Thinking Back & Looking Forward

last week of this month. It's crazy. Now, I ain't gonna lie the this year, these last couple of months have it just speeding pass. Every time you turn around, is the twenties something? You're like, what it was just the first and it's the twenties seven. It's almost you know, So that the year is definitely been going fast. But we've had a lot of things going good, a lot of things going on. Everything. This has been an event for it has been it's been um, I don't know.

It feels like many years we've come through have been bitter sweet, you know. Um. And it's like it's almost like you feel guilty because on one side, from me, I feel like I'm growing into the woman that I am destined to be. UM, I've grown so much in it's actually, I guess somewhere between forty and forty one, there's literally been sort of a bump, if you will, in my womanhood and my growth. I see life different.

I'm much more clear about what I am willing to accept, what I'm not even from myself, the challenges that I really put on myself to be better, to do better, uh, and just to be a better me. And so for from that perspective, and also recognizing that at some point around forty years old, it's as if people really truly do begin to respect and understand UM. You know, your your expertise, UM, your value, your womanhood, all of those things. It gets much stronger when you reach your forties. And

and maybe it's the way we walk in that. Maybe it's the way that you know, I speak, the way that I carried myself, the level of confidence I have UM. And as that takes place, I kind of feel that you know my success in terms of how I'm growing, not just as a activists, but as you know, with many things, just my book writing, writing in general, being able to express myself to All those things are happening. But yet at the same time, is there really success

with the work that we do every day in our movements? Yes, I believe that overall there is UM, and the success looks different. It doesn't necessarily look like changing all the legislation that we want to see changed, UM and stopping police from killing us. But it does look like bringing more people into the movement. It does look like encouraging more young people to pick up the mantle, UM, training

more young people. You know, there's so many young people around us, and so many young women and men that I've been to myself every single day, and so those things feel good, But there's always this balance, if you will, a feeling like on one side we're doing well, I'm doing really well, but on the other side, we still have so far to go, and so there's it's just

no time to really sit down and celebrate. Yeah, you know, I go through that same thing and watch yourself grow understanding who you are becoming, who you're supposed to become. Is is um, like you said, as a gift and a curse. You know what you're willing to saying for you know what you're able to do, you know what you're not able to do. You understand your strengths, your weaknesses. You just start to identify yourself in full capacity. You

know a lot of times that that that's changing. So you're surroundings changed people that you used to be around. You know, sometimes you grow apart from the way that you think. Certain things that you used to do, You don't do certain things that you haven't done before you start to do, you know, So that's I think that's

just part of evolution. You know, as as many women grow, you evolved into It's like the cocoon in the butterfly, right, You just you start to metamorphous into who you're supposed to be. So I think that's a year when you get into your early forties, you start to really people will take hold of who you are. You start to

identify yourself in full capacity. And what else what else happens is you don't care about who who does it right, Because before when you're in your twenties and even in your thirties, you're worried about how somebody else is gonna perceive what you like or what you know, how you think, or how you show up. You know, when you start to get forty, I think, what you start to realize that the main purposes for you to be comfortable and happen you to be, you know, living in your true

essence of who you are. You know, so you know that's that's that's probably what's been going on for us in these last couple of years, man, I mean especially in this last year in general, just along with think COVID and the pandemic rush the process because it forced a lot of people to have to deal with themselves. Right when you when you locked up, and you just gotta deal with yourself every day and look in the mirror and make assessments and see things for what they are.

Then you reflect, you know. It was much like my stamp in prison, even though it wasn't as long. But in prison, I had to look at myself every day. I had to make real assessments. I had to really just because I had to liver myself every day. So I looked how I was showing up, how people were receiving me, how they weren't receiving me, What how I was progressing, how mentally I was progressing. What did I

learned today? Right? Because when you just have yourself. You can't lie to yourself right, Like you know what I'm saying. Outside life can distract you. You can be so distracted doing nothing that you actually think you did something. You can be running around when we're not really accomplishing anything, but you think you all because you're moving, these constant things going on. But when you don't have that every day,

you're gonna say, Okay, what did I do? But I don't have nothing to distract me that I work out and my mentally strong. Did I read something that I put together some type of plan? Like what accomplishment do I actually have? And I know I found myself having those thoughts like early in the morning, I get it's like a level of anxiety, like you didn't do anything today? Mice, what what do you what are you gonna accomplish? What is your plan for the day? What did you do yesterday?

Did you accomplish something? Did something move forward? Did you're playing something? You have so many opportunities, there's so many things to do. What did you do to with these goals? You know? So I think, listen to you, I definitely identify and understanding my state man, but we've all overall I believe we had like a wonderful year, especially with our podcast with the number one you know what I'm saying,

number one podcasts in the world. Street politicians shout out to my heart Black Effect Network, from Charles to Charlottagne. You know, this has been a wonderful ride, and we just continuing to grow. We have so much growth to do. You know, this is this is what has been our first season with Black Effect Network. So we just got so much growth, were revamping, were learning things, were learning

things about how we can be better. We're gonna have more guests, We're gonna have more, more in depth conversations. You know, we're gonna debate like we usually do because I don't really agree with most of the stuff he's saying all the time. But it's gonna be a good podcast, man. So we just want to think all of you guys and girls and women and men and everybody who's tuned in to this show, who's making it, continue to make it growth, who's challenging us, who's giving us your feedback,

telling us what you love, what you don't love. We just want to say we appreciate y'all. Yeah, you know, I I feel that way too, that the podcast has really caused me also, UM to sit still. It's it's not just the podcast, but it was the book this year. The podcast it causes us to sit down and really focus on developing something UM and giving other people a voice. And I appreciate so much that we have a mixture of guests. We've had all types of people on our show.

