June 4, 2024 • 59 mins
This week on the Black Perspective, news commentator Mo Kelly reacts to Trump's hush money trial verdict; Mimi Brown speaks with the California Department of Public Health about the importance of Alzheimer's awareness in the Black community, and Doug Davis brings us part two of his conversation with financial literacy expert John Hope Bryant.
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(00:00):
The largest civil rights conference is comingto New Orleans this summer, the National
Urban League Conference July twenty fourth throughthe twenty seventh at the Highest Regency,
New Orleans. Register today at Annulconferencedot org. Don't miss the nation's leading
business, political and community leaders,influencers and celebrities as they all meet up
from the twenty fourth through the twentyseventh downtown at the Hyde Regency, New
(00:24):
Orleans. Don't wait. Register todayat Ennuelconference dot org. It's Sunday,
June second, and today we hearreaction from news commentator Moe Kelly to the
verdict in the Trump hush money trial. Mimi Brown speaks with the California Department
of Public Health about the importance ofAlzheimer's awareness in the black community. And
(00:44):
Doug Davis brings us part two ofhis conversation with financial literacy expert John Hope
Bryant. These stories and more arecoming your way next. Welcome to the
Black Perspective. I'm your host,Mike Island. Welcome to the Black Perspective,
a weekly community affairs program on theBlack Information Network featuring interviews and discussions
on issues important to the black community. Good Sunday to everyone, and welcome
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to the first Sunday of June twentytwenty four and another edition of the Black
Perspective. History was made this weekin a New York City courtroom when former
President Donald Trump was found guilty onthirty four felon accounts in his hush money
trial. Trump became the first Americanpresident ever to stand trial and be convicted
in the criminal case, and wasfound guilty of falsifying records before the twenty
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sixteen election the high payments to adultfilm star Stormy Daniels. Bin News commentator
Moe Kelly starts our program this weekwith his thoughts on the Trump guilty verdict.
I'm mo Kelly on the n withyour two minute warning. Donald Trump
has been convicted of thirty four feloniesby a jury of his peers. Invariably
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there will be an appeal, butthat appeal does not stop justice from moving
forward. Trump will appear for sentencejust days before the start of the Republican
National Convention. Whereas it is unlikelythat he would get any meaningful prison time
as a first time offender, it'snot impossible. Don't get caught up in
the number of thirty four or theword felony. The mac sentence, which
(02:14):
could be handed down would only befour years. But there's also an argument
to be made that if prison timeis not given on a guilty verdict on
all thirty four accounts, then whenwould you ever? But that's the legal
aspect to this. The political onedoesn't change much. Trump will use the
verdict as proof pun intended of arigged system. He will use it as
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a fundraising tool, as he alwayshas. The money doesn't necessarily help him
politically, but it helps him payfor legal fees and keep his cult on
one accord. Maga, though,won't handle this well at all. There
will be threats to judges, jurors, and court employees alike, you know,
like always, but with more consistencyand temerity. You may not have
noticed, but there is no joyin my voice. The holding of Donald
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Trump accountable was absolutely necessary, butit comes at a tremendous price. It
comes at a time in which thiscountry is arguably most fragile, as is
the rest of the world, withUkraine, Russia and Israel as a backdrop
looming over November fifth. Because DonaldTrump, though a convicted felon, now
is not disqualified from running four oreven being elected president again. Meditate on
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that as he continues to lead inthe polls even still. I'm O'Kelly at
mister mo kelly on social media andthat's your tu minute warning on the Black
Information Network. Sentencing in the DonaldTrump hush money trial will take place July
eleventh. The judge has the discretionto reduce his sentence to a fine,
probation or supervision. Be sure tostay with the Black Information Network for the
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latest coverage on this case. TheDepartment of Public Health for the State of
California is working hard in its effortto combat Alzheimer's disease and bring heightened awareness
about its impact on the black community. MA ker Mimi Brown recently spoke with
a member of the CDPH about theirnew awareness campaign for Alzheimer's and joins us
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now with her report. Today,we are joined by doctor Ksey Dieters,
a neuroscientist specializing in Alzheimer's disease,focusing on racial disparities. She completed her
PhD at Indiana University and post doctoralresearch at Stanford and UC San Diego.
Now at UCLA, she continues herimpactful work on Alzheimer's and she joins us
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today on the Black Information Network.Thank you, doctor Jeters. How are
you. I'm great, Thank youso much for having me. I'm very
excited to be here. So canyou tell us a little bit more about
the Take on Alzheimer's campaign and itsmain objectives. The Take on Alzheimer's campaign
has been developed by the California Departmentof Public Health or CDPH for sure,
in order to shift public perception andreduce stigma surrounding Alzheimer's disease. The end
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goal of the campaign is actually thedrive behavior change by educating health Californians about
the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and toprovide easy, accessible informational resources to better
understand relevant risk factors, combat fearand stigma, and overall just improve our
brain health. So what are someof the key messages that the campaign aims
to communicate. Some of the keymessages that the Take on Al's campaign is
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trying to communicate is that as oftwenty twenty four, Alzheimer's disease is actually
now the second leading cause of deathin California, while just a few years
ago it was a third leading causeof death. A number of Californians living
with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia's isactually expected to double by twenty forty,
so it's really time to take onAlzheimer's. You mentioned Alzheimer's disease is now
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the second leading cause of death inCalifornia. What factors do you believe contribute
to this disease? What should peoplebe looking for? Sign symptoms? What
should people be aware of? Thegreat question. There's actually a number of
different warning signs for Alzheimer's in orderto watch out for, and this can
include memory loss that disrupts daily life, challenges in planning or solving problems,
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confusion regarding time or place, changesin mood and personality, and there are
more. But that's just a fewof the science and symptoms to look out
for in regards to Alzheimer's. Andwhy is early detection of the diagnosis of
Alzheimer's so crucial? Yeah, gettingan early diagnosis for Alzheimer's disease is really
important in order to educate and understandall of the rights and health care benefits.
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So getting an initial screening is veryimportant to obtain this formal diagnosis and
although the process can be very overwhelming, it can provide knowledge and options for
the next steps for you and yourleft ones. And you mentioned that there's
so much fear and stigma associated withthe disease. How can we have open
conversations and how does that reduce thatfear? I absolutely agree. Yeah,
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there's a lot of fear and stigma, especially within our black communities, regarding
Alzheimer's disease. So seeking assistance forthe diagnosis can so times to be really
hard, But having honest and empatheticconversations with friends, loved ones, or
even your health care provider can bea critical step to improving outcomes and combating
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fear and stigma associated with Alzheimer's diseaseand related dementias. So it's never too
late to reach out to a healthcareprovider in order to get more information for
yourself and your loved ones. Yea, And the campaign highlights that Alzheimer's this
proportionately affects women and communities of color. What are some of the reasons for
these disparities. Oftentimes these groups areunderrepresented in research. There's been a lot
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of exclusion factors that prevent their participationin these studies. So there's a lot
of need for women and communities ofcolor to be included in the current clinical
research studies that we have. Additionally, there are some other culprits for increased
risk for dementia in communities of color, and this includes a lot of elevated
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health conditions that we see. Youcan think for example, cardiovascular disease or
diabetes, and there's also social riskfactors. This is something I think a
lot of communities don't recognize how importantthe social and economic environment we live in
is to our health. And thiscan actually be prevalent in groups who have
lower levels of education or higher ratesof poverty. You rant up diverse populations
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being included in Alzheimer's research. Howimportant is it to include these diverse populations
in the research and are there anyefforts being made in that area. I
cannot stress enough how important it isfor these underrepresented groups to be included in
research. So black individuals actually havethe highest rates of dementia in the country.
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They're at more of a two timesrisk for Alzheimer's disease related to white
individuals here in America. And similarly, women are at increased risk for Alzheimer's
disease. So black women especially havethis increased risk for Alzheimer's disease, and
we really need these groups to bepresent in research in order to figure out
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ways that we can best benefit theadvances in science. So we're talking about,
you know, the diverse populations andthe research. Are there any other
challenges that underrepresentative groups will face whenit comes to research. When it comes
to diagnoses, there's a number ofthings that might keep from accurate diagnoses.
So under reporting and obtaining a diagnosisat a later stage of disease may be
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a result of the influence of culturalbias and cognitive testing and inadequate translation of
diagnostic tools to other languages that mayalso influence the identification of dementia. But
despite significant progress, dementia identification toolshave not been standardized or normalized across diverse
populations, nor are they being widelyused outside of academic or specialized research studying.
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Is there a task force that hasbeen set aside by the California Department
of Public Health for this to makesure that this is a priority for Californians.
Absolutely so. In twenty nineteen,Governor Gavin Newsom formed the Task Force
on Alzheimer's Disease Prevention, Preparedness andthe Path Forward to support individuals and families
living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. The task Force was led by former
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First Lady of California, Maria Shriver, who developed recommendations for Alzheimer's Prevention Preparedness
and the Path Forward in order toprepare for the growing number of Alzheimer's cases
and forge a path forward for families. And what are some of the preventative
steps people can take to improve theirbrain health and potentially reduce the risk of
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Alzheimer's. There are actually a numberof preventative steps you can take to improve
overall brain health, modify your risk, or improve your overall health before and
after diagnosis. So, for example, exercising regularly, getting that daily cardiovascular
exercise in order to increase your bloodflow to the brain and body can maintain
overall health, not just brain health. Smoking, eating a balanced diets,
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limiting foods and beverages that are highin sugar and fat, and getting enough
sleep leap is always very very important. And finally, what can individuals and
communities do to support the goals ofthe take on Alzheimer's campaign and help those
affected by the disease. Education isso important and one way that you can
get educated on this topic is byvisiting the website take on owls dot com
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in order to learn more about waysto improve your brain health, reduce your
risk of Alzheimer's and spot signs andsymptoms and access screening resources. And if
you're act up on social media,you can also follow the California Department of
Public Health on Facebook, Instagram,and x at CA Public Health to view,
like, and share campaign social mediaposts. Perfect Thank you doctor Deads
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for sharing your valuable insights on theAlzheimer's disease and the take on Alzheimer's campaign.
Your expertise and addressing the disparities areinspiring. We appreciate your time and
contribution to this important conversation. Thankyou for having me. Thanks Mimi for
that report on Alzheimer's disease in theblack community. We'll be sure to share
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more about the CDPH awareness campaign duringthe month of June. Let's switch gears
now and catch up with news anchorMorgan Wood, who joins us on today's
program with a very special guest.The US Environmental Protection Agencies. Twenty twenty
three Clean School Bus Program rebate competitionrecipients are being announced in Jackson, Mississippi,
and joining me to talk more aboutit is EPA Administrator Michael Reagan.
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Thanks for joining us on the BlackInformation Network. Hey, thank you for
having me this morning. Absolutely,so for those who don't know what the
EPA's twenty twenty three Clean Bus CleanSchool Bus Program rebate competition is, can
you describe that? Absolutely? Weare really excited to be announced in over
nine hundred million dollars to the latestround of funding for EPA's Clean School Bus
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Program grant competition. That means we'regoing to help school districts all across the
country. Five hundred and thirty fortyseven states purchased over three four hundred clean
school buses. Those are low emissionvehicles or electric vehicles, and so just
really excited that our kids are goingto have cleaner transportation to and from school.
