election because we felt that you know, the opposition wasn't even you know, uh candidate for us?

You know, And as we look forward and we look at right now, what we what should we be doing? We look at you know, we just we're hearing these speeches. We're hearing everybody's on me. Oh they got an Asian bill that protects the Asian people, and you know, you know, and he just made a speech in Toast, Oklahoma that never discussed reparations, you know, And and they're actually people who survived the massacre of Black Wall Street that there's

survivors who have not received anything. They said they gave somebody said they gave the pair sneakers. You know, how how should we be feeling what should be our next this?

Because I know that we we we definitely said as when we told people to go out in vote, that we wanted to hold this administration account right, Yeah, yeah, what should be doing right now to hold them accountable for these things that we see how black people who pretty much put this whole administration in office aren't receiving what we believe we should get. Well, Um, you probably shared the wrong words to me. I'd asked me come

out and talking as reparations. But I think if we use that as an example to answer your question, so you're right, he didn't mention reparations. Um, we are responsible for this administration being empowered, so whatever we want, we should get. Plus he said, we didn't ask him to say that. He got him said trying to talk black. When he won, y'all have had my back, now I'm supposed to have yours. Those are his words. It's a lot easier to hold a man accountable to his own words.

But you know, I know too much because I'm involved in this. Let me tell you all what's happening, and and this is unfolding and developing story. Maybe next time we'll talk, I'll be ready to call out some names. But I'm just gonna say this to put people on notice that we know who they are. It ain't bad. There are some black politicians and Negro leaders that are lobbying Biden and the Congressional Black Caucus and members of Congress to be against reparations. All right, I know who

they are, and I know what their agenda is. What is happening is there are a hundred eighty eight co sponsors of the reparations bill in Congress. That's more than it's ever had, puts us approximately thirty nine short mice of the votes needed for passage in the House. Now, when you have a hundred eight co sponsors, that also means that there are people who may not be co sponsors but willing to vote for the bill. Right, so we're close to passage. You got some negroes saying, oh,

don't do that. That's gonna mess us up for the mid terms. And and so some ms is saying, what are you talking about. That's gonna help you win the midterms and hold the House because that would motivate more black folks to vote. Okay, And so we're dealing with black people who are are about that agenda, pushing that agenda. That's antireparations. If we can get it through the House past, then we got to go to the set and nothing like everything else, nothing's going through the center because of

the Filipbuster, McConnell mansion, all of that. So then the next piece would be to have Biden do a bad executive order. And that's some negroes calling around some people. We shouldn't do this right now, brother Mark, we shouldn't do this because it's gonna mess us up for the mid terms. Let's do that mid terms. That's it mark

every election period, especially after presidential election. We here can't do anything for black people because the term that that is the that's like the biggest excuse or whatever reason every time Obama couldn't do to policing because there was gonna be a backlash around of mid terms. We did all the work, especially coming out of the Women's March, to win in two thousand and what was that eighteen? Yeah, in two thousand and eighteen, we put all of these

progressives in place. We we got more women elected than ever have been and still and then we still couldn't block Trump from the whole one that they did. Now here, we are a new administration. The mid terms is tomorrow. We all know that this tomorrow, it seems to me like we might actually lose some seats. I'm just very confused and need you to help us understand again what

people should be doing. You know, a lot of folks say to me or they are critiquing, criticizing the fact that I am not as vocal as I have been in the past, and I think people don't understand. In leadership, you have moments when you were speaking, organizing, pushing, and then you have other moments when you're studying, trying to figure out what is the next approach that needs to be taken for these issues to move the ball forward.

It's not that you're not doing the work. It's not that I am not paying attention, but I am also in deep reflection about what we need to be doing next. Because we have Joe Manchon and what's the cinema? The other Senator so and Mansion are two Democratic senators that vote like Republicans, right, so they're not with us. We've got the Filibus too in the way. We've got an administration that, while I think they want to do some things, I don't think that Joe Biden is giving the same

effort for us as we had for him. In my opinion, I'm not saying that I don't think they're doing anything, because the Gun Violence UM Executive Order that was signed

has poured a whole well. The money has not been released yet, but certainly the intention to to give five billion dollars to organizations across the country that are doing gun violence work is very important, especially when we see the number of violent incidents and shootings rising across the country and we know that locking people up is not going to be the answer. It never has been and never will be. We need services, we need UM, We need our people who are on the ground to be

able to do their work. But I feel like Mark, and this is really something that you and I talked about, and I know there's a lot of other people that feel it. We just went to people and said we have to win two seats in Georgia. We almost killed ourselves trying to living in the street, out there knocking on doors every day, and yet still we have all of these issues. People are beginning to feel like the system will never work, and I'm gonna tell you that

