In this episode, Master Certified Coach Sophia Casey, Tia Oso, Senior Director for Media 2070, and Dr. Nii-Quartelai Quartey, author of Kamala, the Motherland, and Me, engage in a discussion concerning the challenges Vice President Harris has faced and offer a better understanding of the person seeking to be the first female President of the United States.
00:00:00 --> 00:00:06 Welcome. I'm Eric Fleming, host of A Moment with Eric Fleming, the podcast of our time.
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00:01:15 --> 00:01:20 The following program is hosted by the NVG Podcast Network. The NVG Podcast Network.
00:01:20 --> 00:01:59 Music.
00:02:00 --> 00:02:05 Hello and welcome to another moment with Eric Fleming. I am your host, Eric Fleming.
00:02:06 --> 00:02:11 And today we're going to be talking about Vice President Kamala Harris.
00:02:11 --> 00:02:18 No, I'm not lucky enough to gotten an interview with the Vice President or even
00:02:18 --> 00:02:20 anybody on our campaign staff, but I have,
00:02:21 --> 00:02:28 secured three guests that are going to talk about understanding the Vice President
00:02:28 --> 00:02:31 a little bit as a candidate and as a potential president.
00:02:32 --> 00:02:38 And we're going to talk about the media is covering her and her leadership style
00:02:38 --> 00:02:39 and all that kind of stuff.
00:02:40 --> 00:02:48 So I think it's going to be good for the listeners to listen to people who have
00:02:48 --> 00:02:56 expertise in these particular subjects and have had the opportunity in one case,
00:02:57 --> 00:02:58 one guest to actually interview her.
00:02:59 --> 00:03:04 And so that you would have a better sense, the vice president,
00:03:04 --> 00:03:08 as we are very, very close to this election.
00:03:11 --> 00:03:14 So, y'all stay tuned, listen in.
00:03:14 --> 00:03:19 This is going to be really, really good, and I know you're going to enjoy it,
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 and you're going to get something positive from it.
00:03:22 --> 00:03:28 So, let me go ahead and get this started with a moment of news with Grace Chee.
00:03:29 --> 00:03:34 Music.
00:03:35 --> 00:03:40 Thanks, Eric. A new Reuters-Ipsos poll shows Vice President Kamala Harris leading
00:03:40 --> 00:03:45 Donald Trump by a narrow margin of 46 to 43 percent,
00:03:45 --> 00:03:51 while a Wall Street Journal poll shows Trump ahead of Harris 47 to 45 percent.
00:03:51 --> 00:03:56 Over 28 million Americans have already cast early voting or mail-in ballots.
00:03:56 --> 00:04:02 The exonerated five, wrongfully convicted as teenagers in the 1989 Central Park
00:04:02 --> 00:04:07 rape case, have sued Donald Trump for defamation over his false statements during
00:04:07 --> 00:04:10 a recent presidential debate. A U.S.
00:04:11 --> 00:04:15 Judge ordered Rudy Giuliani to relinquish control of valuable assets to two
00:04:15 --> 00:04:22 Georgia election workers, who are seeking nearly $146 million from him for defamation.
00:04:23 --> 00:04:27 Prosecutors in Arizona dropped charges against Tyron McAlpin,
00:04:27 --> 00:04:32 a deaf black man with cerebral palsy after body cam footage of his violent arrest
00:04:32 --> 00:04:34 sparked public outrage.
00:04:35 --> 00:04:39 U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkin unsealed additional evidence in the federal
00:04:39 --> 00:04:42 election subversion case against Donald Trump.
00:04:43 --> 00:04:48 Texas death row inmate Robert Robertson, facing execution for allegedly murdering
00:04:48 --> 00:04:54 his daughter, received a reprieve to testify before lawmakers considering reforms
00:04:54 --> 00:04:56 related to wrongful convictions.
00:04:56 --> 00:05:01 A drone launched towards Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's home in Quesaria
00:05:01 --> 00:05:05 was confirmed by military sources to have originated in Lebanon,
00:05:06 --> 00:05:09 though no group claimed responsibility for the attack.
00:05:09 --> 00:05:14 A Tennessee court ruled that the state cannot enforce its abortion ban in certain
00:05:14 --> 00:05:19 medical situations, allowing doctors to perform abortions if a woman's health is at risk.
00:05:20 --> 00:05:25 A federal judge blocked Florida from threatening TV stations with prosecution,
00:05:25 --> 00:05:28 for airing ads supporting a pro-abortion rights measure.
00:05:29 --> 00:05:34 A Michigan judge dismissed a Republican effort to prevent some overseas Americans
00:05:34 --> 00:05:36 from voting in the state.
00:05:36 --> 00:05:43 And Mike Jeffries, the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, received a 16-count
00:05:43 --> 00:05:46 federal indictment for sex trafficking and prostitution.
00:05:46 --> 00:05:50 I am Grace Gee, and this has been a Moment of News.
00:05:52 --> 00:05:57 Music.
00:05:58 --> 00:06:04 All right. Thank you, Grace, for that moment of news. And now it is time for
00:06:04 --> 00:06:06 my first guest. Yes, I said plural guest.
00:06:07 --> 00:06:13 I have Sophia Casey and Tia Olso.
00:06:13 --> 00:06:20 We're going to be talking about how the media has been dealing with Madam Vice
00:06:20 --> 00:06:26 President and how it's impacting the election and the community as a whole.
00:06:26 --> 00:06:28 So let me do my introductions.
00:06:29 --> 00:06:32 Many people offer solutions, few deliver results.
00:06:33 --> 00:06:37 As a master certified coach through the International Coaching Federation,
00:06:37 --> 00:06:42 executive life coach, authorpreneur and corporate trainer for several organizations,
00:06:42 --> 00:06:48 Sophia Casey does much more than support individual and corporate clients with problem solving.
00:06:48 --> 00:06:55 She helps leaders of all calibers get transformative results that catapult their organizations.
00:06:56 --> 00:07:00 She is applauded as a thought leader in the coaching industry and has mentored,
00:07:01 --> 00:07:06 trained and coached thousands of executives and leadership, career and life coaches.
00:07:08 --> 00:07:13 Ashantiya Tia Oso is a specialist in using narrative messaging,
00:07:14 --> 00:07:17 arts and culture to catalyze change.
00:07:17 --> 00:07:22 As a senior director for Media 2070, she leads the work to build black narrative
00:07:22 --> 00:07:28 power and advance media reparations as a necessary project for collective liberation.
00:07:29 --> 00:07:34 Tia has organized for over 12 years, leading successful campaigns to mobilize
00:07:34 --> 00:07:36 thousands of advocates on issues
00:07:36 --> 00:07:41 ranging from migrant rights to racial justice to public arts policy.
00:07:41 --> 00:07:47 Her work is rooted in the legacies of black organizing and ancestral resistance
00:07:47 --> 00:07:51 and inspired by Afro-futurist visions.
00:07:51 --> 00:07:56 Ladies and gentlemen, it is my distinct honor and privilege to have as guests
00:07:56 --> 00:08:01 on this podcast, Sophia Casey and Tia Oso.
00:08:02 --> 00:08:12 Music.
00:08:12 --> 00:08:16 Right i have sophia casey
00:08:16 --> 00:08:19 and tia also am i saying your
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 last name right to you yes if you were
00:08:21 --> 00:08:24 nigerian you would say osho but we're american right
00:08:24 --> 00:08:27 now so you know i i
00:08:27 --> 00:08:30 understand we know i appreciate my you
00:08:30 --> 00:08:36 forgiving my americanism uh well i'll do the best i can an old show you could
00:08:36 --> 00:08:43 say okay okay all right so ladies i y'all are on the show because we we've got
00:08:43 --> 00:08:49 a we got an interesting situation that's happening in a few days it's going on right now,
00:08:50 --> 00:08:53 but we got this sister and we'll
00:08:53 --> 00:08:55 get into that debate about whether she's a sister or not but we
00:08:55 --> 00:08:59 got this sister running for president of
00:08:59 --> 00:09:02 the united states and she's currently the vice president
00:09:02 --> 00:09:04 and what I want to talk to y'all
00:09:04 --> 00:09:08 about is as black women how
00:09:08 --> 00:09:14 do you feel that she is being portrayed in the media and and what is that relationship
00:09:14 --> 00:09:18 and how you would if you were given a chance how you would guide her through
00:09:18 --> 00:09:23 this but let me what I normally do is start off with a quote to kind of break
00:09:23 --> 00:09:28 the ice first of all did I say how y'all doing are y'all y'all I'm good. How are you doing, Eric?
00:09:29 --> 00:09:31 If you said it, you can say it again. So hi.
00:09:34 --> 00:09:38 All right. All right. So here's y'all's quote.
00:09:39 --> 00:09:45 Politicians aren't concerned with political fallout from shutting out reporters.
00:09:46 --> 00:09:52 They instead believe that new ways to communicate mean they no longer need journalists
00:09:52 --> 00:09:54 to reach the electorate.
00:09:55 --> 00:10:00 What does that quote mean to either one of y'all? Well, immediately what came
00:10:00 --> 00:10:03 up for me is that they no longer need journalists because they're not always
00:10:03 --> 00:10:06 necessarily telling the truth. They're creating the truth.
00:10:07 --> 00:10:13 And from my experience with many journalists, journalists are about telling
00:10:13 --> 00:10:17 the truth and telling the facts and telling the story with the facts.
00:10:17 --> 00:10:22 But historically, politicians have created their own truth.
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 And and i imagine a lot of them
00:10:24 --> 00:10:28 see their job as convincing you that
00:10:28 --> 00:10:31 what they say is the truth is actually the truth but i
00:10:31 --> 00:10:35 kind of sort of agree with that interesting interesting
00:10:35 --> 00:10:38 can you repeat the quote again for me eric okay i
00:10:38 --> 00:10:40 moved away from it and okay let me see
00:10:40 --> 00:10:45 sorry that's all right well basically the quote was this
00:10:45 --> 00:10:48 this this this there was this article i had pulled up
00:10:48 --> 00:10:51 and it was saying that politicians don't
00:10:51 --> 00:10:55 need journalists anymore because they
00:10:55 --> 00:10:57 have all these other outlets as far
00:10:57 --> 00:11:02 as dealing with podcasts and
00:11:02 --> 00:11:06 you know they can go directly on the internet and use social media to get their
00:11:06 --> 00:11:12 message across so what do you what do you think about that because you you are
00:11:12 --> 00:11:19 part of that new age it's like y'all you you your organization media 2070.
00:11:19 --> 00:11:24 Wants to support the black press, but it's beyond just the newspapers.
00:11:24 --> 00:11:27 It's it's the podcast. It's the Internet people.
00:11:27 --> 00:11:33 It's the creatives and all that. So how do you respond to to that criticism
00:11:33 --> 00:11:36 that politicians don't need traditional journalists anymore?
00:11:37 --> 00:11:44 Got it. Yes. So I think that the idea that politicians need journalists and
00:11:44 --> 00:11:49 journalism is, you know, the relationship between the two is really a tricky
00:11:49 --> 00:11:52 one, especially when we're talking about Black people and Black communities.
00:11:52 --> 00:11:57 And so, you know, Media 2070, where the Media Reparations Campaign were launched
00:11:57 --> 00:12:00 with this essay that talks about the history of media,
00:12:01 --> 00:12:04 the media system and media institutions harming Black communities,
00:12:04 --> 00:12:09 and how even like the birth of the Black press came out of the need to defend
00:12:09 --> 00:12:13 Black communities, protect Black communities, and give us the information that
00:12:13 --> 00:12:14 we really need and deserve.
00:12:15 --> 00:12:20 And so this idea that politicians don't need journalists, I think we're actually
00:12:20 --> 00:12:24 talking about like, oh, the traditional broadcast, right?
00:12:24 --> 00:12:29 And newspaper institutions are no longer the gatekeepers, right?
00:12:29 --> 00:12:34 Of politicians being able to reach mass audiences because of technology,
00:12:34 --> 00:12:39 because of social media, because of blogs, and also how people consume their media.
00:12:41 --> 00:12:43 Everybody's not sitting down to watch the news every day. Now,
00:12:43 --> 00:12:47 the Black women voters in my family, they watch the news every day, okay?