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Talk to me about what we're dealingwith right now, Why is this
initiative so important at this moment,and what's going on with the buses that
the kids are riding around in now? Well, listen, I think when
the president President Biden came into office, he understood that we had an opportunity
to change over our school bus fleet. Right now, kids are riding on
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dirty diesel school buses. We knowthat pollution are coming from these vehicles,
like soot pollution and other pollution thatexacerbates asthma, really causes some respiratory distress
from many children. And so whata great idea to begin to change over
that fleet and have children riding toand from school on cleaner vehicles. By
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the way, these vehicles are manufactureddomestically, So we're talking about jobs,
we're talking about a local economy,and we're talking about our children breathing cleaner
air. And by the way,we're focused on our black and brown communities,
our tribal communities that have been leftbehind too often. And so this
is a great program that prioritizes ourchildren with the latest and greatest technologies and
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again manufactured here domestically, creating jobs. Absolutely, you taught you mentioned focusing
on the black and brown community.Can you tell me more about the types
of recipients that are going to benefitfrom this initiative. Absolutely, we are
really focused on our black and browncommunities, our tribal communities, our low
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income communities. We already know thatthese communities or our communities are disproportionately impacted
by pollution. Our communities have higherrates of asthma, respiratory illnesses and the
like. And so the President said, for those who have not traditionally had
a seat at the table, theywill be prioritized. And so we're focused
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on these communities, our communities becauseagain, we want to have the jobs
in our communities. We want tohave the health benefits in our communities.
And by the way, we knowthat if our children can travel to and
from school without having an asthma attacktrigger or respiratory distress, they're going to
focus in the classroom, they're goingto excel academically, and they're going to
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be the leaders that they should be. And so this is a great program.
I as a parent, am excitedabout this. It's personal. I
have a ten year old son,and when I think about he and his
friends being able to travel to andfrom school without breathing and pollution, that's
a great day for any parent.That is true. I'm a parent as
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well, and I can concur Idefinitely concur on that we're speaking with EPA
Administrator Michael Reagan here on the BlackInformation Network. Now, these new buses,
have they been tested on the roads, and have they been already tested
for child safety? They have.These buses have the latest and greatest technologies,
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not just from a reducing pollution,but from a safety standpoint. They're
quieter, they're safer, and listen, we have awarded nearly two point seven
billion for about eighty five hundred electricand low emission buses are ready for over
a thousand school districts nationwide. Sothey're on the roads, they're transporting kids
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very safely already, and we're justexcited to continue to deepen that penetration and
get more buses on the road.That's exactly what I was going to talk
about next. How long before they'reon the road, which you mentioned that
they some of them already are,But how long before we start to see
a surge of that and maybe Isee them rolling around in my own neighborhood
and at my child school. Well, I can tell you we're seeing surges
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already all across the country. Jackson, Mississippi, which we're here today making
the announcement, has already received twentyfive buses. We've seen rural communities like
all the Kansas already receiving fleets ofthese buses. And so we're seeing school
districts, whether it be in Floridaor North Carolina or California, really see
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a strong penetration of these electric buses. And by the way, when you
ride on these buses with the kids, the excitement on their face is just
so amazing. That's exactly what Iwas going to ask you. How do
the kids feel about the buses?How do the parents feel about the buses?
The school administrators, the people whoactually the bus drivers. What type
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of feedback are we getting about thesenew, clean buses. Oh, the
feedback is amazing. You can imaginethose teachers that have bus duty, that
are standing outside on those hot days, not having to breathe in those fumes.
The bus drivers who are on thesebuses for hours and hours, who
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are not exposed to these fumes.The children's faces just light up. The
only criticism that we have from thekids is that they're so quiet that they
can't be mischievous. But other thanthat, everyone is excited about having this
technology. And I'll tell you,it's really inspiring to see school districts that
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are typically at the back of theline for the latest and greatest technologies be
some of the first recipients. There'sa sense of pride for the children,
there's a sense of pride for theadministration, and we're just excited that the
President had the foresight to work withCongress to prioritize allmunities. Absolutely. What
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do you hope to see in thefuture in terms of initiatives like this,
whether it be environmental or just overallin terms of you know, the US
and our country, the children.What do you hope to see in the
future in terms of initiatives similar orlike this. You know when President Biden
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took off as he pledged that everycommunity would have an opportunity to be successful.
And when we think about electric schoolbuses, it's not only introducing a
technology to these school districts and reducingthe pollution, but it's also given our
children a sense of worth that theybelong at the forefront of this technological revolution
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and that their schools won't be leftbehind. So I hope and pray that
with all of the programs that we'readministering, that all children will see the
equity and the equality of the programsunder the Biden Harris administration, and that
they really appreciate and see that thepledge that no community will be left behind
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and every child deserves clean air andclean water, no matter their skin color,
their zip code is realized. Andthat's what we're working hard at each
and every day. Yes, andas much as this is a great initiative,
I'm sure the work continues. Ona side note, this is the
Black Information Network and you are BlackAPA Administrator Michael Reagan. What does representation
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mean to you in this type ofrole? You know, it means every
day. There's not a day thatI don't wake up number one and see
this as a privilege to represent formyself, my family, but for Black
Americans. But it also is humblingand I truly understand the responsibility of the
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position to represent as best as possible. I will say that representation in leadership
really matters. We bring a differentperspective, different experiences, and it's my
hope that each and every day I'mable to represent for the culture, for
the people, and ensure our youngfolks. You know, when I'm riding
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on these buses and you have thesemiddle school students looking up at a black
administrator and says, while you're helpingus breed cleaner air, ride fancier school
buses, and you're giving out billionsof dollars and you are a black man.
I think it's inspirational for them,and I enjoy doing my part absolutely.
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Is there anything that you want tomention that I have not touched on
before I let you go? Youknow, I just would like to say
that I'm really proud to serve inthis administration. Vice President Harris and President
Biden have pledged to invest in everycommunity, and I agree with them in
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terms of the focus and the vision, and I believe that over the past
three plus years they have done justthat and our communities are better off for
that. I appreciate that. EPAAdministrator Michael Reagan, and he's in Jackson,
Mississippi, with the NCAA President DerekJackson and Representative Benny Thompson to announce
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the recipients of the US Environmental ProtectionAgencies twenty twenty three Clean School Bus Program
rebate competition funded by Biden's Investing inAmerica agenda. Thank you so much for
joining us. How can we continueto stay in touch with the work that
you do well listen. Please followus at EPA dot gov. We are
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really focused on making sure that we'remore transparent and reaching the people and our
communities, and please have me backon I'd love to talk about how this
program isuring, but I also talkabout other programs that we're rolling out that's
very central for our community. Absolutely, you're invited to the barbecue. It's
getting hot, so you know,you just pull up and get a plate.
(23:12):
Thanks so much. I know howto do that. Thanks so much,
Administrator Reagan for joining us here onthe Black Information Network. I'm Morgan.
Would thanks Morgan, and we'll beright back with more of the black
perspective. Stay tuned the Black InformationNetwork and six time Emmy nominated news anchor
Vanessa Tyler Welcome you to black Land, a podcast about the ground on which
(23:33):
the black community stands right now.From stories about salvation and loss, I
love the person who had an asharvydiagnosis, the dreams achieved or yet unfulfilled,
from people who have made it.I sat down with a derapist and
I began my journey to those leftbehind. Listen to black Land on the
iHeartRadio app or wherever you get yourpodcast. You're listening to the Black perspective
(23:56):
on the Black Information Network. I'myour host, Mike I then and now
it's time to check in with GracieAward winning news anchor Esther Dillard for this
week's installment of The Color Between theLines. I'm Esther Dillard on the Black
Information Network, chatting with writers andauthors who offer an added perspective for our
(24:19):
listeners. This is the Color betweenthe Lines. In this edition of The
Color Between the Lines, we're discussingaddiction. Speaking with a Borg certified position
and with specialties in psychiatry and additionalmedicine, and we're talking to her about
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her new book on addiction, Sixmind Changing Conversations that Could Save a Life.
Doctor. Welcome, doctor Zinga Harrisonto the bi in. Thank you
so much, glad to be here. Well, before we get into the
what prompted you to write this book? You shared in your book that there
was like eighty one percent of peoplewithholding information about their doctors, which is
(25:08):
really surprising. Is this among allpatients, just black patients? And can
you provide or explain why and howthe healthcare system can change that? Yeah,
this is among all patients, Soeighty one percent of people withhold information
from their doctor. My thought isthat it is likely higher among communities that
(25:32):
are traditionally mistreated, so black communities, LGBTQ, women, immigrants, And
the root of it is the judgmentalnature of our healthcare system, right,
So people want to be perceived wellby their doctor. They wanted to be
thought highly of. And so whenyou had an illness like addiction that is
(25:55):
already stigmatized that we've put so muchshame on, of course people can't tell
us about it, and that reallymakes it deadly. If you cannot tell
me your doctor about everything that isgoing on with your health, I'm not
in a good position to truly beable to help and make those decisions with
you. And so I put iton us as doctors to create a safer,
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non judgmental, trusting relationship that allowsyou not to be in that eighty
one percent. I imagine that itprobably the person just hire among those who
don't have as much money or haveyou know, their your economic status is
different because people I guess that areyou know, that have a higher status,
have more. Somebody's gonna treat Opraha little differently than perhaps Joanne down
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the street that's exactly right. Andit is easier for Oprah to find her
voice than it is for Joanne,right and so, and Joanne also likely
day in and day out, hasthose experiences of people on valuing her devaluing
her. And so you don't wantto take that risk with your doctor.
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What prompted you to start this bookto write it? Yeah, So I
decided really young to be a doctor, and I thought I'd be a pediatrician
because that's the only doctor I knew. I don't have doctors in my family.
And then I got a surgeon inseventh grade. Luckily I didn't have
to get surgery, but he wasamazing. So I was like, I'm
going to be a surgeon. Butthen when I went to medical school,
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I did my psychiatry rotation and Iwas like, what the fill in the
word that you are most comfortable within this blank? The way the healthcare
system is treating people with addiction iskilling them. And then that opened my
eyes that it's not just in thehealthcare system, it is every day.
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The way people with addiction are beingtreated is killing them. And that's really
where I developed my professional passion.Third year of medical school back in two
thousand and one. Now that I'ma psychiatrist, I can look at my
family history and see all the addictionon mom's side, all the addiction on
dad's side, all of the mentalhealth conditions on mom's side, all the
(28:14):
mental health conditions on dad side.I was probably destined to be an addiction
psychiatrist, just based on my familyexperiences. You take a very storied approach
in this book, including really importantfacts, but it doesn't read like a
textbook. What kind of I guessresponse have you gotten from readers? And
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does the approach differ? I mean, does the response differ from those who
are physicians? Yeah? Thank youso much. So. I did not
write this to be a textbook.I wrote this hoping. You know,
I've taken care of thousands of peoplewith addiction over my career and their family
members, and I've started Eleanor Healthand we take care of thousands of people
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every single month. I hope thatthis book could get to people that maybe
I won't pass in everyday life.And I wrote it in a storied way.
Thank you. That's like the nicestthing anyone has said to me all
day. Because I want people tosee themselves in this book. Every single
one of us is touched by addiction, and one of the stigmas that keeps
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people from getting healthy is that it'sthem, and it's not them, it's
us. And so I wanted youto see yourself in this book. I
wanted it to be safe for youto see yourself in a book that's about
addiction. But let's be clear,I need physicians and nurse practitioners and therapists
reading this book also because it isalso a map for how to take care
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of people that have addictions. Haveyou gotten any response from physicians after reading
this book on what? Yes?The response is, why did I not
learn this in medical school? Theresponse is I never thought about it like
this. The response is I hadno idea addiction is more inheritable than diabetes
(30:07):
and asthma. The response is,I had no idea. The relapse rate
for asthma is higher than the relapserate for addiction, and it was other
physicians will say to me, Idon't know how you practice addiction in medicine.