And so many platforms have been designed to focus only on celebrities or influencers that can get the numbers up. And clearly numbers matter, and you do have to have a show that allows for UM you know that that, or you have to have a product, a brand that people are attracted to, and that's gonna come from you having highlight moments. So I get that. But at the same time, we never wanted to be so stuck with that model that we did not give voice to folks

that have never been heard of. You could be living anywhere down South, you know, any corner of America, and we wanted to make sure that if you're doing good work, that we use the Street Politicians platform to give voice to those individuals. And I love the fact that, as you said, the Black Effect Network, UM and My Heart are giving us that opportunity, allowing us to um, you know, to use our platform the way we want to. We never ever receive feedback that changes who we are whatever,

you know, from black effect or from my heart. You know, what they will say is, hey, it's seeing that people love this show, right and again, it could be a show on any of the topics that we've covered, and they say, do more of that, or they'll say people love when you and my son have real conversations, but they don't say to us where you shouldn't have these guests on or every month you need to have three celebrities or two in order for we never get that

type of feedback. Um, you know. And I think Charlemagne and what it is that he's trying to create is a space that allows people to be authentic, authentic to themselves, authentic to their brand, authentic to the work that we all claim to be doing. And so I love um, you know, And I was really hesitant, as you know, to do the show. Um And when we started out Street Politicians, UM was great, it was the best name ever. But I still was hesitant about the whole process, hesitant

about being vulnerable before the camera. You know, I hate being on camera. I dislike I'm trying to take the word hate out of my vocabulary, or at least not use it um as frequently as I do. But I dislike the camera. It's not my most comfortable space. And you know, when it's all set and done, that vulnerability

has helped me grow. So it's been great, and it's also been great to learn from so many people because I feel like every show I walk away smarter, I got I have something that I can go Google learn more about and figure out how to to incorporate it in my teachings to the world, so it becomes like each one teach one. So I think Street Politicians is educational. I don't know if we're gonna stick with the name

Street Politicians forever. I think we there's we've been talking about whether or not we have evolved and want to come up with a different way to um really make sure that people know it's us and it's our brand

and it's not just like something in the world. UM. But you know, I'm grateful that you continue to stay on me about the fact that we needed to bring our perspective and have our own representation online where people can hear directly from us how we feel and you know, and and what our opinions is or are what our opinions are on issues. So Mr, today we're doing a what about h the Leaders of the Culture. Okay, no, because the problem is that not true Culture Leaders now?

Because first of all, there's already a culture show which is our revote and yes still there it would be you know, culture leaders is two different things than for the Culture Puff will bring it back. But here here is what I'm saying. I'm completely fine Leaders of the Culture in the dope name. I'm gonna tell you why. I am completely fine with the street Politicians as the name, unless we are changing it to something that makes sure people know it's to me get my son. Otherwise, the

name we have is fine. The only reason, the only reason culture leaders now. But I don't like that at all. But we should. Maybe we can open it up and do a pole and allow people after this show to give their input on what we should be in our new year, like the name to stay with it, huh? Or or if they like the name, do we stay with it? That's a good point, we'll see. So that's that's something we've got to kick back to our production team.

Even we have to make sure that as this year closes, we give a lot of love to cat Scape Productions, um our sister, Janice, Assistic, Cat trigg Um, and all the other folks that work every single day, not just every week, but they work every single day on making street politicians what it is. Um. The level of commitment that Cat Scape has had and the belief in us prior to us getting a deal with Black Effect Network is incredible. So we've had, we've been we've been ordained

to do this show. That her name is Janice for the so people will not start calling that beautiful out of her because her name is not Janese people. So let's just be clear about that. Because when she's in business meetings and other places like to as a woman, be called by her name, which is Janice. That is my son's nickname that he calls her, which is wonderful. They laugh about it. But her name is Janice, thank you. Okay. So the shows, though, it's been a lot of people.

I didn't even know when we were doing this review of the shows, I had no idea what we did. As many shows as we've had, we had a lot of shows. Yeah, We've done a lot of shows, and that's what we're gonna talk about to today. Since it's the end of the year, We're gonna do a recap or some of our favorite shows, some of our favorite guests. You know, like Jamika said, we always give platform to

those who wouldn't normally get platforms. But we also have some friends that are kind of famous that have shot by some some dope interviews. Man. So what we're gonna do is talk about some of our favorite interviews. Man, some about people that came up. You know, they laughed, made us laugh, made us almost cry, or they just informed us about something we didn't know about, you know, so we did cry. I know I cried because specifically during the Hill Harper interview, I cry. But let's go,

let's go. Let's go to that episode since you've mentioned it. Hill Harper. Hill Harper was one of my best episodes because, first of all, he said something, you know, he's Hill Harper. He said some incredible things. But he was a really strong episode because I sat next to you and watched how the two of you connected and how how emotional it made you as you listen to him speak about things. That is just so dang on important for black men.

So that was like really really empowering episode that that I think we've had. So let's go to the clip from that episode. The mental health of black men is something that we never discuss. It's something that's stigmatized. It's stigmatized from when you're very young, people say, just get up to you tough, you're tough, you got this, come on. And it's also stigmatized from the standpoint of even the

black church system. It's like, no, no, don't go to therapy, you know, come come, just pray it out, pray it out, and church right and um and and so so many men, black men, so many of us are living inside our own heads and feel like that we can actually communicate it even to each other, because we'll be seeing as soft. We'll be seen is as as as as not so called strong black men, and it eats you up from the inside. And so we have to have these discussions.

We have to say it's okay to cry, it's okay to feel, it's okay to open your heart and and and and feel the pain. It's okay to feel fear. We never talked about fear right, And it's okay to be a raid as a black man, knowing that the world is trying to come at you. Shout out to Hill Harper, like you said, one of the most powerful interviews. But having me a little teary eyed, but I told you we had history. Me and Hill had a lot of history. Man, I was at when his first movies.