00:12:50 --> 00:12:54 I think that's always going to be the case. But the way that people consume
00:12:54 --> 00:12:59 media and get their information is very much diversified outside of the big
00:12:59 --> 00:13:01 broadcasters and newspapers.
00:13:01 --> 00:13:06 And I think that it's necessary and it can be really a good thing.
00:13:06 --> 00:13:12 And the way that we think about media is it's important for us to break up those
00:13:12 --> 00:13:18 monopolies because the with media consolidation it's a handful of wealthy white
00:13:18 --> 00:13:25 men are deciding what everybody gets to watch and read and that's a problem right exactly because,
00:13:26 --> 00:13:35 Well, look, I feel like they they can't they can't infiltrate is how we share
00:13:35 --> 00:13:40 stories and media updates just within community. Yes.
00:13:41 --> 00:13:44 Within community. They're trying to figure out how to touch it.
00:13:44 --> 00:13:49 But they can't they can't catch the code. Right. They can't crack the code.
00:13:49 --> 00:13:54 And that's always been the case. And it used to be that it was fine because
00:13:54 --> 00:13:55 of corporate media power.
00:13:55 --> 00:13:59 They used to be able to just ignore us and just leave leave the black people
00:13:59 --> 00:14:04 over there to their own devices but again because of how disruptive social media
00:14:04 --> 00:14:10 and new media is now they have to try to contend with it right yeah and they
00:14:10 --> 00:14:13 seem like they they seem like they were very very.
00:14:14 --> 00:14:20 Upset now i'm gonna read this white woman said something her name was margaret sullivan she said sure.
00:14:21 --> 00:14:26 Vice President Harris deserves scrutiny, but she doesn't deserve smears and
00:14:26 --> 00:14:29 stereotypes amplified by journalists and pundits addicted to clicks.
00:14:30 --> 00:14:36 And I want Sophia to address this one first because you're a life coach.
00:14:37 --> 00:14:41 So your whole thing is about helping people get their act together,
00:14:42 --> 00:14:44 bottom line, and how to deal with certain things.
00:14:45 --> 00:14:48 One of the things that this lady sullivan
00:14:48 --> 00:14:51 was talking about was when when when vice
00:14:51 --> 00:14:54 president harris first became the nominee or
00:14:54 --> 00:14:57 it looked like she was going to be the nominee a lot
00:14:57 --> 00:15:02 of the republicans started saying that she was a dei hire and
00:15:02 --> 00:15:05 and so how would you how would
00:15:05 --> 00:15:08 you tell because she i think she handled it you know
00:15:08 --> 00:15:13 she just basically ignored it but it's like how do you how do you how do you
00:15:13 --> 00:15:20 navigate a client of yours or as a black woman how do you navigate that that
00:15:20 --> 00:15:25 that accusation it was like well the only reason why you are in the position
00:15:25 --> 00:15:28 you in because you know we have to give it to a black person.
00:15:29 --> 00:15:32 Well, you know, in the line of work that I do, and I work with predominantly
00:15:32 --> 00:15:38 Black women, C-suite executives, so they're confronted with this all day,
00:15:38 --> 00:15:42 every day, upside down, every which way, absolutely.
00:15:43 --> 00:15:49 And the thing that I support them around is what is their truth? What is their truth?
00:15:49 --> 00:15:53 I mean, historically, for Black women, for Black people, we've always been told
00:15:53 --> 00:15:58 who we are, who we are, how we should show up, what's our truth.
00:15:58 --> 00:16:03 And so I really support them around being clear about what their truth is,
00:16:03 --> 00:16:06 because especially a lot of my clients work in corporate America.
00:16:06 --> 00:16:09 So they're going to the battlefield. I call corporate America the battlefield.
00:16:10 --> 00:16:15 They're going to the battlefield each and every day and where people are telling
00:16:15 --> 00:16:19 them who they are, telling them which rooms they can be in and which rooms they can't join.
00:16:20 --> 00:16:23 I've even experienced that in my career many, many, many times.
00:16:23 --> 00:16:29 And so I really encourage them to be very clear about their own self-awareness
00:16:29 --> 00:16:31 because they're going to need that. They're going to need that.
00:16:31 --> 00:16:35 Also, make sure they have a village, a village of support.
00:16:35 --> 00:16:40 Sometimes it can be tough. You out there in that that world and you're getting
00:16:40 --> 00:16:44 beat up constantly and being asked to prove yourself and jump higher,
00:16:45 --> 00:16:46 jump higher, jump higher than them.
00:16:47 --> 00:16:50 Jump higher and jump higher. How do you take care of yourself and how do you
00:16:50 --> 00:16:51 take care of your mental health?
00:16:51 --> 00:16:54 And one of the best ways is to make sure that
00:16:54 --> 00:16:57 you are surrounded by people who know who you
00:16:57 --> 00:17:01 are because there are times at least for me maybe I'm just talking about me
00:17:01 --> 00:17:04 but there are times sometimes I forget like when I've been out there on the
00:17:04 --> 00:17:09 battlefield day in and day out and sometimes that stuff actually stings but
00:17:09 --> 00:17:13 I think Vice President Sharon did a wonderful job and like I'm saying she ignored
00:17:13 --> 00:17:16 it she ignored it she has some good uh.
00:17:17 --> 00:17:22 There's some discommunication people or several other persons, but I think it has.
00:17:22 --> 00:17:29 And he put them saying DEI higher.
00:17:30 --> 00:17:37 They actually, for some people, they actually changed the title and definition of DEI.
00:17:37 --> 00:17:43 Like by saying she's a DEI higher, they kept conveying that that means less than, less than.
00:17:43 --> 00:17:50 And I have it that Vice President Harris actually was proud to be DEI,
00:17:51 --> 00:17:56 but she didn't get her job because she is DEI. Yeah.
00:17:56 --> 00:18:04 I think that, you know, because the flip side is how are we supposed to take it? Right.
00:18:04 --> 00:18:13 It's like, if, if you are a black person in the United States and you hear a
00:18:13 --> 00:18:20 person of the other party saying that one of your leaders or somebody that you respect,
00:18:20 --> 00:18:26 somebody from your community only got there because of how, how are we supposed to take that?
00:18:26 --> 00:18:33 And how, how are we supposed to respond to the media when they, when they amplify that?
00:18:34 --> 00:18:38 Either one or the other. Oh, I think, you know, a lot of what's happening is
00:18:38 --> 00:18:41 that, And I say, unfortunately,
00:18:41 --> 00:18:49 that a lot of us rely so much on media as our truth that some of us actually
00:18:49 --> 00:18:53 believe what's been said and what's been said about her.
00:18:54 --> 00:18:58 And I can tell you, as a former employee of the White House,
00:18:59 --> 00:19:06 there's very little that is reported that is actual truth. A lot of it is made
00:19:06 --> 00:19:08 up story to convince you.
00:19:08 --> 00:19:12 You know, I said it's the best marketing game in town.
00:19:13 --> 00:19:17 It's to convince you of what they want you to believe is the truth.
00:19:17 --> 00:19:20 And I'll leave it at that. I'll leave it at that.
00:19:21 --> 00:19:24 Yeah, I'll expand a little bit on, Sophia, what you're starting to talk about
00:19:24 --> 00:19:28 is that, you know, we have to understand that the role of the media in our society
00:19:28 --> 00:19:33 and how media is positioned, right, is to be the arbiters of the truth, is to inform.
00:19:33 --> 00:19:37 That's what it's supposed to be, right? And it's supposed to be like the high
00:19:37 --> 00:19:40 standard that we're holding media institutions to.
00:19:40 --> 00:19:44 I think when we're talking about Vice President Kamala Harris,
00:19:44 --> 00:19:49 the thing that we need to understand is that not only is she a Black woman,
00:19:49 --> 00:19:51 and I know people want to argue about whether or not she's a Black woman,
00:19:51 --> 00:19:54 but the way that I know she's a Black woman is because how she's being treated.
00:19:56 --> 00:19:58 A woman of any other race or
00:19:58 --> 00:20:02 ethnicity wouldn't be questioned about her identity in
00:20:02 --> 00:20:05 such a way it just wouldn't happen and you
00:20:05 --> 00:20:09 know obviously she's a multi-ethnic person but
00:20:09 --> 00:20:12 race and ethnicity are two different things and the way that race works right
00:20:12 --> 00:20:16 the social construct that race is she's being racialized as a black woman because
00:20:16 --> 00:20:20 literally nobody but a black woman will be questioned about whether or not she
00:20:20 --> 00:20:25 knows who she is i mean who her father is and dig into her birth records and
00:20:25 --> 00:20:27 all of these other things. That just wouldn't happen.
00:20:28 --> 00:20:31 And the other thing that I think that is at play is with her being a woman.
00:20:31 --> 00:20:37 There's a term that Black feminist Moya Bailey coined in 2010 to talk about
00:20:37 --> 00:20:43 specifically the way that Black women are treated in online digital spaces called misogynoir.
00:20:43 --> 00:20:49 So not just misogyny being anti-women, but there's a specific way that Black women are treated.
00:20:49 --> 00:20:53 And so she coined this term and misogynoir to help understand and discuss it,
00:20:53 --> 00:20:57 the specificities of how Black women are treated in online discourse.
00:20:57 --> 00:21:01 And so not only was she called a diversity hire, and then, you know,
00:21:01 --> 00:21:05 they flipped the term DEI around to say it means didn't earn it.
00:21:05 --> 00:21:09 They're calling Kamala Harris a tramp and saying that she slept her way to the top.
00:21:09 --> 00:21:13 And that's the only way that she got into the places in space that she is.
00:21:13 --> 00:21:17 They also have called her, you know, because of the mysterious...
00:21:18 --> 00:21:22 Ethnicity situation. They say, oh, we don't even know who this woman is.
00:21:22 --> 00:21:27 She's the vice president of the United States. She was a senator.
00:21:28 --> 00:21:30 She was the attorney general for the state of California.
00:21:31 --> 00:21:34 Somehow we don't know her record. We don't know what she does.
00:21:35 --> 00:21:40 And another hashtag that I'll have people point to online is if you search the
00:21:40 --> 00:21:42 hashtag Black women at work,
00:21:42 --> 00:21:46 Black women have been talking on social media for a while about this idea that
00:21:46 --> 00:21:51 just by entering any corporate space, as a Black woman, your credentials,
00:21:51 --> 00:21:53 your competency, your education,
00:21:54 --> 00:21:57 your expertise are all called into question.
00:21:57 --> 00:22:00 It doesn't matter how many letters you have behind your name.
00:22:00 --> 00:22:03 It doesn't matter what your track record is.
00:22:03 --> 00:22:06 We're put into a position of having to constantly prove ourselves.
00:22:06 --> 00:22:11 And you can tell in the tone of the coverage and the ways that people want to,
00:22:11 --> 00:22:16 the type of scrutiny that Kamala Harris is being subjected to is this idea that,
00:22:16 --> 00:22:18 oh, now you have to prove yourself again.
00:22:19 --> 00:22:25 We're going to take away the fact that you've made amazing accomplishments as an individual.
00:22:26 --> 00:22:29 Right now here today, we're going to act like you've never done anything before,
00:22:29 --> 00:22:31 and you're just being met with
00:22:31 --> 00:22:36 this scrutiny and this skepticism simply because she is a black woman.
00:22:37 --> 00:22:42 That is why. I mean, that's what's at the root of it. Yeah. Go ahead, Sophia. I'm sorry.
00:22:43 --> 00:22:46 The fear of knowing Thank you.
00:22:47 --> 00:22:51 That not only could she do the job, she's actually done the job.
00:22:51 --> 00:22:55 And she's doing the job, doing the job.
00:22:55 --> 00:23:03 So I have it that it's so rooted in fear that she's already well experienced at doing the job.
00:23:03 --> 00:23:08 And now she's going to do circles around all of them who have come before her,
00:23:08 --> 00:23:10 who have tried to do the job.
00:23:11 --> 00:23:14 It's all rooted in fear. And I totally agree with you, Tia.
00:23:14 --> 00:23:19 It would not even be a conversation we wouldn't even be having this conversation on this podcast,
00:23:20 --> 00:23:26 about the scrutiny that she's getting if she were not seen as a black one right
00:23:26 --> 00:23:33 yeah i mean black yeah i mean i i totally agree with that you know but it we
00:23:33 --> 00:23:35 you know we got some of our own people.
