Celebrating Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc. Founders Day | #RolandMartinUnfiltered #BlackStarNetwork

N N I He Folks Blackstar network is here no punching I’m real revolutionary right now support this man black media he makes sure that our stories are told thank you for being the voice of Black America rolling I love y’all all we have now we have to keep this going the video looks phenomenal see this difference

Between black star Network and black own media and something like CNN you can’t be black on media and be scared it’s time to be smart bring your eyeballs home you Dig Oh I I N Today’s Monday December 4th 2023 it is the 117th anniversary of the coldest the boldest fraternity in the land Alpha F Alpha Fraternity Incorporated uh this is an Al for show today uh coming up folks we’ve got the mayor of Houston brother Sylvester Turner talking about the May oral race

This Saturday and also his response to John Whitmire who’s running for mayor for his political dog whistle questioning diversity uh of the mayor’s Administration also Congressman Steven Horford also an alpha chair of congression of black ha we talk about how much of a joke the House Republicans

Are not doing doing the business of the American people plus we’ll talk with Congressman Emanuel cleever another Alpha about the housing shortage uh in this country actress Julian margal o she’s backpedaling her statements uh uh saying that black people in LGBT community uh align with Palestinian terrorists also another Trump

Codefendant just crazy sister could have her bail revoked of her recent statements are found to be threatening to a witness plus uh will have lot of shout out from Brothers all across the country it’s time to bring the funk Alpha Style on Roland Martin unfiltered on the Blackstar Network let’s Go fine and when it breaks he’s right on time and it’s rolling best believe he’s knowing putting it down from spost news to politics with entertainment Just for kicks he’s rolling yeah it’s all go [Applause] y it’s rolling M yeah rolling with rolling now he’s he’s fres he’s real the best

You know he’s rolling Mar [Applause] Now Folks today is the anniversary of alifi alpha return Incorporated and so of course your truly 34e member of the Frat and so we’ve got a jam-pack show for you we’re kicking things off uh out of Houston where mayor sest Turner uh took some time during last week’s city

Council meeting uh to address mayor CID say Senator John Whitmire for saying the Turners administration had not was not diverse enough say what so here just a little of of what the mayor had to say uh about whtm criticisms lodged by uh Senator John whtm and I want to respond if you’re

Going to uh attack this Administration and one of the criticism was that there is no diversity with regards to I guess my top leaders at the city that was a dog whistle because uh let me just say to you with respect to Asians who are in top positions here at this

City um as you know I I appointed sanj Ram as chair of Metro first Asian that’s my appointment uh I also appointed our uh our commment as the first woman chair of Metro that was my kareim that was my appointment um priia Zachariah uh chairs mayor’s office of resilience and sustainability

Asan first my appointment and doing an outstanding job I me say if you all can recall tandri emo emo the first Asian woman to cheer Finance director that was my appointment okay uh Mino Patel Davis shairs um um um human traff human trafficking okay and it’s been here for

At least eight years with respect to Hispanics if you all can recall um Chief observador was the head of the police department and chief Pena headed the fire department all at the same time okay that was historic my appointment um all right folks joining us right now is Mayor sest Turner uh

Mayor glad to have you here happy Founders Day St to you 06 so let’s get right to it um we got the got this runoff election between state Senator John Whitmire Congress Sheila Jackson Lee election is taking place on Saturday and and and whb has been saying uh some

Pretty crazy things and so to say you haven’t had enough diversity that’s crazy uh Roland uh this Administration has been the most diverse in the city’s history okay the most diverse um and when you look at the pre let’s say the last two administrations not one Asian not one

In the white Administration or in the Imp Park Administration not one with respect to this Administration we have representations of Asians African-Americans anglos um Hispanics lgbtq all in major positions and as I indicated what you just heard um when I came in I named a Hispanic uh head of

Police and a Hispanic head of the fire department both at at the same time that has never taken place in the history of this city what uh and then of course he he he he treding to throw out uh corruption with regards to the uh contracts uh at

Uh at at the airports there uh because the owner of papis is not happy that they were not a part of the winning bid uh at Houston’s Hobby Airport full disclosure uh my brother Reginal Martin his company’s on uh one of the team that actually uh did win it but wasn’t that a

An actual process that that was that that it wasn’t like it was chosen by the mayor of the city council you’re right it went through a a procurement process uh they went through the interviews they went through the scoring uh papers did not come out number one they came out

Number two and in fact in the um best and final offer uh papers lowered their um uh what they will be giving to the city they didn’t go up they didn’t remain the same they lowered it and as a consequence of that they lost and what he what with Maya uh supposedly is

Advocating you just give it to them you know because of who they are just give it to them well if we end up doing that we would have been in trouble we would have been violating the procurement rules the people who got it are the people who scored number one won they

Wanted they gave for came forth with the best bid and they wanted and papers and no one else uh should be entitled or feel like they have an entitlement to remain uh just because they’ve been there for the previous 20 years you have to compete and you have to adhere to the

Procurement rules and policies and procedures and that’s what we did and then the team that scor number one is over at the airport you you you call this uh a political dog will so um what’s at play here well it’s a the the mayor’s race and it can be it can go

Either way it’s it’s it’s it’s it’s it’s close and essentially when you get in a debate on television and you start saying well look at the people who are on the the mayor’s uh the mayor’s directors on his team there are no Hispanics there are no his no uh Asians

Uh what are you implying implying number one that’s factually incorrect number two you’re making this and turning into a racial issue are you saying there are too many blacks and if you’re saying that then what is the quota what number are you saying but the reality is this

Is a very diverse city um my Administration has one of the most if not the most diverse representation in the history of this city and uh and you will see people from all Persuasions uh that are in Key leadership positions here at the city of H we’re very proud

Of that and quite frankly up until him making that comment I think most people in the city of Houston have been proud of the of the diversity uh that exists in this city and the fact that we have key people people of color from the highest level to the mid level all the

Way down and we’re very proud of that um I saw a previous video as well uh I think you was I don’t know if you were speaking at a church or was a banquet I not quite sure uh and you said that in 8 years of mayor uh you’ve never

Gotten a phone call from Senator whtm saying what kind of assistance uh do you need for the City of Houston in Austin he has been in the state legislature uh for a very long time you serve in the state legislature as well uh and so I I

Do find it peculiar that uh a state senator there only 31 in in in the whole state uh that you never heard from a Houston State Senator and you’re the mayor of the city and that’s a factual statement that’s a factual statement we’ve gone through storms we’ve gone

Through covid social civil unrest uh the list goes on and on in 80 years uh I have faced seven uh federally declared disasters and I should say the city has faced them and in those eight years of the two mayoral candidates only one has called me at least just one time and

Offered in his support and gave in his support and that’s been congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee for whatever reason the Senator Senator Whitmire has never picked up the phone and offered to help this city or offered to me any help or advice not one time I can’t tell you why

I can only tell you factually what has occurred in the last 8 years um it is a big election on uh Saturday you have endorsed congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee uh and uh obviously a lot of eyes are on this particular race uh it is a diverse

City and you’ve had you got a lot of Republicans uh in the city who are supporting uh Senator Whit Meyer uh and but and you’ve got endorsements going uh back and forth from your perspective why would Congressman Sheila Jackson Lee make a better better mayor for the city

Than John Whitmire well you know is uh this is a diverse City and we Face a lot what I can say to you is that in in the last eight years we fa those seven federally declared disasters the congresswoman has stood by this city and the congresswoman has stood by me she

Didn’t wait to get a phone call she’s utilized her position in the best for the for the betterment of the city of Houston she’s brought down resources that’s important and it is important as we move forward to have someone sitting in the mayor’s seat that can establish positive relationships with the local

Units of government Harris County with the feds that’s critically important and even know know how to deal with the state as well uh her experience speaks volumes on that end in terms of this city we are a global City and it’s important that you you’re able to

Represent us on the national and Global stage she’s certainly prepared and is proven very capable of doing that and then at the same time uh she is a doer she gets things done she’s very result oriented and she’s demonstrated that so quite frankly there are just a lot of

Pluses of uh in her favor and I they say that without having to bash anybody else or the person that’s running in the race with her she has established herself uh since she’s been a city council person uh since she’s been in Congress of someone who knows how to represent uh

The best interest of everyone in the city of Houston and therefore you know I’m I’m I have given my support to her uh you are in the final days of uh your uh eight years as mayor uh it has been highly successful one of the things that

We talked about in June we were there for juneth uh is what you have been able to do uh to really grow uh the opportunities for black and minority businesses uh by being mayor and and and the record will speak for itself Roland um under this Administration uh businesses of color

Hispanics Asian African-Americans have received more business from this city uh at a historic level and specifically that holds true for African American businesses they are and we’re talking about businesses who are fully capable of doing the work so their representation in terms of doing business with the city uh speaks volumes

We we’ve we’ve worked very hard to build a very inclusive community uh not just in terms of representation and not just in terms of who who is sitting in the chairs but in terms of the economic opportunities that this city has to offer and on in each

One of those categories uh you can check the box and as a result of this of this communities are doing better because families are doing better because people are uh are doing better economically and they can pass that on down to their employees and everyone else so those are

Good things and I think that will speak V volumes uh for the future of this city what would you say uh is uh the uh for you personally the greatest uh accomplishment uh that you have been able uh to uh to to do well this is a

This is the most diverse City in the city of Houston and you can be diverse separate segregated and aart or you can be diverse and inclusive at the same time we’ve been able to hold the city together and move forward the second thing is that we have faced more storms

Um more disasters more major events than anyone previously sitting in this seat uh but we’ve come through it we’ve built a very resilient stronger sustainable City and it’s been a we thing so I give High marks uh for uh the collaboration it hadn’t been a me thing it’s been a we

Thing and so people on all levels have come together in order for us to get through these storms and at the same time be a very competitive City with with other cities not only in this state and in this country but globally as well and I think that speaks volumes for

Houston and who we are on another on a lighter note we have brought more um sporting events and conventions to this city than anyone in the history of the city sitting in this chair and more sporting events uh than any other city in the country and that’s what the Haru

And Sports Authority just put out a few days ago so we we’ve done well the Astros have won the World Series twice they’ve been in the world series three times they’ve been a a uh Division champion seven consecutive times and I’ve been mayor eight times so I think

Um I think we have a pretty good track record and now even the Texans are doing very very well only thing we got to do is get the Rockets uh handling their business and then we’ll have a tror there we on we look we we’re on our way

And then again let me let me but let me take the opportunity to thank you uh for what for your advocacy for what you are doing uh you certainly made uh alpha alpha Fraternity Incorporated very very proud but quite frankly you’ve given a voice to a whole lot of people who need