I have I'm beginning to feel that way myself. Well, um, the fact of the matter is that what everybody ought to be doing. First of all, I was walking, walking, and cheering gun at the same time. That is to say, we've got to fight this battle against voter suppression. Um, that's what you anyone can do right now where they live because that's governed on a local level. Meanwhile, though, yes,

the Democratic Party needs to be held accountable. What I was gonna say this arguing about days and we can't do it before the midterms. Didn't they say we can't do nothing before the next president isn't ever spent a wheel That is not acceptable. And we need to demand that the Biden administration do what we want, whether it be reparations, whatever we need on gun violence, voting rights. They need to come up with a solution to the

problem that exists in the Senator as well. You've got two Democratic senators now they claim not to be Democrats and name only Well that's the case. See what what the president is supposed to do. This is where the the wheel is supposed to work. This is what this is what the l b J did. L b J will call a senator, threaten a senator or or or influence something in that senator's district to get something done.

Whatever buttons need to be pushed in Arizona and West Virginia to get them to vote down the philipbus that is sent them and Mansion respectively. Whatever button needs to be pushed, Joe Biden needs to threaten to push it. All right, Um, I mean that's pretty much the way that this has to happen. To be clear, the only reason the Asian piece went through, let's be very honest, very clear, is because Mr. Mconnell's wife is Asian. As

always that they would have blocked that too. So so because they're blocking everything that went through because Mitch McConnell's wife is Asian, who also has happened to be an investigation for improprieties while she was a Department Transportation. But be that as it made. That's why certain bills get

through because Republicans still control. So the question is, I think another way to put your question to me is why are we telling people to vote to elect Democratic senators when they still don't having the power and they can't do nothing anyware. I mean, what what? So So it boils down to the brokenness of the institution of

the Senate because I'm gonna tell you something. What we have to again sleep in the streets, get stressed out in Georgia again this year because because warnox terms song is a small term to fulfill inspired term of someone else. So everything we did in January breaking news everybody, We're gonna have to do it again to keep him there. But the question is doing that gets us? What if we don't get rid of the filibuster, if mansion and

Cinema on being held accountable. Now, to be clear, folks, other Democrats already talking about primary getting her all the way out of it. She's gonna face a primary as a Democratic I mean, I mean the cinema. I'm sorry she She's gonna face a Democratic primary her stelf. Why Arizona. She's in Arizona. So so watch this. This is gun violence Awareness Month, of gun violence, prevent your month, whatever you call it awareness. What is questions, y'all? She is

upholding the filipbuton which is blocking background checks? Start weapon dank those issues. Parents to the House from a state where a fellow politicians whose husband was elected senator was shot in a mass shooting. And it's it's paralyzed that's uh Mark Kelly's wife, big difference husband. So Cinema's counterpart in the Center for Arizona has a wife that was shot in a mass shooting and Cinema won't even do

in Arizona. And Cinema won't even do anything. She says the other day, Well, you know, the filipbuster, we might just want to keep it. It's not the worst thing in the world. What this is are other thing. This is where we come in a black people. The filibuster and electoral colleges, electoral college, and the Second Amendment are rimnant from the era of enslaved. They exist because of it.

The electoral college was to keep the southern states in power that had more of us, more black folks in their states population and white people, so electoral college gave them an extra boost to compensate for the black people they weren't allowed to vote, and we were just three fifths. They used us to get those electors as three fives to add us up. The filibuster obviously was used to

prevent anti lenging, to prevent civil rights legislation. So these are relics of an era of enslavement and for for these institutions to continue to exist. They are continuing to exist because of us, and they're now continuing to exist to uphold the ongoing oppression of us. And so that's where we all begin. So the voter suppression issue is important. It's also a man to be important. As you mentioned, uh,

you know, buying has none to progressive things. I think we have to be honest and we we run this show, we call these plays because he would not even be in there. There's ever a president that did that one office specifically and exclusively because of the black community. It was Joe Back. Mm hmm. That's the fact. You know.