Must be a dirge. No,it is a hopeful specialty. And
that has been the feedback that I'vegotten. It's like, wow, I
(30:29):
can see the hope, and thismakes me think like I could be doing
more for those of you who arejust joining us. I'm mister Dillard on
the Black Information Network speaking with doctorZinga Harrison about her latest book called un
Addiction Six Mind Changing Conversations that CouldSave a Life. You mentioned in the
book a sort of magic formula.Can you explain, Please explain what that
(30:53):
is and how people are supposed toapply it. Yeah, So this is
the concept of diction that I'm teachingin the book, and the book is
structured in six chapters, and it'sreally like for any chronic condition, addiction
included. There are biological reasons,psychological reasons, environmental reasons that you're born
into that increase your risk for thatillness. And then as you become an
(31:17):
adult, there are biological reasons,psychological reasons, and environmental reasons that develop
over your life that increase your riskfor developing that illness. And so the
magic formula says, if I canteach you to know your individual biological risk
that you were born into, yourpsychological and environmental and that's physical environment and
(31:41):
cultural environment that you were born into, and we can look at those with
you as an adult. Also thenwe can craft your own individualized formula for
how you address your substanitution or youraddiction. And so I liking it to
cancer. What if there was onlyone chemo regimen, no matter what kind
(32:02):
of cancer you have, no matterwhat your circumstances are, no matter where
you came from, there is oneregiment. And if you have cancer and
you do that regimen and it doesn'twork, it's because you didn't want your
cancer to go away. That's ourcurrent approach to addiction. And so the
Magic Formula is that personalized, data, information driven approach that empowers people to
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take control of their own health.And you share exercises at the end of
each chapter the book for readers touse in their own lives. Which one
of these I guess exercises did youfind was the most effective for your patients?
And can you give me a shortexample. Yeah, So it varies,
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right, depending on which of thesebuckets I'm working in, And most
of the time we're in all sixof the buckets. But what resonates with
a person one bucket They may havemore motivation for it than another. And
so these exercises that as I'm takingcare of a person, I'm listening.
I'm listening for what makes you tick, what motivates you, where you feel
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disconnected in life? And those arethe exercises that I'm trying to give.
And so, knowing this is blackinformation network, I think one that is
so critical that the overwhelming number ofdoctors are missing because we have not been
taught it. Chapter five, weatheringthe medical literature tells us, independent of
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anything else, racism and discrimination killsus, and it kills us slowly.
It kills us with depression, anxiety, addiction, diabetes, high blood pressure,
premature death, cancer, It killsus. And so in this book,
I go through one recognizing the experiencesyou've had with racism and discrimination,
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scaling it and putting a score onhow much that is affecting your health,
and give you a script for howto take that to a doctor or a
healthcare professional to start making that partof your magic formula accessible really actionable steps.
I really appreciate that. What isthe I guess, because we're running
(34:22):
out of time, what is theoverall message that you hope readers will come
away with when they pick up yourbook. Yeah, the overall message starts
on the foundation that drug use isa choice. As Americans, all of
us, almost all of us,make the choice to use drugs at some
point, if not many points,in of our lives. Addiction is an
illness. And when you can understandaddiction as an illness, that empowers you
(34:45):
to practice prevention. That empowers youto want to help because we want to
help people who have illnesses. Thatempowers you to use compassion as a tool.
It also holds the medical establishment accountableto understanding and practicing a standard of
(35:06):
care that helps people get better.Seventy five percent of people with addiction get
better. People don't know that.People think addiction is not treatable. Seventy
five percent of people get better.The more you know, the more you
increase your chance that you or yourloved one is in that seventy five percent,
And the more we hold the medicalestablishment accountable, the higher that seventy
(35:28):
five percent turns into eighty, turnsinto eighty five, turns into ninety.
Well, thank you, these arereally great statistics. You've obviously done a
lot of research and a lot ofhard work, and I'm hoping that this
will be something that others will seeas a great resource for them and their
families. Thank you. So much. That's it for this addition of the
(35:52):
color between the lines. The bookis on addiction six mind change in conversations
that should save a life. I'mmister Dillard on the Black Information Network.
Thanks Esther. The Black Information Networkhas an amazing team of commentators who bring
(36:16):
their unique perspectives to stories impacting theblack community. Earlier in today's program,
we heard Moe Kelly's reaction to theguilty verdict and the Donald Trump hush money
trial. Now let's hear from RolandMartin on another topic trending in this week's
news, Major League Baseball has finallystopped segregating the Negro League's players from Major
(36:37):
League Baseball. Rob Manfred, theCommission of Major League Baseball, announced this
week that the records of the NegroLeagues are going to now be included in
the major leagues. As a result, Josh Gibson is the leader in several
categories now from Major League Baseball.Now, keep in mind, folks,
when we say major League baseball,that's what white baseball was called. The
(37:00):
Negro Leagues were created because black playerswere frozen out of the major leagues,
and they were only the major leaguesbecause they were white. They had better
stadiums, better travel, better food, better lighting, better uniforms, but
they were not better. The besttalent was in the Negro leagues. In
fact, Dizzy Dean often said thatTed Williams, one of the greatest hitters
(37:23):
in Major League Baseball history, wasspeaking at the Hall of Fame induction of
manager Casey Steingel, and this iswhat he said about Negro league players,
and I someday the names were StatuelPage and Josh Giffson in some way the
symbol of the great Negro players thatare not here only because they were not
(37:45):
give him a chance. I ain'tOkayingo Hill the same I am, and
I'm awfully glad with him. Sowhat we now have as a result of
his decision is that the future generationsare going to have to recognize these great
players in their Negro leagues. Itmeans that their stats were not second class.
(38:08):
But I need people to understand thatthis is the reality of Jim Crow.
I'm from Texas, and sports inTexas was under the preview in a
scholastic league, and when they mergedwith the university in a scholastic league,
the white folks decided not to includeany of the pv i L records because
they said they weren't really official andthose records should be reconciled as well.
(38:31):
I'm Roland Martin on the Black InformationNetwork. Be sure to catch Roland Martin,
mo Kelly and James T. Harrisfor daily commentary on the Black Information
Network. And now Doug Davis bringsus part two of his conversation with best
selling author and black financial literacy expertJohn Hope Bryant. Hey, Thanks Mike.
My name is Doug Davis, andwelcome to another euro of Black Business,
(38:53):
where we feature inspiring stories of blackentrepreneurs, organizations and perspectives surrounding black
vis business. We are back withpart two of our exclusive conversation with black
financial literacy entrepreneur John Hope Bryant.His latest book, entitled Financial Literacy for
All, is writing high among anumber of bestseller lists. Mister Bryant,
welcome back to the bi N andyou're a Black business. Were left off
(39:15):
with you sharing some important tidbits surmountingyour new book and why every Black American
needs to buy it. This isa primary, a come to you at
your level financial business plan and coachfor the rest of your life, combined
with the podcast I do every weekon iHeart on Charlemagne's Charlemagne's Black Effect Me
(39:36):
and work called Money and Wealth,which is my weekly ministry of hope.
You take these two things and coachingand operation hope, and you will literally
transform your life. Amen. So, a number of black economists feel that
the only way to racial economic parityis through reparations. Right. The wealth
gap is so wide. It's sowide that even if we follow your in
(40:00):
your books and we do our thingand we make millions, that we will
never come close to the medium householdincome of a white family. How do
you feel about that? Do youfeel that there's any truth to that?
I think it's irrelevant to the personwho's trying right now to send their kid
(40:22):
to college, trying right now inthe next five years, three years,
two years to make a decision abouthow they don't go broke, how they
can plan for retirement. I mean, we've been talking about reparations and trying
to get social justice in this countrysince eighteen sixty five. And the likelihood
(40:43):
that you're going to have a politicalawakening in our lifetime yet alone in the
next five years, particularly get inLook at the political environment we're in right
now, man, where is markedand defined by division, and then people
trying to roll back, forget reparations, they're trying to roll back d E
and I programs, right, Imean, I mean, these are things
that actually are clearly the data clearlystates that I stay in the business plan
(41:06):
for America, that diversity is goodfor business. The most basic things they're
being challenged right now, the rightto vote, I mean basic stuff.
So I like fighting fights that arewinnable, right, And I was like,
I don't even want to fight,I want to win. And I
think we need a black Jewish businessplan. Yes, I said it.
Jews were discriminated against, couldn't ownland in Europe one hundred years ago,
(41:30):
couldn't get a job in America,was even allowed in America in the mid
twentieth century, turned away during WorldWar Two, had to get jobs at
HPCUS because nobody else would give themjobs. Now they're the wealthiest minority group
in America, did it legally andaround the world. There are only fifteen
men Jews in the world of eightbillion people. So I think that there's
(41:52):
a lot of criticism, but Ithink we should also learn something from how
they have succeeded as a minority group. I think that there are tons of
exempt you. I mean there's alot of example with me. Black Africans
come here, Black Caribbeans come here. They have a different trajectory the financially
than Black African Americans because their mindswere not messed with with slavery, Jim
(42:15):
Crow, etc. They come hereand within three to five years they've excelled.
So do I think, you know, politically, that should be something
we should look at. Sure.I think it should be in the form
of education for all. Education shouldbe a birthright K through college, certainly
for African Americans. There's certain thingswe can do that are positive for free
market economy. But I don't don'tfocus on the perfect. Focus on what
(42:39):
you can get done. Don't letthe perfect become the death of the good.
You may end up sitting around forthe next twenty five years debating something
that has low certainty of happening,when you can actually do something right now
to improve your certainty your life.I'll put it another way, Doug,
I just got the phone before Icalled you with my billionaire friends. He's
(43:00):
worked. He's the two hundredth richestman in the world. Before that,
I was on the phone he's worthten billion. Or before that, I
was on the phone with another guywho's worth probably ninety one hundred million.
I don't want to give my networth, but it's significant, but it's
you know, maybe it's not thesame as theirs, and certainly not in
the billions. But when I canmake this phone call, I can have
(43:22):
my lunch. This is my house. I'm gonna get in my car,
I'm gonna go to my office.I'm gonna go on my vacation. I'm
gonna go to my vacation home inturch and Kko's. I'm well, I
don't give a dang about what someJoe jack Er Schmoe is doing. I'm
not comparing myself to somebody else.I've got enough, more than enough to
do everything I want to do withmy life, and not when out out
(43:45):
of my self esteem depends on somebodyelse's acceptance of me. We've got to
stop comparing ourselves to others and expectingthe world to treat black people fairly if
history has shown they won't. Solet the politicians do the political thing.
Let us do our own economic thing. By the way, Doug, black
(44:07):
people are the only group who havenot used free enterprise and capitalism to set
ourselves free. While we even arguingabout government. The market has had since
the pandemic of twenty twenty. Networkshave double just four years ago, So
you know, I mean, look, this is not my fight. My
(44:28):
fight is what I can control.I can't control how somebody feels about me
or what's going on in Washington.I can control my credit score, I
can control my budget. I cancontrol my step tomorrow. And I've went
from common California in South central LAand homeless. Please everybody listen to this.
Now, I'm in the top onepercent of this country. If I
(44:52):
can do it, they can doit. And why should I compare myself
to somebody else. I can buyand sell most people that I meet,
collective of their race. About thebusiness, that's all absolutely man. If
you can explain a bit about yourpartnership with Shopify and how things are going
with your goal to create one millionblack businesses by twenty thirty, I can,
(45:13):
and I can also think I heartand your network for helping me do
it. We one million black businessinitiatives. I do this real quickly,
I went out doing. George Floyd, the founder, asked me, Toby,
LOOKI what can you do to helpI said, help me create me
and new black businesses. He said, center proposal I did. I didn't
hear from him in a week.I sent a note saying, hey,
man, thanks for considering it.I appreciate you trying, good heart.
(45:36):
I can assume you know not interested. You sent me a note back and
said, well you talked about Isaid, yes, it was in my
spam folder. It's one hundred andthirty million dollar commitment, one lot,
one lot. I'm in now thatForget Forget reparations. There's one hundred and
thirty million dollars right there. That'smy that's my rep per that's my repairations,
right And I took that on hundredand thirty million commitment, and we'd
(46:00):
four hundred twenty thousand black businesses infour years, put people into an e
commerce lane of action in their life. There's only three point one million black
businesses in America's that's twelve percent thatwe even helped started. Advanced created are
grown, and we have not stopped. We're partnering with the h with HBCUs
partner like Atlanta. We'm on theboard and all the others were partnering with
(46:22):
the Divine Nine, the fraternities andsororities. We're a big Indian for SBA
and people should go people twenty fivethousand dollars per person grant in kind grant.