To be heard in this day and time we are we’re going through some tough times and that’s why I hate to see what’s happening in the city of Houston right now when when you inject even in a dog whistle race into the equation that’s not a good thing

That’s not a good thing so um so let me thank you and let me just say you know happy Founders Day absolutely absolutely and of course for me it all started there at Jack yades High School mad School of Communications and so uh that’s it mayor Turner I appreciate it

Uh again uh good luck uh in the final uh days of your uh uh of you being the mayor uh and I’m sure I will see you around in around the Houston of course uh at the brook The Church Without Walls yes sir yes sir I’ll see you soon man

Man all right thanks a lot be well take care okay folks going to break we come back uh chat with my panel also talk about a lot of the news we got going uh Congressman Steven hores with Cher the congression of Black Caucus will be joining us Congressman Emanuel cleever

Will be talking about housing uh in this country it’s a whole lot we got to discuss right here on Rolland Martin unfiltered on the Black Star Network on this Alpha founders day we’ll be right back hatred on the streets a horrific scene white nationalist rally that descended into deadly [Applause]

Violence why people are losing their damn Minds we prot Trump M storms the US capital we SE we’re about to see the rise of what I call White minority resistance we have seen white folks in this country who simply cannot tolerate black folks voting I think what we’re

See seen is the inevitable result of violent denial this is part of American History every time that people of color have been progress whether real or symbolic there has been what Carol Anderson at em University calls white rage as a backlash this is the rise of the proud boys and the bugaloo boys

America there’s going to be more of this there’s all the proud boys guys this country is getting increasingly racist in its behaviors and its attitudes because of the fear of white people the fear that they’re taking our jobs they’re taking our resources they’re taking our women this is white [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] Fe greetings and happy Founders Day to my brothers of alpha alpha Fraternity Incorporated I’m brother Mark Tillman and I’ve had the honor and privilege of serving our fraternity as the 34th General president today we celebrate 117 years of existence founded on the campus of Cornell University we remember and

Honor our seven Founders the Jews of this fraternity they are The Architects of Alpha’s ideals aims and Mission remember to support and defend our right to vote remember to promote academic excellence and defend the right for equal education and remember to serve and advocate for our communities to ensure

Equal opportunity for all happy Founders Day my brothers enjoy this day all right folks introducing our Allstar Alpha panel Dr Mustafa Santiago Ali former senior advisor for the environmental justice for the EPA uh he joins us from Dubai uh I would assume that’s why he don’t have his black and

Gold on so you know he went out there got he got this and cream on uh we got we got Dr oh yeah I was going to say something we got Dr Larry Walker assistant professor University of Central Florida uh glad to see you in

The black and gold Doc and of course Dr Greg car Department of African-American studies Howard University out of DC and so glad to have all three of my Alpha Brothers here uh I want to I want to start uh with uh you uh Greg we you

Heard the mayor there and and here’s the the thing that I’ve consistently said to people the reason Atlanta is the city that it is is because they had mayor Jackson as mayor Alpha followed by Andrew Young as mayor Alpha followed by maer Jackson followed by Bill Campbell followed by Shirley

Franklin uh followed by cim Reed uh followed by uh Kesha Lance bottoms followed by uh right now uh he he go by mayor Andre uh you had black mayor after black mayor Chicago had Harold Washington and then it was 20 plus years uh more than

20 years before uh a uh a a black well actually longer than that before a black mayor was elected in terms of Lorie Lightfoot and then now you’ve seen Brandon Johnson so they’ve now had backtack black Mayors Lee Brown was the first black mayor of Houston then you

Had a couple of others in then you had Sylvester Turner uh and what I keep saying is we’re talking about black advancement it’s critically important to have that continuation in order to uh continue the work it doesn’t get done just in one term and so that’s why when

We talk about voting black voters could make the difference in Houston if they actually turn out in large numbers for congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee over state Senator John Whitmire absolutely um refresh my memory uh brother Roland um Harold Washington what fraternity was he Harold Washington

Actually I think he was a sigma was he okay I know you saw was I mean I know I was trying to remember I guess we couldn’t get everybody in he yeah Harold Washington was a sigma uh and then was Eugene sawer uh who who came after him

On the temporary basis Eugene s he uh he he was an alpha he was an alpha that’s right okay thank you brother and the head of the Cook County uh the Cook County Board of Commissioners uh John Stroger Alpha brother yes sir yes sir well you know it’s interesting Roland we

Know this you you’ve taught us this history over and over again there are limits to political power when resources have been deprived he will get resources deprived uh we certainly see class tensions to this day in Atlanta the stop cop City movement that’s on Andre’s watch the the class kind of cleavages

That emerged even in the man Jackson administration but that’s an issue that is related but distinct we have to have political power first to then begin to turn internally and solve these challenges and what we’re seeing here uh is that yes there’s a robust black upper class and middle class and all these

Black cities even as the black poor along with the rest of the poor are suffering but what we have here in Houston is probably a preview to what we’re going to see around the country what we’ve always seen when black Black Folk after the Voting Rights Act of 1965

As you always talk about began to uh elect black power put black people into elective office that first wave of black politicians came in with a mandate to create the type of Equitable Society for everyone that would of course benefit us you see Harold Washington’s early plans

You see Manor Jackson’s early plans and what those white boys did I’m not talking about the poor whites initially because these are in many ways multi-racial coalitions certainly in Chicago the the Rainbow Coalition as we know came from the Black Panthers the the the white folk in North Chicago the

Hillbilly movement the so-called uh the the uh the the young Lords movement in Chicago there was a multi-racial coalition that put Harold Washington in office but what did the rich white boys do the business owners and folk like that they began to try to withdraw resources from the PO either moving to

The suburbs or trying to maintain control the banks we saw the same thing happened here in Washington DC with our brother another Alpha brother Mariam Barry and so black potic politicians find themselves hamstrung when resources are being starved now this white nationalist in in Houston Herman his his

Whole technique is the same technique they following out with throughout Texas we’re going to starve y’all of resources and then the dog whistles that he puts in is basically like if you bring me I’m going to talk to my white friends and these business owners and we GNA put

Some more money back in this city it’s an old Playbook but now that Texas finally is majority nonwhite now that white people make up the largest minority group in the state of Texas what’s going on in Houston is a preview to the Playbook they’re going to run

Until they are finally rested power of across the country this is what Sylvester Turner this is what CA Jackson Lee and everyone else is facing and we’ve seen it before in all these cities that you mention um what great laid out there Mustafa I think is really

Important and I’m just going to say what’s happening here in Houston people need to understand Houston is the largest Houston and Harris County the largest city largest county in the state Republicans in Austin have been doing all they can to stifle Houston because it has gone blue well guess what

Democrats control the Harris Harris County uh Commissioner’s Court youa Latina who is uh the chair of the Harris County Commissioners here you have Houston you have a black mayor uh you got folks down there white Republicans they like we got to take back something in this city I saw one poll that showed

88% of Republicans in Houston were supporting a state Senator John Whitmire who’s actually a Democrat uh and so uh I I what I laid out my book White fear how the Browning of America is making white folks lose their minds this is about again power and then who Wills power and

What I keep saying over and over and over again I’m going keep saying it between now and next year’s election and and on to black people if we are not properly leveraging our vote to the maximum capacity then what we’re doing is we’re losing the opportunity to hold

Power wield power and drive change to our communities yeah and we understand that power uh is correlated with making that positive change that you referenced inside of our communities whether it is around education or housing or job opportunities the list goes on and on and Republicans there have made a uh you

Know a decision that um you know the other candidate is actually the person whom will probably help them to hold on to that power but we should unpack this you know you need there in Houston a candidate who actually understands how the federal process works where are those resources in the federal system

How do you navigate that and that’s why when you have the opportunity to have someone like Sheila Jackson Lee excuse me congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee you know I work right down the hall from her I’ve spent time inside of her uh office and uh understood the dynamic dynamics

That she played out to make sure that positive things began to happen for our community so you know if we want to make sure uh that our communities are healthy and are thriving and have the resources that are necessary then you have to have that individual and of course that’s

Tied to your vote uh to make sure that you have someone who’s in office who not just sees you but understands the Dynamics that are going on inside of your communities uh Larry R I think that you know this conversation we’re having right now you just talked to you know brother mayor

Turner is really important and it’s is Founders Day a voteless people a hopeless people’s voteless people right we talk about that you know as our major you know Focus one of our programs is Alpha and so it’s going to be imperative folks to get out in a couple days from

Now and vote I think the statistics you highlighted in terms of 88% of Republicans uh uh you know supporting a Democrat obviously is really concerning but I think once again when you talk about you know brother car talked about the voting ranks Act of 65 and a no

Black po political power and and then you highlighted with Republicans steps start taking not only the state of Texas but other states throughout the United States where there are large metropolitan areas that have gone blue and efforts to undermine the political power and you see that Harris County what’s happening with the school

District among other challenges but it’s going to be critically important for black folks to outperform some of the other uh groups in this in the area to make sure that you know we elect congresswoman Sheila Jackson leag and as you know was just highlighted I think our federal experience obvious on

Judiciary Committee uh and SP a number of Connections in Capitol Hill certainly could be helpful in terms of bringing additional resources to the metropolitan area but once again this is all hands on deck and as you highlighted the number of of of black Mayors to Chicago DC talking about hometown of Philadelphia

Etc if you want to continue that tradition then once again we have to make sure folks get out and vote and make sure he put shage acally in office so it’s going to be again end of the day it comes down to who actually votes election takes place on Saturday

December 99th uh so folks uh absolutely let’s make it happen all right folks had to go to break uh when we come back Congressman Steven Horford cheer the ran Black Caucus Alpha brother out of Nevada will talk about the 2024 election voting rights and of course the recent exposion

Of George Santos well hear from him also we’ll talk to Congressman Emanuel Cleaver out of Kansas City uh about housing shortage in this country all of that next right here on Rolland Martin unfilter on the Blackstar Network don’t forget to support us in what we do folks

Uh you can join our Bina Funk fan club uh and so see your check and money orders at PO Box 57196 Washington dc2000 37-196 cash app dollar sign RM unfiltered PayPal R Martin unfiltered venmo is RM unfiltered zo Rolland rolands martin.com Rolland R Martin filter.com we’ll be right back Grow your business or career with grow with Google’s wide range of online courses digital training and tools gain in demand job skills with flexible online training programs designed to put you on the FASTT track to jobs in high growth Fields no experience is necessary learn at your own pace complete the

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Jobs happy Founders Day to the men of alpha alpha seven men came together making a commitment to embody The Motto first of all Servants of all we shall transcend all you know while we’ve never fully lived up to our promise of our nation we’ve never fully walked away

