🎙Newz and Trendz with Dave and Len: Black News Episode 108

[00:00:00] All right, y'all get ready for another edition of News and Trends with your host, Dave and

[00:00:20] Lynn. forget man about town again. So yeah, I didn't forget about man. I'm assuming you're no longer the man about town. Look, the man about town is Ty Yurz from, let me put it this way, Ty Red from the weekend because you know it was also my birthday this weekend and you know we was the director of the Deion work Doc you a documentary don't make me over that was out last year that was been nominated for quite a few awards Yeah, and he's up for double NAACP Award image award coming up soon so

[00:03:01] He's done very well with that. I'm so funny though because you remember when he came on our show being let

[00:04:03] around around town. But you know, he,

[00:04:06] he said he never does the same thing twice.

[00:04:10] So yeah, you said that on the show. Yeah, yeah, exactly. I mean, you know, he talked about promoting the Mike Tyson fight.

[00:04:15] Didn't do any fights after that. He did the, the Dr. J Karima,

[00:04:19] do with your bar one on one. Never did anything.

[00:04:21] Anything after that. Right?

[00:04:23] Yup. So now, now Dave, I will say I just want to thank everybody for showing love and and then the fact that I was able to make it to Monday. So I survived man, I survived. So it looks like the weather is trying to cooperate a little bit

[00:05:44] for us but everybody seems to think we're going to get another one, one more blast before this I've heard yet. For those that are big fans of the councilman Eric Mays from Flint, Michigan, I saw that he passed away today at the age of 65. I was kind of shocked when I saw that, you know, because I didn't know he was just a piece of work. He really was. And he had a voice that you could clearly distinguish. So when you hear someone with that voice yelling at you, you knew exactly who it was. He was like Samuel L. Jackson, you know what I mean? And beating, you know. And he didn't care. He would cuss you out or whatever the case may be.

[00:08:24] But he was doing his work. And a lot of people then, you know, you may not like this tactics, grandmother and broadcaster, a highly sought after speaker and LGBTQIA rights advocate. She encourages one being their authentic United States Army where she served as a medic in Operation Desert Storm and received an honorable discharge in 1991.

[00:11:01] So without further ado, Monica, we would like to welcome you to the show.

[00:11:05] Welcome.

[00:11:06] Thank you.

[00:11:07] Hey, Dave.

[00:11:08] Hey, Lynn. their needs nationally? Yeah, I came out in the early 80s at the age of 13. And as you can imagine, that was very difficult. I was bullied relentlessly in school. I would cut class because the kids were bullying me. And I would go to DuPont Circle in DC,

[00:12:21] which is like Boys Town.

[00:12:22] And all the gay boys in the drag queens would be there

[00:12:26] acting like they were on fame and twirling. ago. So I'm sure nowadays, do you feel like it's easier for, you know, children to come out in this day and age where, and I would say for my person, I feel like it's more accepted now, so it may be easier. But of course, you know, everybody has their, you know, their own struggle

[00:13:42] and, you know, their own, you know, way of doing anything. So I guess, you know, and I think that's very important because you still have children who don't have that support who still are kicked out of the house for being gay or lesbian or transgender, you know. Right. So now how did you come about writing to be in the mood to write and right so yes so that's how I started and so now outside of the trilogy I'm just working on expanding my brand outside of becoming an author so that's why I'm speaking that's how I find you guys because you know I joined the black

[00:16:22] speakers network and you know I have an extensive sales background so I was working as an administrator at the Chicago Public Schools. I was trying to work my way up the ladder and I had a stroke and I, you know, it was cold Chicago and I had to learn how to walk again. So I was stepping the house. And so I was like, Oh my goodness. I have to, it was such a sense of urgency to recreate myself.

[00:17:42] And I said, oh, I didn't get it. Because if I can write and make you feel something, it doesn't matter that the main protagonist is a lesbian. It doesn't matter. If you feel something, then I've done my job.

[00:19:00] I definitely agree.

[00:19:02] I'm sorry.

[00:19:03] Go ahead.

[00:19:03] Oh, no, no.

[00:19:04] I was just saying, I definitely agree.

[00:19:05] But you didn't write the kind that made me think. Yeah, yeah. So that's that's my dream to death into a screen. Let me take some time. If they come to fruition while I'm here on earth, it may not, but it's not just my legacy, but my grandchildren's legacy. Maybe one of them will bring it to fruition. I don't know. Right now. Now, what is the concept of the trilogy?

[00:20:23] You know, one night, Lynn,

[00:21:24] was, you know, when I came out. So that's the first book. The Darkest Shade of Blue,

[00:21:33] you'll see Nikki Blue, the main character, she, you know, she grows and she, you know, she just always wanted to have a wife and family and, you know, all the old lesbians just worked

[00:21:38] her honey. But, and then the evolution of Nikki Hopkins, but I'm from the village in Aspen Park. And so, you know, my daughter-in-law was like, mom, you're not gonna have these older women dancing to my neck, my back, my back. Yes, I am. They were dancing, Lynn, and yes, indeed.