We just did something with Pinky Colelast week which he announced every graduate
of Savannah State University would get twentyfive thousand dollars grant in kind program grant
from US for one MBB. Peoplewent crazy, So everybody watching this go
(46:45):
to one mbb dot org or OperationHope dot org and sign up if you
want to become a civil rights SIl P. E. R. John
ho'brien, financial literacy entrepreneur and authorof the new book entitled Financial Literacy for
All, Thank you so much forsharing your precious time and knowledge with our
bi in listeners. Hey listen.If you want us to feature your business
(47:07):
on The Black Perspective and your Blackbusiness, please reach out. Email me
at Doug Davis at iHeartMedia. That'sDoug Davis at iHeartMedia, or find me
on LinkedIn under Doug Davis. You'relistening to the Black Perspective and You're a
Black Business on the bi N ThanksDoug. As summer activities got underway,
a group of entrepreneurs are hoping BlackAmericans will include visits to black owned restaurants
(47:31):
in their plans. The Black InformationNetworks on Drea Coleman has more. Mike
Warren Luckett is co founder Black RestaurantWeeks. The organization launches campaigns and cities
across the country to introduce people toblack owned restaurants in those areas. We
spoke with mister Luckett recently as oneof their largest campaigns is set to get
underway in New York City on Juneteenth, which is just a few weeks
(47:53):
away. So Warren, please tellus about Black Restaurant Week, When was
it started and what does it aimto do. So Black Restaurant Week was
started in twenty sixteen in Houston,Texas, and our goal was to celebrate
the diversity as well as contributions fromAfricans from across the diaspora. And so
what started out as a humble campaignwith just twenty five participants has now expanded
(48:16):
into a fifteen market campaign highlighting oversixteen hundred black owned businesses and restaurant tours
across the country throughout the year,and so how it works is we're going
to a market for two weeks andask the participating restaurants to offer a special
to entice the community and the publicto come and try the different menu items
(48:37):
that they have on their elections.What's really cool about this is we aim
to create an exploratory opportunity really forthe community at large who may not have
tried different types of cuisine from acrossthe diaspora. And so, you know,
while we're known and we love oursoulf what we love most about Black
Restaurant Week is it allows us toshowcase the Caribbean influence, the African influence,
(49:00):
some of the different regional influence,as well as the creativity that exists
within the Black culinary scene. Welook at things like veganism or some of
the more healthy eating trends that areshaping in the country, and the Black
community has been at the forefront ofcreating different takes on traditional vegan and vegetarian
options. So rather than having tojust be stuck with the weird tofi,
(49:21):
you've seen some of the different folksfrom the community to be able to create
more so food style dishes with veganingredients, and so it's been amazing to
see the creativity but also the resiliencycoming out of COVID about three or four
years ago. That's really tremendous.Now these are black owned restaurants, right,
not just restaurants serving cuisine associated witha diaspora, but these are actually
black owned restaurants. Correct. Absolutelythe requirements for them to participate, they
(49:46):
have to restaurants have to at leastbe jeorady black owned. We understand that
sometimes the are our minority partners,but it is very important for us to
champion the black entrepreneurs in the restaurantspace. And so you know, if
a restaurant is wide owned or andjust as an executive chef for instance,
then they cannot participate. These establishmentsdoes have to have a black ownership.
(50:07):
Talk a little bit about why it'simportant to show cases black owned restaurants.
Oftentimes these restaurants are so busy justbeing the backbones of our community. You
know, just thinking from just ahistorical perspective and even from a personal perspective,
how many important things happen around eitherthe dinner table or at dining establishments.
(50:28):
Everything from birthdays, to anniversaries,to graduations, the celebrations. So
many moments within our lives take placein these restaurants within our community. Whenever
communities are affected by disasters or evencultural injustices, a lot of times the
restaurants become those focal points. Evengoing from a historical standpoint and going back
(50:49):
to the civil rights era, howintegral restaurants work for meetups and for organizations
for the movement, and so it'stime for us to really create a platform
to support these efforts of our community. A lot of times these small business
owners don't have the budget for apublicist, or for radio buys or social
media, digital ads, and sothat's really where black restaurant comes into play.
(51:14):
We're able to leverage our resources toprovide them as much awareness and exposure
as possible. You know, ourgoal is to really do two things in
our campaign, drive revenue these establishments, but also drive awareness to give these
businesses visibility love that. How difficultis it for black owned restaurants to stay
in business? Oh, it's extremelyhard. Whether it's just the natural high
(51:35):
turnover that exists in the hospitality industry, just the difficulties when it comes to
access to capital just to create sustainablecash flow solutions, It's difficult, and
so that's why it's so vital thatthe community comes out and supports these restaurants,
not just during Black Restaurant Week,but all year long, you know,
finding ways that you can integrate diningat these black owned restaurants into your
(51:58):
day to day routines or your monthlyactivity these you know, finding ways really
support these operators. Why is thisissue so important to you? Well,
for me, this was first startedin twenty sixteen, and that was right
around the time that Mike Brown hadpassed and Out Sterling had passed, and
there was really starting to be thisawakening within the black community about what was
going on. It's just cultural shift. And for me, being in the
(52:19):
hospitality industry, having had an opportunityto grow a wine distribution business with my
father and being one of the blackdistributors in the country, start to see
where there are some unique trends,to say the least within the dining community.
And whereas from a historical perspective,Blacks have not traditionally got the recognition
that we've deserved. We've always beenan integral part of the culinary fabric in
(52:44):
this country. You know, traditionallywe were back of the house, you
know, being a chef was lookedat more so as like a back of
the house position. It wasn't glorified. It was something that was relegated to
the help. But as time hasevolved, through the Food Network and some
of these other shows you have,you know, these white males that have
been able to create celebrity from thekitchen, and so the same way that
(53:04):
music was misappropriated and you see ourfashion being misappropriated, we're starting to see
the same thing happen, you know, within the food spaces. I can't
tell you how many times you're goingto a new American restaurant and they'll have
shrimp and grits on there, orthey'll start to serve ox tails. You
know, scraps that were thrown tous, that we made into delicacies are
now being heralded on the culinary sceneand we're not necessarily getting the acclaim of
(53:27):
the recognition for that. And soas much as it is about supporting the
future generations of culinary stars and culinarycontributors, it's also vital that we celebrate
to protect the legacy and contributions thatwe've created up until this point. Tell
us a little bit about Black RestaurantWeek that's about to kick off in New
York on Juneteenth this year. Lastyear, I understand that you guys had
(53:49):
about one hundred and thirty restaurants participatingin the two week celebration. How many
do you see signing up to participatein this two week event this year?
Our goal is to have over onehundred and fifty participants in the New York
market this year. New York hasbeen an amazing market for us. The
growth year over the year has beenexponential, and it has really become one
of the largest campaigns that we haveall year. I was talking about just
(54:10):
the diversity from across the diaspora.New York is one of those unique markets
that really showcases that diversity. Whetherit's the Caribbean influence in Brooklyn, or
seeing some of the Afro Latino influencesin Manhattan, or even the Bronx.
New York is just that amazing meltingpot that we know it to be.
But it's fun to even just diveinto it further. As we have opportunity
(54:32):
to explore the African diaspora through foodthat's really good and how many other cities
are you going to be hitting onethis year? So we have fifteen campaigns,
and because some of the campaigns areregional, like our Midwest campaign that
encompasses multiple states, we like tosay that we highlight over forty major metropolitan
cities across the United States and thosefifteen campaigns and how do people support the
(54:54):
events and so traditionally, all ofthe participating restaurants can be found on our
website www dot Black Restaurant Weeks withan s dot com. It has a
full breakdown of all the different campaigns. You can go in and search to
see the different menus and specials thatare being offered. And it's absolutely free
to go to these restaurants. Youknow, Black Restaurant Weeks does not charge
(55:16):
the public anything to go and patronizethese restaurants. Now, when you do
get there, they offer especially andof course you do have to pay the
restaurant for the food, but weas a collective don't charge anything. We
do, from time to time dohost auxiliary food and beverage events and those
can also be found on our website. Everything from food truck festivals to bartending
(55:38):
competitions. We do catering showcases aswell, and so just stay abreasts on
our website, and our website alsohas information about how you can sign up
for our newsletter that sends out thatinformation as well. But our theme and
kind of our slogan is is morethan just a week. Although we come
to a market for two weeks ayear, we really want this to be
(55:59):
a full year support of these operators, and so our website functions like a
directory. You can put in yourzip code, you can put in diet
ter restrictions, you can even putwhether or not you prefer a patio,
and our website or do the workfor you and pull up listings and businesses
within our network that meet those orcriteria. So we asked the community to
(56:20):
continue to support these restaurants as muchas possible. What a great resource.
It seems like you serve kind oflike an introduction or facilitate introductions to spaces
we may want to patronize. That'sreally good. Yes, and I'm so
glad you've said that, because youknow folks who say, well, is
this just for the black community,No, this is to showcase the black
community, but this is for everyone. You can traditionally go into most neighborhoods
(56:42):
and say, hey, can youpoint me to your favorite two sushi restaurants?
So where's two good Mexican restaurants,two good time spots. But if
you know, you ask the greatercommunity your favorite Blacks restaurants, they may
not have the answers and that's okay. So we just want to give the
whole community sources, especially for usethat love food and are open to trying
new cuisines, you know, opportunitiesto support our community as well. I
(57:07):
love that. Now, through BlackRestaurant Weeks, you have also established to
Feed the Sole Foundation to help blackrestaurant owners. Tell us a little bit
about that. Yeah, so we'reBlack Restaurant Weekends. Feed the Sol Foundation
picks up Black Restaurant Weeks. Isthat marketing vehicle for the small owned restaurant
tours. Where Feed the Solt Foundationis the business development arm. We provide
(57:28):
business grants or thirty restaurants throughout thecountry from both the black and brown community.
Every year. Well, they receivethe ten thousand dollars grant. In
addition to receiving the ten thousand dollars, we give them a consultant of their
choosing. So this can be anHR consultant that helps them identify ways to
improve staffing procedures. This can bea website designer if they're looking to create
(57:49):
a new website and update their menuselections. And then we also put them
through like a financial readiness program thatwill prepare them and prepare their books for
when they want to go to thebank or the looking for all turn of
accesss to capital. We also provideopportunities for the next generation of and hospitality
professionals through our Project Next program thatprovides internships and scholarships to HBCU and HSI
(58:13):
students. And then lastly, wehave our Emergency Relief program, so if
a business has been affected by abreak in a fire, we're able to
provide stipends that go towards their insurancedeductibles. That is tremendous. What do
these restaurant owners say to you whenyou show up with that kind of assistance
for them, it's been life changingwork. Humbly speaking, we're just the
(58:34):
vehicle myself, my amazing business partnersDerek and Folland we're just a vehicle.
Like we're a very very spiritual group, and we feel like this has just
been placed on our hearts, andso we're just the vehicle of this work.
You know, We're just here tojust be resources for the community.
There's so many people that that needhelp and just need resources, and that's
just what we aim to do.You know, We've been blessed and so
(58:55):
we just want to be, youknow, continue to be a blessing.
So and that's our program for thisweek on behalf of the entire team at
the Black Information Network. I'm MikeIsland. Wishing everyone a great Sunday,
Thanks for joining us, and tunein next week at this time for another
edition of the Black Perspective right hereon the Black Information Network. The largest
civil rights conference is coming to NewOrleans this summer, the National Urban League
(59:21):
Conference July twenty fourth through the twentyseventh at the Highest Regency, New Orleans.
Register today at Annulconference dot org.Don't miss the nation's leading business,
political and community leaders, influencers andcelebrities as they all meet up from the
twenty fourth through the twenty seventh downtownat the Highe Regency, New Orleans.
Don't wait. Register today at Annulconferencedot org.