From it either because of you you and Alpha men like you like Dr King Jus a ster Good Marshall my good friend Ambassador Andy young thank you all for the history you’ve made and history you continue to make God bless you all keep at it guys keep at It all right folks welcome back uh Greg were you surprised by that video Greg I couldn’t stop laughing man you know what it was Rand I saw brother West Moore give his thing today on the Frat but Joe Biden just cracks me up man no but you know he you you know he’s

Actually done a video for every D9 Founders Day no question hey look Joe bid know what side his bread is buted on man it just cracks me up to he why I mean but but but I’m tell you this here I don’t recall Obama doing greetings for

Every Founders Day well I’m so I so I hey I give it to Biden staff no I I I definitely give it see that that’s called good Staffing that’s called that’s see I I love I love all the people sitting there call oh uh he out

Here this what cracks me up I I I’m gonna get to Conor Steven horse in a minute but but this is what cracks me up these people going on oh see that’s right here begging for the vote see this this is where I’m now confused so if we get ignored we pissed

Right but then if somebody does something like this then other folk go oh uh now you sitting here begging that that’s actually smart politics smart politics is that’s what you do um when you are you know again looking out for a group Republicans uh do that for

Evangelicals they do it for other groups so I it just kills me when you get people who out there it’s so like damn if you do damn if you don’t no question and and yeah and Obama you know the Obamas are outliers first of all I doubt

That Barack Obama was invited to a smoker or anything else when he was in undergraded ocidental or even when he crossed the continent and as far as Michelle Obama go is it apocryphal have y’all heard the same story I heard that uh once it was clear that she could only

Join One S did she just turned down all the offers like in other words I did I could maybe I could be an honor member of all of them so clearly y’all don’t know how this works we’re all together it’s the divine nine but you got to pick

So maybe the Obama but you’re absolutely right that’s smart politics and we know as you know better than all of us just how filthy the White House is with members of alpha alpha and the divine nine so they weren’t gonna let him make no mistakes brother no question

Absolutely absolutely you know Larry you know you know you know on that point this is one of the reasons why you have have diverse staffs this is one of the what people don’t realize what people don’t realize presidents Governors Mayors County Commissioners State reps state senators when you go to Wars

Programs what do you open up you will see a letter there from elected official when you go you’ll see videos there this happens for all groups and so we should we should want elected officials especially those at depend on our votes uh honoring our organizations absolutely and listen he

Wouldn’t get elected without the D9 his VP is a me member of the D9 so it’s it’s it will be a fumble if the White House didn’t and I know the mega SciFi had their found this day a few weeks ago and I saw the video and you’re right R he’s

Done the videos for everyone it is smart politics because as we well aware we can call about Dr King and and brother Marshall Etc in terms of alpha the impact alpam men have had on this country the boys Etc but it it will be uncons not to honor particularly

Obviously the first but honor all D9 organizations in terms of giving them a shout out on Founders days it takes a few few minutes to film each video but it’s really important because listen in election next year he’s going to leave every single vote of every D9 member not

Only that we talked about all our work for voter registration and Alam always in the front L line and getting people registered to vote undergraduate and graduate chapter so he’s going to need every single vote next year so it’s critically important that he gave a

Shout out like I said to the first and the finest of course I just can’t stand the folk who whine Mustafa or who say oh he pandering first of all Let Me Be Real Clear Politics is pandering you literally go to people begging them for their vote it ain’t no different than somebody

Outside the store going you got any spare change you got any change that’s what politicians do it’s true it is what they do but you know we need to also uh view this from a different direction because I’ve been in the seats of prepping senior officials for the creation of videos and

Engagement with uh other organizations so when you have uh whether it’s a president or vice president or an administrator uh of an agency uh yes you’re shooting that video for a few moments but they’re also finally beginning to have some education around uh the creativity and actually all the

Amazingness that is associated with us that they may not have known and then they will also swing back around when you’re on the road with them and they’ll say or ask questions uh about an organization and the leaders inside of that so when he hears names like Dr King

Or Thor Good Marshall or a number of others and they’re starting to make some decisions about who’s going to get invited to something or where resources need to go who has the expertise in that space they will think about Alpha F Alpha um so there’s a number of benefits

That come from having those individuals both in that moment and then in additional times afterwards uh absolutely absolutely uh uh speaking of that um Mustafa you’re there uh in Dubai uh vice president kamla Harris uh was was was there uh as well uh tell folks what is happening

There uh that uh the attention of the world is on that region well cop 28 is happening here in Dubai uh it’s an incredibly important set of conversations that are going on uh countries all across our planet are making decisions about the sets of Investments and actions that they’ll do

To address the climate crisis and for our folks it’s incredibly important to be a part of this and to pay attention to what’s going on because our communities get hit first and worse whether it’s from floods or hurricanes uh these Heat waves that actually disproportionately kill black folks at

Twice the rate of white folks so when people are talking about uh how resources are going to be developed where resources are going to go and how we’re going to break our addiction to fossil fuels there is a direct public health impact that’s happening but there’s also an economic uh impact uh

For our folks uh we know many of our folks work Outdoors so when we have these extreme weather events it makes it difficult uh for us to be able to work it makes kids more difficult for them to be able to make it to school but there’s also literally billions upon billions of

Dollars for economic opportunities and we need to be positioning ourselves to make sure that we’re getting our fair share so one we get to protect our communities and we can also help to address the wealth Gap by getting engaged in this new clean economy you

Know one of the things uh Larry that uh like I said as I said the vice president uh was there I get a kick out of this uh when you know when you have folks like Chris Christi uh but you all got some black people do where the vice president

We ain’t never seen the vice president well the reality is she was there representing the United States uh at this conference uh spoke at this uh conference uh as well uh and so you know matter of fact here are just some of the some of the photos if you and like this

Thing ain’t really hard you can actually follow VP uh on Instagram uh and and again this is her meeting with leaders of Egypt the UAE of Jordan the Amir of cutter and a lot of things are being talked about there including what’s happening with uh between Israel uh and

Gaza uh and and again this is this this is the stuff that uh I’ll dare say not sexy uh but this is what vice presidents do I had some dude sending me an email telling me use all of your influence to get to KLA Harris to tell her to step

Down from the ticket I said dude she ain’t going nowhere I’m like what the hell y’all talking about I’m like she ain’t going nowhere I mean it just this it just it amazes me the sheer Insanity of people uh who who go man we don’t

Hear from her we don’t see her she’s the number two you typically hear more from the number one and not the number two and you know an interesting thing about this conversation Rand we really need to focus on Civics I’m always surprised not only in social media but this General conversation people having

Her confused about the role the president in VP play but I think a lot of this has to do with race and gender and that’s why you see a lot of this unnecessary criticism Roland you talked about the the VP recently being Dubai she made some very what I would describe

Nuance convers uh comments about the conflict in Israel that you hadn’t heard previously from the administration so when people were making you know like you said highlighting that you know where she is what is what is she doing if they missed a very important speech that she just gave recently but folks

Need to really open their eyes and they really ask themselves why they’re so critical of the VP she’s everywhere right so she you talk about her being in bu traveling abroad or whether she’s you know talking about you know making sure you support the Biden Harris Administration in 2024 going to HBCU and

Other minority serving institutions throughout the United States but listen you’re the when you’re president of the United States you’re the one who is dictating what the agenda is the VP is only going to do but so much based on what the White House and Senior leaders

In the B Administration want the BP to do so people really need to come off some of the unnecessary criticism and like I said they really need to take a look at some of their um biases based on race and gender but she’s done a great

Job and for people saying she they she come off the ticket that’s ridiculous Biden went have won a couple years ago let’s talk about the number how black women you know support not only Democratic party but came out and supported uh President Biden and will

Also do that next year so the idea of saying suggesting that somehow she won’t be on the ticket next year that would that would equal a trump presidency great yeah I I couldn’t agree more with Larry and and I’m glad you’re there brother Mustafa um we saw those pictures

As you flashed it there with the King of Jordan um also with CCE from Egypt you best believe one thing for sure set aside Anthony blinkin set aside Joe Biden KLA Harris is in the UAE which means those conversations weren’t just about climate change we heard Lloyd

Austin secretary uh of the um the defense talk about the fact that what Israel is doing right now is pushing it closer to having a Perpetual War creating another generation of folk that will attack Israel from the people who are losing family members as we speak uh

Climate change and that are related the idea that you can drive people from one part of where they live to another part now Egypt’s going to bomb in uh in the southern part of Gaza we that’s a precursor and the way I understand Mustafa as you’ve been there you

Probably been you’ve been hearing this in real time brother you know those of us not there monitoring the conversation and one of the things been raised is the fact that climate change you see a precursor of it with displacement the people in the global South who going to

Be flooded out are going to have these extreme weather events they’re going to be looking for some place to go and those places are going to look more and more like the places where the people with the resources have that they’ve deprived them of Live And that’s going

To happen here in the United States as well and you better believe that KLA Harris is there not just having conversations about climate change which is the existential threat to our existence as species on this planet but she’s also talking foreign policy so if you think that she she ain’t talking to

Cece about look we got to we got to get this thing under control in this region where these folks are losing their lives then then people are being incredibly naive so it’s extremely important for the top official in the United States government to be in that conversation in

The way she’s in those conversations right now no doubt about it all right folks hold tight one second we come back we hear from talk to congress with Steven Horford uh chair of the Congressional Black Caucus about the drama in the house and really his message for black men who

Either considering voting for Trump or even sending the election out that is next on the special edition of roller unfiltered on this Alpha Founders Day right here on the Blackstar Network next on the black tap with me Greg Carr there’s a lot of talk about the inevitability of another civil war

In this country but on our next show we’ll talk to a noted author and Scholar who says we’re actually in the middle of one right now in fact Steve Phillips says the first one that started back in 1861 well it never end people carrying the Confederate flag wearing sweatshirts

Saying MAA Civil War January 6 2021 stormed us Capal Capital hunted down the country’s elected official built a Gallows for the vice president of the United States as and to block the peaceful transfer of power within this country on the next black table here on the Blackstar Network I’m Mark moral I was initiated in Alpha F Alpha fraternity sty chapter on April 23rd 1977 and I want to say to all the brothers happy Founders Day on this founders day we should remember our Founders those courageous seven Jewels those pioneering young black men who on the campus of

Corell University created Alpha F Alpha fraternity manly Deeds scholarship and Love For All Mankind continues to guide us happy birthday Alpha F Alpha fraternity and may I work go on our cause endure and the dream continue to live all right folks welcome back uh Congress it’s a it’s a mess in the house