He almost forgot about it. So shout out to him. Man, that's how we are there. So you know, it was one of my favorite episodes. And I guess it's because you know, we had so much history. I think Sean was one of my favorite episodes, just watching him come home, knowing when we had history. I have a lot of history in this game, this hip hop game, you know, and just understanding his plight our plights being similar, and just getting to get one of his first interviews from

coming home and being in the United States. I think that's one of my favorites. Let's go to Sean. It doesn't matter because I'm still helping people. So whether I get elected or not, you know, I'm blessing people, so you know, I'll be okay, it's on about getting elected. I'd like to because then I could, you know, take my actions and put it into policy and put it into legislation and create a system. See, for me, I don't want it to be I don't want to be

a neo colonial master, you know. I don't want people, my people to be dependent on me or any politician. So I want to create systematic change so you don't need to go to a politician. Sean was a good interview. I mean, I think in the new year, we gotta have Shane back. I think if there's so much and there's many guests that could come back and talk because

there's so much that UM. He knows, so much that he's learned, and so many different historical moments that has happened that he speaks to, and he speaks really well on all these topics, and so you know, I I really appreciated that interview. And that's yet another one of those moments where I feel like I was able to see right before my eyes the two of you really connecting, you know, and that so always really really special for me.

You know how much I love and appreciate so much when black men like connect and come together around different issues. So that for me was one of my favorite UM episodes as well. I also kind of feel like the women get a lot of love on Street Politicians because women are doing so many powerful things. But we do have many episodes where women are are being elevated, and you know, and we have all different types of people.

For me, if it almost is like we are, we've really really been intentional about showing people that we come from all different walks of life and different spaces and we think differently. It's not just one way of thinking. And so for me, a good episode would have been Betty Smiths, right. I think I thought that Bebby while she was her normal Bebby, she also brought a different flavor, like she showed people a different side of herself at writing her book but also talking about her failures and

things that she went through in her career. So we should watch this episode at least a clip of Betty, and I think she's another one mice. We gotta have Betty come back. How do you continue to reinvent yourself? Like, what is the secret sauce? The secret sauce is really not ever being complacent, complacent, never resting on your laurels, and you know, always being up for the challenge and always you wanted to experience something new, you know what

I mean. Like, I think that one of the saddest things is that, you know, so many times in our community we don't even dare to dream. We stifle all dreams. And it's not our fault really, it's that that's that kind of been and bred in us a lot of times to um, you know, have dreams, but make sure dis sensible, right. So you can have a dream to be a lawyer or a doctor, but you can't have a dream to be an all there or to be

a TV personality or you know what I mean. And so a lot of times they put a cap on our dreams. Also, we're not giving the exposure even though like when I was a kid, I came up through advertising and I started as a receptionist and it was only working in the environment that I learned about becoming a media director, which is what I did in my twenties.

And I started this career in fashion advertising. But I didn't know that as a little girl growing up in the hood, that I could even have a career and advertising, and certainly not in fashion. Do you so are you a big mentor yes, you know that, I know you have a bunch of babies, and I have a bunch of babies. That's the mother part of the book. You know, it really does come from my l G B t Q.

I A family that called me mother. That that um Derek J and MS Lawrence and my co host from Bravo's Fashion Queens, they started calling me mother on set and then it just kind of carried on. And then the auntie part is really about the young women. And I will say young under forty, the forty really under thirty five. I might give y'all something like your thirty six and thirty seven. And you've seen you on TV and you think of me as your cool aunt here you think of me as often times I get the

rich aunto you. And then also the best departy is for me and my girlfriends to contempor reveris you know, we're gonna been through some things. We know a few things. We're gonna we're gonna share war stories over cocktails and battenless trips, and you don't doing the things and the things shout out to very man. That was a dope interview. Bebies always heard energetic raw self. Man, you know what I'm saying, like you can't take nothing from Bebby. She's

the same person. I promise you. It ain't just for TV. This is Beby every day, all day. So it's definitely was one of my favorite episodes. But since we on the topic of being your same self, authentic and energy, another one of my my episodes that I really liked

was my brother willow to six seven Man. While it is brother that I met on the internet, just watching him on the street corners, just giving words of encouragement and doing push ups in the rain, and you know what I'm saying, and then when you meet him, just like Betty, it's the same exact energy. He's always positive, he always shows you the same love, you know. So interviewing him and just having a real personal relationship brother that I call up all the time that calls me.

Just the other day, he just called me in the middle of day, was like, I love you and I appreciate what you're doing. You know. We had like a real deep conversation. So just watching his evolution into who he is and being able to interview him on our platforms, there was a special for me. So let's go to wild.

I was in it. One of the reasons that I thought about my When I was young, I had people that was in my life, my grandmama, different people, owed, some older guys in the community that was always trying to get me right. But one thing that that that the region they couldn't they couldn't they couldn't get into me my mind because they was outnumbered with it was

too many people in the street. So I said, Okay, I'm gonna bring I'm gonna grab your attention on social media, and when I'm gonna do I'm gonna show you all some ship that y'all never seen. I'm gonna make it popular to do right and you still could be cool, You still could be thorough. I didn't been able to do things since I've been home to show you all, not just being righteous is cool, not just doing right is cool. I'm able to. I made a shipload of

money off of being right. Willow is hilarious. That is what Willow is. He's hilarious. You all just saw. He's so funny. He talks so fast, but he keeps it a thousand all the time. And I love me some Willow. He always shows me so much love. So shout out to Wallow wherever he is, and you're not following him, you should because he drops a word of encouragement every single day. Um when just want, yeah, a few words, so let me see while then who would that bring