00:23:37 --> 00:23:40 Saying it i mean it's like when we're talking about social media
00:23:40 --> 00:23:43 it's like if you go on x the the
00:23:43 --> 00:23:46 the black on youtube the black folks
00:23:46 --> 00:23:50 that are out there and and and some of them are sisters it
00:23:50 --> 00:23:53 was one thing to see some of these dudes doing it but it's like to see some
00:23:53 --> 00:23:58 of the sisters out here saying or she there was they alex wagner just interviewed
00:23:58 --> 00:24:05 a sister in philadelphia and she said in this in this group she got up she found
00:24:05 --> 00:24:07 some black trump supporters in philadelphia,
00:24:07 --> 00:24:10 and this one sister got up there and said
00:24:10 --> 00:24:13 well we know she ain't black that's a given that's already
00:24:13 --> 00:24:16 understood you know and it was like of course
00:24:16 --> 00:24:19 everybody in that room was amen in that and so you know
00:24:19 --> 00:24:23 but then you actually had a young man from guatemala saying he was down with
00:24:23 --> 00:24:29 detention camp so i you know they they're on a whole nother planet as far as
00:24:29 --> 00:24:38 self-respect and self-love I just you know but it's like how do we deal with that as far as.
00:24:39 --> 00:24:45 People, it's one thing for corporate media or mainstream media or conservative media to say that.
00:24:45 --> 00:24:50 But how do we deal with it when it's in our own community? How do we address that?
00:24:50 --> 00:24:56 I mean, we have to understand the roots of these perspectives coming from misinformation
00:24:56 --> 00:25:01 and disinformation and people being radicalized online and digital spaces.
00:25:01 --> 00:25:06 And the danger is when we have mainstream media legitimizing those perspectives
00:25:06 --> 00:25:09 instead of pointing out the fact that, you know,
00:25:09 --> 00:25:16 it's the same roots of birtherism and skepticism around when President Obama was running for office.
00:25:16 --> 00:25:22 And this idea that now, instead of understanding how race works and ethnicity
00:25:22 --> 00:25:26 works and coming from a very educated and practical perspective,
00:25:26 --> 00:25:29 we get to legitimize conspiracy theories.
00:25:30 --> 00:25:36 And, you know, there's a lot of conversation around Black identities right now
00:25:36 --> 00:25:38 in various online spaces.
00:25:38 --> 00:25:42 And so we're legitimizing those perspectives as though that is how race works
00:25:42 --> 00:25:47 and operates, especially in Kamala Harris's life. And we know,
00:25:47 --> 00:25:52 right, in the lived Black experience, we know that no Black person is exactly the same.
00:25:53 --> 00:25:57 Myself, my mom's African-American. My dad is an immigrant from Lagos, Nigeria.
00:25:57 --> 00:26:05 Nobody has ever said you're not Black to me until I got on the interwebs earlier this year.
00:26:05 --> 00:26:08 Oh, you're not Black. Since when?
00:26:08 --> 00:26:12 Since when is that how race works? So why are we legitimizing these kind of
00:26:12 --> 00:26:15 fringe ideas? instead of contending with the fact that, oh no,
00:26:15 --> 00:26:19 Black identity is definitely nuanced, but that doesn't mean that Kamala Harris isn't Black.
00:26:20 --> 00:26:25 How do we also, I feel like there's some underlying conversation that aren't
00:26:25 --> 00:26:31 happening that are being kind of mixed in with this idea around Kamala Harris's
00:26:31 --> 00:26:35 identity because it's rising to national prominence.
00:26:35 --> 00:26:39 But there are severely...
00:26:40 --> 00:26:46 Both parties are really flawed in how they approach engaging Black voters and Black communities.
00:26:46 --> 00:26:52 And so some of these conversations are a proxy for the ways that Black people
00:26:52 --> 00:26:55 are being treated, Black communities are being treated, the services we're not
00:26:55 --> 00:26:57 getting, the investments we're not getting,
00:26:57 --> 00:27:01 the way that our votes are being taken for granted is being played out in this,
00:27:01 --> 00:27:03 well, she's not Black conversation.
00:27:03 --> 00:27:06 It's like that doesn't actually have anything to do with Kamala Harris's identity
00:27:06 --> 00:27:11 and everything can do with Black people and Black voters and how significant
00:27:11 --> 00:27:14 of a voting bloc we are in this nation.
00:27:14 --> 00:27:18 And because we are such a significant voting bloc in this nation,
00:27:18 --> 00:27:23 it's just a repeat of what's always been done to our people.
00:27:23 --> 00:27:26 So we can take this away, see it back.
00:27:26 --> 00:27:28 What did slave masters do?
00:27:29 --> 00:27:32 They elevated those Black people
00:27:32 --> 00:27:35 who had lighter skin like this
00:27:35 --> 00:27:38 has been indoctrinated in us years and
00:27:38 --> 00:27:41 years and decades and decades and so it was
00:27:41 --> 00:27:46 not a surprise to me that we would have some black people say i'm not down with
00:27:46 --> 00:27:51 her and i'm not down with her because she's not black it's all a part it's all
00:27:51 --> 00:27:55 a part of the game it's all a part of the scene so i was not surprised by that
00:27:55 --> 00:27:59 and i even had some folks in my circle,
00:27:59 --> 00:28:02 a very, very close circle who actually feel that way as well.
00:28:03 --> 00:28:06 Yeah, I just, you know, I just thought it was interesting that.
00:28:08 --> 00:28:15 You know, when when when Trump went to the NABJ meeting in Chicago and and made
00:28:15 --> 00:28:18 that statement, oh, well, now she's black. I thought she was Indian.
00:28:18 --> 00:28:21 Now she was black. I guess, you know, when you wrote them checks to her when
00:28:21 --> 00:28:26 she was running for, you know, attorney general or U.S.
00:28:26 --> 00:28:29 Senate, whichever one he was donating to. I think he donated to both.
00:28:29 --> 00:28:33 It was like, I guess you thought she was an Indian. So that was OK.
00:28:34 --> 00:28:35 You know, she was from South Asia.
00:28:36 --> 00:28:39 It was all right but if you was black you wouldn't have wrote
00:28:39 --> 00:28:41 the check i mean you know i'm just but then
00:28:41 --> 00:28:44 people ran with that and people ran with that in the
00:28:44 --> 00:28:47 community and then and then the other thing now
00:28:47 --> 00:28:52 he's just he's he's gone on a rampage and now he's saying that she's stupid
00:28:52 --> 00:28:58 and she's lazy and and and and those folks are just eating it up and it's like
00:28:58 --> 00:29:05 that's why And then and then and then but we still have people in our community that's parroting that.
00:29:06 --> 00:29:12 And so what what what would it what would it I mean, you know,
00:29:12 --> 00:29:13 we're this close to the election.
00:29:14 --> 00:29:20 People are not going to change their minds, but I'm looking at the big picture.
00:29:20 --> 00:29:26 I'm looking at what happens on November the 6th when when all this this part is over.
00:29:27 --> 00:29:30 And now whether she first of
00:29:30 --> 00:29:33 all i think she's gonna win i think she's gonna win big and i'll get into that in
00:29:33 --> 00:29:36 a minute but when this election is over
00:29:36 --> 00:29:39 right this has opened
00:29:39 --> 00:29:42 up some really really serious divides in
00:29:42 --> 00:29:45 the black community tia you kind of mentioned it because one
00:29:45 --> 00:29:48 of the things that really has pissed me off is i'm
00:29:48 --> 00:29:51 of an age where when i was in college we were all about
00:29:51 --> 00:29:54 pan-Africanism it was like it didn't
00:29:54 --> 00:29:57 matter what part of the globe you were from all of
00:29:57 --> 00:30:01 us were African and we our goal was to connect
00:30:01 --> 00:30:03 and it's like now that we've thrown
00:30:03 --> 00:30:07 some money in the conversation we started talking about reparations because
00:30:07 --> 00:30:11 that's the truth behind it now all of a sudden well you ain't black and all
00:30:11 --> 00:30:16 it goes back to I always refer to the the thing in school days when Lawrence
00:30:16 --> 00:30:21 Fishburne got in there and said what's up brother you know and Giancarlo's
00:30:21 --> 00:30:25 esposito's character is like i'm not african i'm from detroit you know what
00:30:25 --> 00:30:31 i'm saying and and now we're now we're living that argument in real life so on november the 6th.
00:30:32 --> 00:30:41 2024 how how do we get past this election and start using the platform or or
00:30:41 --> 00:30:46 even advising vice president harris how do you start bringing the community
00:30:46 --> 00:30:49 back together because it's this This is a division.
00:30:49 --> 00:30:53 This is real. This is really happening. And I'm really concerned that that's
00:30:53 --> 00:30:58 going to impact, you know, in my vision, how she governs, but even more so how
00:30:58 --> 00:31:01 we move forward, regardless of who's in office,
00:31:02 --> 00:31:04 to get things that we need done.
00:31:05 --> 00:31:10 Yeah, it's a great question, Eric. And I think that the adversarial relationship,
00:31:10 --> 00:31:13 you know, any Black woman, like I said, any Black woman who has ever had a job
00:31:13 --> 00:31:17 where she had authority could tell you Kamala Harris is about to have a hard time as president.
00:31:18 --> 00:31:21 She's going to have a hard time with her cabinet. She's going to have a hard
00:31:21 --> 00:31:24 time with Congress. She's going to have a hard time with constituencies.
00:31:25 --> 00:31:30 And this, the battle around the, what is the Black agenda, right?
00:31:31 --> 00:31:34 How do we win reparations? And the fact that there are so many,
00:31:34 --> 00:31:39 to me, bad actors and prominent influential, you know, with microphones,
00:31:40 --> 00:31:43 honestly, influencing the way that black people are talking about it in a way
00:31:43 --> 00:31:45 that is really divisive.
00:31:45 --> 00:31:47 And, you know, I could put my conspiracy theory hat on and say,
00:31:48 --> 00:31:51 well, who's paying these people, you know, to say that only certain people are
00:31:51 --> 00:31:53 black and the rest of y'all ain't black.
00:31:53 --> 00:31:57 And who's paying these people to say, well, we need to disaggregate our data
00:31:57 --> 00:32:01 for the United States census so that we're making sure that only certain people
00:32:01 --> 00:32:04 are going to get reparations. H.R. 40 has never been passed.
00:32:05 --> 00:32:08 Why are we already, you know, who's going to get the payout? okay
00:32:08 --> 00:32:12 how is it the conversation is
00:32:12 --> 00:32:15 happening now because there's a possibility of a black
00:32:15 --> 00:32:18 person being in charge and we know
00:32:18 --> 00:32:23 they're going to take care of their own so we better start dividing them even
00:32:23 --> 00:32:29 more than even more to be divided enough exactly exactly sophia and so i think
00:32:29 --> 00:32:32 that it's not just a question around unity but it's a question around strategy
00:32:32 --> 00:32:36 and it's a question of I want to see the numbers of who,
00:32:36 --> 00:32:40 how many of these people are actually voting and where they're situated.
00:32:40 --> 00:32:45 I want to see how we're contending with, you know, your congressional representation,
00:32:45 --> 00:32:49 the people who actually move the levers of power that we need to have influence on,
00:32:50 --> 00:32:56 you know, Jamal Bowen and Cori Bush were both primaried out of their seats this year.
00:32:56 --> 00:33:00 And I don't see these people talking about those, you know, lineage African
00:33:00 --> 00:33:04 Americans losing power in Congress, people who actually were in position,
00:33:04 --> 00:33:07 would be in position, right, to help move a Black agenda forward,
00:33:08 --> 00:33:10 champions of Black representation.
00:33:11 --> 00:33:16 So I feel like it's time for us to get very serious about what it means for
00:33:16 --> 00:33:19 us to have, quote unquote, Black political power in this country,
00:33:19 --> 00:33:25 because we aren't being strategic about it, from my perspective.
00:33:25 --> 00:33:30 And I think that having Kamala Harris presidency isn't going to change anything
00:33:30 --> 00:33:33 about any of that. It will just be...
00:33:34 --> 00:33:37 It will feed into the vitriol. It will feed into the divisiveness if we're not
00:33:37 --> 00:33:41 more clear about what the motivations are of these people who are trying to
00:33:41 --> 00:33:44 divide our community and doing it successfully in a lot of ways.