I often have these you know, concel is for myself because I'm learning government and I'm learning just to understand more over and a lot of people like, yo, he should just sign this executive order to do these things.

He should just sign these executive orders. And and when you're in office, like I'm just I have to put myself in a position like you know, if if if I have a a Senate and I have a body of people that have to oversee certain laws that I have to present most of the laws too, and policies and things that I want and I want to work in unison with you know this, this this governing body.

If I constantly just signed executive orders that go against everything that this other party is with, then it makes it hard to to actually get any real work done inside the government, you know. And and that's a that's a that's a thing like a lot of people because they don't you know, when you talk to the average person on the street and well he he signed this, he needs to just sign that. And a lot of times people don't understand politics, don't understand just doing in

a business world. If you know, if you if you're working with business and you just sidekay, you know what, I'm I have rank and I'm over I'm put my rank over this person and make the decision. People still responsible for running the building. Right, So you can make that decision. Now when you make the decision and they decide, you know what, fun that we're not running this building no more? The buildings gonna get stand. You can make

that decision that it goes. So so people have to understand that it's not as simple as just every time we want something just right, an executive or that has to be a culmination of things. Even though we know that they're not trying to play fit. It has to be a level of strategy that goes into this thing.

You know, we have to do things in the manner that makes sense that you know that the government doesn't just crumble completely, even though that's something that most people would rather, you know, and we start something new, most people, some people, not most yet. But to your point, my song, it is true that the systems actually have to follow suit with whatever decisions are being made in the exact eegative office. And we know that white supremacy is running

rampant within all of these different institutions. But that that's the reason why I said to you Mark that it feels like the energy for what we need is not there. Let me explain what I'm saying. Reform doesn't feel like it will work anymore. To me, I now have erased the word reform from my vocabulary when talking about policing. I think because of everything you just stated, we're talking

about institutional issues. I mean, you just went through a whole thing, right, and and ism, right, the racism that exists, the the idea that most of these systems come from a time when we were enslaved. I think you need overhauls right that these syste that policing as it currently exists is going to have to be really literally strict,

apart and redesigned. I don't know when we are ever going to get to a point that we had elected officials in office that had that same fire and energy understanding that the police unions are probably or I don't even know, as someone else said, they're not even unions. These are games mobs that they had. They are so powerful.

I'm trying to figure out when you you know, you've been in this thing for a long time, and there have been periods that you've worked with individuals who had to be creative in terms of how they thought about restructuring the ask, restructuring the demand. Do you think we're at a time when we have an administration in place, but we need to be coming up with a new way of thinking about how we should approach our issues.

Puffy is all over the internet right now saying equity everything is about money, equity, equity, equity, money, But I don't know if we if that if we can just go completely in that direction. So I know what I'm asking may not be makes sense, but I'm sure people's thoughts are just as scattered as what I'm saying to you. And it's a lot to lay on one man. But where what other times in history have we had to adjust the way in which we approached these issues and

begin to man things in a different way. Well, let me just what you both said, um, because I think you raised some relevant question and I'm sure a lot of people listening for whom the way the government operates is not clearly understood. But the fact of the matter is that the three branches exist and it's supposed to

be a check and balance. What the Republican Party has done successfully since the Clinton era is figure out ways to shut down the government so they're not only filipbus to debate in the Senate, be able to filipbus to the government and grind the wheels of government to a halt. Joe Biden has let us know he would like to emulate Um, Franklin Roosevelt, who um obviously did a lot. A lot of the things that are in place today that are any good to anyone happened then. But that's,

you know, almost eighty years ago. I mean, everything has to be renewed. We can't keep making the same wages that FRANKL. Roosevelt gout was eight years ago and the same soci security check from eight years ago. So so that's one thing, and they figured out a way to shut all that down to make sure that never happens again and probably have hobbled the effectiveness of the presidency.