Where Republicans are in charge uh really no real leadership there there at all uh so I got a chance early to talk to Congressman Steven Horford about that uh and we also talked about his message to black men who are looking to vote for Trump or set this election out here’s our

Conversation Congressman step horse we glad to have you here frat happy Founders Day happy Founders Day frat well first and foremost uh so much attention lately has been on George Santos he’s been expelled Republicans to fight over their speaker and what the hell is even going on in

The house any work getting done on behalf of the American people this has been the least uh productive Congress uh led by Maga Republicans you know even since uh the new speaker C came in he’s done nothing to advance the agenda that Americans families really care about lowering cost

Making our community safer creating better paying jobs creating economic prosperity and wealth particularly in black and brown communities uh so you know I’m proud of the leadership of leader Jeff uh and the unity of house Democrats uh this week in fact we will be um bringing forward through the

Congressional Black Caucus uh discharge petition on the Voting Rights Act as you know that this is the first time in 40 years Republicans have not worked with us uh to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act and with all of the assaults on our democracy and the right to vote we know

That that is one of the most fundamental cornerstones of our democracy and something that our founders of alpha F Alpha fraternity uh hold dear talk about what what they have not done uh in the pre in the battle over uh the budget um they were pushing uh a number of

Different things that were going to have uh a negative impact on black people they were trying to literally get rid of uh AIDS funding that targets black communities they were trying to get rid of 80% uh of the funds uh going to women and children when it comes to uh a food

They want to Target uh you know uh pilant areas as well I mean I mean uh my goodness I try to walk people through all the time to get them to understand Civics 10one uh and that is uh there are fundamental things that are that black people are impacting by Health as well

That are absolutely in danger if uh a magga republican agenda uh moves forward in the house the Senate and if they win the White House in 2024 well you laid out uh some of the most critical issues and look and you know I represent Las Vegas Nevada’s fourth congressional district my

Constituents care deeply about their livelihood uh their ability to make a living uh the ability to um afford a home uh to be able to put their kids through school and to make sure that we can retire in dignity um under Maga Republicans their focus is to uh

Eliminate or defund or weaken Social Security and Medicare for seniors uh their agenda is to cut uh access to college affordability by making it harder for particularly first generation students to pursue educ ation um and deny access to education through Extreme Measures like eliminating uh uh access through affirmative action on our

College and university campuses but on top of that Roland it’s even more egregious the very people who are standing in a way of our Economic Opportunity are trying to take away tools that help us get that opportunity like diversity equity and inclusion in the workplace the lawsuits against the

Fear fund a venture capital fund that was started by two black women entrepreneurs to do what provide funding to other black women entrepreneurs so these are the attacks that uh the other side is um using against our opportunity but we as a Congressional Black Caucus and and house Democrats largely are

Working to hold the line against these attacks and more importantly than that cast an a bolder vision for what we need to be doing doing in the next four years of a Biden Harris Administration and the work the Democrats in Congress need to do to make sure that that is uh made

Possible you talk about the economic peace and one of the things that I again trying to connect the dots when you talk about the Voting Rights Act uh when you talk about representation that has a direct impact on resources coming back uh to the black community when you look

At uh Republicans doing all they could to stop uh a a congressional seat uh in Alabama in Louisiana what’s happening right now in Georgia what’s happening in Florida so they want to stop the advancement of black power and if you then look at uh the affirmative action ruling by the Supreme Court want

To stop that advancement which is and then this is where I then say again to our audience you can’t act like the presidency in the Senate doesn’t matter because that’s who confirms judges uh and so uh I think so many people are are frustrated they say uh that you know

Things are are not as well as they should be uh but I simply argue that we have to we have to do lots more of education so people really understand that who’s in power in DC has a direct relationship the type of benefit that comes back to our

Communities well look Roland you know and it’s why your uh black media plat form and the work that you do to put out correct information accurate information information that is compelling and that you know challenges all of us including uh those in elected office uh to make sure that this

Information the accurate information is getting out to our constituents look I I am not under no false pretense that we have challenges before us as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus we now have 60 members collectively we represent 120 million Americans across the country about 20 million black

Americans we understand that when we uplift the black community we uplift everyone and we understand when the black community is hurting um that is an indication that other communities are are also falling behind and so that is why we are pushing um to Center the people not the politics not a person in

One particular office but to Center the people in the policy and to ensure that the people understand that they have the power to force elected officials at the local state and yes at the for federal level to do what’s necessary to move us forward and at this moment that means

Creating better paying jobs it means creating wealth and opportunity in the black community like everywhere else and in order to do that we have to have support for small businesses for entrepreneurs uh we have to make sure that the access to capital for small businesses is real and is made available

In in a consistent way that opportunities to Contracting uh is made more accessible and even for black media companies like your that yours that you are at the table uh and that you’re helping to communicate this message directly to the people because there’s no better resource uh than us to

Communicate that U message and to put people over politics in doing that you were you were talking about uh again economics um and um in the creation of opportunities uh and and one of the things that uh the other day vice president K har she posted something on social media talking about the

Administration’s commitment to expanding opportunities for black and other minority uh businesses uh how has the CBC been monitoring that that and how has that been going so we just had the SBA administrator in a meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus within the last two weeks uh during the annual

Legislative conference uh in September I led a press conference with her since 2019 we have worked with the SBA to double the number of loans approved by the SBA to Black owned businesses um and now there’s still more work to be done but the fact that we’ve been able to

Measure that progress and doubled the amount of SBA back loans which is access to Capital One of the biggest barriers that small business blackowned small businesses talk about we are working now with the minority business development agency and our fraternity brother under secretary Cravens uh who is the first permanently authorized under secretary

To oversee the minority business development agency with which provides uh grants and resources to communities like mine to actually connect to small businesses in our communities help them learn how to do Contracting uh put bids together win bids service those contracts and again uh make sure that

They um are able to connect to all the resources through the federal government we are working right now with the black economic Alliance and the Urban League and other organizations to put forward a more aggressive agenda on black economic mobility and wealth as you know Roland uh today black people um are not

Achieving our full parity in our population to the amount of consumer spending that we account for and if we just closed the wealth divide in this country for Black America we would see about a trillion a trillion and a half dollars of increased economic activity every single year that would help create

600,000 small businesses it would move 30 million black people in the middle class it would save three million black lives every year because when you improve the economic conditions of Black America you improve their health outcomes as well so we’re very intentional about what we’re doing we

Cannot do this work alone and what I do want to underscore is it’s the people that will push us to advance the policies that will improve the lives of all of us and I’m encouraging us on this Founders Day for alpha alpha that we honor uh the mission of the work and

That is to make sure that that we Center the people last question for you what do you say to black men out there uh who uh who will say um Biden is awful Harris is awful I’m voting for Trump uh that’s the that’s the best way forward uh for Black

America what do you say specifically to those black men look Donald Trump asked uh Black America in his last election and uh he said what do you have to lose Black America and then when he was running against Hillary Clinton and then he got into office he appointed an

Extreme uh uh uh three justices to the US Supreme Court and since then the Supreme Court has answered the question for Black America what do we have to lose we have to lose our very existence as black people not only did they take take away uh black people’s rights to

Make Health Care decisions about their own body women black women not only did they remove uh a tool through affirmative action to help young black people pursue education um through college they also eroded uh opportunities for voting and fair access and so what I say is um look I feel you

Um the reason I’m in uh public service and and and elected Services because I’m working to try to make things better and we have more work to do the the administration that is in place now the Biden Harris Administration has worked with the Congressional Black Caucus based on the policies that that the

People told us they wanted we passed the bipartisan infrastructure investment bill we improved access uh for safer communities and have the most historic commitment on uh antiviolence funding including Community violence intervention we are investing in bringing manufacturing jobs back to America through the chips and science

Bill uh and we are investing in in addressing environmental Injustice through the inflation reduction Act and the climate Provisions that are being invested now we have to make sure that Black America and the rest of America feels those Investments through jobs through business opportunities and to ensure direct investment in our

Community so my message to black men is let’s be counted we have always helped to save our democracy in times past and this will be no exception Donald Trump asked us what we had to lose we’re not going to allow him to determine that for us we will determine it for ourselves

Congress was Steven Horford uh always glad to have you certainly appreciated it bro enjoy founders day happy Founders Day I know we’re going to have a picture on the steps at the capol uh with some of the members and staff and interns uh but happy Founders Day uh to the men of

Alpha alpha Fraternity Incorporated love you uh thank you for everything that you do not only you Roland but the brothers all across the country all right thanks a bunch and uh the photo that uh he was talking about uh they did uh take that photo give me one second one second

Hopefully I can uh pull it up for you to actually see uh this is uh the photo right here uh y’all have it on video playback go to the better photo um so uh that’s the photo there uh CBC members Capitol Hill uh staffers and workers as

Well so good to see all the brothers who are doing the work going to a break we come back Congressman Emanuel Cleaver I chatted with him as well talked about housing in America so many people really do not have an understanding of why rents have been going up we’re going to

Break it down for you that is next right here on Roland Martin unfiltered of the Black Star Network on the 117th anniversary of the founding of alpha VI Alpha Fraternity Incorporated at Cornell University first of all service of all we shall transcend all we’ll be right back

Hi I’m D Barnes and next on the frequency have you ever heard of pinkster if not you aren’t alone it’s an African-American holiday that predates juneth by 100 years this week we’re talking with my special guest the founder and CEO of trans art and cultural Services Greer Smith to talk

About pinkster and why it’s so important those exhibitions really got the most uh play because um we don’t know about this other people have been telling our stories for so long when we have the opportunity to find people that tell our stories it’s it it’s an easy sell a fascinating conversation about Black

Culture on the frequency with me D Barnes right here on the Blackstar Network good morning frat this is Governor Westmore and I want to wish you a very happy Founders Day to all of my fellow fraternity Brothers of the midatlantic association of the great Alpha F Alpha also known in this chapter

As the mighty mighty mighty mighty mighty mighty Mighty Mac I’m proud to walk alongside brothers who represent this commitment such as mck president brother Raymond Hawkins Jr brother Rodney aard brother Brandon Tilman and my guy brother Lamont Riley alpi Alpha has long LED the fight for freedom and

Justice in this country our aims manly Deeds scholarship and Love For All Mankind have not only defined our work but have shaped some of the most influential leaders of the last century I intend for my work to follow in the tradition of service advocacy and aiding Humanity’s downtrodden May the principal

Set forth by our beloved Jewels continue to guide and Inspire us all I want to personally thank you the brothers of the Mighty Mac for your leadership and service in honoring our Jewels our ritual and the banner of alpha alpha let us continue to hold a light High here’s

To the Legacy that you have built into the positive impact that you make in our communities first of all Servants of all we shall transcend all happy Founders Day A5 06 housing is one of the big issues people have said uh they’re having a tough time with during this economy Congressman