00:33:45 --> 00:33:51 And we'll continue to be successful by giving us all something to churn and
00:33:51 --> 00:33:56 talk about and post on social media and have discourse about.
00:33:56 --> 00:34:00 Meanwhile, we're missing the bigger picture, the bigger picture.
00:34:00 --> 00:34:06 And like you said, Erica, I believe the bigger picture is about what happened on November 6th.
00:34:06 --> 00:34:10 I don't think there's going to be this humongous change that all of a sudden
00:34:10 --> 00:34:13 happened when she does win the election.
00:34:14 --> 00:34:18 We still have an enormous amount of work to do. And so I feel like all that's
00:34:18 --> 00:34:22 happened with this churn and everything, all it's done, at least for me,
00:34:23 --> 00:34:26 is just bubble up the issues that we already have.
00:34:27 --> 00:34:31 Yeah. Yeah, I agree totally. And see, Sophia, you had a taste of it because
00:34:31 --> 00:34:34 you worked, you know, in the White House.
00:34:34 --> 00:34:39 I was actually elected official. And the thing that kind of pisses me off and it's happened.
00:34:40 --> 00:34:43 It happened with the young brothers that were
00:34:43 --> 00:34:47 in tennessee one of them went on the breakfast club and he
00:34:47 --> 00:34:50 said something to the fact that you know
00:34:50 --> 00:34:53 when when we pass legislation for black folks in
00:34:53 --> 00:34:56 tennessee that lifts all tennesseans up and they were
00:34:56 --> 00:34:59 going in on him what do you mean all things
00:34:59 --> 00:35:02 and all that and so they took a they've taken a
00:35:02 --> 00:35:05 clip from an interview the vice president did
00:35:05 --> 00:35:09 years ago where a few
00:35:09 --> 00:35:12 years ago where she she was saying something about
00:35:12 --> 00:35:15 policies and she said that it's something
00:35:15 --> 00:35:18 to the effect dissimilar that it's like everything that's going
00:35:18 --> 00:35:22 to be done what what can we do to
00:35:22 --> 00:35:25 to better inform people in our
00:35:25 --> 00:35:29 community that when you
00:35:29 --> 00:35:32 are in a position like that you cannot be
00:35:32 --> 00:35:35 it's it's technically it's unconstitutional it
00:35:35 --> 00:35:38 would be race specific right and that was
00:35:38 --> 00:35:41 to our benefit because they were creating laws that were specifically
00:35:41 --> 00:35:44 to to keep us from attaining full
00:35:44 --> 00:35:50 citizenship but it works both ways so we can't turn around and pass laws strictly
00:35:50 --> 00:35:57 for black folk so how do we how do we get that message out to people and generate
00:35:57 --> 00:36:01 the kind of support within the community through better understanding.
00:36:03 --> 00:36:06 Yeah, that's a good question. I think we can look at the role of the Black press
00:36:06 --> 00:36:11 and Black media in properly informing people and not being obsessed with like
00:36:11 --> 00:36:13 clickbait, like you're describing.
00:36:13 --> 00:36:17 I think that that has been the role of the Black press and Black media in the past.
00:36:18 --> 00:36:22 And it can be that role again. We saw a lot, we've seen, you know,
00:36:23 --> 00:36:27 a lot of mistakes, you know, that have been made around being too coddling.
00:36:28 --> 00:36:32 If I, we roll back the Wayback Machine to talk about how excited people were
00:36:32 --> 00:36:33 to have a Barack Obama presidency.
00:36:34 --> 00:36:39 You know, where was the day, the first hundred day agenda from the black community, right?
00:36:40 --> 00:36:43 Instead of this kind of idea that, well, now he's in office.
00:36:44 --> 00:36:48 We made songs. My president is black. We're super excited.
00:36:48 --> 00:36:53 And any critiques that were leveled against him, there was not strategic alignment
00:36:53 --> 00:36:58 around how to hold the presidency accountable now that we've delivered you into
00:36:58 --> 00:37:00 office, it's okay with 95% of our votes.
00:37:01 --> 00:37:06 I think that there's a significant role for Black media to play in both political
00:37:06 --> 00:37:12 and civics education about now that this person has the power of the pen,
00:37:12 --> 00:37:15 now that this person is in control of the executive branch.
00:37:15 --> 00:37:20 Let's talk about the other levers of power that they're going to have to contend with.
00:37:20 --> 00:37:25 And also let's articulate our issues in a way that is not just race specific,
00:37:25 --> 00:37:28 but actually what is it that this person can do?
00:37:28 --> 00:37:32 Where are the jobs programs where the infrastructure bills where
00:37:32 --> 00:37:35 are the education you know bills
00:37:35 --> 00:37:37 and how are those things being funded why is so much
00:37:37 --> 00:37:42 of our money going to the military and foreign military operations we could
00:37:42 --> 00:37:48 challenge our black press and our black media to better inform our constituencies
00:37:48 --> 00:37:52 in our communities and not you know waste the huge platforms that they have
00:37:52 --> 00:37:56 asking questions about you know whether or not you smoke weed yes yes,
00:37:56 --> 00:38:02 Yes, yes. And whether or not you black and whether or not you do this and whether
00:38:02 --> 00:38:04 or not you're a gun holder. Well, hello.
00:38:04 --> 00:38:06 Have you looked at her past career? Of course, she's a gun holder.
00:38:07 --> 00:38:11 Like it's distraction. Yeah. Yeah. So.
00:38:13 --> 00:38:18 As as I figured we were going to be, we were going to use up most of the time.
00:38:19 --> 00:38:25 And this is a great discussion, but I want to close out with this and I'll tell the story real quick.
00:38:25 --> 00:38:32 So in 2016, I was still in Mississippi and my alma mater, Jackson State,
00:38:32 --> 00:38:37 wanted me to come on, start off the radio program on election night for the
00:38:37 --> 00:38:38 election night coverage.
00:38:39 --> 00:38:42 So, you know, I got on my T-shirt, I got on some sweats, you know,
00:38:42 --> 00:38:46 I go down to the station, you know, because we're going to be doing this on the radio.
00:38:47 --> 00:38:52 So then the numbers started coming in and all of a sudden it's like it's not
00:38:52 --> 00:38:54 the slam dunk with Hillary.
00:38:54 --> 00:38:57 It's now it's like donald trump's about to win this election
00:38:57 --> 00:39:00 so now it's like eric we need you on the tv
00:39:00 --> 00:39:03 station i'm like oh my god you know what i'm saying so it's like
00:39:03 --> 00:39:05 like it's in t-shirts and sweats but now i'm on
00:39:05 --> 00:39:09 the tv station talking trying to explain why
00:39:09 --> 00:39:12 this has happened i bring this up because i
00:39:12 --> 00:39:17 think a similar situation is getting ready to happen i think all the pundits
00:39:17 --> 00:39:23 all the media people are saying oh it's close you know this is this is neck
00:39:23 --> 00:39:29 and neck and all that stuff they said that about hillary and trump you know
00:39:29 --> 00:39:31 with with hillary being ahead.
00:39:32 --> 00:39:38 I think it's it's it's gonna be another one of those nights where it's like,
00:39:38 --> 00:39:45 she's gonna win and she's gonna win in a commanding way that's just me and that's
00:39:45 --> 00:39:49 just my assessment of what I'm seeing,
00:39:49 --> 00:39:54 the energy that people, the issues that are out there that are motivating people to go vote.
00:39:54 --> 00:39:58 There's going to be some states that people think she's going to win and she's
00:39:58 --> 00:40:00 not because of a particular issue.
00:40:00 --> 00:40:04 And then there's some states where there's like writing her off and she's going to win big.
00:40:05 --> 00:40:11 I think there are people in states where she may not win, but in the House seats and the Senate seats,
00:40:11 --> 00:40:14 those candidates are going
00:40:14 --> 00:40:17 to benefit from just the the third
00:40:17 --> 00:40:20 what it what does y'all take on that and
00:40:20 --> 00:40:26 and yeah that's just it what do y'all think am i do you think that is going
00:40:26 --> 00:40:31 to be close based on what y'all hearing and and all that kind of stuff or do
00:40:31 --> 00:40:36 you think that she's going to be his brains out i i actually don't think it's
00:40:36 --> 00:40:40 going to be close i think she's going to win with strong numbers and.
00:40:41 --> 00:40:46 As evidence for me, as evidence by how much the mainstream media is trying to
00:40:46 --> 00:40:49 convince us that it's going to be really, really close.
00:40:49 --> 00:40:52 No, not that it's going to be really close. It's really, really close right now.
00:40:52 --> 00:40:56 I feel like it's just more of the same of what we've been talking about.
00:40:56 --> 00:41:02 Media is a powerful, powerful, powerful tool, so powerful that it can convince
00:41:02 --> 00:41:05 us of what is our reality.
00:41:05 --> 00:41:10 So I'm actually one who doesn't believe that is so, so close right now.
00:41:10 --> 00:41:14 And I don't believe it'll be so, so close on November 5th either.
00:41:14 --> 00:41:17 In fact, I'm actually working in the middle of the day on November 5th.
00:41:18 --> 00:41:22 So I'm not watching so much of that and hearing so much of that commentary back
00:41:22 --> 00:41:25 and forth and up and down, but I can do that because I'm not in media.
00:41:26 --> 00:41:33 So I'm actually hosting a, if you will, like a business conference call for
00:41:33 --> 00:41:37 predominantly Black coaches to focus on November 6th and beyond.
00:41:38 --> 00:41:43 So I'm not stuck to stand there because I'm like, We need to focus on what happens
00:41:43 --> 00:41:47 next, what happens next, and not get so wrapped up into that.
00:41:48 --> 00:41:52 Yeah. Thank you for that, Sophia. I too will be trying to distract myself during
00:41:52 --> 00:41:56 the horse race type of coverage because that's what's interesting,
00:41:56 --> 00:41:57 right? And that's what gets them ratings.
00:41:58 --> 00:42:02 And that's what unfortunately mainstream media is very invested in is that horse
00:42:02 --> 00:42:04 race. It's so close. It's neck and neck.
00:42:04 --> 00:42:11 Stay tuned right here. Okay. So you don't miss more of our blithering on about how close it is.
00:42:12 --> 00:42:16 I think that the thing too, I mean, I hope it isn't close.
00:42:17 --> 00:42:20 The thing that I'm going to be paying attention to, honestly,
00:42:20 --> 00:42:24 is the tone of the coverage and how much our media,
00:42:25 --> 00:42:32 again, gives legitimacy and undue weight to skeptics and detractors of Kamala
00:42:32 --> 00:42:37 Harris and the way that they're going to shape, to your point, Sophia,
00:42:37 --> 00:42:41 our understanding of whether or not she's a legitimate candidate,
00:42:41 --> 00:42:44 whether or not she won by a big enough margin.
00:42:45 --> 00:42:47 Oh, well, and then, you know, what they're also going to do,
00:42:47 --> 00:42:50 and this is not even a racial thing, but this is just a way that I feel like
00:42:50 --> 00:42:53 people treat Democrats and Republicans in the media.
00:42:54 --> 00:42:57 You know, the very next thing they're going to say is, oh, well,
00:42:57 --> 00:43:00 what type of concessions are they going to be willing to make to the Republican
00:43:00 --> 00:43:02 Party? Because, you know, you got to unite.
00:43:03 --> 00:43:07 The Republican leaders get to, you know, be the dictators and set the agenda.
00:43:08 --> 00:43:11 Democrats get to be the ones who are, you know, the uniters,
00:43:11 --> 00:43:14 and they need to spend all of their energy uniting the nation now that things
00:43:14 --> 00:43:15 have become so divisive.
00:43:15 --> 00:43:18 So they're going to, you know, are they going to make her the mammy of the nation
00:43:18 --> 00:43:22 and say, oh my gosh, Pamela Harris, why aren't you bringing us together and
00:43:22 --> 00:43:26 healing our racial wounds from 400 years, right, of strife?
00:43:27 --> 00:43:30 You know, you better make sure that you bring this country together now after
00:43:30 --> 00:43:33 they've been calling you a tramp for six weeks.
00:43:33 --> 00:43:38 Yeah, see, yeah, not to cut you off to you, but when you said the mamma,
00:43:38 --> 00:43:40 it was like mamala, they're already using the term.