[00:23:02] Hold on, were these white women, black women, bald?

[00:23:05] Majority, majority of them were white. are very big too in the audio series. So I'm sure you already thought about it, but I just wanted to throw it out there. I just have to make time for that, and then be the right engineer, because that's important. But I thought of that too, because a lot of people are like, oh God, I don't read, but I would definitely, I know. You know, do, you know, by audio,

[00:24:20] and you know, I just act, excuse me,

[00:24:23] like a drag queen and just be giving them voice,

[00:24:26] because I was a dish-shopping college, so. One thing that also is very popular now that, you know, I've got Leonard to get ready to go in this direction. Now podcasts, they're doing these shows on podcasts now where you could actually bring that character to life on a podcast and act it out. You know, you can do it yourself or you can get some people to play the parts with you or whatever the case may be.

[00:26:42] to hear what's happening next with this character. So that's another way to possibly market your books as well.

[00:26:51] That's something else to think about.

[00:26:54] I will ask, I know you and I have

[00:26:56] had a couple of conversations in reference to your life.

[00:27:00] Now, you just mentioned you were married and went

[00:27:03] through a divorce, and your wife, no. And so, you know, it just happened. And he's still in his life today. His father retired, just retired as a colonel. We have three grandchildren together. But you know, I caught a lot of flack in the beginning because they were originally a part of because they tell them you're not really this particular way, because you're too busy stepping on to the other side. And it's really interesting because right now we're in a whole different world when it comes to choice,

[00:29:42] when it comes to, of course, you know, we went to school with a couple back then they were called tomboys or they were called, you know, they were called lesbian or tomboy. Some were not full lesbians, they want to be the mommy and I want Nini to be the mommy. They were like, that's stupid. I said, well, I'm not playing then. And then someone be like, I'll be the mommy and you can be the mommy. Wow. Okay. So you knew where they were laughing. Okay. And out, but people just knew knew about him and people knew about me. And you know, I don't like to try to put people in the box. Because, you know, I've dated women who, and we're still friends to this day. It's like two women with still friends to this day. And they never dated another woman but me. And they would say, I don't

[00:33:44] like girls. I like you. And I can respect that. You know,

[00:34:51] But now I'm just loving myself the way that I loved other people because in the past I dated women.

[00:34:52] I had like three major relationships because I always wanted to be married.

[00:34:55] But these women weren't out.

[00:34:57] They weren't out at work, to their parents, at the church.

[00:35:01] And I was out and I was like, how am I in the back of the closet?

[00:35:05] And in order to be with them, I had to go back into the closet. I'm the market. But that's very profound and that also makes a lot of sense because if people can't be who they really are when they are out there trying to meet people then that really causes a lot of issues for a lot of

[00:37:41] people. It doesn't affect the person that you may not always be in, you know, so you can try to find out some new things and try to find out how our life is for real, instead of the

[00:39:00] fairy tales that some of us live in at from time to time.

[00:39:04] Yeah. Maybe we can get Tyler to holler at or get a friend to holler at you. Get somebody to holler at you. Tyler writes stuff. He punches it all. He does his own stuff. I don't know. Unfortunately, we do know that a little too much.

[00:40:21] He's on the new movie.

[00:40:23] Did you see that?

[00:40:25] Mia Copa?

[00:40:27] Yes. I was sitting there trying to figure out where I knew her from. P-Valley. Yep, that's what it is. P-Valley. I saw that show maybe once. Anyway. Well, hold on, David. You talk about it every time I talk to you.

[00:41:40] You talk about it.

[00:41:41] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:41:42] So, you try it.

[00:41:43] Anyway.

[00:41:44] Well, I'm not going to say that.

[00:41:45] I'm going to say that.

[00:41:46] I'm going to say that.

[00:41:47] I'm going to say that.

[00:41:48] I'm going to say that. watch it. So I am aware of it. Yeah. My, my wife and I have been watching it since the beginning and I, and I was telling him, I was telling my wife to him like, you know what, you might be glad like this is a really good storyline. Cause it, it takes place basically in a men's strip club. So it's kind of like,

[00:43:03] but I will say I think it's a great show.