Emanuel Cleaver sits on the financial services committee and we talked about that uh in our discussion a little bit earlier conman C we’re glad to have you here so here’s what I find to be just just so interesting uh Republicans now control the house and I think more time

Is literally been spent on them desperately trying to find some information about Hunter Biden then literally any public policy that can impact the American people what what what I mean what in the hell is going on uh in the house well first of all it’s important for me to say that Donald

Trump asked uh former speaker Uh Kevin McCarthy if he would undo his uh impeachment or both of them uh I’m not sure how you can undo an impeachment but uh McCarthy couldn’t do it even if he tried and and I don’t think he even attempted to do it and so uh he didn’t

Do it so uh he and he had Donald Trump had a falling out so I believe I don’t have any evidence to go with this but I I I feel very confident comfortable in saying this and not fearing uh you know anybody coming up with anything different that uh Donald Trump H asked

Uh speaker Johnson if he would uh go after Biden and uh I think he’s going to do that even though there’s been no evidence of him of him doing anything wrong uh his son is not in the administration he’s not uh associated with anything in administration he was

Not working in the white house uh and somehow the there’s this continuing uh obsession with Hunter Biden uh and so I I think all of this is connected we we right now we don’t have aid for the Ukraine we don’t have aid for Israel uh and we don’t have any humanitarian aid

For the Palestinians uh nor do we uh uh have any uh uh way in which we can concentrate on doing something at the border that uh the Republicans say they are very much interested in and they’re always talking about impeaching uh uh mar arus mar arus the Secretary of Homeland Security uh so

It’s it’s a messed up deal it it’s really and I hope the American people get a glimpse of this and and and and raise the question question that you just raised which is what what what are you about I mean what what is your

Agenda what do you want to do and I I don’t think they can answer that question no I don’t think they can answer that question uh and I I I look at uh I look at the child tax credit I look at many of the safety net um

Programs were put in place during covid a lot of those are expiring and so when you look at uh what is happening there are people who are saying that they think the economy is not doing as well as it should a lot of that has to do

With a lot of those expiring programs in Congress that was providing benefits to many needy Americans yeah especially the children’s tax credit uh you know that we were we were taking uh thousands and thousands of uh children and and and consequently families out of poverty with the child tax credit uh the speaker

Seems to have no interest in it uh I don’t think anybody on the Republican side has done anything or said anything that would cause us to believe they can do it now um you know we don’t have we haven’t we we have not passed as I mentioned earlier the supplemental uh

Legislation that we desperately need uh but we we’re gonna end up in a spot again where we were a few uh weeks ago and that is uh you know are we gonna fund the government or not and I I just think it’s right now an ugly situation that the American public

Ought to be furious about because they are the ones who are going to get hurt uh you know there’s they’re still over here majoring in minors and uh the the the the world is happening and they they are still living back in another era uh

An era going by and at the expense of the American people it’s sad one of the areas that I’m I I’m hearing lots of people complaining about uh deals with uh affordable housing and what we see is private Equity is owning a whole lot of the housing stock uh in this country uh

We are seeing that that landlords are jacking up rent left and right because the demand is very high uh and and and you uh have called on Congress to really uh lead a bipartisan effort to confront affordable housing in the country explain uh what it is you want to see

Congress do to help uh Americans especially African-Americans when it comes to housing uh I’m I’m glad you you brought brought this up uh housing is always in the top five of uh of the issues facing America that that they want address uh always in in the top five of whatever we need what

What what the country needs uh I can say had we build have we uh uh approved Bill back better uh we would have had uh over $400 billion dollars with a B that we would we were going to be able to deal with some of these problems including uh you know demolishing some

Of the uh housing exist uh even in New York City and around the uh the country I mean CUNY homes for example that you you and I both familiar with um and and many of those uh those those uh buildings are 75 uh years old or or or

Or more and uh we lost that by two votes Bill back better but uh we have to do this uh the housing another way number one municipalities are going to have to uh uh put in Act uh city ordinances that will prevent uh these absentee uh uh landlords and these uh

Big corporations from coming into urban core uh buying up land and then building building Shandy housing uh on that land and then charging uh uh you know some outlandish uh rents uh and that’s happening all over the country uh the the gentrification has in some way stopped so

That excuse me so that people can buy up the land but it’s a dangerous dangerous thing that’s going on excuse me uh I do think that we have legislation that if we if we could get it to the floor would solve some of the problems and some of the problems have been

Solved uh in another way with uh tax with with credits uh that Banks can use on that particular point there and I’ve really spent a lot of time trying to walk people through uh what happened and that is uh since the 1930s we built the fewest number of homes between 20010 and

2020 and then now from 2020 to present day uh we’re still about 4 million under what where we need to be and when I explain that to people I’m like it’s hard for people to understand so when they say well um you know Biden’s to

Blame for this Biden is to blame uh for for for the housing crisis not realizing that it was the home foreclosure crisis in 2008 that led to the lack of building and now 13 years later 15 years later is caught up with it cuz we didn’t build enough during those

10 years and now haven’t built enough in the last 3 years and so we’re under about 4 million or so homes where we should be that’s why we’re having this crisis absolutely I’m so glad you you mentioned that I’m I’m uh I was on the committee Financial Services committee

Used to be called the Banking Committee when all this went down and and I found out uh in my own congressional district that people didn’t know what happened they just said well the banks went bust well that that’s not quite what happened uh what happened was uh uh the people were were

Securitizing uh the mortgages that were worthless uh in the urban core right and then they were uh securitizing them and selling them on the markets and one day people woke up and and they they held all of these uh mortgages that were worthless and and so the Housing

Industry collapsed uh pretty much uh we were losing uh at one point uh nationally uh about a thousand uh homes home foreclosures a day and then it went up to uh about four 4,000 I think a week was what what we were doing ultimately uh we were losing

These housing and many of them have not have never come back online uh because uh people were losing jobs and and losing homes and so they have to start over well if you have to start over you there’s one thing that’s going to start over with you and that is your credit

Score uh and so people who had uh nice paying jobs and who had a home uh and the credit scool was you know uh was high enough to to purchase a home they were they were locked out uh I don’t think people realize the devastation of

The 2008 uh economic collapse and uh we ended up blacking brown people ended up being hurt the most we would during our hearings we would bring in uh leaders of of of the Urban League for example uh we we had the some of the National Housing Programs would come in and tell us

Exactly what’s happening we have something that was approved in 1977 called the uh uh Comm uh congression uh uh Community uh reinvestment act uh CRA and and what it does and everybody needs to know this your viewers need to know this uh Community reinvestment Act was

Done in 1977 uh to force Banks uh who were trying to leave the urban core uh and those who had left their Urban core they didn’t want to make loans to the black and brown people uh so uh Congress in its wisdom in 1977 passed What’s called the community reinvestment act

Which means that uh Banks if they want to get banks have to have to have a certain number of CRA scores uh meaning that they had invested in in in uh in housing uh not housing but they they have to invest in something and so uh

When I became chair of the community of the housing committee subcommittee what we did is we started working on trying to modernize CRA so that Banks who who need the credit in order for them to stay in business they need they need to show that they’ve invested in the urban

Core uh Community reinvestment act and and you listen to make sure that that it’s happening in their communities with the banks uh those Banks were getting credit that they need to stay in business and so what what we just did is we we worked with the the Federal

Reserve we worked with uh um FDIC uh the uh OC obiously uh uh currency um and what what we what we’ve done is uh expanded what what can what these Banks can get uh credit for and it’s in housing so and that’s just been

Approved in the last 60 days so so uh we hope that in local communities they will start raising the issue about the community reinvestment act uh uh the office of the control of the currency the FDIC uh the Federal Reserve they all participated in in in uh developing

These new uh components that would give Banks credits that they have to have they have to have I don’t care who they are they have to have CRA and now that CRA credit can be used uh for housing and we given them a lot of flexibility

To do that now a lot of those Banks and and this is where where I think black and brown people get tricked uh people they say the law says you have to investment invest in the urban core so what they would do buy tickets to the to

The uh NAACP dinner uh what they would do is spend some money on a parade and what happens is they be using that as their CRA which they have to have we’re saying no no we want this go going into the greatest need in the in

The in the Urban Court right which is housing that’s right and again for people who who don’t get it this is not covering for anybody president of the United States the United States doesn’t build homes that’s right private developers build homes but when you look at the tax credits that are critically

Important to Bild homes that plays a role in it uh and again folks just have to understand that we literally are in a 13year whole because we didn’t build enough homes and the last time I we show the chart on the show The last time we built that that the fewest number of

Homes uh between 2010 2020 was in the 1930s geez well I wasn’t familiar with that statistic but it doesn’t surprise me uh because everybody needs a home everybody and so uh we we had a lot of people who lost those homes and and in black and brown families that’s usually

The the the greatest investment they make in a lifetime and it’s also the the the the way we create wealth uh uh because uh you know many of the African-Americans would uh pass their property onto their uh their progeny and uh and and so they end up with a home

That they already own and uh we we got hurt badly because even after the uh covid crisis ended right we had we had difficulty get buying supplies to to do the building so so Congressman here’s the so here’s i i i this is what I so

1920 to 1929 we built 4.16 million homes 30 to 39 2.67 40 to 40 to 49 4.79 then was 10.08 9.49 12.37 12.14 12.49 14.56% 6.9 million homes built that was the lowest number since uh 1940 to 49 so we were we built eight million fewer homes from the previous decade

That’s why we’re in the whole we right now and that’s why these tax credits this bill that you’re talking about needs to the house needs to pass it because we build more homes that now decreases increases the stock and then the demand that that’s now going to cause those rents to stabilize because

With so few homes they could just keep jacking them up and folks got no choice but to pay them yeah no choice y uh because we I mean we we’re not gonna uh have a a lot of options economically uh because you fur the further you move

Away from downtown the greater the cost and we we have gotten bludgeoned because the supply lines uh were clogged and uh I have a a a friend who’s building homes in Kansas City uh and what started out before co uh to been homes that that uh someone could buy at

$200,000 and we’re talking about the Midwest not like Washington where it’s a lot more expensive y but now uh those uh uh those homes uh are costing $25,000 more each one of them yeah again for people who don’t know again since 2006 home construct C has decreased by 55%

Nationwide that is what you’re talking about yeah and and it’s look you know we want to leave our children something and and a home is is one of the best things we can leave them so uh if you if you think about it right now with the with

With what those numbers you just gave which are uh frightening uh we we’ve got a lot of work to do and and we all we can’t do it all here in uh in Washington now I’m I’m going to certainly use some statistics I got from you but for for people in local