me to? You know, who would okay, Rhapsity, that would make me think about what we had Rhapsody on. That's another very encouraging person. I don't even think people get to see online how encouraging Rhapsody is. And just like she's so flied, just so dope, that is one of the hardest rappers ever not and I'm not just saying that, but she wraps her assholes. He absolutely does. And she and I talked in this episode about trying to find us a man and and being old ladyes sitting on

the beach. So let's listen to a little bit of Rhapsody. Support means putting dollars behind the work that we're doing. And you sign with them, and I'm just I want to know when you talk about support, how different does it feel to be with a company and organization that cares about everything that Rhapsity stands for, not just your music, but also your concerns and community. And they're involved in just so many philanthropic efforts. What is that like for you, man,

that's that's so fulfilling. Um. You know, it feels like family. It feels like you're part of something that's bigger in business. I've had a few emails with jay Z and we talked about here. He'll say, this ain't a business. It's just culture for me, and that's that's what I want to be attached to. I don't want to be attached to, you know, a business that's just empty and it's all about money, money, money. You get with an organization like rock Nation, you know that that care about the culture

that people in it. You know, it's not just about the bottom line. It's like, you know, how can we help and enriched not only our artists but our people At the same time, shout out to Rhapsody my system and love Rhapsody, Love me some Rhapsody, Like Rhapsody is one of the most authentic people you will ever meet, Flyo Dope to Spiritous on a thousand Man, It's just it's crazy that somebody who's that humble, is that raw of a wrapper and that confident at the same time,

and so shout out to Rhapsody. Since we're on the top of Adult Woman you know, one of my favorite episodes also was when we had the Mothers of the Movement or it was an utual time, but all of those mothers who came up there, you know, are people that I've grown to be like family with, you know, just understanding their struggles, understanding what they've been through, how we've been with them in these trenches, you know, crying

with them sometimes sometimes, smiling, happy with them, just seeing them in so many different phases of their lives. You know, being able to interview them and have them on our platform was just like a blessing for me. So that's definitely one of my favorite episodes. To George Floyd's family. UM, I just want to say, hanging there, um, it's it looks really really dark right now because you are sitting in the courtroom and going through a really really extremely

um dark time in your life. And UM, I can't say say right now if things are going to improve as as far as the trial is concerned. But but you have to keep your head up, you have to be prayerful, you have to be hopeful and and and that's what's going to keep them, you know, clinging onto one another. Um. And and we just gotta be hopeful that that things. You know, people will see things for what they truly are and not what these laws say

and not what this policy say and these things. A life was taken, and I want to remind people a life was taken and you can't bring it back. You can't bring that life back. Um. We can get jobs, another job, you know, they can get another car. You can't buy another life. And so we just gotta be mindful of that, of how severe that was for him to have a knee on his neck. I just can't get that visual out of my head. Um. For Tamka Palmer, Um, I'm gonna be seeing you real soon. And you know

you're gonna be surrounded by love. You're gonna be surrounded by support. Um, And just know that you are not alone. You are not in this thing alone. And and and once you leave there, it's not a miracle conference, it's not a miracle retreat. But it's certainly you're gonna leave

differently from the way you came. I can guarantee you that. Yeah, the Mothers of the Movement was really a powerful moment because they all came on and they were very very clear about why they came on because they wanted the world to know that of the people that I actually know that we have actually worked with, they appreciate support me. Uh, they support us, they support our work. We've not in any way made them feel like their children were exploited

or that we've done anything to harm them. Um. Instead, we've been an asset to them and their families. Uh. And that type of support is what you need because there are many people who would in those moments run and we've had that happen where people would say, well, you know, the missiles are out. I don't want to

get caught in it, so I'm gonna stand back. But those mothers um, and you know, they came together to make sure that it was clear to the world that those people who you know, they didn't leave any doubt or questions. You know, some people would say, okay, well I hear you saying that you may not have done

this thing, but where is your support? And all of them, including Sabrina Fulton, um, you know, of course Trayvon Martin's mother and to Meka Palmer, they were two of those to lead and saying we want to make sure that folks know what you meant to us, folks. You really know, folks that you my son Until Freedom have actually worked with UM and so I thought that was it was

just powerful. UM. And you know, we continue to work with them, We continue to talk to them every single day and we will always pop definitely man shout out to them. Nothing would love. So Monique islet um Our the chairwoman of Until Freedom's board, but she also she's so much more than that, and so and so many people do not understand what this black woman is trying

to create. What she's creating, she's not even trying doing. Yeah, she's working alongside another black woman and and they are literally creating a institution to support women owned businesses, black owned businesses UM through funding literally funding from seed money all the way to UH. She she has all these classifications and UM series one and three and I'm learning

them all. I'm getting into my investment game UM and and I'm learning thanks to her, thanks to Monique, and she came on and talked about black wealth UM and I think folks really need to learn more about who she is and UM and more about what it is the movement that she is creating that will really extend beyond her. This is about setting up legacy and wealth

for our children. So let's listen to Moni guidement. When Discovery Channel asked you to be of a part of a participant on Undercover Billionaires, I'm sure they put the one hundred dollars in your hand just being just knowing you would not be able to do it. Well, you know, I'll tell you Discovery has actually been so they've been super super supportive. Um and really they actually wanted inclusion and diversity because they know it matters, It actually matters.