If Tamika Mallory or my son Lennon we're president there would you would be somewhat hobble because of what they've done. So I was want to put that out there. We're talking about that later in terms of what you just said, uh Jamika and people uh you know, knowing what to do, whether anything is effective, whether anything is is working, those are all uh valid questions, even in terms of of reform. Unfortunately, are those African Americans and abandoned administration who want to

emphasize equity over reparations. You know, they feel like equity because they get caught up in terms defund hurt there it cost us seats when actually we found out those of us who look at the numbers found it defund didn't hurt anything. Defund actually motivated or millennials and Gen Zers to get out to vote. And that's the new generation coming reparations has been a word in the lexicon for for many, many years. It's not gonna hurt anymore. But this thing about equity, well, we don't want to

do reparations now, Mark, we want to do equity. No, that's that's not accepted because equity is actually a subset of reparation. Reparations is the whole thing. Equity is just a piece of that. But I reminded about it. And this is the kick I've been on. This is the the hymnal I've been singing from. It is the importance of everyone listening, organizing on the local level because police are gone locally, boards of elections are governed locally. And

that's the little trick in the constitution. That's how it set up set up the state's power. They didn't want to see if you have a centralized voting system, a centralized police system like they're doing Europe. Uh, Britain has the police department service everybody. So when they had me come on British TV like we don't understand, I said, because you'all got a centralized system, each city is different. Here the way they did that for the purpose of

confusing us and dividing us and making it difference. It's much harder to take out uh fifty um systems in each state and in each state a hundreds of my counties. Then it would be if you have one singular department or agency or oversight, that's one easy target. We gotta go get so. I remind everyone Dr King won the Nobel Prize not for what he did as national leader,

but what what he did in Montgomer Sisten Brothers. As we organized locally, learn understand, get involved in you know how the government is run, how legislation is made in your locale, because that may then educate you and inspired you to run yourself. We need, we need young black people to run for office. Now, don't jump up, run for the United States. And I as back calling me, I'm getting representate. I said, no, slow down, you're not ready for that. Uh City council, fight for police citizen

commissions to oversee the police department in your local. Fight for that. Get on that commission, hold the police accountament demonstrate, don't there's one thing to demonstrate to stop killing us, it's another thing to demonstrate two that solves the immediate problem, solve the long term problem. Let's demonstrate and make these city councils um pass legislation to put citizen commission not just civilian complaint with you, not just to look at cases,

but commissions to oversee the police department. Again, another look civic lesson, y'all watch is the Department of Defense is run by civilian for a purpose, so that there's always civilian oversight over the military. You don't want the military to run it because what uses in countries where they have military coups. There's a reason for that. So in this country's decision was and many other behind the countries,

civilians oversee the military. The police are paramilitary force, not community civilians that look like you and me need to oversee those departments. That's the argument struggle around that. And then I'm gonna tell you, mice and to me and everybody listening. When you do that, you're also gonna call out a lot of black politicians. Okay, because some of these black people on some of these city councils, they

get endorsed by the police union. They're getting money. So you may have to take on people that look like you who are an elected office who want to still cozy up to the police and then make this argument. Watch this, we can't be fund we can't bolus, we can't have oversight because we need the police to protect us from uh gang bangers and young brothers in hood. Let me, let's tell them tell you about that right now?

When was the last time, as everybody listening, you have heard of the police solving or addressing any crime in your community? Think about it now now now, we pay taxes as black people, allegedly for the police to protect and serve us, and they don't do it. More black women are missing and murder. Police don't investigate squat at all. Uh when somebody gets killed, not community. Don't let somebody you get about breaking in your house, scaling the car.

That's like a paper clip. They don't care about that. So you paying them not only not to protect you little old ladies still getting hit the head. I was on sething else today, police killing uh civilians? What's that time you heard police running up in some gang banging crib to have a shootout with people who could shoot back, and them they don't do that because they don't want to get shot. They don't take on people who can shoot back. And then and then real talking. This is

a whole another show. Some of the folks out here that they don't want to go get with the guns vice they have flipped in the confidential informants. Anyway, they're working for the cops. So your money, your tax money, is paying the confidential informant. We need a whole to talk through. Um, all the things you're talking about. We um, there's so much to unpack, and it's important to unpack it.

Not with folks who are just mad at everybody all the time, but folks who are really thinking strategically about what the next moves are going to be. Yeah, we're all frustrated and we all know that we're not getting what we deserve. But there is still a way to approach our our efforts and to approach what we what we need to see happen in this nation. And so it's good to just have you on because you're always stabilizing our thoughts and helping us to sort of get organized.