Communities they got to go out and and start demanding this yeah uh we you know my committee uh has met probably um twice uh in the last year and one of one of the top problems facing this country housing and the housing subcommittee has met twice I think that’s crazy that’s

Crazy Congressman first of all uh thanks for joining us happy Founders Day happy Founders Day we got we got we got Brothers all throughout the show we appreciate you joining us uh today thanks a lot all right good to be with you all right be

Well Larry I want to start with you I mean what I tried to lay out there and and again I get it people aren’t fully understanding these these these type of things but the reality is this here to understand the housing demand it can’t just be oh they’re jacking up you know

Interest rates but even with that interest rates were actually artificially low for way too long now I know somebody’s watching my saying oh man you you can afford these things after the housing crisis in 2008 in order for the economy to recover uh they brought those interest rates down we

Literally had damn near 0% interest rates from 2009 to last year I you don’t go that long with that uh and so uh the reality is if you don’t if you don’t keep up uh again go go back to the stat y’all this is the graphic I show population growth has outpaced home

Construction for 20 years more demand fewer home housing stock is going to mean higher prices yeah you know so Rand it was really interesting the conversation you had and then the statistic that you highlighted about essentially Supply supply and demand the congressman said he wasn’t fam with it that’s news to me

But it makes a lot of sense in terms of some other challenges like you said in terms of housing stock available but you know I think that you know this is a really important issue that first of all people need to understand as you highlighted here you can’t blame

President Biden for everything that goes wrong and certainly this this housing crisis issue as you as you describe is something that began years ago and we didn’t do them enough particularly at the federal level and I’m certainly assuming that at state level also didn’t do enough to EV address this issue to

Make sure that individuals that Americans have somewhere to lay their head um when you add that you know the other economic challenges we’ve had since then including um issues relating the challenges relating economic impact that Co had on black and brown communities as you described it was

Discussed you add all that together and while you know there are folks who don’t have access to housing that issue is double triple quadruple more problematic for folks of black and brown communities so the question is not only in term not particularly in the house obviously Republicans control the house so have if

When they’re talk about you know Americans and making sure that you know the American dream you don’t hear them talking about this particular topic and you probably won’t anyway um because they don’t care about the average American who’s sitting at you know talk about at the dinner room table trying to

Figure out how what their next steps are but I think this is a critically important issue and I would like to hear the Biden Administration articulated the way you did that this is a long-term ch it’s not strictly you know an issue with bionomics um to make it clear to

Americans that you know the B Administration would like to do more about that but certainly needs cooperation from Republicans but you know once again this is this is a critical issue to make sure Americans have somewhere to lay their head and also speak to much larger issues not

Only in terms of the role of federal government but like you said private businesses in terms of um taking the resources they have equity and build some of the housing you know um Mustafa I’m sitting here uh somebody in the chat said that the houses in my local area

Are going for 500 650,000 for a new home many folks can’t afford that that’s my point my point is this here y’all this is not hard this is real basic okay and okay I got a bottle of water now there ain’t no advertising so I’m going to

Cover them up so I got a bottle of water sitting right here all right if we are somewhere in it’s hot as hell outside and I got a bottle of ice cold water I literally can sell this bottle of water for $20 that normally might be $4 and I guarantee you somebody who’s

Thirsty as hell they going to give me $20 for this bottle of water that’s the housing situation that we’re in and so when you have fewer homes to buy that means people who should be homeowners are renters well that means that if they are renters and prices are being jacked up

That’s squeezing out people who absolutely should be renters because prices are going up and that’s the problem that we have and in order for us to change this it’s literally going to have to be a massive housing boom where we build let’s say this decade about 15 million

Homes the most by the way we’ve never built 15 million homes in a decade in the last 90 years but we would need to build 15 million homes in this decade in order to make up for what didn’t happen in the previous decade so I’m going to say yes and yes

Uh and but so what I mean by that is first of all you’re talking about the basics of supply and demand uh of how prices get squeezed and they go up it’s a basic economic principle if you will but I think we also have to be very uh

Diligent about new housing stock that’s being develop so yes we need these new homes and a number of different locations but we also need to make sure that Equitable development is a part of that that’s a set of principles that really take into consideration a number of Dynamics uh that often place our

Communities in very Dire Straits so when we talk about 15 million new homes uh where are those going to be placed because we understand that housing often for our communities is placed in least desirable areas and many times in those areas were placed near flood Plaines we placed near polluting facilities so

Forth and so on that causes additional impacts inside of our community so I want equity in the housing that is being developed because if not we end up having higher Public Health cost we end up also being disconnected from educational opportunities or our students being uh being able in certain

Locations there are diseases sick housing is also a problem in many instances so when we talk about this set of needs that’s out there we also have to think about how our communities have traditionally been disproportionately impacted by housing to make sure that we don’t make the same mistakes the same

Sins of the past well Greg um the the neighborhood uh in South Dallas County where I bought a house in December 1999 the house was around $122,000 because of the housing uh market right now think I think when I last checked that house the value is about 360,000 right now so that

That was really starter homes if you will for a lot of people people who were leaving certain neighborhoods who were moving into homes that were ranging from 990,000 to 130,000 the problem that we have today is you don’t have that market the problem is places where homes are should be normally 150

175 right now they’re literally 250 275 because of the lack of Housing and as I said to conman caver presidents don’t build houses they don’t and so then I had somebody to say well Rolland that’s not the reason for the price demand yes it is in this where we are right

Now and I know other examples landlords raise the rent to force some people to leave in order to bring other folks in at a higher amount that’s actually what happens and so when you have small demand when you got a lot of demand and you got when you got more people who

Want to buy and you do not have a lot to offer the price is going to go up that is just the most basic economics possible it is basic supply and demand it is Roland um it’s difficult to see a structural change and a sea change

When you’re in the middle of it we do seem to be at an inflection point as a species again I’m glad you’re there Mustafa at Co because you know we may not be here to have this conversation if climate change continues a pace but we’re also talking about economics we’re

Talking about politics we’re at a we’re an inflection point and everybody says oh this election is the most important why you all keep saying that well this one might be the end of the experiment the American experiment certainly if Donald Trump gets back in all you got to

Do is look at what the Heritage Foundation has floated as as as perspective what’s going to happen but what you’re talking about now and let’s let’s return to the metaph before you laid it out if you’re selling water at $20 a bottle because the demand is so high understand that water is a

Necessity of life so the people that can afford it will pay you $20 and the people who need it who can’t afford it are going to blow your brains out and take it see this is where we are right now the reason that cops is in UAE as

Mustafa can walk us through very we fine detail is because those who are control of the fossil fuels in the world are attempting to put their thumb on the scale and stop the Green Revolution that’s going to be necessary to keep us here as a species the UAE ain’t hosting

It because they’re for the green stuff they’re hosting it because they’re against it and all the companies all the oil companies and everybody else is there trying to stop the train why because they’ve got a bottleneck on the oil now what’s the role of government this is the question we have to ask

Ourselves no the president doesn’t build any housing but in 2008 with the economic collapse and the the Bubble Burst when Timothy gner and them boys got in the room you read the book uh confidence Men and the Obama Administration decided to bail out the banks and not have an opportunity to

Restructure some of this structural inequity that’s when the opportunity was missed to address the great deal of this when the banks were basically at the mercy of the federal government and what the banks then did was the banks held on first of all we bailed them out they

Held onto the toxic assets and then when the economy recover covered they sold those toxic assets to private equity and what happen private Equity came in and literally bought 25,000 Homes at one time and the person sitting out there who had the money to buy one of those homes could not compete

With private Equity come on Roland see this again y’all we say this every time this why the Blackstar network is so important you got to listen very carefully to what was being discussed right now the way you’re laying this out Roland you know you’re sitting not even

Two blocks from the White House right there in that studio every day when you come in and when you leave you see all these buildings in downtown DC with floors that are empty or dark because people are now working remotely I’ve seen it in New York I’ve seen it in

Atlanta I see it in DC like the point is this what we can’t see because we’re too up really close in it we’re at a structural moment of change in this country and in the world as it relates to even real estate people who have the option to rent because they don’t want

To own that’s their that’s fine but if you don’t have a place to live and you’re part of an economy that is now with AI and everything else emerging increasingly creating a situation where you’re either going to be underpaid or not employed at all then this structural

Inequality is going to result in people in the streets literally fighting fighting to live what is the role of government in that when Emanuel cever is talking about subsidizing public housing this was the role of how in projects when you read iass Nelson’s book when affirmative action was white or his book

Fear itself you see that in this capless Society racial capitalism emerged and white people were protected to build a middle class now we’re in a situation where the whole thing may fly apart because if you don’t have a place to stay you don’t have enough to eat and

You don’t have a job you’re not just going to say well I guess I lost in the game let me go sit down and die as a brother told me at temple one time 20 years ago he said I man I just lost my job what you going to do bro well I’m

Going take this last check and buy a pistol and a ski mask the point is that government has to intervene to slow down some of this unregulated Monopoly capitalism and I really don’t know how we approach this without dealing with it structurally the way you kind of began to walk uh brother

Congressman Cleaver through that because other other than that Reckless capitalism is going to ultimately ACR to the detriment of not just the poor but the rich who kindy to hide from the poor as well you have people spending 40 to 50% of their monthly intake on homes

That simply is not sustainable so the so the supply has to be dramatically increased and the way government does that is when government offers tax credits to builders to build and that’s why that that bill Congressman Cleaver is talking about has 186 co-sponsors Republican and Democrat they just got a

Move on it but they’re busy with Hunter Biden and that’s part of the problem right there that’s and let’s be clear Republicans are not necessarily the ones who are standing up for affordable and lowincome housing period all right going to break we back talk with Lamont King who joins

Us from my Alpha gathering at buoy State um at boy you still in college Lord have mercy Lamont it’s time for you to go you that a 20-year plan that’s what omega’s do all right we’ll be right back on roller Martin unfiled on the Black Star

Network on the next get wealthy with me Deborah Owens Have You Ever Had a Million dooll idea and wondered how to bring it to life well it’s all about turning problems into opportunities on our next get wealthy you’ll learn of a woman who identified the overload bag

Syndrome and now she’s taking that money to the bank through Global sales and major department stores and I was just struggling with two or three bags on the train and I looked around on the train and I said you know what there are a lot

Of women that are caring in two two or three bags that’s right here on get wealthy only on BlackStar Network I’m faraji Muhammed live from LA and this is the culture the culture is a two-way conversation you and me we talk about the stories politics The Good The Bad and The downright ugly so join our community every day at 300 p.m. eastern time and let your voice be heard hey