It is the difference. You know, you can't you can't actually talk about change and impact and inclusion if you're not actually showing it and and helping your audience experience it. And so for them it was important. For me, it's important. I'll tell you, I think that this was the most

difficult thing that I have ever ever done. And from day one, before I stepped into that city, before I knew where I was going, I had one mission, and that was to represent black and brown people so that we could actually know and that others could know that we're more than just you know, an athlete and entertainer were business too, we're human beings and for me that narrative was so important, and then I just wanted to represent the underdog. Nick. You can't listen. I don't even

know what they're saying about Monique. She's just so dope in so many different fastons. She's a beautiful woman, she's educated. I've watched her controller room like is there's nobody like Monique. That woman is a boss in every sense of the word man, so definitely, and she's beautiful. And that's just that's just an added part, you know what I'm saying. It just happens to be not too not to um. She have you on the eyes. That brings us to another one of you know people that we love, you know,

shout out to my brother trade Man. Trade is another one of those people that whenever we call, you know, we don't even call Trade. Beat Trade, beat us to it. There's something going on. Trade like where you need to come in with my plane coming? Tell me where to come? I beat it. You know what I'm saying. Trade is a superhero in the truest sense of the word, not like what you see on TV with the real life

one that he's there. You put the bad signal up these days, My brother shout out to an album if you're scared, Stay Inside, one of my favorite albums that I've made. We did in actually two days, you know what I'm saying. So a day, y'all was acting like y'all were working, but it turns out he really was doing. We really doing And she said, you're acting like work, you ain't really doing the work. Yeah you heard that.

I was going out going out at night talking about we're going to shoot videos and do I'm like, yeah, right, they're going out the town, painting the town. Now we've painting the town with that album. And it's a good album. I mean, people need to really really, if you scared, stay inside downloaded and check out our brother Trey. What made you start the relief Gang? How long has it been in existence? And what's the what's the goal of

your organization? Um? So, the the actual organization is Angel by Nature, which is another meaning for a being because you know, the real me and the a being is on the street side. So everybody wanted to be part of so I have to find a chapter in that that people could be u part of us. So I started the nonprofit Angel by Nature Relief Game really started heavily during Harvey. But the crazy thing about thea Herricane Harvey. So everybody who in Texas already knew me, knew me

for doing this work period. It's just what happened is during Harvey. You know, social media is the easiest way to spread the word across the world. So it was just a different type of magnifying glass because I've been doing this. If you look back at Hurricane Ikes and and the hurricanes has been eight to ten years ago, you'll see pictures of me still out there doing the exact same thing. I think now it's us the way that the world could see it up close and feel

like more personal with it. So during Harvey is when it really started just explode. So speaking of Trey being on the issues, we've had a number of individual a number of issues that we've talked about on the show as well. Um, you know, I remember one day we were talking about how to rent is too damn high. And we've had folks to come on and cover all of like how expensive it is to survive in this world.

But we've covered some some other really important issues. Julius Jones Um having our sister Tiffany Loften, which we should, we should allow Tiffany's voice to be a part of the show because she is on the cutting edge of what this new movement will look like as a leader. UM and so I'd love to hear from from Tiffany and also our brother Earth who brought us and the

awareness about Julius Jones. And we used the street politicians platform and all of our individual connections to help UM those individuals, sister CC and others who worked on trying to get Julius off of death row, and God bless he's not on death row, but he's not happy about being locked up either. Let's hear from the entire team of Julius Jones that you know, really worked to try to save his life. So we go to trial these two particular public defenders. Guess what, it's their first ever

death row case, no experience. One was straight out of law school. Right. So now you've got the highest profile case in Oklahoma County in probably twenty years, and we have rookies as our as our defense. Would it be just in a few weeks that he would actually be executed. If he gets denied, then he'll have an opportunity what we call it clemency hearing, which would take place about twenty days once an execution today is confirmed. It has

taken everybody at every level, every level. It's taken what we would consider the small voices, then the medium sized voices, then the big voices with the big platforms. It has taken every single group of people from every single place to build what I call a human chain to pull Julius Jones out of Oklahoma's criminal justice system. They issued two executions through lethal injection, but the cocktail of the lethal injection didn't work and so people suffered before they died,

so Oklahoma stopped the executions. Julius is one of seven people. Julius Jones is one of seven people who is now scheduled on death row to be executed between now, which was supposed to be today, with the first being John, a gentleman named John Grant, until March of next year. There are seven people on that list in that roster. The state of Oklahoma is now saying we're just going to continue these executions. Nothing has happened since until now.

They're just saying we want to continue them. But they went to these seven people on death row and said to them, if we can't do the leasable injection because it doesn't work. How else do you want to be killed? Mhm wow. Six out of the seven of them said, I you you're not going to make me choose my way to commit suicide. And it is actually against my religious beliefs to commit suicide. So I'm not giving you

that that that that easy way out. On September, the Pardoning Parole Board, who are people appointed by the governor and the governor is selected by the people. They passed a decision and recommendation to the governor basically saying, keep Julius alive with the possibility of parole, don't kill him. We have evidence that that proves that he could be innocent. Now, the pardner of role Board is not a court or jury.

It's just the pardner of Parole Board. So only power that they the only power that they happen is to issue a recommendation to the governor. The governor looked that recommendation and said, I'm not going to make this decision. Y'all go back and have an entire hearing and do it again. Shout out to everybody on his team, his family, Tiffany, you know Tiffany. It was Tiffany Crutcher. Tiffany. That's right, the Tiffany's his whole family, everybody that came and supported him. Man.

You know, it was a blessing that we were able to make sure that demand was execute and now we get a chance to fight for his freedom. Man, So shout out to him. That's so. On a light of note, we had a lot of serious We've been talking about a lot of serious things, you know, and I'm gonna tak it. I'm gonna take a minute to do my own little my own little thing, you know, my birthday episode. Man, what you seem to set up? Y'all set up pretty good. Man.