And you know, whenever we talk to you were like all over the place, But that's because we know you have the ability to center us and bring us back to what we have to focus on. And I think the local elections is so important. Even though I know West Virginia rest West Virginia is an issue in terms of um, you know, the truncsters that are there and the Republicans. I can tell you that there are people who have been dming me and tagging me saying they're

ready to go to work, even in West Virginia. So I think we bottle up on that. So Mark, we create you for coming on and talking with us. Get you to come back, maybe even next week so we can talk more about reparations and to TOSA movement, and you know, just so many things that's happening right now, um where I feel like everything is sort of coming

to get you. Guys. You've got reparations, even the DC statehood piece, which I never even under I understood the importance of making sure that DC does become a an official state, um, but I didn't think about how important it is in light of trying to gain power, to be able to silence the votes and voices of folks like Joe Manchin. So thank you, Mark, Appreciate your anger in the action. Everybody join your anger in the action. That's right, that's right. Appreciate Thank y'all, Love y'all, it's

always dope listening to Mark. He's like in the cyclopedia. Every time we don't know something, he knows the history of it, he knows the term, he knows we ever started, man, So he's always dope handing him in his perspective, because, like we said, man, it's it's just so much going on, and our people feel disenfranchised and even wonderful. Like I went out and I told people had to vote, and I told people from the beginning that it wasn't because

I was the biggest Biden Harris fans. It wasn't anything to do with that. It just did I understood the imminent danger we had with Trump in the Whitehouse, and you know, and and now we have to we gotta live up to that. Man. We gotta call him out. We gotta hold people accountable, you know, like he said, he promised us something, and he told us we did right for him, so he owes us, so we gotta make him do good on those problems. It's um, you know, talking to market is always good. So I'm happy we

had him on. And I think we need to really make sure we bring him back regularly so that he can help to inform folks about their feelings and what we're seeing. You know, he's just he's equally frustrated, but also very strategic. He's been in these movements for a long time, and I think we need to make sure we have we have people like that informing how we

approach our work. And that brings me to my I don't get it, you know, when we talk about the whole Trump and an administration and the voting piece, I don't get though, Yeah, because well I've been talking about Trump and still to be talked about like he's coming He's he's basically coming back, and he said it. You know, he's he's getting up, he's getting more energy, like he's actually being actually getting stronger, you know, because this country

is moving to a different space. And if we're not paying attention to the strength that he's gavin on so when when they when they vote to say that, um, the insurrection was just people just touring, you know, then we we understand the power that he has and the we're ignoring that power and we just in this lacks of data who state then we're definitely gonna have more issues to deal with. But that brings me to my

I don't get it. And I just don't get why people don't get that when we said vote for Biden and Harris that we looked at the administration, which was Trump and said, I don't give a damn who gets in the White House. He just can't get it. He cannot stay in power. I don't get. I just don't get how people don't understand that concept. I just don't look how people seeing that we had a straight up dictator in the White House. And yes, we look at Biden. He's not the perfect candid we look at, but this

was the only what we had. We had Kamala and on Biden on one hand, and we had Trump and Pence on the other hand. And like I said, and I'll say it again, I will vote for my ten year old son before I will vote for Trump. And that's just it. So I don't understand why people don't get.

I just don't get why that concept is so hard. Yes, we we we we we understood that Biden had a history of things that weren't all the way progressive and right now, like like Mark said, he's done some things that have been progressive that we didn't even we didn't, you know, we didn't anticipate, you know, and we're holding him way more accountable. People are way more on him than, you know, than they I don't know if I see that, you don't see what people being more holding him more accountable.

I don't. I don't say accountable, but I'm saying way more critical. I think people are very very critical. Like and because people act like I'm the president. Oh this is what you want, Oh this is what you voted for. Yeah, okay, listen, I just wasn't not gonna let a straight up terrorist stay in the White House. So if people don't understand that concept, yes, this the bottom line is, you know, the position of president of the United States is not

a position that is favorable to black people. The system that the presidency is built on, it's not favorable to black people. You know when you have sent it, and you when you look at you have a Senate and we can vote as much as we want, and we still have senators that are supposed to be democratic, that's supposed to be for the same issues that against you know, everything that has to do with advancement and evolution of black people. We understand that this country is built on