We’re all in this together so let’s talk about it and see what kind of trouble we can get into it’s the culture weekday at 3 only on the Blackstar Network happy Founders Day Brothers I’ve been a member of alpify alpha for over 40 years and continue to be impressed

With the way that we individually and collectively deliver our best selves to our communities living up to our motto first of all Servants of all we shall transcend all let’s continue Tove Drive our organization forward Thrive under the light and hold it high happy Founders Day uh just in case y’all didn’t know that was uh of course billionaire Robert Smith uh the richest African-American uh in uh the country and so that to uh was in that video right there uh I’m trying to uh show y’all something give me a second hopefully I can pull this up give

Me a second right here um so um uh this uh is I was just sent this here uh which I thought is uh pretty cool so I want to show y’all uh this is an image of New York’s Freedom Tower this what it looks like tonight in New York

City uh so yeah so uh that’s how we roll that’s how we roll all right y’all um next guest is uh comedian Lamont King he joins us uh Lamont where you at you somewhere with the brothers at buy state where you at in part alumni about 3 400 people in here it’s a

Big deal a lot of leadership on the fraternity it’s obviously loud cuz I can barely hear you I’m go outside I’m go outside I’m go outside how about now a that’s better we can we can we can actually hear you uh I just want I just

Wanted you to catch the vibe and and feel the energy of the festivities uh gotcha gotcha uh so uh so are you going to uh do any uh special stepping later I I there’s a high possibility as I am a former and previous world champion and

There is video on YouTube of this so it it may happen it may happen tonight a world champion and what a world champion we stepped in Toronto Ontario Canada in 1997 and we took home a 4 foot tall trophy with all our names on it and uh

You know I I’m proud of that so I gotta mention that every chance I get world champion uh uh yes so oh uh so uh so with with that in mind if that is true uh I would need to see videos and photos uh and uh and and I would need to

Actually see your name on that trophy um to to uh know if that’s true I gotta get it I got to get it out of storage I think it’s in storage somewhere uh yeah okay uhhuh so I I’ve been I’ve been asking this question to a bunch of

Brothers and nobody seems to answer answer this question to me where in the hell did they go from stepping to strolling so I put videos I put some videos on Instagram and folks like yo man you need a new stroll I’m like I’m sorry when I pled after we pled we

Stepped sority stroll correct correct but here’s the thing here’s the thing I indict all oldheads that never corrected the behavior of these young heads who learned everything about the Frat on the Internet it’s the curse of the internet strolling was Regional they did it in the Southeast but once the internet hit

And everybody start taking their cues from the internet now everybody does it I’m from an era where we we party walked and we stepped yeah I don’t know I don’t yeah I don’t know what strolling is I don’t even know what it is yeah yeah no

No we we we absolutely stepped uh here’s the other for me where in the hell this whistle come in I mean no normally the way we did it when our feet hit the ground and everybody heard us stepping they knew we arve I’m like where like what’s all this blowing of the whistle

[ __ ] again again of as a as a historian in in my own mind I think it came from the internet that was a regional thing um some of the chapters down south that had heavy marching band influence and members who were drum Majors car it over

Into the Frat it got on the internet it got popular and now they just they ruined the whole party experience with the whistle I I I I me personally I ban it from all establishes that establishments that I have something to do with so if I’m if I’m putting it on

You cannot bring that whistle no sir now one that I absolutely ain’t G to ride with and I’ve had some brothers try to explain to me the origins of it but I ain’t never ever GNA call myself an eight well I mean that’s I I won’t refer

To myself as that but as you know there was a that’s an identifying period of the previous process that’s the best way I can word that but but that just let I want everybody to know that’s that is not anything official of Al Alpha Fraternity in fact under General

President skip Mason people they were banned from selling an ape image on with Alpha letters on paraphernalia whatever so I tell folk I don’t claim ape you ain’t gonna never see me taking no picture with no damn eight uh ain’t no way no I look we we got the Sphinx we

Good we don’t need no damn mascots leave that up to them damn dogs well I got to I got to jump out of the car with you on that one because I’m a fan of the imagery and only simply because the ape is the is the uh uh uh alpha male of the

Jungle no no Primal primate no no no no no the king the the king of the jungle is the lion that’s fine and he can do him even the ape gonna run his ass away so here’s our again here’s my whole deal we no here’s what I tell everybody we are

Alpha men sure I ain’t I ain’t I don’t need no monkey no chimp no eight no I I don’t I don’t chimps or monkeys but I do identify with in some of my clothing uh with the ape iconography if you will so I I’m I’m I’m I’m I’m partial on that

One uh let me bring let me bring in my panel uh to weigh in uh on this uh Mustafa Larry and Greg uh I’ll I’ll start let’s start with the ape first then we’ll go to the other one uh Larry go ahead okay so um I was made at chain

University Del P chapter one3 of Blade triangle that brother there knows what I’m talking about so let me let me say as old school brother a couple things you highlighted Roland the whistle I cannot get down with I also raise the same concern about when stepping change

When we went from like I said we’re in a party we’re stepping you can hear it you can hear you can hear the floor to blowing a whistle so I you know like I said maybe more historians know better than I do also I completely agree with

You Roland for those brothers who are watching and on this panel as specifically as it relates to eight we know why we use that and so I do have a problem with Brothers with the eight imagery on t-shirts and Etc because that’s not consistent with the fraternity so I’ll leave it with that

Mustafa yeah Lon it’s good to see you we go way way way back yeah yeah yeah my man there a lot of people here too that told me to tell you what’s up all right tell them I said what’s up yeah yeah Lamont you know I’m more interested in

What’s your vision for the for the fraternity you know where do we need to go what are the things that we need to to strengthen so that’s a great question we have these conversations all the time um I I have a mantra about me that goes it’s bigger than letters right and I

Believe any Vision that we need to have or can have or should have has to be a collective Vision we are too many and too powerful in all of the D and all of the other Civic associations fraternal or organizations that we that

We um that we are part of to not have a a a stronghold on political activism it’s just too many of us and so my vision would be for as a collective across the D9 we have to really come with a real game plan that everybody can

Buy into because when I got into the organization it was to be a part of something greater than myself so if that’s something greater than myself is not making real moves is not impacting not pushing the needle um and just serving surface level rhetoric it’s

It’s it’s not g to get us anywhere so that would be my vision Collective working responsibility as a whole all right Greg you can weigh in on the step in the whistle and eight oh brother look it’s always good to hear Brother Lamont man it’s good it’s good to hear you frat

Um hey likewise yes sir yes sir man on the stroll yeah I don’t nothing about that even I came I came in on April 1985 man I’m I’m coming up on my 40th year in a couple of years and that ain’t how we did it um my man

Mario batty who was on faculty of Howard and the campus advisor for beta chapter he was the step Master at at a master right no not the stroll Master uh when it comes to uh the eight brother I I I had to say this you know I’m first my

Family go to college I didn’t know anything about fraternities and sororities my best friend in Tennessee State marching band wanted to be a sigma so I went with him in the summer before school started we were at band practice we went to the library and they looking

At the sigma history book and I seen the rest of them I saw that Sphinx on the cover of the alpha book let me see that one and when I saw Martin Luther King and Paul Robson and Duke Ellington and Jesse Owens and Charles hamon Houston

Thir March I said okay can you be in more than one of these and they said no you got to be in one I said well who’s in y’all’s book then cuz everybody I know is in this book and that’s when I wanted to be out so the Sphinx like like

Like Mark Roland said the Sphinx was the image now I must confess because you know I played back in I guess what be considered the old days the ancient days like the rest of us old heads in here I do have a plastic banana that was around

My neck and some of y’all know I’m talking it’s around there in the back but my point is that the ape in African culture when you talk about the baboons that was considered a symbol of high intelligence in ancient Egypt the ape has a significance Beyond this notion of

Brute strength for African people is most one of the most intelligent animals and all that having been said you will never ever catch me with a gorilla on my shirt I’ll end with that and and there you go all right Lamont I I appreciate tell all the

Brothers what’s up y’all have a great time and I got uh I got some ape shirts for all four of y’all get them getting them tomorrow I’m send them to All For You uh and guess what I’m sure it will burn very well in my fireplace all right appreciate it all

Right folks uh we come back we gonna chat with Hill Harper of course Alfred brother he’s running for the United States Senate in Michigan we GNA catch up with him he’s with at the Alpha House in Detroit it’s going to be good chatting with him uh and uh going going

To the break here so I saw this here uh this this was uh this was a rap that uh some young Brothers put out uh the alphas put this out on Instagram and so I was like oh we got to uh share this on the show uh we’ll play this here going

To break you’re watching roller Martin filter right here on the Blackstar Network hold up let me go and make my way it’s the found day of my FR a if you ain’t know that yeah we the first and the oldest let me correct that bro we

The first in the C when you step on the yard just know we own this we built it Brick by BR is 1906 check the history facts and look at what we demonstrated how we copy anybody we the ones originated taking to school like Le know

Me and s o c c j k m o t and when you see V you know we ain’t free we got MLK W I mean look at the boy we going to be all right if I named every we be here all night you see that black and all

Gold through the neon lights if I ask her who she wish she say she want ice only time our heads down after singing the H competition with who we ain’t competing again if it’s something is stuck and we keeping the win cuz without us boy it would have be no them yeah Al

Alha Fraternity Incorporated develops leaders promotes Brotherhood and academic Excellence while provide a service and advocacy for our communities Your when you talk about Blackness and what happens in Black Culture we’re about covering these things that matter to us uh speaking to our issues and concerns this is a genuine people powered movement there a lot of stuff that we’re not getting you get it and you spread

The word we wish to plead our own cause to long have others spoken for us we cannot tell our own story if we can’t pay for this is about uh covering us invest in Black own media your dollars matter we don’t have to keep asking them

To cover our so please support us in what we do folks we want to hit $2,000 people $50 this month we $100,000 we’re behind $100,000 so we want to hit that your money makes this possible checks and money orders go to PO Box 57196 washhington DC 2000

37-196 the cash app is dollar sign RM unfiltered PayPal is R Martin unfiltered is RM unfiltered zel is Rolland Rolland martin.com happy Founders Days Brothers this is Don Scott speaker-elect House of delegates in Virginia I am so proud to be a member of alha alpha fraternity spring 1985 Poma cron Texas ANM

University Char line number three 06 Brothers Go Alpha all right y’all welcome back uh another brother wanted I hit him up wanted to join us it’s Hill Harper he of course is running for the United States Senate in Michigan uh wanted to uh include him in

Today’s show so hit him up uh he’s with uh at the Alpha House in Detroit what’s up hill what’s up what’s up what’s up uh Happy found day found day so you’re at found day you’re at the ala’s house in Detroit no I’m at my house in Detroit I they they told me