The largest civil rights conference is comingto New Orleans this summer, the National
Urban League Conference July twenty fourth throughthe twenty seventh at the Highest Regency,
New Orleans. Register today at Annulconferencedot org. Don't miss the nation's leading
business, political and community leaders,influencers and celebrities as they all meet up
from the twenty fourth through the twentyseventh downtown at the Hyde Regency, New
(00:24):
Orleans. Don't wait. Register todayat Ennuelconference dot org. It's Sunday,
June second, and today we hearreaction from news commentator Moe Kelly to the
verdict in the Trump hush money trial. Mimi Brown speaks with the California Department
of Public Health about the importance ofAlzheimer's awareness in the black community. And
(00:44):
Doug Davis brings us part two ofhis conversation with financial literacy expert John Hope
Bryant. These stories and more arecoming your way next. Welcome to the
Black Perspective. I'm your host,Mike Island. Welcome to the Black Perspective,
a weekly community affairs program on theBlack Information Network featuring interviews and discussions
on issues important to the black community. Good Sunday to everyone, and welcome
(01:08):
to the first Sunday of June twentytwenty four and another edition of the Black
Perspective. History was made this weekin a New York City courtroom when former
President Donald Trump was found guilty onthirty four felon accounts in his hush money
trial. Trump became the first Americanpresident ever to stand trial and be convicted
in the criminal case, and wasfound guilty of falsifying records before the twenty
(01:32):
sixteen election the high payments to adultfilm star Stormy Daniels. Bin News commentator
Moe Kelly starts our program this weekwith his thoughts on the Trump guilty verdict.
I'm mo Kelly on the n withyour two minute warning. Donald Trump
has been convicted of thirty four feloniesby a jury of his peers. Invariably
(01:53):
there will be an appeal, butthat appeal does not stop justice from moving
forward. Trump will appear for sentencejust days before the start of the Republican
National Convention. Whereas it is unlikelythat he would get any meaningful prison time
as a first time offender, it'snot impossible. Don't get caught up in
the number of thirty four or theword felony. The mac sentence, which
(02:14):
could be handed down would only befour years. But there's also an argument
to be made that if prison timeis not given on a guilty verdict on
all thirty four accounts, then whenwould you ever? But that's the legal
aspect to this. The political onedoesn't change much. Trump will use the
verdict as proof pun intended of arigged system. He will use it as
(02:34):
a fundraising tool, as he alwayshas. The money doesn't necessarily help him
politically, but it helps him payfor legal fees and keep his cult on
one accord. Maga, though,won't handle this well at all. There
will be threats to judges, jurors, and court employees alike, you know,
like always, but with more consistencyand temerity. You may not have
noticed, but there is no joyin my voice. The holding of Donald
(02:59):
Trump accountable was absolutely necessary, butit comes at a tremendous price. It
comes at a time in which thiscountry is arguably most fragile, as is
the rest of the world, withUkraine, Russia and Israel as a backdrop
looming over November fifth. Because DonaldTrump, though a convicted felon, now
is not disqualified from running four oreven being elected president again. Meditate on
(03:23):
that as he continues to lead inthe polls even still. I'm O'Kelly at
mister mo kelly on social media andthat's your tu minute warning on the Black
Information Network. Sentencing in the DonaldTrump hush money trial will take place July
eleventh. The judge has the discretionto reduce his sentence to a fine,
probation or supervision. Be sure tostay with the Black Information Network for the
(03:46):
latest coverage on this case. TheDepartment of Public Health for the State of
California is working hard in its effortto combat Alzheimer's disease and bring heightened awareness
about its impact on the black community. MA ker Mimi Brown recently spoke with
a member of the CDPH about theirnew awareness campaign for Alzheimer's and joins us
(04:06):
now with her report. Today,we are joined by doctor Ksey Dieters,
a neuroscientist specializing in Alzheimer's disease,focusing on racial disparities. She completed her
PhD at Indiana University and post doctoralresearch at Stanford and UC San Diego.
Now at UCLA, she continues herimpactful work on Alzheimer's and she joins us
(04:30):
today on the Black Information Network.Thank you, doctor Jeters. How are
you. I'm great, Thank youso much for having me. I'm very
excited to be here. So canyou tell us a little bit more about
the Take on Alzheimer's campaign and itsmain objectives. The Take on Alzheimer's campaign
has been developed by the California Departmentof Public Health or CDPH for sure,
in order to shift public perception andreduce stigma surrounding Alzheimer's disease. The end
(04:55):
goal of the campaign is actually thedrive behavior change by educating health Californians about
the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and toprovide easy, accessible informational resources to better
understand relevant risk factors, combat fearand stigma, and overall just improve our
brain health. So what are someof the key messages that the campaign aims
to communicate. Some of the keymessages that the Take on Al's campaign is
(05:18):
trying to communicate is that as oftwenty twenty four, Alzheimer's disease is actually
now the second leading cause of deathin California, while just a few years
ago it was a third leading causeof death. A number of Californians living
with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia's isactually expected to double by twenty forty,
so it's really time to take onAlzheimer's. You mentioned Alzheimer's disease is now
(05:41):
the second leading cause of death inCalifornia. What factors do you believe contribute
to this disease? What should peoplebe looking for? Sign symptoms? What
should people be aware of? Thegreat question. There's actually a number of
different warning signs for Alzheimer's in orderto watch out for, and this can
include memory loss that disrupts daily life, challenges in planning or solving problems,
(06:03):
confusion regarding time or place, changesin mood and personality, and there are
more. But that's just a fewof the science and symptoms to look out
for in regards to Alzheimer's. Andwhy is early detection of the diagnosis of
Alzheimer's so crucial? Yeah, gettingan early diagnosis for Alzheimer's disease is really
important in order to educate and understandall of the rights and health care benefits.
(06:28):
So getting an initial screening is veryimportant to obtain this formal diagnosis and
although the process can be very overwhelming, it can provide knowledge and options for
the next steps for you and yourleft ones. And you mentioned that there's
so much fear and stigma associated withthe disease. How can we have open
conversations and how does that reduce thatfear? I absolutely agree. Yeah,
(06:50):
there's a lot of fear and stigma, especially within our black communities, regarding
Alzheimer's disease. So seeking assistance forthe diagnosis can so times to be really
hard, But having honest and empatheticconversations with friends, loved ones, or
even your health care provider can bea critical step to improving outcomes and combating
(07:10):
fear and stigma associated with Alzheimer's diseaseand related dementias. So it's never too
late to reach out to a healthcareprovider in order to get more information for
yourself and your loved ones. Yea, And the campaign highlights that Alzheimer's this
proportionately affects women and communities of color. What are some of the reasons for
these disparities. Oftentimes these groups areunderrepresented in research. There's been a lot
(07:33):
of exclusion factors that prevent their participationin these studies. So there's a lot
of need for women and communities ofcolor to be included in the current clinical
research studies that we have. Additionally, there are some other culprits for increased
risk for dementia in communities of color, and this includes a lot of elevated
(07:58):
health conditions that we see. Youcan think for example, cardiovascular disease or
diabetes, and there's also social riskfactors. This is something I think a
lot of communities don't recognize how importantthe social and economic environment we live in
is to our health. And thiscan actually be prevalent in groups who have
lower levels of education or higher ratesof poverty. You rant up diverse populations
(08:22):
being included in Alzheimer's research. Howimportant is it to include these diverse populations
in the research and are there anyefforts being made in that area. I
cannot stress enough how important it isfor these underrepresented groups to be included in
research. So black individuals actually havethe highest rates of dementia in the country.
(08:46):
They're at more of a two timesrisk for Alzheimer's disease related to white
individuals here in America. And similarly, women are at increased risk for Alzheimer's
disease. So black women especially havethis increased risk for Alzheimer's disease, and
we really need these groups to bepresent in research in order to figure out
(09:09):
ways that we can best benefit theadvances in science. So we're talking about,
you know, the diverse populations andthe research. Are there any other
challenges that underrepresentative groups will face whenit comes to research. When it comes
to diagnoses, there's a number ofthings that might keep from accurate diagnoses.
So under reporting and obtaining a diagnosisat a later stage of disease may be
(09:33):
a result of the influence of culturalbias and cognitive testing and inadequate translation of
diagnostic tools to other languages that mayalso influence the identification of dementia. But
despite significant progress, dementia identification toolshave not been standardized or normalized across diverse
populations, nor are they being widelyused outside of academic or specialized research studying.
(09:56):
Is there a task force that hasbeen set aside by the California Department
of Public Health for this to makesure that this is a priority for Californians.
Absolutely so. In twenty nineteen,Governor Gavin Newsom formed the Task Force
on Alzheimer's Disease Prevention, Preparedness andthe Path Forward to support individuals and families
living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. The task Force was led by former
(10:18):
First Lady of California, Maria Shriver, who developed recommendations for Alzheimer's Prevention Preparedness
and the Path Forward in order toprepare for the growing number of Alzheimer's cases
and forge a path forward for families. And what are some of the preventative
steps people can take to improve theirbrain health and potentially reduce the risk of
(10:39):
Alzheimer's. There are actually a numberof preventative steps you can take to improve
overall brain health, modify your risk, or improve your overall health before and
after diagnosis. So, for example, exercising regularly, getting that daily cardiovascular
exercise in order to increase your bloodflow to the brain and body can maintain
overall health, not just brain health. Smoking, eating a balanced diets,
(11:01):
limiting foods and beverages that are highin sugar and fat, and getting enough
sleep leap is always very very important. And finally, what can individuals and
communities do to support the goals ofthe take on Alzheimer's campaign and help those
affected by the disease. Education isso important and one way that you can
get educated on this topic is byvisiting the website take on owls dot com
(11:26):
in order to learn more about waysto improve your brain health, reduce your
risk of Alzheimer's and spot signs andsymptoms and access screening resources. And if
you're act up on social media,you can also follow the California Department of
Public Health on Facebook, Instagram,and x at CA Public Health to view,
like, and share campaign social mediaposts. Perfect Thank you doctor Deads
(11:48):
for sharing your valuable insights on theAlzheimer's disease and the take on Alzheimer's campaign.
Your expertise and addressing the disparities areinspiring. We appreciate your time and
contribution to this important conversation. Thankyou for having me. Thanks Mimi for
that report on Alzheimer's disease in theblack community. We'll be sure to share
(12:09):
more about the CDPH awareness campaign duringthe month of June. Let's switch gears
now and catch up with news anchorMorgan Wood, who joins us on today's
program with a very special guest.The US Environmental Protection Agencies. Twenty twenty
three Clean School Bus Program rebate competitionrecipients are being announced in Jackson, Mississippi,
and joining me to talk more aboutit is EPA Administrator Michael Reagan.
(12:33):
Thanks for joining us on the BlackInformation Network. Hey, thank you for
having me this morning. Absolutely,so for those who don't know what the
EPA's twenty twenty three Clean Bus CleanSchool Bus Program rebate competition is, can
you describe that? Absolutely? Weare really excited to be announced in over
nine hundred million dollars to the latestround of funding for EPA's Clean School Bus
(12:58):
Program grant competition. That means we'regoing to help school districts all across the
country. Five hundred and thirty fortyseven states purchased over three four hundred clean
school buses. Those are low emissionvehicles or electric vehicles, and so just
really excited that our kids are goingto have cleaner transportation to and from school.
(13:22):
Talk to me about what we're dealingwith right now, Why is this
initiative so important at this moment,and what's going on with the buses that
the kids are riding around in now? Well, listen, I think when
the president President Biden came into office, he understood that we had an opportunity
to change over our school bus fleet. Right now, kids are riding on
(13:43):
dirty diesel school buses. We knowthat pollution are coming from these vehicles,
like soot pollution and other pollution thatexacerbates asthma, really causes some respiratory distress
from many children. And so whata great idea to begin to change over
that fleet and have children riding toand from school on cleaner vehicles. By
(14:07):
the way, these vehicles are manufactureddomestically, So we're talking about jobs,
we're talking about a local economy,and we're talking about our children breathing cleaner
air. And by the way,we're focused on our black and brown communities,
our tribal communities that have been leftbehind too often. And so this
is a great program that prioritizes ourchildren with the latest and greatest technologies and
(14:31):
again manufactured here domestically, creating jobs. Absolutely, you taught you mentioned focusing
on the black and brown community.Can you tell me more about the types
of recipients that are going to benefitfrom this initiative. Absolutely, we are
really focused on our black and browncommunities, our tribal communities, our low
(14:54):
income communities. We already know thatthese communities or our communities are disproportionately impacted
by pollution. Our communities have higherrates of asthma, respiratory illnesses and the
like. And so the President said, for those who have not traditionally had
a seat at the table, theywill be prioritized. And so we're focused
(15:15):
on these communities, our communities becauseagain, we want to have the jobs
in our communities. We want tohave the health benefits in our communities.