white supremacy and racism. We're never gonna stop that fight. That fight is not gonna stop until we this man to the whole system. But why are we trying to disman to the system of white supremacy and racism. We have to put people who are less likely to harm us. See, I don't mind if you don't help me. Like I said all the time, you don't gotta help me. I just don't need you to hurt me. Like right now, with Biden is doing a lot of things are not

helping us. They're helping a lot of the people, but he's not implementing policies and laws that are hurting black people. And that, for me, gives me an opportunity that I can fight. Long as you're not damaging me and stabbing me and making it harder for me to be able to move up. Then you're not a friend, but you're not a folmer, So I'd rather deal with you. Trump was directly putting policy in place that was death and mental to the life of our people. It was detrimental.

It was rolling back civil rights, it was taking basic human rights from black people. So I don't get why people just don't see that. I really just don't get that well. I mean, I think that UM. Overall, I think you're right. I think there will be many people who will critique what you have said thus far, because people are going to say that if you're not helping us while hurting us UM And I do I agree

with that to a certain extent. But I completely understand that the point that you're making is that in the previous administration, what we were dealing with is them literally rolling back things like, for instance, saying that we would no longer have diversity and UM and racial sensitivity training within the federal government, so you would no longer have those types of trainings and important information and and all.

So I think the point of taking the training out is to also roll back the need to address a racial incident if it happens within the workplace as well, it's gonna it's a need to eliminate the acknowledgement, and

that's exactly what they were doing. UM And I think in this particular situation, what we will find is that there will be more UH systems put in place to at least acknowledge the pain, but there is not enough that has been or probably will be done to address the issue and to hold as you said, people accountable, UM in a real, real way, and so I you know, we are in a state of emergency all the time. I do think, though, that there are efforts by organizations

that's happening behind the scenes. I know, UM, you know, looking at what Black Folds Matter are doing, and the work around June teenth and beyond UM that until freedom is a part of you know, all of these things are not necessarily being discussed every single day in the public sphere, but there is planning that is in progress to really not so much try but to push back, to make sure that this administration understands that they don't get a pass, they don't get a pass UM, and

that our efforts to UM not just hold them accountable, but to ensure that they understand that if they don't do what is necessary, don't call us. Don't look for us to be on the front lines to help organize folks in the future, because I know I will not be able to participate in that, just because I personally don't feel it. You know, my own life is beginning

to diminish. Although I understand exact aptly why I voted for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, and if it was I had to make the same decision again, I would make the same decision. But in terms of me going out into the world and trying to get people to understand the importance of them showing up to the polls no matter who they vote for, it is very difficult to tell people that when they can't see the progress

on either side. Um. And so you know, folks will say, while I don't agree with that either, because there is progress. You know, we have have gun violence resources, we have a focus on addressing those issues, and I think that's all important. But we know, we absolutely know that police terrorism is one of the most important issues that black people across this country care about, and it has to be addressed, and at this point it's not being addrust properly.

And of course economic empowerment is another issue. And we're not talking about sending out a few checks that those things are cool. Those things will put a band aid on a bleeding arm, but we want the tired um sore to be bandaged up, sown up, treated everything. We want all the medications, we need everything to heal a wound. And and we've been wounded very much about this country. So that's what I have to say on that. Well, with that's being said, that brings us to the close

of another Dope episode. You know, I appreciate, huh the informational education. Yeah, definitely, definitely informational man. You know. Shout out to my brother of Mark Thompson. Shout out to Jamani Williams for coming through and just kicking it with us and giving informing us about certain things. You know. Every time we sit down on this platform, we bring our friends, you know, and our brother bring some people

who are not our friends. Yeah, we're gonna stop bringing so because I want to have some debates with people. I told you I'm trying to just to be be in you a debate. You know, I went all the debates we have. I gotta you know what I'm saying, I gotta bring somebody else to be I want to have some you know, give us some people. Tell us some people that you want to see on street, Politicians that we might not agree with, you know, and we want to have We want to have dialogue because you

don't gotta agree. But if you have something to say, as long as you got don't tell me somebody that that ain't even worth talking to tell me somebody that might have something to say, who our views might be a little different, and you know, and we want to we want to get, you know, have a little healthy debate, healthy dialogue. Man. So with that being said, once again, I'm not gonna always be right to me, is not gonna always be wrong, but we will both always be

authentic at that. That's how we are not sorry.