They told me if I went over there with you on camera they were like no I was gonna go over there I’m headed there as soon as we finish to have a liation with the BR it’s going to be apple juice now we know you lying right there

So we we we we we know you lying so tell them look don’t be scared it what listen they could they get drunk after after some of the BR listen some of the bras asked me to bring them a very highlevel single malt uh uh some BR asked me to

Bring them a high level of a 100% Agave some brothers asked me to bring them um what one would call a burnt Mescal uh uh bottle so so it’s it’s you know like in Alpha we have diverse that’s what people have to understand and somebody old school said bring them some

Ripple that’s true but remember you know what you’re going to do since we’re in Detroit you’re gonna have Foo and vodo well I I understand understand uh and so I it’s a bunch of folks out there they uh they would sit they’ sent us videos and whatever so I wanted to be

Sure that we include you in the show uh appreciate let me say this real quick Roland all the bras and this is a a more serious point about how serious our fraternity is so many of the bras have donated between $196 today to my campaign like hundreds

As well as some did like $190 60 one did $3,190 60 the the the BR are coming together just like they supported West Moore our governor just like they supported uh Senator waro um they’ve come through for my campaign and and they you know so anybody on there if

You’re a br out there and you want to join and join other brothers hillh harper.com go on do your $196 we appreciate you and we love you well hill we appreciate that we going to have you back on to have a longer more in-depth conversation about your candacy

Uh there so I just wanted to be just wanted to get you on on the show uh and just make sure that uh that we had you a part of this yes yes happy Founders Day Brothers it’s it’s I I wish you all the light and love and jewels to yourself

All right appreciate it h thanks a lot appreciation thanks BR all right folks uh several other folks also sent us some uh some videos uh here is the great saxophonist Alpha brother Gerald Albright hey everybody saxophonist Gerald Albright here checking in to say happy Founders Day to all of my Alpha F

Alpha Brothers I’m currently in customs literally and Porto varart where I’m doing a jazz festival big shout out to my dear friend Roland Martin happy Founders Day y’all take care all right uh filmmaker director producer Rob Hardy I want to give a quick shout out

To the best that ever did it the oldest and the coldest The Originators the innovators the brothers of alpha alpha Fraternity Incorporated happy Founder’s Day BR respect all right y’all and of course uh movie director uh Alpha brother Benny Boom just sent this to me Roland what’s up

Frat I want to give a big shout out a big happy Founders Day to Alpha F Alpha Fraternity Incorporated founded Tuesday December 4th 1906 my name is brother Benny Douglas also known as Benny Boom 06 so um one of the things I want to I want to say this here you know Lamont

Made some comments made some comments there in terms of when he asked him that particular question and I I’ve said this uh on several occasions y’all have heard me quote this on the show on this show and uh I’ve given I gave the Brotherhood uh Speech to the alphas at our convention

Uh in Baltimore and I asked I stated this in my speech I said many of us talk about who ran the yard but the question I have for you today is who’s running your cities and re Reverend Dr Frederick haes is like oh I’mma steal that one I’mma steal

That one and and so when I when I made this point and I talk about this all the time uh in Dr King’s book uh Where Do We Go From Here chaos for Community uh he said this and y’all can go to go to my iPad as y’all see I actually read books

So uh this was actually highlighted uh he said there are already structured forces in the Negro community that can serve as the basis for building a powerful united front the Negro Church the Negro press the Negro fraternities and sororities and negro professional associations we must admit that these

Forces have never given their full resources to the cause of negro Liberation there are still too many negro churches that are so absorbed in a future good Over Yonder that they condition their members to adjust to the present evils over here too many negro newspapers have veered away from their

Traditional role as protest organs agitating for social change and have turned to The Sensational and the conservative in place of the substantive and the militant to many negro social and professional groups have degenerated into snobbishness and a preoccupation with palities and trivial activity but the failures of the past must not be an

Excuse for the action of the present and the Future these groups must be mobilized and motivated then he goes on uh to say to talk about this with unity uh here’s why I said this and I’ve said this to the AKA who I’ve addressed to the Deltas who I’ve addressed to Sigma

Garo who I addressed I’ve said it to other D9 members that when you look at uh the divine nine and then you add in the links and you add in Prince Hall Mason you add in Eastern Star and then you add in other black organizations what we have is a significant

Infrastructure in our community but I fundamentally believe just like Dr King that we are not properly using that black infrastructure for the advancement of black people we spend lots of time talking about gentrification we spend lots of time talking about other folks owning our community we talk about uh

Non-black people dominating the Hair Care industry we talk about who’s owning convenience stores and gas stations in our neighborhoods we talk about all of those things but then how are we changing it just give you an example imagine if 20,000 if Alpha decided that they asked 20,000 of its members to contribute

$1,000 a year to an investment fund that would amount to $20 million so now all of a sudden let’s say the alphas create a $20 million investment fund and the AKA have one and the Deltas have one and if you go all the way down to all the divine nine

You’re talking about nine organizations uh then you’re talking about $20 million each we’re now talking about $180 million uh oh that what we talking about much we talking about how much money are we talking about collecting we’re talking now about major money we’re talking about 20 million

Each so you do do the math y’all I want y’all to do that 20 million times n uh oh like oh CRA hold up man that’s a lot of money so now if we’re talking about who’s investing in our businesses buying up land we’ve created created literally an investment fund I I’ve said

Continuously who’s showing up at Schoolboard meetings who’s showing up at City meet Council meetings so imagine if you’re living in Chicago and Houston and Dallas and in Charlotte and on and on and on and you have nine you have divine nine then you throw in EAS star P Prince

Hall Mason links now you got 12 groups now all of a sudden those 12 groups say okay in the month of January Alphas y’all got the school board meeting in month of February Deltas y’all got the County Commissioners meeting in the month of March kappas uh

Y’all got uh the school board the city counil meeting and you literally and all of a sudden you tell members where your colors and all of a sudden if you are a politician and you look up and you see 100 200 300 400 500 individuals in black

And gold and uh and and crimson and cream and blue and white uh and uh and blue and gold all of all of a sudden you like who in the hell are these people that’s called as king said mobilizing your people to affect change and then that thing can extend to other groups

Including signi of the Boule and so many other groups see I think the fundamental problem as king laid out with our fraternities and sororities and our other groups is that we are preoccupied with our in internal business that we spend so much time on our internal business that we’re not

Necessarily driving change externally I spoke to the alphas in Tampa a few years ago they had uh a fundraiser for their youth program about 15 young men were going through it and I said to them can you imagine if each member of the divine nine said we want want to run each 50

Charter Schools across the country now I know a lot of people disagree with Charter Schools but guess what they exist so imagine again same thing I said it across the country y’all so imagine you had 50 Charter Schools run by each member of divine n do you know how many

Thousands of students largly black we would have control over cuz guess what when you control the charter school you control the curricul you control the dress code you control the teachers that get hired you control the budget you control the contracts you literally are controlling the minds of

Our children so what I am talking about on this Alpha founders day is that while we are thankful for what we have done there’s a lot more that we can actually do it’s easy to wear paraphernalia it’s easy to sit here and throw the ice it’s

Easy to step it’s easy to sit here and say oh you know what and recount all of these famous Alphas but let me remind you of something no famous Alpha got on that list without actually doing something and if we are going to truly say first of all Servants of all we

Shall transcend all then we must actually do it and we must actually lead the challenge I give to all all black organizations is to do an actual assessment of what are you actually doing what are you actually changing and actually chart the change chart the progress elections are

Coming up that’s one thing we talk about what’s happening in our community economically that’s another thing I want to see black communities change the only way our community is change is when the leadership actually leads it’s a lot of talking is not a lot of doing now is the opportunity for us

To actually do the work and when you do the work nobody outside of our groups when they see black and gold will ask who is that nobody if they see pink and green or red and white or any of the other colors will go who are those

People because when they actually see us in our neighborhoods at our City Council meetings and county commissioner meetings at State Capitol and in Congress when they see us on Wall Street when they see us challenging Corporate America when it comes to advertising with blackowned media when they see us

Challenging Corporate America and not accepting meager checks you know the big old checks they hold up at football games but it’s real small amounts when it comes to Black games when they see us showing up on a regular basis ain’t nobody question who they are because

They will say there goes the men of alpha there goes the ladies of AKA there goes the lady of Delta there goes the men of Omega and Kappa and Zeta beta and sigma gamaro and iotas and they the links and the and and the Guardsmen uh and Prince Hall Mason and Eastern Star

We can go on and on and on but they actually have to see us doing the work final comments Mustafa I would just remind everyone that you have power unless you give it away so let’s utilize our power in a way that’s constructive for our communities and a way that uplifts our communities

And a way that honors our communities Larry as we celebrate 117 years uh R I think I want to highlight is for our brothers that we describe as old school to make sure we’re uplifting um young brothers and then highlighting the history of our dear fraternity and

Making sure we give them the necessary support they need to be some of those Future Leaders you described Greg thank you Roland and thank you for bringing us together happy birthday all of the Frat and I’ll just close with the words of webd boy spoken at hampon

University in 19 06 Dr duy said the purpose of education for our people is to train Us in how to acquire and use power and that’s the only reason that these fraternities and sororities exist so uh we got a hue to that listen to our frat brother wbd boys thanks again

Roland for doing this brother uh indeed indeed all right folks uh that is it for us let me thank Mustafa Larry and Greg all the folks who sent videos are contributed as well uh y’all YouTube folks folks y’all got about uh 120 seconds to get to us to 1,000 likes

Y’all lacking right now at about 882 so let’s get this thing going uh don’t forget to support us in what we do your dollars absolutely matter send your check and money order to PO Box 57196 Washington dc2000 37- 0196 cash app dollar sign RM unfiltered PayPal or Martin unfiltered vimo is RM unfiltered

Z rolling Rollings martin.com rolling rolling Martin unfiltered.com don’t for get to download the Blackstar Network app Apple phone Android phone Apple TV Android TV Roku Amazon Fire TV Xbox One Samsung Smart TV be sure to follow us and watch our 24-hour streaming Channel we are on Amazon news so go to Amazon

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Live t TV uh click it you’ll see us right along with the other news channels uh as well and don’t forget to get a copy of my book White fear how the brownie of America is making white folks lose their minds available at bookstores Nationwide folks uh we’re going to end

The show with uh D Alex Thomas uh he is uh a member of aah Omron chapter uh and I saw this on the uh fraternity you uh Instagram channel uh and uh he put he arranged and played uh this version of the alpha hymn on his Alto an tener

Saxophone this is what’s going to close us out on today’s edition of Roland Martin unfiltered I will see y’all tomorrow Holl The N oh that

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