00:43:40 --> 00:43:43 I've heard that there's this is mamala we
00:43:43 --> 00:43:46 need you mamala the next minute she ain't got no
00:43:46 --> 00:43:55 kids now which is it it goes
00:43:55 --> 00:44:01 back to what i said earlier this is not new black women built this country black
00:44:01 --> 00:44:08 women cleaned up constantly we still cleaning up after the mainstream mistakes
00:44:08 --> 00:44:10 and mess up. It's no different.
00:44:11 --> 00:44:14 So it's like, I want to spend my energy focused on, okay.
00:44:16 --> 00:44:19 With her winning, with her winning, there's still a lot of work to do,
00:44:20 --> 00:44:27 a lot of work to do, and making sure that I don't end up in spaces and I'm supporting
00:44:27 --> 00:44:31 others with not ending up in spaces where we are looked at as mama love.
00:44:32 --> 00:44:36 Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And, you know, should the other scenario happen and
00:44:36 --> 00:44:40 she doesn't win the way that they're going to try to lay it at her feet?
00:44:41 --> 00:44:44 Yes. That same dynamic. Now, they're not going to lay it at her feet.
00:44:45 --> 00:44:46 They're going to lay it at people like me.
00:44:46 --> 00:44:49 They say you black men didn't do it. Y'all black men didn't come out here.
00:44:50 --> 00:44:56 I'm about if the if the other scenario happens is like is it's like they all
00:44:56 --> 00:44:58 going to be you black men didn't do enough.
00:44:58 --> 00:45:02 So that'll be a whole nother show. We had to come back and do that one. sold us out.
00:45:04 --> 00:45:09 They're already ready they've already
00:45:09 --> 00:45:16 started it okay we all have it isn't funny okay but it is funny because like
00:45:16 --> 00:45:20 since when have you ever put the burden of this nation's victories on black
00:45:20 --> 00:45:26 men's shoulders since when we first black men voters to be the saviors but all of a sudden.
00:45:27 --> 00:45:30 You know because it might be tight because black men
00:45:30 --> 00:45:33 are you know for better or worse expressing you
00:45:33 --> 00:45:37 know political viewpoints that are not falling in line and
00:45:37 --> 00:45:40 we expect again mamala to get all the black men to
00:45:40 --> 00:45:43 fall in line i said how is that fair to anybody that's
00:45:43 --> 00:45:46 in the discussion yeah and we
00:45:46 --> 00:45:49 don't talk about any other voters like this no we
00:45:49 --> 00:45:52 don't we don't and just real quick i remember when
00:45:52 --> 00:45:55 i was on the state executive committee this this white member came
00:45:55 --> 00:45:58 to me and said eric we got to get all those you you
00:45:58 --> 00:46:00 got to you got to get all these black folks out we got to get them
00:46:00 --> 00:46:03 i said i said and i need you to get
00:46:03 --> 00:46:07 one out of four your neighbors that's
00:46:07 --> 00:46:10 all i need i just need one out of four
00:46:10 --> 00:46:13 your neighbors including you to support and
00:46:13 --> 00:46:15 and we'll we will win the election we're gonna
00:46:15 --> 00:46:20 do our part i need you to do yours so you know they don't they don't get that
00:46:20 --> 00:46:22 accountability but look that's gonna have to be another episode we're gonna
00:46:22 --> 00:46:28 have to get y'all to come back Sophia definitely another episode absolutely
00:46:28 --> 00:46:35 so Sophia Tia tell folks how they can get in touch with y'all and and and stuff that y'all doing,
00:46:36 --> 00:46:40 Just you find me Sophia Casey ever, everywhere, everywhere, everywhere.
00:46:40 --> 00:46:46 And the thing that I am most focused on and most committed to right now is increasing
00:46:46 --> 00:46:51 the number of black credentialed and certified coaches on this planet to be
00:46:51 --> 00:46:52 able to support the aftermath.
00:46:54 --> 00:46:56 So Sophia Casey everywhere. Awesome.
00:46:57 --> 00:47:02 Oh, my name is Tia Oso. You can follow Media 2070 on all platforms,
00:47:03 --> 00:47:07 Instagram dot com slash media dot two zero seven zero.
00:47:07 --> 00:47:12 Our website is media reparations dot org. You can find me at T.O.
00:47:13 --> 00:47:15 So on LinkedIn, as well as Instagram.
00:47:15 --> 00:47:19 And yeah, we are fighting for a media system that loves black people.
00:47:20 --> 00:47:23 And so you can join us, join our email list and follow us online.
00:47:24 --> 00:47:27 All right. So Sophia Casey, T.O. Show. Thank you all so much.
00:47:27 --> 00:47:33 I really enjoyed this discussion and look forward to y'all, you know,
00:47:34 --> 00:47:38 y'all, y'all, y'all have a standing invitation to come back.
00:47:38 --> 00:47:42 Your, your, your friend Tiana understands that rule.
00:47:42 --> 00:47:47 So if you, anytime y'all want to, y'all want to come back home,
00:47:47 --> 00:47:48 just feel free to do that.
00:47:48 --> 00:47:51 And we'll, we'll, as a matter of fact, we might need to come back after the
00:47:51 --> 00:47:55 election sometime and, or maybe after the inauguration and see what's going
00:47:55 --> 00:47:57 on. We give everybody a little break. You know what I'm saying?
00:47:58 --> 00:48:01 But yeah we'll come back and and and finish up on this.
00:48:02 --> 00:48:21 Music.
00:48:23 --> 00:48:29 All right. And we are back. So now it is time for my next guest, Dr.
00:48:29 --> 00:48:31 Nii Cordelay-Corte.
00:48:32 --> 00:48:37 Dr. Nii Cordelay-Corte is a political journalist, Pepperdine University professor
00:48:37 --> 00:48:41 and prominent convener in the fields of dialogue and social change.
00:48:41 --> 00:48:46 Born into a Ghanaian American family, Dr.
00:48:46 --> 00:48:51 Corte holds a doctoral degree in organizational leadership and a master's degree
00:48:51 --> 00:48:55 in social entrepreneurship and change from Pepperdine University.
00:48:55 --> 00:48:59 He also holds a bachelor's degree in political science with a minor in critical
00:48:59 --> 00:49:03 approaches to leadership from the University of Southern California.
00:49:03 --> 00:49:08 Throughout his career, he has been featured on various media outlets,
00:49:08 --> 00:49:15 including the Oprah Winfrey Show, MSNBC, CBS News, CNN, News Nation.
00:49:15 --> 00:49:22 Sirius XM, The Grill, and as a daily news anchor for Fox Broadcasting and Fox Soul.
00:49:22 --> 00:49:28 He currently serves as host of a more perfect union radio talk show and podcast
00:49:28 --> 00:49:34 produced by KBLA Talk 1580, owned and operated by Tavis Smiley.
00:49:34 --> 00:49:39 Before returning to his passion for political journalism for over a decade, Dr.
00:49:39 --> 00:49:45 Corte has been actively engaged in policy advocacy efforts on issues ranging
00:49:45 --> 00:49:51 from civil and human rights to childhood obesity, obesity to senior issues.
00:49:51 --> 00:49:54 These experiences have been foundational to Dr.
00:49:54 --> 00:50:00 Corte's distinctive approach to political journalism, where he aspires to humanize
00:50:00 --> 00:50:08 leaders, listen for teachable moments, cautionary tales and challenges underlying assumptions.
00:50:08 --> 00:50:16 And so he also has written a book called Kamala, the Motherland and Me.
00:50:17 --> 00:50:24 And so we're going to be basing our conversation off of this new book that's just been released.
00:50:24 --> 00:50:29 So, ladies and gentlemen, it is my distinct honor and privilege to have as a
00:50:29 --> 00:50:33 guest on this podcast, Dr. Nhi Cordelé.
00:50:34 --> 00:50:43 Music.
00:50:45 --> 00:50:51 All right, Dr. Nii Coeur d'Ale, how are you doing, Doc? You doing good?
00:50:52 --> 00:50:56 I'm doing well. How are you doing, sir? I'm doing fine, my brother. I'm doing fine.
00:50:56 --> 00:51:01 Look, and I know we press for time, so I appreciate you taking the time out
00:51:01 --> 00:51:04 to come on my little podcast and talk about something.
00:51:04 --> 00:51:07 I think this is something that's near and dear to our heart and dealing with
00:51:07 --> 00:51:10 the topic about the vice president.
00:51:10 --> 00:51:17 So what I normally do is start off with a quote And this is from your book And
00:51:17 --> 00:51:22 the name of the book, by the way, is Kamala, the Motherland in Me That Dr.
00:51:22 --> 00:51:28 Corday wrote And it was talking about his experience With the vice president
00:51:28 --> 00:51:34 when she did an overseas trip to Africa And she went to three countries And
00:51:34 --> 00:51:37 he can kind of elaborate on that a little bit But your quote is this.
00:51:38 --> 00:51:43 Despite the angry stares and even snickers from around the room,
00:51:44 --> 00:51:48 Vice President Harris never paused or hesitated in her response.
00:51:48 --> 00:51:55 Without missing a beat and standing tall with shoulders arched back, she said, I'll start.
00:51:56 --> 00:52:00 I have raised this issue and let me be clear about where we stand.
00:52:00 --> 00:52:06 First of all, for the American press who are here, you know that a great deal
00:52:06 --> 00:52:10 of my work in my career has been to address human rights issues,
00:52:10 --> 00:52:17 equality issues across the board, including as it relates to the LGBTQ plus community.
00:52:17 --> 00:52:22 And I feel very strongly about the importance of supporting freedom and supporting
00:52:22 --> 00:52:28 and fighting for equality among all people and that all people being treated equally.
00:52:28 --> 00:52:33 I will also say that this is an issue that we consider and I consider to be
00:52:33 --> 00:52:39 a human rights issue and that will not change. Talk to me about that quote.
00:52:40 --> 00:52:44 Well, I think it was a very powerful demonstration of allyship.
00:52:44 --> 00:52:49 You know, what does it look like when allies show up in rooms that you're not in?
00:52:50 --> 00:52:53 In this case, I happen to be in the room. I happen to bear witness to that.
00:52:53 --> 00:52:58 But I thought it was important to include that in the book so that people understood,
00:52:58 --> 00:53:02 you know, that when she says that, you know,
00:53:03 --> 00:53:09 while her positions on certain policies may have changed to meet this moment,
00:53:09 --> 00:53:13 and to meet the power of the office that she's seeking as president,
00:53:14 --> 00:53:15 her values haven't changed.
00:53:15 --> 00:53:18 And I saw plenty of examples of that.
00:53:18 --> 00:53:24 The example that you just read included throughout the trip to Africa,
00:53:24 --> 00:53:30 from Ghana to Tanzania to Zambia, I saw her wield her power,
00:53:31 --> 00:53:34 her influence on the world stage. I saw how it was received.
00:53:34 --> 00:53:40 I found her to be a competent, cutting edge leader capable of meeting the moment.
00:53:40 --> 00:53:46 And I think there are so many of our fellow Americans that have seen that on the campaign trail.
00:53:46 --> 00:53:50 I think for folks who've been following her career for many years,
00:53:50 --> 00:53:56 I think we've seen her grow as a leader, grow into each office that she's occupied.
00:53:57 --> 00:54:01 And I believe that This is a leader that...
00:54:03 --> 00:54:10 Does not see the hopes and dreams and ambitions of black Americans as at odds
00:54:10 --> 00:54:12 with black people around the world.
00:54:12 --> 00:54:18 And so, oh, my goodness, you know, we have, you know, an American leader,
00:54:18 --> 00:54:25 potentially the next president of the United States, who wants not just turn the page,
00:54:25 --> 00:54:29 you know, on other folks who've occupied that office, but she wants to turn
00:54:29 --> 00:54:34 the page on these sort of antiquated views of Africa, right?
00:54:34 --> 00:54:40 She goes to Africa and she sees the possibilities. She sees possibilities for investment.
00:54:41 --> 00:54:46 Possibilities to invest in cutting edge technologies, possibilities in terms
00:54:46 --> 00:54:51 of supporting the creative economy there in a way that's not disconnected from
00:54:51 --> 00:54:55 the hopes, dreams, and ambitions of Black Americans and all Americans here.