[00:43:07] Eva, Eva acts her ass off. Like, input on these stories as well. So we're going to get into our news and trends portion of the show and you guys are listening to news and trends with Dave and Lynn. Thank you for taking the time for hanging out with us as you during the 2425 term. Clinton came under scrutiny Justice Judge of the Atlanta's Federal Appeals Court, who was the one to hire her, as well as the Justice Clarence Thomas himself. I'm going to stop right there. So here we I think there's so much self hatred that I don't think he cared if it got out. Because he just aligns himself with powerful white men, millionaires,

[00:48:21] billionaires. And so I don't really think he cares. I mean,

[00:48:24] he's allowed to do whatever he wants to do. And there are no exactly what they were doing. Yeah, they did. They got the uncle that they wanted. So, okay. All right. Well, I just wanted, I saw that story and I just said, well, you know, Clarence Thomas is doing what Clarence Thomas does, you know, so let's, let's, so, and, and of course it's black history month still. So, you know, I just figured I'd bring the story

[00:49:41] up. We can see that we still got work to do folks. We still got work to a version of the word black. But they're saying nowadays, the question that kind of came over social media, is this a term of endearment? Or is this a word that we need to get rid of?

[00:51:01] And one of the references that they made about it was,

[00:51:05] they said in 2020, our culture, you know, our spice, you know, just everything about us. But then when it really comes down to being black, they will never understand. Right. You know, I was listening to one of the previous podcasts, and Dave was talking about, I think it show last week where we thought about the words that the kids are saying in the classrooms that the teacher wanted to ban. There's always those slick ways of saying black, you know, the N word, you know, whatever way you want to put it. There's always slick ways of being it's been going on for years. I mean, you know, offensive is more than likely if you're using the word negrito or negrito, you're probably speaking in Spanish and I don't, I don't speak Spanish. So I don't know what you're saying. But when I hear that, like it just gives me a bad feeling almost like you're talking about. So Yeah. And now look, I'm going to, my ear is going to be picking up, you know, he's paying

[00:55:03] more attention now because, you know, I saying it in Spanish. So you think I don't know what you're saying. Now that's malicious right there. Now, just for a flip side. So, um, the article also says, um, and this is from one of your, one of their, the interviewees perspective,

[00:56:23] everybody in Puerto Rico has been using the term Negrita

[00:57:23] And our commander was like absolutely not

[00:57:29] They're American soldiers in there sitting up front with everybody else, you know, they all behind the men and all this

[00:57:36] And you're trying to sit me in the back no no ma'am

[00:57:42] So this for that and not there not that time put up with that. You know what I mean? They go over to those countries and they don't like what they see. They want to speak up and say, I don't like it and you guys can't do it. Now, of course, you know, we, you know, we can't always do that. But, you know, we, I mean, we can voice our, we can voice our opinions. But of course we look, we're looked at as different because, you know, that we might have an anger issue or something like

[00:59:02] that if we say something, you know, but I some things you may just have to accept or not go. It's interesting because a couple of friends out on the street, even if they're thirsty or whatever the case is. I mean, there's some kind of craziness, right? And Larry, of course, you know, Larry David, man, who he is, he did that and he ended up in jail because he did it. This kind of stuff, you know, something like that could be real in another country, you know,

[01:01:41] where you have somebody, something. David, sorry to jail for giving her, giving the lady a bottle. And she was choking and everything. And they still do it. Yeah, it was funny. It was funny, but you know, of course, if you ever watched Curvy and Things, you have Larry Davis and Derrico anyway. Yeah. And one thing I will say about that show, they tackle a lot of racial stuff on that show.

[01:04:10] than I thought it was interesting. The greatest US president rankings, the top 10, who do you guys think is the number why did they call him Michelle's husband? I know, that's interesting that they do that. Yeah. Yeah. You know what they said that Michelle's thinking about,

[01:05:40] you know, making her run, but that's a whole nother story.

[01:05:43] Yeah.

[01:05:46] But they found it, huh? lower than Abraham Lincoln at second. George Washington was third at 90.32.66. He was higher than Ronald Reagan, believe it or understand. How could he run for president? We know why. Go ahead and tell her your favorite thing to say, Leonard. Yes, he keen. So all right. But I just thought that was a great list. And then since we're in Black History Month, at least we got one in there. But we only had one. So all right. Moving on to our next story.

[01:11:00] Monica, for Black History Month, we've

[01:11:03] been sharing the spotlight on notable Blacks. But black history expands much further. So we put together a list of little known but significant heroes in black history and how people, how many people have you heard of? So this is actually going to be a little test for you guys too. Okay, let's see how many of these people you've heard of.

[01:12:23] I think Leonard's going to know this one.

[01:12:25] Let's see if you do.

[01:12:27] Okay. bit of recognition. Wow. Yeah, a lot of people didn't know that story. Yeah, it actually happened nine months prior to Rosa Parks. And, but because, and plus she had, she had a little bit of a background, you know, and, and they, they just didn't think she was the

[01:13:42] person to do it. And of course Rosa Parks familiar, but I could not. I have no idea. Okay. All right. Monica, why don't you tell us about Barrett Rustin? Well, he was really the force behind the march on Washington.