And by the way, we knowthat if our children can travel to and
from school without having an asthma attacktrigger or respiratory distress, they're going to
focus in the classroom, they're goingto excel academically, and they're going to
(15:37):
be the leaders that they should be. And so this is a great program.
I as a parent, am excitedabout this. It's personal. I
have a ten year old son,and when I think about he and his
friends being able to travel to andfrom school without breathing and pollution, that's
a great day for any parent.That is true. I'm a parent as
(15:58):
well, and I can concur Idefinitely concur on that we're speaking with EPA
Administrator Michael Reagan here on the BlackInformation Network. Now, these new buses,
have they been tested on the roads, and have they been already tested
for child safety? They have.These buses have the latest and greatest technologies,
(16:21):
not just from a reducing pollution,but from a safety standpoint. They're
quieter, they're safer, and listen, we have awarded nearly two point seven
billion for about eighty five hundred electricand low emission buses are ready for over
a thousand school districts nationwide. Sothey're on the roads, they're transporting kids
(16:45):
very safely already, and we're justexcited to continue to deepen that penetration and
get more buses on the road.That's exactly what I was going to talk
about next. How long before they'reon the road, which you mentioned that
they some of them already are,But how long before we start to see
a surge of that and maybe Isee them rolling around in my own neighborhood
and at my child school. Well, I can tell you we're seeing surges
(17:08):
already all across the country. Jackson, Mississippi, which we're here today making
the announcement, has already received twentyfive buses. We've seen rural communities like
all the Kansas already receiving fleets ofthese buses. And so we're seeing school
districts, whether it be in Floridaor North Carolina or California, really see
(17:32):
a strong penetration of these electric buses. And by the way, when you
ride on these buses with the kids, the excitement on their face is just
so amazing. That's exactly what Iwas going to ask you. How do
the kids feel about the buses?How do the parents feel about the buses?
The school administrators, the people whoactually the bus drivers. What type
(17:53):
of feedback are we getting about thesenew, clean buses. Oh, the
feedback is amazing. You can imaginethose teachers that have bus duty, that
are standing outside on those hot days, not having to breathe in those fumes.
The bus drivers who are on thesebuses for hours and hours, who
(18:14):
are not exposed to these fumes.The children's faces just light up. The
only criticism that we have from thekids is that they're so quiet that they
can't be mischievous. But other thanthat, everyone is excited about having this
technology. And I'll tell you,it's really inspiring to see school districts that
(18:38):
are typically at the back of theline for the latest and greatest technologies be
some of the first recipients. There'sa sense of pride for the children,
there's a sense of pride for theadministration, and we're just excited that the
President had the foresight to work withCongress to prioritize allmunities. Absolutely. What
(19:02):
do you hope to see in thefuture in terms of initiatives like this,
whether it be environmental or just overallin terms of you know, the US
and our country, the children.What do you hope to see in the
future in terms of initiatives similar orlike this. You know when President Biden
(19:22):
took off as he pledged that everycommunity would have an opportunity to be successful.
And when we think about electric schoolbuses, it's not only introducing a
technology to these school districts and reducingthe pollution, but it's also given our
children a sense of worth that theybelong at the forefront of this technological revolution
(19:47):
and that their schools won't be leftbehind. So I hope and pray that
with all of the programs that we'readministering, that all children will see the
equity and the equality of the programsunder the Biden Harris administration, and that
they really appreciate and see that thepledge that no community will be left behind
(20:08):
and every child deserves clean air andclean water, no matter their skin color,
their zip code is realized. Andthat's what we're working hard at each
and every day. Yes, andas much as this is a great initiative,
I'm sure the work continues. Ona side note, this is the
Black Information Network and you are BlackAPA Administrator Michael Reagan. What does representation
(20:32):
mean to you in this type ofrole? You know, it means every
day. There's not a day thatI don't wake up number one and see
this as a privilege to represent formyself, my family, but for Black
Americans. But it also is humblingand I truly understand the responsibility of the
(20:55):
position to represent as best as possible. I will say that representation in leadership
really matters. We bring a differentperspective, different experiences, and it's my
hope that each and every day I'mable to represent for the culture, for
the people, and ensure our youngfolks. You know, when I'm riding
(21:18):
on these buses and you have thesemiddle school students looking up at a black
administrator and says, while you're helpingus breed cleaner air, ride fancier school
buses, and you're giving out billionsof dollars and you are a black man.
I think it's inspirational for them,and I enjoy doing my part absolutely.
(21:41):
Is there anything that you want tomention that I have not touched on
before I let you go? Youknow, I just would like to say
that I'm really proud to serve inthis administration. Vice President Harris and President
Biden have pledged to invest in everycommunity, and I agree with them in
(22:03):
terms of the focus and the vision, and I believe that over the past
three plus years they have done justthat and our communities are better off for
that. I appreciate that. EPAAdministrator Michael Reagan, and he's in Jackson,
Mississippi, with the NCAA President DerekJackson and Representative Benny Thompson to announce
(22:25):
the recipients of the US Environmental ProtectionAgencies twenty twenty three Clean School Bus Program
rebate competition funded by Biden's Investing inAmerica agenda. Thank you so much for
joining us. How can we continueto stay in touch with the work that
you do well listen. Please followus at EPA dot gov. We are
(22:48):
really focused on making sure that we'remore transparent and reaching the people and our
communities, and please have me backon I'd love to talk about how this
program isuring, but I also talkabout other programs that we're rolling out that's
very central for our community. Absolutely, you're invited to the barbecue. It's
getting hot, so you know,you just pull up and get a plate.
(23:12):
Thanks so much. I know howto do that. Thanks so much,
Administrator Reagan for joining us here onthe Black Information Network. I'm Morgan.
Would thanks Morgan, and we'll beright back with more of the black
perspective. Stay tuned the Black InformationNetwork and six time Emmy nominated news anchor
Vanessa Tyler Welcome you to black Land, a podcast about the ground on which
(23:33):
the black community stands right now.From stories about salvation and loss, I
love the person who had an asharvydiagnosis, the dreams achieved or yet unfulfilled,
from people who have made it.I sat down with a derapist and
I began my journey to those leftbehind. Listen to black Land on the
iHeartRadio app or wherever you get yourpodcast. You're listening to the Black perspective
(23:56):
on the Black Information Network. I'myour host, Mike I then and now
it's time to check in with GracieAward winning news anchor Esther Dillard for this
week's installment of The Color Between theLines. I'm Esther Dillard on the Black
Information Network, chatting with writers andauthors who offer an added perspective for our
(24:19):
listeners. This is the Color betweenthe Lines. In this edition of The
Color Between the Lines, we're discussingaddiction. Speaking with a Borg certified position
and with specialties in psychiatry and additionalmedicine, and we're talking to her about
(24:42):
her new book on addiction, Sixmind Changing Conversations that Could Save a Life.
Doctor. Welcome, doctor Zinga Harrisonto the bi in. Thank you
so much, glad to be here. Well, before we get into the
what prompted you to write this book? You shared in your book that there
was like eighty one percent of peoplewithholding information about their doctors, which is
(25:08):
really surprising. Is this among allpatients, just black patients? And can
you provide or explain why and howthe healthcare system can change that? Yeah,
this is among all patients, Soeighty one percent of people withhold information
from their doctor. My thought isthat it is likely higher among communities that
(25:32):
are traditionally mistreated, so black communities, LGBTQ, women, immigrants, And
the root of it is the judgmentalnature of our healthcare system, right,
So people want to be perceived wellby their doctor. They wanted to be
thought highly of. And so whenyou had an illness like addiction that is
(25:55):
already stigmatized that we've put so muchshame on, of course people can't tell
us about it, and that reallymakes it deadly. If you cannot tell
me your doctor about everything that isgoing on with your health, I'm not
in a good position to truly beable to help and make those decisions with
you. And so I put iton us as doctors to create a safer,
(26:18):
non judgmental, trusting relationship that allowsyou not to be in that eighty
one percent. I imagine that itprobably the person just hire among those who
don't have as much money or haveyou know, their your economic status is
different because people I guess that areyou know, that have a higher status,
have more. Somebody's gonna treat Opraha little differently than perhaps Joanne down
(26:42):
the street that's exactly right. Andit is easier for Oprah to find her
voice than it is for Joanne,right and so, and Joanne also likely
day in and day out, hasthose experiences of people on valuing her devaluing
her. And so you don't wantto take that risk with your doctor.
(27:06):
What prompted you to start this bookto write it? Yeah, So I
decided really young to be a doctor, and I thought I'd be a pediatrician
because that's the only doctor I knew. I don't have doctors in my family.
And then I got a surgeon inseventh grade. Luckily I didn't have
to get surgery, but he wasamazing. So I was like, I'm
going to be a surgeon. Butthen when I went to medical school,
(27:30):
I did my psychiatry rotation and Iwas like, what the fill in the
word that you are most comfortable within this blank? The way the healthcare
system is treating people with addiction iskilling them. And then that opened my
eyes that it's not just in thehealthcare system, it is every day.
(27:51):
The way people with addiction are beingtreated is killing them. And that's really
where I developed my professional passion.Third year of medical school back in two
thousand and one. Now that I'ma psychiatrist, I can look at my
family history and see all the addictionon mom's side, all the addiction on
dad's side, all of the mentalhealth conditions on mom's side, all the
(28:14):
mental health conditions on dad side.I was probably destined to be an addiction
psychiatrist, just based on my familyexperiences. You take a very storied approach
in this book, including really importantfacts, but it doesn't read like a
textbook. What kind of I guessresponse have you gotten from readers? And
(28:37):
does the approach differ? I mean, does the response differ from those who
are physicians? Yeah? Thank youso much. So. I did not
write this to be a textbook.I wrote this hoping. You know,
I've taken care of thousands of peoplewith addiction over my career and their family
members, and I've started Eleanor Healthand we take care of thousands of people
(29:02):
every single month. I hope thatthis book could get to people that maybe
I won't pass in everyday life.And I wrote it in a storied way.
Thank you. That's like the nicestthing anyone has said to me all
day. Because I want people tosee themselves in this book. Every single
one of us is touched by addiction, and one of the stigmas that keeps
(29:22):
people from getting healthy is that it'sthem, and it's not them, it's
us. And so I wanted youto see yourself in this book. I
wanted it to be safe for youto see yourself in a book that's about
addiction. But let's be clear,I need physicians and nurse practitioners and therapists
reading this book also because it isalso a map for how to take care
(29:47):
of people that have addictions. Haveyou gotten any response from physicians after reading
this book on what? Yes?The response is, why did I not
learn this in medical school? Theresponse is I never thought about it like
this. The response is I hadno idea addiction is more inheritable than diabetes
(30:07):
and asthma. The response is,I had no idea. The relapse rate
for asthma is higher than the relapserate for addiction, and it was other
physicians will say to me, Idon't know how you practice addiction in medicine.