00:54:56 --> 00:55:01 Right. And to me, it was a symbol of her courage.
00:55:01 --> 00:55:07 And you kind of alluded to that because the backdrop of that response was a
00:55:07 --> 00:55:12 question from a New York Times reporter who was aware that in Ghana,
00:55:12 --> 00:55:15 there was legislation at the time that was
00:55:15 --> 00:55:18 going to make it a crime to to be involved
00:55:18 --> 00:55:23 in same-sex relationships and and
00:55:23 --> 00:55:26 why and she asserted the american
00:55:26 --> 00:55:33 position to her colleague who is the president of ghana and and of course he
00:55:33 --> 00:55:38 gave a classic response well it's not even an issue yet because no legislation
00:55:38 --> 00:55:42 is passed you know he gave a real political answer but but i thought that that
00:55:42 --> 00:55:46 was also a good example about courage so that leads me to this question.
00:55:46 --> 00:55:54 What else did you learn about her leadership style and how effective a president you think she would be?
00:55:55 --> 00:55:59 On her leadership style, she's very detail-oriented.
00:55:59 --> 00:56:04 I think sometimes too detail-oriented, sometimes over-prepared.
00:56:04 --> 00:56:11 And I think we see examples of that in her responses to questions even on the
00:56:11 --> 00:56:18 campaign trail, where it's very easy for her to think as a lawyer, right?
00:56:19 --> 00:56:27 And I think she's really grown as a leader in terms of being able to communicate
00:56:27 --> 00:56:31 her positions without getting too lawyerly, right? Yeah.
00:56:32 --> 00:56:40 She cares a lot. She cares deeply, deeply about the future. She cares deeply about young people.
00:56:40 --> 00:56:46 Every stop, almost every stop on this trip in Africa, she didn't miss an opportunity
00:56:46 --> 00:56:54 to remind those of us that are part of the press corps and anybody who would listen that by 2050.
00:56:54 --> 00:56:59 One in four people on the planet Earth will reside in Africa.
00:56:59 --> 00:57:04 Where right now the average age on the continent is 19, right?
00:57:04 --> 00:57:09 And so she understands that if we aren't in the business of creating more opportunity
00:57:09 --> 00:57:11 and investing in young people,
00:57:12 --> 00:57:20 then our future as a world superpower, our future in terms of being a leader
00:57:20 --> 00:57:24 in the global economy is going to be uncertain.
00:57:24 --> 00:57:28 And again, she's connecting the dots to the dreams and ambitions,
00:57:28 --> 00:57:33 not just the young people in Africa, but black people across the diaspora.
00:57:33 --> 00:57:38 She sees us because she is us. She is a part of us.
00:57:39 --> 00:57:43 I've got to say one of the best compliments I've received since publishing this
00:57:43 --> 00:57:47 book came from a brother, a brother who tapped me on the shoulder.
00:57:47 --> 00:57:51 And he said, Dr. Corte, aren't you the author of Kamala, the Motherland of Me? I said, yes, sir.
00:57:51 --> 00:57:54 He said, I'm reading your book. I said, well, thank you.
00:57:54 --> 00:57:57 He said, I'm on chapter three. I said, oh, really? He said, yeah.
00:57:58 --> 00:58:05 He said, your book is a Kamala Harris myth buster, myth buster.
00:58:05 --> 00:58:11 And he said, as much as they try to make it seem like she's not like us already
00:58:11 --> 00:58:16 on chapter three of your book, I feel like she's more like us than I thought.
00:58:17 --> 00:58:23 Yeah. And that was going to lead into my next question about this whole notion of her blackness.
00:58:24 --> 00:58:27 You know that she she
00:58:27 --> 00:58:30 is you know people are trying and you know
00:58:30 --> 00:58:36 these are people who are trying to portray her a certain way you know it was
00:58:36 --> 00:58:41 very deliberate that Donald Trump said what he said at the NABJ meeting to to
00:58:41 --> 00:58:47 to put that seed in in of doubt in the community and it's the same seed of doubt
00:58:47 --> 00:58:49 that was put in when Barack Obama ran.
00:58:51 --> 00:58:53 What characteristic or what.
00:58:55 --> 00:59:03 What did she do for you personally that made you realize that she had that kind of connection,
00:59:03 --> 00:59:11 that she identified and understood who she is and why we we in the community shouldn't doubt that?
00:59:11 --> 00:59:17 Well, let me just say, as a black gay man, I think that question has come up for me over the years.
00:59:17 --> 00:59:21 I remember many years ago before I returned to journalism, when I was doing
00:59:21 --> 00:59:26 advocacy and organizing work related to Proposition 8 in California.
00:59:26 --> 00:59:30 That was the ban against same-sex marriage in California.
00:59:30 --> 00:59:37 And the same night where when California elected, helped to elect President
00:59:37 --> 00:59:43 Obama, it was the same night that folks in my home state supported a ban on same-sex marriage.
00:59:43 --> 00:59:50 And so what ensued was years of public education work to bridge the gap,
00:59:50 --> 00:59:55 to challenge people's assumptions about who they thought LGBTQ people were and
00:59:55 --> 00:59:56 who they, in fact, they were.
00:59:56 --> 01:00:01 And so there are many times where even I've received that question,
01:00:02 --> 01:00:06 you know, you know, are you are you black first or are you gay first? Right.
01:00:07 --> 01:00:13 And and so I think there are a number of folks that are oftentimes put in position
01:00:13 --> 01:00:17 where we have to sometimes, you know, validate our blackness.
01:00:17 --> 01:00:22 And I think, you know, unfortunately, this is what it looks like if you're Kamala
01:00:22 --> 01:00:24 Harris and if you're running for president.
01:00:24 --> 01:00:27 I remember many years ago having a conversation with Dr.
01:00:27 --> 01:00:29 Karanga, the founder of Kwanzaa.
01:00:30 --> 01:00:35 And, you know, we're talking about blackness right through a wide lens.
01:00:35 --> 01:00:38 And I'll never forget the one thing that he shared with me is that for him,
01:00:39 --> 01:00:44 his operational definition of blackness came down to color, consciousness and commitment. Right.
01:00:45 --> 01:00:51 You know, being black isn't just the aesthetic of being black. Right.
01:00:51 --> 01:00:56 Oh, you know, or, you know, your hips or, you know, your big bone or whatever,
01:00:57 --> 01:00:59 you know, light skin, dark skin, whatever.
01:01:01 --> 01:01:05 There's a consciousness and commitment. And the fact that this trip to Africa
01:01:05 --> 01:01:09 took over a year, it was over a year in the making.
01:01:09 --> 01:01:13 She was very much involved, very directive with her team.
01:01:13 --> 01:01:20 She spent more time on foreign soil in Africa than any other place around the world.
01:01:20 --> 01:01:25 Right? And so when you think about the consciousness and commitment that that
01:01:25 --> 01:01:32 requires to unflinchingly lean into the possibilities on this continent, right?
01:01:33 --> 01:01:40 And to use your bully pulpit, to use your office to bring attention to what's happening there,
01:01:41 --> 01:01:47 what needs to happen there, and what's holding back members of the Black diaspora
01:01:47 --> 01:01:51 on the continent, what's holding them back from their dreams,
01:01:51 --> 01:01:53 their ambitions, and their potential.
01:01:53 --> 01:01:57 That's what she did. And, you know, I've got to tell you,
01:01:58 --> 01:02:07 part of the reason why I wrote this book was because I was taken aback at the
01:02:07 --> 01:02:12 caricature of Vice President Kamala Harris and,
01:02:12 --> 01:02:16 quite frankly, the mis and disinformation around who she is and what she was about.
01:02:17 --> 01:02:23 And I thought to myself, what a shame. What a shame if the American people and
01:02:23 --> 01:02:26 people of conscience around the world didn't know what happened here.
01:02:27 --> 01:02:30 Yeah, because, you know, when I was thinking about it, I said,
01:02:30 --> 01:02:32 this brother wrote a book about nine days.
01:02:33 --> 01:02:37 You know, when most people write a book is like about nine years or,
01:02:37 --> 01:02:41 you know, nine decades or something like that.
01:02:41 --> 01:02:47 But it was like it was like that you could tell that that trip made a significant
01:02:47 --> 01:02:53 impact on you, that you felt compelled that you had to that you had to write this book.
01:02:53 --> 01:02:59 And I think it's I think it's great that you did that, which kind of leads to this question.
01:03:00 --> 01:03:06 What you had already heard some stuff about her before you went on this trip,
01:03:06 --> 01:03:09 but now it's being amplified because she's running.
01:03:09 --> 01:03:15 So what are the what is your opinion about these stereotypical tropes? Right.
01:03:15 --> 01:03:20 The D.I. hire. She's lazy. She's unprepared. She's not tough enough to handle
01:03:20 --> 01:03:23 position. I one of my co-workers came to me on that.
01:03:23 --> 01:03:26 He's like, brother, Eric, you know, I like her.
01:03:26 --> 01:03:29 But man, is she going to be able to she's going to be able to do that job,
01:03:29 --> 01:03:32 brother? Is she going to be up there and be able to deal with these foreign leaders?
01:03:33 --> 01:03:35 And I was trying to break them down and tell them, I was like,
01:03:35 --> 01:03:37 she's the vice president now.
01:03:37 --> 01:03:40 All these people she knows already. She knows all these people.
01:03:41 --> 01:03:44 She's dealt with them in a limited capacity, but she's dealt with them.
01:03:44 --> 01:03:45 At least she knows their names.
01:03:46 --> 01:03:47 Kind of elaborate on that for me.
01:03:48 --> 01:03:52 Well, I can tell you what I witnessed in Africa, witnessing Vice President Harris
01:03:52 --> 01:03:58 on the world stage, standing toe to toe with the presidents of Africa and Tanzania
01:03:58 --> 01:04:03 and Zambia. and other diplomats, she held her own.
01:04:03 --> 01:04:09 I mean, she was at the table, you know, talking with these world leaders about
01:04:09 --> 01:04:11 potentially reorganizing their debt.
01:04:11 --> 01:04:16 You know, the debt that they are saddled with and the challenge of servicing
01:04:16 --> 01:04:21 that debt is at odds with their ability to invest in innovation in their country, right?
01:04:22 --> 01:04:24 National security related issues. You know, there are
01:04:24 --> 01:04:28 a lot of hot spots around the world you
01:04:28 --> 01:04:30 know we have issues not just in the middle east you know
01:04:30 --> 01:04:34 but we have issues around the world including the continent of africa you know
01:04:34 --> 01:04:39 where there are there are terrorist cells uh that exist there remember boko
01:04:39 --> 01:04:45 haram remember the terrorist group that you know took those young girls you
01:04:45 --> 01:04:50 know and it's taken years to get those young girls back Right.
01:04:50 --> 01:04:53 Well, that happened on the continent. And so talking to them.
01:04:54 --> 01:05:00 Not as a public health case, not as a humanitarian case, but talking to them
01:05:00 --> 01:05:07 as a national security partner, talking to them as a partner in building shared economic prosperity.
01:05:08 --> 01:05:17 Talking to them as a partner in the effort to combat climate change. Right.
01:05:17 --> 01:05:22 I would have never thought that we would be in a place like Panuka Farms,
01:05:22 --> 01:05:27 which is outside of Lusaka, Zambia, where they're using AI powered technology
01:05:27 --> 01:05:31 to fight against the effects of climate change.
01:05:31 --> 01:05:34 That's what's happening on the continent and wouldn't have known that,
01:05:34 --> 01:05:40 you know, if the vice president and her team hadn't curated this experience.
01:05:40 --> 01:05:47 And so there are leaders in industry that take the calls from Vice President Harris.
01:05:47 --> 01:05:53 She has raised over she's raised billions of dollars in public private partnerships,
01:05:53 --> 01:05:56 just working the phones behind the scenes.
01:05:56 --> 01:06:01 And so, you know, I think there's a lot of work that the vice president is doing
01:06:01 --> 01:06:07 and has done both out front and behind the scenes that demonstrates that, you know,
01:06:08 --> 01:06:13 she she is ready for the next step in leadership.
01:06:13 --> 01:06:17 In this case, it looks like her run for the presidency.
01:06:17 --> 01:06:23 She is doing commendable work that I don't think she gets nearly enough credit for.