Had some of my favorite people, people that I love. Thank you to making for that. It was a good, good little situation. Man. We had a couple of my brother is that I love and it came up on the end, shut out to I'm fat Joe did he who came and dropped some happy birthdays on me? Man? It made me feel a little good man. People to know that people that you respect, you love, that actually have motivated you, just within hip hop, within the culture,

just within life. You know, I had a level of respect and love for you to come on and get a shut up. So let's go to that episode you got locked up. Um, you know, but you know before that you was you was like your mind was just always so deep, you know, and and always so right there. And then to see you come back and when you came out and he was like, you know, yeah, I'm I'm out here for for the people right now. And I'm like, we're gonna see how long it's gonna lae,

And you didn't stop. I saw your front of the Capital building. I literally, you know what I'm saying, like shut a tear because I'm like, man, look look, look, look at what's possible. Or look at this, you know, look at this king sticking to his word and really just you know, you know, devoting his life to what's going on and really being able to reach your kids

and everything. I want you to smell your flowers to today, uh and thank you for what you're doing for the community, because we need strong leaders like you who look from a lens like you, who come from where you come from and know the pain of the people, in the passion of the people. And that's what I respect Bosts about you. Also you're nice as hell with the lyrics down for hip hoop, sleep on that, don't sleep on that. And in the prophetic words of the Great Reverend Doctor

Fat Joe, Yesterday's price is not today. That's right. That's right. So I guess some of the last ones that we've got to talk about you said on the light of note and wow it is. It was certainly lighter because it's my sister who's on TV and what have you. But what Porsche talked about on our show was real, talking about this idea that people feel like you're sacrificing yourself and you're doing it for cloud, not understanding that

sitting in jail cells is no joke. Right. The last time we got arrested in Louisville, Kentucky, they kept Porsche almost the longest. Uh so this is not like, this is not fun. And first of all, it wasn't weak because I didn't even go in. I wasn't feeling well and I didn't get arrested that day, but all of y'all did, and Porsche and Reverend Stephen Green ended up being in there for hours. They really did all they

could to try to break them. Um, and I'm talking about eighteen hours, not you know, four hours, five hours, but eighteen hours. And I could tell you which you know, as you're sitting in that cell and people started leaving and the numbers started getting lower and lower and lower, and you're in near by yourself or getting close to being by yourself. It's real, it feels real. Porsche's position is like I'm on TV every day. I don't need

the movement to get me on TV. If anything, being a part of this work in this movement and being out there calling out white supremacy and corporations and you know, all of that could get me thrown off of some of the shows and out of some of the spaces that I'm in. So Porsche was a great interview. Let's hear from her. It's just a matter of doing what I feel I'm supposed to be doing. Like why else? You know, it's a lot of times you have your you're in certain places in your life and you wonder,

you know, why am I giving this opportunity? Or like even for me, it's like, wow, I got six million people who follow me on Instagram? What am I? What have I been talking about? What is all of this for? What is all of this amounted to and what was it building up to? And for me, it hit me in that moment it was for a time like this. It was for me to come in contact with Tamika. It was for me to find out what she was doing and until freedom was being a part of You

all had your entire organization to Kentucky. UM. You have brought so much attention and awareness to into detail into Brianna Taylor's story that it made me say, oh my gosh, that is so inspiring. Let me lend this platform that I've been blessed with. You know this, I've been on here saying so many other things. Why not say Brianna

Taylor's name. If it could even bring UM one other official UM and and bring attention to what's happening to her, if it could help even a little bit, it just felt like a natural duty that I needed to do. Shout out to porsche Man don't interview. And since we on the topic of sacrifice, another one of my favorite crushes since I was a kid from Fresh Prince Tatiana Ali.

You know, she's moved into this different space and she was able to bring us the story of sign Tire lost their children the Child Protective Services for something that was horrendous, that didn't even make sense, and she, you know, she notified you and had its own calls and really did a lot of work to ensure that these these people got their children back. So let's go to that episode with Tatiana Ali, one of my favorites. It isn't new.

This country has a long history of um that. This is why I draw the parallels to to what's happened in the last couple of years with people protesting and and and with police reform or and and policing in

our neighborhoods. This also has a very very long history people's belief um, the powerful people, their belief that we are not trustworthy with our children that we are, which is so interesting because we're trustworthy to take care of their children absolutely, but we're not trust We we don't have the right to our own we don't have the right to to ask questions about care, about medical care.

So Tatiana Ali um the way that she found me, She literally tracked me down by every single person Twitter, everything, and let it be known that this is not a request, it's a demand for folks to learn about what is happening with child protective Services and to get involved in helping to advocate for these families side um Si and and tie Uh. They lost baby raw and their daughter a newborn baby within days. It was so traumatizing and the way that Tatiana continue to make sure that she

used her platform to bring everybody involved. She was she was just like that young girl like you said on the Fresh Pancabelia, who was not afraid, very confident speaking up and she speaks so softly and she's so sweet, but yet she is a powerhouse. So shout out to Tatiana ali Um and you know thinking about the issue

a k a. My son's childhood crush Ashley Banks. But speaking of you know when you just understanding what's happening with children being taken from their parents, I mean the things that we learned as folks have heard and hopefully people will download um that episode specifically so that you can learn more about this idea of of of kidnapping, kidnapping children literally from the hospital and or taking kids out of their home, as you said, for things that

we should be helping them to be better parents in certain areas. Not to say that science I were bad parents, and I don't think they were at all, but they were trying to feed their baby a natural diet. And as a result of that, sometimes there are different things that have to be tweaked. You have to find ways to make sure you get more protein, more you know, whatever, vitamins, different things, but there is you should not be penalized for trying to give your child a healthy life and

so um. You know, just that episode alone taught me so much, but it also taught me so much about what is lacking within our goverver meant and we every week recover some of the issues happening within the government and with all of our elected officials. But we've had some real ones on this show. We've had the Public Advocate of New York City, Jamanni Williams, who is also

running for governor of New York State. I am personally supported him, um, and you are too, even though he wants these four mandates, UM, the COVID mandates in New York, and that's gonna be a point of contention. However, I still we're not gonna agree on every issue, but overall, I know that Jamanni Williams is for our communities. We've had Congressman Andre Carson and on. We've had Congresswoman Yvette Clark.