Must be a dirge. No,it is a hopeful specialty. And
that has been the feedback that I'vegotten. It's like, wow, I
(30:29):
can see the hope, and thismakes me think like I could be doing
more for those of you who arejust joining us. I'm mister Dillard on
the Black Information Network speaking with doctorZinga Harrison about her latest book called un
Addiction Six Mind Changing Conversations that CouldSave a Life. You mentioned in the
book a sort of magic formula.Can you explain, Please explain what that
(30:53):
is and how people are supposed toapply it. Yeah, So this is
the concept of diction that I'm teachingin the book, and the book is
structured in six chapters, and it'sreally like for any chronic condition, addiction
included. There are biological reasons,psychological reasons, environmental reasons that you're born
into that increase your risk for thatillness. And then as you become an
(31:17):
adult, there are biological reasons,psychological reasons, and environmental reasons that develop
over your life that increase your riskfor developing that illness. And so the
magic formula says, if I canteach you to know your individual biological risk
that you were born into, yourpsychological and environmental and that's physical environment and
(31:41):
cultural environment that you were born into, and we can look at those with
you as an adult. Also thenwe can craft your own individualized formula for
how you address your substanitution or youraddiction. And so I liking it to
cancer. What if there was onlyone chemo regimen, no matter what kind
(32:02):
of cancer you have, no matterwhat your circumstances are, no matter where
you came from, there is oneregiment. And if you have cancer and
you do that regimen and it doesn'twork, it's because you didn't want your
cancer to go away. That's ourcurrent approach to addiction. And so the
Magic Formula is that personalized, data, information driven approach that empowers people to
(32:28):
take control of their own health.And you share exercises at the end of
each chapter the book for readers touse in their own lives. Which one
of these I guess exercises did youfind was the most effective for your patients?
And can you give me a shortexample. Yeah, So it varies,
(32:49):
right, depending on which of thesebuckets I'm working in, And most
of the time we're in all sixof the buckets. But what resonates with
a person one bucket They may havemore motivation for it than another. And
so these exercises that as I'm takingcare of a person, I'm listening.
I'm listening for what makes you tick, what motivates you, where you feel
(33:10):
disconnected in life? And those arethe exercises that I'm trying to give.
And so, knowing this is blackinformation network, I think one that is
so critical that the overwhelming number ofdoctors are missing because we have not been
taught it. Chapter five, weatheringthe medical literature tells us, independent of
(33:31):
anything else, racism and discrimination killsus, and it kills us slowly.
It kills us with depression, anxiety, addiction, diabetes, high blood pressure,
premature death, cancer, It killsus. And so in this book,
I go through one recognizing the experiencesyou've had with racism and discrimination,
(33:59):
scaling it and putting a score onhow much that is affecting your health,
and give you a script for howto take that to a doctor or a
healthcare professional to start making that partof your magic formula accessible really actionable steps.
I really appreciate that. What isthe I guess, because we're running
(34:22):
out of time, what is theoverall message that you hope readers will come
away with when they pick up yourbook. Yeah, the overall message starts
on the foundation that drug use isa choice. As Americans, all of
us, almost all of us,make the choice to use drugs at some
point, if not many points,in of our lives. Addiction is an
illness. And when you can understandaddiction as an illness, that empowers you
(34:45):
to practice prevention. That empowers youto want to help because we want to
help people who have illnesses. Thatempowers you to use compassion as a tool.
It also holds the medical establishment accountableto understanding and practicing a standard of
(35:06):
care that helps people get better.Seventy five percent of people with addiction get
better. People don't know that.People think addiction is not treatable. Seventy
five percent of people get better.The more you know, the more you
increase your chance that you or yourloved one is in that seventy five percent,
And the more we hold the medicalestablishment accountable, the higher that seventy
(35:28):
five percent turns into eighty, turnsinto eighty five, turns into ninety.
Well, thank you, these arereally great statistics. You've obviously done a
lot of research and a lot ofhard work, and I'm hoping that this
will be something that others will seeas a great resource for them and their
families. Thank you. So much. That's it for this addition of the
(35:52):
color between the lines. The bookis on addiction six mind change in conversations
that should save a life. I'mmister Dillard on the Black Information Network.
Thanks Esther. The Black Information Networkhas an amazing team of commentators who bring
(36:16):
their unique perspectives to stories impacting theblack community. Earlier in today's program,
we heard Moe Kelly's reaction to theguilty verdict and the Donald Trump hush money
trial. Now let's hear from RolandMartin on another topic trending in this week's
news, Major League Baseball has finallystopped segregating the Negro League's players from Major
(36:37):
League Baseball. Rob Manfred, theCommission of Major League Baseball, announced this
week that the records of the NegroLeagues are going to now be included in
the major leagues. As a result, Josh Gibson is the leader in several
categories now from Major League Baseball.Now, keep in mind, folks,
when we say major League baseball,that's what white baseball was called. The
(37:00):
Negro Leagues were created because black playerswere frozen out of the major leagues,
and they were only the major leaguesbecause they were white. They had better
stadiums, better travel, better food, better lighting, better uniforms, but
they were not better. The besttalent was in the Negro leagues. In
fact, Dizzy Dean often said thatTed Williams, one of the greatest hitters
(37:23):
in Major League Baseball history, wasspeaking at the Hall of Fame induction of
manager Casey Steingel, and this iswhat he said about Negro league players,
and I someday the names were StatuelPage and Josh Giffson in some way the
symbol of the great Negro players thatare not here only because they were not
(37:45):
give him a chance. I ain'tOkayingo Hill the same I am, and
I'm awfully glad with him. Sowhat we now have as a result of
his decision is that the future generationsare going to have to recognize these great
players in their Negro leagues. Itmeans that their stats were not second class.
(38:08):
But I need people to understand thatthis is the reality of Jim Crow.
I'm from Texas, and sports inTexas was under the preview in a
scholastic league, and when they mergedwith the university in a scholastic league,
the white folks decided not to includeany of the pv i L records because
they said they weren't really official andthose records should be reconciled as well.
(38:31):
I'm Roland Martin on the Black InformationNetwork. Be sure to catch Roland Martin,
mo Kelly and James T. Harrisfor daily commentary on the Black Information
Network. And now Doug Davis bringsus part two of his conversation with best
selling author and black financial literacy expertJohn Hope Bryant. Hey, Thanks Mike.
My name is Doug Davis, andwelcome to another euro of Black Business,
(38:53):
where we feature inspiring stories of blackentrepreneurs, organizations and perspectives surrounding black
vis business. We are back withpart two of our exclusive conversation with black
financial literacy entrepreneur John Hope Bryant.His latest book, entitled Financial Literacy for
All, is writing high among anumber of bestseller lists. Mister Bryant,
welcome back to the bi N andyou're a Black business. Were left off
(39:15):
with you sharing some important tidbits surmountingyour new book and why every Black American
needs to buy it. This isa primary, a come to you at
your level financial business plan and coachfor the rest of your life, combined
with the podcast I do every weekon iHeart on Charlemagne's Charlemagne's Black Effect Me
(39:36):
and work called Money and Wealth,which is my weekly ministry of hope.
You take these two things and coachingand operation hope, and you will literally
transform your life. Amen. So, a number of black economists feel that
the only way to racial economic parityis through reparations. Right. The wealth
gap is so wide. It's sowide that even if we follow your in
(40:00):
your books and we do our thingand we make millions, that we will
never come close to the medium householdincome of a white family. How do
you feel about that? Do youfeel that there's any truth to that?
I think it's irrelevant to the personwho's trying right now to send their kid
(40:22):
to college, trying right now inthe next five years, three years,
two years to make a decision abouthow they don't go broke, how they
can plan for retirement. I mean, we've been talking about reparations and trying
to get social justice in this countrysince eighteen sixty five. And the likelihood
(40:43):
that you're going to have a politicalawakening in our lifetime yet alone in the
next five years, particularly get inLook at the political environment we're in right
now, man, where is markedand defined by division, and then people
trying to roll back, forget reparations, they're trying to roll back d E
and I programs, right, Imean, I mean, these are things
that actually are clearly the data clearlystates that I stay in the business plan
(41:06):
for America, that diversity is goodfor business. The most basic things they're
being challenged right now, the rightto vote, I mean basic stuff.
So I like fighting fights that arewinnable, right, And I was like,
I don't even want to fight,I want to win. And I
think we need a black Jewish businessplan. Yes, I said it.
Jews were discriminated against, couldn't ownland in Europe one hundred years ago,
(41:30):
couldn't get a job in America,was even allowed in America in the mid
twentieth century, turned away during WorldWar Two, had to get jobs at
HPCUS because nobody else would give themjobs. Now they're the wealthiest minority group
in America, did it legally andaround the world. There are only fifteen
men Jews in the world of eightbillion people. So I think that there's
(41:52):
a lot of criticism, but Ithink we should also learn something from how
they have succeeded as a minority group. I think that there are tons of
exempt you. I mean there's alot of example with me. Black Africans
come here, Black Caribbeans come here. They have a different trajectory the financially
than Black African Americans because their mindswere not messed with with slavery, Jim
(42:15):
Crow, etc. They come hereand within three to five years they've excelled.
So do I think, you know, politically, that should be something
we should look at. Sure.I think it should be in the form
of education for all. Education shouldbe a birthright K through college, certainly
for African Americans. There's certain thingswe can do that are positive for free
market economy. But I don't don'tfocus on the perfect. Focus on what
(42:39):
you can get done. Don't letthe perfect become the death of the good.
You may end up sitting around forthe next twenty five years debating something
that has low certainty of happening,when you can actually do something right now
to improve your certainty your life.I'll put it another way, Doug,
I just got the phone before Icalled you with my billionaire friends. He's
(43:00):
worked. He's the two hundredth richestman in the world. Before that,
I was on the phone he's worthten billion. Or before that, I
was on the phone with another guywho's worth probably ninety one hundred million.
I don't want to give my networth, but it's significant, but it's
you know, maybe it's not thesame as theirs, and certainly not in
the billions. But when I canmake this phone call, I can have
(43:22):
my lunch. This is my house. I'm gonna get in my car,
I'm gonna go to my office.I'm gonna go on my vacation. I'm
gonna go to my vacation home inturch and Kko's. I'm well, I
don't give a dang about what someJoe jack Er Schmoe is doing. I'm
not comparing myself to somebody else.I've got enough, more than enough to
do everything I want to do withmy life, and not when out out
(43:45):
of my self esteem depends on somebodyelse's acceptance of me. We've got to
stop comparing ourselves to others and expectingthe world to treat black people fairly if
history has shown they won't. Solet the politicians do the political thing.
Let us do our own economic thing. By the way, Doug, black
(44:07):
people are the only group who havenot used free enterprise and capitalism to set
ourselves free. While we even arguingabout government. The market has had since
the pandemic of twenty twenty. Networkshave double just four years ago, So
you know, I mean, look, this is not my fight. My
(44:28):
fight is what I can control.I can't control how somebody feels about me
or what's going on in Washington.I can control my credit score, I
can control my budget. I cancontrol my step tomorrow. And I've went
from common California in South central LAand homeless. Please everybody listen to this.
Now, I'm in the top onepercent of this country. If I
(44:52):
can do it, they can doit. And why should I compare myself
to somebody else. I can buyand sell most people that I meet,
collective of their race. About thebusiness, that's all absolutely man. If
you can explain a bit about yourpartnership with Shopify and how things are going
with your goal to create one millionblack businesses by twenty thirty, I can,
(45:13):
and I can also think I heartand your network for helping me do
it. We one million black businessinitiatives. I do this real quickly,
I went out doing. George Floyd, the founder, asked me, Toby,
LOOKI what can you do to helpI said, help me create me
and new black businesses. He said, center proposal I did. I didn't
hear from him in a week.I sent a note saying, hey,
man, thanks for considering it.I appreciate you trying, good heart.
(45:36):
I can assume you know not interested. You sent me a note back and
said, well you talked about Isaid, yes, it was in my
spam folder. It's one hundred andthirty million dollar commitment, one lot,
one lot. I'm in now thatForget Forget reparations. There's one hundred and
thirty million dollars right there. That'smy that's my rep per that's my repairations,
right And I took that on hundredand thirty million commitment, and we'd
(46:00):
four hundred twenty thousand black businesses infour years, put people into an e
commerce lane of action in their life. There's only three point one million black
businesses in America's that's twelve percent thatwe even helped started. Advanced created are
grown, and we have not stopped. We're partnering with the h with HBCUs
partner like Atlanta. We'm on theboard and all the others were partnering with
(46:22):
the Divine Nine, the fraternities andsororities. We're a big Indian for SBA
and people should go people twenty fivethousand dollars per person grant in kind grant.