01:06:24 --> 01:06:28 And so I thought it was my duty that people would know more about it.
01:06:28 --> 01:06:30 And that's why I wrote Kamala, the motherland in me.
01:06:31 --> 01:06:37 How confident are you that the majority of American voters will see her positive
01:06:37 --> 01:06:40 attributes and will vote accordingly? Yeah.
01:06:41 --> 01:06:46 No, this race is going to be a tight race. And right now, as we sit here,
01:06:47 --> 01:06:55 there have been a number of polls that have affirmed that this is a race where it is they're tied.
01:06:55 --> 01:06:59 You know, it's it's a statistical dead heat.
01:06:59 --> 01:07:05 And so that to me says it's going to be a turnout election. And whichever candidate
01:07:05 --> 01:07:09 is able to turn out the majority of their supporters plus one,
01:07:09 --> 01:07:11 right, will become our next president.
01:07:12 --> 01:07:23 And the effects of their presidency across the diaspora could not be more stark, could not be more stark.
01:07:23 --> 01:07:27 Actually, in the book, I interviewed VP Harris.
01:07:27 --> 01:07:32 It's the only book interview she's done as vice president. And I asked her straight up,
01:07:32 --> 01:07:39 straight no chaser, what's at stake for Africa, for the black diaspora,
01:07:39 --> 01:07:44 if Trump gets another term in the Oval Office? And she answers that question.
01:07:44 --> 01:07:49 She answers that question. And so, you know, my job is not to tell people how
01:07:49 --> 01:07:52 to vote, but my job is to give people information.
01:07:52 --> 01:07:56 And in this age of heightened mis- and disinformation.
01:07:56 --> 01:08:01 The role of journalists, the role of storytellers, the role,
01:08:02 --> 01:08:08 you know, of folks that are in community could not be more important.
01:08:08 --> 01:08:15 I believe that the vice president's secret weapon may be those sort of disaffected
01:08:15 --> 01:08:22 Republicans, you know, that are fed up with the former president and the movement that he's created.
01:08:22 --> 01:08:28 I think those orphaned Nikki Haley voters, for example, you know,
01:08:28 --> 01:08:37 may be a part of the coalition that gets VP Harris over the finish line on Election Day.
01:08:37 --> 01:08:43 I also think that, you know, independent voters, it's hard to look at the evidence
01:08:43 --> 01:08:49 to look at, you know, the plan that these respective candidates are offering for the future. And.
01:08:50 --> 01:08:57 Know, decide that you want to return back to the, you want to return the former
01:08:57 --> 01:08:58 president to power, right?
01:08:59 --> 01:09:04 And so I think the biggest question right now for folks is really between VP
01:09:04 --> 01:09:06 Harris and staying home.
01:09:06 --> 01:09:10 And former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie recently said as much on The View.
01:09:11 --> 01:09:15 I think if you're not supporting the former president, you probably made that
01:09:15 --> 01:09:17 decision right now. But I think
01:09:17 --> 01:09:24 the onus is on the VP to give people an affirming reason to support her.
01:09:24 --> 01:09:32 And the book, Kamala, the Motherland and Me, is chock full of anecdotes and
01:09:32 --> 01:09:37 reasons, quite frankly, for folks to support her leadership. Right.
01:09:38 --> 01:09:43 When I wrote this book, she was vice president. She was not the Democratic nominee for president.
01:09:43 --> 01:09:47 And so I don't want your listeners to think that, you know, this is sort of
01:09:47 --> 01:09:52 an 11th hour effort to support the Kamala Harris campaign.
01:09:52 --> 01:09:57 It just so happens that this book came out a couple of days after she became
01:09:57 --> 01:09:59 the presumptive Democratic nominee.
01:10:00 --> 01:10:03 And, you know, that just makes the story all the more important.
01:10:03 --> 01:10:09 Well, that's also my argument about divine intervention. Just real quick,
01:10:09 --> 01:10:11 I don't think it's going to be close.
01:10:11 --> 01:10:17 And based on some of the events that have been going on and just the way certain
01:10:17 --> 01:10:22 things are happening, I just think the dynamic and I was the candidate in 08 for the U.S.
01:10:23 --> 01:10:26 Senate when Obama ran. And it was very similar.
01:10:26 --> 01:10:28 It was like you could feel that undertow. Right.
01:10:29 --> 01:10:35 And you could you could see it happening. And so I'm more convinced now than
01:10:35 --> 01:10:41 it has been than ever before that it's it's not going to be as close as people think.
01:10:41 --> 01:10:45 I think she's going to win big. But that's a discussion for another day. look, you got to go.
01:10:45 --> 01:10:52 But before you go, tell people how they can get this book and how people can
01:10:52 --> 01:10:55 tune into your show and how people can reach out to you.
01:10:55 --> 01:11:00 Absolutely. And I really thank you for the opportunity to talk about Kamala, the motherland in me.
01:11:01 --> 01:11:04 I believe it is some of my best work yet.
01:11:04 --> 01:11:09 And so I can't wait for folks to pick it up and take me up on this invitation,
01:11:09 --> 01:11:11 Join this literary journey.
01:11:11 --> 01:11:18 You can get it on Amazon, on Barnes and Nobles, on Mahogany Books and any online
01:11:18 --> 01:11:20 book retailer. You can get the book there.
01:11:20 --> 01:11:26 You can also tap into my show, my radio talk show called A More Perfect Union
01:11:26 --> 01:11:29 on KBLA Talk 1580, the Tavis Smiley Station.
01:11:30 --> 01:11:36 Each day, from the White House to your house, we're tracking some of the biggest political headlines.
01:11:36 --> 01:11:42 We're engaging in conversations with compelling leaders on the front lines and
01:11:42 --> 01:11:44 engaging in expert analysis.
01:11:44 --> 01:11:46 And so it's 1 p.m.
01:11:46 --> 01:11:51 Pacific, 4 p.m. Eastern. People can join us live by simply downloading the KBLA
01:11:51 --> 01:11:56 app to listen to us live or on demand or simply tell Alexa to play KBLA 1580.
01:11:57 --> 01:12:02 And there I am for your listening pleasure. and people can follow me on IG at Dr.
01:12:02 --> 01:12:07 Nikortelai. That's D-R-N-I-I-Q-U-A-R-T-E-L-A-I.
01:12:07 --> 01:12:12 Well, Dr. Nikortelai-Korte, thank you for doing this.
01:12:12 --> 01:12:15 I had the privilege of interviewing Tavis back in 1997.
01:12:17 --> 01:12:22 So if he vaguely remembers that, then I don't want him getting mad with me for
01:12:22 --> 01:12:23 keeping you longer than you need to be.
01:12:24 --> 01:12:28 But I greatly appreciate you writing that book and I greatly appreciate you
01:12:28 --> 01:12:30 coming on the podcast. Thank you so much, brother.
01:12:31 --> 01:12:35 Absolutely. And Eric, can I just say one last thing? Go ahead. As we sit here today.
01:12:37 --> 01:12:43 One of the things that is dismaying to me, the fact that the LA Times,
01:12:43 --> 01:12:48 the newspaper of record in my adopted hometown of LA.
01:12:49 --> 01:12:53 Opted not to issue an endorsement.
01:12:53 --> 01:12:57 When the editorial staff had drafted an endorsement for VP Harris.
01:12:58 --> 01:13:04 We have learned that the Washington Post has scuttled an endorsement of Vice President Harris.
01:13:04 --> 01:13:11 And there are some reports that Jeff Bezos, their owner, was a part of that.
01:13:12 --> 01:13:23 I want to underscore the moment that we're in, where seeking the truth has never been more important.
01:13:23 --> 01:13:30 I want to commend the leadership over at the Houston Chronicle who issued their endorsement.
01:13:30 --> 01:13:35 I also want to end the leap of the Philadelphia Inquirer who issued their endorsement,
01:13:35 --> 01:13:37 both having endorsed VP Harris.
01:13:37 --> 01:13:40 And I want to salute them.
01:13:40 --> 01:13:44 Back to what you said earlier about courage.
01:13:44 --> 01:13:51 You know, people demonstrate courage when they demonstrate courage in the face of, you know,
01:13:51 --> 01:14:00 potentially losing favor with people that they wish to enjoy support from.
01:14:00 --> 01:14:06 And so I just want to take a moment out to salute my fellow journalists that are on the front lines.
01:14:07 --> 01:14:11 I'm putting their bodies on the line in pursuit of truth so that we,
01:14:11 --> 01:14:13 the people, can make the best possible decisions.
01:14:14 --> 01:14:18 Decisions if i didn't share that with you today well i appreciate that and that's
01:14:18 --> 01:14:25 going to be a good segue for how i'm going to close the show so doc thank you so much for that and.
01:14:26 --> 01:14:37 Music.
01:14:39 --> 01:14:45 All right. And we are back. And so now I want to close out a little bit.
01:14:45 --> 01:14:52 Before I do, let me let me thank Coach Casey, Sister Osho, Osho and Dr.
01:14:52 --> 01:14:54 Corte for coming on.
01:14:55 --> 01:15:01 Greatly appreciated the time that they were able to give to to offer some insights,
01:15:01 --> 01:15:08 hopefully dispel some rumors and myths, give their perspectives on those rumors and myths,
01:15:09 --> 01:15:11 and give you a better understanding.
01:15:12 --> 01:15:19 Because I feel, and I've had this conversation with co-workers and all that,
01:15:19 --> 01:15:22 and I've got some co-workers that's supporting the other guy,
01:15:22 --> 01:15:25 and I've got some co-workers that are supporting her.
01:15:26 --> 01:15:30 And I've had some co-workers that have some questions about the vice president.
01:15:30 --> 01:15:35 And, you know, I did my best based on my knowledge,
01:15:35 --> 01:15:42 experience and training in the political world to make my case for why I think
01:15:42 --> 01:15:45 that she will be an incredible president.
01:15:47 --> 01:15:52 And it'll be more than just the history she would make and being the first female.
01:15:52 --> 01:15:58 I think that she is going to be a generational leader because the times dictate that.
01:15:59 --> 01:16:05 And unlike her opponent, I believe she's going to rise to that moment. Right.
01:16:05 --> 01:16:08 Because when he had the chance, he did not.
01:16:10 --> 01:16:18 And and that was a shame. You know, when when people say that they want somebody to fail.
01:16:18 --> 01:16:24 Right. Like Jim DeMint in South Carolina. I will never forgive that man for that.
01:16:26 --> 01:16:31 Don't want your elected officials to fail. You don't want that because failure
01:16:31 --> 01:16:35 or you don't even want them just to suck at the job,
01:16:35 --> 01:16:42 let alone fail because we all suffer from that regardless of who you vote for.
01:16:43 --> 01:16:48 Right. Once the dust is settled and the oath is taken and the transfer of power
01:16:48 --> 01:16:53 has happened, you want government to work regardless whether your person got
01:16:53 --> 01:16:56 it or not. You want it to function.
01:16:57 --> 01:17:09 And we saw between 2017 and 2021 what it looks like when government is not functioning
01:17:09 --> 01:17:14 or when government is not prepared or when government and leaders in government
01:17:14 --> 01:17:17 don't rise for the occasion, right?
01:17:17 --> 01:17:19 So we don't want a repeat of that.
01:17:20 --> 01:17:25 At least I don't. And so that's That's why I'm supporting the vice president.
01:17:26 --> 01:17:29 That's why I'm encouraging everybody to support the vice president.
01:17:29 --> 01:17:33 But most importantly, I want people to vote, right?
01:17:34 --> 01:17:38 I'm not going to give you a speech about that, but I am going to touch on something that Dr.
01:17:39 --> 01:17:44 Corte closed out with, and that's this whole issue of courage, right?
01:17:45 --> 01:17:49 It's not going to take courage to vote. It takes commitment to vote.
01:17:49 --> 01:17:54 It takes understanding your responsibility to vote. It takes courage to lead.
01:17:55 --> 01:18:01 It takes courage to do the right thing, even if it's not popular.
01:18:02 --> 01:18:06 It doesn't take any courage to do the wrong thing. That's the easy way.
01:18:07 --> 01:18:12 I just, when I think about that, I think about, and this is my Christian teaching
01:18:12 --> 01:18:13 coming out, so y'all forgive me.