We've had Congressman Jamal Bowman, and I'm probably forgetting folks, but we've had a number of progressive UM elected officials to come on this show. We've also had Reverend Jesse Jackson on this show, which is which was great. He was in in Leo Alexander's office when we were talking about rebuilding Tulsa, Oklahoma and UM and and and and rebuilding the Black Wall Street, and he came in and just took over the interview. So that was a great moment.

So we've had some strong political conversations and we want to continue to do that. But I think it's time for us in the new year to start talking to some people that we don't necessarily agree with. You've been saying that I just hate to give those people on our platform, but I can see that there is some debate that is important, especially when it can be done

with respect. 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 jaw, 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 got to find a way to help educate those folks. I think ranked choice

voting pushes that. And now the other four candidates sleeper, 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 yellow. 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. 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 polls, 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 so much sad? Are you somewhat happy? Something? They have to do those things because people will answer in a spectrum real And what kind of weight does this impeachment piece hold? Well?

I think it's I think it holds a lot of weight. You know, these impeachments obviously they have a lot of symbolic value, and symbols matter right now. Um, I think it also has some some teeth. I think one hoping that the president doesn't try to run again. Now, the social media platforms, I commend them for blocking him, but one wonders is it is it too much too late? He's the way out now? You want to get bold when you're partly responsible for creating this monster who is

Donald Trump? But not but you know, Donald Trump was able to leverage his celebrity. He was able to use the platform of the White House. I think that he gravely endangered the security of the United States. He threatened the integrity I think of the democratic system. He he interfered with the peaceful transition of power. I think that he effectively imperiled, in many ways, a co equal branch of government. He really betrayed his most fundamental trust as

a president. And I think that alone warrants impeachment. I think it warrants a trial. I think it even warrants removal from office. I mean, it's almost it's really too late, effectively, but it's certainly meets the test that is qualify him to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or

even profit under the US. The the myth of bipartisanship, now all things being equal, all things considered, Like you know, if Republicans were Kosha and things were like they if they were principal Republicans that just felt like, we want the same thing, but we want to go about it differently. Um, that would be one thing. But that's that's that's what I'm gone. Like it was gone, it's been gone for a while, but Trump made it worse. Where like it's not it's a it's a party of Trump, and it's

Trump is UM. So they just want to obstruct, obstruct, cobstruct, delay, delayed delay. So knowing that going into it with them as if there was gonna be some bipartian solution of this was was we were misguided in that. And right now, bipartisanship is a myth. You design and invented more than we know. Um that things we're probably using every day that you would never be able to tell us that

you actually were involved in. From two thousand and from two thousand and nine to now, I've developed two D eighteen unique electronic products that plug into a wall a companies that I'm still under gag order about speaking. Right Uh. Some would say that every five minutes, you're gonna interact with something that I've uh, something that either has our kernel technology embedded in it or something that I personally designed. This is the black history and the black present we

should be talking about. We're supposed to be celebrating brothers like yourself. Well yet we don't even know that this is happening, you know, So I just want to applaud you and said, you know, give your flowers now and said that we truly appreciate, you know, your contributions just to culture and just to our living. The living that we exist in right now is a result of a lot of things that you've done. And I just want

to ask this. You know, you said that you you went to Tulsa because you wanted to recreate, that you wanted to build. That It was sunonymous with you know, innovation, It was anonymous with you know, black people building and growing. What do you think it's gonna take to actually rebuild that? Look at Reverence. Before I answer that question, I gotta get my I gotta get my guy in here, all right? Is that okay? And you know how much we love you? How are you doing? Genius? Yeah, man, he is a genius.

You know, we didn't know about him, Reverend, and we're learning, you know now about this this gentleman, Mr Alexander. That it should be you know, we should all be applaud in his work and supporting him, helping him. And I'm sure you're there trying to figure out how you can help. Right.

It was basically linked to civilizations communications, So we must know who he is and tell our sorry, coach, it defies all the racist like recism and suer that one one the inferior, but the interior part of it, the reasonably on scientific. It's not true. Yeah, listen the advice and economic explosion. God ever made somebody black challenge the garden and himself and justifies all that foods. That's that's powerful.

The last time we saw you, it was where my son and uh, that's how we've seen the Reverend was at Um when we cried together when we got the conviction. Uh and um Chauvin cakes the Chauvin trial and me you him shocked in and we cried as he and he looked at me and said we we He actually lived to see a man get charged for killing the black man. That's when you get when you when you make lynching a fellow crime, which is not that's touched

out when you make blacks hate crime. Jews and Asians, now, let's touch that really as a national application problem, not just local. You know. So, I just want to end this show. And probably one of my favorite, the favorite, it was probably the favorite of my favorite people. You know that Premy is like assistant to me. Pat is one of my favorite artists, you know, one of the in just few industry, individuals that I met in this

industry that have levels of integrity that I feel match mind. So, you know, last, but not least, let's go to the black Love episode with Remy and Pat Poos Mackie. Black love means so many, so many different things. It takes on so many meanings, but um, it's about first and foremost. I'm gonna just say, black out all negativity and show love. Um. They write this narrative that we can't have a strong

family foundation, and that's not really true. You know, a lot of the pictures that are painted through movies and do music do different things. They talk about the hardships of the ghetto, but there are also some good times growing up and you know, being very family orientated and just showing that strong family foundation, that unity, you know, being loyal to your family and black love it really