We just did something with Pinky Colelast week which he announced every graduate
of Savannah State University would get twentyfive thousand dollars grant in kind program grant
from US for one MBB. Peoplewent crazy, So everybody watching this go
(46:45):
to one mbb dot org or OperationHope dot org and sign up if you
want to become a civil rights SIl P. E. R. John
ho'brien, financial literacy entrepreneur and authorof the new book entitled Financial Literacy for
All, Thank you so much forsharing your precious time and knowledge with our
bi in listeners. Hey listen.If you want us to feature your business
(47:07):
on The Black Perspective and your Blackbusiness, please reach out. Email me
at Doug Davis at iHeartMedia. That'sDoug Davis at iHeartMedia, or find me
on LinkedIn under Doug Davis. You'relistening to the Black Perspective and You're a
Black Business on the bi N ThanksDoug. As summer activities got underway,
a group of entrepreneurs are hoping BlackAmericans will include visits to black owned restaurants
(47:31):
in their plans. The Black InformationNetworks on Drea Coleman has more. Mike
Warren Luckett is co founder Black RestaurantWeeks. The organization launches campaigns and cities
across the country to introduce people toblack owned restaurants in those areas. We
spoke with mister Luckett recently as oneof their largest campaigns is set to get
underway in New York City on Juneteenth, which is just a few weeks
(47:53):
away. So Warren, please tellus about Black Restaurant Week, When was
it started and what does it aimto do. So Black Restaurant Week was
started in twenty sixteen in Houston,Texas, and our goal was to celebrate
the diversity as well as contributions fromAfricans from across the diaspora. And so
what started out as a humble campaignwith just twenty five participants has now expanded
(48:16):
into a fifteen market campaign highlighting oversixteen hundred black owned businesses and restaurant tours
across the country throughout the year,and so how it works is we're going
to a market for two weeks andask the participating restaurants to offer a special
to entice the community and the publicto come and try the different menu items
(48:37):
that they have on their elections.What's really cool about this is we aim
to create an exploratory opportunity really forthe community at large who may not have
tried different types of cuisine from acrossthe diaspora. And so, you know,
while we're known and we love oursoulf what we love most about Black
Restaurant Week is it allows us toshowcase the Caribbean influence, the African influence,
(49:00):
some of the different regional influence,as well as the creativity that exists
within the Black culinary scene. Welook at things like veganism or some of
the more healthy eating trends that areshaping in the country, and the Black
community has been at the forefront ofcreating different takes on traditional vegan and vegetarian
options. So rather than having tojust be stuck with the weird tofi,
(49:21):
you've seen some of the different folksfrom the community to be able to create
more so food style dishes with veganingredients, and so it's been amazing to
see the creativity but also the resiliencycoming out of COVID about three or four
years ago. That's really tremendous.Now these are black owned restaurants, right,
not just restaurants serving cuisine associated witha diaspora, but these are actually
black owned restaurants. Correct. Absolutelythe requirements for them to participate, they
(49:46):
have to restaurants have to at leastbe jeorady black owned. We understand that
sometimes the are our minority partners,but it is very important for us to
champion the black entrepreneurs in the restaurantspace. And so you know, if
a restaurant is wide owned or andjust as an executive chef for instance,
then they cannot participate. These establishmentsdoes have to have a black ownership.
(50:07):
Talk a little bit about why it'simportant to show cases black owned restaurants.
Oftentimes these restaurants are so busy justbeing the backbones of our community. You
know, just thinking from just ahistorical perspective and even from a personal perspective,
how many important things happen around eitherthe dinner table or at dining establishments.
(50:28):
Everything from birthdays, to anniversaries,to graduations, the celebrations. So
many moments within our lives take placein these restaurants within our community. Whenever
communities are affected by disasters or evencultural injustices, a lot of times the
restaurants become those focal points. Evengoing from a historical standpoint and going back
(50:49):
to the civil rights era, howintegral restaurants work for meetups and for organizations
for the movement, and so it'stime for us to really create a platform
to support these efforts of our community. A lot of times these small business
owners don't have the budget for apublicist, or for radio buys or social
media, digital ads, and sothat's really where black restaurant comes into play.
(51:14):
We're able to leverage our resources toprovide them as much awareness and exposure
as possible. You know, ourgoal is to really do two things in
our campaign, drive revenue these establishments, but also drive awareness to give these
businesses visibility love that. How difficultis it for black owned restaurants to stay
in business? Oh, it's extremelyhard. Whether it's just the natural high
(51:35):
turnover that exists in the hospitality industry, just the difficulties when it comes to
access to capital just to create sustainablecash flow solutions, It's difficult, and
so that's why it's so vital thatthe community comes out and supports these restaurants,
not just during Black Restaurant Week,but all year long, you know,
finding ways that you can integrate diningat these black owned restaurants into your
(51:58):
day to day routines or your monthlyactivity these you know, finding ways really
support these operators. Why is thisissue so important to you? Well,
for me, this was first startedin twenty sixteen, and that was right
around the time that Mike Brown hadpassed and Out Sterling had passed, and
there was really starting to be thisawakening within the black community about what was
going on. It's just cultural shift. And for me, being in the
(52:19):
hospitality industry, having had an opportunityto grow a wine distribution business with my
father and being one of the blackdistributors in the country, start to see
where there are some unique trends,to say the least within the dining community.
And whereas from a historical perspective,Blacks have not traditionally got the recognition
that we've deserved. We've always beenan integral part of the culinary fabric in
(52:44):
this country. You know, traditionallywe were back of the house, you
know, being a chef was lookedat more so as like a back of
the house position. It wasn't glorified. It was something that was relegated to
the help. But as time hasevolved, through the Food Network and some
of these other shows you have,you know, these white males that have
been able to create celebrity from thekitchen, and so the same way that
(53:04):
music was misappropriated and you see ourfashion being misappropriated, we're starting to see
the same thing happen, you know, within the food spaces. I can't
tell you how many times you're goingto a new American restaurant and they'll have
shrimp and grits on there, orthey'll start to serve ox tails. You
know, scraps that were thrown tous, that we made into delicacies are
now being heralded on the culinary sceneand we're not necessarily getting the acclaim of
(53:27):
the recognition for that. And soas much as it is about supporting the
future generations of culinary stars and culinarycontributors, it's also vital that we celebrate
to protect the legacy and contributions thatwe've created up until this point. Tell
us a little bit about Black RestaurantWeek that's about to kick off in New
York on Juneteenth this year. Lastyear, I understand that you guys had
(53:49):
about one hundred and thirty restaurants participatingin the two week celebration. How many
do you see signing up to participatein this two week event this year?
Our goal is to have over onehundred and fifty participants in the New York
market this year. New York hasbeen an amazing market for us. The
growth year over the year has beenexponential, and it has really become one
of the largest campaigns that we haveall year. I was talking about just
(54:10):
the diversity from across the diaspora.New York is one of those unique markets
that really showcases that diversity. Whetherit's the Caribbean influence in Brooklyn, or
seeing some of the Afro Latino influencesin Manhattan, or even the Bronx.
New York is just that amazing meltingpot that we know it to be.
But it's fun to even just diveinto it further. As we have opportunity
(54:32):
to explore the African diaspora through foodthat's really good and how many other cities
are you going to be hitting onethis year? So we have fifteen campaigns,
and because some of the campaigns areregional, like our Midwest campaign that
encompasses multiple states, we like tosay that we highlight over forty major metropolitan
cities across the United States and thosefifteen campaigns and how do people support the
(54:54):
events and so traditionally, all ofthe participating restaurants can be found on our
website www dot Black Restaurant Weeks withan s dot com. It has a
full breakdown of all the different campaigns. You can go in and search to
see the different menus and specials thatare being offered. And it's absolutely free
to go to these restaurants. Youknow, Black Restaurant Weeks does not charge
(55:16):
the public anything to go and patronizethese restaurants. Now, when you do
get there, they offer especially andof course you do have to pay the
restaurant for the food, but weas a collective don't charge anything. We
do, from time to time dohost auxiliary food and beverage events and those
can also be found on our website. Everything from food truck festivals to bartending
(55:38):
competitions. We do catering showcases aswell, and so just stay abreasts on
our website, and our website alsohas information about how you can sign up
for our newsletter that sends out thatinformation as well. But our theme and
kind of our slogan is is morethan just a week. Although we come
to a market for two weeks ayear, we really want this to be
(55:59):
a full year support of these operators, and so our website functions like a
directory. You can put in yourzip code, you can put in diet
ter restrictions, you can even putwhether or not you prefer a patio,
and our website or do the workfor you and pull up listings and businesses
within our network that meet those orcriteria. So we asked the community to
(56:20):
continue to support these restaurants as muchas possible. What a great resource.
It seems like you serve kind oflike an introduction or facilitate introductions to spaces
we may want to patronize. That'sreally good. Yes, and I'm so
glad you've said that, because youknow folks who say, well, is
this just for the black community,No, this is to showcase the black
community, but this is for everyone. You can traditionally go into most neighborhoods
(56:42):
and say, hey, can youpoint me to your favorite two sushi restaurants?
So where's two good Mexican restaurants,two good time spots. But if
you know, you ask the greatercommunity your favorite Blacks restaurants, they may
not have the answers and that's okay. So we just want to give the
whole community sources, especially for usethat love food and are open to trying
new cuisines, you know, opportunitiesto support our community as well. I
(57:07):
love that. Now, through BlackRestaurant Weeks, you have also established to
Feed the Sole Foundation to help blackrestaurant owners. Tell us a little bit
about that. Yeah, so we'reBlack Restaurant Weekends. Feed the Sol Foundation
picks up Black Restaurant Weeks. Isthat marketing vehicle for the small owned restaurant
tours. Where Feed the Solt Foundationis the business development arm. We provide
(57:28):
business grants or thirty restaurants throughout thecountry from both the black and brown community.
Every year. Well, they receivethe ten thousand dollars grant. In
addition to receiving the ten thousand dollars, we give them a consultant of their
choosing. So this can be anHR consultant that helps them identify ways to
improve staffing procedures. This can bea website designer if they're looking to create
(57:49):
a new website and update their menuselections. And then we also put them
through like a financial readiness program thatwill prepare them and prepare their books for
when they want to go to thebank or the looking for all turn of
accesss to capital. We also provideopportunities for the next generation of and hospitality
professionals through our Project Next program thatprovides internships and scholarships to HBCU and HSI
(58:13):
students. And then lastly, wehave our Emergency Relief program, so if
a business has been affected by abreak in a fire, we're able to
provide stipends that go towards their insurancedeductibles. That is tremendous. What do
these restaurant owners say to you whenyou show up with that kind of assistance
for them, it's been life changingwork. Humbly speaking, we're just the
(58:34):
vehicle myself, my amazing business partnersDerek and Folland we're just a vehicle.
Like we're a very very spiritual group, and we feel like this has just
been placed on our hearts, andso we're just the vehicle of this work.
You know, We're just here tojust be resources for the community.
There's so many people that that needhelp and just need resources, and that's
just what we aim to do.You know, We've been blessed and so
(58:55):
we just want to be, youknow, continue to be a blessing.
So and that's our program for thisweek on behalf of the entire team at
the Black Information Network. I'm MikeIsland. Wishing everyone a great Sunday,
Thanks for joining us, and tunein next week at this time for another
edition of the Black Perspective right hereon the Black Information Network. The largest
civil rights conference is coming to NewOrleans this summer, the National Urban League
(59:21):
Conference July twenty fourth through the twentyseventh at the Highest Regency, New Orleans.
Register today at Annulconference dot org.Don't miss the nation's leading business,
political and community leaders, influencers andcelebrities as they all meet up from the
twenty fourth through the twenty seventh downtownat the Highe Regency, New Orleans.
Don't wait. Register today at Annulconferencedot org.
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