01:18:15 --> 01:18:19 But, you know, when Jesus was in that desert and Satan came up to him and said,
01:18:19 --> 01:18:22 God, you can have all this, everything.
01:18:23 --> 01:18:27 I will surrender the world to you if you just come on board,
01:18:28 --> 01:18:29 if you denounce your father.
01:18:30 --> 01:18:35 That's where we get the phrase, you know, man doesn't live by bread alone, right?
01:18:36 --> 01:18:39 You biblical scholars can correct me if I got that wrong. But do you get to
01:18:39 --> 01:18:43 just what I'm saying? And he resisted the temptation to show this purpose.
01:18:44 --> 01:18:47 For us, that would be an act of courage.
01:18:47 --> 01:18:49 For him, it was his mission.
01:18:50 --> 01:18:57 But he did the right thing. And so today, as we're recording this,
01:18:59 --> 01:19:05 two major newspapers in the United States decided not to endorse a candidate
01:19:05 --> 01:19:06 for president of the United States.
01:19:06 --> 01:19:11 The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post.
01:19:12 --> 01:19:16 Now, there were some papers that did. I think the Houston Chronicle is very
01:19:16 --> 01:19:21 smart to do that, saying Vice President Harris is supposed to be in Houston
01:19:21 --> 01:19:25 on the day that we're recording this.
01:19:25 --> 01:19:30 So it's good that they endorse her and the Philadelphia Inquirer as well.
01:19:31 --> 01:19:34 But then I got to check and see who else.
01:19:34 --> 01:19:39 I got to check on my old hometown paper, Tribune, the Clint Ledger's going to do all of them.
01:19:41 --> 01:19:44 But the Washington Post, the L.A.
01:19:45 --> 01:19:48 Times, I mean, she was the attorney general of California. She was a U.S.
01:19:48 --> 01:19:49 Senator from California.
01:19:50 --> 01:19:54 They didn't even play the homie card on that one, right?
01:19:54 --> 01:20:01 And then the Washington Post, the newspaper that is supposed to be the newspaper
01:20:01 --> 01:20:04 to make sure that what's going on in Washington, we know about.
01:20:04 --> 01:20:12 Their credibility is important as far as journalism goes, and they didn't have
01:20:12 --> 01:20:15 the courage to make an endorsement.
01:20:16 --> 01:20:20 And, you know, we've had some other groups you heard on the news,
01:20:20 --> 01:20:25 you know, the Arab American Association decided not to endorse either candidate
01:20:25 --> 01:20:28 because they didn't agree with either.
01:20:28 --> 01:20:33 They felt that both candidates were pro-Israel and didn't care about the Palestinian people.
01:20:34 --> 01:20:39 That that's interesting, but okay. And, you know, I, I don't really fault them
01:20:39 --> 01:20:40 for that. It's their organization.
01:20:40 --> 01:20:43 It's, they, they pulled their membership. That's how it goes.
01:20:43 --> 01:20:48 The teamsters, members wanted to go one way to leadership wanted to go another
01:20:48 --> 01:20:50 way. So they didn't do it. Right.
01:20:51 --> 01:20:55 But for a newspaper, I remember as a candidate, man, you know,
01:20:56 --> 01:21:00 run into the state newspapers, the Meridian star, the Clarence ledger.
01:21:02 --> 01:21:06 Now I'm trying to remember, you know, the son, Harold, Greenwood Commonwealth.
01:21:07 --> 01:21:12 I was running to all these papers. I had to make all these dates to the Natchez
01:21:12 --> 01:21:17 Democrats, all these newspapers to sit before the editorial board,
01:21:18 --> 01:21:21 and whether I felt I was going to get the endorsement or not,
01:21:21 --> 01:21:28 it was my obligation as a candidate to talk directly to the editorial board and make my case.
01:21:29 --> 01:21:35 Even without the endorsement, I got a story in that paper because they were
01:21:35 --> 01:21:39 going to cover me showing up at their respective.
01:21:42 --> 01:21:45 And it was just it's just there's it's just a rite of passage.
01:21:46 --> 01:21:52 Right. But even more so in this age where a lot of people are not using mainstream
01:21:52 --> 01:21:53 media, especially newspapers.
01:21:54 --> 01:21:57 Right. They're getting their stuff online.
01:21:57 --> 01:22:04 You know, whether it's Reuters or BBC or, you know, they're using cable news
01:22:04 --> 01:22:12 or, you know, they're trying to find a newspaper that's close to their political leanings, even.
01:22:12 --> 01:22:18 Right. To stay in a safe space, get to get the spin that they want to have. Right.
01:22:18 --> 01:22:21 So for two major newspapers, the L.A.
01:22:22 --> 01:22:29 Times and the Washington Post to sit this one out, probably the most important election.
01:22:30 --> 01:22:33 And I know people say every election is important, blah, blah.
01:22:33 --> 01:22:35 But I mean, just just just think about it.
01:22:36 --> 01:22:42 For the for the Generation Z, this is clearly the most important election because
01:22:42 --> 01:22:45 this is going to set the foundation. This is for a lot of them,
01:22:45 --> 01:22:46 their first time voting.
01:22:47 --> 01:22:52 This is going to set the foundation for the next 20 years about whether we're
01:22:52 --> 01:22:57 going to even have a democracy or not. It's just real talk.
01:22:58 --> 01:23:05 For those newspapers to sit it out, that, for lack of a better word, trifling.
01:23:08 --> 01:23:15 But, you know, I mean, I've never claimed to be unbiased.
01:23:15 --> 01:23:19 I'm not, this is not a straight news show. This is an opinion podcast.
01:23:20 --> 01:23:24 And so my opinions are what they are.
01:23:24 --> 01:23:30 I try to get guests that may not agree with my opinion, but it's an opinion-based show.
01:23:30 --> 01:23:33 There's never been any ambiguity about it.
01:23:34 --> 01:23:38 But for those newspapers, not to. That's crazy.
01:23:39 --> 01:23:46 But it reaffirms something for me. And again, for those of you who are not Christian
01:23:46 --> 01:23:53 or agnostic or atheist, you may not get what I'm saying.
01:23:54 --> 01:24:02 But we were taught in our faith that Satan was the fallen angel.
01:24:02 --> 01:24:15 And he fell to earth and his mission has always been division and chaos and to a degree death right.
01:24:17 --> 01:24:25 But we were also taught that when we were created, that we were given the charge
01:24:25 --> 01:24:31 of dominion over Earth, which meant that we were supposed to have dominion over Satan.
01:24:33 --> 01:24:42 And his mission henceforth was to keep us divided so we would never have clear dominion.
01:24:43 --> 01:24:47 And so when I see what is going on, when I hear the rhetoric,
01:24:48 --> 01:24:54 I watch how people are blindly supporting, people of faith are blindly supporting
01:24:54 --> 01:24:56 a guy who is the antithesis,
01:24:56 --> 01:25:02 the total opposite of what they were raised up to be, what they taught in Sunday
01:25:02 --> 01:25:06 school, what their fathers and their mothers instilled in them,
01:25:07 --> 01:25:09 their teachers, even in their private schools.
01:25:10 --> 01:25:14 Right? Because a lot of them went to church-based schools.
01:25:15 --> 01:25:20 When I see people tying themselves in knots and pretzels to defend supporting
01:25:20 --> 01:25:24 a particular person and demeaning the opposition,
01:25:25 --> 01:25:33 right, and to see my own people supporting somebody that they know is not in their best interest.
01:25:34 --> 01:25:36 But it makes them feel good.
01:25:36 --> 01:25:41 It makes them feel special to be contrary, right?
01:25:42 --> 01:25:48 Even to the point where they deny the opportunity for one of their own.
01:25:48 --> 01:25:52 And you can stay calmly, like, if you want to. If that makes you sleep well
01:25:52 --> 01:25:55 enough, well at night, that's fine. That ain't the truth.
01:25:56 --> 01:25:59 Brother, Dr. Corday gave you the test.
01:26:00 --> 01:26:04 Color consciousness and commitment gave you the test.
01:26:05 --> 01:26:09 And he said she passed it in his assessment.
01:26:10 --> 01:26:14 And he's probably not an easy professor to study.
01:26:14 --> 01:26:21 You know, I think you I think he can see through BS. Right.
01:26:22 --> 01:26:27 And so, you know, if that makes you feel better at night that you can say that
01:26:27 --> 01:26:31 she ain't one of us, that's that's fine. But as far as me and my house and me
01:26:31 --> 01:26:34 and my friend, we know. We know.
01:26:35 --> 01:26:39 Been there, done that. Don't want to see the rerun. Right?
01:26:41 --> 01:26:47 Even just all of that, all of this chaos and all this stuff and even the fear, right?
01:26:48 --> 01:26:54 Because really, for major newspapers not to endorse any presidential candidate,
01:26:55 --> 01:26:57 I mean, if they had endorsed Dr.
01:26:58 --> 01:27:00 West or Dr. Stein, that would have been better than nothing.
01:27:01 --> 01:27:06 Nothing? Miss Claudia out here running, you could have endorsed her. Nothing?
01:27:07 --> 01:27:13 Brother from Georgia with Chase, the Libertarian candidate. That door's down.
01:27:14 --> 01:27:18 Wanted to play it safe. Nothing. Nobody.
01:27:19 --> 01:27:22 But even that is an affirmation to me.
01:27:22 --> 01:27:27 That when it's all said and done, the 47th president of the United States is
01:27:27 --> 01:27:31 going to be the current vice president of the United States, Kamala Devi Harris.
01:27:32 --> 01:27:38 And on January 20th, 2025, on Martin Luther King's birthday,
01:27:38 --> 01:27:45 or at least a holiday, she's going to say those 35 words at 12 noon and assume the office.
01:27:46 --> 01:27:51 This just affirmed it to me. Now, I've done my part. I voted already.
01:27:51 --> 01:27:57 So the rest of y'all in podcast listening land, y'all need to go ahead and vote, too.
01:27:58 --> 01:28:01 Because most of y'all listening to this podcast are probably going to do the
01:28:01 --> 01:28:08 same thing I did and made sure that she had some help who voted for people that
01:28:08 --> 01:28:11 were going to be not only in the U.S.
01:28:11 --> 01:28:18 Congress but in the statehouse to make sure that the craziness doesn't continue
01:28:18 --> 01:28:24 at the local level and in my case to make sure that that trial that's supposed
01:28:24 --> 01:28:26 to happen here in Georgia goes forward.
01:28:28 --> 01:28:33 Willis is literally running against an election denier for her position, the district attorney.
01:28:34 --> 01:28:36 So, yeah, took care of that.
01:28:38 --> 01:28:43 So in my friends, listening audience, in y'all respective states,
01:28:43 --> 01:28:46 I expect y'all to do likewise. At least I hope you do.
01:28:46 --> 01:28:51 But this is just further affirmation that is going to happen.
01:28:52 --> 01:28:59 And so if I'm wrong, I'm wrong. and we'll deal with that when that comes,
01:29:00 --> 01:29:01 but I don't think I'm going to be wrong.
01:29:04 --> 01:29:09 And regardless, I want people to still have courage.
01:29:10 --> 01:29:12 I want people to still have hope.
01:29:13 --> 01:29:17 I want people to still have the will to fight for what is right,
01:29:17 --> 01:29:24 regardless of the issue, Whether it's reparations, whether it's reproductive rights,
01:29:25 --> 01:29:33 whether it's LGBTQA plus rights. Forgive me, guys, for that.
01:29:34 --> 01:29:38 You know what I'm saying. Whatever issue that you want to fight for,
01:29:39 --> 01:29:41 the ceasefire in the Middle East.
01:29:41 --> 01:29:44 How about a ceasefire in the Congo, right?
01:29:45 --> 01:29:51 Whatever issue that I hope that you continue to have that fight in you,
01:29:51 --> 01:29:55 that you still have that desire to make a difference, that you still have that
01:29:55 --> 01:30:01 will and that commitment to make the world a better place than what you inherited.
01:30:02 --> 01:30:09 If for nobody else but your children or your younger family members, they come after you.
01:30:10 --> 01:30:13 Right. Marley said it.
01:30:15 --> 01:30:18 Kendrick Lamar said, everything's going to be all right.
01:30:19 --> 01:30:24 We're going to be all right. But we have to engage and we have to fight.
01:30:24 --> 01:31:16 Music.
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