does exist. So to me, black love just means loyalty, you know, being faithful, and um, showing and love to your to your love most is a major part of it to me, because you know, it's easy to love somebody and to be there for them and being part of it when everything is great and everything is fine, and you know, unfortunately you know, when it comes to the black family dynamic, that there seems to be way more hardships and our structure than than other um and

other households. And we are able to endure that whether incarceerration, UM, unemployment, you know, poverty, UM, single family homes. All of these things that we've been has been pretty much thrown at us and we've been born into and we're still here and just to to thrive and and and love and be happy and have good times. Like all the stuff you've been through, you would think we we as a

people who just walk around suppressed all day. Okay, So I know that was supposed to be the last one, and that was a great episode, I can I mean, it was one of our best, one of our highest watcher viewed episodes. People downloaded it everywhere. And and of course I love Remy and Path. Everywhere we see them, it's nothing but love, and they have so much that I feel like we can learn from. I looked at Remy and and I'm like, you know, she found a

great man. But as my mother would say, that's because she's a great woman. So sassy bon Sill Mallory says all the time, your daddy's a good in because I'm a good woman. So there's that, uh, And I love that episode. But another great another great episode, and it's like, we can't we try to end it and just say that, but there's so many people that we've had on in styuse P and Ajua. But you know why I thought

that episode was different from Remy and past. We were talking about black love with the two of them, and they certainly exemplify that. But what we learned from stouse P and Adua was about two people coming together to build businesses and to you know, black black economic empowerment and how a couple can be a powerhouse in the business world even coming out of being you know, in entertainment all of that, but still they were able to flip it and get into something that wasn't just a

money maker, but it's actually healthy for our community. With their juice bars that they have around the city. They're very, very, very knowledge sible about building black wealth and so I felt like that, for me, was one of my highest favorites. All of them are my favorite, but that was one of my best. That's definitely one of those dudes. Another two people that I respect and always have love for and always support and have always supported me. So definitely,

let's tune into that. People also think you have to have a lot of money in order to if you're listening and you're black and your brown and you're paying attention right now, and then my brothers and sisters just brought up a great question, and you know, but we don't say that ship about Jordan's. We don't say that

ship about the new eyePhone. If you got the newest Jordan's, you've got the newest night texture, you've got the newest sneakers, you gotta rolly, you got an eyePhone, watch you everything, you got all of that. Don't stop complaining about the ship that's gonna save your life, about the ship you gotta spend that's gonna save your life. If you ain't complaining about the ship that you're spending, that ain't gonna

save your life. You understand what I'm saying. So that's some ship we're do in the community where it's like cool, Like when people tell me, I be I struck some strap funk out of here with that dog. Look at your sneakers, dog, You've got the new retro ships on right, right. You know what I'm saying that how much the snap back courts? How much you fitted that course? Yeah, the real ones right, Like, so we don't hear that expensive ship.

You gotta start doing your whole work, be diligent and give the funk about it about yourself enough to say, all right, let me spend my money at least on some ship that's gonna benefit myself. Because how the fund is a Gucci man bag. I'm helping and my worst best because it's still a good episode. Was you Billy a Ron and Brother Q and whatever mess mostly all the tu my que was right, y'all. The rest of y'all was wrong. But anyway, I digress. We're just talking

to facts. Man. Appreciate my brothers, man, brothers that I've known for a long time, and and and one that I met that gave me some good insight. Man, So shout out to them. Man. And with that said, you know, we've had a beautiful year man, and it's it's more episodes. Please make sure that you go and look up the

episodes that we told you about. Well, only gave you some clips, but go look up the four episodes and you'll see that there's so much jewelry and so many jewels inside of these episodes, so many dope people that we've interviewed. Some of them have not been celebrities. Some of the just entrepreneurs and people that are on the cusp of being celebrities. So you might discover that somebody that's the next person to follow. So listen, man, make

sure that you go look. Just go ahead, go bene watch all of the Street Politicians episodes for the last few years. Man, you're gonna find you something in there. Once again, we want to say thank you all for supporting us. Man, this has been a dope year. We hope that you have a New Year's resolution that you're gonna follow this year. You know, everybody got to new me, New year, knew me. Make sure as a new you this year, make sure that you're doing something positive and

make sure that you're growing. You know, and if you didn't have a good year, to make sure this year is better. If you didn't have a good year, make sure that that's even better than it was this year. Man, Just continue to grow. We want to send you all holidays cheers. You want to make sure that you and your family are safe and healthy. Hug your family, love up on your people, you know, buy some presents, you know, drink some presidents for what, for everything? For the new

people gifts you should be quanza. This is the quick and so we should be into buying different gifts. You know, you're supposed to give your loved ones a gift for every day of Klanza. Now those gifts are not like you know, Louis Vatton bags, unless it fits into whatever the specific um day that we're in at that time. Because the theme of the day, it's supposed to have something that you will offer as a gift to your

loved ones. That's actually a part of the Klans of Principles, but we're just trying to get people to learn THECIP the principles in general and to try to follow them every day. We'll add the gifts part later on. But anyway, you definitely have been wrong all season, so as long as everybody knows and I have been right for sure as always want to flip the tables on it. Okay, the new year, the new year to us coaching leaders. Street politicians, y'all choose the name. If street politicians is

the name it is. But we just want to say thank you a man, truly from our hearts, from for listening to us, for putting up with our ship, for listening to me to curse me out all day. Like y'all got some real good attention spans that you could deal with this, because I'd be almost going crazy listening to this lady all day. We want to say thank you all man. Have a happy new year. We love you.

May next year be better, hey. 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 on I Women Dot Tv.