[01:15:03] And he was, he's different. He's different, Monica. I'm telling you, he's different. And you know, so don't get me started on that. The white, you need to go see it. Well, this is all I can say. Ain't nothing like the original. So I have seen the original, but the color purple, the new one I have not seen. It's really good. And fantastic. Yeah, I actually watched it yesterday

[01:16:20] for the first time yesterday.

[01:16:22] Yeah.

[01:16:23] Well, Monica, if Dave would Paramount, Peacock, and Hulu, okay? We both need those accounts. Come up off the goods.

[01:17:41] Hello, let me tell you, it's funny, it's funny.

[01:17:45] The Hulu, the Hulu, I do have Hulu.

[01:17:47] We need that.

[01:17:48] I have Disney Plus. down there like they got in those movies and everything and they got woods and they got they got a swimming pool there that people get drowned in and all that stuff. But Monica, Dave is trying to reflect that he don't want to give us $5.99 worth of streaming. Look, look, look, look, look, you heard what I said. This is my partner, you know, so look,

[01:19:01] you need to Google this man. Google it. You the Malcolm and Martin thing he's present in that that's he there's a guy playing him in that in that show and I was like how come I've never heard of this guy before yeah yeah so I mean attention of the local African-American community. This is the young lady that was represented by the NAACP. I remember this now. Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler. Yes. Anybody ever heard that before? I I I I only know it because she has Delaware roots. Oh. Oh, really? Yeah. Dave Dave, you didn't know that. Hey, hey, Monica, you gotta watch out for

[01:23:02] this guy right here. No, I don't have that. Where was she born? She was born in Christina, Delaware. No, really? Yeah. So the Crumplers, there's a family of Crumplers from Wilmington.

[01:24:21] I wonder if they're related to her.

[01:24:24] Yeah, I don't know.

[01:24:25] Okay, that's interesting.

[01:24:27] I never knew that. trucks. Well, and Thermo King and its formation of the Thermo King Corporation. Hmm. Why don't we know about that? That's what I'm saying. It's amazing. I mean, I've never heard of him either. And his trucks were used to transport blood and medicine during the war. Wow. That's major. He became a law educator at Howard University of Law where he taught Martin Luther King to do that and John Lewis also. So yes. Okay. Okay.

[01:28:20] All right.

[01:28:21] This is the last one.

[01:28:24] Okay. You didn't hear about that guy in school? No, no. I mean, now that you explain who we were, I do remember. But when you said the name off base, nothing was clicked. Marcus said it's time. All right, Dave, we need a tiebreaker now.

[01:29:41] We need a tiebreaker.

[01:29:42] That was the last one.

[01:29:43] That was the last one.

[01:29:44] We're going to leave the tie.

[01:29:44] We're going to leave the tie.

[01:29:46] I mean, I could build some random name out there eat. So we went there thinking we were gonna be able to sit down and eat in there and of course now that's a taco place over there. So I didn't know that was the first time I had been in there. I'm ordering food from there but I hadn't been there. So I was kind of disappointed because I was

[01:31:00] hoping we'd be able to sit down and eat Sanders is? And the guy, he felt we jumped on him. You know, he's like, no, I don't know who he is. And so my son, who's 29, now that kid was 25. My son is 29.

[01:32:20] I said, do you know who Deion Sanders is?

[01:32:24] He said, no'm, I'm older than both of you. I've never heard of him before. What? Until last year. I think I only did because he was gay. So he was always, you know, a hero to me. So, unsung. favorite because I would want to know what it was like trying to free the slaves and what she went through as a Black woman, you know, and of course those that

[01:36:20] didn't want to leave, how she dealt with that. every time we think about Martin Luther King, we think about

[01:37:41] the I Have Dreams speech, we think about, you know,

[01:37:43] Montgomery and civil rights.

[01:37:46] But, you know, they say Martin Luther King died that ultimate novel, it would probably be about Jesus. I'm going to tell you why. I just want to hang out with him prior to him being put on trial with Pilate and them

[01:39:04] trying to decide what they were going to do those conversations and to be able to see what would happen if

[01:40:20] somebody was able to like to say, sign and personalize books there. And you can read my articles that I've written for various platforms.

[01:41:43] And my Instagram is underscore pretty Monica Pickett Facebook LinkedIn. have a good time when we have those parties but thank you thank you so much. So here we are folks at the end of the show and we want to thank Monica for taking the time to hang out with us and bless us with everything that's going on with her. Thank you. Please people check out go check out her pages check out her books.

[01:43:02] You don't know I mean this time next. You know if you like hanging out with we'll definitely bring you back so but thank you for taking the time to hang out

[01:44:20] with us and so forth and um people um let's make sure you check this young lady out and and check